EPIGRAMS OF That most wittie and worthie Epigrammatist M r. IOHN OWEN, Gentleman. Translated by IOHN VICARS.

Epig. 233. Lib. Singu.

Authours haue Auctours of Good-Name or Shame, As Readers Lookes to Writers Bookes doe frame.

LONDON, Printed by W. S. for Iohn Smethwicke, and are to be sold at his Shop in S. Dunstanes Church-yard vnder the Dyall▪ 1619.

TO THE MOST HIGH, HOPEFVLL and Happy CHARLES, Prince of Wales.
Epig. 7. Lib. Ter. Priorum Sex.

GReat Britaines great Hope, Parents sprouting Vin
Fathers and Mothers Halfe, by Princely Line,
Wel-nigh vn-pattern'd Patterne of rare Parts,
Whō, though Few equall, All Loue in their harts:
These Princely Parts, whence had they this great growth
From Fathers Loines or Mothers Paps? From Both.
Be still, (as th' art) Parents Idea right;
Let none thee equall in such Princely Light:
That being Vertues Prince and Principall,
Heauen may Thee Blesse with Blisse Angelicall,
Most heartily desireth your Graces most humbly Deuoted, IOHN VICARS.

THE TRANSLATOR to the most Worthy and wel­deseruing Author.

TRue Imitation of mens worthy Deedes
From Loue of them (as I suppose) proceedes:
Yet many-times Ambitious Emulation
May in such Actions staine True Imitation.
But vnto me, Loue was the Golden-Spurre,
If otherwise, I might iust shame incurre:
For what I should I could not; what I could
I heere haue done, though farre from what I would.
Thy wit therefore braue Epigramatist,
To prayse condignely, in me can't consist.
Yet that I * may not Enuious bee deem'd,
Not caring though I be a Foole esteem'd.
Some thus I Prayse, and thus their praise doe write,
I'le none Disprayse, most vndone passe my might.
Excuse heerein (kind Sir) what's Mis-committed,
And pardon mee, if ought be Ill-omitted.
Thine in the vnlimi­ted limits of Loue, IO. VICARS.

To the Courteous Readers.

ANtèus-like I long haue fought a fight:
But, find in conflict a Superiour might.
Oft haue I wrastled, but still foild and fell'd
By▪ my Competitor am farre excell'd.
Witnesse my weaknesse in this last assault,
Forc'd heere and there to tyre, retyre and hault.
And marueile not, (kind Readers) though I sweat,
Hauing to doe with this Alcides great.
Whose Policie and Power I haue found such,
As ere to equallize is too-too-much:
But heer's my comfort, though those Champions fought
With Ire most dire to th'Death to fight it out,
Yet our Contention is with sweet desire,
My Authors Loue and Thine how to acquire:
Which if I gaine, as tis my Hope I shall,
I'le not thus flie, but trie another fall.
Thine I. V.

EPIGRAMS. To the Prince.

I, Not for Fashion, but for Fauours sake,
From Thee Prime Prince my Proeme here do take.

Out of the first Booke. Epig. 1. Lib. 1. Sex Librorum.

EPIG. 1. To the Lady NEVIL.

THat this my Book, where't comes, may Patrons find;
To th' Readers It, My-selfe to Thee's assign'd.

EPIG. 2. To the Reader.

REader, do [...]n't Prayse, nor disprayse All I write;
Lest so I blaze thy Want of Wit, or Spight.

EPIG. 3. To IOHN HOSKINS, I. C. of his Booke.

MY Booke's the World, my Verses People bee;
There's few Good-men, Heere, few Good straines you'l see.

EPIG. 4▪ To the Lady MARY NEVEL.

IF that opinion of Pythago [...]as
Be true, that Spirits one t' another passe;
Then, Venus, Iuno's, Pallas, Soules most rare,
By Beauty, State and Learning, in Thee are:
Such Three in One are seldome seene or found,
Many are rare for One; Three haue Thee crown'd.

EPIG. 5. To the same Lady.

AS Phoebus faire, shewes, shines ith' Ayre;
as Light ith' Sunne most bright:
So in thy face, with Princely Grace,
Dwels Vertue with Delight.
For, whosoere but comes Thee neere,
To Looke on Thee, Thee Loues;
Thy Beauty, Bounty, wond'ring at,
So precious hee approues.

EPIG. 13. Loue.

LOues first approch, Delights sweet Sōg doth sing;
But in departure Shee Woes sting doth bring:
So, the sweet streames of Springs to Sea which hie,
Mixt with Salt-waters, taste vnsauerily.

EPIG. 6 To Master THOMAS NEVEL, Sonne to the foresaid Lady.

IN thee, doe shine such Gifts worth admiration;
That, thogh All-T [...]ue, they pas [...]e al true relatiō.
Who Childrē praise, their Hopes not Hap do praise,
Thy Hap, not Hopes, thy wit, thy worth doth blaze.

EPIG. 9. To the Lawyer.

IF He be Blest, that Knowes of things the Cause;
O▪ What is He that Pleades a Cause by Lawes.

EPIG. 11. To Degenerous, Generous AVLVS.

I Gnoble, Noble, Aulus, owes
All, to's Progenitours;
And his Successours, sure, I thinke,
Will neuer bee his Debtours.

EPIG. 12. Against Hernick.

HErnick, thou Boughtst a Foole for 20▪ pound:
To Buy Thee at that rate, I'de not be bound.

EPIG. 14. To D. GILBERT.

DOst say, the Earth stands Not? that's admirable;
Thou wast at Sea, sure, when thou writ'st this Fable.

EPIG. 15. To Phisicians and Lawyers.

OVr Sores and Sicknesse, Galen made thee wise,
And thee Iustinian, our great Fooleries.

EPIG. 19. To LINVS.

TH' ast Bookes good store, but thee more Learn'd I'de-hold,
If th' adst such store of Bags full cram'd with Gold.

EPIG. 20. To a Noble young Gent.

FRiends wish their Friends long Liues to Liue,
But, None their Death desire;
As one should wish a sore Dis-ease,
But Ne're would Cure requi [...]e.

EPIG. 23. Against MARCVS.

WH [...]t meant'st thou Marcus, stifly to maintain,
That Nought in Nature Empty do [...]h remaine?
[Page]Since thou thy selfe hast such a huge great Head,
Of Wit most voyd and wholly Emptyed.

EPIG. 26. To PHYLLIS.

IF Loue be Firy (as Louers say and hold)
Thy fiery Loue is then (alas) most cold.

EPIG. 31. Prophets, Poets.

PRophets, doe truly things to come fore-know;
Poets, things past in Fictions false doe show.

EPIG. 32. Of Life and Death.

AS Riuers pleasant So [...]rce to th' Salt-Sea hastes;
So, day by day Life vnto Death still wastes.
Tis sweet to Liue, but (oh) tis dire to dye,
Thus sweet with bitter ends Mortalitie.

EPIG. 36. Of Life and Loue.

THough euery Action to an End doth bend;
Yet Life and Loue doe hate their proper End.

EPIG. 38. The Housband, and the Cuck-old-Maker.

Housband.
FYe on this Life, I tooke a Wife,
Her Loue Another got;
So, you poore Bees with Hony-knees,
Your paines are oth [...]rs Lot.
Cuck old-Maker.
O, This is braue, I Sonnes should haue,
Yet Others take my * Due;
So, you poore Birds doe hatch yong Broods,
For others, not for you.

EPIG. 39. New Rhetorike.

WHo so wants Gold, in vaine doth hold
An Argument with any;
He's best Linguist, that hath his fift
Well fill'd with Make-way Mony:
Not Sillab'lls, but Siluer-bells,
Now, make the rarest ring;
Homer, ar't poore? then stand at Doore,
Though thou canst sweetly Sing.

EPIG. 42. Against BORBONIVS the Poets Trifles.

WHat thou call'dst Trifles, but not thought'st so much,
I call not Trifles, but I thinke th' are such.

EPIG. 48. To the True Statesman.

THough for thy Country it be prayse to dye;
Yet, for her Good to Liue, 's more dignitie.

EPIG. 55. The Courtier.

IF thou be Good, Better in time,
Not Greater, thou mayst bee:
If thou be Great, thee Greater then,
Not Better, Time may see.

EPIG. 58. A Secret against Hoary-Haires to Bithynicus.

THat, in Old-Age thy Haire may not waxe- Gray,
Baldnesse in Youth (ô rare!) is the right way.
Probatum est.

EPIG. 63. Against Pontia.

ALL Cuck-olds, cast ith' Sea, Pontius would haue:
Learne first to swim (quoth's Wife) thy selfe to saue.

EPIG. 68. Venus.

Loue comes and goes, retyres, returnes,
As Sea's doe ebbe and flow,
How comes it Loue's so like the Sea?
How? Venus thence did g [...]ow.
In Venus is Varietie,
Sometimes Shee Nill, Shee Will;
Therefore with Mouing-Planets plac'd,
Not with Starres standing still.

EPIG. 70. Woman.

WOman as Weaker or more * Soft is said,
Yet Eue o' th' Bone of Mā, not Flesh was made.

EPIG. 71. Affinity twixt Lawyers and Phisicians.

THe Lawyers and Phisicians case
haue neere Affinitie;
[Page]For, others Ruines make them Rich,
No doubt most Lawfully.
These Sucke the Sicke, for Potions, Pounds,
For Law Those Lands purloyne:
These promise Health, and so get Wealth,
Those Quietnesse for Coyne.

EPIG. 82. Of the Day.

THe Day, with one-eye farre moe things espies,
Than Night can see with more than Argos-eies.

EPIG. 87. A Good-man.

THings that be Rare, are euer Deare,
And of great price esteemed:
Then sure (I thinke) an Honest-man,
Most precious may be deemed.

EPIG. 89. Against PAVLINVS.

PAulinus, when thy Friend Askes ought of thee,
Thine answer is, Tomorrow come to me.
Wou'dst haue mee giue thee Thankes for what I borrow?
For thy Good-turne Ile giue thee Thankes to mor­row.

EPIG. 92. A Machiuilian.

COgge, Counterfeit, as thou shalt see
Both Time and Place require,
That when occasion's offered,
Thou mayst haue thy desire:
Yea, now Hee's Wise can Temporize,
His hoped prey to catch;
For Gold and Gaine, who will refraine?
All seasons well to watch.

EPIG. 101. Death.

WHat Death is, dost thou aske of me?
Till Dead I doe not know;
Come to me when thou hear'st I'm Dead,
Then what tis I' shall show.

EPIG. 102. A Client.

THe Client going-Home, may sing by th' way,
And needs not feare the theefe to bid him stay:
For Lawyers doe for Fees so filch their coyne,
That many times, they scarce know where to Dine.

EPIG. 104. Children and Fooles tell True.

CHildren & Fooles (our Prouerbe saith) tell true,
As who shuold say, th' are Fooles the truth that shew.
[Page]If thus they'le haue it, yet th' are Knaues that lie;
I'le be Truths Foole, let them loue Knauerie.

EPIG. 106. Against Ball'd-pates.

BAll'd-pate, my Haires I ne're could numerate,
Nor thou thine owne, ther's None left on thy pate.

EPIG. 115. Backe-biters, Flatterers.

A Naxagoras was wont to say, that Snow
Was Blacke, more Blacke was Anaxag'ras Hart.
Many such Enuious Elfes this Age doth know:
The flatt'ring Foxe, with his dissembling Art,
Praysed the Whitenesse of the Cole-blacke Crow;
Such fawning Foxes are (alas) too many,
Who, for aduantage Prayse and Dis-prayse any.

EPIG. 117. An Herculean Labour.

TO Curbe the Courage, and Wiues Tongue keep-vnder,
May wel be call'd, Hercules thirteenth Wonder.

EPIG. 123. Of Bardella a Theefe.

THe Theife Bardella being Iudg'd to Dye,
A Fryer gaue him Ghostly Exhortation:
[Page] Good-Brother (saith he) Dye most ioyfully:
For thou shalt Sup in Heau'ns blest Habitation.
Sir (quoth Bardella) I must Fast this Day;
Take you that Supper in my sted I pray

EPIG. 1 [...]8. Answere to Cynthiaes Epistle.

THy Paper white, thy Letter blacke came to me,
This thy foule-Hart, That thy white skin doth shew me.

EPIG. 129. To Sextillian Sp.

SExtillian, when thy Father thee begot,
To Get thee, then, his minde (I thinke) 'twas not;
Himselfe to recreate, not thee Create,
Was all (I iudge) he then did Cogitate:
If, more the Gift, than Giuers minde be praysed,
Then, sure, thy Life to him is not ingaged.

EPIG. 131. Saturnes three Sonnes.

DIuines are doubtfull, Lawyers lew'd and ill,
Physicians foule; yet these the World rule still:
If such ill Gouernours the People nurse,
No maruel, then, though all grow worse & worse.

EPIG. 137. Against Pomponia.

POmponia did a fickle feather weare
Vpon her head; feathers doe Souldiers fit.
True, and Shee this for Mars his Loue did beare.
This shewes, that Mars in Venus Lap may sit:
Thogh on their heads our Hellēs feathers haue,
Marueile not, for, tis Paris fauour braue.

EPIG. 146. Vertue in the Middle.

A Gallant Dame, scarce of good Name,
Ith' midst twixt two Men went,
Vertue, as heere it may appeare,
Her place had lost or lent.

EPIG. 150. To his absent Loue.

I Burne poore wretch, and so much more
Am burnt with Loues desire;
By how much I am further off,
From my Loue-burning Fire.

EPIG. 16 [...]. A Probleme of Hornes.

WHen Wiues defile their Husbands marriage Bed,
Why weares the harmeles Husband Hornes? Hee's Head.

EPIG. 168. To the Reader, of himselfe.

MY breuity, though some may Sloth esteeme▪
Yet to be briefe, most Labour I doe deeme:
Much madly I speake not, with vulgar sort;
Though mine perhaps be foolish, yet tis short.

EPIG. 170. Of Himselfe.

ASke and Receiue, so Iames th' Apostle sayes,
O that King Iames to me would vse that Phrase ▪
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the second Booke.

EPIG. 4. To the Lady MARY NEVELL.

IN Tables faire, our fading formes are painted,
That what 'ith face would fade, in Them may dure;
To paint in Tables I am vnacquainted,
My Verse shall pourtray what power can procure,
That what Frames cannot, Verse may keepe vn­tainted,
Yet, none but rare Apelles that can do;
And, none but great Apollo this can show.

EPIG. 10. A true Troian.

THe Troians Troy being brought t'annoy, grew wise;
Himselfe, this Troian, who doth not agnize?

EPIG. 16. To the Lord High Treasurer of England.

A Faithfull Treasurer thou art
Vnto thy King and State;
Than all rich Treasures, I, thy Faith
More precious estimate.

EPIG. 24. To Richard Vaughan, once Bishop of London.

THose Preachers are to be esteemed best,
Which Doe the things they Teach ought to bee Done;
Thou wast a Bishop learned best and blest,
Doing what thou hadst Taught men should not shun.

EPIG. 29. To Sir Philip Sidney.

HE which doth Deeds in Bookes to be exprest,
Or things worth reading rarely doth Indite,
Is blest; but thou who didst both these more blest,
Thou, Deedes worth writing, Workes to reade didst write:
Thy Writings doe thy Learning intimate,
Thy Vertuous Deeds thy Vertue demonstrate.

EPIG. 32. To the Right Honourable Lucy, Countesse of Bedford.

THe Light to thee (sweet Lu [...]y) giues a Name,
Which through the wo [...]ld shines to thy datelesse fame.
The Lustre of Illustrious Parēts wrought-Thee
Thy Wit, thy Vertue, to this Light haue brought Thee▪

EPIG. 33. An Honourable Gold-Ring: To Henry Goodyeer, Knight.

NObilitie's the Gold, Vertue the Stone;
For euer may'st thou by this Ring be knowne.

EPIG. 35. To D. B.

IF he Liue-well, that Liues a Quiet Life,
If Wisedome 't be, that Wisedome bee concealed,
Then thou Liu'dst-well, whose Wit and Wisedome rife
The more thou hidst, the more thy worth reuealed.

EPIG. 40. The Strength of England to the Prince.

ENglands safe Gates, are her Cinque-Ports;
Her stately Ships, her Walls;
[Page]Her Camps, the Sea; Bulwarkes, her Corps;
Her Heart, her Generalls.

EPIG. 41. The Terrestriall Globe.

THe Earth and Sea one Globe doe make,
And who would this suppose?
Earth firme Remaynes, the Sea Remooues,
Earth's fast, Sea ebbes and slowes.

EPIG. 42. Vn-Healthy Healths.

BY how much more thou Healths dost drinke,
So much lesse Health thou haste;
Thousand such Healths take thou, for mee,
That Health by Healths wilt waste:
To wisemen, that, is Healthiest,
To drinke no Healths at-all;
What Health can be in drinking Healths?
W [...]en Men like Beasts must crawle.

EPIG. 43. The Diuine, the Politician,

The Diuine.
WHat profits it that thou dost know,
Vnlesse another know it?
Politician.
What boots thy Knowledge vnto thee?
If thou to others show it.

EPIG. 52. The Louer.

VNconstant- Hope, most Constant- Feare:
Vaine- Pleasure vanishing;
Ioy and Annoy, Hony and Gall,
Loue bitter-relishing.

EPIG. 55. The German-Death to Polynicus.

DEath,'s Not to be; so Seneca doth thinke,
But Dutch-men say tis Death to Cease to Drinke.

EPIG. 61. The Niggard, the Prodigall.

PRodigalls, are fre [...]-hearted Rhetoricians,
Niggards are hold-fast-close and slye Logicians:
The Clutch-fist Churle by Logicke vnderstand,
By Rhetorike the Spend-Thrifts Open-hand.

EPIG. 65. The Earle of Dorset his Adagie, Neyther furiously, nor fearefully.

DOubt all things wisely, wisely Hope for all;
Of all Take-heed, that thou mayst feare no fall.

EPIG. 66. Sir Henry Neuill his Adagie. Wish no vaine thing.

NO vaine, nor vile thing wish to haue,
This Counsell is both wise and graue:
For, base things are of base esteeme,
And wisemen, vaine things, nought worth deeme.

EPIG. 69. To his Friend.

I Will not be a Foe to any,
Nor be familiar with too many:
A [...]d twice I will not Loue my Friend,
But whom I Loue, I'le Loue to th' end.

EPIG. 70. Money ouercomes all.

SErpents that crawle, Fish in the Sea,
Yea Beasts and Birds of th' Ayre;
From Males and Females and All things,
Loue, once, did Conquest b'are:
But Gold the King with's Siluer Queene,
And Wealth their Eldest-Sonne;
With power, Now rife, to winne the Prize,
And it from Loue haue wonne.

EPIG. 73. Adulterie and Fornication.

TH' Adult'rer and the Cucko [...]l, diff [...]rent bee,
As Comedy is from a Tragedy.

EPIG. 74. Of Hercules to C. D.

WHom, neuer force nor fence of strongest arme▪
Could fell or quel, is vāquisht by Loues charme;
Who? prou'd so strong to wrong Al [...]des great?
'Twas Loue, but not by force but foule deceit:
He flew Leaena, Lena could not tame,
Monsters could ne're; his Mistresse wrought his shame.

EPIG. 85. Erasmus Fooleries.

THat old Erasmus, Foolishnesse, did prayse;
That, Foolishnesse, his wits fame much did rayse.

EPIG. 90. Against Vnfaithfulnesse.

TRusting false words, I learned to distrust:
False Hope hath forc't me feare, & that most iust.

EPIG. 94. Wisedome.

WHo's wealthy? Wisemen; who are Poore?
Rude Dolts, and Sots vnwise;
If I be wise then, qui [...]kly, I
To Riches may arise:
But tell me, Now, what Man is wise?
The Rich; who Fooles? the Poore;
Then, if not rich, though wise, I may
Goe begge from doore to doore.

EPIG. 96. Against a certaine Drunkard.

IF Gold could be as eas'ly Drunke,
As for it most men Thirst;
Sellers of Gold their Paunch would be
Stuft, till their Bellies burst.

EPIG. 99. Anger or Wrath.

IT seemes, that Aristotle vs'd
To [...]all Wrath, Vertues Spurre;
Because it Spurres, Spurnes vertuous men,
As being Enuies Curre.

EPIG. 106. To a certayne Dyer waxing-old.

THy Beard, which once was Blacke, is now turn'd white:
But that's by Nature, not by Arts be [...]t slight.

EPIG. 120. Against a great Clerke.

SIcke- stomakes, much doe swallow downe,
But Little doe Dig [...]st;
So, thou know'st much, but yet, in thee
Small Wisedome is exprest.

EPIG. 124. Against an Harlot.

OH, I could wish thou wert lesse faire,
Or else wert better giuen;
For, worser things than Harlots faire,
There are not vnder Heauen.

EPIG. 127. To Claudius, and Linus.

VNgodly Claudius, to be Good,
Wants nothing but a Will:
Lewd Linus, also, wanteth nought
But Power to be Ill.

EPIG. 131. Against Couetous and Lame Alanus.

IF thou to Lame Al [...]nus, Gi [...]e,
Than Thankes, [...]xpect no mor [...];
In Thankes, th [...]n▪ like Centimanus
Hee'le be; though Lame before:
But if thou Giue, and some Reward
Expectest for the same;
Then, though in Power Centimanus,
Hee'le bee most Weake and Lame ▪

EPIG. 142. Against Marcus a Lawyer.

THe Lawyer Pleades his Owne not Clients Cause,
Yet Clients Mon [...]y he to London drawes;
Not for Himselfe, but for his Lawy [...]rs Fees,
This Lawyers get how ere the Client Lees:
The Law is plaine, the po [...]re mans Cause in doubt,
Thus Lawyers Gaine must hold the Client out.

EPIG. 148. Sir Francis Drake his Epitaph.

THough Pop'ry should (which Heau'n forbid) re-raigne,
They could not (Noble Drake) dig vp thy Graue;
Thy Bones to burne, as once with fell disdaine,
They did against good Luther rage and raue:
[Page]Thou need [...] not feare (I say) Romes wrath, for why?
Thy Bones ith' Bottome of the Sea do lye.

EPIG. 165. The King, the People.

AS, when the Head with Wine's orecome,
The F [...]et trip to and fro▪
So Princes that Illiterate be,
Their Subiects ouerthrow.

EPIG. 166. The Senate.

THe King doth Raigne himselfe alone,
Why then Rules he not All?
He which both Rules and Ruled is,
Rule others better shall.

EPIG. 168. Of Dyet, to I. H. Knight.

IF thou Old-age with healthfull-dayes,
Desirest to enioy;
Vse Food as Phisike, Phisike a [...] Food,
Neither of both t' annoy:
For Phisike, taken as 'twere Food,
The Health doth strangely wrong;
But, Food, as Phisike wisely vs'd,
Doth Life in Health prolong.

EPIG. 173. The fiue Senses.

THe Senses fiue, as Seruants waite on Man,
To Please his Will, or winne his Will to Pleasure,
Who vse them With or Without Wisdomes Measure,
Their Profit or Dis-profit publish can.

EPIG. 179. The Obiects of the Senses.

MY Hearing, Sight, my Smell, my Taste, my Touch,
Doe me affect and me infect as much.

EPIG. 185. The Phoenix, the Viper.

THe Phoenix, Dying doth her yong Regaine;
The Vipers brood doth breed her forced-bane.

EPIG. 186. The Silke-Worme.

MY Art drawes-out my Heart; my Toombe, my Toile;
My Worke workes-out my Life; I Spin my Spoile.

EPIG. 194. Manuring of the Ground.

THough Vile thou be, yet Vsefull th'art,
And for Manuring good;
For thou vnto our Aliment,
Art Nutriment, though Mud.

EPIG. 196. The Parret.

IF lawfull't be, of things t' inuert the name;
With prattling Parret, Prater is the same.

EPIG. 206. The Souldier.

WArres wounding Weapons hurt not so my He [...]t,
As vnarm'd Venus pierceth with her Dart.

EPIG. 208 The Louers Teares.

AS Wood sends forth much sappe, when burnt ith' fire:
So, Louers weepe, when Crost in Loues desire.

EPIG. 213. Eccho.

NO Art can Graue or Paint Mans Voice in Table,
Eccho reflected Sounds t' expresse, is able.

EPIG. 214. The Looking-Glasse.

NOt famous Phidias, nor Apelles rare,
Can Carue or Paint Motion, thou'lt it declare.

EPIG. 215. Eccho and the Looking-Glasse.

ECcho hath nothing but a Voice to Liue,
The Mirreur nothing wants, if Voice you giue.
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the third Booke.

EPIG. 2. To the Lady Mary Neuil.

THou, who Vn-borne, the Burthen wast
Of thy then parient-Stemme;
Now, being borne, her Beauty art,
Euen Parents ioyfull Iemme.

EPIG. 3. To the Reader of his Booke.

I Feare (kind Reader) lest my Verse displease thee,
Carpe thou (fond Momus) it shall ne're disease mee.

EPIG. 8. Basilicon Doron, to the King.

WHat need wee Pen this Pen-mans prayse,
Or write his Workes rare worth;
Whose Prayse the Worke, whose Worke th' Author
T' each other full set-forth?

EPIG. 13. Of Vertue.

TRue Vertue, Prayse, doth nothing prize ▪
Though Honour her attend;
As Shaddowes on the Body waite,
When's ra [...]es Sol forth doth send▪
[...]or, [...]ertue is Substantiall,
Glory, but glittering shew;
As Bodies are Essentiall,
Shaddowes no Substance true.

EPIG. 20. Vnion.

VNion's Diuine; Diuision's Diuellish found,
For, ther's one God, but Diuels doe abound.

EPIG. 21. Three Tempters.

OVr Life, three subtill Sophisters retaines,
The World, the Flesh, Satan, who ore thē raignes:
Satan's an old Logician; th' other two
Are Rhetoricians, and much skill can shew.

EPIG. 23. Man to Man's a God, a Wolfe.

MAn vnto Man a God, a Wolfe is knowne,
The one in Chris [...], in Adam tother's showne▪
[Page]For, Christ both God and Man, to Man's a God,
Adam a Wolfe to Man, Gods plaguing Rod.

EPIG. 28. The Misery of this Life.

LOng-Life, though weake and wretched, Man de­sires;
That is, to be a Wretch he Long requires:
Weake, wretched Irus dyes against his will;
That is, he would haue Liu'd most wretched, still.

EPIG. 29. Of Nature and Grace.

A Gloomy-Moone-Light, is our Natures Light:
But Grace doth Glister, like the S [...]n most bright.

EPIG. 30. A Catechisme.

TWice Sixe beleeue, for Se [...]en things pray,
Ten things performe, and Li [...]e for aye.
This Catechisme vse aright,
And thou shalt see Heau'ns glorious Light.

EPIG. 31. The Rich-man.

WHat is the Cause, few Rich, to H [...]au'n doe goe?
'T's a Costly-Iourney, they'le not much bestow.

EPIG. 34. The Holy-Ghost.

AS, Pigeons Li [...]e on Houses white,
And there-about abide:
So, God aboue, pure- Hearts doth loue,
And with them will reside.

EPIG. 36. Of the King.

A Light-lesse Sunne, is Law, without a King;
A King without a Law, is nothing lesse:
Men marke the King, Kings Men by Lawes redresse:
Thus, Lawes and People, Kings in order bring.

EPIG. 41. God-Man.

GOd could not feele, nor Man alone Death quell,
Christ, God and Man, did Both; as Scriptures tell.

EPIG. 4 [...]. Death.

THe Bad flye from, the Good doe Death attend;
Death's th' End of Woe, or Woe without an End.

EPIG. 44. A Miracle.

LEt others, Wonders wond'rously admire:
I, God their Author most t' extoll desire.

EPIG. 45. Adams Fall, Mans Thrall.

BY Adams Fall, Mans Soule did fall,
Ith' power of the Preacher;
His Flesh to Phisike, and his Goods
To th' Lawyer, that Gold-Reacher.

EPIG. 46. To Adam.

THe Diuell, Deaths-Dam, Eue and Adam
With Apple did deceiue;
With his All-Haile, their Ioyes did faile,
And Edens blisse them leaue.

EPIG. 48. The Tempter.

AS, Mice make Holes in Walls to get their prey:
So, Satan Finde [...] or Makes ith' Heart a way.

EPIG. 49. Mortification.

THat thou mayst Liue when Dead thou art,
To Dye, yet Liue must be thy part;
Learne first to Dye, then, ere thou Dye;
This, Sinfull-flesh will Mortifie.

EPIG. 51. Against thee-onely haue I sinned Psalme 51.

SVbiects, 'gainst God, the King, the Lawes, offend;
Kings, onely God, because Kings All transcend.

EPIG. 52. Prayer.

AS, Christ did Heau'ns vn-op't Gates penetrate:
So, Prayer by Faith must pierce Heau'ns fast bard Gate.

EPIG. 53. Mary Magdalens Teares.

HEr wand'ring Eyes, which view'd each Vanity,
Shee bleares with teares, and weeps most bitterly;
The cause (I iudge) such brinish teares to bring,
Was, that the Eye was Sinnes first Fount and Spring.

EPIG. 55. Methusalem is Dead.

TO Liue-Long, is not Life, to Liue is Life:
What is 't to Liue-Long, then? to Dye from strife.

EPIG. 56. Of Law and Iustice.

THe Iudge, not Iustice, hath the most resort:
'Tis strange; since Lawes-way's Long; Iustice path Short.

EPIG▪ 57. Intemperance.

SInce, most desire a Long Life to enioy;
By Luxury, why doe we Life destroy?
We faine would Liue, yet will the meanes refuse;
We wrong our Health, and then Phisicians vse.

EPIG. 60. Liberty.

IF He be well, which hath what he can wish,
Why then doe Men for stinging Serpents fish?
True Liberty, 'mongst Vertues beares the Bell;
He may Liue as he Will, which Will Liue Well.

EPIG. 63. The Crosse of Christ.

THe Crosse bore Christ, & Christ the Crosse did beare;
It Him, He, It bore, vs to rid from feare.

EPIG. 64. Of Religion.

REligion, is a Tree, fruitfull and faire,
And must be planted in each Good Mans Heart;
The Root, is Labour, and the Fruit most rare,
Is Honour, euery Godly-Mans Desert.
And, well is't said, Men first were Gods by feare;
For, to feare God is Piety's first part:
Religions Root is b [...]ter, bet [...]er on high,
For, Feare's her Fount, her Riuer's Charity.

EPIG. 66. Marryed-folke.

MAn, Loue thy Wife, thy Housband, Wife, obay,
Wines are our Heart, We should be Head alway.

EPIG. 67. Study.

SOme men grow-mad, by Studying much to know:
But, who growes-mad, by Studying Good to grow?

EPIG. 69. The Blessed Virgine.

HEr Makers Mother, Gods deare Spouse,
The Daughter of her Childe;
A Mayde, yet Wise; Mother, yet Mayde;
Was Blessed Mary milde.

EPIG. 74. Liberty of Speech.

SOme, hold it th' onely Liberty to Prate,
But that's true Freedome Speech to Moderate.

EPIG. 75. A Probleme to Marcus.

WHat profits it, or Good or Bad to bee?
Since, little difference twixt them Both we see,
For, Bad are punisht iustly as by force;
The Good by Might, as if by Lawfull course.

EPIG. 78. To Christ.

OVr Hold-fast Anchor, and safe Ship
Of Faith, our Sea of Loue;
Earths sauory Salt, Coelestiall Sun,
Our Soules-Health from aboue:
[Page]Thy Crosse hath Crossed Deaths great rage,
By thy Death, Death lyes Dead;
And is't not strange that Death should Dye,
Or ere be vanquished?

EPIG. 79. Selfe-Loue.

THey, which the faults of others quickly spye;
But at their owne wil winke with Selfe-Loues Eye:
How euer, Such, to Some may seeme full wise,
Yet, greatest folly this in them descryes.

EPIG. 84. A Prayser.

BY Praysing, Good-men Better bee,
Prayse, Bad-men worse doth make:
Wise-men doe grow mor [...] Cautulous,
Fool [...]s greater Pride doe take.

EPIG. 92. Al-wayes the same.

ONe-God, there euer was and ere shall bee,
Why then One-Faith amongst vs haue not wee?
One-Faith, as doth One Day, the world should light:
As One-God's in the world, and Sunne most bright.

EPIG. 94. Christs Wounds.

CHrists Wounds, to vs, were rather Salues than Sores,
For, our Lost-Healt [...], by them, He t'vs restores.

EPIG. 101. Christ the Way.

WOuld'st walke the Way which Leades to Life eternall?
'Twas Sent, 'tis Seene, in Christ thy King super­nall.

EPIG. 104. Patience or Content.

THou'dst Dye, or not Dye; Death or Stayes,
Or Comes; yet take thy Lot:
Tis Ill to Nill, as Bad to Will,
When thou shouldst Dye, or Not.

EPIG. 109. Man.

THe Heart's a Hurt, procur'd by Care,
Our Corps, Corruption dry;
W'are borne, but how? Oft to be sicke,
We Liue, why? oft to Dye.

EPIG. 112. Eloquence.

NOt many Weedes, but whol [...]some Herbes,
The fertile Grounds declare:
They're Eloquent which Well can speake;
Not those which Babblers are.

EPIG. 117. O Times and Manners!

WHy thus doe Men, M [...]nners and Times accuse?
When M [...]n themselues, Manners and Times a­buse;
W' are Bad in the [...], they wors [...] by vs do grow,
Yet, wee complaine that helpe to make them so.

EPIG. 120. Of Strife or Contention.

O, I could wish, I might so happy bee,
Men, Striue to Loue, not Loue to Striue, to see.

EPIG. 124. Marryed-folke.

A House, vs both in Discord can't contayne,
In Bed, we both in Concord doe remayne.

EPIG. 135. Christ.

AS Morning is Nights End and Dayes beginning:
So Christ is Deaths End and Saluations Spri [...]ging.

EPIG. 140. Of Sleepe.

IF Sleepe be Death, then Death than Sleepe
Can be estee [...]'d noug [...]t els;
The more thou Slee [...]'st then, lesse thou Liu'st,
This, playne [...]xperience tels,
A [...]d is our Death but like a Sleepe?
When Men haue Slept, they Wake;
Then Courage Christian, Feare ô Wretch;
Thee Heauen, thee Hell shall take.

EPIG. 147. Against Epicures.

OFt haue I heard both Yong and Old complaine,
That Loue & Life don't Long-enough remaine:
Lifes Pleasure, Pleasures Life is short soone spent;
He's wise therefore can leaue both, with content.

EPIG. 148. Workes.

GOod-men to Heau'n, their Good-Deedes follow well;
The Wicked's Ill-Deeds, follow them to H [...]ll.

EPIG. 161. Sence, Reason, Faith, Loue, God.

SEnce, voyd of Reason, silly is,
Reason's bad, without Faith;
Faith's Nothing-worth, if Loue it lacke,
Loue's good, if God it hath.

EPIG. 164. Wisedome, Fortitud [...].

TIs Wisedome, Euils to beware,
To beare them's Fortitude;
The Wise not beares, nor Valiant feares,
Harmes borne and well eschew'd.

EPIG. 165. Labour.

HE which by Sweat, would haue Men Eate,
And by their Labour Liue;
If they take paine, with him to Raigne,
Heau'ns Dainties will them giue.

Epig. 168. Christian Aduerbes.

Not Adiectiues but Aduerbes best can doe:
Not, What-Good, Ho [...]-Well God hath care vnto.

EPIG. 171. Time.

TIme All Consumes, both Vs and euery Thing,
We Time Consume, thus, Both one Song doe Sing ▪

EPIG. 172. Much Admonition to his Friend Michael Heydon.

DOe nothing Rashly, Faintly; All with Heed,
Too-Late, too-Soone doe nothing; All with Speed:
Nature, Thee faint, Wisedome Thee valiant makes,
Who? feares things fearefull, which , Heed of them takes.

EPIG. 176. Honesty, Dishonesty.

GOod-men hate Vice, because they Vertue loue,
That there's few-Good, this, then, doth plainely proue.
Dishonesty is now so high ascended,
And Honesty so Low, so vilipended;
That in these Sin-full, Sin-foule dayes well-nigh,
Tis counted Vicious, to Liue Vertuously.

EPIG. 178. Of the Soule.

MAns Soule Coelestiall is aboue the Skies:
For, with the Body if it Rise, it Dies.

EPIG. 180. Hell.

AS, Blacke by no meanes can be Dyed White,
From Hell to Heau'n, so, None can take their flight.

EPIG. 192. Man.

MAn cryes in's Birth, what Ioy's then to be Borne?
Why weep we at Mens Deaths as Men forlorne?

EPIG. 196. Wise Simplicitie.

LIke harmelesse Doue, to Liue in Loue,
To all Men doth belong:
Like Serpents wise, Liue, I aduise,
That none may doe thee wrong.

EPI [...]. 206. Vpon the Death of Charles Blunt, Earle of Deuonshire.

WHether Sad-Passion, or sweet Prayse to vse,
An Elegie or Elogie to choose,
I doubt deuise, such is my Loue, thy Losse;
Oh, greedy Death to take Gold, leaue vs Drosse.
Now thou art Dead many tr [...]ke much of Thee,
Good, Best; Bad, Worst; this, is well prays'd to bee.
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of one sole Booke.

EPIG. 23. Against Marcus.

NAture hath giuen two-Hands, one Tongue to Men,
They should performe more than they promi [...]e then
Thou'lt promise much, nought giue, but All delay,
As though thou hadst two Tongues, no Hands to pay.

EPIG. 24. The Romish Masse-Priest, and Ge­neuian Minister.

Mass [...]-Priest.
FOr Adultery no man should Dye,
Thus Baals Priest still cryes;
His Neighbours Wife, he Loues a Life,
Himselfe hath None; He's Wise.
Geneuian Minister.
For Adultery 't's fit Men should Dye,
Thus the Geneuian cryes:
[Page]But what's the Cause hee'd haue such Lawes?
His Wife is faire; Hee's Wise.

EPIG. 27. Against a Couetous Clyent.

WHat? doft thou grudge, because the Iudge
Is Deafe and will not heare?
Thy- Selfe's to blame, who to him came,
And Feeling didst forbeare.

EPIG. 34. Against Linus.

THou wast my Debtour when I Lent thee Coine,
Pay mee mine owne, and then I will be thine.

EPIG. 39. Man is a Stage-Player.

MAns Life's a Tragike Comedie,
Hope is his Argument;
The Prologue Faith; the Acts are Loue,
The Stage Earths Continent.
And in this Manner, when, to Day,
Kings and Meane-Men doe end their Play;
To Morrow, others take their Roomes,
Whiles they doe fill vp Graues and Tombes.

EPIG. 44. Neyther in this World, nor in the World to come. Against Damiane.

WHether things Present or to Come, I mind,
Than thou, more Wretch, ith' World I cannot find,
The World to Come auailes thee nought, Th' art Bad,
And being a Foole, no Good can heere be had.

EPIG. 52. Against byting Momus or Carping Zoilus.

BAck-byter, why doest thou thy Brother Bite?
In Enuying what he hath well effected,
In Carping-at what he hath Ill-neglected,
Brothers, each Others Slips let-slip, not smite.

EPIG. 54. Against a Selfe-Louer.

VNto thy Neighbour, be as kinde
As to thy- Selfe thou art;
Thou'lt say I am, how's that? my Selfe
Am neerest mine owne Heart ▪

EPIG. 63. Learning most neglected.

LEarned Apollo, once, vnshaued went,
But now, Hee's Cut, sho [...]ne, torne and all-berent; space:
His Louely face is, now, in such a Case,
As scarce it Smiles, once, in a twelue-moneths
Alas, he Dreames that Deemes Parnassus pleasant,
Honour (Arts Hope) is giuen to euery Pesant,
To play on Phoebus Lute,'s to play the Lout,
Learning goes Lame (now) and is Sicke o'th' Gout:
When D [...]l [...]s haue Lucke on Honours step to stay,
Let Schollers burne their Bookes and goe to play!

EPIG. 67. 'Tis Better to Giue, than to Receiue.

MAns propertie's to Take, and Gods to Giue,
Too few such Giuing-Gods in these dayes Liue.

EPIG. 68. Against Ponticus the Clyent.

CLyent, art Sicke of the C [...]thâgran-Gout,
And nothing on thy Lawyer wilt bestow?
O'th' Podagra He's ill then, cann't stirre out,
A Lazie Lamenes then doth on him grow;
For if he be not both oft Pray'd and Pay'd,
Thy Caus [...] for this cause shall be long delayd.

EPIG. 71. Philautus and Philaristo.

Philautus.
THou do'st expect (my Philarist)
That I, a Gift should send;
Except my Selfe, Gift haue I none,
This, I to Thee commend.

EPIG. 72.

Philaristo.
YOu sent a Gift, and Nothing 'twas,
I, Nothing send to you:
You Gaue your Selfe, your Selfe to you
I send-backe; so Adieu.

EPIG. 73. To Sir Henry Fanshaw, Knight.

IF Fortune had Alotted thee by Lot,
Augustus Empire or Mecoenas Store;
This Age had seene Poetick-Maro's more,
But, No Mecoenas, Maro is forgot.

EPIG. 78. A Heauenly Archer.

FAith, is our Shaft; our Bow-string, Hope;
Our Bow, is well-bent Loue;
Our Length and Height is Heau'n on high,
Our Marke, is God aboue.

EPIG. 81. To a Litigious Debtor.

TH'art much perplext and troubled day by day,
Not How thou Mayst, but How thou Mayst Not Pay.

EPIG. 91. Couetous Liberality, Against Acerra.

ACerra Giues to Take; to Giue Takes not:
To Take's his Marke; to Giue's his Shaft and Shot.

EPIG. 92. Against the Romish Catholike.

IF any one would thy Religion know,
'T's Catholike, Apostolike, thou'lt say;
Catholike Loue, (I thinke) to All thou'lt show,
But why do'st not for Catholike Faith pray?

EPIG. 101. The Soules Eclipse.

AS, Earth is Interpos'd, betweene
The Sunne and Moones thicke shade;
So Sinne betwixt Me and my God,
Hath Sep [...]ratio [...] made.

EPIG. 112. From the Wombe to the Tombe.

AS, Beasts ith' Fields to be our Food doe Fate;
So Worm [...]ling-Man is Borne to be Wormes-Meate.

EPIG. 119. Womens Tyre.

YOur high-horn'd Laces, are more like
A House-Top than a Tyre;
To Build, not Beautifie their Heads,
Is Womens fond desire.

EPIG. 120. All-things are Nothing.

HE which made All of Nought, Himselfe is All:
And what God made of Nought, wee Nought may call.

EPIG. 135. Funerall Sermons.

WE wrong Men Liuing, Prayse them being Dead:
O Pleasant Death, ô gloomy-Life so Led!

EPIG. 121. Anger and Patience.

AS Water cooles the Fires hot flame,
And Fire, Cold-water warmes:
So Patience Peaseth Angry mindes,
Wrath moues the Dull to Armes.

EPIG. 143. The Bodie bids the Soule fare-well.

FOr thee (ô Soule) my Mother Earth I left,
And now, I must of thee be thus bereft.

The Soule bids the Bodie fare-well.

And I, fond Foole, did God my Father Leaue
For thee; who Now to Heauen will Me receiue,
I must to Him, Thou must to Her depart,
From Heau'n am I, from Earth deriu'd, Thou art:
There, till wee meet, we must Disioyn'd remayne,
Till Earth Mee thee; God Thee Mee giue againe.

EPIG. 145. Hot-Waters.

OVr trickling Teares expresse our priuate Loue;
Loue causeth Teares; strange, Fire should Water proue.

EPIG. 147. Poore Comfort to his Rich Friend.

VNconstant Fortune Changeth in short space,
Hence growes my Hope, thy Feare, [...]uch is thy case.

EPIG. 153. To his Friend waxing-old.

THou lately wast a Yong-man, I a Childe,
My Selfe a Yong-man now, Thee, Old I see:
Death, shortly, Lookes for Thee, Old-Age for Mee,
Thy Lot's most Sure, but I may bee beguilde.

EPIG. 157. To Pontilian.

POntilian, art thou iealous o're thy Wife?
Th' art wise; but, art Not? then I say th' art wise;
Watch Her, or Not, in vaine is all thy strife,
For, if Shee list, Shee'le Foole thee 'fore thine eyes:
But, Shee's a [...]ife most Louing, wise and iust,
Who, though She could, ne're wrongs her Hous­bands trust.

EPIG. 160. London to I. W▪ Citizen and Gold-Smith.

EVen as, the Thames, small Spring [...] and Streames Drinkes in,
So, London, Wealth, from poorer Towns doth win;
But, though the Thames to Sea Runnes euery Tide,
Siluer and Gold at London still abide.

EPIG. 161. To William Cawley, a London Marchant. Debtour and Creditour.

THough in my Booke, thy Name heere bee,
Yet, Mine in Thine, thou canst not show;
For, more than Loue, Thee Nought I owe,
This, I'le expect, and Pay to thee.

EPIG. 166. A Marriage-Song.

ITh' Day, thou art the Obiect of mine Eyes;
Ith' Night, Loues Subiect thou shalt be likewise.

EPIG. 168. To his Beloued.

I Loue thee well, Now-Knowne, I lou'd th' vn-kowne,
Thy fame did first, thy forme now hath me taken;
[Page] Loue, now I know; I Loue, not Lou'd, forsaken,
I know what's, I Loue, not I'm Lou'd; ô Moane.

EPIG. 169. A Younger Brother.

I'm Poore, tis true; my Parents, Me blame not,
Who 'fore my Brother haue not Me begot.

EPIG. 180. To Old Ponticus.

THou, which didst neuer Doe good- Deed,
But still adde Sinne to Sinne;
When wilt thou these Bad Courses leaue,
And to be Good beginne?
O when I Dye, I'le Leaue (sayst Thou)
To th' Poore my Whole-Estate;
He that's not Wise, vntill he Dyes,
I thinke is Wise too Late.

EPIG. 181. A Black-Moore in White Clothes.

O Rare seene Bird! much like a Swan most white,
Thy Clothes as Snow, thy Skin like Pitch in sight.

Epig. 199. Gold out of Doung.

VIrgil, from [...]innius Doung, did Gold extract,
And our Phisicians doe the selfe-same Act.

EPIG. 205. To his Couetous Friend.

WHat Ric [...]-m [...]n haue, tis All, their-owne,
From Friends, Themselues, they'le Spare:
But yet they Haue- [...]ot, what they Haue,
This is the Misers share.

EPIG. 208. Christ-Masse and Mid-sommer.

IOhn Baptist, came ith' Sommers prime,
And Christ ith' Winter season;
They, Fire and Water, both, fore-show,
And both, for holy Reason:
How well these Contrarie [...] concurre,
Iohn's Fire, Christs Water pure;
Gods Fire our Sinnes to purifie,
Christs Water, Sinne to Cure.

EPIG. 214. Aesops Tongue.

OF all Mans Members, than the Tongue, there's none,
More Noble-Good, more Nimble Bad be knowne.

EPIG. 220. Hard'ned Wickednesse Against Linus.

GOod-Wine (they say) makes Vineger most Tart:
Thou, the more Witty, the more Wicked art.

EPIG. 240. Against Ponticus a Selfe-Louer.

NEyther the Minde nor Eye themselues doe see,
That thou thy- selfe shuldst Loue then, how may't bee?

EPIG. 241. A Querê.

O Would to God, that, that which Christ enquired
Of his Disci [...]les; what men of him spake:
The same of Prince, Priest, People were desired,
Of their Good-name and fame suruey to take:
If euery one would this desire to know,
Hee'd Know hee's Bad and Better, striue to grow,

EPIG. 242. Report, Errour.

ERrours by Errour, Tales by Tales great grow,
As Small Snow-balls by rowling too and fro.

EPIG. 249. Of Himselfe.

SOme men there be, which say of mee,
That I am not a Poet;
They say well, why? I doe not Lye,
I write the Truth, I know it.

EPIG. 253. The Worlds Dungeon.

THis World's a Prison, Heau'n as Walls doth stand,
The [...]aylour's Sinne, Women our Iron-band.

EPIG. 259. The Bagge.

AS, Birds with Bird-Lime commonly are caught▪
So, wide-Bags are with Wealth wel fil'd & fraught.
A Bagge and Bird Li [...]e are m [...]h like in vsing,
This Hangs, that Holds, Birds, Gold, both safe from losing.

EPIG. 276. To the Lady Arbella Stuart.

IF Fame or Vertue did consist in Words,
In thy Praise I might Thousand-Verses write:
My Muse cannot Promote thy Glory bright,
Thy Vertue rather Grace to It affords.

EPIG. 138. Euery one thinkes his owne fairest. Cic. Tuscul. Quaest. Lib. 5.

THy Neighbours Wife to The [...], to Him thine's fairest:
Then, that's not true, that All thinke their owne rarest.

EPIG. 255. Mans Condition.

TIll one Foot falls, the tother doth not Rise;
So one Mans wracke, Another magnifies.

EPIG. 262. Two Contrary Courtiers.

AT Court these Copesmates dwell, though not the same,
Momus who All, Gnatho who Nought will blame▪
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the sixe last Bookes.

The first Booke. To the Reader.

DO'st maruell, why (since now adayes Men vse
Verses in prayse of th' Authour) I't refuse;
My Verses need no Patron to protect them,
If Good th'are Good; if Bad th'are Bad, neglect them.

EPIG. 4. To the Prince.

THy Heart (in Brest, Hea [...]ts Chest) Sense, Reason, Will,
Thy Head, thy Wit, in Thee their Parts fulfill,
For, Reason, Sense; thy Wit, thy Will doth guide;
Thy Head is by thy Heart well rectifide.
Wales had three Princes stiled-Great; thy Brother
Made-vp the fourth; ith' fift place Thou art th' o­ther.

EPIG. 6. Orpheus.

ORpheus, his Wife Redeem'd from Hels hot flame,
Who e're knew Wife, for Husband do the same?

EPIG. 8. Whether Saint Peter were at Rome.

WHether or no, Saint Peter were
At Rome, is Disputable;
[...]ut yet that Simon hath beene there,
Is most Vn-refutable.

EPIG. 16.

  • Honours Etymo logic.
  • Honours Genea logic.
EBricians, Hon; French, Or'; doe Riches call,
Hence then we see Hon-ors originall.
And since that Wealth is Honors Pedegree,
No maruell, though Rich-Asses Honour'd bee.

EPIG. 19. A Regular Woman.

A Woman, to a Gen'rall-Rule,
We fitly may compare;
[Page]Why so? Those Rules doe oft deceiue,
And so doe Women faire.

EPIG. 20. Salomons Wish.

WHy did the Wisest King for Wisdome craue?
He had bin Wise t' haue wished Wealth to haue.
Hee wisht not Wealth, Wisdome was his best Prize,
Wisdome hee wisht, why? 'Cause he was not Wise.

EPIG. 24.

  • Blessed are the Power makers.
  • Blessed are the Peace makers.
GReat Britaines tott'ring State, affaires,
Munite' Vnited bee;
King IAMES our Gracious Peace-maker,
Power-maker blest is Hee.

EPIG. 34. Irregularitie.

WHat I Require, I can't Acquire,
And what I Can, I Nill;
Thus all Mans Life, is nought but Strife,
Now Nill, anon hee Will.

EPIG. 63. To a Batchelour.

A Wife is Good, Better's a Good;
But Best is none at-all:
I wish the Best may be my Lot,
And none to thee may fall.

EPIG. 66. Three Delta's.

THat, ith' Worlds-Sea thou mayst not Ship-wracke make,
These Delta's three, as Rockes, see, thou forsake:
Dis (worldly Riches) Diuels and Delight,
These Three to th' Spirit beare a mortall spight.

EPIG. 67. A Payre of Gallowes to P. L.

A Thiefes Hope is a Rope, Death is his Due,
The Gallowes all such Fellowes doth pursue,
But many scape? true, yet their Fates attend them;
And at the last, the horrid Hempe will end them.

EPIG. 72. Whether Bacchus be a God. To a Drunkard.

SEest thou not when th'art Drunke with dulcid Wine?
How Bacchus makes thy Head to th' Foot decline:
[Page]Since, He low feet exalts, high Heads brings downe,
This shewes that He's thy God of high Renowne.

EPIG. 76. The Priest, the People.

THe Priests doe Pray both Night and Day,
The Lay-men they take paines;
These Plough the Soyle, those Plough the Soule,
These Teach, those Tithe their Gaines.

EPIG. 58. To the most Learned King Iames.

TO be a Poet-Good, (me thinkes) is much,
To be a Good-Man, is (me thinkes) as faire:
To be a Good-King, (I suppose) few such;
Thou art Good Poet, Man and King, most rare.

EPIG. 44. Against Quintus a Dreamer.

I Oft haue seene thee, Quintus, in sad plight,
And mourne ith' morne, when thou from sleep didst rise;
Because thy dreames did neuer fall out, right,
And maruell not, for, daily thou tell'st Lyes:
How then can Dreames the Truth to thee declare,
When all the Day to forge-Lyes is thy care?

EPIG. 8 [...]. Deaths Indifferencie.

FLouds fight with Flouds: so Man with Mā's at strife:
The Ocean striues in's Motion, Man in's Life:
Riuers once Run to Sea, haue the same sauour,
Death equals All (as Waues Waues) without fauour.

EPIG. 86. Against Cinna a Phisician.

CInna cures sicknesse, how? he kils the sickly,
And what he doth, he ( Iudas-like) doth quickly:
Happy, thrice happy are his Patients, sure;
A tedious sicknesse they shall ne're indure.

EPIG. 92. To the Prince.

ALL Night I Dreame of nought but Gold and Gaine,
Thus am I Rich all Nigh [...], a Wre [...]ch all Day:
With Gold make-good my Dreames sweet Prince I pray.
So, Reall-Royall-Rich I shall remaine.

EPIG. 94. A Court Louse.

THe Smoo [...]h-boote Flatt'rer Runs about the Court,
And vn [...]o Prince and Peeres doth most resort:
So La [...]ines name the Louse for's many-feet,
Lice, much to th' Body, most to th' Head doe fleet.

EPIG. 96. Against Galatèa.

HArts, yeerely, change their snaggie Hornes they say:
Thy Husbands Hornes are changed euery-day.

EPIG. 102. Against Gellia.

WIth Papists, Gellia, thou didst e're take part:
Worse art thou now, how? Catholike thou art.

EPIG. 103. Against Aulus.

WHen Aulus is a little Sicke in bed,
Or hath the Tooth-ach, or distemp'red Head,
O would to God I were in Heauen, hee'le say;
So, th' Heyre for's Father, Would to God, doth pray.

EPIG. 108. Against Festus.

FEstus, th'art old, and yet wouldst marryed bee:
Ere thou doe so, this Counsell take of mee;
Looke into Lillies Grammar, there thou'lt finde
Cornu a Horne, a word still vndeclin'd:
[Page]This Counsell's good; take it not as a mocke,
For sure, I thinke, few old-men scape this Rocke.

EPIG. 110. Against Cornelius.

ALthough Corn-elius know himselfe Cornute,
Yet hee with pacience, holds his peace, is mute;
Therefore, I thinke, hee's not Cornelius,
But fitlier may be termed Tacitus.
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of second Booke.

EPIG. 5. What Loue is.

A Iocund-Iayle, a wanton-warre,
A most vnpleasant Pleasure;
A tottering Trust, a Bitter-sweet
Is Loue; Mirth without Measure.

EPIG. 14. A Mathematicall Instrument, called a Iacobs-Staffe, to Ma­thematicks.

THy Iacobs-Staffe take vnto thee,
Ile * Iacobs-Ladder choose;
These Steps, more than thy Staffe can show,
If I them well will vse.

EPIG. 17. Death's Epitaph, to the Death of Death.

DEaths Los [...]e, was in Christs Crosse,
Thence ne're more rising:
Christs Death, Deaths Death,
Christs Crosse, Deaths Tombe comprizing.

EPIG. 19. Of God and Man.

God is the Word, and by his Word,
God, All ith' World hath wrought:
Man vtters Words, Words Mans chiefe Marke,
than words, Man else is nought.

EPIG. 21. Of Fasts.

POpes in the Yeere, as may appeare,
Doe many Fasts ordayne;
For to declare, that * Peters Chaire
They rightly doe retayne.

EPIG. 39. Socrates Wisedome.

WHen I was Yong, I thought I All-things knew:
The more I now-know, more my wants I rue.

EPIG. 44. Earths Body.

EArths Sinewes, are her Mettels rich;
Her Bones, are Stones most strong;
Water's her Bloud; her Superfice,
Her Skinne; Grasse, her Haire long.

EPIG. 54.

The Religious Man.
WHat's Well-done, 's Ill-done, if too- Publikely.
Politician.
What's Ill-done, 's Well-done, if none doe it Spie.

EPIG. 56. An English Proteus.

IN Clothes, we Thrift and Honesty refuse▪
For Pride and Pleasure's All, Nought, Long, wee vse.

EPIG. 66. A Shrow Tamed.

WOuld'st Tame thy Wife? first, Tame her Tongue, as Dumbe:
Who thus his Wife Comes-o're, shall Ouer-come.

EPIG. 74. Pride of Life.

MAn swe [...]s, although his Gran-Dame is the Earth;
Ear [...]h swels, although from Nothing it had Birth:
So, Man, as Mou [...]d; Him, past Himselfe doth raise,
Mould sw [...]ls with Mounts; Mans Minde his P [...]ide d [...]splayes.

EPIG. 81. Eues and the Serpents meeting.

EVes and the Serpents Prattling, wrought our Sin:
Oh would to God; Hee Dumbe, Shee Deafe had bin.

EPIG. 85.

  • Neyther too great a Good one,
  • Neyther too little a Bad one.
A Giant-like, tall, stammell-Wife,
Though Ex [...]'lle [...]t, I'de not choose;
A Bad-condition'd, though a Dwarfe,
I will as soone refuse.

EPIG. 88. Loue is Blinde.

LIke one another, Drunkennesse,
And Loue, are, in eff [...]ct;
Drunkennesse Blindes the Bodies Eyes,
Loue Blinds the Mindes aspect.

EPIG. 87. An Amorous Epistle.

NO Loue is Hopelesse, this makes Louers free:
The Thing, not Hope, I Loue; No-Thing but Thee.

EPIG. 91. A Christian Zodiacke.

TH' Apostles goodly Fellowship,
Are my twelue heauenly Signes;
My Zodiacke, is perf [...]ct Faith;
My Sunne, in Iesus shines.

EPIG. 100. To the Reader.

I Leaue Narcissus when I Verses write;
When thou do'st Reade them, banish Him thy sight▪
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the third Booke.

EPIG. 1. GOD the Beginning of All Things.

GOd was the first, ith' first God did reside,
Before the first, after the first shall bide;
First without firsts, and from this first, each thing,
That first was made, did first-beginning bring.

EPIG. 4. The Art of Memory.

SImonides, found th' Art of Memory,
But none the Art of Wit could ere descry.

EPIG. 6.

SAtan o' th' Woman Bought-vs; Christ re-Bought-vs;
Adam Impure, but Christ Most-Pure hath wrought-vs.

EPIG. 7. The Prayse of Liberalitie.

WHat e're we Giue, doth euer liue,
Gifts follow Him that Giues;
The Giuer and the Taker both,
By Gifts the better Liue.

EPIG. 10. To Queene Anne.

Wife, Daughter, Sister, Mother to a King,
What rarer Titles may wee to Thee bring?
With these foure Titles, thou foure Vertues hast,
With what more Glory may a Queene be grac't?

EPIG. 13. A New-Man.

DRiue what thou didst Deriue from th' Old-Man-Sinne,
Soone, to Refresh thy Flesh, from Sinne, Beginne.

EPIG. 14. Health.

EVen from my Heart, much Health I Wish,
No Health I'le Wash with Drinke:
Health Wish't, not wash't, in Words, not Wine,
To be the best I thinke.

EPIG. 15. Forbidden-Fruit.

WHen Adam Ate Forbidden-Meate,
Deluded by the Diuell;
He was not Euils Primitiue,
But, worse than th' Apple of Euill.

EPIG. 16. Troians and Greekes.

THe Troian sayes, I much doe feare
The Greekes, when they bring Gifts.
Who is the Greeke? The Poore-Man. Who
Are Troians? Rich-Make-Shifts.

EPIG. 21. N. A.

N's first; A, followes; Nought than All's more old:
That God of Nought made All, all Truth doth hold.

EPIG. 23. Holinesse is Healthfulnesse.

NO man can Long; Well, all Men may;
Yet no Man Will, Liue, Well:
If thou'lt Liue Long, endeuour then
In Vertue to excell.

A Bride is a Ship. EPIG. 25.

THe Taile's the Sterne; Fore-Deck [...] the Beake;
The Keele, the Belly is;
Her Wings, the Sayles; a Bird, a Barke
Is then, not much amisse.

EPIG. 30. Against Pannicus a Rich-Asse.

THat Fortune fauours Fooles canst thou not see?
Bele [...]ue thy Selfe, if thou'lt not Credit Mee.

EPIG. 33. Homer.

MAruell not much though Homer blind tell Lyes,
Since He by Heare-say went, not Sight of's Eyes.

EPIG. 35. Little, Nothing, Too-much, Enough.

THe Poore haue Little, Beggers None,
The Rich Too-much, Enough not One.

EPIG. 37. To the Right Honourable, William Earle of Pembrooke, &c.

NOt Old in yeeres, nor Young in each rare Part,
One of the Kings and Kingdomes Props thou art,
That on thee this great Grace thy King doth Lay:
Or should I ioy thy Merit? Beth I may.

EPIG. 48. Humility.

AS, Low-Dales beare more fertile Grasse,
More Sterill Mountaines-high;
In Wisedome, so, Meeke Minds doe passe
Selfe-flated Subtilty;
The Mind's a Mount, our Will's a Hill;
The Mounts Top is Wils Wit:
Each highest Hill is Sterill still,
And Nimblest Wit vn-fit.

EPIG. 54. The Clyent.

IF to thy Cause the Iudge shall Helpe apply,
Thy Knees to Him, Clyent, in-Cline wisely.

EPIG. 57. The Serpent, Eue, Adam.

THe subtill Serpent, heed-lesse Eue
Deceiu'd, was not deceiued;
Not Adam Her, Shee Him made fall,
Both thus of Ioy bereaued:
Both Actiuely and Passiuely,
Shee therefore thus did Sin;
Deceiu'd Her-Selfe, deceiueth Him,
Snar'd, Snares Him in Deaths Grin.

EPIG. 59. To Polydore.

O Polydore, to Men most Poore,
The Datiue-Case is best;
Your Ablatiue doth them depri [...]e
Of Comfort, Ease and rest:
Giuers than Takers better are.
True, but these Ablatiues,
This Age doth see too frequent bee,
Seld' seene are Rich-Datiues.

EPIG. 60. To —.

ALas, poore Creature-Seruing two,
Thou art in wofull state:
One-Master, nothing hath to Giue,
Thy tother is Ingrate.

EPIG. 61. Three-fold Continency.

WHen thou dost any Ill-thing Heare or See,
Thy Windowes, Eares and Eyes fast shut let bee;
And that thou Speake-not vnaduisedly,
Locke-fast thy Doores, thy Lips; thy Tongue fast tye.

EPIG. 62. Saturnes three Sonnes.

THree Sonnes had Saturne, Poets faine,
And of especiall fame;
Hell was ones place, Riches his Grace,
Nummi-potent by Name:
The Second had ith' Sea abode,
His Name Amni-potent;
To th' Third was giuen his seat in Heauen,
Call'd Ioue Omni-potent.

EPIG. 63. The Old-man speakes to the Yong-man.

MY Life is short, and Liue I cannot Long;
Thine shortly will bee short, though now th'art strong.

EPIG. 67. To an Angry-Man.

LEt Wrath and Anger with the Day decay,
Yet let them not with Phoebus next Day rise;
But as from thy Horizon Titan flyes,
Vnto th' Antipodes; there let them stay.

EPIG. 73. The Lord loueth Liberality.

THy Benefits, it not-be-fits,
When Giuen to count and tell:
God will them both Remunerate,
And Ruminate full well.

EPIG. 77. Heauen.

HEauen is Gods Spacious, Sp [...]cious Throne of Grace,
The Lords All-potent and All-patent Place ▪

EPIG. 80. Against Pontilianus.

DOgges on th [...]ir Masters fawne and leape,
And wag their Tailes apace;
So, though the Flatt'rer want a Taile,
His Tongue supplyes the place.

EPIG. 81. To Distrust.

LEt none distrust (though Dust) Heau'ns light to see,
Nor none despaire, though's Soule a shaddow be▪
Our Flesh is Dust, true, but o'th very same,
The glorious Body of Christ Iesus came.
And though our Soule in vs a shaddow bee,
Yet 'tis th' Idea of the Deitie.

EPIG. 83. The Rich-Man.

THat Man's most' Retch which is most Rich,
Th' are oft defil'd that play with Pitch;
Men to be Great, not Good; desire
Greatnesse, not Goodnesse most acquire.

EPIG. 87. To the Iewes.

The Law, is your Religion,
And ours is Faith most pure;
You, to beleeue, will not be-led,
Nor we Good-workes inure.

EPIG. 97. Riches.

GOld's th' onely-God, Rich-Men beare Rule ▪
Mony makes Maiesty;
Rich-Pluto, not Plaine-Plato, now,
Speakes with applause most high.

EPIG. 98. Three Genders.

A Wife, although most Wise and Chaste,
Is of the Doubtfull Gender;
A Queane, oth' Common; Foeminines,
Are Women small and tender.

EPIG. 99. ST. ST. a Signe of Silence.

ST, ST, Men say, Silence to signifie:
S, Silence no [...]es: T, Taciturnity.

EPIG. 100. Where I Doe-Well, There I Dwell.

THat, is my Country, where I'm Fed, not Bred,
Not where I'm Borne, but where I'm best-bested.
Where I may haue sufficient Sustenance,
And Liue in Loue, ther's my Inheritance.

EPIG. 103. Actaeon.

ACtaeons Dogs, his flesh, bones, skinne, ate cleane:
His Hornes remayne in London to bee seene.

EPIG. 112. A Paradox of Dreames.

DReames which be Bad, are very Good,
Dreames that be Good, are Bad:
For, if my Dreames be Good, I grieue,
But, being Bad, I'm * glad.

EPIG. 119. Scoffing, Prudence.

WIt without Wisedome, is Salt without Meate ▪
Rude-Literature, Meate without Salt, to Eate.

EPIG. 123. Against a tedious Oratour.

WHen thou hast Said all thou wilt Say,
'T remaynes to Say, I'ue Said;
This onely-word would please mee more,
Than all the Speech th' 'ast made.
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the three last Bookes. The First Booke.

EPIG. 3. Lawyers and Phisicians.

VNlesse the One Deale- [...]raftily,
The Other Desperate bee;
They Both may Eate on Beggers Meate,
And Li [...]e in Penury.

EPIG. 9. Against Tomasinus.

THe Prayse, of prayse-lesse-Asses, some
Haue writ, in these our dayes:
Amongst the rest, haue beene exprest,
O Tom-Asine, thy Prayse.

EPIG. 10. Against Fabianus.

SOme-Men are Bald without, thou Inwardly;
Those want their Haires, thy Brain-pan's almost Dry ▪

EPIG. 12. Dalilah.

SAmsons deceitfull Dalilah,
His Strength in's Haire destroyed▪
In these dayes, by such Dalilahs
Are many-men annoyed.

EPIG. 14. Birth.

TO Present things w' are Borne, Re-borne
To things to-come, we are;
Though that Be P [...]ime, yet Principall
Is this, and Better farre.

EPIG. 18. Against Paetus, a Probleme.

FAther, nor Fath'r-in-law, thou art, t' all Those,
Which thy Wife bare thee; then, What th' art who knowes▪

EPIG. 19. Against Pontiliana.

WHy wedded [...]t thou th' ele [...]'nth day of Decemb [...]r:
Because, than this no day's more short, night longer.

EPIG. 22. Against Festus, an vn-Iust Iudge.

WHat Iudas or what Pilate did
Doe thou, thou Iudge vn-Iust▪
[Page]With Iudas if thou wilt not Hang.
With Pilate Wash thou must.

EPIG. 26. Against Colinus, Dying Intestate.

WHiles thou didst Liue, thou nought wouldst giue,
Thou Leau'st All, now thou canst not Liue;
Like Greedy Hogge thy Life was Led,
Like Greazie Porke, thou now ly'st Dead.

EPIG. 36. From Bad to Worse.

HE's Dasht 'gainst Scylla, from Charibdis flying,
Which hopes to Salue hi [...] Sore, by Phisike Dying ▪
Fooles voyding Vice, the Contrary commit,
Are those to shunne Strife, which on Lawyers hit.

EPIG. 47. Against a Foolish-Writer.

O, I could wish thy Paper were All-blacke;
Or that it did Least Spot of blacknesse lacke

EPIG. 51. Females.

YOng-Wenches Coy, and Wanton are ▪
Faire-Maides, are Infamous:
Witty are Wily, full of Craft ▪
Lustfull, Lasci [...]ious▪

EPIG. 52. Foure Law-Termes.

THe Lawyers haue foure Termes, to which they frame
A most significant and proper name:
First▪ Michelmasse, from th' Angell * Michael,
For Lawyers Purses then with Angels swell.
The next is Hill [...]ry a name most fit:
For this Terme make [...] the Lawyer m [...]rry, sit.
And Easter-Terme, like Churc [...]-mens [...]aster-Booke▪
Much Gold and Gaine then to themselues they hooke.
Trinity-Terme, so call'd, because the Law
Three Persons alwayes doth together draw;
To wit, [...]he Iudge, Lawyer, and Clyent poore,
Who trauailes vp to pay the Lawyers-Score.

EPIG. 57. To Faustine.

THat my Booke's Good (thou Faustine) saidst to me,
If it be Good, would I my Booke might be.

EPIG. 65. A Widdow.

HE which for's Wife a Widdow doth obtayne,
Doth like to those which Buy-Clothes in Long-Lane;
One Cote's not fit, Another's too-too-old,
Their faults I know not, but th'are manifold.

Epig. 78. Doctor Ios. Hals Vowes and Meditations.

THou Vowed'st Vowes, fit to be Vow'd,
Worth Reading Workes dost write:
He's blest that Reades thy Vowes, if hee
To doe them take delight.

EPIG. 95. The forsaken Louer.

EVen as Hell-fire doth Burne, but doth not Shine:
So thine not Shines, but sorely burnes my Heart:
But towards Thee, like Heau'nly fire is wine,
It Shines on Thee, not burnes thee, that's my smart:
Oh if thy Loue still burne and giue no Light,
My shining flame, it selfe will waste out quite.

EPIG. 98. The Epitaph of C [...]oesus and Irus.

VNder this Stone, lyes Croesus buryed;
Wher's Irus then? Here, All are Poore when Dead.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the second Booke.

EPIG. 9. Wheele-Greace.

MEn, th' Axeltree doe Greaze, that they may n't screake;
But, Lawyers must be Greaz'd to make them speake.

EPIG. 17. Against a certaine Drunkard.

MVch Prattling causeth greatest Thirstinesse,
Thy Wife Talkes more then Thou, why Drinkes Shee Lesse?

EPIG. 49. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Christ.

INto this World, Coelestiall Caesar came ▪
Mans Mis [...]ry with Mercies-Eye Hee Saw;
He, Death O're-came to his immortall fame,
Then, Him, to's Throne of Mercy did with-draw;
He came, O're-Came, He Saw, fore-saw all things,
All this He did, that we might Raigne as Kings.

EPIG. 58. A Pure Sacrifice.

THis World was on [...]e the Temple of the Lord;
The C [...]osse, the [...]l [...]tar; Christ the Sacrifice;
Chri [...]t, God and M [...]n, our High-Priest paid the Price,
To th' Altar like a Lambe fast bound with Cord.

EPIG. 71. Of the King, Law and People.

THe King's the She [...]heard; Men, are Sheepe;
Lawes, are their Pasture faire;
The Flocke being Ill, the King [...] great Skill,
By's Lawes their Hurts repaire.

EPIG. 78. The Deuils Force and Fraud.

THe Diuell, like a Lion fierce,
Runnes all the World about;
Each wand'ri [...]g Soule that he may Slay,
Like Wind his Rage flyes-out:
Yea, like a Foxe most f [...]audulent,
Satan spreads priuate Nets;
Thus whom by Force he cannot force,
By subtill Snares he gets.

EPIG. 79. Precept, Practice.

THe learned Preachers Words, though plaine,
To Plaine-men Truth may Preach;
But Pastours pious Practice, doth
A Holy-Life them Teach:
Th [...]t Doctour is Diu [...]ne, indeed,
Whi [...]h by Good-Workes, proues Words;
More Harme doe Ill-Examples breed,
Than Good-Words, Good affords.

EPIG. 84. Against Couetous-Men. Sell all that thou hast, and giue it to the Poore.

AH, Killing-Letter, Out-Alas,
What's this? thus Diues cryes;
What meanes the Holy-Ghost? sayes hee,
Sell All? can such be wise?
What meanes the Holy Ghost? Thou Wretch,
He meanes, what Thou ne're thought;
He will Giue All vnto the Poore,
And thou wilt Giue them Nought.

EPIG. 87. Man, a Hunter, a Fisher, a Fowler.

MAn, Hunts for Wealth and Riches store,
Spreads Nets for Dignities;
[Page]And like a Fisher, sounds the Dep [...]h
Of Deepest Mysteries;
But whiles, fond Man doth fish to know,
With Pride, Preferments watcheth;
And Auaricious, Riches seekes,
He shame and blame oft catcheth.

EPIG. 26. Christ a Diuine, a Phisician, a Lawyer.

CHrist, a Diuine, Phisician, was whiles heere;
In Heau'n He shall a Iudge most Iust appeare.

EPIG. 43. Baptisme, to a Iew.

BAptisme doth Wash, but Circumcision Wound:
The Lawes dire Launch, Christs Washing makes most sound.
FINIS.

EPIGRAMS.
Out of the third-Booke.

EPIG. 9. Matrimoniall Rule.

THe Nightly Gouernment, is due
Vnto the Female kind;
And vnto Masculines, to Rule
Ith' Day, it is assign'd:
And this we see Experience prooues,
For Cynthia Rules the Night:
And Phoebus rayes his Rule displayes,
Who in the Day shines bright.

EPIG. 10. Against a certaine Proud-Woman.

A Feather o're thy Head thou ha [...]t,
And Corke vnder thy feet;
Both these declare, though thou be faire,
Thee to be fond and fleet.

EPIG. 11. Faith.

MY Eyes ith' Skies the twinkling Starres,
The Pole, Opinion spyes:
So with mine Eye I view Heauen high;
My Faith, my God descryes.

EPIG. 13. Contempt of the World.

WOuldst Liue a Good-Life? then, this Life despise;
'T's a wretched Life this Life highly to Prize.

EPIG. 19. Knowledge, Loue.

TWo things there be, which I must Know ▪
And two things I must Loue;
God and My-selfe, God and my Friend,
These, Knowledge, Loue, approue.

EPIG. 21. Of God and the World.

GOd is not in this World, the World's in God:
We are ith' World, O, would we were in God

EPIG. 22. The right of First-fruits and Tithes.

GOd's Al [...]ha and Omega, therefore Hee
Must of thy Goods the Tithes and First-fruits, see.

EPIG. 50. Grauity, Leuity.

THough, Grossenes, Lightnes, cleane contrary bee,
A Light-Head, Grosse-Head, I'd not wish to Mee;
Both which are [...]ad▪ and such a Wife I hate,
A Light or Lewd, a Grosse or Grieuous Mate.

EPIG. 52. Schoole-Diuines.

WHat profits all thy Learned-Skill?
If Vertue thou neglect;
Leaue off to Search the Truth of Things,
And Good Things more affect.

EPIG. 58. Democritus, Heraclitus.

DEmocritus, Mens falls and faults,
In his Times, did Lament;
Hera [...]litus, Mens Foolishn [...]sse,
Did Laugh-at with Contempt:
And euer more such Wretches vile,
And Fooles will still remayne:
[Page]That, if they Liu'd, from Laughes and Teares,
They neuer could refraine.

EPIG. 60. Against Arrogant, Ignorant Linus.

A Two-fold Ignorance hath thee
O Linus, captiuated,
Thou Knowest Nought, yet Nought to Know,
Thou wilt not be Conceited.

EPIG. 65. Against a Couetous Niggard.

TO Count thy Coyne is nothing worth,
T' Encrease the Heape's as small;
As much to Multiply; Deuide;
Then I'le thee wealthy call.

EPIG. 67. Against the Writers of this Age.

WE Crop the To [...]s of others Crop,
Old-Writers Workes most rare:
The most of vs which now doe write,
Old-Writers Eccho's are.

The Authours Desire. A Good-mans Desire. EPIG. 69.

WIth Wealth I wish-not Bags and Chests to stuffe
To [...]-much, Too-little's Ill; Enough's Enough.

EPIG. 78. Christs Life and Death.

MVch hath Christ Done and Much Endur'd,
All, for vn-worthy M [...]e,
His Passions shew'd Him to be Man,
His Actions, God to bee.

EPIG. 79. The Wise-Mens Starre.

A Starre to Math'mat [...]cks vnknowne,
At Christs Birth shining bright,
The Gent [...]le-Typing Wise-Men led
To Christ the Lord of Light:
This Heau'nly Guide di [...] w [...]th them [...]ide,
Till they found Christ their Ki [...],
Heau'n grant I pray, Faith, my Starre, may,
Me also to Him bring.

EPIG. 83. Of the Deluge and Worlds-End.

THe crying Crimes of Noah [...] Times
For foule-Lust-burni [...]g Loue,
Were Drown'd & Drench't, that Heat wa [...] Quench't,
With Water from aboue:
This Freezing Age of Frosty Loue,
And Key-cold Charity,
Will in due Time, for this Cold Crime,
Make All with Fire to fry
By Compositions, thus Phisicians
Make Contraries to Cure,
[Page]And Heau'ns Phisician, Frost with Flames,
Water with Fire can Pure.

EPIG. 86. Of the Iust and vniust.

PLeasure, the Good; but Paine attends the Bad:
This frights th' Vniust; tother the Iust makes glad.

EPIG. 88. Our Redeemer.

WOrth Sight, but Thee, ith' World I nothing See,
And I am wise in nothing but in Thee;
My Sunne thou art, by Grace Shine in my Heart,
Thou, Thou, alone my Sole, Sweet Sauiour, art.

EPIG. 91. A Paradox.

TO Hell, though euery wretched Atheist goes,
In Hell's no Atheist; there, He, Hell well knowes.

EPIG. 94. Difference betwixt a Good King and a Tyrant.

A Good- King marks what's godly, iust and right,
A Tyrant mindes his strict Command & Might;
I, Good- Kings Power preferre 'fore Tyrants Pray,
Th' Ones threates are treates, the Others Pay's, De­cay.

EPIG. 95. Against a certaine —.

FOr Mad-men Bedlem; Bride well's for a Knaue,
Choose, wheth'r of these two, thou hadst rather haue.

EPIG. 98: Life-Bloud.

MOses the Life of All, ith' Bloud did place:
My Life, in Christs Bloud hath his onely Grace.

EPIG. 100. Against a Foolish Writer.

THy Booke's aeternall (if such Bookes may bee)
Beginning none, nor End of it I see.

EPIG. 102. Vpon the Death of Prince Henry. 1612.

DEad is that Prince, whom Dead we may lament,
With Flouds of Teares, till Teares last Drops bee spent,
Our Albions Hope, Glory of Britaines King,
Arts Prop, Warres Piller, Vertues hopefull Spring.
To whom none e're came neere, but his deare Brother,
Saue his sweet Sister, neuer such Another.
[Page]A Prince much Honour'd Liuing; Lou'd when Dead,
Hi [...] Nations Light, Delight, whiles Li [...]e Hee led.
Whiles I these things wich Teare-swolne eies sigh-out,
From both my Springs Teares gush- [...]orth all about.
Beleeue me (Reade [...]) if what's Griefe thou know,
Sighes stop my Speech; I weepe, Teares ouer-flow.

His Epitaph.

Herr [...] lyes (dry Eyes, reade not this Epitaph)
Kings, Queenes, Prince, Princesse, Peoples hopeful Staffe.

Omnis Gloria Deo debita.

FINIS.

To the Excellent Translatour of the EPIGRAMS of Master IOHN OWEN, Master IOHN VICARS.

OWen doth owe thee much, that thou hast so
Transplanted these his Plants, & made th [...]m grow
Within our Soyle: and we owe much to eyther,
T' Him that them set, to Thee that brought'st them hither.

Idem ad Lectorem.

Wouldst thou know where Wits Quintessence doth lye?
Read these few Leaues thou'lt see it by-and-by.
Nathaniel Hall, Gent.

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