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MOTHER HVBBERDS TALE 495
To the right Honourable, the
Ladie Compton and
tMountegle.
MOst faire and verluous Ladie, hauing
1VI often sought opportunity by some good
meanes to make knowen to your Ladiship, the
humble affection and faithfull duetie, which
I haue alwaies professed, and am bound to
beare to thai House, from whence yee spring,
1 haue at length found occasion to remember the
wme, by making a simple present to you of these
my idle labours, which hauing long sithens
composed in the raw conceipt of my youth,
1 lately amongst other papers lighted vpon, and
ivas by others, which liked the same, mooued to
set them foorth Simple is the deuice, and the
composition meane, yet carrieth some delight,
Prosopopoia: or
^Mother Hubberds Tale.
IT was the month, in which the righteous
Maide,
That for disdaine of sinfull worlds vpbraide,
Fled back to heauen, whence she was first con
ceiued,
Into her siluer bowre the Sunne receiued ,
And the hot Syrian Dog on him awayting,
After the chased Lyons cruell bayting,
Corrupted had th'ayre with his noysome breath,
And powr'd on th'earth plague, pestilence, and
death
Emongst the rest a wicked maladie
Raign'd emongst men, that manie did to die,
Depnu'd of sense and ordinane reason , 11
That it to Leaches seemed strange and geason
My fortune wis mongst manie others moe,
To be parataker of their common woe ,
And my weake bodie set on fire with gnefe,
Was rob'd of rest, and naturall reliefe
In this ill plight, there came to visite mee
Some friends, who sone my sad case to see,
Began to comfort me in chearfull wise,
And meanes of gladsome solace to deuise 20
But seeing kindly sleep refuse to doe
His office, and my feeble eyes forgoe,
They sought my troubled sense how to deceaue
With talke, that might vnquiet fancies reaue
euen the rather because of the simplicthe and
meannesse thus personated The same I beseech
your Ladiship take in good part, as a pledge of
that pofession which I haue made to you, and
keepe with you vniill with some other more
worthre labour, I do redeeme it out of your hands,
and discharge my vtmost dutie Till then wish
ing your Ladiship all increase of honour and
happinesse, I humbhe lake leaue
Your La euer
humbly,
Ed Sp
I And sitting all in seates about me round,
With pleasant tales (fit for that idle stound)
They cast in course to waste the weane howres
Some tolde of Ladies, and their Paramoures,
Some of braue Knights, and their renowned
Squires,
Some of the Faeries and their strange attires,
And some of Giaunts hard to be beleeued, 31
That the delight thereof me much releeued
Amongst the rest a good old woman was,
Ilight Mother Hubberd, who did farre surpas
The rest m honest mirth, that seem'd her well
She when her turne was come her tale to tell,
Tolde of a strange aduenture, that betided
Betwixt the Foxe and th'Ape by him mis
guided,
The which for that my sense it greatly pleased,
All were my spinte heauie and diseased, 40
He write in termes, as she the same did say,
So well as I her words remember may
No Muses aide me needes heretoo to call,
Base is the style, and matter meane withall
Whilome (said she) before the world was
ciuill,
The Foxe and th'Ape disliking of their eulll
And hard estate, determined to seeke
Their fortunes farre abroad, lyeke with his
lyeke
For both were craftie and vnhappie witted,
Two fellowes might no where be better fitted
The Foxe, that first this cause of grief e did finde,
I Gan first thus plame his case with words vnkmde