Linsi-woolsie :: :: University of Virginia Library

March forward, Muse, thy Patronesse is great,
And if she proue as good, I feare no ill.
But spac'ous fields h'as Tares as well as wheat,
Besides the Dolphin, Sea h'as Crocodill.
If one Mecæne yet, vnder Heavens Cope
Thou find'st; th'art not a quite forlorne hope.

Epig. 2. On Tricongius, who was made Consull by Tyberius Cæsar, only for his Drinking.

If that our Bibbers now adaies, should haue
As large a Guerdon, as thou had'st of yore;
I thinke we should, of every Tankard slaue,
Great Magistrats, then privat men, haue more.

Epig. 3. On conscionable Surdaster.

Thou se'st, that all thy hearing thou hast lost,
That's true; withall, I thinke, thy feeling too;

How then can'st liue? for this maintaineth most
Within vs life, as often read we doe;
And yet thou liu'st tho quite without remorse,
So, many doe, to sin that nothing force,

Epig. 4. On Lollus loftie Tombe.

VVhhat made the build thy statue eu'n so hie?
Whereas thy stature low on ground did lie?
This was to grace a stupid, liuelesse stone
More then thy selfe; t' was well, for thou had'st none.

Epig. 5. On Cherillus the Poet.

Pan is not dead, since Pas began to sing.
Who all excels in consorts iarring string.

Epig. 6 To his loving, and beloued Cosen, M. I. Pralph Cler. of the Sager, a Hill scituated in parish. apud Heref.

Moses, before the heavenly Canan saw,
Did first ascend the top of Nebo's Mount;
Wherefrom he might a viue description draw
Of Earthly Canan, the first's Type in compte.

So maist thou climbe to Sagers loftie Hill,
And Canan vew as t'were, a pleasant plaine;
To meditate of heav'nly Canan t'will
Thee instigate assured, as I faine.
Vse to ascend this hill most pleasant, hie:
So, Heaven on earth thou mai'st see, yer thou die.

Vid. Deut.

Epig. 7. Nusquam tuta fides.

To Firmus, the Camelion.

I wonder, Firmus, why thy faith is fraile
To some? whose name approues a constancie;
Tis certs, because they be not head, and taile
Thine; both in falsehood, as in veritie.

Epig. 8. To the Holy Well, on Maw verne Hill.

We often read that Myracles haue ceast,
Which otherwise seemes by thy golden fame,
(Blaz'd farre and wide: almost to East and West)
Which curest all, the vlc'rous, blind, and lame.
These myracles, God grant, they be not Mould
In the Popes forge; as Counterfeits of old.

Epig. 9. To M. Heaven of Heaven, in the Countie of Heref.

Thou happie seem'st, two Heavens which possest,
Thy dwelling one, the other is thy name;
Striue to enioy, (and sure thou shalt be blest)
The third, which was that Saints, of greatest fame.

2. Cor. 12 4.

Epig. 10. Decimæ Minutæ.

To the Ministers of Gods word.

This phrase you vse for your small Tithes by rate.
And for your greater too, you may vse that.

Epig. 11 On Cressa's feminine flaterie.

Perfidious wretch, what made thee cracke thy faith?
Which once thou vow'st for to obserue and keepe:
But that is true, which the old Proverbe saith,
Beware a woman when she gin's to weepe.

Epig. 12. On Bariesus, the Magician, and his Sectaries

Thy hatefull name agrees with thy black art;
Who vr's it, barr's quite Iesus from his hart.

Act. 13 6.

Epig. 13. On the whore in Graine, Helen of Greece.

One staine, we read, did staine thy sunnie face;
But thy stain'd life, thy corps did more disgrace.
This one spot did not more, thy sweet face marre,
Then thy lust Ilion did; in Troian warre.
Thinke not therefore it shame to haue a staine:
But count it shame, to be a whore in Graine.

Epig. 14. To his lo. fr. M. VV. Galloway, an Irish Gent. a student at Grayes Inne, of his fortunate escape of shipwracke at Gorwer sland.

The drowning waters, and the burning fire,
Are elements, sans mercy, as we say;
Whose formers foming rage, thou did'st admire,
When shipwrack thou sustaind'st in Sillies Bay:
Yet mercifull was Neptunes God to thee,
Which Selde is cruell to Scholaritie.

pro Rossillie.

Epig. 15. Blind affections picture.

To Dunce the Pesaunt.

VVhat mak's thee, Dance, Dick Trūcus to cōmend?
Of no Deserts a Boore, a Corridon;

Thou sai'st, because he is thy worships friend,
And, whome, the current of thy loue runnes on.
But wherefore do'st, Nick Laudus, so dispraise?
A Gentleman of fashion, and of sort.
Forsooth, thou sai'st, thou can'st not brooke his waie,
His comely carriage, or his seemely port.
See then affection, whether good, or ill:
Laud's, or defames according to his will.

Epig. 16. The Epitaph of Sir William Harbert of Swansey.

To his right Ho: brother, Sir Io: Herbart second Secretarie of state.

If home-bred knowledge, or yet foreigne skill,
If sundry tongues, or Phisickes Princely art,
If noble cariage, eloquence at will,
Could thee haue kept from Deaths pale-Ebone dart,
Thou yet hadst liu'd, a glory to thy name,
The Poore-mans prop, and eke thy countries fame.

Epig. 17. To our wise Brittish Barde, Mr W: Matthew, Esquire; for wit, and iudgement excellent.

I wote not which thy outward sense, thy eare,
Or inward els, thy braine, doth most excell;

For, as we say, the former is the chaire
Of iudgement, th' other is inventions cell.
Thy braine, doth thine owne litterature invent,
Thy eare, on others labours, doth comment.
Which most excell's, I cannot well impart.
But leaue it thee, the fit'st for Logick's Art.

Epig. 18. To his lo: Cosin H. Price, of Neptunes Purgation.

If thou art sicke, and wouldst a vomit take;
If thou art well, and willing wouldst be sicke.
The sea for both will thee a med'cine make,
Killing the whole, the dead reviving 'quicke.
This brackish purge excels farre Hellobore,
For nought, besides perbraking, pai'st therefore.

Epig. 19. The Papists, and Anabaptists Symphathized.

Through imitation, the Anabaptist's say
Their sinnes proceede, from their forefathers old:
The Papists eke their sinfull sect obey:
Because their Sires were hatcht in the same fold.

Epig. 20. To his old friend and Schoolefellow, Mr D. Ien-Ienkins, a worthy Barrister in the Lawes.

Our famous Ploydon we as yet Embrace,
Since thou dost liue to plead graue Ploydons case

Epig. 21. Patience is a Vertue.

To his lo: Cosin, and deere alismar, Hop: Thomas.

Patience endures the Brunt of all assaults.
For frowning fortune can it nought displease;
Nor, can it grieue base feigned friendships faults,
Nor yet, being wrong'd, from constancie will cease,
Therefore, a peerelesse vertue, patience is,
Whereto nothing, at no time, comes amisse.

Epig. 22. Of the wonder, in Herefordshire; being a Peece of ground, that mov'd of it selfe.

Philosophers, for truth doe testifie,
Our Mother earth immovable to be;
But thy selfe motion strange Philosophie,

These Sages wise, proues liers, as we see.
If this thy motion had continu'd ay,
Our Aristotle we might iust gainesay.

Est Aristotelu.

Epig. 23. To his lo: and constant friend Mr Moore

Altho thy name might thee vnconstant proue;
The contrary we finde in thy firme loue.

Fortune.

Epig. 24. An Adonicke.

On Mysa and Mopsa, two Honest Scoulds.

Yow both togither
Iarring asunder:
Farre should be rather
Birds of one feather.
Since your pure living,
Ioin'd in one trading:
Never omitting
Your Mates defaming.

Epig. 25. Semel insanivimus omnes.

To his Cosin, Mr I.P.

The proverbe se's, that all the best of any
Hath once bin mad; that once is certs too many;
But, after once, we come to perfect wit,
Worth small dispraise, I deeme that franticke fit.

Epig. 26. To the best Indenture drawer, Titubus, the nightwalker of fleet streete.

VVhat mak's thee walke, so late against the law?
Kinde Mr Chach, I do Indentures Draw:
Indentures draw, in the darke, gloomy night?
Whose Manuscript requires a brighter light.
You are mistake, we seld vse light, or hand:
We write e're Best, when scarse we see, or stand.

Epig. 27. To the ever living, and never dying memory of the most Reverend father in God, Io: Whitgift, late Archb: of Canterburie.

Right reverend prelate of our Church divine,
Strong, sollid piller of Gods holy Arke,
Bright Beacon, which in continence didst shine,
Sole, chiefest Scholars comfortable Marke.
Thy name, Whitgift, for nought was sure not hight:
For both in life, and lore thy Gifts were Whit.

Epig. 28. On the most ho: and worthy lo: Lord Viscount de Lisles Posie.

Quò me fata vocant.

Thy splendent Posie, well agrees with thee,
Renowned Lord, bright Sydney's shining Lampes
For where so e're th'art call'd by Destenie,
Thou ready art, for Court, or els for Campe.
In one, or both thy praise doth most surpasse;
Such ever, Sydneys Trophies noble, was.

Epig. 29. To the Malevolent, and Taxing Censurer, of his Epigrammes.

If thou of glory vaine wilt me accuse,
These worthlesse lines in promulgating out;
Belieue it then, I will not, Mome, refuse
The lie to giue thee, if a Souldiour stout.
Twas friends, not fame that these made publike thē:
In Lethe's lake, els drench't had bin my pen.

Epig. 30. To his friend the Printer of his booke.

Some volumes bring in folio to thy presse,
In quarto some, according to their lore;

'Mongst all the learned, I which am the lesse,
One in octavo bring thee, all my store.
I'le it not fould in sexto decimo,
Least, as the Tome, his count, as little, grow.
Respect the paper, though a pen worth small;
Twill sixe for one cert's yeeld thee at thy stall.

Epig. 31. On the Authors vneven period of his forlorne Hope.

Thy hopelesse name, stiles thee with no good hap,
Thy Numbers odd's approues thee happy yet:
For ioy therefore thy Plaudities forth clap;
Thy one and thirty, right the Game has hit.

Disce, aut Discede.

FINIS.