 | The Riddles of Heraclitus and Democritus |  |
35
[A target-bearer to a gallant man of warre]
A target
-bearer to a gallant man of warre
Was bidden by his Lord, t'attend him at a doore,
Whilst he should get him in, about t'appease a iarre,
That lately risen was, betwixt him and his whoore:
And heare ye (saide he) Sirra: if any body come,
Or stirring be this way, alowde see ye crie hum.
Was bidden by his Lord, t'attend him at a doore,
Whilst he should get him in, about t'appease a iarre,
That lately risen was, betwixt him and his whoore:
And heare ye (saide he) Sirra: if any body come,
Or stirring be this way, alowde see ye crie hum.
The scutiger had tarried but a little while,
Ere Morpheus gan vpon his forehead for to creepe,
His stomacke vapours sent, which did his braines beguile,
And ere he was aware, he falleth fast asleepe:
The Master hoping well, that well his man did watch,
Accorded with the girle, her husbands coate to patch.
Ere Morpheus gan vpon his forehead for to creepe,
His stomacke vapours sent, which did his braines beguile,
And ere he was aware, he falleth fast asleepe:
The Master hoping well, that well his man did watch,
Accorded with the girle, her husbands coate to patch.
To kissing first they fell, and after that to play,
Souldiers fight sometimes, ye wot it well in sport,
And I can tell no more, what they did doe or say,
God knowes I haue no skill of warring in this sort:
But as the neighbours tolde, such warre the souldier maked,
That at the locke they lay, and both of them were naked.
Souldiers fight sometimes, ye wot it well in sport,
And I can tell no more, what they did doe or say,
God knowes I haue no skill of warring in this sort:
But as the neighbours tolde, such warre the souldier maked,
That at the locke they lay, and both of them were naked.
Tacitum petiuit, my captaine falles asleepe,
One in at window lookes, where close he them espied,
And tarrying not a whit, either to laugh or weepe,
He backward with the newes, vnto the husband hied,
Which calde his friends vnto him, these pigeons for to get,
And soone he had them both, caught fast within his net.
One in at window lookes, where close he them espied,
And tarrying not a whit, either to laugh or weepe,
He backward with the newes, vnto the husband hied,
Which calde his friends vnto him, these pigeons for to get,
And soone he had them both, caught fast within his net.
The lookers on did laugh, the captaine was ashamed,
The husband was as angrie, as any man could be,
And though the wife by friends, and by her man were blamed,
Yet made she her defence, and chid as fast as he:
Thou hast (said she) ere this, thy slouens armefull borne,
By stealth as we did now, of many a neighbours corne.
The husband was as angrie, as any man could be,
And though the wife by friends, and by her man were blamed,
Yet made she her defence, and chid as fast as he:
Thou hast (said she) ere this, thy slouens armefull borne,
By stealth as we did now, of many a neighbours corne.
She praies to be diuorced, but he would not agree
To heare that motion made, it made his hart full sore
To set them in a sheete, alas why should it bee,
They had been sheeted now three howers and somwhat more.
Forgiuenesse, that was best, the souldier him reuested,
The goodman kissed his wife, all quarrels were digested.
To heare that motion made, it made his hart full sore
To set them in a sheete, alas why should it bee,
They had been sheeted now three howers and somwhat more.
Forgiuenesse, that was best, the souldier him reuested,
The goodman kissed his wife, all quarrels were digested.
His squire still at the doore, this while lay fast asleepe,
His helmet clapped close vnto his drowsie head,
He dreamed that he sawe, a louely lasse to weepe,
Inchained with his Lord vpon a feather bed:
And in this dreame he lay still in a mischiefes name,
Vntill his captaine came, and found him in the same.
His helmet clapped close vnto his drowsie head,
He dreamed that he sawe, a louely lasse to weepe,
Inchained with his Lord vpon a feather bed:
And in this dreame he lay still in a mischiefes name,
Vntill his captaine came, and found him in the same.
By shoulders he him tooke, he quickly made him wake,
What was to him befalne, he did describe and tell,
His angrie looke and noise, did make the wretch to shake,
Villaine he cried, how saiest, hast thou not serude me well,
Thou varlet base, thou asse, thou drunken headed ape,
I thee coniure straight way, leaue of thy souldiers shape.
What was to him befalne, he did describe and tell,
Villaine he cried, how saiest, hast thou not serude me well,
Thou varlet base, thou asse, thou drunken headed ape,
I thee coniure straight way, leaue of thy souldiers shape.
His spurres to bodkins turned, his lips conuert to horne,
His beard turned all to flesh, gone was his manly face,
His shirt of maile and helmet, that he long had worne,
To plumes and cockscombe turned, this was a foule disgrace:
Behold and see, what tis, an angrie one to serue,
That for a toy forgets, what seruing did deserue.
His beard turned all to flesh, gone was his manly face,
His shirt of maile and helmet, that he long had worne,
To plumes and cockscombe turned, this was a foule disgrace:
Behold and see, what tis, an angrie one to serue,
That for a toy forgets, what seruing did deserue.
He liueth still, and still retaines a souldiers minde,
With Switzers he will go, when they are waged to fight,
Vnto a lasse he is, more then his captaine kinde,
And fiue or sixe at once, doe lodge with him all night:
Remembring still the fault, that did him ouerthrowe,
He cries at peepe of sunne, Looke to your windowes hooe.
With Switzers he will go, when they are waged to fight,
Vnto a lasse he is, more then his captaine kinde,
And fiue or sixe at once, doe lodge with him all night:
Remembring still the fault, that did him ouerthrowe,
He cries at peepe of sunne, Looke to your windowes hooe.
In Lucians dialog, betwixt the shoomaker and his cocke, ye shall finde that Mars, when he went to lie with Venus, left his man captaine Gallous or Gallus, to attend at the doore. Master Cocke fell in a nap, Phæbus looked in at the windowe, and discried the adulterie &c. Euer since that day, euery cock at peepe of sunne (thinking Mars to be at his old occupation, or martialistes to be at their venerious exercise) croweth to giue them warning.
| The Riddles of Heraclitus and Democritus | |