Evstathia or The Constancie of Svsanna containing the Preservation of the Godly, subversion of the wicked, precepts for the aged, instructions for youth, pleasure with profitte. Penned by R. R. G. [i.e. Robert Roche] |
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Coricæus to the Author.
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 | Evstathia |  |
Coricæus to the Author.
I seated late, in leasures lappe;
Had leasure to pervse,
Thy Firstling; term'd thy Susans constancie
And at the swelling titles
Promise, long did muse.
Which how perform'd, let others iudge (not I)
Who spent my thoughtes, to be thy warning spie;
That iudgement darst provoke, by bolde attempt,
When time from tongues, no writer doth exempt.
Had leasure to pervse,
Thy Firstling; term'd thy Susans constancie
And at the swelling titles
Promise, long did muse.
Which how perform'd, let others iudge (not I)
Who spent my thoughtes, to be thy warning spie;
That iudgement darst provoke, by bolde attempt,
When time from tongues, no writer doth exempt.
While deepe conceited critique wittes,
Of this our daintie time,
Doe like no birdes, but what themselues haue hatched
They loue no pleasant prose,
Are discontent with rime.
But what they please, all Poems else are patched,
Which humors still, with discontent are matched,
And wayward discontent, the censors bowe;
To quippe they care not whome, they care not how.
Of this our daintie time,
Doe like no birdes, but what themselues haue hatched
They loue no pleasant prose,
Are discontent with rime.
But what they please, all Poems else are patched,
Which humors still, with discontent are matched,
And wayward discontent, the censors bowe;
To quippe they care not whome, they care not how.
Sometimes whole heapes of idle wordes,
(They quarle) are cast away.
Sometimes the matter naked, wanteth wordes.
Sometimes good matters mar'd,
When ill contriv'd, (they say)
Sometimes the sence, a caffling cause affordes.
Sometimes a sentence, or affectate wordes.
A tedious stirre: for in Philautus brawle,
There scapes not one: hee hath a bout withall.
(They quarle) are cast away.
Sometimes the matter naked, wanteth wordes.
Sometimes good matters mar'd,
When ill contriv'd, (they say)
Sometimes the sence, a caffling cause affordes.
Sometimes a sentence, or affectate wordes.
A tedious stirre: for in Philautus brawle,
There scapes not one: hee hath a bout withall.
Saith one of these; the note is iust,
Mongst men of better note:
Our sharpest wittes, that climbe the sceane of fame,
In vainest follies leese
Themselues, and vainely dote.
Doe spend much art, for to deserue much blame,
While they some idle-dreamed phancie frame,
And leaue their workes, a witnesse firme and stable,
VVhat time they lost in hatching of a fable.
Mongst men of better note:
Our sharpest wittes, that climbe the sceane of fame,
In vainest follies leese
Themselues, and vainely dote.
Doe spend much art, for to deserue much blame,
While they some idle-dreamed phancie frame,
And leaue their workes, a witnesse firme and stable,
VVhat time they lost in hatching of a fable.
Great pittie sure that learned men,
Of great and rare conceate,
Should so these braue habilities debase:
That while they stretch them out
To proofe, to shew them great;
The praise of their imploimentes in this case,
Is voide of praise; and hath this onelie grace,
That they haue wisely tolde, a foolish tale,
And smoothly set a long made lie to sale.
Of great and rare conceate,
Should so these braue habilities debase:
That while they stretch them out
To proofe, to shew them great;
The praise of their imploimentes in this case,
Is voide of praise; and hath this onelie grace,
That they haue wisely tolde, a foolish tale,
And smoothly set a long made lie to sale.
And yet this inconvenience great
Might finde some faire excuse,
If drift of their discourse, at vertue aymed,
For oft in fables foldes
Trimme morall truth doth vse.
But when the worke is matter meerely feigned,
And ende thereof, deserues to be disdeigned.
The writer merites pitie, more then praise,
And worke (vnworthy presse) fit flames to raise.
Might finde some faire excuse,
If drift of their discourse, at vertue aymed,
For oft in fables foldes
Trimme morall truth doth vse.
But when the worke is matter meerely feigned,
And ende thereof, deserues to be disdeigned.
The writer merites pitie, more then praise,
And worke (vnworthy presse) fit flames to raise.
Thus surelie speakes, this Censurer,
And doth his thoughtes reveale,
(As if some sterne Dictator, thundred lawes;
From whom on paine of death,
Vnlawfull to appeale.)
Yet did not well bethinke him in his pawse?
For though a story true, doth grace his cause:
He paintes it out with colours of invention:
And giues it wordes, to fit his owne intention.
And doth his thoughtes reveale,
From whom on paine of death,
Vnlawfull to appeale.)
Yet did not well bethinke him in his pawse?
For though a story true, doth grace his cause:
He paintes it out with colours of invention:
And giues it wordes, to fit his owne intention.
Which if the Censor vse himselfe,
Thy selfe maist vse the same.
Whose levill aymeth at as vertuous end:
And to reduce the worke,
And story into frame;
By reasons rule, the whole discourse is pend,
And hath no cause, the godly to offend,
Or grieue the good: vnlesse some harsh divine,
Against his sacred Poems will repine.
Thy selfe maist vse the same.
Whose levill aymeth at as vertuous end:
And to reduce the worke,
And story into frame;
By reasons rule, the whole discourse is pend,
And hath no cause, the godly to offend,
Or grieue the good: vnlesse some harsh divine,
Against his sacred Poems will repine.
An other sort of snarling mates,
Do pester ev'ry age:
Who will be critickes, though they guide the cart.
And censure workes of weight;
Quoat faultes in every page.
Depraue the wittes, of men of best desart:
And iudge of all, by envie (not by arte.)
Who more doth mallice art, then artlesse braine?
Who byteth worse then Bevius in his vaine?
Do pester ev'ry age:
Who will be critickes, though they guide the cart.
And censure workes of weight;
Quoat faultes in every page.
Depraue the wittes, of men of best desart:
And iudge of all, by envie (not by arte.)
Who more doth mallice art, then artlesse braine?
Who byteth worse then Bevius in his vaine?
High spirited Homer (matchlesse man)
A baggage, deem'd a blocke:
And did with bitter tauntes, his workes deface,
Of Virgilles dainetie vaine,
Could Mevius frame a mocke.
Inferring that he filch'd his chiefest grace,
By treading in the tract, of Homers trace,
Or from the fruites, of Hessods happie braine,
And Theocrite the Syracusian swaine.
A baggage, deem'd a blocke:
And did with bitter tauntes, his workes deface,
Of Virgilles dainetie vaine,
Inferring that he filch'd his chiefest grace,
By treading in the tract, of Homers trace,
Or from the fruites, of Hessods happie braine,
And Theocrite the Syracusian swaine.
Thus to obscure the merriest crie,
Where deepe-mouth'd hounds doe go;
Each time hath bawling curres, that barke and howle:
Which sith tis so, hath bin,
And ever will be so:
Of learned rest secure, well train'd in schoole,
Thou must not feare, the flout of every foole.
Who in a prating vaine (though thou repine)
Will blame whole bookes, but cannot mend a line.
Where deepe-mouth'd hounds doe go;
Each time hath bawling curres, that barke and howle:
Which sith tis so, hath bin,
And ever will be so:
Of learned rest secure, well train'd in schoole,
Thou must not feare, the flout of every foole.
Who in a prating vaine (though thou repine)
Will blame whole bookes, but cannot mend a line.
C. A. R.
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