For the losse of a mightie and noble mannes fauour.

IF tears maie trie my truthe,
that trickle doune my cheeks,
Or if good will by proofe be knowne,
in yeres, in daies, or weeks:
Then doe I wrong receiue,
where freendship craue I moste,
And where in deede with eury storme, my vessell hath been toste.
And through the tempests all, my ship hath safly sailde,
And yet no seas might hurt my Barke, my hope hath so preuailde:
O helpe you Courtiars now, and Soldiours eury chon,
To waile my plage and present state, my Fortune fled and gon.
And waile this wofull worlde, wherein moste freends doe faint,
And namely sutche as trackt of tyme, hath taught by tongs to paint.
And promesd more by words, then will or worke performs,
Sutche haue the kirnells eaten all, and are the greedy worms:
That gnawes the harts of men, in peeces eury daie,
And sutche haue ledde my shipp alas, a wearie wilsome waie.
From whence if I retourne, I shall but wander still,
And finde no seas to saile vpon, that maie content my will:
Fie on my countrey soile, there is no suretie founde,
A chancelesse race myne age must trie, amid a doubtfull grounde.
Here haue I hoiste my saile, as hie as winde can blowe,
Here had I freends whose nodd or becke, a worlde maie ouerthrowe:
And still my staiyng staffe, did stande by one alone,
Whose gentill harte is now become, as hard as Marble stone.
To me the cace is sutche, the mischeef so is mine,
When I am worne vnto the bones, he letts me starue and pine:
And letts me sinck or swim, or shift by sleight of braine,
As though my hedde so game some were, to set on eury maine.
Thus freendship feble growes, and men can causlesse change,
And will this daie familiar be, and waxe to morne full strange:
I will goe fishe for Fate, through floods and salt sea fome,
And rather dye on wretched rocks, then perishe here at home.
Emong my chefest freends, amid my natiue soile,
Where neuer earst in any point, I suffred blot or foile:
Where all the worlde maie see, I suckt vp many a wrong,
Where well awaie the ritche maie thinke, a poore man liu's to long:
Where let my truthe be tried, I clame no small reward,
And where if fortune doe me right, the prince ought me regard.