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
The Posies of George Gascoigne Esquire Corrected perfected and augmented by the Authour 1575. Tam Marti quà m Mercurio ¶ IMPRINTED AT London by H. Bynneman for Richard Smith These Bookes are to be solde at the Northwest dore of Paules Church ¶ To the reuerende Diuines vnto whom these Posies shall happen to be presented George Gascoigne Esquire professing armes in the defence of Gods truth wisheth quiet in conscience and all consolation in Christ Iesus RIght reuerend I haue thought it my part before I vvade further in publishing of these Posies to lay open before your graue iudgementes asvvell the cause vvhich presently moueth mee to present them as also the depth and secrets of some conceytes vvhich being passed in clovvdes and figuratiue speeches might percase both be offensiue to your grauitie and perillous to my credite It is verie neare tvvo yeares past since I beeing in Hollande in seruice vvith the vertuous Prince of Orenge the most parte of these Posies vvere imprinted and novv at my returne I find that some of them haue not onely bene offensiue for sundrie vvanton speeches and lasciuious phrases but further I heare that the same haue beene doubtfully construed and therefore scandalous My reuerende and vvelbeloued vvhatsoeuer my youth hath seemed vnto the grauer sort I vvoulde bee verie loth novve in my middle age to deserue reproch more loth to touch the credite of any other and moste loth to haue mine ovvn name become vnto you odious For if I shoulde novve at this age seeme as carelesse of reproche as I vvas in greene youth readie to goe astray my faultes might quickely grovve double and myne estimation shoulde bee vvoorthie too remayne but single I haue learned that although there may bee founde in a Gentleman vvhereby to be reprehended or rebuked yet ought he not to be vvoorthie of reproofe or condemnation All this I set dovvne in preamble too the ende I maye thereby purchase youre pacience And as I desyre that you vvyll not condemne mee vvythoute proofe so am I contented that if heereafter you finde mee guiltie youre definitiue sentence shall then passe publikelye vnder the Seale of Seueritie It vvere not reason righte reuerende that I shoulde bee ignoraunt hovve generally vvee are all magis proni ad malum quà m ad bonum Euen so is it requisite that I acknovvledge a generall reformation of maners more necessarie to bee taught than anye VVhetstone of Vanities is meete in these dayes to bee suffered And therefore as youre grauitie hathe thought requysite that all ydle Bookes or vvanton Pamphlettes shoulde bee forbidden so might it seeme that I vvere vvoorthie of greate reprehension if I shoulde bee the Aucthour of euill vvilfully or a prouoker of vyces vvittingly And yet some there are vvho haue not spared too reporte that I receyued greate summes of money for the first printing of these Posies vvhereby if it vvere true I mighte seeme not onely a craftie Broker for the vtteraunce of garishe toyes but a corrupte Merchaunte for the sale of deceyptfull vvares For ansvvere heereof it is moste true and I call Heauen and Earth too vvitnesse that I neuer receyued of the Printer or of anye other one grote or pennie for the firste Copyes of these Posyes True it is that I vvas not vnvvillinge the same shoulde bee imprinted And that not of a vaineglorious desyre too bee thought a pleasaunt Poet neyther yet of a lyghte minde too bee counted a cunning Louer For though in youth I vvas often ouerhardie too put my name in Ballaunce of doubtfull iudgementes yet novve I am become so bashfull that I coulde rather bee content too leese the prayse of my follyes than too hazarde the misconceyte of the graue and graye headed Iudges But too confesse a truthe vntoo you right reuerende vvith vvhome I maye not dissemble in cases vvhiche so generally doe touche all menne I vvas the rather contented too see them imprinted for these sundrie considerations First for that I haue seene dyuerse Authours both learned and vvell learned vvhich after they haue both reformed their liues and conuerted their studies haue not yet disdeyned to reade the Poems vvhich they let passe their pennes in youth For it seemeth vntoo mee that in all ages Poetrie hath beene not onely permitted but also it hath beene thought a right good and excellent qualitie Next vnto this I haue alvvayes bene of opinion that it is not vnpossible eyther in Poemes or in Prose too vvrite both compendiously and perfectly in our Englishe tongue And therefore although I chalenge not vnto my selfe the name of an English Poet yet may the Reader finde oute in my vvrytings that I haue more faulted in keeping the olde English vvordes quamuis iam obsoleta than in borovving of other languages such Epithetes and Adiectiues as smell of the Ink horne Thirdly as I seeke aduauncement by vertue so vvas I desirous that there might remaine in publike recorde some pledge or token of those giftes vvhervvith it hath pleased the Almightie to endue me To the ende that thereby the vertuous might bee incouraged to employ my penne in some exercise vvhich might tende both to my preferment and to the profite of my Countrey For many a man vvhich may like mine outvvarde presence might yet haue doubted vvhether the qualityes of my minde had bene correspondent to the proportion of my bodie Fourthly bicause I had vvrittē sundry things vvhich coulde not chuse but content the learned and Godlye Reader therefore I hoped the same should serue as vndoubted proofe that I had layde aside vanities and delighted to exercise my penne in morall discourses at least the one passing cheeke by cheek vvith the other muste of necessitie persuade both the learned and the light minded that I coulde asvvell sovve good graine as graynes or draffe And I thought not meete beeing intermingled as they vvere to cast avvay a vvhole bushell of good seede for tvvo or three graynes of Darnell or Cockle Lastly I persuaded my selfe that as in the better sort of the same I shoulde purchase good lyking vvith the honourable aged So euen in the vvorst sorte I might yet serue as a myrrour for vnbrydled youth to auoyde those perilles vvhich I had passed For little may he do vvhich hath escaped the rock or the sandes if he cannot vvaft vvith his hande to them that come after him These consideration◠right reuerend did first moue me to consent that these Poemes shoulde passe in print For recapitulation vvhereof and to ansvvere vnto the obiections that may bee giuen I say to the first that I neither take example of wanton Ouid doting Nigidius nor foolish Samocratius But I delight to thinke that the reuerend father Theodore Beza vvhose life is vvorthily become a lanterne to the vvhole vvorlde did not yet disdaine too suffer the continued publication of such Poemes as he vvrote in youth And as he termed them at last Poëmata castrata So shal your reuerend iudgements beholde in this seconde edition my Poemes gelded
shoulde be chastised and the yong man should be absolued All this rehearsed and considered you may as I say growe in some doubt whether I were worse occupied in first deuising or at last in publishing these toies pamphlets and much the rather for that it is a thing commonly seene that nowe adayes fewe or no things are so well handled but they shall bee carped at by curious Readers nor almost any thing so well ment but may bee muche misconstrued And heerewithall I assure my selfe that I shall bee generally condemned as a man verie lightly bent and rather desyrous to continue in the freshe remembraunce of my follyes than content too cancell them in obliuion by discontinuance especially since in a house where many yong childrē are it hath bene thought better pollicie quite to quench out the fire than to leaue any loofe cole in the imbers wherewith Babes may play and put the whole edifice in daunger But my lustie youthes and gallant Gentlemen I had an intent farre contrarie vntoo all these supposes when I fyrst permitmitted the publication heereof And bycause the greatest offence that hath beene taken thereat is least your mindes might heereby become enuenomed with vanities therefore vnto you I will addresse my tale for the better satisfying of common iudgements And vnto you I will explane that which being before mistically couered and commonly misconstrued might be no lesse perillous in seducing you than greeuous euidence for to proue mee guiltie of condemnation Then to come vnto the matter there are three sortes of men which beeing wonderfully offended at this booke haue founde therein three maner of matters say they verie reprehensible The men are these curious Carpers ignorant Readers and graue Philosophers The faults they finde are Iudicare in the Creede Chalke for Cheese and the cōmon infection of loue Of these three sorts of men and matters I do but very little esteeme the two first But I deeply regarde the thirde For of a verie troth there are one kinde of people nowadayes which will mislyke any thing being bred as I thinke of the spawne of a Crab or Creuish which in all streames and waters will swimme eyther sidewayes or flat backwards and when they can indeede finde none other fault will yet thinke Iudicare verie vntowardlye placed in the Creede Or beeing a simple Sowter will finde fault at the shape of the legge or if they be not there stopped they wil not spare to step vp higher and say that Apelles paynted Dame Venus verie deformed or euill fauoured Of this sort I make small accounte bycause indeede they seeke a knotte in the Rushe and woulde seeme to see verie farre in a Mylstone There are also certaine others who hauing no skill at all will yet be verie busie in reading all that may bee read and thinke it sufficient if Parrot like they can rehearse things without booke when within booke they vnderstande neyther the meaning of the Authour nor the sense of the figuratiue speeches I will forbeare to recyte examples by any of mine owne doings Since all comparisons are odious I will not say how much the areignment and diuorce of a Louer being written in ieast haue bene mistaken in sad earnest It shall suffice that the contentions passed in verse long sithence betwene maister Churchyard and Camell were by a blockheaded reader cōstrued to be indeed a quarell betwene two neighbors Of whom that one hauing a Camell in keping and that other hauing charge of the Churchyard it was supposed they had grown to debate bicause the Camell came into the Churchyarde Laugh not at this lustie yonkers since the pleasant dittie of the noble Erle of Surrey beginning thus In winters iust returne was also construed to be made indeed by a Shepeherd VVhat shoulde I stande much in rehersall how the L. Vaux his dittie beginning thus I loth that I did loue was thought by some to be made vpō his death bed and that the Soulknill of M. Edwards was also written in extremitie of sicknesse Of a truth my good gallants there are such as hauing only lerned to read English do interpret Latin Greke French and Italian phrases or metaphors euē according to their owne motherly conception and childish skill The which bicause they take Chalke for Cheese shall neuer trouble me whatsoeuer fault they finde in my doings But the third sort beeing graue Philosophers and finding iust fault in my doings at the common infection of loue I must needes alledge suche iuste excuse as may counteruayle their iuste complaynts For else I shoulde remayne woorthie of a seuere punishment They wysely considering that wee are all in youth more apt to delight in harmefull pleasures then to disgest wholesome and sounde aduice haue thought meete to forbid the publishing of any ryming tryfles which may serue as whetstones to sharpen youth vnto vanities And for this cause finding by experience also how the first Copie of these my Posies hath beene verie much inquired for by the yonger sort and hearing likewise that in the same the greater part hath beene written in pursute of amorous enterpryses they haue iustly conceyued that the continuance thereof hath beene more likely to stirre in all yong Readers a venemous desire of vanitie than to serue as a common myrrour of greene and youthfull imperfections VVherevnto I must confesse that as the industrious Bee may gather honie out of the most stinking weede so the malicious Spider may also gather poyson out of the fayrest floure that growes And yet in all this discourse I see not proued that either that Gardener is too blame which planteth his Garden full of fragrant floures neyther that planter to be dispraysed which soweth all his beddes with seedes of wholesome herbes neyther is that Orchard vnfruitfull which vnder show of sundrie weedes hath medicinable playsters for all infirmities But if the Chirurgian which should seeke Sorrell to rypen an Vlcer will take Rewe which may more inflame the Impostume then is hee more to blame that mistooke his gathering than the Gardener which planted aright and presented store and choyse to be taken Or if the Phisition will gather hote Perceley in stead of cold Endiue shall he not worthily beare the burthen of his owne blame To speake English it is your vsing my lustie Gallants or misvsing of these Posies that may make me praysed or dispraysed for publishing of the same For if you where you may learne to auoyd the subtile sandes of wanton desire will runne vpon the rockes of vnlawfull lust then great is your folly and greater will growe my rebuke If you where you might gather wholesome hearbes to cure your sundrie infirmities will spende the whole day in gathering of sweete smelling Posies much will be the time that you shal mispende and much more the harme that you shall heape vpon my heade Or if you will rather beblister your handes with a Nettle then comfort your senses by smelling to the pleasant Marioram then wanton is
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
Sée ruine growes when most we reach to rise Sweete is the name and statelie is the raigne Of kinglie rule and swey of royall seate But bitter is the tast of Princes gaine When climbing heades do hunte for to be great Who would forecast the banke of restlesse toyle Ambitious wightes do freight their brestes withall The growing cares the feares of dreadfull foyle To yll successe that on such flightes doth fall He would not streyne his practize to atchieue The largest limits of the mightiest states But oh what fansies swéete do still relieue The hungrie humor of these swelling hates What poyson swéet inflameth high desire Howe soone the hautie heart is pufft with pride Howe soone is thirst of sceptre set on fire Howe soone in rising mindes doth mischief slide What bloudie sturres doth glut of honor bréede Th ambitious sonne doth oft surpresse his sire Where natures power vnfained loue should spread There malice raignes and reacheth to be higher O blinde vnbridled search of Souereintie O tickle traine of euill attayned state O fonde desire of princelie dignitie Who climbes too soone he ofte repentes too late The golden meane the happie doth suffise They leade the posting day in rare delight They fill not féede their vncontented eyes They reape such rest as doth beguile the might They not enuie the pompe of haughtie traine Ne dreade the dinte of proude vsurping swoorde But plaste alowe more sugred ioyes attaine Than swaye of loftie Scepter can afoorde Cease to aspire then cease to soare so hie And shunne the plague that pierceth noble breastes To glittring courtes what fondnesse is to flie When better state in baser Towers rests Finis Epilogi Done hy Chr. Yeluerton NOte Reader that there vvere in Thebes fovvre principall gates vvherof the chief and most commonly vsed vvere the gates called Electrae and the gates Homoloydes Thys I haue thought good to explane as also certē vvords vvhich are not cōmon in vse are noted and expounded in the margent I did begin those notes at request of a gentlevvoman vvho vnderstode not poëtycall vvords or termes I trust those and the rest of my notes throughout the booke shall not be hurtfull to any Reader ⧠The Frute of reconciliation VVritten vppon a reconciliation betwene two freendes THe hatefull man that heapeth in his mynde Cruell reuenge of wronges forepast and done May not with ease the pleasaunt pathway finde Of friendly verse which I haue now begone Vnlesse at first his angry brest vntwinde The crooked knot which canckred choller knit And then recule with reconciled grace Likewise I finde it sayde in holy write If thou entend to turne thy fearefull face To God aboue make thyne agréement yet First with thy Brother whom thou didst abuse Confesse thy faultes thy frowardnesse and all So that the Lord thy prayer not refuse When I consider this and then the brall Which raging youth I will not me excuse Did whilome breede in mine vnmellowed brayne I thought it méete before I did assay To write in ryme the double golden gayne Of amitie first yet to take away The grutch of grief as thou doest me constrayne By due desert whereto I now must yéeld And drowne for aye in depth of Lethes lake Disdaynefull moodes whom frendship cannot wéelde Pleading for peace which for my parte I make Of former strife and henceforth let vs write The pleasant fruites of faythfull friends delight Si fortunatus infoelix Two gentlemen did run three courses at the Ring for one kisse to be takē of a fair gentlewoman being then present with this condicion that the winner should haue the kisse and the loser be bound to write some verses vpon the gaine or losse therof Now it fortuned that the winner triumphed saying he much lamented that in youth he had not seen the warres VVherevpon the loser compyled these following in discharge of the condition aboue rehearsed THis vaine auaile which thou by Mars hast woonne Should not allure thy flitting minde to feelde Where sturdie stéeds in depth of dangers roonne By guttes welgnawen by clappes that Canons yéelde Where faithlesse friendes by warrefare waxen ware And runne to him that giueth best rewarde No feare of lawes can cause them for to care But robbe and reaue and steale without regarde The fathers coate the brothers stéede from stall The deare friendes purse shall picked be for pence The natiue soile the parentes left and all With Tant tra tant the Campe is marching hence But when bare beggrie bidds them to beware And late repentance rules them to retire Like hiuelesse Bées they wander here and there And hang on them who earst did dreade their ire This cut throto life me séemes thou shouldst not like And shunne the happie hauen of meane estate High Ioue perdy may sende what thou doest séeke And heape vp poundes within thy quiet gate Nor yet I would that thou shouldst spende thy dayes In idlenesse to teare a golden time Like countrey loutes which compt none other praise But grease a sheepe and learne to serue the swine In vaine were then the giftes which nature lent If Pan so presse to passe dame Pallas lore But my good friende let thus thy youth be spent Serue God thy Lord and prayse him euermore Search out the skill which learned bookes do teach And serue in féeld when shadowes make thée sure Hold with the head and row not past thy reach But plead for peace which plenty may procure And for my life if thou canst run this race Thy bagges of coyne will multiply apace Si fortunatus infoelix Not long after the writing hereof he departed from the company of his sayd friend whom he entirely loued into the west of Englande and feeling himselfe so consumed by womens craft that he doubted of a safe returne wrote before his departure as followeth THe féeble thred which Lachesis hath sponne To drawe my dayes in short abode with thée Hath wrought a webbe which now welneare is donne The wale is worne and all to late I sée That lingring life doth dally but in vaine For Atropos will cut the twist in twaine I not discerne what life but lothsome were When faithfull friends are kept in twayne by want Nor yet perceiue what pleasure doth appéere To déepe desires where good successe is skant Such spight yet showes dame fortune if she frowne The haughty harts in high mishaps to drowne Hot be the flames which boyle in friendly mindes Cruell the care and dreadfull is the doome Slipper the knot which tract of time vntwynds Hatefull the life and welcome were the toome Blest were the day which might deuoure such youth And curst the want that séekes to choke such trueth This wayling verse I bathe in flowing teares And would my life might end with these my lines Yer striue I not to force into thine eares Such fayned plaints as fickell faith resignes But high forsight in dreames hath stopt my breath And causde the Swanne to sing before his death
him out his share in ragged shéetes He cannot stoupe to take a gréedy pray Vpon his fellowes groueling in the stréetes He cannot pull the spoyle from such as pill And séeme full angrie at such foule offence Although the gayne content his gréedie will Vnder the cloake of contrarie pretence And now adayes the man that shootes not so May shoote amisse euen as your Woodman dothe But then you maruell why I lette them go And neuer shoote but saye farewell forsooth Alas my Lord while I doe muze hereon And call to minde my youthfull yeares myspente They giue mee suche a boane to gnawe vpon That all my senses are in silence pente My minde is rapte in contemplation Wherein my dazeled eyes onely beholde The blacke houre of my constellation Which framed mée so lucklesse on the molde Yet therewithall I can not but confesse That vayne presumption makes my heart to swell For thus I thinke not all the worlde I guesse Shootes bet than I nay some shootes not so well In Aristotle somewhat did I learne To guyde my manners all by comelynesse And Tullie taught me somewhat to discerne Betwéene swéete spéeche and barbarous rudenesse Olde Parkyns Rastall and Dan Bractens bookes Did lende mée somewhat of the lawlesse Lawe The craftie Courtiers with their guylefull lookes Must néedes put some experience in my mawe Yet can not these with many maystries mo Make me shoote streyght at any gaynfull pricke Where some that neuer handled such a bow Can hit the white or touch it neare the quicke Who can nor speake nor write in pleasant wise Nor leade their life by Aristotles rule Nor argue well on questions that arise Nor pleade a case more than my Lord Mairs mule Yet can they hit the marks that I do misse And winne the meane which may the man mainteyne Now when my minde doth mumble vpon this No wonder then although I pine for payne And whiles mine eyes beholde this mirrour thus The hearde goeth by and farewell gentle does So that your Lordship quickely may discusse What blindes mine eyes so ofte as I suppose But since my Muse can to my Lorde reherse What makes me misse and why I doe not shoote Let me imagine in this woorthlesse verse If right before mée at my standings foote There stoode a Doe and I should strike hir deade And then shée proue a carrian carkas too What figure might I finde within my head To scuse the rage whiche rulde mée so to doo Some myght interprete by playne paraphrase That lacke of skill or fortune ledde the chaunce But I must otherwise expounde the case I say Iehoua did this Doe aduaunce And made hir bolde to stande before mée so Till I had thrust mine arrowe to hir harte That by the sodaine of hir ouerthrowe I myght endeuour to amende my parte And turne myne eyes that they no more beholde Such guylefull markes as séeme more than they be And though they glister outwardely like golde Are inwardly but brasse as men may sée And when I sée the milke hang in hir teate Me thinkes it sayth olde babe now learne to sucke Who in thy youth couldst neuer learne the feate To hitte the whytes whiche liue with all good lucke Thus haue I tolde my Lorde God graunt in season A tedious tale in rime but little reason Haud ictus sapio Gascoignes gardnings whereof were written in one end of a close walke whiche he hath in his Garden this discourse following THe figure of this world I can compare To Garden plots and such like pleasaunt places The world bréedes men of sundry shape and share As hearbes in gardens grow of sundry graces Some good some bad some amiable faces Some foule some gentle some of froward mind Subiect like bloome to blast of euery wind And as you sée the floures most fresh of hew That they proue not alwayes the holesomest So fayrest men are not alwayes found true But euen as withred wéedes fall from the rest So flatterers fall naked from their neast When truth hath tried their painting tising tale They loose their glosse and all their iests séeme stale Yet some do present pleasure most estéeme Till beames of brauerie wither all their welth And some agayne there be can rightly déeme Those herbes for best which may mainteine their helth Considering well that age drawes on by stelth And when the fayrest floure is shronke and gone A well growne roote will stand and shifte for one Then thus the restlesse life which men here leade May be resembled to the tender plant In spring it sprouts as babes in cradle bréede Florish in May like youthes that wisdome want In Autumne ripes and rootes least store waxe skante In winter shrinks and shrowdes from euery blast Like crooked age when lusty youth is past And as the grounde or grace whereon it grewe Was fatte or leane euen so by it appeares ▪ If barreyn soyle why then it chaungeth hewe It fadeth faste it flits to fumbling yeares But if he gathered roote amongst his féeres And light on lande that was well muckte in déede Then standes it still or leaues increase of séede As for the reste fall sundrie wayes God wot Some faynt lyke froathe at euery little puffe Some smarte by swoorde like hearbes that serue the pot And some be wéeded from the finer stuffe Some stande by proppes to maynteyne all their ruffe And thus vnder correction bée it tolde Hath Gascoigne gathered in his Garden molde Haud ictus sapio In that other ende of his sayde close walke were written these toyes in ryme IF any floure that here is growne Or any hearbe may ease your payne Take and accompte it as your owne But recompence the lyke agayne For some and some is honest playe And so my wyfe taughte me to saye If here to walke you take delight Why come and welcome when you will If I bidde you suppe here this night Bidde me an other time and still Thinke some and some is honest playe For so my wife taught me to saye Thus if you suppe or dine with mée If you walke here or fitte at ease If you desire the thing you sée And haue the same your minde to please Thinke some and some is honest playe And so my wife taught me to saye Haud ictus sapio In a chayre in the same Garden was written this followyng IF thou sitte here to viewe this pleasant garden place Think thus at last will come a frost all these floures deface But if thou sitte at ease to rest thy wearie bones Remember death brings finall rest to all oure gréeuous grones So whether for delight or here thou sitte for ease Thinke still vpon the latter day so shalt thou God best please Haud ictus sapio Vpon a stone in the wall of his Garden he had written the yeare wherein he did the coste of these deuises and therewithall this posie in Latine Quoniam etiam humiliatos amoena delectant Gascoignes voyage into Hollande An. 1572.