Worship not Jove with curious fancies vain, 2 So Cato's meal surmounts Antonius' cheer, Musonius the Philosopher's saying. IN working well, if travel you sustain, And cause your name with worthy wights to reign. And still torments the mind both night and day; 2 'Ed. 1567, "gut." Liberality. Fr. 3 Equal. Poised. Of Friendship. [In the original, each of the following stanzas makes only two long lines.] Of all the heavenly gifts That mortal men commend What trusty treasure in the world Can countervail a friend? Our health is soon decay'd; Goods casual, light, and vain ; Broke have we seen the force of power, And honour suffer stain. In bodies lust man doth Resemble but base brute; True virtue gets and keeps a friend, Good guide of our pursuit: Whose hearty zeal with ours Accords in every case; When fickle Fortune fails This knot endureth still; Thy kin out of their kind may swerve When friends owe thee good will. 7 What sweeter solace shall Befall, than one to find Upon whose breast thou mayst repose The secrets of thy mind? He waileth at thy wo, His tears with thine be shed; With thee doth he all joys enjoy, So leef a life is led. Behold thy friend, and of One soul a wonder shall it seem In bodies twain to be. In absence present, rich In want, in sickness sound, Yea after death alive may'st thou By thy sure friend be found. Each house, each town, each realm, By steadfast love doth stand; Where foul debate breeds bitter bale In each divided land. O friendship, flower of flowers! O lively sprite of life! O sacred bond of blissful peace, Scipio with Lælius Didst thou conjoin in care, At home, in wars, for weal and wo Down Theseus went to hell Pirith his friend to find: O THAT THE WIVES IN THESE OUR DAYS WERE TO THEIR MATES SO KIND! Cicero, the friendly man, To Atticus his friend Of friendship wrote; such couples, lo! Doth lot but seldom lend. Recount thy race now run, How few shalt thou there see, Of whom to say, "This same is he "That never failed me." So rare a jewel then Must needs be holden dear"; And as thou wilt esteem thyself So take thy chosen fere. ,་ The tyrant in despair No lack of gold bewails, But "Out I am undone," saith he, Wherefore since nothing is More kindly for our kind; Next wisdom, thus that teacheth us, The Death of Zoroas, an Egyptian Astronomer, in the first fight that Alexander had with the Persians. [An extract.] Now clattering arms, now raging broils of war 'Gan pass the noise of dreadful trumpet's clang. The lightning Macedon, by swords, by glaives, -Shaking her bloody hands Bellone among Right over stood in snow-white armour brave 1 Ed. 1567,"friendly." |