The Shorter Poems

  That it to Leaches seemed strange and geason.

  My fortune was mongst manie others moe,

  To be partaker of their common woe;

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  And my weake bodie set on fire with griefe,

  Was rob’d of rest, and naturall reliefe.

  In this ill plight, there came to visite mee

  Some friends, who sorie my sad case to see,

  Began to comfort me in chearfull wise,

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  And meanes of gladsome solace to deuise.

  But seeing kindly sleep refuse to doe

  His office, and my feeble eyes forgoe,

  They sought my troubled sense how to deceaue

  With talke, that might vnquiet fancies reaue;

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  And sitting all in seates about me round,

  With pleasant tales (fit for that idle stound)

  They cast in course to waste the wearie howres:

  Some tolde of Ladies, and their Paramoures;

  Some of braue Knights, and their renowned Squires;

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  Some of the Faeries and their strange attires;

  And some of Giaunts hard to be beleeued,

  That the delight thereof me much releeued.

  Amongst the rest a good old woman was,

  Hight Mother Hubberd, who did farre surpas

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  The rest in honest mirth, that seem’d her well:

  She when her turne was come her tale to tell,

  Tolde of a strange aduenture, that betided

  Betwixt the Foxe and th’Ape by him misguided;

  The which for that my sense it greatly pleased,

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  All were my spirite heauie and diseased,

  Ile write in termes, as she the same did say,

  So well as I her words remember may.

  No Muses aide me needes heretoo to call;

  Base is the style, and matter meane withall.

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  ¶ Whilome (said she) before the world was ciuill,

  The Foxe and th’Ape disliking of their euill

  And hard estate, determined to seeke

  Their fortunes farre abroad, lyeke with his lyeke:

  For both were craftie and vnhappie witted;

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  Two fellowes might no where be better fitted.

  The Foxe, that first this cause of griefe did finde,

  Gan first thus plaine his case with words vnkinde.

  Neighbour Ape, and my Gossip eke beside,

  (Both two sure bands in friendship to be tide,)

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  To whom may I more trustely complaine

  The euill plight, that doth me sore constraine,

  And hope thereof to finde due remedie?

  Heare then my paine and inward agonie.

  Thus manie yeares I now haue spent and worne,

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  In meane regard, and basest fortunes scorne,

  Dooing my Countrey seruice as I might,

  No lesse I dare saie than the prowdest wight;

  And still I hoped to be vp aduaunced,

  For my good parts; but still it hath mischaunced.

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  Now therefore that no lenger hope I see,

  But froward fortune still to follow mee,

  And losels lifted vp on high, where I did looke,

  I meane to turne the next leafe of the booke.

  Yet ere that anie way I doo betake,

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  I meane my Gossip priuie first to make.

  Ah my deare Gossip, (answer’d then the Ape,)

  Deeply doo your sad words my wits awhape,

  Both for because your griefe doth great appeare,

  And eke because my selfe am touched neare:

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  For I likewise haue wasted much good time,

  Still wayting to preferment vp to clime,

  Whilest others alwayes haue before me stept,

  And from my beard the fat away haue swept;

  That now vnto despaire I gin to growe

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  And meane for better winde about to throwe.

  Therefore to me, my trustie friend, aread

  Thy councell: two is better than one head.

  Certes (said he) I meane me to disguize

  In some straunge habit, after vncouth wize,

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  Or like a Pilgrime, or a Lymiter,

  Or like a Gipsen, or a Iuggeler,

  And so to wander to the worlds ende,

  To seeke my fortune, where I may it mend:

  For worse than that I haue, I cannot meete.

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  Wide is the world I wote, and euerie streete

  Is full of fortunes, and aduentures straunge,

  Continuallie subiect vnto chaunge.

  Say my faire brother now, if this deuice

  Doth like you, or may you to like entice.

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  Surely (said th’Ape) it likes me wondrous well;

  And would ye not poore fellowship expell,

  My selfe would offer you t’accompanie

  In this aduentures chauncefull ieopardie.

  For to wexe olde at home in idlenesse,

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  Is disaduentrous, and quite fortunelesse:

  Abroad where change is, good may gotten bee.

  The Foxe was glad, and quickly did agree:

  So both resolu’d, the morrow next ensuing,

  So soone as day appeard to peoples vewing,

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  On their intended iourney to proceede;

  And ouer night, whatso theretoo did neede,

  Each did prepare, in readines to bee.

  The morrow next, so soone as one might see

  Light out of heauens windowes forth to looke,

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  Both their habiliments vnto them tooke,

  And put themselues (a Gods name) on their way.

  Whenas the Ape beginning well to wey

  This hard aduenture, thus began t’aduise;

  Now read Sir Reynold, as ye be right wise,

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  What course ye weene is best for vs to take,

  That for our selues we may a liuing make.

  Whether shall we professe some trade or skill?

  Or shall we varie our deuice at will,

  Euen as new occasion appeares?

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  Or shall we tie our selues for certaine yeares

  To anie seruice, or to anie place?

  For it behoues ere that into the race

  We enter, to resolue first herevpon.

  Now surely brother (said the Foxe anon)

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  Ye haue this matter motioned in season:

  For euerie thing that is begun with reason

  Will come by readie meanes vnto his end;

  But things miscounselled must needs miswend.

  Thus therefore I aduize vpon the case,

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  That not to anie certaine trade or place,

  Nor anie man we should our selues applie;

  For why should he that is at libertie

  Make himselfe bond? sith then we are free borne,

  Let vs all seruile base subiection scorne;

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  And as we bee sonnes of the world so wide,

  Let vs our fathers heritage diuide,

  And chalenge to our selues our portions dew

  Of all the patrimonie, which a few

  Now hold in hugger mugger in their hand,

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  And all the rest doo rob of good and land.

  For now a few haue all and all haue nought,

  Yet all be brethren ylike dearly bought:

  There is no right in this partition,

  Ne was it so by institution

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  Ordained first, ne by the law of Nature,

  But that she gaue like blessing to each creture

  As well of worldly liuelode as of life,

  That there
might be no difference nor strife,

  Nor ought cald mine or thine: thrice happie then

  150

  Was the condition of mortall men.

  That was the golden age of Saturne old,

  But this might better be the world of gold:

  For without golde now nothing wilbe got.

  Therefore (if please you) this shalbe our plot,

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  We will not be of anie occupation,

  Let such vile vassalls borne to base vocation

  Drudge in the world, and for their liuing droyle

  Which haue no wit to liue withouten toyle.

  But we will walke about the world at pleasure

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  Like two free men, and make our ease a treasure.

  Free men some beggers call, but they be free,

  And they which call them so more beggers bee:

  For they doo swinke and sweate to feed the other,

  Who liue like Lords of that which they doo gather,

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  And yet doo neuer thanke them for the same,

  But as their due by Nature doo it clame.

  Such will we fashion both our selues to bee,

  Lords of the world, and so will wander free

  Where so vs listeth, vncontrol’d of anie.

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  Hard is our hap, if we (emongst so manie)

  Light not on some that may our state amend;

  Sildome but some good commeth ere the end.

  Well seemd the Ape to like this ordinaunce:

  Yet well considering of the circumstaunce,

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  As pausing in great doubt, awhile he staid,

  And afterwards with graue aduizement said;

  I cannot, my lief brother, like but well

  The purpose of the complot which ye tell:

  For well I wot (compar’d to all the rest

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  Of each degree) that Beggers life is best:

  And they that thinke themselues the best of all,

  Oft-times to begging are content to fall.

  But this I wot withall that we shall ronne

  Into great daunger like to bee vndonne,

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  Thus wildly to wander in the worlds eye,

  Without pasport or good warrantie,

  For feare least we like rogues should be reputed,

  And for eare marked beasts abroad be bruted:

  Therefore I read, that we our counsells call,

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  How to preuent this mischiefe ere it fall,

  And how we may with most securitie,

  Beg amongst those that beggers doo defie.

  Right well deere Gossip ye aduized haue,

  (Said then the Foxe) but I this doubt will saue:

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  For ere we farther passe, I will deuise

  A pasport for vs both in fittest wize,

  And by the names of Souldiers vs protect;

  That now is thought a ciuile begging sect.

  Be you the Souldier, for you likest are

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  For manly semblance, and small skill in warre:

  I will but wayte on you, and as occasion

  Falls out, my selfe fit for the same will fashion.

  The Pasport ended, both they forward went,

  The Ape clad Souldierlike, fit for th’intent,

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  In a blew iacket with a crosse of redd

  And manie slits, as if that he had shedd

  Much blood throgh many wounds therein receaued,

  Which had the vse of his right arme bereaued;

  Vpon his head an old Scotch cap he wore,

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  With a plume feather all to peeces tore:

  His breeches were made after the new cut,

  Al Portugese, loose like an emptie gut;

  And his hose broken high aboue the heeling,

  And his shooes beaten out with traueling.

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  But neither sword nor dagger he did beare,

  Seemes that no foes reuengement he did feare;

  In stead of them a handsome bat he held,

  On which he leaned, as one farre in elde.

  Shame light on him, that through so false illusion,

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  Doth turne the name of Souldiers to abusion,

  And that, which is the noblest mysterie,

  Brings to reproach and common infamie.

  Long they thus trauailed, yet neuer met

  Aduenture, which might them a working set:

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  Yet manie waies they sought, and manie tryed;

  Yet for their purposes none fit espyed.

  At last they chaunst to meete vpon the way

  A simple husbandman in garments gray;

  Yet though his vesture were but meane and bace,

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  A good yeoman he was of honest place,

  And more for thrift did care than for gay clothing:

  Gay without good, is good hearts greatest loathing.

  The Foxe him spying, bad the Ape him dight

  To play his part, for loe he was in sight,

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  That (if he er’d not) should them entertaine,

  And yeeld them timely profite for their paine.

  Eftsoones the Ape himselfe gan vp to reare,

  And on his shoulders high his bat to beare,

  As if good seruice he were fit to doo;

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  But little thrift for him he did it too:

  And stoutly forward he his steps did straine,

  That like a handsome swaine it him became:

  When as they nigh approached, that good man

  Seeing them wander loosly, first began

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  T’enquire of custome, what and whence they were?

  To whom the Ape, I am a Souldiere,

  That late in warres haue spent my deerest blood,

  And in long seruice lost both limbs and good,

  And now constrain’d that trade to ouergiue,

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  I driuen am to seeke some meanes to liue:

  Which might it you in pitie please t’afford,

  I would be readie both in deed and word,

  To doo you faithfull seruice all my dayes.

  This yron world (that same he weeping sayes)

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  Brings downe the stowtest hearts to lowest state:

  For miserie doth brauest mindes abate,

  And make them seeke for that they wont to scorne,

  Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne.

  The honest man, that heard him thus complaine,

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  Was grieu’d, as he had felt part of his paine;

  And well disposd’ him some reliefe to showe,

  Askt if in husbandrie he ought did knowe,

  To plough, to plant, to reap, to rake, to sowe,

  To hedge, to ditch, to thrash, to thetch, to mowe;

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  Or to what labour els he was prepar’d?

  For husbands life is labourous and hard.

  Whenas the Ape him hard so much to talke

  Of labour, that did from his liking balke,