woodcut depicting the punishment of two people (one in the stocks and one tied to a tree) enduring punishment ¶ The example of evil tongues. WIth pity moved to my pain I died me dress To show the people what doth them most grevams I say ill tongues full of bitter crewelnes In this world may be no greater penance Thes be the clappers of sorrow the skorges of vengans These privy morderers these cumbrous hell weeds Because of great meschefe & dystroyers of good deeds If there were in the world none other punishment But ill tongues only in especial Of very right it were sufficient saying how every creature now over all Is suddenly smitten with this venomous spear mortal Of cumbrous tongues that god ne man dreads Because of mischief & dystroyers of good deeds Both rich and poor be brought in torment By this cursed slow worm that swelleth worse than a toad I mean the ill tongue that venomous serpent Which many good doer destroyed with a word Who leadeth their life now in peaceable concord Full few for ill tongues so much sorrow bredies They be cause of mischief & destroyed good deeds No enemy so little we out him to doubt Ne none so great room but remedy may be found If it in time be perceived and brought out Than to a good end it may rebound But an ill tongue so broad renrieth the sound From bad to worse and so mischief spedies Which caused many a man to withdraw good deeds The tongue is instrument of lies treason & treachery And causeth war murder mischief without end great multitude of other with hypocrisy rebellions theft discord full ill to defend fighting chiding to strife ever Intend With shame & slander to ill fortune all ledes Lo how the tongue caused mischief & destroyed good deeds Some thieves escapen & many true men be hanged It is daily seen in this world round Faithful people by ill tongues be condemned That to untruth there dydes never died found But he that cometh in danger of an ill tongue Seldom or never he scapeth there fro For by an ill tongue the good name is soon a go And this ill joint of most despite Sormounteth all venom of serpents fell They have such malicious appetite They may be likened to the fiend of hell The sorrow that by them is reared no man may tell The true servant put out of favour that is pity & woe For by an evil tongue the good name is soon a go A false tongue will ever imagine and say That never by creature was said ne thought And this hath be seen and is every day The father and mother betray & in sorrow brought Many good folk hath slander dear bought As lost their goods and their lives also For by an ill tongue the good name is soon a go Many there be that never died offend Which by an evil tongue is brought to dysshonoure And in to an evil name soon they be comptende That a. M. to their good name cannot them restore The claterers condition is to gross up more & more Maidens by them is blamed widows & other more For by an evil tongue the name is soon go There is many one blamed and accused for nought And many guiltless their lives fro them is take Ye and a thousand into poverty brought That daily goth a begging & prayed for god's sake And all thorough tale tellers his scrowe doth wake Which caused many one theirself to slow Where by an evil tongue their good name is a go Full many be brought to diseases and captivity In every region that man can travail The tongue is causer of this woeful adversity Full little or nought now doth troth avail True heyers be disherit without any fail With weeping & wailing some waxeth blind And all causeth evil tongues most enemy to mankind Though some priests now be never so patient And in town and city be pease over all Or though the religious be never so obedient Yet an evil tongue will trouble them all multiplying of losings by him arise shall To trouble good people in soul and mind This is evil tongues most enemy to mankind If any man would begin his sins to reny Or any good people that fro vice died refrain What so ever he were that to virtue would apply But an ill tongue will all overthrow again Lo by whom is raised all this great pain Of sorrowful slander that flieth as the wind These ill tongues be most enemy to mankind I say not but war is great abusion Yet is there not so many as is with ill tongues slain And though hunger be never so sharp for the season Yet for all that god some people doth sustain Of frosts great some people be not fain But so sore grief no where may we find As it the ill tongue most enemy to mankind Though sudden death be never so rigorous Yet by priests it seizeth at the last But where all ill tongues list to be malicious There is never remedy when the word is past To lie and say wrong they be never aghast Of heaven and hell they have little mind I mean ill tongues most enemy to man kind Speke of salpeter arsnek or any poison mortal The fire of hell the blood of serpent's venymmous Ye find none son so perilous among all As is the ill tongue to them that be virtuous They be of malice so full and rigorous For they that list to do well & there o do their pain By the evil tongue all is overthrow again Therefore every creature take heed what ye say For if the word be escaped at any throw It will not be called again though thou would lay Both life and goods and on it bestow I would wete how we a good tongue should know It will not be for by the subtle train Of the ill tongue which all overthroweth again Men shut surely their chystes with silver & gold With dyvyrs julles of great comodytes Furred gowns in grain right goodly to behold Yet were they better to keep their adversaries close The ill tongue and set all the other lose For many hath purposed to amend with heart fain But an ill tongue overthroweth again For that ill by another doth say If he his own defaults died well behold How many times himself is out of the way Full gladly than his tongue keep he would For if pykethankes their own faults see should To their hearts it would be a great pain For by ill tongues all virtue is overthrow again All people beware of these ill tongues most perilous And eschew them where ever you go tongue breaketh bone he is so malicious And none hath himself all knoweth it is so Slander cometh lightly which causeth great woe For though thou be in name I tell the plain By an ill tongue all is overthrown again These comberose clamores in every town That thing which the devil can not bring about An ill tongue will perform by unkind perolysene If a thousand fiends were to guider in a rout Coude not by their malice such falsehood utter out To bring the people to great dessensyon As doth these ill tongues man's most confusion O envious tongues destroyers of high & low degree Thy wicked sedes thou dost sow down Here and else where over every country Both in city borrow village and town Seize thy roaring thou fendly lion In the coffer of science hide the full soon For ill tongues is man's most confusion He that can keep his tongue and beware Laude unto him shall ever increase And where that ever he go he need not to care For he is sure of rest and pease More of this matter I need not rehearse For take these words for a conclusion That ill tongues is ever man's confusion ¶ Amen. printer's device of William Caxton with the sun and stars in the top register, appropriated by Wynkyn de Worde W C winkin · de · word.