discontent Famine at hòme surcharg'd with sorrowes loade Debt with a Sâ—rgeant dogging thee abroad Haue any these whereof thou hast had part Been of that force to mollifie his heart Haue all thy cries and Orphanes teres together Moou'd him ô no they are as if a fether Were here and there tost with each gale of winde Thou shalt not finde that temper in his mind For hâ— is cauteris'd and voide of sence And thanks his God he has a conscience Can stand remorcelesse 'gainst both winde and weather â—â—hough he and 's Conscience goe to hell together Yea he dâ—th feele no more thy piteous mone Then doth an Anuile when it s strooke vpon Why then shouldst thou thus striue against the streame T' importune him that seemes as in a dreame Secure of hell carelesse of thy distresse Fie take vpon thee some more manlinesse Rouse thy deiected spirits which now lie As if surprised by a lethargie Wipe wipe those eyes with briny streamelings drownd And plant thy selfe vpon a firmer ground Then thus to wast thy griefe enthralled heart Which done pray tell me but what better art Well if thou wilt but silence thy iust wrong For one halfe howre or hardly for so long I le shew the best I can of art and skill With an vnbounded measure of good will To tell thy cruell lord that there 's a doome As well as here in after time to come I le tell him boldly though I chance to moue him For all he 's lord there is a Lord aboue him Before whose throne he must come to account For Syons-Lord is that Lord Paramount Who swayes the massie orbe of heauen and earth Brething on euery creature that brings forth It 's he that giues to each increase and store Girdling the swelling Ocean with a shore The proudest Peeres he to subiection brings And prostrate lies the Diadems of Kings By him oppressors feele there is a God That can reuenge and chastice with his rodde Yea thy iniurious Lord I meane to tell Though he thinks of no hell he 's finde a hell And those distreaming teres which thou hast shed Are by thy louing father bottled For there 's no teres sighs sorrowes grieues or mones Which come from any of his little ones But in his due compassion still exprest Vnto their cause he 'le see their wronges redrest How thinks 't of this will not these things enforce In thy relentlesse Lands-lord a remorse Sooner and deeper of that minde am I Then puling with thy finger in thine eye Well I will make attempt which if it fall Out to my wishes as I hope it shall The onely fee which I expect of thee Is that thou wouldst poure out thy prayers for me Meare time pray for thy selfe while I expresse Thy grieues and heauens grant to my hopes successe Now rent-inhauncer where away so fast Pray stay a little sir for all your haste Perchance you may more profit by your stay Thâ—n if you should leaue me and goe your way For I coniecture whither you are going Nay doe not blush to soâ—â—e poore snakes vndoing To â—oot out some poore Family or other Speake freely man do not your conscience smother I st not you Suck-blood to oppresse the poore And put him and his children out a dore I st not to take aduantage on some thing Or other for his vtter ruining Ist not because thou art not halfe content That he should sit vpon so easie rent And therefore takes occasion vpon naught Forgiuing somthing he neither said nor thought If such effects make thee abroad to come Thou might with safer conscience stay at home For whence be these exactions thus to stretch And racke thy Tenants thou wilt say t' enrich Thy priuate Coffers which in time may be A faire estate to thy posteritie Or if not to encrease thy wealth or store For to maintaine thy ryot or thy whore O thou forlorne and miserable man Come these conclusions from a Christian Be these the ends whereto thou wert created To loue those things which make thy soule most hated I me sorry for thee yet vnhappy Elfe Why should I grieue that grieues not for thy selfe How canst thou thinke thy children shall possesse Long that estate is got by wickednesse Or how imaginst that it can succeede VVell wiâ—h thy short liu'd heires or with their seede VVhen all that welth was gathered to their hand Came from the cries and curses of the land No no thou greedy spunge that sucks vp store Yet more thou suckes thou needest still the more Euill got goods howbeit neare soe fayre Seldome enioyed are by th' third heire For wauering is that state is raisd by wrong Built its on Sand and cannot hold out long Yea I haue seene euen in that little time Which I haue liu'd Som of you in their prime And so erected to the height of state As you might seeme to be admired at For braue attendance sumptuous attire For fare pleasure what you could desire In building gorgeous so as you might be Styled the heires of Earths felicitie Yet 'lasse againe how quickly haue I seene These men shrunke downe as if they had not been Their pompe decreas'd their great attendance gon And for their many dishes one or none True for how can it any other 's chuse Since God hath promisd not to blesse that house Which aimes at welth and honour for to rise By Orphanes teares and woefull widows cries Then for the first thou sees how it is vaine To thinke that thy posterity can raigne Or long abide in that estates possession Is got by fraud collusion or oppression Now I will see whereto thy labours tend To squize the poore that thou may better spend On wanton consorts Souls eternall curse The first was ill but this is ten-times worse It s well obseru'd that when wee doe begin One sinne 's attended by an other sinne They come in paires which seemes approud to be In none opprâ—ssor bâ—tter then in thee It s not enough to prey vpon the Poore But thou must spend his state vpon thy whoore So that me thinkes I almost might auer It s rather he then thou maintaineth her Must his night cares and early rising to His dayly labours when and where to sow His painefull tillage and his slender fare His griefe when 's crops the lesse successiue are His many howers of want few of content His special care to pay his Lands-lords rent Must he that earnes his liuing best we know Being as God command'd in 's sweat ofs Brow Must he the sleepes with many a troubled head To finde his wife and hungry children bread Must he I say for all his lifes disquiet Maintaine thy whoredome and excessiue riot Must he support thee in thy vaine delights Thy midnight reuels and thy pagent sights Thy new inuented fashions and thy port Must he at th' Cart maintaine thy pride at Courâ— If this he doe this doome to thee is giuen Court it on earth
yee Without delayer pannelled a Iurie Where those 12. men the number scarse holds right Rising to 12 that were before but eight Found that our ancestry did hold in pottage Now I imagine he did meane in Soccage Which to make sure this Custom speakes for vs And he with that draws forth a Mittimus This I may sweare more then a sennet after I could not thinke on but was forc't to laughter But now to thee for I haue done thee wrong To keepe me from discourse with thee so long Whom I resolu'd to haue aduertised Of these precedent errors mentioned Conforme thy will vnto thy Lords commaund In fitting things thou liu'st vpon his land And art his liedge-man therfore thou shouldst sho Thy selfe to him as thou thy selfe doest owe. Vnto the Heyre to a respect is due For time may come when he shall pleasure you Yet meane I not that thou shouldst pay a Fine Vnto the heire now in his Fathers time For if I were an heire as I am not Believe it I would thinke that fine ill got What I doe wish to the is briefely this Successe in thy estate as thou wouldst wish Conformed so vnto thy Lands Lordheire That with heauens Landâ—lord thou may liue elsewherâ— FINIS LOVES LABYRINTH OR The true-Louers knot INCLVDING The disastrous fals of two star-crost Louers PYRAMVS THYSBE A Subiect heeretofore handled but now with much more proprietie of passion and varietie of inuention continued By RICHARD BRATHWAYTE Res est soliciti plena timoris amor At London printed by I. B. for Richard Redmor and are to be sold at the West dore of Pauls at the Starre 1615. CANDIDO ET cordato Amico faelici Genio perspicaci ingenio Richardo Musgraue de Harcley Baronetto coque titulo vere digno Richardus Brathwaite hosce extremos Amatorum amplexus grati animi permitias solennique officio perfunctas humillime Dedit Dicauit Dedicauit Richardus Musgraueensis ANAGRAMM Charus musis diurna reges Dystichon Sicut amas Musas Musis redamaris ab ipsis Charus vt es Musis secla diurna reges Vpon the Dedicatorie I Heare one aske me if I could finde none To dedicate this Poeme to but one That 's now transplanted to another sphere And better measures sings then anie 's here It s true indeede the world 's large and wide And many were there I confesse beside My now deceased Patron I could finde But none so well agreeing with my minde He was one that I honour'd and his worth Deseru'd a pregnant Muse to set it forth Which though I haue not I will shew my best To crowne him sleeping in the bed of rest Where while I write my passion shall appere By each lines accent mixed with a tere But you will say this subiect cannot moue Such firme impression cause it treats of loue A sadder straine would better fitting be Drain'd from the streames of graue Melpomene Where euery sentence might that passion breede as if himselfe were here portraide indeed This I could doe and so expresse him too But that his worth would be a shame to you That are desertlesse to see him by Fate Lopt that has left you much to imitate Of honour I dare say which ere 't be long May be a subiect to a better song But I would haue you know how ere this is It was from th'cradle nat'ralized his Nor would I raze my Patrons dedicate How ere he seem'd to be obscur'd by Fate But as I lou'd him liuing my desire Is to expresse my loue vnto him higher Being now dead that though my friend be gone Yet life and death to friendship may be one For th'print of loue if it be stampt aright Is most in heart when it is least in sight FINIS VPON THE PREMAture death of the most Generous and Ingenious the right Worshipfull Sir RICHARD MVSGRAVE Knight-Barronett of Hartley Who died in Italy being preuented of his religious purpose intending to visit the holy Sepulchre of our Sauiour in Ierusalem an EPICEDIVM The Author Dedicates these Obit-teres vnto his vertuous and modest Lady the much honoured FRANCIS MVSGRAVE Daughter to the truly honourable PHILIP LORD WHARTON His Ladies Obit-teres TEres I do shedde yet are they shedde in vaine Nor can they call him backe to life againe A funerall Elegy Yet sigh I will to wake him from his sleep Thus whilst he sleepes in Earth on Earth I le weepe So my sad groanes sent forth vnfeignedly May moue the hardest heart to pitty me To pittie me that though I cannot haue The priuiledge to see my husbands graue Yet may my teres as me it doth behâ—ue Transported be to testifie my loue My loue which euer shall these obites keepe She can doe verie little cannot weepe Richardus Musgrauiensis ANAGRAMM Vnis resurgam charus diis Dystichon Nascimur morimur sed tu moriendo resurges Gratior sanctis charior atque deis De profectione eius ad Sanctiss Christi Sepulchrum Christus erat pretium Christi quia morte sepulchruÌ„ perlustrare cupis quem moriendo capis Richard Musgraue ANAGRAMM Graces reward him or We admire his grace Two Anagrammes included in one verse Dystich Graces reward him we admire his grace Serue both as proper Mottoes for this place A funerall Elegie The first t' expresse the hope of his reward Whence is implie'd our comfort afterward Vpon his Graue In Musgraues hearse I finde the Muses graue For by his losse a Patron lost they haue Yet he 's not lost but is ascended higher And sings with Muses of the heauenly quire His Character Faire England gaue me breeding birth and name Ierusalem was th'place where I did ayme But loe my Sauiours graue I could not see For my owne graue was made in Italy Vnto the Italian Doe not contemne my corps Italian I am th'remainder of a Gentleman Who knew what honour was so after-time May shew like loue to thee thou showes to mine Vnto Report To speake well of the dead is charitie If thou be then a Christian taxe not me Of what I did if men we 're prone to fall Speake what is well or do not speake at all More fidelium est Transitus de Morte ii Vitam de Fide ii Noritiam de Agone ii Brauium de Peregrinatione ii Patriam de Labore ii Refrigerium de Expectatione ii Praemium de Mundo ii Deum BERNARDVS Peregi officium morientis amici To all vnhappy Louers COme neere me louers crost by louers fate And see these star-crost louers that their sight May somthing cheere the drowping of your state Showing such beames of comfort in the night Of your discomforts that both loue and hate May make you happy louers by renew Had to these louers crost as well as you You say you lou'd it 's true and so did these You say you lou'd a faire one so did he Who fancied Thisbee you say louers peace Is seldome purchas'd but by enmity Deriu'd from parents so did loue encrease In these
streame Where th'foord's at lowest recollect to minde His noble image and in it thou 'l finde Such singular impressions of reguard As I doe thinke thou 'l honourt ' afterward VVhen thou obseru's ther 's nothing that 's in him VVas not before in Christ excepting sinne O then refine the ayme of thy intents In raising rents thinke on thy Sauiours rents In taking of aduantage thinke on this If God aduantage take for each amisse In what a case wert thou how woe-begon That of a thousand cannot answer one If thou to grieue Gods little ones begin Thinke therewithall that thou art grieuing him VVho in his mercy hares the widdowes crie And in his pitty wipes the Orphanes eye VVhich thou hast cause to thinke on so much rather Sith God's the widdows Iudge the orphans Father And though earths Iustice be of th'second sight Yet hee 's so iust hee 'l doe the poorest right But if mans Image which were strange should faile VVith thy remorselesse conscience to preuaile From that transparent Mirror I le descend Though it may seeme in it to comprehend All humane glory yea I may say more The forme of God which he assum'd before Vnto that due obseruance or that care VVhereby we come to acknowledge what we are Man 's of a substance meane hauing his birth As his first natiue Mother from frayle Earth Brittle's his composition and so weake Be his resolues as hee can vndertake Nought with so firme a purpose as may stand Or will not change with th'turning of a hand His health 's a stranger to him for when most It seemeth with him it is soonest lost For his abiding hee 's as in a Tent VVherein hee s militant not permanent The world 's his campe his profest enemies VVherewith he is to grapple they be these The turbulent affections of his mind Which euery houre is seuerally inclin'd The goale which he doth ayme at or th'reward After the fight hee lookes for after-ward Thus thou may see in this same earthly cell Though dwell we seeme indeed we doe not dwell But foiourne It s no mansion but an Inne Syons our home this pilgrimage is sinne As for our states we are but leacers all And shall be put off when hee 's pleasd to call Yea I may rather say and not amisse VVe are the Lessees he the Lessour is And howsoere our Lands-Lords make accompt They 'r but inferiour Lords hee 's Paramount Then if thou wilt but duely looke vpon 't Thy tenure stands vpon a tickle point Yea I doe find thy state not worth a straw If I haue any iudgement in the law And why shouldst thou bring poore men into suit Sith thou thy selfe hast no state absolute But for thy terme of life so as methinks VVhen that French gibberish to my braine-pan sinks VVhere Iohn a Stiles and 's neighbour Iohn an Okes VVith many other Law-baptized folkes Are brought in seaz'd of land as they doe finde In Burrow English Soccage Gauell-kinde fee-Fee-tayle fee-simple it oft seemes to me These Lawyers are the simplest men that be Who are perswaded and would haue vs too But let 's discent from them there 's fools enough That of al states and Tenures are possest Or can bee had Fee-Simple is the best Whereas I thinke if well they vnderstood What specially concern'd them and their good They would conclude Fee-simple will not doe A double-Fee is better of the two If we could find indeed a difference In th'liues of th' tenures then there were some sence To say that such a tenure were the strongest Because by it the Tennant liues the longest But tell me are not all estates that be Subiect alike to mutability To the possessour you will say they are If vnto him why should we further care Since as the Prouerbe is when he is gone The world 's gone with him as all in One O then thou Earth-bred worme why shouldest thou vant As if thou wert a Lord praedominant Why shouldst triumph ore th'meaner sort of men Since thour' t composd of one selfe Mould with thē Thou art but Adams sonne and so are they Both of you fram'd and fashion'd of one clay Both haue one image then compassion take If not for them yet for their image sake For though thou canst not one good looke affoord To these poore snakes they 'r deere vnto the Lord As is thy selfe as pretious in Gods eies Bought and redeemed with as great a price And though there be twixt Substitutes and Kings Superiour states and lower vnderlings A difference in the world yet there shall Twixt them in heauen no difference be at all Onely what 's good shall approbation haue With King and subiect conquerer and slaue O then receiue the bowells of compassion And beare like mind as thou dost beare like fashion Let thy vnrighteous Mammon get thee friends That when thy pilgrime daies of Labour ends Thou may possesse a glorious heritage After the period of this pilgrimage My lessons are but short pray then remember As thou the welfare of thy soule dost tender The best of vs are tennants but at will And stand in hazard of disseisure still And though our states seeme firmer then the rest They are vncertaine tenures at the best In briefe thou earthly Lands-lord striue to be As thou wouldst haue Heauens Lands-lord towards thee Not too extreame thou knowst the doome is giuen That not extortioner shall enter Heauen Resolue what thou wilt doe for though it grieue me To leaue thee yet I am enforc't to leaue thee And turne vnto thy Tennant who dismaide Stands heere at doore to heare what I haue said To the Tennant howsoeuer WHat state soeuer thou art seazed on Or in what Tenure thou dost hold vpon I l'e now addresse my speech in briefe to thee Wherein I ayme in part to comfort thee In part to rectifie what may seeme ill In thy peruerse and vn-conformed will That in them both for th' loue which I doe owe To him thou represents I may so show That deere affection which we 're bound to beare To one another while we soiourne heere As when an end of all our sorrowes are Reduc'd to one set period and our care Shall haue a finall end what I haue done In loue may be approu'd when I am gone To moue thee vnto comfort in a word I 'le vse th'perswasion which I gaue thy Lord To humble his ambicious spirit when I told him of the different state of Men How in the eyes of men indeed they were Esteemed great but when they should appeare Before that high Tribunall where all should Though if they might auoid it many would Make their appearance then the great should know They were no more respected then the low One aduocate one Iudge one barre one triall Conscience the onely difference when Deniall Seald with abite or th' accursed doome Or th'inuitation with Venite come Shall in that generall iudgement there expresse Or weale or woe or hell or happinesse So as when