University of Virginia Library

Of Hospitalitie.

Non eadem est ætas.

Thou thing out of Request, for vnto thee,
That was an honour to our Auncestrie,
The poore mans Supportresse, Trauellers Repose,
To thee will I my sorrows now disclose;
For well I know (if any good there be)
Their very hearts doe bleed with griefe for thee.
Where be those many Officers thou had,
'Las they'r discarded and may run starke mad,
But nere be pittied, a flout or mocke
Is their Salute, their stoue a whipping stocke;
Their wages lashes, their repast bare Platters,
Their wine, pure Conduit-Renish, garments, tatters.
O thou that once (by Times eternall Storie)
Was clept our Ilands port, our Englands glorie:
Thou that by thy strong family kept out,
Iack Straw, Wat Tyler, and that rabble rout
Of factious Noualists who sought t'infest,
By their distempred heads, our Countries rest;
Thou that supprest such tumults by thy hand,
As menaced the quiet of our Land;
How art thou vanisht, or where art become,
That thou doest keepe so seldome times at home?
Way-faring men, when they but chanc't to looke,
Were glad at heart, to see thy Chymneys smooke.
When now as I and many more suppose,
Thy Chymney-smoke is turned to thy Nose.
Yea, such as vs'd by thee to take repast,
May sooner breake their neck then breake their fast.
But whence proceedes this threatning miserie?
From thee (thou curse of Albyon) Vsurie;
Soule-rankling Poyson, State-deuouring sinne.
That makes dice on mens bones, and fleas their skin.
Thou lay'st vnhallowed fist on each estate,
And makes the poore come cursing to thy gate;
Thou ruines walled townes, and thee't doth please
To turne great houses into cottages.
There's none (for thee) can reape content in life
Not from the Prince vnto the Oyster wife.
It's thou layes hold vpon each familie,
Seazing on persons of all qualities.
For where's the May game, and the Morice dance,
The auncient Blew-coate, and his cognisance;
Where's those Black-iacks which vsed were at first
For the way-faring man to quench his thirst?
Vanisht, they'r vanisht: where? to the Court,
Beleeue me (poore-men) I am sorrie for't.
For pittie is it, that a place so great,
Should (of Reliefe) our needie people cheate.
Thus Hospitalitie is banisht cleere,
Betwixt the Court, and th'damned Vsurer;
It's rare to see a man of Worship ride,
With more then one poore Lackie at his side;
Or if he haue a man or two at most,
He couenants for feare of too much cost,
That each of them (so niggardly's the Elfe)
Should be at charges to maintaine himselfe.
And sure me thinkes, these Great-men that retyre,
As I may say, vnto an other's fire;
Shutting vp house, and all, that who should looke
That way, should scarcely see a Chymney smooke:
Might become rich: for why, they nought bestow,
Their meanes be great, the rate they liue at, low;
Small's their attendance, slender is their port,
And shut their Buttery-hatch to barre resort.
But why should I thinke so? as they from th'poore
Hold backe their hand, the Lord holds back his store.
That Widdow of Sarepta (as we reade)
Had still her Arke with meale replenished;
And th'more she gaue, she still receiu'd the more,
For God encreas'd her much-decreased store.
But Naball that rich Churle, who denide
To giue to Dauid, seeming to deride
This zealous King, with who is Dauid say,
That I should giue my coine and meate away?
What end had he? He was depriu'd of all,
His state, his store, his life, his Abigall.
And he, whom Naball did deride before,
Became the sole possessour of his store.
“For he that liuing will not th'poore reward,
“Shall be enforc't to giue it afterward.
But vnto thee my Muse addresseth first,
(And heauen forbid I blesse what God hath curst)
Who doest consume the Sun-shine of thy dayes
In damn'd Oppression, and all workes delayes
Of Charitie, and Almes-workes till death
And desolation choake thy corrupt breath.
Thou Earth-mould thou, who as it seemes to me,
Hadst thy beginning from that Familie
Of th'Braucadori, which in Florence are,
Extorting Bankers, and so Named were,
(Because the Word if rightly vnderstood)
Signifies scrape Gold (or in briefe) scrape-Good.
It's thou my Muse shall freely reprehend,
Beginning fresh, when seeming at an end;
And heauen I wish, that it were put to me,
What punishment should be infflict on thee.
For then (be sure) of what degree or sort,
So ere thou wer't, that I would plague thee for't.
Yea in an auncient Cannon reade we shall,
This ranke denied Christian Buriall.
So as their Bones were neuer to be found,
Interr'd in any part of holy Ground.
And true it is (for th'Reason is allow'd)
That the confused rout and multitude
Of Lawyers and Physitians, which are bred,
(Like Horse flies) from a State distempered,
Are signes of ill-disposed Bodies, sure,
And long's that State not likely to endure.
Yea, of these two, I know not whether's worse,
To purge the bodie, or to purge the purse:
Both strange distempers breed: whence it is meant
A Clyent is his Lawyers Patient.
But th'Number of our grating Vsurers,
Their Factors, and those eare markt Scriuiners;
While they within our Country are remaining
Show a disease that's fatall 'mongst vs raigning.
But hast I must, and passe from Vsurie,
The greatest foe to Hospitalitie:
And speake a word or two vnto the Court,
Showing those wrongs she doth the poorer sort.
Thou Princely Seate, whose bountie like a streame
Should water each drie corner of our Realme;
Harbour not such, as should themselues expresse
By giuing harbour to the harborlesse.
Let them not there haue any residence,
But banish them (thou starre of honour) thence:
That in their Country they may once appeare.,
Such good House-keepers as their Fathers were.
This done, thou shalt bring glorie to thy Court,
And needfull Soules relieu'd shall blesse thee for't.