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The complete works of John Lyly

now for the first time collected and edited from the earliest quartos with life, bibliography, essays, notes and index by R. Warwick Bond

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[15]

If any mervaile at the man, and doe desire to see
The stile and phrase of Martins booke: come learne it here of mee.

426

Holde my cloke boy, chill haue a vling at Martin, O the boore;
And if his horseplay like him well, of such he shall haue store.
He thus bumfeges his bousing mates, and who is Martins mate?
O that the steale-counters were knoune, chood catch them by the pate.
Th'vnsauorie snuffes first iesting booke, though clownish, knauish was:
But keeping still one stile, he prooues a sodden headed asse.
Beare with his ingramnesse a while, his seasoned wainscot face:
That brought that godly Cobler Cliffe, for to disproue his grace.
But (O) that Godly cobler Cliffe, as honest an olde lad,
As Martin (O the libeller) of hangbyes ever had.
If I berime thy worshipnes, as thou beliest thy betters:
For railing, see which of vs two shall be the greatest getters.
But if in flinging at such states, thy noddle be no slower:
Thy brother hangman will thee make, be pulde three asses lower.
Then mend these manners Martin, or in spite of Martins nose:
My rithme shall be as dogrell, as vnlearned is thy prose.
These tinkers termes, and barbers iestes first Tarleton on the stage,
Then Martin in his bookes of lies, hath put in euery page:
The common sort of simple swads, I can their state but pitie:
That will vouchsafe, or deygne to laugh, at libelles so vnwittie.
Let Martin thinke some pen as badde, some head to be as knavish:
Soome tongue to be as glibbe as his, some rayling all as lavish,
And be content: if not, because we know not where to finde thee:
We hope to se thee where deserts of treason haue assigned thee.