is somtimes fauning sōtimes frownīg somtime content somtimes displeased and lastly the little looue of fained fréends vnkind kinsmen for their priuate profit how it is soon forgotten and ended so that we may wel think it is better to rest from our Labours then with paine continually to toyl against nature the cōmon miserie the vnknowne paines the pinching penurie the sobbings the sorowings the trauelings the toylings the sower Bread of heauynes the bitter drink of carefulnes the afflictions as imprisonmēt derth Fire and swoord which before our eyes we rufully doo beholde the innocent opressed the poore man persecuted the rich man regarded Falshod fauored Trueth neglected all goodnes quite deuoured dooth or may driue vs to think the happy and thrise happy is he that hath passed this laborsome Laborinth in the pathes of Vertue goodnes honesty and come to the happy Hauen of rest quietnesse which is through Death the disoluere of mans misery For what other thing meanes the Poets whē they paint out Vlisses tedious troubles his perilous passages somtimes lighting on Poliphemus a terrible Giant redy to deuower him somtimes on the wanton Dame Calipso redy to allure him otherwhiles passing by the shoares where the subtel Sirens were redy to drowne his Barke by the inchātment of their meruelous Mellody for the resisting wherof being gouerned by the graue aduice of prudent Pallas he was faine to stop his eares with wax to binde him self to the Mast of the ship to feed of the swéet hearb Molie which was giuen him by Mercury to auoid all the incantations of Circe with the rest of like trechery Nothing I say but to paint out vnto vs as in a glasse that Man is a mirror of misery subiect to many hard aduentures and in daunger of many perrils Sathan our olde Enemie redy to pray on vs if our owne mighty captain Christe were not in our distresses redy to defend vs against his subtil assaults without all doubt wée should soone become Bondslaues to all sinne and iniquitie the wanton Allurements and wicked entisements of Dame Pleasures with her mīsing mates are so dressed vp in gallant brauery as hardly can we saue our Barkes and bodyes from drowning in the waues and woorks of wicked vanitie were it not that our great God Iehouah the heauenly wisdome by his good Counsaile dooth giue vs Vertuous Precepts of good liuing to the contrary I cānot forget the notable misfortunes and euill chaunces of Oedipus written by Euripides in slaying his Father Laius marying his owne Mother Iocasta of whom he begat his two infortunat sonnes Polynices and Eteocles who after the Citizens of Thebes had exiled their Father fel in contention one with another for the seat of gouernment For the gréef of these former wickednes Oedipus plucked out his owne eyes and became an exile and would often if his Daughter Antigone had not hindered him with glistering blade wrought his owne finall destruction but he often wished to dye in vaine yet at the last he was with a flame of lightning from heauen sudenly strooken to death The mening as we may partely gather by sence reason is that the wickednes of our desires in Venus deuelish delightes are so great that for the attaining therof we wil not let to murther our Parents kinsmen fréends yea then to mary in our owne blood and consanguinitie whervpon it comes to passe that our ofspring our children or sōe of them througth the sinne of the Parents violently and with all rigor séek by all means to percecute one another yea euen to Death All which detestable dealings being séen of the thundering Iupiter he of his mercy striketh vs vnawares with his Rod of correction and whippeth vs with his scourge of Vengeance by lightenings thunderings earthquakes Tempests strange noyses rumors of warres visions inundations of waters Pestilences new and strange diseases called Gentle warnings and somtime sudden Death to the'nd we might repent vs of our sinne and be the more redier when awful Atropos shall with her deadly darte sommon vs before the great and terrible Iudge either to our saluation if we repent and amend or els to our condemnation if we liue and dye without repentance Now what is the life of man wherof he so much bosteth I wil answer partly with Arristotle the pray of Time the play of Fortune the image of vnconstancie the slaue of Enuy the sea of worldly calamitie a fading flower a buble of water a blast of winde a fléeting shadow a smothering smoke a péeuish pilgrimage a slumbering sléep which as graue Homer tearmeth it is the brother of Death a Stage play the Acts wherof are vncertain and the length before we come to the Catastrop or end of our Comicall action is inforsed with infinit mischefes the relefer where of is dolful Death that inuincible Champion For euen as he which saileth on the Sea by wīde time and tides whether he be sitting or standing lying or going sléeping or waking at last all perils passed entreth the wished port of saftie So the life of man by course of age and yéeres wil he nil he how soeuer he spend his tickled time continually is caried to the end of his painful dayes and to the finishing of his carefull course to the happy harborow of eternall life for as life flieth a way with the wings of time so Death draweth on with the féet of age But forasmuch as Enius thīketh that that Death is not to be lamented the which immortall Fame foloweth Therfore he which hath sung much is not the best Musicion nor he that hath gouerned the Ship longest is the perfetest Pilot nor he that hath béen longest at the Vniuersitie is the best student but he which hath doon it the soonest quicklyest and perfectest So to knit vp in bréef if alredy I haue not béen to tedious I wil end saying that not he which liueth longest is moste blessedest because of his siluer heres and long time but he which hath liued wel and soonst trod his footsteps in the path of Vertue and dyed an honorable Death is the man that may be accounted moste hapyest Death dissolueth Dollors The Authors muse vpon this life in manner of a Dittie I Musing in my mestiue minde of this vaine fléeting life By perfect proofe this doo I finde t is nothing els but strife Which when I sée the pinching paine wherwith poore men are prest I déeme him happiest that hath this gaine by Christe eternall rest For héer I sée our cares abound and sorowes stil encrease And neuer lin til vnder ground our corps doo lye at ease Our labor then is ended sure and blessedst is that wight That greatest gréefs did here endure and led a life moste right For héer such spitefulnes dooth raine such swelling Pride aloft Such séeking all for worldly gain such sinne so déerly bought Such carking cares to kéep this life in brauest port and Fame Such séeking stil for
you that list from vvhence I came or vvhat good Stauely ment VVhose care vvas such to vvoork the vvay for vvhich his time vvas spent Read you vvhat he hath careful vvrit and follovv you his lore So death thou shalt learne to contemne that dreaded death before It 's follye for to feare that thing vvhich no man can eschevv Liue then to day as thou vvouldest dye so Staueley vvilles thee doe He tels thee vvhat thy life it is And vvhat thyne end must be To day a man to morovv none by proofe vve knovve and see VVhat troubles are in vvretched life and vvhat hangs ouer head Thou mayst beholde and heer for see vvhich oft thou doost not dread VVhich may thee teach for to be vvise hovv thou heerafter liues Eschevv the euil embrace the good as Staueley Counsail giues And so farvvel and him doo thank vvhich for thee tooke such paines His study is not for himself but thou the profit gaines If thou this platforme follovv vvil vvhich freendly he bestovves Then shalt thou suerly dye to liue as he in sequel shovves Finis VV. B. Oswald Speed to the Reder AS many men so many wittes Some lothe that which other looue And one thing neuer all men fits As this my fréend shall prooue What 's some mans meat dooth poyson some And this mans blisse is that mans doome In reading some condemneth those That in the plainest sort His meaning to them dooth disclose And some again report Him blest that hath the loftiest vaine And déem the rest of barrein braine Another sort dooth him commend That igmys in midle mean Not much affecting to offend Nor yet without it clean So one for this and some for that doo call That one man cannot please them all So he my fréend that writ this Booke Would willingly delight All those that on the same doo looke If possibly he might He séeketh nothing for his pain But Readers liking for to gain And thus fare you vvel The best is soone said Asvvell as the vvorst This all men can tel It is not best made That 's doon at the first Finis ê™ Oswold Speed. A Breef Discourse HAuing tasted of the insatiable sea of sowsing sorowes and drunk of the careful cup of peruerce perturbations aswel of minde as of body I finde by proof that dreadfull Death at the naming wherof we tremble is the dissoluer of our coÌ„tinuall cares troublesome cogitations mans moste miserable misery which to approoue verifie let vs first call vnto rememberance the gréeuous gronings of our painful Parents in the time of our natiuitie and education For with what wéeping wayling sobing and sighing at our first enterance into this vale of misery are we beyond all measure moste gréeuously afflicted The wery watchings the colde and long winter nights the rising the rocking the lulling the lameÌ„ting all to asswage our passions intollerable which we theÌ„ scarsly knowe although we moste sharpely féel might be a meane to daunt our haughty harts to a bandon our lewd liues liuiÌ„g in these careful calamities oppressed with sorowes innumerable But alas the first Act being finished we enter into another kinde of life seuere and strict as yunglings doo think it which is going to scoole to lern the precepts of Philosophie wayes to vertu wherby we become of monsters men of sencelesse soules learned lights notwithstanding indéed some for the attaining therof bide many a sharp shower with carefull and gréeuous correction which in my minde might often be wun sooner with mildnes of the Maister then with much seueritie When we haue got learning by reason wherof we are called in the Commonwelth to some publike Office and are the méeter to deale in our priuat affaires wherin our studyes are incessant our cares continuall our seruice moste painful to perfoorme our pretended purposes and the discharge of our desired duties Héer héer beginneth the tragicall discourse of our gréeuous gronings vnfortunat troubles at which time we think to reap some solace for our late sustained sorowes but euen then a thousand of troubles nay a hel of miseries vpon our heads when we think our selues in greatest safetie and moste securitie For Matrimony so presseth vs diuers wayes as scarsly can we bend our studyes to any good perfection it taketh away our liked libertie and bringeth these incombrances a Iangling wife vnquiet Children brawling sometimes vntrustie seruants with innumerable such like torments therfore all these being wel wayed it may séem to the vertuous and honest minde such a warfare of woes and such a tempest of troubles as he might think and iustly say that Death is the looser of mans moste lamentable liuing and the dissoluer of this wretched state cares incoÌ„perable Morouer there is such Enuy in many such Pride in generall and such séeking for gain as the vnquietnes of this life is rather to be lothed then the pleasuers therof to be wished or desired Doo we not sée what priuie detracting what Enuious maligning what cruell conspiring and all for offices libertie and lordly liuing The husbandman not content with his estate séeketh to liue like a Lord rather then an inferior person and would become of woorse then a yeoman a gentleman and so forwards But marke the vnquietnes of their mindes for though no delay may daunt them no calamities controule them yet the supernall powers perceiuing their ambitious intention in a moment by Death throweth downe hedlong that they vainly pretended and deuelishly attempted O if we which beare the names of men would but once remember the end of all which is Death assuredly assuredly then would burning hatred be cold secret matire ly dead and be quite quenched in the ashes But care to maintaine this life with abundance ambition pomp pleasures riches ryot Libertie same good fortune fauour Fréendship and goodly countenance is so super abundant as neither can we take our desired rest quietly eat or drink merily nor doo any moderat action to the contentation of our afflicted mindes so gréeuously are we turned on the whéel of carking care continually I haue red in the auncient Annualls of the renowmed Romains of the ciuil warres betwixt the puisant Pompey and the coragious Caesar only for Ambition and desire of a sole Regiment whose cares were continuall the one séeking the ouerthrowe of the other which Death first vsing the Tutors of young Ptolome as his instrument sléew Pompeyus and sent his head vnto Cesar who séeing it as writers report wept But by the hands of Brutus and Cassius Caesars life was shortly after finished for they in the stately Senat house of Roome gaue three and twentie wounds with Penkniues or bodkins moste cruelly bereuing Caesar of his lofty life O detestable desire of glory Oh deuelish deuice for honor Oh vaÌ„quisher of Vertue couldst thou not be satisfied vntil thou hadest the life of goodly Caesar who as Ignatius saith was moste wise in counsail ful of eloquence profound in wisdome valiant in
our Vertues raines wherby we neuer dye But finde that she alone it is bringes true Felicitie Vertue winneth Woorship A pretty pamphlet of faithful Freendship THe truethlesse trust of fained fréends the wayward wily wayes The déep deceits of hollow harts which hap in these our dayes The silly soule so soone betraid the Poore man so opprest That scarce Rich Diues wil him giue a Crum to be refresht These things doo mooue my mestiue Muse of Fréendship to declare That it a Vertue is wherwith no Iewell may compare The Spring wherby our life is fed the Iewell of our ioye The very meane which helps the hart all sorowes to destroy In time of great prosperitie a pleasure to the minde A solace in Aduersitie a faithful Fréend we finde Fine Tullie termd a faithful fréend to be another I As who should say like to my self in euery propertie A faithfull fréend is such a one as makes thy sore his smart The pricking of thy finger eke the pearsing of his hart Thy misery his mestiue moue thy paine his present gréef Thy sorowe sower his hatefull hap thy helth his sole releef In doutful dangers thou shalt finde that he wil doo thée good And for thy sake not stint at all to spend bothe life and blood He sticketh fast at all assayes mischaunces him approoue To be of trustie Troylus kinde in fréendship and in looue It s he who absent seemes to be in presens euery houre Yea dead aliue and all this springs through this moste fragrant flower The very mean wherof dooth mooue the fearse Barbarians minde In myserye abooue all welth a faithful fréend we finde It is not flashing flames of fire his freendship may restrain Ne Midas muck no Irus gréef ne blisse ne pinching pain But like the purest Franckensence which yéeldeth foorth a smell â—ore swéeter in the flame then out experience this dooth tel â—r as the golden Glasse woorme shines moste brightest in the night â—e miserye tryes faithful fréend to be a trusty wight â—r not vnlike the redolent Rose of dulsed Dammask kinde Which swéeter is in stil then stalke as we by proofe doo finde â—â—thagoras did once pronounce that Fréendship looue doth binde â—nd in two bodyes fast conioyne an equallnesse of minde â—he Poet Empedocles said that all things firme did stand â—ea all the world and all therin vpholde by Fréendships hand â—â—gratitude neclecting looue and Fréendship put to flight â—his followes then an end of all life is dissolued quite â—ertue begets this Iuell rare and it conserues alwayes 〈◊〉 very fréendship Vertue is as Aristotle sayes 〈◊〉 such a League as neither time â—y péecemele may deuide Nor Fancies fond affects nor fraud infrindge at any tide A Fréend wil hazard life and lims yea goods yea welth and all Ere that hée see his fréend take harme in daunger dyre to fall Of Damons looue to Pithias example is lese to vs Of Nisus and Euriolus looue the Poet dooth discusse To Gysippus his fréend did prooue a trusty Titus true And Theseus to Pirotheus like fréendship did ensue Wise Sipio and Lelius in fréendship did excell And Palemon with Crates eke for fréendship bare the bell The looue of fréendly Lincius Iosephus writeth plaine Vnto his déere Artorius to their eternall fame And Ionathas sau'd Dauids life in sacred writ we finde So that no Iewell here on earth is like a fréendly minde It is not strength of mightie men that fréendship dooth obtaine â—â—e heaps of Golde but faithfulnesse and kindenes it dooth gain â—indenes annext with Gentle déeds true fréendship dooth enflame â—nd Loyall looues fidelitie dooth still increase the same The likelynesse of manners makes coniunction of the minde â—nd Vertue ioynd with honestie true fréendship firme dooth binde â—ike wil to like the Prouerb saith the Turtle looues her make â—nd mournes til death for want of féehr and all for fréendships sake But hot looue soone is could some say the sequell is too true â—nd faire woords makes fooles faine which alwayes dooth ensue The purest wine makes Vinagre to be of sharpest kinde â—nd déepest looue to deadliest hate is often chaungd we finde True triall prooueth trustinesse in trust is treason found Who climbs vpon a rotten bough may catch a fatall wound For in aduersitie we sée the flattering faithlesse féend To start a side and here vs make in misery our end As Swallowes comes in somer time when pleasures growe full gréen But when the winters rage comes on are no where to be séen So fained fréends when welth a bounds wil speak what we doo say But when as Fortune frownes on vs they quite doo flée away Then are they like the Bée which hath the hunnie swéet by kinde Within her mouth but yet she beares a smarting sting be hinde For as they erst with sugred woords did promise golden grapes So now their Tippets clene they turne and leaue vs in the brakes In fellowship lyes falshood hid and fraud in fréendly lookes And vnder swéet and hunnied baites doo lurke the harmful hookes An painted pots swéet poyson is wherby our bane dooth rise In cléerest streme the vgliest Tode in grasse the Serpent lyes The filthy rotten bones some time in curious graue we finde â—nd in a Iudas kisse there lyes a priuie galling minde Like Siren with her siluer songs whose notes doo oft allure The silly ship man to the sands his death for to procure Or as the Crocodile who yeelds a sory solemn sound Til she haue brought the wailing wight lye sprawling on the ground The Spider weaues a curious web the silly Flye to wile The woolfe dooth weare a smiling face the Lambe for to beguile The Panthers breth dooth swéetest smell when pray she dooth ensue I fréendly face meanes falsest faith experience is to true In fréendship all that séemes to shine it is not purest Golde Nor euery woord is Gospell sure which Friers haue vs tould 〈◊〉 Leaden Dagger oft is found with in a golden sheath And sure a flattering faithlesse fréend dooth bring vs present death â—n extrem néed when Fortune faites few fréends a man shall finde But then like to the Réed they shake with euery blast of winde In Prison if thou chaunce to lye when worldly welth dooth faile My Skin is néerer then my Shirt this suer wil be their tale Wherfore if I may Counsaile giue I wish thée to take héed Of him who beares a knife to kill yet weares a fréednly wéed Let no faire woords dim perfet sight but carefully beware Full swéetly dooth the Fouler sing to catch the Bird in snare Be sure whom as thou mindst to make to be thy faithful fréend Thou eat a peck of salt with him and thus I make an end No fraud to fained freendship ê™ Leonard Staueley ¶ The censure of a freend concerning the former Verses SIth freendships lore you doo commend accoumpting it a Ievvell rare And that so highly you extend such prayse as nothing may compare Vnto the same so much of price and trust me I like your deuice Indeed firm freendship novv a dayes is very geason I speke plaine For Sicophants deuise still vvayes falcely to flatter fleere and faine For deep dissembling novv dooth rest doutlesse almoste in euery brest But vvhat mean I to speake so blunt as to condemn in generall Although some faithlesse freends be vvunt to haue disembling at their call Yet some doo hap on such a freend as faithfull bides vntil the end Prayse after proofe Quoth Iames Yates â— Cor 2.9
pleasures ryfe such follyes fond and vaine Such breaking sléeps such tugging toyle such watchings and such wiles Such séeking one of others foyle such teares of Crocodiles Such laying traps for th' innocent such séeking of his blood Such subteltie when trueth is ment such ill such little good Such woorking woe to harmeles harts such cloking Vice and sinne Such playing of moste cruell partes such lustes our liues are in Such framing of swéet hunnyed talk such luring of the wicked wil Such going wrong that few right walke such sights the soule to spil Such ielious fits such frantick partes such anger all for nought Such close deseits in holow harts such secret mischéefs wrought Such facyng of fine forgid tales such swearing all for pence Such falshood bothe in waights and scales such sauing of expence Such little hospitallitie vsed such pinching of the poore Such forsing them to be abused such Vice doon euery ower Such haunting of vile Venus trulles such brawling for their cause Such cutting slashing knocking skulls such breaking of the lawes Such Auarice in euery man such Vsury out of measure Such tossing of Liaeus Can such spending of their treasure Such biting with malicious tunges such scoffing at the wise Such slothfulnes such open wronges such stormes doo still arise As when I think vpon this life which nothing is I say But only cares and mortall strife and smoke that flyes away Then happy ten times blest is he whose ruthful race is run And dooth enioy Felicitie when all his cares are doone Which mightie Ioue graunt vs I pray The true Felicitie That we may at our ending day Receiue his great glory And that likwise héer in this vale of sorowes and of mone We may enioy without ten faile heauens blisse when life is gon Our gratious Quéen Elizabeth doo kéep O Lord we pray In glorious pomp and after Death in ioyes that rest she may Amen Life is strife His prayse of Vertue Felicitie and Ientillytie To the curteous and gentle Reder THese simple lines which heer I written haue Declare the force of Vertues good effect Good Reader beare with rudenes mine I craue For here therby no man I wil detect Vprightly iudge and then I need not feare But thou with it in freendly sort wilt beare Iudge iustly In prayse of Vertue Vertue only bringeth Felicitie ALthough Apollos filed phrase and Pallas learned skill Within my brest took neuer place to féed my muse at wil. Yet I like Pan in rurall rithme for good wil that I beare Vnto the race of Gentlemen wil wright as shall appéer It is not Fame ne flattering force ne hoordes of heaped golde But onely Vertue forceth me this sentence to vnfolde Dame Vertue she that heauenly Quéen and Perragon of price Is only cause that silly soules to honor doo arise She bringeth true felicitie and Vice she dooth expell She teacheth how to feare the Lord and saue thy soule from hell I read a wise Philosopher which Aristotle hight In stately stile hath left her force apparant to our sight Saying that Vertue aptest is to those of youthfull race A pleasant thing to ancient men to Riche a goodly grace And to the poore she profit bringes aduauncing him ful hye For Vertue only is the cause of true Felicitie Vnnoble men she noble makes and glory is their hap Whose chaunce is such to take their ease in Vertues lulling lap A solace she to woful wights whome carking cares oppresse She bringes them perfect Pacience and makes their gréef séem lesse Who sowes the séeds of Vertue swéet shall reap eternall Fame And true Fame ouercommeth Death through Vertue this we gaine A Sage of Gréece was asked once what thing to man was best Euen Vertue answered he because in her consists great rest Without the which no good thing may once wrought or spoken be For she alone brings perfect blisse and true Felicitie Wise Solon tolde rich Craesus King it was not flowing welth Ne strength of men ne Tagus sands Ne Gallens mery helth Ne Lordships great ne honors hye ne Pleasures hunnyed bait That happy made his stiffing dayes his frail and brittle state But if he made a godly end and vertuously did dye He he it is that knowes the vse Of true Felicitie But now who vertue dooth frequent who séeks this virgin pure Euen men of basest Parents born whom Honors doo allure Minerua ioyn'd with Diligence makes many woorthy be Because that Vertue giues the light of true Felicitie The ancient race of Gentlemen haue wun theire Shéelds of Armes Through Vertue and through valiancie defending Prince from harmes But now a dayes some Gentlemen doo giue bothe speare and shéeld Although indéed they neuer came in any foughten féeld Nor yet by Counsail graue at home did profit Common welth But sought their owne vtillitie and eke their priuate helth Golde makes the Heraldes paint such foorth as liketh best their haps Yet Apes are Apes though golden Roabs oft times be on their backs True Gentlemen of worthy race through Armor Speare and Shéeld Haue woon their Armes by dint of swoord and push of Pikes in féeld But now alas I must lament that Gentlemen of Fame Let passe their ancient Gentery forgetting clean the same Some scrape vp goods by crafty meanes Some royatly all spend Some through excesse of pounsing pride are brought to balefull end By thousand meanes good Gentlemen are brought to dire decay The reason is that vertues loare in them dooth beare small sway Vpstarts contrarily attend on Vertues rayall traine From step to step from grace to grace til honors step they gaine T is better farre a mean man born in Vertue to exséed Then one who Vice dooth still frequent though Gentle man indéed For noblenesse begins in him and in the other dye Which dooth appéer that Vertue brings the true Felicitie Who now is the true Gentleman euen bée as Seneca said Whome Nature with Mineruas skill to Vertues lore hath made If any man to praise thou chaunce because he Gentle is His Parents and his Ancestors thou praysest them iwis It is not Parents progenie As Ouid dooth vs tell But Vertue maketh Gentlemen alone for to excell Wherfore to Gentle men I write your ancient bloods renew With Vertuous Artes and Gentlenesse bid filthy Vice adieu And as the names of Gentlemen deseruedly you haue So frame your liues that you may passe with Vertue hence to graue Let Iustice mixt with Mercyes méed And Wisdome be your guide Riches contemn and Pleasures hate from Faith doo neuer slide Pride Couetousnesse Ambition Vnreuerentnesse likewise Vaine glory Discord Enuy eke at any hand despise Be humble to inferiors and haue a lowly hart Then wil the common people say a Gentle man thou art Séek learnings déep Philosophie and peace doo thou ensue Hate ireful rage and tirannie and Backus blisse eschew So in the end this glorious Gem Dame Vertue will thée giue A Garland of Immortall Fame wherby thou aye mayst liue For after Death