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.
[Illustration: 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 hell.]
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 lust
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 goddys 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 god ryght iuge, by rightwyse iugement
Shulde hym rewarde with worthy punysshement