The Ship of Fools Part 17

The son oft foloweth the faders behauour And if the fader be discrete and vertuous.

The son shal suche wayes practyse both day and hour.

But if that the fader be lewde and vicious By falshode lyuynge: and by wayes cautelous.

The son also the same wayes wyl ensue And that moche rather than goodnes or vertue

Therfore it nedeth that better prouysion.

Were founde for youthe by sad and wyse counsayle Far from theyr faders of this condicion.

And other lewde gydes which myght theyr myndes a.s.sayle Greuously wyth syn. So were it theyr auayle From theyr faders frawde and falshode to declyne And them submyt to some lawdable mannys doctryne.

Peleus, somtyme a n.o.ble and worthy kynge Subdued Achylles vnto the doctryne Of phenix whiche was both worthy and cunnynge Wherfore Achyllys right gladly dyd enclyne With his hert and mynde vnto his disciplyne Wherby his name so n.o.ble was at the last That all Asy in worthynes he past

Ryght so Philippus a kynge worthy of name Ouer all Grece made great iniquicion To fynde one wyse, sad and laudable of fame To Alexander his sonne for to gyue Instruccion Founde was great Aristotyl at the conclusion Disciple of Plato. whiche in euery Science.

Infourmed this chylde with parfyte diligence.

Whiche Alexander afterward had so great dignyte.

What by his strength, his cunnynge, and boldenes.

That he was lorde both of Londe and See.

And none durst rebel aganst his worthynes.

Lo here the lawde, the honour, and n.o.bles.

Which dothe procede of vertue and doctryne But few ar the faders that nowe hereto inclyne

Fewe ar that forceth nowe adayes to se Theyr chyldren taught: or to do any cost On som sad man, wyse, and of auctorite: Al that is theron bestowed thynke they loste.

The folyssh Fader oft tymes maketh great boste.

That he his son to habundant riches shal auance But no thynge he speketh of vertuous gouernance.

The feder made but smal shyft or prouysion.

To induce his Son by vertuous doctryne.

But whan he is dede and past: moche les shal the son To stody of grace his mynde or hert inclyne.

But abuse his reason: and from al good declyne.

Alas folysshe faders gyue your aduertence To Crates complaynt comprysed in this sentence.

If it were graunted to me to shewe my thought Ye follysshe faders Caytifes I myght you cal Whiche gather riches to brynge your chylde to nought.

Gyuynge him occasion forto be prodigal.

But goode nor cunnynge shewe ye hym none at all.

But whan ye drawe to age, ye than moste comonly.

Sorowe for your suffrance. But without remedy.

An olde sore to hele is oft halfe incurable Ryght so ar these Chyldren roted in myschefe Some after euer lyueth a lyfe abhomynable To all theyr Kyn great sorowe and reprefe.

The one is a murderer the other a fereles thefe, The one of G.o.d nor goode man hath no fors ne care.

Another so out wasteth that his frendes ar ful bare.

Some theyr londe and lyuelode in riot out wasteth, At cardes, and, tenys, and other vnlawful gamys.

And some wyth the Dyce theyr thryft away casteth.

Some theyr soule d.a.m.nes, and theyr body shames.

With flesshly l.u.s.t: which many one dyffamys.

Spendynge the floures of youth moche vnthryftely.

On dyuers Braunches that longe to Lechery.

Another delyteth hymselfe in Glotony.

Etynge and drynkynge without maner, or mesure: The more that some drynke: the more they wax drye.

He is moste Galant whyche lengest can endure.

Thus without mesure ouercharge they theyr nature.

So that theyr Soule is loste theyr body and goode is spent.

For lacke of doctryne, Norture and punysshment.

Se here playne prose, example and euydence Howe youthe which is nat norysshed in doctryne.

In age is gyuen vnto al Inconuenyence.

But nought shall make youthe soner forto inclyne.

To n.o.ble maners: nor G.o.dly dysciplyne: Than shal the doctryne of a mayster wyse and sad: For the rote of vertue and wysdome therby is had.

Without dout n.o.blenes is moche excellent Whiche oft causeth youth to be had in great honour.

To haue the name, and lawde they ar content.

Thoughe it be nat gotten by theyr owne labour.

But what auayleth them this lewde obscure errour Of suche hye byrthe them self to magnyfy.

Sythe they defyle it with vice and Uilany.

Why art thou proude thou foul of that n.o.bles Whyche is nat gotten by thyne owne vertue.

By thy goode maners, wyt nor worthynes: But this forsothe oft tymes fynde I true That of a goode beste, yl whelpes may weshewe.

In lyke wyse of a Moder that is bothe chast and goode.

Often is brought forth a ful vngracious Brode.

But though the childe be of lewde condicion And of his nature frowarde and varyable If the fader be slacke in the correccion Of his childe, he onely is culpable Whiche wyll nat teche hym maners commendable Thus is the fader a fole for his suffraunce And the sone also for his mysgouernaunce

THE ENUOY.

Auoyd faders your fauour and suffraunce Anenst your children in theyr faute and offence Reduce ye clerely vnto your remembraunce That many a thousande inconuenyence Haue children done by theyr faders negligence But to say trouth brefely in one clause The fader's fauour onely is the cause

Of tale berers, fals reporters, and prometers of stryfes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Of folys yet fynde I another maner sorte Whiche ar cause of brawlynge stryfe and deuysion Suche ar dowble tongyd that lesyngys reporte Therby trustynge to come to great promosion But suche lewde caytyfes at the conclusion Bytwene two mylstons theyr legges puttes to grynde And for rewarde, theyr confusion shall they fynde.]

Some ar that thynke the pleasoure and ioy of theyr lyfe To brynge men in brawlynge to discorde and debate Enioynge to moue them to chydynge and to stryfe And where loue before was to cause mortall hate With the comonty, and many great estate Suche is moche wors than outher murderer or thefe For ofte of his talys procedeth grete myschefe

Within his mouth is venym Jeperdous and vyle His tonge styll laboryth lesynges to contryue His mynde styll museth of falshode and on gyle Therwith to trobyll suche as gladly wolde nat stryue Somtyme his wordes as dartis he doth dryue Agaynst good men: for onely his delyte.

Is set to sclaunder to diffame and bacbyte.

And namely them that fautles ar and innocent.

Of conscience clene, and maners commendable These dryuyls sclaunder, beynge full dilygent.

To deuyde, louers that ar moste agreable His tonge Infect his mynde abhomynable Infectyth loue and ouertourneth charyte Of them that longe tyme haue lyuyd in amyte

But he that accused is thus without all faute And so sclaundred of this caytyf vnthryfty Knowyth nought of this ieoperdous a.s.saute For he nought dowteth that is no thynge fauty Thus whyle he nought feryth comyth sodaynly This venemous doloure distaynynge his G.o.de name And so gyltles put to rebuke, and to shame.

Thus if one serche and seke the worlde ouerall Than a backbyter nought is more peryllous His mynde myscheuous, his wordys ar mortall His d.a.m.nable byt is foule and venemous A thousande lyes of gyles odyous He castyth out where he wolde haue debate Engendrynge murder whan he his tyme can wayt

Where as any frendes lyueth in accorde Faythfull and true: this cowarde and caytyf With his fals talys them bryngeth to dyscorde And with his venym kepeth them in stryfe But howe beit that he thus pas forth his lyfe Sawynge his sede of debate and myschefe His darte oft retourneth to his own reprefe