Part 32 (1/2)

Who that wyll folowe the graces manyfolde Whiche ar in vertue, shall fynde auauncement Wherfore ye folys that in your syn ar bolde Ensue ye wysedome and leue your lewde intent Wysdome is the way of men most excellent Therfore haue done, and shortly spede your pace To quaynt your selfe and company with grace.

Lerne what is vertue, therin is great solace Lerne what is trouth sadnes and prudence Let grutche be gone, and grauyte purchace Forsake your foly and inconuenyence Cesse to be folys, and ay to sue offence Folowe ye vertue, chefe rote of G.o.dlynes For it and wysdome is grounde of clenlynes

Wysedome and vertue two thynges ar doutles Whiche man endueth with honour specyall But suche hertis as slepe in folysshnes Knoweth no thynge, and wyll nought knowe at all But in this lytell barge in pryncypall All folysshe mockers I purpos to repreue Clawe he his backe that felyth ytche or greue

Mockers and scorners that ar harde of byleue With a rugh combe here wyll I clawe and grate To proue if they wyll from theyr vyce remeue And leue theyr foly whiche causeth great debate Suche caytyfs spare neyther pore man nor estate And where theyr selfe ar moste worthy of dyrysion Other men to scorne is all theyr moste condicion

Yet ar mo folys of this abusion Whiche of wyse men despyseth the doctryne With mowes, mockes, scorne, and collusyon Rewardynge rebukes, for theyr good disciplyne Shewe to suche wysdome, yet shall they nat enclyne Unto the same, but set no thynge therby But mocke thy doctryne, styll or openly

So in the worlde it apereth comonly That who that wyll a Fole rebuke or blame A mocke or mowe shall he haue by and by Thus in derysyon, haue folys theyr speciall game Correct a wyse man, that wolde eschewe yll name And fayne wolde lerne, and his lewde lyfe amende And to thy wordes he gladly shall intende

If by mysfortune a rightwyse man offende He gladly suffreth a iuste correccion And hym that hym techyth taketh for his frende Hym selfe puttynge mekely vnto subieccion Folowynge his preceptis and good dyreccion But if that one a Fole rebuke or blame He shall his techer, hate, sclaunder, and dyffame

Howbeit his wordes, oft turne to his owne shame And his owne dartis retourne to hym agayne And so is he sore woundyd with the same And in wo endyth, great mysery and payne It also prouyd full often is certayne That they that on mockes alway theyr myndes cast Shall of all other be mocked at the last

He that goeth right, stedfast sure and fast May hym well mocke that goth haltynge and lame And he that is whyte may well his scornes cast Agaynst a man of ynde, but no man ought to blame Anothers vyce whyle he vsyth the same But who that of synne is clene in dede and thought May hym well scorne whose lyuynge is starke nought

The scornes of Naball full dere sholde haue ben bought If Abigayll his wyfe discrete and sage Had nat by kyndnes right crafty meanes sought The wrath of Dauyd to temper and a.s.swage Hath nat two berys in theyr fury and rage Two and fourty Children rent and torne For they the Prophete Helyseus dyd scorne

So myght they curse the tyme that they were borne For theyr mockynge of this Prophete dyuyne So many other of this sorte often mowrne For theyr lewde mockes, and fall in to ruyne Thus is it foly for wyse men to enclyne To this lewde flocke of Folys for se thou shall Them moste scornynge that ar most bad of all

THENUOY OF BARCLY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye mockynge Folys that in scorne set your ioy Proudly dyspysynge G.o.ddes punycion Take ye example by Cham the son of Noy Whiche laughyd his Father vnto derysyon Whiche hym, after, cursyd for his transgressyon And made hym seruaunt to all his lyne and stocke So shall ye Caytyfs at the conclusyon Syns ye ar nought, and other scorne and mocke

Of them that dyspyse euerlastynge ioye, and settyth thynges transytory before thynges eternall and euerlastynge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He is a foule that weyeth in one balaunce The heuen and erth to knowe the heuyest And by his foly and cursed ignoraunce He thynketh that this wretchyd erth is best And thoughe that here be neyther ioy nor rest Yet had some leuer here styll to remayne Than to depart to heuen voyde of al payne]

My hande is wery: fayne wolde I rest a s.p.a.ce But folys comyth to my shyp so besely That to haue rest: they wyll graunt me no grace That nede I must theyr lewdnes notefy But to recorde this folysshe company They ar suche that this worlde so greatly loue That they despyse the heuenly Royalme aboue

They often thynke in theyr mynde preuely And by them selfe in this wyse oft they say O glorious lorde raynynge eternally Graunt me thy grace that I may lyue alway To se of this worlde the extreme ende and day This is my wyll and synguler askynge As for thy royalme, forsoth I set no thynge

But yet this fole doth nat desyre this tyme Of so longe lyfe, and yeres alway newe To clens his mynde from all synfull cryme Nor for the loue of goodnes or vertue But rather that he his pleasour may ensue And with his maters and felawes suche as he To folowe ryot, delytys and enormyte.

To lyue in wantonnes and blyndnes lascyuyte In pryde in Lechery andin couetyse Suche sytteth theyr myndes and theyr felycyte Not ferynge h.e.l.l whiche is rewarde of vyce.

Those dredefull dennys, in a right ferefull wyse With fyres flamynge, and manyfolde tourment Can nat suche folys, theyr synnes cause to stent

O sleuthfull fole say why doste nat thou call Unto thy mynde that this worldes wretchydnes Is full of sorowe moche more bytter than gall Uoyde of all ioy, all pleasour and swetnes Why settest thou so moche by frayle delyciousnes On vayne pleasours, whiche shall sothly decay Lyke as the sone meltyth the snowe away

Man note my wordes and gyue to them credence I say that pleasours and also ioyes mundayne As it apereth playne by good euydence Ar fylled with sorowe bytternes and payne Without all rest quyete or certayne And yet alas the worlde so doth men blynde That it they loue and caste heuen out of mynde

Wherfore it hapneth full often as I fynde That suche as foloweth shamefull wantonnes Ungoodly l.u.s.te, and statelynes of mynde Shall ofte perceyue great shame and wretchydnes And them most suffer, with great mundayne distres.

And better charges, and after must nede endure Cruell deth whiche ende is of euery creature

The worlde shall pa.s.se: ye and all ioy mundayne Without all doute at last shall haue an ende And euery thynge outher fruytfull or barayne Shall to the grounde outher firste or last discende We se also that none can hym defende From dethes dartis. and for conclusyon.

We dayly se many mennys confusyon.