doth destine giue And so with sorrowes breake the hart that hath no will to liue Good fréend quoth she haste not thine end with passions of the minde Hope after hap the world may mend thou maist good fortune finde No sure my glasse of life is runne Death drawes on me so fast I see my daies are almost done life may no longer last My haples yeares and aged bones desires no being heere To graue I go with sighs and grones I buy bad life too deere With losse of blood of time and youth and all that precious is With loyall seruice toile and truth and hope of earthly blisse All in one ballance now goes downe since guerdon get I none Nor no account in Court nor towne now I may hap vpon Adue day light shut close mine eies too long you stare for nought So farewell friends and you be wise for me take you no thought By this our ships were wend about and Cannons gan to rore As they to Brytaine passed out with bounsing shot great store At noyse whereof I wakned straight and calling for my close And saw the Sunne on such a height that sodainly I rose And so put all my dreame in verse would God a dreame it were For many things I now rehearse wil prooue too true I feare FINIS To the right honourable my Lady Puckering wife to the most honorable the L. keeper of the great seale of England GOod Madam strange it may seeme that a meere stranger to your Ladiship â—are aduenture to dedicate any peece of vvorke vvhere bold attempt and labour may be but strangely vnderstood if a greater hope in your goodnes exceeded not the greatnes of my matter but my 〈◊〉 your most honorable husbands bountifull dealings with me of late makes me the bolder because I must be thankful in this presumptioâ—◠〈◊〉 present some acceptable peâ—ce of that small talent God hath giuen me to your good L. as vvell to be knovven of you as to keepâ— me in my L. fauour and though that vvhich I oâ—fer be skarce vvorthy the taking Yet I trust first my seruiceable present hall not be misliked because the receiuing vvell thereof may procure a further peece of vvork better penned such as shall best become me to present as knovveth God 〈◊〉 novv and at all times augment his good gifts of grace in your good Ladiship LOng time in sute and seruice gets some grade Long crauing gaines both crust and crome ye know Long walking rids great ground away apace Long vse of legs makes traueiler easly go Long watching tâ—â—d brings ebbe at length to floâ— So loyall loue and dutie long in vre Full many waies doth great good will procure Whereon good turnes springs out as from a flood Runnes gushing waues that waters euery soile Whose moisture doth both fruit and flower much good And profite bringâ— to Plowmans painefull toile This faire land flood kept barren field from foile For if no deaw of heauen I had found Hot sommers drouth had soone dried vp my ground The fountaine had her course no sooner run With golden streames that cordiall is of kinde But straight began to shine the gladsome Sâ—n That sucker sends to tree to root and rinde The frost did thaw with milde warme westerne winde And all the springs and conduits of the towne Ran Claret wine in honour of the crowne When bill assignd by sute from Prince had past Lord how the world â—lood therewith well content The Clearkes they wrote and fréely laboured fast The seales were wonne when purse no penny spent The waxe was wrought throw grace that God had sent So seale and waxe and all that name I can Came franckly of to me from euery man Lo how hard world by meanes is easie made And mens good wils with tract of time we gaine In spring it sprouts at fall of leafe did fade The grasse grows greene with little showres of raine I reapt the crop and fruit of others paine What néeds more words each place where I did go For Princes grace did me great fauour sho They knew that Court had cleane consumde my youth And plead mine age with pretie pension now If so they thought in déed they gest the truth For youth and age perforce is pleased throw Saue that they bid me make my pen my plow And prooue awhile what printed bookes will doo To helpe old Tom to get a supper too But blest be her that did the dinner giue With too much meat we may a surfeit take Long with good rule and diet men may liue Full belly oft an emptie purse may make He feedeth best that eats for hungers sake Than porcion poore makes men ne proud nor rich Yet one good meale a day doth please me mich Where am I now I speake of liberall men That fréely gaue the seales and all the rest Which déed deserues both thankes and praise of pen For that is all from me they haue possest This course would make the learned Lawyers blest If of poore men they tooke no fee at all Whose wrongs are great and riches is but small To trot and trudge two hundreth miles or more And spend their goods in toyling too and fro And be long pincht with paine and labour sore And then compeld to costly tearme to go Craues great regard of them that conscience know Than wise graue heads that looks through euery cause Defend the poore with fauour of your lawes Their plaints may pearce through highest heauens all Their praiers brings great blessings to your dore Your fame doth rise where they good words let fall For happie are the hands that helpes the poore This sentence should be written on the floore Who can do good to those that stands in need Shall reape much corne where sowne was litle séed When iustice flowes from liberall noble mind Good turns in world wil make men liue like Saints When good cheap law poore silly soules do find The Court is not long troubled with complaints Franke heart goes throw where feeble courage faints Bountie winnes loue and lasts for euer more Who doth great good and little takes therefore The poore are more in number euery where Then are the rich that haue the world at wil Wherefore the more we ought with them to beare Because they liue in lacke and sorrow stil. The Lord that sits on his hie holy hill Lookt lowly down on Lazarus the poore That humbly askt an almes at Diues doore Most precious are the poore to God aboue Though heere below they walke like lambes were lost And one good turne to them doth get more loue Then fortie things we doe for worldly boast Who saues a ship that is with tempest tost And brings the barke where helpe and harbour is For thankful paines shall purchase heauen blisse When that great Iudge shal come to iudge vs all Such as did helpe the poore shal happy be For then that Iudge wil for those people call Who to the poore were alwaies franke
CHVRCHYARDS Challenge LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1593. To the right honourable Sir Iohn VVolley Knight Secretary for the Latin tung to the Queenes Maiestie and one of her priuie Councell Thomas Churchyard wisheth increase of honor blessednes of life and abundance of worldly felicitie and heauenly happines THe long trauell and tracing out of life in this wearisome pilgrimage right honorable hauing brought me now almost to the ende of my iourney makes me glad with a restles desire to be rid of the burthens of my minde and the labours of my body the one neuer free from studie and the other seldome voide of toyle and yet both of them neither brought great benefite to the life nor blessing to the soule in which small rest and vnquietnes many sorrowfull discourses in my dayes I haue written and numbers of bookes I haue printed and because they shall not be buried with me I challenge them all as my children to abide behinde me in the worlde to make them inheritors of such fame dispraise as their father which begat them on sweet inuention heere enioyes or deserues hoping they shall not be called bastards nor none aliue will be so hardy as to call them his babes that I haue bred in my bowels brought forth and fostred vp so carefully at mine owne charges and hazard of an enuious worlde And now indeede for that diuers of disdainfull disposition doo or may hinder the good reporte of those labors which I thinke well bestowed among my freends I haue set forth while I am liuing a great number of my works in this booke named my Challenge that after my death shalbe witnesses they were mine owne dooings not for any great matter in them but for the iustnes of troth and true triall of all my honest exercises and so to purchase credit and the more freends and fauourers to prop vp my poore reputation I not only dedicate this booke and all therein to your honor but haue made also in the same booke diuers dedications to sundry honorable and worshipfull personages protesting that there is nothing heerein but came from mine owne deuice which inuencions spoken as becomes me shal be in all honest sorte defended by pen or any way I may to the vttermost of my breath or abilitie ioying much with all gladnes of hart that they are presented to so honourable a personage and one of such singuler learning whose worth and value by a worthy and vertuous Princes is seene into and throwly considered of which gracious Queene hath alwaies made her princely choice in such an excellent and vnspeakable maner as God himselfe should deuinely appoint and direct to our great wealth and his great glory and in whose râ—re commendation all the pen men of the world may write Now good sir vnder your excellent fauour and countenance I shielde my presumption and boldenes that hath offred a booke of so many discourses to the iudgement of such a multitude that quickly can discouer the weakenes of my labors but hauing ventured so farre as to publishe them in print I must now of necessitie commit them to the common opinion of the world So in hope the best will fall out I present you with my studies and take leaue of your honor desiring of God what goodnes can be wished to be alwaies at your commaundement Dutifully and loyally in all at commaundement Thomas Churchyard To the worthiest sorte of People that gently can reade and iustly can iudge GOod Reader if my presumption were so great that I thought my booke might passe without your fauourable iudgement mine error were as much as my ouer-weening and yet to vse perswasions in purchasing your good liking I should passe the bounds of common reason and fall into the danger of adulation for your good wils are rather won with good matter then bare wordes and say what I can to gaine your affection toward my worke you will speake what seemeth best in your owne conceites For among many thousands are many of deepe consideration and some vndoubtedly of as shallow iudgement so that the one or the other cannot nor will not be led and caried away with any deuice of my pen though all the hye spirits and excellency of Poetry might drop out of the quill I writ withall wherefore now I must as well abide the hazard of your censure as I haue boldely vnfolded my selfe to the worlde there is now no crauing of pardon nor pleading for your furtherance to encrease my good fame my works must abide waight they are thrust into the ballance and I of necessitie must content me with your allowance and what price pleaseth you to set on my marchandise but if they proue too light in the skales I pray you helpe them with some graine of good skill that they be not condemned as trifles because they haue cost me great labour and study and put me to no little charges I freely offer them to you for three or foure causes the one to keep the reputation of a writer the second to pleasure my freendes with the reading of new inuentions and thirdly to desire my foes to giue me true reporte of those workes I haue made and last of all to affirme that euery thing in this my booke of Challenge is mine owne dooing which iustlye no man can deny Not boasting thereof as matter worthy memory but claiming a better regarde then enuy would giue me I stand to the praise or dispraise of all I haue done maruelling much that in my life time any one would take from me the honest laudation I deserue I striue no further in that point but commit to God and good people the indifferency and iustnes of my cause and the best is which shall beare it selfe the wise of the worlde and worthiest of knowledge and capacitie are the only Iudges shall yeeld me my right the rest are but hearers and lookers on whose voices may make a great noise but giues so vncertaine a sound they can doo no great harme because of nature and condition they neuer doo no great good Now my pleading time is past my booke must appeare in that bare fashion as I haue formed the matter I hope it shall not walke so nakedly abroade but shalbe able to abide the coldenes of ill will and the extreame heate of hatefull mens disposition God the giuer of goodnes guide my verses so well that they neuer happen into their hands that loues me not and make my prose and plainenes of speech be as welcome to the Reader as it was well ment of the writer So with double and treble blessing Farwell FINIS My next booke shalbe the last booke of the Worthines of Wales And my last booke called my Vltimum Vale shalbe if it please God twelue long tales for Christmas dedicated to twelue honorable Lords Heere followes the seuerall matters contained in this booke THe tragedie of the Earle of Morton The tragedie of sir Simon Burley A discours that a man
ioyne in a battaile against those dogs that biteth them The Fish in the floud swim in skulles arming themselues against their enemies and you shall reade in Plinie that among the Dolphins was such amity that a Dolphin being taken prisoner by a King and closely kept there assembled such a number of Dolphins together as is incredible and they neuer lefte mourning and playning showing by sorrowfull signes the dolour taken for the losse of their companion by which meanes they recouered him againe of the King Thus if Fish Fowle and Beast agrée in vnion with a wonderful league of amity men may blush to behold their own defects and Serpentine natures that neuer rests hissing stinging and casting out of venome bred in vaine mindes and nourished in hatefull brests The reason that man beareth and the forme and shape of his noble creation should be an euerlasting remembraunce to moue him vnto quietnes especially the renowne that is gotten by patience and fortitude should alwaies kéepe reasonable men from rages and be a bulwarke and target to beare of quarrels the destruction of life the hour glasse of death and the whole consumer of all good credite It is to be presupposed that prowd hearts growes so Princely and euery one that is quarrelous would séeme a King or a conquerour yet Princes take great aduisement before they breake peace and cunningly put of causes of warre waying the innumerable troubles daungers and losses that pertaines to a quarrell but the generall number of men runs headlong into mischiefe casting neither perill nor hazard as all our life and fame stood on slashing cutting roisting and striuing for vain-glory In our Elders daies fighters were called ruffians and ruffians were so lothsome that no honest man could abide their company If seruing men which alwaies should be ciuile had quiet sober maisters such buckelers with pikes such swords like spits and such long great daggers should not bee worne The weapon and countenaunce by maintainers of quarrels may cause cowards to be bold and cause corage to catch copper or creepe closely in cornes And now in the chiefe and highest degree of quarrelling where see you iarres questions brawls banding and the rest of disorders but where some party is ouer great playing on aduantage or weapons are not equall except it be among noble great mindes whose valiauncy can neither suffer iniury nor abide any blemishe of honour So euen now to them this worke is adressed the baser sort néedes not my perswasions nor but of good will and presumption this needeth not I speake of The whole world is fraught so full of malice that the least occasion can be ministred bréedes such great busines that quarrels are so common the custome thereof so olde it séemeth nothing straunge to beholde murthers odious practises shamefull poisnings and miserable man slaughters In Italy a simple quarrell but once conceiued neuer endes till death hath dispatched peraduenture both the parties and so greedily they goe to take away life that all the mischiefe can be imagined is put in exercises without delay taking breath regard of God feare of law or shame of the world so blouddy is the minde the body sléepes not till the handes haue done some abhominable outrage The minde cannot bee in quiet til open folly monstruous madnes haue disturbed the whole sences and brought the life and body in hazard of hell fire or daunger of worldly shame these are the fruits of fury The defects of nature the miseries of man and the brutish conditions of the counterfaite finesse in Italy In Fraunce if a lie may bée brought in by circumstaunces or a fine quarrell can be sifted out of grosse speeches present death followes or perpetuall hatred is set abroach wherein murthers are committed and many a mischieuous act is taken in hand odious to beholde and a great horror to heare but most vnchristianly executed And so generally in all countreys and kingdoms a quarrell once begon comes to butchery and bloudshed and commonly growes after in many generations and kindreds to deadly foed and shamelesse slaughters A quarrell in property nature may be compared to many bigge barrels of Gun-powder which once set on fire flames so vehemently that euery little corne thereof is throughout consumed and the blast and busines it makes ouerthrowes houses beateth downe great buildings and shakes a whole towne and the walles thereof in sunder Yea euen as a tennis ball the harder is stricken the further it flieth and the oftner it reboundeth the more he labors that strikes it so a sparke of spitefull hatred being blowen with the busy bellowes of mallice that kindleth coales which can neuer be quenched encreaseth such a smoothering smoke and fire that burnes like the hill of Ethna that neuer goeth out nor wanteth heate and fume to trouble a whole countrey And one especiall point is alwaies to be noted in the naughty nature of a quarrell that whosoeuer hath done any iniury or giuen a wound or a blow neuer can auoide daunger and vtter destruction without some amendes made crauing of pardon open repentance or secrete working of friends that are wearied with the long debating of the matter As one good turne doth craue another so an Iniury demands a quarrell a quarrell bréedes a thousand offences offences hardly can bee forgotten and the more a wrong remaines in minde â—he lesse hope is of forgiuing the fault and the more mischiefe is put in proofe and exercise And whosoeuer duely considers the ill inclination of people he shall finde thousands so apt and ready to take in hand a quarell that in some sort it is held a cowardise and a kinde of no courage to put vp a trifle so many desires to sée bloudshed so many sets men agog in vnhappines and so many goes about with tales and bad deuises to stur vp strife and contention Well since our imbecillity is much our fury not little and disposition so stout that all thinges must be disputed of and drawen to the vttermost degrée of dangerous quarrelling I wish peraduenture vpon some experience that mildnes might moderate the manner of our falling out and if nothing could qualifie the cruelty of courage a regard of God good reputation iust cause and honest dealing may be vsed exhorting all men to looke to life common society mutuall loue and the generall peace of a christian Kingdome For how so euer the Worlde may imagine of fighting and brawling the very route and grounde of disorder in a common wealth is vnreasonable quarels wherein is maintained a kinde of Turkishe tyranny and brutish boldnesse This not spoken beyond the compasse of dutie nor to the preiudice and hinderaunce of any mans manhood which may bee as well seene and vnderstood by the conquering of himselfe and maistring his owne passions as in hauing the victorie of others Which triumph and victorie cannot bée gotten without great bloodshed and businesse Thus Friend worshipfull I haue discoursed a matter worthy treating off
Walles at the taking of Fidena Now before a Burgoies shoulde at any time enioy this Crown Ciuique hée must rescue a Romaine Citizen and kill the Ennemie that ledde the Citizen away Prisoner It must bée likewise that the Enemie did holde and possesse the place that same day that the Romaine Citizen was rescued in It is necessarie that the man which hath béen succoured should confesse the same before the people For a Soldiours own witnesse in that behalfe serues to no purpose And furthermore it is required that he that was rescued be known to be a Burgois of Rome For if one doe rescue a King that commeth to serue the Romaines hée doth not merite for the same the Crowne Ciuique In like sort if one do rescue a generall of an Armie hee gets no more honor therefore then though hée had rescued a simple Citizen For they which established this ordinaunce had no regard but to the conseruation of the Citizens of Rome whosoeuer they were The Priuilege of this Crowne shall bée to giue power to weare a Hatte of broad leaues as ofte as hée pleased that had béene once Crowned for his well doing Further all the Senate had a custome to rise out of their places and to doe honor to them that haue had this Crowne when they goe to sée the common playes and pastimes And it is sufferable and permitted that they shall sitte in a seate néere the Senatours And they shall bée exempt from all ciuill charges not onely themselues but their naturall Fathers and Graundfathers And nowe beholde touching their Priuileges there was one Cicinius Dentatus according as wee haue sayde Crowned fourteene times And one Capitolinus had sixe times beene Crowned for hee rescued Seruilius then Generall of the Armie notwithstanding Scipio Affrican would not suffer them to giue him the Crowne Ciuique succouring his Father in the iourney of Trebia O ordinaunce worthye of immortalitie sayth Plinie that assigneth no other prayse for such great workes then this great honour which surpasseth all other warlike Crownes Thus far goes the verie words of Plinie many other auncient Aucthors that I could rehearse in the commendation of men of Warre which neyther in Tholomeus time Artaxerses dayes nor any of the mighty Monarkes long raigning before could bee forgotten but were so honoured that lawes â— orders was onely deuised for the enlarging of their Land and stirring vp their noble minds Yea Soldiours and Herraldes hadde power to denounce warres insomuch as the auncient Romaines who were the Fathers of all Marshiall affaires and conquerours of the world held this for a most certaine rule Nullum bellum iustum esse nisi pro rebus iniuste ablatis quod fecialis Romani antea denunciabant Which rule and order of the Romaines for the power and honour of soldiours and Herauldes declareth they are of great dignitie and calling may compare by this there authoritie to be no whit inferiour to the best sort of Gentlemen You may read in like manner that there was a man among the Romaines that merelie or peraduenture in contempt put a crowne Ciuique vppon his owne head and looking out at a great windowe into the stréete was espyed And thereuppon apprehended and brought before the Senate where hée was iudged presently to be put to death for touching and abusing that crowne Ciuique which was ordayned for the wearing onely of an honourable Souldiour and for such a one as had béene by desarte crowned with Triumph and Solempnitie in open audience So this foolish man albeit hée might meane but little harme was had to the place of execution and there lost his life to the great terrour of those that rashly meddle with thinges that become them not and to the great honour of those that are aduaunced by vertue and winneth with courage the wearing of this Crowne called the crowne Ciuique Now comming downe to this present age in the time of our peace where Souldiours haue nothing to doe there is ynough spoken and peraduenture too much for the Souldiours commendation yet let mee leade you a little further in that case For now is to be prooued what degrées of Souldiours hauing serued long or borne any office of credit are gentlemen and may vnrebukeable bee bold to take that name and title vpon them First you haue heard that seruing ten yeares honestly and truly he is not onely past his prentiship but also aboue a iourney man and ought from all ioyrneis to be spared As a man might saie though vnproperly compared a good frée horse after his long labour and many great iourneis is to bee ridden but seldome and kept in the stable till extreme necessitie requireth and then is to bée vsed gentelie least his stiffe limmes and olde bodie deceaues the Riders expectation So a Souldiour comming to this age and perfection or being past the iollitie of youth and youthfull actions ought to be prouided for and may without presumption plead for armes albeit hee neuer gaue anye before and can bring no great proofe of his house gentrie or dissent and though he be the first of that house stocke name that gaue armes his beginning is allowed of al our ancient writers and Princes and shall put his aduersaries to silence when in that point they séeke to deface him I remember once I saw and heard an Italian being in the Eâ—perour Charles the fifth his Campe so stand on his reputaâ—ion that when a meane Gentleman quarrelled with him and desired the Combate hee aunswered hee had béene Soldado Vetche an old Souldiour and had borne office and passed through sundrie Offices by order and that the Gentleman was but a young man and but of twoo yeares experience in Warre and farre vnméete to make challenge with him that had passed so many steppes of honour and places of credite But sayd the Italian to his aduersarie goe and doe that I haue doone or passe through the like and when thou hast mounted vp and troden on euerye steppe that I haue passed come to mée and I will fight with thée the Combate But to say I will stoupe so lowe and abase my selfe as a Lorde may in fighting with a Ruffian beyonde the compasse of my calling I will not nor no Law of Armes can commaunde mee The matter came in question before the Prince of Orrange that now is dead and the Duke of Sauoy yet liuing and the challenger had a foule disgrace in the audience of a multitude and the defendaunt had a rewarde of fiue hundreth Crownes allowed him by the Emperour for preseruing his honour and estimation so much This was done and openly seene a little before the siege of Renttie and standeth for a good record Then an old souldiour is a Gentleman both worthy to giue armes and colours and méete to be borne withall in causes of quarrell An other proofe for the maintenaunce of my matter I saw at the siege of Leeth a Gentleman of great courage and birth called Maister Ihon
Soutch quarrell with Captaine Randall then Maior of the fielde And Mayster Soutch did vrge through ill words and stout language Captaine Randall verye farre which might haue mooued any manne living But Captaine Randall in a manner vsed those words that the Italian had done before expressed and going further on in communication commaunded the Souldiours to lay handes on Maister Soutch and swore hee would execute him and learne all other by his boldnesse to knowe their duties And when Mayster Soutch was stayed well qouth Captaine Randall since thou hast challenged mee I will not vse my power and authoritie ouer thee But by the fayth of a souldier when I am out of the Sergeaunt Maiors roume I will meete thee and make thy heart ake for those wordes thou haste giuen excepte thou repent before of thy lewde demeanour Mayster Soutch hauing disgested and wisely waighed this matter being talked withall of the Captaines in the campe came like a Gentleman on himselfe and acknowledged his fault most dutifully and with great repentaunce for which submission of his hee was the better thought on after This shewes and declares that an auncient souldiour and Officer hath a great Priuilege and not be compared with nor offered any iniurie because hee carries the admiration of the people and the honour of the field Yee shall find written in the Spanish and the Language of the Portugall which Portugalles founde out the Easte Indians that there was a mightie King of Calicute and many other Kinges in the Indians whose Souldiours were all Gentlemen and did liue euer on the sâ—ipend that the King allowed them And those Souldiours had many Priuileges and titles of honour and stood so much on their reputation that they would not touch a Husband mans handes nor suffer a Rusticall fellowe to come into their houses And the Husbande men were bounde when the Souldiours goe in the streetes to crie with a loude voyce to make place for the Souldiours For if those Gentlemen did come and bid the Common people goe out of the waie and they doe not obay their commaundement therein It was sufferable for the Gentlemen Souldiours to kill those obstinate and proude people And furthermore the King could not make Gentlemen iâ— they were not borne of some Noble stocke of the race of Souldiours They could not take their weapons nor enter into Combate before they were armed Knightes They must at the age of seauen yeares bée put to learne to play with all Weapons and to the ende they shoulde bee perfect their Maysters doe hale their armes verie farre out thereby to stretch their limmes and afterwarde they teach them such Fence as is apt for that purpose They did by an ordinaunce and custome of theirs honour and salute their Maysters that hadde taught them at the Weapons which were Graduates and cunninge menne wheresoeuer they mett them in the stréete They were bound twoo Monethes in the yeare to plie their schoole and take a Lesson at their Maysters handes By which reason they were verie skilfull of their Weapons and for that cause they greatlye estéemed themselues They coulde not bee knighted but by the Kinges owne handes who asked them before he layde his hande on their heades if they could obserue and keepe the custome and ordinaunce of gentlemenne Souldiours and they sayde and aunswered the king They minded to take that profession of Armes vppon them and so the king caused a Sworde to be girded about them and after embraceth those Gentlemen so knighted then they did sweare to liue and die with him and for him which oath they would keepe and obserue For if theyr Lord were slayne in the Warre they would fight to their last breath and kill him that had slayne theyr King Or if at that instaunt they could not bring their purpose to effecte they would watch and spie out a conuenient season for the perfourmaunce of their promisse and oath And vndoubtedlie some of them woulde reuenge their Maysters death They hadde a great regarde to their duety and endeuoure They thought nothinge so precious as fidelitie and their Princes fauour They cared not for life so glorye might bee gotten by theyr death They serued most faythfullye vnder them that gaue them intertaynemente They spared nothing but spent liberally They applied their onely studies for the mainteinaunce of their king and Countrey They would not suffer any dishonour nor offer anye iniurie They thought it a double death to loose their good name They made no accompt of their meat money sléepe or ease and little estéemed their owne liues or persons when they should make proofe and shewe of their manhood Their wages and stipende was so much and so well payde that euerye one of them might liue gallantlye and the meanest might keepe to waite on him a man or a boye The Lawe was that they might not marrie and yet hadde Lemmans and Women appoynted by order which they kepte and vsed well and all quarrells was auoyded by that meanes For they might not companie with their women but at certaine seasons appoynted Thus they past ouer theyr life time without the care and trouble of Wife and Children They might forsake vppon a good cause anye of their Lemmans And their Women might at their owne willes forsake the menne All those that accompanied these Souldiours were Gentlewoman and of good birth but might not bee married to anie person after shée hadde béene at the Souldiours commaundement And because many men by their often chaunging happen to haue the companye of one Woman they fathered not any Child though it were neuer so much like them and therefore their Brothers children did alwayes inherite their Landes and goodes And this Lawe that those Gentlemen Souldiours should not marrie was made by a King that woulde not haue a manne of Warre to fixe his loue on a wife and children nor thereby to waxe féeble spirited and effeminate But the king ordained because these Gentlemen should haue no womannish manners nor minds that they should haue all thinges at their willes and liue in such libertie as no one thing might drawe them from noble seruice nor commaunde them to seruile drudgerie And because they should be the more animated to liue in noble order and encouraged to serue well they were priuileged that no man might imprison them for anye cause nor they might not bee put to death by anye meane of ordinarie iustice Howbeit when one killed another or did sleepe with a Countrey Woman or did speake euill of the king then raigning Then would the king hauing iuste and true information of the matter make a Writing and sende the same to a head Officer commaunding him to cutte in péeces the offendour wheresoeuer hee was founde And after hee was deade there should bee hanged about him the kinges Writing to shewe the people wherefore hee suffered but no Law nor Iustice coulde touche him before the king had iustlye condempned him So by this Libertie and honour that Souldiours had is
well to bee séene that none by Caesar might meddle with men of Warre And it séemeth this libertie was fetched from Alexanders dayes who called his olde souldiours Noble men and gaue them noble priuileges and rewardes to cause the Worlde that did followe to augmente their renowne and spreade theire fame to the highest Heauens that haue beene valliant on earth and Noble of minde Which great foresight of Alexander and other great Princes to aduaunce Souldiours hath made menne more like Gods than earthly creatures and done such good to the Worlde thereby that there is no Worlde but will make of men of Warre and giue place to the goodnesse of those that striue by stoutnesse of heart and labour of bodie to enlarge the limmets and boundes of his Countrey The effect of this aboue expressed was drawne out of Spanish and remaines among Christians as a matter worthy noting though Infidells did obserue them Now though a man haue had charge and borne a number of Offices yet the name of an old soldiour beautifies his title But yet perticularly I will goe through the offices as breefly as I maie and therein shew who may iustlie bée called Gentlemen among them A Collonell a Captaine and Ensigne bearer A Lieutenaunt a Corporall a Sergeant of the band and old souldiour though hée neuer bare any office are all gentlemen graunting and allowing that none of the officers were made for affection at home But had their beginning by seruice in the Feelde and aâ—e knowne of good courage and conduct and well experimented in Marshâ—all affaires The rest of other officers that haue noble roumes and places in the Campe néedes no setting out for all men know such officers as are chosen and made by the most noble in any gouernement are not to bee treated off for that euerye souldiour giues them due honour and place You may not looke for at my hands the originall discourse of all gentlemen albeit I go as farre as I dare in that behalfe For I loue not to meddle with thankelesse labour and would be lothe to roue beyond my reach and knowledge in a matter that my betters as yet haue not dealt withall For a doubtfull attempt brings a dangerous construction And with drawing a strong Bow a weake arme waxeth weary Wherfore I go no further in this matter desâ—ring the Reader to bear with my boldnes herein and regard souldiers as they deserue FINIS TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir Iohn Sauage Knight one of the Lieutenants of Cheshire MY good and affectionate Worshipfull friend for manie curtesies I promised to dedicat some verses vnto you and finding no subiect better to write vpon then the maintenance of Hospitalitie I thought a little to touche the losse of time and charges that a number of Gentlemen spendeth at London not anie whit thereby blemishing the good bruite of that honorable Cittie so I praie you vnderstand me but shewing the inconuenience that commeth by ouer great charges bestowed and spent where nothing is gathered againe nor reaped at the last but repentance or such colde acquaintance as when money is gone will scarse knowe a man in time of necessity this being spoken generally of all the places and Citties in the worlde where men shall finde but strangenes when their owne wealth and estate begins to decline A Discourse of Gentlemen lying in London that were better keepe house at home in their Countrey I Muse why youth or age of gentle blood Borne vnto wealth and worldly worship héere In London long consumes both land and good That better were at home to make good chéere In London still they finde all vittells déere Hoist vp a height to bring our purses low And send men home with empty bags yée know The stréetes with fields may neuer matched be For all swéete aire at will abroad we finde What is it then in London that they sée But Countrey yéeldes and better glads the minde Perhaps some say the people are so kinde And curteous to in stately ciuill Towne As men thereby wins credite and renowne First for they séeme in Citty fresh and fine Most gay to eie and gallant as a rose But shall a man for pleasure of his eien And pompe or pride of painted goodly cloes He sees abroad at home his credite lose Our Elders did not so delight in trashe And tempting toyes that brings a man in lash For when they came to London there to stay They sent fat béenes before them for their store And went sometimes a shooting all the way With all their traine and houshold that is more Yet were they not at no lesse charge therefore Kept house in Ins and fedde the poore thereby That in hard world may now for hunger die They taried not in Towne to card and dice Nor follow long lewd lusts that lothsome are Which breedes rebuke and fosters secrete vice And makes tame birds to fall in Satans snare They loude plaine robes but hated purses bare Made much of men gaue neighbors béefe and bred Yet left their aires great wealth now they are dead Their care was still to kéepe good house and name Spend they might spare yet spare where cause they found And librall be when bounty purchast fame And let floud runne where water did abound Rulde all with wit and wary Iudgement sound Not bent in braues great hauocke for to make But drawne and moâ—de to spend for vertues sake Gaue much to poore that craude an almes at gate Kept buttry dore for straungers open still Made neighbours eate that earely came or late By which they wonne the Countreys great good will Could serue the Prince with coundit men and skill With their owne charge and pors a rare thing now That seelde is seene with loue and power throw They raisd no rents to make the tenant whine Nor clapt no yoke on friendly neighbours necke Nor made poore folke find fault with cuâ—â—hroat fine But had the hearts of people at a becke As we haue now our seruants vndâ—r checke O how plaine men would follow Landlord than Like swarmes of Bees when any warres began Yea glad was he that might with maister goe Though charge and wife be lest at home behinde In this fine world the manner is not so Hard handling makes men shew another minde Then loyall loue made mens affection blinde Now can they sée and will doe what they list Cast of like Hawkes comes when they please to fist What change finde you yong maisters in these daies What hath drawn backe the forward minds of men What makes somtime prâ—st souldier run his waies What makes this world much worse then world was then I dare not now expresse the cause with pen. But lay your hands vppon your brest and winke And you shall gesse what of these thinges I thinke Gay golden robes and garments pownced out Silke laide on sâ—â—ke and stitched ore the same Great losse and play and keeping reuell route With grosser knackes I list not now
Then thousands doe the world doth so report FINIS A Discourse of an old Souldiour and a young To the right Worshipfull Sir Henry Kneuet Knight one of the Lieutenants of Willshire THE world cannot wonder nor the wise thereof thinke strange that experience commaunds me to keepe friends and my pen doth what it maie to purchase me fauour for that is all the fruites of my studies Which once taken from me I haue neither prop to vphold mee nor foundation to stand on so feaâ—ing the weaknes of my feeble buildings that lies open to enuies blast which soddenly may bee blown downe I seeke manie staies and craue manie supportations for the maintenance of my honest mind and workes framed for the world to behold So good sir Henry among the worthy company of my selected friends I honor you with a smal discourse of age youth where a little is spoken of the olde Souldiour and the young not in dispraise of anie of them both but in the commendation of knowledge courage conduct vnder which three vertues consists many noble actions so vnder your fauourable sufferaunce I passe to my purposed matter THere is a strife a swéete dispute I troe Betwene two sorres of men in these our daies On which debate doth many reasons grow That soundes in déede to each good Souldiours praise Whose fame my pen is ready for to raise But my intent is first with flat plaine truth To treat a verse or two of age and youth Age is the fire and father of great thinges That hath begot both science rule and wit Brought great renowne and honour vnto kinges And for mans wealth may well in councell sit Youth is for field and towne a member fit To vse the sword in Countreys cause and right In whose defence youth hath great force to fight Age may commaund because it knoweth most And best can iudge of euery thing it knowes Hath mightie mind yet makes but little bost On whose aduice men may their liues repose The worth of youth standes oft in outward shewes That fresh and gay to worlde it séemeth still Like bladder faire that is blowne vp with quill Age lookes like tree whose barke is rough without When winters waste hath made gréene leaues to fall But when spring comes that braunch should bud and sprout With threefold fruite the sprayes are loaded all Bare youth lookes like a picture on a wall That stands both mute and dumme like shadow weake To séeke for sence whom age beginnes to â—peake The brute in world is how old thinges decreace For that sweete sap at length forsakes the trée Yet men will aske old wittes in warres or peace Of this or that what the successe shall be In outward shewes young iudgements well can sée When old mens sightes that wisely lookes within The end beholdes as sâ—one as they beginne A great old Oake long time will akornes beare And small young graffes are long in sprouting out Some say old wine is liked euery where And all men knowe new ale is full of growt Old horse goes well young titts are much to doubt But sure old gold is more estéemed than new No hauke compares with haggard in the mue Old men knowes much though young men calls them fooles Old bookes are best for there great learning is Old authors too are dayly read in schooles New Sects are naught olde knowledge cannot misse Old guise was good and nothing like to this Where fraude and craft and finesse all would haue And plainest men can neyther powle nor shaue Old Fathers builte faire Colleges good store And gaue great goodes and landes to bring vp youth Young men loues not to make of little more But spendes away their thrift to tell the trueth Old men were full of mercie grace and rueth And pittie tooke on those that seemde to lacke Young gallants gay from poore doe turne their backe Old beaten wayes are ready still to hit These new be-pathes leades men on many stiles An old prouerbye hath no more worâ—es than wit New fangled heades at each old order smiles Old wisedome farre surmountes young fondlings willes Experience is the Doctor euerie daie That carries close all knowledge cleane awaie Young houndes are fléete the old huntes sloe and true Old dogges bite sore if all their teeth be sound Old auncient freindes are better than the new In younglings loue there is small suretie found For like a top light fancie turneth round Old clothe or silke made in our elders dayes Wears long and firme when new thinges soone decayes Old souldiers are the beauty of a state Young branches beare but blossomes many a day Old Doctors can deepe matters well debate Young punies knowes not what old doctors say King Harries crue brought conquest home away From Flowdayne field from France and many a soyle And put the proud by strength and force to foyle Old souldiers were great Allexanders ayde And chiefest ioy in all the warres he had The white gray head made beardlesse boyes affraide Where graue men ruld the countrey all was glad And where they lackt the fortune was but bad As all thinges doth to skill and knowledge yeeld So old men beare the honour of the field What needs more proofe of auncient souldiers nowe Both old and young are needfull members heere I want both time and power to praise them throw For seruice great in countries quarrell deere When cause requires ye know the case is cleere These champions must in field and open plaine With shining sword the right of kinges maintaine FINIS A DISCOVRSE OF CALAMITY To the right VVorshipfull my singuler good friend Sir William Hatton knight IN the remembrance of a sorrowful losse I had by the death of the last Lord Chancelor good Sir William Hatton and considering your great countenance partly declined by that soddaine accident besides the great soms of money you were left to pay For the parting from such an honourable friend I thought euery peece of cause well waied you knowe as well what calamitie is as a meaner man and feeling the smart and weight of that burthen before you were ready to support it your care and calamitie could not be little First for the losse of so great a comfort next for the sorrow trobles that belongs to such a losse though lands or liuings helps to beare of a peece of the vexasion of mind yet the body shall alwayes beare to the death a sorrowfull imagination of that hastie mishap the impression therof shal neuer goe out of your memory so long as life lasteth So good sir in signe of some consolation I present you a discourse of Calamity the right path to come to quietnesse and the very hie way that leades a good mind to thinke of the immortality of the soule thus presuming your fauorable acception of the same I passe to the discourse of Calamity wishing you much worship hartes ease health T. Churchyard A Discription or Discourse that declareth how
people good Now bid al wiues defie this deuilish arte For my conceite is such a deadly darte That where I goe or walke in any place Me thinkes my faults are written in my face This discarded Gentlewoman went awalking twentye yeares and yet cannot finde the waie home to her husband FINIS To the right Worshipfull my Ladie Wawllar wife to the Souldioer-like Knight Sir VVater Wawllar I Had almost good Madam forgotte what I promised of my self touching a Book to be Printed yet at the kniting vp of a tedius tale I remeÌ„bred how to keepe promise and a friend bethought me of som matter pertaining to that cause waying that light and slender discourses became not me to offer nor your Ladishippe to heare So happening on a dolefull and tragicall Treatise I preferd it to your reading knowing that some humor of sorrow or sorrowfull penned matter would be answerable to your graue consistderation in which discourse following are numbers of heauie causes tâ—eated on and touched so narrowlie with a cleare conceite of the writer that no one point or other pertaining to a ruefull rehearsall of troubles is forgotten And though the tale seemeth long the varietie and life of words it bringeth shall I doubt not shorten the time that is spent in reading for that euerie passion of mind trouble of bodie and disquietnesse of the Soule is amplie and plainelie explained and vnfolded by that which followeth translated out of another language taught to speake English to those that vnderstandeth the heauie haps of such as haue fallen into misfortune so knitting vp my Booke with this discourse I expresse the matter I haue spoken of A DOLLFVLL DISCOVRSE OF A great Lorde and a Ladie Translated out of French into English DRaw néere good mindes that sadly markes the sway of worldly broyles And heare what I at large can say of troubles tumbling toyles Which did befall in forraine Land tweene two of Noble race To whose mishap and hatefull fate a world it selfe giues place Not long agoe the case so stood a Lord of great estate In natiue Soyle by destnies loâ— a Ladies fauour gate With whom he ioynde a hazard great his liking led him so That neyther feare of frowning Gods nor dread of earthly â—oe Could make him staine his plighted troth such constant mind hee bare For which this noble Fawkon may with turtle true compare But well away alas for woe his griefe thereby beganne In Prince displeasure throw this prank fell â—o this Noble man And Cesar frowing on the fact there was no other boote But flie the Realme or prostrate fall Full flat at Cesars foote O states by this come learne to stoupe no stoutnesse can preuayle When from the Heauens stormes do blow and striketh downe your sayle From thunder cracks both man and beast yea Sunne and Moone doth flie The Earth and all that liues below doth feare the ratling skie When Gods are moued in lowring clouds like dusky Mantles blacke The troubled ayre to mortall men doth threaten ruine and wracke I turnde my talke from such Discourse and treat of that turmoyle Which long this Knight and Ladie felt at home in Countrey soyle And somewhat of the cares abroade that hee perforce did taste I meane to write so that as troth my verses bee embraste For troth and time that tries out Gold â—ath tempreâ— so my talke That penne nor muse no pleasures takes on doubtfull ground to walke Now when these states with linkes of loue were tyds together fast And many a sad and heauy thought betweene them both had past Of Princes grace and fauour great to which regard they tooke As chiefest thing and onely cause Whereon they ought to looke They wayde in ballance of their breastes what â—ittest serude their turnes And like as wood takes flame of fire and so to Sinders burnes So through the heape of this mishapp they felt such sorrow thoe As though hard destnie swore they should consume themselues with woe The Ladie lost her fréedome straight the Gods had so decréed Her knight by sodaine flight abroad made vertue of a néede And liuing there with lingring hope in forraine Countrey straunge Where absence might through present toyes in some men worke a chaunge Hée stoode as firme as marble stone and kept both troeth and toutch To her who found few friendes at home and heartes disease was much Yea though this knight with offers great and treasure tempted was As they full well can witnesse beare which saw this matter pas Yet small account of Fortune new hee made for still in breast Was shrinde the Sainct that stonie walles and prison had possest No feere nor friend nor fellow-mate this Troylus mind might moue This Fawcon scornd to pray abroad at home hee left his loue Full many a sigh and heauie looke hee sent along the Seas And wisht himselfe in fetters fast to doe his Ladie ease What griefe of mind and torment strange shée suffred all that while Is knowen to those that bondage féeles whose friendes are in exile Could mischiefe fall on both the sides more harder then it did The one from ioy and worldly pomp in prison closely hid The other forst by fatall chaunce to seeke his fortune out And shonning daunger found â—ispayre in wandring Worlde about But waying well a Subiectes State and what was duties boundes Hee yeelded straight to open harmes for feare of secret woundes And ventring life yea Landes and goodes to heepe his name from blot And to requite with hazardes hard the loue that hee had got From Spaine with speede he did returne and setting foote on Lande Hee put his cause in Iustice dome and Noble Princes hande Though in the yoke with free consent the humble heart did fall The heauens stoode so out of tune hee gate no grace at all And clapped vp full fast in hold a Prisoners parte hee playes Where griping griefes gréeuous grones consumde his gladsome dayes Whiles hee aloofe full long remaynde and out of daunger crepte The dolfull Dame in great dispayre his absence sore bewept Yet great regard to promise past shee had as world well wist And therefore often wrong her handes when that her Knight shée mist. But now began the boistrous blastes to blow in bloudy brest And now the gulfe of sighes and sobs burst out with great vnrest For lo one house held both these wights yet both a sunder were And bâ—th in like displeasure stoode yea ech of both did feare Of Princes wrath and worlds disgrace a heauy tale to tell A plague past hope of heauens blisse a torment and a hell That is without redemption sure but what should more be saide Thus vnder locke and barred dores these Iewels safely laide They must abide the happy hours that God appoints in skies And drinke vp water swéete or sowre or what shal happe to rise The prison then did plead their case the wals both deafe and dum Did show by signes of fréedome gone what sorrowes were
stormes I stoutly stood to sterne And turnd about the shippe to winne the winde And what defects and fauâ—tes I did discerne I readie was a quicke redresse to finde And no man durst restraine the Regents minde For were it good or bad I would haue done Unto that side would most of people runne Yet murmors rose among the mighty flocke Whose hidden hate huggd close in cankred brest To vndermine my strong and statelie rocke That stoode on propps and did on pillers cest For longer sure in Court I could not rest Then King might come to perfect age and yeares As thinges besell and by my fall appeares The secret swarmes of â—lie and subtill snakes That lurkes in grasse and vnder fayrest flowers The flattering cloudes that oft faire weather makes Great showers of raine vppon the people powers The smiling face that when it list it lowers Betraies the eyes of them that well beleeues When scorners flier and laugheth in their sléeues My hedge stood stackte with such weake sticks of woode That manie a gappe was made into my grownde I trusted much to freindship birth and blood But some of those in fine were faythlesse founde Most spake mee faire but least of them were sounde Some sought my ruyne that waighted hard at heeles For time so shapt the world went all on wheeles What is enuid but rule and high estate The seruant seekes ofâ— times his maysters fall The subiect beares to lawe a priuie hate The stubborne child is silde at fathers call The froward wiues findes fault with husbands all The scholler hates to heare his follie tolde And each degree abhors to be controlde Rule wants no foes the horse hée hates the bitt The dogge disdaines the leashe that holdes him in The hauke desires not long on pearch to sit Rule is despisde Rule doth no fauour winne The man that hath in courtly honor béene Can tell how oft he was with flattry fed And some there are with blinde affection led Whose humor weake the wilâ—e worldlings fede They followe fast and fawnâ— like whelpes a while Till great mens meanes hath â—erued their turne in déede Then gallants goe awaye and giue a smile Thus waâ—ters on doe nought but friends beguile And slipper lads as false and fine as those For no offence become most mortall foes With curtsie great and knéeling on the knée The harmelesse hartes of noble states are trapte They looke so high they can no tromperie see Untill the â—lye in spiders webbe be lapt And when by sleight the simple is mishapt The wandring world but maruels at the case And from the weake the strongest turnes the face Who had moe freindes or yet more wealth than I Who sounde lesse helpe O fie on friendships trust My stocke and race did reach to starrie skie Yet world trode downe mine honor in the dust And I was left alone thinke what I lust Weepe sigh or sob when Fortune gaue checkmate Ferâ—â— friends were fledd and I in wofull state Yet wisdomes grace helde vp my noble minde I scornde to thinke when sorest tempests blewe In face and cheere my courage men might finde I counted all and then the worst I knew It was but death a paiment that is due To yeild to day or else when date drew néere To paie the shot and make the reckning cléere What néeds more talke amid my chéefest ioyes A draught was drawne to driue me out of grace The newes whereof did fill my head with toyes But my stout hart would giue no practise place I stifly stoode in Court with manly face And thought to thrust them out that stroue with mée And so in spigt of world I would goe frée Great banding then began in Borough towne And to the view I had the strongest side For on my part were men of great renowne Yea as the fish doth follow greatest tide So people swarmd and crucifige cryed On Mortons foes for dayly eurye houre In Princes Court with pompe increast my power But when wée met that seuerall waies did draw Sweete words did walke bespyest with fained cheere In dulcet shell a kernell sowre I sawe That cunning crafte by cloude conuayd full cléere Our powdred speach most fresh would still appéere Till bitter taste bewrayd our meanings all Then honie combe in proofe became but gall So angrie bées burst forth from quiet hiue And offred stinge to those that neerest stood Then fearefull folke too féeble were to striue They floke so fast that daily sought my bloode Yet to the worlde I made my quarell good And craude no more but iustice in my cause And so to shifte by course of common lawes In open Court I was accused streight And straightlie chargde to keepe my chamber still Where if I had but vsed anie sleight I might haue scapte awaie and had my will But destnie did bewitch both wit and skill And robd mee so of spirite and feeling sence That I was méeke and neuer made defence But what I thought and what I hepte for both Is knowne to God and some that liueth yet In deede my feare was small I tell you trothe For manie things in compasse of my wit Did cleare mee cleane and so though I should sit In prison faste a time till thinges were tryed In duraunce long I hopte I should not bide But loe in haste I was from thence remoude And sent vnto the Castle there to staie And then perchaunce I was but finely proude To see for feare if I would flie awaie For mine owne folkes had there the whole conuaie Of bodie through the streetes such grace I gote But woe is me for then did th'old man doate Had I but sayde I would not be in pounde I would bee franke and free from daungers doubt I might haue turnde the worlde in Scotland rounde Like teâ—nis ball and thrust myne enemies out But who can bring a sternlesse barke aboute My wits were gone that guided all before My shipp on ground and I was set on shore Loe what God doth to make his glorie knowne Loe how mans life is cut off like a bough Loe lookers on how sone is man oerthrowne Loe where became my worldly wisdome nowe Loe héere a glasse that shewes your faces throughe You greatest Peeres and Lords of péereles prayse Your pride is past if God abridge your daies No sooner I beléeude I was so well But was conuayde vnto Don Bartyn than So all my friends that did in Scotlande dwell Made sure a shew to raise vp manie a man The King straight waies before these broyles began Fiue ensignes chose to kéepe the world in awe For sure defence of him and of his lawe Those bandes held backe some forward busines strange Yet in good faith my friendes were twise as strong The force of whom made worlde to feare a change But on and of alas they dalied longe And all the while I thought they did me wronge Yet vaine it was in armes to stande and striue For they had not that waye
faurers wept In heade that tide a straunger fancie rose The eyes behelde before the eyes did close A writer there and Churchyard loe he hight Whose pen paints out mens tragedies aright In deadly dreame my tongue callde on that man As headlesse â—olke may fumble out a word You must beleeue the tongue a tale beganne Of earnest thinges and not a trifling borde Churchyard quoth he if now thou canst afforde Mee one good verse take heere thy penne in hand And send my death to thine owne natiue lande Which in my life I loude and honourd much A cause there was let that passe oer with time Thou man I saie that didst Shores wife so touch With louing phrase and friendlie English rime When pen muse were in chiefe pride and prime Bestow some paines on him that was thy friende Whose life thou knewst seâ—st mee make mine ende These wordes pronounst the head gan bléed anew My bodie laie along like lumpe of leade The limmes stretcht out stiâ—e as stake they grew And vnder cloath of blacke was made my bedd On thicke hard boordes that world might see me dead There did I lodge till starrs appearde in skye And goring bloode had glutted gasers eye Thus Churchyard now in wandring vp downe About affaires perhaps that toucht him nere Saw on Tolbothe in Edenborough towne My sencelesse head before his face appeare Why Morton then quoth he and art thou héere That long didst raigne and rule this Realme of late Then ruine and wracke oerreacheth each estate An Emperors life puft vp with pompe pride Maie not compare with plaine ploughman quoth he The climing foote is apt to slippe and slide The studious braine shall selde in suretie bee A bitter blast sone bites the brauest trée At honors seate blinde boltes men dailie shoote And wretched hap riues vp renowne by roote No wit nor wealth preuailes against mischaunce Whom fortune hates the people doe disdaine As wisdomes grace doth worthie witts aduaunce So priuie hate throwes downe hie harts againe The whitest clothe will take the greatest staine It is not strange to sée great men to fall For too much trust of worlde deceiues vs all Why doe wée wish to weald a world at will What follows pompe but hazard of good name Why would wise men in pleasure wallow still The end of toyle makes soule and bodie tame They take no rest that runnes still after fame Great charge breeds griefe and brings on care apace Great honor rules and lasteth but a space Who trauells farre comes wearie home at night The mounting Larke comes down to foulers hand Great birdes are borne about with feathers light All great renowne on tickle propps doth stand All wordlie blisse is builded on the sand Which when a puffe of winde beginnes to bloe In peeces small the painted postee will goe To greatest trées the birdes doe daily flock On highest hils wée walke to take the ayre And sudden stormes giue greatest oke a shock The ground is bare where many feete repayre All people drawe vnto a goodly faire But where most haunte is founde with iudging eye There is least hope and doth most daunger lye The fayre it selfe where all is bought and solde Showes méere deceipt to him that buies and sells The enemies strength striues still with strongest holde Disdaine doth drawe where greatest honor dwels All flies repayre to flowers of swéetest smells Each wicked worme to soundest kernell goes Ten thousand wéeds do growe about a rose Because the seate of honor standeth hye The baser sort do bend the browe thereat And honor is a moate in enuies eye Who vily thinkes and speaks he knows not what By enuies brute that bitter biting gnatt A blister growes in soft and smothest skinne So skarrs arise where cleerest shew hath binne O malice great thou monster sent from hell The heauens hate to heare thy naughty name If world thee skorn thou knowst not where to dwell O fugitiue O sonne of open shame No wisdomes lore nor men of noble fame Can scape thy scourge it giues so sore a yarke And so thy boltes are shot at eache good marke Men may not liue though great they are of race For malice rage and enuie now a dayes Proude practise proules about in eurie place To breede debate and cut of good mens praise Where malice sowes the séedes of wicked waies Both honor quailes and creadit crackes with all Of noâ—lest men and such as feares no fall At goodlie fruite that growes on topps of trées The people gase and somtime kudgels flinge Disdaine repines at all good things it sees And so like snakes doth enuie shoote his sting The angrie waspes are still about a king Who â—eekes by swarmes to hurt true meaning still So workes great harmes to those that thinks no ill True honor may full long in fauour bée If rigors wrath and malice did not meete And malice might lies not in meane degree It closely lurkes in craft and cunning sprete First fine deuice can kisse both handes and feete Then draw the knife that cuts the harmlesse throte Thus honor is by drifts in daunger gote These deadly driftes drinkes déepest riuers drie Sincks greatest grounds belowe past helpe of man Flings flat on floore the statelye buildings hye Shakes downe great harts let wit doe what he can Fine drift is hee that mischiefe first beganne Against whose force no reason maie resist That awefull worme on earth doth what it liâ—t Then noble birth and vertues rare must stowpe When daie is come and destines strikes the stroke This cunning world may make great minds to drowpe UUhen we are câ—lde men needs must draw the yoke UUhen life goes out our breath is but a smoke UUhen at the dore our drerie death doth knocke Take key in hand wee must turne backe the locke Who would haue thought Earle Morton should haue fell A graue wise man and gouernde manie a daye Rulde all at home and vsde his wit so well In foreine Realmes hee bare a wonderous swaie Of worldes affaires hee knew the readie waye Yet knowledge failde and cunning knew no boote When fortune came and tript him with her foote Loe lookers on what staie remaines in state Loe how mans blisse is but a blast of winde Borne vnto bale and subiect to debate And makes an ende as destine hath assignde Loe heere as oft as Morton comes to minde Dispise this worlde and thinke it nothing straunge For better place when we our liues doe chaunge FINIS qd T. C. SIR SIMON BVRLEIS TRAGEDIE who liued in the xi yeare of Richarde the seconde Looke Frozard the last part Fol. 108. AM I of blood or yet of birth so base O Baldwin now that thou forgetst my name Or doth thy penne want cunning for that case Or is thy skill or senses fallen lame Or dost thou feare to blase abroade my fame O shew some cause wherefore I sit in shade And why is thus my Tragedie vnmade UUho thinkes great scorne in
knacke Beare euen hand and holde the bridle right Yet whiskt the wande sometimes for pleasures sake Yea spyce thy speach and tearmes with trifels light That lookers on may not thy mind mistake When store is gone yet doe thy budget shake Among the best and féede their fancies still No matter though a mouse créepe out of hill Small toyes may bréede great sporte in great estates And in great grounds men walke through little gates Doe wisely warne and warely vse thy pen Speake english playne and roue about the but And shoote at will and flaunt by wicked men Shale cut the shell and bid them cracke the Nut Shew some delight and so the sentence shut And bid the world beholde mee in a glasse That did to ruine from Pompe and pleasure passe Now I am gone I wish the rest behinde As they desire may better Fortune finde FINIS THE MAN IS BVT his Minde TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull my singular good friend Sir Iohn Skidmoer one of the Liefetenants of Haruordshire I Am not forgetfull good Sir Iohn of a promise made touching The man is but his minde Which worke now I present you though not so well penned as the matter requireth yet as wel ment as any peece of worke in this Booke written as well to keepe promise as to show the circumstance of the mistery that belongeth to euery mans minde and to hope that all I write thereof shall be as well taken as a dutifull writer can meane I haue plainely set downe mine opinion in that behalf doubting not but some one man or other shall see a peece of his owne minde in this my presumption of the same So wishing your good and vertuous minde augmented in grace and your selfe encreased in worship and contentation of mind I betake you to God and fall to my purposed discourse AS I was reading in the delightfull discourses of Ieronimus Cardanus his comforts among many pleasant passages and speciall sentences I founde that he said A man was but his mind either in the value of vertue or vanity of vice So waying the worth of that conclusion knowing that Manhood or Cowardize consistes in the selfe same opinion of the minde I considered that common quarrels and priuate reuengement of Iniuries receiued proceeded in a manner from this spring and flowing Fountaine that euer is fedde and nourished with som setled conceite or other For the minde is so noble watchfull and worthy that it is neuer vnoccupied whilest the man is awaken nor taketh any great rest when the body is a sleepe as some dreames and visions manifesteth plaine For euen as a cunning CarpeÌ„ter or Smith is hammering and heawing some péece of wood or iron to bring the same to such shape and perfection as the artificer would haue it So the minde the harber of all secretes and mouer of all good and bad motions can at no season be idle or wax weary of deuises The Imaginations thereof are so many and the innumerable conceites therein are so mighty the fire is of such vehement heat and operation that it must néedes burne or consume any thing that long remaines in it so the minde is of such force and power that it leadeth the man any way it listeth and shapes al the sences and vitall spirites in what forme or fashion it pleaseth For the longer the fancies of the head by rouling to and froe are tired and at length reposeth themselues in the constantnes of the minde the more is the mans reason subiect to the mindes resolution and the lesse strength the iudgement hath when it féeles the forces of the body captiuated and compeld to obay the greatnes of the minde Though learning education and good instructions be a meane and restraint that a peruerse mind shall not draw the whole body to destruction yet the minde being bent to some dangerous determination hath ouercome all the good causes rehearsed and brought both the body reputation and life into a shamefull disorder and made a cruell confusion not onely of the man but likewise brought a licentious liberty to the minde experience of proud practises hath proued this argument no fable but now to talke truely and probably of the minde what can be named or thought on if they be things to be executed but the minde dare attempt and the man may goe about it dare aduenture the hazarde of the soule the losse of life and goods and the cracking of estimation and credit if any purposed mischiefe hale the minde forewarde to some odious enterprises this showes but a weakenes of Iudgement naughtines of nature and a most wicked and wilfull disposition of a desperate conceite diuelishly drawen and enclined and carelesly coÌ„mitting it selfe to euery kinde of practises and dangerous determination But now to touch the noblenes of an inuincible minde that neither Fortune can conquer power may commaund nor worldly pompe nor wealth can winne The true discourse of this minde craues a writer of a higher knowledge for the vnspeakeable spirite that keepes life and breatheth continuall constancy in the brest where this minde makes his mansion house is to be explained and set forth by the profoundest pen man of the worlde that can lay open like an Anotomy the hidden and secrete partes of the body especially the diuine nature closed vp in flesh and bloud and secrecy belonging to the vertue of this manly and valiaunt minde Some men there are and though they boast not much the nuÌ„ber may be great that with a strong heart can suffer afflictions beare burthens abide disgraces and in their most torments seeme careles of all the crossings counterchecks is offered them yet they are armed within to withstand all outward assaults as it were a fortresse manned with souldiers and munition throughly to defend it selfe against the power of Princes practises of warlike people yea as they in peace can vse this approued patience so in the hottest broiles of the warre the hope to ouercome the cruelty of their enemies doth redouble their courages and so with a resolute minde the Cannon they approch the combate they present and the present daunger is presently forgotten a present matter of great momeÌ„t to be in the presence and presented before the vniuersall people placed vnder the cope of the heauens But yet I can not leaue out the mind they haue of honour in greatest extremities for minding the preseruation of Prince and countrey they clap on such a minde as Mucius Sceuola did that burned his hande in the â—ire for missing the killing of Porcena They care not in like sort for imprisonment penury hunger torting racking but can suffer all manner of misery as want of meat lacke of liberty and open aire and lie on the hard earth or bare strawe to kéepe their enemies out of the Fort or hould committed to their charge yea and in respect of the loue they loyally beare to their Countrey they suffer many a mortall wound and in the end offer
of troublesome seruitude or at least willing to see some sodaine sturre and strange accidents This mischieuous and male-contented mind is swift to sow discord and shed innocent blood and slow to saue his owne credit Countrey ready and apt to forget God and most vnwilling to forgiue any iniurie a beginner of all brable and contention and a mayntayner of all execrable acts and enterprises Now passing ouer the rusticall rable of Rogues Uacabounds Ruffians Roysters and rancke Rebels whose mischieuous minds surmounts all the rest in villanie filthynes reueling rudenes trecherie and treasons the fruites whereof are but beggery banishment and wretchednesse that brings the maislers of that misrule to Tiborne a shamefull end I come to the malicious mindes of our Forrein enemies many in number that are so drowned in a deadly desire of hatred wilfulnes obstinacie papistrie and old worm-eaten Religion that they cannot see nor well vnderstand what they goe about There minds carries them headlong into many hellish damnable deuises making account of that which neuer shall be there own I hope and making their boast of conquest victorie triumph before they dare fight for it or attempt manly to trie who shall finde Fortune most fauourable what partie hath God the right of their side And further to bee marueled at a matter most moÌ„struous in iudgement they were come into our Câ—astes in ships of great burthen fraught filled with great riches munition and men hauing in the same shippes to countenaunce their quarrell numbers of Noble houses Friers Priests English Traytors Spanish Women and such like people as were come to possesse a Country kingdom that easily should bee gotten which kingdome is so noblie peopled and furnished that I doubt not but the sight and bare vew of this stoute nation shall make the Spaniards abashed and yet behold to proue A man is but his mind our Enemies haue such minds to doe wrong and haue such hope that they are appoynted to bée the scourge of God that they saie openly they haue commission to kill man woman and child and to saue none aboue the age of seauen yeare old loe heere is a goodly mind a goodly commission and a goodly sorte of Fooles that thinks so populous a Countrey as this will be so soone supplanted a wise companie of wild Geese that with a little gagling and thrusting out the necke beleeus to bring to passe so great a matter you neuer heard of more madder minded men than these are that came to sit downe in other mens houses before they knew the good will of their Hosts and bow déerely they were like to pay for the purchase ere they shold make their entry or set their féet on any péece of this Land and by my troth they goe about a pretty Bargaine to offer the sheeding of so much blood and especially do bring hither so paltring a Commission so voide of Christianitie and shall cost so manie a broken head before any iott or parcell of the same commaundement be put in execution Now heere is to bee spoken and treated of good and godly mindes that peaceably shall possesse their soules in patience these patient mindes are those that sees other men preferd as the affection of some will haue it so and beholdes themselues abiects that neither want vertue nor valiance yea they find few good turnes and suffer many iniuries boastes little of their seruice and are greatly to be praysed being men of good years and experience and yet of bad Fortune and ability fauoured of some that can doe but little for them yet holpen or aided of no one body that haue power to aduaunce them the men of this minde makes much of a little and seldome comes to any greate portion and so because mine owne desteny is not the best and being loath to put on a worse minde then now last I haue spoken of I knit vp all this discourse in these fewe wordes and thus I bid you farewell Hoping that the mindes of men though they are seuerall in disposition will now draw all in one yoke to hold out the enemies of our Countrey and to stand together against all forraine inuasions and forget all kinde of quarrelling among our selues that often times hath bred in manie kingdomes ciuile warres and sorrowfull dissentions The plagues and plaine examples therof being well waighed will I doubt not make our noble Nation be not only mindful of their libertie and honor but in like manner make vs all of one good mind resolution courage and manhood FINIS TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull siâ— Edward Dimmocke Knight Champion by byrth to the Queenes Maiestie I would haue searched the bottome of my studies and chiefest of my labors good Sir Edward Dimmocke if my leasure had serued to haue fouÌ„d out some peece of worke worthy of your reading but doubting that verse delightes you not Tragicall discourses breeds but a heauie conceit in a pleasant disposition I thought it more fitter to treat of a Marshiall cause wherein great honor consists that may moue many considerations in a noble minde and so not only stir vp vertue but also beat downe all occasions that hinders the quiet sweet societie of meÌ„ not meaning that I see any motioÌ„ cause or action in this age that may procure my pen to go beyond the compas of my reach in reforming the same but to shew there is no greater blessednes on earth then freindly felowship and amitie among men and all the disturbers thereof are rather instrumeÌ„ts of dissention than mayntainers of good will And for that in your long trauells abroad where variaunce is moderated with wisdome manie quarrells you haue seene or heard off I haue written a little peece of the nature of a quarrell compounded on many accidents not teaching anye man a newe course peaceable order to his life but to nourish gentlenes kindlie loue among all our noble natioÌ„ So trusting no matter of mislike shal passe my Pen I present you with this little peece of paper that follows wishing you the good fame and honor your own hart can desire A Discourse of true Manhoode AMid the wickednes of a naughtie world quarells hatred and headstrong people a bridled mind knowes not what pace to hotde nor steppes to tread and where madnesse shews furie world mayntaynes follye wise ' alâ—mon were hee heere could not reforme the defect of this wilful age which neither regards God good Gouernours nor naturall loue or order And where libertie in mans wilfulnes is proclaymed good rule and lawe is not known and rud rashnes runs so farre beyond reason that euery sencible creature doth wonder at and stands astonied at the stubberne wickednes of mans vnstayed mind which growes so blood thirstie and eager after life that it seeketh nothing but death and destruction in a manner of his owne proper brother which was horrible in Cain and may bee odious in all kind of Christians Among
beasts that wants reason remaynes no such crueltie For now a dayes men may not meete without snarring lostie lookes bitter wordes haughty fashions and froward behauioure on which stoutnes of stomacke malice is kindled contention is breed and quarrells are set abroach The accustomed curtesie sweete conuersation freindle gentlenes humane manners and ciuile humblnes in our common societie is almost forgotten brought in contempt and put out of exercise if Noble Parsonages shew it not and in place of the commendable vertues are corrupt conditions and newfangled vices closely crept to the great disquietnes of many and commoditie of no one person And now briefly to come to y e cause of this my bold argumēt my short worke shall only touch y e terrible brawels that lately on the shew of manhood are sprong vp among vs nourished to long in the stoute courages of men A matter more meeter to bee lamented than mayntayned and a new deuised wilfulnesse that our old Fathers taught vs not nor scarsely was known till our youth beganne to trauell straunge Countreys and so brought home strange manners It must be graunted and necessarie to bee allowed that weapons shall be worne alwaies of equall length and vsed in causes of defence And further for slaunders naughtie reports in absence and present spitfull speaches men ought for the mayntenance of good name somtimes vse an lawfull manner of correction this spoken not of the scripture for the sharpe sworde makes a blunt blockhead beware how hee vseth his tongue and if bold bablers were not snibbed for their sawsines this world would bee full of talkatiue merchants and no man would care what he spoke if wordes should not be wisely set to sale and in the end of an ill market be dearly bought For it is not fit that euery man should goe to Law about a trifle nor necessarie blood should be shed whatsoeuer in manhoods behalf I haue spokē wel to come to my purposed matter In the old time the sight of England was daungerous but not deadly couragious not cruell valiant but not villanous and most nobly vsed oftimes without anye great harme in which season men were as great Conquerors as they be now let Fraunce and Scotland witnes as loath to offend as men be at this presens when rapier fight is more desperate And generally then were as good men as valiant and venturous as now can bee found and yet they stoode not vppon such tearmes and quarrels as men doe now adayes a thousand iniuries could then bee forgiuen if they had eased their hearts a little at the sharpe weapon now life is sought in England for an Italian lie and nothing but blood and death can pacifie mens furies men are become such Cockes of the game they must fight in a sharppe scrat out each others eyes and thirst so much for blood that nothing can mitigate their wrath till one bee out of the world and the other bée fled God knowes whither A prettie quarrell that compells men to bée fugitiues for playing of beastly parts and bringeth such repentaunce as breedeth both beggerie and extremitie of Fortune and namely when friends shall forsake you and weeping can not helpe For whilst law persecuteth the offender the world is like a Laborinth endles is the labor and trouble of that bodie that thinks euery man follows him In the olde world when swords of one length and heartes of equal courage did meet some in differencie debated the matter and fewe were put to foile and many were worthely esteemed for their value And now when the rapier and dagger dispatcheth a man quickly neither he liues to heare his owne fame nor no man liuing can let fall a good word of the quarrell begun of such trifles maintaind with such terror and ended with such madnes not so manly as miserable nor so much praised among the fool hardy as condemned in the consideration of the wise And so to come to the right order of manhood courage valiancy and stoutnes of heart it lieth more in the Iudgement then in the iarring in the fortitude then in the forwardnes and restes more in the modesty then in the malice For anger of it selfe is but a sencelesse monster an vnreasonable rage a furious franzie a distemperate imperfection a priuy passion of choller and an open enemy of life The discouerer of the frailty and naughty nature of man and the discredite of as many as cannot maister that outragious disease of the minde Then how should the fury of mallice bring forth any other fruict but such a pestiferous fire as shall consume the beginners of hatred and the last reuengers of wretched wroth For reuenge is like a winde ball the more it is stricken and remembred with force of hand the higher it mountes makes the more rebound so that endlesse becomes a quarrell so long as the exercise of mallice is had in vre and men with euill disposition goe about to store vp mischiefe Now is to be decided euery degrée and manner of a quarrel and to shew how and in what sort an vniust quarrell may bee offered and a iust quarrel may be taken both by law of armes and nature and by a vsuall custome and manner among men prouing by antiquities and art military the matter purposed to treat vppon so that with patience you here out that may bée spoken As it is vnfit for a Gentleman that stands on reputation to play the ruffian and roister so it is most vncomely for him to stoupe so lowe as any way to abase his good calling with the bad conditions of a rude and rusticall fellowe by which prerogatiue the match is vnmeete the quarrell may be refused the strife hath no equality nor no honesty is gotten in brawling with inferiors or fighting with men of so small temperancy and credit but because most stoutnes and courage with hazard of life is betweene Gentlemen and trifles not taken vp growe to great busines their quarrels are most requisite to be spoken of redressed corrected and brought to better order First yée shall finde among Souldiers that are of greate mindes a kinde of stately consideration in all quarrels they take in hand They taking vppon them in the art military which well becomes their calling to maintaine honour defend their countrey and credite and to fight in no quarrell but Princes right and their owne honest causes haue set downe by certaine cerimonies what wordes may touch them what manner of men they may deale withall what occasions may force a combate what scope liberty pertaines to a iust quarrell and what restraines a manly minde from doing iniury to others or harming himselfe On which resolution the Souldier sets vp his rest and commonly hazards the winning or loosing of as great thing as life may be worth not with presumption procured to this danger but with estimation of his honor haled forewarde by daunger of enemy to leaue good example to those that comes after him But
beholde how this aduenture happeneth regard the circumstance of this hazard way well what difficulty is aboute the matter and marke the chiefe points and groundes of aduantage that breedeth busines and bringeth forth a combate Then must be noted a simple Souldier or mercenary man may not challenge a Captaine a meane Captaine or Centurion may not challenge a Corronell a Corronell though leader of a regiment may not challenge a Lord Marshall of the Field a Lord Marshall hauing charge of life and death may not challenge the Lord Lieutenant of the Army Aâ—d all these not onely in time of seruice for auoiding of mutiny but at all seasons are bound and ought to keepe themselues from brawling yea though any one be neerely touched and seeking the combat except a lie hath passed a slander is receiued a blow be giuen a mans name and credite be foiled and a quarrell be sought so narrowly that no man can auoide And yet all these degrees as their office and honour is one after another may without reproche refuse in euery place the daungering of their liues by priuate quarrell not meeting one another by chance whereon may busines growe looke what so euer be passed villany excepted There is no kinde of preiudice to any partie but mallice may surcease and society may reuiue friendship and quietnes should of all hands be sought Now of matter ministred in despight spoken to strike dead good name vttered for offence and brauery let fall to disgrace any person and maintained with threatnings daring and other open iniuâ—ies a number the case of quietnes is altered and surely no nature can so easely disgest those extremities but shall finde occasion of dislike and a great motion of quarrell Then must be considered the cause of those spéeches the persons credite that spake it in what presence and place the iniury was offered for some places are of such honour that no dishonestye may bee suffered in and some person that speakes iniuries in base company out of honourable presence the speakers meane calling aunsweres himselfe for wise men ought to make no more account of a badde fellowes babble then of the barking of an olde dog whose teeth are gone and can not bite An all the common kinde of iniuries are but as men do imagine them as scoulding of a coâ—queane railing of a ruffian taunting of a tosseblade frumping of fine fellowes and the brags and threatning of a varlette all these shamelesse rabble and sencelesse sort of shadowes are of so small substaunce and credite that their voices makes but a noise in the aire like a thunder cracke that neither brings raine nor argues any constant winde and weather There is besides these ordinary causes and crooked conditions of people a number of naughty natures that neuer will be quiet in countenaunce nor wordes but either with skrowling like conquerors or skorning like vices on a stage they striue with counterfaite courage to ouercome Lions and to be more terrible then Tigres snuffing and puffing as all the worlde were too little to containe their great lookes and disdainefull monstrous manners And their tongues are so talkatiue and filled with follies that none may speake but themselues on whose prowde presumptions are many mad disputes wilfully begon and moste wickedly ended To contend with those glorious Images is as a man shoulde sound a Trumpet at the roaring of euery bul Thus with extraordinary manners new fangled fancies olde stubburne nature and fresh fine cunning that wisedome condemneth a good minde may be ouerreached and a quiet man may be brought in some quarrelous brabble for the sight and sufferaunce of these shadowes whose substance is all in boasting and the society or contention with such counterâ—aite conquerors is an open enemy to all the good dispositions of men and a priuy worker of disquietnes to those that beholdes and heares any peece or iote of those vices before rehearsed for nothing bréedes more mislike or offendeth so much euery company as the continuall brags and audacious manners of the vnbrideled multitude who are neuer free from quarrels voide of villany nor without naughty brabbles a number Come now to generall occasions in Court Countrey towne and so foorth but principally of Court we ought to haue greatest regard where not only the Prince hold residens with a continuall maiestie but likewise by absolute power commaunds obedience restraynes Courtiars many wayes from offering of iniuries For plainely to speake in Chamber of presence or any place neere or about a Princes pallace mens tongues are tyed either to kéepe silence or ciuilly with reuerence to vse comly wordes méete for such a place and voyde of villanye or vicious intents chiefely of quarrels that may moue mischiefe and stirre vp disquietnes among the gentle Bees assembled together in a Hiue for the honoring of their king and publique profite of their estate The Court is no Cocke-pit to croe in no shraep for cocking no seat to be saucy in no place of contention nor no soile for brawlers and braggers that haue currish conditions and knowes not their duety but rather a place of royall dignity princely entertainements curteous behauiors and fine and friendly fashions that with orderly manner may set forth a Princes regality And though there some one wanting temperance rashly behaue himselfe and with warme wordes sturre the coales of a wicked quarrell mens dueties in generall by wisedome should either quench the heat thereof or cast imbers on the fire that the fury and flame should not burst out there nor be disputed of any other where to the preiudice of that place and looke what is offered in open hearing or secret whispering that may sow seedes of dissention shoulde be trodden vnder foote or passed ouer with sporting among the best iudgements for feare least a little braunch of spite doe sproute vp on some rash spéeches and grow out of order both past remedy and beyond the bounds of good manner If men in Court were as carefull to keepe peace as they are desirous to créepe in credite or common society should attende to no other purpose but to familiar behauior friendly affection brotherly loue and blessednes of life you shall behold a mutuall agreement among all kinde of creatures at their first méeting the birds with their like flées and feedes together and in theyr manner vse a kinde of reioysing when they encounter one another yea and taketh part with their fellowes against all that shall offend them flocking and crying as they may together in multitudes to shew their naturall inclination and how they al doe suffer torment by the disquietnes of one bird in their company The Bées séeing but one of their fraternity troubled or angry fly all in a swarme on euery thing offends them and vseth such fury for reuenge that they sting and hum out of measure The Beasts not onely agree in their fashion but in like sort takes one anothers part vehemently and chiefly the very Hogs
and I hope for the benefite of many And so farewell FINIS TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull my singular good friend sir Michaell Blount Knight Lieutenant of the Towre IN trauailing abroad searching some secrets at home that closelie would lurke in corners vnknowen I found good M. Lieutenant manie occasions to write off but none more greeuous to behold than the wandring minds of this world sowers of dissention hatefull to themselues Enemies to their Countrey for reformation of their follies amendmeÌ„t of their liues I drew certain verses fit for those causes and I hope pleasant to read And because your good mind and office of worthie credit is as it were a curbe musrole to hold in such strong-headed wanderers wilfully bent wickedly disposed I did on goodwill dedicate this little Volume to your view and good consideration knowing that therein is no verse nor meaning of any matter but that attends only to the aduauncement of vertue rebuke of vice and loyaltie to our Countrey So wishing you much worshippe I enter into the discourse alreadie heere mentioned Yours in all at commaundment T. Churchyard A VVARNING TO THE VVANderers abroad that seekes to sow dissention at home MIne eyes they wéepe my heart it bléedes in brest My soule doth sob my body quakes for feare My fancies roule my minde can take no rest My sences blush as sprites amazed were My knowledge shrugges at rumors in myne eare My head doth muse my reason sore doth rewe These quarrels old that rise on brabblings new These bold attempts that Rebells set abroach To Gods dislike and Countries great reproach The rotten seames that in faire garments are Bée not espide by sodaine view of eye The spoyling moath that eates gay scarlet bare In foldes of cloath full long doth closely lie Time is the touch that trecherous trashe doth trie Foule cankred flesh by Surgeons arte is found And heald sometimes by searching of the wound Worlds sicknesse must with wisdome well be vsde That Doctors may sée how was health abusde For taynted fruit that is not sound at coare Smooth skin doth shew like apple ripe and good A playster faire may hide a filthy soare The painted face sets foorth no perfect blood By proofe the best from worst is vnderstood Faire shews but bleares the iudgement for a while And colours can not knowledge long begile Though salt be white the sugars taste is swéete And gall doth bite when honey comforts spréete Most bitter sowre doth foule Rebellion taste It bréedes on hate that heart hath harborde long And wicked will that wisheth woe and waste Whose raging mind delights in open wrong Stout stomake first with snakish stinging tongue Stirres vp the strife and blowes the blast abroad Then malice comes and lookes like swelling toad And venom casts where mischiefe may be wrought From mother spite so monster foorth is brought Rebellion is the monster that I meane A serpent vile that lines in stinking denne A grieslie ghost a gracelesse sprite vncleane That lurketh close in shapes of vainest men When it is bredde beholde what does it then It sowes discord and fostreth vp dislike Makes sharpe the sword that ready is to strike Lies listning still for newes and change of state And cares not how it bringeth in debate A Turke or Iew a Pagan or a dog A fiend of Hell or else a sprite of the aire A ventrous ladde that all can set a gog A pratling boy that fawnes and speaks full faire When Rebell falles in rage of rude dispaire Rebellion brings so hée reuenge may take The Deuill himselfe it will a Captaine make Rebellion lookes but how may blood bee shed And so vilde mindes in mischiefe runnes on head Rebellion springes of too much head and will That riot runnes without rebuke too farre In suffring harmes great wronges are offred still On little broyles beginnes a bloody warre The willfull man doth eyther make or marre The harebraine head a witlesse course holdes on Till feare of God and wordly care be gon All hope is past runne dogge or Deuill than No reason serues to rule the retchlesse man But what foule shame brings men to this lewd mind What bold abuse is this that bréedes such bale What vile deuice drawes nature out of kind What marres good wits what makes men pull and hale To seeke for death and sets their liues to sale Ist will alone â—ie on that wayward hart That for a toy makes all the bodie smart Fie on that tricke that turnes all out of frame Runnes farre a field and bringes home open shame Wée sée so long as house together standes From raine and stormes both man and wife doe sit So long as horse remaines in riders hands Hee keepes his pace and playes vppon the bitte So long as men be rulde by temprate witte Draw all one yoake take part as brethren ought So long you know they néede not take no thought But when they iarre and seuerall waies they goe They drawe too farre and breake true friendships bow Come home wilde heades then gad no more abroad To breede debate that workes your Countries wracke Lay vp your shippes and barques in quiet road Cast ankor there where cable cannot cracke Runne not to Rhemes to learne a cumbrous knacke That smels of smoake and sauors of discord Obay your Prince and so yée serue the Lord. To duties bounds reclaime your selues againe Against the streame who striues doe lose their payne Make Pope your head the Prince yée do forsake Obedience bids a subiect leaue dispute Indeede you doe the scripture cleane mistake If that your tree doe shew no better fruite But bring foorth brawles and raiseth slaunders brute Say what you please your conscience is not cleane Where dutie wants men doe some mischiefe meane And such as speakes against the Prince and Law Intends no good but flingeth fire in straw And when house burnes and flame beginnes to gloe Your fingers endes shall surely singed bee You smell on smoake as you the bellowes blowe Then put out fire where rotten wood you sée Cleare sight cannot with smothering smâ—â—ke agrée Good men are harmde with wicked bad deuise Of naughtie ware you know full well the price Make darke your shoppes to bleare the buyers eye When all is seene the light each thing shall trie If you doe wrong to Prince and publike state Your conscience shall accuse you in the end If legges and féete beginne the head to hate Sicke are the lims that should the head defend The bodie weake by medson may amend Wherefore doe fall to phisicke for your gréefe From candle cleare bee sure yee take the théefe For if in snuffe bée crept a little cole Through weeke and all is worne a curelesse hole And sothe light that glad the lookers on God wot is spoyld before his kindely houre When oyle or waxe or tallow cleane is gone The lamp or light to burne hath little powre You would plant wéedes where growes a goodly floure
Let practise goe and play a subiects parte Playne troath yee knowe bids â—ie on cunning arte One God one law one mind and manner now In double world shews subiects duties throwe All other drifts doe drawthe wyer awrie And backward bends the bow that should bee streight Come neere no cloudes the reach is ouer hie Liue safely then no suretie comes by sleight Content below doth hate to climbe on height Who knows his owne hath wealth and wit ynough Hee soundly sleepes that only lookes to plough And such as wakes to ouerlooke this age May sing adew when foote is fast in cage O Countrey swéete perswade obedience héere Reforme the fond and still preserue the wise No plot of earth more proâ—ious nor more deere Than natiue soyle that for her children cries And calls for chicks where kites and puttocks flies O Babes well borne if you will bastards proue Bid welcome hate and farewell Countries loue And this be sure my friends goe where you please No goodnes growes by gadding ore the seas Note where you tooke both breath warme blood and life Your parents care and Countries right do waie Regarde what broyles and brawles beginne on strife Marke how stout hartes stand all on tickle staie And birdes of th'aire your follie doe bewraie And marke how God hath opened all your drifts And in your pride hath put you to your shifts And chiefely note how God and man doth knowe For want of grace wilde heades a gadding goe Religion Lord perhaps shall bee your shield Nay there a straw you meane an other thing You are so great you would faine march in fielde That world should iudge you feathers of one wing So busie birdes together all would sing Well waking Cockes yee crow for daie too soone Yee neither looke on starres ne sunne nor moone But clapping wings yee thrust out necke and throat And cares not who doth heare your midnight noate That sounds not right of no Religion sure Rebellion is the string you play vppon O God forbid that hauke forsooke the lure To feede on frog that sits one euery stone I say not much would God abuse were gone Rebellion dead and all her branches bare Faythlesse were fled and Countrey voyd of care But since strange toyes bréeds humming Bées in braine I meane to touch rebellion once againe When mother spight to world this monster brings A naughtie nourse vile nature then prepares Who cradle rockes and lullabie she singes Till retchlesse sence be brought a sléepe vnwares Then as in corne do créepe wild weeds and tares So cockle séede in common wealth is sowne Whereby good graine is quicklie ouergrowne The cause thereof is cunning craftie wittes That still workes woe and neuer idle sits O wretched rage that riues and rents a Realme In péeces small and gaines nothing thereby O labour lost that striues with flood and streame And dayly hopes to drinke great riuers drie O cruell plague that doe for vengeaunce crie O priue hate that open mischiefe bréedes O shameles sleight that honest people dréedes Accurst I hold rebellion is of kinde That neuer dies but liues in cankred minde The Countries weale and Princes honor both It cleane forgets and spoyle and hauocke cries Takes no regard to dutie faith or oath But claps on wood where fire and flame may rise Tels tatling tales shewes furious angry eies Makes brags and boast that all shall lie in dust And hath no hope but treason is his trust The wife the child the friend and neighbour toâ— Rebellion hates for hee will mischiefe doe It findeth fault with peace and ciuill Lawes Abhors good men and such as gouernes well Takes toy in head bolts out when is no cause Frames deuilish drifts to make this world a hell And at the length would King and Countery sell To wreak his wrath O vile reuenge most vaine When all is lost what doth rebellion gaine Ioyes it to see the wracke of natiue land Such fowle offence is whipt with his owne wand Their goodes their rent their honour and their liues Shall vnder foote be troden euery day Their kinde deflourde their children and their wiues Made captiue slaues in bondage many a way And when the land is made a straungers pray Like Israelites poore Iacobs house shall mourne Drawe in the yoke and sée their houses burne Beare burthens still and bend their backs to toile While enemies laugh and triumphs of the spoile What can procure a man to sell his life Forsake his Prince become a seruile slaue What cause can be in state to stir a strife What ioy or blisse by thraldome can we haue When men are well what deuill would they craue What makes men mad why dote they in this age To forraine foes to run in such a rage Their language sure I trowe is not so fine Their loue is grosse and tastes like troubled wine Want thou but gilt where they are maisters still There shalt thou starue for all their goodly showes With mockes and skornes and many another ill Poore hewlet stands among a many of Crowes The wandring wight that long a gadding goes Comes home at last by beggars wéepiâ—g crosse Like rowling stone that neuer gathers mosse A straunger doth but stare in trauailers face And smiles in sleeue at silly soules disgrace Rebellion likes the man he neuer saw If blouddy wars vpon that league may linke As to the sicke doth euill humors draw And from fowle pits comes smoake and noisome stinke So filthy flouds flow from rebellious brinke A troubled streame of puddle mixt with mire Doth quench the thirst of rebels hote desire The water cleare but skalds a rebels breast For cruell rage and ryot takes no rest It runnes with hare and hunts with blouddy hound It stands with strong and leaues the weake at worst In common wealth it makes a mortall wound It brags to fight and yet retireth forst It is a plague that God himselfe hath curst For it deuides in little péeces small Both Kingdomes great and mighty monarkes all Dissention workes to sowe but Sathans séedes And pluckes vp slowres and plants in stinking wéedes It créepes in hoales and corners close by ribs Prouides for friends to band it out for néede It bankets still and fréely quafs and bibs And with lewd words their wicked humor féedes Prates much of Prince makes boast of doughty deedes When feeble hearts lies quaking in their hose Much like bold Cocks that lowd on midding crowes But yet cries creake when that in sharpe they come For rebels can not bide the sound of Drome At May Powl mirth or at some mariage feast Or in a faire where people swarme like Bées These stinging wasps but new come out of neast Doe flie for life and so together grées Like little mites or maggots in a chéese The humming then that these wood wasps doe make Doth séeme at first as it would mountaines shake But out alas those lawlesse loytring soules Are hid in hast or crept in Conny holes The priuy
any good Some say the cause of this hard happe to the one and good Fortune to the other is a certaine deadly dissention fallen betwéene the sword and the penne By which mortall malice is bred and nourished in bosome such a headstrong hatred and parcialitie that the penne is euer giuing a dash out of order against the commendation of the sworde and the sword being disgraced by a balde blot of a scuruie Goose quill lies in a broken rustie scabberd and so takes a Canker which eates awaye the edge and is in a manner lost for lacke of good looking to and consideration of a painfull Cutler And the penne as many people are perswaded is like the Pensell of a Painter alwaies readie to set out sundrie colours and somtime more apt to make a blurre then giue a good shape and proportion to any inuention or deuise that proceedes of a plaine meaning And as all pensels are as well occupied of a bongling Paynter as a cunning woorkeman So the scribling Penne is euer woorking of some subteltie more for the benefite of the Writer then commonly for the profitte or pleasure of the Reader yea and the penne is waxt so fine and can shew such a florishe that a Mayster of Fence though hée playde with a twoo hand Sworde might bee put to a foule foyle where the Penne is in place and is guided by a sleight handâ— and a shrewde head But vnder correcton if a man may bee plaine the Penne and the Sword can neuer agree because the Penne standes in such feare of the sword it would not come vnder the blow of the blade the sword is in such doubt to bee moiâ—ed with inke by the dash of a penne that it loues not to come where the pen may annoye it And so the dissention and quarrell betweene the Penne and the Sworde is neuer like to bee taken vp the harmes are so great that growes on their amitie and méeting and the aduauntage of them both is so much when they bee kept a sunder For the Sworde is the best and in his most brauery when it is shyning in the fielde where bloode may be shed and honour may bée wonne And the Pen is in the chiâ—fest pompe when it lies lurking in the Towne where pence may bée purchased and peace and quietnesse may do what it pleaseâ—h And the Pen is so glad to rest in the pennar till profite cals him out that hée cannot abide the hindrers of his commoditie nor the disquieter of his ease Which commeth by warres and proceedeth from the Sword when the Drum and the Trumpet puts the penne out of credit Now to speake roundly to the reason may bee alledged in the Pens behalfe and prayses of those that haue the vse of the same it cannot bée denied but the penne may both perswade warre and purchase peace And those that heere at home maintaine good Lawes sée iustice ministred vpholde the publike state plead controuersies at the barre studie to vnfold doubtes Labour at their Booke to bée profitable members and striue dayly to excell in learning and quiet the quarrellous people of their Countrey Such I saye that with Pen or tongue aduaunceth vertue and ouerthrows vice are méete to bée honoured deserueth great laude and ought to goe in the rancke and place of commendation and dignitiye For there is but foure sortes of true Nobilitie or Gentlemen The first Gouernours by whom all States and Kingdomes are guided brought to know order and made to possesse in quietnesse the goodes that eyther good Fortune or sweate of browes hath gotten The second are Souldiers whose venter and valliance hath beene great seruice and labour not little and dayly defended with the hazard of their liues the libertie of the Countrey The thirde are vpright and learned Lawiers that lookeâ—h more to the matter they haue in hand then the money they receiue And are neuer idle in doing their duty and studying for the quietnesse of matters in controuersie The fourth are Marchants that sayles forrain Countreys and brings commodities home and after great hazards abroad do vtter their ware with regard of conscience and profite to the publike estate And as from the beginning Gouernours and Rulers were ordayned by God and the rest of Gentilitie came in and did follow as reason required and desart did commaund So ancient birth and blood ioyned with good conditions is a thing much to bee honoured and esteemed and beautifies not only the noble race but bringes likewise a treable beatitude to the person so vertuously bent and nobly borne And as for the Souldiers and their originall of honours titles and calling the Romaines which were the Fathers of all Marshiall affaires and Conquerors of the world haue so much spoken of and praysed that no man can denie but they are the men of greatest antiquitie and people that Princes first preferred and gaue stippendes vnto Yea and the chiefest Conquerours that euer were before our dayes had a great glorye themselues to bee called Souldiours and Noble Captaynes For they thought none so worthie as the Souldier nor none so meete to compare themselues vnto as the man that stoode on his honour and would neyther stoupe to no kinde of slauerye nor yeelde to no villanous action But in verie deede to speake of euery one in their order there is none â—o much to bee feared loued and honoured as the Rulers and Leaders of the common people For the peaceable Gouernour and such as are experimented in Wordly pollicies knowes how to make warre and howe to auoyde troubles and as they are loth to fall from rest and wealth to ruffeling Warre and wickednesse that bréedes bloodshed and want So they can breake the bandes of peace and set men out to the field when causes commaundes them and oportunitie doth serue But since that my purpose is but to treate of Souldiers alone and that I lacke skill to set foorth the rest I will returne to my first Discourse and intent and leaue the wise to consider what good matter may bee sayde in the thing I leaue off The Souldiour because his life is in ballaunce and his death is at the dore hath so many mischieues to passe so few meanes to escape daunger that he is compelled to be honest and be ready to make an accompt euery houre of the day For as the Cannon may call him before he be aware or the pollicie of the enemie may cut off his yeares so is he assured that the pot which goeth often to the water comes home with a knock or at length is passhed all in peeces Through which accidents or crosse chances he is held so harde and curbed so shorte if any feare of God be in his breast that he hath no scope to runne at riot in nor play the parts of a wanton or prodigall sonne Albeit some hold opinion that Souldiours be giuen to spoile and offered to insolent life by a number of inconueniences yet may they so well bee
any iniurious person let him die And last of all Chaâ—les the Great the name of the Empire being translated to the Germaines after the conquest of the Saxons and Lombardes Caesar called Augustus hath rewarded them with this honour saying My Knights you noble men fellowes of Kinges and Iudges of faultes liue after your labour without trauaile prouide for Kings in a common name Take away vice Fauour women Helpe children Kéepe councell of the Prince and of him aske your apparell stipend and if any deny let him be accounted presumptuouâ— and slaunderous If any shall doe you iniury let him acknowledge himselfe guilty of empairing the Empire But take you héede least you defile such worshippe and such priuiledge gotten by iust trauaile of warre either by dronkennesse baudry or any other vice neither that we giue vnto you should redound vnto praise or peace which is to be taken of you If perhaps you shall exceede vs and our successors Kinges of the Romains for euer hereafter These before rehearsed woorde for woorde as I might I translated out of Latine finding therein a maruailous commendation of Souldiers and so is thereby to be pâ—rceiued that in all ages times and publique gouernements Kinges and mighty Monarkes tooke care as much for their men of warre as for their Common-weale and to bring them in heart if any dispaire or mislike should grow through slâ—cknes of looking vnto The Princes of their princely benignity and méere good will borne to Marshall people inuested them with titles names and honours such as alwaies pluckes vp a mannes courage and procures thousandes to valiauncy and seruice For who will not venter boldly a season when they know for tenne yeares toile and hazard he shall be honoured sitte at ease liue without daunger and remaine in a perpetuall priuiledge neither subiect to the mallice of lewde people nor worldly want whose plague persecuteth many millions of men and throwes downe in the dust the prayses of such as otherwise should shine like the Sunne before the â—ies of all nations And as those Kinges and Conquerours many hundred yeares agoe ordained by decrée and vertue of a Law that Souldiers should bée made honourable and possesse great contentation of minde So fell it out from time to time theyr seruices were considered And that Souldier-like King and triumphant Conquerour King Henry the eight hauing triall of Souldiers and a warlike heart to shew the honour belonging to that profession and to follow his noble predecessours Made a Law as yee may read in the Statutes that Souldiers might weare what they listed And further to the comfort of all men of warre he left no one worthy Souldier vnrewarded in what place so euer of his dominion or affaires the Soldiour had béene emploide In Fraunce our néere neighbours makes so great account of Souldiers namely those that they call Soldado Vetche that the greatest Dukes or Princes in the field Court or Towne encountering a Souldier salutes him with curtesie takes him to his Table and vseth him with such entertainement and reuerence that it is a world to beholde And when seruice is to bée séene either in battaile or at an assault The greatest Duke or noble man thinkes himselfe happy to bée ioyned with a knowen Souldier and commonly both olde and young of their nobility are formost in the â—ight and last that will retire It is a thing incredible among some ignoraunt persons to be told how Souldier-like and manlike in all poinctes they behaue themselues and how little account they make of life when death must be sought by seruice and thereby their honour and liberty of Countrey is to be preferred The Spaniards a Nation not inferiour to any yet named ioyne so in amity at their méeting make such courtesie and shew such fastnesse of friendship especially among Souldiers that euery one in presence embraceth his companion and in absence lets fall good report of the absent Yea their loue and constancy by custome and ceremonies knits them in such an vnion that no straunger can seperate and they giue so great place one to another that it is hard to know by their gestures and vsages which is the better of them And they haue theyr own Souldiers in such a liking that no people in the world shall be suffered to reape any péece of their glory The Italians Souldiers of great antiquity and of no lesse value with most humility and ciuill manner enterchaungeth their talke yéelding for one gentle word twenty good tearms smooth speeches and philed phrases And happening to come together either in seruice or otherwise they agrée like brethren and depart without quarrell And their great men and mightiest in power if they repaire where Souldiers are showes them selues of little authority as a man might gesse by their courtesie Refuseth to take any thing vppon them whâ—re the Marshall man approacheth and seemeth to be at the disposition of such as haue serued so great is the reputation of a Souldier among them The Scots men a stout and manly people beginning to take a sauour in the warre seekes sundry soiles to serue in and haue great delight to be in the company of souldiers and proue them selues worthy of commendation in any place they repair And for that they would become famous and attaine to some experience and credite they shunne no kinde of seruice that is offered and all the sorts of Gentility among them estéemeth much a Souldier Which is a signe that at the length Souldiers will come to their ancient dignity and admiration where the sound of Dromme or Trompet may be heard Now to speake of our owne Nation were superfluous although many haue serued well and sundry are yet in the exercises of warre because I haue named before diuerse thinges wherein our countrey men haue wonne desired fame and renowne yet for arguments sake and to enlarge this volume Further matter may be treated of neither hurtfull to the hearers that fauoureth well doing nor hatefull to any when nothing shall be touched but that which is necessary for the aduauncement of vertue Our soueraigne Lady by Gods prouidence to make vp the matter I bring for a testimony of great regard to Souldiers considering whom they are she hath holpen in some sort and respect and what good things haue passed among Souldiers as her highnesse heard well of or had intelligence giuen her to vnderstand the worthinesse of those that haue well deserued Doe but examine how many since her noble raign of Souldiers haue had Leases gotten liuings béene preferred to gouernment and gone from Court with full hands that beganne with empty purses And then tell the world openly what secret suits were passed and what open wrong they doe them that bountifully bestowed good gifts wher any good cause appeared Admit some by the report of their friendes stole away the benefites from the fountaine head yet looke to the rest of thinges that worthely fell out and you shall sée the best sort of
that by tasting of miseries men are become happie written for that souldiers alwayes beares the burthen of sorrow and suffers more calamitie then any other people RIght worshipfull for that calamitie and combersome chances doe seeme intollerable too beare and for our first fathers offence they are the burthens of life and companions of man till the hower of his death I being often charged with the heauie faâ—dle of misfortunes haue taken in hand to treate of a troubled mynd and shewe what blessednesse and benefit to the body and soule this worldly in felicity bringeth As the common afflictions of mankind are many in number and seeme at the first feeling so irksome and weightie that few can suffer them or support them So a multitude of miseries accustometh the mind so long in the sharpnesse of sorrowes that a sound iudgement is made the more able therby to abide the brunte of troubles and attende for a short season a remedie of mischâ—eâ—eâ— by proofe â—he troth of this is tried For let the laboryng man or ordinarie porter that daily carries great burthens be often vsed to lift vp packes he shall better beare a great burthen then an other that is fine fingered shall bâ—e able to heaue a small peece of Timber And there is none that laboureth so sore but is sure at one tyme or other to attaine to rest and commoditie So that all sorrowes are to be compted but a sharpe sause to season the appetite and bring the sweete and delicate dishes into such order that it glut not the stomacke And nowe to consider how all pleasures are possessed and proâ—ittes take their begininges The very issue and originall of those yearthly commodities springes onely from continuall care and paine and labourious vexation of body and minde The greatest glories and chiefest seates of honour any where are gotten and compassed by this kinde of calamitie and the least or most sparkes of mans delite is maintained and at the length enioyed by the meane of studious labour and painefull exersices But herein to be briefe paine and labour is the portion appointed for man in his pilgrimage and they that are most persecuted so they be not tempted aboue their strength are most to be thought in fauour with God and happiest among men if heauenly graces and correction be measured by the yearthly vesselles of vanitie that we carry about which without correction and refourming would growe so full of filthe and corrupt manners that they neither could holde good liquor nor serue to any good purpose Doe you not behold that the purest mettall with ill looking vnto becometh full of cankers and rust if it be not scoured rubbed and roughly handled his beautie decayeth and the worth and vallue of it is little because it hath lost his vertue and estimation So mans corrupt Nature were it not serched with sundrie instrumentes that takes away the dead flesh and toutcheth the quicke would putrifie and waxe lothsome to the whole world and to the creature himselfe that beares it in his bowells And for the auoiding of such an inconuenience calamitie must be tasted and troubles are necessary for the keeping cleane of a spotted conscience and fraile body puffed vp with Pride and vanitie of curious conceits And so I proue aduersitie is the bringer home of good spirites and gentill wittes that wanders after worldly follies and runnes a gadding beyonde the boundes of measure to the vtter confines of daunger and destruction Yea a little trouble and torment produceth great goodnesse and bringeth soorth noble bookes and goodly workes which the libertie of life and wantonnesse of pleasure denies and hinders As a thing that drawes man from the coueting of Fame and true searching of immortalitie Mans prosperous estate breedes but idlenesse nourisheth vice contemnes vertue and banisheth good studies and learning albeit some one among the richest at one season or other may looke on a booke fauor writers and giue good speeches of well dooyng Yet seldome comes any great worke from their handes that are in prosperity And none in a manner but the afflicted did at any time hetherto yeeld benefit to their countrey and knowledge to the vniuersall worlde Let Socrates Plato Aristotle Cleantes and a number of poore Philosophers yea princes of education be witnesse of that I speake from which Philosophers the fountaine of noble Arts Sciences did spring and aboundantly flow The body pampered bedecked with beautie full of ornamentes and set out to sale like flesh in the Shambelles Either would be bought quickly or will be tainted in hanging too long in the winde So that as horses doe waxe reistie for want of good vsage and cleanest thinges taketh corruption by lacke of looking vnto in season Pleasure and liberty in processe of time makes a man wild if callamitie tame not thâ— bodie and bring the minde in willing subiection Sorrow sadnesse and other passions of this worlde that comes by common causes puttes the wittes and iudgemente to such a plonge secret shifte and policy that all the senses openly makes a muster to defend the estimation and vpright body from falling to which assemblie comes Patience Reuerence and Modestie that the matter is so well taken iniuries are put vppe and wronges that haue beene offered woorkes in a wise head a world of deuises wherein vertue gettes victorie To beare the comfortable crosse of persecution is the true badge of blessednesse whereby the seruant is seene to follow his maister and all the vices of man he maistered or reformed by the crossyng chances of this worlde and vertuous operation of calamitie which miraculously worketh the distempered minde as the hote Fornace tries out the Golde and the warme fire bringes in temper and makes softe the hard and coldest Waxe A deuine secret to them that are chosen and familiar example to those that glories in wordly felicitie who knowes the naturall causes of earthly thinges If a man might aske wherefore was man made sent from the highest dignitie of pleasures to this lowe dongion of sorrowes and base soile of seruitude It may be aunswered Adam was thrust out of Paradice for offence he had committed and for that he was formed out of the earth on the race of the earth he should get his foode and liuing as a vessell ordained to beare all manner of liquour that is put into it and as a Creature condemned to tast and feele tormentes sorrowes and troubles wherein man sees Gods mercie and his owne infirmities And refusing to beare and suffer what is laied vpon him hee seemeth to holde an other course then God hath appointed and so seeketh that he cannot attaine For since the earth was cursed it neuer could bring forth but cares and griefe of minde The onely fruit and painefull portion that was from the beginning prepared for al Adams children and posteritie Now some will replie and say that the rich and wealthy of the worlde that may wallow and tumble on their treasure Haue builded such
drops of claret wine The beaten snow nor Lily in the field No whiter sure then naked necke and hand My lookes had force to make a Lyon yeeld And at my forme in gase a world would stand My body small framd finely to be spand As though dame kind had sworne in solemne sort To shrowd herselfe in my faire forme and port No part amisse when nature tooke such care To set me out as nought should be awry To fornish forth in due proportion rare A péece of worke should please a princes eie O would to God that boast might proue a lie For pride youth tooke in beauties borrowde trash Gaue age a whippe and left me in the lash My shape some saide was séemely to each sight My countenance did shewe a sober grace Mine eies in lookes were neuer proued light My tongue in wordes was chast in euery case Mine eares were deafe and would no louers place Saue that alas a Prince did blot my browe Loe there the strong did make the weake to bowe The maiestie that kings to people beare The stately port the awefull cheere they showe Doth make the meane to shrinke and couch for feare Like as the hounde that doth his maister knowe What then since I was made vnto the bowe There is no cloake can serue to â—ide my fault For I agréede the fort he should assault The eagles force subdues ech bird that flies What mettall may resist the flaming fire Doth not the Sun dasill the cléerest eyes And melt the yse and make the frost retyre Who can withstand a puissant kings desire The stiffest stones are perced through with tooles The wisest are with Princes made but fooles Yf kinde had wrought my forme in common frames And set me forth in colours blacke and browne Or beautie had beene parcht in Phoebus flames Or shamefast wayes had pluckt my fethers downe Then had I kept my fame and good renowne For natures gifts were cause of all my griefe A pleasaunt pray entiseth many a théefe Thus woe to thée that wrought my peacocks pride By cloathing me with natures tapestry Woe worth the hewe wherein my face was dyde Which made me thinke I pleased euery eie Like as the starres make men beholde the skye So beauties showe doth make the wise full fond And brings free harts full oft in endlesse bond But cléere from blame my friends can not be found Before my time my youth they did abuse In mariage yoke a prentise was I bound When that méere loue I knewe not how to vse But wel away that cannot me excuse The harme is mine though they deuisde my care And I must smart and sit in slaunderous snare Yet giue me leaue to pleade my cause at large Yf that the horse doe run beyonde his race Or any thinge that kéepers haue in charge Doe breake their course where rulers may take place Or meate be set before the hungries face Who is in fault th'offender yea or no Or they that are the cause of all this woe Note well what strife this forced mariage makes What lothed liues doe come where loue doth lacke What scratching briâ—rs doe growe vpon such brakes What common weales by it are brought to wracke What heauy loade is put on patients backe What strange delights this branch of vice doth bréed And marke what graine springs out of such a seede Compell the hauke to sit that is vnmande Or make the hounde vnraind to drawe the deere Or bring the free against his will in band Or moue the sad a pleasant tale to here Your time is lost and you no whit the nere So loue ne learnes of force the knot to knit She serues but those that féeles swéete fancies fit The lesse defame redounds to my dispraise I was muste by traines and trapt by trust Though in 〈◊〉 force remained yeas and nayes Unto my friends yet needes consent I must In euery thing yea lawâ—ull or vniust They breake the bowes and shake the trée by sleight And bend the wand that mought haue growne full straight What helpe is this the pale thus broken downe The deere must needes in danger run astray At me therefore why should the world so frowne My weakenes made my youth a Princes pray Though wisdome should the course of nature stay Yet try my case who list and they shall proue The ripest wits are soonest thralls to loue What néede I more to cleere my selfe so much A king me wan and had me at his call His royall state his princely grace was such The hope of will that women seeke for all The ease and wealth the gifts which were not small Beâ—â—eged me so strongly round about My powre was weake I could not holde him out Duke Hanniball in all his conquest great Or Caesar yet whose triumphes did exceed Of all their spoyles which made them toyle and sweate Were not so glad to haue so rich a méede As was this prince when I to him agreede And yéelded me a prisner willingly As one that knewe no way away to fly The Nightingale for all his merry voyce Nor yet the Larke that still delights to sing Did neuer make the hearers so reioyce As I with wordes haue made this worthy King I neuer iarde in tune was euery string I tempred so my tongue to please his eare That what I saide was currant euery where Sweete are the songs that merry-night crow singes For many parts are in those charming notes Swéete are the tunes and Pipes that pleaseth kings Sweete is the loue wherein great Lordings dotes But swéetst of all is fancie where it flotes For throwe rough seas it smoothly swimmes away And in déepe flouds where skulles of fish doe play And where loue slides it leaues no signe nor showe Where it hath gon the way so shuts againe It is a sport to heare the fine night-crow Chaunt in the queere vpon a pricke song plaine No musicke more may please a princes vaine Then descant strange and voice of faurets breesâ— In quiet bower when birds be all at rest No such consort as plaine two parts in one Whose rare reports doth carry cunning clean Where two long loues and liues in ioy alone They sing at will the treble or the meane UUhere musicke wants the mirth not worth a beanâ— The king and I agreed in such concorde I ruld by loue though he did raigne a Lord. I ioynd my talke my iestures and my grace In wittie frames that long might last and stand So that I brought the King in such a case That to his death I was his chiefest hand I gouernd him that ruled all this land I bare the sword though he did weare the Crowne I strake the stroke that threwe the mightie downe If iustice said that iudgement was but death With my sweete wordes I could the King perswade And make him pause and take therein a breath Till I with suite the fautors peace had made I knewe what way to vse him in his trade I had
the art to make the Lyon méeke There was no point wherein I was to séeke I tooke delight in doying each man good Not scratting all my selfe as all were mine But lookt whose life in neede and danger stoode And those I kept from harme with cunning fine On Princes traine I alwayes cast mine â—ine For lifting vp the seruants of a King I did throw court my selfe in fauour bring I offered ayde before they sued to me And promisd nought but would performe it streight I shaked downe sweete fruit from top of tree Made aples fall in laps of men by sleight I did good turnes whiles that I was a height For feare a flawe of winde would make me réele And blowe me downe when Fortune turnd her whéele I fild no chests with chynks to cherish age But in the harts of people layde my gold Sought loue of Lord of maister and of page And for no bribbe I neuer fauour solde I had inough I might doe what I would Saue spend or giue or fling it on the ground The more I gaue the more in purse I found Yf I did frowne who then durst looke awry Yf I did smile who would not laugh outright Yf I but spake who durst my wordes denye Yf I persude who would forsake the flight I meane my powre was knowne to euery wight On such a height good hap had built my bowre As though my swéete should nere haue turnd to sowre My husband then as one that knewe his good Refusde to keepe a Princes Concubine For seeing th'end and mischiefe as it stood Against the king did neuer much repine He sawe the grape whereof he dranke the wine Though inward thought his hart did still torment Yet outwardly he seemde he was content To purchase praise and win the peoples zeale Yea rather bent of kinde to doe some good I euer did vpholde the common weale I had delight to saue the guiltles blood Each suters cause when that I vnderstood I did prefer as it had béene mine owne And helpe them vp that might haue béene orethrowns My powre was prest to right the poore mans wrong My hands were frée to giue where néede required To watch for grace I neuer thought it long To doe men good I néede not be desired Nor yet with giftes my hart was neuer hyred But when the ball was at my foote to guide I playde to those that Fortune did abide My want was wealth my woe was ease at will My robes were rich and brauer then the sunn My Fortune then was far aboue my skill My state was great my glasse did euer runne My fatall throed so happely was spunne That then I sate in earthly pleasures clad And for the time a Goddesse place I had But I had not so soone this life possest But my good hap began to slide aside And Fortune then did me so sore molest That vnto plaints was turned all my pride It booted not to rowe against the tide Mine oares were weake my heart and strength did faile The winde was rough I durst not beare a saile What steps of strife belong to high estate The climing vp is doubtfull to endure The seate it selfe doth purchase priuy hate And honours fame is fickle and vnsure And all she brings is flowres that be vnpure Which fall as fast as they doe sprout and spring And cannot last they are so vaine a thing We count no care to catch that we doe wish But what we win is long to vs vnknowen Till present paine be serued in our dish We scarse perceiue whereon our griefe hath growen What graine proues well that is so rashly sowen Yf that a meane did measure all our deedes In steede of corne we should not gather wéedes The setled mind is frée from Fortunes power They neede not feare who looke not vp aloft But they that clime are carefull euery hower For when they fall they light not very soft Examples hath the wisest warned oft That where the trées the smalest branches beare The stormes doe blow and haue most rigour there Where is it strong but néere the ground and roote Where is it weake but on the highest sprayes Where may a man so surely set his foote But on those bowes that groweth lowe alwayes The little twigs are but vnstedfast stayes Yf they breake not they bend with euery blast Who trusts to them shall neuer stand full fast The winde is great vpon the highest hilles The quiet life is in the dale belowe Who treades on yse shall slyde against their wills They want no cares that curious artes doe knowe Who liues at ease and can content him so Is perfect wise and sets vs all to schoole Who hates this lore may well be calde a foole What greater griefe may come to any life Then after swéete to taste the bitter sowre Or after peace to fall at warre and strife Or after myrth to haue a cause to lowre Under such props false fortune buildes her bowre On sodaine chaunge her flittering frames be set Where is no way for to escape the net The hasty smart that Fortune sends in spite Is harde to brooke where gladnes we embrace She threatens not but sodainely doth smite Where ioy is mouÌ„ there doth she sorrow place But sure I thinke this is too strange a case For vs to feele such griefe amid our game And knowe not why vntill we tast the same As erst I sayde my blisse was turnd to bale I had good cause to wéepe and wring my hands And showe sad cheere with countenance full pale For I was brought in sorrowes wofull bands A piâ—ry came and set my ship on sands What should I hyde and coulour care and noy King Edward dyde in whome was all my ioy And when the earth receiued had his corse And that in tombe this worthy Prince was layde The world on me began to showe his force Of troubles then my part I long assayde For they of whome I neuer was affrayde Undid we most and wrought me such dispite That they bereft me of my pleasure quite Brought bare and poore and throwne in worldes disgrace Holds downe the head that neuer casts vp eye Cast out of court condemnd in euery place Condemnd perforce at mercies foote must lye Hope is but small when we for mercie crye The bird halfe dead that hauke hath fast in foote Lay head on blocke where is no other boote The rowling stone that tumbleth downe the hill Fynds none to stay the furie of his fall Once vnder foote for euer daunted still One cruell blowe strikes cleane a way the ball Left once in lacke féeles alwayes want of will A conquerd mind must yéeld to euery ill A weake poore soule that fortune doth forsake In hard extreames from world her leaue may take From those that fall such as doe rise and run The sound with sicke doe seldome long abide Poore people passe as shadowes in the Sun Like féeble fish that néedes must followe tyde Among the rich a
beggar soone is spied When weake Shores wife had lost her staffe of stay The halt and blind went limping lame away The poore is pincht and pointed at in deed As baited bull were leading to a stake Wealth findes great helpe want gets no friend at néede A plaged wight a booteles mone may make A naked soule in street for colde may quake But colde or hot when mischiefes comes a roe As falles the lot the backe beares of the bloe Prefarment past the world will soone forget The present time is daily gazd vpon Yf merchant rich from wealth doe fall in debt Small count is made of his good fortune gon We feede on flesh and fling away the bone Embrace the best and set the worst aside Because faire flowers are made of in their pride You yonglings nowe that vaine delights leads on To sell chast life for lewd and light desires Poore gaine is gote when rich good name is gon Foule blot and shame liues vnder trimme attires World soone casts off the hackney horse it hiers And when bare nagge is ridden out of breath Tibbe is turnd lose to feed on barren heath Of flowers a while men doe gay poses make The sent once past a due dry withered leaues Loue lasts not long prickt vp for pleasures sake Straw little worth when corne forsaks the sheaues A painted post the gazars eie deceiues But when foule fauts are found that bleard the sight The account is gon of girlls or gugawes light Young pooppies play small season lasts you sée Old appish sportes are quickly out of grace Fond wanton games will soone forgotten be As sowre as crabbe becomes the sweetest face There needes no more be spoken of this case All earthly ioyes by tract of time decayes Soone is the glase runne out of our good dayes My fall and facte makes proofe of that is spoke Tels world to much of shadowes in the sunne Dust blowne with winde or simple proofe of smoake That flies from fire and fast throwe aire doth run It ends with woe that was with ioy begun It turnes to teares that first began with sport At length long paine finds pleasure was but short As long as life remaind in Edwards brest Who was but I who had such friends at call His body was no sooner put in chest But well was he that could procure my fall His brother was mine enemy most of all Protector then whose vice did still abound From ill to worse till death did him confound He falsely fainde that I of counsell was To poyson him which thing I neuer meant But he could set thereon a face of brasse To bring to passe his lewde and false intent To such mischiefe this tyrants heart was bent To God ne man he neuer stood in awe For in his wrath he made his will a lawe Lord Hastings bloud for vengeaunce on him cryes And many moe that were to long to name But most of all and in most woefull wise I had good cause this wrtched man to blam◠Before the world I suffered open shame Where people were as thicke as is the sand I pennance tooke with taper in my hand Each eye did stare and looke me in the face As I past hy the rumours on me ran But pacience then had lent me such a grace My quiet lookes were praisd of euery man The shamefast bloud brought me such collour than That thousands sayde that sawe my sober chéere It is great ruth to sée this woman heere But what preuayld the peoples pitie there This raging wolfe would spare no guiltles blood Oh wicked wombe that such ill fruit did beare Oh cursed earth that yéeldeth forth such mud The hell consume all things that did thée good The heauens shut their gates against thy spréete The world tread downe thy glory vnder féete I aske of God a vengeance on thy bones Thy stinking corps corrupts the aire I knowe Thy shamefull death no earthly wight bemones For in th◠life thy workes were hated so That euery man did wis◠thy ouerthroe Wherefore I may though parciall nowe I am Curse euery cause whereof thy body came Woe worth the man that fathered such a childe Woe worth the howre wherein thou wast begate Woe worth the brests that haue the world begylde To norish thée that all the worlde did hate Woe worth the Gods that gaue thée such a fate To liue so long that death deserude so oft Woe worth the chance that set thée vp aloft Woe worth the day the time the howre and all When subiects clapt the crowne on Richards head Woe worth the Lordes that sat in sumptuous hall To honour him that Princes blood so shead Woulde God he had bin boyld in scalding lead When he presumde in brothers seat to sit Whose wretched rage ruld all with wicked wit Yée Princes all and rulers euerechone In punishment beware of hatreds yre Before yée scourge take héede looke well thereon In wraths ill will if malice kindle fyre Your harts will burne in such a hote desyre That in those flames the smoke shall dim your sight Yée shall forget to ioyne your iustice right You should not iudge till things be well descernd Your charge is still to maintaine vpright lawes In conscience rules yée should be throwly lernd Where clemencie bids wrath and rashnes pause And further saith strike not without a cause And when yee smite doe it for iustice sake Then in good part ech man your scourge will take If that such zeale had moud this tyrants mind To make my plague a warning for the rest I had smal cause such fault in him to finde Such punishment is vsed for the best But by ill will and powre I was oprest He spoylde my goods and left me bare and poore And caused me to beg from dore to dore What fall was this to come from Princes fare To watch for crumes among the blind and lame When almes were delt I had an hungry share Because I knewe not how to aske for shame Till force and néede had brought me in such frame Than starue I must or learne to beg an almes With booke in hand to say S. Dauids Psalmes Where I was wont the golden chaines to weare A payre of beads about my necke was wound A linnen cloth was lapt about my heare A ragged gowne that trailed on the ground A dish that clapt and gaue a heauie sound A staying staffe and wallet there withall I bare about as witnesse of my fall The fall of leafe is nothing like the spring Ech eye beholdes the rising of the sunne All men admire the fauour of a King And from great states growne in disgrace they run Such sodaine claps ne wit nor will can shun For when the stoole is taken from our féete Full flat on floore the body falls in stréete I had no house wherein to hide my heade The open stréete my lodging was perforce Full oft I went all hungry to my bed My flesh consumde I looked like a corse
yeld to death and vpward lift the minde Where lothsome life shall present comfort finde Since hope can haue no honey from the Hiue And paines can plucke no pleasure for his toyle It is but vaine for wearie life to striue And stretch out time with torment and tormoyle Get what we can death triumphes ore the spoyle Then note this well though wee winne neere so mitch When death takes all wee leaue a mizer ritch To liue and lacke is double death indeede A present death exceedes a lingring woe Since no good hap in youth did helpe my neede In age why should I striue with Fortune so Old yeares are come and hastes me hence to goe The time drawes on I hate the life I haue When heart shall breake my griefe shall ende in graue Should I seeke life that findes no place of rest Ne soyle nor seate to shroude me from the ayre When cramping cold beclyps my carefull breast And dolour driues my heaâ—t in deepâ— dispayre For such foule dayes darke death is wonderous fayre As good to make the scrawling wormes a feast As please the world where mischiefe makes her neast Hie time it is to haste my caâ—kasse hence Youth stole awaie and felt no kinde of ioy And age he left in trauell euer since The wanton dayes that made mee nice and coy Were but a dreame a shadowe and a toy Sith slauerie heere I find and nothing else My home is there where soule in freedome dwels In warres and woe my yeares are wasted cleane What should I see if Lordly life I led I looke in glasse and finde my cheekes so leane That euery houre I doe but wish mee dead Now backe bendes downe and forward falls the head And hollow eyes in wrinkled brow doth shroude As though two starres were créeping vnder cloude The lips waxe cold and lookes both pale and thin The teeth fals out as nuts forsoke the shale The hare bald-head but shewes where haiâ—e hath bin The liuely ioyntes waxe verie stiffe and stale The ready tongue now folters in his tale The wearish face and tawney colour showes The courage quayles as strength decaies and goes The sweete delights are drownde in dulled mind The gladsome sportes to groning sighes are bent The frisking limmes so farre from frame I finde That I forethinke the time that youth hath spent But when I waigh that all these thinges were lent And I must pay the earth her dutie throw I shrinke no whit to yelde these pleasures now Had I possest the giftes of Fortune héere A house a wife and Children there withall And had in store to make my friendes good chéere Such common thinges as neighbours haue at call In such dispayre perchaunce I would not fall But want of this and other lackes a score Bids mee seeke death and wish to liue no more The thatcher hath a cottage poore you see The sheapheard knowes where he shall sleepe at night The dayly drudge at night can quiet beeÌ„ Thus Fortune sendes some rest to euery wight So borne I was to house and land by right But in a bagg to Court I brought the same From Shrewsburie towne a seate of auncient fame What thinkes my friendes that there behind I laft What fault findes shée that gaue me life and sucke O courting fine thou art too cold a craft The Carter hath at home much better lucke Well well I say adue all worldly mucke Ne house nor Land we beare away I knoe I naked came and naked hence must goe The greatest King must passe the selfe same way Our day of birth and buriall are alike Their ioy their pompe their wealth and rich aray Shall soone consume like snow that lies in dike No Buckler serues when soddaine death doth strike As soone may come a poore mans soule to blis As may the rich or greatest Lord that is Well ere my breath my body doe forsake My spriâ—e I do bequeath to God aboue My bookes my scronies and songes that I did make I leaue with friendes that freely me did loue To slyring foes whose malice me did moue I wishe in hast amendment of their waies And to the Court and courtiers happy daies My fortune straunge to straungers do I leaue That straungly can retaine such straunge mishap To such as still in world did me deceaue I wish they may beware of such like trap To slaunderous tongues that killde me with a clap I wish more rest than they haue giuen to mee And blesse those shreawes that curst and crabbed bee To such as yet did neuer pleasure man I giue those rimes that nips the gawled backe To such as would doe good and if they can I wish good lucke long life and voyde of lacke To currish Karles a whyp and Colliers sacke And to the proude that stands vppon their braues A wainscot face and twentie crabtree staues To surlie sirs that scornes the meaner sort A nightcap furd with Foynes I them bequeath To such as scowle at others good report And sets much store by their owne paynted sheat In signe of lucke I giue a willow wreath To such as are vnnamde and merits much The stone I leaue that tries the Gold by tutch To gentill race with good conditions ioynd I wish more ioy than man imagin may And since for poore I haue noe mony coynd God graunt them all a mery mariage day To such as doth delight in honest play I wish the Gold that I haue lost thereby And all the wealth I want before I die Now friends shake handes I must be gone my boyes Our mirth takes end our triumph all is done Our tykling talke our sportes and merry toyes Do slide away like shadowe of the Sun Another comes when I my race haue run Shall passe the time with you in better plite And finde good cause of greater thinges to write FINIS A DREAME To the right worshipfull my good Lady the Lady Paulet who was wife to the honorable sir Hugh Pauleâ— Knight AMong the manifold works in print pamphelets bookes volumes and deuises I neuer addressed my pen to your Ladiship till now though bound for many courtesies better to consider of so good a Lady and now worst able to redeeme duty forgotten I bring my selfe backeward to behold my great ouersight but presing forward to win ground I leese the keeping of a writers credit for no one thing is left worthy your view and looking on such hast haue I had in the spoiling of my selfe inuentions a prodicall point of bountie rather than the part of a wise bountiful writer especially to bestowe the best matters on others and present but a dreame to your Ladiship shewing thereby the shallownes of my iudgement but yet some such substaunce of matter as I trust is more delightfull than dainty For my Dreame hauing many significations may grow on many causes and hit on a nomber of Accidents fit for my humour but skarse meet for your graue consideration yet such fancies as a dreame brings
shines so passing faire That sunne nor moone nor weather cannot staine If blastes of winde and stormes to beautie yelde And this well springe makes other fountaines drye Turnes tides and floodes to water baraine feeld Come sighes then home I liue and cannot die If her great giftes doth daunt dame fortunes might And she haue caught the hayres and head ot hap To others hard to her a matter light To mount the cloudes and fall in honours lap If shee her selfe and others conquers too Liues long in peace and yet doth warre defie As valiaunt kinges and vertuous victors doe Then sighe no more o heart I cannot die If such a prince abase her highnesse than For some good thing the world may gesse in mee And stoupes so low too like a sillie man That little knowes what Princes grace may bée If shee well waie my faith and seruice true And is the iudge and toutch that gold shall trie The colour cleere that neuer changeth hue Heart sigh no more I liue and may not dye If I doe vse her fauour for wy weale By reason off her gracious countenance still And from the sunne a little light I steale To keepe the life in lampe to burne at will If robberie thus a true man may commit Both I and mine vnto her merits flie If I presume it springes for want of wit Excuse mee than sad sighes or else I die If she do know her shape in heart I beare Engraude in breast her grace and figure is Yea day and night I thinke and dreame each where On nothing else but on that heauenly blisse If so transformde my mind and body liues But not consumde nor finde no cause to cry And waite on her that helpe and comfort giues Than come poore sighes your maister shall not die If she behold that here I wish no breath But liue all hers in thought in word and déede Whose fauour lost I craue but present death Whose grace attaind lean soule full fat shall féede If any cause doe keepe her from my sight I know no world my selfe I shall deny But if her torch doe lend my candle light Heart sigh no more the body doth not die But if by death or some disgrace of mine Through enuies sting or false report of foes My view be bard from that sweete face diuine Beleeue for troth to death her seruant goes And rather sure than I should ill conceiue Sighes mount to skies you know the cause and why How here below my lusty life I leaue Attend me there for wounded heart must die If shée beléeue without her presence héere That any thing may now content my minde Or thinke in world is sparke of gladsome cheere Where shée is not nor I her presence finde But all the ioyes that man imagine may As handmaides wayt on her héere vnder sky Then sighes mount vp to heauens hold your way And stay me there for I of force must die If I may feare that fragill beauty light Or semblance faire is to be doubted sore Or my vaine youth may turne with fancies might Or sighes full falles â—ains griefe or torment more Than heart doth féele then angry stars aboue Doe band your selues gainst me in heauens hie And rigor worke to conquer constant loue Mount vp poore sighes here is no helpe I die And so sad sighes the witnes of my thought If loue finde not true guerdon for good will Ere that to graue my body shalbe brought Mount vp to clowds and there abide me still But if good hope and hap some succour send And honor doth my vertuous minde supply With treble blisse for which I long attend Returne good sighes I meane not now to die Translated out of French for one that is bounde much to Fortune FINIS This is to be red fiue waies IN hat a fauour worne a bird of gold in Britaine land In loyall heart is borne yet doth on head like Phenix stand To set my Phenix forth whose vetues may theÌ„ al surmount An orient pearle more worth in value price good accounnt TheÌ„ gold or precious stone what tong or verse dare her distain A péerelesse paragon in whom such gladsome gifts remaine Whose séemly shape is wroght as out of war wer made y e mold By fine deuise of thought like shrined Saint in beaten gold Dame nature did disdaine and thought great scorn in any sort To make the like againe that should deserue such rare report Ther néeds no Poeâ—â—s pen nor painters peniel come in place Nor flatring frase of meÌ„ whose filed spech giues ech thing grace To praise this worthy dame a Nimph which Dian holds full déer That in such perfect frame as mirror bright christal cléer Is set out to our view thréefold as faire as shining Sunne For beauty grace and hue a worke that hath great glory won A Goddes dropt from sky for causes more then men may know To please both minde eie for those that dwels on earth below And shew what heauenly grace and noble secret power diuine Is séene in Prâ—ncely face that kind hath formd â—â—amd so fine Loe this is all I write of sacred Phenix ten times blest To shew mine own delite as fancies humor thinketh best FINIS TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull my Ladie Brocket wife to Sir Iohn Brocket knight one of the Lieutenants of Hartford Shire A Promise made to the good Ladie you Sister who died in the Towre good MadaÌ„ coÌ„mands me to shape somwhat of good will labour of pen to present your La withall for that I can not long liue in this world must needs take leaue therof sooner than I looke for I haue found out an old farewell that maie breed some new consideration and such a running and rouing rime it is I hope without offence as rather shall procure laughter than lowring it is enterlarded with conceits and mixed with familiar termes shortlie knit vp and without all curious circumstances as briefe to the Reader as vntedious to the writer hauing passed the censure of the world thirtie yeares agoe and is now put in print againe for a passing of the time and a farewell to the world So hoping your La receiues it in good part the matter beginneth I trust to your content and good likeing FINIS A FAREVVELL VVHEN I VVENT to studie written to the VVorld FArewell thou world that me betrayde so long Too dearly bought I find thy follies all Who shall thée serue is sure to suffer wronge Who scornes thy haps may shun thy sodaine fall Who fauwnes on thee shall drinke thy bitter gall Who flies thy toyes thy painted face shall finde Who sooner slides than those which at thy call Liues like thy slaues in bodie soule and minde First from a child with fancies was I fedd All at thy handes till I to manhoode grue Than in the darke loe blindfeld was I led So that my God my selfe nor man I knew Wild wit young blood olde vice new bred in bones
fishing to the Seas Yet many Troutes are caught on little fordes That shallow séeme with other pretty fishe That at the length will make an honest dishe On little brookes men angle safe and dry In leather bootes and dread no drowning there On these rough Seas the least winde in the sky Tipes vp the Barke or brings a man in feare Some haue no hearts with roaring waues to striue Full gréene to sight and vggly to the eie Which on the rockes the silly vessels driue And knocks their Kéeles and makes poore Pilots cry Hale in the saile let goe the bowling mate Now in good faith such soddaine shocks I hate Yet some will thinke I am not setled so But I will séeke to try the Sea againe Why is the Earth so narrow would I know I cannot finde where I may well remaine The world is wide and men must burthens beare That ordaind are vnto no better chance That growes not here takes roote an other where Some shooteth ill yet hapneth by a glaunce To hit their game men ought to doe their best And séeke their lucke and let God worke the rest So for my part I shall likewise procéede And though I bid the Court and world farewell I meane to vse them both as I haue néede But for to say in Court I wish to dwell I minde it not as God me helpe and spéede And for the world his yoke still draw I must But sure I serue him all against my lust For in the same is neither hope nor trust Wherefore my leaue I take as powre I haue From him and his though course of life saith no. A worldling here I must be to my graue For this is but a May game mixt with woe A borrowde roulme where we our Pageants playe A skaffold plaine whereon we reuels make A crooked path a parlous false high way A toilesome soile where we much trauell take Good Reader now doe neither sting nor hisse At any thing that in this verse is plâ—est Where fault is found for fauour mend the misse This rouing rime was slubberd vp in hast And nought thereby the simple writer ment But neither Court nor world could him content FINIS A Tragicall Discourse of a dolorous Gentlewoman dedicated to all those Ladyes that holdes good name precious YOu wiues that wish to liue with worlds renowne And wisely way the worth of precious fame Come heare the voice that giues a woefull sowne Come heare her tale that dare not shew her name Come Countrey youth come noble Courtly Dame And marke my words whose workes in wondring daies With double blotte redounds to my dispraise From tender yeares till twenty two were past I nourisht was at pompe at pleasures papâ— But who can tell how long our ioy shall last For greatest calmes comes oft to thunder claps And swéetest hopes doe change to sowrest haps O tickle time that wanders swift as winde With haire before and bare and bald behind No gripe nor hand can take sure hold of thée Thou flitst so fast and leaues the world at worst Looke what time brings time takes away you sée Good time is blest bad time we hold accorst Time hurts them oft that time did helpe at forst Looke what we haue when youth is most in prime That shall we want in age by course of time My fresh delights doe fall and fade like flowre The blossomes gay from beauties buds are gone Our state of life doth alter euery howre As pleasures passe come sorrowes pacing on The world it selfe is like a rowling stone And on such whéeles our tombling haps doe runne They slide as swift as shadow in the Sunne Whiles carelesse witte doth carry youth about To sports and plaies that doth from pastime rise The merry minde is voide of feare and doubt And all the powres are glad to please the eyes But when wilde head or wanton waxeth wise The waighty thoughts that déepe foresight retaines Brings troubled sleepes and breaks the quiet brains In childishe daies I made no count of chaunce When friends tooke care to match me to their will So hoping long good hap would me aduaunce I kept me frée from wedlockes bondage still But parents wise that had good worldly skill With open checks rebukt the causes chiefâ— The more they stirde the greater grew my griefe As when a sore is rubde and handled hard The lesse it heales because yée touch it néere O Fathers graue if that you tooke regard How that with checks you vse your children déere Or in your moodes you would some reason héere They should be ioynde where they great ioy should haue And you of them enioy the thing you craue But wilfull men that wealth may wrest awry Will force poore babes to marry or to morne What father wil the childe may not deny He hurts his shins against the pricke shall spurne When match is made it is past time to turne When silly Lambe is to the slaughter led The Butchar brags the simple Sheepe is dead And yet in déede twere better children smart And match in time as cause and matter moues Then childrens choise should breake the fathers hart Or bréede debate as wilfull marriage proues Short is the ioy of them that longest loues When want comes on and woe begins to wring For lacke is thrall and slaue to euery thing Loue is not now as loue hath béene of old A gamesome babe to dandle on the knée Loue cares for nought but land and bags of gold That keepes both man and horse in stable frée They haue no witt that other louers be Wealth maister is and porter of the gate That lets in loue when want shall come to late Well as it was my friends could doe no good My fortune bore the sway and ruled all And I full long on will and fréedome stood Till flesh and bloud must néeds to fancy fall And then though hap and worldly wealth was small I lighted where I likte and loued well And where I vowde for terme of life to dwell My choise was likte for many gifts of grace He had though wealth sometime was not at will And for his sake in many a noble place I welcome was and purchast fauour still My candle blasoe like torch on top of hill And for content of minde where loue doth rest Mine owne poore choise might passe among the best Long liude we thus at home and eke abroad When kindred cleane in déede forsooke vs both What burthen fell I helpt to beare the load And glad in world to taste how Fortune goth The minde I had to God and sacred othe Made me refuse no trauaile for his sake Whome of frée will I choose to be my make The Seas we sailde the land we rode about The Court we saw the towne we dwelt long in The fields we walkt the gardens gay throughout We went vnto where many a feast hath bin We could not sincke for hap held vp the chin He prosperd well and looke what God
pray you can any man deny but it springeth of a great courage and zeale to the common wealth when a man forsaketh the pleasure of life to follow the painefulnesse of warre and daunger of death and refuseth no toile nor trauaile to purchase credite and attaine vnto knowledge Yea some such we read of as Marcus Cursius and Mucius Sceuola that refused no enterprises to doe their Countrey pleasure Yea some haue sold their patrimony and consumed their Treasure and riches to enriche their Princes with glory and euerlasting renowne Were not this a madnes and more then a méere folly to be a drudge to the world and a labourer for those that sits at rest and to watch and ward fight striue and struggle with straungers for victory and then to come home and be rewarded as common persons and walke like a shadow in the Sunne without estimation or countenance Would any that had wisedome vallue and courage be ouer runne with vicious fooles and cowardes or be made a footestoole to their inferiour when they haue climed vp the steps of honour and are gotten into the top gallant of worldly glory and warlicke triumph Among children that doe but play at the bucklars there is a preheminence and one will acknowledge the other to bée his better when good bobbes are bestowed and sodainely a stout taule lobber will lay downe the waster and yéelde to him that hath more practise and 〈◊〉 in the weapon then himselfe Then shalâ— not a man that hath coped with Champions buckled with Conquerours and abidden the hazard of the Canon stand on his Pantoffelles and looke to the steps he hath passed Yes sure and such a member of the state the baser sort are Ciphers ought to be made of deserueth place and preheminence and is no companion for punies nor méete to be matched with Milkesoppes whose manhood and manners differs as farre from the graue Soldiour as a Donkite in courage and condition differs from a Ierfaukon As the duetie to a mannes countrey and the wages that hee taketh bindes him to doe the vttermost he maie so were there not an other cause that forceth further matter Full coldly some would fight and full slowly some would march to the battell albeit the Princes quarrell and wages receiued commaundeth much and is a thing stoutly and wisely to be looked to But I tell you fame and reputation is the marke that men shoote at and the gréedinesse of glorie and ambition pricketh the mind so fast forward that neither the man lookes vpon the multitude of enemies Nor regards the daunger of death so he may be eternized liue in the good opinion of the Prince and people For he that but bluntly lookes about him and goeth to the warre for wealth which hardly is there gotten is led on with a couetous desire of that he shall not haue and may fight like an Oxe and die like an Asse But who so respecteth his credite and paiseth in ballaunce the worthynesse of fame that riseth by well doing doth combate like a Lion and either conquers like a man or dieth like a conquerour as many great Kings Captaines haue done whose ensamples a long while agoe as yet remaynes freshlye in memorie It may bee thought that euery mercinarie man and common hireling taken vp for a while or seruing a small season is a souldier fit to be registred or honoured among the renoumed sort of warlike people For such numbers of bezoingnies or necessarie instruments for the time are to fall to their occupation when the seruice is ended and not to liue idlely or looke for imbrasing For neyther they tarry long in the fâ—elde when they are prest to go foorth Nor are not often called againe to the like iourney so great is our store of such persons and so many shiftes they can make to putte of any paine and hazard But hee is to bee accounted the couragious Souldier that is giuen by his owne disposition to delight and folow the Cannon wheele whose countenaunce and chéerefull face beginnes to smile and reioyce when the Drumme soundeth whose hart is so high it wil not stoupe to no slauery But hath a bodie and minde able to answere that is looked for and hath often béen tried experimented in Marshiall affaires through haunting whereof he is become ignorant of drudging at home and made a skilfull Scholler in the discipline of warre which is not learned without some losse of bloode charges of purse consuming of time And this maye bée iudged and playnly presupposed that manie of that sort of men are not found aliue to trouble or burthen a common wealth because they are cut off through daungerous seruices or forced by séeking of Fame in the field to sell that they haue at home and so to trauell abroade subiect to all miserie and far from any friendship or prosperous estate And sometimes through the greatnes of their mindes that galloppâ— after glorie are carried away to séeke out new Kingdomes and refuse their old habitation A matter falling out well worthye to be liked but otherwise a heauy tale to be told and an experience bought with ouer much repentaunce But euery waye occasions they are that dispatcheth many a good Souldiour makes the number so little that it is reason such as are left aliue of that profession should eyther bee rewarded or at the least reape vp some such credite as the common sort of people should haue them in admiration and offer them such courtesie as the worthynesse of their Experience and Seruice requireth If in the old time our Forefathers vsed their men of warre nobly preferred them to promotions dealt honourably with them that serued then Countrey where warres were not so cruell Why should not this world wherein pollicies murthers and bloodshed is followed and hazards are meruelously escaped to the vttermost of mans power haue more regard to a Souldiour that shunneth no hazard nor refuseth no perill There is no more to say for the aunswering of this great ouersight but the hackney horse is vnhappy hauing borne a burthen all the day on his backe is cast off at night to a bare common there to séeke for foode and abide a hard fortune There is a worse matter thâ—n this to be treated off yet nothing but that so farre past remedie to be touched let any one seruing man get a good Maister and for following his héeles at an inch he shall be more spoken get more benefit then twenty of the best Souldiers that you can name that haue followed the warres all their life dayes and knew not howe to flatter fawne or crouch and coursâ—e for commoditie Yea such as serues at home and cannot goe out of the view of a faire house and smoke of a foule Chimney snatcheth vp good turnes and steales awaie preferments priuilie when those that merites more consideration oft goes openly a begging and findeth few among thousands that wisheth them well or doth them