SWORD and Buckler OR SERVING-MANS DEFENCE By WILLIAM BAS. Agimusque haec praelia verbis AT LONDON Imprinted for M. L. and are to be sold at his shop in S. Dunstons Churchyard 1602. TO THE HONEST AND FAITHFVL BROTHERhood of True-hearts all the old and young Seruing-men of England health and happines I That in seruice yet haue neuer knowne More then might well content my humbled hart I thanke the God of heauens mightie Throne My masters fauour and mine owne desart Yet am for you the Champion of good will Because I feelingly conceiue your ill To taxe their minds to whom we doe belong I neither purpose nor desiet much The publike multitude that do's vs wrong And none but them my vaine must chiefly touch In whose rude thoughts my youth is grieu'd to see That Seruing-men so slightly reckon'd bee Long stood we mute and heard our selues defam'd In euery moodie iest and idle braul But now our prize is seriously proclaim'd And I become the chalenger for all My stage is peace my combat is a word My Muse my buckler and my pen my sword Who treads my stage is chaleng'd yet not tride Who tries my combat fights yet feeles no weapon Who sees my buckler's dar'd but not defide Who touch my sword is hit but neuer beaten For peace tries no man words can make no fight Muses doe but inuent and pens but write Now if my actions prosper you shall see Your titles grac'd with greater estimation Or at the least we shall no longer bee Depriued of deserued reputation But if my first attempts haue no preuailing I will supplie them still in neuer failing To be your faithfull brother Will. Bas. TO THE READER REade if you will And if you will not chuse My booke Sir shall be read though you refuse But if you doe I pray commend my wit For by my faith 't is first that ere I writ Who reades and not commends it is a rule To hold him very wise or very foole But whosoere commends and doth not reede What ere the other is he 's a foole indeede But who doth neither reade nor yet commend God speed him well his labour 's at an end But reade or praise or not or how it pas I rest your honest carelesse friend Will. Bas. SWORD AND BVCKLER OR SERVING-MANS DEFENCE 1 A Man that 's neither borne to wealth nor place But to the meere despite of Fortunes brow Though peraduenture well endew'd with grace Of stature forme and other giftes enow Submits himselfe vnto a seruile yoke And is content to weare a liuery cloke 2 Whether it be by hard constraint of need Or loue to be made perfect in good fashion Or by the meanes of some vnlawfull deed That might depriue an ancient reputation Who-euer to this course himselfe doth giue Is call'd a Seruing-man And thus doth liue 3 Continually at hand to see to heare His Lords his Masters Ladies Mistris will T' attempt with dutie readines and feare What they commaund his seruice to fulfill And yet not as he would but as he shall To grudge at nothing to accept of all 4 To act with truth and seruiceable skill The tasks or offices imposde on him To be obseruant and industrious still Well manner'd and disposde to goe as trim As wages gifts or proper state affords Actiue in deedes and curteous in words 5 Hauing a head well wonted to abide To goe without his shelter cold and bare Hauing a heart well hammerd strongly tride On Chances Anuiles fornaces of care A good capacitie to vnderstand A legging foote a well-embracing hand 6 This man of all things must abandon pride Chieflie in gestures and in acts exteriour For greater states can by no meanes abide Ambition in a person so inferiour Yet in his priuate thoughts no whit dismist To prize his reputation as he list 7 Though if he be himselfe of gentle blood Or of his nature loftily disposde Yet neuer let him brag himselfe so good But rather hold such matters vndisclosde And keepe his state and cariage in one fashion Gracing himselfe with inward estimation 8 For if we doe insult in tearmes or show Aboue our callings then we seeme to swarue But if we humble our affections low We must needs gaine the loue of them we sarue Which to our merits if they list not pay Then we are men of more respect then they 9 But in these Times alas poore Seruing-men How cheape a credit are we growne into With what enforcing taxes now and then This enuious world doth our estates pursue How poore alas we are ordain'd to be How ill regarded in our pouertie 10 What dutie what obedience daily now Our hard commanders looke for at our hands And yet how deadly cold their bounties grow And how vnconstant all their fauours stands How much we hazard for how little gaine How fraile our state how meane our entertaine 11 How subiect are we to the checking front For euery small and trifled ouersight Compeld to shift predestinate to want Surfet with wrong yet dare demaund no right Organs of profit vpon imputation Outcasts of losse on euery small occasion 12 Our Lords they charge our Ladies they command And who but vs And for a thing not done Our Lords and Ladies anger out of hand Must turne vs walking in the Summers Sunne While those things that are done must alwaies lye As obiects to a nice exceptious eye 13 In common-wealth or busâ—nesses of state If Lord or Master exercisde hath bin Who but his seruant thereupon must waite What accidents soeuer fall therein And be industrious in all meanes he can For why he weares his badge and is his man 14 And in contempt of any aduersarie Or mortall triall of the life or land How oftentimes the master might miscarie Vnlesse he be attended and well mand With seruing resolutes that at a word Will rather lose their liues than leaue their Lord. 15 But what should I care to recount or no Partiquerly euery thing we doe Ye Lords and Masters cannot chuse but know That whatsoeuer thing belongs to you That danger trouble paines attention asks We are your seruants and it is our tasks 16 Your slight regard and recompence of this So duplifies the bondage of our state That oftentimes solicited amis By extreame want and ouerrul'd by fate Thereby it comes to passe that now and then Many mischances hap to Seruing-men 17 The countrie then that with her purblind eyes Beholds these things in lothsome ignorance Catch at report and piece it out with lyes Rash censures and defaming circumstance Affirming what they would haue oft denide If in such case they might be roughly tride 18 But see how hatefull is but lately growne This fatall title of a Seruing-man That euery dunghill clowne and euery Drone Nor wise in nature nor condition Spares not to vilefie our name and place In Dunsicall reproch and blockish phrase 19 A morkin-gnoffe that in his Chimney nooke Sits carping how t' aduance his shapelesse
viprous foes of seruitude The prescise flirts of eu'ry trades-mans stall Whose busie tongues and lothing maw defiles Our honest sort with vomited reuiles 46 O see saies one how fine yon yonker goes As bad for pride as Lucifer or worse I a right Seruing-creature weares gay clothes But little Chinke I warrant you in 's purse This is a thing I will not much denie But sometimes the iudicious Cox-combs lie 47 If he goe handsome then you say he 's proud I hope ther 's no necessitie in that Besides if t' were a matter to be vow'd Or answerd by long proofe as sure 't is not I only could compell you to confes Your iudgments false by many instances 48 And if his vestiments be fine and gay Belike that argu's that he ha's no pence But seeing him now so braue what will you say If he goe brauer farre a twel'month hence Then you wil eate your vomit vp againe And say 't is Crownes that doe him thus maintaine 49 But what should make the gallant lasses say That eu'ry Seruing-man doth loue a whore But that sometimes when the good man 's away She ha's some proofe which makes her say the more This was a rule with some in auncient time And now imposed as a gen'rall crime 50 For too much tippling we are chaleng'd too Which as I 'le absolutely not confes So I could wish to please both God and you We had the grace and power to vse it les Yet which is no excuse I dare to say We are not all that doe offend that way 51 In this foule vice you all sometimes transgresse Clarke lay-man yeoman trades-man clowne and all And many gentlemen loue Dronkennesse And vse it to their great disgrace aud fall And therefore 't is absurditie to thinke That none but we doe vse immoderat drinke 52 I graunt it is a vice that at this day Disgraceth much the rare sufficiencie Of many a Seruing-man inclin'd that way Through great abundance of his curtesie For to no other end that I can see Is this excesse of drinking said to be 53 Though some for meere loue of the very pot In this excesse are very vicious growne And whether such be Seruing-men or not I wish them finde excuses of their owne For what so ere he be that 's so possest I doe his actions and himselfe detest 54 But as I said it is not we alone From whom proceed such store of swilling mates A cunning spie would now and then finde one And twentie dronkards amongst other states Then hit not one peculiarly i' th' teeth With that that all men are infected with 55 Besides you charge vs much with idlenes And chiefly those that haue superiour roomes In seruice But to meaner offices As Bailiffes Caters Vndercooks and Groomes You doe impute more labour and lesse sloth Here err's againe your iudgement in the troth 56 No Seruing-man that euer waited well In 's Masters chamber or in other place But will be sworne with me his toyles excell The daily labours of th' inferiour race But that the name authoritie and gaines Of place or office easeth well the paines 57 A Gentleman in Countrie rides or walks From place to place as his occasions bind him One of his men carries a cast of Hawks The other ha's a clokebag tide behind him The Faulkners work passeth the others double But that the credit do's abate the trouble 58 Thus vnderstand our labour is all great Eu'n as our charge and offices be many If through condition leasure or respect There seeme a single libertie in any Iudge him not idle lest your thoughts be lost For some seeme slothfull when they labour most 59 Like as a man that round about his head In a strong garter or a twisted lace Windeth a plummet or a ball of lead Sometimes it goes but slow sometimes apace When it goes fastest 't is not seene a whit But then takes he most paines in winding it 60 Sometimes our changed fashions trouble you Things that amongst our selues are nothing strange And it may be a thing your selues would doe If you were not too miserly to change Or els too bank'rupt but we seldome finde That vesture alters any whit the minde 61 And with a hundred rude comparisons Iniurious censures and defaming mocks You needlesly vbbray our haire for once Receiue this slight defendant of our locks A man may catch a cold with going bare And he that weares not hat allow him haire 62 For curteous speech and congeyes of delight Which your grosse ioynts were neuer taught to doe If oftentimes we vse them in your sight We shall be censur'd and be laught at too But when you come where others haue to doe Our betters will beseeme to laugh at you 63 This speake I not vnto the countrie clownes For their simplicitie will seldome do 't But to the mongrill gentles of good townes That mock the motions of anothers foot And yet make halting bowes to them they meete And drop ill fauour'd curt'sies in the streete 64 If I should touch particularly all Wherein the moodie spleene of captious Time Doth taxe our functions I should then enthrall My moued spirit in perpetuall rime A gentle vaine that euery careles sight Peruseth much but nothing mended by 't 65 I will not all my daies in combat spend So much I honour Charitie and peace And what is past I did it to defend Yet am the first that do's the quarrell cease Eu'n as I was the latest that began And yet I am a Sword and Buckler man 66 Poore Seruing-man ordain'd to leade his daies Not as himselfe but as another list Whose hoped wealth depends vpon delaies Whose priuiledges vpon doubts consist Whose pleasures still ore-cast with sorrowes spight As swarfie vapours doe a twinkling night 67 Whose sleepes are like a warrants force cut short By vertue of a new Commissions might Or like the blisse of some affected sport Vntimely ended by approch of night And like a tertian feuer is his ioy That ha's an ill fit eu'ry second day 68 His libertie is in an howers while Both done and vndone like Penelop's web His fortunes like an Aethiopian Nile That ha's a months flow for a twel-months ebbe His zealous actions like AEneas pietie Cras'd by the hate of euery enuious Deitie 69 His labours like a Sysiphus his wait Continually beginning where they stay His Recompence like Tantalus his bait That do's but kis his mouth and vade away His gaines like winters hoarie hailestones felt Betweene the hands doe in the handling melt 70 Now to be short All that I wish is this That all you great to whom these men repaire Respect your seruant as your seruant is The instrument of euery great affaire The necessarie vicar of your good The next in manners to your gentle blood 71 That you with loue their duties would regard With gentlenes allow them all their rights Respect their paines with bountie and reward Consider mildly of their ouersights For where the master 's milde the seruant 's merrie But where the master 's wilde the seruant 's wearie 72 Vnto the world I wish more skill in iudging More temp'rance in deriding and declaring More charitable honestie in grudging And more contented humour of forbearing Of any thing she nicely can espie In Seruing-men with her vnlearned eye 73 I that haue serued but a little while And that for want of more encrease in age Scarse hauing yet attain'd an elder stile Liue in the place and manner of a Page Yet in meere hope and loue of what I shall I haue begun this combat for them all 74 Excepting yet two sorts of men that serue In whose behalfe I neither fight nor write 1. Those that through basenes of condition swarue Into all odious luxure and delight 2. Those that in place of Seruing-men doe stand Yet scorne the title of a Seruing-man 57 For the good fellowes and true-hearts am I The rest I lothe as they our name doe scorne And I will stoutly stand to 't till I dye Or till my Buckler rot and Sword be worne For good condition manhood wit and Art The Seruing-man to no estate comes short FINIS
brood And in their seuerall properties doth looke To see what 's best to bring them all to good One points he out a Smith and one a Baker A third a Piper fourth a Coller-maker 20 If one more natiue gentle then the rest To be a Seruing-man doth now demaund Vp starts his sire as bedlim or possest And asks his sonne and if he will be hangd Shalt be a hangman villaine first quoth he Amen say I so he be none for me 21 The pearking Citizen and minsing Dame Of any paltrie beggerd Market towne Through rotten teeth will giggle out the same Though not in so harsh manner as the clowne I haue but two sonnes but if I had ten The worst of them should be no Seruing-men 22 Thus is our seruile innocence exposde To the reprochfull censures of all sorts To whom our liues were iustly ne r disclode But by vncertaine larums false reports Whereof men apt to iudge be 't truth or no Doe rashly speake before they rightly know 23 Who let 's vs now to finde our owne defence Against all such encounters offer'd thus Who is so void of loue or bare of sence To thinke it any misdemeasne in vs If we to right our selues doe fall againe Into our ancient Sword and Buckler vaine 24 Yet will we not an Insurrection make Against our owne superiour Lords and Masters With whose kinde loue we may more order take By dutie then by trying out with wasters Though in this case who need to feare our might For we meane nothing but a speaking fight 25 But you the nice-tongu'd huswifes of our time That seldome cease to execrate our calling We doe esteeme it now an odious crime With your licentious mouthes to stand a brauling Our Sword and Buckler's out our stomack 's come We will not hurt you much but hit you home 26 Yet doe we not replie to only you Or those that you instruct but euery man That giues vs more discurtesie then due The Merchant or the Machiuilian The Yeoman Tradesman Clowne or any one What ere he be we turne our backs to none 27 You Gentles all that through your worthines Your birth your place your wealth or other cause Deserue to entertaine and to possesse These Seruing-men the subiects of your lawes Be moued not with wrath and spleenish freakes When in their right your poore inferiour speakes 28 When you command remember 't is but speech To bid a thing be acted to your minde Th'obedient man that shall performe the which In doing it shall greater labour finde Yet where a seruants diligence may please He may doe all his acts with greater ease 29 You giue him food and wages That 's most true And other matters to sustaine his liuing Why els he is not bound to follow you Ill seruice that is worth no more then giuing Who Rent's your lands is sure to pay to you And if y'haue seruants you must pay them too 30 Alas if must your great affaires be done Know that faire means encrease your seruants vigour Hearts by vnpleasing checks are neuer won And willingnes is not enlarg'd by rigour When good respect may cherish seruile harts And helpe t' augment the number of desarts 31 If with reuiling and disdainfull scorne You vrge vs with the basenes of our kinde Pray who was Adams man when Cain was borne Or in what scripture doe we reade or finde That euer God created Adams two Or we proceeded of worse stocke then you 32 For though that like a brood of starres diuine You thus maintaine your glorie without date And we more like a heard of Circes swine Are chang'd into a baser forme of state Antiquitie yet saies that you you and wee Like Ants of AEacus came all of a tree 33 But mightie God the more to glorifie His pow'rfull hand by manifold creation Hath since aduisde himselfe to multiplie The kindred of our mortall generation That this great sixe daies labour of his hand Might not vnstor'd or long vnpeopl'd stand 34 And we like wretches carelesly oreseene Neglecting all continuance of our good Of our owne birth haue immemorius beene And quite forgot the Nephewes of our blood And of neere kin are growne meere strāgers rather Almost forgetting we had all one father 35 The Times then fild with Auarice and strife Th'vnequalnes of states did happen thus Fell out to some a large delightfull life To othersome the like as fals to vs. Thereafter as in worldly scraping thrift Each craftie mortall for himselfe could shift 36 Those that in scorne of discentious striuing Or b'ing too weake could not themselues enrich Submitted were by force in seruile liuing To them that by their pow'r had gain'd so much Thus scambl'd al the world some gain'd some lost And who got least seru'd him that gained most 37 Yeelding themselues by a deuout submission To those that were ordain'd to high degree Well seas'ning with an humble disposition Their little pow'r and small abilitie To doe all reu'rent seruice Thus began Th' estate and title of a Seruing-man 38 And since that time the kindreds b'ing all one Are now encreas'd into two kindreds more The great are Nephewes to the great alone And all the poore are Cosins to the poore The Seruing-men stand in a state betweene As brothers all but very little kin 39 Thus it appeares that mongst the meaner sort Those that come neerest to the gentle kinde Either in labour to get good report Or els in nature curtesie or minde Digressing from the rudenes of their blood Become partakers in this brotherhood 40 And sure me thinks although vnequall lot Hath ill distributed all worldly goods That all alliance single is forgot And we dispers'd into so many bloods Yet that we were all one and shall agen Appeares in the good minds of Seruing-men 41 For though the great by learning and by might Gaine all the honour as they doe the lands And though the poorer sort lose all their right Of noblenes for want of pow'rfull hands Yet while the band of Seruing-men encrease The gentrie of the poore shall neuer cease 42 O then be pleas'd to cast away disdaine Exile iniustice and detest all ire Let faire respect in your conditions raigne And bountie curbe all orderlesse desire That as you profit by your seruants labour So he may be encourag'd by your fauour 43 We grudge you not vpon a iust occasion To vse your rigour in discretion on vs When proofe or triall or examination Shall truly burthen some misdeed vpon vs Herein we rest the patients of your lawes So that your med'cines not exceed the cause 44 Yet if sometimes we doe transgresse in acts Either concerning you or other things This is no proofe that we are paltrie Iacks As the rude wind-pipe of the countrie fings All flesh will faile and grace will helpe to mend And often they finde fault that most offend 45 Thus speake I to the barbrous multitude That euery rotten hamlet's fild withall Or to the