The most elegant and witty epigrams of Sir Iohn Harrington, Knight digested into foure bookes: three vvhereof neuer before published.
About this Item
- Title
- The most elegant and witty epigrams of Sir Iohn Harrington, Knight digested into foure bookes: three vvhereof neuer before published.
- Author
- Harington, John, Sir, 1560-1612.
- Publication
- London :: Printed by G[eorge] P[urslowe] for Iohn Budge: and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greene Dragon,
- 1618.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Epigrams, English.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02647.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"The most elegant and witty epigrams of Sir Iohn Harrington, Knight digested into foure bookes: three vvhereof neuer before published." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02647.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 1, 2024.
Pages
Page [unnumbered]
For though both then, before, and since he turn'd,
(Yet sure, per ig•••••••• hanc, he might be burn'd.)
This Knight agreed with those of that profession,
And went, as others did, to make confession:
Among some P••ccadilios, he confest,
That same sweet sinne, that some but deeme a Iest,
And told, how by good help of bawdes and varlets,
Within 10. months he had sixe times twelue harlots▪
The Priest, that at the tale was halfe astonished,
With graue & ghostly counsell him admonished
To fast, and pray, to driue away that diuell,
That was to him causer of so great euill,
That the lewd spirit of Lecherie, no question,
Stird vp his lust, with many a lewd suggestion:
A filthy Fiend, said he, most foule and odious,
Nam'd, as appeares, in holy writs, Asmodius.
Thus, with some Pennanto that was ne're performed,
Away went that same Knight, smally reformed.
Soone after this, ensued religions change,
That in the Church bred alteration strange,
And Raynsford, with the rest, follow'd the streame.
The Priest went rouing round about the Realme.
This Priest, in clothes disguis'd himselfe did hide,
••et Raynsford, three yeers after him had spyde,
And layd vnto his charge, and sorely prest him,
To tell if'twere not he that had confest him.
The Priest, though this Knights words did sore him daunt,
Yet what he could not wel deny, did grant,
And prayd him not to punish, or controul••
That he had done for safety of his soule.
Page [unnumbered]
No, knaue, quoth he, I will no harme procure thee,
Vpon my Worship here I doe assure thee:
I onely needs must laugh at thy great folly,
That would'st perswade with me to be so holy;
To chastise mine owne flesh, to fast, and pray,
To driue the spirit of Lechery away.
'Sownds, foolish knaue, I fasted not, nor prayd,
Yet is that spirit quite gone from me, he said:
If thou couldst helpe me to that spirit againe,
Thou shouldst a hundred pound haue for thy paine.
That lustie Lord of Lecherie Asmodius,
That thou cal'st odious, I doe count commodious▪