Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	author_n	great_a	read_v	1,593	5	5.6329	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18740	A handeful of gladsome verses, giuen to the Queenes Maiesty at Woodstocke this prograce. 1592. By Thomas Churchyarde	Churchyard, Thomas, 1520?-1604.	1592 (1592)	STC 5237; ESTC S112587	7,494	22

A HANDEFVL OF GLADSOME VERSES giuen to the Queenes Maiesty at Woodstocke this Prograce 1592. By THOMAS CHVRCHYARDE At Oxforde printed by IOSEPH BARNES Printer to the Vniuersitie 1592. TO THE QVEENES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY MOST gratious and sacred Soueraigne if hope of your princely fauour did not carry me beyond the compasse of my ordinary iudgement I had long a goe surceased the common course of writing in verse to your Maiestie But a sweete and comfortable conceite of your gracious goodnes towards me euer and at all times commanded my muse my pen and vttermost power to goe about no other earthly felicity then the seruing and pleasing of the onely Phoenix of this world my betters farre haue beene ful of that fortunate humor and thriuen well thereby my selfe desires neuer to be discharged of that sweet seruitude pleasāt to the mind profitable to the body and a safety for the soule Now in this quenchles desire of mine that encreaseth a continuall thirst to doe well there riseth a restles cogitation making me think that verse that booke or that peece of seruice as oft I haue put in practice will be happely accepted But beholding most redoubted Queene a multitude of people as well desposed as my selfe that are rūning preasing apace before me some with rare inuentions some with deepe deuices to the honouring of your Maiestie I feare they haue carried cleane away so much knowledge frōme that ther is left no deuice nor matter to study on such is the bounty of our time forwardnes of their wittes which are learned that all fine inuentions are smoothly reaped from my reach cunningly raked away from my vse or commoditie Then am I forced to search what substāce or slēder stuffe of poetrie lyes cowching in mine owne shallow head and so hapning on a few voluntary rimes I haue as it were by good fortune peeced or cōpounded vp a booke which I cal a handful of gladsome verses God graunt they be pleasing but the best is they are deuised for a pastime inuēted for a merry conceyt and presented of a harm les mind to the sweete and sacred consideration of your Maiestie Thus hoping they shal haue free passage to your princely presentes I pray humbly for the preservation of your most Royall person Your Maiesties dutiful and loyall seruant THOMAS CHVRCHYARD A few volu ntary verses to the general readers IF aged daies had dryed vp my Muse As summer drouth hath partcht both hearb and grasse Yet now compeld my pen againe to vse That world shall see my minde is as it was Looke for no gold when I can giue but glasse My morning dew sun beames hath taken hence And troubled springs yeelds puddle water sence Take edge away the knife can cut no more Hard stony ground can beare but little corne Old appels sone are rotten at the kore Ne Figs nor Grapes can come from pricking thorne The glasse soone goes from silke that long is worne Hope for no fruit when leaues forsakes the tree So falleth out betweene my verse and me When youth was fresh and florisht as a flowre The wits were quicke and ready to conceiue When age did frowne and browes began to lowre My skill grue scant the muses did me leaue Then tract of time in head did cobwebs weaue So rusty grew the reason of the braine And euer since I lost my Poets vaine What though ripe wit be now but bare and blunt And fine deuice of head is farre to seeke And age can not doe that which youth was wont And pen scarce makes a verse in halfe a weeke And all my workes not worth a little leeke Yet what I doe but bad or worthy praise I neuer robd no writer in my daies It is mine owne I bring to Printers Presse I haue by happe a Hatchet in my hand To hew the wood let it be more or lesse In what strange forme I list to let it stand though some be chips let all bee iustly scand Ne chips ne choice nor nothing els I knew But was well ment and may abide the vew A Booke in Presse that I my challenge name Shall tell you more of workes that I haue done But blame me not since each man striues for fame To holde on right the course wherein I runne I ought to weare the cloth my fingers spunne I will so Iowd for bookes and verses crie That sure no bird shall with my feathers flie Some Peakocks then will spread their tailes no more Small boast is best let touchstone trie out golde I haue as yet some tragedies in store That like Shores wife in verses shalbe tolde Condemne no man though he be waxen olde A rough barkt tree whose bowes but crooked grow When season serues some mellowd fruit may show A great olde Oake long time will akornes beare And small young graffes are long in sprouting out Some saie old wine is liked euerie where And all men knowes new ale is full of grout Old horse goes well young tits are much to doubt But sure old golde is more esteemd then new No Hawke compares with Hagard in the mew Old men know much though young men cal them fooles Old bookes are best for there great learning is Old authours too are daily read in Schooles New sectes are nought olde knowledge can not misse Old guyes was good and nothing like to this Where fraude and craft and finenesse all would haue And playnest men can neither pole nor shaue Olde fathers built faire Colledges good store And gaue great goods and landes to bring vp youth Young men thinke skorne to make of little more And spends away their thrift to tell the truth Olde mindes were full of mercie grace and ruth And pitty tooke of those that seemd to lacke Young gallants gay from poore doe turne their backe Olde customes good at length becam good lawes Olde lawes are likte and honourd of the wise Good men obey the euils olde order drawes Newe fond delights olde fathers did despise In olde graue heads great skill and wisedome lies Sounde councell comes from age in time of neede Olde mens aduice is that which doth the deede Olde beaten waies are readie still to hit These new by-paths leades men on many stiles An olde prouerbe hath no more wordes then wit Newe fangled heades at each light fancie smiles Olde wisedome farre surmounts young fondlings wiles Experience is the doctor eury daie That carries close all knowledge cleane away Young houndes are fleete the olde hunts slowe and true Olde dogges bite sore if all his teeth be sound Olde auncient friends are better then the newe In younglings loue there is small suretie found For like a toppe fine fancie turneth round Olde colth or silke made in our elder daies Weares long and firme when new things soone decaies No further nowe of age but to my taske I tooke in hand to shewe my duety throw Yet licker sweete comes none from emptie kaske With vargis sowre is