University of Virginia Library

CERTAINE EPIGRAMS OVT OF THE FIRST FOVRE BOOKES OF THE Excellent Epigrammatist, Master Iohn Ovven:

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AT HARBOR-GRACE IN Bristols-Hope in Britaniola, anciently called New-found-land: By R. H.

TO THE FAR ADMIRED, ADMIRABLLY FAIRE, vertuous, and witty Beauties of England.

A PRÆMONITION TO ALL KINDE OF READERS of these Translations of Iohn Owens Epigrams.

As one into a spacious Garden led,
Which is with rare, faire flowers well garnished,
Where Argus may all his eyes satisfie;
Centimanus all his hands occupy,
He will chuse some fine flowers of the best,
To make himselfe a Poesie at the least:
Or he will, if such fauour may be found,
Intreate some Slips, to set in his owne ground:
So fares it with me, when in Owens booke,
At leasure times, with willing eyes I looke:
I cannot chuse, but choose some of his flowers,
And to translate them at my leisure howres.
But as 'tis not for this admitted Man,
Manners at once to gather euery one,
But mildly to cull a few at a time,
I pray thee doe so too, kinde Reader mine:
For as a Man may surfet on sweet meates:
So thou maist ouer-read these quaint conceits.
Some at one time, some at another chuse;
As Maidens doe their kissing Confects vse.
Reade therefore these, His; by translation, Mine:
As some eate Cheese, a penny-waight at a time.

AN ENCOMIASTICK DISTICK ON MY RIGHT WORTHY AVTHOR, Iohn Ovven.

The best conceits Owens conceits haue found,
Short, sharp, sweet, witty, vnforc'd, neate, profound.

PART OF MASTER IOHN OWENS EPIGRAMS TRANSLATED into English.

The First Booke.

Epig. 2. To the Reader.

Thou that read'st these, if thou commend them all,
Thou'st too much milk; if none, thou'st too much gall.

3 To Master Iohn Hoskins, of his Booke.

My Booke the World is, Verses are the Men,
You'll finde as few good here, as amongst them.

8 Know thy selfe.

Nothing worth knowledge is in thee, I trow,
Seeke some-where else, some worthier thing to know.

14 Gilberts Opinion, that the Earth goes round, and that the Heauens stand still.

Thou sai'st, the Earth doth moue: that's a strange tale,
When thou didst write this, thou wert vnder sayle.

15 Physicions, and Lawyers.

Our sicknesses breeds our Physicions health,
Our folly makes wise Lawyers with our wealth.

16 O Times, O Manners!

21 To a poore, bare, beggerly, fie on such a Physicion.

Thou wert a poore, bare, fye on such a one,
But now thou art growne a Physicion:
Thou giuest vs physicke, we with gold thee please:
Thou cur'st not ours; but we cure thy disease.

26 Cold fire.

If that Loue be a fire (as it is said)
How cold is thy Loues fire, my pretty Maide?

27 An impious Atheists pastime.

I ioy in present things, and present time:
A time will come that will be none of mine:
Grammarians talke of times past and hereafter:
I spend time present in pastime and laughter.

28 An Atheist's Epitaph.

He liu'd, as if he should not feele Deaths paine,
And died, as if he would not liue againe.

30 Married Alanaes complaint.

All day Alana rayleth at Wedlocke,
And says, 'tis an vntolerable yoake:
At night being pleasd, shee altereth her rage,
And sayes that marriage is the merriest age.

31 A Prophet and Poet.

Of things to come these make true predication,
These of things present make a false relation.

35 Free-will.

Free-will for which Christs Church is so diuided,
Though men it lose, Wiues will not be deny'd it.

39 New Rhetoricke.

Good arguments without Coyne will not stick
To pay, and not say is best Rhetorick.

52 To an Atheist.

Each house, thou seest here, some one doth possesse,
Yet thou dost thinke the great house masterlesse.

53 A trade betwixt Physicions and Patients.

Physicions receiue gold, but giue none backe,
Physicke they'll giue, but none of it they'll take:
Their hands write our health bills, ours greaze their fist:
Thus one mans hand, another doth assist.

54 Iuris-prudentes, Wise men of Law.

55 To Courtiers.

If good thou be at Court, thou may'st grow better,
But I doe feare thou hardly wilt grow greater:
If great thou be, greater thou may'st be made:
But to grow better is no Courtiers trade.

57 A Mortall Conceit.

To eternize thy fame, thou buildst a Tombe,
As if death could not eat vp such a Roome.

58 A Comfort for Baldnes.

So young and bald, take comfort then in this,
Thy head will ne'r bee whiter then it is.

61 On old Alan.

Old Alan ioynes his couch to his wiues bed,
And thinkes himselfe thereby most sweetly laid.

62 New-yeeres-gifts.

Some mens pride, some mens basenesse.

Olus giues not to rich, to receiue more;
To poore he cannot giue, 'cause he is poore:
Quintus for gaine giues gift with long low legs,
And what he would haue giuen, by giuing begs.

63 A Caueat for Cuckolds.

When Pontius wish'd all Cuckolds in the Sea,
His wife replide: First learne to swimme, I pray.

71 Physicions and Lawyers.

Physicions, Lawyers, by one meanes doe thriue,
For others harmes doe both of them relieue:
By sicknesse one, the other by contention;
Both promise helpe, both thriue by this pretention.

73 The Bald-pate.

Trees haue new leaues, in fields there growes new graine,
But thy shed haires will neuer grow againe.

76 Gyants and Dwarfes.

Gyants and Dwarfes are men of differing grouth,
Dwarfes are shrunke men; Gyants are men stretcht forth.

80 A Sergeants case.

To Lawyers.

If a man with a wench should make a match,
And in stead of her should his owne wife catch:
Tell me if a childe borne by this deceit,
Be a base bastard, or Legitimate?

84 A begging Poet.

I heare, thou in thy verses praysest me:
It is because in mine I should praise thee.

89 An old Churle.

What-euer of this friend I begge or borrow,
He puts me off, and sayes, You shall to morrow:
For this thy promise shall I fit thankes fit?
To morrow then, thee will I thanke for it.

93 Double dealing.

Wherefore loues Venus, Mars, vnlawfully?
Vulcan is lame in lawfull venery.

94 Much haire, little Wit.

101 A dead Reckoning.

What death is, thou dost often aske of me:
Come to me when I am dead, I'll tell it thee.

103 To selfe applying, and fault-finding Zoilus .

When I finde fault at faults, thou carp'st at me:
It may be, therein thou think'st I meane thee:
Why should'st thou thinke I reproue thee alone?
Finding fault with faults, I doe fault mine owne.

105 To Bald-pate.

Surely thy brow had some dimention,
Before thy haires were with a hoare-frost gone:
Thy haires are all like leaues fallen from a tree,
That thy whole head a fore-head now may be:
None know the length, bredth, depth of thy brow now,
Therefore there is no trust now to thy brow.

106 Plaine downe-right bald-pate.

I cannot count my haires, they are so thicke growne,
Nor canst thou number thine, for thou hast none.

107 Fortunes Apologie.

To all, iust Fortune deales an equall Share,
To poore men she giues hope, to rich men Feare.

113 The Chyrurgion.

Whether for warre or peace should I desire?
I gaine by Mars his sword, and Venus fire.

115 Complainers and Flatterers.

Old Anaxagoras said, Snow was black:
Our Age such kinde of people doth not lack:
The Foxe said, that the Rooke was white as Snow:
Many such flattering Foxes I doe know.

119 A reasonable Request.

Sweet, let thy soule be smooth as is thy skin:
As thou art faire without, be so within.

120 Not seene, No sinne.

Thou think'st all sure, when none doe see thine ill,
Though with a witnesse, thou goest to it still.

127 To a scalded Leacher.

Though thou hast scap'd commuting, and the sheet,
Thy head-lesse thing hath had correction meete.

130 To a minsing Madam.

Thou art displeasd, and angerly dost looke,
'Cause a mans thing thou find'st nam'd in my booke:
For writing it, why dost thou chafe at me?
A man without it would more anger thee.

131 Saturnes three sonnes.

Doubtfull Diuines, Lawyers that wrangle most,
Nasty Physicions, these three rule the rost.

132 To his married friend.

Single and married liues.

139 Wine and Women.

143 Rare Sarah .

A Wife to yeeld her bed-right to her maid,
Of none but Sarah could it e're be said.

144 To D. T.

Thy Masters master, Pupils slaue the while,
I doe both enuy, and lament thy Stile.

147 A Waggs Bolt.

Happy is he (good Sir) that hath a care
Of others harmes, and hornes for to beware:
A sonne so whisper'd in his fathers eare.

149 An vxorious Asse.

Quintus obserues his wiues words, nods, and hands,
Her words are lawes, and her requests commands:
She drawes, she driues, she swayes her husband so,
You cannot tell where she haue one or no:
Against all Grammar rules, they lead their life,
That you may say, his husband, and her wife.

151 A wary wench that stood vpon her tearmes.

161 A Doctor in promising, but a Dunce in performing.

Much thou dost promise, nothing thou dost lend,
Like Doctors that write, take, and nothing send.

162 A pretty wench scuruily Cunny-catcht.

Would the old Spartan Law were vp againe,
That naked maides should marry naked men:
I thought to haue cockt away my maiden-head,
In naked truth, I did a Capon wed.

163 A forked Probleme.

Since She defiled hath the marriage bed,
Why must he weare the hornes? He is the head.

164 Verses giuen for a New-yeeres-gift, vnrewarded.

Giue some-what, or my verses backe to me:
On that condition, I doe giue them thee.

165 Christs Church Colledge in Oxford.

Though men looke sad at thy vnfinishing,
Which makes thee looke like to a ruin'd thing,
Thy Quadrangle shewes what thou should'st haue binne.

166 Phillis Loue.

Phillis sayes that shee's rauisht with my verses:
Verses she loues well: better she loues Tar---

167 Pastime.

I spend my time in vaine and idle toyes,
So fearing to lose time, my time I lose.

168 Short and sweet to the Reader.

Brand not my breuity with ill beliefe,
Beleeue me, 'tis my paine to be thus briefe:
I speake not much, and fond, as many a one,
If I speake foolishly, I soone haue done.

172 A Request to the Reader.

Rather then my leaues should Tobacco light,
I pray thee with them make thy back-side bright.

173 Of his Booke.

What if my Booke long before me should dye?
Many a sonne doth so vnwillingly.
What if he should liue some time after me?
All my braines Children fraile and mortall be.

The Second Booke.

Epig. 1.

[Though Fooles are euery where, (as there are many)]

Though Fooles are euery where, (as there are many)
I cannot, nor I care not to please any:
Few Readers I desire, and 'twere but one,
It should not trouble me, if there were none.

5 To Sir Iohn Harrington, most Excellent Poet.

A Poet meane I am; yet of the troope
Though thou art not, yet better thou canst do't.

7 A Court Wit.

At Court, who cannot his wit nimbly fit,
To fit each humour; hath at Court no wit.

8 The Spurre of Knighthood.

Thou knighted art, to get thy wiues good will;
Shee'll loue her selfe the more, thee little still:
She'ath cost thee much, but now shee'll cost thee more;
Shee's dearer therefore to thee, then before.

9 Chymicks folly.

Th'vnskilfull Chymick toyles, and boyles, and spoyles,
To make a Stone; vnstones himselfe the whiles.

10 A true Troian.

When all was lost, the Trojans then grew wise:
Who is not a true Trojan in this wise?

11 The Remedy of Loue.

Pray much, fast oft, flye women as the fire,
Thinke not on earthly things, but thinke on higher:
If these worke not this, med'cine doth excell,
The fire of marriage will lust-fire expell.

12 London, anciently called Troynouant.

As from the old Phœnix ashes anew springs:
So from Troyes ashes, London her birth brings.

37 To Master Adam Newton, Tutor to King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales.

39 Sir Francis Drake .

Drake like a Dragon through the world did flie,
And euery Coast thereof he did descrie:
Should enuious men be dumbe, the Spheares will shew,
And the two Poles, his iourneys which they saw:
Beyond Cades Pillers farre, Fame steerd his way;
Great Hercules on shore, but Drake by Sea.

43 The Diuine.

47 Women would haue their Will.

A Papist maid marrying a Lutheran;
Two sects much diff'ring in opinion,
She said, Sweet heart, be not vnkind to me;
All shall be well, for I'le be kind to thee:
Let me of my old Faith hold but free will;
In other points I shall your mind fulfill.

54 An English Wife.

Let me set alwayes vppermost at boord,
The vppermost in bed I'le you affoord:
Thus wee'll deuide our rule; I rule all day,
All night, kind Husband, you shall ouer-sway.

57 A prating Companion.

Thou still ask'st leaue, that still thy tongue may walke:
Thou need'st no leaue, if thou would'st leaue to talke.

64 The Order of the Golden Fleece.

Philip of Burgundy did first ordaine
The Order of the Golden Fleece of Spaine,
He prophised, when he this Order made:
For his heires since haue got the golden Trade.

68 To Mistris Iane Owen, a very learned Woman.

71 To one like neither of his Parents.

Why art thou so vnlike either of those
Who thee begot, with a ioynt willing close?
Whilst each did striue hard, who should fonne thee most,
Ill-fauouredly their fauours thou hast lost.

72 Two Gallants that went to Venice vpon Returne.

Towards faire Venice both of yee are gone,
At your returne, to receiue foure for one:
And now you are return'd to your owne Coast,
Your friends welcome you home vnto their cost.

80 To a Drunken Rimer.

Thou drink'st, and think'st, drinke makes a man a Poet,
Thou think'st, and drink'st, thou art one by that diet.
Adde but two letters vnto Versifier,
And then thou art a drunken Vers-defiler.

81 More Epistle then Gospell.

Full often thy Epistles I receiue,
Thou seldome writest Gospell, I perceiue.

88 Naked Loue.

Natures preserue, from cold as with a freeze,
The ground with grasse and corne, with barke green trees,
With feathers, birds; and beasts, with wooll, and haire:
Where Nature wants, Art couering doth prepare.
Why then loues Loue her naked to vnfold?
The nakeder she is, she's the lesse cold.

89 The Exchequer.

Collected Coyne into the Exchequer flowes;
As fresh streames daily to the salt Sea goes:
From thence coyne is disperst by secret veines,
As through the Earth the Sea refils vp streames;
Yet neuer will this Sea be satisfide,
These riuers by their tribute neuer dride.

94 This Worlds Wisdome.

Who's rich? The wise. Who's poore? The foolish man.
If I were wise, I should haue riches than.
Who's wise? The rich. And who's a foole? The poore.
If I were rich, I should be wise therefore.

102 To play and study together.

When I handle a graue and serious thing,
Lightly, and slightly, I play studying:
When I light and slight triuiall matters way,
Too seriously I study in my play.

104 To fault-finding and enuious Zoilus .

Praises are praised, Louers loued are:
If thou commend vs, we will speake thee faire;
Loue vs hereafter, we will for thee care.

111 The Couetous Man.

Thy gold is lockt vp in thy iron chest:
Thy loue is blockt vp in thy iron brest.

115 The Plague in England, 1603 .

This hungry leane Plague did so many eate,
That we shall hardly finde a new plague meate.

116 To a very faire Woman.

122 A phantasticall Courtier.

Of wise men thou art thought a foolish Elfe:
Fooles thinke thee wise: what think'st thou of thy selfe?

124 A hansome Whore.

Would' thou wert not so faire, or better giuen:
Then a faire Whore there's nought worse vnder heau'n.

126 To Bald-pate.

Thou hast lost all thy haire vpon thy pate,
Thy faithlesse forhead is in the same state,
Before, behinde, all thy haires being sled;
What hast thou bald-pate for to lose? Thy head.

127 Nolens volens.

Claudius might soone be honest, if he would:
Lynus would be vnhonest, if he could.

131 On a couetous Gowty-fist.

If thou a gift giu'st to this Clung-fist man,
Hee'l finde a hundred hands, though he haue none:
But if thou for thy gift, a gift do'st craue,
No hand he hath, though hundred hands he haue.

132 Kings Misery.

Whil'st some dares not tell him the truth of things,
And those that may, rought but placebo sings,
How miserable is the state of Kings?

133 Might and Right.

Might ouercomes Right, and Right masters Might,
Yet change one letter, Right makes Might, Might, Right.

137 On a Scalded ill-fauored Knaue.

In a knowne part, hot Venus branded thee,
That thou somewhere might'st in her liuery bee.

138 To Adr. V.

Thy laughing Epigrams ridiculous,
Make vs not smile, but laughter cause in vs.
They haue no iests: the Reader laughs at that,
Because ther's nothing worth the laughing at.

148 Sir Francis Drakes Epitaph.

157 Of Virgils Georgicks.

Thy verses, Maro, Husbandry expresse,
Thou dost thy Readers grounds and his wit dresse.

158 To Poet Persius .

Persius, when I sometimes thy verses touch,
Thy sence I see not, thy darke lines are such,
Thou dost neglect thy Reader too-too much.

160 To Poet Martiall .

Thou iest'st at things, yet men thou dost not wrong,
No gall, much honey flowes from thy salt tongue.

161 To excellent Poet Petrack of his Laura .

As often as thy Laura shall be read,
Amongst thy Readers 'twill be questioned,
Whether thy Laura, Lawrell doth deserue
Better then thou, that didst her so well serue.

172 On his owne Epigrams to Samuel Daniel, most witty Poet.

'Tis not strange, if my Epigrams be meane,
I doe not bite my nailes, nor beate my braine.

177 Hunger makes meate taste sweetest.

If with much pleasure thou would'st eate thy meate,
Be hungry then, before the meate thou eate.

181 Satyrs and Epigrams.

Satyrs are Epigrams; but larger drouen,
Epigrams Satyrs are, but closer wouen:
An Epigram must be Satyricall,
A Satyr must be Epigrammicall.

183 Deafe and Blind.

Deafe men looke wilde: blind men thrust out their eare
Blind with eares see: Deafe with their eyes doe heare.

189 Sunday.

Sunday I'le call that day, spite of precise,
In which the glorious Sonne of God did rise.

191 Fashions in Clothes.

Old out-worne fashions young mens fashion growes:
And old men weare late strange new fashion clothes.

193 The commodity of a silly Sheepe.

196 Parret, and Prater.

Parret and Prater, iumpe iust in their names,
One to the other are right Anagrams.

200 Satyrs and good Lawes haue one originall cause.

203 A Merchants account.

Or rich, or poore, account my selfe I may,
Whilst with my goods I trust the Bankrout Sea.

204 Lust.

In the darke, foule Sluts are esteemed faire:
Blind lust is cause thereof, not the darke ayre.

213 Eccho.

Caruing, nor painting, cannot expresse words;
Yet prating Eccho that quaint-art affords.

214 Looking-glasse.

To expresse Motion, Painting is nought worth;
My Looking-glasse can liuely set it forth.

215 Eccho, and Looking-glasse.

Nothing of man but voyce Eccho affords;
My Looking-glasse wants nothing else but words.

217 A good Chapman.

I gaue thee three books, three pounds thou gau'st me;
No man hath bought my books as deare as thee.

218 To the blessed Memory of King Iames, the happy Uniter of this so long-diuided Iland of Great Brittaine.

The Third Booke.

Epig. 4. The happy Virgin-issue of Blessed Queene Elizabeth .

Scotland with England was twinn'd happily,
In the blest birth of thy Virginity:
To vnite, is more blessed then to breed,
From thy not-bearing this birth did proceed.

9 To the vertuous Lady, Mary Neuil, Daughter to the Earle of Dorset, his worthy Patronesse.

Thy glasse presents thee faire, Fame Chast thee stiles:
Neither thy Glasse nor Fame doe lye the whiles.
Loud-wide-mouth'd Fame swifter then Eagles wing,
Dares not report against thee any thing.

10 To the same right worthy Lady, of her little Daughter, Cicill .

To limme soules beauty, painting is nought-worth:
This pretty Image liuely sets thine forth.

11 To the white-handed Reader.

My good excell: my bad ones well may passe:
Such grace (white Reader) thy kind iudgement has.

12 To the black-mouth'd Reader.

My meane are nought, my bad intolerable:
Thy enuy doth (black Reader) them disable.

18 Diues and Lazarus .

The rich man hath in Gods Booke but his shame:
Poore Lazarus in Gods Booke hath his Name.

22 The Spirit and Flesh.

The Spirit this, the Flesh drawes me that way:
Cæsar and Ioue in me beare seuerall sway:
If there were once a good Peace 'twixt these two,
In Earth there would not be so much adoe.

24 Gods Sight and mans ouer-sight.

Men few things see, God all things doth fore-see:
God seldome speakes, but men still prating bee.

25 The broad and narrow Way.

Heau'ns Way is narrow: but Heau'ns Roomes are broad
Hells way is large: but narrow his aboade.
Who goes not the straite Way to the broad place,
The broad will bring him in a narrow case.

30 A Catechisme.

We must beleeue twelue, and we must do ten,
And pray for seuen; if we'll be godly men.

31 Rich mens Repentance.

Why are so many rich men to Hell sent?
They repent nothing but their Mony spent.

35 Wisedome, Iustice, and Fortitude.

He's wise, who knowes much: iust, who iust doth deale:
He valiant is, who knowes, and dares doe well.

37 To Camber-Brittons.

Wales, Scotland, England, now are ioynd in one:
Henceforth Wales is not Brittany alone.

41 Christ Iesus God and Man.

Because the purer God-head could not dye,
Nor could the impure Man-hood satisfie:
Therefore our wise God suffered bodily.

45 Adams fall was our thrall.

Since our first Parent, Father Adams fall,
Our bodies goods, and soules are thus in thrall:
Diuines haue got the sway ouer our soules,
Physicions, bodies, Lawyers goods controwle.

47 A Good Preacher.

The mornings trusty Herauld Chantecleare,
Before he tells vs that the day is neere,
Russels himselfe, stretching forth euery wing,
And then his good newes lowdly he doth sing:
So a good Preacher shoud rouze himselfe then,
When he intends to stirre vp other men.

65 Niggard and prodigall.

Niggards nothing will giue, whil'st they haue breath:
Vnthrifts haue nothing to giue after death.

76 Old Criticks. New Phantasticks.

His enuy is too grosse, who likes no new diuice:
And he that likes nothing but new, his enuy is too nice.

77 A Christians Death.

As in a way Death doth vs to life bring:
Death's no enterring, but an entering.

80 Holinesse is better then Learning.

To reade Saints liues, and not liue like them holy,
Doth not respect, but doth neglect them wholly.

82 An Atheists godlinesse.

Thou hast no Faith on any thing that's past,
Nor dost thou hope on any thing at last,
But on the present all thy Loue is plast.

84 The diuers effects of praise.

Praise doth improue the Good man, hurts the Bad,
Infatuates Fooles, makes wise the crafty Lad.

86 The Enuious and the Foolish man.

The foole wants wit, the enuious a good mind,
Whil'st this sees not, the other will be blind.

96 Diuine Vertue.

Vertue an act is, not an idle breath,
In workes, not words, are found Loue, Hope, and Faith

105 Young Dayes.

Then now time was, when first of all time was,
When the new world was fram'd out of the masse,
Now tell me, Reader, of Antiquities,
Are these the elder or the newer dayes?

106 Desire, and haue.

Would'st thou doe good? continue thy good will,
He that gaue thee desire, will giue thee skill.

108 Good men are better then wise men.

Wise men are wiser then good men. What then?
'Tis better to be better then wise men.

110 Much Preaching. To Preachers.

112 Eloquence.

Not he that prates, and takes a foule great deale.
Is eloquent: but hee that talketh well:
As that is not good ground that ranke weeds beares,
But that which breeds good grasse; or great full eares.

116 Loue comes by seeing: Faith comes by hearing.

To Princes.

Now out alas! Zeale, and the ancient Faith
You doe pretend, and warme her with your breath:
Religion you pretend t'increase your honour,
Not to restore Religions honour on her.

117 O Times, O Manners!

With our faults we doe times and manners blame,
Accusing times and manners with the same:
Neither in times nor manners is the crime,
By times we are not viced, but in time.

118 Knowledge-hunters. Philosophers of our time.

Most would know all, little beleeue, but such
Doe know but little, and beleeue too much.

120 More Zeale then Godlinesse.

Diuines striue, and their case is in the Iudge:
Would God till he did bid, they would not budge:
Diuines striue, and who's Iudge, they do contend.
Would God that that were all they did pretend,
That strife of loue were their intention,
Not loue of strife, and of contention.

123 A quiet and a temperate life frees a man from Lawyers and Physicions.

If men would temperate be in thought and dyet,
Eating that's good, and keeping themselues quiet:
If men would patient be, and not be stird,
With couetice, and euery testy word:
Those that now pleade in Gownes, might then part Lice,
And Veluet Caps goe poyson Rats and Mice.

124 The vicissitude of Marriage.

One bed can hold a louing man and wife:
A great house cannot hold them being at strife.

125 Death sudden and sure.

Death hath his day, which he will not for-slow:
To morrow is that day, for ought we know.

128 A Prayer.

Good God that dost all wills to thy will tye:
Giue me a will to liue, a will to dye.

129 Good Counsell without a Fee.

If that the Iudge be deafe, then heare thou mee,
Good Counsell I'll thee giue without a Fee:
Study thy Iudge more then thou dost thy case,
So in that case thou shalt haue no disgrace.

130 To a Belly-god.

Fasting was first ordained as a Rod,
To awe flesh to the spirit, the spirit to God:
But Fasting-dayes most of thy Feast dayes be,
Thy spirit serues thy flesh, both of them thee.

132 It is no marueile that we haue no Miracles.

Is Gods arme short, that Miracles are gone?
No: Our short-arm'd Faith now can reach vs none.

138 Griefe and Pleasure.

Bodies and soule-griefes vex, till they are past,
Griefes vex vs first, they comfort vs at last:
But present pleasures please, though bought with paine:
Their present pleasures future sorrowes gaine.

140 An argument against sleeping.

If dying sleeping, be sleeping to die:
Why, then the more I sleepe, the lesse liue I.

143 Contrary to the Prayer of the Apostles, Luk. 17. 5. The multiplicitie of beliefes in our dayes, doth rather require this prayer.

Decrease our Faiths, Lord, 'tis increast too farre:
As many men, so many Faithes there are;
And each one dotes on his fond Misteres,
Neuer more faiths, nor more vnfaithfulnes.

146 Vanity of vanities.

Heraclitus, that shed so much salt brine,
For those few small ills of his better time:
If hee did see, and know the best of our,
Hee'd weepe out both his eyes in halfe an houre.
And did Democritus laugh out his life
In his dayes, when folly was not so rife?
If he dip see those parts that we doe play,
Hee'd laugh out all his Spleene in halfe a day.

148 Works Consequence.

Their workes doe follow them, that still doe well:
Those that doe ill, follow their works to Hell.

149 Feare begets zeale.

We shall desire Heauen, if we feare Hell fire:
Cold feare of Hell, inflames heauens hot desire.

161 Owens Bracelet.

Our senses without Reason, are nought worth;
Nor Reason, vnlesse Faith doe set it forth:
Neither is Faith without Loue to be deem'd;
Nor is Loue without God to be esteem'd.

164 Wisdome and Valour.

Wise men feare harmes, but valiant men do beare them:
So wise men beare them not, nor braue men feare them.

165 In the sweat of thy browes.

Our blessed God, that bade vs for to get
Our daily maintnance, by our daily swet;
Did neuer promise vs, without our paine,
We should our euerlasting maint'nance gaine.

170 Retaliation. To an ignoble Nobleman.

Thy Ancestors did many glorious acts;
But thou ne'r read'st the Record of their facts:
Iustice 'twill be in those, who thee succeeds,
If they reade not thy vile ignoble deeds.

173 Iohn against all.

Though all men argue 'gainst thee in the right,
Thou hast one answer for them; I deny it.

174 Iustification.

Doth Faith or good works iustifie the iust?
Neither, except God iustifie them first.

181 A strange wish.

To a poore friend.

'Tis bad enough; yet worser God thee send:
For when 'tis at the worst, then it will mend.

182 The Earths division.

183 The cause of quarrels.

All sauour their owne sense, their reasons sway;
All will haue their owne will, and their owne way:
This is the cause of quarrels, and debate;
For if will would be still, we should not hate.

185 A wise Man.

Who knowes the cause of things, can temporize,
Rule passions, order actions; he is wise.

186 Wisdomes souerainty.

Fate gouernes fooles, wise men o're-rule the starrs:
Not Fate, but their pate orders their affaires.

187 A Chrisoms Epitaph.

Aske not the name of him that here doth lye;
Namelesse, and blamelesse, I poore child did dye:
Without a name, O Christ, I am ingrau'd,
That onely in thy Name I might be sau'd.

191 Socrates knowledge.

Nothing thou know'st, yet that thing thou dost know;
Thou know'st some thing, and that's nothing I trow
This something's nothing, nothing's something tho.

193 A Generall Epitaph.

Thou wert borne with not one ragge on thy back;
When thou went'st hence, a sheet thou didst not lack:
Therefore thou carriedst more vnto thy Mother,
Then thou didst bring with thee, when thou cam'st hither.

196 The two Eyes of the world.

Law and Religion doe herein agree;
Good and bad minds and hands; they tye and free.

192 Death, better then life.

Wee cry, being borne: from thence thus argue I,
If to be borne be bad, tis good to dye.

197 To Doctor Iohn Gifford, a learned Physicion.

In Physicke still thou art exactly seene;
Thy selfe thou know'st both without, and within:
Whilst Gallen shewes thee rules for others health
Apollo teacheth thee to know thy selfe.

200 Saint Pauls in London, and Saint Peters in Westminster.

Saint Peters Church is by the Exchequor plac'd.
Hard by White-hall with the Kings presence grac'd:
But by Saint Pauls, learned Diuines doe preach,
And there are sold those bookes which learning teach.
They're sitly plac'd, Pauls here, Saint Peters there;
Peter the richer, Paul the learneder.

199 Miserable Iob.

God gaue the Deuill leaue to spoyle Iobs wealth,
To kill his Children, and impaire his health:
His friends vpbray'd him with his wretched life,
Yet had he one worse plague; he had a wife.

201 On those Traytors, who the fift of Nouember, 1605. intended to blow vp the Parliament house with Gunpowder.

207 To the Reader.

Thou that readst these, shalt find them shor and few,
Were these few many, they would larger grow.
Thou that read'st these, shalt find them few, and short:
Were these few long, they'd be the larger for't.

208 Voice and Writing.

Though voice be liuing, writing a Lead better,
Yet voice soone dyes, writing liues long and etter.

The Fovrth Booke, Which He Cals His Sole Booke.

Epig. 3. To his Booke.

Thou now must passe euen through a world of hands,
Thy censure vnder diuers iudgements stands:
Who doth not reade thee, may thee discommend;
More fault-finders then Readers thou wilt find.

4 To the Inhabitants of Great Brittaine.

As bad, as mad, we well That man may hold,
Who doth despise needfull free-proferd gold:
He worthy were to weare a Bedlam fetter;
You did despise the Vnion that was better.

10 The three Dimensions to a prating Iack.

In thy talke are but two dimensions found;
'Tis large, 'tis long, but not at all profound.

16 To a great Courtier.

If the King smile on thee, all will doe so;
As shaddows doe after our bodies goe:
If the King frowne, all the Court will looke black;
As when the Sunne is set, we shaddows lack.

17 Baldnesse through Uice.

Though not one haire can on thy head be seene:
On that white table all may reade thy sinne.

18 To Pontilian.

20 Enuies Genealogie.

To the admirably-vertuous, Sir Iohn Harrington, then Heire to the Lord Harrington.

Faire Vertue, foule-mouth'd Enuie breeds, and feeds;
From Vertue onely this foule Vice proceeds:
Wonder not that I this to you indite:
'Gainst your rare Vertues, Enuie bends her spite.

23 A rich Promiser, but a poore Performer.

We should performe more, then we promise can;
For God hath giuen one tongue, two hands to man:
Nothing thou giu'st, yet grantest each demand,
As if thou hadst two tongues, but not a hand.

26 Euery man flatters himselfe.

Of all the Planets betwixt vs and Heau'n,
The Moone, though least, seemes greatest of the seu'n:
To best conceits that other wayes doe know,
Because she's neerest vs, she seemeth so.
So though I am a Poet small, and bad;
To my neere selfe, I seeme the finest Lad.

29 Thy shaddow in thy Looking-glasse.

When thou dost laugh, thy shaddow seemes to smile;
Whilst thou dost weepe, he mourneth all the while:
Sleeping he winks, all postures hee'l afford;
Yet when thou speak'st, he speaketh not a word.

31 To a sleeping talker.

In sleepe thou speak'st vnfore-thought mysteries,
And vtt'rest vnfore-seene things with clos'd eies:
How well would'st thou discourse, if thou wert dead,
Since sleepe, Deaths image, such fine talke hath bred?

33 Mans misery.

Angels want bodies, and are neuer sick;
Beasts wanting soules, their conscience neuer prick:
Onely poore man, of soule and body made,
Their bodies paines; sadnesse their soules inuade:
Reason that should rule passion, is not able;
She only shewes men they are miserable.

35 To an vnmarried friend.

Good doers deserue Heau'n after this life:
Thou hast thy deseru'd heau'n, thou hast no wife.

36 Woe to the alone.

To a married friend, proposing God for an example.

38 An Atheists Inheritance.

When any man of Heau'n doth talke to thee;
Thou say'st, they vaine, and idle prattlers be:
What's aboue vs, to vs doth not belong,
Hell is below thee to burne such a tongue.

40 To the Readers.

Dost thou aske me, Why I take so much paine,
To be thus briefe? Reader, 'tis for thy gaine.
As trauellers find gold lesse cumbersome
Then siluer, such is breuity to some.

41 The New Roman Computation.

Rome that sayes, she holds all points without change;
Why doth she old feast, from the old ranke range?

50 To an enuious Momus, who found fault with his three first Bookes.

Had fiue iust men amongst a wicked brood
Been found, Gomorah to this day had stood:
For a few bad, loose verses thou findst heere,
My whole booke thou (black Reader) wouldst casheere.

53 The poore Cuckolds Complaint.

For my wiues close-stolne sports, why am I blam'd?
And of the common vulgar, Cuckold nam'd,
And pointed at? For what I did not act,
But you, I know not who; call't not my fact.

69 Cardinall Wolseys Ego & Rex meus: I and my King.

Grammarians will allow I, and my King:
The Courtier say's, it was a saucy thing:
Grammarians teach words; Courtiers words well sort:
This phrase might passe in Schooles, but not at Court.

75 Deaths Trouer.

80 A bad Debtor.

I know, thou tak'st great care both night and day,
Not how thou mayst, but how thou mayst not pay:
Thou payst me nothing, that's thy wickednesse:
But payst thy Lawyer, that's thy foolishnesse.

82 The deriuatiue Church.

There is but one true Church, as one true Faith,
Which from th'Eternall Spirit hath her breath:
From Primitiue all would themselues deriue,
To proue it, they strange arguments contriue.

84 The good of want.

If how good things are, by want best are knowne,
I should know mony's good, for I haue none.

87 Democrates many Worlds.

If all those Worlds were, those innumerable,
Which fond Democrates did earst belieue:
I doe beleeue, that amongst all that rabble,
This world would be the worst wherein we liue.

88 Of Epigrams.

An Epigram that's new, quick, tart, sharp, witty,
Is like a Wench that's new, faire, smooth, neate, pretty:
Whilst they are new and fresh, they are respected:
Once commnon (though still good) they are neglected.

91 A couetous mans bounty: or a sure marke-man.

He giues to take, takes not to giue againe:
Giuing his arrowes are, his marke is gaine.

93 Penelope's Patience.

Penelope's patient Fidelity
Was once a Prouerbe, now a Prodigy.

94 To Anetta .

Nature ('tis said) with little is content:
That saying of thy Nature is not ment.

95 To an one-eyed Souldier.

Of thy two eyes, thou now hast left but one,
Which by his moistnesse alway seemes to mone:
One eye being lost, why alway weeps the other?
Because that in the warres he lost his brother.

96 Why there is no peace in Europe.

Princes make warre, and soone their warres doe cease,
Oft times they warre to haue the better peace:
Diuines striue, and with Venome fill their veines,
With gall their stomackes, and with spite their braines:
Longer and worse they warre with quills and words,
Then Princes vse to doe with fire and swords.

97 An Antidote, lest women should be proud.

When thou thy faire face see'st in thy fine glasse,
Be not puft vp, because it beauty has:
Brittle and fraile is thy faire, fine, neate feature:
How like thy fine glasse art thou pretty Creature?

100 Natures Horizon.

Two Elements we see not, fire and aire;
Water and Earth wee see, 'cause they are neere:
So wee know men and beasts that are below;
High Angels, highest God, we doe not know.

105 An ambo dexter.

A Fencer with a two-hand Scabberd.

If Pompey ouercome, I am his man:
If Cæsar winne, I'm a Cæsarian.

113 A Kings behauiour.

To King Iames.

All subiects in their manners follow Kings,
What they doe; bids: forbearing, forbids things:
A Kings behauiour swayes his subiects lyues:
As the first moouer all the fixt starres driues.

114 The head is worth all the body besides.

To King Iames.

Reason and senses in the head resides:
Nothing in man worth any thing besides.

115 Kings feare Death.

What Kings feare most, what men feare them to tell:
Fame boldly tells them, and the passing Bell.

118 A Losing Gaine.

Adam did lose a rib, to get a wife.
Poore gaine! by her he lost eternall Life.

119 Head Tyres.

Huge, high-topt-wyres and tyres with toyes bespred,
Doe rather build, then beautifie the head.

121 The East and Westerne Churches.

The right hand Faith is in the worlds left Coast:
The right hand of the world hath left faith most.

127 To his Reader.

Thirsty those are that doe eat salt meats first,
Would my salt lines might cause in thee such thirst.

128 How to rule a wife.

131 To Anabaptists and such kind of mealy Brethren.

You build no Churches, Churches you destroy:
This Zeale doth not heale, but Christs Church annoy:
The Spirit (you say) doth presse you fiercely on.
What spirit is your spirit then?

Reuel. 9. 11.

A-badd-on.

132 Alchymists folly.

God at the first of nothing all things wrought:
Our Alchymists reduce all things to nought.

136 The Crosse in Cheapside ouer against Saint Peters, and Pauls Crosse in the Booke-row.

Why is Saint Peters guilt? Pauls crosse of lead:
Vnder Pauls Crosse are golden Lectures read.

140 Seneca the Philosopher.

Thy writings are fine Epigrams in face,
They nothing want but Poets cinquepace.

141 To the honourable, wise, iudicious Knight, Sir Henry Neuil, Sonne and Heire to the Lord of Aberguenny.

I thinke I heard you once say at your boord,
That your taste, the sharp taste of salt abhord.
Wise Sir, you need not to eat salt: Wherefore?
All your wise talke hath salt in it good store.

144 Contention is fit to dwell no where.

In heauen or Hell is no dissention,
In Heauen all good, in Hell ill euery one:
In earth mens diuers dispositions
Doe cause both long, and strong diuisions.
Therefore the earth shall be quite emptied,
And heauen and hell be fully peopled.

147 The poore mans poore comfort.

To a rich man.

Vnconstant Fortune quickly changeth cheare:
Hence springs my future Hope, thy present Feare.

149 The Heart.

Why is the right side of the Heart bereft?
And on the left plac'd? Wisedome it hath left.

156 The Worlds blacke Saunts: or Musicke for the Deuill.

The World's so full of shrill-voyc'd iangling,
Of deepe repyning, and base murmuring:
The Base so deepe, the Treble is so high,
That Meane and Tenor we cannot discry.

159 The world growes worse and worse.

Our Syres were worse then theirs: we worse then they:
For still the World growes worser eu'ry day.
If our posterity grow worse then we,
A worser race then theirs there cannot be.

160 Londons Loadstone.

As Thames deuoures many small brookes and rills:
Soe smaller Townes with their wealth London fills:
But though that Thames empts it selfe in the Sea,
Wealth once at London, neuer runnes a way.

162 Fooles and Dwarfes.

Though wit or vertue haue in vs no treasure,
Yet we are Great mens sports, and Great mens pleasure.

163 Euery man is full of care.

Poore men haue care, because that they are poore:
Rich men haue wealth, and haue much care therefore:
Who hath no wife, takes great care to haue one;
Who hath a wife, hath more then who hath none.

171 The blessed Uirgin Mary, the Mother of Christ Iesus.

A blessed Virgin, that's thy common Name;
Aboue all Women blest, that is thy fame:
Thy Virgins blessed State had me nought wonne,
Had'st thou not beene the Mother of thy Sonne.

173 New fashions in words.

Old words are new reuiu'd, and those shall dye,
Which now are in discoursing prized high,
And with bold flights in our set speeches fly.
Our now new pleasant words will not please long,
Because they cannot still continue young:
And other newer words will them out-throng.

180 To an Old Churle.

Thou that did'st neuer doe good any way,
When wilt begin to doe good? Thou dost say,
When I dye, to the poore Ile leaue my state:
Who's not wise till he dyes, is wise too late.

182 A fearefull Soules flesh-farewell.

183 A woman may be too proud.

If I should praise thee, thou wouldst prouder grow:
And thou already art too proud, I trow.

184 A muck-Worme.

Heau'n still views thee, and thou shouldst it still view,
God gaue Heau'n lights, and hath giu'n eyes to you:
Thou canst at once little of this earth see,
But with one turne, halfe Heau'n obseru'd may bee.
Since Heau'n is louely, why lou'st thou Earth rather?
Wantons doe loue their Mam more then the father.

188 Cor vnum, via vna.

To King Iames, the first King of Great Brittaine.

Two Scepters in thy two hands thou dost hold:
Thy Subiects languages are iust foure-fold:
Though Brittaine folke in tongues deuided bee,
Yet all their hearts vnited are in thee.
The Diuell it was that first deuided hearts:
Speach God diuided into many parts.

189 A King and a Prophet.

A King out of his Countrey hath no place:
A Prophet in his Country hath no grace.

190 Vertues Attendance.

These two like Genij follow Vertue still:
A good one, and a bad; Glory, Ill-will.

192 To a foolish inquisitiue vaine prattler.

Many fond questions thou dost aske of me,
To all I answer little vnto thee:
'Tis not because thy questioning is much,
But because thy fond questions are such.

193 Sleepe is the image of Death.

When I doe sleep, I seeme as I were dead;
Yet no part of my life's more sweetned:
Therefore 'twere strange that death should bitter be,
Since sleep, deaths image is so sweet to me.

194 How worldly men range their cares.

First, we send for the Lawyer in all haste;
For our first care is, to care for our wealth:
Next, the Physicion with request is graste,
The second care is, to care for our health:
Diuines that should be first, may come at leasure;
If vnbid they come, they may goe at pleasure.

206 A Lawyers life.

207 Preachers and Players.

Preachers like Heraclite, mourne for our sinne;
Prayers like Democrite, at our faults grinne:
One alwaies laughs, the other mournes alwaies;
One tells our faults, the other our sinnes wayes.

215 Schoole-boyes study.

When I was young, I was a studying boy;
My study was, when 'twould be playing Day.

216 Euery thing is as it takes.

If Archy should one foolishly aduise,
And it speed well; he shall be iudged wise:
If wise aduice should come to an ill passe;
Though Cato's 'twere, he should be iudg'd an asse.

217 How to handle griefe.

Grieue onely for those griefes which now thou hast;
Tis too late for to grieue griefes that are past;
To grieue for griefes to come, 'twill too long last.

223 The Poet, of his Mæcenas.

Not words for words, good coyne he me affords.

225 Blind Homer.

Whe'r it be true that men doe write of thee,
That thou ne'r saw'st; I'm sure thy writings see.

227 To goe about, worse then the Goute.

Thou hast two diffring griefes (I vnderstand:)
One in thy feet, th'other in thy wiues hand:
For when thy feet are fett'red with the goute,
Thy wiues sore nimble hand ferkes thee about.

235 Pride is womans Colloquintida.

Learned, neate, young, faire, modest, and bening;
Wert thou not proud, thou wert a pretty thing.

245 Of King Brute .

To Master Camden.

Bookes may be burnt, and monuments decay;
My lines may dye, and so in time thine may:
Yet whil'st some of the Brittaine blood shall liue,
The story of King Brute some will beleeue.

246 To a couetous Carle.

Wealth thou hast scrap'd vp for a thousand yeares;
A hundred yeares is more then thou canst liue:
Yet to scrape vp more wealth thou bendst thy cares,
And thinkst a short life will long comfort giue.
Thou say'st, If I liue long, I shall be rich:
Liue I long, I must dye, should bee thy speach.

247 Death and life are neere Neighbours.

One Natures skreene Death and life hang so neere,
As doth the muddy Earth to waters cleere:
Of lifes white Death, blacke Nature makes one robe,
Euen as the Earth and Water makes one Globe.

248 Moores Eutopia, and Mercurius Brittanicus.

Moore shew'd the best; the worst world's shew'd by thee:
Thou shew'st what is; and he shewes what should be.

259 HOPE FAITH CHARITY

249 Of himselfe.

Some men doe say, I am a Poet no way:
They doe say true, because the truth I say.

254 The nullity of our Lawes.

How many lawes are made, or rather none?
Not kept, or not made, we may count all one:
That former lawes be kept, if an Act were;
That would be kept as all the others are.

257 Besides women and children.

258 Of those that make the Scripture a Nose of Waxe.

Doth holy Writ promise vs any good?
'Tis easily beleeu'd, and vnderstood:
Doth it require ought, or reprooue our sinne?
'Tis a hard speech; wee haue no faith therein.

262 The Harpe and Harrow of the Court. An enuious and a flattering knaue.

These agree not, though in one place they dwell;
Momus of none, Gnatho of all speakes well.

263 The foure efficient causes of man.

What is mans forme? Onely a garish toy;
What is his matter? Frailty and annoy:
Though for this cause, we may these two neglect,
Making, and finall cause we must respect.

64 Deaths sweet and sowre.

266 Death and life.

One way we liue, Death many wayes is had:
All's for the best; Death is good, life is bad.

267 An old decrepit man, A Builder.

Old, and weake, thou build'st many a faire roome:
What build'st thou now? A house, or else a Tombe?

269 An Envious mans Charity.

The dead thou spar'st, the liuing thou dost bite:
Yet rather then I'd dye, I'le beare thy spite.

273 Great Brittaine vnited euerlastingly.

As in beginning 'twas, is now agen;
Euer shall be, till this world ends. Amen.

An excellent Anagram on this excellent Poets name, with the verses annexed, translated.

Iohannes Audoenus. Ad annos Noë vives.

D. Du. Med. his Latine Distick to the Readers, translated.

Art thou a Clerke, or Lay-man? Reade thou these;
They will both profit you, and you both please.

One of mine owne, to the same purpose.

Art thou a merry man, or art thou sad?
To sute you both, fit stuffe may hence be had.

Praise-worthy verses of Learned Mistris Iane Owens of Oxford, in praise of my Iohn Owen, translated out of her Latine.

It was, and is Poets quaint property,
To carpe at men, and womens vanity:
Yet this I iudge, Thy salt lines merit it;
Both men and women will commend thy wit.

To the same learned Woman, whose vertues I reuerence; I dedicate this Encomiastick.

I'd rather haue thy praises on my side,
Then any Womans I doe know beside:
Thy wit and iudgement is more iust and able,
Then many miriads of the vnlearned rabble.