¶ A Ballad against slander and detraction.  

¶ Gar call him down gar call him down gar call him down down a:  
¶ God send the faction of all detraction called down and cast away.   

ALL mighty God  
Doth shake his Rod  
Of justice, and all those:  
That unjustly  
Detractyfly  
Detract their friends or foes.   

He telthe each one  
Thou shalt judge none  
And if thou judge unbiden:  
Thyself saith he  
Shall judged be  
This lesson is not high den:   

To this now stirred  
This is concord  
Which wilthe us in each doubt:  
To deem the best  
That may be guessed  
Till time the truth try out.   

Knowing by this  
That think amiss  
Against no man we may:  
Much more must we  
Ill language flee  
And call it Down down a.  
Gar call him down etc.   

¶ With sword or skene  
To see Babes slain  
abhorreth to look upon:  
Attend to me  
and ye shall see  
Murder and slander one.   

Like as a knife  
By reaving life  
so slander fame hath slain:  
And both ones done  
both a like soon  
May be undone again.   

Then what more ill  
with knife to kill  
Or with the tongue to sting:  
with knife or tongue  
Strike old or young  
both in effect one thing.  
These words are short  
But they import  
Sentence at length to way:  
of all which sense  
To flee offence  
call slander down I say:  
Gar call him down etc.   

¶ When vice is sought  
all vice is nought  
But some vice worse than some:  
And each man sees  
sundry degrees  
In each vice self doth come.   

Now sins the least  
We should detest  
vice or degree in vice:  
If in the most  
we show our boast  
That showeth us most unwice.   

If I in thee  
such faults once see  
As no man else doth know:  
to thee alone  
And other none  
these faults I ought to show.   

Then of intent  
if I invent  
Fauls tales and them display:  
that is most vile  
Which to exile  
god calleth this down down a.  
Gar call him down etc.   

¶ Some count no charge  
to talk at large  
Such ill as they do hear:  
but God's account  
Doth not a mount  
to take such talkers here.   

Of work il wrought  
when it is sought  
In telling forth the same:  
though it be true  
the talk may brew  
Drink of damnable blame.   

To frame excuse  
of tongues misuse  
we have no manner mean:  
So that by this  
no way there is  
Il tales to carry clean.   

Which makes me call  
Upon you all  
as calling call you may:  
Tales false or true  
me to ensue  
To call them down down a.  
Gar call him down etc.   

¶ Christ crieth out still  
say good for ill  
But we say harm for harm:  
yea ill for good  
Ill tongues do brood  
Wrath is in them so warm.   

Slander to fere  
And to forbear  
this text stands well in place:  
Woe by the tongue  
whereby is sprung  
Slander in any case.   

To sleek this fire  
of slanders ire  
Repentance must devise:  
to set all hands  
To quench the brands  
with water of our eyes.   

Which brand then blow  
to make love glow  
That love by grace may stay  
and by resort  
Of good report  
call slander down I say.  
Gar call him down etc.   
FINIS.  
ꝙ Haywood   

Imprinted at London at the long Shop adjoining unto Saint Mildred's Church in the Pultrie by john Allde.