10
A Satire against Woemen
As falcons are by nature faire of flight
Of kinde as sparhalks far excells in speede
As marlions haue in springing greatest might
As gosehalks are of nature giuen to greede
As mauises of kinde are giuen to sing
And laurocks after candlemasse to spring.
As piots steales what euer they can beare
Of kinde as corbies followes carions vilde
As ieas will conterfitt what sounde they heare
As gledds of nature kills not oft the wylde
As crowes and kaes will clatter when they playe
As hens of nature keckells when they laye.
As kinde makes hounds to followe hairs by sent
As cursours nickers riding in the night
As lions for to seeke there praye are bent
As beares by kinde, of leggs are wonderous wight
As tigres flies the waters and the wites
As nature giues the Ounces cruell sprites.
As goates delights to climbe through craige and cleughe
As deere of nature hants the forrest faire
As conns by kinde will skippe from branche to beughe
As foxes can by craft escaipe the snaire
As brockes in winter likes to sleepe and rest
As swine by nature loues the midding best.
As schooles of herring flees the whaill for feare
As greate olde pyckes will eate the young and small
As remora will stoppe a shippe to steare
As kinde makes sea horse to be cruell all
As kinde makes creuises to swimme abacke
As troutes of nature fishers baits will take.
As marmaides hates all men by natures will
As delphins loues all bairns in wonderous sorte
As by the contrare crocodills them kill
As mareswines loues of nature for to sporte
Of kinde as salmon in freshe water spawnes
As selchs haue milke and young ons lacking rawnes.
In short as foules by kinde in aire doe flee
And as the beasts by nature goes on grounde
And as the fishes swimmes in frothie see
And as all liuing things are euer bounde
To followe nature ruling them allwaye
Whose will obeye they must butt lett or staye.
Euen so all wemen are of nature vaine
And can not keepe no secrett vnreuealed
And where as once they doe concaiue disdaine
They are vnable to be reconcealed
Fullfild with talke and clatters but respect
And often tymes of small or none effect.
Ambitious all without regarde or shame
But anie measure giuen to greede of geare
Desyring euer for to winne a name
With flattering all that will them not forbeare
Sume craft they haue, yett foolish are indeede
With lying whiles esteeming best to speede
Exposition
Expone me right ye Dames of worthie fame
Since for your honours I employed my caire
For wemen bad hereby are lesse to blame
For that they followe nature eueriewhaire
And ye most worthie prayse, whose reason dants
That nature, which into your sexe, so hants.
