The Posies of George Gascoigne Esquire Corrected perfected and augmented by the Authour 1575. Tam Marti quà m Mercurio ¶ IMPRINTED AT London by H. Bynneman for Richard Smith These Bookes are to be solde at the Northwest dore of Paules Church ¶ To the reuerende Diuines vnto whom these Posies shall happen to be presented George Gascoigne Esquire professing armes in the defence of Gods truth wisheth quiet in conscience and all consolation in Christ Iesus RIght reuerend I haue thought it my part before I vvade further in publishing of these Posies to lay open before your graue iudgementes asvvell the cause vvhich presently moueth mee to present them as also the depth and secrets of some conceytes vvhich being passed in clovvdes and figuratiue speeches might percase both be offensiue to your grauitie and perillous to my credite It is verie neare tvvo yeares past since I beeing in Hollande in seruice vvith the vertuous Prince of Orenge the most parte of these Posies vvere imprinted and novv at my returne I find that some of them haue not onely bene offensiue for sundrie vvanton speeches and lasciuious phrases but further I heare that the same haue beene doubtfully construed and therefore scandalous My reuerende and vvelbeloued vvhatsoeuer my youth hath seemed vnto the grauer sort I vvoulde bee verie loth novve in my middle age to deserue reproch more loth to touch the credite of any other and moste loth to haue mine ovvn name become vnto you odious For if I shoulde novve at this age seeme as carelesse of reproche as I vvas in greene youth readie to goe astray my faultes might quickely grovve double and myne estimation shoulde bee vvoorthie too remayne but single I haue learned that although there may bee founde in a Gentleman vvhereby to be reprehended or rebuked yet ought he not to be vvoorthie of reproofe or condemnation All this I set dovvne in preamble too the ende I maye thereby purchase youre pacience And as I desyre that you vvyll not condemne mee vvythoute proofe so am I contented that if heereafter you finde mee guiltie youre definitiue sentence shall then passe publikelye vnder the Seale of Seueritie It vvere not reason righte reuerende that I shoulde bee ignoraunt hovve generally vvee are all magis proni ad malum quà m ad bonum Euen so is it requisite that I acknovvledge a generall reformation of maners more necessarie to bee taught than anye VVhetstone of Vanities is meete in these dayes to bee suffered And therefore as youre grauitie hathe thought requysite that all ydle Bookes or vvanton Pamphlettes shoulde bee forbidden so might it seeme that I vvere vvoorthie of greate reprehension if I shoulde bee the Aucthour of euill vvilfully or a prouoker of vyces vvittingly And yet some there are vvho haue not spared too reporte that I receyued greate summes of money for the first printing of these Posies vvhereby if it vvere true I mighte seeme not onely a craftie Broker for the vtteraunce of garishe toyes but a corrupte Merchaunte for the sale of deceyptfull vvares For ansvvere heereof it is moste true and I call Heauen and Earth too vvitnesse that I neuer receyued of the Printer or of anye other one grote or pennie for the firste Copyes of these Posyes True it is that I vvas not vnvvillinge the same shoulde bee imprinted And that not of a vaineglorious desyre too bee thought a pleasaunt Poet neyther yet of a lyghte minde too bee counted a cunning Louer For though in youth I vvas often ouerhardie too put my name in Ballaunce of doubtfull iudgementes yet novve I am become so bashfull that I coulde rather bee content too leese the prayse of my follyes than too hazarde the misconceyte of the graue and graye headed Iudges But too confesse a truthe vntoo you right reuerende vvith vvhome I maye not dissemble in cases vvhiche so generally doe touche all menne I vvas the rather contented too see them imprinted for these sundrie considerations First for that I haue seene dyuerse Authours both learned and vvell learned vvhich after they haue both reformed their liues and conuerted their studies haue not yet disdeyned to reade the Poems vvhich they let passe their pennes in youth For it seemeth vntoo mee that in all ages Poetrie hath beene not onely permitted but also it hath beene thought a right good and excellent qualitie Next vnto this I haue alvvayes bene of opinion that it is not vnpossible eyther in Poemes or in Prose too vvrite both compendiously and perfectly in our Englishe tongue And therefore although I chalenge not vnto my selfe the name of an English Poet yet may the Reader finde oute in my vvrytings that I haue more faulted in keeping the olde English vvordes quamuis iam obsoleta than in borovving of other languages such Epithetes and Adiectiues as smell of the Ink horne Thirdly as I seeke aduauncement by vertue so vvas I desirous that there might remaine in publike recorde some pledge or token of those giftes vvhervvith it hath pleased the Almightie to endue me To the ende that thereby the vertuous might bee incouraged to employ my penne in some exercise vvhich might tende both to my preferment and to the profite of my Countrey For many a man vvhich may like mine outvvarde presence might yet haue doubted vvhether the qualityes of my minde had bene correspondent to the proportion of my bodie Fourthly bicause I had vvrittē sundry things vvhich coulde not chuse but content the learned and Godlye Reader therefore I hoped the same should serue as vndoubted proofe that I had layde aside vanities and delighted to exercise my penne in morall discourses at least the one passing cheeke by cheek vvith the other muste of necessitie persuade both the learned and the light minded that I coulde asvvell sovve good graine as graynes or draffe And I thought not meete beeing intermingled as they vvere to cast avvay a vvhole bushell of good seede for tvvo or three graynes of Darnell or Cockle Lastly I persuaded my selfe that as in the better sort of the same I shoulde purchase good lyking vvith the honourable aged So euen in the vvorst sorte I might yet serue as a myrrour for vnbrydled youth to auoyde those perilles vvhich I had passed For little may he do vvhich hath escaped the rock or the sandes if he cannot vvaft vvith his hande to them that come after him These consideration◠right reuerend did first moue me to consent that these Poemes shoulde passe in print For recapitulation vvhereof and to ansvvere vnto the obiections that may bee giuen I say to the first that I neither take example of wanton Ouid doting Nigidius nor foolish Samocratius But I delight to thinke that the reuerend father Theodore Beza vvhose life is vvorthily become a lanterne to the vvhole vvorlde did not yet disdaine too suffer the continued publication of such Poemes as he vvrote in youth And as he termed them at last Poëmata castrata So shal your reuerend iudgements beholde in this seconde edition my Poemes gelded
With Lullaby your dreames deceiue And when you rise with waking eye Remember then this Lullabye Euer or Neuer The lamentation of a louer NOw haue I found the waie to wéepe wayle my fill Now can I ende my dolfull dayes so content my will. The way to weepe inough for such as list to wayle Is this to go abord the ship where pleasure beareth sayle And there to marke the iestes of euery ioyfull wight And with what winde and waue they fléet to nourish their delight For as the striken Deare that séeth his fellowes féede Amid the lustie heard vnhurt féeles himselfe to bléede Or as the seely byrd that with the Bolte is brusd And lieth aloofe among the leaues of al hir pheares refusd And heares them sing full shrill yet cannot she reioyce Nor frame one warbling note to passe out of hir mournfull voyce Euen so I finde by proofe that pleasure dubleth payne Vnto a wretched wounded hart which doth in woe remaine I passe where pleasure is I heare some sing for ioye I sée som laugh som other daūce in spight of darke anoy But out alas my mind amends not by their myrth I déeme al pleasurs to be paine that dwell aboue the earth Such heauy humors féede the bloud that lendes me breath As mery medcins cannot serue to keepe my corps from death Spraeta tamen viuunt Certaine verses written to a Gentlewoman whome hee liked very wel and yet had neuer any oportunity to discouer his affection being alwayes bridled by ielouse lookes which attended them both and therefore gessing by hir lokes that she partly also liked him he wrote in a booke of nirs as foloweth being termed with the rest that follow the lokes of a louer enamoured THou with thy lookes on whom I loke full ofte And find there in great cause of déepe delight Thy face is fayre thy skin is smoth and softe Thy lippes are swéet thine eyes are cléere and bright And euery part séemes pleasant in my sight Yet wote thou well those lokes haue wrought my wo Bicause I loue to looke vpon them so For first those lookes allurd mine eye to loke And strayght mine eye stird vp my hart to loue And cruell loue with déepe deceitfull hooke Chokt vp my mind whom fancie cannot moue Nor hope reléeue nor other helpe behoue But still to loke and though I loke to much Néedes must I loke bicause I see none such Thus in thy lookes my loue and life haue hold And with such life my death drawes on a pace And for such death no medcine can be told But loking still vpon thy louely face Wherin are painted pitie peace and grace Then though thy lokes should cause me for to dye Néedes must I looke bicause I liue therby Since then thy lookes my lyfe haue so in thrall As I can like none other lookes but thine Lo here I yéelde my lyfe my loue and all Into thy hands and all things else resigne But libertie to gaze vpon thyne eyen Which when I doe then think it were thy part To looke again and linke with me in hart Si fortunatus infoelix VVith these verses you shall iudge the quicke capacitie of the Lady for she wrote thereunder this short aunswere Looke as long as you lyst but surely if I take you looking I will looke with you ¶ And for a further proofe of this Dames quicke vnderstanding you shall now vnderstande that sone after this aunswere of hirs the same Aucthour chansed to be at a supper in hir company where were also hir brother hir husband and an old louer of hirs by whom shee had bene long suspected Nowe although there wanted no delicate viandes to content them yet their chiefe repast was by entreglancing of lokes For the Aucthour being stong with hotte affection coulde none otherwyse relieue his passion but by gazing And the Dame of a curteous enclination deigned nowe and then to requite the same with glancing at him Hir olde louer occupied his eyes with watching and her brother perceiuing all this coulde not abstaine from winking whereby hee might putte his Syster in remembraunce least she shoulde too much forget hir selfe But most of all her husbande beholding the first and being euyll pleased with the seconde scarce contented with the thirde and misconstruing the fourth was constrayned to playe the fifth part in frowarde frowning This royall banquet thus passed ouer the Aucthor knowing that after supper they should passe the tyme in propounding of Ryddles and making of purposes contriued all this conceipt in a Riddle as followeth The which was no soner pronoūced but shee coulde perfectly perceiue his intent and draue out one nayle with another as also enseweth His Ryddle I Cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once All séemelye set vppon one louely face Twoo gaz'd twoo glanc'd twoo watched for the nonce Twoo winked wiles twoo fround with froward grace Thus euerye eye was pitched in his place And euerye eye which wrought eche others wo Saide to it selfe alas why lookt I so And euerye eye for ielousie did pine And sigh'd and sayde I would that eye were mine Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ In all this louelie company vvas not one that coulde and would expound the meaning hereof At last the Dame hir selfe aunswered on this wise Syr quod she because your darke speach is much to curious for this simple company I wyl bee so bolde as to quit one question with another And when you haue aunswered mine it maye fall out peraduenture that I shall somewhat the better iudge of yours Hir Question WHat thing is that which swimmes in blisse And yet consumes in burning griefe Which being plaste where pleasure is Can yet recouer no reliefe Which sées to sighe and sighes to sée All this is one what maye it bée ¶ He held him selfe herevvith contented and aftervvardes when they vvere better acquainted he chaunsed once groping in hir pocket to find a letter of hir olde louers and thynking it vvere better to vvincke than vtterlye to put out his eyes seemed not to vnderstande this first offence but soone after finding a lemman the vvhich he thought he savve hir olde lemman put there he deuised therof thus and deliuered it vnto hir in vvriting I Grooped in thy pocket pretty peate And found a Lemman which I looked not So found I once which nowe I must repeate Both leaues and letters which I lyked not Such hap haue I to finde and séeke it not But since I sée no faster meanes to bind them I wyll hencefoorth take Lemmans as I finde them The Dame vvithin verie short space dyd aunsvvere it thus A Lymone but no Lemmane Syr you found For Lemmans beare their name to broade before The which since it hath giuen you such a wound That you séeme now offended very sore Content your selfe you shall find there no more But take your Lemmans henceforth where you lust For I wyll shewe my letters where I trust ¶ The lookes of a
Gascoignes Memories written vpon this occasion Hee had in myddest of his youth determined to abandone all vaine delightes and to returne vnto Greyes Inne there to vndertake againe the studdie of the common Lawes And being required by fiue sundry Gentlemen to write in verse somewhat worthye to bee remembred before he entered into their fellowshippe hee compiled these fiue sundrie sortes of metre vppon fiue sundrye theames whiche they deliuered vnto him and the first was at request of Frauncis Kinwelmarshe who deliuered him this theame Audaces fortuna iuuat And therevppon hee wrote this Sonnette following IF yelding feare or cancred villanie In Caesars haughtie heart had tane the charge The walles of Rome had not bene rearde so hye Nor yet the mightye Empire left so large If Menelaus could haue ruld his wyll With fowle reproche to loose his faire delight Then had the stately towres of Troy stoode styll And Greekes with grudge had dronke their owne despight If dread of drenching waues or feare of fire Had stayde the wandring Prince amydde his race Ascanius then the fruite of his desire In Lauine Lande had not possessed place But true it is where lottes doe lyght by chaunce There Fortune helpes the boldest to aduaunce Sic tuli Learne first to spare thy budget at the brinke So shall the bottome be the faster bound But he that list with lauish hand to linke In like expence a pennye with a pound May chaunce at last to sitte a side and shrinke His harbraind head with out dame dainties dore Hick hobbe and Dick with clouts vpon their knée Haue many times more goonhole grotes in store And change of crownes more quicke at cal then he Which let their lease and take their rent before For he that rappes a royall on his cappe Before he put one penny in his pursse Had néede turne quicke and broch a better tappe Or els his drinke may chance go downe the wursse I not denie but some men haue good hap To climbe a lofte by scales of courtly grace And winne the world with liberalitye Yet he that yerks old angells out apace And hath no newe to purchase dignitye When orders fall may chaunce to lacke his grace For haggard hawkes mislike an emptie hand So stiffely some sticke to the mercers stall Till sutes of silke haue swet out all their land So ofte thy neighbours banquet in thy hall Till Dauie Debet in thy parler stand And bids the welcome to thine owne decay I like a Lions lookes not worth a léeke When euery Foxe beguiles him of his praye What sauce but sorrow serueth him aweeke Which all his cates consumeth in one daye First vse thy stomacke to a stand of ale Before thy Malmesey come in Marchantes bookes And rather were for shifte thy shirte of male Than teare thy silken sleues with teynter hokes Put feathers in thy pillowes great and small Let them be princkt with plumes that gape for plummes Heape vp bothe golde and siluer safe in â—ooches Catche snatche and scratche for scrapings and for crommes Before thou decke thy hatte on high with brooches Lette first thyne one hand hold faste all that commes Before that other learne his letting flie Remember still that soft fire makes sweet malte No haste but good who meanes to multiplye Bought witte is deare and drest with sower salte Repentaunce commes to late and then saye I Who spares the first and keepes the last vnspent Shall finde that sparing yéeldes a goodly rent Sic tuli Alexander Neuile deliuered him this theame Sat cito si sat bene wherevpon hee compiled these seuen Sonets in sequence therin bewraying his owne Nimis cito and therwith his Vix bene as foloweth IN haste poste haste when first my wandring minde Behelde the glistring Courte with gazing eye Suche déepe delightes I séemde therin to finde As might beguile a grauer guest than I. The stately pompe of Princes and their péeres Did séeme to swimme in flouddes of beaten goulde The wanton world of yong delightfull yéeres Was not vnlyke a heauen for to behoulde Wherin dyd swarme for euery saint a Dame So faire of hue so freshe of their attire As might excell dame Cinthia for Fame Or conquer Cupid with his owne desire These and suche lyke were baytes that blazed still Before myne eye to feede my greedy will. 2. Before mine eye to féede my gréedy will Gan muster eke mine olde acquainted mates Who helpt the dish of bayne delighte to fill My empty mouth with dayntye delicates And folishe boldenesse toke the whippe in hande To lashe my life into this trustlesse trace Til all in haste I leapte a loofe from lande And hoyste vp soyle to catche a Courtly grace Eche lingring daye did séeme a world of wo Till in that haplesse hauen my head was brought Waues of wanhope so tost me to and fro In déepe dispayre to drowne my dreadfull thought Eche houre a day eche day a yeare did séeme And euery yeare a worlde my will did déeme 3. And euery yeare a worlde my will did déeme Till lo at last to Court nowe am I come A séemely swayne that might the place beséeme A gladsome guest embraste of all and some Not there contente with common dignitie My wandring eye in haste yea poste poste haste Behelde the blazing badge of brauerie For wante wherof I thought my selfe disgraste Then peeuishe pride puffte vp my swelling harte To further foorth so hotte an enterprise And comely cost beganne to playe his parte In praysing patternes of mine owne deuise Thus all was good that might be got in haste To princke me vp and make me higher plaste 4. To prinke me vp and make me higher plaste All came to late that taryed any time Pilles of prouision pleased not my taste They made my heeles to heauie for to clime Mée thought it best that boughes of boystrous oake Should first be shread to make my feathers gaye Tyll at the last a deadly dinting stroake Brought downe the bulke with edge tooles of decaye Of euery farme I then let flye a lease To féede the purse that payde for péeuishnesse Till rente and all were falne in suche disease As scarse coulde serue to mayntayne cleanlynesse They bought the bodie fine ferme lease and lande All were to little for the merchauntes hande 5. All were to little for the merchauntes hande And yet my brauerye bigger than his booke But when this hotte accompte was coldly scande I thought highe time about me for to looke With heauie cheare I caste my head abacke To sée the fountaine of my furious race Comparde my losse my liuing and my lacke In equall balance with my iolye grace And sawe expences grating on the grounde Like lumpes of lead to presse my pursse full ofte When light rewarde and recompence were founde Fléeting like feathers in the winde alofte These thus comparde I left the Courte at large For why the gaines doth séeldome quitte the charge 6. For why the gaines doth seldome quitte the