[30.] His good name being blemished, he bewayleth.
FRaud is the front of Fortune past all recouerie,
I stayles stand, to abide the shocke of shame and infamie.
My life through lingring long is lodge, in lare of lothsome wayes,
My death delaide to keepe from life, the harme of haplasse dayes:
My sprites, my hart, my witte and force, in deepe distresse are dround,
The only losse of my good name, is of these greefes the ground.And since my mind, my wit, my head, my voyce, and tongue are weake
To vtter, mooue, deuise, conceiue, sound foorth, declare, and speake:
Such pearsing plaintes, as answeare might, or would my wofull case,
Helpe, craue I must, and craue I wyll, with teares vpon my face:
Of al that may in heauen or hell, in earth or ayre be found,
To wayle with me this losse of mine, as of these greefes the ground.Helpe gods, helpe saintes, helpe sprites & powers, yt in the heauen doo dwel,
Helpe ye yt are to wayle aye woont, ye howling hounds of hel:
Helpe man, helpe beasts, helpe birds, & wormes, yt on ye earth doth toile
Helpe fish, helpe foule, that flocks and feedes vpon the salt sea soyle:
Help eccho that in ayre dooth flee, shryl voyces to resound,
To wayle this losse of my good name, as of these greefes the ground.Finis. E. O.
Rollins note:
In every edition, and assigned in each to the Earl of Oxford.
1. Fraud is, &c. The line is metrically defective. In [all later editions] it is changed to Framed in the front of forlorn hope past all recovery, where framed seems to be used in an unexampled sense of "drawn up" or "stationed." Evidenctly, the reading [in this edition] is an allusion to Juvenal's "front nulla fides" (Satires, ii. 8), and the line means, Fraud is the forehead of Fortune (i.e., Fortune's smiles are liars!). I suspect that the correct reading of all the editions should be Fraud is the front of forlorn hope past all recovery, which brings out the military figure of a "forlorn hope." "Frontis nulla fides" is the subject of one of Whitney's emblems (A Choice of Emblemes, 1586, ed. Green, p. 100). Cf. III.10 n., "forme nulla fides."
3. lodge. Read lodgd, with [editions from 1580 on].
4. My death delaide, &c. My death has beens so delayed that it has not kept from my life the injury of hapless days. The poet means, If I had died earlier, I should not have suffered my present distress.
[31.] Of fortunes power.
POlicrates whose passing happe, causd hiim to lose his fate,
A golden ryng cast in the seas, to change his constant state,
And in a fishe yet at his bourd, the same he after found,
Thus Forune loe, to whom she takes, for bountie dooth abound.The myzers vnto might she mountes, a common case we see,
And mightie in great miserie, she sets in lowe degree:
Whom she to day dooth reare on hie, vpon her whirling wheele,
To morowe next she dingeth downe, and casteth at her heele.No measure hath shee in her gifts, shee doth reward eache sort.
The wise that counsell haue, no more then fooles that maketh sport.
Shee vseth neuer partiall handes for to offend or please,
Geue me good Fortune all men sayes, and throw me in the seas.It is no fault or worthines, that makes men fall or rise,
I rather be borne Fortunate, then to be very wise.
The blindest man right soone, that by good Fortune guided is,
To whome that pleasant Fortune pipes, can neuer daunce amis.Finis. M. Edwardes.
[32.] Though Triumph after bloudy warres, the greatest brags do beare:
Yet Triumph of a conquered minde, the crowne of Fame shall weare.WHo so doth marke the carelesse life, of these vnhappie dayes,
And sees what small and slender hold, the state of vertue stayes:
He findes that this accursed trade, proceedeth of this ill,
That men be giuen, too much to yeelde to their vntamed will.In lacke of taming witlesse wil, the poore we often see
Enuies the ritch, because that he, his equall cannot bee:
The rich aduaunced to might by wealth, from wrong doth not refraine,
But will oppresseth weaker sort, to heape excessiue gaine.If Fortune were so blinde, to geue to one man what he will,
A world would not suffise the same, if he might haue his fill:
We wish, we searche, we striue for all, and haue no more therin
Then hath ye slaue, when death doth come, though Cresus welth we win.In getting much, we get but care, such brittle wealth to keepe,
The rich within his walles of stone doth neuer soundly sleepe:
When poore in weake and slender house, doe feare no losse of wealth,
Adn haue no further care but this, to keepe them selues in health.Affection may not hide the sword of sway, in iudgement seat,
Least partiall law dow execute the lawe in causes great:
But if the minde in constant state, affection quite doe leaue,
The higher state shall haue their rights, the poore no wrong receaue.It is accompted greater praise to Caesars loftie state,
Against his vanquist foes, in warres to bridle wrekefull hate:
Then when to Rome he had subdued, the people long vnknowne,
Wherby as farre as land was found, the same abrode was blowne.If honor can selfe will refuse, and iustice be vpright,
And priuate state desires but that, which good appeares in sight:
Then vertue shall with soueraigne show, to euery eye reueale
A heauenly life, a wealefull state, a happie common weale.Let vertue then the Triumph win, and gouerne all your deedes,
Your yeelding to her sober heastes, immortall glory breedes:
Shee shall vpreare your worthy name, shew then vnto the skies,
Her beames shall shine in graue obscure, where shrined carkesse lies.Finis. M. Edwardes.
[33.] Of perfect wisedome.
WHo so will be accompted wise, and truely claime the same,
By ioyning vertue to his deedes, he must atchieue the same;
But fewe there be, that seeke thereby true wisedome to attaine,
O God, so rule our hearts therefore, such fondnesse to refraine.The wisedome which we most esteeme, in this thing doth consist,
With glorious talke to shew in wordes our wisedome, when we list.
Yet not in talke, but seemely deedes, our wisedome we should place,
To speake so faire, and doe but ill, doth wisedome quite disgrace.To bargaine well, and shunne the losse, a wisedome counted is,
And thereby through the greedie coyne, no hope of grace to mis.
To seeke by honours to aduaunce his name to brittle praise,
Is wisedome, which we daily see, increaseth in our dayes.But heauenly wisedome sower seemes to hard for them to win,
And weary of the sute they seeme, when they doe once begin:
It teacheth vs to frame our life, while vitall breth we haue,
When it dissolueth earthly masse, the soule from death to saue.By feare of God to rule our steppes, from sliding into vice,
A wisedome is, which we neglect, although of greater price:
A poynt of wisedome also this, we commonly esteeme,
That euery man should be in deede, that he desires to seeme.To bridle that desire of gaine, which forceth vs to ill,
Our hawtie stomackes Lord represse, to tame presuming will:
This is the wisedome that we should, aboue eache thing desire,
O heauenly God from sacred throne, that grace in vs inspire.And print in our repugnant hearts, the rules of wisedomes true,
That all our deedes in worldly life, may life therof insue:
Thou onely art eh liuing spring, from whome this wisedome flowes,
O washe therewith our sinfull heartes, from vice that therin growes.Finis. M. Edwardes.
[34.] A frendly admonition.
YE stately wightes, that liue in quiet rest
Through worldly wealth, which God hath giuen to you.
Lament with teares and sighes from dolefull brest:
The shame and power that vice obtaineth now.
Behold how God doth daily profer grace,
Yet we disdaine, repentance to enbrace.The suddes of sinne doe sucke into the mind,
And cancred vice doth vertue quite expell,
No chaunge to good alasse can resting finde:
Our wicked hearts so stoutly doe rebell.
Not one there is that hasteth to amend,
Though God from heauen his daily threates doe send.We are so slow to chaunge our blameful life,
We are so prest to snatched aluring vice:
Such greedie hartes on euery side be rife.
So few that guide their will by counsell wise,
To let our teares lament the wretched case,
And call to god for vndeserued grace.You worldly wights, that haue your fancies fixt
On slipper ioy of terreine pleasure here:
Let some remorse in all your deedes be mixt.
Whiles you haue time let some redresse appere.
Of sodaine Death the houre you shall not know,
And looke for Death although it seemeth slow.Oh be no iudge in other mens offence,
But purge they selfe and seeke to make thee free,
Let euery one applie his diligence,
A chaunge to good with in him selfe to see:
O God direct our feete in such a stay,
From cancred vice to shame the hatefull way.Finis. R. Hill.
[35.] Sundrie men, sundrie affectes.
IN euery wight some sondrie sort of pleasure I doe finde,
Which after he doth seeke to ease his toyling minde.
Diana with her training chase, of hunting had delight,
Against the fearefull Deare, shee could direct her shotte aright,
The loftie yeares in euery age, doth still imbrace the same,
The sport is good, if vertue doe assist the chearefull game.Miverua in her chattering armes her courage doth aduaunce,
In triall of the bloudie warres, shee giueth luckie chaunce.
For sauegard men imbrace the same, which doe so needefull seeme,
That noble heartes their cheefe delights in vse therof esteeme.
In warlike games to ride or trie the force of armes they vse,
And base the man we doe accompt, that doth the same refuse.The siluer sound of musickes cordes, doth please Apollos wit,
A science which the heauens aduaunce, where it deserues to sit.
A pleasure apt for euery wight, releefe to carefull minde,
For woe redresse, for care a salue, for sadnesse helpe we finde.
The soueraigne praise of Musicke still, doth cause the Poetes faine,
That whirling Spheres, and eke the heauens, do hermonie retaine.I heard that these three powers, at variaunce lately fell,
Whiles eache did praise his owne delight, the other to excell.
Then Fame, as one indifferent iudge, to ende the case they call,
The praise rponounced by her to them, indifferently doth fall.
Diana health and strength maintaine, Minerua force doth tame,
And Musicke geues sweete delight, to fruther other game.These three delightes to hawtie mindes, the worthiest are estemed,
If vertue be anexed to them, they rightly be so demed.
With ioy they doe releeue the witte with sorrow oft opprest,
And neuer suffer solempne greefe too long in minde to rest.
Be wise in mirth, and seeke delight, the same doe not abuse,
In honest mirth, a happie ioy we ought not to refuse.Finis. R. Hill.
[36.] Time giues experience.
WE reade what paines the powers deuine,
Through wrath conceiued by some offence,
To mortall creatures they assigne
Their due desartes for recompence.
What endlesse paine they must endure,
Which their offences did procure.A Gripe doth Titius Liuer teare
His greedie hungrie gorge to fill,
And Sisiphus must euer beare
The rowling stone against the hill.
A number moe in hell be found,
Which thus to endlesse paine are bound.Yet all the woe that they sustaine,
Is nothing to the paine of me,
Which cometh through the proude disdaine
Of one, that doth to loue repine:
Therefore I crie woe worth the houre,
Since first I fell in Venus power.The gnawing gripes of irksome thought,
Consumes my heart with Titius griefe:
I also haue full vainly wrought,
With Sisiphus without reliefe.
Euen when I hope to ende my paine,
I must renue my sute againe.Yet will I not seeme so vntrue,
To leaue a thing so late begone:
A better happe may yet insue,
The strongest towres in time be wonne.
In time therefore, my trust I place,
Who must procure desired grace.Finis. R. H.
[37.] Of sufferance cometh ease.
TO seeme for to reuenge eache wrong in hastie wise,
By proofe we see of guiltlesse men, it hath not bene the guise.
In slaunders lothsome brute, where they condemned bee,
With ragelesse moode they suffer wrong, where truth shal trie then free.
These are the patient panges, that passe within the brest
Of those, that feele their cause by mine, where wrong hath right opprest.
I know how by suspect, I haue bene iudged awrie,
And graunted giltie in the thing, that cleerely I denie:
My faith may me defend, if I might loued be,
God iudge me so, as from the guilt I know me to be free.
I wrote but for my selfe, the griefe was all mine owne,
As, who would proue extremitie, by proofe it might be knowne.
Yet are there suche, that say, they can my meaning deeme,
Without respect of this olde trothe, things proue not as they seeme.
Whereby it may befall, in iudgement to be quicke,
To make them selues suspect therewith, that needed not to kicke.
Yet in resting wrong, I would not haue it thought
I do amisse, as though I knew by whome it might be wrought.
If any suche there be, that heerewithall be vext,
It were their vertue to beware, and deeme me better next.Finis. E. S.
[38.] Being trapped in Loue he complayneth
THe hidden woes that swelleth in my hart,
Brings forth suche sighes, as filles the aire with smoke:
The golden beames, thorow this his fierie dart,
Dare not abide, the answere of the stroke.
Which stroke, although it dazed me some dele,
Yet nature taught my hand to worke his kinde,
Wherewith I raught to pull away the stele,
But to my paine, it left my head behinde,
That fastned hath my heart so neare the pith,
Except suche salue, as when the Scorpian stinges,
I might receiue to heale my wounde therewith:
In vaine for ease, my tongue alwayes it ringes.
And I for paines, shall pearish through her guilt,
That can reioyce, to see how I am spilt.Finis. E. S.
[39.] Though Fortune haue sette thee in hie,
Remember yet that thou shalt die.TO die, Dame nature did man frame,
Death is a thing most perfect sure:
We ought not natures workes to blame,
Shee made nothing, still to endure.
That lawe shee made, when we were borne,
That hence we should retourne againe:
To render right, we must not scorne,
Death is due debt, it is no paine.The ciuill lawe, doth bidde restore
That thou hast taken vp of trust:
Thy life is lent, thou must therfore
Repay, except thou be vniust.
This life is like a poynted race,
To the ende wheof when man hath trode,
He must returne to former place,
He may not still remaine abrode.Death hath in all the earth aright,
His power is great, it stretcheth farre:
No Lord, no Prince, can scape his might,
No creature can his duetie barre.
The wise, the iust, the strong, the hie,
The chast, the meeke, the free of hart,
The rich, the poore, who can denie,
Haue yeelded all vnto his dart.Could Hercules that tamde eache wight?
Or else Vlisses with his witte?
Or Ianus who had all foresight?
Or chast Hypolit scape the pitte?
Could Cresus with his bagges of golde?
Or Irus with his hungrie paine?
Or Signus through his hardinesse bolde?
Driue backe the dayes of Death againe.Seeing no man then can Death escape,
Nor hire him hence for any gaine:
We ought not feare his carraine shape,
He onely brings euell men to paine.
If thou haue ledde thy life aright,
Death is the ende of miserie:
If thou in God hast thy delight,
Thou diest to liue eternallie.Eache wight therefore while he liues heere,
Let him thinke on his dying day:
In midst of wealth, in midst of cheere,
Let him accompt he must away.
This thought, makes man to God a frend,
This thought doth banish pride and sinne:
This thought doth bring a man in thend,
Where he of Death the field shall win.[Anon.]
