A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures. Gallantly garnished, with goodly Galleries of strang inuentiōs and prudently polished, with sundry pleasant Posies, & other fine fancies of dainty deuices, and rare delightes.
Written by a student in Cābridge. And published by I. C. Gent.
Imprinted at London, by Richarde Jones, and are to bee solde at his shoppe ouer agaynst Sainct Sepulchers Churche. 1579.
I. C. To the Reader of the poore Knight his Posies.
GEntle Reader, the feare of Ignomynie & shamefull reproch, hath caused the Author of these Posies to withholde his name from the same, whom for this time I haue thought not much amisse, to collour & set forth in the name of the poore Knight, & I do duly protest vnto thee, that without my great intreaty, these fewe Posies had not as yet come vnto thy hand▪ VVherfore, if that any thing in the same be acceptable, and worthy of commendacion, attribute the same vnto the poore Knight, which shalbe both ioyfull vnto mee, and no small incouragement to him. But if on the contrary, any thinge demerit blame, I submit my selfe to beare the reproch, (which was the publisher of the same,) desiring to quite him, and set him free, which is the Author: least by his discouragement we should lose that, which hereafter wee looke for. But by the way (gentle Reader) I doo admonish thee, that in the first three Posies, thou take Iudgement to thy reading, least with the Spyder thou finde poyson, where the painfull Bee may gather Honny: For although the name seeme somewhat vayne, (yet the outwarde apperance doth not iudge the matter, according to the Prouerbe: Cuculus non facit monachum: The matter is delectable, and requireth to bee red with Iudgement. Thus I ende, desiring thee to accept (my freend) the poore Knight his Posies in good worth.
From my Chamber in Grayes Inne.
I. C.
The vale of Venus, with all the wayes and footpathes vnto her Forte, beeing scituate in the same.
The Argument.
The Autor penneth, wherof he hath no proofe,
But as in dreame, so doth his knowledge come:
Hee warnes all those whose case it doth behooue,
To flie these panges, or els to taste of some,
VVhich hee displayeth, as proper vnto Loue:
The wofull state, of those which run that race,
By others fate, which hertofore did prooue,
VVhom hee by heapes, hath brought into this place:
But if that loue do bring no pinching payne,
The Autor sayth, hee will recant agayne.
WHen as my dazled eyes, by Sopor were opprest,
God Morpheus with his fethered limmes would let mée take no rest,
But with his wonted guise, did féede my minde with dreames,
And shewed to mée, faire Helicon, with all the siluer streames.
The mansion of the dames: with euery Laurell trée,
With Herbers, Brookes, and pleasant flowres, that on Parnassus bée,
From firy Phoebus throne, to Pluto his pudled Denne,
Yea all that lay in Neptunes gulfes, and in Leerna Fenne.
Nothing was then concealed, each God in his degree,
From Iupiter and Iuno [...] right, vnto the Furies thrée:
My Angell then was bent, to visite euery place,
For why, hée sayd that it was long, since hée did run that race:
And though that weary way, were tedious steppes to mée,
Yet thought I not my labour lost, such strange delights to sée.
Within a valley low, there stoode a Castle hye,
Which by the might of Phoebus beames, did glister in mine eye.
[Page] No man could passe therto, to foe nor yet to fréend,
But that hee should assure himselfe, some hill for to assend:
For why? before the walles, (which were exceeding good)
By Natures free munition, foure hugy hilles there stood,
Which seemed a great defence to feare the foming foe,
Menacinge feare to faynting hartes, and to the dastard woe.
And yet about the hilles great beaten pathes there were,
Which did the store of passengers vnto that place declare.
Wherwith I was amazde, this strange deuise to sée,
Yet durst I not demaund my God, what building it should bee.
But when hee did perceiue, how trembling I did stand,
Feare not (quoth hée) (and therwithall hee tooke mee by the hande)
For lo that shining place beeing situate in the vale
The Castle and the fortresse strong, of Venus men doo call.
The Valley where it stands, hath Smyrdo vnto name,
By whole consent of heauenly Gods, allotted to this dame.
The Father of the Gods, with Iuory staffe in hand,
Hath giuen vnto his Daughter déere, this swéete and fertill lande.
And euery forrain coast, doo yéeld her homage due,
Some sacrifice vnto her shrine, her wrath fo [...] to eschue,
Beholde the hilles (quoth hée) which compasse in thesame,
And beare in minde if that thou canst in order euery name.
The first vnto the North, is called Change of Ioy,
For hee that entreth on the same, is entred to annoy.
The second Ficklenesse, the second chance in loue,
Now hot, now cold, now quicke, now dead: as many men doo prooue.
The thirde is Apetite, as red as raging fire,
Such is the chance of louers poore, to vanquish their desire.
The fourth is Crabbed Care, imployd with [...]réekes of red,
Vpon this Mount alas I rue, lay many Cap [...]iues ded.
My guyde there stayd, but I des [...]rous of the same,
Did aske of him why euery Hill, inioyd that proper name.
Within eche Hill (quoth hée) a furious Fée [...]d doth rest,
And in the hill hath digged a Denne, to bee his nightly nest.
The Mountes enioy the name, and doth that title win,
As doth that hellish hound inioy, which hath his Den therin.
None entreth to the Forte, which will displayne to fight,
With him which stands, with club in hand▪ and challeng it by right.
[Page] And none shall passe the Mount, but hée shall him withstand,
And hee shall quite him passing well, that shall not feele his hand.
Yea Hercules him selfe, which erst had bin at Hell,
And bound the barking Cerberus, which in the Lake did dwell:
Could not resist these strokes, nor warde these battering blowes,
But yeelded him to Crabbed Care, as well his toombe forshowes,
And dying on the Mount, with fire it is suspected,
Hee hath his Tombe and Monument within that hill erected.
For none can come to Loue, or to her Castle rare,
But that hee must ascend them all in order as they are.
Good syr (quoth I agayne) I pray declare to mee,
What is the cause that in this place so many pathes there bee?
For if the case were such, as you haue erst declared,
The passage should bee perilous and much for to be feared.
Morpheus replyde agayne, I finde none other cause,
Why such resort of mortall men, vnto her tent shee drawes,
But that shee dooth delight the minde of man and beast,
And tickleth forth the willing minde, vnto Dame Venus neast.
For first in Saturns dayes, when men did simply liue,
Shee shewed forth that was vnknowen, and preceptes shée did giue.
In Venus trade and did instruct them in such sorte,
That euer since to Venus Vale, they cease not to resorte:
Yea since those flourishing dayes, shee fed their fansies so,
And opened vnto them the doore, which erst they did not know.
That now in euery Region, a costly shryne she hath,
From whence vnto her Mansion, there lyeth a beaten path:
A path I say she hath, which comes from euery place,
For to conduct those passengers, which ronne in Cupids race.
Lo see the path of Troy, where Troylus lyeth dead,
And see where good Diophoebus by Greekes is murdered.
Corebus with the loue, vnto Cassandra borne,
Among the rest do couched lye, on carking care forlorne.
There Paris hath a Tombe, far distant from the rest,
A gorgious Tombe no doubt it was, excelling all the best.
Vpon ech ende therof a furious Feend doth lye,
The one doth sound a dolefull Trumpe vnto the cloudy skye:
Wherwith ech place resounds, as well the vale as hill,
The other shouteth oft and shrickes, with trembling voyce and shryl.
[Page] And with his rauening mouth doth neuer cease to teare,
The [...]nes of Paris which longe since, vpon the Mountaine were.
Oh syr (quoth I to Morpheus) what meane those dolefull mones,
And what meanes hee, that often shrykes and féedes vpon the boues?
The one (quoth hee) who sounds, his Trumpe vnto the sky,
It is Defame which will not let, yonge Paris fact to die.
The other Enuie hight: whose cankred minde doth fret,
And with Defame agaynst the Knight, his hand and tooth hath set.
But muse not then (quoth hee) though Paris lyeth here,
For through Defame and Enuies force, his facte is euery where.
The Troyans lye by heapes, next vnto them is Greece,
Where lyeth the Dame which did betray her fathers golden Fléete.
And Laodomia in like care doth rest her heauy head,
Because her loue and only ioy, Proteselaus is dead.
Here Cephalus entred is, and wayleth still with care,
For that hee killed his Procris deare, before hee was aware:
Hee wisht full ofte as Acteon did hartely wish thesame,
That hee had neuer knowne his Bowe, nor vs [...]d the hunters game.
One thing in Grecian Path, did make mee for to muse,
And for my ignorance of thesame Morpheus di [...] mee excuse.
Two gorgious Tombes there were, the one agaynst the other,
(It seemed at first vnto my eyes, as Castor and his brother)
Aboue these tombes there stood a woman faire and bright,
And not far of with franticke sworde, there st [...]d a raging knight.
And all did seeme to wayle, and mourne most [...]iteously,
Except the armed knight which smilde, when as the rest did cry.
My Morpheus saide, the Quéene, faire Chtemnestra hight,
Which with Aegistus kild her spouse, which came from Troian fight.
Orestes then in rage, for Agamemnons death,
Did shed Aegistus vitall blood and stopt his mothers bre [...]th.
Orestes then returnde vnto his sence againe,
Did rule in Agamemnons steed, and in his rou [...]ne did raine:
So hee began to smile, when all the rest were slayne,
And they beeing payd for duty due, in Crabbe [...] Care remaine.
Within this Grecian path, while that wee t [...]ied still,
Beholde foure birdes which orderly, did fly about the hill.
The Nightingale complainde, the Lapwing sled for feare,
The Swallow shée no doubt was swifte, the Phesant lyude in care,
[Page] In care all foure they nest, in care they do remaine,
The Father, Wife, and silly childe, with sister there complaine.
Now haue wée past from Greece, and vnto Carthage came,
Where Hanniball among the rest, did win immortall fame.
From Dido vnto Thrace, from Phillis vnto Rome,
Where Porcia with Lucrecia, be linked in one Tombe,
And Camma lyeth behinde, as faythfull as the best,
But these haue almost passed Care, and come to perfite rest.
Orestilla lyeth there where Cataline doth couch,
Tarpeia lyeth by Tatius, for gold doth make them touch.
Pompeia lyeth there, whom Clodius seekes to couer,
And eke Terentia Tullyes wife, about the hill doth houer.
A thousand more there were, which on that mount did sléepe,
Whom Crabbed care with other féends vpon the mount did kéepe.
But as we passed those Tombes, of all the Roman rout,
And when bychance wée had espide religious persons out:
One Monument there was, excelling all the rest,
The forme so strange can not depart out of my fearfull brest.
The Tomb [...] did crosse the path, when none beside did so,
Whose lefte side séemed a man to bee, the right a woman show:
A monstrous key of length, her left hand alwayes beares,
And on her head of glistering golde, a triple Crowne shee weares.
And with a glauncing looke, and with a stretched right hand,
Shee doth receiue a liuely youth, which naked there doth stand.
Oh sir (quoth I to him) which was my carefull guide,
In all the Mount the like to this, I haue not séene beside.
Quoth Morpheus this is shee which all the Church beguilde,
Whom all men thought to bee a man, till that shee had a childe.
Pope Ioane shee hath to name, whom once within the Lake,
I shewed vnto Robinson, as our viage wee did make.
Her tombe did crosse the path, because the passers dye,
When as they saw her shamefull fact, to her reproche should cry.
The young man it is hee, which was her Minion euer,
For whom vpon this Hill for aye, with care they shall perseuer.
The Roman path wee lefte, when wee had vewed at will,
The Roman Knights and Monuments, which were within that Hil.
From thence to Babilon, where Thi [...]be did complaine,
Because that valiant Piramus, through her default was slaine.
[Page] Then did the Theban path appeare within my sight,
And Hemon with Antigona, did well inioy their right.
There Cadmus shrined was, Hermione ius [...] harde by
Whose tombes were garnished with golde, where crawling serpents ly [...]
Semeles there was layd, next to her fathers side,
For whom her deare twise borne Bacchus most carefully prouide.
And Ino with her childe, is taken from the sea,
And in the Mount with Athamas, haue long time béen all thrée.
Creusa, creons childe, which was yonge lasons deare,
Whom scorching fire consumed from yert [...], hath her abiding heare.
But yet one tombe there was, among the The [...]an route,
Which till I had perceiued well, did make mee stand in doubt:
For why hard by the same, did flow a litle flood,
Where many women washt their hands, imbrued with liuely blood.
It was Agaue the Quéene, which Pentheus had rent,
Because that hee disoayned the feastes, of Baccus to frequent:
And yet her only sonne, about her tombe remayne,
The partes of him whom shee and hers, with cruell hand had slayne.
And many more there were, whose tombes I would haue seene
Which for their long antiquity, with mos [...]e be couered cleene.
Verona path we lest, where Romeus doth lye,
Where Iuliet with Iconia, inioy a place the rby.
Gualfrido lyeth in Venis, Barnardo doth the same,
And eke Arestons only childe which Gnesia hath to name.
All Germany I thinke, eche towne that therin was,
Had captiues there, which tediousnesse, do cause mee to let passe:
At last my guide did smile, and thus to mee hee sayd,
Loe here what English prisoners, in Crabbed care are stayd.
Great heapes of valiant knights, of noble youthfull peeres,
Which in the feelde most Martially haue broken many speres:
Among the which I spied, those which I will not name,
Least y• my pen through my default, perhaps should purchace blame.
Both Abbots, Friers and Monkes, and all that learned rout,
Hermites and holy Hipocrites, which now bee rooted out.
In care nere Venus vale, they had a place to lye,
Wheras they haue their monuments whereas they chanced to die.
Among the which I romed: desirous for so see,
If any of those learned Clarkes, were knowen before of mée.
[Page] Wherof perhaps I could, rescite you many a one,
Which liued in ioy, but now in care, do make a dreadfull mone.
At last I spied out Bond, that fat and lazy Frier,
Which died wheras faire Astoloth would graunt to no desire.
This Champion liued by loue, as Larkes do liue by leekes,
He wept, hee wailde, he sighed so much, hee could not see for chéekes.
Of Ireland and of Wales came many a carefull wight,
And out of Cornwale valiantly came Labeale I soundes knight.
From path to path wee went, as Morpheus did giue leaue,
Hée showd mee all that did beseeme, my knowledge to conceaue.
At last wee entered in, the valley by the hill,
And left the lofty mount of Care, which wee had vewde at will.
And loe, into the vale, when as wée were discended,
And come vnto the Castle wall, as Morpheus had pretended [...]
Vpon the Castle strong, and in Dame Venus Forte,
Her cumly shape and rosiall hew, was drawne in séemely sorte.
And in her hand shée helde, an Iuory Combe most clere,
And by the ayde of Phoebus beames did kembe her golden heare.
Wherat I was amazde, but Morpheus helpeth mee out,
And with his sweete and sugred spéeche, assoylde me of my doubt.
The Iuory Combe (quoth hee) which Venus hath in hand,
In trymming of her christall haire, will let thee vnderstand,
That those which doo delight, to run in Venus vale,
Will trim themselues, as some brush ware, before it come to sale.
For as Dame Venus doth, so all her darlings do,
This is the cause quoth hee againe, why shee is pointed so:
The Castle gate wee did approche and would not stay,
The Porters let God Morpheus passe, but mee they thrust away.
Sir boy quoth one to mee (a grim and vgly knaue,)
Come not so nye, stand backe in time, and seke thy selfe to saue.
To whom God Morpheus sayd, my freend, content thee still,
That hee should passe vnto this place, it is my minde and will.
Commaund not mee quoth hee, and therwith gan to raue,
Quoth Morpheus then from Heauen and Hell, authority I haue.
I am the God of dreames, which passe through euery vale,
Resist not then, let him approche into the Castle wall:
The knaue when hee perceiued, that it was so indéede,
Of with his cap and crowching low, hee let mee in with spéede.
And Doubt was his companion, yet hee was somwhat milde.
The Porters prison was bedecked all with greene,
And chaunging coulers now and then, were often to be séene.
Out of the narrow grates did Cleopatra prye,
And beckned with her trembling hand to valiant Antony:
Naera with Car [...]n [...] which waited on this Dame,
With Ply [...]s poyson made an ende, and [...]er [...] do [...]epe their shame.
Whom often Cleopatra [...], and often them imbrace,
And ioyning [...], they do lament their [...] and heauy case.
And as I pryed by chaunce, I saw a damsell morne,
With [...] weedes and La [...]rs spots, [...] to much forlorne.
Quoth Morpheus [...] thou see, wheras that cay [...]i [...]e lyes,
Much like the wretched Crocodill, [...] now how shee cryes.
That is Pandare his Nice, and Calcas only childe,
By whose deceits and pollicies, young Troylus was beguilde.
[...]hee is kept in affliction where many other are,
And veweth Troylus lying dead, vpon the Mount of Care.
Shee wepte, shee sighed, shee sobd, for him shee doth lament,
And all too late, yea to to vaine, her facte shée doth repent:
How could that stedfast Knight, (quoth I) loue such a dame?
Morpheus replied in beauty bright, shee bare away the fame:
Till that shee had betrayd, her Troylus and her dere,
And then the Gods assignd a plague, and after set her here.
An other wretched wight, within Affliction kept,
Who for her false periured faith, lamented sore and wept.
Eriphile, shée it was, and spronge of Grecian blood,
(Yet all the Grecian pollicyes, could neuer do her good)
Who for desire of coyne betrayd her louing make,
And now shee must content herselfe, a traytresse due to take.
Kinge Pretus wife is here, alas alas what tho?
Affliction helde her in so fast, shee is like to die for woe.
Galatea shee poore soule, must holde her selfe content,
Which sayne would wepe if other-could, preuaile which do lamente,
What should I say, a thousand moe, with in this prison were,
Whom neither time nor memory, will suffer to declare.
But all that therin were, haue sayd their ioy apart,
And giue themselues to vtter plaints, imbrued with swelling smart.
[Page] From thence wee marched forth vnto a litle Lake,
The spring was swift although but small, the course did neuer slake,
Leander here did row, here Helena did dwell,
Achilles loueth Polixena, and drinketh at this Well.
Here Aeolus daughter deere, here Silla Nisus daughter,
And here Pasiphae [...] drinke, and neuer thirsted after.
One thing was very strange, which at this Well was seene,
Within the brooke in [...] aray there stood a gallant queene.
And on the banke a Bull, with guilted hornes did stay,
Which when shée would haue issued out, did stop her in the way.
Wherat I wondred much, and greatly was dismayde,
And asking Morpheus of that [...], hee quickly to mee sayd:
The Quéene shee Diece hight, which was King Lycus wife,
A Theban borne in Nicteus daies, the sates did graunt her life.
Who through a ielious minde: and false surmised loue,
Such discorde in the Theban Court, this diuelish Dame did moue.
That if young Amphion, and Zetus his dere brother,
Had not brought reskew happely: this Bull had slaine their Mother.
Whose iclosie the Gods, in such dïspleasure tooke,
That they haue placed this roringe Bull, to keepe her in the brooke
An other Dame there was, which at this Well did liue,
Which neuer ceast for to assay to fill an empty Siue.
And when the cause therof, on Morpheus I did aske,
Hee sayd the Gods allotted it, to be the Ladies taslie.
Which all in vayne bestowed, (vnto her pinchinge payne)
Her loue vpon Narcissus faire: which in the woods complayne:
Neare to the litle Lake, a Dungeon grounded was,
As blacke as pitche throughout the which, this runninge streame did passe
Dispaire did kepe the same, which was both stout and strong,
A wafull wretch whose greedy gorge, delighted much in wrong.
Poore Captiues in distresse, hee keepeth many a one,
Whose flintie hart doth oft reioyce, when other make their mone.
Hipsiphale which loued, king Peleus Nephew deare,
Erigone which hanged her selfe: hath purchast house roome here.
Here Dianeira lyeth which kilde her selfe for wo,
And Hero which on fominge floods, her life sought to vndo.
Euadne hath a place, Di [...]aire deo loue her well,
With thousands more within that place, which were to long to tell.
[Page] Among the rest one stood, ready to come away,
But that Dispaire through fayned tales, did cause her for to stay.
Quoth Morpheus, see the Queene, that weare [...] the mourning gowne,
Shee fled from ri [...]h Pigmalion, and built vp Carthage towne.
This salse Report (quoth hee) a foe vnto good [...]ame,
Hath pla [...]de his part vpon that wight, which neuer descrude the same
For in the court of chastitie, her deedes be fresh and new,
A crowne of Glory shee deserues, i [...] that shee [...]ad her due.
For Poets say, shee loued, Aeneas Knight of T [...]oy,
And when hee priuily fled from thence, her selfe shée did distroy.
But ta [...]ling Poets lye, Aeneas was vnknowne,
And Troyan seede in Carthage to [...]e, by him was neuer sowne.
Iarbas griyed with loue, and could not her attayne,
(For once shee made a faithfull vow, that chast shee would remayne)
Laide séege vnto the towne, Dame Dido to mollest,
But shee to saue her plighted othe, to die did thinke it best.
And with a glittering blade, shee banisht breathing life,
This was the constant ende of her, which was Sicheus wife.
This sayd, wée left Dispaire, and all his raging traine,
(With watery teares for Didos sake, my Morpheus did complaine.)
Wée past the gallant court, and entered very far,
Vnto the place where Venus sate, while Cupid went to war.
There Ceres kept with her, and Bacchus did the same,
And Mars stoode waiting at the doore, desirous of the game.
The house was full of Clyents, eche corner had great store,
God Morpheus as his custome was, hee entred in before.
Whom when Dame Venus saw, shee quickly gan to rise,
Saluting him with cumly cheare, and in most curteous wise.
My Lord (quoth shee to him) how doth my auncient sire,
And how doth Neptune in the seas, and Pluto in the fire.
While Morpheus tolde his tale, I vewed among the rout,
To see if some acquainted freend, by chance I could finde out.
No Englishmen were there, of Wales a worthy bande,
Whom, when they came to greet mee well, I could not vnderstande.
Wherby no doubt I lost, the truth of euery case,
And many a harty welcominge vnto that princely place.
But if my Cuntry men, had layne in Venus Uale,
Then might I haue discribed at large, the trueth of euery tale.
[Page] Thus while I pryed about, in euery vacant place,
And while I saw God Morpheus, was still with Venus grace.
And Venus did perceiue mee, to Morpheus thus shée sayd,
My Lorde the presence of this lad, doth make vs sore dismayde.
Feare not (quoth Morpheus then) there is no cause to doute,
For hee which is within your Court, can neuer issue out.
Wherwith I trembled sore, for feare hee sayd to true,
I wept, I wailde, and thus I sayd, I haue my wages due.
Then Venus sat her downe, among her Lordly peeres,
And Mars his souldiers guarded her, with Billes, with Bowes and spéeres.
I asked Morpheus then, whither Cupid did resorte?
Hee sayd that hee was marchte to feelde, against Dianas court.
Whom I would faine haue seene, but time did it deny,
And Morpheus sayd tis time to goe, the starres be in the sky.
But yet hée promised mee, against another day,
For to addresse himselfe agayne, to shew mee all that way.
Wherwith hee pluckt mee backe, and said, come let vs go,
I was preparde with willing minde, for why I wisht it so.
The way wée past before, wee entred in againe,
Where fearce Affliction and Doubt, as Porters did remaine.
By Care and Appetite, Ficklenesse and Change of Ioy,
By euery Path, and euery Tombe, wée past the former way.
(Quoth Morpheus now adue) till Cupids Host do fight,
Then will I haue thee to the feelde, and shew thee all that sight.
Wherwith I wakte and saw, what folly I had seene,
And what in vision did appeare, as it had perfite beene.
Parnaslus now is gone, and Helicon his streame,
And though this Treatise bee not true, yet sure it is a dreame.
The Argument.
The Gods in Heauen assembled all to feast,
In midst of glee Dame Venus telles her fate:
VVherat the Gods in order bee addrest,
Against her foes, for to maintaine her state.
The worlde set wide, the fight therin shalbe,
Dianas force with wauering hands doth fight:
But blody Mars, with Venus doth agree,
And Dians troupe at last is put to flight.
VVhom Cupid chase when shee to woods doth flye,
And Venus sonne, returnes triumphantly.
Of Cupid his Campe.
ON Friday at night I layd mée downe, with slepe to take my rest,
And as in wonted guise before, so was I now addrest:
With slumbring sléepe to take my leaue, of Phebus glittering bemes,
Till Morpheus should bedecke my head, with fantasies and dreames.
And as I lay, so did I looke, with looking long dismayde,
With sodayne sightes my dazeled eyes did make my hart afrayd:
For why within my [...] eare, mée though a trumpe did sound,
The noyse wherof did seene so strange, it [...]ast mee flat on ground.
Strait way there did appeare to mee, a vision where I lay,
Most strange to tell (so much this sight my courage did dismay)
An aged Sire whole glistering face with h [...]ary heares bede [...]t
Did sore appale my dreadfull hart, that scant I could erect.
My lingring lymmes, in weried wise I couched one in place,
And glaunced oft with leering lookes, to vew his cumly face.
His limmes were fethered on eche part, and winged on eche syde,
Wherwith hee tooke his spéedy flight: at last hée mee espyde.
And thus hée sayth with whirling voyce, make haste do not delay,
Qyrde vp thy loynes, addresse thy selfe, to walke this tedious way.
Wherwith as one berefte of wittes, and of my sences cleane,
I was amazd but did not know, what these his words should meane.
[Page] Feare not (quoth hee) stand not in doubt, for Morpheus is my name,
Which led thee forth to Venus Vale when as thou vewedst the same
And as by promise I was bound, so now I come agayne,
To leade thee where thou mayst beholde Diana with her trayne.
In Martiall feelde beeing ready bent, agaynst Dame Venus sonne,
But let vs goe least or wee come, the battell bee begonne.
My Lorde (quoth I) I thanke you much, for this your double payne,
Make haste (quoth hee) let vs depart, make haste quoth hee againe.
Then went wee forth to lofty skyes, our iorney wee did take,
Vnto Appollos curious Tente, for hee a feast did make
To all the Gods and Goddesses where Iupiter did sit,
Within a golden chayre of state, and for his honour fit.
Then entred Mars and toke his place, whereas hee thought it best,
And Mercury most welcome there, vnto Apollo his feast.
But gentle Ceres was not come, nor Baccus was not there,
And til they came al things were whist, ye Gods could make no chere,
Neptune bespangled all with skales, ascended to the sky,
And Protheus as his custome is, did sounde couragiously.
Then Tartar Lake began to flash, and Cerb [...]s gan to yell
And all the Feends did homage due, when Pluto came from Hell.
And Pan came forth, with Oaten pipe the shepheards all gan play,
The sheepe stood still and gazed on him, as hee past by the way:
Saturnus with his withered legges, had almost come to late,
But that the Maister of the feast, regarded his estate.
Thus euery one did take his place, in order as they came,
Yea all the Gods and Goddesses, did likewise doo thesame.
The Table where these guestes did sit, was rounded round about,
That where the noblest seat there was, twould make one for to dout.
Apollo bearing great goodwill vnto the Muses nyne,
To them when as hee thought it best, a roome hee did assyne.
Then Iu [...]o sate by Iupiter, which did her make abide,
And Pallas twixt God Mercury, and sweete Apollos side.
Dame Ceres with her curious cost, behaued her selfe so well,
That shee and Baccus at that feast, do beare away the bell.
Musitions sounded orderly Proserpine would not heare,
Though Orpheus with his warblinge Harpe, did thinke to finde her there
Arion with his siluer sound, did prayse the Delpins loue,
And with his quauering melody, did all the Sages mooue.
That Pan is risse from Bacchus campes, and dance about the Heuen.
Then glauncing forth my rowlinge eye, by chaunce it came to passe,
That I espyde at first vnknowne, whereas God Vulcan was.
Who in the kitchin curiously, did worke his wonted feate,
And kindled coales most cunningly, to roste Apollos meat.
The seruiters at instant feast, were laureat Poets all,
Who ready were at becke to bow, when as the Muses call.
There Hom [...] with his [...]led Pen, a graue and worthy wight,
Among them all did beare the sway, inioyinge it by right.
Hesiodus was not behinde, whom Pan esteemed much,
With Laureate Euripides, and many other such.
The Romans flocked there by heapes, olde Ennius bare the sway,
Whose merits with antiquity, the learned ought to way
There witty Virgill did his best, and Naso there did serue,
And many moe there were at hand, whose merittes same deserue.
Then Morpheus sayd, loe where he stands that worthy Chauser hight
The cheefest of all Englishmen, and yet hee was a knight.
There Goure did stand, with cap in hand, and Skelton did the same,
And Edwards hee, who while hee liude, did sit in chaire of fame.
Thus euery thing past merely, and Pan good sporte did make,
For Baccus with his sugred tales, had made his brayne to ake.
Then when the Gods had feasted well and good pastime had made,
Twas Cherill his course to come in place, and vse the Amners trade:
Who caryed forth the Amners hutch, vnto the Porters gate
And fréely gaue vnto the poore, which were preparde therat.
At last when as the Gods had washte, and rune did well betide,
Iuno and Pallas, with the nyne, withdrew themselues aside.
Then entred in among the Gods, a Dame of cumly cheere,
Although besyrent with scalding sighes, shee mourning did appéere,
Twas Venus with her smiling lokes, which came from Smyrdo [...]
And to the Gods which sat at feaste, thus shée began her tale.
Venus Oration to the Gods.
REnowmed Lordes, to whom my tale I tell,
And worthy Gods, which rule the Heauen and
[Page] The [...]uds the brookes, the furious féends of Hell,
And euery thing, that in these subiectes bee:
Bende downe your eares, and listen vnto mée,
Harke and giue eare, regard my plaint and tale,
Whom you haue placed, to rule in Smyrdo vale.
From time to time, since that you gaue mee powre,
Within my Court to sit as Iudge of might:
You Gods doo know, that neither day nor howre,
My minde hath been, to swerue from trueth and right,
(For all that I doo, I know is in your sight)
And all my actes, with trueth haue been approoued,
By Iustice lawes, whom I haue alwayes loued.
Loe now you Gods, regarde my piteous mone,
Lende mee your hands, which doo your ayde implore:
Rebellious wights, out of my tente be gone,
And vow till death, neuer to serue mee more.
Diana shee, which went long time before,
Hath armde her selfe, with bended bowe in hand,
By force to driue, my sonne and mee from land.
¶And thus shee sayd, but salted sighes, would let her say no more,
And trickling teres ran down by stremes, wherof she had great store
And flatling fell before the Gods, and mighty Ioue his throne,
And ofte shee dubled forth these wordes, regard my piteous mone.
Wherwith the Gods began to wéepe, and euery one was moued,
For Venus in that parte of heauen, of all the Gods was loued.
At last the Father of the Gods, tooke vp his louing daughter,
And kissed her with louely lippes, these wordes hee vtred after.
Ah Venus, Venus, take good cheere, Dian shall not preuaile,
Wee will resist her martial might, when as shee shall assaile.
And Cupid hée, whom shee detests, shall lead thy hoste to feeld,
And I my selfe will wend with thee, to make her for to yéeld.
Yea all my mates and faithfull frends, I hope will bee content,
Perdy my Lorde (quoth euery one) wee yeeld to this intent.
Then Mars began to smil [...], and then, the Gods did rise together:
And euery one in cumly sorte, did welcome Venus thyther.
The noyse therof, great feare no doubt, to all the earth did bring.
Then Pelion gan to shake for feare, and Ossa trembled sore,
Olimpus with the mighty Alpes did neuer s [...]before.
But mighty Mars did shake his [...]d, hée [...] and ran for ioy,
And kissing Venus oft hée sayd, thy foes I will distroy.
By this the Gods he furnished, and armed [...]t all neede,
And Ioue himselfe rides first in ranke, vpon a barbed [...]eede,
The Go [...]te suffiseth for his badge, whose milke hée loued well,
When milde Meliss [...] gaue him sucke, which then in Crete did dwell.
Then Mercury doth sound agayne, and all the Gods assemble
And as before, so Heauen a [...]d earth beginneth againe to tremble,
Amonge the gods which present were, olde Priasus did resort,
Who wi [...]h Dianas Champions, did thinke to make some sporte.
A garden spade this God did bring, euen as his custome was,
Bedeckt with crownes of smelling flowre [...], hée rid vpon an asse.
The Gods rid on before apace, for Venus made great haste,
And Pryasus was left behinde, hee could not ride so fast.
His Asse did trot so harde (alas) and put him to such paine,
Hée thought the iorney was to longe, and turned backe agayne.
Then Morpheus turnd himselfe and sayd, it is no time to stay,
To follow them vnto the Campe, let vs no more delay.
Wherfore I thankte him much that time, for longe I wisht to sée,
The royall tentes of Cupids Court, with all their dignitie.
A description of Cupid.
GOd Morpheus was more swift thē those, which with Dame Venus came
(Or els by right he should not seeme for to inioy his namē.)
Wherfore by his assent wée past, Dame Venus and her trayne,
With speedy pa [...] vnto the tentes, where Cupid did remayne.
Who deygned I my poore request, to ease mee of my charge,
And with his pl [...]sant tales of truth, described the God at large.
Whom when [...] vewde I was amazde, and all abasht with feare,
Wherat my guide began to smile, and thus hee did declare.
Within that tente and cumly couch, whose couering seemeth red,
A grisly ghost beholde, by whom the mighty Gods bee led.
Yea none in heauen, in earth nor hell, that can resist the same.
Alas my Lorde (quoth I againe) this seemes most strang and rare,
Should all the Gods which rule in skyes, of one boy stand in feare.
In deede (quoth hee) this withered wight, doth so mollest their braine,
That those which bee of féebled age, hee turnes to boyes agayne.
For why in trickes of childish yéeres, hee causeth them to stay,
Neglecting duties of great waight, delighting nought but play.
My God (quoth I) to know all things, I greatly doo desire,
What is the cause that Venus sonne, is naked without attire,
(Quoth Morpheus) hee that liueth in loue, in folly passe his dayes,
And has that hath but halfe an eye, may set his wauering wayes.
Ah silly wight, ah shaddow poore, (for flesh in him is skant)
And as hee seemeth to bee blinde, [...] brow so doth hée want.
Hée is a type, (quoth Morpheus then) you know well what I meane,
And too much lust, and lechery, hath made him very leane.
Not lust alone, but care and thought, which doth perplex his minde
For to much lust may bée a cause, why Cupid seemeth blinde.
For those which liue in louers lawes, regarde not what they doo,
And ofte they thinke to bathe in blisse, but sinke in wretched woe.
A brow hee wants, for by the same, his souldiers [...] deuine,
Wherto the motions of the harte, doo purpose to declyne.
And as the brow doth beare the badge, that bringeth death or life,
So they that badge doth hate and shun, which séeme to tel some strife,
But oh my God, why hath hée wings, adioyned to eche side,
Because that Cupid changeth ofte, and neuer long abide.
A bowe is bent within his hand, two quiuers at his backe,
Well may hee shoote, and wide enough, that doth his eye sight lacke.
It is not so among the Gods, as men suppose to bée,
Hee shootteth ofte, but nere in vaine, so stedfast holdeth hee.
That leane and naked boy, with force his mighty foes doo quell,
That blinde and winged Champion, doth shoote excéeding well.
And though hee browlesse seeme to bée, yet doth hee pearce the brain
Through skin and bone, hee hits the hart, wheras his Dart remain.
Then maruell not, though all the Gods, doo yéeld for want of might, Sith none haue force for to resist, the strength of such a knight.
Both man and beast, both sish and foule, and all that life doth beare,
Are subiecte vnto Cupids bowe, which all the Gods doth feare.
[Page] The quiuers which thou doost behold, which stand this God in stead,
The one is full of golden shaftes, the other full of lead.
The golden strike, the seruent wights, which pas their daies in lou [...]
The leade doth wound the brasen harts, wh [...] no complaint can mou [...]
Poliphemus with Stenobia young Phedra felt the golde,
Galatea Belerophon, with the lead were stricken colde.
This while wee talked at leysure, loe, wée heard the trumpet sound,
Wherby we knew the Gods were come, from skyes vnto the ground
And as they had pretended erst, did set themselues in ranckes,
To march with Venus to the Campe, who yeelded them great thanks
And sounding out, God Mars his trumpe, to set them in aray,
They marched forth vnto the féeld, wheras their foes did stay,
But fréendly Morpheus had mée first, for to discribe at large,
The order of God cupids campe, the which I will discharge.
And if it please my Angell then, to call mee to that sight,
I will discribe Dianas hay, which did befall in fight.
A description of Cupid his host.
THe Gods béeing met & Venus sonne, béeing garnished in this wise,
By whole consent to vanquish her, which did his lawes dispise,
Mars is assended vp the Couch, to guide the horses right,
And Cupid stands with bow in hand, to send forth euery knight,
Then Venus layd her heauenly head, vpon God Mars his lap,
And sayd my Lorde, wee trust on you, to gouerne well our hap.
The cheefest Captaine of the rout, Audacity was named,
Whose safe conduct of all the host, deserues not to be blamed.
With him hée led forth Pollicy, Cupid his only stay,
These vndertooke by Mars his will, to guide the host that day.
The second Captaine, curtesy, a valiant host did leade,
Who had Delight adioynde to him, to helpe him at his néede.
The Captayne graund, did bid them both, the right wing to p [...]ssess [...],
And alwayes to attend the same, to driue a way distresse.
And on the lefte side, ietted Rage, with cruell Tyranny,
Which were as aydes vnto the host, led by Audacity.
I haue not here rescited those, which petty Captaynes were,
Only my Morpheus charged mee, the chéese for to declare.
[Page] But this I saw, that Idlenesse, did beare a worthy sway,
That Drunkennesse and Drowsinesse, did set them in aray.
Dissention ran from host to host, and Riot stood not still,
But all adioynd their helping hands, and furdered with good will
I let passe all the Souldiers names, the labor were to long,
And yet my booke would not containe, the names of all the throug.
Thus euery thing beeing finished, ech Souldier standing still,
Beholde a proclamation, was made by Cupids will.
Which offered giftes aboundantly, to any souldier there.
To vndertake in Dians tente, a message to declare.
And greete her hartely from him, which blinded bare the bow,
Commaunding her to yéelde in time, and quiet peace to show.
Or els with di [...]t of martiall blade, hee would dispatch her quite,
And teache all other to beware for to resist his might.
Desire a champion of great pride, whose force deserued fame,
Before the Gods, and Venus faire, on knée did aske the same.
Which when the Gods had graunted him, and Cupid gaue consent,
Hee tooke his leaue of all the trayne, and forth to Dian went.
Come let vs go (quoth Morpheus then) this greeting for to here,
I am content my Lord (quoth I) to attend both here and there,
To vew Dianas Court (quoth hee) for to discribe the same,
To heare the answere to Desire, to know the Captaines name.
For shee was ready furnished, of Souldiers at her will,
And euery court garnished, with Captaynes of great skill.
Desire, who longed to tell his tale, approcht this Dame vnto,
With duty done for curtesie, had chargde him so to doo.
But sith my Angell bad mee first, for to discribe her traine,
And sith to sound a true report my Morphes tooke such paine.
I thinke it most conuenient, seeing time doth serue so fit,
Before Desire haue tolde his tale, for to discouer it.
A discription of Diana and her army.
IVst by Eurota flowing streame, where many Lanrelles grow,
A pleasaunt place, which all the Nimphes, of Dians traine do know.
Beholde God Morpheus offered mee, a place to vew at will,
The safe returne of Dians traine, which her hest doth fulfill.
[Page] From out the shade this Goddesse came, from cha [...]ing of the Bore,
With bow in hand so ready bent, and well [...]drest therfore.
Her couch was couerd al with white, white Harts thesame did draw
Whose swiftnesse pleasde Diana well, to bring the Beare in awe.
For solely in the woods shee kept, in groues shee did remaine,
And Acteon hath his tale to tell, although vnto his pai [...]e.
Within the Couch kept Modesty, as ruler of her will,
Where Prayse & Honner were as guides, to hold the helme with skil.
A crowne shée weares of precious price, bed [...]cte in ritch aray,
Whose pleasant lookes, in séemely sorte, her nature did bewray.
Thus while from wood shée did returne, vnto the féelde to fight,
And when her host assembled was against Dame Cupids might.
Beholde the Captaines do discharge, the duty that they owe,
And euery one his good intent, to Dians hos [...] doe show.
The rout by Chastitie is swayde, the Misterisse of the rest,
Who set the Souldiers in aray, as shée estéemde it best.
There Constancy is called to ayde, and help [...] them at a néede,
And Tempetance is well estéemde; as Dian hath decréede.
Sobriety hath sage Aduise, to counsell Dian well,
And Labor stands against his foes, their sloth for to expell.
Fidelity a faithfull freend, within the wood doth stay,
Who seekes to spoyle the forraine foe, as h [...]e passe by the way.
For Dian hath commaunded him, to rest within the wood,
And campe himselfe most orderly, iust by Furota stood.
With whom Dame Thisbe takes a place, wher is Pandor his Néete,
And Phedra shee which somtime was, Duke Theseus wife of Greece,
And if I should resite them all, which couched by this brooke,
My pen would saynt in halfe the way, in wrighting of this booke,
But sithe I haue discribde the tente, as bréefely as I may,
And as my Morpheus would giue leaue, the same for to display.
Behold Desire presents him selfe, before this Dame on knee,
And from the saint, wh [...]m hee did serue, th [...]se voyces vttered hee,
Desire his message vnto Diana.
REnow [...]ed Dame, whose fame the [...] containes,
Whose glistering face throughout the world appeare:
And sent mee out my me [...]ag [...] to doo:
Whose valiant force, the Gods themselues d [...]st feare,
Cupid I say in whom such ioy I finde,
Hath sent mee forth, to know thy willing minde.
Hee craues of thee that iustice [...] request,
That thou doo yeeld, and let thy army go:
Thy false attempts the Gods themselues detest,
And euery one, is sworne thy future foe,
Eche one is bent to worke thy greefe and woe.
With glittering blade, to seethy blood [...],
If thou disdaine, as recreant to yeelde.
And Mars himselfe, with Venus is ascended,
Into the Couch, where Cupid [...]raweth his bow:
But yet my Lorde, thus much hath thee befrended,
If thou wilt yeeld, then hee will mercy show:
This for thy sake on thee hee doth bestow.
But if thou nill, hee will dispatch thee quight,
Both thee and thine, by dint of bloody fight.
Accept therfore his mercy and good will,
And deigne to shew, obedience for the same:
Pitty thy selfe, doo not the army spill,
Least all the world report this to thy shame:
And none that liueth, my louing Lord will blame.
Consider this, and thinke vpon the paine,
And speake thy minde, that I may returne againe.
¶Thus when Desire had tolde his tale, to Dian and her traine,
Diana quickly answered, Sir knight returne againe.
Let Cupid doo his worst hee can, his force I doo not feare,
Ne will I yeeld vnto his lawes, nor none that with mee are,
Wherwith a lofty shout and noyse, vnto the skye was raysde,
And Dians courage and good will, of all the rout was praysde,
Desire beeing hot with raging hate, did thus reply againe,
I doo lament the rufull lot, of them which shalbe slaine.
So Cupid with his martiall [...] these stately wordes can quell.
That neither Captaine shallbe left [...], nor souldier for to fyght,
Of all this rout, whose hands bee piest, against my Lord his might.
Then Modesty, Dianas guide, in her behalfe did say,
Although wee die in Dians cause, our deathes we do not way.
This sayd, Desire returnd againe, and vnto Cupid went,
And shewed at large, Dianas wordes, as of her whole intent.
And that within the silent wood, wheras Eurota flow,
Fidelity did holde his campe, their force to ouerthrow.
And added this that neither Mars, with all his waighty stroke,
Nor all the Gods should bring her necke, vnder God Cupids yoke.
Then cupid sent Desire before, the Amb [...]sh for to tame,
Or els perforce to scatter them, before the army came.
Desire doth séeke to bee reuengde, of his appointed foe,
And wandring in the Laurell woods vnto Eurota goe.
Wheras Fidelity was prest, his force for [...] withstand,
And in defence of Dians right, did fight longe hand to hand.
But what could Thisbe then res [...]st, when Pyram came in sight,
Or when as worthy Troylus came, how could Dame Cressid fight.
Phedra shee was content to yéelde, Desire did force her so,
And from Dianas faithfull freend, to Cupids campe to go.
What shall I say, Dianas host, which in the wood did stay,
Was sore abasht, Fidelity was chased quite away.
And many yéelded recreant, not able to deny,
Desire perforce did force them so, eyther to yeeld or dye.
But rather then Dame Cressid would, so quickly séeme as dead,
Shee vowed her selfe from Troylus true, to slattering Diomede.
So that the periured Grecian, or els the Troyan knight,
Should haue Dame Cressid vnto loue, yea both if so it might.
Thus while Desire do cleare the coast, and make the passage free,
The host marcht on into the féeld, with thundring harmony.
The noise wherof do beate the skies, and eke from thence reboundes,
And Mars his musicke in the seeld, aloft Tantara soundes.
The souldiers set them selues in rankes, the winges to succor go,
Audacity by Mars his will, hee had commaunded so.
But Dian and her worthy traine, when as her fréend was fled,
And for the losse of all those freends, with fury was much led,
[Page] And oft repeating worthily, my harts take chéere (quoth shée)
My life for yours, continue still, so shall you victors bée.
The souldiers fought so valyantly, the Captaines did so well,
That cupid gan to Crouch for feare, and Dian did excell.
Audacity then shooke for feare, when chastity withstood,
And Constancy shee followed fast, to see the forrain blood.
And if God Cupids pollicy, a reskue had not found,
Both Venus and her darlings deare, had [...]lyng fell to ground.
But Pollicy came rushing in, and sent forth mighty Ioue,
Who then discended from the skyes, to serue the God of loue.
Who vanquished Dame Dians host, and made them for to tremble,
And sundry kindes of vgly shapes, hee [...] not to dissemble.
Aurora loued the snowy Bull, and L [...]d [...] word the Swan,
And Io lickt her fathers face, which then was pale and wan.
For as the Woolfe among the lambes, so Ioue among the host,
I meane among Dame Dians flocke, of whom shée vaunt and bo [...]
But when as Fame had sounded forth, and Brute had blased his wil,
That Ioue did vanquish worthily, with Pollicy and Skill.
Then Danae fled her way for feare, vnto Acrisius Towre,
Till Iupiter through Pollicy discended in a showre.
Achilles then began to rage, before that Troy was sackte,
And craued of Pollicy his guide, the armur that hee lackte.
Who armed him corragiously, in Maydens feate aray,
Till Derdanna swelling wombe, his pollicy did bew [...]ay.
And Licomedes was deceiude, the father of the May,
And therfore could not stop the step [...], of young Achilles way.
Then Clodius rushed in in haste, Pompeya for to quell,
Bedect like to the vestall Dames, wheras his loue did dwell.
Thus Cupid was incorraged, with all his warlike trayne,
Diana which was erst aloft, is now beat downe agayne.
And all the Gods and Souldiers the, did play their parts so well
That Cupid is extolde to heauen, and Dian fell to Hell.
Medusa Gorgon hearing this, to Pallas alter fled,
Hoping by her assisting hand, in time to bee releeued.
Whom mighty Neptune through deceit, intangled in such sort,
That shée forsook Dianas campe, and fled to Venus Court.
Then Phedr [...] whom desire had brought, from Dian and her traine,
Ceased not in Cupids cause to fight, till Hyppolite was slayne.
And Drowsinesse hee followed fast, for feare hee came to late.
Antonius resisted long, Queene Cleopatras host,
But yet at last through Gluttony, did yee [...] to her request.
When Constancy had seene the force and hauocke of their foes,
Shee vowed, both life and lands, and fame, in Dians cause to lose,
Rather then Cupid should preuaile, vnto their vtter shame,
And all Dame Dians valian [...]wights, accorded in the same.
And ioyning harts and hands in one, that battered Cupid so,
That hee was neare constraind againe, out of the feeld to go.
There Temperance stood stifly too, and Labor laid on lode,
Sobriety did helpe at neede, when they in danger stoode.
But yet alas, this wished ioy, was soone brought to an ende,
For Curtesy came rushing forth, and brought Delight his freend.
For to reuenge this fresh assalt of Dian and her traine,
And to renew the wonted state, of Cupid once againe.
With him came Duke Protesilaus, with him came Alcyde stout,
Hee sought for Laedomia, this found Dianeira out.
Hector vanquished Andrqmache, that worthy wight of Troy,
And Pryamus with Hecuba, did liue in perfit ioy.
Thus when Dianas Souldiers, began to slip away,
Through Curtesy, a thousand fled, to Cupid in one day.
And few there were, which would remain, with Dian to abide,
But yeeld them selfe vnto Delight, betide what might betide.
Who pardned euery one of those, which came with free consent,
And did remit eche ones offence, before hee did repent.
Then Pluto posted out for rage, which did this while abide,
And kept the winge with Cruelty, which lay on the left side.
Who sent forth tryple Cerberus, that deuillish dogge of Hel,
To fetch away Proserpina, which then [...] Greece did dwell.
Then Appius swelled with rage, Virginia to deflowre,
Achilles spryte did rage from Hell, Polixina to deuowre.
Lucrecia was tooke in trip, Rage was her forrain foe,
Apollo cursed Cassandra faire, for Rage bid will him so.
Thus cruell Rage, with Curtesy, and with his freend Delight,
With fond Desire, and Pollicy, which weare God Cupids might.
Haue chased away Dianas force, that shee her selfe must flye,
Or yeeld to those, whose bloody harts, would cause her for to dye.
[Page] And to a pleasant vally hard by (her trayne beeing very small,)
Shee did conuay herselfe, by flight, as wofull of her fall.
Quoth Morpheus marke this well my freend, and note her trayne I pray
Which when I purposed for to doo, their backes were turnd away.
So was I much vnable left, their names for to rescite,
Which taried with Diana faire, when shée was put to flight.
And so my guide himselfe, could not their names vnto mee shew,
But this hee had mée publish forth, the Souldiers were not few.
Whom Cupid with his louely rout, perswade with might amayne,
But yet Diana fled so fast her foes returnd agayne.
And vnto Cupid his curious tent, they went for to returne.
With bibbing Baccus and his mate, a while for to soiorne.
But as they gan for to returne, to their appointed [...],
Beholde they saw a virgin pure, which gallantly did come,
(Although to late) to ayd her deare, which then had lost the day,
But Theseus stepped from the rout, and stepped in her way.
Oh then (quoth I) vnto my guide, whom keepes hée in the tent,
Tis Hellena, which too to late, vnto Dame Dian went.
(Quoth Morpheus then) whose chastity, was won by Theseus might,
Who when ten yéeres had run their race, was tooke in Dians fight.
Thus while my God did end his talke, Cupid at pallace is,
With all his souldiers banketting, with heauenly ioy and blisse.
The feast indured, very long, the triumphe was not small,
These ioy their goodly victory, the other rue their fall.
At last a trumpet gan to sound, and Preco sayd his will,
That Venus did commaund them all, no captiue for to kill.
But that with ioy, eche one should wend, and with his prisoner play,
Till Beauty should commaund them all, to walke an other way.
Then euery God departed forth, vnto his heauenly seate,
And led with him such prisoners, as hée did thinke it méete.
Then Mars with Iron armes did kisse, his darling and his déere,
And that without suspicion, for Vulcan was not there.
And after sayd adew my déere, then shée from couch discended,
And tooke God Morpheus by the hand, sith fate haue mée bef [...]nded.
My Lord (quoth shee) reioyce with mee, & thanke the heauenly might,
And you shall wend no further now, but rest with me this night.
With whom my God departed thence, beckning his hand at mee,
As who should say, goe pack away, I cannot come to thee.
[Page] Wherwith my Angell left mée cleane, and Sopor did the same,
And I to former sence and wit, at Natures pleasure came.
The Argument.
In Beauties Pallace met, as Cupid had ordaynd,
The Captayne with his crowne, and captiue led away:
All strife, debates, and iarres, which erst before remaind
VVhen Beauty sat as Iudge, were ended in that day.
And Hymeneus hee, exhorte them all to wed,
But those which can liue chaste, he do exempt therfro,
So Cupid is content, to rest him in his bed:
And Dian chose her path, in wandring woods to go.
Let Dian take her deare, and Cupid his delight,
For Beauty sate in throne, to pleasure euery wight.
Iustice and Iudgement, pleaded at Beauties Barre.
YEt once agayne, before the yéere was spent,
I did returne vnto my wonted wise:
When as the Sun, to the woods a shade had bent,
Whose smell, and hew, my fancy did suffice:
Wheras I couched, and couered both my eyes,
And drowsie sléepe, did soone arest my hart,
And wished rest, did binde eche weary part.
And loc as erst, my fethered Angell came,
And bad mee come, and wait in wonted sorte:
Doubt not (quoth hee) to vndertake the same,
For as I haue, so will I bee thy forte,
And eke thy guide, to bringe thee to that porte:
Wheras (be bolde) no danger shall in sewe,
Giue credit now as thou hast found mee true.
Wherwith I rise, and gladly passed forth,
Not knowing whence, nor whither I should goe:
But followed him, whose counsell was much worth,
To ease my paine, and rid mee of all woe:
No loue of freend, nor dread of frowning foe,
Abasht my minde, or strooke my hart in feare,
For drowsie sleepe had cleene expeld all care.
My God went fast, whose steps were neuer slow,
And guided mée vnto a fertill Fen:
Where many shrubs, of sundry sortes did grow,
A place no doubt, vnknowne to mortall men:
Which when I saw, I was amas [...]d then,
And gladly would, haue knowne the place his name,
But that I durst, not aske my guide the same.
Within the Fen, there stood a Castle faire,
Most strongly built, most cumly to beholde;
The top wherof, assended to the aire,
And euery part, was gilted with pure golde:
My guide vnasked, the circumstances tolde,
Beauty (quoth hée) within this place doth dwell,
Who veweth this Fen, and rules it passing well.
Wherby I saw, that which I did not know,
And did perceiue the end of his intent:
At last hee dayned, his purpose for to show,
What was the cause, and why that way hée went:
Wherfore to him I yeelded my consent,
And forth wee past, as hee did thinke it good,
Into the place, wheras this Castle stoode.
No sooner did wée enter in the same,
But loe a trumpe, did sound within my eare:
And euery one, gaue eare to sounding fame,
And noted well, what newes hee did declare:
Yea all those knights, which in the Castle were,
[Page] Attended well what newes there should befall,
From her which was the Iudge, and Quéene of all.
The Preco sayd that all which were assembled,
With free consent, their Captiues should rescyne:
(Wherat no doubt, the feruent louers trembled)
Till Phebus beames, began in morne to shine:
Till Lucifer from his loue should decline,
To him which had, Dame Beauties birds in store,
And kept them cleane, full many yeeres of yore.
To him therfore, the prisoners were committed,
Who kept them well, as Beauty did request:
And euery knight, a pleasant place hath f [...]t0ted,
Where hee alone, that silent night might rest▪
To sport him selfe, as hee should thinke it best,
But blame them not, though some were wery then,
Which came that day vnto that ioyfull Fen.
But when Dame Nox hath couered euery thing,
And Cinthia, by Phebus is sent out:
Which to the world, most ioyfull light doth bring,
And aydeth those, whom Phebus left in doubt:
Euen so I gesse that most of all this rout,
Haue yeelded vp, when Sopor seeme [...]o [...]ll,
I neede not gesse, when Morpheus shewd mee all.
And those likewise, which in the Closet kept,
(Excepting some) did lay them downe to rest:
Who sighed sore, while that the other slept,
And wayled the losse, of them whom they loued best:
Of whom that night, there passed many a iest,
Which if I should rescite them as they came,
It were enough sor to discorse the same.
Next to the gate, faire Iuliet did lye,
And in [...]he Court young Romeus did stay:
F [...]ire [...] gaue leue, to peke and pry,
[...] sfyd, when wilt thou come away.
[Page] Windowes (quoth hee) I would assend faire May,
I looke to see, the place where erst I came,
But Tibalt hee, hath closed vp the same.
Then mighty Ioue came slidinge downe from Heauen,
And thought to fall, within young Danaes lap:
But yet behold, the tyles were not layd euen,
And hee his head, against the stenes did rap:
And on the ground, hee did complaine his hap.
Alas (quoth hee) this fall hath made my paine,
Then looke (quoth I) before you slide agayne.
Then Orpheus gat leaue to come from Hell,
To chéere vp her, which was his whole delight:
Which in the Luke, with Tartur kinge did dwel,
Whose Harpe did sound, almost the silent night:
Pluto saw that, hee thought hee did not right,
But with his might, hee troubled Orpheus minde,
Who fled for feare, and left his Harpe behinde.
Then Priamus out of the gardaynes came,
Into the place wheras young Lotis lay:
Who while shee slept, did thinke it was no shame,
In silent night, with her to sporte and play:
His Asse brayd out, for feare hee ran away.
And durst not bide, her curtesie to try,
Wherat the Nimphes did laugh exceedingly.
Then Tethis sonne, began his forme to change,
In sundry sorte, as well hee could deuise:
A cunning art, a worke which seemed most strange,
Whose firy flames, out of his mouth did rise:
The Iayler fered, and stopped both his eyes,
Then Pr [...]teus hee, vnto Pomona went,
Which turnd him selfe, euen for thesame intent.
Neptune saw that, and causde Triton to sound,
And Eolus for him did rayse the weather:
[Page] Hée sought so longe at last his loue hée found,
And Alcion said, my Lord your are welcome hyther:
I will not say, how that they went togeather,
But yet beholde, the kéeper spied their play:
The God for feare, did bréechlesse run his way.
Thus merily wée passed all the night,
For Morpheus was, contented in the same:
But yet mee thought, there was one passing sight,
Wherat my guide, did finde good sport and game:
Which to let passe, I thinke I were to blame,
I feare no foes, the truth I doo not feare:
For this I saw, which now I shall declare.
When Clodius, vnto Pompeia wente,
And Vestall omnes, had tooke him in the [...]rip:
They all at once trust him in continent,
And in their vse, began this youth to whip:
And what though hee alowe did hang the lip,
They sent him forth, and this charge did him giue,
To come no more, so long as hee should liue.
And thus the night, hath run her timely race,
And Lucifer, hath left Auroras bed:
Don Phebus now, begin to take his place,
And with this Dame, doth rest his heauenly hed:
His burning beames, do stand vs all in shed,
And Cinthia sayth: adue, my brother come:
Vnto whose rule, I must yeeld vp this rome.
The morning came, the Preco sound againe,
And chargeth all, in place for to appere:
Where Beauty doth in Iudgement seal remaine,
Their direfull doome, or ioyfull newes [...]o here:
They were content, and Morpheus did draw nere,
But Pryapus, when all were in the pla [...]e,
Sadled his Asse, and rid away a pace.
For why hée sayd, such fate did him betide,
And such erployts, that night by him were done:
For feare this God, alas could not abide,
That neede hee must, Dame Beauties iudgement shun:
For well hée knew, before it was begun,
That hee by her, should iustly bée condemned,
And for his feare of all the Gods contemned.
When Preco had tolde forth his sounding tales,
And all the knights, which came from Cupids war:
Addrest them selues, out of these gréeuous gales,
To pleade their case, before Dame Beauties Bar:
Pretending there, either to make or mar,
Then Beauty sate, iust Iudgement for to giue:
To trust, to saue, to die and eke to liue.
There all the Gods, assembled were in place,
And dainty Venus, sate by Beauties side:
To heare eche plead, and way of euery case,
And eke to know, what ende there should betide,
To euery one, that captiue did abide,
The kéeper stands, and cryes Lordings giue rome:
Stand from the Bar, and let the prisoners come.
Thus euery thing was brought to perfite stay,
The prisoners all doo tremble where they stand:
The trusty kéeper, hée make no delay,
But dooth resigne them to Dame Beauties hand:
To haue eche case, with wisdome duly skande,
When all was whist, and statutes red at large:
The Cryer gan his dutie to discharge.
Then Lemnon knight, and of the Ciclops chéefe,
Iudgement did craue, and Beauty graunt the same:
I will quoth hee, you graunt mee some reléefe,
For mighty Mars, hath put my wife to shame:
Wherat the Gods did finde exceeding game,
[Page] And when they saw what thing hee went about,
Be whole consent, they hoyst the blacksmith out.
Amphy [...]rion did craue a full deuorce,
For Ioue hee sayd, with him had bin vnkinne:
Then Ioue stood vp, and asked some remorce,
And sayd hee would, content his troubled minde,
Yea Beauty then, did craue some grace to finde:
Hee was content, and mighty Ioue therfore,
Did vow himselfe, neuer to serue so more.
So great complaints, against this God were brought▪
That at the last from bench hee slipt away:
Iuno was wroth, and due reueng [...]nt sought,
Of those which had deceiued her of her pray:
Shee rage and fret, shee curseth day by day,
But Beauty sought, to recompence the wronge,
Whom hee had made, to singe the Cookoes songe.
I let passe all, till Menelaus came,
And did complaine, because hee lost his peece:
The Troian knight, hee only sought to blame,
Which had conuayed, this Diamond from Greece:
More losse then hee, which lost the golden fleece,
The greefe wherof, did hazard much his helth,
For that the knight, had tooke this Dame by stelth.
Oenone then did heare this great complaint,
And fiatling [...]ell, vpon her tender knee:
Lo worthy kinge beholde thy wished Sainte,
Hath stole away, my loyall knight from mee:
With trickling teares, these voyces vttered shee,
And wisht the Iudge, her sentence to declare,
To asswage her paine, and rid her of her care.
Then Beauty sayd, sith Paris hath delt so,
And left this dame, which cherished him before:
[Page] (When as his sire, did séeke to worke his woe,)
Who vnto him two children hath ybore:
Oenone liues, thy losse for to deplore,
Cherish thy babes, which for their fathers cry,
Defame hath vowed, his fact shall neuer dye.
And as for her which hath this acte committed,
The blood of them, whose bones at Troy do stay:
Reuengment craues, the Gods haue it permitted,
Wherfore (quoth shée) let her be led away:
But whither it was, I cannot truly say,
Yet Morpheus sayd, that Robinson should tell,
As well her paine, as where this Lady dwell.
Then Menalaus was sory for his make,
Whose tricklinge teares, the Troians did inuie:
Who in the feeld, had perished for her sake,
So did the Greekes, which buried there doo lye:
And with consent, they ceased not to cry,
Wo worth the time, that Hellen came to Troy,
Wo worth that knight, which stole y• wretch away.
Then Troylus true, stept vp among the rout,
And offered vp the bill of his complaint:
How that by chaunce, hee found his Creslid out,
Whose shrine he serued, whō he had made his saint:
For as hee sayd, Beauty had drawen constraint,
Wherfore hee craude, true sentence for his doome:
That Cressid might possesse deserued roome,
But Diomed when as hee hard the truth,
Hee gate (Perforce) to parle in his cause:
Who moued the bench, with Pitty, Mone, and Ruth.
And sayd that shee, had neuer broke the lawes:
But yeelded there, where néede so strongly drawes,
Doo what shee could, Perforce compeld her so:
When shee was driuen, from Troy to Greece to go.
Knight Troylus then, remoued the sute agayne,
Vnto a place, wheras the ground was sure:
And by aduise, hee ceased not to complaine,
With hot assault, hee sewed her a periure:
But Diomed scant able to indure,
Let fall the sute vnto Dame Beauties pleasure,
To end in haste, or to defer to leysure.
Then Calcas hee, which was her louing Sire,
Did offer Mynes, and glistering gobs of golde:
To spare his childe, the Iudge hee did require,
But yet alas, Beauty would not beholde:
Nor yet giue eare, vnto the tale hee tolde,
But iudged her which was the Prophets daughter
A Leper vile, and so shée liued after.
And as for him, which was the Troian knight,
With louely lookes, shee often gaue good cheere:
Though for her sake, hee ended in the fight,
Yet truth shall try, it plainly shall appéere:
That his desertes, so long as man liue here,
Shall pearce the clowdes, for euery man shall shew
That hee was iust, and to his Lady true.
Achilles then came trembling forth of Hell,
And brought with him Polixina the bright,
Whom hee did craue, because hee loued so well,
And should haue had if Paris had doone right:
But Beauty shee, desired the Grecian knight,
To stay his hand, and hold his liuely breath:
Contenting him, by faire Polixines death.
Orestes came into his former rage,
Which Pirrus felt, before Dame Beauties har:
The Iudge did rise, his fury to asswage,
And did demaund the cause of all that iar:
Nestor auoucht, before hee went to war,
Wherfore my thought the Iury set him quite.
Leander cryed and craued to haue the law,
And Hero shee, began with sobs to waile:
Of Neptunes force, they both did stand in awe,
They labored much, but yet could not preuaile:
They daily sought, but yet therin did faile,
Neptune (quoth hee) doth loue my Dame so deare,
That through his force, I am driuen backe by feare
Then Neptunes loue, began therat to frowne,
And for his sake, Dame Hero did inuy:
And did not cease, to seeke to put her downe,
In Neptunes lap, shée often times did cry:
Whose silly teares, her louers loue did try,
And hee content, to please this gallant Dame:
At her request, reu [...]nged him of thesame.
And on the Seas, hée taught this silly knight,
And sonke his boate, within the flowing floods:
Where hee was drowned, and quesned by dispight
This did the God to doo his lady good:
But shee alas, being fed with furious moode,
Cast vp his corpes, which Hero did espye,
And fell from Towre, and with her loue did dye.
Amulius brought in his brothers childe,
Whom hee had lockt within the vestall caue:
Accusing Mars, which had that Dame beguilde,
And caused her lose, the life that shee would saue:
But Mars in wrath, this spéedy sentence gaue,
That Illias Impes, should worke Amulius shame:
Who after that had tasted of the same.
Then Minos wife came raging all in ire,
And Beauty asked, her purpose and intent:
[Page] That speckled Bull (quoth shée) I doo desire,
The Gods gan laugh, and yéelded her consent:
Forthwith from thence, to Dedalus shée went,
But Beauty should, and did this fact detest,
And sent forth Ire, to gnaw king Minos brest.
Then Theseus fréend, shee stood on Naxus Ile,
And cryed alowd vnto the powres aboue:
Whom Baccus caught, and brought from long exile,
And in the ende, did choose her for his loue:
Whose rufull mone, Dame Beauties hart did mooue,
But all the Gods sent Theseus into Hell:
Whose paynes were more, then any toung can tell.
Then Alpheus did Arethusa chase,
And left his course, euen as hée thought it best:
Diana shée, did stay her of her race,
And yet deceiued this long desiring guest:
And sith in her, shée saw a faythfull brest,
By Beauties will, shée changed her forme away:
Into a spring, which in her name did stay.
Then Cepheus childe, fearing the monsters might,
Cride to the Gods, vpon her mothers pride:
But Perseus hart, relented at the sight,
And truly vowde, no longer to abide,
Till for her sake, the monster hée had tryde:
And on conflicte, hee ended breathinge life,
And Beauty gaue, this damsell for his wife.
Apollo hée, which gaue Cassandra wit,
To tell all things, which after should insew:
Before the bar, wheras the Iudge did sit,
His whole complaint in open pleaded shew:
Hee sayd that shée, had neuer prooued true,
Wherat the Iudge, did ware exceeding wanne:
And longe amazde, at last shée thus beganne.
Sith you (quoth shée) which gaue to her this gifte,
Can not obtayne, the troth which shee did plight:
Tis good for you to vse some other shifte,
Her false attempt, some other way to quite:
Wherfore the God, thus said in open sight,
The wordes shee spake, no Troian shall beléeue,
But eche mans minde, they shall molest and gréene.
A thousand more, to long for to repeate,
Came thronging in, the Iudgement for to heare:
Such preace was made, before Dame Beauties seat,
Of those which came, their matters to declare:
That if I should name all that did appeare
It were to much, the labour were to long,
My pen would faint, and say it had great wrong.
Sardanapalus, somtime Thassirian kinge,
With strange attire hée entered into place:
Vpon his head a helmet hee did bring,
And in his hand, hée held a glistering glasse:
In Queenes attire, this foole bedecked was,
A rout of Hoares, and Concubines hée led,
Which while hee liude his greedy humors fed.
But Beauty blusht, and bid him packe away,
And Venus smilde as one which likte it well:
Arbactus came of him to make a pray,
Whose wicked vse in presence hée did tell:
Whose life in pompe, and pleasure did excell,
Then Beauty sayd procure his timely death:
Arbactus went, and stopt his fatall breath.
What should I say eche one which did complayne,
Hath out of hand, a iudgement and redresse:
The Crier hee is gathering of his gaine,
Eche [...]icer is busied with no lesse:
The inhabiters, prouide for gallant guesse.
[Page] And eueryone, prepareth passing chéere,
But euery thing is solde exceeding deere.
Since Saturns dayes, and golden yéeres ypast,
Since Ioue his birth, and all his brethren [...]eere:
If ought were done, whose fame till now doth last,
You may suppose that it was truly there:
Yea euery thing in order did appere,
And euery iar, that present time was ended,
And eche offence, by iudgement was amended.
And since that time, I truly must confesse,
All strife is doone, Dian loues no debate:
Shée liues no more in woods and wildernesse,
But euery one hath choose a cherefull mate:
And some so much this life of hers do hate,
That for the feare of Cupids cursed checke,
They yeeld to bow, and come at euery becke.
Then maruell not, though Cupid rule alone,
And though eche wight is ready to obay:
For surely now Dianas host is gone,
Her troupe is small, which in the woods doo stay:
When Cupid comes, eche one doth run his way,
Yet some there bee, I can it not deny,
Which liue with her, with whom they meane to dye.
There Pitty stood, and pleaded many a [...]ase,
The blinded boy, had wisht him so to doo.
And often times, the Iudge to him gaue place,
As well for freend, as eke for forrain foe:
For sure shee thought, most meete for to doo so,
That freend and foe, might ioyne them both in one,
And as they ought, worship Cupid alone.
Thus euery thing, béeing brought to purfit end,
And euery one contented with the same:
[Page] Then mighty Ioue, from lofty clowdes did send,
His trusty knight, which vnto Beauty came:
Who merily began the Court to blame,
For that it stayd, and did defer so long:
While Vulcan thought, the kitchin had some wrong.
For when as Ioue from of the bench did part,
Whose eares did glow, to heare so many cry:
The sore complaints, did mone his tender hart,
With spéedy pace hee mounted to the skye:
And caused his cookes with Vulcan for to try,
Till all delights for Beauties trayne did stay:
For whom hee sent and wisht to come away.
Then Beauty risde, and thus she gan to say,
My noble Lords, and Ladyes of estate:
Much are you bound, for this your happy day,
Your harty thankes to yeeld vnto your fate:
For that this Court, hath banished debate.
Then marke what hee, which is ordainde to speake,
Shall brefely say, and then the Court shall breake.
From of the bench, a cumly Lord did rise,
Which vnto all dit pleasantly appéere:
And vnto Heauen, hee fixed his stedfast eyes,
Whose couler came, which did increase his chéere:
Whose voyce was such that euery man might here.
And at the last (making no long delay)
With filed speech thus hee began to say.
Himenae his Oration.
REnowmed Lordes giue eare, and marke what I shall say,
Which now haue séene the whole exploires of all this lucky day.
I Hymenaeus hight whose force you do obay,
In whom (twise happy may you bee) if you do rightly stay.
Now therfore sith ech case, hath bin discoursed at large,
And sith the Iudge, by Iustice rule her duty did discharge.
Leaue of those wanton toyes of loue, beeing vsed amisse,
And loue the lawes of wedlocks bond, which much more séemely is.
And you which long haue erred, and wandered to and fro,
Reuoke your selues, and stay your race, and cease for to doo so.
For holy bée the lawes, which wedlocke doo maintaine,
And duty must perforce be giuen, to those which there remaine.
To range abrode in woods, as many vsde before,
Beséeme the brutish beast to doo, then vse that vse no more.
Let Iuno serue for Ioue, sufficing for his wife,
And let not Neptune with his mate, dispise to lede his life.
If Hypolite the chas't, can leade his life so still,
Why should not P [...]edra suffer him, to doo after his will?
What ill affectes bée these, cut of those Impes I pray.
Which may both bring the [...]oote and stocke, with branches to decay.
And thus I end in bréefe, as e [...]st I haue begonne,
Desiring you to set your [...]lues, in wedlockes lawes to ronne.
¶This sayd hee ceast, and setled downe agayne,
And Beauty rose, and vttered all her minde:
Requesting them that they would take the payne,
To wend with her, as Ioue had then assi [...]de:
They did consent as duty did them binde,
But ere they went, beholde what did betide:
To mee poore soule, which did that sight abide.
For as I looked, on euery thing that fell,
I did neglect, wheras my guide did goe:
And glauncing lookes, within that place did dwell,
With speedy pace, came running mee vnto,
[Page] Who drew mee forth, euen as a furious foe:
Who straightly said, thy iudgement [...]s;halbe geuen,
Bee sure to dye, God bring thy soule to Heauen.
Hée drew mee forth, and vrged mee to goe,
Yea Mauger all my force and all my might:
Alas sayd I, what meane you to doo so,
Take some remorse, and cease to worke your spight:
Doo well (quoth hee) if that thy case bee right,
Wherfore I wept, but yet alas in vaine,
And on my guide, I ceast not to complayne.
I sweat for feare, I tremble for to tell,
My haire stood vp, my sences were agast:
My reddy blood, this terror did expell,
Before that time, which in my cheekes was plaste:
And yet my foe did draw mee forth in haste,
Who told the Iudge, where hee had found mee out,
When all the throng began topreace about.
And when they saw, what nouelty had hapt,
Then euery one, began to shout and cry:
And on my head, their tender handes they clapt,
And sayd good Sir, you are welcome hartely:
Wherwith I thankte them for their curtesie,
Whē teares and swet, ran down my face by stremes
They awakte mee out of this dreadfull dremes.
So since that time I neither saw my foe,
Nor yet my guide, which then was slipt away:
Nay can I tell, if they to skyes did goe,
As Beauty had pretended all that day:
Of this nor that, no more I haue to say,
But when I wakte, I went from silent shade:
For darkesome night, the earth did then inuade.
And here beholde, I breefely will conclude,
For why? my pen is weary of her toyle:
[Page] But yet I pray, beare with these termes so rude.
And for my payne, yeeld not my worke [...]he foyle:
Now gentle Muse, vnto thy Caue recoyle,
I yeeld thee thankes, for this thy gentle hart:
Thy Maister hee, hath playd his wished parte.
And though not so, as hee hath wisht to doo,
Yet for his skill, hee hath displayde his due:
Hee craues remorce, if that it chaunceth so,
That any crime, therof there should insue:
Or if his pen, hath writ more then is true,
Iudge you which haue, run in this tedious way,
The Author doth expect what you will say.
The lyfe and death of Maister, T. Cicero, who was slayne, beeinge 63. yeares of age.
NO legend lye, no fable fond, no tatling tale I tell,
No treasure of Thalias Schoole, my shop hath for to sell:
Come Chapmen come, come vew and sée, and bargain for the best,
And see the hap of him, whose hand, held Rome in perfit rest.
Whose yll reward for paines beeing past, when as you doo perceiue,
Although they moue not watery streames, to wéepe yet giue me leue
For when I writ with painfull pen, that which I had begun,
The teares distild from watery eyne, whence flowing floods did run.
And sorrowed down my moistned chéekes, repleat wt greuous mone,
And seas [...]ed sighes with salted Seas, I vttered many a one.
And thus my Muse amazde my minde, and kept my hart in feare,
Since first I tooke my quiuering quill, his actes for to declare.
In Italy an auncient Towne, that once Arpinum hight,
Which erst the Volscian kinges inioyed, by title truth and right.
Yet after subiect vnto Rome, as custome did constraine,
Somtime there was, and yet perhaps, to this day do remaine.
Herin did Olbia hide her selfe, a Matron pure and milde,
And to her Tullius ioyfull spouse, brought forth a louely childe.
A blessed babe whose noble stocke, neuer brought vnto decay,
(Of auncient Volscian kinges hee came, as writers did bewray.)
Did claime and challenge rightfully, that which long time was lost,
And hope did make the hartes reioyce, within Arpinum coste.
In youth (as well beseemeth youth) in schoole hee spent his daies,
Who wan renowme vnto the same, and to it purchast praise.
And happy might that Maister bee, which such a scholler taught,
Who to the seede that hee did sow, such great increase hath brought.
And one thing doth reuiue my hart, and fill my minde with ioyes,
In gallant youth with Poets arte, hee publisht many toyes.
Wherby I iudge that Poets skill, in youth is not condemned,
Nor practise of such painfull workes, in it should bee contemned.
For what can more reuiue the hart, or sharpen dulled wit,
Or els to recreate the minde, few studies bee so fit.
[Page] As Poetry wherin I finde, that Plato did delight,
While youth did last as erst did hée, of whom my Muse doth wright.
When ryper yeeres gan run their race, and tender times wer spent,
With humain artes beeing furnished, and not therwith content.
To ciuill law hee lent a time, where hee long time did stay,
And while hee liued through Roman rout, did beare the price away
And ioyned true Philosophy vnto the law an aide,
A helpe to those vndoubtedly, which in that trade are staide.
Wherof how much hee pend with skill, your witnesse I implore,
(If all his workes had come to light) which haue his workes in store
At last when courage gan to pricke, and strength his minde did moue
And martiall feates did put him forth, the force of Mars to proue.
With shining sword, and battering blowes, his golden spurs did win
By dint of blade in Scillas séege, by chance hée entered in.
Whose péerelesse prowesse of youthfull yéeres, delighted Scilla so,
That hee by graunt permitted him, in peace to Rome to goe.
And line among his faithfull fréends, to couch himselfe in rest,
Eche thing was free for him to vse, euen what hée fancied best▪
Where while hée vsed his former vse, which erst did seeme him good,
And for his freend in open plea, his frettin [...] foes withstood.
Lo Sextus Boscius is accused, by Scilla and his traine,
And Tully must come tell his tale, to set him frée againe.
Wherwith the Tyrant gan to swell, but him for to preuent,
Hee doth abstaine from royall Rome, and vnto Athens went.
And practised the Roman [...]ing, annexed with the Greeke,
That Athens neuer since that time, in her containd the like.
For at that time though Rome did rule, yet Athens did excell,
In knowledge of the Sciences, where all the Artes did dwell.
Till Tully tryed and found the truth, which hée in time reuealed.
And found out arte, in natiue speeche, which long had bin concealed.
Which Apollonius tolde before that then the crowne did beare,
And purchast praise in Orators, which then in Athens were.
Alas (saith hee) I rue your case (you Grecians) and decay,
Fo [...] that which once was left to you, Tully shall take away.
Now Scilla draweth to his ende, and death hath paid his due,
And Tully did returne to Rome, which crst hée did eschue.
From thence to Cicilye hee went, beeing Questor of the same,
And did the duty meete for him, which in that office came.
[Page] So well hée ruled, that fréend and foe, his is wisdome did content,
His perfit time, beeing brought to end, againe to Rome hee went.
In tracte of time the consulship, was giuen vnto his lot,
Which hee discharged worthely, true iustice not forgot.
His counsaile and his grauity, his duty did discharge,
His wisdome and authority, did shew exceeding large.
Hee caused Ca [...]elyne to trudge, whose flight his ma [...] did wound,
And by his pollicy, hee kept the Cittie safe and found.
And they which threatned fire and sword, with slaughter to their soils
Doo groueling grone vpon the ground, wheras they haue the soile.
And hee triumphing of his hap, as did beseeme his might,
Is called Pater Patriae, by Iustice law and right.
The first also which wan that name, beeing neuer heard before,
The good estate to natiue soyle, hee sought for to restore.
His wife was named Terentia, in whom hee was beguilde,
Of whom hee had young Cicero, and Tullia the milde.
A freend hee was to verity, no fayned wordes to vtter,
Ne would hee speake dissemblingly, nor glose in any matter.
As well appeard in Clodius fact, for then in Rome there were
The sacred Dames which vowed thēselues, the vestall weeds to bere
A law there was and well obserued, that none but women should,
Doo rites and homage in that place, for so Dame Vesta would.
Within that place Pompeia kept, which was then Caesar his wife,
Whom Clodius with vnlawfull lust, did loue with all his life.
And when no way hee could attaine, his pleasure to possesse,
To offer wrong to Caesars bed, his hart was in distresse.
But yet hee did attempt this feate, bede [...]t in maydes aray,
And with the vestalles offered rites, and duties all that day:
In hope Pompeia to imbrace and vanquish in the night,
But after when this famous fact was publisht in the light:
The Vestals thinke they had great wrong and strait an action draw,
Accuūng Clodius they doo craue, the rigor of the law.
Then Clodius to award this blow, and to driue back this dome,
Protest that [...]ee that present day, was not in roiall Rome.
And for his witnesse brings out him, of whom my Muse doth wright,
But Tully sticking to the truth, layeth out the cause aright.
That Clodius that present day (which Clodius did denye)
Met him in Rome, which many more, affirmed stedfastly.
[Page] Thus Clodius all inwrapt in care, of golde did make a fréend,
Who set him free from Iudgment bar, and did the Iudges blinde.
Whose flattering face and priuy bribes, did soone corrupt the law,
And fauour of all noble men, from Tully did withdraw.
Who persecuted Tully so, as well with w [...]rdes as might,
That hee perforce constrayneth him to fly from Rome by night.
And as an exixe sixteene monethes, in exile did remayne,
Till hée by Pompyes good successe, was called home againe.
Whom Clodius ceast not to assaile, and sharply to inuade.
Till Milo stopt his liuely breath, by force of glittering blade.
When Clodius had his true desert, and Tullies foes where gone,
Then fortune fauoured his successe, which erst had cause to moue.
And Crassus is become his fréend, which erst did him inuye,
And Caesar did maintaine his case, which long did looke awry.
And who so good a freend to him as Pompye through whose plea,
His goods which Clodius did consume, to him restored bee.
And when as death with dauncing Dart, did end by Crassus race,
Cecylia ceast was giuen to him, the Parthians for to chase.
Who ruled the prouince in such sort, that Parthia cease to fight,
And Tully was ordained at Rome, to triumph by his right.
But discorde mooued betwéene the péeres, hée did refuse the same,
And gladly did prefer the weale, before his praise of fame.
But wo is mee with battering blowes, the state of Rome decay,
And Caesar sekes by dints of sworde, to take thesame away.
What shall I say, no feare of foes, appaled Tullies hart,
No fréendship hath withdrawne his minde, to leue the rightest part.
But Pompye slaine, and Cato dead, and Tully quited free,
Hee left the sworde which erst was wont, his whole delight to bee.
And Soly sought his Cuntries wealth, and Homer to maintaine,
And that which long was hid before, by skill hée made most plaine.
So that throughout the Roman coast, wh [...] spake of Tully then,
Might iustly say that hée was borne, to profit other men.
For as hee did deserue great fame, by profit to the weale,
Euen so the lawes of Eloquence, hee iustly did re [...]eale.
And hath a title of renowne, drawne out of learnings lore,
Which many Greekes in Grecian soyle, could not attaine before.
But yet alas I rew to tel [...], I tremble all to late,
That cursed slippery Fortunes wheele, inuieth all mens estate.
[Page] Who erst had raisde him to the Mount, of pleasure and delight,
Who had renowmed his famous fact, where Titan giueth light.
Who had exalted all his deedes, with honor and renowne,
Doth now begin with boysterous stormes, to beat him cleane adow [...]
Terentia prooueth most vntrue, whose faith should not haue swerued,
With whom hee made a cleane diuorce, as well her déedes deserued,
Then poore estate began to pricke, and panges of pinching death,
By yll successe of Fortunes spite, did stop his daughters breath.
Antonius then began to rage, the greatest greefe and smart,
Who seekes the state of Roman seate, by all meanes to subuert.
Octauius is appald with feare, the Egiptians flockt by rout,
And all the Senate quake fordread, and make their praiers deuout.
The Tyrants trayne and grisly ghost, could not olde Tully quell,
Nor cause his tongue to stay from talke, Antonius facte to tell.
But might (alas) expelleth truth, as plainly did appeare,
When force laide waite to trip the iust, then Tully fled for feare:
To him whom erst hes had preserued, whose ayde hee did implore,
His helpe hee sought, whom hee had helpt, and fostered long before,
Who through his ayde then ruled as Prince, and Caesar ouer all,
But harke alas, I rue to tell, what hap did him befall.
Octauius thyrsty of the Crowne, inflamed with heate of wealth,
Neglecting Tullyes small request, hee did not way his health.
And for a true (oh cursed wretch,) hée yeelded to his foe,
The wished pray of Tullyes life, which hee desired so.
The Sparrow hatcht the Coockoes birde, which soone did sée his ende,
Hee fled alas vnto his foe, whom hée esteemde his freend.
Oh diuelish deede, oh lucklesse lot, oh day of dolefull dome,
Oh hellish hound, vnworthy wretch, to rule in royall Rome.
Hath cursed care bewitcht thy braine? hath pride or péeuish pelfe,
Made thée betray him whom thou oughtst, regard more then thy selfe
Alas alas, run Tully run, the bargain now is made,
Thy blood must make great fréends of foes, oh trickes of tigers trade.
Antonius seekes to lay thee flat, tis time to packe away,
When sounding fame this true report, to Tully did bewray.
To Seas hee hent, whose washinge waues did cause him to returne,
For why, I thinke the fatall Dames, his dedly wound had sworne.
Whom Antony did neuer cease, with hasty speede to chase.
Till hee by Fortunes crooked blast, had won him in his race.
To stop his breath whose stony hart, accorded to the same.
From whom hee tooke both hands and head, and le [...]t the carcasse still
And brought to Antony his Lorde, his greedy [...]orge to fill.
Who caused them on Senate top, for to possesse a place,
Where Tully [...]ft had tried his wit in many a worthy case.
Whose [...] eche one [...], which pas [...]ed to and fro,
And sent forth many sobb [...] and teares, for greefe of Tullyes woe.
That now not only Romans wayle, but all the world lament,
And cease not for the losse of him, to curse his foes intent.
Vt voce sic vultu ac vita.
This Epitaph following of P. Ramus the Poore knight, hath often tolde mee, to bee a freendes of his in Cambridge, and not of his owne indightinge, which if it bee, I craue pardon of the Author, and I loue it to the consideration of the Reader.
An Epitaph vpon the death of the famous Phylosopher, P. Ramus, who was murdered in the persecution of Fraunce, 26. Augusti. Anno Domini. 1572. Etatis circiter. 57.
YE Ladyes faire of Hellicon, come helpe for to deplore,
The losse of him who while hee liude, your Alters did adore.
The baw, y• branch, which bare such frute, whose tast & plesant sauor,
Did moue the harts, of all the impes, which sought to win your fauor.
Who plighted paine to Hellicon, in Parna [...] was his pleasure,
Who drunke of Aganippas well, in Thespias was his treasure.
By sundry sortes hee sought to clyme, the Mount which merit fame,
No thorne this was, but fruitfull tree, his faults declare the same.
Oh would you could permit the pen, and quiuering quill to wright,
Wherwith olde Homer did discourse, the toyle of Troian fight.
To hew his tombe cunning hand, whō denting death hath slain
Fye Poets, fy: fy, fy, for shame: vniust you seeme to bee.
To pen the praise of bush and shrub, and to let pas this tree.
Who yeelded frute to euery one, of sweete & sugred sauor,
Now winters blast hath blown him bare, shal none requite his labor
If Virgils verse I could atchiue, his renowme to declare,
No Textor his toyle, should quaile my Muse, or put my mind in feare
Or for to yen olde Ramus proise, then blessed wight I were.
If I of him as hée could doo, while hee was liuing here.
A Iem, a ioy, a freend to France, yet France to him a foe,
A Lampe of light, to those which seeke, to Parnas Hill to goe.
What should I say, a péereles perle, and of a precious price.
A teacher to the silly soule, a Iudge amongst the wise.
A Spectacle to studients, to youth a perfit glasse,
A rescue to Religion, when discorde mooued was.
A light to good Logicions, a pen to Tullies praise,
A Pilot vnto passengers, which bée to saile those seas.
A Mirror to Philosophy, an ayd to them which bee,
Minded to feede vpon the frute, which grow vpon this tree
Thus while he liued in skilful schooles, and taught most perfit waies,
The roote, the stock, which bare this branch, did win immortal praise
And while he sought to clere the springs, being stopt with filthy mier
His pai [...]es did purchase publicke foes, as paiment for his hier.
And while hee sought the truth to tell, by proofe to try the same.
Alectos shaked her snaky snout, and from Cocitus came,
Whose grisly ghost did moue the mindes, of those whom furyfed,
How tumults stirred their libels lost, such frute Alectos bred.
Olde Ramus hee, whose tongue was truth, whose pen did puchase fame,
By straight edict must silent rest, his pen must doo the same.
His paper hath no liberty, his pen may not display,
That which his Muse in learned stile, is now forbid to say.
His auditors who willingly, his lectures did frequent,
By publike charge they must abstaine in feare of punishment.
Till mighty Ioue which raised vp, this bow, this branch, this tree,
Sent siluer [...]wes, and christall springes, his comfort for to bee.
By whom this branch did blow againe with bloomes that were most bright,
With [...]led pen and reasons rule, hee put his foes to flight.
[Page] The combat was proclaimed on hye: olde Rumus must begin,
In liftes his manhood for to try, his foes b [...]e entred in.
Not one nor twaine, but many foes, assembled were togeather,
To lanche the barke into y• waues, against the stormes & wealthe [...]
Olde Ramus hée whose worthy wit, whose force to few was knowne,
Ariueth in porte, but in the seas, his foes bee ouerthrowen.
And they which made this fire for to consume this florishing trée,
Through heate of kindled coales, them selues to ashes wasted bee.
The pit with Pretus wife did dig, Belerephon to intray,
As pleased the fates to winde their clew, returnd to her mishap.
Euen so Don Phoebus dained at last, his glittering beames to show,
Erpulsing Winters hoary head, with boysterous-windes that blow,
And Ramus gates which earst were lockt, [...]ee now vnbard againe,
Frée passage is permitted there, where bondage did remaine.
The learned route frequented him, the Muses did him fauor,
The graces sought by gracious meanes, [...]or to requite his labor.
The bowes did flourishing fruitfully, while sommer did remaine,
When season came hee yeelded fruit, and France did reape the gaine.
And eft olde Ramus sayd: come, come, come learne if that you will,
I haue the key that doth vnfolde, and openeth vnto skill.
Grammarians, come and learne I pray: come Re [...]ors come (quoth hée)
In Logickes art I will you teache, so shall you perfite bee.
Oh happy place, oh ioyfull man, which hast such ware in sight,
Twise happy France, if France had knowē, to vse thy fruites aright
Oh blessed man whose listning eare, might heare thy dubled voyce,
What cause had they which were thy freends, of thee for to reioyce.
Thus while the skyes were cleare, while calme did beare the sway,
Olde Ramus wan his fame and praise, which shall remaine for aye.
And pend his frute in volumes great, which all the learned know,
The g [...]ine they reape, which taste his frute, the paine hee did bestow
What cause haue they that studients bée, and taste his frutes aright?
For him and his to yeeld great praise, vnto the Lorde of might.
But as they haue cause to reioyce, so may they weepe and waile,
Though d [...]lefull d [...]pes, & trickling tea [...]es, his cause will not auaile.
Waile, w [...]ile, & w [...]pe they may: for why the tempest raised on hye,
When foes did frowne then winde did wrest, & frute did scattered lye
The tree was digged vp by the roote, the branch was lopped low,
And France disdayned at the frute, which on this tree did grow.
[Page] When hundreds which professed the Lord, with hart, with déed, with word
With these was Ramus put to death, & m [...]rdred with y• sword,
When noble péeres and Gentilmen: when men of martiall might,
By bloody hands and [...]inty harts, (alas I rue that wight:
Partaker of such misery) by those of Tigers traine,
Whom pittie neuer seemde to mooue, for Christ his cause were slain.
Then Ramus hée, that Lampe of light, of learning in our daies,
Did ende his life, and purchast fame, which shall remaine alwaies.
Whose death although his foes did wish: which haue therto consented,
Yet all the world no doubt the losse, of him haue long lamented.
In Christ hee liued, in Christ hée died, with Christ hée doth inioy,
A place no doubt for which hée died, which nothing can anoy.
As then his life deserued fame, his death deserueth more,
Then cease the losse of such a life, yee Muses to deplore.
And graunt to him his guerdon due, which all his déedes doo merit,
I meane within your Courts of fame, his méede hée may inherit.
Vt voce sic vultu ac vita.
An Epitaph vpon the death of P. Starling, Somtime Schoolemaister of Bury Schoole.
CEase sighing now, and thinke no more of care,
Goe grisly ghost, goe tell thy heauy hap:
Come dolefull Dames, cast of these weedes you ware,
Reioyce with mee, which lye in ioyfull lap:
Where ioy it selfe, longe since did keepe and dwell.
Cease from your plaints, and harke what newes I tell.
The prety birde, which you haue fostered longe,
Which buylt her neast, within the Iuory tree:
Which did delight your eares with sugred song,
Though from her kinde, those notes dissending bee▪
Hath now of late, built vp her neast on hye,
And sunge her songe, within the lofty skye.
For while hée serued, with sheeld of learned lore,
And wan such thinges as furnished his nest:
Iudge you ye Dames, which knew this bird before,
Might not hee well compare him with the best:
In learnings lap, and vertues brants br [...]d hee,
Oh happy wight, what gifte could better bée.
And euery day, vpon Parnassus hill,
Hee tought his young, most sweetly to recorde [...]
His pleasant tune, eche vacant place did fill,
His ioyfull notes did please the liuing Lorde:
A constant hart, in him was truly tryed,
Thus Starling liued, thus Starling lately died.
And in the clowdes hée doth possesse his place,
When as the Dames, his fatall clew had spun:
Vntimely death did win him in his race,
And stopt the steps, which hee did thinke to run:
Yet sith in heauen, hée doth inioy his blisse,
Hée liueth in place, where perfit pleasure is.
Vt voce sic vultu ac vita.
An Epitaph on the death of M. Sharpe, of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge.
IF wailyng would preuaile, if we would vaunt at will,
Or if th [...] faries three, were linked all in one:
To helpe them for to mone, whose greefe haue banisht skill,
Then happy wee the case, of him which made this mone.
But sith the penūue hart, ma [...] linger where it lye,
And sith the dolefull doome [...] will not release the hue:
While that I [...]eade my life, I will not cease to cry,
And waile with them which say, my owne good Sharpe adue.
And waile with them which say, my owne good Sharpe adew,
Adew farewell, adew vnto thy clampe of clay:
Whom when thy breath forsooke, to that which should insew,
A proo [...]e o [...]eruing life most glorious for aye,
No panges which wicked feare, could breake thy hart in sunder,
But [...]edfast in thy trust, Christ Iesus was thy stocke:
To whom in all thy woe (which caused the wicked wonder,)
Thou only calest for ayde, to him which was thy rocke.
Thou only callest to him for ayde, which was thy rocke,
To whom thou yeeldest life, hoping for sweeter gaine:
Whole vse is not disceite, the faithfull for to mocke,
Rewarding iust with life, the wicked with their paine.
The foolish liue in sinne, the wicked asketh woe,
Their woe is burning f [...]er, whose flame shall euer last,
Then happy maist thou bee which passed thy time so:
Whom tempestes could not shake, nor billowes make agast,
Whom tempestes could not shake, nor billowes make agast,
Such was thy faithfull trust, such was thy trusty faith:
That what soeuer affliction his silly corpes did taste,
Lord Iesus, come, assist mee, yet often times hee sayth:
And yeelded vp the ghost, to him which framed all,
When as few [...] were run, such was his fatall lot:
And after [...]full study, this to him did befall,
Who for his life once lost, a double life hath got.
Who for his life once lost, a double life hath got,
The [...] hawty skyes, hsi spirit doth inioy:
The other here in fame, the which nothing can spot,
Which Momus can not breake, nor Zoylus destroy.
Then sith it hapneth so, and sith our Sharpe d [...]th [...]iue,
And sith hee doth enioy, a life which last for aye:
Great cause haue wee, great praise, to mighty Ioue to giue,
And to our Sharpe farewell, ten thousand times to say.
[Page] This Epitaph before of Maister Sharpe, hee made in such greefe of minde, that hee had small or no regard to the measure of the Verse. The poore Knight therfore desireth pardon.
Foure of the poore Knights complaints made as hee hath declared, in great greefe of harte, applyed to sundry theames. The fyrst complaynt.
[...] haue I wept alone, for sorrow and for care,
[...] hath long been plunged in paine, gréefe, and distresse:
[...] yee fatall Dames, and helpe for to declare,
[...] waile with mee which weepe, the fate of my successe,
[...] Fortunes crooked chance, hath broke my dolefull hart,
[...] it selfe hath sworne, to worke my greefe and smart:
[...] that heauy hap, which all men ought to weepe,
[...] soule is prisoner still, and care my hart doth keepe.
And yet any greefe finde no auayle,
I sulke in seas without a sayle:
I [...] about with euery winde,
My he li [...]e is an vnquiet minde.
A wofull fate.
No loue nor louers lawes, hath caught my hart in snare,
No want of worldly wealth, hath bred so great anoy:
No losse of Fortunes gifte, hath clad my hart with care,
No feare of dinting death, hath banisht perfite ioy:
No frowning force of foes, which doth my life inuade,
Nor want of worthy blood, this heauy hart hath made:
Tis none of these I vow, nor none of these shall bee,
Which haue increast my woe, and banisht ioyfull glee.
But that which hath renewde my mone,
It stickes far nearer to the bone.
Whose gripes of greefs, will make mee [...]ry,
With sorrowing sighes till that I dye. Alas the while.
[Page] So shall I quickly fade, and perish quite away,
Which now I gladly wish, and oft haue wisht before:
That this my brittle slesh might perish vnto clay,
And that within the ground, my bones might lys in store:
How happy should I bee, how ioyfull man were I,
Oh gentle death come strike, that I may fade and die:
For life is present death, and death would bring mee life,
And ende my wofull dayes, which I consume in strife.
Graunt this good liuing Lorde I pray,
That as I wish, euen so I may:
Ende this my life, and ende my care,
That in this place I may haue share.
Graunt this O Lord.
The seconde complaynt, which plainly bewray the matter of the first. Onus aetna grauius.
IF Ossa Mount, and Pelion hill, were cast vpon my backe to beare,
And I as strong as Atlas hy, which in his badge y• stares did weare
Or if my taske by payne of death, alotted were to cleane the sea,
Or if to passe by Stigian flood, to vew wheras the blessed bee.
I thinke of truth, and as I gesse,
So shall the truth it selfe come try:
Not halfe the paine I should sustaine,
Come gentle death and let mee dye.
For since I left my staggering state, and did the crable milde [...] [...]
And since to sucke my mothers brest, I did my minde therfro [...]
Yea since y• time by mothers deth, I spent my dayes in care & [...]
And since that time I thanke my God: of other frends I found rele [...]
As now I doo and longe haue done,
Yet this by proofe I plainly see:
I finde it so, no care and woe,
Like to a troubled minde can bee.
A troubled minde is cause of payne, a quiet spirit reuiueth ioyes,
A quiet minde increaseth myrth, a troubled minde thesame did royes
Then if y• Ioue would kil the cause, y• care no doubt should fade away,
And yet my care cannot depart, while y• the troubled minde doth stay.
And thus I dare in bréefe conclude,
No [...]arking care that euer I finde:
Vpon the mould, I dare bee bolde,
Is like vnto the troubled minde.
The thirde complaint.
Sit erracti medicina confessio.
AH, ah, my hart, my hart, my hart, my hart.
What pincking panges? What danger doost thou féele?
I see my freends, haue lefte to take my part,
My hart, my hart, can not my gréefe conceale:
My pen hath sworne, my matter to re [...]eale,
Perforce my hands, these scribled lines did write,
And wished some meanes my trespasse to requite.
What shall I say? what shall I take in hand?
My minde is dull, my braine is battered [...]ore,
My eyes bée dimme, where trickling teares doo stand:
My soule hath sobbed, my hart can sighe no more,
But now beholde, your mercy and implore:
I craue for grace, and pardon [...] my cr [...]me,
Condempe mee not, before my a [...]otted time.
But try agayne, and sée what frutes shall flow,
No labor lost, no trauell shall bee spent:
Bee willing then, some mercy for to show,
To him that hath, a minde for to repent:
[...] [...]ot of the frutes, of such a good intent,
And when the like, you shall in mee detect,
Then shake your hand, and pay mée for neglect.
And this is all, and more then all I thinke,
Yea this is all I purposed to wright:
Then saue the ship, which voyde of hope must sinke,
And lye a pray, vnto the Ocians might:
The day in sighes, in teares I spend the night,
Then stay my teares, release mée of my paine,
I haue confest, and doo recant againe.
The fourth complaint of this, and of the thirde I can set no true cause of wrighting, for the poore Knight hath denyed to tell it.
Pyraustae interitus.
AS doth the Fly, whose life the fier maintaines,
Giue vp the breath, when fier is take her fro:
Or as the worme, within the snow remaines,
Yeeld vp the life, when shee from snow doth go:
Alas the while, so happeneth it to mée,
For heat and colde, haue been my great delight:
What greefe is this, that I must distant bée?
From out the place, wherof I haue my might?
Come denting death, come strike the ende of strife,
Pyraustae shee, is weary of her life.
Farewell to thée, which gaue mée breath and blood,
Farewell to thee, which did maintaine my state:
Farewell to thée, in whom my pleasure stood,
Farewell to thee, which diddest prolonge my fate:
For why? the snow is melted with the sunne,
And flashing fier, is quenched out with raine:
The fate [...] haue sayd, short bee thy daies to runne,
From whence thou camest▪ thou shalt returne againe:
Come [...]enting death, come strike the ende of strife,
Pyraustae shee, is weary of her life.
So goeth my time, so runs my fickle race,
And all is gone, nothing is left in store:
Imbrued with teares, I must bewayle my case,
I wish for death, what should I looke for more:
For sith the aydes which did prolonge my strength,
Bee [...]led from feelde, and banished from c [...]ust,
With willing hart, I yéeld to him at length:
Which come to call whom I desired most.
Come denting death, come strike the ende of strife,
Pyrausta shee, is weary of her life.
More of the poore Knights Posies, of sundy matters, and writ to sundry persons.
A letter to William Th. who sending to him for a looking glasse, writ vnto him this letter, with the Glasse following.
The Letter.
TO blame my selfe, or pinch mee to the quicke,
To rub the bare, which faine would ranckled lye:
To raise the mier, within the water thicke,
Is all in vaine, experience plainly t [...]ice:
To warne of that, as Horace did in Rome:
Erhorting thee from that which I should vse,
That guerdon dew, vnto my share would come:
Which for his hier, Se [...]la could not refuse,
Erhorting those, which then in Rome did stay,
To sober life: when hee a Ruffian was:
Loe euery one, with ready tounge would say,
Scilla, Scilla, seeke to amend thy case:
Amend thy life: a good e [...]ample giue,
So wee by thee shall better know to liue.
So wée by thee, shall better know to liue,
Whose life wee seeke, whose wordes wee doe not way▪
[Page] If I to thee, the like to this should giue,
And thou my hier, with like accompt should pay:
Then were I well rewarded for my paine,
And had enough alotted to my taske:
But this I know, thou neuer wilt disdaine,
For to performe, the sum that I shall aske:
Then sith I trust, to tryall of good will,
Peruse the same, which I to thee haue sent:
Which would I could delate with so much skill:
As hee which first moued mee to this intent,
But here, to him, to thee, to his, to thine:
And as to thee, euen so to mee and mine.
And as to thee, euen so to mee and mine,
For thee I doo, accompt among my owne:
And as my owne, from thee shall not decline,
But ioyne in one, whose séedes in one bée sowne:
So read thou this, which cummeth from thy frend,
But as thou reade, remember my good will:
And way this well, which I for thee haue pende,
As for a glasse, to stand before thee still:
And when thou vewest, thy formall face therin,
Though I bée gon, and happely out of minde.
Thus for to muse, on mee thou maist begin,
God rest thy soule, my friend which wert so kinde:
And after if thou canst perceiue thy spot,
To looke in this, my Glasse disdaine thou not.
The looking glasse of the poore Knight, to W. Th.
IN him which made and framed all, repose thy hope and trust,
Who as hee made thée out of clay, can turne thee vnto dust.
In him I say which guideth all, the Heauen, the earth the sea,
[...] thy hope, in whom I hope, eternall life to see,
[...] euery thing, yet neuer seene of any,
So is hee present euery where, as hath appeard to many.
[Page] Yet hee which clears his hart from spot, an [...] purge his minde from yt
Hee seeth the Lord: hee knoweth the Lord. [...]ee doth the Lord his will.
In him to put thy confidence, as loyall duty charge.
Forget not for to put thy hope, in him (which holds the large
And lofty sky within his hand) do not his hust neglect,
For godly duty at thy hands, hee solely doth expect.
Which if thou doost hee will thee blesse, yea in most bounden sort,
And bring thy ship through wallowing waues, vnto ye happy port.
Then after duty done to God: (sweet VVilliam) keepe in minde,
The straight and lincked knot of loue, which natiue soyle doth binde.
To whom thou owest thy life, thy land, toy body and thy blood,
For whom thou oughtest to spend thesame, if it may doo her good.
For what can bee more neare the skin, or sticke more nere the bone,
Then ioy with parents, when they ioy, & mone when as they mone.
And loe thy cuntry doth maintaine, both thee and all thy kin,
Thy life their land, thy ioy their hope, and all that is therin.
Herin thou oughtest not to forget, thy parents of good fame,
And seeke for them, as they for thee, for to increase thesame.
Doo duty to thy elder Sire, and loue thy yonger brother,
And holde vpright the falling staffe, of thy gray hedded mother.
Whose hoary haire doth smile for ioy, whose fainting feete renew,
The running race with liuely blood, with fresh and pleasant hew.
And thou in whom her hart doth rest, do walke that wished way,
Oh ioyfull stockes (saith shee) whose imp [...]s doth keepe you from decay
Now learne (my Will) thy duty done, to God and parents then,
To shun those wicked waies, which ought to bee dispysed of men.
First fly from pride, whose puffed cheeks, wil bring thy hart to pain,
Eschue the Pope, with all his pelfe, for why hee is but vaine.
Whose bellowing Bulles in Basan bred, haue rored against the light,
And cleane apposed their wicked waies, against the Lord of might.
Whose great confusion and decay, no doubt is neare at hand,
Although hee clime the suprem head, of euery christian land,
In riot run no rechles race, regard thy good estate,
And way thy welth, for riot hath acquainted many a mate.
Where riot rules within the sh [...]p, there Whoredome holds an Ore,
And Sloth doth holde the sickle belme, while Enuy row to shore.
There Cruelty doth turne the sayle, and these the Ancor cast,
There Gluttony sleepes vnder hatch: and Sicknes comes in fast.
[Page] Blaspheming of the liuing Lord, with Riot shakes his hand,
And false attempts with Flattery, doo sinke the ship in sand.
When Riot lieth, and all his mates, the sea doth make her pray,
And swalloweth quick those passengers, which walke that wery way
In youth my freend, while yeeres be green, beware of Circes charme
And stop thy cares whē Sirens sing, whose noates pretendeth harme.
For why the baite which fishers vse, were of to great a price,
If that the pleasant taste therof, the fish did not intice.
And subtill foulers would accompt, their labor lost in vaine,
If that the draught of simple birdes, did not requite their paine.
Bee not to bolde to trip thy selfe in Cressids subtill traine,
For hee that reche his foot so far, can not returne againe.
And wanton wordes may rule thy will, and turne thy wit away,
And wise men often bee to seeke, in that they ought to say.
This is the glasse, the which I sent, thy cumly face to vew,
Till other glasses may be bought: and thus my freend adew.
❧A letter to Richard Ra. lyinge in his death bed.
Memento mori.
OH call to minde, forget not thy estate,
And ponder well, within thy musing minde:
Wheron thou oughtest alwaies to medita [...]e,
That man is man, by property and kinde.
Yea man is man, experience this doth try,
Who flourisheth here, but yet at last shall dye.
For flesh is fraile, and framde of fickle clay,
Yea life is short, and breath is quickly gone:
Of whom the wormes doo seeke to make a pray,
When thou art dead, and couered vnder stone.
And to the wombe, where thou at first did lye,
Thou shalt returne, prepare thy selfe to dye.
Remember death, and thinke vpon the end,
Bequeath thy soule, vnto the Lord of might:
And crau [...] of him, such mercy for to send,
That when thou diest, thou maist inioy the light:
Which few attaine aboue the clowdy skye,
which to attaine, prepare thy selfe to dy.
And faint not (Dicke) though denting death be nere,
For why thou hast, run forth a roiall race:
Pull vp thy strength, take hart and bée of chere,
And [...] thy minde, vpon that blessed place:
Whose ioyfull ioyes, were neuer seene of ey [...],
Nor thought of hart: prepare thy selfe to dy.
For euery man which liued the age before,
Could not resist, the denting stroke of death:
The strongest men, whose fame is kept in store,
Vnto the fates, did yéeld their liuely breath:
Olde Adam hée, to this could not deny,
For why hee knew, that hee was [...]orne to dy.
The former world, to this gaue their consent,
Saturnus liued, and after died againe:
Yea all his stocke, with this was well content,
When death doth come, none can resist his paine:
Death play thy part, and life away shall fly,
All must confesse, that they are borne to dy.
The stately strea [...]s, and Turrets all of Troy,
Be now cast downe, and flatling lie on ground:
All Pryams stocke, the Grecians did destroy,
Rare was his chance, and seldome to bee found:
Alas what tho, the Turrets all on hie,
Yeelded to dust, and Troians all did [...]ie.
[...]neas [...], Ant [...]nor did thesame,
[...] pursued, with all his lordly route:
[...] some other die in flame,
[...] hath seerched other [...]ut:
[Page] For when as death, this present life defie,
Prepare thy felfe, for then neede shalt thou dy.
Dy (oh my Dicke) why shouldst thou gru [...]th to die,
What wouldest thou wish, to liue in this animy?
What is there lost, that should delight thy eye?
What is there now, that should augment thy ioy?
Then farewell life, and welcome death say I,
Come, death, come, come, let vs prepare to dy.
Ah welcome death? alas what haue I sayd?
Nay welcome life, and farewell death againe:
But oh my fréend, I pray be not dismaide,
For where wee liue, in death wee do remaine.
Then farewell death: the life it is why,
Which to obtaine, let vs prepare to dye.
To dy I meane, out of this deadly life,
To dy I meane, out of this care and wo:
To dy I meane, out of this wofull strife,
To dy I meane, and free my selfe from fo:
To liue to life, and dy to sin meane I,
To liue in ioy, let vs prepare to dy.
To liue in ioy, to liue in heauenly blisse,
To liue in ioy, in mirth solace and glée:
To liue in ioy, who would not dy for this,
To liue in ioy, where all the Angels bee:
To liue in ioy, which ioy none can [...]escry,
To liue in ioy, let vs prepare to dy.
Prepare to dy, out of this world of woe,
Prepare to dy, out of this sea of sin:
Prepare to dy, to hauty heauen to goe,
Prepare to dy, the heauenly life to win:
Prepare to dy, to liue within the sky,
Prepare to dy, I say prepare to dy.
And though the paines, and pinching pangs of death,
Perhaps do stinge thy silly naked hart:
Bée not dismaid, feare not to yeeld thy breath,
To him which can aswage thy swelling smarte
And dreadfull dumpes: for of this minde am I,
With Christ to liue, feare not with Christ to dy.
And this thou knowest, that worldly life is vaine,
And though thou liue, perhaps yet forty yeares:
Confesse good Dicke, dissemble not nor fain [...],
Shall not those yeares, be garnished all with cares?
And yet at last, all this by proofe wee try,
When death doth call, then Dicke perforce must dy.
Perhaps thy freends, do sit in high renowne,
And thou by them, maist haue of good estate:
Perhaps thou wish to weare a Counsuls gowne,
Or els to spend, thy life with ioyfull mate:
Wherto beeing raised, and to this state so hye,
Alas (thou sayest) twould greene thee for to dye.
I know thy minde, thy freends oft haue I seene,
Their good estate I must confesse no doubt:
I know their care, which vpon thee haue beene,
I know the means, which parents haue sought out:
I know thy loue (oh Dicke) I doo not lye,
But for all this, prepare thy selfe to dye.
For why thou knowest, the soule it is most deare,
To bee preferd, before the body vilde:
Then if thou seekest for pleasures that be here,
To beautifie that part which is defilde:
Seeke, seeke, and search: thy dilligence apply,
[...]adorne thy soule: prepare thy selfe to dye.
And thus I end, but one thing by the way,
If God graunt life and longer dayes to thee:
[Page] Thanke him therfore, to whom cease not to pray,
Both for thy selfe, and then thinke vpon mée:
Who for thy sake to mighty Ioue will cry,
To ayde vs both, but yet prepare to dy.
And thus I ende, as erst I did begin,
Prepare to dy, for why thy flesh is fraile:
And call to minde, that Hauen to enter in,
Whose ioyfull bankes, in winter will preuaile:
In winters raine, when windes do blow in say,
Coch in this hauen, so shalt thou neuer dy.
The poore Knight his Paramour, written to M. Iohn Com. Phisition, and his singuler Mecaenas.
Nudior Leberide.
A Parramour I haue, you shall not know her name,
Which neuer ceast to follow mée, since I to Cambridge came.
Shee loues mee passing well, I can not her abide,
And yet perforce, doo what I can, shée hangeth on my side.
Shée coucheth euery night, next to my tender brest,
And many times shée saith: what Will? and lets mée take no rest.
Among my deadly foes, my body shee doth kéepe,
Shee kéepes the key of all my chestes, both when I wake and sleepe.
I bring nothing to ende, nothing I doo begin,
But ere I goe about the same, I haue her minde therin.
For this her gentilnesse, I can not bée content,
But wailing of my heauy hap, alas I doo lament.
And vnto you I send, as to my only stay,
To aske that Phisikes Art, may driue my Paramour away.
To Thomas Ro. the poore Knight sendeth greeting.
Asinum tondes.
THou wailes thy heauy hap & chance, thy state thou didst lament,
Thou séekst y• which thou canst not finde: alas bée thou contente.
And builde no more vpon the sande, the flint no iuce will giue,
And from the Well thou canst not fetch, thy water in a Ciue,
[Page] To pull a balde man by the crowne, what vantage canst thou sée,
To teache the Iron swim aboue, great wonders these should bée.
To sow thy seede among the Rockes, or plow the sand for salte,
The one declares a vaine attempt, the other showeth a fault.
But if thy minde haue doted erst, and Glaucus change haue made,
I wish thee well for to be wise, and learne a better trade.
For as Vlisses profered Wine, to Poliphe [...]us stout,
And when as Wine had won his wit, hee bored his eyes out.
So shee by thee if thou continue, in this thy dotinge minde,
Thou shalt preuaile as some time hée, which would correct the winds
Bee ruled then and take thy rest, and marke my wordes againe,
For if thou striue against the streme, thou beatest the clouds in vayn
To his freend Iohn R.
YF that two euilles, bée offered to thy choice,
Then take the least, as reason will thee guide:
And for thy chance, thou maist with hart reioyce,
That of them twaine, the least did the betide:
But this I say, and councell thée beware,
Which long time since, was snarled in the snare.
For when I did the smoky house abstaine,
Least that my eyes, with wattery streme [...] should flow:
Beholde I chanced, in cottage to remaine,
Where flaming fire, did bring the Rafters low:
The stone, the tyle, and all was burnd with flame,
And I alas, consumed with the same.
Much like to him, which in another case,
Eschued the raine, which from the skye did fall:
With speedy flight, hée hastened in his race,
Till hee in pit was drowned horse and all:
Wherby I see, I may conclude no doubt,
The least of euils, is to bée chosen out.
To his freend Bartholmew Ien. Esquilla non nascitur Rosa,
IF Roses spronge of white thorne bowes, & grapes on thistles grew
Or [...] from Okes, wher Acorns hée, good Apples did insew,
[Page] Then wine and frute, should not bée skant, our sences plainly tell
And euery shade and pleasant groue, should yeeld a fragrant smell.
But these bee wonders for to see, wee haue not heard of such,
And Nature in this sodaine thance, should change her selfe too much.
But yet more strang, mee thinke it is, both to my minde and eyes,
That from the wet and watry seas, great flames of sfire should rise.
Then way my freend, not what I speke, but what I meane hereby,
What doost thou meane to heate thy selfe, in fréesing frost taly.
Can fire giue forth an yt [...]e colde, which doth pertaine to frost,
Or els to yéelde a burning flame, haue Ice their nature lost?
No, no, my freend, infected salues, can not make whole thy wound,
Then walke out on the fickle floods, in steede of surest ground.
For why with thē which bée not sound, thou shalt corrupt thy minde,
And in the dry, vnsaudry chip, no sauor thou canst finde.
Then way my wordes with reasons rule, and prooue my saying true
The Thistle can not beare a Grape, and thus my fréend ad [...]w.
To Abraham Iohnson. Nusquam tuta fides.
IF Auncient writs doo beare recorde, and seeme the truth to tell,
No faithfull fréendship as I finde, in mortall men doo dwell.
For why? the Father sley the Sonne, the Sonne the Father kill,
Vpon the Sonne, and father eke, the mother worke her will.
The Brother with the Sister iar, the daughters bane prepare,
To see the Mothers finall end, and pay the fathers share.
The kinsmen stands aloofe and sée, the one not trust the other,
The naybors as the kinsmen all, haue banisht fayth together.
The foe sees this, and gins to smile, for strife doth like him best,
The rauening Coocko layes her egges, within the Sparrowes nest.
And euery thing runnes out of course our time is almost spent,
The night is almost néere at hand, tis time for to repent.
Wherefore my freend, counsell thy fréend, as I shall counsell thée,
For to prepare against that time, when direfull dome shal bée.
The poore Knight his loue, to Rich. Ron.
A Lady bright I loue, which in this [...]le doth dwell,
I loue and not alone, for many loue her well:
[Page] Her mansion where shee kéepes, few doo attaine to sée,
About her place faire gates, to enter thrée times three.
Yet few doo enter in, shee calles, but few doo come,
Shee becks to mee and saith, shee will prepare a rome.
And when I thinke to goe, with fresh assalte to proue,
I enter in and search: but cannot finds my loue.
And yet I sée a far, where other men doo play,
And with the price I bid, to beare my loue a way.
Then tell to mee my freend, and writ to mee thy minde,
For louers lawes thou knowest, how I my loue may finde.
And that your learning might absolue mee of this doubt,
Within these written lines, her name is quoted out.
To his freend Roger Phil, Metuit cautus.
THe litle lad which once hath felt the fire,
Eschueth the same, and feares the flittering flame:
The silly Mouse which hath escaped the wire,
Will long beware for touching of the same.
The simple Birde, which thinkes not of the Grin,
Is tooke in snare, and made the foulers pray:
The foolish fish, that swims with floting fin,
Fulfilles the wish, of him which baite doth lay.
Then well I sée, that which I haue not knowne,
Experience makes, the disarde to beware:
And they which know, not where the Hempe is sowne,
Vnto their paine, bee snarled in the snare.
Then would that I had knowne longe time before,
That which with price, I haue most dearely bought:
But now I hope, to faile therin no more,
But yet I haue, the duty that I sought.
For if I had, béen warned by my freend,
I might haue feared, the price wherof I feele:
But when I thought, therof to search the ende,
i dr [...]nke so much, it ca [...]ed my head to reele.
Then where thou wisht, to know my good successe,
And why I cease to sew againe for grace:
Lo here I liue, in mestfull heauinesse,
And of my sute, I leaue a vacant place.
To VVilliam Godf. Frontis nulla fides.
IN Sommer tide, & florishing Month, when euery herb was gréene,
And euery bow began to bud, most cumly to bée seene.
In pleasant Herbar where I walkte, to recreat my minde,
Beholde I pray, what yll successe, I chanced for to finde:
Vnder a set of Margerom, which in that place did grow,
For pleasant shade, and fragrant smell, when I had couched low.
And Margerom had giuen mée leaue, vnder her winges to rest,
I thought my selfe as neere to Heauen, as is the Egles nest.
Wheras I had not couched long, but tumbling too and fro,
Behold a Serpent venemous, forth from her Den did goe.
And hissing foorth her venomed toung, shée stonge my brest most sore,
Which doone, shée did returne againe, from whence shée came before.
Take héede therfore by my yll lot, take héede therfore say I,
For vnder Hony oftentime, doth cankred poison lye,
And in that hed of whose faire branch, my Posie I would make,
I must confesse, though to my paine, I found a stinging Snake.
To his freend Robert Dyne. Vulcanium vinculum.
NO Iron chayn, nor fetter strong, no band which hand could make
As thou alleage, haue halde mee back, my promise for to breake.
Nor yet that ielous thought of thine, haue made mée slacke and slow,
No curious charms haue touched my brayn, y• make mée sloth to show
He is my minde changed so much: my state is not so good,
He haue my lippes I vow to thee, once sypt of Letho flood.
But yet beleeue mee, gentle freend, though I so long delay,
And though I breake my coucnant made, my minde doth not decay.
Which oft my letters haue bewraide, which I before haue sent,
As well the cause wherof I stay, as of my whole intent.
[Page] The curious Artes of Parnas Hill, do aske a longer race,
And hee which wish for Thespias spring, must watch for time & space
And hee which once begins to goe, and fainteth with his labor,
The Muses haue declarde long since: to shew to him no fauor.
But all his paine is clene forgot, his labor all is lost,
Loe this it is, which held mee backe, from comming to the coast.
But if that God shall graunt mee leaue, this Letter is the last,
Then looke for mee, and thus adew, from Cambridge in all haste.
To Maister Iobson. Qui é nuce nucleum esse, vult nucem franget.
TO maske within the Front of Faire, to wear the Laureat crown
To march with worthy Martial might, to purchase high renown.
It is not wonne with cowards hartes: for why such slickering fame,
Deserue such deedes as iustly may, demeritall the same.
And first the labor must bee spent, before the end insue,
And hee which seekes the sounding blast, no labor must eschue.
For as wee plainly see by proofe, that hee which gapes for gaine,
No daungerous death, or dint of sword, is giuen to disdaine.
So hee which seekes to liue for aye, within the mouth of men,
Will not refuse the strong conflict, within Leerna Fen.
Had Iason left the golden fleece, when hee to Colchos went,
If Aiax in the Troian toyle, at Greece had bin content:
The fleece had beene at Colchos stil, Medea had bin true,
And Aiax might haue held his hands, such valiant actes to shew.
Had Caesar stayd in Britanny, had Brutus kept his ire,
[...]mpey had liued in royall Rome, and Percia kept from fire.
Yea neither hee, nor this nor that, had liued so fresh in minde,
But fame did force & pricke them foorth, which came of gentil kinde.
Glaucus, of whom the Poets pen, haue found pastime to wright,
Feared not the floods to follow her, which was his chéefe delight.
Then marke the end, and way the end, the ende is cause of fame,
And hee which hopes to win the end, doth neuer feare the same,
To his freend Richard Bently.
BEyond sea boy, beyond sea wilt thou wend,
Christ sh [...]lde my birde, and keepe my childe from care:
[Page] Before thou goest, read this that I shall send,
And thinke on it when wee a sunder are:
For when I heard, thy ship thou didst prepare,
To sulke the seas, and forrow foming flood:
(Alas my boy) absence did make mee feare,
And want of time, did streeke my minde in moode,
But sith that Ioue, hath so estéemde it good.
To turne thy minde, and kéepe thée heare a while,
Loe if it rayne, I send to thee a hoode:
To kéepe thee dry, and daungers to exyle,
To keepe the dry, least raine thy clothes defile.
Then way it well, which shall bee sayd of mee,
And though perhaps thou doo not like the stile:
Of truth I know, the matter fit for thee,
First feare the Lord, which ruleth Heauen and sea:
And euery thinge that mooueth in the same,
Which when thou seest, let God remembred bee:
And thinke on him, which euery thing did frame,
The subiectes here, beholde to thee I name.
For euery thing is too long to rescite,
The Heauen, the Earth, the Water, and the flame:
The Sunne, the Moone, the day and clowdy night,
Such is his powre, such is force and might.
Which when thou seest, then thus begin to muse,
O Lord thou knowest, eche thing is in thy sight:
It is but vayne, my sinne for to ercuse,
But graunt mee Lorde, thy graces so to vse.
That to thy praise it may redound at last,
For without grace eche thing I shall abuse:
Thus thinke my freend, when thou the seas art past,
Another thing I warne thee of in haste.
Eche forran lande, hath many a subtill sleyght,
And forrain snares, will make thee soone agast:
Ech sundry place hath many a sundry bayt,
Here lurketh one in Dungeon of deceit.
An other there, in secret Den doth ly,
The Romish Church for thee will lay great wayte:
But oh my freend, from p [...]lting Papistes fly,
Fly, fly from those, kepe not their company,
[Page] Auoide those mates, wherof I haue thee tolde,
For surely freend, they stinge so secretly:
That if the wound, begin once to be colde,
It is as hard the same for to vnfolde:
As to remoue the Pope out of his place,
Trust not to far, good freend bee not to bolde:
Least you be sicke, before you know your case.
Another thing, beware of in your race:
Beware I say, of those which fawne with g [...]le,
Which merily will cheare you in the face:
And sooth you foorth: with many a wanton smile,
And heapes of wordes, they sticke not to compile.
I néede not name them in more plainer sort,
Which rediest bee, at all times to beguile.
Eschue all such, vnto your owne comfort,
Vnto their tentes, in no wise doo resorte.
But when they beeke, beware least that you bow,
Oh gentill freend, eschue that filthy sport:
And say your freend, of this hath counselled you,
Then if thou meane, his counsell to allow.
And thinke on it, when you haue past the Sea,
Then shall you see, and for this perceiue hew:
Thou of hye Ioue, shalt alwaies blessed bee,
Blessed I say, so will hee comfort thee.
That though thou chance, not to returne again [...]
(God sheeld my childe, and keepe both thee and [...])
Yet shall thy srule, alofte with him remaine,
And though thou chance, to soio [...]ne longe in Spayne:
In Germany, in France, or els in Rome,
Do not forget, that minde for to retaine:
Which erst thou hadst, when thou therto hidst come,
Remember still, the dreadfull day of dome:
Be curteous still, bee sober, meeke, and wise,
And hasten thee vnto thy natiue home:
Ill company, see that thou doost dispise,
Least that by them, some danger should arise:
And if thou chance in Venice for to stay,
I say no more, thou knowest what I surmise,
[Page] Vnto my fréend commend mée by the way,
And wish him well, to make no more delay:
But to returne when time shall him permit,
And this is all, thou knowest what more to say:
Which vnto Pen, I meane not to commit,
Thou knowest my minde, and so know I thy wit:
Loe this is all, I geue vnto thy taske,
And thus farewell, vnto a season fit:
Whose safe returne, of mighty Ioue I aske.
To Thomas Tur. by the example of Perillus, alluding to Quod tibi non vis fieri, alterine feceris.
HAd not the cruell bloody kinde, imbrued it selfe with blood,
No doute the life of Phallaris, might soone haue doone much good.
For why? yll manners did corrupt, and banisht ciuell kinde,
And gasping thirst of humaine blood, defilde a worthy minde.
Whose workes be yet this day, to see how much hee stood in awe,
Of Sages wise, whom hée estéemde, which did neglect the law.
Of him and of his Tortures great, all voyde of sparkes of loue,
Who hath not read, and yet once red, whose harts doth hée not moue▪
Did not Perillus bloody wretch (whose factes my gréefe renew)
From Athens bring the brazen Bull, if Poets workes be trew?
Hoping of him which loued the same, for to obtaine the prise,
Whose wordes did soone bewray his Art, and vttered his deuise.
Oh noble Kinge (quoth hée) beholde, in Athens where I dwell,
Thy fame is spred, for whyeche one, thy tyranny doth tell.
The Brute wherof vnto my eare, by chaunce did come of late,
As well of thee as of thy life, and of thy prosperous state.
And by my trade (oh noble Kinge) I vse to worke in Brasse,
Loe here a worke, which of good will, I offer to your grace.
The like to it since Saturns dayes, was neuer wrought before.
Nor as I thinke by mortall hands, can neuer bee made more.
For loe, the Torture is so strange, the torment is such paine,
The like to it you haue not had, nor shall not haue againe:
These wordes inflamed his furious hart, which thirsted after blood,
And to Perillus furiously, hée spake with raging moode.
And sayd, Perillus shew the vse, cease not for to declare,
And I will well reward thy paines, Perillus doo not feare.
[Page] The Bull is hollow (noble Prince) a man therin may lye,
Aslender flame beeing made with out, hée shall consume and fry.
His spéech shall turne like to the noyse, that liuing bulles doth make,
And for a terror to thy foes, I made it for thy sake,
Possesse the same: which done, the Kinge his glosing wordes to try,
First put Perillus in the Bull, where hée him selfe did die.
And after him that cursed Bull, to many brought great smart,
And Phallaris did ende his life, within Perillus Art.
By whose cruell end, I doo perceiue that counsell wise to bée,
Doo thou no worse to other men, then they all doo to thee.
To R. Baker, Virtus post funera viuit.
TO tell of them whose famous factes, haue won no small renowne,
Eyther with glittering blade in féelde, or els with Consuls gowne.
Aswell within our natiue lande, or els in forrain soyle,
My Muse doth lothe that labour great, it were to great a toyle.
But yet shée daines at your request, for to discribe at large,
And as the season will permit, her duty to discharge.
In Vertues race guide well thy steps, in her put thy delight,
For Fame doth fauor Vertues house, frō whence shée takes her slight.
Whose sounding Tromp doth warne all those, which seeke renowned state,
To arme themselues in Vertues tent, & fight in Iustice gate.
Who often sayth, chéere on my harts, your manhood séeke to try,
I will preserue your déedes on liue, your fame shall neuer dy.
Alcides hee, whose heauy hand, the Centaures doo lament,
Whose direfull strokes the Stigian Knights, with pitteous plaints repent.
Was mooued to force, by flickering fame, his faithfull fréend to fetch
Whose lingering liues, y• furies ferce, on whirling whéele did stretch
With pricke of praise, King Peleus deare, did saile frō gallant Greece
And conquered the golden Ram, and stole away the Fléexe.
When praise did pricke the panting hart, of Pallamedes Prince,
Hée rygde his shippes, and hoysed sayle, the Troians to conuince.
If Pirhus father had not ceast, the handmaydes wéede to weare,
Then Homers hand had stayd his quill, which doth his actes declare.
Come subtill Sinon tell the truth, what did thy hart inflame,
To hazard health with forrain foes, but hope of future fame.
Iyeurgus leaue thy exilde life, come home, come home againe,
Nay, nay, I meane while life doth last, an exile to remaine.
[Page] For though I dy a banisht wight, yet this I know most sure,
That all the world shall pen my praise, while Aestas yeares indure.
So fancy fed the fainting mindes, of them which liued before,
That they in hope of perfit praise, Dame Vertue did adore.
For nothing was estemed so much, as for to leaue behinde,
To those which should succeede his roome, as was a vertuous minde.
For praise did tickle toward wits, and made them search the way,
To purchase fame, which should remaine, when they were shrind in clay.
This caused Alexander stout, to take the war in hand,
In hope to conquer all the world, as well by sea as land.
And Tully with his filed toung, did seeke to purchase fame,
And all the Roman Emperours, haue leaueld at the same.
What should I say? I faynt to tell, or to discourse of all,
And bare remembrance of the same, doo make my pen to fall.
And bid mée cease, for why? Dame Fame haue sworne and can not ly,
That shee will not permit the déedes of valiant wights to dy.
Then let vs seeke to hit that marke, wherto wée should assend,
I meane to win eternall life, which neuer shall haue end.
For Fame in tract of time will fléete, but that shall euer last,
Fame serues but for this present life, but that when life is past.
So let vs trust to Vertues waies, in hope the same to try,
That wee by proofe may plainly plead, that Vertue can not dy.
To his freende and kinsman I. Tin. Satius est initijs, mederi quam fini.
THe Pacient which by yll successe doth beare the daungerous sore,
Whose swelling smart, & painful panges, increaseth more & more
Dooth seeke the Surgeons skilfull hand, his paine for to aswage,
Before the wound bee festered far, to mitigate his rage.
For why? the Surgeon willeth this, before the cure bee past,
Which done, hee layeth his helping hand, & heales the wound at last.
When winde hath rent with raging blast, the tender stocke and trée
At first if helpe begins to faile, then no redresse can bee.
And hunters vse to trade their hounds, in youth to hunting game,
Least that in age when time shall serue, they should neglect the same.
For that which bréedeth by the bone, will hardly bee remoued,
And men in age will scarsely lothe, the thing which once they loued.
[Page] Then must I néedes reioyce my freend, that fortune doth reueale,
That thing to mee, which thou from mee didst purpose to conceale.
Fame telles to mee with sounding Trompe, that thou begins to loue,
I doo beleeue, yet Fame at first, could hardly credit moue.
But when as true Report was blased, Misdout was banisht quite,
And thou wert sayd to sue for grace, which is a louers right.
I speake by gesse, for why I lacke experience of the same,
I neuer serued her whom thou seruest, nor neuer playde her game.
Yet this I thinke and do confesse, that loue may well bee vsed,
I know the same, I read the same, it ought not bee refused.
So long as loue keepes lawfull loue, and flies from Cupids Court,
Or if vnto Dame Venus Vale, it ginnes not to resorte.
From whence (my fréend) I counsel thee, with tender loue and care,
That thou abstaine, as well becomes thee to eschue that snare.
And fix not thou thy fancy there, where care is banisht quite,
But if thou loue, loue such a one, as may yeeld thee thy right.
For if thou run in Laborinth, without Ariadnes clew,
Tis hap if thou finde out the doore, wherin thou didst insew.
First looke, then leape: for why to leape, before thou sedst the ground
Perhaps thou maist leape in the Sea, wheras thou shalt bee drownd
Or els vpon some craggy Cliffe, whose stones thy head will dash,
Or els vpon some pointed Speare, which in thy side will lash.
Then wilt thou say, ah ha my freend, thy wordes are proued true,
Then looke I pray, before you leape, and thus my freend adue.
Maister Alexander D. gaue this Theame. Multa cadunt inter calicem suprema (que) labrat.
BE not to bold, in chance and change, is oft a sodain sight,
And none doo know the victorer, while foes bee at the fight.
While Saylers sulke vpon the seas, they know not where to land,
And some which thinke to hap in Hauen, d [...] sinke within the sand.
The fish which byteth on the baite, hath cleane forgot the snare,
And euery thing in prosperous state, hath banisht mortall care.
But yet so quickly turnes the wheele, the fates do change so sone,
That good successe, do seldome come, good dayes be quickly gone.
And hee which liues, can not prolonge, his yeares by halfe a day,
But when time comes, say what hée will, yet must hee needes away.
[Page] The corne which groweth vpon the ground, before it sh [...]ote to blade,
Reuiues his hart, which long before, a good accompt hath made.
But yet before the Haruest come, it falles and fades away,
And when the Barne doth aske his right, the corne lyeth in decay.
Then trust not vnto fickle fate, for why from sun to sun,
I meane from Morne to Euen wee see, that diuerse things be done.
And in the Moment of the time, and twinckling of an eye,
Behold the man that liued in ioy, is ready for to dye.
Such is our state, such is our strength, wheron wee daily trust,
But if wee hope wheron wee holde, needes must we ly in dust.
The poore Knights lamentation: wherin hee earnestly bewayleth the late losse of diuers worthy Gentilmens lyues, that died of a verye strange disease, at Oxforde, in Iuly 1577. among whom died Sir Robert Bell, Lorde cheefe Baron, and Maister Nicolas Barham, Ser [...]ant of the Law, both Iustices of the Assise there, with other Knights and Gentlemen, beside Studients and others of all degrees, as followeth.
STand still yee Féends of Limbo Lake, ye hellish hounds giue eare,
Stay Theseus on thy whorling whéele, harke what I shall declare.
Come plonge in pit of paynfull plight, yee Furies three I pray,
Oh Pluto marke my dolefull mone, giue eare what I shall say.
And rue with mee the rufull chance, and mone the yll successe,
The dolefull dole, the heauy hap, the dumpes of déepe distresse.
Which Oxforde Towne hath had of late, most fresh & new in minde
Harke, harke, ye Dames of Stigian flood, and waile by course of kinde
And though no teares of furies eyes, will ease the fatall fall,
Yet plaints of you which Furies bée, may moue the minde of all.
To say with mee, as I haue sayd, alas helpe to deplore,
And waile y• chance, like to which chance, no chance hath chanst before
In Oxforde towne, or English soile, since worthy Troians time,
Since Brute in coast, did seeke by fame, to clustering clowds to clime.
Oh strange disease most strange to tell, and strange to call to minde,
As thundring fame hath tolde for truth, as reason did her binde.
Alas, alas, I rue to thinke, I tremble for to tell,
My fainting hart is much apalde, my soule in gréefe doth dwell.
But yet alas what hoote to mone, where teares will not a [...]ayle?
No gentle wordes will fence the Forte, where denting death assaile,
[Page] No sugred termes will stay his stroke, no force will make him fey,
No subtill sleight of mortall minde, hée wayeth no hydeous cry.
No worthy actes can bannish death, or cause him to relent,
No fame, no name, for good deserts no dayes in Iustice spent:
Can him intreate to holde his hand, no hope of future gaine,
Which might redound to common wealth, can cause him to abstaine
But oft that Impe by whirling winde, is blasted to decay,
And sonest beares the withered leaues, wherof most hope doth stay.
Of Troian soile, let Hector say, let Pyrhus speak [...] for Greece,
Or ioyne Achilles if you please, and Paris with his peece.
Macedons Prince may tell his tale, and Caesar may discharge,
That good Hamilcars eldest Sonne, by proofe may tell at large.
What neede I range, sith ranging far, doth br [...]de to great annoy,
Sith Bell, & Barham may blaze forth, which once were Englands ioy
Ah sounding Bell, ah Barham bolde, (I meane in Iustice cause,)
Ah true maintainers of the right, and strengthners of the lawes.
How oft can VVestminster report, whose record can not ly,
Your true deserts in Pleas of price, your worthy wits to try.
How oft can al Assises say, loe Bell, loe Barham hee?
Perdy in skill of Lawiers trades, those worthy champions bée.
How oft hath Bell béene sounded of, through euery Sheere & Towne?
How oft hath Barham through his deedes, atchiued high renowne?
But out alas, the Bell is broke, and Barhams toung doth stay,
For Death hath strooke, whose daunting dartes eche worldling must obay.
Both Iudge & Shrife, both Shrife and Clarke, yea Clarke & Cryer al
Must giue accompt before the Iudge, when Christ his Cryer call.
And well I hope hath Bell deserued, and Barham shal haue meede,
With all the rest aloft in skyes, wheras the Angels feede.
And you ye doughty Knights whose corps, be laid in mourning graue
Whose bones shall long bée kept in store, a good reward shall haue.
And though ye waile, yee Templers all, for them which you did know
Which oft within your costly Courts, their sage aduise did show.
Yet sith the Fates haue cut their clewes, sith Lachesis hath sayd,
That shee would stretch her hand no more, then be you well apayde.
And stay from murmering at their fate, such fatall hap had they,
(Whom God had long ordaind before, to visit in that day.)
As few haue seene or heard the like, with watery eyes lament,
With salted sighes, and gushing teares (which all in vaine be spent.)
[Page] In Oxford Town & euery where, where fame hath blown her blast,
And scalding sighes in sundry brestes, haue vowed for ay to last.
What shall I say? what shall I wright? or shall I leaue my verse?
How can my hand holde fast my pen, these dollors to reherse.
Nay, nay, as great a gréefe as that, did more augment my paine,
Which yet-hath lurkte, concealed fast, but can not so remaine.
Euē for your sakes yée Studiēts all, whose gréefe increase my smart,
For whom my minde was troubled sore, (all flattery set apart)
Not mine alone, but thousands more, did see themselues agréeued,
And askt on knees of mighty Ioue, your time might bee reléeued.
How many harts haue wept with vs, which neuer saw that towne,
How many chéekes were moistned here, with teares y• ran adowne.
Should Cambridge smile, & Oxforde wéepe, then Camb. were vnkind
Nay, nay, my harts, your swelling smart, did beat in euery minde.
And floods of teares, for you did flow, repleat with mestful mone,
So Cambridge swere that Oxforde towne, shall neuer morne alone.
Nay God forbid that Cambridge hart, should euer harden so,
That would not send forth gushing teares, to weepe for Oxfords we.
For why? no hart was hardned so, though it were made of brasse,
That would not weepe for Fraunce his fall, when feirce Afflictiō was
And rue with Antwerpes ruinous ruthe: alas what hart had hee?
That would not say Antwerpe adew: or Fraunce, Christ fight for thee,
Then who could cease (although hee would) your fate for to deplore?
Sith wounds that sticke more nere the bone, do breed the greter sore
And though the case were far vnlike, to Fraunce and Antwerps ruthe,
Yet was your case as strange to tell, as Fame hath tolde for truth,
Yea though your chāce were much more les, yet ought we to cōplain,
Sith that your ioy increase our mirth, your wo doth bring our paine
Then what was left for Cambridge towne, when Oxford felt the rod,
But still to waile and weepe for you, and pray to mighty God:
That hee when his good pleasure were, his heauy hand would stay,
And with his powre as well hee can, remoue his scourge away.
And cease not you, as wée for you, to Ioue for vs to call,
That he would hold his stroke away, and keepe our towne from thral
That you which felt his heauy hand, and wee which rued the same,
May ioyne in one to laude the Lorde, and praise his holy name.
And bee content to beare the blow, which hee to you hath lent,
Though you had taste of bittter pangs, (good harts) yet be content.
[Page] For why? when God shall thinke it good, in the twinckling of an eye
Hee can reuoke that hee hath sent, your constancy to try.
Till then wee weepe, and pray for you, and listen what insew,
Desiring Christ to stay his hand. From Cambridge thus adew.
The poore Knight his farewel to his Booke.
IF Robinson, which hath no cause to feare,
Did stand in dout, that hee should haue a rome:
Where Cheryll keepes, that hee I say euen there,
Should stand and tell, what Poets thither come:
Behinde the doore, there Cheryll tels his case,
And whips the dogges, out of that sacred place.
If hee I say, this infamy did feare,
Which hath deserued, such fame in English coast:
Then farewell Booke, thy Maisters hay declare,
Who thinkes himselfe, inferior vnto most:
Thy Maister feares, by crooked chance and fate,
To haue a place without the Porters gate.
Not once to see, the Lawreat Poets place,
Ne yet to speake vnto that dogged wight:
Then farewell Booke, bewray thy Maisters case,
Who stands in dout, to put his name to light:
Least that as hee, which Cheryll hath to name,
The world should seeme, to blaze thy Maisters shame.
And sith thou art in yeares my eldest Sonne,
Disdaine thou not, this viage to begin:
From hand to hand, addresse thy selfe to ronne,
And seeke good will, of euery man to win:
If Momus barke, and Zoylus gin to chat,
Bee of good cheare, and doo not blush at that.
And if thou spéede, ere many yeares bee past,
Thy brethren shall insew thy former race:
If thou speed not, then shalt thou bee the last,
As thou wert first, which did begin this case:
Speede well, spéede yll, her of shalbe an ende,
Adew good Childe, commend mee to my freend.
FINIS.