A pleasant Discourse of Court and Wars with a replication to them both, and a commendation of all those that truly serue Prince and countrie. Written by Thomas Churchyard, and called his Cherrishing |
 |
Churchyards cherrishing. |
 | A pleasant Discourse of Court and Wars |  |
Churchyards cherrishing.
Ten thousand spend their time in vaine,
That haunteth either court or wars,
In both of them some hopes to gaine,
VVhen both God wot full few prefars:
Then bluntly said, and truly told,
Long courting maketh yoong men old.
That haunteth either court or wars,
In both of them some hopes to gaine,
VVhen both God wot full few prefars:
Then bluntly said, and truly told,
Long courting maketh yoong men old.
Not rich, nor wise, till wit be bought,
VVealth followes few that thither run,
Some trudge to court to bring home thought,
Or see abrode how shines the sun:
But leaues Gods blessing far behinde,
And liues vpon an aspiring minde.
VVealth followes few that thither run,
Some trudge to court to bring home thought,
Or see abrode how shines the sun:
But leaues Gods blessing far behinde,
And liues vpon an aspiring minde.
The court is but a pleasant cage
For birds to prune their feathers in,
A ioy to youth, a paine to age,
VVhere many lose, and few do win:
A step of state, where honor stands
To bring free harts in bondage bands.
For birds to prune their feathers in,
A ioy to youth, a paine to age,
VVhere many lose, and few do win:
A step of state, where honor stands
To bring free harts in bondage bands.
A gladsome house of goodly gests,
That pay small seruice for their foode,
A body full of hollow brests,
VVhere hatreds egs brings foorth their broode,
A place of pompe, and perill both,
VVhere finenes ioines, with little troth.
That pay small seruice for their foode,
A body full of hollow brests,
VVhere hatreds egs brings foorth their broode,
A place of pompe, and perill both,
VVhere finenes ioines, with little troth.
A heaunly image heere on earth
That lookes like saint without a shrine,
An outward signe, and shew of mirth,
VVhere many smarts are cloked fine,
A glasse of steele in some od case,
VVhere each man may see his owne face.
That lookes like saint without a shrine,
An outward signe, and shew of mirth,
VVhere many smarts are cloked fine,
A glasse of steele in some od case,
VVhere each man may see his owne face.
A randevou, where millions meet
In one kings raigne or other sure,
A whetstone to a dulled spreet,
That many sweet conceits procure,
A pallace fraught with faire delite,
That prooues but blacke, when it seemes white.
In one kings raigne or other sure,
A whetstone to a dulled spreet,
That many sweet conceits procure,
A pallace fraught with faire delite,
That prooues but blacke, when it seemes white.
A drawing hope, that hath no end,
In harts that labour still for fame,
A strong crossebowe that will not bend,
Till courtly archers wins the game,
A plot where cunning digs vp pence,
And yet a place of great expence.
In harts that labour still for fame,
A strong crossebowe that will not bend,
Till courtly archers wins the game,
A plot where cunning digs vp pence,
And yet a place of great expence.
Court is a maze of turnings strange,
A laborinth, of working wits,
A princely seate, subiect to change,
VVhere Goddesse like, dame Pallas sits,
A fountaine frozen hard as ice,
VVhere cloked craft turnes oft the vice.
A laborinth, of working wits,
A princely seate, subiect to change,
VVhere Goddesse like, dame Pallas sits,
A fountaine frozen hard as ice,
VVhere cloked craft turnes oft the vice.
The well and spring that cooles the thirst,
And quencheth each consuming heat,
The cooling carde that harts doth birst,
The worme that life and lim doth eat,
The gladsome gazing mirror bright,
That showes brode day, but brings darke night.
And quencheth each consuming heat,
The cooling carde that harts doth birst,
The worme that life and lim doth eat,
The gladsome gazing mirror bright,
That showes brode day, but brings darke night.
The field where fortune runs at bace,
And showes foule play where she doth please,
The parke, the forrest, and the chace,
VVhere Dians Deere lodge safe at ease,
The feasting house, where surfets breed,
By tasting some things more than need.
And showes foule play where she doth please,
The parke, the forrest, and the chace,
VVhere Dians Deere lodge safe at ease,
The feasting house, where surfets breed,
By tasting some things more than need.
The soile where Venus built hir bowre,
And Cupid shootes his shafts too fast,
The onely grace of earthly powre,
That was or is, and so shall last:
The meane to make meane men to mount,
Yet court of no man makes account.
And Cupid shootes his shafts too fast,
The onely grace of earthly powre,
That was or is, and so shall last:
The meane to make meane men to mount,
Yet court of no man makes account.
The path to hit prefarments right,
But when or how, good hap must shoe.
The torch that giues a flattring light,
A blaze that quickly out will goe:
The candle cleere of comforts all,
Yet downe vntoucht, the snuffe will fall.
But when or how, good hap must shoe.
The torch that giues a flattring light,
A blaze that quickly out will goe:
The candle cleere of comforts all,
Yet downe vntoucht, the snuffe will fall.
The feeding hope of all good hap,
Till want coms home with weeping eie,
The smiling cloud where thunder clap
Fals ratling from a pleasant skie,
The calmy aire, that stormes doth hide,
Till winde bewraies a blustring tide.
Till want coms home with weeping eie,
The smiling cloud where thunder clap
Fals ratling from a pleasant skie,
The calmy aire, that stormes doth hide,
Till winde bewraies a blustring tide.
The platform where all Poets thriue,
Saue one whose voice is hoarse they say,
The stage where time away we driue,
As children in a pagent play,
To please the lookers on somtime,
With words, with bookes, in prose or rime.
Saue one whose voice is hoarse they say,
The stage where time away we driue,
As children in a pagent play,
To please the lookers on somtime,
With words, with bookes, in prose or rime.
The mount where might and mercy dwels,
The one may kill, the other saue,
The spring that maintains many wels,
Where thirsty throtes do water craue,
The nurse that milke and pap may giue,
To those that in great lack doth liue.
The one may kill, the other saue,
The spring that maintains many wels,
Where thirsty throtes do water craue,
The nurse that milke and pap may giue,
To those that in great lack doth liue.
The ciuill sword of worldly sway,
That cuts off many a canker cleane,
The head that secrets can bewray,
And teach rash wits to keepe a meane
The eie that sees both hie and loe,
Much further than our feete can goe.
That cuts off many a canker cleane,
The head that secrets can bewray,
And teach rash wits to keepe a meane
The eie that sees both hie and loe,
Much further than our feete can goe.
The ground where plenty planted was,
VVhen bounties blossoms brought foorth frute,
Then gold was but esteemd as glas
The prince so freely gaue a sute:
The onely spring and flowing spout,
VVhere all good turnes came flowing out.
VVhen bounties blossoms brought foorth frute,
Then gold was but esteemd as glas
The prince so freely gaue a sute:
The onely spring and flowing spout,
VVhere all good turnes came flowing out.
The royall house of all repaire,
VVhere subiects swarme, and still do run
As thick as flies flocks to the aire,
In sommers day when shines the sun,
The paradise of earthly show,
VVhere many goodly frutes do grow.
VVhere subiects swarme, and still do run
As thick as flies flocks to the aire,
In sommers day when shines the sun,
The paradise of earthly show,
VVhere many goodly frutes do grow.
The way to toull men on to spend,
As profit straight should rise thereon,
The ready rule to giue or lend,
Play best be trust till all be gon:
The place where promis is forgote,
Or where faire words make fooles to dote.
As profit straight should rise thereon,
The ready rule to giue or lend,
Play best be trust till all be gon:
The place where promis is forgote,
Or where faire words make fooles to dote.
The ankor hold we trust vnto,
If cord and cable do not breake,
The gallant ship that may vndo
VVith charge: most men whose purse is weake:
The quiet port when tide coms in,
For all bare barks that harbor win.
If cord and cable do not breake,
The gallant ship that may vndo
VVith charge: most men whose purse is weake:
The quiet port when tide coms in,
For all bare barks that harbor win.
The swelling sea where some do sinke,
(That waues and surges swallow vp)
The doubtfull banket where some drinke
Their bane out of a spiced cup:
The stage where many a part is plaid,
That makes some lookers on afraid.
(That waues and surges swallow vp)
The doubtfull banket where some drinke
Their bane out of a spiced cup:
The stage where many a part is plaid,
That makes some lookers on afraid.
The costly, sumptuous golden hall,
That eats vp many a thatched hiue,
The bulwarke and the brazen wall,
Against whose state no force dare striue:
The stay and prop to weakest things,
And vnto man most comfort brings.
That eats vp many a thatched hiue,
The bulwarke and the brazen wall,
Against whose state no force dare striue:
The stay and prop to weakest things,
And vnto man most comfort brings.
The flowre and blossom of each land,
That yeelds sweet sent like mirr or balme,
VVhich doth not on base fortune stand,
But safe in either storme or calme.
O God that guides each fortune now,
Preserue our court and kingdom throw.
That yeelds sweet sent like mirr or balme,
VVhich doth not on base fortune stand,
But safe in either storme or calme.
O God that guides each fortune now,
Preserue our court and kingdom throw.
FINIS.
| A pleasant Discourse of Court and Wars | |