The Complete Works of George Gascoigne :: :: University of Virginia Library

Ytt hathe byn sayd, long synce (now) many a day,
And wilbe said, when I am deade and rott.
Come one to one, and that makes prety playe/
But two to one, can be no equall lott/
For why? the latten, proverbe saith you wott,
Sit quisque similis inter suos,
Ne Hercules enim contra duos./

2

Then how shall I, my selly selfe defende,
Whiche take in hande, this weary woorke to write?
You sawe (erwhylle) how womankynd did bende,
Yt selfe against my muze, wth mayne and might/
You sawe how fast, they flocked for to fight,
Because I said yt Bewty breedeth griefe,
Which is (thinke they) of all oure joyes the chiefe.

3

And now beholde, how men (yea men of might)
Prepare likewise, to beare my muse adowne,
Because yt dares, presume for to endight,
That might (whiche weares of manhood styll ye crowne)
Shoulde subject bee, to fortunes greevous frowne/
Or for I dare, avowe that force and strengthe,
Begynne wth Joy, and ende wth griefe at lengthe.

4

For hast: you herde, was one could skarcely byde,
Tyll I had soong, my laster songe full owt/
You harde how lowde, in Pilatts voyce he cried,
As though his threatts, might dant my muze wth doubt/
You knowe he said, that thoughe I went abowt,
Weake womankynd, with wylines and wordes,
Yet Men are Men, and will abyde no boordes./

541

5

Yea haselwood: for Men are Men indeede/
But shall I saie this one thinge learne of mee,
Soome doughty Dames (beleeve yt as youre creede)
Can be as stowte, as many men can bee/
Nay stowter oft, as men by proofe maye see/
By Jysse I woulde the stowtest man yt wyst,
They mayster all, let us saie what wee lyst.

6

And why should I, (then) feare to tell a truthe,
Who have the mayster of the fielde my frende?
I never shroonke, to shake up lusty youthe/
And youthe is he, whiche strengthe to man must lend/
No no I vowe, though all ye worlde should bend,
Their angry browes, to blott my verse wth blame,
Playne trewthe is that, whiche never yet had shame/

7

And that same treuth, dothe bydd me to demaūde,
Wherefore it is, that men doe boast somuch,
Of strengthe and force? asthough they might com̄aund,
The woorlde thereby, to geve them knee & cruch/
Alas alas, who tryes them by the tuch,
“Shall fynd that when, their might prvayleth moste,
“Yet rewle they not, them selves: for all their boast/

8

And howe should he (then) governe other men,
Who cannot reyne his owne unrewly wyll?
So falles the horse: which never feares the fen̄e,
But neyes and brayes, and rooneth hedlong styll,
Untyll at last, hym selfe in myre hee swyll/
And so fall men, whiche truste unto their strength,
In dangers deepe (in deathe it selfe) at lengthe./

9

“The mighty bones, but heave the harte to highe/
“The harte ons up, the mynde can be but madde/
“And madde mens myndes (by force) from reason fly/
“No sownde advice, nor councell can be had,
“But leave the good, and leane unto the badd,
“This griefe (withe mo) the joyfull force must fynd,
“To coūtercheck, a prowde tryumphyng mynde./

542

10

Withe blades embrewed they woorke theire will sometyms,
Whiche buye that bloode wth doompes of deepe repent/
For Choller cannot, cover wylfull crimes/
Yt roomes forthright where witles will is bent/
But when such will, by wiser wytts is shent,
Att leysure then, yt maye confesse withe mee,
Were better weake, then so (to) stronge to be.

11

“For strongest wightes, attempt the greatest thinges/
“And greatest things, breede deepest danger styll/
“And deepest dangers, be the very springes,
“Where deathe dothe lurke, to woorke his crewell wyll/
“So that owre stronge men, hoppe against the hyll,/
“Whiche hope (by force) from deathe away to gett
“When force (indeed) doth drive them to his nett./

12

I have bene stronge (I thanke my God therefore)
And did therein, rejoyce as most men dyd/
I lept, I ran̄e, I toylde and travailde soore,
My might and mayne, didd covett to be kidd/
But lo: beholde; my mery daies amydd,
One heady deede, my haughty harte did breake,
And since (full oft) I wisht I had bene weake./

13

Abundaunce breedes the Sooreyn of excesse,
And of excesse youe knowe that vice ensewes/
Soe that Mens force, were better to be lesse,
Then by suche force, theire bodies to abuse.
I am (my selfe) to gyllty to accuse,/
“But sure the force, of marow and of might,
“Dothe cause oure fleshe, (oft) sett oure sowles but light/

14

The weakling hee: sitts buzzing at his booke,
Or keepes full close, and loves to lyve in quyett
For lacke of force, hee warely dothe looke,
In every dishe whiche may dysturbe his dyett/
Hee neyther fights, nor roonethe after riott./
But staies his steppes, by meane & measure to,
And longer lyves, then many stronge men do./

543

15

Mylo was stronge, and few men stronger founde
But many wyser, and, muche more esteemdd/
For every greate thing going on the grownde,
Ys nott therefore, the better alwaies deemd./
Thes Oliphants (in tyme past) peereles seemd,
Because theire sturdy joyntes did seldome bowe,
But smaller beastes can overcome them nowe./

16

And what greate good, gott Milo by his strengthe,
Although in games, he gayned somtymes a gawde?
A smalle clefte oke, gan holde hym fast at lengthe,
Untyll wth beasts, hee were bothe champt & chawed/
Yea Hercules, whose might was never awed,
By womans wyles (yet) weakely lost his lyfe/
“Suche toyes (to tame the strongest men) are ryfe.

17

“For fortune fights not as thes fencers doe,
“Withe equall blades, or weapones of assise/
“But markes her tyme, and takes her vaūtage to,
“And in awaite, full waryly Shee lyees/
“Yea when Shee lyst, Shee can suche blowes devise,
“As (unawares) doe give some sodeyne patt,
“And overthrowe, a Gyant wth a gnatt./

18

Greate laboure doth, deminish greatest force,
And darke dysease, decreasethe strength as fast/
When bothe thes fayle, the mightiest massy corps,
Ys daūnted downe, wth Ages Axe at last/
So that when wightest wrastlyng tricks be past,
Coomes crooked Eldd, and geves a selly trypp,
Tyll from deathes foote, no stowrdy strong can skypp/

19

But I am strong (saythe one of Mylos mates)
Yea stronge (so strong) as never yet had peare/
Yes yes forsothe/ who so the trewthe debates,
Shall finde that (who dothe most surpasse his pheare,
And of mankynd is strongest deemed here)
To many beasts, inferior yet shalbe/
What glory then, by all his force getts hee?/

544

20

Ytt were a boast, muche meeter for thes bulls,
Thes Beares, thes bores, and such like boystrows beasts/
“For vertue keepes, her closett in owre skulles,
“And coomes but seldome in great noddyes nests/
“Shee leves greate loompes of fleshe, for follyes feasts/
“And shrowdes her selfe, full close within ye mynde,
“Yn bloode and bones, Shee lyttle place dothe fynde./

21

A pondrows packe, of to muche fleshe dothe clogge/
A nemble mynde, wch (els) might leape full light./
Or at the least, yt setts the harte on gogg,
And makes the body headlong rōne owtright,
Untill all vertue vanishe owt of sight/
“Trew tale is this: who trusts to clyme by bones
“Shall seldome sitt, aloft by lofty ones./

22

Then take wee heede, that (trusting to this stay)
The staffe breake nott, and so wee catche a fall/
For Surcuydrie can drowne in deepe decaye,
The highest harte, that ever yet seemd tall/
Oftymes men take in hande to tosse a ball,
Which withe a bownde, dothe lende thēselves a blowe,
And makes the lofty crowche and lye full lowe./

23

Tell mee but this, what mighty man hathe powre,
To drive Sr deathe, one furlong from his doore?
What yowthe so strong, as to prolong his hower?
Or who can salve, Sr surfetts festring soore?
Ys yt not trewe, that moyling more and more,
Awake, on sleepe, att ease, or bating breathe,
Wee steale (by steppes) unto the gates of deathe?

24

Yf this be so, thē strengthe maye well delaye,
The daies of payment, but the debte remaynes/
And crookednes, oure creditor will stay,
Tyll att the lengthe, he have his owne withe gaynes/
Yea shall I saye? he will (for brokers paynes)
Make might and mayne, paye feblenes & fayle,
Yea lyfe at last, when quycke & queaving quayle./

545

25

For as the tree that straighte & tallest growes,
Is soonest soūght, and felde to buylde the bowre,
So strongest wyghtes, doe gett the greatest blowes,
And soonest learne, repentaunce of theire power/
“All thinges on earthe, must learne to knowe one howre/
“(I meane one ende), but soome come sooner to yt,
“And some delaye, though yet at last they do yt/

26

“At last they dye, who thought longe tyme to lyve,
“At last they fade, whiche seemed freshe and fayre,
“At last they yeelde, wch (withe their strengthe) did strive
“And downe they fall, owt of theire stately chayre/
“They must descende, (but by unequall stayre)
“For he that clombe, as soft as snayles can slyde,
“Com̄es headlong downe, and maye no longer byde.

27

Man̄es mynde except, I see no sure acoūpt,
(Nor all mennes mynds, I recken in this ranke)
Whiche maie presume, in height of Joyes to moūt/
For all things els, maye quickly breake theire banke/
They take muche paynes, and yet deserve small thanke/
“But sure man̄es mynde, yf yt be just and good,
“Ys muche more worthe, then mighty bones and bloode./

28

Yet trust who list, in puysaūce or in power,
I cannot force, all fancies to my mynde/
The sweete it selfe, shall teache them what is sowre,
When least shall lacke, as muche as most would fynde/
The best, or worst, bydes ever styll behynde/
Then lett the strongest (ere his force be past)
Remember styll but Miloes end at last./

29

And let hym thynke, that right against hym stand
Bothe Age and deathe, withe weapons redy bent/
For Age before comes leading on her hande,
A thowsand sores wch deathe to her hathe lent/
And deathe hymselfe, (when all those speares are spent)
Comes creping on alonely withe a darte,
And therewith styckes the strongest striving harte.

546

30

Yea in meane while, volupteows toyes do fight,
Withe staves as strong, as age or death almost
And though they beare not weapons in or sight,
But florishe fayre, and make a gallant boast,
Yet when owr strength dothe trust upon them most,
And least regardes, to fend yt selfe therefro,
They turne owre Joyes, into a worlde of wo.

31

To glorye then, in thinges so lyttle worthe
Ys (peacocklyke) to prinke in strangers plumes/
Synce all the force, that nature bringeth forthe,
Ys not owre owne, (for all owre freakes and fumes)
Yt coomes withe tyme, and eke withe tyme consumes/
And he (in tyme) wch dyd the same us lende,
At all tymes woulde, yt shoulde for his be kende.

32

Well: make an ende, and marke what erst I sayed,
Of yowthe and Bewtye, eche in theire degree,
The same might here in order well be layd,
To prove howe frayle, the freutes of forces bee/
For where thyngs lyke, (in every poynt) wee see,
There lyke (lykewise) the sequell and effect,
Must followe needes, in every right respect.

33

And for advyse, I saye no more but soe,
Who bostethe most, of body styffe and strong,
Lett hym fooresee, that in his mynde eke growe,
A manly thought to marche the rest among/
“For (lett mee crave a pardon for my song)
“A cowards harte is never playner spyed,
“Then when it dothe, in strongest bones abyde.

34

This verse I venter thoughe I herde one vaunt,
As men were Gyants and woulde beare no jest/
But yett you see, his threatnyngs could not daūt,
My manly Muze, nor make my penn to rest/
My selfe am bygg, and therefore thought I best,
To shewe some lofty cowrage in my writt,
Ells some might say my bowlts my selfe dyd hytt.

547

35

Be as be maye, the matter is not greate,
A glancyng blowe, can make no greevous wounde/
But let me yett this sentence ones repeate,
“Inconstaunt Joyes, withowte grief are not fownde
Yf that be soe, was never force so sownde,
But sodeyne chaūce coulde chopp yt quytt in sonder!/
Yf stryfe breake strengthe (then) who can coūpt yt wonder?/

36

Now he that loves mee, lett hym give me drinke,
I am so dry, that I can sing no more/
And in the cupp I will my selfe bethinke,
What force and strengthe are surest evermore/
I have yt, I/ lett syng yt owt therefore/
“The harts and love, of people more & lesse,
“Are powre (Saūs peere) who so the same posesse.

37

Nay then coōme Queene & clayme your dew indeede/
For then the greatest, strongest, stowtest mann,
That ever yet, sprong owt of Adames seede,
Cannot compare, as my good Pryncesse can/
Synce Shee it is, whose might and mercie wāne,
The love longe synce, of all bothe highe and lowe,
And holdes them styll, and wyll not lett them go./

38

Thus whyle I dranke, I lyfte the cupp so highe,
That in the bottome sawe I wrytten fayre,
Gascoigne thi Muze is taken withe a lye,
Synce force of love, no fortune can empayre,
And since thy Queene dothe sitt in Trewloves chayre/
No force: I coūpt yt neyther Synne nor shame,
To lye (alight) for love of suche a Dame.

Finis.

TAM Marti quam Mercurio.