my race of youthfull yéeres had roon Alwayes vntyed and not but once in thrall Euen I which had the fieldes of fréedome woon And liu'd at large and playde with pleasurs ball Lo nowe at last am tane agayne and taught To tast such sorowes as I neuer sought I loue I loue alas I loue indéede Ierie alas but no man pityes me My woundes are wide yet seme they not to bléed And hidden woundes are hardly heald we sée Such is my lucke to catch a sodain clappe Of great mischaunce in séeking my good happe My morning minde which dwelt and dyed in dole Sought company for solace of the same My cares were cold and craued comforts coale To warme my will with flakes of friendly flame I sought and found I crau'd and did obtaine I woon my wish and yet I got no gaine For whiles I sought the cheare of company Fayre fellowship did wonted woes reuiue And crauing medcine for my maladie Dame pleasures plasters prou'd a corosiue So that by myrth I reapt no fruite but mone Much worse I fere than when I was alone The cause is this my lot did light to late The Byrdes were flowen before I found the nest The stéede was stollen before I shut the gate The cates consumd before I smelt the feast And I fond foole with emptie hand must call The gorged Hauke which likes no lure at all Thus still I toyle to till the barraine land And grope for grappes among the bramble briers I striue to saile and yet I sticke on sand I déeme to liue yet drowne in déepe desires These lottes of loue are fitte for wanton will Which findes too much yet must be séeking still Meritum petere graue The louer encouraged by former examples determineth to make vertue of necessitie WHen I record with in my musing mind The noble names of wightes bewicht in loue Such solace for my selfe therin I finde As nothing maye my fixed fansie moue But paciently I will endure my wo Because I sée the heauens ordayne it so For whiles I read and ryfle their estates In euery tale I note mine owne anoye But whiles I marke the meanings of their mates I séeme to swime in such a sugred ioye As did parcase entise them to delight Though turnd at last to drugges of sower despite Peruse who list Dan Dauids perfect déedes There shall he find the blot of Bersabe Wheron to thinke my heauy hart it bléedes When I compare my loue like hir to be Vrias wife before mine eyes that shines And Dauid I from dutie that declines Then Salomon this princely Peophetes sonne Did Pharaos daughter make him fall or no Yes yes perdie his wisdome coulde not shoone Hir subtill snares nor from hir counsell go I nam as hée the wisest wight of all But well I wot a woman holdes me thrall So am I lyke the proude Assirian Knight Which blasphem'd God and all the world defied Yet could a woman ouercome his might And daunt his force in all his Pompe and Pride I Holiferne am dronken brought to bead My loue lyke Iudith cutting of my head If I were strong as some haue made accompt Whose forre is like to that which Sampson had If I be bolde whose courage can surmount The heart of Hercules which nothing drad Yet Dalila and Deyanyraes loue Dyd teach them both such panges as I must proue Well let these passe and thinke on Nasoes name Whose skilfull verse dyd flowe in learned style Dyd hée thinke you not dote vpon his Dame Corinna fayre dyd shée not him beguile Yes God he knowes for verse nor pleasaunt rymes Can constant kéepe the key of Cressides crimes So that to ende my tale as I began I see the good the wise the stoute the bolde The strongest champion and the learnedst man Haue bene and bée by lust of loue controlde Which when to thinke I hold me well content To liue in loue and neuer to repen◠Meritum petere graue The delectable history of sundry aduentures passed by Dan Bartholmew of Bathe The Reporter TO tell a tale without authoritye Or fayne a Fable by inuencion That one procéedes of quicke capacitye That other proues but small discretion Yet haue both one and other oft bene done And if I were a Poet as some be You might perhappes here some such tale of me But far I fynde my féeble skyll to faynt To faine in figurs as the learned can And yet my tongue is tyde by due constraint To tell nothing but trueth of euery man I will assay euen as I first began To tell you nowe a tale and that of truth Which I my selfe sawe proued in my youth I néede not séeke so farre in costes abrode As some men do which write strange historyes For whiles at home I made my cheife abode And sawe our louers plaie their Tragedyes I found enough which séemed to suffice To set on worke farre finer wittes than mine In paynting out the pangs which make them pine Amongst the rest I most remember one Which was to me a déere familyar friend Whose doting dayes since they be paste and gone And his annoye neare come vnto an ende Although he séeme his angry brow to bend I wyll be bold by his leaue for to tell The restlesse state wherein he long dyd dwell Learned he was and that became him best For though by birth he came of worthy race Yet beutie byrth braue personage and the rest In euery choyce must needes giue learning place And as for him he had so hard a grace That by aspect he seemde a simple man And yet by learning much renowne he wan His name I hide and yet for this discourse Let call his name Dan Bartholmew of Bathe Since in the ende he thither had recourse And as he sayd dyd skamble there in skathe In déede the rage which wrong him there was rathe As by this tale I thinke your selfe will gesse And then with me his lothsome lyfe confesse For though he had in all his learned lore Both redde good rules to bridle fantasie And all good authours taugh him euermore To loue the meane and leaue extremitie Yet kind hath lent him such a qualitie That at the last he quite forgat his bookes And fastned fansie with the fairest lookes For proofe when gréene youth lept out of his eye And left him now a man of middle age His happe was yet with wandring lookes to spie A fayre yong impe of proper personage Eke borne as he of honest parentage And truth to tell my skill it cannot serue To praise hir bewtie as it dyd deserue First for hir head the béeres were not of Gold But of some other metall farre more fine Whereof eache crinet seemed to behold Like glistring wiers against the Sunne that shine And therewithall the blazing of hir eyne Was like the beames of Titan truth to tell Which glads vs all that in this world do dwell Vpon hir chéekes the Lillie and the Rose Did entremeete with equall change
crowne Whose haughty harts to hent all honour haunte Till high mishaps their doughtiest deedes do daunte 43 All these with mo my penne shall ouerpasse Since Haughty harte hath fixt his fansie thus Let chaunce sayeth he be fickell as it was Sit bonus in re mala Animus Nam omne solum viro forti Ius And fie sayeth he for goods or filthie gaine I gape for glorie all the rest is vayne 44 Vayne is the rest and that most vayne of all A smouldring smoke which flieth with euery winde A tickell treasure like a trendlyng ball A passing pleasure mocking but the minde A fickle fée as fansie well can finde A sommers fruite whiche long can neuer last But ripeneth soone and rottes againe as fast 45 And tell me Haughty harte confesse a truth What man was aye so safe in Glories porte But traynes of treason oh the more the ruth Could vndermine the Bulwarkes of this forte And raze his ramparts downe in sundrie sorte Searche all thy bookes and thou shalt finde therein That honour is more harde to holde than winne 46 Aske Iulius Caesar if this tale be true The man that conquered all the world so wide Whose onely worde commaunded all the crue Of Romayne Knights at many a time and tide Whose pompe was thought so great it could not glide At last with bodkins dubd and doust to death And all his glorie banisht with his breath 47 Of malice more what should I make discource Than thy foule fall proude Pompey by thy name Whose swelling harte enuying Caesars force Did boyle and burne in will and wicked flame By his downe fall thy fonder clyme to frame Till thine owne head bebathed with enmies teares Did ende thy glorie with thy youthfull yeares 48 Alas alas how many may we reade Whome sicknesse sithe hath cut as gréene as grasse Whome colde in Campes hath chaungd as pale as leade Whose greace hath molt all caffed as it was With charges giuen with skarmouching in chasse Some lamed with goute soone gotten in the field Some forst by fluxe all glorie vp to yéeld 49 Of sodayne sores or clappes caught vnaware By sworde by shotte by mischief or by mine What néede I more examples to declare Then Montacute which died by doome deuine For when he had all France defayct in fine From lofty towre discouering of his foes A Cannons clappe did all his glorie lose 50 I had forgot wherein I was to blame Of bolde braue Bourbon somewhat for to say That Haughty hart whome neuer Prince could tame Whome neyther towne could stoppe nor wall let way Nor king nor Keyser could his iorney stay His Epitaph downe set vpon his Tombe Declares no lesse I leaue it to your doome Deuicto Gallo Aucto Imperio Pontifice obsesso Italia superata Roma capta Borbonij boc marmor bahet cineres 51 Oh glorious title ringing out renowne Oh Epitaph of honor and high happe Who reades the same as it is there set downe Would thinke that Borbon sate in fortunes lappe And could not fall by chaunce of after clappe Yet he that wrote this thundring flattering verse Left out one thing which I must néedes rehearse 52 For when he had his king by warre foredone Enlargde the Empyre and besiegde the Pope Tane Rome and Italy had ouerronne Yet was he forst alwayes from lawes to lope And trudge from triall so to scape the rope Yea more than that a banisht man he serued Least loued of them whose thanks he most deserued 53 Lo lordings here a lesson for the nones Behold this glasse and sée yourselues therein This Epitaph was writte for worthy ones For Haughty harts which honor hunt to winne Beware beware what broyles you do begin For smiling lucke hath oft times Finem duram And therefore thinke possic victoria Curam 54 And yet if glory do your harts inflame Or hote desire a haughty name to haue Or if you thirst for high renowne or fame To blase such brute as time might not depraue You léese the labour that you might well saue For many a prayse in that meane while you past Which bet than warre might make your name to last 55 As first percase you skipt Phylosophie That noble skill which doth surmount the rest Wherto if you had 〈◊〉 your memorie Then bruntes of warre had neuer bruzde your brest Yet had our name bene blazde and you bene blest Aske Aristotle if I speake amis Fewe Souldiers fame can greater be than his 56 Next Rethorike that hoonnie harmelesse arte Which conquers moe than warre can well subdue You past it by and therfore loose your parte Of glories great which therevnto are due And might by right your names for aye renue Such glory loe did Cicero attaine Which longer lasts than other glories vaine 57 Of Physike speake for me king Auicen Who more estéemde the meane to saue himselfe Than lessons leude of proude ambitious men Which make debate for mucke and worldly pelfe Yet was his glory neuer set on shelfe Nor neuer shal whyles any worlde may stande Where men haue minde to take good bookes in hande 58 What shoulde I stretch into Astronomie Or maruels make of Musikes sugred sounde Or beate my braynes about Geometrie Or in Arithmetike of artes the grounde Since euermore it is and hath bene founde That who excels in any of the same Is sure to winne an euerlasting fame 59 My meaning is no more but to declare That Haughtie hartes do spende their time in vaine Which followe warres and bring themselues in snare Of sundrie ylls and many a pinching paine Whiles if they list to occupie their braine In other feates with lesser toil◠ygot They might haue fame when as they haue it not 60 Well Greedie minde is of another moode That man was framde out of some other molde He followes warres for wealth and worldlie good To fill his purse with grotes and glistring golde He hopes to buie that Haughtie harte hath solde He is as hote as any man at spoile But at a breach he kéepeth no such coyle 61 Alas good Gréedie minde and canst thou finde No better trade to fill thy boystrous baggs Is witte nowe wente so wandring from thy minde Are all thy points so voide of Reasons taggs Well so mayst thou come roysting home in raggs And lose thy time as Haughtie harte doth eke Whiles like a dolt thou wealth in warre dost seke 62 O bleareyde foole are both thine eyes beblast Canst thou not sée looke vp what man God mend thée Looke at these Lawyers howe they purchase fast Marke wel these Marchants better minde God send thee Sée howe the sutes of silke that they woulde lende thée And many mo so fine in fashion stande Till at the last they pay for vnthriftes lande 63 The Grasier gets by féeding fatte his neate The Clothier coynes by carding locks of wooll The Butcher buildes by cutting out of meate The Tanners hydes do fill his budget
louer that thinketh with kissing and colling to content his vnbrideled apetite is cōmonly seene the only cause of his owne consumption Two yeeres are nowe past since vnder the colour of Damons seruice I haue bene a sworne seruant to Cupid of whom I haue receiued as much fauour grace as euer man founde in his seruice I haue free libertie at al times to behold my desired to talke with hir to embrace hir yea be it spoken in secrete to lie with hir I reape the fruites of my desire yet as my ioyes abounde euen so my paines encrease I fare like the couetous man that hauing all the world at will is neuer yet content the more I haue the more I desire Alas what wretched estate haue I brought my selfe vnto if in the ende of all my farre fetches she be giuen by hir father to this olde doting doctor this buzard this bribing villaine that by so many meanes seeketh to obtain hir at hir fathers hāds I know she loueth me best of all others but what may that preuaile when perforce she shal be cōstrained to marie another Alas the pleasant tast of my sugred ioyes doth yet remaine so perfect in my remēbrance that the least soppe of sorow séemeth more soure thā gal in my mouth If I had neuer knowen delight with better contentatiō might I haue passed these dreadful dolours And if this olde Mumpsimus whom the pockes consume should win hir then may I say farewell the pleasant talke the kind embracings yea farewel the sight of my Polynestat for he like a ielouse wretch will pen hir vp that I thinke the birdes of the aire shall not winne the sighte of hir I hoped to haue caste a blocke in his waie by the meanes that my seruaunt who is supposed to be Erostrato and with my habite and credite is wel estéemed should proffer himself a suter at the least to counteruaile the doctors proffers But my maister knowing the wealth of the one and doubting the state of the other is determined to be fed no longer with faire wordes but to accept the doctor whom he right well knoweth for his sonne in law Wel my seruant promised me yesterday to deuise yet againe some newe conspiracie to driue maister doctor out of conceite and to laye a snare that the foxe himselfe might be caughte in what it is I knowe not nor I saw him not since he went about it I will goe sée if he be within that at least if he helpe me not be maye yet prolong my life for this once But here commeth his lackie ho Iack pack where is Erostrato Here must Crapine be comming in with a basket and a sticke in his hand Scena iiij CRAPINO the Lackie DVLIPO ERostrato mary he is in his skinne Du. Ah hooreson boy I say howe shall I finde Erostrato Cra. Finde him howe meane you by the wéeke or by the yéere Du. You cracke halter if I catche you by the eares I shall make you answere me directly Cra. In déede Du. Tarry me a little Cra. In faith sir I haue no leisure Du. Shall we trie who can runne fastest Cra. Your legges be longer than mine you should haue giuen me the aduauntage Du. Go to tell me where is Erostrato Cra. I left him in the stréete where he gaue me this Casket this basket I would haue sayde and had me beare it to Dalio and returne to him at the Dukes Palace Du. If thou sée him tell him I must needes speake with him immediatly or abide awhyle I will go seeke him my selfe rather than he suspected by going to his house Crapino departeth and Dulipo also after Dulipo commeth in agayne seeking Erostrato Finis Actus 1. Actus ij Scena j. DVLIPO EROSTRATO I Thinke if I had as many eyes as Argus I coulde not haue sought a man more narrowly in euery stréete and euery by lane there are not many Gentlemen scholers nor Marchauntes in the Citie of Ferara but I haue mette with them excepte him peraduenture hée is come home an other way but looke where he commeth at the last Ero. In good time haue I spied my good maister Du. For the loue of God call me Dulipo not master maintayne the credite that thou haste hitherto kepte and let me alone Ero. Yet sir let me sometimes do my duetie vnto you especially where no body heareth Du. Yea but so long the Parat vseth to crie knappe in sporte that at the last she calleth hir maister knaue in earnest so long you will vse to call me master that at the last we shall be heard What newes Ero. Good. Du. In déede Ero. Yea excellent we haue as good as won the wager Du. Oh how happie were I if this were true Ero. Heare you me yesternight in the euening I walked out and founde Pasiphilo and with small entreating I had him home to supper where by suche meanes as I vsed he became my great friend and tolde me the whole order of our aduersaries determination yea and what Damon doth intende to do also and hath promised me that frō time to time what he can espie he will bring me word of it Du. I can not tel whether you know him or no he is not to trust vnto a very flattering and a lying knaue Ero. I know him very well he can not deceiue me and this that he hath told me I know must néedes be true Du. And what was it in effect Ero. That Damon had purposed to giue his daughter in mariage to this doctor vpō the dower that he hath profered Du. Are these your good newes your excellent newes Ero. Stay a whyle you will vnderstande me before you heare me Du. Well say on Ero. I answered to that I was ready to make hir the lyke dower Du. Well sayde Ero. Abide you heare not the worst yet Du. O God is there any worsse behinde Ero. Worsse why what assurance coulde you suppose that I might make without some speciall consent from Philogano my father Du. Nay you can tell you are better scholer than I. Ero. In deede you haue lost your time for the books that you tosse now a dayes treate of smal science Du. Leaue thy iesting and procéede Ero. I sayd further that I receyued letters lately from my father whereby I vnderstoode that he woulde be héere very shortly to performe all that I had profered therefore I required him to request Damon on my behalf that he would stay his promise to the doctor for a fourtnight or more Du. This is somewhat yet for by this meanes I shal be sure to linger and liue in hope one fourtnight longer but at the fourthnights ende when Philogano commeth not how shall I then do yea and though he came howe may I any way hope of his consent when he shall sée that to follow this amorous enterprise I haue set aside all studie all remembraunce of my duetie and all dread of shame Alas alas I may go hang my selfe Ero. Comforte your selfe
trauaileth in this worlde passeth by many perilles Pa. You saye true sir if the boate had bene a little more laden this morning at the ferrie wée had bene all drowned for I thinke there are none of vs that could haue swomme Sc. I speake not of that Pa. O you meane the foule waye that we had since wée came from this Padua I promise you I was afraide twice or thrice that your mule would haue lien fast in the mire Sc. Iesu what a blockehead thou art I speake of the perill we are in presently since we came into this citie Pa. A great peril I promise you that we were no sooner ariued but you founde a frende that brought you from the Inne and lodged you in his owne house Sc. Yea marie God rewarde the gentle yong man that we mette for else we had bene in a wise case by this time But haue done with these tales and take you héede you also sirra take héede that none of you saie we be Sceneses and remember that you call me Philogano of Cathanca Pa. Sure I shal neuer remember these outlādish words I could well remember Haccanea Sc. I say Cathanea and not Haecanea with a vengeance Pa. Let another name it then when néede is for I shall neuer remember it Sc. Then holde thy peace and take héede thou name not Scene Pa. Howe say you if I faine my selfe dum as I did once in the house of Crisobolus Sc. Doe as thou thinkest best but looke where commeth the gentleman whom we are so much bounde vnto Ero. Welcome my deare father Philogano Sc. Gramercie my good sonne Erostrato Ero. That is well saide be mindefull of your toung for these Ferareses be as craftie as the Deuill of hell Sc. No no be you sure we will doe as you haue bidden vs. Ero. For if you should name Scene they would spoile you immediatly and turne you out of the towne with more shame than I woulde shoulde befall you for a thousande Crownes Sc. I warant you I was giuing thē warning as I came to you and I doubt not but they will take good héede Ero. Yea and trust not the seruauntes of my housholde to far for they are Ferareses all and neuer knew my father nor came neuer in Sicilia this is my house will it please you to goe in I will follow They goe in Dulipo tarieth and espieth the Doctor comming in with his man. Scena iij. DVLIPO alone THis geare hath had no euill beginning if it continue so and fall to happie ende But is not this the silly Doctor with the side bonet the doting foole that dare presume to become a suter to such a péerlesse Paragone O how couetousnesse doth blind the common sort of men Damon more desirous of the dower than mindfull of his gentle gallant daughter hath determined to make him his Sonne in law who for his age may be his father in law and hath greater respect to the abundance of goods than to his owne naturall childe He beareth well in minde to fill his owne purse but he litle remembreth that his daughters purse shal be continually emptie vnlesse Maister Doctour fill it with double ducke egges Alas I iest and haue no ioy I will stand here aside and laugh a litle at this lobcocke Dulippo espieth the Doctor and his man comming Scena iiij CARION the doctors man CLEANDER DVLIPO MAister what the Diuel meane you to goe séeke guestes at this time of the day the Maiors officers haue dined ere this time which are alway the last in the market Cle. I come to séeke Pasiphilo to the ende he may dine with mée Ca. As though sixe mouthes and the cat for the seuenth bée not sufficient to eate an harlotrie shotterell a pennie-worth of cheese and halfe a score spurlings this is all the dainties you haue dressed for you and your familie Cle. Ah gréedie gut art thou afearde thou shalt want Ca. I am afearde in déede it is not the first time I haue founde it so Du. Shall I make some sporte with this gallant what shall I say to him Cle. Thou arte afearde belike that he will eate thée and the rest Ca. Nay rather that he will eate your mule both heare and hyde Cle. Heare and hyde and why not flesh and all Ca. Bicause she hath none If she had any flesh I thinke you had eaten hir your selfe by this time Cle. She may thanke you then for your good attendāce Ca. Nay she may thanke you for your small allowance Du. In faith now let me alone Cle. Holde thy peace drunken knaue and espie me Pasiphilo Du. Since I can doe no better I will set such a staunce betwéene him and Pasiphilo that all this towne shall not make them friendes Ca. Could you not haue sent to séeke him but you must come your selfe surely you come for some other purpose for if you would haue had Pasiphilo to dinner I warant you he would haue taried here an houre since Cle. Holde thy peace here is one of Damons seruaunts of him I shall vnderstand where he is good fellow art not thou one of Damons seruaunts Du. Yes sir at your knamandement Cle. Gramercie tell me then hath Pasiphilo bene there this day or no Du. Yes sir and I thinke he be there still ah ah ah Cle. What laughest thou Du. At a thing that euery man may not laugh at Cle. What Du. Talke that Pasiphilo had with my master this day Cle. What talke I pray thée Du. I may not tell it Cle. Doth it concerne me Du. Nay I will say nothing Cle. Tell me Du. I can say no more Cle. I woulde but knowe if it concerne mée I pray thée tell mée Du. I would tell you if I were sure you would not tell it againe Cle. Beleue me I will kepe it close Carion giue vs leaue a litle goe aside Du. If my maister shoulde know that it came by me I were better die a thousand deaths Cle. He shall neuer know it say on Du. Yea but what assurance shall I haue Cle. I lay thée my faith and honestie in paune Du. A pretie paune the fulkers will not lend you a farthing on it Cle. Yea but amongst honest mē it is more worth than golde Du. Yea marie sir but where be they but will you néedes haue me tell it vnto you Cle. Yea I pray thée if it any thing appertaine to me Du. Yes it is of you and I would gladly tell it you bicause I would not haue suche a man of worship so scorned by a villaine ribaulde Cle. I pray thée tell me then Du. I will tell you so that you will sweare neuer to tell it to Pasiphilo to my maister nor to any other bodie Ca. Surely it is some toye deuised to get some money of him Cle. I thinke I haue a booke here Ca. If he knew him as well as I he woulde neuer goe aboute it for he may as soone get one of his