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
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
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
when some of them flue away I say not with my fethers and sat on the top of their aduancements gazing on the basenesse of my fortune which strange accidente ministred by the mutability of time makes me chuse faster friends whose noble disposition breeds greater regard whose constancies will longer continue and whose frendships bringes forth better fruite So good sir Iohn knowing your good inclination towardes the best sorte of men and faitfullnesse towardes your country and friendes I being tyed by good turns to remember you haue deuised a discourse I hope delightfull for your reading because in your sundry trauells beyonde the seas besides your good exercises at home you haue heard of many excellent men and artes of diuers natures and qualitie The worke I present you is a commendation of them that can or hath made gold if any such bee or hath bin the art wherof I haue not only commended but in some part touched as far as my simple capacitie can reach vnto touching setting downe in verse with comly termes some sufficient cause how by transmutation of mettals many men haue aduentured the making of gold Thus crauing the worlds goodwill and your fauour for the setting forth this bold discourse I passe to the matter wish you much worship wordly felicitie and heauenlie blessednesse Thomas Churchyard A Commendation to them that can make gold shewing that many heretofore hath found out the Philosophers stone WHat wordes of worth or â—â—led phrase of men May serue my turne to shew rare gifts of grace What percing speech what toong or flowing pen Is fiâ— to blase the valour of this case My wits are weake my sense and skill to base To talke or treate on thinges of such great weight That séemes so dâ—epe and reacheth such a height With Uirgills verse and Homers haughtie style In golden lines should knowledge glorie shine Would God one man were borne in this our Ile Could catch from cloudes great arts and grace diuine As he were taught of all the muâ—es nine To knowe the course of stars and stately skies And howe deepe seas and floudes doe fall and rise If mortall man may robbe the gods of skill And rule the son the moone and planets all And easly climbe the heauens when he will Or make the spirites belowe obey his call Or clap the earth into a compasse small Knowledge is he nay rather better seed A sacred power hath knowledge in his head That from the Lord of life and glory came No earthly gifte nor worldly wicked knacke For world is vaine most certaine sure I am And all foule artes makes worlolings liue in lacke The cleanest mindes are frée from ruine and wracke For vertue raignes and rules this wretched mould And drawes from drosse huge heapes of massie gold They neuer thriue that workes with hagges of hell Bare liues they lewd bare robes and wéedes they weare They seldome want that in ioyes doying well Great store of fruit a happie trée doth beare A blasted branch but withers euery where A vertuous man whose hart to grace aspires Findes good successe of all his whole desires Great studies gaines great grace and wisdome too Great wisdome lookes into Gods sacred throne And fewe doe knowe what speciall grace can doe Such secrets great doth rest in God alone And God giues man the Philosophers stone Then who hath that hath all that can be gote And needes not care for all the world a grote Some say that knowes how god is pleased best Good life helpes much to make men blessed héere If that be true God doth bad life detest where are we then where shall soule life appéere Who hath faire face who shewes a conscience cléere Such as can purge themselues with praiers still Gets greatest grace and gaineth greatest skil Good arts are armes to all our bodies throwe By force to worke by strength to strike all parts To make stife stones or steele to bend or bowe As nothing could escape the reach of arts Schollers in scholes and merchantes in their marâ—â— Can ply their thrift so they that maketh gold By giftes of grace haue cunning treble fold To catch the heate of son or fire by light And melt and myxe the mettals as they are And put by art compounds together streight As all should yeeld to fine inuention rare When science leaues all hidden secretes bare No mastry then to worke on waxe newe wrought A picture plaine to answere workmans thought Most néerest God the cleanest hartes doe goe They cast of flesh and Angels nature take And than throwe faith they may moue mountaines so Gold by that meanes a mortall man may make God doth great things for his great glories sake That world shall sée some vessels God hath chose To whome he doth his hidden giftes disclose vii of Wisdome The wise king said he saw how world was made How things began and how they end againe How fruits and flowers doe flourish and doe fade How vertues rare in herbes and roots remaine How out of stones comes dewe like drops of raine And how dry dust and earth that seemes nought worth Hides gold in hord yet brings great treasure forth He saw what grace and knowledge could discerne What wisdomes eies could sée in darkest night What God himselfe to his electe did learne What man might doe by Gods cleere lampe of light What might be knowne by simple sacred sight And what poore men by plainenesse might attaine And what fruit comes by trauell toile and paine To gather flowers and wéedes where ere they growe And take vp fruit from tops of trées that fall And mixe these things with flouds that ebbe and floe And at a becke to change their natures all Is art at will and knowledge we it call But to digge out from drosse the gold most fine Is secret skill and speciall power deuine To make fine glasse and giue it forme and shape Was sure an art that fewe at first did knowe A painter made quicke birds to picke the grape That pensell had most finely painted so In dome dead things life hath bin breathd you knowe Who reades shall sée great knowledge vnder son That was with men by grace and vertue won Mercurius Tres migistus king of the Egiptianes A king there was of yâ—er that Hermies hight Who fiâ—st found out the cause how gold was made Some at his torch did there dime candells light That earst did walke for want of Son in shade Since that in seas full many wits did wade To sound and sée how farre weake feete might goe And some did find the depth thereof I troe Gâ—bar a king likewise of great estate A volume large of this great art did write Throw studie long Gebar such knowledge gat That in his books great princes did delight Great thinges of him great actors doe resyte Greater then he some say was neuer none For he did teach how men should make the stone In a vision much matter may you read
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
king and lord whose minde they troubled sore And vext thereby his friends and fauourers all They fill in lash they felt the bloudy braule They lâ—st their goodes they got a great disgrace They fled from Court they were pursued in chace They were full â—aine for none offence or cause At open barre to pleade their case by lawes Such are the happes of those that hould with right Such cureles wounds they haue that sores would heale Such hate they heape in hucksters hands that light Such harmes they find that stands with common weale And such know not to whome they would appeale When wrong will rule and reuell fals to spoyle The faythfull flocke are forst to féele the foyle Dread driues desarts that dayly well haue done To slie from foes or else through fire to runne Because the Lords who lookt to leade the daunce Saw other step on stage ere they could rise By plaine fine force they would themselues aduaunce And for that feate this drift they did deuise Desire of fame doth so abuse the wise They end like fooles that erst beganne so well And soonest smart that ringes the larum bell For whéeles and all fals downe about their eares From rotten frames who first stood voide of feares But we who were besiegd by fortune so Betrayd I meane if troth may tell the tale Were scourgde plagude faine to fawne on Foe And sue to such as set our liues to sale Wée were shut vp they had the bouncing gale That blew their barke beyonde our compasse cleane With sailes asâ—aunt and had no merrie meane They clapt on all and went through streame flud When true mens feete stood fast in mire and mud I was the man that most of mischiefe had I was accusde and calde to count in haste I founde most cause to sigh and sit full sad I was layde vp and thereby cleane disgracste Myne en'mies sayd I did the treasure waste And held in hand the souldiers money too I was so nipt I knew not what to do My friends wext fainte or ferd the like mischaunce But I was he must leade the dolefull daunce A mitred head a Bishop bolde and braue Sayd I conuayde away Sainct Thomas shryne And that I ment the king of Beame should haue The same from me by priuie practise fine To hoyste me vp he layd both booke and line And so by friends he framde so flat a feate That I was cald to straight accompt in heate For this and more a libell long and large Of forged faultes that he layd to my charge No Clarke might come to make my reckning right No tale could serue to show my matter throw No deepe discourse could bring the troth to light No man of law could canuas cases now Strong hand did all I must both bend and bow The king knew not of halfe the wrongs I felt Nor none could find how finely cardes were dealt A packe was made and one had got the ace And trimely robd the trumps before my face No boote to bid the Players deale againe The game was won and I had lost the stake These Foysters fine could nick both by and mayne And cog out right when they the Dice did shake And of sweete spoyle a bitter banquet make They calde me in and I the only Gheaste Was bidden then vnto that bloodie feaste I was compeld to taste what dishe they wolde And in great heate to drinke vp Poyson colde I meane my fate and fortune was so harde I could not scape their hands that sought my life Who wreakt their wrath on me without regard Yet long in sheath they kept the murthering Knife For on my hap at first rose all this strife And on the freindes that I by hap had wonne This end I had and mischiefe was begonne For taking part with such as likt me well To ground full flat from top of trée I fell UUhen in the tower my Foes had clapt mée fast Few friends I found the world beganne to winke And so at length in Rerage was I cast And Poaste alone was left to swimme or sincke And iudgement was as I was forste to thinke That I should pay two hundreth thousand Frankes For all my toyle loe héere is all my thankes I did possesse my charges and my losse And paynes abroad came home by wéeping crosse And wanting wealth to pay this heauy summe With Billes and â—layues from prison was I led And so vnto the Tower-hill did I come To suffer death where soone I lost my head The King knew naught of this till I was dead Loe people héere how things about were brought And what disdaine and mighty malice wrought Loe héere is ende and sodayne sliding downe That was both true to God and to the Crowne As little twigs ore top of houses grow Whose braunches big spredes out a mighty trée Or as small brookes with Seas do swell and flow Yet hath no power to passe their bounds you sée Or as faire flowers that in gaie gardens bée Sprouts out a while and when they are at height They fade and fall then declineth streight So man doth mount a while on stages hie And at the best shootes downe like starre from skie When thinges are growen as farre as course is set And haue attaynde the fulnesse of their state They backward come and can no further get For cleane expierd yee see is then their date The life wée beare of force must yeeld to fate The steppes wée tread weares out by tract of time When ladder breakes wée can no higher clune Where fortune sits so fast doth grinde the mill The Wheele turnes round and neuer standeth still Long is the toyle or man to triumph commes Large is the plot where wée our Pagantes play Swéete is the saâ— and sowre are all the Plummes That payne pluckes off the pleasaunt planted spray Short is the time of all our glory gay Uayne is the hope of hazards héere in earth Great are the griefes of life from day of birth No surety growes of all is heere possest All comes to naught when people feareth least Loe what it is to stand on tickle staies Where hatred heaues the houshoulde out of square And when it falls the ioynts flee seuerall wayes And ioyfull wightes are clad with woe and care The seruants howle the wife and childe is bare The friends wring hands the foes do laugh and flyre Such chaunges chaunce to those that do aspyre The ground but gapes who first shall fall therein And who séekes most at length the least may win Loe Churchyard now my mirthlesse tale is tolde A mourning verse prepare thou straight for mée And in thy râ—â—e some stately order holde For that I sprong not out of base degrée Let euery line a liuely sentence bée To wake the wits of such as world would knowe And list to maâ—ke how wordly matters goe And when thou comst to touch the gauled backe Leape ore the horse or vse a riders
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
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
théefe that steales away our wealth Is sore afraide a true mans steps to sée The fearefull wight that doth misdoubt his health Will blushe to come where that sound people be The faithfull stands the faulty man will flée The rebell shrinks where rule and order swaies Troth bides the brunt the Traitor runs his waies Bold practise quakes when power supplants his pride Where biles breaks out there is rebellion spide Among good Ewes beware of scabbed shéepe The Wolfe with Lambe may not be matcht aright The flocke is spoilde where For the Géese doth kéepe The sicke with sound is sure no comely sight What néedes more tearmes who dares not bide the light In darkenesse dwels a blinde rebellious minde Is more corrupt then any thing we finde Then either heale the member that doth smell Or cut him of before he further swell But farre more fit that flesh should be reformde And sanâ—de from harme that else corrupt would grow The itching hand of force must needes be wormde Least skinne waxe rough and pimples rise ye know If knife pare well a corne vppon the toe The foote is easde and man shall march vpright Take slime from eies the blinde receiues his sight So cleansing cleane each part and member well The state of man in safety long shall dwell So all thinges meant that here doth passe the pen Woundes to be heald and searched as they ought All to be done for health and wealth of men And nought amisse in word in deede nor thought Yea when my verse so great a worke hath wrought To linke in loue good subiects all in one To stand as firme as rocke or marble stone Then shall my mouth my muse my pen and all Be prest to serue at each good subiects call FINIS THE HONOR OF A Souldier TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPful Sir George Carew Knight Lieutenant of the Ordinance Thomas Churchyard wisheth worldly felicity and heauenly blessednes IN calling to minde good Sir George our méeting in Ireland a long while agoe for the seruice of the Quéenes Maiesty your good brother then liuing to whome I was bound in good will I penned at that instant by his meanes the life and death of a Pirate and promised a further worke to your selfe which now I performe because your Souldiour-like disposition is aunswered with the aduauncements of Fortune and your ancient house and bloud is beautified with an honourable place the Prince hath possest you of a signe and token as I beleeue that a noble Souldiers profession shall neuer goe out of your remembraunce for the which cause I haue dedicated this worke called The honor of a Souldier vnto your protection in hope that which you haue séene and read for the commendation of Souldiers shall be a sufficient testimony of their value and worthines and shall not only procure you and others like your selfe to further their fame but like wise willing to read that I haue set downe in their behalfe for as briefely as my small Iudgement can discharge a true discourse thereof with good probable reasons and auncient authors of famous credite I minde to expresse and set foorth at large how Souldiours were made off and honoured in times past and what prerogatiue they hadde aboue other people And to declare how Princes held them in admiration and gaue them liberties titles and dignities farre beyond the rest of any that liued vnder their lawes and obedience And this by the waye is to bée thought that all my former discourse and rehearsall of warres attended to no other purpose and effect but for the aduauncement of Souldiours and to bee as it were a foile to sette foorth the matter I presentlye mind to publishe out For nowe I will in a manner shewe howe Gentility beganne and where and in what sort honour was first gotten and maintayned which argument as I hope shall not onely content the wise and well learned but also please euery degrée and make the simple sort plucke vp their courages and imitate by some honest exercises the liues of noble Souldiers I trust I néede not in this ready and ripe age wherein good writers great learning and studious iudgements doth florishe rehearse by particulars euery parcell and poinct that belongeth to a Souldiers profession Nor that you looke I should recite when and where the Romanes Lacedemonians Athenians and other nations did preferre and extoll men of Marshall minds and noble courages For their books and Commentaries and the innumerable Libraries of great antiquity are the very recordes of my discourse and remaine as mirrours for you to looke in And shall proue a thousand partes more in the commendation of Souldiours then either my penne or tongue by sufficient cunning hath power to expresse For it can not be that from a little gutte or Channell of water you should looke for so great a floud as from a multitude of springes from whence mighty Riuers takes originall and recourse And so I send you to the Welspring of knowledge I mean the auncient Fathers workes to fetch true intelligence of the thinges I make mention of touching the worthy reputation of a good Souldiour and the antiquity of his credite triumph and glory First looke in the sacred Scriptures and search from the death of Abell comming downe orderly to the birth of Christ And sée whether Souldiours were made of or no. And doubtlesse you shall finde they were not onely embraced and maintained but likewise they are of a long continuance and credite As all the Bible before Iohn the Baptistes time declareth And Christ himselfe in a sort did vtter when he saide he had not found such faith in Israell as he saw in a Centurion Yea and in the Apostles Actes there is a speciall poinct to be noted Deuout Souldiours were sent to Simon Tanners house to find out Peter Well now I committe you to the Scripture and I will follow prophane Histories begin at the very Infidels a scorne for a Christian to be taught by which are no small number nor of no little continuance people alwayes brought vp in war and Princes of great fame power and auctority Yea conquerours of the whole world and Kinges to whom all people did stoupe and doe homage These Paganes or as we may terme them lost shéepe to whome the great Shepheard would not be knowen and yet among them tormented and crucified did make such lawes and orders for Souldiers as the Turke to this day obserueth and holdeth in great reuerence Regard but the liberties and auctority of the Ianessaries and that shall manifestly proue that men of warre are had in great admiration But because you shall haue the more beliefe to the matter read the life of Alexander the Great The Commentaries of Iulius Caesar and the noble actes and victories of a number of other notable Princes And then assuredly you shall be perswaded that the renowne of Soldiours hath reached and spread as farre as fame can flie or good report could haue passage I
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
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
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
bulwarkes against the assaults of fortune that no troubles can touch them nor make them yeeld to the common calamitie of our life but who soeuer so thinketh is vtterly deceiued For ritches is not gotten nor kept but with much care and labour and where it is possest it bringeth daunger dread disdaine and a thousand euills with it Tempting man to riot and lasciuious liuing and leadeth the soule to perdition by a number of infinite follies except a speciall grace doe vphold it it runneth headlong into hell and looketh seldome vnto heauen And commonly when men doe grow ritch they surfet so often with bankettes or bibbing that they are full of deseases and so shortens their daies Which libertie of life and boldnesse in abuses that springs on aboundance the roote of disorder puffes them vp in Pride pampers them in pleasures and blindeth so their iudgements that they neither can sée who deceiueth them nor finde out the right way of heauenly felicitie And yet the â—latterie of one and falsehood of an other about them bréedeth such businesse and raiseth such stormes where quietnesse is looked for that the ritch mans house is neuer without blonder brabble and braulinges So that vnder the calmest shewes ciuilest manners lurketh terrible tempestes and fearefull suspitions which in that kinde is a domesticall calamitie and miserie incurable And so al the iollitie and pompe of the earth enioyed by enheritaunce or purchased by fortune are accompanied with paine enterlarded with dolloure mixed with vnquietnesse and may bee compared to a rotten painted wall that vnder faire collours hath many a foule fret which deceiueth the eies of them that lookes on it or giues those a great ouerthrow that leaneth against it But this is no proofe y e riches is cause of sorrow but this rather shews that sorrow care many misfortunes doth follow riches pouertie so it be not bare indigence is void of hazard frée from fortunes mutability coumpted most happy in comparison of the goodnes that belonged to a blessed life God in beholding the vices of many and sées some bent to estéeme villanie or offence doth cut of their dayes by soddaine mischances or on a set purpose through the Deuine power because their euill shall not hurt the good And regarding the other sort that will or may amend leaues them to the touche of their consciences with good respite and leasure to repente sending them miserie trouble and disquietnesse onely as a restraint and bridle to plucke them from vices And so calamitie may bee accompted a precious purgation and prosperitie may be iudged a Pestilent desease which encreased or begun by disordered life is rather to be called a calamity sickenesse of the soule then a health of the minde or good renowme to the bodie Many great personages being ouercome with the casualties of this world and mutabilitie of fortune haue after their fall into persecution taken all thinges in good part and made but small ado nor account of their state when aduersitie approched and béene often time as glad to vse the libertie of minde in a seruiâ—e sort as they were well pleased when their bodies tooke most pleasure and had the world at commaundement For of necessitie stormes followe calmes and callamitie either last or first dooth visitte an earthly vessell For some come to Kingdomes from induraunce and some fall to miserie from wealth and honor Dyonisius was glad to keep a Schole after hee had lost his Empire and Andronico of Athens when his Countrey was subdued by the Romans was faine to serue sundry miserable Maisters and after led a Lyon about Rome to the end of his dayes But though I brought a Tyrante and and Infidell to shewe that calamitie must bee tasted so could I rehearse many Christen princes that calamitie hath touched and made them as happy by those crosses they haue borne as some others are blessed that makes boast that haue neuer suffered torment Calamitie is like a supplyng salue that heals a sore Canher A pretious preseruatiue to keepe the head from surie of folly A gentill medicine to reforme an infected conscience A bitter draught of drinke that purgeth a stout corrupt stomake A sowre sirope or sauce that seasoneth a lewde appetite And the sweete Salte of mans felicitie without the which no life can be well seasoned Who feeles himselfe afflicted hath cause to conceiue hee is not forgotten where fauour is most to be desired and be that is let alone to followe his owne pleasure walkes as a caste-away and hath nothing to reioyce of For his bad spirite leads him to distruction and his good Angell hath forsaken his companie which is a signe he is giuen ouer to his naughty inclinations and is suffered to slide or fall downe right when the afflicted by a speciall grace is kept from stumblidg The horse that findes the Bridle caste in his necke runneâ— out of order about the wild field And such as loueth lewde libertie and will not be briâ—eâ—ed good order runnes from them and foule reproch waâ—es at their héeles And if they chance to happen in any hazard the sodainnesse of the mischiefe breaketh their hart or the woundering of the worlde makes the wicked a wearie of his life But such as â—â—lamitie by custâ—me hath reclaimed taketh aduersitie as a qualifier of cursed conditions and being content to kisse the Rodde of perturbation are made children of promes and inheritours of the land they haue long looked for So blessed bee those babes then who in the trouble of their soules possesseth quietnesse and makes account of calamitie to be the perfit way and good meane to felicity and good hap The feeling of such a scourge and visitation lately sent me who gatte great benefitte by his trouble made me write this trifling treatise of calamity FINIS A Commendation to them that can make gold shewing that many heretofore hath found out the Philosophers stone To the right VVorshipfull my vvorthie greate friend Sir Iohn Russell knight one of the Lieuetenants of Worcester Shire I am bound in goodwil detted in ordinarie duetie and commanded for fauour receiued good Sir Iohn to publish openly in some little pamphlet the great desire I haue to bee registered in your memory so that I might merit by desearts the least part of your affectionate frendship not common to all but by a free election of minde offered to a fewe you thinke worthy of it in the purchase of which good liking I would bestowe a great portion of my studies accompting my selfe happie in dedicating a peece of my last labours to so worthy a knight The trueth is good sir in the first prime presumption of the gifte of pen I followed the fortunate fauourets of this world as well to be fauoured at their hands as to be enriched by their happes being learned that witte by those that lackte no wealth in obseruing that custome but the higher those fauorets were mounted the lower they lefte mee
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
vesssayle sinkes or barke is layd a ground Where leaking ships in safety still haue gone The harbour finde when hauen haue I none Hap calles them in when I am logde at large Thus plainnes créepes in cold cocke Lorels barge Full fifety yéeres both Court and warres I tride And still I sought acquaintance with the best And serud the state and did such hap abide As might befall and Fortune sent the rest When drum did sound a souldier was I prest To Sea or Land as Princes quarrell stoode And for the same full oft I lost my bloud In Scotland long I lingered out my yéeres When Wilford liud a worthy wight indéede And there at length I fell so far in briers I taken was as destny had decreede Well yet with wordes I did my foes so féede That there I liud in pleasure many aday And scapte so free I did no ransome pay Some said I found in Scotland fauour then I graunt my pomp was more than reason would Yet on my band I sent home sundry men That els had pynd in prison pincht with cold To French and scots so faire a tale I told That they beleeud white chalke and chéese was one And it was pearle that proud but pible stone In Lawther fort I clapt my selfe by sleight So sled from soes and home to friends I past The French in hast beséegd that fortresse streight Then was I like to light in fetters fast But loe a peace broke vp the seege at last When weary warres and wicked bloudshed great Made both the sides to seeke a quiet seat From thence I came to England as I might And after that to Irland I did saile Where Sellenger a wise and Noble Knight Gaue me such place as was to mine auaile Then teasters walkt as thich as doth the hayle About the world for loe from thence I bore For seruice done of money right good store Home came I thoâ— and so to France did fare When that their King wan Meatts through fatchis fine So on the stocke I spent al voide of care And what I gate by spoyle I held it mine Than downe I past the pleasaunt floud of Ryen And so I serud in Flanders note thesame Where loe at first my hap fell out of frame For I was clapt in prison without cause And streightly held for comming out of France But God did worke through iustice of the cause And helpe of friends to me a better chaunce And still I hopte the warres would me aduance So trayld the pike and world began a newe And lookt like hauke that lately came from mue Three yéere at least I saw the Emprours warres Then homeward drewe as was my wonted trade Where Sun and Moone and al the seuen starres Stode on my side and me great welcome made But whether fayre and flowres full soone wil fade So peoples loue is like new besomes oft That swéepes all cleane whiles brome is greene and soft Well once againe to warres I drew me fast And with Lord Gray at Giens I did remaine Where he or his in any seruice past I followed on amyd the warlike traine And sometime felt my part of woe and paine As others did that Canon wel could like And pleasure tooke in trayling of the pike At length the French did Giens beséege ye wot And little helpe or succour found we thoe By which foule want it was my heauy lot To Paris streight with good Lord Gray to goe As prisoners both the world to wel doth knoe By tract of time and wonders charge indéede He homeward went and tooke his leaue with spéede But post alone I stoode alacke the while And country cleane forgot me this is true And I might liue in sorrow and exile And pine away for any thing I knewe As I had bakt indéede so might I brue Not one at home did seeke my griefe to heale Thus was I cleane cut of from common wealâ— Yet loe a shift to skape away I found When to my faith my taker gaue no trust I did deuise in writing to be bound To come againe the time was set full iust But to returne forsoth I had no lust Since faith could get no credit at his hand I sent him word to come and sâ—e my band He came himselfe to court as I did heare And told his tale as finely as he might At Ragland then was I in Monmouth shiere Yet when in court this matter came to light My friends did say that I had done him right A Souldier ought vpon his faith to go Which I had kept if he had sent me so Well yet my mind could neuer rest at home My shoes were made of running leather sure And borne I was about the world to rome To sée the warres and kéepe my hand in vre The French ye knowe did Englishmen procure To come to Leeth at seege whereof I was Till French did seeke in ships away to passe A little breath I toke then after this And shapte my selfe about the Court to be And euery day as right and reason is To serue the Prince in Court I settled me Some friends I found as friends doe goe you sée That gaue me words as swéete as hony still Yet let me liue by head and cunning skill I crucht I kneeld and many a cap could vayle And watched late and early rose at morne And with the throng I followed hard at tayle As braue as bull or shéepe but newly shorne The gladest man that euer yet was borne To wayt and stare among the states full hye Who feedes the poore with many a friendly eye But who can liue with goodly lookes alone Or merry words that sounds like tabers pype Say what they will they loue to keepe their owne And part with nought that commeth in their gripe You shall haue Nuts they say when ploms are ripe Thus all with shalls or shalles ye shal be fed And gape for gold and want both Gold and lead The proof thereof made me to séeke far hence To Anwerp then I trudged on the spleene And all in hast to get some spending pence To serue my turne in seruice of the Quéene But God he knowes my gaine was smal I wéene For though I did my credit still encrease I got no wealth by warres ne yet by peace Yet harke and note I pray you if you please In Anwerp towne what Fortune me befel My chance was such when I had past the seas And taken land and thereon rested wel The people iard and range a larum bel So that in armes the towne was euery where And few or none of life stood certaine there A Noble Prince I saw amid that broyle To whome I went and sware his part to take The commons came al set on rage and spoyle And gaue me charge to kéepe my wits awake The Prince for loue of King and countries sake Bad me doe wel and shed no guyltles bloud And saue from spoyle poore people and their good I gaue
diuers doe good hap and frendship win And duetie makes a World of people flocke And thousands Loe drawes water from the Cocke I scearse may moyst my mouth when thirst is great And hart is cleane consumde with scalding heat A spring of kind doth floe aboue the brim Yet cannot stoppe a Fountaine if you would For through hard rockes it runneth cléere and trim And in some Ground it casts vp grayne of Gold It bursts the Earth and deepely digges the Ground It gusheth out and goes in sundry vaines From mountaines top and spreadeth al the playnes The Spring créepes vp the highest hil that is And many Wells thereon are easly found And this I wot where doe you water mis Small fruit doth grow it is but barraine Ground The soyle is sweete where pleasaunt springes abound The Cowslop sproutes where spring and fountaines bée And floodes beginne from fountaine heades you sée The laboring man thereat doth cole his heat The birdes doe bathe their breasts full brauely there The brutest beastes therein find pleasures great And likes not halfe so well another where What cause in mee what doubt what fault or feare That I may not in this so weake a plight Go drinke my fill where ech thing hath delight The more wée drawe the water from the well The better farre wee bring the spring in frame The seas themselues of nature rise and swell The more the wind and weather workes the same The fire burnes best when bellowes blowes the flame Let thinges stand still and stirre them not in time They shall decay by meane of drosse and slâ—â—ne I sée some streames with stickes are choked vp And Riuers large are marde with beds of sande I sée some bring from Doels an emptie cup Yet craue an almes and showes a néedie hand I see bare boyes before the banket stand And no man sayth loe poore man if thou wut Take heere a dish to fill thy hungrie gut Of cormorant kind some crammed Capons are The more they eate the more they may consume Some men likewise the better that they fare The worse they bee and sicker of the rume And some so chafe so frowne so fret and fume When others féede they cannot God hée knows Spare any time the dropping of their nose The bordes are spread and feasts are made thereon And such sits downe that hath their bellies full Whose greedy mouthes from dogge would snatch the bone Which snudges swell and looke like greiste wull They puffe they blowe yea like a bayted bull And shoue them backe that on small crumes would féede Whose patient heartes makes vertue of a neede The Glutton thinkes his belly is too small When in his eye a dayntie morsell is Hee grines and gapes as though no crum should fall From him and lookes as all the world were his Thus such as want are sure the post to kis For poulting pride doth presse so fast in place That poore plaine Tom dare scarse come shew his face Ech one doth seeke for to aspire and rise Yet hate wee those that doth by vertue clime The foole hee scornes the worship of the wise Yet dolts presume beyond the wise sometime And all this strife is but for drosse and slime That out of earth we dig with daungers deepe Full hard to winne and much more wordes to keepe This makes me muse when some haue heapes in hord They will not helpe the neerest friend they haue And yet with smiles and many a friendlie word They graunt to giue before a man doe craue Such Barbors fine can finely poule and shaue And wash full cleane till all away they wash Then good sir Grime like lob they leaue in lash What should men loose when they enough haue had If that they part with thinges that might be sparde A little peece out of a golden gad For seruice long might be a great reward No no as steele and flint is stiffe and hard So World is waxt and no good turne is found But where indeede doe double gifts rebound We make a legge and kisse the hand withall A French deuice nay sure a Spanish tricke And speake in Print and say loe at your call I will remaine your owne both dead and quicke A Courtier so can giue a lobbe a licke And dresse a dolt in Motley for a while And so in sléeue at silly Woodcocke smile If meaning went with painted wordes and shoes It might suffice such courteous cheare to tast But with the same disdaine and enuie goes And trumpry great with wind and wordes in wast Then arme in arme comes flattery full in hast And leads away the sences out of frame That vpright wits are thereby striken lame This lowting lowe and bowing downe the knée But gropes mens mindes to créepe in credits lap Like malte horse then he holdes vp head you sée That late before could vaile both knée and cap The Nurse a while can feede the child with pap And after beate him on the bréech full bare A swarme God wot of these fine Natures are There be that bites yet gronts and whines withall There be that winnes yet sweare and sayth cylose There be that stops and steales away the ball There be that plantes a weede and plucks a rose There be pleads want to whome the fountaine floes Such hides their haps to make the world to thinke At faire well head they need not for to drinke The whales you see eates vp the little fish The pretie Penk with Sammon may not swime The greatest heades are fed with finesh dish The foulest piss saire water runneth trime He gets the gaine that standeth néere the brime He blowes the cole that hath cold fingers still He starues for bread that hath no corne at mill A world to see the course and state of thinges Some would get vp that knows not where to light Some soer the skies that neuer had no winges Some wrastle well by cunning not by might Some seemes to iudge faire coulours without sight And euery one with some oddâ— shift or grace In world at will runnes out a goodly race But to be plaine I lag and come behinde As I were lame and had a broken leg Or else I cannot lye within the winde And hearken still what I might easely beg I neede no say in mouth I haue geg For I haue spoke and sped in matters small By helpe of him that hath my verses all But farre God wot I am from that to seeke And misse the marke that many men doe hit Wherefore salt teares doe trickle downe the chéeke And heart doth feele full manie a woefull fitt And so aside in solempne sorrow sit As one indeede that is forsaken cleane Where most he doth deserue and best doth meane No matter now though each man march and treade On him that hates the life he beares about Yet such as shall these heauie Verses reade Shall finde I blame my fortune out of doubt But since on hope no better hap will sprout I
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
had sent With louing wife at home the same he spent He tooke great paines to come by that he had And trauailde sore through many a forraine soile To bring that home that makes the houshold glad And kéepe the wife and houshold folke from â—oile And I tooke care that nothing went to spoile And looke in deede what things that I did lacke Was seene in face or found vppon my backe The world might sée I went in garments good Though small I brought to him as I confesse I spent him much and at great charge I stood Which brings strong harts somtime to great distres But neuer that might make his loue the lesse For looke how he his liking first beganne In fine for troth he proude the selfe same manne I could not sléepe but where in bed he lay I could not eate but where he sate at boorde I could not laugh when liking was away I silent sat gaue he but halfe a woorde Ill newes of him strake me with mortall sword His minde and mine did draw so in one yoke The selfe same sittes he felt where of I spoke Full seauen yeares this constant course we kept Though often times there happened houshold iarrs And tratling tales that in betweene vs crept Made many wounds where yet remains the scarrs Yet alwaies peace tooke vp our brawling warrs And we did seeke to salue each others sore And passe old griefes and thinke thereon no more Swéete is that peace that patcheth vp great harmes Sharpe is the warre that teares a house in â—waine Woe worth those words that brings in brauleâ— by swarms Darke be those cloudes that alwaies threatens raine Curst be the cause that breedeth woe and paine And damnde in Hell those subtill spirites shalbe That councell gaue to part my choise from me Well as our chaunce together was to ioyne And dwell long while as here in briefe you hard So happe came on through hope of wealth or coine And drew my choise where he might be prefarde To warres and I that had a great regard To him that time when I his minde did know Gaue my consent that he to warres should goe With sighes and sobs and bitter teares among We parted tho with promise surely past That one should heare from other ere twere long And sadly so we seured at the last His goods his gold his friends both firme and fast He left me then to comfort me withall But nere a childe as Fortune so did fall He past the seas and sent me tokens still And money such as might supply my néede And for to shew his faith and great good will Long Letters large he made that I might réede Of promise past and to come home in déede But to what end should serue this businesse great My minde was turnde warme loue had lost his heat A new fine man both young and apt for chaunge I those and cleane forgat my former ioy And in a while I was become so straunge As Hagard Hauke that takes in head a toy And flées from Lure and waâ—eth nice and coy My wedlocke now not hearing of these newes Made no hast home till I was ore the shewes Yet knacks I wrought to bleare my husbands eies I made a bruite be blowne that I was dead When that he heard he did his life despise And so forsooke sléepe rest and tast of bread He rent his haire he sadly shooke his head He walkt the woods and shunned all repaire As one would be deuourd with fowles of thaire He daily bledde when little foode he tooke He would not come where woemen were in place And he so leane and like a Ghost did looke That Death it selfe was seene amid his face A noble Earle as he beheld this case Brake with the man that thus tormented was And so in sports the troubled time did passe But ague â—its and sicknesse followed on That in poore plite came home my husband thoe Not leane in purse but bare and néere the bone The bodye then was worne with warre and woe And yet full sound as al the world might know His limmes I saw but I so nice did waxe There was no flame of fire might come to flaxe For I could wéepe and quench by cunning art The hottest loue that euer husband bore And so two yeares I plaied a Foxes part Which ere I die I may repent full sore My husbands bedde I shund and furthermore I fainde I had a sickenesse let it goe I neuer minde that folly forth to shoe A finer â—ricke to compasse that I â—ought I plaide through fleight and casting figures trim To my good man a bastard gâ—rle I brought And from my friend presented her to him Hée saw thereby the find runne ore the brime Yet kept it close and sayd nothing at all Till out by chaunce might further matter fall And alwayes would my husbande tell mée plaine I did him wronge to keepe mee from his bedde But I could vse him in a pleasaunt vaine And make him soone forgett that hee had sedde My doore was lockt howe ere I layde my head My maydes and I kept solempne cheare alone How euer playne poore husbande made his monâ— Two yeares this wise I shoeffled Cardes full cleane Till husband spied a Letter of my hande Whereby hee found what follie I did meane But I was bent against my déede to stande So faest him down and swore when all was scande It was not mine but as hee soundly slept To his beds side my mayde and I wee stept And heaude him vp and so from bolster than Wee tooke his purse wherein the Letter laye When that wée had wee left the sillie man As saffe as hee that sléepes in Cocke of haye Well when he lookt in purse the other daye And found my fraude and falshood as it was Out of the doore in furie did hee passe Yet came againe that night and so fell sicke The cause whereof soone after you shall here Full long hee lay and toucht so neere the quicke That he was like to buy that sicknesse dere But when on foote hee stept and all was cleare He had farewell falâ—â— wife God send thée grace Thy wicked wayes makâ—s husband giue thee place I saw how world would wonder at this act And straight new tales on husband ganne I rayse With forged lies and rayling reasons rackt That still should sound vnto his most disprayse I faynde one while hee vsed wanton wayes With euery mayde that hee might touch or see And then he was to sicke a soule for mee Then poore hee was I sayde to cloke my pride When this serude not I â—wore the man was madd And in his rage would beate mee backe and side So euery daie a new deuice I had To make the world beléeue hee was too bad And at the length when all I had was sold My mayde and I goe trie the world we wold So shutting doore and trusting vp my packâ— I flang from home not bidding friendes farewell But I
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
mourning chéere to part from them God knowes For children finde small comfort héere when hence the mother goes If God moue not the Princes minde to pittie their estate Now as the Ladie did at large about her Babes debate Uppon her déere bought iewell than shée cast her onely thought Yea for whose sake and great good will shee was in trouble brought And pausing on this matter through a heauie sigh she gaue O good sir Knight sayd shee to one a thing of you I craue Commend me to my worthy friend and bid him comfort take And hope in God and Princes grace though I doe world forsake He may doe well and freedome get but mée hee shall not méete Till from the caue of pampred flesh departes his groning spréete Whiles life I had I honoured him and safely kept my vow As life did bind mee his in all so death doth loose mée now From him and all my worldly ioyes but though my friend I leaue On high where dwells a greater freind if hope not mée deceauâ— I trust to sée his babes and him and though much griefe it is To leaue them heere in bitter bale yet note I goe to blisse Where is no mind of combrous cares nor cause of sorrow knowne O tell him that aboue I hope these stormes shall be ore blowne And as a scroule is â—apped vp yea so shall all thinges héere When soule shall be immortall made vnto our view appeere No sooner of the soule shée spoke but sodaine chaunge beganne In lookes and limmes of deadly showâ— with colour pale and wan The eyes did stare the bodie stretch the strength and force did faile The teeth they chattered in the Cheekes the handes did quake and quayle The mouth did some the head did shake the flesh it quiuered fast The feet waxt cold the face did sweate full swift the pulses past The heart did heaue and beat in breast the breath like earth did sent At eares and nose the stiffled Ghost and vitall life sought vent Though gasping breath brought passioÌ„s on and gripâ— hâ—r heart full hard Yet showd she through those sharpe assaults to â—rend a great regard And calling for a boâ—e of Kinges among them chose shee one In which was set by cunning Art a rich and precious stone Hold carrie this quoth shee good Sir to my deere noble Knight He can remember what that stone presents vnto his sight The other token that I send it is a waightie ring Best likt and dearest bought God wot of any earthly thing And when you shall giue him this gift desire him well to minde The little Impes the pretty soules the babes I leaue behinde And bid him bring them vp in feare of God and Prince I saie Lâ—e that is all I doe require of him my dying daie I haue no gold to send my Babes but blessing I them giue Which God confirme with grace good storâ— as long as they shall liue O yet there is another ring which loe my lone must sée Where is my picture death I meane and tell my friend from mee That I as colde and sencelesse too shall be in little space As is that shaddow dum and deaffe and spritelesse shape of face This done shée turnde her head aside and bad them all farewell Twere good quoth shee in signe of death I heard the passing bell For such as liue may pray the while and know when bell doth toule Into the bowells of the earth the bodie parts from soule Yet meete they shall when trumpet sounds and that the dead arise And both together shall ascende I hope to starrie skies With this beganne the battell fierce betwéene her life and death Like Ghost shée lay whiles heart did grone and mouth gepte wide for breath Then sayd shee Lord into thy handes I doe commend my spréeâ— And so her selfe closde vp her eyes and hid her head in sheet And went awaie like infant young cleane voyde of storme or rage Or like a bodie falls a sléepe that cannot speake for age Thus breathlesse lay this Lady now like weightie lump of clay That earst had life and feeling force and past like floure away But when the newes of this was brought vnto her Playffeers eares With roaring voyce and blubbred eyes there gushed out such teares That witnest well with outward signes what woe heâ— felt within And truely tolde when shée did ende his delour did beginne Be rest of sleepe and robde of rest hée romed vp and downe And cast of wéedes of worldly pompe and clapt on mourning Gowne No ease nor pleasures could possesse nor féele the taste of meate Resolude to pine and staâ—â—e himselfe his griefes they were so great No councell could him comfort long and still alone he drue To mourne to mâ—ane to houle and cry and make complaint anâ—e And worne away with woefull sighes when sorrow helped not At length the life must be sustaynde with some reliefe yée wot But how he takes this mischiefe yet and how the matter goeth It passeth farre my reach and wit to iudge I tell you troth His Ladie gene as you haue heard when dayes and yeares were spent In thraldome long yet after that was better fortune seâ—t For into Princes grace againe hee came by blessed chaunce And so he liues in open Worlde where vertue may aduaunce Both him and many thousandes more that Noble liues doe leade And wisely walke with vpright mindes and steps of honour treade Loe héere you Dames of high renowne a Ladies death set out Whose life for faith full few shall finde that seekes wide world about To God and Prince repentaunt sure to worlde a mirrour bright Wherefore with tongue and true report resounde her prayse a â—ight FINIS Syr Symon Burley complains to him that knowes what sorrow meanes Sir Simon brought vp at Schoole with the Prince of Wales and Aquitayne Into Galatia to coÌ„duct Don Petro King of Castell Sir Simon was sent as one of chiefest for that purpose Hee appeased an vprore in the Citty of London The Dutches of Burbon prisoner and did raunsome Sir Simon Burley One Pascall was sent from the K. of Nauarhether for sauiour and Kinge Richarde made Sir Simon answer the Ambasdor the Earl of Salisbury and other in presence Kinge Richarde sent him to conclude a mariage and the Duke of Tasson was sent hither with Sir Simon from the king of Beam Almaine aboute this matter He was Lorde Chamberlain The Earle of Oxford called duke of IrelaÌ„d fauored much 〈◊〉 Simon The band that the duke made against the king the duke of Yorke the Earle of Salisbury the earle of Arundell the earle of Northumberland the earle of NottinghaÌ„ the archbishop of Canterburie A noble of euery 〈◊〉 in England was the taxe that the naughty duke sayd the king did demaund The Duke of Glocester and Duke of York with others maligned those the king fauoured King Richards best friends were by traytors frowardly handled The Bishop of Canterbury accusde him of sacrilege conuaying money ouer the Sea by night to the king of Beam The Prince of Orâ—nge M. Candeler maister of the assuraunces in the Royall Exchange is aliue witnesse to this M. Iosephe Loupo his Brother Peter two excellent musitionâ— are aliue witnesse to this in like sorte For poisning her maister A right figure of death A patterne of Death