PHOTOSTAT FACSIMILE 
 
 REPRODUCED FROM THE COPY IN THE 
 
 HENRY E. HUNTINGTON LIBRARY 
 
 FOR REFERENCE ONLY. NOT FOR REPRODUCTION 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CAUFORN!A 
 LOS ANGELES
 

 
   • ^ • 
 « • 

 
 mi HONOR OF THE 
 L A W E. 
 
 Written by Thomas 
 Churchyard Gent,. 
 
 h 
 
 mi 
 
 ffc^i Imprinted at London, by 
 
 KJTf^^HM^ Ar.Hatfield.for mlUam . 
 
 t7W^6^7ry^h Holme, . 

 
 468944
 
 (o the right honorable fir Thomxi t^erty-iVm^i^ Lord keeper 
 
 of the gre.xt fe^Ie, a»ione of the Q^enet (Jl{.tie>hejpr:»y coHnjellf 
 Thom-is Churchyard wtpjeth I<j»jr life, conttnuxnce 
 of venue andiuilicey ivtthet4er!tj}tr}g 
 credit and good fame. 
 
 He gladncs good men did fhow ( right ho- 
 norable ) when God & our gracious Prince 
 placed the grcarfeale in your hands, called 
 vp my mufe tliat fcldom Hecpeth, to awa- 
 ,ken the world widi fonie verfcs, that vcrtii- 
 ous men may confider of. They are but the 
 .inuention oftimejOradife ofpen/iifrance 
 of oldcuftom, andtheboldnesof a writer, that often falutes 
 men of great worth with bookes and blelTednes, in die firft cn- 
 tric of their worldly honor. This (poken to your L.as one to 
 whom the Lord of Lords ( as Iknow) hath giuen great graces, 
 not onely to iudge well of good mens caufes, (which prolongs 
 life)but likcwifc to anfwer the hope that great and good pcrio- 
 nages haue in your L. And fo being called to greatnes(a fortune 
 not com.mon) great matter is exfpedled, and in iuftice the full 
 cffcd of your greatnes fhall be ktwo, ( I doubt not) bicaufc the 
 chofenand annointed of the Lord hath cholenyou(amonga 
 multitudc)to fit in the charitable feat of iudgemcnt,where pity 
 is a pleader, patience a hearer, mildnes a looker on, and mercy 
 is a iudge. Now the good report of the world (which I hcare) 
 bcfidesthe good difpofition in your owne mind are prefently 
 cometomakeaproofeand daily triall ofyourvertues: fb lea- 
 ning your Lordfhip to the goodnes and grace of the almighty, 
 I humbly craue good acceptation of my fimplc plaine vcrfes, 
 (that I call the Honor of the Law ) written in a frankc motion 
 of the good will 1 haue alwaieb borne towards your honorable 
 good fortunes.
 
 i5Ua, 
 
 The honor of the Law, 
 
 THe law where iudge is placft in princely feat, 
 Cam firft from Gocl(who would reform mans mis) 
 And well maintaind, with skill and wifdom great, 
 And honor d much, long lovde and feared is, 
 Grace fpreds the bowes, & goodncs brings forth frutc, 
 . Time ripens all, and hales the harueft on. 
 Law threllieth corne, and helps each poore mans futc, 
 To fow new feed, ere all old graine be gon : 
 Bur luftice rules, (by order) all the cawes. 
 And is of right, the honor of the lawes. 
 
 Prowd,rich or poore, to lufticc are alike, 
 
 No parlhall eie, it hath but cleerly fees. 
 
 Where to defend, to fauor,kill or ftrikc, . 
 
 And lookcs into the ftate of all degrees. 
 
 With loue and law, is luftice ioined ftill. 
 
 The one keepes right, as hen doth clock hit broodc,' 
 
 The other gains the heat of warm goodwill. 
 
 Which is the cream, and milk of Chriftian foodc : 
 
 ^Wfticc wins that, and like a Lady ftands, 
 
 With equall weights, and ballance in hit hands. 
 
 A 2 What
 
 I ■A' 
 
 TliC honor of the Law. 
 
 What bears no poize, like feathers flies away, 
 VVhai kccpeth weight, and il:amp doth currant pas, 
 What muft be helpc w ith grains and doth decay. 
 Is dipt too necre, or neither gold nor glas. 
 The currant coin, that iuRice doth allow, 
 IscaldiuO: law, true dealing and good mind, 
 A {lamp that may, in any world go throw, 
 And with both friends, and foes may fauor find : 
 Thus luftice doth both law and lawyers gide, 
 Sees who aimes right, and who ilioots Ihort or wide. 
 
 Marks pleaders well (that lengthens futes with words) 
 Lookes far in land, and can true titles fift, 
 Sounds deeped: fcas, and wades throw fhallowfoords, 
 And hates thofe heads, that with great finenes fhift, 
 V Vealth^praife and peace, are lullicc handmaids all. 
 Honor and fame, holds vp milde lufticc traine, 
 Truth on each fide, fupports hir from a fall : 
 And heaunly hope, in hart ihe doth retain : 
 Difdains delay, giues aid and helpc in hafte. 
 Cuts off the fnuffe, before the candle wafte. 
 
 When
 
 The honor of the Law, 
 
 When futcs do hang, ten yecres on tenter hookes, 
 They ftretch too far, and fo gro full of holes : 
 When few words make great (crouls & mighty books 
 111 ncwes is brought to many filly folcs. 
 When cunning cafts, aclokeonopenwrong, 
 Right is put back, andknoesnotwheretogo, '^ 
 
 V Vhen troth is lapr, in great dilpute too long, 
 Anvprightcaufe may get an ouerthro : - i 
 
 Light is fcen ftreighr, from darknes if we pleafe, 
 And quarrels may be ended fbon with eafe. 
 
 
 b^^'^ 
 
 Though Mine and Thine, makes many brabbles ftill, 
 In {iiiall ihort time, each man may hauc his own, 
 Though thoufands run to law on froward will, 
 Of each mans caufe, the troth is quickly known, 
 Though doubts arife, in matters of great weight, 
 Good men may ibon, decide a doubtfuU cace, 
 But if weake things, like wax we ftretch an height, 
 OronbadftufFe, doclapanhoneftface: 
 A ftraw may feem, as ftrong to many a one, 
 Asisaftaffc, that lame men ftayvpon. 
 
 Gay
 
 The bono r of the Law. 
 
 Gay collors hides, a patched rotten wall, 
 Faire faiacd talcs, conuaies foulc things from fii^ht, 
 Sweet fiiger takes, the tafte from bitter gall, 
 Wrong richly clad, to blindnes {cemeth right, 
 Troth troden downe, lifts f alfehood vp aloft, 
 Falfe dice do run, as fmoorhe as trueft bones, 
 Fine filed toongs, deceiues plaine people oft, 
 Fondlings may take, pure glaflfe for prelhous (tones : 
 A trim difcourfe, fet out for goodly Ihoes, 
 May quickly mar, the text with glorious glocs. 
 
 Plaine words are brought, from plow & country plain;. 
 To findc plaine deedes, a friend to plainncs cacc. 
 In open court, then plainnes doth complain 
 Of wrong receiud, before true Tuftice face, 
 The pleading there, bcgins,but hath no end, 
 A yeere or twaine, runs on with reafbns great, 
 Both parties fo, much time and wealth doth fpend, 
 Whiles lawyars talk at barr in cold and heat : 
 The matter oft, fcarfe woorth a lock of hey, 
 Beeun of nought, doth breed an endlelfe plcy. 
 
 Why
 
 r:^m^^^^mm^^^m^^^ 
 
 Tlic honor of the Law, 
 
 Why bright brode day atanyholeisfecn, j 
 
 Darke night is known, w hen ftars in skie do fhoote, 
 Both black and w hitc arc quickly gcftfrom green, 
 The head or hand is eafly found Irom foot, 
 The good and bad asgreatadifFrcncchauc, 
 As chalke and chcefe. Then is there no great doubt, 
 Tween right and wrong, fmall pleading do they crauc. 
 For luftice doom, foon finds their natures out: 
 So is the court difmiftof futersall. 
 And mildly fits the ludges in the hall. 
 
 Longfutes are lil^e a (emftars clue of thrced. 
 That firfl: was long a fpinning of the wheelc. 
 Long twilling too, to make it icrue the need, 
 Long winding vp on thrifty hufwiues reele, 
 And ouer long a working-feme men fay. 
 Yet as the length is long of this fame clue. 
 So fhall you finde an end fom kind of way, 
 Toferuethcturnc intimeandfcafondue: 
 But futcs do leaue the futars all fo bare. 
 That halfc vndon world chinks long futers arc. 
 
 The
 
 /i 
 
 The honor of the Law* 
 
 The honor of the law leaues long delaies, 
 A quick difpatch works hiany men much good, . 
 When good turns arc turnd ofFto y eers a nd daics,- 
 They bring difeafe, and breedeth no good blood, 
 What falls out well iswelcomatthefurft, 
 What hapneth ill muft needs be known at laft, • 
 And when a man in time doth know the wurft, 
 The care is gon, and halfe the harms are paft, 
 Admit that lands and goods do lie therein, 
 Looke what is loft we haue no hope to win. 
 
 Plainnes is beft, and euer funheft goes, 
 Sleight finds a ihifr, to IhufFell cards too long, 
 The fliorteft way, vnto the wood who knocs, 
 And goes about, (hall do himfclfe great wrong. 
 No honor more, than get good will of men. 
 With iudgcmcnt fweet, a true-lou^ knot to knit. 
 To further that mypraierandmypcn, 
 Shallwaitvpon the (eat wherein youfit: 
 And poore mens plaints, when falucd is their fore, 
 Etcrniz,e(hall your name for cuermore, 
 
 r I N I S.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 MAY 1 *W 
 
 
 R E C E ! V ED 
 
 MAIN, LOAN DESH: 
 
 JAN 25 1S65 
 
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