A worthy Mirrour, wherein you may Marke, An excellent discourse of a breeding Larke.
To the tune of new Rogero.
By reading whereof, perceiue well you may,
What trust is in friends, or in kinsefolke to stay.
A Larke sometimes did breed,
within a field of Corne:
And had increase when as the graine
was ready to be shorne.
She wary of the time,
and carefull for her nest:
Debated wisely with her selfe,
what thing to doo were best:
For to abide the rage.
of cruell Reapers hand:
She knew it was to perilous,
with safetie for to stand.
And to dislodge [...]er broode,
vnable yet to fl [...]e:
(Not knowing whether to remooue)
great harmes might hap thereby.
Therefore she ment to stay,
till force constraind to fleet,
And in the while for to prouide,
some other place as meete:
The better to prouide,
the purpose of her minde:
She would forthwith go seeke abroad,
and leaue her young behinde:
But first she had them all,
attend their mothers will:
Which carefull was for to eschew,
each likelihood of ill.
This Corne is ripe (quoth she)
w [...]erein we nestled are:
The which (if [...]de preuents not harms)
might cause our mortall care.
Therefore to fence with skill,
the sequ [...]ll of mishaps:
I will prouide some other place,
for feare of after clappes.
Whilst I for this and foode,
am flowen hence away,
With h [...]edfull eares attentiue be,
what commers by do say.
Thus said, she vaunst hers [...]lfe,
vpon her longest toe:
And mounted vp into the skies,
still singing as she flowe▪
Anon she home returnde,
full fraught with choice of meat:
But loe, (a suddaine change) her Byrdes
for feare could nothing eat.
Therewith agast she cried.
what how? what meaneth this?
I charge you on my blessing▪ tell
what thing hath chanst amisse?
Are [...]hese my welcom [...]s home,
or thanks for food I haue?
Ye wo [...]ted were with chyrping chéere,
to gape before I gaue.
But now such quames[?] oppresse.
your former quiet kinde:
That (quite transformde) dumbe mute things
and sencelesse soule I finde.
The prime and eldest Byrde,
(thus cheeki[?]) began to say:
Alas deare Dame[?] such newes we heard,
since you were flowen away:
That were it not the trust,
that we [...]pose in you:
Our liues were lost: remedilesse[?],
we know it well ynouw[?]:
The owner of the plot,
came hither with his Sonne:
And said to him, this Wheat must down,
it is more then time it were done.
Go get thee to my Friends.
and bid them come to morne:
And tell them that I craue their helpes,
to reape a peece of Corne.
The Larke that was the Dam,
stood in a dumpe a while:
And after said, his friends (quoth he)
and then began to sm [...]le.
Tush, friends are hard to finde,
true friendship seeld appeares:
A man may misse to haue a friend,
that liues olde Nestors[?] yeares.
True Damon and his friend▪
long ere ou [...] time were dead:
It was in Greece, a great way hence,
w [...]re such true loue was bred:
Our Country is too colde[?],
to foster vp a friend:
Till proofe be made, each one will say,
still yours vnto the end.
But trie in time of need,
and all your friends are flowen[?].
Such fruitlesse seed, such [...]ale stay,
in faithlesse friends be sowen:
Therefore be of good cheere,
reuiue your dulled sprights:
Expell th [...] care, that causelesse thus,
bereau [...]s you of delights.
Let not surmized feare,
depriue your eies of sleepe:
My selfe will be amongst you still,
that safely shall you keepe.
And sweare eene[?] be the Tuft,
that growes vpon my crowne:
If all his helpe be in his friends,
this Corne shall not go downe.
The young assured by her,
that such an oth did sweare:
Did passe the time in wanted sléepe,
and banisht former feare:
And when the drousie night,
was fled from gladsome[?] day:
She bad them wakē and looke about,
for she must go her way.
And said I warant you,
these friends will not come heere:
Yet notwithstanding listen wel,
and tell me what you heare.
Anone the Farmer came,
enra [...]ed well nigh mad:
And sware, who for [...]pends on friends.
his case is worse[?] then bad:
I will go fetch my kinne▪
to helpe me with this geare.
In things of greater waight then this,
their kindred shall appeare:
The Larkes, theyr Dam returnd,
inf [...]r [...]ed her of all:
And how that he himselfe was gone,
his kindred for to call.
But when she heard of kin,
she laughing cried amaine:
A pin for kin, a figge for friends,
yet kinne the worst of twaine.
This man himselfe is poore,
though wealthie kin he haue:
And kindred now a daies doth quaile,
when neede compels to craue.
No no, he shall returne,
with ill contented minde:
His paines shall [...]sse of time,
no succour he shall finde.
They all are so addict,
vnto theyr priuate gaine:
That if ye lacke power to requite,
your suits are all in vaine.
My selfe am euer chargde,
with haruest ye may see:
And n [...]arer as my skin then shirt,
this shall theyr answere be.
Therefore as [...]a [...]st of friends,
so say I now of kinne:
We shall receiu [...] no hurt by them,
no [...] he no profit [...] winne:
Yet listen once againe,
w [...]t now his refuge is.
For kindred[?] sh [...]be like to friends,
be well assured of this:
I must go furnish vp▪
a nest I haue begun.
And will returne and bring you meat,
assoone as it is done.
Then vp she clam the Clowds,
with such a lustre Lay:
That it reioyst her yonglings hearts,
as in theyr nest they lay:
And much they did commend,
theyr Mothers loftie gate.
And thought it long till time had brought
themselues to such estate:
Thus whilst theyr twinckling eies,
were rouing too and fro:
The saw whereas the Farmer came,
who was their mortall foe.
Who after due complaints,
thus sayed in the end.
I will from henceforth trust my selfe,
and[?] not to kin nor friend.
Who giues me glozing wordes,
and faile me at my need:
May in my Pater noster be,
but neuer in my Creede.
My selfe will haue it downe,
since needs it must be so:
For proofe hath taught me too much wit,
to trust to any mo.
The bi [...]ds that listening lay,
attentiue to the same:
Informde their mother of the whole,
[...]
Ye mary then (quoth she[?])
the case now altered is.
We will no longer here abide,
I alway feared this:
But out she got them all,
and trudged away apace▪
And through the corne she brought thē safe
into another place.
God send her [...]ke to shun,
both H [...]u [...]e and Fowles gin,
And me t [...]e happe [...]o [...]auth [...] neede,
of friend[?], nor yet of kinne[?].
Imprinted at London, by Richard Ihones, dwelling neere vnto Holborne Bridge. 1589.