trust me touching chaunce it chaunceth now a dayes That such as gape for chaunce of Laude they chaunce vpon Dispraise It is a difficulte matter to please many HOw should a man his vsage frame to please each kinde of wight The froward and the fickle friend I see he takes delight In ouerthwarting of the vse of those he doth not loue For where Affection is not firme what will not mallice moue Let one endeuour what he can to satisfie their vaine Yet shall he haue behinde his backe some speach to his disdaine The more a man is mou'd to shew some fauour for his friend The more he seemeth to be quoy and fayleth in the end what hap more heard then sue and serue and yet to want good will What paine more pinching to the minde then wronged yet doth no ill What greefe more greate then secretlie to be exclam'd vpon What hell more hatefull then vntruth where faithfulnesse is gone What folly more then fleare and faune yet altogether fayning What Deede more Deuilish then Dispight and alwayes still Disdaining From such as do frequent the same the Lord my friend defend And eke conuert the fond intent of those that doe offend Yatis his song written presently after his comming from London Why should I laugh without a cause Or why should I so long time pause My hatefull happes for to declare Sith Cruell causes breedes my Care And Deuilish Disdaine within my brest Molesteth me with greate vnrest Agree I must to Froward Fate And be content with this my state Hoping in end all may be well For Prouerbeâ— â—ld thus doth vs tell The Rowling â—one doth get no mosse The raunger much doth nought but tosie In places fit for madding mindes Till youthfull yeares the folly findes But when that Age 〈◊〉 call them backe And youthfull trickes do finde the lacke Then do 〈…〉 our youth ill spent Which in our Age 〈◊〉 do repent But such is youth and youthfull toyes To follow fickle foolish ioyes How Fortune turnes we neede not Muse For dayly we may see in vse How some are in great fauoure cast Yet in the end are out at last And small account of them is made Such is the guyse of Fortunes trade To place aloft and to bring low Euen as her fauour seemes to growe For who so markes shall see in deed Fortune to faile when most they neede Content is best to please the minde By seeking yet some men do finde By crouching low to hy estates Is good for to auoyd their hates But he that hath so stubborne heart As wilfull will will not conuert He is not wise in my conceipte So much to stand in foolish sleight The bowing Reede withstandes the blast When stubborne oake is ouercast If in this world we meane to liue Such courteouse speach then we must giue As we may winne the heartes of those Which otherwise would be our foes For sinyling lookes do not auaile When friendship fauour seemes to quaile The want whereof doth vs molest With pinching pangues in priuate brest Yet from our hearte let vs require We may haue patience in our â—re To pleasure such as we are bound That vnto them our heartes be sounde And that no fayned speach be heard Least all our doings so be mard For smiling lookes and hollow hearts Be often tunes the cause of smarts But we must needs commend of Right All such as in the trueth delight And say from heart and so consent It is a heauen to be content Of wayling and not preuailing I Waylyng Yet not preuailing In sorrow sayling alas I mourne Such is the spight To dimme delight In me poore wight almost forlorne But God of grace Graunt me solace Within short space to ease my griefe And send release Where woes increase I cannot cease to craue reliefe For if the heart Feeles inward smart Without Desert Death it desires The griefe of minde Much woe doth finde Their life resign'd So some requires A Sonnet declaring what infortunate chaunces doe happen by trusting to the slipperie stone I Clim'd aloft and thought not of my fall For slipperie stone alas did me beguilde I fell so harde vpon the hardye hall As breath from Corpes was almost cleane exâ—lde Lo what it is to yeeld to wanton will Whose want of witt to sorrow proues at last Who would asspire may wish he had sate still And so auoyde perchance an ouer cast Yet youthfull toyes of giddy youth are such Not for to care vntill the present time That griefe they feele and then lament they much That fondly they so Rashly seem'd to clime Wherefore the meane who so obserues in brest Shall surely see he winnes a quiet rest A Sonnet of a slaunderous tongue OF all the plagues that raine on mortall wigâ—tes Yet is there none like to a slaunderous tongue Which brings Debate and filles each heart with spights And Enemy is aswell to old as young In my conceipt they doe more hurte I sweare Then stinking Toads that lothsome are to â—ighte For why such tongues cannot conceale and beareâ— â—ut vtte◠〈◊〉 that which workes most Despite They do more 〈…〉 casting Mooles in meadâ— Which doe turne vp the blacke earth on the greene Their poysoned speach doth serue in little steade They practise spite as dayly it is seene O Lorde I pray from singlenesse or heart Such slanderous tongues reforme and eke conueâ—â— Written at the Request of E. L. Vnto F. S. which he had Selected for his Mistresse IF I a Poet were or that vaine I could finde I would declare some part of simple skill To shewe abroade the lowly courteous kinde Which seemes to be within my Mistresse will Accepting so my seruice in good part Although as yet it is not my Desert But lo as Time I say each thing doth trie Euen so shall Time declare I will not sweruâ— But alwaies will my seruice so applie As that I may your fauour still deserue Which is the thing I chiefely doe Desire No worldly wealth at your handes I require And as you finde my seruice to be true So I doe trust your fauour shall remaine Which taketh ioy your presence for to view And glad if I through Dilligence may gaine The louing countenance of your friendly face Which glads my minde and yeeldes my heart solace You courteously did yeelde to my request And gaue me leaue you Mistresse for to call Which thing to praise my pen shall doe his best Although my skill vnable be and small But Ladies all a praise you may assigne Yea and giue place vnto this Mistresse mine And if you be destrous for to knowe My Mistresse name or eke Sir what she is Her Christian name begins with F. I trowe Her surname S. orelâ— I am amisse But I will sweare and vowe Permafoy She is as faire as was Hellina of Troy Alas my pen vnable is to write The vertues all that seeme in her to be Oh mighty Ioue which yeeldest bearâ—â—ly light Graunt her long
THE Castell of Courtesie Whereunto is adioyned The Holde of Humilitie with the Chariot of Chastitie thereunto annexed Also a Dialogue betwéene Age and Youth and other matters herein conteined By Iames Yates Seruingman 1582. Reade but not deride Accuse not without cause Such hastie doome accordeth not With reason nor her Lawes LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe dwelling in Distaffe Lane neere vnto the Signe of the Castle TO THE WORSHIPFVL his approoued good Master and Friend Master Henrie Reynolles Esquire ESpying by apparant shewe worshipfull Syr the greate good will you beare vnto those that abaÌ„don idlenes and applye themselues to some kinde of exercise where by often frequenting it may bring vnto them hereafter such praise and profite as they shal haue singular occasion to pray for those friendes which lende them ayde in the same It is not materiall to amplify or glose vnto such whose iudgement is vniuersall whose foresight in matters hath great foreshewe of silent interpretation I am to craue at your worshippes handes three things First not to condemne my boldnesse Secondly not to repulse my rudenesse And thirdly to accepte my simple good wil who wrote this with as zealous affection as euer Paris bare vnto faire Helena This simple peece which by my simplâ— industry I haue peÌ„ned is vtterly voyd of eloquence For why it was neuer as yet my chance to haue any conuersatioÌ„ where such societie accompanied together For Pallas will not be seene to intermeddle her selfe where Pan so peartly preaceth in place I am perchance too tedious vnto your worshippe and make a long Oration vnto litle effecte But as a shameles crauer hath not the ciuilitie to make an end So I the skilles writer haue not the perseuerance of inough I therfore to be short make this my present vnto you intituled The Castle of Courtesie whereunto is adioyned The Houlde of Humilitie a matter not so worthie as you are worthy to be a Patrone off But fame hath so spread your courtesie and humility your ciuilitie and humanitie as it abasheth me to speake because I wante the skill according I beseech your worship not to weigh the worke but the wil not the matter but the maker vvho vvil during life rest at your commandement vvishing vnto your vvorshippe vvith vnfayned faith your hearts request in vvhat soeuer and eternall felicitie in the vvorld to come Amen Your worshippes seruant dayly at commandement Iames Yates Verses on his name That vvell deserues the same Hee merits praise who vertuous life doth leade Experience shewes the bountie of his minde Neglecting not if he may stand in steade Redelie prest his friendlie ayde to finde Yn time of neede be stayeth not his hande Regarding those which in distresse doe stande Excluding coynesse from his courteous brest Yf Fauour faile in him it may be found Not skornefullie the simple to detest Or with disdaine his phrase of speech to sound With modestie he meekelie markes the ground Looking into true meaning of the hart Such as it is he takes it in good part FINIS Iames Yates Seruingman to the Courteous and Friendlie Reader IF my request may stande in steade to craue this at thy hande Then let I pray with courtesie this simple worke be skande â— My paine is for to pleasure thee ingratefull doe not seeme Least that thou doe discourage me if skoffingly thou deeme This skillesse worke which I commiâ— vnto the open view of those whose vpright meaning is inclyned to be true I boldly venture to present aâ— one that hath good will To gratifie those that deserue though simple be my skill Presuming that all Zoilus sect are sunke and vnder ground And that there are no SICOPHANTES I hope for to be founde But such as rather will amende fiue faultes ere they finde one O Lord it were a golden world if SICOPHANTES were gone I cannot couer nor conceale the fruites that I doe gaine But publikely must them display though they be base and plaine And as by tracte of time we see rare matters worke effecte So I in time may chance on choise some better to selecte In meane time my request is thus accept these as they be And you perchance ere it be long shall haue some more of me Which better shall content conceite receiue these as the first Good wordes they say as soone are sayde as are the vile and worst Farewell ¶ The Author to his Booke I Stande in doubt that some dispitefull matâ— Will closelie carpe concealing no dispraise But in contempt of thee and of thy state Will goe about discredite for to raise To seeke and search by all the meanes they may Thy true intent to murther and to slay But see thou seeme obedient and milde Beake thou and bende no hautinesse doe hauâ—t Confesse the trueth thy Author is a childe Who wanteth wit and so thou maist them graunt Yet willingnes should be esteemed as well As those whose phrase doth seeme for to excell No no not so therein you doe digresse The pregnant pate doth purchase all the praise Whose fluent vaine doth make the minde apresse By deepe delight alluering alwaies Attentiue eares to listen and to barke What such repeate me thinkes I see them markâ— Alas my booke thou art not for their frame Thy skiliesnesse must trouble no such place Be patient although thou suffer blame And be content though girded with disgrace I am disposed to deeme of thee what dout Thou shalt sustaine by this thy going out Yet when I had perfectionated thee And brought to passe that which was somes desire Sende it abroade they straight waies saide to me My friend vnsained of you wee doe require I readie was withouten stay or stint To giue them leaue thee for to put in pâ—int FINIS The Booke to the Author WHat doe you meane I pray Such kinde of speech to say Doubtfully to display What shall of me insuâ— There 's none will goe about To mock or for to floute Except it be some loute Of trothe I tell you true And as for such as those The trueth for to disclose I cannot fayne ne glose I passe them not a pinne I am not in their dette Wherefore they cannot let That which I downe haue set Sith nought by them I win And though their cunning be Superior ouer me Yet Sir for ought I see They faile though they be fine I would I had the skil According to my will Their curious cup to fill I would my selfe incline To speake in your defence With you they may dispence Esteeming your pretence Is for to gratulate Those to whom you are bound For fauor you haue found Whose friendship to resound Hath holpen your estate I loue not much to tell For why it were not well To seeme to chat or mell Least that I purchase blame But I will beake and bende And none I hope offende If iustly they intende Their sentence for to frame FINIS The Castell of Courtesie Anno. 1582 AS I alone abroade did walke
to bestowe And as the Merchants mart for Coyne So Momus mockes for spight Whose Iolting toyes would be disnuld of euerie honest wight Of trueth my Booke I do beleeuâ— thou shalt not so goe free But that there will some doubtfull speach be spread abroade of thee God send thee lucke and me no ill and so adewe farewell But I presume that vnto me thou something hast to tell The Booke to the Authour WHat verdict doe you giue of meâ— what wordes be these you vse What follies fond doe foster forth these ill compacted newes Why stay your selfe for to surmise the worst of me I pray For none so ready faulte to finde as Bayard blind some say Whose faultes shall scanned be as thus with wise men well I woâ— They will say thou foole thou find'st a fault yet seekes to amend it not But this I say in your behalfe your youth and simple skill Cannot accomplish that you would although you haue good will But truly Authour doe not thinke that I shall get thee blame For in good sooth to tell my minde thou not deserust the same I knowe thy mind was bent to please and none for to offend I knowe thou hadst a care to bring me thus vnto an end I know thy friendes requsted thee that I abroad might goe I know full well as true it is that trueth is very so I knowe it is not Braueries bragge to boast or vaunt of praise Or Lucres craft for profittes gaine that thus me first did rayse I knowe that he requested it who is thy very friend Which hath requited all this paines and will doe to the end Wherefore if worldlinges vainely iudge as commonly they vse You must contented seeme to rest sith so they will abuse And maruaile not if I be blamed when workes of greater skill Haue had such hatefull speaches giuen as trust me t is to ill But I shall so my selfe behaue and manner so my moode As none shall iudge amisse of me except be Robin Hood And if that none do iudge but he I doe not greatly care I shall him aunswere well enough as time doth me prepare In meane Time humbly I end my selfe I doe commend Vnto all those that wish me well being loath them to offend FINIS Triall telles the Trueth The Chariot of Chastitie A Carefull Commendation thereof vvritten at the request of a verie Friend OF all the happie giftes of God bestowed on mortall wightes Dame Chastnesse is a gift most rare wherein God most delightes For Chastitie doth purchase fame And heauenly place aboue Where Angels sing in ioyfull wise as scripture plaine doth proue All such as to their mates be true with faithfull heart intire Haue place ordain'd in heauenly throne for to auoyde hell firâ— But if that truthlesse troth be tried vnseemely and vnmeete That is no Matrons life I trow nâ— wisdomes lore discreete Although blinde Cupid moue thy minde some peeâ—ish partes to play Dame Chastnesse if she be at hand will streight such vse alay Though Beawtie hath indued thee if Chastnesse stand aside That is but Beawtie to the world Which can not long abide Yet Beawtie is a blazing baite to please each Amorouse eye Whom Cupids knightes do oft frequent experience doth it try The which all Amored folke delightâ— and causeth much debate And forceth furiouse fretting fumes and deepe disdamefull hate O God when some behold and see the pleasures that abound In such fond tâ—yesâ— and culling trickes they say they are vnsound They are not for a Matrons moode Lucretia did not vse But firmly did her faith obserue till life did her refuse What though that vile Tarquinius he by force did her assay She neuer ioyed afterward but sought her owne decay Quoth she shall I remaine defiled vnto my loyall loue No sure some way to end my dayes I do intend to proue I feele such painfull passions which do bereaue my rest As with this blade now in my hand I meane to pearce my brest Wherefore this blade assuredly shall end my lothsome life So shall I then be free from feare and voyde of this my strife Lo thus the Matron slewe her selfe because she would not haue A body for her spouse vnchaste but brought it to the graue Oh Virgins let this be a glâ—sse to shew you honest life Remember how that Chastitie did rest in her most rife It is the greatest praise perdy that any wight can get It adorneth sure your life so braue as pearle on you were set You shine in world like Christall cleare your praise is rife in minde You duly do deserue such fame as is for you assign'd You shew no wanton countenance you tattle not at large You hold no parte of Cupids farme you do deny his charge You leane to Chastnesse steadfastly as Rocke and bulwarke strong You spend the day in vertuouse vse as doth to her belong For idle sportes decline from praise they hold no parte thereof But cogingly do spend the Time with many a girding scoffe And if they chaunce to catch one in who will come of in giftes They Care not so they may it haue though he be put to shiftes Their conscience is large God knowes and handes are open still For to receaue what giuen is such is their greedy will Yet for all that they may be Chast I do none here reproue He knoweth all their secret thoughtes that sittes in heauen aboue There is none can hide their guile from him hee knoweth all so well As sure it passeth me to thinke or â—ke my tongue to tell I know for true as scripture saith a chast and vertuous life Shall florish like the Oliue tree whose leaues are euer rife She shall accepted be of those that Treade her honest trace And not disdayned but much in price a certaine sure case But wanton wildnesse snuffes in nose to see her giuen so And often wisheth in her minde her steppes to ouerthrowe And Cupids knightes do skorme this Dame because she not repaires Unto his Court to be as one of not sufficed heires And Venus frownes to see her so high minded to abarre And wisheth her to be vntrue that breach might make a iarre Such is the counsell of that court light wantonnesse of kinde Inducing her to loue one or two that pleaseth most her minde Yea three or foure are not enowe for some whose minde doth raunge They haue no bloud within their Corps to make them blush for chaunge But constant Chastnesse simple standes and shrowdes her heade for shame She maruels much to see their mindes so fixed on that game Oh what a thing it is to thinke of twentie euilles prest That come of too much lauishnesse disturbance and vnrest Pittie this case good Matrons graue lend Aide it to disnull Helpe helpe for trust me it is Time such vices downe to pull And if you knowe within your Towne one person of that set Dame Chastnesse saith you should not leaue vntill you out her geâ—