Emblemes and Epigrames :: :: University of Virginia Library

My yonge and youthfull yeares,
that once drewe forth my life
In pleasant game of ffancies trayne,
where pleasures all were rife,
Haue nowe forsaken quite
their ould and wonted trade;
My strength is gone, my mirth is past,
my wantonn daies doe fade.

ffor where I often vsed,
amongst the Courtlie sort,
In Idle play, through bewties hue,
with loving talke to sport,
Nowe am I shakenn of,
My faltring tongue doth staye,
Vntimelie thoughts of such mishapp
hath worne such toyes awaye,
And I must rest at home,
lock'd from my pleasures paste;
They scorne me nowe whome I disdaind:
this is my fall at laste.
ffrom Court to cart I flye,
a longe but easie leppe;
I liste noe more with glosinge speech
on fortunes wheele to stepp.
She did advance me once,
to throwe me downe againe,
But through her spite and my good happ
more quiet I attaine.
The little shrubbs that growe
hard by the tender grasse,
Abide the force of blusteringe winde,
when greater trees doe crashe.
The lowe and meane estate
is surest thinge, I finde;
The Courtlie life vnstedfast is,
more fleeting than the winde.
There spend they all they haue,
and more, if need require;
They gape for this, they watch for that,
they followe ech desire.
They frowne vpon their frends,
and fawne vpon there foes;
They envie all the favored,
they scorne the mann in woes;

They presse vpon the prince,
they glose for hope of gayne;
they hate the wise, they ride the fooles,
they laughe and loue in vaine.
They seeke with greatest shewe
for to maintaine their route;
They pinche and spare, they carke and muse,
to bringe the same about.
Thus, vnder all this shewe
and troope of goulden sights,
They doe possesse vnrestfull daies
and thowsand woefull nights.
ffore loe, this goulden miserie,
as I doe finde, is naught,
But highe disdaine Ioynd with distresse
and manie mourning thought.
Wheras my Cuntrye life,
which nowe I take in hand,
Bringes quiet rest, a carelesse minde,
it needes noe lustie band.
Wee envie noe estate,
wee loue the porest sorte;
We lavishe not Ill gotten goods,
wee keepe a meaner port.
Wee spend as reason bidds,
wee entertaine our frend
In honnest state; and when you lack,
then must wee seeme to lend;
which is farr better case,
at neede allwaies to haue,
Then for to spend without a reine,
and then haue need to craue.
Our garments are not gaye,
our garners haue the more;
wee seeke noe statelie halls, nor hante
the Princes Court therfore,

But live in pore estate,
more quiet in our brest
Then those whome dailie service doth
procure soe much vnrest.
Wee passe the silent night
with his vnbroken sleepe;
Wee ease our heavie minde with mirth;
of loue wee take noe keepe.
I therfore flie the presse
and troope of Courtlie trayne
And scorne their pride that scorne my fall,
to rest from restles payne.
I leaue the Courtlie life
to those that skillesse are,
And hedlonge runn by others harms,
that soone will not beware.
My cottage doth content
my well contented minde;
My wantoun yowth is gone, and nowe
grave thoughts in hedd I finde.
Thus well I tried haue,
that my mishappe hath wrought,
More quiet state for my behoofe
then I had ever thoughte.
In happie tyme, therefore,
I banishd such a life,
where no thinge certaine maie be found,
where all things are but strife.
Thus, carefull Court, farwell!
and wellcome Cuntrie state,
where thow shalt live at quiet rest
from all envyenge hate.