The Ship of Fools Part 23

Say what precedeth of this mad outrage But great mysfortune, wo and vnhappynesse But for all theyr chattynge and plenty of langage Whan to the preste they come them to confesse To shewe theyr lewde lyfe theyr synne and wretchydnes Whan they sholde speke, and to this poynt ar come Theyr tunges ar loste and there they syt as domme

Many haue ben whiche sholde haue be counted wyse Sad and discrete, and right well sene in scyence But all they haue defyled with this one vyse Of moche spekynge: o cursyd synne and offence Pyte it is that so great inconuenience So great shame, contempt rebuke and vylany Sholde by one small member came to the hole body

Let suche take example by the chatrynge pye.

Whiche doth hyr nest and byrdes also betraye By hyr grete chatterynge, clamoure dyn and crye Ryght so these folys theyr owne foly bewraye.

But touchynge wymen of them I wyll nought say They can nat speke, but ar as coy and styll As the horle wynde or clapper or a mylle

But that man or woman or any creature That lytell speketh or els kepeth sylence Ar euer of them selfe moste stedfast and sure Without enuy, hatred or malyuolence.

Where as to suche comys moche inconuenyence Sorowe vpon sorowe, malyce and dysdayne Whiche wyll no tyme, his speche nor tunge refrayne

Fayre speche is pleasaunt if it be moderate And spoken in season, conuenyente and dewe To kepe scylence, to pore man or estate Is a great grace, and synguler vertue Langage is lawdable whan it is G.o.d and true A wyse man or he speke wyll be wyse and ware What (to whome) why (howe) whan and whare

BARKLAYE TO THE FOLYS.

Ye bablynge brybours, endeuer you to amende Mytygat by mesure, your prowde hasty langage Kepe well your tunges so, shall ye kepe your frende For hasty speche ingendreth great damage Whan a worde is nat sayd, the byrde is in the cage Also the hous is surest whan the dorys be barryde So whan thy worde is spokyn and out at large Thou arte nat mayster, but he that hath it harde

If thou take hede and set therto thy brayne In this world thou shalt fynde thynges thre Whiche ones past, can nat be callyd agayne.

The firste is (tyme lost) by mannes symplycyte The seconde (youth) reuoked can nat be The thyrde (a worde spoken) it gooth out in the wynde And yet is the fourth, that is (virginyte) My forgetfull mynde, had lefte it nere behynde

Of them that correct other and yet them selfe do nought and synne worse than they whom they so correct.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He lacketh reason and vnderstandynge to Whiche to a towne or Cyte knoweth the way And shewyth other howe they may thether go Hym selfe wandrynge aboute from day to day In myre and fen, though his iourney thether lay So he is mad whiche to other doth preche and tell The wave to heuyn, and hym selfe goth to h.e.l.l.]

Nowe to our Nauy, a sorte maketh asaute Of folys blynde, mad Jugys and Iniust Whiche lyghtly noteth another mannes faute.

Chastynge that synne, whiche theyr owne mynde doth rust By longe abydynge, and increas of carnall l.u.s.t They cloke their owne vyce synne and enormyte Other blamynge and chastynge with moche cruelte

They mocke and mowe at anothers small offence And redy ar a faute in them to fynde But of theyr owne foly and inconuenyence They se no thynge, for fully ar they blynde Nat notynge the vyce rotyd in theyr owne mynde Theyr greuous woundes and secrete malady For theyr owne yll they seke no remedy

The hande whiche men vnto a Crosse do nayle Shewyth the waye ofte to a man wandrynge Whiche by the same his right way can nat fayle But yet the hande is there styll abydynge So do these folys lewde of theyr owne lyuynge To other men shewe mean and way to wynne Eternall ioy themselfe bydynge in synne

He sertaynly may well be callyd a sote Moche vnauysed and his owne ennemy Whiche in a nothers iye can spye a lytell mote And in his owne can nat fele nor espye A moche stycke, so is he certaynly.

Whiche noteth anothers small faute or offence To his owne great synnes gyuynge none aduertence

Many them selfe fayne as chaste as was saynt Johnn And many other fayne them meke and innocent Some other as iust, and wyse as Salomon As holy as Poule, as Job als pacyent As sad as senecke, and as obedyent As Abraham, and as martyn vertuous But yet is theyr lyfe full lewde and vycious

Some lokyth with an aungels countenaunce Wyse sad and sober lyke an heremyte Thus hydynge theyr synne and theyr mysgouernaunce.

Under suche clokys lyke a fals ypocryte Let suche folys rede what Cicero doth wryte Whiche sayth that none sholde blame any creature For his faut, without his owne lyuynge be sure

Without all spot of synne faut or offence For in lyke fourme as a phesycyan.

By his practyse and cunnynge or scyence The sekenes curyth of a nother man But his owne yll nor dyseas he nat can Relefe nor hele so doth he that doth blame Anothers synne: he styll lyuynge in the same

Many ar whiche other can counseyll craftely And shewe the peryll that may come by theyr synne But them selfe they counseyll nat: ne remedy.

Nor take no waye whereby they heuyn may wynne But lye in that vyce that they rotyd ar in Leuynge the way that gydyth to ioy and rest Their owne sensualyte ensuynge as a beest

Wherfore ye prestis that haue the charge and cure.

To teche and enfourme the rude comonte.

In G.o.ddys lawes groundyd in scripture And blame all synnes sparynge no degre Whyle ye rebuke thus theyr enormyte Lyue so that none may cause haue you to blame And if ye do nat: it is to your great shame

For without doute it is great vylany A man to speke agaynst any offence Wherin he well knowyth hym owne selfe gylty Within his mynde and secrete conscience Agaynst hymselfe suche one gyueth sentence Howe G.o.d ryght iuge, by rightwyse iugement Shulde hym rewarde with worthy punysshement

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye clerkes that on your shulders here the shelde Unto you graunted by the vnyuersyte.

Howe dare ye auenture to fyght in cristes felde Agaynst synne, without ye clere and gyltles be Consyder the c.o.c.ke and in hym shall ye se: A great example, for with his wynges thryse He betyth hym selfe to wake his owne bodye Before he crowe, to cause other wake or ryse.

Of hym that fyndeth ought of another mannys it nat restorynge to the owner.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He that ought fyndyth outher by day or nyght Usynge it as his owne, as thynge gottyn iustly And thynketh that he so may do by lawe and right Suche is disceyuyd, and thynketh wrongfully For why the deuyll our goostly ennemy Doth hym so counseyll and in his erys blowe Disceyuynge in his bondes, as he doth many mo]

The feruour of ryches and disordred loue Whiche many haue, doth me bynde and constrayne.

Within my shyp them sharply to reproue That pen nor hande, themselfe wyll not refrayne Of couetyse nowe I wyll nat speke agayne But of them that kepeth by force and by myght That thynge wherto they haue nat come, by ryght

Some fyndeth treasours other mennys good And in theyr owne vse suche good they occupy.

Whiche of theyr myndes ar so blynde and wode.

And so reted in theyr errour and foly That oft they say (say) ye and dare byde by That some saynt whome they worshypped haue Haue sende, them the same theyr honestee to saue

They haue no force nor care, nor they none haue wyll To whome the ryches so loste dyde apertayne That fortune hath gyuen they holde fast and kepe styll Neuer hauynge mynde it to restore agayne Suche folys fere no thynge euerlastynge payne Nor note nat, that without true restytucion It small auayleth to haue made confessyon.

Here me fole with thy immoderate mynde Here me and do thy herte therto aply If thou by fortune any ryches fynde Callynge it thyne: thou lyest therin falsly If thou haue wyt thou canst nat well deny But that G.o.de nat gyuen, nor gottyn by laboure Can nat be rightwyse: thus mende thy blynde erroure

If thou ought fynde that longeth nat to the Than is it anothers, the case is clere and playne Wherfor thou ought of lawe and of dewte Unto the owner it soone to yelde agayne But if he be dede, to whome it dyd attayne Thou ought nat yet to kepe it nere the more.

But to his sectours or heyres it restore

Put case that they also be past and dede Yet ought thou nat to keep it styll with the.

The lawe commaundyth, and also it is mede.

To gyue it to suche as haue necessyte.

With it releuynge theyr paynfull pouertee And so shalt thou discharge thy conseyence.

Helpynge the pore, and auoyde great offence

But he that others G.o.des tourneth to his owne vse Spendynge and wastynge that thynge that neuer was his Suche certaynly his reason doth abuse And by this meane greuously doth amysse Wherby he lesyth eternall ioy and blysse His soule drownynge depe within h.e.l.l flodes For his myspendynge of other mennys goodes

But to be shorte, and brefe in my sentence And sothe to saye playne as the mater is Forsoth I se nat right great difference Bytwene a thefe, and these folys couetys Both wrongly kepeth that thynge that is nat his Thynkynge that G.o.d doth nat therto aduerte Whiche notyth thy dedys, thy mynde thought and herte

Wherfore if thou haue a rightwyse conscyence Thou wylt nought kepe whiche longeth nat to the The lawe so commaundeth in payne of great offence For of G.o.de that thou kepest agaynst equyte Thou shalt make accompt after that thou shalt dye To thy great payne in h.e.l.l for euer more If thou no restytucion make before.

Here myght I touche executours in this cryme.

Blamynge theyr dedys dysceyte and couetyse If it were nat for wastynge of my tyme For mende they wyll nat them in any wyse Nor leue no poyntes of theyr disceytfull gyse Let them take parte of that whiche I here note And be partynge foles in this present bote.

THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY THE TRANSLATOR TO THE FOLYS.

Ye false executours whome all the worlde repreuys And ye that fynde mennes goodes or treasoures I call you as bad as robbers or theuys For ye by your falshode and manyfolde errours Kepe falsly that thynge whiche is none of yours And wast here the goodes of hym that is past The soule lyeth in payne, ye take your pleasours.

With his ryches, d.a.m.nynge your owne soule at the last