University of Virginia Library

Cant. 1.

This Taylor tooke vnto his trade,
A neighbours child, but poore;
The Boy was yong, yet wits perswade
His yeares were many more:
How euer, hee's reported young,
Though old in apprehention;
Whereby this canker Enuie, sproung,
And causd this blacke dissention.
The Maister was oreshot i'th marke,
At which he gaue the ayme,
The Boy exceedes the parish Clarke,
And got his Maisters fame:
In time, the Maister wrought no more,
Nor reason wil'd him vse it,
Since whom he taught, increast his store,
Why might not he refuse it?
But practizd from Pithagoras,
Schoole poynts of transformation,
By Art he wonne, and brought to passe,
The forme of any fashion:
Sometimes he would flie like a Bird,
Anone a Horse, a Tree:
And by and by in thought or word,
A Fowle, a Fish, a Bee.
The litle Lad, which had an eye
On all his Maister did,
Grew wearie of his trade, whereby
His better iudgment chid,
And bid him boldly looke about,
His Maister had in stoore,
A rarer secret of much doubt,
His present skill was poore:
Once aboue all, ascends the Staires,
And through the key-hole peepes,
To note his Maisters new affaires,
And what strange coyle he keepes:
Who busie in transforming life,
To sundry shapes of toyes:
In his beholding, grew a strife,
Of dread and hidden ioyes.
Now he beholdes his Master chang'd
And like a Tree appeares:
At last a Horse an Ape estrangde,
In seuerall shapes and feares:
These transiue apparitions dealt,
As mad-men in their fits;
Who compasse all they toucht or fealt,
When th' are but wishing wits:
He downe descendes, and watches time
To try this wished skill.
He found the steps that he did clime,
Were farthring to his will.
So while his Maister by him selfe
Did practise thus to bee,
This busie Ape and willing elfe,
As expert was as hee.
The Lad deuises now to make
His Father rich and great;
Comes and demaunds if for needs sake,
He should vrge Artes conceit
To do him grace? “I, (saies the old man)
“My pouertie is such;
“I pre-thee child, do what thou can
“Nor may it be too much:
“Considring I did bring thee vp
“In knowledge, care, and loue,
“And let thee drinke of plenties cup;
“A Fathers best behoue.”
The obedient Boy desirous too,
To shew his vtmost will,
Intreates his Father thus to do,
For practise of his skill:
To buy i'th morne a Saddle and Bridle,
And meet him that selfe morrow,
In Caijus field, and if possible,
He would rid his sorrow:
“There shall you finde (sayes he) a Steed,
“as white as Snow or Swan:
“Possesse him to relieue your need,
“And make what price ye can.”
He thankes his sonne: “I but (quoth he)
“What sequel lags behind?
“Nought else but this; when you shall see
“The bargaine full assignd,
“Vnsaddle me, and leaue me sold;
“But see the same be done,
“Least after sorrow grow too bold,
“On what is thus begunne.”
They parted faire, the Old man home,
The Boy vnto his traide,
The dayes end neere, the night is come,
And all things well appaide:
The Taylor now bethinking him,
Of fortunes past and gone;
His Seruants necligence, lookt grim,
That all decayde at home:
Rises to 's Booke, and by his art,
He well perceiues and findes
His Boyes attempt, his skill to thwart,
Possest him twentie mindes.
“What will this Youngster rise vnto,
“If thus he climbe (sayes hee)
“To'th top of all my practize? no,
“It may nor must not bee.”
Sees, he was altred in his shape,
And to a goodly Steed;
Deuises now to catch the Ape,
In practise of this deed;
Doth rise betime, and sutes his backe,
Like one that t[r]affickt much:
And to the market all in blacke,
As Marchants, like one such.