¶ A marvelous tidings both Wonders Old and New The devil is indited if many men's words be true.  

IN all Christendom, Christ's Godspell now is rad  
Of man, woman, and child, it maketh their heart's glad  
Which with shameful sins, before were full sad  
O wounders good tidings, if all sayings be true.  
¶ It is rad so often, and with such diligence  
That no text is wrested, thorough raische negligence  
Plain declarations, help moche to the true sense  
We all have cause to rejoice, if these tidings be true.  
❧ Now after Christ's rule, all folk do lead their life  
They abhor all chiding, brawling, fighting, and strife  
Great fervent charity is between man and wife  
Not worse words than honey comb, sweet heart of gold, most true.  
¶ One neybur resorteth fryndly to an other  
As though all were kinsfolk, like brother and brother.  
Greater love was never between child and mother  
This world is no world, if all tidings be true.  
❧ It is rather like heaven, or pleasant Paradyse  
The folk be like Angels, discrete, sober, and wise  
If one fall through frailty, he repenting more than twice  
Riseth still a new man, a good Christian and true.  
¶ Folk fast, pray, and serve God, not hypocritically  
(Only to be seen of men, for foolish vain glory)  
But from the very heart, the Lord God to glorify  
Despising fond fantasies, as false things, and not true.  
¶ Every body now, in somtrade of living  
Doth labour for his food, with travel or sweating  
Some digging, some spynuing, some writing, some reading  
Some giving good counsel, like honest folk and true.  
☞ They know that they must make, a reckoning to God  
Of their dispensation, they fear greatly God's rod  
The rich do help the poor, with roast meat or with sod  
None lie starving in Streets, if all men's tongues be tr●…  
¶ Great rich men be afraid, lest they die suddenly  
Lest their goods (after them) be spent in foolery  
Lest God will call them fools, therefore liberally  
They spend moche in their life, upon poor folk and true.  
❧ They be ready also, somewhat to prisons to sand  
If any through frailty, chance foolishly to offend  
But now Prisons be empty, the world doth so amend  
There be but four score and ten in kings bench, it was true▪  
¶ Of them that be in prison, some be tied with clogs  
Some gnaw brown crusts of bred, some burnish bones like dogs  
Some wish to fill their gutss, with cats, rats, mice, or frogs  
specially this dear year: Now (they say) they will be true.  
☞ How many be in Ludgate, and Neugate I can not tell  
But they that be abroad, be afraid, I trust well  
And fall to wourk lustily, thorough their exampell  
They abhor Clinkerum: They say they will be true.  
¶ A man may go now, over fyns' berry fy●…de  
Without sword and buckler, without spear or shield  
With an hundred pounds: as safe as with a nylde  
In a misty morning, and by night, if tales be true.  
✚ All England and spain, all Scotland, and Germany  
All France and Ireland, all Denmark and Hungary  
Be purged so (I trust) from vice and Idolatry  
That the Turk doth beghyn to think the Godspele true.  
❧ The Saracens and jews (I trust) do now convert  
Moved with Godliness that is in Christians heart  
They fear lest Christ's scourge will make their bones to smart  
I trust they receive baptism, and believe the Godspell is true.  
¶ They hire it so discussed by calculation  
That dooms day is at hand, if men's speculation  
In astronomy be true, the worlds transformation  
Wylbe within ten years, strange news if it be true.  
❧ I (one of xl years) thought to provide for age  
House for one and twenty year, or some fat parsonage  
Some prebend, deanery, or some vicarage  
But now I pass not moche, if Astronomers be true.  
¶ Yea whither Astronomers, be true either no  
Or that general judgement be coming to or fro  
This one thing I know sure, that I shall hence go.  
I know nor day, nor ooure: Nothing is more true.  
❧ And doubtless, if all men, would be of my mind  
We would some better way, for to live here out find  
Men should be set awurk, unless they were stark blind  
Yea blind should do somewhat, to keep themself true.  
¶ healthy folk lacking wourk, should resort to a place  
With their tools and instruments (as some use to show their face)  
Then set awourk, or fed, (of men's favour and grace).  
With some common purse, to keep themselves true  
❧ So that it should be a strange thing for to see  
Any theft or murder, ever committed to be  
As (thanks be to God) folk burn so in charity  
That no knavery reigneth, if all men's words be true.  
¶ The devil hath been a knave, and hath killed many men  
Yea both soul and body, more perchance than ten  
Now he is indited, as witnesseth my pen  
His Quest is empayneld, he is found false, not true.   

☞ Here follow the names of the xii men that go upon the devil.  

¶ Gen. three i Paralip. xxi. job. i two. Sapien. two.  
Christ in Math. xiii. and in Luke. viii. Math. iiii.  
Mar. i Luke. xxii. joan. xiii. and. i joan. three  
Paul to the Ephesians. vi. i Pet. u jacob. iiii.  
❧ It will be hard to kill, such an immortal knave  
He recoveryth so often, though a strong host we have  
Call in Turks and Saracens, that they also may be saved  
Through God's help, we may break Satan's head, It is true▪  
¶ To break Satan's head, of all ways this is one  
With the buckler of faith, to resist suggestion  
And strongly to believe, that Christ's passion  
Christ's words and myrakels, all be most surely true▪  
❧ All Christian Kings, do now their wits bend  
Their letters in print to the Turks for to send  
With many new testaments, their blind life to am●n●…  
For fere of hell fire, I trust it will be true.  
¶ When Satan the devil, seeth such a great host  
Such a sort of christians, to dimtnish his boost  
He must needs be compelled, to grant his great strength ●o●…  
When his pate is broken, God grant this may be true.  
❧ Then the golden world, I trust will come again  
That folk may live easily, without any great pain  
Many eggs for a penny, at London I would see fain  
Flesche and fische better cheap, I trust it will be true.  
¶ All other things good cheap, I trust to see ere I die  
Coins, measures, and weights, in good uniformity  
Thorough all the world, I trust to see schortely  
Unless that diversity doth more good, it be true:  
❧ gentle reder, farewell: Thou know'st part of my mind  
There lie in my heart, many such things behind  
Which towards the breaking, of Satan's head I find  
That all may be merry, and wise in Christ: It is true.   ¶ Io. x. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habeo/ que non sunt ex hoc on●●/●las quoq oportet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocem 〈◊〉 audient, et fiet 〈◊〉 o●ile/ et unus pastoe, ¶ Io, xii. ●unc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est mundi huios. Nunc princeps mundi huius ●●icietu● for●●. Et ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…etra/ 〈◊〉 trah●●●… and 〈◊〉. Hoc autem dicebat significans, que 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   

¶ Printed by Cornel●s Woltrop dwelling at saint Antony's