¶ Here beginneth the Egloges of Alexander Barclay priest where of the first three containeth the miseries of courters & courts of all princes in general/ The matter whereof was translated into english by the said Alexander in form of Dialoges/ out of a book named in latin Misery curialium/ compiled by Aeneas Silvius Poet and orator/ which after was Pope of Rome/ & named Pius. ¶ Cornix. ¶ Coridon. THe famous Poetis with the Musys nine With wit inspyreth/ fre●●e pregnant & divine Say boldly endite/ in style substantial Some in poems/ high and heroical Some them delighteth/ in heavy dragedyes And some in wanton/ or merry comedies Some in ●atyers/ again vices dare carp Some in sooete songs/ acordant with the harp And each of these all/ had laud and exc. Hence After their reason/ and style of eloquence Who in fair speech/ could briefly comprehend Most fruitful matter/ men did him most commend And who were fruitless/ and in speech superflue Men by their writing sha●tly set a qwe Therefore wise poets/ to sharp & prove their wit In homely gests/ written many a merry fit Before they dared/ be of audacity Taventure things/ of weight & gravity In this said manner/ the famous Teocryte first in Siracuse/ attempted for to write Certain eglogys'/ or speeches pastoral Inducing shepherds/ men homely and rural Which in plain language/ according to their name Had sundry talking/ sometime of mirth & game Sometime of things/ more like to gravity And not exceeding/ their small capacity Most noble Virgil/ after him long while Written also eglogys'/ after like manner style His wits proving/ in matters pastoral Or he dared venture/ to style heroical And in like manner/ now lately in our days Hath other poetis/ attempted the same ways As the most famous/ baptist mantuan The best of that sort/ syns' poetes first began And Francysk Petrarke/ also in Italy In like manner style/ written plain and merely What shall I speak of the father ancient Which in brief language/ both plain & eloquent between Alathea/ Sewstis stout and bold Hath made rehearsal/ of all thy stories old By true histories/ us teaching to object Against vain fables/ of old gentiles sect Beside all these/ yet find I many more Which hath employed/ their diligence also between shepherds/ as it were but a fable To write of matters/ both true and profitable But all their names/ I purpose not to write Which in this manner/ made books infinite Now to my purpose/ their works worthy fame Did my young age/ my heart greatly inflame Dulslowth elchwing/ myself to exercise In such small matters/ or I dared enterprise To higher matter/ like as these children do Which first use to creep/ and afterward to go The bird unused/ first fleeing from her nest Dare not adventure/ and is not bold nor priest With wrynges abroad/ to i'll as doth the old For use and custom/ cawseth all thing be bold And little cunning/ by craft and exercise To perfit science/ cawseth a man to rise But or the painter/ can suit his craft attain much forward/ fashion/ transformyth he in vain But rasing superflue/ and adding/ that doth want Rude picture is made/ both perfit and pleasant So where I in youth/ a certain work began And not concluded/ as often doth many a man Yet thought I after/ to make the same perfit But long I missed/ that which I first did write But here a wonder/ I forty year save twain Procedyd in age/ fond my first youth again To find youth in age/ is a problem dyffuse But now here the troth/ and than no longer muse As I late turned/ old books to and fro One little tretyse/ I found among the more because that in youth/ I did compile the same Eglogges of youth/ I called it by name And saying some men/ have in the same delight At their great instance/ I made the same perfit Adding and bating/ where I perceived need All them desiring/ which shall this treatise read Nat to be grieved/ with any plain sentence Rudely conveyed for lake of eloquence It were not sitting/ a heard or man rural To speak in ternies'/ gay and retorycall So teacheth Orace/ in art of poetry That writers namely/ their reason should apply Meet speech apropring/ to every parsonage After his estate/ behaviour wit and age But if that any would/ now to me abject That this my labour/ shall be of small effect And to the redar/ not greatly profitable And by that manner/ as vain and reprovable because it maketh/ only relation Of shepherds manner/ and disputation If any such read/ my treatise to the end He shall well perceive/ if he thereto intend That it contaynyth/ both lawdes of virtue And man informeth mysleving to eschew With divers bourdes and sentenches moral closed in shadow/ of spechies pastoral As many poets as I have said before Have used long time/ before that I was born But if their writing/ though I insure the rate No name I chalange/ of poet lawreate That name unto them/ is meet and doth agree Which writeth matters with curiosity Mine habit black/ acordeth not with green Black betokened death/ as it is daily seen The green is pleasure/ fresh lust and polyte These two in nature/ hath great diversity Than who would ascribe/ except he were a fowl The pleasant lawrer/ unto the mourning cowl Another reward/ abideth my labour The glorious sight/ of god my saviour Which is chief shepherd/ and head of other all To him for succour/ in this my work I call And not on Clio/ nor old Melpomene My hope is fixed/ of him aided to be And that his mother/ the heavenly empress Shall to good ending my wit and pene address For to accomplish/ my purpose and intent To laud and pleasure/ of god omnipotent And to the profit/ the pleasure and the meed Of all them which shall/ this tretyse here & read But to the redar/ now to return again first of this thing/ I will thou be certain That x. egloggys'/ this hole treatise doth hold To imitation of other poetes old In which egloggys'/ shepherds thou mayst see In homely language/ not passing their degree Sometime dysputing/ of courtly misery Sometime of venus'/ deceitful tyranny Sometime commending/ love/ honest and laudable Sometime drspysing/ love falls dyscyevable Sometime despising/ and blaming avarice Sometime excyting/ virtue to exersyse Sometime of war/ abhorring the outrage And of the same time/ the manifold damage And other matters/ as after shall apere To their great pleasure which shall them read or here. ¶ The prologue of the first eclogue▪ ●● oh simple shepherdies/ met on a certain day The one weal aged/ with lockers door & grey Which after labours/ and worldly business concluded to ●yue/ in rest and quietness Yet naught had he kept/ to find him cloth nor food At divers holies/ his hair grew through his hode A stiff patched felt/ hanging over his iyens His costly cloting/ was threadbare kendal green His patched Cockers/ scant retched to his knee In the side of his felt/ there stack a spoon of tree A bottle/ his cote/ on the one side had torn For hanging/ the ere was near insunder worn In his one hand always/ his pipe he bore Whereof the sound/ released of his care His walet with bread and cheese/ so than he stods A hook in his hand/ in mids of all his good Save that he boasted/ to have experience Of worldly things/ by practise and science Himself he called/ Cornix by his name The other shepherd/ was like unto the same Save only that he/ had lived all his days In keeping his folk/ and seen no farther ways Yet was he to sight/ a stout and lusty freak And as he boasted/ he born was in the peak Coridon by name/ his neighbours did him call Himself counted/ the stoutest of them all This Coridon sworn/ and said to Cornix sure That he no longer/ would there that life endure In wretched labour/ and still in poverty But to the city/ he said that go would he Or else to the court/ and there with some abide Till time that fortune/ would better life provide By which motion/ Cornix she with plainly Of court and courts/ the care and misery. ¶ The first Eglogge of the miseries and manners of the court & courts The shepher dies Interlocutours'/ or commenners in the same Eglogge be Coridon and Cornix▪ ¶ Coridon first speaketh. HOrsouth friend Cornix/ naught can my heart make light When I remember/ the storms of yesternight The thunder/ & lightening/ the tempest and the hail Hath plainly wasted/ our profit and avail The fearful thunder/ with grenous clap and sound Our corn hath betyn/ down flat unto the ground With tempest after/ and violence of rain That it as I doubt/ shall never rise again The hail hath betyn/ our sheep within the fold That all be feebled/ as well the young as old Our milk is turned/ and waxed pale and sour The storm and tempest/ upon our cowches power Our flock and fields/ is all our hole rich Which still is subject/ to such unhappiness For after that we/ have done both cost and pain One sudden tempest/ destroyeth all again Than farwele welfare/ worse chance we need not fere Save only to sowke/ our claws with the bear The Cytezins have great treasure sickerly In coffers closed/ avoid of Jeopardy Their coins couched fast under lock and key from place to place/ they may the same convey When they of the thiefs/ perceive the din and sound But still must our corn remain upon the ground Abiding storms/ hail/ thunder and tempest Till that it be for sykyll ripe and priest As for their riches no thunder/ frost nor hail No storm nor tempest/ can hurt or dysavayle Such careful chanches/ and such adversity Us alway keepeth in wretched poverty ¶ Cornix answereth. ¶ O Coridon my mate/ I swear so have I bliss Thou plainly speakest/ like as the matter is But as for my part/ my mind and wit is blind To know who gydeth all wether/ storm & wind But this thing I know/ but yet not perfitly Yet bold dare I be to speak to the plainly For if that I spoke it/ in some audience Some men would malign/ and take it for offence If god (as men say) doth heaven and earth sustain Than why doth not he/ regard our daily pain Our grievous labour/ he justly might divided And for us wretches/ some better life proved Some naught doth labour/ and liveth pleasantly Though all his reason to vices he apply But see with what sweat/ what business and pain Our simple living/ we labour to obtain Behold what ills the shepherds must endure For flock and how should/ bore living to procure In fervent heat/ we must intend our fold And in the winter almost we freeze for cold Upon the hard ground/ or on the flynties brown We sleep/ when other lay on a bed of down A thousand ills of danger and sickness With divers sores/ our beasts doth oppress A thousand perils/ and more if they were told Daily and nyghtly invadeth our poor fold Sometime the wolf/ our beasts doth devour And sometime the thief awayteth for his hour Or else the soldier/ moche wrose than wolf or thief Against all our flock/ incagyth with mischief See how my hands/ be with many a gall And stiff as a board by work continual My face all scorfy/ my colour pale and wan My head all parched/ and black as any pan My beard like brystyls/ so that a pliant leek With a little might may thrust me thorough the cheek And as a stokfysshe wrynkeled is my skin Such is the profit/ which I by labour win But this my labour should grieve me moche the less If rest or pleasure come of my business But one sudden storm of thunder hail or rain Again all wastyth/ wherefore I took this pain This is the reward/ the deed/ and work divine Unto whose awters poor shepherds incline To offer tapers/ and candles we are fain And for our offering/ lo/ this have we again I can not declare/ what pity/ and mercy Wrappeth us wretches/ in this hard misery But this wot I well/ it is both right and meed There most to succour/ where doth apere most need ¶ Coridon. ¶ Ho there friend Cornix/ thou wadest now to far Thyself forgetting/ thou lepest over the bar Small is my knowledge/ thou many a thing hast seen Yet out of the way/ forsooth I see the cleave The king of heaven/ is merciful and just And them all helpeth which put in him their trust When we deserve/ he striketh not always This in the pulpete/ hard I sir Peter say Yet often he striketh/ when man is obstinate And by no means/ will his misliving hate So all these plagues/ and inconvenience Falls on us wretches/ only for our offence ¶ Cornix. ¶ For what offences/ thou art made so to say Where we of that sort/ which did our lord betray Or that consented/ our lord to crucify We never were such/ thyself can testify. ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now trust me surely/ though thou be never so wrouth I naught shall abash to the to say the troth Thought we shepherds be out of company Without occasion/ we live onhappely Seek well among us and plainly thou shalt see Thief/ brawling/ malice discord/ iniquity Wrath/ lechery/ losing/ envy/ and covetise And briefly to speak truly we want no vice ¶ Cornix. ¶ What nay man pard/ all we do not offence Yet all have sorrow/ without all difference Say naught man but troth/ do god nothing deserve Without difference/ yet be all like to starve ¶ Coridon. ¶ What cease man for shame/ thou art of reason scant The wise/ now must learn/ wit of the ignorant I have no knowledge/ save only of my tar Yet this I perceive/ man should not seek to far In god's works/ he all doth for the best If thou findest here no esement wealth ne rest What than/ seek ferther for plainly so shall I In some place fortune beholdeth merely I bide nolenger by saint Thomas of kent In such bore places/ wherefore every day is lent The freers have story in some day of the week But every day our meet is for to seek I naught have to buy/ beg can I not for shame Except that I were blind/ impotent or lame If such a gadling/ as I should beg or crave Of me such mercy/ and pity would men have That they for alms (I swear by goddys' sockies) In every town would make me scour the stocks That can one Drum/ by many assays tell Whit that ill science/ I purpose not to mell Here no thing I have wherefore I need to care Now Cornix a diewe straight forward will I far ¶ Cornix. ¶ Straight forward man/ hey Benedicite All other people have as great care as we Only bore need/ is all our pain and woe But these town dwellers havy many pains mother Our pain is plaesure near/ incomparyson Of their great ills and sore vexation Of all such things have I experience Than mayst thou surely give to me credence Whether wilt thou go/ to live more quietly Man/ all the world is full of misery. Coridon. ¶ What man/ the court is fresh and full of eas I can draw a bow/ I shall some lord there pleas Thyself can report/ how I can birds kill Mine arrow toucheth of them nothing but the bill I hurt no flesh/ nor brule no part at all Were not my shooting our living were but small Lo here a sparrow/ lo here be thrusshes four All these I killed/ this day within an hour I can dance the ray/ I can both pipe and sing If I were merry/ I can both hurl and sling I rone/ I wrestle/ and can weal throw the bore No shepherd throweth the axeltre so far If I were merry/ I could well leap and spring I were a man meet/ to serve a prince or king Wherefore to the court/ now will I get me plain A dew sweet Cornix/ far well yet once again provide for thyself so shall I do for me. ¶ Cornix. ¶ Do way Coridon/ for goddys' love let be Naught else is the court/ but even the devils mowth And place most careful of east/ west/ north & sowth For thy long service/ there need shall be thy hire Out of the water thou lepest in to the fire We live insorowe/ I will it not deny But in the court is the well of misery. ¶ Coridon. ¶ What man thou seest/ and in like wise see I That lusty courters'/ go always Jolely They have no labour/ yet at they well beseen Bardydand guarded in pleasant white and green They do naught else/ but revel sleep and drink But on his foldies/ the poor shepherd must think They rest/ we labour/ they gaily decked be While we go ragged by need and poverty Their colour lusty/ they bide no storm nor showers ¶ They have the pleasours'/ but all they pain is ours They have all things/ but we wretches have naught They sing they dance while we lore sight for thought But what bringeth them to this prosperity Strength/ courage/ friends/ craft and audacity If I had friends/ I have all thing belyde Which might in court/ a room for me provide But sith courters have this life continually They have all pleasure/ and naught of misery. ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nat so Coridon/ often under yellow locks Be hid fowl scabs/ and fearful french pocks Their revyld shirts/ of cloth/ white/ soft/ & thine Often times cloaketh/ a fowl and scurfy skin And where we labour/ in work profitable They labour sorer in work abominable They may have shame to Jet so up and down When they be dettours/ for doublet house & gown And in the tavern/ remain they last for lag When never a cross/ is in their courtly bag They crack/ they boast/ and vaunt as they were wood And most when they sit/ in mids of others good Naught have they wretches save care and misery Who hath it proved all courting shall defy. ¶ Coridon. ¶ Marry sir by this/ I see experience That thou in the court/ hath kept some residence ¶ Cornix. ¶ Remembering of court they pain continual I think these pains/ but easy/ short and small So the remembrance/ of grievous care and pain Causeth me gladly this hardness to sustain Who that hath lived in court I the assure In stead of pleasure may this our life endure Our need is eased with pleasant liberty Theridamas care is he pyd with hard captivity I thought our living care and vexation Before (of the court) or thou made mention ¶ Coridon. ¶ If the court be such as thou dost plainly tell I think it folly with it to deal or mell Better is free-will/ with need and poverty Than need in the court/ with hard captivity But tell me Cornix/ I pray the instantly How knowest thou first this gear so perfitly ¶ Cornix. ¶ While I in youth in Croidon town did devil Often to the court I coolys brought to cell And than I learned and noted parfytly Of court and courters the care and misery For I lurked and none regarded me Till I had knowledge/ of high and low degree What was their manner/ behaviour and usage The more I trayed/ more saw I of outrage ¶ Coridon. ¶ Than farewell courting/ I see thou countest best Here to remain/ in simple wealth and rest But in mean season/ I pray the heartily Declare me all hole/ the courtly misery Behold our wethers lay chewing of the cud Here is no peril/ of water dyke nor mud sloth loveth slombring moche sleep is reprovable But merry talking is greatly comfortable Here is cold shadow/ here is a clear fountain When words grieveth/ drink and begin again For long time passed/ I have herd of thy lore Which thing me moveth/ to here y● talk the more Begin and show me/ the courts wretchedness So I parchance/ shall set thereby the les And where long talking/ often grieveth many a man I shall the furnish/ with words now and than What say on Cornix why art thou now so still Thy wit and reason was out to be at will ¶ Cornix answered. ¶ Fain would I common/ for pleasure and pastyine But troth is committed/ most grievous fault or crime And some might me here/ which by their words sour Might bring me in court/ in grievous dysplesour Because I shall prove all them which court doth haunt Miserable folies/ mad men and ignorant Therefore Coridon/ among the bows pry If there lurk any Jay/ sterling/ thrush/ or pie To note my words/ and that them forth again Whereby I might win dyspesour loss or pain ¶ Coridon. ¶ Loss/ God'S domynus to loose (thou hast no good Save hook and cokers/ thy bottle and thy hood Thy hode all ragged/ can keep no body dry Many have as good/ though none can them espy He hath small reason/ that hath a hode more fine And would for malice/ berob the here of thine As for dyspleasour/ I warrant the also Thou shalt for princes/ great eas and pleasure do For many upon them/ do daily crave and call To be in service/ which are not meet at all To be in the court/ they labour so gladly Because they know not/ thereof the misery Whom to receive/ it is not profitable And to despise them/ it is not honourable If thou such constrain to leave/ of their own mind Thou dost to princes/ a very pleasure kind And other fools/ shall take thy tale in sport And never the less/ shall to the pur resort Than let not Cornix/ plainly to say the troth Let scabbed claw/ and gyly men be wroth Better is for truoth/ suffer paynies hard Than for false flattering/ to have a great reward ¶ Cornix. ¶ Thou sayest but reason/ I laud the by saint Johan Than boldly demand/ I pray the Coridon Of such matters/ as to the court belong And I shall answer/ dene if it be wrong That I have learned/ by practise and science I shall as I may/ give the intelligence. ¶ Coridon. ¶ The court as thou sayest/ is falls and deceivable Than tell me wherefore/ that men most honourable There in remaining/ abydyth care and pain And yet by their will/ they will not forth again ¶ Cornix. ¶ Many things be/ which monyth people blind To ren to the court/ with fervent heart and mind But of all things/ this specially is one The hope of honour/ called ambition Right so Mynalcas did/ lust of honour call And as he committed/ ambition is equal Unto that virtue/ which men call charity charity suffceth/ all hard adversity All pain and labour/ and all vexation And even as much/ suffceth ambition For worldly wretches/ in honour to excel Force not to labour/ down to the pit of hell Lo here chief cause/ why men to court resort But once in the court/ when they have had comfort Such is of mankind/ the blind calamity That in one state/ if they long time have be A life there living/ but vile and full of shame Yet by no manner/ can they despise the same So who that in youth/ hath used courts rage They find no manner/ to leave the same in age And to win lawdes/ and praise of the comonte In no hard labour/ think they difficulty But if men hunted for fools and high glory As they hunt daily for honour transitory Right few or none/ would to the court apply Thereto be tangled/ with care and misery But unto the court/ if thou hast thine intent Because Prelatys/ and wise men it frequent Here what the shepherd/ of Nazareth doth say As I hard faustus/ declare upon a day Upon they high chair/ and seat of moyses Sat the old scribes/ and sect of pharyses Live as they teach/ but live not as they do And thus in the court/ man must behave him so His life refoucming/ like as such aught to live not by example/ which they to other gift. ¶ Coridon. ¶ These be high matters/ and far beyond my wit If such be the court/ what man would mell with it Yet I assuer thee/ before this I have seen That worthy shepherdies long in the court have been ¶ Cornix. ¶ All that I grant thee/ but ask and thou shalt find That such in the court/ aboyde again their mind As the rich shepherd/ which wonid in mortlake ¶ Coridon. ¶ O Cornix cornix/ feel how my heart doth quake On him what I think my heart is full of pain Would god that we could get him to live again What time he lived/ some blamed him ywys Which sins he did/ doth him sore lack and miss He passed Codrus/ he passed Mynalcas He passed Mopsus/ and also Lysydas None other shepherd might with that man compare In during his life/ we needed not to care But ever sith time that he was dead and go We suffer wrongs defender have we none He was the patron of things pastoral His face and favour/ forget I never shall While I was younger he came by our cottage Than was my father/ Amyntans/ far in age But the same shepherd/ gave him both cloth & gold O Cornix the young be moche unlike the old. ¶ Cornix. ¶ Yes/ syns' his days/ a cock was in the fen I know his voice among a thousand men He taught/ he preached/ he mended every wrong But Coridon/ alas/ no good thing bideth long He all was a cock/ he wakened us from sleep And while we slumbered he did our foldies keep No cur/ no fores/ nor butcher's dogs would Coude hurt our foldies/ his waching was so good The hungry wolves which that time did abound What time he crowed/ abashed at the sound This cock was no more/ abashed of the fox Than is a lion/ abashed of an ox When he went/ faded the flower of all the fen I boldly dare swear/ this cock trod neruer hen This was a father/ of things pastoral And that well showeth his church Cathedral There was I lately/ about the mydes of may Coridon/ his church/ is twenty sith more gay Than all the churches/ between the same & kent There saw I his towmbe/ and chapel excellent I thought five hours/ but even a little while Saint Johun that virgin me thought did on me smile Our parish church/ is but a dongyon To that gay church/ to make comparison If the people were as pleasant as the place Then were it paradise/ of pleasure and solace Than might I truly/ right well find in my heart There still to abide/ and never to depart But ●ins that this cock/ by death hath left his song Trust me Coridon/ there many a thing is wrong When I saw his figure/ lay in the chapel side Like death for weeping/ I might no longer bide Lo all good things/ to soon away doth glide That no man liketh/ to long doth rest and abide When the good is go/ my mate this is the case Seldom the better re-entereth in the place. ¶ Coridon. ¶ Thou sayest trowth Cornix/ I make to god a vow But aye mate Cornix/ se where be we now Far from the matter/ where as we first began Begin where we left/ I pray the if thou can ¶ Cornix. ¶ That shall I lightly/ thou saidest that a sort Of good old shepherds did to the court resort But such as be good/ be there again their will For truly in court/ they find less good than ill To see moche amiss/ to them it is great pain When for their words/ none will his vice refrain Then get they but scorn/ and indignation And for their good minds/ pain and vexation: ¶ Coridon. ¶ I pray the Cornix/ proceed/ tell by and by ¶ Cornix ¶ Of court & courts the pain & misery. That were a long matter and very hard to do ¶ Coridon. ¶ This is best remedy/ take longer time thereto Here is gay shadow/ here is a pleasant cool Take bank and flowers/ for cusshen and for stole ¶ Cornix. Than lay down thy hook/ give me that bottle near With often washing the throat and voice is clear ¶ Coridon. ¶ Lo here the bottle/ drink such as is therein Drink better/ & than in the name of god/ begin ¶ Cornix. ¶ A sir/ well drawn/ and that with little pain Than turn we our speech/ now to the court again Woe will to the court/ first let him think before Whether he may suffer labour and pains sore Both hunger and thirst/ injury and wrong For these shall he/ find the rude courters among And more after these/ yet let him think again Whether in the court/ he may that thing obtain Which he desireth/ me thinketh the contrary Men would find honour/ there find they misery Thus all be fools/ which willingly there devil Coridon/ the court is the baiting place of hell ¶ Coridon. ¶ That is hardly said man/ by the road of rest ¶ Cornix. ¶ I grant it is hard/ but to say troth is best But yet shall I prove/ my saying veritable A duert my words/ se if I be culpable Unto our purpose/ by divers ways three Men may be fools/ I shall them count to the They all be fools which set their thought & mind That thing for to seek which they shall never find And they be fools/ which seek thing with delight Which if they find/ is harm and no profit And he is a fool/ a sot and a geke also Which chooseth a place/ unto the same to go And where divers ways▪ lead thither directly He choosed the worst/ and most of Jeopardy As if dyners' ways/ lay unto Islyngton To stow on the would/ quaveneth or trompyngton To dover dyrham/ to barwyke or exister To grantham/ totnes bristol or god manchester To roan paris/ to lyonor florance ¶ Coridon. ¶ What hoo man/ abide/ what all ready in france Lo a fair journey/ and shortly ended to With all these towns/ what thing have we to do ¶ Cornix. ¶ By god/ man know thou that I have had to do In all these towns/ and yet in many more To see the world/ in youth me thought was best And after in age/ to give myself to rest ¶ Coridon. ¶ Thou might have brought one/ & set by our village ¶ Cornix. ¶ What man/ I I might not for lack of carriage To carry my ownself/ was all that ever I might And sometime foreas/ my satchel made I light ¶ Coridon. ¶ To our first matter/ we better must intend Else in a twelve month/ we scant shall make an end ¶ Cornix. ¶ True said Coridon/ that can I not denay But thine own self/ did lead me from the way Unto these towns/ now to return again To any of them all/ if there lay ways twain The one sure and short/ and leading directly The other weigh longer and full of Jeopardy That fool were worthy a babyl and a hode Which would choose that worst perceiving well the good One of these follies/ or all oppress that sort Which not constrained/ doth to the court resort Other that they search/ which they may not attain Or that/ which gotting/ shall do them hurt & pain Or of two ways/ they use to leave the best For on no goodness/ doth their desires rest ¶ Coridon. ¶ What is the desire/ and purpose principal Chiefly frequented/ among these courters all And for what reward/ take they such business ¶ Cornix. Mine humble speech/ and language pastoral If it were able/ should write his acts all But while I aught speak/ of courtly misery Him with all such/ except I utterly But what other princes commonly frequent As true as I can to show is mine intent But if I should say/ that all the misery Which I shall after rehearse and specyfy Were in the court/ of our most noble king I should fail troth/ and plainly make leasing And if that I said that in it were no vice So should I lie/ in right like manner wise As for my part/ I blame no man at all Same such/ as to vice/ be subject bond & thrall For among all men/ this wise standeth the case That more ill than good doth grow in every place ¶ Coridon. ¶ Right well excusyth/ I thought not erst sythene That simple Cornix had half this subtlety But now appeareth/ the very troth certain That men of worship/ have not best wit & brain Now tell how courters/ which gapeth for honour In stead of honour/ find pains sharp and sour ¶ Cornix. ¶ All they which suffer in court labour & pain There by supposyge/ true honour to obtain At moche abusyth/ my words nor doctrine Be much unable/ to give them medicine For Elebor the old/ withal his salves pure Their wilful folly/ could scantly help and cure What man would think/ that trow honour profunde In princes halls/ or courts may be found There/ none hath honour/ by virtue and cunning By manners/ wisdom/ sadness/ nor good living But who hath power/ high rooms or riches He hath most honour and laud/ of more and less For what poor man a plain and simple soul Though he were holy/ as every was saint Poll Hast thou ever seen exalted of a king For all his manners and virtuous living These be the words of shepherd Silvius Which after was pope/ and called was Pius ¶ Coridon. ¶ What yes man pard/ right many have men seen Which in poor houses born & brought up hath been That from low rooms and careful poverty Be now exalted to greatest dignity ¶ Cornix. ¶ Such is the pleasure of princes/ to promote Such unto honour/ which scant be worth a groat But whom promote they/ give credence unto me Such as in manners/ to them most likest be And in what manners/ in beestely lechery In covetise/ Ire/ or in vile gluttony In hasty murder/ and other cruelty Believe my Coridon I say but verity A covetous prince/ hath him most acceptable Which gathereth/ coin/ by means dysceyvable As falls accusing/ and wrong extortion Selling of justice/ fraud/ and oppression A lecherous prince/ hath him best in conceit Which can by crafts his place & time best in weyt Uirgyns and wives most fair and amiable To bring to his bed/ for lust abominable And a drunken prince hath him as dearest mate Which most can surfeit/ most revel & drink late And unto a prince/ which loveth cruelty Chiefly in favour/ and conceit is he Which most delytyth/ in shedding man's blood Few vicious princes promote such as be good Now is accepted of men of high degree Nor set in honour from humble poverty Except he hath done/ some deed so great of fame That all the world may wonder at the same But this same honour is neither true nor stable Which groweth of rote/ so ill and detestable For very honour and true or perfect glory cometh of acts/ of laudable memory In supportation/ of right and equity Or in defending/ the church and commonty Or other acts/ common or private Which sound to worship these make a true estate But such true honour/ few princes do deserve And no more do they/ which in the court them serve Sith all almost/ be of misgovernance For no good do they/ except it be by chance ¶ Coridon. ¶ Yet at the lest way such men reputed be Men of great honour/ among the commonty For while such walk/ in court or in street Each man inclynyth/ which them doth see or meet Of goeth the bonnet/ a beck at every word Each man must needs/ give place unto my lord After his degree/ birth/ or promotion such of the commons/ have salutation And shortly to say/ men dothem more honour Than to the figure/ of christ our saviour ¶ Corinx. ¶ It is as thou sayest/ forsooth my Coridon But hark what they say/ at last when men be go Than they salute them/ in the devils name And pray unto god that they may die with shame And so doth many by torment and dolour When fykell fourtune/ liketh on them to lour But such as doth stoop to them before their face giveth them a mock when they be out of place And one doth whisper/ soft in others ere And saith this tyrant/ is feller than a bear ¶ Coridon. ¶ Why and fere they no more for to say thus ¶ Cornix. ¶ Not/ but hark man what saith the good pope Silvius Lo this same is he/ which by his bad council Causeth our prince to be to us to fell This same is he/ which raiseth dame and tax This same is he/ which strained men on racks This same is he/ which causeth all this war This same is he/ which all our wealth doth mar This is of commons/ the very deadly mall Which with these charges/ thus doth oppress us all Who him dyspleaseth/ he beth all to dust This same is he/ which kyllyth whom him lust That all the devils/ of hell/ him hence carry That we no longer/ endure his tyranny This is the honour/ and all the reverence Gevyn unto them/ when they be from presence But in such honour/ who ever hath delight Which is frawdefull/ so faint and unparsyte I am not a feared to call him made and blind And a very fool or else a sot of kind ¶ Coridon. ¶ Cornir my friend/ thou speakest now to plain I fear jest this gear shall turn us unto pain If any man be near/ be still a while and hark ¶ Cornix. ¶ I fear not at all/ now I am set on work Beside this Coridon/ in court most part doth devil Flatterers and liars/ Coryers' of fafell Juggelers and dezers/ and such a schamfull table Which for a dinner lawd men no thing laudable But men circumspect/ whice be discrete and wise Doth such vain lawdes/ utterly despise For truly no laud/ is named good nor true Except it proceed of men which love virtue A rybawdus blame/ is commendation Such use to slander/ good conversation But such they commend/ as be to them semblable So their dispraising to the is profitable ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now truly my heart is eased with the same For godfray gormand lately did me blame And as for himself/ though he be gay and stout He hath naught/ but folly within & eke without To blow in a bowl/ and for to pill a platter To gyrne/ to brawl/ to counterfeit/ to flatter He hath no fellow/ between this & croydown Save the proud ploughman/ gnato of chorlyngtown By cause he always malygnyth again me It plain appeareth/ our life doth not agree For if we lived/ both after one rate Than should I have him to me afrendly mate But Cornix/ proceed/ tell forth of dyguyte ¶ Cornix. ¶ Often in my tale/ I hindered am by the Such as for honour unto the court resort Look seldom times/ upon the lower sort To the higher sort/ for most part they intend For still their desire is higher to ascend And when none can make with them comparison A gain thyr princes conspire they by treason Than when their purpose can not come well to frame Again they descend/ and that with utter shame Coridon thou knowest right well what I mean We lately of this experience have seen When men would ascend to rowmys honourable Ever is their mind and lust insatiable What ever they have/ they cownt the same but small While aught is greater/ naught can them pleas but all And once in cambridge I hard a scholar say One of the same/ which go in copis gay That no man should fix/ end of felicity In worldly honour/ high room or dignity For it is a thing/ in certain and unstable Which man of himself/ to purvey is not able In another power this honour always is Who most it seeketh/ of it doth often miss And who that serveth/ for honour and high name And in this world to get him noble fame Moche pain abydyth through cares and distress And with many men he hath moche business And often must he rather/ the mind of men content Than do the pleasure of god omnipotent Than sith two honours of divers sorts be One which is given of men of honest The second honour is of a multitude For very troth that man of wit is rude Which huntyth in court for the first honour The same to purchase/ by care & great labour As fortune honour/ no man can there obtain Where neither manners nor virtues doth rain The second honour is of comonte Who that requireth/ yet more foolish is he For he demaundyth/ a thing right perilous Unsure unstable/ and also vicious But both these sorts always be vexed sore When they in honour/ se many them before And often times/ such as most unworthy be For in court seldom is lauded honest Thus who of honour/ and lewd is covetous Unto him the court is most contrarious And no where he fyndyth greater vexation Thau following the court suing ambition For who would ascend/ to honour principal Fyndyth in the court/ most care & pain of all ¶ Coridon. ¶ We have enough/ had of communication As touching honour/ and commendation Or worldly praising/ for rowmies & high name And though more/ might be declared of the same What leave some my mate/ for other on to brawl It were over moche for us to talk of all Now talk we of might or high authority How men for the same/ love in the court to be Speed thee/ for clowdys' apere on every side If any storm fall/ we can not longer abide ¶ Cornix. ¶ As touching power/ might or authority Some thing in the court in favour great to be To be with princes of power excellent Some folys countyth a thing pre-eminent Or that men should him a kyngys' tutor call Moche to command/ but naught to do at all Both peace and battle/ to order at his will To be of power/ both to do good and ill But many a thousand/ which have such power sought Hath been deceived and shortly come to naught As with one Nero namyd Elawdus In so great favour was one Sejanus That while this Nero was far from his empire Sejanus ruled the same at his desire So moche that Seian had honour than in deed As of all the world counted the second heed That if this Nero had died or his hour This Seian/ truly should have been emperors Butt by one letter he after take was In utter dishonour deposed from his place Led for a spectacle straight unto Tiber bank And there beheaded such was his meed & thank All his ymagys'/ in his honour erect Where with great malice down to that ground deject Thus all his power ended with care & shame Who that hath wisdom/ will note & mark the same It is no matter/ nor thing of certainty With mighty princes of great power to be No state is feebler more wayke and incertain Than such as seemeth great with his sovereign He hath enurous/ malygners/ and ill will All out of favour/ adiugeth him for ill And all the household doth comoly him hate Which with the master/ is servant & near mate And this in the world is seen most commonly That all high rooms be subject to envy Such of all other/ be hated and suspect If the aught offend/ it lightly is detect And from all defence if they be clear & quite Than lie they in wait/ them sharply to backbite Some for them study/ frawdies deceit & guile And taleberers walk and grieve them other while And like as they ●ye is grieved with a mote So princes favour/ though it be never so hot Is lightly grieved/ and that for small offence Thought it were gottyn/ with playnfull diligence And often is it lost for none offence at all So moche with princes may tongues falls make fall So much taleberers/ by chraftes forge can That the emperor/ called Adrian Slew his old friends/ and hated many one By these taleberers and false detraction And many princes or this have done the same By hasty credence/ dystrayning sore their name And as in Croyden I hard the colyer preach That holy scripture doth us inform and teach How Saul/ David/ and prudent Solomon Commanded to be slain of such many one As hath been with them in great authority And daily of such/ may we example see Because Isaake in might did rise and stand Falls Abymaleche him dro●e out of his land And Alexander with his own hands slew Citron his friend/ which he did after rue Because he compared unto this conqueror His father Philippus/ lawdies and honour And such like chance/ but lately did befall In the land of Apuly/ to the great Senescall Which was so greatly in favour with the queen That none was so great as he himself did ween And thought in favour to bide more steadfastly For he abused the queen dyshonestly But to another/ the queen turned her love And than him murdered his presence to remove And when she had found/ the means him to kill Than had she divers lovers at her will ¶ Coridon. ¶ O cursed woman/ and deed of cruelty ¶ Cornix. ¶ You you Coridon/ more be as bad as she Some hath by malice their sowking children slain But to my matter will I return again Their fraud and malice I will not now declare Who with them dealeth/ perceiveth what is care But now Coridon/ to princes to return Who pleaseth this day is out again the mourn Right few/ or none/ or by a princes side Which doth in favour continually abide While one ascendyth another doth descend This is the thing whereto they most intend And which in the court/ men chiefly go about themself to bring in/ and rub another out And than to climb up to office and renown And while they ascend to thirst another down eachone desireth his fellow to excel There is none order/ no more than is in hell No love/ no favour/ faith/ nor fidelity One brother can not sure for another be The sone for the father hath no compassion And like pity/ hath the father of his sone Each man for himself/ and the friend for all eachone desireth for to be principal eachone will command and have pre-eminence And if any one have place of excellence He hath about him a thousand iyens & nine And as many tongues to bring him to ruin On every side/ enuyers him await devising means/ to put him from his state A man of power/ which many men may dear Hath ever ill will/ thus may he many fear high towers decay builded/ by flodys' side Which doth the waves continually abide What shall a shepherd do in the court to tend Whose life and service on one man doth depend Though thou in favour be with a princes or king Yet trust not therein/ it is uncertain thing Thou hast him not bound/ to the with chaynnies strong Of lead or iron/ to last and tarry long But with feeble wax/ such band can not last When love wexyth cold/ than shall the tynkes braced The fervour of wrath shall then consume and melt Than is thy favour scant worth a sheeps pelt ¶ Coridon. Of some have I heard of men of great honour Which have in the court/ bid always in favour Till time their princes departed from this life And then with the new had like prerogative Thus in the court no thing so variable As thou rehersest/ nor yet so reprovable ¶ Cornix. ¶ I grant the Coridon/ some such have there been But that is a bird/ which seldom time is seen That is but fortune/ and chance not on to trust But many be thrown/ unwarly to the dust Some while their princes/ still lived in renown But when they depart/ all tournyth upset down Than if some have favour/ with princes successors We see them seldom/ set in so high honours As with their elders/ they did before obtain A man soon falleth/ and slow is up again So many see we deposed from degree And how much the more/ they were indygnyte So much more/ after be they vile & abject Their anucyent/ name counted of none effect Than they perceive/ who was their friend & foe Before in honour/ forsooth they could not so To men in power/ so me often stoup and beck Which gladly would/ see their heads from the neke When they by fortune at on the ground again Than langh their foes & have at them disdain There friends dolour and sorrow is not small Their own dyswourshyp a shame is worst of all For after they live still in dolour and distress In shame rebukes in care and heaviness This is the common end and sure conclusion Of such as with princes serve for promotion Wherefore I dare call them fools before the Which serve in the court/ for might or dignity ¶ Coridon. ¶ For sooth mate Cornix I can not we'll deny But that such chances doth happyn commonly Than better is small fire one easily to warm Than is a great fire to do one hurt or harm I am assured/ as for thyself and me We need not to fere/ to fall from out degree Beggary is lowest/ who that can far with all Nedyth not to fere to lower state to fall But have done Cornix and tell the wretchedness Of such as in court/ serve only for riches As for the other the best that we do may Is to differ it/ until another day ¶ Cornix. ¶ We'll said Coridon/ I am content with that But first let me drink I shall the better chat This whey is sour/ but use easeth the pain drink Coridon and stoup it up again ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now say on Cornix/ thy talking liketh me I see that council/ excludyth capusyte Save for thy wisdom or this time as I ween With courtly misery I tangled should have been But well far council when it is true and good I would that Mynalcas/ this also understood ¶ Cornix. ¶ Many of the court resort/ daily doubtless In youth to gather/ some treasure or riches Than against age they may go out again And afterward live/ without labour or pain In hope of this eas and latter liberty Many in the court bide long captivity And if some courter/ thus to himself doth say Alas shall I never aught for myself purvey When shall I in court/ some little bank procure That from the bag and staff mine age may be sure The fool thinketh/ than most riches for to have Against such season when nearest is his grave When near is ended his journey of this life Than is he for victual most busy and pensive Our saviour saith/ it is as hard doubtless To one which fixeth his pleasure on riches To enter that royalme/ which is above the sky As an ass to enter/ through a nedyls eye I hard our vicayr say in like manner wise once when he preached against covetise Than it is folly great riches to purchase And by it to loss the hope of heavenly place Is not christ able his poor men to sustain Yes and to rid them out of all other pain The poor apostles/ be greater now of fame Than rich Croesus for all his royal name When man hath in god his trust and confidence In all time of need he faylyth none expense All good men fixeth their trust in god pard He knoweth better/ what thing we need than we Of some poor freers is made more curyously Than is some abbey/ or rich monastery The first hath their trust in god our creator The other trustyth upon their vain treasure Thus god often helpeth them that in him have trust When worldly riches men leaveth in the dust ¶ Coridon. ¶ Cornir thy proofs was not for to preach But me of the courters' misery to teach Against thine own self thou spekyst now pard For first thou grutced against poverty Again thou blamyst plenty of riches now But few men living thy saying will allow For without riches thou sayest openly Virtue nor cunning/ now be nothing set by ¶ Cornix. ¶ I will not deny/ but it is need doubtless For all men living for to have some riches But trust me Coridon/ there is diversity between to have riches/ and riches to have the Than thou hast riches/ when thou despysest store Bestowest it we'll and forsest not therefore But riches hath thee/ when wretched covetise Thy mind subdeweth/ to every ill and vice And when thy desire is yet insatiable Though thou have treasure/ almost innumerable Such manner riches/ the colyer tell the can Is vile and audible both unto god and man But now to the court for to return again Some think by princes great riches to obtain But while they covet/ in ryched for to be Coridon for sooth/ they lose their liberty And yet if I should/ the very troth express No man can in court find just and true riches If thy lord give the other gold or fe Unto his service more art thou bound pard Saint Gregori saith affirming the same thing In greattyst gifts/ is greattyst reckoning But if thou wilt then forth of the court departed When by thy prince inryched thus thou art Than shall be found some guile some fraud or train By mean whereof thou lesyst all again A fault shall be found/ some one shall the accuse Of thing whereof thou did never think nor muse Though thou be guiltless yet shall thou be convict Far well thy good all shall be from the lyct Or some back reckoning/ conserving thine office Of all thy riches shall pill the with a trice Than art thou clapped in the fleet or clynke Than naught must thou say when so ever thou think For if thou begin to murmur or complain Thy life thou lesest than hast thou harms twain ¶ Coridon. ¶ Yet were it better for to continue still As long in the court/ as is the princes will ¶ Cornix. ¶ If thou continue/ thou must be diligent And ready at hand/ at each commandment When he commaundyth/ thou must be priest to fight To ride and to go/ by day and eke by night No dread no daungere/ may help the nor excuse No pain nor peril mayst thou i'll nor refuse Some time must thou be in air courageous And in thousands other of chaunches perilous What he commaundyth that needs do thou must Be it good or ill/ rightwise/ or oniust Laugh when he laughyth/ all if thine heart be sad Weep when he wepyth/ be thou never so glad Lawde what he lawdeth/ though it be not laudable Blame what he blameth/ though it be commendable And shortly to speak/ thou must all thing fulfil As is his pleasure/ and nothing at thy will None of thy wits/ are at thy liberty Unto thy master/ they nedies must agree What is more foolish/ more found or imprudent Than to get riches/ by such extreme torment For naught it is else but plain a frenzy To bide for riches/ this care and misery It would make one claw/ where as it doth not itch To see one live poor/ by cause he would die rich By cause one in court/ hath gotyn good or twain Should all men suppose/ the same there to obtain And in hope thereof/ to loose their liberty But seeking riches/ such findeth poverty For many in court/ while they abide riches Spend all their treasure/ & live in wredchydnes What saith some fool/ spend on a ●one voayge Parchaunche my wagys'/ shall pass mine heritage But while he spendeth/ till scant remain a groat Home he retournyth/ you with a thread bore cote His horse is so fat that plain he is not able To get his body/ nor head out of the stable His sword & bucler/ is pleased at the bear And to go lighter/ so is his other gear The rider walkyth/ now with his bow and arrows With a fair excuse/ in hedgys' to kill sparows And often returning/ he said but all to late A diewe all courting/ in the devils date ¶ Coridon. ¶ A sir this passeth/ now by the road of some Better were for such/ for to had bid at home But tell me Cornir/ hath all men the boundage And pain of the court/ for no more advantage ¶ Cornix. ¶ Yes sometime riches is given by some chance To such as of good have greattyst abundance Like wise as streams/ unto the see doth glide But on bore hills/ no water will abide So if a poor man serve in the court long while Fortune shall never so friendly on him smile But that a rich man in room or high dignity For a little service/ hath more reward than he As for the service/ none in the court shall pounder They note the person/ still is the poor kept under For a little man/ meet is a small hakney So smallest persons/ hath small reward away But men of worship/ set in authority Must have rewards great after their degree And Coridon princes/ give naught I tell the plain But when that they lust/ revoke again And so such things/ which princes to the give To the be as sure/ as water in a sieve Thou mayst not of them/ make alienation Nor the same care/ until another nation Thou mayst not dispose them after thine intent But like as thy prince/ is pleasyth and content Than such vain riches can be thine by no skill Sith thou haste no might to spend them at thy will You and more over thou hast no faculty The same to bequeath/ at will when thou must die If thou want issue/ no man shall be thine heir Save only the prince thus doth the world fair If thou have issue/ succeed shall they not the Except with thy prince they will in service be How many hath be slain/ me nydyth not express Of such as them erst/ advanced to riches So princes are wont/ with riches some to feed Is we do our swine/ when we of lard have need We feed our hogs/ them after to devour When they be fatted by costs and labour In like wise princes/ promotyth many one And when thy be rich/ they gnaw them to the bone Like as Longinus/ and Seneca doubtless Which as saith codrus were slain for their riches So writeth Pius/ whom some Aeneas call A claws alleging/ of famous Jwenall ¶ Coridon. ¶ The more of the court that thou dost count & tell The less me lykyth/ with it to deal or mell ¶ Cornix. ¶ What bide Coridon yet hast thou not heard all The court is in earth/ any mage infernal Without fair painted/ within owgly and vile This know they surely which there hath be while But of our purpose now for to speak again Few princes give that/ which to themselves attain Trust me Coridon/ I tell the by my soul They rob saint Peter/ therewith to cloth salt paul And like as daily we both may see & here Some pill the church/ therewith to lead the queen While men promoted by such rapine are glad The wretches pilled mowrne and be woe and sad And many heirs live guiltless in distress While on worthy/ hath honour and riches But such vile gifts may not be true plainly Nor yet possess by law rightwisely And sith few rowmies of lordly dignity Be won or held with right and equity Say what thing have they to give by law & right Sith their chief treasure is wone by wrongful might When see come their jewels their coin & clot of price Save most by rapine and ●ellynge of justice Else of saint Peter's/ or Christ's patrimony Now few be founders/ but confounders be many These be no gifts/ true honest nor laudable Neither to the giver/ nor taker profitable These men call gifts/ of none utility Which thus procedyth/ of falls inequyte Than leave we this vice/ while all good men it hate For covetous with coin be never satiate I hard sir Samson say/ but this other day That Jerome & Seneke/ doth both this sentence say That covetous wretch's/ not only want that thing Which thy never had in title nor keeping But that which they have also/ they want & fail Sith they it having of it have none avail And as I remember/ old Codrus said also That gold naught helpeth when we must hence go Scant have we pleasure/ of it while we here tarry And none can his store/ nor glory with him carry Thus aught we to live as having all in store But naught possessing or caring naught therefore What should christian men/ seek ferther for riches Having food and cloth/ it is enough doubtless And these may our lord give unto us truly Without princes service/ or courtly misery Thus find we in court plain no riches at all Or else find we such/ with care continual That it were better/ no riches to have found Than for false treasure/ in thraldom to be bound ¶ Coridon. ¶ Look up mate Cornix/ behold in to the west These windy clowdies/ us thretnyth some tempest My clotheses be thine/ my sheep be shorn new Such storm might fall/ that both might after rue drive we out flocks unto our poor cottage tomorrow of court/ we may have more language This day hast thou told/ and proved openly That all such courters/ doth live in misery Which serve in the court/ for honour laud or fame And might or power/ thou proved hast this same And that all they live/ deepest in distress Which serve there/ to win vain treasure or riches As for the other two/ and if aught more remain Thou mayst tell tomorrow/ when we turn again ¶ Cornix. ¶ I grant Coridon/ take up thy bottle soon Les is the burden/ now that the drink is done Lo here is a sport/ our bottle is contrary To a cows utter/ and I shall tell the why With a full utther retournyth home the cow So doth not the bottle/ as it appeareth now Coridon we must haste/ in our journey make Or else shall the storm/ us and our sheep overtake ¶ Finis. ¶ Thus endeth the first eclogue of the miseries of the Courters compiled and drawn by Alexander Barclay. ¶ The second eclogue ¶ Hery be gynneth the second eclogue of the miseries of courters ¶ Coridon. HOw fell this Cornix/ why tarried thou so long This is the. iii● day some thige is with the wrong Else some ꝑturbance of household business Unto thy pasture hath made the tend the les ¶ Cornix. ¶ Codrus/ the richest shepherd of our cost Which of his wethers is wont himself to boast Unto a banquet friendly invited me The same day after I did depart fro the While I him helpeth his gestis for to cheer That hath me causyth/ so lately to be here ¶ Coridon. ¶ Who fatly fareth with costly meat and drink For work beautiful doth little care or think When full is the womb the bonies would have rest Fie on such surfayt/ fair temperance is best My wifes grey hen one egg laid every day My wife fed her we'll/ to 'cause her two to lay But when she was fat than lay she none at all I trow that like chance/ be unto the befall For now of thy flock thou hast no mind nor care Sigh time thy wyrties were dulled with fat fare ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nat so Coridon/ for when I sowpe at home I often go to bed/ with faint and hungry womb Than lie I slombring to win in sleap I think That same which I lost for lack of meat & drink But when I am fed than sleep I steadfastly And after short rest/ than work I lustily ¶ Coridon. A bird weal ingorged/ kepys weal her nest A full belly asketh/ a bed full of rest ¶ Cornix. ¶ That is when diet/ excedyth temporance Than followeth sloth and all misgovernance As brawling babbling/ discord and lechery Blaspheming dying/ craking and perjury But as touching me because I want at home When I am abroad I furnysshe weal my womb Yet more I take not than nature may sustain And than sore work I it to digest again So did I with Codrus till I am fatigate ¶ Coridon. ¶ I wist weal some thing made that to come so late Me list no longer to common of excess But tell me Cornix/ what was thy business ¶ Cornix. ¶ The river began/ the banks to over flow At divers parts where as the ground was low For might of water will not our laysere bide We fain were our shephe/ for the time to set aside And both day and night to put to our diligence For to overcome/ the floods violence Streng thing our banks and heything them again Which were abated/ with floods or great rain ¶ Coridon. ¶ The earth in this point is like manners of men From high ground/ water/ dyscendyth to the fen The high mountaynnies/ of water them discharge And lad the rivers with floods great & large Again the rivers/ dyschargyth them like wise And chargyth the see/ so men's common guise Is always to lay the burden or the sack Which them sore grieveth upon some other back ¶ Cornix. ¶ Not thing is truer/ than is this of the said It is a true proverb and prettily conveyed ¶ Coridon. ¶ But now thou art come I pray the heartily Begin where thou left of courters' misery The heaven is clear the cowdes clean away Which is a token of cawm and pleasant day The pointed burdies with pleasant tunes sing The dewy flowers fresshly doth smile and spring All thing reioysyth each thing doth nature keep Than were it great shame to us to s●ort & sleep By merry tayking/ long season seemeth short In friendly spece/ is solace & comfort ¶ Cornix. ¶ As I remember we spoke last of riches Now talk we of lust or voluptuousness Forsooth some wretches of manners vile and rude Have counted in lust most high beatitude And namely the sect which follow epycure Which shameful sect doth to this day endure Whom the philosophers & clerks now a days Despise with wordys'/ yet follow they his ways For what is that clerk or prelate in honour Which clean dyspysyth all temporal pleasure And therefore perchance if any such there be Despising to look on fayrnes or beauty Despising odours or sapour dylycate And pleasant touching/ despising in like ●ate Some call them happy which can such thing exclude But no men count them of manners dull & rude For two. divers ways/ doth man's life contain The one of virtue/ of diligence and pain The other of lust/ of pleasure mirth and rest The first despising men count the second best They way of virtue is rough and desolate With weed & thornys shut for all men it hate Few it frequentyth or follow in regard For the first entry to them appeareth hard The way of pleasure/ is plain & evident And greatly worn/ for many it frequent The hard way of virtue/ at end hath quietness They plain way of plesour hath danger & distress Yet were one hantyth the passage of virtue For that one iiii. score their lusts doth ensue ¶ Coridon. ¶ These matters be high and seemeth me dyffuse Draw to our purpose 'cause me no longer muse ¶ Cornix. ¶ Though I now be poor & here no thing set by Yet have I or this seen some philosophy But the lack of use hurteth all science And wretched thraldom is enemy to pruden●● What time the person is counted as abject Than languor maketh the wit of small effect A famous doctor is blinded among fools Only his valour is clearest in the scoles A precious stone well couched in pure gold Is bright and comely/ & goodly to behold Throw it in the mire than is the beauty go And hid for the time/ both of the gold & stone For lack of using a sword erst glazed bright With ●ust is etyn/ made fowl & black to sight Right so my reason sometime fresh to devise Is now made rusty/ for lack of exercise ¶ Coridon. ¶ By this disputing thou mayst scour of the rust Return now to speak of pleasure & of lust ¶ Cornix. ¶ Many blind wretch's/ bide in the court labour There weening to win/ their lusts & pleasure But it is a wonder & matter chief of all To speak of their folly & appetite rural But first let us talk what pleasure is there seen Which y● u wits beginning at the iyens ¶ Coridon. ¶ That is troth Cornix right many things be Which men have pleasure and great delight to see And these in the court be most in abundance ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nay there hath the sight/ no manner of pleasance And that shall I prove long time or it be night Some men delytyth beholding men to fight Or goodly knights/ in pleasant apparel Or sturdy sowdiours in bright harness & mail Or an army ready arrayed to the war Or to see them fight so that he stand a far Some glad is to see these ladies beauteous Goodly appointed in clothing sumptuous A number of peopyll appointed in like wise In costly clothing after the newest guise Sportys/ disguising fair coursers mount & prance Or goodly ladies/ & knights sing & dance To see fair houses and curious picture Or pleasant hanging/ or sumptuous vesture Of silk of purpur/ or gold most orient And other clothing divers and excellent high curious building and palacies royal Or chapels temples fair & substantial Images graven or vaults curious Gardyns and meadows or place dylycyous Forestes parks/ well furnished with dear Cold pleasant streamies or wells fair and clear curious conducties/ or shadowey mountains Sweet pleasant valleys/ lawndies other playns Hounds & such other things manifold Some men take pleasure and solace to behold But all these pleasours be moche more iocounde To private persons/ which not to court be bound Than to such other which of necessity Or bound to the court/ as in captivity For they which be bound to princes without fail When they must needs be present in battle There shall they not be/ at large to see the sight But as sowdyours/ in mids of the fight To rone here and there/ sometime his foe to smite And often times wounded/ herein is small delight And more must he think/ his body to defend Than for any pleasure/ about him to intend And often is he faint and betyn to the ground I trow in such sight/ small pleasure may be found As for fair ladies/ clothed in silk and gold In court at thy pleasure thou canst not behold At thy princes pleasure/ thou shalt them only see Than such shalt thou see which little set by the Whose shape and beauty/ may so enflambe thine heart That thought & languor may 'cause the for to smart For a small sparkle/ may kindle love certain But scantly Sevecne/ may quench it clean again And beautly blindeth and causeth man to set His heart on that thing/ which he shall never get To see men clothed in silks pleasantly It is small pleasure and often causeth envy while thy lean Jade/ halteth be thy side To see another/ upon a courser ride Though he be neither gentleman nor knight Nothing is thy fortune/ thy heart can not be light As touching sporties & games of pleasance To sing to revel and other dalliance Who that will truly/ upon his lord attend Unto such pleasours he seldom may intend Palaycys pyctures/ and temples sumptuous And other building/ both gay and curious These may merchants more at their pleasure see Than such as in court be bound always to be Sith kings/ for must part pass not their regions Thou seest now cities/ of foreign nations Such outward pleasours'/ may the peopyll see So may not courters/ for lack of liberty As for these pleasours/ of things variable Which in the fyldes' aperyth delectable But seldom season mayst thou obtain respite The same to behold with pleasure and delight Some time the courter remaineth half the year Close within wallies much like a prisoner To make escapies/ some seldom time a●wount Save when their princes hath pleasure for to hunt Orels other wise themself to recreate And than this pleasure shall they not love but hate For than shall they forth most namely to the pain When they in minds would at home remain Other in the frost/ hail or else snow Or when some tempest or mighty wind doth blow Or else in great heat and fervour excyssyfe But close in houses the most part waste their life Of colour faded/ & cloaked near with dust This is of courters the joy and all the lust ¶ Coridon. ¶ What yet may they sing & with fair ladies dance Both common & laugh/ here in is some pleasance ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nay nay Coridon/ that pleasouries but small Some & conte●t/ what man will pleasure call For some in the dance/ her pyncheth by the hand Which gladly would see him stretched in a band Some galand seeketh/ her favour to purchase Which plain abhorryth for to behold his face And still in dancing/ most part inclynyth she To one moche viler and more abject than he No day over passeth but that in court men find A thousand things/ to vex and grieve their mind Always thy foes/ or present in thy sight And often so great is their degree and might That needs must thou kiss that hand which did the harm Though thou would see it/ cut gladly from the arm And briefly to speak if thou to court resort If thou see one thing of pleasure or comfort Thou shall see many before or thou departed To thy dyspleasour & pensyfnes of heart So fyndyth thy sight/ there more of bitterness And of dyspleasour/ than pleasure and gladness ¶ Coridon. ¶ As touching the sight now see I clear and plain That men in the court shall find but care & pain But yet me thinketh as daily doth apere That men in the court may pleasant things here And by such means have delectation While they here tidings & communication And all the chaunches and every newelte As well of our Coost/ as far beyond the see There men may here some that common of wisdom For of men wisest/ within the court be some There be recounted/ and of men learned told Famous chronicles of acts great and old The worthy deeds of princes excellent To move young princes/ such acts to frequent For when wise men dare not bad princes blame For their misliving/ Me●alcas saith this same Of other princes/ than laud they the virtue To stir their lords/ such living to ensure And while they commend/ princes unworthily To be commendable/ they warn them secretly All this may courters/ in court often times here And also songs of times sweet and clear The bird of cornwall/ the Crayne and the kite And more other like to here it is delight Warbling of their tunies/ at pleasure and at will Though some be busy which have but little skill There men may here/ moche other melody In sound ressembling a heavenly armony Is this not pleasure/ me think no mirth is scant Where no rejoicing/ of minstrelsy doth want The baggepype/ or fydell to us is delectable Than is there solace more greatly commendable ¶ Cornix. ¶ Thou art deceived/ and so be many more Which for such pleasure/ unto the court will go But for these also/ I must find remedy Which sue to the court for lust of melody They be mad folies/ which to rejoice their ears Will live in court more dreadful then with bearies In stead of pleasure/ such find but heaviness They here small good/ but moche unhapynes As touching tidings/ which thou dost first abject There moche things is told/ falls & of none effect And more dyspleasour shall wysmen in them find Than joy or pleasure to comfort of their mind These be tidings/ in court most commonly Or cities take/ war/ fraud/ & tyranny Good men subdued/ or else by malice slain And bad in their stead/ have victory and rain Of spoiling murder/ oppression and rapine How law and justice/ sore falleth to ruin Among the courters such neweltyes be told And in mean season/ they laugh both young & old While one recounted/ some deed abominable Such other wretches/ repute it commendable But men of wisdom/ well learned in scripture Which talk of manners/ or secret of nature Or of histories/ their disputation Is sweetly sawsyth/ with adulation They cloak the troth/ their princes to content To purchase favour & mind benevolent In sometime poetes or orators ornate Make orisons/ before some great estate It is not so sweet/ to here them talking there Where as their minds/ be troubled often with fear As in the scoles/ where they at liberty Without all flattering/ may talk plain verity For truly in courts/ all communication Must needs have spice of adulation such as be guilty/ anon be mad and wroth If one be so bold/ plainly to say the troth Therefore ill livers/ oft-times lauded be And men dyspraysed which love honest And true histories of acts anucyent be fally turned/ some princes to content And namely when such histories testify Blame or dyswourshyp/ touching his progeny Than new histories be feigned of the old With flattery painted/ with lies many fold Than some good scholar/ without promotion Hearing such/ glosed communication Dare not be so bold/ such dying to gainsay But laugh in his mind yet at the fool he may And also in court/ Actors not veritable And jest of valour are counted most laudable But Livius/ Sallust & quintus curcius Justinian/ plutarch/ and Suetonius With such noble auctors/ and many other more In this time courters will have nothing to do ¶ Coridon. ¶ Cornix/ where hast thou these strange names sought ¶ Cornix. ¶ I sought not in youth the world all for naught Mynstreis' and syngers be in the court like wise And that of the best/ and of the french guise Such men with princes/ be seen more acceptable Than men of wisdom and clerks venerable For Phylosofers/ Poetes and Orators Be seldom in court/ had in so great honours When thou fain would here/ such folks play or sing Nothing shall be done/ of them at thy liking But when it pleaseth thy princes them to call Their sound ascendyth/ to chamber and to hall When thou wouldest sleep or do some business Than is their music to the unquietness Yet bide their clamour and sound thou needs must To thy great trouble and no pleasure or lust This is of syngers the very property Always the covyte desired for to be And when their friends would here of their cunning Than are they never disposed for to sing But if they begin desired of no man Than show they all and more than they can And never leave thy till men of them be weary So in their conceit/ their cunning they set by And thus when a man would gladlyest them here Than have they disdain/ in presence to apere And than when a man would take his eas and rest Than none can void them they be in place so priest Yet needs must thou eschew season principal Reward such people/ else art thou enough at all For their dyspleasoure to the and pains hard Lo such is the court/ thou must give them reward Beside this/ in court men here scant other thing Save chyding/ brawling/ baning & curs●yn● eachone is busy his fellow for to blame There is blaspheming of goddys' holy name devising oaths with pleasure for the nonies And often they speak together all at once So many clamours use they at every tide That scant mayst thou here thy fellow be the side They boast their sins/ as past the fear of shame Detracting other men faulty in the same One laudeth his land where he was bread & born At others contrary having disdain and scorn On each side soundyth foul speech of ribaldry Uaunting and boasting of fin and villainy Not me sure manner nor shame/ nor reverence Have they in words in secret or presence A rusty rybawd more viler than a sow Hath in the court more audience than thou Some book/ some brawl/ some slander & bachyte To here such manners can be but small delight Except a wretch will conform him to that sort Than in such hearing his blindness hath comfort These scabbed scolyons may do and say their will When men of worship for very shame are still Who that hath wisdom would rather deaf to be Than daily to here such vile enormity ¶ Coridon. ¶ I see in hearing men in the court have no joy Yet is it pleasure to handle and to toy With Galatea Licoris or phyllies Neera/ Malkyn or lusty Testilis And other damies/ if coin be in the pouch Men may have pleasure them for to feel & touch In court hath venus her power principal For women useth to love them most of all Which boldly boasteth/ or that can sing and get Which are well decked with large bushes set Which hath the mastery/ often time in tournament Or that can gainbawd/ or dance feat and gentleman Or that can always be merry withouth care With such can women/ most chiefly deal & far So may these courters in court some pleasure win Duly in touching/ and feeling their soft skin ¶ Cornix. ¶ Thou art abused/ forsooth it is not so Lovers in court have most of care and woe Some women love them/ inflamyde be vile lust But yet very few/ dare them believe or trust For well know women/ that courters' chat and babble They boast their sins/ and ever be unstable After their pleasure/ than to the old adiwe Than be they busy/ to purvey for a new This know all women/ Some by experience So few to courters/ give trust or confidence Except it be such/ as forsyth not her name Or passed all fear/ rebuke/ or worldly shame Than such a brouthell/ her kepyth not to one For many courters/ ensueth her alone And none shalt thou love of this vile sort pard But that she loveth another more than the And than as often/ as parting fellows meet They chide and brawl though it be in the street Hatred and strife/ and fighting cometh after ●ffu●y on of blood/ and oftentime manslaughter Thou canst no woman/ keep straight and nygardly To whom many one doth promise largely Another shall come/ more fresh and gaily decte Than hath he favour/ and thou art clean abject When thou haste wasted thy money/ name and seed Than shalt y● have naught save a mok for thy meed Thou art the ninth/ weening to be alone For none of this sort/ can be content with one Yet shall she fain her chaste as penolope Though she love twenty as well as she doth the And each for his time shall have a merry look See syghyth as she great sorrow for them took With feigned tears/ she moysteth often thy lap Till time that thy purse be taken in a trap And if she perceive that all thy coin is go Than dance at the door/ adieu gentle Johun And often when thou goest to visit thy leman With her shalt thou find/ some other jolly man Than shall she make the for to believe none other But he is her father/ her uncle or her brother But plainly to speak/ he brother is tho the If kindred may rise/ of such iniquity Again to her house/ if that thou after room Than shalt thou find/ that she is not at home But go to some other/ which for rebuke and shame Dared not come to her/ for hurting of his name ¶ Coridon. ¶ Here is a rule/ this doth exceed my mind Who would think this guile/ to be in womannkind But yet man pard/ some be as good within As they be outward in beauty of the skin Of this cursed sort/ they can not be eachone Some be which keep them to one lover alone As penolope/ was to her Ulires Think on what Codrus/ recounted of lucre's Though she not willing was falsely violate With her own hands procured she her fate ¶ Cornix. ¶ It were a great wonder a 'mong the women all If none were party's/ of lust veneral I grant some chaste/ what time they can not choose As when all men their company refuse Or when she knoweth/ her vice should be detect Than of mysliving/ avoydyth she the sect And though in the world/ some women mayst thou find Which chastely live/ of their own proper kind Or that can keep her self only to one Yet is with such/ of pleasure small or none To her at pleasure thou canst not resort In pleasure stollyn/ but small is the comfort Neither master thou long with such one remain And in short pleasure departing in great pain To her mayst thou come but only now and than By stealth & sterties/ as privy as thou can To love and thy lord mayst thou not serve together If so thy wit is dystract thou w●t not whether Thy lord doth chalange to him thy hole service And the same doth love chalange in like wise Nat only it is hard in the court to save Thy lemmad chaste/ with her pleasure to have But also/ it is extreme difficulty Thine own wife in court to keep in chastyts For flattering wowers/ on every side apere And lusty galandes of fair dystymulyd cheer Some promise gold and gifts great or small Some hasty galand is yet before them all So many wowers/ bawdies and brokers Flatterers liars and hasty proferes Be always in court/ that chaste Pegasus Coude scant among them preserve her chastity So great temptation/ no woman may resist In heavenly power/ her might do not assist For craft and coin/ flattery and instance turneth chaste minds/ to vile misgovernance Though she be honest/ yet must thou leave thy love Sith princes courts/ continually remove Then Whether she be thy wife or concubine Her care and dolour is great/ and so is thine For neither mayst thou/ there still with her abide Nor lead her with thee/ or keep her be thy side When thou art go/ if she behind remain Than fear the trowblyth/ with torment & with pain By cause that the mind/ of women is onstable Always thou doubtest/ lest she be chawgeable And I assure thee/ if man be out of sight The mind of woman/ to return is very light once out of sight/ and shortly out of mind This is their manner/ apere the never so kind Add to all these/ scorn and derision Which thou mayst suffer/ & great suspection Infamy/ slander/ and prevey Jalowsy These must thou suffer without all remedy And other dangers more than a man can think While other slepyth/ the lover scant doth wink Who hath these proved/ shall none of them desire For children brent/ still after dreadeth fire Sith that these things/ to all men be grievous They be to courts/ yet most dammagyous most painful noyous/ and plainly importable In court them feeling/ hath no thing delectable ¶ Coridon. ¶ I see the pleasure/ of touching is but small I thought it honey/ I see now it is gall Now speak on Cornix I pray the briefly tell What joy have courters/ in tasting or to smell For these two wits/ in court be recreate elys many wretches/ be there infatuat ¶ Cornix. ¶ The smell and tasting/ partly conjoined be And part disjoined/ as I shall tell to the For while we receive/ some meats delicate The smell & tasting/ than both be recreate The fragrant odour/ and ointment of sweet flower Only delytyth/ the smelling with odour Of meat delicious/ go is both smell and taste When it is chewed/ and through the gorge past But they which in mouth/ have pleasure principal Or beestly folys/ and of living brutal The famous shepherd/ whom Nero did behede Them greatly blamyth/ which beestly use to feed Which for their womb chief care & labour take And of their belies/ are wont their god to make ¶ Coridon. ¶ A god of the womb/ that hard I never ere ¶ Cornix. ¶ Coridon/ thou art not to old for to lere I plainly shall now declare for thy sake Now beestly glottons god of their wombs make To god are men wont/ temples to edify And costly auters to ordain semblably To ordain ministers/ to execute service To offer beestes/ by way of sacrifice To burn in temples/ well smelling incense Glottons to the womb/ do all this reverence ¶ Coridon. ¶ They and their goods come to confusion Which forgeth ydolies/ by such abusion But proceed Cornix/ tell on in wordys' plain How all these things/ they to the womb ordain Which is in temple/ the altar and incense And the ministers/ to do their diligence Within the temple to keep always service And to the belly which is the sacrifice ¶ Cornix. ¶ To god of the belly/ gluttons a temple make Of the smoky kitchen/ for temple it they take Within this temple/ minister/ bawdy cooks And young scolyons/ with fendes of their looks The solemn altar/ is the board or table With dysshes charged/ twenty in a rabble The beestes offcyd/ in sacrifice or host In divers sorts/ of sodyn and of roast The saw is incense/ or of the meet the smell And of this temple/ these be the chief vessel Platers and dysshes/ mortar and pot crokys Pottis and pestles/ broochs and flesh hokes And many more else/ than I count or tell They know them best which with the kychen mell For god of the womb/ this service men prepare As for their true god/ full little is their care ¶ Coridon. ¶ This life is beestly/ and utterly damnable ¶ Cornix. ¶ But yet it is now reputed commendable Princes and commons and some of religion Unto this temple have chief devotion To cooks and taverns some erlyer frequent Than unto service of god omnipotent first serve the belly/ than after serve our lord Such is the world/ though it do ill accord And such as delytyth/ in beestly gluttony followeth the court/ supposing steadfastly With meet and with drink/ to stofe well the paunch Whose lust insacyate/ no flood of hell can staunch And for that princes use/ costly meet and wine These folies suppouse/ to fede them with as fine To eat and to drink/ as sweet & delicate As doth their princes or other great estate Like wise as flies/ doth follow and thick swarm About ●at paunches/ unto their utter harm So such men as have/ in gluttony comfort To lords kechyns most busily resort With hungry throties/ yet go the often away And often have the flies much greater part than they ¶ Coridon. ¶ Than tell on Cornix/ what comfort and pleasure Men fyndyth in court in tasting & savour With meat and drink/ how they their wombs fill And whether thy speed/ at pleasure & at will ¶ Coridon. ¶ To eat and to drink/ than is most joy & lust When men be hungry or grieved sore with trust But often unto noun/ must thou abide respite Than turned is hounger/ to doggys' appetite For plain wood hungry that time is many one That some would gladly be gnaving on a bone On which vile currys hath gnawn on before His purse is empty and hunger is so sore Or some by feebleness and weary tarrying Lese their appetite/ that they can eat nothing Some other hath etyn/ some bread & cheese before That at their dinner/ they lust to eat no more Their stomach stopped and closed with some crust From them hath take/ their appetite & lust Than other courters of manners beestyall With greedy mouths devoureth more than all Thus some at rising be fuller than be swine And some for hunger again may site and dine Sometime to guider must thou both dine & sup And sometime thou dynest before the son be up But if thou refuse to eat before day light Than must thou tarry and fast till it be night To eat or to drink than is it small delight When no digestion hath stirred appetite Again art thou set to sowper all to late All thing hath season which men of court not hate For never shall thy meat be set to in the season Where of procedyth much sore vexation Often age intestate departed suddenly And lusty galandes departeth semblably Here of procedyth/ the vomit & the stone And other sickness many more than one Sometime is the wine sour/ watery and so bad That only the colour might make a man be mad Cold without measure/ or hot as horse pys Bad is the colour/ the savour badder is But if in the court thou drink/ both bear and ale Than is the colour trowbled/ black and pale Think not to drink it/ in glass/ silver or gold The one may be stollyn/ the other can not hold Of a treyn vessel/ than must thou needy drink Old black and rusty/ lately take fro some sink And in such vessel drink/ shall thou of tentyme Which in the bottom/ is full of filth and slime And of that vessel/ thou drynkest often I iwis In which some statis/ or damys late did piss Yet shalt thou not have/ a cup at thy delight To drink of alone/ at will and appetite Coridon in court/ I tell the by my soul For most part/ thou must drink of a common bows And where greasy lips/ and slimy beard Hath late been depyd/ to make some man afeard On that side must thou thy lips wash also Or else without drink/ from dinner must thou go In the mean season/ old wine & dearly bought Before thy presence/ shall to thy prince be brought Whose smell and odour/ so sweet and marvelous With fragrant savour/ inbawnyth all the house As muscadel capryke/ romney and maluesy From Genes/ borough from grece or hungarry Such shall he drink/ such shall to him be brought Thou hast the savour/ thy part of it is naught Though thou should perysike/ for very ardent thrust No drop thou gettest/ for to esclacke thy lust And though good wines/ sometime to the be brought The taste of better/ shall cause it to seem naught Often wouldest thou drink/ yet darest thou not sup Till time thy better have tasted of the cup No cup is filled/ till dinner half be done And some mynystres/ it countyth than to soon But if thou begin for drink/ to call and crave Thou for thy calling such good reward shalt have That men shall call the malapert or drunk Or an abbey loan/ or lymner of a monk But with thy rebuke/ yet art thou never the near Whither thou demand/ wine pallydale or bear Yet shalt thou not drink/ when thou hast need & thrust The cup must thou spare/ aye/ for thy betters lust Thy ough many hands shall pass the pees or cup Before or it come to thee/ is all drunk up And than if a drop/ or two therein remain To lick the vessel/ sometime thou art full fain And than at the ground/ some filth if thou espy To blame the butler/ thou gettest but envy And as men wekely/ new holy water pour And once in a year/ the vessel use to scour So cupes & tankards in court as thou mayst think Where in the commons/ are used for to drink Or once in the year/ empty and made clean And scantly that well/ as oftentime is seen For to ask water/ thy wines to alley Thou find shalt no need/ if thou before assay With rynsing of cupes/ it tempered is before By cause pure water/ perchance is not in store ¶ Coridon. ¶ Fie on this manner/ such service I defy I see that in court is unclean penury Yet here though our drink/ be very thine & small We may thereof plenty have when we call And in clean vessel/ we drink thereof pard Take here the bottle Cornix/ assay and see ¶ Cornix. ¶ Than call for the priest/ when I refuse to drink This ale brewet/ bentlye it maketh me to wink ¶ Coridon. ¶ Thou sayest troth Cornix/ believe me by the road No hand is so sure/ that can always make good But talk of the court/ if thou hast any more Set down the bottle/ save some liquor in store ¶ Cornix. ¶ God bliss the brewer/ well cooled is my throat Now might I for need/ sing higher by a note It is bad water/ that cannot alloy dust And very sour ale/ that can not quench thrust How rowlyth my tongue/ now that I without pain Now here me I enter into the court again Behold in the court/ on common table clothes So vile and ragged that some his dinner lothies touch them/ then shall they unto thy fingers cleave And than must thou wipe/ thy hands on thy slyve So he which daily fareth in this guise Is so imbrued/ and nointed in such wise That as many men/ as on his scyrtes look Count him a scolyon/ or else a gresy cook ¶ Coridon. ¶ Yet Cornix/ again/ all courting I defy Moore cleanness is kept/ within some hogs sty But yet mate Cornix all be not thus I ween For some table clotheses be kept wite and clean Fyner than silk/ and changed every day ¶ Cornix. ¶ Coridon forsooth/ it is as thou dost say But these be things/ most chief & principal Only reserved/ for greatest men of all As for other clotheses/ which serve the comonte such as I told thee/ or else viler be And still remain thee/ unto the plank cleaving So black/ so bawdy/ so fowl and ill seeming Of sight and of sent/ vile and abominable Till scant may a man discern them from the table But now here what meat/ there needs eat thou must And than if thou mayst to it apply thy lust Thy meet in the court/ is neither swan nor heron Curlewe nor crane/ but cowrs beef & motton Fat pork or vele/ and namely such is bought For easier price/ when they be lean and naught Thy flesh is reesty/ or lean tough and old Or it come to board/ onsavery and cold Sometime twice sodden/ unclean without taste Sawsed with coals/ and ashes all for haste When thou it etyst/ it smellyth so of smoke Than every morsel/ is able one to choke Make hunger thy sawse/ be thou never so nice For there shalt thou find none other sauce ne spice Thy pottage is made with wedes & with ashes And between thy teeth/ of time the coals crasshes Sometime half sodden/ is both thy flesh & broth The water and herbs/ together be so wroth That each goth a part/ they can not well agree And often be they salt/ as water of the see Seldom at cheese/ hast thou a little lick And if thou aught have/ within it shall be quick All full of magotties and like to the rainbow Of divers colours/ as read green and yellow On each side grawen/ with mice or with ratties Or with vile worms/ with dogs or with catties Unclean and scurfy/ and hard as the stone It looketh so well/ thou wouldest it were go If thou have butter/ than shall it be as ill Or worse than thy cheese/ but hunger hath no skill And when that eggs/ half hatched be almost Than are they for thee/ laid in the fire to roost If thou have pearys/ or apples by thou sure Than be they such as might no more endure And if thou none eat/ they be so good & fine That after dinner/ they serve for the swine Thy oil for frying is for the lamps meet A man it chokyth/ the savour is so sweet A cordwayners shop/ & it have equal sent Such pain & penance/ acordyth best to lent Such is of this oil/ the savour perilous That it might/ serpent's drive out of an house offtime thy stomach it causeth to reboke And of it is ready/ the suddenly to choke Of fish in some court/ thy chief & used dish Is whyting hexing/ saltfysshe & stockfysshe If the day be solemn/ parchance thou mayst feel The taste & the sapour/ of tench or eel Their muddy sapour shall make thy stomach ache And as for the eel/ is cousin to a snake But if better fish/ or any dysshes more Come to thy part/ it naught was before Corrupt ill smelling and. u days old For sent thou canst not receive it if thou would Thy bread is black/ of ill sapour & taste And hard as a flint/ because thou none should waste That scant be thy teeth abil it to brake Deep it in pottage/ if thou no shift can make And though white & brown/ be both at one price With brown shalt the fede jest white might make y● nice The lords will always that people note & see between them & servants some diversity Though it to them turn to no profit at all If they have pleasure/ the servant shall have small Thy dysshes be one contynning the year Thou knowest what meat before them shall apere This slakyth great part/ of lusts and pleasure Which asketh dentyes' moche divers of sapour On one dish daily needs shall thou blow Till thou be as weary as dog of the bow But this might be suffered/ may fortune easily If thou saw not sweeter meats to pass by For this unto courters/ most commonly doth hap That while they have brown bread & cheese i their lap On it fast gnawing as hounds ravenous Anon by them passeth of meat delicious And costly dysses a score may they tell Their greedy gorgys' are rapt with the smell The dainteous dysshes/ which pass through the hall It were great labour for me to name them all And Coridon all if I would it were but shame For sympyll shepherds such deyntyes to name With brown bread & cheese/ the shepherd is content And scant see we fish/ past once in the lent And other seasons/ soft cheese is our food With boter & cream than is our dinner good And milk is our mirth/ and special appetite In apples and plommies/ also is our delight These fill the belly all if we hunger sore When man hath enough what needeth him have more But when these courters sit on the benches ydyll Smelling those dysshes they bite on the brydyll And than is their pain and anger fallen as gall When all passeth by/ & they have naught at all What fish is of savour/ sweet & delicious While thou sore hungrest/ thy prince hath plenteous roasted or sodden in sweet herbs & wine Or fried in oil/ most saporous & fine Such fish to behold and none thereof to taste Pure envy causeth high heart near to braced Than saying his dysshes of flesh new again Thy mind hath torment yet with much great pain Well mayst thou smell the pastyes of a hart And divers dentyes'/ but naught shall be thy part The crane/ the pheasant/ the peacock & curlewe The partridge/ plover/ byttore & heronsewe Each bird of the air and beestes of the ground At princes table/ shalt thou behold abound Season d so well in liquor redolent That the hall is full of pleasant smell & sent To see such dysshes/ & smell the sweet odour And nothing to taste/ is utter dyspleasour ¶ Coridon. ¶ Yes somewhat shall come/ who can his time abide And thus may I warn/ my fellow by my side What eat soft dromo/ & have not so great haste For shortly we shall some better morfell taste Soft man and spare thou/ a courner of thy belly A none shall be sent us some little dish of Jely A leg of a swan/ a partridge or twain ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nay nay Coridon/ thy biding is in vain Thy thought shall vanish/ such dysshes be not small For common courters/ of them hath naught at all To thy next fellow/ some morsel may be sent To thy dyspleasour great anguish & torment Whereby in thy mind thou mayst suspect & trow Him more in favour & in conceit than thou And sometime to the is sent a little crape With savour thereof to take the in a trap Nat to allay/ thy hunger and desire But by the sweetness/ to set the more on fire Beside all this sorrow/ increased is thy pain When thou beholdest before thy lord pain main A baker choose & waged well for thy That only he should that business apply If thou one manchet/ dare handyll other touch By cause of duty to thrust it in thy pouch Than shall some sloveyn/ the dash on the ere Thou shrynkest for shame thy bread leaving there ¶ Coridon. ¶ My bag full of stony & hook in my hand Should give me a courage such boldly to with stand ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nat so Coridon/ they far like to curs Together they cleave more fast than do burrs Though eachone with other often chide brawl & fight Against a poor stranger they show all their might It is a great mastery for Coridon alone To strive or comende/ with many more than one A straw for thy wisdom & arties liberal For favour and coin in court worketh all Thy princes apples be sweet & orient such as Minalcas unto Amintas sent Or such as Agros did in his keeping hold Of fragrant sapour and colour like pure gold In savowre of whom thou only hast delight But if thou should die no morssell shalt thou bite His cheese is costly/ fat pleasant & wholesome Though thy teeth water/ thou etest not a crome Upon the sewer/ well mayst thou gaze & gape While he is filled/ thy hunger is a Jape Before thy sovereign shall the keruar stand With divers gesture/ his knife in his hand dismembering a crane/ or somewhat dainteous And though his parsell be fat & plenteous Though unto divers/ thou see him cut & carve Thou gettest no gobbet/ though thou should die & starve In all that thy sight hath delectation Thy greedy tasting/ hath great vexacron What man will believe/ that such wretched thing A courter may find his pleasure or living What man is he but rather would assent That in such living is anguish & torment May not their torment be well compared thus Unto the torment of wretched Tantalus Which as said Fawstus/ whose saying I may think In flood and fruyties/ may neither eat nor drink Ancient poetes/ this Tantalus do feign In hell condemned to suffer such pain That up to the chin/ in water doth he stand And to his upper lip/ retch apples a thousand But when he would drink/ the water doth descend And when he would eat/ the apples doth ascend So both fruit and water them keepeth at a stint In mids of pleasure have courters like torment But now to tell table for to return again There hast thou yet another grievous pain That when other talk/ & speak what they will Thou dare not whisper/ but as one dom be still And if thou aught speak/ privy or apart Thou art to busy/ & called malapert If thou call for aught by word sign/ or beck Than Jack with the bush shall taunt thee with a check One reacheth the bread with grudge & murmuring If thou of some other demand any thing He hath at thy asking great scorn & disdain By cause that thou sittest while he standeth in pain Sometime the servants be blind & ignorant And spy not what thing upon the board doth want If they see a fawt/ they will it not attend By negligent scorn/ disdaining it to mend Sometime thou wantest other bread or wine But naught dare thou ask if thou should never dine Demand salt trencher spoon or other thing Than art thou unportune/ & ever more craving And so shall thy name be spread to thy pain For at the shall all have scorn & disdain Sometime art thou erkyd of them at the table But much more art thou of the serving rabble The hungry servers/ which at the table stand At every morsel/ hath eye unto thy hand So moche on thy morsel dystract is their mind They gape when thou gapyst/ often biting the wind By cause that thy levyngys'/ is only their part If thou feed the well/ sore grieved is their heart Namely of a dish costly and dainteous Each piece that thou cuttest to them is tedious Than at the cupboard/ one doth another tell See how he feedeth/ like the devil of hell Our part he eateth/ naught good shall we taste Than pray they to god that it be thy last ¶ Coridon. ¶ I had liefer Cornix go souperles to bed Than at such a fast/ to be so bestead Better it is/ with cheese and bread one to fill Than with great dainty/ with anger and ill will Or a small handful/ with rest and sure pleasance Than twenty dysshes/ with wrathful countenance ¶ Cornix. ¶ That can Amintas record and testify But yet is in court/ more pain and misery Brought in/ by dysshes the table for to fill But not one is brought/ in order at thy will That thou would have first/ and lovest principal Is brought to the board/ of times last of all With bread and rude meet/ when thou art satiate Than cometh dysshes/ most sweet and delicate Than must thou other despise them utterly Or to thy hurt/ surfeit/ ensuing gluttony But if it fortune/ as seldom doth befall That at beginning come dysshes best of all Or thou hast tasted/ a morsel other twain Thy dish out of sight/ is taken soon again Slow be the servers/ in serving in always But swift be they/ after taking thy meat away A special costom/ is used them among No good dish to suffer on board to be long If the dish be pleasant/ other flesh or fish Ten hands at once/ swarm in the dish And if it be flesh ten knives shall thou see Mangling the flesh & in the platter i'll To put there thy hand is peril without fail Without a gantelet or else a glove of mail Among all these knives/ thou one of both must have Or else is it hard/ thy fingers hole to save Often in such dysshes in court is it seen Some leave their fingers/ each knife is so keen On a finger gnawyth some hasty glutton Supposing it a pees/ of beef or of motton Beside these in court more pains shalt thou see At board be men set/ as thick as they may be The platters shall pass of times to & fro And over the shoulders/ & heed shall they go And often all the broth and liquor fat Is spilled on thy gown/ thy bonnet and thy hat Sometime art thou thrust/ for little room and place And sometime thy fellow reboketh in thy face between dish and dish/ is tarry tedious But in the mean time/ though thou have pain grievous Neither mayst thou rise/ cough/ spit/ or sneeze Or take other easement/ lest thou thy name may lose For such as this wise/ to eas them are wont In number of rascaldes/ courters them count Of meet is none hour/ nor time of certente Yet from beginning/ absent if thou be Other shalt thou loose/ thy meat and kiss the post Or if by favour thy sowper be not lost Thou shalt at least way rebukes sour abide For not attending & failing of thy tide Onions or garlic/ which stamped Testyles Nor yet sweet lekes/ mayst thou not etc ywys ¶ Coridon. ¶ What forsake garlic/ lekys and butter sweet Nay rather would I go to Ely on my feet We count these deyntyes/ and meats very good These be chief dysshes/ and ruall men's food ¶ Cornix. ¶ Who court frequenteth/ must love the dysshes sweet And lords dysshes/ to him are no thing meet As for our meats they may not eat I think By cause great lords may not abide the stink But yet lords siege/ and ruall men's or dure Be like of savour/ for all their meats pure As for common meats/ of them pleasure is small By cause one service/ of them continual Allayeth pleasure/ for voluptuousity Will have of dysshes change and diversity And when thou hast smelled meat more delicious Thy course daily far/ to the is tedious Now Judge Coridon/ if here in be pleasure methink it anguish sorrow & dolour continual care and utter misery Affliceyon of heart/ & wretched penury But many fools think it is nothing so While they see courters out ward so gaily go The courser's servants cloch silver & gold And other like things/ delight they to behold But enough they regard/ the inward misery Which them oppressyth in court continually And as saith Seveke/ some count them fortunate Which outward apere/ well clothed or ornate But if thou beheld their inward wretchedness Their daily trouble/ their fruitless business Than would thou count them both vile & miserable Their room and office/ both falls & deceivable For like as men paint/ old wallies ruinous So by they painted/ their life contrarious And therefore all they which serve in court gladly For taste or smelling/ or spice of gluttony Have like more wretched/ than burgyes or merchant Which with their wives have love & life pleasant shepherds have not so wretched life as they Though they leave porely on cruddes cheese & whey On apples plommes/ and drink clear water deep As it were lords reyning among their sheep The wretched lasar/ with clynking of his bell Hath life which doth the courters' life excel The caitiff beggar hath meat & liberty When courters' hunger/ in hard captivity The poor man beggyth/ nothing hurting his name As towchig courters they dare not beg for shame And an old proverb is said by men most sage That often young courters be beggars in their age Thus all those wretches/ which doth the court frequent Bring not to purpose their minds nor intent But if their minds & will were sacyate They are not better/ thereby nor fortunate Than all be fools concluding with this clawse Which with glad minds use courting for such cause ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now truly Cornir/ right plainly hast thou told Of court and courters/ the pains many fold And as I suppose there can no more remain Thy wit and council hath rid me fro great pain If I had plenty of treasure and riches I should or I went reward thy business But need often hurteth good manners commendable ¶ Cornix. ¶ What man will gladly give/ that is not able But one habunding in treasure and riches Is ware in giving/ or yet to make promise Thy will is enough/ sith that thy store is thine I ask of the fox no ferther than the skin But long is to night/ therefore I shall gladly ¶ Coridon. ¶ What more yet declare of courtly misery Thou hast told enough/ by all these crosses ten Almost for to choke upon a thousand men ¶ Cornix. ¶ That I promised/ right would I should fulfil Yet more shall I touch/ if thou can hold y● still I said first that some/ but they be sawyn thine Resort unto the court/ there souls for to win For with great princes/ while such men remain They Think by counsel by business & pain Thefely to labour for the utility Of divers causes touching the comonte Poor men supporting/ and children fatherless And helping widows/ also in their distress So moche more weening/ to pleas our lord thereby Because they contend in pain & Jeopardy Of these must I cure/ the minds ignorant Which be more fools than all the remanant All if they repute themself/ never so sage Yet shall I prove themself stuffed with dotage ¶ Coridon. ¶ Declare that Cornix/ that fain would I here We have time enough/ yet doth the son apers ¶ Cornix. ¶ Of this foresaid sort/ scant any find we shall But that requireth some lucre temporal But nevertheless/ now fain we such a one Which seeketh in court for no promotion But only intend/ there souls for to win And as a champion/ to fight against sin Sold wise men suppose in court so to prevail Lost is their labour/ their study & travail Or should a good man/ which loveth honest Put him in thraldom/ or in captivity Of princes service/ his soul to win thereby Say men what them list/ me thinketh the contrary For in court required/ so many a sin and vice And so many ways/ from virtue to attyse And so many means/ leading to vicyousnes That there may a man/ scant bide in his goodness For as a bad horse/ resty and flinging Often kestyth a man/ though he be well sitting In like manner wise man and rygghtwyse resorting to court/ dyscendyth unto vice All if his reason and will also deny In court hath the fiend/ such fraud & polesy By mean that vices have there no punysment For lust & sufferance/ make minds insolent But sin & sinners/ lie daily so in wait Against good living/ to lay their deadly bait That the best livers/ from way of grace decline By there occasion/ impellyth to ruin He falleth in rockies/ & peril consequent By force of tempest and winds violent ¶ Coridon. ¶ What man in court is neytheyr roke nor sand Dyffusly thou spekyst/ & to understand ¶ Cornix. ¶ I speak in parable/ or by similitude Who not perceiveth his reason is but rude But mate Coridon/ I tell the before That what I shall say or yet have close in store Of divers auctors/ I learned of Codrus And he it learned/ of shepherd Silvius This Codrus said/ that Plato the great sage Of Athenence court/ adverting the outrage purposed rather to i'll to solitude Than live in honour among such vices rude Than know well thyself/ what so ever thou be Which to sue the court hast thy felicity And note if thyself be better than plato Note well the power if thou have will also As well as Plato/ ill costom to refrain If thou so thinkest/ thou thinkest thing in vain In court must a man/ sail after every wind Himself conforming/ to every manners mind Serve every season/ conform him to the time Be common with more/ though it be in some crime He must rule nature & yet he wot not whither After the season/ now hither & now thither And in his manner he must direct his lice With heavy persons/ him must he show pensive With men at leisure/ which will them recreate He must be jocund/ after their use and rate With aged persons/ he must him have sadly With youth behave him iocounde and merely With adventurous men/ which seek on cruelty He must show him blood & of audacity With livers beestly/ ensuing carnal lust Live lecherously/ forsooth he needs must And who so refuseth than is his nature wrong He shall not in the court rise nor continue long But Coridon/ thou might object unto me more That the said Plato/ which fled from court before Came long while after/ and was in the service Of Dionysius/ the Tyrant of Sily●e It is as thou sayest/ but hearken to the end This Tyrannies vice/ while he did reprehend All if the Tyrant counted his name divine As under colour/ to follow his doctrine The cruel Tyrant/ his malice to fulfil Sold this same Plato/ mawgre his mind & wit But thus entreated/ was Plato not alone The wrath of princes proved have many one And namely of such as wisest were I iwis As ●enon murdered/ by Tyrant Phalaris His godly wisdom/ nor honour of his age Coude him not succour/ so did the Tyrant rage Arracreontes/ sometime of Cypress king Slew Anaragoras/ for all his great cunning And by commandment/ of Theodoricus Without all mercy/ slain was Boecius ¶ Coridon. ¶ These be far matters and things very old ¶ Cornix. ¶ even such they be/ as Codrus to me told And yet many more/ he counted to me plain Of worthy clerks/ whom fell princes hath slain But all to recount/ me think it is not best That asketh leisure/ the son is near at rest Scant time remaineth/ to tell that is beside Except we purpose here all the night abide ¶ Coridon. ¶ Late at our church ale/ sir Samson to me told A tale of moyses & other Prophets' old How the same moyses and many of like sort To princes courts did oftentime resort He said that moyses though he of tongue were rude Left his hole flock/ behind in solitude And he with Aaron/ together both did go On goddys' message unto king Pharaoh Also sir Samson recounted unto me A like narration of prophet Helyse But Cornix/ my mind is much oblivyous And long histories to here be tedious ¶ Cornix. ¶ As touching moyses and many prophets mother I granute/ they were wont to princes for to go These men were godly/ it folly were to say That all men should have such privilege as they These were messengers of god of Izraell And find can we not/ that they in court did devil But when they had said god's commandment They left both court and princes in continent Joseph alonely/ abode with Pharaoh Th'ordinance of god had erst disposed so To help his nation/ in time after to come By his provision/ and marvelous wisdom I grant the also/ Mawricius & Martyne Sebastian/ George & other men divine served in court & used chyua●ry And nevertheless/ thy lived holely But this Mawricius did chrystened become And with his legion/ received martyrdom Like wise sayut George & saint Sebastian Dyspysing ydo●tes which courts used than Suffered hard death by many fold torment For love and true faith of god omnipotent But during the time/ these did in the court remain No names of saints/ men gave to them certain And holy martin/ when he was come to age Gave over the court/ and fixed his courage In goddys' service/ remaining steadfastly For he perceived/ & knew right perfitly That of poor widows & children fatherless The cause not entryth in to the court doubtless Their matters quealeth/ for sold is all justice And every speech/ of ribaldry and vice Also in courts/ of mercy found is naught And of religion/ no sele if it were sought Envy possessyth the place of charity Only Ambition hath there authority These vices to resist/ passyth human doctrine Man they overcome/ except wisdom divine If god do not succour it passeth man's might With such occasion/ continually to fight This knew saint Martin/ by sight continual Yet naught him moved by help celestial And though he lived in court right holely He would no longer ensue that chyua●ry And yet many more/ he counted to me plain Of worthy clerks/ whom fell princes hath slain But all to recount/ me think it is not best That asketh leisure/ the son is near at rest Scant time remaineth/ to tell that is beside Except we purpose here all the night abide ¶ Coridon. ¶ Late at our church ale/ sir Samson to me told A tale of moyses & other Prophets' old How the same moyses and many of like sort To princes courts did oftentime resort He said that moyses though he of tongue were rude Left his hole flock/ behind in solitude And he with Aaron/ together both did go On goddys' message unto king Pharaoh Also sir Samson recounted unto me A like narration of prophet Helyse But Cornix/ my mind is much oblivyous And long histories to here be tedious ¶ Cornix. ¶ As touching moyses and many prophets mother I granute/ they were wont to princes for to go These men were godly/ it folly were to say That all men should have such privilege as they These were messengers of god of Izraell And find can we not/ that they in court did devil But when they had said god's commandment They left both court and princes in continent Joseph alonely/ abode with Pharaoh Th'ordinance of god had erst disposed so To help his nation/ in time after to come By his provision/ and marvelous wisdom I grant the also/ Mawricius & Martyne Sebastian/ George & other men divine served in court & used chyua●ry And nevertheless/ thy lived holely But this Mawricius did chrystened become And with his legion/ received martyrdom Like wise saint George & saint Sebastian Dyspysing ydo●tes which courts used than Suffered hard death by many fold torment For love and true faith of god omnipotent But duting the time/ these did in the court remain No names of saints/ men gave to them certain And holy martin/ when he was come to age Gave over the court/ and fixed his courage In goddys' service/ remaining steadfastly For he perceived/ & knew right perfitly That of poor widows & children fatherless The cause not entryth in to the court doubtless Their matters quealeth/ for sold is all justice And every speech/ of ribaldry and vice Also in courts/ of mercy found is naught And of religion/ no sele if it were sought Envy possessyth the place of charity Only Ambition hath there authority These vices to resist/ passyth human doctrine Man they overcome/ except wisdom divine If god do not succour it passeth man's might With such occasion/ continually to fight This knew saint Martin/ by sight continual Yet naught him moved by help celestial And though he lived in court right holely He would no longer ensue that chyua●ry Nor leave example/ to other men to come To live/ where reigneth no virtue nor wisdom As when it was asked of christ our saviour What should a man do/ of penance or labour Or other deeds to win eternal bliss He bed not a man/ ren to the court ywys He said not go follow a prince or lord or king But go fallen thy riches/ and other worldly thing Despise all the world/ and worldly vanity For so have I done/ than come & follow me In this cause/ our lord hath made no mention Of following the court/ for vain promotion Than let men take heed/ though they be virtuous Jest while they follow a thing so perilous In court supposing/ their souls for to win Jest there they loose them/ by falling into sin For there be snares and gy●ys infinite The fiend is ready/ occasion to excite In every corner some envy shalt thou meet And stumbling stonies lay hid before thy feet Full hard is it there/ ambition to refrain Avarice to slake/ it is a great pain To tame envy/ & wrath to mitigate And in occasion onclenlynes to hate Hard is it daily to be among these same And none of them all/ thy pleasure to inflame But if there be any/ which can his lust subdue Among all wyces/ to kept them in virtue As a precious stone/ clean in the mids of mire Or lie in flame/ not grieved with the fire Or touch soft pitch and not his fingers file If such one be found/ within a thousand mile I will not deny/ but that he may well sue After court/ and follow/ not hurting his virtue So much more merit/ shall such a man procure How moche more he doth/ of jeopardy endure But this is my mind/ & sure opinion That such as resort/ unto the court eachone Be rather overcome/ by sin & visyousnes Than they can vices vanquish and repres For man of his nature/ is apt to sin & vice And with great hardness doth virtue exercise Example of children/ which if they have their will Be less disposed to goodness/ than to ill I hard Minalcas sing/ this unto his drone That scripture saith/ that mankind is not prove In youth and age/ his pleasure to ensure In easy lusts/ than hardness of virtue Therefore I council/ thyself my Coridon Amintas/ Codrus/ and shepherds eachone And all of other men which will them save fro hell That none of them all/ presume with court to mell For there is the soul in jeopardy by crime And after life is lost be surfeit or due time For other must a man unto his prince assent Laugh at his vices and be with them content Than lost is thy soul/ else his faults blame Than shalt thou his Ire against the inflame As Cirus the king sometime of persy land Had one Arpolus/ chief friend of a thousand Because Arpolus once blamed his offence The wrathful tyrant/ by mad malyvolence Caused Arpolus/ unwarly at a feast To eat his Children as they like meat were dressed And thus Are polus to his children was a grave For blamige thy prince such reward mayst ● have Right so Cambyses/ in hasty furor slew The sone of his friend which was to him most true By cause that his friend/ him blamed for drunkness Of such examples/ be many more doubtless ¶ Coridon. ¶ I have hard Codrus often times testify How Aristotle/ prince of philosophy Sued the tents/ with lawdes and honour Of Alexander the mighty conqueror ¶ Cornix. ¶ Thou little knowest what caused him do so Or if he freely had liberty to go Truly I suppose/ it was against his heart And that he might not at liberty depart But many other right worthy high honour Also insured/ that mighty conqueror As Calystynes of high discretion And also Crito/ which was his norsies son And bold Lichunachus/ followed him in fight Which was a philosopher/ & eke a worthy knight And many more else that I can count or tell But here Coridon what unto these befallen For that Calistines forbade men to honour Great Alexander as god of most valour After such custom as was in Persy land Therefore had he cut/ from body/ foot and hand His nose & earys/ of trenched were also His iyens out digged for to increase his woe Than by commandment of the conqueror Was thrust into prison to bide in more dolour Enduring his life/ there ever to remain But when Lysimachus for to make short this pain Rechyd him poison/ his cruel conqueror Made him be thrown to lions to devour And at a banquet/ as erst was touched plain By Alexander was the said Crito slain For blaming of him by cause that he did blame His father deeds/ Philipphus by his name Therefore Coridon after my judgement And as I believe thou wilt thereto assent They all be fools/ which sue to court so sore For all such causys/ as touched are before Or to win souls/ be there content to serve Their own soul putting in danger for to starve For other do they seek and hunt about in vain And their desires there shall they not obtain Or that thing they seek/ which shall do them damage Else be they thrown in such a blind dotage That of two veins/ they chose most Jeopardous All full of thorns/ and business perilous All if they might well to their desire attain By way more easy/ more short & void of pain ¶ Coridon. ¶ O marvelous matter and well brought to an end I can not be able thy reason to commend Nor yet to reward the thing that thou haste done Though I had riches/ & wit like Solomon Thou haste me saved/ by council sapient Out of hell mouth/ & any fold torment But now is it time/ to draw to our cottage The day is end/ right so is our language ¶ Finis. ¶ This endeth the second eclogue of the misery of courts and courters. ¶ Here beginneth the third and last eclogue of the misery and behaviour of courts and courters ¶ Coridon. AFter sore labour/ sweet rest is delectable And after long night day light is comfortable And many words requireth moche drink The throat well washed than love the iyen to wink This night with me/ it proved other wise I drank to bedward/ as is my common guise But such rest/ had I till it was on the morn As had my mother/ the night that I was born ¶ Cornix. ¶ Of that I mayvayle/ for thou art wont always To sleep and to snort/ till time that it be day But how happened this/ now tell me Coridon That thou had this night so sore vexation ¶ Coridon. ¶ I was so drenched with dreamys a dread so sore I trow never man was troubled so before Me thought in the court I taken was in trap And there sore handled/ god give it an ill hap Me thought the scolyons/ like fendes of there looks Came some with whytles/ some other with flesh hokes Me thought that they stood eachone about me thick With knives ready for to slay me quick So had I sleeping as moche of fear & dread As I should waking/ have lost my skin in deed With such a vision/ I troubled was all night Wherefore I joyed/ what time I saw day light For as soon as ever I hard the birds peep For fear of dreamies/ no longer dared I sleep But start fro my bede/ as lightly was I priest Almost as a bird/ out fleeth from her nest So caught I my male/ my boteiland my hook And forth with my flock/ anon my way I took But tell me Cornix/ I pray the heartily What thing this my dream/ may note & signify ¶ Cornix. ¶ I dread list some one/ fulfilled/ with ill will Had hard our talking/ & it reported ill Which may us after cause rather weep than sing For ill will maketh/ the worst of every thing But than doth one thing/ well comfort me again Forced men are wont/ of that to dream certain Wherewith their minds/ in walking trowbled be A straw for dreamys/ they be but vanity And as for me/ I no man dyscommende If scabbed claw/ the troth shall me defend But how Coridon/ thy head is in thy lap What now so erly beginest thou to nap ¶ Coridon. ¶ Who hath not slept/ nor restydall the night Must sleep by day/ else shall his brain be light But Cornix if thou list/ me for to keep and wake Talk of some mats again for god's sake For so shall the time overpass with little pain God knoweth when we shall meet after again ¶ Cornix. ¶ I grant Coridon/ for recreation Of court yet to have/ more communication ¶ Coridon. ¶ All misery of court/ thou hast all ready told ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nay nay Coridon/ not by a thousand fold We shall have matter/ near till this years end To talk of courts/ if I might it intend But this one day of part well may we talk As for the other I force not let it walk ¶ Coridon. ¶ Thansyth down Cornix/ lean here again this bank As for our talking we get but little thank ¶ Cornix. ¶ We get as much almost as we deserve I look for no thank nor meet though I should steruae In court shall men find yet many pains mother Some shall I touch/ let all the other go Because that of sleeping was our first commonynge Here now what pains have courters in sleeping They oftentime sleep/ full wretchedly in pain And lay all the night/ forth in cold wind & rain Sometime in bore straw/ on boards ground or stonies Till both their sides ache and all their bonies And when that one side acheth and is weary Than turn the other/ lo here a remedy Or else must he rise and walk himself a space Till time his joints be satled in their place But if it fortune thou lie within some town In bed of feathers/ or else of easy down Than make the ready/ for flies and for gnatties For lice for fleas/ punaysys' mice & ratties These shall with biting/ with stinking din & sound Make the worse easement/ than if thou lay on grand And never in the court shalt thou have bed alone Save when thou wouldest most gladly lie with one Thy sheets shall be onclene/ ragged and rend Loathly unto sight/ but lothlyer to sent In which some other/ departed late before Of the pestilence/ or of some other sore Such a bedfelawe men shall to the assign That it were better to sleep among the swine So fowl and scabbed of hard pimples so thine That a man might grate hard erustes on his skin And all the night long shall he his sydys' grate Better lay on ground/ than lay with such a mate One coughyth so fast/ another breath doth stink That during the night/ scant mayst y● get a wink Sometime a ●eper/ is sygned to thy bed Or with other sore/ one grievously bestead Sometime thy bedfelawe is colder than is ice To him than he draweth/ thy clothes with a tryse But if he be hot/ by fevers than shall he Cast all the clothes/ & coverlet on the Other is thy fellow always to the grievous Or else thou to him art always tedious And sometime these courters/ them more to encumber Sleep all in one chamber/ near twenty in number Than it is great sorrow/ for to abide their shout Some fert some flyngyth/ & other snort & rout Some book & some babble/ some cometh drunk to bed Some brawl & so Jangel when they be beestly fed Some laugh & some cry/ each man will have his will Some spew & some piss/ not one of them is still Never be they still till mids of the night And than some brawlyth & for their beds fight And often art thou sygned to log near the stable Than there shalt thou here of rascoides a rabble Sometime shalt thou here/ how they each other smite The nyenge of horses/ & how each other bite Never shall thou know thy lodging or thy nest Till all thy betters/ be saddled & at rest In ynnes be strangers/ and gests many one Of courters lives/ make there conclusion And where they be known of neither man nor wife Often times courters/ there end their wretched life Than shall the hosteler be their executor Or such other ribald shall/ that was his devour Making the tapster/ cometh gay & feat His shirt/ his doublet or bonnet to excheat For flesh that he bought & paid naught therefore Than is she extreme/ for he shall come no more But a common in/ if that thou lodge or lie Thou never canst lay up/ thy gear so privily But other it is stolen/ or changed with a thought And for a good/ thou hast a thing of naught For some arcant thiefs/ shall in thy chamber lie And while thou slepyst/ they rise shall privily All if thou thy pouch under thy pillow lay Some one crafty searcher/ thereat shall have assay Bawds and brethels/ & flattering tapstres Joglers & pypers and scorfy waferers Flatterers & ostler's/ and other of this sect Are busy in thy chamber/ chatting with none effect With brawling they enter first padyant of thy play That naught mayst y● here what wiser men do say Such is their shouting that scantly mayst thou here The secret follow/ which by thy side is near But rural flymmers'/ & other of our sort Unto thy lodging/ or court when they resort They chat they babyl/ and all/ but of the womb Moore pert & more peevish than they would be at home Though thou would sleep in during all the night Some sing/ some morn/ their ●ēman out of sight Some sing of Bessy/ & some of Nane or kate Namely when liquor dystourbed hath the pate The brotell boatman/ and wretched labourer Cease not to sing/ be victual never so dear Who can with such have quietness or rest But if thou with sleep/ at last be oppressed And that sore labours/ to sleep the constrain Rumour the raysyth & wakened again On morning when thou might sleep most quietly Than must thou arise there is no remedy For what time thy lord unto his horse is priest Than aught no servant/ lie in his bed at rest ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now Cornix I see that with a brawling wife Better were to bide/ continuing my life And to here children crying on every side Than thus in the court this/ clamour to abide ¶ Cornix. ¶ Not doubt Coridon/ but here more misery Which in their lodging/ have courters commonly Men must win the marshal/ or else herbegere With price or with prayer else must thou stand arere And reward their knaves/ must thou if thou be able For to assign thee/ a lodging tolerable And though they promise yet shall they naught fulfil But point the place/ nothing after thy will Other near a prevey/ a stable or asynke For scent & for clamour where that can have no wink After thy reward they shall the so menace That malgre thy teeth thou must resign thy place And that to some one which is thy enemy ●f they be pleased there is no remedy But yet for certain/ it were thing tolerable To beck & to bow/ to persons honourable As to the marshal/ or yet the herbeger Or gentle persons/ which unto them be ne●e But this is a work/ a trouble and great pain Sometime must thou stoop/ unto a rude villain Calling him master/ and often claw his hand. All if thou would see him wawer in a band For if thou live in court/ y● must reward this rabble cooks & scolyons/ and farmers of the stable Butlers & butcher's/ provenders & bakers Porters and powlers/ & specially false takers On these & all like/ spare must thou none expense But meekly with meed/ buy there benevolence But namely of all/ it is a grievous pain To abide the porter/ if he be a villain How oftentimes shall he the yates close Against thy stomach/ thy forehead or thy nose How oftentimes/ when thy one foot is in Shall he by malice/ out thrust the be thy chin Sometime his father/ sometime his clubbysshe feet Shall drive the backward/ & turn y● to the street What he the saith/ coming if he sit How oftentimes shall he the yates shut For very pleasure and joy of thy coming The yates he closyth/ lo hear a pleasant thing All if thou hast/ well rewarded him before Without thou standest/ in rain & tempest sore And in the mean time/ a rascolde or villain Shall never while thou art bathed in the rain Sometime the porter his malice shall excuse And say unto thee/ thy labour to abuse That other is the lord/ a sleep or in council Than lost is thy labour/ mysspent is thy travail ¶ Coridon. ¶ Of our poor houses/ men soon may konwe the begin So at our pleasure/ we may go out and in If courts be such/ me thinketh without doubt They best be at eas which so remain without For better be without/ weet to the skin with rain Than ever in court & live in endless pain For if hell yates/ did not still open gape Than wretched souls/ great torment should escape Right so/ if the court were close continually Some men should escape great pain & misery But Cornix proceed/ tell on of courters care ¶ Cornix. ¶ Well said Coridon/ god give the well to far Now would I speak of pains of the ware But that me think is best for to dyffarre For if thy lord in battle have delight To sue the war/ be paynies infinite For while he warryth/ thou mayst not abide at home Thy lust to cherish/ & pleasure of thy womb To sue an army/ than hast thou wretched pain Of cold or of heat/ of thrust hunger & rain And more other pains than I will specyfy For naught is in warfare/ save care and misery Murder and mischief/ rapyns & cowardice Or else cruelty/ there reigneth naught but vice Which here to recount/ were long & tedious And to our purpose in part contrarious Therefore let pas/ the warrys misery The dreadful dangers/ & wretched penury And of these cities/ talk we a word or twain In which no man can live avoid of pain For whether so ever the court remove or flyet All the vexations/ remove always with it If thou for solace into the town resort There shalt thou meet/ of men as bad a sort With at thy clothing/ & the shall have disdain If thou be busy/ the club shall do the pain There be now customs/ and acts in like wise None mayst thou scorn/ nor none of them despise Than must thou each day begin to live on new As for in cities I will no more remain But turn my talking/ now to the court again After of this may we/ have communication Of Cytezyns/ and of their vexation Whether that thy lord sit/ or yet stand erect Still mayst thou stand/ or else shall thou be cheet Thy head and legs shall find no rest nor eas If thou in court intend always to pleas Often must thou beck/ still stand and ever bore To worse than thyself/ which is a pain & care What shall I common/ the pensyfnes and pain Of courters/ or they/ their wagys' can obtain How moche dyfferring/ & how moche abating Must courters suffer/ and manifold checking Never hast thou the hole sometime shall they abate Or else shall the day/ or payment be to late From Robert to John/ sometime they shall the send And than none of both/ to pay thee/ may eutende From post unto pillar/ tossed shall thou be Scorned and blinded/ with fraud and subtlety Some mayst thou behold/ sighing for great sorrow When he is appointed to come again to morrow For many a morrow hath he been served so Another standeth his heart replete with woe Counting and turning his goties in his cap praying god to send the payer an evil hap For where he reckoned/ for to receive a pound Scant hath he half/ such checks be there found Never shall the courter receive hole salary Except that he reward/ the payer privily When need constraynyth somewhat to have before He gladly receiveth/ a doseyn for a score Never canst thou make/ thy covenant so clear But that the payer shall bring the far atere All if thou right well/ thy covenant fulfil It shall the payer/ interpret at his will For all that blind sort/ are choked with anaryse As cratchers of coin/ ensewing covetise But somewhat to speak/ of things necessary These do all courters/ cares multyply Now for one thing they labour to obtain Now for another/ and often all in vain And though their asking be neither right ne just Yet never stint they/ till they have had their lust But if it fortune/ their prayer & their cost Be spent all in vain/ than is their reason lost Than lurk they in corners for a month or twain For woe that their labour and prayer was in vane Some with their princes/ so standeth in favour That they may advance their kindred to honour But than is thryr kindred so bad of governance That all if they may/ they dare not them advance But how be it they dared/ they dread of worldly shame Or punyishment of god/ or else their prince's bla●● ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now doubtless Cornix/ that man is much onwyse Which lyftyth folys unworthy to office But often time favour and carnal affection A busyth the right/ blinding discretion ¶ Cornix. ¶ If thou had mused a year for this on clause Thou could not a said/ more profytely the cause Beside this/ Coridon few by the lord above Have of these courters/ true sure & perfit love For Codrus told me/ what writeth ysocrate That all these princes and every great estate In loving regard/ no virtue nor prudence None love they/ but of some hasty violence Without advisement/ without discretion Such love often proveth faint at conclusion But if they love any they love him not as friend between like & like/ best friendship shall we find For truly great lords/ love such men with delight By them when they take some pleasure or profit As they love horsys/ dogs & mother such What said I I lie/ they love them not so much Moore love they a horse or dog than a man Ask of Minalcas the truth declare he can For commonly as soon as any man is dead Another is soon ready/ for to fulfil his stead With meed & with prayer/ his place is dearly bought So often have princes their service clear for naught But than if it fortune/ a dog or horse to die His place to fulfil/ another must they buy Yet little have I said/ worse in the court they far Nat only thy lord shall for thy death naught care For thy long service/ often shall he wish the deed such is in court/ thy salayre and thy meed Other for thy service/ long and continual Thou hast of thy lord/ receive naught at all And when thou art dead with short conclusion Than quite is thy service/ and obligation And often shall thy lord sound sweetly forth this A A that this man/ so soon is go away If he had lived longer/ a small season I should have put him to great promotion Or else if thy lord hath well rewarded the That thou hast lyvelod/ & riches in plenty Than if thou die/ believe me for certain surely trustyth/ for to have all again Scant any rich man by death hence now shall far But that some great lord will look to be his heir ¶ Coridon. ¶ That is no leasing/ but proved often true That caused wydows/ oft-times sore to rue But this hath been seen/ for sooth and ever shall That the greater fish devoureth up the small ¶ Cornix. ¶ A right true example/ mate Coridon doubtless So mighty ruler's/ the simple folk oppress But what care in court is/ now here my Coridon Concerning thy lord/ or masters own parson Of princes or commons thou findest seldom time One profytely good & spotted with no crime For all such things as seldom time befall Tully was wont the monsters for to call Than is a good man/ more monster in deed Than is a wether having a double head And in like wise/ reheriyth Fwenall That if a man would seek over the world all So many good man uneties find should he As there be yates/ in Thebes the city That is to say under the cop of heaven Of perfit good men/ scant shall a man find seven And holy scripture/ yet speaketh more straightly As shepherd David/ doth clearly testify He said our lord beholding on mankind Coude scant one good/ in all the world find Scripture recordeth/ such causes many one That men be sinners/ & god in good alone ¶ Coridon. ¶ When now mate Cornix/ Aygh man god avow Thou hast in some frere's bosom been I trow And spoiled some patch of his prechement Talk of the court/ save this in store for lent ¶ Cornix. ¶ So was my purpose thou nedyst naught object Of our first purpose these words have effect I told the before/ by good authority How both the poetis/ and orators agree And holy scripture/ that few men be perfit But bad in number/ be truly infenyte So if thy master be bad & worthy blame Than art thou sorry/ of his dyshonest name Thy lordys' vices/ and living negligent Shall grieve thy stomach if thou be innocent It grieveth thee/ if he be covetous or hard Because he daynyth/ thy labour to reward And for many things/ fail by his negligence And fall to ruin for sparing of expense Again if thy lord/ be free & liberal Always thou fyryst jest other men have all His prodigal hand/ often vexith sore thy heart Jest at the ending/ naught shall come to thy part And jest his treasure/ in folly so he spend That no thing remain to help him at the end But if he be given/ to wrath and cruelty Thou fearest jest he rage's/ again thy kin or the If he be meek mild and sober/ thou art sorry For he not revengyth/ each hurt and injury And if he be hard/ than dredest thou danger When he procedyth than standest thou arere If he be coward/ than hast thou great envy Again his foes/ for they continually Dystroy his lands and sore his name disdain When he for dread/ dare no thing do again If he use chatting & often be talking Well thou perceivest y● while his tongue is walking His prive council/ he often doth detect And much he speaketh/ which is of none effect If he be secret and still as one in sleep Thou sayest he doubteth/ that none can council keep And the suspectyth as much as other more Than art thou grieved and full of care & woe If he love wines & thou fearest drunkenness If he hate wines & thou blamest his sadness And to his body thou countest him nygarde By cause he would keep his how should the more hard To venus' acts/ if he to moche apply Thou sayest he to many doth hurt and injury If he hate women/ & i'll their pleasure than Both thou and other reputest him no man With few men/ if he use famylyaryte Thou art displeased of them if thou not be If he be common/ to all indifferent Than is thy mind in like wise discontent By cause he loveth familiar to be To every person/ as greatly as with the But if that thy prince be good and thou be naught Than art thou inlyke wise sore verid in thy thought Jest that he shortly/ thy service may despise By cause he not liveth/ after thy lewd guise But if both be good and of all vices clean Which is a thing that seldom time is seen Than monest thou/ for that he is not fortunate As he is ordained/ and after his estate Thy heart and mind all thou to him incline That all his troubles and pain shall be thine For this without doubt/ I tell the Coridon That no father is so tender over his son As is a good servant/ diligent and true Unto a noble prince endued with virtue And all if good fortune to him be favourable Yet still thou dredest/ because it is unstable Thus never shalt thou sleep in peace & quietness But when thou wakest thy rest is moche les ¶ Coridon. ¶ By cause thou recountest/ of thy fidelity Of masters and men/ which loveth honest Now I remember the shepherd of the fen And what care for him demeaned all his men And shepherd Morton/ when he dared not apere How his old servants were careful of their there In pain and pleasure/ they kept fidelity Till grace again/ have him authority Than his old favour/ did them again restore To greater pleasure/ than they had pain before Though or a season/ this shepherd bode a blast The greattyst w●udes/ yet slakyth at the last And at conclusion/ he and his flock certain Each true to other/ did quietly remain My heart sore movineth/ when I must specyfy Of the gentle Coke/ which sang so merely He and his flock/ were like an unyon Conjoined in one without dissension All the fair cooks/ which in his days crew When death him touched/ did his departing rue The pretty palace/ be him made in the fen The maids widows/ the wives and the men With deadly dolour/ were pierced to the heart When death constrained/ this shepherd to depart Corn/ grass & fields/ mourned for woe & pain For of this prayer/ for them obtained rain The plyasant flowers/ for woe faded eachone When they perceived this shepherd dead and go The okies elmys/ and every sort of dear Shrunk under shadow/ abating all their cheer The mighty wallies of Ely monastary The stonies/ rocks and towers semblably The marble pyllers and images eachone Sweat all for sorrow when this good cock was go Though he of stature/ were humble wenke & lean His mind was high/ his living pure and clean Where other fedyth/ by beesty appetite On heavenly food was all his hole delight And shortly after this Cock was deed and go The shepherd Roger/ could not bide long alone But shortly after/ falls death stolen him away His worthy report yet liveth till this day When sheep were scabbed this good shepherd was fain With easy saluys their sore to cure again He naught pretended/ nor showed of rigour Nor was no wolf/ poor lambs to devour When bush or bramblies pellyd the sheeps skayn Than had he pity/ and kept them close within Or in new flecies/ did tenderly them lap And with his scyrties did oftentime them hap When he departed/ his flock for woe was faint The folds sounded/ with dolour and complaint So that their clamour and cry bespread the isle His deed was mourned from Ely forty mile These worthy herds and many other more Were with their wether's/ in lone conjoined so That more they cured by wit and patience Than dreadful Drum can do with violence Therefore all herds/ unto the would I trow Should lewd their names if wertue reigned now But sith that cunning/ & virtue near be go Now be they law did forsooth of few or none I let thy purpose to make conclusion Vice liveth/ virtue hath light oblivion But speak on Cornix/ yet is it long to night My mind to disclose/ causeth my heart to be light ¶ Cornix. ¶ To laud these pastors/ wherefore hast thou delight ¶ Coridon. ¶ All other shepherdys'/ to virtue to excite ¶ Eornix. ¶ Than be thy Words/ no think misspent in vain But now to courts will I return again And namely for thou/ hast spoken of konnyge Me list a little to common of that thing It is to clerks great pleasure certainly And recreation/ to give them to study And some find pleasure and recreation In secret study/ and meditation To write or to read in placies solitary Hole to the musis/ his reason to apply To talk with Plato/ with Tully or Virgil With Aristotle/ to common at his will And other famous/ doctors many one ¶ Coridon. ¶ What man all these long passed/ be deed and go Who would with such deput common or talk To go where they be/ shall find a weary walk ¶ Cornix. ¶ Though they be deed/ alive yet is their name These lawdes honour/ their high report of fame So men deviseth/ to speak with them in deed As often as they their noble works read But as for courters/ as well erly as late Be of this pleasure/ plain utterly private Though they live idle/ their pains infenyte To godly work/ them granteth no respite Always in clamour remain they/ and in preas And lewd aquayntance/ will them no time release But if that they chose some season secretly To some good study/ their myndesto apply To write or to read/ anon some wretch is fain And glad them to vex & to dystorbe again But if all other/ be absent and at rest Than never their chamber the kychyn clerk is priest Jengling his counters chatting himself alone Thus seek all corners/ quiet thou findest none So must on despise/ those noble orators The famous poets and excellent doctors And live among the avoid of virtues all That rather a man rude beasts may them call Of great estates/ there is a blinded sort Which cause their sons unto the court resort That they may in court themself daily frequent In learning virtue and manners excellent But better might they say to learn all malice All cursed manners and every branch of vice As Pride disdain envy & ribaldry So be good manners infect with villain For surely in courts be men most vicious supporting vices/ to virtue contrarious Dyshonest language is counted most laudable One boasteth bawdry/ or gluttony damnable Not man there/ vauntyth himself of honest Of virtue manners of mercy nor pity But other he joyeth of his mischievous life To have defiled/ a virgin or a wife Or else to have slain/ his fo or enemy Or fraud committed or crafty felony Which cursed manners/ youth sooner doth ensue Than godly living or manners of virtue When youth in vices hath fixed their courage They by no means/ shall leave the same in age Nor think not in court/ to find a young strypeling chaste/ sober/ shamefast or manners ensuing All sueth vices/ all sue enormyte Such be the disciples/ as their infourmers be For true is the clawse/ rehearsed of Therence That youth inclined/ than namely to offence When a lewd master/ him moved to incline By ill example to danger and ruin For nature leaveth/ to all enormity When men so useth which be in dignity Youth thinketh lawful & but a jocund fit Such vice as elders use daily to commit And as young branches/ soon rote & putryfy So youth corrupteth by vices semblably ¶ Coridon. ¶ Be all young galandes/ of these abused sort Which in young age/ unto the court resort ¶ Cornix. ¶ Who entryth the court/ in young and tender age Are lightly blinded with folly and outrage But such as entryth of wite and gravity Bow not so soon/ to such enormity But or they enter if they have learned naught Afterwards is cunning the lest part of their thought In court it is counted/ vice to have science And counted for rebuke/ for to have eloquence Thus have men cunning great heaviness & pain Beholding themself in court had in disdain Their wit despised/ In mean time shall they see That greatest matters ruled/ Nay/ marred be Of such blind folies/ as can not count nor tell A score save twenty/ yet most of all such mell But men unlearned of inward pain have some When they behold that to the court be come Men groundly learned/ in latin/ commonynge The other hearken and understand no thing Than truly it is/ to them a grievous pain But nevertheless/ of them have they disdain But living in court/ and fleeing none offence What shall I common what grudge of conscience Uexeth the daily right/ small is thy delight When troubled conscience/ unquieth doth the bide No pain is sorer/ nor grievouser torment Than to remember/ and call to thine intent How many vy●ys/ how great enormity Hath the in thraldom/ and in captivity Thine own conscience/ is still within thy breast As tourmentour/ depriving the of rest With privy scourges/ and pain intolerable Recounting thy work and like abominable Thou mayst not avoid/ ne form this enemy start flee where the liketh/ he restyth in thy heart This is of courters/ the deadly tourmentour With desperation/ them seeking to devour Sometime their conscience grudged is with guile With theft/ with murder/ with lechery some while Though their own conscience thus torment them with pain To the same offences return they yet again Their conscience grudging to cause of grudge they fall Thus still them torment/ the furies infernal I mean remenbrance of many fold offence continual torment/ by grudge of conscience What shall I tell the pain of sodeynce fear Which doth the minds of courters often dear Sometime the lower be grieved with threatening And suffer pains/ when they have done no thing Sometime while the court is dancing in disport Or in other solace/ their hearts to comfort A none cometh in/ a sudden messagere Affirming truly/ s●me armed foes near And that same armey is near at hand doubtless Than turneth solace to woe and heaviness And while some princes/ for pleasure hawk or hunt Such fearful tidings to here often are thy wont ¶ Coridon. ¶ Such fere & danger doth happyn commonly On all degrees with sudden jeopardy For plowmen/ shepherds & Cytezyns also Be war endureth/ great damage/ loss and woe ¶ Cornix. ¶ All other sorts sometime must stand a far But courts must bide all danger of the war Save loss of goods/ for some have naught to loose But this will I leave and turn to my purpose No gifts is granted/ of god unto mankind Better than friendship when man it true may find But over all the court no man shall find nor see True/ steadfast/ friendship/ nor perfit amity For sith all courters for most part blinded be With vicious living and all enormity They have no friendship/ but conspiration And to do mischief/ confederation For perfit friendship is when two men agree Or more in working some deed of honest Some courters be found which some ingenious Pregnant of reason wise & laborious Yet have they but shadow of virtue and goodness And not of virtues the plain signs express Some seem liberal/ but they ensue rapine Some seem very chaste/ but they to pride incline Some seemeth humble/ which useth gluttony And some familiar/ which lean to lechery In none mayst thou see one sparkle of virtue But twenty vices/ shall that one gift ensue In such a meany/ full of inequyte Hard is to find one worthy amity But if thou in court/ some honest men await Than with great rulers/ is he made in conceit If he from conceit/ and out of favour be Thou mayst not with him have famylyaryte Sometime shalt thou see such drawn to torment As be thy friends/ fawtles & innocent And often thy enemy/ in many a fault culpable Thou shalt in the court see high & honourable To see thy good friend/ bide death so wrongfully To sorrow & naught say/ is a great pain truly But yet for thy life/ say naught be patient not only whisper/ lest thou have like torment Conversant must thou be/ with such to thy pain Which hath thy father/ or else thy brother slain If thou be busy/ or squaring of language Thou mayst peraventure walk on the same passage And if thou in court to riches so ascended That thou mayst retain/ men on the to attend Some of thy servants shalt thou often time behold Lewdly disposed/ to vices many fold Some shall be the vys/ some dronkener than swine Some shall love brawling/ or to dying incline Some slow/ some gluttons/ some fall to ribaldry Auoutry murder with other vyllayny Some be forgetful/ some ●eart/ some insolent Some craftles Fools/ some porwd & negligent If thou change supposing/ some better for to have Thou voydest a lubber & hast again a knave And if thou have one with knavysshnes infect Than all the other shall follow the same sect Again if thyself/ be poor and a servant Thou shalt find thy master rude rassh & ignorant Always complaining/ & never well content Often asking service in paying negligent Of speech superflue/ hasty & rigorous Envious/ drunken/ unstable/ and covetous Thus servant/ master/ gentleman/ and villain Live all in court/ with misery & pain ¶ Coridon. ¶ Now truly Cornix/ this is a wretched life Void of all plesour/ wraped in pain & strife ¶ Cornix. ¶ Count all the rooms/ and offices eachone And none shalt thu find/ without vexation What think the council/ when princes not agree To their advisement/ of most utility What have chauncelers/ of inward dyspleasour When their letters written to their princes honour For the common well and sure utility Can not pass forward/ till they transposed be From good to right naught corrupt for correct What think controwlers when they be daily checked The rulers of court/ ulsher and senescall Tresorers/ clerks/ & every marshal What pain have these/ eachone in his office When often rybaw●es/ them slander & despyce Or some busy body/ having but small in●yght Control their counts/ be the never so right What pain have chapleyns/ controlled in ●e●uyce And Ppysicians/ when some their art despise What knights/ trumpeters/ and sodyours commonly When tresores/ their wages doth deny What pain have cokys which scant may seethe there beef Without some rebuke/ a check or a reproof Coridon in court/ no room is trust thou me But that is wraped/ in great adversity But brief to say all/ and make conclusion Right wysmen suffereth great tribulation The heavenly pleasure/ to purchase & obtain Moore suffceth courters to purchase endless pain I mell not with them/ which of necessity Again their pleasure/ must in the courts be As busy suitors to purchase droyt and right Which would be thence/ right gladly if they might ¶ Coridon. ¶ believe my Cornix/ thou turned hast my mind Farewell all courting/ adieu pleasure onkind Thou plain haste proved/ that all they foolys be Which follow the court/ seeking captruyte And might else where/ a honest life purchase Having suffisance and moderate solace ¶ Cornix. ¶ Than let all shepherds/ from hens to Salysbery With easy riches live well/ laugh and be merry Pipe under shadows/ small riches hath most rest In greatest seas most sorest is tempest The court is naught else/ but a tempestous se Avoid the rocks be ruled after me There is more danger/ than is upon the land As swalows/ rocks/ tempest and quick land ●ere maids singing/ abusing with their song Charybdis'/ Sylla/ and sandy banks long In it be cliffs/ of hardest Adamant To sin exciting young fools ignorant What shepherd loveth peace and tranquillity Or rest requireth to live in unity Sweet peace of heart/ who ever doth require Or health of his soul/ if any man desire flee from the court/ i'll from the court I cry flee proud beggary/ and lolem misery For there is no rest/ nor godly exercise No love of virtue/ but use of every vice As avatyce/ lust/ and beestly gluttony Cruelty/ malice/ ambition/ and envy But namely Venus'/ or lust veneral To her vile acts/ plainly subdueth all Upon which vices/ who fyxeth his intent Himself to defend/ hath he no argument But that of all men wise/ honest and laudable He shall be convict of living reprovable A natural fool/ of reason dull & rude Proface Coridon/ thus do I here conclude ¶ Coridon. ¶ Conclude mote thy life in blessed state of grace Mine own heart Coruix/ for this thy good solace But hast thou touched/ all hole and parfytly Of court & courters/ the pain & misery ¶ Cornix. ¶ Nay nay Coridon/ I told the so before Moche have I told behind is moche more Their inward crymies/ & vice abominable Their outward raging in sins detestable Their theft and faudes/ and their extortion And of myslyvers their supportation Their daily murder/ and forcing of women Frauding of virgins/ pilling of simple men Auoutry incest/ and fornication And of good virgins/ the defloration These and such like darc I not plainly touch For all these crosses and silver in my pouch ¶ Coridon. ¶ Than haste we hence/ the son is near at rest ¶ Cornix. ¶ Take up thy baggage my mate/ that now is best ¶ Coridon. ¶ But tell me Cornix one thing or we depart On what manner life is best to set my heart In court is cumbrance/ care/ pain and misery And here is envy/ ill will and penury ¶ Cornix. ¶ Sufferance overcometh all malice at the last Weyke is that tree/ which can not abide a blast But here now my council I bide the finally Live still a shepherd for plainly so will I ¶ Coridon. ¶ That I shall Cornix/ thy good council fulfil To die a shepherd/ establed is my will ¶ Cornix. ¶ So do/ or after thou often shall repent Poor lice is surest/ the court is but torment ¶ Coridon. ¶ ● diew sweet Cornir/ departing is a pain But mirth reneweth/ when lovers meet again. ¶ Finis. ¶ Thus endeth the third and last eclogue of the misery of court and courters/ Composed by Alexander Barclay pressed in his youth. ¶ The book of Codrus and Mynalcas. ¶ The prologue of the fourth Eglog of Alexander Barcley. COdrus a shepherd/ lusty gay and stout Sat with his wethers/ at pasture round about And poor Mynalcas/ with ewes scarce fourteen Sat sadly musing/ in shadow on the green This lusty Codrus/ was cloaked for the rain And double decked/ with hoods one or twain That this long season none could the here espy With us was thou wont to sing full merely And to lie piping oft time among the flowers What time thy beasts/ were feeding among ours In these cold valleys/ we two were wont to board And in these shadows/ talk many a merry word And oft were we wont/ to wrestle for a fall But now thou droupest/ and hast forgotten all Here was thou wont/ sweet ballads to sing Of song and ditty/ as it were for a king And of gay matters/ to sing and to indite But now thy courage is go/ and thy delight Trust me Mynalcas/ now plainly I espy That thou art weary/ of shepherds company And that all pleasure/ thou seemest to despise Loathing our pasture/ and fields in likewise Thou fleest solace and every merry fit Losing thy time/ and sore hurting thy wit In sloth thou slombrist/ as buried were thy song Thy pipe is broken/ or somewhat else is wrong. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ What time the cock crows/ feathers mout & fall From sight she lurketh/ her song is go withal When back is bore/ and purse of coin is light The wit is dulled/ and reason hath no might A due enditing/ when go is liberty Envy to muses/ is wretched poverty What time a knight/ is subget to a knave To just or tourney/ small pleasure shall he have. ¶ Codrus. ¶ What/ no man the keepeth/ here in captivity And busy labour/ subdueth poverty And oft is it better/ and much surer also As subject to obey/ than at free-will to go As by ensample/ behold a wanton colt In raging youth/ lepeth over hill and holt But while he skippeth/ at pleasure and at will offtime doth he fall/ in danger for to spill Sometime on stubbes/ his hofes sore he tears Or falls in the mud/ both over heed and ears Sometime all the night/ abroad in hail or rain And oft among briars/ tangled by the main And other perils/ he suffereth infinite So mingled with sorrow/ is pleasure and delight But if the same colt/ be broken at the last His sytter ruleth/ and him refraineth fast The spur him pricketh/ the bridle doth him hold That he can not prance at pleasure where he would The rider him ruleth/ and saveth from danger By which example/ Mynalcas it is clear That free-will is subject/ to inconvenience Where by subgection/ man voideth great offence For man of himself/ is very frail certain But oft a ruler/ his folly doth refrain But as for thyself/ thou hast no cause pard To walk at pleasure/ is no captivity. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Seest thou not Codrus/ the fields round about compassed with floods/ that none may in nor out The muddy waters/ near choke me with the stink At every tempest/ they be as black as ink poverty to me/ should be no disconfort If other spepherde/ were all of the same sort But Codrus/ I claw oft where it doth not itch To see ten beggars/ and half a dozen rich Truly me thinketh/ this wrong partition And namely sith all/ aught to be after one When I first behold/ these fields from a far Me thought them pleasant/ & voyde of strife or war But with my poor flock/ approaching near and near Always my pleasure/ died less and less apere And truly Codrus/ sith I came on this ground Oft under flowers/ vile snakes have I found Adders and toads/ and many vile serpent Infect old sheep/ with venom violent And oft be the young/ infected of the old That unto these few now brought is all my fold ¶ Codrus. ¶ In some place is nother venom nor serpent And as for myself/ I feel no grievous sent. ¶ Mynalcas. It were great marvel/ wherso great ground is seen if no small meadow/ were pleasant sweet and clean As for the Codrus/ I may believe right weal That thou no savour/ nor stink of mud dust feel For if a shepherd/ hath still remained long In a foul prison/ or in a stynking gong His poors with ill air/ be stopped so eachone That of the air/ he feeleth small sent or none And yet the dwellers/ be badder than the place The rich and sturdy/ doth threaten and menace The poor and simple/ and such as came but late And who most knoweth/ him most of all they hate And all the burden/ is on the asses back But the strong cabal/ standeth at the rack And such be assigned/ sometime the flock to keep Which scant have so moche/ of reason as a sheep And every shepherd/ at other hath envy Scant be a couple/ which loveth parfitely Ilwyll so reigneth/ that brawling be thou sure Constrained me near/ to seek a new pasture Save only after/ I hope of better rest For small occasion/ a bird not changeth nest ¶ Codrus. ¶ We'll ere thou granted/ that in a small ground Some plot of pleasure/ and quiet may be found So where of herds/ assembled is great sort There some must be good/ than to the best resort But leave we all this/ turn to our point again Of thy old ballads/ some would I here full fain For often have I had/ great pleasure and delight To here recounted/ such as thou died indite. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ you other shepherds/ which have enough at home When you be merry/ and stuffed is your womb Which have great store/ of butter/ cheese/ and will your cows others/ of milk replete and full Payles of sweet milk/ as full as they be able When your fat dishes/ smoke hot upon your table Than laud you songs/ and ballads magnify If they be merry/ or written craftily you clap your hands/ and to the making hark And one say to other/ lo here a proper work But when you have said/ naught give you for oh pain Save only laudes/ and pleasant words vain All if these laudes/ may we'll be counted good yet the poor shepherd/ must have some other food. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Mayst thou not sometime/ thy fold & sheep apply And after at leisure/ to live more quietly Dispose thy wits/ to make or to indite Renounsing cures/ for time while thou dost writ ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Needs must a shepherd bestow his hole labour Intending his flocks scant may he spare one hour In going/ coming/ and often them to tend Full lightly the day/ is brought unto an end Sometime the wolves/ with dogs must he chase Sometime his folds/ must he new compass And offtime them change/ and if he storms doubt Of his sheep cote/ daub the walls round about When they be broken/ oft-times them renew And hurtful pastures/ note we'll and then eschew Buy straw and litter/ and hay for winter cold Often greas the scabs/ aswell of young as old For dread of thieves/ oft watch up all the night Beside this labour/ with all his mind & might For his poor household for to provide victual If by adventure/ his wool or lambs fail In doing all these/ no respite doth remain But well to indite/ requireth all the brain I tell the Codrus/ a style of exellence Must have all labour/ and all the diligence Both these two work/ be greatnere importable To my small power/ my strength is much unable The one to intend/ scant may I bide the pain Than is it harder/ for me to do both twain What time my wits be clear for to indite My daily charges/ will grant me no respite But if I follow/ endyting at my will Each one disdaineth/ my charges to fulfil Though in these fields/ each other aught sustain Clean lost is that law/ one may require in vain if coin command than men count them as bound Else i'll they labour/ than is my charge on ground. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Cornix oft counted/ that man should i'll no pain His friends burden/ to support and sustain Feed they thy flock/ while thou dost writ and sing Each horse agreeth/ not well for every thing Some for the chariot/ some for the cart or plough And some for hackeneys/ if they be light & tough Each field agreeth not weal for every seed Who hath most labour/ is worthy of best meed. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ After enditing/ than gladly would I drink To reach me the cup/ no man doth care ne think And oft some fools/ void of discretion Me and my matters/ hath in derision And marvel is none/ for who would sow the field With costly sedes/ which shall no fruits yield Some wanton body/ oft laugheth me to scorn And saith Mynalcas/ se how thy pyltche is torn Thy hose and cokers/ be broken at the knee Thou canst not stumble/ for both thy shone may see Thy beard like bristels/ or like a porpos skin Thy clothing showeth/ thy winning is but thine Such mocking taunts/ reneweth oft my care And now be woods/ of fruit and leaves bore And frosty winter/ hath made the fields white For wrath and anger/ my lip and tongue I bite For dolour I droop sore vered with disdain My womb all wastes wherefore I bide this pain My will and wethers/ may scarcely feed my womb And other household/ which I retain at home Lean be my lambs/ that no man will them buy And yet their dams/ they daily souke so dry That from their other's/ no liquor can we wring Than without repast/ who can indite or sing It me repenteth/ if I have any wit As for my science I weary am of it And of my poor life/ I weary am Codrus Scythe my hard fortune/ for me disposeth thus That of the stars/ and plannettes eachone To poor Mynalcas/ we'll fortunate is none Known is the truth/ if it were clearly sought That now to this time/ I still have song for naught For youth is lusty/ & of small thing hath need That time to age/ men give no force nor heed Ages condition/ is greatly contrary Which now aprocheth/ right still and craftily But what time age/ doth any man oppress if he in youth/ have gathered no richesse Than passeth age/ in care and poverty For need is grievous/ with old infirmity And age is fettered/ offtime with care and need When strength is faded & man hath naught to feed When strength is faded/ than hope of gain is go In youths season/ to make provision The little emet/ is wise and provident In summer working/ with labour diligent In her small cave/ conveying corn and grain Her life in winter/ to nourish and sustain And with her small mouth/ is busy it cutting Jest in her cave/ the same might grow or spring So man of reason/ himself reputing sage In youth should purvey/ to live thereon in age. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Men say that clerks/ which know astronomy Know certain stars/ which long to destiny But all their saying/ is nothing veritable yet here the matter/ thought it be but a fable They say that Mercury/ doth poets favour Under Jupiter/ be princes of honour And men of richesses/ of wealth or dignity And all such other/ as have authority Mercury giveth/ to poets laureate Goodly conveyance/ speech pleasant and ornate Inuentyfe reason/ to sing or play on harp In goodly ditty/ or ballad for to carp This is thy lot/ what seekest thou richesse No man hath all/ this thing is true doubtless God all disposeth/ as he perceiveth best Take thou thy fortune/ and hold the still in rest Take thou thy fortune/ and hold thyself content Let us have richesses/ and rooms excellent. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Thou hast of richesses/ and goods abundance And I have dyties/ and songs of pleasance To ask my cunning/ to covetous thou art Why is not thyself/ contented with thy part Why dost thou invade/ my part and portion Thou wantest Codrus/ wit and discretion. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Nat so Mynalcas/ forsooth thou art to blame Of wrong enuasyon/ to give to me the name I would no ditty/ nor ballad take the fro No harp nor arms/ which long to Apollo But only Mynalcas/ I sore desire and long To give mine ears/ to thy sweet sounding song It feedeth hearing and is to one pleasant To here good reason/ and ballad consonant. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ if thou have pleasure/ to here my melody I grant the Codrus/ to joy my armony So I have pleasure/ and joy of thy richesses So gifts doubled/ increaseth love doubtless. ¶ Codrus. ¶ He of my richesses/ hath joy which loveth me And who me hateth/ nothing content is he Gnuyous wretch's/ by malice commonly Take others fortune/ and pleasure heavily. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ In likewise mayest thou/ enjoy of our science And of our muses/ though thou be fro presence And of our cunning/ thou ioyest semblably if aught provoke thee/ by malice and envy if I feed thy ears/ fede thou my mouth again I loath were to spend/ my gifts all in vain Meat unto the mouth/ is food and susteynance And songs feedeth/ the ears with pleasance I have the muses/ if thou wilt have of mine Than right requireth/ that I have part of thine This longeth to love/ to nourish charity This feedeth pity/ this doth to right agree This is the pleasure/ and will of god above Of him disposed/ for to engender love All pleasant gifts/ one man hath not pard That one of other/ should have necessity No man of himself/ is sure sufficient This is provision/ of god omnipotent That one man should need/ another's assistance Whereby is joined/ love and benevolence. England hath cloth/ Bordeaux hath store of wine Cornwayle hath tin/ and Lymster wools fine. London hath scarlot/ and Bristol pleasant reed Fen land hath fishes/ in other place is lead. This is of our lord/ disposed so my brother Because all costs/ should one have need of other. So every tree/ hath fruit after his kind And divers nature's/ in beestes may we find. Always when nature/ of thing is most laudable That thing men counteth/ most good & profitable And every person/ in his own gift hath joy The fool in his babble/ hath pleasure for to toy. The clerk in his book/ the merchant in richesse The knight in his horse/ harness and hardiness. But every person/ of his gifts and art When need requireth should gladly give some part Such mean conjoineth/ in bond of love certain England & France/ scotland Grece & Spain. So hast thou Codrus/ of gold enough in store And I some cunning/ though few men care therefore Thou art beholden/ to Jupiter truly And I beholden to pleasant Mercury. Join we our stars/ let me have part of thine Concord to cheryss he/ thou shalt have part of mine Make thou Jupiter/ be friendly unto me And our Mercury/ shallbe as good to the. If thy Jupiter/ give me but only gold Mercury shall give thee/ gifts manifold His pyllion sceptre/ his wings/ and his harp If thou have all these/ thou mayst grathly carp And over all these/ give the shall Mercury The knot of Hercules enlaced craftily. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Lord god Mynalcas/ why hast thou all this pain This wise to forge/ so many words in vain. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ That vain thou countest/ which may hurt or enlesse Thy loved treasure/ or minish thy richesses If thou wilt hearken/ or here my muses sing refresh my mind with comfort and liking rid me fro troubles and care of business comfort my courage/ which now is comfortless A clerk a poet/ combined with a boy To haunt the muses/ hath but little joy The wit and reason/ is dull or of valour Like as the body/ is called to honour When busy charges/ causeth a man to groan The wit than slombreth/ and muses all be go A ditty will have/ mind quiet and respite And case of stomach/ else can none weal indite I sigh/ I slumber: care troubleth oft my thought When some by malice/ mine art setteth at naught I heule as a kite/ for hunger and for cold For thought and study/ my youth apaereth old My skin hath wrinkles and pomples all about For cold and study/ I dread me of the gout When sickness cometh/ than life hath brevity By false vukyndnesse/ and wretched poverty If men were loving/ benign/ and chartable Than were poverty/ both good and tolerable But sith charity and pity both be go What should poverty remain behind alone Not man hath pity/ each deigneth me to feed I lost have comfort/ but still remaineth need I have no wethers nor ewes in my fold No silver in purse/ I know not what is gold Nor corn on the ground/ have I whereon to far Than would thou have me to live void of care Nay nay friend Codrus/ trust me I the assure Such manner salves/ can not my dolour cure Make thou me jocund/ help me with cloth & food Cloth me for winter/ with pyltche/ felt/ & hode Avoid all charges/ let me sit in my cell Let worldly wretches/ with worldly matters mell succour my age/ regard my hairs grey Than shalt thou prove/ & see what thing I may Than shalt thou find me both apt to writ & sing Goodwill shall fulfil/ my scarceness of cunning A plentiful house out chaseth thought and care Sojourn doth succour there/ whe● althing is bore The cellar couched with bear/ ale/ or wine And meats ready when man hath lust to dine Great barnesfull/ fat wethers in the fold The purse well stuffed/ both with silver & gold Favour of friends/ and such as loveth right All these and other do make the full light Than is it pleasure the young maidens among To watch by the fire/ the winter nights long At their fond tales/ to laugh or when they brawl Great fire and candle/ spending for labour small And in the ashes/ some plays for to make To cover wardeyns for fault of other work To tossed white shivers/ and to make prophytrolles And after talking/ oft-times to fill the bolles Where wealth aboundeth/ without rebuke or crime Thus do some herds/ for pleasure and pastime As fame reporteth/ such a shepherd there was Which that time lived under Maecenas And Tityrus I trow/ was this shepherds name I weal remember/ a live yet is his fame He sung of fields/ and tilling of the ground Of sheep/ of oren/ and battle died be sound So shirle he sounded/ in terms eloquent I trow his tunes/ went to the firmament The same Maecenas/ to him was free and kind Whose large gifts/ gave comfort to his mind Also this Shepherd by heavenly influence I trow obtained his peerless eloquence We other shepherds/ be greatly different Of comen sorts lean/ ragged and rend Fed with rude frowyse/ with quacham or with crud Or slimy kempes/ ill smelling of the mud Such rusty meats enblyndeth so our brain That of our favour/ the Muses have disdain And great Apollo/ dispyseth that we writ For why? rude wits/ but rudely doth indite. ¶ Codrus. ¶ I trust on fortune/ if it be favourable My trust fulfylling/ than shall I weal be able Thy need to succour/ I hope after a thing And if fortune fall weal after my liking Trust me Mynalcas/ I shall deliver th● Out of this trouble/ care/ and calamity. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ A Codrus Codrus/ I would to god thy will Were this time ready/ thy promise to fulfil After the power/ and might that thou hast now Thou hast enough for both man/ god avow If thy good mind/ according with thy might At this time present/ thou should my heart we'll light I ask not the store/ of Cosmus or capel With silken robes/ I covet not to mell No kings dysshes/ I covet nor desire Nor rich mantles/ or palles wrought in tire No cloth of gold/ of tissue nor velvet Damask nor saten/ nor orient Scarlet I ask no value of Peter's costly cope Shield of Mynerua/ nor patyn of Esope I ask no palace/ nor lodging curious No bed of state/ of raiment sumptuous For this I learned of the dean of Paul's I tell the Codrus this man hath wonsome souls I ask no treasure/ nor store of worldly good But a quiet life/ and only cloth and food With homely lodging/ to keep me warm and dry Enduring my life/ for forth no more ask I If I were certain this living still to have Avoid of trouble/ no more of god I crave. ¶ Codrus. ¶ This living hast thou/ what needs the complain? Nothing thou wantest/ which may thy life sustain What feel man pard/ thy cheeks be not thin Not lack of victual/ causeth a double chin ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Some be'st is lusty/ and fat of his nature Though he sore labour/ and go in bad pasture And some be'st again/ still lean and poor is seen Though it fatly far/ within a meadow green Though thou Codrus/ still argue till to morrow I lick no dysshes/ which sauced is with sorrow Better one small dish/ with joy and heart liking Than divers denties with murmur & grudging And men unlearned/ can never be content Whanscolers common/ and clerks be present As soon as clerks/ begin to talk and chat Some other gloumes/ and hath envy thereat It is a torment a clerk to sit at board Of his learning/ not for to talk one word Better were to be with clerks with a crust Than at such tables/ to fare at will and lust Let me have the board of old Pythagoras Which of temperance a very father was Of philosophers the moderate richesse In youth or age I loved never excess Some boast and promise/ and put men in comfort Of large gifts/ most men be of thissort With mouth and promise for to be liberal When need re●reth/ than give they naught at all All only in the is fired all my trust If thou fail promise/ than roll I in the dust My hope is faded/ than shall my song be dom Like a nightingale at the solsticium If thou fail promise my comfort clean is lost Than may I hung my pipe upon the post Shytte thy shop windows for lack of ambergris Or else for because/ that easy is the price ¶ Codrus. ¶ Mynalcas/ if thou the court of Rome hast seen With forked caps/ or else if thou hast been Or noble prelate's by richesses excellent Thou weal parceyvest/ they be magnifycent With them be clerks/ and pleasant orators And many poetes promoted to honours There is abundance of all that men desire There men have honour before they it require In such fair fields/ without labour or pain Both wealth and richesses/ thou mayst lightly obtain ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Thou art abused and thinkest wrong doubtless To think that I am desirous of richesse To feed on raw flesh/ it is a wolves guise Wherefore he weeneth all beestes do likewise Because the blind man/ halteth and is lame In mind he thinketh/ that all men do the same So for that thyself/ desirest good in store All men thou iugest/ infected with like sore Codrus/ I covet not to have abundance Small thing me pleaseth I ask but suffisance Grant me a living sufficient and small And void of troubles/ I ask no more at all But with that little/ I hold myself content If sauce of sorrow my mind not torment Of the court of Rome/ for sooth I have herd tell With forked caps/ it folly is to mell Mycenae and Morton/ be deed and go certain They nor their like shall never return again O Codrus Codrus/ Augustus and Edward Be go forever/ our fortune is more hard The scarlet rebes/ in song hath small delight What should I travail/ in Rome is no profit It giveth mocks and scorns many fold Still cratching coin/ and gaping after gold Fraunde and deceit/ doth all the world fill And money reigneth/ and doth allthing at will And for that people/ would more intend to guile Virtue and truth/ be driven into eryle We are commanded to trust for time to come Till care and sorrow/ hath wasted our wisdom Hope of reward/ hath poetes them to feed Now in the world/ fair words be their meed. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Than write of batayls/ or acts of men bold Or mighty princes/ they may the weal uphold These worthy rulers of fame and name royal Of very reason aught to be liberal Some shalt thou find between this place and Kent Which for thy labour/ shall the rightwell content. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ you/ some shall I find: which be so prodigal That in vain thing/ spend/ & clean wastes all But how should that man/ my poverty sustain Which naught reserveth his honour to maintain. For ancient blood/ nor ancient honour In these our days/ be naught without treasure The coin advanceth/ need doth the name deject And where is treasure/ old honour hath effect But such as be rich and in promotion Shall have my writing but in derision For in this season great men of exellence Hath to poemies no greater reverence Than to a brothel or else a brothelshous Mad ignorance is so courageous. ¶ Codrus. ¶ It is not seeming/ a poet thus to jest In wrathful speech/ nor words does honest. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ It is no jesting be thou never so wroth In open language to say nothing but truth If peraventure/ thou would have truth kept still Provoke thou not me/ to anger at thy will When wrath is moved/ than reason hath no might The tongue forgetteth discretion and right ¶ Codrus. ¶ To move thy minds/ I truly were full loath To give good counsel is far from being wroth. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ As touching counsel my mind is plentiful But need and troubles/ make all my reason dull If I had counsel and gold in like plenty I tell the Codrus/ I had no need of the How should a poet/ poor/ bore/ and indigent endite the acts/ of prince's excellent While scant is worth/ a knife his pipe to mend To round the holles/ to cleanse or pike the end Behold my whittell/ almost hath lost the shoulder-blade So long time past/ is sith the same was made The haft is bruised/ the shoulder-blade not worth a straw Rusty and tothed/ not much unlike asawe But touching this hurt/ it is but light and small But care and trouble/ is grievous pain withal Good counsel helpeth/ making the wits stable Ill counsel maketh/ the minds variable And breaketh the brain/ deminysshing the strength And all the reason confoundeth at the length Great men are shamed/ to give thing poor or small And great they deny/ thus give they naught at all Beside this Codrus/ princes and men royal In our enditynge/ hath pleasure faint and small So moche power have they/ with men of might As simple doves/ when eagles take their flight Or as great winds/ careth for leaves dry They live in pleasure/ and wealth continually In lust their liking is/ and in idleness Few have their minds/ from all vicyousnesse Pleasure is thing/ whereto they must intend That they most cherish/ they would have men con cende If poetes should/ their manners magnify They were supporters of blame and lechery Than should their writing/ ●e nothing commendable Containing jests/ and deeds detestable ●f stynking Venus'/ or love inordynate Of rybaude words/ which fall not for a state Of right oppressed/ and beestly gluttony Of vice advanced/ of sloth and injury And other deeds/ in fame and worthy blame Which were over long/ hear to recount or name These to commend/ Codrus do not agree To any poet/ which loveth chastity. ¶ Codrus. What/ yes Mynalcas▪ some have been strong & bold Which have in battle/ done acts manifold With mighty courage/ having them in fight And boldly biding/ for to maintain the right To the could I now/ rehearse well near ascore Of last nor richesse/ setting no force ne store Despising soft gold/ sweet far/ and beds soft Which in cold harness/ lie on the ground full oft Closed in iron/ which when their wounds bleed Want breed and drink/ them to restore and feed While some hath pleasure in soft gold orient With cold hard iron/ their mind is well content such were the sons/ of noble lord Hawarde Whose famous acts/ may shame a faint coward What could they more/ but their sweet lives spend Their princes quarrel/ and right for to defend Alas that battle/ should be of that rigour When fame and honour/ tyseth and is in flower With sudden furor than all to quence again But boldest hearts/ be nearest death certain. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ For certain Codrus/ I can not that deny ●ucsome in battle/ behave them manfully Such as in battle/ do acts martial Laud worthy poetes/ and style heroical The pleasant muses/ which soundeth gravity Had help and favour/ while these were in degree But sith strong knights/ have left their exercise And manly virtue/ corrupted is with vice The famous poets/ which ornatly indite Have found no matter/ whereof to sing or writ The wit thus dieth/ of poets ancient So doth their writing/ and deties eloquent For lack of custom/ thought/ care/ and penury These be confounders/ of pleasant poesy But if some prince/ some king/ or conqueror Hath won in arms/ or battle great honour Full little they force/ for to delate their fame That other realms/ may laud or praise their name Of time for to come/ they force nothing at all By fame and honour/ to live as immortal It them sufficeth/ they count enough truly That their own realms/ their names magnify And that for their life/ they may have laud & fame After their death/ than seek they for no name And some be untaught and learned no science Or else they disdain/ high style of eloquence Than standeth the poet/ and his poem arere When princes disdain for to read or here Or else some other/ is drowned all in gold By covetise kept/ in cures many fold By flagrant ardour/ inflamed in such case As in time past the old king Midas was Than of poems/ full small pleasure hath he covetise and clergy/ full lewdly doth agree Beside this Codrus/ with princes commonly Be untaught courters/ fulfilled with envy Jugglers and pykers/ bourders/ and flatrers' Bawds and janglers/ and cursed adulterers And more such other/ of living vicious To whom is virtue/ adverse and odious These do good poetes/ forth of all courts chase By thousand manners/ of threatening and menace Sometime by frauds/ sometime by ill report And them assysteh/ all other of their sort Like as when curs/ light on a carrion Or stinking ravyns/ fed with corruption These two all other/ away doth beat and chase Because they alone/ would occupy the place For unto curs is carrion most meet And also ●●●yns/ think stinking things sweet Another thing yet/ is greatly more damnable Of rascolde poetes/ yet is a shameful rabble Which void of wisdom/ presumeth to indite Though they have scautly/ the cunning of a snyte And to what vices/ that princes most intend Those dare these fools/ solemnyse and commend Than is he decked/ as poet laureate When stinking Thays/ made him her graduate When muses rested/ she died her season note And she with Bacchis/ her camous died promote Such rascolde drams/ promoted by Thays Bacchis Lycoris/ or yet by Testilies Or by such other/ new forged muses nine Think in their minds/ for to have wit divine They laud their verses/ they boast/ they vaunt & get Though all their cunning/ be scantly worth a pet If they have smelled/ the art's trinycall They count them poetes/ high and heroical such is their folly/ so foliss hely they dote Thinking that none/ can their plain error note yet be they foolish avoid of honest Nothing seasoned/ with spice of gravity Avoid of pleasure/ avoid of eloquence With many words/ and fruitless of sentence Unapt to learn/ disdaining to be taught Their private pleasure in snare so have them caught And worst yet of all/ they count them excellent Though they be fruitless/ rash & improvident To such ambages/ who doth their mind incline They count all other/ as private of doctrine And that the faults/ which be in them alone Also be comen/ in other men eachone Thus bide good poetes/ offtime rebuke and blame Because of other/ which have despised name And thus for the bad/ the good be clean abject Their art and poem/ counted of none effect Who wanteth reason/ good to describe from ill Doth worthy writers/ interpret at his will So both the laudes/ of good and not laudable For lack of knowledge become vituperable. ¶ Codrus. ¶ In faith Mynalcas/ I we'll allow thy wit yet would I gladly/ hear now some merry fit Of maid Maryon/ or else of Roby Hode Or bentleys Ale which chaseth weal the blood Of Pert of Norwyche/ or sauce of Wylberton Or buckysshe jolly/ we'll stuffed as a ton Talk of the bottle/ let go the book for now Cumbrous is cunning/ I make to god avow Speke of some mat/ which may refresh my brain Trust me Mynalcas/ I shall reward thy pain Else talk of stoutney/ whe● is more brain than wit Place most abused/ that we have spoken of yet. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Of all these things/ language to multiply Ercept I lied/ should be but villainy It is not seeming/ a poet one to blame All if his honour/ have wone defamed name And though such beestes/ pursue me with envy Malgre for malice/ that payment I defy My master teacheth/ so doth reason and skill That man should restore/ and render good for ill ¶ Codrus. ¶ Than talk of somewhat/ lo it is long to night yet hath the son/ more than one hour of light ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ if I naught common/ sounding to gravity I fear to obtain/ but small reward of the But if I common of vice or wantonness Than of our lord/ shall my reward be less Wherefore my ballad shall have conclusion Of fruitful clauses/ of noble Solomon. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Sing on Mynalcas/ he may do little thing Which to a ballad/ disdaineth the hearing Butt if thy ditty/ accord not to my mind Than my reward/ and promise is behind By man's manners/ it lightly doth appear What men desireth/ that love they for to hear ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Though in thy promise/ I find no certente yet of my cunning/ shalt thou have part of me I call no muses to give to me doctrine But aid & comfort/ of strength & might divine To clear my reason/ with wisdom and prudence To sing one ballad/ extract of sapience. AS meadows painted/ with flowers redolent The sight rejoiceth/ of such as then behold So man endued/ with virtue excellent Fragrantly shineth/ with beams many fold Virtue with wisdom/ exceedeth store of gold If richesses abound/ set not on them thy trust When strength is sturdy/ than man is part & bold But wit & wisdom soon leyeth him in the dust. Than man is beestly/ which seweth carnal lust Spend not on women/ thy richesses or substance For lack of using/ as steel or iron rust So rusteth reason/ by wilful ignorance In fraudefull beauty/ set thou but small pleasance A pleasant apple/ is oft corrupt within Ground the in youth/ on goodly governance It is good token/ when man doth we'll begin. joy not in malice/ that is a mortal sin Man is perceived/ by language and doctrine Better is to loose/ than wrongfully to win He loveth wisdom/ which loveth discipline rash enterprises/ oft bringeth to ruin A man may contend/ god giveth victory Set never thy mind on thing which is not thine Trust not in honour all wealth is transitory. Combyne thou thy tongue/ with reason and memory Speke not to hasty/ without advisement So live in this life/ that thou mayst trust on glory Which is not caduke/ but lasting parmanent There is no secret/ with people vyvolent By beestly surfeit/ the life is brevyate Though some have pleasure/ in sumptuous garment yet goodly manners/ him maketh more ornate. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Ho there Myaclas/ of this have we enough What should a plouman/ go farther than his plough What should a shepherd/ in wisdom wade so far Talk of his tankard/ or of his bor of tar Tell some what else/ wherein is more comfort So shall the season/ and time seem light & short ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ For thou of hayward/ now lately died recite I have a ditty which Cornir died indite His death complaining/ but it is lamentable To here a captain/ so good and honourable So soon withdrawn by deaths cruelty Before his virtue/ was at most high degree If death for reason/ had showed him favour To all his nation/ he should have been honour Alas/ bold hearts/ be nearest death in war When out of danger/ cowards stand a far. ¶ Codrus. ¶ All if that ditye/ be never so lamentable Refrain my tears/ I shall as I am able Begin Mynalcas/ tell of the bold hayward If fortune favour/ hope after some reward. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ I pray the Codrus/ my whey is week and thine Len me thy bottle/ to drink or I begin. ¶ Codrus. ¶ If aught be tasted/ the remnant shall pall I may not afore thee/ now for to spend out all We sit in shadow/ the son is not fervent Call for it after/ than I shall be content. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Still thou desirest/ the pleasure of my art But of thy bottle/ naught wilt thou yet depart Though thou be negarde/ & naught wilt give of thine yet this one time/ thou shalt have part of mine Now hearken Codrus/ I tell mine elegy But small is the pleasure/ of doleful armony. ¶ The description of the tower of Virtue and Honour/ in to which the noble hayward contended to enter/ by worthy acts of chivalry. ¶ Mynalcas speaketh. High on a mountain/ of highness marvelous With pendant cliffs/ of stones hard as flent Is made a castle/ or tour most curious dreadful unto sight/ but inward excellent such as would enter/ find paynes-tourment So hard is the way/ unto the same mountain Straight/ high/ and thorny/ turning and different That many labour/ for to ascend in vain. Who doth persever/ and to this tour attain Shall have great pleasure/ to see the building old Joined and graved/ surmounting man's brain And all the walls within of finest gold With old histories/ and pyctures many fold Glistering as bright/ as Phoebus' orient With marble pyllers/ the building to uphold About the turrettes/ of shape most excellent. This tour is got/ by labour diligent In it remaineth/ such as have wone honour By holy living/ by strength or tournament And most by wisdom/ attain unto this tour briefly all people/ of godly behaviour By rightwise battle justice and equity Or that in mercy/ have had a chief pleasure In it have rooms/ each after his degree This goodly castle/ thus shining in beauty Is named castle/ of virtue and honour In it eight Henry/ is in his majesty most high enhanced/ as aught a conqueror In it remaineth the worthy governor A stock and fountain/ of noble progeny most noble haward/ the duke and protector Named of Norfolk/ the flower of chivalry. Here is the Talbot/ manful and hardy With other princes/ and men of dignity Which to win honour doth all their might apply Supporting justice/ concord/ and equity The manly Corson/ within this tour I see These have we seen/ eachone in his estate With many other/ of high and mean degree For mercy all acts/ with crowns laureate. Of this strong castle/ is porter at the gate Strong sturdy labour/ moche like a champion But goodly virtue/ a lady most ornate Within governeth/ with great provision But of this castle/ in the most highest throne Is honour shining/ in room imperial Which unrewarded/ of them leaveth not one That come by labour/ and virtue principal. fearful is labour/ without favour at all dreadful of visage/ a monster untretable Like Cerberus' lying/ at gates infernal To some men his look/ is half intolerable His shoulders large/ for burden strong and able His body bristled/ his neck mighty and stiff By sturdy sinews/ his joints strong and stable Like marble stones/ his hands be as stiff. Here must man vanquish/ the dragon of Cadmus Again the Chymer/ here stoutly must he ●●ght Here must he vanquish/ the fearful Pegasus For the golden fleece/ here must he show his might If labour gainsay/ he can nothing be right This monster labour/ oft changeth his figure Sometime an o'er/ a bore/ or lion wight Plainly he seemeth/ thus changing his nature. Like as Protheus/ oft changed his stature Mutable of figure/ oft-times in one hour When Aristeus/ in bonds had him sure To divers figures likewise changeth labour Under his brows he dredefully doth lour With glistering eyen/ and side dependent beard For thirst and hunger/ always his cheer is sour His horned forehead/ doth make faint hertis feared. Always he drinketh/ and yet always is dry The sweat distilling/ worth drops abundant His breast and forheed/ doth humour multiply By sweating showers/ yet is this pain pleasant Of day and of night/ his resting time is scant No day overpasseth/ exempt of business His sight enfourmeth/ the rude and ignorant Who dare persever/ he giveth them richesse. None he advanceth/ but after steadfastness Of little burden/ his belly is and small His mighty thighs/ his vigour doth express His shanks sturdy/ and large feet withal By wrath he rageth/ and still doth chide & brawl Such as would enter/ repelling with his cry As well estates/ as homely men rural At the first enter/ he thretneth yrefully. I trow old father's/ whom men now magnify Called this monster/ Mynerua stout and sour For strength and sinews/ of man most commonly Are tame and feebled/ by cures and labour Like as becometh/ a knight to fortify His prince's quarrel/ with right and equity So died this hayward/ with courage valtantly Till death abated/ his bold and acyte. O happy Samson/ more fortunate than he Only in strength/ but not in high courage O cruel fortune/ why dared thy cruelty This flower of knighthood/ to slay in lusty age Thou hast debated/ the flower of his lineage If thou had mercy/ bewail his death thou might For cruel lions/ and more beestes savage Long time not cessed/ sore to bewail this knight O death thou hast done/ against both law & right To spare a coward/ without danger or wound And thus soon to quench/ of chivalry the light O death envious/ most enemy to our ground What most availeth/ thou soonest dost confound Why died not virtue/ assist her champion Thou might have aided/ for soothly thou was bound For during his life/ he loved the alone. O god almighty/ in thy eternal throne To whom all virtue/ is dear and acceptable If reason suffered/ to the our cry and moon This deed might impute/ and fortune lamentable Thou might have left us/ this knight most honourable Our wealth & honour/ to have kept in degree Alas why hath death/ so false and deceivable Mankind to torment/ this will and liberty. It quencheth virtue/ sparing iniquity The best it striketh/ of bad having disdain No help nor comfort/ hath our adversity death daily striketh/ though we daily complain To treat a tyrant/ it is but thing in vain meekness provoketh/ his wrath & tyranny So at out prayer/ death hath the more disdain We do by meekness/ his furor multiply. If some fell tyrant/ replete with villainy Should thus have ending/ the deed were commendable But a stout captain/ disposed to mercy So soon thus faded/ the case lamentable Was he not humble/ jocund and companable No man dispysing/ and first in all labour rightwise with mercy/ debonair and treatable Mate and companion/ with every soldier. Vice he subdued/ by goodly behaviour Like as a rider/ doth a wild stead subdue His body subject/ his soul was governor From vice withdrawn/ to goodness and virtue When pride rebelled/ meekness died eschew Fre mind and alms/ subdued avarice Always he noted/ this saying just and true That noble minds/ dispyseth covetise. His death declareth/ that sloth he died espyse By hardy courage/ as first in jeopardy Always he used/ some noble exercise such as belongeth/ to noble chivalry In him was there found/ no sparkle of envy Always he lauded/ and praised worthiness Such as were doughty/ rewarding largely Wrath save in season/ he wisely could repress. Of wine or Bacchus/ despised he excess For minds kindled to acts mercial Seeking for honour/ and name of doughtiness despiseth surfeit/ and living beestyall In him no power/ had lust veneryall For busy labour/ and pleasant abstinence All corporal lust/ soon causeth for to fall No lust subdueth where reigneth diligence He was a pillar/ of sober continence His only treasure/ and iowell was good name But O cursed death/ thy wrathful vyolnece By stroke unwarned/ half blinded of his fame Who may I accuse? who may I put in blame? God for death/ or fortune/ or impotent nature God doth his pleasure/ & death will have the same Nature was mighty/ long able to endure. In fortune the fault is/ hold now am I sure I would if I dared/ his tyranny accuse O cursed fortune/ if thou be creature Who gave the power/ thus people to abuse Thy mutable might/ me causeth oft to muse When man is plunged/ in dolour and distress Thy face thou changest/ which died erst refuse By so deign chances/ him lifting to richesse. And such as long time/ have lived in nobles Anon thou plungest/ in pain and poverty wealth/ honour/ strength/ right/ justice/ & goodness Misery/ dolour/ low room/ and iniquity These thou rewardest/ like as it pleaseth the To man's merit/ without respect at all One this day being/ in great authority Again to morrow/ thou causest for to fall. When man is worthy/ a room imperial On him thou gloumest/ with froward countenance Weyke is thy promise/ revolving as a ball Thou hast no favour/ to godly governance No man by merit/ thou usest to advance O blinded fortune/ offtime infortunate When man the trusteth/ than falls some mischance Unwarely changing/ his fortune and estate. Tell me frail fortune/ why died thou brevyate The living season/ of such a captain That when his acts aught to be laureate Thy favour turned/ him suffering to be slain I blame the fortune/ and the excuse again For though thy favour/ to him was rigorous such is thy custom/ for to be uncertain And namely when man/ is high and glorious. But most worthy duke/ high and victorious Respyre to comfort/ se the uncertainty Of other princes/ whose fortune prosperous Oftyme hath ended/ in hard adversity Reed of Pompeius/ whose peerless dignity Again great Cesar/ died wealth of Rome defend Whom after fortune/ brought in captivity That he in Egypt/ was heeded at the end. In like wise Cesar/ which died with him contend When all the world/ to him was subyngate From his high honour/ died suddenly descend Murdered in Rome/ by chance infortunate Cato an Seneke/ with Tully Rewreate These and more like/ for all their sapience Hath proved fortune/ sore blynding their estate By wrongful slanders/ and deadly violence. To poor and rich/ it hath no difference Old Polycraces/ supposing peril passed With death does honest/ ended his exellence Great Alexander by fortune/ was down cast One draft of poison/ him filled at the last Whom all the world/ erst could not sacyate What is all honour/ and power but a blast? When fortune thretneth/ the life to brevyate Behold on Pyrrus/ the king infortunate With a small stone/ deed prostrate on the ground See ualerian brought down from his estate From his empire/ in Percy thrall and bound Of old Priamus'/ it is in writing found How h●by▪ Pyrrus/ was in his paleis slain Paris and Hector/ received mortal wound To trust in fortune/ it is a thing in vain. The mighty Cyrus/ a king of realms twain Was slain & his host/ of Thomyrus the queen Thus is no matter/ of fortune to complain All that new falls/ of old time hath bensene This shallbe/ this is/ and this hath ever been That bold hearts/ be nearest jeopardy To die in battle/ is honour as men ween To such as have joy/ in haunting chivalry. Such famous ending/ the name doth magnify Note worthy duke/ no cause is to complain His life not ended/ foul nor dishonestly In bed nor tavern/ his lusts to meyntayne But like as beseemed/ a noble captain In sturdy harness/ he died for the right From deaths danger/ no man may fly certain But such death is meetest/ unto a noble knight. But death it to call/ me think it is unright Scythe his worthy name/ shall last perpetual To all his nation/ example and clear light But to his progeny/ most specially of all His soul is in pleasure/ of glory eternal So duke most doughty/ joy may that noble tree Whose branches honour/ shall never fade ne fall While be'st is in earth/ or fishes in the see. Lo Codrus/ I here have told the by and by Of shepherd Cornir/ the woeful elegy Wherein he mourned/ the grievous pain and hard And last departing/ of noble lord Hawarde Moore he endyted/ of this good admiral But truly Codrus/ I can not tell the all. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Mynalcas/ I swear by holy Peter's cope If all thing fortune/ as I have trust and hope if happy wind blow/ I shall or it be long comfort thy sorrow/ and we'll reward thy song What trust man a while/ till better fortune come if my part be any/ than shall thy part be some. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ if thou in purpose/ so to reward my hire God grant the Codrus/ thy wysshing & desire. ¶ Codrus. ¶ Forsooth Mynalcas/ I wish the so in deed And that shalt thou know/ if fortune with me speed Farewell Mynalcas/ for this time dieu te guard near is winter/ the world is to hard. ¶ Mynalcas. ¶ Go wretched ingarde/ god send the care & pain Our lord let the never/ come hither more again And as died Midas/ god turn it all to gold That ever thou touchest/ or shalt in hands hold For so moche on gold/ is fired thy liking That thou dispysest/ both virtue and cunning. ¶ Explicit. ¶ Thus endeth the fourth Eglogge of Alexandre Barcley containing the manners of rich men anent poetes and other clerks. Imprinted by Richard Pynson/ priter to the kings noble grace. ¶ The fift Eglog of Alexandre Barclay of the citizen and uplondyshman. ¶ Here after followeth the Prologue. IN cold January/ when fire is comfortable And that the fields/ be near intolerable When sheep & pastors/ leaveth field & fold And draw to coats/ for to eschew the cold What time the verdure/ of ground & every tree By frost and storms/ is private of beauty And every small bird/ thinketh the winter long Which well appeareth/ by ceasing of their song At this same season/ two herds/ fresh of age At time appointed/ met both in one cottage The first height Faustus/ the second Amyntas Hard was to know/ which better husband was For each of them both/ set more by pleasure Than by abundance/ of riches or treasure Amyntas was formalle/ and proper in his gear A man on his cloak/ should not aspyed a here Nor of his clothing/ one wrinkle stood a wry In london he learned/ to go so mannerly High on his bonnet/ stack a fair brooch of tin His purses lining/ was simple poor and thin But a lords stomach/ and a beggars pouch Full ill accordeth/ such was this comely slouche In the town and city/ so long getted had he That from thence he fled/ for debt and poverty Not wafrer/ tavern/ halehous/ or taverner To him was there hid/ while he was hosteler first was he hosteler/ and than a wafrer Than a costermonger/ and last a taverner About all London/ there was no proper prym But long time had been/ familiar with him But when coin failed no fanour more had he Wherefore he was glad/ out of the town to i'll But sheep heard Faustus/ was yet more fortunate For alway was he/ content with his estate Yet nothing he had/ to comfort him in age Save a melche cow/ and a poor cottage The town he used/ and great pleasure had To see the city/ offtime while he was lad For milk and votter/ he thither brought to cell But never thought he/ in city for to devil For well he noted/ the mad enormity Envy/ fraud/ malice/ and such myquyte Which reign in cytes/ therefore he led his life Up land in village/ without debate and strife When these two herds/ were thus together met Having no charges/ nor labour them to let Their sheep were all sure/ and closed in a cote themself lay in litter/ pleasantly and hot For costly was fire/ in hardest of the year When men have most need/ than every thing is dear For passing of time/ and recreation The both delighted/ in communication Namely they pleaded/ of the diversity Of rural husbondes/ and men of the city Fastus accused/ and blamed Cytezyns To them imputing/ great faults crime & sins Amyntas blamed/ the rural men again And each of them both/ his quareyl died maintain All wroth despised/ all malice and ill will Clean laid a part/ each died rehearse his skill But first Amyntas/ thus for to speak began As he which counted/ himself the better man ¶ Finis Prologue. ¶ Interlocutoures be Amyntas and Faustus. Amyntas' first speaketh. THe winter snows/ all covered is the ground The northewind blowies/ all with a fearful sound The long ice sycles/ at the he wsys hung The streams frozen/ the night is cold and long Where boats rowed/ now carts have passage from yoke the oxen/ be loosed and bondage The ploughman rests/ avoid of all business Save when he tendeth/ his harms for to dress Mably his wife/ sitteth before the fire All black and smoke/ clothed in rude attire Sething some gruel/ and steering the pulment Of piece or frument/ a noble meet for lent The summer season/ men counteth now laudable Whose fervour before/ they thought intolerable The frosty winter/ and weder temperate Which men than praised/ they now dyspryse & hate Cold they desired/ but now it is present The brawl and grudge/ their minds not content Thus mutable men/ them pleased can not hold At great heat grutchyng/ & grutehing when it is cold ¶ Faustus. All pleasure present/ of men is counted small Desire obtained/ some counteth naught at all What men hope after/ that seemeth great and dear At light by distance/ appeareth great and clear. ¶ Amyntas. Each time and season/ hath his delight and Joys Look in the streets/ behold the little boys How in fruit season/ for joy they sing and hope In lent eachone/ full busy is with his tope And now in winter/ for all the grievous cold All rent and raged/ a man may them behold They have great pleasure/ supposing well to dine When men been busied/ in killing of fat swine They get the bladder/ and blow it great tanned thine With many beans/ or peasen bound within It rattleth/ soundeth/ and shineth clear and fair While it is thrown/ and cast up in the air Each eone contendeth/ and hath a great delight With foot or with hand/ the bladder for to smite If it fall to ground/ they lift it up again This wise to labour/ they count it for no pain running and leaping/ they drive away the cold The sturdy plowmen/ lusty strong and bold overcometh the winter/ with driving the foot ball For getting labour/ and many a grievous fall ¶ Faustus. Men labour sorer/ in fruitless vanity Than in fair work/ of great utility In such thryftles/ we labour for damage Work we despise/ which bringeth advantage ¶ Amyntas. touching their labour/ it can not me displease While we be in rest/ and better here at ease In the warm litter/ small pain hath little hire Here may we wallow/ while milk is on the fire If it be crudded/ of breed we need no crome If thou bide Faustus/ thereof thou shalt have some ¶ Faustus. Winter declareth/ hard need and poverty Than men it feeleth/ which have necessity Treuly Amyntas/ I tell the mine intent We fond young people/ be much improvydent We stray in summer/ without thought/ care/ or heed Of such thing as we/ in winter shall have need As soon as we here/ a bagpipe or a drown Than leave we labour/ there is our money go But when the north wind/ with storms violent Hath brought cold winter/ poor wretches to torment And void of leaves/ is every bow and tree That one may clearly/ the empty nests see Than is all our will/ and lambs go and sold We tremble naked/ and die almost for cold Our shoulders all bore/ our hose and shows rend By reckless youth/ thus all is go and spent This cometh for wanting/ of good provision Youth deigneth counsel/ scorning discretion When puerte thus/ hath caught us in his snare Than doth the winter/ our mad folly declare Now treuly Amyntas/ I tell the my mate That town dwellers live/ greatly more fortunate And somewhat wiser/ be they also than we They gather treasoure/ and riches in plenty They spoil the lambs/ and foxes of the skin To lap their wombs/ and fat sides therein In lust in pleasure/ and in good abundance Pass they their lives/ we have not suffisance ¶ Amyntas. The men of the earth/ be fools everichone We poor shepherds/ be not to blame alone Moore folly vexeth/ the man of the city I grant us overseen/ they madder be than we Though I long season/ died in the city devil I favour it not/ truth dare I boldly tell Though Cytezyns be/ oflyving reprovable Yet fortune to them/ is much more favourable Fortune to them/ is like a mother dear As a stepmoder/ she doth to us apere Them she exalteth/ to honour and richesse Us she oppresseth/ in care and wretchedness What is vain fortune/ but thing bytuperable An unhappy madness/ unworthy and unstable ¶ Faustus. No doubt Amyntas/ let me be fortunate And than shall I soon/ become a great estate My coin shall increase/ than shortly shall I be Called to office/ to govern a city All men shall hear me/ and give me credence The commonty bareheed/ shall do me reverence All other rules/ low men and comonte Shall gladly desire/ to have advise of me If I be happy/ and fortune on me smile Thus shall I ascend/ and mount within a while Ask thou of Cornyx/ declare to the he can How coin more than cunning/ exalteth many man ¶ Amyntas. O Faustus Faustus/ thou errs from the way This is not fortune/ full little do she may Though I myself/ rehearsed but lately That fortune hath might/ a man to magnify I keep the opinion/ of wytles comonte And grounded myself/ on none authority It is not fortune/ that granteth excellence True honour is won/ by virtue and science If men get honour/ by other policy It is no honour/ but wretched misery God maketh mighty/ god giveth true honour To godly persons/ of godly behaviour God first disposed/ and made diversity Between rude plowmen/ and men of the city And in what manner/ Cornyx thine own mate As we went talking/ recounted to me late ¶ Faustus. What told the Cornyx// tell me I the pray He had good reason/ such things to convey His wit was pregnant/ no reason died he want But truth to declare/ his money was but scant But what than/ some man hath pleynte of cunning Which hath of richesse/ small pleynte or nothing ¶ Amyntas. In hearing my tale/ if thou have thy delight Than take some labour/ for now is good respite Faustus arise thou/ out of thy lyttre hot Go se and visit/ our wethers in the cote Arise go and come/ thou art both young and able After great cold/ heat is more comfortable Go man for shame/ he is a slothful daw Which leaveth profit/ for pleasure of hot straw ¶ Faustus. Think not Amyntas/ that Fastus hath disdain To do thy pleasure/ I shall refuse no pain Look here Amyntas/ lord benedycyte The cold snow reacheth/ moche higher than my knee Scant may the houses/ such burden well sustain Less hurt is tempest/ and sudden storm of rain On top of the chymnaye/ there is an heap of snow So high extending/ our steeple is more low The snow is so white/ and the son so bright That plainly Amyntas/ amassed is my sight ¶ Amyntas. give to the beasts/ good rowen in pleynte And stop all the holes/ where thou can faults see Stop them with stubbyll/ eft daub them with some clay And when thou hast done than come again thy way Naught is more noisome/ to flock/ cottage/ ne fold Than sudden tempest/ and unprovided cold What now all ready/ friend Faustus here again By short conclusion/ bad work appeareth plain Thy coming again/ me think is all to soon Aught to have mended/ or profit to have done ¶ Faustus. This cumbrous wether/ made me more diligent I ran all the way/ both as I came and went And there I sped me/ and took the greater pain Because I lightly/ would be with the again After great cold/ it is full sweet god wot To tumble in the straw/ or in the litter hot Now be we Fastus/ in hay up to the chin Fully thy promise/ I pray the now begin Tell the beginning/ of the diversity Between rural men/ and men of the city I know the reason/ and talking of Cornyx But sith I him saw/ be passed years two His jocund Jests/ made me oftetyme full glad Our first acquaintance/ was when I was a lad Now speak my Faustus/ and I shall hold me still Till thou have ended/ and spoken all thy will ¶ Amyntas. This great difference/ and first diversity Between rural men/ and them of the city Begun in this wise/ as cornyx me told Which well could common/ of many matters old first when the world/ was formed and created And Adam with Eve/ were set in their estate Our lord conjoined them both/ as man and wife To live in concord/ the season of their life And them commanded/ mankind to multiply By generation/ to get them progeny They both obeyed/ this sweet commandment With faithful hearts/ and labour diligent But would to Jhesu/ they had been wise and ware from the fatal fruit/ which kindled all their care But to my purpose/ first Eve had children two A sone and a daughter/ our lord disposed so And so year by year/ two twins forth she brought When god assysteth/ man worketh not for naught By such manner/ these two died them apply The world to sulfyll/ increase and multiply At last our lord/ at end of fifteen year To Eve our mother/ died on a time appear And in what manner/ now here me Amyntas Adam on the field/ forth with his wethers was His flock than he fed/ without all dread and fere Than were no wowers/ him nor his wife to dear He was not troubled/ that time with Jelowsy Than was no body/ to do that villainy No horned kyddes/ were living at that time Long after this/ began this cursed crime Than was no cuckoo/ between the eest and west To say wrong eggs/ within a strange nest Than none suspected/ the living of his wife Weclocke was quiet/ and pleasant without strife But after when people/ began to multiply Than first was kindled/ the flame of Jelowsy For that man commynteth/ sore dreadeth he again Fraud feareth falsehood/ suspecting often in vain Than i'll she in hast/ for to have pleasure more And them presented/ whom she had hid before And unrequired/ presenting them said she O lord these also/ my very children be These be the fruit/ also of my womb Hid for shame fastness/ within my house at home O lord most my ghty/ high father cretour Withsave to grant them/ some office of honour Their here was rugged/ powdered all with chaff Some full of straws/ some other full of draff Some with cobwebs/ and dust were so arrayed That one beholding on them/ might be afraid Black was their colour/ and bad was their figure Uncomely to sight/ mysshapen of stature Our lord not smiled on them/ to show pleasance But said to them thus/ with trowbled countenance You smell all smoky/ of stubbyll and of chaff You smell of the ground/ of wedes and of draff And after your sent/ and tedious savour Shall be your to wines/ and all your behaviour None can a pitcher/ turn to a silver piece Nor make goodly silk/ of a goats fleece And hard is also/ to make withouten fail A bright two hand sword/ of a cows tail no more will I make/ how be it that I can Of a vile villain/ a noble gentleman You shall be plowemen/ and tyllers of the ground To pain and labour/ shall you alway be bound Some shall keep oxen/ and some shall hogs keep Some shall be thresshers/ some other shall keep sheep To dig and to delve/ to hedge and to dyke Take this for your lot/ and other labour like To drudge and to drivel/ in work vile and rude This wise shall you live/ in endless servitude Rypping/ and mowing/ of father grass & corn Yet shall town dwellers/ oft laugh you unto scorfis Yet some shall we grant/ to devil in the city For to make podynges/ or butchers for to be Cobblers/ or tinkers'/ or else costard Jaggers Hostelers/ or daubers/ or drowpy water laggers And such other sort/ whose daily business Passeth in work/ and labour of vileness To stoop/ and to sweet/ and subject to become And never to be rid/ from bondage & thraldom Than broughtour lord/ to them the cart & harowe The gad/ & the whip/ the matoke & the whelebarow The spade/ the shovel/ the fork and the plough And all such tolls/ than bade he them be tough And never to grudge/ at labour nor at pain For if they so died/ it should be thing in vain Thus said the father/ and lord omny potent And than he ascended/ up to the tyrmament Thus began honour/ and thus began bondage And diversity/ of city and village And servile labour/ first in this wise began Demand of Cornyx/ declare the truth he can This told me Cornyx/ whiched welled in the fen I trust his saying/ before a thousand men ¶ Faustus. Is this the matter/ praised of the so sore Astra we for fables/ I set by them no store It were a marvel/ if Cornyx matter told To laud of she peherdes'/ or plowmen to uphold He dwelled in the town/ and held with the city Till need him moved/ as it hath driven the When none of you both/ dare to the town resort Among us shepherds/ yet find you here comfort So both thou and he/ be greatly for to blame To eat our victual/ and than to hurt our name The young men of towns/ to mock us have a guise Naught else can they do/ save lies to devise This vain invention/ and foolish feigned fable Again rural men/ they have delight to babble And naught they asshame/ as blind wretches unwise Of god almighty/ such leasynge to devise This scorfy scofting/ declareth openly Against rural men/ rebuke and injury But thou art so rude/ thy paunch is so fat Again thine ownself/ thou busy art to chat Alyfe this same Jest/ is thy rebuke and blame Thy dulled reason/ can not perceive the same But I brickwall prove thee/ that rural people be Moore wise and noble/ than they of the city And that the city/ is full of fraud and strife When we in village/ have good and quiet life ¶ Amyntas. I pray the Fastus/ herefore be thou not wroth To have dyspleasoure of thee/ I were right loath I thought no maugre/ I told it for a board If I had known/ I should have said noworde But say thy pleasure/ now tell for the thy sentence And I shall here thee/ with sober patience ¶ Faustus. I shall not deny/ our pain and servitude I know that plowmen/ for the most part be rude Now shall I tell thee/ high matters true & old Which curteys Candydus/ unto me once told Naught shall I forge/ nor of no leasing babble This is true history/ and no surmysed fable At the benynning/ of things first of all God made shepherds/ and other men rural But the first ploughman/ and tiller of the ground Was rude and stordy/ disdaining to be bound Rughe and stoborne/ and Cayn died men him call He had no mercy/ and pity none at all But like as the ground/ is dull/ stony/ and tough Stubborn and heavy/ rebelling to the plough So the first ploughman/ was strong and obstinate froward self willing/ and mover of debate But the first shepherd/ was meek & nothing fallen Humble as is a lamb/ and called was Abel A sheep giveth milk/ and little hath of gall So this good Abel/ had none ill will at all No shepherd found him/ injurious nor wrong In during his life/ while he was them among And often of his flock/ made he good sacrifice Of calf or lambs/ such as were most of price And of fat wether's/ the best not spared he To honour our lord/ and pease his deyte Thus had he favour/ with god omny potent So pleasing our lord/ that to this time present From first beginning/ of earth▪ and man mortal God hath had favour/ to people pastoral And poor shepherds/ their coats/ field and sheep Angels have come/ for to defend and keep Some shepherds were/ in land of asserye Thiche after have been/ promoted very high So that from coats/ and houses pastoral They have ascended/ to dignity royal Chargys and labour/ so doth my reason blind That call their names/ can I not unto mind Yet let me study/ avoiding pertur baunce So may I call them/ unto my remembrance Lo now I have them/ Abraham/ and Jacob Lot/ I saac/ young Joseph/ and Job These now rehearsed/ and all the patryarches Have not dysdayned/ poor sheep nor herds work Them hath our lord/ called from humble things And made them princes/ duke's/ other kings So have they changed/ their clothing pastoral With golden garment/ purpur/ and gay pall And than have after by magnanimity Brought noble royalmes/ in their captivity And have in battle/ been mighty conquerors Wone fame immortal/ and excellent honours Paris was pastor/ the son of Pryamus Pan/ Sylene/ Orpheus/ and jolly Tityrus Sawll was shepherd/ so was he in likewise Which would have offered/ his son in sacrifice Moses was shepherd/ and was his flock keeping When he came barefote/ unto the bush flaming Commannded by god/ to leave his flock and go On god's message/ to sturdy Pharaoh Also Apollo was heard/ sometime in Grece nothing disdaining/ to handle ewe and fleece As writeth poetes/ he left divine honour Glad among wether's/ to be a governor The blessed angels/ brought to such men as we Message of concord/ of peas/ and unite And song that gloria/ stying in the sky Which out sir Sapson/ doth sing so merely first had shepherds/ sure tiding by message That god was made man/ to buy hamayne lineage And hero's instruct/ by voice angelical saw god incarnate/ and born first of all And this was pleasure/ of god's majesty That simple herds/ him first of all sold see And in their manner/ make unto him offerings Before estates/ as rich and mighty kings The jolly harper/ which after was a king And slew the giant/ so stoutly with his sling Was first a shepherd/ or he had dignity Right so were many/ as stout and bold as he And our lord Ihesu/ our god and saviour Named himself/ a shepherd or a pastor Right so he named/ men meek and patient His flock and his sheep/ for manners innocent Think not these words/ glosed nor in vain They are the gospel/ so saith sir Peter plain I saw them myself/ well painted on the brickwall Late gazing upon/ our church cathedral I saw great wether's/ in picture and small lambs Dancing/ some sleeping/ some so wking of their dams And some on the ground/ me seemed dying still Than saw I horsemen/ at pendant of an hill And the three kings/ with all their company Their crowns gly wearing/ bright and oryently With their presents/ and gystes mystical All this beheld I/ in picture on the brickwall But the poor pastors/ as people innocent first saw the Cryb/ of our lord omnipotent Thus it appeareth/ god loveth poor pastors Seth he them granted/ to have to great honours Our lord hath favour/ both in the sheep and fold As it appeareth/ by the hostoryes old Our lord is ready/ to succour the village Despising towns/ for malice and outrage For god is content/ with simple poverty Pride he despiseth/ and wrongful dignity ¶ Amyntas. In good faith Fastus/ thy tale is veritable Grounded on learning/ and greatly commendable Lately myself/ to see that picture was I saw the manger/ I saw the ox and ass I well remembered/ the people in my mind Me think yet I see/ the black faces of ynde Me think yet I see/ the herds and the kings And in what manner/ were ordered their offerings As long as I live/ the better shall I love The name of herds/ and cytezyns reprove Wherefore mate Fastus/ I pray god give the care If thou the faults/ of any city spare Speke on/ and spare not/ and touch their error Yet may me common/ more than a large hour. ¶ Faustus. Than turn we to talk/ a while of Cysezyns To touch their folly/ and parcel of their sins Think not Amyntas/ that they of the city Live better life/ or wyselyer than we All if their clothing/ be doubled for the cold And though they glister/ so gaily in bright gold Shining in silks/ in purpur/ or velvet In furred robes/ or cloaks of scarlet And we poor herds/ in russet cloak and hode It is not clothing/ can make a man be good Better in in rags/ pure living innocent Than a soul delyled/ in sumptuous garment Trust me Amyntas/ myself with thesesame eyen Have in the city/ such oftentimes seen Jet in their silks/ and brag in the market As they were lords/ I often have seen them Jet Which are stark beggars/ and live in need at home And often go to bed/ for need with empty womb Naught is more foolish/ than such wretches be Thus with proud port/ to cloak their poverty What is need clohed/ or feigned abundance poverty/ sloth/ and wretched governance What is fair semblance/ with thought and heaviness Forsooth naught else/ but cloaked foolishness And some have I seen/ which is a thing damnable That whylethey would have/ a living delectable Rest at their pleasure/ and far delycyoully Have suffered their wives/ defiled wyttyngly Have sold their daughters/ flower of virginity O deed unworthy/ O blind iniquity Fame honour the soul/ and chastity be sold For wretched living/ oh cursed thirst of gold O damnable deed/ so many for to spill One wretched carks/ and belly for to fill What thing is viler/ what more abominable What thing more foolish/ more falls & detestable. ¶ Amyntas. What if they can not/ to other craft them give Nor find ather way/ or means for to live Need hath no law/ of two ills pard To chose the least ill/ is none iniquity ¶ Faustus. Seth they have as many/ soul's as have we As much of reason/ and hands like plenty Why may they not to honest work them give And find other way/ and manner for to live No law permytteth/ nor willeth man pard To commit murder/ for hard neressyte no more should any/ his soul defile nor kill For lust transitory/ or pleasure to fulfil Yet be in cities/ more suenge foolishness weening by craft/ for to have great riches By which crafts/ no man hath riches found Sith time that our lord/ first formed man & ground As Alkemysties/ weening by policy Nature to altar/ and coin to multiply Some wash rude metal/ with liquors many fold Of herbs weening/ to turn in to gold All pale and smoky/ by such continual And after labour/ they loose their life and all An other sort is/ to this not moche unlike Which spend their times/ in wretched art magic Thereby supposing/ some treasure to have found Which many years/ is hid within the ground What is more foolish/ more full of vanity Or more repugning/ to faith the and probyte Because they would i'll/ good business and pain They use such trifles/ & wretched things vain They prove all things/ because the would do naught Still seeking news/ still troubled in their thought Because they would i'll/ the labour of the land All idle trifles/ such taketh on their hand Styli be they busy/ and never come to end To thing profitable/ do few of them intend Some live by rapine/ guile/ fraud and policy Pariury opprelsyon/ and some in usury Some gladly borrow/ and never pay again Some keep from servants/ the stipend of their pain Some rest men guiltless/ and cast them in prison Some by strong thieves/ out of the dongyon Some fawn some flatter/ man trust not when they smile Than frame the frauds/ men slily to beguile Some in one hour/ more promise to the will Than all his days/ he thinketh to fulfil By thousand means/ of fraud and craftiness Lie they in wait/ for honour and richesse They feed the rich/ and often let the poor die for pure cold/ and hungres at their door We feed fat oxen/ they Marmosettes keep We feed fat Kyddes/ lambs/ and good sheep And they feed haws/ apes/ also hounds And small is their joy/ save here within our bounds We bring them butter/ eggs/ cheese/ and will Tancardes of mild/ and cream fleeting full All manner flesh/ and all their hole living Without our labour/ treuly they have nothing We are the feders/ of wethers and fat hogs And they of the'cyte/ fede birds/ and great dogs Now Juge Amyntas/ which of these seemeth the Of most advantage/ and most nobility ¶ Amyntas. If by your labour/ proceedeth more richesse And most advantage/ as seemeth truth doubtless Than this Imeruayle that the they of the city Have so great pleynte/ and we necessity The cause can not I/ call to my remembrance Whereof proceedeth/ their store and abundance ¶ Faustus. The cause I told thee/ what wouldest thou have more By fraud/ and flashode/ have they so mickle store Seest thou not plainly/ how they of the city Daily deceiveth/ our poor simplicity With that cruelty/ against us they rage By false oppression/ or fair feigned language They think it pleasoure/ that sorrow on them hap By glossed words/ to take us in trap The most of them all/ count it an alms deed Us herds to fraud/ this is a gentle meed For them we labour/ in here/ wind/ cold and rain And fraud & bysceyte/ the pay us for our pain With minds and tongue/ they study and they muse Both day and night/ us herds to abuse Their wit and body/ all hole do they ply For us poor wretches/ to study policy And after their fraud/ guile and deception Than do they laugh us/ unto derision ¶ Amyntas. How came thou to knowledge/ of this enormity And of these manners/ of them of the city Myself there wonned/ and there was cowersaunt Of some of these things/ yet am Jygnoraunt ¶ Faustus. Thou could not perceive well/ their enormyte Parchaunce thy manners/ died with their life agree There seldom is seen/ great contradiction Where men accordeth in disposition No fault with moryans/ is black dysformyte Because all the sort/ like of their favour be So couth thou not see/ their vices nor them blame Because thy own life/ was filed with the same But how I know them/ now shall I tell to the While I brought butter/ to cell to the city And other victual/ I used milk to cry Than had I knowledge/ with an apothecary Of him I learned/ moche fashode and practise Not to the purpose/ the same to exercise He couth make plasters/ & new commyxcyons In valour scant worth/ a couple of onyens Yet sold he the same/ as it were gold so dear Namely/ if happened/ any infectyfe year I was aquaynted/ with many an hucster With a costardemonger/ and with an ostler This thief was crafty/ poor people to be guile None like I suppose/ within a dozen mile Among all other/ his frauds and his crimes He sold one botells/ of hay a dozen times And in the oats/ couth he well drop a candle Well knew he how/ his gests for to handle And in the same In/ there dwelled a pretty prime She couth well flatter/ and gloze with him & him And neck a measure/ her smyrking 'gan her sale She made ten shyling/ of one barrel of ale Whom she beguiled/ in pots she was fain To win them with flesh/ and painted look again And as I remember/ her name was wanton Bess Who least with her dealt/ he thryved not the less What need more process/ no craft of the city Is but is mingled/ with fraunde and subtlety Save only the craft/ of an apotycary That is all fraud/ and guileful policy But all these would swear/ that they were innocent Or they totlhe city/ died first of all frequent There learned they/ thefce and fraud to exercise And man of nature/ is moved soon to vice Some be also/ which spend their patrimony Which was to them let/ by their old auncestry On queans/ bawds/ in riot and drunkenness Their name defiling/ despising all goodness With cost and pains/ such busuly labour Seeking for shame/ and death before their hour Say where is custom/ of fornication Incest adultery/ and destoration forcing of women/ murder and rapine discord & brawling/ and living like to swine Malice/ envy/ and all iniquity Do these not rain/ in mids of the city All new abusion/ provoking men to sins Had first beginning/ among the cytezyns Where devil great princes/ and mighty governors Their life despising/ for to have vain honours capitains/ soldiers/ and all like company Which put for money/ their life in jeopardy These devil not upon land/ but haunteth the city Poor herds fight not/ but for necessity For liberty/ life/ and justice to uphold Town dwellers fight/ for vain honour/ & gold We fight/ our friends/ and household to defend They fight for malice/ to riches to ascend Our cause and quarrel/ is to maintain the right But all on self will/ without reason they fight They seek by wounds/ for honour and richesse And drive the wekest/ to hardest business O blind soldier/ why settest thou thy heart For a vain stipend/ again a mortal dart By thousand perils/ thou takest thy passage For a small Lucre/ running to great damage Their sweet life they give/ for a poor stipend And oft lose they both/ and heaven at the end While some contendeth/ and fighteth for his wage His life he spendeth/ than far well advantage What is more foolish/ or lyker to madness Than to spend the life/ for glory and richesse What thing is glory/ laud praising or fame What honour report/ or what is noble name Forsooth naught but voice of wytles comonte And vain opinion/ subject to to vanity Proceste of years/ revolving of season Bringeth all these/ soon in oblivion When life is faded/ all these been out of sight Like as with the son departeth the day light They all be fools/ which meddleth with the see And other wise might live/ in their own country He is but a fool/ which runneth to tempest And might live on land/ in surety and in rest He is but a fool/ which hath of good plenty And it dysdayneth/ to use and occupy And he which liveth/ in care and wretchedness His heir to promote/ to lands and richesse Is most fool of all/ to spare in misery With good and lands/ his heir to magnify And he which leaveth/ that thing for to be done Unto his daughter/ executor or sone Which he himself/ might in his life fulfil He is but a fool/ and hath but little skill But all these sorts/ within the city be They want of wisdom/ and sue enormity And also the youth/ in days festival Do naught but follow/ their lusts bestial The week they use them/ in worldly business The sunday serveth/ to follow viciousness What time the shops/ be closed all and shut Than is the market/ with Thays/ Beale/ & Kit On highest days/ such ware in namely sold For naught it waxeth/ if it be once old Npon the sunday/ when men should god honour Left is good labour/ ensued is error offtime the old frere/ that wonned in grenewyche Again such follies/ was boldly wont to preach He said where bawds/ and their abusyone Were wont to abide/ in one vile place alone Now are they sprencled/ and sparcled abroad Like wise as ships/ be docked in a road That hard is to know/ good women from the ill By ill example/ good are in doubt to spill Bawds be suffered/ so where they list to bide That the street fadeth/ upon the water side Cate/ Jyll mably/ Phylies/ and feat Jeny Because of the city/ now can not get one penny Uyle Thays was wont/ in angles for to be Now hath she power/ in all the hole city ¶ Amyntas. Thou pasest measure/ Faustus by god a vow Thou sayest of malice/ right well perceive I now Myty gate thy mind/ and tongue for it is shame Men of the city/ thus largely to blame What man is faultless/ remember the village Now men uplondysshe/ on holy days rage Naught can them tame/ they be a beastly sort In sweet and labour/ having most chief comfort On the holy day/ as soon as morn is passed When all men rests/ while all the day doth last They drink/ they banquet/ they revel and they Jet They leap/ they dance/ despising ease and rest If they once here/ a bagpipe or a drone Anon to the elm/ or oak be they go There use they to dance/ to gainbaud/ and to rage Such is the custom/ and use of the village When the ground rests/ from take plough & wheels Than must they it trouble/ with burden of their heel's To Bacchus they banquet/ no feest is festival They chide and the chat/ they vary and they brawl They tail and they rout/ they revel and they cry Laughing/ and leaping/ & making cups dry ¶ Faustus. What stint thou thy that/ these words I defy It is to a villain/ rebuke and villainy Such rural solace/ so plainly for to blame Thy words soundeth/ to thy rebuke and shame ¶ Amyntas. Not so friend Faustus/ I spoken it but in game Again to the city/ return in goods name ¶ Faustus. Yet of the city/ more soles tell can I Which ween to number/ the stars of the sky By them supposing/ each destiny to tell But all be fools/ that with this matter mell Yet be they madder/ which fyxeth their intent To search the nature/ of god omnipotent And dare be so bold/ to set their mortal sight On incomprehensible/ and pure immortal light Our faith is better/ for they of the city Believe by reason/ with great difficulty Or they will believe/ they brawl with argument Plain speech sufficeth/ us people innocent Again sir Samson/ their quarrel they defend We ask no question/ and use not to contend We light the altars/ and many candles offer When they of the town/ scantly make a proffer Their faith is feeble/ our faith is sure and stable They dare be bold/ with doctors for to babble A worldly march aunt/ naught knowing of doctrine Because of his coin/ counteth his reason fine Trust me Amyntas/ no force who heareth me The coin and cunning/ doth not alway agree For some be that have/ great pleynte of that one Which of that other/ have little part or none What should the fools/ that devil in the city Or we seek to know/ of god's privity If it were needful/ the godhead for to know To simple wretches●here on the ground allow It is in power/ of god omnipotent His very presence/ to us to represent But sith his knowledge/ is comprehensyble Why seeketh fools/ for things unpossyble And sith god will be/ unknown unto us Why should thine mortal/ of endless thing dyscus And ruy all people/ in alms doth excel Above all the sort/ which in the city devil We give will and cheese/ our wives coin and eggs When freres flatter/ and prise their proper legs For a score of pins/ and needles two or three A gentle cluner/ two cheses had of me Phylys gave coin/ because he did her charm Ever sith that time/ less hath she felt of harm Yet is in the city/ a number incurable Pleders/ and broker's/ a foul and shamefast rabble Merchants of justice/ hunters of riches Cratchers of coin/ delayers of process Prolonging causes/ and making wrong of right And right of plain wrong/ oppnssing law with might Jaylers of justice/ their cursed covetise watereth the plants/ of cruelty and vice ¶ Amyntas. This have I proved/ by plain experience But tell me Fastus/ what causeth this offence ¶ Faustus. The rote and the ground/ of this misgovernance Is favour reward/ and wilful ignorance When coin or favour/ one's dymmeth hath the sight Adieu all justice/ in prison laid is right Yet be in towns/ a rabble fraudelent Murderers of people/ and free of punishment Uaunting and boasting/ themself of medicine And naught perceyning/ of science and doctrine If they be fettered/ with rings and with chains Than may they handle/ and touch privy veins Name all diseases/ and sores at their will Avoid of cunning/ of reason other skill Such ride on mules/ and pages by their side But if they had right/ on asses should they ride As touching rulers/ of all the comonte The more that they have of high authority Of liberty will/ and singular pleasure So much the more/ poor people they devour The hounds sometime/ wont folds for to keep Be now wild wolves/ devouring all the sheep Rulers be robbers/ and pyllers be pastors Go is the guiding/ of godly governors O where be rulers/ meynteyners of justice Where be s●●duers/ and ●lakers of all vice Where be the friends/ of mercy and pity Sometime well ruling/ not spoiling of the city Where be chaste rulers/ just meek and liberal Changed is fortune/ death hath devoured all The worst remaineth/ go been the meek and Just In stead of virtue/ ruleth free-will/ and lust Where be the father's/ right worthy an empire Of whom men counted/ gay talies by the fire Sometime with tallies/ and otherwhile with song So driving a way/ the winter nights long Alas Amyntas/ naught bideth that is good Not not my cokers'/ my tabert/ nor my hood All is consumed/ all spent and worn be So is all goodness/ and wealth of the city The temples pilled/ doth bitterly complain Poor people waileth/ and call for help in vain Poor wydous sorrow/ and children fatherless In vain bewaileth/ when wolves them oppress Sin hath no scourge/ and virtue no reward Who loveth wisdom/ his fortune is but hard council and cunning/ now tombles in the dust But what is the cause/ law turned is to lust Lust standeth in stead of law/ and of justice Whereby good living/ subdued is by vice ¶ Amyntas. I tell the Faustus/ this hastynes of the Passeth the bonds/ of right and honest All men thou blamest/ by wroth and hastiness As all cytezyns/ were full of vycyousnesse What man remember/ some live in innocence Some in the city/ be partles of offence ¶ Faustus. I am not angry/ I say but verity Here me Amyntas/ one clause with brevity As many toads/ as breedeth in Irelonde As many Gripes/ as breedeth in england As many Cockowes'/ as sing in January And nyghtyngales/ as sing in February And as many whales/ as swymmeth in the fen So many been there/ in cytes of good men ¶ Amyntas. A good man is geason/ not easy to be found On land or in city/ or over all the ground Many things long/ unto a perfit man Ask that of Codrus/ declare the truth he 'gan Badness increaseth/ and over fast doth grow Goodness and virtue/ in coming up been slow ¶ Faustus. Thou art mad I trow/ so many foes have we As devil cytezyns/ in all the hole city They clip us/ they poll us/ they pill us to the skin And what they may get/ y● think they well to wy● To theft they constrain us/ I tell the by all Halows And after by and by/ they send us to the Galows Therefore it is reason/ if aught of theirs hap Or come to our claws/ it privily to trap They us often deceive/ deceive we them again devise we slily/ guile subtle and train But this Amyntas/ to me is greatest grief And doubt for it is ill/ steling from a thief If it be secret/ we may it well deny If it be known/ excuse it craftily prove felony/ though it be used long Is not called theft/ but injury and wrong All that they have/ within these towns plain Is our hard labour/ sore travail & great pain ¶ Amyntas. Now thou excedest/ the mark of equity Thou passest reason/ Faustus I tell to the ¶ Faustus. What than Amyntas/ have patience a while Town dwellers vices/ doth all the world defile The air is corrupt/ by their enormity These summer storms/ whence come they tell thou me lightening/ great winds/ floods/ hail/ & thunder I well remember/ o●ttyme the ground here under Right sore hath quaked/ and caused houses fall Vice of the city/ is rote and cause of all The son in midday/ offtime hath lost his light In likewise the moan/ in season of the night Both hath been black/ or else reed as blood This sign Amyntas pretendeth us no good Why grow the wedes/ and cockle in the corn Why is hay and grass/ oft-times all forlorn Why loose we our sede/ our labour and expense Where cometh moryens/ and grievous pestilence All these proceedeth/ by mad enormity And corrupt manners/ of them of the city And worse is likely/ yet afterward to fall If they not reform/ their living bestyall Whence came the furor/ of harness and battle Which causeth widows/ their spovies to bewail Which bringeth with it/ all kind of misery As theft/ and murder/ great death/ and penury Forsooth in cities/ this furor first began To the confusion/ of many a doughty man The city is well/ and ground original Both first and last/ of deadly ills all Bred in the city/ was cruel Lycaon Bred among herbs/ was good Dewcalyon Among shepherds/ nourished was Rennus And also his brother/ the mighty Romulus The cause of the flood/ in city first began Whereby was wasted/ near every best and man Our lord dsteroyed. u cities for outrage Reed where for sins/ he wasted one village I trow when the world/ with fire shall wasted be The cause shall proceed/ and come of some city What shall I touch the savour and the stink Which is in cytes/ of gutter and of sink There men be choked/ with vile and deadly sent Here have we odour/ of flowers redolent I count me happy/ which wone in the village As undefiled/ with Cytezyns' outrage. ¶ Amyntas. Have done now Faustus/ lave there a straw and test Fill we our belly/ with cruddes that is best Leave we the city/ and all Cyvyle outrage Now it is season/ to torn to the pottage After our dinner/ is best as in my mind The rest to declare/ y fought remain behind. ¶ Finis. ¶ Here endeth the. v. Eglog of Alexandre Barclay of the Cytezyn/ and uplondysshmen/ Inprynted at London in fleet street/ at the sign of son/ by Wynkyn de word. winkin de word.