The Ship of Fools Part 32

Who that wyll folowe the graces manyfolde Whiche ar in vertue, shall fynde auauncement Wherfore ye folys that in your syn ar bolde Ensue ye wysedome and leue your lewde intent Wysdome is the way of men most excellent Therfore haue done, and shortly spede your pace To quaynt your selfe and company with grace.

Lerne what is vertue, therin is great solace Lerne what is trouth sadnes and prudence Let grutche be gone, and grauyte purchace Forsake your foly and inconuenyence Cesse to be folys, and ay to sue offence Folowe ye vertue, chefe rote of G.o.dlynes For it and wysdome is grounde of clenlynes

Wysedome and vertue two thynges ar doutles Whiche man endueth with honour specyall But suche hertis as slepe in folysshnes Knoweth no thynge, and wyll nought knowe at all But in this lytell barge in pryncypall All folysshe mockers I purpos to repreue Clawe he his backe that felyth ytche or greue

Mockers and scorners that ar harde of byleue With a rugh combe here wyll I clawe and grate To proue if they wyll from theyr vyce remeue And leue theyr foly whiche causeth great debate Suche caytyfs spare neyther pore man nor estate And where theyr selfe ar moste worthy of dyrysion Other men to scorne is all theyr moste condicion

Yet ar mo folys of this abusion Whiche of wyse men despyseth the doctryne With mowes, mockes, scorne, and collusyon Rewardynge rebukes, for theyr good disciplyne Shewe to suche wysdome, yet shall they nat enclyne Unto the same, but set no thynge therby But mocke thy doctryne, styll or openly

So in the worlde it apereth comonly That who that wyll a Fole rebuke or blame A mocke or mowe shall he haue by and by Thus in derysyon, haue folys theyr speciall game Correct a wyse man, that wolde eschewe yll name And fayne wolde lerne, and his lewde lyfe amende And to thy wordes he gladly shall intende

If by mysfortune a rightwyse man offende He gladly suffreth a iuste correccion And hym that hym techyth taketh for his frende Hym selfe puttynge mekely vnto subieccion Folowynge his preceptis and good dyreccion But if that one a Fole rebuke or blame He shall his techer, hate, sclaunder, and dyffame

Howbeit his wordes, oft turne to his owne shame And his owne dartis retourne to hym agayne And so is he sore woundyd with the same And in wo endyth, great mysery and payne It also prouyd full often is certayne That they that on mockes alway theyr myndes cast Shall of all other be mocked at the last

He that goeth right, stedfast sure and fast May hym well mocke that goth haltynge and lame And he that is whyte may well his scornes cast Agaynst a man of ynde, but no man ought to blame Anothers vyce whyle he vsyth the same But who that of synne is clene in dede and thought May hym well scorne whose lyuynge is starke nought

The scornes of Naball full dere sholde haue ben bought If Abigayll his wyfe discrete and sage Had nat by kyndnes right crafty meanes sought The wrath of Dauyd to temper and a.s.swage Hath nat two berys in theyr fury and rage Two and fourty Children rent and torne For they the Prophete Helyseus dyd scorne

So myght they curse the tyme that they were borne For theyr mockynge of this Prophete dyuyne So many other of this sorte often mowrne For theyr lewde mockes, and fall in to ruyne Thus is it foly for wyse men to enclyne To this lewde flocke of Folys for se thou shall Them moste scornynge that ar most bad of all

THENUOY OF BARCLY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye mockynge Folys that in scorne set your ioy Proudly dyspysynge G.o.ddes punycion Take ye example by Cham the son of Noy Whiche laughyd his Father vnto derysyon Whiche hym, after, cursyd for his transgressyon And made hym seruaunt to all his lyne and stocke So shall ye Caytyfs at the conclusyon Syns ye ar nought, and other scorne and mocke

Of them that dyspyse euerlastynge ioye, and settyth thynges transytory before thynges eternall and euerlastynge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He is a foule that weyeth in one balaunce The heuen and erth to knowe the heuyest And by his foly and cursed ignoraunce He thynketh that this wretchyd erth is best And thoughe that here be neyther ioy nor rest Yet had some leuer here styll to remayne Than to depart to heuen voyde of al payne]

My hande is wery: fayne wolde I rest a s.p.a.ce But folys comyth to my shyp so besely That to haue rest: they wyll graunt me no grace That nede I must theyr lewdnes notefy But to recorde this folysshe company They ar suche that this worlde so greatly loue That they despyse the heuenly Royalme aboue

They often thynke in theyr mynde preuely And by them selfe in this wyse oft they say O glorious lorde raynynge eternally Graunt me thy grace that I may lyue alway To se of this worlde the extreme ende and day This is my wyll and synguler askynge As for thy royalme, forsoth I set no thynge

But yet this fole doth nat desyre this tyme Of so longe lyfe, and yeres alway newe To clens his mynde from all synfull cryme Nor for the loue of goodnes or vertue But rather that he his pleasour may ensue And with his maters and felawes suche as he To folowe ryot, delytys and enormyte.

To lyue in wantonnes and blyndnes lascyuyte In pryde in Lechery andin couetyse Suche sytteth theyr myndes and theyr felycyte Not ferynge h.e.l.l whiche is rewarde of vyce.

Those dredefull dennys, in a right ferefull wyse With fyres flamynge, and manyfolde tourment Can nat suche folys, theyr synnes cause to stent

O sleuthfull fole say why doste nat thou call Unto thy mynde that this worldes wretchydnes Is full of sorowe moche more bytter than gall Uoyde of all ioy, all pleasour and swetnes Why settest thou so moche by frayle delyciousnes On vayne pleasours, whiche shall sothly decay Lyke as the sone meltyth the snowe away

Man note my wordes and gyue to them credence I say that pleasours and also ioyes mundayne As it apereth playne by good euydence Ar fylled with sorowe bytternes and payne Without all rest quyete or certayne And yet alas the worlde so doth men blynde That it they loue and caste heuen out of mynde

Wherfore it hapneth full often as I fynde That suche as foloweth shamefull wantonnes Ungoodly l.u.s.te, and statelynes of mynde Shall ofte perceyue great shame and wretchydnes And them most suffer, with great mundayne distres.

And better charges, and after must nede endure Cruell deth whiche ende is of euery creature

The worlde shall pa.s.se: ye and all ioy mundayne Without all doute at last shall haue an ende And euery thynge outher fruytfull or barayne Shall to the grounde outher firste or last discende We se also that none can hym defende From dethes dartis. and for conclusyon.

We dayly se many mennys confusyon.

We dayly se the fallys innumerable And greuous deth aswell of youth as age Thus is this wretchyd worlde moche vnstable Wherfore me thynke it is a great outrage To trust therto, or for an vnsure stage Or hye place of welth or worldly honour The presence to despyse of our sauyoure

But without doute the tyme shall come and houre Whan all mankynde shall se hym euydent Some to theyr ioy, some to wo and doloure None shall eskhape that rightwyse iugement.

But eche be rewardyd as he his tyme hath spent So they that vertuously haue lyuyd here Despysynge this worlde shall gladly there apere

But they that here haue led theyr lyfe in vyce For to depart ar wo in herte and mynde And ferefull to byde that sentence of iustyce Syns of theyr synne excuse they can none fynde But to conclude forsoth that fole is blynde That for worldly welth, from G.o.d wolde hym deuyde And for vayne clay, the hye heuyn set a syde

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

O blynde man whiche hast thy moste felycyte On worldly thinges, alas make clere thy mynde What fyndest thou here, but great aduersyte Wylt thou for it leue y^t heuenly ioy behynde And where thou myght euerlastynge ryches fynde Where as is helth, endles lyfe and all goodnes Wylt thou forsake it for worldly wretchydnes

Wylt thou heuyn compare with his paynfull lyfe There on to thynke thou art vnwyse certayne There is concorde, here is no thynge but stryfe There is all rest, and here is care and payne There is true loue: here is scorne and disdayne There is all goodnes, here all yll and offence Nowe chuse the best: here is great difference

Of them that make noyses rehersynges of talys and do other thynges vnlaufull and dishonest in y^e chirche of G.o.d.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A fole is he, and hath no mynde deuoute And gyueth occasyon to men on hym to rayle.

Whiche goth in the chirche, his houndes hym aboute Some rennynge, some fast tyed to his tayle A hawke on his fyst suche one withouten fayle Better were to be thens, for by his dyn and cry He troublyth them that wolde pray deuoutly:]

Yet of mo folys fynde I a great nomber Whiche thynke that it is no shame nor vylany Within the chirche, the seruyce to encomber With theyr lewde barkynge roundynge dyn and cry And whyle good people ar praynge stedfastly Theyr herte to good, with meke mynde and deuout Suche folys them let, with theyr mad noyse and shout

And whyle the prestis also them exercyse.

In matyns ma.s.se sermon or prechynge dyuyne Or other due thynges that longe to theyr seruyce.

Techynge the people to vertue to enclyne Than these folys as it were rorynge swyne With theyr gettynge and talys of vycyousnes Trouble all suche seruyce, that is sayd, more and les

In to the churche than comys another sote Without deuocyon gettynge vp and downe Or to be sene, and to showe his gardyd cote Another on his fyst a Sparhauke or fawcon Or els a c.o.kow, and so wastynge his shone Before the auters he to and fro doth wander With euyn as great deuocyon as a gander

In comys another his houndes at his tayle With lynes and leshes and other lyke baggage.

His dogges barkyth, so that withouten fayle The hole churche is troubled by theyr outrage So innocent youth lernyth the same of age And theyr lewde sounde doth the churche fyll.

But in this noyse the good people kepe them styll.

One tyme the hawkys bellys Jenglyth hye Another tyme they flutter with theyr wynges And nowe the houndes barkynge strykes the skye Nowe sounde theyr fete, and nowe the chaynes rynges They clap with theyr handes, by suche maner thynges They make of the churche, for theyr hawkes a mewe And Canell to theyr dogges, whiche they shall after rewe

So with suche folys is neyther peas nor rest Unto the holy churche they haue no reuerence But wander about to see who get may best In rybawde wordes pryde and insolence As mad men they fere nat our sauyours presence Hauynge no honour vnto that holy place Wherin is gyuen to man euerlastynge grace

There ar handlyd pledynges and causes of the lawe There ar made bargayns of dyuers maner thynges Byenges and sellynges scant worth a hawe And there ar for lucre contryued false lesynges And whyle the prest his Ma.s.se or matyns synges These folys whiche to the Churche do repayre Ar chattynge and bablynge as it were in a fayre

Some gygyll and lawghe and some on maydens stare And some on wyues with wanton countenaunce As for the seruyce they haue small force or care But full delyte them in theyr mysgouernaunce Some with theyr slyppers to and fro doth prance Clappynge with their helys in churche and in quere So that good people can nat the seruyce here

What shall I wryte of maydens and of wyues Of theyr roundynges and vngoodly comonynge Howe one a sclaundre craftely contryues And in the churche therof hath hyr talkynge The other hath therto theyr erys lenynge And than whan they all hath harde forth hir tale With great deuocyon they get them to the ale.

Thus is the churche defylyd with vylany And in stede of prayer and G.o.dly oryson Ar vsyd shamefull bargayns and talys of rybawdry Jettynges and mockynges and great derysyon There fewe ar or none of perfyte deuocion And whan our lorde is consecrate in fourme of brede Therby walkes a knaue, his bonet on his hede

And whyle those wordes of consecracion Ar sayde of the preste in G.o.ddes owne presence Suche caytyfs kepe talys and communycacion Fast by the auter, thynkynge it none offence And where as the angels ar ther with reuerence Laudynge and worshyppynge our holy sauyour These vnkynde caytyfs wyll scantly hym honour