Now broyled so in his breast That nought but Camna could restore Sinoris wonted rest Resolued fully was he then To take this dame to wife Though baser in degrée When no meanes els could serue his turne To cracke her honestie Then suite was made vnto her friendes Who waying well his wealth Would haue her néedes consent Shée after great denialles made At length did séeme content Sinoris when he heard this newes Was passing measure glad And order gaue in al post hast For mariage to bée had To temple of Diana then VVith spéede these couple goe And with them sundry worthy wightes The mariage rites to doe In outward shew shée did expresse Great signes of mirth and ioy But in her heart shée did contriue This tyrant to destroy Ere that they fully were assurde Chast Camna bad one bring To her a drinking glasse Of which shée must to husband drinke As there the custome was She tempred had a pleasaunt drinke VVith balefull poyson strong Of which shée dranke one part And to Sinoris gaue the rest VVhich so did pricke his heart That Phisickes skill could not preuaile To saue his vading life VVhich well did please the minde of her That then should be his wife When Camna saw that her deuice Did frame euen as shée would She gréetes Dianas Image there VVith thankes a thousand folde And méekely knéeling on her knées Ah Goddesse then she sayde Thou knowest from murdring of my selfe How hardly I haue stayde Thou knowest quoth shée what bitter pangues Hath gripte my heart with griefe Since my deare husbands death And onely hope of iust reuenge Prolonged hath my breath VVhich since I see now come to passe VVith gladnesse will I die And séeke that soule to finde In life and death which then my selfe To me was déerer friend And thou thou caitife vile quoth shée Which didst my mariage craue In stéede now of a mariage bed Prepare thy selfe a graue But séeing then Sinoris dead To husbandes sprite shée cryed Oh let not thy swéete company To mée now be denied Come méete me now my louing mate Who still I tender most And saying so her armes abroad She yéelded vp the Ghost Amery lest SOmetimes in France a woman dwelt Whose husband being dead Within a yéere or somwhat more An other did her wed This good wife had of wealth great store Yet was her wit but thin To shew what happe to her befell My Muse doth now begin It chaunced that a scholler poore Attirde in course aray To sée his friends that dwelt farre thence From Paris tooke his way The garments were all rent and torne Wherwith this wight was clad And in his purse to serue his néede Not one denéere he had Hée was constrainde to craue the almes Of those which oft would giue His néedy and his poore estate With some thing to relieue This scholler on a frostie morne By chaunce came to the doore Of this old silly womans house Of whome wée spake before The husband then was not at home Hée craueth of the dame Who had him in and gaue him meate And askt from whence hée came I came quoth hée from Paris towne From Paradise quoth she Men call that Paradise the place Where all good soules shalbe Cham zure my vurst goodman is dere Which died this other yéere Chould geue my friend a good gray groate Some newes of him to heare Hée saw shée did mistake his wordes And thought to make some glée And saide your husband is in health I lately did him sée Now by my troth quoth shée cham glad Good scholler doe declare Was not hée wroth because I sent Him from this world so bare In déede quoth he he was disppleasd And thought it farre vnméete You hauing all to send him hence With nothing but a shéete Quoth shée good scholer let me know When thou returnst agayne Hée answerd Dame I will be there Within this wéeke or twayne Shée sayde my friend if that iche durst Presume to be so bolde Chould pray thée carrie him some clothes To keepe him from the colde Hée saide he woulde with all poste haste Into the towne shée hies Hat doublet shert coate hose and shoes Shée there for husband buyes Shée praying him in earnest sorte It safely to conuey Did geue him money in his purse And so he went his way Not halfe of halfe an howre was past Ere husband hers was come What newes shée heard from Paradise Shée tolde him all and some And farther did to him declare What token shée had sent Whereat her husband waxed wroth And woondrous ill content He calde her sotte and doating foole And after him doth ride The Scholler was within a Hedge And him a farre espide Hée was afrayde and downe doeth fling His fardell in a dike The man came néere andaskt him newes Of one whom hée did séeke That bare a fardell at his backe The scholler musde a while Then answearing said such one I saw Passe ouer yonder style With hasty spéede he downe alightes And doth the scholler pray Till he the man had ouertane So long the horse to stay Vntill hée passed out of sight Full still the scholer bides Who taking then his fardell on His horse away he rides When he returnd and saw himselfe By scholer flouted so Your selues may iudge what chéere he made If he were wroth or no. He sware I thinke a hundred oathes At length per mundum toots For that he had no shoes to weare Martch homewardes in his bootes His wife did méete him at the doore Hayée cought man quoth shée No Dame he sayde he caught my horse The Diuel take him and thée With that shée laught and clapt her hands And sayde cham glad ich sweare For nowe he hath a horse to ride He wilbe quickly there When that her husband well had wayde That remedy there was none He takes his fortune in good parte And makes no farther mone Now whether that this honest wife Did loue her first good man To such as shall peruse this tale The case I leaue to scan To his friend IF thou wilt shun the pricking briers And thornie cares that folly bréedes Put bridle to thy fond desires Make reason mistres of thy déedes Attempt nothing by rash aduice If thou thus doe then art thou wise Where Wit to Will is slaue and thrall Where fond affection beareth sway Ten thousand mischiefes do befall And vertue cleane is cast away For hauing rashnes for their guide Such cannot choose but wander wyde Their credite quickly lies in dust Which yéelde as bondslaues to their will And follow euery foolish lust Such leaue the good and choose the yll The wayes of vertue those forgoe And tread the pathes of care and woe Wilt thou possesse eternall ioyes And porte of blisse at length attayne Still prayse the Lord with heart and voyce From doyng yll thy steppes refrayne These things obserude be sure at last In heauen with Christ thou shalt be plast A Newyeeres gift to
not yet departed but remaines as at the first or rather greater and this vncessant sorowing doth not onely profit but rather endomage you greatly Adding to the first euil the most grieuous euill of affliction whereof Plato in his bookes of a Common wealth said most diuinely That it was the best thing that could bée in calamitie to take it so paciently to be contented therwith as wée possibly can in y e first it is vncertain whether the thing for which we lament be good or euill Farther the being sorowfull doth not in any thing remedie that which is happened besides that no humaine thing should bée of such estimation that it should moue a man to dwell in anguish for it What more that griefe and sorow are a hinderaunce to those remedies which might spéedily haue béene taken Most true and worthy are those reasons of Plato which if they were well wayed and duely considered of who is there that euer would afflict himselfe for any worldly calamite Truely such sorowing is forbidden to all but to the learned and vertuous much more whereof Fauorinus saide most wisely that a man of bold courage trained vp in the golden precepts of true Philosophy should haue tranquillitie of minde shut vp and setled in his brest before any ill hap light vpon him which is no more to say but y ◠a wise man shold haue a strong Armour in a readines wherewith to defend himselfe against euery stroke and assault of fortune But what meane I to go forwardes to speake vainely as a Philosopher hauing already reasoned with you as a Christian The largnes of the matter doth cary mée away and the great affection that I beare you doeth prick mée forward neither can I well set downe which of these two are greater Therfore vnlesse I would alwayes speake it is néedeful that I make an ende of speaking It was an easie thing to enter into the déepe sea of this argument but vneasie to get forth Wherfore I must doe héere as Alexander the great did by Gordianus his knot who being vnable to vndoe it did cut it in sunder with his sword Now although pouertie haue not all that dowries of mée which God and Nature hath endewed her with yet haue I bestowed so many on her that she may euery way go richely to her husband Yee ought not to feare of being any more poore shée bringing so wealthy a dowrie to your house neither néede yée to stand in doubt of hauing many riualles to contend for her as Eurimacus Antinous with other woers did for Penelope for that pouertie as Xenophon in the person of Socrates saies very well amongst other her vertues hath this priuiledge that shée prouoketh not men to brawle and fight and to deceaue and séeke one an others death for the hauing of her as it often commeth to passe for the attaining of riches honour or kingdomes for although shée be not lockt vp nor garded shée conserues and kéepes her selfe and that which is most to be estéemed shée is so modest and chast that none in the house where shée dwelleth will bée ielous of her Sée then whether shée bée honest or deserue to bée had in reputation or no. But know yée not why shée remaies without a husband It is not for want of any goodnesse or bewtie being endued plentifully with eyther of them But because euery one doth staine and defile her euery one holdes her in contempt filling her with filthinesse and most spitefull pollutinges in such sorte that her true and natiue bewtie cannot bée séene But if any man would louingly bring her to his house and purifie and wash her adorning her with her true and proper ornamentes no doubt shée would appeare most gallant and bewtifull and it will then euidently bée séene how vile and contemptible riches are in comparison of her Behold almost I cannot ende and yet I will end Fare yée well and repose your confidence in God who is the true and bountifull dispenser of all good thinges An answere of Maister Clodius Ptholomoeus to a Letter sente him by a friende that meruelled wherefore hee hauing such learning remayned in so meane and base an estate of calling IN the last Letter that I receiued from you great was the woonder and complaint that yée brought in against mée which considering that it springeth altogether of the ouer great affection that yée beare towards mée I neither maruell at it nor am sory for it This auoucheth that to bée true which is spoken by Plato That the louer is often blinded in the thing beloued I account my selfe déepely indebted to your curtesie for this your affection but therwithall I wish your iudgement to bée somwhat more temperate for I would not that contrary effects should méete in mée at one instant féeling pleasure of the loue y ◠yée beare mée displeasure of your iudgement I pray you therefore better to consider of this poynte following and after pronounce such iudgement of mee as yée shall thinke requisite That as an auncient cauiller did appeale from Caesar béeyng moued and angry to Caesar being not moued nor angry so I at this present appeale from you beyng carried away with ouer great affection to your self hauing Reason for your gouernesse Yée doe not a litle maruel that I in so long a time haue not lept to any degrée of honour or fortune It séeming vnto you that my linage my countrey my age my studies my customes my long aboade in the court my fauour acquired with men of high calling and finally my present noble and honorable seruice should haue aduanced me yea and farther that many other are dayly to bée séene in the court endued with qualities farre inferiour to mine to leape sodainly to degrées of preferment and that I was accurst and that it was a shame for me to remayne thus alwayes in base fortune and priuat condition And in the ende as a disdaynful friend yée conclude that this cannot come to passe but of an extréeme soft spritednesse in me in that I helpe not forward my fortune as I shoulde putting me in mynde of that auncient sentence of the Spartans that in calling for ayde of God it is necessary that we set to our owne helping hands as the instruments of God Truely I know not with what beginning it were best to answeare this your long maruell and tedious complaynt And beeyng desirous to doe you a pleasur eit came in my mynde once to graunt you that which you affirme to be true thinking at one instaunt to ease my selfe of labour in answearing and you of annoy in reading this my troublesome reply But I should erre in performing the duety that is conuenient to a true friend if eyther to flatter you or to auoyde labour I should not apparantly tel you that which I thinke First I know not whether this greatnesse of fortune y ◠yée wish me be a thing that bringeth felicity to a man yea or no or whether
that are within vs. Let vs farther consider howe that pouertie is a thing that may bée taken from vs in a day in an howre and as it were in a moment It is not as too bee blynde lame foolishe or maymed or a calamitie whereof no hope remayneth euer to bee cured but pouerty may sodaynlie bee taken away eyther by the beneuolence of thy prince or some noble man or by the meanes of some wealthie friende who mooued by some fauourable motion will aduaunce thee too riches Abdolomenus was most poore Alexander the great had a desire to make him king and it was done presently Héere-vpon Menander sayde well that of all euils pouerty was the lightest for that any friend that wil assist thée may vnlode thee of it On the other side riches are frayle fugitiue when as a man in a moment may be bereft of all O God howe many haue wée our selues séene either by spoyling on the land or by drowning theyr shippes on the Sea or by confiscation of their goods or through the displeasure of the Prince of most rich on the sodayne to become most poore Let vs farther consider that the poore man is néerer the attayning of his ende then is the rich Forasmuch as hée doth not ordinarily desire more then wherewith to supply his necessities which as hath béen shewed before are few and may easily be remedied But the rich man swelling through the pride of his substance hath his naturall and reasonable appetite corrupted and desires to encrease infinitely in his riches whereby it may bée séene that hée is farther from his ende then the poore man What more That the rich man encreasing in wealth encreaseth also in desires and by howe much his riches are the greater so much the greater also are his needes Whereof this sentence was wisely spoken Necesse est eum multis indigere qui multa habeat He that hath many things must of necessitie want many thinges Let it be considered farther that man is borne naked and hath that which he possesseth of the méere grace of God in such sort that if he will rightly estéeme euery thing he ought not to be pensiue and sorowfull for that hée hath not but ought rather to render immortall thankes vnto GOD for that which hée hath Finally let this bée wayde that if pouerty bée euill it is very shorte let it endure as long as it can for all the time wée haue to liue héere béeing compared with the infinite eternity that endureth euerlastingly is but as it were the twinckling of an eye But I greatly maruell that man knowyng how hée must die and somtimes thinking thereof doth not take comfort of his pouertie and as it were of euery other euill that hée suffereth For that either hée beléeues that our soule is immortall as wée ought true and resolutely to beléeue or thinkes as some naughtie and peruerse people doe that shee shall die together with the body If hée déeme it to bee immortall and sées infinite rewardes in an other world sette downe for the good and euerlasting tormentes for the wicked who is hée as one might say that would not little set by all the euill and good of this world to gaine the felicitie of the other But if hée now thinke the soule to bee mortall how can pouertie afflict him if hée consider of the entire destruction of himselfe But if hée resolue of neither of these it is an euil of al others most to bée detested Hyppocrates in his diuine Oracles sayeth that when two euils afflict one place of which the one is great and the other very little the lesser is not felt If then pouertie in comparison of the entire destruction of himselfe bée a light euill how should it so pinch and torment them But as it is most requisite let vs bée Christians and affirme not onely the immortalitie of the soule but vnfaignedly beléeue the infallible lawe of Iesus Christ reuealed vnto vs by the light of his grace taught vs by the diuine scriptures confirmed by the testimonie of so many Martyrs shewed by so many lightes of diuine vnderstandinges approued by the vniuersall lawe of God by which wee are guided through this sea of fayth Let vs I say bée Christians and then wée ought not to account pouertie to bée euill but deeme it rather to bée a true imitation of Christ who whiles hée remained in this world liued alwayes poorely and méekely But besides this imitation the commaundements that the eternall veritie hath left vs to doe in many places teache it vs which if I shoulde héere sette it downe at large I greatly feare that in stéede of a comforting friend yée would thinke mée to bée a tedious preacher I will only rehearse vnto you his wonderfull and diuine philosophy when as hée sayeth I say vnto you Be yée not careful what to eate nor wherwith to cloath your selues Is not the soule of more valew then meate and the body then rayment Beholde the little fowles of the ayre who sow not neither reape nor gather into their barnes and yet our heauenly father feedeth them al. Are not you of more account then they which of you is there that with al your thought can ad one cubyt to your stature Why are you so carefull for apparell consider the Lyllies of the fielde in what sorte they grow they worke not they spinne not and yet I say vnto you that Solomon in all his royaltie was not cloathed like vnto one of these And if God cloath the grasse of the field which too day is séene and too morrow is throwne into the furnace how much rather will hée cloath you O yée of little fayth wherfore bée not troubled in your selues saying What shal wée â—at or what shal we drinke and wherwith shall wée bée cloathed These thoughtes are of the heathen and not of Christians Your heauenly father knoweth well what yée néede Séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all other things that yée stand in néede of shal bée giuen vnto you Bée yée not carefull what to eate tomorow but let too morow care for it selfe Sufficient is vnto the day the trauayle thereof O most diuine Philosophy which if it were well tasted of men and not lightly passed ouer no man would euer bée grieued or afflicted with pouertie But wée for the most part haue not any feruent desire to enter to the quick in the searching out the troth of thinges through which it comes to passe that wée seldome or neuer vnderstand aright It is not néedefull to lay vp treasure héere on earth where rust and moathes doe consume but in heauen where neither rust nor moathes do consume nor théeues breake in steale And if wée consider farther how hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen there is none of so little vnderstanding but wil despise and abhor riches not but that rich men may be saued but for that y e
Pisardus passing well oftentimes came to visite him and would dine and suppe with him who noting the mild demeanour modest behauiour of Fiorella maruelled greatly saying within himselfe O God why was it not my hap to haue takeÌ„ Fiorella to wife as wel as my brother Pisardo Sée how shée gouernes the house and doth what he commandeth her most obediently But mine wretche that I am doeth cleane contrary not affoording me neyther a good word nor chéereful countenance vnlesse shée may haue her owne will in euery thing Siluerius on a certayne day walking alone with Pisardus and debating of diuers matters amongst other communication he said Brother Pisardus thou knowest the loue and good-will that hath long remayned betwixt vs. I would willingly learne of you what meanes yée vsed at the first in bringing your wife to such obedience and to winne her to make so much of you I can neuer so louingly commaund Spinella to doe any thing but she answeares me ouerthwartly and herewith doeth al things contrary to that I bid her Pisardus smyling hereat from poynt to poynt tolde him the order and meanes that he had vsed when he brought her first to his house persuading him to doe the like and prooue whether it woulde take effect which if it did not hee knewe not what aduise to geue him This liked Siluerius very well who taking his leaue of his friende and beyng come home to his house without any delay called for his wife and taking a payre of his owne bréeches and a couple of staues did as his friend Pisardus had couÌ„selled him Which Spinella séeing said vnto him What new thing Siluerius is this that yée are about to doe What buzzes are there put in your head Are you now become a foole Doe we not know thinke you that men and not women should weare bréeches and what necessity is there I pray you in doing these thinges so besides the purpose but Siluerius making no answere procéeded in his determinate order geuing her the rule and gouernment of his house Spinella maruelling heereat cuttedly saide vnto him Think you that I cannot doe these things sufficiently without these your godly instructions that you so hotly geue mée But her husband held his peace and going with his wife to the stable did the like to his horses that Pisardo had done before and killed one Spinella séeing such fondnes thought verily that he was besides himselfe and saide vnto him Alas I pray you tel me Sir what mad moodes are these what is there come in your braine What is there meant by these vnaduised parts y â— yée play Are yée witlesse Siluerius answered I am neither mad nor foolish But all they that liue at my charge and doe not obey me shalbe chasticed in like sorte as yée haue nowe séene Spinella perceruing to what end this was done by her vnwise husband â—aid vnto him Ah sot that thou art It séemeth wel that thy horse was a simple beast to suffer himself so miserably to be killed at thy haÌ„ds But what meane yée by this Thinke yée to doe that vnto me which ye haue done to your horse in truth if ye so thinke yée are deceaued greatly and ouerlate it is now to looke vnto that which yee woulde looke vnto The bone is ouer muche hardeÌ„ned the wound is nowe growne to a scarre neyther is there nowe any remedy Order should sooner haue beene taken with this your straunge maner of coniuration O foole O witlesse Goose doest thou not sée that thou sustainest both losse scorne by these innumerable â—ollies And what gayne yée hereby In good fayth nothing Siluerius hearing the wordes of his suttle wife séeyng his louing purpose like to come to no effect determined against his will paciently to suffer this his harde fortune till death should ende these his dolours And Spinella séeing her husbands counsel not to preuaile whereas shée tooke an inche of liberty before tooke an Ell afterwardes For a woman that is by nature obstinate had rather suffer a thousand deathes then alter her setled determination ¶ Maister Gasparinus a Phisition by his cunning healeth fooles THere dwelt in times past in Englande a very rich man who had one only sonne called Gasparinus whom he sent ouer too the vniuersity of Padua that he might there follow his studie but hee making no account of learning speÌ„t his time in gaming and rioting haunting brothel houses and other suspected places leading y e most dissolute life that might be His father thinking that he spent his time in the study of Phisicke he practized in stéed of bookes bowles for disputing diâ—ing and whereas he should haue attayned learning he altogether frequeÌ„ted loytring Hauing remayned there y e space of fiue yéeres he returned into his countrey and shewed by experience y â— he had learned backwards for going about to séem a Romaine he manifested himselfe to be a Barbarian and men noted him and poynted at him as a common laughing stocke in the towne where he dwelt What griefe it was vnto the poore father to sée his cost lost and his onely childe as it were cast away I referre the consideration thereof to your discretions Wherfore for the mitigating of his sorowes hée called his sonne vnto him and opening a chest full of money and iewels layde forth vnto him the one halfe of his goodes which verily he deserued not said Take here my sonne thy portion of thy fathers hereditamentes get thée farre froÌ„ me For I rather choose to remain without a child then to liue with thée in infamie No sooner were these words spoken but he most willingly obeying his fathers commandement fingering the money tooke his leaue departed And being farre distant from him at the entrance of a wood néere a riuer hée built a costly sumptuous pallace the gates being of brasse and with this riuer it was moated about Herein with a deuice of sluces he made certayne litle pooles whose depth hée woulde encrease or diminish at his pleasure Into some the water entred the depth of a man into some other y â— it would reach to his eyes others vnto the nauel some to the middle some to the knées vnto euery of these pooles an yron chaine was fastened Ouer the gate of this pallace was a title written which sayd A place wherein to heale fooles The fame of this pallace in short space was spread abrode in most places of the world fooles repayred thither in great abundance to be cured but to speake more néerer the troth to bée washed The maister according to the greatnes of their follies would plundge them in these pits and some of these he would heale with whippings some with watching some with fasting other some by little litle he would restore to their former estate vnderstanding by the teÌ„perature suttlety of y â— ayre On a time in a large court without the gates of this pallace as certayne of the meanest
déede a simple shift To serue in stéede of new yéeres gift Though slenderly I make it your pardon let mée haue If in good part you take it no more of you I craue So shall you binde mée day by day To pleasure you in what I may But I offend such words to spend in séeking in séeking That you should pardon mée If oft I doe that bréedes in you misliking misliking Corrected let mée bée My selfe to you I yéelde and giue As prisoner true whilst that I liue So may you be reuenged for my presumptuous heart Which hath perhaps offended to play so leawd a part Condemne mée to bée prisoner still So may you boldly worke your will Procéede my déere the case is cléere now stay not now stay not Giue iudgement out of hand If you ordaine perpetuall paine I way not I way not Your iust decrée shall stand And if you will award it so That I must now to prison go Your heart shall bée the prison wherin I will abyde Vntill by right and reason my case bée throughly tride O God how happy should I bée If such a gaile enclosed mée A delectable Dreame AS late abroad asléepe I lay Mée thought I came by wondrous chaunce Whereas I heard a harper play And saw great store faeries daunce I marched néere drawne by delight And prest these gallant Dames among When as their daunce being ended quite Of him that playde they craue a song My presence nought appalde their minde Hée tunde his harpe his voyce was cléere And as a foe to woman kind He sang this song that foloweth héere A Womans face is full of wiles Her teares are like the Crocadill With outward chéere on thée shée smiles When in her heart shée thinkes thée ill Her tongue still chattes of this and that Then aspine leafe it wagges more faâ—â— And as she talkes shée knowes not what There yssues many a troathlesse blast Thou farre doest take thy marke amisse If thou thinke fayth in them to finde The Wethercocke more constant is Which turnes about with euery winde O how in pittie they abound Their heart is milde like marble stone If in thy selfe no hope bée found Be sure of them thou gettest none I know some pepernosed dame Will tearme mée foole and sawcie iack That dare their credit so defame And lay such slaunders on their backe What though on mée they powre their spite I may not vse the glosérs trade I cannot say the crow is white But néedes must call a spade a spade Héerewith his songue and musik ceast The Faeries all on him did frowne A stately dame amongst the rest Vpon her face falles prostrate downe And to the Gods request did make That some great plagues might bée assind To him that all might warning take How they speake ill of womankind Héerewith a wonder to bée tolde His féete stoode fast vpon the ground His face was neither young nor olde His harpe vntoucht would yeeld no sound Long hayre did grow about his sâ—ull His skinne was white his blood was read His paunch with guts was bombast full No dogge had euer such a head His coulour oft did goe and come His eies did stare as hée did stand Also foure fingers and a thombe Might now bée seene in eyther hand His tongue likewise was plagued sore For that it played this péeuish parte Because it should offend no more 'Twas tyed with stringes vnto his heart Yet in his mouth aboad shée still His téeth like walles did kéepe her in Which now grinde meate much like a mill His lippes were placde aboue his chinne Thus was hée chaungd that none him knew But for the same hée was before By silent signes hée séemde to sue That Gods would now torment no more And hée would there without delayes Recant all that which erst hée spake Hée pardoned is on harpe hée playes And presently this songue did make AMongst all creatures bearing life A woman is the worthyest thing Shée is to man a faythfull wife Shée mother was to Christ our king If late by mée they were accusde I haue therefore receiued my hyre Vnlesse they greatly bée abusde They neuer are repleate with yre They neither chide fight brawle nor lye The gentlest creatures vnder sunne When men doe square for euery fly To make them friends the women runne And where they chaunce to fixe their loue They neuer swarue or seeke for chaunge No new perswasions can them moue Tis men that haue desire to raunge Like Turtles true they loue their spowse And doe their duties euery way â— hey fée good orders in the house When husbands are abroad at play And to conclude they Angells are Though héere on earth they doe remaine Their glittering hew which shines like Star And bewtie braue declares it playne This sayde the Faeries laught And séemd in countenance very glad To speake my minde I then had thought How some were good and some were bad But marke ill happe a friend came by Who as hée found mée sléeping so Did call mée vp with voyce so hye That slumber swéete I did forgoe To his most faythfull friend A Thing most straunge to tell of late did chaunce to me whiles y â— I tooke my pen in haÌ„d to writ my mind to thée As I had thought in hast to pach a verse or two Without regarde as common friends accustomd oft to doe I could not for my life mine eies so waking kéepe But that a sodain slumber came which made mée fal asléep In dreame I séemde to sée appeare before mine eine A comely Lady well be séene attirde in decent wise Most modest were her lookes most chéerefull eke her face Me thought therin was picturd out a worthy matroÌ„s grace O thanklesse wretch shée said and canst thou so neglect My worthy lawes is there w t thée of frends no more respect Dost know to whome thou writest is he a common frende Suffiseth it in coÌ„mon sort that thou shouldst shew thy mind Hath his desarts deserude of thée no better méede Is this due guerdon for y â— loue which did from him procéed In that he hath in déedes byn alwaies friend to thée Let him peceiue by friendly words thée thankful stil to be He lookes not for thy déeds he knowes thy power is smal And wilt thou then depriue him wretch of words of déeds al Brute beasts requite good turnes it cannot be denied Wilt thou theÌ„ be vngrateful which hast reasoÌ„ for thy guid Shal friendship dwell in beasts and men be found vnkinde Shal they for loue shew loue agayn thou forget thy friend With that shée gaue a becke and bad me to awake And said doe shew thy thankful mind so requitall make Herewith shée did depart my slumber past away I felt my chéeks bedewd w t tears through words y â— she did say Her bitter sharpe rebukes did make me muse a space Chiefly in that they did procéede out from so fayre a face But then I cald to minde that
Gratitude she was That thākful Dame whose custom is frō friend to friend to passe I tooke my pen in hand with purpose to declare The Circumstance of this my dreame w t cloyd my hed with care Herein also I thought her precepts to obey And al the plot of thy deserts most largely to display But when my dreame was done I found such litle store Of paper that I could not haue wherin to write the more ¶ One that had a frowarde Husband makes complaynt to her mother Written in French by Clement Marott AND is there any wight aliue That rightly may compare Or goe beyond me silly wretch In sadnesse and in care Some such may be but this I say One must goe farre to séeke To finde a woman in this worlde Whose griefe to mine is like Or hath so iust a cause of moane In dumps of déepe despite I linger on my loathsome life Depriud of all delight Men say the Phoenix is a birde Whose like cannot bée found I am the Phoenix in this worlde Of that those care doth wound And he that workes me all this woe May be the Phoenix well Of all enraged senslesse wightes That in the earth doe dwell I moane not here as Dido did Being stryken at the heart As woorthy Virgill doeth recorde With dint of Cupids dart Nor in my playnts some Louer name As Sappho did of yore But husband is the cause héereof Which makes my griefe the more For Louers if they like vs not We may cast of agayne But with our husbandes good or bad Till death we must remayne I doe not speake these wordes as if His death I did desire But rather that it might please God His thoughts so to enspire That he might vse me as he ought Or as I doe deserue Since that I him as duety byndes Doe honour loue and serue And séemes it not desert thinke you At his commaund to haue The beauty greate and other giftes that nature to me gaue Ist not desert such one with him In loyall bed to lie As alwayes hath most faythfull byn And will be till shée die To looke on him with chéerefull face to call him Spouse and friend To coll and kisse all this hée hath With franke and willing mynde And all thinges els as God commaunds And duety doth allowe Yet am I dealt with at his handes Alas I know not howe Hée thanklesse man doth ill for good Agaynst all right and lawe Hée had of me good fruitfull Corne And payes mée chaffe and straw For méeke and humble curtesie Fierce cruelty hée geues For loyalty disloyalty And that which most mée grieues Is when in swéete and humble sorte I come to make my moane His heart no more is mollified Then is the Marble stone The cruell Lyon ready bent With pawes and téeth to teare When that the silly Hounde doeth yéelde His malice doeth forbeare When Attalus the Romayne host Did erst subdue in field His heart to mercy was enclinde Assoone as they did yéelde Blacke Pluto eke the Prince of hell Vneasie to bée woone When Orpheus had playde on harpe His rankour all was done By swéetnesse and by curtesie What is not wrought alas Nerethlesse the swéetenesse Feminine Which others all doth passe Can nothing doe before the eyes Of my hardhearted féere The more that I submit my selfe The straunger is his chéere So that in wrongfull cruelty And spite he doth excel The Lions wilde the Tyrants stoute And monsters eke of hel As ofte as I reuolue in mynde The greatnesse of my harmes I thinke how foorth the Fowler goes with swéete and pleasant charmes To take the birds which once betrayd He eyther killes straight way Or kéepes them pende in pensiue cage That flie no more they may And so at first I taken was By his swéete fléering face And now depriude of ioy alas Am handled in like case Now if the birdes as some auouch Doe curse his kéeper still In language his why curse I not The Author of my yll That griefe doeth euer greater harme Which hidden lies in brest Then that which to some faithfull friend By speaking is exprest My sorowes then shall bée reuealde Some stedfast friend vnto My tongue thereby vnto my heart A pleasure greate may doe But vnto whom shoulde I disclose My bondage and my thrall Vnto my spouse No surely no My gaynes shoulde bee but small Alas to whom then shoulde I moane Should I some Louer choose Who in my sorowes and my griefes As partner I might vse Occasions great do counsell me To put this same in vre Mine honour and mine honestie Forbid such rashnes sure Wherefore ye louers al adew Vnto some other goe I will obserue my vowed fayth Though to my greatest foe To whome shal I powre forth my plaints To you most louing mother For they by dutie do belong To you and to none other To you I come to séeke reliefe With moyst and wéeping eies Euen as the heart with thirst opprest Vnto the fountaine hies If any salue in all the world may serue to cure my wound Dame Nature sayes vndoubtedly In you it must be found Now if some succour may be had Assisted let me be But if it lie not in your power Yet spend some teares with me That yours with mine mine with yours Might so kéepe moyst the flowre That erst procéeded from your wombe And wasteth euery houre His Friend W. C. to Mistres F. K. whom he calls his Captaine AS Souldiers good obey their captaines will And readie are to goe to ride or runne And neuer shrinke their duety to fulfill But what they byd it by and by is done So rest I yours good Captayne to dispose When as you please to combate with your foes Your foes sayd I alas what may they be That haue the heart to harme so swéete a wight Who dare attempt to try his force with thée Shall conquerd be ere he begin to fight Let thousand foes agaynst thee come in field Thy beauty great will make them all to yéeld To yéeld sayd I nay rather would they choose By thée subdude to liue in bondage still Then lead such life as Conquerors doe vse In thy disgrace and wanting thy good will But strike the drumme let the trumpet sound To take thy part whole legions wil be found So many eares as euer heard thée speake So many eyes as haue thy feature vewde So many handes thy puysance hath made weake So many heartes thy beauty hath subdued Ech of these eares ech eye ech hand ech heart Swéet Captain stil are prest to take thy part Ech eare to heare when enuy séekes thy foyle Ech eye to spy who worketh thine anoy Ech hand with blade to conquere them in broyle Ech gladsome heart for victory to ioy Thus euery part the trusty friend will play For thy behoofe whom God preserue alway The complaynt of a sinner LIke as the théefe in prison cast With wofull wayling mones When hope of pardon cleane is
I here tolde not a lye O were it not too true That very few theyr Princesse steppes In godlinesse ensue Should I passe on her golden giftes And graces to declare The sandes in bottome of the Seas More easily numbred are If tongue or pen should take in hand Her vertues to vnfolde Tongue should not speake pen would be worne Ere halfe the tale were tolde Shée is next God the onely spring From which our welfare flowes She is a trée on which nought els But graftes of goodnesse growes Shée is a Sunne that shines on vs with beames of blissefull happes Shée is a dew that daily drops Great plenty in our lappes When angry Neptune shipwracke threats Through force of wrestling waues Shée is a port of safe refuge Which vs from daunger saues When duskie cloudes of errors blacke Had dimde our ioyfull day Through Christ shée causde the Gospell shine Which draue them all away Shée worthy statutes hath ordaynd To kéepe men still in awe But euery man vnto himselfe Will now set downe a lawe Such as his will doth fancy best They neuer care how bad Nor farre from God and godlinesse So pleasure may be had If lawlesse lust were lawfull loue If wauering wordes were déedes Then would the Court bring foorth more fruite And not so many wéedes Thou knowest among the courting crew How little fayth is forced Sound friendship from the most of them Is vtterly deuorced Who cannot flatter glose and lie And set thereon a face Is neuer able for his life To get a Courtly grace Who sweates not in his sutes of silke And is not passing braue Amongst them beares no countenance They déeme him but a slaue As long as thou hast store of coyne And spendst it with the best In outward shew great friendlinesse To thée shalbe profest But if thy wealth begin to weare If pence begin to fayle thée Theyr friendship then in time of néede But little shall auayle thee For they will shrinke their heades aside And leaue thée posts alone If twenty were thy friendes before Now hardly getst thou one I pray thée let vs scan this case And doe thou sadly tell What thing at first did make thée like And loue the Court so well Didst thinke that there a godly life Might soonest be attaynde And motions of the sinfull fleshe Most easily be refraynd That cannot be for all men sée How vice is there imbraste And vertue with the greatest parte Is vtterly defaste Did hope of wealth first pricke thée foorth In Court to spend thy life Or didst thou thinke that liberal gifts With noble men were ryfe If ought thou carrie in thy purse Thou quickly there mayst spend it But when thy landes and rentes are gone How canst thou then amend it To begge would gréeue thy loftie mynde That earst had store of wealth And hanging is the end of such as take mens goodes by stealth Because thou serust a noble man Perhaps thou makst no doubt In hope that he at such a pinche Will alwayes beare thée out Such hope hath hanged many a one Whom wilful Will did guyde By often proofe in these our dayes Too true it hath béene tried For when a halters sliding knot Hath stopt their vitall breath He was say they a handsome man Its pitie of his death Thus all too late their pitie comes But seldome comes their ayde Wherefore doe not forget these wordes That I to thée haue sayde Be not sedewste by wanton will Let warnings make thee wise And after this in all thy déedes Be rulde by good aduise This tale béeyng tolde he heald his peace And I which found it true Did yéeld him thankes and gate me home And bad the Court adew We till to sowe we sow to reape We reape and grind it by and by We grinde to bake we bake to eate We eate to liue we liue to die We die with Christ to rest in ioy In heauen made free from all anoy FINIS A Preface to certaine questions and Riddles ensuing translated out of Italian verse into english verse by H. G. AL yee vnto whome the skanning and viewing Shal come of these questions riddles ensuing I let you first know thus much without fayning That all of them carry a good and cleane meaning If so they be constred aright in their sense Thus much may I boldly speake in their defence But if in ill part some fortune to take them We fayle of the end to which we did make them Which was for the solace of them that can vse them What thinges can be sound if men wil abuse them To such as are cleane what can be vnpure Such as are defilde ill thoughts haue in vre If of any riddle badde sense ye pick out Gesse at it againe ye fayle without doubt And doe not aright his meaning expound Their true exposition is honest and sound And that shall be proued if you will craue tryall So truely that no man will stand in deniall Committing the sequel to your approbation I finish the preface of this my translation 1 A Father once as bookes expresse Had sonnes twise sixe nor more nor lesse Ech sonne of children had scores thrée Halfe of them sonnes halfe daughters bée The sonnes are farre more white then snowe The daughters blacker then a crow Wee sée these children dayly die And yet they liue continually 2 A mightie blacke horse with gallant white winges Within his graund paunch beares many straunge things Hée oft doth trauayle for maysters auayle And caryes his bridle tyed fast to his taile In going hée flyes twixtearth and the ayre And oft where they would not his riders doth beare Hée hath diuers eies and yet cannot sée I pray you doe tell mée what may this beast bée 3 A certaine thing liueth in place néere at hande Whose nature is straunge if it bée well scand It sées without eyes it flyes without winges It runnes without féete it workes wondrous thinges To places far distant it often doth rome Yet neuer departeth but taryes at home If thou doe it couet to féele or to sée Thy labour is lost for it may not bée 4 What am I that wanting both handes féete and head Of all them that sée me being déemed for dead Of breath haue great store and moue too and fro Now vp and now downe now hye and now low Alas what hard fortune doth to mée befall That guiltlesse am spited of great and of small They strike me and push mee South West North East Yet doe I no harme to most neither least When as my breath fayling I can doe no more They then giue mée ouer and neuer before 5 I being the daughter of my vncles brother Am now of late become a mother And with my milke from my pappes which flowes I nourish a sonne my mothers owne spowse Now tell what I am declare mine estate For I giue him sucke that first me begate 6 None liueth more iocound in al the whole land Though head doth
it take it from him For y ◠as the most wise ancient sages haue set down vntovs there is no man that perfectly knowes what is good or euil vnto him in this world Whervpon Socrates would not that any particular thing shoulde be craued at Gods handes but that onely which is good And when I looke well about me I finde not in them that are aduanced to high degrees any tranquilitie of mind but rather as their dignitie and greatnes augmenteth so increase they likewise in greater perturbations and frettings of the minde For it seldome or neuer comes to passe otherwise but that with the abundance of the giftes of fortune ambition and greater desire of honor and riches encrease Through which the oracle did not iudge any king to be happy although he were most rich and mighty but rather Aglaius Psofidius who manuring a litle peece of grounde that he had taking care of nothing with great ioy and contentment liued a most happie and fortunate life Those that persist infinitely in the desire of riches may bee compared vnto them which in old time ran to a mighty great mountayne with dogs nets and other engins with purpose to haue taken the moone which they verily thought to haue done but they that first with great trauel and labour arriued to the top of this huge hill found themselues so farre distant and no lesse out of hope then those w t were climed vp but to y e side of it or those others who remoued not from the vally Tranquilitie doth not spring of those thinges that are without vs but of the harmony of a temperate mind within which doth truely create felicity in vs and is the cause thereof For euen as some great piller placed in the bottom of a déepe wel is neuerthelesse great and a Dwarfe placed on the toppe of some stéeple is alwaies litle so the frée and noble mind wrapped in basest fortune wil shew his magnanimity the base mind in the highest degrée of dignity wil discouer his vility I speake not this now as concerning Christian perfection for ye know that making mention hereof it shal not be néedfull to enter into question when as neither riches nor honor bring happines vnto men but rather y ◠one the other are oftentimes the occasions of bringing them into extréeme misery cause the gate of heauen to be shut vp agaynst them For the true onely felicity of a Christian is the grace of God no other thing I speak then as a gentleman gouerned by humane reason and ciuil orders liuing betwixt the law of men and nature He verily which sées not how that honour riches depriue men of felicity it is manifest and apparant that he hath his eyes blinded darkened with the smoke of ambition and cloudes of couetousnesse which are the two beasts compared by the Poet Dante to a Lion and a shée woolfe which let hinder vs from leaping to the mount of felicity I deny not but that riches dignity may helpe towards the contentment of the minde In this point I will bee a Peripatetike and purpose not to defend as a Stoike that onelie vertue sufficeth Let it be so that riches dignity are requisite towards the accōplishment of felicity should it thē haue no end Behold Abdolomenus borne of the stocke royall liued in passing tranquility in a litle farme tilled and sowed with his owne hands in such sort that he neuer heard of the bruit and rumors of the armie of Alexander the great which had driuen all Asia into a maze and astonishment He tasted farre greater felicity in this his poore calling then when afterwardes by Ephestion he was aduanced to the title of the kingdome Of whom being demanded how he coulde with pacience brooke that poore and abiect estate with a hawty coragious mind answered him saying O that I knew so wel if it pleased God how to support the troubles weightines of the kingdome Dioclesian a most prudent and puisant Emperor hauing wayed and considered of the annoyes and encombrances that bearing rule brought with it returning to a priuate life gaue it ouer and at Salon a manour of his he planted hearbes trées with his owne hands neyther could he euer be allured by any persuasion nor remoued by any occasiō frō this his fixed determinat resolutiō preferring y e quiet trāquility of this priuat life before y e troublesome turmoyles of principalities Empires The like wee reade of y e emperor Adriā a most puisant captayne who by great trauel intercessiō obtayned licence in the ende of his dayes to dwel in a litle village of his where he liued 7. yéers in great ease and quiet Who dying left an apparant testimonie that the life led in honour and dignity was not the true life For he caused these woordes to bee graued on his toombe Heere lies the wight whose age is of many yeeres but he liued but onely seuen I coulde heere bring to your memorie with how many hatred and enimities the worldly promotions are inuironed so that nothing is sure in them nothing without suspect in such sort that the Poet Pindarus said that the Gods with one good had alwayes entermixed twoo euilles And I dare boldely aduouch that in these smokes and vaine pompes for euery one contentment yée are attached with ten displeasures But yée know wel that this place being of the philosophers most largely intreated of is of many men not vnderstoode of othersome despised of very fewe beleeued and almost of none followed But for the better manifesting of both our intents I wil come nearer vnto you Be it so that riches and honour are full of these felicities that are commonly beleeued to bee in them by them that praise them and holde them in reuerent admiration What of this is it of necessitie that it must be good for others also The natures instincts desires and motions are not equall and alike in all men either by the influxion of the starres or the varietie of temperaments or diuersitie of educations many thinges delight and recreate some one minde which woorke contrarie effectes in another And for those thinges that Hirachtus wept bitterlie Democrates laughed ioyfully Then is it not greatly to be woondred at if those thinges which are comfortable and nutritiue vnto other mens mindes séeme noysome and bitter vnto me How many are there that abhorre wine a most healthful and precious liquor and how many are there that cannot sauour roses being flowers most delectable Ought these therefore to be reprooued and made to drinke wine and smel roses by force And why may I not say y ◠vnto you by the law of nature which Alexauder the great did to Parmenio by reason of his fortune Who propounding a condition of peace vnto Darius and profering him a part of his kingdome demaunded Parmenio his aduice and iudgement heerein Who answered saying if I were Alexander I woulde