The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge made by Andrew Borde ... A Compendyous Regyment or A Dyetary of Helth made in Mountpyllier, compyled by Andrewe Boorde ... Barnes in the Defence of the Berde: a Treatyse made, answerynge the Treatyse of Doctor Borde vpon Berdes: Edited, with a life of Andrew Boorde, and large extracts from his Breuyary by F. J. Furnivall |
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 | The fyrst chapter treateth of the naturall dysposicion
of an Englyshman, and of the noble realme of
England, & of the money that there is vsed. The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge made by Andrew Borde |  |
I am an English man, and naked I stand here,
Musyng in my mynde what rayment I shal were;
For now I wyll were thys, and now I wyl were that;
Now I wyl were I cannot tel what.
All new fashyons be plesaunt to me;
I wyl haue them, whether I thryue or thee.
Now I am a frysker, all men doth on me looke;
What should I do, but set cocke on the hoope?
What do I care, yf all the worlde me fayle?
I wyll get a garment, shal reche to my tayle;
Than I am a minion, for I were the new gyse.
The next yere after this I trust to be wyse,
Not only in wering my gorgious aray,
For I wyl go to learnyng a hoole somers day;
I wyll learne Latyne, Hebrew, Greeke and Frenche,
And I wyl learne Douche, sittyng on my benche.
I do feare no man; all men feryth me;
I ouercome my aduersaries by land and by see;
I had no peere, yf to my selfe I were trew;
Bycause I am not so, dyuers times I do rew.
Yet I lake nothyng, I haue all thynge at wyll;
Yf I were wyse, and wolde holde my self styl,
And medel wyth no matters not to me partayning,
But euer to be trew to God and [to] my kynge.
But I haue suche matters rolling in my pate,
That I wyl speake and do, I cannot tell what;
No man shall let me, but I wyl haue my mynde,
And to father, mother, and freende, I wyl be vnkynde;
I wyll folow myne owne mynd and myn old trade;
Who shal let me, the deuyls nayles vnpared?
Yet aboue al thinges, new fashions I loue well,
And to were them, my thryft I wyl sell.
In all this worlde, I shall haue but a time;
Holde the cuppe, good felow, here is thyne and myne!
Musyng in my mynde what rayment I shal were;
For now I wyll were thys, and now I wyl were that;
Now I wyl were I cannot tel what.
All new fashyons be plesaunt to me;
I wyl haue them, whether I thryue or thee.
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What should I do, but set cocke on the hoope?
What do I care, yf all the worlde me fayle?
I wyll get a garment, shal reche to my tayle;
Than I am a minion, for I were the new gyse.
The next yere after this I trust to be wyse,
Not only in wering my gorgious aray,
For I wyl go to learnyng a hoole somers day;
I wyll learne Latyne, Hebrew, Greeke and Frenche,
And I wyl learne Douche, sittyng on my benche.
I do feare no man; all men feryth me;
I ouercome my aduersaries by land and by see;
I had no peere, yf to my selfe I were trew;
Bycause I am not so, dyuers times I do rew.
Yet I lake nothyng, I haue all thynge at wyll;
Yf I were wyse, and wolde holde my self styl,
And medel wyth no matters not to me partayning,
But euer to be trew to God and [to] my kynge.
But I haue suche matters rolling in my pate,
That I wyl speake and do, I cannot tell what;
No man shall let me, but I wyl haue my mynde,
And to father, mother, and freende, I wyl be vnkynde;
I wyll folow myne owne mynd and myn old trade;
Who shal let me, the deuyls nayles vnpared?
Yet aboue al thinges, new fashions I loue well,
And to were them, my thryft I wyl sell.
In all this worlde, I shall haue but a time;
Holde the cuppe, good felow, here is thyne and myne!
| The fyrst chapter treateth of the naturall dysposicion
of an Englyshman, and of the noble realme of
England, & of the money that there is vsed. The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge made by Andrew Borde | |