Than lepe they about as folke past theyr mynde With madnes amasyd rennynge in compace He moste is commendyd that can moste lewdnes fynde Or can most quyckly ren about the place There ar all maners vsyd that lacke grace Mouynge theyr bodyes in synes full of shame Whiche doth theyr hertes to synne right sore inflame
So oft this vyce doth many one abuse That whan they ar departyd from the daunce On l.u.s.t and synne contynually they muse Hauynge therin theyr wyll and theyr pleasaunce Than fall they oft to great mysgouernaunce As folys gyuyn to worke vnprofytable So in my shyp they well deserue a babyll.
THENUOY OF BARKLAY
Do way your daunces ye people moche vnwyse Desyst your folysshe pleasour of trauayle It is me thynke an vnwyse vse and gyse To take suche labour and payne without auayle And who that suspectyth his mayde or wyues tayle Let hym nat suffer them in the daunce to be For in that game thoughe sys or synke them fayle The dyse oft renneth vpon the chaunce of thre
Of nyght watchers and beters of the stretes playnge by nyght on instrumentes and vsynge lyke Folyes whan tyme is to rest.
[Ill.u.s.tration: He is a Fole that wandreth by nyght In felde or towne, in company or alone Playnge at his lemmans dore withouten lyght Tyll all his body be colde as lede or stone These folys knockynge tyll the nyght be gone At that season thoughe that they fele no colde Shall it repent and fele whan they be olde.]
Nowe wolde I of my boke haue made an ende And with my shyp drawen to some hauen or porte Stryken my sayle, and all my folys sende Vnto the londe, a whyle them selfe to sporte But this my purpose is lettyd by a sorte Of frantyke folys, wandrynge about by nyght For often all yll doers hatyth the day lyght
Whyle (man) beste and euery lyuely creature Refresshe theyr myndes and bodyes with rest And slepe: without the whiche none can endure And whyle all byrdes drawe them to theyr nest These dronken bandes of Folys than doth Jest About the stretis, with rumour noyse and cry Syngynge theyr folysshe songes of rybawdry
The furyes ferefull sp.r.o.nge of the flodes of h.e.l.l Vexith these vagabundes in theyr myndes so That by no mean can they abyde ne dwell Within theyr howsys, but out they nede must go More wyldly wandrynge than outher bucke or doo Some with theyr harpis another with his lute Another with his bagpype or a folysshe flute
Than mesure they theyr songes of melody Before the dores of theyr lemman dere Yowlynge with theyr folysshe songe and cry So that theyr lemman may theyr great foly here And tyll the yordan make them stande arere Cast on theyr hede, or tyll the stonys fle They nat depart, but couet there styll to be
But yet more ouer these Folys ar so vnwyse That in colde wynter they vse the same madnes Whan all the howsys ar lade with snowe and yse O mad men amasyd vnstabyll and wytles What pleasour take ye in this your folysshenes What ioy haue ye to wander thus by nyght Saue that yll doers alway hate the lyght
But folysshe youth doth nat alone this vse Come of lowe byrth and sympyll of degre But also statis them selfe therein abuse With some yonge folys of the spiritualte The folysshe pype without all grauyte Doth eche degre call to this frantyke game The darkenes of nyght expellyth fere of shame
One barkyth another bletyth lyke a shepe Some rore, some countre, some theyr balades fayne Another from syngynge gyueth hym to wepe Whan his souerayne lady hath of hym dysdayne Or shyttyth hym out, and to be short and playne Who that of this sort best can play the knaue Lokyth of the other the maystery to haue
The folysshe husbonde oft of this sort is one With wanton youth wandrynge by nyght also Leuynge his wyfe at home in bed alone And gyueth hyr occasyon often to mysdo So that whyle he after the owle doth go Fedynge the Couko, his wyfe hir tyme doth watche Receyuynge another whose egges she doth hatche.
Therfore ye folys that knowe you of this sort To gyue occasyon of synne vnto your wyues And all other: I you pray and exort Of this your foly to amende your lyues For longe nyght watches seldome tymes thryues But if it be in labour: good to wyn Therfore kepe your dorys: els abyde within
Thoughe I have touchyd of this enormyte In englysshe tunge: yet is it nat so vsed In this Royalme as it is beyonde the se Yet moche we vse whiche ought to be refusyd Of great nyght watchynge we may nat be excusyd But our watchynge is in drunken glotony More than in syngynge or other meledy
Whan it is nyght and eche shulde drawe to rest Many of our folys great payne and watchynge take To proue maystryes and se who may drynke best Outher at the Tauerne of wyne, or the ale stake Other all nyght watchyth for theyr lemmans sake Standynge in corners lyke as it were a spye Whether that the weder be, hote, colde, wete, or dry
Some other Folys range about by nyght Prowdely Jettynge as men myndeles or wode To seke occasyon with pacyent men to fyght Delytynge them in shedynge mennys blode Outher els in spoylynge of other mennys G.o.de Let these folys with suche lyke and semblable Drawe to this barge, here shall they here a bable
THENUOY OF BARCLAY.
Ye folys that put your bodyes vnto payne By nyghtly watchynge, voyde of auauntage Leue of your foly or els ye shall complayne And mourne it sore if ye lyue vnto age For though ye thynke that this your blynde outrage Is vnto you no hurte nor preiudyce It doth your body and goodes great dammage And great cause both to you and yours of vyce.
Of folysshe beggers and of theyr vanytees.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Syns I haue taken the charge one me Mo botis and Barges for Folys to aparayle And so agayne of newe to take the se I feryd lyst company shulde me fayle Within my folysshe shyppis to trauayle But nowe doth beggers them selfe to me present For fewe of them I fynde of good intent]
A great company of folys may we fynde Amonge beggers, whiche haue theyr hole delyte In theyr lewde craft: wherfore I set my mynde In this Barge theyr maners, brefely for to write For thoughe that nede them greuously do byte.
Yet is theyr mynde for all theyr pouerte To kepe with them of children great plente
And though that they myght otherwyse well lyue And get theyr lyuynge by labour and besynes Yet fully they theyr myndes set and gyue To lede this lyfe alway in wretchydnes The clerke, frere, or monke, whiche hath store of ryches For all his lyfe. if he it gyde wysely.
Wyll yet the beggers offyce occupy
Suche oft complayne the charge of pouerte In garmentis goynge raggyd and to rent But yet haue they of ryches great plente Whiche in G.o.de vse can neuer of them be spent Almys is ordeyned by G.o.d omnypotent And holy churche: for to be gyuyn in dede Vnto good vse, and suche as haue moste nede
Almes is ordeyned by G.o.d our creatour For men that lyue in nede and wretchydnes Therwith their paynfull lyues to socour And nat for ryche that lyues in viciousnes But yet suche caytyfs boldly in dare pres For their lewde lyfe without all maner drede This almes takynge from them that haue most nede
The abbot, the Pryour, and also theyr couent Ar so blyndyd with vnhappy couetyse That with theyr owne can they nat be content But to haue more, they alway mean deuyse Ye: in so moche that some haue founde a gyse To fayne theyr bretherne tan in captyuyte That they may begge so by auctoryte
They fayne myracles where none were euer done And all for lucre: some other range about To gather and begge with some fayned pardon And at the alehows at nyght all drynkyth out So ren these beggers in company rowt By stretis tauernes townes and vyllagys No place can well be fre of theyr outragys
Some begge for byldynges, some for relyques newe Of holy sayntis of countreys farre and strange And with theyr wordes faynyd and vntrewe For cause of Lucre, about they ren and range But in a sympyll vyllage, ferme or grange Where as these beggers moste sympyll men may fynde With theyr fals bonys as relykes they them blynde
Other beynge stronge and full of l.u.s.tynes And yonge ynoughe to labour for theyr fode Gyuyth theyr bodyes fully to slewthfulnes The beggers craft thynkynge to them moost good Some ray theyr legges and armys ouer with blood With leuys and plasters though they be hole and sounde Some halt as crypyls, theyr legge falsely vp bounde
Some other beggers falsly for the nonys Disfygure theyr children G.o.d wot vnhappely Manglynge theyr facys, and brekynge theyr bonys To stere the people to pety that pa.s.se by There stande they beggynge with tedyous shout and cry There owne bodyes tournynge to a strange fa.s.sion To moue suche as pa.s.se to pyte and compa.s.syon
Suche yonge laddys as l.u.s.ty ar of age Myghty and stronge, and wymen in lyke wyse Wanton and yonge and l.u.s.ty of cowrage Gyueth them selfe vtterly to this gyse The cause is that they labour do despyse For theyr mynde is in ydylnes to be styll Or els in vyce to wander at theyr wyll
They paciently theyr prouertye abyde Nat for deuocion of herte or of mynde But to the intent that at euery tyde Other mennys G.o.des sholde them fede and fynde.
But if they a whyle haue ron in the wynde And in theyr hande the staf some hete hath caught They neuer after shall leue the beggers craft
Amonge these beggers also is comonly Braulynge debate hatered and chydynge Great othes, mockes falshode and enuy And one with other euer more fyghtynge As for theyr dronkennes and vnsure abydynge Theyr rebaudry both in dede and communycacion These ar chefe poyntis of theyr occupation
If the begger haue his staf and his hode One bagge behynde and another before Than thynkes he hym in the myddes of his goode Thoughe that his clothes be raggyd and to tore His body nere bare he hath no thought therfore And if some man cloth them well to day To morowe it shall agayne be solde away
And if these caytyfes fortune to begge or cry For mete or money, on woman or on man If one to them that, that they aske deny And so depart: anone these beggers than Whan he is gone, doth wary curse and ban And if another gyue them ought of pyte At the next alestake dronken shall it be
But if that I sholde gather in my barge All folysshe beggers, and labour or intende To note all theyr vyces, to sore sholde be the charge And as I suppose I neuer sholde make an ende.
Wherfore I counsell them shortly to amende Or els theyr lewdnes, synne, and enormyte Shall cause men withdrawe theyr almes of charyte
THENUOY OF BARCLAY THE TRANSLATOUR.
O people vnthrifty gyuen to ydlenes Spendynge your youth this wyse in vanyte What ioy haue ye to lyue in wretchydnes Where ye myght come to better rowme and degre By worke, and labour: and so auaunsyd be Yet begge ye styll hauynge your ioy therin Amende your foly, and lerne ye this of me That G.o.ddes good sholde nat be spent in syn