LOVES COVRT OF CONSCIENCE, Written upon two severall Occasions, with new Lessons for Lovers. Wherunto is annexed a kinde Husband's advice to his Wife.
By Humfrey Crowch.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Harper, and are to be sold at his shop in Smithfield, at the Hospitall Gate, 1637.
Loves Court of Conscience, VVherin doth sit Reason, Discretion, Grace, Truth, and Wit.
The Cryer of the Court.
LOvers stand by, and give your Iudges place,
Reason, Discretion, Wisdome, Truth and Grace,
Which here is come your causes for [...]o try,
Where [...]ustice sits imbracing equity.
Intelligence.
MY Lords; here is a Lover newly slai [...],
Whose corp [...] within this coffin doth remain.
I come to give you notice that thi [...] Elfe,
Vnjustly wrong'd, unjustly hang'd himselfe,
[Page]A wretched woman was the cause of all,
His sad laments, and his untimely fall.
Grace speaks.
I Can not see though she have hi [...] abused
How he can from the murder be excused.
Reason speaks.
TIs true my Lord, had he been [...] by mee
From this same bloudy fact he had been free
Truth speaks.
ANd had the woman t [...]in me for her guide,
The man had liv'd, and sh [...] had bin his brid
Wisdome speaks.
ANd had they both my precepts wel observ
From Reason, Grace and Truth, they had [...] [...]
Discretion speaks.
ANd had they not [...]efus'd me to imb [...]ace,
Grace, Reason, Wisdom, Truth had taken pla [...]
How divine Wisdom will of them dispose,
We cannot say no man thi [...] [...]ecret knows, in [...]
[Page]But cause that Lovers should not be so doting,
Ile read some lessons to them worth the noting.
The first Lesson.
SVch whose hands with heart agree,
In true loves sweet sympathy,
Such whose loves and true affection,
Doth to others give direction,
How to love and love indeed
If in love they mean to speed.
Such that can no rivall brook,
Or suspicious of a look,
Or be angry for a kisse,
Or can wink at all a s [...]le;
Such whose jealous friends can never
From their hearts true love di [...]ever,
Such who when they play and toy
Do not work themselves annoy.
Love fixt on each others hearts,
Not upon the outward parts:
Lest that when those parts decay,
Love with glory passe away.
Such that do not love to range,
Such that cannot brook a change,
[Page]Such that with a roving eye,
Give no cause of jealousi [...],
Such who when their friends would part them,
Neither friends nor so [...]s can start them.
Such who like the Camma [...]ill,
Thrive and flourish all the while,
And the more they are oppr [...]st,
They the more in love are blest
Such as hate so foule a fact
As to break a true contract,
Or a true contract to make
False when once they do forsake,
Love and friend, and honestie,
In the twinkling of an eye:
Such as when contract they are,
Think a minute a whole year [...],
Till they do enjoy their ma [...],
Such shall live in happy states,
Such as nought but death can sever,
Happy be their fortunes ever:
This is love and worth commending,
Ever living never ending.
These to marry need not [...]eare
Cause they honest minds do beare,
Whilst the rest that break their faith,
Live in fear of Heavens wrath.
The second Lesson.
THe Turtle Dove when she bath lost her mate,
Being expos'd to good or evill fate,
Refuses comfort and her mate being lost,
Matches no more her first love being crost,
Contrariwise made of another nature,
Do lose themselves contrary to this creature.
For when their Lovers constant do expect them,
Others do sue for love that do affect them,
And steals away their hearts, wins them and weds them,
Vnknowne to their first Lovers, bords and beds them,
This is a hell, a torture to the minde,
Of him that such discourtesie doth finde,
Offerd by her whose credit lyes a bleeding,
No good can come wher is such bad proceeding.
And such a Comedy most commonly,
Ends for the most part with a Tragedie,
Wofull experience manifestly proves,
The wofull ends of such false-hearted loves,
This should teach men to have a speciall care,
Whom they affect, to whom they love do bear,
Since women are so fickle minded grown,
That when men think them sure they finde them flown.
A [...] [...] the [...] [...] hardly [...],
Goes home with mi [...]h with melody & laughter,
And thinks to come again a fortnight after,
Then findes them gone, just so it is with men,
That sets their mindes on women now and then,
But should they set a thousand watchfull eyes,
Over these winged birds these Butter-flies,
Twere all in vain if they intend to flie,
They'l have their wils in spite of thee and I,
As soon hedge in the Cuckow as constrain
A woman to be true so wilsull vain,
But yet I pitty them in such a case,
That love such women so much void of grace,
Because I know the greater [...] the love,
If truly plac'd, the harder to remove.
The third Lesson.
COncerning contract twixt a couple now
Without their friends consent I not alow,
But if the thing be done I cannot see,
Why friends should part friends that so well agree
To hurt the tender conscience of a maid,
Who ere thou art that shalt her so perswade,
Shal [...] [...] [...] God above
Th [...] [...] secrets of the heart
Will be reveng'd of thee, though they two part,
Nor is shee free from Heavens punishment
Though it be do [...] with [...]ut her friends consent,
For though rash vowes in heat of loves affection,
Are better broke th [...] kept by wits direction,
Yet how [...] this the conscience satisfie,
Corrupted with the sin of perjury,
As for example I do vow a thing,
I vow performance this to passe to bring,
Which is I break, and say 'twas rashly done,
Will this excuse me from presumption?
Besides their words are very dirt and trash,
That would affirme that Lovers vowes are rash,
That love is surely too too hot to last,
That at the first sight is so firm [...]ly plac'd,
To move a contract in two Lovers so,
To kn [...] the knot and after it undo.
Children [...] inconsiderate fooles do use,
To do and undo and themselves abuse,
But Lover, should be wiser and so wise,
Not to do any thing without advise.
The fourth Lesson.
THe cōscience being stretched, God offended,
The maid suborned and the man suspended.
Closely she marries, and he [...]all not know
The time when he receives his mortall blow,
She that ne're thought to do him so much harme,
Now keeps anothers bed and bosome warme,
And all upon perswasion of some friend:
Whose connsell proves as poyson in the end,
The guilty conscience never taking rest,
But night and day the offender doth molest,
Strange apparitions sometimes doth appeare,
Vnto the party filling her with feare,
With strange Aspect [...] she is perplext a nights,
In dreames and visions which she termeth sprites.
Sometimes shee thinks shee sees him whom she wrongs,
Comming to her with [...]ry burning tonge,
To pull that t [...]ngue out that did falsifie[?],
A spotlesse faith with foulest purgery.
Sometimes she thinks men in white sheets she sees
Covered with white from head below the knees.
[Page]And then she thinks although the sight be sained,
How white her conscience w [...]s before 'twas stained?
And though between her husbands arms she rest,
The thought of her first[?] love doth her molest,
Her conscience stings, her troubled heart doth smite her,
And dreadful dreams doth night by night affright her.
The fifth Lesson.
THe news being brought to the forsaken Lover,
As time will at the length all things discover,
His love so truly plac'd must be removed,
From her which heretofore so well he loved,
That which he did must be again undone,
The hardest taske thats underneath the Sun,
A man assoone a mountain may displace,
As remove that his inward thoughts imbrace,
Or say that he will straight way take in hand,
To separate the Ocean from the sand,
For nature will be nature, sense be sense
And weaknesse unto both hath reference,
[Page]Poor man take Reason she must be thy Bride
And in this matter let her be thy guide:
But O why do I talk of reason so,
Lovers have no such Bride: nor none such know
For if they ruled were by her directions,
Then might they learn to rule their own affections,
I wish distressed Lovers such a blisse,
To understand and know what reason is,
But all in vain, love in another kinde,
By violence thrusts reason from the minde.
O grief to think you heavenly powers[?] [...]
Shew us the way but how to rule this love
Or if it be a thing must govern us,
Why are we brought to inconvenience thus?
Pittie him O his friends in such a fit,
In whose behalf these lines of grief [...] writ,
And let his sufferings in a cause so right,
Be thought upon when he is out of sight,
Who being crost, himselfe engaged hath,
To crosse the Seas from her that broke her faith,
That being gone he might not see the shame,
Thats drawing on upon so false a Dame.
Three yeares a faithfull friend to her he was,
Three yeers contract before this came to passe,
And now a three yeere Voyage is he going,
And all because he will not see her ruine.
Maidens be faithfull, yongmen, he that can,
Bridle affection, he's the wisest man.
The Sonet of Dido and Eneas.
After the Vertues they had playd their parts,
Errour came in to alter Lovers hearts.
DIdo was a Carthage Queen,
That lov'd a Trojan Knight,
Which wandring many a Coast had seen,
And many a dreadfull fight,
As they a bunting rode, a showre
Drove them in a lucklesse houre,
Into a darksome [...].
Where Æneas with his charms,
Lockt Queen Dido in his arms,
And had what he did crave.
Dido Hymens rites forgot,
Her Love was wing'd with haste,
Her honour shee consider'd not,
But in her brest him plac't:
And when her love was new begun,
Love sent down his winged sonne
[Page]To fright Æneas sleeping,
Who bad him by break of day
From Queen Dido stoale away[?]
Which made her fall a weeping.
Dido wept, but what of this?
The gods would have it so,
Æneas nothing did amisse,
For he was forc't to go.
[...] to keep,
With false loues, but let them weep,
Tis folly to be true,
Let this lesson serve your turn,
And let twenty Didoes mourn,
So you get daily new.
He or she that fancies wrong,
May be ruled by this Song.
A kinde husbands advice to his Wife.
MY love, my bosom friend, to whom I owe
My best respects if you but this did know,
That your curst and unadvised words
Doth pierce my heart, like daggers, knives, and darts,
The reason is, because I well respect you,
It would not be so, did not I affect you.
My Lord my God provides all needfull things,
As well for me as for the greatest Kings,
And under God I carefully provide
Meat for my children, and my wife beside.
If you or they for whom I pains do take,
Deny obedience, cause my estate is weak,
It is signe, small love to me you beare,
As by your disobedience may appeare:
For if you will not love me for my self.
You shall not love me, for I have no wealth.
If you on wealth so much did cast your eye,
Why did you marry one so poor as I?
I had small wealth when first with thee I married,
Nor do I wish that I unwed had tarried.
[Page]Since I am richer then I was before,
And who can justly say that I am poo [...]?
Since God some children unto me hat [...] given,
That may for ought I know, be Saints in heaven
These are my riches and my chief co [...]tent,
Glory to God that mee such riches s [...]nt.
Many a rich man that goe [...] fine and b [...]ave,
Would give a thousand po [...]nd one child to hav [...]
Gold cannot get a child, O if it could,
Then rich men would have children made of gol [...]
If gold be counted riches, then have I
Many good things that gold can never buy.
Then I am richer far then some that have
Gold in their purses, land [...] and livings bra [...]e.
Yet I enjoy these blessings but in va [...],
Because I love, and am not lov'd again.
O would I did not love thee half [...]o well,
I'de nere regard that firebrand of hell,
I mean your tongue that [...]oth afflict my heart,
For if a stranger should but act thy part,
I would not care, I am of this belief,
Where is great love, the greater is the grief,
If that it be repulst by evill speeches,
By a curst dame that striven to weare the breeches
Consider what I [...]ay, and be advis'd,
Silence in women kinde is highly pris'd.
How canst thou say thou lov'st me with thy har [...]
Thy tongue doth shew thou lov'st me but in pa [...]
[Page]It will be so, unlesse you rule your tongue,
That member that hath done me so much wrong.
Those women love their husbands well indeed,
That to their humours are so well ag [...]eed.
That though their hu [...]ands ne'r so crosse appear,
They silent are, because they love them dear [...].
I do not wish I such a wise embra [...].
But wish that such a tongue in thee were plac' [...],
For such as they may have worse faults then th [...]
And such as they are sure no wives for me.
Onely I wish thee silent as they are,
And then none of them shall with thee compare,
So well I do est [...]em of thee sw [...]t h [...]art,
That nothing but thy tongue shall us two part:
Nor can I say that I in haste did chuse
One that good counsell s [...]orn'd, and did refuse:
For I did never finde thee obstina [...],
That I should think my words are out of date,
Or that I speak now out of time or place,
Vnto a woman wanting wit and grace:
For wit I know thou hast, and that is this,
To know what should be done, & what's amisse.
And if this wit with grace together j [...]yn,
Thou art more dearer, [...]nd mor [...] neerer mine.
For though for wi [...] we bot [...] may go to schoole,
Yet I do know thou art not such a foole,
But that this thing thou well do [...] understand,
That thou dost know th [...]rt under my command,
[Page]Vnlesse you'l say, the Priest in vain did say,
That you must cherish honour, and obey;
Which if you do deny, you do herein
Against your conscience, & your knowledge si [...]
Should you do so, I think it not unfit,
To say that you have neither grace nor wit:
Which God sorbid, for you have read I know,
That after God on man did life bestow,
He made the woman out of Adams side,
Not his commander, but his loving Bride.
It is not good that man should live alone,
This the Almighty said, this think upon.
So now you cannot chuse but understand,
Woman was made to comfort, not command.
They are sweet comforts both at bord and bed;
Alwayes provided they are not misled
By evill company, or by the tongue
To do their husbands & their neighbour [...] wrong
But if their tongues like, thunder trouble men,
They may be said to be Commanders then.
Sara obeyed Abraham, and did call
Him Lord and Master, mark this women all.
O [...]mes how are you changed! we poor men
Can hardly finde one Sara among ten.
A shrew that hath a sair and comely face,
Proves no decay in nature, but in grace.
If nature do decay in any part,
I wish it in the tongue, not in the hea [...].
[Page]O let the tongue decay of my fair Bride,
That the more love may in the heart abide.
Dear heart regard me, and the cause remove,
That hinders the conjunction of our love.
O let it not be said, that thou hast bin
One that did move thy husband for to sin,
One that did move me to impatiency.
And adde affliction unto misery.
If you do know wherin I do offend,
Tell me my fault, and I will quickly mend.
And why shouldst thou not deale as well by mee,
Since all good women labour to be free
From all occasions that may make them ill,
Nor do they ever st [...]ive to have their will,
Because they know the husband is the head,
Which all confesse, but such as are ill bred.
And such who must to sha [...]e and ruine run,
As to my knowledge some of them have don [...].
O if in thee remain true woman-hood!
Then take advise by this my counsell good:
And do not think that thou the power canst have,
To make thy bosome friend to be thy slave.
For though I scorn o're thee to tyrannize,
Because I [...]ear the Lord that rules the skies,
Yet I will ever bear my fathers minde,
I scorn as much to stoop to women kinde;
For if I should, then all men would me hate,
Because from manhood I degenerate.
[Page]And surely I should have the love of no man,
If I were such a slave unto a woman:
Which to prevent, and to avoid ill speeches,
I'le look that thou shalt never wear the breeche
Gall wa [...] cast out from [...] sacrific [...],
To shew no strife 'twixt man and wi [...] should [...]
All bitter anger must be banished
From married folk, and from the marriage bed
Cast out this gall, swe [...]en what's bitter made,
Call reason in, that long from thee hath stray'd
Examine well thy self, and thou shalt finde
How thou hast wronged me by b [...]ing unkind
It is reported that there is a stone
Which if so be it in the fire be thrown,
That hea [...] it doth receive, it will retain,
And never after will be cold again.
I am that stone, and thou the fire art,
Such heat at first to me thou didst impart,
That my affection never will be cold,
Though we should live [...]ill both of us were old
Nay, though old time should crop thy beauty [...]
And in thy cheek [...] deep wrinkles should appea [...]
Yea, though I say thy beauty fair should fail,
Thy red rose cheeks by want of bloud look [...]
Yea though I could not give, nor thou receive,
Those comforts which we being yong may ha [...]
Yet I would love thee then, as I do now.
And thou mayst live to [...]ince my saying true.
[Page]There is an hearb as Aristotle saith,
That cures and kils, such properties it hath:
Even so it lyeth in a womans will,
By kinde or unkinde words, to cure or kill.
Look on the female creatures, beasts or fowle,
Which of thē do their mates crosse or controule?
O cast thine eye upon the turtle Dove,
Why should that bird out-strip thee in thy love?
Is woman worse then is the sencelesse creature,
That's onely guided by the light of nature?
Woman out-strips them all for excellence,
And should out-strip them for obedience.
It is I say the glory of your sexe,
To love and to obey, and not to vexe
Your husbands by ill language, 'tis unfit,
And those that do so, want both grace and wit.
Rule but thy tongue, my love shall never sover,
For where I lov'd at first, I love for ever.
GOd is the God of orde [...], and each creature
Is ruled by him in its proper nature:
The Sun, the Mo [...]n, the Sea keepeth their bouds,
The tide observe [...] in order on the Downs:
Onely untutord men and women, they
More then all other creatures run astray [...]
Can I obedience to my Maker shew,
That no good will unto my neighbour owe,
Can God obedience then from you expect,
If you your husbands counsell do reject,
If we like children do not know our places,
But ignorant of divine and humane graces?
Women grow mankind, men effeminate,
And the world turned upside down by fate:
Let Hercules then keep at home and spin,
And send his wife to wars where he hath bin.
If women finde themselves that they be able,
Men shall feed Chickens underneath the table:
Alwayes provided if they go to warre,
They shall not lose what men so labour for,
[Page]Or basely yeeld that castle of defence,
Where Chastity hath her chiefe residence.
Admits no entrance unto any man,
But the right owner, such a woman can
Behave her selfe most bravely in the wars,
Without receiving any privy, [...]
Obnoxious to her reputati [...]n.
To bring her husbands forehead out of fashion:
O such a woman's worth her weight in gold,
If it were so that she were to be sold.
But I had rather thou should'st stay at home,
Then with such Amazons abroad to rome,
And wisely learn, if thou to fight be prone,
To fight against thine owne corruption.
O happy conquest, if thou conquer those,
Thy strong temptations, home-bred in-bred foes,
More lasting glory thou shalt gain hereby,
Then bravest Champions by their chivalry.
The end.