University of Virginia Library

1. THE FIRST PART OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE,

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The verse has been extracted from prose chapters. Chapter headings are included only for those chapters that contain verse.

Discouering the Errours of Religion with the remedies.

Chap. I.

[Since hired double Tongues grew in request]

Since hired double Tongues grew in request,
Nor Armes nor Arts could take their wonted Rest.

Chap. IIII.

[It seem'd a virgin full of liuing flame]

It seem'd a virgin full of liuing flame,
That would haue mou'd, if not with-held by shame
So Art it selfe conceald. His Art admires.
From th' Image drawes imaginarie fires,
And often feeles it with his hands to try,
If 'twere a Bodie or cold Iuorie.
Nor could resolue. Who kissing thought it kist.
He courts, embraces, wrings it by the wrist.

[He which kisses once receiu'd]

He which kisses once receiu'd,
Faint-hearted Gull is foule deceiu'd,
If after fauours such he misse,
To crop the flowre and rightly kisse.

[The deuill himselfe dares not attempt that fact]

The deuill himselfe dares not attempt that fact,
Which the vnbridled Monke and Baud dare act.

Chap. V.

[A Poet by Vertues education]

A Poet by Vertues education,
Must chaste be in life and conuersation.
But if his Verses light and wanton proue,
They rellish best of Salt and gracefull loue.

[The Comicke Muse makes this report]

The Comicke Muse makes this report,
Shee loues no more dishonest sport.
For now she finds, that at her birth,
She was ordain'd for harmelesse mirth.

Chap. VI.

[So meane perhaps, but Time brings alteration]

So meane perhaps, but Time brings alteration,
And a faire woman is a shrewd Temptation.

[Were I disdainfull or vnkind]

Were I disdainfull or vnkind,
Or coy to learne, or dull of mind.
But no such thing remaines in me
To let mee learne my A. B. C.

[Which shall I doe? or weepe, or sing?]

Which shall I doe? or weepe, or sing?
Neither of them will helpe mourning.
The Treasure's stolne, the Thiefe is fled,
And I lye bleeding in my bed.

Chap. VIII.

[Of late there rose a Sect of Caiphas kind]

Of late there rose a Sect of Caiphas kind,
Which great renowme with Pen & tongue assign'd
To Wedlock-bands, and with a large extent
Confirm'd the same to be a Sacrament:
Yet ne'rethelesse by quirks and tricks they push,
As if they found a knot within a rush,
Forbidding it to all the Clergy-men:
A doctrine sure come from the Deuils den.
But whats the fruit? Their bodies Lust inflames,
That they doe burne, as scorcht in Ætnaes flames.
Enamoured they wish for cruell death
To end their watchfull cares, and wearied breath.
Their mind runnes all on Loue. Loue moues the braine
To muse vpon sweet Beauty dy'd in graine.
This is the vpshot of their rash made vowes,
Vnlesse the Baudy-house, which Rome allowes,
Like to a Iakes, doe ease their pampred reines,
Or like a Horse-leach suck their puft vp veines.
Returne then, Marriage to thy free estate.
Repent, yee Shauelings, ere it be too late.
Vse lawfull meanes, and leaue of stolne pleasure,
Account of Marriage as the Churches treasure.
Christ easie yoke (yee need not stand in awe)
Dissolues old vowes, and for Dianaes Law.
Christs easie yoke yeelds Priests a freer life,
That one man be the Husband of one wife.

Chap. XIIII.

[Euen as I wandred in a wro]

Euen as I wandred in a wro,
In a Wood beside a wall,
Two Fowles saw I sit tho.
The falser foule mought him befall.
That one did plead on the Popes side
A Griffon of a grimme stature,
A Pellican withouten pride
To these Lollers laid his lure:
Hee mused his matter in measure:
To counsell Christ euer gan he call.
The Griffon shewed as sharpe as fire.
But falshood foule mought him befall.
The Pellican began to preach
Both of mercie, and of meeknesse.
And said Christ so gan vs teach,
And meeke and mercifull gan blesse.
The Euangelists doe beare witnesse,
A Lambe he likeneth Christ ouer all,
In tokening that he meekest was:
Sith pride was out of Heauen fall.
And so should euery Christian be
Priests, Peters Successours
Both humble and of low degree.
And vsen none earthly honours,
Neither Crowne nor curious couetours,
Nor Pillour, nor other proud Pall.
Nor ought to coffren vp great treasures,
For falshood foule mought them befall,
Priests should for no cattell pleade,
But chasten them in charitee.
Nor vnto battell should men leade,
For enhaunsing of their owne degree.
Not wilne sittings in high Sea,
Nor Soueraigntie, in house, nor hall.
All worldly worship defie and flee.
For who so willeth Highnesse foule shall fall.
Alas who may such Saints call,
That wilneth weld earthly honour.
As low as Lucifer such shall fall,
In balefull blacknesse y builden their bowre,
That eggeth the people to Errour.
And maketh them to them thrall:
To Christ I hold such one Traytour.
As low as Lucifer shall fall.
That willeth to be Kings Peeres,
And higher then the Emperour.
Some that were but poore Freeres,
Now wolden waxe a Warriour.
God is not their Gouernour,
That holdeth no man his Permagall.
While Couetise is their Counsellour,
All such falshood mought need fall.
With Pride they punish the poore,
And some they sustaine with sale,
Of holy Church making a Whoore.
And glut their bellies with Wine and Ale,
With Money they fill many a male:
And chaffren Churches when they fall,
And tellen the people a lewd tale.
Such false faitours foule them befall.
And Mitres more then one or two,
Y perled as the Queenes head.
A staffe of Gold and pirrie too,
As heauie as it were made of lead:
VVith Cloth of Gold both new and red:
VVith glitter and Gold, as greene as gall.
By doome they damne men to dead.
All such faitours foule them befall.
And Christs people proudly curse
VVith broad Booke and braying Bell.
To put pennies in their purse,
They will sell both Heauen and Hell.
And in their sentence thou wilt dwell:
They willen gesse in their gay hall.
And though the sooth thou of them tell,
In great cursings shalt thou fall.
Christs Ministers clepen they beene,
And rulen all in robbery;
But Antichrist they seruen cleane.
Attired all in Tyranny:
VVitnesse of Iohns Prophesie,
That Anticrist is their Admirall,
Tiffelers attired in Treacherie.
All such faitours foule them fall.
VVho saith that some of them may sinne,
He shall be doomed to be dead.
Some of them would gladly winne,
Against that which God forbad.
All Holy they clepen their Head,
That of their Rule is Regall.
Alas, that euer they eaten bread,
For all such falshood will foule fall.
Their Head loueth all Honour,
And to be worshipped in word and deed.
Kings must to him kneele and cour,
To the Apostles which Christ forbad.
To Popes Hests, such taken more heed,
Then to keepe Christs Commandement.
Of Gold and Siluer be their weed,
Who hold him whole Omnipotent,
He ordaineth by his Ordinance
To Parish Priests a power.
To another a greater aduaunce.
A greater point to his mystery.
But for he is Highest in Earth heere,
To him reserueth he many a point.
But to Christ, that hath no Peere,
Reserueth he neither rib nor ioynt.
So seemeth He aboue all,
And Christ aboue him nothing,
When he sitteth in his stall,
Damneth and saueth, as him thinke.
Such pride before God doth stinke.
An Angell bad Iohn to him not kneele,
But onely to God doe his bowing.
Such willers of worship must needs fall.
There was more mercy in Maximian,
And in Nero, which neuer was good,
Then is now in some of them,
VVhen he hath on his furred Hood,
They follow Christ, which shead his bloud,
To Heauen, as Bucket to the wall.
Such wretches be worse then wood,
And all such faitours foule them fall.
They maken Parsons for the penny,
And of Canons their Cardinals.
And Y scarce amongst them all is any,
That hath not glozed the Gospell false.
For Christ did neuer make Cathedrals
Nor yet with him was Cardinall
VVith a Red Hat, as vsen Minstrels:
But falshood foule mought it befall.
That say that Peter had the Key
Of Heauen and Hell to haue and hold.
I trow Peter tooke no Money
For any mens Sinnes, which he sold.
Such Successours be too bold,
In winning all their wit they wrall.
Their Conscience is waxen cold,
And all such faitours foule them fall.
Peter was neuer so great a foole,
To leaue his Key with such a Lorrell,
Or to take such a cursed toole:
He was aduised nothing well.
I trow they haue the Key of Hell,
Their Master is of that place Marshall.
For there they dressen them to dwell,
And with false Lucifer there to fall.
Christ had twelue Apostles heere;
Now, say they, there may be but one
That may not erre in no manner.
Who loueth not this be lost each one.
Peter erred: so did not Iohn:
Why then is he clept the principall?
Christ clept him Peter; but himselfe the Stone,
All false faitours foule them befall.
VVhat is Antichrist to say?
But euen Christs Aduersary?
Such hath now beene many a day,
To Christs bidding full contrary,
That from the Truth cleane vary.
Out of the way they beene quite wend,
And Christs people vntruly cary.
God of his pittie it amend.
They liue contrary to Christs life,
In high pride against meeknesse.
Against patience they vsen strife,
And anger against sobernesse,
Against wisdome wilfulnesse.
To Christs words they little tend,
Against measure outragiousnesse.
But when God will it may amend.
A token of Antichrists they be;
His charactes now beene wide yknow.
Receiued to preach shall no man be
VVithout token of him I trow.
Ech Christen Priest to preaching ow,
From God aboue to them been send
The Word, to all folk for to show,
Sinfull man their sinnes to amend.
Christ sent the poore for to preach,
The Royall Rich he did not so.
Now dare no poore the people teach,
For Antichrist is all their Foe.
Among the people he must goe,
Whom he hath bid; But such suspend,
Some hath he hent, and thinks yet mo.
But all this God may well amend.
The Emperour gaue the Pope sometime
So high Lordship him about;
That at the last the seely kime
The proud Pope did pull him out.
So of this Realme is in great doubt
But, Lords beware, and them defend,
For now these folk be wondrous stout.
The King and Lords now this amend,
Antichrist they seruen all:
Who I pray you can say nay?
With Antichrist such shall fall.
They fellow him in deed and fay,
They seruen him in rich array:
To serue Christ they falsly faine.
Why? at the dreadfull doomes-day
Shall they not fellow him to paine?
Popes, Bishops, and Cardinals,
Chanons, Parsons, and Vicar
In Gods Seruice I trow been false,
That Sacraments sellen heere;
And been as proud as Lucifere.
Ech man looke whether that I lie.
Who so speaketh against their power
It shall be holden Heresie.
The Griffon said, thou canst no good
Thou neuer camst of Gentle kind
Eyther I trow thou waxest wood,
Or else thou hast lost thy mind.
And the Pope were purely poore,
Needy and nothing he had:
He should be driuen from doore to doore,
The wicked of him would not be dread:
Of such a Head men would be sad.
If the Pope and Prelates would
So beg, and bid, bow, and borrow:
Holy Church should stand full cold,
Her seruants sit, and sup sorrow.
The Pellican cast a huge cry,
And said: Alas, why sayest thou so?
Christ is our Head, that sits on high.
Heads ought we not for to haue mo,
We be his members both also.
And Father he taught vs to cal him als,
Masters to be called defended he tho.
All other Maisters be wicked and false,
That doe take maistry in his name
Ghostly, all for earthly good.
Kings and Lords should Lordships haue,
And rule the people with mild moode
Christ, for vs that shead his bloud,
Bad his Priests no Mastership haue,
Nor to carke for cloth, or for food.
From euery mischiefe he would them saue.
Their Clothing should be Righteousnesse,
Their Treasure pure life should be.
Charity should be their Riches:
Their Lordship should be vnitee.
Hope in God their Honestie:
Their vessell cleane Conscience.
Poore in spirit, and Humilitie
Should be Holy Churches defence.
The Griffon said, thou shalt abie,
Thou shalt be burnt in balefull fire;
And all thy Sect I shall destry.
You shall be hanged by the swire.
Ile cause you soone to hang and draw.
VVho giueth you leaue for to preach:
Or thus to speake against Gods Law?
And the people thus false to teach?
Thou shalt be cursed with Booke and Bell,
And disseuer'd from Holy Church,
And cleane y damned into Hell,
Otherwise but you will worke.
The Pellican said, I doe not dread.
Your Cursing is of little value;
Of God I hope to haue my meed,
For it is falshood, which you shew.
For you beene out of Charity,
And would doe vengeance, as did Nero.
To suffer I will ready be,
I dread not that, what thou canst doe.

Chap. XV.

[By thy Tongues mightie Oracle.]

By thy Tongues mightie Oracle.
The World thou gouern'st all.
On Earth thee without obstacle
Of right a God wee call.