I tell of things done long ago, of many things in few: 
  And chiefly of this Clime of ours, the accidents pursue. 
  Thou high director of the same, assist mine artless Pen,
  To write the Jests of Brutons stout, and Arts of English-men.

From thence he proceeds to the peopling of the Earth by the Sons of Noah, intermixing therein much variety of Matter, not only pleasant, but profitable for the Readers understanding of what was delivered by the ancient Poets, bringing his Matter succinctly to the Siege of Troy, and from thence to the coming of Brute into this Island; and so, coming down along the chiefest matters, touched of our British Historians, to the Conquest of England by Duke William, and from him the Affairs of the Land to the beginning of Queen Elizabeth; where he concludeth thus,

  Elizabeth by peace, by war, for majesty, for mild,
  Enrich’d, fear’d, honour’d, lov’d, but (loe) unreconcil’d,
  The Muses check my saucy Pen, for enterprising her,
  In duly praising whom, themselves, even Arts themselves might err.
  Phoebus I am, not Phaeton, presumptuously to ask
  What, shouldst thou give, I could not guide; give not me thy task,
  For, as thou art Apollo too, our mighty subjects threats
  A non plus to thy double power: 
                                        Vel volo, vel nollem.

I might add several more of his Verses, to shew the worth of his Pen, but the Book being indifferent common, having received several Impressions, I shall refer the Reader, for his further satisfaction, to the Book itself.

* * * * *

THOMAS TUSSER.

Thomas Tusser (a person well known by his Book of Husbandry) was born at Rinen-hall in Essex, of an ancient Family, but now extinct; where, when but young, his Father, designing him for a Singing-man, put him to Wallingford-School, where how his Misfortunes began in the World, take from his own Pen.

  O painful time, for every crime,
  What toosed ears, like baited Bears,
  What bobbed lips, what yerks, what nips,
    What hellish toys? 
  What Robes so bare, what Colledge-fare? 
  What Bread how stale, what penny Ale? 
  Then Wallingford, how wer’t thou abhorr’d,
    Of silly boys?

From thence he was sent to learn Musick at Pauls with one John Redford, an excellent Musician; where, having attained some skill in that Art, he was afterwards sent to Eaton-School, to learn the Latine Tongue, where, how his Miseries encreas’d, let himself speak.

  From Pauls I went, to Eaton sent,
  To learn straightways the Latine phrase,
  Where fifty three stripes given to me,
    At once I had,
  For fault but small, or none at all,
  It came to pass thus beat I was,
  See Udal, see, the mercy of thee
    To me poor Lad.