'The world is a great dance, in which we find The good and bad have various turns affign'd; But when they've ended the great masquerade, One goes to glory, th' other to a fhade.
E affable and courteous in youth, that You may be honour'd in age. Rofes that Lote their colours, keep their favours, and pluck'd From the ftalk, are put to the ftill. Because it boweth when the fun rifeth, Is sweetest when it is oldest and children, Which in their tender Years fow courtesy, Shall in their declining ftates reap pity,
-Let me not live (quoth he)
After my flame lacks oil; to be the fnuff Of younger fpirits, whofe apprehenfive fenfes All but new things disdain; whose judgments are Meer fathers of their garments; whofe conftancies Expire before their fashions.
Shakespear's All's well that ends well.
-For Youth no less becomes
The light and carelefs livery' that it wears, 'Than fettled age his fables, and his weeds
Importing health and graveness.
I'll ferve his youth, for youth must have his course, For being restrain'd, it makes him ten times worse : His pride, his riot, all that may be nam'd, Time may recall, and all his madness tam'd.
Shakespear's London Prodigal.
I'll not practice any violent means to stay Th' unbridled courfe of youth in him for that Reftrain'd, grows more impatient; and, in kind, Like to the eager, but the gen'rous grey-hound, Who, ne'er fo little from his game withheld, Turns head, and leaps up at his holder's throat.
Johnson's Every Man in his Humour. What Stoick ftrange, who moft precife appears, Could that Youth's death with tearless eyes behold? In all perfections ripe, tho' green in years;
A hoary judgment under locks of gold.
Of an unfteady youth, a giddy brain, Green indifcretion, flattery of greatness, Rawnels of judgment, wilfulness in folly,
Thoughts vagrant as the wind, and as uncertain.
John Ford's Broken Heart.
-Folly may be in youth:
But many times 'tis mixt with grave difcretion That tempers it to use, and makes its judgment Equal, if not exceeding that, which palleys Have almoft fhaken into a disease.
I love to fee a nimble activeness
In noble youth; it argues active minds In well fhap'd bodies, and begets a joy Dancing within me.
1. Though youthful blood be hot,
Yet it must be allay'd and cool'd by snowy age; And those of elder years ought to restrain Its violent and impetuous course.
2. Ay, but with this caution and provifo, That the restraint be not unfeasonable : 'Tis a receiv'd opinion 'mong anatomists, That the ligature and binding of a member, If feasonably apply'd, preferves the heart
From violent influxes of the blood; But if the application be untimely, it caufes Gangreens and hæmorrhagies;
So youthful blood if checkt unfeasonably, Becomes more infolent and impetuous, More vitiated and corrupt, than if Its natural courfe had not been hinder'd ; The age of youth is the strong rein of Paffion, and vice does ride in triumph Upon the wheels of vehement defire, Which run with infinite celerity, When the body drives the chariot, They can't be stopp'd on a fudden; Art and deliberation must be us'd.
Nevile's Poor Scholar. All hardy youths! from valiant fathers fprung, Whom perfect honour he fo highly taught, That th' aged fetch'd examples from the young, And hid the vain experience which they brought. Sir William Davenant's Gondibert. Something of youth, I in old age approve; But more the marks of age in youth I love. Who this obferves, may in his body find Decrepit age, but never in his mind.
And they whofe high examples youth obeys, Are not defpifed, though their ftrength decays; And thofe decays, to fpeak the naked truth, Though the defects of age, were crimes of youth: Intemp'rate youth, by fad experience found, Ends in an age imperfect and unfound.
And to rafh youth 'tis an unhappy fate, To come too early to a great estate.
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