poesies OF HORACE Meeter, by Lewis Evans Schoolmaster.  
¶ The second Poesy of Horace rebuking Vice.  
¶ The Argument.  

¶ Here Horace doth by right rebuke, such as keep not the mean:  
Not leaving eke untouched those, which to their lusts do lean.   

THe rout & crew of drunken drabs, & ointment they that sell,  
the beggars, bawds, & all the kind of flatterers fowl & fell  
Are woeful sad when that they hear, of Tigill: singers death:  
For that he spent his wealth on them. But this will not uneath  
(For fear to be so prodigal,) give to his friend in need,  
Thereby his hunger & his cold, to drive away with speed.  
If thou the one demand why he his father's wealth doth waste,  
And substance great on dainty fare, with persons vile unchaste,  
Preparing so such glutton's feast, with money had by hire?  
Because (saith he) to shun the name of Niggard I require.  
Which one his mates do much commend, but him the wise do blame.  
Fusidius feareth on tother side, of gluttons great the shame.  
When that he hath great grounds & eke, much money lent for gain,  
Who doth require for every pound, five pound to him again.  
And look thunthryfter any is, the more he wryngthe of him,  
And so he haunteth younkers out, that would go fine and trim.  
But yet whom fathers hard do find, what God could now lo, lo,  
Choose but exclaim, and cry on such, when those that they do know?  
But this man's charge is as his gain, thou scarcely mayst believe,  
How small a freynd unto himself, is he that thus doth live.  
Like as the father, (Terence saith) was sad, his son away,  
No greater grief sustained he, than doth this churl alway.  
If any now do ask of me, what mean these tales begun?  
To show that fools avoiding faults, to faults overwartly run.  
Malchinus walkthe with gown so long, as flappeth oft the ground  
A mecier man doth wear again, a cutted cloak and round:  
Rufillus smelthe of Muskbals still, and Gorgon stinks as Goat,  
there is no mean, there are which will not touch but those I wot  
whose gowns do trail the ground, & so are wives & matrons such.  
Another on the other part, but stinking whores will touch.  
When that from stews was coming forth, a certain famous man  
To him sage Cato said, proceed in virtue if thou can,  
For lo, as soon as filthy lust, the puffed up with desire,  
Such youth then here for to descend right law doth it require:  
And not to tempt the matron wife's: but I defy that praise,  
Said he Cupennius which did love, none else but wives always.  
For you to hear is labour worth, which that advowtrous men  
Would not to speed, or have their will, how they are pained then  
And how the pleasure rare they have, corrupted is with grief,  
Still chancing unto dangers great, that daily been & rief.  
The one from window high in house, hath fallen headlong round,  
the other whipped almost to death▪ that third they thieves have found.  
Another caught compelled is, to save himself with bribe,  
With pyspots, Skoollions, dress the fift, & sixth I will describe.  
Whose chance is for to suffer pain, and gelded for to be,  
Which they deserve as all men say, yet nay saith Galba he.  
But how more safe the next degree of women men may use,  
I mean all such as are made flee, whom Sallust could not choose  
But like advowtrer fancy much, yet if that he had so  
Been free, as wealth & wisdom would, & them would give no more  
Than might become one liberal, and bounteous fain would be,  
He should them give as that he might, not hurting his degree  
As that should to his shame redound, but this was his desire,  
And this he lykte, that he might say, no Matron I require.  
As Marsaeus servant Lover once, Origines of the quean.  
Did give that dancing drab his ground, his house nor substance mean,  
& than did say with men their wives, I never had lo to do,  
But yet vile drabs & naughty queans, thou Marsaeu oft didst know  
By whom thy name sustaineth loss, more than thy goods I grant,  
thinkest thou enough to fly some sort, & that which hurts to haunt?  
For thee to lose good name, and spend thy father's wealth away  
Is ill and hurt, wherso thou spends unthryftly that I say,  
What difference if thou sin, with matron grave or harlot gay  
Annius Milo son in law of Silla fool in this,  
In having pleasure in such name, he suffered pain iwis  
More than enough, for buffets had, with sword he was beset  
And driven forth when Longaren: within his love did get.  
To him with words of privy part, perceiving all his woe.  
If reason said what meanest thou? do I of thee look so,  
To have a mate begotten thus, of Consuls stately race,  
And clad in robes when that my lust, doth thee so fervent chase?  
What should he say? the maid is borne, of father noble great.  
But by how much things far more meet, & contraring this yet  
Doth Nature rich herself us warn. But if thou well wilt now  
work thine intent, & not things fond, to things being good if thou  
Wilt join, to differ think'st thou not, through folly if thou sin,  
Or through the need or want of things, then linger not, begin  
And leave to haunt the matron wife's, by whom of truth more pain  
And hurt doth come, then that thereof, thou mayst receive of gain.  
Nor of this matron brave with stones, being precious white & green,  
(Although Cherinte thine be so) the limbs are ryghtlyer seen.  
But yea, sometimes of common Queans, the limbs are far more fine  
Who what they have to sell do show, not forcing face to shine.  
And if some honesty they have, they brag not of the same,  
Neither seek they how for to hide, their bodies, faults & blame.  
Rich men so use when they do buy, great Horses clad to knee,  
To view the same least stature tall, and comely for to see.  
Being oft set forth with feet so light, a bait to buy should be,  
Or that for buttocks fair, short head, or neck courageous free.  
They do this well, but thou wilt not, of matron mark with heed  
The chiefest parts, when yet more blind, than Hipsea blind indeed:  
Thou wouldst behold the meaner parts, o leg, o arms, but well,  
She boulged buttocks, & great nose, short side & feet hath fell.  
Of matrons thou mayst not behold nowght else but hue of face,  
which with long gowns be hid unless, their legs have Catias grace.  
But if the place forbid thou seek, that trenched is (for thee  
That maketh mad) much things a let, to thine intent shallbe.  
Her keepers, lycter, and such like, of parasites a thrall,  
Her rob that trailth to ground, & cloak most large that covereth all,  
which do disdain that thou shouldst see, that which we Cunnus call  
The other strumpet workth no fetch, whom in thin weed that shalt  
As naked see, to view if leg, or filthy feet do halt,  
Thou mayst behold with sight her side, wilt thou therefore I say  
Be so beguiled and suffer dames, to have their gain away,  
Before they purpose had? but yet as hunter deep in snow  
Doth hunt the Hare, not touching her, that forth herself doth show  
Such as he takes with pain he eats, to whom my love is like,  
which things so easy had doth hate, & things hard out doth pike  
With verses such, and hopest thou away to put and pair  
Quite from thy breast thy grief & heats, & crooked cursed care?  
Hath not to lust dame Nature made, a bound and measure such  
As her what lykth or doth mislike, or what contents her much  
To search doth more avail? and so things fond from sit to set:  
As when your taws do dry for thirst, seek you of gold to get  
A cup? whether hungering loath you, all meats and far beside  
A Peacock and a Turbot both? when lust thee swells so wide:  
If maiden or bond boy be by, to whom should thy desire  
Take place? or wouldst thou rather burst through stiffness of thy ●ire?  
I like not her (for one love I, all ready at desire,)  
That will appoint anon (their mate being forth) but at more hire,  
Such one let pranking French men take, (saith Philodem) for me,  
Let one be had of meaner price, that glad to come will be,  
So white, upright & fair let her appete that not more long  
Nor fairer more that would be seen, than nature wrought among:  
When this in bed herself doth lie, and I therein also,  
Then Ilia her and Egeria I call by names and more.  
Nor fear I ought as I this do, least man from country come  
And gates should burst, or dog should bark, & then again by some  
Least that great noise be made in house, or that then pale from bead,  
The dame should sleep, and call herself, both woeful & wretchead  
For taken, she must fear her bones, yea lest she dowry lose  
And I myself with gown on girt, must barefoot flee my foes,  
Lest I should money pay and lose my ware, or else my name  
To be taken is woe. I win, though Fabius judge the same.   
¶ Thus endeth the second Poesy of Hor●ce.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestreate beneath the Conduit: at the Sign of S. john evangelist, by Thomas Colwell.