make it more hideous with lamps dimly slowly burning in hollow and glimmerâ—ng corners where all the pauement should in stead of gréene rushes be strewde with blasted Rosemary withered Hyacinthes fatall Cipresse and Ewe thickly mingled with heapes of dead mens bones the bare ribbes of a father that begat him lying there here the Chaplesse hollow scull of a mother that bore him round about him a thousand Coarses some standing bolt vpright in their knotted winding shéetes others halfe mouldred in rotten coffins that should suddenly yawne wide open filling his nosthrils with noysome stench and his eyes with the sight of nothing but crawling wormes And to kéepe such a poore wretch waking he should heare no noise but of Toads croaking Screech-Owles howling Mandrakes shriking were not this an infernall prison would not the strongest harted man beset with such a ghastly horror looke wilde and runne madde and die And euen such a formidable shape did the diseased Citie appeare in For he that durst in the dead houre of gloomy midnight haue bene so valiant as to haue walkt through the still and melancholy stréets what thinke you should haue bene his musicke Surely the loude grones of rauing sicke men the strugling panges of soules departing In euery house griefe striking vp an Allarum Seruants crying out for maisters wiues for husbands parents for children children for their mothers here he should haue met some frantickly running to knock vp Sextons there others fearfully sweating with Coffins to steale forth dead bodies least the fatall hand-writing of death should seale vp their doores And to make this dismall consort more full round about him Bells heauily folling in one place and ringing out in another The dreadfulnesse of such an houre is in vtterable let vs goe further If some poore man suddeinly starting out of a swéete and golden slumber should behold his house flaming about his eares all his family destroied in their sléepes by the mercilesse fire himselfe in the very midst of it wofully and like a madde man calling for helpe would not the misery of such a distressed soule appeare the greater if the rich Usurer dwelling next doore to him should not stirre though he felt part of the danger but suffer him to perish when the thrusting out of an arme might haue saued him O how many thousands of wretched people haâ—e acted this poore mans part how often hath the amazed husband waking â—ound the comfort of his bedde lying breathlesse by his side his children at the same instant gasping for life and his seruants mortally wounded at the hart by sicknes the distracted creature beats at death doores exclaimes at windowes his cries are sharp inough to pierce heauen but on earth no â—are is opend to receiue them And in this maner do the tedious minutes of the night stretch out the sorrowes of ten thousand It is now day let vs looke forth and try what Consolation rizes with the Sun not any not any for before the Iewell oâ— the morning be fully set in siluer hundred hungry graues stand gaping and euery one of them as at a breakfast hath swallowed downe ten or eleuen liuelesse carcases before dinner in the same gulâ—e are twice so many more deuoured and before the sun takes his rest those numbers are doubled Thréescore that not many houres before had euery one seuerall lodgiâ—gs very delicately furnisht are now thrust altogether into one close roome a litie noisome roome not fully ten foote square Doth not this strike coldly to y e hart of a worldly mizer To some the very sound of deaths name is in stead of a passing-bell what shall become of such a coward being told that the selfeâ—same bodie of his which now is so pampered with superfluous fare so perâ—umed and bathed in odoriferous waters and so gaily apparelled in varietie of fashioÌ„s must one day be throwne like stinking carion into a rank rotten graue where his goodly eies y â— did once shoote foorth such amorous glaâ—ces must be beaten out of his head his lockes that hang wantonly dangling troden in durt vnder-foote this doubtlesse like thunder must néeds strike him into the earth But wretched man when thou shalt sée and be assured by tokens sent thée from heauen that to morrow thou must be tumbled into a Mucke-pit and sâ—ffer thy body to be bruisde and prest with thréescore dead men lying â—louenly vpon thée and thou to be vndermost of all yea and perhaps halfe of that number were thine enemies and sée howe they may be reuenged for the wormes that bréed out of their putrifying carkasses shall crawle in huge swarmes from them and quite deuoure thée what agonies will this strange newes driue thée into If thou art in loue with thy selfe this cannot choose but possesse thée with frenzie But thou art gotten safe out of the ciuill citie Calamitie to thy Parkes and Pallaces in the Country lading thy asses and thy Mules with thy gold thy god thy plate and thy Iewels and the fruites of thy wombe thriftily growing vp but in one onely sonne the young Landlord of all thy carefull labours him also hast thou rescued from the arrowes of infection Now is thy soule iocund and thy sences merry But open thine eyes thou Foole and behold that darling of thine eye thy sonne turnd suddeinly into a lumpe of clay the hand of pestilence hath smote him euen vnder thy wing Now doest thou rent thine haire blaspheme thy Creator cursest thy creation and basely descendest into bruitish vnmanly passions threatning in despite of death his Plague to maintaine the memory of thy childe in the euerlasting brest of Marble a tombe must now defenâ— him from tempests and for that purpose the swetty hinde that digs the rent he paies thée out of the entrailes of the earth he is sent for to conuey foorth that burden of thy sorrow But noâ—e how thy pride is disdained that weather-beaten sun-burnt drudge that not a month since fawnd vpon thy worship like a Spaniell and like a bond-slaue would haue stoopt lower than thy féete does now stoppe his nose at thy presence and is readie to set his Mastiue as hye as thy throate to driue thée from his doore all thy golde and siluer cannot hire one of those whom before thou didst scorne to carry the dead body to his last home the Country round about thee shun thée as a Basiliske and therefore to London from whose armes thou cowardly fledst away poast vpon poast must be galloping to fetch from thence those that may performe that Funerall Office But there are they so full of graue-matters of their owne that they haue no leisure to attend thine doth not this cut thy very heart-strings in sunder If that doe not the shutting vp of the Tragicall Act I am sure will for thou must be inforced with thine owne handes to winde vp that blasted flower of youth in the last linnen that euer he shall weare vpon thine owne shoulders must thou beare part of
vpon a Lady Eue and died vpon a Lady Eue her Natiuitie death being memorable by this wonder the first and last yeares of her Raigne by this that a Lee was Lords Maior when she came to the Crowne and a Lee Lorde Maior when she departed from it Thrée places are made famous by her for thrée things Greenewich for her birth Richmount for her death White-Hall for her Funerall vpon her remouing from whence to lend our tiring prose a breathing time stay and looke vpon these Epigrams being composed 1. Vpon the Queenes last Remoue being dead THe Queene 's remou'de in solemne sort Yet this was strange and seldome seene The Queene vsde to remoue the Court But now the Court remou'de the Queene 2. Vpon her bringing by water to White Hall THe Queene was brought by water to White Hall At euery stroake the Oares â—eares let fall More clung about the Barge Fish vnder water Wept out their eyes of pearle and swom blind after I thinke the Barge-men might with easier thyes Haue rowde her thither in her peoples eyes For howsoe're thus much my thoughts haue skand S'had come by water had she come by land 3. Vpon her lying dead at White Hall THe Queene lyes now at White Hall dead And now at White Hall liuing To make this rough obiection euen Dead at White Hall at Westminster But liuing at White Hall in Heauen Thus you sée that both in her life and her death shée was appointed to bee the mirror of her time And surely if since the first stone that was layd for the foundation of this great house of the world there was euer a yeare ordained to be wondred at it is only this the Sibils Octogesimus Octauus Annus That same terrible 88. which came sayling hither in the Spanish Armado and made mens hearts colder then the frozen Zone when they heard but an inckling of it That 88. by whose horrible predictions Almanack-makers stood in bodily feare their trade would bée vtterly ouerthrowne and poore Erra Pater was threatned because he was a Iew to be put to â—aser offices than the stopping of mustardâ—pots That same 88. which had more prophecies waiting at his héeles thaÌ„ euer Merlin the Magitian had in his head was a yeare oâ— Iubile to this Platoes Mirabilis Annuâ— whether it be past alreadie or to come within these foure yeares may throwe Platoes cap at Mirabilis for that title of wonderfull is bestowed vpon 1603. If that sacred Aromatically persumed fire of wit out of whose flames Phoenix poesie doth arise were burning in any brest I would féede it with no other stuffe for a twelue-moneth and a day than with kindling papers full of lines that should tell only of the chances changes and strange shapes that this Protean Climactericall yeare hath metamorphosed himselfe into It is able to finde ten Chroniclers a competent liuing and to set twentie Printers at worke You shall perceiue I lye not if with Peter Bales you will take the paines to drawe the whole volume of it into the compasse of a pennie As first to begin with the Quéenes death then the Kingdomes falling into an Ague vpon that Next followes the curing of that feauer by the holesome receipt of a proclaymed King That wonder begat more for in an houre two mightie Nations were made one wilde Ireland became tame on the sudden and some English great ones that before séemed tame on the sudden turned wilde The same Parke which great Iulius Caesar inclosed to hold in that Déere whome they before hunted being now circled by a second Caesar with stronger pales to kéepe them from leaping ouer And last of all if that wonder be the last and shut vp the yeare a most dreadfull plague This is the abstract and yet like Stowes Chronicle of Decimo sexto to huge Hollinshead these small pricks in this Set-card of ours represent mightie Countreys whilst I haue the quill in my hand let me blow them bigger The Quéene being honoured with a Diademe of Starres France Spaine and Belgâ—a lift vp their heads preparing to do as much for England by giuing ayme whilst she shot arrowes at her owne brest as they imagined as she had done many a yeare together for them and her owne Nation betted on their sides looking with distracted countenance for no better guests than Ciuill Sedition Uprores Rapes Murders and Massacres But the whéele of Fate turned a better Lottery was drawne Pro Troia stabat Apolâ—o God stuck valiantlie to vs. For behold vp rises a comfortable Sun out of the North whose glorious beames like a fan dispersed all thick and contagious clowdes The losse of a Quéene was paid with the double interest of a King and Quéene The Cedar of her gouernment which stood alone and bare no fruit is changed now to an Oliue vpon whose spreading branches grow both Kings and Quéenes Oh it were able to still a hundred paire of writing tables with notes but to sée the parts plaid in the compasse of one houre on the stage of this new-found world Upon Thursday it was treason to cry God saue king Iames king of England and vppon Friday hyâ— treason not to cry so In the morning no voice heard but murmures and lamentation at noone nothing but shoutes of gladnes triumpe S. George and S. Andrew that many hundred yeares had deâ—â—â—d one another were now sworne brothers England and Scotland being parted only with a narrow Riuer and the people of both Empires speaking a language lesse differing than english within it selfe as the prouidence had enacted that one day those two Nations should marry one another are now made sure together and king Iames his Coronation is the solemne wedding day Happiest of all thy Ancestors thou mirror of all Princes that euer were or are that at seauen of the clock wert a king but ouer a péece of a little Iland and before eleuen the greatest Monarch in Christendome Now Siluer Crowds Of blisfull Angels and tryed Marytrs tread On the Star-â—eeling ouer Englands head Now heauen broke into a wonder and brought forth Our omne bonum from the holesome North Our fruitfull souereigne Iamns at whose dread name Rebellion swounded and ere since became Groueling and nerue-lesse wanting bloâ—d to nourish For Ruine gnawes her selfe when kingdomes flourish Nor are our hopes planted in regall springs Neuer to wither for our aire breedes kings And in all ages from this soueraigne time England shall still be calde the royall clime Most blisfull Monarch of all earthen powers Seru'd with a messe of kingdomes foure such bowers For prosperous hiues and rare industrious swarmes The world containes not in her solid armes O thou that art the Meeter of our dayes Poets Apollo deale thy Daphnean bayes To those whose wits are bay-trees euer greene Vpon whose hye tops Poesie chirps vnseene Such are most fit t'apparell Kings in rimes Whose siluer numbers are the Muses chimes Whose spritely caracters being once wrought on Out-liue the
away his carcas be not plagude with leane ones of whom whilst the â—ill of Lord haue mercy vpon vs was to be denied in no place it was death for him to heare In this pittifull or rather pittilesse perplexitie stood London forsaken like a Louer forlorne like a widow and disarmde of all comfort disarmde I may well say for fiue Rapiers were not stirring all this time and those that were worne had neuer bin séene if any money could haue bene lent vpon them so hungry is the Estridge disease that it will â—euoure euen Iron let vs therefore with bag baggage march away from this dangerous sore Citie and visit those that are fled into the Country But alas Decidis in Scyllam you are pepperd if you visit them for they are visited alreadie the broad Arrow of Death flies there vp downe as swiftly as it doth here they that rode on the lustâ—est geldings could not out-gallop the Plague It ouer-tooke them and ouerturnd them too horse and foote You whom the arrowes of pestilence haue reache at eightéen and twenty score tho you stood far enough as you thought froÌ„ the marke you that sickning in the hie way would haue bene glad of a bed in an Hospitall and dying in the open fieldes haue bene buried like dogs how much better had it bin for you to haue lyâ—â—â—uller of byles Plague-sores than euer did Iob so you might in that extremity haue receiued both bodily spiritual comfort which there was denied you For those misbeléeuing Pagans the plough-driuers those worse then Infidels that like their Swine neuer looke vp so high as Heauen when Citizens boorded them they wrung their hands and wisht rather they had falne into the hands of Spaniards for the sight of a flat-cap was more dreadfull to a Lob then the discharging of a Caliuer a treble-ruffe being but once named the Merchants set had power to cast a whole houshold into a cold sweat If one new suite of Sackcloth had béene but knowne to haue come out of Burchin-lane being the common Wardrope for all their Clowne-ships it had béene enough to make a Market towne giue vp the ghost A Crow that had béene séene in a Sunne-shine day standing on the top of Powles would haue béene better than a Beacon on sire to hauâ— raizd all the townes within ten miles of London for the kéeping her out Neuer let any man aske me what became of our Phisitions in this Massacre they hid their Synodicall heads aswell as the prowdest and I cannot blame them for their Phlebotomies Loâ—inges and Electuaries with their Diâ—catholicons Diacodions Amulets and Antidotes had not so much strength to hold life and soule together as a pot of Pinders Ale and a Nutmeg their Drugs turned to durst their simples where simple things Galen could do no more good than Sir Giles Goosecap Hipocrates Auicen Paraselsus Rasis Fernelius with all their succéeding rabble of Doctors and Water-casters were at their wite end or I thinke rather at the worlds end for noâ— one of them durst péepe abroad or if any one did take vpon him to play the ventrous Knight the Plague puâ— him to his Nonplâ—s in such strange and such changeable shapes did this Camelâ—onlike siâ—kâ—es appeare that they could not with all the cunning in their budgets make pursenâ—ts to take him napping Onely a band of Desper-vewes some fewe Empiricall mad-caps for they could neuer be worth veluet caps tuâ—ned themselues into Bées or more properly into Drones and went humming vp and downe with hony-brags in their mouthes sucking the swéetnes of Siluer and now and then of Aurum Potabile out of the poison of Blaines and Carbuncles and these iolly Mountibanks clapt vp their bils vpon euery poâ—t like a Fencers Challenge threatning to canuas the Plague and to â—â—ght with him at all his owne seuerall weapons I know not how they sped but some they sped I am sure for I haue heard â—hem band for the Heauens because they sent those thither that were wisht to tarry longer vpon earth I could in this place make your chéekes looke pale and your hearts shake with telling how some haue had 18 sores at one time running vpon them others 10. and 12. many 4. and 5. and how those that haue bin foure times wounded by this yeares infection haue dyed of the last wound whilst others that werâ— hurt as often goe vp and downe now with sounder limmes then many that come out of France and the Nether-lands And descending from these I could draw forth a Catalogue of many poore wretches that in fieldes in ditches in common Cages and vnder stalls being either thrust by cruell maisterâ— out of doores or wanting all worldly succour but the common benefit of earth and aire haue most miserably perished But to Chronicle these would weary a second Fabian We will therefore play the Souldiers who at the end of any notable battaile with a kind of sad delight rehearse the memorable acts of their friends that lye mangled before them some shewing how brauely they gaue the onset some how politickly they retirde others how manfully they gaue and receiued wounds a fourth steps forth and glories how valiantly hée lost an arme all of them making by this meanes the remembrance euen of tragicall and mischieuous euents very delectable Let vs striue to do so discoursing as it were at the end of this mortall stege of the Plague of the seuerall most worthy accidents and strange birthes which this pestiferous yeare hath brought â—oorthsome of them yéelding Comicall and ridiculous stuffe others lamentable a third kind vpholding rather admiration then laughter or pittie As first to rellish the pallat of lickerish expectation and withall to giue an Item how sudden a stabber this ruffianly swaggerer Death is You must beléeâ—e that amongst all the weary number of those that on their bare féete haue trauaild in this long and heauie vocation to the Holy-land one whose name I could for néede bestow vpon you but that I know you haue no néed of it tho many want a good name lying in that coÌ„mon Innâ— of sick-men his bed séeing the black blew stripes of the plague sticking on his flesh which he receiued as tokens from heauen that he was presently to goe dwell in the vpper world most earnestly requested and in a manner coniured his friend who came to enterchange a last farewell that hée would see him goe handsomely attirde into the wild Irish countrey of wormes and for that purpose to bestow a Coffin vpon him his friend louing him not because he was poore yet he was poore but because hee was a Scholler Alack that the West Indies stand so farre from Uniuersities and that a minde richly apparelled should haue a thréed-bare body made faithfull promise to him that he should be naild vp he would boord him and for that purpose went instantly to one of the new-found trade of Coffin-cutters bespake one and like the Surueyour of deaths
buildings gaue direction how this little Tenement should be framed paying all the rent for it before hand But note vpon what slippery ground life goes lâ—ttle did he thinke to dwell in that roome himselfe which he had taken for his friend yet it seemed the common law of mortalitie had so decréede for hée was cald into the colde companie of his graâ—e neighbours an houre before his infected friend and had a long lease euen till doomes day in the same lodging which in the strength of health he went to prepare for another What credit therefore is to be giuen to breath which like an harlot will runne away with euery minute How nimble is sickenesse and what skill hath he in all the weapons he playes withall The greatest cutter that takes vp the Mediterranean I le in Powles for his Gallery to walke in cannot ward off his blowes Hée s the best Fencer in the world Vincentio Sauiolo is no body to him He has his Mandritâ—aes Imbrocataes Stramazones and Sâ—occataes at his â—ingers ends hee le make you giue him ground though yâ— were neuer worth foote of land and beat you out of breath though Aeolus himselfe plaiâ— vpoÌ„ your wind-pipe To witnes which I will call forth a Dutch-man yet now hée s past calling for has lost his hearing for his eares by this time are eaten off with wormes who though hée dwell in Bedlem was not mad yet the very lookes of the Plague which indéed are terrible put him almost out of his wits for when the snares of this cunning hunter the Pestilence were but newly layd and yet layd as my Dutch-man semlt it out well enough to intrap poore mens liues that meant him no hurt away sneakes my clipper of the kings english and because Musket-shot should not reach him to the Low-countries that are built vpon butterâ—irkins and Holland chéese sailes this plaguie fugitiue but death who hath more authoritie there than all the seauen Electors and to shew him that there were other Low-countrey besides his owne takes a little Frokin one of my Dutch runnawayes children and sends her packing into those Netherlands shée departed O how pitifully lookt my Burgomaister when he vnderstood that the sicknes could swim It was an easie matter to scape the Donkirks but Deaths Gallyes made out after him swifter then the great Turkes Which he perceiuing made no more adoo but drunke to the States fiue or sixe healths because he would be sure to liue well and backe againe comes he to try the strength of English Béere his old Randeuous of mad-men was the place of meeting where he was no sooner arriued but the Plague had him by the backe and arrested him vpon an Exeat Regnum â—or running to the enemie so that for the mad tricks he plaid to cozen our English wormes of his Dutch carkas which had béene fatted héere sicknesse and death clapt him vp in Bedlem the second time and there he lyes and there he shall lye till he rot before I le meddle any more of with him But being gotten out of Bedlem let vs make a iourney to Bristow taking an honest knowne Citizen along with vs who with other company trauailing thither onely for feare the aire of London should conspire to poison him and setting vp his rest not to heare the sound of Bow-bell till next Christmas was notwithstanding in the hye way singled out from his company and set vpon by the Plague who had him stand and deliuer his life The rest at that word shifted for themselues and went on hée amazed to sée his friends flye and being not able to defend himselfe for who can defend himselfe meeting such an enemy yéelded and being but about fortie miles from London vsed all the slights he could to get loose out of the handes of death and so to hide himselfe in his owne house whereupon he calld for help at the same Inne where not long before he and his fellowe pilgrimes obtained for their money mary yet with more prayers then a beggar makes in thrée Termes to stand and drinke some thirtie foote from the doore To this house of tipling iniquitie hée repaires againe coniuring the Lares or walking Sprites in it if it were Christmas that it was well put in and in the name of God to succor and rescue him to their power out of the handes of infection which now assaulted his body the Diuell would haue bene afraid of this coniuration but they were not yet afraid they were it séemed for presently the doores had their woodden ribs crusht in pieces by being beatâ—n together the casements were shut more close than an Usurers greasie veluet powch the drawing windowes were hangd drawne and quartred not a creuis but was stopt not a mouse-hole left open for all the holes in the house were most wickedly dambd vp mine Hoste and Hostesse ranne ouer one another into the backe-side the maydes into the Orchard quiuering and quaking and ready to hang themselues on the innocent Plumb trées for hanging to them would not be so sore a death as the Plague and to die maides too O horrible As for the Tapster he fled into the Cellar rapping out fiue or sixe plaine Countrey oathes that hée would drowne himselfe in a most villanous Stand of Ale if the sicke Londoner stoode at the doore any longer But stand there he must for to go away well he cannot but continues knocking and calling in a faint voyce which in their eares sounded as if some staring ghost in a Tragedie had exclaimd vpon Rhadamanth he might knocke till his hands akte and call till his heart akte for they were in a worse pickle within then hée was without hée being in a good way to go to Heauen they being so frighted that they scarce knew whereabout Heauen stoode onely they all cryed out Lord haue mercie vpon vs yet Lord haue mercy vpon vs was the only thing they feared The dolefull catastrophe of all is a bed could not be had for all Babilon not a cup of drinke no nor cold water be gotten though it had 〈◊〉 or Alexander the great 〈◊〉 a draught of Aquaâ—vâ—tae might haue saued his soule the towne denyed to do God that good seruice What miserie continues euer the poore man standing thuâ— at deaths doore and looking euery minute when he should bee let in behold another Londoner that had likewise bene in the Frigida zona of the Countrey and was returning like Aeneas out of hell to the heauen of his owne home makes a stand at this sight to play the Physition and seeing by the complexion of his patient that he was sicke at heart applies to his soule the best medicines that his comforting spéech could make for there dwell no Poticary néere enough to helpe his body Being therefore driuen out of all other shiâ—tes he leads him into a field a bundle of Stawe which with much adoe he bought for money seruing in stead of a Pillow But the Destinies hearing the diseased
the agony of a sicknesse which this yeare had a saying to her to fall to mending aswell as her husband did The bed that she lay vpon being as she thought or rather feared the last bed that euer should beare her for many other beds had boâ—ne her you must remember and the worme of sinne tickling her conscience vp she calls her very innocent and simple husband out of his vertuous shoppe where like Iustice he sat distributing amongst the poore to some halfe-penny peeces penny péeces to some and two-penny peeces to others so long as they would last his prouident care being alway that euery man and woman should goe vpright To the beds side of his plaguy wire approacheth Monsieur Cobler to vnderstand what deadly newes she had to tell him and the rest of his kinde neighbours that there were assembled such thicke teares standing in both the gutters of his 〈◊〉 to sée his beloued lie in such a pickle that in their salt water all his vtterance was drownd which she perceiuing wept as fast as he But by the warme counsell that sat about the bed the shower ceast she wiping her chéekes with the corner of one of the shéetes and he his sullieâ— face with his leatherne apron At last two or thrée sighes like a Chorus to the tragedy ensuing stepping out first wringing her handes which gaue the better action shée told the pittifull Actaeon her husband that she had often done him wrong hee onely shooke his head at this and cried humh Which humh she taking as the watch-word of his true patience vnraueld the bottome of her frailetie at length and concluded that with such a man and named him but I hope you would not haue me follow her steppes and name him too she practised the vniuersall common Art of grafting and that vpon her good mans head they two had planted a monstrous paire of inuisible hornes At the sound of the hornes my cobler started vppe like a march Hare and began to looke wilde his awle neuer ranne through the sides of a boote as that word did through his heart but being a polliticke cobler and remembring what péece of worke he was to vnder-lay stroking his beard like some graue headborough of the Parish and giuing a nodde as who should say goe on bade her goe on indéed clapping to her sore soule this generall salue that All are sinnes and we must forgiue c. For hée hoped by such wholesome Phisicke as Shooemakers waxe being laide to a byle to draw out all the corruption of her secret villanies She good heart being tickled vnder gilles with the finger of these kind spéeches turnes vp the white of her eye and fetches out an other An other O thou that art trained vp in nothing but to handle péeces Another hath discharged his Artillery against thy castle of fortification here was passâ—on predominant Vulcan strooke the coblers ghost for he was now no cobler so hardy vpon his breast that he cryed Oh! his neighbours taking pitte to sée what terrible stitches pulld him rubde his swelling temples with the iuice of patience which by vertue of the blackish sweate that stoode reaking on his browes and had made them supple entred very easily into his now-parlous-vnderstanding scull so that he left wenching and sate quiet as a Lamb falling to his old vomite of councell which he had cast vp before and swearing because he was in strong hope this shoo should wring him no more to seale her a generall acquittance prickâ— forward with this gentle spur her tongue mends his pace so that in her confession shée ouertooke others whose poâ—tes had béene set all night on the Coblers laast bestowing vppon him the poe sie of their names the time and place to thin tent it might be put in to his next wifes wedding ring And although shée had made all these blots in his tables yet the bearing of one man false whom she had not yet discouered stucke more in her stomacke than all the rest O valiant Cobler cries out one of the Auditors how art thou set vpon how are thou tempted happy arte thou that thou art not in thy shop for in stead of cutting out péeces of leather thou wouldst doubtlesse now pare away thy hart for I sée and so do all thy neighbours here thy wife 's ghostly fathers sée that a small matter would now cause thée turne turk to meddle with no more patches but to liue within the compasse of thy wit lift not vp thy collar be not horne mad thanke heauen that the murther is reueald study thou Baltazars Part in Ieronimo for thou hast more cause though lesse reason than he to be glad and sad Well I sée thou art worthy to haue patient Griseld to thy wife for thou bearest more than she thou shewst thy selfe to be a right cobler and no sowter that canst thus cleanely clowt vp the seam-rent sides of thy affection With this learned Oration the Cobler was tutord layd his singer on his mouth and cried paucos palabros he had sealed her pardon and therefore bid her not feare héervpon he named the malefactor I could name him too but that he shall liue to giue more Coblers heads the Bastinado And told that on such a night when he supt there for a Lord may sup with a clobler that hath a pretty wench to his wife when the cloth O treacheroâ—s linnen was taken vp and Menelaus had for a parting blow giuen the other his fist downe she lights this half-sharer opening the wicket but not shutting him out of the wicket but conuâ—is him into a byroom being the wardrob of old shooes and leather from whence the vnicorne cobler that dreamâ— of no such spirits being ouer head and eares in sléepe his snorting giuing the signe that he was cock-sure softly out-steales sir Paris and to Helenaes téeth prooued himselfe a true Troian This was the creame of her confusion which being skimd off from the stomach of her conscience we looked euery minute to goe thither where we should be farre enough out of the Coblers reach But the Fates laying their heades together sâ—nt a repriue the plague that before meant to pâ—pper her by little and little left her company which newes being blowne abroâ—d Oh lamentable neuer did the olde buskind tragedy beginne till now for the wiues of those husbands with whom she had playd at fast and loose came with nayles sharpened for the nonce like cattes and tongues forkedly cut like the stings of adders fiâ—st to scratch out false Cressidaes eyes and then which was worse to worry her to dath with scolding But the matter was tooke vp in a Tauerne the case was altered and brought to a new reckoning mary the blood of the Burdeaux grape was first shead about it but in the end all anger on euery side was powred into a pottle pot there burnt to death Now whether this Recantation was true or whether the stéeme of infection fuming vp