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<DATE>2011-07-25</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Checklist: x * Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x * Add DIV TYPEs, validate x * Review structure, use FRONT, BODY, BACK or rarely GROUP x * Survey book for troublesome formats of all kinds, including lists, illustrations, tables, music, math, end-notes, quasi-tabular arrangments, and marginalia. Made sure that it was correctly tagged. Decide how much is worth changing. x * Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x * Proof title page(s) x * Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH BIBL OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE x * Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c. x * Check -- LB FIGURE x * Check q; Q x * Check all GAPs and quire signatures x * Check ligatures if in blackletter &abper; &abpro; &abus; &abquod; &absed; &abser; &abcon; &abrum; &abis; and any miscellaneous ABBR's x * Z's: medial capital Z's and final z's if in blackletter x * gr; entities x * 'd vs ld x * f&s; / &s;f x * Capital U / V's in black-letter, w\^[^t] x * accented letters x * ot / ol / of and tr / tb / th x * Correct illegibles from proofsheet x * Check for &punc; in the middle of words x * Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs x * Look for unobtrusive numerations and other occult signs of structure. Do they mark divs? milestones? x * Examine marginalia. Is it all best tagged as NOTE? x * If appropriate, check for yoghs. x * Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B00463">
<STC T="S">186.5</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">54532800</BIBNO>
<VID>180704</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P>
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3"> &punc; The Fabulous tales of E&s;ope the Phrygian, Compiled mo&s;te eloquently in Scotti&s;he Metre by Ma&s;ter Robert Henri&s;on, &amp; now lately Engli&s;hed.</P>
<P>Euery tale Moralized mo&s;t aptly to this pre&s;ent time, worthy to be read.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
<Q>PATET OCCVLTA VERITAS TEMPORE</Q>
</FIGURE></P>
<P>Imprinted at London by Richard Smith. <HI>Anno.</HI> 1577.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>The bookes pa&s;port.</HEAD>
<L>THat man neare wrote</L>
<L>who&s;e wryte plea&s;d all mens mynd,</L>
<L>Nor I as nowe</L>
<L>thinke no &s;uch place to finde:</L>
<L>For fyndfault he</L>
<L>him &s;elfe that no good can,</L>
<L>By &s;launderous tounge,</L>
<L>doth hinder many a man,</L>
<L>Which els would wryte</L>
<L>to many a ones content:</L>
<L>(But Bayard I)</L>
<L>cares not for being &s;hent.</L>
<L>Goe therfore booke,</L>
<L>to eche mans eye to vewe:</L>
<L>To wy&s;e and &s;adde,</L>
<L>and all the carping crewe.</L>
<L>The wy&s;e&s;t &s;ort,</L>
<L>will well accept my &s;kill:</L>
<L>Sir Momus mates,</L>
<L>takes all good things as ill.</L>
<L>And he that likes not</L>
<L>this as I do &s;ay:</L>
<L>Here is the dore</L>
<L>and there furth right the way.</L>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>To his wor&s;hipfull and e&s;pe|cial good friend Ma&s;ter Richard Stoneley E&s;quire one of the foure tellers of the Q. Maie&s;ties receyt <HI>of the E&s;checker, and Receiuer of the fir&s;t fruites and tenthes to her Maie&s;tie.</HI> R. S. <HI>wi&s;heth encrea&s;e of Wor&s;hippe to the glorie of God.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WOr&s;hipfull Sir, calling to my minde, that great good will that you haue borne vnto me and mine, &s;ince the time of my fir&s;t acquain|tance with you: except I &s;hould be to forgetfull and vngratefull, I mu&s;t remember you, and be as thanke|full, as my poore abilitie will &s;erue. But the woorme of good will &s;till gnawing my mynde thereto at la&s;t, all daintie meates and viandes &s;et a&s;ide, which are common remembrances, yet vayne and &s;oone forgotte, but whyle they are a eating. There came vnto my hande a Scotti&s;he Pamphlet, of the Fabulous Tales of E&s;ope, a worke, &s;ir as I thinke, in that language wherin it was written, verie eloquent and full of great inuention. And no doubt you &s;hall finde &s;ome &s;match thereof, al|though very rudely I haue ob&s;cured the Authour, and hauing two yeres &s;ince turned it into Engli&s;he, I haue kept it vnpubli&s;hed, hoping &s;ome els of greater skill would not haue let it lyen dead. But whether mo&s;t men haue that nation in deri&s;ion for their hollowe hearts and vngratefull mindes to this countrey alwayes had (a peo|ple verie &s;ubiect to that infection) or thinking &s;corne of the Authour or fir&s;t inuenter, let it pa&s;&s;e, as friuolous and vaine matter: yet in my conceite there is learning for all
<PB REF="5"> &s;orts of people worthy the memorie. Therefore knowing not howe by any meanes to let you vnder&s;tand my good will towarde you, but by this meanes, at la&s;t putting all feare a&s;ide, I boldly pre&s;ent this vnto your wor&s;hip, ho|ping that at vacant time when other matters of great im|portance be layde a&s;ide, that you will not deine to re|create your minde with this trifle, where you &s;hall finde doctrine both plea&s;ant and profitable, and hoping as oft as you looke on this booke you will thinke on me, accepte this poore Per&s;ian water or Iewes mite, which in &s;o doing I care not for all the &s;coffers and taunters, which will do nought them&s;elues nor &s;uffer others to do that may plea|&s;ure or profit the po&s;teritie. I craue of God to encrea&s;e you with worldly Wor&s;hippe to his plea&s;ure.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Yours at commandement Richard Smith.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="translator's foreword">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>The argument betweene E&s;ope and the Tran&s;latour.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>LAte pa&s;&s;ing thorowe Paules Churchyarde,</L>
<L>a&s;ide I ca&s;t mine eye,</L>
<L>And ere I wi&s;t, to me appearde</L>
<L>Sir <HI>E&s;ope</HI> by and by,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Apparelled both braue and fine,</L>
<L>after the Scotti&s;h gui&s;e,</L>
<L>I &s;toode then &s;till with ardent eyne,</L>
<L>I viewde him twi&s;e or thri&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Behold quoth he, now am I here,</HI></L>
<L><HI>and faine would meete &s;ome one,</HI></L>
<L><HI>To &s;peake Engli&s;h that would me leare.</HI></L>
<L>with that quoth I anone:</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Why Engli&s;h Sir, you &s;peake right well,</L>
<L>what more would you require?</L>
<L><HI>Yea thats in pro&s;e: my tales to tell</HI></L>
<L><HI>in ver&s;e I do de&s;ire.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ala&s;&s;e I am not for your tourne,</L>
<L>ye mu&s;t repayre vnto</L>
<L>The Innes of Court and Chauncery,</L>
<L>where learned haue to do.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="6">
<L>At <HI>Helicon</HI> I neuer came,</L>
<L>the way I do not knowe,</L>
<L>(God <HI>Pan</HI> his &s;eruant &s;ir I am,</L>
<L>and duetie to him owe.)</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>On oaten pipe we &s;till do play,</L>
<L>thats all that he teach can,</L>
<L>Of other lore he takes no way</L>
<L>this Growtnole ru&s;ticke <HI>Pan.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Mineruas</HI> impes they <HI>Orpheus</HI> keepe,</L>
<L>in Mu&s;icke they delite,</L>
<L>To &s;erue your turne before they &s;leepe,</L>
<L>in ver&s;e to make you dite,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Your Fables wi&s;e and eloquent,</L>
<L>with phra&s;es feate and fine,</L>
<L>Endewed with <HI>Apollo</HI> gent,</L>
<L>that pa&s;&s;eth Mu&s;e of mine.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Content your &s;elfe quoth E&s;ope than,</L>
<L>do thus much once for me,</L>
<L>To learne me ver&s;e &s;o as ye can,</L>
<L>my &s;elfe as playne as ye.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They do not care for Scotti&s;h bookes,</L>
<L>they li&s;t not looke that way:</L>
<L>But if they would but ca&s;t their lookes,</L>
<L>&s;ome time when they do play,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="6">
<L>Somewhat to &s;ee perhaps they might,</L>
<L>that then would like them wel,</L>
<L>To teach them treade their way aright,</L>
<L>to bli&s;&s;e, from paines of hel.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Farewel good Phrygian Poet now,</L>
<L>I may no more &s;oiourne,</L>
<L><HI>(If not &s;ayth E&s;ope) then adew,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Int Scotlande Ile returne.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay rather will I venture hard</L>
<L>and bring your minde to pa&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>If that I gaine to my rewarde</L>
<L>King <HI>Midas</HI> eares of A&s;&s;e,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And haue a thou&s;and ill reports</L>
<L>&s;till tumbling downe on me,</L>
<L>Than this to want vnto all &s;orts</L>
<L>and view of euery eye.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore haue here good reader now,</L>
<L>my rurall &s;kille&s;&s;e &s;kill,</L>
<L>I a&s;ke no more but this of you,</L>
<L>one ynche of your good will,</L>
<L>Which it to graunt as I do craue,</L>
<L>thats euen as much as I would haue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="7">
<L><HI>ORpheus</HI> once did walke abrode,</L>
<L>mong fragrant flowers tencreace his glet,</L>
<L>To &s;et his harpe in one accorde,</L>
<L>in tune to make his &s;trings agree,</L>
<L>Whereby was heard &s;uch plea&s;ant &s;ounde,</L>
<L>that all the woodes therof rebound.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And playing thus in plea&s;ant &s;hade,</L>
<L>wilde bea&s;tes and men to him did come:</L>
<L>With mu&s;icke &s;trayte them &s;tones he made,</L>
<L>his gift was &s;uch, them to tran&s;forme:</L>
<L>He fell a &s;leepe, and or he wooke,</L>
<L>in hand a while his harpe I tooke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Scotti&s;h <HI>Orpheus</HI> I meane,</L>
<L>that <HI>E&s;ops</HI> tales hath made to gree</L>
<L>In Rethoricke both trim and cleane,</L>
<L>that all my wittes bereft hath hee:</L>
<L>His harpe alas I make to iarre,</L>
<L>and both his name and mine do marre.</L>
<L>But &s;ince I made them di&s;agree,</L>
<L>leaue me the blame the Laurel he.</L>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>&punc; <HI>The Contentes of the Booke.</HI></HEAD>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1 _THe tale of the gro&s;&s;ehead Chauntclere the cocke, and the pretious &s;tone: wherein is &s;hewed the wanton liues of La&s;ciuious maydes, with the litle care we haue of the pre+cious giftes of God. Fol. 3</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 The tale of the plaine country mou&s;e and daintie town mou&s;e, wherin is di&s;played our daintie citizens wiues, which can keepe them &s;elues in no mediocritie. Fol. 7</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 A plea&s;ant tale of the Cocke and the Foxe, how wily beguiles him&s;elfe, wherein is to be &s;eene the life of the craftie circumucritours of the &s;imple men, and yet &s;ome time how they meete with their match. Fol. 16</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 The plea&s;ant tale howe this fal&s;e di&s;&s;embling Tod made his confe&s;&s;ion to the hypocrite fryer, Wolfe wayt &s;kath, that &s;heweth the great hypocri&s;ie of the Popi&s;h prelacie. Fol. 24</ITEM>
<ITEM>5 The Rhetoricall tale of the &s;onne &amp; heyre of the fore|&s;aid Tod or Foxe, called father warres, al&s;o the parlia|ment of bea&s;tes holden by the Lion, which &s;he weth our duetie at all a&s;&s;emblies commaunded by our Prince or &s;uperiours, &amp; how we ought to behaue our &s;elues. 31</ITEM>
<ITEM>6 The wofull tale of the plaintife dogge, again&s;t the poore &s;heepe before Iu&s;tice Wolfe, notably &s;hewing the abu&s;es of &s;uch Courtes where money &amp; might maketh the poore to begge. Fol. 44</ITEM>
<ITEM>A tale of the Lion &amp; the Mou&s;e, with the authours prologue before, &s;hewing what reuerence we owe to our Princes per&s;on, yea though he be dead, and howe
<PB REF="8"> we ought to venture our liues to do them good. 51</ITEM>
<ITEM>8 The notable tale of the preaching of the Swallowe, conteining the office of a preacher and howe they ought to warne vs of Satan his trappes, le&s;t we be catched in his net. Fol. 62</ITEM>
<ITEM>9 The mery tale of the Wolfe that &s;ayne would haue had the neckeherring or Samon, through the wyles of the Foxe that beguiled the carrier, and of their hard ad|uentures. Fol. 73</ITEM>
<ITEM>10 The excellent tale of the wily Laurence Foxe that be|guiled the couetous craftie Wolf, where is &s;hewed depe di&s;&s;embling frie~d&s;hip, &amp; how briberie beareth &s;way. 86</ITEM>
<ITEM>11 The mery tale of the Wolfe and the Weather, where is painted out the lu&s;ty blouds, come vp of low degree by vnlawfull meanes, and apparclling them &s;elues in their brauery, wil giue no place to their betters. 94</ITEM>
<ITEM>12 The wofull tale of the cruell Wolfe and the innocent Lambe, laying before our &s;ight the bloud thir&s;tie tyra~ts and oppre&s;&s;ours of poore helples men. Fol. 101</ITEM>
<ITEM>13 The tale of the wofull end of the Paddocke and the Mou&s;e, &s;hewing the well de&s;erued ende of the holowe harted di&s;&s;emblers, and howe God in the ende doth re|quite them. Fol. 107</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>La&s;tly the tran&s;lators Epilogue, &s;hewing that in a de|formed creature God may and wil &s;et forth his glorie.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="prologue">
<PB N="1" REF="8">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The Argument or Prologue.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THough fayned Fables of auncient poetry,</L>
<L>Be not all grounded vpon truth (what than)</L>
<L>Their politick termes in &s;weete Rethory</L>
<L>Right plea&s;aunt are vnto the eare of man,</L>
<L>And eke the cau&s;e that they fir&s;t began,</L>
<L>Was to reproue the hole mi&s;liuing,</L>
<L>(Of man) by figure of &s;ome other thing.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In like maner thorough the boy&s;terous erth,</L>
<L>(So it be labored with great diligence)</L>
<L>Springs floures and corne to our great myrth,</L>
<L>Hol&s;ome and good to mans &s;u&s;tenaunce.</L>
<L>So doth &s;pring, &s;ome morall &s;weete &s;entence,</L>
<L>Out of the &s;ubtill dyte of Poetry:</L>
<L>To good purpo&s;e, who can it well apply.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The nuttes &s;hell though it be hard and tough,</L>
<L>Holdes the kernell whiche is mo&s;t delectable.</L>
<L>(So lyes their doctrine wi&s;e inough,</L>
<L>And full of fruyte, vnder a fayned fable.)</L>
<L>And wi&s;e men &s;ayes, it is right profitable,</L>
<L>Amongs erne&s;t, to mingle merry &s;port,</L>
<L>To recreat the &s;pryte, and make the time be &s;hort.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Further, the bowe that is ay bent,</L>
<L>Seemes vn&s;mart and dui on the &s;tring,</L>
<L>So doth the minde that is ay diligent,</L>
<L>In earne&s;t thoughts and great &s;tudying,</L>
<L>With &s;ad maters &s;ome myrrine&s;&s;e to ming.</L>
<L>Accordeth well thus E&s;ope &s;ayd iwis,</L>
<L><HI>Dulcius arrident &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ria picta locis.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Of this aucthor my may&s;ters with your leue,</L>
<L>Submitting me to your correction:</L>
<PB N="2" REF="9">
<L> In mother toung, out of Latine to proue</L>
<L>To make &s;ome maner of tran&s;lation,</L>
<L>Nought of my &s;elf, for vayne pre&s;umption,</L>
<L>But by reque&s;t, and precept of a Lord,</L>
<L>Of whom the name I neede not record.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In homely language and in termes rude,</L>
<L>I needes mu&s;t wryte: for why of Eloquence,</L>
<L>Nor Rethorike, I neuer vnder&s;toode.</L>
<L>Therefore meekely I pray your reuerence,</L>
<L>If that ye finde through my negligence,</L>
<L>To be lacking, or els &s;uperfluous,</L>
<L>Correct it at your willes gratious.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My Aucthor in his Fables telles how</L>
<L>That brutall bea&s;ts &s;pake and vnder&s;toode,</L>
<L>And to good purpo&s;e di&s;pute and argue.</L>
<L>And &s;illogi&s;me propone and eke conclude,</L>
<L>Put in example, and in &s;imilitude,</L>
<L>How many men in operation,</L>
<L>Are like to bea&s;tes in condition.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>No maruell then, though man be like a bea&s;t,</L>
<L>Which loues ay carnall and foule delight,</L>
<L>That &s;hame cannot him pluck backe nor arte&s;t,</L>
<L>But takes all his lu&s;t and appetite,</L>
<L>And that thorow cu&s;tome and dayly ryte,</L>
<L>Sinne in their mindes is &s;o fa&s;t rooted,</L>
<L>That they into brutall bea&s;tes are tran&s;formed.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This noble clerke E&s;ope, as I haue tolde,</L>
<L>With great inuention, as poete Laureate,</L>
<L>By figure wrote his booke: for he nought would</L>
<L>Lacke the di&s;dayne of hie, nor low e&s;tate.</L>
<L>And to begin, fir&s;t of a Cock he wrate,</L>
<L>Seeking his meate, which fond a precious &s;tone,</L>
<L>Of whom the Fable ye &s;hall heare anone.</L>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<PB N="3" REF="9">
<HEAD>The tale of the Gro&s;ehead chaunteleare the Cock, and precious Stone.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>A Cocke &s;ometime with feathers fre&s;h and gay</L>
<L>Right cant and crowes, albeit he was but poore,</L>
<L>Flew forth on dunghill early on a day,</L>
<L>To get his dinner, &s;et was all his cure.</L>
<L>Scraping the mucke, there by aduenture,</L>
<L>He found a Ia&s;per &s;tone, right pretious,</L>
<L>Was ca&s;ten forth by &s;weeping of the hou&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As damo&s;els wanton and in&s;olent,</L>
<L>That faine would play, and on the &s;treete be &s;eene,</L>
<L>To &s;weeping of the hou&s;e they take no tent</L>
<L>They care nothing &s;o the floore be cleene,</L>
<L>Iewels are lo&s;t, as &s;ometime hath bene &s;eene</L>
<L>Vpon the floore, and &s;o &s;wept forth anone,</L>
<L>Peraduenture &s;o was this pretious &s;tone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So marueling vpon this &s;tone (quoth he)</L>
<L>O gentle Ia&s;p: O ritche and noble thing,</L>
<L>Though I thee finde, yet art thou not for me,</L>
<L>Thou art a Iewell for a Lord or King.</L>
<L>Pitty it were thou &s;hould lie in this midding,</L>
<L>Be buried this amongs this mucke and mold</L>
<L>And thou &s;o fayre and worth &s;o mutch gold.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>It is pittie I &s;hould thee finde, for why?</L>
<L>Thy great vertue nor yet thy colour cleere,</L>
<PB N="4" REF="10">
<L> It may me nother extoll, nor magnify:</L>
<L>And thou to me may make but little cheere,</L>
<L>To great Lords though thou be lief and deere,</L>
<L>I loue farre better things of le&s;&s;e auayle</L>
<L>As draf or Corne to fill my tuine intrayle.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I had leuer go &s;crape here with my nayles,</L>
<L>Amongs this muck and looke my liues foode,</L>
<L>As draf, or corne, &s;mall wormes, or &s;nayles,</L>
<L>Or any meate would do my &s;tomacke good:</L>
<L>Than of Ia&s;per &s;tones a mighty multitude.</L>
<L>And thou againe vpon the &s;ame wi&s;e,</L>
<L>For le&s;&s;e auayle thou may me now di&s;pi&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thou ha&s;t no corne: and thereof haue I neede,</L>
<L>Thy colour doth but comfort to the &s;ight.</L>
<L>And that is not inough my wombe to feede,</L>
<L>(For the wi&s;e &s;ayes) loking things are light.</L>
<L>I would haue &s;ome meate, get it if I might.</L>
<L>For hungry men may not liue on lookes:</L>
<L>Had I dry bread, I compt not for no cookes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Where &s;hould thou make thy habitation?</L>
<L>Where &s;hould thou dwell but in a royall toure?</L>
<L>Where &s;hould thou &s;itte but on a kings corone,</L>
<L>Exalted in wor&s;hip and in great honor?</L>
<L>Ri&s;e gentell Ia&s;p, of all &s;tones the floure,</L>
<L>Out of this dunghill and pa&s;&s;e where thou &s;hould be</L>
<L>Thou cares not for me, nor I for thee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Leuing this Iewell loe vpon the ground,</L>
<PB N="5" REF="10">
<L> To &s;eeke his meate this Cock his wayes went,</L>
<L>But when or how, or by whom it was found,</L>
<L>As now I &s;et to holde no argument.</L>
<L>But of the inward &s;entence, and intent:</L>
<L>Of this (as mine Author here doth wright)</L>
<L>I &s;hall reher&s;e in rude and homely dite.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This pretious Ia&s;p, had properties &s;euen,</L>
<L>The fir&s;t, of colour it was maruelous:</L>
<L>Parte like the fire, and parte like the heauen,</L>
<L>It makes a man &s;toute and victorious,</L>
<L>Pre&s;erues al&s;o, from chaunces perillous.</L>
<L>Who hath this &s;tone, &s;hall haue good hap to &s;peede,</L>
<L>Nor fire, nor water, he needeth not to dred.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>The Morall.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THis gentle Ia&s;p right different of hue</L>
<L>Betokenith perfect prudence and cunning,</L>
<L>Ornate with many deedes of vertue,</L>
<L>More excellent, than any earthly thing</L>
<L>Whiche makes men in honor for to ring,</L>
<L>Happy and &s;toute to winne the victorie,</L>
<L>Of all vices and &s;pirituall enmitie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Who may be hardy, ritch, and gratious?</L>
<L>Who can e&s;chue perill and aduenture?</L>
<L>Who can gouerne a Realme, Citty or Hou&s;e,</L>
<L>Without &s;cience, no man I you a&s;&s;ure?</L>
<PB N="6" REF="11">
<L> It is ritches, that euer &s;hall endure,</L>
<L>Whiche mothe, nor moy&s;t, nor other ru&s;t can freat,</L>
<L>To mans &s;oule it is eternall meat.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Cocke de&s;ireth more the &s;imple corne,</L>
<L>Than any Ia&s;pe, (may till a foole be peere)</L>
<L>Whiche at &s;cience makes a mocke or &s;corne,</L>
<L>And no good can, as little will he leare:</L>
<L>His hart wambles wi&s;e argument to heare,</L>
<L>As doth a Sowe, to whome men for the nones,</L>
<L>Into hir draffe would throw &s;ome pretious &s;tones.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Who is enimie to &s;cience and cunning,</L>
<L>But ignorance that vnder&s;tandeth nought?</L>
<L>Whiche is &s;o noble, &s;o pretious and &s;o digne,</L>
<L>That it may not with earthly thing be bought:</L>
<L>Well were that man of all other that mought</L>
<L>All his life dayes in perfect &s;tudy &s;pend,</L>
<L>To get Science, to keepe him till his end.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But now (alas) that &s;tone is lo&s;t and hide,</L>
<L>We &s;eeke it not, nor prea&s;e it not to finde,</L>
<L>Haue we ritches, no better life we bide:</L>
<L>Of Science though the &s;oule be bare and blinde,</L>
<L>Of this matter to &s;peake, it were but winde.</L>
<L>Therefore I cea&s;e, and will no further &s;ay,</L>
<L><HI>(Go &s;eeke the Ia&s;p, who will, for there it lay).</HI></L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<PB N="7" REF="11">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The prety tale of the playne countrey Mou&s;e, and deyntie towne Mou&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>ESope mine Author maketh mention</L>
<L>Of two my&s;e, and they were &s;i&s;ters deere,</L>
<L>Of whome thelde&s;t dwelt in a Citty or Towne:</L>
<L>The other dwelte in the countrey there neere,</L>
<L>Solitary vnder bu&s;he, &s;ometime vnder bryer:</L>
<L>Now in the corne, now in other mens food,</L>
<L>As theeues do, that liue by others good.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This rurall Mou&s;e, in the winter tyde</L>
<L>Had hunger, and colde, and al&s;o great di&s;tre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>The other Mou&s;e that in the towne can byde,</L>
<L>Was a &s;worne brother and made a free Burges,</L>
<L>And had all things toll free, by cu&s;tome more or le&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>And freedom had to go where euer &s;he li&s;t,</L>
<L>Amongs the chee&s;e in racke, and meale in chi&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>One time when &s;he was full, and longed &s;ore,</L>
<L>It came in minde, hir &s;i&s;ter for to &s;ee,</L>
<L>And where &s;he dwelt, and how hir life &s;he bore,</L>
<L>And how &s;hee farde, vnder the roote of tree:</L>
<L>Bare foote alone, with &s;taffe &s;o goeth &s;hee.</L>
<L>As poore pilgrim, &s;he pa&s;&s;eth out of towne,</L>
<L>To &s;eeke hir &s;i&s;ter, both ore dale and downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Forth many croked wayes, can &s;he walke,</L>
<L>Throw mo&s;&s;e and moore, throw banke, bu&s;h &amp; bryer,</L>
<L>Thus ran &s;he crying, while &s;he came till a balke,</L>
<PB N="8" REF="12">
<L> Come forth to me quoth &s;hee, myne owne &s;i&s;ter deart</L>
<L>Cry peep Anis, with that the Mou&s;e could heare,</L>
<L>And knew hyr voyce, as kin&s;women will do,</L>
<L>By very kinde, and forth &s;he came hir to.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The harty ioy (O God) if you had &s;eene,</L>
<L>Betweene the&s;e two &s;i&s;ters, when they mette,</L>
<L>And great loue was &s;hewen them betweene,</L>
<L>For whiles they laugh, and whyles for ioy they wept,</L>
<L>Somwhiles ki&s;&s;ing &s;weete, &s;omwhiles in armes replet</L>
<L>And thus they fare, while &s;oberd was there moode,</L>
<L>So foote for foote, vnto the chamber yoode.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As I hard &s;ay, hit was a &s;imple one,</L>
<L>Of fog and &s;erue full feebly was made,</L>
<L>A homely thing, ouer a &s;tedfa&s;t &s;tone,</L>
<L>Of whiche thentrie, was not hie nor brode,</L>
<L>And in they went, withouten more abode,</L>
<L>Without fier or candle, burnyng bright,</L>
<L>For commonly, &s;uch pickers loues no light.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When they weare lodged thus, the&s;e &s;illy myce,</L>
<L>The yonge&s;t &s;i&s;ter into her buttery glyd,</L>
<L>And brought foorth nuttes and corne in &s;teede of &s;pice,</L>
<L>If this weare good I a&s;ke you here be&s;ide,</L>
<L>The towne Mou&s;e, promped forth in pryde,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd &s;i&s;ter, is this your dayly foode?</L>
<L>Why not (quoth &s;he) is not this meate right good?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay by my &s;oule I take it but in &s;korne,</L>
<L>Madam (quoth &s;he) ye be the more to blame,</L>
<PB N="9" REF="12">
<L> My mother &s;ayd &s;i&s;ter, when we were borne,</L>
<L>That I and ye lay both within on wame,</L>
<L>I keepe the rate and cu&s;tome of my Dame,</L>
<L>And alwayes liues, thus in pouertie,</L>
<L>For landes haue we none in propertie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My fayre &s;i&s;ter (quoth &s;he) haue me excu&s;ed,</L>
<L>This rude diet and I cannot accord,</L>
<L>To tender meat my &s;tomake is ay v&s;ed,</L>
<L>For whyles I fare a&s;well as any Lord,</L>
<L>The&s;e withered pea&s;e, and nuttes or they be bord,</L>
<L>Will breake my teeth, &amp; make my wombe ful &s;lender,</L>
<L>Whiche was before v&s;ed to meates &s;o tender.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Well well &s;i&s;ter, (quoth the countrey mou&s;e,)</L>
<L>If it plea&s;e you &s;uch things as ye &s;ee there,</L>
<L>Both meate and drinke, my lodging and hou&s;e,</L>
<L>Shalbe your owne whyles ye remaynen heare.</L>
<L>Ye &s;hall it haue with myrth and merry cheare,</L>
<L>And that &s;hould make the mea&s;es that are rude,</L>
<L>Among friends, right tender and wounders good.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>What plea&s;ure is, in fea&s;ts delicate,</L>
<L>The whiche are geuen with a lowring browe?</L>
<L>A gentle hart is better recreate,</L>
<L>With harty minde, than &s;et to him a kowe.</L>
<L>A modicum, is more for to allowe,</L>
<L>So that good will be caruer at the dea&s;e,</L>
<L>Than co&s;tly fayre and many &s;piced mea&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For all hir good will, and mery exhortation</L>
<PB N="10" REF="13">
<L> This Burges mou&s;e had little lu&s;t to &s;ing,</L>
<L>But heauyly &s;he ca&s;t hir browes a downe,</L>
<L>For all the daynties that &s;he could hir bring:</L>
<L>Yet at the la&s;t, &s;he &s;ayd halfe in &s;korning,</L>
<L>Si&s;ter this victuall, and your royall fea&s;t,</L>
<L>May well &s;uffice vnto a rurall gea&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let alone this hole, and come now me after,</L>
<L>And I &s;hall to you &s;hewe by experience,</L>
<L>That my good Fryday is better than your E&s;ter,</L>
<L>My di&s;he lickings, is worth your hole expence,</L>
<L>I haue hou&s;es moe, of great defence,</L>
<L>Of Cat nor trap, iwis I haue no dreede:</L>
<L>I graunt, quoth &s;he, and on together yeede.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In &s;tubble array thorow gra&s;&s;e and corne:</L>
<L>And vnder bu&s;&s;hes priuily can they creepe,</L>
<L>Thelde&s;t was the guyde and went beforne,</L>
<L>The yonger to hir wayes tooke good keepe:</L>
<L>On night they ran, and on the day can &s;leepe,</L>
<L>And early in the morning, ere they blin,</L>
<L>They fand the towne, and meryly went in.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Not farre fro thence into a fayre place,</L>
<L>This Burges brought the~ &s;oone where they &s;hould be,</L>
<L>Without God &s;peede, their lodging there they ha&s;e,</L>
<L>Into a &s;pence with victall great plenty,</L>
<L>Both chee&s;e and butter vpon the &s;helues hie,</L>
<L>And fle&s;h and fi&s;h inough, bothe fre&s;he and &s;alt,</L>
<L>And &s;ackes full of meale and eke of malt.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="11" REF="13">
<L>After, when they were di&s;po&s;ed to dine,</L>
<L>Without grace they wa&s;h, and went to meate.</L>
<L>With all cour&s;es that Cookes could deui&s;e,</L>
<L>As Mutton and Beef layde in chardgers great:</L>
<L>Yea Lordes fare thus could they counterfeat,</L>
<L>Except one thing, they dranke the water cleare,</L>
<L>In &s;teede of wine, but yet they made good cheere.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With face vp ca&s;t and mery countenaunce,</L>
<L>The elde&s;t &s;i&s;ter &s;pake vnto hir ge&s;t,</L>
<L>If that &s;he by rea&s;on, fond difference</L>
<L>Betwixt that chamber and hir &s;ory ne&s;t:</L>
<L>Yea dame (quoth &s;he) how long wil this le&s;t?</L>
<L>For euermore I wote, and longer to,</L>
<L>If it be &s;o, ye are at ca&s;e (quoth &s;hoe).</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>To all this cheere a banquet forth &s;hee brought,</L>
<L>A plate of grotes and a di&s;he of meale,</L>
<L>Ote cakes al&s;o I trow, &s;he &s;pared nought,</L>
<L>Abundantly about hir for to deale.</L>
<L>And manfully &s;o, &s;he brought in &s;teede of geill,</L>
<L>A white candle, out of a coffer &s;tale,</L>
<L>In &s;teede of &s;pice to ta&s;te their mouths withall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This made they mery while they might no more,</L>
<L>All hayle all hayle, cried &s;he on hie,</L>
<L>Yet after ioy oft times comes matter &s;ore,</L>
<L>And trouble after great pro&s;peritie:</L>
<L>Thus as they &s;ate in all their iolitie</L>
<L>The &s;pencer comes, with keyes in his hand,</L>
<PB N="12" REF="14">
<L> Opened the dore and them at dinner fande.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They taried not to wa&s;he as I &s;uppo&s;e,</L>
<L>But on to go who that mought formo&s;t winne,</L>
<L>The towne mou&s;e had an hole and in &s;he goes,</L>
<L>Hir &s;i&s;ter had no hole to hide hir in,</L>
<L>To &s;ee that &s;elly mou&s;e it were great &s;inne</L>
<L>So de&s;olate there and harde be&s;tead,</L>
<L>For very dred &s;he fell in fowne neare dead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But as God would it fell an happy ca&s;e,</L>
<L>The Spencer had no ley&s;ure for to byde,</L>
<L>Nother to &s;eeke nor &s;earch to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ere ne cha&s;e,</L>
<L>But on he went and left the dore vp wide?</L>
<L>This bolde Burges this pa&s;&s;ing well hath &s;pied,</L>
<L>Out of hir hole &s;he came and cried on hie:</L>
<L>How fare ye &s;i&s;ter crie peep where ere ye be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This rurall mou&s;e, lay flatling on the ground,</L>
<L>For feare of death &s;he was full &s;ore dredand.</L>
<L>For to hir hart &s;trake many wofull &s;ound,</L>
<L>As in a feuer &s;he trimbled foote and hand,</L>
<L>And when hir &s;i&s;ter in &s;uch plight her fand,</L>
<L>For very pitty &s;he began to weepe:</L>
<L>So comforted hir with woordes hony and &s;weete.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Why lie ye thus ry&s;e vp my &s;i&s;ter deare?</L>
<L>Come to your meate this perrill is or epa&s;t,</L>
<L>The other an&s;wered hir with heauy cheare,</L>
<L>I may not eate, &s;o &s;ore I am aga&s;t,</L>
<L>I had leuer this fortie dayes to fa&s;t,</L>
<PB N="13" REF="14">
<L> With water porrage, and to gnaw beanes or pea&s;e,</L>
<L>Than all your fea&s;t in this dread and de&s;ea&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With faire treaty yet &s;he made hir ry&s;e,</L>
<L>And to the boord they went, and togither &s;ate,</L>
<L>And &s;cantly had they dronken once or twy&s;e,</L>
<L>When in came Gib hunter, our ioly Cat</L>
<L>And bad God&s;peede, the Burges vp with that,</L>
<L>And till hir hole &s;he went as fire of flint,</L>
<L>But Gilbert the other by the backe has hint.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>From foote to foote he ca&s;t hyr &s;o with pu&s;&s;hes,</L>
<L>Now vp now downe, now &s;uffer hir to creepe</L>
<L>Now would he let her run vnder the ru&s;hes</L>
<L>Now would he winke and play with hir bo peep</L>
<L>Thus to the &s;illy mou&s;e he did paynes grete:</L>
<L>Whyles at the la&s;t thorow fortune and good hap,</L>
<L>Betwixt a bord and the wall &s;he crap.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And vp in ha&s;t behinde the cloth paynted,</L>
<L>She clam &s;o hie that Gilbert might not get hir</L>
<L>There by the cludges craftely &s;he hanged,</L>
<L>Till he was gone, hir cheare was all the better,</L>
<L>So downe &s;he lap when there was none to let her,</L>
<L>And to the Burges mou&s;e lowde can &s;he crie,</L>
<L>Fare well fayre &s;i&s;ter thy fea&s;tes here I defie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy fea&s;tings are filled all with care,</L>
<L>Thy guy&s;e is good, thend is &s;ower as gall</L>
<L>The &s;ubchardge of thy &s;eruices is fayre fare,</L>
<L>So that thou finde hereafter warde no fall</L>
<PB N="14" REF="15">
<L> I thanke you curtaines, and you purple wall,</L>
<L>Of my defence, now from you cruell bea&s;t,</L>
<L>Almighty God keepe me fro &s;uch another fea&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Were I into the cabin, that I came fro,</L>
<L>For weale nor wo &s;hould I neare come agayne.</L>
<L>With that &s;he tooke hir leaue, and forth can go,</L>
<L>Somtimes throw y^t corne &amp; &s;omtimes throw y^e pla<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>When &s;he was forth and free &s;he was full fayne:</L>
<L>And merely marched vnto the moore,</L>
<L>I cannot tell how there &s;he foore.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But I hearde &s;ay &s;he pa&s;&s;ed to hir denne,</L>
<L>As warme as woll, &s;uppo&s;e it was not great,</L>
<L>Full well &s;tuffed at eche &s;ide and ende</L>
<L>With beanes, and nuttes, pea&s;e, rye, and wheat:</L>
<L>When euer &s;he lu&s;t &s;he had inough to cate,</L>
<L>In quiet and re&s;t, without any dread,</L>
<L>But to hir &s;i&s;ters fea&s;t, nomore &s;he yead.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>FRendes, ye may finde and ye will take heede,</L>
<L>In this Fable a good Moralitie:</L>
<L>As fitches mingled are with noble &s;eede,</L>
<L>So intermingled is aduer&s;itie</L>
<L>With earthly ioy, &s;o that no &s;tate is free</L>
<L>Without trouble and &s;ome vexation,</L>
<L>As namely they whiche clime vp mo&s;t hie,</L>
<PB N="15" REF="15">
<L> That are not content with &s;mall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ble&s;&s;ed be the &s;imple life without dread,</L>
<L>Ble&s;&s;ed be &s;ober fea&s;t in quietie:</L>
<L>Who hath inough, of no more hath he neede,</L>
<L>Though that it be little in quantitie:</L>
<L>Great aboundance and blinde pro&s;peritie,</L>
<L>Ofttimes makes an euil conclu&s;ion:</L>
<L>The &s;weete&s;t life therefore in this countrie,</L>
<L>Is a contented minde with &s;mall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O wanton man, that v&s;e&s;t for to feede</L>
<L>Thy wombe and makes it a God to be,</L>
<L>Like to thy &s;elf, I warne thee wele to dreede,</L>
<L>The Cat comes, and to the mou&s;e hies he,</L>
<L>What auayles than thy fea&s;t and royaltie,</L>
<L>With dreadfull hart and tribulation?</L>
<L>Be&s;t thing in earth, therefore I &s;ay for me,</L>
<L>Is content in hart, with &s;mall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thine owne fire is be&s;t my frende; if thou take heede,</L>
<L>It warmes well, and is worth gold to thee:</L>
<L>And <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;ayth, if that thou wilt reede</L>
<L>Vnder the Heauen there cannot better bee,</L>
<L>Then for to be mery, and liue in hone&s;ty.</L>
<L>Wherefore I may conclude by this rea&s;on,</L>
<L>Of earthly ioy it is the be&s;t degree,</L>
<L>A hart contented with &s;mall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<PB N="16" REF="16">
<HEAD>The plea&s;ant tale of the Coc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and the Foxe how wyly beguyles him &s;elfe.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THough brutall bea&s;ts be irrationall,</L>
<L>That is to &s;ay wanting di&s;cretion,</L>
<L>Yet euery man in their kinde naturall,</L>
<L>Hath many and diuers inclination.</L>
<L>The boy&s;trous Beare, the Wolf, the wilde Lion:</L>
<L>The Foxe feyning, crafty, and cautelous:</L>
<L>The dogge to barke on nights and keepe the hou&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So different they are in properties,</L>
<L>Vnknowen to man and &s;o infinite,</L>
<L>In kinde hauing &s;o fell diuer&s;ities,</L>
<L>My cunning is excluded for to endite.</L>
<L>Of them as now I purpo&s;e not to wryte</L>
<L>A ca&s;e I fand whiche fell this other day,</L>
<L>Betwixt a Fox and a Cock full gay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A wydow dwelt in a cottage many dayes,</L>
<L>Whiche ernd hir foode with &s;pinning on hir rocke,</L>
<L>And no more had for&s;oth, as the Fable &s;ayes,</L>
<L>Except of hennes &s;he had a little flocke,</L>
<L>And them to keepe &s;he had a iolly Cock:</L>
<L>Right couragious, that to this widow ay,</L>
<L>Deuided the night, and crowde before the day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A little from this fore&s;ayd widdowes hou&s;e,</L>
<PB N="17" REF="16">
<L> A thorny thicket there was of greate defence,</L>
<L>Wherein a Foxe crafty and cautelous,</L>
<L>Made his abode and dayly re&s;idence,</L>
<L>Whiche to this widowe did great violence,</L>
<L>In picking of pultry bothe day and night,</L>
<L>And no way be reuenged on him &s;he might.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This wyly Foxe when that the Larcke could &s;ing,</L>
<L>Full &s;ore hungry vntill the towne him dre&s;t,</L>
<L>Where this lu&s;ty Cock in the gray morning,</L>
<L>Weary of night was flowen fro his ne&s;t,</L>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> this &s;aw, and in his minde ke&s;t</L>
<L>The ieoperdy, the wayes, and the wyle,</L>
<L>By what meanes he mought the Cock beguile.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Di&s;&s;imuling in countenance and cheere,</L>
<L>On knees fell, and flattering thus he &s;ayd:</L>
<L>Good morne my may&s;ter gentle Chauntcleere.</L>
<L>With that the Cock &s;tart backward in abrayd:</L>
<L>Sir by my &s;oule ye neede not be affrayd,</L>
<L>Nor yet for me to &s;tart nor flee abacke,</L>
<L>For I come hither &s;eruice to you to make.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Would I not &s;erue you, I were to blame,</L>
<L>As I haue done to your progenitor:</L>
<L>Your father full oft filled hath my wame,</L>
<L>And &s;ent me meate from donghill to the moore,</L>
<L>And at his ende I did my bu&s;ie cure</L>
<L>To holde his head and giue him drinkes warme,</L>
<L>So at the la&s;t he &s;ounded in my arme.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="18" REF="17">
<L>Knew ye my Father (quoth the Cock) and lough,</L>
<L>Yea my fayre Sonne, I helde vp his head,</L>
<L>When that he died vnder a byrchen bongh.</L>
<L>And &s;ayd the Diridge when that he was dead:</L>
<L>Betwixt vs two how &s;hould there be any fead?</L>
<L>Whom &s;hould ye tru&s;t but me your &s;eruitour,</L>
<L>That to your Father did &s;o great honour?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When I behelde your feathers fayre and gent,</L>
<L>Your beake, your bre&s;t, your hekell and your <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ome,</L>
<L>Sir by my &s;oule and the ble&s;&s;ed Sacrament,</L>
<L>My hart is warme, me thinkes I am at home:</L>
<L>To make you mery I would creepe on my wome,</L>
<L>In fro&s;t and &s;now, in weather wan and neate,</L>
<L>And lay my golden lockes vnder your feete.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This fayned Foxe fal&s;e and di&s;&s;imulate,</L>
<L>Made to this Cock a crafty cauillation:</L>
<L>Yee are me thinkes changd and degenerate,</L>
<L>From your Father of his condition,</L>
<L>Of crafty crowing he might beare the crowne:</L>
<L>For he would on his toes &s;lande and craw,</L>
<L>This was no lie, I &s;toode be&s;ide and &s;aw.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that the Cock vpon his toes hie,</L>
<L>Ke&s;t vp his booke, and &s;ang with all his might,</L>
<L>Quoth &s;ir <HI>Laurence</HI> well &s;ayde &s;o mote I thee,</L>
<L>Yee are your fathers Sonne and heyre vpright:</L>
<L>But of his cunning yet ye want one &s;light,</L>
<L>For (quoth the Tod) he would withouten dont,</L>
<PB N="19" REF="17">
<L> Both winke, and crowe, &amp; turne him thrice about.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Cock infect with winde and fal&s;e vayneglore,</L>
<L>That many puts vnto confu&s;ion,</L>
<L>Tru&s;ting to winne great wor&s;hip therefore,</L>
<L>Vnwarely winked walking vp and doune,</L>
<L>And &s;o to &s;ing and crowe he made him boune:</L>
<L>And &s;odainly by he had crowne a note,</L>
<L>The Foxe was ware, and catchd him by the throte.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So to the wood without tarrying he hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d,</L>
<L>Of that crime hauing but little doubte,</L>
<L>With that Pertoke, Spratoke, and Toppoke cried.</L>
<L>The widow heard; and with a crie came out,</L>
<L>Seing the ca&s;e, &s;he &s;ight and gaue a &s;houte.</L>
<L>With how murthrer hay, and gaue hir dore a knocke,</L>
<L>Saying now alas, lo&s;t is my gentle Cock.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As &s;he were wood with many yell and crie,</L>
<L>Pulling hir heare, vpon hir brea&s;t can beate,</L>
<L>So pale of hue halfe in an exta&s;ie,</L>
<L>Fell downe for care in &s;owning and in &s;weate:</L>
<L>With that the &s;illy hennes lefte their meate,</L>
<L>And whyle&s;t their dame lay thus in &s;owne,</L>
<L>They all fell into di&s;putation.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Alas (quoth Pertok) making &s;ore monyng,</L>
<L>With teares great, whiche downe hir cheekes fell,</L>
<L>Yonder was our le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">man and our dayes darlyng,</L>
<L>Our Nightingall, and our mornyng bell,</L>
<L>Our walking watch vs for to warne and tell,</L>
<PB N="20" REF="18">
<L> When that <HI>Aurora</HI> with hir cour&s;ers gray,</L>
<L>Put vp hir head betwixt the night and day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Who &s;hall our lemman be? who &s;hall vs leade?</L>
<L>When we are &s;ad, who &s;hall vnto vs &s;ing?</L>
<L>With his &s;weete bill, he would breake vs the bread,</L>
<L>In all this world there was no kinder thing,</L>
<L>In paramory he would do vs plea&s;ing,</L>
<L>To his power as nature did him giue:</L>
<L>Now after him alas, how &s;hall we liue?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quoth Sprucock then, cea&s;e &s;i&s;ter of your &s;orrow,</L>
<L>Ye be to madde &s;uch mourning for to glo&s;e,</L>
<L>We &s;hall &s;peede well I finde S. Iohn to borrow:</L>
<L>The Prouerbe &s;ayes, as good loues comes as goes,</L>
<L>I will put on my holydaye clothes,</L>
<L>And make me fre&s;he again&s;t this iolly May,</L>
<L>So &s;ing this &s;ong, <HI>was neuer widow &s;o gay.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He was angry, and helde vs ay in awe,</L>
<L>And wounded with the &s;peare of ielou&s;ie,</L>
<L>Of chamber glue Pertoke, full well yee know,</L>
<L>Wa&s;ted he was, of nature colde and dry.</L>
<L>Since he is gone, therefore &s;i&s;ter &s;ay I,</L>
<L>Put care away, for that is be&s;t remead,</L>
<L>Let quicke to quicke, and dead goe to the dead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then Pertoke &s;pake, with fayned fayth before,</L>
<L>In lu&s;t without loue he &s;et all his delight:</L>
<L>Si&s;ter ye wote, of &s;uch as him a &s;core,</L>
<L>Would not &s;uffi&s;e to &s;lake our appetite,</L>
<PB N="21" REF="18">
<L> I holde here my hande &s;ince he is quite,</L>
<L>Within a myle for &s;hame and I dur&s;t &s;peeke,</L>
<L>To get a lad &s;hould better clawe our breeke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Than Toppok like a prie&s;t &s;pake full crous,</L>
<L>You was a very vengeance from the heauen,</L>
<L>He was &s;o low&s;e and &s;o lecherous.</L>
<L>He had (quoth &s;he) Kittoks more than &s;euen:</L>
<L>But rightuous God holding the ballance euen,</L>
<L>Smytes right &s;ore though he be patient,</L>
<L>For adultery, that will them not repent.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Full of pryde he was, and ioyed in his &s;inne,</L>
<L>And counted not for Gods fauour nor fayth,</L>
<L>But tru&s;ted all to riot and &s;o did rinne:</L>
<L>While at la&s;t his &s;innes can him &s;kayth,</L>
<L>To &s;hamefull ende, and to you &s;odden death.</L>
<L>Therefore it is the very hand of God,</L>
<L>That cau&s;eth him, be werried with the Tod.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When this was &s;ayd, this widow from hir &s;owne,</L>
<L>Stert vp on foote and on the dogges &s;he cryed,</L>
<L>How bercke, bery, bow&s;ie, browne,</L>
<L>Ripe &s;haw, run well, curteys, nutticlyde,</L>
<L>Together all without grudging &s;ee ye &s;peede,</L>
<L>Re&s;cue my noble Cock or he be &s;layne,</L>
<L>Or els to me, &s;ee ye come neuer againe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Withouten more for feare of being &s;hent,</L>
<L>As fier of flint ouer the fieldes flawe,</L>
<L>Full &s;wiftly thorow woodes and waters went,</L>
<PB N="22" REF="19">
<L> And cea&s;ed not &s;ir <HI>Laurence</HI> till they &s;awe:</L>
<L>But when he &s;aw the houndes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">om<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> on a rawe,</L>
<L>Vnto the Cock in minde he &s;ayde God &s;en,</L>
<L>That I and thou were pre&s;ent in my den.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then &s;ayd the Cocke with &s;ome good &s;prite <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n&s;pirit,</L>
<L>Do my coun&s;ell, and I &s;hall warrant thei:</L>
<L>Hungry thou art, and for great trauayle tyred,</L>
<L>Right faynt of force, and may not further flee:</L>
<L>Quickly turne againe, and &s;ay that I and yet,</L>
<L>Frendes are made, and fellowes for a yeere,</L>
<L>Then will they &s;tint, Ile &s;tande betweene ye heere.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus Tod though he was fal&s;e and friuolous,</L>
<L>And had craft his quarell to defend,</L>
<L>Deceyued was by meanes right maruelous,</L>
<L>For wyly beguiles him&s;elfe at the latter end:</L>
<L>He &s;tart abacke and cried as he was lernd,</L>
<L>With that the Cock flew vp into a tree,</L>
<L>Now whether &s;ir <HI>Laurence</HI> laugh or no iudge yee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Beguyled thus the Tod vnder the tree,</L>
<L>On knees fell, and &s;ayd good Chaunteclere:</L>
<L>Come downe agayne, and without meate or fee,</L>
<L>Ile be your man, and &s;erue you for a yeere.</L>
<L>No fal&s;e theefe and rouer, &s;tand not me neere.</L>
<L>My bloudy combe and my necke &s;o &s;ore,</L>
<L>Hath parted frend&s;hip, twixt vs for euermore.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I was vnwi&s;e that winked at thy will,</L>
<L>Where thorow almo&s;t I lo&s;ed had my head,</L>
<PB N="23" REF="19">
<L> I was more foole (quoth he) to be &s;o &s;till,</L>
<L>Where thorow to put my pray now into plead.</L>
<L>Away fal&s;e theefe, God keepe me fro thy fead.</L>
<L>With that the Cock ouer the fieldes tooke flight,</L>
<L>And in at the widowes window could he light.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>NOw worthy folke, &s;uppo&s;e this be a Fable,</L>
<L>And ouerheled with tipes fugerall,</L>
<L>Yet may ye finde &s;ome &s;entence right agreeable,</L>
<L>Vnder the&s;e fayned termes textuall.</L>
<L>To our purpo&s;e this Cock well may we call,</L>
<L>Nice proude men, voyde and vaine glorious,</L>
<L>Of kin and bloud, which are pre&s;umptuous.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fie puft vp pryde, thou art full poy&s;onable,</L>
<L>Who fauoureth thee of force mu&s;t haue a fall,</L>
<L>Thy &s;trength is nought, thy &s;toole &s;tands vn&s;table.</L>
<L>Take witne&s;&s;e of the fendes infernall,</L>
<L>Whiche throwen downe were from the heaue~ly hal</L>
<L>To Hels hole and to that hideous hou&s;e,</L>
<L>Bicau&s;e in pryde, they were pre&s;umptuous.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This fayned Foxe may well be figurate,</L>
<L>To flatterers with plea&s;ant woordes white,</L>
<L>With fal&s;e meaning and minde mo&s;t toxicate,</L>
<L>To glo&s;e and lie, that &s;ettes their whole delite,</L>
<L>All worthy folke, at &s;uch &s;hould haue de&s;pite.</L>
<PB N="24" REF="20">
<L> For where is there more perillous pe&s;tilence,</L>
<L>Than giue to lyars ha&s;ty credence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The wicked minde and adulation,</L>
<L>Of the&s;e &s;weete &s;uckers hauing the &s;imilitude,</L>
<L>Are bitter as gall, and full of poy&s;on,</L>
<L>To ta&s;t it is, who cleerely vnder&s;toode:</L>
<L>For this as now &s;hortly to conclude,</L>
<L>The&s;e two &s;innes, flattery and vaineglore,</L>
<L>(Are perilous) good folke flee them therefore.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The plea&s;ant tale howe this fal&s;e di&s;&s;embling Tod, made his confe&s;&s;ion to the hypocrite fryer Wolfe, Wayt&s;kayth.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>LEauing this wydow glad I you a&s;&s;ure,</L>
<L>Of Chauntclere more iocund than I can tell:</L>
<L>And &s;peake we of the &s;ubtill aduenture,</L>
<L>And de&s;tinit that to this Foxe befell,</L>
<L>Whiche dur&s;t no more with wayting intermell,</L>
<L>As long as leame or light was of the day,</L>
<L>But byding night full &s;till lurking he lay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Whyle that the Goddo&s;&s;e of the flood,</L>
<L><HI>Phebus</HI> had called to the harbery,</L>
<L>And <HI>He&s;perus</HI> put vp his clowdy hood,</L>
<L>Shewing his iu&s;ty vi&s;age in the &s;kie.</L>
<PB N="25" REF="20">
<L> Then <HI>Laurence</HI> looked vp where he did lie,</L>
<L>And ca&s;t his hande vpon his eye on hight,</L>
<L>Mery and glad that come was the night.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Out of the woodde vnto a hill he went,</L>
<L>Where he mought &s;ee the twinekling &s;tarres cle<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re,</L>
<L>And all the Planets of the firmament,</L>
<L>Theyr cour&s;e and eke their mouing in the &s;phere:</L>
<L>Some Retrograde, and &s;ome Stationere:</L>
<L>And of the Zodiake in what degree,</L>
<L>They were eche one as <HI>Laurence</HI> learned mee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then <HI>Saturne</HI> olde was entred in <HI>Capricorne,</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Iuppiter</HI> moued in <HI>Sagittarie,</HI></L>
<L>And <HI>Mars</HI> in the <HI>Rams</HI> head was borne,</L>
<L>And <HI>Phebus</HI> in the <HI>Lion</HI> forth can carrie,</L>
<L><HI>Venus</HI> the <HI>Crab,</HI> the <HI>Mone</HI> was in <HI>Aquarie,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Mercury</HI> the God of <HI>Eloquence,</HI></L>
<L>Into the <HI>Virgin</HI> made his re&s;idence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Without A&s;trolab, Quadrant, or Almanake,</L>
<L>Taught of nature by in&s;truction,</L>
<L>The mouing of the heauen this Tod can take,</L>
<L>What influence and con&s;tellation,</L>
<L>Was like to fall vpon the earth adowne.</L>
<L>And to him&s;elfe he &s;ayd this one thing,</L>
<L>God haue me Father that &s;et me to learning.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My de&s;teny and eke my death is knowne,</L>
<L>My aduenture is clearely to me kend,</L>
<L>With mi&s;chiefe mortall men are ouerthrowne,</L>
<PB REF="21">
<L> My mi&s;&s;yning the &s;ooner but if I mend,</L>
<L>It is rewarde of &s;inne, a &s;hamefull end.</L>
<L>Therefore I will go &s;eeke &s;ome confe&s;&s;oure,</L>
<L>And &s;hryue me cleane of my &s;innes to this houre.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And (quoth he) right fearfull are wee theeues,</L>
<L>Our liues be eche night in aduenture,</L>
<L>Our cur&s;ed crafte full many men mi&s;chieues:</L>
<L>For euer we &s;teale, and ouer are like poore,</L>
<L>In dread and &s;hame our dayes we endure.</L>
<L>Still hunting after mi&s;chief at euery becke,</L>
<L>Till at la&s;t for our hyre we are hanged by the necke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Accur&s;ing thus his cankred con&s;cience,</L>
<L>On top of a crag he ca&s;t aboute his eye,</L>
<L>And &s;aw comming a little from thence,</L>
<L>A worthy Docter in diuinitie,</L>
<L>Fryer Wolfe Wayt&s;kayth, in &s;cience wonders &s;lie,</L>
<L>To preach and pray was commen from the clo&s;ter,</L>
<L>With heades in hand, &s;aying his <HI>Pater no&s;ter.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Seyng this Wolf this wyly traytor Tod,</L>
<L>On knees fell with hood into his necke,</L>
<L>Welcome my gho&s;tly father vnder God,</L>
<L>(Quoth he) with many bow, and many becke,</L>
<L>Ha (quoth the Wolf) &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> Tod for what effect,</L>
<L>Make ye &s;uch mone, ri&s;e vp on your foet?</L>
<L>Father, quoth he, I haue great cau&s;e to doet.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ye are Mirrour, Lanterne, and liuely way,</L>
<L>To guyde &s;uth &s;imple men as me to grace,</L>
<PB N="27" REF="21">
<L> Your barefeete, and your u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">nle of grey.</L>
<L>Your leane cheekes, your pale pit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ous face,</L>
<L>Whiche &s;hewes to me your perfect holine&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>For well were him that once in his liue,</L>
<L>Had hap to you, his &s;innes for to &s;hryne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay &s;illy <HI>Laurence</HI> (quoth the Wolf) and lough,</L>
<L>It plea&s;eth me that ye are penitent.</L>
<L>Of theft and flouth, &s;ir I can tell inough,</L>
<L>That cau&s;eth me full &s;ore for to repent:</L>
<L>But Father byde &s;till here vpon the bent,</L>
<L>I you be&s;eech, and heare mee to deplore,</L>
<L>My guiltie con&s;cience that prickes me &s;o &s;ore.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Well, quoth the Wolf, &s;it downe vpon thy knee,</L>
<L>And he downe barehead &s;ate full humily,</L>
<L>And &s;o began with <HI>Benedicitee.</HI></L>
<L>When I this &s;aw I drewe a little by,</L>
<L>For it is no good manners to heare nor &s;pie,</L>
<L>Nor to reueale things &s;ayde vnder that &s;eale,</L>
<L>Yet to the Tods co~&s;cience, the Wolf did thus appeale</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Art thou contrite and &s;ory in thy &s;pryte,</L>
<L>For thy tre&s;pas? nay &s;ir I cannot doet,</L>
<L>My thinkes that hennes are &s;o hony &s;weete,</L>
<L>And Lambes fle&s;h that new are letten blood,</L>
<L>For to repent my minde cannot conclude:</L>
<L>But of this thing, that I haue &s;layne &s;o few,</L>
<L>Well, quoth the Wolf, in &s;ayth thou art a &s;hrew.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Since thou cannot forethinke thy wickedne&s;&s;e,</L>
<PB N="28" REF="22">
<L> Wilt thou forbeare in time to come and mende?</L>
<L>And I forbeare, how &s;hould I liue alas?</L>
<L>Hauing no other crafte me to defende,</L>
<L>Neede cau&s;eth me to &s;teale where euer I wende:</L>
<L>I &s;hame to begge, and worke I ne can,</L>
<L>Yet would I fayne, pretende a Gentleman.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Well (quoth the Wolfe) thou wantes points two,</L>
<L>That belong to perfect confe&s;&s;ion:</L>
<L>To the third part of penitence let vs go.</L>
<L>Wilt thou take paynes for thy tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion?</L>
<L>Nay &s;ir, con&s;ider my complexion,</L>
<L>Sielly and weake, and of my nature tender,</L>
<L>Lo, will yee &s;ee, I am both leaue and &s;lender.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet neuerthele&s;&s;e I would &s;o it were light,</L>
<L>Shorte and not greeuing to my tenderne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Take parte of payne, fulfill it if I might,</L>
<L>To &s;et my &s;illy &s;oule in way of grace:</L>
<L>Thou &s;halt (quoth he) forbeare fle&s;h vntill Pa&s;e,</L>
<L>To tame thy corps that cur&s;ed carrion:</L>
<L>And here I giue thee full remi&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I graunt thereto, &s;o ye will giue me leaue,</L>
<L>To eate puddings, or lap a little blood,</L>
<L>Or head, or feete, or panches let me preue,</L>
<L>In ca&s;e I fall no fle&s;he vnto my food:</L>
<L>For great neede. I giue thee leaue good,</L>
<L>Twi&s;e in the weeke, for neede may haue no law:</L>
<L>God thanke you &s;ir, for that text well I knaw.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="29" REF="22">
<L>When this was &s;ayd, the Wolf his wayes went,</L>
<L>The Foxe a foote he goth vnto the flood,</L>
<L>To get him fi&s;he, hollily was his intent:</L>
<L>But when he &s;aw the water and waues wood,</L>
<L>A&s;toni&s;ht all, &s;till in a mu&s;e he &s;tood:</L>
<L>And &s;ayd, better that I had bidden at hame,</L>
<L>Nor bene a fi&s;her in the Deuils name.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now mu&s;t I &s;crape my meate out of the flood,</L>
<L>And I haue nother bootes nor yet boat.</L>
<L>As he was thus for faulte of meate neare wood,</L>
<L>Looking about like a wyly &s;oat,</L>
<L>Vnder a tree he &s;aw a trip of goate,</L>
<L>Than was he mery, and through the hedge him hid,</L>
<L>And from the goate, he &s;tale hir little kid.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So ouer the hedge vnto the water hies,</L>
<L>And tooke the kidde by the hornes twayne,</L>
<L>And in the water either twi&s;e or thry&s;e,</L>
<L>He dowked him, and to him can he &s;ayne:</L>
<L>Go downe &s;ir kid, come vp &s;ir Salmon againe.</L>
<L>While he was dead &s;o to the lande him drough,</L>
<L>And of that new made Salmon he eate inough.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus finely filled with yong tender meate,</L>
<L>Vnto a thicket for dread he him adre&s;t,</L>
<L>Vnder a bu&s;h, where the Sunne can beate,</L>
<L>To beyke his bre&s;t and belly he thought be&s;t,</L>
<L>And &s;corningly, he &s;ayde, where he did re&s;t,</L>
<L>Stroking his wombe again&s;t the Sunnes heate,</L>
<PB N="30" REF="23">
<L> Vpon this belly, what if a bolt &s;hould beate?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When this was &s;ayd, the keeper of the gayt,</L>
<L>Carefull in hart, his kid was &s;tolne away,</L>
<L>On euery &s;ide full warely could he wayt,</L>
<L>Till at the la&s;t he &s;aw where <HI>Laurence</HI> lay:</L>
<L>A bowe he bent, an arrow with feathers gray,</L>
<L>He drew to the head, and or he &s;tearth,</L>
<L>The Foxe he pricketh fa&s;t vnto the earth.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now, quoth the Foxe, alas and well away,</L>
<L>Gored I am and may no further go,</L>
<L>Me thinkes no man may &s;peake a woorde in play,</L>
<L>But now adayes in earne&s;t its turned &s;o,</L>
<L>He tooke him and his arrow drew him fro.</L>
<L>And for his Kid and other violence,</L>
<L>He tooke his &s;kinne and made a recompence.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THis &s;udden death, and vnprouided end,</L>
<L>Of this fal&s;e Tod without proui&s;ion,</L>
<L>Example is, exhorting folke to amend,</L>
<L>For dread of &s;uch and like confu&s;ion.</L>
<L>For many now hath good profe&s;&s;ion.</L>
<L>Yet not repentes, nor for their &s;innes weepe,</L>
<L>Bicau&s;e they thinke their lu&s;ty life &s;o &s;weete.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Some bene al&s;o thorow con&s;ueted and ryte,</L>
<L>Vanqui&s;ht with carnall &s;en&s;ualitie,</L>
<PB N="31" REF="23">
<L> Suppo&s;e they be as for the time contryte,</L>
<L>Can not forbeare, nor fro their &s;innes flee:</L>
<L>V&s;e drawes nature &s;o in propertie,</L>
<L>Of bea&s;t and man, that needes they mu&s;t do,</L>
<L>As they of long time haue bene v&s;de thereto.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Beware good folkes, and feare this &s;udden &s;hote,</L>
<L>Whiche &s;mites &s;ort without any re&s;i&s;taunce,</L>
<L>Attend wi&s;ely, and in your hartes note,</L>
<L>Again&s;t death may no man make defence:</L>
<L>Cea&s;e off your &s;inne, remor&s;e your con&s;cience,</L>
<L>Obey vnto your God and ye &s;hall wend,</L>
<L>After your death, to bli&s;&s;e withouten end.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>The Retoricall tale of the &s;onne and heyre of the fore&s;ayd Foxe called Fa|ther Wars, al&s;o the Parlement of foure footed bea&s;tes, holden by the Lyon.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THis fore&s;ayd Foxe, that dide for his mi&s;deede,</L>
<L>Had not one Sonne was gotten rightuou&s;ly,</L>
<L>To be heyre by law that might &s;ucceede,</L>
<L>Except one Sonne whiche in adultery,</L>
<L>He gotten had by purcha&s;e priuily:</L>
<L>And he gaue him to name father wur&s;t,</L>
<L>That loude well pultry although he were cur&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="32" REF="24">
<L>It folowes &s;till by rea&s;on naturall,</L>
<L>As degree by degree, of right compari&s;on:</L>
<L>Of euill comes wor&s;e: of wor&s;e comes wor&s;t of all:</L>
<L>Of wrongfull getting comes fal&s;e &s;ucce&s;&s;ion.</L>
<L>This Foxe ba&s;tard of generation,</L>
<L>Of very kinde behoued to be fal&s;e,</L>
<L>So was his Father and his Graund&s;ir als.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>As naturall &s;eeking his meate by &s;ent,</L>
<L>By chaunce he found his fathers carrion,</L>
<L>Naked, new &s;layne, and to him as he went,</L>
<L>Tooke vp his head, and on his knees fell downne,</L>
<L>Thanking the Gods of that conclu&s;ion.</L>
<L>And &s;ayd, now &s;hall I walke &s;ince I am heyre,</L>
<L>The boundes where thou were wont to repayre.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fye couetous, vnkind, and venemous:</L>
<L>The Sonne was glad he found his father dead,</L>
<L>By &s;udden &s;hotte for deedes odious,</L>
<L>That he might raigne and rage &s;till in his &s;tead,</L>
<L>Dreading nothing the &s;ame life to leade,</L>
<L>In theft and robry, as did his father before,</L>
<L>But to the end, attent he tooke no more.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet neuerthele&s;&s;e thorow naturall pittie,</L>
<L>The Carrion vpon his backe he taeth,</L>
<L>Now finde I well this Prouerbe true (quoth he)</L>
<L>Still runnes the Foxe, as long as he foote hath,</L>
<L>So with the corps vnto a pit he gaeth,</L>
<L>Of water full, and ca&s;t him in the deepe,</L>
<PB N="33" REF="24">
<L> And to the Deuill he gaue his bones to keepe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Oh fooli&s;h man plonged in worldline&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>To gather golde and other worldly meede,</L>
<L>To put thy &s;oule in payne and heauine&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>To ritche thine heyre whiche hath but little neede:</L>
<L>Haue be thy good once, he takes but &s;mall heede,</L>
<L>To execute, to do, to &s;ati&s;fie,</L>
<L>Thy latter will, thy debt, and legacie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Tod to re&s;t him, he pa&s;&s;ed till a crag,</L>
<L>And there be heard a boy&s;trous horne bloro,</L>
<L>Whiche as he thought, made all the world wag:</L>
<L>At la&s;t a Vnicorne came running below,</L>
<L>Then &s;tart he vp when he this heard and &s;awe,</L>
<L>With horne in band, a bill on bre&s;t he bore,</L>
<L>The goodlie&s;t Pur&s;iuant that er&s;t was &s;eene before.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Unto a banke where he mought &s;ee aboute,</L>
<L>On euery &s;ide, in ha&s;t he gan him hie,</L>
<L>Shot out his voyce full &s;hrill and gaue a &s;howte,</L>
<L>And on this wi&s;e, twice or thryce did crie:</L>
<L>With that the bea&s;ts in the fieldes thereby,</L>
<L>All meruayling what &s;uch a thing &s;hould meene,</L>
<L>Greatly aga&s;t, they gathered on a greene.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Out of a wood a Bull &s;o gan he brayde,</L>
<L>And redde the text withouten tarrying,</L>
<L>Commaunding &s;ilence, &s;adly thus he &s;ayd:</L>
<L>The noble Lion, of all bea&s;ts the King,</L>
<L>Greeting to God health euerla&s;ting.</L>
<PB N="34" REF="25">
<L> To brutall bea&s;ts, and irration all,</L>
<L>I &s;end as to my &s;ubiects great and &s;mall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My cel&s;itude, and hie magnificence,</L>
<L>Let you to wit, that euen incontinent,</L>
<L>As to morow with Royall diligence,</L>
<L>Vpon this hill to holde my Parlement,</L>
<L>Straytly therefore I giue commaundement,</L>
<L>For to appeare before my trybunall,</L>
<L>Vnder all payne that may thereof befall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The morrow came, and <HI>Phebus</HI> with his beames,</L>
<L>Con&s;umed had the mi&s;ty clowdes gray,</L>
<L>The ground was greene and as gold it gleames.</L>
<L>With gra&s;&s;e growing goodly great and gay,</L>
<L>The &s;pice they &s;pread to &s;mell on euery &s;pray:</L>
<L>The Larke, the Mauis, and the Metle full hie,</L>
<L>Sweetely can &s;ing &s;kipping fro tree to tree.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Two Leopards came with crowne of ma&s;&s;iue gold,</L>
<L>And &s;o they brought it to the hils height.</L>
<L>With Ia&s;pers, Ionet, and royals Rubies rold.</L>
<L>And many diuers Diamondes ydight,</L>
<L>With &s;peaken roapes a pauilion downe they pight.</L>
<L>And there in throne &s;ate a mighty wilde Lion,</L>
<L>In robe Royall, with Scepter, &s;woorde &amp; Corone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>After the tenor of the cry before,</L>
<L>That all foure footed bea&s;ts &s;hould appeere in place,</L>
<L>Is they commaunded were withouten more,</L>
<L>Before the Lorde the mighty Lions grace,</L>
<PB N="35" REF="25">
<L> And what they were to me, <HI>Laurence</HI> tolde apace,</L>
<L>As I &s;hall rehear&s;e apart of euery kinde,</L>
<L>As far as now occurreth to my minde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Minotaur a mon&s;ter maruelous,</L>
<L>Bellerophon that bea&s;t of ba&s;tardy,</L>
<L>The Warwolf, and the Pega&s;e perillous,</L>
<L>Tran&s;formed by a&s;&s;ent of Sorcery:</L>
<L>The Linx, the Tyger, full of tyranny:</L>
<L>The Elephant, and eke the Dromedary,</L>
<L>The Camell with his crane necke, forth can carry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Leopard, as I haue tolde beforne,</L>
<L>The Intlop, the Sparth forth can &s;peede,</L>
<L>The paynted Panthor, and the Vnicorne.</L>
<L>The Rayndeer run through tyuer, ru&s;h and reede,</L>
<L>The iolly Gennet, and the gentill &s;teede.</L>
<L>The A&s;&s;e, the Mule, the Hor&s;e of euery kinde,</L>
<L>The Do, the Roe, the horned Hart, the Hinde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Bull, the Bore, the Bugle, and the Beare,</L>
<L>The tame Cat, Wildecat, and the wild wood Swine,</L>
<L>The hardbacke Hedgehogge, and pennde Porcupine,</L>
<L>The crookehorne Goate, the &s;illy Sheepe, the Swine,</L>
<L>The wilde Ounce, the Buck, the halting Brocke,</L>
<L>The Fowmart, with the Fybert forth can flocke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The gray Greyhou~d with Sleuth hou~d forth ca~ &s;lide,</L>
<L>With Dogges all, diuers and different,</L>
<L>The Rat ran, the Glybard forth can glyde,</L>
<L>The pilde Polcat, with the We&s;ill went,</L>
<PB N="36" REF="26">
<L> The fine Fycho that hath furre, money vent.</L>
<L>The Merten, with the Cony, and the Con,</L>
<L>The Bowrabant, and eke the Lerion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Marme&s;&s;et the Moule can lead,</L>
<L>Bicau&s;e that nature denied had hir &s;ight,</L>
<L>Thus dre&s;&s;ed they all foorth for dread of dead,</L>
<L>The Mu&s;k, the little Mou&s;e with all hir might,</L>
<L>With ha&s;t &s;he hied vnto that hill of hight,</L>
<L>And many kinde of bea&s;ts I could not know,</L>
<L>Before theyr Lord (the Lion) lowted low.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Seing the&s;e bea&s;ts all at his bidding boun,</L>
<L>He gaue a brayde and looked him about,</L>
<L>Then flatlings to his feete they fell all downe,</L>
<L>For dread of death, they drouped all in doute,</L>
<L>He looked when that he &s;awe them lowte,</L>
<L>And bad them with a countenance full &s;weete,</L>
<L>Be not afrayde, but &s;tand vpon your feete.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I let you wit my might is mercyable,</L>
<L>And hurtes none that are to me pro&s;trate,</L>
<L>Angry, au&s;terne, and al&s;o vnamiable,</L>
<L>To all that &s;tande agayn&s;t my royall &s;tate,</L>
<L>I true of life all bea&s;tes that make debate,</L>
<L>Again&s;t the might of my magnificence,</L>
<L>See none pretende to quarrell in my pre&s;ence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My cel&s;itude, and my hie maie&s;tie,</L>
<L>With might, and mercy mingled &s;hall be ay,</L>
<L>The lowe&s;t here I can full &s;oone ray&s;e hie,</L>
<PB N="37" REF="26">
<L> And make him Ma&s;ter ouer you all I may.</L>
<L>The Dromedary if he will make deray,</L>
<L>The great Camell though he were neere &s;o crou&s;e,</L>
<L>Can bring as lowe as the little Mou&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>See that within twenty myles where I am,</L>
<L>The Kid goe fault by the Goates &s;ide,</L>
<L>The Tod for his head looke not on a Lam,</L>
<L>Nor no rauenyng bea&s;t, neither run nor ride.</L>
<L>They couched all after this was cride,</L>
<L>The Iu&s;tice bad the court for to beginne,</L>
<L>The &s;utes called, and forfaytes bring in.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Panthor with his paynted coate &s;heene,</L>
<L>Fenced the court as the law hyd,</L>
<L>Then the Tod lurkt back for feare being &s;eene,</L>
<L>And &s;tarte backe behind one, and &s;o him hid,</L>
<L>Pulling his beare piteou&s;ly he cride,</L>
<L>Quaking for dread, and &s;ighing can he &s;ay,</L>
<L>Alas this hower, alas thus dollfull day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I wot this &s;udden a&s;&s;embly that I &s;ee,</L>
<L>Hauing the poynts of a Parlement,</L>
<L>Is made to mar, &s;uch mi&s;doers as mee,</L>
<L>Therefore if I me &s;hewe I &s;halbe &s;hent:</L>
<L>I will therefore goe and be ab&s;ent,</L>
<L>To byde or flee, I wote not in fayth,</L>
<L>All is a like, there folowes nought but death.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Perplexed thus in hart can he meane,</L>
<L>Throw fal&s;hod how he might him&s;elfe defende,</L>
<PB N="38" REF="27">
<L> His hood he drew right ore his tyne,</L>
<L>And winking with one tye forth he wend,</L>
<L>Halting he came that he might not be kend:</L>
<L>And for dread that he &s;hould be arre&s;t,</L>
<L>He playde bo peep behinde fro bea&s;t to bea&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O troubled &s;pryte and cancred con&s;cience,</L>
<L>Before a King rayning with rightuou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Blu&s;hing cheekes, and &s;hamefull countenance,</L>
<L>Farewell thy fame, now gone is all thy grace,</L>
<L>The Phi&s;nomy, the fauour of thy face,</L>
<L>For thy defence, is foule and di&s;figurate,</L>
<L>Brought to the light by the&s;e tokens of late.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Be thou attached with thefte or with trea&s;on,</L>
<L>For thy mi&s;deedes, wrongs, and wicked fay,</L>
<L>Thy cheere changes <HI>Laurence,</HI> thou mu&s;t looke don</L>
<L>The wor&s;hip of this worlde is gone thee away,</L>
<L>Looke to this Tod, how he was in affray.</L>
<L>And flee the &s;inne of fal&s;hood I thee reede,</L>
<L>Where through there followes &s;inne &amp; &s;hameful deed<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Appearing thus before their Lord and King,</L>
<L>In order &s;et all in ioy and myrth,</L>
<L>Of euery kinde he made forth bring,</L>
<L>And awfully he &s;pake and thus put forth,</L>
<L>If there was any kinde of bea&s;t on yearth,</L>
<L>Ab&s;ent? and thereto made them deepely &s;weare:</L>
<L>And they &s;ayde none, except one Stud gray Mare.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let &s;ende a me&s;&s;age vnto that Stud,</L>
<PB N="39" REF="27">
<L> The court then &s;ayde, now who &s;hall it be,</L>
<L>Come forth <HI>Laurence</HI> lurkyng vnder thy hood,</L>
<L>A ha &s;ir mercy, lo I haue but one eye,</L>
<L>Hurt in the hoghe, and crookt as ye may &s;ee:</L>
<L>The Wolf is better farre in amba&s;&s;age,</L>
<L>And thereto learned, wi&s;e and &s;age.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The King &s;toode vp, and &s;ayde hence away both,</L>
<L>And they to goe without any tarrying,</L>
<L>Ouer hill and dale, for feare of his wroth,</L>
<L>And found the Mare at hir meate in the morning,</L>
<L>Now (quoth the Tod) Madame come to the King,</L>
<L>The court is called, and ye are found contumax,</L>
<L>Let be <HI>Laurence</HI> (quoth &s;he) your courtly knax.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e (quoth he) come, to the court ye mu&s;t goe,</L>
<L>The Lion hath commaunded &s;o in deede,</L>
<L>Sir Tod (quoth &s;he) go you and your felloe,</L>
<L>I haue re&s;pite a yeare, and yee will reede,</L>
<L>I cannot &s;pell (quoth he) &s;o God me &s;peede:</L>
<L>Here is the Wolf a noble Clerke at all,</L>
<L>And of this me&s;&s;age is made principall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He is autentike and a man of age,</L>
<L>And he hath great practike of the chauncelery,</L>
<L>Let him go looke and reade your priuiledge,</L>
<L>And I &s;hall &s;tand and beare witne&s;&s;e you by.</L>
<L>Where is thy re&s;pite (quoth the Wolf) on hie?</L>
<L>Sir it is here vnder my boofe well hid,</L>
<L>Holde vp thy heele (quoth he) and &s;o &s;he did.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="40" REF="28">
<L>Though he were blinded, with pride yet he pre&s;umed,</L>
<L>To looke downe low where that hir letter lay,</L>
<L>With that the mare gyrt him vpon the gums,</L>
<L>And &s;trake the Hat of his head away:</L>
<L>Halfe out of life, lying downe there he lay.</L>
<L>Alas (quoth <HI>Laurence) Lupus</HI> thou art lo&s;t,</L>
<L>His cunning (quoth the Mare) was worth &s;ome coll.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> (quoth &s;he) wilt thou looke on my letter,</L>
<L>Since that the Wolf nothing thereof can win?</L>
<L>Nay by S. Bryde (quoth he) me thinkes it better,</L>
<L>To &s;leepe in a whole, than in a hurt &s;kinne.</L>
<L>Once a &s;crole I fand, and this was written in,</L>
<L>For fiue &s;hillings I would not lo&s;e all nor &s;ome,</L>
<L><HI>Folix quem faciunt aliena pericula caucum.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With broken &s;kalpe, &amp; cheekes that were blouddy,</L>
<L>This wretched Wolf wiping them as he went,</L>
<L>Of amends inuenting to get remedy.</L>
<L>To tell the King the ca&s;e was his intent,</L>
<L>Sir (quoth the Tod) byde &s;till vpon this bent,</L>
<L>And fro your browes wa&s;he away this blood,</L>
<L>And take &s;ome drinke for it will do you good.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>To fetch water this fraudefull Foxe fore,</L>
<L>Sidelong abacke as though he were &s;icke,</L>
<L>And as chaun&s;t he met comming fro the moore,</L>
<L>A trip of Lambe, dauncing on a dike,</L>
<L>This traytour Tod this tyrant and this tikt,</L>
<L>The fatte&s;t of the flocke he killed haes,</L>
<PB N="41" REF="28">
<L> And eate his fill, &s;o to the Wolf he goes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They dranke togither, and &s;o there iourney takes,</L>
<L>Before the King, &s;oone kneeled on their knee,</L>
<L>Where is the Mare? &s;ir Tod, was contumax.</L>
<L>Then <HI>Laurence</HI> &s;ayd, my Lorde, a&s;ke not mee,</L>
<L>Demaund of your Doctor of Diuinitie,</L>
<L>With his redde Cap can tell you well inough:</L>
<L>With that the Lion, and all the re&s;t lough.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Tell on the ca&s;e now <HI>Laurence</HI> let vs heare:</L>
<L>This witty Wolf, quoth he, this Clerke of age,</L>
<L>On your behalf he bad the Mare to appeare,</L>
<L>And &s;o &s;he alledged hir priuiledge,</L>
<L>Come neare and &s;ee, and you &s;hall haue your wage.</L>
<L>Bycau&s;e he red hyr re&s;pit playne and wele,</L>
<L>Yonder red bonnet &s;he raught him with hir heele.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Lion &s;ayd, by yon cap I &s;ee then,</L>
<L>This tale is true, who heede vnto it takes:</L>
<L>The greate&s;t Clerkes are not the wy&s;e&s;t men,</L>
<L>The hurt of one, happy the other makes:</L>
<L>As they were talking of the&s;e mery knakes,</L>
<L>And all the Court in mirth and in gam,</L>
<L>In comes the Ewe, the mother of the Lam.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Before the Iu&s;tice on hir knees &s;he fell,</L>
<L>Put out hir playnt on this wi&s;e wofully:</L>
<L>This Harlot bore &s;on, and this hound of hell,</L>
<L>Deuoured hath my Lambe full doggedly,</L>
<L>Within a mile, contrary to your crie,</L>
<PB N="42" REF="29">
<L> For Gods loue my Lorde giue me the lawe,</L>
<L>Of this lurker: with that <HI>Laurence</HI> let draw.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Byde (quoth the Lion) limmer, let vs &s;ee,</L>
<L>If it be &s;othe the &s;illy Yewe hath &s;ayde,</L>
<L>A ha &s;oueraigne Lord, plea&s;e your grace, quoth he,</L>
<L>My purpo&s;e was with him for to haue playde,</L>
<L>And cau&s;les he fledde as he had bene affrayde.</L>
<L>For dreade of death ouer a hedge with mi&s;chief,</L>
<L>And brake his necke, thou lies, quoth &s;he, fal&s;e thief.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His death by practi&s;e may be proued <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ith,</L>
<L>Thy gory gums, and thy blondy &s;noute,</L>
<L>The wooll, the fle&s;h, it &s;tickes in thy teeth:</L>
<L>That is euidence inough without doubte,</L>
<L>The Iu&s;tice bid choo&s;e the que&s;t then about:</L>
<L>And &s;o they did, and found that he was fal&s;e,</L>
<L>Of murther, theft, and trea&s;on al&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They bound him fa&s;t, the Iu&s;tice bad beliue</L>
<L>To giue the dome, and take of all his claes,</L>
<L>The Wolf that new made Doctor gan him &s;hryne,</L>
<L>So forth was led, and to the Gallowes him haes,</L>
<L>And at the ladder foote his leaue he taes,</L>
<L>The Ape was hangman, and bid him &s;oone a&s;cend,</L>
<L>And tru&s;&s;ed him vp, and thus he made his end.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>RIght as the miner in his mynerall,</L>
<L>Fayre gold with fire may from the lead wel win,</L>
<L>Right &s;o vnder a Fable figurall,</L>
<PB REF="29">
<L> Sad &s;entences may &s;eeke, and after fine,</L>
<L>As dayly doth the Doctors of deuine,</L>
<L>That to our liuing full well can apply,</L>
<L>And paynt the matter out with Poetry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Lion is the world by likelyne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>To whom bowes, both Emperour and King,</L>
<L>And thinks of this worlde to get increa&s;e,</L>
<L>Minding dayly for to get more liuing,</L>
<L>Some for to rule, and &s;ome to racke and ring,</L>
<L>Some gathereth geare, &s;ome gold, &s;ome other good,</L>
<L>To win this world, &s;ome worke as they were wood.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Mare is men of good condition,</L>
<L>As pilgrims walking in this wilderne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Approuing that for right religion,</L>
<L>Their God only to plea&s;e in euery place.</L>
<L>Ab&s;tract from this worldes wretchedne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Fighting with lu&s;t, pre&s;umption and pryde,</L>
<L>And from this worlde in minde are mortifide.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Wolf I liken to &s;en&s;ualitie,</L>
<L>As when like brutall bea&s;tes we do accord,</L>
<L>Our mindes all to this worldes vanitie,</L>
<L>Liking take, and loue it as our Lord,</L>
<L>Flee fa&s;t therfore, if thou wilt right remord:</L>
<L>Then &s;hall rea&s;on ray&s;e, raigne and ring,</L>
<L>And for thy &s;oule there is no better thing.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Hir hoofe I liken to the thought of dead,</L>
<L>Wilt thou remember man, that thou mu&s;t die,</L>
<L>Thus may&s;t thou breake &s;en&s;ualities head,</L>
<PB N="44" REF="30">
<L> And fle&s;hly lu&s;t away fro thee &s;hall flie,</L>
<L>A&s;&s;oone as thou thy minde doe&s;t mortifie.</L>
<L><HI>Salomons</HI> &s;aying thou mu&s;t remember herein,</L>
<L>Thinke on thy end, thou &s;halt not gladly &s;inne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Tod I lyken, to temptations,</L>
<L>Bringing to minde many thoughts vayne,</L>
<L>A&s;&s;aulting man with &s;weete per&s;wa&s;ions.</L>
<L>And ready for to trap them in a trayne,</L>
<L>Yet if thou &s;et, &s;en&s;ualitie neare &s;layne,</L>
<L>And &s;odeyn death draw neare with pangs &s;ore,</L>
<L>They quickly goe, and tempteth them nomore.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O mediator mercyfull and meeke,</L>
<L>Thou &s;oueraigne Lord, and King cele&s;tiall,</L>
<L>Thy mercies mo&s;t humbly we be&s;eeke.</L>
<L>Vs to defende fro payne and perils all,</L>
<L>And helpe vs vp to thy heauenly hall,</L>
<L>In glory where we may &s;ee the face of God,</L>
<L>And thus endes, the talking of the Tod.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The wofull tale of the playn|tife Dogge, agayn&s;t the poore Sheepe, before Iu&s;tice Wolfe.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>ESopt a tale puts in memory,</L>
<L>How that a Dogge, bicau&s;e that he was poore,</L>
<PB N="45" REF="30">
<L> Called a &s;heepe to the Con&s;i&s;tory,</L>
<L>For certayne bread fro him for to recouer:</L>
<L>A crafty Wolfe was Iudge that time, and boore</L>
<L>Auctoritie, and Iuri&s;diction,</L>
<L>And for the &s;heepe &s;ent foorth a &s;trayte &s;ummon.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For by the v&s;e and cour&s;e and common &s;tyle,</L>
<L>On this maner made his citation:</L>
<L>I ma&s;ter Wolf, partli&s;&s;e of fraude and guyle,</L>
<L>Vnder the paynes of hie &s;u&s;pen&s;ion,</L>
<L>Of great cur&s;ing and interdiction.</L>
<L>Sir &s;heepe, I chardge thee, for to appeere,</L>
<L>And an&s;were to Perry Dogge, before me heere.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir Corby Rauen, was made a parratour,</L>
<L>Who picked had, full many &s;heepes eye,</L>
<L>The chardge he taketh, and on the letters boure,</L>
<L>Summond the Sheepe before the Wolf, that he,</L>
<L>Peremptorly, within twoo dayes or three,</L>
<L>To appeare vnder the paynes in the bill,</L>
<L>To heare what Perry dogge, will &s;ay thee til.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;ummons made before witne&s;&s;e inowe,</L>
<L>The Rauen as to his office well offerth,</L>
<L>Indor&s;ed hath the writte: and on he flewe,</L>
<L>The &s;illy &s;heepe for &s;orow, dur&s;t lay no mouth on erth</L>
<L>Till he before the lawfull iudge apperth.</L>
<L>The houre of cau&s;e, whiche that iudge v&s;ed than,</L>
<L>Was, when <HI>He&s;perus</HI> to &s;hewe his face began.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Foxe was Clerke, and notary in the cau&s;e,</L>
<PB N="46" REF="31">
<L> The Kight, and the Crow at the barre could &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"></L>
<L>As Aduocates expert in the lawes,</L>
<L>The Dogges to pleade togither tooke in hand,</L>
<L>Whiche were con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ederate &s;traytly in a band,</L>
<L>Again&s;t the &s;heepe for to procure &s;entence,</L>
<L>Though it were fal&s;e, they had no con&s;cience.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Clerke called the Sheepe, and he was there,</L>
<L>The Aduocates on this wi&s;e could propone,</L>
<L>Of certayne bread worth fiue &s;hillings or mere,</L>
<L>Thou owes the Dogge, of whiche the terme is go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"></L>
<L>Of his owne head without Aduocate alone,</L>
<L>The &s;heepe innocently gaue an&s;were in this ca&s;e,</L>
<L>Here I appeale fro the Iudge, the time, the place.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This is my cau&s;e I will &s;hewe in effect,</L>
<L>The lawe &s;ayes, it is right perilous,</L>
<L>To enter in plea before a iudge &s;u&s;pect,</L>
<L>And you &s;ir Wolf haue bene full odious</L>
<L>To me, for with your tu&s;kes rauenous,</L>
<L>Haue &s;tayne full many kin&s;men of mine,</L>
<L>Therfore as iudge &s;u&s;pect, fro you I do decline.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And to be brief, of this court ye members all,</L>
<L>Both A&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors, Clerkes, and Aduocate,</L>
<L>To me and mine, are enimies mortall,</L>
<L>And ay hath bene as many Sheperds wate,</L>
<L>The place I &s;u&s;pect, the time is very late:</L>
<L>Wherefore no Iudge &s;hould &s;it in Con&s;i&s;tory,</L>
<L>So late at euen, I you accu&s;e for thy.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="47" REF="31">
<L>When that the Iudge on this wi&s;e was accu&s;ed,</L>
<L>He bad the parties choo&s;e with one a&s;&s;ent,</L>
<L>Two arbitrators, as in the lawe is v&s;ed,</L>
<L>For to declare, and giue arbitrement,</L>
<L>Whether the Sheepe &s;hould an&s;were in iudgement</L>
<L>Before the Wolf, and &s;o they did agree,</L>
<L>Of whome the names, ye &s;hall &s;hortly &s;ee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Beare, and Brocke, the matter tooke in hand,</L>
<L>For to decyde, if this exception</L>
<L>Was of no force, or lawfully might &s;tand.</L>
<L>And therevpon as Iudges they &s;ate doune,</L>
<L>And helde along while di&s;putation,</L>
<L>Seeking full many decrees of the lawe,</L>
<L>And glozes al&s;o the veritie to knaw.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Of Ciuill law volumes full many they reuolue,</L>
<L>The Codies and Dige&s;ters new and olde,</L>
<L>Contrait, pro&s;trait argumentes they re&s;olue,</L>
<L>Some obiecting, and &s;ome gan holde,</L>
<L>For prayer or pryce trow ye they would be controld.</L>
<L>But holde the glo&s;e&punc; and text of the decreis,</L>
<L>As true Iudges, I be&s;hrew them ay that leis.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Shortly to make an end of this debate,</L>
<L>The arbytratours thus they &s;wearen playne,</L>
<L>The &s;entence giuen, and proce&s;&s;e fulminate.</L>
<L>The Sheepe &s;hould pa&s;&s;e before the Wolf againe,</L>
<L>And end his plea, then was he nothing fayne,</L>
<L>For fro this &s;entence could he not appeale,</L>
<PB REF="32">
<L> Now Clerkes I a&s;ke, if this &s;entence were wea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;heepe againe before the Wolf appeard,</L>
<L>Without Aduocate, aba&s;hedly could &s;tand,</L>
<L>Vp ro&s;e the Dogge, and to the Iudge thus &s;weard,</L>
<L>A &s;umme I payd to him, before in hand,</L>
<L>For certaine bread, a witne&s;&s;e here doth &s;tand.</L>
<L>That wrongfully the &s;heepe doth holde the bread,</L>
<L>Whiche he denide, and there began to plead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And when the &s;heepe this &s;trife had conte&s;tate,</L>
<L>The iu&s;tice in the cau&s;e forth gan proceede,</L>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> the actes, and the proce&s;&s;e wrate,</L>
<L>And thus the plea vnto the ende they &s;peede:</L>
<L>This cur&s;ed court corrupted all for meede,</L>
<L>Again&s;t good fayth, law, and eke con&s;cience,</L>
<L>For this fal&s;e Dogge pronounced the &s;entence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And &s;o forthwith put it in execution,</L>
<L>The Wolf charged the &s;heepe without delay,</L>
<L>Vnder the paynes of interdiction,</L>
<L>The &s;umme of &s;iluer or the bread to pay.</L>
<L>Of this &s;entence, alas, what &s;hall I &s;ay?</L>
<L>Whiche condemned hath the &s;illy innocent,</L>
<L>And iu&s;tified the wrongfull iudgement.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;heepe dreading more the execution,</L>
<L>Obeying to the &s;entence: he could take,</L>
<L>His way vnto a marchaunt of the towne,</L>
<L>And &s;olde the woolle that he bore on his backe,</L>
<L>So bought the bread, and to the Dogge can make</L>
<PB REF="32">
<L> Ready payment, as it commaunded was,</L>
<L>So naked and bare to the fielde can pas.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THis &s;elly &s;heepe may repre&s;ent the figure,</L>
<L>Of poore commons that dayly are oppre&s;t,</L>
<L>By tyrannous men whiche &s;ettes all their cure,</L>
<L>By fal&s;e meanes to make a wrong conque&s;t,</L>
<L>In hope this pre&s;ent life &s;hould euer le&s;t:</L>
<L>But all beguyld, they will in &s;horte tyme end,</L>
<L>And after death to la&s;ting paynes&punc; wend.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Wolf I liken to a Shryue &s;tout,</L>
<L>Which byeth a forfayte at the Kings hand,</L>
<L>And hath with him a cur&s;ed a&s;&s;i&s;e about,</L>
<L>And endites all the poore men vpon land,</L>
<L>Or if the Baylife hath layd on him his wand,</L>
<L>Though he were true as euer were S. Iohn,</L>
<L>Hangd &s;hall he be, or with the iudge compone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Rauen I lyken to a fal&s;e Coroner,</L>
<L>Whiche hath a portion of the inditement,</L>
<L>And pa&s;&s;es forth before the Iu&s;ticiair,</L>
<L>All mi&s;doers to bring vnto Iudgement,</L>
<L>But looke if he was, of any true intent,</L>
<L>To &s;crape out Iohn and wryte in Will, or Wat,</L>
<L>And take a brybe at both, how like ye that.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Of this fal&s;e Tod of whiche I &s;pake before,</L>
<PB N="50" REF="33">
<L>And of this fight, what they mought &s;ignifie:</L>
<L>Of their nature, as now I &s;peake no more,</L>
<L>But of this Sheepe and of his carefull crie,</L>
<L>I &s;hall rehear&s;e: for as I pa&s;&s;ed by,</L>
<L>Where that he lay, I chanced to looke downe,</L>
<L>And heard him make fore lamentation.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Alas (quoth he) this cur&s;ed con&s;i&s;tory,</L>
<L>In middes of winter now a dayes is made,</L>
<L>When Boreas with bla&s;tes bitterly,</L>
<L>And harde fro&s;tes, the floures downe can fade,</L>
<L>On bankes bare now may I make no bade:</L>
<L>And with that woorde into a bu&s;he he crap,</L>
<L>Fro colde weather, and fro&s;tes him to hap.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Quaking for colde, &s;ore mourning ay among,</L>
<L>Ca&s;t vp his eye vnto the heauens hight,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd, Lord God why &s;leeps thou &s;o long?</L>
<L>Walke; and di&s;cerne my cau&s;e grounded on right,</L>
<L>See how I am by fraude, ma&s;tery, and &s;light,</L>
<L>Pilled full bare, and &s;o is many a one,</L>
<L>Now in this worlde, right wonder wo begone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>See how this cur&s;ed &s;onne of couetice,</L>
<L>Bought hath the Lawier, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ke the lawe,</L>
<L>Now few or none will execute Iu&s;tice:</L>
<L>In fault of whom the poore man is ouerthrow,</L>
<L>The verity &s;uppo&s;e, the iudge it know,</L>
<L>He is &s;o blinded with affection,</L>
<L>Without dread, for might, he lets the right go downe</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="51" REF="33">
<L>See&s;t thou not (Lorde) this world ouerturnde is,</L>
<L>And who will change good Gold in Lead or Tinne,</L>
<L>The poore is pulled, the Lord may do no mis,</L>
<L>And Simony is holden for no &s;inne,</L>
<L>Now is he glad with craft that mo&s;t may winne:</L>
<L>Good neighbourhood is &s;laine, and pitty is ago,</L>
<L>Alas (good Lord) why lets thou it be &s;o?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thou lets it thus be for our great offence,</L>
<L>Thou &s;endes vs trouble, and plagues &s;ore,</L>
<L>As hunger, dearth, great warre, or pe&s;tilence,</L>
<L>But fewe amendes now their life therefore,</L>
<L>We poore people as now may do no more,</L>
<L>But pray to thee, &s;ince that we are oppre&s;t,</L>
<L>Here in this earth, graunt vs in heauen good re&s;t.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<DIV2 TYPE="prologue">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The exemplatiue tale of the Lion and the Mou&s;e: With the Authors Prologue before.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>IN mids of Iune, that &s;weete &s;ea&s;on,</L>
<L>Whe~ that fayre Phebus with his beames bright,</L>
<L>Had dryed vp the dew, fro dale and downe,</L>
<L>And al the land <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ade with his beames light,</L>
<L>In a morning betwixt midday and night,</L>
<L>I ro&s;e, and put all &s;louth and &s;leepe a&s;ide,</L>
<L>And to a wood I went, alone without guyde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="34">
<L>Sweete was the &s;mell of floures white and redde,</L>
<L>The noy&s;e of byrdes right delicious,</L>
<L>The Beuis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ong right aboue my head,</L>
<L>The ground growing with gra&s;&s;e gratious,</L>
<L>Of all plea&s;aunce that place was plenteous,</L>
<L>With &s;weete odours, and byrdes hatmony,</L>
<L>The mornyng milde, my mirth was more for thy.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Ro&s;es redde growing on bankes could ry&s;e,</L>
<L>The Prymero&s;e, Violet purple and blake,</L>
<L>To heare it was a heauenly Paradi&s;e,</L>
<L>Such myrth the Mauis, and the Merle could make,</L>
<L>The blo&s;&s;oms braue, brake vp in banke and brake,</L>
<L>The &s;mell of hearbes and of the fowles cry,</L>
<L>Contending who &s;hould haue the victory.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Me to con&s;erue fro the Sunnes heate,</L>
<L>Vnder the &s;hadow of a Hawthorne greene,</L>
<L>I layde me downe among the floures &s;weate,</L>
<L>So cladde my head, and clo&s;ed both myne eyne,</L>
<L>On &s;leepe I fell among the&s;e byrdes fine,</L>
<L>And in my dreame me thought came through the feld,</L>
<L>The fayre&s;t man that euer I beheld.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His gowne was of a cloth as whyte as milke,</L>
<L>His Iacket was of chamlet purpure browne,</L>
<L>His hood of Scarlet brod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">red well with &s;ilke,</L>
<L>And hangyng wi&s;e vnto his girdle downe,</L>
<L>His bonnet rounde of the olde fa&s;hion,</L>
<L>His bearde was whyte, his eyne were great and gray,</L>
<L>With lockes of heares, which on his &s;houlders lay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A roll of paper in his hand he bare,</L>
<L>A Swans penne &s;tickyng vnder his eare,</L>
<L>An inkehorne with a pretty gilt pennayre,</L>
<L>A bagge of &s;ilke all at his gyrdle beare,</L>
<L>Thus was he goodly girded in his geare,</L>
<PB N="53" REF="34">
<L> Of &s;tatu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e large, and with a fearfull face,</L>
<L>Euen where I lay he came a &s;turdy pace.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And &s;ayd God &s;peede my &s;onne: and I was fayne,</L>
<L>Of that good woorde and of his company,</L>
<L>With reuerence, I an&s;werd him agayne,</L>
<L>Welcome father: and he &s;ate downe me by,</L>
<L>Di&s;plea&s;e you not my good ma&s;ter, though I,</L>
<L>Demaund your byrth, your faculty and nome,</L>
<L>Why ye come here, or where ye dwell at home.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My &s;onne (&s;ayd he) I am of gentill bloud,</L>
<L>My natiue land is Rome withouten nay,</L>
<L>In that towne fir&s;t to the &s;choles I yeude&punc;</L>
<L>In ciuill lawe &s;tudied full many a day,</L>
<L>And now my wonning is in heauen for ay,</L>
<L>E&s;ope I hight, my writyng and my warke,</L>
<L>Is kend and knowen to many a cunning clarke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O ma&s;ter E&s;ope Poete Lawreat,</L>
<L>God wote <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e are full decre welcome to me,</L>
<L>Are ye not he that all the Fables wrate,</L>
<L>Whiche in effect &s;uppo&s;e they fayned be,</L>
<L>Are full of prudence and Moralitie?</L>
<L>Fayre Sonne (&s;ayd he) I am the &s;elf &s;ame man,</L>
<L>God wote if that my hart was mery than.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I &s;ayd, E&s;ope my ma&s;ter venerable,</L>
<L>I you be&s;eech mo&s;t intierly,</L>
<L>Ye would not deyne to tell a prety fable,</L>
<L>Concluding with a good Moralitie.</L>
<L>Shaking his head, he &s;ayd, my &s;onne let be,</L>
<L>What doth it profite to tell a fayned tale,</L>
<L>When holy preachyng may nothing auayle?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now in this worlde my thinke right few or non,</L>
<L>Vnto Gods worde that hath deuotion,</L>
<PB N="54" REF="35">
<L> The eare is deaf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, the hart is hard as &s;ton,</L>
<L>Now open &s;inne without any correction,</L>
<L>The hart enclining to the earth adowne,</L>
<L>So ru&s;ted is this world with canker blake,</L>
<L>That now my tales may little &s;uccour make.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yes gentle &s;ir (&s;ayd I) for my reque&s;t,</L>
<L>Not to di&s;plea&s;e your fatherhead, I pray,</L>
<L>Vnder the figure of &s;ome brutall bea&s;t,</L>
<L>A morall Fable that ye would dayne to &s;ay,</L>
<L>Who knoweth, not I may learne and beare away,</L>
<L>Something thereby, hereafter may auayle?</L>
<L>I graunt (quoth he) and thus begins his tale.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="fable proper">
<HEAD>The ende of the Prologue, and here be|gins the Tale.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>A Lion at his pray was ouerrunne,</L>
<L>To recreate his limmes and to re&s;t,</L>
<L>Beking his brea&s;t and belly at the Sunne,</L>
<L>Vnder a tree lay in the fayre forre&s;t:</L>
<L>Then comes there a trip of myce out of their ne&s;t,</L>
<L>Right mery and glad, all daun&s;ing in their gui&s;e,</L>
<L>And ouer the Lion vaulted twi&s;e or thry&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He lay &s;o &s;till, the My&s;e weare not afeard,</L>
<L>But to and fro, ore him tooke their trace,</L>
<L>Some twirled at the muchachos of his beard,</L>
<L>And &s;ome &s;pared not to clawe him on the face,</L>
<PB N="55" REF="35">
<L> Merry and glad thus daunced they a &s;pace,</L>
<L>Till at the la&s;t, the noble Lion wooke,</L>
<L>And with his paw, the ma&s;ter mou&s;e he tooke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She gaue a crie, and all the re&s;t aga&s;t,</L>
<L>Their dauncing left, and hyd them &s;oone elswhere,</L>
<L>She that was tane, cried and wept full fa&s;t,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd, alas, the time that I came here,</L>
<L>Now am I tane a wofull pry&s;onere,</L>
<L>And for my gilte, mu&s;t byde incontinent,</L>
<L>Of life or death to heare the iudgement.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then &s;pake the Lion to that carefull mous,</L>
<L>Thou caytife wretch, and vile vnworthy thing,</L>
<L>Ouer malapert and eke pre&s;umptuous,</L>
<L>Thou wert to make out ouer me thy tripping:</L>
<L>Knewe&s;t thou not I was both Lord and King,</L>
<L>Of bea&s;ts all, yes, quoth the mou&s;e, I know,</L>
<L>But I wi&s;t not bicau&s;e y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> lay &s;o lowe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Lord I be&s;eech thy kingly royalty,</L>
<L>Heare what I &s;ay, and take in patience,</L>
<L>Con&s;ider fir&s;t my &s;imple pouertie,</L>
<L>And then thy might and hie magnificence:</L>
<L>See al&s;o how things done of negligence,</L>
<L>Neither of malice, nor of pre&s;umption,</L>
<L>The rather &s;hould haue grace and remi&s;&s;ion.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>We were replete, and had great aboundance</L>
<L>Of all things &s;uch as to vs belonged,</L>
<L>The &s;weete &s;ea&s;on prouoked vs to daunce,</L>
<PB REF="36">
<L> And make &s;uch myrth as nature to vs <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">earned,</L>
<L>Ye lay &s;o &s;till as though ye had bene &s;trangled,</L>
<L>That by my &s;oule we wend ye had bene dead,</L>
<L>Els would we not haue daunced ore your head.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy fal&s;e excu&s;e, the Lion &s;ayd agayne,</L>
<L>Shall not auayle one whit I to thee &s;ay,</L>
<L>I put the ca&s;e I had bene dead or &s;layne,</L>
<L>And &s;o my &s;kinne bene &s;topped full of hay,</L>
<L>Though thou had found my figure in the way,</L>
<L>Bicau&s;e it bare the print of my per&s;one,</L>
<L>Thou &s;hould&s;t for feare on knees haue falen downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For thy tre&s;pas thou can make no defence,</L>
<L>My noble per&s;on this to vilepend,</L>
<L>Of thy fellows, nor thy owne negligence,</L>
<L>For to excu&s;e thou can no cau&s;e pretend,</L>
<L>Therefore thou &s;uffer &s;halt a &s;hamefull end,</L>
<L>And death, &s;uch as to trea&s;on is decreed,</L>
<L>Vpon the gallowes all hanged but the head&punc;</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay mercy Lord, now at thy grace I a&s;ke,</L>
<L>As thou art King of all bea&s;ts coronate,</L>
<L>A&s;&s;wage thy wrath, and let it ouerpa&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>And make thy minde to mercy inclinate,</L>
<L>I graunt offence is done to thyne e&s;tate,</L>
<L>Wherefore I worthy am as now to die,</L>
<L>But if thy kingly mercy pardon me&punc;</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In euery Iudge mercy and ruth &s;hould <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e,</L>
<L>As a&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors, and Colaterall,</L>
<PB REF="36">
<L> Without mercy iu&s;tice is cruelty,</L>
<L>As &s;ayed is in the lawes &s;peciall,</L>
<L>When rigour &s;ittes in the trybunall,</L>
<L>The equitie of law who may &s;u&s;teyne?</L>
<L>Right few or none, lea&s;t mercy go betweene.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Al&s;o ye know the honour triumphall,</L>
<L>Of all victory, vpon the &s;trength depends,</L>
<L>Of his conque&s;t, whiche manfully in battell,</L>
<L>Throwe ieopardy of warre long defends,</L>
<L>What pryce or pray&s;e when the battayle ends,</L>
<L>Is &s;ayd of him that ouercomes one man,</L>
<L>Him&s;elfe to defend, whiche neyther may nor can.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A thou&s;and my&s;e to kill and eke deuoure,</L>
<L>Is litle manhood to a &s;trong Lion,</L>
<L>Full little wor&s;hip &s;hall ye winne therefore,</L>
<L>To who&s;e &s;trength is no compari&s;on:</L>
<L>It will appayre &s;ome part of your renoume,</L>
<L>To &s;lay a mou&s;e, whiche may make no defence,</L>
<L>But a&s;king mercy at your excellence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Al&s;o it &s;eemes, not your celfitude,</L>
<L>Whiche v&s;es dayly meates delicious,</L>
<L>To file your teeth or lippes with any bloud,</L>
<L>Whiche to your &s;tomacke is contagious,</L>
<L>Vnhol&s;ome meate al&s;o, is a &s;ory mous,</L>
<L>And that namely vnto a &s;trong Lion,</L>
<L>Wont to be fedde with gentill veni&s;on.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My life is little warth, my death is le&s;&s;e.</L>
<PB REF="37">
<L> Yet and I li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e, I may p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">raduenture,</L>
<L>Supply your highne&s;&s;e being in di&s;tre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>For oft is &s;eene a man of &s;mall &s;tature,</L>
<L>Re&s;cued hath a Lord of great honour,</L>
<L>That was be&s;et and in poynt ouerthrowne,</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hrow mi&s;fortune, &s;uch ca&s;e may be your owne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When this was &s;ayd, the Lion his language,</L>
<L>Paw&s;ed, and thought according to rea&s;on,</L>
<L>And made mercy his cruell yre a&s;&s;wage,</L>
<L>And to the mou&s;e graunted remi&s;&s;ion:</L>
<L>Opened his paw, and &s;he on knees fell downe,</L>
<L>And both hir hands vnto the heauen heild,</L>
<L>Crying almighty God your grace euer &s;heild.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When &s;he was gone, the Lion went to hunt,</L>
<L>For he had naught but liued by his pray,</L>
<L>And &s;lewe both tame and wilde as he was wont,</L>
<L>And in the countrey, made many a great fray,</L>
<L>Till at the la&s;t the people fond the way,</L>
<L>This cruell Lion how that they mought take.</L>
<L>So of Hempon cordes &s;trong nets can they make.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And in a lane where be was wont to ryn,</L>
<L>With ropes rude fro tree to tree they hing,</L>
<L>So ca&s;t a ring without wood and within,</L>
<L>With hornes fa&s;t blowing, and hounds crying,</L>
<L>The Lion fledde, and throw the lane running,</L>
<L>Fell in the net, and &s;o caught by chaunce,</L>
<L>For all his &s;trength could make no re&s;i&s;taunce.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="37">
<L>Weltring about with hideous roring,</L>
<L>While to, while fro, while he might &s;uccour get,</L>
<L>But all in vayne, it auayled him nothing,</L>
<L>The more he flong the fa&s;ter was the net,</L>
<L>The ropes rude were &s;o fa&s;t about him &s;et,</L>
<L>On euery &s;ide, that &s;uccour &s;aw he none,</L>
<L>But &s;till lying, and mourning made his mone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O lamentable Lion lying here &s;o law,</L>
<L>Where is the might of thy magnificence?</L>
<L>Of whom al brutall bea&s;ts in earth &s;toode aw,</L>
<L>And dread to looke vpon thy excellence,</L>
<L>Without hope, or help, without &s;uccour or de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ence,</L>
<L>In bandes &s;trong here mu&s;t I lie (alace)</L>
<L>Till I be &s;layne I &s;ee no other grace.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>There is no wight that will my harmes wreke,</L>
<L>Nor Creature, do comfort to my crowne,</L>
<L>Who &s;hall me help? who &s;hall my bands breake?</L>
<L>Who &s;hall me put fro payne of this pri&s;oun?</L>
<L>By that he had made this lamentation,</L>
<L>Through aduenture the little Mou&s;e come by,</L>
<L>And of the Lion heard the wofull cry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And &s;uddenly it came in till hir minde,</L>
<L>That it &s;hould be the Lion by his clo&s;e,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd now were I fal&s;e, and right vnkind,</L>
<L>But I quite of his goodne&s;&s;e &s;ome part, I &s;uppo&s;e</L>
<L>Thou did to me, and on hir wayes &s;he goes,</L>
<L>To hir fellowes, and on them fa&s;t can crie,</L>
<PB REF="38">
<L> Come help, come help, and they came by and by.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Lo (quoth the mou&s;e) this is the &s;ame Lion,</L>
<L>That grace graunted me when I was tane anon,</L>
<L>And now is fa&s;t here bounden in pry&s;on,</L>
<L>Breaking his hart with great mourning and mone,</L>
<L>Without we him help, of &s;uccour wotes he none,</L>
<L>Come helpe to quite one good turne for another,</L>
<L>And lo&s;e him quickly: they an&s;wered yea good brother.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They tooke no knife, their teeth were &s;harpe inough:</L>
<L>To &s;ee that &s;ight, for&s;oth it was great wounder,</L>
<L>How that they ran among the ropes tough,</L>
<L>Before, behinde, &s;ome aboue, &s;ome vnder,</L>
<L>And &s;hore the ropes of the net in &s;under,</L>
<L>Then had him ri&s;e, and he &s;tart vp anon,</L>
<L>And thanked them, &s;o on his way is gone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now is the Lion free from all daunger,</L>
<L>Loo&s;e and deliuered to his libertie,</L>
<L>By little bea&s;ts, and of &s;imple power,</L>
<L>As ye haue heard, bicau&s;e he had pittie,</L>
<L>(Quoth I ma&s;ter) is there a Moralitie,</L>
<L>Of this fable? yea Sonne (he &s;ayd) right good,</L>
<L>I pray you &s;ir then, (quoth I) conclude.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>AS I &s;uppo&s;e this mighty gay Lion,</L>
<L>May &s;ignifie a Prince or Emperour,</L>
<PB REF="38">
<L> Any pote&s;tate, or any King with crowne,</L>
<L>Whiche &s;hould be captayne, guyde and gouernour,</L>
<L>Of his people that takes no labour,</L>
<L>To rule, and &s;tere, the land, and iu&s;tice keepe,</L>
<L>Without lying &s;till in lu&s;tes, flouth, and &s;leepe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The fayre forre&s;t with leaues fre&s;he to &s;ee,</L>
<L>With foules &s;inging, and floures fayre and &s;weete,</L>
<L>Is but the worlde and his pro&s;peritie,</L>
<L>As fal&s;e plea&s;aunce mingled, and care replete,</L>
<L>Right as the Ro&s;e, with fro&s;t and winter wete,</L>
<L>Fades, &s;o doth the world and them de&s;aue,</L>
<L>Whiche in their lu&s;tes mo&s;t confidences haue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e little my&s;e are but the commontie,</L>
<L>Wanton, vnwi&s;e, without correction,</L>
<L>Their Lordes, and Princes, when that they &s;ee,</L>
<L>Of Iu&s;tice make no execution,</L>
<L>They dread nothing to make rebellion,</L>
<L>And di&s;obey: for why, they &s;tande in no awe,</L>
<L>That makes them, their &s;oueraigne not to knaw.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>By this Fable ye Lordes of prudence,</L>
<L>May con&s;ider the vertue of pietie,</L>
<L>And to remit &s;ometime a great offence,</L>
<L>And mitigate with mercy, crueltie,</L>
<L>Ofttimes is &s;eene a man of &s;mall degree,</L>
<L>Hath quitte a King eyther with good or ill,</L>
<L>As the Lord hath done, rigour or grace him till.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Who knoweth not, how &s;oone, a Lord of gret renown</L>
<PB N="62" REF="39">
<L> Rowling in worldly lu&s;t and vayne plea&s;aunce,</L>
<L>May be ouerthrowen, de&s;troyde, and put downe,</L>
<L>Through fal&s;e fortune? which of all variaunce,</L>
<L>Is hole mi&s;tre&s;&s;e and leader of the daunce,</L>
<L>To vniu&s;t men, and blindes them &s;o &s;ore,</L>
<L>That they no perill can prouide before.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e rurall men that hanged hath the net,</L>
<L>In which the Lion &s;uddenly was throwne:</L>
<L>Wayted alway amendes for to get,</L>
<L>(For hurt men, wrytes in the marble &s;tone)</L>
<L>More to expound, as now I let alone,</L>
<L>Both King &amp; Lorde may well know what I meene,</L>
<L>The figure hereof, ofttimes hath bene &s;eene.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When this was &s;ayd (quoth E&s;ope) my fayre childe,</L>
<L>I thee be&s;eeke, and all men for to pray,</L>
<L>That trea&s;on of this countrey be exilde,</L>
<L>And Iu&s;tice raigne, and Lordes keepe their &s;ay,</L>
<L>Vnto their &s;oueraigne Prince both night and day:</L>
<L>And with that woorde he vani&s;ht, and I wooke,</L>
<L>So through the wood my iourney when I tooke.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>The notable tale of the preaching of the Swallow.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THe hie prudence, and working maruelous,</L>
<L>The profound witte of God omnipotent,</L>
<PB REF="39">
<L> Is &s;o per&s;ite, and &s;o ingenious,</L>
<L>Excellent farre, aboue mans iudgement,</L>
<L>For why to him all things are ay pre&s;ent,</L>
<L>Right as it is or any tyme &s;halbe,</L>
<L>Before the &s;ight of his Diuinitie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore our &s;oules with &s;en&s;ualitie.</L>
<L>So &s;ettred are in this pry&s;on corporall,</L>
<L>We may not clearly vnder&s;tand nor &s;ee,</L>
<L>God, as he is, nor things Cale&s;tiall,</L>
<L>Our darke and deadly corps naturall,</L>
<L>Blindeth the &s;pirituall operation,</L>
<L>Like as a man were bounde in pry&s;on.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In metaphi&s;lcke <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> doth &s;ay,</L>
<L>That mans &s;oule is like a backes eye,</L>
<L>Whiche lurketh &s;till as long as light of day,</L>
<L>And in the twylight commeth forth to flie,</L>
<L>Hir eyes are weake, the &s;unne &s;he may not &s;ee,</L>
<L>So is our &s;oule with fanta&s;ie oppre&s;t,</L>
<L>To know the things in nature manife&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For God is in his power infinite,</L>
<L>And mans &s;oule is feeble and ouer &s;mall,</L>
<L>Of vnder&s;tanding weake and vnperfect,</L>
<L>To comprehend him that contaynes all:</L>
<L>None &s;hould pre&s;ume by rea&s;on naturall,</L>
<L>To &s;earch the &s;ecretes of the Trinitie,</L>
<L>But beleeue firmely, and let vayne rea&s;ons be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet neuerthele&s;&s;e we may haue knowledging,</L>
<PB REF="40">
<L> Of God almighty, by his creatures,</L>
<L>That he is good, fayre, wi&s;e and benigne,</L>
<L>Example take by the&s;e iolly &s;toures,</L>
<L>Right &s;weete of &s;mell, and plea&s;aunt of collours,</L>
<L>Some greene, &s;ome blew, &s;ome purple, white, &amp; redde,</L>
<L>Thus di&s;tributed by gifte of his godhed.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The firmament paynted with Starres cleare,</L>
<L>From ea&s;t to we&s;t rolling in cirkle round,</L>
<L>And euery planet in his proper Spheire,</L>
<L>In morning making harmony and &s;ound,</L>
<L>The fire, the ayer, the water, and the ground,</L>
<L>To vnder&s;tand is inough iwis,</L>
<L>That God in all his workes witty is.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Looke well on the fi&s;h that in the &s;eas be,</L>
<L>Looke well in the earth all kinde of bea&s;tiall,</L>
<L>The foules fayre &s;o forcely they flee,</L>
<L>Parting the ayre with winges great and &s;mall,</L>
<L>Then looke to man, that he made la&s;t of all,</L>
<L>Like to his Image, and his &s;imilitude,</L>
<L>By this we know that God is faire and gude.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>All Creatures he made for the behoue,</L>
<L>Of man and to his &s;upportation,</L>
<L>In this earth, both vnder and aboue,</L>
<L>In number, weight, and due proportion,</L>
<L>The difference of time and eche &s;ea&s;on,</L>
<L>Concordant to our oportunitie,</L>
<L>As dayly by experience wee may &s;ee,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="40">
<L>The Sommer with his iolly mantell of greene,</L>
<L>With floures fayre to furre it, him hath &s;ent,</L>
<L>Whiche <HI>Flora</HI> Godde&s;&s;e of the floures Queene,</L>
<L>Hath to that Lord as for his &s;ea&s;on lent,</L>
<L>And <HI>Phebus</HI> with his golden beames gent,</L>
<L>Hath purfelled and painted plea&s;antly,</L>
<L>With heate, and moy&s;ture, &s;tilling fro the &s;ky.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then Harue&s;t hote, when <HI>Ceres</HI> that Godde&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Hir Barnes ble&s;&s;ed hath with aboundaunce,</L>
<L>And <HI>Bacchus</HI> God of wines renued hes,</L>
<L>The tonne pipes, in <HI>Italy</HI> and <HI>Fraunce,</HI></L>
<L>With wines wight, and lycours of plea&s;aunce,</L>
<L>And <HI>Copia temporis</HI> to fyll his horne,</L>
<L>That neuer was full of wheat, nor other corne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then comes winter wanne, when au&s;terne <HI>Eolus,</HI></L>
<L>God of the winde with bla&s;tes boreall,</L>
<L>The greene garment of Summer glorious,</L>
<L>Hath all to rent, and reuen in peeces &s;mall,</L>
<L>Then floures fayre faded with fra&s;tes, mu&s;t fall,</L>
<L>And birdes iocond changing their notes &s;weete,</L>
<L>Still mourning, neare &s;layne with &s;now &amp; &s;leate.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The dales deepe with &s;now drowned is,</L>
<L>Both hill and holt beled with fro&s;tes hoore,</L>
<L>And Larkes bene left bare of any blis,</L>
<L>By wicked windes of the winter woore,</L>
<L>All wilde bea&s;ts then from the fields frore,</L>
<L>Drawes for dread vnto their dennes deepe,</L>
<PB N="68" REF="41">
<L> Couching for colde in hooles them to keepe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>After comes <HI>Ver,</HI> when winter is away,</L>
<L>The Secretary of Sommer with his cell,</L>
<L>When Columbine vp peares through the clay,</L>
<L>Whiche fled was before with fro&s;tes fell,</L>
<L>The Mauis, and the Metle, begins to meil,</L>
<L>The Larkes on loft, with other byrdes theyr &s;owne,</L>
<L>They &s;pred abrode ouer dale and downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>That &s;ame &s;ea&s;on in a fayre morning,</L>
<L>Right glad that bitter bla&s;les neare ago,</L>
<L>Vnto the wood to &s;ee the flowers &s;pring,</L>
<L>And heare the Mauis &s;ing and byrdes mo,</L>
<L>I pa&s;&s;ed forth, and looking to and fro,</L>
<L>To &s;ee the &s;oyle, that was right &s;e&s;onable,</L>
<L>Sappie, and to receyue all &s;eedes able.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus pa&s;&s;ing on great myrth I tooke in minde,</L>
<L>Of laborers to &s;ee the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Some making dikes, and &s;ome the plough can winde,</L>
<L>Some &s;owing &s;eedes fa&s;t fro place to place,</L>
<L>The Harrowes hopping in the furrowes trace,</L>
<L>It was great ioy for him that loues corne,</L>
<L>To &s;ee them labour both at euen and morne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And as I went along a banke thereby,</L>
<L>In hart greatly reioy&s;ing of that &s;ight,</L>
<L>Vnto an hedge, vnder a Hawthorne hie,</L>
<L>Of &s;mall birdes there came a great flight,</L>
<L>And downe quickly on the leaues light,</L>
<PB N="69" REF="41">
<L> On euery &s;ide about me where I &s;toode,</L>
<L>Right maruellous and a great multitude.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Among the whiche a Swallow loude can cry,</L>
<L>On that Hawthorne hie in the toppe &s;itting,</L>
<L>O ye birdes all heare me by and by,</L>
<L>Ye &s;hall well know, and ye will ponder one thing,</L>
<L>Where daunger is or perill appearing,</L>
<L>It is great wi&s;edome to prouide before,</L>
<L>It to auoyde for feare it hurt you more.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir &s;wallow (quoth the Larke againe) and lough,</L>
<L>What haue ye &s;eene, that cau&s;eth you to dread?</L>
<L>See ye yonder churle, quoth &s;he, beyonde you plough,</L>
<L>Fa&s;t &s;owing hempe, and good Line &s;eede:</L>
<L>Yonder lint will grow in little time in deede,</L>
<L>And thereof will this churle his nettes make,</L>
<L>Vnder the whiche he thinkes vs to take.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore my coun&s;ell is when that he is gone,</L>
<L>At euen, and with our nayles &s;harpe and &s;mall,</L>
<L>Out of the earth &s;crape that &s;eede anone,</L>
<L>And eate it vp, for if it growes we &s;hall,</L>
<L>Haue cau&s;e to weepe hereafter one and all,</L>
<L>See we remedy it with In&s;tante,</L>
<L><HI>Nam leuius laedit quicquid preuidimus ante.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For Clerkes &s;ayes, it is not &s;ufficient,</L>
<L>To con&s;ider that is before thine eye,</L>
<L>But prudence is an inward argument,</L>
<L>That makes a man, prouide and fore &s;ee,</L>
<PB N="68" REF="42">
<L> What good, what euill, is lyke for to be,</L>
<L>Of euery thing behold the finall ende,</L>
<L>And &s;o from perill, the better him defend.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Larke laughing thus the Swallow to &s;corne,</L>
<L>Sayd &s;he fi&s;ht long before the net,</L>
<L>The childe is &s;oone broke that is vnborne,</L>
<L>All groweth not that in the ground is &s;et,</L>
<L>The necke to &s;toupe when it the &s;troke &s;hall get,</L>
<L>Is &s;oone inough: death on thee fa&s;t fall,</L>
<L>Thus mocked they the Swallow one and all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>De&s;pi&s;ing thus hir hol&s;ome document,</L>
<L>The fowles forthwith tooke their flight anon,</L>
<L>Some with their make into the field went:</L>
<L>And &s;ome againe are to the greene wood gon,</L>
<L>Thus vnder the tree they left me alone,</L>
<L>I tooke my clubbe, and homeward colde it cary,</L>
<L>As fearefully as I had &s;eene &s;ome Fayry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus pa&s;&s;ing forth while Iune that iolly tide,</L>
<L>And &s;eedes that were &s;owen ear&s;t beforne,</L>
<L>Were growen hie, that Hares might them hide,</L>
<L>And al&s;o the Quayles craking in the corne,</L>
<L>I moued forth betwixt midday and morne,</L>
<L>Vnto the hedge vnder the Hauthorne greene,</L>
<L>Where I before, the fore&s;ayd birdes had &s;eene.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And as I &s;toode by aduenture and ca&s;e,</L>
<L>The &s;ame birdes as I haue &s;ayd you ere,</L>
<L>I hope, bicau&s;e it was their haunting place,</L>
<PB N="69" REF="42">
<L> More of &s;uccour, or yet more &s;olitaire,</L>
<L>They light adowne: and when they lighted were,</L>
<L>The Swallow againe put forth a piteous pime,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd, woe is him cannot beware in time.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O blinde byrdes and full of negligence,</L>
<L>Vnmindefull of your owne pro&s;peritie,</L>
<L>Lift vp your &s;ight and take good aduertence,</L>
<L>Looke to that lint that growes on yond le,</L>
<L>That &s;ame is the thing for&s;oth, that we,</L>
<L>As I &s;ayd ear&s;t, &s;hould roote out and kill,</L>
<L>Now is it lint: we can do it none ill.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Go yet while it is tender and &s;mall,</L>
<L>And pull it vp, let it no more increa&s;e,</L>
<L>My hart grones, my body quakes with all,</L>
<L>Thinking on it I may not &s;leepe in peace,</L>
<L>They cried all, and bad the Swallow cea&s;e,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd yonder lint hereafter will do good,</L>
<L>For lyne &s;eedes to little birdes are foode.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>We thinke when that yonder lint &s;eede is ripe,</L>
<L>To make vs fea&s;ts and fill vs with the &s;eed,</L>
<L>Mauger the churle, and on it &s;ing and peepe,</L>
<L>Well (quoth the Swallow) friends hardly beet,</L>
<L>Do as ye will, but certayne &s;ore I dread,</L>
<L>Hereafter ye &s;hall finde all &s;owre, and not &s;weete,</L>
<L>When ye are &s;pitted on the churles &s;pitte.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The owner of yond lint a fowler is,</L>
<L>Right crafty, and full of &s;ubtilty,</L>
<PB N="72" REF="43">
<L> His pray full &s;eldome time will he mis,</L>
<L>But if we birdes all, the warer be,</L>
<L>Full many of our kinne he hath cau&s;de to die,</L>
<L>And thought it but a &s;port to &s;pill theyr blood,</L>
<L>God keepe me fro him, and the holy roode.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e &s;mall birdes hauing but litle thought,</L>
<L>Of perill that might fall by aduenture,</L>
<L>The counceil of the Swallow &s;et at nought,</L>
<L>But tooke their flight and forth togither fure,</L>
<L>Some to the wood, &s;ome marched to the moure,</L>
<L>I tooke my &s;taffe, when this was &s;ayd and done,</L>
<L>And walked home for it drew neare to none.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Lint riped, the Carle puld the lyne,</L>
<L>Rippilt the bowels, and in boundles it &s;et,</L>
<L>It &s;teeped in water and dryed it fine,</L>
<L>And with a betell knocked it, and bet,</L>
<L>So &s;wingled it well and hekled it in the flet,</L>
<L>His wife it &s;pan, and twinde it into threede,</L>
<L>Of which the fowler nettes made in deede.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Winter come, the wicked winde can blow,</L>
<L>The woodes greene were faded with the weate,</L>
<L>All things decayde with fro&s;tes and with &s;now,</L>
<L>Puddles and lakes made &s;liddery with &s;leate,</L>
<L>The fowles fayre for fault they fall on feate,</L>
<L>On bowes bare it was no boote to byde,</L>
<L>But hied them to hou&s;es them to hyde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Some in the barne, &s;ome in the &s;take of corne,</L>
<PB N="69" REF="43">
<L> Theyr lodging tooke and made theri re&s;idence,</L>
<L>The fowler &s;aw, and great othes hath &s;worne,</L>
<L>They &s;hould be tane truly for theyr expence,</L>
<L>His nettes then he &s;et with great diligence,</L>
<L>And in the &s;now he &s;howled hath a playne,</L>
<L>And heled it all ouer with chaf agayne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e &s;mall byrdes &s;eyng this chaf were glad,</L>
<L>Thinkyng it had bene corne, they lited downe,</L>
<L>But of the nettes no inkling they had,</L>
<L>Nor of the fowlers fal&s;e intention,</L>
<L>To &s;crape &amp; &s;eeke their meate they made them bowne,</L>
<L>The Swallow on a little branch neare by,</L>
<L>Dreading &s;ome guyle, thus lowd to them can cry.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Into that chaf &s;crape whiles your nayles bleede,</L>
<L>There is no corne ye labour all in vayne,</L>
<L>Trowe ye yond churle for pitty will you feede,</L>
<L>Na, na, he hath it here layde for a trayne,</L>
<L>Remoue I reade you, or els ye wil be &s;layne,</L>
<L>His nettes he hath &s;et full priuily,</L>
<L>Reddy to draw: in tyme beware, or ye die.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Great folies in him that puts in daunger,</L>
<L>His life, his honour, for a thing of nought,</L>
<L>Great follies in him, that will not gladly heare,</L>
<L>Coun&s;ell in time, while it auayle him mought.</L>
<L>Great folies in him, that hath nothing in thought,</L>
<L>But things pre&s;ent: and after what may fall,</L>
<L>Nor of the ende hath no memoriall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="72" REF="44">
<L>The&s;e &s;mall birdes for hunger fami&s;ht neare,</L>
<L>Full bu&s;ily &s;craping for to &s;eeke their foode,</L>
<L>The coun&s;ell of the Swallow would not heare,</L>
<L>Suppo&s;e their labour did them litle good.</L>
<L>When &s;he their fooli&s;h hartes vnder&s;tood</L>
<L>So indurate, vp in a tree &s;he flewe,</L>
<L>With that this churle ouer them his nettes drew,</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Alas it was great pitty for to &s;ee,</L>
<L>That bloudy Boucher to beate the birdes downe,</L>
<L>And ah to heare, when they wi&s;t well to die,</L>
<L>Their carefull crie and lamentation,</L>
<L>Some with a &s;taffe he &s;trake to earth on fowne:</L>
<L>Of &s;ome the head he &s;trake, of &s;ome he brake the crag:</L>
<L>Some halfe on liue he &s;topt into his bagge.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And when the Swallow &s;aw that they were dead,</L>
<L>Lo (quoth &s;he) the&s;e chances do ari&s;e,</L>
<L>On them that will not take councell nor head,</L>
<L>Of prudent men, or Clerkes that are wi&s;e,</L>
<L>This great perill I tolde them more than thry&s;e:</L>
<L>Now are they dead, wo is me therefore,</L>
<L>She tooke hir flight, and I &s;aw hir no more.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>LO worthy folke, E&s;ope that noble Clerke,</L>
<L>A poet worthy to be Lawreate,</L>
<L>When he had lea&s;ure, from more autentike werke,</L>
<PB REF="44">
<L> With other mo, this for&s;ayd fable wrote,</L>
<L>Whiche at this time may well be applicate,</L>
<L>To very good morall edification,</L>
<L>Hauing ay &s;entence according to rea&s;on.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This carle, and bond of gentry &s;poliate,</L>
<L>Sowing this chaf, the &s;mall byrdes to &s;la,</L>
<L>It is the fende, whiche fro the angelike &s;tate,</L>
<L>Exiled was as fal&s;e Apo&s;tata,</L>
<L>Whiche day and night werieth not to ga,</L>
<L>Sowing poy&s;on in euery wicked thought,</L>
<L>In mans &s;oule, which Chri&s;t ful deere hath bought.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And when the &s;oule, as into earth the &s;eede,</L>
<L>Giues con&s;ent vnto delectation,</L>
<L>Then wicked thoughts begins for to breede,</L>
<L>In deadly, &s;inne whiche is damnation,</L>
<L>Rea&s;on is blinded with affection,</L>
<L>And carnall lu&s;t, growes full greene and gay,</L>
<L>Through con&s;uetude haunted from day to day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Proceeding foorth by v&s;e and con&s;uetude,</L>
<L>Then &s;inne ripes, and &s;hame is &s;et a&s;ide,</L>
<L>The feende makes his nettes &s;harp and rude,</L>
<L>And vnder plea&s;aunce priuily them hide,</L>
<L>Then on the field he &s;oweth chaf full wide,</L>
<L>Whiche is but dro&s;&s;e and very vanitie,</L>
<L>Of fle&s;hly lu&s;t and vayne pro&s;peritie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e little hirdes, wretches we may call,</L>
<L>Still &s;craping in this worldes vayne plea&s;aunce,</L>
<PB REF="45">
<L> Greedy to gaher goodes temporall,</L>
<L>Which as the chaffe or dro&s;&s;e without &s;ub&s;taunce,</L>
<L>Little of auayle, and full of variaunce,</L>
<L>Like to the du&s;t, before the bla&s;t of winde,</L>
<L>Which whi&s;ks away and maketh wretches blinde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This Swallow whiche &s;caped is the &s;nare,</L>
<L>The holy preacher well may &s;ignifie,</L>
<L>Exhorting folke to walke and ay beware,</L>
<L>From the nettes of our wicked enimie,</L>
<L>Who &s;leepeth not but euer is ready,</L>
<L>When wretches in this world chaffe do &s;crape,</L>
<L>To draw his net, then they may not e&s;cape.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Alas what care, what weeping is and woe,</L>
<L>When &s;oule and body departed are in twayne?</L>
<L>The body to the wormes kitchin doth goe,</L>
<L>The &s;oule to fire to euerla&s;ting payne,</L>
<L>What helpes then this chaffe, the&s;e goodes vayne,</L>
<L>When thou art put to Lucifers hyre,</L>
<L>And brought to Hell, and hangd in the fyre?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The&s;e hid nettes for to perceyue and &s;ee,</L>
<L>And this &s;ory chaffe, is wi&s;e vnder&s;tanding:</L>
<L>Be&s;t is beware in mo&s;t pro&s;peritie,</L>
<L>For in this world there is nothing la&s;ting,</L>
<L>There is noman certayne how long &s;halbe his being,</L>
<L>How long his life &s;hall la&s;t, nor how &s;halbe his end:</L>
<L>Nor after his death whether he &s;hall wend.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Pray we therefore whyle we are in this life,</L>
<PB REF="45">
<L> For foure things: the fir&s;t, fro &s;inne remoue,</L>
<L>The &s;econd is, fro all warre and &s;trife,</L>
<L>The third is, perfect charitie and loue,</L>
<L>The fourth thing is and mo&s;t for our behoue,</L>
<L>That is in bli&s;&s;e with Angels to be fellow,</L>
<L>And thus endeth the preachyng of the Swallow.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The mery tale of the wolf, that wold&s;haue had, the Neckhering through the wyles of the Foxe, thnt beguiled the Carrier.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>WHylom there wound in a wildernes,</L>
<L>(As mine Author expre&s;ly can declare)</L>
<L>A rauenyng Wolf, that liued vpon purches,</L>
<L>On all bea&s;ts and made him well to fare,</L>
<L>Was none &s;o bigge, about him he would &s;pare,</L>
<L>And he weare hongry, other for fauour or fayth,</L>
<L>But in his wrath, he weried them to death.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So happened him in rouing as he went,</L>
<L>To meete a Foxe in mids of the way,</L>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> him fir&s;t &s;awe and feard to be &s;hent,</L>
<L>And with a beke, he bad the Wolf good day,</L>
<L>Welcome to me (quoth he) thou ru&s;&s;et gray,</L>
<L>So bowed he downe, and tooke him by the hand,</L>
<PB REF="46">
<L> Ri&s;e vp <HI>Laurence</HI> I giue thee leaue to &s;tand.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Where ha&s;t thou bene this long out of my &s;ight?</L>
<L>Thou &s;halt beare office, and my &s;teward be,</L>
<L>For thou can knap downe Capons in the night,</L>
<L>And lurking lowe thou can make hennes die,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Foxe) that agrees not for me,</L>
<L>And I am redde, if they &s;ee me afarre,</L>
<L>At my figure, bea&s;t and birdes will &s;karre.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay (quoth the Wolf) thou can in couert creepe,</L>
<L>Vpon thy belly, and catch them by the head,</L>
<L>And make a &s;udden &s;howe vpon a &s;heepe,</L>
<L>So with thy weapons weary him to dead,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Foxe) ye know my robe is read,</L>
<L>And therefore there will no bea&s;t abide me,</L>
<L>Though I would be &s;o fal&s;e as for to hide me.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yes (quoth y^e Wolf) through hedge &amp; through bu&s;h,</L>
<L>Low can thou bowe to come to thine intent,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Foxe) ye wote well how I pu&s;he,</L>
<L>And long fro them they will feele my &s;ent,</L>
<L>Then will they e&s;cape, &s;uppo&s;e I &s;hould be &s;hent,</L>
<L>And I am a&s;hamde to come behind them,</L>
<L>Into the field though I &s;hould &s;leeping find them.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay, quoth the Wolf, thou can come on the winde,</L>
<L>For euery wrinke for&s;ooth thou ha&s;t a wyle,</L>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Fox, that bea&s;t ye might call blinde,</L>
<L>That might not &s;cape then fro me a mile,</L>
<L>How might I one of them that wayes beguyle?</L>
<PB N="77" REF="46">
<L> My tipped two eares, and my two grey eyne,</L>
<L>Makes me be knowen, where I was neuer &s;eene.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then, &s;ayd the Wolf, <HI>Laurence</HI> I heare thee lie,</L>
<L>And ca&s;tes for perrlis thy doings to defend,</L>
<L>But all thy &s;ayings &s;hall not auayle thee,</L>
<L>About the bu&s;h with wayes though thou wend,</L>
<L>Wyly wil beguile him&s;elf at the latter end,</L>
<L>To bowe at bidding, and bide not while thou bre&s;t,</L>
<L>Therefore I giue thee councell for the be&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Fox, it is now Lent ye &s;ee,</L>
<L>I cannot fi&s;he for weting of my feet,</L>
<L>To take a ban&s;takle, though we both &s;hould die,</L>
<L>I haue no other craft to winne my meate,</L>
<L>But were it Ea&s;ter that men &s;hould pultry eat,</L>
<L>As Kies, Lambe, or Capons then to ply,</L>
<L>To beare your office I would full gladly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The~, &s;ayd the Wolf, in wrath ween&s;t thou w^t wyles,</L>
<L>And with thy many mockes me to mate,</L>
<L>It is an old dogge doubtle&s;&s;e that thou beguiles:</L>
<L>Thou thinkes to draw the &s;traw before the cat.</L>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Foxe God wote I meane not that,</L>
<L>For and I did, it weare well donne that yee,</L>
<L>In a hempen halter had tied me to a tree.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But now I &s;ee he is a foole parfay,</L>
<L>That with his ma&s;ter falles in re&s;oning,</L>
<L>I did but feele what that ye would &s;ay,</L>
<L>God wote my minde was on another thing,</L>
<PB N="80" REF="47">
<L> I &s;hall fulfill in all things your bidding,</L>
<L>What euer ye chardge me other night or dayes,</L>
<L>Well (quoth the Wolf) I heare thee what thou &s;ayes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But yet I will, thou make to me an othe,</L>
<L>For to be true at all times and tyde,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Foxe) let no worde make ye wroth,</L>
<L>For now I &s;ee that you haue me in dread,</L>
<L>Yet &s;hall I &s;weare &s;uppo&s;e it be nought neade:</L>
<L>By <HI>Iupiter,</HI> and on payne of my head,</L>
<L>I &s;hall be true to you, whyle I be dead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that a Carrier with pannier and creyles,</L>
<L>Came &s;inging forward: and <HI>Laurence</HI> could him &s;pie?</L>
<L>The Foxe the &s;mell of the fre&s;h herring feeles,</L>
<L>And to the Wolf he roundes priuely</L>
<L>Sir yonder are herring the carrier carries by,</L>
<L>Therefore my coun&s;ell is to &s;ee for &s;ome wayes,</L>
<L>To get &s;ome fi&s;he again&s;t the&s;e fa&s;ting dayes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Since I am &s;teward, I would we had &s;ome &s;tuffe,</L>
<L>And ye are &s;iluer &s;icke, I know right weel,</L>
<L>Though we would begge, yond very churli&s;t chuffe,</L>
<L>He will not giue vs a herryng of his creell,</L>
<L>Before the churle on knees though we would kneele,</L>
<L>But yet I trow full quickly ye &s;hall &s;ee,</L>
<L>If I can craft to bleare the carles eye.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir, one thing is, and we get of you pelf,</L>
<L>Ye mu&s;t take trauayle and diligent be,</L>
<L>For he that will not labour, and help him&s;elf,</L>
<PB N="77" REF="47">
<L> In the&s;e dayes he is not worth a flee,</L>
<L>For I thinke to worke as bu&s;ie as a bee,</L>
<L>And ye &s;hall follow a little afterwart,</L>
<L>And gather vp herring, and that &s;halbe your part.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that he ca&s;t a compa&s;&s;e farre about,</L>
<L>And layde him downe in mids of the way,</L>
<L>As he weare dead he feynd without doubte,</L>
<L>And then all a long vnlikely he lay,</L>
<L>The white he turned vp of his eyne tway,</L>
<L>His tong out hange a handbreath of his head,</L>
<L>And &s;till he lay, as &s;tife as he were dead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Carrier found the Foxe and he was fayne,</L>
<L>And to him &s;elfe thus &s;oftly can he &s;ay,</L>
<L>At the next bayte in faith ye &s;hal be flayne</L>
<L>And of your &s;kinne, I &s;hall make mittens tway,</L>
<L>He lept full lighty aboute him where he lay,</L>
<L>And all the trace he tript on his toes,</L>
<L>As he had hard a piper play he goes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Heare lieth the Deuill, quoth he, as big as a hogge,</L>
<L>Such a fellon &s;aw I not this &s;euen yeare,</L>
<L>I trow ye haue bene tyred with &s;ome dogge,</L>
<L>That makes you lie &s;o &s;till withouten &s;teare,</L>
<L>Sir Foxe in faith you are well welcome heare,</L>
<L>It is &s;ome wines ble&s;&s;ing as farre as I know,</L>
<L>For poultry picking that light on you I trowe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>There &s;hall no pedler for pur&s;e ne yet for gloues,</L>
<L>Nor yet for points picke your pelft from me.</L>
<PB REF="48">
<L> I &s;hall of it make coufes to my loues,</L>
<L>To keepe my handes warme where ere I be,</L>
<L>To Flaunders &s;hall it neuer &s;ayle the &s;ea,</L>
<L>With that in hy he tooke him by the heels,</L>
<L>And with one &s;wage he flange him on his creels.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So by the head the hor&s;e in ha&s;t he tooke,</L>
<L>The Foxe that &s;aw, as crafty theefe alone,</L>
<L>And with his teeth the &s;topple out he &s;hooke,</L>
<L>And &s;o the herryng threw out one by one,</L>
<L>Out of the creels he threw them downe anon,</L>
<L>The Wolf was ware, and tooke vp &s;peedily,</L>
<L>The Carrier &s;ang, hunt is vp, vp vpon hie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet at a brooke the Carrier lokt aboute,</L>
<L>With that the Foxe lept quyte the creels fra,</L>
<L>The Carrier would haue raught the Fox a rout,</L>
<L>But all for nought, he wan his &s;purs that day,</L>
<L>Then with a &s;houte thus can the Carrier &s;ay,</L>
<L>Abide, and of neckherring &s;halt haue be&s;t,</L>
<L>Is worth my hor&s;e, the creels, and all the re&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now, quoth the Foxe, I &s;hrew me and we meet,</L>
<L>I hard what thou hight to do with my &s;kinne,</L>
<L>Thy hands &s;hall neuer in thy coufes heet,</L>
<L>And thou weare hanged carle and all thy kinne,</L>
<L>Do forth thy market by me thou &s;halt not winne,</L>
<L>And &s;ell thy herring thou ha&s;t there, for hie pryce,</L>
<L>Els thou &s;halt winne nought on thy marchandice.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Carrier trembled for anger as he &s;tood,</L>
<PB REF="48">
<L> I am well worthy (quoth he) to lo&s;e yond tike,</L>
<L>That had nought in my hand to do &s;o much good,</L>
<L>As &s;taffe or &s;ticke, this fellon for to &s;trike:</L>
<L>With that he lightly lept out ouer the dike,</L>
<L>And cut downe a &s;taffe, for he was angry,</L>
<L>That heauy was, and of the greene holly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that the Foxe vnto the Wolf could go,</L>
<L>And fond him by the herrings where he lies,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd he then) haue I not playde the &s;hrow:</L>
<L>A wight man wanted neuer and he were wife,</L>
<L>A hardy hart his hande for to &s;uppri&s;e,</L>
<L>(Than &s;ayd the Wolf) thou art a barne full bold,</L>
<L>And wi&s;e at will, in good time be it tolde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But what was that the Carle cried on hie,</L>
<L>And &s;hooke his hand, quoth he, did&s;t thou not here?</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Fox) that can I tell truly,</L>
<L>He &s;ayd his neck herrings were in there,</L>
<L>Knowes thou that herryng: ye &s;ir with good chere,</L>
<L>And at the creele mouth I had thryce without doubt,</L>
<L>The weyght whereof neare pluckt my tu&s;kes out.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now &s;othly &s;ir, might we that herring haue,</L>
<L>It would be fi&s;h to vs the&s;e forty dayes:</L>
<L>(Then &s;ayd the Wolf) now &s;o God me &s;aue,</L>
<L>But to be there I would giue all my clayes,</L>
<L>To &s;ee if that my weapons might it rayes,</L>
<L>Sir (&s;ayd the Foxe) God wote I wi&s;ht you ofte,</L>
<L>When that my &s;trength might not beare it alofte.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB N="82" REF="49">
<L>It is a &s;ide of Salmon as it were,</L>
<L>And coloured much like the Partrich eye,</L>
<L>It is worth all the herrings ye haue there,</L>
<L>Yee and wee had it &s;ir, is it worth &s;uch three,</L>
<L>Then, &s;ayd the Wolf, what coun&s;ell giues thou me?</L>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Foxe, worke after my reede,</L>
<L>And ye &s;hall haue it, and take ye no dreede.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fir&s;t ye mu&s;t ca&s;t a compa&s;&s;e farre about,</L>
<L>So lay you downe in middes of the way,</L>
<L>Both head, feete, and tayle, ye mu&s;t &s;tretch out,</L>
<L>Hang forth your tong, and cloze your eyne tway,</L>
<L>And &s;ee your head, on a harde place ye lay,</L>
<L>And doubte ye no perill, that may appeere,</L>
<L>But hold you clo&s;e, when that the Carle comes neere.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And though ye &s;ee a &s;taffe haue ye no doubte,</L>
<L>But holde you wounders &s;till, in that &s;teede,</L>
<L>And looke your tyne be clo&s;e as they were out,</L>
<L>And &s;ee that ye &s;hrinke neyther foote, nor head,</L>
<L>Then will the hoor&s;on Carle trow ye be dead,</L>
<L>And &s;o in ha&s;t, will take you by the heeles,</L>
<L>As he did me, and &s;winge you in his creeles.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now, quoth the Wolfe, I &s;weare thee by my thrift,</L>
<L>I feare the Carrier carle he will me beare:</L>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Foxe, on lofte he will you lift,</L>
<L>Vpon his creeles, and do him little deare:</L>
<L>But one thing &s;othly I dare to you &s;weare,</L>
<L>Get ye that herring in &s;ome place &s;icker,</L>
<PB REF="49">
<L> Ye &s;hall not neede go a fi&s;hing more while Ea&s;ter.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I &s;hall &s;ay <HI>in principio</HI> ouer you,</L>
<L>And cro&s;&s;e your corps fro top to the fa,</L>
<L>Wend when you will I dare warrant you,</L>
<L>That ye &s;hall die no &s;udden death this day.</L>
<L>With that the Wolfe girt him vp, and away,</L>
<L>And ca&s;t a compa&s;&s;e before the Carrier farre,</L>
<L>So layd him downe in the way, or he came na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He layd the &s;ide of his head both hard and &s;adde,</L>
<L>So &s;tretcht his forefeete fro him and his head,</L>
<L>And hang his tong forth as the Foxe him bad,</L>
<L>Al&s;o &s;till he lay as he had bene dead,</L>
<L>Caring nothing of the Carles fauour nor fewd:</L>
<L>But euer vpon the neckherring he thinkes,</L>
<L>And quite forgets the Foxe and all his wrinkes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that the Carrier wauering as the winde,</L>
<L>Came riding on the lode for it was light,</L>
<L>Thinking on the Foxe that was behinde,</L>
<L>Vpon what wi&s;e, reuenged on him he might,</L>
<L>And at the la&s;t on the Wolfe he hath the &s;ight,</L>
<L>Where be in length lay &s;tretched in the gate,</L>
<L>But if he lighted downe, or not, God wate.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Softly he &s;ayd, I was beguyled once,</L>
<L>Be I beguyld twice. I be &s;hrewe vs bathe,</L>
<L>That euill now &s;hall light vpon thy bones,</L>
<L>He &s;hould haue had it that hath done me the &s;kath,</L>
<L>On hie he lifted the &s;taffe for he was wrath,</L>
<PB REF="50">
<L> And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it him with &s;uch will vpon the head,</L>
<L>That we<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">neere he &s;owned to the dead.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Three battes he bore, or he his feete might finde,</L>
<L>But yet the Wolf was wight and ran away,</L>
<L>He might not &s;ee, he was &s;o very blinde,</L>
<L>Nor wit readily whether it were night or day.</L>
<L>The Foxe beheld that &s;eruice where he lay,</L>
<L>And le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ght aloft, when he the Wolf &s;o &s;ees,</L>
<L>Both deafe and &s;tonni&s;h&s;t, fall &s;owning on his knees.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He that with rea&s;on cannot be content,</L>
<L>But couetes all, is likely all to lo&s;e:</L>
<L>The Foxe when that he &s;aw the Wolf was &s;hent,</L>
<L>Sayd to him&s;elf, the&s;e herrings with me goes,</L>
<L>I lye, or els he after got blowes,</L>
<L>That found &s;uch wayes his mai&s;ter for to greeue,</L>
<L>With all the fi&s;h thus <HI>Laurence</HI> tooke his leeue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Wolf he was, welneere done to dead,</L>
<L>That vneth with his life away he ran&punc;</L>
<L>With the Ba&s;tianado, broken was his head,</L>
<L>The Foxe into his denne &s;oone drew him than,</L>
<L>That had betrayed his mai&s;ter, and the man,</L>
<L>The one wanted the herrings out of his creeles,</L>
<L>The others bloud it ranne downe by his heeles.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THis tale is mingled with Moralitee,</L>
<L>As I &s;hall &s;hew &s;omewhat or that I cea&s;e,</L>
<PB N="85" REF="50">
<L> The Foxe, vnto the world may li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ned <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ee&punc;</L>
<L>The rauening Wolfe vnto man, but lea&s;e</L>
<L>The Carrier death, whom all men do oppre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>That euer tooke life, through cour&s;e of kinde mu&s;t die,</L>
<L>As man and bea&s;t, and fowles aloft that flie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The world ye wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e, is &s;teward to the man,</L>
<L>Whiche maketh him haue no minde of dead,</L>
<L>But &s;ettes for winnyng all the craftes be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">an&punc;</L>
<L>The herring, I liken vnto the gold &s;o r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ad,</L>
<L>Whiche made the Wolfe in perill put his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ead,</L>
<L>Right &s;o the golde, maketh <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">andes and cit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ies</L>
<L>With warre be wa&s;ted, dayly as men &s;ees.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>And as the Foxe, di&s;&s;embling with guyle,</L>
<L>Made the Wolf weene to haue wor&s;hip for euer:</L>
<L>Right &s;o this worlde with <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ayneglory for a while,</L>
<L>Flattereth with folke as they &s;hould die neuer&punc;</L>
<L>Yet &s;uddenly men &s;eeth it oft di&s;&s;euer</L>
<L>With them, that thinkes to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll at length the &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ke,</L>
<L>Death comes behind; and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ps them by the neeke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The getting of golde makes many &s;o blinde,</L>
<L>That &s;ettes on auari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> theyr fe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">citce,</L>
<L>That they forget the Carrier comes behinde,</L>
<L>To &s;trike them off, what <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;o ere they bee:</L>
<L>What is more darke than blinde pro&s;periter?</L>
<L>Wherefore, I councell <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">che men to haue minde,</L>
<L>Of the Neckherring, interprete in this kinde.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<PB REF="51">
<HEAD>The excellent tale of the wyly Laurence Foxe, that beguylde the couetous crafty Wol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e, with the &s;hadow of the Moone.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>IN elder dayes as E&s;ope can de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lare,</L>
<L>There was a hu&s;band man which had a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">low to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">eare,</L>
<L>His v&s;e was a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> in morning to ri&s;e rare,</L>
<L>So it happened him, in &s;tirring tyme of year<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>Early in the morning to follow forth his fear<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>Vnto the p&s;ough only his gadman and he,</L>
<L>His Oxen he ble&s;&s;ed, with <HI>Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">dicite.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The driuer cryed hop, ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> on height,</L>
<L>Well drawen my dow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">es &s;o &s;pake them fayre,</L>
<L>The Oxen were lu&s;ty yong and light,</L>
<L>And for fearcene&s;&s;e they layde the forrow for fayre:</L>
<L>The hu&s;bande then wore angry as a hare,</L>
<L>So cried and ca&s;t his pattell and great &s;tones,</L>
<L>The Wolfe, quoth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e mought haue y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> all at ones.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But yet the Wolfe was neerer than he wen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>For in a bu&s;h he lay, and&punc; <HI>Laurence</HI> bathe,</L>
<L>Among rough &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ub was at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">urrowes end,</L>
<L>And heard the height, then <HI>Laurence</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aught full rath,</L>
<L>To take yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d offer, quoth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e it were no &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ath:</L>
<L>Well, quoth the Wolfe, I hold thee her<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> my hand,</L>
<L>The Carles woorde, as he were king &s;hall &s;tand.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Oxen waxte more rul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> at the la&s;t,</L>
<PB REF="51">
<L> So after they low&s;ed when it was &s;omewhat late,</L>
<L>The hu&s;band homeward with his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">attell p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t:</L>
<L>Then &s;oone the Wolfe came hopping in his gate,</L>
<L>Before the Oxen, and &s;hope to make debate:</L>
<L>The hu&s;band &s;aw him and was &s;omewhat aga&s;t,</L>
<L>And backwarde with his bea&s;ts, would haue pa&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Wolfe &s;ayd whether dryues thou this pray?</L>
<L>I chaleng<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> it&punc; for none of them are thine,</L>
<L>The ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> ther<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">at was in a fellon fray,</L>
<L>And &s;oberly to the Wolfe, an&s;wered &s;ine:</L>
<L>Sir by my &s;oule the&s;e Oxen are all mine,</L>
<L>Therefore I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nu&s;e, now why y<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould &s;top me,</L>
<L>Con&s;idering I neuer, offended&punc; you truly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Wolfe &s;ayd Carle, did&s;t thou not giue this drift,</L>
<L>Early, when thou was earing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n you banke?</L>
<L>And is ther<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> any thing mor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> fr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er than gift?</L>
<L>This <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">arrying, will lo&s;e thee a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> thy thank<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>Far better <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">is freely for to giue a planke,</L>
<L>Nor be compelled by force, to giue a mart,</L>
<L>Fye on that gift, that comes not with good hart.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir, quoth the hu&s;band, a man may &s;ay in greefe,</L>
<L>A woorde and call againe, if he adui&s;e and &s;ee,</L>
<L>I promi&s;e to &s;te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">le, am I therefore a theefe?</L>
<L>God forbid &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, all heights &s;hould holden bee,</L>
<L>Gaue I my hand or obligation, quoth he,</L>
<L>Or haue ye witne&s;&s;e, or wryting here to &s;haw,</L>
<L>Sir trouble me not, but go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and &s;eeke the law.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="52">
<L>Carle, quoth the Wolf, a Lord and he be leill,</L>
<L>That &s;hrinkes for &s;hame, or doubtes to be reproued,</L>
<L>His woorde is as fure as his feill:</L>
<L>Fye on that man that is not true and loued,</L>
<L>Thy argument is fal&s;e, and eke contraried:</L>
<L>For it is &s;ayd in Prouerbe, ye may &s;ee,</L>
<L>All other vertues is nought worth a flee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir &s;ayd the hu&s;band, remember this thing,</L>
<L>A true man is not taken at half a woorde here,</L>
<L>I may &s;ay, and vn&s;ay, I am not a king:</L>
<L>Where is your witne&s;&s;e, I promi&s;d you this geare?</L>
<L>Than &s;ayde the Wolfe, therefore he &s;hall come neare,</L>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> (quoth he) come out of that &s;hawe,</L>
<L>And &s;ay nothing but as thou heard and &s;awe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> came louring, for he loude neuer light,</L>
<L>And &s;oone appeared before them in that place,</L>
<L>The man laughed not, when he &s;aw that &s;ight:</L>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> (quoth the Wolf) thou mu&s;t declare the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ace,</L>
<L>Whereof we &s;hall &s;hew the truth in &s;hort &s;pace,</L>
<L>I haue called thee true witne&s;&s;e to beare,</L>
<L>What heard thou, this man promi&s;&s;e me here.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir &s;ayd the Tod, I cannot ha&s;tily,</L>
<L>So &s;oone as now giue &s;entence finall,</L>
<L>But would you both &s;ubmit you here to me,</L>
<L>To &s;tande to my decree perpetuall,</L>
<L>To plea&s;e both I &s;hould preue, if it may fall:</L>
<L>Well (quoth the Wolf) I am content for me,</L>
<PB REF="52">
<L> The man &s;ayd, &s;o am I, how euer it be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then &s;hew they forth and alledge without Fable,</L>
<L>And both propones theyr plea to him compleet,</L>
<L>(Quoth <HI>Laurence)</HI> now I am a iudge amiable,</L>
<L>Ye &s;halbe &s;worne to &s;tand at my decreet,</L>
<L>Whether hereafter ye thinke it &s;ower or &s;weete:</L>
<L>The Wolf put foorth his foote, the man his hande:</L>
<L>And on the Tods tayle &s;worne they are to &s;tande.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then tooke the Tod the man a little be&s;ide,</L>
<L>And &s;ayd to him, friend, thou art in trouble brought:</L>
<L>The Wolf will not forgiue thee one oxe hide,</L>
<L>Yet would my &s;elfe fayne help thee and I mought,</L>
<L>But I am loth to hurt my con&s;cience in ought,</L>
<L>Lo&s;e not thy quarell in thine owne defence,</L>
<L>This will not through withouten great expence.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>See&s;t thou not brybes beares all the &s;way now?</L>
<L>And giftes makes crooked matters hold euen?</L>
<L>Sometimes an henne, &s;aues a man a fow,</L>
<L>All are not holy that heaues their handes to heauen:</L>
<L>Sir &s;ayde the man, ye &s;hall haue &s;ixe or &s;euen</L>
<L>Right of the fatte&s;t hennes of all the flocke,</L>
<L>I compt not all the re&s;t, leaue me the Cocke.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I am a iudge, quoth <HI>Laurence,</HI> then and lough,</L>
<L>There is no brybes &s;hall barre me fro the right,</L>
<L>I may take Hennes and Capons well inough,</L>
<L>For God is gone to &s;leepe as for this night,</L>
<L>Such &s;mall things are not &s;eene in his &s;ight,</L>
<PB REF="53">
<L> The&s;e hennes, quoth he, &s;hall make thy matter &s;ure,</L>
<L>With empty hand no man &s;hould hawkes lure.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Agreed thus, then <HI>Laurence</HI> tooke his leeue,</L>
<L>As to the Wolfe he went into a linge,</L>
<L>So pryuely he pluckt him by the &s;leue,</L>
<L>Is this in earne&s;t, quoth he, ye a&s;ke &s;uch thing,</L>
<L>Nay by my &s;oule I trow it be in ie&s;ting,</L>
<L>Then &s;ayde the Wolf, <HI>Laurence</HI> why fay&s;t thou &s;o?</L>
<L>Thou heard&s;t his promi&s;&s;e thy &s;elfe not long ago.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The height (quoth he) the man made at the plough,</L>
<L>Is that the cau&s;e why ye the cattell craue:</L>
<L>Was halfe in ie&s;t (&s;ayd <HI>Laurence</HI> then) and lough,</L>
<L>Sir by the toode me thinkes that now ye raue,</L>
<L>The Deuill at all one tayle that ye &s;hall haue,</L>
<L>Thinke you Ile take vpon my con&s;cience,</L>
<L>To do &s;o poore a man as he offence?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet haue I commoned with the Carle, quoth he,</L>
<L>We are accorded vpon this couenant,</L>
<L>Quite of all claymes &s;o ye will make him fire,</L>
<L>Ye &s;hall a Cabbock haue into your hand,</L>
<L>That &s;uch a one &s;hall not be in all this land.</L>
<L>For it is a Sommer chee&s;e both fre&s;h and good,</L>
<L>He &s;ayth it weyes a &s;tone downe by the rood.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Is that thy coun&s;ell, quoth the Wolfe, I do,</L>
<L>That yonde Carle for a chee&s;e &s;hould be hei?</L>
<L>Yea by my &s;oule and I were &s;worne you to,</L>
<L>Ye &s;hould no other coun&s;ell haue for me,</L>
<PB N="91" REF="53">
<L> For goe ye to the mo&s;t extremitee,</L>
<L>It will not winne you worth a withered nepe,</L>
<L>Sir trow ye not I haue a &s;oule to keepe?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Well, quoth the Wolf, it is again&s;t my will,</L>
<L>That yond cattel for one chee&s;e &s;hould goe quite,</L>
<L>Sir (quoth the Tod) take it not in ill,</L>
<L>For by my &s;oule your &s;elfe had all the witte:</L>
<L>Then, &s;ayd the Wolfe, I byde no more to &s;titte,</L>
<L>But I would &s;ee the Cabboke of &s;uch pryze,</L>
<L>For, &s;ayd the Tod, he tolde me where it lies.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then hand in hand, they walked to an hill,</L>
<L>The hu&s;band towardes his hou&s;e hath ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e the way,</L>
<L>For he was glad be &s;eaped from their ill,</L>
<L>And on his feete did walke while once did the day:</L>
<L>Now will we turne vnto the other t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ay,</L>
<L>Through woodes wa&s;t the&s;e freekes forth can fore,</L>
<L>Fro bu&s;he to bu&s;he, till neere midnight and more.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> was euer remembring vpon wrinkes,</L>
<L>And &s;uttilties, the Wolfe for to beguile,</L>
<L>That he had promi&s;t a cheefe, be forethinkes.</L>
<L>Yet at the la&s;t he findeth forth one wyle,</L>
<L>That to him&s;elfe &s;oftly could he &s;myle:</L>
<L>The Wolfe &s;ayes, <HI>Laurence</HI> thou playes belly blinde,</L>
<L>We &s;eeke all night, but nothing can we finde.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd the Tod, we are at it almo&s;t,</L>
<L>Softe you a little, and ye &s;hall &s;ee it &s;oone,</L>
<L>Then to a mannour place they hied in ha&s;t,</L>
<PB N="92" REF="54">
<L> The night was light and fayre <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">hone the moone:</L>
<L>Then to a draw well the&s;e Senyors both are come,</L>
<L>Where that two b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ckets hang <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">uerall, it was &s;o,</L>
<L>As one came vp, an other downe would go.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ow of the Mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e in the well,</L>
<L>Sir, &s;ayd <HI>Laurence,</HI> once ye &s;hall finde me <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eill,</L>
<L>Now &s;ee yt not the ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;e that I you tell,</L>
<L>White as any milke and round as any <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ele,</L>
<L>He hangd it yonder that no man &s;hould it &s;teele,</L>
<L>Sir tru&s;t me well, the cabboke ye &s;ee hing,</L>
<L>Might be a pre&s;ent to a Lorde or King.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay, quoth the Wolf, might I this cabbok haue,</L>
<L>On the dry land as I it yonder &s;ee,</L>
<L>I would qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">te clayme the Carle of all I eraue:</L>
<L>His durty Ox<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> I c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">re not for a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</L>
<L>You were more me<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">te for &s;uch a man as mee:</L>
<L><HI>Laurence,</HI> quoth he, leape in the bucket &s;oone,</L>
<L>And I &s;hall holde the one, while thou go downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><HI>Laurence</HI> girde downe both &s;oone and &s;uttilly,</L>
<L>The other bode abou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> and helde the flayle,</L>
<L>It is &s;o much, quoth <HI>Laurence,</HI> it mai&s;ters me,</L>
<L>On all my toes it hath not left one nayle:</L>
<L>Ye mu&s;t needes helpe vpwarde, and it hayle,</L>
<L>Leape in the other bucket man ha&s;tily,</L>
<L>And come &s;oone downe and helpe me by and by.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then lightly in the bucket leapt the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">owne,</L>
<L>His weight &s;tray<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> made the other <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nd ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">,</L>
<PB N="93" REF="54">
<L> The Tod came merily vp, the Wolf yeed downe,</L>
<L>Then angerly the Wolf vpon him cryes,</L>
<L>I co~ming thus downeward, why thou vpward hyes?</L>
<L>Sir, quoth the Fox, thus fares it oft in towne,</L>
<L>As one comes vp, &s;o goeth another downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then to the ground &s;oone went the Wolf in ha&s;t,</L>
<L>The Tod lept on land as blyeth as any bell,</L>
<L>And left the Wolf in water to the wa&s;t,</L>
<L>Who halde him out I wote not of the well:</L>
<L>Here endes the text I haue no more to tell,</L>
<L>Yet may men finde &s;ome good Moralitee,</L>
<L>In this &s;entence, though it a Fable bee.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THe Wolf I liken to a wicked man,</L>
<L>Whiche doth the poore oppre&s;&s;e in ery place:</L>
<L>And pykes at them all quarels that he can,</L>
<L>By rigour, rape, and other wickedne&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>The Foxe the feend, I call into this ca&s;e,</L>
<L>Egging all men to runne vnrightuous raynes,</L>
<L>Thinking thereby to locke him in his chaynes.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The hu&s;band may be cald a godly man,</L>
<L>With whom the fiend fault finds (as Clerkes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eedes)</L>
<L>Bu&s;ie to tempt him with all wayes that he can:</L>
<L>The hennes are workes, that fro firme faith proceeds,</L>
<L>Where &s;uch &s;prouts &s;preds, y^e euil &s;prit there not &s;peeds</L>
<PB N="4" REF="55">
<L> But wends vnto the wicked man againe,</L>
<L>That he hath lo&s;t his trauell is full fayne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The woodes wa&s;te, wherein was the Wolfe wilde,</L>
<L>Are wicked ritches, which all men gapes to get,</L>
<L>Who tru&s;tes in &s;uch tru&s;tery, are oft beguylde,</L>
<L>For Mammon may be called the Deuils net,</L>
<L>Whiche Sathanas, for all &s;infull folke hath &s;et:</L>
<L>Such proude plea&s;ure who &s;ets his tru&s;t therein,</L>
<L>Without &s;peciall grace lightly can out wine.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The chee&s;e may be called couetice,</L>
<L>Whiche blometh broade in many mens eye,</L>
<L>Woe worth the well of that wicked vice,</L>
<L>For it is all but fraude and fanta&s;ie,</L>
<L>Driuing all men to leape into that buttery,</L>
<L>That downeward drawes vnto the payne of hell,</L>
<L>Chri&s;t keepe all Chri&s;tians from that wicked well.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The mery tale of the wolfe and the Weather.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>WHylom there was, as E&s;ope can report,</L>
<L>A Shepherd dwelling by a forre&s;t neare,</L>
<L>Whiche had a Dogge that did him great comfort,</L>
<L>Full ware he was to keepe his fold fro feare,</L>
<L>That neither Wolf nor wildecat dur&s;t appeare,</L>
<PB N="95" REF="55">
<L> Nor Foxe on fielde, nor yet no other bea&s;t,</L>
<L>But he them &s;lewe, or cha&s;ed at the lea&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So happe~ned it (as euery bea&s;t mu&s;t &s;leepe)</L>
<L>This Dogge of &s;udden &s;ickne&s;&s;e to be dead,</L>
<L>But then God wote the keeper of the &s;heepe,</L>
<L>For very wo woxe wanner than the wead:</L>
<L>Alas, quoth he, now &s;ee I no remead,</L>
<L>To &s;aue the&s;e &s;elly bea&s;ts that I now keepe,</L>
<L>For why the Wolfe will weary all my &s;heepe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>It would haue made a mans heart &s;ore to &s;ee,</L>
<L>The &s;elly &s;hepherd make &s;uch lamentation,</L>
<L>Now is my dearling dead alas, quoth he,</L>
<L>For now to begge my bread I may be bowne,</L>
<L>With pike &s;taffe and with &s;krip fro towne to towne,</L>
<L>For all the bea&s;tes before that bandoned weare,</L>
<L>Will now returne againe, and all my &s;hepe to teare.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that a Weather &s;toutly &s;tood on foote,</L>
<L>Ma&s;ter, quoth he, make mery and be light,</L>
<L>To breake your hart for bale, it is no boote,</L>
<L>For one dead Dogge ye mu&s;t not take &s;uch flight,</L>
<L>Go fetch him hither and flay his &s;kinne ere night,</L>
<L>So &s;ow it on me: and looke that it be meete,</L>
<L>Both head, and necke, body, tayle, and feete.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then will the Wolfe beleeue that I am hee,</L>
<L>For I &s;hall follow him fa&s;t where ere he fare,</L>
<L>All hole the charge here I take vpon mee,</L>
<L>Your &s;heepe to keepe at midday late and rayre,</L>
<PB N="96" REF="56">
<L> And he pur&s;ue, by God, I &s;hall not &s;pare,</L>
<L>To follow him as fa&s;t as did your dogge,</L>
<L>So that I warrant, ye &s;hall not want a hogge.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Than &s;ayd the Shepherd, this comes of a good wit,</L>
<L>Thy coun&s;ell is both good, faithfull, and true,</L>
<L>Who &s;ayes a &s;hepes a wretch, they lie of it:</L>
<L>With that in ha&s;t the dogges &s;kinne of he flewe,</L>
<L>And on the &s;heepe right &s;oftly could it &s;ewe,</L>
<L>Than was the wether wanton of his weed,</L>
<L>Now of the Wolf, quoth he, I haue no dreed.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>In all things he counterfayte the dogge,</L>
<L>For all the night he &s;toode and tooke no &s;leepe,</L>
<L>So that long time there wanted not an hogge,</L>
<L>So ware he was, and watchfull them to keepe,</L>
<L>That <HI>Laurence</HI> dur&s;t not looke vpon a &s;heepe,</L>
<L>For and he did, he followed him &s;o fa&s;t,</L>
<L>That of his life he made him all aga&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Was nother Wolf, wildeeat, nor yet Tod,</L>
<L>Dur&s;t come within the boundes all aboute:</L>
<L>But he would cha&s;e them both throw rough and &s;not,</L>
<L>The&s;e baylefull bea&s;tes had of their liues &s;uch doubte,</L>
<L>For he was great and &s;eemed to be &s;toute,</L>
<L>That euery bea&s;t did dread him and eke feare,</L>
<L>Without the wood that none dur&s;t once appeare.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>It happened there an hungry Wolf to &s;lyde,</L>
<L>Out throw his &s;heepe where as they did lie,</L>
<L>I &s;hall one haue, quoth he, what euer betyde,</L>
<PB REF="56">
<L> Though I be weried, or els I will dle:</L>
<L>With that a Lambe he got by and by,</L>
<L>The re&s;t &s;tart vp, for they were all aga&s;t,</L>
<L>But (God wote) if the Weather folowed fa&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Went neuer hound more ha&s;tily from the hand,</L>
<L>When he was runnyng mo&s;t ra&s;hly forthe roe,</L>
<L>Nor went this weather ouer mo&s;&s;e and &s;trand,</L>
<L>And &s;topped neither at banke, bu&s;ke, nor bro,</L>
<L>But followed &s;till, ay fiercely on his foe,</L>
<L>With &s;uche a drift, while du&s;t &amp; dirte ouerdraue him,</L>
<L>And made a vowe to God that he would haue him.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With that the Wolfe let out his tayle at length,</L>
<L>For he was hungry, and it drewe neare euen,</L>
<L>And &s;hope him for to runne with all his &s;trength,</L>
<L>When he the weather &s;o neare comming had &s;eene,</L>
<L>He dread his life, and he had taken bene,</L>
<L>Therefore he &s;pared neither bu&s;ke nor bogge,</L>
<L>For well he knew the kindne&s;&s;e of the Dogge.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>To make him light he ca&s;t the Lambe him fro,</L>
<L>So lept ore leys &amp; ran through durt and myre,</L>
<L>Nay (quoth the Weather) in fayth we part not &s;o,</L>
<L>It is not the Lambe, but thee that I de&s;ire,</L>
<L>I &s;hall come neere for now I &s;ee thee tyre,</L>
<L>The Wolfe ranne &s;till and dur&s;t not looke behind him,</L>
<L>But ay the neerer the weather he could winde him.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Soone after that he followed him &s;o neare,</L>
<L>While that the Wolfe for feare befiled the field,</L>
<PB REF="57">
<L> And left the way, and ran through bu&s;he and bryar,</L>
<L>And thought within the woodes him for to &s;hield,</L>
<L>He ran &s;till re&s;tles, or els he mu&s;t needes yeeld,</L>
<L>The weather followed him out and in,</L>
<L>While that a bryar bu&s;h, tare rudely off the &s;kin.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Wolfe was ware and blinked him behind,</L>
<L>And &s;aw the weather come flinging through y^e bryer;</L>
<L>So &s;aw the dogge &s;kin hanging on the lynd,</L>
<L>Nay (quoth he i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> this ye that is &s;o neere?</L>
<L>Right now a hound, and now white as a fryer,</L>
<L>I fled ore farre, and I had knowen the ca&s;e,</L>
<L>To God I vow that ye &s;hall rewe this race.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>What was the cau&s;e ye gaue me &s;uch a catch?</L>
<L>With that in ha&s;t he tooke him by the horne,</L>
<L>For all your wyles, you met once with your match,</L>
<L>Suppo&s;e ye laught <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e all this yeare to &s;corne,</L>
<L>For what trea&s;on haue ye this dogges&punc;&s;kin borne?</L>
<L>Ma&s;ter quoth he, but euen to play with you,</L>
<L>I you require that ye none other trow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Is this your ie&s;ting in earne&s;t then, quoth he,</L>
<L>For I am very fearefull and al&s;o flote,</L>
<L>Come backe againe and I &s;hall let you &s;ee.</L>
<L>Then where the way was berayed he him brote,</L>
<L>Whether call ye this fayre play or not?</L>
<L>To &s;et your mai&s;ter in &s;o fell afray,</L>
<L>The which for feare thus filed hath the way.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thry&s;e by my &s;oule ye made me looke behinde,</L>
<PB REF="57">
<L> And vpon my hotches my &s;inewes may be &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ne,</L>
<L>For feardne&s;&s;e full ofte I field the winde,</L>
<L>Now is this ye: nay but a Dogge I weene,</L>
<L>My thinkes your teeth ore &s;hort to be &s;o keene,</L>
<L>Ble&s;&s;ed be the bu&s;he, that reft you your array,</L>
<L>Cls flying bur&s;ten had I bene this day.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Sir (quoth the weather) &s;uppo&s;e I ran in hy,</L>
<L>My minde was neuer to do your per&s;on ill,</L>
<L>The flear gettes the folower commonly,</L>
<L>In play or earne&s;t, proue who &s;o euer will,</L>
<L>Since I but played, be gratious me vntill,</L>
<L>And I &s;hall make my friendes to ble&s;&s;e your bones,</L>
<L>For &s;ure good &s;eruaunt will helpe his ma&s;ter once.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I haue oft times bene &s;et in great affray,</L>
<L>But by the roode &s;o rayde yet was I neuer,</L>
<L>As thou ha&s;t made me with thy prety play,</L>
<L>I &s;hote behinde when thou ore tooke me euer,</L>
<L>But <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ertaynly now &s;hall we not di&s;&s;euer,</L>
<L>Then by the neckebone &s;urely he him tooke,</L>
<L>Or euer he cea&s;t, and it in &s;under &s;hooke.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>ESope that Poet fir&s;t father of this Fable,</L>
<L>Wrate this parable whiche is conuenient,</L>
<L>Bicau&s;e the &s;entence was frutefull and agreeable,</L>
<L>In moralitie examplatiue prudent,</L>
<PB N="100" REF="58">
<L> Who&s;e problemes bene very excellent,</L>
<L>Through &s;imilitudes of figures to this day,</L>
<L>Giues doctrine to the readers of it for ay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Here may thou &s;ee that ritches of array,</L>
<L>Will cau&s;e poore men pre&s;umptuous for to bee,</L>
<L>Then thinke to holde of none be they as gay,</L>
<L>But counterfayte a Lorde in euery degree,</L>
<L>Out of knowledge in pryde they clime &s;o hie,</L>
<L>That they will forbeare their better in no &s;tead,</L>
<L>Till &s;ome man turne, their heeles ouer their head.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Right &s;o in &s;eruice other &s;ome exceedes,</L>
<L>And they haue wages, wealth and cheri&s;hing,</L>
<L>That they will be lightly Lordes in deedes,</L>
<L>And looke not to their bloud and of&s;pryng,</L>
<L>But yet none knowes how long that rule will ring,</L>
<L>But he was wi&s;e that bad his &s;onne con&s;ider,</L>
<L>Beware in wealth, for the hall bench is right &s;lyder.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore I coun&s;ell men of euery &s;tate,</L>
<L>To know them &s;elfe, and whom they &s;hould forbeare,</L>
<L>And fall not with their better in debate,</L>
<L>Suppo&s;e they be as gallant in their geare:</L>
<L>It commeth not a &s;eruaunt to bolde warre,</L>
<L>Nor clime &s;o hie, while he fall of the lather,</L>
<L>But thinke vpon the Wolfe and on the Weather.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<PB REF="58">
<HEAD>The wofull tale of the cruell <HI>Wolfe and the innocent Lambe.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>ACruell Wolfe right rauenous, and fell,</L>
<L>Vpon a time pa&s;t to a riuer,</L>
<L>De&s;cending from a rotch, vnto a well,</L>
<L>To &s;lake his thir&s;te dranke of the water cleare,</L>
<L>So vpon chaunce, a &s;elly Lambe came neare,</L>
<L>But of his foe, the Wolfe nothing he wi&s;t,</L>
<L>And in the &s;treame leaped to coole his thri&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>They dranke both but not of one intent,</L>
<L>The Wolues thought was all on wickednes,</L>
<L>The &s;illy Lambe was meeke and innocent,</L>
<L>Vpon the ryuer in an other place,</L>
<L>Beneath the Wolfe, he dranke a little &s;pace,</L>
<L>Whyle he thought good, thinking of none ill,</L>
<L>The Wolfe him &s;awe, and rampant came him till.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With grinning teeth, and fearefull angry looke,</L>
<L>Sayde to the Lambe, thou caytife wretched thing,</L>
<L>How dur&s;t thou be &s;o bolde to file the brooke,</L>
<L>Where I &s;hould drinke, with thy foule &s;lauering?</L>
<L>It were almes deede thee for to drawe and hing.</L>
<L>That &s;hould pre&s;ume, with thy foule lips &s;o vile,</L>
<L>To marre my drinke, and this fayre water file.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;elly Lambe quaking for very dread,</L>
<L>On knees fell, and &s;ayd &s;ir with your leaue,</L>
<PB N="102" REF="59">
<L> Suppo&s;e I dare not &s;ay, thereof ye lyed:</L>
<L>But by my &s;oule, I wote ye can nought preue,</L>
<L>That I did aught in any, that &s;hould you greue,</L>
<L>Ye wote al&s;o that your accu&s;ation,</L>
<L>Beares no truth, and is again&s;t all rea&s;on.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Though I cannot, nature will me defend,</L>
<L>And of the deede perfite experience,</L>
<L>All heauy things mu&s;t of them&s;elues de&s;cend,</L>
<L>But if &s;ome things by force make re&s;i&s;tance,</L>
<L>Then may the &s;treame in no way make a&s;cence,</L>
<L>Nor runne backwarde: I dranke beneath you farre,</L>
<L><HI>Ergo,</HI> the water therefore I did not marre.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Al&s;o my lippes, &s;ince that I was a Lam,</L>
<L>Touched no thing that was contagious,</L>
<L>But &s;ucked milke from pappes of my dam,</L>
<L>Right naturall, &s;weete, and al&s;o delicious,</L>
<L>Well, quoth the Wolfe, thy language rigorous,</L>
<L>Comes thee of kinde: &s;o thy father to,</L>
<L>Helde me at bay, till he no more could do.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He angred me, and then I could him warne,</L>
<L>Within one yeare and if I broke my head,</L>
<L>I would be venged on him or on his barne,</L>
<L>For his &s;pitefull and frowarde plead,</L>
<L>Thou &s;halt doubtle&s;&s;e, for his deedes be dead.</L>
<L>Sir it is wrong that for the fathers gilt,</L>
<L>The fautle&s;&s;e &s;onne &s;hould puni&s;ht be or &s;pilt.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Haue yt not heard what holy Scripture &s;ayes,</L>
<PB REF="59">
<L> Spoken by the mouth of God almight?</L>
<L>Of his owne deedes eche man &s;hall beare the pray&s;e,</L>
<L>As paynes for &s;inne, rewardes for workes right,</L>
<L>For my tre&s;pa&s;&s;e why &s;hould my &s;onne haue plight?</L>
<L>Who did the mi&s;&s;e let him &s;u&s;teyne the payne,</L>
<L>A, A, (quoth the Wolfe) yet an&s;were&s;t thou againe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I let thee wit, when that the father offends,</L>
<L>I will refu&s;e none of his &s;ucce&s;&s;ion,</L>
<L>And of his &s;onnes, I well may take amends,</L>
<L>Vnto the twenty degree de&s;cending downe,</L>
<L>Thy father thought to make a &s;trong poy&s;on,</L>
<L>And with his mouth, in my water did it &s;pue,</L>
<L>Sir, quoth the Lam, the&s;e two are nothing true.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The law &s;ayth, and ye will vnder&s;tand:</L>
<L>There &s;hould no man for wrong or violence,</L>
<L>His aduer&s;ary puni&s;h at his owne hand,</L>
<L>Without proce&s;&s;e of law, and euidence,</L>
<L>Whiche &s;hould haue leaue to make lawfull defence,</L>
<L>And therevpon &s;ummoned peremptorily,</L>
<L>For to propone contrary, or reply.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Set me a lawfull court, I &s;hall appeare,</L>
<L>Before the Lion Lorde and true Iu&s;tice,</L>
<L>And by my hand, I binde my faith right here,</L>
<L>That I &s;hall byde an vn&s;u&s;pect a&s;&s;i&s;e,</L>
<L>This is the law, this is the in&s;tant gui&s;e.</L>
<L>Ye &s;hould pretend therefore and &s;ummons make,</L>
<L>Again&s;t that day to giue rea&s;on and take.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="60">
<L>Nay (quoth the Wolfe) thou would&s;t intru&s;e rea&s;on,</L>
<L>Where wrong and robry &s;hould dwell in property,</L>
<L>That is a poynt and parte of fal&s;e trea&s;on,</L>
<L>For to make ruth remayne with cruelty,</L>
<L>By his woundes, fal&s;e traytour, thou &s;halt die,</L>
<L>For thy tre&s;pa&s;&s;e and for thy fathers deede,</L>
<L>With that anon he caught him by the head.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The &s;illy Lambe could do nothing but bleate,</L>
<L>Soone was he dead, the Wolfe would &s;hewe no grace,</L>
<L>So dronke his bloud, and of his fle&s;h can eate,</L>
<L>Whyle he was full and went his way apace,</L>
<L>Of this murther what &s;hall we &s;ay alace?</L>
<L>Was not this ruth, was not this great pitty?</L>
<L>To make this &s;illy Lambe, without fault thus to die.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THe poore people this Lambe may &s;ignifie,</L>
<L>As euil men, Marchants, and labourers,</L>
<L>Of whom this life is halfe a purgatory,</L>
<L>To winne their foode continually like mi&s;ers,</L>
<L>The Wolfe betokeneth fal&s;e extortioners,</L>
<L>And oppre&s;&s;ors of poore men as wee &s;ee,</L>
<L>By violence, crafte, or v&s;urie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Three kindes of Wolues in this world remaynes,</L>
<L>The fir&s;t are fal&s;e peruerters of the lawes,</L>
<L>Whiche vnder &s;uttill termes fal&s;head mayntaines,</L>
<PB REF="60">
<L> As though all were Go&s;pell that he &s;howes,</L>
<L>But without brybe the poore he ouerthrowes,</L>
<L>Smoothering the right, making wrong proceede,</L>
<L>Of &s;uch Wolues, helles fire &s;hall be their meede.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O man of lawe let be thy futtletie,</L>
<L>With nycequips, and fraudes intricate:</L>
<L>And thinke that God in his Diuinitie,</L>
<L>The wrong &amp; right of all thy workes wate,</L>
<L>For prayer, pryce, for hye, nor lowe e&s;tate,</L>
<L>Of fal&s;e quarrels &s;ee thou make no defence,</L>
<L>Holde with the right, hurt not thy con&s;cience.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>An other kinde of Wolues ranenous,</L>
<L>Are mighty men, hauing full great plenty,</L>
<L>Whiche are &s;o greedy and &s;o couetous,</L>
<L>They will not let the poore in peace be,</L>
<L>Suppo&s;e he and his hou&s;hold both &s;hould dye</L>
<L>For fault of foode, no care will they make,</L>
<L>But ouer his head his hou&s;e will they take.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O man without mercy what is in thy thought,</L>
<L>Were thou a Wolfe, and could vnder&s;tande,</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;t inough, the poore hu&s;band right nought,</L>
<L>But little croppe of corne vpon a clot of lande,</L>
<L>(For Gods aw) how dur&s;t thou take in hande,</L>
<L>And thou thy Barnes full, and yet doe&s;t egge,</L>
<L>To put him fro his liuing, and make them to begge.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The thirde Wolfe are men of heritage,</L>
<L>As Lordes that haue landes by Gods leaue,</L>
<PB N="106" REF="61">
<L> And lets out to poore men a village,</L>
<L>And for the time incomes doth receaue,</L>
<L>Ece halfe &s;pent the time, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">exeth him and berene,</L>
<L>With picked quarrels, for to make him fayne,</L>
<L>To flitte, or pay his income new agayne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His hor&s;e, his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">are, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e mu&s;t lend to the Lord,</L>
<L>To drudge and drawe, in court or in carriage,</L>
<L>His &s;eruaunt, or him &s;elfe may not be &s;pard,</L>
<L>To &s;wing, or &s;weat, withouten meate or wage,</L>
<L>Thus how he &s;tandes in labour and bondage,</L>
<L>That &s;cantly can he purcha&s;e bere or wine,</L>
<L>Cour&s;e browne bread, or drinke that is thin.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Ha&s;t thou no pitty to make thy te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aunts &s;weate,</L>
<L>In thy labour with faynt and hungry wome,</L>
<L>And &s;ee&s;t, hath little good to drinke and eate,</L>
<L>With his meyny, at euen when he co~mes home,</L>
<L>Thou &s;hould&s;t feare for rightuous God his dome,</L>
<L>For it cryes vengeaunce to the Heauens hie,</L>
<L>To make poore men worke, without meate or f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>O thou great Lorde that ritches ha&s;t and rent:</L>
<L>Be not a Wolfe thus to deuoure the poore,</L>
<L>Thinke that nothing crue<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l or violent,</L>
<L>May in this world perpetually endure,</L>
<L>Thus &s;hould&s;t thou beleeue, and certainely a&s;&s;ure,</L>
<L>For to oppre&s;&s;e thou &s;halt haue as great payne,</L>
<L>As thou the poore, had&s;t w^t thine owne hand &s;layne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>God keepe the Lambe (whiche is the innocent,)</L>
<PB N="107" REF="61">
<L> From Wolues bit, and fell extortioners,</L>
<L>God graunt that wrangling men of fal&s;e intent,</L>
<L>Be manife&s;ted, and puni&s;hed as offenders,</L>
<L>And God as thou all rightuous prayers heares,</L>
<L>To &s;aue our Queene, and giue hir harte and hand,</L>
<L>All &s;uch Wolues, to bani&s;h out of the land.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="fable">
<HEAD>&para; <HI>The tale of the wofull ende of the Paddocke and the Mou&s;e: &s;hewing the mi&s;chiefe of de&s;emblers.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>VPon a time (as E&s;ope coulde report)</L>
<L>A little Mou&s;e came to a riuer &s;ide.</L>
<L>She might not wade, hir legges were &s;o &s;hort&punc;</L>
<L>Neyther could &s;he &s;wim, &s;he had no hor&s;e to ride,</L>
<L>Of very force behinde <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">er to bide,</L>
<L>And to, and fro, be&s;ides the riuer deepe,</L>
<L>She ran crying with many pit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ous p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">epe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Helpe ouer, help ouer, this &s;elly Mou&s;e can crie,</L>
<L>For Gods loue, &s;ome body ouer the brim,</L>
<L>With that a Paddocke in the water by,</L>
<L>Put vp hir head, and on the banke gan clim,</L>
<L>Whiche by nature could douke, and gayly &s;wim,</L>
<L>With voyce full ranke, &s;he &s;ayde on this manier,</L>
<L>Good morne &s;ir Mou&s;e what is your errand heere.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<PB REF="62">
<L>See&s;t thou (quoth &s;he) of corne yonde iolly plat,</L>
<L>Of ripe Otes, of Barley, Pea&s;e, and Wheate,</L>
<L>I am hungry, and fayne would be thereat,</L>
<L>But I am &s;topped by this water great,</L>
<L>And on this &s;ide I get nothing to eate,</L>
<L>But harde nuttes, whiche with my teeth I bore,</L>
<L>Were I beyond, my fea&s;t were much the more.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I haue no boate, here is no marriner:</L>
<L>And though there were, I haue no fraught to pay,</L>
<L>(Quoth &s;he &s;i&s;ter) let be thy heauy cheere,</L>
<L>Do my coun&s;ell, and I &s;hall finde the way,</L>
<L>Without Hor&s;e, Bridge, Boate, or els gallay,</L>
<L>To bring thee ouer &s;afely, be not affeard:</L>
<L>And not once to wet the compa&s;&s;e of thy beard.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I haue great wonder quoth the little Mous,</L>
<L>How can thou flote, without feather or finne:</L>
<L>This riuer is &s;o deepe and dangerous,</L>
<L>Me thinkes, that thou &s;huld&s;t drowned be therein,</L>
<L>Tell me therefore, what faculty or gin,</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;t, to bring thee ore this water wan?</L>
<L>That to declare, the Paddocke thus began.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>With my two feete (quoth &s;he)long and brade,</L>
<L>In &s;teede of ores I rowe the &s;treame full &s;till,</L>
<L>And though the bryme be perillous to wade,</L>
<L>Both too and fro, I rowe at mine owne will,</L>
<L>I may not drowne for why my open gill,</L>
<L>Deuoydes all the water I receaue,</L>
<PB N="109" REF="62">
<L> Therefore to drowne for&s;othe no dread I haue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Mou&s;e beheld then hir frowning face,</L>
<L>Hir wrinkled cheekes, and hir lippes &s;yde:</L>
<L>Hir hanging browes, and hir voyce &s;o harce,</L>
<L>Hir lagring legges, and hir har&s;ky hyde,</L>
<L>She ran a backe and on the Paddock cryde,</L>
<L>If I can any &s;kill of Phi&s;nomy,</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;te &s;ome part of fal&s;e villany.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For Clerkes &s;ayes, the inclination,</L>
<L>Of mans thought, proceedes commonly,</L>
<L>After the corporall complexion,</L>
<L>To good or euill as nature will apply,</L>
<L>A froward will and crabbed Phi&s;nomy,</L>
<L>The old Prouerbe, is witne&s;&s;e of this <HI>lorum,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Di&s;tortum vultum, &s;equitur di&s;tortio morum.</HI></L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nay (quoth the Frogge) that Prouerbe is not trew,</L>
<L>For fayre things ofttimes are found infakin,</L>
<L>The Blaberys though they be &s;ad of hew,</L>
<L>Are gathered vp when Prymro&s;e is for&s;aken,</L>
<L>The face may fayle, to be the hartes token,</L>
<L>Therefore I finde this written in eche place,</L>
<L>Thou &s;hould&s;t not iudge a man after his face.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Though I be irk&s;om for to looke vpon,</L>
<L>There is no cau&s;e why I &s;hould lacked be,</L>
<L>Were I as fayre as iolly Ab&s;olon,</L>
<L>I am no cau&s;er of that great bewty,</L>
<L>This difference in forme and qualitie,</L>
<PB N="110" REF="63">
<L> Almighty God hath cau&s;ed dame nature,</L>
<L>To print and &s;et in euery his creature.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Of &s;ome the face may be full flori&s;hing,</L>
<L>With &s;ilken tong, and cheere right amorous,</L>
<L>With minde incon&s;tant, fal&s;e, and varying,</L>
<L>Full of deceyte, and meanes cautelous,</L>
<L>Let be thy preaching (quoth the hungry Mou&s;e)</L>
<L>And by what meanes now make me vnder&s;tand,</L>
<L>That thou can&s;t help me vnto yonder land.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thou knowe&s;t, quoth &s;he, a body that hath neede,</L>
<L>To help them &s;elfe, &s;hould many wayes ca&s;t,</L>
<L>Therefore go get a double twined threede,</L>
<L>And binde thy legge to mine, with knottes fa&s;t,</L>
<L>I &s;hall thee learne to &s;wim, be not aga&s;t,</L>
<L>(As well as I) As thou, then quoth the Mous,</L>
<L>To proue that play, it were right perillous.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Should I be bound, and fa&s;t, that now am free,</L>
<L>In hope of helpe, nay then be&s;hrew my head,</L>
<L>For I mought lo&s;e, both life and libertie,</L>
<L>If it were &s;o who &s;hould amend the deede?</L>
<L>But if thou wilt &s;weare to helpe me with &s;peede,</L>
<L>Without fraude, or guyle, to bring me ore the flud,</L>
<L>And without hurt or harme in fayth, quoth &s;he, good.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>She goyked vp, and to the heauen can cry:</L>
<L>O Iupiter of nature God and King,</L>
<L>I make an othe truly to thee, that I</L>
<L>This littell Mou&s;e &s;hall ouer this water bring,</L>
<PB N="111" REF="63">
<L> This othe was made, the Mou&s;e without perceiuing,</L>
<L>The fal&s;e engine of this foule carping Pad,</L>
<L>Toke threede, and bound hir legge as &s;he hir bad.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then foote for foote, they lap both in the brim,</L>
<L>But in their mindes they were right different,</L>
<L>The Mou&s;e thought of nothing, but for to &s;wim,</L>
<L>The Paddock for to drowne &s;et his intent,</L>
<L>When they in midway of the &s;treame nere went,</L>
<L>With all hir force the Paddock pre&s;&s;ed downe,</L>
<L>And thought the Mou&s;e without mercy to drowne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Perceyuing this, the Mou&s;e on hir can cry,</L>
<L>Traytour to God and for&s;worne vnto me,</L>
<L>Thou tooke&s;t vpon thy faith, right now, that I</L>
<L>Without hurt or harme, &s;hould ferried be and free,</L>
<L>And when &s;he &s;awe, there was but do, or dee,</L>
<L>Withall hir might, &s;he for&s;t hir &s;elfe to &s;wim:</L>
<L>And pre&s;&s;ed vpon the Todes back for to clim.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The dread of death, hir &s;trength made increas,</L>
<L>And forced hir defende with might, and mayne,</L>
<L>The Mou&s;e vpward: the Paddock downe can pres,</L>
<L>Whyle to, while fro, whyle dowked vp againe,</L>
<L>This &s;illy Mou&s;e plunged into great payne,</L>
<L>Can fight as long as breath was in hir brea&s;t,</L>
<L>Till at the la&s;t &s;he cried for the prie&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fighting thus togither, the kight &s;ate on a twi&s;t,</L>
<L>And to this wretched battell tooke good heede,</L>
<L>And with a whi&s;ke, or any of them wi&s;t,</L>
<PB N="112" REF="64">
<L> He clenchet his talens betwixt them on the threede,</L>
<L>So to the lande he flew with them good &s;peede,</L>
<L>Glad of that catch, piping with many pew:</L>
<L>So low&s;ed them, and without pity &s;lew.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Then bowelled them that butcher with his bill,</L>
<L>And belly drawen full featly them he fleede,</L>
<L>But all their fle&s;h, would &s;cant be half a fill,</L>
<L>And guttes al&s;o vnto that greedy gleede.</L>
<L>Of their debate thus when I heard the reede,</L>
<L>He tooke his flight and ouer the fieldes flaw,</L>
<L>If this be not true, then a&s;ke of them that &s;aw.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 TYPE="moral">
<HEAD>Moralitie.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>MY brother if thou wil take aduertence,</L>
<L>By this Fable thou may perceyue and &s;ee,</L>
<L>It pa&s;&s;es farre all kinde of pe&s;tilence,</L>
<L>A wicked minde fraught with woordes fayre and &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ee,</L>
<L>Beware therefore with whome thou matche&s;t thee,</L>
<L>For thee were better go to carte and plow,</L>
<L>And all thy dayes to delue in wet and drie,</L>
<L>Than to be matched with a wicked fellow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A fal&s;e intent vnder a fayre pretence,</L>
<L>Hath cau&s;ed many an innocent to die,</L>
<L>Great folly it is to giue ouer&s;oone credence,</L>
<L>To all that &s;peakes fayrely vnto thee,</L>
<L>A &s;ilken tong, an heart of cruelty,</L>
<PB REF="64">
<L> Smites more &s;ore than any &s;hot of arrow,</L>
<L>Brother if thou be wi&s;e, I red thee flee,</L>
<L>To match thee with a fained froward fellow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I warrant thee al&s;o, it is great negligence,</L>
<L>To bind thee fa&s;t, where thou were franke &amp; free,</L>
<L>When thou art bounde, thou can make no defence,</L>
<L>To &s;aue thy life, nor yet thy libertie.</L>
<L>This &s;imple coun&s;el brother take of me,</L>
<L>And it to conne forth both early and late,</L>
<L>Better without &s;trife, to liue alone we &s;ee,</L>
<L>Than to be matched with a wicked mate.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This holde in mind, right more I &s;hall thee tel,</L>
<L>What by the&s;e bea&s;tes may be fygurate.</L>
<L>The Paddocke v&s;ing in the floud to dwel,</L>
<L>Is mans body, &s;wimming rare and late,</L>
<L>In this wretched world with cares implicate,</L>
<L>Now hy, now low, whiles plu~ged vp, whiles down,</L>
<L>Continually in peril, and ready for to drowne.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Now dolorous, now glad as byrde on breere,</L>
<L>Now in freedome, now wrapped in di&s;tre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Now hole and &s;ound, now dead &amp; brought on beer,</L>
<L>Now pore as Iob, now rolling in riches.</L>
<L>Now gownes gay, now ragges laide in pre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Now full as pea&s;e, now hungry as the hounde,</L>
<L>Now hoy&s;t on wheele, now thrown vpon y^e ground.</L>
<PB REF="65">
<L> This litle mou&s;e, here knit thus by the &s;hin,</L>
<L>The &s;oule of man betoken may indeede,</L>
<L>Bounden, and from the body may not win,</L>
<L>While cruel death come breake of life the threede,</L>
<L>The which to drown &s;hould euer &s;tand in dread</L>
<L>Of carnall lu&s;t, by the &s;ugge&s;tion,</L>
<L>Which drawes the &s;oule continually a downe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The water is the world aye weltering</L>
<L>With many waues of tribulation:</L>
<L>In which the &s;oule and bodie be &s;turring</L>
<L>Standing right different in their opinion,</L>
<L>The &s;oule vpwarde, the body preaces downe,</L>
<L>The &s;oule right faine would be brought ore ywis,</L>
<L>Out of this world, into the heauens bli&s;&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Right is death, that cometh &s;odainely,</L>
<L>As doth a theef, and endeth &s;oone the battell:</L>
<L>Be vigilant therfore, and &s;till ready,</L>
<L>For mans life is brickle and aye mortall.</L>
<L>My friend therefore make thee a &s;trong wall,</L>
<L>Of faith in Chri&s;t: for death wil the a&s;&s;ay,</L>
<L>Thou know&s;t not when, euen morrow or midday.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Adew my friend: and if that any a&s;ke</L>
<L>Of the&s;e Fables, &s;o &s;hortly I conclude,</L>
<L>Say thou I left the re&s;t, vnto the learneds ta&s;ke,</L>
<L>To make example, and &s;ome &s;imlitude.</L>
<PB REF="65">
<L> Now Chri&s;t for vs that died on the rood,</L>
<L>Of &s;oule and life, as thou art &s;auiour,</L>
<L>Graunt vs to pa&s;&s;e into a ble&s;&s;ed houre.</L>
</LG>
<P><HI>Fini&s;hed in the vale of Ayle&s;burie the thirtenth of Augu&s;t. Anno Domini.</HI> 1574.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="epilogue">
<HEAD>THE EPILOGVE.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>BEhold ye men) E&s;ope that noble clerke</L>
<L>Although of body yformed wondrous ill,</L>
<L>His fables wrote with wi&s;dome deep and darke</L>
<L>To &s;tir our mindes (to good which had no will)</L>
<L>By bea&s;tes and foules, he &s;pake to warne vs &s;till,</L>
<L>As Foxe, Woulfe, &s;heepe, dog, cocke and henne,</L>
<L>To &s;tirre our mindes to liue on earth like men.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Its writ of olde by authours that are pa&s;t,</L>
<L>That E&s;ope was crooke backt, great belly &amp; head,</L>
<L>Crooke legged, &s;play foote, &amp; like a Cowe in wa&s;t</L>
<L>Yet vertuous of his life, as it is &s;ead,</L>
<L>Who&s;e good examples liues though he be dead,</L>
<L>In eche mans mouth, and &s;hall do &s;till for aye.</L>
<L>Lo vertue brings forth fruite without decay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus as ye heare ill &s;hapen of his body,</L>
<L>Yet of his minde none perfecter then he:</L>
<L>But marke his Sawes, and ye finde him no noddy,</L>
<L>But perfect aye, as perfect loe may be,</L>
<L>Who lendes you light good vertuous wayes to &s;ee.</L>
<L>Then loue this worke, and and reade it at your will,</L>
<L>I but eclip&s;e his tales of &s;o great &s;kill.</L>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
