The Booke in meeter of Robin Conscience: against his Father Couetousnesse his Mother Newgise and his Sister Proud Beautye very necessary to be read and marked of all people that will auoide the dangers thereof, which is vnto condemnation. Newly corrected by the Author. Abacuc. 2. Cursed be he that getteth any thing into his house by Couetousnes. Esay. 33. He shall dwell with God that is without Covetousness. qto. Biiij.

This poem is divided into three dialogues: the first is in censure of covetousness: the second of gay attire: and the last of pride, which thus concludes:

Robin. Sister, your colling and kissing will haue an euill end,
To clatter and flatter is no maidenlike way:
Your gladness and madnes doth God sore offend,
To intice men to vice is all your cheefest play,
In their sight your delight is for to goe gay. [will:
Wherfore measure your pleasure by God's woord and
And you shall finde that your minde is whorish and ill.
Maide. I perceiue that thou wouldst haue me liue like a mome,
I will talke no more with thee for I must depart:
By the masse if thou shouldst dwell long at home,
My mother and I might beshrew thy hart,

If thou by thy talking shouldst my father conuert.
Then his welth, her pleasure, my pastime and dallying,
Were clene dispatched by this new learning.

Robin. Sister, God haue you and saue you if it be his pleasure,
And pretend to amend, for your life is now euill:
Look in God's book to haue heauenly treasure,
There seek to be meek your proud hart to kill;
Make haste for to taste of Gods holy will.

For it is health and welth, to those that be penitcht :
Wherfore yet euer more delight in Christs Testament.

Finis.

To talke well with some women doth as much good: As a sicke man to eate vp a loade of greene wood." At London printed by Edward Allde.

*Sic.

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*

J. H.

Robin

Robin Conscience, or Cunscionable Robin. His progresse thorow Court, City and Conntrey: with his bad entertainment at each severall place. Very pleasant and merry to bee read. Written in English meeter by

M. P.

Charitie's cold, mens hearts are hard,

and most doores 'gainst Conscience bard.

London: Printed for F. Coles, at the upper end of the Old Baily, neare the Sessions house. 1635. 12mo. b. 1.

This title appears to have been borrowed by the author, Martin Parker, from the preceding article. The progress of Conscience is related in rhyme, such as

"The Mercers and Silke-men also,
That dwell in Pater noster row,

Their hate against poore Conscience show,
and when I

Came to that place, they all did set
On me, cause I their gaines would let,
Who will both sweare and lye, to get

one penny:

From thence vnto Cheapside I past,
Where words in vaine I long did wast,
Out of the place I soone was chas'd:
Quoth one man,

Conscience, for thy presumption base
Intruding to this golden place
Thou death deseruest, therefore apace
Be gone man,

Dost thinke we that haue so much gold
Before our eyes still to behold,
Will thus by Conscience be controld

and curbed?

Oh no, poore fellow,

haste away,

For if long in this place thou stay,

Thou shalt be (Ile be bold to say)
disturbed."

J. H.

Harry

Harry White his humour,

So neare as may

be

Set forth by M. P.

In which is exprest,

Both earnest and jest:

Let honest men buy,

And knaves let it lya:

This is not for them,

Who vertue contemne.

Not every man in's humour's promis'd here,

Yet in one's humour many more appeare. Printed at London for Thomas Lambert, at the signe of the Hors-shoo in Smithfield. n. d. 12mo.

In prose, and by the same voluminous scribbler. It forms a string of either moral or ludicrous conclusions, such as,

"Item. Hauing lately read the rare history of patient Grizell, out of it he hath drawne this phylosophicall position, that if all women were of that woman's condition, we should haue no imployment for cuckinstooles.

This is Harry White's humour.

Item. He is of this opinion, that if the histories of Garrangantua and Tom Thumbe be true: by consequence Bevis of Hampton, and Scoggins Jests must needes bee authenticall. This is Harry White's humour."

J. H.

The Melancholie Knight. By S R. [Wood-cut of the Knight a whole length dressed in the extravagance of the newest fashion. *] Imprinted at London by R. B. and are to be sold by George Loftus, in

"His face being marked with his hat puli'd downe,
And in French doublet without gowne or cloake,
His hose the largest euer came to towne,

And from his nostrels came much stinking smoake;
Garters would make two ensignes for a neede,
And shoo-ties that for circle did exceede.

His head hung downe, his armes were held acrosse,
And in his hat a cole-blacke feather stucke,
His melancholy argued some great losse,
He stood so like the picture of ill lucke."

Bishops-gate streete, neere the Angell. 1615. qto. pp. 38.

The production of Samuel Rowlands, in his usual rambling vein of local description. An address "to respectiue readers," and an "Introduction" both in verse. The Knight declares,

"I haue red ouer (while youth's glasse did run,)
Sir Lancelot of the Lake, the Knight of th' Sun,
Sir Triamour, Sir Benis, and Sir Guy,
Fowre sonnes of Amon, hors'd so gallantly,
And all the old world's worthy men at armes,
That did reuenge faire ladies wrongs and harmes
The monster slayers and the gyant killers,
With all the rest of Mars his braue well-willers,
Which to rehearse I neuer shall be able,
The Worthis Arthur had at his Round Table;
And how in Chronicles those dead ones liue,
By breath that Fame doth from the trumpet giue.
But what an age is this my fellow Knightes?
(I meane all you whom melancholy bites)
As it doth me, the iouiall sort I leaue
That haue their hundreds yeerely to receiue;
For they and I, I know shall neuer meete
In Golding lane, nor yet in Siluer streete;
My melancholy walkes finde spacious roome,
With pensiue pace, about Duke Humfrey's toome,
Where many thoughts aboue the steeple climbe,
That humbly walke away their dinner time:
Yet in despite of Fortune's turning wheele,
In scorne of gold I weare it at my heele;
Euen in contempt of wealth my spurres are guilt,
And siluer's conimon in my rapier's hilt;

I hate the idoll misers dote vpon,

Being as bigge in heart as Prester Iohu."

Ridicule on prevailing manners is the object of the poet; and the story of a serpent, then rife, forms no inconsequential part of this long poem. At the end are a few "Melancholic Conceits." One is addressed

"To Fortune.

"Thou pur-blinde puppet for a trads-mans staule,
Thou limping ladie of the hospitall;

Empresse

[wife,

Empresse of epicures and belly-gods,
With whom I vowe to liue and die at ods;
Thou mole-ey'd, owle-ey'd, Countess for a spittle,
That giues to some too much, to mee too little,
Thou whirly-gigge, and rats-bane of my life,
Which by thy wheele dost seeme some wheel-wrights
Thou make-bate of a discontented minde,
Thou water-bubble, wastfull puffe of winde,
Thou flying feather of a wood-cock's wing,
Thou heathenish and very pagan thing,
Thou miser's friend, thou worthie gallant's foe,
Thou scurvie Ballat of I wale in woe,
Thou that all discontentment dost prouoke,
Thou worse to me then this Tobacco smoke,
Thou that rage, fury, enuy dost importune,
Ile tickle thee, thou scurvy minded Fortune."

J. II.

Heavens Glory, seeke it. Earts vanitie, flye it. Hells Horror, fere it. [On a curtain central of a title engraved in compartments representing the effects of luxury and vice; and the bellman under the labell.] London: Printed for Michaell Sparke. A. 1628. Oct. 236.

Some essays and prayers by Samuel Rowlands, interspersed with two or three pieces of poetry. Near the end of the volume is a new title:

The Common Cals, Cryes and Sounds of the Bellman, or Diuers Verses to put vs in minde of our mortalitie. Which may serue as warnings to be prepared at all times for the day of our death. Printed at London for M. S. 1628. 12 leaves.

The signature is continued but not the pagination. The pieces are for particular days, with a few of a general character, which a single poem will sufficiently

show

"Remember man thou art but dust,
There is none aliue but dye he must,

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