quā alterio Euery man had rather be his owne friende then his neighbours Oh qd the Angler but that is a rule against good fellowship Why so quoth the scholler I think he that will not prouide for his owne breakefast can hardly bid his friende to dinner Well sir quoth the Angler what say you to your sentence in this sence A young louer in a cold night gaue his wench his cloake and went himselfe in his doublet in the raine I say quoth the scholler loue is deerer then lyfe and therefore shée beeing the summe of his harts ioy hee preferred his Mistres before himselfe according to the custome of kinde harts Oh quoth the Angler such Louers in deede are pretty fooles like the bird that flies in the ayre and suffereth his henne to hatch her egges on his backe while hee flies vp and downe for meat for her dinner But in deede to tell you truth neerer is my skin then my coate and that is the plaine sence of your sentence Well then qd the scholler to goe on with another note Erustra sapit qui non sapit sibi He is a foole for all his wit that is not wise for himselfe Indeed quoth the Angler he that will till his neighbours ground before he hath done with his own may happen to haue Corne in the fielde when other haue theyr haruest in the Barne Indeed sir quoth the Scholler hee that doth for other for I thanke you till hee say to himselfe I beshrew you he may haue more kinde wit then commodious vnderstanding but by your leaue among many that haue béen studients in this course of instructiou I finde one notable vile creature whose philosophy I may rather call mortall then morrall his notes are so full of poyson to the spirit of all good disposition and this good old Gentleman his name was Machauile Oh quoth the Angler a vengeance of all villaines I thinke there was neuer such another hee hath left such deuiltish lessons to the worlde that I thinke hee will hardlie come at heauen I pray you sir quoth the Angler let mee intreate you to recite some of them I will tell you sir qd the scholler among many notes that I tooke ont of diuers places of his discourses I remember this was one of the first That it was good for a man of conscience to kéep the bands of his oath and yet when pollicie may purchase a good purse an oth hath béen ventered for a lesse matter then a million Ang. O bace companion a fit steward for the deuill to bring soules into hell A gentle instruction to perswade a couetous spirite to bring the body and soule to destruction But by your leaue he that will venture his own soule shall haue nothing to doe with my bodie Wel what was the next note Mary quoth the Scholler that Fathers in their gouernment should be feared of theyr Chyldren But quoth the Angler I am not of his minde in that poynt for loue bréedes more assurance then feare dooth cōfort But what els Sch. That it is good for Maisters to be bountifull to their seruaunts were it not that Keepers will say that fatte hounds will hunt but lazilie Yea quoth the Angler such lessons as these driues so many poore seruing men that pay for their owne liueries to runne on the skore for their breakefasts But I pray you what more Sch. That he that will not curtsie to a Milstone make musick to an Owle daunce trenchmore with an Ape and fall to wonder at a Wether-cocke may hope after nuts and pick on shells for his comfort Tush man qd the Angler are these of his notes Not in these wordes but to this effect aunswered the Scholler Indeede quoth the Angler now that I doe remember mée I thinke he that can carry a Ring in his mouth a booke vnder his arme a penne in his eare and a knife in his pocket may hap to make himselfe good chéere when better minds may misse their dinner but on with your notes I pray you Sir quoth the Scholler I will tell you I red in certaine notes of a scholler of his that a man that will thriue in the world must haue his eye vpon one his hand vpon another his foote vpon the third and his tongue for the fourth but hée must not set his hart vpon any of them for if he grow in loue with a woman or in league with a friend so farre that he commit his secrets to his keeping his head is vnder an others girdle his purse at an others commaund and his wits in an others keeping and then for lack of a little discretion he may euen goe currant for a foole Oh this was a pretty scholler at the deuills Alphabet quoth the Angler was not Timon of Athens one of the fathers of his church who gaue counsaile to the afflicted to hang themselues for their comfort I thinke he was quoth the scholler but God blesse euery good spirit from such a wicked kind of humor But to goe on I red further that it was no little proofe of wit to finde out a prodigall heire to vse him like a younger brother and if there were euer a Lawyer of a large conscience what a bribe might doo for a conueiance Oh quoth the Angler the pillary is a sit window for such villaines to looke out at But are these the best notes that you remember in his studie Not the best quoth the scholler nor the worst but as they come into my head I tell you them I pray you sir quoth the Angler haue you not beene a little red in historiographie or doo you not remember anie pretty accident that hath fallne out in your trauaile which in the discourse of your kindnes might doe well to entertaine the tyme with Trulie quoth the Scholler I was neuer any great historian neither hath my trauaile beene long yet haue I seene more then I haue read but of eyther as time will giue mée leaue I will tell you a little to laugh at First touching histories or rather indeed fained tales as good as fables I red in a booke whose Author I haue forgotten a discourse of a man whose name I found not written but sith the matter is somewhat fresh in memory I will as neere as I can recite it and thus it was There was an old man of more age then grace who hauing spent all his youth in byrding fell in his elder yeeres to Conny-catching but when the arest of Time brings the long day to a darke night that no coine coulde make excuse for none appearance vpon the sommon Death would be satis-fied with no aunswere but depart thys old fellow hauing a young son much after the gréedy humor of his grosse Sire before hee ended his life close at his bedds side deliuering him vp the keyes of his Coffers left him thys lessen for a farewel My boy qd he if thou wilt be wise and take heede I leaue thee enough to keepe thee
may bee pend by a better spirit let this suffice for the sum of my speech that where the eye of honour did set the rule of gouernment kindnesse was a companion in euery corner of the house now to this little Earths kind of Paradise among many sundry kinde of people came by chaunce a poore Gentleman in the ruine of his fortune by the deuise of a close conueyance of an imagined friend brought in hauing more wit then discretion in the nature of a good foole to giue this Lady cause of laughter who no sooner sounded the substance of his wit but with the deepe eye of her rare iudgement percing into the humble vertue of his spirit pittying his fortune and perceiuing his want made vse of his seruice in a better sence and in the diuine nature of her blessed spirit determined the mean of his aduauncement With her countenaunce she graced him with good words she fauoured him with her bountie shee relieued him and would suffer no man to hurt him for séeing honestie want maintenaunce and vertue oppressed with malice she did not like a helping hand to fill vp a halfe penny purse with a poore reckoning but like herselfe in the absolute power of her honourable spirit shée comforted the afflicted minde reuiued the hart halfe dead and as it were drawne out of the ditch of misery sette the spirite in the warme sunne of Gods blessing Thus did this Princesse entertaine thys poore Gentleman till by the faction of the malicious the delightfull working of the enuious the desart of his owne vnworthinesse finding in the deceiuing of this his bright sun the sinking of his too happy fauour supping vp his sorrowe to himselfe taking leaue for a time to trauaile about a little idle busines in a cold snowy day passing ouer an vnknowne plaine not looking well to his way or beeing ordained to the misery of such mis-fortune fell so déepe downe into a Saw-pitte that hee shall repent the fall while hee liues for neuer since daring to presume but in prayers to thinke on his faire Princesse and liuing in poore Cottages to looke towards that Court-like pallace he hath gone vp downe like a shadowe without substance a purse without money and a body without a spirit For euer since as he hath often told me if he haue come among men it hath beene like a Faire of rude people compared to the sweet company of that house if in the company of women like a meeting of Gossips in respect of the gracious spirits of the sweete creatures of that little paradice and if by chaunce in his weary passage hee hath had any priuate conference with some espetiall bird of the Countrey yet for all the best notes that euer he heard they were all Sparrowes to his Nightingale For according to the dispositions of their minds hee might see the weakenes of their spirits as some would talke of nothing but the new fashion pinning of ruffes starching rebaters the Outlandish tire and the long bodies the fine stuffe and the prettie pinke the Lawne shadow and the cutworke Lace other of the pyed Cow the bay Horse the black Sheepe and the branded Pig another her Malt in the Kill her Oates in the scuttle and her Rye in the sheafe her Cheese in the presse and her Butter in the cherme Now with this galimawfrey of such good matter as filled his eares with more sound then good sence must he satis-fie his sorrowfull hart that when it got him alone by him selfe with calling to minde the excellent matter that in variety of methode he had often heard from the mouth of his Minerua would so fall into a sighing that had not the heauens the better blest it it would surely haue burst asunder For say quoth he that though some few I found of extraordinary good spirits yet among a number of these Countrey daunces I did light on such a Galiard as had a trick aboue Trenchmour and could speake more to the purpose then many of the wiues of the Parish who hauing red many English books could tell pretty tales of idle people yet compare this Christall with my Diamond she would quickly shew her dunnes and among all other things if by the reuenue of a pretty Dairy she could priuily put vp three pence to spend at a blind bridaile if perhaps in a good humour she had a minde to pleasure a poore friend it would come so dropping out of her fingers as though it hoong at her hart blood and then perhaps with such a lesson to it to take heede of vnthriftines with a shrug of the shoulders at the hardnes of the world that it would breake the hart of a good minde to thinke on the misery of such Almes To goe from Hiues that giue the golden honey To shilling Spirits that will tell their money And then calling to mind the golden showres of his Ladies fauours bled inwardly in the hart with such drops of vnseene teares as makes him like Adam out of Paradice hope of no happines till hee come at heauen Or like the Phenix liue in ashes till he may get life by the vertue of his bright Sunne againe and now this is only his worldly comfort that she liueth whom his hart honoureth and his soule prayeth for though his vnworthy eye be abandoned the blessing of his sences admiration Who though he liue in the dungeon of sorrowes darknes will neuer cease prayer to the heauens for his bright Sunnes eternall blessednes and that as her name doth liue onely in the high Meridianis so her soule may be blessed in the highest Caelis Alas poore wretch quoth the Angler why doe your eyes water your chéekes at the shutting vp of this discourse If it be your selfe be not dismaide Princes haue gracious spirits and great powers who at the time of their pleasure will comfort patience in misery and after the woe of a long Winter giue the fruite of a little Spring howsoeuer hope hit on a good Sommer and therefore continue thy constancie in thy prayer to remember the happines of thy harts honour and feare not but vertue will one day haue a glaunce of fauour and therefore if I may aduise thee let not mal-content bréede a madnes to driue thee from thy selfe to a worse companion Serue God and care not for the world for I am perswaded that shee that is made of so many exceedings cannot but at her good time make thée happy in her comfort who though a while shee shut vp the hand of her bounty yet will send thée a little of that Quintescence that will saue thée from a deadly swound howsoeuer sorrow possesse thée And therefore be her bead-man in thy prayers till she make imployment of thy further seruice And now since I see the Sunne growes so low as will scarse giue vs light to our lodging let me at this parting challenge your promise that to morrow you will visite my poore cabine which with all kindnes that I can deuise shall be alwayes with my selfe at your commaund Thus with harty thanks each to other with a few good words of either side taking a kinde leaue the Angler takes vp his hooke away they part from the Riuer side From whence when they were gone in a manner out of sight a certaine odde Diogenes of the world like a forlorne creature on the earth throwne lately out of the fortune of his Mistres fauour getting a Paper-booke vnder his arme and a penne and Inke vnder his girdle in a melancholike humour meaning to trouble the Muses with some dolefull Ballad to the tune of all a greene willow sitting downe on a little mole-hill among a thick growne plot of Ozters vnseene in steede of his intended peece of Poetry writ as fast as he could this discourse that hee heard betwixt this Angler and the Scholler FINIS
as ventring vppon the baite aunswers the hope of our labour Now what thinke you of this figure Trulie Sir quoth the Scholler I thinke that when wit is ledde away with humors reason may be intangled in repentance and the pleasing of the eye is such a plague to the hart that the worme of cōscience brings ignorance to destruction while in the Sea of iniquitie the deuill angleth for his dinner The Fisherman smiling at this aunswere fell to him with another péece of angling in this manner We haue quoth hée a kinde of flye made onely of silke which we make our baite for a fish called a Trowt with which wee often deceiue the foolish thing as well as with the flie it selfe Alas sir quoth the scholler this shewes but the vile course of the world where wit finding out a foole féedes his fancie with such illusions as makes him some-time loose himselfe with looking after a shadow as wordes are without substance when they are layd for easie beleeuers Well sir quoth the Angler sith you roue so neere the marke of an vnhappy meaning I will not yet trouble you with further disciphering of conceits but onely tell you a little cause of my pleasure taken in this cold exercise Before I had leysure to learne this lesson of patience to sit on a banke side and onely pleasing my conceit with the hope of my cunning to deceiue a silly creature of her comfort I saw diuers kinds of fishing in the world which though they were easily learned yet I had no minde to looke into at least for mine owne vse howsoeuer it profited other but of these were diuers sundry sorts and of diuers natures according to the Fishermen or the fish that they baited for of which kinds according to the permission of time I wil acquaint you with a few which I haue learned to forget as vnpleasing to put in practise One kind was substantiall an other metaphoricall and the third fantasticall The substantiall was fishing with the golden hooke which rich men onely layde in the deepe consciences of the couetous where they plucked vp such fauours as brought them a world of commoditie and yet I remember one more welthie then wise hauing made a hooke of a great waight which was swallowed by a wide mouth the great fish puld the no little foole into the water and eyther drowned him in the deepe or so swallowed him vp quick that he was neuer séene after in the world Alas sir quoth the Scholler this fellow was eyther too gréedy of his gaine or perswaded himselfe to be another Ionas that after three dayes hee shoulde bee cast out of the Whales belly and come to shore with a Muscle boat but hee was pittifully deceiued for by all that I can gesse of him he had but one sillable of his name and that was the last for he prooued himselfe but an Asse howsoeuer Ione fedde his humor Alas sir quoth the Angler there are many such mis-fortunes in the world a man may swallowe a Gudgin whilst he is fishing for a Pickrell leape a Whiting whilst he is looking on a Codshead Yea quoth the Scholler but that is foule play that a man should loose his stoole while he is looking for a cushion and be robd of his bread whilst he is reaching for butter Indeed qd the Angler you say true when one sits by ill neighbours hee had need looke to his skirts But leauing these Items let mee come to my first reckoning fishing for the great fish I tell you was wont to be with the golden hooke Let the Mermaids sing neuer so sweetly they make no reckoning of theyr musicke it is the golden hooke that they will onelie come vnto and without that it is but vaine to lay for a fish and catch a Frog Why I haue heard of fishes that haue been made drunke with a golden kinde of gum that after they haue but tasted it in theyr mouthes they haue turned vp theyr bellies Now for such great fishes as I speake of the very oyle of gold is of such vertue as the quintescence of halfe a million will so ouer-come the sences of thē that tast it that they will turne vp both backe and belly with the giddines of that operation Oh sir quoth the Scholler a vengeance on the deuill heere is a long tale quickly construed Iacke of both sides for a bagge of money where among the companie of the Brokers the deuill angleth for Usurers But I pray you sir on with your fishing and if you haue doone with your substantiall begin with your metaphoricall Sir quoth the Angler in truth my store of gold is so little that I care not if I speake no more of that hooke and nowe touching the metaphoricall fishing I found it onely by wit a conceited kind of hooke that is onely layd in the shallow sence of vnderstanding where kinde fooles are cosend with faire words of fine deuises as a foule Crowe to bee perswaded with eloquence that shee is beloued for her white bill till to feede a flattering humor shee leaue neuer a feather in her wing Oh quoth the Scholler I vnderstand you as hee that made faire wether with Vulcan because hee would make faire worke with Venus No no that is a foolish kind of fishing to fish for a Codshead and carry a knaues head to the market Oh brother quoth the scholler you are too plaine in your Aduerbs In truth answered the Angler it is not worthy the name of a Prouerb for euery note of experience is not a golden sentence and yet giue a foole a Cocks-combe and let euery honest man haue his right for my selfe I neuer loued to angle for credite with a shewe of more sober countenaunce then simple meaning for in truth brother and verily sister made the deuill daunce Trenchmore where hipocrisie blew the bagpipe Yea quoth the Scholler how catch you a Trowt but with a silken flye and can you better deceiue a foole then with a Taffatie face Oh sir laugh vpon euery man at the first sight make a curtsie of the old fashion say a long grace without booke find fault with long haire and great ruffes and tell youth of his folly and all imperfections of the flesh shall be excluded from the spirit Oh sir quoth the Scholler you shoulde haue set downe probatum a good medicine for a mad humor to take phisicke without an Apothicarie to bleede in a lither vaine Goe to sir quoth the Angler such fits of naturall philosophy put you from your booke and mee to mine angle but leauing these new tricks of an old daunce let vs fall again to our old galiard and touching angling say that a madde felow made a baite of a faire wench to catch a foule churle withall how many fauours might her sweete eyes plucke out of his sower hart In deede quoth the Scholler it is not a little treason in youth to catch age in a wheelebarrow especially when an Ape
the spirit of our vnderstanding through the eye of our minde behold the light of that truth that may leade the care of our reason to the content of onr conceite I hope the best and though as a mist may dim the sight of the eye and dissembling the sence of the mind yet for that I will try before I doubt and commaund before I fauour let the patience of your discretion attend the pleasure of my employment and for all courses what soeuer fall out if I doe you good be glad not proud of it and open not your window to the Sunne when she hath power to sende her beames through the glasse and so not entertaining your seruice till I may acquaint you with my best content I pray you walke aside for this time For I sée a Gallant that I must talke with and will soone be rid of The good Knight vnwilliug by any motion of discontent to put out the fire that was now in kindling with humble thanks tooke his leaue and left his Lady to her new Louer who no sooner came neere her but obseruing all fine ceremonies with kissing his hand in putting off his hat with a Passa measure pace comming toward her swéet presence gréetes her with this salutation Faire Ladie the Quintescence of your beauties excellence hath so enflamed the spirit of my affection that except I haue fauour in your eyes my hart will surely consume to ashes and therefore if my seruice may haue acceptation in your contentment I will not be behind with my good will to execute the office of your commaund The Lady with a blushing smile at this wise Gentlemans formality made him this quicke and quipping aunswer Sir if your new coyned eloquence were not too farre out of the way of mine vnderstanding I would fit you an aunswere to your motion but since silence can best talke with woodden Rethoricke I pray you sir if you haue any thing to say to me let me plainely know your meaning Why quoth this Whippet if I should tell you I loue you and you beléeue it not if you beléeue it and yet regard it not if you regard it and yet confesse it not what shall I be the better to speake plainliar then I haue reason Well sir quoth the Lady to this aboundance of little wit if I did like to study vpon such Riddles I should perhaps trouble my selfe to finde out a fit aunswere for the cipher of reason But to tell you plaine your loue I knowe not your selfe I loue not your words I regard not and how you take it I care not But if you haue any thing to say to any other ende I will heare you as I thinke good and aunswere you as I sée cause Why then Madam quoth he to tell you plaine my Lord your Father saw you out of his window walking with Signor Felio and vpon the sodaine willed me to come for you Well sir quoth the Lady nothing dismaide at the message I am ready to attend his pleasure though I wish he had sent a fitter seruant to mine humour But to make as short tale as I may sending word by this odde Gallant that she would forth-with attend his pleasure calling to her a Gentlewoman that shee sawe sitting in an Arâ—our somewhat néere vnto her taking her in her attendance away shee goes to her good Father who with a naturall kindnes dissembling his discontent in suspect of the talk had betwixt her and Don Felio with a smiling countenance entertained her with this welcome taking her by the hand and leading her into his Gallery he began in priuat thus to fall in talke with her My best girle whom aboue all the children that I haue I most estéeme in the true ioy of my hart and well woorthy for thy good caridge in all courses as well for thy dutie towards mée as thy reputation in the world I must confesse I neuer had cause to suspect thy discretion in anie cause of dislike but if a Fathers care prooue a kinde of iealousie excuse the error in aboundance of loue and tell me truth to a question that I wil put vnto thee The swéet Ladie not willing to delay her Father with long circumstance with a modest countenaunce not once altering her colour but keeping the care of her wit intreated his commaundement of her dutie who in kinde manner made her this speech I haue béene heere in my Gallary walking most part of this euening and looking out at one of these windowes I espied Don Felio all alone walking a turne or two in the long walke where hée had béene but a while when you found him in his Muses and entertained him or he you I knowe not with what conference The man is one that I loue and will be gladde to preferre to any honour that he deserueth but I pray thee tel mée what was the substance of your talke Truely Father quoth Madam Fianta for so was her name I would gladly tell it you if I might presume vpon her patience and not doubt your displeasure I will acquaint you with asmuch as I can remember The Duke expecting another matter then she deliuered with a dissembled countenaunce of promised content willed her boldlie to say her minde Then good Father quoth the Lady thus it is little thinking to find any creature in that walk wheÌ„ fingling my selfe from my company I tooke my Booke of Da plisses in my hand and meant to contemplate some diuine contentations béeing néere vnto him ere I was aware and loth either to disgrace him with entreating his absence or vpon the suddaine to withdrawe my selfe from his companie in such good maner as it might well beseeme him he saluted me with this spéech Honourable Ladie I am sorry that it is my ill happe to become a trouble is your contentiue solitarines but howe dooth my good Ladie and your good Father Him quoth I in good health I left not long since and my selfe you sée not troubled with good coÌ„panie but what shoulde make Don Felio to chuse thys solemne place for his solace Alas Madam quoth the poore Knight I dare speake to your Ladiship who in the pitty of your vertue haue euer béene a good furtherer of all sutes of your Fathers seruants so ill hath béen my hap that after the spending of many yeeres loosing of no little blood and wasting of some part of my little substance nowe there is no vse for mée in his warres to make my aduenture vppon the enemie my yéeres growing to that height that I must before the declining of my best age put my wits to some worke for the better reléefe of my poore carkasse and maintaining of my meane estate hauing had a long sute vnto him which by the crosnesse of my backe friends I am almost now out of hope to enioy I am deuising not far hence néere vnto the Cittie in a large Orchard that I haue belonging to my house to set vp an Ape-baiting which beeing a