H. His Deuises, for his owne exercise, and his Friends pleasure.
Vincit qui patitur.
Imprinted at London, in Fleetestreate, beneath the Conduite, at the signe of the Saint Iohn Euangelist, by H. Iackson.
ANNO. 1581.
To the Right Honorable, and most vertuous Lady, the Lady Marye Countesse of Pembrooke.
THE LITTLE POET ACCIVS NOT knowing which way to couer the smalenesse of hys person, which was somewhat lesse then the meane, thought best to haue a great picture drawne for hys Counterfeyte: This Poet no doubt had some meaning in this deuise, for pictures often go there, where the person whom they represent are not admitted: And it might be that strangers seeing the great shape, would imagine Accius to be a tall man. Tewcer a cunning Archer, but a faynte harted Souldiour, then wanted no courage when he was close couered with the Target of his brother Aiax. Vlisses, whose rype wyt made full amends for his weake body, thought no aduenture dangerous, though neuer so perillous, if he were protected with the shield of Pallas. So I right Noble Ladye knowing my abilitie to wryte, to bee farre lesse then the person of Accius, and so more lykely to incurre more rebukes: my courage therfore more faynte then eyther Tewcers, or Vlisses, and so more needing some strong defence, haue aduentured to place in the forefrunt of this little treatise, the tytle of your name, as a great portrature to a little body, as a sure shield to a weake Warriour, as a safe defence against any danger. For as they which should see the picture of Accius, would imagine it to aunswere his person: so if the Reader hereof, behold your name in the fyrst leafe, he will deeme the whole Booke the more fruitfull, and the framer therof the more skilfull: but if he shall once perceyue your Honor to be Patronesse to this labour, he will eyther loue it, bicause he doth honor you, or wil not dare to reproch it, bicause he perceyueth you are as ready, and knoweth you are as able to defend it, as eyther Aiax was to garde Tewcer, or Pallas to guyde Vlisses. I cannot right vertuous Ladye, imagine there was anye greater cause that might induce Accius to frame so bigge a picture: or cause Aiax to shielde Tewcer: or mooue Pallas to regarde the safety of Vlisses: then my selfe [Page] now haue to vse your Honors defence. Accius his picture might with a stranger couer the shortnesse of his person: your name shall to the Reader be recompence for the greatnesse of my ignorance. Tewcer fled to Aiax bicause he was his owne brother: I presume to seeke ayde of your Honor, bicause I am your poore seruant. Pallas did defende Vlisses bicause shee knewe he followed and loued her: Your Ladiship (I trust) wyll be my protection, bicause I honor and serue you, which I haue done in tymes past, now doe, and euer hereafter wil do, in such sorte, that the worlde should be wytnesse, if my abilitie to shew it, were as great as my wil is ready to performe it, I would be found equal in dutiful zeale towards your Honor, to Vlisses in harty affection towards Pallas. Therfore right Noble Lady, let me be bold to remember you in behalfe of my self, of that which Demosthenes is reported to haue spoken to Alexander, in defence of the Athenians. You haue (sayd he) most worthy Emperour, by fortune no greater good then that you maye: by nature no better gifte then that you wishe to doe good to many. The credite and estimation your vertuous lyfe, and rare wisdome hath procured you: the honorable curtesie and sweete behauiour wherewith Nature hath plentifully endued you, shal not be eyther vnfitly or vnfruitfully vsed, if you shal vouchsafe to imploy the one in defence, and shew the other in good acceptance of this slender worke of your seruant, which as I did wryte at ydle times in your house, to auoyde greater ydlenesse or worse businesse: so I present it humbly vnto you, as a testimony of my bounden dutie, euer crauing your Honor to pardon my bolde presumption: and styl beseeching the Almightye to blesse you in earth with much honour, and in heauen to crowne you with eternall felicitie.
¶ The Table of the Contents of this Book.
- NO assurance, but in Vertue.
- ¶ Prosperity ought not cause presumption, nor aduersity force dispayre.
- ¶ Once warnde, twice armde.
- ¶ Flattery the Vayle of Frawde.
- ¶ No greater contrariety, then in the passions of Loue.
- ¶ In vttering of sorrow, some solace.
- ¶ Miserie the ende of Letchery.
- ¶ The paines of Louers great, but mine grieuous.
- ¶ Ruine the rewarde of Vice.
- ¶ The best Natures soonest abused.
- ¶ He lykeneth his lotte to Virgils.
- ¶ All of greene Willow, Willow, Willow, Willow, Sith all of greene Willow shall be my Garland.
- ¶ All of greene Lawrel.
- ¶ No new fancies shall alter olde lyking.
- ¶ A Dreame.
- ¶ The lamentable ende of Iulia Pompeis Wyfe.
- ¶ Secrecy, for some sorrows, a needefull remedy.
- The ende of lyfe, the begynning of blisse.
- They soonest yelde remedy, that haue felt lyke extremitie.
- A Posie.
- Vnthankfulnesse of minde, a monster in Nature.
- Noble minds eyther conquer or couer.
- Vng ie seruirey.
- Doe or be still.
- He denies quickly, that giues slowly.
- Women are words, men are deeds.
- Enuy euer depraueth desert.
- A Winters morning muse
- Mans lyfe lykened to a stage play.
- To his Mistresse.
- Reward doth not alwayes aunswere deserte.
- Who hurt, must heale,
- Of Loue.
- Of Bayes and Willow.
- [Page] ¶ An Epitaph vpon the death of the Ladye Katherine, late Countesse of Pembrooke.
- Vltimum vale.
- ¶ In aduersitie is best seene Vertues excellency.
- ¶ Sorrowe disclosed, somewhat eased.
- ¶ Omnis fortuna superanda ferendo est. Of sufferance comes case.
- ¶ H. his Reply to his friend. A. M.
- ¶ H. to himselfe.
- ¶ Written to a most excellent Booke, full of rare inuention.
- ¶ The complainte of a sorrowfull wight, founde languyshing in a Forrest.
- ¶ Of Fancie.
- ¶ Aunswere.
- ¶ Euer sought, neuer founde.
- ¶ A Poesie.
- ¶ Aunswere.
- ¶ Euery thing is as it is taken.
- To his Lady of her doubtfull aunswere.
- Helpe best welcome, when most needefull.
- Of the Golden worlde.
- Of Golde.
- A. W.
- Aunswere, H.
- Of Friends.
- Answere. E. L.
- Reply to the same.
- Another waye.
- To his Friend M. S.
- In mediocritie most safety.
- To the same.
- That valiant hartes are desyrous to aspyre.
- ¶ Aunswere.
- Another waye.
- To his Friend E. R. of the Bee.
- Sure counsell, sounde friendship.
- They performe not best, that promise most.
- [Page] Bewtie the bayte Vanitie.
- Of Fortune.
- A Sonet.
- To her Louer, that made a conquest of her, & fled, leauing her with childe.
- Beyng burdened to fayne his good will, he aunswereth thus.
- Chaunge of Country, shall not chaunge fancie.
- Where abilitie fayleth, wyll sufficeth.
- Mans impietie, fayns false Deitie.
- In loue smale iarres, sometime breede best content.
- What Nature seuereth, Arte hardly ioyneth.
- He wysheth well to the Crabbe and Maple Tree in Milfeelde, for the Ladies sake that met there vnder them.
- Being charged with finenesse he aunswereth thus.
- Such Saintes, such seruice.
- I follow what flyeth from me.
- No griefe to wante of due regarde.
- Of Anger.
- A New yeares gifte.
- Another.
- Another.
- Another.
- An Epitaph.
- A Dreame.
- Loue asketh loue.
- The variable thoughts of a Louer.
- R. T.
- Aunswere.
- Another waye.
- Godlynesse passeth ryches.
- His aunswere to one that wrote, faynte hartes that feare to synne, fayre Ladyes syldome wynne.
- To I. N.
- H. To his mishap.
- Falsyfying of fayth, breeds many complaints.
- To his Song, sent to his Mistresse.
- [Page] A Poesie.
- Aunswere.
- The vanitie of rytches.
- Discord makes weake, what concord left strong.
- Of one that came to borrowe money.
- Aunswere.
- Truth feareth no tryall.
- He complayneth his mishap, with promise to keepe her honor.
- G. To his Ladye.
- For smale offence, smale punishment.
- ¶ Loues myghtinesse growes by Louers weaknesse.
- ¶ A comparison of his troubles.
- ¶ I. K. to H. being sicke.
- ¶ Aunswere H.
- ¶ Of Friendship.
- ¶ Aunswere. G. H.
- ¶ H. To M.
- ¶ Admonition to his Friend.
- ¶ Who seekes this Worlds felicitie, Fyndes nothing else but vanitie.
- To a Flatterer.
- Aunswere.
- Reason and Fansie doe often varie.
- A Poesie.
- Certaine Verses translated out of Petrark concerning Rome, written by hym many yeares since.
¶ To the Reader.
¶ Faults escaped in the printing.
In the Sonet entiteled Ruine the reward of Vice, the seconde line, for ioy, reade ioyes. And in the fyft staffe of the same Sonet, the last line, for forsing, reade falsing.
In the answere to the poe sie written of Fansie, the laste lyne, for you reade your.
In the Golden world, the xvij vearse and fyrst word, for Gor, read For.
In the Sonet entiteled hir louer that made a conquest of hir, the viii. staffe, the last line, for shamefull, read shamelesse.
In mans impietie, faines false deitie, the first verse, for faine, read faynde.
In Sorrowe disclosed somewhat eased, for setled sorrows, read sorrowe.
In such saints, such seruice, toward the ende of the Sonet, for when, read whence.
In what Nature seuereth, arte hardly ioyneth, the laste line of the first staffe, for soone, read same.
In the vanity of ritches, after the sixt line read, For who hath most of such a store, the more he feares as thrall. Which is there lacking.
In Discorde makes weake, what, &c. the last lyne saue one, for guyde, reade guyle.
In Reason and fancie do often vary, the first word, for there, read where.