Epigrams and sentences spirituall in vers, of Gregori Nazanzen, an auncient & famous bishop in the Greke churche Englished by Tho. Drant.

A good beginning, a good endir

That eche good acte thats well begonne Doth luckely fall out, That doth the ende aduertise the, When it is brought aboute.

Constancy is crowned.

A life that had beginning good, And ends as it beganne, Doth endid bringe an endlesse life, And deifye a man,

Hie speakinge.

Be furnisht well to speake, or ells▪ In speach mount not to hie: The bird wil haue hir feathers first, Ere she assaye to flye.

Vse and Abuse.

The greatest ornament to lyfe Is knowledge vsed right. Abused knowledge is againe Most yrcksome vnto sight.

Vaine glorie.

Let not vayne glory moue the ought Or winde the in with wyle The simplest man the soner she Gyues onsett to beguil.

Continuaunce.

In workynge well contynnue still, And neuer loke thou backe,

The course lyes easy vnto sinne, If once thou ginne to slacke.

Laughter, anger, babling

Laughe not, controule thyne anger swift, To anger be thou slowe, An ydle, and vnthriftie worde Thy lipps let them not knowe.

Dutie to God, parents, preists▪ and Elders.

Feare god, and to thy parents kinde An humble dutie paie, The preists, and elders reuerence Whose heads with hoare do swaye.

Parentes and Children.

The sonne with syer to be at lawe, And brablinge to contende, That wrightings, and that Natures laws For bidde, and discommende.

Suche like.

What thou in no wise canst abide To suffer in an other. That thou in no wise worke, or wishe Unto thy Christian Brother.

Proportion.

Great tortour is not great to him, That greatly doth offend: The lawes do leuye lyke to lyke, And like to like do lende.

The tounge.

A Tounge well spoken vttereth out Of hoony wordes a fludde, The foolyshe mouth doth vtter muche. But vttereth litle good.

Language.

Forth out the wise mans wittie mouth, Procedeth language swete, Forth bitter chaps full brabling words, Do inshue matched mete.

Haples frindles.

The riche mans house knowes no poore frinde, Nor frindeth any such. The rich mans house is frindly aye To him that hath as muche.

Drunkennes.

Smale single drinke doth not insoft The vigor of the mynde, But bely fat▪ and drunken noule Doth chaunge the from their kynde.

VVynde.

Who doth suppose vnruly windes To kepe a measure iust Whiche taken eftsons do vprayse A soft vngodly lust?

A fat belly, a leane vvitt.

A gorrell paunche, and godly mynde In one maye hardly lye,

Thinges contrary we playnly so Dryue out the contrary

Thriftye dyet.

A dyet thinne doth profit more Then that, thou dost deuise Uppon they Beade, contriuinge it In coastly daintie wyse.

Fooles wise,

The frantike foole, for dreames doth thinke Him selfe more wiser man, Then he which thousandes many one His owne distribute can.

Baronnes.

A baron wombe, then children had I rather wishe in will, Thus am I sole, but so should I Haue company of ill.

A milking sheparde.

The hungrie pastor let him milke (Yea) goots to fill his mawe, But for swéet milke in strayning harde Méere bloud he shall out drawe.

Order.

The hogge when he at trowighe doth spye His drafe approchyng neare, Betakes him selfe vnto his rome And keps no further stéere.

Order.

The dissolute, and obstinate By force of lawe compell. That they the lawes do right obserue, And what becomes them well.

Order.

Mongst beasts which grouling féede on grounde, Uppon theyr forage rude, Mongst kenell vile of houling dogges And order their is shewde.

Man, death.

To mortall men cutt of by death The earth is comen graue. First earth he was, now earth he is, And him the earth must haue.

The good feare not.

Obseruing lawe thou mayst at ease Set feare of lawe aside: For he that bideth in the lawe, In feare neads not to bide.

VVisdome vanquisheth.

The practisd Pilote can eschue Both wracke of waue and winde Gainst haples happe the happie wise Best present helpe can finde.

Perseueraunce.

Those means eschue whyche leade not to The right, and perfit waye:

For errour easy bendes to vyce. And speady workes decaye.

VVisdome is stronge.

Not heauie thumpes, or hamers harde Do moue at all a stithe, To beare all bruntes a steadfast mynde Hath puisance strong, and pithe.

Bugges fraye fooles.

Eche crackeling lefe the Leueret skars, And some suche fooles we fynde, That euery bushe, and euery blast Doth skarre them from their mynde.

The poore giuing.

Those poore I hate to noble men Which giue their presentes gaye. Who wordes againe, and many wordes, And only wordes repaye.

The lavvyer

The wicked Lawyer with his lawe The law, and realme doth mayme, The vpright Lawier with his lawe Doth rule and saue the same.

The Tutour of the Fatherles.

The neadles chuffe that laugheth at The Orphans tricklyng teares, Doth laugh at Gods owne vengfull ire, An God his laughter heares.

The sentence not the vvordes.

He goose the redyest way of all The lawe for to distroye, Who doth the meanyng of the lawe And sentence trewe annoye.

Diuersitie.

The poore man hath to mynde his meate. His stomacke for to plye, The riche hath muche, and forceth not But still to more dothe hye.

Instruction of fooles.

Instruct a fole perseuer still, Nor euer him forsake, Thoughe hope be smale, suche hap may be Thou shalt him wiser make

Chastninge.

By stroke of stele the hardest flynte Is forcd to flynge out fyer, A stony breast throughe discipline To vertue will aspire.

An othe

If thou dost sweare, or if throughe the An other man doth sweare, Both thou dost ill, and he doth ill, And both the lawe do teare.

Treasure.

Hurde treasure fast, but treasure suche Which end shall neuer tast, All worldly treasure in the ende Shall suffer wracke, and wast.

Short pleysure.

Easteme not that, nor compte of it Which time to the hath brought, For that which time erected hath, That time will bringe to nought

Pleasure chaungable.

Pleasure is pretye for a tyme Dilightfull vnto all. But as she came she ouercasts▪ As whurlyng as a bal.

Shamefastnesse in vvomen.

A womans corps, nor mannishe moade Nor mannishe trickes besitt, Ther modesties a sober moade, And shamefastnes doth fit.

Helth.

In sicknesse nought more wishd then helth, That haply Nature spies And therfore hunteth after helth, And after helth she hies.

Bablinge.

A madd mans wordes are veary like The seas roughe raginge roore,

Which still doth beat vpon the banckes But nothing moist the shore.

Bribes.

That wyse men arre thats monies worke. Bribes hath their hart in hould, A bird is caught with twisted hempe, A man is caught with gould.

A sadd spirit.

Care bringeth age before his tyme, And that whiche age doth bryng Before the time, no tract of time The same awaye can wringe.

Riches.

The seruant swift of vice is welthe, All powers with headye swaye, To mischiues auckward do decline, And leades to losse awaye.

Frendeshyp.

A trustie frinde is treasure best In honoure, and distrese, No person lewde for any cause In frendshippe do possesse.

Care.

The carefull breast deuoures the bones, A mery pleasaunt mynde Doth kepe the body fat, and fayer Conserued in his kynde.

Temperance in aboundance.

Aboundance can not shunne excesse, The meane it can not kepe. For fyer inflamd, and full in course A way doth swiftly swepe.

VVyne.

The mynde, and wyt is feabled sore By to much beluyng wyne, For fyer the more that it is fedde More fully it doth shyne.

Feare of iudgement.

He that of iudgment stands in awe His wrath doth better tame. For those that iudge of wrath it selfe, In wrathe will iudge the same.

Affliction to affliction.

Hard case it is to adde more ill To him whom ills oppresse Yet one ille oft by profe we trye An other doth redresse.

Lastinge glorie.

Eternall glory, lastynge fame To conquere let vs cast, For that which heare we scrambling k Ore casteth as a blaste.

Anger an il counsailer.

That counsaile practise not wher to Thy wrath doth the inthrall

For that which wrathe doth counsaile the No counsaile is at all.

Ill vvomen.

The dragon hath his noysome ill, The Adder hath his smarte, The Adders smart, the Dragons ill, Doth dwell in womans harte.

Marke the ende.

The skulles of dead, the heades of quicke Apparant bald and bare, Do proue that that will vs forsake. For which we carcke, and care.

Suche father suche child.

A yonge crabbe if he crepe awrye With foule vntoward pace, Did not the Breader so likwise What iudge you in this case?

Like of like.

When Nature shall reuelt from kynde And bridle glad hir moade, Then shall the scholmaister thats badde, Bring forth his scholers good.

Beauty and Pittie.

With diuerse godly ornamentes Thy corps, and mynd imbroyde, Dispise not thou the fatherles, Nor let them be distroide

Gods blessyng.

If God do lardgly giue increase▪ No enuy can preuaile, If god withdrawe his rich increase, No trauaile can auaile.

Order and povver.

Set more by order then by power, For order that aright Uphouldeth power, hath in it selfe, A greater power, and might.

Dreading, and melling,

They that in other matters mell, And others chaunces dreade In dreadinge daungers not ther owne, Their proper dread do speade.

The lavve of like.

Why dost thou viper payne abhorre In bringing forth thy yonge? Assay what throwes had once the wombe Wherof thy selfe art spronge.

The stout are gloriouse.

None euer yet in any world Renowmed was for feare For conquests stout, and bargings stoute Do strike vp glory cleare

Dreames.

The want of sleape ingenders dreames, Then slepe that can not spie.

A thinge it self, in vision sées A broken fantasie.

Handling of rebelles.

Force only rebells can perswade, Force rebells doth restrayne, Force can subdue, and rule prescribe To hugie Giaunts mayne

The people a beast of many heads.

The headles people bearyng swaye Some skilles prince doth rayne, The people is of all good thinges Confusion platt, and plaine.

An ydle worke.

An Idle worke to be a worke Who could or can deuise, Which eche wiseman by better right As foolishe will despise?

Gould a Rethorician.

If gould come once to speake in place Mans Rethorique pleadeth mumme, For gould can pithily perswade Thoughe it in speache be dumme.

VVorldly peace.

Heare they may liue at their harts ease. And take a worldly rest, Which dote vpon the wicked world, And like hir chaffer best.

Frinde and fooe.

A frind by all possible meanes His frind will gladly pleasure. The fooe is he, that hurts his fooe Without iust cause, and measure.

Light shipping.

Swyme balauncd lightly in the sea, Not ouer full of freight, Lest thou an ouerloden barcke Do sinke, or brast for weighte

Musing of death.

Remember euer death at hande Thinke still vppon thy graue So thou of death, when she shall strike The lesse of dread shalt haue.

The mynd a Temple.

Reare vp to God within thy mynde A Temple builded well, So God the Lord, of Heauen, and earth At home with the will dwell.

Knowe thy selfe.

Knowe well thy selfe, and what thou art, And howe thou first beganne So shalt thou knowe the ofspringe fyrst And brittle state of man.

The steadfast mynde.

The dayes turmoyle vs swift in vayne, From lyght to nouell lyght

The man of God theternall lighte Hath placed in his sight.

Vanyties.

On thinges whiche swiftly come and gooe If thou thy trust repose, So mayst thou trust the bubbes of fluddes, Which swiftly comes, and gooes.

Deades and woordes.

Like errour count it to offende In liuing and in talke: When once thy tounge hath troade awrye Thy life awry will walke.

Hooly orders, reliques.

Its wickednesse that wicked men Should hooly orders take: Of reliques, and relligiouse bones The worshippe formde forsake.

The path of vertue.

Tread out the tract of lyfe well leade, Sincke not but stande vp still, If thou woulds stande stande not within Their threshoulds who be ill.

Of sevnge: The stepps of the deuill.

He seeth not, who séeth not that That sinne bread smart in space, We knowe the deuill not by his face, But note him by hys trace▪

The sicke man feleth not.

The pacient sicke his daunger deape If that he will not tell: Him vrgent force of present death From life will sone expell.

VVordes and vvorkes.

Let wordes be thyne, and workes be mine, The cursed lyuer vyle Standes neade of praising blasing words, And pledars pleasaunt guyle.

Idlenes.

Slouth breadeth lust, and therfore thou Haue euer what to doe, Lest that thy light vnconstant mynde Doe wauer to and fro.

Treasure standing.

Be ryche in God, those riches vayne Whiche in this world we finde, Are very like the cobwebbes which The spiders weake haue twinde.

Vertue passing.

This world hath naught that worthy is Why longer we should lyue, Except those graces we respect, Whiche vertue sole doth giue.

Faith.

Let vs kepe close our faith in hart, Nor vauntingly it sell,

The one is easy washd away, The other long doth dwell.

The meane.

Be not to iust, be not to wyse, Extreames of all thinges flye, Shunne both extreames, and that persue Which twixt the twayne doth lye.

Bouldnesse vvith discretion.

Except thou rule thy stomacke ferce It neuer wilbe stoute: The discret wyse most worthy things Most bouldly bring aboute.

Lavve and Lavvyer.

The lawes of God peruse in brest So shalt thou be in fee: Retainde of him whose lawes and sawes Of heauenly vertue bee.

Please and displease.

Be good thy selfe, and whom thou oughst Those franckly doe contempne, And for to please the godles crue As shamefull that condemne.

VVary in praysing.

Thy selfe well lyvde, the wicked sort Thou canst not well commende For all wyl thinke that thyne owne life To path vncleane wyll bende.

Duresse trieth.

Aduersitie doth trie the good As golde is tride by flames The well disposed persons hurtes Doe neuer turne to shame.

Denying of Father.

He that his father doth deny Denieth not him alone, For by the father God did worke As causes ioynde in one.

A good name a good possession.

Mothes eate vp all: thy goodes with thee In tumbe shall not be cladde, At death thyne only honour is A good name to haue had.

Spare straungers, and the dead.

Spare straūgers much, but more thē spare Whiche hence are gone away, And left behinde them what they had, Them selfes inclosde in clay.

An other life.

In Gods name, leaue and quite forsake The worlde and worldly vayles, And vp to skyes with course direct And courage speade thy sayles.

The Trinitie, the fountaine.

The ishue of all honest actes From God must haue their course,

The thrise and most blest trinitie Of goodnesse well, and source.