University of Virginia Library

My humble Muse, desires likewise to kisse your sacred hands.

Faire, Bright, Illustrious Day-starre of our times!
Cast a faire aspect on my short breath'd Rymes:
If these to kisse your hands, are found vnmeet,
I throw my selfe downe at your Royall seete.

To my deare Friend and Fellow-Planter, Master Robert Hayman, who with Pen and Person prepares more roome for Christians in the Newfound-World.

VVhilst worldlings most build Castles in the Aire,
Nibbling on baytes, like Orpheus and Sems heire:
You spend your time both with your Muse and hand,
To edifie our hopefull Newfound-Land.
To tame the rude, doth argue a braue spirit:
But to saue soules, are workes of greatest merit.
To plant and fish, from sloth you those perswade:
From errors these, to a more heauenly trade.
Thus whil'st but dorsse some raking slaues ingrose,
You digge new grounds, and roote vp Trees and Mosse.
You shew the meanes to cut off suites and strife,
Meanes for good men, to leade a pleasant life.
You search the Seas, and anchour with strong cables:
Which deeds you build on faith, as those on Babels.
Thus he who borrowed twice sweet Orpheus name,
Poore Cambriols Lord, addes to your rising fame.

To the Facetious Epigrammatist, my louing Kinsman, Mr. Robert Hayman, who composed these quaint Quodlibets at Harbor-grace, in Newfound-Land.

Your modest lines begot in Harbor-Grace,
Doe grace that Harbor in old Newfound-Land,
Your witty lines the Muses doe imbrace.
Pernassus Nymphes admiring, mutely stand,
Seeing such sweet flowers from that barren soyle,
As your neat Quodlibets which there did spring,
To Omens Genius you haue giuen the foyle.
By your sweet Epigrams, you there did sing.
I would you had the grace with our great King,
To doe there your desires: A greater thing.

To the Louers of the Muses, vpon these Quodlibets.

VVhy doe so many fondly dote vpon
Parnassus Tempe, and that Helicon
Renowned by the Greeks? why praise they so
The Muses haunting Tiber, Thame, and Po;
As if no other Hill, or Groue, or Spring,
Should yeeld such Raptures, as these forth did bring?
Behold, e'en from these vncouth shores, among
Vnpeopled woods, and hills, these straines were sung:
And most of theirs they seeme to parallel,
Who boast to drinke of Aganippe's well.
Despaire not therefore, you that loue the Muses,
If any Tyrant, you, or yours abuses:
For these will follow you, and make you mirth,
Eu'n at the furthest Angles of the Earth,
And those contentments which at home yee leese,
They shall restore you among Beasts and Trees.

An Acrostick-Sonnet. To his learned and welbeloued friend, Mr.

Harm I bare not.

Vpon this Anagram of my name, and the deuice of the West-Indian Guane.

If some should meete this Beast vpon the way,
Would not their hearts-blood thrill for great affray?
Yet the West-Indian that best knowes his nature,
Says, there is not any more harmelesse Creature.
So though my lines haue much deformity,
Their end mine Anagram shall verifie.

THE FIRST BOOKE OF QVODLIBETS, DONE AND COMPOSED BY THE AVTHOR himselfe.

1. Of mine owne Quodlibets.

Though my best lines no dainty things affords,
My worst haue in them some thing else then words.

2. To my Readers.

I kept these closely by me some few yeeres,
Restrained by my knowledge, and my feares:
I feare they are too shallow for the Schooles,
I know they are too deepe for shallow fooles,
Yet there are many of a middle breeding
May thinke them good: nay richly worth the reading.

3. To the perpetuall renowne of our learned King Iames, King of Great Britaine, &c. of famous memorie.

Wales, England, Scotland long did disagree,
Yet like a threefold cord accord in Thee,
Such a cord hardly breakes, being wisely twist:
These three combind, may the whole world resist.

4. Old Lelius to his wise friend Scipio.

Let vs sit downe and by the fiers light,
Let our discourse be without saucy spight,
Wee'll tell old tooth-lesse tales, which cannot bite,
Whilst yong Fooles to talke Treason take delight.

5. Why God giues some Fooles riches, and some wise men none. To a discreet friend.

Why fretst thou so, and art so sullen growne?
Thy neighbour Foole gets wealth, and thou getst none.
Wise, mercifull, and iust is God in it:
For he hath giuen him riches, and thee wit.
Alas poore Foole, if that he had no wealth,
He hath not wit to comfort his sad selfe.

6. An old Apothecary made a new Doctor.

Hee kill'd by others warrant formerly,
Hee kils now by his owne authority.

7. God doth all in all.

It's held, The Stars gouerne the works of Men:
It's likewise held, Wisemen may gouerne them:
I hold, God ouer-rules Wise, Wayes, and Stars:
It's He that humbleth, and its He preferres.

8. A worldly Man will haue it by hooke or by crooke.

If wealth I cannot catch with Uertues hooke,
I'le haule it to me, by my crafty Crooke.

9. Thrifty Charity, to a namelesse Friend.

On this Text thou dost seaze, with griping hold,
Who giues the Poore, he shall receiue fourefold.
This Text thou dost some pretty roome afford,
Who giues the Poore, doth lend vnto the Lord:
But this hard Text doth goe against thy graine,
Giue cheerefully, looking for nought againe.

10. Borrowing on Time, is worse then Bird-lime.

As Fowlers vse to take their Fowle with Lime:
So Usurers take borrowing Fooles with Time.
Great danger 'tis, for Birds, Bird-lime to touch.
Not to keepe Touch with Vsurers it's as much.

11. To a kinde Foole.

Oft into Bonds for others thou hast runne,
But by those Bonds, thy selfe thou hast vndone.
No luggler euer show'd vs such a cast,
To be vndone by being bound so fast.
So Drunkards doe with a like Iugling tricke,
By gulping others healths, themselues make sicke.

12. Trauelling in England.

The trauelling fashion of our Nation,
To pay without examination:
What our hard-rented Oasts may get thereby,
Is Noble, Loose, Braue, Prodigality.

13. A perswasion to Humilitie.

As when the Moone after the Sunne doth goe,
She daily doth, fairer, and fuller growe;
But when that She doth goe before the Sunne,
Her light growes lesse, and lesse, till she haue none:
So whilst wee follow God in humble feare,
His Grace in vs, will beauteously appeare:
But if we goe before God in presumption,
His Grace in vs will soone haue a consumption.

14. Why there are so few Hospitals built.

Irus hath Will, but wants good Meanes to doe it.
Crœsus hath Meanes, but wants a Will vnto it.

15. Lawyers profitable pastime.

Lawyers doe call Plaintifes Defence, their Plea:
It rather might be called Lawyers Play.

16. The Polycie of the Whore of Babylon.

As common Queanes haue seuerall quaint deuices,
To hooke all kind of men, by their intices:
So the spirituall Whore of Babylon
Hath seuerall ginnes to intrap euery one:
For Villaines, Wantons, easie Indulgences:
For Zealous, Wise, Angelicall pretences;
For High-mindes, Spenders, honor she dispences;
For Women, Fooles, fine shewes to please their sences.

17 To Bald-pate.

Though I want yeeres, yet hoare I am through cares:
But Whores haue made thy head white, without haires.

18. Worse then naught.

Thou art not worthy of a Satyres quill:
An Epigram's too short to shew thine ill.

19. Two filthy fashions.

Of all fond fashions, that were worne by Men,
These two (I hope) will ne'r be worne againe:
Great Codpist Doublets, and great Codpist britch,
At seuerall times worne both by meane and rich:
These two had beene, had they beene worne together,
Like two Fooles, pointing, mocking each the other.

20. Fooles are more masters of thier wiues then wise men. Scarce a Paradoxe.

Wise men for shame mildly away will goe,
Fooles will stand stifly to't and haue it so:
Wise men for quietnesse will sometimes yeeld.
Though Fooles be beaten, they'll not quit the field.

22. To a Pardon-Bayer.

The Pope giues thee a sweeping Indulgence,
But thou must giue him good store of thy pence:

Euery Lord Maior of London doth yeerly giue a guilded spoon to most of his Company, & at a solemne Feast, each guest giues him 4. or 5. l. or more towards his charge.

So my Lord Mayor giues spoones all guilded o're,
Receiues for each foure or fiue pounds therefore.

22. Worse then a Whore.

Our common Whores turne Roman Catholicks,
By that meanes they get Pardons for tricks:
These wandring Stats of common occupation,
Are rightly sphear'd in this large Constellation:
I enuy not that Church, that vs so spites,
For fingring such notorious Procelites.

23. Why Kings speake in the Plurall.

Princes speake in the plurall Vs, and Wee:
It is their charge, from wrongs to keepe Us free,
And We are wronged when They wronged bee:
Thus Plurals with their Plurall charge agree.

24. The effects of Gods Word.

Gods Word, to Sheepe is grasse; to Swine, hard stones;
Vnto Beleeuers, Flesh; to others, Bones.

25. A Scottish Honest Man. A Londoners Good Man.

An Honest man, as Scot'shmen vnderstand,
Is one, that mickle gudes hath, at command.
A Good man, in the Londoners account,
Is one, whose wealth to some Summe doth amount.
Lord, make me Honest, Good by thy instruction:
Then Good and Honest after their construction.

26. How and whereof to iest.

Iest fairely, freely; but exempt from it,
Mens misery, State businesse, Holy writ.

27. The Worlds Whirlegigge.

Plenty breeds Pride; Pride, Enuy, Enuy, Warre,
Warre, Pouerty, Pouerty humble Care.
Humility breeds Peace, and Peace breeds Plenty;
Thus round this World doth rowle alternatly.

28. On a Good fellow Papist, who makes no bones to eate Flesh on Fasting dayes.

Tho holdst, thou saist, the old Religion,
Yet I know, the new Dyet best likes thee.
That which thou call'st the new opinion,
I hold, yet the old Dyet best likes mee.

29. Popories Pedigree.

Papistry is an old Religion,
Some part more old then Circumcision,
And some as ancient as are Moses Lawes,
From whose Lees she some Ceremonies drawes,
Which she will hold, by old tradition.
It is indeed a new hodg-podgerie,
Of Iewish rites, elder Idolatry:
Of these old simples a new composition.

30. The Married, to the Chaste.

It would this World quickly depopulate,
If euery one should dye in your estate.

31. The Chaste, to the Married.

Therein you haue the odds, herein wee'r euen:
You fill the world, but we doe people heauen.

32. A Description of a Puritane, out of this part of the Letany, From Blindnesse of Heart, Pride, Vaine glory, &c.

33. Loue is betwixt Equals.

Rich friends for rich friends, will ride, runne and row,
Through dirt and dangers, cheerefully they'll goe:
If poore friends come home to them, for a pleasure,
They cannot find the Gentleman at leisure.

34. The difference betwixt good men and bad, is best seene after death.

Good men like waxe-lights blow'n out, sauour well:
Bad men like tallow, leaue a stinking smell.
Bad mens Fame may flame more while they haue breath,
But Good mens Name, smell sweeter after death.

35. To Sir Peirce Penny-lesse.

He walks, out his dinner in Pauls, and his supper in the Exchāge.

Though little coyne thy purse-lesse pocket lyne,
Yet with great company thou art ta'en vp,
For often with Duke Humfrey thou dost dyne,
And often with Sir Thomas Gresham sup.

36 The reward of Charity. To a rich Friend.

Would'st thou be pittied after thou art dead?
Be pittifull whil'st thou thy life dost lead:
If whilst thou liu'st, the poore thou dost releeue,
Fearing the like supply for thee they'll greeue:
If now thou giu'st them nought, when thou art gone,
They will be glad, hoping for a new gowne.
What haue Foolish men to doe with Princes Secrets?

37. Thought vpon, on the preparation of a great Fleet, and may serue for all such actions hereafter.

Fond men doe wonder where this Fleet shall goe:
I should more wonder, if that I should know.

38. A Secret of State.

Though Peace be loue lyer, honourabler then Warre,
Yet warlike Kings most lou'd, and honor'd are.

39. Kings Paramount Subiection.

What wayes Kings walke, Subjects the same will goe.
And many Kings, expect they should doe soe:
Therefore should Kings follow the King Almightie:
Kings are Gods

Rom. 6. ver. 16.

Subiects, if they gouerne rightly.

40. Why Women are longer attyring of themselues then Men.

Women tyring themselues haue many lets,
Their Fillets, Frontlets, Partlets, and Bracelets:
Whilst downe-right-neatlesse-plaine men haue but one,
A Duoblet double-let in putting on.

41 Christ and Antichrist.

Christ in the Temple shopboords ouerthrew,
Whipt thence the buying and the selling crue.
The Pope

In the yeere of Iubile.

in his Church, sets vp his free Faire,
And whips all those, that will not buy his Ware.

42. Wise men may be mistaken. Puritanes ragged Reason of the rag of Popery, and Papists rotten Reason of thread-bare Antiquitie.

Some too precize, will not some customes vse,
Because that Papists did them once abuse:
As good a reason in sinceritie,
As Papists oldnesse without veritie.
Though these deserue to be hist off the Schooles,
Yet they are held by those that are no Fooles.

42 Vnrighteous Mammon.

Poets faind Pluto, God of wealth, and Hell:
For they perceiu'd few got their riches well.

44. A Dialogue betwixt a Wise King and a good Christian.

The Wise King.
My neighbours secrets I desire to know,
That I their priuate plots may ouerthrow.

The good Christian.
I doe neglect my Neighbours words, and deedes,
I carefully suruey mine owne proceeds.

The Wise King.
If that my friends offer to doe me harme,
I smite them first, and seeke them to disarme.

The good Christian.
Though that my Foes doe wrong me euery houre,
I doe them all the good lyes in my power.

The Wise King.
By these and Iustice, I shall wisely raigne.

The Good Christian.
By this and faith, Heauens Kingdome I shall gaine.

45. Sad-Mens liues are longer then Merry-Mens A Paradox.

To him, whose heauy griefe hath no allay
Of lightning comfort, three houres is a day:
But vnto him, that hath his hearts content,
Friday is come, ere he thinkes Tuesday spent.

46. Poperies principall Absurdities.

In Papisticall Churches, they both read the Scripture and sing and pray to Images, and all in Lattaine.

Of all the hud-winkt trickes in Popery,
This is the lamentablest foppery:
When God is made to speake, and to command
Men, in a tongue they doe not vnderstand,
And Men commanded are to Sing and Pray
To such fond things that know not what they say,
And these men hauing madly, sadly pray'd,
Themselues doe not know, what themselues haue said.

47. Of those who are too Kinde, too Courteous, &c. Who ouerdoe good things.

Exuberant goodnesse, good mens names haue stain'd,
Their too ranke Vertue is by some disdain'd.
Yet 'tis not Vice, but Uertue ouer strain'd.

48. Some Mens Testament is not their Will.

He that will nothing spare whil'st he doth liue,
And when he dyes, vnwillingly doth giue,
Bequeathing what he gladly would keepe still,
Makes a good Testament, but an ill Will.

49. Why Wiues can make no Wills.

Men, dying make their Wills: why cannot Wiues?
Because Wiues haue their wills, during their liues.

50. A iust Retaliation.

Dead Men bite not: great reason is there then,
That we which now doe liue, should not bite them.

51. A Prayer.

Lord, send me Patience and Humility,
And then send Plenty, or Aduersity:
So if I be obseru'd, or disrespected,
I shall not be puft vp, nor yet deiected.

52. Reuerent Grane Preachers.

On holy dayes, I would heare such a Man,
Graue, holy, full of good instruction.

53 Neat, quaint, nimble Pulpit Wits.

These nimble Lads are fit for working dayes,
Their witty Sermons may keepe some from playes.

54. Diuers complections, and diuers Conditions.

A quiet, chast mind, in flesh faire, and neate,
Is like to dainty sawce, and dainty meate.
A hansome body, with a mind debaust,
Is like to dainty meate sluttishly saust.
A good wise mind, in flesh ill-fauoured,
Is course meate, sweetly saust, well-sauoured.
A froward, lewde mind in an ill shap't seate,
Is scuruy-scuruy sawce, and scuruy meate.

55. Our Births, and Deaths, Reioycing, and Mourning.

When we are borne, our friends reioyce, we cry:
But we reioyce, our friends mourne when we dye.

56. The Uanity of a Papisticall Shift.

You say you worship not the wood, nor stone,
For that's but the representation.
Wise Heathen vs'd this Fine Distinction.
Millions that know not this subtility,
Commit plaine, palpable Idolatry.
Which you in them, doe take some paines to breed,
That on their offerings you may fatly feed:
Why cause you else your Saints to weepe, sweate, bleed?

57. Curious barly Brethren.

Those that will haue all Names out of Gods booke,
And hold all other Names in detestation:
Poore begging Lazarus Name, these neuer tooke,
They more feare pouerty, then Prophanation.

58. A Scriuener on a Trotter.

Scriueners get most by riding trotting horses,
Copper-Arts, and Gall, for Inke towards their losses.

59 Womens wise Teares.

Disburthening teares breeds sad hearts some reliefe,
And that's one cause, few Women dye of griefe.

60. To my Reader.

If breuity my Reader doe displease,
I vse it more for his, then for my ease.

62. Youths conceit, and Ages knowledge.

I thought my selfe wise when I was at Schoole,
But now I know, I was, and am a Foole.

63. Hearbe-grace commonly called Rewe.

Chast men with name of Hearbe of Grace this grac't,
Because thereby, they thought they were kept chaste.
Some women hereupon did name it Rew,
Because thereby they thought they lost their Due.

64. To Writers of Hereticall, and Keepers of false Books.

When yee before Gods Iudgemen Seat shall come,
Out of your owne books, yee shall read your doome:
God need not to produce his owne True Booke,
For He doth daily on your False books looke.

65. To a Periwiggian, who hopes to gaine by some friends death.

Thou maist well hope to be some dead-mans heire.
For thou already wear'st some dead-mens haire.

66. Gossipes and Good-wiues.

Whither goe these Good wiues so neat and trimme?
They goe a sipping, or a gossiping.
Come hither, Boy, wipe cleane my Spectacles,
I shall see none of these Good-women else.

67. A young Saint, an old Deuill, to a Contous old Man.

Thou changed art of late (as I am told)
Lesse charitable growne, as thou grow'st old;
Thy former good was heate of youth in thee,
For grace once rooted, will grow like a Tree,
Which neuer can eradicated bee.

68. A mad Wenches Iustice.

Since not to be thy wiues head thou do'st scorne,
Thinke this as just, The head must weare the Horne.

69. Wee are Gods Husbandry, or Gods crop out of a fertile Christian Soule.

A good Soule drest with Zeale, plow'd vp with feare,
Water'd with Gods grace, a large crop will beare,
The roote firme Faith, Hope, the blade spreading faire,
From these springs Loue, into a large full eare:
The roote is sure, the blade endures the storme,
With sheaues of Loue we must fill full Gods Barne.

70. To a faire Whore.

When we doe see a woman sweetly faire,
We say that God hath done his part in her,
Thou passing faire, but passing wicked art,
In thee therefore Satan hath play'd his part.

71. Riches is now a dayes the House vpon Mens heads.

In elder times good Manners made a Man:
In our wise age, good Mannors maketh one.

72. Monyes Etymologie.

Mony thats Mone I: for when I haue none,
I pensiue am, and sad, and sigh, and mone.

73. The Treasure of the Church, or the Popes Exchequor.

Wert not for the huge, large, imagin'd chest,
The Key whereof hangs at the Popes owne brest,
Where ouer-doers works, are rang'd for buyers,
For prophane Traytors, Gripers, Leachers, Lyers,
The Popes strong-bard-chest would be lin'd but thinne,
A bagge would serue to keepe his treasure in.

74. A wicked, contentious mans Epitaph.

None liuing lou'd him, for his death none grieu'd,
Saue some say, Griefe it was he so long liu'd.

75. An Epitaph. On euery well meaning man vndone by his kindnesse.

My rich heart made me Poore, comforting Sad,
My helping, Impotent, my Goodnes Bad.

76. To one of Fortunes white Sonnes.

Thou hast liu'd many yeeres in perfect health,
Great friends thou hast, for thou hast got much wealth,
All things fall pat with thee, which thou would'st haue,
Were it not pitty thou should'st be a Knaue?

77. Death, and VVarre.

Warre begets Famine, famine, Plague, plague Death,
War breathes forth woes, but Death stops all woes breath,
Warre is great A of ills, and Death is Z.
In warres red Letters, Deaths feast-dayes are read.

78. The Popish Legend, The Iewish Talmoud. Mahomets Alcheron.

The Legend, Talmoud, and the Alcheron,
Are differing lyes, for one intention,
They worke for differing works fram'd on one frame,
Like, lewd, large lyes, fit for the whet-stone game:
One way they tend, though seuerall wayes proceed,
Hee well beleeues, who makes them not his Creed.

79. To an Armenian Canary Bird.

Thou that think'st good works in Gods nose so sauory,
What sauour think'st thou smells he in thy knauery?

80. Faith without Works, Works without Faith.

To beleeue and liue ill, is but to thinke,
Without Faiths salt, Good-works will quickly stinke.

81. Ungirt, Vnblest.

Vngirt, vnblest: a Prouerbe old, and good,
A true one too, if rightly vnderstood:
Vnblest he shall be euerlastingly,
Who is not girt with Christian

Ephes. 6. 14.

verity.

82. True Chastity.

Not, who doth not, yet gladly would goe to it,
Is Chast, but he that may, and will not doe it.

83. From hardnesse of heart, good Lord deliuer vs.

Its God alone that makes a tender heart.
To make hearts hard, ours and the Deuils part.

84. A perswasion to Heauen.

Where Heauen is, all our Diuines agree,
They cannot well tell, where Hells seate should bee.
Why should we not, to knowne Heauen bend our race?
Rather then by sinne seeke an vnknowne place?

85. To a namelesse Religious Friend.

Why dost thou euery Sermon Gods Word call,
Since Preachers broach damn'd errors, flatter, brawle?
Indeed thou maist Sermons this praise afford,
It is, or should be, Gods owne holy Word.

86. To King Iames, King of Great Britaine, &c. of blessed memory.

Our Ministers in their Euangeling,
Praying for thee; stile thee Great Brittaines King:
Our Lawyers pleading in Westminster Hall,
Of England, and of Scotland King thee call.
For what great mystery, I cannot see,
Why Law, and Gospell should thus disagree.
Only I judge, that Preachers giue thee thine,
By their Law its as lawfull as Diuine.

87. The most Catholike King of Spaine.

The Spanish King is stil'd Most Catholicke:
In it is hid a quaint mysterious tricke,
His meaning is not in Religion,
But he intends it in Dominion.

88. What vse old Moones are put to.

What doth become of old Moones thou dost aske,
And where her borrowed influence she shades?
For me to tell thee, twere too hard a taske,
A witty Wagge sayes, They fill Womens heads.

89. Little Legges, and lesse wit.

At first me thought a wise man thou should'st be,
For Calfe about thee I could no where see:
Tis thought thy Calfes are walkt into thy braine,
For all thy talke is in a Caluish vaine.

90. Problematically prouing, that the City of Rome is not the seat of Christs Vicar Generall.

Since Christ his old choice Citie ruined,
'Cause it despis'd Him, and his Saints blood shed,
Why should He Rome, with supreme Grace inable?
Who kil'd him, and of his innumerable?

91. I proue it thus.

Our Lord was Crucifi'd by Pilats doome,
His death was Roman, and his Iudge of Rome,
And of his death the chiefe pretended cause,

Iohn 19. 12.

Was for the breach of Romes Imperiall Lawes:
And the ten bloody persecutions,
Was by th'authority of Romes great ones.

92. Two Prouerbs coupled.

As those that get goods ill, doe them ill spend,
So an ill life makes an vngodly end.

93. Good Counsell, ill Example.

Those that perswade others to Godlinesse,
And liue themselues vngodly nerethelesse:
Are like a ships Cooke, that calls all to prayer,
And yet the greazie Carle will not come there.

94. To an Vpstart.

Thine old friends thou forget'st, hauing got wealth:
No maruaile, for thou hast forgot thy selfe.

95. Christ in the middest.

He that on earth with low humility,
Betwixt two Theeues vpon Mount Caluary,
Acted his Passiue-actiue Passion,
In highest heauen in supreme dignity,
Seating himselfe betwixt the Deity,
Acts his Actiue-passiue compassion.
O let me beare what thou dost act in me,
And act what may be suffered by Thee!

96. Gods Word is a two-edged Sword.

Gods Word wounds both wayes like a two-edg'd Sword,
The Preachers, and the Hearers of the Word:
The fore edge wounds the Hearers on the pate,
The backe-edge on the Preachers doth rebate.

97. To the admirably witty, and excellently learned Sir Nicholas Smith, Knight, of Lorkbeare neere Exeter, my ancient friend.

Taking occasion of an Anigram of his. N. S. Tulaus mihi cos es.

Praises on duller wits a sharp edge breeds,
Your Wit's all edge, he no such whet-stone needs.
Yet your steeld Iudgement, sharpe inuention,
Temperd with learning, and discretion,
Millions of praises merits as their due:
Who knowes you well, knowes well that I speake true.

98. To the right worshipfull William Noy, Esquire, one of the Benchers of Lincolnes Inue, long since of my acquaintance both in Oxford and London.

Noah the second father of all soules.
Had in his Arke all beasts, and feathered fowles.
You in your Arke, as in a plenteous hoord,
Haue stor'd what Wit, or Learning can afford:
For all Lawes, Common, Ciuill, or Diuine,
For Histories of old, or of our time,
For Morall Learning, or Philosophy,
You are an exact, liuing Library.
But your rich mind mixt with no base allay,
Is ancient Opher of the old assay.
I may feare drowing, lanch I further forth,
In the large, full, deepe Deluge of your worth.

99. To the right worshipfull Nicholas Ducke, Esquire, one of the Benchers of Lincolnes Inne, and Recorder of the City of Exeter, my Cousin German.

Although those Creatures, called by your name.
For their delight in dirt, deserue much blame;
And though that some of your profession,
Are glad when they haue got possession.
Of the foule end, or will dirt a cleere case:
You in your Circuittread a cleaner pase.
I know it, you abhorre those sordid things,
And where 'twas foule before, you cleere the springs:
For which, wise honest men you high esteemes,
May your yong Duckling paddle in like streames.

100. To the right worshipfull Arthur Ducke, Doctor of the Ciuill Law, and Chancellor of London, Bath and Wells, my Cousin German.

To correct Sinne and Folly to disgrace,
To find out Truth, and Cunning steps to trace,
To doe this mildly, with an vpright pace.
Are vertues in you fitted for your place.

101. An Epithalamium. On the Marriage of Doctor Arthur Ducke, with one of the Daughters and Coheires of Henry Southworth Esquire.

Amongst your best friends I am not ingrate
To God, who hath you giuen so good a mate,
Faire, Vertuous, Louing, with a great estate.
Would I had such another at the rate.

102. To the right worshipfull William Hackwell Esquire, one of the Benchers of Lincolnes Inne, my ancient kind friend.

Your large, compleat, sollid, sufficiency,
Hid in the vaile of your wise modesty,
Your quaint, neat learning, your acute quicke wit,
And sincere heart, for great employments fit:
Beside your Law, wherein you doe excell,
Because you little shew of your great deale,
None can know well, except they know you well.

103. To the Reuerend George Hackwell, Doctor in Diuinity, Archdeacon of Surry, my ancient & kind friend.

Should I dilate all your great gifts at large,
Which for my weake Muse were too hard a charge,
An Epigram would to a volume grow,
If I their large particulars should show.
You haue your brothers whole sufficiency:
Saue for his Law, you haue Diuinity:
This may I adde, and with great ioy relate:
For which to you oblig'd is our whole State,
In our blest best plot, you haue sow'd good seeds,
Which doe out-grow Natures quick-growing weeds.

104. To the right worshipfull Iohn Barker Esquire, late Maior of the City of Bristoll, my louing and kind brother in Law.

Bristoll, our Birth place (where you haue augmented
Much, your much left you) is well recompenced.
In Counsell Office, and in Parliament,
For her good you haue shew'd your good intent:
As you doe grace tho place that did you breed,
I pray, your Sonnes soules may chire to succeed.

105 To the wise and learned S. B. K. Knight.

A Poet rich, a Iudge, and a Iust man,
In few but you, are all these found in one.

106 To the right worshipfull Iohn Doughty, Alderman of Bristoll, of his right worthy wife, my especiall good friends.

I haue heard many say they'd not remarry,
If before them their kind wiues should miscarry,
I feare, some of them from their words would vary.
Should your wife dye, sad sole you would remaine.
I haue sufficient reason for my aime,
You cannot find so good a wife againe.

107. To the worshipfull, Richard Long of Bristoll, Merchant, and his good wife, my kind and louing friends.

Vnthankefulnes is the great Sinne of Sinnes,
But Thankefulnes to Kindnes, kindnes winnes.
For your deare loue accept my thankes therefore.
An honest heart is grieu'd he can no more.

108 To the Reuerend Doctor, Thomas Winnife, Deane of Glocester, Prebend of Pauls, and Chaplaine to King Charles, anciently of my acquaintance in Exceter Colledge in Oxford.

Your sollid learning, and sincere behauiour,
Haue worthily brought you into great fauour,
And you are Deane of Gloria Cæsaris,
Such Chaplaines our great Cæsars glory is.

Some deriue Gloster from Gloria Cæsari, others from Claudius Cæsar.

109 To the right worshipfull Richard Spicer, Doctor of Physicke, my louing and kind Kinsman.

Apollo, first Inuentor of your Arte,
His hidden secrets doth to you impart,
Old Galen, Auicen, and all the rest,
Haue with their knowledge your graue iudgement blest,
You are both wise and happy in your skill,
Doing continuall good, and no man ill.

110. To the right worshipfull Robert Viluain, Doctor of Physicke, my ancient friend, in Exeter Colledge in Oxford.

Let me change your Paternall name Vilvaine,
Somewhat more aptly, and call you Feele-vaine,
In Physicke still you are as good as any,
And with your Recipe's you haue holp't many,
Wherefore in troopes the to sicke you repaire,
Who hath your helpe, need not of health despaire.

111. To the Reuerend, learned, acute, and witty, Master Charles Fitz-Geoffery, Bachelor in Diuinity, my especiall kind friend, most excellent Poet.

Blind Poet Homer you doe equalize,
Though he saw more with none, then most with eyes.
Our Geoffery Chaucer, who wrote quaintly, neat,
In verse you match equall, him in conceit,
Featur'd you are like Homer in one eye,
Rightly surnam'd the Sonne of Geoffery.

112. To a right worshipfull, discreet, sober Gentleman, a Iustice of Peace, who of a wild demeand yong Gentleman, is now become a Reuerend Minister, a painefull Preacher, and a worthy Example.

You know, I know, what kind of man you were,
Not like to make the man that now you are:
Your buds of Grace, were ouer-growne with folly,
These weeds pluckt vp, you are growne wholy holy,
From a strange, loose, wild, waggish Libertine,
A Doctor learned, Preacher sweet, Diuine.
Many take Orders, Liuings to obtaine.
Plenty you had, Christs glory was your aime,
Your Friends ioy'd much, when they saw you so giuen,
Ineffable's the ioy that was in heauen.

113. To the same Reuerend Doctor.

You are turu'd old Saint, leauing your yong euils,
Whilst many yong Saints, doe become old Deuils.

114 To my honest Bed-fellow the priuatly Charitable, discreetly Beneficiall, Master Edward Payne, Merchant of Bristoll.

Piein is Greeke, to drinke: Pain, French for bread:
With Paine (God sayes) with these we shall be fed,
Yet without Payne, many these needfuls gaine,
Only by thanking God, and Master Payne.

115. To squint-eyed, enuious Momus.

For praising These, doe not thou dispraise me;
If thou wilt be as these are, Ile praise thee.

116. A little of my vnworthy Selfe.

Many of these were my familiars,
Much good, and goods hath fal'n vnto their shares,
They haue gone fairely on in their affaires:
Good God, why haue I not so much good lent!
It is thy will, I am obedient:
What thou hast, what thou wilt, I am content,
Only this breeds in me much heauines,
My loue to this Land I cannot expresse,
Lord grant me power vnto my willingnesse.

117. A Skeltonicall continued ryme, in praise of my New-found-Land.

Although in cloaths, company, buildings faire,
With England, New-found-land cannot compare:
Did some know what contentment I found there,
Alwayes enough, most times somewhat to spare,
With little paines, lesse toyle, and lesser care,
Exempt from taxings, ill newes, Lawing, feare,
If cleane, and warme, no matter what you weare,
Healthy, and wealthy, if men carefull are,
With much-much more, then I will now declare,
(I say) if some wise men knew what this were,
(I doe beleeue) they'd liue no other where.

118. A Napkin to wipe his mouth that waters at these deserued Commendations.

Thus for this hopefull Countrie at this Time,
As it growes better, Ile haue better Ryme.

[THE SECOND BOOKE.]

1. To the Reader of my reprehending generall Epigrams.

I doe not, nor I dare not squib the State:
Such oultrequidant sawcines I hate:
Nor doe I meane any one Man herein;
In priuate tearmes, I lash a publique sin;
If any guilty thinke I him doe meane,
He iudgeth right: for I at him doe ayme.

2. Of the like Epigrams. To the right worshipfull and learned, Simon Baskeruile, Doctor of Physicke.

Epigrams are much like to Oxymell,
Hony and Vineger compounded well:
Hony, and sweet in their inuention,
Uineger in their reprehension.
As sowre, sweet Oxymell, doth purge though fleagme:
These are to purge Vice, take them as they meane.

3. A Probleme of Children.

Since God complaines of too few Children,
And Satan hath for Gods One, more then ten,
Yet still would haue more. Why should Man alone
Repine at some, nay? wish that they had none?

4. To a close Sinner, more fearefull of shame, then Sinne.

Dauid saith, Stand in awe, and doe not sinne
Thou standst in awe, but tis, lest thou be seene:

5. To Curious Criticke Wit, Head-Constable.

Search close, thou maist some Felony find here:
From all Foole-hardy Treason these are cleare.

6. On Erra Pater and his Almanacke.

The often Printed Gull-foole Erra Pater,
Is in conclusion but an erring prater.

7 To Baldpate.

Surely, Paldpate, thou some times hadst a brow
Before thou lost thy haire; No man knowes how.
Thy brow doth now reach home vnto thy crowne,
But vncrown'd thou art, he comes further downe;
How farre he comes, now cannot be descride:
For he comes downe, downe, downe to thy backeside.

8. To a Paultry Acquaintance.

Thou dost accuse me, and condemne my Rymes,
Because to thee I dedicate no lines.
Thou dost as well deserue an Epigram,
As Baldpate, who is trim'd with many a one.

9. To a certaine Periwiggian.

Thy smooth, sleeke head-haire, daily settled on,
Though some say not, I say it is thine owne,
Thou paid'st for't: yet the haire thou hast lost,
When thou did'st lose it, did thee much more cost.

10. Of the Antiquity of the true Church, to a Iesuite.

Thou doost demand, and acclamations raise,
Where our beliefe was, before Luthers dayes?
As Christ did answer to a question,
By such a like expostulation:
So doe I aske, answer me when thou please,
Where was your Faith, long since the Apostles dayes?

11. To the same Iesuite.

Art thou a Iesuite, yet dost vs reproach
With want of Faith, ere Luther his did broach?
Your race was raiz'd, since he preach'd: your new errors
Are odious to your owne, to others terrors.
A hated race, spew'd in these latter dayes,
Though Fathers cal'd, y'are the Popes Roring boyes.

12. To a sober, sly, Penurious, Usurious Companion.

Godlines is great gaine, God sayes no lesse,
But thou saist, thou canst make gaine godlines:
What thou hast got by craft, and Vsury,
Thou wilt bequeath in deeds of Charity.
Such distribution I doe emulate;
The way vnto it, I abominate.

13. The Indefatigability of a Shrews Tongue.

What long wants naturall rest, cannot indure:
In all things, but a Shrewes Tongue, this is sure.

14. The goe-out and the Goute.

Thou grieu'd art with the goe-out, and the Goute;
For if thy wife doth chide thee out of doore:
Which of these ills is worst, some make a doubt:
I thinke the goe-out, is the greater sore.
The Goute doth ostnest but the great Toe paine:
The goe-out doth afflict both heart, and braine.

15. To Father Taylor Iesuite, sometimes my familiar friend in Oxford.

You say that Images are Lay-mens Bookes.
He learnes most error, that most on them lookes.

As the Egyptians Hierogliphicks.

And to say truth, what-euer you doe say,
They're fit Bookes for the Learned, not the Lay.

16. To an Idoll worshipper, or an obstinate Recusant.

Psal. 135. ver. 15, 16, 17, 18.

Idols are sencelesse, speake them foule or faire;
And those that trust in them, as sencelesse are.
Trusting in them, thou art obdurate made,
That Law nor Gospell can thee not perswade.

17. A Meditation for such simple innocent people as I am.

Since thou All-wise hast made me not so wise,
With subtile Serpents for to subtilize;
Accept my plainenesse, and my good intent,
That with thy Doue I may be innocent;
From subtle trickes guard my simplicitie.
And make me simple in subtility.

18. The force of Repentance.

Our sinne enforceth God to raise his hand:
But our Repentance doth the stroke withstand.

19. Most men want somewhat.

Some honest well-bent mindes their strength is slacke;
Strong men haue strength, some of them wisdome lacke;
Wisemen haue wit; But some want honestie;
Some men are neither honest, strong, nor wittie.

20. Too much, too little, hurts.

Light Corne beares ground thats not with dressing dight;
Without some learning, wit growes vaine and light;
As too much dressing cause weeds, ranck, and bad:
So too much Learning makes a quicke wit mad.

21. Greatnes and Loue moue not in one Spheare.

Greatnes soares vpward; Loue is downeward mou'd;
Hence 'tis that Greatnes Loues not, nor is Lou'd.

22. To an enuied Fauorite, right worthy of his preferment.

Enuious, and bad, 'gainst vertue, goodnesse fight;
Would Good, and wise, did vnderstand you right.

23. To a casheard Fauorite, who hath deserued his disgrace.

I grieue at thy disgrace, blush at thy shame,
But this drawes teares; Thou hast deseru'd the same.

24. How Little, how Great.

The least of all the fixed Stars, they say,
Is some times bigger then the earth and Sea.
Poore little I that from earth haue my birth,
Am but a clod, compared to the Earth.
How little now, how great shall I be then,
When I in Heauen, like to a Starre shall shine?

25. On Young weekely Newes-writers & old Chroniclers.

Currantiers lye by Vbiquity;
But Chroniclers lye by Authority.
Newes-writers, Trauellers are, Historians old:
Trauellers and old men to lye may be bold.
Not then, Not there, cannot their lyes vnfold.

26. Conscience.

Whilst concious men of smallest sinnes haue ruth,
Bold sinners count great Sinnes, but tricks of youth.

27. To a weake braind Good-fellow.

Thy braine is weake, strong drinke thou canst not beare:
Follow my Rule, Strong drinke doe thou forbeare.

28. The only Foundation Rocke of Christs Church, To the Diuines of Rome.

Out of the Creed, wherein we both consent,
Peter, I proue is not the Rocke Christ ment.
Doe we belieue in God of all the maker?
In that, the Iew with vs is a partaker.
Doe we belieue, that Christ was borne and dy'd,
And that he was vnjustly Crucifi'd?
The Turke beleues so, and sayes he did stand,
Till theirs came mediating at Gods right hand.
That he shall Iudge all that beleeue in him,
Both Iew and Turke, Forgiuenes of all sinne
Belieue; the fleshes Resurrection,
The blessed Saints holy Communion,
And life eternall almost as we doe,
And that their Church is Catholicke, and true.
They doe beleeue the Spirits influence,
Though not like vs, but in a larger sense.
But all within our Creed, which doth conduce,
To proue Christ Iesus is the only sluce
Of our Saluation, and Gods only Sonne;
In that, we Christians doe beleeue alone.
This is the Rocke whereon Christs Church is built.
Take away this, all our Faiths frame will tylt.
And this was Peters wise confession:
Whence I deduce this firme conclusion;
Not Peter his confession the Rock is,
And Christ said not, On Thee, but, Upon This.

29. An honest wrong'd Mans Meditations.

Since for my Loue, Friends me vnkindly serue,
God will not vse me, as I doe deserue.

30. The good effects of Corrections.

Sea-water, though't be salt, salt meates makes fresh;
So doth correction our ill liues redresse.

31. Preachers Fame, and Ayme.

Young Preachers, to doe well, doe take much paine,
That all may doe well, is old Preachers ayme.

32. To the Reader.

This one fault (Reader) pardon, and endure,
If striuing to be briefe, I grow obscure.

33. A Christian Meditation.

I hope, and I doe faithfully beleeue,
That God in loue will me Saluation giue:
I hope, and my assured firme faith is,
God will accept my Loue to him and his.
I hope, by faith his Loue will me afford
All this only, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

34. A Messe of Mistakers.

Lewd, loose, large lust, is loue with Familists.
Papists chiefe Hope in their owne workes consists.
Some Protestants on barren Faith relye.
Atheists haue no Faith, Hope, nor Charity.

35. An Appendix to this Epigram.

Loue is the fruite; Hope the leaues; Faith the tree.
Who hath a perfect Faith, hath all these three.
Only by such a Faith men saued be.

36. A Guilty Conscience.

When God did call to Adam, Where art thou?
He meant not thereby, where, or in what place?
God knew in which bush he was well enough:
But, Where art, Adam? that is, In what case?

37. To giue the Church of Rome her due. To a Separatist.

Though thou art loth to put it in thy Creed,
The Church of Rome is a true Church indeed:
So is a Thiefe a true, truely a man,
Although he be not truely a true one.
How is it else that Children there baptizde,
By other Christians Christians are agnizde?

38. To Quick siluer headded Innouators.

Because of the vncertainty of Wits,
Our Law commands a certainty in Writs:
For as good cause is our Church Lythurgie
Wisly reduced to a certainty.
If that were yeelded to that some men seeke,
We should haue new Church-Seruice euery weeke.

39. Faire Good Wiues.

Cleare-skind, true colour'd Wiues, with exact features,
With wise, mild, chaste Soules, are the best of Creatures.

40. Faire Shrewes.

Cleare-skind, faire colour'd Wiues, with exact features,
With shrewd, lew'd, wild minds, are the worst of creatures.

41. A Probleme hereupon.

If fine flesh be so ill with an ill mind,
What is a soule outside thus inward lin'd?

42. A Trestick to these three, Disticks by way of Answer. To all constant Batchelers, especially to my Good Friend Mr. Roger Michell.

Caribdis one, the other Sylla is;
And though the first an harbour be of blisse,
You steare the safest course, these Rockes to misse.

43. To an honest old doting Man, such as I may be, if I liue a little longer.

A Lyer should haue a good memory;
For want of it thou vtterest many a Lye,
Thou dost remember many things in great:
But the particulars thou dost forget.
Thou tell'st thy Lyes without ill-thought or paine;
Th'are no malicious Lyes, nor Lyes for gaine.

44. A Crue of Cursing Companions. To the Bishop of Rome.

With Bell, Booke, Candle, each Ascension day,
Thou cursest vs

Uide, the collect on good-Fryday.

who for thee yeerely pray.
But on good Fryday the Greeke

Nicholas de Nichola. lib. 4. cap. 36.

Patriark,
Doth banne thee, branding thee, with this lewd marke,
He stiles thee, Father of Corruption,
Of Ancient Fathers the corrupting One:
They saw long since thy knauish forgery,
As we now see thy Purging Knauery.

45. To the same man.

He that doth dead Saints Reliques Idolize,
Their liuing writings lewdly falsifies.

46. Enuies Dyet.

Old wits haue seuerall wayes drest Enuies food;
Each hath his sawce (if rightly vnderstood)
Her owne heart, her owne flesh, A Toade, A Bone,
Which she deuoureth sitting all alone:
Though these are faire, This dish doth me best please,
When I find her gnawing a wreathe of Bayes:
For her chiefe food, Is well deserued praise.

47. To a hansome Whore.

One told me, what a pretty face thou hast;
And it's great pitty that thou art not chaste.
But I did tell him, that did tell it me,
That if thou wert not Faire, thou chaste wouldst be.

48. The mad life of a mad Sea-man of Warre.

He liues, and thriues by death, and by decay,
He drinkes, sweares, curseth, sometimes he doth pray,
That he may meet somewhat to be his prey,
And spends the rest in sleepe, at meat, at play.

49. Of the Gunpowder Holly-day, the 5. of Nouember.

The Powder-Traytors, Guy Vaux, and his mates,
Who by a Hellish plot sought Saints estates,
Haue in our Kalender vnto their shame,
A ioyfull Holy-day cald by their Name.

50. On these blacke Saints.

The first day of Nouember is alway,
All-Saints feast: and the fift, all-Deuils day.

51. To a great Gamester.

Saint Paul doth bid vs Pray continually,
But thou would'st rather Play continually.

52. Most men are mistaken. To Mr. Robert Grimes.

Good, bad, rich, poore, the foolish, and the sage,
Doe all cry out against the present age,
Ignorance made vs thinke our young Times good;
Our elder dayes are better vnderstood;
Besides, griefes past we easily forget;
Present displeasures make vs sad, or fret.

53. The Tree of Sanctification.

First growes the Tree, and then the Leaues doe grow;
These two must spring before the fruite can shew:
Faith is a firme Tree, Hope, like shaking Leaues,
From these two, Charity her Fruits receiues.
Faith without Hope, and Loue, is a dead Tree,
Hope without Loue, and Faith, greene cannot be.
Loue without Hope and firme Faith is no more
Then hansome Fruit without, rotten at core.

54. Real presence Praying to Saints. Each contradict the other.

If Christ be reall, corporall in the bread,
After the Consecrating words are said:
What need you goe to Saints, since you may take him
And vse him as you please like them that bake him?

55. An Antidote for Drunkards.

If that your heads would ake before you drinke
As afterwards, you'd ne'r be drunke, I thinke.

56. Womens Tyers.

Womens head-laces and high towring wyres,
Significantly, rightly are cald tyres;
They tyre them and their Maides in putting on,
Tyre Tyremakers, with variation.
I thinke to pay for them, doth tyre some men;
I hope they'll tyre the Deuill that inuents them.

57. The Gyant.

I'm but a man, though I in length exceed.
The Dwarfe.
Though I want length, a Man I am indeed.

The Gyant to the Dwarfe.
My Syre out-shot the marke, begetting me.
Thy Father shot too short, when he made thee.

The Dwarfe to the Gyant.
Although short shooting often lose the game,
To ouer-shoot the marke, is as much shame.

58. To a namelesse Friend, whose head is said to be full of Proclamations.

To fill the head with Proclamations,
Is no disgrace, so they be well penn'd ones.

59. The good of punishment.

Plagues make proud, big, swolne hearts, fall low againe:
As Causticks bate proud flesh, though with much paine.

60. A Chyrurgions good qualities. To my good friend Mr. P. S. Chyrurgion.

A Surgion should haue, well to vse his art,
Ladyes hands, Eagles eyes, A Lyons heart.
Not one of these good properties you lacke,
But when you hide them in the white strong Sacke.

61. A Pill to purge Bribery.

Those that doe liue heere by Corruption,
Shall dye in the next generation.

62. Papisticall faith.

What a strange doubtfull blind no-Faith you hold,
Which cannot be imagind, held, or told?
What Lay-men know not, Clarks doe thinke they know,
Sayes the Pope otherwise, It is not so.
The Weather-Cocke of your Religion
Is in the Popes shifting Opinion.

63. Some poore comfort for these Multifidians.

If this Pope, Millions drawes with him to Hell,

Boniface Arch-Bi. of Mentz. apud Gratian. Dig. 40.

The next wise Pope may reset all things well.

64. Spirituall weapons to encounter with Satan. To my louing and good Aunt, Mistris Elizabeth Spicer of Exceter, mother to Doctor Richard Spicer Physition.

These are strong Armes to buckle with the Deuill,
Fasting, Faith, Prayer, bearing, forbearing euill:
If with these weapons God doe vs assist,
Satan will ne'r stand to it, nor resist.

65. Confidence ill vsed, and Confidence abused.

Cursed is he that puts his confidence

Ierem. 17. 5.

In Man: Onely in man is the right sense.
And that Man shall like punishment receiue,
Who doth an honest Confidence deceiue.

66. A Caueat for buyers and sellers.

In this world silly buyers must beware:
In the next world, deare sellers of bad ware.

67. To Politike Bankerupt.

Thou hast broke fiue times; thou wilt breake once more:
What a braue Tilter thou wouldst make therefore!

68. A mad answer of a Mad man.

One askt a Mad-man, if a wise he had?
A wife (quoth he) I neuer was so mad.

69. A lusty Widdow, to one of her Sutors.

To haue me, thou tel'st me, on me thou'lt dote.
I tell thee, Who hath me, on me must doo't,
I may be coozen'd; but sure if I can,
Ile haue no doting, but a dooing man.

70. To Mammonnists, who put their trust in vncertaine Riches.

Some haue too many goods: some would haue none:
You haue too many, though you haue but one;
For yellow Mammon is your God alone.

71. God and Mammon.

Seruice to God, and Mammon none can doe:
Yet we may serue God, and haue Mammon too:

72. There is no fooling with Edge-tooles. To a Friend.

Thou hast sped well in many a former plot,
Thou vndertook'st a great one, fail'st in that,
Men must haue Mittons on, to shoo a Cat.

73. My Iudgement on Men of Iudgement. To a kind Friend.

Thou talk'st of men of Iudgement. Who are they?
Those, whose conceits successe doth still obey.
Wise mens, wise counsell, is but their conceits;
If they speed ill, they are sad wise deceits.

74. To all the shrewd Wiues that are, or shall be planted in New-found-land.

If mad-men, Drunkards, Children, or a Foole,
Wrong sober, discreet men with tongue or toole,
We say, Such things are to be borne withall.
We say so too, if Women fight, or brawle.

75. Some preuention for some of these misdooers.

Mad men are bound; Drunkards are laid to sleepe:
Fooles beaten are; Toyes Children quiet keepe:
I wish vnruly Shrewes were turnd to Sheepe.

76. Masters Behauiour. To my good Friend Master Thomas Mil-ware, of Harbor-Grace in Newfound-land.

Sterne, cruell vsage may bad seruants fetter:
Wise gentle vsage, keepes good seruants better.

77. Too much Familiarity breeds contempt.

Though some wise men this Prouerbe doe apply,
For a defence of their austerity;
I thinke this way this Prouerbe might be meant,
Chiding too oft, brings Chiding in contempt.

79. The foure Elements in Newfound-land. To the Worshipfull Captaine Iohn Mason, who did wisely and worthily gouerne there diuers yeeres.

The Aire, in Newfound-Land is wholesome, good;
The Fire, as sweet as any made of wood;
The Waters, very rich, both salt and fresh;
The Earth more rich, you know it is no lesse.
Where all are good, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aire,
What man made of these foure would not liue there?

80. To all those worthy Women, who haue any desire to liue in Newfound-Land, specially to the modest & discreet Gentlewoman Mistris Mason, wife to Captaine Mason, who liued there diuers yeeres.

Sweet Creatures, did you truely vnderstand
The pleasant life you'd liue in Newfound-land,
You would with teares desire to be brought thither:
I wish you, when you goe, faire wind, faire weather:
For if you with the passage can dispence,
When you are there, I know you'll ne'r come thence.

81. To a worthy Friend, who often obiects the coldnesse of the Winter in Newfound-Land, and may serue for all those that haue the like conceit.

You say that you would liue in Newfound-land,
Did not this one thing your conceit withstand;
You feare the Winters cold, sharp, piercing ayre.
They loue it best, that haue once winterd there.
Winter is there, short, wholesome, constant, cleare,
Not thicke, vnwholesome, shuffling, as 'tis here.

82. To the right worshipfull Iohn Slany, Treasurer to the Newfound-land Company, and to all the rest of that Honorable Corporation.

I know, that wise you are, and wise you were:
So was hee who this Action did preferre:
Yet some wise men doe argue otherwise,
And say you were not, or you are not wise:
They say, you were not wise to vndertake it:
Or that you are not wise thus to forsake it.

83. Of the same Honorable Company.

Diuers well-minded men, wise, rich, and able,
Did vndertake a plot inestimable,
The hopefull'st, easiest, healthi'st, iust plantation,
That ere was vndertaken by our Nation.
When they had wisely, worthily begunne,
For a few errors that athwart did runne,
(As euery action first is full of errors)
They fell off flat, retir'd at the first terrors.
As it is lamentably strange to me:
In the next age incredible 'twill be.

84. To the right Honourable Sir George Calvert, Knight, late Principall Secretary to King Iames, Baron of Baltomore, and Lord of Analon in Newfound-land.

Your worth hath got you Honour in your dayes.
It is my honour, you my verses praise.
O let your Honour cheerefully goe on;
End well your well begunne Plantation.
This holy hopefull worke you haue halfe done,
For best of any, you haue well begunne.
If you giue ouer what hath so well sped,
Your sollid wisedome will be questioned.

To the same Nobleman.

Yours is a holy just Plantation,
And not a iustling supplantation.

86. To the right worthy, learned and wise, Master William Vaughan, chiefe Vndertaker for the Plantation in Cambrioll, the Southermost part of Newfound-Land, who with penne, purse, and Person hath, and will proue the worthines of that enterprise.

It ioy'd my heart, when I did vnderstand
That your selfe would your Colonie command;
It greeu'd me much, when as I heard it told,
Sicknes had layd on you an vnkind hold.
Beleeue me, Sir, your Colches Cambrioll
Is a sweet, pleasant, wholesome, gainefull soyle.
You shall find there what you doe want; Sweet health:
And what you doe not want, as sweet; Sweet wealth.

87. To the same industrious Gentleman, who in his golden golden-fleece stiles himselfe Orpheus Iunior.

Your noble humor indefatigable,
More vertuous, constant yet, then profitable,
Striuing to doe good, you haue lost your part,
Whil'st lesser losse hath broke some Tradesmens heart:
Yet you proceed with person, purse and penne,
Fitly attended with laborious men.
Goe on, wise Sir, with your old, bold, braue Nation
To your new Cambriolls rich Plantation,
Let Dolphins dance before you in the floods,
And play you, Orpheus Iunior, in her woods.

88. Some Diseases were neuer in Newfound-land. To the right worthy Mistres, Anne Vaughan, wife to Doctor Vaughan, who hath an honourable desire to liue in that Land.

Those that liue here, how young, or old soeuer,
Were neuer vext with Cough, nor Aguish Feauer,
Nor euer was the Plague, nor small Pox heere;
The Aire is so salubrious, constant, cleere:
Yet scuruy Death stalks heere with theeuish pace,
Knocks one downe here, two in an other place.

89. To Sir Richard Whitborne, Knight, my deare friend, Sometime Lieutenant to Doctor Vaughan for his Plantation in Newfound-Land, who hath since published a worthy booke of that most hopefull Country.

Who preaching well, doth doe, and liue as well,
His doing makes his preaching to excell:
For your wise, well-pend Booke this Land's your debter;
Doe as you write, you'le be beleeu'd the better.

90. To my good Friend Mr. Thomas Rowley, who from the first Plantation hath liu'd in Newfound-Land little to his profit.

When some demaund, Why rich you doe not grow?
I tell them, Your kind nature makes it so.
They say, that heere you might haue gotten wealth.
Adam in Paradise vndid himselfe.

91. There is more gaine in an honest Enemy, then in a flattering Friend.

A flattering Friend in's Commendations halts:
An honest Foe will tell me all my faults.

92. To the right Honourable, Sir Henry Cary, Knight, Viscount Faukeland, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

I ioy'd when you tooke part of Newfound-Land;
I grieu'd, to see it lye dead in your hand:
I ioy'd when you sent people to that Coast;
I grieu'd, when I sawe all that great charge lost.
Yet let your Honor try it once againe,
With wise, stayd, carefull honest-harted men,
I am to blame, you boldly to aduise:
For all that know you, know you wondrous wise:
Yet neere-hand, Dull bleare-ey'd may better see,
Then quicker cleare-ey'd, that a farre off bee.

93. To the Honourable Knight, Sir Perciuall Willoughbie, who, to his great cost, and losse, aduentur'd in this action of Newfound-Land.

Wise men, wise Sir, doe not the fire abhorre,
For once being sindg'd, more wary grow therefore.
Shall one disaster breed in you a terror?
With honest, meet, wise men mend your first error.
If with such men you would begin againe,
Honor and profit you would quickly gaine.
Beleeue him, who with griefe hath seene your share,
'Twould doe you good, were such men planted there.

94. To my very good Friend, Mr. Iohn Poyntz, Esquire, one of the Planters of Newfound-Land in Doctor Vaughans Plantation.

'Tis said, wise Socrates look't like an Asse;
Yet he with wondrous sapience filled was;
So though our Newfound-Land look wild, saluage,
She hath much wealth penn'd in her rustie Cage.
So haue I seene a leane-cheekes, bare, and ragged,
Who of his priuate thousands could haue bragged.
Indeed she now lookes rude, vntowardly;
She must be decked with neat husbandry.
So haue I seene a plaine swarth, sluttish Ione,
Looke pretty pert, and neat with good cloathes on.

95. To the right Honorable Knight, Sir William Alexander, Principall, and prime Planter in New-Scotland: To whom the King hath giuen a Royall gift to defray his great charges in that worthy busines.

Great Alexander wept, and made sad mone,
Because there was but one World to be wonne.
It ioyes my heart, when such wise men as you,
Conquer new Worlds which that Youth neuer knew.
The King of Kings assist, blesse you from Heauen;
For our King hath you wise assistance giuen.
Wisely our King did aide on you bestow:
Wise are all Kings who all their gifts giue so.
'Tis well giuen, that is giuen to such a One,
For seruice done, or seruice to be done.
By all that know you, 'tis well vnderstood,
You will dispend it for your Countries good.
Old Scotland you made happy by your birth,
New-Scotland you will make a happy earth.

96. To the same Wise, Learned, Religious Patriot, most Excellent Poet.

You are a Poet, better ther's not any,
You haue one super-vertue 'mongst your many;
I wish I were your equall in the one,
And in the other your Companion.
With one I'd giue you your deserued due,
And with the other, serue and follow you.

97. To the right Honourable, Sir George Caluert, Knight, Baron of Baltamore, and Lord of Aualon in Britaniola, who came ouer to see his Land there, 1627.

Great Shebae's wise Queene traueld farre to see,
Whether the truth did with report agree.
You by report perswaded, laid out much,
Then wisely came to see, if it were such:
You came, and saw, admir'd what you had seene,
With like successe as the wise Sheba Queene.
If euery Sharer heere would take like paine,
This Land would soone be peopled to their gaine.

98. To the same right wise, and right worthy Noble-man.

This shall be said whil'st that the world doth stand,
Your Honor 'twas first honoured this Land.

99. To the right worshipfull Planters of Bristoll-Hope in the new Kingdome of Britaniola.

When I to you your Bristoll Hope commend,
Reck'ning your gaine, if you would thither send,
What you can spare: You little credit me:
The mischiefe is, you'le not come here and see.
Here you would quickly see more then my selfe:
Then would you style it, Bristols-Hope of wealth.

100. To the right worshipfull William Robinson of Tinwell, in Rutland shire Esquire, come ouer to see Newfound-Land with my Lord of Baltamore. 1627.

Strange, not to see stones here aboue the ground,
Large vntrencht bottomes vnder water drown'd.
Hills, and Plaines full of trees, both small, and great,
And dryer bottomes deepe of Turfe, and Peate.
When England was vs'd for a Fishing place,
By Coasters only, 'twas in the same case,
And so vnlouely 't had continued still:
Had not our Ancestors vs'd paines, and skill:
How much bad ground with mattock and with spade,
Since we were borne, hath there beene good ground made?
You, and I rooted haue Trees, Brakes, and stone:
Both for succeeding good, and for our owne.

101. To the first Planters of Newfound-land.

What ayme you at in your Plantation?
Sought you the Honour of our Nation?
Or did you hope to raise your owne renowne?
Or else to adde a Kingdome to a Crowne?
Or Christs true Doctrine for to propagate?
Or drawe Saluages to a blessed state?
Or our o're peopled Kingdome to relieue?
Or shew poore men where they may richly liue?
Or poore mens children godly to maintaine?
Or amy'd you at your owne sweete priuate gaine?
All these you hat atchiu'd before this day,
And all these you haue balk't by your delay.

102. To my Reuerend kind friend, Master Erasmus Sturton, Preacher of the Word of God, and Parson of Ferry Land in the Prouince of Avalon in Newfound-Land.

No man should be more welcome to this place,
Then such as you, Angels of Peace, and Grace;
As you were sent here by the Lords command,
Be you the blest Apostle of this Land;
To Infidels doe you Euangelize,
Making chose that are rude, sober and wise.
I pray that Lord that did you hither send,
You may our cursings, swearing,

A word frequently vsed by the West-Countrymen, and signifies muttering or murmuring

iouring mend.

103. To my very louing and discreet Friend, Master Peter Miller of Bristoll.

You askt me once, What here was our chiefe dish?
In Winter, Fowle, in Summer choyce of Fish.
But wee should need good Stomackes, you may thinke,
To eate such kind of things which with you stinke,
As Rauens, Crowes, Kytes, Otters, Foxes, Beares,
Dogs, Cats, and Soyles, Eaglets, Hawks, Hounds, & Hares:

Dogs and Cats are fishes so call'd, and Hounds a kind of Fowle

Yet we haue Partriges, and store of Deare,
And that (I thinke) with you is pretty cheere.
Yet let me tell you, Sir, what I loue best,
Its a Poore-Iohn

Cald in French Poure Gens in English corruptly Poore John, being the principall Fish brought out of this Countrie.

thats cleane, and neatly drest:
There's not a meat found in the Land, or Seas,
Can Stomacks better please, or lesse displease,
It is a fish of profit, and of pleasure,
Ile write more of it, when I haue more leisure:
There and much more are here the ancient store:
Since we came hither, we haue added more.

104. To some discreet people, who thinke any body good enough for a Plantation.

When you doe see an idle, lewd, young man,
You say hee's fit for our Plantation.
Knowing your selfe to be rich, sober, wise,
You set your owne worth at an higher price.
I say, such men as you are, were more fit,
And most conuenient for first peopling it:
Such men as you would quickly profit here:
Lewd, lazy Lubbers, want wit, grace, and care.

105. To the famous, wise and learned Sisters, the two Universities of England, Oxford and Cambridge.

The ancient Iewes did take a world of paine,
And traueld farre some Proselites to gaine:
The busie pated Iesuites in our dayes,
To make some theirs, doe compasse Land and Seas:
The Mahumetan, Heathen, moderne Iew,
Doe daily striue to make some of their crue:
Yet to our shame we idly doe stand still,
And suffer God, his number vp to fill.
Yee worthy Sisters, raze this imputation,
Send forth your Sonnes vnto our New Plantation;
Yet send such as are Holy, wise; and able,
That may build Christs Church, as these doe build Babel.
If you exceed not these in

Mat. 1. 20.

Righteousnes,
I need not tell your Wisedomes the successe.

106. To answer a Friend, who asked me, Why I did not compose some Encomiasticks, in praise of Noble men and Great Courtiers, As my friend Iohn Owen hath done.

I knew the Court well in the old Queenes dayes;
I then knew Worthies worthy of great praise:
But now I am there such a stranger growne,
That none doe know me there, there I know none.
Those few I here obserue with commendation,
Are Famous Starres in our New Constellation.

THE THIRD BOOKE OF QVODLIBETS.

Iustice Epigram.

Kings doe correct those that Rebellious are,
And their good Subiects worthily preferre:
Iust Epigrams reproue those that offend,
And those that vertuous are, she doth commend.

2. To my delicate Readers.

When I doe read others neate, dainty lines,
I almost doe despaire of my rude rimes:
Yet I haue fetch't them farre, they cost me deare,
Deare and farre fetcht (they say) is Ladies cheere.

1. To my zealous, and honest friend, Master W. B. of Bristoll.

If thou canst not to thy preferrement come,
To be Christs red Rose in best martyrdome;
With Patience, Faith, Hope, Loue, and Constancie,
A pure blest, white Rose in Christs Garden dye.

4. Gods Loue: The Deuils Malice.

He that made man, only desires mans heart:
He that mard man, tempts man in euery part.

5. God rewards thankefull men.

What part of the Moon's body doth reflect
Her borrowed beames, yeeldeth a faire prospect;
But that part of her, that doth not doe so,
Spotty, or darke, or not at all doth show:
So what wee doe reflect on God the giuer,
With thankefulnes: those Graces shine for euer:
But if his gifts thou challeng'st to be thine,
They'll neuer doe thee Grace, nor make thee shine.

6. To a dissembling, sober, slye Protestor.

'Tis so, or so, as I'me an honest man,
Is thy assuring Protestation,
When it's as true as thou art such a one.

7. Dissemblers coozen themselues.

Whilst in this life Dissemblers coozen some,
Themselues they coozen of the life to come.

8. On a wide-mouthed prating companion.

He prates, and talkes, and railes, and no man heares.
Yet he hath mouth, to make a skore of Eares.

9. Latin Prayers by number.

Christ spake no Latin, though he could doe so,
Nor any of his Twelue, for ought I know.
Why should you in that tongue pray by the skore?
It is the Language of the Mounted Whore.
Somewhat more merrily; here lies the iest:
Most of hers speake the Language of her Beast.
In such Hobgoblin words they sing, and pray,
Scaliger full-tongu'd knowes not what they say.

10. To the Bishop of Rome.

Greg. lib. 4 Epist. 32. and 36.

Of Bishops I dare stile you Principall,
'Tis Antichristian to be Generall.

11. A wife more deare then sweet. To a complementing kinde Husband.

Come hither, deare wife, prethee sweet wife goe,
Sweet wife, doe this, or deare wife, pray' doe so.
She's deare indeed, but not so sweet, I trow.

12. Plaisters for a Gald-heart.

On euery married man that hath a Shrowe,
(As many a married man hath one, I trow;)
These foure, poore, pittious plaisters I bestow,
Except their wiues death, the best helpe I know.
1 Or to thy friend reueale thy wofull plight;
2 Or let her hot words thee inflame to fight;
3 Or else withdraw thy selfe from her by flight;
4 Or with thy patience all her wrongings slight.

13. A husbands desire to his Wife.

Laugh with me, make me laugh, whilst I doe liue:
When I dye, choose where thou'lt laugh or grieue.

14. To a weeping Widdow.

Thy Husband's dead, and thou dost weepe therefore.
No: 'tis, cause thou canst make him weepe no more.

15. Ill-fauoured Huswifery. To one shrewdly married.

Though you fall out, yet you agree herein,
When as thy wife doth wash, then doo'st thou wring.

16. To all Chollericke People.

Shrewdnes is like vnto a Grauesend toast,
Abhorred by those that doe vse it most.
In vs we doe contentedly it beare,
We cry, Fought at it, finding it else-where.
If Shrewes say they cannot their Choller smother,
I say, For healths sake we must vent that other.
'Tis hugg'd at home, abroad, at home it is abhor'd,
Thence I conclude Shrewdnes is like a T.

17. To those who I feare will find fault with this Comparison.

If you will say that this is odious,
Comparisons are so; this should be thus.

18. Reasons for the taking of Tobacco.

Since most Phisicions drinke Tobacco still,
And they of nature haue th'exactest skill,
Why should I thinke it for my body ill?
And since most Preachers of our Nation,
Tobacco drinke with moderation,
Why should I feare of prophanation?
Yet if that I take it intemperately,
My soule and body may be hurt thereby.

19. The fiue Properties of good Tobacco.

Tobacco to be good, it must be strong,
Cleare smoak't, white ashes, hard and lasting long.

20. A Citty Sheriffe.

Before, and after, sparing he doth liue,
Brauely he spends, when he is Master Shrieue.

21. Si Sennior: Spaniard. Signore Si: Italian.

Of Spaniards and Italians thus I find,
As Arsee-versee they auerre their mind.
So one before, the other sins behind.

22. Why Astrea left the Earth.

On earth Astrea held the Ballance euen:
But she long since with them is fled to heauen.
Why hath Astrea bid this world Adieu?
Her Lease was out, She would not buy a new.

23. On a Priuate, Rich, close-liuing Churle, alluding to him in Terence, who of himselfe sayes, Populus me sibulat, &c.

Walking abroad like a great Turkie-Cocke,
Some fleere, some geere, eu'ry one doth me mocke:
At home amongst my puddings and my eggs,
I hugge my selfe, looking on my full bags,
Finding my selfe Fortunes white sonne to be,
I laugh at them, that euen now laugh't at me.

24. To the same fellow.

Thou art deceiu'd, selfe-flattering-golden Asse,
Whil'st thou behold'st thy selfe in a false Glasse.

25. To the Pope.

Christ said vnto the people, Reade and see
The Scriptures: for they testifie of me.
Wherefore didst thou thine reading them deny?
That thou art Antichrist, they testifie;

26. Papisticall cruelty.

Were there no other argument but this,
It proues our faith, then yours the better is.
We are not cruell, bloody, enuious,
(Though your late-lying Legends slander vs)
We meekely seeke but your Conuersion,
Weepe at your sought for Execution:
You bloody, slanderous, and inexorable
At all times, euery where, where you are able;
Witnes Maries short Raigne, French Massacre,
Which in red letters, your lewd minds declare.
Our God, though Iust, his mercy's ouer all,
A blood-sucker, Satan was from his fall.

27. A Prayer hereupon, to the God of Iustice.

When thou for blood mak'stinquisition,
Thinke on the bloody Inquisition.

28. To our wise Roman Diuines.

Why enforce yee a blind obedience?
All else would see your Glosses enforc't sence.

29. Why the fiue-footed Iämbicke fits best in our English verse.

Iämbicks in our language haue best grace:
They with graue Spondies dance a Cinquepace:
If wanton Dactils doe skip in by chance,
They well-neere marre the measure of the Dance:
To end a verse, she may a foot be lending,
Like to a round tricke at a Galliards ending.

30. To the Diuine soule of that excellent Epigrammatist, Master Iohn Owen.

Let thy Celestiall Manes pardon me,
If like thy shaddow I haue followed thee.

32. Why Preachers stand, and Auditors sit. To his louing Friend, Master Robert Burton.

Would'st know why Preachers stand, and we doe sit?
Because what they speake with, or without wit,
Not we, but they themselues must stand to it.

33. What Prosperity cannot perswade, Aduersity will enforce.

He that in Zeale is calme, in calmes at Sea,
In stormes if he haue Zeale, in Zeale, he'le pray;
So though our Zeale be cold whil'st Fortune shines,
'Twill be more feruent in tempestuous times.

34. To a Friend.

Shew such as mine to young-briske Butterflyes,
(Who haue as many hearts as they haue eyes,)
They'll sweare to you, The best that e're they saw:
Behinde your backe, They are not worth a straw.
This shuffling shewes, that in their Puffe-paste wit,
Momus and Gnato doe at random fit.

35. Talking Beasts.

When Æsop said Beasts spake; Æsop said true.
I heard Beasts speake within this day or two.

36. The Gowte.

'Tis said, that rich men only haue the Gowt,
Of that old-rusty-sad saw, I make doubt.
Indeed the Gowt, the child is of rich men;
This froward Else, poore men nurse now and then.

37. [When I was of Lincolns Inne]

[_]

When I was of Lincolns Inne the fashion was, (and I thinke is still) after dinner vpon grand and festiuall dayes, some young Gentlemen of the house would take the best Guest by the hand, and he the next, and so hand in hand they did solemnly passe about the fire, the whole Company, each after other in order; to euery staffe a song, (which I could neuer sing) the whole Company did with a ioyn'd voyce sing this burthen: Some mirth and solace now let vs make, To cheare our hearts, and sorrowes stake. Vpon this kind of Commencement of these Reuels, I conceited this:

When wise, rich Lawyers dance about the fire,
Making graue needlesse mirth sorrowes to slacke.
If Clyents (who doe them too dearely hire,
Who want their money, and their comfort lacke)
Should for their solace, dance about the Hall:
I iudge their dance were more methodicall.

38. An old Prouerb, though a strange one, truely exemplified.

A Prouerb 'tis, how true I cannot tell,
Happy are those, whose fathers goe to hell,
Sure, some would thinke, their happinesse it were,
If their close-fisted fathers in hell were,
That they may of his wealth haue out their share.
For whil'st they liue, but little they will spare.

39. To a namelesse one.

Thou marri'st one, whom thou before didst know:
It is the fashion now to marry so.

40. The first Arithmeticke.

Numration.

Adam at first in number was but one;

Addition.

Vntill God added Eue, he was alone:

Diuision.

They were deuided, till the Lord them ioynes,

Multiplication.

And bade them multiply out of their Loynes:

Substraction.

And so from them substracted are all Nations,
Vnto these present Generations.

41. The seeming good workes of vnbeleeuers.

The glorious deeds of vnbeleeuing ones,
Are glittering cleare abominations;
So said St. Hurom: and thus saith St Paul,
They're shining brasse, and a tinkling Cymball.
For good workes without faith and louing feare,
Doe neither please Gods eye, nor yet his eare.

42. Heauenly, and Earthly hearts.

The Earth is firme, the Heauens mutable,
Yet Heauenly mindes are firme, Earthly vnstable.

43. To a superstitious Papist, fearefull of Purgatory, who to his cost desires to haue a quick dispatch from that fearefull place.

With faith pray feruently, religious liue;
Thou need'st no money, for an Obit leaue,
Thy soule in Purgatory to relieue.

44. To rich Papists.

If the Popes Sawes by his authority,
Were truer then Christs written Verity;

Contrary to Christs saying, Mat. 19. 23, 24.

Those rich men, Asses were, that went to Hell,
If they within Romes Churches limits dwell:
For though you ne'r so lewdly spend your breath,
Your Coyne will buy you Pardons after death.

45. An humble, contrite, and a double-deuided heart.

Gods fauour breaks forth on a broken heart:
But in a parted one God hath no part.

46. A short Dialogue betwixt two ancient Philosophers, laughing Democritus, and weeping Heraclitus.

Heraclitus.
Vaine, foolish man, why dost thou alwaies laugh?

Democritus.
Mans vanity, and foolish pride I scoffe,
Wherefore dost thou such a strange puling keepe?

Heraclitus.
For mans bad sinnes, sad miseries I weepe.

47. Counsell to my young Cousens, Iohn and William Barker, Abel and Mathew Rogers, Sonnes to my Brother Barker, and his now wife.

Ill Company is like Infection,
It soone taints a good disposition.
Take heed into what Company yee fall:
Vice is a sicknes Epidemicall.

48. To one, who on his Gossips pratlings in a dangerous disease, thinks and hopes so much of his Recouery, that hee neglects the consideration of his Mortality.

'Cause some haue scap'd that haue beene almost dead,
Thou think'st that thou may'st be recouered:
But because many healthy men doe dye,
I thinke on that, knowing that so may I.

49. To my Reuerend sicke friend, W. G. of Bristoll.

Not quiet, an vsuall phrase for sicknesse in Deuonshire.

When folke are sicke, we say, They are not well.
My Country phrase is, That they are not quiet.
Both of these phrases fit all those that mell
With Physicke Doses, and prescribed dyet.
The first of these two phrases fit sicke men:
The last fits best Women and Children.

50. Papisticall Miracles.

Primitiue miracles were strange and true,
And did confirme the Doctrine then held new.
Yours falsely, faign'd, ridiculous, and bold,
Bolster new Doctrines, contradict the old.
Your apparitions, new-faign'd miracles,
Doe ouerthrowe the ancient Articles.

51. An Aduertisement to all Tradesmen, and may serue for Souldiers, or any others subiect to Casualtie.

Who doth refuse a reasonable proffer,
Had need to haue good Fortune in his Coffer.

52. To a Card-Cheater.

To Cut, and shuffle, in a Horse is ill:
To shuffle, and to Cut, is thy prime skill.

53. To one that hath lost both his eares.

Some that haue two eares, heare not what we say:
Thou that hast not an eare, hear'st more then they.

54. Whome Discretion doth not, Correction will keepe vnder.

If head-strong Iades will not Gods Bit obey,
His Rod will whippe their restines away.

55. A meditation of too much and too little Winde at Sea, wracking Stormes, and staruing Calmes.

Mans state on shore, is like mans state at Sea;
Too much, too little, causeth sad decay;
Hence Poets famed Fortune heretofore
Sayling, one foote on Sea, and one on shore.

56 Fearefull Hell-Fire.

At sight of fire, bold Lyons runne away
Bold sinners, who men fearing sinne, vpbray:
The sight of Hell-fire will these Lads dismay.

57. To Sir Senix Fornicator.

Winter hath seaz'd vpon thy beard, and head,
Yet for all this, thy wilde Oates are not shed.
Me thinkes when Hills are ouerspred with Snow,
It should not wantonly be hot below.
But thou most like vnto a Lecke dost seeme:
For though thy head be white, thy tayle is green.

58. Some standers by see more Some standers by leese more then Gamsters.

Some wise by-standers more then Gamesters sees;
Some standers by more then wise Gamesters leese.

59. To nobly descended Recusants.

'Tis said, you came from noble Ancestors,
Who did strange wonders in the old French warres,
You say you are of their Religion,
And that it is the true and ancient one:
It was your Ancestors, for ought I know:
But new, vntrue, Gods old true Word sayes so.

60. Traditions and Gods Word. To Papists.

'Twixt your beliefe, and our Religion,
There hath beene long, and strong contention:
You proue yours by mens word: but we abhorre it:
Our proofe is better, we haue Gods Word for it.

61. To one that askt me why I doe write so briefely.

62. To my kinde louing bedfellow, Mr. Edward Payne, on the Gift of a Ring, wherein there was a Poesie of Patience.

In your last gift you wish me Patience.
I know you meane it in the better sence;
Not a sad, bad, stout patience, Stoicall.
But one that knowes, that God sends, and mends all.

63. Wise mens ill successe, and Fooles Fortune. A Paradox.

As many Wise men hurt themselues through wit,
As there are sosts grow rich, for want of it.

64. To the Pope.

Wherefore should'st thou blinde Ignorance inhance?
(On which all Wiser times did looke ascance?)
Saying it doth deuotion much aduance?
All thy mysterious skill, is Ignorance.

65. One of the Popes titles is, Seruant of Seruants.

Seruant of Seruants, Popes themselues haue nam'd,
By that stile cursed

Gen. 9. 25.

Canaan was defam'd.

66. All things are vendible at Rome.

In Romes full shop are sold all kindes of ware,

Reuel. 8. 12.

Mens soules purg'd, fyre-new, you may buy there.

67. To fault-finding more faulty Zoilus.

When others faults thou dost with spite reueale,
The Kettle twits the pot with his burnt taile.

68. To a hard-fauour'd rich Widdow, who, because she hath many Suitors, thinkes well of her selfe.

We know thee rich, and thou think'st thy selfe fine:
Thou think'st we loue thee, we know we loue thine.

69. Why Physicians thriue not in Bristoll.

In Bristoll Water-tumblers get small wealth:
There Doctor good-wine keepes them all in health.

70. To my Readers. An Arsee-versee Request, to my Friend Iohn Owen.

Owen, Lib. 1. Epig. 172.

Doe not with my leaues make thy backeside bright:
Rather with them doe thou Tobacco light.
I'd rather haue them vp in flames to flye,
Then to be stiffled basely priuily.

71. Health and Wealth.

Health is a Iewell, yet though shining wealth,
Can buy rich Iewels, it cannot buy health.

72. To Inuocators of Saints.

To Saints you offer supplication,
And say, Gods face beholding, they them know.
This is a strange bold speculation.
Whence came the Doctor that first told you so?
In Gods Word wee doe read, that God sees all:
Of such a glasse no mention made at all.

73. To those Papists, who shew their ignorant Deuotion in their Aue Maries.

How long shall Ignorance lead you astray?
Whil'st to our Lady you'd a prayer say,
You her salute, and needlesse for her pray.

74. To one of the Elders of the sanctified Parlor of Amsterdam.

Though thou maist call my merriments, my folly,
They are my Pills to purge my melancholly,
They would purge thine too, wert not thou Foole-holy.

75. Great mens entertainement.

Though rich mens troubles, kindnes are esteem'd,
Yet poore mens kidnes, troubles are still deem'd.

77. To a Bad-minded, Cholericke, vngratefull man.

Thou soone forget'st those wrongs thou dost to Men:
All small wrongs done to thee thou dost remember;
Euery good turne thou dost, thou count'st it ten:
For good done to thee, thy record is slender.
Kindnes from thee, like vomits make thee sweate;
Thou swallow'st others kindnes as thy meate.

78. To Master Fabian Sanford, Master of our Shippe and voyage in Newfound-Land, and may serue for all Masters trading there.

Men wearied are with labour other-where:
But you are weary, when you want it here.
And what in England would quite tire a horse,
Here the want of it, tyres you ten times worse.
Labour was first a curse to curbe mans pride;
The want of it, makes you to curse, chafe, chide.
To see you worke thus, better would me please,
Did you not worke thus vpon Sabbath Dayes.

79. Goodnes and Greatnes. To my good and louing Cousin, Mistris Thomasin Spicer, wife to Doctor Richard Spicer, Physicion.

Goodnes and Greatnes falling at debate,
Which should be highest in mens estimate;
After much strife, they vpon this did rest,
Great-goodnes and Good-greatnes is the best.

80. Mary Magdalens Teares. To my pretty Neece, Marie Barker.

To wash Christs feet, Maries Bath was her teares,
To wipe them drie, her Towell was her haires:
What her teares could not cleanse, nor haires makes dry,
Her Corrall lips did wipe, and mundifie.
She did anoynt him with a sweet, rich oyle,
And spared for no cost, nor for no toyle:
This Storie merits to be Registred,
And to be practised as well as read.

81. To my Neece and God-daughter, Grace Barker.

I promist, you should doe good, and fly ill,
Before that you had power, or will, or skill.
Lame Nature I knew could not walke that pace,
Without Gods Grace: therefore I nam'd you Grace.
Let mild Grace so sway Nature in you then,
That you may obtaine Grace with God and Men.

82. To a namelesse, wise, modest, faire Gentlewoman, my louing and kind Friend, whom reciprocally I loue as hartily.

Iuno is wealth, Pallas is vertue, wit,
Uenus Loue, beautie is in Poets writ:
Pallas, and Venus haue in you their treasure,
Why should hard Iuno offer vs such measure?

83. To our most Royall Queene Mary, Wife, Daughter, and Sister to three Famous Kings.

Uenus, and Pallas, at your birth conspir'd,
To make a worke, of all to be admir'd:
Uenus with admir'd feature did you grace,
Diuine complection, an Angellike face.
Pallas inspir'd a quicke, sweet, nimble spirit,
Vertue, and wit, of admirable merit,
But I admire them most, how they could place
So much; so admirable in so small space:
And they themselues admir'd when they had ended,
A Piece which they knew could not be amended.

84. To the same most Royall Queene.

When wise Columbus offerd his New-land,
To Wise men, they him held, vaine, foolish, fond,
Yet a wise Woman, of an happy wit,
With god successe aduentur'd vpon it:
Then the wise-men their wisedomes did repent,
And their heires since their follies doe lament.
My New-land (Madam) is already knowne,
The way the ayre, the earth, all therein growne,
It only wants a Woman of your spirit,
To mak't a Land fit for your Heires t'inherit.
Sweet, dreaded Queene, your helpe here will doe well:
Be here a Famous second Isabell.

85. A Newfound-land Poeticall Picture, of the admirable exactly featur'd young Gentlewoman, Mistris Anne Lowe, eldest Daughter to Sir Gabriel Lowe, Knight, my delicate Mistris.

The Preface to her Picture.

At sight, Loue drewe your picture on my heart,
In Newfound-Land I limm'd it by my Art.

86. The Pourtraite.

If Paris vpon Ida hill had seene
You 'mongst the Three, the Apple yours had beene.

Zeuxis drawing this picture had all the choice beauties of Greece naked before him.

Had curious Zeuxis seene your-all-excelling,
Whilst Iunoes Picture he was pencelling;
You had him eas'd in his various collection:
For Beautie hath in you a full Connection.

87. To the faire and vertuous Gentlewoman, Mistris Mary Winter, the younger, worthy of all loue.

Your budding beauty, wit, grace, modesty,
I did admire, euen in your infancy,
These blessed buds, each growne to a faire flowre,
Much haue I lou'd, since my first lawfull houre.
Whome few crosse-Winters haue made old and sad,
One such fayre Winter would make young and glad.

88. To the same beauteous modest Virgin, an Ænigma.

Had not false shuffling Fortune paltered,
Hymen had Hyems long since altered.

88. To a faire modest Creature, who deserues a worthy name, though she desires here to be namelesse.

Niggardly Venus beauty doth impart
To diuers diuersly, and but in part.
To one a dainty Eye, a cherry Cheeke:
To some, a tempting Lip, Brests white and sleeke:
To diuers ill-shap'd bodies, a sweet face:
Cleane made Legs, or a white hand, doth some grace,
On Thee more free her gifts She doth bestow;
For Shee hath set Thee out in Folio.

90. To my outwardly faire, and inwardly vertuous kind friend, Mistris Marie Rogers, widdow, since marryed to Master Iohn Barker of Bristoll, Merchant, my kind and louing Brother in Law.

Lillies, and Roses on your face are spred,
Yet trust not too much to your white and red:
Lillies will fade, Roses their leaues will shed:
These flowres may dye, long before you are dead.
Your inward beautie (which all doe not see)
Then white and red, and you, more lasting be.

91. To the faire, vertuous, wittie widdow, Mistris Sara Smeyths.

If it be true, (as some doe know too well;)
To Louers Heauen, we passe through Louers Hell:
Be confident, you shall enioy Earths glorie,
For you on Earth are past your Purgatorie.

92. To my kind and worthy Friend, Mistris E. B. wife to Captaine H. B. By my Captaines leaue.

Your ontward, and your inward graces moue
My tongue to praise you, and my heart to loue.
I hope, it will not God, nor man offend,
If that in Loue your vertues I commend:
And by his Leaue who is yours in possession,
Ile loue, and praise your goodnes in reuersion.

93. To my perpetuall Ualentine, worthy Mistris Mary Tayler, wife to Master Iohn Tayler Merchant of Bristoll.

My sweet discreet perpetuall Valentine,
In your faire brest vertue hath built a Shrine,
Bedecking it with flowres, amongst the rest,
Mild bearing your not-bearing is not least.
You know the worthy husband that you haue,
Is worth more children then some fondlings craue;
Besides the blessed babes begot by good,
More comforts bring then some of flesh and blood.
Kind Valentine, still let our comfort be,
Children there are ynow for you and me.

94. To my best Cousin, Mistris Elizabeth Flea, wife to Master Thomas Flea, of Exeter Merchant.

If one were safely lodg'd at his long rest,
I could wish you a Flea in my warme nest.
Who writes this, loues Yee both so well, he prayes,
Long may yee skip from Death, like nimble Fleas.

95. To the faire modest Mayd, pretty Mrs. Martha Morris, and of her hansome sister, Mistris Marie Philips, both of Bristoll.

Though Martha were with Mary angrie for't,
Yet Christ told her,

Luke 10. 42.

She chose the better part.
Faire, chaste mayd Martha, you haue chose the best:
Your sister Mary, a life

1. Cor. 7. 34.

of lesse rest.

96. Another to the same, being since married.

But since I heare that you haue chang'd your state,
I wish your choice may proue kind, fortunate,
And that he may deserue you euery deale;
He well deserues, that doth deserue you well.

97. To the pretty, pert, forward greene, Mistris L. B.

Nature tooke time your pretty parts to forme,
She hastes her worke in you, since you were borne,
Your buds are forward, though your leaues are greene:
I thinke you will be ripe at Eleuenteene.

98. To the modest, and vertuous Widdow, Mistris Elizabeth Gye of Bristoll, whose dead Husband Master Philip Gye, was sometimes Gouernour of the Plantation in Newfound-Land, where he, and she liued many yeeres happily and contentedly.

Though Fortune presse you with too hard a hand,
I heare, your heart is here, in Newfound-Land.

99. To a debausht University. A Complaint against Drunkennesse.

Thy Sonnes (most famous Mother) in old time,
To quench their thirst, Pernassus hill did clime.
Some of thy Sonnes, now thinke that hill too steepe,
Their Helliconian springs doe lye more deepe.
Their study now is, where there is good drinke,
The Spigot is their Pen, strong beere their Inke.
I could with Democrit' laugh at this sinne,
If it in any other place had bin:
But in a place where all should be decent,
A sinne so nastie, inconuenient,
So beastly, so absurd, worthy disdaine,
It straines me quite out of my merry straine.
I could with Heraclit' lament, and cry,
Or write complaints with wofull Ieremy:
Nay, much-much more, if that would expiate
What's past, or following follies extirpate.
Many rare wits hath it infatued,
Their climbing merits quite precipited,
And hopes of ancient houses ruined.
Fooles and base sots this sinne hath made of them,
That by sobriety had beene braue men:
Yea I doe know, many wise men there be,
Which for this dare not trust their Sonnes with thee,
Fearing this Cerberus, this Dogge of Hell,
Within whose Ward all other follies dwell.
I hope, thy Sister better lookes to hers,
Indulgent Elies are thy Officers,
If they will not assist my motion,
To apply Causticks, and no Lotium;
Deare Mother, on my knees I beg this boone,
Afford this inconuenient Vice no roome,
But whip it in thy Conuocation,
Or strip it of Matriculation.

100. A short Iigge after this long Lachrymæ Pauin.

As drunke as an old Begger, once 'twas said.
As drunke as a young Scholler, now we reade.

101. To the Reuerend, Learned, Sober, and wise Gouernours in this Famous Uniuersity.

I heare, this sinne you will shut out of doore:
It ioyes me so, that I can write no more.

102. That euery one may take his. To my worthy Readers.

Faire, modest, learned, sober, wise, and wittie,
Praising I praise you, if those praises fit yee.

103. To my vnworthy Reader.

Fond, wicked, misse-led, if thou guilty be,
Although I name thee not, yet I meane thee.

THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF QVODLIBETS. An vnfinisht Booke.

1. To the Reader.

Sermons and Epigrams haue a like end,
To improue, to reproue, and to amend:
Some passe without this vse, 'cause they are witty;
And so doe many Sermons, more's the pitty.

2. To the Reader.

Of my small course, poore wares I cannot boast:
Owen and others haue the choyce ingrost:
And if that I on trust haue ta'ne vp any;
Owen hath done so too, and so haue many.

3. Redargution or payd with his owne money.

When Pontius call'd his neighbour, Cuckold Asse,
Being mad to see him blinded, as he was,
His Wife him standing by, repli'd anon:
Fie, Husband, fie, y'are such another man.
Nay, I doe know (quoth Pontius) that there be
Nine more in Towne, in as bad case as he.
Then you know ten, if you (quoth she) say true.
Fye, Husband, fie, what an odde man are you?

4. Catholique, Apostolique Roman faith. To Papists.

If the word Catholique yea truly straine,
To neither of vs doth it appertaine.
Apostolique we dare our selues afford,
And proue it by their practice, and their word.
The now new Roman Faith yee stifly hold,
And brag of it, as if it were the old.

5. To elder Pelagians, more fine later Papists and our refined Arminians.

Though seu'rall wayes you one opinion twine,
'Twixt your conceipts there's but a little line:
For all of you with free-grace are too bold,
Withgood workes laying on presumptuous hold.
With your weake works, binding your boundlesse Maker,
Without whome, none can be an vndertaker.
Whilst God tyes vs by Faith to doe good deeds,
You will tye God to you by your fond Creeds.
Satan, that lowres at faithfull, fearefull workes,
Likes your good deed, because he knowes your querks.
At weake, faith-propt, due works Satan doth grieue:
At tip-toe good works, he laughs in his sleeue.
It's God that giues vs grace, and makes vs able,
Hauing all done, we are vnprofitable.
Worke, and worke on with fond credulity,
Mercy with faith is our security.

6. A Chronagram of the yeere wherein Queene Elizabeth dyed, and King Iames came to the Crowne of England: both of blessed memory. Wee MaDe a HappIe Change thIs Yeere. M D C III.

This yeere of Grace, by Gods especiall grace,
When all our foes expected our disgrace,
God crusht their malice, and allai'd our feare:
We made a happy Change this Present yeere:
A Change we made, but yet no Alteration;
Of former happines a transmigration:
Two froward Sisters long at enmity,
Became the birth-twinnes of Virginity,
From a chaste, vertuous, blessed barren wombe,
From the ill-boding North, our Spring did come;
Whilst many wise foreseeing men did feare,
Who should with quietnes be the next Heire,
Our feares, so sodainly to ioyes did passe,
We cannot well tell in what yeere it was.
This yeere our iust victorious Warre did cease,
And we enioy'd a sought-for proff'red Peace.
Assoone as our wise Debora was gont,
God sent this Land a Peacefull Salomon.
Our warlike Pallas hauing rul'd her dayes,
Apollo came, adorn'd with learned Bayes.
Lastly herein our Chronogram doth hold,
This yeere we chang'd our Siluer into Gold.
Siluer a female is, Gold masculine:
Good God lengthen, strengthen this golden Lyne.
If any wise man iudge it otherwise,
I may well iudge that Wiseman ouerwise.

7. Of the Great and Famous, euer to bee honoured Knight, Sir Francis Drake, and of my little-little selfe.

The Dragon, that our Seas did raise his Crest,
And brought back heapes of gold vnto his nest,
Vnto his Foes more terrible then Thunder,
Glory of his age, After-ages wonder,
Excelling all those that excell'd before;
It's fear'd we shall haue none such any more;
Effecting all, he sole did vndertake,
Valiant, iust, wise, milde, honest, godly Drake.
This man when I was little, I did meete,
As he was walking vp Totnes long Street,
He ask'd me whose I was? I answer'd him.
He ask'd me if his good friend were within?
A faire red Orange in his hand he had,
He gaue it me, whereof I was right glad,
Takes and kist me, and prayes, God blesse my boy:
Which I record with comfort to this day.
Could he on me haue breathed with his breath,
His gifts Elias-like, after his death,
Then had I beene enabled for to doe
Many braue things I haue a heart vnto.
I haue as great desire, as e're had hee
To ioy; annoy; friends; foes: but 'twill not be.

8. To the right Reuerend Father in God, Ioseph Hall, by Gods especiall prouidence, Lord Bishop of Exceter.

Borne in a Christian new Plantation,
These kneele to you for Confirmation;
To you they come, that you might them adorne:
Their Father in your Diocesse was borne.

9. To the Reuerend and diuinely witty, Iohn Dun, Doctor in Diuinity, Deane of Saint Pauls, London.

As my Iohn Owen

Owen, Lib. 4. Epig. 40.

Seneca did praise,
So might I for you a like piller raise,
His Epigrams did nothing want but verse;
You can yours (if you list) that way rehearse:
His were neat, fine, diuine morality;
But yours, pure, faithfull, true Diuinity.

10. Aristotles ten Predicaments, to be reduced into questions, is an excellent rule for examining any busines for matter of iustice. To the hopefull and right worthy young Gentleman, Thomas Smith of Long-Ashton in the County of Sommerset, Esq.

The thing

[_]

1

, how much

[_]

2

, conditions of the men

[_]

3

,
For what cause

[_]

4

, what was done

[_]

5

, who suffer'd then

[_]

6

,
Where

[_]

7

, when

[_]

8

; their postures

[_]

9

, how clad, soule, or cleane

[_]

10

.

11. Their vse.

Who hath power of examinations,
If he desire to finde out guilty ones,
Let him reduce these into questions.
So if to finde out truth, be his intent,
Before that all these questions be spent,
The guilty's brought in a Predicament.

12. The cause of Dedication.

Strange not, that I these Lines to you haue sent;
I know, your worth will make you eminent.
Grace, Wisedome, Learning, Vertue, you haue store;
Were you not modest, I could say much more.

13. To the Reuerend, Learned, and Iudicious, Thomas Worall, Doctor in Diuinity, and Chapaline to the right Reue. Father in God, George, L. Bishop of London. Of my reprehending Epigrams.

It is for one of your gifts, and your place,
To looke bold-staring-black sinne in the face,
To wound, and launce with the two-edged blade,
To clense, and heale those wounds that you haue made:
Yet suffer me, with my sharp-merry pinne,
To prick the blisters of some itching sinne.
And though Diuines, iustly loose Rymes condemne,
My tart, smart, chiding Lines doe not contemne.

14. To the Reuerend, my worthy ingenious friend, Mr. Abel Louering, one of the Preachers of the Word of God at Bristoll. Of my commending Epigrams.

Those I commend, you would commend them too,
If you did know them truely, as I doe.
Preachers like you, may praise men at their ends,
Laymen like me, may praise wise-liuing friends.

15. To a Reuerend and witty friend.

Since few yeeres studying hath improu'd your wit,
That for the place you hold, you are held fit,
When you preach, you preach sweetly and compleat,
And other things you doe, smooth, witty, neate.
What place in Church would you not fitly hallow;
If you your study soberly would follow?

16. Of Epigrams.

Short Epigrams rellish both sweet and sowre,
Like Fritters of sowre Apples, and sweet flowre.

17. To the wise and Learned Sir Iohn Stradling, Knight Baronet, the Author of diuers Diuine Heroicall printed Poems.

Robert Fitz-Heman drew your Ancestor
To Wales, to be his fellow Conqueror.
And Robert Hayman would draw all your worth,
If he true knowledge had, to lymme it forth.
Wise Sir, I know you not, but by relation,
Sauing in this, which spreads your reputation:
Your high diuine sweet straines Poeticall.
Which crownes, adornes your noble vertues all.
Therein to dight a full Feast, you are able,
Whilst I fit Fritters for Apollo's Table.

18. To Master Beniamin Iohnson, Witty Epigrammatist, and most excellent Poet.

My Epigrams come after yours in time;
So doe they in conceipt, in forme, in Ryme;
My wit's in fault, the fault is none of mine:
For if my will could haue inspir'd my wit,
There neuer had beene better Verses writ,
As good as yours, could I haue ruled it.

19. To one of my neate Readers.

Thou say'st, my Verses are rude, ragged rough,
Not like some others Rymes, smooth, dainty stuffe.
Epigrams are like Satyres, rough without,
Like Chessnuts, sweet, take thou the kernell out.

Satyres. 20. To the acute Satyrist, Master George Wither.

The efficient cause of Satyres, are things bad,
Their matter, sharpe reproofes, instructions sad,
Their forme sowre, short, seuere, sharp, roughly clad:
Their end is that amendment may be had.

21. To the same Mr. George Wither, of his owne Satyres.

What cause you had, this veine too high to straine,
I know not, but I know, it caus'd your paine;
Which causeth others wisely to refraine:
Yet let some good cause draw you on againe.
You strip and whip th'ill manners of the times
So hansomely, that all delight your Rymes.

22. To my right worthy friend, Mr. Michael Drayton, whose vnwearied old Muse still produceth new dainties.

When I was young, I did delight your lines,
I haue admyr'd them since my iudging times:
Your younger muse plai'd many a dainty fit,
And your old muse doth hold out stoutly yet.
Though my old muse durst passe through frost and snow,
In warres your

He wrot battell of the Agincourt, when he was aboue 60. yeers old.

old muse dares her Colours shew.

23. To my worthy and learned good friend, Mr. Iohn Vicars, who hath translated part of Mr. Owens Epigrams.

Who hath good words, and a warme brooding pate,
Shall easier hatch neate new things, then translate:
He that translates, must walke as others please:
Writing our owne, we wander may at ease.

24. To my good friend, Mr. T. B. Vintner, at the signe of the Sunne in Milke-street.

Bacchus desiring an auspicious signe,
Vnder which he might sell his choysest wine,
Desiring much to choose one of the seuen
Celestiall Planets, reel'd one night to heauen,
He found old Bent-brow'd Saturne melancholly,
Ioue stern, Mars stout, Uenus repleat with folly,
Sly Mercury full of Loquacity,
And Luna troubled with vnconstancy:
Disliking these, he middle Sol espy'd,
Who vnto sober drinkers is a guide:
He liking this, in

Milke-street

via Lactea plaste it,
And with his best wines, he hath e're since graste it,
And finding you no Brewer, as your due,
He doth commit the charge thereof to You.

27. To a Friend, who asked me why I doe not compose some particular Epigrams to our most gracious King, as my Friend Iohn Owen did to his famous Father, King Iames of blessed memorie.

Thou ask'st, Why I doe not spinne out my wit,
In silken threds, and fine, smooth, neat lines fit,
In speciall Epigrams to our wise King?
All these my selfe I dedicate to him.
Its all too coorse, what my wit can weaue forth,
To wrap the little finger of his worth.

28. Sinnes short Grammar. To my louiog Cousin Master Iohn Gunning the younger, of Bristoll Merchant.

29. To lashing, fault-finding Zoilus.

I know, thou wilt end, as thou hast begunne:
Put vp thy Rod (great whipper) I haue done.

30. To the ineffable, indiuiduall, euer blessed Trinity in Unity.

To one in three, three in one be all praise,
For planting in me, this small bud of Bayes.

CERTAINE EPIGRAMS OVT OF THE FIRST FOVRE BOOKES OF THE Excellent Epigrammatist, Master Iohn Ovven:

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AT HARBOR-GRACE IN Bristols-Hope in Britaniola, anciently called New-found-land: By R. H.

TO THE FAR ADMIRED, ADMIRABLLY FAIRE, vertuous, and witty Beauties of England.

A PRÆMONITION TO ALL KINDE OF READERS of these Translations of Iohn Owens Epigrams.

As one into a spacious Garden led,
Which is with rare, faire flowers well garnished,
Where Argus may all his eyes satisfie;
Centimanus all his hands occupy,
He will chuse some fine flowers of the best,
To make himselfe a Poesie at the least:
Or he will, if such fauour may be found,
Intreate some Slips, to set in his owne ground:
So fares it with me, when in Owens booke,
At leasure times, with willing eyes I looke:
I cannot chuse, but choose some of his flowers,
And to translate them at my leisure howres.
But as 'tis not for this admitted Man,
Manners at once to gather euery one,
But mildly to cull a few at a time,
I pray thee doe so too, kinde Reader mine:
For as a Man may surfet on sweet meates:
So thou maist ouer-read these quaint conceits.
Some at one time, some at another chuse;
As Maidens doe their kissing Confects vse.
Reade therefore these, His; by translation, Mine:
As some eate Cheese, a penny-waight at a time.

AN ENCOMIASTICK DISTICK ON MY RIGHT WORTHY AVTHOR, Iohn Ovven.

The best conceits Owens conceits haue found,
Short, sharp, sweet, witty, vnforc'd, neate, profound.

PART OF MASTER IOHN OWENS EPIGRAMS TRANSLATED into English.

The First Booke.

Epig. 2. To the Reader.

Thou that read'st these, if thou commend them all,
Thou'st too much milk; if none, thou'st too much gall.

3 To Master Iohn Hoskins, of his Booke.

My Booke the World is, Verses are the Men,
You'll finde as few good here, as amongst them.

8 Know thy selfe.

Nothing worth knowledge is in thee, I trow,
Seeke some-where else, some worthier thing to know.

14 Gilberts Opinion, that the Earth goes round, and that the Heauens stand still.

Thou sai'st, the Earth doth moue: that's a strange tale,
When thou didst write this, thou wert vnder sayle.

15 Physicions, and Lawyers.

Our sicknesses breeds our Physicions health,
Our folly makes wise Lawyers with our wealth.

16 O Times, O Manners!

21 To a poore, bare, beggerly, fie on such a Physicion.

Thou wert a poore, bare, fye on such a one,
But now thou art growne a Physicion:
Thou giuest vs physicke, we with gold thee please:
Thou cur'st not ours; but we cure thy disease.

26 Cold fire.

If that Loue be a fire (as it is said)
How cold is thy Loues fire, my pretty Maide?

27 An impious Atheists pastime.

I ioy in present things, and present time:
A time will come that will be none of mine:
Grammarians talke of times past and hereafter:
I spend time present in pastime and laughter.

28 An Atheist's Epitaph.

He liu'd, as if he should not feele Deaths paine,
And died, as if he would not liue againe.

30 Married Alanaes complaint.

All day Alana rayleth at Wedlocke,
And says, 'tis an vntolerable yoake:
At night being pleasd, shee altereth her rage,
And sayes that marriage is the merriest age.

31 A Prophet and Poet.

Of things to come these make true predication,
These of things present make a false relation.

35 Free-will.

Free-will for which Christs Church is so diuided,
Though men it lose, Wiues will not be deny'd it.

39 New Rhetoricke.

Good arguments without Coyne will not stick
To pay, and not say is best Rhetorick.

52 To an Atheist.

Each house, thou seest here, some one doth possesse,
Yet thou dost thinke the great house masterlesse.

53 A trade betwixt Physicions and Patients.

Physicions receiue gold, but giue none backe,
Physicke they'll giue, but none of it they'll take:
Their hands write our health bills, ours greaze their fist:
Thus one mans hand, another doth assist.

54 Iuris-prudentes, Wise men of Law.

55 To Courtiers.

If good thou be at Court, thou may'st grow better,
But I doe feare thou hardly wilt grow greater:
If great thou be, greater thou may'st be made:
But to grow better is no Courtiers trade.

57 A Mortall Conceit.

To eternize thy fame, thou buildst a Tombe,
As if death could not eat vp such a Roome.

58 A Comfort for Baldnes.

So young and bald, take comfort then in this,
Thy head will ne'r bee whiter then it is.

61 On old Alan.

Old Alan ioynes his couch to his wiues bed,
And thinkes himselfe thereby most sweetly laid.

62 New-yeeres-gifts.

Some mens pride, some mens basenesse.

Olus giues not to rich, to receiue more;
To poore he cannot giue, 'cause he is poore:
Quintus for gaine giues gift with long low legs,
And what he would haue giuen, by giuing begs.

63 A Caueat for Cuckolds.

When Pontius wish'd all Cuckolds in the Sea,
His wife replide: First learne to swimme, I pray.

71 Physicions and Lawyers.

Physicions, Lawyers, by one meanes doe thriue,
For others harmes doe both of them relieue:
By sicknesse one, the other by contention;
Both promise helpe, both thriue by this pretention.

73 The Bald-pate.

Trees haue new leaues, in fields there growes new graine,
But thy shed haires will neuer grow againe.

76 Gyants and Dwarfes.

Gyants and Dwarfes are men of differing grouth,
Dwarfes are shrunke men; Gyants are men stretcht forth.

80 A Sergeants case.

To Lawyers.

If a man with a wench should make a match,
And in stead of her should his owne wife catch:
Tell me if a childe borne by this deceit,
Be a base bastard, or Legitimate?

84 A begging Poet.

I heare, thou in thy verses praysest me:
It is because in mine I should praise thee.

89 An old Churle.

What-euer of this friend I begge or borrow,
He puts me off, and sayes, You shall to morrow:
For this thy promise shall I fit thankes fit?
To morrow then, thee will I thanke for it.

93 Double dealing.

Wherefore loues Venus, Mars, vnlawfully?
Vulcan is lame in lawfull venery.

94 Much haire, little Wit.

101 A dead Reckoning.

What death is, thou dost often aske of me:
Come to me when I am dead, I'll tell it thee.

103 To selfe applying, and fault-finding Zoilus .

When I finde fault at faults, thou carp'st at me:
It may be, therein thou think'st I meane thee:
Why should'st thou thinke I reproue thee alone?
Finding fault with faults, I doe fault mine owne.

105 To Bald-pate.

Surely thy brow had some dimention,
Before thy haires were with a hoare-frost gone:
Thy haires are all like leaues fallen from a tree,
That thy whole head a fore-head now may be:
None know the length, bredth, depth of thy brow now,
Therefore there is no trust now to thy brow.

106 Plaine downe-right bald-pate.

I cannot count my haires, they are so thicke growne,
Nor canst thou number thine, for thou hast none.

107 Fortunes Apologie.

To all, iust Fortune deales an equall Share,
To poore men she giues hope, to rich men Feare.

113 The Chyrurgion.

Whether for warre or peace should I desire?
I gaine by Mars his sword, and Venus fire.

115 Complainers and Flatterers.

Old Anaxagoras said, Snow was black:
Our Age such kinde of people doth not lack:
The Foxe said, that the Rooke was white as Snow:
Many such flattering Foxes I doe know.

119 A reasonable Request.

Sweet, let thy soule be smooth as is thy skin:
As thou art faire without, be so within.

120 Not seene, No sinne.

Thou think'st all sure, when none doe see thine ill,
Though with a witnesse, thou goest to it still.

127 To a scalded Leacher.

Though thou hast scap'd commuting, and the sheet,
Thy head-lesse thing hath had correction meete.

130 To a minsing Madam.

Thou art displeasd, and angerly dost looke,
'Cause a mans thing thou find'st nam'd in my booke:
For writing it, why dost thou chafe at me?
A man without it would more anger thee.

131 Saturnes three sonnes.

Doubtfull Diuines, Lawyers that wrangle most,
Nasty Physicions, these three rule the rost.

132 To his married friend.

Single and married liues.

139 Wine and Women.

143 Rare Sarah .

A Wife to yeeld her bed-right to her maid,
Of none but Sarah could it e're be said.

144 To D. T.

Thy Masters master, Pupils slaue the while,
I doe both enuy, and lament thy Stile.

147 A Waggs Bolt.

Happy is he (good Sir) that hath a care
Of others harmes, and hornes for to beware:
A sonne so whisper'd in his fathers eare.

149 An vxorious Asse.

Quintus obserues his wiues words, nods, and hands,
Her words are lawes, and her requests commands:
She drawes, she driues, she swayes her husband so,
You cannot tell where she haue one or no:
Against all Grammar rules, they lead their life,
That you may say, his husband, and her wife.

151 A wary wench that stood vpon her tearmes.

161 A Doctor in promising, but a Dunce in performing.

Much thou dost promise, nothing thou dost lend,
Like Doctors that write, take, and nothing send.

162 A pretty wench scuruily Cunny-catcht.

Would the old Spartan Law were vp againe,
That naked maides should marry naked men:
I thought to haue cockt away my maiden-head,
In naked truth, I did a Capon wed.

163 A forked Probleme.

Since She defiled hath the marriage bed,
Why must he weare the hornes? He is the head.

164 Verses giuen for a New-yeeres-gift, vnrewarded.

Giue some-what, or my verses backe to me:
On that condition, I doe giue them thee.

165 Christs Church Colledge in Oxford.

Though men looke sad at thy vnfinishing,
Which makes thee looke like to a ruin'd thing,
Thy Quadrangle shewes what thou should'st haue binne.

166 Phillis Loue.

Phillis sayes that shee's rauisht with my verses:
Verses she loues well: better she loues Tar---

167 Pastime.

I spend my time in vaine and idle toyes,
So fearing to lose time, my time I lose.

168 Short and sweet to the Reader.

Brand not my breuity with ill beliefe,
Beleeue me, 'tis my paine to be thus briefe:
I speake not much, and fond, as many a one,
If I speake foolishly, I soone haue done.

172 A Request to the Reader.

Rather then my leaues should Tobacco light,
I pray thee with them make thy back-side bright.

173 Of his Booke.

What if my Booke long before me should dye?
Many a sonne doth so vnwillingly.
What if he should liue some time after me?
All my braines Children fraile and mortall be.

The Second Booke.

Epig. 1.

[Though Fooles are euery where, (as there are many)]

Though Fooles are euery where, (as there are many)
I cannot, nor I care not to please any:
Few Readers I desire, and 'twere but one,
It should not trouble me, if there were none.

5 To Sir Iohn Harrington, most Excellent Poet.

A Poet meane I am; yet of the troope
Though thou art not, yet better thou canst do't.

7 A Court Wit.

At Court, who cannot his wit nimbly fit,
To fit each humour; hath at Court no wit.

8 The Spurre of Knighthood.

Thou knighted art, to get thy wiues good will;
Shee'll loue her selfe the more, thee little still:
She'ath cost thee much, but now shee'll cost thee more;
Shee's dearer therefore to thee, then before.

9 Chymicks folly.

Th'vnskilfull Chymick toyles, and boyles, and spoyles,
To make a Stone; vnstones himselfe the whiles.

10 A true Troian.

When all was lost, the Trojans then grew wise:
Who is not a true Trojan in this wise?

11 The Remedy of Loue.

Pray much, fast oft, flye women as the fire,
Thinke not on earthly things, but thinke on higher:
If these worke not this, med'cine doth excell,
The fire of marriage will lust-fire expell.

12 London, anciently called Troynouant.

As from the old Phœnix ashes anew springs:
So from Troyes ashes, London her birth brings.

37 To Master Adam Newton, Tutor to King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales.

39 Sir Francis Drake .

Drake like a Dragon through the world did flie,
And euery Coast thereof he did descrie:
Should enuious men be dumbe, the Spheares will shew,
And the two Poles, his iourneys which they saw:
Beyond Cades Pillers farre, Fame steerd his way;
Great Hercules on shore, but Drake by Sea.

43 The Diuine.

47 Women would haue their Will.

A Papist maid marrying a Lutheran;
Two sects much diff'ring in opinion,
She said, Sweet heart, be not vnkind to me;
All shall be well, for I'le be kind to thee:
Let me of my old Faith hold but free will;
In other points I shall your mind fulfill.

54 An English Wife.

Let me set alwayes vppermost at boord,
The vppermost in bed I'le you affoord:
Thus wee'll deuide our rule; I rule all day,
All night, kind Husband, you shall ouer-sway.

57 A prating Companion.

Thou still ask'st leaue, that still thy tongue may walke:
Thou need'st no leaue, if thou would'st leaue to talke.

64 The Order of the Golden Fleece.

Philip of Burgundy did first ordaine
The Order of the Golden Fleece of Spaine,
He prophised, when he this Order made:
For his heires since haue got the golden Trade.

68 To Mistris Iane Owen, a very learned Woman.

71 To one like neither of his Parents.

Why art thou so vnlike either of those
Who thee begot, with a ioynt willing close?
Whilst each did striue hard, who should fonne thee most,
Ill-fauouredly their fauours thou hast lost.

72 Two Gallants that went to Venice vpon Returne.

Towards faire Venice both of yee are gone,
At your returne, to receiue foure for one:
And now you are return'd to your owne Coast,
Your friends welcome you home vnto their cost.

80 To a Drunken Rimer.

Thou drink'st, and think'st, drinke makes a man a Poet,
Thou think'st, and drink'st, thou art one by that diet.
Adde but two letters vnto Versifier,
And then thou art a drunken Vers-defiler.

81 More Epistle then Gospell.

Full often thy Epistles I receiue,
Thou seldome writest Gospell, I perceiue.

88 Naked Loue.

Natures preserue, from cold as with a freeze,
The ground with grasse and corne, with barke green trees,
With feathers, birds; and beasts, with wooll, and haire:
Where Nature wants, Art couering doth prepare.
Why then loues Loue her naked to vnfold?
The nakeder she is, she's the lesse cold.

89 The Exchequer.

Collected Coyne into the Exchequer flowes;
As fresh streames daily to the salt Sea goes:
From thence coyne is disperst by secret veines,
As through the Earth the Sea refils vp streames;
Yet neuer will this Sea be satisfide,
These riuers by their tribute neuer dride.

94 This Worlds Wisdome.

Who's rich? The wise. Who's poore? The foolish man.
If I were wise, I should haue riches than.
Who's wise? The rich. And who's a foole? The poore.
If I were rich, I should be wise therefore.

102 To play and study together.

When I handle a graue and serious thing,
Lightly, and slightly, I play studying:
When I light and slight triuiall matters way,
Too seriously I study in my play.

104 To fault-finding and enuious Zoilus .

Praises are praised, Louers loued are:
If thou commend vs, we will speake thee faire;
Loue vs hereafter, we will for thee care.

111 The Couetous Man.

Thy gold is lockt vp in thy iron chest:
Thy loue is blockt vp in thy iron brest.

115 The Plague in England, 1603 .

This hungry leane Plague did so many eate,
That we shall hardly finde a new plague meate.

116 To a very faire Woman.

122 A phantasticall Courtier.

Of wise men thou art thought a foolish Elfe:
Fooles thinke thee wise: what think'st thou of thy selfe?

124 A hansome Whore.

Would' thou wert not so faire, or better giuen:
Then a faire Whore there's nought worse vnder heau'n.

126 To Bald-pate.

Thou hast lost all thy haire vpon thy pate,
Thy faithlesse forhead is in the same state,
Before, behinde, all thy haires being sled;
What hast thou bald-pate for to lose? Thy head.

127 Nolens volens.

Claudius might soone be honest, if he would:
Lynus would be vnhonest, if he could.

131 On a couetous Gowty-fist.

If thou a gift giu'st to this Clung-fist man,
Hee'l finde a hundred hands, though he haue none:
But if thou for thy gift, a gift do'st craue,
No hand he hath, though hundred hands he haue.

132 Kings Misery.

Whil'st some dares not tell him the truth of things,
And those that may, rought but placebo sings,
How miserable is the state of Kings?

133 Might and Right.

Might ouercomes Right, and Right masters Might,
Yet change one letter, Right makes Might, Might, Right.

137 On a Scalded ill-fauored Knaue.

In a knowne part, hot Venus branded thee,
That thou somewhere might'st in her liuery bee.

138 To Adr. V.

Thy laughing Epigrams ridiculous,
Make vs not smile, but laughter cause in vs.
They haue no iests: the Reader laughs at that,
Because ther's nothing worth the laughing at.

148 Sir Francis Drakes Epitaph.

157 Of Virgils Georgicks.

Thy verses, Maro, Husbandry expresse,
Thou dost thy Readers grounds and his wit dresse.

158 To Poet Persius .

Persius, when I sometimes thy verses touch,
Thy sence I see not, thy darke lines are such,
Thou dost neglect thy Reader too-too much.

160 To Poet Martiall .

Thou iest'st at things, yet men thou dost not wrong,
No gall, much honey flowes from thy salt tongue.

161 To excellent Poet Petrack of his Laura .

As often as thy Laura shall be read,
Amongst thy Readers 'twill be questioned,
Whether thy Laura, Lawrell doth deserue
Better then thou, that didst her so well serue.

172 On his owne Epigrams to Samuel Daniel, most witty Poet.

'Tis not strange, if my Epigrams be meane,
I doe not bite my nailes, nor beate my braine.

177 Hunger makes meate taste sweetest.

If with much pleasure thou would'st eate thy meate,
Be hungry then, before the meate thou eate.

181 Satyrs and Epigrams.

Satyrs are Epigrams; but larger drouen,
Epigrams Satyrs are, but closer wouen:
An Epigram must be Satyricall,
A Satyr must be Epigrammicall.

183 Deafe and Blind.

Deafe men looke wilde: blind men thrust out their eare
Blind with eares see: Deafe with their eyes doe heare.

189 Sunday.

Sunday I'le call that day, spite of precise,
In which the glorious Sonne of God did rise.

191 Fashions in Clothes.

Old out-worne fashions young mens fashion growes:
And old men weare late strange new fashion clothes.

193 The commodity of a silly Sheepe.

196 Parret, and Prater.

Parret and Prater, iumpe iust in their names,
One to the other are right Anagrams.

200 Satyrs and good Lawes haue one originall cause.

203 A Merchants account.

Or rich, or poore, account my selfe I may,
Whilst with my goods I trust the Bankrout Sea.

204 Lust.

In the darke, foule Sluts are esteemed faire:
Blind lust is cause thereof, not the darke ayre.

213 Eccho.

Caruing, nor painting, cannot expresse words;
Yet prating Eccho that quaint-art affords.

214 Looking-glasse.

To expresse Motion, Painting is nought worth;
My Looking-glasse can liuely set it forth.

215 Eccho, and Looking-glasse.

Nothing of man but voyce Eccho affords;
My Looking-glasse wants nothing else but words.

217 A good Chapman.

I gaue thee three books, three pounds thou gau'st me;
No man hath bought my books as deare as thee.

218 To the blessed Memory of King Iames, the happy Uniter of this so long-diuided Iland of Great Brittaine.

The Third Booke.

Epig. 4. The happy Virgin-issue of Blessed Queene Elizabeth .

Scotland with England was twinn'd happily,
In the blest birth of thy Virginity:
To vnite, is more blessed then to breed,
From thy not-bearing this birth did proceed.

9 To the vertuous Lady, Mary Neuil, Daughter to the Earle of Dorset, his worthy Patronesse.

Thy glasse presents thee faire, Fame Chast thee stiles:
Neither thy Glasse nor Fame doe lye the whiles.
Loud-wide-mouth'd Fame swifter then Eagles wing,
Dares not report against thee any thing.

10 To the same right worthy Lady, of her little Daughter, Cicill .

To limme soules beauty, painting is nought-worth:
This pretty Image liuely sets thine forth.

11 To the white-handed Reader.

My good excell: my bad ones well may passe:
Such grace (white Reader) thy kind iudgement has.

12 To the black-mouth'd Reader.

My meane are nought, my bad intolerable:
Thy enuy doth (black Reader) them disable.

18 Diues and Lazarus .

The rich man hath in Gods Booke but his shame:
Poore Lazarus in Gods Booke hath his Name.

22 The Spirit and Flesh.

The Spirit this, the Flesh drawes me that way:
Cæsar and Ioue in me beare seuerall sway:
If there were once a good Peace 'twixt these two,
In Earth there would not be so much adoe.

24 Gods Sight and mans ouer-sight.

Men few things see, God all things doth fore-see:
God seldome speakes, but men still prating bee.

25 The broad and narrow Way.

Heau'ns Way is narrow: but Heau'ns Roomes are broad
Hells way is large: but narrow his aboade.
Who goes not the straite Way to the broad place,
The broad will bring him in a narrow case.

30 A Catechisme.

We must beleeue twelue, and we must do ten,
And pray for seuen; if we'll be godly men.

31 Rich mens Repentance.

Why are so many rich men to Hell sent?
They repent nothing but their Mony spent.

35 Wisedome, Iustice, and Fortitude.

He's wise, who knowes much: iust, who iust doth deale:
He valiant is, who knowes, and dares doe well.

37 To Camber-Brittons.

Wales, Scotland, England, now are ioynd in one:
Henceforth Wales is not Brittany alone.

41 Christ Iesus God and Man.

Because the purer God-head could not dye,
Nor could the impure Man-hood satisfie:
Therefore our wise God suffered bodily.

45 Adams fall was our thrall.

Since our first Parent, Father Adams fall,
Our bodies goods, and soules are thus in thrall:
Diuines haue got the sway ouer our soules,
Physicions, bodies, Lawyers goods controwle.

47 A Good Preacher.

The mornings trusty Herauld Chantecleare,
Before he tells vs that the day is neere,
Russels himselfe, stretching forth euery wing,
And then his good newes lowdly he doth sing:
So a good Preacher shoud rouze himselfe then,
When he intends to stirre vp other men.

65 Niggard and prodigall.

Niggards nothing will giue, whil'st they haue breath:
Vnthrifts haue nothing to giue after death.

76 Old Criticks. New Phantasticks.

His enuy is too grosse, who likes no new diuice:
And he that likes nothing but new, his enuy is too nice.

77 A Christians Death.

As in a way Death doth vs to life bring:
Death's no enterring, but an entering.

80 Holinesse is better then Learning.

To reade Saints liues, and not liue like them holy,
Doth not respect, but doth neglect them wholly.

82 An Atheists godlinesse.

Thou hast no Faith on any thing that's past,
Nor dost thou hope on any thing at last,
But on the present all thy Loue is plast.

84 The diuers effects of praise.

Praise doth improue the Good man, hurts the Bad,
Infatuates Fooles, makes wise the crafty Lad.

86 The Enuious and the Foolish man.

The foole wants wit, the enuious a good mind,
Whil'st this sees not, the other will be blind.

96 Diuine Vertue.

Vertue an act is, not an idle breath,
In workes, not words, are found Loue, Hope, and Faith

105 Young Dayes.

Then now time was, when first of all time was,
When the new world was fram'd out of the masse,
Now tell me, Reader, of Antiquities,
Are these the elder or the newer dayes?

106 Desire, and haue.

Would'st thou doe good? continue thy good will,
He that gaue thee desire, will giue thee skill.

108 Good men are better then wise men.

Wise men are wiser then good men. What then?
'Tis better to be better then wise men.

110 Much Preaching. To Preachers.

112 Eloquence.

Not he that prates, and takes a foule great deale.
Is eloquent: but hee that talketh well:
As that is not good ground that ranke weeds beares,
But that which breeds good grasse; or great full eares.

116 Loue comes by seeing: Faith comes by hearing.

To Princes.

Now out alas! Zeale, and the ancient Faith
You doe pretend, and warme her with your breath:
Religion you pretend t'increase your honour,
Not to restore Religions honour on her.

117 O Times, O Manners!

With our faults we doe times and manners blame,
Accusing times and manners with the same:
Neither in times nor manners is the crime,
By times we are not viced, but in time.

118 Knowledge-hunters. Philosophers of our time.

Most would know all, little beleeue, but such
Doe know but little, and beleeue too much.

120 More Zeale then Godlinesse.

Diuines striue, and their case is in the Iudge:
Would God till he did bid, they would not budge:
Diuines striue, and who's Iudge, they do contend.
Would God that that were all they did pretend,
That strife of loue were their intention,
Not loue of strife, and of contention.

123 A quiet and a temperate life frees a man from Lawyers and Physicions.

If men would temperate be in thought and dyet,
Eating that's good, and keeping themselues quiet:
If men would patient be, and not be stird,
With couetice, and euery testy word:
Those that now pleade in Gownes, might then part Lice,
And Veluet Caps goe poyson Rats and Mice.

124 The vicissitude of Marriage.

One bed can hold a louing man and wife:
A great house cannot hold them being at strife.

125 Death sudden and sure.

Death hath his day, which he will not for-slow:
To morrow is that day, for ought we know.

128 A Prayer.

Good God that dost all wills to thy will tye:
Giue me a will to liue, a will to dye.

129 Good Counsell without a Fee.

If that the Iudge be deafe, then heare thou mee,
Good Counsell I'll thee giue without a Fee:
Study thy Iudge more then thou dost thy case,
So in that case thou shalt haue no disgrace.

130 To a Belly-god.

Fasting was first ordained as a Rod,
To awe flesh to the spirit, the spirit to God:
But Fasting-dayes most of thy Feast dayes be,
Thy spirit serues thy flesh, both of them thee.

132 It is no marueile that we haue no Miracles.

Is Gods arme short, that Miracles are gone?
No: Our short-arm'd Faith now can reach vs none.

138 Griefe and Pleasure.

Bodies and soule-griefes vex, till they are past,
Griefes vex vs first, they comfort vs at last:
But present pleasures please, though bought with paine:
Their present pleasures future sorrowes gaine.

140 An argument against sleeping.

If dying sleeping, be sleeping to die:
Why, then the more I sleepe, the lesse liue I.

143 Contrary to the Prayer of the Apostles, Luk. 17. 5. The multiplicitie of beliefes in our dayes, doth rather require this prayer.

Decrease our Faiths, Lord, 'tis increast too farre:
As many men, so many Faithes there are;
And each one dotes on his fond Misteres,
Neuer more faiths, nor more vnfaithfulnes.

146 Vanity of vanities.

Heraclitus, that shed so much salt brine,
For those few small ills of his better time:
If hee did see, and know the best of our,
Hee'd weepe out both his eyes in halfe an houre.
And did Democritus laugh out his life
In his dayes, when folly was not so rife?
If he dip see those parts that we doe play,
Hee'd laugh out all his Spleene in halfe a day.

148 Works Consequence.

Their workes doe follow them, that still doe well:
Those that doe ill, follow their works to Hell.

149 Feare begets zeale.

We shall desire Heauen, if we feare Hell fire:
Cold feare of Hell, inflames heauens hot desire.

161 Owens Bracelet.

Our senses without Reason, are nought worth;
Nor Reason, vnlesse Faith doe set it forth:
Neither is Faith without Loue to be deem'd;
Nor is Loue without God to be esteem'd.

164 Wisdome and Valour.

Wise men feare harmes, but valiant men do beare them:
So wise men beare them not, nor braue men feare them.

165 In the sweat of thy browes.

Our blessed God, that bade vs for to get
Our daily maintnance, by our daily swet;
Did neuer promise vs, without our paine,
We should our euerlasting maint'nance gaine.

170 Retaliation. To an ignoble Nobleman.

Thy Ancestors did many glorious acts;
But thou ne'r read'st the Record of their facts:
Iustice 'twill be in those, who thee succeeds,
If they reade not thy vile ignoble deeds.

173 Iohn against all.

Though all men argue 'gainst thee in the right,
Thou hast one answer for them; I deny it.

174 Iustification.

Doth Faith or good works iustifie the iust?
Neither, except God iustifie them first.

181 A strange wish.

To a poore friend.

'Tis bad enough; yet worser God thee send:
For when 'tis at the worst, then it will mend.

182 The Earths division.

183 The cause of quarrels.

All sauour their owne sense, their reasons sway;
All will haue their owne will, and their owne way:
This is the cause of quarrels, and debate;
For if will would be still, we should not hate.

185 A wise Man.

Who knowes the cause of things, can temporize,
Rule passions, order actions; he is wise.

186 Wisdomes souerainty.

Fate gouernes fooles, wise men o're-rule the starrs:
Not Fate, but their pate orders their affaires.

187 A Chrisoms Epitaph.

Aske not the name of him that here doth lye;
Namelesse, and blamelesse, I poore child did dye:
Without a name, O Christ, I am ingrau'd,
That onely in thy Name I might be sau'd.

191 Socrates knowledge.

Nothing thou know'st, yet that thing thou dost know;
Thou know'st some thing, and that's nothing I trow
This something's nothing, nothing's something tho.

193 A Generall Epitaph.

Thou wert borne with not one ragge on thy back;
When thou went'st hence, a sheet thou didst not lack:
Therefore thou carriedst more vnto thy Mother,
Then thou didst bring with thee, when thou cam'st hither.

196 The two Eyes of the world.

Law and Religion doe herein agree;
Good and bad minds and hands; they tye and free.

192 Death, better then life.

Wee cry, being borne: from thence thus argue I,
If to be borne be bad, tis good to dye.

197 To Doctor Iohn Gifford, a learned Physicion.

In Physicke still thou art exactly seene;
Thy selfe thou know'st both without, and within:
Whilst Gallen shewes thee rules for others health
Apollo teacheth thee to know thy selfe.

200 Saint Pauls in London, and Saint Peters in Westminster.

Saint Peters Church is by the Exchequor plac'd.
Hard by White-hall with the Kings presence grac'd:
But by Saint Pauls, learned Diuines doe preach,
And there are sold those bookes which learning teach.
They're sitly plac'd, Pauls here, Saint Peters there;
Peter the richer, Paul the learneder.

199 Miserable Iob.

God gaue the Deuill leaue to spoyle Iobs wealth,
To kill his Children, and impaire his health:
His friends vpbray'd him with his wretched life,
Yet had he one worse plague; he had a wife.

201 On those Traytors, who the fift of Nouember, 1605. intended to blow vp the Parliament house with Gunpowder.

207 To the Reader.

Thou that readst these, shalt find them shor and few,
Were these few many, they would larger grow.
Thou that read'st these, shalt find them few, and short:
Were these few long, they'd be the larger for't.

208 Voice and Writing.

Though voice be liuing, writing a Lead better,
Yet voice soone dyes, writing liues long and etter.

The Fovrth Booke, Which He Cals His Sole Booke.

Epig. 3. To his Booke.

Thou now must passe euen through a world of hands,
Thy censure vnder diuers iudgements stands:
Who doth not reade thee, may thee discommend;
More fault-finders then Readers thou wilt find.

4 To the Inhabitants of Great Brittaine.

As bad, as mad, we well That man may hold,
Who doth despise needfull free-proferd gold:
He worthy were to weare a Bedlam fetter;
You did despise the Vnion that was better.

10 The three Dimensions to a prating Iack.

In thy talke are but two dimensions found;
'Tis large, 'tis long, but not at all profound.

16 To a great Courtier.

If the King smile on thee, all will doe so;
As shaddows doe after our bodies goe:
If the King frowne, all the Court will looke black;
As when the Sunne is set, we shaddows lack.

17 Baldnesse through Uice.

Though not one haire can on thy head be seene:
On that white table all may reade thy sinne.

18 To Pontilian.

20 Enuies Genealogie.

To the admirably-vertuous, Sir Iohn Harrington, then Heire to the Lord Harrington.

Faire Vertue, foule-mouth'd Enuie breeds, and feeds;
From Vertue onely this foule Vice proceeds:
Wonder not that I this to you indite:
'Gainst your rare Vertues, Enuie bends her spite.

23 A rich Promiser, but a poore Performer.

We should performe more, then we promise can;
For God hath giuen one tongue, two hands to man:
Nothing thou giu'st, yet grantest each demand,
As if thou hadst two tongues, but not a hand.

26 Euery man flatters himselfe.

Of all the Planets betwixt vs and Heau'n,
The Moone, though least, seemes greatest of the seu'n:
To best conceits that other wayes doe know,
Because she's neerest vs, she seemeth so.
So though I am a Poet small, and bad;
To my neere selfe, I seeme the finest Lad.

29 Thy shaddow in thy Looking-glasse.

When thou dost laugh, thy shaddow seemes to smile;
Whilst thou dost weepe, he mourneth all the while:
Sleeping he winks, all postures hee'l afford;
Yet when thou speak'st, he speaketh not a word.

31 To a sleeping talker.

In sleepe thou speak'st vnfore-thought mysteries,
And vtt'rest vnfore-seene things with clos'd eies:
How well would'st thou discourse, if thou wert dead,
Since sleepe, Deaths image, such fine talke hath bred?

33 Mans misery.

Angels want bodies, and are neuer sick;
Beasts wanting soules, their conscience neuer prick:
Onely poore man, of soule and body made,
Their bodies paines; sadnesse their soules inuade:
Reason that should rule passion, is not able;
She only shewes men they are miserable.

35 To an vnmarried friend.

Good doers deserue Heau'n after this life:
Thou hast thy deseru'd heau'n, thou hast no wife.

36 Woe to the alone.

To a married friend, proposing God for an example.

38 An Atheists Inheritance.

When any man of Heau'n doth talke to thee;
Thou say'st, they vaine, and idle prattlers be:
What's aboue vs, to vs doth not belong,
Hell is below thee to burne such a tongue.

40 To the Readers.

Dost thou aske me, Why I take so much paine,
To be thus briefe? Reader, 'tis for thy gaine.
As trauellers find gold lesse cumbersome
Then siluer, such is breuity to some.

41 The New Roman Computation.

Rome that sayes, she holds all points without change;
Why doth she old feast, from the old ranke range?

50 To an enuious Momus, who found fault with his three first Bookes.

Had fiue iust men amongst a wicked brood
Been found, Gomorah to this day had stood:
For a few bad, loose verses thou findst heere,
My whole booke thou (black Reader) wouldst casheere.

53 The poore Cuckolds Complaint.

For my wiues close-stolne sports, why am I blam'd?
And of the common vulgar, Cuckold nam'd,
And pointed at? For what I did not act,
But you, I know not who; call't not my fact.

69 Cardinall Wolseys Ego & Rex meus: I and my King.

Grammarians will allow I, and my King:
The Courtier say's, it was a saucy thing:
Grammarians teach words; Courtiers words well sort:
This phrase might passe in Schooles, but not at Court.

75 Deaths Trouer.

80 A bad Debtor.

I know, thou tak'st great care both night and day,
Not how thou mayst, but how thou mayst not pay:
Thou payst me nothing, that's thy wickednesse:
But payst thy Lawyer, that's thy foolishnesse.

82 The deriuatiue Church.

There is but one true Church, as one true Faith,
Which from th'Eternall Spirit hath her breath:
From Primitiue all would themselues deriue,
To proue it, they strange arguments contriue.

84 The good of want.

If how good things are, by want best are knowne,
I should know mony's good, for I haue none.

87 Democrates many Worlds.

If all those Worlds were, those innumerable,
Which fond Democrates did earst belieue:
I doe beleeue, that amongst all that rabble,
This world would be the worst wherein we liue.

88 Of Epigrams.

An Epigram that's new, quick, tart, sharp, witty,
Is like a Wench that's new, faire, smooth, neate, pretty:
Whilst they are new and fresh, they are respected:
Once commnon (though still good) they are neglected.

91 A couetous mans bounty: or a sure marke-man.

He giues to take, takes not to giue againe:
Giuing his arrowes are, his marke is gaine.

93 Penelope's Patience.

Penelope's patient Fidelity
Was once a Prouerbe, now a Prodigy.

94 To Anetta .

Nature ('tis said) with little is content:
That saying of thy Nature is not ment.

95 To an one-eyed Souldier.

Of thy two eyes, thou now hast left but one,
Which by his moistnesse alway seemes to mone:
One eye being lost, why alway weeps the other?
Because that in the warres he lost his brother.

96 Why there is no peace in Europe.

Princes make warre, and soone their warres doe cease,
Oft times they warre to haue the better peace:
Diuines striue, and with Venome fill their veines,
With gall their stomackes, and with spite their braines:
Longer and worse they warre with quills and words,
Then Princes vse to doe with fire and swords.

97 An Antidote, lest women should be proud.

When thou thy faire face see'st in thy fine glasse,
Be not puft vp, because it beauty has:
Brittle and fraile is thy faire, fine, neate feature:
How like thy fine glasse art thou pretty Creature?

100 Natures Horizon.

Two Elements we see not, fire and aire;
Water and Earth wee see, 'cause they are neere:
So wee know men and beasts that are below;
High Angels, highest God, we doe not know.

105 An ambo dexter.

A Fencer with a two-hand Scabberd.

If Pompey ouercome, I am his man:
If Cæsar winne, I'm a Cæsarian.

113 A Kings behauiour.

To King Iames.

All subiects in their manners follow Kings,
What they doe; bids: forbearing, forbids things:
A Kings behauiour swayes his subiects lyues:
As the first moouer all the fixt starres driues.

114 The head is worth all the body besides.

To King Iames.

Reason and senses in the head resides:
Nothing in man worth any thing besides.

115 Kings feare Death.

What Kings feare most, what men feare them to tell:
Fame boldly tells them, and the passing Bell.

118 A Losing Gaine.

Adam did lose a rib, to get a wife.
Poore gaine! by her he lost eternall Life.

119 Head Tyres.

Huge, high-topt-wyres and tyres with toyes bespred,
Doe rather build, then beautifie the head.

121 The East and Westerne Churches.

The right hand Faith is in the worlds left Coast:
The right hand of the world hath left faith most.

127 To his Reader.

Thirsty those are that doe eat salt meats first,
Would my salt lines might cause in thee such thirst.

128 How to rule a wife.

131 To Anabaptists and such kind of mealy Brethren.

You build no Churches, Churches you destroy:
This Zeale doth not heale, but Christs Church annoy:
The Spirit (you say) doth presse you fiercely on.
What spirit is your spirit then?

Reuel. 9. 11.

A-badd-on.

132 Alchymists folly.

God at the first of nothing all things wrought:
Our Alchymists reduce all things to nought.

136 The Crosse in Cheapside ouer against Saint Peters, and Pauls Crosse in the Booke-row.

Why is Saint Peters guilt? Pauls crosse of lead:
Vnder Pauls Crosse are golden Lectures read.

140 Seneca the Philosopher.

Thy writings are fine Epigrams in face,
They nothing want but Poets cinquepace.

141 To the honourable, wise, iudicious Knight, Sir Henry Neuil, Sonne and Heire to the Lord of Aberguenny.

I thinke I heard you once say at your boord,
That your taste, the sharp taste of salt abhord.
Wise Sir, you need not to eat salt: Wherefore?
All your wise talke hath salt in it good store.

144 Contention is fit to dwell no where.

In heauen or Hell is no dissention,
In Heauen all good, in Hell ill euery one:
In earth mens diuers dispositions
Doe cause both long, and strong diuisions.
Therefore the earth shall be quite emptied,
And heauen and hell be fully peopled.

147 The poore mans poore comfort.

To a rich man.

Vnconstant Fortune quickly changeth cheare:
Hence springs my future Hope, thy present Feare.

149 The Heart.

Why is the right side of the Heart bereft?
And on the left plac'd? Wisedome it hath left.

156 The Worlds blacke Saunts: or Musicke for the Deuill.

The World's so full of shrill-voyc'd iangling,
Of deepe repyning, and base murmuring:
The Base so deepe, the Treble is so high,
That Meane and Tenor we cannot discry.

159 The world growes worse and worse.

Our Syres were worse then theirs: we worse then they:
For still the World growes worser eu'ry day.
If our posterity grow worse then we,
A worser race then theirs there cannot be.

160 Londons Loadstone.

As Thames deuoures many small brookes and rills:
Soe smaller Townes with their wealth London fills:
But though that Thames empts it selfe in the Sea,
Wealth once at London, neuer runnes a way.

162 Fooles and Dwarfes.

Though wit or vertue haue in vs no treasure,
Yet we are Great mens sports, and Great mens pleasure.

163 Euery man is full of care.

Poore men haue care, because that they are poore:
Rich men haue wealth, and haue much care therefore:
Who hath no wife, takes great care to haue one;
Who hath a wife, hath more then who hath none.

171 The blessed Uirgin Mary, the Mother of Christ Iesus.

A blessed Virgin, that's thy common Name;
Aboue all Women blest, that is thy fame:
Thy Virgins blessed State had me nought wonne,
Had'st thou not beene the Mother of thy Sonne.

173 New fashions in words.

Old words are new reuiu'd, and those shall dye,
Which now are in discoursing prized high,
And with bold flights in our set speeches fly.
Our now new pleasant words will not please long,
Because they cannot still continue young:
And other newer words will them out-throng.

180 To an Old Churle.

Thou that did'st neuer doe good any way,
When wilt begin to doe good? Thou dost say,
When I dye, to the poore Ile leaue my state:
Who's not wise till he dyes, is wise too late.

182 A fearefull Soules flesh-farewell.

183 A woman may be too proud.

If I should praise thee, thou wouldst prouder grow:
And thou already art too proud, I trow.

184 A muck-Worme.

Heau'n still views thee, and thou shouldst it still view,
God gaue Heau'n lights, and hath giu'n eyes to you:
Thou canst at once little of this earth see,
But with one turne, halfe Heau'n obseru'd may bee.
Since Heau'n is louely, why lou'st thou Earth rather?
Wantons doe loue their Mam more then the father.

188 Cor vnum, via vna.

To King Iames, the first King of Great Brittaine.

Two Scepters in thy two hands thou dost hold:
Thy Subiects languages are iust foure-fold:
Though Brittaine folke in tongues deuided bee,
Yet all their hearts vnited are in thee.
The Diuell it was that first deuided hearts:
Speach God diuided into many parts.

189 A King and a Prophet.

A King out of his Countrey hath no place:
A Prophet in his Country hath no grace.

190 Vertues Attendance.

These two like Genij follow Vertue still:
A good one, and a bad; Glory, Ill-will.

192 To a foolish inquisitiue vaine prattler.

Many fond questions thou dost aske of me,
To all I answer little vnto thee:
'Tis not because thy questioning is much,
But because thy fond questions are such.

193 Sleepe is the image of Death.

When I doe sleep, I seeme as I were dead;
Yet no part of my life's more sweetned:
Therefore 'twere strange that death should bitter be,
Since sleep, deaths image is so sweet to me.

194 How worldly men range their cares.

First, we send for the Lawyer in all haste;
For our first care is, to care for our wealth:
Next, the Physicion with request is graste,
The second care is, to care for our health:
Diuines that should be first, may come at leasure;
If vnbid they come, they may goe at pleasure.

206 A Lawyers life.

207 Preachers and Players.

Preachers like Heraclite, mourne for our sinne;
Prayers like Democrite, at our faults grinne:
One alwaies laughs, the other mournes alwaies;
One tells our faults, the other our sinnes wayes.

215 Schoole-boyes study.

When I was young, I was a studying boy;
My study was, when 'twould be playing Day.

216 Euery thing is as it takes.

If Archy should one foolishly aduise,
And it speed well; he shall be iudged wise:
If wise aduice should come to an ill passe;
Though Cato's 'twere, he should be iudg'd an asse.

217 How to handle griefe.

Grieue onely for those griefes which now thou hast;
Tis too late for to grieue griefes that are past;
To grieue for griefes to come, 'twill too long last.

223 The Poet, of his Mæcenas.

Not words for words, good coyne he me affords.

225 Blind Homer.

Whe'r it be true that men doe write of thee,
That thou ne'r saw'st; I'm sure thy writings see.

227 To goe about, worse then the Goute.

Thou hast two diffring griefes (I vnderstand:)
One in thy feet, th'other in thy wiues hand:
For when thy feet are fett'red with the goute,
Thy wiues sore nimble hand ferkes thee about.

235 Pride is womans Colloquintida.

Learned, neate, young, faire, modest, and bening;
Wert thou not proud, thou wert a pretty thing.

245 Of King Brute .

To Master Camden.

Bookes may be burnt, and monuments decay;
My lines may dye, and so in time thine may:
Yet whil'st some of the Brittaine blood shall liue,
The story of King Brute some will beleeue.

246 To a couetous Carle.

Wealth thou hast scrap'd vp for a thousand yeares;
A hundred yeares is more then thou canst liue:
Yet to scrape vp more wealth thou bendst thy cares,
And thinkst a short life will long comfort giue.
Thou say'st, If I liue long, I shall be rich:
Liue I long, I must dye, should bee thy speach.

247 Death and life are neere Neighbours.

One Natures skreene Death and life hang so neere,
As doth the muddy Earth to waters cleere:
Of lifes white Death, blacke Nature makes one robe,
Euen as the Earth and Water makes one Globe.

248 Moores Eutopia, and Mercurius Brittanicus.

Moore shew'd the best; the worst world's shew'd by thee:
Thou shew'st what is; and he shewes what should be.

259 HOPE FAITH CHARITY

249 Of himselfe.

Some men doe say, I am a Poet no way:
They doe say true, because the truth I say.

254 The nullity of our Lawes.

How many lawes are made, or rather none?
Not kept, or not made, we may count all one:
That former lawes be kept, if an Act were;
That would be kept as all the others are.

257 Besides women and children.

258 Of those that make the Scripture a Nose of Waxe.

Doth holy Writ promise vs any good?
'Tis easily beleeu'd, and vnderstood:
Doth it require ought, or reprooue our sinne?
'Tis a hard speech; wee haue no faith therein.

262 The Harpe and Harrow of the Court. An enuious and a flattering knaue.

These agree not, though in one place they dwell;
Momus of none, Gnatho of all speakes well.

263 The foure efficient causes of man.

What is mans forme? Onely a garish toy;
What is his matter? Frailty and annoy:
Though for this cause, we may these two neglect,
Making, and finall cause we must respect.

64 Deaths sweet and sowre.

266 Death and life.

One way we liue, Death many wayes is had:
All's for the best; Death is good, life is bad.

267 An old decrepit man, A Builder.

Old, and weake, thou build'st many a faire roome:
What build'st thou now? A house, or else a Tombe?

269 An Envious mans Charity.

The dead thou spar'st, the liuing thou dost bite:
Yet rather then I'd dye, I'le beare thy spite.

273 Great Brittaine vnited euerlastingly.

As in beginning 'twas, is now agen;
Euer shall be, till this world ends. Amen.

An excellent Anagram on this excellent Poets name, with the verses annexed, translated.

Iohannes Audoenus. Ad annos Noë vives.

D. Du. Med. his Latine Distick to the Readers, translated.

Art thou a Clerke, or Lay-man? Reade thou these;
They will both profit you, and you both please.

One of mine owne, to the same purpose.

Art thou a merry man, or art thou sad?
To sute you both, fit stuffe may hence be had.

Praise-worthy verses of Learned Mistris Iane Owens of Oxford, in praise of my Iohn Owen, translated out of her Latine.

It was, and is Poets quaint property,
To carpe at men, and womens vanity:
Yet this I iudge, Thy salt lines merit it;
Both men and women will commend thy wit.

To the same learned Woman, whose vertues I reuerence; I dedicate this Encomiastick.

I'd rather haue thy praises on my side,
Then any Womans I doe know beside:
Thy wit and iudgement is more iust and able,
Then many miriads of the vnlearned rabble.

SEVERALL SENTENTIOVS EPIGRAMS, AND WITTY SAYINGS OVT of sundry Authors both Ancient and Moderne:

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AT HARBOR-Grace, in Bristols-Hope, in Brittaniola, Anciently called, New-found-land;

A WEAKE APOLOGIE FOR MY WEAKENESSE in these following Translations.

We think it no strang thing; nor do we laugh,
To see an old, weake man walke with a staffe:
I that could with strong legs runne a large fit,
Must now with short turnes, rest on others wit.

Beauties Excellencie.

Vertue to all complections giueth Grace:
But Vertue graced is by a good face.

The Deuils hospitality.

Satan keepes open house; though sorry cheere:
His blacke-wicket stands open all the yeere.

A Rule for periured lecherous Votaries.

If that against your Oathes you must needs doe:
To 't closely then that none may sweare 'twas you.

Cares Birth.

In yonger yeeres black melancholy Cares
Breeds with hard throwes, hoare, white, abortiue haires.

A scuruy comfort.

It is a comfort, though a scuruy one,
To haue companions in affliction.

Womens leuity.

What's lighter then the wind? Thunder, you know.
What's lighter then that cracke? Lightning, I trow.
What's lighter then that flame? Why sure a Woman.
What's lighter now then that? Nay that knowes no man.

To answer him who wrought this in defence of those women who can well enough defend themselues.

Good wiues, I thinke, the man that made this Iest,
Ne'r felt the weight of your words, nor your fist.

Dangerous Weapons.

There are not kild so many by the sword,
As by the throat, by meate, drinke, and the cord.

A merry Mate.

A merry Way-mate that can tale and skoch,
With a tyr'd horse, is better then a C'roach.

Patience prouoked.

If doubled wrongs inflame cold Patience blood:
Her mildnesse will conuert to a mad mood.

Womens properties.

To weepe oft, still to flatter, sometimes spin;
Are properties women excell men in.

To this women may answer.

We weepe for pittie, and we speake men faire,
And of their houshold thrift we haue great care:
Yet enuious men our credits would impaire.

Froward nature.

Deny a thing, fond men the more will craue it:
Deny a woman, and shee'l cry, or haue it.

In defence of these soft Creatures.

Alas, good Creatures, teares are all their Armes;
To beat backe griefe, and to reuenge their harmes.

Miserable want.

Luxurious men may want particulars:
But misers all things want (except their cares.)

Impatible wrong.

Those that wrong other men beyond all measure,
Will take wrongs done to them in great displeasure.

Law and Fortunes difference.

Wise Law corrects those that commit offence:
Blind giddie Fortune plagueth innocence.

A miserable Comforter.

He that can helpe his friend but with his breath;
Is in the case of him he comforteth.

A Rule for Trauellers.

Being at Rome, I hold it good discretion
In manners, and in clothes to vse their fashion:
And when that thou art any other-where,
'Tis fit to vse the fashion thou find'st there.

A Riddle.

My Mother got me, I beget my Mother:
Alternately thus we beget each other.

Womens Teares.

When women weepe in their dissembling Art,
Their teares are sawce to their malicious heart.

I answer for women.

He that wrote this, was sure some sawcie Iacke:
Against your Sex, malice he did not lacke.

Necessity.

Necessity hath no law, no, not any;
Yet shee the Mother is to a great many.

Doubly-guilty.

He that commits a shamefull hainous fact,
Is doubly-guilty, by that single act.

Necessary Restitution.

Thy sinnes, be sure, will on thy backe remaine,
Till thy ill-got goods thou giue backe againe.

Ranke couetousnesse.

The ranke desire of money growes alwayes,
Faster then money's coyned now adayes.

Natures frailtie.

I see, and doe allow the better way:
Yet still I know not how I goe astray.

Miserable misery of miseries.

Three times vnhappy is that man at least,
To whom milde Mercie 's an vnwelcome guest.

Innocencies Comfort.

For a good cause to dye, is honest shame:
Although a halter should procure the same.

Preachers principall properties.

That Preacher with a liuely voyce doth preach,
That with his life as well as voyce doth teach.

How to end well.

He surely hath his businesse halfe well done,
Who hath at first his bus'nesse well begun.

On a pretty Uirgins Uirginall Posie.

Musicke is a sad minds Physicion,
If a faire maide be the Musicion.

Blind Ignorance.

Blinder then Cupid is he in desire,
In whom blind ignorance puts out the fire.

Womens Credit.

A woman is not to be credited:
If you will credit me, though shee be dead.

That women be not angry with me, nor my Author.

Mine Author makes a man speake this in snuffe:
Himselfe was wise, he knew you well enough.

Teares Vanity.

Our outward Teares may show our inward woes:
They are a poore reuenge against our foes.

Fortunes Flowers.

Whil'st wealth doth last, great store of friends thou hast:
If thou it waste; thou soone may'st tell the last.

Armour against lust.

If thou from idle thoughts canst guard thy heart:
Thou mak'st it Musket-proofe 'gainst Cupids dart.

Anger.

The sting-taild small Muscheeto hath his spleene:
The busie Ant sometimes is angry seene.

A Builders Humor.

He buildeth vp what he threw to the ground;
And changeth former foure-squares into round.

Truths and flatteries effects.

Flattery gets Friends, and Truth gets Enemies:
Soft and proud fooles this Adage verifies.

Exemplified.

Flatter an easie foole, on you he'll doate:
Tell a proud foole his faults, hee'll cut your throat.

Refractory nature.

Dull Oxen long for saddles and the dorses;
Whil'st chaines and yoakes, desires hot stomackt horses.

Addition.

Dull people need the spurres, more then the saddle;
Yet yoaking may young hot-spurres better bridle.

Three wilde Coach-horses.

Wine, Uenus, Dice, fit Iades for such a feat;
Draw men to Beggers-bush without a baite.

From the frying pan into the fire.

From Vshing coueting himselfe to free,
On Sillaes Bishop and his Clerks fell hee.

Womens extreme passions.

Women doe fondly loue, or foulely hate;
Their extreme passion hath no middle state.

To reforme this error in this man.

Why shouldest thou their goodnesse thus decline?
Vertue is of the Gender Fœminine.

A Citizens Thrift.

O Citizens, learne first your bags to fill!
And then of honesty goe learne the skill.

Hels Highway.

There is an easie downe-descent to Hell:
Those that goe there, doe know it too-too well.

Coozening knaues.

To coozen coozeners, is no cooz'ning:
To coozen any, it's a knauish thing.

No penny, no Pater Noster.

Homer, if thou nothing with thee dost bring;
Thou mayst without reward without doore sing.

A wicked Ubiquitary.

The wicked doth his wickednesse declare
At all times, against all, and eu'ry where.

A wise choise.

Raile at me rather, till thou breake thy guts;
Then coldly praise me with thy Ifs and Buts.

Customes inconuenience.

What sinnes thou vsest often to commit:
Will flow from thee, without sence, feare, or wit.

As for example.

Reprooue a swearer, who doth vse to teare
Gods holy Name: hee'l sweare, he did not sweare,
Or for your loue, or that sinne will not care.

Nothing new.

Speake old words, or coine new words by the score:
What-e're thou speak'st, hath spoken been before.

A true inquisition.

Not of my out-side, nor of those that dwell
With me, nor the report my neighbours tell:
Come to me, into me, to know me well.

Painters and Poets properties.

Painters and Poets haue like power and skill;
To adde, to foist, to feigne euen what they will.

Wicked Women.

Women are of the gender feminine;
Proud, cruell, seruile (in mine Authors time.)

Addition.

A Claw.

Although of women he could say so then;
Women may say so now of naughty men.

Perfect patience.

What-euer comes, I alway hope the best:
And till that come, I mildly beare the rest.

A good womans reward.

There is not one good woman to be found:
And if one were, she merits to be crown'd.

In the behalfe of good women, who cannot speake for themselues.

Good women, he that blurr'd you with this blot,
Deserues a crowning with your chamberpot:
With enuious eyes he sought for you; or else
He might haue found you with my spectacles.

A Churles good.

The couetous doth nothing as he should,
Till lauish death doth spread abroad his gold.

Light of beliefe.

Sweet Gaine.

The smell of gaine smels pleasantly indeed,
Although from stinking parcels it proceed.

Hunger breakes stone walls.

Of Gold the holy hunger, who can tell,
To what will it not mortall minds compell?

Addition.

Gold maketh bad men to doe what good is:
Too often it makes good men doe amisse.

Complaints out of Spanish.

The old man weepes, for want of loue, being grieu'd:
His young wife weepes, 'cause he so long hath liu'd.

Addition.

Sad reuerence (he saith) should affection moue:
Sir reuerence (she sayes) hath out-liu'd his loue.

Virgils Cloza.

Come on, my Boyes, stop vp the water-groofe,
The thirstie Meddowes now haue drunk enough.

A rayling Epistle, written in French by that excellently witty Doctor, Francis Rabalais:

Wherein though I follow him not verbatim; yet whoso can compare them, shall find I haue done him no wrong.

Thou toothlesse wither'd Hagge, defam'd, accurst;
Empty of Gods grace, by the Deuill nurst:
Thou that didd'st neuer deed of Charitie;
But art the patterne of all villanie:
Thou, in whose hairelesse braines ill thoughts do throng,
And tak'st chiefe ioy to heare a bawdie song:
Thou that didd'st neuer drinke water with wine,
Senting each bed with lust, where thou hast line:
Thou that doost weep at eu'ry draught thou drink'st;
But hast dry eyes, when on thy sinnes thou think'st:
Thou that ador'st no bed but Priapus:
Thou that didst ne'r, but for inticement blush:
Thou that hast piss'd away thy vnknowne shame:
Thou that hast entertain'd each one that came:
Thou martyres of men, 'tis not the pose,
That causeth thee to speake thus through the nose.
Thou that are slow to Churchward as the louse;
But quick as lightning to a bawdy-house:
Thou with whose age hot lust doth not declyne,
Thou more insatiate then tyr'd Messaline.
Thou stinking, with'red, stale; thou past a whore;
Thou lust procurer, keeper of the doore:
Thou that dost tempt faire Maydens to their shame,
And for gaines sake, rob'st wiues of their faire name:
Thou damn'd damn'd Bawd, that do'st procure thy meales,
By tempting wenches to turne vp their ------
Thou that did'st neuer take delight to worke;
Thou in whose bosome snarling quarrels lurke;
Thou that in angrie mood dost neuer stay;
Worse then Megera or Tesiphonee,
Vntill thine anger be with blood appeas'd;
Like a Shee-wolfe, that her mild prey hath seaz'd,
Lyons, and Beares, and Griffins gentle bee,
And free from rage, being compar'd with thee.
In thee, mercy is pent; but rage hath scope:
Thou fitter for the fire, then for the rope.
Thou witch that dost delight foule Toads to foster;
And alway say'st the Diuels Pater Noster.
Thou that excell'st Medea in vile charmes:
Thou that kill'st children in their Mothers armes;
Thou that from Heau'n canst call the crooked Moone,
And make the Sunne darke at the brightest noone.
For these good parts, a secret marke vnknowne,
Satan hath mark't thee with, to be his owne:
And he to thinke on thee, for ioy doth swell,
Hoping ere long to fry thy bones in Hell.
Thou soone wilt kill his ioy with future sorrow,
When he shall know the Pox hath eate thy marrow.
Thou whore, thou witch, thou bawd, crusted in euill,
Thou that mayst be Schoolemistres to the Deuill,
Thou that with stinking breath speak'st ill of many,
Wert neuer heard speake good words of any:
And though thy toothlesse gummes can doe no wrong,
Those slanders bite, that flow from thy lewd tongue.
Thou Hag, from whose blaspheming wide mouth goes
Worse then ranke poyson to a fasting nose:
Thy dugs by thine owne bastard brats defil'd,
Are yet thought fit to nurse the Deuils child:
Thy head hangs downe through thy sinnes weightines,
Thy body doubles with thy wickednes:
Thou Treuet, hadst thou but one mite of grace,
Thou wouldst forethinke thy miserable case.
What hope hast thou, continuing as thou do'st,
To scape hell fire? Hope not: to Hell thou must.
Thy soule as wise, I doe repute her for it;
(Although her purenesse did at first abhorre it)
Keepes still her loathsome Cabinet; foreseeing,
If she leaue this, her worser place of being,
She needs among the damned soules must throng:
And that's the reason that thou liu'st so long.
What hast thou good in thee, but onely this,
That thy loath'd outside a true patterne is
Of thy vile liuing? Sinne, and want of grace,
Are ditched in the wrinkles of thy face:
Thou bunch-back-bug-beare-fac'd, splay-foot, Cat-hand;
Thou rough-bark'd-stinking-Elder, worse then damn'd;
Thou, about whose scurfe-head the Deuils flutter;
Thou viler vild, then I haue words to vtter:
Amend thy lewd life; or I sweare to thee,
For one ill-fauour'd word, I'le giue thee three.

120 Another Epistle of the same witty Author, Francis Rabelais, in praise of a graue Matrone; translated as the former.

Thou reuerend Matrone, whose sweet grace & forme,
Would a young, faire, sweet, hansome face adorne;
Thy modest carrying, and thy reuerend wit,
Shewes that Gods grace within thy heart doth sit:
Thou in whose hands are alway found good books;
But on loue-toyes thy chaste eyes neuer looks:
Thou that hast in thy braines imprinted deepe
Christ Iesus, who from thence ill thoughts doth keepe:
In thy milde soule rich vertue hath her store;
As God giues wealth to thee, thou giu'st the poore.
Thy heart is alway open to relieue,
And comfort those whom miseries doe grieue:
And with thine owne white hands dost not disdaine
To plaister those poore folkes, whom sores doe paine.
The hungry thou do'st feed with thine owne meate;
The naked, cold, with thine owne cloathes do'st heate;
Thy poore sick neighbours thou dost kindly visit;
Thou giu'st them counsell, mak'st them kitchin physick:
Thou free'st poore pris'ners with thine owne estate:
The fatherlesse thou do'st compassionate,
And do'st so many godly deeds withall,
That Iesus Christ may thee his Sister call.
From foolish vanities thou turn'st thine eyes,
And shutt'st thy eares against malicious lyes.
Although foule sluttish smells thou do'st abhorre;
Perfumers get nothing by thee therefore.
Thy table 's furnish'd with cleane, wholsome fare;
But for luxurious cates thou do'st not care:
And when thou drink'st, it is pure vnmixt wine;
Not those hot drinks that vnto lust incline.
Thy heart did neuer feele th'vnlawfull flame,
Which hath drawne looser wiues to publique shame:
Thou neuer lay'st on any am'rous bed;
But where thy husband had thy mayden-head;
And onely there for procreation,
And for thy Husbands recreation:
Thou art so zealous, godly, mercifull,
And with such heauenly, goodly graces full;
That we may stile thee, The rich Christian Palace,
Wherein the Holy Ghost doth take his solace.
Thy outward graces haue such Excellence,
That all salute thee with graue reuerence:
Thy head is fraught with holy meditations;
Thy heart is fill'd with heau'nly consolations;
Thy eares are open to the poores sad cryes,
And from them thou dost neuer turne thine eyes:
Thy hands are open to each godly deed,
And feet are swift, when of thy helpe there's need.
Thou art so faire, so vertuous, and so good;
Thou seem'st an Angell clad in flesh, and blood.
Thou art so hansome, proper, neat, and faire,
As if but yet thou a young maiden were:
(Sweet-heart beleeue) all honest men with me,
Are truly, heartily in loue with thee.
Thou often hast the Bible in thy hand,
And humbly pray'st, thou mayst it vnderstand;
And what with sober knowledge thou do'st reade,
Thou putt'st in practice, or into thy Creede.
Thou peerelesse Paragon! thou past compare!
Such as thou art, I wish all women were.
Thou Extract of good women now adayes;
Thy worthines so farre exceeds my praise;
To write it, I doe want an Angels quill;
And I as much doe need an Angels skill.
If thou beest liuing, mayst thou neuer dye,
I humbly pray the blessed Trinity:
And that thou mayst in honour, health, and rest,
Liue in this World, and in the next be blest.