The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne which ariued in the countrey of Grece, in the time of the noble Emperoure Vaspasian. And Translated out of Italian into Englishe meeter by John Drout |
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To the gentle Reader. VV. VV.
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 | The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne |  |
To the gentle Reader. VV. VV.
From fansies fonde, from fickle pates,from wandring wittes and wilde,
Proceeds suche vaine and foolish toyes
as follie hath compilde.
For why? the sound of horned Pan
that Faunus liftes on hye,
Is all the musike that they can,
no other notes they plye.
Of Phœbus some they fauor seeke,
some Pallas grace do craue:
And some the sacred Systers ayde
do seeke and sue to haue.
But this (our Drout) yet most in grace,
not seeking glorie vayne,
Of freendship for his countries sake
hath put him selfe to payne:
To make it knowne vnto this Lands
which Gospell doth professe,
What godly loue with them did stands
which could not God confesse.
Suche certaine shewes of frendship true
alas why should they dye?
Why should they not abrode be knowne
sith frendship dead dooth lye?
A shame it is for Christians, suche
In worde and tong, to babble much
and follow nothing lesse:
Therfore let Drout tell foorth his tale,
and let his storie passe,
Let Heathen make the Christian pale,
in whom true freendship was:
Let Momus freat, let Zoylus rayle,
the honest will be glad,
When they shall heere what honest truth
eche one to other had:
And wishe that we would do the like,
in worde and deede agree,
That of our faithfull frendly acts
some worke compilde might be:
To giue example vnto those
that knowledge oures do want,
To shunne the ill, the good to choose,
And faythfull frendship plant.
This is thy minde, O Drout I know,
this is good purpose thine,
Of frendship true to make a shewe
in this vnfrendly time.
Passe not therfore though Midas prate,
and Assishe iudgement giue,
For why? the yeres of Nestor thrice
thou and thy worke shall liue.
Finis.
quoth VV. VV.
| The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne | |