XXIII. Thomas Howell

THE OFFICE of the minde is to haue power

Uppon the bodye, and to order well

The body’s office yeke in euery hower:

It is of the minde to lerne the perfite skyll,

The vayne desyers that rise him by to kill,

Wherby the mynde dothe kepe his perfite strength,

And yeke the bodye vanquishe loste at length.

Now where the minde is drowned with desyre

Of suche delyhtis as to the body longe,

The boddy then moste nedes consume with fyer

Of raging lustes a boute the same thronge;

So that the minde is cause of bothe ther wronge,

To put it selfe out of the proper place,

And bring the bodye to so euel a case.

For thus the minde, that oughte of righte to be

The teacher of the bodye to do well,

Doth make the same to euery euill agre,

Procuringe that it shoulde of right expell,

Wherby in bothe a mouinge blinde doth dwell;

Euen as within Narcyssus dyd remayne,

That through his shadowe to be soche agayne.