[The Courte of Vertu contaynynge many holy songes, Sonettes, psalmes and ballettes] [by John Hall] |
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A Ditie declaringe the daungerous
abuse of all degrees, whyche go astraye from theyr vocation. |
 | [The Courte of Vertu |  |
A Ditie declaringe the daungerous abuse of all degrees, whyche go astraye from theyr vocation.
Performe
O penne I thee desyre,
The thyng that we dyd late deuyse:
Blowe to this cole, kyndle thys fyre:
That suche may know as truth despise
That darknes shall no more them hyde:
No secrete place shall they prouyde
To couer guyle:
For now the lyght shall them bewray,
That secretly haue gone astray,
A ryght long whyle.
The thyng that we dyd late deuyse:
Blowe to this cole, kyndle thys fyre:
That suche may know as truth despise
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No secrete place shall they prouyde
To couer guyle:
For now the lyght shall them bewray,
That secretly haue gone astray,
A ryght long whyle.
Suche Princes as the poore oppresse,
Under title of gouernance,
And wyll no poore mans cause redresse,
But all theyr ioye and fyne pastance,
Is howe with craft in couerture,
They may in theyr yll wayes indure,
And styll remayne.
It shall appeare at the laste day,
That they haue wrongly gone astray,
Unto theyr payne.
Under title of gouernance,
And wyll no poore mans cause redresse,
But all theyr ioye and fyne pastance,
Is howe with craft in couerture,
They may in theyr yll wayes indure,
And styll remayne.
It shall appeare at the laste day,
That they haue wrongly gone astray,
Unto theyr payne.
Suche prelates as for fylthy gayne,
With errors doo mens soules destroy,
And on theyr flock lyke lordes wyll raigne,
Wherin Gods woorde they doo anoy:
The fleece to take is all theyr care,
And for the soule no foode prepare,
But venym vyle.
Suche prelates shall once know, I say,
That they haue falsly gone astray
With fraude and guyle.
With errors doo mens soules destroy,
And on theyr flock lyke lordes wyll raigne,
Wherin Gods woorde they doo anoy:
The fleece to take is all theyr care,
And for the soule no foode prepare,
But venym vyle.
Suche prelates shall once know, I say,
That they haue falsly gone astray
With fraude and guyle.
Suche men of lawe as wyll for golde
Make thyngs seme right the which ar wrong
And wyll for gayne with falshode hold,
And eke delaye the tyme to long:
Suche as in Iudgement wrest the lawe,
And wrongly doe the sentence drawe:
Wrong to supporte.
Poore innocentes for to betraye,
For brybes they goe from ryght astraye,
In wicked sorte.
Make thyngs seme right the which ar wrong
And wyll for gayne with falshode hold,
And eke delaye the tyme to long:
Suche as in Iudgement wrest the lawe,
[80]
Wrong to supporte.
Poore innocentes for to betraye,
For brybes they goe from ryght astraye,
In wicked sorte.
Suche marchantes as are not content,
With right and reason for to wynne,
But daily doe false fraude inuent,
To gayne by wickednes and synne,
Unlawfull gayne, and vsury,
And counterfetyng wyckedly
Muche marchandyse,
In hell they shall once fele I saye,
Howe they by fraude haue gone astraye.
In vniust wyse.
With right and reason for to wynne,
But daily doe false fraude inuent,
To gayne by wickednes and synne,
Unlawfull gayne, and vsury,
And counterfetyng wyckedly
Muche marchandyse,
In hell they shall once fele I saye,
Howe they by fraude haue gone astraye.
In vniust wyse.
Suche leches as wyckedly vse
Medicines arte, but not aryght.
But fasly doe the same abuse,
And to that arte doth wrong and spyght:
They rob and murder where they go.
From place to place, workyng muche wo
Without cunnyng,
The Diuell shall them fetche away,
By suche deceyte that goe astraye,
With false wynnyng.
Medicines arte, but not aryght.
But fasly doe the same abuse,
And to that arte doth wrong and spyght:
They rob and murder where they go.
From place to place, workyng muche wo
Without cunnyng,
The Diuell shall them fetche away,
By suche deceyte that goe astraye,
With false wynnyng.
Suche as in any kynde of arte
Doe worke both slyghtly and vnsure,
For to deceyue with a false harte
His neighbour, by his worke vnpure:
slightly they worke and all for haste,
wherin this day is wrong and waste:
Yea hatefull wrong.
Syth now ther is no faith nor fay
But all from truth are gone astray,
Wo be our songe.
Doe worke both slyghtly and vnsure,
For to deceyue with a false harte
His neighbour, by his worke vnpure:
slightly they worke and all for haste,
wherin this day is wrong and waste:
Yea hatefull wrong.
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But all from truth are gone astray,
Wo be our songe.
Suche as breake vnitie and loue,
Suche as by couetyse contende,
Such as wyll sweare & great othes moue
Suche as on whordom doe depende,
Suche as in pryde doe leade their lyfe,
Suche as by wrath doe lyue in stryfe,
And great debate:
Satan with suche must make afraye,
For their walkyng so farre astraye,
Whiche god doth hate.
Suche as by couetyse contende,
Such as wyll sweare & great othes moue
Suche as on whordom doe depende,
Suche as in pryde doe leade their lyfe,
Suche as by wrath doe lyue in stryfe,
And great debate:
Satan with suche must make afraye,
For their walkyng so farre astraye,
Whiche god doth hate.
God for his mercie graunt therfore,
That men may nowe repent their ill,
And that they may their synnes abhorre,
Wherin they walked with their wyll:
It is hyghe tyme for to redres,
And to absteyne from wyckednes,
For feare of payne.
And for Gods mercy call and praye,
That we through grace frō this our stray
Come home agayne.
That men may nowe repent their ill,
And that they may their synnes abhorre,
Wherin they walked with their wyll:
It is hyghe tyme for to redres,
And to absteyne from wyckednes,
For feare of payne.
And for Gods mercy call and praye,
That we through grace frō this our stray
Come home agayne.
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