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The Rocke of Regard

diuided into foure parts. The first, the Castle of delight: Wherein is reported, the wretched end of wanton and dissolute liuing. The second, the Garden of Vnthriftinesse: Wherein are many sweete flowers, (or rather fancies) of honest loue. The thirde, the Arbour of Vertue: Wherein slaunder is highly punished, and vertuous Ladies and Gentlewomen, worthily commended. The fourth, the Ortchard of Repentance: Wherein are discoursed, the miseries that followe dicing, the mischiefes of quareling, the fall of prodigalitie: and the souden ouerthrowe of foure notable cousners, with diuers other morall, natural, & tragical discourses: documents and admonitions being all the inuention, collection and translation of George Whetstons
Whetstone, George (1544?-1587?)
 
[epigraph]

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[section]
 
[dedication]
 
Nicholas Bowyer in commendation of this Booke.
 
R. C. in praise of Whetstons and his Rocke of Regard.
 
Humfrey Turner in commendation of Whetston and his booke.
 
Abraham Fleming vppon G. Whetstons worke.
 
Iohn wytton in commendation of this woorke.
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The Castle of delight.
 
THE DISORDERED life, of Bianca Maria, countesse of Celaunt, in forme of her complainte, supposed at the houre of her beheading, for procuring the murder of Ardissino Valperga Earle of Massino.
 
An Inuectiue written by Roberto Sanseuerino, Earle of Giazzo, against Bianca Maria, Countesse of Celant.
 
The Countesse of Zeland, continueth in her complaint.
 
Cressids complaint.
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[subsection]
 
[Poems from the Discourse of Rinaldo and Giletta]
 
[When Sommers force is past, and Winter sets in foote]
 
[In bondage free I liue, yet free am fettered faste]
 
[More haste then neede, doth turne to waste]
 
[Beautie leaue off to brag, thy brauery is but brayd]
 
[For faithfull loue, the hate I finde in lue]
 
[Rinaldo, thy dissembling]
 
[O needlesse fruit (of sinne the meane at first)]
 
[Euen with the bloud that issues from his hart]
 
Epilogus.
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THE GARDEN OF VNTHRIFTINESSE, wherein is reported the dolorous discourse of Dom Diego a Spaniard, together with his triumphe.
 
DOM DIEGO HIS dolerous discourse.
 
Dom Diego his triumphe.
 
The complaint of two louers, restrained from their wished desires, by the displeasure of their friendes.
 
The Deuice of a Gentlewoman, to persuade her louer of her constancie, notwithstanding her show of hate, which shee onely vsed to quench the ielous suspicion of her friendes.
 
The reiected louer, with earnest desire, pursues the sight of his disdainfull Mystresse.
 
A Gentlewoman falsely deceiued with faire wordes, forsweareth hereafter to be wonne with flattering promises.
 
The pitious complaint of Medea, forsaken of Iason, liuely bewraying the slipperie hold in sugred words.
 
The forsaken louer, pretilie nippeth his Ladies inconstancie, for that (as he thought) shee matched with his baser in accompt, wherein coulerablie he discouereth both their names.
 
The louer attributeth his curelesse wound to chaunce, by louing long.
 
A Sonet, wherin is showne the straunge effectes of loue.
 
The louer wearied with a number of delayes, sues vnto his Ladie for pitie, or otherwise her speedie denyall, by death to worke a speedie dispatch of his languishing dayes.
 
The thought of wonted ioyes, doubleth the miserable mans griefs.
 
The hap, and hard fortune of a carelesse louer.
 
The absent louer in pawne of his constancie, sendeth his heart to his Ladie.
 
The louer neither greatly fauoured, nor openly refused, compareth the wretchednesse of his estate, vnto the paines of hell.
 
G. W. to the signe of the brasen bell.
 
The louer blameth his Ladies mistrust, wherin is figured the passions of an earnest louer.
 
The infortunate louer determineth rather desperately to end his sorrowes, then to proroge them with bootelesse hope.
 
Verses of complaint, deuised for a well meaning louer, to moue his maistresse to pitie.
 
The complaint of a gentlewoman being with child, falsely forsaken.
 
Against one which wrote a slaunderous libell in dishonour of a Ladie.
 
The vnfortunate louer is persuaded his misshap to grow by destinie.
 
The discommodities of forst marriages, by the example of Venus and Vulcan: supposed for the more plaine explayning of the inconueniences, to be written to a couetous carle, hauing but one onely daughter, refused the offers of diuerse gentlemen, some beeing of good worship: and married her, vnto an old croked coffing crust, for his great wealthes sake.
 
The forsaken louer sheweth to what intent he weareth Tawnie, bewraying the bondage that wanton Dames bring their thralles vnto.
 
The reiected louer, determineth, either to purchase his Ladies speedie reconcilement, or els desperatly to die.
 
The louer being wounded at the Bathe, sues vnto his Lady for pittie.
 
The louer to his Ladie in Durance.
 
Her aunsweare.
 
A description of Ielousie.
 
To a disdainfull Dam.
 
The louer in praise of his Ladie.
 
An aunswere to a Gentlewoman by loue constrained to sue to him whom of late she scorned.
 
The contemptuous louer finding no grace where hee faithfully fauoureth, acknowledgeth his former scorne, vsed toward loue, to be the onely cause of his miseries.
 
Epilogus.
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The Arbour of Uertue. A VVORKE CONTEINING the chaste and honourable life, of a Bohemian Ladie, to the which is adioyned, the complaint of two Hungarian Barons, that wagerd the spoile of her Chastitie.
 
[dedication]
 
The Arbour of Vertue.
 
The complaint of the Lorde Alberto and Vdislao, the two Hungarian barons, that vnaduisedly wagered their land, to winne the vertuous Ladie Barbara to wantonnesse: Who hauing the foyle (besides the losse of their liuings) for their slaunderous opinions, were condemned to perpetuall exile.
 
In praise of the right H. the Ladie I.S.G. of Wilton.
 
In praise of my L. E. R.
 
In praise of my L. Cecil of Bourlegih.
 
In praise of Maistresse M. H. now Bridges.
 
The praise of mistresse A. C.
 
In praise of mistresse A. H.
 
The saucie pesaunts present, vnto his souereigne mistresse.
 
Epilogus.
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The Ortchard of repentance: Wherein is reported, the miseries of dice, the mischiefes of quarelling, and the fall of prodigalitie.
 
[dedication]
 
The honest minded mans aduentures, his largesse: and his farewell to the world. A worke discouering, the subtilties of all sortes of men.
 
G. W. opinion of trades (as touching gaine) written to his especiall friend, maister R. C.
 
R. C. answere to G. W. opinion of trades.
 
A briefe discourse, of the discommodities of quarelling written at the request of his especiall friend and kinseman, maister Robert Cudden of Grayes In.
 
The vnhappie man contemneth Fortune, and cleaueth to Hope, assured once to reach good hap by vertuous Industrie, in the despite of Fortune.
 
How great a follie the conceit of excellencie is.
 
Against ingratitude.
 
The euill fortune of a couetous person, and what profite ariseth by the death of a churle.
 
A briefe description of death.
 
An Epitaphe vppon the death of Henrie Cantrell of Lincolnes Inne Gent. by his friend R. C.
 
Howe great a vice it is either for the vertuous, or valiaunt man, to accompanie himselfe with men of base condition, when as (acknowledging his dutie) hee may aduenture into the companie of the best.
 
An Epitaphe on the death of the right worshipful maister Robert Wingfield, of Vpton in the countie of Northampton Esquier.
 
An Epitaphe on the death of the right worshipfull maister Iohn Ayleworth Esquier.
 
An Epitaphe in the order of an admonition, written on the death of his verie friend Iohn Note of Grayes Inne Gent. Vntimely flaine the 2. of Nouember 1575.
 
An Epitaphe on the death of his especiall friend, Thomas Cornelius Gent slaine in the Prince of Orenge his seruice in Holland.
 
VVhetstons inuectiue against Dice.
 
Fiftie apples of admonition, late growing on the tree of good gouernment: bestowed on his especiall friends and companions, the Gentlemen of Furniuals In.
 
A caueat to G. W. at his going into Fraunce, written by his friend R. C.
 
Whetstons Dreame.
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Inuentions of P. Plasmos touching his hap and hard fortune, vnto the which is annexed the sundrie cōplaintes; foure notable couseners, the instrumentes of his greatest troubles: which in the prime of their mischieuous enterprises, with soudaine death and vexation were straungelie visited. At the end of euery of the said inuentions, for the more plaine knowledge of them, is the reporters admonition in prose both pleasant and profitable.
 
P. Plasmos triumphe.
 
[I dreaming once (me thought) dame beautie bad me craue]
 
[Fowle fall thee false suspect, so thriue thou ielous thought]
 
P. Plasmos in praise of his Purse.
 
P. Plasmos complaint of want.
 
P. Plasmos to his mishap.
 
[Why do I liue (quoth he) to see this lothsome sight]
 
P. Plasmos description of couseners.
 
P. P. Inuectiue against his toung.
 
[In gayle of griefe in closde, of worldly friendes forlorne]
 
[To thee (O Lord) with hart and voice I sing]
 
P. Plasmos farewell to wanton pleasures.
 
P. Plasmos recantation.
 
P. Plasmos farewell to folly.
 
The complaint of one Lyros a notable Cousener, supposed at the houre of his death.
 
Frenos complaint.
 
Caphos complaint.
 
Pimos complaint at the houre of his death.
 
The reporters conclusion, as touching the report of Paulus Plasmos aduentures, and Lyros, Frenos, Caphos, and Pimos falles.
 
Epilogus.

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The vnhappie man contemneth Fortune, and cleaueth to Hope, assured once to reach good hap by vertuous Industrie, in the despite of Fortune.

Sweete is the thought, where hope persuadeth hap.
Although the mynd, be fed with faint desire,
The dunghil drone, would mount to honours lap,
If forward thoughts, to Fortune could aspire,
The ventrous knight, whom Vallor doth aduaūce,
First cuts off dread, with hope of happie chaunce.
If hope of fame, supprest not feare of death,
In face of shot, the souldier would not run,
Or recke so small, the losse of liuely breath,
If spoyle thereof, a slender glory won.
Nor merchants would, so seeke out forreine soyle,
If hope of gaine, ne recompenst their toyle.
The murdrous mate, the traitour, and the theefe,
By conscience guilt, that bathes in bitter teares,
In hope of grace, doth sucke out sweete reliefe,
Which wears to eb, their flowing tyde of feares,
Then sith she feeds, the wights forworne with wo,
Why should I faint, though Fortune be my fo.
Whose thought doth climbe, by vertue, not by vice,
To whom perforce, proude Fortune yeldes a thral,
Suppose (sly hap) may hinder my deuice,
Feare feedes the heart, that faintes for euery fall,
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If first come short, then frame a newe account,
The forward mynde, a thousand wayes may mount.
Thou seest that doultes, whome only hap aduaunce,
Dare ouerrule their betters farre in wit,
Which vailde their hope, to euery sorrie chaunce,
What may he then, whose hap with skill is knit,
Bare sway by will, as well in wrong as right,
Grudge may his foes, but not withstande his might.
Yet hardly men, by vertue do aspire,
Spight sowes suspect, till their desart be tryde,
But once aduaunst, is that the wise desire,
In fauour they, for fortunes chaunge prouide,
Then though at first, thou light in Enuies trap,
Small were by losse, which neuer earst hadst hap.
If so it be, in hope I forward set,
To raunge the world, as fortune shall me driue,
A happy toyle, if credite so I get,
As sure I shall, for what is he aliue,
But hath good hap, within so large a scope,
God and Saint George, send fortune as I hope.
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