Newe Sonets and pretie Pamphlets. Written by Thomas Howell. Newly augmented, corrected and amended |
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The Vnsertaintie of seruice by Iohn Keeper to his friend Howell.
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 | Newe Sonets |  |
The Vnsertaintie of seruice by Iohn Keeper to his friend Howell.
Of late whē Primrose gan to peare, on Medows bancke so green,When Daises whit & Rose full red, most chearful al were seene,
A lustie wight of sturdye blood, in chiefest times of might,
I sawe to ride with corage hie, on Palfray trimly dight,
A Courtier right in brauest weede, of purest silks so gay,
with curious Chayne of goodly golde, so clad in courtlike ray,
Of liuely yeres, as fresh as Flower, a fine yonge man he was:
of manly minde not caring ought, how daies or yeres dyd passe.
Not ought did want that might prefer, the greatest ioylitie:
for hart and hands, both legges & limmes, were then in soueraigntie,
As thus he rode incoradge bolde, as well him semde full braue:
he met in Feild an aged man, well ny his ghastly graue.
Of coulor pale with writhed browes, and wrinckled face to note,
who leande vnto his feble staffe, with slender leggs god wot,
Most homlie was his ragged ray, as man that carde for none,
of lims so leane in hungrye corpes, a simple soule alone,
This lustie youth when once he sawe, where such poore man abode,
he plies his spurs to horses sides, and fast he thither rode,
And askde from whence & what he was, and what was Fortunes rage,
why toyle of youth could not prouide, for this gray hored age.
This aged man when he behelde, that lustie lad so nie,
he lifted vp his croked corps and gasde with white of eye,
And pointed vp his shaking hands, that nought were els but bones,
with feble voice and sobbing sighes, thus poures he out his mones,
Welcom good sonne, I wish thee well, in these thy timely yeres:
and God encrease by hys decre, thy life in happie cheares.
But I haue seen and tride to true, that those that run thy race:
though youth be braue, yet age shall wayle, in most vnhappy case.
For I in times haue serude in Courte, as braue as brauest of all:
but witlesse youth, could not for see, ill haps, that might befall,
I wayle my case, and rue the men that run the selfe same way:
whose endes will chaunce a like to mine, lest for wit, will, do stay,
Wherfore yonge man, take heede betime, least folly worke thy paine.
youth stands not still, for times do fleete, as fluds do flow amaine:
a miserable life thou ledst, if toyles with fruites thou scan.
Of seruing men therfore will I, declare the state to thee.
that thou forewarnde by me mayst learne, to flee that misere.
When first thou comst to seruice trade, it semth full sweet a far
but warie be, most sweet to men, all vnexpert, is war.
And eke this talke that I declare, by preofe I know it true:
would God I had not seene it tride, my haplesse hap to rue.
Beware by me, in present youth, who was in ioylitee:
he happy is whom others harms, do warie cause to bee.
Thy mayster first will thee accept, and loue thee passyng well:
when lustie Age and limmes of youth, and riches doo excell:
As longe as thou canst beare thy charge, thy proper costs to spende,
which thou to honour well thy Lorde, dost liberally extende,
As longe as thou with money storde, or qualities art freight,
most fayre thy maister speekes to thee, most ioyfull is his plight:
Most chearefull peares his pleasant face, all times continually:
and still he saith, he full is bent to help, and chearish thee.
Fayr words they say, make fooles to faine, trust not swet promise kind
before the deedes agree to wordes, which thou by proofe shalt finde.
For though thou be, in fauour greatst, yet coms a sudden blast,
that Maisters loue, may turne to hate, as one dispisde at last.
Still shalt thou plie, both carks and cares, for maysters worthy state:
to ride, to run, in heate and colde, at times both er and late,
In perels plunge and dangers greate, thou fealst continuallie:
thy life thou dost aduenture oft, for Maisters cause to dye,
When others sleape in quiet bedde, thou ridst in nightes that be,
in shewres and stormes to do the thyng, that Lorde commits to thee.
In perels oft of enmies swordes, in groues and bushie place,
this doutfull waies for Masters cause, thou runst in painfull race.
At home thou must in presence be, to shewe thy diligence,
for maister all the trauaile is, but all thine owne expense.
In order thinges thou must addresse, both here and theare to goe:
to crie and call, to talke and toyle, this is thy endles woe,
Now master calls, now mistris speakes, now vp and downe goe now,
now tarie here, now goe thou theare, at all commaundes be thou.
and thus betwene Caribdis rockes, thou sailst in doubtfull state.
Yf both thee loue, tis but for times, they stande vnconstantcie,
for maister geues, his eare perhaps, to fauninge flatterie.
And then a preuie fooe maye worke, a treuthles tale to tell:
that fauour sleeth, and maister hateth, whom late he loued full well.
O cruell tonge, O masters fonde, that so will bende their eares,
to cause a faithfull seruantes hart, to mone in heauie cheares.
But thousande wayes besides may growe, displeasurs great in place,
that shall thee bring from ioyfull hart, into a dolefull case.
This is the surest certaintie, of seruice that maie fall,
this is the wofull haps of men, in place illiberall.
At beck thou art, to come and goe, a bondage tis yee see.
who wilbe linckt in seruitude, if well he may go free?
The crouked clowne, with all his toyle, fealth not one halfe thy paine,
to whom the tylled soyle restores, for laboures gratefull gayne.
But thou for fruites so well deserued, by longe applied care,
perchaunce may get but only hate, not one good worde to spare.
O Barraine lande, O frutelesse feilde, to bringe a sort to woes:
for when they hopde to haue rewarde, nought els but hatred groes.
What man can iudge of such a soyle, that hath both eyes to see,
but that he will accompt the ende, a mortall misere:
If once thou hapst away to be, when maister cals thee well,
what checks thou hast at thy retorne, I neede not here to tell.
Yea oft we see for absence small, though cause full great appeare,
thy maister taunth, and maistris frownes, as Heg of Hell she weare.
And once if thou from fauour fall, then laboureth flatteryng spies:
to hoyse thee out of fauour cleane, by lewde and knauish lies.
And commonly this thing doth hap, when youth and goods are spent,
for then to driue thee of in deede, his minde is fully bent:
And soone will he geue credit then, to those that thee depraue:
alas for all our carkes and cares, this is rewarde wee haue,
When faithfull man hath thus long serued, in truth of tried hart:
in thend shall vice ingratytude, retracte his iust desarte,
O youth beware, O men bewyse, what foole so blinde is hee.
that will spende out his youthfull yeres, such seruingman to be?
their life abhorde as wicked waies, and trade most impious,
This will the hellish sclaunderous lipps, of honest man report,
and though the seruingeman be good, yet rayles the enuious sort:
When thus is spent thy golden youth, and many goodly yeres:
and left the waies of surer life, where greater fruites appeares;
When spent be goods both stock and store, and all in seruice care:
and liued longe at charge of freinds, whose bagges for thee go bare.
Then comth on thee displeasures great, at one vnhappy howre.
that maister hates whom well he loued, & turnes thee out his dowre.
Then age with charge and toyling paines, so many yeres of trust,
are now at once on sudden lost, and all is layde in dust:
Thus thou for toyle and great expense, hast small rewarde to take:
now age draweth on and all is spent, and all men thee forsake,
And thou art left in beggers state, that were in youth so fine,
what miserie is like to this, what woes then like to thine:
In hope some liue to be preferde, for worke to haue his gaine,
but hope may misse, though wide he gap, he gapeth perchaūce in vaine
Where one wee see to be preferde, three liue for lacke as staruid.
and other eke shall haue the fruites, that they haue well deseruide.
And this is cause that I olde man, am poore whom none regarde,
for I haue felt for seruice longe, the maisters short rewarde,
What greater plagues or woes can be, then lost deserued meede,
and Lorde to turne his seruant of, in time of greatest neede:
Of seruice longe this is the ende, as still by proofe ye see,
for faithfull harts of seruants true, these are rewardes that bee.
For longe expense and charge of freinds, this is rewarde againe,
for lost of time in golden youth, this is the tried gaine.
For toyling paines and labours longe, this fruitelesse endes that bee:
alas this is the death of some, when Lordes ingrate they see,
But cheefe when age, doth once appeare, that labour none they haue,
the mistres cries what makst thou heare, be packing doting knaue:
So are they like vnto the Dog in Hunt that runs his race,
who hath in youth been well esteemde, and liuide in careles case,
But when in age he weried is, that hunting all is past.
go hange, they crie the cursed cur, this is roward at last.
O learne yonge man that seruice then, in none inheritage.
A signe of this of youth ill spent, an aged man am I,
alas no refuge is for me, O death nowe let me die.
O wretched state, O cruell course, O port of penurie,
O pitte of pagnes, O pestilent race, O sincke of miserie,
O witles waies O frutles factts, O badge of beggers state,
O plumpe of paines O endles woes, O man infortunate.
Retire my sonne this race to run, that life vnsertaine is,
who liues in state of Seruitours, liues still in doubtfulnes.
What is the cause, ingratitude, withdrawes the helpyng hande,
since seruing weights by dayly toyle, are praise of noble band,
What is the state of noble troope, if saruants haue no powres,
alone is knowen a princely porte, by traine of seruitoures?
By seruice dew is well distinct, of state the right degrees:
as seruants serue in hoping harts, and crouch with humble knees.
Where are the men more courteous, then men of seruice free:
what men are more of comely corps, then Courtly seruants be?
Who knowes the course and trade of men, but seruants daily care?
who are more feate or trim traind vp, then manerd seruants are?
Who stronge or tall of personage, but men of seruants route?
who beares the cares & bront of wars, but seruants arms so stoute:
What then of more necessitie, then seruitours full trewe:
why then shall they haue ill rewards, in thend their states to rewe?
Lo here good sonne I haue declarde, some part of thy degre:
beware betimes, hereafter say, that I haue tolde it thee:
Then came this courtly Courtier, wherin his prayse redownes,
and gaue vnto this aged man, for helpe full twentie Crownes,
And saide till death in mindefull brest, this counsall will I graue,
and eke in time I hope by wit, thereof the fruites to haue,
I thanckes restord withe hartye loue, which tongue dooth faint to tell:
god thee preserue in happie dayes, O Father deare farewell:
Fare well (quoth he) with thousande thankes, & God thy iorney speede
which thus hast helpe my aged yeres, in times of greatest neede,
Thus sayd: that aged man full glad, with lingring steps on went.
and laith his corps in plesant shade, of Oken tree so bent:
wherefore he went to recreat, his limmes that weaknesse had,
And laying downe his bodie weake, he layde his Staffe him bye,
and leande his head on Elbow bare, and closde his sleeping eye.
Finis.
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