THE
P R A I S
E
O F H E M P - S E E D.
WITH
The Voyage of Mr.
Roger Bird and
the Writer hereof, in a
Boat of browne-Paper, from London
to Quinborough
in Kent.
As also, a Farewell to the
matchlesse
deceased Mr. THOMAS CORIAT.
The
Profits arising
by Hemp-seed are}
} Cloathing, Food,
Fishing,
Shipping,
} Pleasure,
Profit, Iustice,
Whipping.
DEDICATED
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL,
PA-
ternes and Patrons of
honest
endeuors, Sir THOMAS HOVVET,
and Sir ROBERT
WISEMAN Knights: And to the worthy
Gentleman, Mr. IOHN
WISEMAN, Health, Mirth, and
Happinesse, be euer
attendants.
NOBLE
SIRS:
Could
haue soyled a greater volume then this with a deale of emptie and
triuiall
stuffe: as puling Sonets, whining Elegies, the dog-tricks of Loue,
toyes
to mocke Apes, and transforme men into Asses. Which kind of
writing is like a man in Authoritie, ancient in yeares, rouerend in
Beard,
with a promising out-side of Wisedome and Grauitie, yet in the expected
performances of his profound understanding, his capacitie speakes
nething
but Mittimus. But heere your Worships shall find no such
stuffe:
for thou I haue not done as I should, yet I haue performed as much as I
could. I have not had riuers of Oyle, or fountaines
of
wine to fill this my poore caske or book: but I haue (as it were)
extracted
oyle out of steele, and wine out of dry chaffe. I
haue
here of a graine of Hempseed made a mountaine greater then the
Apennines or
Caucasus, and not much lesser then the whole world. Here is Labour,
Profit, Cloathing, Pleasure, Food, Nauigation: Diuinitie,
Poetry,
the liberall Arts, Armes, Vertues defence, Vices offence, a true mans
protection,
a Thiefes execution, Here is mirth and matter all beaten out of this
small
Seed.
With
all,
my selfe for my selfe, and in the behalfe of Mr. Roger Bird, doe
most humbly thanke your Worships for many former vndeserued courtesies
and fauours extended towards vs, especially at our going our dangerous
Voyage in the Paper boat: for which wee must euer acknowledge our
selues bound to your Goodnesses. Which voyage I haue merrily related at
the end of this Pamphlet, which with the rest I haue made bold to
dedicate
to your Worshipfull and worthy Patronages, humbly desiring your pardons
and acceptances, euer remaining to bee commanded by yon and yours in
all
obsequiousnesse.
IOHN
TAYLOR.
Folio Part III, page 61
-- Reprint, page 545
T H
E
C O N T E N T S O F
THIS BOOKE.
1 The most
part of such Authors are nominated, as haue
written
of triuial matters.
2
The names
of most of the Pagan and Heathenish Idols,
that
haue beene and are honoured at this present.
3
The profit
and pleasure all Countries haue by Hemp-seed.
4 How it
propagates
the Gospell.
5 Nauigation,
with the Commodities it brings and carries.
6
How many Trades
and Functions liue by it.
7
How when
it is worne to ragges, it is made into Paper.
8
How many liue
by it being Paper.
9
The sacred
memory of Patriarchs, Prophets,
Euangelists,
Apostles, and Fathers.
10 The
foure Monarchies.
11 The
seauen Wonders.
12 Philosophers,
Historians, Chronographers, Poets ancient and moderne, the best
sort
mentioned.
13 The
Anatomy
of a Brownist, or precise Amsterdamd
Puritane.
14 A Voyage
in a Paper-boat to Quinborough.
15 The
description
of a Sea-storme.
16 The
Names
of the most famous Riuers in the World.
17 The
praise
of the noble Riuer of Thames,
A
Preamble, Preatrot,
Preagallop, Prearack, Preapace,
or Preface ;
and Proface
my Masters, if your
Stomackes Serue.
BOoke,
goe
thy wayes, and honest mirth prouoke :
And Spightfull spirits
with Melancholy
choake.
Booke, J command thee,
where
dost resort,
To be the bad mens
terror, good
mens sport.
Neere as thou canst, J
pray thee
doe not misse,
But make them understand
what Hempseed is.
Me
thinkes
I heare some knauish foolish head,
Accuse, condemne, and
judge before
hee read :
Saying, the fellow that
the fame
hath made,
Is a mechanicke Waterman
by trade
:
And therefore it cannot
worth
reading be,
Being compil'd by such an
one
as he.
Another spends his
censure like Tom-ladle.
(Brings in his fiue egs,
foure
of which are adle)
Mewes and makes faces,
yet scarce
knowes whats what :
Hemp-seed (quothe he)
what can
be writ of that?
Thus
these
deprauing minds their iudgements scatter
Eyther against the Writer
or
the Matter.
But let them (if they
please)
read this Preamble,
And they will finde that
J haue
made a scamble
To shew my poore
plentious want
of skill,
How Hemp-seed doth
deserue,
preserue, and kill.
right column break
I muse that neuer any
exc'lent
wit
Of this forgotten subiect
yet
hath writ.
The theame is rich,
although
esteemed meane,
Not scurrulous, prophane,
nor
yet obsceane.
And such as taske may
well become
a quill
To blaze it, that hath
all the
grounds of skill.
This worke were no
dishonour
or abuse,
To Homer, Ouid, or
to Maroes Muse.
A thousand Writers for
their
art renown'd
Houe made farre baser
things
their studies ground.
That men haue cause to
raile
'gainst fruitlesse Rimes,
(Vainely compil'd in past
and
present times,)
And say, O Hemp-seed,
how
art thou forgotten
By many Poets that are
dead and
rotten ?
And yet how many will
forget
the still
Till they put on a
Tyburne Pickadill.
The Names of most of such Authors or their Workes, as have
writ vpon
many poore
subiects.
Erasmus, that great
Clerke of Rotterdam,
Jn praise of Folly many
lines
did frame:
The summe and pith of all
his
whole intents
Showes Fooles are guilty,
and
yet Innocents.
Folio Part III, page 62
-- Reprint, page 546
Another, briefly, barely
did
relate
The naked honour of a
bare bald
Pate:
And for there's not a
haire twixt
them and heau'n,
The title of tall men to
them
is giuen:
And sure they put their
foes
in such great dread,
That none dares touch a
haire
vpon their head.
Mountgomerie,
a
fine Scholler did compile
The Cherry and the Sloe
in learned
stile.
Homer wrote brauely of
the Frog
and Rat,
And Virgil versifi'd
upon
a Gnat.
Ovid set forth the Art
of lustfull
Loue.
Another wrote the
Treatise of
the Doue.
One with the Grashopper
doth
keepe a rut.
Another rimes upon a
Hazell Nut.
One with a neat
Sophisticke Paradoxe
Sets forth the
commendations
of the Poxe.
Signeur Inamorato's Muse
doth
sing
In honour of his Mistris
Gloue
or Ring,
Her Maske, her Fanne, her
Pantofle,
her Glasse,
Her Any thing, can turne
him
to an Asse.
Plinie and
Aristotle write of Bees.
Some write of Beggeries
twenty
foure degrees.
One of the Owle did
learnedly
endite,
And brought the Night
bird welcome
to day-light.
A second did defend with
tooth
and nayle,
The strange contentment
men may
find in Jayle.
A third doth the third Richard
much
commend,
And all his bloudy
actions doth
defend.
A fourth doth shew his
wits exceeding
quicknesse,
In praise of
Tauerne-healths
and Drunken sicknesse.
A fift doth toyle his
Muse quite
out of breath,
Of aduerse Fortune,
banishment
or death.
A sixt the very Firmament
doth
harrow,
Writes of the Parrat,
Popinjay
and Sparrow,
The Storke, the Cuckoe
:
Nothing can escape,
The Horse, the Dog, asse,
foxe,
ferret, and the ape.
Mounsieur de Gallia, writes
all
night till noone,
Commending highly Tennis
or Baloone.
Anothers Muse as high as Luna
flies,
In praise of hoarsnesse,
dropsies,
and bleare-eyes.
The Gout, Sciatica,
scab'd hams,
small legs :
Of thred-bare cloakes, a
jewes-trump,
or potch'd egges.
One, all his wit at once,
in
Rime discloses
The admirable honour of
red-noses
:
And how the nose
magnificat doth
beare
A tincture, that did
neuer colour
feare.
One doth heroicke it
throughout
our coast,
The vertue of muld-sacke,
and
ale and toast.
Another takes great
paines with
inke and pen,
Approuing fat men are
true honest
men.
One makes the haughty
vauty welkin
ring
In praise of Custards,
and a
bag-pudding.
Another, albe-labours
inke and
paper,
Exalting Dauncing, makes
his
Muse to caper.
Anothers humour will
nothing
allow
To bee more profitable
then a
Cow,
right column break
Licking his lips, in
thinking
that his theame
Js milke, cheese, butter,
whay,
whig, curds, and creame,
Leather and Veale, and
that which
is most chiefe
Tripes, chitterlings, or
fresh
powder'd beefe.
A number haue
contagiously rehearsed
And on Tobacco vapouriz'd
and
vearsed,
Maintaining that it was a
drug
deuine
Fit to be seru'd by all
the Sisters
nine.
Yet this much of it, J
shall
euer thinke,
The more men stirre in
it, the
more 'twill stinke.
A learned Knight, of much
esteeme
and worth,
A pamphlet of a Priuie
did set
forth,
Which strong breath'd
Ajax was
well lik'd, because
Twas writ with wit and
did deserue
applause.
One wrote the Nightingale
and
lab'ring Ant,
Another of the Flea and
th' Elephant.
Tom Nash a witty
pamphlet did
endite
In praise of Herrings,
both the
red and write.
And some haue writ of
Maggots
and of Flies
A world of fables,
fooleries,
and lies.
And this rare Hempseed
that such
profit brings,
To all estates of
subiects, and
of Kings,
Which rich commoditie if
man
should lacke,
He were not worth a shirt
vnto
his backe.
And shall it no
tryumphant honour
haue,
But lye dead, buried in
obliuions
grave?
Some Critticks will
perhaps my
writing tax
With falshood, and
maintaine
their shirts are flax,
To such as those, my
answer shall
be this,
That Flax the male and
Hemp the
female is,
And their engendring
procreatiue
seed
A thousand thousand
helpes for
man doth breed.
And as a man by glauncing
vp
his eye
Sees in the aire a flocke
of
wilde Geese flye :
And ducke, and woodcocks,
of
both sexes be
Though men doe name but
one,
for breuity.
There's ganders 'mongst
the geese,
hens with the cocks,
Drakes with the ducks,
all male
and female stocks,
The Ewe, the Ram, the
Lambe,
and the fat weather,
Jn generall are called
sheepe
together.
Harts, Stags, Bucks,
Does, Hinds,
Roes, Fawnes, euerywhere
Are in the generality
call'd
Deere.
So Hemp and Flax, or
which you
list to name
Are male and female, both
one,
and the same.
Those that 'gainst these
comparisons
deride,
And will not with my
lines be
satisfide,
Let them imagine e're
they doe
condemne
I loue to play the foole
with
such as them.
The cause why Hempseed
hath endur'd
this wrong
And hath its worthy
praise obscur'd
so long,
I doe suppose it to bee
onely
this
That Poets know their
insufficience
is,
That were earth Paper,
and Sea
inke, they know
'T were not enough great
Hempseeds
worth to show.
I muse the Pagans, with
varietie,
Of godles Gods, made it
no Deity.
Folio Part III, page 63
[top]
-- Reprint, page 547
Heere followes the names of most of the heathen Gods and
Idols.
TheÆgyptinas to
a Bull,
they Apis nam'd
A temple most magnificent
they
fram'd,
The Ibis, Crocodile, a
cat, a
dog,
The Hippopottamy,
beetles, or
a frog.
Jchneumons, dragons, the
wolfe,
aspe, eele, and Ram,
(Base beastly gods, for
such
curst sonnes of Cham,)
Who were so with Jdolatry
misled,
They worship'd Onions,
and a
garlike head.
If these people had tasted but a messe of Tewxbury mustard
they would
surely
haue honoured it for a God or feared it as a
Diuell.
King Ieroboam for
his gods
did take,
Two golden calues, and
the true
God forsake.
The Philistins, and the
Assirians,
The Persians, and
Babilonians,
Samaritans, and the
Arabians,
The Thebans, Spartans,
and Athenians,
The Indians, Parthians,
and the
Libians
The Britaines, Gallians,
and
Hibernians :
Since the first Chaos, or
creation
Idolatry hath crept in
euery
Nation,
And as the diuell did
mens minds
inspire,
Some worshipt, earth,
some aire,
or water, fire,
Windes, Riuers, Rainbow,
Stars,
and Mooone and Sun:
Ceres, and Bacchus riding
on his tun,
Mars, Saturne, Ioue, Apollo,
Mercury
;
Priapus and the Queene
of lechery,
right column break
Vulcan, Diana, Pluto,
Proserpine,
Pomona, Neptune, and
Pans piping
shrine:
Old Beldam Berecynthia
: Stones and Trees
Bewitched creatures
worshipt
on their knees.
Baal, Baalzebub, Nisroth, the
Diuell, and Dagon,
Ashtaroth, Rimmon, Belus,
Bell, the
Dragon:
Flies, fooles, hawkes,
madmen
; any thing they saw :
Their very Priuies they
did serue
with awe :
And they did sacrifice at
sundry
feasts
Their children vnto
diuels, stockes,
stones and beasts.
Oh had these men the
worth of Hempseed knowne,
Their blinded zeale (no
doubt)
they would haue showne
Jn building Temples, and
would
alters frame,
Like Ephesus to great
Dianaes name.
And therefore Merchants,
Marriners,
people all
Of all trades, on your
marrow
bones downe fall:
For you could neither
rise, or
bite or sup,
If noble Hempseed did
not hold you vp.
And
Reader
now J thinke it is fit time
To come vnto the matter
with
my rime.
But iudge not till you
haue well
read and scan'd.
And askt your selues if
you doe
vnderstand :
And if you can, doe but
this
fauour shew
Make no ill faces, cry
not tush
and mew :
For though I dare not
brag, I
dare maintaine
True censurers will iudge
J have
tane paine.
Vnto the wife J humbly
doe submit
:
For those that play the
fooles
for want of wit,
My poore reuenge against
them
still shall be,
Jle laugh at them whilst
they
doe scoffe at me.
[Title Lines Span Both
Columns:]
T H E
P R A
I S E
O F H E M P - S E E D :
W I T H
The
Voyage of Mr.
Roger Bird and the Writer hereof, in a
Boat of
browne-Paper,
from London to Quinborough
in Kent.
[Column: bottom left of
page]
SWeet
sacred
Muses, my inuention raise
Vnto the life, to write
great Hempseeds
praise.
This grain growes to a
stalk, whose
coat or skin
Good industry doth hatchell,
twist,
and spin,
And for mans best aduantage
and
auailes
It makes clothes, cordage,
halters,
ropes and sailes.
right column break
[bottom page]
From this small Atome,
mighty matters
springs,
It is the Art of nauigations
wings
;
It spreads aloft, the lofty
skie
it scales,
Flies o're the great
Leuiathan and
Whales,
Diues to the boundlesse
bottome
of the deepe,
Where Neptune doth
mongst
dreadful monsters keep.
Folio Part III, page 64
-- Reprint, page 548
From Pole to pole, it
cuts both Seas
and Skyes,
From th' orient to the
occident
it flyes.
Kings that are sundred
farre, by
Seas and Lands,
It makes them in a manner to
shake
hands.
It fils our Land with plenty
wonderfull,
From th'Esterne Indies
from
the great Mogull,
From France, from Portingale,
from Venice, Spaine,
From Denmarke, Norway,
it
scuds o're the maine,
Vnto this Kingdome it doth
wealth
acrue
From beyond China,
farre
beyond Peru.
From Belgia, Almaine,
the
West Indies, and
From Guiny, Biny,
Island, New
found-land,
This little seed is the
great instrument
To shew the power of God
Omnipotent,
Whereby the glorious Gospell
of
his Sonne,
Millions misled soules hath
from
Sathan wonne.
It is an instrument by the appointment of God for the encrease
of the
Gospell of
Christ.
Those that knew no God in
the times
of yore,
Now they their great Creator
doe
adore.
And many that did thinke
they did
doe well
To giue themselues a
sacrifice to
Hell,
And seru'd the Diuell with
th'inhumane
slaughters,
Of their vnhappy haplesse
sonnes
and daughters,
Now they the remnant of
their liues
do frame
To praise their Makers and
Redeemers
name.
Witnesse Virginia;
witnesse
many moe,
Witnesse our selues few
hundred
yeares agoe,
When in Religion, and in
barbarous
natures,
We were poore wretched
misbeleeuing
creatures.
How had Gods Preachers saild
to
sundry coasts,
T' instruct men how to know
the
Lord of Hosts?
But for the Sayles which he
with
wind doth fill.
As Seruants to accomplish
his great
will.
But leauing this high
supernaturall
straine,
I'le talke of Hempseed in a
lower
vaine.
How should we hauve gold,
siluer,
jems, or Iewels,
Wine, oyle, spice, rice, and
diuers
sorts of fewels:
Food for the belly,
cloathing for
the backe,
Silke, Sattin, Veluet, any
thing
we lacke,
To serue necessities ?
How should we get
Such sorts of plenteous
fish, but
with the net ?
The Smelt, Roach, Salmon,
Flounder
and the Dace,
Would in fresh riuers keepe
their
dwelling place.
The Ling, Cod, Herring,
Sturgeon,
such as these
Would liue and dye in their
owne
natiue Seas.
Without this seed the Whale
could
not be caught,
Whereby our oyles are out of
Greenland
brought.
Nay wer't not for the net
made of
this seed,
Men could not catch a Sprat
whereon
to feed.
Besides, it liberally each
where
bestowes
A liuing vpon thousands
where it
growes ;
As beaters, Spinners,
Weauers, and
a crue
Of haltermakers which could
scarce
liue true,
right column break
But for th'imployment
which this
little graine
Doth vse them in, and payes
them
for their paine.
Mirth and Truth are good companions.
The Rope makers, the Net
makers,
and all
Would be trade falne, for
their
trade would fall.
Besides, what multitudes of
Fishers
are
In euery Sea-towne, numbers
past
compare,
Whilest they their seruants,
children,
and their wiues
From Hempseeed get their
liuing
all their liues.
The Fish-mongers would
quickly goe
to wrack,
The lacke of this seed would
be
their great lack,
And being now rich, and in
good
reputation,
They would haue neither Hall
nor
Corporation.
And all that they could buy,
or
sell, or barter,
Would scarce be worth a
Gubbin once
a quarter.
The mounting Larke, that
seemes
so high to flye,
Vntill she seemes no greater
then
a Flie ;
And to the flaming Sunne
doth chirp
and prate,
Doth in the net come to her
ending
date.
My neighbour Woodcocke,
buzzard
and the Gull,
And Philip Sparrow
all most
plentifull.
All sorts of faire fowle, or
the
foulest fowle,
From the degree of the Eagle
to
the Owle,
Are with ingenuous jins,
grins,
nets and snares
For mans reliefe oft taken
vnawares
:
Deeres, Hares, and Conies
would
too much abound,
And ouer-run the bearing
breeding
bround,
And Weazels, Polcats,
Wildcats,
Stoats and such
Like spoyling Vermin, would
annoy
men much,
Buf for toyles, hayes, for
traps,
for snares and grins,
Which brings vs food, and
profit
by their skins.
No Plowman liues beneath the
azure
Cope,
But for his plough or cart
must
vse the rope :
No Hostler liues in ours, or
other
Lands,
But makes the halters Horses
falling
bands.
Bels would hang dead within
the
loftie steeple
And neuer call to Church
forgetfull
people,
Mute like a bagbite, that
hath lost
his bag,
Except the Bell ropes made
the clappers
wag.
It were an endlesse taske to
goe
about it,
To reckon those that cannot
liue
without it.
Alasse what would our silken
Mercers
be ?
What could they doe (sweet
Hempseed)
but for thee?
Rash, Taffata, Paropa, and
Nouato,
Shagg, Fillizetta, Damaske
and Mockado,
No Veluets, Piles, two
Piles, pile
and halfe Pile,
No Plush, or Grograines
could adorne
this Ile,
No cloth of siluer, Gold, or
Tisue,
here :
Philip and Cheiny neuer
would appeare
Within our bounds, nor any Flanders-serge
Could euer come within our
Kingdomes
verge :
Should Mercers want these
things
with diuers more
Their trade were nothing or
else
very poore.
This seed doth helpe the
Grocer
euery season,
Or else his wisedome could
not yeeld
a reison ;
Folio Part III, page 65
-- Reprint, page 549
He could not long be
Currant in his
state,
And (scarcely worth a fig)
would
end his Date.
For Cloues his credit would
be clouen
quick,
Nor from the loafe or lumpe,
his
lips could licke :
No Nutmegs, Liquoris, or
biting
graines,
Or Almons for a Parrat, were
his
gaines,
Sans Ginger weakely he would
run
his Race,
And Powltry Mace, would put
down Indian
Mace:
And he vnable (through his
want
of pelfe)
To pepper vs, or yet to
prune himselfe.
The Draper of his wealth
would much
be shorted.
But that our cloathes and
Kersies
are transported,
Our cottons, penistones,
frizadoes,
baze,
Our sundry sorts of frizes,
blackes
and grayes.
And linnen Drapers but for
transportation,
Could hardly Canuase out
their occupation.
Hempseed doth yeeld or else
it doth
allow
Lawne, Cambricke, Holland
Canuase,
Callico,
Normandy, Hambrough,
strong
poledauis, Lockram.
And to make vp the Rime
(with reason)
Buckram.
The Goldsmiths trade would
totter
and unsettle,
And he could be a man of no
good
mettle,
Were't not for Sailes and
Ropes
that Ships doe rig,
That bring gold, siluer,
many a
Sow and Pig ;
Which makes them by an
admirable
skill
To liue by that which many a
Horse
doth kill,
Which is the *Fashions
; for
continually
They sell the fashion, but
they
seldome buy.
A Goldsmith and a Taylor liue by that which will kill a horse.
And braue wine Marchants,
little
were your gaine,
By Mallegoes, Canaries Sacke
from Spaine,
Sweet Allegant, and the
concocted
Cute,
Hollock and Tent would be of
small
repute;
O all you Bachinalian drunkards honour Hemp-seed.
Your Bastards their owne
Fathers
would forget,
Nor they our Gossips lips no
more
would wet.
The wind no Muskadine could
hither
bandy,
Or sprightfull Malmesey out
of fruitfull
Candy.
Liatica or Corsica could
not
From their owne bearing
breeding
bounds be got.
Peter-se-mea, or head strong
Charnico,
Sherry, nor Rob-o-Dauy here
could
flow.
The French Frontiniacke,
Claret,
Red nor White,
Graues nor High-Country
could our
hearts delight.
No Gascoygne, Orleance, or
the Chrystall
Sherrant
Nor Rhenish from the Rheine
would be apparent.
Thus Hempseed, wth
these wines, our land doth spread
Which if we want, wine
Marchants
trades were dead.
The
Vintners
trade were hardly worth a rush
Vnable to hang vp a signe,
or bush
;
And were't not for this
small forgotten
graine
Their coniuring at midnight
would
be vaine.
Anon, anon, would be
forgotten soone,
And he might score a pudding
in
the Moone,
right column break
But not a pinte of Claret
in the
Sunne,
Because the emptie hogshead
could
not runne.
His blushing lattice would
looke
pale and wan,
Nor could he long be a well
liquord
man :
No more could all his
regiments
of pots
Affright men daily, with
scores,
bills, and shots.
The
Taylors
trade would hardly get them bread
If Hempseed did not
furnish
them with thread ;
And though it be a terror to
most
theeues
Yet it this occupation neuer
greeues,
They loue it, black, brown,
yellow,
greene, red, blew,
Which is a signe, that
Taylers must
be true :
The
worthy
Company, of warme lin'd Skinners
Would in short space be
miserable
sinners
If Hempseed did not
oft supply
their boxes
With Russian Sables,
Miniuers
and Foxes :
With Beares, & Budges;
and rare
powdered Ermines,
And with the skins of divers
beasts
and Vermines.
The
Habberdasher
of small ware, would be
In a small time, a man of
small
degree :
If Hempseed did not
help
him by the great,
Small would his gaines be,
to buy
cloathes or meat.
Then might his wares be
rightly
tearmed small
Which would by eyther few or
none
at all.
And
* Dyers
though you doe no colours feare,
'Tis Hempseed that
doth you
to riches reare,
Woad, Madder, Indico, and
Cutcheneale,
Brazil, and Logwood, and
aboundant
deale
Of drugs, which did they not
your
wants supply,
You could not liue, because
you
could not dye.
They might liue to dye poorely, but not dye to liue rich.
Apothecaries
were not worth a pin,
If Hempseed did not
bring
their commings in ;
Oyles, Vnguents, Sirrops,
Minerals,
and Baulmes,
(All Natures treasures, and
th'
Almighties almes,)
Emplasters, Simples,
Compounds,
sundry drugs
With Necromanticke names
like fearefull
Bugs,
Fumes, Vomits, purges, that
both
cures, and kils,
Extractions, conserues,
preserues,
potions, pils,
Ellixers, simples,
compounds, distillations,
Gums in abundance, brought
from
foraigne nations.
A braue world for Physitions and Chyrurgions the while.
And all or most of these
forenamed
things
Helpe, health, preseruatiues
;
and riches brings.
There's many a Gallant
dallying
with a Drab,
Hath got the Spanish
pip,
or Naples scab,
The Galliæ Morbus
or
the Scottish fleas,
Or English Poxe, for
all's
but one disease.
And though they were
perfum'd with
Ciuet hot
Yet wanting these things
they would
stinke and rot,
With gowts, Consumptions,
Palsies,
Lethargies,
With apoplexies, quinzies,
plurisies,
Cramps, cataracts, the
teare-throat
cough and tisick
From which, to health men
are restore'd
by Physicke,
Folio Part III, page 66
-- Reprint, page 550
Agues, quotidian,
quartane, tertian,
or
The leprosie, which all men
doe
abhor.
The stone, strangury,
botches, biles,
or blaines,
Head-aches, cankers,
swimming of
the braines,
Ruptures, Herniaaquosa
or Carnosa,
Or the Eolian hernia
ventosa.
All Dropsies, Collicks,
Iaundizes,
or Scabs,
Gangrenaes, Vlcers, wounds,
and
mortall stabs.
Illiaca passioes, Megrims,
Mumps,
or Mange,
Contagious blouds, which
throgh
the veins do range
Scurfes, meazles, murraines,
fluxes,
all these griefes,
Transported medicines daily
bring
releefes,
Most seruiceable Hempseed
but for
thee,
These helpes for man could
not thus
scattered be.
Tobacoes fire would soone be
quenched
out,
Nor would it leade men by
the nose
about :
Nor could the Merchants of
such
Heathen Docks
From small beginnings
purchase mighty
stocks :
By follies daily dancing to
their
pipe
Their states from rotten
stinking
weeds grow ripe ;
By which meanes they haue
into Lordships
run
The Clients being beggered
and,
vndone :
Who hauing smoak'd their
Land, to
fire and ayre
They whiffe and puffe
themselues
into dispaire
Ouid 'mongst all his Metamorphosis
Ne're knew a *
transformation like
to this,
Nor yet could Oedipus
e're
vnderstand,
How to turne Land to smoake,
and
smoake to Land.
For by the meanes of this
bewitching
smother,
One Element is turn'd into
another,
As Land to fire, fire into
Ayrie
matter,
From ayre (too late
repenting) turnes
to water.
A strange change, and yet not stranger then for the women of
these times
to be
turn'd to the shapes of men.
By Hempseed thus, fire
water, aire,
earth, all
Are chang'd by pudding,
leafe, roule,
pipe and ball.
Lip licking Comfit-makers,
by whose
trade,
Dainties come thou to me are
quickly
made ;
Baboones, and hobby-horses,
and
owles, and apes,
Swans, geese, dogs,
woodcocks, &
a world of shapes,
Castles for Ladies, and for
Carpet
Knights,
Vnmercifully spoyld at
feasting
fights,
Where battering bullets are
fine
sugred plums,
No feare of roaring guns, or
thundring
drums :
There's no tantara, sa sa
sa, or
force,
Of man to man, or warlike
horse
to horse ;
No mines, no countermines,
no pallizadoes,
No parrapets, or secret
ambuscadoes,
Of bloud and wounds, and
dismall
piercing lances
Men at this fight are free
from
such mischances.
For many gallants guilded
swords
doe weare,
Who fight these battels
without
wit or feare :
All striuing as they did for
honour
thirst,
All greedy which can giue
the onset
first ;
right column break
Each one contending in
this Candied
coyle,
To take most prisoners, and
put
vp most spoyle.
Sweet warres, and dangerous tooth-valours.
Retiring neuer when they
doe assaile,
But most aduenturously with
tooth
and nayle,
Raze, ruinate, demolish, and
confound,
The surgred fabricke leuell
with
the ground.
And hauing layd the
buildings thus
along,
They swallow downe, and
pocket vp
the wrong.
That who so that way
afterwards
doe passe,
Can see no signe where such
a Castle
was :
For at these warres most
commonly
'tis seene,
Away the victors carry all
things
cleane.
It fortunes in these battels
now
and then
Women are better Souldiers
farre
then men :
Such sweet mouth'd fights as
these
doe often fall
After a Christning, or a
Funerall.
Thus Hempe the Comfit-makers
doth
supply,
From them that newly liue,
and newly
dye.
If the blacke Indians or
Newcastle
coales
Came not in Fleets, like
fishes
in the sholes,
The rich in gownes and rugs
themselues
might fold,
But thousands of the poore
might
starue with cold.
The commodities of these black Indies are worth more
white money
to vs,
then eyther the East or West Indies will euer
be
profitable.
Smiths, Brewers, Diers,
all estates
that liues,
This little seed seruice or
comfort
giues.
For why, our Kingdome could
not
serue our turne,
For Londons vse,
with wood
seuen yeares to burne :
And which way then could
coales
supply our need,
But by th' Almighties bounty
and
this seed ?
You
braue Neptunians,
you salt water crew,
Sea-plowing Marriners ; I
speake
to you :
From Hemp you for your
selues and
others gaine
Your Sprit-sayle,
fore-sayle, top-sayle,
& your maine,
Top, and top-gallant, and
your mizzen
abaft,
Your coursers, bonnets,
drablers,
fore and aft,
The sheats, tacks, boliens,
braces,
halliars, tyes,
Shrowds, rattlings,
lanyards, tackles,
lifts, and guies,
Your martlines, ropeyarnes,
gaskets,
and your stayes,
These for your vse, small Hemp-seed
vp doth raise :
The boirope, boatrope,
guestrope,
catrope, portrope
The bucket-rope, the
boat-rope,
long or short rope,
The entering-rope, the
top-rope
(and the rest
Which you that are
acquainted with
know best :
The lines to sound in what
depth
you slide,
Cables and hausers, by which
ships
doe ride :
All these, and many moe then
I can
name,
From this small seed, good
industry
doth frame.
Ships, Barkes, Hoyes,
Drumlers,
Craires, Boats, all would sink,
But for the Ocum caulk'd in
euery
chink.
Th' vnmatched Loadstone, and
best
figur'd Maps
Might shew where foraigne
Countries
are (perhaps)
Folio Part III, page 65
[misnumbered
for 67]
-- Reprint, page 551
The Compasse (being
rightly toucht)
will show
The thirty two points where
the
winds do blow ;
Men with the Iacobs
staffe,
and Astrolobe
May take the height and
circuit
of the Globe :
And sundry Art-like
instruments
looke cleare
In what Horizon, or what
Hemisphere
Men sayle in through the
raging
ruthlesse deepe,
And to what coast, such and
such
course to keepe ;
Guessing by th' Artike, or
Antartike
starre,
Climates and countries being
ne're
so farre.
But what can these things be
of
price or worth
To know degrees, heights,
depths,
East W. S. North
What are all these but
shadowes,
and vaine hopes,
If ships doe eyther want
their Sailes
or Ropes ?
And
now
ere I offend, I must confesse
A little from my theame I
will digresse
;
Striuing in verse to shew a
liuely
forme
Of an impetuous gust, or
deadly
storme.
Where vncontrouled
Hyperborean blasts
Teares all to tatters,
Tacklings,
Sailes, and Masts ;
Where boysterous puffes of Eurus
breath did hiz
And mongst our shrouds and
cordage
widely whiz ;
Where thundering Joue
amidst
his lightning flashing
Seem'd ouerwhelm'd with Neptunes
mountaine dashing
Where glorious Titan
hath
his burning light,
Turning his bright Meridian
to blacke
night :
Where blustring Eole
blew
confounding breath,
And thunders fearefull larum
threatened
death,
Where Skyes, and Seas,
Haile, Wind,
and slauering Sleet
As if they all at once had
meant
to meet
In fatall opposition, to
expire
The world, and vnto Chaos
backe retire.
Thus whist the Winds and
Seas contending
gods,
In rough robustious fury are
at
ods,
The beaten ship tost like a
forcelesse
feather,
Now vp, now downe, & no
man
knowing whither:
The Topmast some time
tilting at
the Moone,
And being vp doth fall again
as
soone.
With such precipitating low
descent,
As if to hels blacke
Kingdome downe
she went.
Poore ship that rudder, or
no steerage
feeles,
Sober, yet worse then any
Drunkard
reeles,
Vnmanag'd, guidlesse, too
and fro
she wallowes,
Which (seemingly) the angry
billowes
swallowes.
A storme.
Midst darkenesse,
lightning, thunder,
sleet, and raine,
Remorcelesse winds and,
mercy-wanting
Maine,
Amazement, horror, dread
from each
mans face
Had chas'd away liues bloud,
and
in the place
Was sad despaire, with haire
heau'd
vp vpright
With ashy visage, and with
sad affright,
As if grim Death with his
all-murdering
dart,
Had ayming beene at each
mans bloudlesse
heart,
Out cryes the Master, lower
the
top-saile, lower,
Then vp aloft runs scambling
three
or foure,
right column break
But yet for all their
hurly burly
hast,
E're they got vp, downe
tumbles
Saile and Mast.
Veere the maine sheat there,
then
the Master cride,
Let rise the fore tack, on
the Larboord
side :
Take in the fore-sayle,
yare, good
fellowes, yare,
Aluffe at helme there, ware
no more,
beware.
Steere South, South East
there,
I say ware, no more,
We are in danger of the
Leeward
shore,
Cleere your maine brace, let
goe
the bole in there,
Port, port, the helme hard,
Romer
come no neere.
Sound, sound, heaue, heaue
the lead,
what depth, what depth?
Fadom and a halfe, three
all,
Then with a whiffe, the
winds again
doe puffe,
And then the Master cries
aluffe,
aluffe,
Make ready th'anker, ready
th'anker
hoe,
Cleere, cleere the
boighrope, steddy,
well steer'd, so ;
Hale vp the boat, in
Sprit-sayle
there afore,
Blow winde and burst, and
then thou
wilt giue o're,
Aluffe, clap helme a lee,
yea, yea,
done, done,
Downe, downe alow, into the
hold,
quicke runne.
There's a planck sprung,
somthing
in hold did break,
Pump bullies, Carpenters,
quicke
stop the leake.
Once heaue the lead again,
and sound
abaffe,
A shafnet lesse, seuen
all.
Let fall, the Ancker there,
let
fall,
Man man the boat, a woat
hale, vp
hale,
Top yer maine yard, a port,
veere
cable alow,
Ge way a head the boat there
hoe,
dee row,
Well pumpt my hearts of
gold, who
sayes amends
East and by South, West and
by North
she wends.
This was a weather with a
witnesse
here,
But now we see the skyes
begin to
cleare,
To dinner hey, and lets at
ancker
ride,
Till winds grow gentler, and
a smother
tide.
J thinke I haue spoken
Heathen,
Greek Vtopian, or Ber-
mudian, to
a great many of my readers, in the descrip-
tion
of this
storme, but indeed J wrote it onely for the
vnsterstanding
Mariners reading. I did it three
yeares
since,
and could not finde a fitter place then
this
to insert
it, or else it must have laine in silence.
But to
proceed
to my former theame of Hemp-seed.
The Shoe-maker and Cobler
with their
Ends
One alwayes makes, and
t'other euer
mends :
Take away Hemp, the sole and
vpper
leather
I know could neuer well be
sow'd
together.
And for the Cobler it
appeareth
plaine
That hee's the better
workman of
the twaine,
For though a Shoomaker in
art excell,
And makes his shoes and
boots neuer
so well :
Yet euermore it is the
Coblers trade
To mend the worke the
Shoomaker
hath made.
The Character of a Cobler.
The Cobler (like a
Iustice takes)
delight
To set men that doe walke
aside,
vpright.
Folio Part III, page 66
[misnumbered
for 68]
-- Reprint, page 552
And though he looke
blacke as he
carried coles,
He daily mendeth desperate
wicked
soles :
Though Crownes and Angels
may perhaps
be scant,
Yet stores of peeces he doth
neuer
want :
And let his worke be ended
well
or ill,
Here's his true honour, he
is mending
still.
And this his life and
occupation
is,
And thus he may thanke Hempseed
for all this.
For Hempseed if men
rightly
vnderstand,
Is knowne the greatest
Iustice in
a Land :
How could men trauaile
safely, here
and there,
If Hempseed did not
keepe
a Theefe in feare ;
No man within his house
could liue
or rest
For villaines, that would
pilfer
and molest,
And breake downe walls, and
rifle
chests and truncks
To maintaine drinking,
dicing, Knaues
and Punks :
That many a one that's
wealthy ouer
night,
Would e're the breake of day
be
begger'd quite :
Worth thousands lately, now
not
worth a groat,
And hardly scapes the
cutting of
his throat.
No doubt but many a man doth
liue
and thriue,
Which but (for Hemp seed
would not be aliue ;
And many a wife and Virgin
doth
escape
A rude deflouring, and a
barbarous
rape :
Because the halter in their
minds
doe run,
By whom these damned deeds
would
else be done.
It is a bulwarke to defend a
Prince.
It is a Subiects armour and
defence
:
No Poinard, Pistoll,
Halbert, Pike,
or Sword
Can such defensiue or sure
guard
afford.
There's many a Rascall that
would
rob, purloine,
Pick pockets, and cut
purses, clip
and coine,
Doe any thing, or all things
that
are ill,
If Hempseed did not
curbe
his wicked will.
'Tis not the breath or
letter of
the Law
That could keep Theeues
rebellious
wils in awe ;
For they (to saue their
liues can
vse perswasions.
Tricks, sleights, repriues,
and
many strange euasions.
But tricke, repriue, or
sleight
nor any thing
Could euer goe beyond a
Hempen string.
This is Lawes period, this
at first
was made
To be sharpe Iustice
executing blade.
This string the Hangman
monthly
keepes in tune,
More then the Cuckoes song
in May
or June,
It doth his wardrobe, coine
and
stocke vpreare,
In euery month and quarter
of the
yeare.
Yet there hath beene two or three Sessions, wherein none hath
beene
executed :
by which meanes hee is danger of breaking,
or
bankeruptisme ;
for the Hangmans trade is maintained by Iu-
stice, and
not by
mercy.
Besides it is an easie
thing to proue,
It is a soueraigne remedie
for loue
:
As thus, suppose your
thoughts at
hourely strife
Halfe mad, and almost weary
of your
life,
All for the loue of some
faire female
creature,
And that you are entangled
with
her feature,
right column break
That you are sad, and
glad, and mad
and tame,
Seeming to burne in frost,
and freeze
in flame,
In one breath, sighing,
singing,
laughing, weeping,
Dreame as you walke, and
waking
in your sleeping,
Accounting houres for
yeares, and
moneths for ages,
Till you enjoy her, that
your heart
encages,
And she hath sent you
answers long
before
That her intent is not to be
your
whore :
And you (for your part)
meane vpon
your life
Ne're while you liue to take
her
for your wife.
To end this matter, thus
much I
assure you,
A Tiburne Hempen-caudell
well will
cure you.
It can cure Traytors, but I
hold
it fit
T' apply't ere they the
treason
doe commit :
Whersfore in Sparta
it ycleped
was,
Snickup, which is in
English Gallow-grasse.
The names that diuers Nations did attribute to Hemp-seed.
The Libians
call'd it Reeua,
which implies
It makes them dye like birds
twixt
earth and skyes,
The name of Choak-wort
is
to it assign'd,
Because it stops the venom
of the
mind.
Some call it Neck-weed,
for
it hath a tricke
To cure the necke that's
troubled
with the crick.
For my part all's one, call
it what
you please,
'T is soueraigne 'gainst
each Common-wealth
disease,
And I doe wish that it may
cure
all those
That are my Soueraignes and
my Countries
foes.
And further, I would haue
them search'd
and seene
With care and skill when as
their
wounds be green,
For if they doe to a
Gangrena runne,
There's little good by
Hempseed
can be done ;
For could I know mens
hearts, I
hold it reason
To hang a Traytor in his
thought
of treason :
For if his thought doe grow
vnto
an act
It helpes not much to hang
him for
the fact.
But that example may a
terror strike
To others, that would else
attempt
the like.
To
end
this point of Hempseed, thus in briefe
It helpes a trueman, and it
hangs
a Theefe.
Rates, Imposts, Customes of
the
Custome-house
Would at the best rate
scarce be
worthe a Louse :
Goods in and out, which
dayly ships
doe fraight,
By guesse by tale, by
measure and
by weight,
Which yearely to such mighty
summes
amount,
In number numberlesse
: or
past account :
Were't not for Hempseed, it
dothe
plaine appeare
These profits would not be a
groat
a yeare.
The names of many braue discouerers: Sir Richard Grin-
uile,
Charles Earle
of Nottingham, Henry Earle of South hamp-
ton.
Columbus, Cortois,
Magellan,
and Drake,
Did with this seed their
great discoueries
make.
Braue Hawkins,
Baskerville, Cauendish,
Fennor, Best.
Smith, Sherley, Rawleigh,
Newport,
and the rest,
Folio Part III, page 68
[misnumbered
for 69]
-- Reprint, page 553
Web, Towerson,
Willoughby, Sir
Thomas Roe,
The Lord 'la Ware,
Frobusher,
many moe.
Nichols, and Malum,
Rolphe,
and Midleton,
And Sir Iames Lancaster,
and Withringhton.
And all the worthy things
that these
men did
Without this seed had bin
vndone,
and hid,
Fame ne're had trumpetted
their
noble fames
And quite forgotten were
their acts
and names.
The
worlds seuen wonders, wer't not for this grain
In poore remembrance, or
forgot
had laine,
The wals of Babel,
sixty
miles about,
Two hundred foote in height,
thicke
fifty foote :
Which Queene Samiramis
in
state did reare,
Imployed three hundred
thousand
men ten yeare.
Nor
the
great Image that at Rhodes was made
Whose metall did nine
hundred Camels
lade.
The Pyramides of Ægypt,
so renownd
At th' foot in compasse
forty acres
ground :
The which in making twenty
yeares
did then
Imploy at worke thirty sixe
thousand
men.
The
Toomb
of Mausoll, King of Carea
Built by his Queene, (kind Artimesia)
So wondrous made by art and
workemanship
That skill of man could
neuer it
outstrip ;
'Twas long in building, and
it doth
appeare
The charges of it full two
millions
were.
Dianaes
Temple built at Ephesus
Had bin vnheard of, and
vnknowne
to vs,
Which was two hundred twenty
yeares
in building
With marble pillars and most
sumptuous
guilding.
The
Image
of Olimpique Jupiter,
Had from Achaya not
beene
fam'd so farre.
Nor Pharoes Watch
towre wchthe
world renownes
Which cost 400. fourescore
thousand
crownes.
Thus without Hemp-seed
we
had neuer knowne
These things, nor could they
to
the world be shown.
O famous Coriat,
hadst thou
come againe
Thou wouldst haue told vs
newes,
direct and plaine,
Of Tygers, Elephants, and
Antelops
And thousand other things as
thicke
as hops,
Of men with long tailes,
faced like
to hounds,
Of oysters, one whose fish
weigh'd
forty pounds,
Of spiders greater then a
walnut
shell
Of the Rhinoceros
thou wouldst
vs tell,
Of horses tane with hawkes,
of beares
of buls,
Of men with eares a span
long, and
of guls,
As great as Swans, and of a
bird
call'd Ziz
Whose egge will drown'd some
threescore
villages.
Of cranes, and pigmies,
lizzards,
buzzards, owles,
Of swine with hornes, of
thousand
beasts and foules.
All these and more then I to
minde
can call
Thou wouldst haue told vs,
and much
more then all,
But that our expectations
were preuented,
By death, which makes thy
friends
much discontented.
But farewell Thomas,
neuer
to returne
Rest thou in peace within
thy forraigne
Vrne,
right column break
Hempseed did beare
thee o're
the raging fome
And O I wish that it had
brought
thee home,
For if thou hadst come
backe, as
I did hope,
Thy fellow had not beene
beneath
the Cope.
But we must loose that which
we
cannot saue.
And freely leaue thee whom
we cannot
haue.
I thinke it best to sow all our Land with it euery third yeare,
for now our
bread
and drinke corne growing out of the execre-
ments of
beasts, makes
vs to participate of their beastly natures, as
when barly
growes
where swine haue dungd, those that drinke
the ale or
beere made
of that malt, are many times as beastly as
swine, and
as drunke
as hogs.
Moreouer, Hempseed hath this vertue rare
In making bad ground good,
good
corne to beare,
It fats the earth, and makes
it
to excell
No dung, or marle, or mucke
can
do't so well :
For in that Land which
beares this
happy seed
In three yeares after it no
dung
will need,
But sow that ground with
barley,
wheat, or rye
And still it will encrease
aboundantly
;
Besides, this much I of my
knowledge
know
That where Hemp
growes, no
stinking weed can grow,
No cockle, darnell, henbane,
tare,
or nettle
Neere where it is can
prosper, spring,
or settle,
For such antipathy is in
this seed,
Against each fruitlesse
vndeseruing
weed,
That it with feare and
terror strikes
them dead,
Or makes them that they dare
not
shew their head.
And as in growing it all
weeds doth
kill
So being growne, it keepes
it nature
still,
For good mens vses serues
&
still releiues
And yeelds good whips and
ropes
for rogues and theeues.
I could rehearse of trades a
number
more
Which but for Hempseed quickly
would grow poore ;
As
Sadlers
for their elks-haire to stuffe their sadles,
And girses, and a thousand
fidle
fadles ;
But that Ile put my Reader
out of
doubts,
What a rich thing it is
being worne
to clouts :
For now how it to Paper doth
conuert
My poore vnable Muse shall
next
insert.
And therefore noble and
ignoble
men
Iudge gently of the
progresse of
my pen,
In forma pauperis,
poore
men may sue,
And I in forme of paper
speake to
you.
But paper now's the subiect
of my
booke,
And from whence paper its
beginning
tooke ;
How that from little Hempe
and flaxen seeds,
Ropes, halters, drapery, and
our
napery breeds,
And from these things by art
and
true endeauour,
All paper is deriued,
whatsoeuer.
For when I thinke but how is
paper
made
Into Phylosophy I
straightwayes
wade :
How here, and there, and
euery where
lyes scatter'd,
Old ruin'd rotten rags, and
ropes
all tatter'd.
And some of these poore
things perhaps
hath beene
The linnen of some Countesse
or
some Queene,
Folio Part III, page 70
-- Reprint, page 554
Yet lyes now on the
dunghill, bare
and poore
Mix'd with the rags of some
baud,
theefe, or whore.
And as these things haue
beene in
better states
Adorning bodies of great
Potentates,
And lyes cast off, despised,
scorn'd,
deiected,
Trod vnder foot, contemn'd
and vnrespected,
By this our vnderstandings
may haue
seeing
That earthly honour hath no
certaine
beeing.
For who can tell from whence
these
tatters springs ?
May not the torne shirt of a
Lords
or Kings
Be pasht and beaten in the
Paper
mill
And made Pot-paper by the
workemans
skill ?
May not the linnen of a
Tyburne
slaue,
More honour then a mighty
Monarch
haue :
That though he dyed a
Traitor most
disloyall
His shirt may be transform'd
to
Paper-royall?
And may not dirty socks from
of
the feet
From thence be turn'd to a
Crowne-paper
sheet ?
And dunghill rags, by
fauour, and
by hap,
May be aduanc'd aloft to
sheets
of cap ?
As by desert, by fauour and
by chance
Honour may fall, and begg'ry
may
aduance,
Thus are these tatters
allegoricall
Tropes, types, and figures,
of mans
rise or fall.
Thus may
the reliques of sincere Diuines
Be made the ground-worke of
lasciuious
lines,
And the cast smocke that
chast Lucretia
wore
Beare baudy lines betwixt a
knaue
and whore.
Thus may
a Brownists zealous ruffe in print
Be turn'd to Paper, and a
play writ
in't.
Or verses of a May-pole, or
at last
Iniunctions for some
stomacke hating
Fast.
And truely 'twere prophane
and great
abuse,
To turne the brethrene
linnen to
such vse,
As to make Paper on't to
beare a
song,
Or Print the Superstitious
Latine
tongue,
Apocrypha, or Ember-weekes,
or Lent,
No holy brother surely will
consent
To such Idolatry, his spirit
and
zeale
Will rather trouble Church,
and
common-weale.
He hates the Fathers workes,
and
had much rather
To be a bastard, then to
haue a
Father.
His owne interpretation
he'll affoord
According to the letter of
the word,
Tropes, Allegories, Types,
similitudes,
Or Figures, that some
mysticke sense
includes.
His humour can the meaning
so vnfold,
In other fashions then the
Fathers
could :
For he (dogmatically) doth
know
more
Then all the learned Doctors
knew
before.
All reuerend Ceremonies he'l
oppose,
He can make an Organ of his
nose,
And spin his speech with
such sincerity,
As if his bridge were falne
in verity.
The Cope and Surplessse he
cannot
abide,
Against the corner-Cap he
out hath
cride,
right column break
And calls them weeds of
Superstition,
And liueries of the whore of
Babylon.
The Crosses blessing he
esteemes
a curse,
The Ring in marriage, out
vpon't
'tis worse.
And for his kneeling at the
Sacrament,
In sooth he'le rather suffer
banishment,
And goe to Amsterdamd,
and
liue and dye
E're he'l commit so much
Idolatry.
He takes it for an outwarde
Seale
or Signe,
A little consecrated bread
and wine,
And though it from his
blessed Sauior
come
His manners takes it sitting
on
his bum.
The Spirit still directs him
how
to pray,
Nor will he dresse his meat
the
Sabbath day,
Which doth a mighty mysterie
vnfold,
His zeale is hot, although
his meat
be cold,
Suppose his Cat on Sunday
kill a
Rat,
She on the Munday must be
hang'd
for that.
His faith keepes a
continuall Holy
day,
Himselfe doth labour to
keepe it
at play :
For he is read and deeply
vnderstood
That if his faith should
worke 'twould
doe no good,
A fine cleane fingerd faith
must
saue alone,
Good workes are needlesse,
therefore
he'l do none.
Yet patience doth his spirit
so
much inspire,
He'l not correct a Seruant
in his
ire,
But when the spirit his hot
furie
layes.
Hee congregates his folkes,
and
thus he sayes:
Attend
good Nichodemus, and Tobias,
Lift to your reuerend Master
Ananias,
And good Aminadab, I
pray
attend,
Here's my man Ismael
highly
did offend ;
He told a lye, I heard his
tongue
to trip,
For which most surely he
shall tast
the whip.
Then after
some sententious learned speech,
This seruant humbly doth let
fall
his breech,
Mounts on his fellowes backe
as
on a Mule,
Whilst his pure Maister
mounts his
rod of rule.
The boy in lying with his
tongue
did faile,
And thus he answers for it
with
his taile.
O Vpright, Sincere, Holy
execution,
Most patient, vnpolluted
absolution.
Shall Paper
made of linnen of these men,
Be stain'd with an
vnsanctified
pen ?
In sooth who ere doth so,
bee't
he or she,
They little better then the
wicked
be,
Children of Sathan and
abhomination,
The brood of Belials cursed
congregation,
The bastard off spring of
the purple
whore,
Who doe the Babylonish
Beast
adore.
From the
Creation to the generall Flood,
The name of Paper no man
vnderstood
:
But by tradition still from
Sire
to Son,
Men liuing knew the deeds by
dead
men done.
Yet many things were in the
Deluge
sau'd
In stony Pillars charactered
and
grau'd.
Folio Part III, page 71
-- Reprint, page 555
For the most part
anitquity agrees,
Long since the floud men
writ in
barkes of trees :
Which was obseru'd late in America,
When Spanish Cortois
conquered Mexica.
Then after in Fig-leaues and
Sicamour,
Men did in Characters their
minds
explore.
How when
it is worne
to Rags, it is made into Paper.
Long after, as ingenuous
spirits
taught,
Rags and old Ropes were to
perfection
wrought
Into square formes yet how
to giue
a name
Vnto their workemanship they
could
not frame.
The
Originall of
Paper.
Some
Authors doe
the name of Paper gather,
To be deriv'd from Papa,
or a Father,
Because a learned man of Arrius
sect
Did Christendome with
heresie infect
:
And being in great errors
much mistooke,
Writ and divulged in a Paper
booke.
And therefore Nimphshag
thus
much doth inferre,
The name of Paper sprung
from Papa
err.
Some hold the name doth from
a Rush
proceed,
Which on Egiptian Nilus
bankes
doth breed :
Which Rush is call'd Papirus
for on it
Th' Egiptian people
oftentimes
had writ.
And
some againe
of lesse authoritie
Because it's made of rags
and pouerty,
In stead of Paper name it Pauperis,
But sure me thinkes they
take their
markes amisse,
For foure and twenty sheets
doe
make a Quire,
And twenty Quire doth to a
Reame
aspire,
And every Reame were
Kingdomes for
their strength
But that they want a single
(l)
in length.
A Reame of Paper therefore
keepes
great port,
And were a Realme, wer't not
an
(l) too short.
Besides, we haue
an old Prognosticater,
An erring Father, quasi
erra
Pater.
His euerlasting Almanack
tels plaine,
How many miles from hence to
Charles
his waine.
From Luna vnto Mercury
how farre
To Venus, Sol, and Mars
that warlike starre :
From Mars to merry
thunder-thumping Iove
:
And thence to sullen Saturne
highest aboue :
This if I lye not, with
aduice and
leasure,
Old Erra Pater to an
inch
did measure.
right column break
But hollow Muse what
mounted to the
sky,
I'le clip your soaring
plumes for
you and I
Must talke of Paper, Hemp,
and such
as this,
And what a rich commodity it
is.
It was
time to remember
my selfe, for I was a degree too high.
The best is I have elbow
room to
trace,
I am not tide to times, to
bounds,
or place,
But Europe, Asia,
Sun-burnt Affrica,
America, Terra incognita,
The Christians, Heathens,
Pagans,
Turkes & Iewes,
And all the world yeelds
matter
to my Muse :
No Empire, Kingdome, Region,
Prouince,
Nation,
No Principality, Shire, nor
Corporation
:
No Country, County, City,
Hamlet,
Towne,
But must vse Paper, eyther
white
or browne.
No Metropolitane, or
gracious Primate
No Village, Pallace,
Cottage, function,
Climate.
No age, sex, or degree the
earth
doth beare,
But they must vse this seed
to write
or weare.
How it Propagates the
Gospell.
This
Paper (being
printed) doth reueale
Th'Eternall Testament of all
our
Weale :
In Paper is recorded the
Records
Of the Great all Creating
Lord of
Lords.
Vpon this weake ground
strongly
is ingrau'd
The meanes how man was made,
and
lost and sau'd.
Bookes Patriarchall, and
Propheticall,
Historicall, or Heauenly
Mysticall,
Euangelicall, and
Apostolicall,
Writ in the sacred Text, in
generall.
The sacred memory of Patriarchs, Prophets, Euangelists, A-
postles, and
Fathers.
Much
hath the
Church (our Mother propagated)
By venerable Fathers workes
translated
Saint Jerome, Gregorie,
Ambrose,
Augustine,
Saint Basil, Bernard,
Cyprian,
Constantine :
Eusebius, Epiphanius,
Origen,
Ignatius, and Lactantius
(reuerend men)
Good Luther, Caluine,
learned Zwinglius,
Melancton, Beza,
Oecolampadius,
These, and a world more then
I can
recite
Their labours would haue
slept in
endlesse night,
But that in Paper they
preseru'd
haue bin
T' instruct vs how to shun
death,
hell, and sin.
Folio Part III, page 72
-- Reprint, page 556
The memorial of Monarchies and Wonders with their altera-
tions from
time to
time, and chiefly by Paper.
How should we know the
change of
Monarchies,
Th' Assyrian, and the
Persian Emperies,
Great Alexanders
large, small
lasting glory
Or Romes high Cæsars
often changing story ?
How should Chronologies of
Kings
be knowne
Of eyther other Countries,
or our
owne?
Phylosophers,
Hystorians, Chronographers, Poets ancient
and moderne,
the best
sort mentioned.
But that Josephus
and Suetonius
Pollidore, Virgil, and
Ortelius,
Seneca, and Cornelius
Tacitus
With Scaliger, and Quintus
Curtius ;
Plutarch, Guichiardine,
Gallobelgicus
Thomasio, and Hector
Boetius ;
Fox, Cooper, Froysard,
Grafton
Fabian,
Hall, Houe'den Lanquet,
Sleiden,
Buchanan,
The Reuerend learned Cambden,
Selden, Stowe,
With Polychronicon,
and Speed,
and Howe,
With Parris, Malmsbury,
and
many more
Whose Workes in Paper are
yet extant
store.
Philemon
Holland
(famous for translation)
Hath (with our owne tongue)
well
inricht our Nation.
Esope, and Aristotle,
Plinie, Plato.
Pythagoras, and Cicero,
and Cato,
Du Bartas, Ariosto,
Martial,
Tasso,
Plautus, and Homer,
Terence,
Virgil, Naso,
Franciscus Petrark,
Horace, Juuenal,
Philosophers and exc'lent
Poets
all.
Or Orators Hystorians, euery
one
In Paper made their worthy
studies
knowne.
Who euer went beyond our
famous King
Whose Art thoroughout the
spacious
world doth ring;
Such a Diuine, and Poet,
that each
State
Admires him whom they cannot
imitate.
In Paper,
many a Poet now suruiues
Or else their lines had
perish'd
with their liues.
Old Chaucer, Gower,
and Sir Thomas
More,
Sir Philip Sidney who
the
Lawrell wore,
Spencer, and Shakespeare
did in Art excell,
Sir Edward Dyer, Greene,
Nash,
Daniel,
Siluester Beaumont, Sir
Iohn
Harington,
Forgetfulnesse their workes
would
ouer run,
right column break
But that in Paper they
immortally
Doe liue in spight of Death,
and
cannot dye.
And many
there are liuing at this day
Which doe in paper their
true worth
display :
As Dauis, Drayton,
and the
learned Dun,
Johnson, and Chapman,
Marston, Middleton,
With Rowley, Fletcher,
Withers,
Massinger,
Heywood, and all the
rest
where e're they are,
Must say their lines but for
the
paper sheete
Had scarcely ground, whereon
to
set their feete.
Acts, Statutes,
Lawes would be consum'd and lost
All right and order
topsy-turuy
tost :
Oppression, wrong,
destruction and
confusion
Wer't not for Paper, were
the worlds
conclusion.
Negotiations, and
Embassages
Maps, Chartes, discoueries
of strange
passages :
Leagues, truces,
combinations, and
contracts,
Ecclesiasticke monuments and
acts,
Lawes, Nat'rall, Morall,
Ciuill,
and Diuine,
T' instruct, reprove,
correct, inlarge,
confine.
All Memorandums of
forepassed ages,
Sayings and sentences of
ancient
Sages,
Astronomy, and Phisicke much
renownd,
The lib'rall Arts, rules,
maxiomes,
or ground,
The glory of Apolloes
Radient
shine,
Supporter of the Sacred
Sisters
Nine,
The Atlas, that all
Histories
doth beare
Throughout the world, here,
there,
and euery where.
How many liue by it
being
Paper.
All
this and more
is paper, and all this,
From fruitfull Hempseed still
produced is.
Were't not for rags of this
admired
Lint,
Dead were the admirable Art
of Print.
Nor could the Printers with
their
formes & proofes.
Worke for their owne and
other mens
behoofes.
Octavo, Quarto, Folio, or
sixteene :
Twelues, nor yet sixty four
had
e're beene seene,
Nor could their Pages be the
meanes
to feed
And cloth them and their
families
at need.
The
Stationer
that liues, and gaineth well,
And doth the word of God,
both buy
and sell,
I know not which way he
could liue
and eate,
If printed paper did not
yeeld him
meat.
Folio Part III, page 73
-- Reprint, page 557
Some
foolish knaue
(I thinke) at first began
The slander that three
Taylers are
one man :
When many a Taylers boy, I
know
hath beene,
Hath made tall men much
fearefull
to be seene,
The boy hath had no weapon,
nor
no skill,
But armed with a Taylers
Paper-bill,
Which being edgd with Items,
stiffnings facings,
With Bumbast, cottons,
linenings,
and with laceings,
The boy hath made a man his
head
to hide
And not the bare sight of
the Bill
abide.
When boyes with paper Bils
frights
men so sore,
'Tis doubtlesse but their
Masters
can doe more.
And many millions both of
boyes
and
men,
Doe onely liue, and flourish
with
the pen :
Yet though the pen be
through the
world renown'd
'T were nothing except paper
were
the ground.
All
Lawyers from
the high'st degree or marke,
Vnto the lowest Barrester or
Clarke,
How could they doe if paper
did
not beare
The memory of what they
speake or
heare ?
And Iustice Clarkes could
hardly
make strong warrants,
For Theeues, or Baudes, or
whores,
or such like arrants,
But that in Paper 'tis their
onely
vse
To write, and right the
Common-wealths
abuse.
Thus much
of
Paper here my Muse hath said,
But yet if all its profits
were
displaid,
Ten Paper Mils could not
affoord
enough
To write vpon in praise of
writing
stuffe.
A Voyage in a
Paper-boat from London to
Quinborough.
I therefore
to conclude this much will note
How I of Paper lately made a
Boat,
And how in forme of Paper I
did
row
From London vnto Quinborough
Ile show.
I and a Vintner (Roger
Bird
by name)
A man whom Fortune neuer yet
could
tame)
Took ship vpon the vigill of
Saint Iames
And boldly ventur'd down the
Riuer Thames,
Lauing and cutting through
each
raging billow,
(In such a Boat which neuer
had
a fellow)
Hauing no kinde of mettall
or no
wood
To helpe vs eyther in our
Ebbe or
Flood :
For as our boat was paper,
so our
Oares
Where Stock-fish, caught
neere to
the Island shores.
Stock-fishes vnbeaten, bound fast to two Canes with pack-
thread.
Thus being Oar'd and
shipt away we
went.
Driuing 'twixt Essex Calues,
and sheepe of Kent :
right column break
Our Boat a female vessell
gan to
leake
Being as female vessels are,
most
weake,
Yet was shee able which did
greeue
me sore,
To drowne Hodge Bird
and
I and forty more.
The water to the Paper being
got,
In one halfe houre our boat
began
to rot :
The Thames (most
lib'rall)
fild her to the halues,
Whilst Hodge and I
sate liquor'd
to the calues.
In which extremity I thought
it
fit
To put in vse a stratagem of
wit,
Which was, eight Bullocks
bladders
we had bought
Pust stifly full with wind,
bound
fast and tought,
Which on our Boat within the
Tide
we ty'de,
Of each side foore, vpon the
outward
side.
The water still rose higher
by degrees.
In three miles going, almost
to
our knees,
Our rotten bottome all to
tatters
fell,
And left our boat as
bottomlesse
as Hell.
And had not bladders borne
vs stifly
vp,
We there had tasted of
deaths fatall
cup.
And
now (to make
some sport) Ile make it knowne
By whose strong breath my
bladders
all were blown.
One by a cheuerell
conscienc'd Vsurer,
Another by a drunken Bag
piper,
The third a Whore, the
fourth a
Pander blew,
The fift a Cutpurse, of the
Cursed
crew,
The sixt, a post-knight that
for
fiue groats gaine
Would sweare & for foure
groats
forsweare't againe.
The seauenth was an
Informer, one
that can
By informations begger any
man.
The eight was blowne vp by a
swearing
Royster,
That would cut throats as
soone
as eate an Oyster.
We had more winds then that Compasse, for we had eight seue-
rall winds
in our
bladders, and the 32 of the Compasse in all 40.
We being in our watry
businesse bound,
And with these wicket winds
encompass'd
round,
For why such breaths as
those it
fortunes euer,
They end with hanging, but
with
drowning neuer ;
And sure the bladders bore
vs vp
so tight,
As if they had said,
Gallowes claime
thy right.
This was the cause that made
vs
seeke about,
To finde these light
Tiburnian vapours
out.
We could haue had of honest
men
good store,
As Watermen, and Smiths, and
many
more,
But that we knew it must be
hanging
breath,
That must preserue vs from a
drowning
death.
Carefully and discreetly prouided.
Yet such we fear'd the
graues our
end would be
Before we could the Towne of
Grauesend
see :
Our boat drunke deepely with
her
dropsie thirst,
And quaft as if she would
her bladders
burst,
Folio Part III, page 74
-- Reprint, page 558
Whilst we within sixe
inches of the
brim
(Full of salt water) downe
(halfe
sunck) did swim.
Thousands of people all the
shores
did hide,
And thousands more did meet
vs in
the tide
With Scullers, Oares, with
ship-boats,
& with Barges
To gaze on vs, they put
themselues
to charges.
Thus did
we driue, and driue the time away,
Till pitchy night had driuen
away
the day :
The sun vnto the vnder world
was
fled :
The Moone was loath to rise,
and
kept her bed,
The Starres did twinckle,
but the Ebon
clouds
Their light, our sight,
obscures
and ouershrowds.
The tossing billowes made
our boat
to caper,
Our paper forme scarce being
forme
of paper,
The water foure mile broad,
no Oares,
to row,
Night darke, and where we
were we
did not know.
And thus 'twixt doubt and
feare,
hope and despaire
I fell to worke, and Roger
Bird
to prayer.
And as the surges vp and
down did
heaue vs,
He cry'd most feruently,
good Lord
receiue vs.
I pray'd as much, but I did
worke
and pray,
And he did all he could to
pray
and play.
Thus three houres darkeling
I did
puzzell and toile
Sows'd and well pickl'd,
chafe and
muzzell & moile,
Drench'd with the swassing
waues
and stew'd in sweat
Scarce able with a cane our
boat
to set,
At last (by Gods great mercy
and
his might)
The morning gan to chase
away the
night.
Aurora made us soon
perceiue
and see
We were three miles below
the Towne
of Lee.
And as the morning more end
more
did cleare,
The sight of Quinborogh
castle
did appeare.
That was the famous
monumentall
marke,
To which we striu'd to bring
our
rotten barke :
The onely ayme of our
intents and
scope,
The anker that brought Roger
to the Hope.
He
dwelleth now at the Hope on the Banck-side.
Thus we from Saturday at
euening
Tide,
Till Monday morne, did on
the water
bide,
In rotten paper and in
boysterous
weather,
Darke nights, through wet,
and toyled
altogether.
But being come to Quinborough
and aland,
I tooke my fellow Roger
by
the hand,
And both of vs ere we two
steps
did goe
Gaue thankes to God that had
preseru'd
vs so :
Confessing that his mercy vs
protected
When as we least deseru'd,
and lesse
expected.
The Maior of Quinborough
in loue affords
To entertaine vs, as we had
beene
Lords ;
It is a yearely feast kept
by the
Maior,
And thousand people thither
doth
repaire,
From Townes and Villages
that's
neere about,
And 'twas our lucke to come
in all
this rout.
I' th' street, Bread, Beere,
and
Oysters is their meat,
Which freely, friendly,
shot-free
all doe eat.
right column break
But Hodge and I
were men of
ranck and note,
We to the Maior gaue our
aduenturous
boat ;
The which (to glorifie that
Towne
of Kent)
He meant to hang vp for a
monument.
He to his house inuited vs
to dine,
Where we had cheare on
cheare, and
wine on wine
And drinke, and fill, and
drinke,
and drinke and fill,
With welcome vpon welcome,
welcome
still.
But
whilst
we at our dinners thus were merry,
The Country people tore our
tatter'd
wherry
In mammocks peecemeale in a
thousand
scraps,
Wearing the reliques in
their hats
and caps.
That neuer traytors corps
could
more be scatter'd
By greedy Rauens, then our
poore
boat was tatter'd;
Which when the Maior did
know, he
presently
Tooke patient what he could
not
remedie
The next day we with thankes
left Quinbroghs coast
And hied vs home on
horse-backe
all in post.
Thus Master Birds
strange
voyage was begun,
With greater danger was his
mony
won.
And those that doe his coine
from
him detaine
(Which he did win with
perill and
much paine)
Let them not thinke that
e're 'twill
doe them good,
But eate their marrow and
consume
their blood.
The worme of conscience gnaw
them
euery day
That haue the meanes, and
not the
will to pay.
Those that are poore, and
cannot,
let them be
Both from the debt and
malediction
free.
Thus (I
in part) what Hemp-seed is haue showne,
Cloth, ropes, rags, paper,
poorely
is made knowne :
How it maintaines each
kingdome,
state and trade,
And how in paper we a voyage
made.
I therefore to conclude,
thinke
not amisse
To write something of Thames,
or Thamasis,
The names of the most famous riuers in the world.
Maze, Rubicon, Elue,
Volga, Ems,
Scamander,
Loyre, Moldoue, Tyber,
Albia,
Seyne, Meander,
Hidaspes, Indus, Inachus,
Tanaies,
(Our Thames true
praise is
farre beyond their praise)
Great Euphrates,
Iordane, Nilus,
Ganges, Poe,
Tagus and Tygris,
Thames doth farre out-goe.
Danubia, Ister, Xanthus,
Lisus,
Rhrine,
Wey, Seuerne, Auon,
Medway, Isis,
Tine,
Dee, Ouze, Trent, Humber,
Eske,
Tweed, Annan, Tay,
Firth (that braue
Demy-ocean) Clide,
Dun, Spay,
All these are great in
fames, and
great in names,
But great'st in goodnesse
is the
riuer Thames,
From whose Diurnall and
Nocturnall
flood
Millions of soules haue
fewell cloathes
and food ;
Which from twelue houres to
twelue
doth still succeed,
Hundreds, & thousands
both to
cloath & feed,
Of watermen, their seruants,
children,
wiues,
It doth maintaine neere
twenty thousand
liues.
I can as quickly number all
the
starres,
As reckon all things in
particulars
:
Folio Part III, page 75
-- Reprint, page 559
Which by the bounty of
th'All-giuing
giuer
Proceeds from this most
matchlesse,
famous Riuer.
And therefore 'tis great
pitty,
shelfe or sand
From the forgetfull and
ingratefull
land,
Should it's cleare chrystall
entrailes
vilefy,
Or soyle such purenesse with
impurity.
What doth it doe, but serues
our
full contents,
Brings food, and for it
takes our
excrements,
Yeelds vs all plenty, worthy
of
regard
And dirt and mucke we giue
it for
reward ?
Riuers fabled or feigned to be in Hell.
Oh what
a world of Poets that excell
In art, haue fabled riuers
out of
hell,
As Erebus, Cocitus,
Acheron,
Stix, Orchus, Tartarus,
and Phlegeton,
And all infernall Barathrums
Damn'd Creekes,
With Charons Passengers,
and fearefull shriekes,
Who writing drinking Lethe
to their shames
Vnthankefully they haue
forgot the Thames.
But noble Thames,
whilest
I can hold a pen
I will diuulge thy glory
vnto men
:
Thou in the morning when my
coine
is scant
Before the euening dost
supply my
want.
If like a Bee I seeke to
liue and
thriue,
Thou wilt yeeld hony freely
to my
hiue,
If like a drone I will not
worke
for meate,
Thou in discretion giues me
nought
to eate
Thou the true rules of
Iustice dost
obserue,
To feed the lab'rer, let the
idle
sterue,
And I so many faithlesse men
haue
found
As any man that liues vpon
the ground,
Who haue done me wrong and
themselues
no good,
And swore, and forswore in
their
damned mood :
Whilst I (fond I) haue lent
and
giuen away
To such as not so much as
thankes
will pay,
For shame and modesty I name
them
not ;
But let their black soules
beare
the impure blot
Of falshood periury, and
odious
lyes
That diuels in shape of
Mankind
can deuise.
If these lines happen to
their hands
to come,
They'l pick their teeth,
look downward
and cry hum,
But goodnesse how should
euer I
expect,
From such who doe so true a
friend
neglect.
right column break
And therefore Thames,
with
thee I haue decreed
Because thou neuer faild me
in my
need,
To thee, to thee againe I
doe retire
And with thee Ile remaine
till life
expire,
The Oare hath foure or fiue vertues ; first, it is healthfull, se-
cond, it
auoyds bad
company, third, it keeps men sober, fourth, it
gets mony,
fift, it
auoyds expences all which vertues I wll put in
practise and
fall
to rowing.
Thou art my Mistresse,
and oft times
from thee
Thy liberalitie hath flow'd
to me,
And for thou alwayes giuest
me meanes
to liue
My selfe (most thankefully)
my selfe
do giue.
Momus thou Sonne of Somnus,
and of Nox,
Take not my lines all for a
Paradox
:
For most of them seeme true,
and
I doe rue
That many of them I doe know
too
true.
Sleepe Momus sleepe,
in Murceas
slothfull bed,
Let Morpheus locke
thy tongue
within thy head :
Or if thou needst wild
prate, prate
to this end
To giue commends to that
thou canst
not mend.
'Tis not a guilded Gull made
vp
with oathes,
That sweares and damns
himselfe
into good cloaths,
That weares his cloak
beneath his
skirts and wast
Cause men may see how he is
trust
and brac'd :
Such a fantasticke asse, I
care
not for,
He flewts my lines, and I
doe him
abhor.
My poor inuention no way is
supply'd
With cutting large thongs
from anothers
hide :
I haue not stolne a syllable
or
letter
From any man, to make my
booke seem
better.
But similies, comparisons,
each
line,
Indifferent, good or bad,
they all
are mine,
Yet I confesse I haue read
many
a booke
From whence I haue some
obseruations
tooke.
Which I make vse of, as
occasions
touch,
And any Poet (I thinke) will
doe
as much.
I will not brag, to all men
bee
it knowne
(By learning) I haue nothing
of
mine owne,
But had I tongues and
languages,
like many
Sure I should filch and
steale as
much as any.
But like an Artlesse Poet, I
say
still,
I am a Taylor, true
against
my will.
Thus ending
(like to Jasons Golden-fleece)
This worke
of Hempseed is my Master-peece.
F
I N
I
S.
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