Rede all bokes and thou shalt neuer fynde That dronkennes and wysdome may togyther be For where is dronkennes, there madnes is by kynde Gydynge the hauer to all enormyte And where as is madnes thou shalt neuer se Reason ne wysdome take theyr abydynge In one instant, wherfore lerne this of me That dronkennes is mortell enmy to cunnynge.

Of ryches vnprofytable.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Yet fynde I folys of another sorte Whiche gather and kepe excessyfe ryches With it denyeng their neyghboures to conforte Whiche for nede lyueth in payne and wretchydnes Suche one by fortune may fall into distres And in lyke wyse after come to mysery And begge of other, whiche shall to hym deny.]

It is great foly, and a desyre in vayne To loue and worshyp ryches to feruently And so great laboure to take in care and payne Fals treasoure to encrease and multyply But yet no wonder is it sertaynly Syth he that is ryche hath gretter reuerence Than he that hath sadnes wysdom and scyence

The ryche mannes rewardes stande in best degre But G.o.dly maners we haue set clene asyde Fewe loueth vertue, but fewer pouertye.

Fals couetyse his braunches spreddeth wyde Ouer all the worlde, that pety can nat byde Among vs wretches banysshed is kyndnes Thus lyeth the pore in wo and wretchydnes

Without conforte and without auctoryte But he only is nowe reputed wyse Whiche hath ryches in great store and plente.

Suche shall be made a sergeant or Justyce And in the Court reputed of moste pryse He shall be callyd to counseyll in the lawe Though that his brayne be skarsly worth a strawe

He shall be Mayre baylyfe or constable And he onely promotyd to honoure His maners onely reputed ar laudable His dedys praysyd as grettest of valoure Men laboure and seke to fall in his fauoure He shall haue loue, echone to hym shall sue For his ryches, but nought for his vertue

Se what rewardes ar gyuen to ryches Without regarde had to mannys condycyon A strawe for cunnynge wysdome and holynes Of ryches is the first and chefe questyon What rentes what londes howe great possessyon What stuffe of housholde what store of grotz and pens And after his G.o.de his wordes hath credence.

His wordes ar trouth men gyue to them credence Thoughe they be falsly fayned and sotell But to the pore none wyll gyue aduertence Though that his wordes be true as the gospell Ye let hym swere by heuyn and by h.e.l.l By G.o.d and his sayntes and all that G.o.d made Yet nought they beleue that of hym is sayde

They say that the pore men doth G.o.d dispyse Thouhe they nought swere but trouth and veryte And that G.o.d punyssheth them in suche wyse For so dispysynge of his hye maiestye Kepynge them for their synnes in pouerte And theyr ryche exaltyth by his power and grace To suche ryches, worldly pleasour and solace

The ryche ar rewarded with gyftis of dyuerse sorte With Capons and Conyes delycious of sent But the pore caytyf abydeth without confort Though he moste nede haue: none doth hym present The fat pygge is baast, the lene cony is brent He that nought hathe, shall so alway byde pore But he that ouer moche hath, yet shall haue more

The wolfe etis the shepe, the great fysshe the small The hare with the houndes vexed ar and frayde He that hath halfe nedes wyll haue all The ryche mannes pleasour can nat be denayde Be the pore wroth, or be he well apayde Fere causeth hym sende vnto the ryches hous His mete from his owne mouth, if it be delycious

And yet is this ryche caytyf nat content Though he haue all yet wolde he haue more.

And though this G.o.de can neuer of hym be spent With nought he departyth to hym that is pore Though he with nede harde vexed were and sore.

O cursyd hunger o mad mynde and delyte.

To laboure for that whiche neuer shall do profyte

Say couetous caytyfe what doth it the auayle For to haue all and yet, nat to be content Thou takest nat this sore laboure and trauayle To thy pleasoure but to thy great turment But loke therof what foloweth consequent Whan thou art dede and past this wretchyd lyfe Thou leuyst behynde brawlynge debate and stryfe

To many one ryches is moche necessary Whiche can it order right as it ought to be But vnto other is it vtterly contrary Whiche therwith disdayneth to socoure pouerte.

Nor them relefe in theyr aduersyte Suche shall our lorde sore punysshe fynally And his petycion rightwysly deny

BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye great estatis and men of dignyte To whome G.o.d in this lyfe hath sent ryches Haue ye compa.s.sion, on paynfull pouertye And them conforte in theyr carefull wretchydnes G.o.d hym loueth and shall rewarde doutles Whiche to the nedy for hym is charitable With heuenly ioy, whiche treasour is endeles So shall thy riches to the be profytable.

Of hym that togyder wyll serue two maysters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A fole he is and voyde of reason Whiche with one hounde tendyth to take Two harys in one instant and season Rightso is he that wolde vndertake Hym to two lordes a seruaunt to make For whether, that he be lefe or lothe The one he shall displease, or els bothe.]

A fole also he is withouten doute And in his porpose sothly blyndyd sore Whiche doth entende labour or go aboute To serue G.o.d, and also his wretchyd store Of worldly ryches: for as I sayde before He that togyder wyll two maysters serue Shall one displease and nat his loue deserue

For he that with one hownde wol take also Two harys togyther in one instant For the moste parte doth the both two forgo And if he one haue: harde it is and skant And that blynde fole mad and ignorant That draweth thre boltis atons in one bowe At one marke shall shote to hye or to lowe

Or els to wyde, and shortly for to say With one or none of them he strykis the marke: And he that taketh vpon hym nyght or day Laboures dyuers to chargeable of warke.

Or dyuerse offycis: suche wander in the darke For it is harde to do well as he ought To hym that on dyuerse thynges hath his thought

With great thoughtes he troubleth sore his brayne His mynde vnstable, his wyt alway wandrynge: Nowe here nowe there his body labours in payne And in no place of stedfast abydynge.

Nowe workynge now musynge now renynge now rydynge Now on see nowe on londe, than to se agayne Somtyme to Fraunce, and nowe to Flaunders or Spayne

Thus is it paynfull and no thynge profytable On many labours a man to set his mynde For nouther his wyt nor body can be stable Whiche wyll his body to dyuers chargis bynde Whyle one goth forwarde the other bydes behynde Therfore I the counseyll for thyne owne behoue Let go this worlde and serue thy lorde aboue

He that his mynde settyth G.o.d truly to serue And his sayntes: this worlde settynge at nought Shall for rewarde euerlastynge ioy deserue But in this worlde, he that settyth his thought All men to please, and in fauour to be brought Must lout and lurke, flater, lawde, and lye: And cloke a knauys counseyll, though it fals be

If any do hym wronge or iniury He must it suffer and pacyently endure A dowble tunge with wordes lyke hony And of his offycis if he wyll be sure He must be sober and colde of his langage More to a knaue, than to one of hye lynage

Oft must he stoupe his bonet in his honde His maysters backe he must oft shrape and clawe His breste anoyntynge, his mynde to vnderstonde But be it G.o.de or bad therafter must he drawe Without he can Jest he is nat worth a strawe.

But in the meane tyme beware that he none checke For than layth malyce a mylstone in his necke

He that in court wyll loue and fauour haue A fole must hym fayne, if he were none afore And be as felowe to euery boy and knaue And to please his lorde he must styll laboure sore His manyfolde charge maketh hym coueyt more That he had leuer serue a man in myserye Than serue his maker in tranquylyte

But yet whan he hath done his dylygence His lorde to serue as I before haue sayde For one small faute or neglygent offence Suche a displeasoure agaynst hym may be layde That out is he cast bare and vnpuruayde.

Whether he be gentyll, yeman grome or page Thus worldly seruyce is no sure herytage

Wherfore I may proue by these examples playne That it is better more G.o.dly and plesant To leue this mondayne casualte and payne And to thy maker one G.o.d to be seruaunt Whiche whyle thou lyuest shall nat let the want That thou desyrest iustly, for thy syruyce And than after gyue the, the ioyes of Paradyse.

BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Alas man aryse out of Idolatry.

Worshyp nat thy ryches nor thy vayne treasoure Ne this wretchyd worlde full of mysery.

But lawde thy maker and thy sauyour With fere, mekenes, fayth, glory, and honoure Let thy treasoure onely in his seruyce be And here be content with symple behauoure Hauynge in this lorde trust and felycyte

Of to moche spekynge or bablynge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He that his tunge can temper and refrayne And a.s.swage the foly of hasty langage Shall kepe his mynde from trowble, sadnes and payne And fynde therby great ease and auauntage Where as a hasty speker falleth in great domage Peryll and losse, in lyke wyse as the pye Betrays hir byrdes by hir chatrynge and crye.]

Ye blaberynge folys superflue of langage Come to our shyp our ankers ar in wayde By right and lawe ye may chalange a stage To you of Barklay it shall nat be denayde Howe be it the charge Pynson hathe on me layde With many folys our Nauy not to charge.

Yet ye of dewty shall haue a sympyll barge

Of this sorte thousandes ar withouten fayle That haue delyte in wordes voyde and vayne On men nat fawty somtyme vsynge to rayle On folysshe wordes settynge theyr herte and brayne They often touche to theyr owne shame and payne Suche thynges to whiche none wyll theyr mynde aply (Saue suche folys) to theyr shame and enuy

Say besy fole art thou nat well worthy To haue enuy, and that echone sholde the hate Whan by thy wordes soundynge to great foly Thou sore labrest to engender debate Some renneth fast thynkynge to come to late To gyue his counsell whan he seeth men in doute And lyghtly his folysshe bolt shall be shot out

Is it nat better for one his tunge to kepe Where as he myght (perchaunce) with honestee Than wordes to speke whiche make hym after wepe For great losse folowynge wo and aduersyte A worde ones spokyn reuoked can nat be Therfore thy fynger lay before thy lypes For a wyse mannys tunge, without aduys.e.m.e.nt trypes

He that wyll answere of his owne folysshe brayne Before that any requyreth his counsayle Shewith hym selfe and his hasty foly playne Wherby men knowe his wordes of none auayle Some haue delyted in mad blaborynge and frayle Whiche after haue suffred bytter punysshement For their wordes, spoken without aduys.e.m.e.nt