University of Virginia Library

To Saeua

Thoughe Seua thou arte wise enoughe,
and by thy selfe canst tel
In euery kynde of coortesie
to vse thy betters wel,
Yet further learne the iudgement of
a very frende of thine,
As if the blinde to him that sees
his footestep should assigne:
Yet marke it thoo if thow canst cull
owght frome these wordes, I saye,
That thou maist take vnto thy selfe,
and after beare away.
If gratefull ease, if profounde slepe,
be such thinges, as do please the,
If crackling cartes, if tauernes no yse,
if stiffling dust disease the:
Auoyde the towne, and goe abrode.
Not he doth liue the best,
That hath the most. In cittie sure
is not the ioyful rest:
Nor he lyues ill that oft times semes
to lyue but base, and vyle.
A much poore man doth liue oft beste,
and doth the world begyle.
If thou wouldst seeke to pleasure thyne,
and well thy selfe demeane,
Wayte on an inche vpon the churle,
attyre thee neate, and cleane.
Not Cynicus (quoth Aristip,)
with colewoorts neede haue dynde,
If he him selfe a seruitor
to princes had resynde.
Not Aristip (quoth Cynicus)
himselfe woulde had resynde
A seruitor to princes, if
with worts he coulde haue dynde.
Which of these twaine hath better spoke?
or tell, or learne of me.
I would iudge Aristippus taunte
the better for to be.
For he the sharpe Diogenes
deryded in his kinde:
Thou art (quoth he) a common cokes,
I to my selfe do fynde
Good pastime to, the better myne
and eke more noble glee:
I plaie my part to ryde alofte
that kinges may pamper me.
Thou askes vyle things, and art much worse
then he that to the gaue,
Though thou pretende to stande no neade
at any man to craue.
All huie, all state, all kynde of life
did Aristip besette.
Seekinge the best, yet well appaied
with that, which he coulde gett.
Againe, wise meeke Diogenes
much would I maruaile I,
If he to sum ciuilitie
himselfe coulde now applye.
Not Aristippu would desier
in purple to bee cladd:
In all places he gladly ware
apparell good, or bad:
And could eche kinde of personage
so gaily on him take:
The Cynecke hates a purple weede
warse then a dogge or snake
Or he would weare a suite of silke,
the winter should him kil:
Well geue him cloth, and let the foole
goe like a Cockescome still.
To conquer Realmes, and at the Carre
the Captyues for to to leade,
Doth touche Ioues throne, an heauenly thing
a loftie praise in dede.
To please those in authority,
is not the meanest prayse:
Not eche mannes chaunce, to Corinthe town
to saile the moystie wayes.
Sum will not mell, distrustinge how
their seruyce should take place:
And is it not a manlie act
to get the princes grace?
Or such, or none in these our dayes
do beare away the bell,
Sum feele their owne vnablenes,
and do abhor to mel
With burdens toto ponderouse,
to heuie for theire backe.
An other vndertakes all thinges
and of himselfe doth cracke.
But if that vertue be a thinge,
and not an idle name,
Experience deserues the braunche
the prince of all the game.
Those that speake least of pouertie,
in talking with the king,
Oft tymes speede best, and all day sene,
the more awaye do bringe,
Gettinge and catching differ muche,
to gett and gette no shame,
That is the heade of our good hap,
the fountayne of our fame.
My Sister hath no dowre at all
my mother lackes her meate,
My lande is nought for to be soulde,
Nor good to kepe my neate:
This is an open beggerie:
An other he doth cracke,
If he had where to do with all
no frende of his should lacke.
If that the Crow could feede in whishte,
not creake nor make adoe,
She might haue better cheare by muche.
lesse grudge and brabling too.
Per company thou rydest abroade
to Brunduis, or Tarente,
Of craggie waye, of stormes, or could
he that doth him repente:
He that for paine, or damagies,
or fayned lossies wailes,
Is lyke the strumpats impudent,
talkde of in poetts tales.
Who morne so oft for want of chaines,
for want of fayre attyre,
That none at length will trust there teares,
when they would most desier.
That cripple that doth ofte delude,
(when his dyceite is spyed)
Must goe on foote, whome many men
did suffer for to ryde.
Though he shoulde vaper into teares,
and sweare vpon the same:
Trust me in sadnes, take me vp,
haue pittie on the lame.
His neighboures all will crie at once:
sum costomer els craue
To spede your turne: we knowe your neede,
we know you for a knaue.