64 — ¶ The Description of an Enuious and Naughtie NeighbourE3941
Chap. 53
An enuious neighbour is easie to finde,
His cumbersome fetches are seldome2 behinde.
His hatred procureth from naughtie to wurse,
His friendship like Iudas that carried the purse.E395
His head is a storehouse, with quarrels full fraught,
His braine is vnquiet, till all come to naught.
His memorie pregnant, old euils to recite,
His mind euer fixed each euill to requite.
His mouth full of venim, his lips out of frame,E396
His tongue a false witnes, his friend to defame.
His eies be promooters, some trespas to spie,
His eares be as spials,E397 alarum to crie.
His hands be as tyrants, reuenging ech thing,
His feete at thine elbow, as serpent to sting.
His breast full of rancor, like Canker3 to freat,
His hart like a Lion, his neighbour to eat.
His gate like a sheepebiter,E398 fleering aside,
His looke like a coxcombe,E399 vp puffed with pride.
His face made of brasse, like a vice in a game,
His iesture like Dauus,E400 whom Terence doth name.
His brag as Thersites,E401 with elbowes abrode.
His cheekes in his furie shall swell like a tode.E402
His colour like ashes, his cap in his eies,
His nose in the aire, his snout in the skies.
His promise to trust to as slipprie4 as ice,
His credit much like to the chance of the dice.
His knowledge or skill is in prating5 too much,
His companie shunned,6 and so be all such.
His friendship is counterfait, seldome to trust,
His dooings vnluckie and euer vniust.
His fetch is to flatter, to get what he can,
His purpose once gotten, a pin7 for thee than.
1 This chapter precedes the Author’s Life in 1577 edition.
2 sieldome. 1614.
3 Coprus. 1577.
4 slipper. 1577.
5 parting. 1577.
6 shenned. 1577.
7 penny. 1577.
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