where art thou gone Thy bewtie now can be no more admired Since thou delightst to lurke and liue alone Now Hermit-like thou hantst the more the pittie And for the Farme forbear's the famous Cittie Look to thy selfe thou dwel'st too neere the sea Neptun no doubt will from those rocks bereaue thee And with his wife divorse for loue of thee Yet am I glade none but a God must haue thee VVhen winds and waves and all are at thy will Proue not vnkinde J pray thee loue me still TO HIS BANISHED FRIEND TWo wofull weeds the mother Church must weare One Crimson rid the other mourning black The black betokneth sorrow pane and care The rid bods death fearce persecution wrack It maters not what rags she beare abrod Once she'ill be cloth'd in robs of white with God To his singular good Lord and Master LOng mai'st thou liue an argument of praise A lordlie subject to my loving pen That on thy worth the wondring world may gaise A magistrat admir'd amongst all men Yea more and more heavens grant thee from aboue The Makers mercie and the Masters loue Auream quisquis mediocritatem IT merits praise to manage litle well A cunning coachman turns in litle roume In poore estate a rich content I feell And smyle to see a wretches wealth consume J'ill studie then to steward what J haue And not be curious more and more to craue His regrate for the lose of time at Court O How Time slips and slelie slids away God is forgot and woe is me therefore J waste the night and weare away the day I sleepe dres feed talke sport and doe no more Far better were with care to haue redemed Nor sell for noght the thing I most estemed To his aspyring friend SInce charge and honor march together still For charge but honour were a toyle too great And honor but a charge were ease at will To want them both is not the worst estate I loath those loads which lightnesse first pretend But break the neck before the journeys end Nulla dies sine linea THe standing poole will quicklie stink and rott The currant streame is cleanlie both and cleare The idle man is Sathans prey God wott A verteous minde the Devill darr not draw neare My fantasies can profit few and yet It hurteth none but doth me good to writ The praise of Glad-povertie THree sorts of men vnto the market go One buyes one selles an other doth behold Great greef and care is in the former two Th'expectant waiks secure and vncontrold He liu's poore man contented with his lot Vsing the world as if he vs'd it not His vnambitious minde THree things there be for which J'ill not contend The Way the wall and Tables highest seat What foole is he will frown or yet offend For any place so hee can reach his meat But in good faith the idlest strife of all Js in my judgement for the way or wall To his friend who seemd sorie when he left Court I Scorne to liue at Court because J spy The wicked heaps vp wealth the foole hath grace The wise man weeps and in disgrace must die And vanitie must march in vertues place Far better were on shore secure t' abide Nor saill in vane against both wind and tide Against Pryde TH' ambitious man no greater foe can haue Then is himselfe for whilst he still aspires He grinds his heart for greef vnto the graue With foolish hopes with fear's and fond desires God grant my pryde may grow to this degree Jn earth his child in heaven his Sant to bee To vnfortunat and pure Aemilian at Court EMilian begs with heart half-brok for sorrow Yet finds not frute at all but long delay As leaue me now or come againe to morrow My lasure serues not yet I pray thee stay None pitties thee Aemilian do not griue They get no thing that haue no thing to giue That he neither loues to be too gladnor too sad IOyes come like oxen heavie peas'd and slo But tak their leaue like horses running post Greifs come at post on foot againe they go And leaue sad discontentment with their host Both Ioys and Griefs as passingers J'il vse They shall not be my ghaists if J can chuse His contents at his Tugur WHen lose of Tyme at Court was all my gane To take my leaue J thoght it was my best And in some privat mansion to remaine Where J might frie from Envyes rage take rest Now blest be God no Portar bars my doore By day by night none keeps me but my kurre Against ignorance and ill example THe law of God is Lanterne full of light And good example beares this Lantern still Which shews the way to walk and march vpright To doe all good and to decline from ill Without this light who walks he can not see And such will God shall be no gyde to thee To Mistres Hartside at Orknay her natall soyle PRoscribed Orcas though J hate thy forms J must commend and praise thy courage still I saw thee proue both wise and stout in storms And thou art barren sore against my will For had thou sonnes of thy Amazon stamp They might be Captains of the Emperors camp Perswasions of oertainties are vnnecessarie NO greater fools then Philodoxes fond And such as loue opinions of their own Thy wit wise Plato when I think vpon'd Made men to doubt on things that were well known These Why How What mad questions of thy schools Wold make the wise men of our age seeme fools Against drunkards and lichers IN sinfull Sodome to liue cleane and poore Jn Asia chast amid allurements such To hate in Rome the bordell and the whoore And to be still abstemius with a Dutch Do'th merit praise yet this much with correction J find but few can haunt them but infection To his Lord and Master G. E. Dunbar ALas that Time should be a foe to fame To clip the wings of true report in rage Alas that th' earth should march a noble name Like to a bird that 's compast with a kage Fame clip'd with time hemb'd with earth's embrace By Poets yet out strips both time and place Thy fame dear Lord is frie from all disgrace Still be it so till fire dissolue this frame Till when about the worlds broad spatious face My ryms shall run t'immortalize thy Name Foill to thy fame no time no place shall giue So long as Craig or yet his lines can liue Against ingratitude FIrst let me die before I proue ingrate No let the earth devore me ere J die Before I liue in such a wretched state To haue no hand but one no tongue to cry Vnthankfull mouths are graues then if J take I will at least giue praise and prayers back To his Lord and Mister to be ware of envy DEepe danger lyes deare Lord in smoothest looks Envy is false and waits thee at thy back The poysning bate is hung at golden hooks They serue
THE POETICAL RECREATIONS OF Mr. ALEXANDER CRAIG OF ROSECRAIG AT EDINBVRGH Printed by Thomas Finlason 1609. WITH LICENCE TO THE MOST HONORABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD AND PATRON G. E. OF DVNBAR LORD AND GOVERNOVR OF BERWICK HEIGH Thesaurer of Scotland great Maister of the Minerals there Lieutenent of the middle Shyres of Great Britane one of his Majesties honorable privie Counsell and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter WHEN PHILIP OF Macedon came to conquere Corinth the carefull Corinthians did fortifie their ruined walles some caried stones some trees some lyme some clenged and dressed their armour some taught trained the neoterick sogers no man was found idle to withstand the common enemie saue Diogenes he vn-able for any service in the republick did roll himselfe in his Tub vp and downe the streets One of his familiars asked what he did Al the Corinthians answered Diogenes are bussie and I must be doing some thing Each man my honorable good Lord at this great Court of Parliament is bussie and lest I alone like Diogenes be noted as idle I will roll my selfe in these foolish rymes vp and downe the streetes that it may be said I am doing something the goodes and children of the bond-man belong to the master These passions are my goodes or rather my children Minerva-like borne from their fathers brane without a mother and so due to your L. Take then your owne dear Lord from this hand who according to the antient custome hath bored his eare with a boidkene to shew that he shall still remaine your Honors most faithfully devoted and voluntarie slaue AL. CRAIG TO THE READER EXcuse me good Reader for the methodlesse placing of these Passions They are my children you haue them as they were borne And so the Primo-genit must haue the prioritie at the Presse Amongst so many children some must mis-thriue and proue naght Cherishe I pray thee the good and leaue the faultie to be reformed by their father Fair-wel TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE THE HVMBLE PETITION OF his Heighnes Orator AL. CRAIG at Christmas in VVhitehall APelles some-time came To Ptolomaeus feast And had well nye return'd againe Inglorius and disgrac't For Ptolomaeus ask'd Who cald him to that place Then with a coale vpon the wall He painted Planus face The King knew Planus well And did at once protest That hee should fast and hee would feast Appelles with the best So am I come Great King Vnto thy Christmas chere And Povertie against my will Invit's me to be heere You are a greater King Then Lagus sonne altho With Aegipt Afrie he vsurpt And was th' Arabians fo Let Povertie I pray Receaue his due disgrace And let thy Poet at this feast Supplie the Painters place But Lacon some-time said Vnto a begging slaue Giue what I will it is thy craft To beg and ever craue Be not affrai'd for that Though for this time J cry Jf succurd once nor seeke againe J rather sterue and dye COMPLAINT TO HIS Majestie LOue Want and Cares all contrare me conspyre First second last for me too many bee Want breakes my heart and drown's my high desyre And makes my Muse so lowe a course to flee But were J rich the cruell fair wold rew Then sould J sing and bid my Cares adew O happie Artist and Mechanick slaue Thou mai'st a price vpon thy paines impose My wair is such I know not what to craue And so but looke both Loue and Lynes I lose Strange thing betwix my Soveraigne and my sant I waist my wits and rape but woes and want Yet might these two reward me if they wold And purge me both from povertie and paine She with good wil my royall Syre with gold And so preserue and saue their slaue vn-slane With modest lookes and silent sighs J serue The shameles begger thriu's and yet I sterue TO JOHN LORD RAMSAY Vicunt of Hadington the Author bemoneth his hard Fortunes in England ALas why sould Calisthenes remaine Where Agis both and Cleo beare the sway These Sicophants and Parasites profaine Draw Macedoes magnific minde astray Jf Aristip in Court make any stay Some Tyran straight shall spit into his face Thus feeling ill and fearing worse each day A miriad of mis-fortunes I embrace How carefull is Entimeon poore thy case At home abrod since Fortun is thy foe But ere thou turne to Griece with more disgrace Jn Persia die and there intomb thy woe To him that liues and must die Fortunes slaue Jf nothing else good Persians grant a graue AD EVNDEM DE EODEM BEyond the Mountains of the frostie North I some-time seru'd a Caledonian Dame The first of all for Vertue wit and Worth That ever yet adorn'd the rols of fame She fed my heart on fansies sweetest flame Yet haue I left both heart and her behind And to this land spoild of my heart I came To follow Fortune which J can not find Strange is the state wherein I stand J see Twix Fortune heere and my affections there I fled from these this flees againe from mee Here Povertie and yonder springs Dispare Blind Cupid thus blind Fortune are againe mee My Loue at home my Luck abrod disdaine mee NEW YEARE GIFT TO his Majestie TO Cresus rich shall Codrus gifts propyne To Maro wise must Mevtus ryms present O pearles Prince OPoet most divyne My Muse is dead my moyen all is spent Wise Maro writ weake Mevius wonder ay Rich Cresus giue poore Codius beg and pray TO HIS MAJESTIE IN NAME of his Noble Master THe faithfull heart is ever fraught with feare And jelousie is still conjoind with loue How can J then dread Liege be frie from care Since from thy sight J see J must remoue And thou my Phosphor yea my Phaebus bright Whose presence day whose absence breeds my night Yet feare J not for that within thy minde That ouglie ghaist vnkindnes can haue place But cause J know some claw-backs are inclinde With all their force my Fortunes to disgrace Be thou the poynt and J the circling line Mine be the pangs and all the pleasurs thine J ' lekyth a constant Palinure to thee A trustie steirs-man both in storme and calme That in my works the wondring world shall see The truest hand that ever held a helme Thogh I confesse I am not skild like him Yet let me sink so sweet Aeneas swim Thus will J goe because thou do'st command Even for thy sake from out thy sight some space And after kissing of thy sacred hand J pray the Gods protege thy state in peace And when J cease for to be true to thee Curst be my life and wretched may J dye TO MY LORD SARVSBVRIE TWo potent Kings over Siciles two Empyre That famous I le where Siracusa stood Where gainst the heavens Encelad voms his fyre King Philip bruks with much Iberian blood But wise King Iames O blest and happie case Commands a Cecill of more price in peace TO MY LORD
HAY AT HIS LEgation to France SInce thou must sail to see the Celtick shore From titular to him that keeps the Crown Which with thy Name thy Nation shall decore And fett more quils to further thy renown My wishes both and prayers shall attend thee At home abroad the living Lord defend thee TO MY LORD ADMIRALL AT his mariage with Ladie Margaret Stewart MArs Hercules and Iupiter we finde With Venus Lyda Laeda were in loue And for obedience to the Archer blind The Sword the Club and Scepter they remoue And Neptuns deput leau 's the fomie strand To pearse a Margarit fet from Murray land A Counsell to Courteours THe bibull Spoynge in tepid water set Drinks till it fill each small and greedie pore But if the Barber in his hand it get He wrings all out which it hath drunk a fore You that in Court with Kings and Princes stay Mark well in minde the water-spoynge I pray For if you stand on top of Fortunes wheele Be ware lest with the bibull spoynge you swal Drink not too much as gluttons govern well Clim not too hie incase you catch a fall The King makes vp the King againe makes downe Both wealth and wrack awaits vpon a Crowne To my Lady Hartfurde at his Majesties first progres to Totnem There the wyld farne smelled as sweet as perfume naturaly THe tempest beat and falling Farne fair Dame Receaves new life new strength new smell wee see And for thy sake thy Soveraigne weares the same Heigh on his head to serue and honour thee These are the frutes thy bewtie braue brings forth Thy least propynes are valued of most worth TO HIS DEAR FRIEND Mr. AL. DICKSON Mr. of the Art of Memorie who dyed at Winchester in England EPITAPH THat Thracian forme at birth of friends to weepe And to be glad when as againe they dye My sigh-swolne heart can not content to keepe Since J deare friend must sigh and murne for thee Now haue I los'd my second selfe J see To whom shall J since thou atr dead bemone Most rich of all the Scythians say is hee That hath true friends now I alas haue none No other death of ould the Hircans choos'd But to be kild by these same dogs they fed Displeasure so to be ingratlie vs'd Hath broght braue Dickson to his cognat bed Thou taught the Art of Memorie to those That seemd thy friends yet prou'd in end thy foes TO HIS VNKINDE FRIEND OF all the wounds whereof that Roman great Braue Iulius Caesar in the senat died The wounds from Brutus burreau most ingrate Did grieue him most on Brutus still he cri'd So were my life to take last leaue of mee Still wold I cry vnkinde vnkinde on thee TO HIS CVSNING FRIEND AThenian Chares promis'd much to many Most prodigall of smooth perswading words And yet perform'd no thing at all to any Such are the frutes false eloquence affords Like Larus leane of flesh he had no store But multitude of fethers fair no more Since Chares thus concludes to play the knaue And still persists proud impius false profane Shall he begyle and gull me like the laue Yes faith once more to exercise his vane Yet since experience Chares maks me wise I shrew my heart and thou begyle me thrise TO COVETOVS COVRTIERS A Greedie Mouse did by a privat way Steale to the pantrie of a wealthie man VVhere many dishes were and wold assay Each dish of all but at the last began To teast an Oister when her guts were filled The Oister clos'd and thus the Mouse was killed Thou that hast crept in credit but by stealth And teasts each dish sib to the greedie Mouse VVho builds and maks of others wrack thy wealth And soulles man will not oversee a souse Thogh Prince behold and privat men must thol thee Some sharp-sheld oister some-time sall controll thee TO VIRTEOVS AND NOBLE Cynthia FAne wold J render thanks for thy good-will But thanks are words and words compense no deeds And thus must J remain thy debter still For which my heart within my bosome bleeds But if it chance that in thy debt I die My froward Fortune hath the fault not I. TO HIS DEAR FRIEND AND fellow student Mr. Robert AEton SIng swift hoof'd Aethon to thy matchles selfe And be not silent in this pleasant spring I am thy Echo and thy Aerie elf The latter strains of thy sweet tunes I 'll sing Ah shall thy Muse no further frutes forth-bring But Basia bare and wilt thou write no more To higher notes J pray thee tune thy string Be still admir'd as thou hast bene of yore Write Aethon writ let not thy vain decay Least we become Cymerians dark or worse If Aethon faill the Sun his course must stay For Phoebus Chariot laks the cheefest horse Thogh Fortun frown ah why should vertue die Sing Aethon sing and J shall Echo thee AETHON CRAGIO SVO FAne wold I sing if songs my thoghts culd ease Or calme the tempest of my troubled mynde Fane wold J force my silent Muse to please The gallant humor of thy wanton vane But O a miser mancipat to paine Sould slaue to sorrow wedded to mischief By mirth of songs perhaps more greefe might gane Jn vane of them J should expect releif Then sacred Craig if thou wold ease my greef Jnvite me not to wantonize with thee But tune thy notes vnto my mourning cleif And when J weepe weepe thou to Echo mee Perhaps the teares that from a Craig shall floe May proue a Soveraigne balme to cure my woe AGAINST THE SELLERS of Tobacco THou that hast made of selling smoak a trade And Jew and Gentill but remorse do'st gulf And by these base Nicotian bleads are glade To spoill mar blek the stomach brane and skull As thou deseru'st Turinus-like J doome thee By selling smoak thou liv'st let smoak consume thee TO HIS LORD AND Mr. GEORGE Earle of Dunbar BRaue Alcibiad curious once to know Jf all were frinds that so appeard to bee To each of all in secret he did show The purtrate of a new-slane-man said hee This is a friend whom J haue kild J pray Jn quiet forme come cary him away Yet none of all that Crew wold giue consent Nor help to put the painted tree a part Saue Kallias kinde who only was content Hap what might hap to help with hand and hart Such is my luck most loving Lord I see J haue not found a Kallias kinde but thee Thou art the great Maecenas of my Muse My patron Lord my Master and my All Whom whil J liue but change in me I chuse To loue to serue and to attend as thrall Thogh time and absence breed suspect what than J am in spight of Fortuns nose thy man TO LADIE ANNA HAY COVNTES OF Winton one of the Ladies of her Majesties most royall bed chalmer at her return from England AH whither now sweet Ladie wilt thou go From Court to Cuntrie what new change is this
as friends that fane wold see thy wrack Envy awaits on vertue as her slaue Yet still delights in digging vertues graue O pale Envy the ouldest childe of Pryd The Dame of Murther Treasons onely nurse Of glore the stane of squint-ey'd fraud the bryd The blesse of Hell and Heavens cheefest curse God grant my Lord be harmeles from thy hate Thy blood thy drink thine owne heart be thy meat TO JOHN EARLE OF MONTROSE first Vice-Roy of Scotland EPITAPH IF Rhadamanthus in th' Elisian field VVith Aeacus and Minos Judges bee And Gods over ghosts they all of due must yeeld For Pietie Truth Justice place to thee At least Montroes for Minos must command And beare his Scepter in the blessed land The Rapt of Proserpina SHall Ceres daughter still remane at hell Shall Pluto comb her eurling loks of amber Shall bewtie braue in loathsome bondage dwell And be imprison'd in a pitch-black chamber Ah sleuthfull Ceres thou art much to blame Thy negligence hath broght thy child to shame Proserpina hath bewtie both and wealth A pleasant prey entiseth many a theif Of bewtie rapt of riches must be stealth And from the hels we heare is no releif Proserpina is Plutoes wife it 's known The devill is black yet let him bruke his own Against Sycophants and Parasits FAlse Sycophant that wrongs the virteous name Proud Parasit thou poysons him that hear's thee And brings the absent to disgrace and shame Who neither cares for forged lies nor fear's thee When Titan shyns we see the vermin swarme Thou dwel'st at court because thou know'st it's warm False flattering foole thou art but friendships Ape Camelion-like thou changest every hew Saue white alone thou loath's an honest shape As cheef companion of the cursed crew Proud Trencher flee thy pansh once fild thou'ill goe And proue to him that feeds thee best a foe The praise of humilitie in his L. and Mr. IT seems me think a thing of small effect When Fortun frowns for to be meek and lowlie But he that can eies heart looks thoghts deject VVhen Fortun fauns is happie both and holie He looks like God and hath his makers show VVhose pow'r is much whose sprit is meek and low Of true friendship IN shaddie night the glow-worme shines like fire And yet no heat to frostie hand she lends In calme who swear's he lou's thee is a lier He 'ill shrink in storme and so his friendship ends Let Pythias then take Damon by the hand VVho for his friend in Fortuns stormes can stand TO THE MOST HONORABLE and religious Lord G. Earle Marschell great Commissionar of Scotland for his Majestie BRaue Cincinnatus from his house was broght To be Dictator in the towne of Rome Thou in this sort Religious Lord art soght Thy Princes place and seat for to assume He in a month put Rome to rest and peace And thou hast done much more in much lesse space Contempt of Death MEn seldome wish to die thogh nev'r so old This day of death they doe adjorne till morrow And by them all this fond excuse was told The life is sweete suppose they liue in sorrow Blind lame dumb leaf sick poore and more we see Men dam'd wold liue yet know they needs must die My wofull heart must weepe to see such fools As th'ould poore blind leame damd diseas'd deaf dum Broght vp and traind in Epicurus schools Can not beleeue there is a life to come God saies I haue a Crown of glore to giue thee Then call kill Crown for Lord I doe beleeue thee FINIS