University of Virginia Library

COMMENDATORY VERSES

GEORGE GASCOIGNE Squire in commendation of this booke.

The pearle of price, which englishmē have sought
So farre abrode, and cost them there so dere
Is now founde out, within our contrey here
And better cheape, amongst us may be bought
I meane the frenche: that pearle of pleasant speeche
Which some sought far, & bought it with their lives
With sickenesse some, yea some with bolts & gyves
But all with payne, this peerelesse pearle did seeche:
Now Holyband (A frendly frenche in deede)
Hath tane such payne, for everie english ease
That here at home, we may this language learne:
And for the price, he craveth no more meede
But thākeful harts, to whome his perles may please
Oh thank him thē, that so much thank doth earne.

George Gascoigne, in the commendation of the noble Arte of Venerie.

As God himselfe declares, the life of man was lent,
Bicause it should (with feare of him) in gladsome wise be spent.
And Salomon doth say, that all the rest is vaine,
Unlesse that myrth and merie cheere, may follow toile and paine.
If that be so in deede, what booteth then to buylde
High towers & halles of stately port, to leave an unknown child?
Or wherefore hoord we heapes of coyne and worldly wealth,
Whiles therwithall that caytif care, cōmes creeping in by stelth?
The needie neighbors grudge to see the rychman thryve,
Such malice worldly mucke doth breede in every man alyve.
Contention commes by coyne, and care doth contecke sew,
And sodeine death by care is caught, all this you know is true.
Since death is then the end, which all men seeke to flye,
And yet are all men well aware, that Man is borne to dye,
Why leade not men such lives, in quiet comely wise,
As might with honest sport & game, their worldly minds suffise?
Amongst the rest, that game, which in this booke is taught,
Doth seeme to yeld as much content, as may on earth be sought.
And but my simple Muze, both myrth and meane mistake,
It is a meane of as much mirth, as any sport can make.
It occupies the mynde, which else might chaunce to muse
On mischiefe, malice, filth and fraudes, that mortall men do use.
And as for exercise, it seemes to beare the bell,
Since by the same, mens bodies be, in health mainteyned well.
It exercyseth strength, it exercyseth wit,
And all the poars and sprites of Man, are exercised by it,
It shaketh off all slouth, it presseth downe all pryde,
It cheres the hart, it glads the eye, & through the ears doth glyde.
I might at large expresse how earely huntsmen ryse
And leave the sluggish sleepe for such, as leachers lust devyse.
How true they tread their steps, in exercises traine,
Which frisking flings & lightbraind leaps, may seeme always to staine.
Howe appetite is bred (with health) in homely cates,
While Surfet sits in vaine excesse, & Banquet breeds debates.
How cries of well mouthd hounds, do countervaile the cost,
Which many a man (beyond his reach) on instruments hath lost.
How setting of Relayes, may represent the skyll,
Which souldiours use in Embushes, their furious foes to kyll.
How Foxe and Badgerd both, make patterns (in their denne)
Of Plotformes, Loopes, and Casamats, devisde by warlike men.
How fighting out at Bay, of Hart, Bucke, Goate, or Bore,
Declares the valiant Romains death, when might may do no more.
How sight of such delights, doth scorne all common showes,
Of Enterludes, of Tumblers tricks, of antikes, mocks, & mowes.
And how the nimble Hare, by turning in hir course,
Doth plainly prove that Pollicie, sometime surpasseth force.
The Venson not forgot, most meete for Princes dyshe:
All these with more could I rehearse, as much as wit could wyshe.
But let these few suffice, it is a Noble sport,
To recreate the mindes of Men, in good and godly sort.
A sport for Noble peeres, a sport for gentle bloods,
The paine I leave for servants such, as beate the bushie woods
To make their masters sport. Then let the Lords rejoyce,
Let gentlemen beholde the glee, and take thereof the choyce.
For my part (being one) I must needes say my minde,
That Hunting was ordeyned first, for Men of Noble kinde.
And unto them therefore, I recommend the same,
As exercise that best becōmes, their worthy noble name.

George Gascoigne To the reader of this Booke.

To salve a sore, with oyntment, oyle, or balme,
Deserves (no doubt) reward and thanke alwayes.
With drogues or drāmes, to cure a sickely qualme,
Deserves (likewyse) a palme of perfect prayse:
But when mens mindes, (with mothes of secret mone)
Are frett and frownst: When cankerwormes of care,
Consume the hart, tyll hope of health be gone,
Then comfort craves, both thankes and prayses rare.
For looke howmutch, the mynde of man surmountes,
Our bloud and bones, whych are (indeede) but drosse,
Somutch the wyse, that comfort most accoumptes,
Whych helpes the hart whom tyringe troubles tosse.
Then let this woorcke, due thankes, and prayses finde,
Whose Text doth teach, true comfortes for the mynde.

A PROPHETICAL SONET of the same George Gascoine, upon the commendable travaile which Sir Humfrey Gilbert hath disclosed in this worke.

Men praise Columbus for the passing skil
Which he declared, in Cosmographie,
And nam'd him first (as yet we cal him stil)
The 2. Neptune, dubd by dignity.
Americus Vesputius, for his paine,
Neptune the 3. ful worthely was named,
And Magellanus, by good right did gaine,
Neptune the 4. ful fitly to be famed.
But al those three, and al the world beside,
Discovered not, a thing of more emprice,
Then in this booke, is learnedly descride,
By vertue of my worthie friendes device.
Yf such successe, to him (as them) then fall,
Neptune the 5. we justly may him call.