Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	breath_n	die_v	life_n	4,005	5	4.5802	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21074	Ariosto's satyres in seuen famous discourses, shewing the state, 1 Of the Court, and courtiers. 2 Of libertie, and the clergie in generall. 3 Of the Romane clergie. 4 Of marriage. 5 Of soldiers, musitians, and louers. 6 Of schoolmasters and scholers. 7 Of honor, and the happiest life. In English, by Garuis Markham.; Satires. English	Ariosto, Lodovico, 1474-1533.; Tofte, Robert, 1561-1620.; Markham, Gervase. 1568?-1637.	1608 (1608)	STC 744; ESTC S100232	98,188	118

poore Goes vp and downe and begs from doore to doore Yet afterward I heare him blushlesse cry As if he were nought else but sanctitie Saying I am the man doth pray and fast Giues almes and leads my life pure virgine chast And which is more thou knowst ô God aboue Deare as my selfe I doe my neighbour loue But neither this dissembling nor the rest Brings to my thoughts or trouble or vnrest So that it shall nor breake my quiet sleepe Nor me from foode or other pleasures keepe It is not me it is themselues they wound The sores whereof wil on their soules be found But to returne from whence this speech me draue I for my sonne would such a Master haue As by my good will with these vgly crimes Should nor be staind nor challeng'd by the times One that would truly make him vnderstand From the great language so loued in our Land What politick Vlysses did at Troy Both of his trauels and his sad anoy Or all that euer Appolonius writ Or what Euripides that fount of wit With tragedies of stately Sophocles And the Astrean Poets workes of praise To them adde Pindarus whose famous bookes Called Galatea from the water-brookes With all those other writers which so long Haue beene renowned for the Greekish tongue Already hath my selfe taught him to know Virgil and Ouid and Horace long agoe Plautus and 〈◊〉 he doth vnderstand And oft haue seene them acted in our land Thus without me by this his Latine aide He may hereafter safe to Delphos traide Nor can he misle the way to Hellicon But safely to his iourneys end pas●…e on Yet that his iourney may the safer be And he more strengthned by his industry I faine would haue for him a trusty guide Whose knowledge in these countries hath beene tride My slothfulnesse or rather desteny Forbids my selfe to keepe him company From Phoebus Temple vnto Delos I le As Roman gates I opened him erewhile My meaning is that I am farre to seeke Though Latine I him taught to teach him Greeke Alas when first I was by nature giuen To verse and not thereto by strong hand driuen My bloome of youth being in the first apeare As hauing on my chinne not one soft heire My father with all rigor of his wit Quickly compels me to abandon it To study glosses and the ci●…ll Law In which fiue yeares I spent but no good sawe But when he from his wisedome did perceiue That I an endlesse web began to weaue And that against my nature I did climbe The scale I loued not and so lost my time With much adoe he gaue me libertie And made his will my will accompany Now was I twentie yeares of age and more Nor had I any schoolemaster before So as to tell you true I scarse was able To vnderstand in Asope any fable Till smiling fortune brought me to conuerse With Gregorie of Spoleto whose commerce I shall renowne and euer loue his name Because what skill I haue from him it came In Romane language he was excellent And in the Grecian tongue as eloquent So that he well could iudge from skill profound Whose trumpet had the shrill or better sound Or Venus sonne or Thetis louely boy But I in those deepe iudgements tooke no ioy Nor sought to knowe the wrath of Hecuba Nor how Vlysses slily stole away From valiant Rhesus both his life and horse By art of wit and not by manly force For I desirous was to know at first Why to Aeneas Iuno was so curst Or why her malice with prolixitie Held him from being king of Italie Besides me thought no glorie would arise From the Greeke tongue to me in any wise If first I did not Latine vnderstand It being once the tongue of our owne Land Whilst thus the one with industry I sought Hoping the other would with ease be caught Angry occasion fled me for because Offring her fore-lock I did seeme to pause That haplesse dutchesse tooke my Gregorie From me to fix in her sonnes company Whose Vnckle did vsurpe his souerainty For which she saw reuenge sufficiently Though to her cost alasse why was 't not ment That he which wrongs should haue the punishment●… The vnckle and the nephew such was fate Lost at one instant kingdome goods and state Both being conuaid close prisoners into France One instant giuing date to each mischance But Gregorie at the suite of Isabel Followed his scholler whom he lou'd so well To France he follow'd where he liu'd till death Tooke from his best of friends their best of breath This losse so great with other losses more Which vnexspected I with patience bore Made me forget the Muses and my song And all that to my study did belong Then dyed my father from Maria now My minde I to Maria needs must bow I now must finde a husband who must take One of my sister to his louing make Then for another I must straight prouide That to a lesser charge I might be tide For though the Land came vnto me as haire Yet others held in it with me a share Then to my yonger brothers was I bound Who me a father in my loue haue found Doing that office which most dutiously I ought performe to sacred pietie Some of them vnto studie did attaine Some in the Court did couet to remaine Each one to such good courses so well bent That to my conscience they gaue good content Whereby I saw their vertuous infancy Would saue their age from all indignitie Nor was this all the care which from my booke Kept my long thirsty and desiring looke But many more though these sufficient be That I was forc't in this extremitie To ty my Barke vnto the safe calme shore Lest it should saile at randon as before And so vnwares vpon the quick-sands runne Whereby the rest and I might be vndone But I as then so many crosses had And in so many folds of griefes was clad That I desired nothing but my death As weary onely of a wearie breath Ay me as then my chiefest pleasure died The columne whereon all my hopes relied He whose commerce did onely ioy my hart Gaue life vnto my studie bred mine art Whose sweetest emulation made me runne That frō the world I might the goale haue wun My kinsman friend my brother most most deare My heart my soule nay thē my soule more neare My best Pandolpho died ô that my death Had beene the happy ransome of his breath O hard mishap ô cruell ouerthrow That to the Ariostian house could grow To lese their choisest branch their garlāds grace Whose like shall neuer grow in any place In so great honor liuing didst thou liue That I but rightly said when I did giue Thee first preheminence to vertues crowne In all Ferrara or Bologna towne From whence thy noble ancestors first came And at this day doe florish in the same If vertue honor

deedes e ●…lphonso duke of Ferrara vsed him very kindly making him in some sort his companion though otherwise hee got little in his seruice f Fortune is fained by the Poets to be slow in escaping from the vessel of Epimetheus that is an after w●… is better then a fore-wit a good lucke commeth not so soone as an ill Of this Epimetheus you may read more in Plato g Alluding to the common saying Fortuna fauet fatuis for commonly it is seene who deserueth best findeth least fauour at he hands h He saith that euery one that is lifted vp vpon the wheele of Fortune looketh hie for-getting his old friends becommeth a new man as it were not remembring his old poore acquaintance with whom he so familiarly conuersed before i Meaning honours changeth manners Affirming that a meane man raised to dignity and then humbling himselfe as he did before shall bee rather hindred then aduanced thereby and therefore he must keepe state still k He meane th Leo the tenth of whom wee spake before l An excellent saying of Ariosto and a worthy precept to know the inconstancie of common friendship m He applieth his hasty posting to Rome to be aduanced by Leo when hee was made Pope of which hee was deceiued and the suddaine rising of Leo and the Medici his chiefe friends to the sprouting of this Gourd which as it ro●…e hastily so did it 〈◊〉 suddainly and so did they all Ariosto of his expect●…ō the Pope and 〈◊〉 his followers 〈◊〉 their gloue n Although the chiefe of the house of Medici had but ill fortune which were Pope Leos brethren yet Clement his kinseman who within two yeares after succeeded him in the Papacie aised vp againe although in a manner constrained therunto his familie in Florence for hee sent for his nephew Alexandre out of Flaunders where he followed the Emperour Char●…es the fift who comming to Florence proclai●…ed himself absolute Duke of that City He married the Emperours base daughter and carried himselfe very stoutly towards the people insomuch as in the end hee was slaine by a kinseman of his owne called Laurence di Medices who thereupon ●…ed to Venice was afterward slaine by certaine men in hope of a reward which was proclaimed to be giuen to him that could take the 〈◊〉 either aliue or dead Alexander being thus dispatcht Cosmo the son of Iohn di Medices was chosen Duke of the Florentins who liued some 23-yeares after his election He married Don Diego di Tolledos daughter Viceroy of Naples had diuers children by her of which Francesco succeded him after his death then Ferdinando his brother who was called Ferdinando di Medices gran Du●…a di Tuscano This Ferdinando married the daughter of the Duke of Lorrain grandchild executrix to Katherine di Medices late Queene mother of Fraunce o This So●…na was a noble man of Romagna in Italy allied to the Strozzi of Florence and therefore one that could not brooke the greatnesse of the Medici p When Leo the tenth was Pope as I said before hee vniustly expulst the Duke of Vrbin out of his lawfull estate placed his nephew Laurence in that Dukedo●…e who had to wife through the fauour of Francis the French King Lady Magdalena nobly descended of the Duke of ●…on with a yearely re●…enewe of ten thousand crownes during her life But this mariage proued but fatall vnto them both for after hee had beene a while in France where he consūmated his wedding his wife died and he within a while after followed her leauing none other heire of his bodie lawfully begotten then one young daughter called Katherine who as I said before was maried to the French King Henry the second she dyed in Anno 1588 about the same time that the Duke of Guise was slaine in the Castel of Bloise by her sonne Henry the third king of France and Poland In this foresaid Katherine ended the direct and right line speaking of those which were lawfully begotten of Cosmo di Medices surnamed the great The aforenamed Laurence was a man of great hope for his yeares for his valour and learning and was a great Mecenas and fauourer of the learned he left a base sonne behind him called Alexander first Duke of Florence who as I said but euen now was afterward sla●…ne by his owne kin●…man q He meaneth Don Iulian Pope Leo brother who died of a consuming and languishing disease in Florence whose w●…fe Philib●…rta of Sauoy although she was but yong and with all passing 〈◊〉 when her husband left her widowe notwithstanding she had many great offers of diuerse Priaces which then liued yet did she to the wondring of euery one giue ouer the world voluntarily retiring her selfe into a Nunnery which she her selfe had built where she liued in deuotion vnto her dying daie r This was a noble man of Florence a follower of the Medices and by Leo made Cardinall s He meaneth Barnard Di●…itio of Bibiena who was a mightie man of wealth and a true friend vnto the Medices in all their troubles aiding them continually with men and money A man of that good conscience that Don Iulio Duke of Nemours made him his executor when he died although as then he had two brethren aliue which were Pope Leo and Peter the eldest of the three t Torsy was Bibienas cheefe house or place not farre from Casentino The Poet saith he had beene better to haue liued quietly at home then to haue beene Cardinall because it cost him so much in assisting the Medices in their troubles and again●… because hee did not long enioy that honour but dyed u Contesina is the name of Leo the tenths mother x This was the King of France kinswoman wife to Laurence the Popes nephew of whom wee spake before y This was Alfonzina the Pope●… sister mother vnto Laurence di Medices vnto whō Leo graunted a donation of the profits and exactions of the indulgences in many places in Germany vpon which occasion Martin Luther began first to take exception against the Pope for the same and so consequently against the popish religion z The Co●…onation of Leo was so sumptuous and costly that many tooke exceptions against the same as in Guychardine more at large apeareth a All that were at the coronation of Leo in their iollitie I meane the greatest persons died within a while after first Peter the elder brother was drowned ●…ulian the second consumed to death shortly after Laurence their ●…ephew died of a languishing disease in France and his wife a li●…le before him left her life there also so likewise Contesina the Popes mother Alfonzina his sister the Cardinals of Rossi and Bib●…na yea and the Pope Leo himselfe all these I say dyed one after another in a short space as namely in the space of eight yeares and lesse b He intreateth rather thé to be troubled any more to be rid first of his liuetenancy of

comes my pouertie I beare As it on earth my best of best things were This makes that brothel wealth I doe not loue Or that great name or titles do me moue Or any State allurements so adore That I wil sell my libertie therefore This makes me neuer to desire or craue What I not hope for nor am like to haue Nor choler nor disdaine doth me assaile Nor inward enuy shewes my count'nance pale Sith M●…ron or C●…lio are Lords created Or from low basenes into greatnes stated Nor doe I care for sitting at great tables Soothing the humors of these pufpast bables But hold them as the scum of foolery Whom rymers taxe in idle balladry That I without attendants am content To walke a foote and make my selfe consent To follow mine affaires and when I ride To knit my cloak-bag to my horses side As much doth please me as at my command A world of mercenary knaues did stand And sure I thinke my sinne is lesse each way In this for I respect not what men say Then when in court I am inforst to bribe And euery scornefull proud delay abide Ere our most lawfull suits vnto the Prince We can preferre and be dispacht from thence Or slander honest titles or subuert Right without reason conscience or desert Only to shew our malice or what 's worse Because thereon doth hang a heauy curse To make poore parsons buy their tenths so deare That they are double forc't their flocks to sheare Besides it makes me with a pure deuotion Thank my good God for my lowe safe promotiō And that where ere I come I this haue proued I liue amongst the best and am beloued T is knowne though I no seruice had I haue Goods to maintaine me and to buy a graue That which to me from birth and fortune came Is such as I may boast without my shame But for I will not worke your too much paine To my first song I will returne againe That I no true occasion haue to grieue Because in your commercement I not liue I haue already strength of reasons showne And yet if more should be vnto you knowne It would be to no end sith I doe see That our opinious warres will not agree Yet with one other more I will contest Because I hold it stronger then the rest If I from my poore house should start away All would to wrack I being all their stay Of fiue of vs all which now liuing are Three are remoued into Regions farre As Charles who in that kingdome meanes to stay From whence the Turkes Cleanthus driue away G●…llasso for a Bishoprick in Rome Doth daily gape and lookes when it should come Thou Alexander dost with my Lord remaine Making thy seruice purchase of thy gaine Only poore Gabriels here but what wouldst thou That he should doe hereafter or what now He as thou know'st of hands and feete is lame And so into this wretched world first came Abroad he hath not gone which cannot go Little hath seene and le●…ethen then that doth know Onely at home he doth securely bide Now he that takes vpon him for to guid A house as I haue done must haue respect That they doe not the impotent neglect My maiden sister is with me beside Whose dowrie I am bound I shall prouide Til which I haue effected honestlie I can nor say nor thinke that I am free Lastly th'unweildie age of mine old mother Doth all my other cogitations couer She must not be forsaken of vs all Vnlesse to ruine wee will headlong fall Of tenne I am the eldest and am growne An old man full offortie foure yeares knowne My head is bald and for I sicknes feare My braines to comfort I a night cap weare The small remainder of my life behind To keepe it curiously is all my minde But thou whose issue from my mothers wombe After me fully eighteene yeares didst come Go thou and serue my Lord and spend thy breath In heate in cold in danger and to death Go view the world high Duch and Hungarie Attending on him most obsequiously Serue for vs both and where my zeale doth lack Make thou amends and bring my fauours back Who if he truly please of me to thinke The seruice I can doe him is with inke To giue his fame large wings not in the field To proue my force in such assaults I yeeld Say vnto him Great Lord at thy command My brothers seruices doe humbly stand Whilst I at home with a shril trumpets sound Will spread his worthy name vpon the ground That it shall goe as farre as Sea or land Yea and beyond the Gadean pillars stand To Ariano and Filo it shall fly But not so farre as flowes swift Danuby For my weake muse can hardly iumpe so farre So wet alasse my feete and bodie are But could the glasse of time to me restore Those fifteene yeares which I haue spent before Then would I neuer doubt but that the fire Of my quick braine through all worlds should aspire But if he thinkes because he giues to me Each foure monthes twenty fiue crownes for a fee Which pension is not alwaies duely paid But many times by many humors staid I therefore shall such bondage to him owe As if I were his villaine and not know Ought but his will my health and life neglect Enter all dangers without all respect If so he think his greatnes is mistaken Nor shall he finde my liberty forsaken Tel him ere I le liue in such slauery I le entertaine most loathsome pouerty Once there an Asse was of his skinne and bone So leane that vnder them he flesh had none Who stealing through a hole that broken was Into a barne well stuft with corne did passe Where he so cloid his stomack and his hart That he grew fat and full in euery part His bodie growne to such a shapeles masse That like a tun his huge proportion was But in the end fearing if he should stay His bones too dearely for his meate should pay Intends to issue forth where he came in But is deceiued for why his bellies skinne Hath made his bulke so great with that he stole His head can hardly now peepe through the hole Nearth'lesse he striues and struggles much in vaine Lost is his labour and his booteles paine A little mouse which spi'd him thus did say Asse if from hence thou wilt thy selfe conuay Thy bodie thou must bring to such poore case As when thou first didst come into this place Leane and like carion must thy carcase be Else neare expect safe harmelesse liberty Hence I conclude and boldly dare impart That if my Princely master from his hart Thinke with his gifts that he hath purchast me It shall not to my selfe ought grieuous be That I restore them back to him againe So I my former libertie may gaine Freedome I onely loue since I did heare That men doe many times buy gold too deare The second

T is they alone which makes them beautilesse This curious painting when they vndertake True natures beautie doth the cheeke forsake All that is excellent away is fled Hating to liue with hell being heauen bred Likewise those waters which they vse with care To make the pearle teeth orient and more fare Turnes them to rottennesse or black like hell Whilst from their breaths doth issue forth a smell More noisome then the vilest iakes can yeeld Or carion that corrupts within the field Well let thy wife to none of these sins cleaue But to the Court these rarer cunnings leaue Let her apparell be in comely fashion And not stragnized after euery nation Head-tires in shape like to a corronet With pearle with stone and Iewels richly set Befits a Princesle right a veluet hood With golden border for thy wife 's as good The Loome the Needle and fine Cookery Doth not disparage true gentility Nor shall it be amisse if when thou art Within thy country home thy wife impart Her huswifely condition and suruay Her Dayrie and her milk-pans once a day The greatest states in these daies will respect Their profits when their honours they neglect But her cheese care shall on thy Children be To bring them vp in each good quality And thus if such a wife thou canst attaine I see no reason why thou shouldst refraine For say that afterward her mind should change And from corrupter thoughts desire to range Or that she seckes to scandalize her house With blacke disdaine or shame most impious When in her haruest yeares thou comst to mow And findst where corne was nought but weeds dohgrow Yet thou thy selfe as faulty ●…nst not blame But spitefull Fate the author of defame And that her infancie was misgouerned And not in vertue truly nurtered Thou canst but sorry be for her offence When want of grace doth draw on impudence But he that like a blind man doth run on And takes the first his fortunes fall vpon Or he that worse doth as doth basest he Who though he know her most vnchast to be Yet he will haue her in dispight of all Euen though the world him hatefull Wittall call If after sad repentance him importune Let him accuse himselfe for his misfortune Nor let him thinke any will moane his case Since his owne folly bred his owne disgrace But now since I haue taught thee how to get Thy best of choice and thee on horse-backe set I le learne thee how to ride her wild or tame To curb her when and when to raine the same No sooner thou shalt take to thee a wife But thou shalt leaue the old haunts of thy life Keep thine owne nest lest some strange bird lie hid And do by thee as thou by others did Like a true Turtle with thine owne doue stay Else others t'wixt thy sheetes may falsly play Esteeme her deare and loue her as thy life No matchlesse tr●…sure like a loyall wife If thou wilt haue her like and honour thee First let her thine affections amply see What she doth for thee kindly that respect And shew how thy loue doth her loue affect If by omission she do ought amisse In any thing that gainst thy nature is With loue and not with fury let her know Her errours ground for thence amendments grow A gentle hand A Colt doth sooner ●…ame Then chaines or fetters which do make him lame Spaniels with stroking we doe gentle find Sooner then when they coopled are or pinde These kind of cattell gentler then the rest Without the vse of rigor do the best Good natures by good vsage best do proue Disdaine breedes hate t is loue ingenders loue But that like asses they should beaten be Neither with sense nor reason doth agree For where loues art auailes not there I feare Stroakes will more bootlesse and more vile appeare Many will boast what wonders they haue wrought By blowes and how their wishes they haue cau●… How they haue tam'd their shrewes puld them downe Making them vaile euen to the smallest frowne But let those Gyants which such boastings loue Tell me what they haue got and it will proue Their wiues their blowes on hands face do beare And they their wiues marks on their foreheads weare Besides who least a wicked wife can tame Doth oftest brag that he can do the same Remember she is neighbour to thy heart And not thy slaue she is thy better part Thinke t is enough that her thou maist command And that she doth in loue-knots loyall stand Although thy power thou neuer do approue 〈◊〉 that 's the way to make her leaue to loue Giue her all wishes whilest she doth desire Nothing but that which reason doth acquire And when thou hast confirmd thee in her loue Preserue it safe let nothing it remoue And yet to suffer her do all she will Without thy knowledge may much vertue kill So likwise to instruct without all reason To perfit loue is more then open treason To go to feasts and weddings mongst the best Is not amisse for there suspect is least Nor is it meet that she the Church refraine Sith there is vertue and her noble traine In publike markets and in company Is neuer found adulterous villany But in thy gossips or thy neighbours house And therefore hold such places dangerous Yet as deuotion to the Church her leades Thou shalt do well to marke which way she treades For often times the goodly pray is still The cause why men do steale against their will Chiefly take heed what consort she liues in Beware of Wolues that weare the Weathers skin Marke what resort within thy house doth moue Many kisse children for the nurses loue Some for thy wiues sake much will honour thee Doe not with such men hold society When shee 's abroad thy feare is of small worth The danger 's in the house when thou art forth Yet wisely watch her lest she doe espy Thy politicke and waking iealousie Which if she do then is her reason strong Thee to accuse that dost her causlesse wrong Remoue all causes what so ere they be Which to her name may coople infamy And if she needes will cast away all shame Yet let the world know thou art not to blame I know no other rules to set thee downe How thou maiest keep vnstaind thy wiues renowne Nor how thou maist keep men from hauing power Thy wiues chast honours basely to deuoure And yet I le tell thee this if she haue will To tread awry thou must not thinke through skill To mend her for she is past all recure And what she will do thou must needes indure Doe what thou canst by art or obseruation She will create thee of a forked fashion All 's one if thou do vse her ill or well When women are resolu'd spight heauen or hell They will strike saile and with lasciuious breath Bid all men welcome though it be their death And for

you shall not iustly thinke I lie Lend but your eare to this true history There was a Painter whom I cannnot name That vsed much to picture out the Diuell With face and eies fit for a louely dame Nor clouen feet nor hornes nor any euill So faire he made him and so formally As whitest snow or purest Iuory The diuell who thought it very great disgrace The Painter should orecome in curtesie Appear'd vnto him face to face Declared what he was in breuity And that he came but onely to requite His paines in painting him so faire and white And therefore wild him aske what so he would Asluring him to haue his whole request The wretch who had a wife of heauenly mould Whose beautie brought his iealous braines vnrest Intreated for the ending of that strife Some meanes to be assured of his wife Then seem'd the diuell to take a goodly ring An put it on his finger saying this So long as thou shalt weare this pretty thing Thou maiest be sure she cannot doe amisse But if thou vse to leaue this ring vnworne Nor man nor diuell can keep thee from the horne Glad was this man and with his gladnesse waked But scarce had he opened both his eies Before he felt his wife starke belly naked And found his finger hid betweene her thighes Remembring then his dreame how it concluded He thought the Diuell had him in sleep deluded And yet not so quoth he for it is tr●…e If so we meane our wiues shall be no flingers There is no such deuise nor old nor n●…w As still to weare such rings vpon our fingers For else though all our haires were watchful eies We should not see their subtill treacheries Nor can this policy scarce vs auaile For if she meaneth Cha●…cers iest to trie She to another will her loue entaile Although she knew she for the same should die The slie Venetian lockt his Ladies ware Yet through her wit Acteons badge he bare My Lord few married men do liue content Their wiues as crosses vnto them are sent So must I say the single life is ill Sith in the same dwels many troubles still Yet better t is in purgatorie dwell A little space then alwaies liue in hell What my best strength of reasons are you see And therefore your owne caruer you may be T' is all but one resolue who ere is borne To marry likewise must possesse the horne Yet I but merrily do write and iest The married mans estate of all is best And they who cannot chastly lead their li●…es May in the world find many worthy wiues One of the best of which I wish to you One that is louing loyall wise and true The fift Satyre THE ARGVMENT Hee sheweth by occasion of a certaine kinde of gouernment or Liuetenancie ouer a country which the Duke of Ferrara bestowed vpō him hor●… vnfit he was for any thing but onely for the Muses And that to be a louer is the greatest fault and greatest absurdity that anyman can commit THis day hath fully sum'd an euen yeare Since hither first I made my sad repaire Leauing Ferrara where I first drew breath By endlesse toile to hasten speedy death Hither where swift T●…rrita Serchio meetes Betwixt two bridges whence their billowes fleetes Making continuall noise through diuers springs Which their owne flowing waters to them brings To gouerne as the Duke did me assigne His poore distressed flocke of Graffanine Which crau'd his aid asloone as Leo died Because the Romish yoke they would not bide Euen Leo who with much sterne crueltie Had brought them to the gate of miserie And worse had done but that the mightie hand Of heauen did all his tyrannies with stand And this the first time is in all this while That euer I did write or ought compile Or to the learned Muses haue made sute But dumbly liued tong-tide and sadly mute The strangenesse of this place hath so dismaid me That like a fearefull bird I durst not play me Who hauing changd her cage flutters her wing And through amazement scard doth feare to sing Kinde kinsman that my case is in this sorte And that from me thou hast not heard reporte Wonder thou not but rather doe admire That in this space my breath did not expire Seeing I am an exild man at least An hundred miles from that I fancie best Since riuers rocks and mountaines boue the skies Keepes me from her is dearer then mine eies All other businesses which me concerne I can excuse and from mine ease doe learne To make my friends conceiue in generall That all my greatest faults are veniall But to thy selfe I will in plaine phrase speake And all mine inward cogitations breake To thee I le shriue my selfe for thou shalt know Both how my wisedome and my follies growe Where as to others should I so much tell My folly would be made my passing bell To ring my death of wit whilst with sterne looke The world would hardly my confession brooke Saying no question he is mightie wise Which can see nothing yet hath both his eies And is most fit to be a foole to other When his affects he can nor rule nor smother Fie to be fiftie yeares and yet to glowe As ifI did fully fifteene knowe And then he tels the scriptures strictest lawes Both scriu'ners ordages and old mens sawes Well though I erre I am not fully blinde But can my blouds fault in large measure finde And which is more I doe condemne the same And not as others doe defend my shame But what auai●…es my penance when nearelesse I know my faults yet make my faults no lesse Or since no precious Antidote I finde To heale the ranckling v●…cer of my minde But thou art wiser since when thou dost please Thou canst affectious sicknesses appease Which being hid in man Nature doth mix And to mans inward soule the same doth fix This is the worst the world of me can say Whose ill perhaps may haue a worse display Then it deserues although some verball care They haue of me when great their sorrowes are And would haue more if I could this redresse And these my fleshly motions quite suppresse Those which in this world speake most curiously Close in their hearts the deepest iniurie Thou knowst I know the world hath many a slaue That wil blaspheme sweare curse be mad and raue Accusing others that they cuckolds be When his weake iudgement hath no power to see How goodly large and spreading is that horne Which his owne forehead many yeares hath borne Other diseases euery one can spie But none will mend his owne deformity We can reproue in strangers what 's amisse And see not in our selues what vilder is We take delight that we can reprehend When t' were mo●… generous our selues to mend The wallet which behind hangs with sins store We neuer see our eies are both before I neither kill nor strike nor