To M. Edward Cobham

Old Socrates, whose wisdom did excel,
And passed the reach of wisest in his time,
Surmounted all that on the earth did dwell,
That craggy hills of virtue high did climb;
That Socrates, my Cobham, did allow
Each man in youth himself in glass to view,
And willed them oft to use the same: but how?
Not to delight in form of fading hue,
Nor to be proud thereof, as many be,
But for to strive by beauty of the mind
For to adorn the beauty he doth see.
If warlike form Dame Nature him assigned,
By virtuous life then countenance for to get,
That shall deface the fairest of them all,
Such beauty as no age nor years will fret,
That flies with fame, when fickle form doth fail.
Thus much I say, that here to thee present
My words, a glass for thee to look upon,
To thee whom God in tender years hath lent
A towardness that may be mused upon,
Such towardness as in more graver years
Doth sure a hope of greater things pretend;
Thy noble mind, that to thy friends appears,
Doth show the blood whereof thou dost descend;
The gentleness thou usest unto all such
As smally have deserved good will of thee,
Doth show the grace thou hast, which sure is much,
As ever yet in any I did see;
Thy wit as ripe as Nature well can give
Declares a greater hope than all the rest:
That shall remain to thee whilst thou dost live,
In desperate ills a medicine ever prest.
The good behaviour of thyself in place
Wheresoever that thou chancest for to light,
So much both beauty, mind, and wit doth grace
As well can be required of any wight.
What resteth now? but only God to praise,
Of whom thou hast received these gifts of thine.
So shalt thou long live here with happy days,
And after death, the starry skies shalt climb.
Let noughty men say what they list to thee;
Trade thou thyself in serving Him above:
No sweeter service can devised be.
Whom if thou fear'st and faithfully dost love,
Be sure nothing on earth shall thee annoy,
Be sure He will thee from each harm defend,
Be sure thou shalt long time thy life enjoy,
And after many years to have a blessed end.