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University of Virginia Library

The Complete Works of George Gascoigne

In Two Volumes

Gascoigne, George (1542?-1577)

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I.

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COMMENDATORY VERSES

T. B. In prayse of Gasco[ig]nes Posies.

E. C. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies.

M. C. commending the correction of Gascoignes Posies.

R. S. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies.

T. Ch. In prayse of Gascoignes Posies.

G. W. In prayse of Gascoigne, and his Posies.

P. B. to such as have heretofore found fault with Gascoignes Posies.

A. W. In commendation of Gascoigne and his Posies.

I. B. In commendation of Gascoignes Posies.

I. D. In prayse of Gascoigne and his Posies.

The Printer in commendation of Gascoigne and his workes.

The opinion of the aucthor himself after all these commendations.

His ultimum vale to Amorous verse.

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The Anatomye of a Lover.

The arraig[n]ment of a Lover.

The passion of a Lover.

A straunge passion of a Lover.

The Divorce of a Lover.

The Lullabie of a Lover.

The lamentation of a lover.

[Thou with thy lookes on whom I loke full ofte]

[I cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once]

[What thing is that which swimmes in blisse]

[I grooped in thy pocket pretty peate]

[A lymone (but no Lemmane) Syr you found]

The lookes of a lover forsaken: written by a gentlewoman who passed by him with hir armes set bragging by hir sides, and lefte it unfinished as followeth.

[Howe long she lookt that lookt at me of late]

An other Sonet written by the same Gentlewoman, uppon the same occasion.

To the same gentlewoman because she challenged the Aucthour for holding downe his head alwaies, and for that hee looked not uppon hir in wonted manner.

The Recantacion of a Lover.

In prayse of Bridges, nowe Lady Sandes.

In prayse of Zouche late the Lady Greye of Wilton whome the auctor found in a homely house.

Gascoignes praise of his mistres.

Gascoignes good morrow.

Gascoygnes good night.

The introduction to the Psalme of De profundis.

Gascoignes De profundis.

Gascoignes Memories, written upon this occasion.

The nexte was at request of Antony Kinwelmarshe, who delivered him this theame, Satis sufficit, and thereupon he wrote as foloweth.

John Vaughan delivered him this theame. Magnum vectigal parcimonia, where uppon he wrote thus.

Alexander Nevile delivered him this theame, Sat cito, si sat bene, whereupon hee compiled these seven Sonets in seq[u]ence, therin bewraying his owne Nimis cito: and therwith his Vix bene, as foloweth.

Richarde Courtop (the last of the five) gave him this theame, Durum æneum & miserabile ævum, and thereupon hee wrote in this wise.

And thus an ende of these five Theames, admounting to the number of .CCLVIII. verses, devised ryding by the way, writing none of them untill he came at the ende of his Journey, the which was no longer than one day in ryding, one daye in tarying with his friend, and the thirde in returning to Greyes Inne: and therefore called Gascoignes memories.

An Epitaph upon Captaine Bourcher late slaine in the warres in Zelande, the which hath bene termed the tale of a stone as foloweth.

A devise of a Maske for the right honorable Viscount Mountacute

The refusal of a lover, writen to a gentlewoman who had refused him and chosen a husband (as he thought) much inferior to himselfe, both in knowledge, birth, and parsonage, wherin he bewraieth both their names in clowdes, and how she was won from him with swete gloves, and broken ringes.

Pride in Court written by a Gentlewoman in Court, who (when shee was there placed) seemed to disdaine him, contrarie to a former profession.

This question being propounded by a Dame unto the Aucthour, to witte, why he should write Spreta tamen vivunt, he aunswereth thus.

In trust is Treason, written by a Lover, leaning onelye to his Ladies promises, and finding them to fayle.

The constancie of a lover hath thus sometimes bene briefly declared.

The fruite of foes written to a Gentlewoman, who blamed him for writing his friendly advise in verse unto another lover of hyrs.

A Lover often warned, and once againe droven into fantasticall flames by the chase of company, doth thus bewayle his misfortunes.

The lover encouraged by former examples, determineth to make vertue of necessitie.

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The delectable history of sundry adventures passed by Dan Bartholmew of Bathe.

Dan Bartholmew his first Triumphe.

Dan Bartholmew his second Triumphe.

Dan Bartholmewes his third Triumphe.

Dan Bartholmewes Dolorous discourses.

The extremitie of his Passion.

[Lo thus (deere heart) I force my frantike Muse]

His libell of request exhibited to Care.

[What greater glory can a Keysar gaine]

His last wyll and Testament.

The Subscription and seale.

[Alas, lo now I heare the passing Bell]

The Reporters conclusion.

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The fruites of Warre,

Dulce bellum inexpertis.

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The Frute of reconciliation,

[This vaine availe which thou by Mars hast woonne]

[The feeble thred which Lachesis hath spoone]

He wrote to the same friend from Excester, this Sonet following.

He wrote to the same friend from Founteine belle eaü in Fraunce, this Sonnet in commendation of the said house of Fountaine bel'eaü.

He wrote unto a Skotish Dame whom he chose for his Mistresse in the French Court, as followeth.

A Sonet written in prayse of the browne beautie, compiled for the love of Mistresse E. P. as foloweth.

Now to begin with another man, take these verses written to be sent with a ryng, wherein were engraved a Partrich in a Merlines foote.

A loving Lady being wounded in the spring time, and now galded eftsones with the remembrance of the spring, doth therfore thus bewayle.

An absent Dame thus complayneth.

In prayse of a Countesse.

The Lover declareth his affection, togither with the cause thereof.

A Lady being both wronged by false suspect, and also wounded by the durance of hir husband, doth thus bewray hir grief.

The shield of Love. &c.

Councell to Duglasse Dive written upon this occasion. She had a booke wherein she had collected sundry good ditties of divers mens doings, in whiche booke she would needes entreate the aucthor to write some verses. And thereupon he wrote as followeth.

Councell given to master Bartholmew Withipoll a little before his latter journey to Geane. 1572.

Gascoignes woodmanship written to the L. Grey of Wilton upon this occasion

Gascoignes gardnings, whereof were written in one end of a close walke whiche he hath in his Garden, this discourse following.

In that other ende of his sayde close walke, were written these toyes in ryme.

In a chayre in the same Garden was written this followyng.

Upon a stone in the wall of his Garden he had written the yeare wherein he did the coste of these devises, and therewithall this posie in Latine.

Gascoignes voyage into Hollande. An. 1572. written to the right honourable the Lorde Grey of Wilton.

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The fruite of Fetters: with the complaint of the greene Knight, and his Farewell to Fansie.

The complaint of the greene Knight.

The continuance of the Author, upon the fruite of Fetters.

The greene Knights farewell to Fansie.

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The pleasant Fable of Ferdinando Jeron[i]mi and Leonora de Valasco, translated out of the Italian riding tales of Bartello.

[Faire Bersabe the bright once bathing in a Well]

[Of thee deare Dame, three lessons would I learne]

[Love, hope, and death, do stirre in me such strife]

[In prime of lustie yeares, when Cupid caught mee in]

[A cloud of care hath covred all my coste]

[Dame Cinthia her selfe (that shines so bright]

[That selfe same day, and of that day that hower]

[Beautie shut up thy shop, and trusse up all thy trash]

[The stately Dames of Rome, their Pearles did weare]

[What state to man, so sweete and pleasaunt weare]

[I could not though I would: good Ladie saie not so]

[With hir in armes that had my hart in holde]

[And if I did what then?]

In praise of a gentlewoman who though she were not verye fayre, yet was she as harde favoured as might be.

The praise of Phillip Sparrowe.

[Thy byrth, thy beautie, nor thy brave attyre]

The doale of disdaine written by a lover disdainfully rejected contrary to former promise.

Mars in despite of Vulcane written for an absent lover (parted from his Lady by Sea.)

Patience perforce, wherein an absent lover doth thus encourage his Lady to continew constant.

A letter devised for a yong lover.

Davids salutacions to Berzabe wherein are three sonets in sequence, written uppon this occation.

Soone acquainted, soone forgotten, As appeareth here by an uncourteous farewell to an inconstant Dame.

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II.

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The complaynt of Phylomene.

The fable of Philomela.

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The grief of joye.

1.

The greeves or discommodities of lustie yowth.

2.

The vanities of Bewtie.

3.

The faults of force and strength.

4.

The vanities of Activityes.

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COMMENDATORY VERSES

GEORGE GASCOIGNE Squire in commendation of this booke.

George Gascoigne, in the commendation of the noble Arte of Venerie.

George Gascoigne To the reader of this Booke.

A PROPHETICAL SONET of the same George Gascoine, upon the commendable travaile which Sir Humfrey Gilbert hath disclosed in this worke.

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The nexte was at request of Antony Kinwelmarshe, who delivered him this theame, Satis sufficit, and thereupon he wrote as foloweth.

The vaine excesse of flattering fortunes giftes,
Envenometh the minde with vanitye,
And beates the restelesse braine with endlesse driftes,
To staye the staffe of worldly dignitie:
The begger standes in like extremitie.
Wherfore to lacke the moste, and leave the least,
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

By too too much Dan Crœsus caught his death,
And bought with bloud the price of glittering gold,
By too too litle many one lackes breath
And sterves in stretes a mirroure to beholde:
So pride for heate, and povertye pynes for colde.
Wherefore to lacke the most, and leave the least
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

Store makes no sore: loe this seemes contrarye,
And mo the merier is a Proverbe eke,
But store of sores maye make a maladye,
And one to many maketh some to seeke,
When two be mette that bankette with a leeke:
Wherfore to lacke the most and leave the least,
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

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The rych man surfetteth by glottony,
Which feedeth still, and never standes content,
The poore agayne he pines for penurye,
Which lives with lacke when all and more is spente:
So to much and to little bothe bee shente.
Wherefore to lacke the moste, and leave the least,
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

The conquerour with uncontented swaye,
Doth rayse up rebelles by his avarice,
The recreaunt dothe yeeld himselfe a praye,
To forraine spoyle by slouth and cowardyce:
So too much and to little both be vyce.
Wherefore to lacke the most, and leave the least,
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

If so thy wife be too too fayre of face:
It drawes one gest too many to thine inne:
If she be fowle, and foyled with disgrace,
In other pillowes prickst thou many a pinne:
So fowle [prove] fooles, and fayrer fall to sinne.
Wherfore to lacke the moste, and leave the least
I coumpt enough as good as any feast.

And of enough, enough, and nowe no more,
Bycause my braynes no better can devise,
When thinges be badde, a small summe maketh store,
So of suche verse a fewe maye soone suffice:
Yet still to this my weary penne replyes.
That I sayde last, and though you like it least,
It is enough and as good as a feast.

Sic tuli.