The Ship of Fools Part 15

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that newe garmentes loues or deuyses.

Or weryth by his symple wyt, and vanyte Gyuyth by his foly and vnthryfty gyses Moche yl example to yonge Comontye.

Suche one is a Fole and skant shal euer thee And comonly it is sene that nowe a dayes One Fole gladly folowes anothers wayes.]

Drawe nere ye Courters and Galants disgised Ye counterfayt Caytifs, that ar nat content As G.o.d hath you made: his warke is despysed Ye thynke you more crafty than G.o.d onipotent.

Unstable is your mynde: that shewes by your garment.

A fole is knowen by his toyes and his Cote.

But by theyr clothinge nowe may we many note.

Aparayle is apayred. Al sadness is decayde The garmentes ar gone that longed to honestye.

And in newe sortes newe Foles ar arayede Despisynge the costom of good antiquyte.

Mannys fourme is disfigured with euery degre As Knyght Squyer yeman Jentilman and knaue, For al in theyr goynge vngoodely them behaue

The tyme hath ben, nat longe before our dayes Whan men with honest ray coude holde them self content.

Without these disgised: and counterfayted wayes.

Wherby theyr goodes ar wasted, loste, and spent.

Socrates with many mo in wysdom excellent.

Bycause they wolde nought change that cam of nature Let growe theyre here without cuttinge or scissure.

At that tyme was it reputed to lawde and great honour.

To haue longe here: the Beerde downe to the brest For so they vsed that were of moste valour.

Stryuynge together who myht be G.o.dlyest Saddest, moste clenely, discretest, and moste honest.

But nowe adayes together we contende and stryue.

Who may be gayest: and newest wayes contryue.

Fewe kepeth mesure, but excesse and great outrage In theyr aparayle. And so therin they procede That theyr goode is spent: theyr Londe layde to morgage.

Or solde out right: of Thryft they take no hede.

Hauinge no Peny them to socour at theyr nede.

So whan theyr goode by suche wastefulnes is loste.

They sel agayne theyr Clothes for half that they coste.

A fox furred Jentelman: of the fyrst yere or hede.

If he be made a Bailyf a Clerke or a Constable.

And can kepe a Parke or Court and rede a Dede Than is Ueluet to his state mete and agreable.

Howbeit he were more mete to here a Babyl.

For his Foles Hode his iyen so sore doth blynde That Pryde expelleth his lynage from his mynde.

Yet fynde I another sort almoste as bad as thay.

As yonge Jentylmen descended of worthy Auncetry.

Whiche go ful wantonly in dissolute aray.

Counterfayt, disgised, and moche vnmanerly Blasinge and garded: to lowe or else to hye.

And wyde without mesure: theyr stuffe to wast thus gothe But other some they suffer to dye for lacke of clothe.

Some theyr neckes charged with colers, and chaynes As golden withtthes: theyr fyngers ful of rynges: Theyr neckes naked: almoste vnto the raynes Theyr sleues blasinge lyke to a Cranys wynges Thus by this deuysinge suche counterfayted thinges They dysfourme that figure that G.o.d hymselfe hath made On pryde and abusion thus ar theyr myndes layde.

Than the Courters careles that on theyr mayster wayte Seinge hym his Uesture in suche fourme abuse a.s.sayeth suche Fa.s.sion for them to counterfayte.

And so to sue Pryde contynually they muse.

Than stele they; or Rubbe they. Forsoth they can nat chuse.

For without Londe or Labour harde is it to mentayne.

But to thynke on the Galows that is a careful payne.

But be it payne or nat: there many suche ende.

At Newgate theyr garmentis ar offred to be solde.

Theyr bodyes to the Jebet solemly ascende.

Wauynge with the wether whyle theyr necke wyl holde.

But if I shulde wryte al the ylles manyfolde.

That procedeth of this counterfayt abusion And mysshapen Fa.s.sions: I neuer shulde haue done.

For both States, comons, man, woman, and chylde Ar vtterly inclyed to this inconuenyence.

But namely therwith these Courters are defyled.

Bytwen mayster and man I fynde no dyfference.

Therfore ye Courters knowledge your offence.

Do nat your errour mentayne, support nor excuse.

For Fowles ye ar your Rayment thus to abuse.

To Shyp Galauntes come nere I say agayne.

Wyth your set Busshes Curlynge as men of Inde.

Ye counterfayted Courters come with your fleinge brayne Expressed by these variable Garmentes that ye fynde.

To tempt chast Damsels and turne them to your mynde Your breste ye discouer and necke. Thus your abusion Is the Fendes bate. And your soules confusion.

Come nere disgysed foles: receyue your Foles Hode.

And ye that in sondry colours ar arayde.

Ye garded galantes wastinge thus your goode Come nere with your Shertes brodered and displayed.

In fourme of Surplys. Forsoth it may be sayde.

That of your Sort right fewe shal thryue this yere.

Or that your faders werith suche Habyte in the Quere.

And ye Jentyl wymen whome this lewde vice doth blynde Lased on the backe: your peakes set a loft.

Come to my Shyp. forget ye nat behynde.

Your Sadel on the tayle: yf ye lyst to sit soft.

Do on your Decke s.l.u.t: if ye purpos to come oft.

I mean your Copyntanke: And if it wyl do no goode.

To kepe you from the rayne. ye shall haue a foles hode.

By the ale stake knowe we the ale hous And euery Jnne is knowen by the sygne So a lewde woman and a lechcrous Is knowen by hir clothes, be they cours or fyne Folowynge newe fa.s.syons, not graunted by doctryne The bocher sheweth his flesshe it to sell So doth these women dampnyng theyr soule to h.e.l.l

What shall I more wryte of our enormyte Both man and woman as I before haue sayde Ar rayde and clothyd nat after theyr degre As nat content with the shape that G.o.d hath made The clenlynes of Clergye is nere also decayed.

Our olde apparale (alas) is nowe layde downe And many prestes a.s.shamed of theyr Crowne.

Unto laymen we vs refourme agayne As of chryste our mayster in maner halfe a.s.shamed My hert doth wepe: my tunge doth sore complayne Seing howe our State is worthy to be blamed.

But if all the Foly of our Hole Royalme were named Of mys apparayle of Olde, young, lowe, and hye, The tyme shulde fayle: and s.p.a.ce to me denye.

Alas thus al states of Chrysten men declynes.

And of wymen also disfourmynge theyr fygure.

Wors than the Turkes, Jewes, or Sarazyns.

A Englonde Englonde amende or be thou sure Thy n.o.ble name and fame can nat endure Amende lyst G.o.d do greuously chastyce.

Bothe the begynners and folowes of this vyce.

THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY YE TRANSLATOUR.