Satyrical essayes characters and others. Or Accurate and quick descriptions, fitted to the life of their subiects. Iohn Stephens

Three Satyricall Essayes of Cowardlinesse.

ESSAY. I.

FEare to resist good vertues common foe, And seare to loose some lucre, which doth grow By a continued practise; makes our fate Banish (with single combates) all the hate, Which broad abuses challenge of our spleene. For who in Vertues troope was euer seene, That did couragiously with mischiefes fight Without the publicke name of hipocrite?

Vaine-glorious, Malapert, Precise, Deuout, Be tearmes which threaten those that go about To stand in opposition of our times With true defiance, or Satyrickeri••es. Cowards they be, branded among the worst, Who (through contempt of Atheisme) neuer durst Crowd neere a great-Mans elbow, to suggest Smooth tales with glosse, or Enuy well addrest. These be the noted cowards of our age; Who be not able to instruct the Stage With matter of new shamelesse impudence: Who cannot almost laugh at innocence; And purchase high preferment by the waies, Which had bene horrible in Nero's dayes. They are the shamefull cowards, who contemne Vices of State, or cannot ••l••tter them; Who can refuse aduantage; or deny Villanous courses, if they can esp••e Some little purchase to inrich their ch••st, Though they become vncomfortably blest. Wee still account those Cowards, who forbeare (Being possess'd with a Religious feare) To slip occasion, when they might erect Hornes on a Trades-mans noddle, or neglect

The violation of a Virgins bed With promise to require her Maiden-head. Basely low-minded we esteeme that man, Who cannot swagger well, or (if he can) Who doth not with implacable desire, Follow reuenge with a consuming fire. Extortious Rascals, when they are alone, Bethinke how closely they haue pick'd each bone; Nay with a frolicke humour they will brag, How blancke they left their empty Clients bag. Which dealings if they did not giue delight; Or not refresh their meetings; in despight They would accounted be both weake, vnwise, And like a timorous coward too precise. Your handsome-bodied youth (whose comely face May challenge all the store of Natures grace) If, when a lustfull Lady doth inuite, By some lasciuious tricke•• his deere delight, If then he doth abhorre such wanton ioy; Whose is not almost ready to destroy, Ciuility with curses, when he heares The tale recited? blaming much his yeares, Or modest weaknesse, and with cheeks ful-blown Each man will wish the case had beene his own.

Graue holy men, whose habite will imply Nothing but honest zeale, or sanctity, Nay so vprighteous will their actions seeme, As you their thoughts Religion will esteeme. Yet these all-sacred men, who daily giue Such vowes, wold think themselues vnfit to liue, If they were Artlesse in the flattering vice, Euen as it were a daily sacrifice: Children deceiue their parents with expence: Charity layes aside her conscience, And lookes vpon the fraile commodity Of monstrous bargaines with a couetous eye: And now the name of Generosity, Of noble cariage, or braue dignity; Keepe such a common ••kirmish in our bloud; As we direct the measure of Things good, By that, which reputation of Estate, Glory of rumor, or the present rate Of Sauing Pollicy doth best admit. We do employ materials of wit, Knowledge, occasion, labour, dignity, Among our spirits of Audacity, Nor in our gainefull proiects do we care For what is pious, but for what we dare:

Good humble men, who haue sincerely layd Saluation for their hope, we call Afraid. But if you will vouchsafe a patient eare, You shall perceiue, men impious haue most feare.

ESSAY. II.

MAny aspiring fellowes you may see, Who, after they and fortune doe agree, Come (by briefe windings) to be men elect; Through priuate means, heauen knows how indirect. To flourish quickly and aduance their head, As if they tooke possessions from the dead: When all the Heralds neuer could deuise, From whence the fathers kindred might arise. Though many cal them Nephew, Brothers son (Because a thriftie garment they haue spun) Who (else) with publick shame had bin disgrac'd, And all the titles of their loue defac'd: But now they flourish, and with Worship swell, Whose poore beginnings euery Groome can tell. As if a new-found Whittingtons rare Cat Came to extoll their birth-rights aboue that

Which nature once intended: These be men Who thinke not of a Hundred yeelding Ten: They turne base copper into perfect gold: Counterfeit couzning wa••es bewis••ly sold. Men be perswaded well of prosperous fate, Giuing much credite to a crasty pa••e, But if these cowards durst discouer all, Both how they did their high estates install, How they began to make a league with hell, Or how they did in damned plots excell, Their very liues alone, if they were dead, Would make an other work for Hollingshead. Alas they dare not; these be cowards right, For whose abortiue d••eas the blackest night Is neuer black enough, nor can conceale Their shame, which lewd posterities reueale. Fine hansome outsides who so highly stand On the reputed courage of their hand: Who keepe their pages with such spacious gard (Scorning to play without a coated-card) Who keepe a large Retinue, or erect Buildings; in which they neuer can expect To dwell, with credit of their famish'd slocke; Or to maintaine the vse of one good lock.

These notwithstanding to augment their glosse, And turne some braue expences into drosse, Will be the seruile debtors to a slaue, (Who hath no remedie, but to depraue Their fortunes with inuectiue impudence, Or make petitions to defray expence) And yet these mighty Vpstarts cannot dare, To pay a single crosse: Except they spare Their pompe; which giues a lustre in the Court, And in the Citty makes aboundant sport. Spend-thrifts, & Gallants likewise (who haue lands Which beare all Saffron for their yellow bands) Those which haue onely complement, and whoope In Tauernes; may attend the former troope. Those that dare challenge any man of armes, And seeme to bear•• about them valtant charmes; Belching vnciuill Enuy, in the face Of him that meekely contradicts their grace; As if they carryed vengeance in their iawes, Or executions of the Statute-law••s. Those men if stricktly challeng'd, quake with feare, Contriuing basely how they may forbeare: And (leauing then a while their pompous pride) They best bethinke, how they may closely hide

Their contumacious heads with priuiledge: For when the flat-cap tradesman doth alle age Forfeit of payments (and because at length His wife, & so the world, doth know his strength) When he procures a Champion to demand The noble answere of his debtors hand: And dares my valiant Swaggerer to meet, His lawfull chalenge in the open street; He, rather then he will prouoke the strife, Sues by petition to my plaintifes wise: Who, if she doth not very much forget, Takes downe the quarrell, and so pa••es the debt. Another sort of Cowards you may see, (Transcending these in a more base degree) Who to preserue aduancement, or vphold Their Families, (without expence of gold) Will, in promiscuous manner, congregate Amongst good men, who blockish Papisme hate; Nay, they will be attentiue in the Church, (All to auoyd the law, and penall lurch) They will con-niue at holy arguments, And often beare a sway in Parliaments: They will agree to constituted lawes, Which almost ruine to their kingdome drawes,

(All notwithstanding) they directly dare Hope to be sau'd, as other Papists are; Expecting on some opportunitie, When they may make a traitrous vnitie: For all the truth which can excuse their fate, Is, that they finely can equiuocate: A Cowards doctrine, full of shamelesse feare, Infuses ioy to their misguided eare, And yet no equall iustice them controules, Because they haue a Curtaine to their soules; Corrupted Officers, the common curse Of publicke Law, who stuffe their gaping purse With wrongfull fees, and grow extreamely fat By their delitious trickes, or lying squat Vp to the cares in pleasant Alchymie, If these men durst bewray their infamie, And bring their holiest actions into light, The day would runne to a prodigious night. N••w fees created are, and then the match M••st something take to frame a briefe dispatch: I••formers be preuented by a feate, Which q••alifies indeed their boysterous heate, Although vniustly: Clearkes and other knaues (Who w^th their generous ruffs the court outbraues)

Will take a pention, or a quarter fee, To make their friend from information free; And (to preuent the mischiefe) will declare How other billes already do not spare To certifie the Court a day before Of that, for which the plaintiffe doth implore: So false and fained reuolutions cracke The craftie meanings that pre-caution lacke: Yet still they gape, and say they cannot saue The many pounds which th••y so freely gaue To purchase ten times more for they intend Onely on priuate meanings to depend. Before I speake, let no good Law••e•• bl••me My loue to him, though I bad vices name. Another sort of Law-professors come Within this Catalogue to craue a roome: They who depend vpon a Iudges looke More then the poynts of Littleton, or Brooke, They who procure a great mans happy smile, By Coaches, Colts, and other courses vile: Who keepe one speciall Court, and blind-sold wise Tread (Mill-horse like) the circuit of Assise: They who be fitter to maintaine the sport, Of Christmasse reuels at an Inne of Court:

Fitter to feed delitious Ladies eares, Or flattringly remoue their patrons feares: Fitter to follow the forgotten trades, Or make a reading of the knaue of Spades: To make a libell, or neate ruffes allow; And sometimes very fit to driue the Plow. Fitter then to exceed the true degrees Of merites, and conuert meere voice to fees. These men (it makes me laugh) they still contend To choose a long-liu'd patron for their friend; But if his destin'd length becomes too short To make the time of long vacations sport, Then all my fauourites be vanish't farre, And almost tremble to approach the barre. Then they perceiue, Life (vpon which they gnaw) Is more vncertaine then their common law: They trauaile home againe by weeping crosse, And bring the law much credit with their losse. But if they dare, vntouch'd, remaine still free, Another Patron dares corrupted be: Else like egregious Cowards, they withdraw, Hiding themselues, and the abuse of Law. I see a Lawyer, who hath spent his time At Innes of Court in some excessiue crime;

But being once aduanc'd to view the barre, He brings all bird-lime, and polluting tarre, With which he so defiles the Laws pure Sence, That each man will account it impudence. If a good simple Client entertaines This Mercenary Varlet, and explaines, How he hath purchas'd a conuenient field, Lordship, or Mannor, which may easly yeeld A large reuenue, that affoords full cost, Whereby he saues himselfe, and nothing's lost: The greedy Lawyer doth begin to pray He will repriue his answere till a day; Intending he perceiues poynts difficult, Through which the crafty seller may insult. Meanetime he visites some old broking knaue, And (with a sight of Angels) ties the slaue, Through nice propounded Articles to swimme, And get his Clients bargaine euen for him. Then will he basely flatter, and pretend The seller was my worshipfull deere friend, Who recollecting how commodious The bargaine was for me (so couetous) Did kindly offer me the peny-worth In which (before) I wanted putting forth.

Vngratious were it to impute disease To any men of knowledge, or to these, With a pernicious meaning to contemne The most respectfull honest Law, or them: When therefore I the name of Lawyer vse, Or (any way) the title do accuse, Imagine, I, as doe the vulgar clownes, Call those men Lawyers, who haue Lawyers gownes: Reseruing to my selfe a purer sence, Which saith a Lawyer is all innocence; A Lawyer truly taken; which implies One who doth Art and Reason exercise, Both which, and Equitie do him sustaine; Who truly doth the name of Lawyer gaine. That waking sighted Run-away, the Hare, (Which is pres••ru'd by a continuall feare) Cannot (by this) protect her innocence, So much as Officers their lewd pretence: The Fox an ancient Hierogliphicke was, In Fri••rs robes to shew the common passe Of smooth hypocrisie, and Church-mens craft; But now a formall gowne may serue to waft This badge among our prowling Officers, Which Name and Habite rightuously inferres

As much compacted villanie, as meetes Among the Stewards of rich Countrey Leetes: Both Couzen with as great conformitie, As if they held some new fraternitie: Both be so practis'd in good Vertues scorne, As if Atturnies had directly sworne To match the Officer, and powle the flecee, As if they both consisted of one peece. They both insinuate their sweating paines, Their common paiment: each (alike) constraines The hunger-bitten Client to disburse, Till they haue left his hopes euen with his purse. Yet will you dare to say those men exact? No; that were brainlesse: they so well compact Their polliticke inuentions, that the fault Of asking more then due, creepes to the vault Of Clerkes dull ignorance to purchase leaue, When their discouered proiect•• d•• deceiue A Substitute in Courts may rather take All wrested fees, that glosse may thereby make The Steward seeme lesse culpable in vice, When Substitutes are taught by his aduice: And if some one their cousenage doth betray, The Substitute can easily slinke away.

My baudy Proctor likewise, who presumes To purge mens purses▪ for vene••eall Rhumes; Who th••••atens pena••ce in agh••stly sh••ete, If Clie••ts (though they s••rip from head to feete) Be sla••k•• in paiment of extortious coine: This man who studies first how to purloine, Before he lookes vpon the ciuill Law; This man, who hath a prompt and ready paw, Who loues no Innes of Court, shutting his crackes And all his rage, vnder a nose of wax; Who, when a fornicato•• lookes awry, That he the least aduantage may espy, He will ••ff••••iously attend the Court, Because he ••••••els out the ensuing sport, And when a grieuous fi••e afflicts the purse Of ••••••shly sinners, to esc••pe the curse, He and the thriftie Iudge can closely share The foul•• taxation, which with pious c••re Is well intended to correct the sinne, Establish bridges which decay within, Reli••ue sicke persons, or amend high-wayes, Or some religious Chappell, which decayes. But they haue other vses to respect, To buy their ciu••ll garments, or affect

The wanton lust of some egregious whoore, To winne new credit, to deceiue the poore; And so deceiue the vnsuspectfull time, For (else) he durst not so insatiate clime Into the fiery region; neither dares His habite seeme acquainted with these cares. Now must I summon Parish-hypocrites, Who seeme attentiue to coelestiall rites, Who thinke the Art of him that well doth liue, Is all perform'd, if he example giue, Which may become the parish: if he pray Aloud in Chambers, or deuoutly pay The tribute of true dealing vnto all Who (can to their ass••stance) Iustice call. If in Assemblies he can shew good workes, And call offendors, Infidels or Turkes: He thinkes he hath discharg'd the finall part Of a religious or honest heart: Though he doth closely keepe a vertuous punke, Or though (on cautious t••arms) he•• can be drunk: Though in another County, and the name Of other Agents he can schedules fram••; And thinkes himselfe to be a man well blest, Though he receiues the Sinfull Interest:

For this eye-seruing-age is quickly gone To all deceit if we lacke lookers on. These be most valiant Cowards, men that dare Be boldly impious, and y••t basely feare, Least common rumour should obserue or thinke They be not still awake, though still they winke. Some false Physitians lye within the reach Of these, who true sinceritie impeach, Their glasses, glisters, oyles, ingredients (Which hope of lucre oftentimes inuents) Do carry all (as if a cowards soule Kept in their bosomes) to the dead mans rowle; Hiding their fearefull practice in the graues: Leane death, their operation still out-braues. Sometimes their crabbed Enuy doth inuent, Sometimes they kil with new experiment: For still they er••e by custome, or by chance, Ei••her by malice, or by ignorance: And (hauing spent prescriptions to each dram) He thinkes alas sure I protected am, If now I see our physicke does no good, Or seeing I haue suckt his purse and blood, If I can tell his friends there is no hope, Or that he must expect deaths fatall scope:

Then shall I be discharg'd with credits fee, And to condemne more liues, remaine still free. They shift their compasse to auoyd our scorne, Hiding their actions from the faire-fac'd morne. Now my censorious Criticks who disgrace Each worke they know not, with a scuruy face, Who banish Authors to Barbarian lands, And sling true solid matter from their hands, With a disdainfull Motto of Nonsence: Although themselues (excepting impudence) Haue nothing to excuse their vanitie: Latinle••se Lawlesse Rogues, they often be, Who hauing past their verdict, will recant: For their maintaining facultie is scant. Or if these Apish Cowards dare defend, The vice of Iudgment, brings them to their end. And yet some Writers doe deserue the name Of Cowards likewise: they be growne so tame With being often handled, often praisd, As they forget their motion, being raisd Aboue the highest spheares: they thinke it much, More then indeed enough, to haue beene such As they were once accounted: though they sleepe, Follow their ease, and sluggish silence keepe:

Nay thogh they wake, & (which doth po••son thē) F••llow the errors which they did condemne. Some worthlesse Poets also, haue the vice To write their labours as they cast at di••e: If (by aduenture) some strange happy chance, Smiles on their borrowed workes of ignorance, They can bewray their the••uish names, and giue Notice to all, how they eterni••'d liue. But if (presuming on their sickly strength) They write, and do betray their selues at length: Then, oh they came into the publicke presse Against their wils; they dare not then con••esse Who wrongs the world with such base Poetry: Nay, their owne eldest sonnes they will deny. All hide their vices. Printers also hide Errors escap'd, w••ich makes wise men deride Excellent wits, deseruing worthy praise, Whē (through distinctions lest) the truth decaies: But among all base writers of the time, I cannot reckon vp more desperate rime, (Which trauailes with a feare so damnable) As Libell-lashing measures: they excell Onely in this; that these be counted best, Which the soole-Author dares acknowledge least.

These are contemptible enough, and yet Their lines maske vnder a fictitious wit, When wit (as hitherto) was neuer seene Truly ingendred by a tr••uiall spleene. Nor can they thus reforme what is impure, Seing men so touch'd, conceiue thēselues past cure. Wel do these cowards thriue, when hauing blown Shame to the peoples Eares, they loose their own. Briefly, it were a thing preposterous, If rich men, who are nicely co••etous, Shold not be trembling cowards; when they think Vpon the ioyfull paines of death, they stinke. Nothing prouokes me sooner to confesse That Atheisme is their chiefest happinesse, Then to consider how the very best Struggle with death, declining to their rest: One pluckes away the haires which should reueale His righteous thoughts: another doth conceale The furrowed wrinkles of his tawny skinne: Another scoures his stumpes, or doth beginne To breake the glasse with foolish extasie, At the reflexe of Chap-f••lne grauitie. Can these, with safetie of a quiet minde Puffe vp themselues with an ambitious winde

Of Riches, Rumor, Lucre, and Expence, Whiles Kings and good men haue no difference? They haue Abundance, I haue some alone, They feed a hundred bellies, I feed one. Both vanish to Obliuions caue, vnlesse Our very thoughts a liuing soule expresse: Which being once admitted, no soules can Keepe their worst secrets from the face of Man.

ESSAY. III.

NO more: no more: now saith my honest friend, Be politicke; or study to commend The time, and timelings, least you doe bestow More copious tearmes then licence dare allow. Content thy selfe (Cordatus) I will blame No reuerend Church-man, neither will I name One lewd professor, who pollutes the grace Of such a formall and respected place: I will not name their liuings, nor their liues, Much ••esse their bondage to their hansom wiues: As if they durst not shew the times disease, Because indeed they dare not them displease. I will not wrong their holinesse: and why? In holinesse true zeale you may descry. Nor will I taxe Church-vices, least I wrong The labour which to writing doth belong. For when I haue againe repeated all Their vices publicke, and sinnes personall: I shall but reckon the antiquities, Of Glosse, of Ignorance, and Simonies:

And so repeate things mention'd long before, Nay things prefixt vpon each Play-house doore. Let them (alasse) continue, or increase, O let them long enioy a qui••t peace; For they already know the mischiefes well, They almost scorne such inwards to expell. And why? they feare taxation: ò strange fate! They who contemne reproofes, are desperate. We cannot hope such persons will amend, Who may (without controule) their vice extend. Enough, enough, I haue bethought so much Concerning cowards, that my selfe am such: I dare not speake my meaning vnder paine Of being crost, of being curb'd againe. Why crost? why curb'd? go aske authoritie Why it protects peculiar vanitie? And it perhaps will answere in de••ence; C••owes to themselues beperfect Innocence. Or (which is more familiar) Enuy loues That humor best, which bitterly reproues All states, all faculties besides her owne: She fauours that, and feares it should be knowne, Though it be noted; or with publicke shame, Hath purchasd (〈◊〉〈◊〉 you write) an odious name.

Men thinke their fashions and their faces best If (in a flattred humor) they be blest, To heare men discommend both such and such, Not naming theirs; although they be so much Apparant filthy, as no vulgar eye Would make a question of deformity: And so superior vices doe propound A freedome to their scope, as being sound In selfe-conceite, if they can saue their skinne From being Printed with a publicke s••nne; Though (setting bookes aside) they do ••rofesse, Enough to poyson all their names no l••sse. See how I breath into the spacious Aire, A Theame as spacious: Can my V••rse repaire The fruitlesse errors of men obstinate; Who cannot freely their owne vices hate? Who rather gainefull vices do cond••mne, Because they cannot purchase gaines by them? For in their owne offences they reserue Such cautions as may closely them preserue. Well, sir, admit men labour to be wise, And for themselues do secrets exercise, Who shall dare contradict such worthy paines Which fosters credit, and ill termes restraines?

Avant base Hipocrite, go henceforth set Vpon thy pillow, thy close cabinet, And sleepe with all the papers in thy hand, Which thy most secret counsels may command; Or I with Spaniards better shall agree; Or I shall trust a Lapwing more then thee. Good men dare iustifye, euen touching all The essence of their thoughts originall: Touching themselues, their meanings they may saue, Least they their good successe of meanes depraue. But well, suppose men so directly halt As they do feare to patronize the fault, Shall they not seeke vnpunish'd to remaine, If actions pass'd cannot be cal'd againe? We daily do transgresse; and some perhaps Deserue the plagues of lashing after-claps: But then, alas! what satisfaction can, Written reproofes be for a vicious man? You make professions vndergoe contempt, And make the least offence so farre exempt From ciuill vertue, and some new conceits, That you enforce good fellowship to straights. So: Haue you done (deere Motley?) yes almost; But stay a little, and behold vncrost,

The reason, why we do so closely deale, And why we couer vice: I can r••ueale, To frustrate your inuentions which produce Nothing halfe-worthy of a well-borne Muse, But triuiall vanities, and deepe expence, To tell mans weakenesse by experience: You might with more applause bestow more pains To grace the Mayors Triumphs, and the chaines Which do attend his Lordship to the Hall: You might expound things termed mysticall: Or might in better phrase compose a song, To shew his Highnes staid at Cambridge long; And not in tearmes, as hasty as the truth, Discouer haire-braine fallacies of youth: You might, you might, Seuerus, and detest To scourge close dealers who be safely blest: For I can well resolue you are the cause, Why men reserue (in acts) a priuate clause: You, and your nice obseruance do restraine Men, and their actions both, from being plaine: And yet you call those Cowards, who beware As if they were possess'd with childish feare. Suruay thy selfe, quicke-sighted formalist, And then discouer that abusiue mist,

With which men shelter any priuate sinne: Charity alwaies doth at home beginne. Now haue you ended? then, I answere all By scorning to excuse or hide my fall As thou dost vrge: if I transgresse my square, I of Relapse, not of Reproofe beware: And I beleeue thou likewise wilt amend, If so thou do'st not labour to offend: For that ind••ed betrayes mens dealing naught, When they do study rather to be taught, In subtle mischiefe of a newer mint, Then to abiure deceits of ancient print: For they hate couznage, once intitled Old, Because the Title shewes it often told, And so affoords no lucre; not because It fauours Atheisme and corruption drawes. Why do I taxe, why do I trouble men, Or why with noted crimes defile my pen? The most notorious cowards will betray Themselues, and follies, though I turne away. Yes (which is worth my laughter) they accuse Their closest feares, euen while they do refuse To let you vnderstand their subtile drifts, They do discouer such auoiding shifts,

That you may thence collect some fearefull trick, They study to appeare so pollitick. As, Fellons brought before a Iustice, each Hopes to bee sau'd, if others he impeach: And as some Indians dealt, being al-amaz'd To heare the Spanish guns and forces blaz'd; They bought their safety through a fine deceit: For knowing gold to be the Spanish baite, They would protest, that fifty leagues beyond Was common plenty of that yellow sand; Meaning to turne the fooles another way. And so deale vicious persons: they betray Anothers folly, to preserue their owne: Obserue, and you shall gather things wel known. Go tell a Church man he hath lost his voyce, Or aske him why he doth in strife reioyce: And he will answer; Lawyers do not speake So much to purpose, as the Pulpits creake, Althogh they do receiue fees doubled twice; Which far exceed my single Benefice. Go tell a Lawyer he relyes on chance, Because he doth affect dull ignorance: And he the worst obiection soone auerts By telling how The times neglect deserts.

Go tell a Magistrate of morning bribes, And he, to shallow meanes, the same ascribes: But then demand of Honour why she failes, In giuing that which euery way auailes To nourish her beloued sonnes? And shee Will answere, They profuse, insatiate be. Aske shifting Russians why they do forget, To hasten payment and discharge their debt, Or why they do sufficient men dislike? And they will answere, Great-ones do the like. Go tell a Gamester he hath cheated long, Or vnto many offred shamefull wrong, And he will answere, that himselfe before Was often cheated twenty times and more. Go aske a Drunkard why he followes wine, Abuses God, or giues a Heathen signe; And he will quickly answere thy demand, The Parson was so drunk he could not stand. Go tell a Hot-spurre he hath kil'd a man, Go aske him how he doth the terrour scan: And he will answere; a Physitian's free To murther twenty millions; why not hee? Go tell a fawning wretch he doth relye Vpon the slauish vice of flattery:

And he will answere, That the best are glad To follow such indeuours, or as bad. Go tell a whore she doth her sexe pollute, By being such a common prostitute: And shee will answere in defence of fame, Citizens wiues, and Ladies do the same. Go tell a trades-man he deceiues the day, Refusing light, deluding euery way: And he will answere to auoyd thy curse, Go further on, you will be cheated worse. Thus cowards all (not daring to defend The diuers follies which they dare intend) Confesse themselues, and others do elect Vices, which none but Diuels dare protect. When I pronounce a Coward, it implies, Malice and spight be Cowards qualities: They are inseparate, and why? because A vicious Coward so exactly knowes Himselfe vnable, that he doth decree To haue consorts as impotent as h••e; Because he may auoyd the mighty shocke Of mens contempt, rank'd with a greater flocke; Whereas perhaps if he were lest alone, His basenesse onely would be look'd vpon.

But harke you sir (saith one) you haue forgot To brand our female; with a cowards lot. They be a proper subiect: do not spare Them and their couert dealing to declare: They be attired with inuentiue doubts, And haue as many feares as they haue thoughts: They labour daily, yet they do suspect, They cannot halfe a hansome face erect: They paint, they pow••er, they with toies exced, Alas! they dare not shew themselues indeed. Night they do honour: then they do obtaine That which perhaps the day cals backe againe: They do intice their Husbands to beleeue Any thing (then) and any thing to giue: They do entreate, when Husbands scarce replye But with a purpose nothing to deny: They not without adu••n••age do contend; Nor any cowards oddes do discommend. Well, 〈◊〉〈◊〉: admit they do abound with feare, Females for nothing else created were. They need not of t••eir weakenesse be asham'd; But Men should blush to heare the folly namd. You do discouer mens impediments, And tell vs what the crasty age inuents.

As if authority forgat his whip: You may be silent, and surcease to nip. Let sage Authority proceed by course Of Law, to punish these without remorse. Then you must bid Authority respect Things not accounted euill; or neglect To punish friend-lesse fee-lesse infamies, And taxe braue mischiefe with seuerer eyes. Nay that will neuer be; for tell the base, And poore offendor (who feeles no disgrace) He hath offended; and he dares reply, He tooke his patterne from Authority. So shifting be the simple Idiots, So shifting base be higher Patriots: And must be euer till they do reueale Feare to commit, not study to conceale.