Part 21 (1/2)
Remember Richarde lately kynge of price In Englonde raynynge vnrightwisely a whyle.
Howe he ambycion, and gyleful Couetyse With innocent blode his handes dyd defyle But howbeit that fortune on hym dyd smyle Two yere or thre: yet G.o.d sende hym punysshment By his true seruant the rede Rose redolent.
Therfore remember that G.o.d omnypotent Oft suffreth synners in theyr iniquyte Grauntynge them s.p.a.ce and tyme of amendement And nat to procede in their enormyte But those synners that byde in one degre And in this lyfe their synne wyll nat refrayne G.o.d after punyssheth with infernall payne
As I haue sayde (therfore) I say agayne Though G.o.d be of infynyte pety and mercy His fauour and grace pa.s.synge all synne mundayne Yet iustice is with hym eternally.
Wherfore I aduyse the to note intentifly Though pyte wolde spare, iustyce wyll nat so But the here rewarde, els with infernal we.
ALEXANDER BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Syghe synners, syghe, for your mysgouernance.
Lament, mourne, and sorowe for your enormyte.
Away with these Clowdes of mysty ignorance Syn nat in hope of G.o.ddys hyghe petye And remember howe ye daily punysshed be With dyuers dyseases both vncouthe and cruel And all for your synne, but suche as escapeth fre And styl lyue in syn, may fere the peynes of h.e.l.le
Of the folisshe begynnynge of great bildynges without sufficient prouision.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Come nere folys and rede your ignorance And great losse procedynge of your owne foly Whiche without G.o.de and discrete purueaunce Any great werke wyll bylde or edefye.
All suche ar folys what man wyll it deny For he that wyll bylde before he count his cost Shall seldome well ende, so that is made is lost.]
Who euer begynneth any worke or dede Of byldynge or of other thynge chargeable And to his costes before taketh no hede Nor tyme nat countyth to his worke agreable Suche is a fole and well worthy a babyll For he that is wyse wyll no thynge a.s.say Without he knowe howe he well ende it may.
The wyse man counteth his cost before alway Or he begyn, and nought wyll take in honde Wherto his myght or power myght denay His costes confourmynge to the stynt of his londe Where as the fole that nought doth vnderstonde Begynneth a byldynge without aduys.e.m.e.nt But or halfe be done his money clene is spent.
Many haue begon with purpose dilygent To bylde great houses and pleasaunt mansyons Them thynkynge to finysshe after theyr intent But nede disceyuyd hath theyr opynyons Their purpose nat worth a cowpyll of onyons But whan they se that they it ende nat can They curse the tyme that euer they it began
Of NabuG.o.dosor that worthy man.
What shall I wryte or the story to the tell Syth that the Bybyll to the expresse it can In the fourth chapter of the prophete Danyell Was he nat punysshed in paynes cruell For his great pryde and his presumpcion Whiche he toke it in the byldynge of Babylon
His golde and treasoure he spendyd hole theron Enioynge hym in his Cyte excellent Right so Nemroth by his inuencion The towre of Babylon began for this intent To saue hym, if the worlde agayne were drent But the hye G.o.d consyderynge his blynde rage His purpose let by confusyon of langage
His towre vnperfyte to his losse and domage His people punysshed, hymselfe specyally Thus it apereth what great disauauntage On theyr hede falleth that byldeth in foly Thus he is folysshe that wolde edefy Any great worke without ryches in excesse For great byldynges requyreth great rychesse
But many folys ar in suche a blyndnesse That hereon nought they set their mynde ne thought Wherfore to them oft commyth great distresse And to great pouerty often ar they brought Laughed to scorne, their purpose cometh to nought And truely I fynde in bokes wryten playne That our olde faders haue neuer set theyr brayne
On great byldynge, ne yet of them ben fayne: It longeth to a lorde a Prynce or a Kynge That lacke no treasoure theyr werkes to mayntayne To set theyr myndes on excellent buyldynge Therfore who so euer wyll meddle with this thynge Or any other, before let hym be wyse That his myght and ryches therto may suffyse.
Lyst all men do mocke and scorne his interpryse For if he ought begyn without prouysyon And haue nat wherby his byldynge may up ryse All that is lost that is made and begon And better it is sothly in myn intencion Nought to begyn, and spare laboure and payne Than to begyn and than, leue of agayne
Who euer he be that so doth certayne He shall haue mockis mengled with his damage Therfore let suche folys sharpe theyr brayne And better intende to theyr owne auauntage Consyderynge that processe of tyme and age Theyr curyous byldynges shall at the lest confounde And Roufe and wallys make egall with the grounde.
BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Ye folys blyndyd with curyosyte Whiche on great byldynge set so sore your mynde Remember ye nat that doutles ye shall dye And your gay byldynges and howses leue behynde Thynke ye your conforte alway in them to fynde Or whan ye dye, them hens with you to haue Nay nay the laste hous gyuen to mankynde Is the course grounde and walles of his graue.
Of glotons and dronkardes.
[Ill.u.s.tration: That gloton or dronkarde, vyle in G.o.ddes sight Shall hardly escape the weyght of pouertye.
Whiche drynketh and deuoureth both day and nyght Therin onely settynge all his felycyte His lothsome l.u.s.t and his bestyalyte Shall brynge vnto destruccion fynally His soule, his G.o.des and his wretchyd body.]