with toyes and trifles light Thy prisoner was I borne to bée and Adams children all Like Captiues here condemnde to die must suffer for his fall But now the chaines and lothsome lincks that lay on shoulders weake And all the bandes and clogges of care in shiuers small shall breake And I from cage shall mount the skyes more swift then bird with wing And flickar like a simple doue where shining Angels sing I bring a badge and liuery both that my good mayster CHRIST Did leaue for such as beares his crosse through fogges of wordly miest Yea shaking off this sinfull Soyle mée thinke in clowdes I sée Among the pâ—rfit chosen Lambes a place preparde for mée Héere is no home nor harbring house but Cabbens built on sand That euery pirrie puffeth downe or still on proppeâ— doe stand Our Fathers spreets possesse in peace the Countrey that wee craue Wee are but straungers farre from home that nothing certaine haue These were her wordes and many moe which followes as shée spoke I did quoth shée by brittle life O Lord thy wrath prouoke For which I now repent mee sore and trusting to receaue Free pardon for my former faultes eare soule shall bodie leaue My faint and feeble vessell fraile so feares thy iustice great That it appeales from curse of Lawe vnto thy mercy seate I am but wormes meat well I wot all flesh is nought but grasse To earth and ashes out of hand must all my pleasures passe I want the force thou hast the might to striue with Death and Hell Thou art the Rocke the corner Stone the fountaine and the Well From whom the springes of life must run and vnto whom againe The thirstie soules and hungrie heartes for helpe doe trudge amaine Who hath beene washed in thy blood is whiter than the snow O let the streames and floud of grace with fauour on mee flowe In booke of life let write good Lord my name among the rest That ordaynde were eare world was made to sleepe in Abrams brest Blot out the blemish of my brow that at the latter daye May strike the conscience with dispaire and cloaked crimes bewraie Giue boldnesse to the bashfull sprite that feares from hence to flitte Make hope and fayth now flâ—me to sée great God in glorie sitte Wiâ—h closed hand than brest shee knockt so gaue a sigh and stayd And then conceiude some inward ioy with cheerfull face shee sayd Do mourne no more O trembling soule that knowes not where to staye Come from the kaytiffe carraine corpes and cabben â—ade of clays And looke vppon the Lambe of God whose death thy raunsome payde That blessed babe the virgins Sonne that borne was of a maide Come silly bud out of the Den where naught but darknesse is And looke on euerlasting light and louing Lord of blisse The lusts of flesh and worldly pompe I hope are quentch in méeâ— Through fayth alone from sinne and boâ—d I haue escaped frée And with that word in signe of ioy a Psalme full loud shee sang The solempne noyse and sound thereof thorowout the chamber rang And ending that to prayer straight of her owne mind shee fell The standers by whose teares burst out at this her last farewell Beganne to giue her comfort than of life and welfare both Yea liue I shall and doe right well quoth shee I know for troth But that is in another world the hope of this is gone And reason is it should bée so for heere there liueth none But sées the vainesse of our state and tastes such torments still That sundrie times they wish themselues from hence with right good will Héere is but toyle and sweate of browes and endlesse labour â—ound And nothing reapt but wretched wracke and broken sleepes vnsound Where I shall goe I cease from payne and so such ioy possesse As hart scarse thinkes nor head conceiues nor tongue may well expresse Then hold your peace knit vp your talke and trouble not the spréete That drawes from hence and hopes it is for better place more méete A Ladie thoe that vertue likte and there some credit had â—eplyde and sayd O noble dame indeed you are too sad These panges shal passe these â—â—ts shall fade and all these passions die As they haue done when you full oft in such like sort did lye O Madame speake no more of that my time draws 〈◊〉 quoth shée I shall not die but make exchaunge of breath and life I sée The glasse is run the Clocke will strike death doth approche apace My course is done the Iudge draws néere to sit vppon my case No longer héere I may abide the packing day is come Death bids me now vnarme my selfe and heare the mortall Drâ—â— That cals me hence as naked sure as to the world I cam The course of Nature shewes me too that Earth and Dust I am The Harrolde of long home is sent to summon mée in hast Then stay me not for in that poynt both teares and wordes yée wast Yet eare I part good friendes quoth shée behold what hope I haue And note what fayth and badge of Christ I carrie to my graue And marke how I confesse with mouth that Christ hath shed his blood For me and those that earst in state of deepe damnation stood And by his passion I am saued and not by my desarts But by the helpe of him that knowes the thoughts of secret hearts Now staying héere shée lookt about and to a Knight shee spake And him desired with humble wordes that he the paines would take To show the Prince what past her mouth O tell him sir quoth shée This is the sute and last request that must be made by mée Unto his highnesse whose estate our blessed Lord maintaine And pray him to forgiue me now for I confesse it playne I made a fault and sore offence when I against his will Estrangde my selfe from his good grace for any hope or skill But from my breath vnto this day my heart and thought was cléere From breach of subiects dutie sure and I protest it héere I neuer ment nor purposed yet in word in deed nor thought No harme nor lodgde one il conseit nor sparke of euill sought To him as God may witnesse beare to that which now I speake Saue now alas by ouersight of feeble fancies weakâ— I féele and finde the price thereof and suffer for the same An open checke and priuie plaguâ— and pinching publik blame I hope his highnesse hath forgot the fault I did commit And as he is a noble Prince in Regall throne to sit And iudge his subiects causes all so hope I of his grace Hée will receiue my children poore and helpe their heauy case O God forbid for Mothers fault the Children should abye No graine of grudge nor ground of guilâ— in guiltlesse babes doe lyâ— I doe bequeath them now quoth shée vnto the Princes handes In hope the fauour that they finde shall ease the fathers handes My nature shows a
CHVRCHYARDS Challenge LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1593. To the right honourable Sir Iohn VVolley Knight Secretary for the Latin tung to the Queenes Maiestie and one of her priuie Councell Thomas Churchyard wisheth increase of honor blessednes of life and abundance of worldly felicitie and heauenly happines THe long trauell and tracing out of life in this wearisome pilgrimage right honorable hauing brought me now almost to the ende of my iourney makes me glad with a restles desire to be rid of the burthens of my minde and the labours of my body the one neuer free from studie and the other seldome voide of toyle and yet both of them neither brought great benefite to the life nor blessing to the soule in which small rest and vnquietnes many sorrowfull discourses in my dayes I haue written and numbers of bookes I haue printed and because they shall not be buried with me I challenge them all as my children to abide behinde me in the worlde to make them inheritors of such fame dispraise as their father which begat them on sweet inuention heere enioyes or deserues hoping they shall not be called bastards nor none aliue will be so hardy as to call them his babes that I haue bred in my bowels brought forth and fostred vp so carefully at mine owne charges and hazard of an enuious worlde And now indeede for that diuers of disdainfull disposition doo or may hinder the good reporte of those labors which I thinke well bestowed among my freends I haue set forth while I am liuing a great number of my works in this booke named my Challenge that after my death shalbe witnesses they were mine owne dooings not for any great matter in them but for the iustnes of troth and true triall of all my honest exercises and so to purchase credit and the more freends and fauourers to prop vp my poore reputation I not only dedicate this booke and all therein to your honor but haue made also in the same booke diuers dedications to sundry honorable and worshipfull personages protesting that there is nothing heerein but came from mine owne deuice which inuencions spoken as becomes me shal be in all honest sorte defended by pen or any way I may to the vttermost of my breath or abilitie ioying much with all gladnes of hart that they are presented to so honourable a personage and one of such singuler learning whose worth and value by a worthy and vertuous Princes is seene into and throwly considered of which gracious Queene hath alwaies made her princely choice in such an excellent and vnspeakable maner as God himselfe should deuinely appoint and direct to our great wealth and his great glory and in whose râ—re commendation all the pen men of the world may write Now good sir vnder your excellent fauour and countenance I shielde my presumption and boldenes that hath offred a booke of so many discourses to the iudgement of such a multitude that quickly can discouer the weakenes of my labors but hauing ventured so farre as to publishe them in print I must now of necessitie commit them to the common opinion of the world So in hope the best will fall out I present you with my studies and take leaue of your honor desiring of God what goodnes can be wished to be alwaies at your commaundement Dutifully and loyally in all at commaundement Thomas Churchyard To the worthiest sorte of People that gently can reade and iustly can iudge GOod Reader if my presumption were so great that I thought my booke might passe without your fauourable iudgement mine error were as much as my ouer-weening and yet to vse perswasions in purchasing your good liking I should passe the bounds of common reason and fall into the danger of adulation for your good wils are rather won with good matter then bare wordes and say what I can to gaine your affection toward my worke you will speake what seemeth best in your owne conceites For among many thousands are many of deepe consideration and some vndoubtedly of as shallow iudgement so that the one or the other cannot nor will not be led and caried away with any deuice of my pen though all the hye spirits and excellency of Poetry might drop out of the quill I writ withall wherefore now I must as well abide the hazard of your censure as I haue boldely vnfolded my selfe to the worlde there is now no crauing of pardon nor pleading for your furtherance to encrease my good fame my works must abide waight they are thrust into the ballance and I of necessitie must content me with your allowance and what price pleaseth you to set on my marchandise but if they proue too light in the skales I pray you helpe them with some graine of good skill that they be not condemned as trifles because they haue cost me great labour and study and put me to no little charges I freely offer them to you for three or foure causes the one to keep the reputation of a writer the second to pleasure my freendes with the reading of new inuentions and thirdly to desire my foes to giue me true reporte of those workes I haue made and last of all to affirme that euery thing in this my booke of Challenge is mine owne dooing which iustlye no man can deny Not boasting thereof as matter worthy memory but claiming a better regarde then enuy would giue me I stand to the praise or dispraise of all I haue done maruelling much that in my life time any one would take from me the honest laudation I deserue I striue no further in that point but commit to God and good people the indifferency and iustnes of my cause and the best is which shall beare it selfe the wise of the worlde and worthiest of knowledge and capacitie are the only Iudges shall yeeld me my right the rest are but hearers and lookers on whose voices may make a great noise but giues so vncertaine a sound they can doo no great harme because of nature and condition they neuer doo no great good Now my pleading time is past my booke must appeare in that bare fashion as I haue formed the matter I hope it shall not walke so nakedly abroade but shalbe able to abide the coldenes of ill will and the extreame heate of hatefull mens disposition God the giuer of goodnes guide my verses so well that they neuer happen into their hands that loues me not and make my prose and plainenes of speech be as welcome to the Reader as it was well ment of the writer So with double and treble blessing Farwell FINIS My next booke shalbe the last booke of the Worthines of Wales And my last booke called my Vltimum Vale shalbe if it please God twelue long tales for Christmas dedicated to twelue honorable Lords Heere followes the seuerall matters contained in this booke THe tragedie of the Earle of Morton The tragedie of sir Simon Burley A discours that a man
is but his minde A discourse of the true steps of manhood A discourse of the honor of a Souldior A discours of an olde Souldier and a yong A discourse and commeÌ„dation of those that can make Golde A discourse and rebuke to rebellious mindes A discourse of hospitalitie and consuming of time and wealth in London A discourse of misfortune and calamitie A discourse of law and worthy Lawyers A discourse of the only Phenix of the worlde A praise of that Phenix and verses translated out of French The tragedy of Shores wife much augmented A discourse of the ioy good subiects haue when they see our Phenix abroad The tragicall discourse of the haplesse mans life The adue the writer made long agoe to the worlde A discourse of a fantasticall Dreame A tragicall discourse of a dolorous Gentlewoman A tragicall discourse of a Lord and a Lady translated out of French I hope you look not that I should place euery Knight Lady in their degree for I must of necessitie follow my matter The bookes that I can call to memorie alreadie Printed are these that followes FIrst in King Edwards daies a book named Dauie Dicars dreame which one Camell wrote against whome I openly confuted Shores wise I penned at that season Another booke in those daies called the Mirror of Man In Queene Maries raigne a book called a New-yeares gift to all England which booke treated of rebellion And many things in the booke of songs and Sonets printed then were of my making Since that time till this day I wrote all these workes The booke of Chips dedicated to sir Christopher Hatton after Lord Chancellor The booke called Chance dedicated to sir Thomas Bromley L. Chancellor then The booke called my Charge to my L. of Surrye The booke called my Change in verse and proes dedicated to all good mindes The booke called my Choice dedicated to the L. Chancellor sir Christopher Hatton The book of the siege of Leeth and Edenbrough Castell The booke of sir William Druries seruice dedicated to sir Drue Drury The booke called the golden Nut dedicated to the Qu. Ma. The book of receiuing her highnes into Suffolk Norfolke The booke before of her highnes receiuing into Bristow The booke of the Earthquake to the good Deane of Paules The book of the troubles of Flanders to sir Francis Walsing The book called the scourge of rebels in Ireland to my Lord Admirall The booke called a rebuke to Rebellion to the good olde Earle of Bedford The book of a Sparke of freendship to sir Walter Rawley The book of Sorrows to D. Wilson when he was Secretary The booke of the winning of Macklin to my Lord Norrice The book called the Worthines of Wales to the Qu. Ma. The book giuen her Maiestie at Bristow where I made al the whole deuises The deuises of warre and a play at Awsterley her highnes being at sir Thomas Greshams The Commedy before her Maiestie at Norwich in the fielde when she went to dinner to my Lady Gerningâ—ms The whole deuises pastimes and plaies at Norwich before her maiestie The deuises and speeches that men and boyes shewed within many prograces The book of King Henries Epitaph and other princes and Lords to Secretary Wolley The book of my Deer adue to M. Iohn Stannop The book called a handfull of gladsome verses to the Qu. M. at Wodstocke The book called a pleasant coâ—ceite a new yeeres gift to the Queenes Maiestie These workes following are gotten from me of some such noble freends as I am loath to offend Aeneas tale to Dydo largely and truely translated out of Virgill which I once shewed the Qu. Ma. and had it againe A book of the oath of a Iudge and the honor of Law deliuered to a Stacioner who sent it the L. cheefe Baron that last dyed A book of a sumptuous shew in Shrouetide by sir Walter Rawley sir Robart Carey M. Chidly and M. Arthur Gorge in which book was the whole seruice of my L. of Lester mencioned that he and his traine did in Flaunders and the gentlemen Pencioners proued to be a great peece of honor to the Court all which book was in as good verse as euer I made an honorable knight dwelling in the black Friers can witnes the same because I read it vnto him A great peece of work translated out of the great learned French Poet Seignior Dubartas which worke treated of a Lady and an Eagle most diuinely written on by Dubartas and giuen by me to a great Lord of this land who saith it is lost An infinite number of other Songes and Sonets giuen where they cannot be recouered nor purchase any fauour when they are craued A new kinde of a Sonnet IN writing long and reading works of warre That Homer wrote and Virgils verse did show My muse me led in ouerweening farre When to their Stiles my pen presumde to goe Ouid himselfe durst not haue vaunted so Nor Petrarke graue with Homer would compare Dawnt durst not think his sence so hye did flow As Virgils works that yet much honord are Thus each man sawe his iudgement hye or low And would not striue or seeke to make a iarre Or wrastle where they haue an ouerthrow So I that finde the weakenes of my bow Will shoot no shaft beyond my length I troe For reason learnes and wisdome makes me know Whose strength is best and who doth make or marre A little Lamp may not compare with Starre A feeble head where no great gifts doo grow Yeelds vnto skill whose knowledge makes smal shew Then gentle world I sweetly thee beseech Call Spenser now the spirit of learned speech Churchyards good will THE EARLE OF MVRTONS Tragedie once Regent of Scotland and alwaies of great birth great wisedome great wealth and verie great power and credite yet Fortune enuying his estate and noblenes brought him to lose his head on a Skaffold in Edenbrough the second of Iune 1581. MAke place for plaints giue rowme for plagued men Step backe proud mindes that praise your selues too much Let me appeale to some true writers pen That doth the life and death of Princes touch For my miâ—hap and fatall fall is such That gazing world which heares my woefull end Shall maruaile much to see such matter pend The restles race that mortall men doe runne Seemes smooth to sight yet full of scratting breers Here is no rest nor surety vnder Sunne Sowre is the taste of flowers that sweete appeares Our gentle ioyes are in our tender yeares For as the Childe to wit and reason growes So iudgement comes and seedes of sorrow sowes Our wanton time doth steale away with sport But when that care hath crept in curious braines Long griefe beginnes and pleasure is but short For heart and head is vert with fancies vaine Then hord brings hate and gold breeds greedy gaine Desire of which with pompe and glory great So boiles in brest it makes mans browes to sweat Ambitious minde the busie
found me aliue Long was the talke of manie a farlye thoe Long did I looke for that which did not come But all those blasts in sine did ouerbloe I listned long to heere the sound of drumme Yet though I had the great good will of some God would not thâ—ell for one mans sake alone That broyles should cause a million make their mone When birde is limde farewell faire feathers all The fish in net maie bidde the sea adiew When world beholds a man is neere his fall It leaues him there and follows fancies newe When all is saide the olde prouerbe is true Who cannot swimme must sincke there is no boote Who hath no horse of force must goe on foote Thus â—yed to clogge and pende in prison fast My hope decaide my hart did heauie waxe So souldiers came and brought me foorth at last The butcher then began to whâ—t his axe All was on flame the fire was flowne in flaxe There was no choise I must a size abide Prooue foule or cleane and by my Peeres be tried To Edenbrough the captiue man was brought Along the fieldes where flockes of people were The sight of whom did trouble much my thought But when in deede I was ariued there Both streetes and stalles and windows euery where Were stuffed full to giue on me the gaze But that might not my manly mind amaze Yet neither one nor other small nor great Did me salute So turnde the moodes of men That colde deuice nay rather raging heate Could not appall my princely courage then For I did looke as I did nothing ken Yet knew the whole that some in secret bore So passed through the thronge what would ye more A russet cloake a garment rude and bare For such a state make what of mee they would With foule felt hat and robes but base I ware That people might my great disgrace beholde Alas poore lambe thy life was bought and soulde No force of weedes to couer clott of claye Morton was dead full longe before that daie Now Lawyers flockte and swarmde in ilke a place Now Lords repaird and Lardes came daily in Now learned heads did long debate my case Now did in deed my sorrowes all beginne Now was the time that I must lose or winne For I appeard before the iudgement seate And there maintainde my right with reasons great Made good defence to many matters sure Spake boldly still and did but iustice craue My pleading there did foure long houres endure And Lawyers then to me good leasure gaue But to what end did I long pleading haue I was condemnd the world would haue it so A thing there was but that the Lord doth know And I that héere confesse my former gylt A murther than was laide vnto my charge Which I concealde yet saw a Kings bloud spilt A fowle offence for which there is no targe Nor could not claime therefore to goe at large But byed the sence and censure of the lawes For fowle God wot and filthy was my cause The iudgement was a heauy thing to héere But what they did I could not call againe The sentence past too late my selfe to cleere Once iudgd to die condemnd I must remaine As silly shéepe in shopp must needes be slaine Then to the pot or pit our flesh must passe All flesh is dust vaine ashes earth and grasse Then thought I on some friend that absent was And spoke some words but askâ— not what they were So from the bench to prison did I pas And for to die did make me ready there The Preachers came and shed full many a teare To bring my soule in perfect patience than And make me die a faithfull christian man In secrete sort the Preachers there I told Great things of waight that in my conscience lay And so confest what right and reason would But thereon pawsde I would no further say Aske what they pleasde I did but troth bewray Whereat I knockt my troubled trembling brest And so desirde the Preachers let me rest O brethren mine your doctrine likes me well Qd. I good men bestow some praiers now In your beliefe looke that you daily dwell As you beganne so still continue through The bloud of Christ hath washt my blotted brow As white as snow I haue no doubt nor feare Shall be my sinnes that red as scarlet were The Preachers glad to bring my soule to rest Brought Scripture in and did the text vnfold And many a place and sentence they exprest Towardes the death to make my body bolde O my good Lord you may not now behold The pompe quoth they and glory that is past But you must thinke on that which aye shall last Both wealth and friends and worldly wisedome to Are banisht quite and blush to come in place When soule goes hence those things haue nought to doe With man that is then newly borne in grace The light of day hath darkenes still in chase The heauenly thoughts doe hate all earthly things And faith to clowdes doth flie with flittring wings They praide with me and wipt their wéeping eies My heauy sprite stood troubled sore that tide And as the sighes from panâ—ing heart did rise My groaning Ghost O Abba father cride The sobs flew forth the â—eares I could not hide As babe doth wéepe when he beholds the rod So then I feard the wrath of my good God Full soone reformde I was in godly wise Gaue ore the world forgot all earthly thing Heaud vp my hands and heart vnto the skies To God that did this plague vppon me bring And then I sued and sent vnto the King To scape the coard by losse of life and breath For heading was for me more Nobler death He graunted that and sad for my mishap He let me goe where God and man assignd Now euery fault lay open in my lap Each small offence came freshly to my minde The secret sinnes that we in conscience finde A muster made and passed for their pay Before great God that doth all things bewray The wrong I did to simple people plaine Bad heart â—orethinke the fury of mine ire The gréedy thirst of glory rule and gaine Made soule afeard of hote infernall fire My selfe I blamde for fleshly fond desire But falling thus full prostrate on my face From heauens hie I felt a sparke of grace Which warmd my sprites that waxed faint and cold The last conflict that in this life we haue Then comfort came and made weake body bold Care not for death for life mounts vp from graue Qd. knowledge then when Christ the soule shall saue With that I flong behinde all fearefull dread So cald for booke and many a Psalme did reade In lesse then halfe the time that I haue spoke Me thought I talkt with God whose face did shine Who from a cloude discende as thinne as smoke And entred in my breast by power diuine O mortall man said he come thou art mine Be strong and stout to fight the battell throw
knacke Beare euen hand and holde the bridle right Yet whiskt the wande sometimes for pleasures sake Yea spyce thy speach and tearmes with trifels light That lookers on may not thy mind mistake When store is gone yet doe thy budget shake Among the best and féede their fancies still No matter though a mouse créepe out of hill Small toyes may bréede great sporte in great estates And in great grounds men walke through little gates Doe wisely warne and warely vse thy pen Speake english playne and roue about the but And shoote at will and flaunt by wicked men Shale cut the shell and bid them cracke the Nut Shew some delight and so the sentence shut And bid the world beholde mee in a glasse That did to ruine from Pompe and pleasure passe Now I am gone I wish the rest behinde As they desire may better Fortune finde FINIS THE MAN IS BVT his Minde TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull my singular good friend Sir Iohn Skidmoer one of the Liefetenants of Haruordshire I Am not forgetfull good Sir Iohn of a promise made touching The man is but his minde Which worke now I present you though not so well penned as the matter requireth yet as wel ment as any peece of worke in this Booke written as well to keepe promise as to show the circumstance of the mistery that belongeth to euery mans minde and to hope that all I write thereof shall be as well taken as a dutifull writer can meane I haue plainely set downe mine opinion in that behalf doubting not but some one man or other shall see a peece of his owne minde in this my presumption of the same So wishing your good and vertuous minde augmented in grace and your selfe encreased in worship and contentation of mind I betake you to God and fall to my purposed discourse AS I was reading in the delightfull discourses of Ieronimus Cardanus his comforts among many pleasant passages and speciall sentences I founde that he said A man was but his mind either in the value of vertue or vanity of vice So waying the worth of that conclusion knowing that Manhood or Cowardize consistes in the selfe same opinion of the minde I considered that common quarrels and priuate reuengement of Iniuries receiued proceeded in a manner from this spring and flowing Fountaine that euer is fedde and nourished with som setled conceite or other For the minde is so noble watchfull and worthy that it is neuer vnoccupied whilest the man is awaken nor taketh any great rest when the body is a sleepe as some dreames and visions manifesteth plaine For euen as a cunning CarpeÌ„ter or Smith is hammering and heawing some péece of wood or iron to bring the same to such shape and perfection as the artificer would haue it So the minde the harber of all secretes and mouer of all good and bad motions can at no season be idle or wax weary of deuises The Imaginations thereof are so many and the innumerable conceites therein are so mighty the fire is of such vehement heat and operation that it must néedes burne or consume any thing that long remaines in it so the minde is of such force and power that it leadeth the man any way it listeth and shapes al the sences and vitall spirites in what forme or fashion it pleaseth For the longer the fancies of the head by rouling to and froe are tired and at length reposeth themselues in the constantnes of the minde the more is the mans reason subiect to the mindes resolution and the lesse strength the iudgement hath when it féeles the forces of the body captiuated and compeld to obay the greatnes of the minde Though learning education and good instructions be a meane and restraint that a peruerse mind shall not draw the whole body to destruction yet the minde being bent to some dangerous determination hath ouercome all the good causes rehearsed and brought both the body reputation and life into a shamefull disorder and made a cruell confusion not onely of the man but likewise brought a licentious liberty to the minde experience of proud practises hath proued this argument no fable but now to talke truely and probably of the minde what can be named or thought on if they be things to be executed but the minde dare attempt and the man may goe about it dare aduenture the hazarde of the soule the losse of life and goods and the cracking of estimation and credit if any purposed mischiefe hale the minde forewarde to some odious enterprises this showes but a weakenes of Iudgement naughtines of nature and a most wicked and wilfull disposition of a desperate conceite diuelishly drawen and enclined and carelesly coÌ„mitting it selfe to euery kinde of practises and dangerous determination But now to touch the noblenes of an inuincible minde that neither Fortune can conquer power may commaund nor worldly pompe nor wealth can winne The true discourse of this minde craues a writer of a higher knowledge for the vnspeakeable spirite that keepes life and breatheth continuall constancy in the brest where this minde makes his mansion house is to be explained and set forth by the profoundest pen man of the worlde that can lay open like an Anotomy the hidden and secrete partes of the body especially the diuine nature closed vp in flesh and bloud and secrecy belonging to the vertue of this manly and valiaunt minde Some men there are and though they boast not much the nuÌ„ber may be great that with a strong heart can suffer afflictions beare burthens abide disgraces and in their most torments seeme careles of all the crossings counterchecks is offered them yet they are armed within to withstand all outward assaults as it were a fortresse manned with souldiers and munition throughly to defend it selfe against the power of Princes practises of warlike people yea as they in peace can vse this approued patience so in the hottest broiles of the warre the hope to ouercome the cruelty of their enemies doth redouble their courages and so with a resolute minde the Cannon they approch the combate they present and the present daunger is presently forgotten a present matter of great momeÌ„t to be in the presence and presented before the vniuersall people placed vnder the cope of the heauens But yet I can not leaue out the mind they haue of honour in greatest extremities for minding the preseruation of Prince and countrey they clap on such a minde as Mucius Sceuola did that burned his hande in the â—ire for missing the killing of Porcena They care not in like sort for imprisonment penury hunger torting racking but can suffer all manner of misery as want of meat lacke of liberty and open aire and lie on the hard earth or bare strawe to kéepe their enemies out of the Fort or hould committed to their charge yea and in respect of the loue they loyally beare to their Countrey they suffer many a mortall wound and in the end offer