A SPARK OF

FRIENDSHIP AND WARM GOOD-WILL,

THAT SHEWS THE

EFFECT OF TRUE AFFECTION,

AND

UNFOLDS THE FINENESS OF THIS WORLD.

Whereunto is joined the commodity of sundry Sciences, and the benefit that Paper bringeth, with many rare matters rehearsed in the same. With a Description and Commendation of a PAPER-MILL, now of late set up (near the Town of Dartford) by an High German, called Mr. SPILMAN, Jeweller to the Queen's most excellent Majesty, written by THOMAS CHURCHYARD, Gent.

Nulla potest esse jucunditas, sublata amicitia. Cic. pro Flacc.
Printed at London, 1588.

To my Honourable Friend, Sir Walter Raleigh, Knight, Seneschal and Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwal and Exon, Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and her Majesty's Lieutenant of the County of Cornwal, &c.

E

NFORCED by affection (that leads the minds of men to a multitude of causes) I stood studying how to requite a good turn received, and, confessing that no one thing is more monstrous in nature than an unthankful mind, I saw myself in debt, and bound either one way or other to pay that I owe, but not in such degree as I received, but in such sort as my ability serveth, and as a man might say, to make a cunning exchange, instead of due payment, to offer glass for gold, and bare words for friendly deeds. In good truth, my honourable friend, if my creditors will so stand contented, I am readier to depart from words, and discharge debt therewith, than to promise treasure, and offer that I have not. For if free-hearted people, fortunate in the world, through bounty of mind, toward my suits or preferment, bestow many speeches to do me good, where grace is to be gotten: I can but yield one ordinary thank, for a thousand benefits, except they ransack my storehouse of vain inventions, and find some pleasant papers, bepainted with verses, or polished pamphlets, beblotted with barren matter, where both verse and prose shall make but a bad restitution for the goodness I have stolen by fortune, or borrowed by friendship. Yet, weighing how little fortune hath done for me, and how few creditors I have,

And

that have either lent me any portion of preferment, or procured me but a piece of any certain living, I think myself somewhat able, with the talent God hath given me, to repay all the debts that ever I could bring to perfect remembrance, saving one, a most honourable personage, that I dedicated my book of Choice unto, who got me two great seals, besides common courtesies many, to shift withal a season. furthermore, yourself, six years past, bestowed good speeches to the Queen's Majesty in my behalf, by the which I got some comfortable recreation, to quicken my spirits, and keep me in breath. And yet lo a matter to be mused at! I have sixteen several books printed presently to be bought, albeit they are but trifles, dedicated, in sundry seasons, to several men of good and great credit, but to be plain not one among them all, from the first day of my labour and studies, to this present year and hour, hath any way preferred my suits, amended my state, or given me any countenance; I hope I am not much indebted to those, nor fallen so far in their dangers, but may easily get out, though I yield them no more, but a customable good will. So, finding my muses frank and free from their servitude, I address this work of unfeigned friendship to your good consideration, which work shews the value and worth of friends, whose love is necessary about all estates, the flattery and fineness of foes, and the daily dissimulation of a cunning world. And, if the world marvel why I treat of that which is so commonly known, and often put in practise, I answer not those wondering wits, but shoot what bolts I think convenient, at the bad behaviour of transformed people, that bear but the shapes of tamed men, and shew the manners of wild monsters; and if the world say, as I know it is talkative, I shew a kind of adulation to fawn for favour on those that are happy; I answer, that is a point of wisdom, which my betters have taught me, and I have read it in a great book of Latin, printed four-hundred years ago, that one of your own ancestors, called Sir Walter Raleigh, had more fawners and followers than you have; for he was lord chief justice of England, and so far in credit with his prince, his learning was such, that he made laws and edicts, the which the prince confirmed and allowed. I take an example from the fish that follow the stream, the fowls that come to the covert from the winds, and the brute beasts that avoid a sturdy storm, under the safeguard of a strong and flourishing tree. Their crafty forecast, though they want. reason, may succour the simpleness of any reasonable creature; and the defence and provision they make to escape open danger, may fetch to school a great company of ignorant scholars. But I leave to speak of their examples, because they are brute, and follow the gravest sort of sage and wise personages, that will not blush nor think scorn to learn a lesson of their forefathers, that got all their good fortune by following the flood, where we fish for preferment. Thus, honourable friend, as my affection, and other good causes move, bade me go forward with this my device and present unto you, so, beginning the same in health, and falling suddenly sick, I feared God would have me cut short from my purposed enterprise: but his goodness called me up, from the bed of sorrow, where despair had almost dispatched the life, and set me a-foot to go, and end my first determination, and brought me in hope

you will accept my good-will; which may encourage me to a further labour and study, that may purchase more and greater favour and thanks. So, resting yours in all that my small power may stretch unto, I take leave, and wish what goodness you can imagine or desire.

Most willing at commandment.

London, at my Lodging,

the 8th of March.

T. CHURCHYARD.

A Spark of Friendship and warm Good-will.

Where friendship finds good ground to grow upon,
It takes sound root, and spreads his branches out;
Brings forth fair fruit, though spring be past and gone,
And bloometh, where no other grain will sprout:
His flow'rs are still in season all the year,

His leaves are fresh, and green as is the grass;
His sugar'd seeds good, cheap, and nothing dear,

His goodly bark shines bright, like gold or brass:
And yet, this tree in breast must needs be shrin'd,
And lives no where, but in a noble mind.

BEING rocked too long in the careless cradle of idleness, where slothful limbs are soon lulled asleep, the hinderer of health, good hap, and virtue, a multitude of worldly causes, my honourable friend, awakened my wits, and bid the sensible spirits arise from the forgetful couch of drowsy rest, and offer the body to some profitable exercises, that thereby the head, hand, and pen, might either purchase commendation, or publish to good people a matter that should merit some memory. But, finding myself unfurnished of learning, and barely seen in the arts liberal, and far unfit to touch or treat of divinity, I stood amazed, and knew not what thankful thing I should first go about, and take in hand to a good end and purpose: and so a while bethinking me, minding to draw no stronger bow than I could well shoot in, and, looking into my own strength, I saw me most able and apt to be at commandment of prince, country, and friends. In the honouring and service of whom, I should study to bring forth some acceptable work; not striving to shew any rare invention, that passeth a mean man's capacity, but to utter and revive matter of some moment, known and talked of long ago, yet over long hath been buried, and, as it seemeth, laid dead, for any great fruit it hath shewed, in the memory of man. The thing that I mean, that hath laid so long in the grave of forgetfulness, is faithful friendship, which Tully hath touched, and a number of good authors have written of, but few, in these days, have observed, honoured, and followed.

And now to proceed forward with this friendship, and shew the degrees thereof orderly, methinks that the first branch thereof is the affectionate love that all men in general ought to bear to their country: for the which Mutius Scævola, Horatius Cocles, Marcus Curtius,

Marcus Regulus, and many more, have left us most noble examples. Yea, you shall read that some, although they were banished from their country, yet they bore in their bowels and breasts, to the hour of their death, the love of their country, parents, friends, and family. In which everlasting love of theirs remained such manly and honourable motions of the mind, that many noble services, of voluntary good-will, were brought forth by them, to the benefit of their country, and recovery of their first credit, estate, and dignity. Thus, by a natural disposition, planted in the soul, and sensible store-house of staid judgment, great exploits were brought to pass, and sundry wonders of this world have easily been taken in hand. And surely, all these former examples, with the hazard of our forefathers lives, bravely put in proof and executed, serve to no other end, as their meaning was, but to teach those that came after, with the like greatness of mind, to follow the forerunner of all worthy renown, and worldly reputation. So, by this, may thousands see man is not made for himself, created to be king of earthly delights, and placed amidst the pleasures of the world, to do what he pleaseth; but chiefly to look, and with good advisement to search how, and in what sort he may be dutiful and beneficial to his country. Now peradventure, in this perillous age, where many are puffed up with presumption, and seditious season of proud practices, and headstrong people, some serpentine sect, that carries venom in their minds, and mortal stings in their tongues, will hold a bad opinion and say that the earth is made for the children of men, as the sea is for the fish; and that is man's natural country where he findeth food, living, and credit in. But this cankered kind of rebellious conceit is such a gnawing worm in the conscience of man, and so far differs from all human laws, that he, that but thinks one thought of this nature, is not only unnatural to his country, but likewise unblessed and unhappy in all the soils and countries he happeneth to dwell in. For he that honoureth not in heart the soil and seat of his nativity, and despiseth the place where he took life, sustenance, nurture, and education, besides good fortune and preferments, the only blessedness here to rejoice of, degenerates; and, what birth and blood soever he be of, we may call him a base-born groom, or a kindly bastard begotten out of time, living out of order, and of worse belief than an infidel. The birds of the air, the fish in the flood, and the beasts on the earth, love to haunt and behold the place of their procreation: and the greatest conquerors that ever were, call them kings, or what you please, though they went never so far to obtain victories, yet they brought all the glory home to their country, and triumphed only there where they were first fostered, found favour and fortune, and had, from the beginning, been trained and brought up; yea, and after their life, both kings, prophets, and other great men, desired to have their bones buried in their country. And some, of excellent judgment, held opinion, that the love of their country did far surpass the love of their parents; in defence of which they offered lives, lands, and goods, and cared not what danger they should thrust themselves into, so that thereby they might do their country any honour or service.

then, what a blemish and blot is this in the faces and brows of

them that, in a proud presumption, persuaded by pestilent wits, abandon their country, and would hazard, on a peevish opinion, if it were in their power, to sell prince, people, and patrimony, for a cold and bare welcome, full of hollowness of heart, in a strange kingdom, where cracked credit is loathsome and long mistrusted, and seldom or never comes to a good and honourable end! I can but wish their payment no worse nor better, but such as Tarpeia found of the Latins and abines, for selling unto them the capitol of Rome: a most notorious example, read it who pleaseth. So if in those days, a great while ago, millions of men held the love and friendship of their country so dear and precious, as indeed it ought to be esteemed now, in our ripened years, when wits are mellowed and seasoned with the sweet savour of long experience, the folly and foul facts, that by over great boldness make many run mad, should be a general warning, and teach all kind of people, to keep the right and plain path of natural affection towards their country and friends.

Now all these things, rehearsed before, are written in way of friendship to the wild wanderers of this world, who undoubtedly want but grace and good counsel. And the rest that follows hereafter, in this little piece of prose, is written to yourself, my most honourable friend, whose friendship I have felt, and sundry more have tasted. Let the deed shew itself; not writing this to teach you, with presuming words, any other course than your former judgment and present consideration think best to hold; but only to keep the blaze of good-will continually burning, by feeding the flame with plying and putting in more oil to the lamp: for I acknowledge that you know, that, as the sinews are needful for the body, the marrow for the bones, and the blood for the life, so friendship is most fit to knit the joints and minds of men together, and bind them about with such brazen bands, that no bars of iron may break, nor policy of people may put asunder.

He that bath travelled, as I have done, through the forest of affliction, where many wild beasts are wandering in the woods, some roaring and running after their prey, shall see how narrowly he hath escaped from the gaping and devouring monsters, and find that, if friendship and good fortune had not holpen him, he had been utterly destroyed. From the highest to the lowest, reckon what degrees can be named, in good sooth they are all left alone barefooted and desolate, where friendship hath forsaken them. But where, or into what labyrinth, O Lord, have I now brought myself! for now I am forced to go forward, and may not step backward, but seek an open way to walk in, orderly to sit down, and chew the susbtance of friendship, the flattery of the world, and the fineness of our age: the circumstance whereof craves another manner of discourse and volume than this little treatise can utter, What then? As by small sparks, or kindled coals, great fire is made, and of a trifling tale true matter may be gathered; so, out of weak words, strong arguments may be sifted, and, through a number of spiced speeches, a simple sentence may shew some savour, and yield such taste to the quickness of understanding, that the hearer's wits and judgment shall willingly stand contented with all that shall be spoken. And friendship is so much desired, spoken of, and necessary for all