comfort giue And Tytirus thy loue shall liue Or with a piercing frowne replie I can not loue and then I die For louers nay is louers death And heartbreake frownes doth stop the breath Galate at this arose And with a smile away she goes As one that little carde to ease Tytir paind with Loues disease At hir parting Tytirus Sighed amaine and saied thus Oh that women are so faire To trap mens eies in their haire With beauteous eies Loues fires Venus sparkes that heates desires But oh that women haue such hearts Such thoughts and such deepe piercing darts As in the beauty of their eie Harbor nought but flatterie Their teares are drawne that drop deceit Their faces Kalends of all sleight Their smiles are lures their looks guile And all their loue is but a wile Then Tytir leaue leaue Tytirus To loue such as scornes you thus And say to Loue and women both What I liked nowe I do loath With that he hied him to the flockes And counted Loue but Venus mockes The Gentleman hauing read ouer this Ode helde it as a treasure and went home as frée from Loue as Tytirus was from affection wondering what this poore pilgrime should be that had giuen him such enigmaticall precepts and praying that his fortune might be answerable to his qualities Wel leauing him thus frée from his passion againe to Philador who wandering homewardes mette with many aduentures and sawe many sights that had made him for to wonder at the follies of the worlde at the last he came within the sight of his fathers house the which he no sooner sawe but it was such a piercing obiect to his eie striking such remorse to his heart that he sate him downe and melted into teares thinking on the prosperity of his former estate and the miserie of his present fortunes as thus he sate in a déepe passion lifting vp his eies he saw where his aged Father was walking in the pastures to take the aire although his aduerse fall were a meanes to make him bashful yet the sight of his father kindled so the fewell of nature in him that imboldned he arose vp and went towards him in those robes of distresse that he was banished out of his Inne And when he came neare naked and poore he went to his father and falling flat vpon the ground saide Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thée I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne Olde Rabby Bilessy looking in his visage and séeing it was his sonne Nature that hath neuer such dead cindars but there be Quaedam scintillulae certaine sparkles of secrete affection beganne to draw remorse into his face pity into his heart and teares into his eies that throwing downe his staffe he stepped to his sonne and fell on his necke wéeping bitterly and yet with such an extasie as the storme pretended both ioy and sorrow the one for his hard fortunes the other for his happy recouery Philador séeing his father thus passionate tooke heart a grasse and on his knée began thus Philadors submission to his father at his returne I Know not sir what insinuation to vse for your fauor so many so monstrous are the number of my follies nor can I pleade any excuse the distresse of my present fortunes are so manifest onely submission must sue to nature for a pardon and my repentant sorrowes put in plea for some fatherly remorse Ah the wanton desires of youth why they be like to the giddinesse of rauening Hawkes that bate at the sight of euerie bush and the prime of yong age is as the flowers of the Pine trée that are glorious to the sight but vnsauourie and without smell Uanitie is the maske wherein it marcheth and follie is the Page that waits attendance vpon the actions of youth so that all his affects are slippernes and the effects ful of preiuditiall disparagement had I regarded the graue Aphorisms of your aduised counsaile on the golden preceptes deliuered from the experience of your yéeres or the swéete actions that drop as balme from the siluer trâ—sses of your haire neyther had my fall béene such my distresse so great nor my fortune so miserable fooles are they which say bought wit is best espetially if it be rated at my prise Counsaile is the swéete conserue and aduise the purest antidote happiest is he that is ware by other mens harmes and such most miserable that are wise by their owne woes Piscator ictus sapit But hard is his hap that flies from the viper for hir sting that hateth the Tarantala for that he hath felt hir venome and infortunate is that man that can anotomise miserie by his own distresse Ah father had I reuerenced my God as I honored my goddesse and offered as many Orisons to his deity as I powred out passions for hir beauty theâ— had I bin graced with as many fauours as I am crossed with misfortunes But I thought he had not séen my faults and therefore went forward in hue I thought their faces to be Adamants their beauties to be like the spots of deuouring Panthers had I déemed them to be preiudiciall Syrens had I beléeued what I was foretold Philador had béene lesse miserable more fortunate But I counted their beauties metaphisicall their qualities diuine their proportions heauenly themselues Angelles I thought as the Phenix had none but pretious fethers as the Myrrh trée hath no caterpillers as the Topas hath no operatioÌ„ but excellent so I thoght women to be such perfit creatures as had nothing in them but supernaturall But at last I found the preceptes of Rabby Bilessy to bée authentical that as the Sinamon trée though it hath a swéet barke yet it hath bitter leaues the Pirite stone though it haue one vertue hath twenty preiudiciall operations so womeÌ„ though they were neuer so beautifull yet were they the painted continents of flattery of deceit inconstancie and the very guides that leade men vnto the pernicious labyrinth of endlesse distresse Had I thought prodigalitie superfluous excesse my coffers had béene full of Crownes and my heart void of cares but I counted expense the empresse of a gentleman and gifts the thing that graced a traueller as Traian numbred not that day amongest the date of his life wherein he had not done something worthy of memorie so I did hold that Nefanda dies wherein I did not triumph in magnificall prodigalitie Tush I did thinke come to be called currant à currendo golde why I held it as drosse and counted it the déepest dishonor to be counted frugall Par symonia why quoth I it is palâ—â—y and spaâ—ing it is the badge of a pesant The Chaldes in their Hierogliphickes described a Gentleman with his hand alwayes open meaning that to giue was heroicall And Tâ—tus the Emperour said giue if thou wilt bée woorthy the worldes monarchy I counted Cyancynatus the Dictator a foole for his frugality I discommended the small diet of Caâ—â—s Fabritius and
sonne packe thée foorth with as manie vertues as thou canst beare thou shalt disourthen them all and returne home with as many vices as thou canst bring Therefore rest thée from that foolish desire to trauell and content thée at home with thine olde father in quiet All these perswasiue principles of the old Rabby could not disswade Philador from the intent of his trauels but that he replied so cunningly and so importunately that the olde man was faine to graunt and bade him prouide him all things necessarie for his iourney Philador was not slacke in this but with all spéede possible did his indeuour so that within shorte time he had all things in a readinesse at last the day of his departure came and then his father bringing foorth in coine great store of treasure deliuered it vnto his sonne as his portion and then sitting downe with his staffe in his hand and his handkercher at his eies for the olde man wept he gaue his sonne this farewell Rabbi Bilessies farewell to his sonne Philador NOw my sonne that I must take my leaue of thée and say farewell to him that perhaps shall fare ill yet before we part marke and note these fewe precepts which thy father hath bought with mâ—ny yeares and great experience First my Sonne serue God let him be the author of all thy actions please him with prayer and pennance least if hee frowne he confound all thy fortunes and thy labours be like the droppes of raine in a sandy ground Then forward let thine owne safetie be thy next care and in all thy attemptes foresée the end and be wise for thy selfe Be courteous to all offensiue to none and brooke any iniurie with patience for reuenge is preiudiciall to a Trauailer â—â— and passed vp into the continent almost a whole day without discrying either towne village hamlet or house so that wearied he allighted and walked a foote downe a vale where he descryed a Shepheard and his wife sitting kéeping flockes he of shéepe she of Kids Philador glad of this bad his men be of good cheare for now quoth he I haue within ken a countrie swayne and he shall direct vs to some place of rest with that he paced on easely and séeing them sit so me together and so louingly he thought to steale vpon them to sée what they were doing and therefore giuing his horse to one of his boyes he went afore himselfe and found them sitting in this manner The description of the Shepheard and his wife IT was néere a thickie shade That broad leaues of Beach had made Ioyning all their toppes so nie That scarce Phebus in could prie To sée if Louers in the thicke Could dally with a wanton tricke Where sate this Swayne and his wife Sporting in that pleasing life That Corridon commendeth so All other liues to ouer-go He and she did sit and kéepe Flockes of Kids and foulâ—es of shéepe He vpon his pipe did play She tuned voyce vnto his lay And for you might her Huswife knowe Uoyce did sing and fingers sowe He was young his coat was gréene With weltes of white seamde betwéene Turned ouer with a flappe That breast and bosome in did wrappe Skirtes side and plighted frée Séemely hanging to his knée A whittle with a siluer chape Cloke was russet and the cape Serued for a Bonnet oft To shrowd him from the wet aloft A leather scrip of collour red With a button on the head A Bottle full of Countrie whigge By the Shepheards side did ligge And in a little bush hard by There the Sheapheards dogge did ly Who while his Maister gan to sléepe Well could watch both Kides and shéepeâ— The Shepheard was a frolicke swayne For though his parrell was but playne Yet doone the Authors soothly say His cullour was both fresh and gay And in their writtes playne discusseâ— Fayrer was not Tytirus Nor Menalcas whom they call The Alderléefest Swayne of all Séeming him was his wife Both in line and in life Faire shée was as faire might bée Like the Roses on the trée Buxsane blieâ—â— and young I wéene Beauteous like to Sommers Quéene For her chéekes were ruddie hued As if Lyllies were imbrued With drops of bloud to make thée white Please the eye with more delight Loue did lye within her eyes In ambush for some wanton pryse A léefer Lasse then this had béene Coridon had neuer séene Nor was Phillis that faire may Halfe so gawdie or so gay She wore a chaplet on her head Her cassacke was of Scarlet red Long and large as straight as bent Her middle was both small and gent. A necke as white as Whales bone Compast with a lace of stone Fine she was and faire she was Brighter then the brightest glasse Such a Shepheards wife as she Was not more in Thessalie PHilador séeing this couple sitting thus louingly noted the concord of Countrie amitie and began to coniecture with himselfe what a swéete kinde of life those men vse who were by their birth too lowe for dignitie and by their fortunes too simple for enuie well he thought to fall in prattle with them had not the Shepheard taken his pipe in his hand and beganne to play and his wife to sing out this Rondelay The Shepheards wiues song AH what is loue is it a pretie thing As swéete vnto a Shepheard as a King And swéeter too For Kinges haue cares that waite vpon a Crowne And cares can make the swéetest loue to frowne Ah then ah then If Countrie loues such swéete desires do gaine What Lady would not loue a Shepheard swayne His flockes once foulded he comes home at night As merry as a King in his delight And merrier too For Kinges bethinke them what the state require Where shepheards carelesse Carroll by the fire Ah then ah then If countrie loues such swéete desires gaine What Ladie would not loue a shepheard swaine He kisseth first then sits as blyth to eate His creame and curds as doth the King his meate And blyther too For Kinges haue often feares when they do suppe Where Shepheards dread no poyson in their cuppe Ah then ah then If countrie loues such swéete desires gaine What Ladie would not loue a shepheard swaine To bed he goes as wanton then I wéene As is a King in dalliance with a Quéene More wanton too For Kinges haue many griefes affectes to mooue Where Shepheards haue no greater griefe then loue Ah then ah then If countrie loues such swéete desires gaine What Ladie would not loue a shepheard swaine Upon his couch of straw he sléepes as sound As doth the King vpon his beds of downe More sounder too For cares cause Kinges full oft their sléepe to spill Where wearie Shepheards lie and snort their fill Ah then ah then If country loues such swéete desires gaine What Ladie would not loue a Shepheard swayne Thus with his wife he spendes the yeare as blyth As doth the King at euerie tyde or syth And blyther too For Kings haue warres and
ended with such a courteous close that he commanded his horses to be put to grasse intending for a time there to make his residence The Gentlewomen séeing the foole caught thought to be quicke Barbers and therefore spared for no good cheare and the more daintely they fared the more he thanked them so it might content his young Mistresse on whose fauour depended his whole felicitie he was not content in gluttonie to spend his patrimonie but sent for such copesmates as they pleased who with their false dice were oft sharers with him of his crownes Thus sought they euerie way to disburden him of that store with which he was so sore combred Tush his purse was well lyned and might abide the shaking and therefore as yet hée felt it not The young Courtesan his Paramour thinking all too litle for her selfe beganne as though she had taken care of his profite to wish him séeing he ment there to make some aboad to liue with a lesse charge and cassier some of his men which Philador séeing it would spare him somewhat and to please his Mistresse fancie and for his owne profite put them all out of seruice but one boy The Seruingmen séeing the vaine of their young Maister were sorrie that hee tooke that course of life to be ouer-ruled with women but his will stood for a law and though it were neuer so preiudiciall yet would he be peremptorie and therefore they brookt their discharge with patience but one of them that before time had serued his father hearing what farewell olde Rabbi Bileisi gaue him thought to take his leaue with the like adew and so being solitarie with his Mistresse at his departure he tolde him thus Sir quoth he I sée well if Vlisses stops not his eares the Syrens will put him to shipwracke if he carrie not Moly about him Circes will inchaunt him and youth if he bush not at beautie and carrie antidotes of wisedome against flatterie follie will be the next Hauen he shall be in I speake this by experience as séeing the Syrens of this house following your eares with harmony that will bring you to split vpon a rocke and here I finde be such Circes as will not onely transforms you but so inchant you that you will at last buy repentance with too déere a price Ah Master doe you not remember the precepts that your father gaue you especially against women nay chiefely against such weomen as these whose eyes are snares whose words are charmes whose hands are birdlime whose deceipt is much whose desires are insatiable whose couetousnes is like the Hidaspis that the more it drinkes the more thirstie it is whose conscience is like a Pomice stone light and full of hoales whose loue is for lucre whose heart is light on your person whose hand heauie on your purse being Uultures that will eate men aliue Ah master be not blinded with a Courtezan there are more maydes then maulken if you will néeds be in loue loue one and marry so shall you haue profite and credite if not lie not here in a consuming laborinth the idle life is the mother of al mischiefe it fretteth as rust doth yron and eateth as a worme in the wood till all perish Liue not here Maister without doing somewhat Mars himselfe hateth to be euer on Venus lappe he scorneth to lie at racke and maunger Consider how the Caldes haue set downe in their writings that from the first creation of the world idlenes was had in hatred and man was commaunded to satisfie his thirst with his hands thrift Adam tilled the earth and fed himselfe with his labours Iuball exercised Musike and spent his time in practising the simpathy of sundry soundes Tubalcaine did worke in mettalles and was a graner in brasse Noe hauing the worlde before him for his inherâ—â—ance yet planted Uineyardes tush all the holy Israelites liued by their labours and men hated to haue an houre idlely spent Traian numbred not that day amongst the date of his life which he had wholy consumed in idlenesse If then this lasciuious kinde of life be so odious shake off these Calipâ—es trauell with Vlysses sée countries and you shall as he did returne to Ithaca with credite Be a Souldiour winne honour by armes a Courtier winne fauour of some King with seruice a Scholler get to some vniuersitie and for a while apply your booke sit not here like Sardanapalus amongest women be not bewitched wyth Hercules to spinne by Omphales side leaue all yet may yée stop before you come to the bottome but if you be so besotted that no counsaile shall preuaile I am glad that I may not sée your future misfortunes Although these words of his man driue him into a dumpe and made him call to remembraunce his fathers farewell yet did he so doate on his yong loue that he bade his man be iogging and so went downe into the parlour to shake off melancholy with company Thus did Philador lie in the fire and dally in the flame and yet like the Salamander not féele the fire for this is an olde theologicall action Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati He counted fornication no sinne and lust why he shadowed that with loue he had a vaile for euery vanitie till that he might sée day light at euery hole While thus he liued in his iollitie there fell a great dearth in the land corne was scant and the poore were oppressed with extreame penurie and in such sorte that they dyed in the stréetes Philador heard by the chapmen how the market went and might perceiue by the crie of the poore what famine was spread throughout the whole Countrey but hée had gold and want could not wring him by the â—ingar the blacke Oxe could not treade on his foote and therefore he stopped his eares and prooued halfe mercilesse onely his care was to spend the day as deliciously as hée thought the night delightfull hauing euer his paramour in his presence whose finger was neuer farre from his pursse tush all went vpon whéeles till on a day looking into his coffers hée found a great want and sawe that his store was in the waining whereupon he put away his boy and solde his horses he had enough of him selfe and too many by one This yongsters pursse drewe lowe but as long as hée let angelles flie so long they honoured him as a god But as all thinges must haue an ende so at last his Coffers waxed empty and then the post beganne to be painted with chalke The score grewe great and they waxed wearie of such a beggarlie guest Whereuppon on a day the eldest of them tolde him that either hée must prouide money or else to furnish him of a newe lodging for there was a great dearth thoroughout the whole countrie victualles were deare and they coulde not pay the Baker and the Brewer with chalke Upon this hée went vnto his truncke and all his rich apparell and iewelles walked to the Broakers and for