A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures Gallantly garnished, with goodly Galleries of strang inuentio[n]s and prudently polished, with sundry pleasant Posies, & other fine fancies of dainty deuices, and rare delightes. Written by a student in Ca[m]bridge. And published by I. C. Gent |
 |
|
The lyfe and death of Maister, T. Cicero, who was slayne, beeinge 63. yeares of age.
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
 | A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures |  |
The lyfe and death of Maister, T. Cicero, who was slayne, beeinge 63. yeares of age.
No legend lye, no fable fond, no tatling tale I tell,No treasure of Thalias Schoole, my shop hath for to sell:
Come Chapmen come, come vew and see, and bargain for the best,
And see the hap of him, whose hand, held Rome in perfit rest.
Whose yll reward for paines beeing past, when as you doo perceiue,
Although they moue not watery streames, to weepe yet giue me leue
For when I writ with painfull pen, that which I had begun,
The teares distild from watery eyne, whence flowing floods did run.
And forrowed down my moistned cheekes, repleat wt greuous mone,
And seasned sighes with salted Seas, I vttered many a one.
And thus my Muse amazde my minde, and kept my hart in feare,
Since first I tooke my quiuering quill, his actes for to declare.
In Italy an auncient Towne, that once Arpinum hight,
Which erst the Volscian kinges inioyed, by title truth and right.
Yet after subiect vnto Rome, as custome did constraine,
Somtime there was, and yet perhaps, to this day do remaine.
Herin did Olbia hide her selfe, a Matron pure and milde,
And to her Tullius ioyfull spouse, brought forth a louely childe.
A blessed babe whose noble stocke, neuer brought vnto decay,
(Of auncient Volscian kinges hee came, as writers did bewray.)
Did claime and challenge rightfully, that which long time was lost,
And hope did make the hartes reioyce, within Arpinum coste.
In youth (as well beseemeth youth) in schoole hee spent his daies,
Who wan renowme vnto the same, and to it purchast praise.
And happy might that Maister bee, which such a scholler taught,
Who to the seede that hee did sow, such great increase hath brought.
And one thing doth reuiue my hart, and fill my minde with ioyes,
In gallant youth with Poets arte, hee publisht many toyes.
Wherby I iudge that Poets skill, in youth is not condemned,
Nor practise of such painfull workes, in it should bee contemned.
For what can more reuiue the hart, or sharpen dulled wit,
Or els to recreate the minde, few studies bee so fit.
While youth did last as erst did hee, of whom my Muse doth wright.
When ryper yeeres gan run their race, and tender times wer spent,
With humain artes beeing furnished, and not therwith content.
To ciuill law hee lent a time, where hee long time did stay,
And while hee liued through Roman rout, did beare the price away.
And ioyned true Philosophy vnto the law an aide,
A helpe to those vndoubtedly, which in that trade are staide.
Wherof how much hee pend with skill, your witnesse I implore,
(If all his workes had come to light) which haue his workes in store
At last when courage gan to pricke, and strength his minde did moue
And martiall feates did put him forth, the force of Mars to proue.
With shining sword, and battering blowes, his golden spurs did win
By dint of blade in Scillas seege, by chance hee entered in.
Whose peerelesse prowesse of youthfull yeeres, delighted Scilla so,
That hee by graunt permitted him, in peace to Rome to goe.
And liue among his faithfull freends, to couch himselfe in rest,
Eche thing was free for him to vse, euen what hee fancied best:
Where while hee vsed his former vse, which erst did seeme him good,
And for his freend in open plea, his fretting foes withstood.
Lo Sextus Roscius is accused, by Scilla and his traine,
And Tully must come tell his tale, to set him free againe.
Wherwith the Tyrant gan to swell, but him for to preuent,
Hee doth abstaine from royall Rome, and vnto Athens went.
And practised the Roman toung, annexed with the Greeke,
That Athens neuer since that time, in her containd the like.
For at that time though Rome did rule, yet Athens did excell,
In knowledge of the Sciences, where all the Artes did dwell.
Till Tully tryed and found the truth, which hee in time reuealed.
And found out arte, in natiue speeche, which long had bin concealed,
Which Apollonius tolde before that then the crowne did beare,
And purchast praise in Orators, which then in Athens were.
Alas (saith hee) I rue your case (you Grecians) and decay,
For that which once was left to you, Tully shall take away.
Now Scilla draweth to his ende, and death hath paid his due,
And Tully did returne to Rome, which erst hee did eschue.
From thence to Cicilye hee went, beeing Questor of the same,
And did the duty meete for him, which in that office came.
His perfit time, beeing brought to end, againe to Rome hee went.
In tracte of time the consulship, was giuen vnto his lot,
Which hee discharged worthely, true iustice not forgot.
His counsaile and his grauity, his duty did discharge,
His wisdome and authority, did shew exceeding large.
Hee caused Catelyne to trudge, whose flight his mates did wound,
And by his pollicy, hee kept the Cittie safe and sound.
And they which threatned fire and sword, with slaughter to their soile
Doo groueling grone vpon the ground, wheras they haue the foile.
And hee triumphing of his hap, as did beseeme his might,
Is called Pater Patriæ, by Iustice law and right.
The first also which wan that name, beeing neuer heard before,
The good estate to natiue soyle, hee sought for to restore.
His wife was named Terentia, in whom hee was beguilde,
Of whom hee had young Cicero, and Tullia the milde.
A freend hee was to verity, no fayned wordes to vtter,
Ne would hee speake dissemblingly, nor glose in any matter.
As well appeard in Clodius fact, for then in Rome there were
The sacred Dames which vowed thēselues, the vestall weeds to bare
A law there was and well obserued, that none but women should,
Doo rites and homage in that place, for so Dame Vesta would.
Within that place Pompeia kept, which was then Cæsar his wife,
Whom clodius with vnlawfull lust, did loue with all his life.
And when no way hee could attaine, his pleasure to possesse,
To offer wrong to cæsars bed, his hart was in distresse.
But yet hee did attempt this feate, bedect in maydes aray,
And with the vestalles offered rites, and duties all that day:
In hope Pompeia to imbrace and vanquish in the night,
But after when this famous fact was publisht in the light:
The Vestals thinke they had great wrong and strait an action draw,
Accuūng clodius they doo craue, the rigor of the law.
Then Clodius to award this blow, and to driue back this dome,
Protest that hee that present day, was not in roiall Rome.
And for his witnesse brings out him, of whom my Muse doth wright,
But Tully sticking to the truth, layeth out the cause aright.
That clodius that present day (which clodius did denye)
Met him in Rome, which many more, affirmed stedfastly.
Who set him free from Iudgment bar, and did the Iudges blinde.
Whose flattering face and priuy bribes, did soone corrupt the law,
And fauour of all noble men, from Tully did withdraw.
Who persecuted Tully so, as well with wordes as might,
That hee perforce constrayneth him to fly from Rome by night.
And as an exile sixteene monethes, in exile did remayne,
Till hee by Pompyes good successe, was called home againe.
Whom Clodius ceast not to assaile, and sharply to inuade.
Till Milo stopt his liuely breath, by force of glittering blade.
When Clodius had his true desert, and Tullies foes were gone,
Then fortune fauoured his successe, which erst had cause to mone.
And Crassus is become his freend, which erst did him inuye,
And Cæsar did maintaine his case, which long did looke awry.
And who so good a freend to him as Pompye through whose plea,
His goods which Clodius did consume, to him restored bee.
And when as death with dauncing Dart, did end vp Crassus race,
Cecylia coast was giuen to him, the Parthians for to chase.
Who ruled the prouince in such sort, that Parthia cease to fight,
And Tully was ordained at Rome, to triumph by his right.
But discorde mooued betweene the peeres, hee did refuse the same,
And gladly did prefer the weale, before his praise of fame.
But wo is mee with battering blowes, the state of Rome decay,
And Cæsar sekes by dinte of sworde, to take the same away.
What shall I say, no feare of foes, appaled Tullies hart,
No freendship hath withdrawne his minde, to leue the rightest part.
But Pompye slaine, and Cato dead, and Tully quited free,
Hee left the sworde which erst was wont, his whole delight to bee.
And Soly sought his Cuntries wealth, and Homer to maintaine,
And that which long was hid before, by skill hee made most plaine.
So that throughout the Roman coast, who spake of Tully then,
Might iustly say that hee was borne, to profit other men.
For as hee did deserue great fame, by profit to the weale,
Euen so the lawes of Eloquence, hee iustly did reueale.
And hath a title of renowne, drawne out of learnings lore,
Which many Greekes in Grecian soyle, could not attaine before.
But yet alas I row to tell, I tremble all to late,
That cursed slippery Fortunes wheele, inuieth all mens estate.
Who had renowmed his famous fact, where Titan giueth light.
Who had exalted all his deedes, with honor and renowne,
Doth now begin with boysterous stormes, to beat him cleane adown
Terentia prooueth most vntrue, whose faith should not haue swerued,
With whom hee made a cleane diuorce, as well her deedes deserued.
Then poore estate began to pricke, and panges of pinching death,
By yll successe of Fortunes spite, did stop his daughters breath.
Antonius then began to rage, the greatest greefe and smart,
Who lookes the state of Roman seate, by all meanes to subuert.
Octauius is appald with feare, the Egiptians flockt by rout,
And all the Senate quake for dread, and make their praiers deuout.
The Tyrants trayne and grisly ghost, could not olde Tully quell,
Nor cause his tongue to stay from talke, Antonius facte to tell.
But might (alas) expelleth truth, as plainly did appeare,
When force laide waite to trip the iust, then Tully fled for feare:
To him whom erst hes had preserued, whose ayde hee did implore,
His helpe hee sought, whom hee had helpt, and fostered long before.
Who through his ayde then ruled as Prince, and Cæsar ouer all,
But harke alas, I rue to tell, what hap did him befall.
Octauius thyrsty of the Crowne, inflamed with heate of wealth,
Neglecting Tullyes small request, hee did not way his health.
And for a truce (oh cursed wretch,) hee yeelded to his foe,
The wished pray of Tullyes life, which hee desired so.
The Sparrow hatcht the Coockoes birds, which soone did see his ende,
Hee fled alas vnto his foe, whom hee esteemde his freend.
Oh diuelish deede, oh lucklesse lot, oh day of dolefull dome,
Oh hellish hound, vnworthy wretch, to rule in royall Rome.
Hath cursed care bewitcht thy braine? hath pride or peeuish pelfe,
Made thee betray him whom thou oughtst, regard more then thy selfe
Alas alas, run Tully run, the bargain now is made,
Thy blood must make great freends of foes, oh trickes of tigers trade.
Antonius seekes to lay thee flat, tis time to packe away,
When sounding fame this true report, to Tully did bewray.
To Seas hee hent, whose washinge waues did cause him to returne,
For why, I thinke the fatall Dames, his dedly wound had sworne.
Whom Antony did neuer cease, with hasty speede to chase.
Till hee by Fortunes crooked blast, had won him in his race.
To stop his breath whose stony hart, accorded to the same.
From whom hee tooke both hands and head, and left the carcasse still
And brought to Antony his Lorde, his greedy gorge to fill.
Who caused them on Senate top, for to possesse a place,
Where Tully oft had tried his wit in many a worthy case.
Whose filthy facts eche one inuied, which passed to and fro,
And sent forth many sobbes and teares, for greefe of Tullyes woe.
That now not only Romans wayle, but all the world lament,
And cease not for the losse of him, to curse his foes intent.
Vt voce sic vultu ac vita.
| A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures | |