University of Virginia Library

OVT OF GREEK EPIGRAMMES.

How to vse riches.

Vse riches those thou haste,
as though thou shouldest die:
Again as though thou shouldest liue,
thy goods spende sparynglie.
A prudent man is he,
whiche this consideyng well:
Doeth still obserue and keepe the meane,
whiche all thyng doeth excell.

Against riot.

Greate store of houses for to builde,
greate store of men to feede:
To come to pinyng penurie,
the verie pathe in deede.

Mannes miserie.

I wept when I was borne,
and now at point of death
I likewise weepe, and weepe I shall
while bodie beareth breath.
O wretched mortall man,
weake, wofull, pensiue, sad:
Come life or death (thou livst a wretche)
no comfort to be had.

Wiuyng twise.

His first wife dedde (and laied in graue)
who doeth a seconde take:
To trie the seas againe, hym self
a shipman he doeth make.

Wedlocke.

Virginitie surpasseth: yet
if all should virgines be,
Our life were vaine, and none for to
succede vs should we see.
Take therefore thou a wife,
and when that thou doest dye
Leaue to the worlde and thee an heire,
and shunne adulterie.

Of a Thracian lad.

A Thracian boye well tipled all the daie,
Upō a frozen spring did sport and plaie:
The slipper Ice with hefte of bodies swaie,
On sodaine brake, and swapt his hed awaie:
That swam alofte, belowe the carkas laie.
The mother came and bare the heade awaie:
When she did burie it, thus gan she saie,
This brought I forth in flame his heirce to haue.
The rest amids ye flood to find a graue.

Pittie and compassion.

A Fisher fishyng on the shore,
with anglyng pole in hande:
By hap a dedmans drowned scalpe,
drue vp vnto the lande:
With drerie looke when long he had
behelde the sconse he founde,
(With pittie prickt) he tooke it vp
to graue it in the grounde.
By Diggyng deepe it was his hap,
a hoorde of golde to finde:
Lo neuer vnrequited goes,
compassion curtuous kinde.

To Orestes preparyng to kill his mother.

Where shovst thou in thy swoorde? through panche,
or pap so tender soft?
The bellie bredde and brought thee forthe,
the pappe did feede thee oft.

A prouerbe.

Betwene thy vpper lip,
and of the cup the brinke:
Doe many thyngs fall out,
the whiche thou wouldst not thinke.

How death is hastened.

Whoso he be that lothyng life,
desireth soone to die:
Three things must folowe (which are these)
Baines, wine, and Uenerie.

Three thynges bothe hurt and helpe.

Baines , women, wine: these three
doe shorten life certaine:
Baines, women, wine: these three
doe lengthen life againe.

Nothyng hid from God.

Thou Caitiffe though thou doe conceale,
thy crimes from men belowe:
Yet them to God thou must reueale,
whether thou wilt or no.

Fayned frendship.

Not he so muche annoyes and hurtes
that saies I am thy foe:
As he that beares a hatefull harte,
and is a frende to showe.
Warnde of my foe, I shunne my foe:
but how should I take heede
Of hym that faines hymself my frende,
when as he hates in deede?
Moste sure a wretched foe is he,
whiche frendship firme doeth faine:
And sekes by all the shifts he can,
his frende to put to paine.

To muche brynges lothsomnesse.

To muche of any thyng is naught:
yea alwaies proue you shall
That to muche euen of hunny hurts,
and bitter seemes as gall.

Against stepdames.

To decke his stepdames tōbe with flowers
and garlandes, comes the sonne:
Sure thinkyng now (that with her life)
her hatred had been doon.
The tombe downe totteryng on hym falles,
and killes hym by and by:
Loe liuelesse toumbs of stepdames curst,
learne cankred crueltie.

Of the contempt of Fortune.

My restyng rode is founde,
vaine hope and hap adue:
Loute whom you liste with chaunge,
Death shall me rid from you.

A controuersie betwene Fortune and Venus.

While Fisher fisht at waters side,
for fishe that there did swim:
A riche mans daughter hym behelde,
and fell in loue with hym.
So that she linkt with hym to liue,
now he that was before
Base, barren, bare, and beggarlike,
doeth now abounde with store.
Dame Fortue by smilyng gan saie,
I praie you whiche of vs
Now mistres Venus (you or I)
was cause this hapned thus.

Otherwise

While Fisher caste his line,
the houeryng fishe to hooke:
By hap a riche mans daughter on
the Fisher caste her looke.
She fride with franticke loue,
thei married eke at last:
Thus Fisher was from lowe estate,
in top of treasure plast.
Stoode Fortune by, and smilde:
how saie you (dame) quoth she,
To Venus? was this conquest yours,
or is it due to me?

The seuen sages names, saiynges, and countryes, in seuen verses.

The Cittyes 7. whereas the 7. wise masters rare
VVere borne, their names, and saiyngs 7. 7. verses shall declare.
Cleobulus of Lindia said, a meane doth all excell.
VVise Pittacus of Mittelen, said, measure beares the bell.
Chilon of Lacedemon said, take heede thy selfe to know.
Of Corinth Periander said, to anger be thou slowe.
Sage Solon the Athenian said, for ay respect the ende.
VVise Thales of Milesium said, nought promise to thy frende.
Last, Bias of Priænium said, all thinges to mischefe bende.

The report of the multitude not to be regarded.

Solace and comfort thou thy selfe:
nought peoples talke esteeme:
One man deemes well of thee, of thee
an other ill doth deeme.

Or thus.

Solace and comfort thou thy selfe,
care nought what people prattle:
This man talkes well with thee, that man
against thee still doth tattle.

Of a foole.

The friskyng flees ye feed on fleshe by night,
a foole in bed, did trouble, twinge & bite:
The foole put out the candle: nay (quoth he)
Ile matche ye, now no more you shall me see.

Of a foolish Astronomer.

While Thales looked round about,
to vew the starres in skie,
He hedlong fell into a ditche:
and there did grouelyng lye.
A beldam commyng after hym
beheld hym how he fell,
A countrie wife that went to fetche
faire water at a well.
When as she came vnto the ditche
where lurden like he lay
She mockt hym: and with tremblyng voyce
she thus began to say.
Fie foolish fealow as thou art,
why dost thou vew the skie?
Why staarst on Starres that stately stand
and letst mean matters lye?
The fates of other men to showe
I deeme thee farre vnmeete,
When buzzard blynd thou canst not see
what is before thy feete.

When Women profite.

Although all women kinde be nought,
yet two good dayes hath she:
Her marriage day, and day of death
when all she leaues to thee.

Of Castors Nose.

When Castor diggs, a spade
his Nose is vnto hym:
A Trumpet when he sleepes:
a Sithe and Sickle trim
When as he gathers grapes:
an Anker when he sailes:
A Culter when he plowes
that cuts and neuer failes:
When as he taketh fishe
a fishhooke all the while:
And when he would haue fleshe
his Nose a fleshhooke vile:
When as he graues in wood,
a grauyng knife: and when
He prunes and dresseth trees
a graffyng knife as then:
A chipaxe, looke when as
the Carpenter he plaies:
A passyng picklock, when
to open lockes he saies.
And what so Castor doth,
he can not misse his snoute:
His nose must be the toole,
his woorke to bryng aboute.

Of a foule wife.

The wretche that married hath,
a dowd, an ougly dame:
Shall still haue night, though day be bright,
and firie Phœbus flame.

To one, hauyng a long nose.

Stand with thy snoute against the sunne,
and open wide thy chaps:
And by thy teeth we shall decerne,
what tis a clocke, perhaps.

Of a deaf Iudge, a deaf plaintife, and a deaf defendant.

By hap a man that could not heare
that borne was deafe by kinde,
Another cited to the court,
much like hymselfe to finde,
Whose hearyng sense was quight bereft:
the Iudge that of the case
Should giue his verdit, was as deafe
as deafest in the place.
To court they came: the plaintiffe praid
to haue his vnpaied rent:
Defendant said, in grindyng I
this werie night haue spent.
The Iudge beheld them both awhile,
is this (at last quoth he)
Of all your sturred strife the cause?
you both her children be.
And therefore her to helpe and ayde
looke that you both agree.

Of Marcus a sluggard.

Marcus a sluggard slepyng, dreamd
a long race that he rund:
For feare he so should dreame againe,
long after slepe he shund.

Against one very deformed.

To paint the minde tis counted hard,
the corps to paint tis light:
But now in thee so foule deformd,
it falles contrarie quight.
For nature thine doth plaine bewraie,
the manners of thy mynde:
And therefore how thy mynde is bent,
but easie tis to finde.
But now thy foule mis shapen limmes,
how may they painted be?
And portraid out? when euery man
doth loth to looke on thee.

Against a drunkerd.

With sweet perfumes, & flowers, my graue
doe you not gratifie:
Wine, fires, vppon a stone to spend,
tis cost in vaine perdie.
Aliue giue you mee these, not dead:
with ashes wine to minge,
What is it morter but to make,
not wine to mee to bringe.

Of drunkennesse.

Like men we still are meeke, at night,
when we haue typled well:
But when we rise at morne athurst,
then are we fearce and fell.

Otherwise.

At night when ale is in,
like frends we part to bed:
In morrowe graie when ale is out,
then hatred is in head.

Againe of the same.

Men hauyng quaft,
are frendly ouernight:
In dawning, drie,
A man to man a sprite.

Against a miser.

All call thee riche, I call thee poore,
goods make not riche perdie.
This prudent Apollophanes,
could tell as well as I.
If thou thy riches vse thy self,
thy riches thyne are then:
But if thou saue them for thyne heire,
thei are for other men.

Of Chrisalus couetous.

Riche Chrisalus at point of death,
doeth mourne, complaine and crie:
Was neuer man as he so lothe,
to leaue his life and die.
Not for because he dies hymself,
his death he doeth not force:
But that his graue must cost a grote,
to shroude his carrion corse.

Of a riche miser.

A Misers mynde thou haste,
thou hast a princes pelfe:
Whiche makes thee wealthie to thine heire,
a beggar to thy self.

Of Aulus, Auarus.

Riche Aulus countyng what a charge,
his daughter was to hym:
Did throwe her in the sea, to see
where she could sincke or swim.

The same otherwise.

Avlus daughter twentie shillings charge,
eche yere was vnto hym:
He drownde her: askt wherefore:
he saied she would vndoe hym.

Of Asclepiades, a greedie carle.

Asclepiad that gredie carle,
by fortune founde a Mouse:
(As he about his lodgyng lookt)
within his niggishe house.
The chidyng chuffe began to chafe,
and (sparefull of his chere:)
Demaunded of the selie beast,
and saied, what makst thou here?
You neede not stande in feare (good frende)
the smilyng Mouse replide:
I come not to deuour your cates,
but in your house to bide.

A beard makes not a Philosopher.

If so a long downe danglyng beard,
doe make a prudent man:
The bearded beast that hights the Gote,
maie bee a Plato than.

To one lame and loutishe.

Thy lyms are lame, so is thy mynde:
thy outward forme bewraies
Thy properties, how inwardly
thou art disposde alwaies.

Cassander his Epitaphe.

Sith that a mortall borne thou art,
in daunger still to die:
Accompt of naught as though thou shouldst,
liue here continuallie.
For all must packe: of slipperie life,
vncertaine is the staie,
Death will vs by the shoulders shake,
no helpe, we must obaye.
Cassander here lies refte of life,
faste grasped in his graue:
Yet for his wisedome he deservde,
for euer life to haue.

Timocritus his Epitaphe.

Timocritus a warriar stoute,
Loe, lies engraued here:
Mars spares not valiaunt champions stoute,
But dastards that doe feare.

Aristomenes.

Thou messenger to Ioue on high,
thou Egle swift of flight:
On Aristomenes his toumbe,
declare why doest thou light?
By this I giue to vnderstande,
that as all birds I passe:
So he did all men farre surmount,
while here a liue he was.
The fearfull Doues doe haunt the toombes
whiche hartlesse dastards hide:
But where are buried champions bolde,
I loue for to abide.

Calimachus.

The frounyng fates haue taken hence
Calimachus, a childe
Fiue yeres of age: ah well is he
from cruell care exilde:
What though he liud but little tyme,
waile nought for that at all:
For as his yeres not many were,
so were his troubles small.

Olde age longed for, yet lothed.

Eche one doeth seeke and wishe for age,
all while it is awaie:
And fewe doe come for to be olde,
whiche for olde age doe praie.
When age yet comes, eche doeth it lothe,
and all doe it detest:
So still we lothe our present state,
deming the absent best.

Death euerywhere.

Here buried lies a Mariner:
and here a Corridon:
So on the sea, and one the lande,
death riddeth, all is one.

It matters not where a man dye.

It makes no matter where thou die:
the waie to heauen on hie
From euery countrey is a like,
be it farre of, or nie.

Liuyng on the Seas.

Shunne thou the seas, whiche brede vnease,
and quiet liue on lande:
If thou desire in happie healthe,
to florishe long and stande.
Long life the lande doeth alwaies lende,
the seas make shorte our yeres:
Upon the seas are seldome seen,
olde men with hoarie heares.

Of Diogenes.

A Sachell and a staiyng staffe,
an homelie mantell: these
Were acceptable to the life,
of wise Diogenes.

Opinion.

Greate force in thyngs Opinion hath,
thou curteous art in deede:
What then? if otherwise men thinke,
they surely will thee speede,
As once the men of Crete vnkinde,
did Philolaus slaie:
Because they falsly demde and thought,
he would the tyraunt plaie.

Epictetus.

My name did Epictetus hight,
a bonde-man borne was I:
In bodie lame, as Irus poore,
a frende to Gods on hie.

To Gabriel.

A Painter painted Phaëton,
he painted eke the Sunne:
But no light could the Painter paint,
when all was made and doon.
Like so renouned Gabriel,
a Painter painted trim
Thy face and visage, but thy mynde
could not be made by hym.

Myrons Cowe.

The Cowe of brasse that Myron made,
(by arte and cunnyng skill)
If entrailes she had had, she would
haue loowde bothe loude and shrill.

Venus to Praxiteles.

Kyng Priams sonne, Anchises eke,
with my Adonis dere
Behelde me nakt, these onely three:
Praxiteles but where?

Of Venus in armour.

Why hast thou Venus tell,
God Mars his armour on?
Suche boisterous stuffe why doest thou put,
thy tender corps vppon?
Mars mightie thou dydst conquer quight,
starke naked, stripped cleane:
To come to men, thus armed then,
I muse what doest thou meane.

Of Cinyras a Fisher.

Vnto the Nimphes olde Cinyras,
hath dedicate his Nette:
To beate the brookes and firke the fishe,
old age now doeth hym lette.
Wherefore you fishes sport your selues,
and through the waters skimme:
For now that Cinyras is doone,
you safe in seas maie swimme.

Biton.

Biton all vnderneth this tree,
three guiftes doeth offer here:
To Pan a Goate, flowees to the Nimphes,
to Bacchus God a spere.
Ye Gods accept them thankfullie.
and make to prospere still
His cattell Pan, his waters Nimphes,
Bacchus his grounde to till.

Of Alcon an Archer.

A Sire that Alcon hight,
behelde his sonne embrast
Of Serpent readie to bee rent:
he tooke his bowe in hast,
And shorte with cunnyng skill so straite,
that he the Serpent kilde:
And savde his selie childe, whiche els
the scrawlyng Snake had spilde.
Thus when the Snake was slaine, his sonne
eke saued from annoye:
He hunge his quiuer on a bough,
reuivde with double ioye.

Timon his Epitaphe.

My wretched caitiffe daies,
Expired now and past:
My carren corps entered here,
Is graspt in grounde:
In weltryng waues of swel-
lyng seas by sourges caste:
My name if thou desire,
the Gods thee doe confounde.