A Battle between Honor and Dishonor

With grief and sorrow Honor1 did complain,
How that her sons and servants all are2 slain,
And none was3 left but those that did4 her slight,
And in rebellion did5 against her fight,
And how6 this age did7 dirt upon her throw,                               5
Lest she the baseness of the next should8 show.
Thus mournèd9 Honor, veiled in clouds of night,
When heretofore her garments were of light.
Her crown was laurel wreathed with fancy’s tire,
Her scepter, Mars’10 sword, made foes retire.                           10
Pallas’ headpiece did11 as her footstool stand,12
By whose support she rose and did command.13
And thus did Honor live with great applause;
All did obey her; none did break her laws.
But now Dishonor, armed ’gainst her, doth rise,                      15
And all her laws she utterly denies.
Then Honor, fearing she should be surprised,
And14 by her counsel being well advised,15
Did raise an army to maintain her right;
Resolved she was Dishonor for to fight.                                      20
Courage the van, Wisdom and Wit each wing16
Did lead, the rear Fidelity did bring;17
Invention doth th’artillery18 command;
Patience and Constancy as sent’nels19 stand.
Sciences pioneers are20 of great skill,                                          25
Which undermine towns, castles when they will,
And trenches make, where soldiers safely21 sleep,
And22 for a guard a watchful eye do keep.
Arts, like dragoons, do23 serve on foot and horse,
To skirmish, or an enemy24 enforce.                                           30
The colors high doth Resolution25 bear,
And with the bag and baggage standeth Care.
Prudence, quarter-master, allots them26 place;
Who disobeys is punished with disgrace.
Industry, as purvey’r,27 provides the meat,                               35
And Temperance28 proportions what they29 eat.
Truth, scout-master,30 intelligence doth31 give,
By which the army doth in safety live.
The drum is faith, braced with reasons clear,32
The sticks that beat thereon are hope and fear.                       40
Trumpeters, orators, sound loud and high,33
And34 call to horse when th’enemy draws nigh.35
The treas’rer, Gratitude, doth th’army pay,36
Gen’rosity, as37 general, leads the way.
When this army was in battalia set,                                            45
Dishonor, with her army, near did get:
Partiality did lead the van awry,
And Treachery the rear, which came not nigh;
Perjury the left wing ordered38 that day,
Unthankfulness on th’right39 did bear the sway.                     50
Suspicion was the scout, to search the way,
And Envy close in ambuscado lay.
Revenge, as cannoneer, did take40 the aim,
But missed the mark, which made him high exclaim.
Envy and Malice, were two engineers,                                      55
Which subtilty41 had practised many years;
Their drum was ignorance; stupidity42
Was one stick, th’other was obstinacy,43
And braced it was44 with rudeness, which sounds45 harsh
On strings of willfulness that’s46 ever rash.                              60

  1. With grief and sorrow Honor] HOnour with Grief and Sorrow 1664; HOnour, with Grief and Sorrow, 1668
  2. that her sons and servants all are] all her Sons, her Servants all were 1664; all her Sons, her Servants all, were 1668
  3. And none was] Now none are 1653
  4. did] do 1653
  5. And in rebellion did] Open rebellion doth 1653
  6. And how] Besides, 1653
  7. did] doth 1653
  8. Lest she the baseness of the next should] For fear the next, she should her basenesse 1653
  9. mournèd] mourneth 1653
  10. Mars’] Mars his 1664, 1668
  11. Pallas’ headpiece did] Pallas her head-peece 1653
  12. stand,] stands, 1653
  13. whose support she rose and did command.] which support she rises, and commands; 1653
  14. And] (And, 1668
  15. advised,] advis’d) 1668
  16. Wisdom and Wit each wing] did lead, Fidelity the Rear, 1653
  17. Did lead, the rear Fidelity did bring;] The Left-wing, and the Right, Wisdom, and Wit they were, 1653
  18. Invention doth th’artillery] The Artillery, Invention doth 1653
  19. Patience and Constancy as sent’nels] Constancy and Patience, Sentinels 1653
  20. Sciences pioneers are] Sciences, are Pioniers 1653
  21. where soldiers safely] Souldiers t’in safety 1653
  22. And] There 1653
  23. like dragoons, do] Dragoons, which 1653
  24. enemy] En’my to 1664, 1668
  25. The colors high doth Resolution] Resolution, the Colours high doth 1653
  26. quarter-master, allots them] as Quarter-master, fits each 1664, 1668
  27. as purvey’r,] Purveyer which 1653
  28. And Temperance] And Temp’rance gives 1664, 1668
  29. what they] out to 1664; out, to 1668
  30. Truth, scout-master,] Scout-master, Truth, 1664, 1668
  31. doth] to 1653
  32. braced with reasons clear,] with reasons braced are, 1653
  33. high,] cleare, 1653
  34. And] Doe 1653
  35. draws nigh.] is neare. 1653
  36. The treas’rer, Gratitude, doth th’army pay,] Gratitude, Treasurer, the Army to pay, 1653
  37. Gen’rosity, as] Generosity, 1653
  38. Perjury the left wing ordered] The left Wing order’d Perjury 1664, 1668
  39. on th’right] the right 1653
  40. did take] which took 1653
  41. Which subtilty] Subtilty, 1653
  42. was ignorance; stupidity] is Ignorance, where they beat, 1653
  43. Was one stick, th’other was obstinacy,] Obstinacy, stupidity thereupon treat, 1653
  44. was] is 1653
  45. sounds] is 1653
  46. that’s] which is 1653