Part 38 (2/2)

Disorder rayneth as I before haue sayde The yonge men takyth womans countenaunce And hir aparayll, and wymen ar arayde As men: agaynst all lawe and ordynaunce Thus man and woman ensue mysgouernaunce In theyr behauour is small dyuersyte Theyr owne conceyt causeth great enormyte

The poet Ouyde shewyth in a fable Howe that one callyd Pygmalyon by name A fygure made vnto hymselfe semblable Whiche he in marbyll right craftely dyd frame And in so moche he worshypped the same Tyll at the last his mynde was past and gone And he transformed so was in to that stone

And if the Poetis fables be all sure As by theyr subtyle wordes oft we here The childe Narcissus was chaungyd of fygure Whyle he behelde into the water clere For whyle his shadowe vnto hym dyd apere Vpon the same so sore he set his mynde That he transformyd was to another kynde.

But to retorne agayne to our purpose And of this sort of Folys to conclude If G.o.d sholde them to other shape transpose That thynke them fayre though they be foule and rude Into foule fa.s.syon he many sholde include For whyle Folys theyr owne beauty magnyfy So growyth the nomber and so they multyply

THENUOY OF BARKLAY THE TRANSLATOUR.

Blynde man inclere thy wylfull ignoraunce Stande nat so great in thy owne conceyte Ne in thy lewde fa.s.syon set nat thy pleasaunce Whether thou be pore or man of great estate Another man moche more shall in the wayte Of G.o.de and yll than thou thy self canst do Therfore be nat cause to thy self of disceyte If one the teche: aply thy mynde therto

Of lepynges and dauncis and Folys that pas theyr tyme in suche vanyte.

[Ill.u.s.tration: That fole that settyth his felycyte In wanton daunces and lepes immoderate Hath in my Shyp a rowme for his degre Bysyde the stere for troublynge of his pate He G.o.d dyspleasyth, whiche doth suche foly hate Suche lese theyr tyme in vayne and oft therin Ar many hurtis: and cause of dedely syn.]

Those folys a place may chalenge in my shyp Whiche voyde of wysdome as men out of theyr mynde Them selfe delyte to daunce to lepe and skyp In compase rennynge lyke to the worlde wyde In vnkynde labour, suche folys pleasour fynde Rennynge about in this theyr furyous vyce Lyke as it were in Bacchus sacryfyce

Or as the Druydans rennyth in vayne about In theyr mad festes vpon the hylle of yde Makynge theyr sacrafyce with furour noyse and shout Whan theyr madnes settyth theyr wyt asyde Or whan the prestis of mars all nyght abyde Within theyr temple by vse abhomynable To theyr ydollys doynge theyr seruyce detestable

Lyke as these paynyms hath to theyr ydols done Theyr sacryfyce wandrynge in theyr madnes Theyr bodyes weryenge, in vayne wastynge their shone So do these fowlys them selfe to daunsynge dres Sekynge occason of great vnhappynes They take suche labour without all hope of gayne Without rewarde sure, of werynes and payne

Say Folys that vse this fury and outrage What causyth you to haue delyte therin For your great labour say what is your wage Forsoth ye can therby no profyte wyn But seke occasyon (as I haue sayde) of syn And for thy werynge thy fete thus in the dust Thou gettest no gayne but cause of carnall l.u.s.t

But whan I consyder of this folysshe game The firste begynnynge and cause orygynall I say the cause therof is worthy blame For whan the deuyll to disceyue man mortall And do contempt to the hye G.o.d eternall Vpon a stage had set a Calfe of golde.

That euery man the same myght clere beholde

So than the Fende grounde of mysgouernaunce Causyd the people this fygure to honour As for theyr G.o.d and before the same to daunce.

Whan they were dronkon, thus fell they in errour Of Idolatry, and forgate theyr creatour.

Before this ydoll daunsynge both wyfe and man Dispysynge G.o.d: Thus daunsynge fyrst began

Suche blynde folyes and inconuenyence Engendryth great hurte and incommodyte And sawyth sede wherof groweth great offence The grounde of vyce and of all enormyte In it is pryde, fowle l.u.s.t and lecherye And whyle lewde lepys ar vysd in the daunce Oft frowarde bargayns ar made by countenaunce

What els is daunsynge but euen a nurcery Or els a bayte to purchase and meyntayne In yonge hertis the vyle synne of rybawdry Them fe*trynge therin, as in a dedely chayne And to say trouth in wordes clere and playne Venereous people haue all theyr hole pleasaunce Theyr vyce to norysshe by this vnthryfty daunce

And wanton people disposyd vnto syn To satysfye theyr mad concupyscence With hasty cours vnto this daunsynge ryn To seke occasyon of vyle synne and offence And to expresse my mynde in short sentence This vyciouse game oft tymes doth attyse By his lewde synes, chast hartis vnto vyce

Than it in erth no game is more d.a.m.nable It semyth no peas, but Batayle openly They that it vse of myndes seme vnstable As mad folke rennynge with clamour showt and cry What place is voyde of this furyous foly None: so that I dout within a whyle These folys the holy churche shall defyle

Of people what sort or order may we fynde Ryche or pore hye or lowe of name But by theyr folysshnes, and wanton mynde Of eche sort some ar gyuen vnto the same The prestis and clerkes to daunce haue no shame The frere or monke in his frocke and cowle Must daunce in his dortor lepynge to play the fole

To it comys children, maydes and wyues.

And flaterynge yonge men to se to haue theyr pray The hande in hande great falshode oft contryues The olde quean also this madnes wyll a.s.say And the olde dotarde thoughe he skantly may For age and lamenes stere outher fote or hande Yet playeth he the fole with other in the bande

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