¶ The Praise, of Cleane Linnen. With The Commendable vse of the Laundresse.
By John Taylor.
LONDON Printed by E: All-de for Hen. Gosson. 1624.
The Epistle dedicatorie. To the most Mundifying, Clarifying, Purifying, and Repurifying, Cleanser, Clearer, and Reformer of Deformed and polluted Linnen, Martha Legge Esquiresse, transparent, vnspotted, Snow-Lillywhite Laundresse to the Right worshipfull and generous the Innes of Court, of the middle Temple, with diuers others in the rancke of Nobilitie, Gentilitie, and tranquilitie, your poore and vnknowne Poeticall Oratour Iohn Taylor, in humilitie and seruilitie, craues your Patronages abilitie, in defence of his imbecilitie.
MOst cleanely and profest Antagonist to vermine, dirte, and filth, as Dragmatus the Diagorian Stigmatist very worthily wrot in his treatise of the antiquity of Shapparoones and carelesse Bands; Rushto [...] ton tumeron smolensco whish wherlibumque. Which is in English, That to conserue and keepe cleane, is as much or more then to make cleane: and I knowing by long experience that your [Page] [...] for our health [...] vpon those g [...]e [...] I haue p [...]esumed to [...] to your [...]. No [...] doubting [...] of your I ennity [...] fault [...] as are not [...] th [...]ough [...]ant of igno [...] [...] Sta [...]h of your [...] will stiff [...]n the wea [...]e [...]sse [...] [...]eble and limber labours, [...] [...]ee able to stand like a stoute [...] D [...]gge, against the opposition of [...] Mungerels: I haue in this [...], set forth the praise and [...] of Cleane Linnen, with [...] pa [...]nes of the Laundresse: [...] Lawndres I finde to bee both [...] de [...]gat [...]ry to your comly, [...] near, sweete and [...] for the Annagram of [Page] [...] F [...]sh [...] [...] most [...] your glory [...] to be termed [...] of Lawne, [...] dresse, Lawnd [...]esse, [...] lesdresse, [...] which [...] for you are the [...] Cap a pea [...] Socke, to the [...] and from the [...] and well beloued [...] in I am strucke [...] daunted [...] accompany [...] chast [...]t [...]. For [...] enter a Gen [...] [...] [Page] [...] of his soule [...] in his bed, to [...] h [...]m [...] your bare and naked mercy, [...], in pitty [...] you put [...] cleaue [...] leauing him in a clea [...] [...] th [...]n you found [...] doub [...] bu [...] such objects [...] pro [...] [...] temptations to fraile flesh and [...] as I said before, your courage [...] constancy alwayes brings you fairely of and on, though thousands weaker yes [...] [...] would be cra [...] in these [...] As for your good [...] who [...] L [...]gge by name, my poore [...] makes a legge in courtesie to him & [...] both. Some Cobling Coxcombes in [...] and [...]udgement, will terme him a [...], w [...]est good manners entitles [...] Tratis [...]ator When I thinke vpon the [...] correspondency of both your [...] approue i [...] [...]tune for a wise [...] chapping such a con [...] [...] a mender, and [...], speake truth [Page]you [...] both [...] how many will [...] mond your [...] (were and cleare, [...] our wicked and [...] vpright the is [...] and wayeth much of [...] worke is sild [...] shewes the true [...] Name: and [...] more [...] whereof, [...] house, doth good [...] betweene the Legges, [...] husband may [...] Poetically make an H [...]merez Legges are the sup [...]o [...]ters [...] holds and [...] A gool Legge [...]a grea [...] grace [...] creetlyessex [...] to the ca [...]e, me not too much [...]indled in the [...] wo [...]e Translot knowes that a [...] mourfo [...] go [...] [...]ogge, we a [...] or visor for bad [...]. [Page]mens many a Gentleman vsher will say [...]hatu [...] est of all parts of the Body the Legge beares the prick and praise It is embrodered with veines, inlaid with Arteries, enchased with Nerues, interlac'd with Muscles, ennamel'd with Sinewes, interwouen with Membranes, intermixt with Tēnons, embost with Ankles, hauing a Neate Foote for a Man, and fiue Toes for Pages to attend it. More for the honour of Legges; what is better meate then the Legges of Beife, Mutton, Lambe, Porke, Capon, Turkey, Goose or Woodcocke? Nay, there is such vertue in them, that any reasonable Cooke with a Stooles Legge (& something else) wil make good broath. To finish my prolixious short briee, and tedious dedication, I wish that you and your Husband in coniugall combintion, in the way of Procreation, may multiplie and make Legges, whic [...] is a part of good Manners and Cortesie, whereof these vnmannerly times almost barren. Thus referring my [...]se and [Page]my labours to be accepted and censured according to the purity and integrity of both your reforming functions, with my prayers for the cleane amendment of all soulers of Linnen, and the reforming of all bad Legges for the better supportation of Washers, Starchers and Translaters I remaine,
The Praise of Cleane Laennen.
The Prin [...]pall [...]asions why th [...] [...] was written.
IT was at that [...] that the worlds terrour, a [...]d wa [...]es Thunder [...]olt A [...]ari [...]ke King of the G [...]thes waste [...] [...]cked Rome, and stooke all the Kingdomes of the earth into a I [...]er [...], when there was inhabiting [...] D [...]kedome of Tus [...]anye a valiant Captaine named Ca [...]ss, descended from the Roy all house of [...] gus the first King of the [...]tag [...]ans. This Cats [...] being driuen [...] sh [...]t [...]s in these [...]obustuous brekeri [...]gs of the G [...]hes, fled f [...]t safety to the I [...]e of S [...]n [...]a, where for [...]; good parts and free b [...]u [...]our, [...]ee was entertained by the [...] Madam [...] the [...] daughte [...] and [...]le [...] of [...] [Page]although [...] place was chiefe Gentleman of the [...], his high pu [...]ht resolution was [...]lenated and crec [...]ed, for tra [...]ll and houre [...] [...]e [...]ces So (with much [...] to the Lady) hee tooke his leaue, and sayling through the str [...]ts of [...]br [...]lt [...], [...]nd the gulph of [...] [...]an [...], hee past the [...] Espe [...]an [...]e, as farre as China, where be sta [...]d certaine dayes at [...] then hee determined to progresse it by land, and passing by the great Citty of Tarsus in [...], by long iourneys he came to Gal [...], where ne [...] the G [...]ne he was in hot seemee, and came off [...]oru [...]ewhat scorch [...]d, with fireworkes in a mine: passing from thence be came into France where he was well well com [...]d at Brest, & at the Towne of Deip [...], was made great prouision for his comming; but for some reasons he would neuer came there. In briefe after hee had approu [...]d himselfe a hot, valiant and aduenturous Soldier abroad, and a peace [...]a [...]er at home, hee came into Ireland, where at Dubblin he was strucke lame; but [Page] [...]coue [...]ing new [...] strength and courage, he [...]ip [...]d himselfe for [...]and, la [...]ded at [...]st Chester, whence taking poste towards London he lodg [...]d at Ho [...]ey in the [...]ole, in his way, at last being corne to the Citty, he made many merry and mad vag [...]es betwixt Turne [...]ull-streete and Brunt-prood, spending freely, and faring deliciously; hauing a stiffe stomacke to digest all dishes except Winche [...]ter Geese, and Newmarket Turkies: thus with much danger and difficulty hauing trauailed farther then euer man sawe, and passed his time with much loue amongst Ladyes and Gentlewomen, hauing beene a great withstander of many desperate oppositions, and a rare Musitian for his long practise in Pricke-s [...]ng. He againe past the Sea in a Frigget to C [...]st [...]tin [...]le, where he fell into a moody melane [...]oly like Tymon of Athenes and scorned to [...]and at any [...]me, although hee was charged in the name of the Graund S [...]g [...]r. This Gallant hauing beene all his time a great vser [Page 4]wearer [...], and taker vp of Napery, did most bountifully bequeath to any Poe [...] that would write a Poeme in the praise o [...] Cleane [...]innen, as many shirts of the pures [...] Holland as might bee wash'd in Hellicon, and dryed on the two topt hill of Parnassus. To performe whose commaund, and receaue the bequeathed Legacie, I vndertooke this great taske, and perform'd it accordingly.