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Epodium. 1 Now gentle friend, if thou be kinde, Disdaine thou not, although the lot Will now with me no better be, than doth appere: Nor let it grieue, that thus I liue, But rather gesse, for quietnesse, As others do, so do I to, content me here. 2 By leaue and loue, of God aboue, I minde to shew, in verses few, How through the breers, my youthfull yeeres, haue runne their race: And further say, why thus I stay, And minde to liue, as Bee in hiue, Full bent to spend my life to an end, in this same place.[2] Borne at Riuenhall in Essex. 3 It came to pas, that borne I was Of linage good, of gentle blood, In Essex laier, in village faier, that Riuenhall hight: Which village lide by Banketree side, There spend did I mine infancie, There then my name, in honest fame, remaind in sight. Set to song schoole. 4 I yet but yong, no speech of tong, Nor teares withall, that often fall From mothers eies, when childe out cries, to part hir fro: Could pitie make, good father take, But out I must, to song be thrust, Say what I would, do what I could, his minde was so. Queristers miserie. Wallingford Colledge. 5 O painfull time, for euerie crime, What toesed eares,[E491] like baited beares! What bobbed lips, what ierks, what nips! what hellish toies! What robes,[E492] how bare! what colledge fare! What bread, how stale! what pennie Ale![E493] Then Wallingford, how wart thou abhord of sillie boies! Singing mens commissions. 6 Thence for my voice, I must (no choice) Away of forse, like posting horse, For sundrie men, had plagards then,[E494] such childe to take: The better brest,[3][E495] the lesser rest, To serue the Queere, now there now heere For time so spent, I may repent, and sorrow make. Iohn Redford an excellent Musician [organist of St. Paul's. M.]. 7 But marke the chance, my self to vance, By friendships lot, to Paules I got, So found I grace, a certaine space, still to remaine: With Redford there, the like no where, For cunning such, and vertue much, By whom some part of Musicke art, so did I gaine. Nicholas Vdall[E496] schoolmaster at Eton. 8 From Paules I went, to Eaton sent, To learn streight waies, the latin phraies, Where fiftie three stripes giuen to mee, at once I had: For fault but small, or none at all, It came to pas, thus beat I was, See Udall see, the mercie of thee, to me poore lad. Trinitie hall in Cambridge. 9 From London hence, to Cambridge thence, With thanks to thee, O Trinitee, That to thy hall, so passing all,[4] I got at last: There ioy I felt, there trim I dwelt, There heauen from hell, I shifted well, With learned men, a number then, the time I past. Quartan ague. Lord Paget good to his seruants. 10 Long sicknes had, then was I glad To leaue my booke, to proue and looke, In Court what gaine, by taking paine, mought well be found: Lord Paget than, that noble man, Whose soule I trust is with the iust, That same was hee enriched mee, with many a pound. The hope we haue of the dead. 11 When[5] this betide, good parents dide, One after one, till both were gone, Whose petigree, who list may see, in Harolds Booke:[E497] Whose soules in blis be long ere this, For hope we must, as God is iust, So here that craue shall mercie haue, that mercie looke. The vices of the Court. 12 By Court I spide, and ten yeres tride That Cards and Dice, with Venus vice, And peeuish pride, from vertue wide, with some so wraught: That Tiburne play[E498] made them away, Or beggers state as euill to hate, By such like euils, I saw such dreuils, to come to naught. The Court commended. 13 Yet is it not to be forgot, In Court that some to worship come, And some in time to honour clime, and speede full well: Some haue such gift, that trim they shift, Some profite make, by paines they take, In perill much, though oft are such, in Court that dwell. The nobilitie at variance in Edward the 6 daies. Katewade. 14 When court gan frowne and strife in towne, And lords and knights, saw heauie sights, Then tooke I wife, and led my life in Suffolke soile. There was I faine my selfe to traine, To learne too long the fermers song, For hope of pelfe, like worldly elfe, to moile and toile. At Katewade in Suffolke this booke first deuised. 15 As in this booke, who list to looke, Of husbandrie, and huswiferie, There may he finde more of my minde, concerning this: To carke[6] and care, and euer bare, With losse and paine, to little gaine, All this to haue, to cram sir knaue, what life it is. Ipswich commended. 16 When wife could not, through sicknes got, More toile abide, so nigh Sea side, Then thought I best, from toile to rest, and Ipswich trie: A towne of price,[E499] like paradice, For quiet then, and honest men, There was I glad, much friendship had, a time to lie. The deth of his first wife. 17 There left good wife this present life, And there left I, house charges lie, For glad was he, mought send for me, good lucke so stood: In Suffolke there, were euerie where, Euen of the best, besides the rest, That neuer did their friendship hid, to doo me good. Newe maried in Norfolk. 18 O Suffolke thow, content thee now, That hadst the praies in those same daies, For Squiers and Knights, that well delights good house to keepe: For Norfolke wiles, so full of giles,[E500] Haue caught my toe, by wiuing so, That out to thee, I see for mee, no waie to creepe. Mistres Amie Moone. 19 For lo, through gile, what haps the while, Through Venus toies, in hope of ioies, I chanced soone to find a Moone,[7] of cheerfull hew: Which well a fine me thought did shine, Did neuer change, a thing most strange, Yet kept in sight, hir course aright, and compas trew. The charges following a yoong wife. 20 Behold of truth, with wife in youth, For ioie at large, what daily charge, Through childrens hap, what opened gap, to more begun. The childe at nurse, to rob the purse, The same to wed, to trouble hed. For pleasure rare, such endlesse care, hath husband wun. West Diram Abbie. Land-lordes at variance. 21 Then did I dwell in Diram sell,[E501] A place for wood, that trimlie stood, With flesh and fish, as heart would wish: but when I spide That Lord with Lord could not accord, But now pound he, and now pound we, Then left I all, bicause such brall, I list not bide. Sir Richard Soothwell. 22 O Soothwell, what meanst thou by that, Thou worthie wight, thou famous knight, So me to craue, and to thy graue, go by and by? O death thou fo, why didst thou so Ungently treat that Iewell great, Which opte his doore to rich and poore, so bounteously? His vij executors. 23 There thus bestad, when leaue I had, By death of him, to sinke or swim, And rauens I saw togither draw, in such a sort: Then waies I saught, by wisdome taught, To beare low saile, least stock should quaile, Till ship mought finde, with prosperous winde, some safer port. Norwich Citie. Norwich qualities. 24 At length by vew, to shore I drew, Discharging straight both ship and fraight, At Norwich fine, for me and mine, a citie trim: Where strangers wel may seeme to dwel, That pitch and pay, or keepe their day, But who that want, shall find it scant so good for him. Maister Salisburie deane of Norwich. 25 But Salisburie how were kept my vow, If praise from thee were kept by mee, Thou gentle deane, mine onely meane, there then to liue? Though churles such some to craue can come, And pray once got, regard thee not, Yet liue or die, so will not I, example giue. In 138 houres I neuer made drop of water. 26 When learned men could there nor then, Deuise to swage the stormie rage, Nor yet the furie of my dissurie, that long I had: From Norwich aire, in great despaire, Away to flie, or else to die, To seeke more helth, to seeke more welth, then was I glad. Faiersted parsonage in Essex. 27 From thence so sent, away I went, With sicknes worne, as one forlorne, To house my hed, at Faiersted,[E502] where whiles I dwelt: The tithing life, the tithing strife, Through tithing ill, of Jacke and Gill, The dailie paies, the mierie waies, too long I felt. Lease for parsons life. 28 When charges grew, still new and new, And that I spide, if parson dide, (All hope in vaine) to hope for gaine, I might go daunce: Once rid my hand of parsonage land, Thence by and by, away went I, To London streight, to hope and waight, for better chaunce. London commended. 29 Well London well, that bearst the bell Of praise about, England throughout, And dost in deede, to such as neede, much kindnes shew: Who that with thee can hardly agree, Nor can well prais thy friendly wais, Shall friendship find, to please his mind, in places few. Vnthrifts order. 30 As for such mates, as vertue hates, Or he or thay, that go so gay, That needes he must take all of trust, for him and his: Though such for we by Lothburie go, For being spide about Cheapeside, Least Mercers bookes for monie lookes, small matter it is. The plague at London [1574, 1575].[E503] Trinitie College in Cambridge. 31 When gaines was gon, and yeres grew on, And death did crie, from London flie, In Cambridge then, I found agen, a resting plot: In Colledge best of all the rest, With thanks to thee, O Trinitee,[8] Through thee and thine, for me and mine, some stay I got. Youth ill spent makes age repent. 32[E504] Since hap haps so, let toiling go, Let seruing paines yeeld forth hir gaines, Let courtly giftes, with wedding shiftes, helpe now to liue: Let Musicke win, let stocke come in, Let wisedome kerue, let reason serue, For here I craue such end to haue, as God shall giue. A lesson for yonger brothers. 33 Thus friends, by me perceiue may ye, That gentrie standes, not all by landes,[E505] Nor all so feft, or plentie left by parents gift: But now and then, of gentlemen, The yonger sonne is driuen to ronne, And glad to seeke from creeke to creeke, to come by thrift. A true lesson. 34 And more by this, to conster is, In world is set, ynough to get, But where and whan, that scarsely can, the wisest tell: By learning some to riches come, By ship and plough some get ynough, And some so wiue that trim they thriue, and speede full well. Hardnes in youth not the worst. Cocking of youth not the best. 35 To this before, adde one thing more, Youth hardnes taught, with knowledge wraught, Most apt do prooue, to shift and shooue, among the best: Where cocking Dads[E506] make sawsie lads, In youth so rage, to beg in age, Or else to fetch a Tibourne stretch, among the rest. Not pride in youth, but welth in age needfull. 36 Not rampish toie, of girle and boie, Nor garment trim, of hir or him,[E507] In childhoode spent, to fond intent, good end doth frame: If marke we shall, the summe of all, The end it is, that noted is, Which if it bide, with vertue tride, deserueth fame. Man doth labour and God doth blesse. 37 When all is done, lerne this my sonne, Not friend, nor skill, nor wit at will, Nor ship nor clod, but onelie God, doth all in all: Man taketh paine, God giueth gaine, Man doth his best, God doth the rest, Man well intendes, God foizon sendes, else want he shall.[E508] A contented minde is worth all. 38 Some seeke for welth, I seeke my helth, Some seeke to please, I seeke mine ease, Some seeke to saue, I seeke to haue to liue vpright: More than to ride, with pompe and pride, Or for to iet,[9][E509] in others det, Such is my skill, and shall be still, for any wight. 39 Too fond were I, here thus to lie, Unles that welth mought further helth, And profit some should thereby come, to helpe withall: This causeth mee well pleasde to bee, Such drift to make, such life to take, Enforsing minde remorse to finde, as neede neede shall. Happie that liues well, vnhappie dies euill. 40 Friend, al thing waid, that here is said, And being got, that paies the shot, Me thinke of right haue leaue I might, (death drawing neere:) To seeke some waies, my God to praies, And mercy craue, in time to haue, And for the rest, what he thinkes best, to suffer heere.