Short Poems

D ACCUS is all bedaub'd with golden lace,
Hose, doublet, ierkins, and gamashes too;
Yet is he foolish, rude and beastly-base;
Crowes like a cocke, but like a crauen does;
Then hee's (to prise him nought his worth beneath)
A leaden rapier in a golden sheath.

B ATTUS doth bragg he hath a world of books
His Studie's mawe holds more then well it may:
But seld, or neuer hee vpon them looks:
And yet he lookes vpon them every day:
He lookes vpon their out-syde, but within
He neuer looks, nor euer will begin:
Because it cleane against his nature goes
To know mens secrets; so, he keepes them close.

T ORACCO is a weed of so great powre,
That it (like Earth) doth what it feedes deuoure.

I VSTICE Clophinus holds (what wise men hate)
That simple men best sute a citties state:
If one more then himselfe do wit reueale,
Hee's no fit member for his common weale:
Plaine simple men (saith he) to wit, plaine fooles,
Should gouerne simple men by Reasons rules:
If this may be, the reason would I know,
How fooles that reason want should reason show.

The Romaine Publius and Laberins,
(Two poets whome great Cæsar fauorèd).
Their skill that Cæsar held most serious
Though by most Cæsars now disfauourèd:
Why should not poetry please these great Kesars?
It is because those Kesars are no Cæsars.

Lassus is strong and most vindicatiue,
Yet weakely manageth his bralls with blame:
With his owne shade (if foes should faile) hee'le striue
And yet of euery foe he gets but shame:
Then may we say (experience prouing it)
He hath a giants will but dwarfish wit.

Classes still sleepes out sermons (as they say
That watching haue obseru'd him): Then we may
Say he is like a coarse, the Preacher making
His funerall sermon to his neighbours waking.

B ATTUS his braine is burning to the pan
And yet his wit feeles no effect of fire:
Yet is he held a nimble-witted man,
Because his wit doth like a flame aspire:
Indeede, his wit a flame we well may call,
Which at the high'st, is hot'st: yet passing small.

V LALIA spends herselfe for precious stones;
They must be precious that are bought so deere:
But, were she wise, she would buy marrow-bones:
For all her bones that full of marrow were,
Are dry and rotten, sith so deere she bought
Those precious stones that brought her quight to nought.

Sir Solus straight will trauell (as they say)
And giues out one for three, when home comes hee;
But three to one he neuer will away
Vntill he hath not one to giue for three:
For here hee's held by one that him will weare
Till shee hath made him bare not worth an haire:
Then if he go hee needs must go alone,
Because to go with him he hath not one.