And gather (friend) but neyther spight nor spoyle, He finely findes their faultes, whose welth doth foster wrong, Who toucheth sinne (without offence) must plainly sing his song. His loftie vaine in verse, his stately stile in prose, A. W. IN COMMENDATION OF GAS- bir foes. [knit, COIGNES POSIES. Wherwith to Mars his might, his lustie limmes are I PRAYSED once a booke (whereby I purchast By proofe of late appeared (how so reportes here Thus late with Mars in field, a lustie Souldiour The which (percase) set here againe, no pleasant Yet who mislyketh most, the worst will hardly P. B. TO SUCH AS HAVE HERETOFORE GAYNST good deserts, both pride and enuie swell, name. Are brutall things, transferred so to men? As nowe beholde, he here presentes to thee, The Hearbes to graue conceyt, and skilfull age, The fragrant Flowers to sent of yonger smell: The worthlesse Weedes, to rule the wantonrage Of recklesse heades, he giues: then vse them well: blame) And venturde for to write a verse, before I knewe So that I was deceyude, for when it came to light, Thus lept I ere I lookt, and wandred ere I wist, skill) And yet the booke was good, (by hap and not my [wordes fulfill. But not a booke of such contentes, as might my Well now I neede not feare, these Posies here to prayse, Bicause I knew them euery flower, and where they And sure for my conceyt, euen when they bloom- And some (which like none herbe but sage) say Yet Finkell is of force, and Gillyflowers are good, abide no colde. And Batchlers buttons be, the brauest to beholde, But sure that flower were best not grow, which can [uious windes, For slaunder blowes so shrill, with easterne enAnd frosts of frumps so nip the rootes, of vertuous meaning minds protected, That few good flowers can thriue, vnlesse they be Such was his hap, when first in hande he tooke, By labor long, to bring to light this Booke. Yet hath he not (for all this) seemde to cease, Those Flowers fresh againe in ground to set, And yeeld them earth to bring forth their increase, With other slippes from forraine soyle yfet. Which he hath gaynde by hazarde of his life, In bloudie broyles, where pouldred shot was rife. This endlesse toyle, contented well his minde, Hope helde the helme, his Fame on shore to set: His deepe desire, was friendship for to finde, At readers handes, he nought else sought to get: Wherefore (doubtlesse) they did him double wrong, Which F. and I. mysconstrued haue so long. Yet least I should passe from the golden ground, Of Gascoignes plat, wherein those Posies grew, I list to tell what Flowers there I found, And paint by penne, the honour to him dew: Since that his toyle doth well deserue the same, And sacred skill hath so aduaunst his name. First did I finde the Flower of Fetters frute, Whereof my selfe haue tasted to my paine: Then might I see the Greene knight touch the Lute, Whose cordes were coucht on frettes of deepe disdaine: And likewise there, I might perceyue full well, That fragrant Flower which fansie bad Farewell. In fine I found the flowre that Bellum hight, Sweete vnto those, of sillie simple sense, Yet sharpe and sowre, to those that do delight In martiall martes, for gaine of peuish pense. Such buddes full braue, good Gascoignes Garden gaue To all estates, which list the same to haue. Wherefore (good friend) flie enuies yrkesome yre, And tred the trace, which Reasons rule hath wrought, Yeeld not disdeyne to Gascoigne for his hyre, Whose brused braine for thee these flowers hath sought. Least if thou do, the blame on thee do light, Such friendly paynes to recompence with spight. I.D. IN PRAYSE OF GASCOIGNES AND HIS POSIES. IF Virgill how to till the Earth, to euery man doth tell, [excell, And Galen he in Phisicks arte doth many men If Poets olde deseruen prayse, by paynting out aright, [that wright, The frutes of vice, as Ouid doth, and many mo By learned skill of many things: If such exalt their name, [of Ladie Fame: And for their hyre, deserued prayse by trumpe Why should the Authour of this booke then leese his due desart, [skilful arte? Sith he so freendly here to vs, hath shewed his The healthsome herbs and flowers sweet, frō weedes he hath diuided, The fruits of Giues in prison strōg he hath right wel decided. M. A. PERUGINO, A I LETTORI, CONCIOSIA la cosa che a'l bono vino, non ci bisogna la ghirlanda nientedi meno, l'opere virtuose meritano sempremai ogni laude, honore, & mercede. Tanto per essersi (nella natura loro, & di se stesse) piaccuole, grate, & piene, d'ogni contento, come per dare stimoli ad altrui d'imitar' i loro vestigy. In tanto lo stimo l'opera presente vn'essempio chiaro & raro della gloria Inghiese. Quando vi si truouano non salamête sonetti, rime, canzoni, & altre cose infinitamēte piaceuole, ma con cio non vi mancano discorse tragiche, moderne, & phylosophichæ, della Guerra, delli stati, & della vera Sapienza. Tutte procedute d'vn tal Iuchiostro, che lo (sendo forastiero) lo truouo vn' Immitatore di Petrarcha, Amico d'Ariosto, & Parangon di Bocaccio, Aretino, & ogni altro puéta quanto sia più famoso & eccellente dell' etá nostra. I. DE B. AUX LECTEURS. CEUX qui voiront, les Rymes de Gascoigne, (Estants François) se plaindront nuicts & iours Que la beauté & l'odeur de ces fleurs, A cest heur (de France) par Gascoign, tant s'esloigne. H. M. IN POEMATA GASCOIGNI CARMEN. Consona scripturis sacris, nec dissona rectis B. C. IN POEMATA GASCONI, CARMEN. Hæc tua Gasconi laus est, mercede remota G. H. PRO EODEM. QVISQUIS es hac nostri qui gaudes parte laboris, SI E. H. IN POËMATA GASCOIGNI, CARMEN Hæc tibi (seu Belgas repetas, Martemq. ferocem, Dixerit has aliquis Musas nimis esse iocosas, Seu patriam & Musas) inuiolata comes. Et iuuenum facile posse nocere animis. K. D. IN EUNDEM CARMEN. VIDERAT huius: ef. I. Titulum nomenq. Poæta, EIUSDEM DE EODEM. QVI quondam graue Martis opus, sub gente ne- Per sacrum te Hellicona tuus, per Thessala Insequor, æternumq. sequar, dum sydera mundum, P. W. IN GASCOIGNUM, CARMEN. quorum mentes, tenebræ, Caligoq. turpis Reade Virgills Pryapus, or Ouids wanton verse, Reade Faustoes filthy tale, in Ariostoes ryme, These things considered well, I trust they will Beleeue me Lordings all, it is a Poetes parte, And eke (a hore) a Hore, but yet in cleanly wordes, verse is taught, POEMS OF GEORGE GASCOIGNE FLOWERS. THE ANATOMYE OF A LOUER. TO make a louer knowne, by plaine Anatomie, You louers all that list beware, loe here behold you me. [might moue, Who though mine onely lookes, your pittie wel Yet euery part shall playe his part, to paint the panges of loue. If first my feeble head, haue so much matter left, If fansies raging force haue not, his feeble skill bereft. [dazled eyes, These lockes that hang vnkempt, these hollowe These chattering teeth, this trēbling tongue, well tewed with carefull cries. These wan and wrinkled cheekes, wel washt with waues of woe, [carkasse goe. Maye stand for patterne of a ghost, where so this These shoulders they sustaine, the yoake of heauy care, [I beare. And on my brused broken backe, the burden must These armes quite braunfalne are, with beating on my brest, [craueth rest: This right hand weary is to write, this left hand These sides enclose the forge, where sorrowe playes the smith, [mettall with. And hote desire, hath kindled fire, to worke this The Anuile is my heart, my thoughtes they strike the stroake, [sighes ascend for smoake. My lights and lunges like bellowes blow, and My secreete partes are so with secreete sorrow soken, As for the secreete shame thereof, deserues not to be spoken, [my feete, My thighes, my knees, my legges, and last of all To serue a louers turne, are so vnable and vnmeete, That scarce they sustaine vp, this restlesse body well, [doth dwell, Unlesse it be to see the boure, wherein my loue VOL. It. THE ARRAIGMENT OF A LOUER. My Lorde (quod I) this Lady here, Quod Beautie, no, it fitteth not, Then crafte the cryer cal'd a quest, |