University of Virginia Library

The Argument.

Here Ianus shews the Goate was lost,
he telles the curssed Fate
And doth bewray the Bedlam Boyes
vnhappy frantike state.
And by the way good Alphus he
to quite his fellowes payne:
The kinde of woman doth depaint
and makes their maners playne.
Let neuer honest Lucrece lowre,
let no good Grisell grutch:
For neither Alphus here, nor I
the modest matrone toutch.
We nippe the cruell cankred crue
with beautie that allure,
And hauing thralde the miser, seeke
no salue his sore to cure:
But take delight with scornefull chere
and face of foule disdaine
Like Vipers vile to sowe the seedes
of our fast springing payne.
Those, those ar thei that Mātuā means
those Alphus doth declare:
And I (the Poet to explane)
those Dames no whit will spare.

Narratio

With pennie I a Lad did hire
my little flocke to keepe:
I gaue him charge and ouersight
of all my fleezie sheepe.
He kepte both Kids and females eke,
and Ramme goates too with care:
And ouerlook'd my flocke that I
the Stripling could not spare.
Till time at last by Fortune he
a pretty Mayden sawe,
(That hither came of purpose bent
at water place to drawe
Such water as suffisde hir tourne)
and liked hir so well
Is he (good Boy) by feature of
hir face to fansie fell.
And from that tyme and dolefull day
so dumpish he became,
As lesse regarde he had of sheepe,
(the greater was his shame)
Lesse forced he since that the foldes
and quight bereft of witte
He seemde: So deepe within his brest
the Uirgins shape did sitte.
When hee on bed to quiet nap
his weary limmes did lay:
Where sleeping he or waking were
twas very harde to say.
For when he was wide waking he
such frantike coyle would keepe,
As though (his reason quite bereft)
his wittes were gone to sleepe.
So dreamyng was this Boy to sight,
so lumpishe woxe the Lad:
In sort, that gazers on surmisde
that he no senses had.
This Boy bent to refresh (I say)
his ouertyred mynde
With sportyng play, about the hornes
with twig this Goate did bynde
Among the thickest of the briers
and bushy Laundes belowe:
And so to passe away the time
away the Boy dyd goe.
(And now .iiij. days are past and gone)
thus hee the Goate did tie:
The strongnesse of the Wyth & hard-
nesse of the Hornes to trie.
Meanewhile the woods he went about
and raungde the bushes rounde,
To see where that within the place
mought any birds be founde.
The Mayde resorted to his thought
and vndercrept his heart:
The comely countnance of the Trull
coulde neuer thence depart,
Nor beautie of hir bourly breast
his musyng mynde forgoe,
The parts not to be namde he rollde
within his bulke belowe.
Meanewhile the Sunne had lodgde his light,
that sielly sotted Mome
Unmyndfull of his hamperde beast
afielde, came late to home.
Amid the night he callde to minde
that foolishe fact of his:
And thinking to go loose the Goate
in all the hast he rise.
And whilst with fearefull foote he pac'de
through Dampes as darke as Hell,
Where lay much chaffe & rotten straw,
into a Dyke he fell:
A place of purpose made to take
the sauage Beasts by night,
A hollow vault and dungeon deepe
to steepe for any wight
Once beyng in to clamber vp.
Thus was the Goate by him
Fast boūd with twigs, the Page in pit
ycaught and dungeon dim.
No Shepheard kept the beasts as then,
twas well neere three a clocke:
I musde, and went my selfe about
and numbred all the flocke.
I miss'd the Goate, and maruelde much
what of the beast became,
I sought about the fields: at last
I calde the Boy by name.
(I tell but truth) I stode in feare
least he by Magike meane
And Sorcerie had ben raisde to Skies,
and Goate dispatched cleane.
For Hags and Witches by report
are caught amids the night
Much like, and far to Banquets borne
quite out of cry and sight.
This dreading, I to Pasture grounde
did bring my sheepe at last
To feede their fills, and whilst that I
did wander all agast
In irkesome shades and vgglie nookes,
and entred in the Groue:
I hearde a farre the braying of
my Goate, and how he stroue
With punching hornes & pushyng pate
against the Wyth a good
I plainly sawe, and how he bette
the Bushe gainst which he stoode.
This gastfull thing affrighted me,
and monstrous sight to viewe
Unlooked for. But when at length
my sielly Beast I knew
And bolder wore, I went me in
among the brakes in hast:
With hooke I hewde the brēbles downe
and bushy briers at last.
As late in euening home I hide,
all rounde about the fielde
A girnyng route of grinning folkes
by fortune I behelde.
Approching neerer to the preasse
mee eche began to greete
As soone's they knew what man I was,
and friendly did entreate.
Lo here (quod they) O Ianus is
a little Lad of thine
Tane vp a Woulfe his denne of late
a deepe and daungerous Myne.
He wandring late about the Dounes
did happen (to his payne)
Upon this caue, but now both Goate
and he be founde agayne.
The Goate that had this cruell hap
as yet vnlusty is:
But yet the foolish Boy of both
most frantike is ywis.
The Uirgin hearyng that the Lad
did loue hir passyng well:
Eftsoone as proude as Pecocke wore
and with disdayne did swell.
And makyng wise she had not wiste
the cares he did indure,
Pretended honest lyfe the more
the striplyng to allure.
And to increase hir beautie more
she deckes both face and breast
In finest wise, and in hir gate
hir lookes to ground she keast.
Thus Forelike she with simple shewe
and seemyng to the eyes,
In double breast and subtill heart
hir craftie meaning plyes.
These are the tricks that women vse,
this is the sleightfull ginne:
These are the cruell weapons that
the myndes of men do winne.
Thus hoping he his Gallant girle
to conquere at the last,
His wages scornde, and plide his loue,
and follows hir in hast.
Wherfore now leauing Cart & plough
and Oxen all alone,
To Shepheards toyle I will retourne.
Frayle youth (the more the mone)
Is vassall to this furie fell
and to this folly thrall:
It wanders rounde about this coast,
and ouerturneth all.

Narratio

These Women are a seruile secte,
curst, cruell, puft with pride:
Reiecting lawes, refusing meane,
from reason wandring wide.
They scorne the boundes of better life,
extremes are best in price:
What they attempt is rashly done
and quite without aduice.
A Woman eyther not prouoke
like Leade full lumpish lies:
Or being once stirrde vp, too fast
about hir things she hies.
Aye Winterlike, a frowning cheare
and frostie face she beares:
Euen as the Dogge with cruel starre
the singed soile that seares.
She neuer keepes the golden meane:
for eyther passing well
She loues thee, or with mortall hate
pursues thy ghost to Hell.
If graue she couet for to seeme,
too grimme becoms hir grace:
She powteth then and fiercely frownes.
But if with friendly face
She long to looke, hir grauitie
is banisht out of place,
Those lookes demure and Matrone like
leude laughter hath in chace.
Straight Giglot like she waxeth light,
she grins with childish cheare:
In smyling brow a Whorish mirth
doth shiningly appeare.
She sobs, she laughs, right wise she is
as franticke as a Hare:
Opprest wt trēbling feare she quakes
and yet too much doth dare.
She will, she will not, euer so
hir thoughtes contrary are.
Unconstant, light, vayne, chatting, and
a double tong doth beare,
Presūptuous, threatfull, thirsting blood,
disdaynfull erye wheare.
Uile, greedy, catching, quareling aye
and strouting full of hate:
Of light beliefe, and bent to lies,
impatient of hir state.
A costely charge, to quaffing gyuen,
rashe, bitter, iesting, lighte,
Ambitious, Soceresse, brothell baude,
with supersticion fright,
Too laasie, greedy gutted, and
to Lechers lust inclynde:
Sweet mowthde, venerious, wanton, of
too nice and dayntie kynde.
To flattry bente and paynting of
hir face with forrayne freake:
She keepes in cankred hart hir hate
till tyme she may awreake
And be auenged of hir foe,
vnfaythfull thanklesse eake.
Malicious, hastie in reuenge,
bolde, bedlam, wrangling wight,
A rebell, stubborne, stiffe as stake.
She takes a greate delight
To cast in teeth hir olde good tournes:
if any hir accuse
Of guyltie crime, with Tragike voyce
hir selfe she will excuse.
She mumbles to hir self, she stirres
debate, she forceth nought
Of promise made, she friendship scorns,
and euer hath in thought
Hir priuate gayne and no mans else:
she iestes, she flatters aye
She tels thy counsell, and as she
thy secretes doth bewray
With bitter scoffe she payes thee home,
she triflyng newes doth spredde
Among the people, and doth adde
to euery tale a shredde,
And of a hillocke makes a mount.
She doth dissemble sore,
She makes in wise, and beares in hand
and learned hath of yore
Untruthes and leasings to deuise,
to craft she wants no art:
She wots well how to euery chaunce
hir countnance to conuart.
Man can not well auoyde hir guile,
nor shunne hir forely drifts:
So many are hir mischeous crafts,
so sundry are hir shifts,
And subtile sleights hir craft to cloake.
Yea and put case that thou
With present eye beholde hir feates,
yet she with shamelesse brow
Will dare excuse committed crimes:
by cloaking craft she can
And double dealing of the minde
delude the Sense of Man.
We wotte not how to credit ought
that hir reporte doth blow:
And yet if she would haue vs thinke
that all she sayes is so,
We can not but beleeue the same,
she driues vs to affie:
Hereto examples may persuade.
What curssed crime to trie
Hath not a Woman had the heart
and ventrous hand of yore?
Tarpeia to hir countrey foes,
(that mortall hatred bore
To Romaine state) the Capitoll
did yeelde, in hope to haue
The Iewels that about the wrests
of Souldiers glistred braue.
Medea with hir babes bloud
imbrued hir beastly handes,
Faire Helen thousand Barges brought
vnto Ægean sandes.
For Minos loue (hir fathers foe)
whome Scylla did pursue,
She reft the Princes Purple locke,
and from hir countrey flewe.
Hir Brother beastly Byblis lou'd,
with Father Myrrha lay:
Semyramis that aged Queene
of Babylon (they say)
Hir sonne King Ninus out of kinde
did fansie (fleshly Dame:)
Eriphile at siege of Thebes
(to hir eternall shame)
For golden Owch betrayde hir Spouse
Amphiaraus hight:
King Danaus daughters did to death
their husbandes in a night.
The Thracian Wiues wt cruell clūbes
the Poet Orpheus rent:
Pasiphäe that wanton Wench
(to worke hir fowle intent)
In Mynos absence closde in Cowe,
was couerde of a Bull:
Hippolit Phædra went about
from honest life to pull.
Rebecca Isaac did deceiue,
and blearde his aged eyes:
And hid the sonne that Iacob hight
in Goates long hairy flyse.
The curssed Deianira gaue
vnto hir manly feere
The fatall venome, he (good man)
did bye the shirt to deere.
Hippodame beguylde hir sire,
and stopt his vitall breath
By matche with Pelops, and procurde
therby his hasty death.
Lauynia wrought the Troians woe,
and bredde a broyle in fielde:
Hir Turnus would haue had to wife,
Æneas would not yeelde.
Achilles chieftaine of the Greekes
from battaile Brysis draue:
Duke Agamemnon all inragde
with Chrysis beautie braue
Did freate and fume in furious wise
and felt Apollos wrath:
And curssed Eue from blessed fieldes
mankinde expelled hath.
Beleeue me (Shephierdes) for I sweare
by Gods that haue the care
Of Countrey soyle: If you wil haue
your Cattle well to fare,
Your Pastures fitte for feeding Flocks
and wanting all dysease,
If hooe you haue of sheepe, of peace,
of life and quiet ease:
Abandon all these foolish Girles,
let wanton Wenches goe,
Do from your sheepcots shift away
all Women lesse and moe.
Let Thestilis and Phillis walke,
beare Galathea grudge:
Force you Neera nought at all,
let fine Lycoris trudge.
Oh, make me showe what woman ere
went downe to darksome Hell,
And came frō thence, or tidings brought
from such as there do dwell?
Eurydice might haue returnde
if she had had the wit,
And come from shade to sunne againe,
to light from lothsome Pit.
Proserpine eke whome Pluto stole
and had conuayde away,
Hir wearie mother Ceres shunnde
with griesly King to stay.
But good Æneas shapt retowre,
and Orpheus did the leeke:
Alcydes eke that Champion stout
and thrice renowned Greeke.
Duke Theseus and the brothers both,
of whome one quailes his foes
With fight on horssebacke, tother aye
on foote to wrestling goes.
And our Redeemer, highest GOD,
whence life and comforte flowes,
Went downe to Hell, and rose againe
as all the wordle knowes.
These (Shephierds) these are mysteries
to be obseru'd of you:
By nature Man and kinde is bent
all filthie things t'eschue.
Infamous places most delight
and fansie Womans minde.
Euen as the Seaman driuen on
the Rockes with waue and winde,
Knowes how the daungers to declare
vnto his other Mates:
So he full well of former happes
and future chaunce debates,
And tells what Fortune will befal
by likelyhode at the least:
Whose wasted yeares haue planted wit
within his aged breast.
If siellie Foules the Eagle flie,
if Buckes the net do shunne,
If bleaing Lambs auoide the Woulfe,
if Diere from Dogge do runne:
Then (Shephierd) oh why dost not thou
from Womans flattrie flee:
And trudge from hir with speedie flight
that so anoyeth thee?
As ruthfull they as Crocodile,
or beast Hyena hight.
The viler mischiefe they pretende
when to the outward sight
They deawe their cheekes wt trickling teares,
and vse their sweetest call:
Then they conspire thy cruell death
(fell Monsters) most of all.
O Shephierd shun the Womans looke
and flie hir fleering face:
For harling nets and hurtfull ginnes
are pight in beauties place.
Repose no trust in manly force,
in prowesse or in might,
Trust not Duke Perseus glittring shield
that made ye sturdy Knight
Of fell Medusas crawling Snakes
to byde the vgly sight.
Earst many Monsters haue subdude
and gastly Giants quelde:
Huge Cities sackt, and in their handes
whole Seas and Hauens helde.
With flowing fieldes and haughty hils
that seemde to touch the Skie:
And other some haue wonne ye spurres
for noble Chiualrie.
Yet those that valiantly atchieude
and did these feates of fame
And conquerde all, a Woman hath
(the more these Princes shame)
As Captiues caught, & brought to yoke.
That Shephierd that was King,
And wore the Lions hairy spoile
and warrde with wreakefull sling:
And eke his sonne that worthy Prince
King Salomon by name
The sacred Temple (Syon clept)
who first of all did frame:
And Sampson he whome neuer man
could deale withall in fielde,
All these (I say) for all their force
to Womans yoake did yeelde.
Lesse hurtes the fiery flashing flake,
lesse raggie Rockes anoy,
And lesse the Gleaue that Adam did
expell from heauenly ioy:
Lesse spoiles the spitefull steely Speare
and dreadfull darte of Death,
That quite cuts off the line of life
and reaues the vitall breath,
Than woman doth our daylie foe:
who neuer well content
With beauties beames ye Nature gaue,
doth aye with care inuent
A thousand meanes to make it more
and fairer to the eyes.
A golden glistring Fillet to
hir forhead she applies,
With Purple hue hir paalie cheekes
she paintes and daylie dies.
By Arte hir lockes she settes in place
and deckes and dils hir pate:
By Arte she tempers all hir lookes,
by Arte she guides hir gate.
She runs before with scudding skips
the louing man to lure
And bring to place for follie fitte:
although she looke demure
And giue the nay, with all hir heart
she would on him bestow
His suite, she striues, but gladly would
be conquerde of the foe.
A Woman to the Northeast winde
may well compared bee,
That gathers vp the cloud and straight
doth force the same to flee
Abrode by guilefull puffe againe
and bitter windie blast:
So she allures, and then she lowres
vpon hir Loue at last.
By tryall I that finde it true
do will thee to beware
(Whilst yet thou mayst) the lothsome tricks
that in these Women are.
But homely they by nature are,
by Arte they waxen braue:
By day 'tis all the worke they doe,
their dreames thereof they haue.
They pluck off haires wher neede requires,
they wash, they paint & sleeke:
They chamfer, purle, anoint and smooth
and practise other leeke.
Deceyte they are from toppe to toe,
all craft and trifling toyes:
All stufft with venome rancke and vile,
that gazers on anoyes.
Of Glasse she takes hir counsell aye
for ought she puts in vre:
By viewe thereof she learnes to moue
hir lippes and lookes demure.
She learnes to craft by gaze of Glasse,
to smyle with flattring glose:
She wags hir hench that hangs behind
and shoulders as she goes.
What meanes that bare & naked breast
and open clyft a hie
That makes the double path betwirt
the dangling Dugs to lie?
Nought else (good fayth) but for ye force
of poyson should oppresse
The Sense the more, & Stygian flame
within the heart increase.
These are the Rocks of retchlesse Age,
and Syrts that threaten wracke:
These Scyllas and Charybdes are
the cordes of Youth to cracke.
These are ye Foules that Harpeis hight
that with their fylth defile
The chamber, parler, boord and streate,
and make the temples vile,
Pollute the path, the Champion fields,
the Sea, the floud, the hill,
These gastly Gorgons are that earst
in Lybie land did kill,
And that with mōstrous glowing lookes
to Stones did men conuarte,
And wrested Nature from hir kinde
by cruell curssed Arte.
Thus by the way (as you haue heard)
the learned Umbers verse
Recyted is, and we are they
that did the Ryme reherse.
Which if you deeme excessiue long,
remember that the blame
Is in the thing it selfe, the Uerse
doth not deserue the same.
The Uerse is not so long, as is
these Womens franticke fitte.
O noble aged famous wight
(of whome for worthy witte
The boasting Umbria brags & vauntes,
and Tyber neighbour place
Thereto) 'twas not without desert
that Martiall Romaine race
Of thee accompted earst so well:
The noble Citie knewe
Thy passing wit and pleasaunt vaine.
The learned Muses rue
Both Greekes and Latines thy decease.
I wish thy corps in graue
With ease to lie, and golden soule
in Skies his seate to haue.