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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	live_v	time_n	write_v	3,395	5	5.5400	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02121	Greenes vision vvritten at the instant of his death. Conteyning a penitent passion for the folly of his pen.	Greene, Robert, 1558?-1592.	1592 (1592)	STC 12261; ESTC S105824	38,847	64

GREENES VISION Written at the instant of his death Conteyning a penitent passion for the folly of his Pen. Sero sed serio Imprinted at London for Thomas Newman and are to be sould at his shop in Fleetestreete in Saint Dunstons Churchyard To the right worshipfull and his especiall good friend M. Nicholas Sanders of Ewell Esquier T. Newman wisheth all feliciti● WERE I as able as I am willing Right Worshipfull to shewe my selfe thankful for your manie kindnesses extended vnto me some more accomplisht Dedication then this should haue offred it selfe to your iudiciall view at this instant It was one of the last workes of a wel known Author therefore I hope it will be more acceptable Manie haue published repentaunces vnder his name but none more vnfeigned then this being euerie word of his owne his own phrase his own method The experience of many vices brought forth this last vision of vertue I recommend it intirely to your worships euen ballancing censure None haue more insight then you into matters of wit All men of Art acknowledge you to bee an especiall Mecenas and supporter of learning in these her despised latter daies I am one that haue no interest in knowledge but the inseperate loue that I beare to them that professe it That attendant loue on good letters striues to honor you in whome Art is honoured I thinke not this pamphlet any way proportionable in woorth with your worshippes patronage but it is my desire to yeelde some encrease to your fame in anie thing that I shall imprint Thus wishing to your worshippe that felicitie and contentment which your owne best gouerned thoughtes doe aime at I most humblie take my leaue Your VVorships most bounden T. Newman To the Gentlemen Readers Health GEntlemen in a vision before my death I foresee that I am like to sustaine the shame of many follies of my youth when I am shrowded in my winding sheete O let not iniurious tongues triumph ouer a dead carcase Now I am sick and sorrow hath wholy sea●d on me vaine I haue beene let not other men shewe themselues vaine in reproching my vanitie I craue pardon of you all if I haue offended any of you with laciuious Pamphle●ing Many things I haue wrote to get money which I could otherwise wish to be supprest Pouertie is the father of innumerable infirmities in seeking to salue priuate wantes I haue made my selfe a publique laughing stock Hee that commeth in Print setteth himselfe vp as a common marke for euery one to shoote at I haue shotte at many abuses ouer s●o●●e my selfe in describing of some where truth failed my inuention hath stood my friend God forgiue me all my misdeameanours now in the best lust of my yeares death I feare will depriue me of any further proceeding in securitie This booke hath many things which I would not haue written on my Tombe I write this last let it be my last will and testament Farewell if I liue you shall heare of me in deuinitie in the meane time accept the will for the deede and speake well of me when I am dead Yours dying Robert Greene. GREENES VISION After I was burdened with the penning of the Cobler of Canterbury I wared passing melancholy as grieuing that either I shold be wrong with enuy or wronged with suspition But whē I entred into the consideratiō that slander spareth not Kinges I brookt it with the more patience thought that as the strongest gustes offend lesse the low shrubs than the tall Ceda●s 〈◊〉 the blemish of report would make a lesse scarre in a cottage than in a pallace yet I could not but conceit it hardly and so in a discontented humor I sat me down vpon my bed-side and began to cal to remembrance what fond and wanton lines had past my pen how I had bent my course to a wrong shore as beating my brains about such vanities as were little profitable ●owing my se●d in the sand and so reaping nothing but thornes and thistles As this I recounted ouer the follies that youth led me vnto I stept to my Standish that st●●● hard by and writ this Ode Greenes Ode of the vanitie of wanton writings THough Tytirus the Heards swaine Phillis loue-mate felt the paine That Cupid fiers in the e●e Till they loue or till they die Straigned ditties from his pipe VVith pleasant voyce and cunning strip●● Telling in his song how faire Phillis eie-browes and hir haire● How hir face past all supposes For white Lillies for red Roses Though he sounded on the hils Such fo●d passions as loue wils That all the Swaines that foulded by Flockt to heare his harmonie And vowed by Pan that Tytirus Did Poet-like his loues discusse That men might learne mickle good By the verdict of his mood Yet olde Menalcas ouer-ag'd That many winters there had wag'd Sitting by and hearing this Said their wordes were all amisse For quoth he such wanton laies Are not worthie to haue praise● Iigg●s and ditties of fond loues Youth ●o mickle follie mooues And tould this old said saw to thee Which Coridon did learne to me Tis shame and sin for pregnant wits To spend their skill in wanton fits Martiall was a bonnie boy He writ loues griefe and loues ioy He tould what wanton lookes passes Twixt the Swaines and the lasses And mickle wonder did he write Of Womens loues and their spight But for the follies of his pen He was hated of most men For they could say t'was sin and shame For Schollers to endite such game Quaint was Ouid in his ●ime Chiefest Poet of his time What he could in wordes rehearse Ended in a pleasing verse● Apollo with his ay-greene baies Crownd his head to shew his praise And all the Muses did agree He should be theirs and none but he This Poet chaunted all of loue Of Cupids wings and Venus doue● Of faire Corima and her hew Of white and red and vaines blew How they loued and how they greed And how in fancy they did speed His Elegies were wanton all Telling of loues pleasings thrall And cause he would the Poet seeme That best of Venus lawes could deeme Strange precepts he did impart And writ three bookes of loues art There he taught how to woe What in loue men should doe How they might soonest winne Honest women vnto sinne Thus to tellen all the truth He infected Romes youth And with his bookes and verses brought That men in Rome nought els saught But how to tangle maid or wife With honors breach throgh wanton life The foolish sort did for his skill Praise the deepnesse of his quill And like to him said there was none Since died old Anacr●on But Romes Augustus worlds wonder Brookt not of this foolish blonder Nor likt he of this wanton verse That loues lawes did rehearse For well he saw and did espie Youth was sore impaird thereby And by experience he finds VVanton bookes infect the minds Which made him straight for reward Though the

time iniurious that men think golde able to bannish vertue and Fame to bee lesse vallued then treasure Because I am poore what dooth Antwe●pe thinke I meane to make sale of my chastititie and because extreamity hath bitten me by the he●le Do men thinke pel●e shall draw mée to become a wanton no I call him to witnes that knowes mine innocencie I hould mine honour as deare as my life and my constancy as pretious as the apple of mine eie and though as the wise man writ the dishonest woman sai●s what we are in the da●k and compast in wi●h the wals● feare not no man ●an ●spie vs yet the eie of the Lord sees al and he searcheth the heart and the rain●s and punisheth such offences in iustice Farre rather had I be openly blamed being innocent than haue a good report with a guiltie conscience for though I be wrongfully accused yet the Lord is able at all times to raise vp a Daniell that may cleare them that put their trust in him Pouertie wante extreamitie misfortune all seeme easie béeing tempered with content and patience but riches treasure prosperitie and wealth are odious béeing tainted with the staine of an adulterous name No Alexander wheresoeuer thou béest or whatsoeuer thy Fortune is or howe so euer thou hast wronged mee yet thy faults shall not make mee offend nor thy abuse draw mee to any preiudice But I will bee loyall Theodora the constant wife of Alexander for euer for in the booke of Wisdome this I read Wisedome Chapter 4. O how faire is a chast generation with vertue the memorial thereof is immortal for it is knowen with God men when it is present men take example therat and if it go away yet they desire it it is alwaies crowned and houlden in honor winneth the reward of the vniuersall battaile With this she ceast and fel to her spinning and Alexander he went his way to find out the olde man whome hee found solitarie in his houel As soone as he cast vp his eie and saw Alexander Oh my sonne Alexander quoth he what newes Alexander sate him downe and fetching a déepe sigh said father I haue sinned and wronged my wife with a false suspect● Now doe I find that she that loueth loyally may wel be crost with calamity but neuer iustly accused of inconstancie suspition may put in a false plea but proofe neuer maintained the action and with that he discourst from point to point how he had dealt with Theodora what proffers what answers and what she said in his absence The olde man at this was very glad and demaunded of him howe hee felt him selfe from his former franticke humour quight shaken off quoth Alexander and therefore now pul off your inchantment that I may returne to my former shape and home to my wife which hee did and after many good instructions glad that hee had recald him from his iealousie hee tooke his leaue of Alexander who trimming vp himselfe like a pilgrime departed towards Antwerpe and in the euening comming thither went to his Fathers house Assoone as hee came in and was espied they all ranne away as affraid of him But when with reuerence his Father saw him doe his duty he● entertained him with teares and demaunded of him how he farde Alexander said wel and sate downe by him and discourst to him at large all his fortunes his méeting with the olde man and what hadde happened still crying at euerie sentence how he had wrong'd his louing Theodora At this glad newes all his friends and kinsefolkes were sent for and there at a solempne supper the discourse of all was declared vnto them They reioysed at his happy metamorphosis and sorowed at the hard abuse they offered to Theodora But to make amends the next day there was a great ●ea●● prouided and all the chiefe of Antwerpe bidden thither as guests Theodora was sent for her husband and she reconciled set into her former estate held in great estimation for her constancy and her husband euer after frée from all suspitious iealousie NOw Sir Geffrey Chawcer quoth Gower how like you this tale is it not more full of humanity then your vain and scurrulous inuention and yet affecteth as muche in the mind of the hearers are not graue sentences as forcible as wanton principles tush quoth Chawcer but these are not plesant they breed no delight youth wil not like of such a long circumstance Our English Gentlemen are of the mind of the Athenians that will sooner bee perswaded by a fable than an Oration and induced with a merrie tale when they will not be brought to any compasse with serious circumstances The more pittie quoth Gower that they should bee so fond as to be subiect to the delight of euery leud fancy when the true badge of a Gentleman is learning ioyned with vallour and vertue and therefore ought they to read of Martiall Discipline not of the slight of Venus and to talke of hard labours not to chat of foolish and effeminate amoures Aristotle read not to Alexander wanton Elegies but he instructed him in Morall precepts and taught how to gouerne like a King not how to court like a louer But now a daies our youthes desire to read amourous pamphlets rather then Philosophicall actions and couet like Epicures rather to passe the time in some pleasant fable then like Philosophers to spend the day in profitable Aphorismes but when the blacke Oxe hath trode on their foot and that age hales them on to olde yeares and the Palme trée as the Preacher saies waxeth white then will they repent those howers they haue spent in tossing ouer such fruitlesse papers Therefore Greene take this of me as thou hast written many fond workes so from hence forth attempt nothing but of worth let not thy pen stoope so low as vanity nor thy wit be so far abused to paint out any precepts of fancie but flie higher with the Hobbie soare against y e sun with the Eagle carry spices into thy nest with the Phenix doe nothing but worthie thy wit and thy learning Is not a Diamond as soone cut as a pebble a rose as soone planted as a weed a good booke as easilie pend as a wanton Pamphlet Then Green giue thy selfe to write either of humanitie and as Tullie did set downe thy mind de officiis or els of Morall vertue and so be a profitable instructer of manners doe as the Philosophers did seeke to bring youth to vertue with setting downe Ariomes of good liuing and doe not perswade young Gentlemen to folly by the acquainting themselues with thy idle workes I tell thée bookes are companions and friends and counsailors and therefore ought to bee ciuill honest and discréet least they corrupt with false doctrine rude manners and vicious liuing Or els penne some thing of naturall philosophie Diue down into the Aphorismes of the Philosophers and see what nature hath done and with thy pen paint that out to the