The Ship of Fools Part 30

The hyllys ar hye, the valeys ar but lowe In valeys is come the hyllys ar barayne On hyest places most gras doth nat ay growe A mery thynge is mesure and easy to sustayne The hyest in great fere, the lowest lyue in payne Yet better ly on grounde, hauynge no name at all Than hye on a Clyf ferynge alway to fall

Thus as me thynke it is no thynge lawdable On fortunes whele, for one to clym to hye Syns the swyft cours therof is so vnstable And all must we leue whan we depart and dye Of our short lyfe haue we no certayntye For lachesys (whan that thou hast lefte drede) Of thy lyue dayes shall shortly breke the threde.

Atropos is egall to pore man and estate Defar wyll nat deth by prayer ne request No mortall man may his furour mytygate.

Nor of hym haue one day longer here to rest: Content the with measure (therfore) for it is best Coueyt nat to moche in honour to excell It is a fowle fall to fall from erth to h.e.l.l

Unstable fortune exalteth some a loft To this intent, them to brynge to an yll ende For who that hye clymmeth his fall can nat be soft If that mysfortune constrayne hym to dyscende Though Julius Cesar his lordshyp dyd extende Ouer all the worlde: yet fortune at the last.

From lyfe and lordshyp hym wretchydly dyd cast

This hath ben sene, is sene, and euer shall That most peryll is in hyest dignyte Howe many estatis, howe many men Royall.

Hath fortune dryuyn downe into aduersyte Rede dyuers cronycles, and thou shall playnly se That many thousandes hath endyd in doloure By theyr immoderate mynde to honoure

Ouer rede Bochas and than shalt thou se playne The fall of prynces wryten ryght compendeously There shalt thou se what punysshement and payne Haue to them fallen, somtyme by theyr foly And oft is moche preuy hatered and enuy Had agaynst lordes of the rude comonte Where euer they go: they lyue in ieopardye

Ay dowtynge deth by cursed gyle and treason Eche thynge mysdemynge, ferynge to be opprest By some mysfortune, with venym or with poyson.

Thus in great honour is neyther ioy nor rest But thought and fere, ye whyle the lyfe doth lest Thus who that procuryth great honour to attayne Procuryth with all, enuy, peryll, fere and payne

A lorde or state whom many men doth drede With loueles fere, and fayned countenaunce Unto hym selfe ought wysely to take hede And them to fere, if he wyll voyde myschaunce For why a comonty is of suche ignoraunce And so enuyous, that both erly and late They muse to destroy hym whom, they fere and hate

A man promotyd vnto hye dygnyte Shall haue loue shewyd hym by adulacion But no true loue nouther faythfull amyte.

Good fame nor name, ne commendacion Ye though he be worthy great exaltacion Pytefull louynge and full of equyte Yet harde is to please a folysshe comonte

Therfore me thynke of all thynge it is best Man to be pleased and content with his degre For why in mesure, is suerty eas and rest And ay moste peryll in hyest dignyte Fortune is full of changes and mutabylyte Trust nat therto, therby comyth do G.o.de But nowe hye nowe lowe, vnstable as a flode

ALEXANDER BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Labour nat man with to moche besy cure To clymme to hye lyst thou by fortune fall For certaynly, that man slepyth nat sure That lyeth lows vpon a narowe wall Better somtyme to serue, than for to gouerne all For whan the Net is throwen into the se The great fysshe ar taken and the prync.i.p.all Where as the small escapyth quyte and fre

Of them that be diseasyd and seke and ar impacient and in.o.bedyent to the Phesycyan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: If one be vexed with sore infirmyte Within his body felynge dyseas and payne And wyll nat gladly with perfyte mynde agre To a wyse Phesycian that wolde hym hele agayne He is a fole, and shall his foly sore complayne And if that he by his selfe wyll do sterue It is but well: syns he it doth deserue.]

He that is feble with sekenes outher wounde Wherwith he feleth hym selfe so kept in payne That dye he muste but if remedy be founde He is a fole, if that he haue dysdayne Of wyse Phesycyans: and medecines souerayne And wyll nat sue theyr counsell and aduys.e.m.e.nt Wherby he myght haue helth and short amendement

Thoughe the Phesycyan (of his lyfe) hym a.s.sure So he be ruled, and vnto his mynde agre The pacyent yet kepyth no dyete nor mesure In mete nor drynke, and wyll nat gouerned be But foloweth Ryot and all superfluyte Receyuynge colde water in stede of ale or wyne Agaynst read and counsell of crafty medycyne

What mete or drynke that is most contagious And most infectyf to his sekenes or dyseas And to hym forbyden, as moste contrarious Unto his sekenes. That namely doth hym pleas But that thynge that myght hym helpe and greatly eas He hatyth moste, and wyll none receyue at all.

Tyll this small sore, at the last become mortall

Suche wyll no counsell ensue, nor mesure haue Nor temper theym selfe in lesse nor yet in more.

Tyll theyr yll gouernaunce brynge them to theyr graue Retournynge into grounde lyke as they were before But who that soone wolde, be helyd of his sore Whan it is newe ought to fynde remedy.

For in olde sorys is greatest ieopardy

A small sparcle often tyme doth augment It selfe: and groweth to flames peryllous Right so small wellys whiche semeth to be spent With lytell sprynges and Ryuers, ofte so growys Unto great waters, depe and ieopadous.

So a small sore augmentyth, styll preuely By lytell and lytell for lacke of remedy

A small diseas whiche is ynoughe durable At the begynnynge, for lacke of medycyne At longe contynuaunce becomyth incurable The paynfull pacyent bryngynge vnto ruyne Wherfore who wyll to his owne helth enclyne And soone be helyd of yll without all tary To the Phesician ought nat to be contrary

Obstynat frowarde or in.o.bedyent Ought he nat be, but with a pacyent mynde Shewe all his soris truly playne and euydent To the Phesician if he wyll socour fynde.

And thoughe his saluys in paynes hym sore bynde.

Let nat for that, but after his wyll the gyde Better a shorte payne, than that doth longe abyde

No sore can be releuyd without payne.

Forsake nat the short, the longe payne to eschewe To the Phesycian we ought in worde be playne And shewe hym our sore, whether it be olde or newe For in thy wordes if that thou be nat trewe Or kepe ought close, thou dysceyuest be thou sure Thy selfe. and nat hym that of the hath the cure.

In lyke fourme who comyth vnto confessyon There to declare howe he his lyfe hath spent And shewyth nat his synne lyke wyse as he hath done Hymself he disceyuyth, as blynde of his entent.

Thus many one endureth infernall tourment With wo contynuall and payne for euermore For kepynge secrete there, of his goostly sore.

Thus who that is payned in any malady Bodely or gostly, ought nat to be callyd wyse To the Phesycian without that he aply.

And his preceptis hant kepe and exercyse But now olde wytches dare boldly interpryse To intromyt to hele all infyrmyte And many them byleue, whiche sothly is pyte

Suche wytches of theyr byleue abhomynable On brest or hede of the paynfull pacyent With theyr wytchecraftis shall compa.s.se chat and bable a.s.surynge hym of helth, and short amendement Than he that is seke fyxith his intent Upon hir errour: to haue helpe of his sore But she hym leuyth wors than he was before

Poule the apostyll doth boldly say and preue That they whiche to suche wytches wyll a.s.sent Ar heretykes, Lolardes and false of theyr byleue Brekynge G.o.ddes lawes and commaundement And oft also by profe it apereth euydent That suche as to wytches craftis wyll intende By theyr fals Phesyke come soner to theyr ende

Theyr body dede, theyr soule in ieopardy By mysbyleue for euer in paynes infernall.

Whiche ar rewarde for wretchyd synne and heresy But if thou to thy mynde and reason call And of this wrytynge perceyue the sence morall Whan thou art fallen seke and in dedely syn Seke helpe betyme, and byde nat longe therein

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Thou man or woman, that lyest seke in vyce To G.o.ddes vycayrs confesse thy syn holly So shalt thou from thy goostly yll aryse.

For thy soule fyndynge helpe and remedy Without leasynge shewe hym thy synne playnly Let nat for shame nor fall nat thereto agayne Better shewe thy sore there to one secretely Than after openly: and byde eternall payne

Ensewe the counsell of a wyse confessour Take nat colde water in stede of vermayll wyne: For moche swetnes, endure thou a lytell soure Kepe well the dyet and threfolde medicyne Ordayned for synne by spirituall doctryne That is confessyon, the next contrycyon.

With satisfaccion these thre, with grace deuyne Ar salues parfyte for all transgressyon

Of ouer open takynges of counsel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that to clerely layeth his net or snare Before the byrdes whome he by gyle wolde take Them playnly techyth of his gyle to be ware And is a fole whether he slepe or wake Right so is he (and doth a sauegarde make) For his foes them (techynge remedy to fynde) Whiche sheweth them by thretenynge the secret of his mynde]

Who that intendyth by chraft and polycy To take many byrdes, outher small or great And layeth before them to playne and openly His lynes snarys, his lyme twyggis or his net He shall no profyte gayne nor auauntage get For if that he his engynes can nat hyde The byrdes shall be ware, and lyghtly fle asyde

So he that wyll openly manace and threte With worde and hande, as he wolde sle adowne ryght Is oft scant abyll a symple hounde to bete.

For in his worde is all his force and myght And he that alway thretenyth for to fyght.

Oft at the profe is skantly worth a hen For greattest crakers ar nat ay boldest men

Who that agaynst his ennemy wolde fyght And gyueth hym before wepyn and armour.

Agaynst hym selfe to encreas his foes myght Suche one hath reason and wyt of smal valour.

Ryght so that sole is led in lyke errour Which nought can do, of mater les or more Without he crake and boste therof before.

And also suche bosters and crakers comonly Whiche doth theyr mynde in hasty wordes declare Of other men ar lytell or nought set by And by theyr wordes, full often yll they fare A man also may ryght easely be ware Of folys whiche thus theyr counsell out expres Whose thretenyngs to theyr foes is armour and harnes