Let practise goe and play a subiects parte Playne troath yee knowe bids â—ie on cunning arte One God one law one mind and manner now In double world shews subiects duties throwe All other drifts doe drawthe wyer awrie And backward bends the bow that should bee streight Come neere no cloudes the reach is ouer hie Liue safely then no suretie comes by sleight Content below doth hate to climbe on height Who knows his owne hath wealth and wit ynough Hee soundly sleepes that only lookes to plough And such as wakes to ouerlooke this age May sing adew when foote is fast in cage O Countrey swéete perswade obedience héere Reforme the fond and still preserue the wise No plot of earth more proâ—ious nor more deere Than natiue soyle that for her children cries And calls for chicks where kites and puttocks flies O Babes well borne if you will bastards proue Bid welcome hate and farewell Countries loue And this be sure my friends goe where you please No goodnes growes by gadding ore the seas Note where you tooke both breath warme blood and life Your parents care and Countries right do waie Regarde what broyles and brawles beginne on strife Marke how stout hartes stand all on tickle staie And birdes of th'aire your follie doe bewraie And marke how God hath opened all your drifts And in your pride hath put you to your shifts And chiefely note how God and man doth knowe For want of grace wilde heades a gadding goe Religion Lord perhaps shall bee your shield Nay there a straw you meane an other thing You are so great you would faine march in fielde That world should iudge you feathers of one wing So busie birdes together all would sing Well waking Cockes yee crow for daie too soone Yee neither looke on starres ne sunne nor moone But clapping wings yee thrust out necke and throat And cares not who doth heare your midnight noate That sounds not right of no Religion sure Rebellion is the string you play vppon O God forbid that hauke forsooke the lure To feede on frog that sits one euery stone I say not much would God abuse were gone Rebellion dead and all her branches bare Faythlesse were fled and Countrey voyd of care But since strange toyes bréeds humming Bées in braine I meane to touch rebellion once againe When mother spight to world this monster brings A naughtie nourse vile nature then prepares Who cradle rockes and lullabie she singes Till retchlesse sence be brought a sléepe vnwares Then as in corne do créepe wild weeds and tares So cockle séede in common wealth is sowne Whereby good graine is quicklie ouergrowne The cause thereof is cunning craftie wittes That still workes woe and neuer idle sits O wretched rage that riues and rents a Realme In péeces small and gaines nothing thereby O labour lost that striues with flood and streame And dayly hopes to drinke great riuers drie O cruell plague that doe for vengeaunce crie O priue hate that open mischiefe bréedes O shameles sleight that honest people dréedes Accurst I hold rebellion is of kinde That neuer dies but liues in cankred minde The Countries weale and Princes honor both It cleane forgets and spoyle and hauocke cries Takes no regard to dutie faith or oath But claps on wood where fire and flame may rise Tels tatling tales shewes furious angry eies Makes brags and boast that all shall lie in dust And hath no hope but treason is his trust The wife the child the friend and neighbour toâ— Rebellion hates for hee will mischiefe doe It findeth fault with peace and ciuill Lawes Abhors good men and such as gouernes well Takes toy in head bolts out when is no cause Frames deuilish drifts to make this world a hell And at the length would King and Countery sell To wreak his wrath O vile reuenge most vaine When all is lost what doth rebellion gaine Ioyes it to see the wracke of natiue land Such fowle offence is whipt with his owne wand Their goodes their rent their honour and their liues Shall vnder foote be troden euery day Their kinde deflourde their children and their wiues Made captiue slaues in bondage many a way And when the land is made a straungers pray Like Israelites poore Iacobs house shall mourne Drawe in the yoke and sée their houses burne Beare burthens still and bend their backs to toile While enemies laugh and triumphs of the spoile What can procure a man to sell his life Forsake his Prince become a seruile slaue What cause can be in state to stir a strife What ioy or blisse by thraldome can we haue When men are well what deuill would they craue What makes men mad why dote they in this age To forraine foes to run in such a rage Their language sure I trowe is not so fine Their loue is grosse and tastes like troubled wine Want thou but gilt where they are maisters still There shalt thou starue for all their goodly showes With mockes and skornes and many another ill Poore hewlet stands among a many of Crowes The wandring wight that long a gadding goes Comes home at last by beggars wéepiâ—g crosse Like rowling stone that neuer gathers mosse A straunger doth but stare in trauailers face And smiles in sleeue at silly soules disgrace Rebellion likes the man he neuer saw If blouddy wars vpon that league may linke As to the sicke doth euill humors draw And from fowle pits comes smoake and noisome stinke So filthy flouds flow from rebellious brinke A troubled streame of puddle mixt with mire Doth quench the thirst of rebels hote desire The water cleare but skalds a rebels breast For cruell rage and ryot takes no rest It runnes with hare and hunts with blouddy hound It stands with strong and leaues the weake at worst In common wealth it makes a mortall wound It brags to fight and yet retireth forst It is a plague that God himselfe hath curst For it deuides in little péeces small Both Kingdomes great and mighty monarkes all Dissention workes to sowe but Sathans séedes And pluckes vp slowres and plants in stinking wéedes It créepes in hoales and corners close by ribs Prouides for friends to band it out for néede It bankets still and fréely quafs and bibs And with lewd words their wicked humor féedes Prates much of Prince makes boast of doughty deedes When feeble hearts lies quaking in their hose Much like bold Cocks that lowd on midding crowes But yet cries creake when that in sharpe they come For rebels can not bide the sound of Drome At May Powl mirth or at some mariage feast Or in a faire where people swarme like Bées These stinging wasps but new come out of neast Doe flie for life and so together grées Like little mites or maggots in a chéese The humming then that these wood wasps doe make Doth séeme at first as it would mountaines shake But out alas those lawlesse loytring soules Are hid in hast or crept in Conny holes The priuy
occupied in warre that they may bee occasion of great good and a great hinderer of many harmes For when houses are ready to be burnt impoteÌ„t persons poore women and children ready to bee slayne they may saue what they list and preserue an infinite number of thinges that a man at home can doe no good in nor none but the Souldiour in the fielde hath power to comfort and succour And for certame I know Souldiours of that disposition that hath beene occupied in these honest actions when some Helhoudes haue beene spoyling and murthering and founde by their follye and ouer great cruelitye a dispatch of their owne dayes and peraduenture the terrible wrath of God and damnation to their soules My Prince maie bée well serued and the Enemie not alwayes to the vttermost persecuted the Lesson that Sainct Iohn Baptist gaue the souldiours may suffice for this matter and carrie mens mindes from violence and doing wrong to quallifie furie and maintaine right with a regard to the innocent that ought not to bée touched for the offence of an ambicious Leader or one whose faultes the ignoraunt may not answers This point though simply it is passed ouer may containe a large volume and is to be looked into with a diuine 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Christian consideration Then if the souldiors as few there are in number be honest and is to be proued they are not to be reproued it followes that honor and reputation accompanies those souldiours and that a singular priuiledge and libertie may be had for those that haue such regard of their fame that they wil do no any one thing preiudicial to their credite in the compasse of which regard is knit valiancy modestie pitty hope of another life to come wheÌ„ thâ— affaires of this world shall dutifully and honestly be finished And for that the reader hereof shal not thinke but that great Princes thought their Souldiours to bee honest men that were worthy the making of whose doings regarde did argue and shew a speciall hope of another place to go to or a certaine fame and credite heere to be maintained I will shew you as I haue gathered by translation how triumphant kings princely potentates did ordaine set downe and deliuer a law rule for souldiours By the which they had honor libertie prerogatiue aboue and beyond the Commoners or common course of people The translation I speake of is not long and tedious but bringing willing mindes to heare know the truth you may read if leasure permit and you peruse that followeth First you must marke and make a good note of that Heraldes were at the beginning souldiours and were called auncient knights as well it séemeth to be true for they I meant Heraldes being brought vp in warre beheld who deserued renowne and had by their authoritie and experience a power to giue Armes and signe of honor to those which for well doing in field or publike state did merite remembraunce which power and place of the Heralde doth plainely expresse that from the fielde or honourable offices at home sprong vp our gentilitie generation of Gentlemen For as euery mans blood in a bâ—son lookes of one colour and when Adam was created and a long while after meÌ„ were al alike So vertuous actes that shines to the heauens hath made them to bee honoured and aduaunced where vicious liuers and bloodthirsty wretches were accursed of God and hated of man And had a marke set vpon them to be known by and be a testimony to the world that they were not worthy of honour and were appointed to reproch Let Cain that killed his brother Abell by an vniust warre be a witnes in this behalfe Aeneas Siluius doth derine Heraldes of ab Heroibus of Noble men For Heroes were auncient Knights otherwise called Souldiours and an Herauld signifieth Centonicum vocabulum videlicet and old man of Armes or an old Knight but at this daie sayd Eneas a long while since certayne seruile men feeble and weake messengers which neuer haue playde the Souldiours doe professe that office The priuileges and offices of the Herauldes in auncient time to this day continuing neuerthelesse And the first authour of them was Bacchus which India being conquered did call them by this name I absolue you of Warres and trauell and will that you bée auncient Souldiers and to bée called Heroes Your office shall bée to prouide for the Common weale to try out the originall of causes and to prayse the wise you shall call for greater rewardes in what place or Countrey you shall come And the Kings shall giue you meat and apparell You shall bée most honourable to all men Princes shall offer vnto you many thinges and shall licence you their apparell Credite shalbe giuen to your sayings you shall abhorre lies You shall iudge traytors and Aduâ—â—terers These infamous persons ye shall punish and in euery Nation you shall haue libertie and sure egresse and regresse shall bée vnto you if any man shall gayne say any of you in worde or déede let him die with the sword Alexander the Great hath annexed to these priuileges of noble men after a long season that they might vse purple golden and beautiful garments And that they should bring in princely and notable Armes at euery place in any Countrey or Region soeuer it shal bée If any man shal repulse these without respect or secretely defame in woorde hée shall bée accounted gilty of death and deposition of gooddes And so the same Eneas doth say Tucidides Herodotus Didimses Magashones and Zenophon together Thirdly then Octauian Auguste the Romaine Monarch being established hath beautified them on this condition Who so euer sayd hée hath played the Souldiour with vs the space of ten yeares and be of the age of fourty yeares whether he be horseman or els footeman he shall haue his wages and afterwards be absent from wars be a noble man and old Souldiers No man shal forbid thée the Ctity the Market the Church Hospitality and house no man shall impute any fault to thée thou shalt be discharged of that blemish or burthen no man shall aske any thing of thee if thou make fault in any thing onely looke thou for Caesars vengeance for what filthinesse men shall impute let them feare thée being a iudge and corrector whether they bée priuate or Princes what so euer thou sayest thou shalt affirme and no man contrary All iourneis and places shall bée free and plaine to thée let thy meat and drinke be in the houses of Princes and take daily of the common treasure wherewithall to kéepe thée and thine house Marry thou a wife of comely beauty and estéeme her aboue all other Whom thou wilt checke and reproch with infamy thou shalt say this man is an infamous reprobat Armes Ensignee names and ornaments of noble men beare thou Doe what thinges become Kinges and what thou wouldest doe or say in euery place and Nation make mention of it if there be
Then thousands doe the world doth so report FINIS A Discourse of an old Souldiour and a young To the right Worshipfull Sir Henry Kneuet Knight one of the Lieutenants of Willshire THE world cannot wonder nor the wise thereof thinke strange that experience commaunds me to keepe friends and my pen doth what it maie to purchase me fauour for that is all the fruites of my studies Which once taken from me I haue neither prop to vphold mee nor foundation to stand on so feaâ—ing the weaknes of my feeble buildings that lies open to enuies blast which soddenly may bee blown downe I seeke manie staies and craue manie supportations for the maintenance of my honest mind and workes framed for the world to behold So good sir Henry among the worthy company of my selected friends I honor you with a smal discourse of age youth where a little is spoken of the olde Souldiour and the young not in dispraise of anie of them both but in the commendation of knowledge courage conduct vnder which three vertues consists many noble actions so vnder your fauourable sufferaunce I passe to my purposed matter THere is a strife a swéete dispute I troe Betwene two sorres of men in these our daies On which debate doth many reasons grow That soundes in déede to each good Souldiours praise Whose fame my pen is ready for to raise But my intent is first with flat plaine truth To treat a verse or two of age and youth Age is the fire and father of great thinges That hath begot both science rule and wit Brought great renowne and honour vnto kinges And for mans wealth may well in councell sit Youth is for field and towne a member fit To vse the sword in Countreys cause and right In whose defence youth hath great force to fight Age may commaund because it knoweth most And best can iudge of euery thing it knowes Hath mightie mind yet makes but little bost On whose aduice men may their liues repose The worth of youth standes oft in outward shewes That fresh and gay to worlde it séemeth still Like bladder faire that is blowne vp with quill Age lookes like tree whose barke is rough without When winters waste hath made gréene leaues to fall But when spring comes that braunch should bud and sprout With threefold fruite the sprayes are loaded all Bare youth lookes like a picture on a wall That stands both mute and dumme like shadow weake To séeke for sence whom age beginnes to â—peake The brute in world is how old thinges decreace For that sweete sap at length forsakes the trée Yet men will aske old wittes in warres or peace Of this or that what the successe shall be In outward shewes young iudgements well can sée When old mens sightes that wisely lookes within The end beholdes as sâ—one as they beginne A great old Oake long time will akornes beare And small young graffes are long in sprouting out Some say old wine is liked euery where And all men knowe new ale is full of growt Old horse goes well young titts are much to doubt But sure old gold is more estéemed than new No hauke compares with haggard in the mue Old men knowes much though young men calls them fooles Old bookes are best for there great learning is Old authors too are dayly read in schooles New Sects are naught olde knowledge cannot misse Old guise was good and nothing like to this Where fraude and craft and finesse all would haue And plainest men can neyther powle nor shaue Old Fathers builte faire Colleges good store And gaue great goodes and landes to bring vp youth Young men loues not to make of little more But spendes away their thrift to tell the trueth Old men were full of mercie grace and rueth And pittie tooke on those that seemde to lacke Young gallants gay from poore doe turne their backe Old beaten wayes are ready still to hit These new be-pathes leades men on many stiles An old prouerbye hath no more worâ—es than wit New fangled heades at each old order smiles Old wisedome farre surmountes young fondlings willes Experience is the Doctor euerie daie That carries close all knowledge cleane awaie Young houndes are fléete the old huntes sloe and true Old dogges bite sore if all their teeth be sound Old auncient freindes are better than the new In younglings loue there is small suretie found For like a top light fancie turneth round Old clothe or silke made in our elders dayes Wears long and firme when new thinges soone decayes Old souldiers are the beauty of a state Young branches beare but blossomes many a day Old Doctors can deepe matters well debate Young punies knowes not what old doctors say King Harries crue brought conquest home away From Flowdayne field from France and many a soyle And put the proud by strength and force to foyle Old souldiers were great Allexanders ayde And chiefest ioy in all the warres he had The white gray head made beardlesse boyes affraide Where graue men ruld the countrey all was glad And where they lackt the fortune was but bad As all thinges doth to skill and knowledge yeeld So old men beare the honour of the field What needs more proofe of auncient souldiers nowe Both old and young are needfull members heere I want both time and power to praise them throw For seruice great in countries quarrell deere When cause requires ye know the case is cleere These champions must in field and open plaine With shining sword the right of kinges maintaine FINIS A DISCOVRSE OF CALAMITY To the right VVorshipfull my singuler good friend Sir William Hatton knight IN the remembrance of a sorrowful losse I had by the death of the last Lord Chancelor good Sir William Hatton and considering your great countenance partly declined by that soddaine accident besides the great soms of money you were left to pay For the parting from such an honourable friend I thought euery peece of cause well waied you knowe as well what calamitie is as a meaner man and feeling the smart and weight of that burthen before you were ready to support it your care and calamitie could not be little First for the losse of so great a comfort next for the sorrow trobles that belongs to such a losse though lands or liuings helps to beare of a peece of the vexasion of mind yet the body shall alwayes beare to the death a sorrowfull imagination of that hastie mishap the impression therof shal neuer goe out of your memory so long as life lasteth So good sir in signe of some consolation I present you a discourse of Calamity the right path to come to quietnesse and the very hie way that leades a good mind to thinke of the immortality of the soule thus presuming your fauorable acception of the same I passe to the discourse of Calamity wishing you much worship hartes ease health T. Churchyard A Discription or Discourse that declareth how