Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
Cuius prosperitas, est transitoria?
Tam citò labitur, eius potentia,
Quàm vasa figuli, quæ sunt fragilia?_
1
Why[2] so triumphes the world, in pompe and glorie vaine,
Whose state so happie thought, so fickle[3] doth remaine?
Whose brauerie slipprie stands, and doth so soone decaie,
As doth the potters pan, compact of brittle claie?
2
_Plus crede literis, scriptis in glacie,
Quàm mundi fragilis, vanæ fallaciæ,
Fallax in præmijs, virtutis specie,
Quæ nunquam habuit tempus fiduciæ._
2
More credite sée thou giue, to letters wrote in ise,
Than vnto vaine deceits, of brittle worlds deuise.
In gifts to vertue due, beguiling many one,
Yet those same neuer haue long time to hope vpon.
3
_Magis credendum est, viris fallacibus,
Quàm mundi miseris prosperitatibus,
Falsis insanijs et voluptatibus,
Falsis quoque studijs et vanitatibus._
3
To false dissembling men more trust is to be had,
Than to the prosperous state of wretched world so bad:
What with voluptuousnes, and other maddish toies,
False studies won with paine, false vanities and ioies.
4
_Dic vbi Salomon, olim tam nobilis?
Vel vbi Samson est, dux invincibilis?
Vel dulcis Ionathas, multùm amabilis?
Vel pulcher Absolon, vultu mirabilis?_
4
Tell where is _Salomon_, that once so noble was?
Or where now _Samson_ is, in strength whome none could pas?
Or woorthie _Ionathas_, that prince so louely bold?
Or faier _Absolon_, so goodlie to behold?
5
_Quò Cæsar abijt, celsus imperio?
Vel Diues splendidus, totus in prandio?
Dic vbi Tullius, clarus eloquio?
Vel Aristoteles, summus ingenio?_
5
Shew whither is _Cesar_ gone, which conquered far and néere?
Or that rich famous _Carle_,[E486] so giuen to bellie chéere:
Shew where is _Tullie_ now, for eloquence so fit?
Or _Aristoteles_, of such a pregnant wit?
6
_O esca vermium! ô massa pulueris!
O ros! ô vanitas! cùr sic extolleris,
Ignoras penitùs vtrùm cras vixeris,
Fac bonum omnibus, quàm diu poteris._
6
O thou fit bait for wormes![E487] O thou great heape of dust!
O dewe! O vanitie! why so extolst thy lust?
Thou therefore ignorant, what time thou hast to liue,
Doe good to erie man, while here thou hast to giue.
7
_Quàm breue festum est, hæc mundi gloria?
Vt umbra hominis, sic eius gaudia,
Quæ semper subtrahit, æterna præmia,
Et ducunt hominem, ad dura deuia._
7
How short a feast (to count) is this same worlds renowne?
Such as mens shadowes be, such ioies it brings to towne.
Which alway plucketh vs from Gods eternall blis:
And leadeth man to hell, a iust reward of his.
8
_Hæc mundi gloria, quæ magni penditur,
Sacris in literis, flos fæni dicitur,
Vt leue folium, quod vento rapitur,
Sic vita hominum, hac vita tollitur._
8
The brauerie of this world, estéemed here so much,
In Scripture likened is, to flowre of grasse and such:
Like as the leafe so light, through winde abrode is blowne,
So life in this our life, full soone is ouerthrowne.[4]
[1] "These eight verses of St. Bernard seem to have been extremely
popular at one period.... In the 'Paradise of Dainty Devices,' first
printed in 1576, we find translations of the same words" (Mason).
[2] Who. 1577.
[3] unsteady. 1577.
[4]
.... which wind abrod doth blowe,
So doth this worldly life, the life of man bestow. 1577.
113.
¶ _Of the Authors linked Verses departing from Court to the Country._[1]
1
Muse not my friend to finde me here, )(For fortunes looke,[E488]
Contented with this meane estate: )(Hath changed hew:
And séeme to doo with willing chéere, )(And I my booke,
That courtier doth so deadly hate. )(Must learne anew.
2
And yet of force, to learne anew, )(But where a spight,
Would much abash the dulled braine: )(Of force must bée:
I craue to iudge if this be trew, )(What is that wight,
The truant child that knowth the paine. )(May disagrée?
3
No, no, God wot, to disagrée, )(For lordlie bent,
Is ventring all to make or mar: )(Must learne to spare:
If fortune frowne we dailie sée, )(And be content
It is not best to striue too far. )(With countrie fare.
4
From daintie Court to countrie fare, )(Where néede yet can,
Too daintie fed[E489] is diet strange: )(None other skill:
From cities ioy, to countrie care, )(Somtime poore man
To skillesse folke is homelie change. )(Must breake his will.
5
If courtlie change so breaketh will )(If court with cart
That countrie life must serue the turne: )(Must be content,[E490]
What profit then in striuing still, )(What ease to hart,
Against the prick to séeme to spurne? )(Though mind repent?
6
What gaine I though I doo repent, )(As néede doth make
My crotches[2] all are broke and gon: )(Old age to trot:
My woonted friends are careles bent, )(So must I take,
They feare no chance I chance vpon. )(In woorth my lot.
7
Now if I take in woorth my lot, )(Behold the horse
That fatall chance doth force me to, )(Must trudge for pelfe,
If ye be friends embraid[3] me not, )(And yet of forse,
But vse a friend as friends should do. )(Content it selfe.
[1] "In the edition of 1573 this piece is entitled 'Of the Author's
departing from the Court to the Country,' and the verses are printed
consecutively--four long lines and then four short lines."--M. So, in
1577.
[2] chrotches. 1577.
[3] upbraid. 1614.
114.
_The Authors life._[1]
[Sidenote: Epodium.]
1
Now gentle friend, if thou be kinde,
Disdaine thou not, although the lot
Will now with me no better be,
than doth appere:
Nor let it grieue, that thus I liue,
But rather gesse, for quietnesse,
As others do, so do I to,
content me here.
2
By leaue and loue, of God aboue,
I minde to shew, in verses few,
How through the breers, my youthfull yeeres,
haue runne their race:
And further say, why thus I stay,
And minde to liue, as Bee in hiue,
Full bent to spend my life to an end,
in this same place.[2]
[Sidenote: Borne at Riuenhall in Essex.]
3
It came to pas, that borne I was
Of linage good, of gentle blood,
In Essex laier, in village faier,
that Riuenhall hight:
Which village lide by Banketree side,
There spend did I mine infancie,
There then my name, in honest fame,
remaind in sight.
[Sidenote: Set to song schoole.]
4
I yet but yong, no speech of tong,
Nor teares withall, that often fall
From mothers eies, when childe out cries,
to part hir fro:
Could pitie make, good father take,
But out I must, to song be thrust,
Say what I would, do what I could,
his minde was so.
[Sidenote: Queristers miserie.]
[Sidenote: Wallingford Colledge.]
5
O painfull time, for euerie crime,
What toesed eares,[E491] like baited beares!
What bobbed lips, what ierks, what nips!
what hellish toies!
What robes,[E492] how bare! what colledge fare!
What bread, how stale! what pennie Ale![E493]
Then Wallingford, how wart thou abhord
of sillie boies!
[Sidenote: Singing mens commissions.]
6
Thence for my voice, I must (no choice)
Away of forse, like posting horse,
For sundrie men, had plagards then,[E494]
such childe to take:
The better brest,[3][E495] the lesser rest,
To serue the Queere, now there now heere
For time so spent, I may repent,
and sorrow make.
[Sidenote: Iohn Redford an excellent Musician
[organist of St. Paul's. M.]]
7
But marke the chance, my self to vance,
By friendships lot, to Paules I got,
So found I grace, a certaine space,
still to remaine:
With Redford there, the like no where,
For cunning such, and vertue much,
By whom some part of Musicke art,
so did I gaine.
[Sidenote: Nicholas Vdall[E496] schoolmaster at Eton.]
8
From Paules I went, to Eaton sent,
To learn streight waies, the latin phraies,
Where fiftie three stripes giuen to mee,
at once I had:
For fault but small, or none at all,
It came to pas, thus beat I was,
See Udall see, the mercie of thee,
to me poore lad.
[Sidenote: Trinitie hall in Cambridge.]
9
From London hence, to Cambridge thence,
With thanks to thee, O Trinitee,
That to thy hall, so passing all,[4]
I got at last:
There ioy I felt, there trim I dwelt,
There heauen from hell, I shifted well,
With learned men, a number then,
the time I past.
[Sidenote: Quartan ague.]
[Sidenote: Lord Paget good to his seruants.]
10
Long sicknes had, then was I glad
To leaue my booke, to proue and looke,
In Court what gaine, by taking paine,
mought well be found:
Lord Paget than, that noble man,
Whose soule I trust is with the iust,
That same was hee enriched mee,
with many a pound.
[Sidenote: The hope we haue of the dead.]
11
When[5] this betide, good parents dide,
One after one, till both were gone,
Whose petigree, who list may see,
in Harolds Booke:[E497]
Whose soules in blis be long ere this,
For hope we must, as God is iust,
So here that craue shall mercie haue,
that mercie looke.
[Sidenote: The vices of the Court.]
12
By Court I spide, and ten yeres tride
That Cards and Dice, with Venus vice,
And peeuish pride, from vertue wide,
with some so wraught:
That Tiburne play[E498] made them away,
Or beggers state as euill to hate,
By such like euils, I saw such dreuils,
to come to naught.
[Sidenote: The Court commended.]
13
Yet is it not to be forgot,
In Court that some to worship come,
And some in time to honour clime,
and speede full well:
Some haue such gift, that trim they shift,
Some profite make, by paines they take,
In perill much, though oft are such,
in Court that dwell.
[Sidenote: The nobilitie at variance in
Edward the 6 daies.]
[Sidenote: Katewade.]
14
When court gan frowne and strife in towne,
And lords and knights, saw heauie sights,
Then tooke I wife, and led my life
in Suffolke soile.
There was I faine my selfe to traine,
To learne too long the fermers song,
For hope of pelfe, like worldly elfe,
to moile and toile.
[Sidenote: At Katewade in Suffolke this
booke first deuised.]
15
As in this booke, who list to looke,
Of husbandrie, and huswiferie,
There may he finde more of my minde,
concerning this:
To carke[6] and care, and euer bare,
With losse and paine, to little gaine,
All this to haue, to cram sir knaue,
what life it is.
[Sidenote: Ipswich commended.]
16
When wife could not, through sicknes got,
More toile abide, so nigh Sea side,
Then thought I best, from toile to rest,
and Ipswich trie:
A towne of price,[E499] like paradice,
For quiet then, and honest men,
There was I glad, much friendship had,
a time to lie.
[Sidenote: The deth of his first wife.]
17
There left good wife this present life,
And there left I, house charges lie,
For glad was he, mought send for me,
good lucke so stood:
In Suffolke there, were euerie where,
Euen of the best, besides the rest,
That neuer did their friendship hid,
to doo me good.
[Sidenote: Newe maried in Norfolk.]
18
O Suffolke thow, content thee now,
That hadst the praies in those same daies,
For Squiers and Knights, that well delights
good house to keepe:
For Norfolke wiles, so full of giles,[E500]
Haue caught my toe, by wiuing so,
That out to thee, I see for mee,
no waie to creepe.
[Sidenote: Mistres Amie Moone.]
19
For lo, through gile, what haps the while,
Through Venus toies, in hope of ioies,
I chanced soone to find a Moone,[7]
of cheerfull hew:
Which well a fine me thought did shine,
Did neuer change, a thing most strange,
Yet kept in sight, hir course aright,
and compas trew.
[Sidenote: The charges following a yoong wife.]
20