That hence are gone or here remains, in court or

other where:

A folemn filence was proclaim'd, the judges fat and heard

What truth could tell, or craft could fain, and who fhould be prefer'd :

Then beauty flept before the bar, whose brest and neck was bare,

With hair trust up, and on hér head a caul of gold the ware.

Thus Cupids thralles began the flock, whose hungry eyes did fay,

That she had stained all the dames, that prefent were that day.

For ere the spake with whispering words, the praife was fild throughout,

And fancy forced common voice, thereat to give a fhout.

Which cried to fame take forth thy trump, and

found her praife on hy,

That glads the heart of every wight, that her be holds with eye.

What ftir and rule (quod order than) do these rude people make?

We hold her beft that fhall deserve a praise for virtues fake.

This fentence was no fooner faid, but beauty therewith blufht,

The noife did ceafe, the hal was ftill and every thing was hufht.

Then finehefs thought by training talk to win that beauty loft,

And whet her tongue with jolly words, and fparred for no cot;

Yet wantoneffe could not abide, but broke her tale in haft,

And peevish pride for peacocks plumes would needs be hieft plast.

And therewithal came curiousnesse and carped out of frame,

The audience laught to hear the ftrife, as they

beheld the fame.

that if he might,

Songes written by N. G. of the Nine Muses.
Imps of kyng Jove, and queen remembraunce lo
The fifters nine, the poets pleafant feres.
Caliope doth ftately tyle beftowe,
And worthy praifes payntes of princely peres:
Clion in foleinn fonges reneweth all day,
With prefent yeres conjoyning age by past,
Delightful talke loves comical Thaley,
In fresh grene youth, who doth lyke lawrel'laft:
With voices tragicall, foundes Melpomen
And as with cheynes thallured care the byndes.
Her ftringes, when Terpefcor doth touch, even
then

She toucheth hartes, and raigneth in mens myndes:
Fyne Erato, whofe looke a lyvely chere
Prefents in dancing, kepes a comely grace,
With femely gefture doth Polomyne ftere,
Whose woordes whole routes of rankes do rule in
place.

Urany her globes to view all bent,
The ninefold heaven obferves with fixed face;
The blaftes Eutrepe tunes of inftrument,
With folace fweet, hence my heavy dumpes to
chafe.

Lord Phæbus, in the myddes, (whofe heavenly

But of the dede the glory fhall remayne,
And cause your name with worthy wights to
raigne.

In working wrong, if pleasure you attaine,
The pleasure foon fhall vade, and void as vaine.
But of the dede throughout the lyfe the fhame
Endures, defacing you with foul defame,

And still torments the minde both night and day;
Scant length of time the spot can wafhe away.
Flee then ill fuading pleasures, baites untrue,
And noble vertues fayre renowne pursue.

Defcription of virtue.

WHAT one art thou, thus in torn wedey clad?
Vertue in price, whom auncient fages had.
Why poorely rayde? for fading goodes peast care.
Why double faced? I marke eche fortunes fare.
This bridle what? Myndes rages to restraine.
Fooles why beare you? I love to take great

payne.

Why winges? I teach above the starres to flye. Why treade you death? I onely cannot dye.

Praife of measure-keeping.

THE ancient time commended not for nought;
The meane what better thinge there be fought.
In meane is virtue placed on eyther fide,
Both right and left amiffe a man fhall flyde.
Icar, with fire hadft thou the midway flowne,
Icarian beck by name had no man knowne.
If myddle path kept had proud Phaton
No burning brand this earth had faine upon :
Ne cruel power, ne none fo foft can raigne,
That kepes a meane, the fame shall ftill remaync.
The Julie once dyed, to much mercy spill;
The Nero ftern, rigor extreme dyd kill.
How could Auguft fo many yeres well paffe,
Nor over meke nor over fierce he was:
Worship not Jove with curious fancies vaine,
Nor him defpife; hold right atwene these twaine :
No waftfull wight, no gredy gutt is prazed,
Stand largeffe just in egall ballance payde:
So Catoes meal furmountes Antonius chere,
And better fame his fober fare hath here
To flender building bad as bad to grofle?
One an eye fore, the tother falles to loffe.
As medicines helpe in meafure, fo (God wot)
By overmuch the ficke their bane have got.
Unmete me femes to utter this mo waies;
Measure forbiddes unmeasurable praise.

In bodies luft man doth refemble but base brute, True vertue geates and keeps a frende: good guyde of our purfute, [cafe: Whofe hearty zeale with ours accordes in every No terme of time, no space of place, no storme can

it deface.

When fickle fortune failes, this knot endureth fill.

The kin out of their kind may fwerve, when frendes owe thee good will:

Upon whofe breft theu mayst repofe the fecrets of

When fweter folace fhall befall, then one to finde,

thy minde?

Scipio with Lelius didit thou conjoyne in care; At home in warres for weale and wo, with equal faith to fare.

Gifippus eke with Tyte, Damon with Pythias; And with Menethus' fonne Achill by the combyned was :

Eurialus and Nifus gave Virgil caufe to fing
Of Pylades do many rymes and of Orcftes ring:
Downe Thefeus went to hell, Pirith his frende to
finde;

O that the wyves in these our daies wer to their mates fo kynd!

Cicero the frendly man, to Atticus, his frende, Of friendship wrote, fuch couples, lo! doth lot, but feldom lend,

Recount thy race now ronne, how few fhalt thou there fee, [mec:

Of whom to fay this fame is he that never failed So rare a jewell then must nedes be holden dere, And as thou wilt efteem thy felfe, fo take thy chofen fere;

The tyrant in difpaire no lacke of gold bewayles, But out, I am undone (faith he) for all my friendfhips failes;

Wherefore fince nothing is more kyndly for our kynde,

Next wifdome thus that teacheth us, love wee the frendly minde.

The death of Zoreas, an Egyptian aftronomer, in the first fight that Alexander bad with the Perfians

Now clattring armes, now raging broyles of warre,
Gan palle the noys of dredfull trumpetts clang,
Shrowded with fhafts, the heaven with clouds of
dartes,

Covered the ayre against full fatted bulles.
As forceth kyndled yre the lyons keene,
Whofe greedy gutts the gnawing hunger prickes:
So Macedons against the Perfians fair,
Now corpfes hyde the purpurde foyle with blood;
Large flaughter on eche fide, but Perses more,
Moyft fieldes he bled, theyr heartes and numbers
bate,

Fainted while they gave backe, and fall to flighte:
The litening Macedon by fwordes, by gleaves,
By bandes and troupes of footemen, with his garde,

Speedes to dary, but hym his merest kyn,
Oxate preferves with horsemen on a plumpe
Before his carr, that none his charge should give :
Here grunts, here groans, eche where strong youth
is fpent:

Shaking her bloudy hands, Bellone among
The Perfes foweth all kind of cruel death:
With throte ycut he roares, he lyeth along,
His entrailes with a launce through gyrded quyte,
Hym fmytes the club, hym woundes farre ftryk-
ing bowe,

And him the fling, and him the fhining fword:
He dyeth, he is all dead, he pantes, he reftes.
Right over ftoode in snow white armor brave,
The Memphite Zoroas, a cunnyng clarke,
To whom the heaven lay open as his booke;
And in celeftiall bodies he could tell
The moving meeting light afpect eclips,
And influence, and conftellations all;
What earthly chaunces would betyde, what yere
Of plenty ftorde, what figne forewarned death,
How winter gendreth fnow, what temperature
In the primetyde doth season well the foyle,
Why funimer burnes, why autumne hath ripe
grapes,

Whither the circle quadrate may become,
Whether our tunes heaven's harmony can yelde,
Of four begyns among themfelves howe great
Proportion is; what fway the erryng lightes
Doth send in course gayne that fyrst movyng hea.

ven;

What grees one from another diftant be,
What itarr doth let the hurtful! fyre to rage,
Or him more mylde what oppofition makes,
What fyre doth qualifye Mavorfe's fyre,
What houfe eche one doth feeke, what planett
raignes

Within this heaven sphere, or that small thynges,
I fpeake, whole heaven he clofeth in his breft.
This fage then in the ftarres hath spyed the fates
Threatned him death without delay, and fith
He faw he could not fatall order chaunge,
Foreward he preft in battayle, that he might
Mete with the rulers of the Macedons,
Of his right hand defirous to be flain,

The bouldeft bourne, and worthieft in the feilde;
And as a wight, now wery of his lyfe,
And feking death in fyrft front of his rage,
Comes defperately to Alexander's face,
At him with dartes one after other throwes,
With reckleffe words,and clamour him provokes,
And fayth, Nectanak's bastard fhamefull ftayne
Of mothers bed, why lofeft thou thy ftrokes,
Cowardes among, turne thee to me, in cafe
Manhood there be fo much left in thy heart:
Come fight with me, that on my helmet weare
Apollo's laurell both for learninges laude,
And cke for martiall praise, that in my fhielde
The feven-fold fophie of Minerve contein,
A match more mete fyr king then any here.
The noble prince amoved takes ruth upon
The wilfull wight, and with foft words ayen,
O monftrous nian (quoth he) what fo thou art,
I pray thee live, ne do not with thy death
This lodge of lore, the mufe's mansion marre;

But of the dede the glory fhall remayne,
And cause your name with worthy wights to
raigne.

In working wrong, if pleasure you attaine,
The pleasure foon fhall vade, and void as vaine.
But of the dede throughout the lyfe the shame
Endures, defacing you with foul defame,

And ftill torments the minde both night and day;
Scant length of time the spot can wafhe away.
Flce then ill fuading pleasures, baites untrue,
And noble vertues fayre renowne pursue.

Defcription of virtue.

WHAT one art thou, thus in torn wedey clad?
Vertue in price, whom auncient fages had.
Why poorely rayde? for fading goodes peast care.
Why double faced? I marke eche fortunes fare.
This bridle what? Myndes rages to reftraine.
Fooles why beare you? I love to take great

payne.

Why winges? I teach above the ftarres to flye. Why treade you death? I onely cannot dye.

Praife of measure-keeping.

THE ancient time commended not for nought;
The meane what better thinge there be fought.
In meane is virtue placed on eyther fide,
Both right and left amiffe a man fhall flyde.
Icar, with fire hadft thou the midway flowne,
Icarian beck by name had no man knowne.
If myddle path kept had proud Phaton
No burning brand this earth had faine upon :
Ne cruel power, ne none so soft can raigne,
That kepes a meane, the fame shall still remaync.
The Julie once dyed, to much mercy fpill;
The Nero ftern, rigor extreme dyd kill.
How could Auguft fo many yeres well paffe,
Nor over meke nor over fierce he was:
Worship not Jove with curious fancies vaine,
Nor him despise; hold right atwene these twaine :
No waftfull wight, no gredy gutt is prazed,
Stand largeffe juft in egall ballance payde:
So Catoes meal furmountes Antonius chere,
And better fame his fober fare hath here
To flender building bad as bad to grofle?
One an eye fore, the tother falles to loffe.
As medicines helpe in measure, fo (God wot)
By overmuch the ficke their bane have got.
Unmete me femes to utter this mo waies;
Measure forbiddes unmeasurable praise.

Man's life, after Poffidonius or Crates.

WHAT pathe lift you to treade? what trade will you affay?

When fickle fortune failes, this knot endureth ftill.
The kin out of their kind may fwerve, when
frendes owe thee good will:
When fweter folace fhall befall, then one to finde,

peace away.

thy minde?

He waileth at thy wo; his tears with thine be fhed; With thee doth he joys, fo lefe a lyfe is led. Behold thy frende, and of thy felf the paterne fee, One foul a wonder fhall it feeme in bodies twaine to be;

In abfence prefent rych in want, in fickneffe found, Ye after death alive, maist thou by thy fure frende be founde.

Eche house, eche towne, each realme by ftedfaft love doth ftande ;

Where foule debate bredes bitter bale in eche di

vided lande,

O friendship, flower of flowers! O lively fprite of lyfe!

O facred bond of blissful peace, the ftalworth ftanche of ftrife:

Scipio with Lelius didit thou conjoyne in care; At home in warres for weale and wo, with equal faith to fare.

Gifippus eke with Tyte, Damon with Pythias; And with Menethus' fonne Achill by the combyn ed was:

Eurialus and Nifus gave Virgil caufe to fing
Of Pylades do many rymes and of Oreftes ring:
Downe Thefeus went to hell, Pirith his frende to
finde;

O that the wyves in these our daies wer to their mates fo kynd!

Cicero the frendly man, to Atticus, his frende, Of friendship wrote, fuch couples, lo! doth lot, but feldom lend,

Recount thy race now ronne, how few shalt thou

there fee,

[mee: Of whom to fay this fame is he that never failed So rare a jewell then muft nedes be holden dere, And as thou wilt efteem thy felfe, fo take thy chofen fere;

The tyrant in difpaire no lacke of gold bewayles, But out, I am undone (faith he) for all my friendfhips failes;

Wherefore fince nothing is more kyndly for our kynde,

Next wifdome thus that teacheth us, love wee the frendly minde.

The death of Zoreas, an Egyptian aftronomer, in the first fight that Alexander bad with the Perfians

Now clattring armes, now raging broyles of warre,
Gan paffe the noys of dredfull trumpetts clang,
Shrowded with fhafts, the heaven with clouds of
dartes,

Covered the ayre against full fatted bulles.
As forceth kyndled yre the lyons keene,
Whole greedy gutts the gnawing hunger prickes:
So Macedons against the Perfians fair,
Now corpfes hyde the purpurde foyle with blood;
Large flaughter on cche side, but Perses more,
Moyft fieldes he bled, theyr heartes and numbers
bate,
Fainted while they gave backe, and fall to flighte:
The litening Macedon by fwordes, by gleaves,
By bandes and troupes of footemen, with his garde,

Speedes to dary, but hym his mereft kyn,
Oxate preferves with horsemen on a plumpe
Before his carr, that none his charge thould give:
Here grunts, here groans, eche where strong youth
is spent :

Shaking her bloudy hands, Bellone among
The Perfes foweth all kind of cruel death:
With throte ycut he roares, he lyeth along,
His entrailes with a launce through gyrded quyte,
Hym fmytes the club, hym woundes farre ftryk-
ing bowe,

And him the fling, and him the fhining fword:
He dyeth, he is all dead, he pantes, he reftes.
Right over ftoode in fnow white armor brave,
The Memphite Zoroas, a cunnyng clarke,
To whom the heaven lay open as his booke;
And in celeftiall bodies he could tell
The moving meeting light aspect eclips,
And influence, and conftellations all;
What earthly chaunces would betyde, what yere
Of plenty ftorde, what figne forewarned death,
How winter gendreth fnow, what temperature
In the primetyde doth season well the foyle,
Why fummer burnes, why autumne hath ripe

ven;

What grees one from another diftant be,
What itarr doth let the hurtful! fyre to rage,
Or him more mylde what oppofition makes,
What fyre doth qualifye Mavorse's fyre,
What house eche one doth feeke, what planett
raignes

Within this heaven fphere, or that small thynges,
I fpeake, whole heaven he closeth in his breft.
This fage then in the ftarres hath spyed the fates
Threatned him death without delay, and fith
He faw he could not fatall order chaunge,
Foreward he preft in battayle, that he might
Mete with the rulers of the Macedons,
Of his right hand defirous to be flain,
The bouldeft bourne, and worthieft in the feilde;
And as a wight, now wery of his lyfe,
And feking death in fyrft front of his rage,
Comes desperately to Alexander's face,
At him with dartes one after other throwes,
With reckleffe words,and clamour him provokes,
And fayth, Ne&anak's bastard shamefull stayne
Of mothers bed, why lofeft thou thy strokes,
Cowardes among, turne thee to me, in cafe
Manhood there be fo much left in thy heart:
Come fight with me, that on my helmet weare
Apollo's laurell both for learninges laude,
And eke for martiall praise, that in my shielde
The feven-fold fophie of Minerve contein,
A match more mete fyr king then any here.
The noble prince amoved takes ruth upon
The wilfull wight, and with foft words ayen,
O monftrous man (quoth he) what fo thou art,
I pray thee live, ne do not with thy death
This lodge of lore, the mufe's mansion marre;