Part 15 (1/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that newe garmentes loues or deuyses.

Or weryth by his symple wyt, and vanyte Gyuyth by his foly and vnthryfty gyses Moche yl example to yonge Comontye.

Suche one is a Fole and skant shal euer thee And comonly it is sene that nowe a dayes One Fole gladly folowes anothers wayes.]

Drawe nere ye Courters and Galants disgised Ye counterfayt Caytifs, that ar nat content As G.o.d hath you made: his warke is despysed Ye thynke you more crafty than G.o.d onipotent.

Unstable is your mynde: that shewes by your garment.

A fole is knowen by his toyes and his Cote.

But by theyr clothinge nowe may we many note.

Aparayle is apayred. Al sadness is decayde The garmentes ar gone that longed to honestye.

And in newe sortes newe Foles ar arayede Despisynge the costom of good antiquyte.

Mannys fourme is disfigured with euery degre As Knyght Squyer yeman Jentilman and knaue, For al in theyr goynge vngoodely them behaue

The tyme hath ben, nat longe before our dayes Whan men with honest ray coude holde them self content.

Without these disgised: and counterfayted wayes.

Wherby theyr goodes ar wasted, loste, and spent.

Socrates with many mo in wysdom excellent.

Bycause they wolde nought change that cam of nature Let growe theyre here without cuttinge or scissure.

At that tyme was it reputed to lawde and great honour.

To haue longe here: the Beerde downe to the brest For so they vsed that were of moste valour.

Stryuynge together who myht be G.o.dlyest Saddest, moste clenely, discretest, and moste honest.

But nowe adayes together we contende and stryue.

Who may be gayest: and newest wayes contryue.

Fewe kepeth mesure, but excesse and great outrage In theyr aparayle. And so therin they procede That theyr goode is spent: theyr Londe layde to morgage.

Or solde out right: of Thryft they take no hede.

Hauinge no Peny them to socour at theyr nede.

So whan theyr goode by suche wastefulnes is loste.

They sel agayne theyr Clothes for half that they coste.

A fox furred Jentelman: of the fyrst yere or hede.

If he be made a Bailyf a Clerke or a Constable.

And can kepe a Parke or Court and rede a Dede Than is Ueluet to his state mete and agreable.

Howbeit he were more mete to here a Babyl.

For his Foles Hode his iyen so sore doth blynde That Pryde expelleth his lynage from his mynde.

Yet fynde I another sort almoste as bad as thay.

As yonge Jentylmen descended of worthy Auncetry.

Whiche go ful wantonly in dissolute aray.

Counterfayt, disgised, and moche vnmanerly Blasinge and garded: to lowe or else to hye.

And wyde without mesure: theyr stuffe to wast thus gothe But other some they suffer to dye for lacke of clothe.

Some theyr neckes charged with colers, and chaynes As golden withtthes: theyr fyngers ful of rynges: Theyr neckes naked: almoste vnto the raynes Theyr sleues blasinge lyke to a Cranys wynges Thus by this deuysinge suche counterfayted thinges They dysfourme that figure that G.o.d hymselfe hath made On pryde and abusion thus ar theyr myndes layde.

Than the Courters careles that on theyr mayster wayte Seinge hym his Uesture in suche fourme abuse a.s.sayeth suche Fa.s.sion for them to counterfayte.

And so to sue Pryde contynually they muse.

Than stele they; or Rubbe they. Forsoth they can nat chuse.

For without Londe or Labour harde is it to mentayne.

But to thynke on the Galows that is a careful payne.