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A parallell betweene Don Vlysses of Ithaca and Don Coryate of Odcombe.
The Preamble to the Parallell.
If morall Plutarch had done nothing else,Yet should we praise him for his parallels;
Where he with euery Greeke doth match a Roman.
I that would be his Ape, can fancie no man,
(Though learned Hackluyt hath set many forth)
Amongst our English, who for wit and worth
May be compared with the Ithacan,
Vnlesse that Brute the braue Odcombian.
What doe you tell me of your Drakes or Candishes?
We neuer were beholding to their standishes.
This man hath manners seene, and men outlandish;
And writ the same: so did not Drake nor Candish.
If Drake be famous because he did wander
About the Seas, Tom may be well a Gander,
That rauisheth with his harmonious quill
More eares then any Swan on Parnasse hill.
The Parallell it selfe.
Vlysses was a merry Greeke they say,So Tom is, and the Greeker of the tway.
Vlysses left at home an aged Syre,
And Tom an aged mother by the fyre.
Vlysses was an Islander I trow,
How then? I pray you is not Coryate so?
Perhaps Vlysses did in wit excell,
Our Coryate though doth of more learning smell.
And Coryate went to Calais in a hulke.
Vlysses in the Troian horse was hid,
The Heidelbergian barrell Tom bestrid.
Good harnesse did Vlysses guarde and grace,
VVhere Coryate nought had but a fustian case
Vlysses hardly from his Circe sluncke,
As hardly Tom from his Venetian Puncke
By land Vlysses in a Chariot rode,
And Coryate in a Cart, the greater lode.
Vlysses with sterne Aiax had to doe,
With the Dutch Boore so had poore Coryate too.
At home left Vlix store of beasts and chattell,
And Coryate home came guarded with more cattell.
Vlysses vs'd to drinke the Æthiop wine,
With whitson-ale his cap doth Coryate line.
Iust twenty yeares Vlysses with his Greeks
Did wander: Coryate iust as many weeks.
Vlysses all that while had but one caruell,
Tom but one paire of shoes, the greater maruell.
Minerua holpe Vlysses at a lift,
And Pacience Coryate, for there was no shift.
Vlysses heard no Syren sing: nor Coryate
The Iew, least his præpuce might proue excoriate.
Vlysses had a wife to lust vnprone,
But Coryate hath a chaster, hauing none.
Vlysses seem'd a beggar all to torne,
So Coryate did; and was, I dare be sworne.
Vlysses in his trauell builded Flushing,
Where Coryate ending, or'e the Sea came brushing.
One Homer only sung Vlysses praise,
But Coryats all the Poets of our daies.
The Epilogue of the Parallel.
Take Reader with a laughing lookeThis Odcome new-come well-come booke.
In sober sadnesse we shall marre all else.
For Coryate with vs both will quarell,
And teare himselfe out of his parell.
In each point though they doe not jumpe,
I trust they doe yet in the lumpe.
Nor would I ioyne them head and feete;
Lines parallell doe neuer meete.
Yet one day meete may thou and I,
And laugh with Coryate ere we die.
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