❧ The Lamentation of Follie:  
To the tune of New Rogero.  

ALas what meaneth man,  
with care and greedy pain:  
To wrest to win a worldly fame  
which is but vile and vain.  
As though he had no cause to doubt,  
the drift of his desire,  
Not pleased though he rule the rout,  
but still to covet higher.   

And wander after will,  
far passing his degree:  
Not so contented still,  
but a king himself to be.  
Subverting law and right,  
detecting trial true:  
Wring every wight,  
that all the realm doth rue.   

Whose deed and ill desert,  
compart and false consent:  
I think no Christian heart,  
can choose but needs lament.  
Alas it seemed strange,  
such thraldom in a realm:  
Which wealthy was to waste away,  
by will that was extreme.   

Sith virtue was professed,  
most famous frank and free:  
Yet men transposed clean,  
more vile and worse to be.  
And such as did pretend  
to show themself most holy:  
Have swerved in the end,  
and fawned after folly.   

Whose words so disagree,  
as waters come and go:  
Their livings to be contrary,  
that should examples show.  
And fawning after fame,  
pursue their own decay:  
As though there were no God,  
to call their life away.   

What surety is in man,  
what truth or trust at all:  
Which frameth what he can,  
to work unworthy thrall.  
Oppression hath been free,  
the poor alas be spoiled:  
Maids and wives be ravished,  
the simple are beguiled.   

Law is made a liberty,  
and right is overthrown:  
Faith is but a foolish thing,  
falsehood is alone.  
Pride is counted cleanliness,  
and theft is but a slight.  
Whoredom is but wantonness,  
and waste is but delight.   

Spoiling is but pleasure,  
riot is but youth:  
Slander is a laughing game,  
and lying counted truth.  
Marriage is but mochage,  
the children counted base:  
Thus right is wronged every way,  
in our accursed case.   

Flattery is the Fort of Fame,  
and truth is trodden down:  
The innocent do bear the blame,  
the wicked win renown.  
Thus Satan hath prevailed long,  
and we for want of grace:  
Have trodden virtue under foot,  
and vice hath taken place.   

But God that is most righteous,  
hath seen our fatal fall:  
And spread his mercy over us,  
to shield us from the thrall.  
Whose mercy is so infinite,  
to such as were oppressed:  
He hath restored them to right,  
and hath their care redressed.   

And though that our unworthiness.  
hath not deserved so:  
Now let us cease our wickedness,  
and graft where grace may grow.  
And let us pray for our defence,  
our worthy Queen elect:  
That God may work his will in her,  
our thraldom to correct.   

That God be chiefly served so,  
as doth to him belong:  
That right may have his course again,  
and vanquish wicked wrong.  
That we may live in fear and awe,  
and truly to intend:  
And have the justice of the law,  
our causes to defend.   

That truth may take his wont place,  
and faith be fast again:  
And then repent and call for grace,  
that wrought our care and pain.  
That God send us a short redress,  
with wealth and great increase:  
And to our Queen, to reign and rule,  
in honour, health, and peace.   
W. E.  
FINIS.   

Imprinted at London by Edward Allde.   

〈…〉 new Ballad of the Merry Miller of Mansfield was lodged in the Miller's house, and of their pleasant communication.  
To the tune of the French Lau●…  

HEnry our royal King would go on hunting,  
To the green forest most pleasant and fair:  
〈◊〉 ●aue the ●art chased, the dainty Does tripping,  
〈…〉 merry Sherwood his nobles repair.  
〈…〉 and ●●●●●, was vabound, all things prepared,  
●or the same, to the game with good regard.   

All a long Summer's day, road the King pleasantly,  
●ith all his princes and nobles each one:  
basin the Hart and Hind, and the Buck gallantly,  
All the dark evening enforced them turn home.  
then at last riding fast he had lost quite,  
all his Lords in the woods, late in dark night.   

I randring thu● wearily, all alone up and down,  
●ith a rude Miller be met at the last:  
●●king the ready way unto fair Nottingham.  
" quoth the Miller your way you have l●st.  
yet I think, what I think truth for to say,  
you do not lightly go but of your way.   

say what dost thou think of me quoth our king merrily  
●●uing thy judgement upon me so brief:  
〈◊〉 ●ood faith quoth the Miller I mean not to flatter,  
〈◊〉 guess thee to be but a gentleman thief.  
〈…〉 and thee back in the dark ●ight not a down,  
〈◊〉 east that I presently crack thy knaves crown.   

Thou dost abuse me much (quoth our king) saying thus,  
〈…〉 a gentlem●n, lodging I lack:  
you haste quoth the miller not a groat in thy purse,  
●ll thy inheritaince hangs on thy back.  
I have gold to discharge all that I call,  
If it be forty pence I will pay all.   

●f thou dost a true man than answered the miller,  
I swear by my toll dish i'll lodge thee all night,  
●eres m● hand quoth our King that I was ever:  
●ay soft quoth the miller thou mayst be a spirit.  
better i'll know thee ere hands I will shake,  
〈…〉 none but with honest men hands I will take.   

Thus they went all along unto the miller's house  
Where they were seething of Puddings and sauce:  
●he miller fi●st entered in after him went the king:  
●euer came he in so smoky a hous●.  
now quoth he let me see here what you are,  
quoth our king look your fill, and do not spare.   

〈◊〉 like well thy countenance thou hast an honest face,  
With my son Richard th●s night thou shalt lie:  
Quoth his wife by my troth 'tis a good handsome youth▪  
●et is it best husband to deal warily  
art thou not run away, pray thee youth tell,  
show us thy passport and all shall be well.   

Then our king presently making low courtesy,  
●ith his hat in his hand, thus he did say:  
I have no passport nor never was servitor,  
●ut a poor courtier ro●e out of my way.  
and for your kindness now proffered to me,  
I will require it in every degree.   

Then to the miller his wife whispered secretly,  
Saying it seemeth this youths of good kin:  
Both by his apparel and eke by his manners,  
to turn him out certainly were a great sin.  
〈…〉 quoth he, you may see, he hath some grace,  
●hen he speaks unto his betters in place.   

Well quoth the miller's wife, young man welcome b●  
And though I say it, well lodged shalt thou be:  
Fresh straw I will have, laid in your bed so brau●  
Good brown hempen sheets, likewise quoth she.  
I quoth the goodman and when that is done.  
you shall lie with no worse than with mine own   

Nay first quoth Richard good fellow tell me true,  
Hast thou no creepers in thy gay hose,  
Or art thou not troubled with the scrubado?  
I pray you quoth our king what things be those?  
Art thou not lousy, or scabbed quoth he?  
If thou be'st, surely thou liest not with me.   

This caused our King suddenly laugh out most h●  
till the tears trickled down from his face:  
then unto supper were they set orderly,  
W●th hot bagpudding, and good applepies.  
Nappyale good and stolen in a black bowl,  
which did about all the board merrily troll.   

Here quoth the Miller▪ good fellow I drink to●t  
and to all courtnolls that courteous be,  
I pledge thee quoth our King, and thank thee ha●…  
For me good welcome in every dearer.  
and here in like manner I drink to thy son,  
do so quoth Richard and quick let it come.   

Wife quoth the miller now fetch me forth light●…  
that we of his sweetness a little may taste:  
A fair Venison pasty than brought she forth pres●…  
Eat quoth the miller, but sir make no waste.  
Her is good light foot, in faith quoth our King,  
I never eat so dainty a thing.   

Iwis said Richard no dainte at all it is.  
For we do eat of it every day,  
In what place said our king may be bought like ●  
We never pay penny for it by my faith:  
from merry Sherwood we fetch it home here,  
now and then we make bold with the King's d●…   

Then I think quoth our King that it is venison,  
Each fool quoth Richard full well may see that  
Never are we without two or three 〈◊〉 the raff,  
Very well fleshed and excellent fat.  
but pray thee say nothing where ever thou go,  
we would not for two pence the King should it k●…   

Doubt not quoth our King my promised secrecy,  
the King shall never know more on't for me,  
a cup then of lamps wool they drunk straight unto  
and so to their beds they passed presently:  
the nobles next morning went all up and down  
for to seek out the King in every town.   

at last at this miller's house some did espy him pl●…  
as he was mounting upon his fair steed:  
to whom they ran presently falling down on th●… 〈◊〉  
Which made the miller's heart woefully bleed,  
shaking and quaking before him he stood,  
thinking he should have been hanged by the rood   

The King perceiving him fearful and trembling  
Drew out his sword, but nothing he said:  
The miller down did fall crying before them all  
Doubting the King would have cut of his head.  
but he his kind courtesy straight to requite,  
gave him great living, and dubbd him a K●●●●●