of life, his compassion for the weak, his sympathy with the lowly, his determination to make the best of everything, and to show the good hidden away under the evil. "Toil, envy, want, the patron and the jail,” these he knew from bitter experience, yet never allowed them to overcloud his buoyant spirits, but made them serve his artistic purposes. Joyousness is the prevailing note of his work, mingled with a pathetic undertone of patience. FROM THE GUL'S HORNE BOOKE' HOW A GALLANT SHOULD BEHAVE HIMSELF IN POWLES WALK * ow for your venturing into the Walke: be circumspect and wary what piller you come in at, and take heed in any case (as you love the reputation of your honour) that you avoide the serving-man's dogg; but bend your course directly in the middle line, that the whole body of the Church may appear to be yours; where, in view of all, you may publish your suit in what manner you affect most, either with the slide of your cloake from the one shoulder, and then you must (as twere in anger) suddenly snatch at the middle of the inside (if it be taffata at the least) and so by the meanes your costly lining is betrayed, or else by the pretty advantage of complement. But one note by the way do I especially wooe you to, the neglect of which makes many of our gallants cheape and ordinary; that you by no means be seen above fowre turnes, but in the fifth make your selfe away, either in some of the Sempsters' shops, the new Tobacco-office, or amongst the Bookesellers, where, if you cannot reade, exercise your smoke, and inquire who has writ against this divine weede, &c. For this withdrawing yourselfe a little will much benefite your suit, which else by too long walking would be stale to the whole spectators: but howsoever, if Powles Jacks be up with their elbowes, and quarrelling to strike eleven, as soone as ever the clock has parted them and ended the fray with his hammer, let not the Duke's gallery conteyne you any longer, but passe away apace in open view. In which departure, if by chance. you either encounter, or aloofe off throw your inquisitive eye upon any knight or squire, being your familiar, salute him not. *The middle aisle of St. Paul's in London was the fashionable walk. 4524 by his name of Sir such a one, or so, but call him Ned or Jack, &c. This will set off your estimation with great men: and if (tho there bee a dozen companies betweene you, tis the better) hee call aloud to you (for thats most gentile), to know where he shall find you at two a clock, tell him at such an Ordinary, or such; and bee sure to name those that are deerest: and whither none but your gallants resort. After dinner you may appeare againe, having translated yourselfe out of your English cloth cloak, into a light Turky-grogram (if you have that happiness of shifting) and then be seene (for a turn or two) to correct your teeth with some quill or silver instrument, and to cleanse your gummes with a wrought handkercher: It skilles not whether you dinde or no (thats best knowne to your stomach) or in what place you dinde, though it were with cheese (of your owne mother's making, in your chamber or study). . Suck this humour up especially. Put off to none, unlesse his hatband be of a newer fashion than yours, and three degrees quainter; but for him that wears a trebled cipres about his hatte (though he were an Alderman's sonne), never move to him; for hees suspected to be worse than a gull and not worth the putting off to, that cannot observe the time of his hatband, nor know what fashioned block is most kin to his head: for in my opinion, ye braine that cannot choose his felt well (being the head ornament) must needes powre folly into all the rest of the members, and be an absolute confirmed foule in Summâ Totali. The great . dyal is your last monument; these bestow some half of the threescore minutes, to observe the sawciness of the Jaikes that are above the man in the moone there; the strangenesse of the motion will quit your labour. Besides you may heere have fit occasion to discover your watch, by taking it forth and setting the wheeles to the time of Powles, which, I assure you, goes truer by five notes then S. Sepulchers chimes. The benefit that will arise from hence is this, that you publish your charge in maintaining a gilded clocke; and withall the world shall know that you are a time-server. By this I imagine you have walkt your bellyful, and thereupon being weary, or (which rather I believe) being most gentlemanlike hungry, it is fit that I brought you in to the Duke; so (because he follows the fashion of great men, in keeping no house, and that therefore you must go seeke your dinner) suffer me to take you by the hand, and lead you into an Ordinary. DR SLEEP O BUT consider what an excellent thing sleep is; it is so in estimable a jewel that if a tyrant would give his crown for an hour's slumber, it cannot be bought; yea, so greatly are we indebted to this kinsman of death, that we owe the better tributary half of our life to him; and there is good cause why we should do so; for sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. Who complains of want, of wounds, of cares, of great men's oppressions, of captivity, whilst he sleepeth? Beggars in their beds take as much pleasure as kings. Can we therefore surfeit on this delicate ambrosia? Can we drink too much of that, whereof to taste too little tumbles us into a churchyard; and to use it but indifferently throws us into Bedlam? No, no. Look upon Endymion, the moon's minion, who slept threescore and fifteen years, and was not a hair the worse for it. Can lying abed till noon then, being not the threescore and fifteenth thousand part of his nap, be hurtful? THE PRAISE OF FORTUNE From Old Fortunatus' ORTUNE Smiles, cry holiday! Fortune frowns, cry well-a-day! Her love is heaven, her hate is hell. Tremble when her eyes do lower. Since heaven and hell her power obey, When she smiles, cry holiday! Holiday with joy we cry, And bend and bend, and merrily Sing hymns to Fortune's deity, Sing hymns to Fortune's deity. Chorus Let us sing merrily, merrily, merrily, With our songs let heaven resound. Fortune's hands our heads have crowned. Let us sing merrily, merrily, merrily. A CONTENT From Patient Grissi RT thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers? Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed? O punishment! Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexed Work apace, apace, apace, apace, Then hey nonny, nonny; hey nonny, nonny. Canst drink the waters of the crispèd spring? Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own tears Then he that patiently Want's burden bears No burden bears, but is a king, a king. O sweet Content, O sweet, O sweet Content! RUSTIC SONG From The Sun's Darling' AYMAKERS, rakers, reapers, and mowers, Hˆ Wait on your Summer Queen! Dress up with musk-rose her eglantine bowers, Daffodils strew the green! Sing, dance, and play, 'Tis holiday! The sun does bravely shine On our ears of corn. Rich as a pearl Comes every girl. This is mine, this is mine, this is mine. Let us die ere away they be borne. Bow to our Sun, to our Queen, and that fair one Each bonny lass here is counted a rare one, As those in princes' courts. These and we With country glee, Will teach the woods to resound, And the hills with echoes hollow. Their bleating dams 'Mongst kids shall trip it round; For joy thus our wenches we follow. Wind, jolly huntsmen, your neat bugles shrilly, Spring up, you falconers, partridges freely, Over ridge, over plain, The dogs have the stag in chase: So ho! ho! through the skies How the proud birds flies, And sousing, kills with a grace! Now the deer falls; hark! how they ring. |