University of Virginia Library

POEMS ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR.

SONET.

If high desyre the preass to win that crowne
that wearing tyme shall never wast awaye,
(frend fouler) Lay thy songis of Love adowne
wheron thy Lute to Liberall was to playe:
for thow maist on a stronger piller staye
the giftis wherwith the heavens have thee instorde,
if thou the learned Thuskan wolde assaye,
and in thy tyme his Triumphes doe record
of Loue, of Chastetie by Death devord,
of Fame, of tyme; if so thow list to sing,
thess verses shall to thee such fame afford
that in remembrance newe thy name shall bring,
when men shall see þat all thing els decayes
except Iehouas high eternall prayes.

[The princlie pallace braue, the glorius gouldin halls.]

The princlie pallace braue, the glorius gouldin halls,
the curius costlie caruit vark, the new deuyce of walls,
surpassinge sarueice [?] alls of dentie d[i]shis thair,
with euerie kynd of costlie Caics and rich desert so rair;
but more a nobil lord whois verteus doth surpas,
whois glorius deids doth steane the rest as costlie ston the glas,
whois perfyt prais to paint my pen haith no such skil,
his verteu and his valour both wil sound his prasis stil;
a verteus ladie rair, a mirrour to the rest,
for beutie and behauiour she is the onlie best—
theis al ar to be found, my fouller, whair thow art.
ȝit hier the counsal of thy freind who louis the with his hart:
hipocrates doth tech, and galen doth prescryue,
the onlie medcin for to keip and to presarue alyue
is skerss by dyet wsd on homlie cheir to fead:
cum to my houss, such stow ȝair is skerss stands in plenteis stead.

ANE ANSWER

To his vnknowin freind, whom he wisheth with all his hart to knowe.

Although that Vertue soverane, and Love bene most conding
For to have praise, and gaine renown aboue all earthlie thing,
Wherethrough is gott, as men deserve, of right eternall name,
That tract of tyme can not destroy, or blot away the same.
My freind of laitt, unknowin ȝit, I hold me close a whyill,
If oght I can, whill tyme may serve to vtter furth my styill,
My scribling and vnskilfull pen hath brought now to ane end
The worke which I vnto ȝour fyill most glaidlie wold commend.
Sen that ȝe vrge, and vthers so no longer to delay,
If that my Muse will grant me ayd, I shall do as I may.
I haue not drunkt of Helicon, nor hant Parnassus hill,
for to professs in Poësie that I have art, or skill,
Bot as now this, now that did move, and fancie tuik delytt,
When tyme wes sparde from gryter cares I vsde sum thing to wryt,
And not so much in to this sort, where vulgar toung is hard,
As in the Latin most to frame I had alway regard,
I thank ȝow for ȝour courtesie till I may know, or sie
My loving freind, which lovinglie hath wrytt thus vnto me.

A coniecture of this his vnknowin freind takin out of his awin wordes.

As everie man doth vse the termes belonging to his art,
My freind I think a Fowlar bene, a Poët most expert,
with falcone flight acquentit well, such thing his words doth say,
And for his skill he worthie is to weare the laurell bay.

Ther is a Certaine Fowler, as I vnderstand

Ther is a Certaine Fowler, as I vnderstand,
a Fowler of Woodcocks, borne in Scotland,
Whoe envyinge the Noble Sports of Sir Tristram,
and of all the Noble hounters of Waltham,
esteeminge the lyninge of a mooddie doock
before the poursute of a Statlie boock,
hath written an epitath in greate Scorne
both in disgrace of the Hound and the Horne.
It is true that hes giftes are exceedinge Rare;
with whome I will not presewme to Compare:
for there is not any Sorte or kinde of wine
but Mast William can Speake the Launguage of the Vine.
He Carowseth Stoutlie of the best Renish
either in the Almane tongue or in the flemish;
for the Wine of Courte of aniee and Maine,
for wine of Canbrie and Sack of Spaine,
for the Sweet wine of greece or of Fronnteinock,
for gasconie wine or white wine of Courte,
though he Speake not all theis language so well,
as he loues the Lecor as I here tell,
yet for soe much as to liquor doth belonge
he can answere them all in theire owne tongue.
Now his other Vertues are so exceedinge
as thay cannot be exprest by a man of my breedinge:
for such a Cosmogarpher I did neuer know
betwene Charinge Crosse and Stratforde bowe,
where there is not one Taverne ould or Newe
but Mast William thereof hath taken a viwe.
oh, what a Secrytarie he were at a neede,
whoe Neuer vseth Candle of weeke or of reede!
for he putteth the hard wax no sooner to his Nose
then by vertue thereof the hard wax flowes,
but Seeinge the Hote fumes of his fierie Face
Sarue for a Stone where he Comes in place.
And that he may no longer a Secretorie be
to any Princes or bewtifull Ladie,
because he Sonn bournes their fases as faste
as Phebus firie beames vpon them Cast,
I wishe that his head were giuen in Charitie
to some honest man decaed and in powertie:
for let him in his next epitath Cale me a lier
if it Sarue not insteed of a seacole fier.
Now this is enough for a dead mans dittie;
I will goe no fourther even for pure pittie.