Part 34 (2/2)
By this hystory to vs it apereth playne That from worldly pleasour and voluptuosyte With all our myght we ought vs to refrayne For thoughe the first of them delycious be Theyr ende is poyson, and of sournes plente Sue wyse men vertue, and set suche l.u.s.t asyde For they ar folys that in it lyue and byde
THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Amende mad men your blynde mysgouernaunce Subdue nat your necke to the captyuyte Of flysshely l.u.s.t and corporall pleasaunce Nor to blynde Venus with hir lasciuyte (If ye it note) ye dayly here and se The mysfortune of them that it ensue And certaynly no man can saued be By carnall l.u.s.t, but by G.o.dly vertue
Of folys that can nat kepe secrete theyr owne counsell.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Of other Foles a nomber yet I fynde Which by theyr bablynge wordes and langage Can nat kepe close the secrete of theyr mynde.
But all theyr counsel out they shewe at large.
So that oft therof procedeth great damage.
As Murder, myschefe, hatered and debate.
That after they repent. But than it is to late]
He is a naturall fole and vndiscrete And to hym selfe ingendryth oft great stryfe Whiche can nat hyde his counsell and secrete But by his foly it sheweth to his wyfe And all that he hath done in his hole lyfe Or that to do here after he doth purpose To euery man suche a fole wyll disclose
The n.o.ble Sampson moste excellent of myght And strongest man that euer was get or borne Were nat this foly: sholde nat haue lost his syght Nor had his here, by gyle from his hede ofshorne And of his ennemyes ben laughyd vnto scorne And at the last with herte wrethfull and wo His ennemyes murdred and hym selfe also
Where as he myght haue lyued in honour If he had kept his secretes in his mynde With his owne wyll he dyed in great dolour.
By the fals treason of his lemman vnkynde We may in dyuers mo examples fynde Howe many thousandes haue suffred paynes smart And all for shewynge the secretes of theyr hart
Amphiaraus a Prynce moste excellent Shortened the dayes of his pore doutfull lyfe For shewynge the preuetees of his intent By his owne foly to his disceytfull wyfe And thoughe he longe escaped had the stryfe And war of Thebes whiche he dyd longe defende Yet at the leest his tunge was his owne ende
Thus olde storyes doth oft recorde and tell By theyr examples whiche they vnto vs gyue That wymen ar no kepars of councell It goeth through them as water trough a syue Wherfore let them that quyetly wolde lyue No more of theyr counsell to any woman showe Than that they wolde that euery man dyd knowe
Let euery man that is discrete and sage Of suche folys with all wysdome be ware Whiche shewe theyr counsell by theyr hasty langage.
To euery man without all thought and care For they of wysdome and reason ar but bare And who that his owne secrete wyll forth tell Howe sholde he hyde another mannes counsell
Yet other be whiche by theyr flaterynge trayne Labour to knowe euery mannys pryuete And by and by to shewe it forth agayne Of them be ware for they disceyfull be.
Some other bost them of theyr felycyte Bablynge that they haue theyr wyll in euery thynge As prosperous welth loue, ryches and cunnynge
And of great dedes done both on see and londe Some by theyr falshode, some by strength and vertue But if one laboured the trouth to vnderstonde Suche folysshe wordes sholde all be founde vntrewe Let neuer man to suche his counsell shewe For of one worde these folys makyth twayne Whiche tourneth many to losse rebuke and payne
Wherfore if thou wylt that thy pryuete Be kept secrete and nat come out at large Be nat so folysshe to showe it unto me Or any other if it be thynge of charge And if thou do thou shalt be in this barge For howe wylt thou thynke that another man Can kepe thy counsell syns thou thy selfe ne can
If the kynge Achab had nat vttred and tolde Vnto his wyfe his wyll and mynde so playne By hir fals treason, and dysceyt manyfolde Vnrightwysly Nabot had nat ben slayne But for the same, Achab suffred great payne By deth in batayle, and for a punysshment His wyfe with houndes was all to torne and rent
Thus it apereth that he is wyse and ware Whiche can his counsell kepe within his hart For by that mean may he escape great care And suerly lyue without yll wyllys dart The Prophete seynge what dyuers paynes smart Comyth oft to them whiche doth theyr secret tell Eche man exortyth to kepe close his counsell.
THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Thou man that hast thy secret in thy brest Holde it styll there suffer it nat out to go Who that so doth, therby shall fynde great rest Ne to thy frende shewe nat thy mynde also For if that he after become thy fo As often hapneth, than myght he the bewry So sholde thy foly tourne vnto thy great wo Howe be it suche thynges are prouyd comonly.
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