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 a fearfull Dreame.

If dreames be true, or tokens from aboue,
Of things to come, by happ that shall a rise:
Or if the Gods, haue powre mens thoughts to moue:
By course of starrs, or Planetts in the Skise,
Or fearfull slepes, be warnyngs to the wise.
Of suddaine happs, that shall betide and fall:
Then sure my dreame, no fancie is at all.

At midnight laste, when Cocks beganne to crowe,
Within my bedde, I started as I slept,
Not well awake, in slomber as I trowe:
I sawe a wight, whose face was all bewept,
Whiche softly spake, but boldly to me stept.
Who saied thou man, these tears I spill for thee,
That lou'st thy foes, and forcest not on me.

But since thy tong, can knitt and then vntwinde,
And trapp thy frends, whose trust is in thy trothe,
And sekest chaunge, with sutche a greedy minde:
And so forgetts, thy vowe and solempne othe,
Thou madest to me, when we consented bothe:
To ioyne in one, since thou from that doest flee,

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The Gods graunt, I shall reuenged bee.

But sure thy plague, I pitie very sore,
Thy conscience shall, condempne thee eury where,
And like as Caine, his life did here abore:
And where he went, he liued still in feare,
Yea so shalbe, the scourge that that thou shalt beare.
And then at length, when none shall ridde thy paine,
Shalt kill thy self, loe so thou shalt be slaine.

These wordes so saied, she flang out of the dore,
With browes ibent, and angrie visage redde,
Wherewith I rose, and lept vpon the flore:
And smote my breast, and hanged doune the hedde,
And yet with paine, I crept into the bedde.
And gaue a sigh, and waked euen so,
And then my dreame, I rouled to and fro.

And as I waied, how clere yet stood my cace,
And saw how dreames, prou's oft too true God knowse,
I saied no worde, but still I laye a space:
Till one came in, and fell to brushe my close,
Then so from bedde, a heauie man I rose.
Misdoubtyng still, though yet full clere I was,
Least some ill chaunce, might bryng my dreame to pas.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Of a fearfull Dreame.