charge And so saye I by proofe too dearely bought My haste mad wast my braue and brainsicke barge Did float to fast to catch a thing of nought With leasure measure meane and many mo I mought haue kept a chayre of quiet state But hastie heads can not bée setled so Till croked Fortune giue a crabbed mate As busie braynes muste beate on tickle toyes As rashe inuention bréedes a rawe deuise So sodayne falles doe hinder hastie ioyes And as swifte baytes doe fléetest fyshe entice So haste makes waste and therefore nowe I saye No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye 7. No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye For profe whereof behold the simple snayle Who sées the souldiers carcasse caste a waye With hotte assaulte the Castle to assayle By line and leysure clymes the loftye wall And winnes the turrettes toppe more conningly Than doughtyé Dick who loste his life and all With hoysting vp his head to hastilye The swiftest bitche brings foorth the blyndest whelpes The hottest Feuers coldest crampes ensue The nakedst néede hathe ouer latest helpes With Neuyle then I finde this prouerbe true That haste makes waste and therefore still I saye No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye Sic tuli Richarde Courtop the last of the fiue gaue him this theame Durum aeneum miserabile aeuum and therevpon hee wrote in this wise WHen péerelesse Princes courtes were frée from flatterie The Iustice from vnequal doome the quest from periurie The pillers of the state from proude presumption The clearkes from heresie the commones from rebellion Then right rewardes were giuen by swaye of dewe desarte Then vertues derlinges might be plaste aloft to play their part Then might they coumpt it true that hath béene sayde of olde The children of those happie dayes were borne in beds of golde And swadled in the same the Nurse that gaue them sucke Was wife to liberallitie and lemman to good lucke When Caesar woon the fielde his captaines caught the Townes And euery painful souldiours purse was crammed ful of crownes Licurgus for good Lawes lost his owne libertie And thought it better to preferre common commoditie But nowe the times are turnde it is not as it was The golde is gone the siluer sunke and nothing left but brasse To sée a King encroache what wonder should it séeme When commons cannot be content with countrie Dyadeeme The Prince maye dye a babe trust vp by trecherie Where vaine ambition doth moue trustlesse nobillitye Errours in pulpit preache where faith in priesthood failes Promotion not deuotion is cause why cleargie quailes Thus is the stage stakt out where all these partes be plaide And I the prologue should pronounce but that I am afraide First Cayphas playes the Priest and Herode sits as king Pylate the Iudge Iudas the Iurour verdict in doth bring Vaine tatling plaies the vice well cladde in ritche aray And poore Tom Trooth is laught to skorn with garments nothing gay The woman wantonnesse shée commes with ticing traine Pride in hir pocket plaies bo péepe and bawdry in hir braine Hir handmaides be deceipte daunger and dalliaunce Riot and Reuell follow hir they be of hir alliaunce Next these commes in Sim Swashe to see what sturre they kéepe Clim of the Clough then takes his héeles t is time for him to créepe To packe the pageaunt vp commes Sorrow with a song He say these iestes can get no grotes al this geare goth wrong Fyrst pride without cause why he singes the treble parte The meane hee mumbles out of tune for lacke of life and hart Cost lost the counter Tenor chanteth on apace Thus all in discords stands the cliffe and beggrie singes the base The players loose their paines where so fewe pence are sturring Their garmēts weare for lacke of gains fret for lack of furring When all is done and past was no part plaide but one For euerye player plaide the foole tyll all be spent and gone And thus this foolishe iest I put in dogrell rime Because a crosier staffe is best for such a crooked time Sic tuli ¶ And thus an ende of these fiue Theames admounting to the number of CCLVIII. verses deuised ryding by the way writing none of them vntill he came at the ende of his Iourney the which was no longer than one day in ryding one daye in tarying with his friend and the thirde in returning to Greyes Inne and therefore called Gascoignes memories ¶ A gloze vpon this text Dominus ijs opus habet MY recklesse race is runne gréene youth and pride be past My riper mellowed yéeres beginne to follow on as fast My glancing lookes are gone which wonted were to prie In euerie gorgious garishe glasse that glistred in mine eie My sight is now so dimme it can behold none such No mirrour but the merrie meane can please my fansie much And in that noble glasse I take delight to vewe The fashions of the wonted world compared by the newe For marke who lyst to looke eche man is for him selfe And beates his braine to hord heape this trashe worldly pelfe Our handes are closed vp great giftes go not abroade Fewe men wyll lende a locke of heye but for to gaine a loade Giue Gaue is a good man what néede we lashe it out The world is wondrous feareful now for danger bids men doubt And aske how chaunceth this or what meanes all this meede Forsoothe the common aunswere is because the Lord hath neede A noble iest by gisse I finde it in my glasse The same fréeholde our sauiour Christ conueyed to his asse A texte to trie the trueth and for this time full fitte Fo where should we our lessons learne but out of holy writte First marke our onely God which ruleth all the rost He sets a side all pompe and pride wherin fond wordlings boast His trayne is not so great as filthy Sathans band A smaller heard maye serue to féede at our great masters hand Next marke the heathens Gods and by them shall we sée They be not now so good fellowes as they were wonte to be Ioue Mars and Mercurie Dame Venus and the rest They bāquet not as they were wont they know it were not best So kinges and princes both haue left their halles at large Their priuie chambers cost enough they cut off euery charge And when an office falles as chaunce somtimes maye bée First kepe it close a yere or twayne then geld it by the fee. And giue it out at last but yet with this prouiso A bridle for a brainsicke Iade durante bene placito Some thinke these ladders low to climbe alofte with spéede Well let them créepe at leisure thē for sure the Lord hath neede Dukes Earles and Barons bold haue learnt like lesson nowe They breake vp house come to courte they liue not by that plowe Percase their roomes be skant not like their stately boure A field bed in a corner coucht a pallad on the floure
not how redde he is about the gilles Phi. Abide fellow what Philogano is it whome thou talkest of Da. An honest gentlemaÌ„ father to Erostrato my maister Phi. And where is he Da. Here within Phi. May we sée him Da. I thinke you may if you be not blind Phi. Go to go tel him here is one wold speake with him Da. Mary that I will willingly doe Phi. I can not tell what I shoulde say to this géere Litio what thinkest thou of it Li. I cannot tell you what I shoulde say sir the worlde is large and long there maye be moe Philoganos and moe Erostratos than one yea and moe Ferraras moe Sicilias and moe Cathaneas peraduenture this is not that Ferrara whiche you sent your sonne vnto Phi. Peraduenture thou arte a foole and he was another that answered vs euen now But be you sure honest man that you mistake not the house Fer. Nay then god helpe thinke you I knowe not Erostratos house yes and himselfe also I sawe him here no longer since thaÌ„ yesterday But here coÌ„mes one that wil tell vs tydings of him I like his countenaunce better than the others that answered at the windowe erewhile Dalio draweth his hed in at the wyndowe the Scenese commeth out Scena v. SCENESE PHLLOGANO DALIO WOuld you speake with me sir Phi. Yea sir I would faine knowe whence you are Sce. Sir I am a Sicilian at your commaundement Phi. What part of Sicilia Sce. Of Cathanea Phi. What shall I call your name Sce. My name is Philogano Phi. What trade doe you occupie Sce. Marchandise Phi. What marchandise brought you hither Sce. None I â—ame onely to see a sonne that I haue here whom I sawe not these two yeares Phi. What call they your sonne Sce Erostrato Phi. Is Erostrato your sonne Sce. Yea verily Phi. And are you Philogano Sce. The same Phi. And a marchant of Cathanea Sce. What néede I tell you so often I will not tell you a lye Phi. Yes you haue told me a false lie and thou arte a vilaine and no better Sce. Sir you offer me great wrong with these iniurious wordes Phi. Nay I will doe more than I haue yet proffered to doe for I will proue thée a lyer and a knaue to take vpon thée that thou art not Sce. Sir I am Philogano of Cathanea out of all doubte if I were not I would be loth to tell you so Phi. Oh sée the boldnesse of this brute beast what a brasen face he setteth on it Sce. Well you may beleue me if you liste what wonder you Phi. I wonder at thy impudencie for thou nor nature that framed thée can euer counterfaite thee to be me ribauld villaine and lying wretch that thou arte Da. Shall I suffer a knaue to abuse my maisters father thus hence villaine hence or I will sheath this good fawchioÌ„ in your pauÌ„ch if my maister Erostrato find you prating here on this fashioÌ„ to his father I wold not be in your coate for mo conney skins thaÌ„ I gat these twelue monethes come you in againe sir and let this Curre barke here till he burst Dalio pulleth the Scenese in at the dores Scena vj. PHILOGANO LITIO FERARESE LItio how likest thou this géere Li. Sir I like it as euill as may be but haue you not often heard tell of the falsehood of Ferara and now may you sée it falleth out accordingly Fer. Friend you do not well to slaunder the Citie these men are no Ferrareses you may know by their tong Li. Well there is neuer a barrell better herring béetwene you both but in déed your officers are most to blame that suffer such faultes to escape vnpunished Fer. What knowe the officers of this thinke you they know of euery fault Li. Nay I thinke they will knowe as little as may bée specially when they haue no gaines by it but they ought to haue their eares as open to heare of such offeÌ„ces as the In-gates be to receiue guests Phi. Holde thy peace foole Li. By the masse I am a fearde that we shall be proued fooles both two Phi. Well what shall we doe Li. I would thinke best we should go séeke Erostrato him selfe Fer. I will waite vpon you willingly and either at the schooles or at the conuocations we shall find him Phi. By our Lady I am wery I will run no longer about to seke him I am sure hither he will come at the last Li. Sure my mind giues me that we shall find a new Erostrato ere it be long Fe. Looke where he is whether runnes he stay you awhile I will goe tell him that you are here Erostrato Erostraro ho Erostrato I would speake with you Erostrato is espied vppon the stage running about Scena vij Fained EROSTRATO FERARESE PHILOGANO LITIO DALIO NOwe can I hide me no longer Alas what shall I doe I will set a good face on to beare out the matter Fera. O Erostrato Philogano your father is come out of Sicilia Ero. Tell me that I knowe not I haue bene with him and séene him alredy Fera. Is it possible and it séemeth by him that you know not of his comming Ero. Why haue you spoken with him when saw you him I pray you Fera. Loke you where he standes why go you not too him Looke you Philogano beholde your deare son Erostrato Phi. Erostrato this is not Erostrato thys séemeth rather to be Dulipo and it is Dulipo in déede Li. Why doubte you of that Ero. What saith this honest man Phi. Mary sir in deede you are so honorably â—ladde it is no maruell if you loke bigge Ero. To whome speaketh he Phi. What God helpe do you not know me Ero. As farre as I remember Sir I neuer sawe you before Phi. Harke Litio hâ—â—e is good géere this honest man will not know me Ero. Gentleman you take your markes amisse Li. Did I not tell you of the falsehood of Ferrara master Dulipo hath learned to play the knaue indifferently well since he came hither Phi. Peace I say Ero. Friend my name is not Dulipo aske you thorough out this towne of great and small they know me aske this honest man that is with you if you wyll not beléeue me Ferra. In déede I neuer knewe him otherwise called than Erostrato and so they call him as many as knowe him Li. Master nowe you may sée the falsehood of these fellowes this honest man your hoste is of counsaile with him and would face vs down that it is Erostrato beware of these mates Fera. Friende thou doest me wrong to suspect me for sure I neuer hearde hym otherwise called than Erostrato Ero. What name could you heare me called by but by my right name But I am wise enough to stand prating here with this old man I thinke he be mad Phi. Ah runnagate ah villaine traitour doest thou vse thy master thus what hast thou done with my son villain Da. Doth this dogge barke here still
my will with flames of feruent loue To further forth the fruite of my desire My fréends deuisde this meane for my behoue They made a match according to my mind And cast a snare my fansie for to blind Short tale to make the déede was almost donne Before I knew which way the worke begonne And with this lot I did my selfe content I lent a liking to my parents choyse With hand and hart I gaue my frée consent And hung in hope for euer to reioyce I liu'd and lou'd long time in greater ioy Than shée which held king Priams sonne of Troy But thrée lewd lots haue chang'd my heauen to hell And those be these giue eare and marke them well First slaunder he which alwayes beareth hate To happy harts in heauenly state that bide Gan play his part to stirre vp some debate Whereby suspect into my choyse might glide And by his meanes the slime of false suspect Did as I feare my dearest friend infect Thus by these twayn long was I plungd in paine Yet in good hope my hart did still remaine But now aye me the greatest grief of all Sound loud my Lute and tell it out my toong The hardest hap that euer might befall The onely cause wherfore this song is soong Is this alas my loue my Lord my Roy My chosen pheare my gemme and all my ioye Is kept perforce out of my dayly sight Whereby I lacke the stay of my delight In loftie walles in strong and stately towers With troubled minde in solitary sorte My louely Lord doth spend his dayes and howers A weary life deuoyde of all disport And I poore soule must lie here all alone To tyre my trueth and wound my will with mone Such is my hap to shake my blooming time With winters blastes before it passe the prime Now haue you heard the summe of all my grief Whereof to tell my hart oh rends in twayne Good Ladies yet lend you me some relief And beare a parte to ease me of my payne My sortes are such that waying well my trueth They might prouoke the craggy rocks to rueth And moue these walles with teares for to lament The lothsome life wherein my youth is spent But thou my Lute be still now take thy rest Repose thy bones vppon this bed of downe Thou hast dischargd some burden from my brest Wherefore take thou my place herelie thée downe And let me walke to tyre my restlesse minde Vntill I may entreate some curteous winde To blow these wordes vnto my noble make That he may sée I sorow for his sake Meritum petere graue A Riddle A Lady once did aske of me This preatie thing in priuitie Good sir quod she faine would I craue One thing which you your selfe not haue Nor neuer had yet in times past Nor neuer shall while life doth last And if you séeke to find it out You loose your labour out of doubt Yet if you loue me as you say Then giue it me for sure you may Meritum petere graue The shield of loue c. L'Escü d'amour the shield of perfect loue The shield of loue the force of stedfast faith The force of faith which neuer will remoue But standeth fast to bide the brunts of death That trustie targe hath long borne off the blowes And broke the thrusts which absence at me throwes In dolefull dayes I lead an absent life And wound my will with many a weary thought I plead for peace yet sterue in stormes of strife I find debate where quiet rest was sought These panges with mo vnto my paine I proue Yet beare I all vppon my shield of loue In colder cares are my conceipts consumd Than Dido felt when false Aeneas fled In farre more heat than trusty Troylus fumde When craftie Cressyde dwelt with Diomed My hope such frost my hot desire such flame That I both fryse and smoulder in the same So that I liue and die in one degrée Healed by hope and hurt againe with dread Fast bound by faith when fansie would be frée Vntied by trust though thoughts enthrall my head Reuiu'd by ioyes when hope doth most abound And yet with grief in depth of dolors drownd In these assaultes I féele my féebled force Begins to faint thus weried still in woes And scarcely can my thus consumed corse Hold vp this Buckler to beare of these blowes So that I craue or presence for relief Or some supplie to ease mine absent grief Lenuoie To you deare Dame this dolefull plaint I make Whose onely sight may soone redresse my smart Then shew your selfe and for your seruaunts sake Make hast post hast to helpe a faithfull harte Mine owne poore shield hath me defended long Now lend me yours for elles you do me wrong Meritum petere graue A gloze vpon this text Dominus ijs opus habet MY recklesse race is runne gréene youth and pride be past My riper mellowed yeares beginne to follow on as fast My glancing lookes are gone which wonted were to prie In euery gorgeous garish glasse that glistred in mine eie My sight is now so dimme it can behold none such No mirrour but the merrie meane can please my fansie muche And in that noble glasse I take delight to view The fashions of the wonted worlde compared by the new For marke who list to looke each man is for him selfe And beates his braine to hord heape this trash worldly pelfe Our hands are closed vp great gifts go not abroade Few men will lend a locke of heye but for to gaine a loade Giue gaue is a good man what néede we lash it out The world is wōdrous fearfull now for danger bids men doubt And aske how chanceth this or what meanes all this méede Forsooth the common answer is because the Lord hath neede A noble iest by gisse I find it in my glasse The same fréehold our Sauiour Christ conueyed to his asse A text to trie the truth and for this time full fitte For where should we our lessons learne but out of holy writte First marke our only God which ruleth all the rost He sets aside all pompe and pride wherein fond wordlings boast His traine is not so great as filthy Sathans band A smaller heard may serue to féede at our great masters hand Next marke the heathens Gods and by them shall we sée They be not now so good fellowes as they were woont to be Ioue Mars and Mercurie Dame Venus and the rest They bāquet not as they were wont they know it were not best So kings and Princes both haue lefte their halles at large Their priuie chambers cost enough they cut off euery charge And when an office falles as chance sometimes may be First kéepe it close a yeare or twaine then geld it by the fée And giue it out at last but yet with this prouiso A bridle for a brainsicke Iade durante bene placito Some thinke these ladders low to climbe alofte with spéede Well let them
vnder him than to descant any longer vpon Ferdinandoes playne song and thus they continued in good accord vntill it fortuned that Dame Fraunces came into her chamber vpon such sodaine as she had like to haue marred all the musicke well they conueyed their clifes as closely as they could but yet not altogither without some suspicion giuen to the sayd dame Fraunces who although she could haue bene cōtent to take any paine in Ieronimies behalfe yet otherwise she could neuer haue bestowed the watching about so worthelesse a pryse After womanly salutations they fell into sundrye discourses the Secretary stil abiding in the chamber with them At last two or thrée other gentlewomen of the Castle came into Madam Elinores chamber who after their Bon iour did all vna voce séeme to lament the sikenes of Ferdinando and called vppon the Dames Elynor and Fraunces to goe visite him againe The Lady Fraunces curteously consented but Madame Elynor first alledged that she her selfe was also sickly the which she attributed to hir late paynes taken about him and sayd that onely for that cause she was constrayned to kepe hir bed longer than hir accustomed hower The Dames but specially the Lady Fraunces gan streight wayes coniecture some great cause of sodaine chaūge and so leauing dame Elinor walked altogether into the parke to take the ayre in the morning And as they thus walked it chaūced that Dame Pergo heard a Cuckoe chaunt who because the pride of the spring was now past cried Cuck cuck Cuckoe in hir stamering voyce A ha quod Pergo this foule byrd begines to flye the countrye and yet before hir departure sée how spitfully she can deuyse to salute vs Not so quod Dame Fraunces but some other whom she hath espyed wherewith Dame Pergo looking round about hir and espying none other companie sayde Why here is no body but we few women qd she Thanks be to God the house is not farre from vs quod Dame Fraunces Here at the wylie Pergo partly perceyuing Dame Fraunces meaning replyed on this sort I vnderstand you not quod she but to leap out of this matter shall wée goe visit Maister Ieronimy and see how he doth this morning Why quod dame Fraunces do you suppose that the Cuckoe called vnto him Nay mary quod Pergo for as fare as I knowe he is not maried As who should say quod Dame Fraunces that the Cuckoe enuieth none but maryed folkes I take it so sayd Pergo the Lady Frances answered Yes sure I haue noated as euill lucke in loue after the Cuckoes call to haue hapned vnto diuers vnmaried folkes as euer I did vnto the maryed but I can be well content that we go vnto him for I promised on the behalfe of vs al that we would vse our best deuoyre to recomfort him vntill he had recouered helth and I do much meruayle that the Lady Elinor is now become so vnwilling to take any trauayle in his behalfe especially remembring that but yesternight she was so diligent to bring him to bed But I perceiue that all earthly thinges are subiect vnto change Euen so they be quod Pergo for you maye behold the trées which but euen this other daye were clad in gladsome gréene and nowe their leaues begin to fade and change collour Thus they passed talkeing and walking vntill they returned vnto the Castle whereas they went strayght vnto Ferdinandoes chamber and found him in bed Why how now Trust quod Dame Fraunces will it be no better Yes shortly I hope quod he The Ladyes all saluted him and he gaue them the gra-mercy at the last Pergo popped this question vnto him And howe haue you slept in your Mistres shetes Mayster Ieronemy quod she reasonably well quod he but I pray you where is my mistresse this morning Mary sayd Pergo we left hir in bed scarce well at ease I am the more sorye quod he Why Trust sayd Mistresse Fraunces be of good comfort assure your selfe that here are others who would be as glad of your wel doing as your mistres in any respect I ought not to doubt there of quod Ferdinādo hauing the profe that I haue had of your great courtesies but I thought it my dutye to aske for my mistresse being absent Thus they passed some time with him vntill they were called awaye vnto prayers and that being finished they went to dinner where they met Dame Elynor attired in an night kerchiefe after the soolenest the solempnest fashion I should haue said who loked very drowsely vpon all folkes vnlesse it were hir secretary vnto whom she deigned somtime to lend a frendly glaunce The Lord of the Castle demaunded of hir how master Ieronemy did this morning She answered that she knew not for she had not sene him that day You may do wel then daughter quod the Lord to go now vnto him and to assay if he will eate any thing and if here be no meates that like him I praye you commaunde for him anye thing that is in my house You must pardon me sir quod she I am sickely disposed and would be loth to take the ayre why then go you mistres Fraunces quod he and take some body with you and I charge you sée that he lacke nothing Mistres Fraunces was glad of the ambassege and arysing from the table with one other gentleman tooke with hir a dish of chikins boiled in white broth saying to hir father I think this meat méetest for mayster Ieronimy Of any that is here It is so quod he daughter and if he like not that cause some what els to be dressed for him according to his apetite Thus she departed and came to Ferdinando who being plonged in sundry woes and thrilled with restlesse thoughtes was nowe beginning to rise But seing the Dames couched down agayne and sayd vnto them Alas fayre Ladyes you put your selues to more paynes than eyther I do desire or can deserue Good Trust quod Dame Fraunces our paynes are no greater than duty requireth nor yet so great as we could vouchsafee in your behalfe And presently my father hath sent vs vnto you quod she with this pittaunce and if your apetite desire any on thing more than other we are to desire likewise that you will not refrayne to call for it Oh my good Hope quod he I perceiue that I shall not dye as long as you maye make me liue And being nowe some deale recomforted with the remembraunce of his mistres words which she hadde vsed ouer night at hir first comming and also thinkinge that although shee parted in choller it was but iustlye prouoked by him selfe and that at leasure hee shoulde finde some salue for that sore also hée determined to take the comforte of his assured Hope and so to expell all venomnes of mistrust before receiued Wherfor raising him selfe in his bed hee cast a night gowne about his shoulders saying It shall neuer be sayd that my fainting hart can reiect the comfortable Cordialles
from all filthie phrases corrected in all erronious places and beautified vvith addition of many moral examples To the seconde although I be sometimes constreyned for the cadence of rimes or per licentiam Poeticam to vse an ynkehorne terme or a straunge vvord Yet hope I that it shall be apparant I haue rather regarde to make our natiue language commendable in it selfe than gay vvith the feathers of straunge birdes To the thirde reason may be obiected that if I vvere so desirous to haue my capacitie knovvne I shoulde haue done much better to haue trauelled in some notorious peece of vvorke vvhich might generally haue spred my commendation The vvhich I confesse But yet is it true that I must take the Foord as I finde it Sometimes not as I vvoulde but as I may And since the ouersight of my youth had brought mee farre behinde hande and indebted vnto the vvorld I thought good in the meane time to pay as much as I had vntill it might please God better to inable me For commonly the greediest creditor is appeased if he see his debitor vvilling to pay vvhē he hath any thing And therefore being busied in martiall affayres vvhereby also I sought some aduauncement I thought good to notifie vnto the vvorlde before my returne that I coulde as vvell persuade vvith Penne as pearce vvith launce or vveapon So that yet some noble minde might be incouraged both to exercise me in time of peace and to emploie mee in time of seruice in vvarre To the fourth and last considerations I had alledged of late by a right reuerende father that although in deede out of euerie floure the industrious Bee may gather honie yet by proofe the Spider thereout also sucks mischeeuous poyson VVherevnto I can none othervvise ansvvere but that he vvho vvill throvv a stone at euerie Dogge vvhich barketh had neede of a great satchell or pocket And if the learned iudgements and honest mindes doe both construe my doings aright and take therein either councell or commoditie then care I the lesse vvhat the vvicked conceyue of my conceytes For I esteeme more the prayse of one learned Reader than I regard the curious carping of ten thousande vnlettered lettered tattlers To conclude right reuerend as these considerations did specially moue me at first to consent to the imprinting of these posies so novve haue I yet a further consideration vvhich moueth mee most earnestly to sue for this second edition or publishing of the same And that is this I vnderstande that sundrie vvell disposed mindes haue taken offence at certaine vvanton vvordes and sentences passed in the fable of Ferdinando Ieronimi and the Ladie Elinora de Valasco the vvhich in the first edition vvas termed The aduentures of master F. I. And that also thervvith some busie coniectures haue presumed to thinke that the same vvas indeed vvritten to the scandalizing of some vvorthie personages vvhom they vvoulde seeme therby to knovv Surely right reuerend I smile to see the simplicitie of such vvho being indeed starke staring blind vvould yet seeme to see farre into a milstone And the rather I scorne their rash iudgements for that in talking vvith .xx. of them one after another there haue not tvvo agreed in one coniecture Alas alas if I had bene so foolishe as to haue passed in recitall a thing so done in deede yet all the vvorld might thinke me verie simple if I vvoulde call Iohn Iohn or Mary Mary But for the better satisfying of all men vniuersally I doe here protest vnto you reuerend euen by the hope of my saluation that there is no liuing creature touched or to be noted therby And for the rest you shall find it novv in this second imprinting so turquened and turned so clensed from all vnclenly vvordes and so purged from the humor of inhumanitie as percase you vvoulde not iudge that it vvas the same tale For although I haue bin heretofore contented to suffer the publication thereof only to the ende men might see my Methode and maner of vvriting yet am I novve thus desirous to set it forth eftsoones to the ende all men might see the reformation of my minde And that all suspitions may be suppressed and throughly satisfied by this mine vnfeined protestation vvhich I make vnto you in that behalfe Finally vvere it not that the same is alreadie extant in such sort as hath moued offence I should rather be cōtent to cancel it vtterly to obliuion then thus to returne it in a nevv patched cote And for full proofe of mine earnest zeale in Gods seruice I require of you reuerende most instantly that if hereby my skill seeme sufficient to vvade in matters of greater importance you vvill then vouchsafe to employ mee accordingly Surely you shall finde me no lesse readie to vndertake a vvhole yeares trauaile in anie vvorke vvhich you shall thinke me able to ouercome than I haue beene vvilling heretofore to spende three houres in penning of an amorous Sonnet Euen so being desirous that all men generally and you especially should conceiue of me as I meane I haue thus farre troubled your lerned eies vvith this plaine Epistle vvritten for my purgation in matters vvhiche else might both haue offended you and giuen great batterie to the ramparts of my poore credite The God of peace vouchsafe to gouerne and product you and me and all his in quiet of conscience and strength of spirit Amen From my poore house at VValtamstovv in the Forest this last day of Ianuarie 1574. To al yong Gentlemen and generally to the youth of England George Gascoigne Esquire by birth and Souldiour by profession wisheth increase of knowledge in all vertuous exercises GAllant Gentlemen and lustie youthes of this my natiue Countrey I haue here as you see published in print suche Posies and rymes as I vsed in my youth the which for the barbarousnesse of the stile may seeme worthlesse and yet for the doubtfulnesse of some darke places they haue also seemed heretofore daūgerous So that men may iustly both condemne me of rashnesse and wonder at my simplicitie in suffering or procuring the same to be imprinted A yong man well borne tenderly fostered and delicately accompanied shall hardly passe ouer his youth without falling into some snares of the Diuell and temptations of the flesh But a man of middle yeares who hath to his cost experimented the vanities of youth and to his perill passed them who hath bought repentance deare and yet gone through vvith the bargaine who seeth before his face the tyme past lost and the rest passing away in post Such a man had more neede to be well aduised in his doings and resolute in his determinations For with more ease and greater fauour may we answere for tenne madde follies committed in grene youth than one sober ouersight escaped in yeares of discretion Lycurgus the good princely Philosopher ordeyned that if an olde man perceiuing a yong man to commit any dishonestie did not rebuke but suffer him the aged
louer that thinketh with kissing and colling to content his vnbrideled apetite is cōmonly seene the only cause of his owne consumption Two yeeres are nowe past since vnder the colour of Damons seruice I haue bene a sworne seruant to Cupid of whom I haue receiued as much fauour grace as euer man founde in his seruice I haue free libertie at al times to behold my desired to talke with hir to embrace hir yea be it spoken in secrete to lie with hir I reape the fruites of my desire yet as my ioyes abounde euen so my paines encrease I fare like the couetous man that hauing all the world at will is neuer yet content the more I haue the more I desire Alas what wretched estate haue I brought my selfe vnto if in the ende of all my farre fetches she be giuen by hir father to this olde doting doctor this buzard this bribing villaine that by so many meanes seeketh to obtain hir at hir fathers hāds I know she loueth me best of all others but what may that preuaile when perforce she shal be cōstrained to marie another Alas the pleasant tast of my sugred ioyes doth yet remaine so perfect in my remēbrance that the least soppe of sorow séemeth more soure thā gal in my mouth If I had neuer knowen delight with better contentatiō might I haue passed these dreadful dolours And if this olde Mumpsimus whom the pockes consume should win hir then may I say farewell the pleasant talke the kind embracings yea farewel the sight of my Polynestat for he like a ielouse wretch will pen hir vp that I thinke the birdes of the aire shall not winne the sighte of hir I hoped to haue caste a blocke in his waie by the meanes that my seruaunt who is supposed to be Erostrato and with my habite and credite is wel estéemed should proffer himself a suter at the least to counteruaile the doctors proffers But my maister knowing the wealth of the one and doubting the state of the other is determined to be fed no longer with faire wordes but to accept the doctor whom he right well knoweth for his sonne in law Wel my seruant promised me yesterday to deuise yet againe some newe conspiracie to driue maister doctor out of conceite and to laye a snare that the foxe himselfe might be caughte in what it is I knowe not nor I saw him not since he went about it I will goe sée if he be within that at least if he helpe me not be maye yet prolong my life for this once But here commeth his lackie ho Iack pack where is Erostrato Here must Crapine be comming in with a basket and a sticke in his hand Scena iiij CRAPINO the Lackie DVLIPO ERostrato mary he is in his skinne Du. Ah hooreson boy I say howe shall I finde Erostrato Cra. Finde him howe meane you by the wéeke or by the yéere Du. You cracke halter if I catche you by the eares I shall make you answere me directly Cra. In déede Du. Tarry me a little Cra. In faith sir I haue no leisure Du. Shall we trie who can runne fastest Cra. Your legges be longer than mine you should haue giuen me the aduauntage Du. Go to tell me where is Erostrato Cra. I left him in the stréete where he gaue me this Casket this basket I would haue sayde and had me beare it to Dalio and returne to him at the Dukes Palace Du. If thou sée him tell him I must needes speake with him immediatly or abide awhyle I will go seeke him my selfe rather than he suspected by going to his house Crapino departeth and Dulipo also after Dulipo commeth in agayne seeking Erostrato Finis Actus 1. Actus ij Scena j. DVLIPO EROSTRATO I Thinke if I had as many eyes as Argus I coulde not haue sought a man more narrowly in euery stréete and euery by lane there are not many Gentlemen scholers nor Marchauntes in the Citie of Ferara but I haue mette with them excepte him peraduenture hée is come home an other way but looke where he commeth at the last Ero. In good time haue I spied my good maister Du. For the loue of God call me Dulipo not master maintayne the credite that thou haste hitherto kepte and let me alone Ero. Yet sir let me sometimes do my duetie vnto you especially where no body heareth Du. Yea but so long the Parat vseth to crie knappe in sporte that at the last she calleth hir maister knaue in earnest so long you will vse to call me master that at the last we shall be heard What newes Ero. Good. Du. In déede Ero. Yea excellent we haue as good as won the wager Du. Oh how happie were I if this were true Ero. Heare you me yesternight in the euening I walked out and founde Pasiphilo and with small entreating I had him home to supper where by suche meanes as I vsed he became my great friend and tolde me the whole order of our aduersaries determination yea and what Damon doth intende to do also and hath promised me that frō time to time what he can espie he will bring me word of it Du. I can not tel whether you know him or no he is not to trust vnto a very flattering and a lying knaue Ero. I know him very well he can not deceiue me and this that he hath told me I know must néedes be true Du. And what was it in effect Ero. That Damon had purposed to giue his daughter in mariage to this doctor vpō the dower that he hath profered Du. Are these your good newes your excellent newes Ero. Stay a whyle you will vnderstande me before you heare me Du. Well say on Ero. I answered to that I was ready to make hir the lyke dower Du. Well sayde Ero. Abide you heare not the worst yet Du. O God is there any worsse behinde Ero. Worsse why what assurance coulde you suppose that I might make without some speciall consent from Philogano my father Du. Nay you can tell you are better scholer than I. Ero. In deede you haue lost your time for the books that you tosse now a dayes treate of smal science Du. Leaue thy iesting and procéede Ero. I sayd further that I receyued letters lately from my father whereby I vnderstoode that he woulde be héere very shortly to performe all that I had profered therefore I required him to request Damon on my behalf that he would stay his promise to the doctor for a fourtnight or more Du. This is somewhat yet for by this meanes I shal be sure to linger and liue in hope one fourtnight longer but at the fourthnights ende when Philogano commeth not how shall I then do yea and though he came howe may I any way hope of his consent when he shall sée that to follow this amorous enterprise I haue set aside all studie all remembraunce of my duetie and all dread of shame Alas alas I may go hang my selfe Ero. Comforte your selfe
vpon him this same name and for proofe bringeth him for a witnesse which hath bene euer reputed here for Erostrato Phi. I will tel you sir let me be kept here fast in prison at my charges let there be some man sent into Sicilia that may bring hither with him two or thrée of the honestest mē in Cathanea and by them let it be proued if I or this other be Philogano and whether he be Erostrato or Dulipo my seruant if you finde me contrarie let me suffer death for it Pa. I will go salute master Doctour Cle. It will aske great labour great expences to proue it this way but it is the best remedie that I can see Pa. God saue you sir Cle. And reward you as you haue deserued Pa. Then shall he giue me your fauour continually Cle. He shall giue you a halter knaue and villein that thou arte Pa. I knowe I am a knaue but no villein I am your seruaunt Cle. I neither take thée for my seruāt nor for my friend Pa. Why wherein haue I offended you sir Cle. Hence to the gallowes knaue Pa. What softe and faire sir I pray you I praesequar you are mine elder Cle. I will be euen with you be you sure honest man. Pa. Why sir I neuer offended you Cle. Well I will teach you out of my sight knaue Pa. What I am no dogge I would you wist Cle. Pratest thou yet villein I will make thée Pa. What will you make me I sée wel the more a man doth suffer you the worsse you are Cle. Ah villein if it were not for this gentleman I wold tell you what I. Pa. Villein nay I am as honest a man as you Cle. Thou liest in thy throate knaue Phi. O sir stay your wisedome Pas What will you fight marie come on Cle. Well knaue I will méete with you another time goe your way Pas Euen when you list sir I will be your man. Cle. And if I be not euen with thee call me out Pas Nay by the Masse all is one I care not for I haue nothing if I had either landes or goods peraduenture you would pull me into the lawe Phi. Sir I perceiue your pacience is moued Cle. This villaine but let him goe I will see him punished as he hath deserued Now to the matter how said you Phi. This fellow hath disquieted you sir peraduenture you would be loth to be troubled any further Cle. Not a whit say on let him go with a vengeance Phi. I say let them send at my charge to Cathanea Cle. Yea I remember that wel it is the surest way as this case requireth but tel me how is he your seruant and how come you by him enforme me fully in the matter Phi. I will tell you sir when the Turkes won Otranto Cle. Oh you put me in remembrance of my mishappes Phi. How sir Cle. For I was driuen among the rest out of the towne it is my natiue countrey and there I lost more than euer I shall recouer againe while I liue Phi. Alas a pitifull case by S. Anne Cle. Well procéede Phi. At that time as I saide there were certaine of our countrey that scoured those costes vpon the seas with a good barke well appointed for the purpose and had espiall of a Turkey vessell that came laden from thence with great aboundance of riches Cle. And peraduenture most of mine Phi. So they boarded them in the end ouercame them brought the goods to Palermo 〈◊〉 whence they came and amōgst other things that they had was this villeine my seruaunt a boy at that time I thinke not past fiue yéeres olde Cle. Alas I lost one of that same age there Phi. And I beyng there and liking the Childes fauour well proffered them foure and twentie ducates for him and had him Cle. What was the childe a Turke or had the Turkes brought him from Otranto Phi. They saide he was a Childe of Otranto but what is that to the matter once .xxiiij. Ducattes he cost me that I wot well Cle. Alas I speake it not for that sir I woulde it were he whome I meane Phi. Why whom meane you sir Liti. Beware sir be not to lauish Cle. Was his name Dulipo then or had he not another name Liti. Beware what you say sir Phi. What the deuill hast thou to doe Dulipo no sir his name was Carino Liti. Yea well said tell all and more to doe Cle. O Lord if it be as I thinke how happie were I why did you change his name then Phi. We called him Dulipo bycause when he cryed as Chrildren doe sometimes he woulde alwayes cry on that name Dulipo Cle. Well then I sée well it is my owne onely Childe whome I loste when I loste my countrie he was named Carino after his grandfather and this Dulipo whome he alwayes remembred in his lamenting was his foster father that nourished him and brought him vp Li. Sir haue I not told you enough of the falshood of Ferara this gentleman will not only picke your purse but beguile you of your seruaunt also make you beleue he is his son Cle. Well goodfellow I haue not vsed to lie Liti. Sir no but euery thing hath a beginning Cle. Fie Philogano haue you not the least suspecte that may be of me Liti. No marie but it were good he had the most suspecte that may be Cle. Well hold thou thy peace a litle good follow I pray you tell me Philogano had the child any remembrance of his fathers name his mothers name or the name of his familie Phi. He did remember them and could name his mother also but sure I haue forgotten the name Liti. I remember it well enough Phi. Tell it then Liti. Nay that I will not marie you haue tolde him too much al ready Phi. Tell it I say if thou can Liti. Cā yes by the masse I cā wel enough but I wil haue my tong pulled out rather thā tell it vnlesse he tell it first doe you not perceiue sir what he goeth about Cle. Well I will tell you then my name you know alredy my wife his mothers name was Sophronia the house that I came of they call Spiagia Liti. I neuer heard him speake of Spiagia but in déede I haue heard him say his mothers name was Sophronia but what of that a great matter I promise you It is like enoughe that you two haue compact together to deceiue my maister Cle. What nedeth me more euident tokens this is my sonne out of doubt whom I lost eighteen yeares since and a thousand thousand times haue I lamented for him he shuld haue also a mould on his left shoulder Li. He hath a moulde there in deede and an hole in an other place to I would your nose were in it Cle. Faire wordes fellow Litio oh I pray you let vs goe talke with him O fortune howe much am I bounde to thée if I
to vse that for a Spurre which I had heere appoynted for a Brydle I can none otherwise lameÌ„t it but to say that I am not the first which hath bene misiudged Truely gentle Reader I protest that I haue not ment heerein to displease any man but my desire hath rather bene to coÌ„tent most men I meane the diuine with godly Hymnes and Psalmes the sober minde with morall discourses and the wildest will with sufficient warning The which if it so fall out then shall I thinke my selfe right happie And if it fall out otherwise I shall yet neuer bee ashamed to become one of their corporation which reape floutes and reprehension for their trauayles But bicause these Posies growe to a great bundell and thereof also the number of louing lynes exceedeth in the Superlatiue I thought good to aduertise thee that the most part of them were written for other men And out of all doubt if euer I wrote lyne for my selfe in causes of loue I haue written tenne for other men in layes of lust For I counte greater difference betweene loue and lust than there is diuersitie betweene witte and wisedome and yet witte and I did in youth make such a fray that I feare his cosen wisedome will neuer become freendes with me in my age VVell though my folly bee greater than my fortune yet ouergreat were mine vnconstancie if in mine owne behalfe I shoulde compyle so many sundrie Songs or Sonets I haue heard of an honest plaine meaning Citizen who being ouercharged with many matters in the lawe and hearing of a common solicitor of causes in the Citie came home to comfort his wife and tolde hir that he had heard of one which dwelt at Billingsgate that coulde helpe all men Euâ—n so good Reader I was a great while the man which dwelt at Billingsgate For in wanton delightes I helped all men though in sad earnest I neuer furthered my selfe any kinde of way And by that it proceedeth that I haue so often chaunged my Posie or worde For when I did compile any thing at the request of other men if I had subscribed the same with mine owne vsuall mot or deuise it might haue bewrayed the same to haue beene of my doing And I was euer curious in that behalfe as one that was lothe to bewray the follies of other men And yet as you see I am not verie daungerous to lay my selfe wide open in view of the worlde I haue also sundrie tymes chaunged mine owne worde or deuise And no meruaile For he that wandereth much in those wildernesses shall seldome continue long in one minde VVell it were follie to bewayle things which are vnpossible to be recouered sithence Had I wist doth seldome serue as a blasone of good vnderstanding And therefore I will spende no more wordes in this Preface but I pray thee to smell vnto these Posies as Floures to comfort Herbes to cure and VVeedes to be auoyded So haue I ment them and so I beseech thee Reader to accept them Farewell T.B. In prayse of Gascogines Posies WE prayse the plough that makes the fruitelesse soyle To bring forth corne through helpe of heauenly might And eke esteeme the simple wretches toyle VVhose painefull handes doe labour day and night VVe prayse the ground whereon the herbes do grow VVhich heale or helpe our greeues and mortall paine Yea weedes haue worth wherein we vertue know For natures Art nothing hath made in vaine VVe prayse those floures which please the secrete sense And do content the tast or smell of man The Gardners paynes and worke we recompence That skilfull is or aught in cunning can But much more prayse to Gascoignes penne is due VVhose learned hande doth here to thee present A Posie full of Hearbes and Flowers newe To please all braynes to wit or learning bent Howe much the minde doth passe the sense or smell So much these Floures all other do excell E.C. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies IN gladsome Spring when sweete and pleasant shoures Haue well renued what winters wrath hath torne And that we see the wholesome smelling Floures Begin to laugh rough winters wracke to scorne If then by chaunce or choyce of owners will VVe roame and walke in place of rare delightes And therein finde what Arte or natures skill Can well set forth to feede our hungrie sightes Yea more if then the owner of the soyle Doth licence yeelde to vse all as our owne And gladly thinkes the fruites of all his toyle To our behoofe to be well set and sowne It cannot be but this so great desart In basest breast doth bâ—eede this due regarde VVith worlde of thankes to prayse this friendly part And wish that woorth mought pay a iust rewarde Good Reader then beholde what gallant spring This booke brings forth of fruites of finest sortes Be bolde to take thy list of euerie thing For so is ment And for thy glad disportes The paine was tane therefore lo this I craue In his behalfe that wrote this pleasant worke VVith care and cost and then most freely gaue His labours great wherein great treasures lurke To thine auayle let his desartes now binde thee In woorde and deede he may still thankfull finde thee M.C. commending the correction of Gascoignes Posies THe Beares blinde whelpes which lacke both nayles and heare And lie like lumpes in filthie farrowed wise Do for a time most ougly beastes appeare Till dammes deare tongue do cleare their clozed eyes The gadde of steele is likewise blunt and blacke Till file and fire do frame it sharpe and bright Yea precious stones their glorious grace do lacke Till curious hand do make them please the sight And so these floures although the grounde were gay VVhereon they grew and they of gallant hew Yet till the badde were cullde and cast away The best became the worse by such a crew For my part then I lyked not their smell But as they be I like them pretly well R.S. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies THe pleasant plot wherein these Posies gâ—â—w May represent Parnassus springs indeede VVhere Pallas with hir wise and learned crew Did plant great store and sow much cunning seede That Goddesse then on whom the Muses wayte To garde hir grounde from greedie gathrers spoyle Hath here ordeynde by fine and close conceyte A greene knight chiefe and master of the soyle Such badge beares he that beautified this booke VVith glorious shew of sundrie gallant flowers But since he first this labor vndertooke He gleand thereout to make the profite ours A heape of Hearbes a sort of fruitfull seedes A needefull salue compound of needlesse weedes Appendix All these with more my freend here freely giues Nor naked wordes nor streyne of straunge deuise But Gowers minde which now in Gascoigne liues Yeeldes heere in view by iudgement of the wise His penne his sworde himselfe and all his might To Pallas schoole and Mars in Princes right T. Ch. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies THough goodnesse of the
to make amendes And therwithall to learne by troubles smarte What swéete repose the lawfull life vs lendes For when such plagues the mightie God vs sendes They come aswell to scourge offences past As eke to teach a better trade at last 85 And eke how much were better for the first To beare lowe sayle beginne the worlde anewe And stande content to muster with the worst Till God conuey them to some better crewe It better were to bydde all pryde adieu And stoupe betimes in hope to ryse againe Than still to striue against the streame in vaine 86 So were more méete for mealy mouthed men And bufle â—edlars with their Princes mates Wryters and rimers for to turne their penne In humble style vnto the loftie states And eke with tongue attending at their gates In lowly wise their fauour to beseeche Than still to stande in stoute and sturdie spéech 87 But mighty Mars hath many men in store Which wayte alwayes to keepe his kingdome vp Of whome no one doth shewe his seruice more Than lingring Hope which still doth beare his cuppe And flatteringly lendes euery man a suppe Which haunts his courte or in his progresse passe Hope brings the boll whereon they all must quasse 88 Th' ambitious Prince doth hope to conquer all The Dukes Earles Lords Knights hope to be kings The Prelates hope to pushe for Popish pall The Lawyers hope to purchase wonderous things The Merchaunts hope for no lesse reckenings The peasant hopes to get a Ferme at least All men are guestes where Hope doth holde the feast 89 Amongst the rest poore Miser is so drie And thristeth so to taste of some good chaunge That he in haste to Hope runnes by and by And drinkes so déepe although the taste be straunge That madding moode doth make his wittes to raunge And he runnes on were Hope doth leade the way Most commonly God knowes to his decaye 90 So that for companie he sings the same Which Haughty harte and Greedy minde do sing He saieth that Bellum bréedeth grief of game And though at first it séeme a pleasant thing At last sayeth he it striketh with a sting And leaues a skarre although the wound be heald Which giues disgrace and cannot be conceald 91 To proue this true how many in my dayes And I for one might be rehearced here Who after proofe of diuers wandring wayes Haue bene constreynd to sit with sorie cheere Close in a corner fumbled vp for feare Till froÌ„ such dennes drummes dubbe hath calld theÌ„ forth To chaunge their chaunce for lottes ofte little worth 92 But here me thinks I heare some carping tong That barkes a pace and killes me with his crie One thinkes he sayes that all this geare goeth wrong When workes of warre are wrotte by such as I Me thinkes I heare him still this text applie That euill may those presume to teache a trade Which nay themselues in Schollers roome did wade 93 And for bycause my selfe confessed haue That more than might by writte expressed be I may not séeme aboue my skill to braue Since yet mine eyes the warres did neuer sée Therefore say some how fonde a foole is he That takes in hande to write of worthy warre Which neuer yet hath come in any iarre 94 No iarre good sir yes yes and many iarres For though my penne of curtesie did putte A difference twixt broyles and bloudie warres Yet haue I shot at maister Bellums butte And throwen his ball although I toucht no tutte I haue percase as déepely dealt the dole As he that hit the marke and gat the gole 95 For I haue séene full many a Flushyng fraye And fléest in Flaunders eke among the rest The bragge of Bruges where was I that daye Before the walles good sir as braue as best And though I marcht all armde withouten rest From Aerdenburgh and back againe that night Yet madde were he that would haue made me knight 96 So was I one forsooth that kept the towne Of Aerdenburgh withouten any walles From all the force that could be dressed downe By Alba Duke for all his cries and calles A high exployte Wée held the Flemings thralles Seuen dayes and more without or bragges or blowes For all that while we neuer herd of foes 97 I was againe in trench before Tergoes I dare not say in siege for bothe mine eares For looke as oft as euer Hell brake lose I meane as often as the Spainish peares Made salie foorth I speake this to my pheares It was no more but which Cock for a groate Such troupes we were to kéepe them vp in coate 98 Yet surely this withouten bragge or boast Our English bloudes did there full many a déede Which may be Chronicled in euery coaste For bolde attempts and well it was agréed That had their heades bene rulde by warie héede Some other feate had bene attempted then To shew their force like worthie English men 99 Since that siege raysde I romed haue about In Zéeland Holland Waterland and all By sea by land by ayre and all throughout As leaping lottes and chance did séeme to call Now here now there as fortune trilde the ball Where good Guyllam of Nassau badde me be There néeded I none other guyde but he 100 Percase sometimes S. Gyptians pilgrymage Did carie me a moneth yea sometimes more To brake the Bowres and racke them in a rage Bicause they had no better chéere in store Beefe Mutton Capon Plouer Pigeons Bore All this was naught and for no Souldiours toothe Were these no iarres speake now Sir yes forsoothe 101 And by my troth to speake euen as it is Such prankes were playde by Souldiours dayly there And though my self did not therein amisse As God he knowes and men can witnesse beare Yet since I had a charge I am not cleare For seldome climes that Captaine to renowne Whose Souldiours faults so plucke his honour downe 102 Well let that passe I was in rolling trench At Ramykins where little shotte was spent For gold and groates their matches still did quenche Which kept the Forte and forth at last they went So pinde for hunger almost tenne dayes pent That men could sée no wrincles in their faces Their pouder packt in caues and priuie places 103 Next that I serude by night and eke by daie By Sea by lande at euery time and tide Against Mountdragon whiles he did assaie To lande his men along the salt sea side For well he wist that Ramykins went wide And therfore sought with victuall to supplie Poore Myddleburgh which then in suddes did lie 104 And there I sawe full many a bold attempt By séelie soules best executed aye And brauest bragges the foemens force to tempt Accomplished but coldely many a daye The Souldiour charge the leader lope away The willing drumme a lustie marche to sounde Whiles ranke retyrers gaue their enimies ground 105 Againe at Seathe Souldiour forward still When Mariners had little lust to
fight And whiles we staie twixt faynte and forward will. Our enemies prepare themselues to flight They hoyste vp sayle o wearie woorde to wrihgt They hoyste vp saile that lacke both streame and windes And we stand still so forst by frowarde mindes 106 O victorie whome Haughty hartes do hunte O spoyle and praye which gréedy mindes desire O golden heapes for whom these Misers wonte To follow Hope which settes all hartes on fire O gayne O golde who list to you aspyre And glorie eke by bolde attempts to winne There was a day to take your prisoners in 107 The shippes retyre with riches full yfraught The Souldiours marche meane while into the towne The tide skarce good the winde starke staring naught The haste so hoate that eare they sinke the sowne They came on ground and strike all sayles adowne While we ay me by backward saylers ledde Take vp the worst when all the best are fledde 108 Such triūphs chance where such Lieutenāts rule Where will commaundes when skill is out of towne Where boldest bloudes are forced to recule By Simme the boteswayne when he list to frowne Where Captaynes crouch and fishers weare the Crowne Such happes which happen in such haplesse warres Make me to tearme them broyles and beastly iarres 109 And in these broyles a beastly broyle to wryte My Colonell and I fell at debate So that I left both charge and office quite A Captaynes charge and eke a Martials state Whereby I proued perhaps though all to late How soone they fall whiche leane to rotten bowes Such faith finde they that trust to some mens vowes 110 My harte was high I could not séeme to serue In regiment where no good rules remayne Where officers and such as well deserue Shall be abusde by euery page and swayne Where discipline shall be but déemed vayne Where blockes are stridde by stumblers at a strawe And where selfe will must stand for martiall lawe 111 These things with mo I could not séeme to beare And therevpon I crackt my staffe in two Yet stayde I still though out of pay I were And learne to liue as priuate Souldiours do I liued yet by God and lacked too Till at the last when Beauois fledde amayne Our campe removde to streine the lande van Strayne 112 When Beauois fledde Mountdragon came to towne And like a Souldiour Myddelburgh he kept But courage now was coldly come adowne On either side and quietly they slept So that my self from Zeland lightly lept Withfull entent to taste our English ale Yet first I ment to tell the Prince my tale 113 For though the warres waxt colde in euery place And small experience was there to be séene Yet thought I not to parte in such disgrace Although I longed much to sée our Quéene For he that once a hyred man hath bene Must take his Maisters leaue before he goe Vnlesse he meane to make his fréend his foe 114 Then went I straight to Delfe a pleasant towne Vnto that Prince whose passing vertues shine And vnto him I came on knées adowne Beséeching that his excellence in fine Would graunt me leaue to sée this countrey mine Not that I wearie was in warres to serue Nor that I lackt what so I did deserue 115 But for I found some contecke and debate In regiment where I was woont to rule And for I founde the staie of their estate Was forced now in townes for to recule I craued leaue no longer but till Yewle And promist then to come againe Sans fayle To spende my bloud where it might him auayle 116 The noble Prince gaue graunt to my request And made me passeporte signed with his seale But when I was with baggs and baggage prest The Prince began to ring another peale And sent for me desiring for my weale That I woulde stay a day or two to sée What was the cause he sent againe for mée 117 My Colonell was nowe come to the Courte With whome the Prince had many things to treate And for he hoapte in good and godlie sorte Twéene him and me to worke a friendlie feate He like a gracious Prince his braines did beate To set accorde betwéene vs if he might Such paynes he toke to bring the wrong to right 118 O noble Prince there are too fewe like thée If Vertue wake she watcheth in thy will If Iustice liue then surely thou art hée If Grace do growe it groweth with thée still O worthy Prince would God I had the skill To write thy worth that men thereby might sée How much they erre that speake amisse of thée 119 The simple Sottes do coumpt thée simple too Whose like for witte our age hath seldome bredde The rayling roges mistrust thou darest not do As Hector did for whom the Grecians fledde Although thou yet werte neuer séene to dredde The slandrous tongues do say thou drinkst to much When God he knowes thy custome is not such 120 But why do I in worthlesse verse deuise To write his prayse that doth excell so farre He heard our gréeues himself in gratious wise And mildly ment to ioyne our angry iarre He ment to make that we beganne to marre But wicked wrath had some so farre enraged As by no meanes theyr malice could be swaged 121 In this meane while the Spainiards came so neare That Delfe was girte with siege on euery side And though men might take shippyng euery where And so be gone at any time or tide Yet truth to tell I speake it for no pryde I could not leaue that Prince in such distresse Which cared for me and yet the cause much lesse 122 But sée mishappe how craftely it créepes Whiles fawning fortune fleareth full in face My heauie harte within my bellie wéepes To recken here a droppe of darke disgrace Which fell vpon my pleasant plight apace And brought a packe of doubts and dumps to passe Whiles I with Prince in loue and fauour was 123 A worthie dame whose prayse my penne shal write My sworde shall eke hir honour still defende A louing letter to me did endight And from the Campe the same to me did sende I meane from Campe where foes their force did bende She sent a brief vnto me by hir mayde Which at the gates of Delfe was stoutely stayde 124 This letter tane I was mistrusted much And thought a man that were not for to truste The Burghers streight began to beare me grutche And cast a snare to make my necke be trust For when they had this letter well discust They sent it me by hir that brought it so To trie if I would kéepe it close or no. 125 I redde the lines and knowing whence they came My harmelesse harte began to pant apace Wel to be playne I thought that neuer Dame Should make me deale in any doubtfull case Or do the thing might make me hide my face So that vnto the Prince I went forthwith And shewed to him of all this packe the pith 126
armes with cost with déedes with eloquence We that saued such as knew not where to flie Were now by them accusde of trecherie 189 These fruits I say in wicked warres I founde Which make me wryte much more than else I would For losse of life or dread of deadly wounde Shall neuer make me blame it though I could Since death doth dwell on euerie kinde of mould And who in warre hath caught a fatall clappe Might chaunce at home to haue no better happe 190 So losse of goodes shall neuer trouble me Since God which giues can take when pleaseth him But losse of fame or slaundred so to be That makes my wittes to breake aboue their brimme And frettes my harte and lames me euery limme For Noble minds their honour more esteeme Than worldly wights or wealth or life can deeme 191 And yet in warres such graffes of grudge do growe Such lewdnesse lurkes such malice makes mischief Such enuie boyles such falshood fire doth blowe That Bountie burnes and truth is called thief And good desertes are brought into such brief That Saunder snuffe which sweares the matter out Brings oftentimes the noblest names in doubt 192 Then whether I be one of Haughty harte Or Greedy minde or Miser in decay I sayde and say that for mine owne poore parte I may confesse that Bellum euery way Is Sweete but how beare well my woordes away Forsooth to such as neuer did it trie This is my Theame I cannot chaunge it I. Peroratio 193 O noble Quéene whose high foresight prouides That wast of warre your realmes doth not destroye But pleasaunt peace and quiet concord glydes In euery coast to driue out darke anoye O vertuous dame I say Pardonez moy That I presume in worthlesse verse to warne Th ambitious Prince his dueties to descerne 194 Your skilfull minde O Quéene without compare Can soone conceyue that cause constraynes me so Since wicked warres haue bredde such cruell care In Flaunders Fraunce in Spaine and many mo Which reape thereby none other worth but wo Whiles you meane while enioy the fruites of peace Still praysing God whose bounties neuer cease 195 If you my liege vouchsafe in gratious wise To pardon that which passeth from my Muse Then care I not what other kings deuise In warres defense nor though they me accuse And say that I their bloudie déedes abuse Your onely grace my soueraigne Lady be Let other Kings thinke what they list of me 196 And you my Lordes to whome I dueties owe And beare such loue as best becommeth me First Earle of Bedford whome I right well know To honour armes and woorthie VVarwyke he In whose good grace I couet sore to be Then Leyster next Sussex not set behinde And worthy Essex men of noble minde 197 Yong Oxenford as toward as the best Northumberland and Ormount woorthy prayse Lyncolne Kildare and VVorster with the rest Of noble Earles which hold your happy dayes In high renowme as men of warre alwayes With others mo to many to recite Vouchsafe my Lordes to pardone that I write 198 Of VVilton Grey to whome these rimes I wrote With all the Barons hold of English soyle I humbly craue that it may be forgotte Although my Muze haue séemde to kéepe a coyle With mighty men which put the weake to foyle I ment not you since by your déedes appeares You rule with right like wise and worthy peares 199 Right reuerend of Canterbury chiefe London and Lincoln Bishoppes by your name Good Draue of Pawles which lend a great relief To naked néede and all the rest of fame In pastors place with whome I were too blame If Neuynsone my maister were not plaste Since by his helpe I learning first embraste 200 Beare with my verse and thinke I ment not you Whereas I spake of pride in Prelacie But let it bide euen there where first it grew Till God vouchsafe to quench hipocrisie Which by pretence to punish heresie Doth conquere realmes and common concords breake You know my mind I néede no playner speake 201 You gemmes of Iustice chiefe of either bench And he that kéepes hir Maiesties great seale Good Quéenes attorney he whose pitties quench I say sometimes the rigour of his zeale When miserie to mercy must apeale And Sergeant Louelace many ways my friend As I haue found yet let me there not end 203 But hold my tale to Rugge and all the rest Of good Grayes Inne where honest Yeluerton And I Per se sometimes yféere did rest When amitie first in our brests begonne Which shall endure as long as any Sunne May shine on earth or water swimme in Seas Let not my verse your lawlike minds displease 203 For well wot you our master Christ himselfe Which had but twelue Apostles in his trayne Had Iudas yet which solde for worldly pelfe Our Sauiour this text is true and playne And where so many Lawyers do remayne There may be some although that you be none Which bréede debate and loue to cast a bone 204 In Chancerie I néede no man suspect Since conscience in that court beareth sway Yet in the same I may no wayes neglect Nor worthy Powle nor Cordell by the way Of whome that one is of my kéepe the keye That other once did lende me such aduise As was both sounde and good had I bene wise 205 He tolde me once I beare it well in minde And shall it nay forget whyles lyfe doth last That harde it is a noble name to finde In such attempts as then in seruice past Beleue me now I founde his wordes no blast Wherfore I pray both him and his compéere To beare with that which I haue written héere 206 And as for Merchants though I finde the most Hard harted men and compting cunningly Yet Albany shall thinke I do not boast In rayling wise for sure his curtesie Constreynes me now to prayse him worthely And gentle Rowe with Luntley make me say That many Merchaunts beare euen what they may 207 But to conclude I meane no more but thus In all estates some one may treade awrye And he that list my verses to discusse Shall sée I ment no more but modestly To warne the wise that they such faults do flie As put downe peace by couine or debate Since warre and strife bryng wo to euery state FINIS L'enuoié GO little Booke God graunt thou none offende For so meant hée which sought to set thée foorth And when thou commest where Soldiers séeme to wend Submit thy selfe as writte but little woorth Confesse withall that thou hast bene too bolde To speake so plaine of Haughtie hartes in place And say that he which wrote thée coulde haue tolde Full many a tale of blouds that were not base He coulde haue writte Dan Dudleyes noble déedes Whose like hath since bene harde on earth to finde Although his Vertue shewes it selfe in Seedes Which freade his tracks and come not farre behinde He might haue sung of Grey
I loue not Dulipo nor any of so meane estate but haue bestowed my loue more worthily than thou déemest but I will say no more at this time Ba. Then I am glad you haue changed your minde yet Po. Nay I neither haue changed nor will change it Ba. Then I vnderstande you not how sayde you Po. Mary I say that I loue not Dulipo nor any suche as he and yet I neither haue changed nor wil change my minde Ba. I can not tell you loue to lye with Dulipo very well this geare is Gréeke to me either it hangs not well togither or I am very dull of vnderstanding speake plaine I pray you Po. I can speake no plainer I haue sworne to the contrary Ba. Howe make you so deintie to tell it Nourse least she shoulde reueale it you haue trusted me as farre as may be I may shewe to you in things that touche your honor if they were knowne and make you strange to tell me this I am sure it is but a trifle in comparison of those things wherof heretofore you haue made me priuie Po. Well it is of greater importance than you thinke Nourse yet would I tell it you vnder condition and promise that you shall not tell it agayne nor giue any signe or token to be suspected that you know it Ba. I promise you of my honestie say on Po. Well heare you me then this yong man whome you haue alwayes taken for Dulipo is a noble borne Sicilian his right name Erostrato sonne to Philogano one of the worthiest men in that countrey Ba. How Erostrato is it not our neighbour whiche Po. Holde thy talking nourse and harken to me that I may explane the whole case vnto thée The man whome to this day you haue supposed to be Dulipo is as I say Erostrato a gentleman that came from Sicilia to studie in this Citie euen at his first arriuall met me in the stréet fel enamored of me of suche vehement force were the passions he suffred that immediatly he cast aside both long gowne and bookes determined on me only to apply his study And to the end he might the more cōmodiously bothe sée me and talke with me he exchanged both name habite clothes and credite with his seruāt Dulipo whom only he brought with him out of Sicilia and so with the turning of a hand of Erostrato a gentleman he became Dulipo a seruing man and soone after sought seruice of my father and obteyned it Ba. Are you sure of this Po. Yea out of doubt on the other side Dulippo tooke vppon him the name of Erostrato his maister the habite the credite bookes and all things néedefull to a studente and in shorte space profited very muche and is nowe estéemed as you sée Ba. Are there no other Sicylians héere nor none that passe this way which may discouer them Po. Very fewe that passe this way and fewe or none that tarrie héere any time Ba. This hath béen a straunge aduenture but I pray you howe hang these thinges togither that the studente whome you say to be the seruant and not the maister is become an earnest suter to you and requireth you of your father in mariage Po. That is a pollicie deuised betwéene them to put Doctor Dotipole out of conceite the olde dotarde he that so instantly dothe lye vpon my father for me But looke where he comes as God helpe me it is he out vpon him what a luskie yonker is this yet I had rather be a Noone a thousande times than be combred with suche a Coystrell Ba. Daughter you haue reason but let vs go in before he come any néerer Polynesta goeth in and Balya stayeth a little vvhyle after speaking a vvorde or tvvo to the doctor and then departeth Scena 2. CLEANDER Doctor PASIPHILO Parasite BALYA Nourse WEre these dames héere or did mine eyes dazil Pa. Nay syr héere were Polynesta and hir nourse Cle. Was my Polynesta héere alas I knewe hir not Ba. He muste haue better eyesight that shoulde marry your Polynesta or else he may chaunce to ouersée the best poynt in his tables sometimes Pa. Syr it is no maruell the ayre is very mistie too day I my selfe knew hir better by hir apparell than by hir face Cle. In good fayth and I thanke God I haue mine eye sighte good and perfit little worse than when I was but twentie yeres olde Pa. How can it be otherwise you are but yong Cle. I am fiftie yeres olde Pa. He telles ten lesse than he is Cle. What sayst thou of ten lesse Pa. I say I woulde haue thoughte you tenne lesse you looke like one of sixe and thirtie or seuen and thirtie at the moste Cle. I am no lesse than I tell Pa. You are like inough too liue fiftie more shewe me your hande Cle. Why is Pasiphilo a Chiromancer Pa. What is not Pasiphilo I pray you shewe mée it a little Cle Here it is Pa. O how straight and infracte is this line of life you will liue to the yéeres of Melchisedech Cle. Thou wouldest say Methusalem Pa. Why is it not all one Cle. I perceiue you are no very good Bibler Pasiphilo Pa. Yes sir an excellent good Bibbeler specially in a bottle Oh what a mounte of Venus here is but this lighte serueth not very well I will beholde it an other day when the ayre is clearer and tell you somewhat peraduenture to your contentation Cle. You shal do me great pleasure but tell me I pray thée Pasiphilo whome doste thou thinke Polynesta liketh better Erostrato or me Pa. Why you out of doubt She is a gentlewoman of a noble minde and maketh greater accompte of the reputation she shall haue in marrying your worship than that poore scholer whose birthe and parentage God knoweth and very fewe else Cle. Yet he taketh it vpon him brauely in this countrey Pa. Yea where no man knoweth the contrarie but let him braue it bost his birth and do what he can the vertue and knowledge that is within this body of yours is worth more than all the countrey he came from Cle. It becommeth not a man to praise him selfe but in déede I may say and say truely that my knowledge hath stoode me in better steade at a pinche than coulde all the goodes in the worlde I came out of Otranto when the Turkes wonne it and first I came to Padua after hither where by reading counsailing and pleading within twentie yeares I haue gathered and gayned as good as ten thousande Ducats Pa. Yea mary this is the righte knowledge Philosophie Poetrie Logike and all the rest are but pickling sciences in comparison to this Cle. But pyckling in déede whereof we haue a verse The trade of Lavve doth fill the boystrous bagges They svvimme in silke vvhen others royst in ragges Pa. O excellent verse who made it Virgil Cle. Virgil tushe it is written in one of our gloses Pa. Sure who soeuer wrote it the morall is excellent and worthy
trauaileth in this worlde passeth by many perilles Pa. You saye true sir if the boate had bene a little more laden this morning at the ferrie wée had bene all drowned for I thinke there are none of vs that could haue swomme Sc. I speake not of that Pa. O you meane the foule waye that we had since wée came from this Padua I promise you I was afraide twice or thrice that your mule would haue lien fast in the mire Sc. Iesu what a blockehead thou art I speake of the perill we are in presently since we came into this citie Pa. A great peril I promise you that we were no sooner ariued but you founde a frende that brought you from the Inne and lodged you in his owne house Sc. Yea marie God rewarde the gentle yong man that we mette for else we had bene in a wise case by this time But haue done with these tales and take you héede you also sirra take héede that none of you saie we be Sceneses and remember that you call me Philogano of Cathanca Pa. Sure I shal neuer remember these outlādish words I could well remember Haccanea Sc. I say Cathanea and not Haecanea with a vengeance Pa. Let another name it then when néede is for I shall neuer remember it Sc. Then holde thy peace and take héede thou name not Scene Pa. Howe say you if I faine my selfe dum as I did once in the house of Crisobolus Sc. Doe as thou thinkest best but looke where commeth the gentleman whom we are so much bounde vnto Ero. Welcome my deare father Philogano Sc. Gramercie my good sonne Erostrato Ero. That is well saide be mindefull of your toung for these Ferareses be as craftie as the Deuill of hell Sc. No no be you sure we will doe as you haue bidden vs. Ero. For if you should name Scene they would spoile you immediatly and turne you out of the towne with more shame than I woulde shoulde befall you for a thousande Crownes Sc. I warant you I was giuing thē warning as I came to you and I doubt not but they will take good héede Ero. Yea and trust not the seruauntes of my housholde to far for they are Ferareses all and neuer knew my father nor came neuer in Sicilia this is my house will it please you to goe in I will follow They goe in Dulipo tarieth and espieth the Doctor comming in with his man. Scena iij. DVLIPO alone THis geare hath had no euill beginning if it continue so and fall to happie ende But is not this the silly Doctor with the side bonet the doting foole that dare presume to become a suter to such a péerlesse Paragone O how couetousnesse doth blind the common sort of men Damon more desirous of the dower than mindfull of his gentle gallant daughter hath determined to make him his Sonne in law who for his age may be his father in law and hath greater respect to the abundance of goods than to his owne naturall childe He beareth well in minde to fill his owne purse but he litle remembreth that his daughters purse shal be continually emptie vnlesse Maister Doctour fill it with double ducke egges Alas I iest and haue no ioy I will stand here aside and laugh a litle at this lobcocke Dulippo espieth the Doctor and his man comming Scena iiij CARION the doctors man CLEANDER DVLIPO MAister what the Diuel meane you to goe séeke guestes at this time of the day the Maiors officers haue dined ere this time which are alway the last in the market Cle. I come to séeke Pasiphilo to the ende he may dine with mée Ca. As though sixe mouthes and the cat for the seuenth bée not sufficient to eate an harlotrie shotterell a pennie-worth of cheese and halfe a score spurlings this is all the dainties you haue dressed for you and your familie Cle. Ah gréedie gut art thou afearde thou shalt want Ca. I am afearde in déede it is not the first time I haue founde it so Du. Shall I make some sporte with this gallant what shall I say to him Cle. Thou arte afearde belike that he will eate thée and the rest Ca. Nay rather that he will eate your mule both heare and hyde Cle. Heare and hyde and why not flesh and all Ca. Bicause she hath none If she had any flesh I thinke you had eaten hir your selfe by this time Cle. She may thanke you then for your good attendāce Ca. Nay she may thanke you for your small allowance Du. In faith now let me alone Cle. Holde thy peace drunken knaue and espie me Pasiphilo Du. Since I can doe no better I will set such a staunce betwéene him and Pasiphilo that all this towne shall not make them friendes Ca. Could you not haue sent to séeke him but you must come your selfe surely you come for some other purpose for if you would haue had Pasiphilo to dinner I warant you he would haue taried here an houre since Cle. Holde thy peace here is one of Damons seruaunts of him I shall vnderstand where he is good fellow art not thou one of Damons seruaunts Du. Yes sir at your knamandement Cle. Gramercie tell me then hath Pasiphilo bene there this day or no Du. Yes sir and I thinke he be there still ah ah ah Cle. What laughest thou Du. At a thing that euery man may not laugh at Cle. What Du. Talke that Pasiphilo had with my master this day Cle. What talke I pray thée Du. I may not tell it Cle. Doth it concerne me Du. Nay I will say nothing Cle. Tell me Du. I can say no more Cle. I woulde but knowe if it concerne mée I pray thée tell mée Du. I would tell you if I were sure you would not tell it againe Cle. Beleue me I will kepe it close Carion giue vs leaue a litle goe aside Du. If my maister shoulde know that it came by me I were better die a thousand deaths Cle. He shall neuer know it say on Du. Yea but what assurance shall I haue Cle. I lay thée my faith and honestie in paune Du. A pretie paune the fulkers will not lend you a farthing on it Cle. Yea but amongst honest mē it is more worth than golde Du. Yea marie sir but where be they but will you néedes haue me tell it vnto you Cle. Yea I pray thée if it any thing appertaine to me Du. Yes it is of you and I would gladly tell it you bicause I would not haue suche a man of worship so scorned by a villaine ribaulde Cle. I pray thée tell me then Du. I will tell you so that you will sweare neuer to tell it to Pasiphilo to my maister nor to any other bodie Ca. Surely it is some toye deuised to get some money of him Cle. I thinke I haue a booke here Ca. If he knew him as well as I he woulde neuer goe aboute it for he may as soone get one of his
paire of the fetters he vseth for his prisoners and come againe quickly Ne. Well sir Da. Heare you if he aske what I would do with them say you cā not tell and tell neither him nor any other what is become of Dulipo Damon goeth out I warant you sir Fye vpon the Deuill it is a thing almost vnpossible for a man nowe a dayes to handle money but the mettal will sticke on his fingers I maruelled alway at this fellowe of mine Dulipo that of the wages he receiued he could maintaine himselfe so brauely apparelled but nowe I perceiue the cause he had the disbursing and receit of all my masters affaires the keys of the granair Dulippo here Dulippo there fauoure with my maister in fauoure with his daughter what woulde you more he was Magister factotum he was as fine as the Crusadoe and wée silly wretches as course as canuas wel behold what it is come to in the ende he had bin better to haue done lesse Pa. Thou saist true Neuola he hath done to much in déed Ne. From whence commest thou in the deuils name Pa. Out of the same house thou camest from but not out of the same dore Ne. We had thought thou hadst bene gone long since Pa. When I arose from the table I felte a rumbling in my belly whiche made me runne to the stable and there I fell on sléepe vppon the strawe and haue line there euer since And thou whether goest thou Ne. My master hath sent me on an errand in great hast Pa. Whether I pray thée Ne. Nay I may not tell Farewell Pa. As though I néede any further instructions O God what newes I heard euē now as I lay in the stable O good Erostrato and pore Cleander that haue so earnestly strouen for this damsel happie is he that can get hir I promise you he shall be sure of mo than one at a clap that catcheth hir eyther Adam or Eue within hir belie Oh God how men may be deceiued in a woman who wold haue beléeued the contrary but that she had bin a virgin aske the neighbours and you shall heare very good report of hir marke hir behauiors you would haue iudged hir very maydenly seldome séene abroade but in plac◠of prayer and there very deuout and no gaser at outwarde sightes no blaser of hir beautie aboue in the windowes no stale at the doore for the bypassers you would haue thought hir a holy yong woman But muche good doe it Domine Doctor hee shall be sure to lacke no CORNE in a deare yere whatsoeuer he haue with hir else I beshrewe me if I let the mariage any way But is not this the old scabbed queane that I heard disclosing all this géere to hir master as I stoode in the stable ere nowe it is shée Whither goeth Psiteria Pasiphilo espieth Psiteria comming Scena v. PSITERIA PASIPHILO TO a Gossip of myne héereby Pa. What to tattle of the goodly stirre that thou keptst concerning Polynesta Ps. No no but how knew you of that géere Pa. You tolde me Ps. I when did I tell you Pa. Euen now when you tolde it to Damon I both sawe you and heard you though you saw not me a good parte I promise you to accuse the poore wenche kill the olde man with care ouer and besides the daunger you haue brought Dulipo and the Nursse vnto and many moe fie fie Ps. In déed I was to blame but not so much as you think Pa. And how not so muche did I not heare you tell Ps. Yes But I will tell you how it came to passe I haue knowen for a great while that this Dulipo and Polynesta haue lyen togither and all by the meanes of the nurse yet I held my peace and neuer tolde it Now this other day the Nursse sell on scolding with me and twyce or thryce called me drunken olde whore and suche names that it was too badde and I called hir baude and tolde hir that I knew well enoughe howe often she had brought Dulipo to Polynestas bed yet all this while I thought not that anye body had heard me but it befell cleane contrarye for my maister was on the other side of the wall and heard all our talke where vpon he sent for me and forced me to confesse all that you heard Pas And why wouldest thou tell him I woulde not for c. Ps. Well if I had thought my maister would haue taken it so he should rather haue killed me Pas Why how could he take it Ps. Alas it pitieth me to sée the poore yong woman how she wéepes wailes and teares hir heare not esteming hir owne life halfe so deare as she doth poore Dulipos and hir father he wéepes on the other side that it would pearce an hart of stone with pitie but I must be gone Pas Go that the gunne pouder consume thée olde trotte Finis Actus 3. Actus iiij Scena j. EROSTRATO fained WHat shall I doe Alas what remedie shall I finde for my ruefull estate what escape or what excuse may I now deuise to shifte ouer our subtile supposes for though to this day I haue vsurped the name of my maister and that without checke or controll of any man now shal I be openly discyphred and that in the sight of euery man now shal it openly be knowen whether I be Erostrato the gentleman or Dulipo the seruaunt We haue hitherto played our parts in abusing others but nowe commeth the man that wil not be abused the right Philogano the right father of the right Erostrato going to seke Pasiphilo and hearing that he was at the water gate beholde I espied my fellowe Litio and by and by my olde maister Philogano setting forth his first step on land I to fuge and away hither as fast as I could to bring word to the right Erostrato of his right father Philogano that to so sodaine a mishap some subtile shift might be vpō the sodaine deuised But what can be imagined to serue the turne although we had monethes respite to beate oure braines about it since we are commōly knowen at the least supposed in this towne he for Dulipo a slaue seruant to Damon I for Erostrato a gentleman a student But beholde runne Crapine to yonder olde woman before she get within the doores desire hir to call out Dulipo but heare you if she aske who would speake with him saye thy selfe and none other Erostrato espieth Psiteria comming and sendeth his lackey to hir Scena ij CRAPINE PSITERIA EROSTRATO fained HOnest woman you gossip thou rotten whore hearest thou not olde witche Ps. A rope stretche your yong bones either you muste liue to be as old as I or be hanged while you are yong Cra. I pray thée loke if Dulipo be within Ps. Yes that he is I warrant him Cra. Desire him then to come hither and speake a word with me he shall not tarie Ps. Content your selfe he is otherwise occupied
Cra. Yet tell him so gentle girle Ps. I tell you he is busie Cra. Why is it such a matter to tell him so thou crooked Crone Ps. A rope stretche you marie Cra. A pockes eate you marie Ps. Thou wilt be hanged I warāt thée if thou liue to it Cra. And thou wilt be burnt I warant thée if the canker consume thée not Ps. If I come néere you hempstring I will teache you to sing solfa Cra. Come on and if I get a stone I will scare crowes with you Ps. Goe with a mischiefe I thinke thou be some deuill that woulde tempte me Ero. Crapine heare you come away let hir goe with a vengeance why come you not Alas loke where my maister Philogano commeth what shall I doe where shall I hide me he shall not sée me in these clothes nor before I haue spoken with the right Erostrato Erostrato espyeth Phylogano commming and runneth about to hide him Scena iij. PHILOGANO FERRARESE the Inne keper LITIO a seruant HOnest man it is euen so be you sure there is no loue to be compared like the loue of the parents towards their children It is not long since I thought that a very waightie matter shoulde not haue made me come out of Sicilia and yet now I haue taken this tedious toyle and trauaile vpon me only to sée my sonne and to haue him home with me Fer. By my faith sir it hath ben a great trauaile in dede and to much for one of your age Phi. Yea be you sure I came in companie with certaine gentlemen of my countrey who had affaires to dispatche as far as to Aneona from thence by water too Rauenna and from Rauenna hither continually against the tide Fer. Yea I think that you had but homly lodging by that way Phi. The worst that euer man had but that was nothing to the stirre that the serchers kept with me when I came aborde the ship Iesus how often they vntrussed my male ransaked a litle capcase that I had tossed turned al that was within it serched my bosome yea my breeches that I assure you I thought they would haue flayed me to searche betwene the fell and the fleshe for fardings Fer. Sure I haue heard no lesse and that the marchants bobbe them somtimes but they play the knaues still Phi. Yea be you well assured suche an office is the inheritance of a knaue and an honest man will not meddle with it Fer. Wel this passage shal seme pleasant vnto you whē you shall finde your childe in health and well but I praye you sir why did you not rather send for him into Sicilia than to come your selfe specially since you had none other businesse peraduenture you had rather endanger your selfe by this noysome iourney than hazard to drawe him from his studie Phi. Nay that was not the matter for I had rather haue him giue ouer his studie altogither and come home Fer. Why if you minded not to make him learned to what ende did you send him hither at the first Phi. I will tell you when he was at home he did as most yong men doe he played many mad prankes and did many things that liked me not very well and I thinking that by that time he had sene the worlde he would learne to know himselfe better exhorted him to studie and put in his electiō what place he would go to At the last he came hither and I thinke he was scarce here so sone as I felt the want of him in suche sorte as from that day to this I haue passed fewe nightes without teares I haue written to him very often that he shoulde come home but continually he refused stil beseching me to continue his studie wherein he doubted not as he said but to profite greatly Fer. In dede he is very much commended of al men and specially of the best reputed studentes Phi. I am glad he hath not lost his time but I care not greatly for so much knowledge I would not be without the sighte of hym againe so long for all the learning in the worlde I am olde nowe and if God shoulde call mée in his absence I promise you I thinke it woulde driue me into disperation Fer. It is commendable in a man to loue his childrē but to be so tender ouer them is more womanlike Phi. Well I confesse it is my faulte and yet I will tell you another cause of my comming hither more waightie than this Diuers of my countrey haue bene here since hée came hither by whome I haue sente vnto him and some of thē haue bene thrice some foure or fiue times at his house and yet could neuer speake with him I feare he applies his studie so that he will not léese the minute of an houre from his booke What alas he might yet talke with his countrymen for a while he is a yong man tenderly brought vp and if he fare thus cōtinually night day at his booke it may be enough to driue him into a frenesie Fer. In dede enough were as good as a feast Loe you sir here is your sonne Erostratoes house I will knocke Phi. Yea I pray you knocke Fer. They heare not Phi. Knocke againe Fer. I thinke they be on slepe Ly. If this gate were your Grandefathers soule you coulde not knocke more softly let me come ho ho is there any body within Dalio commeth to the wyndowe and there maketh them answere Scena iiij DALIO the cooke FERARESE the inholder PHILOGANO LITIO his man. WHat deuill of hell is there I thinke hée will breake the gates in péeces Li. Marie sir we had thoughte you had béene on sléepe within and therefore we thought best to wake you what doth Erostrato Da. He is not within Phi. Open the dore good fellow I pray thée Da. If you thinke to lodge here you are deceiued I tell you for here are guestes enowe already Phi. A good fellow and much for thy maister honesty by our Ladie and what guestes I pray thée Da. Here is Philogano my maisters father lately come out of Sicilia Phi. Thou speakest truer thā thou arte aware of he will be by that time thou hast opened the dore open I pray thée hartily Da. It is a small matter for me to open the dore but here is no lodging for you I tell you plaine the house is full Phi. Of whome Da. I tolde you here is Philogano my maisters father come from Cathanea Phi. And when came he Da. He came thrée houres since or more he alighted at the Aungell and left his horses there afterwarde my maister brought him hither Phi. Good fellow I thinke thou hast good sport to mocke mée Da. Nay I thinke you haue good sporet to make me tary here as though I haue nothing else to doe I am matched with an vnrulye mate in the kitchin I will goe looke to him another while Phi. I thinke he be drunken Fer. Sure he semes so sée you
their going in Scena .ix. PHILOGANO CLEANDER MAister doctor will you not shew me this fauour to tell me the cause of your displeasure Cle. Gentle Pasiphilo I muste néedes confesse I haue done thée wrong and that I beleued tales of thée whiche in déede I finde now contrary Pas I am glad then that it procéedee rather of ignorance than of malice Cle. Yea beleue me Pasiphilo Pas O sir but yet you shoulde not haue giuen me suche foule wordes Cle. Well content thy selfe Pasiphilo I am thy frende as I haue alwayes bene for proofe whereof come suppe with me to night from day to day this seuen night be thou my guest But beholde here cōmeth Damō out of his house Here they come all togither Scena decima CLEANDER PHILOGANO DAMON EROSTRATO PASIPHILO POLINESTA NEVOLA and other seruaunts WE are come vnto you sir to turne you sorowe into ioy and gladnesse the sorow we meane that of force you haue sustained since this mishappe of late fallen in your house But be you of good comforte sir and assure your selfe that this yong man which youthfully and not maliciously hath commited this amorons offence is verie well able with consent of this worthie man his father to make you sufficient amendes being borne in Cathanea of Sicilia of a noble house no way inferiour vnto you and of wealth by the reporte of suche as knowe it farre excéeding that of yours Phi. And I here in proper person doe presente vnto you sir not onely my assured frendship and brotherhoode but do earnestly desire you to accepte my poore childe though vnworthy as your sonne in lawe and for recompence of the iniurie he hath done you I profer my whole lands in dower to your daughter yea and more would if more I might Cle. And I sir who haue hitherto so earnestly desired your daughter in mariage doe now willingly yelde vp and quite claime to this yong man who both for his yeares and for the loue he beareth hir is most méetest to be hir husbād For wher I was desirous of a wife by whom I might haue yssue to leaue that litle which god hath sent me now haue I litle néede that thankes be to god haue founde my déerely beloued sonne whō I loste of a childe at the siege of Otranto Da. Worthy gentlemā your friendship your alliaunce and the nobilitie of your birthe are suche as I haue muche more cause to desire them of you than you to request of me that which is already graunted Therfore I gladly and willingly receiue the same and thinke my selfe moste happie now of all my life past that I haue gottē so toward a sonne in lawe to my selfe and so worthye a father in lawe to my daughter yea and muche the greater is my contentation since this worthie gentleman maister Cleander doth holde himselfe satisfied And now behold your sonne Ero. O father Pas Beholde the naturall loue of the childe to the father for inwarde ioye he cannot pronounce one worde in steade wherof he sendeth sobbes and teares to tell the effect of his inward inuention But why doe you abide here abrode wil it please you to goe into the house sir Da. Pasiphilo hath saide well will it please you to goe in sir Ne. Here I haue brought you sir bothe fetters boltes Da. Away with them now Ne. Yea but what shal I doe with them Da. Marie I will tell thée Neuola to make a righte ende of our supposes lay one of those boltes in the fire and make thée a suppositorie as long as mine arme God saue the sample Nobles and gentlemen if you suppose that our supposes haue giuen you sufficient cause of delighte shewe some token whereby we may suppose you are content Et plauserunt FINIS IOCASTA A Tragedie vvritten in Greeke by Euripides translated and digested into Acte by George Gascoygne and Francis Kinvvelmershe of Grayes Inne and there by them presented 1566. The argument of the Tragedie To scourge the cryme of vvicked Laius And vvrecke the foule Incest of Oedipus The angry Gods styrred vp theyr sonnes by strife VVith blades embrevved to reaue eache others life The vvife the mother and the concubyne VVhose fearefull hart foredrad theyr fatall fine Hir sonnes thus dead disdayneth longer lyfe And slayes hirself vvith selfsame bloudy knyfe The daughter she surprisde vvith childish dreade That durst not dye a lothsome lyfe doth leade Yet rather chose to guide hir banisht sire Than cruell Creon should haue his desire Creon is King the type of Tyranny And Oedipus myrrour of misery Fortunatus Infoelix The names of the Interloquutors Iocasta the Queene Seruus a noble man of the Queenes traine Bailo gouernour to the Queenes sonnes Antygone daughter to the Queene Chorus foure Thebane dames Pollynices Eteocles sonnes to Oedipus the Queene Creon the Queenes brother Meneceus sonne to Creon Tyresias the diuine priest Manto the daughter of Tyresias Sacerdos the sacrifycing priest Nuntij three messangers from the campe Oedipus the olde King father to Eteocles and Pollynices sonne and husbande to Iocasta the Queene The Tragedie presented as it were in Thebes ¶ The order of the dumme shewes and Musickes before euery Acte FIrste before the beginning of the first Acte did sounde a dolefull straunge noyse of violles Cythren Bandurion and such like during the whiche there came in vppon the Stage a king with an Imperial crown vppon his head very richely apparelled a Scepter in his righte hande a Mounde with a Crosse in his lefte hande sitting in a Chariote very richely furnished drawne in by foure Kinges in their Dublettes and Hosen with Crownes also vpon their heades Representing vnto vs Ambition by the hystorie of Sesostres king of Egypt who beeing in his time and reigne a mightie Conquerour yet not content to haue subdued many princes and taken from them their kingdomes and dominions did in like maner cause those Kinges whome he had so ouercome to draw in his Chariote like Beastes and Oxen thereby to content his vnbrideled ambitious desire After he had beene drawne twyce about the Stage and retyred the Musicke ceased and Iocasta the Queene issued out of hir house beginning the firste Acte as followeth Iocasta the Queene issueth out of hir Pallace before hir twelue Gentlemen following after hir eight Gentlewomen whereof foure be the Chorus that remayne on the Stage after hir departure At hir entrance the Trumpettes sounded and after she had gone once about the Stage she turneth to one of hir most trustie and esteemed seruaunts and vnto him she discloseth hir griefe as foloweth The first Acte The first Scene IOCASTA SERVVS O Faithfull seruaunt of mine auncient sire Though vnto thée sufficiently be knowne The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe By seing me from Princes royall state Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt As mine own sonnes repine to heare my plaint Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name Seyng this towne seing my fleshe and bloude Against it selfe to
written to the right honourable the Lorde Grey of Wilton A Straunge conceyte a vayne of newe delight Twixt weale and woe twixte ioy and bitter griefe Hath pricked foorth my hastie penne to write This woorthlesse verse in hazarde of repréefe And to mine Alderlieuest Lorde I must endite A wofull case a chippe of sorie chaunce A tipe of heauen a liuely hew of hell A feare to fall a hope of high aduance A life a death a drearie tale to tell But since I know the pith of my pastaunce Shall most consist in telling of a truth Vouchsafe my Lord en bon gré for to take This trustie tale the storie of my youth This Chronicle which of my selfe I make To shew my Lord what healplesse happe ensewth When heddy youth will gad without a guide And raunge vntide in leas of libertie Or when bare néede a starting hole hath spide To péepe abroade from mother Miserie And buildeth Castels in the Welkin wide In hope thereby to dwell with wealth and ease But he the Lord whome my good Lord doth know Can bind or lose as best to him shall please Can saue or spill rayse vp or ouerthrowe Can gauld with griefe and yet the payne appease Which thing to proue if so my L. take time When greater cares his head shall not possesse To sitte and reade this raunging ragged rime I doubt not then but that he will confesse What falles I found when last I leapt to clime In March it was that cannot I forget In this last March vpon the nintenth day When from Grauesend in boate I gan to iette To boorde our shippe in Quinborough that lay From whence the very twentith day we set Our sayles abrode to slice the Salt sea fome And ancors weyde gan trust the trustlesse floud That day and night amid the waues we rome To seeke the coast of Holland where it stoode And on the next when we were farre from home And neare the hauen whereto we sought to sayle A fearly chaunce whereon alone to thinke My hande now quakes and all my senses fayle Gan vs befall the Pylot gan to shrinke And all agaste his courage séemde to quayle Whereat amazed the Maister and his mate Gan aske the cause of his so sodeyne chaunge And from alofte the Stewarde of our state The sounding plumbe in haste poste hast must raunge To trye the depth and goodnesse of our gate Mée thinkes euen yet I heare his heauie voyce Fadome thrée foure foote more foote lesse that cride Mée thinkes I heare the fearefull whispring noyse Of such as sayde full softely me beside God graunte this iourney cause vs to reioyce When I poore soule which close in caban laye And there had reacht till gaule was welneare burst With giddie head my stumbling steppes must stay To looke abroade as boldly as I durst And whyles I hearken what the Saylers saye The sownder sings fadame two full no more Aloofe aloofe then cried the Maister out The Stearesmate striues to sende vs from the shore And trustes the streame whereof wée earst had doubt Twéene two extréeme thus were we tossed sore And went to Hull vntill we leyzure had To talke at large and eke to know the cause What moode had made our Pylot looke so sad At last the Dutche with butterbitten iawes For so he was a Dutche a Deuill a swadde A foole a drunkarde or a traytour tone Gan aunswere thus Ghy zijt te vroegh here come Tuniet goet tijt and standing all alone Gan preache to vs which fooles were all and some To trust him foole in whom there skill was none Or what knew wee if Albaes subtill brayne So to preuent our enterpryse by treazon Had him subornde to tice vs to this trayne And so him selfe per Companye and seazon For spite for hate or else for hope of gayne This must we thinke that Alba would not spare To giue out gold for such a sinfull déede And glistring gold can oftentimes ensnare More perfect wits than Holland soyle doth bréede But let that passe and let vs now compare Our owne fond fact with this his foule offence We knew him not nor where he wond that time Nor if he had Pylots experience Or Pylats crafte to cleare him selfe from crime Yea more than that how voyde were we of sense We had small smacke of any tale he tolde He powrde out Dutch to drowne vs all in drinke And we wise men vppon his words were bolde To runne on head but let me now bethinke The masters spéech and let me so vnfold The depth of all this foolish ouersight The master spake euen like a skilfull man And sayde I sayle the Seas both day and night I know the tides as well as other can From pole to pole I can the courses plight I know France Spaine Gréece Denmarke Dasisk all Frize Flaunders Holland euery coast I know But truth to tell it seldome doth befall That English merchants euer bend their bowe To shoote at Breyll where now our flight should fall They send their shafts farder for greater gayne So that this hauen is yet quoth he vnkouth And God graunt now that England may attayne Such gaines by Breyll a gospell on that mouth As is desired thus spake the master playne And since saide he my selfe knew not the sowne How could I well a better Pylot fynde Than this which first did saye he dwelt in towne And knew the way where euer sat the wynde While we thus talke all sayles are taken downe And we to Hull as earst I sayd gan wend Till full two houres and somewhat more were past Our guyde then spake in Dutch and bad vs bend All sayles againe for now quod he at last Die tijt is goet dat heb ick weell bekend Why staye I long to ende a wofull tale We trust his Dutch and vp the foresayle goes We fall on knées amyd the happy gale Which by Gods will full kynd and calmely blowes And vnto him we there vnfolde our bale Whereon to thinke I wryte and wéepe for ioye That pleasant song the hundreth and seuenth Psalme There dyd we reade to comfort our annoye Which to my soule me thought was swéete as balme Yea farre more swéete than any worldly ioye And when he had with prayers praysd the Lord Our Edell Bloetts gan fall to eate and drinke And for their sauce at takyng vp the borde The shippe so strake as all we thought to sinke Against the ground Then all with one accorde We fell againe on knées to pray apace And therewithall euen at the second blowe The number cannot from my minde outpace Our helme strake of and we must fléete and flowe Where winde and waues would guide vs by their grace The winde waxt calme as I haue sayde before O mightie God so didst thou swage our woes The selly shippe was sowst and smitten sore With counter buffetts blowes and double blowes At last the kéele
of so freendly phisitions Nowe by me troth well sayed gentle Trust quod Dame Fraunces and in so doing assure your selfe gueryson with spéed This thus sayed the curteous Dame become his keruer he wyth a bold spirite gan tast of hir cokerey But the late conflicts of his conceipts had so disaquainted his stomack from repastes that he could not wel a way with meate and yet neuerthelesse by lyttle little receyued some nouryture When his Hope had crammed him as longe as she coulde make him séede they delyuered the rest to the other gentlewoman who hauing not dyned fell to hir prouender In which meane while the Lady Fraunces had much comfortable spéech with signor Ieronemy and declared that shée perceiued very well the maladie but my Trust quod she be all whole and remember what I foretould you in the beginning neuerthelesse you must thinke that there are remedies for all mischifes and if you will be ruled by myne aduise we will soone finde the meane to ease you of this mishap Ferdinando tooke comforte in hir discrecion fréendly kissed hir hand gaue hir a cartlode of thankes for hir greate good will promising to put to his vttermost force and euermore to be ruled by hyr aduice Thus they passed the dinner while the Lady Fraunces alwayes refusing to declare hir conceipt of the late chaung which she perceiued in his Mistresse for she thought best first to wynne his wyll vnto conformitie by little and little and then in the ende to perswade him with necessitye When the other gentlewoman had vytayled hir they departed requiring him to rise and boldly to resist the fayntenesse of his feuer The which he promised and so bad them a Dio. The Ladyes at their retourne found the courte in Dame Elynores chamber who had there assembled hir secretary Dame Pergo the rest ther they passed an hower or twayne in sundry discourses wherein Dame Pergo did alwaies cast out some bone for mistresse Fraunces to gnaw vppon for that in déede she perceyued hir harty affection towardes Ferdinando whereat Mistresse Fraunces chaunged no countenaunce but reserued hir reuenge vntill a better oportunitie At last quod Dame Fraunces vnto Mistresse Elinor and when will you goe vnto your seruaunt fayre Lady When he is sicke and I am whole quod Dame Elinor That is euen nowe quod the other for howe sicke he is your selfe can witnesse and howe well you are we must beare recorde You maye as well be deceiued in my disposition quod Dame Elinor as I was ouerséene in his sodaine alteration and if he be sicke you are meete to be his phisition for you sawe yesterday that my paines dyd lyttle profite towardes his recomfort Yes surelye sayde the other not onelye I but all the rest had occasion to iudge that your curtesie was his chiefe comfort Well quod Dame Elinor you knowe not what I knowe Nor you what I thinke quod Dame Fraunces Thinke what you lyst quod Elinor In deede quod Fraunces I may not thinke that you care neither wyll I dye for your displeasure so halfe angrie she departed At supper they met againe and the maister of the house demanded of his daughter Fraunces howe Fardinando did Syr quod she he dyd eate some what at dyner and sithens I sawe him not The more to blame quod he and now I would haue al you gentlewomen take of the best meates and goe suppe with him for company driueth away carefulnesse and leaue you me here with your leauinges alone Naye syr quod Mistresse Elinor I pray you giue me leaue to beare you company for I dare not aduenture thither The Lorde of the Castle was contented dispatched awaye the rest who taking with them such viandes as they thought méetest went vnto Ieronimies chamber fynding him vp and walking about to recouer strength whereat Dame Fraunces reioysed and declared how her Father had sente that company to attend him at supper Ferdinando gaue great thankes missing now nothing but his Mistresse thought not good yet to aske for hir but because he partly gessed the cause of hir absence he contented himselfe hoping that when his lure was newe garnished he shoulde easely recleame hyr from those coy conceyptes They passed ouer their supper all in quyete and sone after Mistresse Fraunces being desirous to requite Dame Pargoes quibbes requested that they might continue the pastime which Dame Pergo had begonne ouer night whervnto they all consented and the lot fell vnto Dame Fraunces to propounde the second question who adressing hir speche vnto Ferdinādo said in this wise Noble gouernor I will reherse vnto you a strange historie not fayned neyther borowed out of any oulde aucthoritie but a thing done in deed of late dayes and not farre distant from this place where wée nowe remayne It chaunced that a gentleman our neyghbour being maryed to a very fayre gentlewoman liued with hir by the space of fower or fiue yeares in greate contentacion trusting hir no lesse than he loued hir and yet louing hir as much as any man could loue a woman On that other side the gentlewoman had woonne vnto hir beautie a singular commendation for hir chast and modest behauiour Yet it happened in time that a lustie young gentleman who very often resorted to them obtayned that at hir handes which neuer any man coulde before him attaine and to be plaine he wonne so much in hir affections that forgetting both hir owne duty and hir husbandes kindnes shée yéelded hir body at the commaundement of this louer in which pastime they passed long tyme by theyr pollitycke gouernment At last the frendes of this Lady and especially thrée sisters which she had espied ouermuch familliarity betwene the two louers and dreading least it might breake out to their cōmon reproch toke their sister apart and declared that the world did iudge scarce well of the repayre of that Gentleman vnto hyr house and that if she did not foresée it in time shée should not onely léese the good credite which she hir selfe had hitherto possessed but furthermore should distaine theyr whole race with common obloquy reproche These and sundry other Godly admonitions of those sisters could not sink in the mind of this gentlewoman for she dyd not only stand in defiaunce what any man could thinke of hir but also séemed to accuse them that because they saw hir estimation being their yonger to grow aboue their owne they had therefore deuised this meane to set variance betwene hir husbande and hir The sisters seing their holesome counsell so reiected and hir continue styll in hir obstinate opinion adressed theyr speache vnto hir husbande declaring that the worlde iudged not the best neyther they themselues did very wel like of the familiaritie betwene their sister and that gentleman and therfore aduised him to forecast all perils and in time to forbid him his house The husband on the other side had also conceiued suche a good opinion of his gest
had growen into such a stricte familliaritie with him that you might with more ease haue remoued a stone wal than once to make him think amis eyther of his wyfe or of hir louer Yea and immediatelie after this conference he woulde not sticke thus to say vnto his wife Lamia for so in déede was hir name thou hast thrée such busie brained sisters as I thinke shortlye their heads wyll breake they woulde haue me to bée iellous of thée no no Lamia c. so that he was not onely far from any such beléefe but furthermore dyd euerye daye increase his curtesies towards the louer The sisters being thus on all sides reiected and yet perceyuing more more an vnséemelye behauiour betwéene their sister and hir minion began to melt in their owne grease and such was theyr enraged pretence of reuenge that they suborned diuers seruauntes in the house to watch so dilligentlye as that this treason might de discouered Amongst the rest one mayde of subtile spirite had so long watched them that at last she spied them go into the chamber together and lockte the doore to them wherevpon she ranne with all hast possible to hir Mayster and toold him that if he would come with hir she would shewe him a very straunge sighte The gentleman suspecting nothing went with hir vntill he came into a chamber néere vnto that wherein they had shut themselues And she pointing hir mayster to the keyhole bad him looke through where he sawe the thing which moste mighte mislike him to behold Where at he sodaynely drewe his Dagger and turned towardes the mayde who fled from him for feare of mischiefe But when he could not ouertake hir in the heat of his coller he commaunded that she should forth wyth trusse vp that little which she had and to departe his seruice And before hir departure he found meanes to talke with hir threatening that if euer she spake any worde of this mistery in any place where she should come it should cost hir life The mayde for feare departed in silence and the Maister neuer changed coūtenance to either his wife or to hir paramour but fayned vnto his wife that he had turned a waye the mayde vpon that sodayne for that shee had throwen a Kitchin knife at him whiles he went about to correct a fault in hir c. Thus the good gentleman dranke vp his owne swette vnseene euery day encreasing curtesie to the louer and neuer chaunging countenaunce to his wife in any thing but onely that he refrayned to haue such knowledge of hir carnally as he in tims past had and other men haue of their wiues In this sort he continued by the space all most of halfe a yeare neuerthelesse lamenting his mishap in solytary places At last what moued him I know not he fell a gayn to company with his wife as other men do and as I haue heard it sayed he vsed this pollicy Euery time that he had knowledge of hir he would leaue either in the bed or in hir cusshencloth or by hir looking glasse or in some place where she must néedes finde it a piece of money which then was in Italie called a Caroline Thus he dealt with her continuallye by the space of fowre or fiue monethes vsing hir neuerthelesse very kindly in all other respects and prouiding for hir all things necessary at the first call But vnto his geast he still augmented his curtesie in such sort that you would haue thought them to be sworne brothers All this notwithstanding his wife much musing at these smal péeces which she founde in this sort and furthermore hauing sundrye times found hir husband in solitarye places making great lamentation shée grewe inquisitiue what should be the secréete cause of these alterations vnto whom he would none otherwise answere but the any man should finde occatiō to be more pensiue at one time than at another The wife notwithstanding increasing hir suspect imparted the same vnto hir louer alledging therewithal that she doubted verye much least hir husband had some vehemēt suspicion of their affaires The louer encoraged hir likewise declared that if she would be importunate to enquire the cause hir husband would not be able to kepe it from hir and hauing now throughly instructed hir shée dealt with her husband in this sort One day when shée knew him to be in his study alone she came into him and hauing fast locked the doore after hir conueyed the keye into hir pocket she began first with earnest entreaty and then with teares to craue that he woulde no longer kéepe from hir the cause of his sodaine alteration The husband dissimuled the matter still at last she was so earnest to know for what cause he left money in such sort at sundry times That he aunswered on this wise Wyfe quod hée thou knowest howe long wée haue béene married togeather and howe long I made so deare accompt of thée as euer man made of his Wife since which dayes thou knowest also howe long I refrained thy company and howe long againe I haue vsed thy company leauing the money in this sort and the cause is this So long as thou dyddest behaue thy selfe faithfullye towardes mée I neuer lothed thy company but sithens I haue perceiued thée to bée a harlotte and therefore dyd I for a tyme refraine and forbeare to lye with thée and nowe I can no longer forbeare it I giue thée euery time that I lye with thée a Caroline which is to make thée vnder stande thine owne whordome and this rewarde is sufficient for a whore The wife beganne stoutlye to stand at defiaunce but the husband cut of hir speach and declared when where and how he had sene it hereat the woman being abashed and finding hir conscience guilty of asmuch as he had aledged fell downe on hir knées with most bitter teares craued pardon confessing hir offence whereat hir husband moued with pitie melting likewise in floods of lamentation recomforted hir promising that if from that day forwardes she would be true vnto him he would not onely forgiue al that was past but become more tender and louing vnto hir then euer he was What doe I tarrye so long they became of accord and in full accomplishment thereof the gentlewoman dyd altogeather eschewe the company the speach and as much as in hir laye the sight of hir louer although hir husband dyd continue his curtesie towards him and often charged his wife to make him fayre resemblaunt The Louer was nowe onelye left in perplexitie who knewe nothing what might be the cause of all these chaunges and that most gréeued him he could by no meanes optaine againe the speach of his desired he watched all opportunities hée suborned messengers hée wroote letters but all in vaine In the ende she caused to bée declared vnto him a time and place where she woulde méete him and speake with him Being met she put him in remembraunce of all that had passed betwéene
beastly broyle A presaunt pleasure passing on a pace And paynting plaine the path of penitence A frollicke faudur foyld with fowle disgrace When hoary heares should claime their reuerence Such is the fruite that growes on gadding trées Such kynd of mell most moueth busie Bées For Lucius he Esteeming more one ounce of present sport Than elders doe a pound of perfect wit First to the bowre of beautie doth resorte And there in pleasure passed many a fitte His worthie race he recklesse doth forget With small regarde in great affaires he réeles No counsell graue nor good aduise can set His braynes in brake that whirled still on whéeles For if Byrhena coulde haue helde him backe From Venus court where he nowe nufled was His lustie limmes had neuer founde the lacke Of manlie shape the figure of an Asse Had not bene blazed on his bloud and bones To wound his will with torments all attones But Fotis she Who sawe this Lording whitled with the cup Of vaine delight wherof he gan to tast Pourde out apace and stilde the Mazor vp With drunken dole yea after that in hast She greazde this guest with sause of Sorcerie And fedde his minde with knacks both queint and strange Lo here the treazon and the trecherie Of gadding girles when they delight to range For Lucius thinking to becoms a foule Became a foole yea more than that an Asse A bobbing blocke a beating stocke an owle Well woondred at in place where he did passe And spent his time his trauaile and his cost To purchase payne and all his labor lost Yet I pore I Who make of thée my Fotys and my frende In like delight my youthfull yeares to spend Do hope thou wilt from such soure sause defend Dauid thy King. Meritum petere graue Soone acquainted soone forgotten As appeareth here by an vncourteous farewell to an inconstant Dame. IF what you want you wanton had at will A stedfast minde a faythfull louing heart If what you speake you woulde performe it still If from your worde your déede did not reuerte If youthfull yeares your thoughtes did not so rule As elder dayes may scorne your friendship fraile Your doubled fansie would not thus recule For péeuish pryde which nowe I must bewaile For Cresside faire did Troilus neuer loue More deare than I estéemde your freamed cheare Whose wauering wayes since nowe I do them proue By true reporte this witnesse with me beare That if your friendship be not to deare bought The price is great that nothing giues for nought Meritum petere graue FINIS ¶ Certayne notes of Instruction concerning the making of verse or ryme in English vvritten at the request of Master Edouardo Donati SIgnor Edouardo since promise is debt and you by the lawe of friendship do burden me with a promise that I shoulde lende you instructions towards the making of English verse or ryme I will assaye to discharge the same though not so perfectly as I would yet as readily as I may and therwithall I pray you consider that Quot homines tot Sententiae especially in Poetrie ▪ wherein neuerthelesse I dare not challenge any degree and yet will I at your request aduenture to set downe my simple skill in such simple manner as I haue vsed referring the same hereafter to the correction of the Laureate And you shall haue it in these few poynts followyng THe first and most necessarie poynt that euer I founde méete to be cōsidered in making of a delectable poeme is this to grounde it vpon some fine inuention For it is not inough to roll in pleasant woordes nor yet to thunder in Rym Ram Ruff by letter quoth my master Chaucer nor yet to abounde in apt vocables or epythetes vnlesse the Inuention haue in it also aliquid salis By this aliquid salis I meane some good and fine deuise shewing the quicke capacitie of a writer and where I say some good and fine inuention I meane that I would haue if both fine and good For many inuentions are so superfine that they are Vix good And againe many Inuentions are good and yet not finely handled And for a general for warning what Theame soeuer you do take in hande if you do handle it but tanquam in oratione perpetua and neuer studie for some depth of deuise in the Inuention some figures also in the handlyng thereof it will appeare to the skilfull Reader but a tale of a tubbe To deliuer vnto you generall examples it were almoste vnpossible sithence the occasions of Inuentions are as it were infinite neuerthelesse take in worth mine opinion and perceyue my furder meanyng in these few poynts If I should vndertake to wryte in prayse of a gentlewoman I would neither praise hir christal eye nor hir cherrie lippe c. For these things are trita obuia But I would either finde some supernaturall cause wherby my penne might walke in the superlatiue degrée or els I would vndertake to aunswere for any imperfection that shée hath and there vpon rayse the prayse of hir commendacion Likewise if I should disclose my pretence in loue I would eyther make a straunge discourse of some intollerable passion or finde occasion to pleade by the example of some historie or discouer my disquiet in shadowes per Allegoriam or vse the couertest meane that I could to auoyde the vncomely customes of commō writers Thus much I aduenture to deliuer vnto you my fréend vpon the rule of Inuention which of all other rules is most to be marked and hardest to be prescribed in certayne and infallible rules neuerthelesse to conclude therein I would haue you stand most vpon the excellencie of your Inuention sticke not to studie déepely for some fine deuise For that beyng founde pleasant woordes will follow well inough and fast inough 2 Your Inuention being once deuised take héede that neither pleasure of rime nor varietie of deuise do carie you from it for as to vse obscure darke phrases in a pleasant Sonet is nothing delectable so to entermingle merie iests in a serious matter is an Indecorum 3 I will next aduise you that you hold the iust measure wherwith you begin your verse I will not denie but this may seeme a preposterous ordre but bycause I couet rather to satisfie you particularly than to vndertake a generall tradition I wil not somuch stand vpon the manner as the matter of my precepts I say then remember to holde the same measure wherwith you begin whether it be in a verse of sixe syllables eight ten twelue c. and though this precept might séeme ridiculous vnto you since euery yong scholler can conceiue that he ought to continue in the same measure wher with he beginneth yet do I see and read many mens Poems now adayes whiche beginning with the measure of xij in the first line xiiij in the second which is the common kinde of verse they wil yet by that time they haue passed ouer a few