is man experience this doth try Who flourisheth here but yet at last shall dye For flesh is fraile and framde of fickle clay Yea life is short and breath is quickly gone Of whom the wormes doo seeke to make a pray When thou art dead and couered vnder stone And to the wombe where thou at first did lye Thou shalt returne prepare thy selfe to dye Remember death and thinke vpon the end Bequeath thy soule vnto the Lord of might And crauâ— of him such mercy for to send That when thou diest thou maist inioy the light Which few attaine aboue the clowdy skye which to attaine prepare thy selfe to dy And faint not Dicke though denting death be nere For why thou hast run forth a roiall race Pull vp thy strength take hart and bée of chere And 〈◊〉 thy minde vpon that blessed place Whose ioyfull ioyes were neuer seene of eyâ— Nor thought of hart prepare thy selfe to dy For euery man which liued the age before Could not resist the denting stroke of death The strongest men whose fame is kept in store Vnto the fates did yéeld their liuely breath Olde Adam hée to this could not deny For why hee knew that hee was â—orne to dy The former world to this gaue their consent Saturnus liued and after died againe Yea all his stocke with this was well content When death doth come none can resist his paine Death play thy part and life away shall fly All must confesse that they are borne to dy The stately streaâ—s and Turrets all of Troy Be now cast downe and flatling lie on ground All Pryams stocke the Grecians did destroy Rare was his chance and seldome to bee found Alas what tho the Turrets all on hie Yeelded to dust and Troians all did â—ie â—neas 〈◊〉 Antâ—nor did thesame 〈…〉 pursued with all his lordly route 〈…〉 some other die in flame 〈…〉 hath seerched other â—ut For when as death this present life defie Prepare thy felfe for then neede shalt thou dy Dy oh my Dicke why shouldst thou gruâ—th to die What wouldest thou wish to liue in this animy What is there lost that should delight thy eye What is there now that should augment thy ioy Then farewell life and welcome death say I Come death come come let vs prepare to dy Ah welcome death alas what haue I sayd Nay welcome life and farewell death againe But oh my fréend I pray be not dismaide For where wee liue in death wee do remaine Then farewell death the life it is why Which to obtaine let vs prepare to dye To dy I meane out of this deadly life To dy I meane out of this care and wo To dy I meane out of this wofull strife To dy I meane and free my selfe from fo To liue to life and dy to sin meane I To liue in ioy let vs prepare to dy To liue in ioy to liue in heauenly blisse To liue in ioy in mirth solace and glée To liue in ioy who would not dy for this To liue in ioy where all the Angels bee To liue in ioy which ioy none can â—escry To liue in ioy let vs prepare to dy Prepare to dy out of this world of woe Prepare to dy out of this sea of sin Prepare to dy to hauty heauen to goe Prepare to dy the heauenly life to win Prepare to dy to liue within the sky Prepare to dy I say prepare to dy And though the paines and pinching pangs of death Perhaps do stinge thy silly naked hart Bée not dismaid feare not to yeeld thy breath To him which can aswage thy swelling smarte And dreadfull dumpes for of this minde am I With Christ to liue feare not with Christ to dy And this thou knowest that worldly life is vaine And though thou liue perhaps yet forty yeares Confesse good Dicke dissemble not nor fainâ— Shall not those yeares be garnished all with cares And yet at last all this by proofe wee try When death doth call then Dicke perforce must dy Perhaps thy freends do sit in high renowne And thou by them maist haue of good estate Perhaps thou wish to weare a Counsuls gowne Or els to spend thy life with ioyfull mate Wherto beeing raised and to this state so hye Alas thou sayest t would greene thee for to dye I know thy minde thy freends oft haue I seene Their good estate I must confesse no doubt I know their care which vpon thee haue beene I know the means which parents haue sought out I know thy loue oh Dicke I doo not lye But for all this prepare thy selfe to dye For why thou knowest the soule it is most deare To bee preferd before the body vilde Then if thou seekest for pleasures that be here To beautifie that part which is defilde Seeke seeke and search thy dilligence apply â—adorne thy soule prepare thy selfe to dye And thus I end but one thing by the way If God graunt life and longer dayes to thee Thanke him therfore to whom cease not to pray Both for thy selfe and then thinke vpon mée Who for thy sake to mighty Ioue will cry To ayde vs both but yet prepare to dy And thus I ende as erst I did begin Prepare to dy for why thy flesh is fraile And call to minde that Hauen to enter in Whose ioyfull bankes in winter will preuaile In winters raine when windes do blow in say Coch in this hauen so shalt thou neuer dy The poore Knight his Paramour written to M. Iohn Com. Phisition and his singuler Mecaenas Nudior Leberide A Parramour I haue you shall not know her name Which neuer ceast to follow mée since I to Cambridge came Shee loues mee passing well I can not her abide And yet perforce doo what I can shée hangeth on my side Shée coucheth euery night next to my tender brest And many times shée saith what Will and le ts mée take no rest Among my deadly foes my body shee doth kéepe Shee kéepes the key of all my chestes both when I wake and sleepe I bring nothing to ende nothing I doo begin But ere I goe about the same I haue her minde therin For this her gentilnesse I can not bée content But wailing of my heauy hap alas I doo lament And vnto you I send as to my only stay To aske that Phisikes Art may driue my Paramour away To Thomas Ro. the poore Knight sendeth greeting Asinum tondes THou wailes thy heauy hap chance thy state thou didst lament Thou séekst y which thou canst not finde alas bée thou contente And builde no more vpon the sande the flint no iuce will giue And from the Well thou canst not fetch thy water in a Ciue To pull a balde man by the crowne what vantage canst thou sée To teache the Iron swim aboue great wonders these should bée To sow thy seede among the Rockes or plow the sand for salte The one declares a vaine attempt the other showeth a fault But if thy minde haue doted erst
the same His paper hath no liberty his pen may not display That which his Muse in learned stile is now forbid to say His auditors who willingly his lectures did frequent By publike charge they must abstaine in feare of punishment Till mighty Ioue which raised vp this bow this branch this tree Sent siluer â—â—wes and christall springes his comfort for to bee By whom this branch did blow againe with bloomes that were most bright With â—â—led pen and reasons rule hee put his foes to flight The combat was proclaimed on hye olde Rumus must begin In liftes his manhood for to try his foes bâ—e entred in Not one nor twaine but many foes assembled were togeather To lanche the barke into y waues against the stormes wealtheâ—â— Olde Ramus hée whose worthy wit whose force to few was knowne Ariueth in porte but in the seas his foes bee ouerthrowen And they which made this fire for to consume this florishing trée Through heate of kindled coales them selues to ashes wasted bee The pit with Pretus wife did dig Belerephon to intray As pleased the fates to winde their clew returnd to her mishap Euen so Don Phoebus dained at last his glittering beames to show Erpulsing Winters hoary head with boysterous-windes that blow And Ramus gates which earst were lockt â—ee now vnbard againe Frée passage is permitted there where bondage did remaine The learned route frequented him the Muses did him fauor The graces sought by gracious meanes â—or to requite his labor The bowes did flourishing fruitfully while sommer did remaine When season came hee yeelded fruit and France did reape the gaine And eft olde Ramus sayd come come come learne if that you will I haue the key that doth vnfolde and openeth vnto skill Grammarians come and learne I pray come Reâ—ors come quoth hée In Logickes art I will you teache so shall you perfite bee Oh happy place oh ioyfull man which hast such ware in sight Twise happy France if France had knoweÌ„ to vse thy fruites aright Oh blessed man whose listning eare might heare thy dubled voyce What cause had they which were thy freends of thee for to reioyce Thus while the skyes were cleare while calme did beare the sway Olde Ramus wan his fame and praise which shall remaine for aye And pend his frute in volumes great which all the learned know The gâ—ine they reape which taste his frute the paine hee did bestow What cause haue they that studients bée and taste his frutes aright For him and his to yeeld great praise vnto the Lorde of might But as they haue cause to reioyce so may they weepe and waile Though dâ—lefull dâ—â—pes trickling teaâ—es his cause will not auaile Waile wâ—ile wâ—â—pe they may for why the tempest raised on hye When foes did frowne then winde did wrest frute did scattered lye The tree was digged vp by the roote the branch was lopped low And France disdayned at the frute which on this tree did grow When hundreds which professed the Lord with hart with déed with word With these was Ramus put to death mâ—rdred with y sword When noble péeres and Gentilmen when men of martiall might By bloody hands and â—inty harts alas I rue that wight Partaker of such misery by those of Tigers traine Whom pittie neuer seemde to mooue for Christ his cause were slain Then Ramus hée that Lampe of light of learning in our daies Did ende his life and purchast fame which shall remaine alwaies Whose death although his foes did wish which haue therto consented Yet all the world no doubt the losse of him haue long lamented In Christ hee liued in Christ hée died with Christ hée doth inioy A place no doubt for which hée died which nothing can anoy As then his life deserued fame his death deserueth more Then cease the losse of such a life yee Muses to deplore And graunt to him his guerdon due which all his déedes doo merit I meane within your Courts of fame his méede hée may inherit Vt voce sic vultu ac vita An Epitaph vpon the death of P. Starling Somtime Schoolemaister of Bury Schoole CEase sighing now and thinke no more of care Goe grisly ghost goe tell thy heauy hap Come dolefull Dames cast of these weedes you ware Reioyce with mee which lye in ioyfull lap Where ioy it selfe longe since did keepe and dwell Cease from your plaints and harke what newes I tell The prety birde which you haue fostered longe Which buylt her neast within the Iuory tree Which did delight your eares with sugred song Though from her kinde those notes dissending bee â–ª Hath now of late built vp her neast on hye And sunge her songe within the lofty skye For while hée serued with sheeld of learned lore And wan such thinges as furnished his nest Iudge you ye Dames which knew this bird before Might not hee well compare him with the best In learnings lap and vertues brants brâ—d hee Oh happy wight what gifte could better bée And euery day vpon Parnassus hill Hee tought his young most sweetly to recordeâ— His pleasant tune eche vacant place did fill His ioyfull notes did please the liuing Lorde A constant hart in him was truly tryed Thus Starling liued thus Starling lately died And in the clowdes hée doth possesse his place When as the Dames his fatall clew had spun Vntimely death did win him in his race And stopt the steps which hee did thinke to run Yet sith in heauen hée doth inioy his blisse Hée liueth in place where perfit pleasure is Vt voce sic vultu ac vita An Epitaph on the death of M. Sharpe of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge IF wailyng would preuaile if we would vaunt at will Or if thâ— faries three were linked all in one To helpe them for to mone whose greefe haue banisht skill Then happy wee the case of him which made this mone But sith the penuÌ„ue hart maâ— linger where it lye And sith the dolefull doomeâ— will not release the hue While that I â—eade my life I will not cease to cry And waile with them which say my owne good Sharpe adue And waile with them which say my owne good Sharpe adew Adew farewell adew vnto thy clampe of clay Whom when thy breath forsooke to that which should insew A prooâ—e oâ—â—eruing life most glorious for aye No panges which wicked feare could breake thy hart in sunder But â—â—edfast in thy trust Christ Iesus was thy stocke To whom in all thy woe which caused the wicked wonder Thou only calest for ayde to him which was thy rocke Thou only callest to him for ayde which was thy rocke To whom thou yeeldest life hoping for sweeter gaine Whole vse is not disceite the faithfull for to mocke Rewarding iust with life the wicked with their paine The foolish liue in sinne the wicked asketh woe Their woe is burning fâ—er whose flame shall euer last Then happy maist thou bee which passed thy time so Whom
distresse And on the lefte side ietted Rage with cruell Tyranny Which were as aydes vnto the host led by Audacity I haue not here rescited those which petty Captaynes were Only my Morpheus charged mee the chéese for to declare But this I saw that Idlenesse did beare a worthy sway That Drunkennesse and Drowsinesse did set them in aray Dissention ran from host to host and Riot stood not still But all adioynd their helping hands and furdered with good will I let passe all the Souldiers names the labor were to long And yet my booke would not containe the names of all the throug Thus euery thing beeing finished ech Souldier standing still Beholde a proclamation was made by Cupids will. Which offered giftes aboundantly to any souldier there To vndertake in Dians tente a message to declare And greete her hartely from him which blinded bare the bow Commaunding her to yéelde in time and quiet peace to show Or els with diâ—t of martiall blade hee would dispatch her quite And teache all other to beware for to resist his might Desire a champion of great pride whose force deserued fame Before the Gods and Venus faire on knée did aske the same Which when the Gods had graunted him and Cupid gaue consent Hee tooke his leaue of all the trayne and forth to Dian went. Come let vs go quoth Morpheus then this greeting for to here I am content my Lord quoth I to attend both here and there To vew Dianas Court quoth hee for to discribe the same To heare the answere to Desire to know the Captaines name For shee was ready furnished of Souldiers at her will And euery court garnished with Captaynes of great skill Desire who longed to tell his tale approcht this Dame vnto With duty done for curtesie had chargde him so to doo But sith my Angell bad mee first for to discribe her traine And sith to sound a true report my Morphes tooke such paine I thinke it most conuenient seeing time doth serue so fit Before Desire haue tolde his tale for to discouer it A discription of Diana and her army IVst by Eurota flowing streame where many Lanrelles grow A pleasaunt place which all the Nimphes of Dians traine do know Beholde God Morpheus offered mee a place to vew at will The safe returne of Dians traine which her hest doth fulfill From out the shade this Goddesse came from chaâ—ing of the Bore With bow in hand so ready bent and well â—â—drest therfore Her couch was couerd al with white white Harts thesame did draw Whose swiftnesse pleasde Diana well to bring the Beare in awe For solely in the woods shee kept in groues shee did remaine And Acteon hath his tale to tell although vnto his paiâ—e Within the Couch kept Modesty as ruler of her will Where Prayse Honner were as guides to hold the helme with skil A crowne shée weares of precious price bedâ—cte in ritch aray Whose pleasant lookes in séemely sorte her nature did bewray Thus while from wood shée did returne vnto the féelde to fight And when her host assembled was against Dame Cupids might Beholde the Captaines do discharge the duty that they owe And euery one his good intent to Dians hosâ— doe show The rout by Chastitie is swayde the Misterisse of the rest Who set the Souldiers in aray as shée estéemde it best There Constancy is called to ayde and helpâ— them at a néede And Tempetance is well estéemde as Dian hath decréede Sobriety hath sage Aduise to counsell Dian well And Labor stands against his foes their sloth for to expell Fidelity a faithfull freend within the wood doth stay Who seekes to spoyle the forraine foe as hâ—e passe by the way For Dian hath commaunded him to rest within the wood And campe himselfe most orderly iust by Furota stood With whom Dame Thisbe takes a place wher is Pandor his Néete And Phedra shee which somtime was Duke Theseus wife of Greece And if I should resite them all which couched by this brooke My pen would saynt in halfe the way in wrighting of this booke But sithe I haue discribde the tente as bréefely as I may And as my Morpheus would giue leaue the same for to display Behold Desire presents him selfe before this Dame on knee And from the saint whâ—m hee did serue thâ—se voyces vttered hee Desire his message vnto Diana REnowâ—â—ed Dame whose fame the 〈◊〉 containes Whose glistering face throughout the world appeare Cupid my Lorde in martiall feelâ—â—â—â—â—ines And sent mee out my meâ—â—agâ— to doo Whose valiant force the Gods themselues dâ—â—st feare Cupid I say in whom such ioy I finde Hath sent mee forth to know thy willing minde Hee craues of thee that iustice 〈◊〉 request That thou doo yeeld and let thy army go Thy false attempts the Gods themselues detest And euery one is sworne thy future foe Eche one is bent to worke thy greefe and woe With glittering blade to seethy blood 〈◊〉 If thou disdaine as recreant to yeelde And Mars himselfe with Venus is ascended Into the Couch where Cupid â—raweth his bow But yet my Lorde thus much hath thee befrended If thou wilt yeeld then hee will mercy show This for thy sake on thee hee doth bestow But if thou nill hee will dispatch thee quight Both thee and thine by dint of bloody fight Accept therfore his mercy and good will And deigne to shew obedience for the same Pitty thy selfe doo not the army spill Least all the world report this to thy shame And none that liueth my louing Lord will blame Consider this and thinke vpon the paine And speake thy minde that I may returne againe ¶ Thus when Desire had tolde his tale to Dian and her traine Diana quickly answered Sir knight returne againe Let Cupid doo his worst hee can his force I doo not feare Ne will I yeeld vnto his lawes nor none that with mee are Wherwith a lofty shout and noyse vnto the skye was raysde And Dians courage and good will of all the rout was praysde Desire beeing hot with raging hate did thus reply againe I doo lament the rufull lot of them which shal be slaine For loe as doth the rauâ—â—ing 〈◊〉 the shéepe in strength excell So Cupid with his martiall 〈◊〉 these stately wordes can quell That neither Captaine shall be leftâ— nor souldier for to fyght Of all this rout whose hands bee piest against my Lord his might Then Modesty Dianas guide in her behalfe did say Although wee die in Dians cause our deathes we do not way This sayd Desire returnd againe and vnto Cupid went And shewed at large Dianas wordes as of her whole intent And that within the silent wood wheras Eurota flow Fidelity did holde his campe their force to ouerthrow And added this that neither Mars with all his waighty stroke Nor all the Gods should bring her necke vnder God Cupids yoke Then cupid sent Desire before the Ambâ—â—sh for to tame Or els perforce to scatter them before the
tempestes could not shake nor billowes make agast Whom tempestes could not shake nor billowes make agast Such was thy faithfull trust such was thy trusty faith That what soeuer affliction his silly corpes did taste Lord Iesus come assist mee yet often times hee sayth And yeelded vp the ghost to him which framed all When as few 〈◊〉 were run such was his fatall lot And after â—â—â—â—full study this to him did befall Who for his life once lost a double life hath got Who for his life once lost a double life hath got The 〈…〉 hawty skyes hsi spirit doth inioy The other here in fame the which nothing can spot Which Momus can not breake nor Zoylus destroy Then sith it hapneth so and sith our Sharpe dâ—th â—iue And sith hee doth enioy a life which last for aye Great cause haue wee great praise to mighty Ioue to giue And to our Sharpe farewell ten thousand times to say This Epitaph before of Maister Sharpe hee made in such greefe of minde that hee had small or no regard to the measure of the Verse The poore Knight therfore desireth pardon Foure of the poore Knights complaints made as hee hath declared in great greefe of harte applyed to sundry theames The fyrst complaynt 〈…〉 haue I wept alone for sorrow and for care 〈…〉 hath long been plunged in paine gréefe and distresse 〈…〉 yee fatall Dames and helpe for to declare 〈…〉 waile with mee which weepe the fate of my successe 〈…〉 Fortunes crooked chance hath broke my dolefull hart 〈…〉 it selfe hath sworne to worke my greefe and smart 〈…〉 that heauy hap which all men ought to weepe 〈…〉 soule is prisoner still and care my hart doth keepe And yet any greefe finde no auayle I sulke in seas without a sayle I 〈◊〉 about with euery winde My he liâ—e is an vnquiet minde A wofull fate No loue nor louers lawes hath caught my hart in snare No want of worldly wealth hath bred so great anoy No losse of Fortunes gifte hath clad my hart with care No feare of dinting death hath banisht perfite ioy No frowning force of foes which doth my life inuade Nor want of worthy blood this heauy hart hath made T is none of these I vow nor none of these shall bee Which haue increast my woe and banisht ioyfull glee But that which hath renewde my mone It stickes far nearer to the bone Whose gripes of greefs will make mee â—ry With sorrowing sighes till that I dye Alas the while So shall I quickly fade and perish quite away Which now I gladly wish and oft haue wisht before That this my brittle slesh might perish vnto clay And that within the ground my bones might lys in store How happy should I bee how ioyfull man were I Oh gentle death come strike that I may fade and die For life is present death and death would bring mee life And ende my wofull dayes which I consume in strife Graunt this good liuing Lorde I pray That as I wish euen so I may Ende this my life and ende my care That in this place I may haue share Graunt this O Lord. The seconde complaynt which plainly bewray the matter of the first Onus aetna grauius IF Ossa Mount and Pelion hill were cast vpon my backe to beare And I as strong as Atlas hy which in his badge y stares did weare Or if my taske by payne of death alotted were to cleane the sea Or if to passe by Stigian flood to vew wheras the blessed bee I thinke of truth and as I gesse So shall the truth it selfe come try Not halfe the paine I should sustaine Come gentle death and let mee dye For since I left my staggering state and did the crable milde 〈◊〉 â—â— And since to sucke my mothers brest I did my minde therfro 〈◊〉 Yea since y time by mothers deth I spent my dayes in care 〈◊〉 And since that time I thanke my God of other frends I found releâ—â—â— As now I doo and longe haue done Yet this by proofe I plainly see I finde it so no care and woe Like to a troubled minde can bee A troubled minde is cause of payne a quiet spirit reuiueth ioyes A quiet minde increaseth myrth a troubled minde thesame did royes Then if y Ioue would kil the cause y care no doubt should fade away And yet my care cannot depart while y the troubled minde doth stay And thus I dare in bréefe conclude No â—arking care that euer I finde Vpon the mould I dare bee bolde Is like vnto the troubled minde The thirde complaint Sit erracti medicina confessio AH ah my hart my hart my hart my hart What pincking panges What danger doost thou féele I see my freends haue lefte to take my part My hart my hart can not my gréefe conceale My pen hath sworne my matter to reâ—eale Perforce my hands these scribled lines did write And wished some meanes my trespasse to requite What shall I say what shall I take in hand My minde is dull my braine is battered â—ore My eyes bée dimme where trickling teares doo stand My soule hath sobbed my hart can sighe no more But now beholde your mercy and implore I craue for grace and pardon 〈◊〉 my crâ—me Condempe mee not before my aâ—â—otted time But try agayne and sée what frutes shall flow No labor lost no trauell shall bee spent Bee willing then some mercy for to show To him that hath a minde for to repent 〈◊〉 â—ot of the frutes of such a good intent And when the like you shall in mee detect Then shake your hand and pay mée for neglect And this is all and more then all I thinke Yea this is all I purposed to wright Then saue the ship which voyde of hope must sinke And lye a pray vnto the Ocians might The day in sighes in teares I spend the night Then stay my teares release mée of my paine I haue confest and doo recant againe The fourth complaint of this and of the thirde I can set no true cause of wrighting for the poore Knight hath denyed to tell it Pyraustae interitus AS doth the Fly whose life the fier maintaines Giue vp the breath when fier is take her fro Or as the worme within the snow remaines Yeeld vp the life when shee from snow doth go Alas the while so happeneth it to mée For heat and colde haue been my great delight What greefe is this that I must distant bée From out the place wherof I haue my might Come denting death come strike the ende of strife Pyraustae shee is weary of her life Farewell to thée which gaue mée breath and blood Farewell to thee which did maintaine my state Farewell to thée in whom my pleasure stood Farewell to thee which diddest prolonge my fate For why the snow is melted with the sunne And flashing fier is quenched out with raine The fateâ— haue sayd short bee thy daies to runne From whence thou camest â–ª thou shalt