in Matrimony ioyne together In a Coniunction Copplatiue most chaste And of their neighbors Commons make no waste To these the Horn-book proues not crosse but when Women doe teach it vnto married men The filthy Leacher that on drabs and queanes Consumes his flesh his marrow and his meanes Making his body to resemble most A sinke then temple of the holy Ghost Who cannot be contented with a wife Nor yet liue honest by a single life The married man may be compar'd indeed To a rich thiefe which steales yet stands no need And for so grieuous and so great abuse With his best cunning cannot pleade excuse To saue himselfe Gods sacred Malestie Did preordaine a meanes and remedie Gainst fornication and to hate that vice He honor'd Marriage first in Paradice To this intent he did that honour giue That all therein might honorably liue Without infringing of those nuptiall bands By which vnited are both hearts and hands The Bride-groome with a Ring his Bride doth wed In signe none should perticipate his bed And as a Ring that hath no end but round So should no ending of their loue be found But they which other womens kindnes proue There is a breach of Wedlocks honest loue These doe euen Hell for a iust stipend earne And so indeed the Horn-booke backwards learne Both married wiues maidens here may look With modest eyes vpon my Horning-booke My Horne-bookes honesty will their's affront If that they can vouchsafe to looke vpon t If they be chaste it chastetie imbraceth It taunteth vices and true vertue graceth And though the Horn-book be my books right stile Here 's no lasciuious lines yet to beguile The eares of them that heare or reade the same Though vnto some may harshly seeme the name The Horn-booke if it true be vnderstood Containeth nothing but is right and good Then wiues and Maidens this is my request Befriend the Horn-booke for it is your best Young hopefull Gentlemen that doe resort By Art and learning to the Inns of Court Which doe through time and paines much vnderstand To grow great men and Iudges of the land All these I reuerence with a due respect Whose labours turne vnto a good effect I hope their splendent fauours all will shine Vpon my Horn-booke though that some repine And Crittick-like doe my good meaning wrest To the worst sense though I conceiue the best For I protest I thinke not an ill thought Though I doe itterate the Horn-booke oft My modest Muse like to a Maid would blush If vnaduisedly I should but rush Into a sentence sorded and vnsit And check my Pen to run before my wit Hypocrosie That man whose hart and tongue do not agree Though pure his words his thoughts pernitious be The glozing speeches which he doth impart Are characters of his deceitfull heart His double in-side out ward doth appeare Like to the habit that he best might weare As in a sute of Linsie-woolsie-stuff Of lace call'd lack of both-sides for his Ruff His Cuffs about his wrests iust of the same And Ambodexter fitteth right his name Religion for a cloake he putteth on To hide his faults when falsely he hath don Vnto the Church he goeth most demure As if he was extreame deuout and pure Vnder his arme a Bible he doth beare To make his luke-warme zeale more hot appeare When he speaks faire he then pretends most euill And Scripture falsely vseth like the deuill Who in his Disputation went about To tempt our Sauiour like a Tempter stout From these more deuilish villany proceed Then from those men that sinfull seeme indeed These be not Hel-black Deuils no they are white Which doe through holinesse in sinne delight These learn'd the Horn-booke to a bad intent Their time of learning was but vainely spent And now my Muse I will not ouercharge I else could write of Pallaters at large Of Sumners Baylifes and such knauish men But that with them I will not foyle my pen Yet in their praises thus much I can tell Euen in a word or two and so farwell On the worlds stage they do the deuils part play Which vp and downe do range to seek their pray And dailie hunt for booties where to speed On poore mens purses most of all they feed In taking fees they simple men abuse By vild extortion which they often vse For poore men they quite swagger out sweare Where they suppose that they can dominere These all are Lawyers factors for to doe Such like imployments as they put them to These from the Horn-books honest meaning swerue And in their places right like knaues doe serue Now cease my Muse in quiet silence rest For of the Horn-booke thou hast said thy best FINIS
all chiefe learning litrature and Art The Horn-booke is the ground which doth impart A world of Science and great Art and skill Comes from the Horn-booke be it good or ill And I haue reason to colland the same Because t is sounding somewhat neere my name The Rtoritian and the great Logition Th' Arethmatition and the black Magition The learn'd Phisitian and the quaint Musitian The grounded Grecian and the sound Hebritian Which mount Parnassus * Vniâ—ersity Hill and not to seeke In English Latin Hebrew and in Greeke And all that deeply politick are found Had first their knowledge from the Horn-bookes ground Great learned Preachers of Diuinitie Which with the heauens haue neare affinitie Profound sound Doctors of the Morrall Law First from the Horn-booke did their reason draw And from Christs Cradle to his bloody Crosse In Christ-crosse-row is Character'd each losse And great affliction that to man doth fall Being taught by Patience how to beare withall There 's an old saying to be vnderstood And yet in deed is not so old as good In my beginning God be my good speed In grace and vertue that I may proceed So vertue is the Alpha of Gods grace How we should run th' Omega of our race And what is Patience but a vertue pure Which to the end all Crosses doth endure He that hath Patience is a perfect man And well is skild the Christ-crosse-row to skan Patience is euen the ground froÌ„ whence proceeds All goods conceits and charitable deeds And charitie is euen the firme foundation On which a man doth found his soules saluation Then to conclude these vertues first doe flow From the Originall the Christ-crosse-row The little Infant that receiues his birth To passe his pilgrimage vpon the earth Takes first a respite and a time to grow Before he comes vnto the Christ-crosse-row And at his Baptisme euen from the Font Receiues the Crosse of Christ vpon his front In signe that he should neuer shame nor feare The Crosse of Christ and Christian life to beare For three or fower yeares space like to a lamb He spends his time in sporting and in gam His wanton courage somewhat then to Coole His Parents puts him to a petty Schoole Then after that he takes a pritty pride To weare the Horn-booke dangling by his side And was it not well arm'd with plate and horne T' was in great danger to be rent and torne For in his sport sometimes he falleth out With his Schoole-fellow so they haue a bout At Buff and counter-buff the Horr-bookes then Are all the weapons for these stout tall men As t is agreeing with their childish yeares They briefely fall together by the eares For a small cause their quarrell doth begin Euen for a Point a Counter or a Pin And as a trifle small their friendship brake Euen so a toy them friends againe doe make For they good Lads in mallice cannot sleepe Within their brests they anger neuer keepe So to their sports they fresh againe doe fall As if they had not fallen out at all The good nature and disposition of Children For he to learne yet cannot well betake him But finding toyes sports sits down to lake him With Top and Top-stick and his Eldern-guns And neuer thinks of time how fast it runs And thus with such like lakings childish play He many times doth passe the time away Vntill his Tutor with an awfull hand Not sternely tho but with a mild command Makes him affect his booke not with a twig But with a Nut an Almond or a Fig. And hauing so the childs affection won He saith sweet Lad come and thy Horn-book con And so the A.B.C. he first is taught From that to spelling he is after brought And being right instructed for to spell He learn's his Sillables and Vowels well Then with due teaching he doth well consider By 's Masters rule how he may put together The Horn-booke hauing at his singers end Vnto the Primer he doth next ascend When his capacitie againe doth alter From that he goes into the holy Psalter Then next to that into the Booke of Bookes The sacred Bible modestly he lookes As in a glasse where he may plainely see Both what he is and what he ought to bee How that he was conceiu'd-and borne in sin Since his first breath to draw he did begin There he may see that he 's a mortall man Subiect to sin and hard resist it can There is a soueraigne salue most gratious sent To heale sick soules which truly doe repent There he may see that sin originall Came first from Eue and Adam by their fall Before the Masculine I here prefer The Feminine because she first diderr The woman with inticements did begin To draw old Father Adam vnto sin And since her first disease it still infects Vnto this day a number of her sects There he may see by the first Adams fall A second Adam did redeeme vs all With bis most dearest blood shed on the Crosse The greatest gratious blessing that e're was And as the Prouerbe old doth teach vs so We first must creepe before we well can goe So from the Horn-booke we must first incline Before we can attaine to things diuine Diuine or humaine or in what degree Of Art and knowledge what so e're it be And as the Bible is the well of preaching Euen so the Horn-booke is the ground of teaching Yet â—e not hold my argument so strong To doe the Accidence one iot of wrong A second worthy ground there is in truth Of learning apter for more able Youth But yet he cannot vnto this attaine Before the Horn booke doth direct him plaine By skill good will and times experience He enters straight into the Accedence There 's the true ground Gramarians ground vpon To clime vnto the Hill of * Vniuersity Hellicon To that they 'r brought with charge large expences To know their Monds their Cases their Tences By that th' ar learn'd to scan and proue a Verse And also how to Conster and to Perse Then with the Latin Abcee they begin And so from step to step more skill doe win Puriles next is vsde in Schollers making In which Youth gather profit by paines taking By viewing Cato there they may rehearse For good examples many a golden verse Ouids lasciuious booke in 's â—rt to loue Is good to reade but not so good to proue Tully for eloquence doth beare the bell For a sweet stile he doth the rest excell Corderus Dyalogues doth true relate Good presidents for youth to iâ—mitate Terence a worthy booke and ready meanes Timboulden boyes by acting of his Sceanes In Ouids Metamorphosis is had Diuers examples that are good and bad There Phaeton through pride did get a fall A goodly president for pride to all For he beyond his skill needs would assay That which turn'd quickly to his owne decay Acteon for his longing and his lust After chast Dyna was transformed
HORNBYES HORNBOOK Iudge not too rashly till through all you looke If nothing then doth please you burne the Booke By William Hornbye Gent. London Printed by Aug. Math. for Thomas Bayly and are to be sold at his shop in the middle Rowneere Staple Inn. 1622. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND HOPEFVLL YOVNG Gentleman Sir ROBERT CARR Barronet W. H. wisheth increase of all honorable vertues MY honest humble harmlesse horning-book From whence young Schollers their first learning tool To you I dedicate true generous spirit Your early towardnesse and vertues merit A farre more worthy worke then here I can Set out that ne're was Accademian Yet in my homely verse perhaps you 'l find Something a little which may please your mind My booke 's but Harden to some Holland wit And so with home-spun plainest best doth fit For in a plaine and honest simple stile There lurkes no craft no subtiltie nor guile Here is no vaine nor yet prophane discourse To make you by the reading be the worse I would not staine your thoughts with such a booke Nor haue your chaste eyes on such follies looke This in a manner doth but plainely show How Schollers doe begin and how they grow To Learning by their industrie and paine That rich inestimable Iem to gaine The Horn-book is at first Arts Nurce froÌ„ whence We suck the milke of our intellîgence We must be perfect in our letters all E're we to spelling and to reading fall By this Originall we win indeed The Muses glory if we so proceede And as this booke sweet Sir but young appeares So tis respondent vnto youthfull yeares Fit for your young dayes and minoritie Vntill you come to senioritie Into my mind this cogitation came Vnto your selfe to dedicate the same Presuming of your fauour and your loue That what I write your vertues will approue Vpon your face although your yeares be greene The portrature of modestie is seene Though in the Teenes you scarce haue enterd yet You haue a manly Carriage pregnant Wit God be your good guide and your happy speede Euen as you haue begun so to proceede In honourable vertues worthy Car To make your name shine like the Morning-Star Thus Honourable Sir I take my leaue In hope you kindly will this mite receiue Yours in all humble seruice W. H. TO THE VVORSHIPFVLL YOVNG GENTLEMAN THOMAS GRANTHAM Esquire Sonne and Heire to Sir THOMAS GRANTHAM Knight W.H. wisheth all Health and Happinesse BEtwixt two Roses I a Lilly place Three flowers most sweet and louely flourishing All hopefull by Gods blessing and his grace In Vertues Garden sweetly vp to spring A true and worthy Gardiner they haue From choaking weedes them to preserue and saue God was assistant to so wise Elector When first he chose so sure a friend indeed To be his childrens Gardian and Protector Who with an honourable care and heed Kindly respects his deare posteritie Which sure shall lift his honour to the skie To you sole Sonne vnto this worthy Knight I likewise dedicate my simple Muse Conioyning you together as t is right Because a Simpathie in loue you vse As you are Fellowes both at Schoole and play I hope I blamelesse ioyne you partners may And thus relying on your kind affection That courteously you will this booke receiue I boldly shroud it vnder your protection And here in briefe I humbly take my leaue Wishing your vertues to grow more and more In multitudes like Sand vpon the shore Yours most officious and obsequius in what he can W. H. To the Worshipfull and vertuous young Gentleman Mr. Rochester Carre W.H. wisheth increase of all spirituall and temporall blessings RIght generous Sir I kindly you intreate To be Copartner for to patronize This little Orphant of my braines conceite Which to you also in all humble wise I dedicate my Muse shall still ingage her As well vnto the Minor as the Maior And thus my loue in equall ballance peasde I equallize your worths with equall thought My onely wishes are you would be pleasde Kindly to take what my poore wit hath wrought Your kind acceptance is my chiefest gaines I wish no greater gurdeon for my paines At your seruice to be commanded W. H. TO THE READER MY Braine now gentle Reader 's brought to bed Of that a while she painefull laboured â—ypen a carefull Mid-wiues part hath plaid â—o see her of her Orphant safely layd Wrap'd vp in raggs of meane intelligence Without the Robes of learned eloquence And though she be shee s not abortiue borne Though Retorique her shaps did ne're adorne Nor is she of a base and bastard straine Her Parentage is honest simple plaine All of her Father true Inuentions getting As t is most honest requisite and fitting She is no filtch-line of anothers wit Such Theft she hateth and abhorreth it And she dare looke euen with a modest grace Her better Muse with boldnesse in the face A Cottyers child may be as truly got As is a Courtyers euery way why not As faire and louely too in shape and face And euen as well adorn'd with inward grace And proue as faithfull iust and plaine a man For he nere temporise nor flutter can He doth not know the art of Adulation He neuer is acquainted with such fashion The difference of these two in this appears Th' one Robes of silke th'otherraggs doth weare Euen so although this homely brat of mine Doth want rich robes of Art to make it shine Through out all places where it haplie goes Yet meere simplicitie and truth it showes The two collauded and applauded springs Where all the Muses most delitious sings Within their armes did neuer me infold Nor did my eyes their glory yet behold Such blisse to me alas did ne're belong I had the greater iniurie and wrong Then gentle Reader if that title faire With thy good nature I may right compare Pardon my Muse which for no ill intent Into the world I homely here haue sent Here is no enuy that at all doth lurke In this my harmelesse Muses little worke And if that any discontent doth grow T is not my fault but theirs which take it so Those people then whose consciences are cleare From all such things as I haue written here Accept my minds true meaning and good will More then my Retorique my Art and skill If some cannot commend it nor defend it Then in their wisdomes let them kindly mend it If neither cease then a malignant tongue And doe a harmlesse honest Muse no wrong Yours as you like him Cornu-apes HORNBYES HORNBOOK THe Horn-booke of all books I doe commend For the worlds knowledge it doth coÌ„preheÌ„d There is no book vnder heauens copious cope Of mightie volume large and full of scope Composde of the pure quintissence of wit But sure the Horn-booke full containeth it What euer can be written read or said Are first of letters fram'd composde and made Each word and sentence are in order set Deriued from the English Alphabet Of