The Ship of Fools Part 18

But nat withstandynge, suche boldely wyl excuse His fals dyffamynge: as fautles and innocent.

If any hym for his dedes worthely accuse He couereth his venym: as symple of intent.

Other ar whiche flater: and to euery thynge a.s.sent.

Before face folowynge the way of adulacion, Whiche afterwarde sore hurteth by detraccion.

The worlde is nowe alle set on dyffamacion.

Suche ar moste cherisshed that best can forge a tale.

Whych shulde be moste had in abhomynacion.

And so they ar of wyse men without fayle.

But suche as ar voyde of wysdom and counsayle Inclyneth theyr erys to sclander and detraccion, Moche rather than they wolde to a n.o.ble sermon.

But euery Sclanderer, and begynner of stryfe.

Lousers of loue, and infecters of Charite.

Unworthy ar to lyue here at large in this lyfe.

But in derke Dongeon they worthy ar to be.

And there to remayne in pryson tyl they dye.

For with there yl tunges they labour to destroy Concorde: whiche cause is of loue and of ioy.

An olde quean that hath ben nought al hyr dayes.

Whiche oft hath for money hyr body let to hyre Thynketh that al other doth folowe hyr olde wayes.

So she and hyr boul felawes syttinge by the fyre.

The Boule about walkynge with theyr tunges they conspyre Agaynst goode peple, to sclander them wyth shame.

Than shal the noughty doughter lerne of the bawdy dame.

By his warkes knowen is euery creature For if one good, louynge, meke and charitable be.

He labours no debates amonge men to procure.

But coueyteth to norysshe true loue and charite.

Where as the other ful of falshode and iniquyte Theyr synguler plesour put to ingender variaunce.

But oft theyr folysshe stody retournes to theyr myschaunce

Therfore ye bacbyters that folke thus dyffame Leue of your lewdnes and note wel this sentence.

Which Cryist hymself sayd: to great rebuke and shame Unto them that sclandreth a man of Innocence.

Wo be to them whych by malyuolence Slandreth or dyffameth any creature.

But wel is hym that wyth pacience can indure.

Of hym that wyll nat folowe nor ensue good counsell, and necessary.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Of folys yet another sorte doth come Vnto our shyp rowynge with great trauayle Whiche nought perceyue of doctryne nor wysdome And yet dysdayne they to aske wyse counseyll Nor it to folowe for theyr owne auayle Let suche folys therat haue no dysdayne If they alone endure theyr losse and payne]

He is a fole that dothe coueyt and desyre To haue the name of wysdome and prudence And yet of one sought thorugh a cyte or a shyre None coude be founde of lesse wysdome nor science But whyle he thynketh hym full of sapience Crafty and wyse, doutles he is more blynde Than is that fole whiche is out of his mynde

But though he be wyse, and of myght meruaylous Endued with retoryke and with eloquence And of hym selfe both ware and cautelous If he be tachyd with this inconuenyence To dysdayne others counseyll and sentence He is vnwyse, for oft a folys counsayle Tourneth a wyse man to consort and auayle

But specially the read and auys.e.m.e.nt Of wyse men, discrete, and full of grauyte Helpeth thyne owne, be thou never so prudent To thy purpose gyuynge strength and audacyte.

One man alone knowys nat all polycye Thoughe thou haue wysdome cunnynge and scyence Yet hath another moche more experience

Some cast out wordes in paynted eloquence Thynkynge therby to be reputed wyse Thoughe they haue neyther wysdome nor science Suche maner folys them self do exercyse A plughe and teame craftely to deuyse To ere the path that folys erst hath made The trouth vnder glose of suche is hyd and layde

For why, they trust alway to theyr owne mynde And furour begon whether it be good or yll As if any other, no wyser read coude fynde Thus they ensue theyr pryuate folysshe wyll Oft in suche maters wherin they haue no skyll As did Pyrrus whiche began cruell Batayle Agaynst Orestes refusynge wyse counsayle

But folowyd his owne ra.s.she mynde without auayle As blynde and obstynat of his intencion Wherfore he was disconfyted in Batayle Hymselfe slayne, his men put to confusyon If that the Troyans in theyr abusyon With false Parys, had confourmed theyr intent To Helenns counsayle Troy had nat ben brent.

For that Priamus his mynde wolde nat aply To the counseyll of Ca.s.sandra Prophetes The grekys distroyed a great parte of Asy Hector also by his selfwyllydnes Was slayne with Peyn for all his doughtynes Of Achylles in open and playne Batayle For nat folowynge of his faders counsayle

If Hector that day had byddyn within Troy And vnto his fader bene obedient Perchaunce he sholde haue lyuyd in welth and ioy Longe tyme after and come to his intent Whereas his body was with a spere through rent Of the sayd Achyllys cruell and vnkynde Alas for suynge his owne selfwyllyd mynde

I rede of Nero moche cursed and cruell Whiche to wyse counsayle hymself wolde nat agre But in all myschef all other dyd excell Delytynge hym in synne and crueltye But howe dyde he ende forsoth in myserye And at the last as wery of his lyfe Hymselfe he murdred with his owne hand and knyfe

The Bybyll wytnessyth howe the prophete Thoby Gaue his dere sone in chefe commaundement That if he wolde lyue sure without ieoperdy He sholde sue the counsayle of men wyse and prudent The story of Roboam is also euydent Whiche for nat suynge of counseyll and wysdome Lost his Empyre, his scepter and kyngdome

If that it were nat for cawse of breuyte I coude shewe many of our predecessours Whiche nat folowynge counceyll of men of grauyte Soone haue decayed from theyr olde honours I rede of Dukes, Kynges, and Emperours Whiche dispysynge the counsayle of men of age Haue after had great sorowe and damage.

For he suerly whiche is so obstynate That onely he trusteth to his owne blyndnes Thynkynge all wysdome within his dotynge pate He often endyth in sorowe and dystres Wherfore let suche theyr cours swyftly addres To drawe our Plough, and depe to ere the ground That by theyr laboure all folys may be founde.

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY THE TRANSLATOUR.

O man vnauysed, thy blyndnes set asyde Knowledge thy owne foly thy statelynes expel Let nat for thy eleuate mynde nor folysshe pryde, To order thy dedes by goode and wyse counsel Howbeit thou thynke thy reason doth excel Al other mennys wyt. yet oft it doth befall.

Anothers is moche surer: and thyn the worst of all.

Of disordred and vngoodly maners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Drawe nere ye folys of lewde condicion Of yll behauoure gest and countenaunce Your proude lokys, disdayne and derysyon Expresseth your inwarde folysshe ignoraunce Nowe wyll I touche your mad mysgoueraunce Whiche hast to foly, And folysshe company Treylynge your Baybll in sygne of your foly]

In this our tyme small is the company That haue good maners worthy of reuerence But many thousandes folowe vylany p.r.o.ne to all synne and inconuenyence Stryuynge who sonest may come to all offence Of lewde condicions and vnlefulnesse Blyndnes of yll, and defylyd folysshenesse

All myserable men alas haue set theyr mynde On lothsome maners clene destytute of grace Theyr iyen dymmyd, theyr hertes are so blynde That heuenly ioy none forceth to purchace Both yonge and olde procedeth in one trace With ryche and pore without all dyfference As bonde men subdued to foly and offence

Some ar busshed theyr bonetes, set on syde.

Some waue theyr armys and hede to and fro Some in no place can stedfastly abyde More wylde and wanton than outher buk or do Some ar so proude that on fote they can nat go But get they must with countenaunce vnstable Shewynge them folys, frayle and varyable

Some chyde that all men do them hate Some gygyll and lawgh without grauyte Some thynkes, hymselfe a gentylman or state Though he a knaue caytyf and bonde churle be These folys ar so blynde them self they can nat so A yonge boy that is nat worth an onyon With gentry or presthode is felowe and companyon.

Brybours and Baylyes that lyue upon towlynge Are in the world moche set by nowe a dayes Sergeauntis and Catchpollys that lyue upon powlynge Courters and caytyfs begynners of frayes Lyue styll encreasynge theyr vnhappy wayes And a thousande mo of dyuers facultyes Lyue auauntynge them of theyr enormytees.

Within the chirche and euery other place These folys use theyr lewde condicions Some starynge some cryeng some haue great solace In rybawde wordes, some in deuysyons Some them delyte in scornes and derysons Some pryde ensueth and some glotony.

Without all norture gyuen to vylany

Theyr lyfe is folysshe lothsome and vnstable Lyght brayned, theyr herte and mynde is inconstant Theyr gate and loke proude and abhomynable They haue nor order as folys ignorant Chaungyng theyr myndes thryse in one instant Alas this lewdnes and great enormyte Wyll them nat suffer theyr wretchydnes to se

Thus ar these wretchyd caytyfes fully blynde All men and wymen that good ar doth them hate But he that with good maners endueth his mynde Auoydeth this wrath hatered and debate His dedes pleaseth both comonty and estate And namely suche as ar good and laudable Thynketh his dedes right and commendable

As wyse men sayth: both vertue and cunnynge Honoure and worshyp grace and G.o.dlynes Of worthy maners take theyr begynnynge And fere also a.s.swagyth wantones.

Subduynge the furour of youthes wylfulnes But shamefastnes trouth constance and probyte Both yonge and olde bryngeth to great dignyte.