The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas — Eclogue. 4

The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas — Eclogue. 4

Table of contents

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¶ Here begynneth the fourthe Eglogge / of the behauour of riche men anenst poetes / interlocutours / be Codrus and Mynalcas.

¶ The discrypcion of the towre of Uertue and Honour / in to whiche the noble Hawarde contended to entre / by worthy actes of chiualry.

¶ The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas.

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¶ The prologe of the fourthe Eglog of Alexander Barcley.

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COdrus a shepherde / lusty gaye and stout

Sat wt his wethers / at pasture roūde about

And poore Mynalcas / with ewes scarse fourtene

Sat sadly musyng / in shadowe on the grene

This lusty Codrus / was cloked for the rayne

And double decked / with hoodes one or twayne

[Page]He had a pautner / with purses manyfolde

And surely lyned / with syluer and with golde

Within his wallet / were meates good and fyne

Bothe store and plentie / had he of ale and wyne

Suche fulsome pasture / made hym a double chynne

His furred myttans / were of a curres skynne

Nothyng he wanted / longyng to clothe and fode

But by no meane / wolde he departe with gode

Somtyme this Codrus / dyde vnder shadowe lye

Wyde opyn pipyng / and gapyng on the skye

Somtyme he daunced / and hobbled lyke a beare

Somtyme he pried / howe he became his geare

He lept / he song / and ranne to proue his might

Whan purse is heuy / oftyme the hert is lyght

But though this Codrus / had store ynough of gode

He wanted wysdome / for nought he vnderstode

Saue worldely practice / his treasure for to store

Howe euer it came / small force made he therfore

On the other syde / the poore Mynalcas lay

With empty belly / and symple poore aray

yet coude he pype and fynger well a drone

But sour is m [...]syke / whan men for hungre grone

Codrus had richesse / Mynalcas had cōnyng

For god nat gyueth / to one man euery thyng

At last this Codrus / espyed Mynalcas

And soone he knewe / what maner man he was

For olde aquayntance / bytwene them erst had ben

Long tyme before / they mette vpon the grene

And therfore Codrus / downe boldely by hym satte

And in this maner / with hym began to chatte.

¶ Finis prologe.

¶ Here begynneth the fourthe Eglogge / of the behauour of riche men anenst poetes / interlocutours / be Codrus and Mynalcas.

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¶ Codrus first speketh.

ALhayle mynalcas / now be my fayth well met

Lorde Jesu mercy / what troubles dyd ye let

[Page]That this long season / none coude the here espy

With vs was thou wont / to syng full merely

And to lye pipyng ofte tyme among the flouers

What tyme thy bestes / were fedyng among oures

In these colde valeys / we two were wont to bourde

And in these shadowes / talke many a mery worde

And ofte were we wont / to wrastell for a fall

But nowe thoudroupest / and hast for gotten all

Here was thou wont / swete balades to syng

Of song and dytie / as it were for a kyng

And of gay maters / to syng and to endyte

But nowe thy courage is gone / and thy delyte

Trust me Mynalcas / nowe playnly I espy

That thou arte wery / of shepherdes company

And that all pleasure / thou semest to dispyse

Lothyng our pasture / and feldes in lykewise

Thou fleest solace and euery mery fytte

Lesyng thy tyme / and sore hurtyng thy wytte

In slouthe thou slombrist / as buryed were thy song

Thy pype is broken / or som what els is wrong.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ What tyme the cocke crowes / fethers mout & fall

from sight she lurketh / her song is gone withall

Whan backe is bare / and purse of soyne is lyght

The wytte is dulled / and reason hath no might

A due endityng / whan gone is lyberte

Enuy to muses / is wretched pouerte

What tyme a knight / is subget to a knaue

To iust or tourney / small pleasure shall he haue.

¶ Codrus.

¶ What / no man the kepeth / here in captiuyte

And busy labour / subdueth pouerte

[Page]And ofte is it better / and moche surer also

Assubget to obey / than at frewyll to go

As by ensample / beholde a wanton colt

In ragyng youthe / lepeth ouer hyll and holt

But whyle he skippeth / at pleasure and at wyll

Oftyme dothe he fall / in daunger for to spyll

Somtyme on stubbes / his hofes sore he teares

Or falles in the mudde / bothe ouer heed and eares

Somtyme all the night / abrode in hayle or rayne

And ofte among breres / tangled by the mayne

And other peryls / he suffreth infynite

So mengled with sorowe lis pleasure and delyte

But if the same colte / be broken at the last

His sytter ruleth / and hym refrayneth fast

The spurre him pricketh / the bridell dothe him holde

That he can nat praūce at pleasure wher he wolde

The ryder hym ruleth / and saueth from dangere

By whiche example / Mynalcas it is clere

That frewyll is subget / to inconuenyence

Where by subgection / man voydeth great offence

For man of hymselfe / is very frayle certayne

But ofte a ruler / his folly dothe refrayne

But as for thy selfe / thou hast no cause parde

To walke at pleasure / is no captiuyte.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Seest thou nat Codrus / the feldes rounde about

Compased with flodes / that none may in nor out

The muddy waters / nere choke me with the styuke

At euery tempest / they be as blacke as ynke

Pouerte to me / shulde be no disconfort

If other spepherde / were all of the same sort

But Codrus / I clawe ofte where it dothe nat ytche

[Page]To se ten beggers / and halfe a dosen ritche

Truely me thynketh / this wrong particion

And namely sithe all / ought to be after one

Whan I first beholde / these feldes from a farre

Me thought thē plesant / & voyde of stryfe or warre

But with my poore flocke / aprochyng nere and nere

Alway my pleasure / dyde lesse and lesse apere

And truely Codrus / sithe I came on this grounde

Ofte vnder floures / vyle snakes haue I founde

Adders and todes / and many vyle serpent

Enfect olde shepe / with venym violent

And ofte be the yong / infected of the olde

That vnto these fewe / now brought is all my folde

¶ Codrus.

¶ In some place / is nother venym nor serpent

And as for my selfe / I fele no greuous sent.

¶ Mynalcas.

It were great marueyle / wherso gret groūde is sene

yf no small medowe / were plesant swete and clene

As for the Codrus / I may beleue right wele

That thou no sauour / nor stynke of mud dust fele

For if a shepherde / hath styll remayned long

In a foule prison / or in a stynking gong

His poores with yll eyre / be stopped [...]o echone

That of the eyre / he feleth small sent or none

And yet the dwellers / be badder than the place

The riche and sturdy / dothe threten and manace

The poore and symple / and suche as came but late

And who most knoweth / him most of all they hate

And all the burthen / is on the asses backe

But the strong caball / standeth at the racke

And suche be assigned / somtyme the flocke to kepe

[Page]Whiche scante haue so moche / of reason as a shepe

And euery shepherde / at other hath enuy

Scant be a couple / whiche loueth parfitely

Ilwyll so reigneth / that braulyng be thou sure

Constrayned me nere / to seke a newe pasture

Saue onely after / I hope of better rest

Forsmall occasyon / a byrde nat chaungeth nest

¶ Codrus.

¶ Wele ere thou graunted / that in a small grounde

Some plot of pleasure / and quyet may be founde

So where of herdes / assembled is great sorte

There some must be good / than to the best resorte

But leaue we all this / tourne to our poynt agayne

Of thy olde balades / some wolde I here full fayne

For often haue I had / great pleasure and delyte

To here recounted / suche as thou dyde endyte.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ ye other shepherdes / which haue ynough at home

Whan ye be mery / and stuffed is your wombe

Whiche haue great store / of butter / chese / and woll

your cowes vthers / of mylke replete and full

Payles of swete mylke / as full as they be able

Whan your fat disshes / smoke hote vpon yor table

Than laude ye songes / and balades magnify

If they be mery / or written craftely

ye clappe your handes / and to the makyng harke

And one say to other / lo here a proper warke

But whan ye haue said / nought gyue ye for o payne

Saue onely laudes / and plesaunt wordes vayne

All if these laudes / may wele be counted good

yet the pore shepherde / must haue some other fode.

¶ Codrus.

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¶ Mayst thou nat somtyme / thy folde & shepe apply

And after at leysar / to lyue more quyetly

Dispose thy wyttes / to make or to endyte

Renoūsyng cures / for tyme whyle thou dost write

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Nedes must a shepherde bestowe his hole labour

Intēdyng his flockes scant may he spare one hour

In goyng / comyng / and often them to tende

Full lightly the day / is brought vnto an ende

Somtyme the wolues / with dogges must he chace

Somtyme his foldes / must he newe compace

And oftyme them chaunge / and if he stormes dout

Of his shepe cote / daube the walles rounde about

Whan they be broken / oftymes them renewe

And hurtfull pastures / note wele and thē eschewe

Bye strawe and lytter / and hay for wynter colde

Oft greas the scabbes / as well of yong as olde

For drede of theues / ofte watche vp all the night

Besyde this labour / with all his mynde & might

For his poore hous holde for to prouyde vitayle

If by aduenture / his wolle or lambes fayle

In doyng all these / no respyte dothe remayne

But well to endyte / requyreth all the brayne

I tell the Codrus / a style of exellence

Must haue all labour / and all the dilygence

Bothe these two warkes / be great nere importable

To my small power / my strength is moche vnable

The one to entende / scant may I byde the payne

Than is it harder / for me to do bothe twayne

What tyme my wyttes / be clere for to endyte

My dayly charges / wyll graunt me no respyte

But if I folowe / endyting at my wyll

[Page]Echone disdayneth / my charges to fulfyll

Though in these feldes / eche other ought sustayne

Clene lost is that lawe / one may requyre in vayue

yf coyne cōmaunde / than men count them as bounde

Els fle they labour / than is my charge on groūde.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Cornix ofte counted / that man shulde fle no payne

His frendes burthen / to support and sustayne

Fede they thy flocke / while thou dost write and syng

Eche horse agreeth / nat well for euery thyng

Some for the charet / some for the cart or ploughe

And some for hackeneys / if they belyght & toughe

Eche felde agreeth nat wele for euery sede

Who hath moost labour / is worthy of best mede.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ After endityng / than gladly wolde I drinke

To reche me ye cuppe / no man dothe care ne thike

And ofte some foles / voyde of discrecyon

Me and my maters / hath in derisyon

And marueyle is none / for who wolde sowe yt felde

With costly sedes / whiche shall no frutes yelde

Some wanton body / ofte laugheth me to scorne

And sayth Mynalcas / se howe thy pyltche is torne

Thy hose and cokers / be broken at the kne

Thou canst nat stōble / for bothe thy shone may se

Thy berde lyke bristels / or lyke a porpos skyn

Thy clothyng sheweth / thy winnyng is but thyn

Suche mockyng tauntes / reneweth ofte my care

And nowe be wodes / of frute and leaues bare

And frosty wynter / hath made the feldes white

For wrathe and angre / my lyppe and tong I byte

For dolour I droupe / sore vexed with disdayne

[Page]My wōbe all wasteth wherfore I byde this payne

My woll and wethers / may scarsly fede my wombe

And other housholde / whiche I retayne at home

Leane be my lambes / that no man wyll them bye

And yet their dammes / they dayly souke so drie

That from their vthers / no lycour can we wring

Than without repast / who can endyte or syng

It me repenteth / if I haue any wytte

As for my scyence I wery am of it

And of my poore lyfe / I wery am Codrus

Sithe my harde fortune / for me disposeth thus

That of the starres / and plannettes echone

To poore Mynalcas / wele fortunate is none

Knowen is the trouthe / if it were clerely sought

That nowe to this tyme / I styll haue song for nought

For youthe is lusty / & of small thyng hath nede

That tyme to age / men gyue no force nor hede

Ages condycion / is greatly contrary

Whiche no we aprocheth / right styll and craftely

But what tyme age / dothe any man oppresse

yf he in youthe / haue gathered no richesse

Than passeth age / in care and pouerte

For nede is greuous / with olde infyrmite

And age is fettred / oftyme with care and nede

Whan strength is faded & man hath nought to fede

Whan strength is faded / than hope of gayne is gone

In youthes season / to make prouisyon

The lytell emet / is wyse and prouydent

In somer workyng / with labour dilygent

In her smalle caue / conueying corne and grayne

Her lyfe in wynter / to norisshe and sustayne

And with her small mouthe / is busy it cuttyng

[Page]Lest in her caue / the same might growe or spring

So man of reason / hym selfe reputyng sage

In youthe shulde puruey / to lyue theron in age.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Men say that clerkes / whiche knowe astronomy

Knowe certayne starres / whiche long to desteny

But all their sayeng / is nothyng veritable

yet here the mater / thought it be but a fable

They say that Mercury / dothe poetes fauour

Under Jupiter / be princes of honour

And men of richesse / of welthe or dignyte

And all suche other / as haue authorite

Mercury gyueth / to poetes laureate

Goodly cōueyaunce / speche plesaunt and ornate

Inuentyfe reason / to syng or play on harpe

In goodly dytie / or balade for to carpe

This is thy lotte / what sekest thou richesse

No man hath all / this thyng is true doutlesse

God all disposeth / as he parceyueth best

Take thou thy fortune / and holde the styll in rest

Take thou thy fortune / and holde thy selfe content

Lette vs haue richesse / and roumes exellent.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Thou hast of richesse / and goodes habundaunce

And I haue dyties / and songes of plesaunce

To aske my connyng / to couytous thou art

Why is nat thy selfe / contented with thy part

Why dost thou enuade / my parte and porcion

Thou wantest Codrus / wytte and discrecyon.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Natso Mynalcas / forsothe thou art to blame

Of wrong enuasyon / to gyue to me the name

[Page]I wolde no dytie / nor balade take the fro

No harpe nor armes / whiche long to Appollo

But onely Mynalcas / I sore desyre and long

To gyue myne eares / to thy swete soūdyng song

It fedeth heryng and is to one plesant

To here good reason / and balade consonant.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ yf thou haue pleasure / to here my melody

I graunt the Codrus / to toye my armony

So I haue pleasure / and toye of thy richesse

So gyftes doubled / encreaseth loue doutlesse.

¶ Codrus.

¶ He of my richesse / hath ioye whiche loueth me

And who me hateth / nothyng content is he

Enuyous wretches / by malyce cōmenly

Take others fortune / and pleasure heuely.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ In lyke wise mayest thou / enioye of our scyence

And of our muses / thoughe thou be fro presence

And of our connyng / thou toyest semblably

yf ought prouoke the / by malyce and enuy

yf I fede thy eares / fede thou my mouthe agayne

I lothe were to spende / my gyftes all in vayue

Meate vnto the mouthe / is fode and susteynance

And songes fedeth / the eares with plesaunce

I haue the muses / if thou wylte haue of myne

Than right requyreth / that I haue parte of thyne

This longeth to loue / to norisshe charyte

This fedeth pyte / this dothe to right agre

This is the pleasure / and wyll of god aboue

Of hym disposed / for to engendre loue

All plesaunt gyftes / one man hath nat parde

[Page]That one of other / shulde haue necessite

No man of hym selfe / is sure sufficient

This is prouisyon / of god omnipotent

That one man shulde nede / anothers assystence

Wherby is ioyned / loue and beneuolence.

Englande hath clothe / Butdeux hath store of wyne

Cornwayle hath tynne / and Lymster wolles fyne.

London hath scarlot / and Bristo we plesaunt reed

Fenne lande hath fyss hes / in other place is leed.

This is of our lorde / disposed so my brother

Bycause all costes / shulde one haue nede of other.

So euery tre / hathe frute after his kynde

And dyuers natures / in beestes may we fynde.

Alway whan nature / of thyng is moost laudable

That thyng men coūteth / moost good & profitable

And euery person / in his owne gifte hath toye

The fole in his bable / hath pleasure for to toye.

The clerke in his boke / the marchaunt in richesse

The knyght in his horse / harnes and hardynesse.

But euery person / of his gyftes and arte

Whan nede requireth shulde gladly gyue someꝑte

Suche meane contoyneth / in bonde of loue certayne

Englande & Fraūce / Scotlāde Grece & Spayne.

So hast thou Codrus / of golde ynough in store

And I some cōnyng / though fewe mē care therfore

Thou art beholden / to Jupiter truely

And I beholden to plesaunt Mercury.

Joyne we our sterres / let me haue parte of thyne

Cōcorde to cheryss he / yu shalte haue parte of myne

Make thou Jupiter / be frendely vnto me

And our Mercury / shalbe as good to the.

If thy Jupiter / gyue me but onely golde

[Page]Mercury shall gyue the / giftes manyfolde

His pylsion ceptre / his wynges / and his harpe

If thou haue all these / thou mayst grathly carpe

And ouer all these / gyue the shall Mercury

The knot of Hercules enlaced craftely.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Lorde god Mynalcas / why hast yu all this payne

This wyse to forge / so many wordes in vayne.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ That vayne yu coūtest / whiche may hurt or enlesse

Thy loued treasour / or mynisshe thy richesse

If thou wylte harken / or here my musessyng

Refress he my mynde with confort and lyking

Rydde me fro troubles and care of busynesse

Confort my corage / whiche nowe is confortlesse

A clerke a poete / combyned with a boy

To haunt the muses / hath but lytell ioye

The wytte and reason / is dull or of valour

Lyke as the body / is called to honour

Whau busy charges / causeth a man to grone

The wytte than slombreth / and muses all be gone

A dytie wyll haue / mynde quyet and respyte

And case of stomake / els can none wele endyte

I sighe / I slombre: care troubleth ofte my thought

Whan some by malyce / myne art setteth at nought

I heule as a kyte / for hunger and for colde

For thought and study / my youthe apaereth olde

My skynne hath wrincles and pomples all about

For colde and study / I drede me of the gout

Whan sickenesse cometh / than lyfe hath breuyte

By false vnkyndnesse / and wretched pouerte

If men were louyng / benigne / and charytable

[Page]Than were pouerte / bothe good and tollerable

But sithe charyte and pyte bothe be gone

What shulde pouerte remayne behynde alone

No man hath pyte / eche dayneth me to fede

I lost haue confort / but styll remayneth nede

I haue no wethers nor ewes in my folde

No syluer in purse / I knowe nat what is golde

Nor corne on the grounde / haue I wheron to fare

Than wolde thou haue me to lyue voyde of care

Nay nay frende Codrus / trust me I the assure

Suche maner salues / can nat my dolour cure

Make thou me ioconde / helpe me with clothe & fode

Clothe me for wynter / with pylt [...]he / felte / & hode

Auoyde all charges / let me sytte in my sell

Let worldly wretches / with worldly maters mell

Socour my age / regarde my heeres gray

Than shake thou proue / & se what thyng I may

Than shalte thou fynde me / bothe apt to write & sing

Good wyll shall fulfyll / my scarsnesse of cōnyng

A plentyfull house out chaseth thought and care

Soiorne dothe socour there / wher althing is bare

The sellar couched with bere / ale / or wyne

And meates redy whan man hath lust to dyne

Great barnes full / fatte wethers in the folde

The purse well stuffed / bothe with syluer & golde

Fauour of frendes / and suche as loueth right

All these and other do make the full lyght

Than is it pleasure the yong maydens among

To watche by the fyre / the wynter nightes long

At their fonde tales / to laughe or whan they brall

Great fyre and candell / spendyng for labour small

And in the asshes / some playes for to make

[Page]To couer wardeyns / for faut of other warke

To tost white sheuers / and to make prophytrolles

And after talkyng / oftymes to fyll the bolles

Where welthe aboundeth / without rebuke or cryme

Thus do some herdes / for pleasure and pastyme

As fame reporteth / suche a shepherde there was

Whiche that tyme lyued vnder Mecenas

And Titerus I trowe / was this shepherdes name

I wele remembre / a lyue yet is his fame

He song of feldes / and tyllyng of the grounde

Of shepe / of oren / and batayle dyde he sounde

So shirle he sounded / in termes eloquent

I trowe his tunes / went to the firmament

The same Mecenas / to hym was fre and kynde

Whose large gyftes / gaue confort to his mynde

Also this Shepherde by heuenly influence

I trowe optayned his perelesse eloquence

We other shepherdes / be greatly dyfferent

Of commen sortes / leane / ragged and rent

Fed with rude frowyse / with quacham or wt crudde

Or slymy kempes / yll smellyng of the mudde

Suche rusty meates enblyndeth so our brayne

That of our fauour / the Muses haue disdayne

And great Appollo / dispyseth that we write

For why? rude wyttes / but rudely dothe endyte.

¶ Codrus.

¶ I trust on fortune / if it be fauourable

My trust fulfylling / than shall I wele be able

Thy nede to socour / I hope after a thyng

And if fortune fall wele after my lyking

Trust me Mynalcas / I shall delyuer the

Out of this trouble / care / and calamyte.

[Page]¶ Mynalcas.

¶ A Codrus Codrus / I wolde to god thy wyll

Were this tyme redy / thy promes to fulfyll

After the power / and might that thou hast nowe

Thou hast ynoughe for bothe man / god auowe

If thy good mynde / accordyng with thy might

At this tyme present / yu shulde my hert wele light

I aske nat the store / of Cosmus or Capell

With sylken robes / I coueyt nat to mell

No kynges dysshes / I coueyt nor desyre

Nor riche mantels / or palles wrought in tyre

No clothe of golde / of Tyssue nor veluet

Damaske nor saten / nor orient Scarlet

I aske no value of Peters costely cope

Shelde of Mynerua / nor patyn of Esope

I aske no palays / nor lodgynge curyous

No bedde of state / of rayment sumptuous

For this I lerned of the deane of Poules

I tell the Codrus this man hath won some soules

I aske no treasour / nor store of worldely gode

But a quyet lyfe / and onely clothe and fode

With homely lodgyng / to kepe me warme and dry

Enduryng my lyfe / for sorthe no more aske I

If I were certayne this lyueng styll to haue

Auoyde of trouble / no more of god I craue.

¶ Codrus.

¶ This lyueng hast thou / what nedes the cōplayne?

Nothing yu wantest / whiche may thy lyfe sustayne

What fele man parde / thy chekes be nat thynne

No lacke of vitayle / causeth a double chynne

¶ Mynalcas.

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¶ Some beest is lusty / and fatte of his nature

Though he sore labour / and go in badde pasture

And some beest agayne / styll leane and poore is sene

Though it fatly fare / within a medowe grene

Though thou Codrus / styll argue tyll to morowe

I lycke no dysshes / whiche sauced is with sorowe

Better one smale dysshe / with ioye and hert lyking

Than dyuers denties with murmure & grutching

And men vnlerned / can neuer be content

Whan scolers common / and clerkes be present

As soone as clerkes / begyn to talke and chat

Some other gloumes / and hath enuy therat

It is a tourment a clerke to sytte at borde

Of his lernyng / nat for to talke one worde

Better were to be with clerkes with a crust

Than at suche tables / to fare at wyll and lust

Lette me haue the borde of olde Pytagoras

Whiche of temperaunce a very father was

Of philosophers the moderate rychesse

In youthe or age / I loued neuer excesse

Some bost and promes / and put men in confort

Of large gyftes / moost men be of this sort

With mouthe and promes for to be lyberall

Whan nede re (qui)reth / than gyue they nought at all

All onely in the is fired all my trust

If thou fayle promes / than roule I in the dust

My hope is faded / than shall my song be dom

Lyke a nightyngale at the solsticium

If thou fayle promes my confort clene is lost

Than may I hang my pype vpon the post

Shytte thy shop wyndowes for lacke of marchādice

Or els for bycause / that easy is the price

[Page]¶ Codrus.

¶ Mynalcas / if thou the court of Rome hast sene

With forked cappes / or els if thou hast bene

Or noble prelates by richesse exellent

Thou wele parceyuest / they be magnifycent

With them be clerkes / and plesaunt oratours

And many poetes promoted to honours

There is abundaunce of all that men desyre

There men haue honour / before they it requyre

In suche fayre feldes / without labour or payne

Bothe welth and richesse / yu mayst lightly optayne

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Thou art abused and thynkest wronge doutlesse

To thynke that I am desyrous of richesse

To fede on rawe flesshe / it is a wolues gyse

Wherfore he weneth all beestes do lyke wise

Bycause the blynde man / halteth and is lame

In mynde he thynketh / that all men do the same

So for that thy selfe / desyrest good in store

All men thou iugest / infected with lyke sore

Codrus / I coueyt nat to haue abundaunce

Small thyng me pleaseth I aske but suffisaunce

Graunt me a lyueng suffycient and small

And voyde of troubles / I aske no more at all

But with that lytell / I holde me selfe content

If sauce of sorowe my mynde nat tourment

Of the court of Rome / for sothe I haue herde tell

With forked cappes / it folly is to mell

Mycene and Morton / be deed and gone certayne

They nor their lyke shall neuer retourne agayne

O Codrus Codrus / Augustus and Edwarde

Be gone for euer / our fortune is more harde

[Page]The scarlet robes / in song hath smale delyte

What shulde I traueyle / in Rome is no profyte

It gyueth mockes and skornes many folde

Styll cratchyng coyne / and gapyng after golde

Fraunde and disceyt / dothe all the worlde fyll

And money reigneth / and dothe althyng at wyll

And for that people / wolde more entende to gyle

Uertue and trouthe / be driuen into exyle

We are cōmaunded to trust for tyme to come

Tyll care and sorowe / hath wasted our wysdome

Hope of rewarde / hath poetes them to fede

Nowe in the worlde / fayre wordes be their mede.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Than write of batayls / or actes of men bolde

Or mighty princes / they may the wele vpholde

These worthy rulers of fame and name royall

Of very reason ought to be lyberall

Some shalt thou fynde bitwene this place and Kent

Whiche for thy labour / shall the [...]yghtwell cōtent.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ ye / some shall I fynde: whiche be so prodigall

That in vayne thyngꝭ spende / & clene wasteth all

But howe shulde that man / my pouertie sustayne

Whiche nought reserueth his honour to mētayne.

For auncyent blode / nor auncyent honour

In these our dayes / be nought without treasour

The coyne auaunceth / nede dothe the name deiect

And where is treasour / olde honour hath effect

But suche as be riche and in promocion

Shall haue my writyng but in derisyon

For in this season great men of exellence

Hath to poemys no greatter reuerence

[Page]Than to a brothell or els a brothelshous

Madde ignorance is so contagyous.

¶ Codrus.

¶ It is nat semyng / a poete thus to iest

In wrathfull speche / nor wordes dishonest.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ It is no iestyng be thou neuer so wrothe

In open langage to say nothyng but trouthe

If parauenture / thou wolde haue trouthe kept styll

Prouoke thou nat me / to angre at thy wyll

Whan wrathe is moued / than rayson hath no might

The tonge forgetteth discrecyon and right

¶ Codrus.

¶ To moue thy myndes / I truely were full lothe

To gyue good coūsaile is far from beyng wrothe.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ As touchyng counsaile my mynde is plentifull

But nede and troubles / make all my reason dull

If I had counsaile and golde in lyke plente

I tell the Codrus / I had no nede of the

Howe shulde a poete / poore / bare / and indygent

Indyte the actes / of princes exellent

Whyle scant is worthe / a knyfe his pype to mende

To rounde the holles / to clense or pyke the ende

Beholde my whittell / almost hath lost the blade

So long tyme past / is sithe the same was made

The hafte is brused / the blade nat worthe a strawe

Rusty and tothed / nat moche vnlyke a sawe

But touchyng this hurt / it is but lyght and small

But care and trouble / is greuous payne withall

Good counsaile helpeth / makyng the wyttes stable

Ill counsaile maketh / the myndes varyable

[Page]And breketh the brayne / deminysshing the strength

And all the reason / confoundeth at the length

Great men are shamed / to gyue thyng poore or small

And great they deny / thus gyue they nought at all

Besyde this Codrus / princes and men royall

In our enditynges / hath pleasure faynt and small

So moche power haue they / with men of might

As symple douues / whan eglys take their flyght

Or as great wyndes / careth for leaues dry

They lyue in pleasure / and welthe cōtinually

In lust their lyking is / and in ydlenesse

Fewe haue their myndes / from all vicyousnesse

Pleasure is thyng / wherto they must entende

That they most cheriss he / they wolde haue men cō cende

If poetes shulde / their maners magnify

They were supporters of blame and lechery

Than shulde their writyng / be nothyng cōmendable

Conteyning iestes / and dedes detestable

Of stynking Uenus / or loue inordynate

Of rybaude wordes / whiche fall nat for a state

Of right oppressed / and beestly glotony

Of vyce auaunced / of slouthe and iniury

And other dedes / in fame and worthy blame

Whiche were ouer long / here to recount or name

These to commende / Codrus do nat agre

To any poete / whiche loueth chastyte.

¶ Codrus.

What / yes Mynalcas / some haue ben strong & bolde

Whiche haue in batayle / done actes manyfolde

With mighty courage / hauyng them in fight

And boldely byding / for to maynteyne the right

To the coude I nowe / reherse welnere ascore

[Page]Of lust nor richesse / settyng no force ne store

Despisyng softe golde / swete fare / and beddes softe

Whiche in colde harnes / lye on the groūde full ofte

Closed in yron / whiche whan their woundes blede

Want breed and drinke / them to restore and fede

Whyle some hath pleasure / in softe golde orient

With colde harde yron / their mynde is well cōtent

Suche were the sonnes / of noble lorde Hawarde

Whose famous actes / may shame a faynt cowarde

What coude they more / but their swete lyues spende

Their princes quarell / and right for to defende

Alas that batayle / shulde be of that rigoure

Whan fame and honour / ryseth and is in floure

With sodayne furour / than all to quence agayne

But boldest hertes / be nerest dethe certayne.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ For certayne Codrus / I can nat that deny

But some in batayle / behaue them manfully

Suche as in batayle / do actes marcyall

Laude worthy poetes / and style heroycall

The plesaunt muses / whiche soundeth grauyte

Had helpe and fauour / whyle these were in degre

But sythe strong knightes / haue left their exercyse

And manly vertue / corrupted is with vyce

The famous poetes / whiche ornatly endyte

Haue founde no mater / wherof to syng or write

The wytte thus dyeth / of poetes auncyent

So dothe their writyng / and deties eloquent

For lacke of custome / thought / care / and penury

These be confounders / of plesaunt poesy

But if some prince / some kyng / or conquerour

Hath wonne in armes / or batayle great honour

[Page]Full lytell they force / for to delate their fame

That other realmes / may laude or praise their name

Of tyme for to come / they force nothyng at all

By fame and honour / to lyue as immortall

It them suffyseth / they count ynoughe truely

That their owne realmes / their names magnify

And that for their lyfe / they may haue laude & fame

After their dethe / than seke they for no name

And some be vntaught and lerned no seyence

Or els they disdayne / hye style of eloquence

Than standeth the poete / and his poeme arere

Whan princes disdayne for to rede or here

Or els some other / is drowned all in golde

By couetyse kept / in cures many folde

By flagrant ardour / inflamed in suche cas

As in tyme past the olde kyng Mydas was

Than of poemes / full small pleasure hath he

Couetyse and clergy / full leudly dothe agre

Besyde this Codrus / with princes cōmonly

Be vntaught courters / fulfylled with enuy

Juglers and pykers / bourders / and flatrers

Baudes and ianglers / and cursed auoutrers

And mo suche other / of lyueng vicyous

To whom is vertue / aduers and odyous

These do good poetes / forthe of all courtes chace

By thousande maners / of thretnyng and manace

Somtyme by fraudes / somtyme by yll report

And them assysteh / all other of their sort

Lyke as whan curres / lyght on a caryon

Or stinkyng rauyns / fedde with corrupcion

These two all other / away dothe bete and chace

Bycause they alone / wolde occupy the place

[Page]For vnto curres / is caryon moost mete

And also rauyns / thynke stynkyng thynges swete

Another thyng yet / is greatly more dampnable

Of rascolde poetes / yet is a shamefull rable

Whiche voyde of wysdome / presumeth to endyte

Though they haue scantly / the connyng of a snyte

And to what vyces / that princes moost intende

Those dare these foles / solemnyse and cōmende

Than is he decked / as poete laureate

Whan stinkyng Thays / made hym her graduate

Whan muses rested / she dyde her season note

And she with Bacchis / her camous dyde promote

Suche rascolde drames / promoted by Thays

Bacchis Lycoris / or yet by Testilys

Or by suche other / newe forged muses nyne

Thynke in their myndes / for to haue wyt diuyne

They laude their verses / they bost / they vaunt & get

Though all their connyng / be scantly worthe a pet

If they haue smelled / the artes trinycall

They count them poetes / hye and heroycall

Suche is their folly / so folisshely they dote

Thinkyng that none / can their playne errour note

yet be they folysshe / auoyde of honeste

Nothyng seasoned / with spice of grauyte

Auoyde of pleasure / auoyde of eloquence

With many wordes / and frutelesse of sentence

Unapt to lerne / disdayning to be tought

Their priuate pleasur / in snare so haue thē caught

And worst yet of all / they count them exellent

Thoughe they be frutelesse / rasshe & improuident

To suche ambages / who dothe their mynde enclyne

They counte all other / as priuate of doctryne

[Page]And that the fautes / whiche be in them alone

Also be cōmen / in other men echone

Thus byde good poetes / oftyme rebuke and blame

Bycause of other / whiche haue dispysed name

And thus for the badde / the good be clene abiect

Their arte and poeme / counted of none effect

Who wanteth reason / good to discryue from yll

Dothe worthy writers / enterprete at his wyll

So bothe the laudes / of good and nat laudable

For lacke of knowledge / become vituperable.

¶ Codrus.

¶ In faythe Mynalcas / I wele alowe thy wytte

yet wolde I gladly / here nowe some mery fytte

Of mayde Maryon / or els of Roby Hode

Or bentleys Ale whiche chaseth wele the blode

Of Pert of Norwyche / or sauce of Wylberton

Or buckysshe ioly / wele stuffed as a ton

Talke of the botell / let go the boke for nowe

Combrous is cōnyng / I make to god auowe

Speke of some mat / which may refreshe my brayne

Trust me Mynalcas / I shall rewarde thy payne

Els talke of stoutney / wher is more brayne than wyt

Place moost abused / that we haue spoke of yet.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Of all these thynges / langage to multiply

Except I lyed / shulde be but villany

It is nat semyng / a poete one to blame

All if his honour / haue won dyffamed name

And thoughe suche beestes / pursue me with enuy

Malgre for malyce / that payment I defy

My maister techeth / so dothe reason and skyll

That man shulde restore / and rendre good for yll

[Page]¶ Codrus.

¶ Than talke of somwhat / lo it is long to night

yet hath the sonne / more than one hour of lyght

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ yf I nought common / soundyng to grauyte

I feare to optayne / but smale rewarde of the

But if I common of vice or wantonnesse

Than of our lorde / shall my rewarde be lesse

Wherfore my balade / shall haue conclusyon

Of frutefull clauses / of noble Salomon.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Syng on Mynalcas / he may do lytell thyng

Whiche to a balade / disdayneth the heryng

But if thy dytie / accorde nat to my mynde

Than my rewarde / and promes is behynde

By mannes maners / it lightly dothe appere

What men desyreth / that loue they for to here

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Thoughe in thy promes / I fynde no certente

yet of my connyng / shalte thou haue parte of me

I call no muses / to gyue to me doctryne

But ayde & confort / of strength & might diuyne

To clere my reason / with wysdome and prudence

To syng one balade / extract of sapyence.

§

AS medowes paynted / with floures redolent

The sight reioyseth / of suche as thē beholde

So man endewed / with vertue exellent

Fragrantly shyneth / with beames many folde

Uertue with wysdome / excedeth store of golde

If richesse habounde / set nat on them thy trust

Whan strength is sturdy / than man is perte & bolde

But wyt & wysdome soone leyeth hym in the dust.

[Page]

Than man is beestly / whiche seweth carnall lust

Spende nat on women / thy richesse or substaūce

For lacke of vsyng / as steele or yron rust

So rusteth reason / by wylfull ignoraunce

In fraudefull beaute / set thou but small pleasaunce

A plesaunt apple / is ofte corrupt within

Grounde the in youthe / on goodly gouernaunce

It is good token / whan man dothe wele begyn.

Joye nat in malyce / that is a mortall synne

Man is parceyued / by langage and doctryne

Better is to lose / than wrongfully to wynne

He loueth wysdome / whiche loueth disciplyne

Rass he enterprises / ofte bringeth to ruyne

A man may contende / god gyueth victory

Set neuer thy mynde / on thyng whiche is nat thyne

Trust nat in honour all welthe is transitory.

Combyne thou thy tong / with reason and memory

Speke nat to hasty / without aduysement

So lyue in this lyfe / that thou mayst trust on glory

Whiche is nat caduke / but lastyng parmanent

There is no secrete / with people vyuolent

By beestly surfet / the lyfe is breuyate

Though some haue pleasure / in sumptuous garmēt

yet goodly maners / hym maketh more ornate.

¶ Codrus.

¶ Ho there Myaclas / of this haue we ynoughe

What shulde a plouman / go farther thā his plough

What shulde a shepherde / in wysdome wade so farre

Talke of his tankarde / or of his box of tarre

Tell somwhat els / wherin is more conforte

So shall the season / and tyme seme light & shorte

[Page]¶ Mynalcas.

¶ For thou of Hawarde / nowe lately dyde recyte

I haue a dytie / whiche Cornir dyde endyte

His dethe complayning / but it is lamentable

To here a capitayne / so good and honourable

So soone withdrawen by dethes cruelte

Before his vertue / was at moost highe degre

If dethe for reason / had shewed hym fauour

To all his nacyon / he shulde haue ben honour

Alas / bolde hertes / be nerest dethe in warre

Whan out of daunger / cowardes stande a farre.

¶ Codrus.

¶ All if that ditye / be nener so lamentable

Refrayne my teares / I shall as I am able

Begyn Mynalcas / tell of the bolde Hawarde

If fortune fauour / hope after some rewarde.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ I pray the Codrus / my whey is weke and thyn

Len me thy botell / to drinke or I begyn.

¶ Codrus.

¶ If ought be tasted / the remnaunt shall pall

I may nat afore the / nowe for to spende out all

We sytte in shadowe / the sonne is nat feruent

Call for it after / than I shall be content.

¶ Mynalcas.

¶ Styll thou desyrest / the pleasure of my arte

But of thy botell / nought wylte thou yet departe

Though yu be negarde / & nought wylt gyue of thyne

yet this one tyme / thou shalt haue parte of myne

Nowe herken Codrus / I tell myne elegy

But small is the pleasure / of dolefull armony.

[Page]

¶ The discrypcion of the towre of Uertue and Honour / in to whiche the noble Hawarde contended to entre / by worthy actes of chiualry.

[figure]

¶ Mynalcas speketh.

Hyghe on a moūtayne / of highnes marueylous

With pēdant clyffes / of stones harde as flent

Is made a castell / or toure moost curyous

Dredefull vnto sight / but inwarde exellent

Suche as wolde entre / fynde paynes-tourment

So harde is the way / vnto the same moūtayne

Streight / hye / and thorny / tournyng and dyfferent

That many labour / for to ascende in vayne.

[Page]

Who dothe perseuer / and to this toure attayne

Shall haue great pleasure / to se the bylding olde

Joyned and graued / surmountyng mānes brayne

And all the walles within of fynest golde

With olde hystories / and pyctures manyfolde

Glystring as bright / as Phebus orient

With marbyll pyllers / the bylding to vpholde

About the turrettes / of shape moost exellent.

This toure is gotten / by labour dilygent

In it remayneth / suche as haue won honour

By holy lyueng / by strength or tournament

And moost by wisdome / attayne vnto this tour

Brefely all people / of godly behauour

By rightwyse batayle / iustyce and equyte

Or that in mercy / haue had a chefe pleasure

In it haue rowmes / eche after his degre

This goodly castell / thus shinyng in beaute

Is named castell / of vertue and honour

In it eight Henry / is in his mageste

Moost hye enhaunsed / as ought a conquerour

In it remayneth the worthy gouernour

A stocke and fountayne / of noble progeny

Moost noble Hawarde / the duke and protectour

Named of Northfolke / the floure of chiualry.

Here is the Talbot / manfull and hardy

With other princes / and men of dignyte

Whiche to wyn honour dothe all their might apply

Supportyng iustyce / concorde / and equyte

[Page]The manly Corson / within this toure I se

These haue we sene / echone in his estate

With many other / of hye and meane degre

For mercy all actes / with crownes laureate.

Of this stronge castell / is porter at the gate

Strong sturdy labour / moche lyke a champyon

But goodly vertue / a lady moost ornate

Within gouerneth / with great prouisyon

But of this castell / in the moost hyest trone

Is honour shinyng / in rowme imperyall

Whiche vnrewarded / of them leueth nat one

That come by labour / and vertue princypall.

Ferefull is labour / without fauour at all

Dredefull of vysage / a monster vntretable

Lyke Cerberus lyeng / at gates infernall

To some men his loke / is halfe intollerable

His shulders large / for burthen stronge and able

His body bristled / his necke mighty and styffe

By stourdy senewes / his ioyntes strong and stable

Lyke marbyll stones / his handes be as styffe.

Here must man vanquysshe / the dragon of Cadmus

Agayne the Chymer / here stoutly must he [...]ight

Here must he vanquysshe / the ferefull Pegasus

For the golden flese / here must he shewe his might

If labour gainsay / he can nothyng be right

This monster labour / ofte chaungeth his fygure

Somtyme an ore / abore / or lyon wight

Plainly he semeth / thus chaungyng his nature.

[Page]Lyke as Protheus / ofte chaunged his stature

Mutable of fygure / oftymes in one hour

Whan Aristeus / in bondes had hymsure

To dyuers fygures lyke wise chaungeth labour

Under his browes he dredefully do the lour

With glystring eyen / and syde dependant berde

For thurst and hunger / alway his chere is sour

His horned forheed / dothe make faynt hertꝭ ferde.

Alway he drinketh / and yet alway is dry

The sweate distyllyng / worthe droppes habūdant

His brest and forheed / dothe humour multiply

By swetyng shoures / yet is this payne plesant

Of day and of night / his restyng tyme is scant

No day ouerpasseth / erempt of busyncsse

His sight enfourmeth / the rude and ignorant

Who dare parseuer / he gyueth them richesse.

None he auaunceth / but after stedfastnesse

Of lytell burthen / his bely is and small

His mighty thyes / his vigour dothe expresse

His shankes sturdy / and large fete withall

By wrathe he rageth / and styll dothe chyde & brall

Suche as wolde entre / repellyng with his cry

As well estates / as homely men rurall

At the first entre / he thretneth yrefully.

I trowe olde fathers / whom men nowe magnify

Called this monster / Mynerua stout and soure

For strength and senewes / of man moost comenly

Are tame and febled / by cures and laboure

[Page]Lyke as becometh / a knight to fortify

His princes quarell / with right and equite

So dyde this Hawarde / with corage valtantly

Tylldethe abated / his bolde audacyte.

O happy Sampson / more fortunate than he

Onely in strength / but nat in hye courage

O cruell fortune / why durst thy cruelte

This flour of knighthode / to slee in lusty age

Thou hast debated / the flour of his lynage

If thou had mercy / be wayle his dethe thou might

For cruell loyns / and mo beestes sauage

Long tyme nat cessed / sore to be wayle this knight

O dethe thou hast done / agaynst bothe lawe & right

To spare a cowarde / without danger or wounde

And thus soone to quenche / of chiualry the light

O dethe enuyous / moost enmy to our grounde

What moost aueyleth / thou sonest dost confounde

Why dyde nat vertue / assyst her champyon

Thou might haue ayded / for sothly thou was boūde

For duryng his lyfe / he loued the alone.

O god almighty / in thy eternall trone

To whom all vertue / is dere and acceptable

If reason suffred / to the our crye and mone

This dede might impute / and fortune lamentable

Thou might haue left vs / this knight most honourable

Our welthe & honour / to haue kept in degre

Alas why hath dethe / so false and disceyuable

Mankynde to tourment / this wyll and lyberte.

[Page]

It quencheth vertue / sparyng iniquite

The best it stryketh / of badde hauyng disdayne

No helpe nor confort / hath our aduersyte

Dethe dayly striketh / though we dayly cōplayne

To treate a tyranne / it is but thyng in vayne

Mekenesse prouoketh / his wrathe & tyranny

So at our prayer / dethe hath the more disdayne

We do by mekenesse / his furour multiply.

If some fell tyranne / replete with villany

Shulde thus haue endyng / the dede were cōmendable

But a stout capitayne / disposed to mercy

So soone thus faded / the case lamentable

Was he nat humble / ioconde and companable

No man dispysing / and first in all labour

Rightwyse with mercy / debollaire and tretable

Mate and companyon / with euery soudyour.

Uyce he subdued / by goodly behauour

Lyke as a ryder / dothe a wylde stede subdue

His body subget / his soule was gouernour

From vice withdrawen / to goodnesse and vertue

Whan pride rebelled / mekenesse dyde eschue

Fre mynde and almes / subdued auaryce

Alway he noted / this sayeng iust and true

That noble myndes / dispyseth couetyse.

His dethe declareth / that slouthe he dyde espyse

By hardy courage / as first in ieopardy

Al way he vsed / some noble exercyse

Suche as belongeth / to noble chiualry

[Page]In hym was there founde / no sparcle of enuy

Alway he lauded / and praysed worthynesse

Suche as were doughty / rewardyng largely

Wrathe saue in season / he wisely coude represse.

Of wyne or Bacchus / despysed he excesse

For myndes kyndled to actes mercyall

Sekyng for honour / and name of doughtynesse

Despyseth surfet / and lyueng beestyall

In hym no power / had lust veneryall

For busy labour / and plesaunt abstynence

All corporall lust / soone causeth for to fall

No lust subdueth / where reigneth dilygence

He was a pyller / of sober contynence

His onely treasure / and iowell was good name

But O cursed dethe / thy wrathfull vyolnece

By stroke vnwarned / halfe blynded of his fame

Who may I accuse? who may I put in blame?

God for deth / or fortune / or impotent nature

God dothe his pleasure / & dethe wyll haue the same

Nature was mighty / long able to endure.

In fortune the faut is / holde nowe am I sure

I wolde if I durst / his tyranny accuse

O cursed fortune / if thou be creature

Who gaue the power / thus people to abuse

Thy mutable might / me causeth ofte to muse

Whan man is plunged / in dolour and distresse

Thy face thou chaungest / whiche dyde erst refuse

By sodayne chaunces / hym liftyng to richesse.

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And suche as long tyme / haue lyued in nobles

Anone thou plungest / in payne and pouerte

Welthe / honoure / strength / right / iustyce / & goodnes

Misery / dolour / lowe roume / and iniquyte

These thou rewardest / lyke as it pleaseth the

To mannes meryte / without respect at all

One this day beyng / in great authorite

Agayne to morowe / thou causest for to fall.

Whan man is worthy / a roume imperyall

On hym thou gloumest / with frowarde coūtenāce

Weyke is thy promes / reuoluyng as a ball

Thou hast no fauour / to godly gouernance

No man by meryte / thou vsest to auance

O blynded fortune / oftyme infortunate

Whan man the trusteth / than falleth some myschance

Unwarely chaungyng / his fortune and estate.

Tell me frayle fortune / why dyde thou breuyate

The lyueng season / of suche a capitayne

That whan his actes ought to be laureate

Thy fauour tourned / hym suffring to be slayne

I blame the fortune / and the excuse agayne

For thoughe thy fauour / to hym was rigorous

Suche is thy custome / for to be vncertayne

And namely whan man / is hye and glorious.

But moost worthy duke / hye and vyctorious

Respyre to conforte / se the vncertaynte

Of other princes / whose fortune prosperous

Of tyme hath ended / in harde aduersyte

[Page]Rede of Pompeius / whose pereles dignyte

Agayne great Cesar / dyde welthe of Rome defēde

Whom after fortune / brought in captiuyte

That he in Egypt / was heeded at the ende.

In lykewise Cesar / whiche dyde with hym cōtende

Whan all the worlde / to hym was subyngate

From his hye honour / dyde sodaynly discende

Murdred in Rome / by chaunce infortunate

Cato an Seneke / with Tully Rewreate

These and mo lyke / for all their sapyence

Hath proued fortune / sore blynding their estate

By wrongfull sclaunders / and deedly violence.

To poore and riche / it hath no difference

Olde Polycraces / supposyng peryll past

With dethe dishonest / ended his exellence

Great Alexander by fortune / was downe cast

One draught of poyson hym fylled at the last

Whom all the worlde / erst coude nat sacyate

What is all honour / and power but a blast?

Whan fortune thretneth / the lyfe to breuyate

Beholde on Pyrrus / the kyng infortunate

With a small stone / deed prostrate on the grounde

Se Ualeryan brought downe from his estate

From his empyre / in Percy thrall and bounde

Of olde Priamus / it is in writyng founde

Howe he by▪ Pyrrus / was in his paleis slayne

Paris and Hector / receyued mortall wounde

To trust in fortune / it is a thyng in vayne.

[Page]

The mighty Cyrus / a kyng of realmes twayne

Was slayne & his hoost / of Thomyrus the quene

Thus is no mater / of fortune to complayne

All that newe falleth / of olde tyme hath ben sene

This shalbe / this is / and this hath euer bene

That bolde hertes / be nerest ieopardy

To dye in batayle / is honour as men wene

To suche as haue ioye / in hauntyng chiualry.

Suche famous endyng / the name dothe magnify

Note worthy duke / no cause is to complayne

His lyfe nat ended / foule nor dishonestly

In bedde nor tauerne / his lustes to meyntayne

But lyke as besemed / a noble capitayne

In sturdy harnesse / he dyed for the right

From dethes danger / no man may flye certayne

But suche dethe is metest / vnto a noble knight.

But dethe it to call / me thynke it is vnright

Sithe his worthy name / shall last parpetuall

To all his nacion / example and clere light

But to his progeny / moost specially of all

His soule is in pleasure / of glory eternall

So duke moost doughty / ioy may that noble tree

Whose braunches honour / shall neuer fade ne fall

Whyle beest is in erthe / or fysshes in the see.

Lo Codrus / I here haue tolde the by and by

Of shepherde Cornir / the wofull elegy

Wherin he mourned / the greuous payne and harde

And last departyng / of noble lorde Hawarde

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[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The boke of Codrus and MynalcasEclogue. 4

Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552.

Edition statement

1521

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A03727

ID [STC]

STC 1384B

ID [STC]

ESTC S104475

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99840213

ID [PROQUEST]

99840213

ID [VID]

4689

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A03727)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 4689)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 128:07)

Source

— The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas, Eclogue. 4, Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552., Baptista, Mantuanus, 1448-1516. Bucolica. 5..

Extent

[44] p. : ill. (woodcuts), port.

Emprinted by Richarde Pynson, pri[n]ter to the kynges noble grace,. [[London] :: [1521?]]. (In verse.) (Designated Barclay's fourth eclogue in the headings and colophon.) (Based on: Baptista Mantuanus. Bucolica. 5.) (Caption title.) (Printer's name from colophon; publication date conjectured by STC.) (Signatures: a⁶ b⁴ c-d⁶.) (The last leaf bears a printer's mark.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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