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Full text of "Certayne notes of instruction in English verse, 1575. The steele glas, 1576. The complaynt of Philomene, 1576. Preceded by George Whetstone's A remembrance of the well employed life, and godly end of George Gascoigne, esquire. Edited by Edward Arber"

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Gascoigne,  George 

Certayne  notes  of 
instruction  in  English 
verse 


CO 


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ISnglt0!)  Mcprintd. 

GEORGE    GASCOIGNE,    Esquire. 

t.  Certayne  Notes  of  In{lru6lion  in  Englifh  Verie. 

1575- 

2.  The  Steele  Glas. 

[Conimenced  April  1S75.     Finished  April  1S76.] 
April  1576. 

3-  The  Complaynt  of  Philomene. 

[Commenced  Apr.  1562.    Continued  in  Apr.  I575.     Finished  3  Apr.  1576.] 
April  1576. 


PRECEDED    BY 

GEORGE  WHETSTONE'S 

A  Remembrance  of  the  well  imployed  Life,   and 

godly  end  of  George  Gafcoigne  Efquire,  &c. 

[Eni.  Stat.  Hall.  11  Nov.  1577.] 


CAREFULLY  EDITED  BY 

EDWARD    ARE  ER, 

A/fociaie,  King's  College,  London,  F.R.G.S.,  &'c. 

LONDON : 
ALEX.  MURRAY  &  SON,  30,  QUEEN  SQUARE,  W.C. 
Ent.  Stat.  Hall.]  1 8  November,  1 868.       [All Rights  referoed. 


CONTENTS. 


Chronicle  of  the  Life,  Works,  and  Times  of  G.  Gafcoigiie  3 

Introduction, 11 

Bibliography, 14 

(Srortft  SSafjctstonc. 

A  REMEMBRANCE  ^'c.  OF  G.  GASKOIGNE,  &-c.  15 
(i)  The  wel  employed  life,  and  godly  end  of  G.  Gafcoigne, 

-»        Efq 17 

]    (2)  Exhortatio 27 

(3)  An  Epitaph,  written  by  G.  W.  of  the  death  of  M.  G. 

Gafkoygne  ....,..,.  29 

ffircorge  ffiascotgne. 
CERTA  YNE  NOTES  OF  INSTRUCTION 

IN  ENGLISH  VERSE,  &-c.      .        .31 

THE  STEELE  GLAS      .        .        .41 

(i)  The  Epiflle  Dedicatorie  [15  April.  1576]           .         .  42 

{2)  N.  R.  in  commendation  of  the  Author,  and  his  works  46 
(3)   Walter  [afterwards  Sir  Walter]  Raleigh,  of  the  IMiddle 

Temple,  in  commendation  of  7 Iir  Steele  Glas        .          .  47 

{4)  Nicholas  Bowyer  in  commendation  of  this  work         ,  47 

(5)  The  Author  to  the  Reader        .         ,         .         .         .  4S 

(6)  The  Steele  Glas 49 

(7)  Epilogus S2 

THE  COMPLAYNT OF PHILOMENE     .  S5 

(8)  The  Epiaie  Dedicatorie  [16  April.  1575]            .         .  86 

(9)  Philomene 87 

(lo)  The  Fable  of  Thilomela 91 


CHRONICLE 

{to  be  taken  in  connection  with  Whetstone's  Remevibratuice,  at  pp.  15-30) 
of 
fome  of  the  principal  events 
in  the 

Life,   Works,   and  Times 

of 
GEORGE  GASCOIGNE  Efquire, 

Courtier,  Soldier,  Poet. 


o  / 


U 


♦  Probable  or  approximate  dates. 

1509,  apr.  22,    ?^fnrs  VWl.  teflfns  to  relp. 

37.  George  Gascoigne  was  the  son  and  heir  of  Sir  J. 
Gascoigne,  /.  18.  The  date  or  place  of  his  birth  is  not 
known.  If  it  might  be  safely  assumed  that  he  was  some- 
what over  20  years  of  age  when  he  entered  Gray's  Inn  in 
15S51  that  would  confirm  the  otherwise  unsupported  state- 
ment, that  he  was  only  40  years  when  he  died. 

Gascoigne  himself  tells  Queen  Elizabeth  \see  1576]  that 
he  had  '  Suche  Englishe  as  I  stale  in  westmerland.'  From 
which  it  is  inferred  he  was  either  born  or  bred  in  that 
county. 

1547-   Jan.  29.    ISlitDarU  VI  ascenOs  tje  throne 

He  goes  to  Cambridge.    '  Such  lattyn  as  I  forgatt  at 
g  I  Cambridge,'  [see  i5'/6] 

g  Pray  for  the  nources  of  our  noble  Realme 

I  meane  the  worthy  Vniuersitities, 
_  (And  Cantabridge,  shal  haue  the  dignitie, 

■<  V  Whereof  I  was  vnworthy  member  once)  p.  77. 

1553.  f  ulj  6.    iKars  succeeds  to  ti)c  tijronc. 

Harl.  M.S.  1912,  is  a  nominal  index  of  the  Registers 
of  all  'Admittances,'  'Ancients,'  and  '  Barresters'  in  the 
Society  of  Gray's  Inn,  down  to  1671;  togetherwith  a  digest 
of  such  orders  of  the  society  which  were  looked  upon  as 
precedents.  In  the  i6th  century,  four  gentlemen  of  the 
name  of  Gascoigne  were  admitted  into  the  society.  John 
in  1536  [admitted  to  ye  degree  of  Ancient,  24  May  1552  ; 
fol.  195],  George  in  1555,  Edward  in  1584,  and  John  in 
1590;  foj-  33-  None  of  these  occur  in  the  hst  of  '  Bar- 
resters.' 

1555.  George   Gascoigne  admitted  to  Grays   Inn.      43   ad- 

mitted in  the  same  year.     Harl.  MS.  t<)\i,/oI.  33. 

1557.  May  24.  Among  the  names  of  '  Ancients '  called  on  24  May, 
1557,  is  that  of  '  Gascoine,'  Ide7n,/ol.  204. 

1558.  Wol).  17.    ISlijabcti)  iegtns  to  tclgn. 

'The  lost  time  of  my  youth  mispent,'/.  42.     'Disin- 
herited,' p.  17. 
1562.  Apr.  Gascoigne  begins  'todeuise'  The  Coiitplaiut  of  Philo- 

mene  'riding  by  the  highway  betwene  Chelmisford  and 
London,  and  being  ouertakcn  with  a  sodaine  dash  of 
Raine,  I  changed  my  copy,  and  stroke  ouer  into  the  De- 
prq/jindis  which  is  placed  amongst  my  other  Poesies, 
leuing  the  complaint  of /'/y/(3;«ii'«(?vnfinished.'//.  85,  119. 

In  Tlieintrodiictiontothe  PsalmeqfDeprofiauiis,  which 


CHRONICLE. 

with  the  Psalm  itself,  is  included  in  Gascoigne's  Floivers, 

are  the  following  lines. 

The  Skies  gan  scowie,  orecast  with  misty  clowdes, 
When  (as  I  rode  alone  by  London  waye, 
Cloakelesse,  vnclad)  thus  did  I  sing  and  say  : 

Why  doe  not  I  my  wery  muses  frame 
(Although  I  bee  well  soused  in  this  showre,) 
To  write  some  verse  in  honour  of  his  name? 
Among  the  precedential  orders  relating  to  '  Ancients,' 
at  the  end  of  Harl.  M.S.  1912,  is  the  following. 

(1555  Mr.  Barkinge,  Mr.  Brand,  Geo.  Gascoigne,  Tho. 
1561  Michelbome,  and  William  Clopton  beinge  called 
1565  Ancients  as  of  ye  former  Call  paid  their  respectiue 
1567  fines  for  their  Vacacions  past  to  compleate  ye  num- 
1624  berof  nine  Vacacions  of  ye  said  former  c2\\,fol.  238. 
1565.  Gascoigne  pays  the  above  fines.     In  his  Flowers,  are 

Gascoigties  Meniories,  written  vpon  this  occasion.  Hee 
had  (in  myddest  of  his  youth)  determined  to  abandone 
all  vaine  delights  and  to  retume  vnto  Greyes  Inne,  there 
to  vndertake  againe  the  studdie  of  the  common  Lawes. 
And  being  required  by  fiue  sundry  Gentlemen  to  write  in 
verse  somewhat  worthye  to  bee  remembred  before  he  en- 
tered into  their  fellowshippe,  hee  compiled  these  fiue 
sundrie  sortes  of  metre  vppon  fiue  sundrye  theames, 
which  they  deliuered  vnto  him,  and  the  first  was  at  request 
of  Frauncis  Kinwelmarshe  who  deliuered  him  this  theame. 

Atidaces fortuna  itiuat The  next  was  at  request 

of  Antony  Kinwelmarshe,  who  deliuered  him  this  theame, 

Satis  sjifficit John  Vaughan  deliuered  him  this 

theame.  Magnum  vectigal  parcimonia Alexan- 
der Neuile  deUuered  him  this  theame,  Sat  cite,  si  sat 
bene,  wherevpon  he  compiled  these  seuen  Sonets  in  se- 
quence,   therein  bewraying  his   owne   Nimis  cito :  and 

therwith  his  Vix  bene Richard  Courtope  (the  last 

of  the  fiue)  gaue   him   this  theame   Durum   oeneufn  et 

miserabile  ceutint And  thus  an  ende  of  these  fiue 

Theames,  admounting  to  the  number  of.  ccLvni.  verses, 
deuised  ryding  by  the  way,  writing  none  of  them  vntill 
he  came  at  the  ende  of  his  lourney,  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  Gascoigne's  memories.    Posies,  1575. 

1565.  Apr.  26.      Date   of  his    dedication  of   '  Tlie   Glasse  of  Gouem- 

ment.  A  tragicall  Comedie,'  first  printed  in  1576.  'A 
piece  in  a  dramatic  form,  the  body  of  which  is  in  prose, 
although  it  has  four  choruses  and  an  epilogue  in  rhyme, 
besides  two  didactic  poems  in  the  third  act."  Collier^ 
Hist.  Dram.  Poet.  Hi.  7. 

1566.  Two  plays  are  represented  at  Gray's  Inn  in  this  year. 
(1)  The  3"«;>/^.fc.f— translated  by  Gascoigne  from  Ario- 

sto's  Gii Sup/ositi,  Venice,  1525 — the  earliest  'existing 
specimen  of  a  play  in  Kng\is.h  prose  acted,  either  in  pub- 
lic or  private.'     Co/tier,  Hist.  Dram.  Poet.  iii.  6. 

{2)  Jocasta — adapted  from  the  Pkenisscr  of  Euripides — 
'the  second  dramatic  performance  in  our  language  in 
blank  verse,  and  the  first  known  attempt  to  introduce  a 
Greek  play  upon  the  English  stage.'  Collier,  Idem. p.  8.  Gas- 
coigne contributes  Acts  ii,  iii,  v.  ;  F.  Kinwelmarsh,  Acts 
i.  and  iv.  ;  and  C.,  afterwards  Sir  C.,  Yelverton,  the  Epi- 
logue. Each  Act  was  preceded  by  a  dumb  show.  The 
Autograph  copy  of  this  play  is  in  the  Guilford  MS. 

In  this  year  also  was  published  The  French  Littleton. 


CHRONICLE.  5 

Neyvly  set  forth  by  C.  Holiband  \i.e.  Desainliens],  teach- 
ing in  Paules  Church  yarde,  by  the  signe  of  the  Lucrece 
London,  1566."  At  the  beginning  is  what  is  apparently 
Gascoigne's  first  picblished  verse, 

George  Gascoigne  Squire  in  commendation  of  this  hooke. 
The  pearle  of  price,  whicn  englishmen  haue  sought 
So  farre  abrode,  and  cost  them  there  so  dere 
Is  now  founde  out,  within  our  contrey  here 
And  better  cheape,  amongst  vs  may  be  bought 
I  meane  the  frenche  :  that  pearle  of  pleasant  speeche 
Which  some  sought  far,  and  bought  it  with  their  Hues 
With  sickenesse  some,  yea  some  with  bolts  and  gyues 
But  all  with  payne,  this  peerlesse  pearle  did  seeche. 
Now  HoUyband  (A  frendly  frenche  in  deede) 
Hath  tane  such  payne,  for  euerie  english  ease 
That  here  at  home,  we  may  this  language  leame  : 
And  for  the  price,  he  craueth  no  more  neede 
But  thankful  harts,  to  whome  his  perles  msy  please 
Oh  thank  him  then,  that  so  much  thank  doth  earne 
Tam  Marti  quam  Mercurio 
?  Marries. 

?  Goes  a  journey  into  the  West  of  England. 

Gascoigne's  IVoodmanskip  Written  to  the  L.  Grey  of 
Wilton  vpon  this  occasion,  the  sayd  L.  Grey  delighting 
(amongst  many  other  good  quailities)  in  chusing  of  his 
winter  deare,  and  killing  the  same  with  his  bowe,  did 
furnishe  master  Gascoigne  with  a  croisebowe  cum  Perti- 
■nencijs  and  vouchsafed  to  vse  his  company  in  the  said 
exercise,  calling  him  one  of  his  wodmen.  Now  master 
Gascoigne  shooting  very  often,  could  neuer  hitte  any 
deare,  yea  and  often  times  he  let  the  heard  passe  by  as 
though  he  had  not  seene  them.  Whereat  when  this  noble 
Lord  tooke  some  pastime,  and  had  often  put  him  in  re- 
membrance of  his  good  skill  in  choosing,  and  readinesse 
in  killing  of  a  winter  deare,  he  thought  good  thus  to  excuse 
it  in  verse.  [This  poem  was  published  in  1572.] 
'S?2.  Is  published  Gascoigne's  first  book,  A  Hundreth  sun- 

drie  Floures  bound  up  in  one  s/nall  Poesie :  respecting 
which  he  afterwards  says.  "  It  is  verie  neare  two  yeares 
past,  since  (I  being  in  Hollande  in  seruice  with  the  ver- 
tuous  Prince  of  Orange)  the  most  part  of  these  Posies 
were  imprinted.  ...  I  neuer  receyued  of  Printer,  or 
of  anye  other.one  grote  or  pennie  for  the  firste  Copyes  of 
these  Posies.  True  it  is  that  I  was  not  vnwillinge  the  same 
shoulde  be  imprinted  :  "  for  which  he  assigns  four  reasons. 
1st  Pre/,  to    Posies,'  1575. 

In  the  dedication  to  Lord  Grey  of  Wilton,  of  a  poem 
entitled  The  fruites  of  M'arre,  'hegon  a.t  Dei/e  in  hot- 
landc';  Gascoigne  says,  '  I  am  of  opinion  that  long  before 
this  time  your  honour  hath  throughly  perused  the  booke, 
•which  I  prepared  to  bee  sent  vnto  you  somewhat  before 
my  comming  hyther,  and  there withall  I  doe  lykewise 
coniectour  that  you  haue  founde  therein  iust  cause  to 
to  laugh  at  my  follies  forepassed.  This  first  edition  was 
therefore  prepared  and  anonymously  published  by  its 
author  ;  not  surreptitiously  by  the  printer  as  sometimes 
supposed. 

O.  G.  G[ilchrist]  in  Cens.  Lit.  i.  110 — 112.  Ed.  1805,  has 
gleaned  from  his  works,  the  following  account  of  Gas- 
coigne's trip  abroad. 

"  He  afterwards  entered  at  Grays  Inn  for  the  purpose 


CHRONICLE. 

of  studying  the  law.  The  connexions  which  his  situation 
now  procured  him  drew  him  to  court,  where  he  Uvedwith 
a  splendour  of  expence  to  which  his  me.ins  were  inade- 
quate, and  at  length  being  obliged  to  sell  his  patrimony 
(which  it  seems  was  unequal)  to  pay  his  debts,  he  left 
the  court  and  embarked  on  the  19th  of  March,  1572,  at 
Gravesend  ;  the  next  day  he  reached  the  ship  and  em- 
barked for  the  coast  of  Holland.  The  vessel  was  under 
the  guidance  of  a  drunken  Dutch  pilot,  who,  from  inex- 
perience and  intoxication,  ran  them  aground,  and  they 
were  in  imminent  danger  of  perishing.  Twenty  of  the 
crew  who  had  taken  to  the  long  boat  were  swallowed  by 
the  surge  ;  but  Gascoigne  and  his  friends  (Rowland)  Yorke 
and  Herle  resolutely  remained  at  the  pumps,  and  by  the 
wind  shifting  they  were  again  driven  to  sea.    At  length 

Per  varies  casus,  pej  tot  discrimina  7tr>im, 
they  landed  in  Holland,  where  Gascoigne  obtained  a  cap- 
tain's commission,  under  the  gallant  William  Prince  of 
Orange,  who  was  then  (successfully)  endeavouring  to 
emancipate  the  Netherlands  from  the  Spanish  yoke.  In 
this  service  he  acquired  considerable  military  reputation, 
but  an  unfortunate  quarrel  with  his  colonel  retarded  his 
career.  Conscious  of  his  deserts  he  repaired  immediately 
to  Delf,  resolved  to  resign  his  commission  to  the  bands 
from  which  he  received  it;  the  Prince  in  vain  endeavour- 
ing to  close  the  breach  between  his  officers. 

While  this  negociation  was  mediating,  a  circumstance 
occurred  which  had  nearly  cost  our  poet  his  life.  A  lady 
at  the  Hague  (then  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy)  with 
whom  Gascoigne  had  been  on  intimate  terms,  had  his 
portrait  in  her  hands  (his  "counterfayt,"  as  he  calls  it), 
and  resolving  to  part  with  it  to  himself  alone,  wrote  a- 
letter  to  him  on  the  subject,  which  fell  into  the  hands  of 
his  enemies  in  the  camp  ;  from  this  paper  they  meant  to 
have  raised  a  report  unfavourable  to  his  loyalty  ;  but  upon 
its  reaching  his  hands  Gascoigne,  conscious  of  his  fidelity, 
laid  it  immediately  before  the  prince,  who  saw  through 
their  design,  and  gave  him  passports  for  visiting  the  lady 
at  the  Hague:  the  burghers,  however,  w.ntched  his  mo- 
tions with  malicious  caution,  and  he  was  called  in  derision 
"The  Green  Knight."  Although  disgusted  with  the  in- 
gratitude of  those  on  whose  side  he  fought,  Gascoigne 
still  retained  his  commission,  till  the  prince,  coming  per- 
sonally to  the  siege  of  Middleburg,  gave  him  an  opportu- 
nity of  displaying  his  zeal  and  courage,  when  the  prince 
rewarded  him  with  300  guilders  beyond  his  regular  pay, 
and  a  promise  of  future  promotion.  He  was  (however) 
surprized  soon  after  by  3000  Spaniards  when  commanding, 
under  Captain  Sheffield,  500  Englishmen  lately  landed, 
and  retired  in  good  order,  at  night,  under  the  walls  of 
Leyden  ;  the  jealousy  of  the  Dutch  then  openly  was  dis- 
played by  their  refusing  to  open  their  gates  ;  our  military 
bard  with  his  band  were  in  consequence  made  captives. 
At  the  expiration  of  twelve  days  his  men  were  released, 
and  the  officers,  after  an  imprisonment  of  four  months, 
were  sent  back  to  England." 

Feb.  He  published  '  TIte  Posies  0/ George  Gascoigne,  Esquire. 

Corrected,  perfected,  and  augmented  by  the  Author.' 
[2nd  Dedication  dated  Feb.  2].  It  consists  of  3  prefaces  ; 
and  4  parts,  Flowkrs,  Hkkus,  Weeds,  and  the  Notes 
OF  Instruction.  In  the  second  preface,  he  thus  explains 
the  three  principal  divisions.  "  I  haue  here  presented  you 


CHRONICLE.  t 

with  three  sundrie  sorts  of  Posies :  Floures,  Herles  and 

Weedes I  terme  some  Floures,  bycause  being 

indeed  innented  vpon  a  verie  light  occasion,  they  haue 
j'et  in  them  (in  my  iudgement)  some  rare  inuention  and 
Methode  before  not  commonly  vsed.  And  therefore 
(beeingmore  pleasant  then  profitable)  I  haue  named  them 
Floures.  The  seconde  (bemg  indeede  moral  discourses 
and  reformed  inuentions,  and  therefore  more  profitable 
then  pleasant)  I  haue  named  Hearbes.  The  third  (being 
Weedes,  might  seeme  to  some  iudgements  neither  pleasant 
nor  yet  profitable,  and  therefore  meete  to  bee  cast  awaie. 
But  as  manie  weedes  are  right  medicinable,  so  may  you 
finde  inthis  none  so  vile,  or  stinking,  but  that  it  hath  in  it 
some  vertue  if  it  be  rightly  handled." 
1575.  April.  Gascoigne   begins   Tlie  Steele  Glas:  and   continues  a 

little  further  The  Complaint  of  Philoinene,  f p.  86,  119. 

1575.  The  Noble  Arte  of  Venerie  or  Hvnting  is  published 
'The  Translator  [George  Turberville]  to  the  Reader'  is 
dated  16  June  1S75.  After  which  comes  a  poem  of  58  lines 
George  Gascoigtie,  in  the  commendation  of  the  noble  Arte 
of  Venerie.  This  work  is  generally  attached  to  Turber- 
ville's  Tlie  Booke  of  Faulconrie  or  Ha-wking. 

In  her  summer  progress,  the  Queen  makes  her  famous 
visit  to  Kenilworth. 
iS75- July9~27.  Leicester  commissioned  Gascoigne  to  devise  masks  &c. 
for  her  entertainment.  These  were  printed  the  next  year 
under  the  title  of  The  Princelye  pleasures,  at  the  Coicrte 
at  Kenehvorth ;  and  with  R.  Laneham  or  Langham's 
published  Letter  of  date  of  20  Aug.  1575  :  constitute  the 
best  accounts  of  that  splendid  reception. 
Sept.  II.  The  Queen  continuing  arrives  at  Woodstock,  and  is 
greeted  with  Gascoigne's  T/ie  tale  of  Hemetes. 

1576.  Jan.  I.         He  presents,  as  a  New  Year's  gift,  to  Queen  Elizabeth, 

and  apparently  in  his  own  handwriting  the  manuscript  of 
The  tale  of  Hemetes  the  hcrtnyte  pronounced  before  the 
Quee7ies  Maiesty  att  Woodstocke.  This  is  now  in  the 
British  Museum.  MS.  Reg.  18.^.  xlviiii,p.  27.  The  fron- 
tispage  is  a  finished  drawing  representing  the  presentation 
of  his  work.  Then  comes,  in  English  verse,  the  Dedication, 
I  p  :  after  which  is  an  English  address  '  to  the  Queenes  most 
excellent  Majestye  ;  8  pp.  Then  follows  the  tale  in  four 
languages.  English,  g//;  Latin,  lipp:  Italian  T-ipp; 
French  13//  ;  concluding  the  whole  with  Epilogismus,  ip. 
In  his  address  at  fol.  6  of  the  book,  he  says,  '  But 
yet  suche  Itallj'an  as  I  haue  learned  in  London,  and  such 
lattyn  as  I  forgatt  att  Cambridge,  such  frenche  as  I  bor- 
rowed in  Holland,  and  such  Englyshe  as  I  stale  in  west- 
merland,  even  such  and  no  better  (my  worthy  soueraigne 
haue  I  poured  forth  before  you,'  &c. 

1576.  Apr.  3.  He  finishes  The  Complaint  of  Philomene.  p.  119.  Ap- 
parently in  the  same  month,  he  finishes  The  Steele  Glas,  the 
dedication  of  which  is  dated  Apr.  15. 

ijy6.  Apr.  12.  In  an  Epistle  dated  'From  my  lodging,  where  I  march 
amongst  the  Muses  for  lacke  of  exercise  in  martial  ex- 
ploytes,  the  12  of  April,  1576  to  A  Discourse  of  a  new 
Passage  to  Cataia.  Written  by  Sir  Humfrey  Gilbert, 
Knight,  Quid  non?"  Gascoigne  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  his  publication  of  this  Letter  to  Sir  John  Gilbert, 
dated  'the  last  of  June,  1566,'  and  therein  incidentally 
reveals  his  relationship  to  Sir  Martin  Frobisher : 

You  must  herewith  vnderstand  (good  Reader)  that  the 
author  hauinge  a  worshipfuU  Knight  to  his  brother,  who 
abashed  at  this  enterprise  (aswell  for  that  he  himselfe  had 


CHRONICLE. 

none  issue,  nor  other  heier  whome  he  ment  to  bestow  hjs 
lands  vpon,  but  onely  this  Authour,  and  that  this  voyage 
the  seemed  Strang  and  had  not  beene  commonly  spoken 
before,  as  also  because  it  seemed  vnpossible  vnto  the  com- 
mon capacities)  did  seeme  partly  to  mislike  his  resolu- 
tions, and  to  disuade  him  from  the  same  :  there-upon  he 
wrote  this  Treatise  vnto  his  saide  Brother,  both  to  excuse 
and  cleare  bimselfe  from  the  note  of  rashnesse,  and  also 
to  set  downe  such  Authorities,  reasons,  and  experiences, 
as  had  chiefly  encouraged  him  vnto  the  same,  as  may 
appeare  by  the  letter  next  following,  the  which  I  haue 
here  inserted  for  that  purpose.  And  this  was  done  about 
vii.  yeares  now  past,  sithence  which  time  the  original! 
copies  of  the  same  haue  lien  by  the  authour  as  one  rather 
dreading  to  hazarde  the  ludgement  of  curious  perusers, 
then  greedie  of  glorie  by  hasty  publication. 

Now  it  happened  that  my  selfe  being  one  (amongst 
manie)  beholding  to  the  said  S.  Humfrey  Gilbert  for  sun- 
drie  curtesies,  did  come  to  visit  him  in  Winter  last  passed 
at  his  house  in  Limehoiuse,  and  beeing  verie  bolde  to 
demaunde  of  him  howe  he  spente  his  time  in  this  loytenng 
vacation  from  martiall  stratagemes,  he  curteously  tooke 
me  vp  into  his  Studie,  and  there  shewed  me  sundrie  pro- 
fitable and  verie  commendable  exercises,  which  he  had 
perfected  painefuUy  with  his  owne  penne  :  And  amongst 
the  rest  this  present  Discourse.  The  which  as  well 
because  it  was  not  long,  as  also  because  I  vnderstode 
that  71/.  Fonrboiser  {a  kinsman  of  mine)  did  pretend  to 
trauaile  in  the  same  Discoiierie,  I  craued  at  the  said 
^.  Hum/reyes  handes  for  two  or  three  dayes  to  reade  and 
to  peruse.  And  hee  verie  friendly  granted  my  request, 
but  stil  seming  to  doubt  that  therby  the  same  might,  con- 
trarie  to  his  former  determination  be  Imprinted. 

And  to  be  plaine,  when  I  had  at  good  leasure  perused 
it,  and  therwithall  conferred  his  allegations  by  the  Tables 
of  Ortelius,  and  by  sundrie  other  Cosinograpkicall 
Mappes  and  Cliarts,  I  seemed  in  my  simple  iudgement 
not  onely  to  like  it  singularly,  but  also  thought  it  very 
meete  (as  the  present  occasion  serueth)  to  giue  it  out  in 
publike.  Whereupon  I  haue  (as  you  see)  caused  my 
friendes  great  trauaile,  and  mine  owne  greater  presump- 
tion to  be  registred  in  print.  [For  which  act,  he  offers 
five  excuses.] 

In  a  dedication  to  the  Francis,  second  Earl  of  Bedfordlb. 

1528— d.  1585],  dated,  '  From  my  lodging  where  I  finished 

this  trauvayle  in  weake  plight  for  health  as  your  good  L. 

1576.  May  2.   well  knoweth,  this  second  day  of  Mayc  1576,'  Gascoigne 

writes, 

(Not  manye  monethes  fince)  tossing  and  retossingmmy 
small  Lybarie,  amongest  some  bookes  which  had  not 
often  felte  my  fyngers  endes  in.  xv  yeares  before,  I 
chaunced  to  light  vpon  a  small  volume  skarce  comely 
couered,  and  wel  worse  handled.  For  to  tell  a  truth 
vnto  your  honour,  it  was  written  in  an  old  kynd  of  Ca- 
racters,  and  so  tome  as  it  neyther  had  the  beginning  per- 
spycuous,  nor  the  end  perfect.  So  that  I  cannot  certaynly 
say  who  shuld  be  the  Author  of  the  same.  And  there- 
vpon  haue  translated  and  collected  into  some  ordre  these 
sundry  parcells  of  the  .same  The  whiche  ....  I  haue 
thought  meete  to  entytle  T/ie  Droome  of  Doomes  daye. 
[The  work  is  divided  into  three  parts,  The  view  o/ivorld- 
ly  VaHities,  The  sluime  o/situte.  The  Needels  eye.)  Vnto 
these  three  parts  thus  collected  and  ordred  I  haue  thought 


O" 


CHRONICLE.  9 

good  to  adde  an  old  letter  which  teacheth  Remedies  against 
tJie  bitterness  of  Death." 

[The  unknown  Latin  work  thus  Englished  by  Gascoigne, 
was  De  miseria  humatue  conditionis  of  Lothario  Conti, 
Pope  Innocent  IIL  [b.  ii6c — d.  i6  July,  1216],  which 
appeared  in  print  so  early  as  1470,  and  was  frequently 
reprinted.] 

"  While  this  worke  was  in  the  presse,  it  pleased  God  to 
visit  the  translatour  thereof  with  sicknesse.  So  that  being 
vnable  himselfe  to  attend  the  dayly  proofes,  he  apoynted 
a  seruant  of  his  to  ouersee  the  same."  Printer  to  the 
Reader. 

1^76.  Aug.  22.      He  publishes  A  delicate  Diet  for   daintie  moutJide 
Droonkards. 

1577-  J^n.  I.  He  presents  the  Queen  with  another  poem,  which  is 

now  in  the  British  Museum  Reg.  MS.  18  A.  Ixi.  p.  275. 
'  The  Grief  of  loy.  Certayne  Elegies:  wherein  the  doubt- 
full  delightes  of  mannes  lyfe  are  displaied.'  It  is  on  38 
folios,  4to  :  each  full  page  having  three  stanzas  of  7  lines 
each.  The  royal  titles  and  name  are  throughout  written 
in  gold.  From  the  following  portion  of  the  dedication,  it 
would  appear  that  at  this  date  he  was  in  some  way  in  the 
Queen's  service. 

"Towching  the  Methode  and /n7ientio>i.  cuen  as  Pe- 
trark  in  his  woorkes  De  reniedys  iitriusguefortuntr,  dothe 
recowmpt  the  vncerteine  loyes  of  men  in  seuerall  dia- 
logues, so  haue  I  in  these  Elegies  distributed  the  same 
into  sundrie  songes  and  haue  hetherto  perfected  but  foure 
of  the  first,  the  which  I  humbly  commend  vnto  your 
noble  sensure  and  gracious  correction  And  therewithal! 
I  proffer  in  like  manner  that  if  your  Maiestie  shall  lyke 
the  woorke,  and  deeme  yt  worthy  of  publication  I  will 
then  shrinke  for  no  paynes  vntill  I  haue  (in  suche  songs) 
touched  all  the  common  places  of  mans  perylous  pleasures. 
But  withowt  the  confirmation  of  your  fauorable  accep- 
tanns  (your  Maiestie  well  knoweth)  I  will  neuer  presume 
to  publishe  any  thing  hereafter,  and  that  being  well  con- 
sidered (compared  also  withe  the  vnspeakeable  comfort 
which  I  haue  conceiued  in  your  Maiesties  vndeserued 
fauor)  may  sufficientlie  witnes  without  further  triall,  that 
doubtful  greeues  and  greuous  doubles,  do  often  accom- 
pany oure  greattest  ioyes. 

Howsoeuer  it  be,  I  right  humbly  beseeche  youre  heigh- 

nes  to  accept  this  Nifle  for  a  new  yeares  gyfte 

Whome  God  presenie  thes  first  of  January,  1577,  and 
euer.     Amen." 

After  this  come  The  Preface  ;  then  the  I'enuoie ;  then 
the  four  Songs,  (i)  The  greeues  or  discoiHinodities  of 
lustie  youth;  (2)  Ttie  vanities  of  Bewtie ;  (3)  T/te  faults 
of  force  and  Strength;  (4)  TJie  z>anities  of  Aciiuityes ; 
which  terminates  with  '  Left  vnperfect  for  feare  of 
Horsmen.' 

'^1^77.  Oct.  7.        George  Gascoigne  dies  at  Stamford,  see  Whetstone's 
Remembraunce. 

O.  G[ilchrist],  in  Cens.  Lit,  ii.  238,  states,  'In  order  to 
ascertain  if  George  Gascoigne  was  buried  at  Waltham- 
stow,  I  went  purposely  to  search  the  parish  register,  and 
found  no  entry  anterior  to  1650.' 

Mr.  Gilchrist  also  informed  Dr.  Bliss  "  I  have  searched 
the  registers  of  the  six  parishes  for  his  interment  without 
success.  The  result  is  this:  Geo.  Whetstones  had  wealthy 
relations,  possessors  of  the  manor  of  Walcot  (four  miles 


lb  '  CHRONICLE. 

distant  from  Stamford),  which  parishes  to  Bemack,  where 
the  family  of  Whetstones  usually  buried  and  where  a 
monument  of  the  Elizabethan  style  of  architecture  still 
remains:  and  Tconjecture  that  Geo.  Gascoigne  dying  at 
Stamford  was  carried  to  Bernack  by  his  friend  Geo.  Whet- 
stones, .  .  .  and  interred  there  in  the  family  vault. 
I  haue  endeavoured  to  ascertain  this,  but  no  old  register 
of  the  parish  of  Bernack  is  to  be  found." — Ath.  Oxon.  it. 
\  .  437;   Ed.  1813. 

The  following  criticisms  were  bestowed  by  contemporaries  on  our  Author. 
WiLLi.\M  Webbe,  in  A  Discourse  of  English  Poetrie,  writes. 
Master  George  Gaskoyne  a  wytty  Gentleman,  and  the  very  cheefe  of  our 
late  rymers,  who  and  if  some  partes  of  learning  wanted  not  (albeit  is  well 
knowne  he  altogether  wanted  not  learning)  no  doubt  would  haue  attayned 
to  the  excellencye  of  those  famous  Poets.  For  gyfts  of  wytt,  and  naturall 
promptnes  appeare  in  him  aboundantly.     Ed.  1815,/.  34. 

2.  George  Puttenham,  in  The  Arte  of  Englishe  Poesie,  1589,  notices 
'Gascon  for  a  good  meeter  and  for  a  plentifuU  vayne.'     Book  i.  p.  51. 

3.  Thomas  Nash  in  a  prefatory  address  '  To  the  Gentlemen  Students'  in 
R.  Greene's  Metiaphoti,  15^9,  writes, 

Who  euer  my  priuate  opinion  condemns  as  faultie,  Master  Gascoigne 
is  not  to  bee  abridged  of  his  deserued  esteeme,  who  first  beat  the  path  to 
that  perfection  which  our  best  Poets  haue  aspired  too  since  his  departure  ; 
whereto  hee  did  ascend  by  comparing  the  Italian  with  the  English,  as  Tully 
did  GrceccB  cian  Latinis. 


THE  STEELE  GLAS,  &c. 


INTRO  D  UCTION. 

|NE  of  the  principal  poets  in  the  firfl  half 
of  Elizabeth's  reign;  one  of  our  earheft 
dramatifls ;  the  firfl  EngHfh  fatirifl ;  and 
the  firfl  Englifh  critic  in  poefy:  Gafcoigne 
takes  rank  among  the  minor  poets  of 
England.  An  Efquire  by  birth,  but  an  Efquire  in  good 
hap  in  life,  he  was  alfo  an  Efquire  in  poetry. 

No  complete  edition  of  his  works  has  ever  been 
pubUfhed.  Indeed  copies  of  any  of  them,  whether 
original  or  reprinted,  are  not  of  frequent  occurrence. 
Still  lefs  are  his  chara6ler  and  career  known.  There 
exist  confiderable  materials  in  the  numerous  perfonal 
allufions  in  his  works,  in  his  praifeworthy  habit  of 
frequently  dating  them,  and  in  contemporary  writers ; 
towards  a  worthy  account  of  himfelf  and  his  affociates  : 
which,  from  their  very  early  date  in  the  Queen's  reign, 
and  their  connexion  with  the  then  incipient  flage  of 
our  Drama ;  could  not  fail  to  be  new  and  interelling 
to  Englilh  fludents.  Meanwhile,  to  mofl  readers,  the 
name  of  George  Gafcoigne  or  of  any  of  his  produ6tions, 
are  alike  unknown. 

In  our  attempt  to  make  the  prefent  feries  of  works 
reprefentative  of  Englilh  Literature,  we  now  prefent 
three  idiofyncratic  fpecimens  of  Gafcoigne's  powers, 
as  a  poetical  critic,  as  a  fatirifl,  and  as  an  elegifl.  To 
thefe  we  have  prefixed — accurately  reprinted,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  this  time — Whetflone's  Retnembraiice  of 
his  life  and  death:  a  book  once  thought  to  haveperifhed, 
and  of  which  but  a  fingle  copy  now  exifls : — that  in 
the  Bodleian  Library  at  Oxford.  A  confideration  of 
thefe  four  works  in  connexion  with  his  time,  will 
doubtlefs  create  a  favourable  opinion  both  of  the 
genius  and  chara6ler  of  George  Gafcoigne. 


12  Introdtinion. 

Theearliefl  portion  of  the  publications  here  reprinted, 
is  the  commencement  of  T/ie  Cojuplaint  of  Philomene, 
begun  in  April  1562,  on  a  journey  on  horfeback  from 
Chelmsford  to  London  :  wherein 

as  I  rode  by  London  waye, 
Cloakleffe,  vnclad. 
he  was  '  ouertaken  with  a  fodaine  dafh  of  Raine,'  and 

well  foufed  in  this  fhowre. 
he  changed  the  fubje6l  of  his  thought,  and  wrote  the 
Pfalm  De  Frofwidis,  preferved  in  his  Flo7i.<ers. 

The  Notes  of  injlriinmi  6^r.,  mufl  have  been  written 
between  1572 — the  date  of  his  poem  to  Lord  Grey  of 
Wilton,  entitled  '  Gafcoigne's  Voyage  into  Holland,  An. 
1572,'  to  which  he  alludes  therein — and  1575,  when 
he  firfl  publifhed  them  in  his  Pofies. 

His  old  poem  lay  by  him  till  April  1575,  when, 
having  jufl  feen  through  the  prefs,  the  correded  edition 
of  his  Pofies,  he  begins  The  Steele  Glas  '  with  the  Night- 
ingales notes ' :  and  makes  further  progrefs  in  the  Elegy. 

Then  comes  abfence  from  home  during  the  fummer, 
in  conne6lion  with  great  literary  occupation.  He  is 
away  at  Kenilworth  devifmg  T/ie  Princely  plcafiires : 
and  afterwards  at  Woodflock  preparing  The  tale  of 
Honetes  the  hermit.  Then  in  the  following  winter, 
he  goes  on  a  vifit  to  the  unfortunate  Sir  Humphrey 
Gilbert,  '  at  his  houfe  in  Limehotife,'  and  is  in  confe- 
quence  led  into  the  fludy  of  the  North-wefl  paffage 
and  '  the  Tables  of  Ortelius  and  fundrie  other  Cofmo- 
grapicall  Mappes  and  Charts^  So  the  two  poems 
progrefs  together  at  intervals,  and  at  lad  are  fimul- 
taneoufly  finifhed  in  April  1576. 

The  author  calls  The  Coj?iplaint,  '  April  lliowers ' : 
Both  the  Satire  and  the  Elegy  may  be  faid  to  be  Spring 
fongs.  There  refounds  all  through  them  the  fmging  of 
birds.  This  difcovers  itfelf  as  much  in  the  general 
imagery  as  in  fuch  paffages  as  this. 

In  fvveet  April,  the  Meffenger  to  May, 

When  hoonie  drops,  do  melt  in  golden  fliowres, 

When  euery  byrde,  records  his  louers  lay, 


IntroduBion.  13 

And  weflerne  vvindes,  do  fofler  forth  our  floures, 

Late  in  an  euen,  I  walked  out  alone, 

To  heare  the  defcant  of  the  Nightingale, 

And  as  I  floode,  I  heard  hir  make  great  moane, 

Waymenting  much  P-^1- 

In  The  Steele  Glas  however,  Gafcoigne  has  a  ferious 

purpofe.     As  Whetflone  reports. 

(laboring  flil,  by  paines,  to  purchafe  praife) 
I  wrought  a  Glaffe,  wherein  eche  man  may  fee  : 
Within  his  minde ;  what  canckred  vices  be.    /.  19. 
It  was  a  firfl  experiment  in  Englifh  fatire ;  and  though 

it  does  not  fang  like  Dryden's  Abfalom  and  Achitophel: 

it  is  a  vigorous  effort  in  favour  of  truth,  right,  and  juflice. 

Its  central  thought  and  fancy  are  thus  expreffed : 
That  age  is  deade,  and  vanifht  long  ago. 
Which  thought  that  lleele,  both  trully  was  and  true, 
And  needed  not,  a  foyle  of  contraries, 
But  fhewde  al  things,  euen  as  they  were  in  deede. 
In  fleade  whereof,  our  curious  yeares  can  finde 
The  chriflal  glas,  which  glimfeth  braue  and  bright, 
And  fhewes  the  thing,  much  better  than  it  is, 
Beguylde  with  foyles,  of  fundry  fubtil  fights. 
So  that  they  feeme,  and  couet  not  to  be.    /.  54. 
I  haue  prefumde,  my  Lord  for  to  prefent 
With  this  poore  glaffe,  which  is  of  truflie  Steele, 
And  came  to  me,  by  wil  and  teflament 
Of  one  that  was,  a  Glaffemaker  in  deede. 
Lucylius,  this  worthy  man  was  namde. 
Who  at  his  death,  bequeathd  the  chriflal  glaffe, 
To  fuch  as  loue,  to  feme  but  not  to  be. 
And  vnto  thofe,  that  loue  to  fee  themfelues. 
How  foule  or  fayre,  foeuer  that  they  are. 
He  gan  bequeath,  a  glaffe  of  truflie  Steele, 
Wherein  they  may  be  bolde  alwayes  to  looke, 
Bycaufe  it  fhewes,  all  things  in  their  degree. 
And  fmce  myfelfe  (now  pride  of  youth  is  pad) 
Do  loue  to  be,  and  let  al  feeming  paffe, 
Since  I  defire,  to  fee  my  felfe  in  deed, 
Not  what  I  would,  but  what  I  am  or  (hould, 
Therfore  I  like  this  truflie  glaffe  of  Steele.  //.  55, 56. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

GEORGE  WHETSTONE. 

A  Remembraunce  of  the  wel  imployed  life  &c. 

(a)  Issues  In  tfte  author's  life  time. 

I.  As  a  separate piibluation. 

1.  1577.     London.      Editio princeps:  see  title  on  opposite  page.     Edmond 

1  Vol.  4to.  Malone  has  inserted  the  following  note  in  the  only  extant 
copy,  formerly  his  but  now  in  the  Bodleian.  '  This  piece 
is  of  such  rarity,  that  it  was  for  near  a  century  not  sup- 
posed to  exist.  No  other  copy  is  known.  Bishop  Tanner 
had  one  ;  but  it  has  been  long  lost.'  W.  C.  Hazlitt,  in 
Handbook,  p.  650,  Ed.  1S67,  states  '  The  history  of  this 
book,  of  which  it  seems  that  only  one  copy  has  ever  been 
seen,  is  rather  curious.  It  had  been  Bishop  Tanner's,  and 
was  formerly  with  his  books  at  Oxford,  but  had  been 
missed  for  many  years,  when  it  occurred  at  the  sale  of  Mr. 
Voigt's  [of  the  Custom  House]  books  in  1806,  and  was 
bought  by  Malone  for  £a,i  ids.  6d.  With  his  library  it 
returned  to  its  old  resting  place.' 

(b)  Issues  slnec  tf)C  iSutijor's  Heat^. 

1 1 .    With  other  works. 

2.  1810.     London.      Th^  Works  0/ the  English  Poets.    Ed.  bjr  A.  Chalmers, 

21  Vols.  Svo.     F.S.A.    A  Rejiievibrannce  ^r'c,  occupies  ii.  457-466. 
\.  As  a  separate  publication. 

3.  1815.     Bristol.       WHietstone's   Metrical   Life  of  Gascoigne.      Only  10 

I  Vol.  4to.         copies  printed  ;  55.  each. 

4.  1821.     London.      Gascoigne's  Princely  Pleasures,  &c.     With  an  intro- 

I  Vol.  Svo.  ductory  Memoir  and  notes.  A  Remembravnce  occupies 
pp.  xx.-xx.xviii, 

5.  18  Nov.  1868.     London,     i  Vol.  Svo.   English  Reprints:  see  title  at  p.  1. 

GEORGE  GASCOIGNE. 

Certayne  Notes  of  Instruction  &c. 
a)  Issues  fn  tf)e  anttior's  life  time. 

II.    With  other '.vorks.  _ 

1.  1575.     London.      'The  Posies  of  George  Gascoigne  Esquire.'   Tw^  Notes 

I  Vol.  4to.  form  the  fourth  and  last  section  of  the  book :  the  other 
three  being  Flouers,  Hearbcs,  and  Weedes. 

(t)  issues  Since  tijeauttor'sUeatt). 

II.  With  other  works. 

2.  isS?.    London.      'The  whole  woorkes  of  George  Gascoigne  Esquyre,' 

1  Vol.  4to.         The  Notes  are  at  the  end,  and  have  no  pagination. 

3.  1815.     London.      Ancient  Critical  Essays  upon  English  J^oets  and  Poesy. 

2  vols.  4to.         Ed.  by  J.  Haslewood.     The  A'otes  occupy  ii.  i — 12. 

4.  18  Nov.  1868.    London,     i  vol.  Svo.     English  Reprints  :  see  title  at  p.  i. 

The  Steele  Glas.  and  The  Complaynt  of  Philomene. 
(a)  Issues  In  ti)e  author's  life  time. 

I.  As  a  separate  publication. 
\.  1576.  London,     i  vol.  4to.     Editio pritucfis :  see  the  titles  at  pp.  41,  85. 

(t)  Issues  since  \%z  auttot's  lieat^. 

II.  With  other  works. 

2.  1587.     London.      'The  whole  workes  of  George   Gascoigne,  EsqujTe.' 

I  vol.  4to.  The  two  poems  occupy   nominally  folios  287 — 351,   but 

actually  folios  189 — 252. 

3.  1810.    London.     T}te  Works  of  the  English  Poets.  Ed.  by  A.  Chalmers, 

21  vols.  Svo.      F.S.A.     The  two  poems  occupy  ii.  548—568. 

4.  18  Nov.  1858.    London,     i  vol.  Svo.    English  Reprints:  acq  iitlcs.t'Q.i. 


A  REMEMBRA  VNCE  W 

^^^^ 
^®"^^®^ 


of  ti^e  foel  implogeir  life,  anb  gotilg  cnti,  of 

George  Gajkoigne  Efquire^  who 

limas^Et)  at  Stalmfort  m  3Lm= 

colne  <Sfjire  tfje  7.  of  06lober. 

1577. 

The  reporte  of  Geor.  Whet/ions 

@£nt.  an  cge  luttms  of  f)is 

@oljl2  anil  cf)arita6Ie 

txin  in  tj^fs  toorltr. 


Formce.  nulla  Fides. 


IMPRINTED  A  T  LON 

ton  for  (Etitoartr  a^gas,  btocllfng 

in  ^aul£3  C^urcl^garti  anU 

are  tj^ere  to  &c  sollie. 


The  wel  imployed  life,  and  godly  end  of 
G.  Gafcoigne,  Efq. 

PNd  is  there  none,  wil  help  to  tel  my  tale  ! 

\vho(ah)inhelth,athoufandplaintshauefhone? 

feeles  all  men  joy?  can  no  man  fkil  of  bale? 

o  yes  I  fee,  a  comfort  in  my  mone. 
Help  me  good  George,  my  life  and  death  to  touch 
fome  man  for  thee,  may  one  day  doo  afmuch. 

Thou  feefl  my  death,^  and  long  my  Hfe  didfl  knowe, 

my  hfe  :  nay  death,  to  liue  I  now  begin  : 

But  fome  wil  fay.  Durus  ejl  hie  fertfio, 

Tis  hard  indeed,  for  fuch  as  feed  on  fm. 

Yet  trufl  me  frends  (though  flefh  doth  hardly  bow) 

I  am  refolu'd,  I  neuer  liu'd  til  now. 

And  on  what  caufe,  in  order  fhall  enfue, 
My  worldly  life  (is  firft)  mufl  play  his  parte  : 
Whofe  tale  attend,  for  once  the  fame  is  true, 
Yea  Whet  Ion  thou,  haft  knowen  my  hidden  hart 
And  therfore  I  coniure  thee  to  defend  : 
(when  I  am  dead)  my  life  and  godly  end. 

Firft  of  my  life,  which  fome  (amis)  did  knowe, 
I  leue  mine  amies,  my  a6ls  fhall  blafe  the  fame 
Yet  on  a  thome,  a  Grape  wil  neuer  growe,        g^^  J^^^ 
no  more  a  Churle,doothbreed  achilde  of  fame.  g.  sonne 
but  (for  my  birth)  my  birth  right  was  not  great  cisinheri- 
my  father  did,  his  forward  fonne  defeat.  ted. 

B 


1 8  The  life  and  death 

This  froward  deed,  could  fcarce  my  hart  difmay, 

Vertue  (quod  I)  wil  fee  I  (hall  not  lacke : 

And  wel  I  wot  Domini  ejl  terra, 

Befides  my  wit  can  guide  me  from  a  wrack. 

Thus  finding  caufe,  to  fofler  hye  defire: 

I  clapt  on  cofl  (a  help)  for  to  afpire. 


But  foolifh  man  dedt  in  my  Pecocks  plumes, 
my  wanton  wil  commaunded  flrait  my  wit : 
Yea,  brainfick  I,  was,  drunk  with  fancies  fumes, 
But,  Nemo  fme  a'imine  viiiit. 
For  he  that  findes,  himfelf  from  vices  free 
I  giue  him  leue,  to  throwe  a  flone  at  me. 


It  helps  my  praife,  that  I  my  fault  recite, 

The  lofl  flieep  found,  the  feafl  was  made  for  ioy 

Euil  fets  out  good,  as  far  as  black  dooth  white. 

The  pure  delight,  is  drayned  from  anoy. 

But  {that  in  cheef,  which  writers  fliould  refpe6t) 

trueth  is  the  garde,  that  keepeth  men  vnchecl. 


And  for  a  trueth  begilde  with  felf  conceit, 

I  thought  yat  men  would  throwe  rewards  on  me 

But  as  a  fifli,  feld  bites  with  out  a  baight, 

So  none  vnforfl,  men  needs  will  hear  or  fee. 

and  begging  futes,  from  dunghil  thoughts  proceed 

the  mounting  minde,  had  rather  flerue  in  need. 

Wel  leaue  I  hear,  of  thriftles  wil  to  write, 
wit  found  my  rents,  agreed  not  with  my  charge  : 
The  fweet  of  war,  fung  by  the  carpet  knight, 
In  pofle  haRe  then  fliipt  me  in  Ventures  Barge. 
Thefe  lufly  lims,  Sainice  I'fe  (quod,  I)  will  rufl : 
That  pitie  were,  for  I  to  them  mufl  trufl. 


of  M.  G.  Gafkoigne.  19 

Wei  plafle  at  length,  among  the  drunken  Dutch, 

(though  rumours  lewd,  impayred  my  defert)       Heserued 

I  boldely  vaunt,  the  blafl  of  Fame  is  fuch,         land. 

As  prooues  I  had,  a  froward  fowrs  hart. 

My  flender  gaine  a  further  witnes  is  : 

For  woorthiefl  men,  the  fpoiles  of  war  do  mis. 


Euen  there  the  man,  that  went  to  fight  for  pence,?"^°^"|'=^ 
Cacht  by  fly  hap,  in  prifon  vile  was  popt : 
Yeahadnot  woordes, fought  formyhuesdefence,  JJ'^  ^  '^■'"^ 

T-,         ,,  ,  .  1,111  1  ^  t"s  Latin, 

-borallmy  hands,  my  breth  had  there  been  flopt  Italian, 
But  I  in  fine,  did  fo  perfwade  my  foe  :  fnd  Dutch 

as  (fcot  free)  I,  was  homewards  fet  to  goe.         languages. 


Thus  wore  I  time,  the  welthier  not  a  whit, 

Yet  awckward  chance,  lackt  force,  to  beard  my  hope 

In  peace  (quod  I)  ile  trufl  unto  my  wit, 

the  windowes  of  my  mufe,  then  flraight  I  ope  His 

And  firft  I  fhowe,  the  trauail  of  fuch  time  :        pubL^' 

as  I  in  youth,  imployd  in  loouing  rime. 

Some  flraight  way  faid  (their  tungs  with  enuy  fret), 
thofe  wanton  layes,  indu6tions  were  to  vice  : 
Such  did  me  wrong,  for  {quod  nocet,  docet)  Poyses. 

our  neyghbours  harms,  are  Items  to  the  wife. 
And  fure  thefe  toyes,  do  fhowe  for  your  behoof: 
The  woes  of  looue,  and  not  the  wayes  to  loue. 

And  that  the  worlde  might  read  them  as  I  ment, 
I  left  this  vaine,  to  path  the  vertuous  waies  :      ^lasse  of 
The  lewd  I  checkt,  in  Glas  of  gouerment,  mem? 

And  (laboring  flil,  by  paines,  to  purchace  praife) 
I  wrought  a  Glaffe,  wherin  eche  man  may  fee  :  |'j^'^«^ 
Within  his  minde,  what  canckred  vices  be.  ^^^ 


20  The  life  and  death 

The  druncken  foule,  tranfformed  to  a  beall,      Diet  for 

..        ,      ,  .  .  '         drunkers. 

my  diet  helps,  a  man,  agam  to  make  : 
But  (that  which  fhould,  be  praifd  abooue  the  refl) 
My  Doomes  day  Drum,  from  fm  dooth  you  awake 
For  honefl  fport,  which  dooth  refrefli  the  wit :  ?"""?*" 

T  1  r  T         1        r  1  ■  •  doomsday 

I  haue  for  you,  a  book  of  huntmg  wnt. 

^        '  °  Hunting. 

Thefe  few  books,  are  dayly  in  your  eyes,  books^to^ 

Parhaps  of  woorth,  my  fame  aHue  to  keep  :       publish. 
Yet  other  woorks,  (I  think)  of  more  emprife, 
Coucht  clofe  as  yet,  within  my  cofers  fleep. 
'  yea  til  I  dy,  none  fhall  the  fame  reuele : 
So  men  wil  fay,  that  Gajkoign  wrote  of  Zxale. 


0  Enuy  vile,  foule  fall  thee  wretched  fot,  Enuy. 
Thou  mortall  foe,  vnto  the  forward  minde  : 

1  curfe  thee  wretch,  the  onely  caufe  god  wot, 
That  my  good  wil,  no  more  account  did  finde. 
And  not  content,  thy  felf  to  doo  me  fear  : 

Thou  nipfl  my  hart,  with  Spight^  SufpcH.  and  Care. 


And  fird  of  Spight  foule  Entdes  poyfoned  pye, 
To  Midas  eares,  this  As  hath  Ly/itiiis,  eyes  :     Spigiu. 
With  painted  fhewes,  he  heaues  him  felf  on  hie, 
Ful  oft  this  Dolte,  in  learned  authors  pries, 
But  as  the  Drone,  the  hony  hiue,  dooth  rob: 
with  woorthy  books,  fo  deales  this  idle  lob. 

He  filcheth  tearms,  to  paint  a  pratling  tung. 
When  (God  he  knowes)  he  knows  not  what  he  faies 
And  left  the  wife  fhould  finde  his  wit  but  yung. 
He  woorks  all  means,  their  woorks  for  to  difpraife. 
To  fmooth  his  fpeech,  ye  beafl  this  patch  doth  crop 
He  fhowes  the  bad,  the  writers  mouthes  to  flop. 


of  M.  G.  Gajkoigne. 

Ye  woorfe  then  this,  he  dealeth  in  offence, 
(Ten  good  turnes,  he  with  filence  flriketh  dead) ; 
A  flender  fault,  ten  times  beyond  pretence. 
This  wretched  Spight  in  euery  place  dooth  fpread. 
And  with  his  breth,  the  Vipet-  dooth  infe6l : 
The  hearers  heads,  and  harts  with  falfe  fufpedl. 


Now  of  SufpeH :  the  propertie  to  fhowe,  Suspect. 

He  hides  his  dought,  yet  fLil  miflrufleth  more  : 
The  man  fufpe6l,  is  fo  debard  to  knowe, 
The  caufe  and  cure  of  this  his  ranckling  fore. 
And  fo  in  vain,  hee  good  account  dooth  feek, 
Who  by  this  Feende,  is  brought  into  miflike. 


Now  hear  my  tale,  or  caufe  which  kild  my  hart, 

Thefe  priuy  foes,  to  tread  me  vnder  foot : 

My  true  intent,  with  forged  faults  did  thwart : 

fo  that  I  found,  for  me  it  Avas  no  boot. 

to  woork  as  Bees,  from  weeds,  which  hony  dranes, 

When  Spiders  turnd,  my  flowers  vnto  banes. 


When  my  plain  woords,  by  fooles  mifcon  fired  were 
by  whofe  fond  tales  reward  hild  his  hands  back 
To  quite  my  woorth,  a  caufe  to  fettle  care  : 
within  my  brefl,  who  wel  deferu'd,  did  lack, 
for  who  can  brook,  to  fee  a  painted  crowe  : 
Singing  a  loft,  when  Turtles  mourn  belowe. 


What  man  can  yeld,  to  flarue  among  his  books,     care. 
and  fee  pied  Doultes,  vppon  a  booty  feed  ? 
What  honeft  minde,  can  liue  by  fau'ring  looks, 
and  fee  the  lewd,  to  rech  a  freendly  deed  ? 
What  hart  can  bide,  in  bloody  warres  to  toile  : 
when  carpet  fwads,  deuour  ye  Soldiers  fpoile  ? 


22  The  life  a?id  death 

I  am  the  Avretch,  whom  Fortune  flirted  foe, 
Thefe  men,  were  brib'd,  ere  I  had  breth  to  fpeak 
Mufe  then  no  whit,  with  this  huge  ouerthrowe, 
though  cruffhing  care,  my  giUles  hart  doth  break 
But  you  wil  fay,  that  in  dehght  doo  dwell : 
my  outward  fhowe,  no  inward  greef  did  tel. 


I  graunt  it  true ;  but  hark  vnto  the  refl, 
The  Swan  in  fongs,  dooth  knolle  ner  paflmg  bel : 
The  Nightingale,  with  thornes  againfl  her  brefl 
when  fhe  might  mourn,  her  fweetefl  layes  doth  yel 
The  valiant  man,  fo  playes  a  pleafant  parte  : 
When  mothes  of  mone,  doo  gnaw  vppon  his  hart. 


For  proofe,  my  felf,  with  care  not  fo  a  feard. 

But  as  hurt  Deere  waile,  (tlirough  their  wounds  alone) 

When  floutly  they  doo  fland  among  yat  heard. 

So  that  I  faw,  but  kw  hark  to  my  mone. 

made  choife  to  tel  deaf  walles,  my  wretched  plaint : 

in  fight  of  men,  who  nothing  feemd  to  faint. 


But  as  oft  vfe,  dooth  weare  an  iron  cote,  ^°  P'^'^j- 

•n-  11         in-  •        ■  11  r     cion  could 

as  milhng  drops,  hard  limts  m  time  doth  pearle  find  out 
By  peece  meales,  care  fo  wrought  me  vnder  foot  ^^^s^^^^^- 
but  more  then  flraunge  is  that  I  now  rehearfe. 
Three  months  I  liued,  and  did  digell  no  food  : 
when  none  by  arte  my  ficknes  vnderflood. 


What  helpeth  then  ?  to  death  I  needs  mufl  pine, 
yet  as  the  horfe,  the  vfe  of  warre  which  knowes : 
K  he  be  hurt,  will  neither  winch  nor  whine, 
but  til  he  dye,  pofle  with  his  Rider  goes. 
Euen  fo  my  hart,  whilfl  lungs  may  lend  me  breth  : 
Bares  vp  my  limmes,  who  liuing  go  like  death. 


of  M.  G.  Gajkoigne.  23 

But  what  auailes,  Achilles  hart,  to  haue, 
King  Crcjfus  welth,  the  fway  of  all  the  world : 
The  Prince,  the  Peere,  fo  to  the  wretched  flaue, 
when  death  affaults,  from  earthly  holdes  are  whorld. 
Yea  oft  he  flrikes  ere  one  can  flir  his  eye  : 
Then  good  you  hue,  as  you  would  dayly  dye. 


You  fee  the  plight,  I  wretched  now  am  in, 

I  looke  much  like  a  threfhed  ear  of  corne  : 

I  holde  a  forme,  within  a  wrimpled  fkin, 

but  from  my  bones,  the  fat  and  flefh  is  worne 

See,  fee  the  man,  late  plefures  Minion : 

pinde  to  the  bones,  with  care  and  wretched  mone 


See  gallants  fee,  a  pi6lure  worth  the  fight, 

(as  you  are  now,  my  felf  was  heertofore) 

My  body  late,  fluft  ful  of  manly  might. 

As  bare  as  lob,  is  brought  to  Death  his  doore. 

My  hand  of  late,  which  fought  to  win  me  fame : 

Stif  clung  with  colde,  wants  forfe  to  write  my  name. 


My  legges  which  bare,  my  body  ful  of  flefh, 
Vnable  are,  to  flay  my  bones  vpright : 
My  tung  (God  wot)  which  talkt  as  one  would  wifh, 
In  broken  woords,  can  fcarce  my  minde  recite. 
My  head  late  fluft,  with  wit  and  learned  fkil : 
may  now  conceiue,  but  not  conuay  my  wil. 

What  fay  you  freends,  this  fudain  chaunge  to  fee  ? 
You  rue  my  greef,  you  doo  like  flefh  and  blood  : 
But  mone  your  flnnes,  and  neuer  morne  for  me, 
And  to  be  plain,  I  would  you  vnderflood. 
My  hart  dooth  fwim,  in  feas  of  more  delight : 
Then  your  who  feems,  to  rue  my  wretched  plight. 


84  The  life  and  death 

What  is  this  world  ?  a  net  to  fnare  the  foule, 

A  mas  of  fmne,  a  defart  of  deceit : 

A  moments  ioy,  an  age  of  wretched  dole, 

A  lure  from  grace,  for  flefh  a  toothfome  baight. 

Vnto  the  minde,  a  cankerworm  of  care  : 

Vnfure,  vniull,  in  rendring  man  his  fhare. 


A  place  where  pride,  oreruns  the  honefl  minde, 
Wheer  richmen  ioynes,  to  rob  the  fhiftles  wretch  : 
where  bribing  mifls,  the  iudges  eyes  doo  blinde, 
Where  Farafites,  the  fattefl  crummes  doo  catch. 
Where  good  deferts  (which  chalenge  like  reward) 
Are  ouer  blowen,  with  blafls  of  light  regard. 


And  what  is  man  ?     Dull,  Slime,  a  puf  of  winde, 
Conceiu'd  in  fm,  plafle  in  the  woorld  with  greef, 
Brought  vp  with  care,  til  care  hath  caught  his  minde. 
And  then  (til  death,  vouchfafe  him  fome  releef) 
Day  yea  nor  night,  his  care  dooth  take  an  end  : 
To  gather  goods,  for  other  men  to  fpend. 


O  foolifli  man,  that  art  in  office  plafle, 
Think  whence  thou  cam'ft,  and  whether  ye  flialt  goe 
The  huge  hie  Okes,  fmall  windes  have  ouer  call, 
when  flender  reeds,  in  roughed  wethers  growe. 
Even  fo  pale  death,  oft  fpares  the  wretched  wight : 
And  woundeth  you,  who  wallow  in  delight. 

You  lufly  youths,  that  nurifli  hie  defire, 
Abafe  your  plumes,  which  makes  you  look  fo  big  : 
The  Colliers  cut,  the  Courtiars  Steed  wil  tire, 
Euen  fo  the  Clark,  the  Parfones  graue  dooth  dig. 
Whofe  hap  is  yet,  heer  longer  life  to  win : 
Dooth  heap  (God  wot)  but  forowe  vnto  fnine. 


of  M.  G.  Gafcoyne.  25 

And  to  be  fhort,  all  fortes  of  men  take  heede, 
the  thunder  boltes,  the  loftye  Towers  teare  : 
The  lightning  flafh,  confumes  the  houfe  of  reed, 
yea  more  in  time,  all  earthly  things  will  weare. 
Saue  only  man,  who  as  his  earthly  lining  is  : 
Shall  Hue  in  avo,  orels  in  endles  blis. 


More  would  I  fay,  if  life  would  lend  me  fpace, 
but  all  in  vain  :  death  waites  of  no  mans  will : 
The  tired  lade,  dooth  trip  at  eueiy  pace, 
when  pampered  horfe,  will  praunce  againfl  the  hil. 
So  helthfuU  men,  at  long  difcourfes  fporte : 
When  few  woords,  the  fick,  would  fain  reporte. 


The  befl  is  this,  my  will  is  quickly  made, 
my  welth  is  fmall,  the  more  my  confcience  eafe  : 
This  fhort  accompt  (which  makes  me  ill  apaid) 
my  louing  wife  and  fonne,  will  hardly  pleafe. 
But  in  this  cafe,  fo  pleafe  them  as  I  may : 
Thefe  folowing  woords,  my  tellament  do  wray. 


My  foule  I  firfl,  bequeath  Almighty  God,  ^Vw^ ^^ 

and  though  my  fmnes  are  greuous  in  his  fight :  his  wii. 
I  firmly  trufl,  to  fcape  his  firy  rod, 
when  as  my  faith  his  deer  Sonne  fhall  recite. 
Whofe  precious  blood  (to  quench  his  Fathers  ire) 
Is  fole  the  caufe,  that  faues  me  from  hel  fire. 


My  Body  now  which  once  I  decked  braue 
(from  whence  it  cam)  vnto  the  earth  I  giue  : 
I  Avifh  no  pomp,  the  fame  for  to  ingraue, 
once  buried  corn,  dooth  rot  before  it  Hue. 
And  flefh  and  blood  in  this  felf  forte  is  tryed 
Thus  buriall  coll,  is  (with  out  proffit)  pride. 


26  The  life  arid  death 

I  humbly  giue,  my  gratious  foueraign  Queene 
(by  feruice  bound)  my  true  and  loyall  hart : 
And  trueth  to  fay,  a  fight  but  rarely  feene, 
as  Iron  greues  from  th'adamant  to  parte. 
Her  highnes  fo,  hath  reacht  the  Grace  alone  : 
To  gain  all  harts,  yet  giues  her  hart  to  none. 


My  louing  wife,  whofe  face  I  fain  would  fee, 

my  loue  I  giue,  with  all  the  welth  I  haue : 

But  fence  my  goods  (God  knoweth)  but  flender  bee 

moll  gratious  Queene,  for  Chrifl  his  fake  I  craue 

(not  for  any  feruice  that  I  haue  doon) 

you  will  vouchfafe,  to  aid  her  and  my  Sonne. 


Come,  come  deer  Sonne,  my  bleffmg  take  in  parte. 

and  therwithall  I  giue  thee  this  in  charge  : 

Firfl  ferue  thou  God,  then  vfe  bothe  wit  and  arte, 

thy  Fathers  det,  of  feruice  to  difcharge. 

which  (forfle  by  death)  her  Maieflie  he  owes  : 

beyond  defarts,  who  llill  rewardes  bellowes. 


I  freely  now  all  fortes  of  Men  forgiue 
Their  wrongs  to  me,  and  wifli  them  to  amend 
And  as  good  men,  in  charitie  fliould  Hue, 
I  craue  my  faults  may  no  mans  minde  olTend. 
Lo  heer  is  all,  I  haue  for  to  bequefl : 
And  this  is  all,  I  of  the  world  requefl. 


Now  farwell  Wife,  my  Sonne,  and  Freends  farwel. 

Farwell  O  world,  the  baight  of  all  abufe  : 

Death  where  is  thy  fling  ?     O  Deuil  where  is  thy  hel  ? 

I  little  forfe,  the  forfes  you  can  vfe ; 

Yea  to  your  teeth,  I  doo  you  both  defye  : 

Vt  c^cm  ChriJIo,  cupio  diffolui. 


of  M.  G.  Gajkoyne.  27 

In  this  good  mood,  an  end  woorthy  the  fliowe, 
Bereft  of  fpeech,  his  hands  to  God  he  heau'd  : 
And  fweetly  thus,  good  Gaskoigne  went  a  Dio, 
Yea  with  fuch  eafe,  as  no  man  there  perceiu'd, 
By  flrughng  figne,  or  flriuing  for  his  breth : 
That  he  abode,  the  paines  and  pangs  of  Death. 


ExJiortatio. 


His  Sean  is  playd,  you  folowe  on  the  a6l, 

Life  is  but  death,  til  liefli,  and  blood  be  flain:  Good  men. 

God  graunt  his  woords,  within  your  harts  be  pa6l 

As  good  men  doo,  holde  earthly  pleafures  vain. 

The  good  for  ther  needs,  Vtimtur  iniuido  : 

And  vfe  good  deeds,  Vi  fruantur  Deo. 


Contemne  the  chaunge,  (vfe  nay  abufe)  not  God, 

Through  holy  fhowes,  this  wordly  muck  to  fcratch  : 

To  deale  with  men  and  Saints  is  very  od.  ipocntes 

Hypocrifie,  a  man  may  ouer  catch. 

But  Hypocrite,  thy  hart  the  Lord  dooth  fee  : 

Who  by  thy  thoughts  (not  thy  words)  wil  iudge  thee. 


Thou  iefling  foole,  which  mak'fl  at  fm  a  face, 

Beware  that  God,  in  earnefl  plague  thee  not :      careies 

For  where  as  he,  is  coldefl  in  his  grace,  Mn^rs,. 

Euen  there  he  is,  in  vengeance  very  hot. 

Tempt  not  to  far,  the  lothefl  man  to  fight : 

When  he  is  forfle,  the  luftiefl  blowes  dooth  fmight. 


2  8  The  life  and  death 

You  Courtiers,  check  not,  Merchants  for  their  gain, 
you  by  your  loffe,  do  match  with  them  in  blame :  Courtiers. 
The  Lawyers  life,  you  Merchants  doo  not  flaine, 
The  blinde  for  flouth,  may  hardly  check  the  lame. 
I  meane  that  you,  in  Ballance  of  deceit :  Merchants. 

wil  Lawyers  payze,  I  feare  with  ouer  waight. 

You  Lawyers  now  who  earthly  Judges  are,        Lawyei-s. 

you  fhalbe  judg'd,  and  therfore  iudge  aright : 

you  count  Ignora/itia  Juris  no  bar. 

Then  ignorance,  your  fumes  wil  not  acquite. 

Read,  read  God's  law,  with  which  yours  fhould  agre : 

That  you  may  iudge,  as  you  would  iudged  bee. 

You  Prelats  now,  whofe  woords  are  perfe6l  good, 
Make  fhovve  in  woorks,  yat  you  your  woords  infue  : 
A  Diamond,  holdes  his  vertue  fet  in  wood,       Preiats. 
but  yet  in  Golde,  it  hath  a  frefher  hue, 
Euen  fo  Gods  woord,  tolde  by  the  Deuil  is  pure  : 
Preacht  yet  by  Saints,  it  doth  more  heed  procure. 

And  Reader  now,  what  office  fo  thou  haue, 

to  whofe  behoofe,  this  breef  difcourfe  is  tolde:  Readers 

Prepare  thy  felf,  eche  houre  for  the  graue,         ingeneraii. 

the  market  eats  afwel  yong  fheep  as  olde. 

Euen  fo,  the  Childe,  who  feares  the  fmarting  rod : 

The  Father  oft  dooth  lead  the  way  to  God. 

And  bothe  in  time,  this  wordly  life  fliall  leaue, 
thus  fure  thou  art,  but  know'fl  not  when  to  dye  : 
Then  good  thou  Hue,  leafl  death  doo  the  deceiue, 
as  through  good  life,  thou  maifl  his  force  defye. 
For  trufl  me  man,  no  better  match  can  make : 
Then  leaue  vnfure,  for  certain  things  to  take. 


Viuit  pojl funera  Virtus. 


of  M.  G.  Gajkoyne.  2) 


An  Epitaph,  written  by  G.  W.  of  the 
death,  of  M.  G.  Gafkoygne. 


For  Gafkoygnes  death,  leaue  of  to  mone,  or  mome 
You  are  deceiued,  aliue  the  man  is  flil  : 
AHue  ?     O  yea,  and  laugheth  death  to  fcorne, 
In  that,  that  he,  his  fleflily  lyfe  did  kil. 


For  by  fuch  death,  two  lyues  he  gaines  for  one, 
His  Soule  in  heauen  dooth  hue  in  endles  ioye 
His  vvoorthy  vvoorks,  fuch  fame  in  earth  haue  fovvne, 
As  fack  nor  wrack,  his  name  can  there  deflroy. 


But  you  will  fay,  by  death  he  only  gaines. 
And  how  his  life,  would  many  fland  in  flead  : 
O  dain  not  Freend  (to  counterchaunge  his  paynes) 
If  now  in  heauen,  he  haue  his  earnefl  meade. 
For  once  in  earth,  his  toyle  was  paffmg  great : 
And  we  deuourd  the  fvveet  of  all  his  fvveat. 


FINIS. 
Nemo  ante  obitum  beatus. 

cri» 


T  Certayne  notes  of  Instruction. 

concerning  the  making  of  verfe  or 

ryme  in  Englifh,  written  at  the  requefl 

of  Mafler  Edouardo  Donati. 

SIgnor  Edouardo,  fmce  promife  is  debt,  and  you 
(by  the  lawe  of  friendfliip)  do  burden  me  with  a 
promife  that  I  flioulde  lende  you  inflru6lions  towards 
the  making  of  Enghfh  verfe  or  ryme,  I  will  affaye  to 
difcharge  the  fame,  though  not  fo  perfectly  as  I  would, 
yet  as  readily  as  I  may :  and  therwithall  I  pray  you 
confider  that  Qiiot  homines,  tot  Sentential,  efpecially  in 
Poetrie,  wherein  (neuertheleffe)  I  dare  not  challenge 
any  degree,  and  yet  will  I  at  your  requefl  aduenture 
to  fet  downe  my  fimple  fkill  in  fuch  fimple  manner  as 
I  haue  vfed,  referring  the  fame  hereafter  to  the  cor- 
re6lion  of  the  Laureate.  And  you  fliall  haue  it  in 
thefe  few  poynts  followyng. 


THe  firfl  and  mofl  neceffarie  poynt  that  euer  I 
founde  meete  to  be  confidered  in  making  of  a 
dele6table  poeme  is  this,  to  grounde  it  upon  fome 
fine  inuention.  For  it  is  not  inough  to  roll  in  pleafant 
woordes,  nor  yet  to  thunder  in  Ryni,  Ram,  Ru^,  by 
letter  (quoth  my  mafler  Chaucer)  nor  yet  to  abounde 
in  apt  vocables,  or  epythetes,  vnleffe  the  Inuention 
haue  in  it  alfo  aliquid  falis.  By  this  aliquid  falis,  I 
meane  fome  good  and  fine  deuife,  the  wing  the  quicke 
capacitie  of  a  writer  and  where  I  fay  fome  good  and 
fine  inuention,  I  meane  that  I  would  haue  it  both  fine 
and  good.  For  many  inuentions  are  fo  fuperfine,  that 
they  are  Vix  good.  And  againe  many  Inuentions  are 
good,  and  yet  not  finely  handled.  And  for  a  general 
fonvarning :  what  Theame  foeuer  you  do  take  in 
hande,  if  you  do  handle  it  but  tanquam  in  oratione 


32 

perpetua,  and  neuer  fludie  for  fome  depth  of  deuife  in 
ve  Inuention,  and  fome  figures  alfo  in  the  handlyng 
thereof:  it  will  appeare  to  the  fkilfuU  Reader  but  a 
tale  of  a  tubbe.  To  deliuer  vnto  you  generall  examples 
it  were  almofl  vmpoffible,  fithence  the  occafions  of 
Inuentions  are  {as  it  were)  infinite  :  neuertheleffe  take 
in  worth  mine  opinion,  and  perceyue  my  furder  mean- 
yng  in  thefe  few  poynts.  If  I  fhould  vndertake  to 
wryte  in  prayfe  of  a  gentlewoman,  I  would  neither 
praife  hir  chriflal  eye,  nor  hir  cherrie  lippe,  etc.  For 
thefe  things  are  trita  d  obuia.  But  I  would  either 
finde  fome  fupernaturall  caufe  wherby  my  penne 
might  walke  in  the  fuperlatiue  degree,  or  els  I  would 
vndertake  to  aunfwere  for  any  imperfe6lion  that  fhee 
hath,  and  therevpon  rayfe  the  prayfe  of  hir  commen- 
dation. Likewife  if  I  fhould  difclofe  my  pretence  in 
loue,  I  would  eyther  make  a  llrange  difcourfe  of  fome 
intoUerable  paffion,  or  finde  occafion  to  pleade  by  the 
example  of  fome  hiflorie,  or  difcover  my  difquiet  in 
fhadowes  per  Allegoriam,  or  vfe  the  couertefl  meane 
that  I  could  to  anoyde  the  vncomelye  cuflomes  of 
common  writers.  Thus  much  I  aduenture  to  deliuer 
vnto  you  (my  freend)  vpon  the  rule  of  Inuention, 
which  of  all  other  rules  is  mofl  to  be  marked,  and 
hardefl  to  be  prefcribed  in  certayne  and  infallible 
rules,  neuerthelefs  to  conclude  therein,  I  would  haue 
you  fland  mofl.  vpon  the  excellencie  of  your  Inuention, 
and  fl-icke  not  to  fludie  deepely  for  fome  fine  deuife. 
For  that  beyng  founde,  pleafant  woordes  will  follow 
well  inough  and  fafl.  inough. 

2.  Your  Inuention  being  once  deuifed,  take  heede 
that  neither  pleafure  of  rime,  nor  varietie  of  deuife, 
do  carie  you  from  it :  for  as  to  vfe  obfcure  and  darke 
phrafes  in  a  pleafant  Sonet,  is  nothing  dele6lable,  fo 
to  entermingle  merie  iefl.s  in  a  ferious  matter  is  an 
Indecorum. 

3.  I  will  next  aduife  you  that  you  hold  the  iufL 
meafure  wherwith  you  begin  your  verfe,  I  will  not 
denie  but  this  may  feeme  a  prepofl.erous  ordre :  but 


33 

bycaufe  I  couet  rather  to  fatiffie  you  particularly,  than 
to  vndertake  a  generall  tradition,  I  wil  not  fomuch 
fland  vpon  the  manner  as  the  matter  of  my  precepts. 
I  fay  then,  remember  to  holde  the  fame  meafure  wher 
with  you  begin,  whether  it  be  in  a  verfe  of  fixe  fyl- 
lables,  eight,  ten,  twelue,  etc.  and  though  this  precept 
might  feeme  ridiculous  vnto  you,  fmce  euery  yong 
fcholler  can  conceiue  that  he  ought  to  continue  in  the 
fame  meafure  wherwith  he  beginneth,  yet  do  I  fee 
and  read  many  mens  Poems  now  adayes,  whiche  begin- 
ning with  the  meafure  of  xij.  in  the  firfl  line,  and  xiiij. 
in  the  fecond  (which  is  the  common  kinde  of  verfe) 
they  wil  yet  (by  that  time  they  haue  paffed  ouer  a  few 
veries)  fal  into  xiiij.  and  fourtene,  et  fic  de  fiiiiilibus, 
the  which  is  either  forgetfulnes  or  carelefnes. 

4.  And  in  your  verfes  remembre  to  place  euery 
worde  in  his  natural  Emphafis  or  found,  that  is  to  fay 
in  fuch  wife,  and  with  fuch  length  or  fliortneffe,  eleua- 
tion  or  depreffion  of  fillables,  as  it  is  commonly  pro- 
nounced or  vfed  :  to  expreffe  the  fame  we  have  three 
maner  of  accents,  grains,  lads,  et  circumflexa,  the 
whiche  I  would  englifli  thus,  the  long  accent,  the  fhort 
accent,  and  that  which  is  indifferent :  the  graue       / 

accent  is  marked  by  this  cara6le,/  the  light  ac- 

cent  is  noted  thus,  \  and  the  circumflexe  or  in-       \ 

different  is  thus  fignified   -^    the  graue  accent ^ — 

is  drawen  out  or  eleuate,  and  maketh  that  '' 
fillable  long  wherevpon  it  is  placed  :  the  light  accent  is 
depreffed  or  fnatched  vp,  and  maketh  that  fillable  fliort 
vpon  the  which  it  lighteth  :  the  circumflexe  accent  is  in- 
different, fometimes  fliort,  fometimes  long,  fometimes  de- 
preffed and  fometimes  eleuate.  For  example  of  th'  em- 
phafis or  natural  found  ofwords,  this  word  Treafure,  hath 
the  graue  accent  vpon  the  firfl.  fillable ;  whereas  if  it 
xhoulde  be  written  in  this  forte,  Treafure,  novve  were  the 
fecond  fillable  long,  and  that  were  cleane  contrarie  to 
the  common  vfe  wherwith  it  is  pronounced.  For  furder 
explanation  hereof,  note  you  that  commonly  now  a 
dayes  in  englifh  rimes  (for  I  dare  not  cal  them  Englifti 
c 


34 

verfes)  we  vfe  none  other  order  but  a  foote  of  two 
fillables,  wherof  the  firft  is  depreffed  or  made  Ihort, 
and  the  fecond  is  eleuate  or  made  long  :  and  that  found 
or  fcanning  continueth  throughout  the  verfe.  We 
have  vfed  in  times  paft  other  kindes  of  Meeters  as  for 
example  this  following : 

JVo  wight  i?i  this  worlds  that  ivealth  can  attayne, 

\    I      \\   /       \/\\      / 
Vnleffe  he  beleiie^  that  all  is  but  vayne. 
Alfo  our  lather  Chaucer  hath  vfed  the  fame  libertie  in 
feete  and  meafures  that  the  Latinifls  do  vfe  :  and  who 
fo  euer  do  perufe  and  well  confider  his  workes,  he  fhall 
finde  that  although  his  lines  are  not  alwayes  of  one  felfe 
fame  number  of  Syllables,  yet  beyng  redde  by  one  that 
hath  vnderdanding,  the  longefl  verfe  and  that  which 
hath  mod  Syllables  in  it,  will  fall  (to  the  eare)  corref- 
pondent  vnto  that  whiche  hath  fewell  fillables  in  it, 
and  like  wife  that  whiche  hath  in  it  fewefl  fyllables  : 
flialbe  founde  yet  to  confifl  of  woordes  that  haue  fuche 
naturall  founde,  as  may  feeme  equall  in  length  to  a 
verfe    which    hath    many   moe    fillables    of    lighter 
accentes.    And  furely  I  can  lament  that  wee  are  fallen 
into  fuche  a  playne  and   fimple   manner  of  wryting, 
that  there  is  none  other  foote  vfed  but  one  :  wherby 
our  Poemes  may  iuflly  be  called  Rithmes,  and  cannot 
by  any  right  challenge  the  name  of  a  Verfe.    But  fmce 
it  is  fo,  let  vs  take  the  forde  as  we  finde  it,  and  lette 
me  fet  dovvne  vnto  you  fuche  rules  and  precepts  that 
euen  in  this  playne  foote  of  two  fyllables  you  wrefle 
nowoorde  from  his  natural  and  vfuall  founde,  I  do  not 
meane  hereby  that  you  may  vfe  none  other  wordes  but 
of  twoo  fillables,  for  therein  you  may  vfe  difcretion 
according  to  occafion  of  matter  :  but  my  meaning  is, 
that  all  the  wordes  in  your  verfe  be  fo  placed  as  the 
firfl  fillable  may  found  fhort  or  be  depreffed,  the  fecond 
long  or  eleuate,  the  third  fliorte,  the  fourth  long,  the 
fifth  fhorte,  etc.      For  example  of  my  meaning  in  this 


35 
point  marke  thefe  two  verles : 

/  vnderjiand  your  meanying  by  your  eye. 

V  /  \  f  \  i  '  /  \  / 
Your  meaning  I  vnderjiand  by  your  eye. 
In  thefe  two  verfes  there  feemeth  no  difference  at 
all,  fince  the  one  hath  the  very  felfe  fame  woordes  that 
the  other  hath,  and  yet  the  latter  verfe  is  neyther  true 
nor  pleafant,  and  the  firil  verfe  may  paffe  the  muRers. 
The  fault  of  the  latter  verfe  is  that  this  worde  vudet'- 
Jland  is  therein  fo  placed  as  the  graue  accent  falleth 
upon  der,  and  thereby  maketh  der,  in  this  word  vnder- 
ftand  to  be  eleuated  :  which  is  contrarie  to  the  naturall 
or  vfual  pronunciation  :  for  we  fay 

vndeijland,  and  not  V7iderjland. 

5.  Here  by  the  way  I  thinke  it  not  amiffe  to  fore- 
wame  you  that  you  thrufl  as  few  wordes  of  many 
fiUables  into  your  verfe  as  may  be :  and  herevnto  I 
might  alledge  many  reafons :  firfl  the  moll  auncient 
Englifli  wordes  are  of  one  fiUable,  fo  that  the  more 
monafyllables  that  you  vfe,  the  truer  Englifhman  you 
fliall  feeme,  and  the  leffe  you  Ihall  fmell  of  the  Inke- 
home.  Alfo  wordes  of  many  fyllables  do  cloye  a 
a  verfe  and  make  it  vnpleafant,  whereas  woordes  of  one 
fyllable  ^vill  more  eafily  fall  to  be  fhorte  or  long  as 
occafion  requireth,  or  wilbe  adapted  to  become  cir- 
cumflexe  or  of  an  indifferent  founde. 

6  I  would  exhorte  you  alfo  to  beware  of  rime  with- 
out reafon  :  my  meaning  is  hereby  that  your  rime 
leade  you  not  from  your  firfte  Inuention,  for  many 
wryters  v/hen  they  haue  layed  the  platforme  of  their 
inuention,  are  yet  drawen  fometimes  (by  ryme)  to  for- 
get it  or  at  leaR  to  alter  it,  as  when  they  cannot  readily 
finde  out  a  worde  whiche  maye  rime  to  the  firfl  (and 
yet  continue  their  determinate  Inuention)  they  do  then 
eyther  botche  it  vp  with  a  worde  that  will  ryme  (howe 
fmall  reafon  foeuer  it  carie  with  it)  or  els  they  alter 


36 

their  firfl  worde  and  fo  percafe  decline  or  trouble  their 
former  Inuention  :  But  do  you  alwayes  hold  your 
firfl  determined  Inuention,  and  do  rather  fearche  the 
the  bottome  of  your  braynes  for  apte  words,  than 
chaunge  good  reafon  for  rumbling  rime. 

7  To  help  you  a  little  with  ryme  (which  is  alfo  a 
plaine  yong  fchoUers  leffon)  worke  thus,  when  you 
haue  fet  dovvne  your  firfl  verfe,  take  the  lafl  worde 
thereof  and  coumpt  ouer  all  the  wordes  of  the  felfe 
fame  founde  by  order  of  the  Alphabete  :  As  for  ex- 
ample, thelafle  woorde  of  your  firfle  line  is  care,  to  r)rme 
therwith  you  haue^r^r,  dare,  dare,  fare,  gare,  hare,  a?id 
JJiare,  inare,fnare,  rare,  Jlare,  and  loare  q:^c.  Of  all 
thefe  take  that  which  befl  may  ferue  your  purpofe 
carying  reafon  with  rime :  and  if  none  of  them  will  ferue 
fo,  then  alter  the  lafle  worde  of  your  former  verfe,  but 
yet  do  notwillinglyalter  the  meanyng  of  your  Inuention. 

8  You  may  vfe  the  fame  Figures  or  Tropes  in  verfe 
which  are  vfed  in  profe,  and  in  my  iudgement  they 
ferue  more  aptly,  and  haue  greater  grace  in  verfe  than 
they  haue  in  profe  ;  but  yet  therein  remembre  this  old 
adage,  Ne  quid  nimis,  as  many  wryters  whicli  do  know 
they  vfe  of  any  other  figure  than  that  Avhiche  is  ex- 
preffed  in  repeticion  of  fundrie  wordes  beginning  all 
with  one  letter,  the  whiche  (beyng  modeflly  vfed) 
lendeth  good  grace  to  a  verfe :  but  the}-  do  fo  hunte 
a  letter  to  death,  that  they  make  it  Cranibe,  and 
Crambe  bis  pojltum  mors  eji :  therfore  Nc  quid  nimis. 

9  Alfo  afmuche  as  may  be,  efchew  flraunge  words, 
or  obfoleta  et  inufitata,  vnleffe  the  Theame  do  giue  iufl 
occafion  :  marie  in  fome  places  a  flraunge  worde  doth 
drawe  attentiue  reading,  but  yet  I  would  haue  you 
therein  to  vfe  difcretion. 

10  And  afmuch  as  you  may,  frame  your  flile  to 
pcrfpicuity  and  to  be  fenfible  :  for  the  haughty  obfcure 
verfe  doth  not  much  delight,  and  the  verfe  that  is  to 
eafie  is  like  a  tale  of  a  rofled  horfe  :  but  let  your 
Poeme  be  fuch  as  may  both  delight  and  drawe  atten- 
tiue readyng,  and  therewithal  may  deliuer  fuch  matter 
as  be  wortli  the  marking. 


37 

1 1.  You  fliall  do  very  well  to  vfe  your  verfe  after  th  [e] 
englifhe  phrafe  and  not  after  the  manner  of  other 
languages  :  The  Latinifls  do  commonly  fet  the  adiec- 
tiue  after  the  Subllantiue :  As  for  example  Femina 
pidchra,  cedes  altce,  &^c.  but  if  we  fliould  fay  in  Englifh 
a  woman  fayre,  a  houfe  high,  etc.  it  would  haue  but 
fmall  grace  :  for  we  fay  a  good  man,  and  not  a  man 
good,  etc.  And  yet  I  will  not  altogether  forbidde  it 
you,  for  in  fome  places,  it  may  be  borne,  but  not  fo 
hardly  as  fome  vfe  it  which  wryte  thus : 
IVota  let  vs  go  to  Temple  ours, 
I  will  go  vifit  mother  myne  qt'c. 
Surely  I  fmile  at  the  fimplicitie  of  fuch  deuifers  which 
might  afvvell  haue  fayde  it  in  playne  Engliflie  phrafe 
and  yet  haue  better  pleafed  all  eares,  than  they  fatiffic 
their  owne  fancies  by  fuch  fuperfijiejfe.  Therefore 
euen  as  I  haue  aduifed  you  to  place  all  wordes  in  theii 
naturall  or  mofl  common  and  vfuall  pronunciation,  fo 
would  I  wifhe  you  to  frame  all  fentences  in  their 
mother  phrafe  and  proper  Idioma,  and  yet  fometimes 
(as  I  haue  fayd  before)  the  contrarie  may  be  borne, 
but  that  is  rather  where  rime  enforceth,  or  per  lice?i- 
tiam  FoL'ticam,  than  it  is  otherwife  lawfull  or  commend 
able. 

12.  This  poeticall  licenfe  is  a  fhrewde  fellow,  ana 
couereth  many  faults  in  a  verfe,  it  maketh  wordes 
longer,  fhorter,  of  mo  fiUables,  of  fewer,  newer,  older, 
truer,  falfer,  and  to  conclude  it  turkeneth  all  things  at 
pleafure,  for  example,_>'«6i;/£?  for  done,  adoivnc  for  dounie, 
orecome  for  ouercome,  ta?ie  for  taken,  power  {qx  powre, 
heauen  for  heavn,  theiues  for  good  partes  or  good  quali- 
ties, and  a  numbre  of  other  whiche  were  but  tedious 
and  needeleffe  to  rehearfe,  fmce  your  owne  iudgement 
and  readyng  will  foone  make  you  efpie  fuch  aduaun- 
tages. 

13  There  are  alfo  certayne  paufes  or  refles  in  a 
verfe  whiche  maybe  called  Ceafures,  whereof  I  woulde 
be  lothe  to  ftande  long,  fmce  it  is  at  difcretion  of  the 
wryter,  and  they  haue  bene  firfl  deuifed  (as  fhould 


38 

feeme)  by  the  Muficians  :  but  yet  thus  much  I  will 
aduenture  to  wryte,  that  in  mine  opinion  in  a  verfe  of 
eight  fillables,  the  paufe  will  Hand  befl  in  the  middeft, 
in  a  verfe  of  tenne  it  will  befl  be  placed  at  the  ende 
of  the  firfl  foure  fillables :  in  a  verfe  of  twelue,  in  the 
midfl,  in  verfes  of  twelue  in  the  firfle  and  fouretene 
in  the  feconde,  wee  place  the  paufe  commonly  in  the 
midfl  of  the  firfl,  and  at  the  ende  of  the  firfl  eight 
fillables  in  the  fecond.  In  Rithme  royall,  it  is  at  the 
wryters  difcretion,  and  forceth  not  where  the  paufe  be 
vntill  the  ende  of  the  line. 

14.  And  here  bycaufe  I  haue  named  Rithme  royall, 
I  will  tell  you  alfo  mine  opinion  afwell  of  that  as  of 
the  names  which  other  rymes  haue  commonly  borne 
heretofore.  Rythme  royall  is  a  verfe  of  tenne  fillables, 
and  feuen  fuch  verfes  make  a  flaffe,  whereof  the  firfl 
and  thirde  lines  do  aunfwer  (acroffe)  in  like  termina- 
tions and  rime,  the  fecond,  fourth,  and  fifth,  do  like- 
wife  anfwere  eche  other  in  terminations,  and  the  two 
lafl  do  combine  and  fhut  vp  the  Sentence  :  this  hath 
bene  called  Rithme  royall,  and  furely  it  is  a  royall 
kinde  of  verfe,  feruing  befl  for  graue  difcourfes.  There 
is  alfo  another  kinde  called  Ballade,  and  thereof  are 
fundrie  fortes  :  for  a  man  may  write  ballade  in  a  flaffe 
of  fixe  lines,  euery  line  conteyning  eighte  or  fixe  fil- 
lables, whereof  the  firfle  and  third,  fecond  and  fourth 
do  rime  acroffe,  and  the  fifth  and  fixth  do  rime  togither 
in  conclufion.  You  may  write  alfo  your  ballad  of 
tenne  fillables  rimyng  as  before  is  declared,  but  thefe 
two  were  wont  to  be  mofl  commonly  vfed  in  ballade, 
which  propre  name  was  (I  thinke)  deriued  of  this 
worde  in  Italian  Ballart%  whiche  fignifietli  to  daunce. 
And  in  deed  thofe  kinds  of  rimes  ferue  befle  for 
daunces  or  light  matters.  Then  haue  you  alfo  a  rond- 
lette,  the  which  doth  alwayes  end  with  one  felf  fame 
foote  or  repeticion,  and  was  thereof  (in  my  iudgement) 
called  a  rondelet.  This  may  confifl  of  fuch  meafure 
as  befl  liketh  the  wryter,  then  haue  you  Sonnets,  fome 
thinke  that  all  Poemes  (being  fliort)  may  be  called 


39 

Sonets,  as  in  deede  it  is  a  diminutiue  worde  deriued  of 
Sonare,  but  yet  I  can  bed  alowe  to  call  thofe  Sonnets 
whiche  are  of  fouretene  lyn  es,  euery  line  conteyning  tenne 
fyllables.  The  firfle  twelue  do  ryme  in  flaues  of 
foure  lines  by  croffe  meetre,  and  the  lafl  two  ryming 
togither  do  conclude  the  whole.  There  are  Dyzaynes, 
and  Syxaines  which  are  of  ten  lines,  and  of  fixe  lines, 
commonly  vfed  by  the  French,  which  fome  Englifh 
writers  do  alfo  terme  by  the  name  of  Sonettes. 
Then  is  there  an  old  kinde  of  Rithme  called  Ver- 
layes,  deriued  (as  I  haue  redde)  of  this  worde  Verd 
whiche  betokeneth  Greene,  and  Laye  which  betoken- 
eth  a  Song,  as  if  you  would  fay  greene  Songes :  but  I 
mufle  tell  you  by  the  way,  that  I  neuer  redde  any  verfe 
which  I  faw  by  au61:horitie  called  Verlay,  but  one,  and 
that  was  a  long  difcourfe  in  verfes  of  tenne  fiUables, 
whereof  the  foure  firfl  did  ryme  acroffe,  and  the  fifth 
did  aunfwere  to  the  firfle  and  thirde,  breaking  off 
there,  and  fo  going  on  to  another  termination.  Of  this 
I  could  fliewe  example  of  imitation  in  mine  own 
verfes  written  to  ye  right  honorable  ye  Lord  Gi'cy  of 
Wilton  upon  my  iourney  into  Holland*  etc.  There 
are  alfo  certaine  Poemes  deuifed  of  tenne  fyllables, 
whereof  the  firfl  aunfwereth  in  termination  with  the 
fourth,  and  the  fecond  and  thirde  anfwere  eche  other  : 
thefe  are  more  vfed  by  other  nations  than  by  vs,  ney- 
ther  can  I  tell  readily  which  name  to  giue  them.  And 
the  commonefl  fort  of  verfe  which  we  vfe  now  adayes 
{viz.  the  long  verfe  of  twelue  and  fourtene  fiUables)  I 
know  not  certainly  howe  to  name  it,  vnleffe  I  fliould 
fay  that  it  doth  confifL  of  Poulters  meafure,  which 
giueth.  xii.  for  one  dozen  and  xiiij.  for  another.  But  let 
this  fufiife  (if  it  be  not  to  much)  for  the  fundrie  fortes 
of  verfes  which  we  vfe  now  adayes. 

15  In  all  thefe  fortes  of  verfes  when  foeuer  you 
vndertake  to  write,  auoyde  prolixitie  and  tedioufnefl'e, 
and  euer  as  neare  as  you  can,  do  finifh  the  fentence 
and   meaning  at  the  end  of  euery  flaffe  where  you 

*  Gascoigns's  Voyage  into  Holland,      An.  1572,  in  his  Herbes,  1575. 


4° 

Wright  flaues,  and  at  the  end  of  euery  two  Hnes  where 
you  write  by  cooples  or  poulters  meafure  :  for  I  fee 
many  writers  which  draw  their  fentences  in  length, 
and  make  an  ende  at  latter  Lummas :  for  commonly 
before  they  end,  the  Reader  hath  forgotten  where  he 
begon.  But  do  you  (if  you  wil  follow  my  aduife) 
efchue  prolixitie  and  knit  vp  your  fentences  as  com- 
pendioufly  as  you  may,  fmce  breuitie  (fo  that  it  be  not 
drowned  in  obfcuritie)  is  mofl  commendable. 

i6  I  had  forgotten  a  notable  kinde  of  r}ane,  called 
ryding  rime,  and  that  is  fuche  as  our  Mayfler  and 
Father  Chaucer  vfed  in  his  Canterburie  tales,  and  in 
diuers  other  delegable  and  light  enterprifes :  but 
though  it  come  to  my  remembrance  fomewhat  out  of 
order,  it  fhall  not  yet  come  altogether  out  of  time,  for 
I  will  nowe  tell  you  a  conceipt  whiche  I  had  before 
forgotten  to  wryte  :  you  may  fee  (by  the  way)  that  I 
holde  a  prepoflerous  order  in  my  traditions,  but  as  I 
fayde  before  I  wryte  moued  by  good  wil,  and  not  to 
fhewe  my  fkill :  Then  to  retume  to  my  matter,  as  this 
riding  rime  ferueth  mofl  aptly  to  ^vryte  a  merie  tale, 
fo  Rythme  royall  is  fittefl  for  agrauedifcourfe.  Ballades 
are  befle  of  matters  of  loue,  and  rondlettes  mofle  apt 
for  the  beating  or  handlyng  of  an  adage  or  common 
prouerbe  :  Sonets  ferue  afwell  in  matters  of  loue  as 
of  difcourfe  :  Dizaymes  and  Sixames  for  Ihorte  Fan- 
tazies :  Verlayes  for  an  effe6lual  proportion,  although 
by  the  name  you  might  otherwife  iudge  of  Verlayes, 
and  the  long  verfe  of  twelue  and  fouretene  fillables,  al- 
though it  be  now  adayes  vfed  in  all  Theames,  yet  in  my 
iudgement  it  would  ferue  befl  for  Pfalmes  and  Himpnes. 

I  woulde  flande  longer  in  thefe  traditions,  were  it 
not  that  I  doubt  mine  owne  ignoraunce,  but  as  I  fayde 
before.  I  know  that  I  write  to  my  freende  and  afifying 
my  felfe  therevpon,  I  make  an  ende. 

FINIS. 


■fi() //',  v^  ^J  ~^\y  )       YV 


111  -  —-..IF  --'V^x,_^fell)c£j||i:k.^j^lllL^»^-^|JI— ilt^^r:-. 


ill 


j^  The  Steele  Glas. 

u  A  Satyre  compiled  by  George  ^g 

Gafcoigne  Esquire. 


■•••-s 


p'®i 


^-^^ 


Together  with 
The  Complainte  of  Pkylomene, 

A  n  Elegie  deuised  by 
the  same  Author. 

Tarn  Martin  quam  Merctcrio, 


1 


IS  P'^i'^'iif^d  for  Richard  Smith,  ^0i 


42 


To  the  right  honorable  his  sin- 
gular good  Lord  the  Lord  Gray  of  Wil- 
ton Knight  of  the  mofl  honorable  order  of  the  Gar- 
ter, George  Gafcoigne  Efquire  wiflieth  long  life 
with   encreafe  of  honoia;    according  to 
his    great    vvorthineffe. 


Ight  honorable,  noble,  and  my  fm- 
gular  good  Lorde :  if  mine  abilitie 
were  any  way  correfpondent  too  the 
iufl  defires  of  my  hart,  I  fliould  yet 
thinke  al  the  famevnable  to  deferue 
the  leafl  parte  of  your  goodneffe  : 
in  that  you  haue  alwayes  deygned 
with  chearefull  looke  to  regarde  me, 
with  affabylitie  to  heare  me,  with  exceeding  curtefy 
to  vfe  me,  with  graue  aduice  to  direfte  mee,  with  ap- 
parant  loue  to  care  for  me,  and  with  affured  affiflance 
to  prote(fl  me.  All  which  when  I  do  remember,  yet 
it  ftirreth  in  me  an  exceeding  zeale  to  deferue  it :  and 
that  zeale  begetteth  bafliefull  dreade  too  performe  it. 
The  dread  is  ended  in  dolours,  and  yet  thofe  dolours 
reviued  the  very  fame  affedlion,  whiche  firfle  moued  in 
mee  the  defire  to  honour  and  efleme  you.  For  whiles 
I  bewayle  mine  own  vnworthyneffe,  and  therewithal 
do  fet  before  mine  eyes  the  lofl  time  of  my  youth 
mifpent,  I  feeme  to  fee  afarre  of  (for  my  comfort)  the 
high  and  triumphant  vertue  called  Migiianimitic,  ac- 
companied with  induflrious  diligence.  The  firfl  doth 
encourage  my  faynting  harte,  and  the  feconde  doth 


The  Epiflle  Dedicatorie.  43 

beginne  (already)  to  employ  my  vnderflanding,  for 
(ahlas  my  goode  Lorde)  were  not  the  cordial  of  thefe 
two  pretious  Spiceries,  the  corrofyue  of  care  woulde 
quickely  confounde  me, 

I  haue  mifgouerned  my  youth,  I  confeffe  it  :  what 
(hall  I  do  then  ?  Ihall  I  yelde  to  myfery  as  a  iufl  plague 
apointed  for  my  portion  ?  Magnanimitie  faith  no, 
and  Induflrye  feemeth  to  be  of  the  very  fame  opinion. 

I  am  derided,  fufpe6led,  accufed,  and  condemned  : 
yea  more  than  that,  I  am  rygoroufly  reie6led  when  I 
proffer  amendes  for  my  harme.  Should  I  therefore 
difpayre  ?  fhall  I  yeelde  vnto  iellofie  ?  or  drowne  my 
dayes  in  idleneffe,  bycaufe  their  beginning  was  bathed 
in  wantonneffe  ?  Surely  (my  Lord)  the  Magnanimitie  of 
a  noble  minde  will  not  fufifer  me,  and  the  delightful- 
neffe  of  dilygence  doth  vtterly  forbydde  me. 

Shal  I  grudge  to  be  reproued  for  that  which  I  haue 
done  in  deede,  when  the  fling  of  Emulation  fpared 
not  to  touche  the  worthy  Scipio  with  mofl  vntrue  fur- 
myfes?  Yea  Thanistodcs  when  he  had  deliuered  al 
Greece  from  the  huge  hoft  of  Xerxes^  was  yet  by  his 
vnkinde  citizens  of  Athens  expulfed  from  his  owne, 
and  conftrained  to  feeke  fauour  in  the  fight  of  his  late 
profeffed  enemie.  But  the  Magnanimitie  of  their 
mindeswas  fuch,  as  neither  could  aduerfytie  ouercome 
them,  nor  yet  the  iniurious  dealing  of  other  men  coulde 
kindle  in  their  brelles  any  leafl  fparke  of  defire,  to 
feeke  any  vnhonorable  reuenge. 

I  haue  loytred  (my  lorde)  I  confeffe,  I  haue  lien 
(Ireaking  me  (hke  a  lubber)  when  the  funne  did  fhine, 
and  now  I  flriue  al  in  vaine  to  loade  the  carte  when 
it  raineth.  I  regarded  not  my  comelynes  in  the  May- 
moone  of  my  youth,  and  yet  now  I  (land  prinking  me 
in  the  glaffe,  when  the  crowes  foote  is  growen  vnder 
mine  eye.     But  what  ? 

Arijlotle  fpent  his  youth  very  ryotoufly,  and  Plato 
(by  your  leaue)  in  twenty  of  his  youthful  yeares,  was 
no  leffe  addifted  to  delight  in  amorous  verfe,  than  hee 
was  after  in  his  age  painful  to  write  good  precepts  of 


44  The  Epiille  Dedicatorie. 

moral  Phylofophy.  What  fhoulde  I  fpeake  of  Cato, 
who  was  olde  before  he  learned  lattine  letters,  and  yet 
became  one  of  the  greatefl  Oratours  of  his  time  : 
Thefe  examples  are  fufficient  to  prone  that  by  induf- 
trie  and  diligence  any  perfe6lion  may  be  attained, 
and  by  true  Magnanimitie  all  aduerfities  are  eafye  to 
be  endured.  And  to  that  ende  (my  verie  good  lorde) 
I  do  here  prefume  thus  rudely  to  rehearfe  them. 
For  as  I  can  be  content  to  confeffe  the  lightneffe 
wherewith  I  haue  bene  (in  times  pad)  worthie  to  be 
burdened,  fo  would  I  be  gladde,  if  nowe  when  I  am 
otherwife  bent,  my  better  endeuors  might  be  accepted. 
But  (alas  my  lorde)  I  am  not  onely  enforced  flil  to 
carie  on  my  flioulders  the  croffe  of  my  carelefnefle, 
but  therewithal!  I  am  alfo  put  to  the  plonge,  too  pro- 
uide  newe  weapons  wherewith  I  maye  defende 
all  heauy  frownes,  deepe  fufpedls,  and  dangerous  de- 
tra6tions.  And  I  iinde  my  felfe  fo  feeble,  and  fo  vnable 
to  endure  that  combat,  as  (were  not  the  cordialles 
before  rehearfed)  I  fhould  either  cafl  downe  mine 
armoure  and  hide  myfelfe  like  a  recreant,  or  elfe  (of  a 
mahcious  flubbomeffe)  fliould  bufie  my  braines  with 
fome  Stratagem  for  to  execute  an  enuious  reuenge  vpon 
mine  aduerfaries. 

But  neither  wil  Magnanimitie  fuffer  me  to  become 
vnhonefl,  nor  yet  can  Induflrie  fee  me  fmke  in  idle- 
neffe. 

For  I  haue  learned  in  facred  fcriptures  to  heape 
coles  vppon  the  head  of  mine  enemie,  by  honed  deal- 
ing :  and  our  fauiour  himfelf  hath  encoraged  me, 
faying  that  I  flial  lacke  neither  workes  nor  feruice, 
although  it  were  noone  dayes  before  I  came  into  the 
Market  place. 

Thefe  things  I  fay  (my  fmgular  good  lorde)  do  re- 
newe  in  my  troubled  minde  the  fame  afife6lion  which 
firflmoued  me  to  honor  you,  nothing  doubting  but  that 
your  fauorable  eyes  will  vouchfafe  to  beholde  me  as 
I  am,  and  neuer  be  fo  curious  as  to  enquire  what  I 
haue  bene. 


The  Epiftle  Dedicatorie.  45 

And  in  ful  hope  therof,  I  haue  prefumed  to  pre- 
fent  your  honour  with  this  Satyre  written  without  rime, 
but  I  trufl  not  without  reafon.  And  what  foeuer  it 
bee,  I  do  humbly  dedicate  it  vn-to  your  honorable 
name,  befeeching  the  fame  too  accept  it  with  as  gra- 
tious  regarde,  as  you  haue  in  times  pafL  bene  accuf- 
tomed  too  beholde  my  trauailes.  And  (my  good 
Lorde)  though  the  skorneful  do  mocke  me  for  a  time, 
yet  in  the  ende  I  hope  to  giue  them  al  a  rybbe  to 
rofle  for  their  paynes.  And  when  the  vertuous  fhall 
perceiue  indeede  how  I  am  occupied,  then  fliall  de- 
tradlion  be  no  leffe  afhamed  to  haue  falfely  accufed 
me,  than  light  credence  flial  hiiue  caufe  to  repent  his 
raflie  conceypt  :  and  Grauitie  the  iudge  fhal  not  be 
abafhed  to  cancel  the  fentence  vniuflly  pronounced  in 
my  condemnation.  In  meane  while  I  remaine  amongft 
my  bookes  here  at  my  poore  houfe  in  Walkamflowe, 

where  I  praye  daylie  for  fpeedy  aduauncement, 

and  continuall  profperitie  of  your  good  Lord- 

fliip.  Written  the  fiftenth 

of  April.   1576. 


By  your  honours  mojl  botcmdcn  and  well  affiircd 
George  Gafcoigne. 


4& 


N.  R.  in  commendation 
of  the  Attthor,  and  his 

workes. 

IN  rowfing  verfes  of  Matiors  bloudie  raigne, 
The  famous  Grcke,  and  Afiro  did  excel. 
Graue  Senec  did,  furmounte  for  Tragike  vaine, 
Quicke  Epigrams^  Catullus  wrote  as  wel. 
Archiloclius,  did  for  lambkkcs  paffe, 
For  commicke  verfe,  flill  Plautus  peereleffe  was. 

In  Elegies,  and  wanton  loue  vn\\.  laies, 

Sance  peere  were  Nafo,  and  Tibullus  deemde  : 

In  Satyres  fharpe  (as  men  of  mickle  praife) 

Lucilms,  and  Horace  were  efleemde. 

Thus  diuers  men,  with  diuers  vaines  did  write, 

But  Gafcoigne  doth,  in  euery  vaine  indite. 

And  what  perfourmaunce  hee  thereof  doth  make, 
I  Hfl  not  vaunte,  his  workes  for  me  fhal  fay ; 
In  praifmg  him  Timantes  trade  I  take. 
Who  (when  he  fhould,  the  woful  cheare  difplaie, 
Duke  Agamemnon  had  when  he  did  waile. 
His  daughters  death  with  teares  of  fmal  auaile  : 

Not  fkild  to  counterfhape  his  morneful  grace, 
That  men  might  deeme,  what  art  coulde  not  fuppUe) 
Deuifde  with  painted  vaile,  to  flirowde  his  face. 
Like  forte  my  pen  fhal  Gafcoignes  praife  difcrie, 
Which  wanting  grace,  his  graces  to  rehearfe, 
Doth  fhrowde  and  cloude  them  thus  in  filent  verfe. 


47 


'Walter  Rawely  of  the  middle 

Tefnple,  in  commendation  of  the  Steele  Glaffe. 

SVVete  were  the  fauce,  would  pleafe  ech  kind  of  taft, 
The  Ufe  Ukewife,  were  pure  that  neuer  fwerued, 
For  fpyteful  tongs,  in  cankred  flomackes  plafte, 
Deeme  worft  of  things,  which  beft  (percafe)  deferued  : 
But  what  for  that  ?  this  medcine  may  fuffyfe, 
To  fcorne  the  reil,  and  feke  to  pleafe  the  wife. 

Though  fundiy  mindes,  in  fundry  forte  do  deeme. 
Yet  worthiell  wights,  yelde  prayfe  for  euery  payne, 
But  enuious  braynes,  do  nought  (or  light)  eileme, 
Such  llately  {leppes,  as  they  cannot  attaine. 
For  who  fo  reapes,  renowne  aboue  the  refl, 
With  heapes  of  hate,  Ihal  furely  be  opprefl. 

Wherefore  to  write,  my  cenfure  of  this  booke, 
This  Glaffe  of  Steele,  vnpartially  doth  {hewe, 
Abufes  all,  to  fuch  as  in  it  looke. 
From  prince  to  poore,  from  high  eflate  to  lowe, 
As  for  the  verfe,  who  lifts  like  trade  to  trye, 
I  feare  me  much,  fhal  hardly  reache  fo  high. 

Nicholas  Bowyer  in  commen- 

dation  of  this  worke. 

FRom  layes  of  Loue,  to  Satyres  fadde  and  fage. 
Our  Poet  turnes,  the  trauaile  of  his  time, 
And  as  he  pleafde,  the  vaine  of  youthful  age, 
With  pleafant  penne,  employde  in  louing  ryme  : 
So  now  he  fekes,  the  graueft  to  delight. 
With  workes  of  worth,  much  better  than  they  fhowe. 

1  Mr  J.  P.  Collier,  in  Arch,  xxxiv.  that  the  above  heading  shows  him  to 
138  states  that  this  is  the  earliest  have  been  at  least  resident  in  the 
known  verse  of  Sir  W.  Raleigh's,  and    Middle  Temple  in  1570 


This  Glaffe  of  Steele,  (if  it  be  markt  aright) 
Difcries  the  faults,  as  wel  of  high  as  lowe. 
And  Philomdaes  fourefolde  iuft  complaynte, 
In  fugred  founde,  doth  flirowde  a  folempne  fence, 
Gainfl  thofe  whome  Iuft,  or  murder  doth  attaynte. 
Lo  this  we  fee,  is  Gafcoignes  good  pretence, 
To  pleafe  al  forts,  with  his  praifeworthy  flcill. 
Then  yelde  him  thanks  in  figne  of  like  good  wil. 


The  Author  to  the  Reader. 

To  vaunt,  were  vaine  :  and  flatterie  were  a  faulte. 
But  truth  to  tell,  there  is  a  fort  of  fame, 
The  which  I  feeke,  by  fcience  to  affault. 
And  fo  to  leaue,  remembrance  of  my  name. 
The  walles  thereof  are  wondrous  hard  to  clyme  : 

And  much  to  high,  for  ladders  made  of  ryme. 

Then  fmce  I  fee,  that  rimes  can  feldome  reache, 

Vnto  the  toppe,  of  fuch  a  ftately  To\vre, 

By  reafons  force,  I  meane  to  make  fome  breache, 

Which  yet  may  helpe,  my  feeble  fainting  powre, 

That  fo  at  laft,  my  Mufe  might  enter  in, 

And  reafon  rule,  that  rime  could  neuer  win. 

Such  battring  tyre,  this  pamphlet  here  bewraies, 
In  rymeleffe  verfe,  which  thundreth  mighty  threates, 
And  where  it  findes,  that  vice  the  wal  decayes, 
Euen  there  (amaine)  with  fharpe  rebukes  it  beates. 
Tlie  worke  (thinke  I)  deferues  an  honeft  name, 
If  not?  I  fayle,  to  win  this  forte  of  fame. 

Tarn  Marti,  quam  Mercuric. 


THE  STEELE 
GLAS. 


'He  Nightingale,  (whofe  happy  noble 

hart, 
No  dole  can  daunt,  nor  feareful  force 

affright, 
Whofe  chereful  voice,  doth  comfort 

faddefl  wights. 
When  Ihe  hir  felf,  hath  little  caufe  to 

fing. 

Whom  louers  loue,  bicaufe  fhe  plaines  their  greues. 
She  wraies  their  woes,  and  yet  relieues  their  payne, 
\Vhom  worthy  mindes,  alwayes  efleemed  much. 
And  grauefl  yeares,  haue  not  difdainde  hir  notes  : 
(Only  that  king  proud  Terens  by  his  name 
With  murdring  knife,  did  carue  hir  pleafant  tong, 
To  couer  fo,  his  owne  foule  filthy  fault) 
This  worthy  bird,  hath  taught  my  weary  Muze, 
To  fing  a  fong,  in  fpight  of  their  defpight, 
Which  worke  my  woe,  withouten  caufe  or  crime, 
And  make  my  backe,  a  ladder  for  their  feete, 
By  flaundrous  fleppes,  and  flayres  of  tickle  talke. 
To  clyme  the  throne,  wherein  my  felfe  fhould  fitte. 
O  Fhylomene,  then  heipe  me  now  to  chaunt : 
And  if  dead  beaftes,  or  liuing  byrdes  haue  ghofls, 
Which  can  conceiue  the  caufe  of  careful!  mone, 
When  wrong  triumphes,  and  right  is  ouertrodde, 

D 


50  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Then  helpe  me  now,  O  byrd  of  gentle  bloud, 
In  barrayne  verfe,  to  tell  a  frutefull  tale, 
A  tale  (I  meane)  which  may  content  the  mindes 
Of  learned  men,  and  graue  Philofophers. 

And  you  my  Lord,  (whofe  happe  hath  heretofore 
Bene,  louingly  to  reade  my  reckles  rimes. 
And  yet  haue  deignde,  with  fauor  to  forget 
The  faults  of  youth,  which  pafl  my  hafly  pen : 
And  therwithall,  haue  gracioufly  vouchfafte. 
To  yeld  the  refl,  much  more  than  they  defervde) 
Vouchfafe  (lo  now)  to  reade  and  to  perufe, 
This  rimles  verfe,  which  flowes  from  troubled  mind. 
Synce  that  the  line,  of  that  falfe  caytife  king, 
(Which  rauifhed  fayre  Phylomene  for  lull, 
And  then  cut  out,  hir  trustie  tong  for  hate) 
Lines  yet  (my  Lord)  which  words  I  weepe  to  write. 
They  liue,  they  hue,  (alas  the  worfe  my  lucke) 
Whofe  greedy  luft,  vnbridled  from  their  brefl. 
Hath  raunged  long  about  the  world  fo  \vyde, 
To  finde  a  pray  for  their  wide  open  mouthes, 
And  me  they  found,  (O  wofull  tale  to  tell) 
Whofe  harmeleffe  hart,  perceivde  not  their  deceipt. 


But  that  my  Lord,  may  playnely  vnderfland, 

The  myfteries,  of  all  that  I    do  meane, 

I  am  not  he  whom  flaunderous  tongues  haue  tolde, 

(Falfe  tongues  in  dede,  and  craftie  fubtile  braines) 

To  be  the  man,  which  ment  a  common  fpoyle 

Of  louing  dames,  whofe  eares  wold  heare  my  words 

Or  trull  the  tales  deuifed  by  my  pen. 

In'  am  a  man,  as  fome  do  thinke  I  am, 

(Laugh  not  good  Lord)  I  am  in  dede  a  dame, 

Or  at  the  leafl,  a  right  Hermaphrodite.  ^^^  .^_ 

And  who  defires,  at  large  to  knowe  my  name,     norant 

My  birth,  my  line,  and  euery  circumflance,        buTa''"'^ 

Lo  reade  it  here,  Plaync  dealyngwd.^  my  Syre,   thought 

And  he  begat  me  by  Simplycitie,  deceite. 


THE  STEEL  GLAS. 


51 


Satyrical 
Poetrye 
may  right- 
ly be  cal- 
led the 
daughter 
of  such 
symplici- 
tie. 


A  paire  of  twinnes  at  one  felfe  burden  borne, 
My  fiflr'  and  I,  into  this  world  were  fent, 
My  Syflers  name,  was  pleafant  Focfys, 
And  I  my  felfe  had  Saty?'a  to  name, 
Whofe  liappe  was  fuch,  that  in  the  prime  of 

youth, 
A  lufly  ladde,  a  (lately  man  to  fee, 
Brought  vp  in  place,  where  pleafures  did  abound, 
(I  dare  not  fay,  in  court  for  both  myne  eares) 
Beganne  to  woo  my  fifler,  not  for  wealth. 
But  for  hir  face  was  louely  to  beholde,  where 

And  therewithall,  hir  fpeeche  was  pleafant  flil.   "^^y  ^^ , 

'  ^  ,,  ^        r\    T    J  commonly 

This  Nobles  name,  was  called  vayne  Delight,     found  a 
And  in  his  trayne,  he  had  a  comely  crewe       vvotr  for 
Of  guylefuU  wights  :    Falfe  fc^nhlant  was  the  piesant 

firft, 
The  fecond  man  was,  Fiearing  flattery, 
(Brethren  by  like,  or  very  neare  of  kin) 
Then  followed  them,  DetraBion  axid  Deceite. 
Sym  SwaJJi  did  beare  a  buckler  for  the  firfl,   vppn 
Falfe  witneffe  was  the  feconde  flemly  page,     \\^t 
And  thus  wel  armd,  and  in  good  equipage, 
This  Galant  came,  vnto  my  fathers  courte, 
And  woed  my  fifler,  for  fhe  elder  was, 
And  fayrer  eke,  but  out  of  doubt  (at  least) 
Hir  pleafant  fpeech  furpaffed  mine  fomuch, 
That  vayiie  Delight,  to  hir  adrefl  his  fute. 
Short  tale  to  make,  flie  gaue  a  free  confent,       Poetrie 
And  forth  fhe  goeth,  to  be  his  wedded  make,  married 
Entyfl  percafe,  with  gloffe  of  gorgeous  fhewe,   DeTfghr. 
(Or  elfe  perhappes,  perfuaded  by  his  peeres,) 
That  conflant  loue  had  herbord  in  his  brefl, 
Such  errors  gf  owe  where  fuch  falfe  Prophets  precuh. 


poetry, 
than  vaine 
Delight? 
Such  men 
do  many     ' 
tymes  at- 
tend 


How  fo  it  were,  my  Sifter  likte  him  wel. 

And  forth  flie  goeth,  in  Court  with  him  to  dwel, 

Where  when  flie  had  fome  yeeres  yfoiorned, 

And  faw  the  world,  and  marked  eche  mans  minde, 

A  deepe  Defire  hir  louing  hart  enflamde. 


52  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

To  fee  me  fit  by  hir  in  feemely  wife, 

That  companye  might  comfort  hir  fometimes, 

And  found  advice  might  eafe  hir  wearie  thoughtes  : 

And  forth  with  fpeede,  (euen  at  hir  firfl  requefl) 

Doth  vaiiie  Delight,  his  hasty  courfe  diredt, 

To  feeke  me  out  his  fayles  are  fully  bent, 

And  winde  was  good,  to  bring  me  to  the  bowre, 

Whereas  fhe  lay,  that  mourned  dayes  and  nights 

To  fee  hir  felfe,  fo  matchte  and  fo  deceivde, 

And  when  the  wretch,  (I  cannot  terme  him  bet) 

Had  me  on  feas  ful  farre  from  friendly  help, 

A  fparke  of  lull,  did  kindle  in  his  brefl, 

And  bad  him  harke,  to  fongs  of  Satyra. 

I  felly  foule  (which  thought  no  body  harme) 

Gan  cleere  my  throte,  and  (Iraue  to  fmg  my     |o'J[''?^J 

befl,  somtimeb 

Which  pleafde  him  fo,  and  fo  enflamde  his  hart,   Ty^va^yne 
That  he  forgot  my  fister  Foefys,  Delight. 

And  rauiflit  me,  to  pleafe  his  wanton  minde. 
Not  fo  content,  when  this  foule  fa6l  was  done, 
(Yfraught  with  feare,  leafl  that  I  fhould  difclofe 
His  inceft  :  and  his  doting  darke  defire)  biant  fnd" 

He  caufde  flraight  wayes,  the  formofl  of  his    flatterie 

crew  ^  .  .  dome  be- 

With  his  compeare,  to  trie  me  with  their       guiie  sati- 
rical Poe- 
tongues :  _  tne. 

And  when  their  guiles,  could  not  preuaile  to  winne 

My  fimple  mynde,  from  tracke  of  truflie  truth, 

Nor  yet  deceyt  could  bleare  mine  eyes  through  fraud, 

Came  Slander  then,  accufmg  me,  and  fayde. 

That  I  entift  Ddyght,  to  loue  and  lufle. 

Thus  was  I  caught,  poore  wretch  tliat  thought  none  il. 

And  furthermore,  to  cloke  their  own  offence.  The  re- 

They  clapt  me  faR,  in  cage  of  Myfcrie,  busy'^mld- 

And  there  I  dwelt,  full  many  a  doleful  day,       ijnjg  is 

Vntil  this  theefe,  this  traytor  vaific  Delight,         '^^'^" 

Cut  out  my  fong,  with  Rayfor  of  Rejlrayfite, 

Leafl  I  (hould  wraye,  this  bloudy  deede  of  his. 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  53 


note  now 
and  compare 


And  thus  (my  Lord)  I  Hue  a  weary  life, 

Not  as  I  feemd,  a  man  fometimes  of  might,      th^  aiiego- 

But  womanhke,  whofe  teares  muft  venge  hir  IJoTy^of^ 

harms.  pvP^  k'^ 

And  yet,  euen  as  the  mighty  gods  did  daine      '°"^^  ^" 
For  Philomele,  that  thoughe  hir  tong  were  cutte, 
Yet  fhould  fhe  fmg  a  pleafant  note  fometimes  : 
So  haue  they  deignd,  by  their  deuine  decrees, 
That  with  the  flumps  of  my  reproued  tong, 
I  may  fometimes,  Reproucrs  deedes  reproue. 
And  fmg  a  verfe,  to  make  them  fee  themfelues. 

Then  thus  I  fmg,  this  felly  fong  by  night, 
Like  Phylomcnc,  fmce  that  the  fhining  Sunne 
Is  how  eclypfl,  which  wont  to  lend  me  light. 

And  thus  I  fmg,  in  corner  clofely  cowcht 
Like  Philomeiie,  fmce  that  the  fLately  cowrts, 
Are  now  no  place,  for  fuch  poore  byrds  as  L 

And  thus  I  fing,  with  pricke  againfl  my  brest. 
Like  Fhilomene,  fince  that  the  priuy  worme, 
Which  makes  me  fee  my  reckles  youth  mifpent. 
May  well  fufifife,  to  keepe  me  waking  Hill. 

And  thus  I  fmg,  when  pleafant  fpring  begins, 
Like  Fhilomene,  fmce  euery  ianglyng  byrd, 
Which  fqueaketh  loude,  fhall  neuer  triumph  fo, 
As  though  my  muze  were  mute  and  durll  not  fmg. 

And  thus  I  fmg,  with  harmeleffe  true  intent, 
Like  Fhilomene,  when  as  percafe  (meane  while) 
The  Cuckowe  fuckes  mine  eggs  by  foule  deceit, 
And  lickes  the  fweet,  which  might  haue  fed  me  firfl. 

And  thus  I  meane,  in  moumfull  wife  to  fmg, 
A  rare  conceit,  (God  graunt  it  like  my  Lorde) 
A  truflie  tune,  from  auncient  clyffes  conueyed, 
A  playne  fong  note,  which  cannot  warble  well. 


54  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 


For  whyles  I  mark  this  weak  and  wretched  world,  ^?^^  ^^^ 
Wherein  I  fee,  howe  euery  kind  of  man  of  the 

Can  flatter  flill,  and  yet  deceiues  himfelfe.  belt^eth 

I  feeme  to  mufe,  from  whence  fuch  errourfp rings, 
Such  groffe  conceits,  fuch  mistes  of  darke  miflake, 
Such  Siircuydry\  fuch  weening  ouer  well, 
And  yet  in  dede,  fuch  dealings  too  too  badde. 
And  as  I  flretch  my  weary  wittes,  to  weighe 
The  caufe  thereof,  and  whence  it  fhould  proceede, 
My  battred  braynes,  (which  now  be  flirewdly  brufde, 
With  cannon  fliot,  of  much  mifgouernment) 
Can  fpye  no  caufe,  but  onely  one  conceite. 
Which  makes  me  thinke,  the  world  goeth  flil  awry. 


I  fee  and  figh,  (bycaufe  it  makes  me  fadde) 

That  peuifhe  pryde,  doth  al  the  world  poffeffe, 

And  euery  wight,  will  haue  a  looking  glaffe 

To  fee  himfelfe,  yet  fo  he  feeth  him  not  : 

Yea  Ihall  I  fay  ?  a  glaffe  of  common  glaffe, 

Which  gliflreth  bright,  and  fhewes  a  feemely  fhew, 

Is  not  enough,  the  days  are  pafl  and  gon. 

That  Berral  glaffe,  with  foyles  of  louely  brown, 

Might  ferue  to  fhew,  a  feemely  fauord  face. 

That  age  is  deade,  and  vaniflit  long  ago, 

Which  thought  that  fleele,  both  trufly  was  and  true, 

And  needed  not,  a  foyle  of  contraries. 

But  fhewde  al  things,  euen  as  they  were  in  deede. 

In  fleade  whereof,  our  curious  yeares  can  finde 

The  chriftal  glas,  which  glimfeth  braue  and  bright, 

And  fliewes  the  thing,  much  better  than  it  is, 

Beguylde  with  foyles,  of  fundry  fubtil  fights, 

So  that  they  feeme,  and  couet  not  to  be. 


This  is  the  caufe  (beleue  me  now  my  Lorde) 
That  Realmes  do  rewe,  from  high  profperity, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  55 

That  kings  decline,  from  princely  gouemment, 
That  Lords  do  lacke,  their  aunceflors  good  wil, 
That  knights  confume,  their  patrimonie  flill, 
That  gentlemen,  do  make  the  merchant  rife, 
That  plowmen  begge,  and  craftefmen  cannot  thriue, 
That  clergie  quayles,  and  hath  fmal  reuerence, 
That  laymen  liue,  by  mouing  mifchiefe  flil, 
That  courtiers  thriue,  at  latter  Lammas  day, 
That  officers,  can  fcarce  enrich  their  heyres, 
That  Souldiours  flerue,  or  prech  at  Tibome  croffe, 
That  lawyers  buye,  and  purchafe  deadly  hate, 
That  merchants  clyme,  and  fal  againe  as  faft, 
That  roysters  brag,  aboue  their  betters  rome, 
That  ficophants,  are  counted  iolly  guefls, 
That  Lais  leades  a  Ladies  life  alofte, 
And  Lucrece  lurkes,  with  fobre  bathful  grace. 


This  is  the  caufe  (or  elfe  my  Muze  mistakes) 

That  things  are  thought,  which  neuer  yet  were  wrought, 

And  caflels  buylt,  aboue  in  lofty  fkies, 

Which  neuer  yet,  had  good  foundation. 

And  that  the  fame  may  feme  no  feined  dreame, 

But  words  of  worth,  and  worthy  to  be  wayed, 

I  haue  prefumde,  my  Lord  for  to  prefent 

With  this  poore  glaffe,  which  is  of  truflie  Steele, 

And  came  to  me,  by  wil  and  teflament 

Of  one  that  was,  a  Glaffemaker  in  deede. 


Lucylius,  this  worthy  man  was  namde,  d/s™rf- 

Who  at  his  death,  bequeathd  the  chriflal  glaffe,  cai  Poete. 
To  fuch  as  loue,  to  feme  but  not  to  be, 
And  vnto  thofe,  that  loue  to  fee  themfelues, 
How  foule  or  fayre,  foeuer  that  they  are, 
He  gan  bequeath,  a  glaffe  of  truflie  Steele, 
Wherein  they  may  be  bolde  alwayes  to  looke, 
Bycaufe  it  fhewes,  all  things  in  their  degree. 
And  fince  myfelfe  (now  pride  of  youth  is  pafl) 


S6  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Do  loue  to  be,  and  let  al  feeming  paffe, 
Since  I  defire,  to  fee  my  felfe  in  deed, 
Not  what  I  would,  but  what  I  am  or  fhould, 
Therfore  I  like  this  truflie  glaffe  of  Steele. 


Wherein  I  fee,  a  frolike  fauor  frounfl  The  Auc- 

With  foule  abufe,  of  lawleffe  lufl  in  youth  :        seife.  "" 
Wherein  I  fee,  a  Sampfons  grim  regarde 
Difgraced  yet  with  Alexanders  bearde  :  Alexander 

Wherein  I  fee,  a  corps  of  comely  fhape  had  but  a 

(And  fuch  as  might  befeeme  thecourte  fuUwel)  ^Tard. 
Is  cafl  at  heele,  by  courting  al  to  foone :         He  which 
Wherein  I  fee,  a  quicke  capacitye,  b^L'^mens 

Berayde  with  blots  of  light  Inconstancie  :       i?M\^%  shai 
Anagefufpe6l,  bycaufe  of  youthes  mifdeedes.  not'w^for. 


A  poets  brayne,  poffefl  with  layes  of  loue  :      set  hys 

A  Ccejars  mmde,  and  yet  a  Codrus  might,      perfections 

A  Souldiours  hart,  fupprefl  with  feareful  doomes  : 

A  Philofopher,  fooliflily  fordone. 

And  to  be  playne,  I  fee  my  felfe  fo  playne, 

And  yet  fo  much  vnlike  that  mofl  I  feemde, 

As  were  it  not,  that  Reafon  ruleth  me, 

I  fhould  in  rage,  this  face  of  mine  deface. 

And  cafl  this  corps,  downe  headlong  in  difpaire, 

Bycaufe  it  is,  fo  farre  vnlike  it  felfe. 


And  therewithal,  to  comfort  me  againe, 

I  fee  a  world,  of  worthy  gouernment,  Common 

A  common  welth,  with  policy  fo  rulde. 

As  neither  lawes  are  fold,  nor  iustice  bought, 

Nor  riches  fought,  vnleffe  it  be  by  right. 

No  crueltie,  nor  tyrannic  can  raigne, 

No  right  reuenge,  doth  rayfe  rebellion, 

No  fpoyles  are  tane,  although  the  fword  preuaile, 

No  ryot  fpends,  the  coyne  of  common  welth, 

No  rulers  hoard,  the  countries  treafure  vp, 

No  man  growes  riche,  by  fubtilty  nor  Height : 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  57 

All  people  dreade,  the  magistrates  decree, 
And  al  men  feare,  the  fcourge  of  mighty  loue. 
Lo  this  (my  lord)  may  wel  deferue  the  name, 
Of  fuch  a  lande,  as  milke  and  hony  flowes. 
And  this  I  fee,  within  my  glaffe  of  Steel, 
Set  forth  euen  fo,  by  Soio?i  (worthy  wight) 
Who  taught  king  Crce.fus,  what  it  is  to  feme. 
And  what  to  be,  by  proofe  of  happie  end. 
The  like  Lyairgus,  Lacedemon  king, 
Did  fet  to  fhew,  by  viewe  of  this  my  glaffe, 
And  left  the  fame,  a  mirour  to  behold, 
To  euery  prince,  of  his  poflerity. 

But  now  (aye  me)  the  glafmg  chriflal  glafle 
Doth  make  vs  thinke,  that  realmes  and  townes  are  rych 
Where  fauor  fways,  the  fentence  of  the  law,      Common 
Where  al  is  fifhe,  that  cometh  to  the  net,  ^^°^ 

Where  mighty  power,  doth  ouer  rule  the  right, 
Where  iniuries,  do  fofler  fecret  grudge, 
Where  bloudy  fword,  maks  euery  booty  prize, 
Where  banquetting,  is  compted  comly  cofl, 
Where  ofificers  grow  rich  by  princes  pens, 
Where  purchafe  commes,  by  couyn  and  deceit, 
And  no  man  dreads,  but  he  that  cannot  Ihift, 
Nor  none  ferue  God,  but  only  tongtide  men. 


Againe  I  fee,  within  my  glaffe  of  Steele, 

But  foure  eflates,  to  ferue  eche  country  Soyle, 

The  King,  the  Knight,  the  Pefant,  and  the  Prieft. 

The  King  fhould  care  for  al  the  fubieftes  flill. 

The  Knight  fhould  fight,  for  to  defende  the  fame, 

The  Peafant  he,  fhould  labor  for  their  eafe. 

And  Priells  fhuld  pray,  for  them  and  for  themfelues. 

But  out  alas,  fuch  mills  do  bleare  our  eyes. 
And  chriflal  gloffe,  doth  glider  fo  therwith. 
That  Kings  conceiue,  their  care  is  wonderous   Kings. 
great. 


58  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

When  as  they  beat,  their  bufie  rellles  braynes, 
To  maintaine  pompe,  and  high  triumphant  fights,       i 
To  fede  their  fil,  of  daintie  dehcates,  2 

To  glad  their  harts,  with  fight  of  pleafant  fports,         3 
To  fil  their  eares,  with  found  of  instruments,  4 

To  breake  with  bit,  the  hot  coragious  horfe,  5 

To  deck  their  haules,  with  fumpteous  cloth  of  gold,  6 
To  cloth  themfelues,  with  filkes  of  flraunge  deuife,    7 
To  fearch  the  rocks,  for  pearles  and  pretious  flones,  8 
To  delue  the  ground,  for  mines  of  gliflering  gold  :     9 
And  neuer  care,  to  maynteine  peace  and  refl, 
To  yeld  reliefe,  where  needy  lacke  appears. 
To  flop  one  eare,  vntil  the  poore  man  fpeake, 
To  feme  to  lleepe,  when  luflice  flill  doth  wake, 
To  gard  their  lands,  from  fodaine  fword  and  fier, 
To  feare  the  cries  of  giltles  fuckling  babes, 
Whofe  ghofls  may  cal,  for  vengeance  on  their  bloud, 
And  flirre  the  wrath,  of  mightie  thundring  loue. 

I  fpeake  not  this,  by  any  engliHi  king. 
Nor  by  our  Queene,  whofe  high  forfight  prouids, 
That  dyre  debate,  is  fledde  to  foraine  Realmes, 
Whiles  we  inioy  the  golden  fleece  of  peace. 
But  there  to  tume  my  tale,  from  whence  it  came, 
In  olden  dayes,  good  kings  and  worthy  dukes, 
(Who  fawe  themfelues,  in  glaffe  of  trufly  Steele) 
Contented  were,  with  pompes  of  httle  pryce. 
And  fet  their  thoughtes,  on  regal  gouernement. 


An  order  was,  when  Rome  did  florifli  mofl,      Vaien 

maj    '' 
cap 


That  no  man  might  triumph  in  flately  wife,       '"'^^"  '  '^' 


But  fuch  as  had,  with  blowes  of  bloudy  blade 
Fine  thoufand  foes  in  foughten  field  foredone. 
Now  he  that  likes,  to  loke  in  Christal  glaffe, 
May  fee  proud  pomps,  in  high  triumphant  wife, 
Where  neuer  blowe,  was  delt  with  enemie. 

When  Sergws,  deuifed  firfl  the  meane 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  '59 

To  pen  vp  fifhe,  within  the  fwelling  floud, 
And  fo  content  his  mouth  with  daintie  fare, 
Then  followed  fast,  exceffe  on  Princes  hordes, 
And  euery  difh,  was  chargde  with  new  conceits, 
To  pleafe  the  talle,  of  vncontented  mindes. 
But  had  he  feene,  the  flreine  of  flraunge  deuife, 
Which  Epicures,  do  now  adsyes  inuent, 
To  yeld  good  fmacke,  vnto  their  daintie  tongues  : 
Could  he  conceiue,  how  princes  paunch  is  fiUde 
With  fecret  caufe,  of  fickeneffe  (oft)  vnfeene, 
Whiles  luft  defires,  much  more  than  nature  craues, 
Then  would  he  fay,  that  al  the  Romane  cod 
Was  common  trafh,  compard  to  fundrie  Sauce 
Which  princes  vfe,  to  pamper  Appetite. 

O  Christal  Glaffe,  thou  fettell  things  to  fhew. 
Which  are  (God  knoweth)  of  little  worth  in  dede. 
All  eyes  behold,  with  eagre  deepe  defire,  3 

The  Faulcon  flye,  the  grehounde  runne  his  courfe, 
The  bayted  Bui,  and  Beare  at  flately  flake, 
Thefe  Enterluds,  thefe  newe  Italian  fportes, 
And  euery  gawde,  that  glads  the  minde  of  man  : 
But  fewe  regard,  their  needy  neighbours  lacke. 
And  fewe  beholde,  by  contemplation. 
The  ioyes  of  heauen,  ne  yet  the  paines  of  hel. 
Fewe  loke  to  lawe,  but  al  men  gaze  on  lufl. 

A  fwete  confent,  of  Muficks  facred  found,    _  4 

Doth  rayfe  our  mindes,  (as  rapt)  al  vp  on  high, 
But  fweeter  foundes,  of  concorde,  peace,  and  loue, 
Are  out  of  tune,  and  iarre  in  euery  floppe. 

To  toffe  and  tume,  the  (lurdie  trampling  flede,  5 

To  bridle  him,  and  make  him  meete  to  feme, 
Deferues  (no  doubt)  great  commendation. 
But  fuch  as  haue,  their  flables  ful  yfraught, 
With  pampred  lades,  ought  therwithal  to  wey. 
What  great  exceffe,  vpon  them  may  be  fpent. 
How  many  pore,  (which  nede  nor  brake  nor  bit) 


6o  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Might  therwith  al,  in  godly  wife  be  fedde,  Deut.  i8. 

And  kings  ought  not,  fo  many  horfe  to  haue. 

The  fumpteous  houfe,  declares  the  princes  flate,        6 
But  vaine  exceffe,  bewrayes  a  princes  faults. 

Our  bumbafl  hofe,  our  treble  double  ruffes,  7 

Our  futes  of  Silke,  our  comely  garded  capes, 
Our  knit  filke  flockes,  and  fpanifli  lether  fhoes, 
(Yea  veluet  ferues,  ofttimes  to  trample  in) 
Our  plumes,  our  fpangs,  and  al  our  queint  aray, 
Are  pricking  fpurres,  prouoking  filthy  pride, 
And  fnares  (vnfeen)  which  leade  a  man  to  hel. 

How  Hue  the  Mores,  which  fpume  at  gliflring  perle,    8 
And  fcorne  the  cofls,  which  we  do  holde  fo  deare  ? 
How  ?  how  but  wel  ?  and  weare  the  precious  pearle 
Of  peerleffe  truth,  amongfl  them  publiflied, 
(VVhich  we  enioy,  and  neuer  wey  the  worth.) 
They  would  not  then,  the  fame  (like  vs)  defpife, 
VVhich  (though  they  lacke)  they  hue  in  better  wife 
Than  we,  which  holde,  the  worthies  pearle  fo  deare. 
But  glittring  gold,  which  many  yeares  lay  hidde, 
Til  gredy  mindes,  gan  fearch  the  very  guts 
Of  earth  and  clay,  to  finde  out  fundrie  moulds 
(As  redde  and  white,  which  are  by  melting  made 
Bright  gold  and  filuer,  mettals  of  mifchiefe) 
Hath  now  enflamde,  the  noblefl  Princes  harts 
With  foulefl  fire,  of  filthy  Auarice, 
And  feldome  feene,  that  kings  can  be  content 
To  kepe  their  bounds,  which  their  forefathers  left : 
What  caufeth  this,  but  greedy  golde  to  get  ? 
Euen  gold,  which  is,  the  very  caufe  of  warres. 
The  neafl  of  flrife,  and  nourice  of  debate, 
The  barre  of  heauen,  and  open  way  to  hel. 

(Squires 
But  is  this  flrange  ?  when  Lords  when  Knightes  and 
(Which  ought  defende,  the  flate  of  common  welth) 
Are  not  afrayd  to  couet  like  a  King  ? 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  6l 

0  blinde  defire  :  oh  high  afpiring  harts. 

The  country  Squire,  doth  couet  to  be  Knight,  Knightes. 
The  Knight  a  Lord,  the  Lord  an  Erie  or  a  Duke, 
The  Duke  a  King,  the  King  would  Monarke  be, 
And  none  content,  with  that  which  is  his  own. 
Yet  none  of  thefe,  can  fee  in  Chriflal  glaffe 
(Which  glistereth  bright,  and  bleares  their  gazing  eyes) 
How  euery  hfe,  beares  with  him  his  difeafe. 
But  in  my  glaffe,  which  is  of  trustie  fleele, 

1  can  perceiue,  how  kingdomes  breede  but  care, 
How  Lordihip  hues,  with  lots  of  leffe  delight, 
(Though  cappe  and  knee,  do  feeme  a  reuerence, 
And  courtlike  Ufe,  is  thought  an  other  heauen) 
Than  common  people  finde  in  euery  coafl. 

The  Gendeman,  which  might  in  countrie  keepe 
A  plenteous  boorde,  and  feed  the  fatherleffe. 
With  pig  and  goofe,  with  mutton,  beefe  and  veale, 
(Yea  now  and  then,  a  capon  and  a  chicke) 
Wil  breake  vp  houfe,  and  dwel  in  market  townes, 
A  loytring  life,  and  like  an  Epicure. 

But  who  (meane  while)  defends  the  common  welth  ? 
Who  rules  the  flocke,  when  fheperds  fo  are  fled? 
Who  flayes  the  flaff,  which  Ihuld  vphold  the  flate  ? 
Forfoth  good  Sir,  the  Lawyer  leapeth  in, 
Nay  rather  leapes,  both  ouer  hedge  and  ditch, 
And  rules  the  roll,  but  fewe  men  rule  by  right. 

O  Knights,  O  Squires,  O  Gentle  blouds  ybome, 
You  were  not  borne,  al  onely  for  your  felues  •  _ 
Your  countrie  claymes,  fome  part  of  al  your  paines. 
There  fhould  you  liue,  and  therein  fhould  you  toyle, 
To  hold  vp  right,  and  banifli  cruel  wrong, 
To  helpe  the  pore,  to  bridle  backe  the  riche, 
To  punifli  vice,  and  vertue  to  aduaunce. 
To  fee  God  fervde,  and  Belzcbub  fuppreft. 
You  fhould  not  trufl,  lieftenaunts  in  your  rome, 
And  let  them  fway,  the  fcepter  of  your  charge,  _ 
Whiles  you  (meane  while)  know  fcarcely  what  is  don, 
Nor  yet  can  yeld,  accompt  if  you  were  callde. 


62  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

The  flately  lord,  which  woonted  was  to  kepe 

A  court  at  home,  is  now  come  vp  to  courte, 

And  leaues  the  country  for  a  common  prey, 

To  pilling,  polling,  brybing,  and  deceit : 

(Al  which  his  prefence  might  haue  pacified, 

Or  elfe  haue  made  offenders  fmel  the  fmoke.) 

And  now  the  youth  which  might  haue  ferued  him. 

In  comely  wife,  with  countrey  clothes  yclad. 

And  yet  thereby  bin  able  to  preferre 

Vnto  the  prince,  and  there  to  feke  aduance  : 

Is  faine  to  fell,  his  landes  for  courtly  cloutes. 

Or  elfe  fits  flill,  and  liueth  like  a  loute, 

(Yet  of  thefe  two,  the  lafl  fault  is  the  leffe  :) 

And  fo  thofe  imps  which  might  in  time  haue  fprong 

Alofte  (good  lord)  and  fervde  to  fliielde  the  fi.ate. 

Are  either  nipt,  with  fuch  vntimely  frofls, 

Or  elfe  growe  crook t,  bycaufe  they  be  not  proynd. 

Thefe  be  the  Knights,  which  fhold  defend  the  land. 
And  thefe  be  they,  which  leaue  the  land  at  large. 
Yet  here  percafe,  it  wilbe  thought  I  roue 
And  runne  aflray,  befides  the  kings  high  way, 
Since  by  the  Knights,  of  whom  my  text  doth  tell 
(And  fuch  as  fhew,  moft  perfecft  in  my  glaffe) 
Is  ment  no  more,  but  worthy  Souldiours 
Whofe  fkil  in  armes,  and  long  experience 
Should  flill  vphold  the  pillers  of  the  worlde. 
Yes  out  of  doubt,  this  noble  name  of  Knight, 
May  comprehend,  both  Duke,    Erie,  lorde.  Knight, 
Yea  gentlemen,  and  euery  gentle  borne.  (Squire 


But  if  you  wil,  conflraine  me  for  to  fpeake 

What  fouldiours  are,  or  what  they  ought  to  be 

(And  I  my  felfe,  of  that  profeffion) 

I  fee  a  crew,  which  glister  in  my  glaffe,  SouUiours, 

The  brauefi.  bande,  that  euer  yet  was  sene  : 

Behold  behold,  where  Pompey  commes  before. 

Where  Manluis^  and  Marius  infue. 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  63 

^mi/zi/s,  and  Ctiriiis  I  fee, 
Palamedcs,  and  Fabius  maximus. 
And  eke  their  mate,  Epaminondas  loe, 
Protefilaus  and  Phocyan  are  not  farre, 
Pericles  flands,  in  rancke  amongfl  the  refl, 
Ariftomenes,  may  not  be  forgot, 
Vnleffe  the  list,  of  good  men  be  difgrast. 

Behold  (my  lord)  thefe  fouldiours  can  I  fpie 
Within  my  glaffe,  within  my  true  Steele  glaffe. 

I  fee  not  one  therein,  which  feekes  to  heape 

A  world  of  pence,  by  pinching  of  dead  payes,    Couetous 

And  fo  beguiles,  the  prince  in  time  of  nede,       Soidwurs 

When  mufler  day,  and  foughten  fielde  are  odde. 

Since  Pompey  did,  enrich  the  common  heaps. 

And  Paulus  he,  (^milius  furnamed) 

Returyide  to  Rome,  no  richer  than  he  went, 

Although  he  had,  fo  maiiy  lands  fubdtied, 

And  brought  fiich  treafiire,  to  the  common  chejls. 

That  four/core  yeres,  thejlate  was  {after)  free 

From  greuons  taske,  and  impofitiofi. 

Yeafince  againe,  good  Marcus  Curius, 

Thotight  facriledge,  himfelfe  for  to  aduaunce. 

And  fee  his  fouldiours,  pore  or  Hue  in  lacke. 

I  fee  not  one,  within  this  glaffe  of  mine,  Soidiours 

Whofe  fethers  flaunt,  and  flicker  in  the  winde,    braue  then 
As  though  he  were,  all  onely  to  be  markt,        ^^^I'^nt. 
When  fimple  fnakes,  which  go  not  halfe  fo  gay. 
Can  leaue  him  yet  a  furlong  in  the  field : 
And  when  the  pride,  of  all  his  peacockes  plumes, 
Is  daunted  downe,  with  daflard  dreadfulnefle. 
And  yet  in  towne,  he  ietted  euery  flreete, 
As  though  the  god  of  warres  (euen  Mars  himfelf) 
Might  wel  (by  him)  be  liuely  counterfayte, 
Though  much  more  like,  the  coward  Conflantine. 
I  fee  none  fuch,  (my  Lorde)  I  fee  none  fuch, 


64  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Since  Phocion,  which  was  in  deede  a  Mars 

Afid  one  which  did,  much  more  than  he  wold  vaunt, 

Contented  was  to  be  but  homely  clad. 

And  Marius,  {whofe  conjlant  hart  could  bide 

The  very  vai?ies,  of  his  forwearied  legges 

To  be  both  cut,  and  earned  from  his  coj-ps) 

Could  neuer yet,  contented  be  to  fpend. 

One  idle  groate,  in  clothing  nor  in  cates. 

I  fee  not  one,  (my  Lord)  I  fee  not  one  Soidiours 

Which  flands  fomuch,  vpon  his  paynted  uliiriv""^ 

Iheath  long  con- 

(Bycaufe  he  hath,perchaunce  dXBolleyn  bene         iJTsTru'ice) 

And  loytered,  fmce  then  in  idleneffe)  do  seeme 

That  heaccompts,  no  Soldiour  but  himfelfe,         a°i  other^^ 

Nor  one  that  can,  defpife  the  learned  bravne,         ?^  ^^"^"j 

V  Vhich  loyneth  reading  with  experience.  especially 

Since  Palamedes,  andN\\i{t%  both,  f^ed"^ 

Where  much  efleemed  for  their  pollicies 

Although  they  were  not  thought  long  trained  men. 

Epamynondas,  eke  was  much  cfleenuie 

Whofe  Eloqicence,  was  fich  in  all  refpcHs, 

As  gaue  ?io  place,  vnto  his  manly  hart. 

And  Yahm?>,  furnamed  Maximus, 

Could  ioyne  fuch  learning,  with  experience, 

As  made  his  name,  more  famous  than  the  refl. 

Thefe  bloiidybeafls,apeare  not  in  myglaffe,         Soidiours 
Which  cannot  rule,  their  fword  in  furious  rage,  °.".?h'^'^^' 
Nor  haue  refpe6te,  to  age  nor  yet  to  kinde :      any  r°e"- 
Eut  downe  goeth  al,  where  they  get  vpper  hand.  ^^'^^' 
Whofe  greedy  harts  fo  hungrie  are  to  fpoyle. 
That  few  regard,  the  very  wrath  of  God, 
Which  greeued  is,  at  cries  of  giltleffe  bloud. 
Pericles  7i'as,  a  famous  man  ofwarre, 
And  viHor  eke,  in  nine  great  foughten  f  elds, 
Wherof  he  was  the  general  in  charge. 
Yet  at  his  death  he  rather  did  rcioyce 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  65 

I71  ckniencie,  than  bloudy  viHorie. 
Be  Jim  {quoth  he)  you  graue  Athenians, 
VVho  whifpered,  and  tolde  his  valiant  farts) 
You  haue  forgot,  my  greatcjl  glorie  got. 
For  yet  {by  me,  nor  mine  occafwn) 
Was  neuer  fene,  a  mourning  garment  worne. 
O  noble  words,  wel  worthy  golde?i  lurit. 
Beleue  me  (Lord)  a  fouldiour  cannot  haue 
Too  great  regarde,  whereon  his  knife  fhould  cut. 

Ne  yet  the  men,  which  wonder  at  their  wounds, 
And  fhewe  their fcarres  toeuerycommerby,         Braggers 
Dare  once  be  feene,within  myglaffe  of  Steele,       a"  boa"st 
For  fo  the  faults,  of  Thrafo  and  his  trayne,       of  their 
(Whom  Terence  told,  to  be  but  bragging  brutes) 
Might  fone  appeare,  to  euery  fkilful  eye. 
Bolde  Manlius,  could  clofe  and  wel  co?iuey 
Ful  thirtie  woutids,  {a?id  three)  vpoti  his  head. 
Yet  Jieuer  ?nade,  nor  bones  nor  bragges  therof. 

What  fhould  I  fpeake,  of  drunken  Soldiours?         Drunken 
Or  lechers  lewde,  which  fight  for  filthy  luR  ?        ^ous'foi" 
Of  whom  that  one,  can  fit  and  bybbe  his  fil,      diours. 
Confume  his  coyne,  (which  might  good  corage  yeld, 
To  fuch  as  march,  and  moue  at  his  commaunde) 
And  makes  himfelfe,  a  worthy  mocking  flocke 
Which  might  deferue,  (by  fobre  life)  great  laude. 
That  other  dotes,  and  driueth  forth  his  dayes 
In  vaine  delight,  and  foule  concupifcence. 
When  works  of  weight,  might  occupie  his  hedde. 
Yea  therwithal,  he  puts  his  owne  fonde  heade 
Vnder  the  belt,  of  fuch  as  fhould  him  ferue, 
And  fo  becoms,  example  of  much  euil, 
Which  fhould  haue  fervde,  as  lanterne  of  good  life  : 
And  is  controlde,  whereas  he  fhould  commaund. 
Augujlus  Caefar,  he  which  might  haue  made 
Both  feasts  and  banquets  brauely  as  the  befl. 
Was  yet  content  (in  campe)  with  homely  cates, 
And  feldome  dranke  his  wine  vnwatered. 


66  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Arijlomencs,  dayned  to  defende 
His  dames  of  prize,  whom  he  in  warres  had  won, 
And  rather  chofe,  to  die  in  their  defence, 
Then  filthy  men,  fhould  foyle  their  chaftitie. 
This  was  a  wight,  wel  worthy  fame  and  prayfe. 

O  Captayns  come,  and  Souldiours  come  apace, 
Behold  my  glaffe,  and  you  fhall  fee  therin. 
Proud  Ci-afftis  bagges,  confumde  by  couetife, 
Great  Alexander^  drounde  in  drunkenneffe, 
Ccefar  and  Fo?tipey,  fplit  with  priuy  grudge, 
Brennns  beguild,  with  lightneffe  of  beUefe, 
Cleomenes,  by  ryot  not  regarded, 
Vefpajlan,  difdayned  for  deceit, 
Demetrius,  light  fet  by  for  his  lufl, 
Whereby  at  lafl,  he  dyed  in  prifon  pent. 

Hereto  percafe,  fome  one  man  will  alledge, 
That  Princes  pence,  are  purfed  vp  fo  clofe, 
And  faires  do  fall  fo  feldome  in  a  yeare, 
That  when  they  come,  prouifion  mufl  be  made 
To  fende  the  frofl,  in  hardefl  winter  nights. 

Indeede  I  finde,  within  this  glaffe  of  mine,      Vngratefui 

hijlinian,  that  proude  vngratefui  prince,  Pnnces. 

AVhich  made  to  begge,  bold  BeUfarius 

His  trustie  man,  which  had  fo  floutly  fought 

In  his  defence,  with  evry  enimy. 

And  Scypio,  condemnes  the  Romaine  rule, 

Which  fuffred  him  (that  had  fo  truely  ferued) 

To  leade  pore  life,  at  his  {Lyniernuni)  ferme, 

Which  did  deferue,  fuch  worthy  recompence. 

Yea  herewithal,  mofl  Souldiours  of  our  time, 

Beleeue  for  truth,  that  proude  lujlinian 

Did  neuer  die,  Avithout  good  flore  of  heyi-es. 

And  Romanies  race,  cannot  be  rooted  out, 

Such  yffewe  fprings,  of  fuch  vnplefant  budds. 

But  flial  I  fay  ?  this  leffon  learne  of  me, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  67 

When  drums  are  dumb,  and  found  not'dub  adub,  ^^vhat  e- 

uery   sol- 

Then  be  thou  eke,  as  mewet  as  a  mayde         diour 
(I  preach  this  fermon  but  to  fouldiours)  i?°time''of 

And  learne  to  Hue,  within  thy  bravries  bounds,  peace. 
Let  not  the  Mercer,  pul  thee  by  the  lleeue 
For  futes  of  filke,  when  cloth  may  ferue  thy  tume, 
Let  not  thy  fcores,  come  robbe  thy  needy  purfe, 
Make  not  the  catchpol,  rich  by  thine  arrest. 

Art  thou  a  Gentle  ?  Hue  with  gentle  friendes, 
Which  wil  be  glad,  thy  companie  to  haue, 
If  manhoode  may,  with  manners  well  agree. 

Art  thou  a  feruing  man  ?  then  ferue  againe, 
And  flint  to  fleale  as  common  fouldiours  do. 

Art  thou  a  craftfman  ?  take  thee  to  thine  arte, 
And  call  off  flouth,  which  loytreth  in  the  Campes. 

Art  thou  a  plowman  preffed  for  a  fhift? 
Then  learne  to  clout,  thine  old  cafL  cobled  Ihoes, 
And  rather  bide,  at  home  with  barly  bread, 
Than  learne  to  fpoyle,  as  thou  haft  feene  fome  do. 

Of  truth  {my  friendes,  and  my  companions  eke) 
Who  lufl,  by  warres  to  gather  lawful  welth, 
And  fo  to  get,  a  right  renoumed  name, 
Muft  cafle  afide,  al  common  trades  of  warre, 
And  learne  to  Hue,  as  though  he  knew  it  not. 

Well,  thus  my  Knight  hath  held  me  al  to  long. 

Bycaufe  he  bare,  fuch  compaffe  in  my  glaffe. 

High  time  were  then,  to  tume  my  wery  pen, 

Vnto  the  Peafant  comming  next  in  place. 

And  here  to  write,  the  fumme  of  my  conceit, 

I  do  not  meane,  alonely  hufbandmen, 

Which  till  the  ground,  which  dig,  delve,  mow  and  fowe, 

Which  fwinke  and  fweate,  whiles  we  do  fleepe  and 

And  ferch  the  guts  of  earth,  for  greedy  gain,       [fnort 


68  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

But  he  that  labors  any  kind  of  way.  Peasants. 

To  gather  gaines,  and  to  enriche  himfelfe, 

By  King,  by  Knight,  by  holy  helping  Priefls, 

And  al  the  refl,  that  hue  in  common  welth 

(So  that  his  gaines,  by  greedy  guyles  be  got) 

Him  can  I  compt,  a  Peafant  in  his  place.  .strange 

All  officiers,  all  aduocates  at  lawe,  Peasants. 

Al  men  of  arte,  which  get  goodes  greedily, 

Mull  be  content,  to  take  a  Peafants  rome. 

A  flrange  deuife,  and  fure  my  Lord  wil  laugh, 

To  fee  it  fo,  defgefled  in  degrees. 

But  he  which  can,  in  office  drudge,  and  droy, 

And  craue  of  al,  (although  euen  now  a  dayes, 

Mofl  officers,  commaund  that  fhuld  be  cravde)       Officers 

He  that  can  fhare,  from  euery  pention  payde 

A  Peeter  peny  weying  halfe  a  pounde, 

He  that  can  plucke,  fir  Bennet  by  the  fleeue, 

And  finde  a  fee,  in  his  pluralitie, 

He  that  can  winke,  at  any  foule  abufe. 

As  long  as  gaines,  come  trouling  in  therwith, 

Shal  fuch  come  fee  themfelues  in  this  my  glaffe  ? 

Or  fhal  they  gaze,  as  godly  good  men  do  ? 

Yea  let  them  come :  but  ihall  I  tell  you  one  thing  ? 

How  ere  their  gownes,  be  gathered  in  the  backe, 

With  organe  pipes,  of  old  king  Henries  clampe, 

How  ere  their  cappes,  be  folded  with  a  flappe, 

How  ere  their  beards,  be  clipped  by  the  chinne, 

How  ere  they  ride,  or  mounted  are  on  mules, 

I  compt  them  worfe,  than  harmeles  homely  hindes, 

Which  toyle  in  dede,  to  ferue  our  common  vfe. 

Strange  tale  to  tel :  all  officers  be  blynde. 
And  yet  there  one  eye,  fliarpe  as  Linccus  fight, 
That  one  eye  winks,  as  though  it  were  but  blynd, 
That  other  pries  and  peekes  in  euery  place. 
Come  naked  neede  ?  and  chance  to  do  amiffe  ? 
He  fhal  be  fure,  to  drinke  vpon  the  whippe. 
But  priuie  gaine,  (that  bribing  bufie  wretch) 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  69 

Can  finde  the  meanes,  to  creepe  and  cowch  fo  low, 
As  ofificers,  can  neuer  fee  him  flyde, 
Nor  heare  the  trampUng  of  his  flealing  fleppes. 
He  comes  (I  thinke,)  vpon  the  bhnde  fide  flil. 

Thefe  things  (my  Lord)  my  glaffe  now  fets  to  fhew, 

Whereas  long  fmce,  all  officers  were  feene 

To  be  men  made,  out  of  another  moulde. 

Epamy7iond,  of  whome  I  fpake  before 

(Which  was  long  time,  an  officer  in  Thebes) 

And  toylde  in  peace,  as  wel  as  fought  in  warre, 

Would  neuer  take,  or  bribe,  or  rich  reward. 

And  thus  he  fpake,  to  fuch  as  fought  his  helpe : 

If  it  be  good,  (quoth  he)  that  you  defire, 

Then  wil  I  do,  it  for  the  vertues  fake  : 

If  it  be  badde,  no  bribe  can  me  infe6le.  There 

If  fo  it  be,  for  this  my  common  weale,  su/hVf- 

Then  am  I  borne,  and  bound  by  duetie  both    fibers. 

To  fee  it  done,  withouten  furder  words. 

But  if  it  be,  vnprofitable  thing. 

And  might  empaire,  offende,  or  yeld  anoy 

Vnto  the  flate,  which  I  pretende  to  flay, 

Then  al  the  gold  (quoth  he)  that  growes  on  earth 

Shal  neuer  tempt,  my  free  confent  thereto. 

How  many  now,  wil  treade  Zeleucus  fleps  ? 
Or  who  can  byde,  Cambyfes  cruel  dome  ? 
Cruel  ?  nay  iufl,  (yea  fofte  and  peace  good  fir) 
For  lullice  fleepes,  and  Troth  is  iefled  out. 

O  that  al  kings,  would  {Alexander  like) 

Hold  euermore,  one  finger  flreight  flretcht  out, 

To  thrust  in  eyes,  of  all  their  maftert  heeues.        lud^^s. 

But  Brutus  died,  without  posteritie. 

And  Marcus  Craffus  had  none  iffue  male, 

Cicero  flipt,  vnfene  out  of  this  world, 

With  many  mo,  which  pleaded  romaine  pleas,    Aduocats. 

And  were  content,  to  vfe  their  eloquence, 


70  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

In  maintenance,  of  matters  that  were  good. 

Denwjlhenes,  in  Athens  vfde  his  arte, 

(Not  for  to  heape,  himfelfe  great  hourds  of  gold, 

But)  fill  to  flay,  the  towne  from  deepe  deceite 

Qi Philips  wyles,  which  had  befieged  it. 

Where  ftial  we  reade,  that  any  of  thefe  foure 

Did  euer  pleade,  as  careleffe  of  the  trial? 

Or  who  can  fay,  they  builded  fumpteoufly? 

Or  wroong  the  weake,  out  of  his  own  by  \vyles  ? 

They  were  (I  trowe)  of  noble  houfes  borne, 

And  yet  content,  to  vfe  their  best  deuoire, 

In  furdering,  eche  honefl  harmeleffe  caufe. 

They  did  not  rowte  (like  rude  vnringed  fwine,) 

To  roote  nobilitie  from  heritage. 

They  floode  content,  with  gaine  of  glorious  fame, 

(Bycaufe  they  had,  refpe6l  to  equitie) 

To  leade  a  life,  like  true  Philofophers. 

Of  all  the  briflle  bearded  Aduocates 

That  euer  lovde  their  fees  aboue  the  caufe, 

I  cannot  fee,  (fcarce  one)  that  is  fo  bolde 

To  fliewe  his  face,  and  fayned  Phifnomie 

In  this  my  glaffe  :  but  if  he  do  (my  Lorde) 

He  tliewes  himfelfe,  to  be  by  very  kinde 

A  man  which  meanes,  at  euery  time  and  tide. 

To  do  fmal  right,  but  fure  to  take  no  wrong. 

And  mafler  Merchant,he whofe  trauaile  ought  Merchants. 
Commodioufly,  to  doe  his  countrie  good. 
And  by  his  toyle,  the  fame  for  to  enriche. 
Can  finde  the  meane,  to  make  Monopolyes 
Of  euery  ware,  that  is  accompted  flrange. 
And  feeds  the  vaine,  of  courtiers  vaine  defires 
Vntil  the  court,  haue  courtiers  cafl  at  heele, 
Quia  non  hahait  vcjles  Nuptialcs. 

O  painted  fooles,  whofe  harebrainde  heads  mufl  haue 
More  clothes  attones,  than  might  become  a  king  : 
For  whom  the  rocks,  in  forain  Realmes  mufl  fpin. 
For  whom  they  carde,  for  whom  they  weaue  their  webbes 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  71 

For  whom  no  wool,  appeareth  fine  enough, 

(I  Ipeake  not  this  by  engUfli  courtiers 

Since  enghfh  wool,  was  euer  thought  most  worth) 

For  whom  al  feas,  are  toffed  to  and  fro, 

For  whom  thefe  purples  come  from  Perfia, 

The  crimofme,  and  liuely  red  from  hide: 

For  whom  foft  filks,  do  fayle  from  Scricane, 

And  all  queint  costs,  do  come  from  fardefl  coafls : 

Whiles  in  meane  while,  that  worthy  Emperour,     August.  9. 

Which  rulde  the  world,  and  had  all  welth  at  wil, 

Could  be  content,  to  tire  his  wearie  wife, 

His  daughters  and,  his  niepces  euerychone, 

To  fpin  and  worke  the  clothes  that  he  fhuld  weare, 

And  neuer  carde,  for  filks  or  fumpteous  cofl, 

For  cloth  of  gold,  or  tinfel  figurie, 

For  Baudkin,  broydrie,  outworks,  nor  conceits. 

He  fet  the  fliippes,  of  merchantmen  on  worke. 

With  bringing  home,  oyle,  graine,  and  favrie  fait 

And  fuch  like  wares,  as  ferued  common  vfe. 

Yea  for  my  life,  thofe  merchants  were  not  woont 

To  lend  their  wares,  at  reafonable  rate, 

(To  gaine  no  more,  but  Cento  por  cento,) 

To  teach  yong  men,  the  trade  to  fel  browne  paper, 

Yea  Morrice  bells,  and  byllets  too  fometimes. 

To  make  their  coyne,  a  net  to  catch  yong  frye. 

To  binde  fuch  babes,  in  father  Derbies  bands, 

To  fi.ay  their  fleps,  by  ftatute  Staples  flaffe, 

To  rule  yong  royfLers,  with  Recognifance^ 

To  read  AritJwieticke  once  eueiy  day. 

In  VVoodstreat,  Bredflreat,  and  in  Pultery 

(Where  fuch  fchoolmaiflers  keepe  their  counting  houfe) 

To  fede  on  bones,  when  flefli  and  fell  is  gon. 

To  keepe  their  byrds,  ful  clofe  in  caytiues  cage, 

(Who  being  brought,  to  libertie  at  large. 

Might  fing  perchaunce,  abroade,  when  funne  doth  fliine 

Of  their  mifhaps,  and  how  their  fethers  fel) 

Vntill  the  canker  may  their  corpfe  confume. 


^^  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 


Thefe  knackes  (my  lord)  I  cannot  cal  to  minde, 

Bycaufe  they  fhewe  not  in  my  glaffe  of  ileele. 

But  holla  :  here,  I  fee  a  wondrous  fight, 

I  fee  a  fvvanne,  of  Saints  within  my  glaffe  : 

Beholde,  behold,  I  fee  a  fwarme  in  deede 

Of  holy  Saints,  which  walke  in  comely  wife, 

Not  deckt  in  robes,  nor  garnifhed  with  gold. 

But  fome  vnfhod,  yea  fome  ful  thinly  clothde, 

And  yet  they  feme,  fo  heauenly  for  to  fee, 

As  if  their  eyes,  were  al  of  Diamonds, 

Their  face  of  Rubies,  Saphires,  and  Iacin6ls, 

Their  comly  beards,  and  heare,  of  filuer  wiers. 

And  to  be  fhort,  they  feeme  Angelycall. 

What  fhould  they  be,  (my  Lord)  what  fhould  they  be  ? 

O  gratious  God,  I  fee  now  what  they  be. 

Thefe  be  my  priefls,  which  pray  for  evry  flate, 

Thefe  be  my  priefls,  deuorced  from  the  world,         Priest. 

And  wedded  yet,  to  heauen  and  holyneffe, 

Which  are  not  proude,  nor  couet  to  be  riche. 

Which  go  not  gay,  nor  fede  on  daintie  foode, 

Which  enuie  not,  nor  knowe  what  malice  meanes. 

Which  loth  all  lust,  difdayning  drunkeneffe, 

Which  cannot  faine,  which  hate  hypocrifie. 

Which  neuer  fawe.  Sir  Simonies  deceits. 

Which  preach  of  peace,  which  carpe  contentions. 

Which  loyter  not,  but  labour  al  the  yeare. 

Which  thunder  threts,  of  gods  mofl  greuous  wrath, 

And  yet  do  teach,  that  mercie  is  in  flore. 

Lo  thefe  (my  Lord)  be  my  good  praying  priefls, 
Defcended  from,  Melchyfcdec  by  line 
Cofens  to  Paule,  to  Peter,  lames,  and  lohn, 
Thefe  be  my  priests,  the  feafning  of  the  earth 
Which  wil  not  leefe,  their  Savrineffe,  I  trowe. 

Not  one  of  thefe  (for  twentie  hundreth  groats) 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  73 

VVil  teach  the  text,  that  byddes  him  take  a  wife, 
And  yet  be  combred  with  a  concubine. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  wil  reade  the  holy  write 

Which  doth  forbid,  all  greedy  vfurie, 
And  yet  receiue,  a  fhilling  for  a  pounde. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  wil  preach  of  patience, 
And  yet  be  found,  as  angry  as  a  wafpe. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  can  be  content  to  fit 
In  Tauems,  Innes,  or  Alehoufes  all  day. 
But  fpends  his  time,  deuoutly  at  his  booke. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  will  rayle  at  rulers  wrongs, 
And  yet  be  blotted,  with  extortion. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  will  paint  out  worldly  pride, 
And  he  himfelfe,  as  gallaunt  as  he  dare. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  rebuketh  auarice, 
And  yet  procureth,  proude  pluralities. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  reproueth  vanitie 

(Whiles  he  him  felfe,  with  hauke  vpon  his  fill 

And  houndes  at  heele,)  doth  quite  forget  his  text. 

Not  one  of  thefe,  corre6ls  contentions. 

For  trifling  things :  and  yet  will  fue  for  tythes. 

Not  one  of  thefe  (not  one  of  thefe  my  Lord) 
Wil  be  afliamde,  to  do  euen  as  he  teacheth. 

My  priefls  haue  learnt,  to  pray  vnto  the  Lord, 
And  yet  they  trufl  not  in  their  lyplabour. 

My  priefls  can  fail,  and  vfe  al  abflinence, 
From  vice  and  fmne,  and  yet  refufe  no  meats. 

My  priests  can  giue,  in  charitable  wife, 
And  loue  alfo,  to  do  good  almes  dedes, 
Although  they  truft,  not  in  their  owne  deferts. 

My  priefles  can  place,  all  penaunce  in  the  hart, 
VVithout  regard,  of  outward  ceremonies. 


74  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

My  priefls  can  keepe,  their  temples  vndefyled, 
And  yet  defie,  all  Superstition. 

Lo  now  my  Lorde,  what  thinke  you  by  my  priefls  ? 

Although  they  were,  the  laft  that  fhewed  themfelues, 

I  faide  at  firfl,  their  office  was  to  pray, 

And  fince  the  time,  is  fuch  euen  now  a  dayes, 

As  hath  great  nede,  of  prayers  truely  prayde, 

Come  forth  my  priefls,  and  I  wil  bydde  your  beades 

I  wil  prefume,  (although  I  be  no  priest) 

To  bidde  you  pray,  as  Paule  and  Peter  prayde. 

Then  pray  my  priests,  yea  pray  to  god  himfelfe,  The  poets 

Thathe  vouchfafe,  (euen  for  his  Chriftes  fake)  ^^''''^"• 

To  giue  his  word,  free  paffage  here  on  earth, 

And  that  his  church  (which  now  is  Militant) 

May  foone  be  fene,  triumphant  ouer  all, 

And  that  he  deigne,  to  ende  this  wicked  world, 

Which  walloweth  flil,  in  Sinks  of  filthy  finne. 

Eke  pray  my  priests,  for  Princes  and  for  Kings, 
Emperours,  Monarks,  Duks,  and  all  eflates.  For 

Which  fway  the  fworde,  of  royal  gouernment,    ■^""'^''^• 
(Of  whom  our  Queene,  which  liues  without  compare 
Mufl  be  the  chiefe,  in  bydding  of  my  beades, 
Elfe  I  deferue,  to  lefe  both  beades,  and  bones) 
That  God  giue  light,  vnto  their  noble  mindes, 
To  maintaine  truth,  and  therwith  flil  to  wey 
That  here  they  reigne,  not  onely  for  themfelues, 
And  that  they  be  but  flaues  to  common  welth, 
Since  al  their  toyles,  and  all  their  broken  fleeps 
Shal  fcant  fuffize,  to  hold  it  flil  vpright. 

Tell  fome  (in  Spaine)  how  clofe  they  kepe  their  clofets, 
How  felde  the  winde,  doth  blow  vpon  their  cheeks. 
While  as  (mene  while)  their  funburnt  futours  flerue 
And  pine  before,  their  proceffe  be  preferrde. 
Then  pray  (my  priefls)  that  god  wil  giue  his  grace. 
To  fuch  a  prince,  his  fault  in  time  to  mende. 

Tel  fome  (in  France)  how  much  they  loue  to  dance, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  75 

While  futours  daunce,  attendaunce  at  the  dore. 
Yet  pray  (my  priefls)  for  prayers  princes  mende. 

Tel  fome  (in  Portugale,)  how  colde  they  be, 

In  fatting  forth,  of  right  religion  : 

Which  more  efleme,  the  prefent  pleafures  here, 

Then  flablifliing,  of  God  his  holy  worde. 

And  pray  (my  Priefls)  leaft  god  fuch  princes  fpit, 

And  vomit  them,  out  of  his  angrie  mouth. 

Tel  fome  {Italian)  princes,  how  they  winke 
At  flinking  flewes,  and  fay  they  are  (forfooth) 
A  remedy,  to  quench  foule  filthy  luste  : 
When  as  (in  dede  they  be  the  fmkes  of  finne. 
And  pray  (my  priests)  that  God  wil  not  impute 
Such  wilful  fads,  vnto  fuch  princes  charge. 
When  he  himfelfe,  commaundeth  euery  man 
To  do  none  ill,  that  good  may  grow  therby. 

And  pray  likewife,  for  all  that  rulers  be  buiiie' "nd 

By  kings  commaundes,as  their  lieftenants  here,  counselors. 

Al  magiflrates,  al  councellours,  and  all 

That  fit  in  office  or  Authoritie. 

Pray,  pray,  (my  priefls)  that  neither  loue  nor  mede 

Do  fway  their  minds,  from  furdering  of  right, 

That  they  be  not,  too  faintifli  nor  too  fowre. 

But  beare  the  bridle,  euenly  betwene  both, 

That  flil  they  floppe,  one  eare  to  heare  him  fpeake. 

Which  is  accufed,  abfent  as  he  is  : 

That  euermore,  they  mark  what  moode  doth  moue 

The  mouth  which  makes,  the  information. 

That  faults  forpafte  (fo  that  they  be  not  huge, 

Nor  do  exceed,  the  iDonds  of  loyaltie) 

Do  neuer  quench,  their  charitable  minde,_ 

When  as  they  fee,  repentance  hold  the  reines 

Of  heady  youth,  which  wont  to  runne  aflray. 

That  malice  make,  no  manfion  in  their  minds, 

Nor  enuy  frete,  to  fee  how  vertue  clymes. 

The  greater  Birth,  the  greater  glory  fure, 

If  deeds  mainteine,  their  aunceflors  degree. 


76  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Eke  pray  (my  Priefls)  for  them  and  for  yourfelues,   ciergi  -I 

For  Bifhops,  Prelats,  Archdeanes,  deanes,  and  PrieRs 

And  al  that  preach,  or  otherwife  profeffe 

Gods  holy  word,  and  take  the  cure  of  foules. 

Pray  pray  that  you,  and  euery  one  of  you, 

Make  walke  vpright,  in  your  vocation. 

And  that  you  fhine  Hke  lamps  of  perfect  life, 

To  lende  a  light,  and  lanterne  to  our  feete. 

Say  therwithal,  that  fome,  (I  fee  them  I 
VVheras  they  fling,  in  Flaunders  all  afarre, 
For  why  my  glaffe,  wil  fhew  them  as  they  be) 
Do  neither  care,  for  God  nor  yet  for  deuill, 
So  hbertie,  may  launch  about  at  large. 

And  fome  again  (I  fee  them  wel  enough 

And  note  their  names,  in  Liegdande  where  they  lurke) 

Vnder  pretence,  of  holy  humble  harts 

Would  plucke  adowne,  al  princely  Dyader/ie. 

Pray,  pray  (my  priests)  for  thefe,  they  touch  you  neere. 

Shrinke  not  to  fay,  that  fome  do  (Romainelike) 

Efleme  their  pall,  and  habyte  ouermuche. 

And  therfore  pray  (my  priefls)  left  pride  preuaile. 

Pray  that  the  foules,  of  fundrie  damned  gofls, 

Do  not  come  in,  and  bring  good  euidence 

Before  the  God,  which  iudgeth  al  mens  thoughts. 

Of  fome  whofe  welth,  made  them  negle(5l  their  charge 

Til  fecret  fames  (vntoucht)  infecle  their  flocks 

And  bredde  a  fcab,  which  brought  the  fhep  to  bane. 

Some  other  ranne,  before  the  greedy  woolfe, 

And  left  the  folde,  vnfended  from  the  fox 

Which  durfl  not  barke,  nor  bawle  for  both  theyr  eares. 

Then  pray  (my  priefl.s)  that  fuch  no  more  do  fo. 

Pray  for  the  nources,  of  our  noble  Realme, 
I  meane  the  worthy  Vniuerflties, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS,  77 

(And  Cantabridge,  (hal  haue  the  dignitie, 

Wherof  I  was,  vnvvorthy  member  once) 

That  they  bring  vp  their  babes  in  decent  wife  : 

That  Philofophy,  fmel  no  fecret  fmoke,  For  aii 

Which  Magike  makes,  in  wicked  myfleries : 

That  Logike  leape,  not  ouer  euery  flile, 

Before  he  come,  a  furlong  neare  the  hedge. 

With  curious  Quids,  to  maintain  argument. 

That  Sophi/Iirie,  do  not  deceiue  it  felfe, 

That  Cofmography  keepe  his  compaffe  wel, 

And  fuch  as  be,  HiJIoriographers, 

Trufl  not  to  much,  in  euery  tatlying  tong, 

Nor  blynded  be,  by  partiahtie. 

That  Fhificke,  thriue  not  ouer  fafl  by  murder  : 

That  Niimbring  men,  in  all  their  euens  and  odds 

Do  not  forget,  that  only  Vnitie 

Vnmeafurable,  infinite,  and  one. 

That  Geometrie,  meafure  not  fo  long. 

Til  all  their  meafures  out  of  meafure  be  : 

That  Mufike  with,  his  heauenly  harmonie. 

Do  not  allure,  a  heauenly  minde  from  heauen. 

Nor  fet  mens  thoughts,  in  worldly  melodie. 

Til  heauenly  Hierarchies  be  quite  forgot : 

That  Rhetorick,  learne  not  to  ouerreache  : 

That  Foetrie,  prefume  not  for  to  preache, 

And  bite  mens  faults,  with  Satyres  corofiues, 

Yet  pamper  vp  hir  owne  with  pulteffes : 

Or  that  Ihe  dote  not  vppon  Erato, 

Which  fhould  inuoke  the  good  Caliope  : 

That  Af.rologie,  looke  not  ouer  high. 

And  light  (nieane  while)  in  euery  pudled  pit  : 

That  Grammer,  grudge  not  at  our  englifh  tong, 

Bycaufe  it  flands  by  Moiiofyllaba, 

And  cannot  be  declined  as  others  are. 

Pray  thus  (my  priefts  for  vniuerfities. 

And  if  I  haue  forgotten  any  Arte, 

Which  hath  bene  taught,  or  exercifed  there, 

Pray  you  to  god,  the  good  be  not  abufde, 

With  glorious  fhewe,  of  ouerloding  skill. 


78  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

Now  thefe  be  paft,  (my  priefts)  yet  fhal  you  pray 

For  common  people,  eche  in  his  degree,  ^or  the 

That  God  vouchfafe  to  graunt  them  al  his  grace. 

Where  fhould  I  now  beginne  to  bidde  my  beades  ? 

Or  who  fhal  first  be  put  in  common  place  ? 

My  wittes  be  wearie,  and  my  eyes  are  dymme, 

I  cannot  fee  who  bed  deferues  the  roome, 

Stand  forth  good  Peerce,  thou  plowman  by  thy  name, 

Yet  fo  the  Sayler  faith  I  do  him  wrong  : 

That  one  contends,  his  paines  are  without  peare, 

That  other  faith,  that  none  be  like  to  his, 

In  dede  they  labour  both  exceedingly. 

But  fmce  I  fee  no  fhipman  that  can  liue 

Without  the  plough,  and  yet  I  many  fee 

(Which  liue  by  lande)  that  neuer  fawe  the  feas  : 

Therefore  I  fay,  fland  forth  Peerce  plowman  first, 

Thou  winfl  the  roome,  by  verie  worthineffe. 

Behold  him  (priefls)  and  though  he  flink  of  fweat 
Difdaine  him  not :  for  fhal  I  tel  you  what  ?        ^h^ 
Such  clime  to  heauenj^Defore  the  fhauencroAvnes. 
But  how  ?  forfooth,  with  true  humilytie. 
Not  that  they  hoord,  their  grain  when  it  is  cheape. 
Nor  that  they  kill,  the  calfe  to  haue  the  milke, 
Nor  that  they  fet,  debate  betwene  their  lords, 
By  earing  vp  the  balks,  that  part  their  bounds : 
Nor  for  becaufe,  they  can  both  crowche  and  creep 
(The  guilefulfl  men,  that  euer  God  yet  made) 
VVhen  as  they  meane,  mofl  mifchiefe  and  deceite, 
Nor  that  they  can,  crie  out  on  landelordes  lowde, 
And  fay  they  racke,  their  rents  an  ace  to  high, 
VVhen  they  themfelues,  do  fel  their  landlords  lambe 
For  greater  price,  than  ewe  was  wont  be  worth. 
I  fee  you  Peerce^  my  glaffe  was  lately  fcowrde. 
But  for  they  feed,  with  frutes  of  their  gret  paines, 
Both  King  and  Knight,  and  priefls  in  cloyfler  pent : 
Therefore  I  fay,  that  fooner  fome  of  them 
Shal  fcale  the  walles  which  leade  vs  vp  to  heauen. 
Than  cornfed  beasts,  whofe  bellie  is  their  God, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  79 

Although  they  preach,  of  more  perfedlion. 

And  yet  (my  priefls)  pray  you  to  God  for  Feerce, 
As  Pecrce  can  pinch,  it  out  for  him  and  you. 
And  if  you  haue  a  Paternojler  fpare 
Then  fhal  you  pray,  for  Saylers  (God  them  fend 
More  mind  of  him,  when  as  they  come  to  lande, 
For  towarde  shipwracke,  many  men  can  pray) 
That  they  once  learne,  to  fpeake  without  a  lye, 
And  meane  good  faith,  without  blafpheming  othes  : 
That  they  forget,  to  fleale  from  euery  fraight, 
And  for  to  forge,  falfe  cockets,  free  to  paffe. 
That  manners  make,  them  giue  their  betters  place, 
And  vfe  good  words,  though  deeds  be  nothing  gay. 

But  here  me  thinks,  my  priefls  begin  to  frowne, 
And  fay,  that  thus  they  fhal  be  ouerchargde. 
To  pray  for  al,  which  feme  to  do  amiffe  : 
And  one  I  heare,  more  faucie  than  the  refl, 
Which  asketh  me,  when  fhal  our  prayers  end  ? 
I  tel  thee  (priest)  when  fhoomakers  make  fhoes, 
That  are  wel  fowed,  with  neuer  a  flich  amiffe, 
Aud  vfe  no  crafte,  in  vttring  of  the  fame : 
When  Taylours  fleale,  no  fluffe  from  gentlemen, 
When  Tanners  are,  with  Corners  wel  agreede, 
And  both  fo  dreffe  their  hydes,  that  we  go  dry. 
when  Cutlers  leaue,  to  fel  olde  ruftie  blades, 
And  hide  no  crakes,  with  foder  nor  deceit : 
when  tinkers  make,  no  more  holes  than  they  founde, 
when  thatchers  thinke,  their  wages  worth  their  worke, 
when  colliers  put,  no  dufl.  into  their  facks, 
when  maltemen  make,  vs  drink  no  firmentie, 
when  Dauie  Diker  diggs,  and  dallies  not, 
when  fmithes  fhoo  horfes,  as  they  would  be  fhod, 
when  millers,  toll  not  with  a  golden  thumbe, 
when  bakers  make,  not  barme  beare  price  of  wheat, 
when  brewers  put,  no  bagage  in  their  beere, 
when  butchers  blowe,  not  ouer  al  their  flefhe, 
when  horfecorfers,  beguile  no  friends  with  lades, 


So  THE  STEEL  GLAS. 

when  weauers  weight,  is  found  in  hufwiues  web. 
(But  why  dwel  I,  fo  long  among  thefe  lowts  ?) 

When  mercers  make,  more  bones  to  fwere  and  lye, 
When  vintners  mix,  no  water  with  their  wine, 
When  printers  paffe,  none  errours  in  their  bookes, 
When  hatters  vfe,  to  bye  none  olde  cafl  robes, 
When  goldfmithes  get,  no  gains  byfodred  crownes, 
When  vpholflers,  fel  fethers  without  dull. 
When  pewterers,  infe6l  no  Tin  with  leade, 
When  drapers  draw,  no  gaines  by  giuing  day, 
When  perchmentiers,  put  in  no  ferret  Silke, 
When  Surgeons  heale,  al  wounds  without  delay. 
(Tufh  thefe  are  toys,  but  yet  my  glas  fheweth  al.) 

When  purveyours,  prouide  not  for  themfelues, 
When  Takers,  take  no  brybes,  nor  vfe  no  brags, 
When  cuflomers,  conceale  no  covine  vfde, 
When  Seachers  fee,  al  corners  in  a  fhippe, 
(And  fpie  no  pens  by  any  fight  they  fee) 
VVhen  fhriues  do  ferue,  al  proceffe  as  they  ought. 
When  baylifes  flrain,  none  other  thing  but  flrays, 
When  auditours,  their  counters  cannot  change, 
When  proude  furveyours,  take  no  parting  pens, 
VVhen  Siluer  flicks  not  on  the  Tellers  fingers. 
And  when  receiuers,  pay  as  they  receiue. 
When  al  thefe  folke,  haue  quite  forgotten  fraude. 

(Againe  (my  priefls)  a  little  by  your  leaue) 
VVhen  Sicophants,  can  finde  no  place  in  courte, 
But  are  efpied,  for  Ecchocs,  as  they  are. 
When  royflers  ruffle  not  aboue  their  rule, 
Nor  colour  crafte,  by  fwearing  precious  coles : 
When  Fencers  fees,  are  like  to  apes  rewards, 
A  peece  of  breade,  and  therwithal  a  bobbe 
VVhen  Lays  Hues,  not  like  a  ladies  peare, 
Nor  vfeth  art,  in  dying  of  hir  heare. 
When  al  thefe  things,  are  ordred  as  they  ought, 
Aud  fee  themfelues,  within  my  glaffe  of  fleele, 
Euen  then  (my  priefls)  may  you  make  holyday, 


THE  STEEL  GLAS.  8l 

And  pray  no  more  but  ordinairie  prayers. 

And  yet  therin,  I  pray  you  (my  good  priests) 
Pray  flil  for  me,  and  for  my  Glaffe  of  ileele 
That  it  (nor  I)  do  any  minde  offend, 
Bycaufe  we  fhew,  all  colours  in  their  kinde. 
And  pray  for  me,  that  (fmce  my  hap  is  fuch 
To  fee  men  fo)  I  may  perceiue  myfelfe. 
O  worthy  words,  to  ende  my  worthleffe  verfe, 
Pray  for  me  Priells,  I  pray  you  pray  for  me. 


FINIS. 

Tarn  Marti,  qtidm  Mercurio 


f-HlD' 


EPILOGVS. 


Las  (my  lord)  my  had  was  al  to  hote, 

I  fliut  my  glalTe,  before  you  gafde 
your  fill, 

And  at  a  glimfe,  my  feely  felfe  haue 
fpied, 

A  flranger   trowpe,  than   any    yet 
were  fene : 

Beholde  (my  lorde)  what  monflers 
muster  here, 
With  Angels  face,  and  harmefull  helifh  harts. 
With  fmyling  lookes,  and  depe  deceitful  thoughts. 
With  tender  skinnes^  and  flony  cruel  mindes, 
With  flealing  fleppes,  yet  forward  feete  to  fraude. 
Behold,  behold,  they  neuer  flande  content. 
With  God,  with  kinde,  with  any  helpe  of  Arte, 
But  curie  their  locks,  with  bodkins  and  with  braids, 
But  dye  their  heare,  with  fundry  fubtill  fleights, 
But  paint  and  flicke,  til  fayrefl  face  be  foule, 
But  bumbafl,  bolster,  frifle,  and  perfume  : 
They  marre  with  muske,  the  balme  which  nature  made, 
And  dig  for  death,  in  dellicatefl.  diflies. 
The  yonger  forte,  come  pyping  on  apace, 
In  whifLles  made  of  fine  enticing  wood, 
Til  they  haue  caught,  the  birds  for  whom  they  birded 
The  elder  forte,  go  flately  flalking  on, 
And  on  their  backs,  they  beare  both  land  and  fee, 
Caflles  and  Towres,  revenewes  and  receits, 
Lordfl:kipa  and  manours,  fines,  yea  fermes  and  al. 
What  fhouid  thefe  be  ?  (fpeake  you  my  louely  lord) 
They  be  not  men  :  for  why?  they  haue  no  beards. 
They  be  no  boyes,  which  weare  fuch  fide  long  gowns. 
They  be  no  Gods,  for  al  their  gallant  glofle. 
They  be  no  diuels,  (I  trow)  which  feme  fo  faintifh. 
What  be  they  ?  women  ?  masking  in  mens  weedes  ? 


THE  EPILOGVE.  83 

With  dutchkin  dublets,  and  with  lerkins  iaggde  ? 
With  Spanifh  fpangs,  and  ruffes  fet  out  of  France, 
With  high  copt  hattes,  and  fethers  flaunt  a  flaunt  ? 
They  be  fo  fure  euen  FFo  to  Men  in  dede. 
Nay  then  (my  lorde)  let  fhut  the  glaffe  apace, 
High  time  it  were,  for  my  pore  Mufe  to  winke, 
Since  al  the  hands,  al  paper,  pen,  and  inke, 
Which  euer  yet,  this  wretched  world  poffefl, 
Cannot  defcribe,  this  Sex  in  colours  dewe, 
No  no  (my  Lorde)  we  gafed  haue  inougb, 
(And  I  too  much,  God  pardon  me  therfore) 
Better  loke  of,  than  loke  an  ace  to  farre  : 
And  better  mumme,  than  meddle  ouermuch. 
But  if  my  Glaffe,  do  like  my  louely  lorde, 
We  wil  efpie,  fome  funny  Sommers  day, 
To  loke  againe,  and  fee  fome  femely  fights. 
Meane  while,  my  Mufe,  right  humbly  doth  befech. 
That  my  good  lorde,  accept  this  ventrous  verfe, 
Vntil  my  braines,  may  better  fl.ufife  deuife. 

FIMS: 

Tarn  Marti,  quum  Merciirio. 


The    complaynt 

of  Phllomene. 

An  Elegye  Compyled  by 
George  Gascoig7ie 

Efquire. 

Tam  Marti ^quam  Mercicrio. 


mf 


IMPRINTED     AT 

London  by  Henrie  Bijine- 

man  for  Richarde 


Smith. 
Amio  Donmti     IS?^' 


To  the  right  honorable,  my 

finguler  good  Lord,  the  L.  Gray  of 

Wilton,  Knight  of  the  moft  noble 

order  of  the  Garter. 

Yght  noble,  when  I  had  determined 
with  myfelf  to  write  the  Satire  be- 
fore recited  (called  the  Steele  Glajfe) 
and  had  in  myne  Exordium  (by  al- 
legorie)  compared  my  cafe  to  that 
of  fayre  F/iy/omefie,  abufed  by  the 
bloudy  king  hir  brother  by  lawe  :  I 
called  to  minde  that  twelue  or  thir- 
tene  yeares  pafl,  I  had  begonne  an  Elegy e  or  forrowe- 
full  fong,  called  the  Complainte  of  Fhylotne?ie,  the 
which  I  began  too  deuife  riding  by  the  high  way  be- 
twene  Chelmifford  and  London,  and  being  ouertaken 
with  a  fodaine  dafla  of  Raine,  I  changed  my  copy, 
and  llroke  ouer  into  the  Deprofwidis  which  is  placed 
amongfl  my  other  Poefi.es,  leuing  the  complaint  of 
Phylomene  vnfinifhed :  and  fo  it  hath  continued  euer 
fmce  vntil  this  prefent  moneth  of  April.  1575.  when 
I  begonne  my  Steele  Glaffe.  And  bycaufe  I  haue  in 
mine  Exordium  to  the  Steele  Glajfe,  begonne  with  the 
Nightingales  notes :  therfore  I  haue  not  thought 
amiffe  now  to  finifh  ande  pece  vp  the  faide  Complaint 
of  Fhilotiieue,  obferuing  neuertheleffe  the  fame  deter- 
minate inuention  which  I  had  propounded  and  be- 
gonne (as  is  faide)  twelue  yeares  nowe  pafl.  The 
which  I  prefume  with  the  refl  to  prefent  vnto  your 
honor,  nothing  doubting  but  the  fame  wil  accept  my 
good  entente  therin.  And  I  furder  befeche  that 
your  lordlhip  wil  voutfafe  in  reading  therof,  to  geffe 
(by  change  of  flyle)  where  the  renewing  of  the  verfe 
may  bee  mofl  apparantly  thought  to  begin.  I  wil  no 
furder  trouble  your  honor  with  thefe  rude  lines,  but 
befech  of  the  almightie  long  to  preferue  you  to  his 
pleafure.  From  my  pore  houfe  in  VValkamfLowe  the 
fixtenth  of  April  1575. 

Your  L.  bounden  and  mofl  ajfured 
George  Gajcoio?ie. 


PHILOMENE. 

fweet    April,    the    meffenger    to 
May, 
When    hoonie   drops,   do    melt    in 

golden  fhowres. 
When    euery    byrde,    records    hir 

louers  lay, 
And  weflerne  windes,  do  fofter  forth 
our  floures, 
Late  in  an  euen,  I  walked  out  alone, 
To  heare  the  defcant  of  the  Nightingale, 
And  as  I  ftoode,  I  heard  hir  make  great  moane, 
Waymenting  much,  and  thus  fhe  tolde  hir  tale. 

Thefe  thriftles  birds  (quoth  fhe)  which  fpend  the  day, 
In  needleffe  notes,  and  chaunt  withouten  skil, 
Are  coflly  kept,  and  finely  fedde  alway 
With  daintie  foode,  whereof  they  feede  their  fil. 
But  I  which  fpend,  the  darke  and  dreadful  night. 
In  watch  and  ward,  when  thofe  birds  take  their  refl, 
Forpine  niy  felfe,  that  Louers  might  delight, 
To  heare  the  notes,  which  breake  out  of  my  brefle. 
I  leade  a  life,  to  pleafe  the  Louers  minde, 
(And  although  god  wot,  my  foode  be  light  of  charge, 
Yet  feely  foule,  that  can  no  fauour  finde) 
I  begge  my  breade,  and  feke  for  feedes  at  large. 
The  Throflle  fhe,  which  makes  the  wood  to  ring 
With  fhryching  lowde,  that  lothfome  is  to  heare, 
Is  coflly  kept,  in  cage  :  (O  wondrous  thing) 
The  Mauis  eke,  whofe  notes  are  nothing  cleare, 
Now  in  good  footh  (quoth  fhe)  fometimes  I  wepe 
To  fee  Tom  Tyttimoufe,  fo  much  fet  by. 
The  Finch e,  which  fingeth  neuer  a  note  but  peepe. 
Is  fedde  afwel,  nay  better  farre  than  I. 
The  Lennet  and  the  Larke,  they  finge  alofte, 
And  coumpted  are,  as  Lordes  in  high  degree. 
The  Brandlet  faith,  for  finging  fweete  and  fofte, 
(In  hir  conceit)  there  is  none  fuch  as  fhe. 


88  THE     COMPLAINT 

Canara  byrds,  come  in  to  beare  the  bell, 

And  Goldfinches,  do  hope  to  get  the  gole : 

The  tatling  Awbe  doth  pleafe  fome  fancie  wel, 

And  fome  like  beft,  the  byrde  as  Black  as  cole. 

And  yet  could  I,  if  fo  it  were  my  minde, 

For  harmony,  fet  al  thefe  babes  to  fchole, 

And  fmg  fuch  notes,  as  might  in  euery  kinde 

Difgrace  them  quight,  and  make  their  corage  coole 

But  Ihould  I  fo  ?  no  no  fo  wil  I  not. 

Let  brutilh  beafls,  heare  fuch  brute  birds  as  thofe. 

(For  like  to  like,  the  prouerbe  faith  I  wot) 

And  {hould  I  then,  my  cunning  skil  difclofe  ? 

For  fuch  vnkinde,  as  let  the  cuckowe  flye. 

To  fucke  mine  eggs,  whiles  I  fit  in  the  thicke  ? 

And  rather  praife,  the  chattring  of  a  pye, 

Than  hir  that  fings,  with  brefl  againfl  a  pricke  ? 

Nay  let  them  go,  to  marke  the  cuckowes  talke, 

The  iangling  lay,  for  that  becomes  them  wel. 

And  in  the  filent  night  then  let  them  walke, 

To  heare  the  Owle,  how  fhe  doth  fliryche  and  yel. 

And  from  henceforth,  I  wil  no  more  constraine 

My  pleafant  voice,  to  founde,  at  their  requefl. 

But  flirowd  myfelf,  in  darkefome  night  and  raine, 

And  leame  to  cowche,  ful  clofe  vpon  my  neafl. 

Yet  if  I  chaunce,  at  any  time  (percafe) 

To  fing  a  note,  or  twaine  for  my  difporte. 

It  Ihalbe  done,  in  fome  fuch  fecret  place. 

That  fevve  or  none,  may  thervnto  reforte. 

Thefe  flatterers,  (in  loue)  which  falfliood  meane. 

Not  once  aproch,  to  heare  my  pleafant  fong. 

But  fuch  as  true,  and  fledfast  louers  bene, 

Let  them  come  neare,  for  elfe  they  do  me  wrong. 

And  as  I  geffe,  not  many  miles  from  hence, 

There  flands  a  fquire,  with  pangs  of  forrow  prefl, 

For  whom  I  dare,  auowe  (in  his  defence) 

He  is  as  true,  (in  Loue)  as  is  the  bell. 

Him  wil  I  cheare,  with  chaunting  al  this  night : 
And  with  that  word,  flie  gan  to  cleare  hir  throate. 
But  fuch  a  liuely  fong  (now  by  this  light) 


OFPHILOMENE.  89 

Yet  neuer  hearde  I  fuch  another  note. 
It  was  (thought  me)  fo  pleafant  and  fo  plaine, 
OrphcKus  harpe,  was  neuer  halfe  fo  fweete, 
Tereu,  Tereu,  and  thus  fhe  gan  to  plaine, 
Mod  piteoufly,  which  made  my  hart  to  greeue, 

Hir  fecond  note,  yf^5fy,fy,fy,fy,fy, 

And  that  fhe  did,  in  pleafant  wife  repeate. 
With  fweete  reports,  of  heauenly  haniionie, 
But  yet  it  feemd,  hir  gripes  of  griefe  were  greate. 
For  when  fhe  had,  fo  foong  and  taken  breath, 
Then  fhould  you  heare,  hir  heauy  hart  fo  throbbe, 
As  though  it  had  bene,  ouercome  with  death, 
And  yet  alwayes,  in  euery  figh  and  fobbe. 

She  fhewed  great  skil,  for  tunes  of  vnifone, 
Hir  Iiig,  lug,  lug,  (in  griefe)  had  fuch  a  grace. 
Then  flinted  fhe,  as  if  hir  fong  were  done. 
And  ere  that  pafL,  not  ful  a  furlong  fpace, 
She  gan  againe,  in  melodic  to  melt, 
And  many  a  note,  fhe  warbled  wondrous  wel. 
Yet  can  I  not  (although  my  hart  fliould  fwelt) 
Remember  al,  which  hir  fweete  tong  did  tel. 

But  one  flrange  note,  I  noted  with  the  refl 
And  that  faide  thus  :  Nemefts,  Nemefis, 
The  which  me  thought,  came  boldly  from  hir  brefl, 
As  though  fhe  blamde,  (therby)  fome  thing  amiffe. 

Short  tale  to  make,  hir  fmging  founded  fo, 

And  pleafde  mine  eares,  with  fuch  varietie. 

That  (quite  forgetting  all  the  wearie  wo, 

Which  I  my  felfe  felt  in  my  fantafie) 

I  floode  afloynde,  and  yet  therwith  content, 

Wifhing  in  hart  that  (fmce  I  might  aduant, 

Of  al  hir  fpeech  to  knowe  the  plaine  entent. 

Which  grace  hirfelfe,  or  elfe  the  Gods  did  graunt) 

I  might  therwith,  one  furder  fauor  craue. 

To  vnderfland,  what  hir  fwete  notes  might  meane. 

And  in  that  thought,  (my  whole  defire  to  haue) 


90  THE  COMPLAINT  OF  PHILOMENE. 

I  fell  on  fleepe,  as  I  on  flaffe  did  leane. 

And  in  my  flomber,  had  I  fuch  a  fight, 

As  yet  to  think e  theron  doth  glad  my  minde. 

Me  thought  I  fawe  a  derling  of  delight, 

A  llately  Nimph,  a  dame  of  heauenly  kinde. 

Whofe  glittring  gite,  fo  glimfed  in  mine  eyes, 

As  (yet)  I  not,  what  proper  hew  it  bare, 

Ne  therewithal,  my  wits  can  wel  deuife. 

To  whom  I  might  hir  louely  lookes  compare. 

But  trueth  to  tel,  (for  al  hir  fmyling  cheere) 

She  cafl.  fometimes,  a  grieuous  frowning  glance, 

As  who  would  fay  :  by  this  it  may  appeare, 

That  Ivjl  reuenge,  is  Prejl  for  eiiery  chance. 

In  hir  right  hand,  (which  to  and  fro  did  (hake) 

She  bare  a  fkourge,  with  many  a  knottie  firing, 

And  in  hir  left,  a  fnafifle  Bit  or  brake, 

Beboil  with  gold,  and  many  a  gingling  ring  : 

She  came  apace,  and  flately  did  fhe  flay, 

And  whiles  I  feemd,  amazed  very  much, 

The  courteous  dame,  thefe  words  to  me  did  fay : 

Sir  Squire  (quoth  flie)  fince  thy  defire  is  fuch, 

To  vnderftande,  the  notes  of  Fhy/omcJie, 

(For  fo  fhe  hight,  whom  thou  calst  Nightingale) 

And  what  the  founde,  of  euery  note  might  meane, 

Giue  eare  a  while,  and  hearken  to  my  tale. 

The  Gods  are  good,  they  heare  the  harty  prayers. 
Of  fuch  as  craue  without  a  craftie  wil. 
With  fauour  eke,  they  furder  fuch  affaires, 
As  tende  to  good,  tind  meane  to  do  none  il. 
And  fince  thy  words,  were  grounded  on  defire, 
Wherby  much  good,  and  little  harme  can  growe, 
They  graunted  haue,  the  thing  thou  didfl  require, 
And  louingly,  haue  fent  me  here  by  lowe, 
To  paraphrafe,  the  piteous  pleafant  notes. 
Which  Phylomene,  doth  darkely  fpend  in  fpring. 
For  he  that  wel,  Dan  Nafocs  verfes  notes. 
Shall  finde  my  words  to  be  no  fiiined  thing. 
Giue  eare  (fir  Squire  quoth  fhe)  and  I  wil,  tel 
Both  what  fhe  was,  and  how  hir  fortunes  fel. 


The  fable  of  Philomela. 


N  Athens  reignde  fomtimes, 
A  king  of  worthy  fame, 
Who  kept  in  courte  a  (lately 

traine, 
Pandyon  was  his  name. 

And  had  the  Gods  him  giuen, 

No  holly  breade  of  happe, 

(I  meane  fuch  fruts  as  make  men  thinke 

They  fit  in  fortunes  lappe). 

Then  had  his  golden  giftes, 
Lyen  dead  with  him  in  toombe. 
Ne  but  himfelfe  had  none  endurde, 
The  daunger  of  his  doome. 

But  fmyling  lucke,  bewitcht, 
This  peereleffe  Prince  to  thinke, 
That  poyfon  cannot  be  conueyde 
In  draughts  of  pleafant  drinke. 

And  kinde  became  fo  kind, 
That  he  two  daughters  had,_ 
Of  bewtie  fuch  and  fo  wel  giuen, 
As  made  their  father  gladde. 

See :  fee :  Jiow  highejl  hannes^ 
Do  lurke  in  ripejl  loyes, 
How  couertly  doth  forow  JJirowde^ 
In  trymmejl  worldely  toyes. 


92  THE     COMPLAINT 

Thefe  iewels  of  his  ioy, 
Became  his  caufe  of  care, 
And  bewtie  was  the  guileful  bayte, 
Which  caught  their  hues  in  Snare. 

For  Terms  Lord  of  TJirace^ 
Bycaufe  he  came  of  kings, 
(So  weddings  made  for  worldly  welth 
Do  feme  triumphant  things) 

Was  thought  a  worthy  matche, 
Pandyons  heire  to  wedde  : 
Whofe  eldefl  daughter  chofen  was, 
To  feme  this  king  in  bedde. 

That  virgine  Progne  hight, 
And  fhe  by  whom  I  meane, 
To  tell  this  woful  Tragedie, 
Was  called  Phylomene. 

^  The  wedding  rytes  performde 
The  feafling  done  and  pail. 
To  Thrace  with  his  new  wedded  fpoufe 
He  turneth  at  the  lafl. 

Where  many  dayes  in  mirth, 
And  iolytie  they  fpent, 
Both  fatiffied  with  deepe  delight, 
And  cloyde  with  al  content. 

T  At  lafl  the  dame  defirde 

Hir  fifler  for  to  fee, 

Such  coles  of  kindely  loue  did  feme 

Within  hir  brefl  to  be. 

She  praies  hir  Lorde,  of  grace, 
He  graunts  to  hir  requefl. 
And  hoifl  vp  failc,  to  feke  the  coaflc. 
Where  Phylomene  doth  refl. 


OF    PHILOMENE.  93 

He  paft  the  foming  feas, 
And  findes  the  pleafant  porte, 
Of  Athens  towne,  which  guided  him 
To  King  Pandyons  court. 

There  :  (louingly  receivde, 

And)  welcomde  by  the  king, 

He  fhewde  the  caufe,  which  thither  then 

Did  his  ambaffade  bring. 

His  father  him  embrall, 

His  filler  kill  his  cheeke, 

In  al  the  court  his  comming  was 

Reioyfl  of  euerie  Greeke. 

O  fee  the  fweete  deceit. 
Which  blindeth  worldly  wits. 
How  co7mnon  peoples  loue  by  luvipes, 
Andfancie  comes  by  fits. 

The  foe  in  friendly  wife. 

Is  many  times  etnbraste, 

And  he  which  meanes  moft  faith  and  troth 

By  grudging  is  dif graft. 

S\  Faire  Phylomene  came  forth 
In  comely  garments  cladde, 
As  one  whom  newes  of  fiflers  helth 
Had  moued  to  be  gladde, 

Or  womans  wil  (perhappes) 
Enflamde  hir  haughtie  harte, 
To  get  more  grace  by  crummes  of  cofl, 
And  princke  it  out  hir  parte. 

Whom  he  no  fooner  fawe 

(I  meane  this  Thracian  prince) 

But  flreight  therwith  his  fancies  fume 

All  reafon  did  conuince. 


94  THE     COMPLEINT 

And  as  the  blazing  bronde, 
Might  kindle  rotten  reeds  : 
Euen  fo  hir  looke  a  fecret  flame, 
Within  his  bofome  breedes. 

He  thinks  al  leyfure  long 

Til  he  (with  hir)  were  gone, 

And  hir  he  makes  to  moue  the  mirth, 

Which  after  made  hir  mone. 

Loue  made  him  eloquent 

And  if  he  cravde  too  much, 

He  then  excufde  him  felfe,  and  faide 

That  Prognes  words  were  fuch. 

His  teares  confirmed  all 

Teares  :  like  to  fiflers  teares, 

As  who  (huld  fay  by  thefe  fewe  drops 

Thy  fiflers  griefe  appears. 

So  finely  could  he  faine, 
That  wickedneffe  feemde  wit, 
And  by  the  lawde  of  his  pretence. 
His  lewdnefTe  was  acquit. 

Yea  Phylometie  fet  forth 

The  force  of  his  requefl. 

And  cravde  (with  fighes)  hir  fathers  leaue 

To  be  hir  fiflers  guefl. 

And  hoong  about  his  necke 
And  collingly  him  kifl. 
And  for  hir  welth  did  feke  the  woe 
Wherof  flie  little  wift. 

Meane  while  floode  Tereus, 
Beholding  their  affe6les 
And  made  thofe  pricks  (for  his  defire 
A  fpurre  in  al  refpedls. 


OF     PHILOMENE.  95 

And  wifht  himfelfe  hir  fire, 
When  fhe  hir  fire  embrafl, 
For  neither  kith  nor  kin  could  then 
Haue  made  his  meaning  chafl. 

\  The  Grecian  king  had  not 

The  powre  for  to  denay, 

His  own  deare  child,  and  fonne  in  lawe 

The  thing  that  both  did  pray. 

And  downe  his  daughter  falles. 
To  thanke  him  on  hir  knee, 
Suppofing  that  for  good  fuccefle, 
VVhich  hardefl  happe  mufl  be. 

But  (leafl  my  tale  feeme  long) 
Their  Ihipping  is  preparde  : 
And  to  the  fhore  this  aged  Greeke, 
Ful  princely  did  them  guard. 

There  (melting  into  mone) 
He  vfde  this  parting  fpeech  : 
Daughter  (quoth  he)  you  haue  defire 
Your  fillers  court  to  feech. 

Your  filler  feemes  likewife, 

Your  companie  to  craue, 

That  craue  you  both,  and  Tereus  here 

The  felfe  fame  thing  would  haue, 

Ne  coulde  I  more  withllande 
So  many  deepe  defires, 
But  this  (quoth  he)  remember  al 
Your  father  you  requires, 

And  thee  (my  fonne  of  Thrace^ 
I  conflantly  coniure. 
By  faith,  by  kin,  by  men,  by  gods, 
And  al  that  feemeth  fure, 


96  THE    COMPLAINT 

That  father  Uke,  thou  fende 
My  daughter  deare  from  fcathe, 
And  (fince  I  counte  al  leafure  long) 
Returne  hir  to  me  rathe. 

And  thou  my  Phylomme, 
(Quoth  he)  come  foone  againe, 
Thy  fiRers  abfence  puts  thy  fyre, 
To  too  much  priuie  paine. 

Herewith  he  kifl  hir  cheeke, 

And  fent  a  fecond  kiffe 

For  Prognes  part,  and  (bathde  with  teares) 

His  daughter  doth  he  bhffe. 

And  tooke  the  Thracyans  hand 
For  token  of  his  truth, 
Who  rather  laught  his  teares  to  fcom, 
Than  wept  with  him  for  ruth. 

The  fayles  are  fully  fpredde, 
And  winds  did  ferue  at  will. 
And  forth  this  traitour  king  conueies 
His  praie  in  prifon  flill. 

Ne  could  the  Barhrotis  bloud, 
Conceale  his  filthy  fyre, 
Hey :  ViHorie  (quoth  he)  my  fhippe 
Is  fraught  with  my  defire. 

Wherewith  he  fixt  his  eyes, 
.  Vppon  hir  fearefull  face,  ' 

And  (lil  behelde  hir  geflures  all. 
And  all  hir  gleames  of  grace. 

Ne  could  he  loke  a  fide, 

But  like  the  cruel  catte 

Which  gloating  cafleth  many  a  glance 

Vpon  the  felly  ratte. 


OFPHILOMENE.  97 

^  Why  hold  I  long  difcourfe  ? 
They  now  are  come  on  lande, 
And  forth  of  Ihip  the  feareful  wenche 
He  leadeth  by  the  hande. 

Vnto  a  felly  fhrowde, 

A  fheepecote  clofely  builte 

Amid  the  woodds,  where  many  a  lamb 

Their  guiltleffe  bloud  had  fpilte, 

There  (like  a  lambe,)  Ihe  floode, 
And  askte  with  trimbling  voice, 
Where  Progne  was,  whofe  only  fight 
Might  make  hir  to  reioyce. 

Wherewith  this  caytife  king 
His  lull  in  lewdneffe  lapt. 
And  with  his  filthy  fraude  ful  fafl 
This  fimple  mayde  entrapt. 

And  forth  he  floong  the  raines, 
Vnbridling  blinde  defire. 
And  ment  of  hir  chafl  minde  to  make 
A  fewel  for  his  fire. 

And  al  alone  (alone) 

With  force  he  hir  fupprefl, 

And  made  hir  yelde  the  wicked  weede 

Whofe  flowre  he  liked  bell. 

What  coidd  the  virgine  doe  ? 

She  could  not  runne  away, 

Whofe  forward  feet e,  his  harmfuU  hands 

With  furious  force  did  flay. 

Ahlas  what  fhould fhe  fight  ? 
Fewe  women  win  by  fight: 
Hir  weapons  were  but  weake  (god  knows) 
And  he  was  much  of  might. 
G 


98  THE   COMPLAINT 

//  booted  not  to  crie, 
Since  helpe  was  not  at  hande, 
Andjlil  before  hir  feareful face, 
Hir  cruel  foe  did  flande. 

And  yet  JJie  ( weeping  cride ) 
Vppo7i  hir  fflers  Jiame, 
Hir  fathers,  and  hir  brothers  (oh) 
Whofefafle  didfoyle  hir  fame. 

And  on  the  Gods  fJie  calde, 
For  helpe  in  hir  distrefjfe, 
But  al  in  vaine  he  wrought  his  wii 
Whofe  luft  was  not  the  lefjfe. 

^  The  filthie  fa6l  once  done, 
He  gaue  hir  leaue  to  greete, 
And  there  (he  fat  much  Uke  a  birde 
New  fcapte  from  falcons  feete. 

Whofe  blood  embrues  hir  felfe, 
And  fitts  in  forie  plight, 
Ne  dare  fhe  proine  hir  plumes  again, 
But  feares  a  fecond  flight. 

At  lafl  when  hart  came  home, 
Difcheveld  as  fhe  fate. 
With  hands  vphelde,  fhe  tried  hir  tongue, 
To  wreake  hir  wooful  {late. 

O  Barbrous  blood  (quoth  ^le) 

By  Barbrous  deeds  difgrafl, 

Coulde  no  kinde  coale,  nor  pitties  fparke. 

Within  thy  brefl  be  plade  1 

Could  not  my  fathers  hests. 

Nor  my  mofl  ruthful  teares. 

My  maydenhoode,  ?ior  thine  own  yoke. 

Affright  thy  mitide  with  feares  1 


OFPHILOMENE.  99 

Could  not  77iy  fisters  hue 
Once  quench  thy  filthy  lujll 
Thoufoilst  vs  a  I,  afid  eke  thy  f elf e. 
We  griev'd,  and  thou  vniust. 

By  thee  I  haue  defilde 

My  dearejl  fijlers  bedde 

By  thee  I  compt  the  life  but  lofl, 

Which  too  too  long  I  ledde. 

By  thee  (thou  Bigamus) 

Our  fathers  grief e  mujl  growe. 

Who  daughters  twain,  (and  two  too  much) 

Vppon  thee  did  beflowe. 

But  fince  i7iy  fault e,  thy  faHe, 
My  fathers  iust  offence, 
Myfiflers  wrong,  with  my  reproche, 
I  camiotfo  difpence. 

If  a7iy  Gods  be  good. 

y^f  right  ifi  heauen  do  raigne, 

If  right  or  wrong  may  make  reuenge, 

ThouJIialt  be  paide  againe. 

And  (wicked)  do  thy  wurfl. 
Thou  carifl  no  more  but  kil : 
And  oh  that  death  (before  this  gilte) 
Had  ouercome  my  will. 

Theft  tnight  my  foule  beneath, 
Haue  triiunpht  yet  and f aide. 

That  though  I  died  difcotitent, 
y^  livde  and  dide  a  mayde. 

^  Herewith  hir  fwelling  fobbes, 
Did  tie  hir  tong  from  talke, 
Whiles  yet  the  Thracian  tyrant  (there) 
To  heare  thefe  words  did  walke. 


THE   COMPLAINT 

And  flcornefuUy  he  cad 

At  hir  a  frowning  glaunce, 

Which  made  the  mayde  to  llriue  for  fpech, 

And  fterthng  from  hir  traunce, 

T  y^  will  reumge  (qtioth  /lie) 
For  here  I JJiake  offJJiame, 
Afid  u'il  (my  f elf e J  bewray  thisfa^e 
Therby  to  foile  thy  fa7ne. 

Amidde  the  thickejl  thrmigs 
(^f  I  haue  leaue  to  go) 
I  will pro7ioimce  this  bloudie  deede, 
And  blotte  thine  hofiorfo. 

If  I  i?i  deferts  dwel. 
The  woods,  my  luords  fhall  heare, 
The  holts,  the  Miles,  the  craggie  rocks, 
S/iall  witneffe  with  ?/ie  beare. 

Iwillfofil  the  ay  re 

With  noyfe  of  this  t/mie  aHe, 

That  gods  a?id  men  in  heaiien  and  earth 

Shal  note  the  Jiaughtie  fafle. 

•T  Thefe  words  amazde  the  king, 
Confcience  with  choller  flraue, 
But  rage  fo  rackte  his  reflles  thought, 
That  now  he  gan  to  raue. 

And  from  his  flieath  a  knife 
Ful  defpratly  he  drawes, 
VVherwith  he  cut  the  guiltleffe  tong 
Out  of  hir  tender  iawes. 

The  tong  that  rubde  his  gall, 
The  tong  that  tolde  but  truthe, 
The  tong  that  movde  him  to  be  mad, 
And  fhould  haue  moued  ruth. 


OF    PHILOMENE.  loi 

And  from  his  hand  with  fpight 

This  truflie  tongue  he  call, 

VVhofe  roote,  and  it  (to  wreake  this  wrong) 

Did  wagge  yet  wondrous  fall. 

So  flirres  the  ferpents  taile 
When  it  is  cut  in  twaine, 
And  fo  it  feemes  that  weakell  willes, 
(By  words)  would  eafe  their  paine. 

I  blufli  to  tell  this  tale, 
But  fure  bell  books  fay  this  : 
That  yet  the  butcher  did  not  blufh 
Hir  bloudy  mouth  to  kiffe. 

And  ofte  hir  bulke  embrall, 
And  ofter  quencht  the  fire. 
Which  kindled  had  the  furnace  firil, 
Within  his  foule  defire. 

Not  herewithal  content, 

To  Progne  home  he  came, 

Who  askt  him  flreight  of  PhiloJiime : 

He  (fayning  griefe  of  game,) 

Burfl  out  in  bitter  teares. 
And  fayde  the  dame  was  dead, 
And  falfely  tolde,  what  wery  life 
Hir  father  (for  hir)  ledde 

The  Thracian  Queene  call  off 
Hir  gold,  and  gorgeous  weede, 
And  drefl  in  dole,  bewailde  hir  death 
Whom  fhe  thought  dead  in  deede. 

A  fepulchre  fhe  builds 

(But  for  a  liuing  corfe,) 

And  praide  the  gods  on  fillers  foule 

To  take  a  iuft  remorfe  : 


THE    COMPLAINT 

And  offred  facrifice, 

To  all  the  powers  aboue. 

Ah  traiterous  Thracian  Tereus, 

This  was  true  force  of  loue. 

^  The  heauens  had  whirld  aboute 
Twelue  yeares  in  order  due 
And  twelue  times  euery  flowre  and  plant, 
Their  liueries  did  renew, 

Whiles  Philomene  full  clofe 
In  fhepcote  flil  was  clapt, 
Enforft  to  bide  by  flonie  walles 
Which  faa  (in  hold)  hir  hapt. 

And  as  thofe  walles  forbadde 

Hir  feete  by  flight  to  fcape, 

So  was  hir  tong  (by  knife)  reflrainde, 

For  to  reueale  this  rape 

No  remedie  remaynde 

But  only  womans  witte, 

Which  fodainly  in  queintefl.  chance. 

Can  bed  it  felfe  acquit. 

And  Miferie  (amongjt) 
Tenne  thoufand  mifihieues  moe, 
Learnes  poUicie  in  praHifes, 
As  proof e  makes  j?ien  to  knowc 

With  curious  needle  worke, 

A  garment  gan  fhe  make, 

Wherin  flie  wrote  what  bale  fhe  bode, 

And  al  for  bewties  fake. 

This  garment  gan  flie  giue 

To  truflie  Seruants  hande. 

Who  flreight  conueid  it  to  the  queen 

Of  Thracian  Tirants  lande. 


OFPHILOMENE.  i 

When  Frogne  red  the  writ, 

(A  wondrous  tale  to  tell) 

She  kept  it  clofe  :  though  malice  made 

Hir  venging  hart  to  fwell. 

And  did  deferre  the  deede, 
Til  time  and  place  might  ferue, 
But  in  hir  minde  a  fharpe  reuenge, 
She  fully  did  referue. 

0  fUence  feldome  feene, 
That  women  counfell  keepe, 

The  caiife  was  this,JJie  wakt  hir  wits 
And  lullde  hir  tong  onjleepe. 

1  fpeake  againfl  my  fex, 
So  haue  I  done  before, 

But  truth  is  truth,  and  mufle  be  tolde 
Though  daunger  keepe  the  dore. 

The  thirde  yeres  rytes  renewed, 
Which  Bacchus  to  belong, 
And  in  that  night  the  queene  prepares 
Reuenge  for  al  hir  wrongs. 

She  (girt  in  Bacchus  gite) 
With  fworde  hir  felfe  doth  arme, 
With  wreathes  of  vines  about  hir  browes 
And  many  a  needles  charme. 

And  forth  in  furie  flings, 
Hir  handmaides  following  fafl, 
Vntil  with  haflie  fleppes  flie  founde 
The  fhepecote  at  the  lafl:. 

There  howling  out  aloude, 

As  Bacchus  priefls  do  crie. 

She  brake  the  dores,  and  found  the  place 

Where  Philomcne  did  lye. 


104  THE   COMPLAINT 

And  toke  hir  out  by  force, 

And  drefl  hir  Bacchus  like, 

And  hid  hir  face  with  boughes  and  leaues 

(For  being  knowen  by  hke.) 

And  brought  hir  to  hir  houfe, 
But  when  the  wretch  it  knewe, 
That  now  againe  fhe  was  fo  neere 
To  Tereus  vntrue. 

She  trembled  oft  for  dreade, 
And  lookt  like  aflies  pale. 
But  Progfie  (now  in  priuie  place) 
Set  filence  al  to  fale, 

And  tooke  the  garments  off, 
Difcouering  firfl  hir  face, 
And  fifLer  like  did  louingly 
Faire  Fhylomene  embrace. 

There  (he  (by  fhame  abafht) 

Held  downe  hir  weeping  eyes, 

As  who  fhould  fay :   Thy  right  (by  me) 

ys  refte  in  wrongful  wife. 

And  down  on  the  ground  fhe  falles, 
Which  ground  (he  kift  hir  fill. 
As  witneffe  that  the  filthie  fadle 
Was  done  againfl  hir  wil. 

And  cafl  hir  hands  to  heauen, " 
In  (leede  of  tong  to  tell, 
What  violence  the  lecher  vfde, 
And  how  hee  did  hir  quell. 

Wherewith  the  Queene  brake  off 

Hir  piteous  pearcing  plainte, 

And  fware  with  fworde  (no  teares)  to  venge 

The  crafte  of  this  condrainte. 


OF    PHILOMENE.  105 

Or  if  (quoth  fhe)  there  bee 

Some  other  meane  more  fure, 

More  flearne,  more  floute,  then  naked  fword 

Some  mifchiefe  to  procure, 

I  fweare  by  al  the  Gods, 

I  fhall  the  fame  embrace, 

To  wreake  this  wrong  with  bloudie  hande 

Vppon  the  king  of  Thrace. 

Ne  will  I  fpare  to  fpende 

My  life  in  fiflers  caufe, 

In  fiflers  ?  ah  what  faide  I  wretch  ? 

My  wrong  fhall  lende  me  lawes. 

I  wil  the  pallace  bume, 
With  al  the  princes  pelfe, 
And  in  the  midfl  of  flaming  fire, 
VVil  cafle  the  king  him  felfe. 

I  wil  fcrat  out  thofe  eyes, 

That  taught  him  firfl  to  lull, 

Or  teare  his  tong  from  traitors  throte, 

Oh  that  reuenge  were  iull. 

Or  let  me  carue  with  knife. 
The  wicked  Inflrument, 
Wherewith  he,  thee,  and  me  abufde 
(I  am  to  mifchiefe  bent.) 

Or  fleeping  let  me  feeke 

To  fende  the  foule  to  hel, 

Whofe  barbarous  bones  for  filthy  force, 

Did  feeme  to  beare  the  bel. 

^  Thefe  words  and  m.ore  in  rage 
Pronounced  by  this  dame, 
Hir  httle  fonne  came  leaping  in 
Which  ytis  had  to  name. 


io6  THE    COMPLAINT 

VVhofe  prefence,  could  not  pleafe 

For  (vewing  well  his  face,) 

Ah  wretch  (quoth  Ihe)  how  like  he  groweth 

Vnto  his  fathers  grace. 

And  therwithal  refolvde 
A  rare  reuenge  in  deede 
VVheron  to  thinke  (withouten  words) 
My  woful  hart  doth  bleede. 

But  when  the  lad  lokt  vp, 

And  cheerefuUy  did  fmile, 

And  hung  about  his  mothers  necke 

With  eafie  weight  therewhile, 

And  kill  (as  children  vfe) 

His  angrie  mothers  cheeke, 

Her  minde  was  movde  to  much  reraorce 

And  mad  became  ful  meeke. 

Ne  could  flie  teares  refrayne, 
But  wept  againfl  hir  will, 
Such  tender  rewth  of  innocence, 
Hir  cruell  moode  did  kill. 

At  lafl  (fo  furie  wrought) 
Within  hir  breft  (he  felt, 
That  too  much  pitie  made  hir  minde 
To  womanhke  to  melt, 

And  faw  hir  filler  fit. 
With  heauy  harte  and  cheere, 
And  now  on  hir,  and  then  on  him, 
Full  lowringly  did  leare, 

Into  thefe  words  (he  brufl 

(Quoth  fhe)  why  flatters  he  ? 

And  why  againe  (with  tong  cut  out)  ' 

So  fadly  fitteth  ftiee  ? 


OF    PHILOMENE.  107 

He,  mother,  mother,  calles, 
She  filler  cannot  fay, , 
That  one  in  earnefl  doth  lament, 
That  other  whines  in  plaie. 

Pandions  hne  (quoth  fhe) 
Remember  flil  your  race, 
And  neuer  marke  the  fubtil  fliewes 
Of  any  Soule  in  Thrace. 

You  fhould  degenerate. 
If  right  reuenge  you  flake. 
More  right  reuenge  can  neuer  bee, 
Than  this  reuenge  to  make. 

Al  ill  that  may  be  thought, 
Al  mifchiefe  vnder  fkies, 
Were  pietie  compard  to  that 
Which  Tereus  did  deuife. 

^  She  holds  no  longer  hande. 
But  (Tygrelike)  fhe  toke 
The  little  boy  ful  boiflroufly 
Who  now  for  terror  quooke 

And  (crauing  mothers  helpe,) 
She  (mother)  toke  a  blade, 
And  in  hir  fonnes  fmal  tender  hart 
An  open  wound  (he  made. 

The  cruel  dede  difpatcht, 
Betwene  the  fiflers  twaine 
They  tore  in  peces  quarterly 
The  corps  which  they  had  flaine. 

Some  part  they  hoong  on  hooks, 
The  rell  they  laide  to  fire, 
And  on  the  table  caufed  it. 
Be  fet  before  the  fire. 


io8  THE    COMPLAINT 

And  counterfaite  a  caufe 

(As  Grecia?is  order  then) 

That  at  fuch  feafls  (but  onely  one) 

They  might  abide  no  men. 

He  knowing  not  their  crafte, 

Sat  downe  alone  to  eate, 

And  hungerly  his  owne  warme  bloud 

Deuoured  then  for  meate. 

His  Gueriight  was  fuch, 

That  he  for  Itis  fent, 

VVofe  murdered  members  in  his  mawe, 

He  priuily  had  pent. 

No  longer  Progne  then, 
Hir  ioy  of  griefe  could  hide, 
The  thing  thou  feekfl  (b  wretch 
Within  thee  doth  abide,  (quoth  fhe) 

Wherwith  (he  waxing  \vroth) 
And  fearching  for  his  fonne) 
Came  forth  at  length,  faire  Philoviene 
By  whom  the  griefe  begonne, 

And  (clokt  in  Bacchus  copes, 
Wherwith  fhe  then  was  cladde,) 
In  fathers  bofom  cafl  the  head 
Of ///j  felly  ladde: 

Nor  euer  in  hir  life 

Had  more  defire  to  fpeake, 

Than  now  :  wherby  hir  madding  mood 

Might  al  hir  malice  wreake. 

^  The  Thracian  prince  flert  vp, 
Whofe  hart  did  boyle  in  breft, 
To  feele  the  foode,  and  fee  the  fawce, 
Which  he  could  not  difgeft. 


OFPHILOMENE.  109 

And  armed  (as  he  was) 

He  followed  both  the  Greekes, 

On  whom  (by  fmarte  offword,  and  flame) 

A  fharpe  reuenge  he  fekes. 

But  when  the  heauenly  benche, 
Thefe  bloudie  deedes  did  fee, 
And  found  that  bloud  (lil  couits  bloud 
And  fo  none  ende  could  be. 

They  then  by  their  forfight 
Thought  meete  to  flinte  the  flrife, 
And  fo  reflraind  the  murdring  king, 
From  fifler  and  from  wife. 

So  that  by  their  decree, 
The  yongefl  daughter  fledde 
Into  the  thicks,  where  couertly, 
A  cloifler  life  fhe  ledde. 

And  yet  to  eafe  hir  woe. 

She  worthily  can  fmg, 

And  as  thou  hearil,  can  pleafe  the  eares 

Of  many  men  in  fpring. 

The  eldefl  dame  and  wife 

A  Swalloive  was  affignde, 

And  builds  in  fmoky  chimney  toppes 

And  flies  againfl  the  winde. 

The  king  him  felfe  condemnde, 
A  Lapwing  for  to  be, 
Who  for  his  yong  ones  cries  alwais, 
Yet  neuer  can  them  fee. 

The  lad  a  Pheafaunt  cocke 

For  his  degree  hath  gaind, 

Whofe  blouddie  plumes  declare  the  bloud 

VVherwith  his  face  was  flaind. 


no  THE    COMPLAINT 

^  But  there  to  turne  my  tale,  A"    exposi- 

The  which  I  came  to  tell,  s'uTh  °noti 

Theyongeft  dame  toforrefls  fled,  ^^^^1^"^$^, 

And  there  is  dampnde  to  dwell,  commonly 

vse   to    sing. 

And  Nightingale  now  namde 
Which  {Philomela  hight) 
Delights  for  (feare  of  force  againe) 
To  fing  alwayes  by  night. 

But  when  the  funne  to  wefl, 
Doth  bende  his  weerie  courfe, 
Then  Phylo7ne?ie  records  the  rewth, 
Which  craueth  iufl  reniorfe. 

I  And  for  hir  foremofl;  note, 
Tereu  Tereu,  doth  fing, 
Complaining  flil  vppon  the  name 
Of  that  falfe  Thracian  king. 

Much  like  the  childe  at  fchole 
With  byrchen  rodds  fore  beaten, 
If  when  he  go  to  bed  at  night 
His  maifler  chaunce  to  threaten, 

In  euery  dreame  he  Harts, 
And  (6  good  maifler)  cries, 
Euen  fo  this  byrde  vppon  that  name, 
Hir  foremofl.  note  replies. 

Or  as  the  red  breafl.  byrds, 
Whome  prettie  Merlynes  hold, 
Ful  fafl  in  foote,  by  winters  night 
To  fende  themfelues  from  colde : 

Though  afterwards  the  hauke 
For  pitie  let  them  fcape, 
Yet  al  that  day,  they  fede  in  feare, 
And  doubte  a  fecond  rape. 


OF    PHILOMENE.  m 

And  in  the  nexter  night, 
Ful  many  times  do  crie, 
Remembring  yet  the  ruthful  plight 
Wherein  they  late  did  lye. 

Euen  fo  this  felly  byrde, 
Though  now  tranfformde  in  kinde. 
Yet  euermore  hir  pangs  forepafl, 
She  beareth  flil  in  minde. 

And  in  hir  foremoll  note, 

She  notes  that  cruel  name, 

By  whom  fhe  loil  hir  pleafant  fpeech 

And  foiled  was  in  fame. 

2  ^  Hir  fecond  note  is^<?. 
In  Greeke  and  latinep/iy, 
In  eng\iih/y,  and  euery  tong 
That  euer  yet  read  I. 

Which  word  declares  difdaine, 
Or  lothfome  leying  by 
Of  any  thing  we  tafl,  heare,  touche, 
Smel,  or  beholde  with  eye. 

In  tafl,  phy  fheweth  fome  fowre, 
In  hearing,  fome  difcorde, 
In  touch,  fome  foule  or  filthy  toye, 
In  fmel,  fome  fent  abhorde. 

In  fight,  fome  lothfome  loke, 
And  euery  kind  of  waie, 
This  byword  phy  betokneth  bad, 
And  things  to  cafl  away. 

So  that  it  feemes  hir  well, 
F/iy,  phy,  phy,  phy,  to  fing. 
Since  phy  befitteth  him  fo  well 
In  euery  kind  of  thing. 


THE   COMPLAINT 

Phy  filthy  lecher  lewde, 

Phy  falfe  vnto  thy  wife, 

Phy  coward  phy,  (on  womankinde) 

To  vfe  thy  cruel  knife. 

Phy  for  thou  wert  vnkinde 
Fye  fierce,  and  foule  forfwome, 
Phy  monfler  made  of  murdring  mould 
VVhofe  like  was  neuer  borne. 

Phy  agony  of  age, 

Phy  ouerthrowe  of  youth, 

Phy  mirrour  of  mifcheuoufneffe, 

Phy,  tipe  of  al  vntruth. 

Phy  fayning  forced  teares, 
Phy  forging  fyne  excufe, 
Phy  periury,  fy  blafphemy, 
Phy  bed  of  al  abufe. 

Thefe  phyes,  and  many  moe. 
Pore  Philomene  may  meane. 
And  in  hir  felfe  fhe  findes  percafe 
Some  phy  that  was  vncleane. 

For  though  his  fowle  offence, 
May  not  defended  bee, 
Hir  fifler  yet,  and  fhe  trangrefl, 
Though  not  fo  deepe  as  he. 

His  doome  came  by  deferte, 
Their  dedes  grewe  by  difdaine, 
But  men  mufl  leaue  reuenge  to  Gods, 
What  wrong  foeuer  raigne. 

Then  Progne  phy  for  thee, 
Which  kildfl  thine  only  child, 
Phy  on  the  cruel  crabbed  heart 
"Which  was  not  movde  with  milde. 


OF    PHILOMENE.  113 

Phy  phy,  thou  clofe  conveydfl 

A  fecret  il  vnfene, 

Where  (good  to  kepe  in  councel  clofe) 

Had  putrifide  thy  fplene. 

Phy  on  thy  fiflers  fa6te, 
And  phy  hir  felfe  doth  fmg, 
VVhofe  lack  of  tong  nere  toucht  hir  fo 
As  when  it  could  not  fling. 

Phy  on  vs  both  faith  (he, 

The  father  onely  faulted, 

And  we  (the  father  free  therwhile) 

The  felly  fonne  affalted. 

3  ^  The  next  note  to  hir  phy 
Is  hig,  lug,  lug,  I  geffe, 
That  might  I  leaue  to  latynifls, 
By  learning  to  exprefle. 

Some  commentaries  make 
About  it  much  adoe  : 
If  it  fhould  onely  lugum  meane 
Or  yugulator  too. 

Some  thinke  that  higimi  is 
The  lug,  fhe  iugleth  fo, 
But  lugulator  is  the  word 
That  doubleth  al  hir  woe. 

For  when  fhe  thinkes  thereon, 
She  beares  them  both  in  minde. 
Him,  breaker  of  his  bonde  in  bed, 
Hir,  killer  of  hir  kinde. 

As  fail  as  furies  force 
Hir  thoughts  on  him  to  thinke, 
So  fall  hir  confcience  choks  hir  vp, 
And  wo  to  wrong  doth  linke. 

H 


414  THE   COMPLAINT 

At  laft  (by  griefe  conflrainde) 

It  boldly  breaketh  out, 

And  makes  the  hollow  woods  to  ring 

With  Eccho  round  about. 

4  ^  Hir  next  mofl  note  (to  note) 
I  neede  no  helpe  at  al, 
For  I  my  felfe  the  partie  am 
On  whom  (he  then  doth  call. 

She  calles  on  Nhnefts 

And  Nhnefis  am  I, 

The  Goddeffe  of  al  iuft  reuenge, 

Who  let  no  blame  go  by. 

This  bridle  boft  \vith  gold, 

I  beare  in  my  left  hande, 

To  holde  men  backe  in  rafhefl  rage, 

Vntil  the  caufe  be  fcand. 

And  fuch  as  like  that  bitte 

And  beare  it  willingly, 

May  fcape  this  fcourge  in  my  right  hand 

Although  they  trode  awry. 

But  if  they  hold  on  head. 
And  fcorne  to  beare  my  yoke. 
Oft  times  they  buy  the  rofl  ful  deare, 
It  fmelleth  of  the  fmoke. 

This  is  the  caufe  (sir  Squire 
Quoth  flie)  that  Phylomene 
Doth  cal  fo  much  vpon  my  name, 
.    She  to  my  lawes  doth  leane  : 

She  feeles  a  iufl  reuenge. 
Of  that  which  fhe  hath  done, 
Conflrainde  to  vfe  the  day  for  night. 
And  makes  the  moone  hir  funne. 


OF   PHILOMENE.  115 

Ne  can  flie  now  complaine, 
(Although  fhe  loll  hir  tong) 
For  fmce  that  time,  ne  yet  before, 
No  byrde  fo  fwetely  foong. 

That  gift  we  Gods  hir  gaue, 
To  countervaile  hir  woe, 
I  fat  on  bench  in  heauen  my  felfe 
When  it  was  graunted  fo. 

And  though  hir  foe  be  fledde, 
But  whither  knows  not  fhe, 
And  like  hir  felfe  tranfformed  eke 
A  feely  byrde  to  bee  : 

On  him  this  fharpe  reuenge 
The  Gods  and  I  did  take, 
He  neither  can  beholde  his  brats, 
Nor  is  belovde  of  make. 

As  foone  as  coles  of  kinde 
Haue  warmed  him  to  do 
The  felly  Ihift  of  dewties  dole 
Which  him  belongeth  to  : 

His  hen  flraight  way  him  hates. 
And  flieth  farre  him  fro, 
And  clofe  conueis  hir  eggs  from  him. 
As  from  hir  mortal  foe. 

As  fone  as  fhe  hath  hatcht, 

Hir  little  yong  ones  runne, 

For  feare  their  dame  fhould  feme  them  efte. 

As  Progne  had  begonne. 

And  rounde  about  the  fields 

The  furious  father  flies, 

To  feke  his  fonne,  and  fiUes  the  ayre 

With  loude  lamenting  cries. 


Il6  THE    COMPLAINT 

This  lothfome  life  he  leads 

By  our  almightie  dome, 

And  thus  fmgs  fhe,  where  company 

But  very  feldome  come. 

Now  left  my  faithful  tale 
For  fable  fhould  be  taken, 
And  therevpon  my  curtefie, 
By  thee  might  be  forfaken  : 

Remember  al  my  words, 
And  beare  them  wel  in  minde, 
And  make  thereof  a  metaphore. 
So  fhalt  thou  quickly  finde. 

Both  profite  and  paflime, 

In  al  that  I  thee  tel : 

I  knowe  thy  skil  wilferue  therto, 

And  fo  (quoth  fhe)  farewell. 


Wherewith  (me  thought)  fhe  flong  fo  fafl       The  an- 

\  o      /  a  tjior    conti- 

away,  neweth 

That  fcarce  I  could,  hir  feemely  fhaddowe  fee.   cowrie '  and 

At  lafl :  myflaffe  (which  was  mine  onely  flay)    conciudeth. 

Did  flippe,  and  I,  mufl.  needes  awaked  be, 

Againfl  my  wil  did  I  (God  knowes)  awake, 

For  wiUingly  I  could  my  felfe  content, 

Seuen  dayes  to  fleepe  for  Philomelds  fake, 

So  that  my  fleepe  in  fuch  fwete  thoughts  were  fpent. 

But  you  my  Lord  which  reade  this  ragged  verfe, 

Forgiue  the  faults  of  my  fo  fleepy  mufe. 

Let  me  the  heafl  of  Nimefis  rehearfe, 


OF    PHI  LOME  NE.  117 

For  fure  I  fee,  much  fenfe  therof  enfues. 
I  feeme  to  fee  (my  Lord)  that  lechers  lufl, 
Procures  the  plague,  and  vengaunce  of  the  highefl, 
I  may  not  fay,  but  God  is  good  and  iufl, 
Although  he  fcourge  the  furdefl  for  the  nigheft : 
The  fathers  fault  lights  fometime  on  the  fonne. 
Yea  foure  difcents  it  beares  the  burden  flil, 
Whereby  it  falles  (when  vaine  delight  is  done) 
That  dole  fleppes  in  and  wields  the  world  at  wil. 
O  whoredom,  whoredome,  hope  for  no  good  happe, 
The  beft  is  bad  that  lights  on  leechery 
And  (al  wel  weyed)  he  fits  in  Fortunes  lappe, 
Which  feeles  no  fharper  fcourge  than  beggery. 
You  princes  peeres,  you  comely  courting  knights. 
Which  vfe  al  arte  to  marre  the  maidens  mindes, 
Which  win  al  dames  with  baite  of  fonde  delights, 
Wliich  bewtie  force,  to  loofe  what  bountie  bindes  : 
Thinke  on  the  fcourge  that  Nemefis  doth  beare, 
Remember  this,  that  God  (although  he  winke) 
Doth  fee  al  fmnes  that  euer  fecret  were. 
( Fee  vobis)  then  which  Hill  in  fmne  do  fmke. 
Gods  mercy  lends  you  brydles  for  defire. 
Hold  backe  betime,  for  feare  you  catch  a  foyle, 
The  flefh  may  fpurre  to  euerlafling  fire, 
But  fure,  that  horfe  which  tyreth  like  a  roile. 
And  lothes  the  griefe  of  his  forgalded  fides, 
Is  better,  much  than  is  the  harbrainde  colte 
Which  headlong  runnes  and  for  no  bridle  bydes, 
But  huntes  for  finne  in  euery  hil  and  holte. 
He  which  is  fingle,  let  him  fpare  to  fpil 
The  flowre  of  force,  which  makes  a  famous  man : 
Left  when  he  comes  to  matrimonies  will. 
His  fyneil  graine  be  burnt,  and  ful  of  branne. 
He  that  is  yokte  and  hath  a  wedded  wife. 
Be  wel  content  with  that  which  may  fuffyfe, 
And  (were  no  God)  yet  feare  of  worldly  flrife 
Might  make  him  lothe  the  bed  where  Lays  lies  : 
For  though  Fa?idyons  daughter  Progne  fhee, 
Were  fo  tranfformde  into  a  fethered  foule. 


Ii8  THE   COMPLAINT 

Yet  feemes  fhe  not  withouten  heires  to  be, 

Who  (wrongde  like  hir)  ful  angrely  can  fcoule, 

And  beare  in  breil  a  right  reuenging  mode, 

Til  time  and  place,  may  feme  to  worke  their  will. 

Yea  furely  fome,  the  bell  of  al  the  broode 

(If  they  had  might)  with  furious  force  would  kil. 

But  force  them  not,  whofe  force  is  not  to  force. 

And  way  their  words  as  blafls  of  bluflring  winde, 

Which  comes  ful  calme,  when  flormes  are  pafl  by 

courfe : 
Yet  God  aboue  that  can  both  lofe  and  bynde, 
VVil  not  fo  foone  appeafed  be  therefore, 
He  makes  the  male,  of  female  to  be  hated. 
He  makes  the  fire  go  fighing  wondrous  fore, 
Becaufe  the  fonne  of  fuch  is  feldome  rated. 
I  meane  the  fonnes  of  fuch  rafh  fmning  fires, 
Are  feldome  fene  to  runne  a  ruly  race. 
But  plagude  (be  like)  by  fathers  foule  defires 
Do  gadde  a  broade,  and  lacke  the  guide  of  grace. 
Then  (Lapwinglike)  the  father  flies  about. 
And  howles  and  cries  to  fee  his  children  llray. 
Where  he  him  felfe  (and  no  man  better)  mought 
Haue  taught  his  bratts  to  take  a  better  way. 
Thus  men  (my  Lord)  be  Metamorphofed, 
From  feemely  fhape,  to  byrds,  and  ougly  beastes : 
Yea  brauefl  dames,  (if  they  amiffe  once  tredde) 
Finde  bitter  fauce,  for  al  their  pleafant  feasts. 
They  must  in  fine  condemned  be  to  dwell 
In  thickes  vnfeene,  in  mewes  for  minyons  made, 
Vntil  at  lafl,  (if  they  can  bryde  it  wel) 
They  may  chop  ckalke,  and  take  fome  better  trade. 
Beare  with  me  (Lord)  my  lusting  dayes  are  done, 
Fayre  Phylomene  forbad  me  fayre  and  flat 
To  like  fuch  loue,  as  is  with  lufl  begonne. 
The  lawful  loue  is  befl.,  and  I  like  that. 
Then  if  you  fee,  that  (Lapwinglike)  I  chaunce. 
To  leape  againe,  beyond  my  lawful  reache, 
I  take  hard  taske)  or  but  to  giue  a  glaunce, 
At  bewties  blafe  :  for  fuch  a  wilful  breache, 


OFPHILOMENE.  119 

Of  promife  made,  my  Lord  fhal  do  no  wrong, 
To  fay  {George)  thinke  on  Philomelaes  fong. 


FINIS. 

7am  Marti  qud^m  Mercurio. 


AND  thus  my  very  good  L,  may  fe  how  coblerlike 
I  haue  clouted  a  new  patch  to  an  olde  fole, 
beginning  this  complain te  or  Philomene^  in  Aprill,  1562, 
continuing  it  a  little  furder  in  Aprill.  1575  and  now 
thus  finifhed  this  thirde  day  of  Aprill,  1576. 

Al  which  mine  April  fliowers  are  humbly  fent  vnto 
your  good  Lordfhip,  for  that  I  hope  very  fhortly  to  fee 
the  May  flowers  of  your  fauour,  which  I  defire,  more 
than  I  can  deferue.     And  yet  reft 


Your  Lordships  bownden 
and  assured. 


J.  £f  W.  Rider,  Printers,  London. 


CAEEFULIT  EDITED   EX 

EDWARD    AEBER. 

Associate,  King's  College,  London,  F.-IiG.S.,  <S-ft 

1.  JOHN   MILTON. 

(1)  A  decree  of  Starre-Chamber,  concerning  Printing, 
made  the  elcucntli  day  of  July  last  past.    London,  1637. 

(2)  An  Order  of  the  Lords  and  Commons  assembled  in 
Parliament  for  the  regulating  of  Printing,  &c.  London, 
14  June,  1643. 

(3)  AREOPAGITIGA;  A  speech  of  Mr.  John  Milton 
for  the  libertj''  of  Vnlicenc'd  Printing,  to  the  Parlamenb 
of  England.    London  [24  November],  1644.    Sixpence. 

2.  HUGH  LATIMER,  Bp.  of  Worcester. 

8EEM0N  ON  THE  PL0UGHEB8.  A  notable 
Sermon  of  ye  reuerendc  father  Master  Hughe  Latimer, 
■whiche  he  preached  in  ye  Shrouds  at  paules  churche  in 
London,  on  the  xviii  daye  of  Januarye.  ^  The  yere  of 
oure  Loordo  MDXLviii.  Sixpence, 

3.  STEPHEN   GOSSON,  Stud.  Oxon. 

(1)  TEE  SCIIOOLE  OF  ABUSE.  Contcining  a 
pleasaunt  invective  against  Poats,  Pipers,  Plaicrs,  Jesters, 
and  such  like  Caterpillcrs  of  a  Commonwealth ;  Setting 
up  the  Flaggc  of  Defiance  to  their  mischievous  exercise, 
and  ouerthrowing  their  Bulwarkcs,  by  Prophane  Writers, 
Naturall  reason,  and  common  experience.  A  discourse 
as  pleasaunt  for  gentlemen  that  fauour  learning,  as 
profitable  for  all  that  wyll  follow;?-  vertue.  London 
[August  ?]  1579. 

(2)  ANAPOLOGIE  OF  TEE  SCIIOOLE  OF  ABUSE, 
against  Poets,  Pipers,  and  their  Excusers.  London, 
[December  ?]  1579.  Sixpence. 

4.  Sir   PHILIP   SIDNEY. 

AN  APOLOGIE  FOB  POETEIE.^  Written  by  tho 
right  noble,  vertuous,  and  learned  Sir  Phillip  Sidney, 
li^ight.,    London,  1595.  Sixpence, 


2  lEnglis!)  ^Aepn'nts — Beatig. 

5.  E.  WEBBE,  Chief  Master  Gunner. 

The  rare  and  most  wonderful  tliinges  wliich  Edward 
Webbe  an  Englishman  borne,  hath  scene  and  passed  in 
his  troublesome  trauailes,  in  the  Citties  of  lerusalem, 
Dammasko,  Bethelem,  and  Galely :  and  in  the  Landes  of 
lewrie,  Egipt,  Gtecia,  Russia,  and  in  the  land  of  Prester 
lohn.  Wherein  is  set  foorth  his  extreame  slauerie  sus- 
tained many  yeres  togither,  in  the  Gallies  and  wars  of 
the  gi-eat  Turk  against  the  Landes  of  Persia,  Tartaria, 
Spaine,  and  Portugall,  with  the  manner  of  his  release- 
ment,  and  comming  iuto  Englande  in  May  last.  London, 
1590.  Sixpence. 

6.  JOHN    SELDEN. 

TABLE  TALK:  being  the  Discourses  of  John  Selden 
Esq. ;  or  his  Sence  of  various  Matters  of  Weight  and 
Hicfh  Consequence  relating  especially  to  Eeligion  and 
State.     London,  1689.  One  ShiUing-. 

7.  ROGER   ASCHAM. 

T0X0PHILU8.  The  schole  of  shooting  conteyned  in 
two  bookes.  To  all  Gentlemen  and  yomen  of  Englande, 
pleasaunte  for  theyr  pastime  to  rede,  and  profitable 
for  theyr  use  to  folow,  both  in  war  and  peace. 
London,  15-i5.  Oiie  ShiUing. 

8.  JOSEPH    ADDISON. 

GBITICISM  OF  MILTON'S  PABADISE  LOST. 
From  the  Spectator :  being  its  Saturday  issues  between 
31  December,  1711,  and  3  May,  1712.     London. 

One  Shilling. 

9.  JOHN  LILLY, 

(1)  \  EUPHUES.  THE  ANATOMY  OF  WIT.  Verie 
pleasaunt  for  all  Gentlemen  to  read,  and  most  necessarie 
to  remember.  Wherein  are  contained  the  delightes  that 
Wit  followeth  in  his  youth  by  the  pleasantnesse  of  loue, 
and  the  happinesse  he  reapcth  in  age,  by  the  perfectnesse 
of  Wisedome.     London,  1579. 

(2)  \  EUPHUES  AND  HIS  ENGLAND.  Containing 
his  voyage  and  aduenturcs,  myxed  with  sundry  pretie 
discourses  of  honest  Loue,  the  Discription  of  the  Coun- 
trey,  the  Court,  and  the  manners  of  that  Isle.  Delightful 
to  be  read,  and  nothing  hurtfull  to  be  regarded :  wher-in 
there  is  small  offence  by  lightuesse  giuen  to  the  wise, 
and  lesse  occasion  of  loosenes  proffered  to  the  wanton. 
Loudon,  1580.  Four  Shillings.     lOd.  1. 


3EnrjIfsl^  3^Epri'nts— In  preparation.  3 

10.  GEORGE  VILLIERS,  Second  Duke  of 

Buckingham. 

TEE  BEEEAItSAL.    As  it  was  Acted  at  the  Tlieatrb 

Eoyal.    London,  1672.    With  the  readings  of  subsequent 

editions  up  to  the   author's   death,   and  the  passages 

parodied.  One  Shilling.     INov.  1 

11.  GEORGE  GASCOIGNE,  Esquire. 

(1)  A  Eemembravnce  of  the  wel  imployed  life,  and 
godly  end  of  George  Gaskoigne,  Esquire,  who  deccassed 
at  Stahnford  in  Lincoln  shu-e,  the  7  of  October  1577.  The 
reporte  of  Geor  Wiietstons,  Gent  an  eye  witnes  of  his 
Godly  and  charitable  End  in  this  world.     London  1577. 

(2)  Ccrtayne  notes  of  Listruction  concerning  the 
making  of  verse  or  ryme  in  English,  vvi'itten  at  the 
request  of  Master  Edouardo  Donati.     1675. 

(3)  THE  STEELE  GLAS.  A  Satyi-e  compiled  by 
George  Gasscoigne  Esquire  [Written  between  April  1575 
and  April  1576].     Togither  with 

(4)  THE  COMPLAYNT  OF  PHYLOMENE.  An 
Elogye  compyled  by  George  Gasscoigne  Esquire  [between 
April  1502  and  3rd  April  1576.]     London  1576. 

One  Shilling-,     [Nov.  15. 

T2.  JOHN  EARLE,  successively  Bishop  of 
Worcester  and  Salisbury. 

MICBO-COSMOGBAPHIE .  or,  a  Peece  of  the  World 
discovered,  in  Essayes  and  Characters.  London  1628. 
With  the  additions  in  subsequent  editions  during  the 
Author's  life  time.  One  Shilling.     IDec.  1 


Copies  will  be  sent  post  free  by  the  Publishers  on 
the  receipt  of 

Seven  stamps  for  Sixpenny  copies  ; 
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Fifty-four  stamps  for  Euphues. 
Uncut  copies  can  he  had,  at  the  same  price.   It  will  be 
convenient,  if  they  are  ordered  in  advance. 

Handsome  cases,  in  best  roan  and  cloth,  Eoxburglie 
style,  to  contain  six  of  the  '  Reprints,'  are  now  ready. 
One  Shilling  each ;  post  free,  Fourteen  stamps. 

ALEXANDER     MURRAY     &     SON, 
30,  Queen  Square,  London,  W.C. 


4  C^nfllfslj  fA;£prmt3. 

CHIEFLY  IN  SIXPENNY  AND  SHILLING  VOLUMES, 

The  '  English  Eeprints '  have  proved  a  greater  success  than  I  anticipated. 
More  copies  of  the  several  works  issued  have  been  already  sold  in  the 
open  market,  than  have  been  produced,  in  the  same  time,  by  any  Printing 
Club,  by  subscription, 

I  am  thereby  encouraged  to  go  on  with  the  series,  and  I  trust  to 
bring  out,  dui-ing  the  remainder  of  the  ycai-,  the  works  announced  on 
pages  1  to  3:   so  that  the  first  year's  issue  will  contain  specimens  of — 

IGtJi  Cent,  Ascham,  Bp.  Latimer,  Gascoigne,  Gosson,  Lilly,  E.  Webbe, 

and  Sir  Philip  Sidney, 7 

17f7i.  Cent.  Bp.Earle,  Milton,  Villiers,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  and  Selden.  4 
18th  Cent.  Addison 1 — 13 

If  therefore  any  go  about  ignorant  of  thus  much  of  our  literature,  they 
only  will  be  to  blame :  for  it  seems  impossible  to  reprint  these  works  cheaper. 
Strange  to  say,  their  cheapness  militates  at  present  against  their  universal 
sale :  but  this  obstacle  will  doubtless  melt  away,  as  the  series  become  more 
known. 

As  nothing  can  foster  more  the  fresh  and  increasing  general  study  in  our 
language  and  literature,  than  the  free  circulation  throughout  the  country, 
of  cheap  as  well  as  accurate  texts ;  the  '  English  lleprints  '  will  continue  to 
be  issued  separately,  at  the  general  prices  originally  announced. 

The  'English  Eeprints'  being  thus  current,  all  can  now  most  readily 
avail  themselves  of  the  capabilities  of  English,  as  a  gymnasium  of  intellect, 
an  instrument  of  culture;  or  passing  within  the  Treasure-house  of  the 
language,  possess  themselves  of  the  stored-up  precious  wealth  of  thought 
and  fact,  the  accumulation  therein  of  century  after  century. 

The  Areoparjitica  is  already  read  in  King's  College  and  other  schools : 
other  suitable  tests  will  doubtless  bo  similarly  utilized. 

I  desire  to  call  attention  to  Eupliues.  It  was  last  published  in  1630. 
The  present  impression  will  contain  the  two  parts,  originally  issued  sepa- 
rately in  1579  and  1580 ;  will  be  printed  from  copies  supposed  to  bo  unique; 
and  will  form  a  volume  of  between  400  and  5U0  pages.  This  work  repre- 
sents a  fashion  of  expression  in  the  Elizabethan  age,  and  gave  a  word 
Euphuism  to  the  English  language.  An  acquaintance  with  it,  is  cssenti.l 
to  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  literature  of  the  time  of  Shakespeare. 

In  conclusion,  I  tender  my  sincere  thanks  to  some  for  their  zealous 
advocacy  of  the  series:  and  can  but  hope  it  may  appear  to  others  worthy  of 
like  approval  and  encouragement. 

23  .April,  1803.  Edwaed  AcBra, 


€m\\}  ^nglislj  Ctvt  .^mctj. 


Committee  of  Management; 


DANBY  p.  FRY,  ESQ.  EDWARD  H.  PEACOCK,  ESQ. 

FREDERICK  J.  FURNIVALL,  Esa.  REV.  GEORGE  G.  PERRY. 

FITZEDW'ARD  HALL,  Esa.  REV.  WALTER  W.   SKEAT. 

REV.  J.  RAWSON  LUMBY.  TOULMIN   SMITH,  Esd. 

RICHARD  MORRIS,  ESQ.  HENRY  B.  WHEATLEY,  ESQ. 

H.  T.  PARKER,   ESQ.  ""  THOMAS  WRIGHT,  ESQ. 

( With  power  to  add  Workej's  to  their  number.) 
Honorary  Secretary: 

HENRY  B.  WHEATLEY,  ESQ.,  33,  Berners  STREET,  LONDO.v,  W. 

Bankers : 

THE  UNION   BANK  OF  LONDON,  REGENT  STREET  BRANCH, 
li,   ARGVLL   PLACE,   W. 


The  Early  English  Text  Society  was  started  in  1864  for 
the  purpose  of  bringing  the  mass  of  the  Old  English  Litera- 
ture within  the  reach  of  the  ordinary  student,  and  of  wiping 
away  the  reproach  under  which  England  has  long  rested  of 
having  felt  little  interest  iu  the  monuments  of  her  early  life 
and  language. 

A  large  proportion  of  our  early  literature  is  still  unprinted, 
and  much  that  has  been  printed  by  exclusive  clubs  is  almost 
as  inaccessible-  as  that  which  remains  in  MS.  The  E.  E.  T. 
Soc.  desires  to  print  in  its  Original  Series  the  whole  of  our 
unprinted  MS.  literature,  and  in  its  Extra  Series  to  reprint  iu 
careful  editions  all  that  is  most  valuable  of  printed  MSS.  and 
early  printed  books. 

The  Society's  work  divides  itself  into  four  classes,  viz.  :  I. 
The  Arthurian  and  other  Romances.  II.  Works  illustrative 
of  our  Dialects  and  tlie  history  of  our  Language,  including  a 
series  of  early  English  Dictionaries.  III.  Biblical  Transla- 
tions and  Religious  Treatises.  IV.  Miscellaneous  works  of 
various  authors  that  cannot  be  included  in  either  of  the  other 
three  divisions,  and  having  special  regard  to  the  illustration 
of  Early  English  life.  By  the  end  of  the  five  years  that  the 
Society  will  have  been  established  next  Christmas,  it  will 


have  issued  to  its  subscribers  Forty-two  Texts,  most  of  them 
of  great  interest ;  so  much  so  indeed  that  the  pubHcations  of 
the  first  three  years  have  been  for  some  time  out  of  print,  and 
a  special  Fund  has  had  to  be  opened  for  reprintuig  them. 

The  Publications  for  1867  are  :— 

2i.  Hymns  to  the  Virgin  and  Christ ;  the  Parliament  of  Devils ;  and  other 
Reliarious  Poems.  Edited  from  the  Lambeth  MS.  853,  by  F.  J. 
Furiiivall,  Esq..  M.A.    3s. 

25.  The  Stacions  of  Rome,  and  the  Pilgrims'  Sea-voyage  and  Sea-sickness, 

with  Clene  Maydenhod.  Editetl  from  the  Vernon  and  Porkiugton 
MSS.  etc.,  by  F.  J.  Furnivall,  Esq.,  M.A.     2s. 

26.  Religious  Pieces  in  Prose  and  Verse.     Edited  from  Robert  Thornton's 

MS.   ab.  1440  a. I).   Viy  the  Rev.  G.  G.  Perry,  M.A.    2.?. 

27.  Levins's  Manipulus  Vocabiilorum,  1570;  the  eai'liest  Rhyming  Diction- 

ary.   Edited  by  Henry  H.  Wheatley,  E<q.    12s. 
2S.  Langland's  Vision  of  Piers  Plowman,  with  Vita  de  Dowel,  Dohet,  et 

Dobest,  1362  A.D.    Part  I.    The  earliest  or  Vernon  Text;  Text  A. 

Edited  from  the  Vernon  MS.,  with  full  collations,  by  the  Rev. 

W.  W.  Ske.at,  M.A.     7s. 
29.  Early  English  Homilies  !ab.  1150-1230  A.D.)  from  unique  MSS.  in  the 

Lambeth  and  other  Libraries.    Edited  by  R.  Morris,  Esq.    Part 

I.  7s. 

SO.  Piers  Plowman's  Crede.  Edited  from  the  MSS.  by  the  Rev.  W.  W. 
Skeat,  M.A.     2s. 

The  Publications  for  1SG8  will  be  :— 

31.  Mirk's  Duties  of  a  Parish  Priest,  in  Verse.     Edited  for  the  first  time 

from  the  ]MSS.  in  tlie  British  Miuseum  and  Bodleian  Libraa'ies 
iab.  1120  A.D.    by  E.  Peacock,  Esq.     4s. 

32.  The  Bahees  Soke,  the  Children's  Book,  Urbanitatis,  the  Bokes  of  Norture 

of  John  Russell  and  Hugh  Rhodes,  the  Bokes  of  Keruyng,  Cortasye, 
and  Demeanour,  etc.,  witli  some  Freiu'h  and  Latin  Poems  on  like 
sulijeets.  Edited  from  Harleian  and  other  MSS.  bv  F.  J.  Furni- 
vall, Esq.,  51. A.    15s. 

33.  The  Knight  De  La  Toiu'  Landry,  a.d.  1372.     A  Father's  Book  for  his 

Daughters.  Edited  from  the  Harleian  MS.  1764,  and  Caxton's  Text, 
by  Thomas  "Wright,  Esq.,  M.A.,  and  Mr  William  Rossiter.     8s. 

34.  Early  English  Homilies  lal).  1220-30  a.d.^  from  iniique  MSS.  in  the 

Lambeth  and  other  Libraries.    Edited  by  R.  Morris,  Esq.    Part 

II.  Ss. 

35.  Sir  David  Lyndesay's  Works,  Part  IIL :  The  Historic  and  Testament 

of  Squver  Meldrum.     Edited  bv  F.  Hall,  Esq.,  D.C.L.    2s. 

36.  Merlin,  Part  III.     Edited  by  H.  B.  Wheatley,  Esq.       [/»  the  Press. 

The  Publications  for  1S69  will  probably  be  chosen  from  the 

following  :— 

EngUsh  Gilds,  13S0  a.  P.    Edited  by  Touhnin  Smith,  Esq.     \_Nearhi  ready. 

The  Alliterative  Romance  of  the  Destruction  of  Troy,  ed.  Rev.  G.  A.  Panton. 

Langland's  Vision  of  Piers  Plowman,  Part  II.  Text  B.,ed.  Rev.  W.W.  Skeat. 

PaUadius  on  Husbondrie,  from  the  uiii(|ue  MS.,  ed.  Rev.  B.  Lodge. 

Lyndesay's  Works,  Part  IV.,  ed.  F.  Hall,  Esq.,  D.C.L. 

CathoUcon  Anglicum.     Eng.-Lat.  Diet.  [\.T,.  14S0i,  ed.  H.  B.  Wheatley,  Esq. 

Various  Poems  relating  to  Sir  Gawaine,  ed.  R.  Morris,  Esq. 

The  Rule  of  St  Benet.     Five  Texts,  ed.  R.  Morris,  Esq. 

The  Lay-Folk's  Mass-Book,  and  otlier  Poems,  ed.  Rev.  T.  F.  Simmons. 


The  life  of  St  Juliana.    Two  texts,  ed.  Rev.  T.  O.  Cockayne. 
Early  English  Homilies.     Second  Series,  ed.  R.  Morris,  Esq. 
Mayster  Jon  Gardener,  and  Poems  on  Herbs,  ed.  Rev.  E.  Gillett. 
Cato  Great  and  Little,  with  Proverbs  from  MSS.,  ed.  Mr  E.  Brock. 

EXTRA  SERIES. 

The  Extra  Series  was  commenced  in  1867  in  order  to 
supplement  the  work  of  the  Original  Series.  In  it  will  be  in- 
cluded those  works  which  have  been  previously  printed,  but 
are  now  of  great  rarity.  It  contains  in  the  two  first  years 
two  Romances  of  great  interest  that  have  long  been  out  of 
print,  viz.,  William  of  Palerne,  and  Havelok  the  Dane,  besides 
the  first  separate  print  of  Chaucer's  Prose  Works  ever  issued. 

The  Publications  for  1867  are  : — 

I.  WiUiam  of  Palerne;  or,  William  and  the  Werwolf.  Re-edited  from 
the  unique  MS.  in  King's  College,  Cambridge,  by  the  Rev.  W.  W. 
Skeat,  M.A,  13s. 
n.  Chaucer's  Prose  Works.  To  be  edited  from  the  best  MSS.,  with  a 
Preface  on  the  Grammar  and  Dialect  of  Cliaueer,  and  Notes,  by 
Richard  Morris,  Esq.  The  Translation  of  Boethius,  Sec.  1,  and  an 
Essay  on  the  Pronmiciation  of  Chaucer  and  Sliakspere,  by  Alex- 
ander J.  Ellis,  Esq.,  F.R.S.    Part  I.  [In  the  Fress. 

The  Publications  for  1868  will  be  :- 

m.  Caxton's  Book  of  Curtesye,  in  Three  Versions :  1,  from  the  unique 
printed  copy  in  the  Cambridge  University  Library;  2,  from  the 
Oriel  MS.  79 ;  3,  from  the  Balliol  MS.  354.  Edited  by  F.  J.  Fumi- 
vall.  Esq.,  M.A.     0*. 

IV.  Havelok  tiie  Dane.    Re-edited  from  the  unique  MS.  by  the  Rev.  W. 

W.  Skeat,  M.A.,  with  tlie  sanction  and  aid  of  the  original  editor. 

Sir  Frederick  Madden.  [/«  the  Press. 

V.  Chaucer's  Prose  Works.    Part  II.,  concluding  the  Boethius.    Edited 

from  the  MSS.  by  R.  Morris,  Esq.  \_In  the  Press. 

VI.  Chaucer's  Prose  Works,  Part  III.  Treatise  on  the  Astrolabe,  edited 
from  the  best  MSS.,  by  the  Rev.  W.  W.  Skeat,  M.A. 

IRcprtnting  jpunB. 

The  Publications  for  the  first  three  years,  1864,  1865,  and 
1866,  are  out  of  print,  but  a  separate  subscription  has  been 
opened  for  their  immediate  reprint,  and  the  Texts  for  1864 
are  now  at  the  press.  Subscribers  who  desire  all  or  either  of 
these  years  should  send  their  names  at  once  to  the  Hon. 
Secretary. 

The  Publications  for  1864  are  : — 

1.  Early  Enghsh  Alliterative  Poems,  ab.  1320-30  A.D.,  ed.  R.  Morris. 

2.  Arthur,  ab.  144(i,  ed.  F.  J.  Furnivall. 

3.  Lauder  on  the  Dewtie  of  Kyngis,  &c.,  1556.  ed.  F.  Hall. 

4.  Sir  Gawayne  and  the  Green  Knight,  ab.  1320-30,  ed.  R.  Morris. 


The  Publications  for  1S65  are  : — • 

5.  Hume's  Orthographie  and  Congruitie  of  the  Britan  Tongue,  ab.  1617.  ed. 

H.  B.  Wlieatley. 

6.  Lancelot  of  the  Laik,  ab.  1500,  ed.  Rev.  W.  W.  Skeat. 

7.  Genesis  and  Exodus,  ab.  1250,  ed.  R.  Morris. 

8.  Morte  Arthure,  ab.  1  WO.  ed.  Rev.  G.  G.  Perry. 

9.  Thynne  on  Chaucer's  'Works,  ab.  1598.  ed.  Dr  Kingsley. 

10.  MerUn,  ab.  U50,  Part  I.,  ed.  H.  B.  Wheatley. 

11.  Lyndesay's  Monarche,  &c.,  1552,  Part  I.,  ed.'P.  Hall. 

12.  The  "Wright's  Chaste  "Wife,  ab.  Ilti2,  ed.  F.  J.  Furnivall. 

The  Publications  for  1866  are  : — 

13.  Seinte  Marherete,  1200-1,330,  ed.  Rev.  O.  Cockayne. 

11..  King  Horn,  Floris  and  Blancheflour,  &c.,  ed.  Rev.  J.  R.  Lumby. 

15.  Political,  Religious,  and  Love  Poems,  ed,  F.  J.  Furnivall. 

16.  The  Book  of  ftuinte  Essence,  ab.  14i;0-70,  ed.  F.  J.  Furnivall. 

17.  Parallel  Extracts  from  29  MSS.  of  Piers  Plowman,  ed.  Rev.  W.  W.  Skeat. 

18.  Hali  Meidenhad,  ab.  1200,  ed.  Rev.  O.  Cockayne. 

19.  Lyndesay's  Monarche,  &c.,  Part  II.,  ed.  F.  Hall. 

20.  Hampole's  English  Prose  Treatises,  ed.  Rev.  G.  G.  PeiTy. 
•21.  Merlin,  Part  II.,  ed.  H.  B.  Wheatley. 

22.  Partenay  or  Lusignen,  ed.  Rev.  W.  W.  Skeat. 

23.  Dan  Michel's  Ayenbite  of  Inwyt,  1340,  ed.  R.  Morris. 

A  few  copies  are  left  of  No.  5,  Hume's  Orthographie,  4*-. ; 
No.  17,  Extracts  from  Piers  Plowman,  l.s.  ;  No.  20,  Ham- 
pole's  Treatises,  2s. ;  No.  23,  Partenay,  ijs.  ;  No.  23,  Ayen- 
bite, 105.  Cul. 

The  Subscription  is  £1  Is.  a  year  [and  £1  l.s.  (Large 
Paper,  £2  2,?.)  additional  for  the  Extra  Series],  due  in  ad- 
vance on  the  1st  of  Janxjaey,  and  should  be  paid  either  to 
the  Society's  Account  at  the  Union  Bank  of  London,  11, 
Argyll  Place,  Regent  Street,  W.,  or  by  post-office  order  (made 
payable  at  the  Chief  UfEce,  Loudon.)  to  tlie  Hon.  Secretary, 
Henry  B.  Wheatley,  Esq.,  53,  Berners  Street,  London,  W. 

The  Society's  Report,  January,  1868,  with  Lists  of  Texts 
to  be  published  in  future  years,  etc.,  etc.,  can  be  had  on  ap- 
plication. 


PUBLISHERS  AND  AGENTS: 

LONDON:  N.  TRUBNER  &  CO..  00,  P.VTERNOSTER  ROW. 

DUBLIN:  WILLIAM  McGEK,  18.  NASSAU  STREET. 

EDINBURGH:  T.  G.  STEVENSON,  22,  SOUTH  FREDERICK  STREET. 

GLASGOW:  M.  OGLE  &  CO.,  I.  ROYAL  EXCHANGE  SQUARE. 

BERLIN:  ASHER  &  CO.,  UNTER  DEN  LINDEN,  20. 

NEW  YORK:  C.  SCRIBNER  &  CO.     LEVPOLDT  &  HOLT,  431,  BROO.ME 

STRKEI'. 

PIULADELPIIIA:   J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO. 

BOSTON,  U.S.  :  DUTTON  &  CO 


O^Jjc  (E^Rixctx  ^ontUj. 


To  do  honour  to  Chaucer,  and  to  let  the  lovers  and  students  of 
him  see  how  far  the  best  unprinted  Manuscripts  of  his  works  differ 
from  the  printed  texts,  this  Society  is  founded.  It  will  deal  with 
the  works  of  no  other  man — except  so  far  as  may  be  found  necessary 
for  the  illustration  of  Chaucer — and  will  dissolve  as  soon  as  all  the 
good  Manuscripts  of  the  Poet's  Works,  and  all  matter  wanted  for 
their  illustration,  are  in  type.  It  is  not  intended  to  interfere  with 
any  edition  of  Chaucer's  Works  past  or  future,  but  to  supplement 
them  all,  and  afford  material  for  the  improvement  of  his  text. 
Eight  or  ten  years  will  suffice,  if  the  Society  be  well  supported,  to 
finish  its  work. 

If  men  said  it  was  well-done  for  Lord  Vernon  to  reprint  the  first 
four  printed  texts  of  Dante's  Divina  Commeclia,  if  we  know  it  is 
well-done  of  The  Early  English  Text  Society  to  print  the  three 
versions  of  Chaucer's  great  contemporary's  work,  William  Lang- 
land's  Vision  of  Piers  Ploughman,  it  cannot  be  ill-done  of  us  to 
print  all  the  best  MSS.  of  the  works  of  him  whom  all  allow  among 
our  early  men  to  be  the  greatest, 

"  I  mene  fader  chancer  /  maister  galfryde 
Alas  the  whyle  /  that  euer  he  from  vs  dyde 

[49] 
Rcdith  his  werkis  /  ful  of  plesaunce 
Clere  in  sentence  /  in  langage  excellent 
Briefly  to  wryte  /  suche  was  his  suffysar«nce 
What  euer  to  saye  /  he  toke  in  his  entente 
His  langage  was  so  fayr  and  pertynente 
It  semeth  vnto  mannys  heerynge 
Not  only  the  worde  /  but  verely  the  thynge." 

Caxton's  Book  of  Curtesye,  1.  335 — 343. 

And  though  collations  to  one  text  might  suffice  for  ordinary  readers, 
yet  here  something  may  be  conceded  to  the  scholar's  desire  for  full- 
ness of  material  for  criticism,  to  the  often  expressed  wish  of  editors 
and  students  abroad,  like  Professor  Child,  of  Harvard,  for  whole 
texts,*  and  not  collations  only,  which  must  often  omit  variations  of 
spelling,  &c.,  unimportant  to  one  editor,  but  important  to  another. 
There  are  many  questions  of  metre,  pronunciation,  orthography, 
and  etymology  yet  to  be  settled,  for  which  more  prints  of  Manu- 

*  The  printing  of  the  best  texts  of  Chancer  is  a  necessary  condition  of  a  satisfactory 
edition  of  his  poetry.  It  is  not  to  gratify  a  fancy,  or  to  furnisli  material  for  simply 
curious  researches,  that  I,  for  one,  want  these  texts.  I  do  not  myself  see  how  the 
standard  edition  of  Chaucer  can  be  made,  on  an  enduring  basis,  tintil  all  the  best 
texts  are  before  us.  And  I  want  the  texts  also  for  general  philological  purposes. — 
r.  J.  Child. 


2 

scripts  are  wanted,  and  it  is  hardly  too  much  to  say  that  every  litle 
of  Chaucer  contains  points  that  need  rc-consideration.  The  pro- 
posal, then,  is  to  begin  with  The  Canterbury  Tales,  and  give  of 
them  (in  parallel  columns  in  Royal  4to)  six  of  the  best  uuprinted 
Manuscripts  known,  and  to  add  in  another  quarto  the  six  nest  best 
MSS.  if  300  Subscribers  join  the  Society.  Inasmuch  also  as  the 
parallel  arrangement  will  necessitate  the  alteration  of  the  places  of 
certain  tales  in  some  of  the  MSS.,  a  print  of  each  MS.  will  be 
issued  separately,  and  will  follow  the  order  of  its  original.  The  first 
six  MSS.  to  be  printed  will  probably  be  . 

The  Ellesmere  (by  leave  of  the  The  Corpus,  Oxford. 

Eai-1  of  Ellesmere).  The     best     Cambridge     (Univ. 

The  Lansdowne  (Brit.  Mus.).  Libr.). 

The  Hengwrt  (by  leave  of  W.  S.  The  Petworth  (by  leave  of  Lord 

W.  Wynne,  Esq.).  Lecontield). 

To  secure  the  fidelity  and  uniform  treatment  of  the  texts,  Mr  F. 
J.  Furnivall  will  read  all  with  their  M^S.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
first  Part  of  the  AVorks,  comj)rising  the  Prologue  and  Knight's 
Tale,  will  be  ready  by  December,  ISGS,  together  with  specimen 
extracts  from  all  the  accessible  MSS.  of  the  Tales,  and  a  Table 
showing  the  Groups  of  the  Tales,  and  the  changing  order  of  these 
Groups  in  the  different  MSS. 

The  first  Essay  in  illustration  of  Chaucer's  "Works  that  will  be 
published  by  the  Society  will  be,  '  A  detailed  Comparison  of 
Chaucer's  Kniffhl's  Tale  with  the  Teseide  of  Boccaccio,'  by  Hexr\' 
AVari),  Esq.,  of  the  MS.  Department  of  the  British  Museum.  The 
second  will  pnibably  be  either  a  translation  of  K issuer's  '  Chaucer 
and  his  i-elation  to  Italian  Literature,'  or  '  .\  detailed  Comparison 
of  the  Troi^lus  and  Cryseyde  with  Boccaccio's  Filostrato,  by  W. 
Michael  Rossetti,  Esq. 

The  first  French  work  will  be  Guillaume  de  Machault's  Dit  dii 
Lyon,  the  possible  original  of  Chaucer's  lost  Bonk  of  the  Leo,  edited 
from  the  MSS.,  for  the  first  time,  by  Monsieur  Paul  Meveu. 
This  will  be  followed  by  such  originals  of  Chaucer's  other  works  as 
are  known,  but  are  not  of  easy  access  to  subscribers. 

Messrs  Tr'ubner  &  Co.,  of  60,  Paternoster  Row,  London,  E.G., 
are  the  Society's  publi>hers,  Messrs  Childs  its  printers,  and  the 
Union  Bank.  Chancery  Lane,  London,  W.C.,  its  bankers.  The 
yearly  subscription  is  two  guineas,  due  on  every  first  of  January. 

Prof.  Child,  of  Harvard  University.  Massachusetts,  will  be  the 
Society's  Honorary  Secretary  for  America.  For  England  and  the 
Continent  Mr  Furnivall  will  act  as  lion.  Sec.  till  the  appointment 
of  a  permanent  one.  Members'  names  and  subscriptions  may  be 
sent  to  the  Publishers,  or  to 

FREDK.  J.  FURNIVALL, 
3,  Old  Square,  Lincoln's  Inn,  London,  W.C, 


Ch  gallab  Sorietw. 


The  completion  of  the  edition  of  the  Percy  Folio  seems  a  good 
opportunity  for  beginning  to  print  all  the  other  collections  of 
Ballads.  The  impo'rtance  of  Ballads  for  the  student  of  history,  of 
society  and  manners,  of  thoughts  and  customs,  in  former  days,  is 
admitted  by  all  writers  and  thinkers.  These  light  hand-glasses  re- 
flect for  us  many  a  feature  of  the  times  that  is  lost  in  the  crowded 
scenes  which  larger  mirrors,  hung  at  other  angles,  present  to  our 
view ;  and  without  the  sight  of  the  Ballad  pictures,  as  well  as  the 
larger  and  niore  formal  ones  of  professed  Histories,  State-Papers, 
Memoirs,  and  Treatises,  we  cannot  know  faithfully, — or,  at  least, 
we  cannot  know  as  faithfully  as  we  have  the  means  of  knowing, — 
the  lineaments  of  the  ages  that  have  preceded  us.  That  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  student  of  history  to  endeavour  so  to  know  those  linea- 
ments, as  well  in  their  nobleness  as  their  comnionplaceness  and 
deformity,  no  real  student  will  que>tion.  He  wants  the  portraiture 
of  each  age  as  complete  as  he  can  get  it ;  he  desires  to  study  all  its 
expressions, — of  power,  of  whim,  of  impulse,  of  faith,  of  nobleness 
and  baseness  ; — and  many  of  these  he  can  get  from  Ballads  alone. 

Now  the  known  collections  of  printed  Ballads  are  the  Pepys  at 
Magdalene  College,  Cambridge;  the  Roxburghe,  the  Bagford,  and 
the  King's-Library  Civil- War  and  London  Ballads,  in  the  British 
Museum;  the  Ashmole,  Douce,  Wood,  and  liawlins'on,  at  O.xford; 
i\Ir  Euing's  at  Glasgow  (from  Mr  Heber's  Library)  ;  the  Earl  of 
Jersey's  at  Ostcrley  Park  ;  and  small  ones  in  the  Antiquaries'  So- 
ciety, etc.  Manuscript  Ballads  are  also  at  Oxford  and  elsewhere. 
The  Ballad  Societii  proposes  to  print  the  wliole  of  these  collections, 
so  far  as  it  can,  with  copies  of  the  original  woodcuts  to  such  of  the 
Ballads  as  have  them,  and  Introductions  when  needed. 

Had  the  Pepys  collection  been  a  public  one,  it  would  have  been 
the  first  chosen  for  issue  by  the  Society  ;  and  the  founder's  fiist  care 
was  to  apply  to  the  authorities  of  Magdalene  for  permission  to  print 
the  Pepys  collection  entire  for  the  Ballad  Society.  The  answer 
received  was  to  the  effect  that  the  Master  and  Fellows  of  jNIagdalene 
had  for  some  time  had  the  intention  of  some  day  printing  the  col- 
lection themselves — were  indeed  then  indexing  it ; — that  in  no  case 
would  the  College  print  the  collection  entire,  but  that  they  might 
soon  issue  part  of  it  under  the  charge  of  one  of  their  Fellows. 
Until,  therefore,  the  College  make  up  their  minds  themselves  to 
publish  their  Ballads, — which  men  of  letters  have  desired  any  time 
these  hundred  years  without  getting  them,—  or  to  let  the  Society  do 
it,  the  Society  is  obliged  to  turn  to  other  collections. 


Of  these  the  most  celebrated  and  complete  is  the  Roxbukghe, 
in  the  British  Museum,  in  three  large  folio  volumes,  each  contain- 
ing above  six  hundred  ballads,  almost  all  of  which  are  headed  by 
woodcuts,  but  which  illustrate  manners  and  customs  rather  than 
politics.  Of  Political  Ballads,  the  most  important  collection  is  that 
relating  to  the  Civil  War  and  the  Protectorate,  in  the  King's 
Pamphlets  in  the  British  Museum.  These  two  collections  have 
therefore  been  taken  in  hand,  and  will  be  produced  as  quickly  as 
funds  and  editors'  leisure  will  allow.  Dr  E.  F.  Rtmkault  and  Mr 
William  Chappell,  whose  long  study  of  Ballads  and  Ballad 
Literature  is  so  well  known,  and  whose  knowledge  has  been  so  often 
tried  and  proved  to  be  sound,  have  kindly  undertaken  to  act  as 
Editors  of  the  Ballads, — Dr  Kimbault  of  the  Civil  War  set,  and  Mr 
Chappell  of  the  Roxburghe,  —and  the  Rev.  Alexander  Dyce  has 
promised  geiaeral  help.  Other  aid  will  be  forthcoming  when  called 
for,  and  the  Manuscript  Ballads  will  be  produced  when  Mr  FuRXi- 
vall,  or  whoever  their  Editor  may  be,  has  had  time  to  collect 
them. 

Already  loO  of  the  old  woodcuts  have  been  copied  on  wood  by  the 
Society's  artist,  Mr  Rudolf  Blind,  and  most  of  them  engraved  by 
Mr  John  H.  Rimeai'lt,  two  gentlemen  whose  interest  in  the  work 
has  led  them  to  place  their  services  at  the  Society's  disposal  at  a 
rate  far  under  their  market  value.  Already  also  half  the  Rox- 
burghe Ballads,  and  the  whole  of  the  Civil  War  ones,  have  been 
copied  ;  so  that  the  Society  will  certainly  be  able  to  issue  one 
volume  of  each  collection  before  the  end  of  this  year  ;  and  it  will 
therefore  begin  publication  in  1S6S,  instead  of  in  1869,  as  at  first 
proposed.  A  catalogue  of  all  the  Oxford  Ballads  has  also  been 
made. 

The  books  will  be  printed  in  demy  8vo,  like  those  of  the  Early 
English  Text  Society,  and  the  Percy  Folio  (but  on  toned  paper 
for  the  sake  of  the  woodcuts),  and  also  in  super-royal  8vo,  on 
Whatman's  eighty-shilling  ribbed  paper.  The  subscription  for  the 
demy  Svos  will  be  One  Guinea  a  year;  that  for  the  royal  ribbed 
papers  Three  Guineas.  The  subscriptions  will  date  from  January 
1,  1868,  and  immediate  payment  of  them  is  asked,  as  considerable 
expense  has  already  been  incurred  for  the  copiers  and  artist.  The 
Society's  books  will  not  be  on  sale  separately  to  the  public.  The 
Society's  printers  will  be  Messrs  J.  E.  Taylor  and  Co.,  Little 
Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  London,  W.C. 

Local  Secretaries  are  wanted. 

Subscriptions  should  be  paid  cither  to  the  account  of  The  Ballad 
Society  at  the  Chancery  Lane  Branch  of  the  Union  Bank,  or  to — 

F.  J.  FURNIVALL, 
3,  Old  Square,  Chancery  Lane,  W.C. 


THE  LONDON  LIBRARY, 

12,   ST.   JAMES'S    SQUARE. 


patron. 
HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES. 

|3rtsiUrnt. 
The  EARL  OF  CLARENDON,  K.G.,  G.C.B.,  etc. 

His  Excellency  Mons.  VAN  DE  WEYER. 

The  EARL  STANHOPE. 

The  LORD  BISHOP  OF  OXFORD. 

The  LORD  LYTTELTON. 

©rustcES. 

The  EARL  OF  CLARENDON. 

The  EARL  OF  CARNARVON. 

G.  GROTE,  Esp. 


J.  Alderson,  Esq.,  M.D. 
EnwARD  H.  BuNBURY,  Esq 
Thomas  Carlyle,  Esq. 
W.  D.  Christie,  Esq. 
C.  W.  Cope,  Esq.,  R.A. 
E.  Cresy,  Esq. 
Rev.  Llewellyn  Davies. 
W.  B.  Donne,  Esq. 
Rev.  E.  E.  EsTCOURT. 
John  Forster,  Esq. 
W.  B.  Hodge,  Esq. 
The  Lord  Houghton. 
Thomas  Huxley,  Esq. 


Committee. 

Thomas  H.  Key,  Esq. 

G.  H.  Lewes,  Esq. 

Sir  R.  J.  Phillimore,  D.C.L., 

Q.C. 
Sir  John  Simeon,  Bart.,  M.P. 
Wm.  Smith,  Esq.,  LL.D. 
J.  Spedding,  Esq. 
Herbert  Spencer,  Esq. 
The  Very  Rev.  Dean  Stanley. 
Hon.  E.  Twisleton. 
W.  Pollard  Urquhart,  Esq.j 

M.P. 
John  Wickens,  Esq. 


Sccrctarg  anti  ^Librarian. 
ROBERT  HARRISON. 

Bankets. 

Messrs.  RANSOM,  BOUVERIE,  and  Co.,  i,  Pall  Mall  East. 


This  institution,  now  twenty- eight  years  old,  contains 
nearly  100,000  volumes,  including  tlie  best  works  in 
every  department  of  literature.  Before  its  establish- 
ment no  such  collection  of  books  was  available  for 
home  use  to  the  earnest  student,  the  scholar,  or  the 
professional  man. 


The  founders  thus  announced  their  scheme  in 
1840  : — 

"  We  propose  to  establish  a  Library  which,  containing  books  in 
ever}'  department  of  literature  and  philosophy,  shall  allow  these  books 
to  be  taken  out  and  read,  where  they  can  be  read  best,  in  the  study 
and  by  the  fireside,  and  which  shall  offer  its  advantages  to  the  public 
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this  Library  by  means  of  a  subscription,  so  moderate  that  it  can  he 
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sive Lending  Library,  either  for  themselves  or  for  their  families,  and 
yet  sufficient  to  ensure  the  establishment  of  the  Library  on  an  ample 
scale,  with  the  support  of  all  by  whom  the  want  of  it  is  felt.  And, 
taking  into  consideration  the  increased  and  daily  increasing  facilities 
of  conveyance  to  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom,  we  propose  to 
frame  regulations  which  shall  make  it  worth  the  while  of  persons  in 
the  country  and  at  a  distance,  no  less  than  of  those  living  in  London 
and  its  immediate  vicinity,  to  avail  themselves  of  the  Library,  thereby 
increasing  at  one  and  the  same  time  its  sphere  of  usefulness,  and  its 
means  of  supplying  the  wants  of  its  Subscribers.  Not  therefore  only 
for  the  Metropolis  itself,  but  for  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom  be- 
tween which  and  the  Metropolis  there  is  easy  and  regular  communi- 
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hensive, cheap,  lending  Library." 

While  the  original  objects  of  the  Library  have  been 
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members  have  gradually  increased.  The  Library  has 
from  its  commencement  had  the  advantage  of  a  Com- 
mittee selected  from  among  the  most  distinguished  men 
of  letters.  Lord  Macaulay,  Sir  G.  Cornewall  Lewis, 
Dean  Milman,  Chevalier  Bunsen,  Mr.  Hallam,  and 
others,  have  given  valuable  aid  in  the  choice  of  books. 

The  number  of  volumes  allowed  to  each  member  is 
ten  in  London  or  fifteen  in  the  country.  The  newest 
standard  books  are  supplied  in  such  proportion  to  the 
demand  as  is  consistent  with  the  original  design  of  the 
Library,  that,  namely,  of  furnishing  the  best  books  of 
all  ages  and  countries.  The  Reading-rooms,  which  are 
open  from  10  a.m.  to  6  p.m.,  contain  the  best  periodi- 
cals, English  and  foreign,  which,  with  a  selection  of 
the  newest  books,  are  kept  on  the  table.  Encyclopae- 
dias, dictionaries,  and  other  works  of  reference,  are  alsc 
kept  in  the  Reading-rooms. 

The  Subscription  is  £3  a  year  without  entrance-fee,  or 
£2  a  year  with  entrance-fee  of  £6.    Life  subscription, £26. 

The  Catalogue  (962  pages),  with  a  classiried  Index 
of  subjects,  is  sold  for  i^s.;  to  Members,  10s.  6d. 


THE  ROXBURGHE  LIBRARY 


FIE  RoxBURGHE  Library  was  establibhcd  in  1867, 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  within  the  reach  of 
everybody  who  cares  for  them  the  best  inedited 
remains  of  our  early  hterature  for  a  moderate  yearl}' 
subscription. 

The  Roxbiirghe  Libraiy  acts  in  harmony  and 
in  connection  with  the  Early  English  Text  Society's  Extra 
Series,  and  with  all  other  institutions  of  the  same  class,  which 
have  sprung  into  existence  of  late. 

No  book  is  admitted  into  the  Roxbiirghe  Library  which  has 
merely  its  accidental  rarity  to  recommend  it  to  notice.  The  old 
texts  are  given  verbatim,  including,  if  possible,  the  original 
woodcuts  and  other  embellishments.  The  utmost  attention  is 
bestowed  on  the  typography. 

The  books  are  printed  on  fine  and  thick  paper,  and  are  bound 
in  the  Roxburghe  style.  One  hundred  and  seventy  copies  are 
printed  in  small  4to.  to  match  the  publications  of  the  Camden 
Society,  and  thirty  in  demy  4to.  The  whole  of  this  impression 
is  reserved  for  Subscribers,  and  will  in  no  case  be  for  sale. 

The  conductor  of  the  Roxburghe  Library  will  at  all  times  be 
happy  to  receive  any  suggestions  which  may  proceed  from  the 
kindness  of  friends  or  correspondents,  and  he  will  pay  to  these 
the  best  attention,  carrying  them  out  wherever  it  appears  to  be 
practicable. 

Three  volumes  a  year  (or  four,  if  possible)  will  be  issued  for 
the  subscription  of  £2  2s.  for  the  foolscap  4to.  copies,  and 
£Z  5  s.  for  the  demy  4to.  copies. 

An  annual  return  of  the  income  and  expenditure  will  be  for- 
warded to  Subscribers. 


Books  belonging  to  the  subscription  for  1868. 

1 .  The  Romance  of  Paris  and  Vyenne.  From  the  unique  copy 
printed  by  W.  Caxton  in  1485.     Ready. 

2.  The  complete  Works  of  William  Browne,  of  Tavistock, 
author  of  Britannia's  Pastorals.    Vol.  I,     Ready. 

3.  Three  inedited  Tracts  illustrating  the  manners,  opinions, 
and  occupations  of  the  reigns  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  James  I., 
vii.  : — 


2  The  Roxburghe  Library, 

(i)  The  English  Courtier  and  the  Countiy  Gentleman,  1579. 

(2)  A  Health  to   the  Gentlemanly  Profession  of  Serving- 
Men,  by  Gervase  Markham,  1598. 

(3)  The  Court  and  Country,  by  Nicholas  Breton,  1618. 

In  Noz'cmhcr  next.  Two  of  these  pieces  are  from  unique 
copies ;  the  third  is  of  the  utmost  rarity.  They  are  all  of  the 
greatest  intrinsic  curiosity. 

For  the  subscription  of  1S69,  it  is  proposed  to  give, — 

1.  A  Collection  of  Tracts  relating  to  the  English.  Stage 
(1552 — 1664),  comprising:  — 

(i)   Proclamations  against  Stage  Plays,  1552—9. 

(2)  A  Second  and  Third  Blast  of  Retrait  from  Plaies  and 
Theatres,  1580. 

(3)  A  Sonnett  upon  the  PittifuU  Bumeing  of  the  Globe 
Play- House  in  London,  circa  1613. 

(4)  Playes   confuted  in  five  actions.     By  Stephen  Gosson. 
[1580.] 

(5)  A  Shorte  Treatise  against  Stage-Playes,  1625 

(6)  The  Stage-Player's  Complaint,  1641. 

(7)  An  Ordinance  of  the  Parliament  against  Plays,  1642. 

(8)  The  Actor's  Remonstrance,  1643. 

(9)  A  [second]  Ordinance  against  Stage-Plays  and  Inter- 
ludes, 1647. 

(10)  A  Short  Treatise  of  the  English  Stage,  by  Richard 
Flecknoe,  1664. 

2.  The  complete  works  of  William  Browne,  vol.  ii. ,  contain- 
ing the  remainder  of  Britannia  s  Pastorals  (in  three  books)  and 
77^1?  Shepheards  Pipe,  first  printed  in  16 14. 

3.  The  Posies  of  George  Gascoigne,  Esquire.  Tarn  Marti  quain 
Mercurio.     From  the  edition  of  1575. 

If  the  state  of  the  subscription  list  admits  it,  a  fourth  book 
shall  be  forthcoming  for  1869. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  some  other  works,  of  which  it  is 
hoped  that  the  Ro.xhurghe  Library  will  be  enabled  by  its  sup- 
porters to  furnish  good  editions  in  the  course  of  the  next  few 
years  ;  but  the  editor  desires  it  to  be  understood  that  it  is  impos- 
sible that  he  should  bind  himself  to  the  appearance  of  the  several 
books  in  the  exact  order  in  which  they  are  named.  Great  diffi- 
culty is  often  experienced  in  meeting  with  original  copies  available 
for  use. 

1.  The  Life  of  Charles  the  Great.  Printed  by  W.  Caxton, 
14S5.     Folio.     From  the  only  copy  known. 

2.  Narratives,  in  prose  and  verse,  of  early  murders  in  various 
parts  of  England,  during  the  reigns  of  Elizabeth  and  James  the 
First  [1558 — ^1625].  From  the  original  black-letter  copies, 
most  of  which  are  unique.     One  volume. 

Some  of  these  are  the  ground-plots  of  dramas. 


The  Roxturghe  Library.  3 

3.  A  Petite  Pallace  of  Pettie  his  Pleasure.  By  George  Pettie, 
1576.  A  Collection  of  Twelve  Elizabethan  Novels,  written  in 
imitation  of  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleasure. 

4.  A  Collection  of  English  Historical  Tracts  of  high  interest, 
published  or  privately  issued  during  the  reigns  of  Henry  VH., 
Henry  Vni.,  Edward  VI.,  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  illustrative  of 
important  events.     One  vohime. 

Among  these  will  be  included  the  contemporary  narratives  of  the  marriage 
of  Catherine  of  Arragon,  the  coronation  of  Anne  Eoleyn,  the  tourna- 
ments at  Calais  and  Boulogne  in  1532,  &c.,  together  with  several 
surreptitious  pamphlets  of  the  utmost  rarity,  which  stole  into  print 
within  the  same  period. 

5.  The  Complete  Works  of  Samuel  Rowlands,  now  first 
collected. 

The  value  of  Rowlands'  pieces  for  illustrations  of  manners  and  ancient 
ways  of  thought  can  scarcely  be  overstated.  They  are  all  extremely 
rare  and  costly. 

6.  A  Collection  of  unique  Early  Jest-Books  [1607-38]. 

7.  The  Complete  Works  of  Thomas  Lodge,  author  oiEitphiiei 
Golden  Legacie,  1590.     Now  first  collected. 

Evphues  Golden  Legacie  yiz.%  the  foundation-tale  of  Shakespeare's  .^i 
yoic  Like  it.  Lodge  was  an  elegant  and  vigorous  writer,  and  has 
been  undeservedly  neglected. 

8.  The  Poems  of  Thomas  Carew,  now  first  collected.  Witli 
a  biographical  Preface  and  Portraits.  From  the  first  edition  of 
1640  (collated  with  those  of  1642,  165 1,  and  1670)  and  from 
MSS.     One  volume. 

The  Spenser  Society,  of  Manchester,  wish,  it  is  understood,  to 
print  Heywood's  Interludes  (originally  announced  by  the  Rox- 
Inirghe  Library),  uniform  with  its  edition  of  his  Works,  1562  ; 
and  that  article  has  accordingly  been  withdrawn  from  our  list. 
Mr.  F.  Ouvry  has  reprinted  Copland's  black-letter  edition  of 
HowLEGLASS  (1867,  4to.),  which  accounts  for  the  disappear- 
ance of  what  formed  No.  7  of  our  original  prospectus  ;  while  the 
recent  organization  of  the  Ballad  Society  seemed  to  render  it 
undefirable  to  persevere  in  our  scheme  for  printing  anything  of 
that  particular  nature.  No.  12  has  therefore  been  cancelled — at 
least,  for  the  present. 

There  is  no  lack  of  work  for  all  our  existing  associations,  and 
by  steering  clear  of  each  other  and  co-operating  in  a  kindly 
spirit,  they  may  in  a  comparatively  short  time  achieve  very 
valuable  results.  The  Roxbtirghe  Library  will  endeavour  to 
bear  its  part. 

W.   C.   HAZLITT. 

SJ,  Addison  Road, 
Kensingto?i, 

September  i,  iSOS. 


Ill  the  Press,  to  form  three  volumes,  %vo.,  elegantly  printed  by 

Whitiittgham,  the  impression  strictly  limited  to   350   copies,    of 

which  lOQ'cvillbein  medium  %vo.,  atfi   16s.  to Stibscribers,  and 

£2  los.  to  non-subscribers,  and  50  in  super-royal  Zvo.,  fine  thick 

paper,  at  £1  t^s.  to  Sicbscribers,  and  £^  ^s.  to  non-subscribers, 

THE    POPULAR   ANTIQUITIES 

OF 

GREAT    BRITAIN. 


JOHN    BRAND,    M.A. 

An  entirely  Ne^u  Library  Edition,  Digested,  Corrected,  and 
Enlarged  throughout,  by 

W.   CAREW    HAZLITT. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  PRESENT  EDITION. 

HE  author  of  this  book  left  the  MS.  at  his  death 
^  in  a  state  wholly  unfit  for  the  press.  Several  years 
I  afterwards,  in  1S13,  Sir  Henry  Ellis,  then  Mr. 
Ellis,  arranged  the  materials  to  a  certain  extent, 
and  gave  the  Popular  Antiquities  to  the  world  in 
two  quarto  volumes. 
Mr.  lirand's  nnckus  had  been  Bourne's  Aniiqiiitates  Vtilgares, 
a  strangely  jejune  work,  but  important  and  noticeable,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  the  earliest  attempt  which  had  been  made  to  collect 
the  written  and  traditional  records  of  our  national  customs  and 
superstitions. 

Brand  upon  Bourne  (so  to  speak)  has  passed  through  three, 
if  not  more,  impressions.  It  has  been  reprinted  by  Mr.  Knight 
and  by  Mr.  Bohn,  in  each  case  with  additions  and  improve- 
ments. The  tendency  and  necessity  from  the  outset  have  alike 
been  to  correct,  so  far  as  such  a  thing  could  be  done  without 
wholly  oblilerating  the  original  text,  "Mr.  Brand's  deplorable 
want  of  method  and  deficiency  in  a  fixed  plan. 


The  Popular  Antiqidties  of  Great  Britain.  5 

The  observation,  however,  applies  almost  equally  to  all  the 
current  editions  of  the  Popular  Antiquities,  that  whole  pages  are 
fruitlessly  occupied  by  passages  extracted  either  from  books 
with  which  everybody  is  familiar,  such  as  Herrick,  or  from  books 
which  with  scarcely  anybody  could  be  tempted  to  become 
acquainted,  such  as  Hospinian  and  Naogeoigus.  It  is  hard 
even  for  me  to  choose  (with  all  my  affection  for  the  old  English 
versifiers)  between  Naogeorgus  and  his  English  paraphrast, 
Googe,  which  is  the  more  tedious.  Now  it  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say  that  in  all  the  existing  impressions  of  Brand,  fifty  or  sixty 
pages  are  taken  up  by  excerpts  from  Googe's  Naogeorgus, 
dragged  in  by  the  head  and  shoulders,  without  any  attempt  to 
give,  which  would  in  many  cases  have  been  more  advantageous 
and  readable,  the  substance  of  the  passage  in  a  few  lines,  with  a 
reference  to  chapter  and  verse. 

Again,  an  enormous  space  is  wasted,  without  any  demon- 
strable result,  in  the  rehearsal,  scores  of  times  over  and  over,  of 
drawn-out  title-pages  belonging  to  the  books  which  Brand  had 
occasion  to  consult  and  to  cite.  All  these  books  are  well  known 
in  our  days,  and,  indeed,  there  are  extremely  few  of  them  which 
were  not  so  in  Brand's  ;  but  that  writer  had  a  very  imperfect 
acquaintance,  it  would  appear,  with  bibliography,  and  was 
accordingly  apt  to  overrate  the  scarcity  of  works  in  his  own 
possession  or  in  the  hands  of  others.  These  bibliographical 
minutise  appear  to  be  misplaced  in  a  publication  of  the  present 
nature. 

I  have,  I  believe,  pointed  out  two  rather  grave  defects  in  the 
Popular  Antiquities  as  they  stand,  namely,  the  superabundant 
display  of  raw  material,  and  the  plethora  of  unmeaning  title- 
pages.     I  have  still  to  refer  to  a  third  most  serious  drawback. 

The  relative  worth  and  weight  of  authorities  constitute  a 
point  on  which  Brand  himself  certainly  and  his  editors  to  all 
appearance,  do  not  seem  to  have  bestowed  much  attention.  The 
natural  consequence  is,  that  an  ephemeral  tract  by  Taylor  the 
Water-poet,  or  by  Rowlands,  is  placed  side  by  side  with  the 
grave  disquisition  of  some  learned  essayist,  or  is  mentioned  in 
the  same  paragraph  with  Durandus  or  Hospinian.  St.  Augustine 
and  the  British  Apollo,  Mr.  Douce  and  Poor  Robin,  are  similarly 
coupled  together,  and,  so  far  as  the  general  reader  can  be  ex- 
pected to  know,  one  is  as  good  as  the  other. 

It  was  the  consideration  of  this  threefold  weakness  in  the 
book,  of  which  the  intrinsic  value,  with  more  methodical  hand- 
ling, would  have  been  unquestionably  veiy  great,  which  prompted 
me  to  attempt  something  in  the  way  of  rearrangement  and 
digestion,  and  I  here  beg  to  present  the  net  result.  I  have 
reduced  the  original  work  about  a  third  in  bulk,  without  omit- 
ting a  single  line  of  real  consequence  or  practical  relevance,  and 
I  have  introduced  a  vast  number  of  corrections  and  additions, 
of  the  character  of  which  others  must  be  the  judges. 


6  Mr.   W.  Carew  HazlitCs  Works. 

The  main  difficulty  in  this  case  appeared  not  to  collect,  but  to 
select.  The  materials  which  presented  themselves  were  so  large 
in  quantity  and  variety  that,  in  making  a  choice,  it  was  only 
possible  to  accept  those  which  struck  me  as  being  of  peculiar 
interest  and  relevancy ;  and  I  was  under  the  mevitable  necessity 
of  excluding  many  articles — curious  indeed,  but  either  illustrative 
of  usages  which  were  probably  never  very  widely  spread  or  very 
largely  influential  ;  or  of  points  which  Brand  seemed  to  have 
treated  already  at  sufficient  length. 

Another  consideration  which  had  its  weight  with  me  was,  that 
in  some  instances  I  thought  that  the  questions  of  folk-lore,  which 
turned  more  directly  on  Proverbs,  might  be  allowed  more 
properly  to  find  a  place  in  a  work  on  Proverbial  Literature, 
which  I  have  in  a  forward  state  of  preparation,  and  which  I  hope 
before  long  to  submit  to  the  public  judgment. 

W.  C.  HAZLITT. 

^S,  Addison  Road, 
Kensington, 

Sepietnber  i,  iS6S. 


NOTICE. 


Will  shortly  he  piMislied  in  One  Volume,  Zvo.,  of  about  ^GopJ)., 
Uniform  with  the  "  Popular  Antiquities." 

ENGLISH    PROVERBS 


PROVERBIAL     PHRASES. 

Collected  from  a  large  variety  of  atithentic  sources,  alphabetically 
arranged  and  annotated.      By 

W.  CAREW  HAZLITT. 

[HE  author  has  been  engaged  upon  this  inquiry 
since  1857,  and  has  brought  together  a  very  exten- 
sive body  of  illustrative  notes,  and  nearly  3,000 
I  unregistered  proverbs.  In  the  endeavour  to  pre- 
sent as  complete  a  monograph  on  this  interesting 
and  important  subject  as  possible,  neither  lal)our 
nor  time  has  been  spared,  and  the  vast  field  of  our  early  lite- 
rature has  been  diligently  explored  for  the  purpose  during  the 
past  eleven  years. 


English  Proverbs  and  Proverbial  Phrases.  7 

The  impression  of  English  Proverbs,  &c.,  will  be  strictly 
limited  to  350  copies,  of  which  300  will  be  in  medium  8vo.  and 
50  in  super-royal  8vo. 

The  present  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  in  a  letter  with  which  he 
favoured  the  author,  observes  :— "  I  feel  very  sure  that  the  plan 
which  you  propose  for  your  Proverbs  and  Proverbial  Phrases 
(that  IS,  annotations  where  needed,  or  where  one  feels  that  one 
has  something  to  say  which  has  not  been  said  already)  is  the 
best,  and  I  feel  confirmed  in  the  conviction  from  observing  that 
Zounder,  who  must  have  made  his  Deutsche  Sprach  Worterbuck 
(not  yet  finished)  well-nigh  the  business  of  a  life,  has  exactly 
adopted  this  scheme."  ' 

This  work  and  the  new  edition  of  Brand  belong  to  a  plan 
which  the  author  has  formed,  for  producing  a  series  of  publica- 
tions, m  a  small  number  of  copies,  on  the  same  principle  as  that 
pursued  m  the  last  century  by  Thomas  Hearne.  The  series 
will  greatly  depend  on  its  subscribers,  and  these  shall  have  the 
advantage,  per  contra,  of  obtaining  the  volumes  at  a  lower  rate 
than  that  at  which  they  are  offered  to  the  general  public. 

i$,  Addison  Road, 
Kensington, 

Septemier  ist,  1868. 

MR.  W.  CAREW  HAZLITT'S   WORKS. 

A  heady  published. 

c.^vPf  ^°'^?^^^  ^"^  O^^""   Poems  of  Henry  Constable,   of 
M.  Johns  College,  Cambridge.     Now  first  collected.     With  a 
Memoir  and  Notes.     London :  B.  M.  Pickerincr^  i8?g.     8vo 
Only  250  copies  printed. 

2.   History  of  the  Venetian  Republic  ;  its  Rise,  its  Greatness, 
and  Its   Civilization.     London:   Smith,   Elder,    &  Co       i860 
^  ^    Aij  T?"     ^^'^"""^  ^^^P^  ^'^^  °t^^er  Illustrations. 
^.^H-ni      ^"Slish  Jest  Books  (1525- 1639),  edited  with  Intro- 
3  vols      8to  '  °  '  ^^""^  Sotheran  &  Co.     1864. 

c  t  "^^^  F°^^?.°^  Richard  Lovelace,  the  Cavalier  Poet.  Now 
first  edited.  With  a  Memoir  of  Lovelace,  Notes,  and  Illustra- 
tions.    London :  John  Russell  Smith.     1864.     I  vol      8vo 

5-   Remains  ofthe  Early  Popular  Poetry  of  England.    Collected 

and  edited    with   Introductions   and   Notes.    ^London  :   T    R 

Smith.    1864-6.   4  vols.  8vo.    With  Woodcuts  and  Facsimiles. 

This  collection  embraces  fifty-nine  pieces,  some  of  then  of 

t^ri  "f  '  /"r^^^V  -"^^  *^"  preceding  publications  of 
the  kind  including  Ritson's,  contain  together  only  sixty- 
one  articles.  j        j 


8  Extracts  fi-om  the  Prospcdiis. 

6.  Memoirs  of  William  Hazlitt  (1778— 1S30).  With  portions 
of  his  Correspondence.  London  :  Richard  Bentley.  1867. 
2  vols.     8vo.     With  three  Portraits. 

7.  A  Handbook  to  the  Early  Popular,  Poetical,  and  Dramatic 
Literature  of  Great  Britain  (1471 — 1660).  London  :  J.  Russell 
Smith.    1867.    8vo.    706  pp.,  closely  printed  in  double  columns. 

Extracts  from  the  Prospectus. 

.*.  This  Bibliographical  Work,  which  has  been  an  eight  or  nine 
years'  labour  of  love  to  the  Author,  brings  together  a  large 
variety  of  fresh  information,  and  very  numerous  and  important 
notices  of  undescribed  works  and  editions  in  early  English  and 
Scottish  Literature. 

Such  a  project  as  the  present  one  has  necessarily,  in  its  execu- 
tion, gone  in  a  certain  measure  over  ground  occupied  already  by 
other  labourers  in  a  similar  field  ;  but  the  field  is  one  which  has 
been  cultivated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  afford  rich  material  for 
new  workers. 

Our  early  literature  has  very  numerous  admirers  both  in  the 
Old  World  and  in  the  New.  It  is  to  these  that  I  appeal  for 
encouragement  and  support,  and  I  do  so  with  confidence. 

One  branch  of  early  English  Literature,  which  in  existing 
works  of  reference  has  been  very  superficially  treated,  has  received 
peculiar  attention,  and  a  new  prominence  to  which  I  think  it  fairlv 
entitled.  I  refer  to  our  Popular  Literature  in  the  strict  sense  of 
that  term,  and  to  our  Folk  Lore,  which  are  bound  together  by 
very  intimate  ties. 

Li  these  pages  are  gathered  together  and  embodied  (in  a  few 
words)  all  the  latest  discoveries  in  bibliography;  and  I  have 
furnished  in  the  case  of  all  rare  and  important  volumes  the  im- 
print, and  a  collation,  with  a  note  of  tlie  public  repositories  in 
which  they  are  to  be  found. 

Further,  I  have  supplied  what  I  think  it  will  be  granted 
readily  has  been  hitherto  a  want  —  a  catalogue  as  perfect  as 
possible  of  the  works  of  William  Elderton,  Thomas  Deloney, 
Richard  Johnson,  Martin  Parker,  Richard  Tarlton,  Laurence 
Price,  George  Gascoignc,  George  Whetstone,  John  Taylor,  the 
water  poet,  Andrew  Borde,  and  many  other  authors,  whose 
productions  have  been  hitherto  very  imperfectly  described  and 
catalogued. 

Hundreds  of  fugitive  pieces,  broadsides,  and  ballads,  have 
been  indexed  for  the  first  lime,  either  under  general  heads,  or 
under  the  author's  name,  where  his  name  was  known  to  me, 
and  important  additions  have  been  so  made  in  very  numerous 
instances  to  the  list  of  a  man's  writintrs. 


PR  Gascoigne,    George 
2277  Certayne  notes  of 

r,/^  instruction  in  English 

1868  verse 


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