The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton For the First Time Collected and Edited: With Memorial-Introduction, Notes and Illustrations, Glossarial Index, Facsimilies, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. In Two Volumes |
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THE PREFACE. |
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 | The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton |  |
THE PREFACE.
A Prouerbe olde, and therewith true there is,
That haste makes waste: ech thing must haue his time:
Who high aspires must ever looke to this,—
To marke his steppes before he ginne to clime:
For who in climing takes no care at all,
Ere he get vp, is like to catch a fall.
That haste makes waste: ech thing must haue his time:
Who high aspires must ever looke to this,—
To marke his steppes before he ginne to clime:
For who in climing takes no care at all,
Ere he get vp, is like to catch a fall.
Who dooth desire to HONOR high to clime,
By due desart, must woorshippe first attaine:
Then for to seeke, in farther tract of time,
The meane, whereby to HONOR to attaine:
For he that thinkes to be a Lorde first day,
Will misse a Lorde, and prooue a Loute, straight way.
By due desart, must woorshippe first attaine:
Then for to seeke, in farther tract of time,
The meane, whereby to HONOR to attaine:
For he that thinkes to be a Lorde first day,
Will misse a Lorde, and prooue a Loute, straight way.
Who doth assault the huge high FORT OF FAME,
Must first beginne to scale the outward walles:
Long is the Ladder that dooth reach the same,
And happie he that gets vp without falles:
Tedious the time, the labour nothing short,
To take in hande to scale so high a Forte.
Must first beginne to scale the outward walles:
Long is the Ladder that dooth reach the same,
And happie he that gets vp without falles:
Tedious the time, the labour nothing short,
To take in hande to scale so high a Forte.
This Prouerbe olde, my selfe obserued well,
Who not assault the gallant FORT OF FAME:
But FANCIES FORTE, not minding there to dwell,
But for to see the secretes of the same:
And many times I thought to make retire,
But in the ende obtainéd my desire.
Who not assault the gallant FORT OF FAME:
But FANCIES FORTE, not minding there to dwell,
But for to see the secretes of the same:
And many times I thought to make retire,
But in the ende obtainéd my desire.
I scalde the walles, and got into the Fort
With ease inough, short time and little fight:
And there I sawe whereof I make report,
Eche thinge that was for to be seene worth sight:
And when that I sometime therein had past,
How, by good hap, I got away at last.
With ease inough, short time and little fight:
And there I sawe whereof I make report,
Eche thinge that was for to be seene worth sight:
And when that I sometime therein had past,
How, by good hap, I got away at last.
Now farre from this, I see THE FORT OF FAME,
A harder thinge, to giue assault vnto:
I dare not seeke the meane, to scale the same,
And, if I durst, I knowe not what to do:
In scalinge Fortes, my skill is too too small,
Then if I clime, I needes must catch a fall.
A harder thinge, to giue assault vnto:
I dare not seeke the meane, to scale the same,
And, if I durst, I knowe not what to do:
In scalinge Fortes, my skill is too too small,
Then if I clime, I needes must catch a fall.
By lying still, I can but little gaine,
By climing too, the feare is but a fall:
No praise in deede is gotten without paine,
Small hurte by falles, if bruze growe not withall:
No bruze nor fall takes hee that takes good heede,
No taking heede, great haste and little speede.
By climing too, the feare is but a fall:
No praise in deede is gotten without paine,
Small hurte by falles, if bruze growe not withall:
No bruze nor fall takes hee that takes good heede,
No taking heede, great haste and little speede.
Then when I clime, my selfe am warnde to learne
The way to scale, ere ought I take in hande:
To set my LADDER, wisely to discerne,
To choose a place, where it may surely stande:
Then for to make my LADDER of such stuffe
As I may trust, to treade on sure ynouffe.
The way to scale, ere ought I take in hande:
To set my LADDER, wisely to discerne,
To choose a place, where it may surely stande:
Then for to make my LADDER of such stuffe
As I may trust, to treade on sure ynouffe.
But then the ROVNDES must not be made of RIMES,
My feete will slippe, in treading on the same:
And REASON sayes, that who so fondly clymes,
Falles downe into the Ditche of foule Defame:
God keepe me thence, and helpe me so to clime,
That REASON yet, may rayse me vp in time.
My feete will slippe, in treading on the same:
And REASON sayes, that who so fondly clymes,
Falles downe into the Ditche of foule Defame:
God keepe me thence, and helpe me so to clime,
That REASON yet, may rayse me vp in time.
FINIS.
| The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton | |