Part 33 (2/2)

Of the way of felycyte and G.o.dnes, and of the payne to come vnto synners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Many in this lyfe the cart of syn doth drawe By payne and labour, alway right dylygent Norysshynge theyr syn agaynst all right and lawe And alway lyuynge after one lyke a.s.sent But whan they ar dede than shall theyr punysshement In h.e.l.l be dowblyd with cartis of whelys foure Where as they thought, deth shuld ende theyr laboure]

G.o.d suffreth nat eche vicious fole to knowe The wonders that he made hath on this grounde And dayly worketh. wherfore theyr syn doth growe So that theyr foly them selfe doth confounde And here theyr bodyes to great labours ar bounde Sparynge no peryll for pleasour and for gayne Than after deth haue they euerlastynge payne

So he that here lyueth in vyce and synne Shall extreme dolour after deth endure Than what auantage is it for man to wyne All orthly tresour, and of h.e.l.l payne be sure But without dowt that wretchyd creature Whiche G.o.ddes lawes wyll nat here holde and kepe Shall after deth haue cause to wayle and wepe

And suche as here wyll nat knowe theyr sauyour Obseruynge his preceptis and commaundement Whiche G.o.d hathe ordeyned to saue vs from erroure And vs commaundyd to kepe with clene intent Ouer all the worlde. as rule moste excellent To lyue G.o.dly. and who so euer he be That foloweth in this worlde voluptuosyte

Or carnall l.u.s.t ryot or other offence Wastynge his tyme in syn and viciousnes All suche in this worlde, by theyr blynde negligence Drawe styll the cart of greuous besynes.

With payne and charge and, whan this wretchydnes Is past and gone, yet after this they shall In h.e.l.l endure great tourmentis eternall

There shalt (thou fole) the charet drawe alway With dowble paynes both tedyous and cruell Wherfore thou fole retourne the I the pray.

Seke nat the way whiche ledeth vnto h.e.l.l With his foule dennes, more darke than tunge can tell And thoughe the way be esy streyght and playne The ende is nought, I aduyse the tourne agayne

The way to h.e.l.l is greatly occupyed The path is playne, and easy to ouergo The dore ay open no entre is denyed To suche as purpose in mynde to come therto But at the ende therof is care and wo With syghtis odyous and abhomynable Yet in the way ar folkes innumerable

Thus is no meruayle though this way be playne And greatly worne syns it is hantyd so By dyuers folys whiche haste them to that payne.

By way contynuall therto: but none therfro The dredefull dore to them that wyll in go Both day and nyght is open, it doth forsake No folys that wyll theyr iourney thyther take

But that way that to hye heuen doth lye Is way of grace plesour, and all felycyte In it suche walke as here lyue vertuously And blessyd men, but nat suche as vyciouse be Yet is it narowe, and full of difficulte There is many a harde flynt brere and thorne And no meruayle for it is nat greatly worne

For why lewde people, whiche is the gretest sort Forsake this way for the payne and hardnes But G.o.dly men therin haue chefe consort With all that lyue by grace in ryghtwysnes Suche well consyder that heuyns blessydnes Can nat be gotten by pleasour rest nor eas Wherfore this way can nat suche synners pleas

G.o.d so hath ordeyned that who wyll haue vertue Must it obtayne with payne and dilygence And great labour, whiche many nowe eschewe Without it be to seke synne and offence Fewe seke the way to christis hye presence Therby it hapneth that many a thousande Fast rennyth leftwarde, but fewe on the right hande

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Alas man remembre heuens blyssednes And though the way be harde that lyeth therto Forsoke it nat for all that great sharpnes For at the ende is lyfe and rest also Euerlastynge glory with other ioyes mo But who that taketh the other way certayne Shall fynde at the ende eternall payne and wo Thoughe the way thether be easy streyght and playne

Of the yll example of elders gyuyn vnto youth.

[Ill.u.s.tration: If that the fader and mother before theyr son By anger or malyce brake, platter pot, or pan The son in hande shall take some cauderon And lerne to breke it if his small power can Thus oft tyme chyldren haue cause to curse or ban Theyr frendes for suche example of lewdnes For soner that they lerne than vertue or goodes]

Ye aged men rotyd in folysshnes And folysshe parentis lewde of your langage Vnto our shyp swyftly your selfe addres Syns ye be worthy therin to haue a stage Nowe cast I repreues agaynst your outrage Whiche boldly bost you of your vnthryfty lyues Before your maydes, your doughters and your wyues

Alas the folys of this mad company By theyr example cause great inconuenyence Before theyr children recountynge rybaudry Of suche as they haue had experyence.

So gyue they to them example of offence And in that synne wheron they bost and vant They make them perfyte whiche erst were ignorant

Theyr wordes ar voyde of shame and honestye Theyr lyfe is without mesure and reuerence But yet they thynke that they moste worthy be That moste can tell of this greuous offence Thus all the youth that is in theyr presence Or that doth here theyr vyce and rybawdry Vnto the same with theyr full mynde aply

Thus theyr yonge children maners lernyth none The wyfe hath occasyon to breke hir chastyte So is the lyfe defyled of them echone And to be playne, we often tymes se That of what maners the folysshe husbondes be Such ar theyr wyues, children and housholde The yonge c.o.k lerneth to crowe hye of the olde

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