University of Virginia Library

Certayne Egloges of Alexander Barclay Priest, Whereof the first three conteyne the miseryes of Courtiers and Courtes of all princes in generall, Gathered out of a booke named in Latin, MISERIÆ CVRIALIVM, compiled by Eneas Syluius Poet and Oratour.

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Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations.

The Prologe.

The famous Poetes with the Muses nine
With wit inspired, fresh, pregnant and diuine,
Say, boldly indite in stile substanciall:
Some in Poemes hye and heroicall,
Some them delite in heauy Tragedies,
And some in wanton or mery Comedies.
Some in Satyres against vices dare carpe,
Some in sweete songes accordant with the harpe.
And eche of these all had laude and excellence
After their reason and stile of eloquence.
Who in fayre speeche could briefly comprehende
Moste fruitfull matter, men did him moste commende.
And who were fruitlesse, and in speeche superflue,
Men by their writing scantly set a qu.
Therefore wise Poetes to sharpe and proue their wit,
In homely iestes wrote many a mery fit.
Before they durst be of audacitie
Tauenture thinges of weyght and grauitie.
In this saide maner the famous Theocrite
First in Siracuse attempted for to write
Certayne Egloges or speeches pastorall,
Inducing Shepherdes, men homely and rurall.
Which in playne language, according to their name,
Had sundry talking, sometime of mirth and game,
Sometime of thinges more like to grauitie,
And not exceeding their small capacitie.
Moste noble Uirgill after him longe while
Wrote also Egloges after like maner stile.
His wittes prouing in matters pastorall,
Or he durst venture to stile heroicall.
And in like maner nowe lately in our dayes
Hath other Poetes attempted the same wayes:
As the moste famous Baptist Mantuan
The best of that sort since Poetes first began.
And Frauncis Petrarke also in Italy
In like maner stile wrote playne and meryly.
What shall I speake of the father auncient,
Which in briefe language both playne and eloquent,
Betwene Alathea, Sewstis stoute and bolde
Hath made rehearsall of all thy storyes olde,
By true historyes vs teaching to obiect
Against vayne fables of olde Gentiles sect.
Beside all these yet finde I many mo
Which haue employed their diligence also,
Betwene Shepherdes, as it were but a fable,
To write of matters both true and profitable.
But all their names I purpose not to write,
Which in this maner made bookes infinite.
Nowe to my purpose, their workes worthy fame
Did in my yonge age my heart greatly inflame.
Dull slouth eschewing, my selfe to exercise
In such small matters, or I durst enterprise
To hyer matter, like as these children do,
Which first vse to creepe, and afterwarde to go.
The birde vnused first flying from her nest
Dare not aduenture, and is not bold nor prest
With winges abroade to flye as doth the olde,
For vse and custome causeth all thing be bolde:
And litle cunning by craft and exercise
To perfect science causeth a man to rise.
But or the Paynter can sure his craft attayne,
Much froward fashion transfourmeth he in vayne.
But rasing superflue, and adding that doth want,
Rude picture is made both perfect and pleasant.
So where I in youth a certayne worke began,
And not concluded, as oft doth many a man:
Yet thought I after to make the same perfite,
But long I missed that which I first did write.
But here a wonder, I fortie yere saue twayne
Proceeded in age, founde my first youth agayne.
To finde youth in age is a probleme diffuse,
But nowe heare the truth, and then no longer muse.
As I late turned olde bookes to and fro,
One litle treatise I founde among the mo:
Because that in youth I did compile the same,
Egloges of youth I did call it by name.
And seing some men haue in the same delite,
At their great instance I made the same perfite.
Adding and bating where I perceyued neede,
All them desiring which shall this treatise rede,
Not to be grieued with any playne sentence
Rudely conuayed for lacke of eloquence.
It were not fitting a heard or man rurall
To speake in termes gay and rhetoricall.
So teacheth Horace in arte of poetry,
That writers namely their reason should apply
Mete speeche appropring to euery personage,
After his estate, behauour, wit and age.
But if that any would nowe to me obiect
That this my labour shall be of small effect,
And to the Reader not greatly profitable,
And by that maner as vayne and reprouable,
Because it maketh onely relation
Of Shepherdes maner and disputation.
If any suche reade my treatise to the ende
He shall well perceyue, if he thereto intende,
That it conteyneth both laudes of vertue,
And man infourmeth misliuing to eschue,
With diuers bourdes and sentences morall,
Closed in shadowe of speeches pastorall,
As many Poetes (as I haue sayde beforne)
Haue vsed longe time before that I was borne.
But of their writing though I ensue the rate,
No name I chalenge of Poete laureate.
That name vnto them is mete and doth agree
Which writeth matters with curiositee.
Mine habite blacke accordeth not with grene,
Blacke betokeneth death as it is dayly sene,
The grene is pleasour, freshe lust and iolite,
These two in nature hath great diuersitie.
Then who would ascribe, except he were a foole,
The pleasaunt laurer vnto the mourning cowle.
Another rewarde abideth my labour,
The glorious sight of God my sauiour,
Which is chiefe shepheard and head of other all,
To him for succour in this my worke I call,
And not on Clio nor olde Melpomene,
My hope is fixed of him ayded to be
[That he me direct, my mynde for to expresse:
That he, to good ende, my wyt and pen addresse.]
For to accomplishe my purpose and entent
To laude and pleasour of God omnipotent,
And to the profite, the pleasour and the mede,
Of all them which shall this treatise here and rede.
But to the Reader nowe to returne agayne,
First of this thing I will thou be certayne,
That fiue Egloges this whole treatise doth holde,
To imitation of other Poetes olde.
In whiche Egloges shepheardes thou mayst see
In homely language not passing their degree,
Sometime disputing of courtly misery,
Sometime of Uenus disceatfull tiranny.
Sometime commending loue honest and laudable,
Sometime despising loue false and deceyuable,
Sometime despising and blaming auarise,
Sometime exciting vertue to exercise,
Sometime of warre abhorring the outrage,
And of the same time the manifolde damage,
And other matters, as after shall appeare
To their great pleasure which shal them rede or heare.

The First Egloge of the miseries and maners of the Court and Courtiers.

Coridon first speaketh.
Forsooth frende Cornix nought can my heart make light
When I remember the stormes of yester night,
The thunder & lightning, the tempest & the hayle
Hath playnely wasted our profite and auayle,
The fearefull thunder with greeuous clap and sounde
Our Corne hath beaten downe flat vnto the grounde,
With tempest after and violence of rayne
That it as I doubt shall neuer rise agayne.
The hayle hath beaten our shepe within the folde,
That all be febled aswell the yong as olde,
Our milke is turned and waxen pale and soure,
The storme and tempest vpon our couches poure,
Our flocke and fieldes is all our whole riches,
Which still is subiect to suche vnhappines:
For after that we haue done both cost and payne,
One sodeyn tempest destroyeth all agayne.
Then farewel welfare, worse chance we[n]ede not feare
Saue onely to sucke our clawes with the Beare.
The Citizens haue great treasour sikerly
In cofers closed auoyde of ieopardie,
Their coynes couched faste vnder locke and key,
From place to place they may the same conuay
When they of the theues perceiue the din and sounde:
But still must our corne remayne vpon the grounde,
Abiding stormes, hayle, thunder and tempest,
Till that it be for sikle ripe and prest.
As for their riches no thunder, frost nor hayle,
No storme nor tempest can hurt or disauayle.
Suche carefull chaunces and such aduersitie
Us alway kepeth in wretched pouertie.

Cornix answereth.
O Coridon my mate I sweare so haue I blis,
Thou playnly speakest like as the matter is,
But as for my parte my minde and wit is blinde
To knowe who gideth all wether storme and winde,
But this thing I knowe, but yet not parfitely,
Yet bolde dare I be to speake to thee playnly,
For if that I spake it in some audience
Some men would maligne and take it for offence,
If God (as men say) doth heauen and earth sustayne,
Then why doth not he regarde our dayly payne?
Our greeuous labour he iustly might deuide,
And for vs wretches some better life prouide.
Some nought doth labour and liueth pleasauntly,
Though all his reason to vices he apply:
But see with what sweat, what busines and payne
Our simple liuing we labour to obtayne:
Beholde what illes the shepheardes must endure
For flocke and housholde bare liuing to procure,
In feruent heate we must intende our folde,
And in the winter almost we frese for colde:
Upon the harde ground or on the flintes browne
We slepe, when other lye on a bed of downe.
A thousande illes of daunger and sicknesse,
With diuers sores our beastes doth oppresse:
A thousande perils and mo if they were tolde
Dayly and nightly inuadeth our poore folde.
Sometime the wolfe our beastes doth deuour,
And sometime the thefe awayteth for his hour:
Or els the souldiour much worse then wolfe or thefe
Agaynst all our flocke inrageth with mischefe.
See howe my handes are with many a gall,
And stiffe as a borde by worke continuall,
My face all scoruy, my colour pale and wan,
My head all parched and blacke as any pan,
My beard like bristles, so that that a pliant leeke
With a little helpe may thrust me throw the cheeke,
And as a stockfishe wrinkled is my skinne,
Suche is the profite that I by labour winne.
But this my labour should greue me much the lesse
If rest or pleasure came of my businesse:
But one sodayne storme of thunder, hayle or rayne,
Agayne all wasteth wherfore I toke this payne.
This is the rewarde, the dede and worke diuine,
Unto whose aulters poore shepheardes incline:
To offer tapers and candles we are fayne,
And for our offering, lo, this we haue agayne.
I can not declare what pitie and mercy
Wrappeth vs wretches in this harde misery,
But this wot I well, it is both right and mede,
There moste to succour where doth appeare most nede.

Coridon
Ho there frende Cornix, thou wadest nowe to farre,
Thy selfe forgetting thou leapest ouer the barre:
Smal is my knowledge, thou many a thing hast sene,
Yet out of the way forsoth I see thee clene.
The king of heauen is mercifull and iust,
And them all helpeth which put in him their trust:
When we deserue he striketh not alway,
This in the pulpit I hear[d] syr Peter say,
Yet ofte he striketh when man is obstinate,
And by no meanes will his misliuing hate:
So all these plages and inconuenience
Fal[l]s on vs wretches onely for our offence.

Cornix
For what offence? thou art mad so to say,
Were we of that sorte which did our Lorde betray,
Or that consented our Lorde to crucify?
We neuer were suche thy selfe can testifie.

Coridon
Nowe trust me truly though thou be neuer so wroth,
I nought shall abashe to thee to say the troth:
Though we shepheardes be out of company,
Without occasion we liue vnhappely,
Seke well among vs and playnly thou shalt see
Theft, brauling, malice, discorde, iniquitie,
Wrath, lechery, leasing, enuy and couetise,
And briefly to speake, truely we want no vice.

Cornix
What, nay man pardie all we do not offence,
Yet all haue sorowe without all difference,
Say nought man but truth, do God nothing deserue
[W]ithout difference, yet be all like to sterue.

Coridon
What ceasse man for shame thou art of reason scant,
The wise nowe must learne wit of the ignoraunt:
I haue no knowledge saue onely of my tarre,
Yet this I perceaue, man should not seke to farre
In Gods workes, he all doth for the best.
If thou findest here no easement, wealth ne rest,
What then, seke farther, for playnely so shall I,
In some place fortune beholdeth merily.
I bide no longer by saint Thomas of Kent
In suche bare places where euery day is Lent,
The Frers haue store euery day of the weke,
But euery day our meat is for to seke.
I nought haue to bye, begge can I not for shame
Except that I were blinde, impotent or lame:
If suche a gadling as I should begge or craue
Of me suche mercy and pitie would men haue,
That they for almes (I sweare by Gods sockes)
In euery towne would make [m]e scoure the stockes:
That can one Drome by many assayes tell,
With that ill science I purpose not to mell,
Here nothing I haue wherfore I nede to care,
Nowe Cornix adue streight forwarde will I fare.

Cornix
Streight forwarde man, hei Benedicite,
All other people haue as great care as we,
Onely bare nede is all our payne and wo,
But these Towne dwellers haue many paynes mo,
Our payne is pleasour nere in comparison
Of their great illes and sore vexation.
Of all suche thinges haue I experience,
Then mayst thou surely geue to me credence:
Whither wilt thou go to liue more quietly?
Man all the worlde is full of misery.

Coridon
What man, the court is freshe and full of ease,
I can drawe a bowe, I shall some lorde there please,
Thy selfe can report howe I can birdes kill,
Mine arowe toucheth of them nothing but the bill,
I hurte no fleshe, nor bruse no parte at all,
Were not my shoting our liuing were but small:
Lo here a sparowe, lo here be thrushes four,
All these I killed this day within an hour.
I can daunce the raye, I can both pipe and sing,
If I were mery I can both hurle and fling,
I runne, I wrastle, I can well throwe the barre,
No shepheard throweth the axeltrie so farre,
If I were mery I could well leape and spring,
I were a man mete to serue a prince or king.
Wherfore to the Court nowe will I get me playne,
Adue swete Cornix, farewell yet once agayne,
Prouide for thy selfe, so shall I do for me.

Cornix
Do way Coridon, for Gods loue let be,
Nought els is the Court but euen the deuils mouth,
And place most carefull of East, west, north, & south:
For thy longe seruice there nede shall be thy hyre,
Out of the water thou leapest into the fyre.
We liue in sorowe I will it not deny,
But in the Court is the well of misery.

Coridon
What man, thou seest, and in likewise see I,
That lusty courtiers go alway iolily,
They haue no labour yet are they wel besene,
Barded and garded in pleasaunt white and grene,
They do nought els but reuell, slepe and drinke,
But on his foldes the poore shepheard muste thinke.
They rest, we labour, they gayly decked be
While we go ragged in nede and pouertie,
Their colour lustie, they bide no storme nor shours,
They haue the pleasoures, but all the paynes are ours.
They haue all thinges, but we wretches haue nought,
They sing, they daunce, while we sore sigh for thought.
But what bringeth them to this prosperitie,
Strength, courage, frendes, crafte and audacitie.
If I had frendes I haue all thing beside,
Which might in court a rowme for me prouide.
But sith courtiers haue this life continually,
They haue all pleasour and nought of misery.

Cornix
Not so Coridon, oft vnder yelowe lockes
Be hid foule scabbes and fearefull French pockes,
Their reuilde shirtes of cloth white, soft and thin
Ofte time cloketh a foule and scoruy skin.
And where we labour in workes profitable,
They labour sorer in worke abhominable.
They may haue shame to iet so vp and downe
When they be debtours for dublet, hose and gowne,
And in the tauerne remayne they last for lag,
When neuer a crosse is in their courtly bag.
They crake, they boste, and vaunt as they were wood,
And moste when they sit in midst of others good.
Nought haue they fooles but care and misery,
Who hath it proued all courting shall defy.

Coridon
Mary Syr by this I see by experience
That thou in the Court has kept some residence.

Cornix
Remembring of court the payne continuall
I thinke these paynes but easy, short and small:
So the remembraunce of greeuous care and payne
Causeth me gladly this hardnes to sustayne.
Who that hath liued in court I thee assure,
In stede of pleasour may this our life endure.
Our nede is eased with pleasaunt libertie,
There care is heaped with harde captiuitie,
I thought our liuing care and vexation
Before of the court or thou made mention.

Coridon
If the court be suche as thou dost playnly tell
I thinke it folly with it to deale or mell,
Better is freewill with nede and pouertie
Then in the court with harde captiuitie:
But tell me Cornix I pray thee instantly,
Howe knowest thou first this geare so perfitely.

Cornix
While I in youth in Croidon towne did dwell
Often to the court I coles brought to sell,
And then I learned and noted parfitely
Of court and courtiers the care and misery.
For I lurked and none regarded me,
Till I had knowledge of hye and lowe degree,
What was their maner, behauour and vsage,
The more I taried more sawe I of outrage.

Coridon
Then farewell courting, I see thou countest best
Here to remayne in simple welth and rest,
But in the meane season I pray thee hartily
Declare me all whole the courtly misery.
Beholde our wethers [l]ye chewing of the cud,
Here is no perill of water dike nor mud,
Slouth loueth slombring, muche slepe is reprouable,
But mery talking is greatly comfortable.
Here is colde shadowe, here is a cleare fountayne,
When wordes greueth drinke and begin agayne,
For longe time passed I haue heard of thy lore,
Which thing me moueth to heare thee talke the more.
Begin and shewe me the courtes wretchednesse,
So I perchaunce shall set therby the lesse:
And where longe talking oft greueth many a man
I shall thee furnishe with wordes nowe and then.
What say on Cornix, why art thou nowe so still?
Thy wit and reason was wont to be at will.

Cornix
Fayne would I common for pleasour and pastime,
But truth is counted most greeuous fault and crime,
And some might me heare which by their wordes soure
Might bring me in court to greeuous displeasoure,
Because I shall proue all them that court doth haunt
Miserable fooles, mad men and ignoraunt.
Therefore Coridon among the bowes prye
If there lurke any Iay, Sterling, Thrush or Pye
To note my wordes, and chat them foorth agayne,
Wherby I might winne displeasour, losse or payne.

Coridon
Losse, Gods dominus, to lose thou haste no good,
Saue hooke and cokers, thy botle and thy hood,
Thy hood all ragged can kepe no body drye,
Many hath as good, though none can them espye:
He hath small reason that hath a hood more fine,
And would for malice berob thee here of thine,
As for displeasour I warrant thee also.
Thou shalt for princes great ease and pleasour do,
For many vpon them do dayly craue and call
To be in seruice, which are not mete at all:
To be in the court they labour so gladly
Because they knowe not therof the misery.
Whom to receiue it is not profitable,
And to despise them it is not honorable.
If thou suche constrayne to leaue of their own minde,
Thou doest to princes a very pleasour kinde,
And other fooles shall take thy tale in sporte,
And neuerthelesse shall to the court resorte.
Then let not Cornix, playnly to say the troth,
Let scabbed clawe, and gyly men be wroth,
Better is for truth suffer paynes harde,
Then for false flattering to haue a great rewarde.

Cornix
Thou saiest but reason, I laude thee by saint Iohn,
Then boldly demaunde I pray thee Coridon
Of suche matters as to the court belonge,
And I shall answere, dene if it be wrong
That I haue learned by practise and science,
I shall as I may geue thee intelligence.

Coridon
The court as thou sayest is false and deceyuable,
Then tell me wherfore that men most honorable
Therin remayning abideth care and payne,
And yet by their will they will not foorth agayne.

Cornix
Many thinges be which moueth people blinde
To ren to the court with feruent heart and minde,
But of all thinges this specially is one,
The hope of honour called ambition.
Right so Minalcas did luste of honour call,
And as he counted, ambition is egall
Unto that vertue which men call charitie.
Charitie suffreth all harde aduersitie,
All payne and labour, and all vexation:
And euen as muche suffreth ambition.
For worldly wretches in honour to excell
Force not to labour downe to the pit of hell,
Lo here chiefe cause why men to court resorte,
But once in the court when they haue had comfort,
Suche is of mankinde the blinde calamitie,
That in one state if they longe time haue be,
A life there liuing but vile and full of shame,
Yet by no meane can they despise the same.
So who that in youth hath vsed courtes rage,
They finde no meane to leaue the same in age,
And to win laudes and prayse of the commontie
In no harde labour thinke they difficultie:
But if men hunted for God and hye glory,
As they hunt dayly for honour transitory,
Right fewe or none would to the court apply,
There to be tangled with care and misery.
But to the court if thou hast thine intent
Because Prelates and wise men it frequent,
Heare what the shephearde of Nazareth doth say,
As I heard Faustus declare vpon a day:
Upon the hye chayre and seat of Moyses
Sitte the olde Scribes and sect of Pharises,
Liue as they teach, but liue not as they do.
And thus in the court man must behaue him so.
His life refourming like as suche ought to liue,
Not by example which they to other giue.

Coridon
These be hye matters and farre beyonde my wit,
If suche be the court what man should mel with it?
Yet I assure thee before this I haue sene
That worthy shepheardes long in the court haue bene.

Cornix
All that I graunt thee, but aske and thou shalt finde
That suche in the court abode agaynst their mind,
As the riche shepheard which woned in Mortlake.

Coridon
O Cornix, Cornix, fele howe my hart doth quake,
On him when I thinke my heart is full of payne,
Would God that we could get him to liue agayne.
What time he liued some did him blame iwis,
Which since he died do him sore lacke and mis.
He passed Codrus, he passed Minalcas,
He passed Mopsus and also Lisidas,
None other shephearde might with that man compare,
In during his life we neded not to care,
But euer sith time that he was dead and gone
We suffer wrongs, defender haue we none,
He was the patron of thinges pastorall,
His face and fauour forget I neuer shall.
Whyle I was yong he came vnto our cotage,
Then was my father Amintas farre in age,
But the same shepheard gaue him both cloth and golde,
O Cornix, the yong be much vnlike the olde.

Cornix
Yes since his dayes a cocke was in the fen,
I knowe his voyce among a thousande men,
He taught, he preached, he mended euery wrong,
But Coridon alas no good thing bideth long.
He all was a cocke, he wakened vs from slepe,
And while we slumbred he did our foldes kepe,
No cur, no foxes, nor butchers dogges wood
Coulde hurte our fouldes, his watching was so good,
The hungry wolues which that time did abounde
What time he crowed abashed at the sounde.
This cocke was no more abashed of the foxe
Then is a lion abashed of an oxe.
When he went faded the floure of all the fen,
I boldly dare sweare this cocke trode neuer hen.
This was a father of thinges pastorall,
And that well sheweth his Church cathedrall,
There was I lately about the middest of May,
Coridon his Church is twenty sith more gay
Then all the Churches betwene the same and Kent,
There sawe I his tome and Chapell excellent.
I thought fiue houres but euen a little while,
Saint Iohn the virgin me thought did on me smile,
Our parishe Church is but a dongeon
To that gay Churche in comparison.
If the people were as pleasaunt as the place
Then were it paradice of pleasour and solace,
Then might I truely right well finde in my heart
There still to abide and neuer to departe.
But since that this cocke by death hath left his song
Trust me Coridon there many a thing is wrong,
When I sawe his figure lye in the Chapell side,
Like death for weping I might no longer bide.
Lo all good thinges so sone away doth glide,
That no man liketh to long doth rest and abide.
When the good is gone (my mate this is the case)
Seldome the better reentreth in the place.

Coridon
Thou saiest truth Cornix I make to God auowe,
But hay mate Cornix see where be we nowe?
Farre from the matter where we first began,
Begin where we left I pray thee if thou can.

Cornix
That shall I lightly: thou saydest that a sorte
Of goode olde shepheardes did to the court resorte,
But suche as be good be there agaynst their will,
For truely in court they finde lesse good then ill,
To see muche amis to them it is great payne,
When for their wordes none will his vice refrayne,
Then get they but scorne and indignation,
And for their good mindes payne and vexation.

Coridon
I pray thee Cornix procede, tell by and by.

Cornix
Of court and courtiers the payne and misery?
That were a longe matter and very harde to do.

Coridon
This is best remedy, take longer time therto.
Here is a pleasaunt shadowe, here is a pleasaunt coole,
Take banke and floures for cushen and for stoole.

Cornix
Then lay downe thy hooke, geue me the bottle nere,
With often washing the throte and voyce is clere.

Coridon
Lo here the bottle, drinke suche as is therein,
Drinke better, and then in the name of God begin,

Cornix
A syr well drawen, and that with little payne,
Then turne we our speche vnto the court agayne.
Who will to the court first let him thinke before
Whether he may suffer labour and paynes sore,
Both hunger and thirst, iniury and wrong,
For these shall he finde the rude courtiers among:
And more after these, yet let him thinke agayne
Whether in the court he may that thing obtayne
Which he desireth, me thinke the contrary,
Men would finde honour, there finde they misery.
Thus all be fooles which willingly there dwell,
Coridon the court is the bayting place of hell.

Coridon
That is hardly saide man, by the roode of rest.

Cornix
I graunt it is harde, but to say truth is best,
But yet shall I proue my saying veritable,
Aduert my wordes, see if I be culpable.
Unto our purpose: by diuers wayes three
Men may be fooles, I shall them count to thee:
They all be fooles which set their thought and minde
That thing for to seke which they shall neuer finde.
And they be fooles which seke thing with delite,
Which if they finde is harme and no profite.
And he is a foole, a sotte, and a geke also,
Which choseth a place vnto the same to go,
And where diuers wayes lead thither directly
He choseth the worst and most of ieopardie:
As if diuers wayes laye vnto Islington,
To Stow on the Wold, Quaueneth or Trompington,
To Douer, Durham, to Barwike or Exeter,
To Grantham, Totnes, Bristow or good Manchester
To Roan, Paris, to Lions or Floraunce.

Coridon
(What ho man abide, what already in Fraunce.
Lo, a fayre iourney and shortly ended to,
With all these townes what thing haue we to do?

Cornix
By God man know thou that I haue had to do
In all these townes and yet in many mo,
To see the worlde in youth me thought was best,
And after in age to geue my selfe to rest.

Coridon
Thou might haue brought one and set by our village.

Cornix
What man I might not for lacke of cariage.
To cary mine owne selfe was all that euer I might,
And sometime for ease my sachell made I light.

Coridon
To our first matter we better must entende,
Els in twelue monthes we scant shall make an ende.

Cornix
True saide, Coridon, that can I not deny,
But thine owne selfe did leade me from the way.
Unto these townes nowe to returne agayne),
To any of them all if there lay wayes twayne,
The one sure and short and leading directly,
The other way longer and full of ieopardie,
That foole were worth a bable and a hood,
Which would chose the worst, perceiuing wel the good.
One of these follies or all oppresse that sorte
Which not constrayned vnto the court resorte,
Eyther that they search which they may not attayne,
Or that which gotten shall do them hurt and payne,
Or of two wayes they vse to leaue the best,
For on no goodnes doth their desires rest.

Coridon
What is the desire and purpose principall,
Chiefly frequented among these Courtiers all,
And for what rewarde take they suche busines.

Cornix
Of that coulde Codrus the truth to expresse,
And I shall tell thee as true as the Gospell,
After like maner as I heard Codrus tell.
Who that remayne by king or princes side
Endure great paynes fiue thinges to prouide,
Who that in court may one of them purchase
Thinketh to haue wonne a pleasaunt gift of grace.
The first is honour, I tolde thee of this same,
The seconde is laude, hye name or worldly fame,
The thirde is power might or aucthoritie,
The fourth is riches chiefe roote of dignitie,
The fifte is pleasour, lust and voluptuousnes,
For these do men sue vnto the court doubtles.
Beside these be some, but they be sowen thin,
Resorting to court there soules for to win,
So muche more merit supposing to obtayne,
Howe much more they bide of displeasour & payne,
Of these all shall be my communication.

Coridon
Nowe speake on Cornix with Gods benison.

Cornix
All these shall I proue by playne experience
Not onely witles and voyde of sapience,
But also fooles, men ignoraunt and wood,
And of all fooles moste worthy of a hood.
But or I begin I take thee to witnes,
That no prince I blame deliting in goodnes:
But onely to speake by protestation,
To say nought but truth is no detraction.
Agaynst our soueraigne nothing do I reply,
In whom all vertue doth spring abundantly:
And other princes and lordes great or small,
While they flee vices I blame none of them all.
And though in talking often times call I must
Some princes subiect to folly, sinne, and lust,
I would not haue that ascribed to them all.
I am not so fonde, so dull nor rusticall,
But that I perceyue that many princes be,
Whose life and vertue is after their degree.
With feare of God and dread of payne doubtles
They slake those vices which riseth on nobles.
And where ofte vices spring moste in hye degree,
By men of riches, wealth, lust and libertie,
Because that no man dare blame them for offence,
Yet some noble men so gide them by prudence,
Namely assisted by the supernall grace,
So that wit ruleth and lustes haue no place.
Among Gentiles suche princes fi[n]de I can,
As Augustus, Titus, and eke Uespasian,
Traian, Antonius with many other mo,
And Christen princes many one also.
As rich Constantine and olde Archadius,
Theodocius, Charles, and Honorius,
Yea and holy Henry lying at Windesore,
Of such could I count mo then a twentie score.
Beside noble Henry which nowe departed late,
Spectacle of vertue to euery hye estate,
The patrone of peace and primate of prudence,
Which on Gods Church hath done so great expence.
Of all these princes the mercy and pitie,
The loue of concorde, iustice and equitie,
The purenes of life and giftes liberall,
Not lesse vertuous then the said princes all.
And Henry the eyght moste hye and triumphant,
No gifte of vertue nor manlines doth want,
Mine humble spech and language pastorall
If it were able should write his actes all:
But while I ought speake of courtly misery,
Him with all suche I except vtterly.
But what other princes commonly frequent
As true as I can to shewe is mine intent,
But if I should say that all the misery,
Which I shall after rehearse and specify,
Were in the court of our moste noble kinge,
I should fayle truth, and playnly make leasing,
And if that I sayde that in it were no vice,
So should I lye, in like maner wise.
As for my part, I blame no man at all,
Saue such as to vice be subiect, bounde and thrall.
For among all men this wise standeth the case,
That more ill then good doth growe in euery place.

Coridon
Right well excused, I thought not erst sithene,
That simple Cornix had halfe this subtiltie.
But nowe appereth the very truth certayne,
That men of worship haue not best wit and brayne.
Nowe tell howe Courtiers which gape for honour,
In stede of honour finde paynes sharpe and sour.

Cornix
All they which suffer in court labour and payne,
Thereby supposing true honour to obtayne,
It much abuseth, my wordes nor doctrine
Be much vnable to geue them medicine.
For Elebor the olde with all his salues pure
Their wilfull foly could scantly helpe and cure.
What man would thinke that true honour profounde
In princes halles or courtes may be founde.
There none hath honour by vertue and cunning,
By maners, wisedome, sadnes nor good liuing.
But who hath power, hye rowmes or riches,
He hath moste honour and laude of more and lesse.
For what poore man, a playne and simple soule,
Though he were holy as euer was Saint Powle,
Haste thou euer seene exalted of a king
For all his maners and vertuous liuing.
These be the wordes of Shepherde Siluius,
Which after was pope, and called was Pius.

Coridon
What yes man perdie right many haue bene sene,
Which in poore houses borne and brought vp haue bene
That from lowe rowmes and carefull pouertie
Be nowe exalted to greatest dignitie.

Cornix
Such is the pleasure of princes, to promote
Such vnto honour, which scant be worth a grote.
But whom promote they? geue credence vnto me,
Such as in maners to them moste likest be,
And in what maners? in beastly lechery,
In couetise, ire, or in vile gluttony,
In hastie murther and other crueltie:
Beleue me Coridon, I say but veritie:
A couetous prince hath him moste acceptable,
Which gathereth coyne by meanes disceyuable:
As false accusing, and wrong extortion,
Selling of Iustice, fraude and oppression,
A lecherous prince hath him best in conceyte,
Which can by craftes his place and time best wayt,
Uirgins and wiues moste fayre and amiable
To bring to his bed for lust abhominable.
And a dronken prince hath him as derest mate,
Which moste can surfet, moste reuell and drinke late.
And vnto a prince which loueth crueltie,
Chiefely in fauour and conceyte is he,
Which moste deliteth in sheding mans bloud,
Fewe vicious princes promote such as be good.
Nowe is accepted of men of hye degree,
Nor set in honour from humble pouertie.
Except he done some dede so great of fame,
That all the world may wonder at the same.
But this same honour is neither true nor stable,
Which groweth of roote so ill and detestable.
For very honour, and true or perfect glory
Commeth of actes of laudable memory:
In supportation of right and equitie,
Or in defending the Church and commontie.
Or other actes common or priuate
Which sound to worship, these make a true estate.
But such true honour fewe princes do deserue,
And no more do they which in the court them serue:
Sith all almoste be of misgouernaunce,
For no good do they except it be by chaunce.

Coridon
Yet at the least way such men reputed be
Men of great honour amonge the commontie:
For while such walke in court or in strete,
Eche man inclineth which them doth see or mete.
Off goeth the bonet, a becke at euery worde,
Eche man must needes geue place vnto my Lorde.
After his degree, birth or promotion,
Suche of the commons haue salutation.
And shortly to say, men do them more honour,
Then to the figure of Christ our Sauiour.

Cornix
It is as thou sayest forsooth my Coridon,
But harke what they say at last when men be gone,
Then they salute them in the deuils name,
And pray vnto God that they may dye with shame.
And so doth many by torment and dolour
When fikle fortune liketh on them to loure.
But such as do stoupe to them before their face
Geueth them a mocke when they be out of place:
And one doth whisper soft in anothers eare,
And sayth, this tiran is feller then a bere.

Coridon
Why, and feare they no more for to say thus?

Cornix
No, but harke man what sayth the good pope Siluius
Lo, this same is he which by his bad councell
Causeth our prince to be to vs to fell.
This same is he which rayseth deme and taxe,
This same is he which strayned men on rackes.
This same is he which causeth all this warre,
This same is he which all our wealth doth marre.
This is of Commons the very deadly mall,
Which with these charges thus doth oppresse vs all.
Who him displeaseth he beateth all to dust,
This same is he which killeth whom him lust,
That all the deuils of hell him hence cary,
That we no longer endure his tiranny.
This is the honour and all the reuerence
Geuen vnto them when they be from presence.
But in such honour who euer hath delite,
Which is fraudfull, so faynt and vnperfite.
I am not afeard to call him mad and blinde,
And a very foole, or els a sot of kinde.

Coridon
Cornix my frende, thou speakest nowe to playne,
I feare least this gere shall turne vs vnto payne
If any man be nere, be still a while and harke.

Cornix
I feare not at all nowe I am set on warke:
Beside this (Coridon) in court moste part doth dwell
Flatterers and lyers, curriers of fafell,
Iugglers and disers, and such a shamefull rable
Which for a dinner laude men nothing laudable.
But men circumspect which be discrete and wise,
Doth such vayne laudes vtterly despise.
For truely no laude is named good nor true,
Except it proceede of men which loue vertue.
A ribaudes blame is commendation,
Such vse to slaunder good conuersation.
But suche they commende as be to them semblable,
So their dispraysing to thee is profitable.

Coridon
Nowe truely my heart is eased with the same,
For Godfrey Gormand lately did me blame.
And as for him selfe, though he be gay and stoute,
He hath nought but foly within and eke without.
To blowe in a bowle, and for to pill a platter,
To girne, to braule, to counterfayte, to flatter,
He hath no felowe betwene this and Croydon,
Saue the proude plowman (Gnato) of Chorlington.
Because he alway maligneth against me,
It playne appereth our life doth not agree.
For if we liued both after one rate,
Then should I haue him to me a frendly mate.
But Cornix proceede, tell forth of dignitie.

Cornix
Often in my tale I hindred am by thee.
Such as for honour vnto the court resort,
Looke seldome times vpon the lower sort:
To the hyer sort for moste part they intende,
For still their desire is hyer to ascende.
And when none can make with them comparison,
Against their princes conspire they by treason.
Then when their purpose can not come well to frame,
Agayne they discende and that with vtter shame.
Coridon thou knowest right well what I meane,
We lately of this experience haue seene.
When men would ascende to rowmes honorable,
Euer is their minde and lust insaciable.
What euer they haue, they count the same but small,
While ought is greater, nought can them please but all.
And once in Cambridge I heard a scoller say,
(One of the same which go in copes gay)
That no man should fixe ende of felicitie
In worldly honour, hye rowme or dignitie:
For it is a thing incertayne and vnstable,
Which man of him selfe to puruay is not able.
In another power this honour alway is,
Who moste it seeketh, of it doth often misse.
And who that serueth for honour and hye name,
And in this world to get him noble fame,
Much payne abideth through cares and distresse.
And with many men he hath much busynes:
And oft must he rather the minde of men content,
Then do the pleasure of God omnipotent.
Then sith two honours of diuers sortes be,
One which is geuen of men of honestie.
The second honoure is of a multitude:
For very truth that man of wit is rude,
Which hunteth in court for the first honour,
The same to purchace by care and great labour.
As fortune honour no man can there obtayne,
Where neyther maners nor vertues do rayne.
The seconde honour is of commontie,
Who that requireth, yet more foolishe is he.
For he demaundeth a thing right perillous,
Unsure, vnstable and also vicious,
But both these sortes alway be vexed sore,
When they in honour see many them before,
And often times suche as moste vnworthy be.
For in court seldome is lauded honestie.
Thus who of honour and laude is couetous,
Unto him the court is moste contrarious.
And no where he findeth greater vexation,
Then folowing the court, suing ambition.
For who would ascende to honour principall,
Findeth in the court moste care and payne of all.

Coridon
We haue ynough had of communication
As touching honour and commendation,
Or worldly praysing for rowmes and hye name:
And though more might be declared of the same.
What leaue some my mate for other on to brall,
It were ouermuch for vs to talke of all.
Nowe talke we of might or hye aucthoritie,
Howe men for the same loue in the court to be.
Speede thee, for cloudes appere on euery side,
If any storme fall we can not longer abide.

Cornix
As touching power, might or aucthoritie:
Some thinke in the court in fauour great to be.
To be with princes of power excellent,
Some fooles counteth a thing preeminent.
Or that men should him a kinges tutour call,
Much to commaund, but nought to do at all.
Both peace and battayle to order at his will,
To be of power both to do good and ill.
But many a thousande which haue such power sought,
Haue bene disceyued, and shortly come to nought.
As with one Nero named [C]laudus,
In so great fauour was one Seianus,
That while this Nero was farre from his empire,
Seianus ruled the same at his desire,
So much that Seian had honour then in deede,
As of all the worlde counted the seconde head.
That if this Nero had died or his houre,
This Seian truely should haue bene emperour.
But by one letter he after taken was,
In vtter dishonour deposed from his place.
Led for a spectacle streyght vnto Tiber banke,
And there beheded, such was his mede and thanke.
All his ymages in his honour erect
Were with great malice downe to the grounde deiect.
Thus all his power ended with care and shame,
Who that hath wisedome will note and marke the same.
It is no matter nor thing of certayntie
With mighty princes of great power to be.
No state is febler, more weake and incertayne
Then such as semeth great with his souerayne.
He hath enuious maligners and ill will,
All out of fauour adiudgeth him for ill.
And all the housholde doth commonly him hate,
Which with the master is seruaunt and nere mate.
And this in the world is seene moste commonly,
That all hye rowmes be subiect to enuy.
Such of all other be hated and suspect,
If they ought offende, it lightly is detect.
And from all defence if they be clere and quite,
Then lye they in wayte them sharply to bacbite.
Some for them study fraudes, disceyte and gile,
And talebearers walke and greue them otherwhile.
And like as thine eye is grieued with a mote,
So princes fauour (though it be neuer so hote)
Is lightly grieued, and that for small offence,
Though it were gotten with paynefull diligence.
And oft is it lost for none offence at all,
So much with princes may tonges false make fall.
So much talebearers by craftes forge can,
That the Emperour called Adrian
Slewe his olde frendes, and hated many one
By these talebearers and false detraction.
And many Princes or this haue done the same
By hasty credence, distayning sore their name.
And as in Croidon I heard the Collier preache,
That holy scripture doth vs infourme and teache,
Howe Saule, Dauid, and prudent Salomon
Commaunded to be slayne of such many one,
As hath bene with them in great aucthoritie.
And dayly of such may we example see.
Because Isaac in might did rise and stande,
False Abimelech him droue out of his lande.
And Alexander with his owne handes slewe
Citron his frende, which he did after rewe.
Because he compared vnto this conquerour
His father Philippus, laudes and honour.
And such like chaunce but lately did befall
In the lande of Apuly to the great Senescall:
Which was so greatly in fauour with the Quene,
That none was so great as he him selfe did wene.
And thought in fauour to bide more stedfastly,
For he abused the Queene dishonestly.
But to another the Queene turned her loue,
And then him murdred his presence to remoue.
And when she had founde the meanes him to kill,
Then had she diuers louers at her will.

Coridon
O cursed woman, and deede of crueltie.

Cornix
Yea yea Coridon, mo be as bad as she,
Some haue by malice their sucking children slayne.
But to my matter will I retourne agayne.
Their fraude and malice I will not nowe declare,
Who with them dealeth perceyueth what is care.
But nowe (Coridon) to princes to returne,
Who pleaseth this day is out agayne the morne.
Right fewe or none are by a Princes side
Which doth in fauour continually abide.
While one ascendeth, another doth discende,
This is the thing whereto they moste intende.
And which in court men chiefely go about,
Them selues to bring in, and rub another out.
And then to climbe vp to office and renowme,
And while they ascende to thrust another downe.
Eche one desireth his felowe to excell,
There is none order, no more then is in hell.
No loue, no fauour, fayth nor fidelitie,
One brother can not sure for another be.
The sonne for the father hath no compassion,
And like pitie hath the father of his sonne.
Eche man for him selfe, and the frende for all,
Eche one desireth to be the principall.
Eche one will commaunde and haue preeminence,
And if any one haue place of excellence,
He hath about him a thousande eyne and nine,
And as many tonges to put him to ruine.
On euery side enuyers him awayte,
Deuising meanes to bring him from his state.
A man of power which many men may deare
Hath euer ill will, thus may he many feare.
Hye towres decay builded by flouds side,
Which doth the waues continually abide.
What shall a shepherde do in the court to tende,
Whose life and seruice on one man doth depende.
Though thou in fauour be with a princes or king,
Yet trust not therein, it is vncertayne thing.
Thou haste him not bounde to thee with chayns strong
Of lead or yron to last and tary long.
But with feble waxe suche bande can not last,
When loue waxeth colde, then shall the linkes brast.
The feruour of wrath shall them consume and melt,
Then is thy fauour scant worth a shepes pelt.

Coridon
Of some haue I heard of men of great honour,
Which haue in the court bid alway in fauour.
Till time their princes departed from this life,
And then with the newe had like prerogatife.
Thus in the court nothing so variable
As thou rehearsest, nor yet so reprouable.

Cornix
I graunt thee Coridon, some such haue there bene,
But that is a birde which seldome time is sene.
That is but fortune, and chaunce not on to trust,
But many be throwen vnwarely to the dust.
Some while their princes still liued in renowme,
But when they depart, all turneth vp set downe.
Then if some haue fauour with princes successours,
We see them seldome set in so hye honours,
As with their elders they did before obtayne,
A man soone falleth, and slowe is vp agayne.
So many we see deposed from degree:
And howe much the more they were in dignitie,
So much more after be they vile and abiect,
Their auncient name counted of none effect.
Then they perceyue who was their frende and fo,
Before in honour forsooth they could not so.
To men of power some often stoupe and becke,
Which gladly would see their heades from the necke.
When they by fortune are on the grounde agayne,
Then laugh their foes and haue at them disdayne.
Their frendes dolour and sorowe is not small,
Their owne disworship a shame is worst of all.
For after they liue still in dolour and distresse,
In shame, rebukes, in care and heauynes.
This is the common ende and sure conclusion
Of such as with princes serue for promotion,
Wherfore I dare call them fooles before thee,
Which serue in the court for might or dignitie.

Coridon
Forsooth mate Cornix, I can not well denye,
But that such chaunces do happen commonly.
Then better is small fire one easyly to warme,
Then is a great fire to do one hurt or harme.
I am assured, as for thy selfe and me,
We nede not to feare to fall from our degree.
Beggery is lowest, who that can fare withall
Needeth not to feare to lower state to fall.
But haue done Cornix, and tell the wretchednes
Of such as in court serue onely for riches.
As for the other, the best that we do may
Is, to differre it vntill another day.

Cornix
Well sayde Coridon, I am content with that,
But first let me drinke, I shall the better chat.
This whey is soure, but vse easeth the payne,
Drinke Coridon, and stop it vp agayne.

Coridon
Nowe say on Cornix, thy talking liketh me,
I see that counsell excludeth capacitie.
Saue for thy wisedome or this time as I wene,
With courtly misery I tangled should haue bene.
But well fare councell when it is true and good,
I would that Minalcas this also vnderstoode.

Cornix
Many of the court resort dayly doubtlesse,
In youth to gather some treasure or riches,
Then against age they may go out agayne,
And afterwarde liue without labour or payne.
In hope of this ease and latter libertie,
Many in the court bide longe captiuitie.
And if some courtier thus to him selfe doth say,
Alas shall I neuer ought for my selfe puruey.
When shall I in court some litle banke procure,
That from the bagge and staffe mine age may be sure.
The foole thinketh then moste riches for to haue
Against such season when nerest is his graue.
When nere is ended his iourney of this life,
Then is he for vitayle moste busy and pensife.
Our Sauiour sayth: It is as harde doubtles
To one which fixeth his pleasure on riches
To enter that royalme which is aboue the skye,
As an asse to enter through a needels eye.
I heard our Uicar say in like maner wise
Once when he preached against couetise:
Then it is foly great riches to purchace,
And by it to lose the hope of heauenly place.
Is not Christ able his poore men to sustayne,
Yes, and to rid them out of all other payne.
The poore Apostles be greater nowe of fame
Then riche Cresus, for all his royall name.
When man hath in God his trust and confidence,
In all time of neede he fayleth none expence.
All good men fixe their trust in God pardie,
He knoweth better what thing we neede then we.
Of some poore freers is made more curiously,
Then is some Abbey or riche monastery.
The first hath their trust in God our Creatour,
The other trusteth vpon their vayne treasour.
Thus God oft helpeth them that in him haue trust,
When worldly riches men leaueth in the dust.

Coridon
Cornix, thy promise was not to preache,
But me of the courtiers misery to teache.
Against thine owne selfe thou speakest nowe perdie,
For first thou grutched against pouertie.
Agayne, thou blamest plentie of riches nowe,
But fewe men liuing thy saying will alowe.
For without riches, thou sayest openly
Uertue nor cunning nowe be nothing set by.

Cornix
I will not denye, but it is neede doubtles
For all men liuing for to haue some riches,
But trust me Coridon, there is diuersitie
Betwene to haue riches, and riches to haue thee.
Then thou hast riches when thou despisest store,
Bestowest it well, and forcest not therefore.
But riches haue thee when wretched couetise
Thy minde subdueth to euery ill and vice.
And when thy desire is yet insaciable
Though thou haue treasure almoste innumerable.
Such maner riches (the Collyer tell thee can)
Is vile and odible both vnto God and man.
But nowe to the court for to returne agayne,
Some thinke by princes great riches to obtayne.
But while they couete inriched for to be,
Coridon, forsooth they lese their libertie.
And yet if I should the very truth expres,
No man can in court finde iust and true riches.
If thy lorde geue thee eyther golde or fee,
Unto his seruice more art thou bounde perdie.
Saint Gregory sayth, affirming the same thing,
In greatest giftes is greatest reckening.
But if thou wilt then forth of the court depart,
When by thy prince inriched thus thou art.
Then shall be founde some gile, some fraude or trayne,
By meane wherof thou lesest all agayne.
A fault shall be founde, some one shall thee accuse
Of thing wherof thou did neuer thinke nor muse.
Though thou be giltlesse, yet shalt thou be conuict,
Fare well, thy good all shall be from thee lickt,
Or some backe reckening concerning thine office
Of all thy riches shall pill thee with a trice.
Then art thou clapped in the Flete or Clinke,
Then nought must thou say, whatsoeuer thou thinke.
For if thou begin to murmure or complayne,
Thy life thou lesest, then haste thou harmes twayne.

Coridon
Yet were it better for to continue still
As longe in the court as is the princes will.

Cornix
If thou continue, thou must be diligent
And ready at hande at eche commaundement,
When he commaundeth, thou must be prest to fight
To ride and to go by day and eke by night.
No dreade, no daunger may helpe thee nor excuse,
No payne nor perill mayst thou flee or refuse.
Sometime must thou be in ayre contagious,
And in thousandes other of chaunces perillous.
What he commaundeth, that nedes do thou must,
Be it good or ill, rightwise or uniust.
Laugh when he laugheth, all if thine heart be sad,
Wepe when he wepeth, be thou neuer so glad.
Laude what he laudeth, though it be not laudable,
Blame what he blameth, though it be commendable.
And shortly to speake, thou must all thing fulfill
As is his pleasure, and nothing at thy will.
None of thy wittes are at thy libertie,
Unto thy master they needes must agree.
What is more foolishe, more fonde or imprudent
Then to get riches by such extreme torment.
For nought it is els but playne a phrensey
To bide for riches this care and misery.
It would make one clawe where as it doth not itche
To see one liue poore because he would dye riche.
Because one in court hath gotten good, or twayne,
Should all men suppose the same there to obtayne?
And in hope thereof to lose their libertie,
But seeking riches, such findeth pouertie.
For many in court while they abide riches,
Spende all their treasure and liue in wretchednes,
What saith some foole, spende on a bone viage,
Perchaunce my wages shall passe mine heritage.
But while he spendeth till scant remayne a grote,
Home he retourneth, yea, with a threede bare coate.
His horse is so fat, that playne he is not able
To get his body nor head out of the stable.
His sworde and buckler is pledged at the bere,
And to go lighter, so is his other gere.
The rider walketh now with his bowe and arowes,
With a fayre excuse (in hedges to kill sparowes).
And oft returning he sayde, but all to late.
Adue all courting in the deuils date.

Coridon
A syr, this passeth nowe by the rode of some,
Better were for suche to haue bid at home.
But tell me Cornix, hath all men the bondage
And payne of the court for no more aduauntage.

Cornix
Yes, sometime riches is geuen by some chaunce
To such as of good haue greatest aboundaunce.
Likewise as streames vnto the sea do glide,
But on bare hilles no water will abide:
So if a poore man serue in the court longe while,
Fortune shall neuer so frendly on him smile,
But that a riche man in rowme or hye dignitie
For a litle seruice hath more rewarde then he.
As for the seruice, none in the court shall ponder,
They note the person, still is the poore kept vnder.
For a litle man mete is a small hakney,
So smallest persons haue small rewarde alway.
But men of worship set in aucthoritie
Must haue rewardes great after their degree.
And (Coridon) princes geue nought I tell thee playne,
But when that they lust reuoke agayne.
And so such thinges which princes to thee geue,
To thee be as sure as water in a siue.
Thou mayest not of them make alienation,
Nor the same carye vnto another nation.
Thou mayest not dispose them after thine intent,
But like as thy prince is pleased and content.
Then such vayne riches can be thine by no skill,
Sith thou haste no might to spende them at thy will.
Yea, and moreouer thou haste no facultie
The same to bequeath at will when thou must dye.
If thou want issue, no man shall be thine heyre
Saue onely the prince, thus doth the world fare.
If thou haue issue, succeede shall they not thee,
Except with thy prince they will in seruice be.
How many haue be slayne me needeth not expresse
Of such as them erst auaunced to riches.
So princes are wont with riches some to fede,
As we do our swine when we of larde haue nede.
We fede our hogges them after to deuour,
When they be fatted by costes and labour.
In like wise princes promoteth many one,
And when they be riche, they gnaw them to the bone.
Like as Longinus and Seneca doubtlesse,
Which as sayth Codrus were slayne for their riches,
So writeth Pius (whom some Eneas call)
A clause alleaging of famous Iuuenall.

Coridon
The more of the court that thou doest count and tell,
The lesse me liketh with it to deale or mell.

Cornix
What bide Coridon, yet haste thou not heard all,
The Court is in earth an ymage infernall,
Without fayre paynted, within vggly and vile,
This know they surely which there hath bene a while.
But of our purpose nowe for to speake agayne,
Fewe princes geue that which to them selfe attayne.
Trust me Coridon, I tell thee by my soule,
They robbe saint Peter therewith to cloth S. Powle.
And like as dayly we both may see and here,
Some pill the Churche, therewith to leade the quere.
While men promoted by such rapine are glad,
The wretches pilled mourne and be wo and sad.
And many heyres liue giltlesse in distresse,
While vnworthy hath honour and riches.
But such vile giftes may not be true playnly,
Nor yet possessed by lawe rightwisely.
And sith fewe rowmes of lordly dignitie
Be won or holden with right and equitie,
Say what thing haue they to geue by lawe and right,
Sith their chiefe treasure is won by wrongful might.
Whence come their iewels, their coyn, and cloth of price,
Saue moste by rapine and selling of Iustice,
Els of Saint Peters, or Christes patrimony.
Nowe fewe be founders, but confounders many.
These be no giftes true, honest nor laudable,
Neyther to the geuer nor taker profitable.
These men call giftes of none vtilitie,
Which thus proceedeth of false iniquitie.
Then leaue we this vice while all good men it hate,
For couetous with coyne be neuer saciate.
I hearde syr Sampson say but this other day,
That Ierome and Seneca do both this sentence say,
That couetous wretches not onely want that thing
Which they neuer had in title nor keeping.
But that which they haue also they want and fayle,
Sith they it hauing of it haue none auayle.
And as I remember, olde Codrus sayde also
That golde nought helpeth when we must hence go.
Scant haue we pleasure of it while we here tary,
And none can his store nor glory with him cary.
Thus ought we to liue as hauing all in store,
But nought possessing, or caring nought therefore.
What should christen men seeke farther for riches,
Hauing foode and cloth it si ynough doubtlesse,
And these may our Lorde geue vnto vs truely.
Without princes seruice or courtly misery.
Thus finde we in court playne no riches at all,
Or els finde we such with care continuall.
That it were better no riches to haue founde
Then for false treasure in thraldome to be bound.

Coridon
Looke vp mate Cornix, beholde into the west,
These windy cloudes vs threatneth some tempest.
My clothes be thin, my shepe be shorne newe,
Such storme might fall that both might after rewe.
Driue we our flockes vnto our poore cotage,
To morowe of court we may haue more language.
This day haste thou tolde and proued openly
That all such courtiers do liue in misery.
Which serue in the court for honour, laude or fame,
And might or power, thou proued haste this same:
And that all they liue deepest in distresse
Which serue there to win vayne treasour and riches.
As for the other two, and if ought more remayne,
Thou mayest tell to morowe when we turne agayne.

Cornix
I graunt Coridon, take vp thy bottell sone,
Lesse is the burthen nowe that the drinke is done,
Lo here is a sport, our bottell is contrary
To a Cowes vtter, and I shall tell thee why.
With a full vtter retourneth home the cowe,
So doth not the bottell as it appereth nowe.
Coridon, we must haste in our iourney make,
Or els shall the storme vs and our shepe ouertake.

Here beginneth the seconde Egloge of the miseryes of Courtiers.

Coridon
How fel this Cornix, why taryed thou so long,
This is the fourth daye, some thinge is with thee wronge,
Els some perturbance of houshold busynes
Unto thy pasture hath made thee tende the lesse.

Cornix
Codrus the richest Shepherde of our coast,
Which of his wethers is wont him selfe to boast,
Unto a banket frendly inuited me
The same day after I departed fro thee:
While I him helped his gestes for to chere,
That hath me caused so lately to be here.

Coridon
Who fatly fareth with costly meate and drinke,
For worke behouefull doth litle care or thinke.
When full is the wombe the bones would haue rest,
Fye on such surfeyt, fayre temperaunce is best.
My wiues gray hen one egge layde euery day,
My wife fed her well to cause her two to lay.
But when she was fat, then layde she none at all,
I trowe that like chaunce be vnto thee befall.
For nowe of thy flocke thou hast no minde nor care,
Since time thy wittes were dulled with fat fare.

Cornix
Not so Coridon, for when I sup at home,
I oft go to bed with faynt and hungry wombe:
Then lye I slumbring to win in slepe I thinke
That same which I lost for want of meate and drinke.
But when I am fed, then sleepe I stedfastly,
And after short rest then worke I lustely.

Coridon
A birde well ingorged kepes well her nest,
A full bely asketh a bed full of rest.

Cornix
That is when dyet exceedeth temperaunce,
Then foloweth slouth and all misgouernaunce:
As brauling, babling, discorde and lechery,
Blaspheming, lying, craking and periury.
But as touching me, because I want at home,
When I am abroade I furnish well my wombe.
Yet more I take not then nature may sustayne,
And then sore worke I it to disgest agayne.
So did I with Codrus till I am fatigate.

Coridon
I wist well something made thee to come so late.
Me list no longer to common of excesse,
But tell me Cornix what was thy busynes.

Cornix
The riuer began the bankes to ouerflowe
At diuers partes, where as the ground was lowe.
For might of water will not our leasure bide,
We fayne were our shepe a while to set aside.
And both day and night to put to our diligence
For to ouercome the floudes violence.
Strengthing our bankes, and heyghting them agayne
Which were abated with flouds or great rayne.

Coridon
The earth in this poynt is like maners of men,
From hye groundes water descendeth to the fen.
The hye mountaynes of water them discharge,
And lade the riuers with floudes great and large.
Agayne the riuers dischargeth them likewise,
And chargeth the Sea: so mens common gise
Is alway to lay the burthen or the sacke
(Which them sore grieueth) vpon some other backe.

Cornix
Nothing is truer then is this of thee sayde,
It is a true prouerbe, and pretyly conuayde.

Coridon
But nowe thou art come, I pray thee heartyly,
Begin where thou left of Courtiers misery.
The heauen is clere, the cloudes cleane away,
Which is a token of caume and pleasant day.
The poynted birdes with pleasaunt tunes sing,
The dewy floures freshly doth smell and spring.
All thing reioyceth, eche thing doth nature kepe,
Then were it great shame to vs to snort and slepe.
By mery talking long time seemeth short,
In frendly speeche is solace and comfort.

Cornix
As I remember, we spake last of riches,
Nowe talke we of lust or voluptuousnes.
Forsooth some wretches of maners vile and rude
Haue counted in lust most hye beatitude.
And namely the sect which folowe Epicure,
Which shamefull sect doth to this day indure.
Whom the Philosophers and clerkes now a dayes
Despise with wordes, yet folowe they his wayes.
For what is that clerke or prelate in honour,
Which cleane despiseth all temporall pleasour.
And therfore perchaunce if any such there be,
Despising to looke on fayrenes or beautye,
Despising odours or sapour delicate,
And pleasaunt touching despising in like rate:
Some call them happy which can such thing exclude,
But no men count them of maners dull and rude.
For two diuers wayes doth mans life contayne,
The one of vertue, of diligence and payne:
The other of lust, of pleasure, mirth and rest,
The first despising, men count the second best.
The way of vertue is rough and desolate,
With weede and thornes shut, for all men it hate.
Fewe it frequenteth or folowe in regarde,
For the first entry to them appereth harde.
The way of pleasure is playne and euident,
And greatly worne, for many it frequent.
The harde way of vertue at ende hath quietnes,
The playne way of pleasure hath daunger and distresse.
Yet where one haunteth the passage of vertue,
For that one foure score their lustes doth insue.

Coridon
These matters be hye and semeth me diffuse,
Drawe to our purpose, cause me no longer muse.

Cornix
Though I be poore and here nothing set by,
Yet haue I or this sene some Philosophy,
But the lacke of vse hurteth all science,
And wretched thraldome is enemie to prudence.
What time the person is counted as abiect,
Then langour maketh the wit of small effect.
A famous doctor is blinded among fooles,
Onely his valour is clerest in the scholes.
A precious stone well couched in pure golde
Is bright and comely, and goodly to beholde,
Throwe it in the mire then is the beautie gone
And hid for the time, both of the golde and stone.
For lacke of vsing a sworde earst glased bright
With rust is eaten, made foule and blacke to sight:
Right so my reason sometime freshe to deuise,
Is nowe made rusty for lacke of exercise.

Coridon
By this disputing thou mayst scoure of the rust,
Returne nowe to speake of pleasour and lust.

Cornix
Many blinde wretches bide in the court labour,
There wening to win their lustes and pleasour,
But it is a wonder and matter chiefe of all
To speake of their folly and appetite rurall:
But first let vs talke what pleasour is there sene
With the fiue wittes, beginning at the eyne.

Coridon
That is truth Cornix, right many thinges there be
Which men haue pleasour and great delite to see,
And these in the court be moste in abundaunce.

Cornix
Nay, there has the sight no maner of pleasaunce,
And that shall I proue long time or it be night.
Some men deliteth beholding men to fight,
Or goodly knightes in pleasaunt apparayle,
Or sturdie souldiers in bright harnes and male,
Or an army arayde ready to the warre,
Or to see them fight, so that he stande afarre.
Some glad is to see these Ladies beauteous
Goodly appoynted in clothing sumpteous:
A number of people appoynted in like wise
In costly clothing after the newest gise,
Sportes, disgising, fayre coursers mount and praunce,
Or goodly ladies and knightes sing and daunce,
To see fayre houses and curious picture,
Or pleasaunt hanging, or sumpteous vesture
Of silke, of purpure or golde moste orient,
And other clothing diuers and excellent,
Hye curious buildinges or palaces royall,
Or Chapels, temples fayre and substanciall,
Images grauen or vaultes curious,
Gardeyns and medowes, or place delicious,
Forestes and parkes well furnished with dere,
Colde pleasaunt streames or welles fayre and clere,
Curious cundites or shadowie mountaynes,
Swete pleasaunt valleys, laundes or playnes,
Houndes, and suche other thinges manyfolde
Some men take pleasour and solace to beholde.
But all these pleasoures be much more iocounde
To priuate persons which not to court be bounde,
Then to suche other whiche of necessitie
Are bounde to the court as in captiuitie.
For they which be bounde to princes without fayle,
When they must nedes be present in battayle
There shall they not be at large to see the sight,
But as souldiours in middest of the fight,
To runne here and there sometime his foe to smite,
And oftetimes wounded, herein is small delite.
And more muste he think his body to defende,
Then for any pleasour about him to intende,
And oft is he faynt and beaten to the grounde,
I trowe in suche sight small pleasour may be founde.
As for fayre ladies clothed in silke and golde
In court at thy pleasour thou canst not beholde,
At thy princes pleasour thou shalt them onely see,
Then suche shalt thou see which little set by thee,
Whose shape and beautie may so enflame thine heart,
That thought and langour may cause thee for to smart.
For a small sparcle may kindle loue certayne,
But scantly Seuerne may quench it clene agayne.
And beautie blindeth and causeth man to set
His heart on the thing which he shall neuer get.
To see men clothed in silkes pleasauntly
It is small pleasour, and ofte causeth enuy.
While thy leane Iade halteth by thy side
To see another vpon a Courser ride,
Though he be neyther gentleman nor knight,
Nothing is thy fortune thy hart can not be light.
As touching sportes and games of pleasaunce,
To sing, to reuell and other daliaunce:
Who that will truely vpon his lorde attende
Unto suche sportes he seldome may entende.
Palaces, pictures and temples sumptuous,
And other buildinges both gay and curious:
These may marchauntes more at their pleasour see,
Then suche as in court be bounde alway to bee.
Sith kinges for moste parte passe not their regions,
Thou seest nowe Cities of foreyn nations.
Suche outwarde pleasoures may the people see,
So may not courtiers for lacke of libertie.
As for these pleasours of thinges variable
Which in the fieldes appeare[t]h delectable,
But seldome season mayest thou obtayne respite
The same to beholde with pleasour and delite.
Sometime the courtier remayneth halfe the yere
Close within walles muche like a prisonere,
To make escapes some seldome times are wont,
Saue when their princes haue pleasour for to hunt,
Or els otherwise them selfe to recreate,
And then this pleasour shall they not loue but hate:
For then shall they foorth most chiefely to their payne,
When they in mindes would at home remayne.
Other in the frost, hayle or els snowe,
Or when some tempest or mightie wind doth blowe,
Or els in great heat and feruour excessife,
But close in houses the moste parte waste their life,
Of colour faded, and choked nere with dust:
This is of courtiers the ioy and all the lust.

Coridon
What, yet may they sing and with fayre ladies daunce,
Both commen and laugh, herein is some pleasaunce.

Cornix
Nay, nay, Coridon, that pleasour is but small,
Some to contente what man will pleasour call,
For some in the daunce hir pincheth by the hande,
Which gladly would see him stretched in a bande.
Some galand seketh hir fauour to purchase,
Which playne abhoreth for to beholde his face.
And still in daunsing most parte inclineth she
To one muche viler and more abiect then he.
No day ouerpasseth but that in court men finde
A thousande thinges to vexe and greue their minde.
Alway thy foes are present in thy sight,
And often so great is their degree and might
That nedes must thou kisse ye hand which did thee harm
Though thou would see it cut gladly from the arme.
And briefly to speake, if thou to court resorte,
If thou see one thing of pleasour or comfort,
Thou shalt see many before or thou depart
To thy displeasour and pensiuenes of heart:
So findeth thy sight there of more bitternes
And of displeasour, then pleasour and gladnes.

Coridon
As touching the sight nowe see I clere and playne
That men in the court shall finde but care and payne,
But yet me thinketh as dayly doth appeare,
That men in the court may pleasaunt thinges heare,
And by suche meanes haue delectation,
While they heare tidinges and communication,
And all the chaunces and euery neweltie
Aswell of our coste as farre beyonde the sea.
There men may heare some that common of wisdome,
For of men wisest within the court be some,
There be recounted and of men learned tolde
Famous Chronicles of actes great and olde,
The worthy dedes of princes excellent,
To moue yong princes suche actes to frequent.
For when wise men dare not bad princes blame,
For their misliuing, Minalcas sayth the same,
Of other princes then laude they the vertue
To stirre their lordes suche liuing to ensue.
And while they commende princes vnworthily,
To be commendable they warne them secretly.
All this may courtiers in court ofte times heare,
And also songes of times swete and cleare.
The birde of Cornewall, the Crane and the Kite,
And mo other like to heare is great delite,
Warbling their tunes at pleasour and at will,
Though some be busy that therin haue no skill.
There men may heare muche other melody
In sounde resembling an heauenly armony.
Is this not pleasour? me thinkes no mirth is scant
Where no reioysing of minstrelcie doth want,
The bagpipe or fidle to vs is delectable,
Then is there solace more greatly commendable.

Cornix
Thou art disceaued and so be many mo,
Which for suche pleasour vnto the court will go,
But for these also I muste finde remedy,
Whiche sue to the court for lust of melody.
They be mad fooles which to reioyce their eares
Will liue in court more dreadfull then with beares:
In stede of pleasour suche finde but heauines,
They heare small good, but muche vnhappines.
As touching tidinges which thou dost first abiect,
There muche thinges is tolde false and of none effect,
And more displeasour shall wise men in them finde
Then ioye and pleasour to comfort of their mind.
These be tidinges in court moste commonly,
Of Cities taken, warre, fraude and tiranny,
Good men subdued or els by malice slayne,
And bad in their stede haue victory and reigne,
Of spoyling, murther, oppression and rapine,
Howe lawe and iustice sore falleth to ruine.
Among the courtiers suche newelties be tolde,
And in meane season they laugh both yong and olde.
While one recounteth some dedes abhominable,
Suche other wretches repute it commendable.
But men of wisedome well learned in Scripture,
Which talke of maners or secretes of nature,
Or of histories, their disputation
Is swetely saused with adulation,
They cloke the truth their princes to content,
To purchase fauour and minde beneuolent,
And sometime poetes or oratours ornate,
Make orisons before some great estate,
It is not so swete to heare them talking there,
Where as their mindes be troubled oft with feare,
As in the scholes, where they at libertie
Without all flattering may talke playne veritie.
For truely in courtes all communication
Must nedes haue spice of adulation.
Suche as be giltie anone be mad and wroth
If one be so bolde playnly to say the troth,
Therfore ill liuers ofte times lauded be,
And men dispraysed which loue honestie,
And true histories of actes auncient
Be falsely turned some princes to content,
And namely when suche histories testifie
Blame or disworship touching his progenie.
Then newe histories be fayned of the olde,
With flattery paynted and lyes manyfolde.
Then some good scholer without promotion
Hearing suche glosed communication,
Dare not be so bolde his lying to gaynsay,
But laugh in his minde yet at the foole he may.
And also in the court Auctours not veritable
And least of valour are counted moste laudable,
But Liuius, Salust and Quintus Curcius,
Iustinian, Plutarche and Suetonius,
With these noble Auctours and many suche mo
In this time courtiers will nothing haue to do.

Coridon
Cornix, where hast thou these strange names sought?

Cornix
I sought not in youth the world all for nought.
Minstrels and singers be in the court likewise,
And that of the best and of the French gise,
Suche men with princes be sene more acceptable
Then men of wisdome and clarkes venerable,
For Philosophers, Poetes and Oratours,
Be seldome in court had in so great honours.
When thou fayne would here suche folkes play or sing,
Nothing shall be done of them at thy liking,
But when it pleaseth thy prince them to call
Their sounde ascendeth to chamber and to hall,
When thou wouldest slepe or do some busines
Then is their musike to thee vnquietnes,
Yet bide their clamour and sounde thou must
To thy great trouble and no pleasour or lust:
This is of singers the very propertie,
Alway they coueyt desired for to be,
And when their frendes would heare of their cunning
Then are they neuer disposed for to sing,
But if they begin desired of no man
Then shewe they all and more then they can,
And neuer leaue they till men of them be wery,
So in their conceyt their cunning they set by:
And thus when a man would gladiest them heare,
Then haue they disdayne in presence to appeare,
And then when a man would take his ease and rest,
Then none can voyde them they be in place so prest,
Yet muste thou nedes eche season principall
Rewarde suche people els art thou nought at all,
For their displeasour to thee and paynes harde:
Lo suche is the court, thou must geue them rewarde.
Beside this in the court men scant heare other thing
Saue chiding and brauling, banning and cursing.
Eche one is busy his felowe for to blame,
There is blaspheming of Gods holy name,
Deuising othes with pleasour for the nonce,
And often they speake together all at once,
So many clamours vse they at euery tide
That scant mayst thou heare thy felowe by thy side,
They boste their sinnes as paste the feare of shame,
Detracting other men faultie in the same,
One laudeth his lande where he was bred and borne,
At others countrey hauing disdayne and scorne,
On eche side soundeth foule speche of ribawdry,
Uaunting and bosting of sinne and vilanny,
No measure, no maner, shame nor reuerence,
Haue they in wordes in secret or presence,
A rustie ribaude more viler then a sowe
Hath in the court more audience then thou,
Some boke, some braule, some slaunder and backbite,
To heare suche maners can be but small delite,
Except a wretche will confourme him to that sorte,
Then in suche hearing his blindnes hath comfort.
These scabbed scolions may do and say their will,
When men of worship for very shame are still,
Who that hath wisedome would rather deafe to be
Then dayly to heare suche vile enormitie.

Coridon
I see in hearing men in the court haue no ioye
Yet is it pleasour to handle and to toye
With Galatea, Licoris or Phillis,
Neera, Malkin or lustie Testalis,
And other dames, yf coyne be in the pouche
Men may haue pleasour them for to fele and touche.
In Court hath Uenus hir power principall,
For women vse to loue them moste of all
Which boldly bosteth or that can sing and iet,
Which are well decked with large bushes set,
Which hath the mastery ofte time in tournament,
Or that can gambauld or daunce feat and gent,
Or that can alway be mery without care,
With suche can wemen moste chiefly deale and fare:
So may these courtiers in court some pleasour win
Onely in touching and feling their softe skinne.

Cornix
Thou art abused, forsooth it is not so,
Louers in court haue moste of care and wo.
Some women loue them inflamed by vile lust,
But yet very few dare them beleue or trust:
For well knowe wemen that courtiers chat and bable,
They bost their sinnes, and euer be vnstable
After their pleasour, then to the old adewe,
Then be they busy to puruay for a newe.
This knowe all wemen, some by experience,
So fewe to courtiers geue trust or confidence,
Except it be suche as forseth not hir name,
Or passeth all feare, rebuke or worldly shame,
Then suche a brothell hir kepeth not to one,
For many courtiers ensueth hir alone.
And none shalt thou loue of this sorte pardee,
But that she loueth another better then thee.
And then as often as parting felowes mete
They chide and braule though it be in the strete,
Hatred and strife and fighting commeth after,
Effusion of bloud, and oftentime manslaughter.
Thou canst no woman kepe streite and nigardly,
To whom many one doth promise largely.
Another shall come more freshe and gayly decte,
Then hath he fauour and thou art cleane abiecte,
Then thou hast wasted thy money, name and sede,
Then shalt thou haue nought saue a mocke for thy mede,
Thou art the ninth wening to be alone,
For none of this sorte can be content with one:
Yet shall she fayne hir chast as Penelope,
Though she loue twentie as well as she doth thee,
And eche for his time shall haue a mery loke.
She sigheth as she great sorowe for thee toke,
With fayned teares she moysteneth oft thy lap
Till time that thy purse be taken in a trap,
And if she perceiue that all thy coyne is gon,
Then daunce at the doore, adewe gentle Iohn.
And ofte when thou goest to visite thy lemman,
With hir shalt thou find some other ioly man,
Then shall she make thee for to beleue none other
But he is hir father, hir vncle or hir brother:
But playnly to speake, he brother is to thee,
If kinred may rise of suche iniquitie.
Agayne to hir house if that thou after come
Then shalt thou finde that she is not at home,
But gone to some other, which for rebuke and shame
Durst not come to hir for hurting of his name.

Coridon
Here is a rule, this doth excede my minde,
Who would thinke this gile to be in womankinde,
But yet man pardie some be as good within
As they be outwarde in beautie of their skin,
Of this cursed sorte they can not be eche one,
Some be which kepe them to one louer alone,
As Penelope was to hir Ulisses.
Thinke on what Codrus recounted of Lucres,
Though she not willing was falsely violate
With hir owne handes procured she hir fate.

Cornix
It were a great wonder among the women all
If none were partles of luste venerall,
I graunt some chast what time they can not chuse,
As when all men their company refuse,
Or when she knoweth hir vice should be detect,
Then of misliuing auoydeth she the sect.
And though in the world some women thou mayst find
Which chastly liue of their owne kinde,
Or that can kepe hir selfe onely to one,
Yet is with suche of pleasour small or none,
To hir at pleasour thou canst not resorte:
In pleasour stollen small is the comfort,
Neyther mayst thou longe with suche one remayne,
And in shorte pleasour departing in great payne,
To hir mayst thou come but onely nowe and then,
By stealth and startes as priuily as thou can.
Thy loue and thy lorde mayst thou not serue together,
If so, thy wit is distract thou wot not whither,
Thy lorde doth chalenge to him thy whole seruice,
And the same doth loue chalenge in like wise.
Not onely it is harde in the court to saue
Thy leman chast with hir pleasour to haue,
But also it is extreme difficultie
Thine owne wife in court to kepe in chastitie,
For flattering woers on euery side appeare,
And lustie galandes of fayre dissimuled cheare:
Some promis golde and giftes great and small,
Some hastie galande is yet before them all,
So many woers, baudes and brokers,
Flatterers, liers, and hastie proferers
Be alway in court, that chast Penelope
Coulde scant among them preserue hir chastitie.
So great temptation no woman may resist,
If heauenly power hir might do not assist,
For craft and coyne, flattery and instaunce,
Turneth chast mindes to vile misgouernaunce,
Though she be honest yet must thou leaue thy loue,
Sith princes courtes continually remoue,
Then whether she be thy wife or thy concubine,
Hir care and dolour is great, and so is thine:
For neyther mayest thou with hir abide.
Nor lede hir with thee, or kepe hir by thy side,
When thou art gone if she behinde remayne
Then feare thee troubleth with torment & with payne.
Because that the minde of woman is vnstable
Alway thou doubtest least she be changeable,
And I assure thee if man be out of sight
The minde of woman to returne is very light,
Once out of sight and shortly out of minde,
This is their maner appeare they neuer so kinde,
Adde to all these scorne and derision
Which thou mayst suffer, and great suspection,
Infamy, slaunder and priuie ielosie,
These muste thou suffer without all remedy,
And other daungers mo then a man can thinke,
While other slepeth the louer scant doth winke.
Who hath these proued shall none of them desire,
For children brent still after drede the fire:
Sith that these thinges to all men be greuous,
They be to courtes yet moste dammagious,
Moste paynefull, noyous, and playnely importable,
In court them feling hath nothing delectable.

Coridon
I see the pleasour of touching is but small,
I thought it hony, I see nowe it is gall.
Nowe speake on Cornix, I pray thee brefely tell,
What ioye haue courtiers in tasting or in smell,
For these two wittes in court be recreate,
Els many wretches be there infatuate.

Cornix
The smell and tasting partly conioyned be,
And part disioyned as I shall tell to thee,
For while we receyue some meates delicate,
The smell and tasting then both be recreate,
The fragraunt odour and oyntment of swete floure
Onely deliteth the smelling with dolour.
Of meat delicious gone is the smell and tast
When it is chewed and through the gorge past,
But they which in mouth haue pleasour principall,
Are beastly fooles and of liuing brutall.
The famous shepheard whom Nero did behede
Them greatly blameth which beastly vse to fede,
Which for their wombe chiefe care and labour take,
And of their bellies are wont their God to make.

Coridon
A god of the wombe, that heard I neuer ere.

Cornix
Coridon thou art not to olde for to lere,
I playnly shall nowe declare for thy sake,
Howe beastly gluttons a god of their wombes make:
To God are men wont temples to edifie,
And costly auters to ordeyne semblably,
To ordeyne ministers to execute seruice,
To offer beastes by way of sacrifice,
To burne in temples well smelling incence,
Gluttons to the wombe do all this reuerence.

Coridon
They and their goddes come to confusion,
Which forgeth Idols by suche abusion,
But procede Cornix, tell in wordes playne,
Howe all these thinges they to the wombe ordeyne,
Which is in temple the aulter and incence,
And the ministers to do their diligence,
Within the temple to kepe alway seruice,
And to the belly which is the sacrifice.

Cornix
To god of the belly gluttons a temple make
Of the smoky kitchin, for temple it they take,
Within this temple minister bawdy cookes,
And yong scolions with fendes of their lookes,
The solemne aulter is the boorde or table,
With dishes charged twentie in a rable,
The beastes offred in sacrifice or hoste
In diuers sortes of sodden and of roste,
The sawse is incence or of the meate the smell,
And of this temple these be the vessell,
Platters and dishes, morter and potcrokes,
Pottes and pestels, broches and fleshe hokes,
And many mo els then I can count or tell,
They know them best which with the kitchen mell,
For god of the wombe this seruice they prepare,
As for their true God full little is their care.

Coridon
This life is beastly and vtterly damnable.

Cornix
But yet it is nowe reputed commendable.
Princes and commons and many of religion
Unto this temple haue chefe deuotion,
To cookes and tauernes some earlier frequent
Then vnto the seruice of God omnipotent,
First serue the belly then after serue our lorde,
Suche is the worlde though it do ill accorde,
And suche as deliteth in beastly gluttony
Foloweth the court, supposing stedfastly
With meat and with drinke to stuffe well the paunch,
Whose luste insatiate no flood of hell can staunch.
And for that princes vse costly meat and wine,
These fooles suppose to fede them with as fine,
To eate and drinke as swete and delicate
As doth their princes or other great estate.
Likewise as flyes do folowe and thicke swarme
About fat paunches vnto their vtter harme:
So suche men as haue in gluttony comfort
To lordes kitchins moste busely resorte,
With hungry throtes yet go they ofte away,
And ofte haue the flyes much better part then they.

Coridon
Then tell on Cornix what comfort and pleasour
Men finde in court in tasting and sauour,
With meat and drinke howe they their wombes fill,
And whether they spede at pleasour and at will.

Cornix
To eate and to drinke then is moste ioye and luste
When men be hungry and greued sore with thurst,
But ofte vnto noon muste thou abide respite,
Then turned is hunger to dogges appetite,
For playne wood hungry that time is many one,
That some would gladly be gnawing of a bone,
On which vile curres hath gnawen on before,
His purse is empty and hunger is so sore,
Or some by febleness and weery tarying
Lese their appetite that they can eate nothing.
Some other hath eaten some bread and chese before,
That at their diner they list to eate no more,
Their stomake stopped and closed with some crust
From them hath taken their appetite and lust,
Then other courtiers of maners bestiall
With greedy mouthes deuoureth more then all.
Thus some at rising be fuller then be swine,
And some for hunger agayne may sit and dine.
Sometime together must thou both dine and sup,
And sometime thou dinest before the sunne be vp,
But if thou refuse to eate before day light
Then must thou tary and fast till it be night,
To eate and to drinke then is it small delite
When no disgestion hath stirred appetite.
Agayne thou art set to supper all to late,
All thing hath season which men of court not hate,
For neuer shall thy meate be set to thee in season,
Whereof procedeth muche sore vexation,
Ofte age intestate departed sodenly,
And lustie galandes departeth sembably,
Hereof procedeth the vomite and the stone,
And other sicknes many mo then one.
Sometime is the wine soure, watery and so bad,
That onely the colour might make a man be mad,
Colde without measure or hote as horse pis,
Bad is the colour the sauour badder is:
But if in the court thou drinke both beare and ale,
Then is the colour troubled, blacke and pale.
Thinke not to drinke it in glasse, siluer or golde,
The one may be stollen, the other can not holde,
Of a trene vessell then must thou nedely drinke,
Olde, blacke and rustie, lately taken fro some sinke,
And in suche vessell drinke shalt thou often time,
Which in the bottom is full of filth and slime,
And of that vessell thou drinkest oft iwis
In which some states or dames late did pis:
Yet shalt thou not haue a cup at thy delite
To drinke of alone at will and appetite,
Coridon in court I tell thee by my soule
For most parte thou muste drinke of a common boule,
And where gresy lippes and slimy bearde
Hath late bene dipped to make some mad afearde,
On that side muste thou thy lippes washe also,
Or els without drinke from diner muste thou go.
In the meane season olde wine and dearely bought,
Before thy presence shall to thy prince be brought,
Whose smell and odour so swete and maruelous
With fragrant sauour inbaumeth all the house,
As Muscadell, Caprike, Romney, and Maluesy,
From Gene brought, from Greece or Hungary.
Suche shall he drinke, suche shall to him be brought,
Thou haste the sauour thy parte of it is nought,
Though thou shouldest perishe for very ardent thirst
No drop thou gettest for to eslake thy lust,
And though good wines sometime to thee be brought
The taste of better shall cause it to be nought,
Oft wouldest thou drinke yet darest thou not sup
Till time thy better haue tasted of the cup.
No cup is filled till diner halfe be done,
And some ministers it counteth then to sone,
But if thou begin for drinke to call and craue
Thou for thy calling such good rewarde shalt haue,
That men shall call thee malapart or dronke,
Or an abbey lowne or limner of a monke,
But with thy rebuke yet art thou neuer the nere,
Whether thou demaunde wine, palled ale or beare,
Yet shalt thou not drinke when thou hast nede & thirst,
The cup muste thou spare ay for the better lust.
Through many handes shall passe the pece or cup,
Before or it come to thee is all dronke vp,
And then if a droppe or two therin remayne
To licke the vessell sometime thou art full fayne,
And then at the ground some filth if thou espy
To blame the butler thou gettest but enuy.
And as men wekely newe holy water power,
And once in a yere the vessell vse to scoure,
So cups and tankardes in court as thou mayst thinke,
Wherein the commons are vsed for to drinke,
Are once in the yere empty and made cleane,
And scantly that well as oftentime is sene.
For to aske water thy wines to allay
Thou finde shalt no nede if thou before assay,
With rinsing of cuppes it tempered is before
Because pure water perchaunce is not in store.

Coridon
Fye on this maner, suche seruice I defy,
I see that in court is vncleane penury,
Yet here though our drinke be very thin and small,
We may therof plenty haue when we do call,
And in cleane vessell we drinke therof pardee,
Take here the bottle Cornix, assay and see.

Cornix
Then call for the priest when I refuse to drinke,
This ale brewed Bently it maketh me to winke.

Coridon
Thou sayest true Cornix, beleue me, by the rood
No hand is so sure that can alway make good,
But talke of the court if thou haste any more,
Set downe the bottle saue some licour in store.

Cornix
God blesse the brewer well cooled is my throte,
Nowe might I for nede sing hier by a note,
It is bad water that can not allay dust,
And very soure ale that can not quench thirst,
Nowe rowleth my tonge, now chat I without payne,
Nowe heare me I enter into the court agayne.
Beholde in the court on common table clothes,
So vile and ragged that some his diner lothes,
Touche them then shall they vnto thy fingers cleue,
And then must thou wipe thy handes on thy sleue.
So he which dayly fareth in this gise
Is so imbrued and noynted in suche wise,
That as many men as on his skirtes looke
Count him a scoleon or els a greesy cooke.

Coridon
Yet Cornix agayne all courting I defye,
More clennes is kept within some hogges stye,
But yet mate Cornix all be not thus I wene,
For some table clothes be kept white and clene,
Finer then silke and chaunged euery day.

Cornix
Coridon, forsooth it is as thou doest say,
But these be thinges most chiefe and principall,
Onely reserued for greatest men of all:
As for other clothes which serue the commontie,
Suche as I tolde thee or els viler be,
And still remayne they vnto the planke cleuing
So blacke, so baudie, so foule and ill seming,
Of sight and of cent so vile and abhominable,
Till scant may a man discerne them from the table.
But nowe heare what meat there nedes eate thou must,
And then if thou mayst to it apply thy lust:
Thy meate in the court is neyther swanne nor heron,
Curlewe nor crane, but course beefe and mutton,
Fat porke or vele, and namely such as is bought
For easter price when they be leane and nought.
Thy fleshe is restie or leane, tough and olde,
Or it come to borde vnsauery and colde,
Sometime twise sodden, and cleane without taste,
Saused with coles and ashes all for haste,
When thou it eatest it smelleth so of smoke
That euery morsell is able one to choke.
Make hunger thy sause be thou neuer so nice,
For there shalt thou finde none other kinde of spice.
Thy potage is made with wedes and with ashes,
And betwene thy teeth oft time the coles crashes,
Sometime halfe sodden is both thy fleshe & broth,
The water and hearbes together be so wroth
That eche goeth aparte, they can not well agree,
And ofte be they salte as water of the sea.
Seldome at chese hast thou a little licke,
And if thou ought haue within it shall be quicke,
All full of magots and like to the raynebowe,
Of diuers colours as red, grene and yelowe,
On eache side gnawen with mise or with rattes,
Or with vile wormes, with dogges or with cattes,
Uncleane and scoruy, and harde as the stone,
It looketh so well thou wouldest it were gone.
If thou haue butter then shall it be ás ill
Or worse then thy chese, but hunger hath no skill,
And when that egges halfe hatched be almost
Then are they for thee layde in the fire to rost.
If thou haue peares or apples be thou sure
Then be they suche as might no longer endure,
And if thou none eate they be so good and fine
That after diner they serue for the swine.
Thy oyle for frying is for the lampes mete,
A man it choketh the sauour is so swete,
A cordwayners shop and it haue equal sent,
Suche payne and penaunce accordeth best to lent,
Suche is of this oyle the sauour perillous,
That it might serpentes driue out of an house,
Oftetime it causeth thy stomake to reboke,
And ofte it is ready thee sodenly to choke.
Of fishe in some court thy chefe and vsed dishe
Is whiting, hearing, saltfishe and stockfishe,
If the daye be solemne perchaunce thou mayst fele
The taste and the sapour of tenche or ele,
Their muddy sapour shall make thy stomake ake,
And as for the ele is cosin to a snake,
But if better fishe or any dishes more
Come to thy parte it nought was before,
Corrupt, ill smelling, and fiue dayes olde,
For sent thou canst not receyue it if thou would.
Thy bread is blacke, of ill sapour and taste,
And harde as a flint because thou none should wast,
That scant be thy teeth able it to breake,
Dippe it in potage if thou no shift can make,
And though white and browne be both at one price,
With broune shalt thou fede least white might make thee nice,
The lordes will alway that people note & see
Betwene them and seruauntes some diuersitie,
Though it to them turne to no profite at all,
If they haue pleasour the seruaunt shall haue small.
Thy dishes be one continuing the yere,
Thou knowest what meat before thee shall appeare,
This slaketh great parte of luste and pleasour,
Which asketh daynties moste diuers of sapour,
On one dishe dayly nedes shalt thou blowe,
Till thou be all wery as dogge of the bowe,
But this might be suffred may fortune easily,
If thou sawe not sweter meates to passe by,
For this vnto courtiers moste commonly doth hap,
That while they haue broune bread & chese in their lap,
On it faste gnawing as houndes rauenous,
Anone by them passeth of meate delicious,
And costly dishes a score may they tell,
Their greedy gorges are rapt with the smell,
The deynteous dishes which passe through the hall,
It were great labour for me to name them all,
And Coridon all if I would it were but shame
For simple shepheardes suche daynties to name.
With broune bread and chese the shepheard is content,
And scant see we fishe paste once in the lent,
And other seasons softe chese is our food,
With butter & creame then is our diner good.
And milke is our mirth and speciall appetite,
In apples and plommes also is our delite.
These fill the belly although we hunger sore,
When man hath inough what nedeth him haue more,
But when these courtiers sit on the benches idle,
Smelling those dishes they bite vpon the bridle,
And then is their payne and anger fell as gall
When all passeth by and they haue nought at all.
What fishe is of sauour swete and delicious
While thou sore hungrest thy prince hath plenteous.
Rosted or sodden in swete hearbes or wine,
Or fried in oyle moste saporous and fine,
Suche fishe to beholde and none therof to taste,
Pure enuy causeth thy heart nere to brast,
Then seing his dishes of fleshe newe agayne,
Thy minde hath torment yet with muche great payne,
Well mayst thou smell the pasties of a hart
And diuers daynties, but nought shall be thy parte.
The crane, the fesant, the pecocke and curlewe,
The partriche, plouer, bittor and heronsewe,
Eche birde of the ayre and beastes of the grounde
At princes pleasour shalt thou beholde abounde.
Seasoned so well in licour redolent
That the hall is full of pleasaunt smell and sent,
To see suche dishes and smell the swete odour,
And nothing to taste is vtter displeasour.

Coridon
Yes somewhat shall come who can his time abide,
And thus may I warne my felowe by my side,
What eate softe Dromo, and haue not so great hast,
For shortly we shall some better morsell taste,
Softe man and spare thou a corner of thy belly,
Anone shall be sent vs some little dishe of Ielly,
A legge of a swan, a partriche or twayne.

Cornix
Nay, nay Coridon, thy biding is in vayne,
Thy thought shall vanishe, suche dishes be not small,
For common courtiers of them haue nought at all,
To thy next felowe some morsell may be sent
To thy displeasour, great anguishe and torment,
Wherby in thy minde thou mayst suspect and trowe
Him more in fauour and in conceipt then thou.
And sometime to thee is sent a little crap
With sauour therof to take thee in the trap,
Not to allay thy hunger and desire,
But by the swetenes to set thee more on fire.
Beside all this sorowe increased is thy payne,
When thou beholdest before thy lorde payne mayne
A baker chosen and waged well for thy,
That onely he should that business apply,
If thou one manchet dare handle or els touche,
Because of duetie to thrust it in thy pouche,
Then shall some slouen thee dashe on the eare,
Thou shrinkest for shame thy bread leauing there.

Coridon
My bagge full of stones and hooke in my hande
Should geue me a courage suche boldly to withstand.

Cornix
Not so Coridon, they fare like to curres,
Together they cleaue more fast then do burres,
Though eche one with other ofte chide, braule & fight,
Agaynst a poore stranger they shewe all their might.
It is a great mastery for thee Coridon alone
To striue or contende with many mo then one,
A strawe for thy wisdome and arte liberall,
For fauour and coyne in court worketh all.
Thy princes apples be swete and orient,
Suche as Minalcas vnto Amintas sent,
Or suche as Agros did in his keping holde,
Of fragrant sapour and colour like pure golde,
In sauour of whom thou onely haste delite,
But if thou shouldst dye no morsell shalt thou bite.
His chese is costly, fat, pleasaunt and holesome,
Though thy teeth water thou eatest not a crume,
Upon the sewer well mayst thou gase and gape,
While he is filled thy hunger is a iape.
Before thy soueraygne shall the keruer stande,
With diuers gesture his knife in his hande,
Dismembring a crane, or somewhat deynteous:
And though his parsell be fat and plenteous,
Though vnto diuers thou see him cut and kerue,
Thou gettest no gobbet though thou shuld dye & sterue.
In all that thy sight hath delectation,
Thy greedy tasting hath great vexation.
What man will beleue that in such wretched thing,
A courtier may finde his pleasure or liuing.
What man is he but rather would assent
That in such liuing is anguish and torment.
May not this torment be well compared thus
Unto the torment of wretched Tantalus,
Which as saide Faustus, whose saying I may thinke,
In floud and fruites may neither eate nor drinke:
Auncient Poetes this Tantalus do fayne
In hell condemned to suffer such payne,
That vp to the chin in water doth he stande,
And to his vpper lip reache apples a thousande,
But when he would drinke, the water doth descende,
And when he would eate, the apples do ascende.
So both fruite and water them keepeth at a stent,
In middes of pleasures haue courtiers like torment.
But nowe to the table for to retourne agayne,
There haste thou yet another grieuous payne:
That when other talke and speake what they will,
Thou dare not whisper, but as one dombe be still.
And if thou ought speake priuy or apert,
Thou art to busy, and called malepert.
If thou call for ought by worde, signe or becke,
Then Iacke with the bush shal taunt thee with a chek.
One reacheth thee bread with grutch and murmuring,
If thou of some other demaunde any thing,
He hath at thy asking great scorne and disdayne,
Because that thou sittest while he standeth in payne.
Sometime the seruauntes be blinde and ignoraunt,
And spye not what thing vpon the borde doth want.
If they see a fault they will it not attende,
By negligent scorne disdayning it to mende.
Sometime thou wantest eyther bread or wine,
But nought dare thou aske if thou should neuer dine.
Demaunde salt, trencher, spone, or other thing,
Then art thou importune, and euermore crauing:
And so shall thy name be spread to thy payne,
For at thee shall all haue scorne and disdayne.
Sometime art thou yrked of them at the table,
But muche more art thou of the seruing rable.
The hungry seruers which at the table stande
At euery morsell hath eye vnto thy hande,
So much on thy morsell distract is their minde,
They gape when thou gapest, oft biting the winde.
Because that thy leauinges is onely their part,
If thou feede thee well sore grieued is their heart.
Namely of a dish costly and deynteous,
Eche pece that thou cuttest to them is tedious.
Then at the cupborde one doth another tell,
See howe he feedeth like the deuill of hell.
Our part he eateth, nought good shall we tast,
Then pray they to God that it be thy last.

Coridon
I had leuer Cornix go supperlesse to bed,
Then at such a feast to be so bested.
Better is it with chese and bread one to fill,
Then with great dayntie, with anger and ill will.
Or a small handfull with rest and sure pleasaunce,
Then twenty dishes with wrathfull countenaunce.

Cornix
That can Amintas recorde and testify,
But yet is in court more payne and misery.
Brought in be dishes the table for to fill,
But not one is brought in order at thy will.
That thou would haue first and louest principall
Is brought to the borde oft times last of all.
With bread and rude meat when thou art saciate,
Then commeth dishes moste sweete and delicate.
Then must thou eyther despise them vtterly,
Or to thy hurt surfet, ensuing gluttony.
Or if it fortune, as seldome doth befall,
That at beginning come dishes best of all,
Or thou haste tasted a morsell or twayne,
Thy dish out of sight is taken soone agayne.
Slowe be the seruers in seruing in alway,
But swift be they after, taking thy meate away.
A speciall custome is vsed them among,
No good dish to suffer on borde to be longe,
If the dishe be pleasaunt, eyther fleshe or fishe,
Ten handes at once swarme in the dishe.
And if it be flesh, ten kniues shalt thou see
Mangling the flesh and in the platter flee:
To put there thy handes is perill without fayle,
Without a gauntlet or els a gloue of mayle.
Among all these kniues thou one of both must haue,
Or els it is harde thy fingers whole to saue:
Ofte in such dishes in court is it seene.
Some leaue their fingers, eche knife is so kene.
On a finger gnaweth some hasty glutton,
Supposing it is a piece of biefe or mutton.
Beside these in court mo paynes shalt thou see,
At borde men be set as thicke as they may be.
The platters shall passe oft times to and fro,
And ouer the shoulders and head shall they go.
And oft all the broth and licour fat
Is spilt on thy gowne, thy bonet and thy hat.
Sometime art thou thrust for litle rowme and place,
And sometime thy felowe reboketh in thy face.
Betwene dish and dish is tary tedious,
But in the meane time thogh thou haue payne greuous,
Neyther mayest thou rise, cough, spit or neese,
Or take other easement, least thou thy name may lese.
For such as this wise to ease them are wont,
In number of rascoldes courtiers them count.
Of meate is none houre, nor time of certentie,
Yet from beginning absent if thou be,
Eyther shalt thou lose thy meat and kisse the post,
Or if by fauour thy supper be not lost,
Thou shalt at the least way rebukes soure abide
For not attending and fayling of thy tide.
Onions or garlike, which stamped Testilis,
Nor yet sweete leekes mayst thou not eate ywis.

Coridon
What, forsake garlike, leekes, and butter sweete?
Nay, rather would I go to Ely on my feete:
We count these deynties and meates very good,
These be chiefe dishes, and rurall mens foode.

Cornix
Who court frequenteth must loue the dishes sweete,
And lordes dishes to him are nothing mete.
As for our meates, they may not eate I thinke,
Because great Lordes may not abide the stinke.
But yet the lordes siege and rurall mens ordure
Be like of sauour for all their meates pure.
As for common meates, of them pleasure is small,
Because one seruice of them continuall
Allayeth pleasure, for voluptuositie
Will haue of dishes chaunge and diuersitie.
And when thou haste smelled meate more delicious,
Thy course dayly fare to thee is tedious.
Nowe iudge Coridon if herein be pleasour,
Me thinke it anguish, sorowe and dolour,
Continuall care and vtter misery,
Affliction of heart, and wretched penury.
But many fooles thinke it is nothing so,
While they see courters outwarde so gayly go.
The coursers seruauntes cloth, siluer and golde,
And other like thinges delite they to beholde:
But nought they regarde the inward misery
Which them oppresseth in court continually.
And as saith Seneca, some count them fortunate,
Which outwarde appere well clothed or ornate.
But if thou behelde their inwarde wretchednes,
Their dayly trouble, their fruitlesse busynes:
Then would thou count them both vile and miserable,
Their rowme and office both false and disceyuable.
For like as men paynt olde walles ruinous,
So be they paynted, their life contrarious,
And therfore all they which serue in court gladly
For taste or smelling, or spice of gluttony,
Haue life more wretched then Burges or merchant,
Which with their wiues haue loue and life pleasant.
Shepherdes haue not so wretched liues as they,
Though they liue poorely on cruddes, chese and whey,
On apples, plummes, and drinke clere water deepe,
As it were lordes reigning among their sheepe.
The wretched lazar with clinking of his bell
Hath life which doth the courters life excell.
The caytif begger hath meate and libertie,
When courters hunger in harde captiuitie.
The poore man beggeth nothing hurting his name,
As touching courters, they dare not beg for shame.
And an olde Prouerbe is sayde by men moste sage,
That oft yonge courters be beggers in their age.
Thus all those wretches which do the court frequent,
Bring not to purpose their mindes nor intent.
But if their mindes and will were saciate,
They are not better thereby nor fortunate.
Then all be fooles (concluding with this clause)
Which with glad mindes vse courting for such cause.

Coridon
Nowe truely Cornix, right plainly hast thou tolde
Of court and courters the paynes manyfolde.
And as I suppose there can no more remayne,
Thy wit and councell hath rid me fro great payne.
If I had plentie of treasure and riches,
I should or I went rewarde thy busynes:
But nede oft hurteth good maners commendable.

Cornix
What man would gladly geue that is not able?
But one abounding in treasure and riches
Is ware in geuing, or yet to make promes.
Thy will is ynough sith that thy store is thin,
I aske of the foxe no farther then the skin.
But longe is to night, therfore I shall gladly:

Coridon
What, more yet declare of courtly misery?
Thou haste tolde ynough by all these crosses ten
Almoste for to choke vp a thousand men.

Cornix
That I promised, right would I should fulfill,
Yet more shall I touche if thou can holde thee still,
I saide first that some (but they be sowen thin)
Resort vnto the court, there soules for to win.
For with great princes while suche men remayne,
They thinke by counsell, by busynes and payne
Chiefely to labour for the vtilitie
Of diuers causes touching the commontie.
Poore men supporting, and children fatherlesse,
And helping widowes also in their distresse,
So much more wening to please our Lord therby,
Because they contende in payne and ieopardy.
Of these must I cure the mindes ignoraunt,
Which be more fooles then all the remnaunt.
All if they repute themselfe neuer so sage,
Yet shall I proue them selues stuffed with dotage.

Coridon
Declare that Cornix, that fayne would I heare,
We haue time ynough, yet doth the sunne appere.

Cornix
Of this foresaide sort scant any finde we shall,
But that requireth some lucre temporall:
But neuerthelesse, now fayne we such a one
Which seeketh in court for no promotion,
But onely intende there soules for to win,
And as a champion to fight against sinne.
Should wise men suppose in court so to preuayle?
Lost is their labour, their study and trauayle.
Or should a good man which loueth honestie
Put him in thraldome or in captiuitie
Of princes seruice, his soule to win thereby?
Say men what them list, me thinketh the contrary.
For in court required, so many a sinne and vice,
And so many wayes from vertue to attice,
And so many meanes leading to viciousnes,
That there may a man scant bide in his goodnes.
For as a bad horse resty and flinging,
Oft casteth a man though he be well sitting:
In like maner, wise man and rightwise
Resorting to court, descendeth vnto vice,
All if his reason and wil also deny,
In court hath the fende such fraude and pollicie,
By meane that vices haue there no punishment,
For lust and suffraunce make mindes insolent.
But sinne and sinners lye dayly so in wayte
Against good liuing to lay their deadly bayte,
That the best liuers from way of grace decline,
By their occasion impelled to ruine:
He falleth in rockes and perill consequent
By force of tempest and windes violent.

Coridon
What man, in court is neither rocke nor sande,
Diffusely thou speakest to vnderstande.

Cornix
I speake in parable, or by similitude,
Who not perceaueth, his reason is but rude:
But mate Coridon, I tell thee before
That what I shall say or yet haue close in store:
Of diuers aucthours I learned of Codrus,
And he it learned of Shepherde Siluius.
This Codrus sayde that Plato the great sage
Of Athens court aduerting the outrage,
Purposed rather to flee to sollitude,
Then liue in honour among such vices rude.
Then knowe well thy selfe whatsoeuer thou be
Which to sue the court haste thy felicitie.
And note if thy selfe be better then Plato,
Note well the power, if thou haue will also
As well as Plato, ill custome to refrayne,
If thou so thinkest, thou thinkest thing in vayne.
In court must a man sayle after euery winde,
Himselfe conforming to euery mans minde.
Serue euery season, conforme him to the time,
Be common with mo, though it be in some crime.
He must rule nature, and yet he wot not whither,
After the season, nowe hither and nowe thither.
And in his maner he must direct his life,
With heuy persons him must he shewe pensife.
With men at leasure which will them recreate,
He must be iocunde after their vse and rate.
With aged persons he must him haue sadly,
With youth behaue him iocunde and meryly.
With auenterous men which seke on crueltie
He must shewe him bolde and of audacitie.
With liuers beastly, insuing carnall lust,
Liue lecherously forsooth he needes must.
And who so refuseth, then is his nature wronge,
He shall not in the court rise nor continue longe.
But Coridon thou might obiect vnto me more,
That the sayde Plato which fled from court before
Came long while after, and was in seruice
Of Dionisius the tiraunt of Silice.
It is as thou sayest, but harken to the ende:
This tirauntes vice while he did reprehende,
All if the tiraunt counted his name diuine,
As vnder colour to folowe his doctrine,
The cruell tiraunt his malice to fulfill,
Solde this same Plato maugre his minde and will.
But thus intreated was Plato not alone,
The wrath of princes proued haue many one,
And namely of such as wisest were ywis,
As Zenon murdred by tiraunt Phalaris:
His godly wisedome, nor honour of his age
Could him not succoure, so did the tiraunt rage.
Arracreontes (sometime of Cipres king)
Slewe Anaxagoras for all his great cunning.
And by commaundement of Theodoricus
Without all mercy was slayne Boecius.

Coridon
These be farre matters, and thinges very olde.

Cornix
Euen such they be, as Codrus to me tolde.
And yet many mo he counted to me playne
Of worthy clearkes, whom fell princes haue slayne.
But all to recount me thinke it is not best,
That asketh leasure, the Sunne is nere at rest.
Scant time remayneth to tell that is beside,
Except we purpose here all the night abide.

Coridon
Late at our Churche alley syr Sampson to me tolde
A tale of Moses and other Prophetes olde,
Howe the same Moyses, and many of like sort
To Princes courtes did often time resort.
He saide that Moses though he of tonge were rude
Left his whole flocke behinde in sollitude,
And he with Aaron together both did go
On Gods message vnto king Pharao.
Also syr Sampson recounted vnto me
A like narration of Prophete Helise.
But Cornix, my minde is muche obliuious,
And longe historyes to heare be tedious.

Cornix
As touching Moyses, and many Prophetes mo,
I graunt they were wont to princes for to go:
These men were godly, it folly were to say
That all men should haue such priuiledge as they.
These were messengers of God of Israell,
And finde can we not that they in court did dwell.
But when they had sayde Gods commaundement,
They left both court and Princes incontinent.
Joseph alonely abode with Pharao,
Thordinaunce of God had erst disposed so,
To helpe his nation in time after to come
By his prouision and maruelous wisedome.
I graunt thee also Mauricius and Martine,
Sebastian, George and other men diuine
Serued in court, and vsed chiualry,
And neuerthelesse they liued holyly.
But this Mauricius did christned become,
And with his legion receyued martirdome.
Likewise Saynt George and Saynt Sebastian
Despising ydoles which courtes vsed then,
Suffered harde death by manifolde torment,
For loue and true fayth of God omnipotent.
But during the time, these did in the court remayne,
No names of Saintes men gaue to them certayne.
And holy Martin when he was come to age
Gaue ouer the court, and fixed his courage
In Gods seruice, remayning stedfastly,
For he perceyued and knewe right perfitly,
That of poore widowes and children fatherlesse,
The cause not entreth into the court doubtlesse,
Their matters quealeth, for solde is all Iustice,
And euery speeche of ribaudry and vice:
Also in courtes of mercy found is nought,
And of religion no zeale if it were sought.
Enuy possesseth the place of charitie
Onely ambition hath there aucthoritie.
These vices to resist passeth humane doctrine,
Man they ouercome, except wisedome diuine.
If God do not succoure, it passeth mans might
With such occasion continually to fight.
This knewe Saint Martin by sight continuall,
Yet nought him moued by helpe celestiall.
And though he liued in court right holyly,
He would no lenger insue that chiualry:
Nor leaue example to other men to come,
To liue where reygneth no vertue nor wisedome.
As when it was asked of Christ our Sauiour,
What should a man do of penaunce or labour,
Or other deedes to win eternall blisse,
He bad not a man runne to the court ywisse,
He saide not: go folowe a prince, or Lorde or King,
But go sell thy riches and other wordly thing:
Despise all the world and worldly vanitie,
For so haue I done, then come and folowe me.
In this cause our Lorde hath made no mention
Of folowing the court for vayne promotion.
Then let men take heede though they be vertuous,
Least while they folowe a thing so perillous,
In court supposing their soules for to win,
Least there they lose them by falling into sinne,
For there be snares and giles infinite,
The fende is ready occasion to excite.
In euery corner some enuy shalt thou mete,
And stumbling stones lye hid before thy fete.
Full harde it is there ambition to refrayne,
Auarice to slake it is a great payne.
To tame enuy, and wrath to mitigate,
And in occasion vnclenlynes to hate.
Harde is it dayly to be amonge these same,
And none of them all thy pleasure to inflame.
But if there be any which can his lust subdue,
Amonge all vices to kepe them in vertue,
As a precious stone cleane in the middes of mire,
Or lye in flames not grieued with the fire:
Or touche soft pitche and not his fingers file.
If such one be founde within a thousand mile,
I will not denye but that he may well sue
After court, and folowe, not hurting his vertue:
So much more merite shall such a man procure,
Howe much more he doth of ieopardie indure.
But this is my minde and sure opinion,
That such as resort vnto the court eche one
Be rather ouercome by sinne and viciousnes,
Then they can vices vanquish and repres:
For man of his nature is apt to sinne and vice,
And with great hardnes doth vertue exercise.
Example of children, which if they haue their will
Be lesse disposed to goodnes then to ill.
I heard Minalcas sing this vnto his drone,
That Scripture sayth that mankinde is [more] prone,
In youth and age his pleasure to insue,
In easy lustes then hardnes of vertue.
Therfore I councell thy selfe my Coridon,
Amintas, Codrus and shepherdes eche one.
And all of other men which will them saue fro hell,
That none of them all presume with court to mell.
For there is the soule in ieopardie by crime,
And after life is lost by surfet or due time.
And eyther must a man vnto his prince assent,
Laugh at his vices and be with them content.
Then lost is thy soule, els his faultes blame,
Then shalt thou his ire against thee inflame.
As Cirus the King sometime of Persy lande
Had one Arpolus chiefe frende of a thousand:
Because Arpolus once blamed his offence,
The wrathful tiraunt by mad maliuolence
Caused Arpolus vnwarely at a feaste
To eate his children as they like meate were drest.
And thus Arpolus to his children was a graue:
For blaming thy prince such reward mayest thou haue.
Right so Cambises in hastie furour slewe
The sonne of his frend which was to him most true,
Because that his frende him blamed for dronkennes.
Of such examples be many mo doubtlesse.

Coridon
I haue heard Codrus oft times testify
Howe Aristotle prince of Philosophy
Sued the tentes with laude and honour
Of Alexander the mighty conqueror.

Cornix
Thou litle knowest what caused him do so,
Or if he freely had libertie to go,
Truely I suppose it was against his heart
And that he might not at libertie depart.
But many other right worthy hye honour
Also insued that mightie conquerour.
As Calistenes of hye discretion,
And also Crito, which was his nurses sonne.
And bolde Lichimachus folowed him in fight,
Which was a Philosopher and eke a worthy Knight.
And many mo els that I can count or tell:
But heare Coridon what vnto these befell.
For that Calistenes forbad men to honour
Great Alexander as God of moste valour,
After such custome as was in Persy lande,
Therfore had he cut from body foote and hande,
His nose and eares off trenched were also,
His eyne out digged for to increase his wo:
Then by commaundement of the conquerour
Was thrust into prison to bide in more dolour,
Enduring his life there euer to remayne:
But when Lisimachus for to make short this payne
Reached him poyson, his cruell conquerour
Made him be throwen to lyons to deuour.
And at a banket (as erst was touched playne)
By Alexander was the saide Crito slayne,
For blaming of him, because that he did blame
His fathers deedes, Philippus by his name.
Therfore Coridon, after my iudgement,
And as I beleue, thou wilt thereto assent.
They all be fooles which sue to court so sore,
For all such causes as touched are before.
Or to win soules be there content to serue,
Their owne soule putting in daunger for to sterue:
For eyther do they seeke and hunt about in vayne,
And their desires there shall they not obtayne,
Or that thing they seeke, which shall do them damage,
Els be they throwen in suche a blinde dotage,
That of two wayes they chose moste ieopardous,
All full of thornes and busynes perillous,
All if they might well to their desire attayne
By way more easy, more short and voyde of payne.

Coridon
O maruelous matter, and well brought to an ende,
I can not be able thy reason to commende,
Nor yet to rewarde the thing that thou haste done,
Though I had riches and wit like Salomon.
Thou haste me saued by councell sapient
Out of hell mouth and manyfolde torment.
But nowe is it time to drawe to our cotage,
The day is ended, right so is our language.

Here beginneth the thirde and last Egloge of the misery and behauour of Court and Courtiers.

Coridon
After sore labour sweete rest is delectable,
And after long night day light is comfortable,
And many wordes requireth much drinke,
The throte wel washed, then loue the eyn to wink.
This night with me it proued otherwise,
I dranke to bedwarde (as is my common gise:)
But suche rest had I till it was on the morne,
As had my mother the night that I was borne.

Cornix
Of that I maruayle, for thou art wont alway
To sleepe and to snort till time that it be day.
But howe happened this, nowe tell me Coridon,
That thou had this night so sore vexation.

Coridon
I was so drenched with dreames, a dread so sore,
I trowe neuer man was troubled so before.
Me thought in the court I taken was in trap,
And there sore handled, God geue it an ill hap.
Me thought the scullians like fendes of their lookes
Came some with whittels, some other with fleshhokes.
Me thought that they stoode eche one about me thicke
With kniues ready for to flay me quicke.
So had I (sleeping) as much of feare and dreade,
As I should (waking) haue lost my skin in deede.
With such a vision I troubled was all night,
Wherfore I ioyed what time I sawe day light.
For as soone as euer I heard the birdes peepe,
For feare of dreames no lenger durst I sleepe:
But start fro my bed, as lightly was I prest,
Almoste as a birde out flyeth from her nest.
So caught I my male, my bottell and my hooke,
And forth with my flocke anone my way I tooke.
But tell me Cornix I pray thee heartyly,
What thing this my dreame may note and signify.

Cornix
I dreade least some one fulfilled with ill will
Hath heard our talking, and it reported ill.
Which may vs after cause rather weepe then sing,
For ill will maketh the worst of euery thing.
But then doth one thing well confort me agayne,
Forst men are wont of that to dreame certayne
Wherewith their mindes in walking troubled be:
A strawe for dreames, they be but vanitie.
And as for me, I no man discommende,
If scabbed clawe, the truth shall me defende.
But how Coridon, thy head is in thy lap,
What nowe so early beginnest thou to nap?

Coridon
Who hath not slept nor rested all the night
Must slepe by day, els shall his brayne be light.
But Cornix, if thou list me for to keepe and wake,
Talke of some matters agayne for Gods sake.
For so shall the time ouerpasse with litle payne,
God knoweth when we shall mete after agayne,

Cornix
I graunt Coridon for recreation
Of court yet to haue more communication.

Coridon
All misery of court thou haste already tolde.

Cornix
Nay nay Coridon, not by a thousande folde:
We shall haue matter nere till this yeres ende
To talke of Courtes, if I might it intende.
But this one day of part well may we talke,
As for the other I force not, let it walke.

Coridon
Then sit downe Cornix, leane here against this banke,
As for our talking, we get but litle thanke.

Cornix
We get as muche almoste as we deserue,
I looke for no thanke, nor meate though I should sterue,
In court shall men finde yet many paynes mo,
Some shall I touche, let all the other go.
Because that of sleeping was our first commoning,
Heare nowe what paynes haue courtiers in sleeping.
They oftentime sleepe full wretchedly in payne,
And lye all the night forth in colde winde and rayne.
Sometime in bare strawe, on bordes, ground or stones,
Till both their sides ake, and all their bones.
And when that one side aketh and is wery,
Then turne the other, lo here a remedy.
Or els must he rise and walke him selfe a space,
Till time his ioyntes be setled in their place.
But if it be fortune thou lye within some towne
In bed of fethers, or els of easy downe.
Then make thee ready for flyes and for gnattes,
For lise, for fleas, punaises, mise and rattes.
These shall with biting, with stinking, din and sound
Make thee worse easement then if thou lay on ground.
And neuer in the court shalt thou haue bed alone,
Saue when thou wouldest moste gladly lye with one.
Thy shetes shalbe vnclene, ragged and rent,
Lothly vnto sight, but lothlyer to cent.
In which some other departed late before
Of the pestilence, or of some other sore.
Such a bedfelowe men shall to thee assigne,
That it was better to slepe among the swine.
So foule and scabbed, of harde pimples so thin,
That a man might grate hard crustes on his skin.
And all the night longe shall he his sides grate,
Better lye on grounde then lye with such a mate.
One cougheth so fast, anothers breath doth stinke,
That during the night scant mayest thou get a winke.
Sometime a leper is signed to thy bed,
Or with other sore one grieuously bested.
Sometime thy bedfelowe is colder then is yse,
To him then he draweth thy cloathes with a trice.
But if he be hote, by feuers then shall he
Cast all the cloathes and couerlet on thee.
Eyther is thy felowe alway to thee grieuous,
Or els to him art thou alway tedious.
And sometime these courtiers them more to incumber,
Slepe all in one chamber nere twenty in number.
Then it is great sorowe for to abide their shoute,
Some fart, some flingeth, and other snort and route.
Some boke, and some bable, some commeth dronk to bed,
Some braule and some iangle when they be beastly fed.
Some laugh, and some crye, eche man will haue his wil,
Some spue, and some pisse, not one of them is still.
Neuer be they still till middes of the night,
And then some brawleth and for their beddes fight.
And oft art thou signed to lodge nere the stable,
Then there shalt thou heare of rascoldes a rable.
Sometime shalt thou heare howe they eche other smite,
The neying of the horses, and howe eche other bite.
Neuer shalt thou knowe thy lodging or thy nest,
Till all thy betters be setled and at rest.
In Innes lie straungers and gestes many one,
Of courtiers liues make there conclusion.
And where they be knowen of neither man or wife,
Oft time Courtiers there ende their wretched life.
Then shall the hostler be their executour,
Or such other ribaude shall that was his deuour.
Making the Tapster come gay and feate,
His shirt, his doublet or bonet to excheate,
For fleshe that he bought and payde nought therefore,
Then is she extreame, for he shal come no more.
But in a common In if that thou lodge or lye,
Thou neuer canst lay vp thy gere so priuily,
But eyther it is stollen or chaunged with a thought,
And for a good thou haste a thing of nought.
For some arrant thieues shall in the chamber lye,
And while thou sleepest they rise shall priuily:
All if thou thy pouche vnder thy pillowe lay,
Some one crafty searcher thereat shall haue assay.
Baudes and brothels, and flattering tapsters,
Iugglers and pipers, and scuruy wayfarers.
Flatterers and hostlers, and other of this sect
Are busy in thy chamber, chatting with none effect.
With brauling they enter first pagiant to play,
That nought mayest thou here what wiser men do say.
Such is their shouting that scantly thou mayst here,
The secrete felowe, which by thy side is nere.
But rurall flimmers, and other of our sort
Unto thy lodging, or court when they resort,
They chat, they bable, and all but of the wombe,
More pert and more pieuish then they wold be at home.
Though thou would slepe, induring all the night,
Some sing, some mourne, their lemman out of sight.
Some sing of Bessy, and some of Nan or cate,
Namely when licour disturbed hath the pate.
The brothell boteman and wretched laborer
Ceasse not to singe, be vitayle neuer so dere.
Who can with such haue quietnes or rest,
But if thou with slepe at last be opprest,
And that sore labours to sleepe thee constrayne,
Rumour thee rayseth, and wakeneth agayne.
On morning when thou might sleepe moste quietly,
Then must thou arise there is no remedy.
For what time thy Lorde vnto his horse is prest,
Then ought no seruaunt lye in his bed at rest.

Coridon
Nowe Cornix I see that with a brauling wife
Better were to bide continuing my life,
And to heare children crying on euery side
Then thus in the court this clamour to abide.

Cornix
No doubt Coridon, but heare more misery,
Which in their lodging haue courtiers commonly.
Men must win the marshall or els herbegere,
With price or with prayer, els must thou stand arere.
And rewarde their knaues must thou if thou be able,
For to assigne thee a lodging tollerable.
And though they promise, yet shall they nought fulfill,
But poynt the place nothing after thy will.
Eyther nere a priuy, a stable or a sinke,
For cent and for clamour where thou can haue no wink.
After thy rewarde they shall thee so manace,
That malgre thy teeth thou must resigne thy place.
And that to some one which is thy enemy,
If they be pleased there is no remedy.
But yet for certayne it were thing tollerable
To becke and to bowe to persons honorable.
As to the marshall, or yet the herbeger,
Or gentle persons which vnto them be nere.
But this is a worke, a trouble and great payne,
Sometime must thou stoupe vnto a rude vilayne.
Calling him master, and oft clawe his hande,
Although thou would see him wauer in a bande.
For if thou liue in court, thou must rewarde this rable,
Cookes and scoliens, and farmers of the stable.
Butlers and Butchers, prouenders and Bakers,
Porters and poulers, and specially false takers.
On these and all like spare must thou none expence,
But mekely with mede bye their beneuolence.
But namely of all it is a grieuous payne
To abide the porter, if he be a vilayne.
Howe often times shall he the gates close
Against thy stomake, thy forehead or thy nose.
Howe oftentimes when thy one fote is in
Shall he by malice thrust thee out by the chin.
Sometime his staffe, sometime his clubbishe feete
Shal driue thee backward, and turne thee to the streete.
What he then sayth, comming if he sit,
Howe often times shall he the gates shit.
For very pleasure and ioy of thy comming
The gate he closeth, lo here a pleasaunt thing.
All if thou haste well rewarded him before,
Without thou standest in rayne and tempest sore.
And in the meane time a rascolde or vilayne
Shall enter while thou art bathed in the rayne.
Sometime the porter his malice shall excuse,
And say vnto thee thy labour to abuse:
That eyther is the Lorde asleepe or in councell,
Then lost is thy labour, mispent is thy trauell.

Coridon
Of our poore houses men soone may knowe the gin,
So at our pleasure we may go out and in.
If courtes be suche, me thinketh without doubt,
They best be at ease which so remayne without.
For better be without wet to the skin with rayne,
Then euer in court and liue in endlesse payne.
For if hell gates did not still open gape,
Then wretched soules great torment should escape.
Right so, if the court were close continually,
Some men should escape great payne and misery.
But Cornix proceede, tell on of courtiers care.

Cornix
Well sayde Coridon, God geue thee well to fare.
Nowe would I speake of paynes of the warre,
But that me thinketh is best for to defarre.
For if thy lorde in battayle haue delite
To sue the warre be paynes infinite.
For while he warreth thou mayest not bide at home,
Thy lust to cherishe, and pleasure of thy wombe.
To sue an army then haste thou wretched payne
Of colde or of heate, of thirst, hunger and rayne.
And mo other paynes then I will specify,
For nought is in warfar saue care and misery:
Murder and mischiefe, rapines and cowardise,
Or els crueltie, there reigneth nought but vice,
Which here to recounte were longe and tedious,
And to our purpose in parte contrarious.
Therfore let passe the warres misery,
The dredefull daungers and wretched penury,
And of these Cities talke we a worde or twayne,
In which no man can liue auoyde of payne,
For whither soeuert he court remoue or flit
All the vexations remoue alway with it.
If thou for solace vnto the towne resorte,
There shalt thou mete of men as bad a sorte,
Which at thy clothing and thee shall haue disdayne,
If thou be busy the club shall do thee payne,
There be newe customes and actes in like wise,
None mayst thou scorne, nor none of them despise,
Then must thou eche day begin to liue anewe.
[And do as they do, be it false or trew.]
As for in Cities I will no more remayne,
But turne my talking nowe to the court agayne,
After of this may we haue communication
Of cities and of their vexation.
Whether that thy lorde sit or yet stande erect
Still muste thou stande or els shalt thou be chekt,
Thy head and legs shall finde no rest nor ease:
If thou in court intende alway to please
Oft muste thou becke, still stande and euer bare
To worse then thy selfe, which is a payne and care.
What shall I common the pensiuenes and payne
Of courtiers or they their wages can obtayne,
Howe muche differing and how much abating
Must courtiers suffer, and manifolde checking,
Neuer hast thou the whole, sometime shall they abate,
Or els shall the day of payment be to late,
From Robert to Iohn sometime they shall thee sende,
And then none of both to paye thee may intende,
From poste vnto piller tossed shalt thou be,
Scorned and blinded with fraude and subtiltie.
Some mayst thou beholde sighing for great sorowe
When he is appoynted to come agayne to morowe,
For many a morowe hath he bene serued so:
Another standeth his heart replete with wo,
Counting and turning the grotes in his cap,
Praying God to sende the payer an ill hap,
For where he reckned for to receyue a pounde
Scant hath he halfe, suche checkes be there founde,
Neuer shall the courtier receyue whole salary
Except that he rewarde the payer priuily.
When nede constrayneth somewhat to haue before,
He gladly receyueth a dosen for a score,
Neuer canst thou make thy couenaunt so cleare
But that the payer shall bring thee far areare,
All if thou right well thy couenaunt fulfill
It shall the payer interprete at his will,
For all that blinde sorte are choked with auarice,
As catchers of coyne ensuing couetise,
But sometime to speake of thinges necessary,
These do all courtiers cares multiply,
Nowe for one thing they labour to obtayne,
Nowe for another, and often all in vayne,
And though their asking be neyther right ne iust,
Yet neuer stint they till they haue had their lust.
But if it fortune their prayer and their cost
Be spent in vayne, then is their reason lost,
Then lurke they in corners for a month or twayne
For wo that their labour and prayer was in vayne.
Some with their princes so stande in fauour
That they may aduaunce their kinred to honour,
But then is their kinred so bad of gouernaunce,
That al if they may they dare not them aduaunce,
But howebeit they durst they dread of wordly shame,
Or punishement of God, or els their princes blame.

Coridon
Nowe doubtles Cornix that man is muche vnwise
Which lifteth fooles vnworthy to office,
But oftetime fauour and carnall affection
Abuseth the right, blinding discretion.

Cornix
If thou hadst mused a yere for this one clause
Thou could not haue said more perfitely the cause.
Beside this Coridon fewe, by the lorde aboue,
Haue of these courtiers true, sure and perfite loue,
For Codrus tolde me what writeth Isocrate,
That all these princes and euery great estate
In louing regarde no vertue nor prudence,
None loue they but of some hastie violence,
Without aduisement, without discretion,
Suche loue ofte proueth faynt at conclusion.
But if they loue any they loue him not as frende,
Betwene like and like best frendship shall we finde.
For truely great lordes loue suche men with delite,
By them when they take some pleasour or profite,
As they loue horses, dogges, and mo suche,
What saide I, I lye, they loue them not so muche:
More loue they a horse or dogge then a man,
Aske of Minalcas, the truth declare he can.
For commonly as sone as any man is dead
Another is soone ready for to fulfill his stead,
With mede and with prayer his place is dearely bought
So oft haue princes their seruice cleare for nought:
But then if it fortune a dogge or horse to dye,
His place to fulfill another muste they by.
Yet little haue I saide, worse in the court they fare,
Not onely thy lorde shall for thy death nought care,
For thy longe seruice ofte shall he wishe thee dead,
Suche is in court thy salary and thy mede.
Eyther for thy seruice longe and continuall
Thou haste of thy lorde receyued nought at all,
And when thou art dead with short conclusion,
Then quite is thy seruice and obligation,
And ofte shall thy lorde sounde swetely foorth this A
A that this man so sone is gone away,
If he had liued longer a small season
I should haue put him to great promotion:
Or els if thy lorde haue well rewarded thee,
That thou haste liuelod and riches in plentie,
Then if thou dye beleue me for certayne,
He surely trusteth to haue all agayne:
Scant any riche man by death hence nowe shall fare
But that some great lorde will loke to be his heyre.

Coridon
That is no leasing but proued often true,
That caused widowes oftentimes sore to rewe,
But this hath bene sene forsooth and euer shall,
That the greater fishe deuoureth vp the small.

Cornix
A right true example mate Coridon doubtlesse,
So mightie rulers the simple folke oppresse.
But what care in court is, nowe heare me Coridon,
Concerning thy lorde or masters owne person:
Of princes or commons thou findest seldome time,
One parfitely good and spotted with no crime,
For all suche thinges as seldome time befall
Tully was wont them monsters for to call,
Then is a good man more monster in dede,
Then is a wether hauing a double head.
And in likewise rehearseth Iuuenall,
That if a man would seke ouer the worlde all,
So many good men vnethes finde should he
As there are gates in Thebes the Citie.
That is to saye vnder the cope of heauen
Of perfite good men scant shall a man finde seuen.
And holy scripture yet speaketh more streitly,
As Shepheard Dauid doth clerely testify,
He saide our Lorde beholding on mankind
Could scant one good in all the worlde finde.
Scripture recordeth suche clauses many one,
That men be sinners and God is good alone.

Coridon
What nowe mate Cornix, I make God auowe,
Thou haste in some friers bosome bene I trowe,
And spoyled some patche of his prechement,
Talke of the court, saue this in store for Lent.

Cornix
So was my purpose, thou nedest not obiect,
Of our first purpose these wordes haue effect.
I tolde thee before by good aucthoritie
Howe both the poetes and oratours agree,
And holy scripture, that fewe men be perfite,
But bad in number be truely infinite.
So if thy master be bad and worthy blame
Then art thou sory of his dishonest name,
Thy lordes vices and liuing negligent
Shall greue thy stomake if thou be innocent:
It greueth thee if he be couetous or harde,
Because he denieth thy labour to rewarde,
And for many thinges fayle by his negligence,
And fall to ruine for sparing of expence.
Agayne if thy lorde be free and liberall
Alway thou fearest least other men haue all,
His prodigall hande ofte vexeth sore thy heart,
Least at the ending nought shall come to thy part,
And least his treasour in folly so he spende
That nothing remayne to helpe him at the ende.
But if he be geuen to wrath and crueltie
Thou fearest least he rage agaynst thy kin or thee,
If he be meke, milde and sober thou art sory,
For he not reuengeth eche hurt and iniury,
If he be hardie then dreadest thou daunger,
When he procedeth then standest thou arere,
If he be a cowarde then haste thou great enuy
Agaynst his enemies, for they continually
Destroy his landes and sore his name distayne,
When he for dread dare do nothing agayne.
If he vse chatting and often be talking,
Well thou perceiuest that while his tong is walking
His priuie counsell he often doth detect,
And muche he speaketh which is of none effect.
If he be secret and still as one in slepe,
Thou sayest he doubteth that none can counsell kepe,
And thee suspecteth as muche as other mo,
Then art thou greued and full of care and wo.
If he loue wines and thou fearest dronkennes,
If he hate wines and thou blamest his sadnes,
And to his body thou countest him nigarde,
Because he would kepe his housholde the more harde.
To Uenus actes if he to muche apply,
Thou sayest he to many doth hurt and iniury,
If he hate women and flee their pleasour, then
Both thou and other reputest him no man.
With fewe men if he vse familiaritie
Thou art displeased of them if thou not be,
If he be common to all indifferent,
Then is thy minde in likewise discontent,
Because he loueth familier to be
To euery person as greatly as with thee,
But if that thy prince be good and thou be nought
Then art thou in likewise sore vexed in thy thought,
Least that he shortly thy seruice may despise,
Because he not liueth after thy lewde gise.
But if both be good and all of vices cleane,
Which is a thing that seldome time is sene,
Then monest thou for that he is not fortunate
As he is ordeyned and after his estate,
Thy heart and minde doth so to him incline
That all his troubles and paynes shall be thine,
For this without doubt I tell thee Coridon,
That no father is so tender ouer his son
As is a good seruaunt diligent and true
Unto a noble prince endued with vertue.
And all if good fortune to him be fauourable.
Yet still thou dredest because it is vnstable.
Thus neuer shalt thou slepe in peace and quietnes,
But when thou wakest thy rest is muche lesse.

Coridon
Because thou recountest of thy fidelitie,
Of masters and men which loueth honestie,
Nowe I remember the shepheard of the fen,
And what care for him demeaned all his men.
And shepheard Morton when he durst not appeare,
Howe his olde seruauntes were carefull of his chere.
In payne and pleasour they kept fidelitie,
Till grace agayne gaue him aucthoritie,
Then his olde fauour did them agayne restore
To greater pleasour then they had payne before;
Though for a season this shepheard bode a blast,
The greatest winde yet slaketh at the last,
And at conclusion he and his flocke certayne
Eche true to other did quietly remayne.
My harte sore mourneth when I must specify
Of the gentle Cocke whiche sange so mirily,
He and his flocke were like an vnion,
Conioyned in one without discention,
All the fayre Cockes which in his dayes crewe
When death him touched did his departing rewe,
The pretie palace by him made in the fen,
The maides, widowes, the wiues and the men,
With deadly dolour were pearsed to the heart
When death constrayned this shepheard to departe.
Corne, grasse and fieldes mourned for wo and payne,
For oft his prayer for them obtayned rayne,
The pleasaunt floures for wo faded eche one
When they perceyued this shepheard dead and gone,
The okes, elmes and euery sorte of dere
Shronke vnder shadowes, abating all their chere,
The mighty walles of Ely monastery,
The stones, rockes, and towres semblably
The marble pillers and images echeone,
Swet all for sorowe when this good cocke was gone,
Though he of stature were humble, weake and leane,
His minde was hye, his liuing pure and cleane,
Where other feedeth by beastly appetite,
On heauenly foode was all his whole delite.
And shortly after this Cocke was dead and gone
The Shepheard Roger could not bide long alone,
But shortly after false death stole him away,
His worthy reporte still liueth till this day.
When shepe wer scabbed this good shepherd was fayne
With easie salues their sores to cure agayne,
He nought pretended nor shewed of rigour,
Nor was no wolfe poore lambes to deuour,
When bushe or brambles pilled the shepes skin,
Then had he pitie and kept them close within,
Or in newe fleces did tenderly them lap,
And with his skirtes did oftentime them hap,
When he departed his flocke for wo was faynt,
The fouldes sounded with dolour and complaynt,
So that their clamour and crye bespred the yle,
His death was mourned from Ely forty mile.
These worthy heardes and many other mo
Were with their wethers in loue conioyned so,
That more they cured by witte and pacience,
Then dreadfull drome can do with violence.
Therfore all heardes vnto the wolde I trowe
Should laude their names if vertue reigned nowe,
But sith that cunning and vertue nere be gone
Nowe be they lauded forsooth of fewe or none.
I let thy purpose to make conclusion,
Uice liueth, vertue hath light obliuion,
But speake on Cornix yet is it long to night,
My minde to disclose causeth my heart be light.

Cornix
To laude these pastours wherfore haste thou delite?

[Coridon]
All other shepheardes to vertue to excite.

Cornix
Then be thy wordes nothing mispent in vayne,
But nowe to courtes will I returne agayne.
And namely for thou haste spoken of cunning
Me liste a little to common of that thing.
It is to clarkes great pleasour certaynly
And recreation to geue them to studie,
And some finde pleasour and recreation
In secrete study and meditation,
To write or to rede in places solitary,
Whole to the muses his reason to apply,
To talke with Plato, with Tulli or Uirgill,
With Aristotle to common at his will,
And other famous doctours many one.

Coridon
What man, all these long past be dead and gone,
Who would with these dispute, common or talke,
To go where they be shall finde a wery walke.

Cornix
Though they be dead aliue yet is their name,
Their laudes, honour, their hye reporte of fame,
So men deuiseth to speake with them in dede
As often as they their noble workes rede.
But as for courtiers aswell earely as late
Be of this pleasour vtterly priuate,
Though they liue idle their paynes infinite
To godly workes them graunteth no respite,
Alway in clamour remayne they and in preace.
And lewde acquayntaunce will them no time releace,
But if that they chose some season secretly
To some good study their mindes to apply,
To write or to read, anone some wretch is fayne
And glad them to vexe and to disturbe agayne,
But if all other be absent and at rest
Then nere their chamber the kitchin clarke is prest.
Iengling his counters chatting him selfe alone,
Thus seke all corners quiet thou findest none.
So must one despise those noble oratours,
The famous poetes and excellent doctours,
And liue among men auoyde of vertues all,
That rather a man rude beastes may them call.
Of great estates there is a blinded sorte,
Which cause their sonnes vnto the court resorte,
That they may in court themselfe dayly frequent
In learning vertue and maners excellent,
But better might they say to learne all malice,
All cursed maners and euery braunch of vice,
As pride, disdayne, enuy and ribaudrie,
So be good maners infect with villanie.
For surely in courtes be men most vicious,
Supporting vices to vertue contrarious,
Dishonest language is counted most laudable,
One bosteth baudry or gluttony damnable,
No man there vaunteth him selfe of honestie,
Of vertue, maners, of mercy and pitie,
But eyther he ioyeth of his mischeuous life,
To haue defiled a virgin or a wife,
Or els to haue slayne his foe or enemie,
Or fraude committed or crafty felony.
Which cursed maners youth sooner doth insue,
Then godly liuing or maners of vertue.
When youth in vices hath fixed their courage,
They by no meanes shall leaue the same in age,
Nor thinke not in court to finde a yonge stripling,
Chast, sober, shamefast or maners ensuing,
All sueth vices, all sue enormitie,
Suche be the disciples as their infourmers be,
For true is the clause rehearsed of Terence,
That youth enclined then namely to offence,
When a lewde master him moued to incline
By ill example to daunger and ruine.
For nature leaneth to all enormitie
When men so vseth which be in dignitie.
Youth thinketh lawfull and but a ioconde fit
Suche vice as elders vse dayly to commit,
And as yong braunches sone rotte and putrify,
So youth corrupteth by vices semblably.

Coridon
Be all yonge galandes of these abused sorte,
Whiche in yonge age vnto the court resorte?

Cornix
Who entreth the court in yong and tender age
Are lightly blinded with folly and outrage,
But such as entreth of witte and grauitie
Bowe not so soone to suche enormitie,
But or they enter if they haue learned nought,
Afterwarde is cunning the least part of their thought.
In court it is counted vice to haue science,
And counted for rebuke for to haue eloquence,
Thus haue men cunning great heauines and payne
Beholding them selues in court had in disdayne,
Their wit despised: in meane time shall they see,
That greatest matters ruled (nay marred) be
Of suche blinde fooles as can not count nor tell
A score saue twentie, yet moste of all suche mell.
But men vnlearned of inwarde payne haue some,
When they beholde that to the court be come
Men groundly learned, in Latin commoning,
The other hearken and vnderstande nothing,
Then truely it is to them a greeuous payne,
But neuerthelesse of them haue they disdayne.
But liuing in court and flying none offence,
What shall I common what grutch of conscience
Uexeth thee dayly, right small is thy delite
When troubled conscience vnquiet doth thee bite.
No payne is sorer nor greeuouser torment
Then to remember and call to thine intent
Howe many vices, howe great enormitie
Hath thee in thraldome and in captiuitie,
Thine owne conscience is still within thy brest
As tormentour, depriuing thee of rest,
With priuie scourges and payne intollerable,
Recounting thy workes and life abhominable,
Thou mayst not auoyde and from this enemy start,
Flee where thee liketh he resteth in thy heart,
This is of courtiers the deadly tormentour,
With desperation them seking to deuour.
Sometime their conscience grutched is with gile,
With theft, with murther, with lechery some while,
Though their own conscience thus torment them with payn
To the same offences returne they yet agayne,
Their conscience grutching to cause of grutch they fall,
Thus still them torment the furies infernall,
I meane remembraunce of manyfolde offence,
Continuall torment by grutche of conscience.
What shall I tell thee the payne of soden feare
Which doth the mindes of courtiers often deare,
Sometime the lower are greeued with threatning,
And suffer paynes when they haue done nothing.
Sometime while the court is daunsing in disport
Or in other solace their heartes to comfort,
Anone commeth in a sodeyn messangere,
Affirming truely some armed foes nere,
And that same army is neare at hande doubtles,
Then turneth solace to wo and heauines,
And while some princes for pleasour hauke or hunt,
Suche fearefull tidinges to heare ofte are they wont.

Coridon
Suche feare and daunger doth happen commonly
On all degrees with sodeyn ieopardy,
For plowmen, shepheardes and citizens also
By warre endureth great dammage, losse and wo.

Cornix
All other sortes sometime may stande afarre,
But courtiers must bide all daunger of warre,
Saue losse of goodes, for some haue nought to lose,
But this will I leaue and turne to my purpose.
No gifte is graunted of God vnto mankinde
Better then frendship when man it true may finde,
But ouer all the court no man shall finde nor see
True stedfast frendship nor perfite amitie,
For sith all courtiers for moste parte blinded be
With vicious liuing and all enormitie,
They haue no frendship but conspiration,
And to do mischiefe confederation.
For perfite frendship is when two men agree
Or mo, in working some dede of honestie.
Some courtiers be founde which seme ingenious,
Pregnaunt of reason, wise and laborious,
Yet haue they but shadowe of vertue and goodnes,
And not of vertues the playne signes expres,
Some seme liberall, but they ensue rapine,
Some seme very chast, but they to pride incline,
Some semeth humble, which vseth gluttony,
And some familier which leane to lechery,
In none mayst thou see one sparkle of vertue,
But twentie vices shall that one gift ensue.
In suche a meany full of iniquitie
Harde is to finde one worthy amitie,
But if thou in court some honest men awayte
Then with great rulers is he made in conceyt,
I[f] he from conceyt and out of fauour be
Thou mayst not with him haue familiaritie.
Sometime shalt thou see suche drawen to torment
As be thy frendes, faultles and innocent,
And ofte thy enemie in many a fault culpable
Thou shalt in the court see hye and honorable:
To see thy good frende bide death so wrongfully,
To sorowe and nought say is a great payne truely,
But yet for thy life say nought, be pacient,
Not onely whisper least thou haue like torment.
Conuersaunt muste thou be with suche to thy payne
Which haue thy father or els thy brother slayne.
If thou be busy or squaring of language
Thou mayst peraduenture walke in the same passage.
And if thou in court to riches so assende
That thou mayst reteyne men on thee to attende,
Some of thy seruauntes shalt thou oft time beholde
Lewdely disposed to vices manyfolde,
Some shall be theues, some dronkenner then swine,
Some shall loue brauling or to lying encline,
Some slowe, some gluttons, some fall to ribaudry,
Aduoutry, murther, with other villany.
Some be forgetfull, some peart, some insolent,
Some craftles fooles, some proude and negligent,
If thou chaunge, some better for to haue,
Thou voydest a lubber and hast agayne a knaue,
And if thou haue one with knauishenes infect,
Then all the other shall folowe the same secte.
Agayne if thy selfe be poore and a seruaunt,
Thou shalt finde thy master rashe, rude and ignoraunt,
Alway complayning, and neuer well content,
Ofte asking seruice, in paying negligent,
Of speche superflue, hastie and rigorous,
Enuious, dronken, vnstable and couetous.
Thus seruaunt, master, gentleman and villayne,
Liue all in court with misery and payne.

Coridon
Nowe truely Cornix this is a wretched life,
Uoyde of all pleasour, wrapped in payne and strife.

Cornix
Count all the rowmes and offices echeone,
And none shalt thou finde without vexation,
What thinke the counsell when princes not agree
To their aduisement of moste vtilitie?
What haue Chauncelers of inwarde displeasour
When their letters written to their princes honour,
For the common weale and sure vtilitie,
Can not passe forwarde till they transposed be
From good to right nought, corrupt for correct?
What thinke comtrollers when they be dayly chekt,
The rulers of court, vsher and senescall,
Treasorers, clerkes, and euery marshall,
What payne haue these echeone in his office,
When often ribaudes them sclaunder and despise,
Or some busy body hauing but small insight
Comptroll their countes be they neuer so right?
What payne haue chaplens comptrolled in seruice,
And phisitians when some their arte despise?
What knightes, trompeters and souldiers commonly,
When treasorers their wages doth deny?
What payne haue cookes whiche scant maye seeth their befe
Without some rebuke, a checke or a reprefe?
Coridon in court no roume is trust thou me,
But that is wrapped in great aduersitie,
But briefely to say and make conclusion,
Right wise men suffer great tribulation
The heauenly pleasour to purchase and obtayne,
More suffreth courtiers to purchase endles payne.
I mell not with them which of necessitie
Agayne their pleasour must in the court be
As busy suters to purchase droit and right,
Which would be thence right gladly if they might.

Coridon
Beleue me Cornix thou turned hast my minde,
Farewell all courting, adewe pleasour vnkinde,
Thou playne hast proued that all they fooles be
Which folowe the court seking captiuitie,
And might els where an honest life purchase,
Hauing suffisaunce and moderate solace.

Cornix
Then let all shepheardes from hence to Salisbury,
With easie riches liue well, laugh and be mery.
Pipe vnder shadowes, small riches hath most rest,
In greatest seas moste sorest is tempest.
The court is nought els but a tempesteous sea,
Auoyde the rockes, be ruled after me,
There is more daunger then is vppon the lande,
As swalows, rockes, tempest and quicke sande.
Mayrmaydes singing, abusing with their song,
Caribdis, Sylla, and sandy bankes longe,
In it be cliffes of hardest Adamant
To sinne exciting yonge fooles ignorant.
What shepheard loueth peace and tranquilitie,
Or rest requireth to liue in vnitie,
Swete peace of heart who euer doth require,
Or health of his soule if any man desire,
Flee from the court, flee from the court I crye,
Flee proude beggery and solemne miserye.
For there is no rest nor godly exercise,
No loue of vertue but vse of euery vice,
As auarise, lust, and beastly gluttony,
Crueltie, malice, ambition and enuy:
But namely Uenus or luste venerall,
To hir vile actes playnly subdueth all,
Upon which vices who fixeth his intent
Him selfe to defende hath he no argument,
But that of all wise men, honest and laudable,
He shalbe conuict of liuing reprouable,
A naturall foole of reason dull and rude,
Proface Coridon, thus do I here conclude.

Coridon
Conclude mote thy life in blessed state of grace
Mine owne heart Cornix for this thy good solace,
But haste thou touched all whole and perfitely
Of court and courtiers the payne and misery.

Cornix
Nay, nay Coridon, I tolde thee so before,
Muche haue I tolde, behinde is muche more,
Their inwarde crimes and vice abhominable,
Their outwarde raging in sinnes detestable,
Their theft and fraudes, and their extortion,
And of misliuers their supportation,
Their dayly murther and forsing of women,
Frauding of virgins, pilling of simple men,
Aduoutry, incest and fornication,
And of good virgins the defloration.
These and suche like dare I not playnly touche,
For all these crosses and siluer in my pouche.

Coridon
Then haste we hence the sonne is nere at rest,

Cornix
Take vp thy baggage my mate that now is best.

Coridon
But tell me Cornix one thing or we departe,
On what maner life is best to set my harte?
In court is combraunce, care, payne, and misery,
And here is enuy, ill will and penury.

Cornix
Sufferaunce ouercommeth all malice at the last,
Weake is that tree which can not bide a blast,
But heare nowe my counsell I bid thee finally,
Liue still a shepheard for playnly so will I.

Coridon
That shall I Cornix thy good counsell fulfill,
To dye a shepheard established is my will.

Cornix
So do, or after thou often shall repent,
Poore life is surest, the court is but torment.

Coridon
Adewe swete Cornix, departing is a payne,
But mirth reneweth when louers mete againe.