University of Virginia Library

AVSONIVS.

An exhortation vnto modestie.

Men say, that Kyng Agathocles
once fed in potters plate:
And charged ofte with Samian claie,
his Tables where he sate.
Mong which his chargers all of Golde,
he serued in would see:
And so together he would minge,
his pride and pouertee.
Whereof this cause he gaue. Lo I
possessyng princely place
Of Cicil: late was sonne vnto
a Potter poore and base.
Learne hence your roomes to reuerence ye
that clime to honour fast,
And begger brought to honours seate,
remember what thou wast.

Of the Picture of Rufus, a vaine Rhethorician.

The Rhethoricians statue this,
that Rufus had to name:
Looke euen what Rufus was hymselfe,
this Image is the same.
Tongles and witles, cold and deafe,
a stone that can not see:
A Rufus right: one difference yet,
more soft was Rufus he.

Of a woman that would haue poysoned her husbande.

A Wife , a wicked woman that
a noughtie life did liue,
Unto her iealous husband did
foule filthy poyson giue.
She demyng that alone, not of
sufficient force to be
To rid hym quicklie: longing sore
his quick dispatche to see,
Quickesiluer with the poyson mings,
demyng of both the force,
Would quickly bring hym to his graue,
and make hym soone a corse.
These parted, poyson strong do make,
(What man the same would think)
But put together they preserue,
Who so thereof doth drinke.
Now while together twixt themselues,
these poysons both doe striue:
He voyds from hym the deadly bane,
and so remaines aliue:
What care hoth God on earthly soules?
he dead reuiueth man.
And when the fates will haue it so,
two poysons proffit can.

To one that painted Eccho.

Thou wiltles wight, what meanes this mad intent,
To draw my face and forme, vnknowne to thee?
What meanst thou so for to molesten mee?
Whom neuer eye beheld, nor man could see.
Daughter to talkyng tongue, and ayre am I,
My mother nothyng is when thinges are wayde,
I am a voyce without the bodies ayde.
When all the tale is tolde and sentence saide,
Then I recite the latter ende afreshe,
In mockyng sort and counterfayting wise:
Within your eares my chefest harbour lies,
There doe I wonne, not seen with mortall eyes.
And more to tell and farther to proceede,
I Eccho hight of men below in ground:
If thou wilt draw my counterfet indeede,
Then must thou paint (O Painter) but a sound.

An Epitaphe of Anitia.

The thynges that many yeres,
can scantly bryng about,
Anitia hath accomplisht, yet
not fullie twentie out.
An infante she hath suckt, a maide
she quickly fell in loue:
She linkt, conceiude, brought forth, & did
the pangs of child-birthe proue,
And made a mother, now at laste,
death hence did her remoue.
Who rightly can the fates accuse?
she liued hath the yeres,
Eche ages function to performe,
as plaine by proofe apperes.

Of a Hare taken by a Dog-fishe.

The sentyng hounds pursude,
the hastie Hare of foote:
The selie beast to scape the Dogges,
did iumpe vppon a roote:
The rotten scrag it burste,
from cliffe to Seas he fell:
Then cride the Hare, vnhappie me,
for now perceiue I well
Bothe lande and sea pursue,
and hate the hurtlesse Hare:
And eke the dogged skie alofte,
if so the dog be theare.

Of Miron an old dottrell, that would haue lyen with Lais.

Old Miron, Lais wanton wenche
to lye with hym, besought:
Fine Lais she, did put hym backe
and set his sute at nought.
He knowyng sure it was his age,
that she did so dispise:
His hoarie head (all ouer straght)
with blackyng darke he dies.
And so with wonted visage he,
but not with wonted heare
For to renue his wonted sute,
goes to his Lays deare.
But she comparyng head of his
and face together well:
Perchaunce this same is Miron myne
quoth she: I can not tell.
So she (vncertaine what he was)
disposde to sport and plaie:
In daliyng wise thus gan she speake
and to her louer saie:
Why foolishe fellowe fonde quoth she,
why doest thou this require?
The thyng thou doest demaunde of me,
I earst denied thy sire.

Translated out of twoo Greeke authors: Plato and Scatilius.

A wretched caitiffe, in dispaire,
went foorth with throtlyng corde
To make a waie hymself: by hap
he founde a golden hoarde:
He ioyfull twas his happie chaunce,
this hidden hoarde to finde:
Forsooke his purpose, tooke the gold
and left the rope behinde.
The owner when he came, and sawe
from thence his ruddocks refte:
For sorrowe hunge hym self with rope,
that there behinde was lefte.

Of Venus in armour.

Dame Pallas Ladie Venus vewde,
clad braue in armour bright:
Let Paris iudge (come on quoth she)
together let vs fight.
See, see, quoth Venus how she brags:
a proude disdainfull dame:
Thou knowst I smocklesse conquerd thee,
peace Pallas, fie for shame.

The same otherwise.

In compleate Pallas sawe,
the Ladie Venus stande:
Who saied, let Paris now be Iudge,
encounter we with hande.
Replide the Goddesse: what?
skornste thou in armour me:
That naked erst in Ida mount,
so foild and conquerd thee?

Of the picture of Rufus a vaine Rhethoritian, of whom there is an Epigram before.

This Rufe his Table is,
can nothyng be more true:
If Rufus holde his peace, this peece
and he are one to vewe.

Of the picture of the same Rufus.

With visage faire, that can not speake,
wouldst knowe what one I am?
I Marrie: I am Rufus he
the Rhethoritian.
What, can not Rufus speake hym self?
he can not: tell me why?
The Image of this Image, for
he is hym self perdie.

Of the Table wherein Rufus was painted.

The portrature of Rufe this is,
whiche here you see:
Muche like the same in deede: hym self
but where is he?
Hym self in stately chaire is plast:
what doeth he there?
Naught els but what you see hym doe
in Table here.

Of the picture of kyng Cræsus, translated out of the first booke of Greke Epigrams.

Thy picture Cræsus kyng that didst
for riches all excell:
Unciuill rude Diogines
behelde beneth in hell.
And vewyng it aloofe, he laught
as though his harte would breake:
At laste (when he had laught his fill,)
he thus began to speake.
O foolishe Cræsus, what auailes
now all thy paultrie pelfe?
Sith now thou poorer art, then poore
Diogines hym self.
For what was myne I bars with me,
when selie Cræsus poore
Thou penilesse didst packe from hence,
for all thy hugy store.

Of the drinke Dodra: Which is made of nine thinges.

I Dodra hight: How so? nine thinges
do go to makyng mine:
Which they? ioyce, water, hony bread,
spice, hearbes, salt, oyle and wine.

Against tvvo sisters of diuers conditions.

We muse and maruell Delia muche,
(and that with cause) to see
That there suche difference is betwixt,
thy sister she and thee.
She chaste doth seeme (vnchaste indeede)
because of her araie:
Thou chast indeede, dost seeme vnchast,
for garments thine so gay.
Though thou be spotles pure in life,
thoug she haue honest weedes:
Yet garments thyne dishonest thee,
and her her noughtie deedes.

Of a sluggard.

The luske in health is worser farre,
then he that keepes his bed:
Tis twise so much that he deuoures
of beare, of beafe and bread.

Of the riche and poore man.

He is not riche which plenty doth posces:
Ne is he poore, that nothing hath at all:
And of them both the pooremās nede is lesse,
as by the sequel proued see you shal.
The riche of Precious stones doth stande in neede:
the poore of graine to helpe hym in distres:
So sith the poore & riche both want, indeede
of both their nedes ye poremās nede is lesse.

Of his deare deceased.

Three graces fayre there were: but while
my Lesbia did remaine
Foure were there: and now she is gone,
there are but three agayne.