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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A letter to maister Cressie.

Where first I footyng founde, and fancie fauour sought,
And offred faithe with greate estates, a free accesse had wrought:
I meane emong the rocks, bothe rough and harde by kinde,
Where stormes doe striue and weather beats, for eury blaste of winde.

Where growes no Grapes for wine, to glad the griped brest,
Nor deintie heads ne wearie bones, finds bedds of Doune to rest:
I once againe doe staye, and loe suche harber haue,
As wandryng yers and tossed daies, amid greate tempests craue.
Full long before this tyme, as Court did me deceaue,
In countrey close emong sharpe shrubs, I shapt by bones to leaue:
But dazeled dum delights, did drawe my bodie thence,
And cleane be witcht wilde wandryng witts, where I haue wisht me sence:
Yet as with piuishe pompe, did Pilgrime wearie waxe,
And knowledge sawe the cuttyng curbs, of connyng courtly knacks.
I iudgde what diffrence was, betwene the mountaines hye,
And carpetts fine where flatterers flocke, & depe disdaine doeth lye:
And smothely mischeef smiles, yet leanes on Ladies lappes,
And at rebound ere ball come doune, can snatch vp worldly happes:
The massie mountaine greate, that mossie mantell weares,
Breeds no sutche goates nor grinnyng kidds, nor fostereth no sutche feares.
For there poore people plaine, in ragged garments goe,
And loues the blunt and blotlesse life, and hates the painted showe:
And feeds as thei doe liue, not farcst with falshodd fine,
Nor pampred vp with Frenche conceipts, & mightie Spanish wine:
No crafte nor cautell creeps, in cuppes of cold sowre whaie,
For gilded gobblet hides the harmes, that glasse will soone bewraie.
So saied I long ere this, so sweare I now withall,
So some haue founde ere Cæsars daies, in goodly golden hall:
O welcome witte well bought, though deere I paied for thee,
Thou bringst for losse of tyme at Court, in countrey gaine to me.
Where now myne aged limmes, must grace or graue abide,
And Peacocke gaie let fall his plumes, for all his pompe and pride:
And where a harber good, I hope my Barke hath founde,
Where ship shall still finde flood at will, whē thousands are a groūd.

Finis.

University of Virginia Library

A letter to maister Cressie.