OLIJO (^^^ All books are subject to recall after two weeks Olin/Kroch Library DATE DUE MA^*^ -ynnr GAYLORD PRINTED IN U.S.A. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924086054792 In compliance with current copyright law, Cornell University Library produced this replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. 1999 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ENGLISH COLLECTION ^aq^GSH- ■niK GIFT OF JAMES MORGAN HART PROFESSOR OF ENGIJSH GEORGE GASCOIGNE, Esquire. I. Certayne Notes of Inflrudlion in Englifh Verfe. 2. The Steele Glas. [Commenced April 1S75. Finished April 1S76.] April 1576. 3- The Complaynt of Philomene. [Commenced Apr. 1562. Continued in Apr. 1575. Finished 3 Apr. 1576. J April 1576. PRECEDED BY GEORGE WHETSTONE'S A Remembrance of the well imployed Life, and godly end of George Gafcoigne Efquire, &c. [£•«<. Siat. Hall. 11 Nov. 1577.] CAREFULLY EDITED BY E D W A R D .\ R B E R, Ajybciaie, King's College^ London^ F.R.G.S., &r=c. Large Paper Edition. LONDON : 5, QUEEN .SQUARE, P,LOOM.SBURY, W.C. Ent. Stat. Hall.] CX, I October, 1 869. [All Rights referved. E.V, ^.^']^^^^ CONTENTS. Chronicle of the Life, Works, and Times of G. Gafcoigne 3 Introduction, n Bibliography, 14 ffieorgt fflsafjttgtoiu. A REMEMBRANCE &=€. OF G. GASKOJGNE, &■£. IS (i) The wel employed life, and godly end of G. Gafcoigne, Efq N 17 (2) Exhortatio 27 (3) An Epitaph, written by G. W. of the death of M. G. Gaikoygne ... 29 ffienrge ffiascotgne. CERTAYNE NOTES OF INSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH VERSE, /. 15-^0) of fome of the principal events in the Life, Works, and Times of GEORGE GASCOIGNE Efquire, Courtier, Soldier, Poet. • Probable or approximate dates. / 1509. apr. 22. iBjcntp Fififi. bcg(ns to wlgn. 1535^7- George Gascoigne was the son and heir of Sir J. Gascoigne, p. 18. The date or place of his birth is not known. If it might be safely assumed that he was some- what over 20 years of age when he entered Gray's Inn in ^SSSj thatwould confirm the otherwise unsupported state- ment, that he was only 40 years when he died. Gascoigne himself tells Queen Elizabeth [see 1576] that he had * Suche Englishe as I stale in westmerland.' From which it is inferred he was either bom or bred in that county. 1547- Salt. 29. Stitnarlr VI ascenDs tl)e ttrone. He goes to Cambridge. *Such lattyn as I forgatt at Cambridge,' [see 1576] Pray for the uources of our noble Realme I meane the worthy Vniuersitities, (And Caniabridgej shal haue the dignitie, Whereof I was vnworthy member once) p. 77. f 1553. .Sfulj? 6- iiaati? succeelis to tfte throne. Harl. M.S. 1912, is a nominal index of the Registers of all * Admittances,' * Ancients,' and 'Barresters' in the Society of Gray's Inn, down to 1671 ; together with a digest of such orders of the society which were looked upon as precedents. In the i6th century, four gentlemen of the name of Gascoigne were admitted into the society. John in 1536 [admitted to ye degree of Ancient, 24 May 1 552 ; fol. 195], George in iSSit Edward in 1584, and John in 1590; Jbl. 33. None of these occur in the list of * Bar- resters.' 1555. George Gascoigne admitted to Grays Inn. 43 ad- mitted in the same year. Harl. MS. jg\2,/ol. 33. 1337. May 24. Among the names of * Ancients ' called on 24 May, iSS7f is that^f 'Gascoine,' Idetn^fol. 204. 1558. ^ob. 17. Sllfateti) begins to reffin. ' The lost time of my youth mispent/ p. 42. * Disin- herited/ p. 17. zj€2. Apr. Gascoigne begins * to deuise' The Cotnplamt of Philo- fnetie *riding by the high way betwene Chelmisford and London, and being ouertaken with a sodaine dash of Raine, I changed my copy, and stroke ouer into the De- profundis which is placed amongst my other Poesies^ leuing the complaint of Pkylometie vnfinished.'//. 86, 1 19, In Theintrod74cti4>ntothePsalmeofDepi'ofuiidis wliich CHRONICLE, with the Psalm itself, is included in Gascoigne*s Flowefs, are the following lines. The Skies gan scowle, orecast with misty clowdes. When (as I rode alone by London waye, CloakelessCj vnclad) thus did I sing and say : Why doe not I my wery muses frame (Although I bee well soused in this showre,) To write some verse in honour of his name? Among the precedential orders relating to * Ancients,* at the end of Harl. M.S. 1912, is the following;. ' 1555 Mr. Barkinge, Mr. Brand, Geo. Gascoigne, Tho 1561 Michelborne, and William Clopton beinge called 1565 Ancients as of ye former Call paid their respectiue 1567 fines for their Vacacions past to compleate ye num- 1624 ber of nine Vacacions of ye said former call,_/&/. 238. 1565, Gascoigne pays the above fines. In his Floiuers^ are Gascoigfies Memories, written vpon this occasion. Hee had (in myddest of his youth) determined to abandone all vaine delights and to retume vnto Greyes Inne, there to vndertake againe the studdie of the common Lawes, And being required by fiue sundry Gentlemen to write in verse somewhat worthye to bee remembred before he en- tered into their fellowshippe, hee compiled these iius suudrie sortes of metre vppon fiue sundrye theames, which they deliuered vnto him, and the first was at request of Frauncis Kinwelmarshe who deliuered him this theame. A tidaces foriuna inuat The next was at request of Antony Kinwelmarshe, who deliuered him this theame, Satis sufficit John Vaughan deliuered him this theame. Magnutn vectigal parciinonia Alexan- der Neuile deUuered him Uiis theame, Sat cito. si sat bene, wherevpon he compiled these seuen Sonets in se- quence, therein bewraying his owne Nhnis cito : and therwith his Vix Bene Richard Courtope (the last of the fiue) gaue him this theame Durum m?ieum. et Tjziserabiie muum And thus an ende of these fiue Theames, admounting to the number of. ccLViii. verses, deuised ryding by the way, writing none of ihem vntill he came at the ende of his louraey, the which was no longer than one day in ryding, one daye, in tarying with his friend, and the thirde in returning to Greyes Inne: and therefore called Gascoigne's memories. Posies, 1575. 15)5. Apr. 26. Date of his dedication of * The Glasse 0/ Gouem- ment. _ A tragicall Comedie,* first printed in 1576. 'A piece in a dramatic form, the body of which is m prose, although it has four choruses and an epilogue in rhyme, besides two didactic poems in the third act.' Collier, Hist. Dram. Poet. iU, 7. '5C6. Two plays are represented at Gray's Inn in this year, (i) Tke Supposes— tc23xii2X^d. by Gascoigne from Ario- sto'sGli Suppositi, W^nicc, 1525 — the earliest 'existing specimen of a play in English /rwjf acted, either in pub- he or private.' Collier, Hist. Dram. Poet. iii. 6. {2) yocasta — adapted from the Phenissceoi Euripides 'the second dramatic performance in oiu* language in blank verse, and the first known attempt to introduce a GreekpIayupontheEngHshstage.'Co//iW-,A&w./.8. Gas- coigne contnbutes Acts ii, iii, v. ; F. Kinwelmarsh, Acts 1. and IV. : and C, afterwards Sir C, Yelverton, the Epi- logue. Each Act was preceded by a dumb show. The Autograph copy of this play is in the Guilford MS. In this year also was published The French Littleton, CHRONICLE. 5 Nevvly set forth by C.HoIiband \i.e. Desainliens], teach ing in Paules Church yarde, by the signe of the Lucrece London, 1566." At the be_>mning is what is apparently" Gascoig^e s ^st publisJied verse, Geor^ Gascoigne Squire in co ntmendatum of this booke. The pearle of price, whicn engUshmen haue sought So farre abrode, and cost them there so dere Is now founde out, within our contrey here And better cheape, amongst vs may be bought I meane the frenche ; that pearle of pleasant speeche Which some sought far, and bought it with their Hues With sickenesse some, yea some with bolts and gyues But all with payne, this peerlesse pearle did seeche. Now HoUyband {K frendly frenche in deede) Hath tane such payne, for euerie english ease That here at home, we may this language leame : And for the price, he craueth no more neede But thankful harts, to whome his perles msy please Oh thank him then, that so much thank doth eame Tam Marti quam Mercurio \ Marries. ? Goes a journey into the West of England. Gascoi^ne^s Woodinanship Written to the L. Grey of Wilton vpon this occasion, the sayd L. Grey delighting (amongst many other good quaihties) in chusing of his winter deare, and killing the same with his bowe, did fumishe master Gascoigne with a croisebowe ami Perti- mncij's and vouchsafed to vse his company in the said exercise, calling him one of his wodmen. Now master Gascoigne shooting very often, could neuer hitte any deare, yea and often times he let the heard passe by as though he had not scene them. Whereat when this noble Lord tooke some pastime, and had often put him in re- membrance of his good skill in choosing, and readinesse in killing of a winter deare, he thought good thus to excuse it in verse. [This poem was published in 1S72.] .= '573- Is published Gascoigne's first book, A Hundretk stm- /£ drie Floures bound up in one sjnall Poeste : respecting wluch he afterwards says. " It is verie neare two yeares past, since (I being in HoUande in seniice with the ver- tuous Prince of Orange) the most part of these Posies were imprinted. ... I neuer receyued of Printer, or of anye other, one grote or pennie for the firste Copyes of these Posies. True it is that I vvas not vnwillinge the same shoulde be imprinted : " for which he assigni four reasons. \st Pref. to * Posies y 15^5. In the dedication to Lord Grey of Wilton, of a poem entitled The Jrtdtes ofWarre, 'begon 3.t Dei/e \j\hol- lande'; Gascoigne says, * I am of opinion that long before this time your honour hath throughly perused the booke, which I prepared to bee sent vnto you somewhat before my comming hyther, and therewithall I doe lykewise coniectour that you haue founde therein iust cause to to laugh at my follies forepassed. This first edition was therefore prepared and anonymously published by its author ; not surreptitiously by the printer as sometimes supposed. O. G. G£ilchrist] in Cens. Lit. i. no— 112- Ed. 1805, has gleaned from his works, the following account of Gas- coigne's trip abroad. •■ He afterwards entered at Grays Inn for the purpose CHRONICLE, of studying the law. The connexions which his situation now procured him drew him to court, where he hved with a splendour of expence to which his means were inade- quate, and at length being obliged to sell his patrimony (which it seems was unequal) to pay his debts, he left the court and embarked on the 19th of March, 1572, at Gravesend ; the next day he reached the ship and em- barked for the coast of Holland. The vessel was under the guidance of a drunken Dutch pilot., who, from inex- perience and intoxication, ran them aground, and they were in imminent danger of perishing. Twenty of the crew who had taken to the long boat were swallowed by the surge ; but Gascoigne and his friends (Rowland) Yorke and Herle resolutely remained at the pumps, and by the wind shifting they were again driven to sea. At length Per varios casus, pet tot discrimina reTntm, they landed in Holland, where Gascoigne obtained a cap- tain's commission, under the gallant William Prince of Orange, who was then (successfully) endeavouring to emancipate the Netherlands from the Spanish yoke. _ In this service he acquired considerable military reputation, but an unfortunate quarrel with his colonel retarded hLs career. Conscious of his deserts he repaired immediately to Delf resolved to resign his commission to the hands from which he received it; the Prince in vain endeavour- ing to close the breach between his officers. While this negociation was mediating, a circumstance occurred which had nearly cost our poet his life. A lady at the Hague (then in the possession of the enemy) with whom Gascoigne had been on intimate terms, had his portrmt in her hands (his "counterfayt," as he calls it), and resolving to part writh it to himself alone, wrote a letter to him on the subject, which fell into the hands of his enemies in the camp ; from this paper they meant to have raised a report unfavourable to his loyalty ; but upon its reaching his hands (Sascoigne, conscious of his fidelity, laid it immediately before the prince, who saw through their design, and gave him passports for visiting the lady at the Hague: the burghers, however, watched his nio- tions with malicious caution, and he was called in derision " The Green Knight." Although disgusted with the in- gratitude of those on whose side he fought, (^coigne still retained his commission, dll the prince, coming per- sonally to the siege of Middleburg, gave him an opportu- nity of displaying his zeal and courage, when the prince rewarded him with 300 guilders beyond bis regfular pay, and a promise of future promotion. He was (however) surprized soon after by 3000 Spaniards when commanding, under Captain Sheffield, 500 Englishmen lately landed, and retired in good order, at night, under the walls of Leyden ; the jealousy of the Dutch theu openly was dis- played by their refusmg to open their gates ; our military bard with his band were 'in consequence made captives. At the expiration of twelve days his men were released, and the officers, after an imprisonment of four months, were sent back to England." , -yg, Feb. ^s published * Tke Posies of George Gascoigne^ Esquire^ Corrected, perfected, and augmented by the Author,' [ ist Dedication dated 'last day of lanuarie' z574-S = 2nd Dedication dated Jan. z.J It consists of 3 prefaces ; and 4 parts. Flowers, Her bs, Weeds, and the Notes OF Instruction. In the second preface, he thus explains the three principal divisions. " I haue here presented you V CHRONICLE. 5- with three sundrie sorts of Posies ; Floures, Herbes and Weedes. ... I terme some Floures, bycause beinf? indeed inuented vpon a verie light occasion, they haue yet in them (in my tudgement) some rare inuention and Methode before not commonly vsed. And therefore (beeing more pleasant then profitable) I haue named them Floures. Theseconde (being indeede moral discoursesand reformed inuentions, and therefore more profitable then pleasant) I haue named Hcarbes. The third (being Weedes, might seemeto some iudgements neither pleasant nor yet profitable, and therefore meete to bee cast iiwaie But as ma- nic weedes are right medicinable, so you may finde in this nonesovile,orstinking,butthatit hathinlt some vertueif it be rightly handled." He thus concludes the third. To the Reader. "I pray thee to smell vnto these VQ^\e.%.^%Floures to comfoti. Herbes to cure, and Weedes to be auoyded. So havel ment them, and so I beseech thee Reader to accept them." 1575. April. (jascoigne begins The Steele Glas : and continues a little further The Complaint 0/ PfUlotnene^ pp. 86, 119. 1^75. The Noble Arte 0/ Venerie or Hvnting is published 'The Translator [George Turberville] to the Reader' is dated 16 June 1575. After which comes a poem of 58 lines Georre Ga^coigne, in the covtntetidatio7i of the noble Arte of Venene. This work is generally attached to Turber- ville 's The Booke of Faulconrie or Hawking. In her summer progress, the Queen makes her famous %isit to Kenil worth. I5J^. July 9-27. Leicester commissioned Gascoigne to devisemasks&cfor her entertainment. These were pnnted the next year under tiie title of The Prince lye pleasures, at the Courteat Kenel- etft'r^^;andwithR.LanehamorLangham'spublishedZ.«^/fr ofdateof2oAu|:. 1575: constitute the best accounts of that splendid reception. Sept. II. TheQueencontinuingherprogress,arTivesat Woodstock, and is greeted with CJascoigne's The tale o/Hemetes, 1576. Jan. I. He presents, as a iNew Year's gift, to Oueen Elizabeth, and apparently in his own handwriting the manuscript of The tale o/Hetnetes the hermyte pronounced be/ore the Queenes Maiesty att Woodstocke. This is now in the British Mtiseum. MS.Re^. iZ,A.xlviiii,p. 27. The fron- tispage is a finished drawmg representing the presentation of his work. Then comes, in English verse, the Dedication, I p : after which is an English address * to the Queenes most excellent Majestye ; 8 pp. Then follows the tale in four languages. English, 9//; Latin, 'S//: Italian li pp: French 13// ; concluding the whole with Epilogismus, i p. In his address at Jbl. 6 of the book, he says, ' But yet suche Itallyan as I haue learned in London, and such lattyn as I forgatt att Cambridge, such frenche as I bor- rowed in Holland, and such Englyshe as I stale in west- merland, even such and no better (my worthy soueraigne haue I poured forth before you,' &c. 1576. Apr. 3. He finises The Complaint ofPhilomefte. p. ng. Ap- parently in the same month, he finishes The Steele Glas, the dedication of which is dated Apr. 15. 1576, Apr. 12. In an Epistle dated * From my lodging, where I march amongst the Muses for lacke of exercise in martial ex- ploytes, the 12 of April, 1576 to A Discourse of a nenv Passage to Cataia. Written by Sir Humfrey Gilbert, Knight, Quid non f" Gascoigne gives the following ac- count of his publication of this Letter to Sir John Gilbert, dated 'the last of June, 1566,' and therein incidentally reveals his relationship to Sir Martin Frobisher : You must herewith vnderstand (good Reader; that the author hauinge a worshipfull Knight to his brother, who abashed at this enterprise (aswell for that he himselfe had a CHRONICLE. none issue, nor other heier whome he ment to bestow his lands vpon, but onely this Authour, and that this voyage the seemed Strang and had not beene commonly spoken before, as also because it seemed vnpossible vnto the com- mon capacities) did seeme partly to mislike his resolu- tions, and to disuade him from the same : there-upon he wrote this Treatise vnto his saide Brother, both to excuse and cleare himselfe from the note of rashnesse, and also to set downe such Authorities^ reasons, and experiences, as had chiefly encouraged bun vnto the same, as may appeare by the letter next following, the which I haue here inserted for that purpose. And this was done about vii. yeares now past, sithence which time the onginall copies of the same haue lien by the authour as one rather dreading to hazarde the lodgement of curious perusers then greedie of glorie by hasty publication. Now it happened that my selfe being one (amongst manie) beholding to the said S. Huin/rey Gilbert for sun- drie curtesies, did come to visit him in Winter last passed at his bouse in I^imekowse, and beeing verie boIde_ to demaunde of him howe he spente his time in this loytering vacation from martial! stratagemes, he curteously tooke me vp into his Studie, and there shewed me sundrie pro- fitable and verie commendable exercises, which he had perfected painefully with his owne penne : And amongst the .rest this present Discourse. The which as well because it was not long, as also because I vnderstode that M. Fourhoiser (a kinsman of mine) did pretend to trauaile in the same Discotteriey I craned at the said S. Hum/reyes handes for two or three dayes to reade and to peruse. And hee verie firiendly granted my request, but stil seming to doubt that therby the same might, con- trarie to his former determination be Imprinted. And to be plaine, when I bad at good leasure perused it, and therwithall conferred his allegations by the Tables of Ortelius^ and by sundrie _ other Cosmo^apMcall Maples and Charts, I seemed in my simple ludgement not onely to like it singularly, but also thought it very meete (as the present occasion serueth) to giue it out in publike. Whereupon I haue (as you see) caused my friendes great trauaile, and mine owne greater presump- tion to be registred in print. [For which act, he offers five excuses.) In a dedication to the Francis, second Earl of Bedford[b. 1528 — d. X585J, dated, ' From my lodging where I finished this trauvayle in weake plight for health as your good L. 1576. May a. well knoweth, this second day of Maye 1576,* Gasccigna writes, (Not manure monethes fince) tossing and retossing in my small Lybarie, amongest some bookes which had, not often felte my fyngers endes in. xv yeares before, I chaunced to Ught vpon a small volume ska'*ce comely couered, and wel worse handled. For to tell a truth vnto your honour, it was written in an old kynd of Ca- racters, and so torne as it neyther had the beginning per- spycuous, nor the end perfect. So that I cannot ceitaynly say who shuld be the Author of the same. And there- vpon haue translated and collected into some ordre these sundry parcells of the same The whiche .... I haue thought meete to entitle The Droome of Doonies daye, [The work is divided into three parts. The view of world- ly Vanities, The shame o/sinne, The Needels eye.'\ Vnto these three parts thus collected and ordred I haue thought CHRONICLE. 9 good to adde an old letter which teacheth Refnedies agavist tfie bitteriiess of Death.** [The unknown Latin work thus Englished by Gascoigne, was De miseria humane conditionis of Lothario Conti, Pope Innocent III. [b. 1160 — d. 16 July, 1216], which appeared in print so early as 1470, and was frequently reprinted.] " While this worke was in the presse, it pleased God to visit the translatour thereof with sicknesse. So that being vnable himselfe to attend the dayly proofes, he apoynted a seruant of his to ouersee the same." Frinter to the Reader. 1576. Aug. 23. He publishes A delicate Diet for daintie mout/ide Droonkard%. I577" J^n- *■ He presents the Queen with another poem, which is now in the British Museum Reg. MS. 18 A. Ixi. p. 275. ' The Grief of toy. Certayne Elegies: wherein the doubt- full delightes of mannes tyfe are displaied.' It is on 38 folios, 4to : each full page having three stanzas of 7 lines each. The royal titles and name are throughout written in gold. From the following portion of the dedication, it would appear that at this date he was in some way in the Queen's service. " Towching the Methode and Imiention, euen as Pe- trark in his woorkes De remedy s vt? ittsquefortuiUB, dothe recowmpt the vncerteine loyes of men m seuerall dia^ logues, so haue I in these Elegies distributed the same into sundrie songes and haue hetherto perfected but foure of the first, the which I humbly commend vnto your noble sensure and gracious correction And therewithal! I proffer in like manner that if your Maiestie shall lyke the woorke, and deerae yt worthy of publication I will then shrinke for no paynes vntill I haue (in suche songs) touched all the common places of mans perylous pleasures. But withowt the confirmation of your fauorable accep- tanns (your Maiestie well knoweth) I will neuer presume to pubUshe any thing hereafter, and that being well con- sidered (compared also withe the vnspeakeable comfort which I haue conceiued in your Maiesties vndeserued fauor) may sufficientlie witnes without further triall, that doubtful greeues and greuous doubtes, do often accom- pany oure greattest ioyes. Howsoeuer it be, I right humbly beseeche youre heigh- nes to accept this Nifle for a new yeares gyfte Whome God preseruc thes first of January, 1577, and euer. Amen." After this come The Preface ; then the Venuoie; then the four Songs. (1) The greeues or discomvwdities oj j lustie youth; (2) The vanities of Bertie ; {3) The faults of force and Strength; (4) The vanities of Actiuityes ; \ wHich terminates with 'Left vnperfect for feare of j Horsmen.' I 77. Oct. 7. George Gascoigne dies at Stamford, see Whetstone's Rentembraunce. O. G[ilchrist], in Cens. Lit. ii. 238, states, *In order to ascertain if George Gascoigne was burled at WaUham- stow, I went purposely to search the parish register, and found no entry anterior to J650.* Mr. Gilchnst also informed Dr. Bliss " I have searched the registers of the six parishes for his interment without success. The result is this : Geo. Whetstones had wealthy relations, possessors of the manor of Walcot (four miles lO CHRONICLE. I distant from Stamford), which parishes to Bemack, where the family of Whetstones usually buried and where a monument of the Elizabethan style of architecture still remains: and I "conjecture that Geo. Gascoig^ie dying at Sumford was carried to Bemack by his friend Geo. Whet- stones, . . . and interred there in the family vault. I haue endeavoured to ascertain this, but no old register of the parish of Bemack is to be found " — A tk. Oxon. ii. ^ 437- Ed. 1813. The following criticisms were . bestowed by contemporaries c« our Author. ] . William Webbe, in A Discourse of English Poetrie, writes. Master George Gaskoyne a wytty Gentleman, and the very cheefe of our late rymers, who and if some partes of learning wanted not (albeit is well knowne he altogether wanted not learning) no doubt would haue attayned to tlie excellencye of those famous Poets. For gyfts of wytt, and naturall proinptnes appeare in him aboundantly. Ed. 1815, /. 34. 2. George Puttenham, in The Arte of Englishe Poesie^ 1589, notices * Gascon for a good meeter and for a plentifuU vayne,' Book i.p, 51. 3* Thomas Nash in a prefatory address * To the Gentlemen Students' in R. Greene's Menaphon, X5f>9, writes, Who euer my priuate opinion condemns as faultie, Master Gascoigfie is not to bee abridged of his deserued esteeme, who first beat the path to that perfection which our best Poets hnue aspired too since his departure ; whereto hee did ascend by comparing the Italian with the English, as Tully u:d Greecce cum. Latini* THE STEELE GLAS, &. INTROD UCTION. jlNE of the principal poets in the firft half of Elizabeth's reign; one of our earlieft dramatifts; the firft Englifli fatiriil; and the firft, Englifh critic in poefy: Gafcoigne takes rank among the minor poets of England. An Efquire by birth, but an Efquire in good hap in life, he was alfo an Efquire in poetry. No complete edition of his works has ever been pubhflied. Indeed copies of any of them, whether original or reprinted, are not of frequent occurrence. Still lefs are his character and career kno^^'n. There exist confiderable materials in the numerous perfonal allufions in his works, in his praifeworthy habit of frequently dating them, and in contemporary writers ; towards a worthy account of himfelf and his affociates : which, from their very early date in the Queen's reign, and their connexion with the then incipient ftage of our Drama ; could not fail to be new and interefling to- Englifh ftudents. Meanwhile, to moft readers, the name of George Gafcoigne or of any of his produdlions, are alike unknown. In our attempt to make the prefent feries of works reprefentative of Englifh Literature, we now prefent three idiofyncratic fpecimens of Gafcoigne's powers, as a poetical critic, as a fatirift, and as an elegift. To thefe we have prefixed — accurately reprinted, it is to be hoped, this time — ^Whetflone's Remembrance of his life and death: a book once thought to haveperifhed, and of which but a fmgle copy now exifts : — that in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. A conflderation of thefe four works in connedlion with his time, will doubtlefs create a favourable opinion both of the genius and chara<5ter of George Gafcoigne. 1 2 IntroduBion. Theearlieftportion of the publications here reprinted, is the commencement of The Complaint of Philomem, begun in April 1562, on a journey on horfeback from Chelmsford to London : wherein as I rode by London waye, Cloakleffe, vnclad. he was ' ouertaken with a fodaine daih of Raine,' and well foufed in this fhowre. he changed the fubjedl of his thought, and wrote the I'falm De Profundis, preferved in his Flowers. The Notes of inJliulUon i^c, mud have been written between 1572 — the date of his poem to Lord Grey of Wilton, entitled ' Gafcoigne's Voyage into Holland, An. 1572,' to which he alludes therein — and 1575, when he firft publifhed them in his Foftes. His old poem lay by him till April 1575, when, having juft. feen through the prefs, the corredted edition of his Fofies, he begins The Steele Glas ' with the Night- ingales notes ' : and makes further progrefs in the Elegy. Then comes abfence from home during the fummer, in connedlion with great literary occupation. He is away at Kenilworth devifing The Princely pleafures : and afterwards at Woodftock preparing The tale of Hemetes the hermit. Then in the following wnter, he goes on a vifit to the unfortunate Sir Humphrey Gilbert, ' at his houfe in Limehoufe,' and is in confe- quence led into the fludy of the North-wefl paffage and ' the Tables of Ortelius and fundrie other Coftno- grapicall Mappes and Charts.^ So the two poems progrefs together at intervals, and at laft. are fimul- taneoufly finiflied in April 1576. The author calls The Complaint, ' April fhowers ' : Both the Satire and the Elegy may be faid to be Spring fongs. There refounds all through them the fmging of birds. This difcovers itfelf as much in the general imagery as in fuch paffages as this. In fweet April, the Meffenger to May, When hoonie drops, do melt in golden fliowrcs, When euery byrde, records his louers lay, IntroduSlion. 13 And weflerne windes, do fofler forth our floures, Late in an euen, I walked out alone, To heare the defcant of the Nightingale, And as I ftoode, I heard hir make great moane, Waymenting much p. 87. In The Steele Glas however, Gafcoigne has a ferious purpofe. As Whetflone reports. (laboring flil, by paines, to purchafe praife) I wrought a Glaffe, wherein eche man may fee : Within his minde ; what canckred vices be. /• 19- It was a firfl experiment in Englifh fatire ; and though it does not fang like Diyden's Abfalom and Achitophel: it is a vigorous effort in favcur of truth, right, and j uftice. Its central thought and fancy are thus expreffed : That age is deade, and vaniflit long ago. Which thought that fleele, both trufty was and true. And needed not, a foyle of contranes, But fhewde al things, euen as they were in deede. In fleade whereof, our curious yeares can finde The chriflal glas, which glimfeth braue and bright, And fliewes the thing, much better than it is, Beguylde with foyles, of fundry fubtil fights. So that they feeme, and couet not to be. p- 54- I haue prefumde, my Lord for to prefent With this poore glaffe, which is of truftie Steele, And came to me, by wil and teftament Of one that was, a Glaffemaker in deede. Lucylius, this worthy man was namde. Who at his death, bequeathd the chriftal glaffe, To fuch as loue, to feme but not to be. And vnto thofe, that loue to fee themfelues. How foule or fayre, foeuer that they are, He gan bequeath, a glaffe of truftie Steele, Wherein they may be bolde alwayes to looke, Bycaufe it fhewes, all things in their degree. And fince myfelfe (now pride of youth is paft) Do loue to be, and let al feeming paffe, Since I defire, to fee my felfe in deed, Not what I would, but what I am or (hould, Therfore I like this truftie glaffe of Steele. //• 55. 56- BIBLIOGRAPHY. GEORGE WHETSTONE. A RbMEMBRAUNCE of the WEL IMPLOYED LIFE &C (a) Issues fn tfie lautttor's Ufe ttmt. I. As a separate Pliiltcaiion. 1. 1577. London. Editio princeps \ see title on opposite page. Edmond 1 VoL 4to. Malone has inserted the following note in the only extant copy, formerly his but now in the Bodleian. * This piece is of such ranty, that it was for near a century not sup- posed to exist. No other copy is known. Bishop Tanner had one ; but it has been long lost.' W. C. HazUtt, in Handbook^ p. 650, Ed. 1867, states 'The history of this book, of which it seems that only one copy has ever been seen, is rather curious. It had been Bishop Tanner's, and was formerly with his books at Oxford, but had been missed for many years, when it occurred at the sale of Mr. Voigt's [of the Custom House] books in x8o6, and was bought by Malone for £^2 los. 6d. With his library it returned to its old resting place.' (b) Issues Since tfie Slutfjiic's Ireatf). II. With other works, 2. 1810. London. The Works of the English Poets. Ed. by A. Chalmers, 31 Vols. 8vo. F.S.A. A Remembraunce &*c, occupies ii. 457-466. I. As a separate publication. 3- 1815. Bristol. Whetstone's Metrical Life of Gascoigne. Only 10 z Vol. 4to. copies printed : 5s. each. 4. 1821. London. Gascoigne's Princely Pleasures^ &c. With an intro- I Vol. 8vo. ductory Memoir and notes. A Remetnbravnce occupies £p. xx.-xxxviii. andon. i Vol. 8vo. English Reprints: see title at p. i. GEORGE GASCOIGNE. Certayne Notes of Instruction &c. (a) Issues fn tde autjior's life time. II. With other -works. 1.1575. London. * The Posies of George Gascoigne Esquire.' *Yh& Notes 1 Vol. 4to. form the fourth and last section of the book : the other three being Flouers, Hearhes, and Weedes. .(&) Issues Since tge Eutfioc's tteatti* II. With other works. 2. 3587. Ijondon. *The whole woorkes of George Gascoigne Esquyre.* I Vol. 4to. The Notes are at the end, and have no pagination. 3. 1815. London. Ancient Critical Essays -upon English Poets and Poesy. 3 vols. 4to. Ed. by J. Haslewood. The iV(?^^j occupy ii. i — 12. 4. 18 Nov. 1868. London, i vol. 8vo. English Reprmts: see tit\e at p. t. The Steele Glas. and The Complaynt of Philomene. (a) Issues In t{)e iSutfiac's life time. I. As a separate Publication. 1. 1576. London, i vol. 4to. Editio princeps : see the titles at pp. 41, 85. (tl) issues since tfie saLut^oc's Iieati). 1 1 . With other works. 2. 1^87. London. *The whole workes of George Gascoigne, Esquyre.' I voL 4to. The two poems occupy nominally folios 287 — 351, but actually fohos 189 — 252. 3. 1808. CBp. Percy's selection of] Poems in Blank Verse, (not Bramatique) prior to Milton's Paradise Lost, [ Never published : the impression all but four copies having been bumt.3 See Collier, Bibl. Cat. ii. 408. 4- 1810. London. The Works of the English Poets, Ed. by A. Chalmers, 21 vols. 8vo. F.S.A. The two poems occupy iu 548—568, 5. 18 Nov. 1858. London, i vol. 8vo. English Reprints: see title at p. i. STjfrf A RE MEMBRA VNCE ii of ti)e tnel tntploseU life, anb gotilg tnl), of ^^ George Gafkoigne Efquire, who ^^ UEctasSEli at Slalmforti in E:n= |So colne Slitre ti^e 7. of 0(ftober. ^^ 1577- The reporte of Gear. Wfietjlons ®ent an ege toitntg of \\% ©otlg ant t1&arital)le entr in tjia toorHi. Formes nulla Fides. IMPRINTED ATLON ton for ©tfaart ^ggas, tfaelling in paulea CIjurcf)gart ant are tj&cre to fie aalte. The wel imployed life, and godly end of G. Gafcoigne, Efq. jlNd is there none, wil help to tel my tale ! who(ah)inhelth,athoufandplaintshauefhone? feeles all men joy? can no man fkil of bale? o yes I fee, a comfort in my mone. Help me good George, my life and death to touch fome man for thee, may one day doo afmuch. Thou feefl. my death, and long my life didfl, knowe, my life : nay death, to liue I now begin : But fome wil fay. Durus ejl hie fermo, Tis hard indeed, for fuch as feed on fin. Yet trull me frends (though flefli doth hardly bow) I am refolu'd, I neuer liu'd til now. And on what caufe, in order fliall enfue. My worldly life (is firft) mufl play his parte : Whofe tale attend, "for once the fame is true, Yea Wlietlon thou, haft knowen my hidden hart And therfore I coniure thee to defend : (when I am dead) my life and godly end. Firft of my life, which fome (amis) did knowe, I leue mine amies, my a6ls ftiall blafe the fame Yet on a thome, a Grape wil neuer growe, He was^ no more a Churle,doothbreed achilde of fame. g. sonne but (for my birth) my birth right was not great ^f^P^^^. my father did, his forward fonne defeat ted. 1 8 The life and death This froward deed, could fcarce my hart difmay, Vertue (quod I) wil fee I (hall not lacke : And wel I wot Domini ejl terra, Befides my wit can guide me from a wrack. Thus finding caufe, to fofler hye defire: I clapt on cofl (a help) for to afpire. But foollfli man deft in my Pecocks plumes, my wanton wil commaunded flrait my wit : Yea, brainfick I, was, drunk with fancies fumes, But, Nemo fine crimine viuit. For he that findes, himfelf from vices free I giue him leue, to throwe a (lone at me. It helps my praife, that I my fault recite, The loft fheep found, the feaft was made for ioy : Euil fets out good, as far as black dooth white. The pure delight, is drayned from anoy. But (that in cheef, which writers fhould refpeft) trueth is the garde, that keepeth men vncheiSl. And for a trueth begilde with felf conceit, I thought yat men would throwe rewards on me But as a fifh, feld bites with out a baight. So none vnforft, men needs will hear or fee. and begging futes, from dunghil thoughts proceed: the mounting minde, had rather fterue in need. Wel leaue I hear, of thriftles wil to write, wit found my rents, agreed not with my charge : The fweet of war, fung by the carpet knight. In pofte hafte then (hipt me in Ventures Barge. Thefe lufty lims, Saunce vfe (quod, I) will ruft : That pitie were, for I to them muft truft. of M. G. Ga/koigne. 19 Wei plafte at length, among the drunken Dutch, (though rumours lewd, impayred my defert) P=g™«i I boldely vaunt, the blaft of Fame is fuch, UnA As prooues I had, a froward fowrs hart. My flender gaine a further witnes is : For woorthieft. men, the fpoiles of war do mis. Euen there the man, that went to fight for pence,?'^™" Cacht by fly hap, in prifon vile was popt : Yeahadnot woordes, fought formyliuesdefence, ^| jJ^^J* Forallmy hands, my breth had there been flopt Italian, But I in fine, did fo perfwade my foe : SdDutch as (fcot free) I, was homewards fet to goe. languages. Thus wore I time, the welthier not a whit. Yet awckward chance, lackt force, to beard my hope In peace (quod I) ile truft, unto my wit, the windowes of my mufe, then flraight I ope HU And firft I fliowe, the trauail of fuch time : pSbi." as I in youth, imployd in loouing rime. Some flraight way faid (their tungs with enuy fret), thofe wanton layes, indu6lions were to vice : Such did me wrong, for (guod nocet, docet) Poyses. our neyghbours harms, are Items to the wife. And fure thefe toyes, do fliowe for your behoof: The woes of looue, and not the wayes to loue. And that the worlde might read them as I ment, I left this vaine, to path the vertuous waies : G^'x of ' - T _ - gouer- And (laboring fl,il, by paines, to purchace praife) ----- - - . St • Glasse The lewd I checkt, in Glas of gouerment, ment And (laboring fl,il, by paines, to purchace I wrought a Glafle, wherin eche man may Within his minde, what canckred vices be. 20 The life and death The druncken foule, tranfformed to a beaft, Y^J^L my diet helps, a man, again to make : But (that which fliould, be praifd abooue the reft.) My Doomes day Drum, from fm dooth you awake For honeft fport, which dooth refrefti the wit : ^^'^[^ I haue for you, a book of hunting writ. Huntin Thefe few books, are dayly in your eyes, Stits'^t* Parhaps of woorth, my fame aUue to keep : publish. Yet other woorks, (I think) of more emprife, Coucht clofe as yet, within my cofers fleep. yea til I dy, none fliall the fame reuele : So men wil fay, that Gajkoign wrote of Zeale. Enuy vile, foule fall thee wretched fot, ^nuy. Thou mortall foe, vnto the forward minde : 1 curfe thee wretch, the onely caufe godwot. That my good wil, no more account did finde. And not content, thy felf to doo me fear : Thou nipfl. my hart, with Slight, SufpeEl and Care. And firft of Spight foule Enuies poyfoned pye. To Midas eares, this As hath Lyntius, eyes : Spight. With painted ftiewes, he heaues him felf on hie, Ful oft this Dolte, in learned authors pries, But as the Drone, the hony hiue, dooth rob : with woorthy books, fo deales this idle lob. He filcheth tearms, to paint a pratling tung. When (God he knowes) he knows not what he faies And left the wife fliould finde his wit but yung, He woorks all means, their woorks for to difpraife. To fmooth his fpeech, ye beaft this patch doth crop He fliowes the bad, the writers mouthes to flop. of M. G. Gajkoigne. Ye woorfe then this, he dealeth in oflfence, (Ten good turnes, he with filence ftriketh dead) ; A (lender fault, ten times beyond pretence. This wretched Spight in euery place dooth fpread. And with his breth, the Viper dooth infeft : The hearers heads, and harts with falfe fufpecl. Now of Sufpdl : the propertie to (howe, suspect. He hides his dought, yet ft.il miftruft.eth more : The man fufpedl, is fo debard to knowe. The caufe and cure of this his ranckling fore. And fo in vain, hee good account dooth feek, Who by this Feende, is brought into miflike. Now hear my tale, or caufe which kild my hart, Thefe priuy foes, to tread me vnder foot : My true intent, with forged faults did thwart : fo that I found, for me it was no boot to woork as Bees, from weeds, which hony dranes, When Spiders tumd, my flowers vnto banes. When my plain woords, by fooles mifconflred were by whofe fond tales reward hild his hands back To quite my woorth, a caufe to fettle care : within my brefl, who wel deferu'd, did lack, for who can brook, to fee a painted crowe : Singing a loft, when Turtles mourn belowe. What man can yeld, to ftarue among his books, Cire. and fee pied Doultes, vppon a booty feed ? What honeft minde, can Hue by fau'ring looks, and fee the lewd, to rech a freendly deed ? What hart can bide, in bloody warres to toile ; when carpet fwads, deuour ye Soldiers fpoile ? 2 2 The life and death I am the wretch, whom Fortune flirted foe, Thefe men, were brib'd, ere I had breth to fpeak ; Mufe then no whit, with this huge ouerthrowe, though cruflhing care, my giltles hart doth break But you wil fay, that in delight doo dwell : my outward (howe, no inward greef did tel. I graunt it true j but hark vnto the reft. The Swan in fongs, dooth knolle ner pafling bel : The Nightingale, with thornes againft her breft when (he might mourn, her fweeteft layes doth yel The valiant man, fo playes a pleafant parte : When mothes of mone, doo gnaw vppon his hart. For proofe, my felf, with care not fo a feard, But as hurt Deere waile, (through their wounds alone) When ftoutly they doo fland among yat heard. So that I faw, but few hark to my mone. made choife to tel deaf walles, my wretched plaint : in fight of men, who nothing feemd to faint. But as oft vfe, dooth weare an iron cote, No Phisj- as milling drops, hard flints in time doth pearfe find out By peece meales, care fo wrought me vnder foot '»'sg'«'''=- but more then ftraunge is that I now rehearfe. Three months I lined, and did digeft no food : when none by arte my ficknes vnderflood. What helpeth then ? to death I needs muft pine, yet as the horfe, the vfe of warre which knowes : If he be hurt, will neither winch nor whine, but til he dye, pofte with his Rider goes. Euen fo my hart, whilfl lungs may lend me breth ; Bares vp my limmes, who lining go like death. of AI. G. Gajkoigne. 23 But what auailes, Achilles hart, to haue, King Creffus welth, the fway of all the world : The Prince, the Peere, fo to the wretched flaue, when death aflaults, from earthly holdes are whorlj. Yea oft he flrikes ere one can flir his eye : Then good you Hue, as you would dayly dye. You fee the plight, I wretched now am in, I looke much like a threfhed ear of come : I holde a forme, within a wrimpled fkin, but from my bones, the fat and flefli is wome See, fee the man, late plefures Minion : pinde to the bones, with care and wretched monc See gallants fee, a pidture worth the fight, (as you are now, my felf was heertofore) My body late, fluft ful of manly might. As bare as lob, is brought to Death his doore. My hand of late, which fought to win me fame : Stif clung with colde, wants forfe to write my name. My legges which bare, my body fill of flefh, Vnable are, to flay my bones vpright : My tung (God wot) which talkt as one would wifli. In broken woords, can fcarce my minde recite. My head late fluft, with wit and learned flcil : may now conceiue, but not conuay my wil. What fay you freends, this fudain chaunge to fee ? You rue my greef, you doo like flefli and blood : But mone your finnes, and neuer morne for me, And to be plain, I would yoii vnderflood. My hart dooth fwim, in feas of more delight : Then your who feems, to rue my wretched plight. ^4 The life and death What is this world ? a net to fnare the foule, A mas of finne, a defart of deceit : A moments ioy, an age of wretched dole, A lure from grace, for flefli a toothfome baight Vnto the minde, a cankerworm of care : Vnfure, vniufl, in rendring man his Ihare. A place where pride, oreruns the honeft minde, Wheer richmen ioynes, to rob the fhiftles wretch ; where bribing miffs, the iudges eyes doo blinde, Where Parafites, the fatteft. crummes doo catch. Where good deferts (which chalenge like reward) Are ouer blowen, with blalls of light regard. And what is man ? Dufl, Slime, a puf of winde, Conceiu'd in fin, plafle in the woorld with greef. Brought vp with care, til care hath caught his minde. And then (til death, vouchfafe him fome releef) Day yea nor night, his care dooth take an end : To gather goods, for other men to fpend. O foolifh man, that art in office plafle. Think whence thou cam'ft, and whether ye (halt goe ! The huge hie Okes, fmall windes have ouer cad, when flender reeds, in roughefl. wethers growe. Euen fo pale death, oft fpares the wretched wight : And woundeth you, who wallow in delight. You lufty youths, that nurifli hie defire, Abafe your plumes, which makes you look fo big : The Colliers cut, the Courtiars Steed wU tire, Euen fo the Clark, the Parfones graue dooth dig. Whofe hap is yet, heer longer life to win : Dooth heap (God wot) but forowe vnto finne. of M. G. Gafcoyne. 25 And to be (hort, all fortes of men take heede, the thunder boltes, the loftye Towers teare : The lightning flafli, confumes the houfe of reed, yea more in time, all earthly things will weare. Saue only man, who as his earthly liuing is : Shall liue in wo, orels in endles blis. More would I fay, if life would lend me fpace, but all in vain : death waites of no mans will : The tired lade, dooth trip at euery pace, when pampered horfe, will praunce againft the hil. So helthfull men, at long difcourfes fporte: When few woords, the fick, would fain reporte. The beft. is this, my will is quickly made, my welth is fmall, the more my confcience eafe : This fhort accompt (which makes me ill apaid) my louing wife and fonne, will hardly pleafe. But in this cafe, fo pleafe them as I may : Thefe folowing woords, my teftament do wray. My foule I firfl, bequeath Almighty God, ^he and though my finnes are greuous in his fight : his wiL I firmly truft, to fcape his fiiy rod, when as my faith his deer Sonne fhall recite. Whofe precious blood (to quench his Fathers ire) Is fole the caufe, that faues me from hel fire. My Body now which once I decked braue (from whence it cam) vnto the earth I giue : I wifti no pomp, the fame for to ingraue, once buried com, dooth rot before it liue. And flefh and blood in this felf forte is tryed : Thus buriall coft, is (with out proffit) pride. 26 The life and death I humbly giue, my gratious foueraign Queene (by feruice bound) my true and loyall hart : And trueth to fay, a fight but rarely feene, as Iron greues from th'adamant to parte. Her highnes fo, hath reacht the Grace alone : To gain all harts, yet giues her hart to none. My louing wife, whofe face I fain would fee, my loue T giue, with all the welth I haue : But fence my goods (God knoweth) but flender bee moft. gratious Queene, for Chrift, his fake I craue (not for any feruice that I haue doon) you will vouchfafe, to aid her and my Sonne. Come, come deer Sonne, my blefling take in parte. and therwithall I giue thee this in charge : Firft ferue thou God, then vfe bothe wit and arte, thy Fathers det, of feruice to difcharge. which (forfle by death) ,her Maieflie he owes : beyond defarts, who ftill rewardes beflowes. I freely now all fortes of Men forgiue Their wrongs to me, and wifh them to amend : And as good men, in charitie fhould Hue, I craue my faults may no mans minde offend. Lo heer is all, I haue for to bequeft : And this is all, I of the world requeft. Now farwell Wife, my Sonne, and Freends farwel. Farwell O world, the baight of all abufe : Death where is thy fling ? O Deuil where is thy hel ? I little forfe, the forfes you can vfe ; Yea to your teeth, I doo you both defye : Vt effem Chrijlo, cupio diffolui. of M. G. Ga'koyne. 27 In this good mood, an end woorthy the fliowe, Bereft of fpeech, his hands to God he heau'd : And fweetly thus, good Gaskoigne went a Dio, Yea with fuch eafe, as no man there perceiu'd. By flrughng figne, or flriuing for his breth : I'hat he abode, the paines and pangs of Death. Exhortatio. His Sean is playd, you folowe on the aft, Life is but death, til flefh, and blood be flain : Good 1 God graunt his woords, within your harts be padt As good men doo, holde earthly pleafures vain. The good for ther needs, Vtuntur mundo : And vfe good deeds, Vt fruantur Deo. Contemne the chaunge, (vfe nay abufe) not God, Through holy ftiowes, this wordly muck to fcratch : To deale with men and Saints is very od. ipocrites Hypocrifie, a man may ouer catch. But Hypocrite, thy hart the Lord dooth fee : Who by thy thoughts (not thy words) wil iudge thee. Thou iefl-ing foole, which mak'ft at fin a face, Beware that God, in earnefl plague thee not : careies For where as he, is coldell in his grace, ^ ''""^■ Euen there he is, in vengeance very hot. Tempt not to far, the lothefl man to fight : When he is forfle, the luftiefl blowes dooth fmight. 2 8 The life and death You Courtiers, check not, Merchants for their gain, you by your loffe, do match with them in blame : Courtiers. The Lawyers life, you Merchants doo not flaine, The blinde for flouth, may hardly check the lame. I meane that you, in Ballance of deceit : Merchants, wil Lawyers payze, I feare with ouer waight. You Lawyers now who earthly Judges are, lawyers. you ftialbe judg'd, and therfore iudge aright : you count Ignorantia Juris no bar, Then ignorance, your fmnes wil not acquite. Read, read God's law, with which yours fhould agrs : That you may iudge, as you would iudged bee. You Prelats now, whofe woords are perfedl good, Make fliowe in woorks, yat you your woords infue : A Diamond, holdes his vertue fet in wood, Preiau. but yet in Golde, it hath a freflier hue, Euen fo Gods woord, tolde by the Deuil is pure : Preach t yet by Saints, it doth more heed procure. And Reader now, what office fo thou haue, to whofe behoofe, this breef difcourfe is tolde: Reader Prepare thy felf, eche houre for the graue, ingeneraii. the market eats afwel yong fheep as olde. Euen fo, the Childe, who feares the fmarting rod : The Father oft dooth lead the way to God. And bothe in time, this wordly life fliall leaue, thus fure thou art, but know'fl not when to dye : Then good thou liue, leafl, death doo the deceiue, as through good life, thou maift. his force defye. For trufl me man, no better match can make : Then leaue vnfure, for certain things to take. Viuit pojl fu7iera Virtus. of M. G. Gajkoyne, 29 An Epitaph, written by G. IV. of the death, of M. G. Gafkoygne. For Galkoygnes death, leaue of to mone, or mome You are deceiued, aliue the man is flil : Aliue ? O yea, and laugheth death to fcorne, In that, that he, his flefhly lyfe did kil. For by fuch death, two l3aies he gaines for one, His Soule in heauen dooth hue in endles ioye His vvoorthy woorks, fuch fame in earth haue fovvne. As fack nor wrack, his name can there deflroy. But you will fay, by death he only gaines. And how his life, would many fland in flead : O dain not Freend (to counterchaunge his paynes) If now in heauen, he haue his eamefl meade. For once in earth, his toyle was paffing great : And we deuourd the fvveet of all his fvveat. FINIS. J^emo ante obitum beatus. TCertayne notes of Instruction. concerning the making of verfe or ryme in Englifh, written at the requefl of Mafler Edouardo Donati. STgnor Edouardo, fince promife is debt, and you (by tbe lawe of friendfhip) do burden me with a promife that I fhoulde lende you inflrudlions towards the making of Englifh verfe or ryme, I will affaye to difcharge the fame, though not fo perfedtly as I would, yet as readily as I may : and therwithall I pray you confider that Quot homines, tot Sententim, efpecially in Poetrie, wherein (neuertheleffe) I dare not challenge any degree, and yet will I at your regueft. aduenture to fet downe my fimple skill in fuch fimple manner as I haue vfed, referring the fame hereafter to the cor- redtion of the Laureate. And you (hall haue it in thefe few poynts followyng. THe firft. and mofl neceffarie poynt that euer I founde meete to be confidered in making of a delegable poeme is this, to grounde it upon fome fine inuention. For it is not inough to roll in pleafant woordes, nor yet to thunder in Rym, Ram, JRufi, by letter (quoth my mafler Chaucer) nor yet to abounde in apt vocables, or epythetes, vnleffe the Inuention haue in it alfo aliquid falis. By this aliquid falls, I meane fome good and fine deuife, (hewing the quicke capacitie of a writer : and where I fay fome good and fine inuention, I meane that I would haue it both fine and good. For many inuentions are fo fuperfine, that they are Vix good. And againe many Inuentions are good, and yet not finely handled. And for a general forwarning: what Theame foeuer you do take in hande, if you do handle it but tanquam in oratione 32 ferpetua, and neuer fludie for fome depth of deuife in ye Inuention, and fome figures alfo in the handlyng thereof: it will appeare to the fkilfull Reader but a tale of a tubbe. To deliuer vnto you generall examples it were almofte vnpoflible, fithence the occafions of Inuentions are (as it were) infinite : neuertheleffe take in worth mine opinion, and perceyue my furder mean- yng in thefe few poynts. If I ftiould vndertake to wryte in prayfe of a gentlewoman, I would neither praife hir chrillal eye, nor hir cherrie lippe, etc For thefe things are trita et obuia. But I would either finde fome fupematurall caufe wherby my penne might walke in the fuperlatiue degree, or els I would vndertake to aunfwere for any imperfe6lion that fliee hath, and therevpon rayfe the prayfe of hir commen- dation. Likewife if I fliould difclofe my pretence in loue, I would eyther make a ftrange difcourfe of fome intoUerable paffion, or finde occafion to pleade by the example of fome hiftorie, or difcouer my difquiet in fhadowes per AlUgoriam, or vfe the couerteft. meane that I could to anoyde the vncomely cuflomes of common writers. Thus much I aduenture to deliuer vnto you (my freend) vpon the rule of Inuention, which of all other rules is mod to be marked, and hardeft to be prefcribed in certayne and infallible rules, neuertheleffe to conclude therein, 1 would haue you Hand moft vpon the excellencie of your Inuention, and llicke not to ftudie deepely for fome fine deuife. For that beyng founde, pleafant woordes will follow well inough and faft. inough. 2. Your Inuention being once deuifed, take heede that neither pleafure of rime, nor varietie of deuife, do carie you from it : for as to vfe obfcure and darke phrafes in a pleafant Sonet, is nothing deledlable, fo to entermingle merle lefts in a ferious matter is an Indecorum.. 3. I will next aduife you that you hold the lull meafure wherwith you begin your verfe, I will not denie but this may feeme a prepofterous ordre : but 33 bycaufe I couet rather to fatiffie you particularly, than to vndertake a generall tradition, I wil not fomuch (land vpon the manner as the matter of my precepts. I fay then, remember to holde the fame meafure wher- with you begin, whether it be in a verfe of fixe fyl- lables, eight, ten, twelue, etc. and though this precept might feeme ridiculous vnto you, fmce euery yong fcholler can conceiue that he ought to continue in the fame meafure wherwith he beginneth, yet do I fee and read many mens Poems now adayes, whiche begin- ning with the meafure of xij. in the firft line, and xiiij. in the fecond (which is the common kinde of verfe) they wil yet (by that time they haue paffed ouer a few verfes) fal into xiiij. and fourtene, ei fie de fimilibus, the which is either forgetfulnes or carelefnes. 4. And in your verfes remembre to place euery worde in his natural Emphafis or found, that is to fay in fuch wife, and with fuch length or fliortneffe, eleua- tion or depreflion of fiUables, as it is commonly pro- nounced or vfed : to exprelfe the fame we have three maner of accents, grauis, lenis, et drcumflexa, the whiche I would englifh thus, the long accent, the fhort accent,and thatwhiche is indifferent: thegraue / accent is marked by this caradle, / the light ac- cent is noted thus, \ and the circumflexe or in- \ different is thus fignified ^ : the graue accent is drawen out or eleuate, and maketh that fiUable long wherevpon it is placed : the light accent is depreffed or fnatched vp, and maketh that fillable fhort vpon the which it lighteth : the circumflexe accent is in- different, fornetimes fhort, fometimes long, fometimes de- preffed and fometimes eleuate. For example of th' em- phafis ornatural found of words, this word Treqfure, hath the graue accent vpon the firfl fiUable, whereas if it ihoulde be written in this forte, Treafure, nowe were the fecond fillable long, and that were cleane contrane to the common vfe wherwith it is pronounced. For furder explanation hereof, note you that commonly now a dayes in englifti rimes (for I dare not cal them Englifh c 34 veifes) we vfe none other order but a foote of two fillables, wherof the firfl is depreffed or made ftiort, and the fecond is eleuate or made long : and that found or fcanning continueth throughout the verfe. We have vfed in times pafl other kindes of Meeters : as for example this following : No wight in this world, that wealth can attayne, \ I \ \ I \ I \ \ I Vnleffe he beleue, that all is but vayne. Alfo our father Chawer hath vfed the fame libertie in feete and meafures that the Latinifls do vfe : and who fo euer do perufe and well confider his workes, he fliall finde that although his lines are not alwayes of one felfe fame number of Syllables, yet beyng redde by one that hath vnderftanding, the longefl. verfe and that which hath mofl. Syllables in it, will fall (to the eare) corref- pondent vnto that whiche hath fewefl fillables in it : and like wife that whiche hath in it fewefl fyllables, flialbe founde yet to confifl of woordes that haue fuche naturall founde, as may feeme equall in length to a verfe which hath many moe fillables of lighter accentes. And furely I can lament that wee are fallen into fuche a playne and fimple manner of wryting, that there is none other foote vfed but one : wherby our Poemes may iiiflly be called Rithmes, and cannot by any right challenge the name of a Verfe. But fince it is fo, let vs take the forde as we finde it, and lette me fet downe vnto you fuche rules and precepts that euen in this playne foote of two fyllables you wrelle no woorde from his natural and vfuall founde, I do not meane hereby that you may vfe none other wordes but of twoo fillables, for therein you may vfe difcretion according to occafion of matter : but my meaning is, that all the wordes in your verfe be fo placed as the firfl, fillable may found fhort or be depreffed, the fecond long or eleuate, the third fliorte, the fourth long, the fifth (horte, etc. For example of my meaning in this 35 point marke thefe two veries : / vnderjland your meanying by your eye. ^\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / Your meaning I vnderjland by your eye. In thefe two verfes there feemeth no difference at all, fince the one hath the very felfe fame woordes that the other hath, and yet the latter verfe is neyther true nor pleafant, and the firft verfe may palfe the muflers. The fault of the latter verfe is that this worde vnder- jland is therein fo placed as the graue accent falleth upon der, and thereby maketh der, in this word vnder- ftand to be eleuated : which is contrarie to the naturall or vfual pronunciation : for we fay \ \ / \ / \ vnderjland, and not vnderjland. 5- Here by the way I thinke it not amiffe to fore- wame you that you thrufl as few wordes of many fillables into your verfe as may be : and herevnto I might alledge many reafons : firft the moft auncient Englifh wordes are of one fiUable, fo that the more -monafyllables that you vfe, the truer Englilhman you fliall feeme, and the leffe you fhall fmell of the Inke- home. Alfo wordes of many fyllables do cloye a a verfe and make it vnpleafant, whereas woordes of one fyllable will more eafily fall to be fhorte or long as occafion requireth, or wilbe adapted to become cir- cumflexe or of an indifferent founde. 6 I would exhorte you alfo to beware of rime with- out reafon : my meaning is hereby that your rime leade you not from jfour firfte Inuention, for many wryters when tliey haue layed the platforme of their inuention, are yet drawen fometimes (by ryme) to for- get it or at leaft to alter it, as when they cannot readily finde out a worde whiche maye rime to the firft (and yet continue their determinate Inuention) they do then eyther botche it vp with a worde that will ryme (howe fmall reafon foeuer it carie with it) or els they alter 36 their firft worde and fo percafe decline or trouble their former Inuention : But do you alwayes hold your firfl determined Inuention, and do rather fearche the bottome of your braynes for apte words, than chaunge good reafon for rumbling rime. 7 To help you a little with ryme (which is alfo a plaine yong fchoUers leflbn) worke thus, when you haue fet downe your firfl verfe, take the lafl, worde thereof and coumpt ouer all the wordes of the felfe fame founde by order of the Alphabete : As for ex- ample, thelafle woorde of your firfle line is care, to ryme therwith you hauc dare, dare, dare, fare, gare, hare, and Jliare, mare,fnare, rare, Jlare, and ware, &^e. Of all thefe take that which befl. may ferue your purpofe, carying reafon with rime : and if none of them ■will ferue fo, then alter the lafle worde of your former verfe, but yet do notwillinglyalter the meanyng of your Inuention. 8 You may vfe the fame Figures or Tropes in verfe which are vfed in profe, and in my iudgement they ferue more aptly, and haue greater grace in verfe than they haue in profe : but yet therein remembre this old adage, JVe quid nimis, as many wlyters which do know the vfe of any other figure than that whiche is ex- preffed in repeticion of fundrie wordes beginning all with one letter, the whiche (beyng modeflly vfed) lendeth good grace to a verfe : but they do fo hunte a letter to death, that they make it Crambe, and Crambe bis pofdum mors ejl: therfore Ne quid nimis. 9 Alfo afinuche as may be, efchew ftraunge words, or obfoleta et inufUata, vnlefle the Theame do giue iuft. occafion : marie in fome places a ftraunge worde doth drawe attentiue reading, but yet I woulde haue you therein to vfe difcretion. 10 And afmuch as you may, frame your ftile to petfpicuity and to be fenfible : for the haughty obfcure verfe doth not much delight, and the verfe that is to 1^ eafie is like a tale of a rofted horfe : but let your Poeme be fuch as may both delight and draw atten- tiue readyng, and therewithal may deliuer luch matter as be worth the marking. 37 1 1 . You fhall do very well to vfe your verfe after th [e] englifhe phrafe, and not after the manner of other languages : The Latinifls do commonly fet the adiec- tiue after the Subftantiue : As for example Femina pukhra, cedes alta, &^c. but if we fhould fay in Englifli a woman fayre, a houfe high, etc. it would haue but fniall grace : for we fay a good man, and not a man good, etc. And yet I will not altogether forbidde it you, for in fome places, it may be borne, but not fo hardly as fome vfe it which wryte thus : Now let vs go to Temple ours, I will go vifU mother tiiyne &=€. Surely I fmile at the fimplicitie of fuch deuifers which might afwell haue fayde it in playne Engliflie phrafe, and yet haue better pleafed all eares, than they fatiffie their owne fancies by fuche fuperfineffe. Therefore euen as I haue aduifed you to place all wordes in th'eii naturall or mod common and vfuall pronunciation, fo would I wifhe you to frame all fentences in their mother phrafe and proper Idioma, and yet fometimes (as I haue fayd before) the contrarie may be borne, but that is rather where rime enforceth, or per licert- tiam Poeticam, than it is otherwife lawfull or commend able. 12. This poeticall licence is a fhrewde fellow, ana couereth many faults in a verfe, it maketh wordes longer, fhorter, of mo fillables, of fewer, newer, older, triier, falfer, and to conclude it turkeneth all things at pleafure, for example, j'^iJW for done, adowne for downe, orecome for ouercome, tane for taken, power iox powre, fieauen for heavn, thewes for good partes or good quali- ties, and a numbre of other whiche were but tedious and needeleffe to rehearfe, fince your owne iudgement and readyng will foone make you efpie fuch aduaun- tages. 13 There are alfo certayne paufes or refl.es in a verfe whiche may be called Ceafures, whereof I woulde be lothe to llande long, fince it is at difcretion of the wryter, and they haue bene firfl. deuifed (as fliould 38 ieeme) by the Muficians : but yet thus much I will aduenture to wryte, that in mine opinion in a verfe of eight fillables, the paufe will (land bed in the middeft, in a verfe of tenne it will bed be placed at the ende of the firfl foure fillables : in a verfe of twelue, in the ■} (,.v< \ '-, midll,' in verfes of twelue in the firfte ancTTouretene , ^,\K^ in the feconde, wee place the paufe commonly in the ' midft of the firft, and at the ende of the firfl eight fillables in the fecond. In Rithme royall, it is at the wryters difcretion, and forceth not where the paufe be vntill the ende of the line. 14. And here bycaufe I haue named Rithme royall, I will tell you alfo mine opinion afwell of that as of the names which other rymes haue commonly borne ■iuJICty/ /X.(('^. i-i^Vt'lf^ heretofore. Rythme royall is a verfe of tenne fillables, ' ' ^ ty/^ S'l and feuen fuch verfes make a flaffe, whereof the firfl and thirde lines do aunfwer (acroffe) in like termina- tions and rime, the fecond, fourth, and fifth, do like- wife anfwere eche other in terminations, and the two laft. do combine and fliut vp the Sentence : this hath bene called Rithme royall, and furely it is a royall kinde of verfe, feruing befl for graue difcourfes. There is alfo another kinde called Ballade, and thereof are fundrie fortes ; for a man may write ballade in a flaffe of fixe lines, euery line conteyning eighte or fixe fil- lables, whereof the firfle and third, fecond and fourth do rime acroffe, and the fifth and fixth do rime togither in conclufion. You may write alfo your ballad of tenne fillables rimyng as before is declared, but thefe two were wont to be mod commonly vfed in ballade, which propre name was (I thinke) deriued of this worde in Italian Ballare, whiche fignifieth to daunce. And in deed thofe kinds of rimes ferae befle for daunces or light matters. Then haue you alfo a rond- lette, the which doth alwayes end with one felf fame foote or repeticion, and was thereof (in my iudgement) called a rondelet. This may confifl of fuch meafure as befl liketh the wryter, then haue you Sonnets, fonie thinke that all Poemes (being (hort) may be called 39 Sonets, as in deede it is a diminutiue worde deriuen of Sonare, but yet I can befle allowe to call thofe Sonnets whicheareoffouretenelynes,euerylineconteyningtenne fyllables. The firile twelue do ryme in flaues of foure lines by croffe meetre, and the lad two ryming togither do conclude the whole. There are Uyzaynes, and Syxaines which are of ten lines, and ot fixe lines, commonly vfed by the French, which fome Enghs. \vriters do alfo terme by the name of Sonetter- Then is there an old kinde of Rithme called Vifh layes, deriued (as I haue redde) of this worde J^erd whiche betokeneth Greene, and Laye which betoken- eth a Song, as if you would fay greene Songes : but I mufte tell you by the way, that I neuer redde any verfe which I faw by aufthoritie called Verlay, but one, and that was a long difcourfe in verfes of tenne fiUables, whereof the foure firfl. did ryme acroffe, and the fifth did aunfwere to the firile and thirde, breaking off there, and fo going on to another termination. Of this I could fhewe example of imitation in mine own verfes written to ye right honorable ye Lord Grey of Wilton upon my iourney into Holland, etc.* There are alfo certaine Poemes deuifed of tenne fyllables, whereof the firfl aunfwereth in termination with the fourth, and the fecond and thirde anfwere eche other : thefe are more vfed by other nations than by vs, ney- ther can I tell readily what name to giue them. And the commonefl fort of verfe which we vfe now adayes {viz. the long verfe of twelue and fourtene fiUables) I know not certainly howe to name it, vnleffe I fhould fay that it doth confifl of Poulters meafure, which giueth. xii. for one dozen and xiiij. for another. But let this fuffife (if it be not to much) for the fundrie fortes of verfes which we vfe now adayes. 15 In all thefe fortes of verfes when foeuer you vndertake to write, auoyde prolixitie and tedioufneife, and euer as neare as you can, do finifh the fentence and meaning at the end of euery flaffe where you * Gascoigne's Voyage intolfollatui. An. 1572, in his HerbeSj 1575. 40 wright ftaues, and at the end of euery two lines where you write by cooples or poulters meafure : for I fee many writers which draw their fentences in length, and make an ende at latter Lammas : for commonly before they end, the Reader hath forgotten where he begon. But do you (if you wil follow my aduife) efchue prolixitie and knit vp yoiir fentences as com- pendioufly as you may, fmce breuitie (fo that it be not drowned in obfcuritie) is mod commendable. i6 I had forgotten a notable kinde of ryme, called ryding rime, and that is fuche as our Mayfler and Father Chaucer vfed in his Canterburie tales, and in diuers other delegable and hght enterprifes : but though it come to my remembrance fomewhat out of order, it (hall not yet come altogether out of time, for I will nowe tell you a conceipt whiche I had before forgotten to wryte : you may fee (by the way) that I holde a prepoflerous order in my traditions, but as I fayde before I wryte moued by good wil, and not to fhewe my (kill. Then to retume too my matter, as this riding rime ferueth mod aptly to wryte a merie tale, fo Rythme royall is fitted for agrauedifcourfe. Ballades are bede of matters of loue, and rondlettes mode apt for the beating or handlyng of an adage or common prouerbe : Sonets feme afwell in matters of loue as of difcourfe : Dizaymes and Sixames for fhorte Fan- tazies : Verlayes for an effe6lual propofition, although by the name you might otherwife iudge of Verlayes, and the long verfe of twelue and fouretene fiUables, al- though it be now adayes vfed in all Theames, yet in my iudgement it would ferue bed forPfalmes and Himpnes. I woulde ftande longer in thefe traditions, were it not that I doubt mine owne ignoraunce, but as I fayde before. I know that I write to my freende, and aflfying my felfe therevpon, I make an ende. FINIS, 42 To the right honorable his sin- gular good Lord the Lord Gray of Wil- ton Knight of the moft honorable order of the Gar- ter, George Gafcoigne Efquire wiflieth long life with encrea/e of honour, according to his great worthineffe. Ight honorable, noble, and my fin- gular good Lorde : if mine abilitie were any way correfpondent too the iufl defires of my hart, I fhould yet thinke al the fame vnable to deferue the leafl parte of your goodneffe : in that you haue alwayes deygned with chearefuU looke to regarde me, with affabyhtie to heare me, with exceeding curtefy to vfe me, with graue aduice to diredle mee, with ap- parant loue to care for me, and with affured afSftance to prote6l me. All which when I do remember, yet it flirreth in me an exceeding zeale to deferue it : and that zeale begetteth bafliefull dreade too performe it The dread is ended in dolours, and yet thofe dolours reviued the very fame afFeftion, whiche firfle moued in mee the defire to honour and efleme you. For whiles I bewayle mine own vnworthyneiTe, and therewithal do fet before mine eyes the lofl time of my youth mifpent, I feeme to fee afane of (for my comfort) the high and triumphant vertue called Mignanimitie, ac- companied with induflrious diligence. The firil doth encourage my faynting harte, and the feconde doth The Epiflle Dedicatorie. 43 beginne (already) to employ my vnderftanding, for (ahlas my goode Lorde) were not the cordial of thefe two pretious Spiceries, the corrofyue of care woulde quickely confounde me. I haue mifgouemed my youth, I confeffe it : what (hall I do then ? (hall I yelde to myfery as a iufl. plague apointed for my portion ? Magnanimitie faith no, and Induilrye feemeth to be of the very fame opinion. I am derided, fufpedled, accufed, and condemned : yea more than that, I am rygoroufly reiedted when I proffer amendes for my harme. Should I therefore difpayre ? ftiall I yeelde vnto iellofie ? or drowne my dayes in idleneffe, bycaufe their beginning was bathed in wantonneffe ? Surely (my Lord) the Magnanimitie of a noble minde will not fuffer me, and the delightful- neffe of dilygence doth vtterly forbydde me. Shal I grudge to be reproued for that which I haue done in deede, when the fling of Emulation fpared not to touche the worthy Scipio with moft. vntrue fur- myfes? Yea Tliemistodes when he had deliuered al Greece from the huge hoft. of Xerxes, was yet by his vnkinde citizens of Athens expulfed from his owne, and conflrained to feeke fauour in the fight of his late profeffed enemie. But the Magnanimitie of their raindes was fuch, as neither could aduerfytie ouercome them, nor yet the iniurious dealing of other men coulde kindle in their brefles any leafl fparke of defire, to feeke any vnhonorable reuenge. I haue loytred (my lorde) I confeffe, I haue lien flreaking me (Uke a lubber) when the funne did (hine, and now I ftriue al in vaine to loade the carte when it raineth, I regarded not my comelynes in the May- moon e of my youth, and yet now I fland prinking me in the glafle, when the crowes foote is growen vnder mine eye. But what ? Aristotle fpent his youth very ryotoufly, and Plato (by your leaue) in twenty of his youthful yeares, was no lefle addi6ted to delight in amorous verfe, than hee wa.s after in his age painful to write good precepts of 44 The Epiflle Dedicatorie. moral Phylofophy. What flioulde I fpeake of Cato, who was olde before he learned lattine letters, and yet became one of the greatefl Oratours of his time ? . Thefe examples are fufficient to proue that by induf- trie and diligence any perfection may be attained, and by true Magnanimitie all aduerfities are eafye to be endured. And to that ende (my verie good lorde) I do here prefume thus rudely to rehearfe them. For as I can be content to confeffe the lightneffe wherewith I haue bene (in times pafl) worthie to be burdened, fo would I be gladde, if nowe when I am otherwife bent, my better endeuors might be accepted. But (alas my lorde) I am not onely enforced (lil to carie on my fhoulders the croffe of my carelefneffe, but therewithall I am alfo put to the plonge, too pro- uide newe weapons wherewith I maye defende all heauy frownes, deepe fufpedls, and dangerous de- tradlions. And I finde my felfe fo feeble, and fo vnable to endure that combat, as (were not the cordialles before rehearfed) I fhould either cad downe mine armoure and hide myfelfe like a recreant, or elfe (of a malicious flubbomeffe) fhould bufie my braines with fome Stratagem for to execute an enuious reuenge vpon mine aduerfaries. But neither wil Magnanimitie fuffer me to become vnhonefl, nor yet can Induflrie fee me fmke in idle- neffe. For I haue learned in facred fcriptures to heape coles vppon the heade of mine enemie, by honeft deal- ing: and our fauiour himfelfe hath encoraged me, faying that I fhal lacke neither workes nor feruice, although it were noone dayes before I came into the Market place. Thefe things I fay (my fmgular good lorde) do re- newe in my troubled minde the fame affedlion which firfl moued me to honor you, nothing doubting but that your fauorable eyes will vouchfafe to beholde me as I am, and neuer be fo curious as to enquire what I haue bene. The Epiflle Dedicatorie. 45 And in ful hope therof, I haue prefumed to pre- fent your honour with this Satyre written without rime, but I trufl. not without reafon. And what foeuer it bee, I do humbly dedicate it vnto your honorable name, befeeching the fame too accept it with as gra- tious regarde, as you haue in times pad bene accuf- tomed too beholde my trauailes. And (my good Lorde) though the skorneful do mocke me for a time, yet in the ende I hope to giue them al a rybbe of rotle for their paynes. And when the vertuous fliall perceiue indeede how I am occupied, then fhall de- traeflion be no leffe afhamed to haue falfely accufed me, than light credence flial haue caufe to repent his rafhe conceypt : and Grauitie the iudge flial not be abafhed to cancel the fentence vniuflly pronounced in my condemnation. In meane while I remaine amongft my bookes here at my poore houfe in VValkamflowe, where I praye daylie for fpeedy aduauncement, and continuall profperitie of your good Lord- (hip. Written the fiftenth of April. 1576. (•■•) By your honours mojl bownden and well affured George Gafcoigne, 46 N. R. in commendation of the Author, and his workes. IN rowfing verfes of Manors bloudie raigne, The famous Greke, and Miro did excel. Graue Senec did, furmounte for Tragike vaine, Quicke Epigrams, Catullus wrote as wel. Archilochus, did for lamUckes pafle, For commicke verfe, ftill Plautus peerelefTe was In Elegies, and wanton loue writ laies, Sance peere were Nafo, and Tibullus deemde : In Satyres fliarpe (as men of mickle praife) Lucilius, and Horace were efleemde. Thus diuers men, with diuers vaines did write, But Gafcoigne doth, in euery vaine indite. And what perfourmaunce hee thereof doth make, I lift, not vaunte, his workes for me fhal fay ; In praifmg him Timatites trade I take, Who (when he (hould, the woful cheare difplaie, Duke Agamemnon had when he did waile, His daughters death with teares of fmal auaile : Not fkild to counterfliape his momeful grace. That men might deeme, what art coulde not fupplie) Deuifde with painted vaile, to Ihrowde his face. Like forte my pen fhal Gafcoignes praife difcrie. Which wanting grace, his graces to rehearfe, Doth (hrowde and cloude them thus in filent verfe. 47 'Walter Rawely of the middle Temple, in commendation of the Steele Glaffe. SWete were the fauce, would pleafe ech kind of tafl, The hfe hkewife, were pure that neuer fwerued, For fpyteful tongs, in cankred flomackes plafle, Deeme worfl of things, which befl (percafe) deferued : But what for that ? this medcine may fufFyfe, To fcome the refl, and feke to pleafe the wife. Though fundiy mindes, in fundry forte do deeme, Yet worthiefl wights, yelde prayfe for euery payne. But enuious braynes, do nought (or light) eflerae. Such (lately (leppes, as they cannot attaine. For who fo reapes, renowne aboue the reft. With .heapes of hate, (hal furely be oppreft. Wherefore to write, my cenfure of this booke, This Glaffe of Steele, vnpartially doth fhewe, Abufes all, to fuch as in it looke, From prince to poore, from high eflate to lowe, As for the verfe, who lifts like trade to trye, I feare me much, (hal hardly rearhe fo high. Nicholas Bowyer in commen- dation of this worke. FRom layes of Loue, to Satyres fadde and fage, Our Poet turnes, the trauaile of his time, And as he pleafde, the vaine of youthful age. With pleafant penne, employde in louing ryme : So now he feekes, the graueft to delight. With workes of worth, much better than they fhowe. 1 Mr. J. P. Collier, in Atch. xxxiv. that the above heading shows him to 138, states that this is the earliest have been at least resident in the known verse of Sir W. Raleigh's, and Middle Temple in 1570, 48 This Glaffe of Steele, (if it be markt aright) Difcries the faults, as wel of high as lowe. And Philomelaes fourefolde iuft complaynte, In fugred founde, doth (hrowde a folempne fence, Gainft thofe whome lufl, or murder doth attaynte. Lo this we fee, is Gafcoignes good pretence, To pleafe al forts, with his praifeworthy skill. Then yelde him thanks in figne of like good wil. The Author to the Reader. To vaunt, were vaine : and flattrie were a faulte. But truth to tell, there is a fort of fame, The which I feeke, by fcience to alTault, And fo to leaue, remembrance of my name. The walles thereof are wondrous hard to clyme : And much to high, for ladders made of ryme. Then fince I fee, that rimes can feldome reache, Vnto the toppe, of fuch a ftately Towre, By reafons force, I meane to make fome breache. Which yet may helpe, my feeble fainting powre, That fo at lafl, my Mufe might enter in, And reafon rule, that rime could neuer win. Such battring tyre, this pamphlet here bewraies, In rymeleffe verfe, which thundreth mighty threates, And where it findes, that vice the wal decayes, Euen there (amaine) with (harpe rebukes it beates. The worke (thinke I) deferues an honed name, If not? I fayle, to win this forte of fame. Tam Marti, quam Mercurio. THE STEELE GLAS. He Nightingale, (whofe happy noble hart, No dole can daunt, nor feareful force affiright, Whofe chereful voice, doth comfort faddeft. wights, When Ihe hir felf, hath little caufe to fing. Whom louers loue, bicaufe (he plainfes their greues. She wraies their woes, and yet relieues their payne, Whom worthy mindes, alwayes efleemed much. And grauefl, yearesj haue not'difdainde hir notes : (Only that king proud Tereus by his name With murdring knife, did carue hir plealant tong, To couer fo, his owne foule filthy fault) This worthy bird, hath taught my weary Muze, To fing a fong, in fpight of their defpight, Which worke my woe, withouten caufe or crime. And make my backe, a ladder for their feete, By flaundrous fleppes, and ftayres of tickle talke, To clyme the throne, wherein my felfe fliould fitte. O PhyUmene, then helpe me now to chaunt : And if dead beaftes, or liuing byrdes haue ghofts, Which can conceiue the caufe of carefull mone. When wrong triumphes, and right is ouertrodde, D 5° THE STEEL GLAS. Then helpe me now, O byrd of gentle bloud, In barrayne verfe, to tell a frutefuU tale, A tale (I meane) which may content the mindes Of learned men, and graue Philofophers. And you my Lord, (whofe happe hath heretofore Bene, louingly to reade my reckles rimes. And yet haue deignde, with fauor to forget The faults of youth, which pad my hafty pen : And therwithall, haue gracioufly vouchfafte, To yeld the reft, much more than they defervde) Vouchfafe (lo now) to reade and to perufe, This rimles verfe, which flowes from troubled mind. Synce that the line, of that falfe caytife king, (Which rauiftied fayre Phylomene for luft. And then cut out, hir trustie tong for hate) Liues yet (my Lord) which words I weepe to write. They liue, they liue, (alas the worfe my lucke) Whofe greedy luft, vnbridled from their breft. Hath raunged long about the world fo wyde, To finde a pray for their wide open mouthes. And me they found, (O wofull tale to tell) Whofe harmeleffe hart, percei-vde not their deceipt. But that my Lord, liiay playnely vnderftand. The myfteries, of all that I do meane, I am not he whom flaunderous tongues haue tolde, (Falfe tongues in dede, and Craftie fubtile braines) To be the man, which ment a common fpoyle Of louing dames, whofe eares wold heare my words Or truft the tales deuifed by my pen. In' am a man, as fome do thinke I am, (Laugh not good Lord) I am in dede a dame, Or at the leaft, a ri^X. Hermaphrodite : v • And who defires, at large to knowe my name,, ioraif My birth, my line, and euery circumftance, luTa '"''' Lo reade it here, Playne deafyngvias my Syre, thought And he begat me. by Simplycitie, d^T" THE STEEL GLAS. 51 A paire of twinnes at one felfe burden bome, My fiftr' and I, into this world were fent, Satyricai- My Syfters name, was pleafant Foefys, may IJfght And I my felfe had Satyra to name, iVh*^'" Whofe happe was fuch, that in the prime of daugh^r youth, of such A lufty ladde, a flately man to fee, tie. Brought vp in place, where pleafures did abound, (I dare not fay, in court for both myne eares) Beganne to woo my fifler, not for wealth, But for hir face was louely to beholde, where And therewithall, hir fpeeche was pleafant flil. "^y ^ , ' L r coirttnoniv This Nobles name, was called vayne Delight, found a And in his trayne, he had a comely crewe "o^erfor Of guylefuU wights : Falfe fimblatit was the piesant nrlt, than vaine The fecond man was, Flearing flattery. Delight » ' "-*_,<'. Such men (Brethren by like, or very neare of km) do many Then followed them, Betrailion z.'aADeceite. JJ^^" "' Sym Swajh did beare a buckler for the firft, vpon Falfe witneffe was the feconde (lemly page, light* And thus wel armd, and in good equipage, This Galant came, vnto my fathers courte, And woed my fifter, for (he elder was, And fayrer eke, but out of doubt (at least) Hir pleafant fpeech furpafled mine fomuch. That vayne Delight, to hir adrest his fute. Short tale to make, fhe gaue a free confenr, poetne And forth (he goeth, to be his wedded make, manied Entyst percafe, with gIo(re of gorgeous (hewe, De%ht. (Or elfe perhappes, perfuaded by his peeres,) That conflant loae had herbord in his breft, Stuh errors groove where fuche falfe Frophets preach. How fo it were, my Sifter Jikte him wel, And forth (he goeth, in Court with him to dwel, Where when (he had fome yeeres yfoiomed. And faw.the world, and marked eche mans minde, ■ A deepe Defire hir louing hart enflamde. 52 THE STEEL GLAS. To fee me fit by hir in feemely wife, That corapanye might comfort hir fometimes, And found advice might eafe hir wearie though tes : And forth with fpeede, (euen at hir firfl requeft) Doth vaine Delight, his hasty courfe direct, To feeke me out his fayles are fully bent, And winde was good, to bring me to the bowre. Whereas (he lay, that mourned dayes and nights To fee hir felfe, fo matchte and fo deceivde, And when the wretch, (I cannot terme him bet) Had me on feas ful farre from friendly help, A fparke of lull, did kindle in his bred, . And bad him harke, to fongs of Satyra. I felly foule (which thought no body harme) Gan cleere my throte, and flraue to fing my Satyrfcai bell, somtimes Whichpleafde him fo,andfo enflamde hishart, ^y^t^yne That he forgot my fister Poefys, Delight. And rauiflit me, to pleafe his wanton minde. Not fo content, when this foule fadl was done, (Yfraught with feare, leafl that I fliould difclofe His inceft. : and his doting darke defire) J^^^ sem- He caufde (Iraight wayes, the formofl. of his fla^iri? crew domrbe With his compeare, to trie me with their guUe sati- tongues: _ Trit' P- And when their guiles, could not preuaile to winne My fimple mynde, from tracke of truftie truth. Nor yet deceyt could bleare mine eyes through fraud. Came Slander then, accufing me, and fayde. That I entifl. Delyght, to loue and luste. Thus was I caught, poore wretch that thought none il. And furthermore, to cloke their own offence, The re- They clapt me fall, in cage of Myferie, b^^'^med- And there I dwelt, full many a doleful day, I'ng is Vnlil this tHeefe, this traytor vaim Delight, **"""• Cut out my tong, with Rayfor oi Rejiraynte, Leafl I fliould wraye, this bloudy deede of his. THE STEEL GLAS. 53 And thus (my Lord) I Hue a weary life, and°com\re Not as I feemd, a man fometimes of might, this aikfo-^ But womanlike, whofe teares mufl venge hir ^o'yo? harms. Progne and And yet, euen as the mighty gods did daine ' °™' "' For Philomek, that thoughe hir tong were cutte. Yet fhould (he fmg a pleafant note fometimes : So haue they deignd, by their deuine decrees. That with the flumps of my reproued tong, I may fometimes, Reprouers deedes reproue. And fmg a verfe, to make them fee themfelues. Then thus I fmg, this felly fong by night. Like Phylomene, fince that the fliining Sunne Is how eclypfl, which wont to lend me light. And thus I fmg, in comer clofely cowcht Like Philomene, fmce that the flately cowrts. Are now no place, for fuch poore byrds as 1. And thus I fmg, with pricke against my brest, Like Philomene, fince that the priuy worme. Which makes me fee my reckles youth mifpent, May well fuffife, to keepe me waking (lill. And thus I fmg, when pleafant fpring begins, Like Philomene, fmce euery iangl)mg byrd, Which fqueaketh loude, fhall neuer triumph fo, As though my muze were mute and durfl not fmg. And thus I fmg, with harmeleffe true intent. Like Philomene, when as percafe (meane while) The Cuckowe fuckes mine eggs by foule deceit. And lickes the fweet, which might haue fed me firft. And thus I meane, in moumfull wife to fing, A rare conceit, (God graunt it like my Lorde) A truflie tune, from auncient clyffes conueyed, A playne fong note, which cannot warble well. 54 THE STEEL GLAS. For whyles I mark this weak and wretched world, ^^^'J^^^ Wherein I fee, howe euery kind of man of the Can flatter (lill, and yet deceiues himfelfe. S^STeth I feeme to mufe, from whence fuch errour fprings, Such grofle conceits, fuch mistes of darke miftake. Such Surcuydry, fuch weening ouer well, And yet in dede, fuch dealings too too badde. And as I (Iretch my weary wittes, to weighe The caufe thereof, and whence it (hould proceede, My battred braynes, (which now be flirewdly brufde. With cannon (hot, of much mifgouemment) Can fpye no caufe, but onely one conceite. Which makes me thinke, the world goeth (lil awry. I fee and figh, (bycaufe it makes me ladde) That peuiftie pryde, doth al the world poffeffe, And euery wight, will haue a looking glaife To fee himfelfe, yet fo he feeth him not : Yea Ihal I fay ? a glaffe of common glaffe. Which gliftreth bright, and fliewes a feemely fhew. Is not enough, the days are part, and gon. That Berral glaffe, with foyles of louely brown. Might ferue to (hew, a feemely fauord face. That age is deade, and vanifht long ago. Which thought that (leele, both trudy was and true, And needed not, a foyle of contraries, But (hewde al things, euen as they were in deede. In lleade whereof, our curious yeares can finde The chriftal glas, which glimfetii braue and bright, And (hewes the thing, much better than it is, Beguylde with foyles, of fundry fubtil fights, So that they feeme, and couet not to be. This is the caufe (beleue me now my Lorde) That Realmes do rewe, from high profperity, THE STEEL GLAS. 55 That kings decline, from princely gouemment, That Lords do lacke, their aunceflors good wil, . That knights confume, their patrimonie flill, That gentlemen, do make the merchant rife, That plowmen begge, and craftefmen cannot thriue. That clergie quayles, and hath fmal reuerence. That laymen Hue, by mouing mifchiefe flil, That courtiers thriue, at latter Lammas day, That officers, can fcarce enrich their heyres. That Souldiours (lerue, or prech at Tibome croffe, That lawyers buye, and purchafe deadly hate. That merchants clyme, and fal againe as fall. That roysters brag, aboue their betters rome, That ficophants, are counted iolly guefls. That Lais leades a Ladies life alofte, And Lucrece lurkes, with fobre bafliful grace. This is the caufe (or elfe my Muze mistakes) That things are thought, which neuer yet were wrought, And cartels buylt, aboue in lofty (kies. Which neuer yet, had good foundation. And that the fame may feme no feined dreame, But words of worth, and worthy to be wayed, I haue prefumde, my Lord for to prefent With this poore glaffe, which is of truflie Steele, And came to me, by wil and teflament Of one that was, a Glaffemaker in deede. Lucylius, this worthy man was namde, ^/s^ru Who at his death, bequeathd the chriflal glaffe, cai Poete. To fuch as loue, to feme but not to be, And vnto thofe, that loue to fee themfelues, How foule or fayre, foeuer that they are. He gan bequeath, a glaffe of truflie Steele, Wherein they may be bolde alwayes to looke, Bycaufe it fhewes, all things in their degree. . And fince myfelfe (now pride of youth is pall) S6 THE STEEL GLAS. Do loue to be, and let al feeming paffe. Since I defire, to fee my felfe in deed. Not what I would, but what I am or (hould, Therfore I like this trustie glaffe of Steele. Wherein I fee, a frolike fauor frounst ^^ |^^". With foule abufe, of lawleffe luft. in youth : seife. Wherein I fee, a Sampfons grim regarde Alexander Difgraced yet with Alexanders bearde : J^l?"^ Wherein I fee, a corps of comely fhape smai (Andfuch as might befeeme thecourte fullwel) ^^^'^■ Is cad at heele, by courting al to foone : He which Wherein I fee, a quicke capacitye, bTke^mens Berayde with blots of light Inconstancie : faults, shai Anagefufpeft, bycaufe of youthes mifdeedes. not'to^for- A poets brayne, poffefl. with layes of loue : ^vvnJim- A Cafars minde, and yet a Codrus might, perfections. A Souldiours hart, fuppreft with feareful doomes ': A Philofopher, foolilhly fordone. And to be playne, I fee my felfe fo playne. And yet fo much vnlike that moft.I feemde, As were it not, that Reafon ruleth me, I (hould in rage, this face of mine deface, And caft this corps, downe headlong in difpaire, Bycaufe it is, fo farre vnlike it felfe. And therwithal, to comfort me againe, I fee a world, of worthy gouemment, Common A common welth, with policy fo rulde. As neither lawes are fold, nor iustice bought. Nor riches fought, vnleffe it be by right. No crueltie, nor tyrannic can raigne. No right reuenge, doth rayfe rebellion, No fpoyles are tane, although the fword preuaile, No ryot fpends, the coyne of common welth, No rulers hoard, the countries treafure vp. No man growes riche, by fubtilty nor fleight : THE STEEL GLAS. 57 All people dreade, the magistrates decree, And al men feare, the fcourge of mighty loue. Lo this (my lord) may wel deferue the name, Of fuch a lande, as milke and hony flowes. And this I fee, within my glaffe of Steel, Set forth euen fo, by Solon (worthy wight) Who taught king Croefus, what it is to feme, And what to be, by proofe of happie end. The like Lycurgus, Lacedemon king, Did fet to Ihew, by viewe of this my glaffe, And left the fame, a mirour to behold, To euery prince, of his pofterity. But now (aye me) the glafing chriftal glaffe Doth make vs thinke, that realmes and townes are rych /Where fauor fways, the fentence of the law, Common Where al is fiflie, that cometh to the net, "'""^■ Where mighty power, doth ouer rule the right, Where iniuries, do fofter fecret grudge, Where bloudy fword, maks euery booty prize. Where, banquetting, is compted comly cofl. Where officers grow rich by princes pens, Where purchafe commes, by couyn and deceit, And no man dreads, but he that cannot fhift, Nor none ferae God, but only tongtide men. Againe I fee, within my glaffe of Steele, But foure estates, to ferae eche country Soyle, The King, the Knight, the Pefant, and the Prieft. The King fhould care for al the fubiedles ftill, The Knight fliould fight, for to defende the fame, /p^The Peafant he, fliould labor for their eafe, And Priefls ftiuld pray, for them and for themfelues. But out alas, fuch mifls do bleare our eyes, And ch'ristal gloffe, doth glifler fo therwith, That Kings conceiue, their care is wonderous Kings, great. S8 THE STEEL GLAS. When as they beat, their bufie reflles braynes, To maintaine pompe, and high triumphant figiits, i To fede their fil, of daintie dehcates, 2 To glad their harts, with fight of pleafant fports, 3 To fil their eares, with found of instruments, 4 To breake with bit, the hot coragious horfe, 5 To deck their haules, with fumpteous cloth of gold, 6 To cloth themfelues, with filkes of flraunge deuife, 7 To fearch the rocks, for pearlesaiid pretious (lones, 8 To (lelue the ground, for toines of gliftering gold : 9 And neuer care, to maynt'eine peace and reft, To yeld reliefe, where needy lacke appears, To (lop one eare, vntil the poore man fpeake, To feme to fleepe, when luftice flill doth wake, To gard their lands, from fodaine fword and fier, To feare the cries of giltles fuckling babes, Whofe ghofls may cal, for vengeance on their bloud. And flirre the wrath, of mightie thundringloue. I fpeake not this, by any englifli king, Nor by our Queene, whofe high forfight prpuids, That dyre debate, is fledde to foraine Realmes, Whiles we inioy the golden fleece of peace. But there to turne my tale, from whence it pame, In olden dayes, good kings and worthy dukes, (Who fawe themfelues, in glaffe of trufly Steele) Contented were, with pompes of little pryce. And fet their thoughtes, on regal -gouemement. An order was, when Roine did fldrifli moft, Veien — ---------- max. It cap. 3. That no man might triumph in (lately wife, "^^ '''^* But fuch as had, with Mowes of bloudy blade Fiuethoufand foes in foughten field foredone. Now he that likes, to loke in Christal glaffe. May fee proud pomps, in high triuniphant wife, Where neuer blowe, was delt with enemie. When Sergius, deuifed firft the meane THE STEEL GLAS. 59 To pen vp filhe, within the fwelling floud, And fb content his mouth with daintie fare, Then followed fa.st, exceffe on Princes bordes, And euery difli, was chargde with new conceits, To pleafe the tafte, of vncontented mindes. But had he feene, the flreine of (Iraunge deuife. Which Epicures, do now adayes inuent, To yeld good fmacke, vnto their daintie tongues : Could he conceiue, how princes paunch is fillde. With fecret caufe, of fickeneffe (oft) vnfeene, Whiles luft defires, much more than nature craues, Then would he fay, that al the Romane cofl Was common trarfi, compard to fundrie Sauce Which princes vfe, to pamper Appetite. ' O Christal Glaffe, thou fetteil things to fliew, Which are (God knoweth) of little worth in dede. Al eyes behold, with eagre deepe defire, 3 The Faulcon flye, the grehounde runne his courfe, The bayted Bui, and Beare at ftately (lake, Thefe Enterluds, thefe newe Italian fportes. And euery gawde, that glads the minde of man : But fewe regard, their needy neighbours lacke,/ And fewe beholde, by contemplation, ' The ioyes of heauen, ne yet'^the "pairies of hel. Fewe loke to-lawe, but al men gaze on luft. A fwete confent, of Muficks facreid fouridj ' '/ 4 Doth rayfe our mindes, (as rapt) al vp on high,' ' But fweeter foundes, of concorde, peace, and loue, Are out of tune, andaarre in- euery ftbppe. To toffe and tume, the (lurdie trampling ftede, j To bridle him, and make him.meete to ferae, ' ■ ■' Deferaes (no doubt) great commendation. But fuch as haue, their (tables ful yfraught, VVith pampred lades, ought therwithaltb wey,' What great, exceffe, vpon them may be fpent. How many pore, (which nede nor brake nor bit) 6o THE STEEL GLAS. Might therwith al, in godly wife be fedde, Deut is. And kings ought not, fo many horfe to haue. The fumpteous houfe, declares the princes Hate, 6 But vaine exceffe, bewrayes a princes faults. Our bumbaft hofe, our treble double ruffes, 7 Our futes of Silke, our comely garded capes, Our knit filke ftockes, and fpanifti lether fhoes, (Yea veluet femes, ofttimes to trample in) Our plumes, our fpangs, and al our queint aray. Are pricking fpurres, prouoking filthy pride. And fnares (vnfeen) which leade a man to hel. How Hue the Mores, which fpume at gliftring perle, 8 And fcome the cods, which we do holde fo deare ? How ? how but wel ? and weare the precious pearle Of peerleffe truth, amongft. them publifhed, (Which we enioy, and neuer wey the worth.) They would not then, the fame (like vs) defpife. Which (though they lacke) they Hue in better wife Than we, which holde, the worthies pearle fo deare. But glittring gold, which many yeares lay hidde, Til gredy mindes, gan fearch the very guts Of earth and clay, to finde out fundrie moulds (As redde and white, which are by melting made Bright gold and filuer, mettals of mifchiefe) Hath now enflamde, the noblell Princes harts With foulefl fire, of filthy Auarice, And feldome feene, that kings can be content To kepe their bounds, which their forefathers left : What caufeth this, but greedy golde to get? Euen gold, which is, the very caufe of warres, The neafl. of flrife, and nourice of debate, The barre of heauen, and open way to heL (Squires But is this flrange ? when Lords when Knightes and (Which ought defende, the (late of common welth) Are not afrayd to couet Hke a King ? THE STEEL GLAS, 6i blinde defire : oh high afpiring harts. The country Squire, doth couet to be Knight, Knightes. The Knight a Lord, the Lord an Erie or a Duke, The Duke a King, the King would Monarke be. And none content, with that which is his own. Yet none of thefe, can fee in Chriflal glaffe (Which glistereth bright, and bleares their gafing eyes) How euery life, beares with him his difeafe. But in my glaffe, which is of trustie fleele, 1 can perceiue, how kingdomes breede but care, How Lordfhip hues, with lots of leffe delight, (Though cappe and knee, do feeme a reuerence, And courtlike life, is thought an other heauen) Than common people finde in euery coaft. The Gentleman, which might in countrie keepe A plenteous boorde, and feed the fatherleffe, VVith pig and goofe, with mutton, beefe and veale, (Yea now and then, a capon and a chicke) VVil breake vp houfe, and dwel in market townes, A loytring Ufe, and like an Epicure. But who (meane while) defends the common welth ? Who rules the flocke, when (heperds fo are fled ? Who ftayes the flaff, which fliuld vphold the flate ? Forfoth good Sir, the Lawyer leapeth in. Nay rather leapes, both ouer hedge and ditch. And rules the rod, but fewe men rule by right O Knights, O Squires, O Gentle blouds ybome, You were not borne, al onely for your felues : Your countrie claymes, fome part of al your paines. There (hould you liue, and therein ftiould you toyle. To hold vp right, and banifli cruel wrong. To helpe the pore, to bridle backe the riche, To punifli vice, and vertue to aduaunce, To fee God fervde, and Belzebub fuppreft. You fliould not truft, lieftenaunts in your rome. And let them fway, the fcepter of your charge, Whiles you (meane while) know fcarcely what is don. Nor yet can yeld, accompt if you were callde. 62 THE STEEL GLAS. The (lately lord, which woonted was to kepe A court at home, is now come vp to courte, And leaues the country for a common prey, To pilling, polling, brybing, and deceit : (Al which his prefence might haue pacified, Or elfe haue made oifenders fmel the fmoke.) And now the youth which might haue ferued him, In comely wife, with countrey clothes yclad, And yet therby bin able to preferre Vnto the prince, and there to feke aduance : Is faine to fell, his landes for courtly cloutes, Or elfe fits Hill, and liueth like a loute, (Yet of thefe two, the laft fault is the leffe :) And fo thofe imps which might in time, haue fprong Alofte (good lord) and feryde to fliielde the ftate, Are either nipt, with fuch vntimely frofls. Or elfe growe crookt, bycaufe they be not pro)md. Thefe be the Knights, which (hold defend the land. And thefe be they, which leaue the land at large. Yet here percafe, it' wilbe thought I roue And runne aftray, befides the kings high way, Since by the Knights, of whom my text doth tell (And fuch as (hew, mod .perfe<5l in my glafle) Is merit ho more, but wortliy Souldiours Whofe fkil in armes, and long experience Should flill vphold the pillers of the worlde. Yes out of doubt, this noble name of Knight, May comprehend, both Duke, Erie, lorde. Knight, Yea gentlemen, and eiiery gentle borne. (Squire, But if you wil, conftraine me for to fpeake What fouldiours are, -or what they ought to be (And I my felfe, of that profefsion) I fee a crew, which glister in my 'glaffe, ' SouUiours, The braueft bande, that euer yet was fene : Behold behold, where Pompey commes before. Where Manlius, and Marius infue, THE STEEL GLAS. 63 ^milius, and Curius I fee,. Palamedes, and Fabius maximus. And eke their mate, Epaminondas loe, Protefilaus and Phocyan are not farre, Pericles (lands, in rancke amongft the reft, Arijlomenes, may not be forgot, Vnleffe the list, of good men be difgrast. Behold (my lord) thefe fouldiours can I fpie Within my glaffe, within my true Steele glafle. I fee not one therein, which feekes to heape A world of pence, by pinching of dead payes, Couetous And fo beguiles, the prince in time of nede, Soidiours When mufter day, and foughten fielde are odde. Since Pompey did, enrich the common heaps. And Paulas he, (iEmilius furnamed) Returnde to Rome, no richer than he went, AltJwugh he }iad,fo many lands fubdued. And brought fuch treafure, to the common chejls. That four/core yeres, thejlate was {after) free From greuous taske, and imfofction. Yeafince againe, good M.2LXC\i.% Curius, Thought jacriledge, himfelfefor to aduaunce. And fee his fouldiours, fore or Hue in lacke- I fee not one, within this glaffe of mme, SoMioars Whofe fethers flaunt, and flicker in the winde, brauc then As though he were, all onely to be markt, ^^J^aunt. When fimple fnakes, which go not halfe fo gay, Can leaue him yet a furlong in the field : And when the pride, of all his peacockes plumes, Is daunted dow'ne,'with daftard dreadfulneffe. And yet in towne, he ietted euery'ftreete. As though the god of waites (euen Mars himfelQ Might wel (by him) be liuely counterfayte, Though much more like, the coward Conflantine. I fee none fuch, (my Lorde) I fee none fuch, 64 THE STEEL GLAS. Since Phocion, which was in deede a Mars And one which did, much more than he wold vaunt. Contented was to be but homely clad. And Marius, {whofe conjiant hart could bide The very vaines, of his forwearied legges To be both cut, and earned from his corps') Could neueryet, contented be to fpend. One idle groate, in clothing nor in cates. I fee not one, (my Lord) I fee not one SoMiours AVhich flands fomuch, vpon his paynted thibov™ (heath long con- (Bycaufehehath,perchaunceat5^//if)'«bene STMni'ice) And loytered, fince then in idleneffe) ^° ===■"= rrii 1 nti- 1 ^ • /■ ir ^° despise That he accompts, no Soldiour but himfelfe, aii other Nor onethatcan,defpifethe learned brayne, dL^"nd Which ioyneth reading with experience. especially Siwe Palamedes, and Yliffes both, E^S^" Where much efleemedfor their pollicies Although they were not thought long trained men. Epamynondas, eke was much efleemde Whofe Eloquetue, was fuch in allrefpe£ls. As gaue no place, vnto his manly hart. And Yabms,furnamed Maximus, Could ioynefuch learning, with experience. As made his name, more famous than the refl. Thefe bloudy beafls, apeare not in my glaffe, SoWiours Which cannot rule, their fword in furious rage, °"?l ""*' kT 1 *- I-. . . . ^ ' Without Nor haue refpeCte, to age nor yet to kmde : any re- Butdownegoeth al, where they get vpper hand. *^"^ Whofe greedy harts fo hungrie are to fpoyle, That few regard, the very wrath of God, Which greeued is, at cries of giltleffe bloud. Pericles was, a famous man ofwarre. And vi6lor eke, in nine great foughten fields, Wherof he was the general in charge. Yet at his death he rather did reioyce THE STEEL GLAS. 65 In clemaide, than bloiidy viHorie. Bejlill {quoth he) you qraue Athenians, Who whifpered, and tolde his valiant fa^s) You haue forgot, my greatejl glorie got. For yet {by me, nor mine occafcon) Was neuer fene, a mourning garment woriie. O noble words, wel worthy golden writ. Beleue me (Lord) a fouldiour cannot haue Too great regarde, whereon his knife Ihould cut. Ne yet the men, which wonder at their wounds, Andfliewe theiricarres toeuerycommerby, Br.iggers Dare once be feene, within myglaffe of Steele, ^boa"f For fo the faults, of Thrafo and his trayne, °f '^eir (Whom Terence told, to be but bragging brutes)""""" ^' Might fone appeare, to euery fkilful eye. .Bolde Manlius, could clofe and wel conuey Ful thiriie wounds, (and three) vpon his head. Yet neuer made, nor bones nor bragges therof. What fhould I fpeake, of drunken Soldiours ? Drunken Or lechers lewde, which fight for filthy lull ? roi'toi" Of whom that one, can fit and bybbe his fil, diours. Confume his coyne, (which might good corage yeld, To fuch as march, and moue at his commaunde) And makes himfelfe, a worthy mocking Hocke Which might deferue, (by fobre life) great laude. That other dotes, and driueth forth his dayes In vaine delight, and foule concupifcence. When works of weight, might occupie his hedde. Yea therwithal, he puts his owne fonde heade Vnder the belt, of fuch as fhould him feme. And fo becoms, example of much euil. Which fhould haue fervde, as lanteme of good life And is controlde, whereas he ftiould commaund. Augujlus Cafar, he which might haue made Both feasts and banquets brauely as the befl. Was yet content (in ca:rape) with homely cates. And feldome dranke his wine vnwatered. 66 THE STEEL GLAS. Arijlommes, dayned to defende His dames of prize, whom he in warres had won, And rather chofe, to die in their defence, Then filthy men, (hould foyle their chaftitie. This was a wight, wel worthy fame and prayfe. O Captayns come, and Souldiours come apace. Behold my glaffe, and you (hall fee therin, Proud Craffus bagges, confumde by couetife, Great Alexander, drounde in drunkenneffe, Cixfar and Pompey, fplit with priuy grudge, Brennus beguild, with lightneffe of beliefe, Cleomenes, by ryot not regarded, Vefpqfian, difdayned for deceit, Demetrius, light fet by for his luft. Whereby at lad, he dyed in prifon pent. Hereto percafe, fome one man will alledge. That Princes pence, are purfed vp fo clofe. And faires do fall fo feldome in a yeare, That when they come, prouifion mufl be made To fende the froft, in hardeft. winter nights. Indeede I finde, within this glaffe of mine, Vngratefui lujlinian, that proude vngratefui prince, Prmces. Which made to begge, bold Belifarius His trustie man, which had fo floutly fought In his defence, with evry enimy. And Scypio, conderanes the Romaine rule, Which fuffred him (that had fo truely ferued) To leade pore life, at his {Lyntemuni) ferme. Which did deferue, fuch worthy recompence. Yea herewithal, moft, Souldiours of our time, Beleeue for truth, that proude lujlinian Did neuer die, without good flore of hejaes. And Romanes race, cannot be rooted out. Such yffewe fprings, of fuch vnplefant budds, But fhal I fay ? this leffon learne of me. THE STEEL GLAS. 67 When drumsare dumb, and found not dub a dub, JJ^^'Jj- Then be thou eke, as rnewet as a ma}-de dio?r ™ (I preach this fermon but to fouldiours) ^""me'^of And learne to Hue, within thy bravries bounds, peace. Let not the Mercer, pul thee by the fleeue For futes of filke, when cloth may ferue thy turne, Let not thy fcores, come robbe thy needy purfe, Make not the catchpol, rich by thine arrest Art thou a Gentle ? Hue with gentle friendes, "Which wil be glad, thy companie to haue, If manhoode may, with manners well agree. Art thou a feruing man ? then ferue againe. And flint to fleale as common fouldiours do. Art thou a craftfman ? take thee to thine arte. And call off flouth, which loytreth in the Campes. Art thou a plowman preffed for a (hift? Then learne to clout, thine old cafl cobled fhoes, And rather bide, at home with barly bread. Than learne to fpoyle, as thou had feene fome do. Of truth {my friendes, and my companions eke) Who lufl, by warres to gather lawful welth, And fo to get, a right renoumed name, Mufl cad afide, al common trades of warre. And learne to liue, as though he knew it not Well, thus my Knight hath held me al to long. Bycaufe he bare, fuch compaffe in my glaffe. High time were then, to turne my wery pen, Vnto the Peafant comming next in place. And here to write, the fumme of my conceit, I do not meane, alonely husbandmen, Which till the ground, which dig, delve, mow and fowe. Which fwinke and fweate, whiles we do fleepe and And ferch the guts of earth, for greedy gain, [fnort 68 THE STEEL GLAS. But he that labors any kind of way. ■ Peasant. To gather gaines, and to enrich himfelfe, By King, by Knight, by holy helping Priefls, And al the reft, that liue in common welth, (So that his gaines, by greedy guyles be got) Him can I compt, a Peafant in his place. strange All officers, all aduocates at lawe. Peasants. Al men of arte, which get goodes greedily, Muft be content, to take a Peafants rome. A ftrange deuife, and fure my Lord wil laugh, To fee it fo, defgefted in degrees. But he which can, in office drudge, and droy. And craue of al, (although euen now a dayes, Moft officers, commaund that ftiuld be cravde) Officers. He that can (hare, from euery pention payde A Peeter peny weying halfe a pounde. He that can plucke, fir Bennet by the fleeue, And finde a fee, in his pluralitie. He that can winke, at any foule abufe. As long as gaines, come trouling in therwith, Shal fuch come fee themfelues in this my glaffe ? Or (hal they gaze, as godly good men do ? Yea let them come : but ftial I tell you one thing? How ere their gownes, be gathered in the backe. With organe pipes, of old king Henries clampe. How ere their cappes, be folded with a flappe. How ere their beards, be clipped by the chinne, How ere they ride, or mounted are on mules, I compt them worfe, than harmeles homely hindes, Which toyle in dede, to feme our common vfe. Strange tale to tel : all officers be blynde, And yet their one eye, ftiarpe as Linceus fight. That one eye winks, as though it were but blynd. That other pries and peekes in euery place. Come naked neede ? and chance to do amifle ? He (hal be fure, to drinke vpon the whippe. But priuie gaine, (that bribing bufie wretch) THE STEEL GLAS. 69 Can finde the meanes, to creepe and cowch fo low, As officers, can neuer fee him flyde. Nor heare the trampHng of his ftealing fteppes. He comes (I thinke,) vpon the bhnde fide llil. Thefe things (my Lord) my glaffe now fets to fhew. Whereas long fmce, all officers were feene To be men made, out of another moulde. Epamynond, of whome I fpake before (Which was long time, an officer in Thebes) And toylde in peace, as wel as fought in warre, Would neuer take, or bribe, or rich reward. And thus he fpake, to fuch as fought his helpe : If it be good, (quoth he) that you defire, Then wil I do, it for the vertues fake : If it be badde, no bribe can me infedtc. There If fo it be, for this my common weale, suihrf- Then am I borne, and bound by duetie both *•«•■=■ To fee it done, withouten furder words. But if it be, vnprofitable thing. And might empaire, offende, or yeld anoy Vnto the flate, which I pretende to ftay, Then al the gold (quoth he) that growes on earth Shal neuer tempt, my free confent thereto. How many now, wil treade Zekucus fleps ? Or who can byde, Catnbyfes cruel dome ? Cruel ? nay iuft, (yea fofte and peace good fir) For luflice fleepes, and I'roth is iefled out. False O that al kings, would {^Alexander like) Hold euermore, one finger ftreight ftretcht out, To thrust, in eyes, of all their matter theeues. Uidges. But Brutus died, without posteritie. And Marcus Crajfus had none iffue male, Cicero flipt, vnfene out of this world, With many mo, which pleaded romaine pleas. And were content, to vfe their eloquence. 70 THE STEEL GLAS. In maintenance, of matters that were good. DemqflJienes, in Athens vfde his arte, (Not for to heape, himfelfe great hourds of gold, But) ftil to ftay, the towne from deepe deceite Oi Philips wyles, which had befieged it. Where flial we reade, that any of thefe foure Did euer pleade, as careleffe of the trial? Or who can fay, they builded fumpteoufly ? Or wroong the weake, out of his own by wyles ? They were (I trowe) of noble houfes borne, And yet content, to vfe their best deuoire, In furdering, eche honeft. harmeleffe caufe. They did not rowte (like rude vnringed fwine,) To roote nobilitie from heritage. They floode content, with gaine of glorious fame, (Bycaufe they had, refpecSl to equitie) To leade a life, like true Philofophers. Of all the bridle bearded Aduocates That euer lovde their fees aboue the caufe, I cannot fee, (fcarce one) that is fo bolde To fhewe his face, and fayned Phifnomie In this my glaffe : but if he do (my Lorde) He fhewes himfelfe, to be by very kinde A man which meanes, at euery time and tide. To do fmal right, but fure to take no wrong. And mailer Merchant, he whofe trauaile ought Merchants. Commodioufly, to doe his countrie good, And by his toyle, the fame for to enriche, Can finde the meane, to make Monopolyes Of euery ware, that is accompted ftrange. And feeds the vaine, of courtiers vaine defires Vntil the court, haue courtiers cafl. at heele, Quia non hahent vejies Nuptiales. O painted fooles, whofe harebrainde heads muft. haue More clothes attones, than might become a king : For whom the rocks, in forain Realmes mud fpin, Forwhom they carde,forwhom they weaue their webbes THE STEEL GLAS. -ji For whom no wool, appeareth fine enough, (I fpeake not this by englifh courtiers Since englifh wool, was euer thought most worth) For whom al feas, are toffed -to and fro, For whom thefe purples come from Ferfia, The crimofme, and liuely red from Inde: For whom foft filks, do fayle from Serkane, And all queint costs, do come from fardefl coafls : Whiles in meane while, thatworthyEmperour, August. 9 Which rulde the world, and had all welth at wil, Could be content, to tire his wearie wife. His daughters and, his niepces euerychone. To fpin and worke the clothes that he fliuld weare. And neuer carde, for filks or fumpteous cofl. For cloth of gold, or tinfel figurie. For Baudkin, broydrie, cutworks, nor conceits. He fet the fhippes, of merchantmen on worke, With bringing home, oyle, graine, and favrie fait And fuch like wares, as ferued common vfe. Yea for my life, thofe merchants were not woont To lend their wares, at reafonable rate, (To gaine no more, but Cento por cento,) To teach yong men, the trade to fel browne paper, Yea Morrice bells, and byllets too fometimes, To make their coyne, a net to catch yong frye. To binde fuch babes, in father Derbies bands, To flay their fleps, by ftatute Staples flaffe, To rule yong royfters, with Recognifance, To read Arithmetickc once euery day, In VVoodstreat, Bredflreat, and in Pultery (Where fuch fchoolmaifters keepe their counting h oufe) To fede on bones, when flefh and fell is gon, To keepe their byrds, ful clofe in caytiues cage, (Who being brought, to libertie at large, Might fing perchaunce, abroade, when funne doth fhine Of their mifhaps, and how their fethers fel) Vntill the canker may their corpfe confume. 71 THE STEEL GLAS. Thefe knackes (my lord) I cannot cal to minde, Bycaufe they fhewe not in my glaffe of fteele. But holla : here, I fee a "wondrous fight, I fee a fwarme, of Saints within my glaffe : Beholde, behold, I fee a fwarme in deede Of holy Saints, which walke in comely wife. Not deckt in robes, nor gamiflied with gold. But fome vnlhod, yea fome ful thinly clothde. And yet they feme, fo heauenly for to fee. As if their eyes, were al of Diamonds, Their face of Rubies, Saphires, and lacindls. Their comly beards, and heare, of filuer wiers. And to be fliort, they feeme Angelycall. What ftiould they be, (my Lord) what ftiould they be ? O gratious God, I fee now what they be. Thefe be my priefts, which pray for evry ftate, Thefe be my priefts, deuorced from the world. Priest. And wedded yet, to heauen and holyneffe. Which are not proude, nor couet to be riche. Which go not gay, nor fede on daintie foode. Which enuie not, nor knowe what malice meanes, Which loth all lust, difdayning drunkeneffe. Which cannot faine, which hate hypocrifie. Which neuer fawe. Sir Simonies deceits. Wliich preach of peace, which carpe contentions. Which loyter not, but labour al the yeare. Which thunder threts, of gods mofl. greuous wrath. And yet do teach, that mercie is in ftore. Lo thefe (my Lord) be my good praying priefts, Defcended from, Mekhyfedec by line Cofens to Paule, to Peter, lames, and lohn, Thefe be my priests, the feafning of the earth Which wil not leefe, their Savrineffe, I trowe. Not one of thefe (for twentie hundreth groats) THE STEEL GLAS. 73 VVil teach the text, that byddes him take a wife, And yet be combred with a concubine. Not one of thefe, wil reade the holy write Which doth forbid, all greedy vfurie, And yet receiue, a fhilling for a pounde. Not one of thefe, wil preach of patience, And yet be found, as angry as a wafpe. Not one of thefe, can be content to fit In Tauems, Innes, or Alehoufes all day, But fpends his time, deuoutly at his booke. Not one of thefe, will rayle at rulers wrongs, And yet be blotted, with extortion. Not one of thefe, will paint out worldly pride, And he himfelfe, as gallaunt as he dare. Not one of thefe, rebuketh auarice. And yet procureth, proude pliu-alities. Not one of thefe, reproueth vanitie (Whiles he himfelfe, with hauke vpon his fifl And houndes at heele,) doth quite forget his text. Not one of thefe, corredls contentions. For trifling things: and yet will fue for tythes. Not 9ne of thefe (not one of thefe my Lord) Wil be afhamde, to do euen as he teacheth. My priefls haue learnt, to pray vnto the Lord, And yet they trufl not in their l)-plabour. My priefls can fafl, and vfe al abftinence, From vice and fmne, and yet refufe no meats. My priests can giue, in charitable wife, And loue alfo, to do good almes dedes, Although they truft, not in their owne deferts. My prieftes can place, all penaunce in the hart, VVithout regard, of outward ceremonies. 74 THE STEEL GLAS. My priefts can keepe, their temples vndefyled, And yet defie, all Superstition. Lo now my Lorde, what thinke you by my priefts ? Although they were, the laft that fhewed themfelues, I faide at firft, their office was to pray, And fmce the time, is fuch euen now a dayes, As hath great nede, of prayers truely prayde, Come forth my priefts, and I wil bydde your beades I wil prefume, (although I be no priest) To bidde you pray, as Paule and Peter prayde. Then pray my priefts, yea pray to god himfelfe, 'pe poets That he vouchfafe, (euen for his Chriftes fake) ^ °^' To giue his word, free paflage here on earth, And that his church (which now is Militant) May foone be fene, triumphant ouer all, And that he deigne, to ende this wicked world, Which walloweth ftil, in Sinks of filthy fmne. Eke pray my priests, for Princes and for Kings, Emperours, Monarks, Duks, and all eftates, For Which fway the fworde, of royal gouemment, (Of whom our Queene, which lines without compare Muft be the chiefe, in bydding of my beades, Elfe I defame, to lefe both beades, and bones) That God giue light, vnto their noble mindes, To maintaine truth, and therwith ftil to wey That here they reigne, not onely for themfelues, And that they be but flaues to common welth. Since al their toyles, and all their broken fleeps Shal fcant fuffize,"to hold it ftil vpright. Tell fome (in Spaini) how clofe they kepe their clofets, How felde the winde, doth blow vpon their cheeks. While as (mene while) their funbumt futours fterue And pine before, their proceffe be preferrde. Then pray (my priefts) that god wil giue his grace, To fuch a prince, his fault in time to mende. Tel fome (in France) how much they loue to dance, THE STEEL GLAS. 75 While fu tours daunce, attendaunce at the dore. Yet pray (my priefls) for prayers princes mende. Tel fome (in Portugale) how colde they be, In fatting forth, of right religion : Which more efleme, the prefent pleafures here. Then flablifhing, of God his holy worde. And pray (my Priefls) leafl god fuch princes fpit, And vomit them, out of his angrie mouth. Tel fome {Italian) princes, how they winke At flinking flewes, and fay they are (forfooth) A remedy, to quench foule filthy luste : When as (in dede they be the finkes of fmne. And pray (my priests) that God wil not impute Such wilful fadls, vnto fuch princes charge, When he himfelfe, commaundeth euery man To do none ill, that good may grow therby. And pray likewife, for all that rulers be ^.°.''.»' "°- By kings commaundes,as their lieftenants here, counselors. Al magiflrates, al councellours, and all That fit in office or Authoritie. Pray, pray, (my priefls) that neither loue nor mede Do fway their minds, from furdering of right, That they be not, too faintifh nor too fowre. But beare the bridle, euenly betwene both. That flil they ftoppe, one eare to heare him fpeake. Which is accufed, abfent as he is : That euermore, they mark what moode doth moue The mouth which makes, the information. That faults forpafle (fo that they be not huge, Nor do exceed, the bonds of loyaltie) Do neuer quench, their charitable minde, When as they fee, repentance hold the reines Of heady youth, which wont to runne allray. That malice make, no manfion in their minds, Nor enuy frete, to fee how vertue clymes. The greater Birth, the greater glory fure, If deeds mainteine, their aunceflors degree. l6 THE STEEL GLAS. Ekepray(my Priefts) forthemandforyourfelues, dergie? For Biftiops, Prelats, Archdeanes, deanes, and Priefts And al that preach, or otherwife profeffe Gods holy word,. and take the cure of foules. Pray pray that you, and euery one of you, Make walke vpright, in your vocation. And that you ftiine like lamps of perfect Hfe, To lende a light, and lanterne to our feete. Say therwithal, that fome, (I fee them I VVheras they fling, in Flaunders all afarre, For why my glaffe, wil (hew them as they be) Do neither care, for God nor yet for deuill, So libertie, may launch about at large. And fome again (I fee them wel enough And note their names, in Liegelande where they lurke) Vnder pretence, of holy humble harts Would plucke adowne, al princely Dyademe. Pray, pray (my priests) for thefe, they touch you neere. Shrinke not to fay, that fome do (Romainelike) Elleme their pall, and habyte ouermuche. And therfore pray (my priefts) left pride preuaile. Pray that the foules, of fundrie damned gofts, Do not come in, and bring good euidence Before the God, which iudgeth al mens thoughts, Of fome whofe welth, made them negle<5l their charge Til fecret fmnes (vntoucht) infe<5te their flocks And bredde a fcab, which brought the (hep to bane. Some other ranne, before the greedy woolfe, And left the folde, vnfended from the fox Which durft not barke, nor bawle for both theyr eares. Then pray (my priefts) that fuch no more do fo. Pray for the nources, of our noble Realme, I meane the worthy Vniuerfities, THE STEEL GLAS. 77 (And Cantabridge,(haX haue the digiiitie, Wherof I was, vn worthy member once) That they bring vp their babes in decent wife : That Philofophy, fmel no fecret fmoke, For all "^\a<^Magike makes, in wicked myReries : '=»™<: