University of Virginia Library

This Haruest tyme, I Haruestlesse,
and seruicelesse also:
And subiect unto sicknesse, that
abrode I could not go.
Had leasure good, (though learning lackt)
some study to apply:
To reade such Bookes, wherby I thought
my selfe to edyfye.
Somtime the Scriptures I perusd,
but wantyng a Deuine:
For to resolue mee in such doubts,
as past this head of mine
To understand: I layd them by,
and Histories gan read:
Wherin I found that follyes earst,
in people did exceede.
The which I see doth not decrease,
in this our present time
More pittie it is we folow them,
in euery wicked crime.
I straight waxt wery of those Bookes,
and many other more
As VIRGILL, OVID, MANTVAN,
which many wonders {bore}.
And to refresh my mased {mu}se,
and cheare my brused brayne:
And for to trye if that my limmes.
had got their strength agayne
I walked out: but sodenly
a friend of mine mee met:
And sayd, yf you regard your health?
out of this Lane you get.
And shift you to some better aire,
for feare to be iniect:
With noysome smell, and sauours yll,
I wysh on that respect.
And haue regard unto your health,
or els perhaps you may:
So make a dye, and then adieu,
your wofull friends may say.
I thankt him for his carefulnes,
and this for answer gaue:
I'le neither shun, nor seeke for death,
yet oft the same I craue.
By reason of my lucklesse lyfe,
beleeue mee this is true:
In that (sayd he) you doo a misse,
than bad he mee adieu.
For he was hastyng out of Towne,
and could no lenger byde:
And I went home, all sole alone,
good Fortune was my guyde.
And though she neuer hath denyde,
to hoyce me on her Wheele:
Yet now she stood me in some steede.
and made mee pleasures feele.
For she to Plat his Plot mee brought,
where fragrant Flowers abound:
The smell whereof preuents ech harme,
if yet your selfe be sound.
Amongst those Beds so brauely deckt,
with euery goodly Flower:
And Bankes and Borders finely framde,
I mee reposde one howre.
And longer wolde, but leasure lackt,
and businesse bad mee hye:
And come agayne some other time,
to fill my gasing eye.
Though loth: yet at the last I went,
but ere I parted thence:
A slip I tooke to smell vnto,
which might be my defence.
In stynking streetes, or lothsome Lanes
which els might mee infect:
And sence that time, I ech day once
haue viewd that braue prospect.
And though the Master of the same,
I yet dyd neuer see:
It seemes he is a Gentylman,
and full of courteleye:
For none that with good zeale doth come,
doe any one resist:
And such as wyll with order get,
may gather whilst they {lis}t.
Then pyttie were it to destroy,
what be with payne did plant.
The moderate heere may be suffizde,
and he no whit shall want.
And for my part, I may be bolde,
to come when as I wyll:
Yea, and to chuse of all his Flowers,
which may my fancy fill.
And now I haue a Nosegay got,
that would be passing rare:
If that to sort the same aright,
weare lotted to my share.
But in a bundle as they bee,
(good Reader them accept:
It is the geuer: not the guift,
thou oughtest to respect,
And for thy health, not for thy eye,
did I this Posye frame:
Because my selfe dyd safety finde,
by smelling to the same.
But as we are not all a lyke,
nor of complexion one:
So that which helpeth some we see,
to others good doth none.
I doo not say, it dyd mee help,
I no infection felt:
But sure I think they kept mee free,
because to them I smelt.
And for because I lyke them well,
and good haue found therby:
I for good wyll, doo geue them thee,
fyrst tast and after trye.
But yf thy mind infected be,
then these wyll not preuayle:
Sir Medicus with stronger Earbes,
thy maliadye must quayle.
For these be but to keepe thee sound,
which if thou use them well:
(Paynes of my lyfe) in healthy state
thy mind shall euer dwell.
Or if that thy complexion,
with them doo not agree:
Refer them to some friend of thine,
tyll thou their vertue see.
And this I pray thee, whether thou
infected wast afore:
Or whether with thy nature strong,
they can agree no more.
That thou my Nosegay not misuse,
but leaue it to the rest:
A number may such pleasure finde,
to beare it in their brest.
And if thy selfe wolde gather more,
then I haue herein bound:
My counsell is that thou repayre,
to Master Plat his ground.
And gather there what I dyd not,
perhaps thy selfe may light:
On those which for thee fitter are,
then them which I resighte.
Which if thou doo, then render thanks,
to him which sowed the soyle:
If not, thou nedes must him commend,
when as thou viewst his toyle.
In any wise, be chary that
thou lettest in no Swine:
No Dog to scrape, nor beast that doth
to rauin styll inclyne.
For though he make no spare of them,
to such as haue good skyll:
To slip, to shere, or get in time,
and not his braunches kyll:
Yet barres he out, such greedy guts,
as come with spite to toote:
And without skill, both Earb & Flower
pluck rashly by the roote.
So wishing thee, to finde such Flowers,
as may thee comfort bring:
And eke that he which framd the Plot,
with verturs styll may spring.
I thee commend to mighty IOVE,
and thus I thee assure:
My Nosegay wyll increase no payne,
though sicknes none it cure.
Wherfore, if thou it hap to weare
and feele thy selfe much worse:
Promote mee for no Sorceresse,
nor doo mee ban or curse.
For this I say the Flowers are good,
which I on thee bestow:
As those which weare them to the stalkes,
shall by the sequell know.

One word, and then, adieu to thee,
yf thou to Plat his Plot
Repayre: take heede it is a Maze
to warne thee I forgot.