University of Virginia Library

To Iccius.

On Agrippes goodes in Sicilie
which thou hast in thy hande,
If (Iccie) how to vse them well
thou wouldest vnderstand,
I cannot see how Ioue himselfe
coulde geue the better store.
Do waye therefore thy practysde plaintes,
bemone thy selfe no more.
For he that hath the vse of goodes,
cannot be iudged poore.
If that thy bellie, sydes, and feete,
and all thy partes be well,
Not wealth of kinges can adde to owght
that doth this wealth excell.
If that midst all these present goodes,
thou bibliste not at wine,
But arte contente with erbes and rootes
to set the downe and dyne:
This dare I say thou lyuest harde,
to get the coine in houlde.
That fortune liquide ryuer straighte
might turne the into goulde.
Or, that moneye should seme to chaung,
thy nature but a small,
Or that thou dost thinke abstinence
surmountinge pleasures al.
It is no maruaile if that he
let bease eate vp his corne,
Whilste that his mynde contemplatinge,
on pilgramage was borne:
For thou this drosse, vneasefull drosse
doste sette but little by,
No small wyseman, as it shoulde seeme,
thou hast thy mynde on hye.
What stayes the seas from drowning all.
what orders all the yeares:
If planettes meue them selues, or els
are wrounge aboute in spheres:
Why is the moone now bright now darke,
what to hir roundnes bringes:
What meanes, what doth the great conflict,
the striuing peace of thinges:
Empedocles, or Sartyues pate,
which of the twaine dothe dote:
Thus arte thou ofte tymes occupied,
or shouldest be I wote.
Fishe, garlicke, onions what it be,
thou vseste for to eate:
I praie the of thy coortesie
do Grosphus well intreate.
Thers not the thinge that is not good
that he will of the craue,
The good man hath the fieweste frindes,
when he moste needes to haue.
Leaste thou beeste ignoraunte what is
as now our Romanes state,
The folke of Bisca, by Agrip,
th' Armenianes, of late,
By Nero were discumfited:
Phraates tooke his mace,
Kneeling vppon his marribones,
to Cesars aufull grace.
The goulden Lady plentie hath.
let fal out of her horne
Such store of graine, as Italie
hath seldom had like corne.