University of Virginia Library

THE KNAVE OF HARTS, To his three Brethren Knaues.

Wee Knaues (whom all men Knaues doe call)
That serue Knaues turnes to play withall,
Imploid for precious Times abuse,
And turn'd to euery Cheaters vse,
That in the Ale-house, day and night,
Cause drunken Knaues to brawle, and fight:
Make swearing Knaues let damn'd othes flye:
And idle Knaues proue beggers by:
And carelesse Knaues to spend their thrift:
And roguish Knaues to sharke and shift:
And cheating Knaues to goe most braue:
And foolish Knaues lose all they haue:
And greedy Knaues to vse false play:
And needy Knaues wrong whom they may:
And new-cut Knaues show cut-throat trickes:
And coos'ning Knaues false Cardes to mixe.
VVee friends (in tearmes of Knaues rewards)
Are singled forth a paire of Cardes
By one that we must yeeld vnto,
VVhose office hath with Knaues to doe.
For, he that here their humours writes,
Is kept from sleepe by Knaues a nights.
Night-walkers, such as sleepe by day:
And in the night hunt out for pray:
That imitate the Bat and Owle,
Night-Rauen, and such Cat-eyed Fowle.
One childe of darknesse seekes his Puncke,
Another at his liquor drunke,
By Statute claimes his due (the Stockes:)
Another closely picking lockes.
Neuer regarding Hang-mans feare,
Till Tyburne-tiffany he weare:
Others to quarrels them apply,
To get some Cloake or hat thereby.
And some for their aduantage, looking
At open windowes to be hooking,
Free purchase that way to attaine:
But leaue these to another vaine.
It is the Knaue of Spades his taske,
Their deedes of darknesse to vnmaske:
The Knaue of Clubs hath first begunne,
And I am next, now he hath done.
His tale of Knaues hath twice beene told:
And he is printed, bought and solde,
VVhich made me hasten to the Presse,
Least Dimond should my place possesse:
For, he is come with newes like these,
And brought much knauerie home from Seas.
Yet since that Clubs did promise make,
That I next him my place should take:
Therefore that credit Ile not leese,
How euer Club and Spade agrees,
In colour blacke, and I all red:
And we alike all foure be bred:
I am the heartiest Knaue of all,
(Stout-hearted Knaues are counted tall)
To take a purse, or make a Fray,
Tis we that swagger it away.
Then, hollow-hearted Knaues there be,
VVhose Inside, no mans eyes can see:
Such as will faune, and speake most kinde,
VVhile wholesome profit they doe finde,
Hard-hearted Knaues there likewise are,
That to vndoe men neuer care.
And gripe them with their Diuels clawes,
In all extreames of strickest lawes.
False-hearted Knaues that lies embrace,
And sweare blacke's white vnto your face:
That to deceiue in what they sell,
For twelue-pence venter soule to hell.
Of these and all hearts gracelesse bad,
Such plentie there is to be had,
That London hath no Lane nor Streete,
In which Knaues doe not daily meete:
They pace in Paules, as Gallants doe,
They keepe Exchange like Marchants to:
At Westminster they walke the Hall:
In Tauernes, they doe knocke and call:
In Trades-mens shops they daily be:
VVith Punckes, at Playes, you shall them see:
And (as I am true Knaue of Harts)
Some drawne about in leather Carts,
VVith such a kinde of lazie pride
About the Citie streetes they ride
As though they were diseas'd and lame,
Or else that London were the same,
Like Niniuie to trauell in,
That three dayes iourny would haue bin:
Such Carting ne'er was seene before,
A Coach must carry to Church doore.
An Asse that's with foure Horses drawne;
Yea, Mistresse Easie, to the Pawne
Must passe vpon two paire of VVheeles,
As though the Poxe were in her heeles:
Shee fearing t'tread vpon the ground:
Such idle pride the Diuell hath found,
For drawing vp and downe the streete,
That God might make them without feete,
Because they passe about the Towne,
Like Cripples, carryed vp and downe:
But leaue this luggage borne about,
Vnto the Scuruy, and the gowte:
And come to Gamsters now a while,
At whom the Knaue of Harts doth smile,
To see what shifting trickes be vs'd:
And what poore Guls there are abus'd,
That follow play vnto their cost,
Till all they get, and earne, be lost
And then they borrow, sharke, and shift,
In hope of Fortunes better gift,
For to recouer their lost part,
Striuing against the cheaters Art.
Poore fooles that Cards and Ale-house ply,
Till all, they get, consumes thereby:
The Vitlers poasts all chalck'd with scores,
And they turn'd Beggers out of doores.
Their kinde wiues that haue well deseru'd,
Beate and misus'd: their children staru'd:
Fie Ralcals, Villaines, drunken Knaues,
Base minded, brutish, roguish slaues:
It grieues my hart exceeding much,
VVhen they a paire of Cardes doe touch:
For harmelesse sport we first were made,
And men for recreation plaid:
Now each false hand, and theeuish fist
Shuffle and cut vs as they list:
And many a Rogue with coos'ning trickes,
From onely Cardes his liuing pickes.