debate Such is the slender thréed of mortall fate To his Friende BEware my friende Liue warylie At back behinde Pale death doth prie Eche howre and space Account the last Let Lampe of grace With Oyle be fast Then shalt thou stande In ioyes to raigne When Uirgins fonde Shall knock in vaine God graunt vs all To liue so right That when he call Our Lamps giue light Describing his lost of libertie and crauing returne of loue ONce frée I was at libertie My merrie minde was voyde of woe My hart had great felicitie I passed not for Cupids bowe Thus frée most frée in ioyfull prime I passe the sportes of youthfull time Untill thy vewe as Goddesse grace In heauenly shape that did appéere Had hent my hart in captiue case Such was thy voyce such was thy chéere That thy fine forme of natures frame The Gods aboue might well inflame It Venus past in forme and face Thy corps thy lims eche part so fine Thy chéerefull chéekes thy gentle race Thy curteous hart thy wit deuine That hart did smart in heauie part My fréedome fled bounde was my hart When first I cast my carelesse eye Upon thy hue that drue the dart I little thought thou shouldest lye So déepe sunck downe in my poore hart I would full faine forgo my holde My frée estate by wit to folde As birde alurde in winters sore On limed twigges that often bée Thinkes he is frée as late before Untill he sayes his flight to flée He cries he flies in vaine he tries On twigge in bondage there he lies So I by lure of thy good grace That thought my hart at libertie Was wrapt vnwares by featurde face With most extreme captiuitie A Beautie hath me bondman made By loue sincere that shall not vade Alas my panting hart so sore That doth lament in sobbing teares Most greedie gripes doe prick and gore To groning graue my corps that weares My cares and griefes doe rack my vaines Consider thou my restlesse paines Alas most faire and péerelesse gem Haue mercy now draw pittie néere And count me not the least of them That loue thée best in hart sincéere So thou that madste my wound so wyde Shalt for the same a salue prouyde My Ladie faire ah Ladie dere Perpend in hart my dolors great And looke vpon thy prisonere Whose chaines hath through his hart yfreat And let not want of welth in place Retract thy loue to runne his race He accuseth his tongue WHy fearefull tong what menst thou thus To fayle thy maisters paines to paint In matters vaine and friuolous Thou runst at rainge néedes restraint But fewer wordes my greater paine The greater paine the sooner ende The sooner ende the better gaine For lesse offence shortst life doth lende When he thought himselfe contemned O Hart why dost thou sigh and wilt not breake O dolefull chaunce thou hast a cause thereto For thy rewarde in loue and kindnesse eake Is recompenst by hate and deadly wo. Haue I so plight my heart and minde to thée Haue I béene bent so whole vnto thy hande And others now obtaine the fruit from me Thou art vnkinde forsooth such foe to stande O dolefull hart thus plungde in pinching paine Lament no more but breake thy truth to trie For where thy comfort was and ioy did raigne Now hate returnes no newes O hart now die Lo thus the bréeding birdes their nests do builde But others take the gaines and fruites of them The crooked clowne so earth the toyling fielde But oft the crop remaines to other men Well time may come wherein my fruitlesse part So ill bestowde some others may bewaile And wish they had receiude my yeelding hart Whose louing roote tooke grounde to small auaile To his friende JN hart and minde Your owne am I Till death by kinde Shall force to die Good vertues plant Let truth take place Where that doth want There is no grace Being sore sicke aunswereth his felowe enquiring whether he were willing to die WEe flourish now but flower shall fall and withered fade as frayle As yeres returnes so length of time causeth man and beast to quaile Now Lady Ver in liuely gréene doth showe hir grace in fielde Now Estas spreads the parching heate That Titans beames do yelde Now Autumne shewes the haruest sheaues that growe on fertill place Now Hiemps heapes the dyke with snow and shewes hir frostie face So first we spring in lustie youth at state of childish yéeres Now déeper wit as Estas ripes in grauer acts appéeres Then manhood makth a stabled minde none youthly prancks we haue Now hored age with stealing steps créepes in prepare thy graue And thus we fleete and fall away aswell the yong as olde Then youthfull impe trust not on yeres short life may make thée colde And thus by course and chaunge of time things mortall chaunge their way One age doth passe an other comes loe Time will all decay For thin is twist or fatall threed on mortall whéele so spoon Deathes howre may chaunce vnhoped for to lose that life hath woon Then why shoulde I once feare to die our byding is not héere But earth shall rot in earth againe till righteous iudge appéere When worlde and worldly things shall passe but God shall dure for aye Whose grace I craue with hart and soule on whome I stande and staye Now stretch my steps O Lord to run by length of time to bee That I may liue to die a right and die to liue with thée An admonition to his friende IF thou wilt be rightfull Alwayes stande thou faithfull To doe well be carefull Note friends and be thankfull Uaine talke flee and learne wit Marke wise wordes and loue it Alwayes pray and boast not Eschue pride and vaunt not Hate no man disdaine not Take time and sleepe not Each vertue traine iustlie Regarde betters wiselie Offende no Wight wronglie And declare alwaies truelie So God then will loue thee And good men will prayse thée When vertue shall clad thée All fame shall embrace thée Vse Vertue DOe well abstaine from vice obey thy parents will Remember God and learne be wise imbrace swéete vertue still Marke God before thy face vprise and pray betime No ydle howre let passe séeke grace detest all heauie crime Trie ere thou trust take héede haue God thy chiefest gaine Estéeme the time before all méede and godly lyfe retaine Alwayes let vertues rule to thy good rest If grace shall growe within thy youthfull brest At his Friends departure MY Muse which once with ioyfull voice to thee should welcome tell Alas to late as now she comes more fit to bid farewell But since my dolefull farewell must approch in welcomes stéede And eke at parture hence from me welcome should yll procéede High Ioue I praye thou mayst farewell alwayes in prosperous rase And eke in ioyes to make returne that welcome may haue place Of Knowledge WHen death is bent Yet stands thy praise For life once spent Wit fame doth raise
When Golde doth faile Is learning tride When riches quaile Good letters bide The more tis prest The more it springs It is the best Of mundane things It bydth with thee Doe what thou wilt Till dead thou be And breath be spilt No burthen tis To charge thy back Most wretch he is That this doth lack Eche thing that groes Doth likewise die Still learning floes Aboue the skie Than knowlege craue Let riches go If this thou haue welth néedes must gro Of Auarice THe childishe yeres in youth doth take the parents trade And are full oft against their wils compelde by Fathers harde To Auarice so vilde in Lucres gaine to game And Father is a happie man when sonne such lyfe doth frame So secrete vice doth lurck with cloke of vertues face And gréedie gaine the shadowe shapes of thrift in godly race And so from Sire to sonne from sonne to thousands mo By fonde conceyte continually this cloked vice doth gro Thus eche man for himselfe And poore laments in thrall For rauening wolfes by gréedie gaine hath beggard deuill and all Thus one doth care for one and one doth learne by one Till lust be puft and chokte with gaine and eche man turne to none But poore and worldly wights shall neuer fréedome finde As long as men take goodes for Gods by gréedie hart so blinde Of blinde Cupide LYbido lewde hath fainde a God of loue Whose pestlent powre to blase which can anoy A title fierce is added through behoue A furious God an Archer blincking boy Whome Venus fonde doth make to range amisse Hir pretie boy hir proper sonne he is He rashly flies in vnaduised way Which heauens doe pierce by his so little hande Though least he bée he beares the greatest sway Of doubtie knights he hath a witlesse bande Alack good childe of wanton foolish crew Thou makst them fooles w t thy fond badge of blew O little boy thou shootes thy raging dartes Full well he paints that makes the bussard blind For right nor rule nor reason hath there partes Where fansies fond doth fire an yéelding minde What euer thou art all furies fierce that bée I rather wishe than meddle or make with thée To his Friend whose friendly loue he craueth O Doubtfull hap O paines and pangues y t moue Thou yet wāts yeres to féele my smarts of loue Mee rue take age alas to thinke on mée My earnest life and death is set on thée Hart true I giue though most y u wouldst me hate Untill hart breake in woes and staruing state I erst doe craue regarde me once or neuer Die though I must yet loue I thée for euer Time trieth all that flieth without retorne Nought swifter is then yeres y t kils things borne Whose stealing steps I wishe more fast to flo To make thée apt thy timely fayth to sho Time absent still we wishe to come and stay And thus vnwares we craue our dying day None is content his present state to sée Yet thou my friend content mayst onely mée And eke in time I hope thou wilt regarde For seruice true the seruant takes rewarde As time shall giue the tried trust of mee Accepted so let me thy seruant bee To D. M. I Craue who will not loue Who loues I cannot craue The thing that doth me moue I séeke and cannot haue Amids the flouds I stande And yet shall die for drinke Of foode great store at hande Yet hunger makes me shrinke To his Friend being absent shewing his good will THe hart that lyues in pensiue doubt His wished ioyes shut farre him fro He drawes his dolefull tunes full out In griefe in paines in cares and wo. And eke in thende it may befall So my vnluckie choyse to spie That guiltlesse hart thou make full thrall By thy decrée to liue or die Then flinted stones and barked trée The sauage beasts on mountaine bred Shall waile my wofull hap by thée As simple lambe to slaughter led My hart hath woonted ioyes resignde Reiecting all for cause of thée A grounded loue in yéelding minde Flées wit and shoonns vtilitée To one who after death woulde leaue his liuelie picture TO leaue behinde a picture fine to sée It may small time well stande in stéede for thée But picture faire of noble actes of minde That farre excelles to learne to leaue behinde Which will maintaine a noble name for aye As Tullis tongue and Caesars acts can saye As Chauser shewes and eke our morall Gowre With thousands more whose fame shal stil endure The destruction of many NIce handes poore stock hart stout for to sée No friends no skill bagges pennylesse bee And pride doth presse to passe the degrée These brings lewde heads to great miserie Being destitute of money the complaint to his Friend OF all the haplesse hap That chaunce to mortall fone Goldes want to stop a gap By proofe I finde is one No paine so sore doth freat No pinsons so can rent No smoking smart so great That makes the hart lament For emptie purse no game No foode no friende no cote For monie all doth frame Whose slaue we are by lote Where money friend doth faile There fawning friends be gone Farewell poore wretch all haile Light purse makes heauie mone These paynes by proofe be gest What neede examples cost Where purse is so deprest As clapt in Sampson post Stormes past yet soone retires And drowsie dumpes decay So God graunt iust desires To driue these plagues away The Louer describeth his trustie loue THough horse so wylde in thousand partes Should teare my corps most dolorous Though fryde I were w t piersing smarts And boylde in lead most piteous Though sworde should pierse my hart so colde In bloudy woundes my death to frame Though paine of hell to me were folde Most retchlesse wretch and yll by name Though thousand miles on foote I fare With naked legge in frozen stormes Though bloud of hart I spend in care Through countries farre in thousand harmes Though dread in feares doth worke dispaire And hope alone doth cherishe mée Yet rack that rendes eche lim so faire Shall not by smart take heart from thee An admonition to his Friend LEarne honest mirth in humble curtesie Let person time and place regarded be Serue God in hart and loue his statutes true Then thée with goods and heauen he will indue Flee ydlenesse alwaies to labors frame Of thone comes good of thother sinne and shame He craueth regarde of the cares he taketh THe crooked clowne that drawth the plowe with all his yerely toyle Receiues at last rewarde of worke bestowed on fertile soyle And shall my paines and restlesse woes thus vnrewarded bée Shall I be prest in simpler sort and vylder case then hée The fethred foule that flées aloft obtaines the things he seekes And sundrie where his fostring foode with chirping bill he péekes Estéeme me so Desirous to requite for manie giftes one to his deare beloue NO man of sturdie thornes doth séeke the swelling
townes it drawes to ground at length Refuse therefore suche mate to matche though faire she be of face For inward vice with colours spreade doth outward vewe disgrace No credit giue to other men to choose a wife of fee For oft that other men displeasth may pleasaunt séeme to thée If loue be linckt and mate be curst and bende hir frowning brow Applie thy tongue to sugred spéeche that she may leaue to crow Exhort perswade desire entreat and praye hir still to be Embrace hir corps in louing armes and friendly amitie And swéetely kisse hir cherrie chéekes with gentle giftes hir deck And close thy handes most louingly about hir Iuorie neck Thus séeke all sayes hir sore to salue by good and honest way If this help not but froward fem will stiffely stande astray Then pleasant spéech suppresse and faine a sower vnsauerie looke As though thou wouldst deuour the walles and hang the house on hooke With bitter words beswindge this dame let no perswasion lack Let homely stripes sometimes on fall on yong vnrulie back But modest be thy strokes to strike let reason rule thy rate If fewe serue not hir hart to help thou mayest repent to late Take faythfull spouse of humble hart and graft in godly grace Graue wise discréete lernd méeke and one that beautie beares in face Who doth forgo hir deerest friendes and parents leauth eche one Hir selfe by troth shée fréely plight to husbands powre alone In kylling cares both sicke and whole shée faythfull is to thée Shée is thy ioy and comfort swéete though rich or poore thou bée Shée will obey at all commaundes in stormes and cruell smart In mirth in griefe in pouerishment shée bydes and takes hir part If fierce disease shall crase thy corps hir wylling helpe she dightes She cherisheth thée she sweetely speakes shée watchth both dayes and nightes When crooked age shall créepe on thée with stealing steps so blife Shée still prouides shée runnes and goes to heale thy sicklye life Of bodies two one corps is made so linckt in lotted loue Which streming stormes and bitter blast can not by paines remoue Yea after death shee life doth lende when pale thou rotst in grounde In sonnes by hir thy formed face may alwayes plaine be founde So that thy corps and shape be forme with long retayned name Doe florish fresh as springs the flowre to thy long byding fame But who so lapt in lyuing lewde with harlots vile remaine These fruits doth lose with name and fame and spends his goodes in vaine Defame shall eke abridge his dayes corruption corps shall slay And lyuers lewde sure God will iudge no doubt another day When as the vyle and stinking Goates shall passe to endlesse woe To fierie forkes and flames of hell in Limbo lake byloe By proofe these rules of mariage I doe not surely know But men of more experience the same to me did sho Which I for thée my tried friend by paine of simple quill Haue rudely set in this poore verse for want of cunning skill Fewe care for the soule all for the body WHen as the crased corps in groning bed doth lie The skilfull art of phisicks cure is sought for by and bie Which right prescribeth rules that thou must needes obserue By passing paines which thou doest kéepe though thou therefore shouldst sterue Such bitter brunts thou bearst thy bodies health to haue But who will take a little toyle his sicklie soule to saue No carnall men in cares are carnally ybent All gape for gaine there is no God but God make vs repent To his Friend Tho. Howell WHere oft the flouds doe floe vpon the beaten banck Their sandes debarre the grasse to groe to spread his Aprill spranck And where the sonne doth march vpon the greened grasse In time it will the pasture parch as though it neuer was So where the sonne bright friends my Howell hauntes to hit There vsed lyfe in present winds will kéeper cleane forget Their daylie flouds of talke shall ouerflow thy grasse That kéeper hath obliuious walkt as though he neuer was And reason tis I meane why shouldst thou kéeper kéepe Since thou mayest lose in keeping him that nothing can but sléepe For sléepish dumps me shut from taste of cunning stile Nor can I boult my rudenesse out which lies on rustie file Yet holde in mindefull moode our auncient amitie For faithfull friends giue present salue for all the cares that be An aunswere NOt floing floudes the féeble banck that frets Nor swelting heat whose flames y e pastures fry Nor slipprie sande which faint foundation lets Thy Howell once maye cause from thée to wry Ne shall the show of shining sunne bright friend By vsed lyfe or phrase of filed talke Haue powre to put my kéeper out of minde Whose tryed truth may not obliuious walke And where thou seemst to say that sluggish sléepe Hath shut thée forth from tast of learned lore From out they muse as from a Fountaine déepe Doth flowe the fruites of Ladie learnings store Thy wyt thy workes thy verse and stately stile Thy wayes thy déedes who well doth scan vew Shall finde therein nought forste with rustie file Though I want skil to giue thée praise thats dew Our lincke of loue and friendship fixt so fast Thy Howell howldes whylst lim life shall last The vanitie of riches THe stately Pallace princely pight the hoord of glistering Golde The patrimonie largde of landes cannot from sicknesse holde Nor can they cure the crased corps or glad the minde at all For who hath most of such a store the more he feares as thrall Gold is the father to the flock of flatterers by lot It is the summe of griefe or woe who bath or hath it not For who it hath he quakth in feare lest fortune rob his thrift Who hath it not laments bicause he knowes not how to shift Wherefore of riche or poore I iudge as wisedome small I hent In best estate is he with his that liues alwayes content An Epitaph made vppon the death of the right Honorable the Lady Gartrid late Countesse of Shrewisburie THe steling sting of gasping death that byth by fatall force To bring vnto the wailed graue this Countesse courteous corse Had thought to thrust his spitefull speare to wounde this Fem to die And quite to dim this glorious Gem the flower of courtesie And cloth hir corps in shrowding shéete to woorke hir endlesse wo But O thou death thou art deceaude for that is nothing so Nor canst thou mar or stop the trumpe that soundes hir during fame More health then harme more blisse then bale to hir by thée there came For she hath light in lasting life of endlesse ioyes ywis So where thou thoughst to spoute thy spite thou hast hir brought to blisse So enuie gaue thée not the power thy malice madde to fill But thou hast done this Countesse good vnwares against thy will For nowe hir noble name shall byde in sounder soueraigntie And