share the ioyes that euer shall indure My bodie I bequeath vnto the earth The common Mother that first brought it forth My blessing I bequeath vnto the blade That makes the breach for grislie death to enter She shall not ride my patience like a iade If death-wrought resolution may preuent her O welcome engine of my cares releasing That kill'st Despaire to make my hopes increasing My sorrowes cares hart-breaking sighes and crosses Woes lamentations pining and despaires My teares complaints foule iniuries and losses Griefs shame misfortune and my daily feares I giue to her that now giues me this fall The sole efficient of my Funerall Let her haue time to rent her Amber haire Lether haue time to thinke on me and raue Let her haue time of fauour to despaire And skorn'd of all to liue Affections slaue Let her haue time to beg and none relieue her And euery day bring crosses more to grieue her Let her haue time to proue her friends her foes And see her olde acquaintance all forsake her Let her haue time her honest name to lose Abhorr'd of men and cursed of her Maker And euery minute let her finde a time To rue my death her vnrecalling crime My Halcyon daies of blisse and happines The milde forerunners of this fearefull storme I giue to those whom better starres doe blesse Which neuer felt the sting of womans skorne What euer else is mine disbursed be To those that liue and thinke no harme of me Come gentle knife why lingrest thou so long Come ease my sorrowes with thy fatall stroke My heart is resolute my hand is strong My lingring life more torment doth prouoke O King of graues why killst thou them abhor thee And turnst from me that now am readie for thee Auaunt thou viper I thy spite defie Where life is lou'd thou readie art to kill But neuer once thy weapons wilt applie To the redressing of a wretches ill Come trustie hand for thou must doe the deede Since other friends are fled in time of neede The Starre that first made entrance in mine eye And thence departing strooke my senses blinde Then led my heart in base captiuitie Yet to her prisoner proueth most vnkinde Witnes faire heauens she she t' is onely she That guides this hand to giue this wound to me Eub. Stay stay thy hand O Natures prodigie If blood and death must expiate thy rage Pittie thy selfe foule beast and murther me My life for thine my selfe will be thy gage Ten thousand deaths my soule indures to see Gods image wrong'd in thy mortalitie In massak'ring thy selfe whom dost thou kill But with thy bodie that immortall soule For whose redemption Christ vouchsaft to spill Those purple drops to quench the liuing coale Of his deere Fathers deepe-deserued hate And to the heauens promote thy poore estate Think'st thou by dying to preuent the paine That seemes to pinch thee in this brittle life Alas this death begets thee life againe When with thy selfe thy selfe shall be at strife When thou wilt thinke all paines consort in one And that thy selfe sustain'st them all alone O Acolastus what foule fiend of Hell Would glut his fury with thy harmeles blood Watching thy death here in some shady cell To pray vpon thy soule thy soueraigne good Looke studie sigh for grace and flye from euill Grace and resistance driues away the deuill Acolast Art thou a God a Man or else a Ghost Com'st thou from heauen where blisse solace dwell Or from the ayrie could-ingendring coast Or from the darkesome dungeon-hole of hell Or from the secret chambers of the deepe Or from the graues where breathles bodies sleepe Art thou a Hermite in this wildernes Or else some Satyre maskt in ages weeds Or by the heauens I charge thee to confesse Art thou her shape for whom my poore hart bleeds I I t' is so thou art that cruell she That wrought my death now fain'st to pittie me What bloody scene hath crueltie to act Death is the worst thy malice can inflict And thou hadst seene my soules poore cittie sackt But thy deepe policie did contradict Knowing by death my troubles should haue end Which to prolong thou mainly dost intend O be content with robbing me of life Why dost thou triumph ouer fortunes wracke The death of men determinates their strife And warres are finisht with the Cities sacke The Elephant and Dragon mortall foes Bury their hate in mutuall ouerthrowes By life my soule was pind in little ease By death I seeke my thraldome to release Then let my life thy brutish hart appease And giue me leaue at least to dye in peace O let it not be said in time to come A womans hate suruiues till day of doome Eub. Fondling I am no God nor tempting friend Nor yet the woman that could wish thee dead Know me for Eubulus thy auncient friend Witnesse this snow-white fleece vpon my head Marke my complection habite tongue and yeares How euery thing in quondam sort appeares I am no flint-hart female bloody minded Mocking thy senses with a borrowed shape But one that sees thy sense through passion blinded And sighes and seekes away for thine escape Then charme this mad infection that doth raigne In beldam fury of thy witles braine Be not as sottish as the simple sort That wracke their wits vpon misfortunes shelfe Nor yeelde thy reasons beauty-battred for t Crying God helpe yet neuer helpe thy selfe Thy crazed Shipp's not so farre runne on shore But thou maist scape and flourish as before Acolast Et tu Brute wilt thou stab Caesar too Thou art my friend and wilt not see me wrong'd I pray thee leaue me without more adoo For with my life my sorrowes are prolong'd I know thou pleasurst not in my distresse Then rob me not of deaths true happinesse Yet since in sun-shine of my better daies Thou wast a Father to my head-strong youth Training my rash-braind thoughts in reasons waies Whose words I euer found the glasse of Truth My cares shall take a truce with death so long Till I haue made thee priuie to my wrong Loe here at hand a circle-braunching tree Whose leauie bosome makes a summer seate Nature hath raisd this arbour purposely To shroude our bodies from the parching heate Here while we sit within this gloomy shade I 'le tell my Loue and how it did inuade Eub. Then yeeld me vp this irefull instrument The destin'd engine of thy tragedie T' is wisdomes rule occasions to preuent And giue no ground to Sathans trecherie Well now begin and giue thy sorrowes vent I 'le sit and mourne with thee till day be spent Mcolast To shew the poyson of my endles pining The taske is long and tedious to expresse Bright Phaebus to the Westerne deepe declining And repetition neuer made thing lesse Who rippes the rancour of old-wounded flesh In steede of healing makes it bleede a fresh Yet since the heauens are so propitious To make my friend eye-witnesse to my fall Lysten kinde
extremitie But wisdome weake my Reasons force was small To conquer loue which conquers wit and all I know no bastard Hauke can soare so high As doth the Hobbie towring high by kind Nor Aegle-like behold the worlds faire eye But with his beames their sight is stricken blind I know gainst Nature actions are in vaine And high-pitcht thoughts reape nothing but disdaine Yet Phaebus shining little Gnats may play Small flies may pearch them by the Aegles side It lies in compasse of thy yea or nay To be my bane or to become my Bride Loue strikes a match t'wixt mortall men and Gods Sweete loue me then can be no greater oddes O be remembred was not Vulcan lame Yet was he Lord of louely Venus bed Or if he were not more his wife to blame That rul'd the raynes to make him beare the head Such Vulcanes now are ours who doting olde Marrie young Maids to keepe them from co-colde Diuine Aurora full as faire as she Whose heauen-di'de face the Graces still admire Lou'd gray-beard Tython as ill fac'te as he And in her choice so pleas'd her chast desire That oft she said when Beauties dowre is spent Mine old-mans loue shall yeeld me sweet content I will not muffle vp a meane estate As smoth-tongu'd sutors daily vse to doe Bragging of Birth of Friends of this and that Of money lands yea and of Vertue too Breathing vaine boasts of many a golden shower And things God wot were neuer in their power A shame to boast of bloods antiquitie Wherein no honour nor true Vertue lies Each Brute may bragge hereof as well as we One still succeeding as another dyes T' is Vertue Minion doth nobilitate And makes a Monarch of a meane estate Let others promise Mountaines if they list Intrapping fooles by false insinuations Till womens hopes doe end in Had I wist And make them say Mens words are but temptations I hate all shifts plaine dealing still is blest I like the meane and here set downe my rest My dwelling is within a countrie Farme My table richly furnisht with Content My robes are such as keepe my body warme My pleasures rate sits at an easie rent My cheere is great my charge is very small My fruits my flocks my foes are none at all My life is nothing but a world of Loue I loue my God and next I loue my King I loue my Caesars friends that sit aboue I honour Vertue aboue any thing I loue my countrey and my dearest kin Briefly I nothing hate but mizers sin I spend the day time on these pleasant Plaines And while my Lambes grow wanton with the spring Vpon an oaten pype I cheere my paines And being wearie straight I fall to sing This done I laugh againe and shake my crowne To see the world of late turn'd vpside downe Our Fathers plained in their weary daies How much the world was chang'd from that of yore We say of late t' is turned many waies Yet will not stand as Adams did before Each side is turn'd and yet it standeth wrong And will doe still I 'le tell thee wench how long While Kings do thirst for Countries and for Crownes And Princes pray vpon their Neighbour Landes Might treads down right and Treason selleth Townes Iustice lies fetterd in oppressions bandes So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe While Nobles vainely vaunting of their blood Doe sell themselues to sensuall appetite Neglecting time to doe their Countrey good To punish wrongs ayde the poore-mans right So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe While citties swim in Lucre Lust and Pride No art but craft no gainefull trade but sinne While veluet breeches is allow'd to ride And aged Wisdome walketh bare and thinne So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe While Leacherie and Lucar strike a match Making a compound of two deadly sinnes And or'e th' Hesperian fruite like dragons watch Or as the Eden-keeping Cherubims So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe While poore are pincht by grunting Auarice And Gentils forste their ioyntures for to sell To Father Grauity whose biting vice Will send his soule for handsill vnto hell So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe While younglings chuse their Louers by their coyne Seeking to graft vpon a golden tree Goods make the choice the diuell he must ioyne But ware their soules the Priest will haue his fee So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe Briefly while Vices maske in Vertues weed And Reason made a Baude to each abuse While Beasts are fatted good men suffer need And all things altered from their proper vse So long the righteous gods will surely frowne And we shall finde the world turn'd vpside downe Thus while the world in sinne is madly tost Some beare the purse but Iudas loues no poore The rest in pleasures Labyrinth are lost And would returne but Custome keepes the doore I sit aloofe and laugh the world to scorne Happie in this to be a Shepheard borne I am a King my Conscience is my Crowne My Court is thoughts enriched with Content My minde to me is as a walled Towne My Treasure Grace which neuer can be spent The want of worldly things is very small To him whose heart desires them not at all I make my power the limits to my will And count wel doing summe of all my wealth My wishes fewe and easie to fulfill My care is none but soule and bodies health In Heauen my happe on God my hopes relye Loe thus I liue and thus I meane to dye Say me then Sweeting dost thou like mine offer My loue my life and all at thy commaund Say canst thou stoope vnto a poore mans proffer Thou art my Iudge here I holde vp my hand Now passe the speedy doome of life or death Or cure my bane or kill me with a breath I had no sooner said but straight began The cloudes appeare that menaced a storme Her face faire skie being turned pale and wan What might I hope but tempest euery houre The cursed Fates haue cloud-ecclipst my Sun Whose light once lost of force my life is done First darts her amiable brow coy frownes And cruell hate inserted in disdaine Inthrones her selfe then scorne and wrath abounds And where before Loue-tempting lookes did raigne There proud Contempt arm'd with disdainfull ire Scornd proffer'd seruice of my poore desire Heart-slaine with lookes I fell vpon the ground Her meaning strooke me ere her words were done As weapons met before they make a sound Or as the deadly bullet of a gunne Yet all my passions had no power to moue her But thus she rates me that so much did loue her Presumptuous Swaine proud selfe-conceited
wrong my true affection so I gaue in pawne my heart my hand my will Yet didst thou from thy plighted promise goe Vowing if all were dead saue I alone Thou wouldst forsake me and be wife to none Were I deformed though I am not faire Ill-nurturd Naturd churlish and vnkind Did any member Monster-like appeare Or did I faile in faculties of mind Then hadst thou some pretence of reason why Thus all askaunce thou holdst me in thine eye But these are false then whence deriues this hate Vngratfull guerdon of my zelous loue Perchance thou seest my shallow-ebd estate The thought whereof thy liking doth remoue T' is so I know it by too true a token For why thy selfe the same hast often spoken O Vertues blemish and thy sexes blot Base dunghill bird nere sprong of Gentle blood Vile is thy mind but viler be thy lot That mak'st earths drosse the soueraigne of thy good To cause men curse thee and to pittie me Thus doe I rate thy god if golde be he Heauen-skorned mould base skin of barren earth Springing in Caues where death and darknes dwell A monstrous mettall proued by thy birth Since men diue for thee halfe way downe to hell O cursed engine of light hating euill Fauourd of men but found out by the deuill O sacred thirst of golde what canst thou not Sinnes chiefest agent enemy to good Thou thou art sought to pay fond Pleasures shot Yet often found with losse of dearest blood Some termes thee gylt that euery soule might reede Euen in thy name thy guilt is great indeede Guiltie thou art of Murther Rape and Theft Guiltie of Briberie and subornation Guiltie of Treason Periurie and shift An accessarie by thy slie temptation To all sinnes past and all that are to come From Adams downefall to the day of doome Mishapen mettall smooth-fac'd Hypocrite Whose golden splendoure masketh mortall eyes Moth of the minde false slaue to false delight A diuell lurking in a strange disguise What is thy lustre when it shines most bright But Sathan clothed in an Angels light The want of thee is cause I want my blisse For whither flye the Gnats but to the Sunne The Swallow still repaires where Sommer is And womens hearts with heapes of gifts are wonne So dunghill wormes must catch the finest fish Else man shall neuer traine him to his dish Through thee one kingdome swelleth gainst another The Father butcherd often by his Sonne The Daughter giues a pasport to the Mother Fearing that else her daies would nere be done Through thee each murthring Roscius is appointed To act strang scenes of death on Gods annointed For thee the Merchant leaues his countries shore Wife Children Parents and what else is deare His heart presaging nere to see them more Such are the circumstances of his feare The waues the winds the rocks the cruell foe Consort in one to worke his ouerthrow But all the dangers of his wils obtaining Fright not this fondling from the sweets of gaine Nor weake-built hopes perswade him to abstaining When gold 's proposd the guerdon of his paine Thus Syren-like thou trainst him to the deepe Where waues oft lull him in his latest sleepe T' is thou false hell-hound right corrupting coyne That makst poore Souldiers needy bare disgraced While greedy guides their stipends doe purloyne And martiall discipline stands quite defaced O manners times O world-declyning daies Where might is right and men do what they please When spend-thrift Iohn that goodly gentleman Hath swallow'd Lordships downe his dainty throte And brought his Fathers fortunes in the wane By gadding Cities in a silken Coate Then to some friend doth Lusty-blood complaine him His Bank-rupt birth-right cā no more maintain him A man he is and Hector was no more Then why not Captaine too as Hector was Besides it is not as in times before When mens deserts were viewd in Vertues glasse A man may compasse wonders with a gift Then why not this Distresse will haue a shift Thus plotts he meanes to get a prettie traine Pretending honour and his Countries cause And then he musters vp each simple Swaine Himselfe not knowing Armes nor Martiall lawes He stalkes the streets as who say This is hee I meane that first will teach his men to flee Vnto this Captaine flocke both young and old He buies his seruant out and he his sonne O monstrous times when men are bought and sold Who goe vnransom'd thinkes himselfe vndone For what great hope or comfort can he finde That maketh one where blinde do leade the blinde The raskall remnant of these sillie men Are summond speedily by sound of dromme And Skapt-thrift wishes euery one were ten Of greater number greater gaines will come Well on they march and still he steales a bite To feede his auaritious appetite This tuch and goe sets all his teeth on edge He 'le be no Tantalus amid such treasure A thousand lawes the Lyon can alleadge To pray vpon poore Asses at his pleasure Yet pollicie perswades him to forbeare them Till far frō home the Wolfe may boldly teare them No sooner are their trauailes at an end But fresh afflictions full as fast beginning Yet sillie Lambes they deeme the Foxe a friend They shrinke no dog vntill they see him grinning They little thinke the end of his conduction Is wealth honour bought with their destruction This Iudas set in Councell with himselfe Not how to foyle his foe and win the field No no he gapes for gaine and rusting pelfe No palme he seekes but that doth profit yeeld Saies When the yron's hot is chiefest striking Tyme serues my turne and bids me doe my liking What long before was plotted in his head The Monster prosecutes to this effect He purseth all the pay of those are dead The diuell needes no councell to direct He that could bring himselfe to beggars plight Knowes how to rob another of his right This done he monthly minceth small their paye Sings Nunc dimittimus to halfe his Band The rest must liue on pillage and on praye Such as they seaze from Boores vpon the land Who best bestirres him for his Princes paie Takes halfe in hand the rest at latter daie O spightfull spectacle who could behold thee That frightst my senses in th' imagination While to my selfe my selfe doe thus vnfold thee How am I rauished with indignation Those that to mount by others fall haue sought O might their heads moūt higher thē their thought As he that trauailes in an vncouth wood Fraught with those Fortunes which his father left Is sodainly surpriz'd by Robin Hood And in a theeues name there receiues his shrift So stand these sillie soldiers at a bay Robd of their hire and basely sent away Poore playning Prodigalls now must they wend Backe to their countrey with remorse and shame But wher 's the feasting Father or a friend To welcome home his sonne forgiue his blame Alas our yron age will not afford it What help the poore the Deuill