TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL M. ROBERT BINDLOSSE Esquire, his approued kind Vnkle: The continu­ance of Gods temporall blessings in this life, with the Crown [...] of immortalitie in the World to come.

RIght Worshipfull, I haue penncd heere a short Trea­tise, entituled the Golden Fleece, which I no sooner had reuie [...]ed and corrected, ma­king it fit for the presse: as not doubting but it should passe the presse of detraction, which delighteth more in carping, then dis­creet [...] [Page] censuring of others labours: But I bethought me of some Patron, not so much for the pr [...]s [...]ruing this my first issue from a­bort [...]ent, as from the detraction of male­ [...]lent carpers, whovse to finde fault with Nature herselfe that she set not the Oxes [...]ornes vpon his backe rather then vpon his head, being the stronger and more puissant part. At the first I resolued to dedicate these fruits of my labours vnto him, from whom [...] receiued the grouth, and quiet encrease of my studies: But it pleased God to alter my purpose, [...]y preuenting him by death, who was the nourisher of my slender endeuours, and the protectour of mine orphane labours, which had no sooner hapned then in a distast of my studies, wanting him, whose relish sweetened my vnseasoned poemes, I was fully resolued to haue wrapped this tract vp in ob­liuion, and to haue depriued it of publike view. But the troubled course of our estates, and the fauourable regard you had of our at­tonement, which is now so happily confir­med, enforced me to consecrate this pamphlet as one of Bassas fragments, to your best af­fectioned [Page] selfe: to shew a willingnesse in me to gratifie that sollicitous and carefull regard you euer had, since the time of our desola­tion, euen his death, whose life was a mir­rour in his time, and whose well concording death ensued, as a reward of eternitie for his well spent daies: for his fruits shall fol­low him. The argument of this Treatise is morall: the vse spirituall, morally deriued from Iason sonne to Aeson by Polymela, who, after the death of his father was com­mitted to the tuition of his vncle Pelias: he to vsurpe the possessions, limited to his Nephew Iason deuised a dangerous enter­prise for him, to get the Golden Fleece of Cholcos, which he h [...]uing atchieued with great honour, and the safe returne of such Argonautes as went with him: recei­ued his inheritance, Vid Ouid, in Meta­mor. and propagated his glo­ry to the vtmost bounds of Asia. The vse, or morall implies: what felicity they shall ob­taine that with resolution and long animitie sustaine the pe [...]illous gusts of afflictions, with a respect had to vertue, without which regard no happy or successiue euent can at­tend [Page] any intendment: This tract though com­pendious, may afford no small fruit to your conce [...]uing vnderstanding, shadowing vn­der this title of Golden Fleece, the reward of a sincere and prouident pilgrim, who with Iason endureth patiently the surging Sea of persecution, the r [...]ging tempests of [...]ffli­ction, not to be allured with the inchanting voice of the Syrens melodie, abstaining from Cyrces cup, Ponet De­us his quo­que [...]ine [...]. Virgil. say [...]ing by the peril­lous rockes of Scylla and Charybdis, and now at last arriuing at the port of a prosperous repose, crieth out; hic [...]edes fata quietas o [...]tendunt.

Alexander had his Homer in reuerence, Alcybiades his Socrates, Caesar the peru­sall of his owne deuine writings, Scipio Affrican [...]s the workes of Xenophon, E­paminondas will receiue instruction of his Lysias, In Cyro­pedia. Agesilaus of Xenophon, Scipio by Genesius: Yea Bassus was sometime acceptable to his Caesar.

I feare not but there be euer some Mae [...]e­nas to giue a fauourable respect to the mea­ne [...]t labours. Socrates thinketh his works [Page] very fruitfull, and to haue produced good ef­fectes, when by them he hath prouoked any to the knowledge and learning of ver­tue.

Stylpho the Romane had neu [...]r attai­ned the chast name of a continent Citizen, Vid. Cicer. in lib de Orator. if he had not applied his corrupt disposi­tion to morall discourse, and made morall poems a soueraigne for his lasciuious inten­tions.

Those famous matrons of Rome, Octauia, Gorcia, Caecilia, and Cornelia, bestowed no lesse time in moralitie then Tullia, Vid. Apo­theg Plu­tarch. &c. Lu­cilla, and Claudia did in musicke and har­monie: more renowne attained they, by morall obseruations, then those wanton Dames did by their discourse of Hyme­naeus.

Semyramis and Cleopatra neuer grew more memorable for their affecting dain­ties, Vid. Trog. Pom. then Hermyone and Dyotmia for their morall precepts.

Many which professed moralitie, haue beene the preseruation of whole Cities, as [Page] Aristotle, Vid. Quint Curt. in octau. lib. in descrip. Dyon. & Dyonisij. by whose meanes, and for whose sake Alexander commaunded the Cittie Stagyra to bee builded ag [...]ine, being de­molished in the raigne of his father Phi­lip.

The like of Socrates we reade, Vid. vit. Socrat. and reason good, since Apollo termed him the wisest man in all Greece.

But wherefore should I prosecute this argument, Vid. Apo­theg. de Apell▪ & Prolog. alwaies putting my hand with Protogenes to that table which I am sure can be bettered by no colours? Receiue this vnripe fruite into the warme harbour of your loue, let it be kindly entertained, least it blush and be ashamed, to receiue so ill an en­tertainment, where it expected an vndoub­ted welcome.

This Mindian building haue I erected before her, to vsher her, and encourage her modest face, with the assurance of your ac­ceptance.

The Lord of heauen continue his bles­sings towardes you, lengthen your daies, multiply your comfortes heere vpon earth, [Page] that enioying Heauen vpon Earth in this life, you may be inuested with the crowne of immortalitie in the world to come.

TO THE WOR­SHIPFVLL HIS Ap­proued brother THOMAS BRATHVVAITE Esquire, the prosperity of times successe in this life, with the reward of eternitie in the world to come.

IAnus ha [...]h now shut vp his Temple, our [...] iuil warres be now ended, vnion in the sweete harmony of minde and coniunction, hath preuented the current of ensuing faction, we may now sit downe [Page] vnder our Beech tree: and make a vertuous vse of an experien­ced necessitie. Trauellers hauing passed many perils, inexplicable dangers, vse to be delighted with the recounting of their forepast miseries, sea beat mariners hauing sustained the tempestuous gustes of the surging sea, and at last ar­riued at their hauen, which so long time with importunacie they desired, seeme not a little delighted with the description of their manifolde daungers. Wee haue purchased by a mutuall ex­perience of our owne power, a mutual peace: and reposing vnder the comfortable shade of minds attonement, may make discourse of our forepast griefes.

[Page] Themystocles exiled his natiue countrie, and kindly entertained by the king of Persia, vsed to say to h [...]s traine: periissē, nisi periissem. O sirs, I had bene vndone, if I had not beene vndone; so we, for in our losse consists our welfare, ha­uing tried the rough chasticement of discord, and exiled as it were, the borders of peace and amitie, and now enioying the content of mindes vnion, may say, we had neuer beene thus happy, if we had not bene vnhappie, for the fruition of happinesse hath the best taste in his palate, who hath once tasted the bitter relish of vn­happinesse.

We may now make a good consort, since the iarring strings [Page] of discord be reduced to so plea­sant harmony, that the verie straines of our well concording strings may delight our friendes with a soule conceiuing melodie, but distract the minds of such as in the billowes of our vnnaturall troubles, conceiued no small feli­citie. But these were like Tyrtaeus that enuious Poet, who hearing how the workes of others grew acceptable and delightfull, han­ged himselfe in despaire of their good fortunes.

But let them alone, they labour of their owne phrensie: and Co­drus bowels will burst with his owne enuie; I haue composed some few Sonets, and dedicated them vnto your selfe, the frag­ments [Page] of Pernassus mount, thogh of the meanest: yet some fruite may bee gathered out of Ennius dunghill, they be amorous, pen­ned in a foolish passion, they are more fit for Venus shrine, then V­ranias shape: for I would not de­rogate from the praise of beautie, least I should haue Stesychorus for­tune, who for dispraising Hellen of Greece, lost his sight. Let these harsh poems now and then take place amongst more serious stu­dies, Damon euer carried about with him some works of Pythias as memorials of his affections, Pylades the impression of his O­restes, & Pyrithous the statue of his Thesaeus: A poeme of loue will re­lish the bitter tast of grauer stories.

[Page] Pyndarus fountaines lie open as well to Ouid, to write lasciuiously, as to Sophocles to write tragically: the minde affects variety, as the stomach vseth to be glutted, if she find no change, one instrument of Musicke would make a slen­der consort.

It was no small praise for Alci­biades, to be esteemed skilfull in exercises, and to haue generall ap­plause in what exploit soeuer he tooke in hand. Terpnus, who was Neroes musitian, was out of his element when he had not a Lute in his hand, and a wanton song before him: Aeschines had little to speake, when he was not plea­ding, but these resemble actors vpon a stage, who can speake [Page] nothing, but in their owne parts: interrupt them but a little, they stand like Praxiteles pictures. I receiue that Gentleman more ac­ceptably, who hath a superficiall knowledge in all discourses, then such an one as is exact in one di­stinct knowledge alone.

Thus recommending these few scattered poems to your reading, and wishing you as much com­fort as earth can afford you in this life, with the fruition of hea­uens glory in the life to come, I take my leaue euer resting,