A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance ::

A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance

framed on Fancies, uttered with verses, and writtee[n] to giue solace to eury well disposed mynde: wherein not withstanding are many heauie Epitaphes, sad and sorowfull discourses and sutche a multitude of other honest pastymes for the season (and passages of witte) that the reader therein maie thinke his tyme well bestowed. All whiche workes for the pleasure of the worlde, and recreation of the worthie, and dedicated to the right honourable sir Thomas Bromley, Knight, Lorde Chancelour of Englande [by Thomas Churchyard]

Churchyard, Thomas (1520?-1604)

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My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.

An Epitaphe of sir Nicholas Bacon Knight, late Lorde Keeper.

Sir Hugh Pauletts Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Courtneis Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.

Maister Hampdens Epitaphe.

My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.

An Epitaphe of one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.

Maister VValter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie

The Lorde Braies Epitaphe.

Sir Jhon Constables Epitaphe.

The phantasticall Monarkes Epitaphe.

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Of the fickle faithe of men.

Of a Flatterer and a Backbiter.

A good description of a freende.

A warnyng from Courte.

Of a Courtiers life, and how the worst sorte findes beste Fortune.

Of woordes spoken by a greate personage.

A description of Desire.

Of a vicious woman.

Of vnsounde freendes.

A matter of fonde Cupid, and vain Venus.

This showes the vanitie of some hopes.

The meetyng of twoo noble knightes of the Garter (sir Henry Sidney, and the Erle of Essex) in Irelande, twoo miles beyond Dradath the xxj, of September, and 17 yere in the raigne of our souerain ladie Quene Elizabeth.

Of my Lorde cheef Baron that was.

Of a noble personage.

A letter in Maie, sent to Maister Henry Knowles house at Gobbyns.

Of the want of will.

Of twoo vertuous sisters.

Translated out of Latine.

A discription of the goodnesse that growes in Cicilia.

A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.

Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.

VVritten from the Countrey twentie yere agoe, to one that poorely remaines at the Courte yet.

Of an iniurie by faunyng freendes.

Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.

Of a fearfull Dreame.

Of a harde worlde.

Made against Idell and vain Rimes.

Of the vanitie of youth.

VVritten of a gentleman, whose name is in the verses.

Non est fides super terram.

Of a disdainfull persone.

A letter to maister Cressie.

A speciall trifle on a fickle woman.

Uerses written on the Muster that was made by the Pensioners before the Queene.

VVritten of the Queene, when her highnesse was in trouble.

Verses giuen the Quenes highnesse at windsor.

A Newe yeres gift to the Erle of Ormond, giuen at Kilkennie, when the Erle of Essex was in Irelande.

A touche stone to trie an error from a trothe.

For the losse of a mightie and noble mannes fauour.

Verses that were giuen to the Quenes maiestie.

A rebuke to vaine louers.

Of fained frendshippe.

Uerses that weare giuen to a moste mightie personage.

The louers of the worlde.

Of a noble mynde.

Of doubtfull hope.

Of the flantyng worlde.

Of a fantasticall dreame taken out of Petrarke.

A fancie as an answere to that dreame.

A fantasie on fifteene woordes, endyng all in one letter.

Of the strong and the weake.

Of Youth and Age.

Of the short estate of man.

The praise of mistres Mabell Browne, wherein vertue is honoured.

Of wandryng and gaddyng abroad.

Of faire thynges and foule, where in a vertuous Ladie is sette out.

Of an enemie.

VVritten in the beginnyng of Kyng Edwardes raigne, whiche verses are called Dauie Dicars Dreame.

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A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.

When will and winde doe iarre, and Neptune proues a foe,
A man maie venter farre, yet haue no powre to goe:
Admit that Ioue doe smile, if other Gods doe lowre,
We must abide a while, and watche the happie howre.
For eury God in Skies, a seurall nature haue,
And sure greate quarrells rise, by suites that men doe craue:
Of Gods whose sondrie moods, a masse of matter showes,
Some are the Gods of goods, and where that Fortune flowes.
Thei followe tide and tyme, and some are Gods of game,
And some in clouds doe clime, and flies as faste as Fame:

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Some alwaies like the seas, and some the lande embrace,
Some lou's to take their ease, and quaff's and bibbs a pace:
Some are the Gods of graine, and flowrs and fruit's likewise,
So now to breake my braine, about these Gods in Skies.
It were but labour loste, yet how should people saile,
Or ride to any coste, when hope of Gods doe faile:
First proue a courage bolde, and goe to feeld and feight,
If Mars his loue waxe cold, ye shalbe conquerd streight.
Where Venus frounes make loue, and see what lucke ye finde,
If Oelus liste not moue, in vaine ye looke for winde:
So many thyngs by name, are rulde through Gods in aire,
And Gods good lucke doe frame, in weather foule or faire.
But Gods doe dwell so hye, and I so lowe remaine,
I knowe not where to crie, nor yet to whom complaine:
A greater greef I feele, a fortune somwhat strange,
So swift tourns Fortunes wheele, that still the winde doeth change.
When I to shipp would goe, no soner tourne I backe,
But streight a gale doeth blowe, where I the winde did lacke:
This prou's like eurie suite, that I doe take in hande,
For others catche the fruite, when at reward I stande.
My Deastnie is enrould, (O maister of Roulls I feare,)
Where winde doeth blowe so cold, there comes no Sommer theare:
And though that Sonne doe shine, it giu's but little heate,
Some saie worse lucke is myne, and my mishap is greate.
Thus here in verse I showe, what winde doeth me a reste,
In hope before I goe, the winde mill bloweth at Weste:
Till then my penne shall walke, where I doe finde good will,
To make my freends to talke, on Churchyardes fortune still.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.