SWORD and Buckler, OR, SERVING-MANS DEFENCE.
By WILLIAM BAS.
—Agimus
(que) haec praelia verbis.
AT LONDON Imprinted for M. L. and are to be sold at his shop in S. Dunstons Churchyard. 1602.
TO THE HONEST AND FAITHFVL BROTHERhood of True-hearts, all the old and young Seruing-men of England, health and happines.
I That in seruice yet haue neuer knowne
More then might well content my humbled hart:
(I thanke the God of heauens mightie Throne,
My masters fauour, and mine owne desart)
Yet am for you the Champion of good will,
Because I feelingly conceiue your ill.
To taxe their minds to whom we doe belong,
I neither purpose nor desiet much:
The publike multitude that do's vs wrong,
And none but them my vaine must chiefly touch,
In whose rude thoughts my youth is grieu'd to see,
That Seruing-men so slightly reckon'd bee.
Long stood we mute, and heard our selues defam'd
In euery moodie iest, and idle braul:
But now our prize is seriously proclaim'd,
And I become the chalenger for all:
My stage is peace, my combat is a word,
My Muse my buckler, and my pen my sword.
Who treads my stage is chaleng'd, yet not tride:
Who tries my combat fights, yet feeles no weapon:
Who sees my buckler's dar'd, but not defide:
Who touch my sword is hit, but neuer beaten:
For peace tries no man, words can make no fight,
Muses doe but inuent, and pens but write.
Now if my actions prosper, you shall see
Your titles grac'd with greater estimation:
Or at the least we shall no longer bee
Depriued of deserued reputation.
But if my first attempts haue no preuailing,
I will supplie them still in neuer failing
To be your faithfull brother,
Will. Bas.
TO THE READER.
REade if you will: And if you will not chuse,
My booke (Sir) shall be read though you refuse:
But if you doe, I pray commend my wit:
For by my faith 't is first that ere I writ.
Who reades and not commends, it is a rule
To hold him very wise, or very foole.
But whosoere commends, and doth not reede,
What ere the other is, he's a foole indeede:
But who doth neither reade nor yet commend,
God speed him well, his labour's at an end.
But reade, or praise, or not, or how it pas,
I rest your honest, carelesse friend,
Will. Bas.
SWORD AND BVCKLER, OR, SERVING-MANS DEFENCE.
1
A Man that's neither borne to wealth nor place,
But to the meere despite of Fortunes brow,
Though peraduenture well endew'd with grace,
Of stature, forme, and other giftes enow,
Submits himselfe vnto a seruile yoke,
And is content to weare a liuery cloke.
2
Whether it be by hard constraint of need,
Or loue to be made perfect in good fashion,
Or by the meanes of some vnlawfull deed,
That might depriue an ancient reputation:
Who-euer to this course himselfe doth giue,
Is call'd a
Seruing-man. And thus doth liue.
3
Continually at hand, to see, to heare
His Lords, his Masters, Ladies, Mistris will,
T'attempt with dutie, readines and feare,
What they commaund, his seruice to fulfill:
And yet not as he would, but as he shall,
To grudge at nothing, to accept of all.
4
To act with truth and seruiceable skill,
The tasks or offices imposde on him,
To be obseruant and industrious still,
Well manner'd, and disposde to goe as trim,
As wages, gifts, or proper state affords,
Actiue in deedes, and curteous in words.
5
Hauing a head well wonted to abide
To goe without his shelter, cold and bare,
Hauing a heart well hammerd, strongly tride
On Chances Anuiles, fornaces of care,
A good capacitie to vnderstand,
A legging foote, a well-embracing hand.
6
This man of all things must abandon pride,
Chieflie in gestures, and in acts exteriour:
For greater states can by no meanes abide
Ambition in a person so inferiour:
Yet in his priuate thoughts no whit dismist
To prize his reputation as he list.
7
Though if he be himselfe of gentle blood,
Or of his nature loftily disposde:
Yet neuer let him brag himselfe so good,
But rather hold such matters vndisclosde,
And keepe his state and cariage in one fashion,
Gracing himselfe with inward estimation.
8
For if we doe insult in tearmes or show
Aboue our callings, then we seeme to swarue:
But if we humble our affections low,
We must needs gaine the loue of them we sarue:
Which to our merits if they list not pay,
Then we are men of more respect then they.
9
But in these Times (alas poore Seruing-men)
How cheape a credit are we growne into?
With what enforcing taxes now and then
This enuious world doth our estates pursue?
How poore alas we are ordain'd to be,
How ill regarded in our pouertie?
10
What dutie, what obedience daily now
Our hard commanders looke for at our hands?
And yet how deadly cold their bounties grow,
And how vnconstant all their fauours stands,
How much we hazard, for how little gaine,
How fraile our state, how meane our entertaine?
11
How subiect are we to the checking front,
For euery small and trifled ouersight?
Compeld to shift, predestinate to want,
Surfet with wrong, yet dare demaund no right:
Organs of profit, vpon imputation,
Outcasts of losse, on euery small occasion.
12
Our Lords they charge, our Ladies they command,
And who but vs? And for a thing not done,
Our Lords and Ladies anger out of hand,
Must turne vs walking in the Summers Sunne,
While those things that are done must alwaies lye,
As obiects to a nice exceptious eye.
13
In common-wealth or bus
[...]nesses of state,
If Lord or Master exercisde hath bin,
Who but his seruant thereupon must waite,
What accidents soeuer fall therein,
And be industrious in all meanes he can:
For why he weares his badge, and is his man.
14
And in contempt of any aduersarie,
Or mortall triall of the life or land;
How oftentimes the master might miscarie,
Vnlesse he be attended and well mand
With seruing resolutes, that at a word
Will rather lose their liues, than leaue their Lord.
15
But what should I care to recount or no
Partiquerly euery thing we doe?
Ye Lords and Masters cannot chuse but know,
That whatsoeuer thing belongs to you,
That danger, trouble, paines, attention asks,
We are your seruants, and it is our tasks.
16
Your slight regard and recompence of this,
So duplifies the bondage of our state,
That oftentimes solicited amis
By extreame want: and ouerrul'd by fate,
Thereby it comes to passe that now and then
Many mischances hap to Seruing-men.
17
The countrie then that with her purblind eyes
Beholds these things in lothsome ignorance,
Catch at report, and piece it out with lyes,
Rash censures, and defaming circumstance,
Affirming what they would haue oft denide,
If in such case they might be roughly tride.
18
But see how hatefull is but lately growne
This fatall title of a Seruing-man,
That euery dunghill clowne and euery Drone,
Nor wise in nature nor condition,
Spares not to vilefie our name and place,
In Dunsicall reproch, and blockish phrase.
19
A morkin-gnoffe that in his Chimney nooke
Sits carping how t'aduance his shapelesse brood,
And in their seuerall properties doth looke,
To see whats best to bring them all to good:
One points he out a Smith, and one a Baker,
A third a Piper, fourth a Coller-maker.
20
If one more natiue gentle then the rest,
To be a Seruing-man doth now demaund,
Vp starts his sire as bedlim or possest,
And asks his sonne and if he will be hangd,
Shalt be a hangman villaine first (quoth he)
Amen (say I) so he be none for me,
21
The pearking Citizen, and minsing Dame
Of any paltrie beggerd Market towne,
Through rotten teeth will giggle out the same,
Though not in so harsh manner as the clowne:
I haue but two sonnes, but if I had ten,
The worst of them should be no Seruing-men.
22
Thus is our seruile innocence exposde,
To the reprochfull censures of all sorts,
To whom our liues were iustly ne▪r disclode,
But by vncertaine larums, false reports,
Whereof, men apt to iudge (be't truth or no)
Doe rashly speake, before they rightly know.
23
Who let's vs now to finde our owne defence,
Against all such encounters offer'd thus?
Who is so void of loue, or bare of sence,
To thinke it any misdemeasne in vs,
If we to right our selues doe fall againe
Into our ancient Sword and Buckler vaine.
24
Yet will we not an Insurrection make
Against our owne superiour Lords and Masters,
With whose kinde loue we may more order take
By dutie, then by trying out with wasters,
Though in this case who need to feare our might,
For we meane nothing but a speaking fight.
25
But you the nice-tongu'd huswifes of our time,
That seldome cease to execrate our calling,
We doe esteeme it now an odious crime,
With your licentious mouthes to stand a brauling:
Our Sword and Buckler's out, our stomack's come,
We will not hurt you much, but hit you home.
26
Yet doe we not replie to only you,
Or those that you instruct, but euery man
That giues vs more discurtesie then due:
The Merchant, or the Machiuilian,
The Yeoman, Tradesman, Clowne or any one,
What ere he be we turne our backs to none.
27
You Gentles all that through your worthines,
Your birth, your place, your wealth or other cause,
Deserue to entertaine and to possesse
These Seruing-men the subiects of your lawes,
Be moued not with wrath and spleenish freakes,
When in their right your poore inferiour speakes.
28
When you command, remember't is but speech
To bid a thing be acted to your minde,
Th'obedient man that shall performe the which,
In doing it, shall greater labour finde:
Yet where a seruants diligence may please,
He may doe all his acts with greater ease.
29
You giue him food and wages: That's most true,
And other matters to sustaine his liuing:
Why, els he is not bound to follow you:
Ill seruice that is worth no more then giuing.
Who Rent's your lands is sure to pay to you,
And if y'haue seruants, you must pay them too.
30
Alas, if must your great affaires be done,
Know that faire means encrease your seruants vigour:
Hearts by vnpleasing checks are neuer won,
And willingnes is not enlarg'd by rigour,
When good respect may cherish seruile harts,
And helpe t'augment the number of desarts.
31
If with reuiling, and disdainfull scorne
You vrge vs with the basenes of our kinde,
Pray who was
Adams man when
Cain was borne?
Or in what scripture doe we reade or finde,
That euer God created
Adams two,
Or we proceeded of worse stocke then you?
32
For though that like a brood of starres diuine
You thus maintaine your glorie without date,
And we more like a heard of
Circes swine,
Are chang'd into a baser forme of state,
Antiquitie yet saies, that you you and wee,
Like Ants of
AEacus came all of a tree.
33
But mightie God, the more to glorifie
His pow'rfull hand, by manifold creation
Hath since aduisde himselfe to multiplie
The kindred of our mortall generation,
That this great sixe daies labour of his hand
Might not vnstor'd, or long vnpeopl'd stand.
34
And we like wretches, carelesly oreseene
Neglecting all continuance of our good,
Of our owne birth haue immemorius beene,
And quite forgot the Nephewes of our blood,
And of neere kin are growne meere strāgers rather,
Almost forgetting we had all one father.
35
The Times then fild with Auarice and strife,
Th'vnequalnes of states did happen thus:
Fell out to some a large delightfull life,
To othersome the like as fals to vs.
Thereafter as in worldly scraping thrift,
Each craftie mortall for himselfe could shift.
36
Those that in scorne of discentious striuing,
Or b'ing too weake, could not themselues enrich,
Submitted were by force (in seruile liuing)
To them that by their pow'r had gain'd so much.
Thus scambl'd al the world: some gain'd, some lost,
And who got least seru'd him that gained most.
37
Yeelding themselues by a deuout submission,
To those that were ordain'd to high degree,
Well seas'ning with an humble disposition
Their little pow'r, and small abilitie,
To doe all reu'rent seruice. Thus began
Th'estate and title of a Seruing-man.
38
And since that time the kindreds b'ing all one,
Are now encreas'd into two kindreds more:
The great are Nephewes to the great alone,
And all the poore are Cosins to the poore.
The Seruing-men stand in a state betweene,
As brothers all, but very little kin.
39
Thus it appeares that mongst the meaner sort,
Those that come neerest to the gentle kinde,
Either in labour to get good report,
Or els in nature, curtesie or minde,
Digressing from the rudenes of their blood,
Become partakers in this brotherhood.
40
And sure me thinks, although vnequall lot
Hath ill distributed all worldly goods,
That all alliance single is forgot,
And we dispers'd into so many bloods,
Yet that we were all one, and shall agen,
Appeares in the good minds of Seruing-men.
41
For though the great by learning and by might
Gaine all the honour as they doe the lands,
And though the poorer sort lose all their right
Of noblenes, for want of pow'rfull hands:
Yet while the band of Seruing-men encrease,
The gentrie of the poore shall neuer cease.
42
O then be pleas'd to cast away disdaine,
Exile iniustice, and detest all ire:
Let faire respect in your conditions raigne,
And bountie curbe all orderlesse desire,
That as you profit by your seruants labour,
So he may be encourag'd by your fauour.
43
We grudge you not vpon a iust occasion,
To vse your rigour in discretion on vs,
When proofe or triall or examination
Shall truly burthen some misdeed vpon vs:
Herein we rest the patients of your lawes,
So that your med'cines not exceed the cause.
44
Yet if sometimes we doe transgresse in acts.
Either concerning you or other things,
This is no proofe that we are paltrie Iacks,
As the rude wind-pipe of the countrie fings.
All flesh will faile: and grace will helpe to mend,
And often they finde fault that most offend.
45
Thus speake I to the barbrous multitude,
That euery rotten hamlet's fild withall:
Or to the viprous foes of seruitude,
The prescise flirts of eu'ry trades-mans stall,
Whose busie tongues and lothing maw defiles
Our honest sort with vomited reuiles.
46
O see (saies one) how fine yon yonker goes,
As bad for pride as Lucifer, or worse,
I a right Seruing-creature weares gay clothes,
But little Chinke (I warrant you) in's purse.
This is a thing I will not much denie,
But sometimes the iudicious Cox-combs lie.
47
If he goe handsome, then you say he's proud,
I hope ther's no necessitie in that;
Besides if t'were a matter to be vow'd,
Or answerd by long proofe (as sure 'tis not)
I only could compell you to confes
Your iudgments false by many instances.
48
And if his vestiments be fine and gay,
Belike that argu's that he ha's no pence,
But seeing him now so braue: what will you say?
If he goe brauer farre a twel'month hence;
Then you wil eate your vomit vp againe,
And say 'tis Crownes that doe him thus maintaine.
49
But what should make the gallant lasses say
That eu'ry Seruing-man doth loue a whore,
But that sometimes when the good man's away
She ha's some proofe, which makes her say the more▪
This was a rule with some in auncient time,
And now imposed as a gen'rall crime.
50
For too much tippling we are chaleng'd too,
Which as I'le absolutely not confes,
So I could wish (to please both God and you)
We had the grace and power to vse it les;
Yet (which is no excuse) I dare to say,
We are not all that doe offend that way.
51
In this foule vice you all sometimes transgresse,
Clarke, lay-man, yeoman, trades-man, clowne, and all:
And many gentlemen loue Dronkennesse,
And vse it to their great disgrace aud fall;
And therefore 'tis absurditie to thinke
That none but we doe vse immoderat drinke.
52
I graunt it is a vice that at this day,
Disgraceth much the rare sufficiencie
Of many a Seruing-man inclin'd that way,
Through great abundance of his curtesie:
For to no other end that I can see
Is this excesse of drinking said to be.
53
Though some for meere loue of the very pot,
In this excesse are very vicious growne;
And whether such be Seruing-men, or not,
I wish them finde excuses of their owne:
For what so ere he be that's so possest,
I doe his actions and himselfe detest.
54
But as I said, it is not we alone
From whom proceed such store of swilling mates;
A cunning spie would now and then finde one,
And twentie dronkards amongst other states:
Then hit not one peculiarly i'th' teeth,
With that that all men are infected with.
55
Besides, you charge vs much with idlenes,
And chiefly those that haue superiour roomes
In seruice: But to meaner offices,
As Bailiffes, Caters, Vndercooks and Groomes,
You doe impute more labour and lesse sloth,
Here err's againe your iudgement in the troth.
56
No Seruing-man that euer waited well
In's Masters chamber, or in other place,
But will be sworne with me his toyles excell
The daily labours of th'inferiour race:
But that the name, authoritie, and gaines
Of place or office easeth well the paines.
57
A Gentleman in Countrie rides or walks
From place to place, as his occasions bind him,
One of his men carries a cast of Hawks,
The other ha's a clokebag tide behind him:
The Faulkners work passeth the others double,
But that the credit do's abate the trouble.
58
Thus vnderstand our labour is all great,
Eu'n as our charge and offices be many:
If through condition, leasure, or respect,
There seeme a single libertie in any,
Iudge him not idle, lest your thoughts be lost,
For some seeme slothfull when they labour most.
59
Like as a man that round about his head,
In a strong garter, or a twisted lace,
Windeth a plummet or a ball of lead;
Sometimes it goes but slow, sometimes apace,
When it goes fastest, 'tis not seene a whit,
But then takes he most paines in winding it.
60
Sometimes our changed fashions trouble you,
Things that amongst our selues are nothing strange:
And it may be a thing your selues would doe,
If you were not too miserly to change,
Or els too bank'rupt: but we seldome finde
That vesture alters any whit the minde.
61
And with a hundred rude comparisons,
Iniurious censures, and defaming mocks,
You needlesly vbbray our haire: for once
Receiue this slight defendant of our locks,
A man may catch a cold with going bare,
And he that weares not hat, allow him haire.
62
For curteous speech and congeyes of delight,
Which your grosse ioynts were neuer taught to doe,
If oftentimes we vse them in your sight,
We shall be censur'd and be laught at too:
But when you come where others haue to doe,
Our betters will beseeme to laugh at you.
63
This speake I not vnto the countrie clownes,
For their simplicitie will seldome do't:
But to the mongrill gentles of good townes,
That mock the motions of anothers foot,
And yet make halting bowes to them they meete,
And drop ill fauour'd curt'sies in the streete.
64
If I should touch particularly all,
Wherein the moodie spleene of captious Time
Doth taxe our functions: I should then enthrall
My moued spirit in perpetuall rime,
A gentle vaine that euery careles sight
Peruseth much: but nothing mended by't.
65
I will not all my daies in combat spend,
So much I honour Charitie and peace:
And what is past, I did it to defend,
Yet am the first that do's the quarrell cease,
Eu'n as I was the latest that began,
And yet I am a Sword and Buckler man.
66
Poore Seruing-man ordain'd to leade his daies,
Not as himselfe, but as another list,
Whose hoped wealth depends vpon delaies,
Whose priuiledges vpon doubts consist,
Whose pleasures still ore-cast with sorrowes spight,
As swarfie vapours doe a twinkling night.
67
Whose sleepes are like a warrants force cut short,
By vertue of a new Commissions might:
Or like the blisse of some affected sport,
Vntimely ended by approch of night:
And like a tertian feuer is his ioy,
That ha's an ill fit eu'ry second day.
68
His libertie is in an howers while,
Both done and vndone like
Penelop's web;
His fortunes like an Aethiopian Nile,
That ha's a months flow for a twel-months ebbe.
His zealous actions like
AEneas pietie,
Cras'd by the hate of euery enuious Deitie.
69
His labours like a
Sysiphus his wait,
Continually beginning where they stay;
His Recompence like
Tantalus his bait,
That do's but kis his mouth and vade away;
His gaines like winters hoarie hailestones felt
Betweene the hands doe in the handling melt.
70
Now to be short: All that I wish is this,
That all you great, to whom these men repaire,
Respect your seruant, as your seruant is
The instrument of euery great affaire,
The necessarie vicar of your good,
The next in manners to your gentle blood.
71
That you with loue their duties would regard,
With gentlenes allow them all their rights;
Respect their paines with bountie and reward;
Consider mildly of their ouersights:
For where the master's milde, the seruant's merrie:
But where the master's wilde, the seruant's wearie.
72
Vnto the world I wish more skill in iudging,
More temp'rance in deriding and declaring,
More charitable honestie in grudging,
And more contented humour of forbearing,
Of any thing she nicely can espie
In Seruing-men with her vnlearned eye.
73
I that haue serued but a little while,
And that for want of more encrease in age,
Scarse hauing yet attain'd an elder stile,
Liue in the place and manner of a Page:
Yet in meere hope and loue of what I shall,
I haue begun this combat for them all.
74
Excepting yet two sorts of men that serue,
In whose behalfe I neither fight nor write:
1. Those that through basenes of condition swarue
Into all odious luxure and delight.
2. Those that in place of Seruing-men doe stand,
Yet scorne the title of a Seruing-man.
57
For the good fellowes and true-hearts am I,
The rest I lothe, as they our name doe scorne,
And I will stoutly stand to't till I dye,
Or till my Buckler rot, and Sword be worne:
For good condition, manhood, wit, and Art,
The Seruing-man to no estate comes short.
FINIS.