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)

[dedication]

[section]

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.

[subsection]

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.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

Of the vanitie of youth.

When I wanton beardlesse boye, became first Venus thrall,
My cheeks were smoth, my browes full plain, and rounde as tennis ball:
My face well filde with liuely blood, as youth did paint me out,
With curled heare mutche like the grasse, that in the Spryng doeth sprout.
With Spathauks eyes in forhed set, bothe graye and gredie eke,
And euery member furnisht well, there was no thyng to seke:
With harte as merry as the birde, that syngs on eury spraie,
With body cled in diuers hewes, as freshe as flowre in Maie.
But all these beuties tooke their leaue, from me a long tyme sence,
And in their place is come a geaste, I can not tell from whence:
But lodge he doeth within my bones, thei call hym Age I trowe,
A droupyng snogg that on his backe, hath fardells full of woe.

Who nill I will I must I beare, and yet it lames me mutche,
My shulders maie my singers curse, when thei the packe did toutche:
With sloupyng doune to take it vp, my youth I haue let fall,
And after youth went my delits, and body pleasures all.
For furred garments now I call, that did in Girkin Iette,
And fire must kepe me from the Frost, or els no warmth I gette:
The blood forsakes the outward parts, and palenesse there remains,
With feuers cold and crampyng stitche, are shronken vp my vaines.
The skinne lyes flat on eury ioynt, vnsemely to your sight,
And I vnfit for Uenus sprots, by daie or candell light:
With eye delits I feede my luste, and couetyng desire,
But when I should maintaine the flame, I giue but smoke for fier.
My hollowe lookes maks some to laugh, yt hears my youthfull tong,
When that for age and aking limmes, my knell might well be rong:
I call my reatchlesse yeres to count, whose recknyng fears my witts
For he that maie controll the same, within my conscience sitts.
And saieth my dallyng daies are doen, as grauer yeres encreace,
So should I leaue my former vice, and all my follie seace:
Whereat I waie my short tyme here, my leude life long abusde,
And to the glas I stept to see, how youth hath me refusde.
As Peacocke then letts fall his taile, that his black feete hath seen,
So cast I doune my painted sheath, that once was gaie and green.
And welcome saie I siluer heares, your hoary colour white,
Hath ouercome my youthfull yeres, and quenched my delite.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Of the vanitie of youth.