All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet Being Sixty and three in Number. Collected into one Volume by the Author [i.e. John Taylor]: With sundry new Additions, corrected, reuised, and newly Imprinted |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 55. |
| 56. |
| 57. |
| 58. |
| 59. |
| 60. |
| 61. |
| 62. |
| 63. |
| 64. |
| 65. |
| 66. |
| 67. |
| 68. |
| 69. |
| 70. |
| 71. |
| 72. |
| 73. |
| 74. |
| 75. |
| 76. |
| 77. |
| 78. |
| 79. |
| 120. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 34. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
| 28. |
| 29. |
| 30. |
| 31. |
| 32. |
| 33. |
| 34. |
| 35. |
| 36. |
| 37. |
| 38. |
| 39. |
| 40. |
| 41. |
|
| I. |
|
| 2. |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet |  |
If any one (as I dare boldly done)
His Bitth, his breeding, and his Life declare:
Let him appeare, and I dare lay my necke,
He wil be hang'd, or else deserue a checke.
From vast America's rude barbarous bounds,
From rocky barren soyle, and sterill grounds,
Where men did not their Creator know,
And where the Deuil's the God to whom they bow,
There from my Heathen Dam, or mother Earth
With Paines and trauaile, I at first had birth.
A hundred strong men-midwiues, digg'd their way
Into her bowels, to finde where I lay
With Engines, Spades, Crowes, Mattocks, & such matters,
They ripp'd & tore her harmlesse wombe to tatters,
And but they did within the mid-way catch me,
They would haue dig'd to Hell it selfe to fetch me.
At last they found me, mixt with dirt and drosse,
Corruption vnrefin'd, eclipst my Glosse,
And from the Earth I in the fire was tride,
And into Ingots purg'd and purifide.
From Paphlagonia, some my birth doe count,
Neere Sandracugium, a most famous Mount,
And that poore Slaues which were cōdemn'd to die,
Were forc'd to digge for me laboriously,
Whereas the dampish Mines infecting ayre
Kill'd the poore wretches, and so eas'd their care.
Some say that Menes, an Egyptian King,
Me to the shape of Coyne, at first did bring:
But when they saw that people, greedily,
For me did runne into all villany,
The Priests did curse the King, that first inuented
Me, that so many wayes their mindes tormented,
For till they knew me, they affirmed true;
No Enuie, Pride, or Auarice they knew.
Thus with great labour, and the death of men,
I first was borne and afterwards agen
He that to Money did conuert me first,
Was by the Priests and People, bann'd and curst.
With blood and curses I at first began,
And euer since haue beene a curse to man.
Yet for me some excuses may be showne,
The name of Twelue-pence, was as then not knowne,
Diuersity of Coynes o're all the world
Were scatter'd vniuersally, and hurld,
In Courts, in Cities, and in warlike Campes,
E're I was made, they all vs'd other stamps.
There were some Sicles, some Meruiades,
An As, a Drachma, a Sesterties,
Quadrens, Sextanes, Minaes, (it appeares)
Didrachmaes, and Sportulas, and Denieres.
My name at first did from the Romanes come,
(As Cooper saies) they call'd me Solidum,
Or from a Souldier it was named thus,
(As 'twere his daily wages) Sollidus,
For though the Times are subiect to mutation,
Yet from Soldafus I haue nomination:
Thus Twelue-pence hath an ancient Warriour bin,
Although men know not when I did begin.
And by experience all the world can tell,
Soldatus doth loue Sollidus so well,
That alwaies euery Souldier is vnwilling,
Long to be kept asunder from a Shilling:
If he doth want me, a moneth, two, or three,
Hee'll grumble, and goe neere to Mutinie.
He hath no mind to draw his Sword and fight,
But (discontented) bids the warres good-night.
When let but Sollidus come to his hand,
Hee'll fight as long as he can goe or stand,
Regarding nor remembring child or wife,
Hee'll hazard and endanger limbe and life.
And thus by way of argument 'tis pend,
A Shilling is a Souldiers loued friend.
A Shilling's much more ancient then a pound,
And in pronouncing giues a better sound:
As for example; which is most mouth-filling
Of fifty pounds, or of a thousand shilling,
A thousand pounds, may make the accent rore,
But twenty thousand shillings soundeth more.
Thus of two sillables I am compacted,
When into one the hounds are all extracted.
The Germane Dollers are my Iuniers farre,
So are the Copesticks of the Brabander.
The Spanish Royall, piece of foure and eight,
On me for my antiquity may waite,
The Floren, Guelder, and French Cardecue
To me are vpstarts, if Records be true,
The Grosh, Potchandle, Stiuer, Doyte, and Sowse,
Compar'd with me, are all scarce worth a Lowse:
Nor can the Atcheson or the Baubee
For my antiquity compare with me.
The halfe Crowne is on horseback mounted hie,
Yet neuer trauail'd halfe so farre as I;
The Scotish Mark's a dang'rous piece of Coyne,
Tis iust a hanging price, if one purloyne,
There is no such hazard in the stealing mee,
I am three halfe pence lower in degree,
And as in pence I for a Iury stand,
I haue eleuen Coynes vnder my command:
And (to grace all the rest) my proper selfe,
Like a Grand Iury-man make vp the Twelfe.
But for men shall not thinke I bragge or prate,
Those whom I doe command 'Ile nominate.
Nine pence (three quarters) with his Harpe befriends me,
And six pence with halfe seruice still attends me,
The foure pence halfe-penny next comes fiddling on,
The Groat my third part doth depend vpon:
The three-pence is a quarter wayter still,
The two-pence is six parts attends my will,
Three-halfe-pence stoops to my commanding sway,
And eight of them at once doth me obey:
The single pence are all my little Cozens,
And doth attend my seruice by the dozens.
Three farthings by sixteens attend in plenty,
And halfe-pence to the summe of foure and twenty,
And last (for Pages) on my State doth waite,
Of dapper farthing tokens forty eight.
But e're I did attaine my shape and forme,
I'abid the brunt of many a furious storme;
For this the world I would haue well to wot,
Mine honour was with paines and danger got.
I past the raging seas and flaming fire:
And gain'd a Face and Crosse for all my hire:
It would almost dissolue a heart of flint,
To be so vs'd as I was in the Mint:
The paines of Purgatory cannot be
But fictions to those things that fell on me.
For what I did endure, had man but felt,
It had (like Kitchinstuffe) haue made him melt.
Then my Tormentors, all at once agrees
From my great heat, to let me coole or freeze,
And dead and cold, me then againe they martyr'd,
Me all in pieces they becut and quartir'd,
Weighing the mangled mammocks, they pronounce
That fiue of me in weight should be an ounce.
Then to the Anuill was I brought in haste,
Whereas with Hammers they did me bumbaste,
And there they neuer left belab'ring mee,
Vntill they brought me to the shape you see.
Thus I mine honour, and my forme did win,
Through many dreadfull dangers I was in.
And though there scarce doth memory remaine,
What I was e're the sixt King Edwards raigne,
Yet long before his time I was in value,
As read in good true written Stories shall you.
My stamp (when Rome did keepe the world in awe)
Was foure swift Steedes that did a Chariot draw,
Which figur'd, that I to and fro should runne
An endlesse Iourney that would ne'r be done.
I am made endlesse, round, which doth portend,
Till the world end, my Iourney ne'r shall end.
And men may plainely in my roundnesse see,
An Emblem of the worlds rotundity.
Round is the Globe, round is the Hemisphere,
Rond runs the Moon and Sun, each month and yeere:
Round ran the Empire from th'Assirian Kings,
Round vnto Persian, Greece, and Rome it flings,
Round to great Britaine, it is come I know,
Whence (hem'd round with the Sea) it cannot goe.
But the maine cause that makes it stay and stand,
Is where'tis guarded by th'Almighties hand.
Round from the North to East, to South and West,
All Arts Laue still runne round, tis manifest.
The Iowes, th'Egyptians, Caldies, Persians,
Deuis'd Arts, and were Astrologians,
And true experience doth approue it thus,
Their knowledge is runne round from them to vs.
The age of man goes round, a child at first,
And like a child returnes vnto his dust.
His body and his limbs, his eyes, his head,
All inround formes are made and fashioned,
The roots, the fruits, the flowers, and the Trees,
All in a round conformity agrees,
Our drinking healths run round, with nimble quicknes,
Vntill at last too many healths brings sickenes:
When store of money to mens hands doe come,
They say they haue receiu'd a good round summe;
And when a man doth take a Knaue vp soundly,
'Tis said, he told him of his faults most roundly.
The Hang-man hangs a Traytor, or a Thiefe,
And is about his businesse round, and briefe.
Round are the dishes where we put our meate,
Our Cups, wherein we drinke, are round compleat:
Round is our Butter, round our Cheeses are,
Roūd are the cloaths which on our backs we weare,
Beasts, fowles and fish, that euery where abound,
Are (for the most part) euery where made round.
Round are all wedding Rings, implying will,
Mens cares runne round, like horses in a mill.
Thus hauing plainely shew'd, why and wherefore
I am made round, now to my taske once more.
About my circle, I a Posie haue,
The Title, God vnto the King first gaue.
The circle that encompasseth my face,
Declares my Soueraignes Title, by Gods grace,
Vpon my other side is, Posvi Devm,
Whereto is added Adivtorem Mevm,
The which last Poesie Annagrammatiz'd,
Wisdome, admit me power, true compriz'd,
Wisdome at first vpon me did bestowe
Such power that for a Shillinh I should goe,
When Wisdome gaue me power, I was then
A seruant, not a Master vnto men.
Now, Power makes me Wisedome force perforce
Improper, like the Cart before the Horse.
For in this Age, so many friends I finde,
My power's before, and Wisedome comes behinde
He that for me and for my kin can rake
Is wise, (although a Coxcombe) for my sake,
He that wants me, shall be esteem'd an Asse,
Although he be as wise as e're man was.
For there's such league one in Triplicity
Sworne firme betwixt the Deuill, the world, and I,
That those who to the one true seruants be,
Are captiue bondslaues vnto all the three.
Great sway vpon the earth to vs is giuen,
Por well we know we ne'r shall come in heau'n,
And all that in vs take delight and mirth,
Their onely heau'n is here vpon the earth.
And couctous they are not, in this case,
Because they couet for no better place;
So much for that: now to my shape againe,
You see my face is beardlesse, smooth and plaine,
Because my Soueraigne was a child 'tis knowne,
When as he did put on the English Crowne.
But had my stamp beene bearded, as with haire,
Long before this it had beene worne out bare;
For why with me the vnthrifts euery day,
With my face downwards do at shoue-boord play ,
That had I had a beard, you may suppose
Th'had worne it off, as they haue done my nose.
Yet doth my bare face sometimes, now and than,
Make a young beardlesse Boy, outface a man,
For any Boy and I, doe both agree,
To outface any man that doth want me
A crosse I beare vpon my other side,
(A glorious figure of true Christian pride)
And with that crosse I any man can crosse,
From wrong to iniury, from harme to losse,
And in me is such working powerfulnesse,
That those that haue me, can both crosse and blesse.
The English and French Armes, the Lyons & flowres,
Shewes France a subiect once to Englands pow'rs,
And when my Master did respire his breath,
His sisters Mary, and Elizabeth
Ordain'd new Twelue-pences with me to ioyne,
But altred not my badge vpon my Coyne,
Except a little, which King Philip did,
Which Queene Elizabeth did soone forbid.
But since the comming of my Soueraigne Iames,
The badge vpon my back more worth proclaimes.
And to mixe state with truth, truth with delight,
Vpon the Armes I carrie, thus I write.
His Bitth, his breeding, and his Life declare:
Let him appeare, and I dare lay my necke,
He wil be hang'd, or else deserue a checke.
From vast America's rude barbarous bounds,
From rocky barren soyle, and sterill grounds,
Where men did not their Creator know,
And where the Deuil's the God to whom they bow,
There from my Heathen Dam, or mother Earth
With Paines and trauaile, I at first had birth.
A hundred strong men-midwiues, digg'd their way
Into her bowels, to finde where I lay
With Engines, Spades, Crowes, Mattocks, & such matters,
They ripp'd & tore her harmlesse wombe to tatters,
And but they did within the mid-way catch me,
They would haue dig'd to Hell it selfe to fetch me.
At last they found me, mixt with dirt and drosse,
Corruption vnrefin'd, eclipst my Glosse,
And from the Earth I in the fire was tride,
And into Ingots purg'd and purifide.
From Paphlagonia, some my birth doe count,
Neere Sandracugium, a most famous Mount,
And that poore Slaues which were cōdemn'd to die,
Were forc'd to digge for me laboriously,
Whereas the dampish Mines infecting ayre
Kill'd the poore wretches, and so eas'd their care.
Some say that Menes, an Egyptian King,
Me to the shape of Coyne, at first did bring:
But when they saw that people, greedily,
For me did runne into all villany,
The Priests did curse the King, that first inuented
Me, that so many wayes their mindes tormented,
For till they knew me, they affirmed true;
No Enuie, Pride, or Auarice they knew.
Thus with great labour, and the death of men,
I first was borne and afterwards agen
He that to Money did conuert me first,
Was by the Priests and People, bann'd and curst.
With blood and curses I at first began,
And euer since haue beene a curse to man.
Yet for me some excuses may be showne,
The name of Twelue-pence, was as then not knowne,
Diuersity of Coynes o're all the world
Were scatter'd vniuersally, and hurld,
In Courts, in Cities, and in warlike Campes,
E're I was made, they all vs'd other stamps.
There were some Sicles, some Meruiades,
An As, a Drachma, a Sesterties,
Quadrens, Sextanes, Minaes, (it appeares)
Didrachmaes, and Sportulas, and Denieres.
My name at first did from the Romanes come,
(As Cooper saies) they call'd me Solidum,
67
(As 'twere his daily wages) Sollidus,
For though the Times are subiect to mutation,
Yet from Soldafus I haue nomination:
Thus Twelue-pence hath an ancient Warriour bin,
Although men know not when I did begin.
And by experience all the world can tell,
Soldatus doth loue Sollidus so well,
That alwaies euery Souldier is vnwilling,
Long to be kept asunder from a Shilling:
If he doth want me, a moneth, two, or three,
Hee'll grumble, and goe neere to Mutinie.
He hath no mind to draw his Sword and fight,
But (discontented) bids the warres good-night.
When let but Sollidus come to his hand,
Hee'll fight as long as he can goe or stand,
Regarding nor remembring child or wife,
Hee'll hazard and endanger limbe and life.
And thus by way of argument 'tis pend,
A Shilling is a Souldiers loued friend.
A Shilling's much more ancient then a pound,
And in pronouncing giues a better sound:
As for example; which is most mouth-filling
Of fifty pounds, or of a thousand shilling,
A thousand pounds, may make the accent rore,
But twenty thousand shillings soundeth more.
Thus of two sillables I am compacted,
When into one the hounds are all extracted.
The Germane Dollers are my Iuniers farre,
So are the Copesticks of the Brabander.
The Spanish Royall, piece of foure and eight,
On me for my antiquity may waite,
The Floren, Guelder, and French Cardecue
To me are vpstarts, if Records be true,
The Grosh, Potchandle, Stiuer, Doyte, and Sowse,
Compar'd with me, are all scarce worth a Lowse:
Nor can the Atcheson or the Baubee
For my antiquity compare with me.
The halfe Crowne is on horseback mounted hie,
Yet neuer trauail'd halfe so farre as I;
The Scotish Mark's a dang'rous piece of Coyne,
Tis iust a hanging price, if one purloyne,
There is no such hazard in the stealing mee,
I am three halfe pence lower in degree,
And as in pence I for a Iury stand,
I haue eleuen Coynes vnder my command:
And (to grace all the rest) my proper selfe,
Like a Grand Iury-man make vp the Twelfe.
But for men shall not thinke I bragge or prate,
Those whom I doe command 'Ile nominate.
Nine pence (three quarters) with his Harpe befriends me,
And six pence with halfe seruice still attends me,
The foure pence halfe-penny next comes fiddling on,
The Groat my third part doth depend vpon:
The three-pence is a quarter wayter still,
The two-pence is six parts attends my will,
Three-halfe-pence stoops to my commanding sway,
And eight of them at once doth me obey:
The single pence are all my little Cozens,
And doth attend my seruice by the dozens.
Three farthings by sixteens attend in plenty,
And halfe-pence to the summe of foure and twenty,
And last (for Pages) on my State doth waite,
Of dapper farthing tokens forty eight.
But e're I did attaine my shape and forme,
I'abid the brunt of many a furious storme;
For this the world I would haue well to wot,
Mine honour was with paines and danger got.
I past the raging seas and flaming fire:
And gain'd a Face and Crosse for all my hire:
It would almost dissolue a heart of flint,
To be so vs'd as I was in the Mint:
The paines of Purgatory cannot be
But fictions to those things that fell on me.
For what I did endure, had man but felt,
It had (like Kitchinstuffe) haue made him melt.
Then my Tormentors, all at once agrees
From my great heat, to let me coole or freeze,
And dead and cold, me then againe they martyr'd,
Me all in pieces they becut and quartir'd,
Weighing the mangled mammocks, they pronounce
That fiue of me in weight should be an ounce.
Then to the Anuill was I brought in haste,
Whereas with Hammers they did me bumbaste,
And there they neuer left belab'ring mee,
Vntill they brought me to the shape you see.
Thus I mine honour, and my forme did win,
Through many dreadfull dangers I was in.
And though there scarce doth memory remaine,
What I was e're the sixt King Edwards raigne,
Yet long before his time I was in value,
As read in good true written Stories shall you.
My stamp (when Rome did keepe the world in awe)
Was foure swift Steedes that did a Chariot draw,
Which figur'd, that I to and fro should runne
An endlesse Iourney that would ne'r be done.
I am made endlesse, round, which doth portend,
Till the world end, my Iourney ne'r shall end.
And men may plainely in my roundnesse see,
An Emblem of the worlds rotundity.
Round is the Globe, round is the Hemisphere,
Rond runs the Moon and Sun, each month and yeere:
Round ran the Empire from th'Assirian Kings,
Round vnto Persian, Greece, and Rome it flings,
Round to great Britaine, it is come I know,
Whence (hem'd round with the Sea) it cannot goe.
68
Is where'tis guarded by th'Almighties hand.
Round from the North to East, to South and West,
All Arts Laue still runne round, tis manifest.
The Iowes, th'Egyptians, Caldies, Persians,
Deuis'd Arts, and were Astrologians,
And true experience doth approue it thus,
Their knowledge is runne round from them to vs.
The age of man goes round, a child at first,
And like a child returnes vnto his dust.
His body and his limbs, his eyes, his head,
All inround formes are made and fashioned,
The roots, the fruits, the flowers, and the Trees,
All in a round conformity agrees,
Our drinking healths run round, with nimble quicknes,
Vntill at last too many healths brings sickenes:
When store of money to mens hands doe come,
They say they haue receiu'd a good round summe;
And when a man doth take a Knaue vp soundly,
'Tis said, he told him of his faults most roundly.
The Hang-man hangs a Traytor, or a Thiefe,
And is about his businesse round, and briefe.
Round are the dishes where we put our meate,
Our Cups, wherein we drinke, are round compleat:
Round is our Butter, round our Cheeses are,
Roūd are the cloaths which on our backs we weare,
Beasts, fowles and fish, that euery where abound,
Are (for the most part) euery where made round.
Round are all wedding Rings, implying will,
Mens cares runne round, like horses in a mill.
Thus hauing plainely shew'd, why and wherefore
I am made round, now to my taske once more.
About my circle, I a Posie haue,
The Title, God vnto the King first gaue.
The circle that encompasseth my face,
Declares my Soueraignes Title, by Gods grace,
Vpon my other side is, Posvi Devm,
Whereto is added Adivtorem Mevm,
The which last Poesie Annagrammatiz'd,
Wisdome, admit me power, true compriz'd,
Wisdome at first vpon me did bestowe
Such power that for a Shillinh I should goe,
When Wisdome gaue me power, I was then
A seruant, not a Master vnto men.
Now, Power makes me Wisedome force perforce
Improper, like the Cart before the Horse.
For in this Age, so many friends I finde,
My power's before, and Wisedome comes behinde
He that for me and for my kin can rake
Is wise, (although a Coxcombe) for my sake,
He that wants me, shall be esteem'd an Asse,
Although he be as wise as e're man was.
For there's such league one in Triplicity
Sworne firme betwixt the Deuill, the world, and I,
That those who to the one true seruants be,
Are captiue bondslaues vnto all the three.
Great sway vpon the earth to vs is giuen,
Por well we know we ne'r shall come in heau'n,
And all that in vs take delight and mirth,
Their onely heau'n is here vpon the earth.
And couctous they are not, in this case,
Because they couet for no better place;
So much for that: now to my shape againe,
You see my face is beardlesse, smooth and plaine,
Because my Soueraigne was a child 'tis knowne,
When as he did put on the English Crowne.
But had my stamp beene bearded, as with haire,
Long before this it had beene worne out bare;
For why with me the vnthrifts euery day,
With my face downwards do at shoue-boord play ,
That had I had a beard, you may suppose
Th'had worne it off, as they haue done my nose.
Yet doth my bare face sometimes, now and than,
Make a young beardlesse Boy, outface a man,
For any Boy and I, doe both agree,
To outface any man that doth want me
A crosse I beare vpon my other side,
(A glorious figure of true Christian pride)
And with that crosse I any man can crosse,
From wrong to iniury, from harme to losse,
And in me is such working powerfulnesse,
That those that haue me, can both crosse and blesse.
The English and French Armes, the Lyons & flowres,
Shewes France a subiect once to Englands pow'rs,
And when my Master did respire his breath,
His sisters Mary, and Elizabeth
Ordain'd new Twelue-pences with me to ioyne,
But altred not my badge vpon my Coyne,
Except a little, which King Philip did,
Which Queene Elizabeth did soone forbid.
But since the comming of my Soueraigne Iames,
The badge vpon my back more worth proclaimes.
And to mixe state with truth, truth with delight,
Vpon the Armes I carrie, thus I write.
Where the best metals doe grow, the Earth is most barren, which is an Emblem that they that hoord or hide money, are batren of all fruits of goodnesse.
Polidore Virgil. Menes might be first inuentor of Coine in Egypt, yet not of a Twelue pence, but I thinke money was in Cains time, and I am sure that Abraham bought a field for buriall with money.
Polidore Virgil. Menes might be first inuentor of Coine in Egypt, yet not of a Twelue pence, but I thinke money was in Cains time, and I am sure that Abraham bought a field for buriall with money.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |