Maister G. R. THe curtesies yée haue to me profest The bounty great that doth from you procéed Woulde make me déeme that day to be most blest In which I might stand you in any stéede When if I flinch cry on me open shame And where you come doe bafful my good name If yée doe muse that I but now begin For to expresse that heart hath long concealde Assure your selfe my secrete thought within So pricke me foorth it néedes must be reuealde And eke desire doth bid me let you know The loyall zeale and duety that Iowe As I confesse there is not in me ought To answeare that my Velle would fulfill So make account right farre hée must be sought That doth surmount or passe me in goodwill Which as in wordes I haue geuen out to some My déedes shal try if once occasion come A crew there are whose nature is to gloze And vaunt in words when heart thinks nothing lesse Assure your selfe that I am none of those But will performe what here I doe professe If that I shrink when you haue cause to rid me Doe cast me off and vtterly denie me Of fortunes giftes since slender is my part Take here in signe of happy yéere at hand These ragged lines true herauldes of my heart By which yée may my meaning vnderstand Their maister hath geuen them in charge to tel When he would worst y ◠hée doth wish you wel A Translation out of French O Heauenly God all beastes that doe remayne And nourisht are with foode that thou doest send Within the wooddes the mountaynes and the playne Thy holy hest and lawes doe not offende The scudding fish that swimmes amidst the Sea The pretie birdes that play them in the ayre Sunne moone and starres ech thing doth thée obey And at thy voyce doe tremble all for feare But man alas yea man whom thou doest make More perfect farre then all things els that liue Man whom thou wouldst thy proper shape to take To whom for guyde thou reason eke didst geue And wit and sense for to discerne aright What thing to take what likewise to refuse He he vile wretch and most vnthankefull wight Thy maiesty and honour doth abuse A Complaint of a Sinner O Lord most deare w t many a teare lamenting lamēting I fall before thy face And for ech crime done ere this time repenting repenting Most humbly call for grace Through wanton will I must confesse Thy precepts still I doe transgresse The world with his vayne pleasure Be witcht my senses so That I could find no leasure My vices to forgoe I graunt I haue through my deserte Deserud great plagues and bitter smart But yet swéet God doe stay thy rod forgeue me forgeue me Which doe thine ayde implore O cease thine ire I thée desire beléeue me beleue me I will so sinne no more But still shall pray thy holy name In the right way my steppes to frame So shall I not displease thee Which art my Lord of might My heart and tongue shall prayse thée Most humbly day and night I will delight continually Thy name to lawde and magnify With sighes sobs my heart it throbs remembring remembring The fraylty of my youth I ran a race deuoyd of grace not rendring not rendring Due reuerence to thy truth Such care I cast on earthly toyes That nought I past for heauenly ioyes But now it me repenteth My heart doeth bléede for woe Which inwardly lamenteth That euer it sinned so With many a sigh and many a grone O Lord to thée I make my mone Though furious fires of fond desires allure me allure me From thée so wander wyde Let pitifull eyes and moystened eyes procure thée procure thée To be my Lorde and guyde As Scripture sayth thou doest not craue A sinners death but wouldest him saue That sinfull wretch am I O Lorde Which would repent and liue With ceaslesse plaints I cry Lorde Thy pardon to me geue O Lord for thy swéete Iesu sake Doe not shut vp thy mercie gate Mercy mercy mercy graunt me I pray thée I pray thée Graunt mercy louing Lorde Let not the Diuel which meanes me euill betray me betray mee Protect me with thy worde So shall my heart find swéete reliefe Which now féeles smart and bitter griefe O Lord I doe request thée To guyde my steppes so well That when death shall arest me My soule with thée may dwell In heauen aboue where Angels sing Continuall prayse to thée theyr king A Dumpe THE pangues the priuie mones The inward secrete smarte The griefes the heauie grones That vexe my dolefull heart So plundge my life in paines And reaue mée of all ioy That death is onely meanes To ridde me from anoy I graunt that vitall breath preserueth life in me Yet liue I so that death more welcome farre should be No wight was euer so perplexed with despite I liue to tast ech woe and die to all delight Although by outward looks some déeme me void of thought Lookes are no certayne bookes but beare false titles oft For sundry times I iest when ioy alas is small And laugh amongst the rest yet haue no lust at all Loe thus in secret strife my lingring dayes are led I die yet am aliue I liue as being dead The more I beare it out as if I felt no yll The greater griefes no doubt doe grow within me still The thing which doth amate and most anoy my mind Is that my hard estate no remedy can finde As one that loathes to liue and daily calles for death These lines to thée I geue in witnesse of my fayth A Dumpe by his friende G. C. MY heauy heart in dolours drownde Consumes and pines away And for me wreth nought can be found To cause my cares decay Yée eyes of mine helpe to bewayle Powre foorth your brinish teares To rue alas his wretched state In whom no ioy appeares How should I wretch take any rest How can my heart féele ioy When as the wight that loues mée best Lyes plundged in annoy Whereto serue teares but to bewayle The losse of such a friend Wéepe eies alas wéepe on your fill And neuer make an end His troubled state if to redresse The spending of my blood Or that small pelfe that I possesse Could doe him any good Then should your eies somtimes permit Mée silly wretch to sléepe But out alas it may not bée Wherefore cease not to wéepe Such inward griefe doth mée assayle Through thought of his estate That if I long of succour fayle All helpe will come too late O sacred Ioue to cure these woes Vse thou some spéedie meanes Or els alas with some short death Dispatch mée of these paines For his friend LAte being new fangled so fancie did moue I was fast entangled in nets of blinde loue Good friends doe beléeue me I chose out a trull Which daily doth giue me a shrewd crow to pull Fauour with her felowes raisde coales of desire Bewtie was the bellowes that
not rather rome abroad To séeke some pleasaunt sporte Then to be pend in study fast Like souldier in a forte To hawke to hunt to carde to dice To sing to daunce to play And can there bée more pleasaunt meanes To driue away the day To tosse the buckler and the blade Lewd women to entice Are not these vertues most estéemde And had in greatest price To lend ech man a firiendly looke And vse the glosers arte In outward shew to beare good will And hate him with our heart Are not such men as flatter best In euery coast estéemde Is not Tom teltroath euery where A busie cockscombe déeme It is a world to sée the sotte To haue a checke hée knowes And yet the noddy neuer linnes Mens vices to disclose Hée euer telles men of their faultes Such is his rude behauiour When hée by speaking nought at all Might purchase greater fauour Who countes it not a wisemans parte To runne with hare and hound To say and vnsay with one breath So winning may bée found Wherefore reioyce set cocâ—e on hoope Let nothing make thée sad Bée mery héere when thou art dead No mirth can then bée had Thus wanton will would euery day Still whisper in mine eare And wit which could not then be heard Was fled I know not where Who tries the hazard of the seas By sturdy tempest tost If that a drunkard guide their ship Are they not quickly lost How like I pray you is hée then Toâ— suffer shipwracke still VVhose wit and wisdome gouernde is By his vnruly will This Pilot vile in mée long time Did maisters roome supply Till good Aduice did tell mée plaine I ranne my course awry Hée spyed a time to breake his minde When Will was gone apart And thus to mée he did vnfolde The secretes of his heart O Man for whome Christ on the crosse His precious blood did spill What dost thou meane in mundane toyes To spend thy time so ill Dost thou not thinke that God hath eies To sée thy vile abuse What shew of reason canst thou bring Thy rashnes to excuse Did Christ sustaine must bitter death All sinneâ—â— to redâ—eme And wilt thou wallow still in lust And not his lawes estéeme If he by death and no meanes els Mens sinfull soules could saue Doest thou then thinke by wanton life Eternall ioyes to haue Too too too much thou art deceaude If so thou doe beléeue That he to haue men liue in vice Himselfe to death would geue With vpright eye peruse his lawes And thou shalt cléerely sée Into what sinkes of deadly sinne Thy will hath carried thée Thine eyes doe sée thine eares doe heare Thy senses all doe serue thée Yet canst thou neyther heare nor sée Such thinges as should preserue thée In earthly toyes thou canst discerne That which may best auayle thée But in such thing as touch thy soule Thy eyesight still doeth fayle thée O what a madnesse moues thy minde Thou séest and hast thy senses Yet wilt thou blindly wallow still In filth of vile â—ffences It better were for one to be Of sight depriued cléere Then sée to sinne and not sée that Which chiefly should be séenâ— Take héede therefore at length repent Its better late then neuer For Christ the Cockle from the corne At haruest will disseuer At day of doome the good and bad Shall not alike remayne The good shall taste vncessant ioyes The bad eternall payne Doste thinke that such as tospotlike Set all at sixe and seuen Are in a ready way to bring Their sinfull soules to heauen And those that in great Princes Courtes Doe Ruffian like behaue them Doste déeme that they thereby procure A ready meane to saue them To sweare to stare to bib bowse To flatter glose and lye Is this tell me the stedfast fayth That men are saued by If white be blacke if night be day If true pretence bée treason If fire be colde if senselesse things Fulfill the rule of reason Then may the pleasures of this worlde Be cause of our saluation For otherwise thou must confesse They further our damnation Take héede therefore and warned thus Let not the worlde beguile thée Ne let the lustes of lawlesse flesh With sinfull déedes defile thée Let wilfull will be banisht cleane With all his wanton toyes Which filles thy head with vayne delightes In stéede of stedfast ioyes Note well my wordes still serue the Lorde Repent and sinne no more Christ hath for true repentaunt heartes Great mercie still in store When good aduice had tolde this tale Prostrate I downe did fall And humbly holding vp my handes Thus on the Lorde did call OMighty God which for vs men Didst suffer on the Crosse The payneful pangues of bitter death To saue our soules from losse I yéeld thée héere most hearty thankes In that thou doest vouchsaue Of me most vile and sinfull wretch So great regard to haue Alas none euer had more cause To magnifie thy name Then I to whom thy mercies shewde Doe witnesse well the same So many brunts of fretting foes Who euer could withstand If thou hadst not protected me with thy most holy hand A thousand times in shamefull sort My sinfull life had ended If by thy gratious goodnesse Lorde I had not byn defended In stinking pooles of filthy vice So déepely was I drownde That none there was but thée alone To set my foote on ground Whenas the fiend had led my soule Euen to the gates of hell Thou caldst mée backe and doest me choose In heauen with thée to dwell Let furies now fret on their fill Let Sathan rage and rore As long as thou art on my side What néede I care for more MY Prayer sayde me thought I felt Such quiet in my mynde As shipmen after tempest past In wished harbour finde My wil woulde then no more presume To rule in reasons place For good aduice would bée at hand His doyngs to disgrace Who tolde me playne that wanton will Did alwayes serue the Diuell And was his busiest instrument To stirre vp men to euill Although the gallant be so braue And sell such pleasures here They that best cheape doe buy the same Shall find it all too déere Yet they that woulde aduenture there The Diuell and all may gayne With euery inch of pleasant ioyes He selles ten Elles of payne If that thou wisely wilt foresée Such winnings to eschew Ere beggery take thée by the backe Doe byd the Court adew Hencefoorth exile vile wanton will Which is thy chéefest foe Goe get thée home liue to thy selfe And let all courting goe Experience now should make thée know What vice in court doth rayne And tract of time shoulde teach thée shunne Her pleasures mixt with payne Though some may dayly there be séene That follow vertue still Which honour God obey their Prince And flie from dooyng ill Yet sure of them the greatest parte Are carried so away With vayne delightes that they ne thinke Nor mynde their soules decay O that
vice doe to thy lot befall From thée they came doe take them to thee all To thée O earth agayne I do restore My carrion corpes which from thée did procéede Because it did neglect all godly lore Let gréedy wormes vpon it alwayes féede Let it in filth consume and rot away And so remaine vntil the iudgement day But my poore soule whō Christ most déerly bought Which hated sinne and loathed to offend Together with ech good and godly thought Into thy handes swéete Iesu I commend O sauiour Christ doe guide my steppes so well That after death she stil with thée may dwell A Complaynt of a Louer IF euer wofull wight had cause to pipe in bitter smart I which am thrall to Cupids lawes with him may beare a part Whose ioyful dayes alas are gone whom daily cares doe tosse But wote yée why I thus take on my lucke is turnde to losse Erecruell loue my heart possest no cares did vexe my head But since he harboured in my brest my golden dayes are fled Time was when fortune did allow great gladnesse to my share But ah for that time is not now doth grow my cause of care Time was when I liude in delight and reapt of ioyes my fill But now time is workes me despite would waste had tarried still No hap so hard no griefe so great whereof I féele not part Now shiuering colde now flaming heate anoyes my wofull heart So that hope is the onely stay on which my life dependes Which if it once be tane away my date of liuing ends God graunt my hope such hap may sée that good successe ensue Which if it long prolonged be through griefe I die adiew For his friende I That in fréedome liued of late And neuer stoupt to Cupids lure Haue now made change of my estate And thousand torments doe endure As late abrode I cast my lookes In fancies lune I fast was cought And beauty with her bayted hookes Hath me alas in bondage brought I loue but lacke the thing I craue I liue but want my chiefest good I hope but hap I cannot haue I serue but starue for want of foode Then so to loue what state more yll Such life affoordes small time of ioy Such wauering hope doth often kill To serue and starue what worse anoy Yet wil I loue whiles life doth last And liue whiles any hope remaines And hope when dismal dayes are past To haue reward for all my paynes Loe thus I liue by hope sustaynd Yet through dispayre die euery houre In sorow glad in pleasure painde Now fed with swéete now choakt with sowre Deare Dame in humble sort I sew Since mine estate to you is known Voutsafe my dolefull case to rew And saue his life who is your owne Somewhat made of nothing at a Gentlewomans request YE gladly would haue me to make you some toy And yet will not tel me wherof I should write The strangenes of this doth bréed me anoy And makes me to séeke what things to endite If I should write rashly what comes in my braine It might be such matter as likes you not best And rather I would great sorow sustayne Then not to fulfill your lawfull request Two dangers most doubtful oppresse me alike Ne am I resolued to which I might yéelde Wherfore by perforce I am foretd to séeke This slender deuice to serue for my shield Since nothing yée geue me to busie my brayne Nothing but your nothing of me can yée craue Wherfore now receiue your nothing agayne Of nothing but nothing what els would yée haue Of the instability of Fortune WHo wisely waies false fortunes fickle change Which in short space turnes loue to mortal hate Shall find smal cause to déem it wondrous strange To fléete from happie life to worse estate For whie her swéete is alwaies mixt with sowre If now shée fawne she frownes within an houre Her smiles are wyles to cause men hope for hap Her traynes bréede paynes though pleasant be the show Him whom shée now doth dandle in her lap Straightway sustaines a wretched ouer throw And whom thou séest at foote of whéele downe cast Within short space shée hoyseth vp as fast The raging Seas which dayly ebbes and flowes The wauering winds which blow now here now there More constant are then fortunes flattering vowes Who in one hoode a double face doth beare To trust her lookes when shée doth fleere or laugh Is nothing els but trust a broken staffe Pollicrates as auncient writers tell On Fortunes whéele most highly was aduaunste And many a yéere shée fauourd him so well That no ill hap long time vnto him chaunst Yet in the end to shew her double wayes With hemping roape shée causde him end his dayes If thou wilt shun all sorow and distresse By fortunes threates doe set but litle store If thine affayres haue euer good successe Yéeld hearty thankes to God thy Lorde therefore If great annoyes doe fall vpon thée fast Thinke them due plagues for some offences past By prayer then make leuell with the Lorde Repentant hearts haue mercie when they call Loue him with feare delight to reade his worde So great good haps vnto thée will befall So shalt thou leade thy life without annoyes And after death possesse eternal ioyes Of the vanitie of this life I Reade in Poets faigned bookes That wise Vlysses wandring came Where Circes through her fawning lookes Did worke his men a spightfull shame She causde them quaffe great bowles of wine And presently they turnde to swine But hée which followed vertue still Refusde to taste this proffered charme And would not worke her beastly will As one that doubted farther harme Her witchcraftes and enchantmentes straunge Were not of force this man to chaunge The world with his alluring toyes Is Circes witch of whome they write Which temptes vs with her sugred ioyes And makes vs swimme in such delight That wée so play with pleasures ball As if there were no God at all If man would way what enemies Are alwayes prest him to deuoure Mée thinkes from sinne hée should arise And make defence with all his power For why the world the flesh and deuill Doe neuer cease to worke vs euill These so bewitch our foolish braines That nought wée force eternall paine And euery one in sinne remaines As if hell were a fable vaine Alas wée are seduced so That all true heartes do bléede for woe The shéepe doth yéerely yéelde his fléese The plodding Oxe the plow doth draw And euery thing in willing wise Kéepes and obayes dame Natures law But man in witte which should excell Against his Lord doth still rebell Ech doth deferre from day to day And thinkes the morow to amend But death arestes vs by the way And sodainly some makes their end O wretched case that they bée in Which die and not lament their sinne Thou silly man still feare the Lord Thy former sinnes with spéede forsake The iudgement day in minde record In which ech
soule account must make Confesse thy faultes to God therefore Repent amend and sinne no more Of the vanitie of the world AS I lay musing in my bed A heape of fancies came in head Which greatly did molest mée Such sundry thoughtes of ioy and paine Did méete within my pondring braine That nothing could I rest mée Sometimes I felt excèeding ioy Sometimes the torment of annoy Euen now I laugh euen now I wéepe Euen now a slumber made mee sléepe Thus did I with thoughtes of straunge deuice Lye musing alone in pensiue wise I knew not what meanes might health procure Nor finish the toyle I did indure And still I lay and found no way That best could make my cares decay Reuoluing these thinges in my minde Of wretched world the fancies blinde Alone a while I ponder Which when I had perused well And saw no vertue there to dwell It made mée greatly wonder Is this that goodly thing thought I That all men loue so earnestly Is this the fruit that it doth yéelde Whereby wée all are so beguilde Ah Iesus how then my heart did rue Because I had folowed them as true Alas wée haue lost the heauenly ioyes And haue béene deceaued with worldly toyes Whose fancies vaine will bréede vs paine If Christ doe not restore againe O wretched man leaue off therefore In worldly thinges put trust no more Which yéeldes no thing but sorow To God thy Lord with spéede conuert Because thou most vncertain art If thou shalt liue too morow Leaue of to quaffe to daunce and play Remember still the iudgement day Repent relent and call for grace For pardon aske whilst thou hast space Who doeth from his heart repentaunce craue Forgiuenes saieth Christ of mée shall haue Hée will not the death of a sinner giue But rather hée should repent and liue Stil laud the Lord peruse his word And let thy déedes with it accord A Lesson for all estates HAst thou desire thy golden dayes to spend In blisfull state exempt from all annoyes So liue as if death how thy life should end Still treade the pathes that leade to perfect ioy Bee slow to sinne but spéedie to aske grace How are they blest that thus runne out their race Ech night ere sléepe shut vp thy drowsie eyes Thinke thou how much in day thou hast transgrest And pardon craue of God in any wise To doe that's good and to forsake the rest Sinne thus shake of the â—â—end for enuie wéepes Sound are our ioyes most quiet are our sléepes Haue not thy head so cloyd with worldly cares As to neglect that thou shouldst chiefly minde But beare an eye to Sathans wilâ— snares Who to beguile a thousand shiftes will finde Vaine are the ioyes that wretched world allowes Who trust them most doe trust but rotten bowes Shunne filthy vice persist in doing well For doing well doth godly life procure And godly life makes vs with Christ to dwell In endlesse â—lisse that euer shall endure Wée pray thée Lord our follyes to redresse That wée thus doe thus liue this blisse possesse A Dreame IN pleasaunt moneth of gladsome May I walkt abroad to view The fieldes which nature had bedeckt With flowers of sundry hew The sight whereof did recreate My senses in such sort As passeth far beyond my power Thereof to make reporte Then sat I néere a pleasaunt wood And listened with desire Vnto the small birdes chirping charme Which set my heart on fire Of Goldefinch and of Nightingale I there might heare the voyce The Wren the Robin and the thrush Did make a heauenly noyse Whose swéete melodious harmonie My senses so bereâ—t That I in this delightfull plot A pray to sléepe was left In slumber mine an auncient dame Before my face appeares Whose hollow chéekes and wrinckled face Did argue many yéeres Her vesture was as white as snow Her countenaunce very sad It semed by her watry eine Some inward griefe shée had For why great streames of trickling teares Distilled downe her chéekes And thus to mée with trembling voyce This aged beldam speakes My friende quoth shée bée not dismayde At this my sodaine sight Ne let the spéeches I shall vse Thy fearefull minde afright I am not of the furies broode Ne damned sprites of hell But hée through whome my being is Aboue the skies doth dwell And Lady Concord I am calde From forraine Realmes exilde Once mutual Loue my husband was And plentie was our childe But ah quod shée a hagge of hell That long hath sought their spoyle Hath slaine them both vnlesse they dwell Within your english soyle Héerewith there yssued from her eine Of teares abundant store And sighes so stopt her féeble voyce That shée could speake no more The sight wherof mée thought did rayse Great dolours in my breast Yet praying her for to procéede She thus her minde exprest Vile Couetousnesse that furie fell Hath wrought vs all this woe To Concord and to Mutuall Loue Shée is a deadly foe Time was when wée were well estéemde And calde ech countries stay But Couetousnesse now rules the roast And beareth all the sway And were it not that in this land I finde some small reliefe I had béene dead long ere this time Through greatnesse of my gréefe Debate and rancour night and day On this vile Dame attend Whom shée to worke her beastly will About the world doth send These two haue raysde such warre and strife In partes beyond the Seas That now few nations in the earth Enioy their woonted peace Now gold is reuerenced as a God Eche hunts for priuat gayne Men care not how their soules shall spéede So wealth they may attaine Of conscience now few make account Him men estéeme most wise Which to beguile his neighbour poore Can craftiest meanes deuise This sayd mée thought the auncient dame Did vanish straight away And I awaking héere withall Went home without delay Where taking paper penne and inke With spéede I there enrolde The circumstaunce of all the tale That Concord to mée tolde Which makes me wish that euery one Would mutuall loue imbrace And that no spots of couetousnesse With sinne their déedes deface A Dreame LAyd in my quiet bed to rest When sléepe my senses all had drownd Such dreames arose within my breast As did with feare my minde confound Mée thought I wandred in a wood Which was as darke as pitte of hell In midst whereof such waters stoode That where to passe I could not tell The Lion Tiger Woolfe and Beare There thundered forth such hideous cries As made huge Eccoes in the ayre And séemed almost to pearce the skies Long vext with care I there aboad And to get forth I wanted power At euery footesteppe that I troad I feard some beast would mée deuoure Abyding thus perplext with paine This case within my selfe I scand That humaine helpe was all in vaine Vnlesse the Lord with vs doe stand Then falling flatte vpon my face In humble sorte to God I prayde That in this
lye buryed in mucke and in sand My beard it is gray though not very old The strong I make wéepe nor for heate nor for cold Yet such is my state that the poore loue me well And stil I am forst with great men to dwell 7 From south and west commeth a straunge warlike nation Attiâ—de and apparelâ— in wonderfull fashion In garments milke white these people are clad Which strike and oppresse both good men and bad But fauour they shew in dealing their blowes And saue him from danger ech on his way goes And on his backe caryes dead bodyes great store Which with their thicke buffets had beate them before Great furies are kindled at end of the fray VVhich makes this straunge nation all vanish away 8 Long is it since first to the world I came Small am I of body poore féeble and lame Yet none in this world nor one neyther other In richesse and substaunce surpasseth my mother 8 Not long am I graunted this life to enioy So many there are that worke mée annoy O Lord how they rent mée it cannot bée told What torments I suffer in heat and in cold One while am I drowned such hap doth befal Then next doe they rost me yet this is not al. When thus they haue vsde me they cannot forbeare me Ere first being beaten by péecemeale they teare me Then serue I the turne of euery estate But one kinde of people mée deadly doth hate 9 Doe tell me my friends what creature is hée That two times is borne as all men may sée And liueth a space though not very long And often is killed not hauing done wrong VVhen y â— his breath fayleth it liueth no more It then is baptised and neuer before Though many a one doe euill entreate it They loue it right well and often doe eate it 10 A certain dead creature in mine armes I take With her back to my bosome great glée doth she make As thus I doe hold her she greatly doth chéere mée And wel are they pleased that sée me and heare mée Whilst erst it remayned in forest and field It silent remayning no speech forth did yéeld But since she of life by death was depriued With language shée speaketh mens sprites are reuiued 11 A father begat me yet I haue no mother Nor Uncle nor aunt nor sister nor brother Straight when I was born I began to florish For euery estate tooke care me to norish Thus many score yéeres they haue loued me full well And eke entertaind me amongst them to dwell All partes of the world I viewd in short space And still was bad welcome in euery place Though many by me reape losse care and woe They neuer will licence me from them to goe 12 Hard fortun doth haunt me by nature estranged From male into female I often am chaunged And where as before I liud well contented With prickings and punchings I now am tormented Now more to accomplish their gréedy desire They cruelly heate mee and scortch me with fire Though badly they vse mée so milde am I still That I yéelde them life that thus doe mée kill 13 Amongst the firiendships rare Of which old writers tell This may bée plaste in highest roome And doth deserue it well Whiles death with gasping throte Did gape for bloody pray Life conquered death and saude that life Which death did séeke to slay That life which did this déede As death would straight haue flaine That life which late by him was saude Preserude from death againe 14 Begot wi hout father in earth I remaine And oft I am turnd to my mother againe By night and by day I labour alwaies And with my sharp sauor both please displease Thus héere in this earth my race out I runne And neuer haue issue nor daughter nor sonne 15 A female I by name Am sister to a brother In all the world may not bée found Our like nor one nor other For hée no sooner dies But I straightwayes doe liue And I oft yéelding vnto death Still life to him doe giue Oft after him I hie And gladly would him stay But hée than arow from the bow More swiftly flyes away Straight wayes hée folowes me My presence to attaine And as hée fled from me before I flye from him againe Though straunge our state doth séeme By proofe yée may it try That both of vs are still aliue Yet both doe dayly die That yée may better know What straungers great wée bée Wee day and night doe dine and sup With men of ech degrée 16 Two are we in name though in substaunce but one First framed by arte then finisht with mone Before we are ready for those that will buy Through greatnesse of torment wée howle and wée Cry Yet féele we no griefe for all this anoy Great numbers by vs haue comfort and ioy Who when for their profits we haue done what wée may They then do reiect vs and cast vs away 17 Fayre art thou and â—â—d deseruing great praise And all men thée reuerence and honour alwayes Whiles that thy white banner abrode still is spread For then thou doest comfort both liuing and dead But if thy blacke banner bée spread foorth in vew All honour farewell all gladnesse adew Such woe then thou bringest to more and to lesse As pen cannot write it nor tongue may expresse 18. Of thée O my friend a thing I doe craue Which thou neuer hadst nor neuer shalt haue If that for thy selfe thou purpose to gayne it Thy labour is lost thou mayst not obtayne it Although thou shouldst liue a whole thousand yéere And séeke it yet shouldst thou be nothing the néere Now if thou doe loue me euen so as thou sayest Doe geue it For truely I know that thou mayst The solutions of the riddles 1 THe father the yéere the xii soÌ„nes y â— xii months the ix children the xxx dayes and xxx nights 2 A Ship 3 Amans minde 4 A footeball made of a bladder 5 An old man being in prison his daughter comming to visite him woulde geue him sucke of her breasts so nourish him 6 An Onion 7 Men trauellng in the snow are beaten with it and carry the dead bodies on their garments vntill they come to a fire which makes them vanish away 8 Hempe 9 A chicken being first an Egge then a chicken 10 A Lute 11 Play at all kinde of games 12 Wheat being the Newter GeÌ„der in Latin is turned into farinam meale which is the feminine which is then coÌ„nerted into bread so nourisheth them that bake it 13 A man coÌ„ming to a fouÌ„taine to drinke saw a serpent climbing vp on a trée to deuour a neast of young Egles which serpent hee slewe with his sworde and so saued their liues beeing about then to drink of the water the young birdes scraping out the filth of their nests fowled it in such sort that it letted him from drinking a spaniel that he had there with him tasting of it was presently poysoned 14 Salt 15 The night and day 16 A paire of sheares 17 A good tongue and a bad 18 A mayde béeing in loue with a young man desires him to geue her a husbande which in marriyng with her hée might doe
perils great at hand For to attayne his owne desired land Such is the state of vs thy seruantes all Most gratious God that here on earth do dwell We banisht were through Adams cursed fall From place of blisse euen to the pit of hell Our vice and sinnes as markes and signes wee haue Which still we beare and shal doe to our graue When that all hope of remedy was past For our redresse when nothing could be founde Thine onely sonne thou didst send downe at last To salue this sore and heale our deadly wound Yet did they please to vse him as a meane Vs banisht wights for to call home agayne And for because thy Godhead thought it méete The sacred booke of thy most holy wil Thou didst vs leaue a lanterne to our féete To light our steppes in this our voyage still Directing vs what to eschew or take All this thou doest for vs vile sinners sake Graunt vs sound fayth that we take stedfast holde On Christ his death which did our raunsome pay So shall we shun the daungers manifold Which would vs let and cause vs run astray The wicked world the flesh the Diuell and all Are stumbling blockes ech howre to make vs fall This Dungeon vile of Sathan is the nest A Denne of dole a sinke of deadly sinne Heauen is the hauen in which we hope to rest Death is the dore whereby we enter in Swéete Sauiour graunt that so wée liue to die That after death we liue eternally In the praise of Musike THe bookes of Ouids changed shapes A story strange doe tell How Orpheus to fetch his wife Made voyage vnto hell Who hauing past olde Charons boate Vnto a Pallace came Where dwelt the Prince of damned sprites Which Pluto had to name When Orpheus was once ariude Before the Regall throne He playde on Harpe and sang so swéete As moude them all to mone At sound of his melodious tunes The very soules did moorne Yxion with his whirling whéele stoode still and would not turne And Tantalus did not assay The fléeting floodes to taste The sisters with their hollow siues For water made no haste The gréedy Vulturs that are faynde On Titius heart to gnawe Left off to féede and stoode amasde When Orpheus they sawe And Sysyphus which roules the stone Agaynst a mighty hill Whyles that his musike did endure Gaue eare and sate him stil The furies eke which at no time Were séene to wéepe before Were moude to moane his heauy happâ— And shedde of teares greate store If muficke with her notes diuine So great remorce can moue I déeme that man bereft of wits which musike will not loue She with her siluer sounding tunes Reuiues mans dulled sprites Shée féedes the eare shée fils the heart With choice of rare delights Her sugred descant doth withdraw Thy minde from earthly toyes And makes thée féele within thy brest A tast of heauenly ioyes The Planets and Celestiall partes Swéete harmony containe Of which if creatures were depriud This world could not remayne It is no doubt the very déede Of golden melodie That neighbours doe together liue In loue and vnitie Where man and wife agrées in one Swéete musike doth abound But when such stringes begin to iarre Vnpleasant is the sound Amongst all sortes of harmony none doth so well accord As when we liue in perfect feare And fauour of the Lord. Who graunt vnto vs sinfull wightes Sufficient power and might According to his mercy great To tune this string aright A pleasaunt Iest SOmetimes in Fraunce it did so chaunce One that did seruice lacke A country clowne went vp and downe With fardell on his backe When that this swad long trauailde had Some seruice to require His fortune was as hée did passe A farmar did him hire When Aprill showres y â— brings May flowers Made spring time bud and sprout This country swaine for maisters gaine Did ride his fieldes about Now as he road in ground abroad In prime of pleasaunt spring Hard by their towne this country clowne Did heare two cuckoes sing One of them sat fast by a gate In their towne fielde which stoode In place néereby hée might discry The other in a wood These Cuckoes séemde as lobcocke déemde With enuie to contend Which of them twaine in playne song vaine The other could amend Thus sange they long their woonted song Their townefielde Cuckoes throate Was nothing cléer which chaungd the chéere Of farmers man God wote His horse hée ties and fast hée hies Vpon a trée to stand And made a noyse with Cuckoes voyce To get the vpper hand Hée thought not good hée of the wood Should beare away the prayse To make him yéeld to him of fielde Himselfe the Cuckoe playes Cuckoe quoth hée vpon the trée And cuckoe cuckoe sayde With cuckoe cuckoe cuck cuck cuckoe Long time these cuckoes playde As they thus stand from woodes at hand Two wolues for pray that sought By chaunce espyed the horse fast tyed That lobcocke thither brought To him they hye and presently In péeces did him teare Whereat amasde the lobcocke gazde And pist himselfe for feare When Wolues were gone comming downe anone Homewardes hée hide with spéede And there doth tell all that befell Of this vnluckie déede His maister swore being wroth therfore He would none other nay But that the flaue and foolish knaue The price of horse should pay But to procéede it was agréed The wiues that there did dwell The case should scan of this poore man If hée did ill or well It being séene hée did it in Defence of all the towne With one intent they gaue consent For to accquite the clowne They eke him gaue a garland braue Adornd with many a rose And great and small him captaine call Of Cuckoes where he goes Now in my minde hée were vnkinde That would wish any ill Vnto a wight in townships right That shewd so great goodwill A Newyeeres gift to a Gentlewoman IF pure goodwill not meaning ill might boldly might boldly Presume to tell his minde I wold not vse in terms diffuse thus coldly thus coldly To shew my selfe a friend But now adayes so sinne preuailes That fayth decaies and friendship fayles Most men are so infected with ielous musing braines That trust as one reiected forsaken cleane remaines And thinges are constred cleane awry When nought was meant but honestie Thus much I say as by the way reciting reciting What daunger may ensue Because that I suspiciously in writing in writing Doe send my minde to you Some will surmise that I pâ—etend By such deuice some naughtie end But let them speak and spare not I force it not a beane For al their talke I care not whilst guiltles I remaine Such as haue not transgrest the lawes Doe neuer feare to pleade their cause But now swéete heart it is my part to open to open The summe of mine intent I send this bil for pure goodwill in token in token That former yéere is spent It is in
first blew the fire Thus was I enflamed no reason was left me My senses were lamed my wits were bereft me In hope of some fauour I then fell awooing Such was her behauiour she sought my vndoing Small is my promotion most foolish what ment I To yéelde my deuotion to such a dame daintie Since loue first soiourned such ease doe I féele As Yxion turned about on the whéele Although by deseruing she ought to be mine With Tantalus staruing in griefe still I pine And through her controlling my rest is as ill As Sisiphus rolling the stone vp the hill Thus is my state chaunged déepe dolours do fill me My mirth is estraunged good death come and kil me Whiles I héere in moning the time out doe linger My griefe and my groning is falne in my finger My finger my finger my finger beléeue me Alas little finger ful sore thou dost grieue me Was euer a finger perplext in such taking I thinke my poore finger will neuer leaue aking The cause of my sadnes at length I coniecture Is loue with his madnes that bréedes this infecture I force not a pinne it forth now is gotten Yet whole is the skinne the flesh is not rotten I heard when it fel now féele I no euil Dame daintie farewell adew to the deuill A straunge Historie AYoungman once by chaunce that lost his way Through deserts wilde as on a time hée past Foure Lyons fierce that sought to gaine some pray With gasping throte hée saw make at him fast Who running swift to shunne this daunger great Espied a well small trées about it gréewe By which hée honge and in the same did leape Their ramping pawes and malice to eschew Thus as hée thought the perill to escape Hée did discry a mightie Dragon fell With open mouth most hidiously to gape Him to deuour in bottome of the well Then lifting vp his head hée looked out And might perceiue the Lions still remaine Which in such sort beset the well about That of escape all hoping was in vaine Thus as with death himselfe besiegde hée saw A chaunce befell which made him more dismayde Two beastes one white the other blacke did knaw The little twigges that him from falling stayde With daunger thus desette on euery side Hée in a hole behinde his backe did finde A honny pot which some man there did hide Now casting all his care out of his minde Hée with one hand the honny swéete did tast The other did from falling him sustaine Vntill the beastes had gnawne the twigs at last That downe hée fell and ruthfully was slaine This well the world doth truely represent In which wée liue in daunger euery houre By Lions foure the elements are meant VVhich dayly séeke all mankinde to deuoure The Dragon fell doth signifie our graue The twigges self loue the beasts the night and day The honny pot the great desire we haue To worldly ioyes euen to our soules decay Ech one therfore I earnestly aduise Héere in this world to vse themselues so well And spend their dayes in such a godly wise That after death their soules in heauen may dwell Farewell Court The Preface to a Treatise ensuing compyled by the Authour vpon a theme giuen by his approued friend and kinsman Maister A. D. I Haue according to my promise though slenderly compiled this simple discourse on the theme that yee gaue me which was your Farwel to the court which although it be nothing so well handled as by some experienced courtier it might haue beene done neuerthelesse it being considered that my education hath beene so far distant from the court that I neuer sawe the fashions of the court I hope that the priuiledge of a pardon may bee purchased for my excuse in this behalfe I haue heerein introduced Witte and Wil as two domestical counsellers alwayes attendant on a man marching in this vale of miserie The one giuing him trustie and wholsome admonitions how hee should here direct his life to the glory of God and his soules health The other with the flattering alluremets of the sinfull flesh enticeth him to the pursutes of the pleasures of this worlde in the end drouning him in the puddle of al abhomination to the vtter confusion both of body and soule Vnder the person of Wit is prefigured a man hauing a certaine carefull regarde of his calling which is once in a mans life instilled into the harts of those whome God hath sealed vp vnto saluation and causeth them cleane to cast away the vile and vaine vanities that the wicked world accounteth as precious and addict all their doings towards the attainement of lyfe euerlasting Vnder the person of Wil is picturde out how a man letting flippe the bridle of his affections is caryed from the precious paths of perfect felicitie to the ineuitable daungers of drowning Caribdis and so passing the sea of this world not stopping his eares with the waxe of vnderstanding the voluptuous pleasures thereof as subtill Sirens entice him to the folowing of them whome they presently drown in such delights that he hath neuer farther regarde to the preseruing of his soule but imitating the nature of bruite beastes addicteth himselfe onely vnto that which his owne sensuall appetite shal allowe to be good Although this may peraduenture seeme vnto you a too far fetched circumstance little or nothing pertinent to the purpose yet my hope is that when yee haue throughly perused it yee shall not finde the theme that ye gaue me left altogether vntouched The best is I know your thankfull disposition to be such that how soeuer it be being willingly offered it shal not of you be vngratefully accepted Thus referring the view heereof to your discret consideration I wishe you and yours abundance of such prosperitie as your heart desireth H. G. Farewell Court I Youth when Fancie bare the sway Within my péeuish braine And Reasons lore by no meanes could My wanton will restraine My gadding minde did pricke me forth A courtiers life to proue Whose golden shewes and vaine delights My senses then did moue Not halfe so fast the bowdged shippe The water in doth drinke When foes by force of roring gunnes Endeuour her to sinke As when the floodes of fond desires Came rumbling in my head Which clean extinguisht Vertues sparks That Nature there had bred No power I had the sinfull snares Of filthy vice to shunne My good desires did melt away As snow against the sunne If wit somtimes would goe about Mée wisely to perswade How that I spent my time amisse And vsde a naughtie trade Then wilfull will would bée at hand And plucke mée by the sléeue And tell mée plaine wit was a foole And could no counsell geue His lores quoth will are very sowre His precepts are but colde Doe follow mée then all delights To vse thou mayst bée bolde Hée talkes of scripture euery hower Vnsauery to disgest And I will alwayes serue thy turne With that which likes thée best Who would