The Contention bettwyxte Churchyeard and Camell vpon Dauid Dycers Dreame sett out in suche order, that it is bothe wyttye and profytable for all degryes. Rede this littell comunication betwene Churchyarde: Camell: and others mo: Newlye Imprinted and sett furthe for thy profyt gentill Reader |
 |
A Decree betwene Churchyarde and Camell. |
 | The Contention bettwyxte Churchyeard and Camell |  |
A Decree betwene Churchyarde and Camell.
A decree vpon the dreame made by Dauy Dicare,
with answer to Camel, whose tauntes be more quicker.
with answer to Camel, whose tauntes be more quicker.
Wher
Dicar hath dreamed of thinges out of frame.
And Churchiarde by writing affirmeth the same,
And Camell contendeth, the same to deface,
And therfore hath put hys doynges in place.
Sythe both of those twayne hath set foorth in myter
The wordes of the Authour, skyll of the wryghter.
And rune in this race, styll chaffyng the bytte.
I thynke in thys case muche more then is fytte.
I myndyng as much as lyeth in me.
To mak them both, as mone to agree
Haue taken in hande ye dream to defende
And so to recite theyr race to the ende.
Not so to approue my learning or skill
But onely because it be commeth them yll.
From riming to rayling so ofte to dygresse,
wher as reason and wyt doth wil nothing lesse.
As Dicar hath dreamed so time out of minde,
Some thynges were amys, that some men dyd fynde,
If al thynges were wel, as I woulde god they were,
we shoulde not be plaged frō yeare vnto yeare,
If all men do ryght, what nedeth the lawe,
what nede any iustice to hāge and to drawe,
If no man be wronged nor wydowe oppressed,
Then nedeth no care to haue it redressed,
If no man wil vēter to robbe or to steale,
O England thou hast a good common weale.
If no man do hurde nor hydeth in store,
Then England shall haue no dearth any more
If no man offend by way of excesse.
Then grace doth abound, the fault is the lesse,
If the lustes of the fleshe be pute oute of vre
The world is amended the people be pure.
If the poore and the nedye be daylye reliued,
what man is so mad, therat to be greued?
If no man do slaunder nor styre vp debate,
Then Dicar I thinke hath dreamed to late.
If no mā do flater, nor fawne for againe.
Then may it appeare this dreame is but vain.
If all thing be wel, and in the ryght waye,
why do they not vse good lawes to obey.
If no man defraude in bying nor sellyng.
Then happy is England, for ther is best dwellyng.
If faith be vnfained, and wordes do once bynde,
The dreame is all false, and so ye may finde.
If truth do take place and in all thinges encreasse,
dreame no more Dicar, but lette thy dreame ceasse,
If this be not so then Camell to you.
I feare me thys dreame wyll proue to be true.
For it is not so geeson withe vs for to heare,
But the effect of thee dreame doth dayly appeare.
And euery man is now in such takinge,
It passeth a dreme, they finde it out waking
If you be suche a one as neuer had peere,
Then are you fauty in none of this geere.
But seyng your writyng doth seme some what quycke,
You seme that ye smarted because ye did kycke.
Yet when the dreame was to printing dyrected,
I thincke of the dreamer ye were not suspected.
And where as you contende it doth not belonge,
For Dicar to dreame of right haue or of wronge.
In ded you dooe well yf you done amis,
To shewe him his faulte, and say thus it is,
And if you so well know what doth Dicar behoue,
Then ought you to shewe the same to approue.
But me thincketh you want a frendli good will.
To deface a good matter though the authour wer ill.
And certes of you both indifferentli to tell
I cannot in your railinges cōmend your doings well.
And both of you twaine are yet to me vnknowen,
Yet can I aide your doinges, as if they were mine own,
Ye passe from your purpose in such vnworthi sorte.
Ye make of your doinges a very laughing sporte.
Ye close and ye glose, in seking to be fine,
Ye taunt and retaunt al most in eueri line.
Ye affirme ye haue red both Terence and Cato,
Ye coūt ye do but faletrye wel resemble Gnato.
And looke howe much differs a Foxe from a foole,
Su much do you differ from Cato and his scole,
For Cato doth affyrme ther is no greater shame,
Then to reproue a vyce, and your selues to do thee same.
And because I wyl not seeme your fancy to embrace,
As touching your debate, I answer in this case.
Me thinketh in wrytynge ye both haue such skyll,
Ye marre a good matter and make it very yll.
wherby to say the truth it appeareth well vnto me,
Your names and your wytts vnnumerable be.
Therfore do not thinke that ye can be forborne.
But such as be readers shall laugh you to scorne.
And when that your doynges be throughly perused,
Then by the same deedes ye shalbe accused.
Cease nowe in season cast all contempt away,
Be subiect vnto reasō, & make no more delay.
And eyther of you twane do not refuse to knowe,
As Cato doth enstructe you but strayght embrace it so
which though my skil be smal here thought I to reherse
The text and sence wythe all of euery kynde of verse.
And Churchiarde by writing affirmeth the same,
And Camell contendeth, the same to deface,
And therfore hath put hys doynges in place.
Sythe both of those twayne hath set foorth in myter
The wordes of the Authour, skyll of the wryghter.
And rune in this race, styll chaffyng the bytte.
I thynke in thys case muche more then is fytte.
I myndyng as much as lyeth in me.
To mak them both, as mone to agree
Haue taken in hande ye dream to defende
And so to recite theyr race to the ende.
Not so to approue my learning or skill
But onely because it be commeth them yll.
wher as reason and wyt doth wil nothing lesse.
As Dicar hath dreamed so time out of minde,
Some thynges were amys, that some men dyd fynde,
If al thynges were wel, as I woulde god they were,
we shoulde not be plaged frō yeare vnto yeare,
If all men do ryght, what nedeth the lawe,
what nede any iustice to hāge and to drawe,
If no man be wronged nor wydowe oppressed,
Then nedeth no care to haue it redressed,
If no man wil vēter to robbe or to steale,
O England thou hast a good common weale.
If no man do hurde nor hydeth in store,
Then England shall haue no dearth any more
If no man offend by way of excesse.
Then grace doth abound, the fault is the lesse,
If the lustes of the fleshe be pute oute of vre
The world is amended the people be pure.
If the poore and the nedye be daylye reliued,
what man is so mad, therat to be greued?
If no man do slaunder nor styre vp debate,
Then Dicar I thinke hath dreamed to late.
If no mā do flater, nor fawne for againe.
Then may it appeare this dreame is but vain.
If all thing be wel, and in the ryght waye,
why do they not vse good lawes to obey.
If no man defraude in bying nor sellyng.
Then happy is England, for ther is best dwellyng.
If faith be vnfained, and wordes do once bynde,
The dreame is all false, and so ye may finde.
If truth do take place and in all thinges encreasse,
dreame no more Dicar, but lette thy dreame ceasse,
I feare me thys dreame wyll proue to be true.
For it is not so geeson withe vs for to heare,
But the effect of thee dreame doth dayly appeare.
And euery man is now in such takinge,
It passeth a dreme, they finde it out waking
If you be suche a one as neuer had peere,
Then are you fauty in none of this geere.
But seyng your writyng doth seme some what quycke,
You seme that ye smarted because ye did kycke.
Yet when the dreame was to printing dyrected,
I thincke of the dreamer ye were not suspected.
And where as you contende it doth not belonge,
For Dicar to dreame of right haue or of wronge.
In ded you dooe well yf you done amis,
To shewe him his faulte, and say thus it is,
And if you so well know what doth Dicar behoue,
Then ought you to shewe the same to approue.
But me thincketh you want a frendli good will.
To deface a good matter though the authour wer ill.
And certes of you both indifferentli to tell
I cannot in your railinges cōmend your doings well.
And both of you twaine are yet to me vnknowen,
Yet can I aide your doinges, as if they were mine own,
Ye passe from your purpose in such vnworthi sorte.
Ye make of your doinges a very laughing sporte.
Ye close and ye glose, in seking to be fine,
Ye taunt and retaunt al most in eueri line.
Ye affirme ye haue red both Terence and Cato,
Ye coūt ye do but faletrye wel resemble Gnato.
And looke howe much differs a Foxe from a foole,
Su much do you differ from Cato and his scole,
Then to reproue a vyce, and your selues to do thee same.
And because I wyl not seeme your fancy to embrace,
As touching your debate, I answer in this case.
Me thinketh in wrytynge ye both haue such skyll,
Ye marre a good matter and make it very yll.
wherby to say the truth it appeareth well vnto me,
Your names and your wytts vnnumerable be.
Therfore do not thinke that ye can be forborne.
But such as be readers shall laugh you to scorne.
And when that your doynges be throughly perused,
Then by the same deedes ye shalbe accused.
Cease nowe in season cast all contempt away,
Be subiect vnto reasō, & make no more delay.
And eyther of you twane do not refuse to knowe,
As Cato doth enstructe you but strayght embrace it so
which though my skil be smal here thought I to reherse
The text and sence wythe all of euery kynde of verse.
Contra verbosos noli contendere nerbis.
Sermo datur cunctis auimi sapiencia paucis,
Cum recte viuas ne cures verba malorum.
Arbitri nostri non est quid quisque loquatnr.
Sermo datur cunctis auimi sapiencia paucis,
Cum recte viuas ne cures verba malorum.
Arbitri nostri non est quid quisque loquatnr.
To striue with men of many words, refrain I the aduise
It is not geuen to euery man that he shalbe godlye wyse.
If thou lyue well do not regarde what wicked mē do say
For whir it lyeth not in vs such wycked tounges to staye
Thys is it that ye haue read whiche if you lyst to knowe.
He wyll aswage your strudy stormes which you haue reised so
Take this in worth good Reder now expound it to ye best:
For I haue sayd to theyr deuyce, now harcken to the rest.
It is not geuen to euery man that he shalbe godlye wyse.
If thou lyue well do not regarde what wicked mē do say
For whir it lyeth not in vs such wycked tounges to staye
Thys is it that ye haue read whiche if you lyst to knowe.
He wyll aswage your strudy stormes which you haue reised so
Take this in worth good Reder now expound it to ye best:
For I haue sayd to theyr deuyce, now harcken to the rest.
| The Contention bettwyxte Churchyeard and Camell | |