University of Virginia Library

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.