Penelopes complaint: or, A mirrour for wanton minions. Taken out of Homers Odissea, and written in English verse, by Peter Colse

Her reply to Euryclea.

WHat are they men, or are they not? Or are they beasts, or are they worse? Are lawes of God, and men, forgot? No care of God, nor yet his curse? Or dread they not the day of doome? That they so beastlike are become.

Shal men, that God himselfe hath made? And do his Image represent, By their abhominable trade: To be the deuils lims consent? O most vnworthie wretches vile, That do their vessels so defile.

Fie: what can they not eate and drinke? But they must surfeit shamefully? Can they not mischiefe meane or thinke? But they must blab it by and by. Can they not prettie damsels vse? But they their bodies must abuse.

Aurelianus here we lacke, Or Iulia with her sacred lawe: Then should those gallants go to wracke, Then better would they stand in awe: For then the sword or else the tree, From shameful force, should set vs free.

O cursed times, O cruel facts, O manners vile, for men vnfit, O dismal daies, O hainous acts, O helish hagges, of Plutoes pit. O spightfull, cruel tyrany, Enforcing endles misery.

My tongue doth tremble for to tell, The villanie that they inuent, My heart (alas) with griefe doth swell, To see braue men so beastly bent, From this their wicked trechery, The Lord aboue deliuer me.