Epigrams, Book 7 – Book 8
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
HaueHave writ, in these our dayes:
Amongst the rest, hauehave 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▪
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 giuegive,
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 hauehave foure Termes, to which they frame
A most significant and proper name:
First▪ Michelmasse, from th' Angell *Because on our Eng…sh Gold was stamped the Image of the Angell Michael.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 LoueLove still burne and giuegive no Light,
My shining flame, it selfe will waste out quite.
EPIG. 98. The Epitaph of C…oesus and Irus.
VNderUnder 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 giuegive 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 GiueGive All vntounto the Poore,
And thou wilt GiueGive them Nought.
EPIG. 87. Man, a Hunter, a Fisher, a Fowler.
MAn, Hunts for Wealth and Riches store,
Spreads Nets for Dignities;
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.