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

As Mars beganne to bende his browe, and Soldiours sought for warre,
And Uulcane made the armour shine, as bright as Uenus starre:
I listned to the Trompet loude, that sounds a bloodie blaste,
And so emong the Marciall men, an armed Pike I paste.
Now whether goes this noble crue, quoth I O liuely boyes,
Leaue of saied witt suche leaude demaunds, suffice to heare the noies:
Of Drom and Trompet in the feeld, and marche without delaye,
Be pleasde to serue when Prince doeth call, content thee wt thy paie.
On went the clattryng harnes streight, and vp to horse we mount,
The Muster maister and his clarke, came bothe to take a count:
Of all the poulls that paste in ranke (like Soldiours for the broile,)
And paied them wages by the monthe, that els would liue by spoile.
It was an other worlde to se, the bands how trim thei weare,
And eury one in collours gaie, his owne deuice did beare:
Upon the barbs that seru's for shocke, whē trompet slaughter soūds,

And Cannon shot like tennis balls, in Soldiours lapps rebounds:
A goodly troupe of armed men, did passe the Muster thoe,
Whiche was to freend as glad a sight, as fearfull to the foe.
I sawe a sacred Sibbell sage, (attired in mournyng weeds,)
Sitte sadly in her Cotche the while, to see the fomyng steeds:
That plaied vpon the pleasant Bitte, and bore the hedde so braue,
As though their lookes to coward mindes, a tremblyng terror gaue.
These Palfraies praunced ore the plaine, and on their backs did ride,
In warlike sort a worthie bande, that well the horse could gide:
Some for deuise in firie flames, were painted finely then,
And so about the smothryng smoke, there was some arte of pen.
And some weare all embrued in blood, a badge of warre ye wotte,
That Soldiours for reward of toile, in feeld haue often gotte:
Some leaned vnto pillars large, some lacked propps to staie,
Some lighted candells at a torche, whose Lamps did burne awaie.
Some flue wt wings as Cupid doth, some to the clouds would clime,
Some hedlong fell into the seas, thus loe as seru'd the tyme:
Thei drue in collours their deuice, the showe was so sett out,
It me amasde and many more, that there did gase about.
But yet I markt a freend of myne, full richly trimde and cled,
Who shone as bright as Phebus doeth, amid his golden bed:
He satte all closed in a hope, and leaned on his arme,
As though he feard some outward happ, or felt some inward harme.
And to declare some odde conceipt, of fancies falne in thought,
As he this tyme was deckt in gold, and robes full finely wrought:
The next daie after came he in, as he some freend had loste,
For horse and man was throughly turnde, to black frō gold emboste.
I dreamed on that straunge deuise, when I came home at night,
And rouled vp and doune in hedde, the noble warlike sight:
That I had seen the daie before, and in my sweuen thoe,
Me thought that Cupid with a dart, gaue this blacke knight a blowe.
That pearced through his coate of steele, and stroke hym ded withall,
Yet Uenus staied hym in her hande, as he to ground did fall:
O bloodie boye what hast thou doen, quoth she to Cupid streight,
Thou shalt no more be Uenus sonne, (by all the Gods on height.)
I sweare, a vaunt out of my sight, this man shall lue againe,

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Whereat the luke warme blood began, to comfort eury vaine:
And gaspyng wide a breath he tooke, and so recoured there,
I cried a loude amid my slepe, and wakened with the feare.
Loe what it is to ronne abroad, where Marciall people bee,
It makes men dreame of buggs and bears, & things that thei did see:
Yet suer well worthe the lookyng on, the sight was that I sawe,
I tell you trothe a fewe sutche bands, would kepe our foes in awe.
And beautifie bothe court and feeld, and win our lande mutche fame,
In happie howre the Pensionars here, did first begin their name:
In happie tyme the Prince did place, sutche props about the state,
I saie no more in eury cace, God giue them happie fate.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

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