from the horrour of infernall deepes Passe forwards on for I must stay behind Some small occasion biddes me stand aside Cor. Its well your come for I did thinke you long And that you had forgot to keepe your words I bid you welcome to my Country farme Take that for all I le vse no ceremonie Ser. I le warrant you sir we did not meane to fayle To stay at home and misse so good a feast Ti 's Christmas now It comes but once a yeare And when it comes men say it brings good cheare Here 's Flutterkin takes leysure comes behind Good man he sweates his guts keepe him so warme But feare of fainting by the high way side He hath prouided to preserue his health Brande-Wine a creuse which he drinks out himselfe Flut. I heare you Serieant I can beare your mocks You neuer knew fat men but honest yet A good companion full of mirth and wit Leane iades cast off lye staruing in a ditch When plumper steeds are steemde among the rich Ser. Are you so nigh I thought you had been lost By your leaue sir I le welcome here mine Hoast Cor, Ha Serieant I haue known thee to serue long And yet thou stick'st belike thou lik'st thy game Trie friends and fortune may be it will hitte To make thee higher on preferments steppe Stand not on thornes aduenture draw a carde Ser. So may I draw and draw my selfe quite out And striuing to get more loose that I haue Times are not now as they were erst when you Did haunt the fields and ledde a Souldiers life Men had respect and then were lookt vpon For their deserts but now t is nothing so Reward goes backeward honour on his head And due deserts are sleight regarded now He that wants gold seekes place may stand aloofe Stand fast he that would rise or else he falles That now is sould which then was but free guift Promotions fall not but are bought before He that mounts now he doth not as of olde Rise by his vertues but helpt vp with gold Youn. With leaue and reuerence may I speake my mind What though my friends be rich it grieues me much To see poore Souldiers walke in meane attire And lesse respect that haue deseru'd well Growne olde in warres and got nothing but blowes Wide gaping wounds lost limmes and broken bones And iust preferment which another gets And they deseru'd and perhaps a man That neuer saw the field nor chimneis smoake But those at home within his natiue soyle Each man would vp there 's none I am sure would downe And they may vse their talents as their owne To their owne good and glory not the hurt Of poore or rich of Kingdomes Common-wealthes I blame not those that seeke to encrease their wealth Or better their estates by honest meanes I wrong not Princes touch not their affaires Carpe not at men but times corruptions Some climbe too fast and climbing catch a fall If please God he can helpe it he helpes all Cor. The Romans vsd to make their Worthies knowne By honourde titles and with ornaments As rings and chaines gilt swordes and spurs of gold Which none might weare but such as were allowde But now Iacke Sauce will be in 's gilded spurs Whose father brewde good Ale for honest men Lodg'd Pedlers Tynkers Bearewards such a crew The scumme of men the plaine rascality Such was Auratus Eques miles calde The French men now call him Vncheualier We call them Rydders the English name them Knights T' was strange to see what Knighthood once would doe Stirre great men vp to lead a martiall life Such as were nobly borne of great estates To gaine this honour and this dignity So noble a marke to their posterity But now alas it 's growne ridiculous Since bought with money sold for basest prize That some refuse it which are counted wise Gar. But heere 's the difference for we vse to say Is such one Knighted he deserude it well Hee 's learned wise an hopefull Gentleman Hath been abroad hath seene and knowes the warres He speakes more language then his mothers tongue He can doe's country seruice or his Prince At home abroad by Sea or else by land Maintaine the sword of ciuill gouernement But such ones made a Knight What that Arch-Clowne His wit is like his mothers milking payle Brought vp at home or at Hogsnorton Schoole His Father neare gaue armes writ good-man Cluneh And he kept sheepe or beasts droue plough or cart The first on 's name first Knight then Gentleman God giue him ioy his honour cost him deare A sotte in Crimson growne a golden Knight Well may'te become him he becomes not it More then an Asse a rich caparison Cor. You are two bitter son you speake too townsman like As one that enuies Country Gentlemen He that doth rayse his house although a Clowne Is happier farre then he that puls it downe Gar. Indeed that 's true for he may haue a Sonne Whose better breeding may helpe those defects That beins father may be fitte to rule The Sword of Iustice in a common-wealth Raiseth his house and name sets it higher Writes second Knight a Iustice or Esquier Cor. When I was in my flowre of youth and liu'de In Englands Court that swarmde with Martialists Seamen and Souldiers there had great respect Were set by honourd more then other men As Drake and Candish Hawkins Frobisher Williams and Baskeruile two valiant Knights Those worthy brothers knowne by Norreis name The Veres the Shirleis and the Constables Sir Thomas Morgan braue Lord Willoughbie Whom Spaniards termde the fierce the diuell of hel Renowned Essex famous Cumberland And both the Howardes prooude so oft at Sea With tempests roaring billowes Canon shot George Somers Knight Carlile and Lancaster Were not the least these liued in my time And diuers more whose names I haue forgot That serude in Ireland whom those bloudy warres Made famous vnto all posterity Some liuing yet some foulded vp in lead That dyde in honours lappe sleepe in her bed Ser. Then was a time that souldiers were esteemd And if they liude they had preferment sure And those that dyde were well prouided for Then did men rise from meanest parentage By their deserts to places of account As some you nam'de not borne to any thing Did rayse their fortunes to a great estate And gaue no bribes did not one penny pay To any cogging Claw-backe Sycophant And for deserts had freely what they had For happy was that man though neere so great That could doe honour to a man of warre As those that seru'd in France amongst those broils And ciuill discordes yet can testifie When that rich kingdome pitteously torne All stainde with gore halfe mar'd with fire sword VVhat there was got how much account was had Of them when backe they made their home return VVhen happy Bourbon got those lillyes three Began their peace did end that misery Cor. I saw those warres and saw that nauall