The Golden Fleece Divided into three Parts, Under Which are discouered the Errours of Religion, the Vices and Decayes of the Kingdome, and lastly the wayes to get wealth, and to restore Trading so much complayned of. Transported from Cambrioll Colchos, out of the Southermost Part of the Iland, commonly called the Newfoundland, By Orpheus Iunior [i.e.William Vaughan], For the generall and perpetuall Good of Great Britaine |
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Chap. XIIII. The Golden Fleece |  |
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Chap. XIIII.
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[Euen as I wandred in a wro]
Euen as I wandred in a wro,In a Wood beside a wall,
Two Fowles saw I sit tho.
The falser foule mought him befall.
That one did plead on the Popes side
A Griffon of a grimme stature,
A Pellican withouten pride
To these Lollers laid his lure:
Hee mused his matter in measure:
To counsell Christ euer gan he call.
The Griffon shewed as sharpe as fire.
But falshood foule mought him befall.
The Pellican began to preach
Both of mercie, and of meeknesse.
And said Christ so gan vs teach,
And meeke and mercifull gan blesse.
The Euangelists doe beare witnesse,
A Lambe he likeneth Christ ouer all,
In tokening that he meekest was:
Sith pride was out of Heauen fall.
And so should euery Christian be
Priests, Peters Successours
Both humble and of low degree.
And vsen none earthly honours,
Neither Crowne nor curious couetours,
Nor Pillour, nor other proud Pall.
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For falshood foule mought them befall,
Priests should for no cattell pleade,
But chasten them in charitee.
Nor vnto battell should men leade,
For enhaunsing of their owne degree.
Not wilne sittings in high Sea,
Nor Soueraigntie, in house, nor hall.
All worldly worship defie and flee.
For who so willeth Highnesse foule shall fall.
Alas who may such Saints call,
That wilneth weld earthly honour.
As low as Lucifer such shall fall,
In balefull blacknesse y builden their bowre,
That eggeth the people to Errour.
And maketh them to them thrall:
To Christ I hold such one Traytour.
As low as Lucifer shall fall.
That willeth to be Kings Peeres,
And higher then the Emperour.
Some that were but poore Freeres,
Now wolden waxe a Warriour.
God is not their Gouernour,
That holdeth no man his Permagall.
While Couetise is their Counsellour,
All such falshood mought need fall.
With Pride they punish the poore,
And some they sustaine with sale,
Of holy Church making a Whoore.
And glut their bellies with Wine and Ale,
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And chaffren Churches when they fall,
And tellen the people a lewd tale.
Such false faitours foule them befall.
And Mitres more then one or two,
Y perled as the Queenes head.
A staffe of Gold and pirrie too,
As heauie as it were made of lead:
VVith Cloth of Gold both new and red:
VVith glitter and Gold, as greene as gall.
By doome they damne men to dead.
All such faitours foule them befall.
And Christs people proudly curse
VVith broad Booke and braying Bell.
To put pennies in their purse,
They will sell both Heauen and Hell.
And in their sentence thou wilt dwell:
They willen gesse in their gay hall.
And though the sooth thou of them tell,
In great cursings shalt thou fall.
Christs Ministers clepen they beene,
And rulen all in robbery;
But Antichrist they seruen cleane.
Attired all in Tyranny:
VVitnesse of Iohns Prophesie,
That Anticrist is their Admirall,
Tiffelers attired in Treacherie.
All such faitours foule them fall.
VVho saith that some of them may sinne,
He shall be doomed to be dead.
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Against that which God forbad.
All Holy they clepen their Head,
That of their Rule is Regall.
Alas, that euer they eaten bread,
For all such falshood will foule fall.
Their Head loueth all Honour,
And to be worshipped in word and deed.
Kings must to him kneele and cour,
To the Apostles which Christ forbad.
To Popes Hests, such taken more heed,
Then to keepe Christs Commandement.
Of Gold and Siluer be their weed,
Who hold him whole Omnipotent,
He ordaineth by his Ordinance
To Parish Priests a power.
To another a greater aduaunce.
A greater point to his mystery.
But for he is Highest in Earth heere,
To him reserueth he many a point.
But to Christ, that hath no Peere,
Reserueth he neither rib nor ioynt.
So seemeth He aboue all,
And Christ aboue him nothing,
When he sitteth in his stall,
Damneth and saueth, as him thinke.
Such pride before God doth stinke.
An Angell bad Iohn to him not kneele,
But onely to God doe his bowing.
Such willers of worship must needs fall.
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And in Nero, which neuer was good,
Then is now in some of them,
VVhen he hath on his furred Hood,
They follow Christ, which shead his bloud,
To Heauen, as Bucket to the wall.
Such wretches be worse then wood,
And all such faitours foule them fall.
They maken Parsons for the penny,
And of Canons their Cardinals.
And Y scarce amongst them all is any,
That hath not glozed the Gospell false.
For Christ did neuer make Cathedrals
Nor yet with him was Cardinall
VVith a Red Hat, as vsen Minstrels:
But falshood foule mought it befall.
That say that Peter had the Key
Of Heauen and Hell to haue and hold.
I trow Peter tooke no Money
For any mens Sinnes, which he sold.
Such Successours be too bold,
In winning all their wit they wrall.
Their Conscience is waxen cold,
And all such faitours foule them fall.
Peter was neuer so great a foole,
To leaue his Key with such a Lorrell,
Or to take such a cursed toole:
He was aduised nothing well.
I trow they haue the Key of Hell,
Their Master is of that place Marshall.
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And with false Lucifer there to fall.
Christ had twelue Apostles heere;
Now, say they, there may be but one
That may not erre in no manner.
Who loueth not this be lost each one.
Peter erred: so did not Iohn:
Why then is he clept the principall?
Christ clept him Peter; but himselfe the Stone,
All false faitours foule them befall.
VVhat is Antichrist to say?
But euen Christs Aduersary?
Such hath now beene many a day,
To Christs bidding full contrary,
That from the Truth cleane vary.
Out of the way they beene quite wend,
And Christs people vntruly cary.
God of his pittie it amend.
They liue contrary to Christs life,
In high pride against meeknesse.
Against patience they vsen strife,
And anger against sobernesse,
Against wisdome wilfulnesse.
To Christs words they little tend,
Against measure outragiousnesse.
But when God will it may amend.
A token of Antichrists they be;
His charactes now beene wide yknow.
Receiued to preach shall no man be
VVithout token of him I trow.
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From God aboue to them been send
The Word, to all folk for to show,
Sinfull man their sinnes to amend.
Christ sent the poore for to preach,
The Royall Rich he did not so.
Now dare no poore the people teach,
For Antichrist is all their Foe.
Among the people he must goe,
Whom he hath bid; But such suspend,
Some hath he hent, and thinks yet mo.
But all this God may well amend.
The Emperour gaue the Pope sometime
So high Lordship him about;
That at the last the seely kime
The proud Pope did pull him out.
So of this Realme is in great doubt
But, Lords beware, and them defend,
For now these folk be wondrous stout.
The King and Lords now this amend,
Antichrist they seruen all:
Who I pray you can say nay?
With Antichrist such shall fall.
They fellow him in deed and fay,
They seruen him in rich array:
To serue Christ they falsly faine.
Why? at the dreadfull doomes-day
Shall they not fellow him to paine?
Popes, Bishops, and Cardinals,
Chanons, Parsons, and Vicar
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That Sacraments sellen heere;
And been as proud as Lucifere.
Ech man looke whether that I lie.
Who so speaketh against their power
It shall be holden Heresie.
The Griffon said, thou canst no good
Thou neuer camst of Gentle kind
Eyther I trow thou waxest wood,
Or else thou hast lost thy mind.
And the Pope were purely poore,
Needy and nothing he had:
He should be driuen from doore to doore,
The wicked of him would not be dread:
Of such a Head men would be sad.
If the Pope and Prelates would
So beg, and bid, bow, and borrow:
Holy Church should stand full cold,
Her seruants sit, and sup sorrow.
The Pellican cast a huge cry,
And said: Alas, why sayest thou so?
Christ is our Head, that sits on high.
Heads ought we not for to haue mo,
We be his members both also.
And Father he taught vs to cal him als,
Masters to be called defended he tho.
All other Maisters be wicked and false,
That doe take maistry in his name
Ghostly, all for earthly good.
Kings and Lords should Lordships haue,
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Christ, for vs that shead his bloud,
Bad his Priests no Mastership haue,
Nor to carke for cloth, or for food.
From euery mischiefe he would them saue.
Their Clothing should be Righteousnesse,
Their Treasure pure life should be.
Charity should be their Riches:
Their Lordship should be vnitee.
Hope in God their Honestie:
Their vessell cleane Conscience.
Poore in spirit, and Humilitie
Should be Holy Churches defence.
The Griffon said, thou shalt abie,
Thou shalt be burnt in balefull fire;
And all thy Sect I shall destry.
You shall be hanged by the swire.
Ile cause you soone to hang and draw.
VVho giueth you leaue for to preach:
Or thus to speake against Gods Law?
And the people thus false to teach?
Thou shalt be cursed with Booke and Bell,
And disseuer'd from Holy Church,
And cleane y damned into Hell,
Otherwise but you will worke.
The Pellican said, I doe not dread.
Your Cursing is of little value;
Of God I hope to haue my meed,
For it is falshood, which you shew.
For you beene out of Charity,
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To suffer I will ready be,
I dread not that, what thou canst doe.
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Chap. XIIII. The Golden Fleece | |