A gorgious Gallery, of gallant Inuentions Garnished and decked with diuers dayntie deuises, right delicate and delightfull, to recreate eche modest minde withall. First framed and fashioned in sundrie formes, by diuers worthy workemen of late dayes: and now, ioyned together and builded up: By T. P. [i.e. Thomas Procter] |
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To a Gentilwoman that sayd: All men be false,
they thinke not what they say.
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 | A gorgious Gallery, of gallant Inuentions |  |
To a Gentilwoman that sayd: All men be false, they thinke not what they say.
Some women fayne that Paris was,The falsest louer that could bee:
Who for his (life) did nothing passe,
As all the world might playnly see:
But ventred life and limmes and all,
To keepe his freend from Greekish thrall:
With many a broyle hee dearely bought,
His (Hellen) whom hee long had sought.
For first (Dame Venus) graunted him,
A gallant gifte of Beauties fleece:
Which boldely for to seeke to win,
By surging Seas hee sayld to Greece:
And when hee was arriued theare,
By earnest sute to win his Deare:
No greater paynes might man endure,
Then Paris did, for Hellen sure.
Besides all this when they were well,
Both hee, and shee, arryu'd at Troy:
Kinge Menelaus wrath did swell,
And swore, by sword, to rid their ioyes:
And so hee did for ten yeres space,
Hee lay before the Troyans face:
With all the hoste that hee could make,
To bee reueng'd for Hellens sake.
Who is accounted most vntrue:
All men bee false it hath bin sayd,
They thinke not what they speake (say you)
Yes Paris spoke, and sped with speede,
As all the heauenly Gods decreed:
And proou'd himselfe a Louer iust,
Till stately Troy was turnd to dust:
I doo not reade of any man,
That so much was vnfaythfull found:
You did vs wrong, t'accuse vs than,
And say our freendship is not sound:
If any fault bee found at all,
To womens lot it needes must fall:
If (Hellen) had not bin so light,
Sir Paris had not died in fight.
The falsest men I can excuse,
That euer you in stories reade:
Therfore all men for to accuse,
Mee thinkes it was not well decreede:
It is a signe you haue not tride,
What stedfastnesse in men doth bide:
But when your time shal try them true,
This iudgment then, you must renue.
I know not euery mans deuise,
But commonly they stedfast are:
Though you doo make them of no price,
They breake their vowes but very rare:
They will performe theyr promis well,
And specially where loue doth dwell:
Where freendship doth not iustly frame,
Then men (forsooth) must beare the blame.
O. R.
FINIS.
| A gorgious Gallery, of gallant Inuentions | |