The poetical works of Sir Thomas Wyatt. With a memoir

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Memoir . - xi

SONGS AND SONNETS.

Letter I

" In as much as now ye are come to some years of understanding, and that you should gather within yourself some frame of Honesty, I thought that I should not lose my labour wholly if now I did something advertise you to take the sure foundations and stablished opinions that leadeth to Honesty.

" And here, I call not Honesty that, men commonly call Honesty, as reputation for riches, for authority, or some like thing; but that Honesty, that I dare well say your grandfather, (whose soul God pardon,) had rather left to me than all the lands he did leave me ; that was, Wisdom, Gentleness, Soberness, desire to do Good, Friendliness to get the love of many, and Truth above all the rest. A great part to have all these things is to desire to have them. And although glory and honest name are not the very ends wherefore these things are to be followed, yet surely they must needs follow them as light followeth fire, though it were kindled for warmth.

" Out of these things the chiefest and infallible ground is the dread and reverence of God, whereupon shall ensue the eschewing of the contraries of

SIR THOMAS TVYATT. XXX1JC

these said virtues ; that is to say, ignorance, unkindness, rashness, desire of harm, unquiet enmity,, hatred, many and crafty falsehood, the very root of all shame and dishonesty. I say, the only dread and reverence of God, that seeth all things, is the defence of the creeping in of all these mischiefs into you. And for my part, although I do well say there is no man that would his son better than I, yet on my faith I had rather have you lifeless, than subject to these vices.

" Think and imagine always that you are in presence of some honest man that you know; as Sir John Russell, your Father-in-law, your Uncle Parson, or some other such, and ye shall, if at any time you find a pleasure in naughty touches, remember what shame it were afore these men to do naughtily. And sure this imagination shall cause you remember, that the pleasure of a naughty deed is soon past, and the rebuke, shame, and the note thereof shall remain ever. Then, if these things ye take for vain imaginations, yet remember that it is certain, and no imagination, that ye are alway in the presence and sight of God : and though you see him not, so much i is the reverence the more to be had for that He seeth, and is not seen.

" Men. punish with shame as greatest punishment on earth, yea ! greater than death ; but His punishment is, first, the withdrawing of his favour, and grace, and in leaving his hand to rule the stern to let the ship run without guide to its own clestruct-

Xl 3IE3IOIR OF

tion ; and smTereth so tlie man that he forsaketh to run headlong as subject to all mishaps, and at last with shameful end to everlasting shame and death. Ye may see continual examples both of the one sort, and of the other ; and the better, if ye mark them well that yourself are come of; and consider well your good grandfather, what things there were in him, and his end. And they that knew him noted him thus ; first, and chiefly to have a great reverence of God and good opinion of godly things. Xext that, there was no man more pitiful ; no man more true of his word ; no man faster to his friend ; no man diligenter nor more circumspect, which thing, both the Kings his masters noted in him greatly. And if these things, and specially the grace of God that the fear of God alway kept with him, had not been, the chances of this troublesome world that he was in had long ago overwhelmed him. This preserved him in prison from the hands of the tyrant* that could find in his heart to see him racked ; from two years and more prisonment in Scotland in irons and stocks ; from the danger of sudden changes and commotions divers, till that well beloved of many, hated of none, in his fair age, and good reputation, godly and christianly he went to Him that loved him, for that he always had Him in reverence.

" And of myself^ I may be a near example unto you of my folly and unthriftness, that hath, as I well

* Richard the Third.

SIR THOMAS WYATT. xli

deserved, brought me into a thousand dangers and hazards, enmities, hatreds, prisonments, despites, and indignations ; but that God hath of his goodness chastised me, and not cast me clean out of his favour; which thing I can impute to nothing but to the goodness of my good father, that, I dare well say purchased with continual request of God his Grace towards me more than I regarded, or considered myself; and a little part to the small fear that I had of God in the most of my rage, and the little delight that I had in mischief. You therefore if ye be sure, and have God in your sleeve to call you to his grace at last, venture hardily by mine example upon naughty unthriftiness, in trust of his goodness ; and besides the shame, I dare lay ten to one ye shall perish in the adventure ; for trust me, that my wish or desire of God for you shall not stand you in as much effect, as I think my father's did for me : we are not all accepted of Him.

u Begin therefore betimes. Make God and goodness your foundations. Make your examples of wise and honest men : shoot at that mark : be no mocker : mocks follow them that delight therein. He shall be sure of shame that feeleth no grief in other men's shames. Have your friends in a reverence ; and think unkindness to be the greatest offence, and least punished amongst men ; but so much the more to be dread, for God is justiser upon that alone.

" Love well, and agree with your wife ; for where is noise and debate in the house there is unquiet

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dwelling ; and much more, where it is in one bed. Frame well yourself to love and rule well and honestly your wife as your fellow, and she shall love and reverence you as her head. Such as you are unto her, such shall she be unto you. Obey and reverence your father-in-law, as you would me ; and remember that long life followeth them that reverence their fathers and elders; and the blessing of God, for good agreement between the wife and husband, is fruit of many children.

" Read oft this my letter, and it shall be as though I had often written to you ; and think that I have herein printed a fatherly affection to you. If I may see that I have not lost my pain, mine shall be the contentation, and yours the profit ; and, upon condition that you follow my advertisement, I send you God's blessing and mine, and as well to come to honesty, as to increase of years."