 | Liberalitie and Prodigalitie |  |
THE PROLOGVE.
The Prouerbe is, How many men, so many mindes.
Which maketh proofe, how hard a thing it is,
Of sundry mindes to please the sundry kindes.
In which respect, I haue inferred this,
That vvhere mens mindes appeare so different,
No play, no part, can all alike content.
Which maketh proofe, how hard a thing it is,
Of sundry mindes to please the sundry kindes.
In which respect, I haue inferred this,
That vvhere mens mindes appeare so different,
No play, no part, can all alike content.
The graue Diuine calles for Diuinitie;
The Ciuell student, for Philosophie:
The Courtier craues some rare found historie:
The baser sort, for knacks of pleasantrie.
So euery sort desireth specially,
What thing may best content his fantasie.
The Ciuell student, for Philosophie:
The Courtier craues some rare found historie:
The baser sort, for knacks of pleasantrie.
So euery sort desireth specially,
What thing may best content his fantasie.
But none of these our barren toy affoords.
To pulpits we referre Diuinitie:
And matters of Estate, to Councill boords,
As for the quirkes of sage Philosophie,
Or points of squirgliting scurrilitie;
The one we shunne, for childish yeeres too rare,
Th'other vnfit, for such as present are.
To pulpits we referre Diuinitie:
And matters of Estate, to Councill boords,
As for the quirkes of sage Philosophie,
Or points of squirgliting scurrilitie;
The one we shunne, for childish yeeres too rare,
Th'other vnfit, for such as present are.
But this vve bring, is but to serue the time,
A poore deuice, to passe the day withall:
To loftier points of skill we dare not clime,
Lest perking ouer-hie, vvith shame vvee fall.
Such as doth best beseeme such as vve be,
Such vve present, and craue your courtesie:
A poore deuice, to passe the day withall:
To loftier points of skill we dare not clime,
Lest perking ouer-hie, vvith shame vvee fall.
Such as doth best beseeme such as vve be,
Such vve present, and craue your courtesie:
That courtesie, that gentlenes of yours,
Which wonted is, to pardon faults of ours:
Which graunted, vve haue all that vve require:
Your only fauour, onely our desire.
Which wonted is, to pardon faults of ours:
Which graunted, vve haue all that vve require:
Your only fauour, onely our desire.
The end of the Prologue.
| Liberalitie and Prodigalitie | |