VER

No faith, nor care not, whither I do or no. If you will dance a Galliard, so it is: if not, Falangtado, Fa langtado, to wear the black and yellow: Falangtado, Fala ̄ g tado, my mates are gone, I'll follow. If that be all, we will not disagree. A clean trencher and a napkin you shall have presently. About, about, lively, put your horse to it, rein him harder, jerk him with your wand, fit fast, fit fast, man; focle, hold up your ladle there. So, so, so, trot the ring twice over, and away. May it please my Lord, this is the grand capital sum, but there are certain parcels behind, as you shall see. Content your self, we'll have variety. Trip and go, heave and hoe, Up and down to and from, From the town, to the grove, Two, and two, let us rove A Maying, a playing: Love hath no gainsaying: So merrily trip and go. Troth, my Lord, to tell you plain, I can give you no other account: nam quae habui, pordidi; what I had, I have spent on good fellows, in these sports you have seen, which are proper to the Spring, and others of Like sort, (as giving wenches green gowns, making garlands for Fencers, and tricking up children gay) have I bestowed all my flowery trea sure, and flower of my youth. What talk you to me, of living within my bounds? I tell you, none but Asses live within their bounds: the silly beasts, if they be put in a pasture, that is eaten bore to the very earth, & where there is nothing to be had but thistles, will ra there fallen soberly to those thistles, and be hungerstaru'd, then they will offer to break their bounds; whereas the lusty cour sir, if he be in a barren plot, and spy better grass in some pasture near adjoining, breaks over hedge and ditch, and to go, ever he will be penned in, and not have his belly full. Per adventure, the horses lately sworn to be stolen, carried that youthful mind, who, if they had be Asses, would have be yet extant. This world is transitory, it was made of nothing, and it must to nothing: wherefore, if we will do the will of our high Creator, (whose will it is, that it pass to nothing) we must help to consume it to nothing. Gold is more vile then men: Men die in thousands, and ten thousands, yea, many times in hundredth thousands in one battle. If then, the best husband be so liberal of his best handiwork, to what end should we make much of a glittering excrement, or doubt to spend at a banquet as many pounds, as he spends men at a bat tail? Me thinks I honour Geta the Roman Emperor, for a brave minded fellow: for he commanded a banquet to be made him of all meats under the Sun; which were served in after the order of the Alphabet; and the Clarke of the kitchen following the last dish (which was two mile off from the for most) brought him and Index of their several names: Neither did he pingle when it was set on the board, but for the space of three days and three nights, never rose from the Table. Tell me, I pray, wherefore was gold laid under our feet in the veins of the earth, but that we should contemn it, and tread upon it, and so consequently tread thrift under our feet? It was not known, till the Iron age, donec facinus invasit mortales, as the Poet says; and the Scythians always detested it. I will prove it, that and unthrift, of any, comes nee rest a happy man, in so much as he comes nearest to beggary. Cicero says, summum bonum consists in omnium rerum vaca tione, that it is the chiefest felicity that may be, to rest from all labours. Now, who doth so much vacare à rebus, who rests so much? who hath so little to do, as the beggar? Who can sing so merry a note, as he that cannot change a groat? Cui nil est, nil deest: he that hath nothing, wants nothing. On the other side, it is said of the Carl, Omniam habeo, nec quicquam habeo: I have all things, yet want every thing. Multi mihi vi tio vertunt, quia egeo, says Marcus Cato in Aulus Gellius, at ego illis, quia nequeunt egere: Many upbraid me, say he, be cause I am poor: but I upbraid them, because they cannot live if they were poor. It is a common proverb, Dines que miser que , a rich man, and a miserable: nam naturam paucis continued ̄ tenta, none so contented as the poor man. Admit that the chiefest happiness were not rest or ease, but knowledge, as Herillus, All cidamas, & many of Socrates followers affirm; why, paupertas omnes perdocot arts, poverty instructs a man in all arts, it makes a man hardy and venturous; and therefore it is called of the Poets, Paupertas audax, valiant poverty. It is not so much subject to inordinate desires, as wealth or prosperity. Non habet unde suum paupertas pascat amorem: poverty hath not wherewithal to feed lust. All the Poets were beggars: all Alchemists, and all Philosophers are beggars: Omniam meam me cum porto, quoth Bias, when he had nothing, but bred and cheese in a letherne bag, and two or three books in his bo some. Saint Francis, a holy Saint, & never had any money. It is madness to dote upon muck. That young man of Athens, (Aelianus makes mention of) may be and example to us, who doted so extremely on the image of Fortune, that when he might not enjoy it, he died for sorrow. The earth yields all her fruits together, and why should not we spend them together? I thank heavens on my knees, that have made me and un thrift.