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] |
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A good description of a freende.
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 | A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance |  |
A good description of a freende.
The Bee doeth trauell long, and wonders paine doeth take,From herbe to flowre, frō flowre to weede, a hony combe to make
The Ante with no lesse art, in season due doeth toile,
And learns vs how to helpe our selues, in this vncertaine soile.
So man that knowledge hath, to woorke with witte and sence,
Prouides for harm's that maie befall, a buckler of defence:
That neither want nor woe, shall quaill the noble minde,
Nor cast through care, and froward happ, the forward harte behinde.
And sure the surest staie, that any wight maie gette,
Is freendship if in sureties grounde, the graffe thereof be sette:
Yea so it serues the tourne, and salues eche sore and greef,
As Honie combe in tyme of neede, is onely Bees releef.
And sutche prouision bare, as Ante doeth make I gesse,
At greate extremes in eurie pointe, true freendship doeth expresse:
When all these worldlyngs faile, and faithe on yearth doeth fainte,
(And pride with poisoned serpēts tongs, like Parats prate & paint.)
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That yeelds freshe water many waies, to quench the thirstie spreete.
And there wee maie be bolde, to drinke or drawe our fill,
For where the moistnesse feed's the flood's, the springs are ronnyng stille
Emong the bruitest beastes, and wildest birds that bee,
An inward likyng flattly fixte, of freendship shall you see.
Should we then make it straunge, that feelyng hath to knowe,
The lawe and league of blamelesse loue, and iudge the freend frō foe:
No sure our glorie growes, moste gaie on freendships ground.
And suger sweete, are all those fruit's, that springs on iudgemēt soūd
When fauour makes the waie, and letts desarts come in,
And modest maners milde of mode, doeth wisedomes credite win:
The freendship vertuous is, and like full long to laste,
And as a rocke against eche storme, it standeth firme and faste.
This freedship first was bredd, emongs the Gods aboue,
And fostred since in fleshly breasts, and fed with frendly loue:
And so it was embraste, of worthie skilfull braines,
Who to this daie with care of minde, this freendship still retaines.
And more it bears the bruite, beyonde all yearthly things,
And flees as farre as any fame, hath powre to spred her wings:
And frendship triumphe makes, on Fortune in despight,
And marcheth full amid her face, and so subdues her quight.
No sorrowe nor mishappe, no greef nor torment strange,
Maie frame by force, or froward meane, true freendships mynde too change:
For paines with equall weight, doe freends imparte and deale,
As though within twoo priuate willes, there were a commonweale.
And looke what one doeth taste, the other feeles in deede,
And eche of them with helpyng hande, supplies the others neede:
In minde thei meete and matche, and talke together still,
When distance of the tyme and place, denies them of their will.
When furthest of thei seeme, thei ioyne in ioye and blis,
And eurie smart that absence breeds, a present pleasure is.
The fraude and finesse now, and tickle trothe in man,
Maks faithe and freendship thrise as sweete, as when it first began.
In these dessemblyng dates, who findes a freende I trowe,
Hath founde a seconde Phenix sure, and needes no further goe:
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Ye cannot in no measures meane, of freendship make too mitche.
FINIS.
| A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance | |