finished it Or could he alwayes it haue done but would not vtter more What is the cause why rather would he after than before Or else what reason alterd thus his minde to other trade If naught it were this world to make why was it euer made But if it meete and profitable were this world to frame What is the cause that God so late created hath the same Wherefore hath it so short an age For if we boldly may Deuines beleeue eyght thousand yeres are not full past away Since Adam olde created was Beside whence doth proceede The cause why God shuld make y e world for that he this did neede If so he should at first it made least he should greeued bee The lacke of such a goodly thing so long a time to see If not why made he it in vayne â–ª ought he for to deuise The thing that to no purpose is of fooles this is the guise Therof theÌ„ was some cause but what of troth assuredly His goodnesse great and mighty powre least that in vayne should lye These twoo shut vp in secrete close but rather open be To eury man for mighty and good in vayne is coumpted he By whome no great nor godly thing hath neuer yet bene wrought If God therefore was euer good and euer mighty thought Why would he not haue alwayes builte this goodly world we see Why let he such a thing till nowe of late deferred bee No reason truly can be found except some subtile brayne Make more accoÌ„pt of â—oyes than truthe and foolish fansies fayne Wherefore if we to reason sticke then must we surely say That this same world hath euer bene and neuer shall decay But if that GOD sayd otherwise long since and then did giue To Moyses knowledge of his workes we Moyses must belieue Let reason alway yelde to fayth and there as prisoner leaue For GOD can not deceaued be nor neuer doth deceaue If any time he do vouchsafe by words with men to deale If that appearing vnto man his secrets he reueale But they that first this Chaos and continuall matter taught Do trifle much For why should God leaue it so long vnwrought If he forthwith could make the world and at the fyrst create All kinde of things In vayne it is for to deliberate That presently may well be done But some haue surely thought Eternal state the world to haue of no man made or wrought But of it selfe as now it is before all ages past And of it selfe as now it is for euermore shall last Which sure is false for reason doth hir selfe this same deny For two most perfect things can not in order euer lye But would fal out betwene themselues and strife thereby maintayne Well graunt that in a faythful league they alwayes do â—emayne In vayne two heads allowed are for one shall wel suffise Bicause at least dame nature ought before the rest to rise And if before the rest she be then is she cause of all For formost cause doth alwayes frame the things that after fall Wherfore doubtlesse the almighty lord this world himself did make Of nothing and eternall to But how the reason take Eternal goodnesse hath the Lorde eternal powre hath he May not likewise his wyll to make the world eternall be Which if it were as reason shewes nought letê but world may be Continuall built by workeman hie in such a fayre degree As who soeuer grauntê the Sunne continuall to haue bene Must needes confesse the light thereof continually was seene Yet is â—he light the Sunnes effect and Sunne the cause we call But let vs search the Elaments and from the Heauens fall And not vnworthy things of them let vs now vâ—â—er playne Some men haue sayd that vnderneath the Skies a fire doth rayne Neere to the Moone but voyd of light and kindling hastily And wondrous hote which to be true doth perfect reason try For in the night we may beholde the fire in Skies to flie And fâ—ashing flames throughout y e aire and Starres to shoote from hie Which doth proceede of damps that in the ayre do rise more hye And burned is by force of fyre that there alâ—ft doth lye For of twoo sorâ—ê is vapoure one light drye and soone begoonne To fire whereby the flaming sighâ—ê in Skies are causde to runne The other more colde more waighty grosse engendred of this same Are showrs clouds snowes mystes and windes with flashing flame And thunder haylestones deaw rayn if fier were none aboue No vapour there could kindled be in eueningê darke to moue Moreouer since in lightnesse thus the fire doth ayre excell No remedy but needes it must haue hier place to dwell His seate therefore is vnder Skies and next to Moone doth lye Beneath this fire hath ayre his place which in his partes most hye A feruent heate of fire doth take The myddle partes most colde Doth thuÌ„der clouds lightnings bredâ— and tempestê sundry folde The lowest parte is warme and moyst for vapour that doth rise From floudê continually it moysâ—ê ascending towardê the Skies And warmd it is by beames of Sunne that back from earth rebound Here â—â—sts showrs and plesant deawâ— and snowes and frostê are found Which sundry sorts of winds do breede for no small powre is dealt Unto these windes and oftentimes their force in ayre is fealt These can in time of Sommer cause the nipping coldes to come And in the winter season sende abrode the warming Sunne These can both giue and take away from vs our corne and grayne These can both breede and beare away great sicknesses and payne From out the East doth Eurus blowe and from the Libian coast Doth Auster come and Zephyrus from westerne parts doth poste But Boreas blastes in Scythian hilles and Northerne partes doth rise More windes there are all rule the ayre that lower lies And with the ayre both land and sea Of windes the cloudes do breede And from the cloudes do flakes of snow and showers of rayne proceede Dewes lightning hayle early frosts but with diuersty of times And eke by sundry wayes and meanes and blastes of sundry windes Whereof such as from South do blow bréedes cloudes showers heaty But those that from the Scythian partes do come cause coldenesse great From these coms yse snowes frostes when winter dwelleth héere But in the Sommer time they serue to make the weather cléere The westerne winde bréedes flowers grosid with gréene doth new aray And giues the birds a cause to sing and filles the woods wyth May. Oft times the Easterne winde is good yet now and then doth rayse Such tempestes great that seas land by force thereof it frayes These windes the ayry sprites aboue or Starres abrode do send And oft when as the Coniurer for treasure doth intend In earth to delue or consecrate his booke in Magike wise Some sprite to binde then haue I heard that windes which then did rise And
thy worthy name Use not the loue of boyes take heede such loue is synfull shame For children haue no loue ne wit no reason faith nor trust A vengeance light on hym I wishe that ioyes in such a luâ—â— If that the pleasaunt portrature of maydes doe thee delyght Go take a wife thou nedest not lack a â—ormouse for the night What hadst thou rather foole to wyshe and hope for things denayde When as with easier medicine thou mayst haue thy griefe alayde Perchaunce for thys yet riches are to be desyred plaine Whereby a man may sooner so to vertue hye attaine If voide of money cleane thou arte no man will take the paines Thee to enstruct for teachers sure require no little gaines Nor little price will thee suffice thy selfe with bookes to store Whereby thou maist apply thy selfe to Lady learnings lore Lest pouertie with other cares doth occupy thy head And so from learning draw thy minde with other busines lead O lorde howe harde a thing it is how fewe doth God permit To flye from base and poore estate in honours hye to sit How seldome doth the sely soule ascende to honours hye And more besydes what is his lyfe to death and eke how nye How much to be despysed tho when pleasure none his minde Doth ease amongst his trauailes great when he no ioyes can finde When neuer cares absentes themselfes with griefes when all habounde Yet better passe the Stigian lake and feede the gredy hounde And mixed be wyth shrikyng soules then neuer ioy to finde â—n happye things when neuer mirâ—he shall glad thy wretched minde For to this wretche what ioy at all or pleasure can remaine That lackes both meate drink full ofâ— sometime his bedde againe Sometime he lacketh coâ—ee and cloke and oft his toâ—s be spyde From out his clouted shâ—es to pepe where seames sitte gaâ—ing wyde With paine drawes on hys drudging lyfe much lesse he able is Those things to haunt y e here dâ—â— bring a mortall man to blisse But he that haâ—â— the golden mines in hym these things doe â—â—owe And euery thing he straight obtaines wherat he bendes hys howe Such rule and swaye hath money nowâ— such force in euery place That nothing long she wyll permit for to resist her grace From hie she raceth hilles adowne and valleys vp doth hoyse If that therefore with swifty course of dogges he doth reioyse To take the Harte the Goate or Wolfe the flighty flying Hares If birdes to take or fish deceaue wyth hookes and nettes or snares If for to serue in Uenus court if meate or drinke delight If quiet rest if Luâ—e or Harpe him please or songes to shright All these the rich man doth possesse through mighty moneyes might New hark agayne what I shal say â—o thys in contrary If any man desire â—o learne he shall iâ— soone come by So that his minde â—e constant thoe and feareth not to tread The sharp and crabbed thorny wayes to vertue that do lead If money lacke what then perforce let houshold stuffe be solde With house and all and meddowe to how may my life then holde Then shall I be constraynd to begge and walleâ— vp to take Farre better wretch it is to begge when learning shall thee make Like to the heauen sainctes aboue than if thou shouldst possesse The Persians herds droues of beasts with all their welthinesse Beleue not thou the iudgement blinde of rude and common sorte No more who can than beasts discerne the truth or it reporte If thou be wise mark what I saye in mind and print it sure Excepting vet tue nothing is that here may long endure For riches fade and forme and strength and honour eke doth fall And vertue onely doth remayne in strength and euer shall Which neuer fortune may suppresse nor age can take away I neuer saw it yet nor thoe beleue it well I may The vertuous man for hunger â—â—eruâ—â— or left to begge his bread Though fortune sometyme doth assay him for to ouertread Yet veertue hasteth fast anone and learning doth defende His clients nor doth suffer them their yeares in care to spende But offers them a boorde to help when sayle and shippe is loste Whereby they may the shore attayne from waues of Seas ytost Who followeth vertue may go see tharabian desertes fell The Ethiops black the rugged getes the Indes in health and well For only vertue of her force wyll fortune false wythstand And oft with hir in doubtfull matche doth striue with fighting hand For costes thou oughtest not to spare nor doubt the landes to sell Wherby thou vertue mayst obtayne yf fortune be so fell That nought to sell at all thou haste let goodnesse then remayne In thee If learnde thou canst not be wyth learnde thy selfe retayne With eares atteÌ„tiue mark their words sometyme and question finde The rest to God do thou commit and wyth a lowly minde Receaue th appointed fates from hie if ioyes thou doest frequente And hurtfull pleasure thee entrap and in hir ginnes thee hent And couet so thy youthfull dayes to passe in pleasaunt sport And therfore doest desire to beare a rich and wealthy port These things that reason doth thee tell peruse thou well in minde A greater yll and hurtfull more than pleasure none can finde It taketh counsell quite from vs and doth the minde oppresse Resisting vertues euermore encreaseth wickednesse It is the chiefest nource to vice enfebleth aye the strength With bitter ende and many hurtes procureth man at length But playnlier of this same anone we wil entreate and tell The poore man hath his ioyes also yf that thou markest well Not much perchaunce inferiour to for pleasauntest be such Obtayned ioyes that seldome happes and ioyfuller he much The pleasure is beleue me now that long hath bene absented And more desirde so meate is swete to him that is an hungred So rest to him that laboureth sore so drink is to the drye So flame vnto the friesing wight so colde when sunne is hye So long forborne is welcomer to Lady Uenus fayre For contraries by opposites their strength do eft repayre The rich man now will suffer nought but alwayes doth abound With deynties so that lothsomnesse in him may eft be founde Sometime he doth desire and much on earthy rootes to grash Sometyme on pescods fast he feedes sometime on other trash And royall fare wyth deynty dish abhorring nought esteemes Nothing so swete he then receiues but better loe it seemes And lykes him not if any tyme it chanceth to endure But chaunges new doth him delight and for to haue in vre Forbidden things are sweeter much such things be nought and yll That alwayes are at hande to haue so not the thing but wyll And iudgement of the minde doth cause a man to be content And worthy is to be imbrasde that pleaseth his intent What profits it vnto the sicke to offer deynty meate Whose tast away doth quite bereft the feruent feuers heate Or
she doth appeare But fewe there be that can attaine the truth away to beare For riches to be chiefest good the greatest sort do say An other part doth honour take to be the chiefest away And diuers men in diuers things the chiefest good doe fynde But I the price abeue the rest to pleasure haue assignde And this my part I trust I can by reason good defende It is the marke that all shoote at and eke the finall ende To which the actes and dedes of men be altogither bent Euen as vnto th appointed marke the shooters shaft is sent Who euer would the earth with rakes or Seas with Ores haue tryed Or martyall power by force of armes who durst haue occupyed In fyne who euer would haue sought vertue to come vnto If pleasure then or hope thereof dyd not enforce hym so For this the chiese beginning is the midst and eke the ende Of laboures all for proofe therof thy minde a whyle attende All workes if chagent reason haue vnto some ende are donne The workmaÌ„s handes it moues therto and first in minde begonne It is But last of all the deade it selfe comes forth to lyght The ende therof is good therfore the worke doth more delight The will thereof with great delight the ende for to obtaine Doth force the labour light to be the cause is pleasure plaine For truely nothing else it is but pleasure of the minde And synce by reason harde it is to teache the rude and blinde I will attempt by simlitudes the truth for to declare Why delues the plowmaÌ„s clubbishe haÌ„d teares the earth w t share For all the heate of flaming dogge hys worke he doth not space Nor hoary winter froste Why fears the shipman not in minde The raging rage of surging Seas with threarning Rocks so blind Despisyng death at hande in hope of maste with sayly pyne Why doth the Captaine to the fielde hys manfull minde encline And uÌ„ersly doth reioicewhen as he heares the Trompettes blow With hynteng noyse of foming horse hys heart begynnes to glow Why doth it some delyght alwayes with papers pale to bee And bookes of diuers authors made with daily paine to see Certes for that that after time when labours long depart SoÌ„e gaine or same may giue him cause for to reioice in heart For if so be that fame and gaine should not the minde ascende With ioye both vertue artes withall would soone be at an ende For of it selfe the ende is sweete and for the ende is thought Both middest former facces so sweete it forceth also nought Of vyle or else of honest state the dcades do seeme to be For as the lewde lycentious man reioyseth vice to see In vertue lykewyse euermore the good mans Joyes doe stande All things therfore for pleasures sake we surely take in hande For pleasure men decline froÌ„ harmes for this they gaines require Things worthy praise or else reproche through this they doe desyre With onely this the Goddes aboue contented surely bee For profyte is for them vnmeete synce nought they lacke we see But thou perchaunce wilt say the gods with honest ioyes abounde What then If with such ioyfull goods in them no ioye is founde As if thou shouldest w t glistering golde and pearles a stocke aray An other thing here adde as oft as cause be perfect may It nedefull is the like effect from thence should then proceede When as therefore that force of lyâ—e is well disposde in deede And châ—efest good obiect to it it alwayes doth retayne That this is happiest happinesse denieth no man playne But now from out such fountayne loe is pleasure forst to runne With musick so the eares reioyce of numbers apte begunne So is the syght wyth beauty pleasde the nose with goodly smell This iudgement eke I do pronounce of other partes as well What sayst thou now to Uenus worke that creatures all doth make And this the pleasauntst pleasure is except thou truth forsake Moreouer yet both payne and griefe since greatest yls they bee Contrary eke to pleasure now by right we pleasure see To be the chiefest good deserues of contraries also The reason lyke contrary is that sad things to forgo By natures force all things do seke and pleasures do embrace Who may beleue that once wyl vs deceaue that natures grace The chiefest good therfore it is that creatures all do loue But what loue they or seeke they for but pleasaunt ioyes to proue That we must vertue seke agayne some sort there be that say By swet and colde while here we liue and pleasure cast away And after death they say we shall in perfit pleasure liue Which good to those that do him loue prepared hath to giue This voyce wyth reason cannot stande but shewes it selfe as vayne For that the soule doth after liue when death the corps hath sayne Or that it lurkes in lothsome lake of Tartares griesly den And payes the paynes of his deserts and takes rewardes as then Of former factes ought none beleue except his senses fade 〈◊〉 fooles it is your Poets mad that haue these fables made Who euer wonted were to write such foolishe fayned toyes Whereby they might delight the eares of fooles with frustrate â—yes The yrksome place they fayned haue of Stigâ—an â—iraunâ— fell Wher flames y e â—ouds of PhiegethoÌ„ that burnes with roaring yell Whereas the triple headed dog and Tisiphone doth dwell With adders arinde of payâ—ted hewe and gressly Gyaunts great wyth dreadfull darkenes doide of lyght and fyres whose flaming heat Consumes no wood where frieseth cold without the wynters space The bote without the force of oke here creketh in this place whâ—lste her wyth soules doth â—uerlode the aged Ferriman Here Sisiphus the stone torments and Tantale waters wanne The sâ—isty ristye vesselles heare matemurdring systers beare From whence the waters out do gush that kept in vaine are there Much more than I haue heare declarde these Poets pâ—lde haue taught In hell to be which are not true of children to be thought O gods how great a lacke of wit there is in euery place How prone the way to trifâ—es is and credite you this case O voide of wyt which neuer coulde by reason ought be proued Nor by no sense may be desernde with feare why are you moued Of things so vaine who credites mosâ— is most himselfe deceaued These are I say deceitfull things whereby be priestes releaued For when that once our vitall breath is faded cleane away No more we be than first we were before our natall daye O to much weake to fraile and proude O nature bolde of man whereby doest thou perswade thy selfe to liue for euer than Leaue of therefore thou lumpe of claye the yeares of gods to wyll â—ll things begonne shall haue an ende nothing remaineth styll Both cities great and mighty men and vastye realmes withall The hautiest hylles and greatest flouds doth time at length let fall And thinkest thou O fading dust for euer
is painde Nor can the minde be alwayes yet to seuere things addict For frayle it is and ioy it must when endes the sad afflict And downe the highest hilles descende to valleyes depe and lowe No otherwise than when on earth doth Joue his lightning throwe Hating the crimes that here be done the Egle bearing fast Wyth byll or feete the three edgde tole in Cicil fornace cast Ascends the toppes of heauens hie and maruayles much to see The Princely walles wyth precious stones that there adourned bee Astonished is to see the place of glistering gold confect That shines wyth starres she doth beholde with Diamond pillers deckt The costly roufes she loked vpon of Indian teeth compacte She meruayles at the ample fielde and light that neuer lackt The great delightes that gods are in that rong cannot expresse Nor neuer heart of man could thinke the worthy pleasauntnesse She flying fast both here and there desireth much to play By skies so cleare and pleasaunt ayres begins hir wings to spray The earth and quite she doth forget her nest is out of minde In princely rayne of thundring God such pleasure doth she finde But after that by hungers prick with fasting strength decayes And he ate lackes foode to worke vppon that now she gan to prayse The heauens hie she doth despise and downe her selfe she speedes â–ª To ground that late she did contemne and there apace she feedes Then I which held my peace so long such silence for to breake Addrest my selfe and not affrayd her tale to stoppe gan speake Bycause quod I the sunne as now gan westward first descend And night doth hast his course to vse before this light do wende Away from vs and darknesse coÌ„mes a few things shew to me O goddesse milde no matrone thou but seemes a ghost to be What name the woman had of late that I saw yonder stand Besydes the Quene what the boyes be that she led in hand Then in this sorte shee aunswered me doubt not thou shalt discerne By me if time do nothing let all that thou seekes to learne Unworthy things thou hast not askt I will therfore resight Her now that on the left hand goes and greedy but shee hight Her great delight is for to eate and night and day to drinke The greatest sorte do worship her and for a god her thinke With ioyfull hearts the flaming wines in gilded holes they mash And costly cates on bourdened bourdes the gredy guts they grash The chiefest good they think to be this belly god to serue But out of doubt I thee assure they from the truth do swerue For nothing is more vile than this nor harmeth more the state Of man The beastes for onely lyfe did Joue aboue create But man for life and reason to and that he should excell And so be like vnto the sainctes which in the heauens dwell He ordaynde hath to rule the earth but they that loue the yoke Of gredinesse and belly ioyes are dull and with the smoke Of fuming meates their wit is darckt like as the cloudes the sunne Ne may they yet the truth discerne but chiefly when begunne Hath boyling wines within the brest to blinde and dull the witte And when the paunch is stuffed ful for bookes they be vnfitte Wherby it often coÌ„mes to passe their witte but small to bee The end that nature plaste them for they cleane for sake we see Nor more they knowe than doth y e herd of Shepe or Oxen dull Yea lesse sometyme when as with wine their beastly braynes be full When as for one two lightes they see with borde and wall to daunce O dronkennesse the death of minde the broode of all mischaunce What thing dost thou not force y e mind of man to take in hande What dare not he attempt thorow thee both strife wyth brawling and Most cruell frayes thou mouest him to thou ioyest when bloud is shead By thee are secretes eft reuealde wyth minde and tong made dead Both feare and shame fastnesse also full farre they flye from thee Shunne you this plague O wretches now that makes you mad to be And euen as as mad as once Drestes was with mothers might What filthier thing what beaste more vile than is the dronken wight The meate that he not long before hath fast deuoured vp He perbrakes out he trembles eke and stinketh of the cup. Ful oft he falles and breaks his browes his eyes and legs withall His stutting wordes he stamereth out no man perceiue him shall Much things he sayth much he doth that when the night is gone And sunne is present here agayne he sorrowes sore vppon The Mace donian King the sonne of Phillip graund le Roy In dronken mode at table once his frends did all destroy But when the cups their fumes had left and wit returnde agayne He found the fault w t tears he mournd and wisht himself as slayne Why boast you with your Orgies vain in woodes of Citheron Your Thias dauÌ„ce why brag you now your foolyshe druÌ„ms vpon No God your Bacchus is Iwis that comes of Cadmus line Nor Joue him got of Semels wombe as Poetes doe define But hell hath him engendred lo Begera is his dame No God he is but doth despise the gods and hates their name For godlinesse they nought estreme that haunt the pots of wyne Nor well can vse the dronken priest the Sacraments deuine What neede I here for to resite what sicknesse and what paines Excesse of meate and to much drinke doth brede within the vaines From hence doe flow euen as it were from euerlasting spring The axesse and the botche the byle wyth scaule and scurfe itching The goute oppressing hands and fete wyth bleared dropping eyes Wyth wine the quiuering ioyntes they quake froÌ„ iawes the teeth out flies With sodayne death stomacks paine and fulsome stinking breath A greater sory than sworde hath slayne excesse hath done to death Besydes the goods be straight coÌ„sumde and downe the guttes do sâ—ing The fielde the house the houshold stuffe and euery other thing And now both poore and base he is whose riches late were greate Eate thou wher by thy lyfe may last but liue not thou to eate I haue thee here declared now the woman what she hight And now the boy with nodding noule I wyll thee here resight The boy is hers and of her borne and labour him begat His name is slepe his nourse is leth his fode is poppey fat He brother germaine is to death but not as she doth last He doth refresh the weried limmes wyth dayly labour past He doth expell the cares of men and calleth strength agayne Without the ayde of him no man his life may well sustayne Yet hurtes he much and doth the minde in certayne wise oppresse Diseases breedes and ouls the corps oft vsed with excesse If foode be small he small will be for when the meate is spent The corps doth wake or else doth rest wyth little
If thou desyrest any man with woordes for to delight Of him and eke of all his thinges doe prayses thou resight And if he euer any acte performed woorthy prayes Commende it much for wisemen now and fooles at all assayes Would praysed be somtime agayne with sweet and pleasant stile Delight that tentiue eares of theirs prouokyng them to smile Or tellyng of some pleasant tale though new or olde it be If it be woorth declaryng tell some woorthy history If thou perceiuest any thyng that doth his minde delight In any case disprayse it not but say the crow is white And if thy conscience be so straight thou darst not say so much Then hold thy tong saye neuer a woord for now the time is such That wysdome great it is to fayne as true the people say He cannot liue that knowes not how with both his handes so play Sometime beleeue me now it hurtes the truthe for to defend The place the people and the time in minde doo thou perpend That nought thee hurte But some there be that rather loue to prayse A man behinde his backe and take the same for better wayes They doo but wel suche kynde of prayse more thanke deserueth sure Unfayned eke and vnsuspect â–ª it seemes to be more pure For some doo vse to cosin men when as they present be True friendes whereby they might be thought â–ª whom when they absent se With bifyng words they laugh to scorn best is it to reiect Such clawyng gestes it is the vse of Gnatoes fawning sect Not few again at least some one such marchant shalt thou finde That all thynges will abroade declare that issued from thy mynde Such praiyng mates tnow there be he speakes much good sayth he And doth commend your maystership of him dispraysde you be In fewe wordes now the truth to say nothing doth more delight All kinde of men than manners good and life lead all vpright Of greater force than riches this or learning eke it semes Though euyll men be learnde or riche yet no man them estemes Nothing more odious is than vice but if thou honest be And good al men shal thee embrace at least I think none thee Wyll hate A sentence olde it is that maners lyke in all And study like is it they say that loue is fedde wythall So merry it is when knaues be mette so learnd wyth learnd remayne So haunt al kinde of beastes their herd I speake not this agayne For how can they be ioynd in loue whose mindes contrary bee When one thing for to wyll and hate frendes vse it is we see Loue lastes not longe in wicked men fooles frendship lastes not long For priuate wealth that yll men seke by right and â—ke by wrong And cruell luste to harme and hurt that yll men all possesse With pryde and wrath togither both the frendes of folyshnesse Makes fuming humors rage abrode and ioynes them by the eaâ—es That onely loue endureth long whose roote dame vertue beates Which honesty engendred hath this onely knittes the hartes Of godly â—ke and faithfull men with loue that neuer partes And more it is to be estemde Than is the loue of kinde By which the father loues the sonne and eke with louing minde â—â—he other kâ—â—smen doe imbrace for children eâ—â—yn hate Their parentes deare and fathers eâ—â— haue grudgd the childes estate The brother hath bene sene er this to worke the brothers wylâ— But neuer true Dresses yet did Pylades beguile Nor Pylades Dreâ—â— to ayde did death esteme there while But here it comes in question if by any meanes we can Procure the loue of euerychone the good and euill man For lone in many partes disperstâ— is weaker euery howre In fewe of greater force it is in two of greatest powre Denided thus in many parteâ— it vanisheth away Who byddes secke not to many mates doe therefore truely saye For harde it is to line among so great a companye With them as it doth frendes become eke conuersant to be For fyxed fayth denyes her selfe with many for to dwell With fewe her selfe the doth content wherfore beleue thou well Thou shalt not many faithfull finde loue not in any wyse The common sort nor seeke their loue for discorde thence doth ryse And pleasant peace with fewe remains the common prease forsake Of pressing men with troubles they their troublous name doe take A fewe and good choose thou thy selfe with whom to leade thy lyfe By many yeares in safe thou maiste and also voide of strife Lyke as therefore thou canst not loue so many feruently So canst thou not of such a sort be loued faithfully For who so loueth not for troth is worthy of no loue A ciuill common loue there is wherewith it doth behoue The common sorte to loue with which eche good and euill man We ought assuredly to loue which is perfourmed than When as we no mans hurt procure by wordes or else by actes When as we leade our lyfe that none may well controll our factes When we to all men curteyse be and eke with frendly fare Doe them salute with honours dewe and praysing them â—â—brace But yet at fyrst it doth â—ehoue with fewe to leade thy life If thou dostâ— seeke 〈◊〉 peace to liue and 〈◊〉 from foolishe 〈…〉 Them 〈◊〉 shun whom â—â—â—ght thou knowes it can not be perdye That we in thornes and thistles treade and scape 〈◊〉 thereby Nor care thou not a whyt if that the wicked loue not thee Thinke it ynough if he not hate ne shalt thou hated bee If thou from them doe stande aloofe such hurâ—eth not the snake But if sometime it doth thee please the company to take Of tag and rag and neighbor John let tongue in silence dwell And take good herde what thing y u saist and alwaâ—es haâ—ken well And seldome speake iâ— is the signe of one whose head is lyght So much to praâ—e be efâ— oâ—â—â—ndes that so â—oth wordes resight But such as rare and wysely speake desâ—â—ue the chiefest praise And in the pruâ—â—â—t mouth it is a goodly gift alwayes Speake yll of none behinde their baâ—ke ne yet before their face Let thys the chiefest warning bee and â—ule of chiefâ—st place Nor prâ—â—e not thou to no intent nor ydle wordes let â—all For then shall eche man laugh at thee and eke a foole thee call If thou shalt aunswere any man or if thou question finde Before thou speakest in any case recorde it in thy minde For when it once is â—â—edde from thee thou canst it not retaine The worde that once is flowne abrode can not come home againe A goodly thing also it is in talke to tell sometime The pithy sense of aged lawes and auncient poets â—â—me â–ª And now and then examples sounde â–ª in worthy stories olde Do giue the talke a greater grace if they â—lude so tolde Alwayes therfore it nedefull is on diuers bookes to reede And as the Bees now there now here on sondry floures to feede Expell thou
nought Who so is free doth seeme to serue such is not to be sought It bringes the owner to much harme and not to can doe ill Is better sarre than haue such vice adherent to thy will How many men haue bene destroide by to much liberty How many men in safety liue with bridles dost thou se And if thy children sicknesse vexe why shouldst thou weepe or waile Go seeke in hast to make them whole if that will not preuaile And if that death will haue them needes then vse a pacient minde Thou art not in this case alone but fellowes shalt thou finde The griefe that we with many beare we better may sustaine We all are borne to this intent to render lyfe againe For of our fyrst beginning doth the fatall ende depende And certaine is the time decreed for all away to wende And either sone or latter doth eche man his graue descende To death which is of euils alt the last and finall ende Not of the valiaunt to be fearde what doth it ought auaile The deathes of them with teares y t here haue lost their lyfe to wayle Is it a thing so wretched here to leaue this foolishe life To ryd thereby our mortall corps from all vnquiet strife And for the hurly burly here eternall lyfe to win Perpetuall reast by death we gaine or eke the comming in To lyfe againe but weepe thy fill in time thy teares shall staye And all thy cares and griefe besyde from thee shall time conuaye But if thou wanton children keepe or of a greater shame O father fonde deseruing stripes then thou art most to blame And causer chiefe of all their hurt who taughtst not them to know Both maners good and vertuousneseâ— while tender yeares did grow Not yet with vices foule defaced neglecting thou the minde Diost only bring their bodies vp like beastes of brutishe kinde Hereof so many foolish geese and noughty men remaine With whom eche citie pestred is for all in age retaine The maners that they did receiue when yonger yeares were rife And eche man as he liued in youth so leadeth he his life The tender twigge at first may bowe according to thy minde But when the bowes get elder strength no more thou shalt them winde Nor from the place that yong it helde thou shalt it cause to flye So doth a childe in tender yeares eche way himselfe applye But when that elder age is come looke which way first he went That kepes he still and will not change his first conceiude intent Of custome long is nature bred and yeldes hir force alway To vse that long time hath bene kept yet ought we for to pray To God within the mothers wombe that he may giue good seede For so we shew our selues in lyfe as wee therin doe breede Whosoeuer doth come nought froÌ„ theÌ„ce will seldome vertuous proue Though manners good the schole hym teach and thousande masters moue Well maist thou nature rule sometime but neuer hir expell For she is still of greater force thau all thy guiding well Yet somthing will she altred be with vse and daily toyle So with continuall husbanding doth beare the barren soyle So Lions fierce of mighty force obey to man as king So by continuall exercise eche Arte in time doth spring Wherefore instruct thy children well while tender yeares doe grow And teach them honest wayes to walke and vertuous lyfe to know Permit them not to rampe abrode according to their will Than liberty no kinde of thing for children is more ill If thou be wyse holde fast thy raynes and warely well them guide For mortall things by naturra force are moude in vice to slide And willingly thereto they run if helpe no labour bring For without Arte is nature wone to giue no perfect thing For God himselfe will not permit that we with slouthfulnesse Should heauy ware but stirres vs vp with cares and busynesse And as with spurres the slothfull pricks a pleasaunt place ther lies That ryseth vp with craggey rocke amid the steamy skies Full of delight than which more bleft a place can not be founde To whom the sweete Elysius fields and Temp of Thessale grounde Doth place resigne here nigh the pole and night the starres that shine Dame vertue dwels and there enioyes a thousande pleasures fyne But vengeance crabbed is the pathes â—oth narrow and vnplaine And so be grown wyth thickes of thorne that neuer can attaine The vile and slouthfull minde to passe of earthly cares possest And few pure minde a loft doth bring whom God hath chose as blest Aboue to dwell amid the skyes full crabbed is the way To vertue sure but plaine to vice by which we sone doe stray To which we all runne easely who therefore doth intende To trade a childe in vertuousnesse must labour him to mende For without labour nothing good can well perfourmed bee The force of daily labour doth all things dispatch we see First ought you fathers to take heede aboue all other things Your children haunt no ill resort for custome alwayes brings Eche kinde of manners vnto men yea though they sainctes should be Ill company will them corrupt but chiefely let them flie From haunt of lustye youthfull brutes for youth is alwayes bent Lo vices all and filthy be all filthy talke innent For wholly is this age advicse to naughty ryots deede That they vse not the haunt therefore of yong men take good heede Thou that intendest for to kepe a childe in vertuousnesse Now vse to chide and now the rod and plaine the way expresse By which they may their feete direct in no wyse fauour showe And euer angry let them not the loue of Fathers know For nothing can more hurtful be than speake them faire vnto Then greater heart in vice they take then all things dare they doe When thou for truthe shalte take theyr wordes and makst of them to much Bewitched sore with doting loue to children fauour such Is hurtefull sure for feare alone doth make them vice to fly Not reason then and sone they synne if they be not put by With brydels harde and as they doe full oft in vices fall Done causyng them so seldome they returne if none doe call According as they bring them vp so all men children haue Besyde all this we must inuent our bodyes health to saue For health is far more worth than golde the healthy deluing loute In better state accounted is than crased kyng no doute First ought the cause be knoweÌ„ wherof such sicknesse vile are sowne In corps of men tormenting them for once the causes knowne More easely mayst thou shun theffects and causes pulde away The effectes of them that did ensue incontinent decay The causer first of each disease is chiefest nature sure As oft as vnder naughty starres the byrth she doth procure While as the childe doth inwarde take the motions of the saye Or else begot of naughty seede the cause doth eften lye Amyd the parentes of
other case not things fore knowen retel The whole estate of pleasure to Arete tolde me well So dyd hir sonne Timalphes eke let this thoe passed be Therfore and then declare at large what else it pleaseth thee Then aunswered she of noblenesse I somthing here wyll say For that is one of chiefest goodes and at this present day Al men do seke this same to haue and think they it obtayne Although as farre from it they be as is the Spaniard playne Remoued from the man of Inde But what is noblenesse Of value what the truth I do intend for to expresse But what auayleth it as nowe the truth of ought to say Syth no man wil it nowe beleue syth al men it denay Some kinde of beastes doe flye and hate continually the light And rouing styll amyd the darke do wander eke by night So many neyther can nor loue the light of truth to finde For God with nature so deuides the state of mortall kinde That vnto him that sees aright the state of man alone Doth seme to blase the nature full of other beasts eche one So diuers are the thoughtes of man and so vnlike they be For many still pursue the darke and truth can neuer see And on the Sunne do alwayes loke wyth watrish winking eyes A few with open sight it vewe whose minde is of the Skies Nobillity therefore as doth the common people say In heapes of riches doth consist or in the Golden sway Or else in bloud as oft as he bred vp of gentle like Of Belsiers and of Grandfathers can brag and armes define And can his valeant parents prayse this iudgement I refuse For styll the common people lye as they were wont to vse A like opinion many haue but fewe haue reason playne If he should be a Gentleman that riches doth obtayne Why then good Gentlemen may be the Dowrers and their feares The Butchar Barber Fishmongers and he that horses reares The shepheard and Jack Baker and the Tanner with his hide The Baud the Chefe the Graftex and other all beside Of fylthy sorte for them among ful many riches haue And many may for fortane ofte extolles the wretched slaue And often she doth throwe a downe with hir vnequal hand Such as of late she did permitte aloft on whele to stand At that tyme only Marius was therfore in noble state When as a victorer he came within the Romaines gate The Counsel and the Commons al reioycing much thereat With crowne of Bayes horses whyte ydrawne on Chariot sat But after that from thence expelde by wicked Syllaes might A banisht man to Minturne fled lay hid and wanted light In dunge on vile or when he was constraynd to beg his bread In Africke land O lawes of Gods O powers to little dread And bread most apt for ditchers tough was not this noble man A wretch as now from him aloofe fled noblenesse as than And strayghtwayes she did eke returne when Marius came agayne By lot of chaunged starre to Rome their sentence sure is vayne If noble state consist in golde of earth doth Golde procede Of fraud of stealth of Usery we ergo then do spede Of noblenesse by fraude and stealth and eke by Usery O iudgement blinde of common sort of reason cleane wythout No Golde can make your noble men no riches thus can cloute For worthier is nobillity than any precious good With golde it is not bought nor solde But some now bragge of bloud And prayses of their kindred prate while they most wicked be And of their parents actes they tell and olde antiquity Of Grandsirs dedes and bloudy spoyle of Unckles winning ground And though y e slouthful beasts theÌ„selues wyth thousand crimes abound And vertue lacke yet are they thought good Gentlemen to be Bycause they come of auncient bloud and noble auncestrie Why bragst thou thus with others acts and talkst thy Parents prayse When as thou art a shame to them that liude in alder dayes The Crowe a Swan would seeme to be and eke the prating Rooke Wyth Pecockes feathers false ystolne would like a Pecocke loke But nature doth forbyd which is the spring of noblenesse Hereeof comes beastly mindes mindes addict to Godlinesse Of hir procedeth euery kinde The body causeth not Thee for to be a Gentleman but minde procureth that For many Clownes haue bodies bigge of fayre and lusty state An ornament is noblenesse to minde appropriate And certaine force of nature bredde which mighty things and hie Desyreth still and things of base estate settes nothing by By which the minde doth striue aloft lyke fiery flame to ryse And lyke the Herne to pearce the clouds and baser things despise whosoeuer can this strength obtaine by gift and force deuine He shall be good and paine full eke of powre in counsell fine And royle sustaine something to doe that shall seeme worthy prayse That he himselfe may praise deserue â—n long and after dayes But not to al doth nature giue a thing of value such Yea vnto fewe she doth it deale whose worthy fame so much For euer liues in peoples mouthes long after deathes distresse But O condicions yll to â—el O wondrous fransinesse Who would not now be calde thought a Gentleman by name O Knauishe sorte O creatures vile beyond all kinde of shame Triumphing names do thee delight and fame abrode to yel Thee glory likes then why not payne and vertuousnesse as wel Contents thy minde that worthyly thou mayst be named than A Gentleman lykes it thee more a wise and sobre man Deseruing not than of desert accompted for to be Why is not chalke for cheese as wel delighting vnto thee As lying name of Noblenesse O vile disguised spright O Monkey learne to brydle wyl to guide thy minde aright Reason to vse to flye the things that shameful are and vayne Haunt righteousie know thy selfe and labour hard sustayne Fly flouthfulnesse wherby thou mayste attayne to vertue hie Then mayst thou wel a Gentleman be calde and worthy lie This this is true Nobillity these gifts the Gods bestowne And these rewardes to men vnto the vnlearned sorte vnknowne This way the auncient Romaines went by this their Empire flew Aboue the Starres and when it ceaste then bad their state adew For when as their vnthrifty seede their Empire thus encreast Did spring amid more prosprous yeres they following inward preast Great riot playes and wantonnesse did cleane for sake the state Their fathers helde before whereby did noblenesse them hate And went againe the Heauens to till ryot forewarde wrought And vice whereby was Rome at length cleane sackt and spoilde to nought It is not kinred thoe nor bloud nor spechelesse Imagrie Nor heapes of Golde that can thee make a Gentleman to be Uertue vertue by hir was made both Hector and Alcide Of noble state by this againe right Gentleman was tryde That wight to whom the Iliades got an euerlasting name With diuers other worthy states of still abiding
weare For who is free lawes kings crimes haue al thing subiect here And eche man serues for hope of gayne or else wyth force constraynd Al beastes as sone as they are bred with lymmes are straight sustaynd And walke abrode immediatly where man is nothing so But long his mouth and minde he lacks and strength of limmes to go Much like a sounding picture made with crying neuer styll Disturbing al men night and day with voyce and waylings shrill And when on limmes he stiffer stands and words can wel pronounce Then bound he is and suffers threates then maisters on him bounce With lashing strypes and ofte his syre oft mother on him layes Sometime his brothers buffets flye sometime his stepdames frayes with blowes not few that stepsyre giues and when this age is past Then lusty youth approching coÌ„mes and strength increaseth fair Now from his mouth he shakes the bit now councel none he heares He rageth now with furious mode and burnes in youthful yeares With rage and riot runnes he mad and rash without aduise No counsell will he take therein but wytty sawes despise No daungers now he doth esteme so he the thing obtayne Whereto lasciuious lust him moues and force of wilful brayne Neglecting lawes he brawles fyghtes and braynsicke runnes astray The greatest parte of youth are now with surfets led away A fewe whome feare or shamefastnesse or wysdome doth restrayne Their youthfull dayes vprightly leade and voyd of vicious stayne Now grauer age and wiser coÌ„mes and cares with hir she brings And labours hard then toyles the man about a hundred things And al the meanes he can he sekes his liuing to prouide At home he neuer ydle stands but here or there must ride In towne or else at fielde he works with labour great and payne His wife his children and his men wherby he may sustayne Alone for al he careth then he tastes no daynty meate Nor quier sleepes but forward nows him driues ambition great And giues him rule in common wealth where while for honours hie The foole doth gape he malice doth and mischienes great come by Then wrinkled age wyth hoary hayres encrocheth in apace The body fades the strength abates the beauty of his face And colour goes his senses fayle his eares and eyes decay His taste is gone some sicknesse sore frequenteth him alway Scarce chawes his meate his tothlesse chaps scarce walks w t staffe in hand His croked olde vnweldy limmes whereon he scarce may stand The minde like wise doth â—eele decay now dotes he like a childe And through his weake and aged yeres is wisdome quite exilde Eche age therefore his mischiefe hath but mischiefes more there be That doth belong to euery age to al of eche degree Sometime doth colde to much them vex and Snowes that flakey flye And Northern Boreas winde so brym when Ise doth hang full hie On house and when the waters depe congealed styll do stay Now raging heate of Sommer burnes while Sunne doth kepe his way Through blasing breath of Lion fierce the fields depriude of greene The grouÌ„d by drythe doth gape for rain and moysture none is seene The hearbs grasse their lines resigne the Pooles and Fennes be dry Nowe hunger pricks nowe thirste doth greue and dearth doth make theÌ„ cry Who can in verse declare to men the sicknesses that raynes In mortal life the Agues hote the griefe and raging paynes That ouer al the body runnes eche member poyson feeles The hand the syde the syght is vexe and al from head to heeles Doth griefe and sicknesse sore sustayne Why do I them resight Why seke I here the Cranes to tell in Strimon flouds that light Or number great of Swans that swim in streames of Troian land Oft times the minde doth lose his state by hearbs or Witches hand Or when at sacred Ceres feast some fiende in brest doth lye Or when possest wyth Bacchus force abrode with rage they fiye Though griefe w t yre and couetousnesse ambition and delight As much the senses do confound as doth of wine the might Procuring darknesse to the minde If truth we therfore say Al dronke with beastly affects of minde are most men at this day But fewe alas there can be found that reele not here and there That can discerne what they should do wyth beames of eyesight clere And guide them selues by reasons rule Here of aduisedly One sayd the number endlesse was of fooles abrode that flye For who nedes not Helleborus that giues the purging stooles But seuen wise the Grekes could finde among ten thousand fooles The nurse and dam of mortal kinde dame Folly sure is thought Wythout whose grace all thing woulde fade and men wold here do nought She Captayne chief are wars begunnè and al that thereto long As armour bright and Targets fayre with Ancents eke among Where colours faire abrode doe blase wyth sundry sort of beastes Of hir comes playes and daunces fyne and dronken Bacchus feastes All nice delightes and wanton gestes wyth sutes of fonde aray From hir doth come w t heapes of bokes compyled day by daye The floudes of trifles fonde doe flowe by hir and euery thing Most part at least that man here doth proceede from such a spring But now the wofull hurts and harmes and dolefull destenye That man sustaines can none declare though eloquent he be Now drownde in fluds here sinks theron and vnto fyshes great The symple wretche of soule depriude becomes a dainty meate An other downe from house doth fall and shewes a tumbling point And through hys hast receiues a clap that crackes hys chiefest ioint Or batters sore his tender limmes and some the lightnings smite Or tempest kils on some againe the falling house doth light And doth vnlode him of his braines some fier fries to death Wyth hurtfull herbs or Mushroms vile some yelde their vitall breath And some when as to fast he eates while gredy guts doe gripe Doth ouercharge his peece with lumps that stops hys drinking pipe How many teares the raging beast with teeth something to keene With Iron shoes of Horses flame how many hath bene seene And many goarde w t wilde Bulls horne that roring mad doth bring What shuld I shew the daungers great that man to man doth bring No beast he needeth more to feare than fellowes of his owne So many knaues and theeues hereby and persons vile are knowne So many witnesse false that beare so many vicious slaues So many liuing on the spoyle and cut throte swearing knaues Disturbing reast of mortall men and in none other plight Than doth the merry beastes disturbe the Lionesse in syght He with hys tongue procureth harme he with hys sworde doth fray The greatest sort with craft doth hurt one robbes in open way An other filcheth priuily some sort there also be That vnder cloke of frendship strong or of Hypocrisye Such men deceiue as they doe knowe to be of credite light All men almost O wicked kinde
of hurt you se And why bicause they are more pure and perfect in degree And of their proper force alone they alwayes moued bee But now the earth vnweldy thing of nature euer stayes And more is cause that sundry things can moue no kinde of wayes For where most earth habounds moste waight is found such things apere Lesse apt to moue the light more quick and vnto life more nere For lyfe in euery thing is cause whereby they moue alone It nedes no profe the senselesse Corse doth stirre as doth a stone Since things in lyfe haue chief estate for life excelleth all Doubtlesse the light and mouing things the chiefest we may call They erre therfore that doe beleue no other things to be But such as senses grosse perceiue and eyes apparant see For what more subtyle is than ayre what lesse is felt or seene By which haue many thought it voide as no thing to haue beene It is but sâ—ight what tho yet hath it here a substance sure And body is of foure chiefe one than earth or streame more pure And therfore placed in hyer seate for things approching nere To skyes and blessed starres aboue of chiefest state appere Besydes are not the wyndes so pure that no man can them see Yet nothwithstanding none there is but knowes that windes there bee Which when they haue a sunder burst the barres of Eolus strong The monstrous Hills by force do shake downe torne the trees along Doe lye the Seas from chanell deepe are tossed aboue the shoares The cloudes are caused the lightninge flashe the dreadfull thunder reares Synce thus their force doth rage thinkst thou that substance they doe lacke Bicause thou canst not them beholde or in thy handes them take To iudge as senses leade is fonde for oftentimes the eyes In taking one thing for an other â–ª thys error plainely tryes As if into the clerest spring a staffe most straight be thrust The eye shall iudge it to be Croked though it be neuer so iust As if a boate rowe nere the shore the shore shall seeme to flye And styll the boateis thought to stay the senses therfore lye Which many times deceiued be and changed sundry wayes By age sometime or sycknesse â–ª great the force of them decayes Nor euery man hath them alike some thinkes it fayre and meete The thing another sayth is fowle and some do count it sweete That others iudge of bitter taste the ayre is colde sayth he Another sayth the wether is hote thus senses diuers be In diuers bodies diuers seemes deceaued sometyme by chaunce As when the drunckardsees two lights for one and stooles to daunce The wine in troubling of his eyes doth much disease his sight The ayre besydes deludes the sense sometymes it semeth bright Now darke now thick now moyst now dry wherby we often gesse The Sunne as red as bloud to be the Moâ—e now bygge now lesse Hereos doth also come to passe when one aloud doth cry Deceauing folish cares a doyce doth seeme to aunswere nye By this and other meanes they erre but reason is more sure Who findes amongst a thousand toyes the certayne truth and pure This reason is most deare to him that wisdome doth retayne Whose minde is of a liuely force and sprite of heauenly vayne The blunt and doltish common sorte wyth blinde and bleared eyes Doth not hir see hereof doth fault vayne hope and fansy rise This reason guides the wysest men Opinion leades the lowte Let vs the steppes of reason â—read and ioyle hir wayes about This reason may be calde the Sunne that moues in order iust By which alone from brutsh kinde of beastes we differ must The dark and dim vncertayne Moone Opinion may be named But what doth reason byd me write â–ª that many creatures framed Aliue there are that we can not by senses vnderstand For if that God should not haue made wych hye and glorious hand More noble creatures than the state of fading mortall kinde He had not then deserued such prayse as is to hym assinde Unperfect eke had bene hys raine for vnderneth the kinde Of man the wilde and saluage beastes consyst of brutishe minde To sleepe and feede addicted all and if he had not framed No better things than here we see the worlde might well be named A folde of filthy feeding flocks with thornes and donge set out What should we then this God account a mighty heardman stoute But he created man besydes now sure a goodly thing Was this hys best is thys the power of that Almighty king But let vs trye if thys be true if we may credite giue It is not good nor reason wyll that we shall thys beleue For what is man a foolishe beast a creature full of spight And wretched farre aboue the reast if we shall iudge vpright Who is not of hys nature nought the way to vice is wyde Wherin the feete of mortall men continually doth siyde No warning lawe no payne nor feare can cause them for to staye Againe the path of vertue is a straight and painefull way Wherin but fewe doe vse to walke and them you must constraine Who is wyse the woman or the childe or all the Coblers trayne The most alas are foolish doltes in darkenes blinde we tread And fonde affection beares the sway by which we all are lead For none at all or fewe there be whom he that guides the skye Hath chosen to himselfe alone thys reason ruled by For who can now beholde or how may leysure we obtaine Wherby we might searche out y e trouth that secrete doth remaine Cares pulles vs back the greatest part of lyfe in slepe doth wast The rest doth payne or sycknesse let or pouertie doth taste And stouthfulnesse sometime doth hurt and pleasure oft annoy Hereof springs fooles wysedome eke by this we not enioy For she with great continuall toyle and study long is got And doth require a quiet minde that troubles hinder not The troubles of the state of man if I remember well Among my bookes the syrt I think before doth plainely tell Of mischiefe griefe and foolishenesse alas this is the place And darksome denne of Hell wherein all liue in wretched case But yet the grosse and common sorte doe neuer waye this thing But in the middest of all their toyle the foolyshe knaues doe sing And gaping laffe doe not perceiue their owne calamitie But are when paine doth plague them sore as ioconde as a Pye And sodainely doth all forget so that some sweetenesse fall Hereby doth come forgetfulnesse that ryds them cleane from all For nature wyse and prouident our state did well fore see In giuing vs so slender wyâ— for our commoditie For if that wysedome were in vs what man coulde beare the stryfe The cares and tedious troubling toâ—â—es of thys our wretched lyfe For sadnesse ioyned with carke carâ— thys wysedome in doth bring And nature seemes to Foster man with hope of hopelesse thing Without
there hath rule all fixed continually As voide of place and safe from harme they all doe seeme to be There are the causes of eache thing and springes of all we see The worlde that senses may perceiue from thys same worlde doth spring And semeth here a figure sure and shaddowe of that thing All things more perfect there and all things whole appere We haue but portions of the same which are encreased here By natures fault and great deffect so heartes a number be For vertue one aboue creates the hearts that here we see By hir the subtill Foxe is framde by hir the Lyons liue And so of all the other beastes that thys our worlde doth giue Which seeme in number diuers sortes but all are one in kinde That from these powers at first to come are euery one assinde None otherwyse than Carpenters in Cities great of name Eche one applying well hys worke doe diuers matters frame Wherfore this world doth stād of parts the other doth consyst Of al and liuing by themselues of distance as they list But some haue thought y t euery Starre a worlde we well may cal The earth they count a darkned starre wheras the least of all The God doth raine that vnderneath the clowdes hath placed his chaire That fosters all the creatures here in seas in earth and ayre A Lorde of shadowes and the guide of shapes that liuely bee To whom is delt the charge of things and rule of all to see Which for bicause they doe not last but passe with tyme away Doe scarse deserue the name of ought but shadowes that decay The same is Pluto as I iudge of whome the Poets olde Do often syng and say that he the King dome black doth holde For vnderneath the cloudes is night aboue are al things cleare Where light doth last for euermore and brightnesse styll appeare To him as to the worst of all thalmighty Lord dyd giue The vtleft raigne the rest more good in better starres to liue But yet is no man sure of this for who doth know so wel Gods mysteries who hath bene there and turnde agayne to tell No state of man is such our minde doth faynt in things so hie The Owle cannot beholde the Sunne wyth pure and perfect eye Eche one presuming of his wyt inuenteth matters newe But Poets specially to whome most confidence is dewe For they may by autority of any matters write Wyth Bacchus rage they moued be and wyth Apolloes sprite Though nothing is that doth forbyd the mad man truth to say Sibylla vsed to tell the trouth in madnesse as she lay Let this suffise my promisse kept to proue that numbers be Of creatures farre excelling vs which no mans eyes can see Yet do they liue and reason vse and as some wyse men say Such are our soules departed once that neuer shal decay So Plato so Pythagoras and so Plotinus thought And so haue many Poets erst in pleasaunt verses wrought Therefore it semeth labour worth a thing most mete to tel Of this for to entreat at large for what doth more excel Than throughly man to know himselfe for children vnderstand Where of the Body doth consyst euen earth of flyme and sand But harde it is so plaine to knowe the nature of the minde Wherfore presuming on my Muse with all the force I finde Bestowing all my wits thereon I will attempt to knowe The perfect nature of the same and plaine in verses shewe That done forsaking Libra soone Scorpius thy crooked sygne I entre wyll and destenie thy fatall force define If destiny doe not depriue our Port of hys wyll And for bycause in doubtfull things to bring the greater styll The methode and the order best is plainely to begin With such as are assured most so wyll I doe herein For if the fyrst beginnings here shall seeme obscure in syght The sequele shall vncertaine seeme and in the worser plight If slender the foundation be in small tyme and space We shall beholde the buildings fayle that we thereon doe place The effects more plaine and manifest than causes seeme to be At them therfore we wyll begin and all things open see With mouing nowe for euery thing that lyfe remayneth in Doth moue alone first sygne of lyfe therfore we will begin For of it selfe the bodyes restes and members rottes away The cause perhaps that moues is heate or bloud that beares the sway But things aliue are often styll when as they list to rest Though heate bloud in them abound therfore appereth best That wyll is cause of mouing here yet sometimes they desyre To moue and cannot stirre therefore doth mouing both require The one commaunds the other works for wyll can nothing doe If power doe lack But how commes it that men moue to and froe Bicause minde teaching wil seeth good and mouing straight doth turne To that it sees as Fyrre is drawn by that which makes it burne Lyke as the yron from his place the Lodestone vpwarde drawes And as the Aumber lyfteth vp the lyttle slender strawes The worlde in such a wondrous sorte the Almighty Lorde did frame That many things doe well agree as ioyned in the same And many things doe disagree and kepe continuall fight Wherby some men haue surely thought that strife and frendeship might Be iustly calde beginnings chiefe by which are all things wrought Thus good first moued by which y e mind to motion quickly brought Doth moue the partes pricketh forth the body here and there But yet ws think suffiseth not one good to all things here Nor one desyre to all alyke so thys some that estemes And euery one retaines hys ioy as best to nature seemes The Childe we see desyres the thyngs that aged men forsake For as the bodyes seeme to be so minde and wyll doe take Wherfore we sometime couet thys and sometime long for that And that which late we did esteme we now doe seeme to hate Bicause our chaunging body is disposed diuerslye And drawes the nature of the minde the way that it doth wrye Hereof comes thyrst and hunger sharp and lust to Ladyes lappes The body many things doe change as age or tyme or happes As also meate and drinke sometymes and ayre doth chaunge it quite And Starres doth alteration make as learned men doe write Wherfore nothing in syght alone but state of body here Doth cause vs diuers thyngs to wyll and moues it doth appere But some by reason rather ledde doe walke as she doth shew And onely are by vertue drawne but such are very fewe For fleshly fonde affections here the minde doe ouer runne None otherwyse than mistes doe darke the cleare and shining Sunne Lo this the cause why body moues the mouing force of minde Whom moued wil doth stil commaund obayes as is assinde And in the partes that quyet are if nothing them doe let Is poured out and causeth them now here now there to iet But why should labour weary them whereof
impute eche thing to destenye And iudge that force of fatall lawes the world is ordred by And that wyth one continual course as pageants shewes to minde Al things do moue and euery man hath here his parte assinde That he must play tyl al be done a question to be sought Right profitable fayre and hard not to be left vntaught Now fyrst therefore let vs declare that nothing here can be Wythout a cause and that the cause must of necessity Much differ from the effect synce that nothing it self doth breede No thing can of it selfe be cause nor of it selfe proceede Then infinite shall causes growe not so but yet there ought Some fyrst to be from which the rest of causes must be brought Which from the hiest must descend vnto the basest state This order then of causes we cal Destenie or Fate Which God as once predestining that all things should be so Determinde hath by his decree for euermore to go But as eche cause doth nerest come vnto the causer fyrst So all the rest it doth excel and moues and rules the worst The fyrst beginning is a cause and no effect the same The lowest state is but effect no cause we can it name The meanes that are betwene these two may names of both retayne For if of causes were no knot nor order styll to rayne If th one of thother shoulde not hang as if from heauens hye A Chayne to deepest part of Hell should hang and lincked lye Which is to vyle to be rehearsed beginnings more than one Shall seeme to be and causes fyrst must many spring thereon Then shal they stryue amōgst thēselues and often fiercely fyght So many heads for one alone doth rule require of right So neyther world should here be one nor beautifull should seeme For ordre is the beauty chiefe that we in things esteeme But some perchaunce wyl say from one beginning fyrst of all Togyther many causes seue ▪ red downward often fall As sundry sort of glistering beames the Sunne doth from him sende With certaine difference seuered of which doth not depende The one of the others force but eache from selfe same head doe fall So needes no strife nor let bycause one way they walke not all Thys order is not very yll nor much mislyketh me This sentence may be fortune true but let vs thorowly see All blindenesse from our minde expelde for minde of man cannot Attaine to lyght of trouth so sone nor in such easy sort But oftentimes doth vse to erre and hereof doth aryse Such sectes such contrary sawes he proues and he denies As reason proper is to Gods opinion is to vs No certaintie hath mortall man the trouth for to discusse Therfore if many causes be that from the fyrst doe flowe If eche of them in perfectnesse be like I seke to know No order there shal then appeare for where no chiefe doth guide No difference nor diuersity seene no order can be spyde In euery thing thou mayst perceyue a first a mydst and last No kind of thing is here that is wythout an order cast But if they al do not alike this perfectnesse auowe God hath some thing vnperfect made this can not I allowe Wherefore one perfect good effect allowe the causer fyrst The rest haue more vnperfecter as they themselues are worst For commonly most store of fruite the naughtiest tree doth bring But worst as yll than good and sowre than sweete doth ryfer spring For as eche cause is more of power and of estate more hye So more of lyfe and reason hath this purest substance nye The cause agayne of weaker force and of a baser kinde Lesse lyfe and reason doth possesse and substance lesse doth fynde As well vpon the earth appears wher al things do endure But little space where reason is scarce where no estate is pure But all of many things consistes al things on earth that bene Compounded are and myxt so that no substaunce can be sene Nor here she is esteemde a whit the honour doth remayne To such as hir do here enioy and such as hir retayne In darke some caues she hidden lyes and hereby do we fynde That fortunes goods are more estemde than vertues of the minde For substance vertue may be calde but in this worlde exilde This substaunce liues hir coūtrey fayre hir seate and mansion milde The heauens are where as she hath hir faythfull frendes of trust Goodnesse truth By this meanes tho the world is framed iust Of causes as before is sayde preieruing euery thing with during bond this chaine but God may none in peeces bring Nor force nor space of tyme it breake Of causes such is sponne What is to come what present is and what hath earst bene donne To al the which theyr force and strēgth thalmighty king aboue with certain boundes time appointes by certayne meanes to moue And needefull is it to be knowen how many causes runne To gather oft when any thing by force of them is donne Nor rashely is thys meeting made and causes mixed so But by appointed destenyes all things doe passe and go Thalmighty worke man of the worlde hath all things vndercast Assured lawes and measure delt to all the things he past Therefore it is not true that some affyrme and dare defende That nothing certayne can be founde that chance doth all things sende And God regards not mortall state But they themselues deceaue And are beguiled much to whom thys sentence here doth cleaue For truely chance is nothing else but vaine opinion blinde Not diffring much frō shapes syghtes that in our sleepes we fynde Whatsoeuer Aristotel sayth or any of them all I passe not for synce from the truth they many times doe fall Oft prudent graue and famous men in errors chance to slyde And many wittes wyth them deceiue when they themselues go wyde Examples only serue so much must errors folowed bee Let no man iudge me arrogant for reason ruleth mee She faithfull guide of wysemen is let him that seekes to fynde The trouth loue hir and followe hir with all hys might and minde And that there is no chaunce at all thys reason strong and stayde Makes me beleue for if that all as earst before is sayde By causes fixed in certaine guise and certayne time doe moue As God commaundes for perfectnesse and for the worldes behoue Least hurtfull error should destroy so fayre a worke as it what kind of place shall chaūce possesse or seate finde out to syt In doubtfulnesse and altering state surmounting farre away Both Protheus and Vertumnus to in changing theyr aray As voide so nature chance denies Uncertaine nought doth lye Within thys worlde but certaine all as nature God and skye And elaments and what of them so euer framde we see Or hath in tyme before bene wrought or euermore shall be But if that ought vncertaine were then should the minde diuine Not all things here knowe certainely but from the trouth decline
obey For destny is the wyl of God where wyth the prudent wight Agrees and doth as it commaundes The fond and naughty sprite On the other part abhorres his lawes and shunnes the Lordes decrees But thou wylt say then is he free not rulde by destenies No but two worser lordes he serues and such as vilest be As wickednesse and folishnesse his syster in degree Though this the wyll of God doth cause but that which doth permit And not the wil that doth commaunde for of two sortes is it whereby appeares that al thyngs are subiect to desteny whether they be of good estate or of a vile degree For mischiefe desteny permits and good by force doth send And God him self cōmaūds frō whome doth desteny descend wyth reasous like persuaded some to this effect do say O mortal men liue ioyfully while that you haue a day And doleful cares from heart expel ne trouble once your thought wyth things that present here you see or after shall be wrought By fyxed law shall all things fall and passe by order sure Wherefore should griefe or foolish feare to sadnesse you procure Eche man hath here his lot assinde which written secretely Wythin his breast he alwayes beares yet nothing knowes thereby But profe thereof doth come to light vpon the fatall day When as experience doth reueale that erst in secret lay what nedeth sobs or wayling teares for back can neuer runne Celestial sawes nor nothing chaunge that God hath wrought or done For order best and perfect course if it should altred be It shuld be worse which may not chāce or better in degree But nothing of more perfect state than perfect can be found A doubt both great and maruellous doth spring vpon this ground For if al things as late I sayd are vnder Destenie Why frowneth God on some and lookes on others graciously why is not fortune like to al why seeth some happier dayes Than other do and nature why seemes she to some alwayes A stepdame sharpe and vnto some agayne a mother dere This knot it semeth good that we should breake asunder here By fault and by desert of vs a number thinke that this Doth chaunce and by decree of God such as haue done amysse For to be plagued and vertuous men good Fortune to receue But this by no meanes can be true nor I do it belene For what haue brutish beastes deserued what fault in trees can be Yet fortune vnto euery beast doth shew diuersity The theefe doth some conuey some dye vpon the Butchars knyfe Some wolues or sycknesse frost or flud some age depriues of lyfe Some leade their life more pleasantly and some wyth greater payne And vnto euery kynde of tree hys fortune doth remaine The east wynde cracks a sonder thys and rootes doth vpwarde turne Some sort are cut for diuers things and some in fiers burne And lyghtning spoyles an other sort To euery fishe and beast A certaine fortune is assynde by destenies beheast Yet neyther tree nor beast can synne And oftentymes besyde Misfortunes great the good man doth and vertuous man abyde On the other part to naughty men doth fortune fauour showe And graunts them eke in worldly welth and honors hye to flowe Thus destnye lookes not on desertes therfore some other way Or cause we must attempt to finde Perhaps some man wyll say The wyll of God is cause of all and seekes none other where Thys doth not yet suffise we must go syft the truth more nere For God synce he is wyse and best will not the thing permit That reason lackes but chiefest things commaunds as seemes most fyt Wherfore we must say otherwyse eche cause of causes all As from the fyrst it farther is so more vnlyke doth fall Syth God therfore is alwayes pure and euer one shal be The last of causes that from him is farthest in degre Shall double be and diuers seeme and worke shall alwayes frame In sundry sortes and altring state and this is euen the same That rules the earth and euery thing that earth doth here containe Therfore nothing on earth is seene that certaine is or plaine Syth fortune hir vnsted fast wheele doth turne in sundry sort And mortall men wyth diuers chaunce to guide hath chiefest sport But yet why smyles she so on some and frownes on other sort Why giues she some a lyfe wyth cares and some a princely port The cause of this is harde to knowe as if we should require To know the cause of raging heate we feele in flaming fyre Or wherfore worwood bitter is why snowe doth shewe so white wherfore some herbs haue force to hurt and others healing might And why some trees beare sūdry branch why in such shape they growe Or why some beasts haue subtile sense and some are dull and slowe Wherfore y e strawes doth Amber draw why Loadstone lyfteth hye The yron peece why it can not doe so the Diamonde nye Such things hath God in secrete shut and vnto mortall braine Appointed boundes the which to passe mans wyt doth striue in vaine As if the potter doe deuide in sundry partes his clay And it departed thus abrode to sundry purpose lay Why rather he of thys than that a pot or dishe doth bake Or bason broade Of thys a Crock of that a pytcher make Doth reason moue hint thus to doe or reason none at all But only wyll as he thinks best so frames he great and small T ys harde to know y e workmans mind Euen so who seekes to knowe Why fortune some exalteth hye and bringeth others lowe A thing to hye he reacheth at for God hath giuen powre Of earth to hir and of the world hath made hir gouernour That what she lyst shee may perfourme the force of desteny Excepted still for euery thing is gouerned therby why should not she doe what she lyst what law should hir restraine Ought seruants lawes for to appoint their Lordes for to constraine we all hir seruants truely are whyle we enioy this lyght And must in euery thing obey the pleasure of the spright Yet of our soules she hath no powre whose roote in heauen standes Thys onely God exempted hath from out thys tyrants handes All other things in earth or seas as she shall best deuise God suffers frely to be done both good and ill likewyse But some wyll say God then is cause of euery euill act And so vniust may well be calde for he that doth the fact And he that suffers it to passe doe both one fault commit And both lyke punnishement to haue the law adiudgeth fit Wherefore if God such illes on earth doth suffer for to raine And when he well may them forbydde yet doth not them restraine He shall be thought the cause of ill and mischiefe to embrace Thys part I also aunswere shall if God doe graunt me grace First therfore with attentiue minde it must be noted well That causes some be base and small and some againe excell In
worthinesse before the rest as in a battayle mayne Lieuetenants are and Captaines stout the rest of common traine These causes chiefe aboue the rest in wondrous sort assignes Thalmighty Lord that guides aboue the Starres the starry sygnes Who lyues in euerlasting lyght aboue the Heauens hye That at hys beck doth cause to turne the motions of the skye To euery cause assigning force and whereto they shall tende With certaine boundes encloseth them the which may none transcende And synce he wysely all things made of force it followe must That euery thyng continuallye keepe course and order iust For things that once are rightly framed and fault doe none receaue Ought not in tract of any times their wonted course to leaue The order thus of euery thing can neuer altred be Bicause thalmighty Lorde hath made all things in iuste degre If then the sprite that guides the earth be naught or worke amisse It is bicause the basest cause and farthest of is this From causer fyrst and lyght remoued a large and ample space And therefore vnto darknesse blynde the nerer hath hys place And onely shadowe shewes of truth which God doth so permit Bicause the state of all the world and order asketh it For as the daye determinde is by darknesse of the night And things contrary ended are by force of others might So sort and course of causes good as reason doth require In vyle and wicked cause must ende and fynally expyre which wycked kingdomes gouerne shal and mischiefes vile shall guide Hence discorde euermore proceedes wyth brawles and minde to chide Strong battailes frayes false diseyt with fyres and slaughters great Theftes wyles with nede robberies and plagues with raging heate Great earthquakes stormes tempests great of sycknesses such store So great a sort of perilles vile and daungers euermore And finally what harmes to hap in any place we knowe From thys so wretched cause Prince of all the earth doth flowe Full truely earst alas did say the famous Hermes wyse This world a heape of harms doth seme where euery mischiefe lyes Bicause the diuell that on earth the chiefest stroke doth smite Is mischieuous and euermore in cruelty doth delight For as the first of causes is the spring of all good things So is the last the fountayne chiefe from whence all mischiefe springs Wherefore if lecherours on earth beare al the rule and sway If Asses sxt in seate as Kings in pompe of proud aray If charge of sheepe commytted is to wolues of rauening kinde If Harâ—ots in the Churches dwel and men of monstrous minde If that the holy rytes of Christ the hands vnpure doth fyle If Heauen and purging place Sir John doth sell wyth greedy guile More if vnpunnished such crimes are styll before our eyes The fault not in thalmighty Lord but in this Diuell lies Whome fortune commonly we name and Pluto oft we call But vnto him an apter name Sarcotheus fyt doth fall For vnto him the power of flesh and guiding is assinde Him serues all such as loue them selues â—o much wyth fleshly minde Of him the bodies are therefore in synne they alwayes driue And to the soules as enimies contrary styl do stryue For of the heauens commes the soule and from the starry Skyes But earthly are the bodies here and heauens do despyse This same Sarcotheus thoe that guydes the lowest partes of all Such holy men as do despise the â—oyes â—errestrâ—all To vertue bent and Godly life he hates and styl pursues And vexeth grieueth them molests as commonly doth vse The naughty Prince and cruel King alwayes for to oppresse The wysest men and such as do ercell in vertuousnesse For vertue of the wicked men is euermore enuied Al things their enimies hate and feare and shunne from them asyde Therefore the Diuel many harmes prouâ—deth for the meeke And them whose mindes do mouÌ„t aloft and hearts do heauen seke Ne would he haue his malice seene for if he should be knowne Al men would him detest as head from whom al ylles haue flowne And bloudy butcher of our kinde him al should iustly hate And cursing cal him cruel beast deceyuer of our state Therefore he craftely lies hydde and from the wyse man flies Least he be knowne ne feares he Moles but leapes from Linceus eyes So theues do vse and wicked men alwayes the light to flye And in the darkest tyme reioyce that none their mischiefe spye Hereof it commes as often as men feele aduersity Al ignorant wyth blindnesse and of minde oppressed be For ignorance is causer chiefe of errors al that fal Thinking with anger and complaynt the guyde of goodnesse al Doth vex theÌ„ so they straightway curse his hâ—e and holy name The wicked Diuel daunceth then and grinneth at the same And ioyes to see himself vnknowne and mischiefe close to lye And that he thus hath power to hurt and no man could it spye A foe vnto â—halmighty God he is and ennimy By whome from heauen tumbled down in chaynes he here doth lye Enclosde betwene the earth and Mone and there he holdes his rayne Wherfore O wretched mortal men at length apply your brayne To know the cause of al your griefes from whence such ylles do flowe And heauy harmful things do hay your butcher learne to know For this Sarcotheus this is he that plagues you in such sorte That of your harmes greuous grefes doth make his chiefest sport None otherwise than Mars his child great realmes in thraldome brought Wyth death of wretâ—hed men or beastes a pleaâ—ant pastyme sought The Noble men the Gentlemen the commons all syt styll In diuers roomes assigned them as Othaâ—s lawes doth wyll Then enters in before them all the cutters for to fyght Or else some other yeldes hys lymmes to beastes thereon to byte The Lion or the Tiger stout or else some fierâ—â—r kinde Should at this play present himselfe to please the peoples minde Wyth death mangled much w t wound from whence the bloud doth flow Oft vnto some of others smart a great delight doth grow Wherefore they do most wickedly that rayling thus do brawle And dare blaspheme thalmighty Lorde the cause of goodnesse all From whome as from himself no yll can any tyme proceede Except contingently as Sunne doth darcknesse euer breede As oft as vnder earth it slydes and absent fyre we see Encreaseth colde yet cloud in Sunne nor colde in Fyre can be Wherfore I maruel much that some whose Learning is not smal Do say that he offended is or wrathful him do cal And that he plagueth vs as oft as we do him offend That milde and Lord of mercies is that goodnesse al doth send And that from him doth warres begin wyth plague and famine sore If that our deedes could him offend what thing vnhappier more Than he in al the world were found â–ª for euery day and houre We crimes commit and blasphemies out of our mouthes we poure Then surely should he neuer ioy nor
greatest number is who doth not playnly know Dame nature ioyes in making Fooles as she doth oft to sowe Both Nettles Docks filthy Weedes dul wyt and doltysh brayne These Idiotes haue they seeke not for the ioyes of soule to gayne And only of their lyfe and panch lyke beastes their God they make These doltysh Fooles by thousaÌ„d wyles the crafty sort do take And many false and wicked things to do they them persuade And wyth their language as they lyst do trayne them to their trade For Fooles do quickly credit giue as children also wyll But sonest to vice opinions worst in them appeareth styll To whome is also worser minde here of it doth aryse That Foles beleue these crafty Knaues before the Godly wyse For councel naught these Foxes gyue and teach from truth to slyde And vnderneath a paynted cote the fylthy vice they hyde But though by many meanes they do â–ª these foresayd doltes beguyle Of superstition yet there is a playne and easy wyle Wel knowen to al the worlds of olde the which this subtile kinde Doth chiefly vse for to the church of God themselues they binde And holy rytes they minister Then cause they sore to feare The blockish heartes of Idiotes and them they threaten there Except wyth giftes they please y e saincts except they do appease Wyth Golde the wrath of God for syn and purchase their release Which strayght these Prelats chast receiue wherwith they fat and feede The Harlots and their Curtisans and Mules to serue at neede For who doth not the lyfe of Priestes both note and well beholde And how they do poore Fooles deceiue yet scape they vncontrolde Such is the suffrance now of Kings that onely do apply Their mindes to pastyme belly cheare and filthy lechery These things the Gods do aye permitte that little seeme to wey What hands do deale their sacraments what hearts do them obey What honours here on earth they haue or else what blasphemy But now to Fooles I come agayne whome when in seate on hie Hath Fortune placde for hir delight O Lord what number great Of Follies shalt thou then beholde to long it were to treate Then vertue made a iesting stock and placde aloft is vice Then daunces fonde and bankettings and playes are had in price Then flock of Parasites and whores in euery place are seene Then filthy fond delight alone doth guide the soyle as Queene For as the Prince is commonly so do the subiects lyue And to the lyke behauiours aye themselues they alwayes gyue Not onely pleasure vnto Fooles of kindred we do fynde But anger oftentymes doth match hir self wyth Folish mynde For Fooles are easely moued to wrath and desprate enterprise As oft as fury slames wythin and choller vp doth rise Then wicked loue of weapon springs and bloudy broyles thereby That many corses gyue to death ful colde in graue to lye A naughty kinde of men are these and much to be auoyded The last the lyttle fynger is wherwyth the eares are scratched And therfore calde the earefynger where mad men placed syt That lack the vse of reason right and that haue lost their wyt Whose fury if it neuer ceasse more fyt for them to dye It were and from so great disease by meanes of death to flye Of good men thus two only kyndes there are and neuer more The rest are alwayes naught and yll auoyd them wel therefore Or if thou canst not them auoyd beware yet at the least Thou mouest them not y e coÌ„mon sorte a fierce and cruel beast Do alwayes rage and hurtful be When thus Timalph had taught May not quoth I these Foles wolues to good estate be brought May vice by no meanes be expeld or if there be a way Disclose to me Then on thys sorte Timalphes gan to say As nature in mannes body doth diseases diuers breede So many Sicknesses to the mynde from hir do like proceede And trauayle lyke to both hath dealt Loe how she man doth loue Yet many succours hath she set for mortall mannes behoue Which if she had not done to sore and cruell had she bene Therfore y e same that helpt hath har 〈…〉 and as to harme she is seene So had she skyl to heale agayne that iustly you may doubt A naturall Mother hir to cal or else a stepdame stout But now let vs the bodies griefes and medcins for the same Passe ouer quite in many bookes declarde of auncient fame And of the minde as much as neede shal presently require Let vs here speake to teach more plaine the thing thou didst desire And first as nature so disposing it the rude and countrey fielde â—â—le Nettels weedes brembels sharp continually doth yelde Except it oftentimes be tilde and eke wyth labour sore The hurtful wedes with plough rakes be causde to grow no more Nor this enough it needeful is good seedes therein to cast And dayly for to husbande it till daunger all be past Euen so the minde whilst it is bounde wythin the body here Is ouergrowen wyth Bryars sharp and wylde it doth appere Except it ayded be wyth helpe of one that tilleth well And aptly vertues therein plantes and vices doth expell But what is husbandry of minde perhaps thou sekest to know Its wysedome wisdome that I meane that manners good doth showe That makes men vertuous for to be and playne doth teach the way To mortal men of liuing right and leauing for to stray Persuading them to leade their liues in perfect Godly state And righte ousnesse to exercise and sinnes to shunne and hate This only is the wisdome true and not that other kinde Wherto Physitians and vayne clerkes do still apply their minde Attempting causes hydde of things to bring abrode to light And for to searche the secrete celles of nature day and night Materiam primam and Vacuum and thousande monsters more with blustring countnaÌ„ce belching out that they might seeme therfore Well learnde and stuffed full theyr purse with coyne may strayne O goodly wisedoÌ„e whose learned youth doe eyther gape for gaine Or swell with vaine ambition but none amongst them thoe Doth vertuouser from thence or better manerde goe No teacher of the minde is thys nor wysedome hir we call But rather knowledge hath to name if that she doe not fall From doubtful pathes of men deceiude who thys hath learned than No witt but knowledge gaines by it and of a cunning man Perchance he beares the name but not of wyss and prudent wyght These two doe differ farre in state and workes in diuers plight From wisedome springes y e fruit of life from knowledge the floure doth ryse The one doth profite ayde and helpe the other beautifies The one respectes the inwarde things the other outwarde shine The one makes vertuous men good the other learned and fyne Thus wysedome onely decks the minde which manners God doth showe As I haue sayde destroyeth vice and vertue there doth sowe And waters it
thing doth vayner showe Or what may more be laughed at than honor to pursue All vndeserued and to despyse the cause of honor true We see yll men vnlearned and fonde in place aloft to stay And guide such as doe them excell whom they should rather obay For spitefull fortune stâ—ll doth sport 〈◊〉 mortall mans estate And out of order all confoundes as she doth lyke or hate Oft tymes exaiting to the starres the stouthfull seruile kinde Deseruing fetters for to weare or in the mille to grinde But if she were of good estate she would the world commit Of wyse men to be guided here as meete it is and fyt Then all things should in order passe and lawes in strength should stande And holy Sacraments be delt by Godly Prelates hande And God would then contented be to she we himselfe in syght But harebrainde Fortune alwaies doth in counter faites delight Yet thys thalmighty Lorde permittes Who could it well correct And why should not we suffer it For vnto what effect Is it the truth with reason strong to maintaine and defende Preuayling not but get thereby displeasure in the ende For wysedome is coÌ„temnde harmde with which no force doth raine Whom no authoritie supportes nor honour doth maintaine Therfore it is better not to speake despyse thou in thy minde The foolishe common peoples prayse and gyftes of Fortune blinde Applye thy selfe to please the Lorde wyth deedes of vertuous kynde And after death true honor thou and true renoume shalt finde That for the iust and Godly men prepared is in skyes Wheras the milde and lowly hearts doe ioy in ioyfull wyse But proude men wofully doe wayle in smothring fiery smokes Now last of all restraine thy wrath for anger rage prouokes And rage doth cause vnsemely wordes of naughty wordes doth spring Both brawles frayes of frayes comes wouÌ„ds wouÌ„ds do slaughter bring Anger doth so confounde the minde that dronke when bloud doth frye It knowes not what to doe and voide of iudgement runnes awrye Sraight griefe shame ensues y e deedes done vnaduisedly Shunne thys guide minde winne thy selfe with bearing manfully A goodly vertue pacience is which who so is without Must needes of force lacke honestie with cruell minde and stout Still vsyng for to braule and â—â—ght Frayes fittest are for beastes And quiet peace is farre more meete to dwell in mortall breastes The wyse vertuous man sekes peace all other things before And suffers things of smaller waight for feare of mischiefe more And well takes heede least that the cole that yet but kindling lyes Wyth fiery force of flashing flame aloft at length aryse Who naught can beare let him absent himselfe from company And leade hys lyfe alone in woods or else on mountaines hye And he that dwelles in company let him learne much to beare And to restrayne with brydle sharpe the wrath that him doe steare Dissembling closely wyth himselfe his anger that doth spring And neuer breake the bondes of peace for euery tristing thing Forgiuing stull the faultes of those that hym offended haue That he may so forgiuenesse get as he to others gaue Thus much of trayning of the minde I thought it good to touche Which doth suffyse to these I coulde haue added more by much But he that doth obserue these fewe shall neuer want the rest But easely all them obtaine that are not here exprest They all contayned priuily and closde in these doelye But yet it nedefull is the whyle the wysemens bookes to applye And causes for to searche of things and to adorne the minde With diuers arâ—es for voyde therof it is both dull and blinde And thus as hath bene sayde before those â—ooles and foxes well May vertuous be and frame theÌ„selues in seate of blysse to dwell These thigs while as my guide declarde in presens Mercury The poste of Gods and Atlas Sonne sent downe from Ioue stoode by And willde Tâ—malphes in hast the heauens to ascende For all the saints quoth he are willds on Ioue for to attende And Momus there appointed hath of wayghty affayres to treate If certaine Monks that placed are vpon the hauty seate That harde besyde the citie standes where passing by the walles To Venize goolfe the fyshie streames of Ariminum fall Oflyuing shall depriued be or else those partes forsake That contrey women vse to cut when they theyr Capons make Since that they are to coltishe waxt and beare their heddes to hye Despisyng men and filthy factes commit licenciously Example taking of their Prior fye fye to great a shame And can the Church abyde to see such Porkettes as these same That only liue to serue their paunch their lust and sleepy sense Which heard in hast Aretes sonne departing straight from thence Did me commyt to Mercury who going downe to Hell The speciall message of hys Lord vnto the fiende to tell Me fast embracing in his armes did through the cloudes conuay To ground what time as Clement Pope in campe with Caesar lay Within the walles of Bononye and Florenze City fayre With mighty force did long besiege Thus cutting swift the ayre With wyngs at length came Mercury to rockes that ragged lye Of S. Marinus hauty hylles that seeme to touch the Skye From thence in small descent he set me in thy fieldes so gay Verruculus and then to Hell in haste he takes his way Capricornus the tenth Booke AL haile to thee good Mercury from Stygian lake so soone things Art thou returnde declare what in Plutoes court are doone Great brawles raging mad vprodes what is the cause or why I wyll thee tell although in haffe I must to heauen flye So great a sort of Turkes and Jewes and Christians there remaine That place therein suffiseth not the number to contayne No empty rome there is but all ful thwact as they may he The Porches full and ful the Hall and full the courtes I see The Temples houses and the Streates the Walles and Market rowe And al the City fieldes and hylles and wooddy valleyes lowe So full that crowding thick they thrust and shoue wyth diuelish might With fyst and heele and tuske tooth in cruel sort they fight For of no weapon haue they skill nor sprites can euer dye Scarce could I passe the place vnto whereas the fiend doth lye But through y e mydst of swarming soules wyth force I make my way And wyth this rod to get me roome amongst them fast I lay At length the priuy chaumber of the black and vggly sprite I come vnto whom there I fynde in sad and doleful plight And when to him I had declarde my fathers full decree Commanding him that Antechrist should strayght vnlosed be From out the pyt and sent abrode to euery place and land That working wonders strange false and teaching that at hand The dreadful day of iudgement is and cude of all the rest May al thing out of order bring both Gods and man and beast As fixed
do moue in no such rate No more doth Moone nor Mercury nor Venus pleasaunt Starre But moue in little Circles that to them annexed are Why sparckles not Saturne and Ioue and Mars as doth the Sunne Syth farther far from vs in Spheares aloft more hye they runne Nor differ they in difference great from fixed Starres aboue Bycause they do not as the Sunne about their Centers moue But in these Epicycles rolle their bodyes rounde about Some man perchaunte if so the Sunne doth sparckle standes in doubt But if he shall the same beholde when first it doth appeare Or when in Winter time it falles and settes in waters cleare When as his eye may beste endure his syght thereon to cast He shall perceyue it playne to turne and eke to sparkle fast Let no man thinke this thing to be so greate and strange to minde If all the gorgeous Starres do moue in such a sorte and kinde Seemes it not farre more wonderfull that Heauens compasse wide Wyth such a motion swift about the world doth alwayes glyde That Byrdes and windes lightnings flash in swiftnesse it doth passe Thus now th' almighty Lord by whom the world created was All things he made deuided in these two mouing and rest But in the Center rest vpon the earth hir place possest In all the others motion dwelles The streames do swiftly flye The ayre and fyry flames on earth do moue continually But chiefly in the firmament hath mouing greatest spright And euery Spheare the higher it is doth moue wyth greater might And swiftlier runnes about the world Wherefore that Heauen hie That called is the mouer fyrst with motion most doth flie But that the greatest motion is that in the time most small Doth soonest runne his course about the greatest space of all Thus would it runne about the worlde in twinckling of an eye But that the other Spheares do let that vnder him do lye Restrayning it of course so swifte least that in turning round The Seas with it it should conuay and all the earthy ground For then no kinde of creature coulde leade here his life in them O matter to be wondred at who is not mazed when He wayeth with himselfe in minde so great a quantitie So farre to passe in so short time and backe agayne to flye And neuer for to ceasse this course and labour none to feele Hereby do some beleue that Gods the worlde about do wheele Of them to euery Circle is a mouer strong assignde Who like as they that are condemned in bakehouse for to grinde May neuer ceasse from turning round the Skies both day and night Nor though he would can once haue time to rest his wery spright Now surely happy is that God that serueth in the same But these are toyes and fansies fond of such as seeke for fame What store of fonde Foolosophers and such as hunte for prayse The earth brings forth it is not good to credit all he sayes Though great his estimation be in mouthes of many men Though many Keames of Paper he hath scribled with his pen. For famous men do oftentimes make great and famous lies And often men do mysse the truth though they be neuer so wise Therefore must reason first be sought for in such doubtfull things More credit reason ought to haue than mennes ymaginings For such are often proued false What thing doth reason say That Skies or Starres are moued of Gods or of their proper i way What honour great what kinde of ioy what pleasure can there be Unto these Gods that turne about the Skies continually That they for life of foolish man may needefull things prouide And that the Birdes and sauage beasts and Fyshes they may guide Becoms it Lordes in such a sorte their seruants here to serue And Gods for euer to be thrall that they may beastes preserue That they may foster Foles Knaues is it not rather meete For Gods to enioy their liberty and pleasaunt freedome sweete That they may wher they list go walk least as in fetters tyed They can not passe from place to place but styll at home abyde Or as the potters plying styll the wheele and lumpe of clay Can haue no time of quiet rest nor steppe from place away Seemes it so sweete asporte to them the compasse round to moue Or can this laboure neuer grieue the Gods that syt aboue O sentence worthy to be markde of graue and witty men But reason bars them this and cryes contrary quite to them For nothing is eternall here but only God alone And after him continuall be the Natures euerychone Of things that he of nothing made But yet by sure decree That otherwise they cannot shewe than they appoynted be By him when first he framd the world so styll continuall shall The waters soft the ster hote the earth a sted fast ball So shal the ayre for euer moue so of necessity The circles of the Heanens round shal turne continually So force and fashion euery herbe deliured doth retayne And euery tree and euery beast that neuer time can stayne As long as vnremouing state of nature doth endure As long as chaungeth not the wyll of GOD diuine and pure Wherefore if thus continuall be the course of Heauens bright It must be naturall as shewes in wayghty things and light For what of nature propre is doth neuer feele decay But if another moue the same in time it falles away For no such state of violence doth last continually Haue heauy things light more force than state of Starres and Skie That they can moue of propre strength and these can not do so Except of Gods they caused be about in course to go Then is the earth and fier farre more noble than the Skie At least for this bycause they neede no helpe of mouer by But of themselues from Center they or can to Center flie Wherefore we must beleue that these celestiall states aboue Of proper force and of their formes as fyer and earth do moue For nature is of greater might than mouer any one This nature onely God excelles and him except alone No better thing than nature is nor in the worlde more hie I nature call the fixed law of him that guides the Skie Which frō the worldes foundation first to all things he assured And wyllde that it should stand in force while age of worlde endured For this same lawe hath God vnto the formes of things assignde That when from thence do things procede formes wel fulfil Gods minde He can they once this order breake for of their formes do spring Such things as he commaunded hath who framde eche formed thing This true and proper nature is of higher state agayne Then matter or forme as some haue taught for certainly these twayne Are rather springs of eury thing or causes first aboue Or framers first not nature sure if truest names we loue Except we haue a better wyll false names to giue such things But of this same
the rauening hauke to keepe And madde in feeding dogges horse hys liuing doth decaye Or he that seekes for hye estate that quickly fades awaye An Owle that in the roufe doth fit a mate of Fortunes playe Or is it hee that vpon God hath heart and fansie set And which he worships as a God by all meanes seekes to get Beleue mee they that earthly things doe couet to obtaine The things that in the heauens are regarde not for to gaine No man can well two maisters serue for who so ioyes in white It followe must that he detestes the black and grisley sight Who so delightes in light of Sunne him darknesse heauie makes And he that sweetenesse loues in bitter things no pleasure takes Who so approcheth to the earth must needes the heauens flye And where as loue of earth remaines no man can loue the skye But fewe alas and all to fewe these earthly things despise And able are with wings of minde to mount vnto the skyes Wherfore bicause it is so harde to this doe I agree But great rewardes makes greatest paynes both easie and light to be what greater thing can be obtaynde than here with Gods to walke And to beholde them with our eyes and thus with them to talke This is chiefest Jewell sure for which we ought to beare Eache kinde of trauaile toile and griefe with good and pleasant cheare The Cat would gladly milke receiue but feete she wyll not wet The way to vertue sure is harde yet shall th'vnslouthfull get Both vertue and honour vertues price the souldiour good obâ—aynes A due rewarde whereas no prayse the slouthfull cowarde gaynes Therefore we must apply our selues with all our force and might That these so glorious states aboue in vs may haue delight Then euery thing we shal be sure here prosperously to haue Both whilst we liue vpon the earth and when we are layde in graue why doe we thus estéeme the earth that sone we shall forsake O blinded fooles of fading ioyes we more account doe make Than of the goods that alwayes lastes what madnesse is this same Nowe last remaynes that prayers oâ—â— with humble minde he frame That séekes the sight of Gods to haue which once for to require Suffiseth not but oftentimes we must and much desire Tyll at the length in space of time we get the victorie And as our minde desireth most obtayne the Gods to see One stroke doth not cut downe y e Oke of olde and auncient yeares Nor yet the stone by falling of one drop of water weares Nor Rome was builded in a day eche creature grayne and tree In time spring vp and in great space of yeares encreased bee And thinkst thou such a woÌ„drons thing and of estate so hie Can with so little paynes be done and wrought immediatly So easly can we nâ—t the sight of earthly Kings obtayne Nor come to tell our tales to them and heare them talke agayne Thinkst thou that Gods 〈◊〉 better are than Kings that here we see Wherfore then should they come except they oft desired bee Except we them as we doe Lordes in humble sort desire Wherfore we must on euery daye them oftentimes require That they vouchsafe themselues sometime to shewe to vs in sight And with their talke the secrete things to bring abrode to lyght This if we doe beleue mee well at length they will appere And with their presence will vs blesse in wretched carcasse here And shortly bring vs to the skyes an ende of all our strife whereas the perfectest pleasure is and eke the happyest lyfe Then shall we passe and come before the maker great of skyes And haue the Prince of all the worlde in viewe of these our eyes Than which no better state can be nor more renouned thing who is of goodnesse and bewtye all the fountaine hedde and spring But many think it can not be that vnto any here On earth the sacred sprites aboue should talke or thus appere And think that I but trifles tell to these I pardone gyue For nature hath not delt lyke wyt to all that here doe liue Some still doe ponder in their minde the Heauenly ioyes aboue And alwayes think of hauty things some meane things only loue And haue no pleasure much to rayse themselues from earthly place And thousandes on the grounde doe lye nor thence wyll ryse an ase But earthly ioy doe only minde sure in none other wise Than certayne byrdes that in the ayre aloâ—t most hylye flye Where many keepe the midst thereof and mount not very hye The reast frequent the lowest partes and nere the earth doe flye Wherfore it is no wonder great if what I here declare The common people not beleue whose mindes most brutishe are Yet true it is that I haue tolde for how should any one Liue on the mountaines colde dwell in wildernesse alone And willing leade so harde a lyfe sure perishe should he staight Except some God him comforting should ease him of this waight Beleue me he that liues alone auoiding companye Is eyther mad or more than man doth talke with Gods on hye In this sort liued the Prophets olde as it apperes by fame And many after Christ whom men did holy Fathers name And in this present age of ours full many may we finde That leade their life speÌ„d their yeares in this same sort and kinde These men when they do wisely speake and reason fayre and well And wonders great doe bring to passe and things to come foretell Wilt thou esteeme as mad or fonde or to be wayed lyght Or rather wilt thou iudge they be inspirde with holy sprite Bestdes the holy Church affyrmes that earst haue many béene That sacred shapes of blessed ghostes full oftentimes haue seene Why should not I beleue sith that the Church doth tell it mee Therfore it is no fable fonde but doth wyth truth agree That men may come to speake w t God and them in presence see Which I suppose the chiefest good and finall ende to be Of all good things that vnto maâ— may any wayes aryse While as of thys hys present lyfe the troublous seas he tryes And when escaped from mortall chaine the soule hath passage straight Conueying with hir selfe these three that alwayes on hir wayte The minde the sense and mouing force vnto the heauens hye Shall ioyfull go and there remaine in blisse perpetuallye And dwelling there with Gods a God shall it created be O Heauen great O house of Gods of fayrest dignitie How pure arte thou how wonderfull with Maiestie deuine How garnishte rounde about w t starres dost thou most brightly shine Thou palayce well replenished with euery sweete delight For if the earth habounds with things so fayre and good to sight The earth a place for man and beastes the vylest part of all what shold we think of thee wher dwels the Gods celestiall The Lordes and happy kings of all O would to God that when My dolefull threeds the Systers three had fully finisht then It thyther were my hap to come my Carcasse cast in graue And euermore such wondrous ioyes before my eyes to haue And now by grace of God I haue of Zodtake finisht here Twelue starry sâ—gnes which nuÌ„ber doth in these my bookes appere A labour great with study long and tedious trauaile pende Yet finisht now and closed vp with last and finall ende What thanks shall I thee gyue O Lord and Prince of euery lande That hast me willde so fayre and great attemptê to take in hande And giuen me mind and might therto the prayse is onely thine If any fayre or goodly thing in these my bookes doth shine For euery fayre and goodly thing from thee doth first descend Thou wert the fyrst beginning of this worke and finall ende My minde and hand were gouernde by thy Maiestie deuine To thee I onely giue the thanks the honour all is thine But yet if any due desert on these my paynes attende I thee beseeche O Lorde that when my lyfe is at an ende This life that night by night I spend in dreames of vanitie And when the day retornes still vext with griefe and myserie Thou wylt vouchsafe in wyping out my sinnes to pardone mée Whatsoeuer I haue done alasse with mist of minde opprest And suffer thys my soule with thée in Heauens hye to rest And thou my booke in this meane while thorow â–ª andry cities run Assured vnder cankred clawes of enuie great to come For Carpers and Correctors thou shalt finde in euery place Whose mouthes with téeth enuenomed shall tearing thée deface Nor some shall surelywatin ng be which when they nothing can Doe worthy prayse wyll yet reioyce to rayle at euery man And finding fault at others works will purchase foolyshe fame Shunne y u such enuiâ—us whelps as these and mouthes that thus defame And searche for good and learned men which though but fewe they bée Yet happy mayst thou dwell with few for fewe of best degrée Hath God created here on earth to such go reuerently And all that we haue done laye thou before the vertuous eye which if they lyke it doth suffise and what the rest doth saye Regarde not thou but clownishe words with laughter passe awaye The iudgement of the common sorte is grosse and eke their minde Is wondrous weake and foolishe things delights the foolishe kinde All men the meate doe most desire that them doth best delight Eache pleasure is not acceptable to euery kinde of sprite But good and learned men the things of good and godly sense Giue eare vnto and reade and marke the same with diligence This is the foode that them doth féede and comfort of their minde And if foreshâ—wing doe not lye vnto this vertuous kinde Thou shalt be heartyly welcomed and with a smiling looke Of them thou shalt perused bée Go therfore blessed booke Abyde along and happy tyme and when the ghastly graue Encompast rounde about with earth my carcasse colde shall haue Through euery countrey thou aliue and realmes of sundry fame Go passe and séeke in euery place to blase abrode my name FINIS Non nobis Domine sed nomini tuo ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Rafe Newberye dwelling in Fleete streate