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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Non est fides super terram.

There is no faithe, vpon the yearth, as faithe was wont to bee,
For faithe with fraude and finenesse now, hath chopt and changde degree:
Faithe is a firme and faste beleef, that first from vertue came,
And fraude and finenesse is a wolfe, that looketh like a Lamme.
Then where is fast beleef my freends, that neither faints nor quails,
But finenesse is not farre to seke, and fraude you knowe preuails:

So as the Psalme affirmes & showes, no faithe on yearth we finde,
This hollow world, & hatefull daies, shews nought but hollow mind:
We stretch out words, as farre as wit, and skill of man maie reach,
As though in deede a subtell Foxe, before the Geese should preache:
But of good woorkes we are so spare, we laie them vp in store,
As though thei should take leaue of world, and should be seen no more.
Thus faithe is fled, or tree is dedde, that should beare fruit ye knowe,
Then trust no bowe, that brings but leau's, and blossoms for a show:
Beleeue no goodly painted postes, that rotten are within,
Beleeue no fliryng fained face, nor sleeke and smothed skin:
Beleeue no courtlike kissyng hands, and bowying bodie doune,
Beleeue no false dissemblyng browes, that ought of Nature froune.
Beleeue no othes nor promes patcht, and peeced with desaite,
Beleeue not those that feeds thine eyes, with sweete & pleasant baite:
Beleeue no tune that likes the eare, and doeth displease thine harte,
Beleeue not hym, on stage that plaies, the merrie vises parte.
Beleeue no freend that faunes too fast, he meanes to make thee faule,
Beleeue no sweete and sugred speache, for therein lyes the Gaule:
Beleeue no more then good is found, for badde is moste in place,
And goodnesse in this gracelesse tyme, the people least embrace:
On yearth there is no faithe God wott, for closely vnder tong,
The snake doeth lodge, the serpēts crepe, & there mans hart is stōg.
I could showe heaps of mischeeu's greate, that follows mā frō birth,
But to the wise, let this suffice, there is no faithe on yearth.

Finis.

University of Virginia Library

Non est fides super terram.