A posie of gilloflowers eche differing from other in colour and odour, yet all sweete. By Humfrey Gifford gent.

¶To the Worshipfull John Stafford of Bletherwicke Esquier, Humfrey Gifford most humbly sendeth greeting.

ACknowledging my selfe deepely indebted to your woorshippe for your professed curtesies, & good opinion conceaued of me, & de∣siring by some one meanes or o∣ther to make manifest my thank∣full minde, I haue aduentured the dedication of this trifling toy, vn∣to your protection, notdoubting of your fauourable acceptance, in that I bestow it as an earnest pennie of my wel meaning, and testimonie of the vnfaigned goodwil that I beare you. The thing that I here present you with, is a posie of Gillowflowers collected out of the garden of mine owne inuentions. Which if they shal come too short in shew and colour, or proue infe∣riour in sent and odour to that which is to be looked for of so fragrant a flower, let the Gardiner (I pray you) be excused, who hath done his goodwill and indeuour in the sowing, & setting of them, and lay the fault in the barrennesse of the soyle, wherein they were planted: which had it byn better, their vertue would haue proued to be greater. Though al the flowers herein contayned, carie one name, yet eche of thé differs from other, both in colour and sauour, the better to satisfie the diuersitie of eyes that shall view them, and va∣riety of noses that shall smell them. Nowe if the spider shall happen to sucke any poyson out of them, let not the flowers be the worse thought of, but consider that it is his propertie to doe the like, out of the most pure and delectable flowers, that euer were. And God in geuing vnto her and other such like creatures this nature, doeth no lesse manifest his omni∣potent

power herein, then in his other wonderful works. For reason telleth, & experience teacheth, that in this vale of mi∣sery, there is nothing so beautifull, but that it hath some ble∣mish; nor so pure, but that it sauours of some imperfection: so that as long as the world is a world, corruption must con∣tinue amongst vs. Which filthy dregs & poysoned humors, if they were not in parte drawen & drayned away by the veno∣mous beastes and wormes of the earth, they woulde a great deale more annoy vs, then now they doe. And it is to be doubted whether life could any long time be conserued a mogst vs. I might here take occasion to liken the crew of cu∣rious carpers (which more of malice then good meaning ac∣customed to cauel at other mens doings, playing the ydle drones themselues) to the venomous beastes & wormes be∣fore spoken of: Whom for their congruity in condition, and affinity in disposition I might bring them within the compas of one cōparison, & conclude that both the one & the other are necessary euils. But leste that the old prouerb be obiected agaynst me, Ne sutor vltra crepitam, let the Gardiner meddle no farther thē his spade, I wil leaue thē to theyr predecessor Zoilus (whose apes they are in imitating his conditions) & re∣turne agayne to my Gillowflowers, eft foones beseeching your worship to accept those that I present you with no lesse thāk∣fulnes then the Gardiner doth offer them willingly, wherof he doubtes not, calling to minde your accustomed curtesie. In one thing I haue vsed suche circumspection as my simple skill, would permit me, which is that the beauty of my flow∣ers be not blemished with the weedes of wantonnesse, that cōmonly grow in such gardens. I hope therfore, ye shal finde them rooted out in such sort, that if there remayne any, my trust is they shall not fall out, to be many. The onely thing that I doubt of this in my dedication, is that your worshipp shall haue cause to account mee a deepe dissembler and one that hath byn more lauish in promise, then he is able to pay with performance. For whereas by my former speeches, yee might peraduenture looke for some delicate Gillowflowers,

it will fall out to be but a coppy of my countenance, hauing done nothing els, but (as the fashion of the worlde is now a∣dayes) set a good face on a bad matter. For (to deale plainly with you) I was neuer Gardiner in all my life. And the thing that I here present you with, is but a collection of such verses and odde deuises as haue (at such idle howres as I founde in my maister his seruice) vpon sundry occasions by me byn cō∣posed. The one I confesse farre vnworthy your view, and yet such as when ye shal returne home weeried from your fielde sportes, may yeelde you some recreation. The chiefe marke that I leuel at is, the continuance of your woorships curtesie and good minde towardes me, which as they haue already surmounted the reach of my deserts, so if I might enioy the fruition of them hereafter, in that fulnesse which I hope for, I shall account all the duetifull endeuour that I can possibly shew you insufficient, for the satisfaction of the least part of them. Thus for feare of being tedious, I ende, wishing your worship, with my good mistres your wife & all yours many yeeres of prosperitie, with dayly increase of worship, & hea∣uen for your hauen to rest in, when the daungerous sea of this life shalbe ouer sailed.

Yours in all dutifulnesse, HG.