The complete works of John Lyly now for the first time collected and edited from the earliest quartos with life, bibliography, essays, notes and index by R. Warwick Bond |
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| MAR-MARTINE |
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 | The complete works of John Lyly |  |
423
MAR-MARTINE
I know not why a trueth in rime set out
Maie not as wel mar Martine and his mates,
As shamelesse lies in prose-books cast about
Marpriests, & prelates, and subvert whole states.
For where truth builds, and lying overthroes,
One truth in rime, is worth ten lies in prose.
Maie not as wel mar Martine and his mates,
As shamelesse lies in prose-books cast about
Marpriests, & prelates, and subvert whole states.
For where truth builds, and lying overthroes,
One truth in rime, is worth ten lies in prose.
[1]
L[ordes] of our land, and makers of our Lawes,
Long may yee liue, Lawes many may you make,
This careful, kind, and country-louing clawse,
As from a faithfull friend, vouchsafe to take:
Martine the merry, who now is Mar-prelate,
Will proue madde Martine, and Martine mar-the-state.
Long may yee liue, Lawes many may you make,
This careful, kind, and country-louing clawse,
As from a faithfull friend, vouchsafe to take:
Martine the merry, who now is Mar-prelate,
Will proue madde Martine, and Martine mar-the-state.
The wind doth first send forth a whistling sound,
Then fierce, and fearefull, hollow, thundering threates,
At length it riues the earth and rents the ground
And tumbles townes and citties from their seates,
So he who first did laughing libells send,
Will at the last procure a wreakefull end.
Then fierce, and fearefull, hollow, thundering threates,
At length it riues the earth and rents the ground
And tumbles townes and citties from their seates,
So he who first did laughing libells send,
Will at the last procure a wreakefull end.
Women are woed to follow men precise
Young boies without experience hold thē Gods,
Yea some for gaine, who are both olde and wise:
Thus merrie Martine sets the world at ods.
The frozen snake for colde that cannot creepe
Restorde to strength a stinging stur will keepe.
Young boies without experience hold thē Gods,
Yea some for gaine, who are both olde and wise:
Thus merrie Martine sets the world at ods.
The frozen snake for colde that cannot creepe
Restorde to strength a stinging stur will keepe.
Let neighbour-nations learne vs to beware,
Let harmes at home teach vs for to take heede;
When Browne and Barrowe haue done what they dare,
Their hellish Hidraes heades will spring with speede:
Such men as Martine caused all these woes:
This poison still encreaseth as it goes.
Let harmes at home teach vs for to take heede;
When Browne and Barrowe haue done what they dare,
Their hellish Hidraes heades will spring with speede:
424
This poison still encreaseth as it goes.
Somewhat I hearde, and mickle haue I seene
It were too long to tell your Lordships what:
Somewhat I knowe, and somewhat haue I beene,
Yet this I saie, and this is also flat.
Bridle the coltish mouth of Male-part
Or else his hoofe will hurte both head and hart.
It were too long to tell your Lordships what:
Somewhat I knowe, and somewhat haue I beene,
Yet this I saie, and this is also flat.
Bridle the coltish mouth of Male-part
Or else his hoofe will hurte both head and hart.
Anglia Martinis parce favere malis.
[4]
O England gemme of Europe, Angells land,
Blest for thy gospell, people, prince, and all,
And all through peace, let Martins vnderstand
The hony of thy peace, abhorre their gall.
Blest for thy gospell, people, prince, and all,
And all through peace, let Martins vnderstand
The hony of thy peace, abhorre their gall.
Martins? what kind of creatures mought those bee?
Birds, beasts, men, Angels, Feends? Nay worse say we.
The feendes spake faire sometimes and honor gaue,
Curse and contempt is all that Martins haue.
Birds, beasts, men, Angels, Feends? Nay worse say we.
The feendes spake faire sometimes and honor gaue,
Curse and contempt is all that Martins haue.
England if yet thou art to learne thy spell,
Learne other things, such doctrine is for hell.
Learne other things, such doctrine is for hell.
What favor would these Martins? Shall I say
As other birds wherwith yong children play.
Let them be cagd, and hempseed be their food
Hempseed the only meate to feede this broode.
Disclaime these monsters, take them not for thine
Hell was their wombe, and hell must be their shryne.
As other birds wherwith yong children play.
Let them be cagd, and hempseed be their food
Hempseed the only meate to feede this broode.
Disclaime these monsters, take them not for thine
Hell was their wombe, and hell must be their shryne.
[5]
Many would know the holy Asse,
And who mought Martin been,
Plucke but the footecloth from his backe,
The Asse will soone be seene.
And who mought Martin been,
Plucke but the footecloth from his backe,
The Asse will soone be seene.
[6]
My Lordes wise wittall Martins thinke,
Your Lordships flie to hie:
Keepe on your flight aloft as yet,
Lest Martins come too nie.
Your Lordships flie to hie:
Keepe on your flight aloft as yet,
Lest Martins come too nie.
425
For were your winges a little clipt,
They soone would plucke the rest:
And then the place too high for you.
Would be pure Martins nest.
They soone would plucke the rest:
And then the place too high for you.
Would be pure Martins nest.
[11]
Wel maist thou marke but neuer canst thou marre,
This present state whereat thou so doost storme:
Nor they that thee vphold to make this iarre,
And would forsooth our English lawes deforme.
Then be thou but Marke-prelate as thou art:
Thou canst not marre though thou wouldst swelt thy hart.
This present state whereat thou so doost storme:
Nor they that thee vphold to make this iarre,
And would forsooth our English lawes deforme.
Then be thou but Marke-prelate as thou art:
Thou canst not marre though thou wouldst swelt thy hart.
[12]
In Ammons land pretended Rephaims dwelt,
That termd them-selues Reformers of the state,
These like Zanzummins, and Deformers dealte,
Among the people stirring vp debate.
But when their vilenes, was espied and knowen:
From Ammons land this Gyants broode, was throwen.
That termd them-selues Reformers of the state,
These like Zanzummins, and Deformers dealte,
Among the people stirring vp debate.
But when their vilenes, was espied and knowen:
From Ammons land this Gyants broode, was throwen.
Our England, that for vnitie hath beene,
A glasse for Europe, hath such monsters bread,
That raile at Prelats, and oppugne their Queene,
Whole common wealthes, each beareth in his head.
These Rephaims, for so the[y] would be deemd:
Are nothing lesse, then that they most haue seemd.
A glasse for Europe, hath such monsters bread,
That raile at Prelats, and oppugne their Queene,
Whole common wealthes, each beareth in his head.
These Rephaims, for so the[y] would be deemd:
Are nothing lesse, then that they most haue seemd.
Then if we loue the gouernement of peace,
Which true Reformers from aboue maintaine,
And forraine force could never make it cease,
Nor these Deformers, can with vices staine:
First let vs finde pretended Rephaims rowte,
And like Zanzummins, let vs cast them out.
Which true Reformers from aboue maintaine,
And forraine force could never make it cease,
Nor these Deformers, can with vices staine:
First let vs finde pretended Rephaims rowte,
And like Zanzummins, let vs cast them out.
[13]
Martin had much a farther reach, then euery man can gesse,Hee might haue cald himselfe Mar-preest, that hath bene somewhat lesse,
But seeking all to overthrowe, what ever high might be:
Mar-prelate he did call himselfe, a foe to high degree.
[15]
If any mervaile at the man, and doe desire to see
The stile and phrase of Martins booke: come learne it here of mee.
The stile and phrase of Martins booke: come learne it here of mee.
426
Holde my cloke boy, chill haue a vling at Martin, O the boore;
And if his horseplay like him well, of such he shall haue store.
He thus bumfeges his bousing mates, and who is Martins mate?
O that the steale-counters were knoune, chood catch them by the pate.
Th'vnsauorie snuffes first iesting booke, though clownish, knauish was:
But keeping still one stile, he prooues a sodden headed asse.
Beare with his ingramnesse a while, his seasoned wainscot face:
That brought that godly Cobler Cliffe, for to disproue his grace.
And if his horseplay like him well, of such he shall haue store.
He thus bumfeges his bousing mates, and who is Martins mate?
O that the steale-counters were knoune, chood catch them by the pate.
Th'vnsauorie snuffes first iesting booke, though clownish, knauish was:
But keeping still one stile, he prooues a sodden headed asse.
Beare with his ingramnesse a while, his seasoned wainscot face:
That brought that godly Cobler Cliffe, for to disproue his grace.
But (O) that Godly cobler Cliffe, as honest an olde lad,
As Martin (O the libeller) of hangbyes ever had.
If I berime thy worshipnes, as thou beliest thy betters:
For railing, see which of vs two shall be the greatest getters.
But if in flinging at such states, thy noddle be no slower:
Thy brother hangman will thee make, be pulde three asses lower.
Then mend these manners Martin, or in spite of Martins nose:
My rithme shall be as dogrell, as vnlearned is thy prose.
As Martin (O the libeller) of hangbyes ever had.
If I berime thy worshipnes, as thou beliest thy betters:
For railing, see which of vs two shall be the greatest getters.
But if in flinging at such states, thy noddle be no slower:
Thy brother hangman will thee make, be pulde three asses lower.
Then mend these manners Martin, or in spite of Martins nose:
My rithme shall be as dogrell, as vnlearned is thy prose.
These tinkers termes, and barbers iestes first Tarleton on the stage,
Then Martin in his bookes of lies, hath put in euery page:
The common sort of simple swads, I can their state but pitie:
That will vouchsafe, or deygne to laugh, at libelles so vnwittie.
Let Martin thinke some pen as badde, some head to be as knavish:
Soome tongue to be as glibbe as his, some rayling all as lavish,
And be content: if not, because we know not where to finde thee:
We hope to se thee where deserts of treason haue assigned thee.
Then Martin in his bookes of lies, hath put in euery page:
The common sort of simple swads, I can their state but pitie:
That will vouchsafe, or deygne to laugh, at libelles so vnwittie.
Let Martin thinke some pen as badde, some head to be as knavish:
Soome tongue to be as glibbe as his, some rayling all as lavish,
And be content: if not, because we know not where to finde thee:
We hope to se thee where deserts of treason haue assigned thee.
[16]
Cast of thy cloake and shriue thy selfe, in cloake-bagge, as is meete:And leaue thy flinging at the preest, as Iades doe with their feete.
The Preest must liue, the Bishop guide:
To teach thee how to leaue thy pride.
[17]
If Martin dy by hangmans hands, as he deserues no lesse,This Epitaph must be engravde, his maners to expresse.
Here hangs knaue Martine a traitrous Libeler he was
Enemie pretended but in hart a friend to the Papa,
Now made meat to the birdes that about his carkas are hagling.
Learne by his example yee route of Pruritan Asses,
Not to resist the doings of our most gratious Hester,
Martin is hangd [f]or the Master of al Hypocritical hangbies.
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