Gratitude she was That thākful Dame whose custom is frō friend to friend to passe I tooke my pen in hand with purpose to declare The Circumstance of this my dreame w t cloyd my hed with care Herein also I thought her precepts to obey And al the plot of thy deserts most largely to display But when my dreame was done I found such litle store Of paper that I could not haue wherin to write the more ¶ One that had a frowarde Husband makes complaynt to her mother Written in French by Clement Marott AND is there any wight aliue That rightly may compare Or goe beyond me silly wretch In sadnesse and in care Some such may be but this I say One must goe farre to séeke To finde a woman in this worlde Whose griefe to mine is like Or hath so iust a cause of moane In dumps of déepe despite I linger on my loathsome life Depriud of all delight Men say the Phoenix is a birde Whose like cannot bée found I am the Phoenix in this worlde Of that those care doth wound And he that workes me all this woe May be the Phoenix well Of all enraged senslesse wightes That in the earth doe dwell I moane not here as Dido did Being stryken at the heart As woorthy Virgill doeth recorde With dint of Cupids dart Nor in my playnts some Louer name As Sappho did of yore But husband is the cause héereof Which makes my griefe the more For Louers if they like vs not We may cast of agayne But with our husbandes good or bad Till death we must remayne I doe not speake these wordes as if His death I did desire But rather that it might please God His thoughts so to enspire That he might vse me as he ought Or as I doe deserue Since that I him as duety byndes Doe honour loue and serue And séemes it not desert thinke you At his commaund to haue The beauty greate and other giftes that nature to me gaue Ist not desert such one with him In loyall bed to lie As alwayes hath most faythfull byn And will be till shée die To looke on him with chéerefull face to call him Spouse and friend To coll and kisse all this hée hath With franke and willing mynde And all thinges els as God commaunds And duety doth allowe Yet am I dealt with at his handes Alas I know not howe Hée thanklesse man doth ill for good Agaynst all right and lawe Hée had of me good fruitfull Corne And payes mée chaffe and straw For méeke and humble curtesie Fierce cruelty hée geues For loyalty disloyalty And that which most mée grieues Is when in swéete and humble sorte I come to make my moane His heart no more is mollified Then is the Marble stone The cruell Lyon ready bent With pawes and téeth to teare When that the silly Hounde doeth yéelde His malice doeth forbeare When Attalus the Romayne host Did erst subdue in field His heart to mercy was enclinde Assoone as they did yéelde Blacke Pluto eke the Prince of hell Vneasie to bée woone When Orpheus had playde on harpe His rankour all was done By swéetnesse and by curtesie What is not wrought alas Nerethlesse the swéetenesse Feminine Which others all doth passe Can nothing doe before the eyes Of my hardhearted féere The more that I submit my selfe The straunger is his chéere So that in wrongfull cruelty And spite he doth excel The Lions wilde the Tyrants stoute And monsters eke of hel As ofte as I reuolue in mynde The greatnesse of my harmes I thinke how foorth the Fowler goes with swéete and pleasant charmes To take the birds which once betrayd He eyther killes straight way Or kéepes them pende in pensiue cage That flie no more they may And so at first I taken was By his swéete fléering face And now depriude of ioy alas Am handled in like case Now if the birdes as some auouch Doe curse his kéeper still In language his why curse I not The Author of my yll That griefe doeth euer greater harme Which hidden lies in brest Then that which to some faithfull friend By speaking is exprest My sorowes then shall bée reuealde Some stedfast friend vnto My tongue thereby vnto my heart A pleasure greate may doe But vnto whom shoulde I disclose My bondage and my thrall Vnto my spouse No surely no My gaynes shoulde bee but small Alas to whom then shoulde I moane Should I some Louer choose Who in my sorowes and my griefes As partner I might vse Occasions great do counsell me To put this same in vre Mine honour and mine honestie Forbid such rashnes sure Wherefore ye louers al adew Vnto some other goe I will obserue my vowed fayth Though to my greatest foe To whome shal I powre forth my plaints To you most louing mother For they by dutie do belong To you and to none other To you I come to séeke reliefe With moyst and wéeping eies Euen as the heart with thirst opprest Vnto the fountaine hies If any salue in all the world may serue to cure my wound Dame Nature sayes vndoubtedly In you it must be found Now if some succour may be had Assisted let me be But if it lie not in your power Yet spend some teares with me That yours with mine mine with yours Might so kéepe moyst the flowre That erst procéeded from your wombe And wasteth euery houre His Friend W. C. to Mistres F. K. whom he calls his Captaine AS Souldiers good obey their captaines will And readie are to goe to ride or runne And neuer shrinke their duety to fulfill But what they byd it by and by is done So rest I yours good Captayne to dispose When as you please to combate with your foes Your foes sayd I alas what may they be That haue the heart to harme so swéete a wight Who dare attempt to try his force with thée Shall conquerd be ere he begin to fight Let thousand foes agaynst thee come in field Thy beauty great will make them all to yéeld To yéeld sayd I nay rather would they choose By thée subdude to liue in bondage still Then lead such life as Conquerors doe vse In thy disgrace and wanting thy good will But strike the drumme let the trumpet sound To take thy part whole legions wil be found So many eares as euer heard thée speake So many eyes as haue thy feature vewde So many handes thy puysance hath made weake So many heartes thy beauty hath subdued Ech of these eares ech eye ech hand ech heart Swéet Captain stil are prest to take thy part Ech eare to heare when enuy séekes thy foyle Ech eye to spy who worketh thine anoy Ech hand with blade to conquere them in broyle Ech gladsome heart for victory to ioy Thus euery part the trusty friend will play For thy behoofe whom God preserue alway The complaynt of a sinner LIke as the théefe in prison cast With wofull wayling mones When hope of pardon cleane is
clownish men brought vp in digging of the ground and other rusticall exercises should bée so well instructed in humane sciences Departing from them they road towardes an inne not farre distant from the Citie which was fayre and large As they came somewhat néere it an Ostler came forth to inuite them saying Domini libèt ne vobis hospitari Hîc enim vobis erit bonum hospitium And for that the Florentines were very weary they alighted and meant to ryde no farther that night As they were mounting vp the stayres to goe to their lodging the goodman of the Inne met them saying Excellentissimi Domini placétne vobis vt praeparetur coena hÃc enim sunt bona vina oua recentia carnes volatilia alia huiusmodi Heereat the Florentines were amased and knew not what to say for that all they with whome they had spéech spake latine and pronounced no otherwise then if they had béene brought vp in studie all the dayes of their lyfe Shortly after a maide seruaunt indéedâ— came vnto them which was a young woman both wittie and learned and craftily brought thither for the purpose which sayde Indigéntne dominationes vestrae re aliqua placét vt sternentur lectuli vt requiem capiatis These wordes of the Maiden brought greater astonishment to the Florentines who began to reason with her who hauing answered to many thinges excéedingly well and all in latine they questioned with her of diuinitie of which shée did argue so catholiquely that there was not any y â— heard her but gaue her singular commendation Whiles the Maiden talked with them there came one in arayde like a baker his face blackt with coales who hearing the disputation that they had with the Maiden began to argue in her defence and interpreted the holy scriptures so learnedly that al the Florentine doctors affirmed amoÌ„gst themselues that they had seldome or neuer heard his better This dâ—sputation being finisht the Florentine Doctors weÌ„t to supper and so to their rest And the next day approching they tooke counsell amongst themselues whether it were better to goe forwards or returne home againe After great contention had about this matter they resolued that it was better to departe thinking thus with themselues that if the Inkéepers labourers hostlers women had such profound learning what was to bée looked for in the Citie where are most excellent men which continually followe nothing els but their bookes and studie This determination being well considered of without any longer tariaunce they put it in practise And not as much as séeing the walles of the Citie of Bergamaske taking their horses tooke their iourney backe againe towardes Florence And in this maner the Florentines were by pollicie conquered of theÌ„ of Bergamaske And from theÌ„ce forwards the Citizens of Bergamaske had a priuiledge from the Emperour to passe safely through all the partes of the world without thâ— let or disturbance of any man Of one that hyred a foolish seruaunt and was serued accordingly PAndolfus a Gentleman of Padua on a time standing greatly in néede of a serâ—â—iant chaunced to méete with one whâ— he thought would well serue his turne of whom hée demaunded whether he would serue him for resonable wages who made aunswere that hée would but with this condition that hée would at no time doe him any other seruice but looke to his horses and ride with him Héereon they concluded and there were Indentures of couenants drawn sealed and deliuered for the performance of the premisses It happened on a certaine day that Pandolfus as hée rode with his new seruant in a filthy mirie way his horse stumbling fell into a ditch and Padolfus vnder him who being in great feare and daunger cryed vnto his man for helpe His seruaunt standing still gaue him the looking on saying that heâ— was not bound to doe it and that there was no such thing contained in his Indenture of couenaunt and taking the copie thereof out of his pocket beganne from poynt to point to reade the conditions of it to sée whether it were therein contained or no that hée should helpe him in such a iâ—operdie His maister cryed out vnto him saying For the passion of God helpe mée Hée answered I cannot sir for that it is agaynst the couenantes of my Indenture His maister tolde him that if hée would not helpe him and deliuer him out of this daunger hée woulde not pay him such wages as was therein contained hée should haue The foolishe seruaunt sayde that hée would not doe it for feare of incurring the penaltie contained in the Indenture of couenaunt And if his maister had not béene presently holpen by one that came that way doubtlesse hée could neuer haue escaped For this cause after their returne home there were new couenantes drawne vnto which hée yeelded his consent vnder a certaine forfeiture to performe and obserue them truely which was that hée should assist his maister at all times in all causes that hée commaunded him and shoulde neuer departe or seperate himselfe from him It chaunced on a time that Pandolfus entring into one of the chiefest Churches of the Citie with certaine Venetian Gentlemen his seruaunt alwayes folowed him at his shoulders and would neuer leaue him The Gentlemen and other that were by for the rarenes of the sight tooke vp a great laughter through which the maister returning to his house chidde him bitterly shewing him what a foolish and vnaduised part hée plaied in walking so childishly with him in the Church without any respect either of him or the Gentlemen that were with him The seruaunt alledged vnto him that hée had not done contrary to the couenantes that were drawne betwixt them and had fulfilled the contents therof and no more Vpon this there was a new couenant put in that hée should goe farther of from him After that time the seruant would kéepe himselfe aloofe and not come néere him by fortie foote at the least And although his maister called him and had néede to vse him Neuerthelesse his seruaunt would not for feare of incurring the penaltie contained in the Indentures Heereat Pandolphus fretting a good at the folly and simplicity of his man told him that his comming farther of him was to bée vnderstoode about a thrée foote distant The seruant thinking himselfe now too be apparauntly aduertised of his maisters meaning tooke a staffe of the length of thrée foote and as hée went in the citie would set one end therof against his brest and holding the other towardes his maisters shoulders so followed him The Citizens Prentises seyng him to goe in this order déeming him to bee some notable foole did laugh at him vnmeasurably The maister as yet not knowing wherfore they so laught maruelled greatly but being afterwards aduertised how he carried the staffe after him he was in a great rage reprehending his seruant vehemently threatning also to beat him And he weeping and lamenting excused himselfe saying yée doe me manifest iniury Maister in going
past And sighes with dolefull grones So I a slaue to sinne With sobs and many a feare As one without thine ayde forlorne Before thy throne appeare O Lorde in rage of wanton youth My follies did abounde And eke since that I knewe thy trueth My life hath béene vnsound Alas I doe confesse I see the perfect way Yet frayltie of my féeble fleshe Doth make me run astray Aye me when that some good desire Woulde moue me to doe wel Affections fond make mée retire And cause me to rebell I wake yet am asléepe I sée yet still am blinde In ill I runne with hedlong race In good I come behinde Loe thus in life I daily die And dying shall not liue Vnlesse thy mercy spéedily Some succour to me geue I die O Lorde I die If thou doe mée forsake I shall be likened vnto those That fall into the lake When that one prop or onely stay Holdes vp some house or wall If that the prop be tane away néedes must the building fall O Lorde thou art the prop to which I cleane and leane If thou forsake or case mée of I still shall liue in paine Although my hard and stony hart Be apt to runne astray Yet let thy goodnesse mee conuert So shall I not decay Swéete God doe rue my plaints And shéelde mée from annoy TheÌ„ my poore sâ—ule this life once past Shall rest with thée in ioy ¶ Of the vncontented estate of Louers WHo so attempts to publish and display Of Cupids thrals the strange awkward fits Doth seeke to count the sand amidst the Sea And wades beyond the compasse of his wits Whose griping greefes and passions to disclose Is to describe a world of care and woes More easie its to weild the weightie charge That Atlas hath in bearing vp the Skies Then to vnsolde and picture out at large The vnâ—outh caresin louers brests that lies Whose rest is toyle whose ioy is endlesse greife They often sue but seeldome finde reléefe Yf Plutoes denne that vgly pit of hell Great griefly plague and tormentes hath in store I dare auouch that those in loue which dwell Do tast them all and twice as many more Which makes mée say not without good cause Thrice happlesse wights that yéelde to Cupids lawes As Aetna hill doth belke forth flakes of fire And hydeous sounds are harde within the same So Louers burne through inwarde hot desire And hollow sighes burst out amidst the flame Whose scorched harts dispaire and anguish gnaw Lyke gréedy Gripes that peck Prometheus maw In mirth they moane yet smile amidst their woe In fire they fréese in frost they fry straight way Swift legges to runne yet are not able goe Such is the state in which poore Louers stay As houering hope dooth hoyst them vp on hye Feare clips their wings so that they cannot flye They fayne in hell one only plague to fall For iust reuendge to those that doe amisse But they that loue are subiect to them all And neuer féele one lightning howre of blisse That to conclude thrice happy is their chaunce That neuer knew to treade the louers daunce A Newyeres gift to Mistresse C. P. SWéet wight be glad pluck vp your sprites Old Friendship is renewd Milde Concord hath thrown down the broth That Discord lately brewd Fowle Enuie Malice and Debate In teares their time doe spend In that the platforme which they layde Came not to wished end The mightie Ioue which ruleth all Their prayers heard no doubt Else could not their hot kindled wrath So soone bée quenched out Thus farre their furie did preuaile A time and place was set Wheras at their appoynted houre To try it out they met And dealt For vowes had rashly past So long foes to abide Vntill the one the others force In open field had tried I shrinke to thinke what horror great Now gripes your heart through feare I séeme to sée ech member quake As if yée had béene there To heare my muse vnto your eares This dolefull tale to tell Put feare to flight cast care aside All things are ended well But Rancour vile couldst thou powre forth Thy spite vpon none other But that to combat thou must bring My father and my brother And I my selfe with eies must sée And view this dolefull sight Goe packe thou hast sustaind the foyle For all thy poysoned might For by the blowes that they did giue Theyr friendship doth encrease And in their heartes establisht is An euerduring peace The séedes that thou in them didst plant Are pluckt vp by the roote Thy sister Discord neuer shall Againe set in her foote For if in dealing of their blowes Their handes had not bene blest A late repent had made them rew For harbouring such a gest But of vngrate discurtesies Wée iustly might complaine In that entreaties would not serue To make them friendes againe If in their mad and brainsicke heads Dame Reason had borne sway But malice rancour and debate Had banisht wit away So that occasion of this broyle Was not our faythfull friendes But these forenamed furies fell And other hellish fiendes Whose daily driftes are to deface Of friends the pure estate And makes them barbour in their hearts Great heapes of deadly hate In that things past betwixt them are For giuen and forgot Let vs imbrace and loue them so As if this happened not If straunge it seeme that straunger I in verse to you doe write Assure your selfe it doeth proceede through greatnesse of delite That I conceaue in that I see them reconcilde so well Whome no perswasions latelie serude their furies to expell These simple verses to your viewe I haue thought good to sende In token of a good neweyeere and so farewel I ende A straunge historie YEe that would heare a Story straunge To this example rare Attentiuely take héede Which pictures héere before your face A worthy wight indéede A Phenix well she may be calde Whose lyke cannot be founde Chast Camna was her name Endued with such comely giftes As none can tell the same All wiues that in those dayes did lyue This woman did excell In constant loue towardes her spouse As doth my Story tell Sinatus was her Husbande cald a gentleman by blood Whose graue aduice in time of néede did neighbours his much good In such chast loue this man and wife togither did remaine That no man could their spotlesse life With any blot distaine In selfe same citie where they dwelt A tyraunt vile bare rule Sinoris was his name Who being taken with her loue Did wooe this worthy Dame When after many onsets giuen Hée had sustaind repulse His trauayle spent in vaine Her worthy spowse Sinatus then Hée caused to bée slaine For he surmisde the feruent loue That shée to husband bare Did hinder him from his desires And eke procurd his care This done afresh this tyraunt vile Pursues in cursed suite Of her then that hée did before Hée reapes none other fruite The secret flames of Cupids fire