O blynde man whiche hast thy moste felycyte
On worldly thinges, alas make clere thy mynde
What fyndest thou here, but great aduersyte
Wylt thou for it leue y^t heuenly ioy behynde
And where thou myght euerlastynge ryches fynde
Where as is helth, endles lyfe and all goodnes
Wylt thou forsake it for worldly wretchydnes
Wylt thou heuyn compare with his paynfull lyfe
There on to thynke thou art vnwyse certayne
There is concorde, here is no thynge but stryfe
There is all rest, and here is care and payne
There is true loue: here is scorne and disdayne
There is all goodnes, here all yll and offence
Nowe chuse the best: here is great difference
* * * * *
Of them that make noyses rehersynges of
talys and do other thynges vnlaufull
and dishonest in y^e chirche of god.
[Illustration: A fole is he, and hath no mynde deuoute
And gyueth occasyon to men on hym to rayle.
Whiche goth in the chirche, his houndes hym aboute
Some rennynge, some fast tyed to his tayle
A hawke on his fyst suche one withouten fayle
Better were to be thens, for by his dyn and cry
He troublyth them that wolde pray deuoutly:]
Yet of mo folys fynde I a great nomber
Whiche thynke that it is no shame nor vylany
Within the chirche, the seruyce to encomber
With theyr lewde barkynge roundynge dyn and cry
And whyle good people ar praynge stedfastly
Theyr herte to good, with meke mynde and deuout
Suche folys them let, with theyr mad noyse and shout
And whyle the prestis also them exercyse.
In matyns masse sermon or prechynge dyuyne
Or other due thynges that longe to theyr seruyce.
Techynge the people to vertue to enclyne
Than these folys as it were rorynge swyne
With theyr gettynge and talys of vycyousnes
Trouble all suche seruyce, that is sayd, more and les
In to the churche than comys another sote
Without deuocyon gettynge vp and downe
Or to be sene, and to showe his gardyd cote
Another on his fyst a Sparhauke or fawcon
Or els a Cokow, and so wastynge his shone
Before the auters he to and fro doth wander
With euyn as great deuocyon as a gander
In comys another his houndes at his tayle
With lynes and leshes and other lyke baggage.
His dogges barkyth, so that withouten fayle
The hole churche is troubled by theyr outrage
So innocent youth lernyth the same of age
And theyr lewde sounde doth the churche fyll.
But in this noyse the good people kepe them styll.
One tyme the hawkys bellys Jenglyth hye
Another tyme they flutter with theyr wynges
And nowe the houndes barkynge strykes the skye
Nowe sounde theyr fete, and nowe the chaynes rynges
They clap with theyr handes, by suche maner thynges
They make of the churche, for theyr hawkes a mewe
And Canell to theyr dogges, whiche they shall after rewe
So with suche folys is neyther peas nor rest
Unto the holy churche they haue no reuerence
But wander about to see who get may best
In rybawde wordes pryde and insolence
As mad men they fere nat our sauyours presence
Hauynge no honour vnto that holy place
Wherin is gyuen to man euerlastynge grace
There ar handlyd pledynges and causes of the lawe
There ar made bargayns of dyuers maner thynges
Byenges and sellynges scant worth a hawe
And there ar for lucre contryued false lesynges
And whyle the prest his Masse or matyns synges
These folys whiche to the Churche do repayre
Ar chattynge and bablynge as it were in a fayre
Some gygyll and lawghe and some on maydens stare
And some on wyues with wanton countenaunce
As for the seruyce they haue small force or care
But full delyte them in theyr mysgouernaunce
Some with theyr slyppers to and fro doth prance
Clappynge with their helys in churche and in quere
So that good people can nat the seruyce here
What shall I wryte of maydens and of wyues
Of theyr roundynges and vngoodly comonynge
Howe one a sclaundre craftely contryues
And in the churche therof hath hyr talkynge
The other hath therto theyr erys lenynge
And than whan they all hath harde forth hir tale
With great deuocyon they get them to the ale.
Thus is the churche defylyd with vylany
And in stede of prayer and godly oryson
Ar vsyd shamefull bargayns and talys of rybawdry
Jettynges and mockynges and great derysyon
There fewe ar or none of perfyte deuocion
And whan our lorde is consecrate in fourme of brede
Therby walkes a knaue, his bonet on his hede
And whyle those wordes of consecracion
Ar sayde of the preste in goddes owne presence
Suche caytyfs kepe talys and communycacion
Fast by the auter, thynkynge it none offence
And where as the angels ar ther with reuerence
Laudynge and worshyppynge our holy sauyour
These vnkynde caytyfs wyll scantly hym honour
Alas wherto shall any man complayne
For this foly and accostomed furour
Syns none of them theyr fautes wyll refrayne
But ay procede in this theyr lewde errour
And nat withstandynge that Christ our sauyour
Hath left vs example, that none sholde mysdo
Within the chirche, yet inclyne we nat therto.
Jhonn the euangelyst doth openly expres.
Howe criste our sauyour dyd dryue out and expell
From the Temple, suche as vsed there falsnes
And all other that therin dyd bye and sell
Saynge as it after lyeth in the Gospell
Unto the Jues rebuke and great repreues
That of goddes house they made a den of theues.
Remember this man, for why thou dost the same
Defylynge goddes Chirche with synne and vanyte
Whiche sothly was ordeyned to halowe goddes name
And to lawde and worshyp the holy trynyte
With deuout harte, loue, and all benygnyte
And with all our myght our lorde to magnyfy
And than after all the heuenly company
For this cause hath god the holy chirche ordeyned
And nat for rybawde wordes and thynges vayne
But by vs chrysten men it is distayned.
Moche wors than euer, the Jewes dyd certayne
And if our lorde sholde nowe come downe agayne.
To dryue out of the churche suche as there do syn
Forsoth I thynke, right fewe sholde byde within