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A choice of emblemes, and other devises

For the moste part gathered out of sundrie writers, Englished and Moralized. And divers newly devised, by Geffrey Whitney. A worke adorned with varietie of matter, both pleasant and profitable: Wherein those that please, maye finde to fit their fancies: Bicause herein, by the office of the eie, and the eare, the minde maye reape dooble delighte throughe holsome preceptes, shadowed with pleasant deuises: both fit for the vertuous, to their incoraging: and for the wicked, for their admonishing and amendment

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141

Perfidus familiaris.

To G. B. Esquier.
While throughe his foes, did boulde Brasidas thruste,
And thought with force, their courage to confounde:
Throughe targat faire, wherein he put his truste,
His manlie corpes receau'd a mortall wounde.
Beinge ask'd the cause, before he yeelded ghoste:
Quoth hee, my shielde, wherein I trusted moste.
Euen so it happes, wee ofte our bayne doe brue,
When ere wee trie, wee trust the gallante showe:
When frendes suppoas'd, do prooue them selues vntrue,
When Sinon false, in Damons shape dothe goe:
Then gulfes of griefe, doe swallowe vp our mirthe,
And thoughtes ofte times, doe shrow'd vs in the earthe.
All is not goulde that glittereth to the eye:
Some poison stronge, a sugred taste doth keepe;
The crabbe ofte times, is beautifull to see.
The Adder fell, within the flowers doth creepe:
The brauest tombe, hath stinking bones within:
So fawninge mates, haue alwaies faithlesse bin.
Yet, to preuent such harmes before they fall,
Thinke howe thy frende, maie liue to bee thy foe:
Then, when your loue exceedeth moste of all,

142

Looke that thy tonge, doe not at randonne goe:
For feare thy speeche, doe turne vnto thy smarte,
If that thy mate, doe beare a Ivdas harte.
But, if thou doe inioye a faithfull frende,
See that with care, thou keepe him as thy life:
And if perhappes he doe, that maye offende,
Yet waye thy frende: and shunne the cause of strife,
Remembringe still, there is no greater crosse;
Then of a frende, for, to sustaine the losse.
Yet, if this knotte of frendship be to knitte,
And Scipio yet, his Lelivs can not finde?
Content thy selfe, till some occasion fitte,
Allot thee one, according to thy minde:
Then trie, and truste: so maiste thou liue in rest,
But chieflie see, thou truste thy selfe the beste?