A choice of emblemes, and other devises For the moste part gathered out of sundrie writers, Englished and Moralized. And divers newly devised, by Geffrey Whitney. A worke adorned with varietie of matter, both pleasant and profitable: Wherein those that please, maye finde to fit their fancies: Bicause herein, by the office of the eie, and the eare, the minde maye reape dooble delighte throughe holsome preceptes, shadowed with pleasant deuises: both fit for the vertuous, to their incoraging: and for the wicked, for their admonishing and amendment |
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Ex morbo medicina.
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 | A choice of emblemes, and other devises |  |
209
Ex morbo medicina.
To W. Ro.
When that Opimivs ritche, had scraped manie a pounde;
And fil'd his baggs, & cofers full, that wealthe did most abounde.
Yet liu'd hee still in awe, as if it weare offence
To ope his purce, for any neede; hee spared so his pence.
At lengthe, this greedie carle the Lythergie posseste:
That vnneth hee could stere a foote, with sleepe so sore oppreste.
And languishinge therein, not like for to escape:
His heire, was ioyfull of that sighte, who for his goodes did gape.
But, when that nothinge coulde Opimivs sleeping let,
The quicke Phisition did commaunde, that tables shoulde bee set
About the misers bed, and budgettes forthe to bringe,
And poure the goulde vppon the bourde, that hee mighte heare it ringe.
And bad the heire to tell, and all the standers bye:
With that, hee to the sicke man call'de, what meane you thus to lye?
And will not haue regarde your treasure to preserue:
Behoulde your heire, and all the reste, howe largely nowe they carue?
With that, hee started vp; halfe dead, and halfe a liue;
And staringe on his heapes of goulde, longe time for life did striue.
So that, when nothinge coulde his drousie eies awake,
Such vertue, had the sighte of goulde, that sleepe did him forsake.
Which showées, when dreadfull deathe presentes the lastinge sleepe:
They hardly can departe in peace, whose goulde is rooted deepe.
Effigiem Rex. Crœse tuā ditissime Regum
Vidit apud Manes, Diogenes Cynicus.
Cōstitit vtque procul solito maiore cachinno
Concussus, dixit. quid tibi dinitiæ
Nunc prosunt Regum Rex ô ditissime, tum sis
Sicut ego solus, me quoque pauperior?
Nā quæcunq. habui, mecū fero cum nihil ipse
Ex tantis tecum Crœse feras opibus.
Auson. Epig. 55.
| A choice of emblemes, and other devises | |