University of Virginia Library

SEVERALL SENTENTIOVS EPIGRAMS, AND WITTY SAYINGS OVT of sundry Authors both Ancient and Moderne:

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AT HARBOR-Grace, in Bristols-Hope, in Brittaniola, Anciently called, New-found-land;

A WEAKE APOLOGIE FOR MY WEAKENESSE in these following Translations.

We think it no strang thing; nor do we laugh,
To see an old, weake man walke with a staffe:
I that could with strong legs runne a large fit,
Must now with short turnes, rest on others wit.

Beauties Excellencie.

Vertue to all complections giueth Grace:
But Vertue graced is by a good face.

The Deuils hospitality.

Satan keepes open house; though sorry cheere:
His blacke-wicket stands open all the yeere.

A Rule for periured lecherous Votaries.

If that against your Oathes you must needs doe:
To 't closely then that none may sweare 'twas you.

Cares Birth.

In yonger yeeres black melancholy Cares
Breeds with hard throwes, hoare, white, abortiue haires.

A scuruy comfort.

It is a comfort, though a scuruy one,
To haue companions in affliction.

Womens leuity.

What's lighter then the wind? Thunder, you know.
What's lighter then that cracke? Lightning, I trow.
What's lighter then that flame? Why sure a Woman.
What's lighter now then that? Nay that knowes no man.

To answer him who wrought this in defence of those women who can well enough defend themselues.

Good wiues, I thinke, the man that made this Iest,
Ne'r felt the weight of your words, nor your fist.

Dangerous Weapons.

There are not kild so many by the sword,
As by the throat, by meate, drinke, and the cord.

A merry Mate.

A merry Way-mate that can tale and skoch,
With a tyr'd horse, is better then a C'roach.

Patience prouoked.

If doubled wrongs inflame cold Patience blood:
Her mildnesse will conuert to a mad mood.

Womens properties.

To weepe oft, still to flatter, sometimes spin;
Are properties women excell men in.

To this women may answer.

We weepe for pittie, and we speake men faire,
And of their houshold thrift we haue great care:
Yet enuious men our credits would impaire.

Froward nature.

Deny a thing, fond men the more will craue it:
Deny a woman, and shee'l cry, or haue it.

In defence of these soft Creatures.

Alas, good Creatures, teares are all their Armes;
To beat backe griefe, and to reuenge their harmes.

Miserable want.

Luxurious men may want particulars:
But misers all things want (except their cares.)

Impatible wrong.

Those that wrong other men beyond all measure,
Will take wrongs done to them in great displeasure.

Law and Fortunes difference.

Wise Law corrects those that commit offence:
Blind giddie Fortune plagueth innocence.

A miserable Comforter.

He that can helpe his friend but with his breath;
Is in the case of him he comforteth.

A Rule for Trauellers.

Being at Rome, I hold it good discretion
In manners, and in clothes to vse their fashion:
And when that thou art any other-where,
'Tis fit to vse the fashion thou find'st there.

A Riddle.

My Mother got me, I beget my Mother:
Alternately thus we beget each other.

Womens Teares.

When women weepe in their dissembling Art,
Their teares are sawce to their malicious heart.

I answer for women.

He that wrote this, was sure some sawcie Iacke:
Against your Sex, malice he did not lacke.

Necessity.

Necessity hath no law, no, not any;
Yet shee the Mother is to a great many.

Doubly-guilty.

He that commits a shamefull hainous fact,
Is doubly-guilty, by that single act.

Necessary Restitution.

Thy sinnes, be sure, will on thy backe remaine,
Till thy ill-got goods thou giue backe againe.

Ranke couetousnesse.

The ranke desire of money growes alwayes,
Faster then money's coyned now adayes.

Natures frailtie.

I see, and doe allow the better way:
Yet still I know not how I goe astray.

Miserable misery of miseries.

Three times vnhappy is that man at least,
To whom milde Mercie 's an vnwelcome guest.

Innocencies Comfort.

For a good cause to dye, is honest shame:
Although a halter should procure the same.

Preachers principall properties.

That Preacher with a liuely voyce doth preach,
That with his life as well as voyce doth teach.

How to end well.

He surely hath his businesse halfe well done,
Who hath at first his bus'nesse well begun.

On a pretty Uirgins Uirginall Posie.

Musicke is a sad minds Physicion,
If a faire maide be the Musicion.

Blind Ignorance.

Blinder then Cupid is he in desire,
In whom blind ignorance puts out the fire.

Womens Credit.

A woman is not to be credited:
If you will credit me, though shee be dead.

That women be not angry with me, nor my Author.

Mine Author makes a man speake this in snuffe:
Himselfe was wise, he knew you well enough.

Teares Vanity.

Our outward Teares may show our inward woes:
They are a poore reuenge against our foes.

Fortunes Flowers.

Whil'st wealth doth last, great store of friends thou hast:
If thou it waste; thou soone may'st tell the last.

Armour against lust.

If thou from idle thoughts canst guard thy heart:
Thou mak'st it Musket-proofe 'gainst Cupids dart.

Anger.

The sting-taild small Muscheeto hath his spleene:
The busie Ant sometimes is angry seene.

A Builders Humor.

He buildeth vp what he threw to the ground;
And changeth former foure-squares into round.

Truths and flatteries effects.

Flattery gets Friends, and Truth gets Enemies:
Soft and proud fooles this Adage verifies.

Exemplified.

Flatter an easie foole, on you he'll doate:
Tell a proud foole his faults, hee'll cut your throat.

Refractory nature.

Dull Oxen long for saddles and the dorses;
Whil'st chaines and yoakes, desires hot stomackt horses.

Addition.

Dull people need the spurres, more then the saddle;
Yet yoaking may young hot-spurres better bridle.

Three wilde Coach-horses.

Wine, Uenus, Dice, fit Iades for such a feat;
Draw men to Beggers-bush without a baite.

From the frying pan into the fire.

From Vshing coueting himselfe to free,
On Sillaes Bishop and his Clerks fell hee.

Womens extreme passions.

Women doe fondly loue, or foulely hate;
Their extreme passion hath no middle state.

To reforme this error in this man.

Why shouldest thou their goodnesse thus decline?
Vertue is of the Gender Fœminine.

A Citizens Thrift.

O Citizens, learne first your bags to fill!
And then of honesty goe learne the skill.

Hels Highway.

There is an easie downe-descent to Hell:
Those that goe there, doe know it too-too well.

Coozening knaues.

To coozen coozeners, is no cooz'ning:
To coozen any, it's a knauish thing.

No penny, no Pater Noster.

Homer, if thou nothing with thee dost bring;
Thou mayst without reward without doore sing.

A wicked Ubiquitary.

The wicked doth his wickednesse declare
At all times, against all, and eu'ry where.

A wise choise.

Raile at me rather, till thou breake thy guts;
Then coldly praise me with thy Ifs and Buts.

Customes inconuenience.

What sinnes thou vsest often to commit:
Will flow from thee, without sence, feare, or wit.

As for example.

Reprooue a swearer, who doth vse to teare
Gods holy Name: hee'l sweare, he did not sweare,
Or for your loue, or that sinne will not care.

Nothing new.

Speake old words, or coine new words by the score:
What-e're thou speak'st, hath spoken been before.

A true inquisition.

Not of my out-side, nor of those that dwell
With me, nor the report my neighbours tell:
Come to me, into me, to know me well.

Painters and Poets properties.

Painters and Poets haue like power and skill;
To adde, to foist, to feigne euen what they will.

Wicked Women.

Women are of the gender feminine;
Proud, cruell, seruile (in mine Authors time.)

Addition.

A Claw.

Although of women he could say so then;
Women may say so now of naughty men.

Perfect patience.

What-euer comes, I alway hope the best:
And till that come, I mildly beare the rest.

A good womans reward.

There is not one good woman to be found:
And if one were, she merits to be crown'd.

In the behalfe of good women, who cannot speake for themselues.

Good women, he that blurr'd you with this blot,
Deserues a crowning with your chamberpot:
With enuious eyes he sought for you; or else
He might haue found you with my spectacles.

A Churles good.

The couetous doth nothing as he should,
Till lauish death doth spread abroad his gold.

Light of beliefe.

Sweet Gaine.

The smell of gaine smels pleasantly indeed,
Although from stinking parcels it proceed.

Hunger breakes stone walls.

Of Gold the holy hunger, who can tell,
To what will it not mortall minds compell?

Addition.

Gold maketh bad men to doe what good is:
Too often it makes good men doe amisse.

Complaints out of Spanish.

The old man weepes, for want of loue, being grieu'd:
His young wife weepes, 'cause he so long hath liu'd.

Addition.

Sad reuerence (he saith) should affection moue:
Sir reuerence (she sayes) hath out-liu'd his loue.

Virgils Cloza.

Come on, my Boyes, stop vp the water-groofe,
The thirstie Meddowes now haue drunk enough.