University of Virginia Library

To Lollius.

I haue perusde at Preneste him
(frind Lollie greate of fame)
That pende Troies broyles, whilste thou at Rome
didste practyse to declame.
Who, what proffits, whats good, whats bad,
(and verye feelde doth slip)
Dothe better tell, and more at full,
then Crantor or Crysipp.
Why I so thincke, (if leasure let)
lende me thy listninge eare.
The hystorye of Parys loue,
(for which as we do heare
Greate Greece empayred verye sore,
which wreakinge Parys sinnes
Did wayne awaye with ten yeares fighte
prolongde by lingeringe twynnes)
Of foolishe kinges and foolishe folke
conteynes a fumishe flame.
Antenor would haue compremize
to cut awaye the same.
What saies our Parys? what sayes he?
compell him shall theire none
To cease to bathe in worldlye blis,
and flow in ioy alone.
Duke Nestor sillie carkinge segge
the tempeste to appease
He cummes, and goes, twixte king of

Agamenon

men
and awfull Achilles.
The kinge for loue, both twayne for ire
are in a chafinge fitte,
What so the princes dote in lyfe,
the commons smarte for it.
Throughe treason crafte, mischiefe, and luste,
through wrothe of stomacke stowte,
Theye spare no sinne within Troye walles,
nor none they spare without.
Againe, how virtue, and a witte
at all assayes can ease
The Poet made a mirror in
the wittie Vlixes.
Who taminge Troye, the manors, and
the cities wyselye viewd
Of manye men: (for him and his
whilste he through vaste sea rude,
Did shape returne) who though he bore
ful manye a bitter shower,
Yet had the aduerse waues of him,
no soueraintie, or power.
Thou knowst ye mearemades sweete recordes,
dame Circes charminge cup,
Whereon if he like to the reste
had once assayde to sup,
Fylthie and fonde, a strumpettes slaue,
subiecte to hir desyer
Then had he bene, a dogge vncleane,
and sowe, the frinde to myer.
We are a sorte of lubbers, bred
to helpe to eate vp corne,
Righte wooers of Penelopie,
knaues, Parasytes forlorne,
A youth but to well practysed
in makinge of a feste,
To sleepe to twelue a clocke at noone,
we thincke it but a ieste.
And when as we are couchde in bed,
we heare the minstrells play,
With twanging of an instrumente,
to chase our dumpes away.
Theues ryse at all tymes of the nighte
to murder, and to quell.
Wilte thou not breake thy deathlyke sleepe,
to kepe the sounde and well?
If thou neglecte forecastinge still
for to enioy thy health,
Take heade, for dropsies breede of slowthe,
all sodainlye by stealth.
If at day breake with candle lighte,
thou buskle not at booke,
If thou to sum good exercyse,
or studie do not looke,
In loue, or malice shalte thou plunge,
Yea, thoughe thou be awake.
A little mote out of thyne eye
why doste thou haste to take?
If oughte there be that noyes thy minde
moste parte thou arte contente
Or thou begin to cure the same
to seeke an whole yeare spente.
The facte begun, tonehalfe is done,
be wyse and take good harte:
Begin: who so dryues of good deedes,
he playes the farmers part,
Who will not ouerslip the brooke
whilste that the water fall.
The water runnes, and kepes his course,
and ever kepe it shall.
Men seeke for moneie, and a wyfe,
fruitfull, and freshe of hewe:
The earth vndreste, with shredding share,
the husbandmen subdew:
He that hath once sufficient,
let him wishe for no more:
Not howse nor groue, nor yet of gould,
or siluer ample store
Can rid the owners crasie corpes
fro fellon shaking feuer.
Nor can the mynd of man from carke,
(for al their vigor) seuer:
That owner needes must healthfull bee,
and other men excel,
Which hauing riches competent,
doth cast to vse theim well.
The wisshinge, and the tremblinge chuffe
his house and good doth please,
As portraytures the poreblind eyes,
as bathes, the gowtie ease.
As musicke dothe delite the eares
With matter stuffde, and sore.
The vessels sowers what so it takes
if it be fowle before
Do, way delite, for pleasure bowghte
with payne annoyes in th' ende.
The Carle wantes aye, let thou thy drift
to no excesse extende.
Th' enuiouse foole doth pine away
at others happie state,
The tyrfants of Sicilia
did finde nothing to grate
Their gawles so much, as enuie did.
who can not staie his ire
Shall wishe vndone which teene bad do,
and wilful fonde desyre.
Ire is shorte wrathe, rule thow thy moode.
if it do not obey,
It rules forthwith, it thou with bitte,
it thou with chaine must stay,
The plyante steede of tender necke,
the horsekeper doth tame,
To marche forth lightly where him list:
further, to proue the same,
The hounde which doth commence his game
with opening at the skin,
Doth practise pursuite at the beast
and length through ferne and finne.
Then children leane your hartes to lore,
the best thinges eeke imbrase
What iuse (looke) first bemoysts a shel,
the shel therof a space,
A longe space wil reteyne the tast:
But if thou slack or stay:
Or if thou beist to forwerd ells,
and run to fast away:
I tarye for no trewands, I,
which from their studies slacke,
And those that wil vauntcurrers be
Not I wil draw theim backe.