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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Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.

Emong the rustie rockes, bothe rough and harde by kinde,
Where weather beats, and stormes are brim, for eche small blast of winde:
Where spryngs no forraine fruites, nor deinties are not sought,
Where common pleasures made for man, are not in Marketts bought.
Where growes no grapes of wine, to glad the griped breast,
Nor stands no bowres to banket in, yong wantons for to feast:
Where people are not fine, nor yet no fooles I trowe,
But plaine as in the twoo pickt staffe, and plainly doe thei goe.
I settled am to liue, and likes my lotte as well,
As thei that haue a richer home, or with greate Princes dwell:
Now finde I eache thyng sweete, that sowre I thought before,
That in tymes paste did please me moste, now me delites no more.
The toune and stony streets, I weary am to tread,
The feeld but asks a Motley cote, as homely folks are clead:
Now Frese and Kendall greene, maie serue in stead of Silke,
And I that fedde on Courtly fare, maie learne to feede on Milke.
And take sutche countrey chere, as easily is maintainde,
No dishe of gift but sutche in deede, as sweat of browes haue gainde.
No platters full of bribes, these mountaines forthe doe bryng,
A quiet morsell there is cald, a bankett for a kyng:
To eate and slepe in rest, to laugh and speake from feare,
To be an honest neighbour namde, is all that men seeke theare:
No hollownesse of hartes, no hautie waies are likte,
No painted sheathes, no Peacocks proude, yt haue their fether pikte.
Are seen vpon these hilles, nor in the dale likewise,

Where those that dwell in cottage poore, doe princely halls despise:
A cruse of cold sowre whey, the Sugred cupp doeth passe,
In gilted boules doeth poison lurke, that spied is in the glasse.
The poore man tastes hym self, the Prince dare not doe so,
Then better is the sured life, then doubtfull daies I troe:
Did not Diogenes, set more store by his tonne,
Then of the worldly kyngdomes all, that Alexander wonne.
Did not that might prince, these wordes with tong expres,
If Alexander were I not, make me Diogenes:
Since kyngs would change their states, & holds the meane life best,
Then blame not me where I doe like, I seeke to finde some rest.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.