Classic Poem

Verses made upon this Theame:

Little medling breedes mickle rest

M Y youthfull yeares are spent,
old age comes stealing on,
And bids me now, fond Fancies fits,
no more to thinke vpon
Of worthy Wisdome I,
some lessons now haue learnde
Whereby the difference twixt wit
and will I haue discernde:
Among all which, this one
where euer so I be,
To keepe still secrete to my selfe
what so I here or see.
Which, since of lessons all
I doo not count the worst,
I doo intend his graue aduise
in this to follow first
Fyrst in thy selfe, quoth he,
all faults thou must amend,
Before in other men thou seeke
one fault to reprehend
Of Cato eke I learnd,
it is no little shame,
To find that fault in other men
wherein I am to blame,
To hold my peace, therefore
I count it alwayes best:
And keep in minde the old sayd saw
thereof comes mickle rest.
I see a flattering knaue
is set by, now and then,
Of greatest heads, as much and more
then twenty honest men:
But let me rue the same,
since I cannot amende it:
I mought a witlesse foole be thought,
to seeke to reprehend it.
Some Lawyer sees, at fyrst,
which way the case will go:
Although he list not, at the fyrst
to tell his Clyent so:
But what meanes he by that?
alas, doo you not see,
Your pence may make you picke it out
and so they shall, for me.
What boote were it, for me,
their meaning to betray:
And so, no profite to my selfe
to take their gaines away?
The Marchaunt man he sees too syr
by your hye lusty lookes
That shortly he shall finde your hand
deep in his reckening bookes
Bids he you then beware
betimes, of had I wist?
No, no, but lets you lash it out
as long syr, as you list.
Or as you can, at least:
and if you aske me why,
He will no better counsaile giue
and what he meanes thereby?
Your losse of Lands, ere long,
shall learne you how to know
As well as I can teach you Syr
and better too, I trow
And so shall I offend
the Marchaunts nere a whit
By showing of their silken snares
that in their shops doo sit
Your Tenaunt too he sees,
that by your trim gay Coates
Some Lease is shortly to be let
then gets he vp his Groates:
And purseth vp his pence
and coms with coyne in hande
To craue of your good Maystership
to hyre a peece of Lande.
And wot you wherefore Syr.
your Farmer finds this feate?
To come with Coyne, ready in hand
your freenship to intreate:
When that your goods are gone
and you the losse doo see
Of brainsick bargaines made in haste
to maintaine brauery:
The smart thereof, at last,
shall shew you then their shiftes:
Then shall you easely discerne
their double dealing driftes:
Which I dare not descry,
I am so chargde, you see.
To make no words of any thing
what euer so it be.
Your servaunt last he sees,
your feathers gin to fall,
And sees your Farmer buy you out
of house and land and all
No longer then he likes
your seruice Syr, adew,
And if you meane to keepe a man
you must go seek a new
And aske you me by this
what may his meaning be?
Sure, if you see it not your selfe
you shall not know for me
As for the higher powers.
they are too high for me:
What faults are to be found in them
I list not seeke to see:
Let finde their faults themselues
so shall they best be pleasde:
And for my silence, I am sure
I shall not be diseasde.
But to the rest againe,
that are of meaner sorte;
Of their fine fetches, secretly
I somewhat will reporte:
For openly, God wot,
I nothing dare descry:
Who hurts not me, nor yet my friends
I will not hurt them, I.
But they who doo me harme
I doo not meane to spare:
To bid my friends in each respect
of such for to beware
From Cittizens to Clownes,
what secret shifte they haue:
It is a sport to see a Clowne
how he can play the Knaue
The Badger fyrst, one Knaue
that hunts the market place,
When Corne is cheape, to buy good store:
now therby lyes a case.
What should he mean by that?
oh syr, when corne growes deere
I need not tell you what he means.
your selfe shall know next yere.
The toleyng Myller then,
when he hath tollde his sacke
He findes a trade to fill it vp
if any meale doo lacke.
Now what meanes he by this?
this feate how dooth he frame?
The Milstones greete among the meale
wil-make you finde the same.
The Baker then, that sees
that meale dooth grow so, deare.
He findes a shyfte to hold his gaines
how euer goe the yeare
But what is that his shifte?
the Bakers man can tell
And I say nought, but little loaues
will show it pretely well.
Some other crabbed Carles,
of canckred cutthroates kinde.
That buy whole groaues of woods at once
and shal I speak my mind,
What they doo meane thereby?
oh no sir, by the roode,
The Collier & the poore man knowes.
when they do buy their wood
The Collyer yet to gaine,
will play the craftie Clowne:
He works a knack yet in his sack
when coales doo come to towne:
But how he works that shifte
I pray you aske not me:
But whe you see him shoote his coales.
the marke what dust you see.
Another sort of clownes there are
that liue by buying corne,
That secretly vse knanish shiftes
that are not to be borne:
And these are Maltmen cald:
but what their shiftes should be
I need not tell, by speered Mault
the Bruer soone will see
The Bruer then, he findes
a shifte to make a gaine:
But what is that? small drinke (alas)
doth show it too too plaine
Another sort of Clownes there are
that droauers are by name:
That Heards of Cattell buy at once:
what meane they by the same?
Oh syr although I know,
I must not say my minde:
But when the poore man buyes a Cow
then he the cause shall [finde]
Another sort there are
which some doo Grasiers call:
And for their secret kinde of gaine
they are not least of all:
But how they make theyr gaine
I list not to descrie:
The Butcher, when he Buyes his Beefes
he better knowes the I
The Butcher too againe,
he is no foole, I trowe:
He findes deuice to make a gaine
how euer Cattell go.
But shall I tell you how?
oh sir, I must not, I:
But marke your price & Butchers weight
your Beefe when you do buy.
The Chaundler then, it of
the Butcher Tallow buies:
If he buy deere, then wyll he worke
a feate in secret wise,
To make a secret gaine:
but what feate may that be
I dare say nought, but some the same
by watry lights may see.
Some wealthy fellowes are,
that trauell here and [t]here.
And buy up almost all the Wooll
they can get euery where:
And doo you seeke to know
what they may meane by that?
The Draper, when you buy your Cloth
can quickly tell you what.
Tush, many such things moe
I see ofte times. God wot
Which I would helpe too if I could
but (alas) I cannot.
Therefore, since I cannot
I thinke it alwayes best.
To take good heede and hold my peace
for scilence breeds much rest
If Scilence, then, breede rest
why haue I pratled so?
Yet haue I nothing saide, I hope
whereof just grutch may grow
But if against my will
I any doo offend,
I pardon craue. I spake in sporte
and so I make an ende.
The iust will liue upright,
and make an honest gaine:
And if I thinke to mend a knaue
my labour is in vaine.
But honest men, or els
what euer so they be,
Let Countrey, Prince and freends alone
and let them be for me.
But he that wisheth ill
to Countrey, Prince and freend.
I will not keepe his counsaile sure.
but rather seeke his ende:
But els, as I am warnde.
so doo I thinke it best
To medle little any way
and so to liue at rest.