University of Virginia Library

VVhen Phebus Chariot (flaming liuing fire)
Was drawne with winged horses to the West,
And obscure darknesse clad in blacke attire,
Had summon'd euery sleeping eye to rest,
The cloudie curtaines of the heauens were spread,
And glorious day from faire Aurora fled.

The windes were all lockt vp and nothing spoke,
The dribling waters murmur was not heard,
No fire was seene, yet all the ayre seem'd smoke:
The starry lamps were from their shining barr'd
Fower-footed tramplers, all had drowsie heads;
Bush-breeders wrapt vp in their feather-beds.

An vniuersall slumber ceas'd on all,
To bury cares in sleepes forgetfulnesse,
While dreames and visions did in question call,
Charging the minde with much vnquietnesse,
And did present an obiect to my sight,
That made next day to wonder at last night.

I sawe, (or seem'd to see a well skap'd man,
His body formed comely as I thought;
Yet not describe him pefectly I can,
Because his outside was so ouer-wrought,
With Taylors art, new fashion'd from the stall,
What I beheld was but mans making all.

His face being masked with his hat pull'd downe,
And in french doublet without gowne or cloake,
His hose the largest euer came to towne,
And from his nostrels came much stinking smoake;
Garters would make two ensignes for a neede,
And shoo-ties that for circle did exceede.

His head hung downe, his armes were held acrosse,
And in his hat a cole-blacke feather stucke,
His melancholy argued some great losse,
He stood so like the picture of ill lucke:
I longed much his humour for to finde
Vntill at length he thus reueal'd his minde.

Like discontented Tymon in his Cell,
My braines with melancholy humers swell,
I crosse mine armes at crosses that arise,
And scoffe blinde Fortune, with hat ore mine eyes:
I bid the world take notice I abhorre it,
Hauing great melancholy reason for it.
Ile put my case (and if the world doe please)
To fowre mens censures, and they shall be these;
For my part Ile haue Ryot ioin'd with Pride,
Take Couetousnesse and Fraude, on th' other side,
And all I haue shall thereupon be laid,
Which is not much, if all my debts were paid:
That when these honest men giue vp awarde,
They will confesse the world doth vse me hard,
When my agreeuances doe once appeare,
Which I in briefe will only point at here.
The cause from whence my melancholly growes,
To the iudious will it selfe disclose:
Oh wicked age, of wretched daies and times,
Wherein I write these melancholy rimes!
Vngratefull world, false and vnconstant found
To those braue mindes, to whom thou most art bound:
I haue red ouer (while youths glasse did run)
Sir Lancelot of the Lake, the Knight of th' Sun,
Sir Triamour, Sir Beuis, and sir Guy,
Fowre sonnes of Amon, hors'd so gallantly,
And all the old worlds worthy men at armes,
That did reuenge faire Ladies wrongs and harmes;
The Monster slayers, and the Gyant killers,
With all the rest of Mars his braue well-willers,
Which to rehearse I neuer shall be able,
The Worthis Arthur had at his round Table;
And how in Chronicles those dead ones liue,
By breath that Fame doth from the Trumpet giue.
But what an age is this my fellow Knights?
(I meane all you whom melancholy bites)
As it doth me, the Iouiall sort I leaue
That haue their hundreds yeerely to receiue;
For they and I, I know shall neuer meete
In Golding lane, nor yet in Siluer streete;
My melancholy walkes finde spacious roome
With pensiue pace, about Duke Humfreys Toome,
Where many thoughts aboue the Steeple climbe,
That humbly walke away their dinner time:
Yet in despite of Fortunes turning wheele,
In scorne of gold I weare it at my heele;
Euen in contempt of wealth my spurres are guilt,
And siluer's common in my Rapiers hilt;
I hate the Idoll misers dote vpon,
Being as bigge in heart as Prester Iohn,
Disdaining Pezants, Rusticks, Boores and Clownes,
My minde is full of Castles, Towers, and Townes,
Woods, wildernesses, stately fields and groues,
With cattell, most innumerable droue,
Corne, precious odours, spice, heart cheering wine
The Ocean full of ships me thinkes is mine,
And who can haue a richer mind then this?
Only possession is a thing I miste,
And want of that same powerfull point in Lawe,
Makes me remember late a peece I sawe,
An artificiall feast which rare did looke:
But yet because the Painter plaid the Cooke,
To make the gazer to his prayse a debter,
The eye was pleas'd but stomacke nere the better.
Euen so my minde, which is an empire to me,
Yeelds hautie swelling thoughts, and they vndoe me,
Leauing me only an old song to sing
The ballet of the Begger and the King;
But that I can abide no musicke now,
My melancholy will no mirth alow,
Therefore take warning resolute set downe,
To all the fidling fellowes in the towne,
That they approch not neere my tauerne roome,
On paine of stabs to be their fatall doome.
If but their sight my presence doe annoy,
Ile finish all their daies from man to boy,
The like for th' Talor for his scrawling bill,
I take his Items most distastfull ill:
If he presume to aske my worship chinke,
With poniard point his doublet Ile be pinke.
The Mercers man that plyes me so of late,
Before I crosse his booke Ile crosse his pate.
A Gallants minde beyond all reason frets,
To pay for worne sutes, out of fashion debts,
To come for money due in eightie nine,
Will make a man that's out of cashe repine:
Yet there's Hungarians that on tearmes doe stand,
As if one still should haue his purse in's hand.
But let all such take notice what I say;
My humor's to receiue, not now to pay,
It is an easie case to vnderstand;
Tenants will shrinke, when Land-lords sell their land:
For 'tis not now as in the dayes of old,
When men were willing to depart with gold,
Giue longer time, friend Creditor to debter,
Angels grow proud because th'are twelue pence better
And very scarce withall I will be sworne,
When to keepe Knight-hood company they scorne,
For I that know their absence may be bold,
To cleere my hand from this corrupting gold,
Looke to it Lawyers vnto you they flie,
And you must answere for them more then I,
You can transforme their case from good to euill,
Turning an angell oft into a Diuell;
But let the Deuill haue a golden clawe,
You will defend him any sute in lawe.
Physicians, likewise, must be offered too,
Or else both pill and potion will not doe:
He that into their purging hands doth fall,
Must bring a sacrifice Angelicall,
But both may sterue for what they get of me,
If with my Creditors I once agree.
Ile leaue friend Lawyer to his Littleton,
For little good with me there will be done,
And so for Doctor-purge an's glister pipe,
His dyet should be worse then sowce and tripe,
If I his Patients Physicke might perswade,
We would vndoe him quite and spoyle his trade.
Take the rare hearbe that growes on India ground,
(In Tauerne and in Alehouse so renown'd)
Smoke noses with the same from one to tother,
As though your faces were all sea-cole smother,
Make fogges and mistes ascend in hot degrees,
Snuffe some into your nostrils till you neese,
And spit and spawle vntill your throats be choking,
But aboue all things keepe your noses smoking,
For that's most Blacke-amore and Indian like,
And fume the brauer in your braine will strike;
Then rhume it out, and doe no spitting spare,
Fo absolute Tobacchonist you are:
This is braue physicke for braue Caueleers,
This at both ends, vpward and downeward cleeres:
Twill make one sober that was drunke before,
Fill a pipe boye before I write line more;
So, heer's a health vnto the good estates,
Of all our Poets that haue smoking pates:
The Muses blesse their braines with store of wit,
I neere knew Vsurer amongst them yet,
That puts out hundreds to ingender tennes,
Their stocke consists of paper, inke, and pennes,
And a few bookes, their value prouing small,
When sometime rated on a Brokers stall.
But what haue I to doe with what they pawne,
Or sell, or giue, or dedicate by fawne;
Let me suruay mine owne house well within,
Where no excesse this many a day hath beene;
I scorne both siluer cups and guilded plate,
Common with basest trades-men growne of late.
Tinkers and Coblers and such vulgar asses,
I loue to drinke Gentleman-like in glasses,
The rare french fashion is preferr'd thereby
Which graceth out good wine vnto the eye.
Or be it our owne natiue English beere,
A glasse presents it to you comely cleere
If it be thicke, or thin in watry plight,
The Brewers fault will that way come to light:
Besides, you know by fire great losses growes,
Which to preuent (as all my neighbours knowes)
I seldome times haue any chimney smoke,
Except great cold extreamely doe prouoke;
Yet often then, for feare of doing harme,
I lie a bed till noone, and keepe me warme.
Likewise, I doe not wastfull spend my store,
In drawing idle Beggers to my doore:
For if I should, the Country would come downe,
And bring a charge of poore vpon the Towne;
No, there is none shall frame by me excuses
And taxe or charge me with these great abuses:
And as for gluttons feasting at my Table,
Let them that are more willing or more able.
For I protest, who surfets on my cheere,
Within the compasse of these seauen yeere,
Ile pay for's physicke on my knightly word,
If he'le be sworne he tooke it at my boord:
I keepe a table hanging in my hall,
The Poetry is my inuention all;
And though I say it, (wanting others praise)
The Morals fit most rarely for our daies,
A frugall house, it doth instruct to keepe
Matter in this age to be weighed deepe,
Although the lines are written but with inke,
A man may call them golden Rules I thinke,
Because this doth aduise to saue his purse,
The empty plague whereof ther's nothing worse.

Ile be no miser of them to my friends
Because, good counsell, no wise man offends,
Thus they begin, th' are plaine, but to good ends.

Into my spacious Hall who enters here,
Must not expect to meete with belly-cheere,
No Diues dinings, nor yet Nabals feasts
Our dyet doth distinguish men from beasts:
In steede of fat beefe breake-fasts when we rise,
A pipe of good Tobacco will suffice,
Which both dischargeth all the rhume we haue,
And doth the charge of other drinking saue.
Bak't, roste, sod, at noone is vulgar feeding,
But daintie sallets they are most exceeding:
Strong drinke make strong dissentions this is sure,
Your smallest beere, small quarrels doth procure;
At night, light suppers if you light vpon,
Digestion easie will be quickly gone:
An egge new laid is physicall rare roasted,
And so is cheese of the welch fashion toasted;
Beefe, Mutton, Porke, Veale, Lambe, (grose dyets folly)
Are breeders of expence and melancholly,
Small birds, small fish, small reasons and small beere,
May saue a knight, a hundred pound a yeere.

Let such as will shun prodigall expence,
Learne to obserue good wholsome rules from hence;
Those that are of another humour, so
Each man his owne purse credit best doth know;
So I doe mine, for as before I said,
The Golden-age and Siluer is decay'd:
Oh now comes on a melancholy fit,
To write of Golde and not possesse a whit;
Once more Tobacco boy, Ile smother griefe,
I tarry for it sirra, quicke be briefe.
What sayes the knaue that keepes the smoaking shop?
Will he haue money ere I drinke a drop?
Doth he deny to trust me one pipe more?
Tell him, Ile nere pay penny off my score
Vnlesse he send me presently his best.
And furthermore, thus much I doe protest,
Choller doth stirre my furie vp so grim,
If he deny to smoke me, Ile smoke him:
Shall I be held for such a younger brother,
As not be trusted for a little smother?
Is ready-money so vpon the spurre
That debts like Lawyers may not vse demurre,
Why then the auncient speech most true doth chance
Heers yours, ther's mine, no longer pipe then daunce:
Well, leaue that knaue because he deales so base,
Fetch me Tobacco at another place,
Bid him send good, and set it on the score,
He shall haue all my custome for great store:
If these same foolish knaues had any wit,
My custome would afford much vse of it:
For to all Guls that come why they might vowe.
A Knight had of this very rowle but now,
Who daily sends and likes it passing well:
And thus my name their bad for good might sell,
And vtterance thereby would not be small,
So I deserue the best, and trust withall:
But fooles there are cannot occasion see,
A very Cobler shall as welcome be
That payes his readie money at the stub,
As I that come a trust to worships dub,
This makes me melancholy as a Cat,
And in mine eyes doth cause me pull my hat,
To thinke how all men carefully prouide
To ioine with money on the stronger side.
Let it be foole; or asse, or dolt, or gull,
More sheepish then the Sheepe that weares the wooll,
No language, but the Countries that did breed him,
Taught by the prating Nurse which did spoon-feed him,
Got vp to London with a stick in's hand,
And there seauen yeere at some stall talking stand;
His trauels, Islington, Hacney, or Hyegate.
Yet this smoth fellow with his cunning sly pate,
Will scrape, and scratch, and spare, and pinch and saue,
Beyond my wealth for all the wit I haue:
And note the spitefull case twixt him and I
Let me on credite any where goe buye,
And he in's purse haue ready money plentie,
Where I haue one Sir theyle afford him twenty:
Yes sir, and I sir, welcome sir, indeed sir,
When I shall haue tis money that wee need sir,
This Gentleman, (then haue a hat he must)
Payes present quoyne, intruth we cannot trust.
Heere be the fellowes with the nimble hammes,
And they haue learn'd to liue without their dammes;
Such as haue skill to sell a peece of stuffe,
And hauing wealth, why they haue wit enough.
Admit a man should brauely vndertake,
To trauell further then sir Francis Drake,
And with more languages his tongue were cloy'd,
Then there was vs'd when Babell was destroy'd:
What of all this, when tryall shall be found,
T'would neuer serue to take vp twentie pound:
Let Scholler bring his Hebrew and his Greeke,
And with the same a hundred pound goe seeke,
The Vsurer in English will reply,
Sir I must haue some good securitie:
Come Traueler from Turkey, Roome, or Spaine,
And take a sute of trust in Burchin-lane,
Let him bring newes to furnish all th' Exchange,
And make himselfe admired at most strange:
Some Citizen must passe his bond or bill,
Or else the Gallant rests non-suted still.
Let Souldier come with scarre-becarued skinne,
And talke of Newport battaile he was in:
Seige of Ostend, and braue exploits in France,
To golden credite twill him not aduance:
Who'le take his word for lodging, or for diet?
He might haue stay'd at home and kept him quiet:
Perhaps will some say, and haue sau'd an arme,
Or Musket shot had done his legs no harme;
And this hath made me neuer venter farre.
I once was ouer-Sea to see the warre,
Where souldiers spent both blood and life most free
But I protest not one the lesse for me:
No, killing men? I euer did abhorre it;
Yet doe not hold me to be Coward for it:
For if I were constrain'd to doe my best,
My sword should be as naked as the rest,
There's certaine rules which I intend to vse;
First Ile not fight vntill I can not chuse:
And all my Creditors, while I doe liue,
Shall haue good words, though nothing else I giue;
Giue me the lye my patience milde receiues it,
Knowing I often lye, when none perceiues it.
And therefore that same tearme doth ne're perplexe me;
But if I vs'd not lying, sure t'would vexe me:
Good company doth very much delight me,
I ne're thinke scorne who euer doe inuite me;
The poorest man that keepes the meanest house,
I'le taste his pudding, or his peece of souce,
His houshold loafe, his butter and his cheese,
Such curtisie by pride I will not leese,
If it be offered me, I will not faile
To take my neighbour Coblers pot of ale.
With meane good-fellowes I can well agree,
And leaue rich Kninghts as well as they leaue me:
Yet shall my Lady haue her owne desire,
To match their Ladies in their braue attire:
For shee's a Gentlewoman (though I say-it)
That doth deserue to domineere and sway it,
To Lady it, she seru'd a Lady taught her,
Well bred and borne a good rich Graziers daughter;
One that if once he bid the world good night,
His death would cure the Melancholy knight;
And make him mightie with excessiue wealth,
But I am sicke to thinke vpon his health;
A lustie man and yet aboue three-score:
If I should die and goe to heauen before,
Which I thinke not; but if I so were crost,
All that estate were e'ry peny lost:
With him I play the Polititian so,
I haue his loue most absolute I know,
Rundlets of Sacke, with suger-loaues and spice,
I send as tokens that may loue intice,
Which if I did not hope to finde at large,
He should be hang'd ere I would bear the charge.
For now adaies I hold he grosse doth erre,
That spends his money for I thanke you sir,
I am beholden to you for this kindnesse,
Count me a bussard if I shew such blindnesse:
No, I haue one gift proueth not amisse
To take all comes, be whatsoere it is.
As for example, when I let a lease,
And raise my rent vnto the most increase;
When th' utmost peny I haue brought it to,
Before I seale the same, why thus I doe,
I adde a Capon, Turkie, Goose, or so,
At quarter day my Tenants loue to show,
And no man is so simple and absurde,
That he will loose his bargaine for a birde:
Thus doe I fetch my subtill hob-nailes in,
More craftier growne by ods then they haue bin;
But let them growe as cunning as they may,
There's trickes to fetch them in and make them pay.
'Tis not amisse to keepe such fellowes vnder,
That they and riches may be held asunder:
For if their wealth come to a little height,
They thinke themselues their Landlords fellowes streight;
This is a thing that ought not be allow'd,
But Ile keepe mine for being ouer proud,
They shall not boast of pen-worths at my hand,
In any thing they hold of house or land:
What charge haue they but homely country fare,
Or what discredit if their clothes be bare,
When I must maintaine shew of gallant life;
Especially vpon my Lady wife,
Who (I protest vnto my very friends)
More in apparell then my rent is, spends:
My rent, poore rent, like to a garment rent,
As thats past wearing that is almost spent,
If one fat kinsman or another dye-not,
And that vnlucky handed Death supply-not,
Ere long the wandring Knight I will goe play,
And put out venters at returne to pay:
As, who will vndertake giue three for one,
When I doe that which hath bin done by none,
Namely, returne from Salsbury to London
And number iust those stones (to this hower vndone)
The Diuels bastard Merlin placed there,
Which admirable doe each other beare:
Or when I crosse the Ocion into Fraunce,
And bring from thence king Pippin's warlike launce,
Mounsieur Malignants armour of gold plate,
(Which would proue very wholsome to my state)
And hundred proiects which I keepe obscure,
Vntill the practise I doe put in vre.
Another helpe I haue at a dead list,
As I could turne Ascumist for a shift,
Shift said I, that same word I will conuert,
Least some conclude it for a shifting art:
Yet for the rime sake, (cause I am in haste)
Ile let it passe, how euer it distaste,
And such as make a question, let them trie-it,
For on my credit there is profit by it,
But how? note that, not out of brasse and copper
To turne that gold in qualitie iust propper,
But turning off againe to the professor,
That of a wealthy Nouice is possessor,
'Tis a deepe Arte to try conclusions by,
And may be called Craft, or Myst-er-y:
There is no Science that a man can name,
Makes all professors rich that vse the same.
Some man hath gotten much by Alcumie,
And many men haue lost, Ile not deny:
And on my credit I dare boldly say,
I know the getting and the loosing way.
Why then may some obiect vnto me sir:
What is the cause your selfe you not preferre?
He shew them reason for it by and by,
And thus conceiue it in a Simily.
An Angler goes to take himselfe some fish,
Hauing baite, line, and hooke vnto his wish,
He patient waiteth with a fixed sight;
Yet taketh none because they will not bite:
Few words will serue to satisfie the wise,
Picke English out of this, let that suffice.
Tobacco boy, and a cleane pipe withall,
Sirra a candell, tis in haste I call,
I once kept men, (whose liueries being worne)
For sauing charge, a boy now serues my turne:
Amongst the rest I had a beetle-head,
Of vulgar education Clownish bred,
Whom I call'd to me as alone I sate,
And tooke Tobacco, which be gazing at:
Sirra (quoth I) vnto the staring owle,
Giue a cleane pipe, and burne this same, tis fowle,
So he supply'd my vse still with a new,
And those which I return'd away he threw,
When none was left, hast burn'd those pipes I said?
(Quoth he) sir I as good a hand haue made,
With them you bad me burne, our fire is small,
And so to make short worke I broke them all:
The Clownish villaine, thinking I did burne them,
As out of vse, I did intend to turne them;
Quicke, drie Tobacco, fill a pipe compleate,
And then my pen goes forward in a heate,
There's newes, rare newes, new newes come to my hand,
The like nere since the conquest in this land;
Call'd Trew and Wonderfull the story saies,
A Serpent newly whelped in our daies:
Nay more, a Dragon is title fitter,
Because he is a verie poison spitter:
Some he hath kill'd, but eate them he refuses,
And neere to Horsham, worse then horseplay vses.
For he hath slaine (they say) I know not who,
Nay, is beside a Cony-catcher too,
Suppos'd to liue by theeuing in the warren;
Which if he doe t'will make the burrowes barren:
But if according to the Bookes direction,
The Carrier tell vs of his strange infection,
It shall be seene the Melancholy Knight
Like valiant George will with the dragon fight.
Let him wrap vp his body in a bundle,
And with his poison vp to London Trundell,
Ile arme my selfe directly at all points,
And on the Dragon venter limbes and ioynts,
He or she Serpent, I will set vpon her,
To raise my worship to degree of honour,
I hope it is not equally so fierce,
As that same Monster Chronicles rehearse,
Which came out of the Irish seas a shore,
The like whereof was neuer seene before,
With whom the king Meruidius would go fight,
Forbidding combate to each other Wight;
For which braue resolution which he held,
He was past hope and helpe most cruell kill'd;
If he be such I will vnsay't againe,
I long not to be desperately slaine,
And set vpon a poyson-spitting thing:
Hath teeth and clawes, and venome, taile and sting,
That were foole-hardy to expose my life,
And make a mourner of my Lady wife:
And therefore for a time I will forbeare,
Till of a second part in print I heare;
Which shall no sooner (I protest) come out,
But Ile take horse to Horsham for a bout,
And so I leaue this filthy scuruie Dragon,
That neuer yet did soyle a Knight to bragge on.
I chaunc'd of late an ancient booke to view,
As good as Beuis, and as strange and trew,
Of Lyons, Leopards, Tigers, Beares and Bores,
And such ill faces as in Forests rores:
Amongst the rest was one that had a den,
Pil'd like a wood-wharfe with the bones of men,
He had a head most fearefull to behold,
Wherein, two eyes like globes of fire rol'd,
Teeth terrible to bite through flesh and bone;
A forked tongue the like was neuer knowne,
Clawes past compaire to scratch downe trees withall
A sting in's taile would enter through a wall,
I doe protest, I was almost afraid
To reade the strange discription that was made,
Of this den-diuell, (sure he was no lesse)
As by the story any man would ghesse:
Yet by a valiant Knight, this same hot shot
Was hew'd as small as flesh vnto the pot.
Then in that booke a Dragon I doe finde
The like is not among the Dragons kinde,
Th' inchaunted Dragon of the darkesome shade,
Of seauen mettals all compos'd and made:
And that the world shall witnesse I am red
(Gainst melancholy vexings in my head)
In auncient stories courage to prouoke,
Not spending all my time in taking smoke,
Although my worship's scandal'd now and then
Amongst the ruder sort of vulgar men,
But that I turne and ouerturne againe
Old bookes, wherein the worm-holes doe remaine,
Containing acts of auntient Knights and Squires,
That fought with Dragons, spitting forth wilde fires
The history vnto you shall appeare,
Euen by my selfe verbatim set downe heere:

As thus,

Sir Eglamour that worthy Knight
He tooke his sword and went to fight,
And as he rode both hill and dale
Armed vpon his shirt of male.
A Dragon came out of his den
Had slaine, (God knowes how many men:)
When he espied sir Eglamore,
Oh if you had but heard him rore,
And seene how all the trees did shake,
The Knight did tremble, horse did quake;
The Birds betake them all to peeping,
It would haue made you fall a weeping:
But no wit is in vaine to feare,
Being come vnto, fight dogge fight beare.
To it they goe, and fiercely fight
A liue-long day from morne till night:
The Dragon had a plaguy hide,
And could the sharpest steele abide,
No sword will enter him with cuts
Which vext the Knight vnto the guts;
But as in choller he did burne
He watch'd the Dragon a good turne,
And as a yawning he did fall,
He thrust his sword in hilts and all.
Then like a Coward he to flie
Vnto his den that was hard by,
And there he lay all night and roar'd;
The Knight was sory for his sword:
But riding thence sayd, I forsake it,
He that will fetch it let him take it.
And so I hope to the Iuditious wise,
Thus much of this rare story shall suffice,
To proue how I in worthy workes am read,
How ere illitterate censures are misled:
But as I will not vaunt of my deserts,
So will I not in too me mine owne good parts,
I haue a Muse hath beene at Helicon,
And braine some-time that versed th' flow vpon
The world shall know though Melancholy bite.
The discontented Money-scorning Knight,
I haue interiour excellence that shines
Beyond your earthlings gold and siluer mines:
Once more Tobacco to perfume my braine,
Ile smoke amongst you in my Poets vaine.

Rapier lie there, and there my hat and feather,
Drawe my silke curtaine to obscure the light,
Goose-quill and I must ioine a while together:
Lady forbeare I pray, keepe out of sight,
Call pearle away, let one remoue him hence,
Your skreeking Parrot will distract my sence.

Would I were neere the rogue that cryeth blacke,
Buy a new Almanacke, doth vexe me to:
Forbid the maid shee winde not vp the iacke,
Take hence my watch it makes too much a doe,
Let none come at me deerest friend or kin,
Who ere it be, I am not now within.