The Castell of Courtesie Whereunto is adioyned The Holde of Humilitie: With the Chariot of Chastitie thereunto annexed. Also a Dialogue betweene Age and Youth, and other matters herein conteined. By Iames Yates |
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A praise of friendshippe.
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 | The Castell of Courtesie |  |
A praise of friendshippe.
Of all the Iuels vnder heauen,firme friendshipe is the best:
Oh happie man, that findes the same,
yea twise and double blest.
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as Sages old doe tell:
But flattering friendes attend at hand
some profit out to smell.
And when for greedinesse of gain
his friend he doth forsake:
That friendship is not faithfull fixt,
but as the larking Snake
Lies hidden vp in leaues so greene,
to sting a man vnwares:
Euen so a fauning friend is found
to leaue a man in cares.
But faithfull friendship saith to him
thou dost declare thy kinde:
Thou shew'st thy nature and thy moode,
and eke thy truthles minde.
O faithfull friendship, high in hap
thou dost no time Dissemble:
Thou swaruest not in time of neede,
though foes coulde make thee tremble.
Thou standest like a steadie rocke,
though friend be link'd in chaines:
And if thou maist expulse his thralles
thou thinkst it happy paines.
And to redresse him of his greeues,
and libertie to get:
Such is thy faith and constancie
as charge no time can let.
Such is a faithfull friend indeede,
but for a friend by shewes:
He is a friend but flatteringly
as well his conscience knowes.
A faithfull friend is neuer tried
till [illeg.] be neare the brinke:
And that his friend is like to fall,
and if he then doe shrinke:
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of faithfull friend I say:
But counted as a fleeting friend
wherein there is no stay.
There are many kindes of frends god knows,
more then I can well name:
There are friends in words and not in deedes,
and friendes that faile with shame.
And friendes by former promise true
till stone is roulde on necke:
And then Godboy, they cannot stay,
but feede thee with a beeke.
Such is the friendship of this world:
O Lorde a faithfull friend.
Is rare to finde, and daintie sure
to haue vnto the end.
For faithfull friendes were neuer more
in scarcitie then now:
Nor neuer harder for to finde,
to God I make a vowe.
For I my selfe not long a goe,
by raunging wise did trie,
What seedes were sowne in friēdships groūd,
and where the chaste did lye.
And as the triall telles the trueth,
euen so I haue founde out:
To settle thinges within my thought,
which I tofore did doubt.
For why? that friend that laughes on thee
is not a friend in heart:
But outwardly he seemes thy friend
and inwardly thy smarte.
And suckes thee as the lurking Drone
which doth beguild the [illeg.]ee:
So he lyes lurking in his den
some spite to worke to thee.
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he laughes vpon thee so:
To bleare thy eies, as who should say
he cannot be thy foe.
But trust him not for his faire lookes,
ne for his glosing vaine:
But vtterly detest such mates,
as flatter, fleare, and faine.
The greatest hap that God doth send,
is faithfull friendes to haue:
Whose constant stay doth not decline,
till vitall breath depraue.
Alas some kinde of friendes I knowe,
when state impouerisht sore:
Doe scornefully looke of that hap,
and know? their friendes no more.
But faithfull friendship doth not vse
to fleete and fall away:
He saith I am a faithfull friend,
and so I meane to stay.
He doth not say it so in wordes,
but deedes approue it true:
A faithfull friend is faithfull still,
as we may dayly view.
Wherfore of faithfull friendship heere,
this little Epigram:
By vrgent cause did moue my minde,
and so it hether came.
And as of it in skillesse wise
I some thing here haue saide:
So of iust Dealing and Constancie,
shal somewhat be displaied.
As I doe hope no grudging minde
shall murmure at the same:
But if they doe, the faults not mine,
for those that haunt that game,
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they offer open wrong:
Well what of that, the time shall trie
their trustie truth ere long.
But this I say, who so doth finde
a friend that is a friend:
Then vse him so as thou maist haue
his friendship to the end.
| The Castell of Courtesie | |