A worthy Mirror, wherein you may Mark, An excellent discourse of a breeding Lark.  
To the tune of new Rogero.  
By reading whereof, perceive well you may,  
What trust is in friends, or in kinsfolk to stay.  
A Lark sometimes did breed,  
within a field of Corn:  
And had increase when as the grain  
was ready to be shorn.  
She wary of the time,  
and careful for her nest:  
Debated wisely with herself,  
what thing to do were best:  
For to abide the rage.  
of cruel Reaper's hand:  
She knew it was to perilous,  
with safety for to stand.  
And to dislodge ●er brood,  
unable yet to fl●e:  
(Not knowing whether to remove)  
great harms might hap thereby.  
Therefore she meant to stay,  
till force constrained to fleet,  
And in the while for to provide,  
some other place as meet:  
The better to provide,  
the purpose of her mind:  
She would forthwith go seek abroad,  
and leave her young behind:  
But first she had them all,  
attend their mother's will:  
Which careful was for to eschew,  
each likelihood of ill.  
This Corn is ripe (quoth she)  
wherein we nestled are:  
The which (if ●●de prevents not harms)  
might cause our mortal care.  
Therefore to fence with skill,  
the sequel of mishaps:  
I will provide some other place,  
for fear of after claps.  
Whilst I for this and food,  
am flown hence away,  
With h●edfull ears attentive be,  
what comers by do say.  
Thus said, she vaunst herself,  
upon her longest toe:  
And mounted up into the skies,  
still singing as she flow▪  
Anon she home returned,  
full fraught with choice of meat:  
But lo, (a sudden change) her Birds  
for fear could nothing eat.  
Therewith aghast she cried.  
what how? what meaneth this?  
I charge you on my blessing▪ tell  
what thing hath chanced amiss?  
Are ●hese my welcomes home,  
or thanks for food I have?  
Ye wont were with chirping cheer,  
to gape before I gave.  
But now such quames oppress.  
your former quiet kind:  
That (quite transformed) dumb mute things  
and senseless soul I find.  
The prime and eldest Bird,  
(thus cheekis) began to say:  
Alas dear Dame such news we heard,  
since you were flown away:  
That were it not the trust,  
that we ●●pose in you:  
Our lives were lost: remediless,  
we know it well enough:  
The owner of the plot,  
came hither with his Son:  
And said to him, this Wheat must down,  
it is more than time it were done.  
Go get thee to my Friends.  
and bid them come to morn:  
And tell them that I crave their helps,  
to reap a piece of Corne.  
The Lark that was the Dam,  
stood in a dump a while:  
And after said, his friends (quoth he)  
and then began to sm●le.  
Tush, friends are hard to find,  
true friendship seld appears:  
A man may miss to have a friend,  
that lives old Nestor's years.  
True Damon and his friend▪  
long ere ou● time were dead:  
It was in Greece, a great way hence,  
w●●re such true love was bred:  
Our Country is too cold,  
to foster up a friend:  
Till proof be made, each one will say,  
still yours unto the end.  
But try in time of need,  
and all your friends are flown.  
Such fruitless seed, such ●●●ale stay,  
in faithless friends be sown:  
Therefore be of good cheer,  
revive your dulled sprights:  
Expel th● care, that causeless thus,  
bereaves you of delights.  
Let not surmised fear,  
deprive your eyes of sleep:  
Myself will be amongst you still,  
that safely shall you keep.  
And swear e'en be the Tuft,  
that grows upon my crown:  
If all his help be in his friends,  
this Corn shall not go down.  
The young assured by her,  
that such an oath did swear:  
Did pass the time in wanted sleep,  
and banished former fear:  
And when the drowsy night,  
was fled from gladsome day:  
She bade them waken and look about,  
for she must go her way.  
And said I warrant you,  
these friends will not come here:  
Yet notwithstanding listen well,  
and tell me what you hear.  
Anon the Farmer came,  
enraged well nigh mad:  
And swore, who for depends on friends.  
his case is worse than bad:  
I will go fetch my kin▪  
to help me with this gear.  
In things of greater weight than this,  
their kindred shall appear:  
The Larks, their Dam returned,  
inf●r●ed her of all:  
And how that he himself was gone,  
his kindred for to call.  
But when she heard of kin,  
she laughing cried amain:  
A pin for kin, a fig for friends,  
yet kin the worst of twain.  
This man himself is poor,  
though wealthy kin he have:  
And kindred now a days doth quail,  
when need compels to crave.  
No no, he shall return,  
with ill contented mind:  
His pains shall 〈…〉sse of time,  
no succour he shall find.  
They all are so addict,  
unto their private gain:  
That if ye lack power to requite,  
your suits are all in vain.  
Myself am ever charged,  
with harvest ye may see:  
And nearer as my skin then shirt,  
this shall their answer be.  
Therefore as ●a●st of friends,  
so say I now of kin:  
We shall receiu● no hurt by them,  
no● he no profit● win:  
Yet listen once again,  
w●●t now his refuge is.  
For kindred sh〈…〉 be like to friends,  
be well assured of this:  
I must go furnish up▪  
a nest I have begun.  
And will return and bring you meat,  
assoon as it is done.  
Then up she clam the Clouds,  
with such a lustre Lay:  
That it rejoiced her younglings hearts,  
as in their nest they lay:  
And much they did commend,  
their Mother's lofty gate.  
And thought it long till time had brought  
themselves to such estate:  
Thus whilst their twinkling eyes,  
were roving too and fro:  
The saw whereas the Farmer came,  
who was their mortal foe.  
Who after due complaints,  
thus said in the end.  
I will from henceforth trust myself,  
and not to kin nor friend.  
Who gives me glozing words,  
and fail me at my need:  
May in my Pater noster be,  
but never in my Creed.  
Myself will have it down,  
since needs it must be so:  
For proof hath taught me too much wit,  
to trust to any more.  
The bi●ds that listening lay,  
attentive to the same:  
Informed their mother of the whole,  
 
Ye marry then (quoth she)  
the case now altered is.  
We will no longer here abide,  
I always feared this:  
But out she got them all,  
and trudged away apace▪  
And through the corn she brought them safe  
into another place.  
God send her 〈…〉ke to shun,  
both H●u●e and Fowls give,  
And me t●e hap ●o ●auth● need,  
of friend, nor yet of kin.   

Imprinted at London, by Richard Ihones, dwelling near unto Holborn Bridge. 1589.