University of Virginia Library

Churchyardes Lamentacion of Freyndshyp.

In Court some say doth freindshyp flowe.
And some to Court for freindshyp goe:
But I that walke the worlde aboute,
Could neuer yet fynde freyndshyp out.
For fyneness: shewes so fayre a face,
That freyndshyp hath no dwellynge place
Yea, depe dyssemblynge manners mylde,
Hath sayth and freindshyp both exylde:
The holowe harte is fowle and fell,
Wheare freyndshyp loketh now to dwell.
The humble speche and Syrenes songe
Hath shrouded freyndshyp ouer longe,
The wylye wordes that waues wyth wynde
Hath brought true frendshyp out of mynde:
And to be shorte, fayre wordes is all
The fruite that from the tree dothe fall.
Wordes weldes the worlde, & beares the swaye,
And freindshyp daylye dothe decaye:
Yet durste I make of it reporte,
it is amonge the meaner sorte,
If any faythe or freyndshyp bee:
But I so lytle freindshyp see,
I feare the vertue of the same
Consystes but in the gentle name.
The worlde is waxen now so nyce
That we haue learnd the frenche deuyce,
At your cōmaundement for a showe,
and meane no farther for to goe:
We are as free of promyse styll
as though we mente a great good wyll,
And braue it out for gloryes sake,
and much adoe therof we make,
To blase abrode our bountye great:
Tush man the fyre hath lost his heate,
The flame yeldes furthe but sparkles smal,
theare is no freyndshyp now at all.
Geue eare and here a pretye Iest:
Theare was a man (at my request)
That seemd an earnest freinde in dede,
and swore he wolde supplye my nede
Wyth all hys helpe he could deuyse,
and ofte to blere hys Ladyes eyes,
And make her know hys lyberall mynde:
(for women Larges loue of kynde.)
He promyst many a goodlye gyfte,
but when I put hym to hys shyfte,
For quycke performaunce of thys geare,
then backwarde gan he for to swarue
Eche worde had past hys mouth before.
I pray you now if we had store
Of such good freinds, when nede shuld cum
myght not a pore man stryke hys Drum
Before theyr dores wyth chereful sprete,
and sounde a marche in open strete
A thousand tymes amidste hys greefe,
or he should fynde thearby releefe?
Fyue hundred of such mates as thease
(whose freyndshyp is not worthe a pease,
Whose brauery shynes beyonde the Sūne,
yet slypper laddes when all is done.)
My hap hath bene to mete or thys:
beware I say the Iudas kysse,
The flyrynge face the Parate gaye,
the bablynge tongue that hath no staye,
The fawner fyne that croutcheth lowe,
the plyant head that bendes lyke bowe,
Whose nature lykes not freindshyps lawe:
the gloryous man, the pratynge dawe.
Tut, tut, I warne thee ouersoone,
ful longe had nede to be the spoone
A man should haue for euery feate
that wyth the dyuell thynkes to eate:
For dyuels in these dayes are to ryfe,
and thou must nedes leade out thy lyfe
Wyth depe dyssemblers euery wayes:
the dyuels are much more to prayse
Then muffled men that myscheife breedes:
who are not knowen but by theyr deedes?
Oh frendshyp thou art much mysused
to be wyth freindes thus abused.
For freyndshyp should wyth open face
be seene and felt in euery place.
Of playnenesse first was freyndshyp wrought,
Iust as the Gods, and pure of thought:
Full free and franke as Lordes hath byn,
full bent the peoples hartes to wynne:
Full glad to fyll the nedye hande,
full fyrme of worde, and sure to stande
As Oke that euery storme wyl byde:
not lost with want, nor wonne wyth pryde
And welthy pompe, the pumpe of synne,
that bryngeth euery myscheife in:
But alwayes cleare from falseheddes trayne.
Than tell me now and do not fayne:
Where do that freindshyp buylde his bowre?
where is such freindshyp had thys howre?
Where maketh he now hys mansyon place?
or where (good Lord) hath men such grace
To lyght vpon so great a blysse?
mans mynde and nature altered is:
The worlde in wyckednesse is drounde,
and trulye freindshyp is vnsounde
And rotten lyke corrupted fruite,
though gloryous men wyll beare a brute
Of freindes, theyr freyndshyp is so colde
that we therof haue lytle holde:
When it should serue our turne (god knowes)
we reape the weede, and plant the Rose,
We gape for golde, and grype but glasse:
now dothe such wordes of offyce passe
Tweene all estates bothe farre and nere,
that talke is nought but fayned chere
To make fayre weather for a whyle
tyl one the other do beguyle.
I tell the man who playes the parte
of wylye Fox, must lerne thys arte:
They are no small byrdes (as I gesse)
if I in authors maye expresse
The synnes that now be kept in store.
that puts in practyse this and more
To compasse cloked freindshyp fyne.
The Fowler neuer drawes hys lyne
So strayghte vpon the selye fowle:
nor sure the byas of the bowle
Goeth not so strayghte on mayster blocke,
as dayly dothe thys dallyenge flocke
Upon the polycye of the brayne
to brynge the selye foole to trayne.
Men are so vsed these dayes wyth wordes,
they take them but for testes and boordes
That Christmas Lordes were wonte to speke.
well, well, I say the worlde is weke,
And weker it is lyke to be,
when credyte out of the worlde shall flye,
When trust is gone, and trothe is dead,
and faythfull freyndshyp hydes hys head,
And wordes are help of none effecte,
and promyse faythfull is suspecte.
Farewell, al earthly hope is past,
I see our maners change so fast,
And suche affection leades our wyll
awrye, to fyckle freindshyp styll:
That sure true freindshyp sylent syttes,
and nought beares rule but wylye wyttes:
Unshamefaste wayes, and meare deceyte,
for playnenesse such a pleasante bayte,
As choketh vp bothe hye and lowe,
and poysoneth all the worlde I trowe:
Wherfore synce freyndshyp takes hys leaue,
and fynenesse dothe vs all deceyue,
Let freyndshyppes name be banyshed quyte,
for sure it is a great dyspyte
To speke of freindshyp any tyme,
to make of freyndshyp prose or ryme,
Or gyue to freyndshyp anye prayse,
that is so frutelesse in our dayes.