heads by secret meanes to crosse My wisht desire and to procure my losse But hauing noted this their hollownesse And finding that meere Country businesse Was not my Calling to auoyd their spight Which at that season was not showne outright I to the City often did resort To see if either that place or the Court Would yeeld preferment but in vaine I sought Ill fortune still my hopes confusion wrought Which though for an ill signe some vnderstood Yet I presum'd vppon some future good For though I scarce am wisht so well of some I hope I haue a happy time to come Which when I haue most need of comfort shall Send me true Ioy to make amends for all But say it be not whilst I draw this ayre I haue a heart I hope shall nere dispaire Because there is a God with whom I trust My soule shall triumph when my bodie 's dust But when I found that my endeauours still Fell out as they would haue 't that wisht me ill And when I saw the world was growne so coy To deeme me then to young for to employ And that her greatnes thought she did not want me Or found no Calling bad enough to grant me And hauing scapt a thrall which I le not touch Here in this place for feare I haue too much Spoke on 't elsewhere I say well weighing this Together what a foule reproch it is To be still idle and because I spide How glad they would be that my state enuide To find me so although the world doth scorne T' allow me action as if I were borne Before my time yet for to let them see In spight of fortune I le employed be Casting Preferments too much care aside And leauing that to God for to prouide The times abuses I obseru'd and then In generall the state and tricks of men Wherein although my labour were not seene Yet trust me the discouery hath been My great content and I haue for my paine Although no outward yet an inward gaine Of which because I can with all my heart Allow my Country-men to haue a part And cause I thinke it may do some a pleasure On opportunity I le now take seisure And summon vp my Muse to make relation I may b' imploid ere long now 's my Vacation AN INTRODVCTION COme then Inuention and call Iudgement in Knowledge and Reason fie where haue you bin Goe whistle off my Muse that wanton plaies With Epigrams Loue-Sonnets Roundelaies And such like trifling game Bid her come on I haue found brauer prey to seaze vppon â—ome new inspiring prayer warmes my heart And addes fresh courage vnto euery part New blood hath fild vp all my loue-dri'd veines â— sacred Fury hath possest my braines And something too there is that swels my breast â—il that be vtter'd I expect no rest For full with matter like a Sibill Nun I shall grow furious till this taske be done Then rouse thee Muse each little Hobby plies At Scarabes and painted Butterflies Leaue thou such trash it is not now for vs To flye for pleasure wee le in earnest trusse But thou lookst dull vnfit for lofty things Thy wanton flight I feare hath tir ' de thy wings Least therefore thou should'st faint forsake thâ—efist And turne thy selfe into a Satyrist Not of the roughest nor the mildestsort Be most in earnest but sometimes in sport What e're thou find to speake be not affrayd And for assistance craue Iehouahs ayd Vse all thy art for why thou must vnfold The strangest Nature that was euer told At ripping vp whereof some smart will be Yet goe thou foreward still who dares touch thee Diue if thou canst til thou the bottome sound Yet not too farre least thou thy selfe confound Mistake me not I meane not thou shouldst goe To search th' earths center what lies hid below Or vndermine it for ritch Mineralls Thou shalt not haue to do with Vegetalls Strange natures haue both Stones Trees Herbes and Plants Which let him speake of that a Subiect wants There is an Herb indeeed whose vertues such It in the pasture only with a touch Vnshooes the new-shod steed within the North The Scottish Iles cald Oreades brings forth Trees or else writers faine it from whose seeds A certaine kind of water-foule proceeds The Loadstone also drawes the steele vnto it Yet hath not ginne or instrument to doe it Rare properties you see but neither these Nor what lies hidden in the vast wide Seas Meane I to speake off I no knowledge haue What Monsters play with Neptunes boistrous waue Nor quality of birds nor beasts I found For why their natures may be quickly found Indeed we may by little inquisition Find out the bruitish creatures true condition As for example we for certaine know The Elephant much loue to man wil show The Tygers Woolues and Lyons we do find Are rauenous fierce and cruell euen by kind We know at caryon we shal find the crowes And that the roost-cock wheÌ„ t is mid night knowes By a few dayes experience we may see Whether the mastife curst or gentle be And many other natures we find out Of which we haue no cause at all to doubt But there 's another Creature called Man Note him who wil and tel me if he can What his condition is obserue his deeds His speach his rayment yea and how hee feedes Try him a month a yeare an age and when You haue so tride him say what is he then Retaines he either vnto Praester Iohn Or else vnto the whore of Babilon If that you know not which of them to grant Is he a Brownist or a Protestant If in an Age you cannot find out wheither Are you so much as sure that he is either Is his heart proud or humble know you where Or when he hates or loues or standes in feare Or who can say in Conscience I think none That this mans words and deeds thoughts are one Where shall you him so well resolued find That wants a wandring and a wauering mind Nay he of whom you haue most triall when You see him dying will you trust him then Perhaps you may yet questionlesse he leaues you A mind misdoubting still that he deceiues you And no great wonder for hee s such an else That euer is vncertaine of himselfe He is not semper idem in his will Nor stands on this or that opinion still But varies he both will and wil not too Yea euen the thing he thinkes and sweares to doe He many times omits Now God forgiue him I wonder how another should beleeue him But this same diuers and inconstant creature That so contrary is in his owne nature 'T is him my new-inspired Muse here tries Whilst he is liuing to Anotomize T is his abuses and condition Although it be beyond all definition I labour to discouer But aswell I may againe dragge Cerberus from hell Alcydes toyles were much yet this is more Yea if his twise-sixe had beene twise
sixe-score It is so infinite for to vnfold Although that I did speake til I were old Yet should I leaue vnnam'd I 'me sure ee'n than Many a humor I haue seene in Man And yet I must needes say in him there be A thousand times more trickes then I can see T is wonderfull and my immagination Is almost ouerwhelm'd with admiration Indeed it is so deep 's mans heart but yet Since either want of yeares or want of wit Or lack of worke or lack of all hath brought me To be more heedful then a number thought me Since it some time and study too hath cost me And many a humor of mine owne hath lost me Since it hurts none and since perhaps some may Be benefitted by 't another day Although it be a taske that 's not alone Too huge for to be done by any one But more then al the world can well dispatch Yet looke what my weake memory could catch I le heer relate and nothing of it spare Saue things vnfit and such as neeedlesse are Now some will say t were fit I held my tongue For such a taske as this I am too young He ne're had dealings in the world with men How can he speak of their conditions then He cannot they conclude strong reasons why Know none how market goes but such as buy We see it happens that a shifting Knaue A sly deceitfull Connicatching slaue Playing at Cards with some vnskilfull gull Whose purse is lin'd with Crownes and penniful May put a nimble feat for to deceiue Which though a cunning gamester nere perceiue He peraduenture may the same descry That is no player but a stander by So I aloofe may view without suspition Mens idle humours and their weake condition Plainer perhaps then many that haue seene More daies on th' earths stage haue Actors been And t is no maruaile for employment takes them Quite from themselues and so dim-sighted makes them They cannot see the fooleries they doe Nor what ill passions they are subiect to Then who er'e carpe the course I haue begunne In spight of them I wil God helping runne And least th' exordium hath too tedious bin My Obseruations loe I now begin OF MAN MOunted aloft on Contemplations wings And noting with my selfe the state of things I plainely did perceiue as on a stage The confus'd actions of this present age I view'd the World and I saw my fill Because that all I saw therein was ill I weigh'd it well and found it was the Scoene Of Villany of Lust and all vncleane And loath'd corruption Seeing which my Mind That by some inspiration ganne to find The place was not in fault for this search't on To find the cause of this confusion And noting euery Creature there I found That only Man was the chiefe spring and ground Of all this vproare Yea I soone did see He there was all in all and none but he Then being also willing for to know What thing man was I did begin to grow Yet more inquisitiue An old Record At last I hapt vpon which did afford Much sacred light It shewed Man was a Creature First made by God Iust and vpright by nature In his owne Likenesse That he was compounded Of soule and body That this last was founded Of earth The first infus'd by inspiration And that the finall cause of his creation Was to set forth the glory of his maker And with him to be made a ioynt-partaker Of enldes happines Growne much amazd To read this of him for a time I paus'd And finding now in man no marke or signe That ere he was a Creature so deuine I knew not what to thinke vnlesse the same Meant any other Creature of that name But prying further on I there found out The resolution of my present doubt I saw the cause of 's fall How with free-will He fell from his first goodnes vnto ill I saw how he from happines did slide Through disobedience and vnthankfull pride Yea and I found how by that cursed fall He was bereaued and quite stript of all That so adornd him his first holinesse Was chang'd to a corrupted filthinesse Then he began to draw a paineful breath And was a slaue made captiue vnto Death His body was expos'd to labour sweate And much disquieting He got his meat With sorrow care and many perturbations And then his soule grew subiect vnto Passions And strange distemperatures More-ouer he So perfect miserable grew to be That if he had not a Re-generation Nothing was left him but meere desperation Hauing seene this I made no question than But this was spoken of the Creature Man Which I sought after Serching further yet On some Apâ—criphall Records I hit The workes of wise Philosophers from whence I haue receiued more intelligence Concerning him for there they do vnfold Each part about his body and haue told Secrets of Nature very rare to finde Besides they haue considered of the Mind The vnderstanding part and do relate The Nature of his soule and her estate Deepe misteries indeed But cause that I Cannot diue into that Philosophy So farre as these And since I shall but tell Those things which no men can explane so well As they themselues I leaue you to their bookes In which he that with good aduisement lookes Shal find it largely handled As for me I meane to speake but what I know and see By tri'd experience which perhaps may giue Although I haue but now begun to liue Some profitable notes First I avow What euer Man hath beene that he is now A Reasonable liuing Creature who Consisteth of a soule and body toe His Bodye's flesh and blood subiect to sinning Corrupting euen in his first beginning And ful of al vncleannesse Then his soule Is a pure lasting substance yet made foule Through th' others filthines much supprest By diuers hurtful passions which molest And hinder hir proceedings yea hee 's this A Creature that exceeding wretched is And that he may be sure no fault to want Vaine Fickle Weake and wondrous Arogazt And though his nature heretofore were pure Now nothing is more fading or vnsure But I le omit at this time to relate The curses Iu'e obseru'd in 's outward state For though the body that before the fall Susteind no sorrow were it ner'e so small Doth now feele hunger with heat thirst and cold A feeble birth defects in being old With thousands more and though each gaspe of breath In misery he draw vntil his death Yet al this outward change which I do find Is nothing when I do behold the mind For there as I haue said abused passion Keepes Vmpire and hath got predomination Vertues depos'd thence and Vice rule obtaines Yea Vice from Vice there by succession raignes Thrusting out those that Vertues presence grac't And in their steeds these hurtful monsters plac't Fond Loue and Lust Ambition Emnity Foolish Compassion Ioy and Iealousie Feare Hope Despaire and Sadnesse with the Vicâ— Cal'd Hate
Since we must neither speake nor hold our peace Some will be angry if they cannot make Another their opinions for to take Others haue meanings but they cannot shew them Yet are displeas'd with those that doe not know And I haue seene that anger may be holy them A good man mooued for anothers folly Yet in such cases let not any chafe But pray as I doe they may mend and laugh Me thinkes they should be men vnfit to weild The sword of Iustice that do basely yeild Vnto so brute a passion yet haue we Some Gouernours that ouer-ruled be By this and worse affections yea some now Haue charge of others that doe worse know how To guide themselues the angry Magistrate To be aueng'd on him whom he doth hate For priuate causes drawes the publike sword And all the Rigor that the lawes affoord Must serue his Choller such there be so many You cannot misse one though I name not any Now diuers doe affirme such men as be Hasty so they tearme this infirmitie Are the best natur'd who that lesson taught If they be best I le sweare the best be naught Moreouer there be many doe suppose It is a signe of courage what meane those Where is their iudgements they me thinkes should gather That it were weakenesse did produce it rather Or else why should the feeble and the sicke Women and children be most chollerick Againe there 's some whose iudgement is as rude Doe thinke that Anger quickens fortitude But that 's a vertue surely will deny With such a Vice to haue affinity Thou that hast iudgement tell me can it be That Fortitude and Anger may agree I thinke it not for why the one is steady And rul'd by reason t'other rash and heady The one doth nothing but on consultation The other cannot take deliberation And therefore if that we be well aduis'd It is a humor ought to be despis'd And though some thence much help may seeme to gather To whet on Fortitude it hinders rather Yea t is a strange vnreasonable Passion That brings the owner cleane beside all fashion Making him speake if ought but discontent him Yea doe the thing of which he shall repent him And of a friend if I might chuser be I 'de rather haue a man that 's mad then he Some say 't is inflamation of the blood And may with carefull heed be soone withstood But their 's so few that seeke to stop this ill That most do let it runne at randome stil And very faintly yeeld to the inuasion Of this wild Passion on the least occasion But he indeed that would a medcine find For this disease must haue a setled mind Not giuing credit vnto all reports Nor yet delighting in vaine toyes nor sports On dogs or hawkes his mind must not be set So much as for their losse to chafe or fret He should not fancy fuch fond idle trash But euer taking heed of being rash Athenodorus good aduice embrace And follow Cotis that wise King of Thrace Whereby he best shall quench this Passions tinder And many an Angry fumish fit may hinder OF IEALOVSIE SATYR 7 BVt though these angry-ones soon breed a braule And are pernicious to conuerse with-all Not one â—ot better is the iealous-head That thinks his friend and 's wife are still a-bed This Passion as it plainely doth appeare Proceeds out of a too-much loue with feare Loue in a match procures the highest bliss That for vs men on earth ordained is But adde a feare of loosing of our ioy And that we loue so dearely 't will destroy All our delights and strewing good with ill Makes that seeme lost which we haue with vs still Thus doth it often with the Iealous proue VVho carefull in the choosing of his loue Hath gotten her that is not faire alone But modest wise and curteous hating none Nor yet affecting any but her peere For which good parts her husband counts her deere As well he may her vertues he 'll vphold Dares sweare she will not be allur'd with gold Honor nor beauty but as she is chast So hee 's perswaded will be to the last And to himselfe so well he seemes to thriue He thinkes his owne the happiest choise aliue 'T is good Thus for no hurt he wiued well But soft there there is an after part to tell This man when he by daily proofe doth see His wife no other then a wife should be It so augments his Loue to that extreame He knowes not if he be awake or dreame Now doth this Loue for Loue will euer doe it For a Companion take in Feare vnto it A feare of loosing what he loues so much And then the nature of this feare is such That it begets suspect which creeping in Doth by a little at the first begin To make him doubt his spouse doth loosely liue Whereto vpon a slight report to giue Firme credence he seemes loth but yet ere long He doth but think perhaps she doth him wrong Which if he doe that one false thought 's enough To giue all former truths the ouerthrow And why Suspect growes thereupon so great See thrusts true iudgement quite besides her seat Which being done then straight begins to wane The good conceit he of his bliss had tane For if his friend doth to his house repaire He thinkes t is onely cause his wife is faire But if 't be strangers he durst pawne his life There 's some compact betweene them his wife Yea though their busines to himselfe he find He thinks t is bâ—t a hood to keep him blind Then all the sweet he had is turn'd to sowre Faine would he think well but hath not the powre Much care torments his heart and yet he will Be prying farther to encrease it still Yea he will seeke although he truely know The more he seekes the more he findes his woe Beside suspect receiueth in the head All things that may be mis-interpreted And the best thought her vertue 's like to winne Is onely this It seru'd to cloake her sinne In briefe his liking thus he marreth quight And there he loath's where once he tooke delight But wherefore Onely cause he doth mistrust And not on any proofe that she 's vniust Vnhappy woman haplesly to wed So meere a sot and such a Iealous head An owle-eyed buzzard that by day is blind And sees not things apparant yet can find That out which neuer was The feare to loose The Iewell he aboue all Iemms did chuse That feare I say of wit doth so bereaue him He thinks that 's gone which means not yet to leaue him Oh foolish man that hauing gain'd a bliss Doost mak 't a curse by vsing it amiss If iudgement be not blinded in thee looke Try if thou hast not all this while mistooke Is not thy wife still faire and to the eye Seemes she not yet to haue that modesty Thou didst commend her for Is she not wary With whom she walks or speaks or
act which he shall long allow Or think of wel himselfe he cannot tell VVhat he would haue nor what he would not wel For peraduenture he is now content To do what he wil in an hower repent He does and vndoes what he did before Is discontented and with no man more Then with himselfe In word hee 's fickle to For he wil promise what hee 'le neuer do If that he tels me he wil be in Pauls I 'le go looke for him in the Temple-hals For soonest to that place resort doth he VVhereas he saies or sweares he wil not be Oh! had there beene in wordes a constant trust I needed not to haue done as now I must I should haue had no cause to haue bewail'd That which I once thought would haue neuerfaild But since 't is thus at nothing more I greeue Then that vnconstant wordes made me beleeue Were promises worth trust what needed than Such written contracts betweene Man and Man And wherefore should they make so much ado To haue both hands and seales to witnes too Vnlesse it be for proofes to make it plaine Their wordes are both inconstant false and vaine To morrow he wil earnestly gaine-say What stoutly is affirm'd by him to day Yea truely hee 's so wauering and vniust That scarce a word of his deserueth trust But as a creature of all good forlorne Sweares what 's deni'd and straight denyes what 's sworne That I suppose in troth and do not mock Hee 's flt for nothing but a weather-cock Then that same thought that 's likeliest to remaine Another that 's vnlike puts out againe For Appetite not reason guides him still Which makes him so inconstant in his VVill. Had he a sute at first but made of leather And cloathes enough to keepe away the weather 'T were all his wish wel so let vs grant And ten to one he somthing else will want But sweares that he for more would neuer care Then to be able to haue cloth to weare Which if he get then would he very faine Reach to haue silkes for cloth he faith is plaine And so his wishes seldome would haue stay Vntill that he hath wisht for all he may But though from this infirmity there 's no man That I can well except it is so common Yet surely I most properly may cal 't Or tearm 't to be the common peoples fault Think not I wrong them for if it may not be A fault for to digresse you soone should see Their nature and condition for I hate it And now I think vpon 't I wil relate it Tax me who list I care not heere I le breake My course a while I may not chuse but speake Somthing I say my Muse of them must tell She cannot beare it any farther well And yet expect not all for I 'le but shew Of many hundred thousand faults a few And to be breefe The Vulgâ—r are a rude A strange inconstant hare-braind multitude Borne too and fro with euery idle passion Or by opinion led beside all fashion They stil desire newes and to a song Or a bald Tale thei 'l listen all day long Soone weary of a good thing and they try To al reports how they may adde a lye Like that of Scoggins crowes and with them stil Custome hath borne most sway and euer will And good or bad what their forefathers did Thei 'l put in prastise to else God for bid They are seditious and much giuen to range In their opinions and desiring change For if their Country be turmoyld with warre They thinke that peace is more commodious farre If they be quiet they would very faine Begin to set the warres abroach againe I wel remember when an Irish presse Had made a parish but a man the lesse Lord what a hurly burly there was than These warrs say they hathe cost vs many a man The Countrey is impouerisht by 't and we Rob'd of our Husbands and our Children be With many lamentations But now peace Hath made â—â—ellonaes anger for to cease Their euer discontented natures grutch And thinke this happy peace we haue too much Yea and their wisdomes beare vs now in hand That it is warres that doth enrich the Land But what are these not men of any merit That speak it from a bold and daring spirit But lightly some faint-hearted brauing momes That rather had be hang'd at their owne â—omes Then for their Countries welfare for to stay The brunt of one pitcht battell but a day Of such as would distract with feare become To heare the thundring of a martiall drum They cannot keep a meane a naughty crime Nor neuer are contented with the time But better like the state they haue been in Although the present hath the better bin E'ne as the Iewes that loathing Manna faine Would be in Egypt at their flesh again Though they were there in bondage so do these VVish for the world as in Queene Maries dayes VVith all the blindnes and the trumpery That was expeld the land with Popery VVhy thinges were cheap and t was a goodly mâ—ny VVen we had foure and twenty agges a penny But sure they ate them stale for want of wit And that hath made them adle-headed yet Then this moreouer I haue in them seene They alwaies to the good haue enuious beene Mild men they reckon fooles and do vphold Him to be valiant that is ouer-bold When he with wisemen is and euer was Counted no better then a desperate Asse He that doth trust vnto their loue shall find T is more vnconstant then the wauering wind Which since my time a man that many knew Relying on it at his death found true Then they haue oft vnthank fully withstood Those that haue laboure for the common good And being basely minded euermore Seeke lesse the publick then the priuate store Moreouer such a Prince as yet was neuer Of whom the People could speake well of euer Nor can a man a gouernment inuent them How good soeuer that shall long content them Their honesty as I do plainely find Is not the disposition of their mind But they are forc't vnto the same through feare As in those villaines it may wel appeare Who hauing found so vile vngodly cause If there be any meanes to wrest the Lawes By tricks or shifts to make the matter goe As they would haue it all is well enow Although the wrong and 〈◊〉 they proffer Be to apparent for a Iew to offer They know not Iustice and oft causles hate Or where their should not are compassionate As at an execution I hauâ— seene Where Malefactors haue rewarded beene According to desert before they know If he accused guiâ—ty be or no. They on report this hastie censure giue He is a villaine and vnfit to liue But when he is once arraign'd and found Guilty by Law and heauily led bound Vnto the Scaffold then they doe relent And piâ—ty his deserued punishment Those that wil now braue gallant men be deem'd And
good conscience before God for Si Deus tecum quis contrate but if now hauing made the World thine enemie exposed thy selfe to the malice thereof and hauing so many Legions of foes without thee thou shouldest also by thy negligence suffer the inuincible fortresse of a sound Conscience to be crazed within thee the Diâ—ell that is alway watching such aduantages would quickly possesse it with an vnmercifull troupe of Horrors Feares and Desperations that without Gods miraculous assistance thou wouldest grow wholly past either comfort or recouery For all the World cannot defend thee against thy Conscience but that beeing with hee thou maist preuaile against all the World Beware then doe not like the Zibeâ—hum yeeld a perfume to sweeten others and be thy selfe a stinking vermine but let this thy owne worke bee first confirmed by thy life and conuersation yea let it be a President to thy selfe for Tanâ—i erit aliis quanti tibi fuerit but if not I say if the World mis-esteeme either it or thee yet doe not thou therefore esteeme the lesse either of thy booke or of thy selfe but rather let them know That thou hast learned still thy care shal be A rush for him that cares a straw for thee But now though for these and diuers oother Reasons I haue to thee my Owne-selfe committed the protection and made the Dedication of this booke yet my meaning is not that thou shouldst keepe it wholly to thine owne vse But rather seeing it is honourable to giue though none will giue thee any thing I haue bestowne this oâ— thee that if thou canst in this corrupted age finde any whom desert and thy loue may make so deare vnto thee or whomâ— thou art perswaded will gratifie or but thinke well of thy honest endeauours thou maist bee liberall to them both of these thy labours and expences But this I coniure thee to be they neuer so great yet flatter not or if he be a man whom thou knowest the World speakes any way iustly ill of either tell him his fault or leaue him wholly out of thy Catalogue But because I begin to grow tedious to my owne-selfe and since I shall haue Opportunity enough to consider with thee what is further needfull without an Epistle with my prayers for my Prince my Country my friends and my â—wne prosperitie without any leaue taking or Commendations of my Selfe I heartily wish my owne Soule to fare-well Thy Princes thy Countries thy friends and thine i. thine owne whilst Reason masters Affection GEO. WITHER To the Reader REaders I speake to you that haue vnderstanding when these first fruits of my conuerted Muses shall come to your iudicious censures Do not look for Spencers or Daniels wel composed numbers or the deep conceits of now florishing Iohnson no say t is honest plain matter there 's as much as I look for If I haue seem'd to err in any thing suppose me not so obstinate or wel conceited of my own opinions but that I may be perswaded by any that shal produce stronger reasons to the contrary If any thing may seeme to haue a doubtfull interpretation assure your selues the honestest meaning in it is mine and although some may think I haue not so wel ioyned things together as I might haue done I know wheÌ„ you haue considered the nature of the Subiect the diuersity of things therin haÌ„dled you wil accept my good wil let my yeeres be an excuse for that al other ignorant ouer-sights whatsoeuer Some no doubt will mistake my plainnes in that I haue so bluntly spoken what I haue obserued without any Poeticall additions or fained Allegories I am sorry I haue not pleased them therein but should haue been more sorry if I had displeased my selfe in doing otherwise for I know if I had wrapt vp vy meaning in dark riddles I should haue been more applauded and lesse vnderstood which I nothing desire I neither feare nor shame to speake the Trurh and therefore haue nakedly thrust it forth without a couering To what end were it if I as some do had appareld my mind in darke Parables that few or none might haue vnderstood mee I should doe better to be silent but if it be more in request I may hereafter be obscure enough yet in this t is not my meaning for indeed if I knew how my desire is to be so plaine that the bluntest Iobernole might vnderstand mee Our Grand-villaines care not for a secret ierk well wee may shew an honest wit in couertly nipping them but either 't is in vaine cause they perceiue it not or else ridiculous seeing they only vnderstand it who will but either malice or flout vs for our labors Many may dislike the harshnes of the Verse but you know although it be not stately yet it we enough befits the matter and whereas I may seem blame-worthy in mixing Diuinity with Humanity yet when you haue found my generall ayme considered with what reuerent respect I haue done it and what commendable authorities I may haue for it I nothing misdoubt your approbation Those things which concerne my selfe may seeme childish nothing pleasing but you must consider I had a care to please my selfe aswel as others and if the World blame mee as to sawcy with her 't is for want of manners but her owne fault that would allow mee no better education To bee briefe if I haue any way offended I am so well perswaded you wil mildly conster my errors and infirmities that I rest wholly and onely on your sound and incorrupted Iudgements * But* Readers I meane you that are no more but Readers I make no question if this book come to your spelling it will haue many halting verses and disioynted sentenses for I haue had experience of your insufficiencie yet haue I striu'd to bee for your sakes I tell you because I would if it were possible bee vnderstood as plaine as they say as a pack-saddle and now the doubt is then fooles will ride me If they doe certainly I shall be rough vneasie for their tendernes Though you vnderstand them not yet because you see this wants some fine Phrases flourishes as you find other mens writings stuft withal perhaps you wil iudge me vnlearned Wel and right enough Yet you will be counted but saucy Coblers to go beyond your Lasts And if that be a fault did not the subiect and your ignorances require me to be in that sort faulty I could with ease haue amended it for it cost me I protest more labour to obserue this plainenesse then if I had more Poetically trim'd ii but for feare if I speake much I confound your Memories I will say no more but this Read and welcome but Censure not for your iudgement is weake and I vtterly renounce it Valete George Wither To Time EPIGR. 1. NOw swift-deuouring bald and ill fac't Time Dost not thou blush to see thy selfe vncloak't Oh that I knew but how to laugh in
that he is sure to finde Himselfe to morrow in that very minde Hee 's in to day though he not onely know No reason wherefore he should not be so But also though he plainly do perceiue Much cause he should not that opinion leaue May no man do it who then iustly can Be forced to rely or trust in Man Whose thoughts are changing and so oft amisse That by himselfe himselfe deceiued is Who is so sottish as to build Saluation On such a feeble tottering foundation As Man who is 't that hauing a respect To his soules safety will so much neglect That precious assurance as to lay His confidence on that false peece of clay Which being fickle merits farre lesse trust Then letters written in the sand or dust Do they not see those they haue soundest deem'd And for their constants writers still esteem'd All wauering in assertions yea but looke And you shall finde in one and the same booke Such contradiction in Opinion As shewes their thoughts are scarce at Vnion Where finde you him that dares be absolute Or alwaies in his sayings resolute Ther 's none I by my owne experience speake I haue a feeling that we men are weake Whereon much musing makes me inly mourne And grieue at heart that I a man was borne Yet herevpon I do desire that no man VVould gather that I long to be a woman Alas how often had I good Intendments And with my whole heart vow'd and sworn amendments Yea purpos'd that wherein I once thought neuer Vnconstancy should let me to perseuer And yet for all my purpose and my vow I am oft alter'd ere my selfe knowes how But therefore since it is not I alone Or any certaine number that is knowne To be vn-stable but e'ne all that be Since none I say is from this frailty free Let vs confesse it all and all implore Our nere repenting God that euermore Remaines the same we may be as we ought More certaine both in Word and Deed Thought That he will keep vs from Inconstancy Yea from all damned lewd Apostasie But howsoeuer our affections change And we in slight opinions hap to range Yet pray his Truth in vs be so ingraued Continuing to the end we may be saued OF WEAKNES SATYR 3. BVt oh looke here for I haue surely found The Maine chiefe Root the very spring and Ground Of our Inconstancy It is not Chance That so dis-ables our perseuerance But a base Weaknesse which to terme aright Is meerely a priuatâ— on of that might Or a detraction from that little power Which should be in those limbs and minds of our We boast of strength but tell me can our daies Affoord a Milo or a Hercules Can all the world and that is large enough A match for Hector or Achilles show Haue we a Champion strong enough to weild This Buckler or Sir Aiax seauen-fold-Shield I thinke we haue not but I durst so grant There be some liuing shall with Aiax vaunt Nay now in these daies it is doubted much VVhether that any former age had such As these fore-named but indeed our faith Binds vs to credit that as Scripture saith There was a Samson who could fright whole hosts And rent downe Azaths barred gates and posts Whose mighty Arms vnarm'd could bring to passe E'ne with the rotten iaw bone of an Asse A thousands ruine and yet 't will be long Er'e he shall thereby proue that Maâ— is strong For first the strength he seem'd to haue was known To be the Spirit of God and not his owne And then his proper weaknesse did appeare When after his braue actiheihad wel-neare Been dead for thirst whereas if he in spight Of Nature had been able by his might Out of this little Stony-rocke to wring To quench his present thirst some flowing Spring As did a Stronger one or if his power Could haue compel'd the melting clouds to shower For present need such plenteous drops of raine He might haue had no cause for to complaine Or craue more aid Sure then we might at length Be brought for to beleeue that Men had strength But ne're till then Hee 's mighty that can make The Heaueus Earth Hell with 's breath to shake That in his spheare the Suns swift course can stop And Atlas with his burthen vnder-prop He that with ease his massy globe can rowle And wrap vp Heauen like a parchment scrowle He that fot no disease or paine will droop Nor vnto any plague infernall stoop He that can Meat and Drinke and sleepe refraine Or hath the power to dye and rise againâ— Hee 's strong indeed but he that can but teare Or rent in two a Lyon or a Beare Or doe some such like act and then goe lye Himselfe ore-come by some infirmitte How ere with vants he seemes his deedes to grace He is both miserable weak and base What Creature is there borne so weake as Man And so vn-able tel me he that can Or if that they could number'd be by any Count his disease and what hath so many Or else what creature is there if he be In bone and flesh of the same quantity So fraile as Man or that can worse sustaine Hunger or thirst or cold or heat or paine Sure none and yet in Histories we find Til Luxury hath weakened thus mankind They weare much stronger could indure the heat Trauel a long time without Drink or meat And their best dainty was no costlier thing Then a wild-root or water from the Spring With which small Commons Nature was content Yea in our Climate people naked went And yet no question felt as little cold As we wrapt vp in halfe a dozen fold They had no wast-coats night-caps for their heads Nor downy pillowes nor soft feather-beds They scorn'd as much to haue such thinges about theÌ„ As we in this Age scâ—rne to be without them Their heads some stone bare vp their brawny sides VVith ease the hardnes of the earth abides Gluttonous fare that so the pallat pleases Nere fild their bodies full of foule diseases Nor any pleasing liquors with excesse Made them grow weak through beastly drunkennes No lust-prouoking meats made them vnchaste Nor vnto carnall copulaâ—ton haste For I am in the minde they ne're requir'd it Till Nature come to herfull strength desir'd it And that it is alone which made them be More stout more strong and brauer men then we It was a noble care in them indeed but how Are we become such Dwarfes and Pigmies now How are our limbs so weake and feeble growne I thinke I need not tell it 't is well knowne Nice tender breeding which we well might spare Much drunkennes and our luxurious fare Which ads not strength as some doe vainely say But rather takes both strength and health away Yet chiefely this same imbecility Comes by too soone and frequent venery A beardlesse Boy now cannot keep his bed Vnlesse that he be of his Night-geere sped And many Giglets I haue married
Of all presumptions the most accurst And fulst of Danger Silly man take heed Do not before thy selfe an euill deed For when God wil forgiue and man forget Thy owne ill Conscience will oppose and set Her selfe against thee tell thee thine offending And keep thee back from euer apprehending Grace of forgiuenesse neither wil affoord The smallest comfort of the sacred word But rather to thy sad remembrance call Each saying that may serue to prooue thy fall And though that fire wondrous torture brings Vnto the body yet when conscience stings Nor fire nor sword nor hell it selfe can yeeld Aworser to ment God defend and shield Me from the like and giue me grace to feare So that I may preserue my Conscience cleare In all my actions And then I shall be In better case a thousand fold then he That vnto wealth and honour hath obtaind With a craz'd Conscience that is blurd and stain'd Alas how easie wert to climbe or mount To worldly Reputation and Account How soone could I if I had an intention For to contriue or plot a damn'd inuention Get golden heapes yea and so priuily That though t were done by craft and villany I by the blinded World would yet be deem'd Perhaps more honest but much more esteem'd Then now I am But God forbid that I Such base vaine trash and dunghil stuffe should buy At such a rate for there 's no Iewell dearer Nor any losse a man can haue goe nearer Then peace of Conscience which for to be true The ancient Poets very wisely knew And therefore fain'd their Fâ—ries with intent For to declare the inward punishment Of guilty mindes which sure they might do well For there is in them Diuels yea and hell With all her torture what else was the cause Nero who knew no God nor feared lawes When he had kil'd his mother tooke no rest But thought he saw her comming to molest And plague him for 't What made him to surmise He was still tortur'd in such hellish wise That furies did to his appearance scorch His liuing body with a burning torch Wast not his Conscience that had priuy beene Vnto the fact was not the cause within His owne bad selfe If t were let 's to amending Of our presumptuous sinnes aud bold offending If neither in regard of God nor men Oh le ts for feare of our owne Conscience then Yet there 's another thing which wert wel weighd Our rash presumption would be som-what staid The End of life with the ne're-ending paine God for presumptuous sinners doth ordaine Could we note that with deaths vncertaine times And how it takes men acting of the crimes Euen in the very nick of their offence And beares them ere they can repent them hence To such a place where nothing shall appeare But all the Gastly obiects of grimme feare Whereas each sense shall seuerally sustaine The miserable smart of endlesse paine The tender feeling shall in euery part Be subiect to th' intollerable smart Of hellish flames commixt with chilling cold Tortures beyond conceit not to be told The dainty mouth that had the Curioust tast And of the choysest cates still made repast Shall be fild vp yea belly throat and all With filth more loath-some then the bitterest gall The once perfumed Nostrill there shall drinke Foule noysome smels beside the sulpherous stinke Of choaking flames and there the listning eare Fed with the sound of pleasing Musicke heare Shall change it for the wofull screeching cry Of Damned soules that in hels torture lye VVhose hydeous howlings can by no defence Be kept from percing that amazed sence And then while they shal trembling thinke to flye From those amazements that do seeme so nigh To there the feareful'st obiects of the sight Their quite despairing mindes shall more affright For garish formes of foule mishapen fiendes And vgly Bugs for euermore attends To thwhart each looke But if this do not make Thy ouer hardened heart oh man to quake If this relation be too weake to win Or to reclaime thee from thy wonted sinne Reader if this do no impression leaue So that thou canst not any feare conceiue Through this description thinke vpon t at night Soone in thy bed when earth 's depriu'd of light I say at mid-night when thou wak'st from sleepe And lonely darknesse doth in silence keep The Grim-fac't night And but immagine then Thou wert borne all alone to some darke den And there set naked though thou felts no paine Yet seeing no way to get out againe If thou shouldst in that naked loneness heare Some yelling voyce or some strange noyse drawneâ—â— VVith threatning or but calling on thy name Oh with what Patience couldst thou bide the samâ— But if withall thy wandring eyes should marke And now and then see pearing through the darâ— Some monstrous visages or vgly faces VVhich shold make proffer of some rude embrâ—â—â— And smetime seeme as if they would begin VVith griping pawes to ceize thy trembling skiâ— Or but suppose that in thy Chamber there Where cannot be the hundreth part of feare Because to thee the place well knowne will be And thou must haue wherewith to couer thee Yet there I say suppose thou shouldst behold Nor such grim obiects as are heere foretold But Onely heare the dolefull voyce of men Complaining in the darke And now and then Behold the ghastly shape of friends long dead Wrapt in their sheetes as they were buried Or else from out thy Chamber floore to rise A troupe of bony pickt Anatomies Come pointing to thee as if thou wert he That must ere long their bare companion be Then thou wouldst feare I know and think on him Whose might fearful power thou didst contemn Thou wouldst consider better of the feare And hellish horror I haue mention'd heare That Dungeons estate thou would'st conceiue And somewhat thy presumptuous actions leaue Thou wouldst not so cast all thy care behind thee But watch thy self for feare least death shold finde thee Doing some il nor wouldst thou thus delay Times of repentance still from day to day But oh show should I hope that this I plead Will worke in them that shall but barely read What I haue writ Since I my selfe that know And haue some inward seeling of that woe For get my selfe I thought when I shall be From such and such like cares and troubles free Then wil I all my vanities forsake A better course of life I le vndertake And only seeke the glory of his name By whom I liue That day ere long time came Then I had other lets but if that they As I did seeke they might were once away I would indeed my duty better doe Well so it pleas'd God I orepast them too Yet somthing hindred still that I could neuer In my intended Christian course perseuer But euer found vnto my griefe and sorrow That I was bad to day and worse to morrow But oh thou God that knowst my hearts desire Do not oh
Reuenge and greedy Auarice Choller and Cruelty which I perceiud To be the only causes man 's bereau'd Of quietnesse and rest And these I found To be the principall and only ground Of all pernitious mischeefes that do rage Or haue disturbed him in any age And therefore I do heere entend to show Ere I goe farther what ill humors flow From these fore-named yea I will declare To what abuses most men subiect are Throgh any of them For when as I tooke view Although I saw not all I found a few And for because I wil not order breake I will assunder of each passion speake OF THE PASSION OF LOVE SATYR 1. FIrst Loue the same I heere the first do call Because that passion is most Natural And of it selfe could not be discommended Wert not with many a foule abuse attended Or so much out of measure as we see By those in whom it raignes it oft wil be For looke wher't growes into extremity It soone becometh Vertues Laethargy Makes them set light by reasons sound direction And beares them headlong by vntam'd affection Câ—unsels in vain cause when this fit doth take them Reason and vnderstanding doth forsake them It makes them some-time merry some-time sad Vntam'd men mild and many a mild man mad To fooles it wisdome giues and makes the witty To shew theÌ„selues most fooles the more 's the pitty Some it makes purblind that they do not know The Snow white Cygnet from the cole-black Crow That one to gold compares his Mistris hayre When 't is like foxe-fur and doth think shee 's faire Though she in beauty be not far before The Swart West-Indian or the tawny Moore Oh those faire Star-like eyes of thine one saies When to my thinking she hath look't nine wayes And that sweet breath when I thinke out vppon 't 'T would blast a flower if she breathed on 't Another hauing got a dainty peece Prouder then Iason with his golden fleece Commends her vertues that hath iust as many As a shee-baud that neuer yet had any Yet sweares shee 's chast and takes her for no more VVhen all her neighbours knowes she is a Another he growes carelesse of his health Neglects his credit and consumes his wealth Hath found a pretty peat procur'd her fauor And sweares that he in spight of all wil haue her Wel let him take her since they are contented But such rash-matches are the soon'st repented Then there is one who hauing found a peere In all thinges worthy to be counted deere VVanting both Art and heart his mind to breake Sits sighing wo is me and wil not speake All company he hates is oft alone Growes Melancholly weepes respecteth none And in dispaire seekes out a way to dye VVhen he might liue and find a remedy But how now wast not you saies one that late So humbly beg'd a boone at beauties gate Was it not you that to a female Saint Indited your Aretophels complaint With many doleful Sonnets wa' st not you Sure t was saies he but then how comes it now You carpe at loue thus in a Satyrs vaine Take heed you fall not in her handes againe Sure if you doe you shal in open court Be forc't to sing a Palinodia for't What are your braines dry or yourblood growne cold Or are you on a sodaine waxen old To flout at loue which men of greatest wit Alow in youth as naturall and fit What reason haue you for 't els what pretence Haue you for to excuse this vild offence To him I answer that indeed een'e I Was lately subiect to this malady Lik't what I now dislike employ'd good times In the composing of such idle Rimes As are obiected From my heart I sent Full many a heauy sigh and oft-times spent Vnmanly teares I haue I must confesse Thought if my Loue smil'd that no happinesse Might equalize it and her frowne much worse O God forgiue me then the Churches curse I did as some do not much matter make To hazard soule and body for her sake Hauing no hope sometime I did despaire Sometime too much built castles in the ayre In many a foolish humor I haue beene As wel as others looke where I haue seene Her whom I lou'd to walke when she was gone Thither I often haue repair'd alone As if I thought the places did containe Something to ease me oh exceeding vaine Yet what if I haue beene thus idly bent Shal be now asham'd for to repent Moreouer I was in my child-hood than And am scarse yet reputed for a Man And therefore neither cold nor old nor dry Nor cloi'd with any foule disease am I 'T is no such cause that made me change my mind But my affection that before was blind Rash and vnruly now begins to find That it had run a large and fruitlesse race And therevpon hath giuen Reason place So that by Reason what no Reason might Perswade me from before I haue out-right Iustly forsaken for because I see 'T was vaine absurd and naught but foolery Yet for all this looke where I lou'd of late I haue not turnd it in a spleene to hate No for 't was first her Vertue and her Wit Taught me to see how much I wanted it Then as for Loue I do alow it stil I neuer did dislik't nor neuer will So it be vertuous and contain'd within The bounds of Reason but when 't will begin To run at random and her limits breake I must because I cannot chuse but speake But I forget my selfe wherefore am I So tedious in my owne Apologie It needed not at all I le on againe And shew what kind of Louers yet remaine One sort I find yet of this louing crew Whose quality I thinke is knowne to few These seeke by all the meanes they can to gaine Each Virgins liking Sometime not in vaine They do obtaine their wish but when t is got Sorry they are and wish they had it not For peraduenture they haue plac't their Loue So as it cannot nor it must not mooue And yet if they should faile for to procure it 'T would greeue theÌ„ so they hardly woould endure it Yea though in shew at least they haue said nay Their Loues with like affection to repay If they perceiu't abate as it will doe Both this and that doth make them sorry too But he that is with such a humor led I may be bold to terme a watle-head More-ouer men in placing their affection Haue feu'rall humors for to giue direction Some like the Faire but there 's not all the grace She may be faire and haue a squemish face Some like the wanton some the modest eyes The pace or gesture some's affection ties A smile wins one anothers lookes mooues pitty The next commends the lasse that 's bold and witty Againe some loue where they no cause can find But onely this the wench they see is kind Yea one doth thinke her faire another loathes Because she seemes so in her gaudy
mans sight so weake But see 's their doings yet let none suppose 〈◊〉 heare meane to defend or maintaine those That doe our Bishops Callings disalow Let them that can◠for sure I know not how Nor would I haue the world to vnderstand That I tax all the Clergy in the land Or the whole Hierarchy Think not so For why this present age doth yeeld I know Men that are truely worthy I hope many Yea I am sure few times since Christ had any More knowing or more painefull then some few And whatsoe're men thinke yet for to show Though I Satyrically carp at those That follow Vice and are true Vertues foes I haue not such a spightfull cankred spirit As to conceale and smother Worth and Merit For I le for Canterburies Grace be bold Out of mine owne experience to vphold That Sea was neuer gouerned as yet By any one more Reuerent or more fit For ouer and aboue his Country cares Wherein he neither time nor counsell spares Besides Church busines whereto he applies His mind to further it what in him lies I say beside this publick care at large Few Ministers haue in their priuate charge Showne greater paine that here the truth I tell London and Lambeth both can witnes well And thou wert vnhappy London then When thou didst loose this rare One among men Yet thou wert blest againe thy fate did bring In place of such a FATHER such a KING A maine Chruch-piller and of so great worth Europe can hardly bring his equall forth And for them both my Muse will this put downe Who scornes to sooth a King to get a Crowne Had she not thought them to be what she saies She would haue heere disdain'd to sing their praise But to go foreword I do wonder why Men should be subiect to this Vanity For I haue seene those that had ritches store Great offices and fauours no men more Honor and credit yea and wisedome to Yet see what an ambitious head wil doe Clyming to high they got so low a fall They forfeited their honors liues and all Me thinkes ere they in such an act should stur T were no't amisse to thinke on Aesops Cur Who catching but to get a shadow more Did loose the substance that he had before I might a while vpon example stand Of former times but that within this land The present Age the which I onely view Can yeeld enough to prooue my saying true And of so many in this Kingdome showne I meane at this time to produce but one And that shal be the late Ambitious plot The like whereof the world sure yeeldeth not I meane the pouder treason and intention Brought had not God assisted past preuention Yet see ere they could clime to their desire When they were for to mount but one step-higher Let God be honor'd for 't downe tumbled all And gaue these hel-hounds a deserued fall As often as I call to memory That horrid and detested villany It makes me sorry such a hellish plot Should scape vnblas'd to be so soone forgot But some good wit ere long I do not doubt VVil vndertake to paint that action out And in it owne true sable colour show it That children that are yet vnborne may know it And to make plaine that ruine and perdition Are the last Periods to conclude Ambition But to that purpose they may labour spend And per aduenture all to little end They wil not thinke thereon for we may see How lofty-minded stil there 's many be VVith what desires of titles they haue sought them And at how deare a reckoning they haue bought them But that with other flowes from Vanity A part essentiall in humanity VVhich if God grant me leaue I meane to chase But must referre it to another place Some haue ambitious heads but cannot rise Because the want of meanes and friends denies What they aspire vnto but such are vext Their mind I know is troubled and perplext Beyond all reason Oh strange humor'd men Your folly you wil leaue I thinke but when Be with your states Content for do you know VVether you wish be for your good or no Oyes thinkes one if I could once attaine Such offices or so much wealth to gaine As this or that man hath my wish were ended And such or such a fault should be amended But this I say though they may thinke it strange VVith the estate the mind doth also change And when in one thing thou hast thy desire Thou canst not stay there but must mount vp higher And higher stil vntil thou dost attaine Vnto the top or tumble downe againe Be warned then you that Ambitious are And for to curbe your passion haue a care Else at the length 't wil certainely deceiue you But you wil haue your wils to which I leaue you OF FEARE SATYR 10. SOft now what Pasion's this that followes next Surely I thinke hee 's with a feuer vext He shakes and lookes so pale O me t is feare I le make his humors also to appeare Since I haue found him This is he that mar's All our delight on earth 't is he that bars Man the right vse of pleasure And t is he That was at first ordaind our plague to be Auoid him you that loue and looke for rest Let a true courage banish him your brest For this makes not your bodies only num Tremblingly cold deform'd and pale become But 't is a passion vgly grim and foule That doth with greefe e'ne clog the very foule And comes if that I faile not in my skill Out of a false opinion of some ill That 's present or to come It inly stings And also for companions it brings Both paine and shame and diuers haue I seene That with this feauer haue sore shaken beene Two but of late whose feare so foolish prou'd Many thereby were vnto laughter moou'd One came in puffing almost out of breath As if he hardly had escaped death And why Alas he thought a whited post He on a sodaine saw had beene a Ghoast And that surmise did such impression take That though he after saw 't was but a stake If yet he do but come that way benighted He is e'ne with the very place affrighted Th' other came running like a man that 's mad Oh! he had seene the Diuel that he had Where in an old house fitting on a block We lookt and there we found a turky-cock Thus many feare where cause of feare is none And make themselues a iest for euery one Yea feare hath made a number so affraid That they haue oft their dearest friends betraid For this cause onely I do nere intend To choose a coward for to be my friend And if that women be not growne so coy To scorne to take aduisement of a boy Let them not chuse a coward to their mate Least they repent it as one did of late For not far off there dwelt not long agoe I le tel a tale that many yet
they know it so they cannot keep Their melting eyes from teares but they must weep I might touch Parents chiefly in the City That mar their children by their cockering pitty But other Passions call me now away And yet before I leaue thus much I le say Those fond-kind Parents that take rods from schooles Haue almost fild the land with knaues and fooles And those that think we need no pitty rue Let them not hold so stil for this is true Fond pitty rests in no true manly breast And therefore you that are or would at least Be counted men be not therewith ore ' borne For t is a Passion that novv Women scorne OF CRVELTY SATYR 14. BVt here 's another beares vs farther wide If we embrace it on the other side And therefore whilst we seeke for to beware Of foolish Pitty we must haue a care Least this do ouer-run vs t is a thing Whose very name doth seeme enough to bring All men in the opinion to confesse T is an inhumaâ—e hellish wickednes A monstrous Passion so vnfit to rest Or harbor in a reasonable brest That beasts in whom it rather should remaine Doe for the greatest part the same refraine And yet as odious as it doth appeare Vnlesse men looke to their affections neere 'T will steale vpon them and they shall begin Not only to be quickly snar'd therein Although at first they doe abhorre it much â—ut more the nature of this Passion 's such It will begin delightfull and it makes So deepe impression in the heart and takes So sound a root 't will hardly be displac't Whilst that the body by the soule is grac't And yet some doe supposer iâ— may with ease Be left or tooke as eu'ry one shall please But they are wide like them that ouer-bold And trusting to their proper strength vphold We neede not this same Passion discommend Nature sufficient is to reprehend That fault they say And they detest it so Reason can neere haue such an ouerthrow That they should liue themselues for to defile With any passion that they know so vile Indeed it is a monstrous villany And most I thinke can raile at cruelty Yet let none be so carelesse for 't is true The odious vices we doe most eschew Grow pleasing by degrees When Hasael VVas told what he should doe to Israel Full little thought he then his gentle heart Should euer giue consent to act a part Of such a Tragick Scaene and yet we find He became after of another mind For our intents and best affections be Exceeding subiect to vncertaintie Those we thinke surest and vnlesse each hower We be remembred such a state is our We should forget our selues Philip the Sire Of that bold Grecian King that did aspire To be the worlds third Monarch knew full well Himselfe to be a Man yet could not tell Whereto he might through humane frailty fall And therefore wil'd his seruant for to call Thus at his window ere the day began Philip Remember that thou art a man And e'ne as hatefull as this Passion is To be remembred so 't were not amisse But men are stronger now they thinke then he And much lesse prone to imbecillitie But you that thinke so and you that vphold This needs no warning 'pray let me be bold For to demand some questions since there be So few as you thinke stain'd with cruelty Is he not mercilesse that without shame Doth rob his neighbour of his honest name By raising false reports doth not that Lord That to his Tenant grudges to afford What Loue and Conscience giues or he that takes The common profit to himselfe and makes His owne good of it when he knowes thereby Many a poore man 's brought to Beggery Doth not I say that Landlord hardly deale And is he not vnto the common weale A cruell foe some damned Vsurers That are I thinke the Diuels Treasurers For by the small vse they of riches make They for another seeme their care to take Are they not cruell when they cannot be Contented with their Statute Vsuree But must encrease their gaines by bribes and guifts With many subtile and vnlawfull shifts Pinching poore debtors till their greedy hands Haue got possession both of goods and lands What are out Lawyers that can brooke to see Christians like Beasts that still a wrangling be And yet when it lies in their power to part them Will for their owne gaine vnto discord hart them Keeping them still at strife by adding fuell To maintaine an ill flame Are they not cruell Yes verily and so are not alone The mercilesse offenders but each one Who when he doth perceiue that there is need Is slacke to doe a charitable deed And what may they be that employ their care To pamper vp the flesh with curious fare Largely prouiding for the Bodies good Whilst the poore Soule is hunger-steru'd for food They are not cruell No t is like that such That can take pittie on themselues so much Are mercifull to others You will say To poison men 't were ill then what are they That by false doctrine fraught with errors foule Seeke to enuenome and infect the soule Cruell they are I know you must confesse But then you 'le say t is not that Cruelnesse You vnderstood As if you did suppose None through this Passion did offend but those That murtherers be In truth I thinke that this I here recite not principallest is For it from other causes doth proceed Whereas true proper Cruelty indeed Is when a man delights and longs to see Or doe some deed that 's full of Crueltee Iust such was his that out of a desire To see how Troy burn't when it was on fire Caus'd Rome in many places for to flame And longing to behold from whence he came Ript vp his mothers wombe a passiue right VVas also his that tooke so much delight For to behold men strangely tortured That he out of his bounty promised A large reward to him that could inuent The cruel'st and vnusuall'st punishment VVhich Phalaris demanding was therefore The first that made his Brazen Bull to roare And like to this are those mens humors to That vncompel'd would make no more a doe To murther till a Country were vnman'd Then doth a schoole-boy with a walking wand To lop downe thistles tops Now these men be Passiuely cruell in the high'st degree And though the first rehearsed be not so Yet thereto they may very quickly grow Vnlesse they haue oft warning to beware Since they already halfe-way entred are Especially the greedy hungry elfe That would for profit gladly damne himselfe For Auarice doth harden so the heart In any mischiefe he may beare a part No cruelty the Couetous refraines Murther nor Treason so he may haue gaines If that I thought 't would any thing auaile Against this Passion I could further raile But as it raignes in man experience showes So that 't is euill there is none but knowes Wherefore I 'le say
As many doe for present miseries Haue they no feeling of felicities That are to come If that they be in paine Let hope giue ease It will not alwaies raine Calmes doe the roughest stormes that are attend And th' longest night that is will haue an end But 't is still bad thou saist take 't patiently An age is nothing to eternitie Thy times not here Enuy not though that some Seeme to thee happy their bad day 's to come And if thou knew'st the griefe they must sustaine Thou would'st not thinke so hardly of thy paine I must confesse 't was once a fault of mine At euery misaduenture to repine I sought preferment and it fled me still Whereat I greeu'd and thought my fortune ill I vext to see some in prosperitie Deride and scoffe at my aduerstie But since aduis'd and weighing in my minde The course of things I soone began to finde The vainenesse of them these I saw of late In bliss as I thought scorning my estate I see now ebbing and the once-full tide That ouer-flow'd the lofty banks of pride Hath left them like the sand shore bare and dry And almost in as poore a case as I. Besides I view'd my daies now gone and past And how my fortunes from the first to th' last Were link't together I obseru'd I say Each Chance and Deed of mine from day to day That memory could keep yet found I none Not one thing in my life that was alone But still it either did depend on some That was already passed or to come Yea the most childish idle trifling thing That seemed no Necessitie to bring In that hath the Beginnings oft been hid Of some the waightiest things that ere I did But cheefely to abate the excessiue ioying In worldly things and to preuent th' annoying Of any sorrow this I noted thence And euer-since haue made it a defence For both these passions I haue truely seene That those things wherewith I haue ioyed beene Highly delighted and the dearest lou'd Euen those very things haue often prou'd My cheefest Care And I haue found againe That which I deem'd my greatest losse or paine And wherewithall I haue been most anoyd And should haue deem'd a blessing to auoid That which my heart hath ask't for and wherein I thought me most vnhappy that hath bin The ground of my bestâ—ioyes For which cause I Aduise all men that are in misery To stand vnmou'd for why they doe not know Whether it be to them for good or no They ought not for to murmur nor to pine At any thing shall please the powers Deuine To lay vpon them for my mind is this Each sorrow is an entrance into Blisse And that the greatest pleasure we attaine Is but a Signe of some insuing Paine But to be plainer this our life 's a toy That hath nought in it worth our griefe or Ioy But there are some base-minded dunghill elues That sorrow not for any but themselues Or if they doe 't is onely for the losse Of some old crest-falne lade But that 's a crosse Past bearing be it but a rotten sheep Or two stale egs they will such yelling keep As if thereby had perished a brood In which consisted halfe the kingdomes good But I intreat them since it must befall They would be patient who can doe withall And also let them of much Griefe beware For there 's small ods betweene the same and Care And they haue heard I need not tell them that 'T is an old saying Care will kill a Cat. Then let them take heart chiefly since they see None liue but sometime they must loosers be VVhich is an ease for I haue heard them tell With mates they care not if they goe to hell But in good earnest now let vs not runne Willingly hereinto as we haue done Rather auoid it as a hurtfull foe That can effect nought but our ouerthrow And yet instead receiue into our breast An honest mirth which is a better guest And whatso'ere our former griefe hath been Let vs nere sorrow more but for our Sinne Thus with this Passion end the rest will I Because it ends not till our End is nigh THE CONCLVSION THus haue I labour'd some Effects to show That doe from mens abused Passions flow Which from example of old ages past And wise-mens Sayings I might more haue grac't But that I am resolu'd to tie my Rimes As much as may be to the present Times Also I might amongst these here haue told The bodies Passions as Hunger Cold Heat Thirst and such like but their force is seene And most men haue sufficient carefull beene For to preuent them they last not so long Nor are by much so violent and strong Or dangerous as these but if men knew Or with the eyes of Reason would o're view These foule-bred maladies as sure they ought They would with greater diligence haue sought The cure of them then of such slight diseases The which their bodies and no more displeases But now the reason men disturbed are For the most part with such preposterous Care Is this through their corrupted iudgement they Doe onely on things seene depend and stay Which being most apparant to the sense So muffles vp the weake Intelligence And blinds her that she hath no power to see The better things that more subsisting be When if they could conceiue but halfe so well The Soules Estate they 'd labour to expell All these corruptions that may cause her woe All those fell Passions that molest her so But some men haue in this opinion stood That eu'ry passion 's naturall and good Indeed Philosophers the same doe call A Motion of the soule that 's naturall And in some sort we may not be afraid For to vphold as much as they haue said But thus we must distinguish on it then And make a two-fold Passion in men Of which one sort vnto the best aspires And that alone things meerely good desires Therein reioycing moderate and weake In operation and the truth to speake We haue it rather by Gods Inspiration Then bred within vs at our Generation The other as th' effects thereof doe show Doth by our owne corrupted nature grow For it is head-strong rash insatiate Wondrous disordred and immoderate Of which kind these are whereof I haue spoken And they are oft the cause mens sleeps are broken That 't is which makes them raue or greeue or ioy So out of measure for a trifling toy Yea that 't is onely makes them oft so teasie Their friends seem troublesome their beds vneasie And lastly these are the occasions still Of all misfortunes and of euery ill Th' effects they doe produce we also see Contrarie to their expectations be For he that hopes or lookes for to attaine Great Ioy Pleasure haps on greefe and paine But by what meanes may men these passions kill Sure not by the procuring of their will As some imagine For first it may be A thing that 's not
to my face VVhen he would leaue my presence for my place Yea and to sweare it too he will not tremble Although he knowes I know he doth dissemble VVhich in my iudgement is a Vanity Too full of shamelesse grosse absurditie And I much wonder men delight to spend Time that 's so precious to so little end As to consum 't in idle Complement And not so much as to a good intent Crouching and kneeling when each peasant knowes Much curtesie much craft the prouerbe goes A quality beseeming men I deem 't For to be Courteous and I much esteem't Yet sure without good meaning t is vnfit And extreame vaine when men are cloy'd with it When some man's Table 's furnished with store Of Dainties that a Prince can haue no more Hee 'le bid you welcome though that by your cheere It doth not as hee 'le say himselfe appeare And yet he sees and knowes well that his Bordes Haue what the Water Earth and Ayr affords With pray d' yee eat I drink t'yee nay be merry And such like words I oft haue beene as weary To thank to pledge and say I do not spare As ere was Sommers of his trotting mare But now I think of this I 'le without ieasting Tell one absurdity l 'ue seene in feasting Amongst my Countrymen when one intends For to be merry he bids home his friends And for them all things needfull doth prepare That they may well perceiue they welcome are Yea he would haue them frolick and 't is good A signe of loue and honest neighbourhood But then with all he oftentimes inuites Som lofty Statesmen or proud neighbouring knights Who all their merriment doth ouerthrow Because they looke for reuerence you know And he must be a slaue vnto that guest Contenting him though he displease the rest Now that 's his fault were I as he my Boord Should neuer entertaine that Knight or Lord In way of feasting that allow'd not me To be as merry and as blith as he Or that through his disdaine would thinke amisse To beare some iests of mine as I beare his For who but fooles would while their guest is baiting Stand with bare heads like Alehouse-keepers waiting As if they were some strangers wanted chearing In their owne houses while they dominering Say what they list be therefore rul'd by me Bid none but equals if you 'le merry be At least let them be such as can abide To lay Superiority aside Moreouer if they haue the prouidence To bid their friends keep these mar-feasts thence They are too lauish and doe much deuize How they the appetite may best suffize But 't is a signe their vnderstanding's weake And they haue small good matter for to speake It showes a shallow pate and muddy braine When men haue no discourse to entertaine Their friends withall but whiffes of smoake or drinke Or curious fare as if that they did thinke They could not shew their honest loue vnlesse They did abound in gluttonous excesse But there be many greedy-guts indeed That will finde fault vnlesse their cates exceed Such Socrates shewes how to answer best Who hauing for his friends prepar'd a feast And hearing one to discommend his store Told him directly friend there needs no more For be they vertuous her's enough for such If otherwise quoth he there is too much A fitter answere we can neuer finde For such nice gluttons differing in minde From certaine deere and learned friends of mine Whom when I late requested for to dine Or sup with me one night would not agree Vnlesse I drest that they appointed me I will said I and not a bit beside Why then quoth they we charge thee to prouide One dish no more we loue not him that crams And let our second course be Epigrams Well that they had with more good mirth laughing Then those that had their dainties their quaffing Who can declare that Vanity man shewes In hearing and reporting idle newes The foolish tales and lies that he doth faine Are more then any numbers can containe And now I thinke on that same lying euill A mischiefe first inuented by the diuell I cannot chuse but greatly wonder why Men should delight so in that Vanity It is not onely vicious and base But also doth their credits quite deface And truth out of their moutheâ— is mis-esteem'd Because oft lying they are lyers deem'd I meane not any falshood to maintaine No though they be officious or for gaine Yet worst like them who their wits bo bend To inuent tales vnto no other end But for to find the company some talke And cause they loue to heare their owne tonges walke Some I haue knowne iudge of their Vanity They haue told tales to their owne infamy And yet vntrue 't is like they haue small care Of others credits when they wil not spare To wrong thâ—mselues Another crew beside Among these lyâ—rs I haue also spide Who as it may appeare do like so well Strange newes and matters past beleefe to tell That notwithstanding they do surely know It makes not only modest eares to glow But that 't is knowne they lie yet stil they dare Gainst Truth their owne al mens knowledge swear Yea when they may aswell and speake as right Sweare that each man is blind and all Crows white Oh too presumptuous and lewd offence Sprung from a brazen â—ellish impudence Then there 's a number to that do suppose All that beyond their little reason growes Is surely false And vainely do vphold That all reports which trauellers vnfold Of forraine lands are lies because they see No such strange thinges in their owne parish be If that I may not terme such fellowes vaine I 'le say th' are dul and of a shallow braine And him I count no wiseman that imparts To men of such base misconceiuing hearts Any rare matter for their bruitish wit Will very quickly wrong both him and it For thus the saying goes and I hold so Ignorance onely is true wisedomes foe Then thou art vaine that wilt vouchsafe to spend Thy breath with witlesse fooles for to contend In weighty matters when it is well knowne Thei 'le like of no opinions but their owne Euer disabling what thou dost recite Yea notwithstanding it be ne're so right And be their owne case false and all amisse They 'le proue it true How Thus Because it is So if there be no more wise men in place Thou bear'st the shame thei 'le haue all the grace And yet the mischiefe hath not there an end For tell me you that euer did contend VVith such is not their wayward disputation A meere confusion and a strong vexation I know 't is so for I my selfe haue tride it And since that time could neuer yet abide it But let those follow Vanity together With purbâ—ind ignorance and I 'le send thither To keep them company those that take pleasure In tedious discourse they be at leasure And those that loue to
heare their owue tongâ—es walke Or still seeke out occasion for to talke Shall not stray from them Yet I haue beheld More Vanities which must not be conceal'd As foolish wishes Many a silly Asse Couets those things that cannot come to passe Another that in wishing is as heedlesse Desires some trifling bables which are needlesse Nay I haue heard without regard of shame Such beastly wishes as I blush to name VVhat damn'd infernall curses can each brother In euery angry fit wish one another When such as these their iesting words theiâ—e make ye A Pox a Pestelence and a Murraine take yee Which if the Lord should in his iustice send them Their owne vaine wishes wold e're long time and theÌ„ Some free-borne men I haue obserued too Who are thought wise yet very vainely do These as if they lackt troubles of their owne For other men are slaues and drudges growne I tax not such as honestly haue stood In the mainetaining a poore neighbours good But rather those who are so out of measure Giuen to be for other men at leasure That they can finde almost no time to bee Emploid about their owne commoditee Others there are more knauish and as vaine Who seeming carefull of an others gaine Intrude themselues into their actions when 'T is not for any good they wish the men But for this cause and sure for nothing more In each mans boate they loue to haue an oare 'T is good men looke to their affaires but yet I hold it for a vaine thing and vnfit They should be vexed with such extreame care In following them as I perceiue they are For vnto me it seemes the greatest part Take businesse not in hand now but in heart What meane our wealthy Vsurers to hoord More vp for others then they can affoord Vnto themselues whereas they do not know Whether it shall be for a friend or foe Sure such me thinkes should be deseruedly Recorded for their sottish Vanity Now as these too well of the world doe deeme So others make thereof too small esteeme As of a thing whose vse were of no weight But both are led away with Vaine conceit Then some mans care is that when this life ends Hee dying may be buried with his friends As if he fear'd his foes had not forgotten To do him mischiefe though their bones were rotteÌ„ Others extremely are distempered To thinke what men will do when they be dead And vainely sit More wit God one day send Lamenting what they know not how to mend For worthlesse matters some are wondrous sad Whome if I call not vaine I must tearme mad If that their noses bleed some certaine drops And then againe vpon the suddaine stops Or if the babling foule we call a Iay A Squirrel or a Hare but crosse the way Or if the salt fall toward them at table Or any such like superstitious bable Their mirth is spoild because they hould it true That some mischance must therevpon ensue But I doe know no little numbers bee Seduced with this foolish Vanity And questionlesse although I discommend it There wants not some that stoutly will defend it But all their proofe is onely this I know By dayly triall they doe finde it so Indeed 't is true God often by permission To see if they will trust to superstition More then to him doth willingly supply VVhat they so look't for by their Augury Then some for to be deemed men of State Of nothing but the Court-affaires doe prate If they but come amongst vs Countri-men Lord what Magnificoes they will be then Yea though they blow but the Kings Organ-â—ellows VVe must suppose them Earles and Barons fellowes Or else we wrong them 'T was my chance to light In a friends house where one of these that night Tooke vp his lodging At the first I deem'd him A man of some great place and so esteem'd him And be tooke me for some soft Country gull Thinking my wit as t is indeed but dull But I perceiu'd his pride I must confesse And seem'd as If I had a great deale lesse I made him more fine congees by a score Then ere he had at Court in 's life before The worship and the Honour too I gaue him But from the charge of either I dare saue him Yet my high tearmes so pleas'd the Courtiers vaine That vp he rips me newes of Fraâ—ce and Spaine Of Germany of Denmarke and of Sweed And he had French store thereof I tooke heed Then next he tels me all their life at Court Relates St. Georges showes and Christmas sport With such like talke which I in shew desir'd And as if I had neuer seen 't before admir'd Which he perceiuing falls for to deuise More strange reports and tels me sundry lyes Which stil I wondred at and in his talke I noted though his tongue did euer walke He neuer spake of others then the best For Earles and Lords and Ladies were the least I heard him mentioning when sure the foole Is but some seruant to the Groome o' th stoole But howsoeuer for this once he passes To shew the Nature of his fellow-Asses I am affraid 't will be to little end If I should words and pretious leasure spend To tel our Gallants what vaine friuolous Discourse they haue and how ridiculous They are at meetings I haue been for laughter Often beholding to them a weeke after And trust me I 'le not giue a cue so soone To see an Ape a Monkey or Baboone Play his forc't trickes as I would giue a tester To come and view them and their apish gesture When they are either frollick in their Cans Or courting of their light hee 'ld Curtezans They thinke themselues fine men I know they do What will they giue me and I 'le think so to And yet I shall not sure do what I can They haue so little in them that is man For my few yeares hath noted many fruits Producted in fine silkes and satten sutes VVorth obseruation I could recite Their braue behauiour in their Mistres sight But sure thei 'le nere endure 't they cannot do 't Yet if I list now I could force them to 't But I spare them they are beholding to me And may perhaps as great a fauour doe me But faith I may not nor I cannot hold Nor keep in all their vanities vntol'd At least one humorous tricke I must not misse VVhich lately I obseru'd and that was this Two lads of late disposed to be merry Met at a Towne not farre from Canterbury Where though their busines scarce would let them stay They 'd frolicke out a night and then away So there they sup't and slept where I let passe To tell their mirth in what good fashion 't was But as I heard the parish clocke strocke one Before their merry-mad-conceits were done And then they went to bed where I dare say They'd more deuotion for to sleepe then pray Next morne th' one awaking suddenly vpstart And lightly gert
paine To come somtime and visit them againe In meere good will because these weake ones see They cannot then so well prouided be To bid them welcome as their loues require Though more then loue their loues did ne're desire A foolish Shame so blinds them that they shall For giuing them to much haue naught at all Yea for because they want excessiue fare Or some such things for which their friends neere care Though by their will it other wise had beene They neither will be knowne at home nor seene VVhich doth not onely shew impiety But hindereth loue and barres society Yet now the greatest weaknesse that I finde To be in man is ignorance of mind It makes a poore man hee 's scarse good for ought If rich men haue it they are worse then nought For hauing riches store and wanting might Or strength of mind to vse the same aright T is arrogancies and ambitious fuell It makes them Couetuous Inconstant Cruell Intemperate Vniust and wonderous heady Yea in their actionsrude and so vnsteddy They cannot follow any sound direction But are still carried with a wild affection This is their nature it is quickly noted If they to honour be by hap promoted Then they grow insolent beyond all reason Apt for Ambition Quarrels Murthers Treason Or any villany that followes those Who doe the summe of happinesse repose In worldly glory But if Fortune frowne And from her fickle wheele once cast them downe Then their deiected hearts againe grow base They are impatient of their present case Raue or run mad and can doe nought poore elues Vnlesse it be goe hang or drowne them selues Moreouer the same weakenes that proceeds From ignorance this mischife also breeds It makes men will conceited of their will Which they will follow be it nere so ill And they thinke all things needs must fall out bad Wherein their wise aduise may not be had But heere 's the hell to them all Counsell's vaine Cause they all others wisedome doe disdaine And wholly on their owne deuises rest As men perswaded that their owne are best But as all such are weake e'ne so I say Is euery one that rashly doth repay Vengeance in anger Or that 's male content Oft or oft mooued and impatient Or those that iudge of Counsels by th' euent Or that perswade themselues if their intent Be good and honest that it doth not skill If that the matter of it selfe be ill Which were it true then Dauid might complaine That Vzzah for his good intent was slaine Others againe thinke Superstitious Rites To be the seruice in which God delghts But since I 'me forst my mind of them to speake I must needs say their iudgements are but weake The like I must of them who disesteeme All forraine customes and doe onely deeme Their owne praise-worthy As also such as do Thinke those things best they cannot reach vnto Yet in the vulgar this weake humor 's bred They 'l sooner be with idle customes led Or fond opinions such as they haue store Then learne of reason or of vertues lore We think that we are strong but what alas Is there that our great might can bring to passe Since though we thereto bend e'ne all our will We neither can be good not wholly ill God giues vs needfull blessings for to vse them Which wanting power to do we oft abuse them Some hold them wise and vertuous that professe An heremitall solitariness But it proceeds from imbecillity And for because through Non-ability Those thinges they cannot well in dure to doe Which they indeed should be inur'd vnto Besides they wrong their Country and their friends For man saith Tullye's borne to other ends Then for to please himselfe a part to haue The common-weale doth look and parents craue A part so doth his friend then deales he well That closely mewd vp in a carelesse cell Keepes all himselfe and for a little ease Can in his Conscience find to rob all these I say hee 's weake and so againe I must But add withall hee 's slothfull and vniust Then as hee 's vaine that precious time doth spend In fond and idle pleasure to no end So are those weake that with contempt disdaine All plesure and delights on earth as vaine And though they would be zealous thought wise I shall but count them foolishly precise For Man hath cares and pleasures mixt with-all Are needfull yea both iust and naturall We are no Angels that our recreation Should consist only in meer Contemplation But we haue bodies to of whose due pleasure The soules must find sometimes to be at leasure For to participate but in this kind Though some find fault we are not much behind Then t is through humane weaknes when that we Of a good-turne will soone forgetfull be And readier to reuenge a small offence Then for that good to make a recompen â— And so 't is also when that we eschew Or shunne them vnto whom from vs is due Both loue and mony this because their owne Th' other cause friendship at our need was showne But 't is well seen there 's many so abhor To be in presence with their Creditor That thankless elues though he be still their friend They rather would desire to see his end He 's weake to that 's not able to withstand Any vnlawfull or vniust demand As well as he that knowes not to deny Seruing-mens kindness or pot-curtesie Some simple fellowes cause that silken-fooles That had their bringing-vp in Bacchus schooles In show of loue but daine to drink vnto them Think presently they such a fauour do them That though they feele their stomack wel nigh sick Yet if to pledge these kind ones they should sticke Or for a draught or two or three refuse them They thinke in conscience they should much abuse them Nay there be some and wisemen you would thinke That are not able to refuse their drinke Through this their weaknesse though that they be sure 'T is more then their weake stomacks can indure And why oh 't is the health of some great Peere His Maisters or his Friend he counteth deare What then if that the party vertuous be He 'le not esteeme of such a foolery If not who er 't be this is my mind still A straw for 's loue his friendship or good will Some muse to see those that haue knowledge gaind And to Degrees of Art in Schooles attaind Should haue opinion stuft with heresie And in their action such Simplicitie As many haue At first without a pause As meere a Boy as I may tell the cause I st not the reason their acquired parts And knowledge they haue reacht vnto by Arts Is growne a Mâ—tch to great and farre vnfit For to be ioyned with their Naturallwit 'T is so and they insteed of rightfull vsing Draw from their leraning errors by abusing Plaine Reason should and euery man that 's wise Knowes though that Learning be a dainty prize Yet if that
for euery sex for each degree And in all causes as if they had beene In euery thing or at least all things seene If need be they can like a Lawyer prate Or talke more grauely like a man of State They 'l haue a Tradesmans tongue to praise their ware And counterfet him right but they 'le not sweare The curioust Phisicians if they please Shall not quoine words to giue their patients ease So well as they And if occasion vrge They 'l Choller yea and Melancholly purge Onely with charmes and words and yet it shall Be honest meanes and meerely naturall Are they dispos'd to gossip't like a woman They 'l shew their tricks so right that almost noman But would so thinke them Virgins that are purest And Marrons that make shew to be demurest Speake not so like chast Cynthia as they can Nor Newbery so like a Curtezan They 'l giue words either fitting for a Clowne Or such as shall not vnbeseeme a Crowne In show they will be chollerick Ambitious Dâ—sperate Iealous Mad or Enuious In sorrow or in any Passion be But yet remaine still from all passions free For they onely to this end exprest them That men may see them plainer and detest them But some will say that these haue on the stage So painted out the vices of this age That it not onely tels that they haue bin Experienc't in euery kind of sinne But that it also doth corrupt and show How men should act those sins they did not know Oh hatefull saying not pronounc't by chance Bnt spew'd out of malicious Ignorance VVeigh it and you will either thinke these weak Or say that they doe out of enuy speake Can none declare th' effect of Drunkennes Vnlesse they vsed such-like bestlinesse Are all men ignorant what comes by lust Excepting those tht were themselues vniust Or thinke they no man can describe a sin But that which he himselfe hath wallawed in If they suppose so I no cause can tell But they may also boldly say as well They are apprentices to euery trade Of which they find they haue descriptions made Or for because they see them write those things That do belong to rule best say th' are Kings As though that sacred Poesie inspir'd No other knowledge then might be acquir'd By the dull outward sence yes this is Shee That showes vs noâ— alone all things that be But by her power laies before out view Such wondrous things as Nature neuer knewe And then whereas they say that men are worse By reading what these write 't is their owne curse For is the flower faulty cause we see The loathsome spider and the painefull Bee Make diuers vse on 't No it is the same Vnto the spider though she cannot frame Like sweetnes as the Bee thence But indeed I must confesse that this bad age doth breed Too many that without respect presume This worthy title on them to assume And vndeseru'd base fellowes whom meere time Hath made sufficient to bring forth a Rime A Curtaine ligge a libell or a ballet For Fidlers or some Roagues with staffe and wallet To sing at doores men only wise enough Out of some rotten old worme-eaten stuffe To patch vp a bald witlesse Comedy And trim it heere and there with Ribaldry Learn'd at a baudy house I say there 's such And they can neuer be disgrac't too much For though the name of Poet such abuses Yet they are enemies to all the Muses And dare not sort with them for feare they will Tumble them headlong downe Parnassus hill Why then should their vsurping of it wrong That Title which doth not to them belong And wherefore should the shame of this lewd crew Betide them vnto whom true honors due It shal not for how ere they vse the name Their works wil show how they do merit fame And though it be disgrac't through ignorance The generous will Poesie aduance As the most Antique Science that is found And that which hath been the first root ground Of euery Art yea that which only brings Content and hath beene the delight of kings Great IAMES our King both loues liues a Poet His bookes now extant do directly show it And That shall adde vnto his worthy name A better glory and a greater fame Then Britaines Monarchy for few but he I thinke will both a King and Poet be And for the last although some fooles debase it I 'me in the mind that Angels do imbrace it And though God giu 't heere but in part to some All shall hau 't perfect in the world to come This in defence of Poesie to say I am compel'd because that at this day Weaknesse and Ignorance hath wrong'd it sore But what need any man therein speake more Then Diuine Sidney hath already done For whom though he deceas'd ere I beguâ— I haue oft sighed and bewaild my Fate That brought me forth so many yeeres too late To view that worthy And now thinke not you Oh Daniell Draiton Iohnson Chapman how I long to see you with your fellow Peeres Matchlesse Siluester glory of these yeeres I hither to haue onely heard your fames And know you yet but by your workes and names The little time I on the earth haue spent Would not allow me any more content I long to know you better that is the truth I am in hope you 'l not disdaine my Youth For know you Muses Darlings I le note raue A fellowship amongst you for to haue Oh no for though my euer willing heart Haue vow'd to loue and praise You and your Art And though that I your stile doe now assume I doe not nor I will not so presume I claime not that too-worthy name of Poet It is not yet deseru'd by me I know it Grant me I may but on your Muses tend And be enrould their Seruant or their Friend And if desert hereafter worthy make me Then for a Pellow if it please you take me But yet I must not here giue off to speake To tell men wherein I haue found them weake And chiefely those that cannot brooke to heare Mention of Death but with much griefe and Fearâ— For many are not able for to take That thought into them but their soules will quake Poore feeble spirits would you nere away But dwell for euer in a peece of Clay What find you heere wherein you doe delight Or what 's to seeing that 's worth the sight What doth the heauens thy endeauors blesse And wouldst thou therefore liue for to possesse The Ioy thou hast seek't not perhaps to morroâ— Thou l't wish to haue di'd to day to scape the sorroâ— Thou then shall see for shame take stronger Hearts And adde moâ—e courage to your betteer Parts For Death 's not to be feard since t is a Friend That of your sorrowes makes a gentle end But here a qualitie I call to minde That I amongst the Common-people finde This 't is a weake one to when they perceiue A
these men will be Admitted to the sacred Ministry But most of vs do now disdaine that Place Accounting it vnworthy meane and base Yea like to Ieroboams Priests we see They of the lowest of the people he And though we know the Israelites allow'd God the first-borne for his we are so proud Vnlesse they either do want shape or wit Or seeme for worldly busines vnfit Few thinke Gods seruice worthy the bestowing Their Child about it or such duty owing Vnto the same but rather that Vocation They count a blemish to their reputation But where 's your vnderstanding oh you men Turne from your bruitish dulnes once agen Honour Gods Messengers for why t is true To them both Reuereâ—ce and Honour 's due Think what they are and be not still selfe-minded Suffer not reason to be so much blinded If not for loue that you to Iustice beare Yet follow her although it be for feare And see that this presumption you amend Or looke some heauy plague shal be your end Then it is also a presumptuous act With knowledge to commit a sinfull fact Though ne're so small for sin 's a subtill else That by degrees insinuates it selfe Into our soules and in a little space Becomes too-huge a Monster to displace Yea it is certaine that one sinne though small Will make entrance great enough for all And what is 't but presumption to abuse And without-feare and reuerence to vse Gods sacred Word yet we that Christ professe Thinke it no fault or that there 's no fault lesse Else sure we would not in our common talke Let our loose tongues so much at randome walke We would not dare our Iests of that to make At vttering whereof the Heauens shake For if God had reueal'd his Gospel newes To vs as heeretofore vnto the Iewes He did the Law who heard him to their wonder Speaking through fearefull fiery flames and thunder We would more dread in any euill fashon To vse that sacred meanes of our suluation Our cursed Pagan vnbeleeuing foe I meane the Turke more reuerence doth show In those his dam'nd erroneous Rites then we In the true worship for 't is knowne that he Wil not so much as touch his Alcharon That doth containe his false Religion With vnwasht handes nor till he hath o'rewent All that his vaine and confus'd rablement Of Ceremonies vs'd much lesse dares looke On the Contents of that vnhallowed booke But we in midst of all our villany In our pot-conference and ribaldry Irreuerently can the same apply As if 't were some of Pasquils Letany But soft my Muse in her perambulation Hath hapt vpon an Excomunication And though that her Commission she wanted Yet she made bold to search wherefore 't was granted Which if you would know too why it may be Some were so pleas'd because they lack't a fee For had the Officers bin wel contented They say the matter might haue been preuented But you that haue the wisdomes to discerne When abuse is pray tel me I would learne Misuse we Excommunication You know it is a Separation From God and a most fearefull banishment From the partaking of his Sacrament And good mens fellowship a sad exile Perhaps for euer at the least a while From the true Church and oh most horrid euill A giuing of Men ouer to the Diuell And therefore was ordain'd in better times Onely for such who in their hainous crimes With hardned obstinacy did persist As may appeare but now we at our list As if the same but some slight matter were For euery trifle to pronounce it dare And peraduenture to on such as be More honest far and better much than we But since my Muse hath her endeauour done To note how men into this fault do run I will be bold to let you vnderstand One strange Presumption noted in our land Worth the amending and indeed 't is this Readers pray iudge how dangerous it is We seeing God hath now remooued far From this our Country his iust plague of war And made vs through his mercy so much blest VVe do in spight of all our foes yet rest Exempt from danger by vs it appeares Through the great blessing of these quiet yeares We are so feare-lesse care-lesse and secure In this our happy peace and so cock-sure As if we did suppose or heard it sed Oulâ— Mars were strangled or the Diuel dead Else can I not beleeue we would so lightly Esteeme our safely and let passe so slightly Our former care of Martiall discipline For excercises meerely Feminine VVe would not see our Armes so soild in dust Nor our bright blades eat vp with cankred rust As now they be our Bowes they lye and rot Both Musket and Caliuer is forgot And we lye open to all Forraine dangers For want of Discipline 't is knowne to Strangers Though weel 'e not see 't Alas will not our pleasure Let vs be once in seauen yeares at leasure To take a muster and to giue instruction No rather Pleasure will be our destruction For That first caus'd the Law that now preuents And barres the vse of Pouder-instruments To be enacted why for to preserue An idle Game the which I wish might sterue Amids our plenty so that with their curse The land and people might be nothing worse Cause for that trifle to the Realmes abuse The hand-gun hath been so much out of vse Scarce one in forty if to proofe it came Dares or knowes how for to discharge the same Oh valiant English we are like to hold The glory that our fathers had of old But sure I think some vndermining hand That studies for the ruine of the land Is cause of this in hope thereby at length To weaken ours and let in forraine strength What do we think cause theirs a truce with Spaine That we are safe Alas that thought is vaine Our dangers rather more for while they dar'd To proffer wrong they found vs still prepar'd The profitable feare that we were in Preuented danger that might else haue bin But now the cause of former feare is gone We haue not only let all care alone But also are so drunken with delights And drownd in pleasure that our dulled sprites Are so o'reclog'd with Luxury we droope More fit for Venus then for Mars his troope That if our foes should now so ventrous be For to inuade the lanâ— vnlesse that wee With speed amend this error heere 's my mind The way to worke our ruine thei 'le soone find For iust the Troians last nights watch wee keepe Who then were buried all in â—ine and sleepe We read when Cato should a Captaine chuse For the Panonian fight he did refuse His kins-man Publius cause that from the war He often had return'd without a scar And went perfum'd but if such faults as these Displeasd the Censor sure then in our dayes He scarcely would in towne or country find A man with vs according to his mind Such is our daintinesse Besides to strangers
them Knaues thou maist say they are and not belie them For they deceaue the poore dumb traueling beast And for the same deseru'd a ierke at least Yet do thou spare them for there is no doubt Some guest will finde a time to pay the lout Well hauing rested and discharg'd thine host I le send thee downe into the country Post For I haue bus'nes no man would beleiue With whom d'ye thinke e'ne with the vnder-Shreeue Tell him thou heardst and that 's a fault indeed That in some causes he is double-feed And that moreouer he deserues a Portion With those that are indited for extortion Yea and for other things as well as that Tell him the country tearmes him he knowes what Aâ— which if he make light as if he care not Whip him in conscience soundly for 't and spare not Now for our Knights their much formality Hath made them leaue their hospitality Yet leâ—t they should be angry say no more This age hath made a number of them poore And that some toe or else they are belied Haue begger'd their posteritie with pride And since thou art so neere them doe not cease Vntill thou see our Iustices of peace There try if thou canst get but so much fauour To bind the Country to the good behauiour And tell them how thou hast informed been That they haue granted Warrants vpon spleene Are partiall and haue ouer-sway'd by might The poore mans cause that 's innocent and right If this thou finde be true thou hast permission To lash or put them out of the Commission The Cunstable if he were bid I wiss Be good in 's office 't were not much amiss For he they say a many meanes may haue If so he be dispos'd to play the knaue See how he deales and makes thy message known For he hath stocks and whipping-posts of 's owne There are Church-wardens to I shame to see How they runne into wilfull periurie Partlie in fauour and in part for feare They wink 't at much disorder in a yeare But if thou hap to take them in the lurch Ierke them as euill members of the Church If they reply offenders are so friended Though they present 't is little thing amended Yet tell them 't is their duty to discharge Their consciences in euery thing at large VVhich if they doe ill doers shall be sham'd Or the corrupted Visitors be blam'd And prethee tell the B. Chancellor That thou art sent to be his counsellor And will him if he meane not to be stript And like a schoole boy once againe be whipt His worship would not so bad minded be To peruert iudgement for a scuruy fee. Then next go tell the reuerent good maisters Thou and the Clergy needs must fall at wasters Faith thou shalt find their Doctorships perhaps Disputing of their Surplesses and caps About the holy Crosse and Gowne a Hood Or some such matters for the Churches good But tell them there are other thinges to doe A great deale fitter to be lookt into And if they please to go their Visitation There 's waightier matters looke for reformation Yea say there 's many an infirmity Which they both may and ought to remedy But touch them with remembrance of their place And they perhaps will alter then the case Then bid those Dunces in our Colledges That they prouide them good Apologies For 't is reported lately they haue borh Betooke themselues to Venery and sloth And seek not learning only as they should But are back friends to many a man that would 'T were fit they made a publike recantation And were wel whipt before a Congregation Sole auing them their wits for to refine Thou shalt be bold to looke on the Diuine They say hee 's growne more carefull of his stock His profits and his tithes then of his flock Now if thou find report hath not belied him With a respect vnto his Calling chide him I had almost forgot our ciuill Doctors I pray thee warne them and their lazy Proctors They would not vse to make so many pauses Before they do determine poore mens causes And let them not suppose their fees are small Since they at last wil get the Diuell and all There be Court Barrons many in the way Thus maist thou to the Guardians of them say Their policy in raising fines and rents Hath put poore men beside their Tenements And tel them let them answer if they can Their false Court-roles hath vndone many a man Say thou hast seene what to their place belong'd And knowst ofttimes both Lord tenaÌ„ts wrong'd Yet spare thy whip for why the peoples curse Already hath prepared them a worse So when that thou hast punisht vices slaues And roundly Ierk't the Country petty-knaues Then march we to the Camp to bloody Nero And tel the ruftling shuffling Caualero He whose hard-heart can brooke to rob or spill His friend or foe to ruine wound or kil Tel him I say there is a misery Must follow to reuenge his cruelty And see that thou the Ruffaines courage quaile Or lash him till the stock and whipcord faile Walke but the round and thou maist hap to catch The carelesse souldiers sleeping in their watch Or in a march perhaps thei le goe astray But if thou see them in their best aray And without leaue and warrant roming out To fetch some desperate booty there about Remember them and for their stout brauado's Let them be wel prefer'd with bastinadoes Then bid the Captaines in their Garisons Not lay to paune their rich Caparisons Nor come vppon the score til they are forc't To be disarmd for payment or vnhors't Nor keepe the soldiers hire least they be faine To make an insurrection or complaine For that indeed prooues oftentimes the cause They do so much transgresse the Martiall lawes Yea tel him 't is a scandall to be drunke And drowne their valour or maintaine a Punk Then if he mend not for to blot his fame In steed of honor whip him for 't with shame Then lastly there are selfe-conceited wits Whose stomacks nought but their own humor fits Detractors Critticks who en'e at the best Do bite with enuy or else snarle at least And in thy progresse if discern'd thou be 'T is out of question they wil snap at thee To spight them then the waie 's not to out-brawle them But say thou car'st not that lash wil gaule them Now Satyr leaue me to my selfe alone Thou hast thy message and thou maist be gone Whip any that shall offer to withstand thee In executing that which I command thee And yet so ho ho ho come back againe Be sure that thou do vnderstand me plaine First note I from my Scourge do here except The Guard by whom the kingdomes peace is kept The vertuous Peeres Alas I nothing grutch them And on my blessiing see thou do not touch them And if in all our offices there 's any That is an honest man amongst so many Him did I euer meane
As if there were no cause to doubt of dangers We do not only our great ritches show A shrewd temptation to allure a foe But we moreouer plainely do declare By fond apparell too superfluous fare Much idlenesse and other wanton parts That we haue weake effeminated hearts Which being knowne are sure a great perswasion Vnto our enemies to make inuasion But we do say in God's our only trust On him we do depend well so we must And yet we ought not therefore to disdaine The lawfull meanes by which he doth ordaine To worke our safety then for that 's a signe We rather lou'd to tempt the powers deuine Then trust vnto them worthy Brittaines then Leaue this presumption once againe be men Not weake Sardanapali leaue those toyes To idle women wanton Girles and boyes Vnto your foes I wish you could betake them Or vnto any so you would forsake them Let Martialists that long haue beene disgrac't Be lou'd againe and in our fauours plac't Count not them rogues but rather such as can So much degenerate themselues from Man In tire and gesture both to womanize Goc call a Parlament and there deuise An act to haue them whipt now oh 'twere good A deed well worthy such a noble brood Meane while let 's trim our rusty armes and scoure Those long vn-vsed well-steeld blades of our We shal not do the spiders any wrong For they haue rent-free held their house-room long In Morians Helmets Gauntlets Bandileres Displace them thence they haue had all their years And giue it such a lustre that the light May dimme the Mooncshine in a winters night Away with idle Cithernes Lutes and Tabers Let knocks requite the fidlers for their labours Bring in the Warlike Drum 't will musicke make ye That from your drousie pleasures will awake yee Or else the hartning trumpet that from farre May sound vnto you all the points of warre Let Dances turne to Marches you ere long May know what doth to rankes and files belong And let your thundring shot so smoke and rore Stangers may tremble to behold the shoare And know you sleep not But now to what end Do you suppose that I these words do spend Beleeue me I 'me not male content with Peace Or do desire this happy time might cease I would not haue you foule Seditions make Or any vniust warres to vndertake But I desire you leaue those idle fashions That haue beene the iust fall of many nations Looke well vnto your selues and not suppose Cause there 's a league with Spaine you haue no foes For if VVarres euer make this land complaine It wil be through some Truce it had with Spaine But heere I bid you once againe beware Delay not time but with all speed prepare Repaire your forts againe and manne them well Place better Captaines in them I can tell Some are growne Couetous and there 's no trust To such as they that vice makes men vniust They pocket vp the wages of their men And One poore soldier serues alone for Ten Look to the Nauy-royall wer 't wel scan'd I doubt it will be found but simply man'd The Pursers study if some not belie them Onely which way they may haue profit by them But see vnto it you to whom 't belongs See the Abuses done redresse the wrongs And oh renew the forces of this land For there 's a fearefull bloudy day at hand Though not foreseene a bloudy day for some Nor wil the same be long before it come There is a tempest brewing in the Soâ—th A horrid Vapor forc't from hell's owne mouth 'T is spread already far into the VVest And now begins to gather to the East When 't is at full once it will straight come forth To shoure downe all it Vengeance on the North But feare not little Ile thy cause is right And if thou hast not cast all care off quite Nor art secure why by that token then Thou shalt driue back that threatning storme agen Through Cods assistance for to ruine those By and amongst whom first of all it rose But if that still thou carelesse snorting lye In thy presuming blind security Tak 't for a signe that now thy sinnes are ripe And thou shalt surely feele the death-full stripe Of that ensuing ill vnto thy shame And extirpation of thy former fame But yet I hope this ouer-fight will end And we shall this presumptuous fault amend I hope I say and yet I hope no harmes To see our English youth trick't vp in armes And so well train'd that all their foes shall heare No newes from them but Horror Death and Feare Yea and their march like Iehues King of Iury Shal shew they come with vengeance speed fury I would we could as easily forsake Other Presumptions and that we could take But halfe the care and dilligence to arme Our soules in danger of a greater harme Would we the holy weapons could assume Of Christian war-fare and not stil presume To leaue our better parts all open so For the aduantage of the greater foe Then Rome or Spaine oh would wee could begin To feele the danger of Presumptuous sinne Which soon would be if we would once be brought For to consider with an equall thought Our base Beginning and infirmity Our wauering and wondrous misery And with this wretched poore estate of our Gods infinite and al-sufficient power His Iustice with his hatred vnto ill And threatnings if we disobey his will Or else remember he did still behold And see vs when we sin'd for who so bold Vnlesse depriu'd of grace then to offend But it should seeme we our endeauors bend To anger God for we of sinne complaine Yet with our will sinne in his sight againe Say wer 't not a presumption very great If comming to a King one should intreat A pardon for some murther and yet bring The bloudy blade with which he did that thing He would haue mercy for whilst hee 's speaking Sheath it againe with bloud and gore yet reaking In the Kings sonne before his fathers face And yet stil bide as if he hop't for Grace Should we not thinke him mad sure yes yet we Cannot that madnes in our owne selues see For we dare come before th' almighty King To sue for pardon for our sinnes yet bring The selfe same bad mind still conceiuing murther Against his children to prouoke him further And looke what ill is but in thought begun With him 's all one as if the same were done It is no maruaile that no humane law Can keepe our ouer-daring hearts in awe Since that we do so little dread the rod Of such a powerfull and so iust a God And if in mans and Gods owne sight we dare So searelesse sinne without respect or care It seemes that we do little conscience make What mischeifes by our selues we vndertake Or think it no Presumption to commit Somthing alone in our owne sight vnfit Oh grosle and ignorant why that 's the worst