A pleasaunte Laborinth called Churchyardes Chance ::

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]

Churchyard, Thomas (1520?-1604)

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My Ladie of Lennoyes graces Epitaphe.

An Epitaphe of sir Nicholas Bacon Knight, late Lorde Keeper.

Sir Hugh Pauletts Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Courtneis Epitaphe.

Sir VVillyam Pickryngrs Epitaphe.

Maister Hampdens Epitaphe.

My Ladie Baggnalles Epitaphe who died at the Nuerie.

An Epitaphe of one maistres Blunt, The Ladie Pauletts sister.

Maister VValter Archer his Epitaphe, an auncient Borgis of Kilkenie

The Lorde Braies Epitaphe.

Sir Jhon Constables Epitaphe.

The phantasticall Monarkes Epitaphe.

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Of the fickle faithe of men.

Of a Flatterer and a Backbiter.

A good description of a freende.

A warnyng from Courte.

Of a Courtiers life, and how the worst sorte findes beste Fortune.

Of woordes spoken by a greate personage.

A description of Desire.

Of a vicious woman.

Of vnsounde freendes.

A matter of fonde Cupid, and vain Venus.

This showes the vanitie of some hopes.

The meetyng of twoo noble knightes of the Garter (sir Henry Sidney, and the Erle of Essex) in Irelande, twoo miles beyond Dradath the xxj, of September, and 17 yere in the raigne of our souerain ladie Quene Elizabeth.

Of my Lorde cheef Baron that was.

Of a noble personage.

A letter in Maie, sent to Maister Henry Knowles house at Gobbyns.

Of the want of will.

Of twoo vertuous sisters.

Translated out of Latine.

A discription of the goodnesse that growes in Cicilia.

A matter of repulce, goyng to the Sea.

Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.

VVritten from the Countrey twentie yere agoe, to one that poorely remaines at the Courte yet.

Of an iniurie by faunyng freendes.

Of the quietnesse that plaine Countrey bryngeth.

Of a fearfull Dreame.

Of a harde worlde.

Made against Idell and vain Rimes.

Of the vanitie of youth.

VVritten of a gentleman, whose name is in the verses.

Non est fides super terram.

Of a disdainfull persone.

A letter to maister Cressie.

A speciall trifle on a fickle woman.

Uerses written on the Muster that was made by the Pensioners before the Queene.

VVritten of the Queene, when her highnesse was in trouble.

Verses giuen the Quenes highnesse at windsor.

A Newe yeres gift to the Erle of Ormond, giuen at Kilkennie, when the Erle of Essex was in Irelande.

A touche stone to trie an error from a trothe.

For the losse of a mightie and noble mannes fauour.

Verses that were giuen to the Quenes maiestie.

A rebuke to vaine louers.

Of fained frendshippe.

Uerses that weare giuen to a moste mightie personage.

The louers of the worlde.

Of a noble mynde.

Of doubtfull hope.

Of the flantyng worlde.

Of a fantasticall dreame taken out of Petrarke.

A fancie as an answere to that dreame.

A fantasie on fifteene woordes, endyng all in one letter.

Of the strong and the weake.

Of Youth and Age.

Of the short estate of man.

The praise of mistres Mabell Browne, wherein vertue is honoured.

Of wandryng and gaddyng abroad.

Of faire thynges and foule, where in a vertuous Ladie is sette out.

Of an enemie.

VVritten in the beginnyng of Kyng Edwardes raigne, whiche verses are called Dauie Dicars Dreame.

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Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.

As freendship is a league of Loue, and showes the harte within,
So some affection is the ground, whereon it doth begin
And reason offreth causes why, sutche freendship breeds in thought,

Thus reason is the kindly cause, that all these things hath wrought.
Some hold opinion fancie works, by secret motions sweete,
A meane to make the honest minde, and faithfull frendship meete:
Deserts dare claime no place hereof, for where good turns haue past
Small fauour comes, and world forgetts, the plain good will at last.
Then reason from affection brought, must nedes the cause perswade,
Wherewith the fancie workes the webbe, and so is freendship made:
When man and woman is in frame, and shapt as I haue saied,
Their hartes prepars a perfite place, where frendship maie be staied
Wee see eare pleasures are possest, or any profite rise,
A choice or likyng knitts the knot, of freendship with the wise:
The iudgement doeth election make, when all affects are blinde,
And freendship triumphes in no where, but in a noble minde.
It scornes to dwell with daintie freaks, that flickers here and there,
And flitts as feathers doe with winde, and restes no certaine where:
The worthie wights that wisely waies, ye weight of meere good wil,
Are cheefest mansion house and seate, for worthy freendship still.
But loe a question now doeth rise, I doe demaunde to knowe,
Of freendships rule or reasons lore, whiche maie the furthest goe:
First freendship marcheth formost man, and leau's behinde the rest,
Then reason comes in second rancke, and seeks to doe his best.
Yet freendship is not greater sure, then reason in degree,
For freendship is but very bare, where reason wants you see:
When witte hath well conceiu'd a cause, by rule and reasons greate,
Then frendship showes this force at full, as fire by flame shoes heats
I knowe not well whiche ruleth moste, the reason that I haue,
Or els the frendship that I beare, where faithe doeth frendship craue:
Good reason leads my fancie forthe, affection yeelds thereto,
And freendship followes on as faste, as freendship ought to doe.
Thus loe my reason and my sence, in frendships league is bound:
Whiche bondage is but free consent, for freendly fauour found.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Of one that for vertues sake honored a freend.