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[The Courte of Vertu

contaynynge many holy songes, Sonettes, psalmes and ballettes] [by John Hall]
Hall, John

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[section]
 
The Prologue.
 
The prayse of vertue.
 
The prayse of faithe.
 
The prayse of hope, out of many places of scripture.
 
The prayse of Godly loue or charitie
 
The prayse of Godly wysdome
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The nynth chapiter of Ecclesiasticus: or booke of Iesus the sonne of Sirach.
 
The maner of true and perfecte prayer instituted by our sauiour Iesus Christe, the only sonne of God, the wisdom of the father, and seconde person in trinitie.
 
The abridgement of our Christen beleefe, written as some suppose into .xii. Articles, by the .xii. holy apostels of our sauiour Iesus Chryste.
 
The songe of prayse and thankesgeuinge of blessed Mary the vyrgyn, mother of our lorde and sauiour Iesus Chryst, after the salutation of the Angell Gabriell, and of Elizabeth mother of blessed Iohn baptist.
 
The songe of prayse and thankes geuinge of holy Zachary, father of Saynct Iohn baptist, beinge restored to his speche, whiche was taken from him at the vision of the angell,
 
The songe of prayse and thankes geuyng of holy Simeon at the Circumcisyon of our Lorde Iesu Chryste.
 
The x. commaundementes of almighty God written, in ij. tables of stone with ye finger of God. The first table conteyning iiij preceptes concerneth our duety towardes God: The second table conteyning the other vj. preceptes concerneth our duetye towardes our neyghbour.
 
The prayse of God the father sonne and holye ghost.
 
To his friend E. H.
 
Numeri .xiii.
 
ii. Esdras. i.
 
Tobias .xiii.
 
Tobias .iii.
 
Iudith .16.
 
Iob .i.
 
Prouerb .xxx.
 
Ecclesiasticus .xxiii.
 
The songe of Esechia,
 
Ieremie .ix.
 
Ieremie .17.
 
Ieremie .xxxi.
 
Out of the thirde chapiter of Ieremies lamentations.
 
Oseas .xiiii.
 
Ionas. Cap. ii.
 
A consideration of the vnryghteousnes of the vayne & miserable world.
 
A ditie of lamentation against the dissemblyng and hipocriticall false dealynge, vsed of moste folke in these dayes:
 
A ditie named blame not my lute
 
A song of the lute in the prayse of God, and disprayse of Idolatrie.
 
A ditie shewyng the office of all estates:
 
A Ditie declaringe the daungerous abuse of all degrees, whyche go astraye from theyr vocation.
 
A voyce from heauen to you shall come,
 
Against pryde.
 
An inuectue against the most hatefull vyce enuy.
 
Agaynst slouthe.
 
A description of auarice.
 
A dittie of the pen inueiyng against vsury and false dealyng.
 
An exhortation to wrathfull men.
 
An Inuectiue agaynst wrathe
 
Against drunkennes and gluttony.
 
Lecherie rebuked.
 
An earnest complaint agaynste Idolatry.
 
An inuectiue against sclanderous tongues.
 
A complaint against euel tunges
 
A ditie made in the tyme of the the sweatyng plague.
 
That vertue excelleth both ryches and beautie.
 
A godly warnynge to put all men in remembrance of theyr myserable estate, and that they are subiecte to death and corruption.
 
The faithfull souldiour of Christe, desireth assistance of God against his ghostly enemies.
 
An exhortacion to brotherly loue and vnitie.
 
The iust and true mā complaineth, that flattery and falshod is more regarded then truthe, and reioyseth that he is hated for the truthe.
 
An holsome warning for all men that beare the name of Christians, to lyue Christianly.
 
A short song exhorting all men to abstayne from the vse of false weyghtes and measures.
 
A Ditie declarynge the stedfast hope and trust that the faythfull afflicted soule hath in Christ Iesu.
 
A song shewing that no commoditie is without a discommoditie.
 
The iust innocent complayneth on sclanderous tongues.
 
The innocent sclaundered complaineth praying for the conuertion of his enemies.
 
The complaint of Christ our sauiour agaynst the Ingratitude of mankynde.
 
A Ditie warnyng all townes and liberties to chose theyr gouernours for vertue wysedom and lernyng: and by all meanes laudable, to kepe from rule the proude enuious and wylfull wycked men:
 
A briefe description of wysedom and folly in gouernance.
 
A briefe Description of truthe and falsehode.
 
An exhortation to truthe, fayth and vertue.
 
A description of mans lyfe both in his owne affections and vertues.
 
A frendly aduertisement.
 
That selfe loue and auarice, weare neuer true friendes.
 
A description of frendship.
 
An opening of the rude peoples inconstancie.
 
That flattery and sclaunder are of all wyse men to be taken hede of.
 
That a cōstant mynde is a great pyller of bodily health.
 
A commendacion of vertuous exercise.
 
Against vndecēt busy medlers in other mens vocation neglecting their owne.
 
Of fortune.
 
Or thus out of Iustinus.
 
Of honor out of Tully.
 
Of glory.
 
Of vain glory.
 
Or thus.
 
Of grace out of S. Bernarde.
 
Of temperance out of Plutarche.
 
Of tale bearers out of saynt Hierome.
 
Of virginitie.
 
Of Arrogancie in studentes.
 
Of reuerence to age.
 
Of truth and falshode.
 
Of Inhumanitie.
 
Of constant temperance.
 
Of truth and lying.
 
Of the errors of the common rude multitude.
 
Agaynst vayne apparell,
 
Agaynst anger
 
Of frendes,
 
Dulce bellum inexpertis.
 
That the riche and myghtie should not hate the poore and lowly.
 
Of formed fyllets and disformed forheds.
 
Sentences of the wyse
 
A description of dignitie or true Noblenesse.
 
The anotomy or particular description of a byrchē broome or besome:
 
The description & declaration of a monstrous chyld,
 
An exhortation to al preachers of the Gospell, that they ought to preache as well in workes as with wordes: if they wyll preache profitably, namely to the conuertiō of soules to the truthe.
 
Against ye dissimulacion, craft, vnconstācie, false dealing, gredy couetousnes, vntemperate eatynge and drynkyng, and incontinencie of an old man,
 
A song against the sinful time wherin all thynges are out of order, and synne groweth nere vnto rypnes.
 
A maruaylous dreame of the Author:
 
A Poesis in forme of a Uisyon,
 
A Ditie declaryng the risyng and setting of the .xii. sygnes of the zodiake:
 
A Ditie made to the prayse of God, by the Author,
 
An other Ditie to the same purpose and vse.
 
A ditie to be sung of musiciens in the mornyng,
 
A ditie to be sung at nyght when men go to bed.
 
A ditie to be sung at dyner tyme and meales.
 
An other to the same purpose.
 
An other grace.
 
A sonnet inueyinge agaynst the abuses and pryde that reygneth among vayne women.
 
The complaynte of a certayne famous town for the death of an honest matron, wyfe to one of thinhabitantes of the same
 
An exhortacion for vertuous men to perciste in vertue and to prayse Christ the authour of vertue, to whom be all honour and glory. Amē.

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A ditie named blame not my lute

whiche vnder that title toucheth, replieth, and rebuketh, the wycked state and enormities of most people, in these present miserable dayes.

[74]

Blame not my lute though it doe sounde
the rebuke of your wicked sinne,
but rather seke as ye are bound
to know what case that ye are in:
And though this song doe sinne cōfute,
and sharply wyckednes rebuke:
blame not my lute.
My lute and I sythe truth we tell,
(Meanyng no good man to offende)
Methynke of ryght none should refell
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The godlynes that we intend:
But muche rather if they haue grace,
They will our good counsell imbrace.
Then blame my lute.
Although my lute with sentence playn
Rebuke all suche as fayne and glose,
With flatterers and lyces vayne,
That truthe to falshod can transpose:
Ye though we sharply speake and syng
Against false and craftie wynnyng,
Blame not my lute.
And if my lute sound in your eare
The priuy hate and lacke of loue,
And howe ye should sclander forbeare,
Syth gods word doth ill tōgues reproue:
Though as saint Iames we doe expresse
The same, a worlde of wickednes:
Blame not my lute.
Though my lute doe expres and show
That prayer and holy fasting,
Is tourned nowe with hyghe and low
To vncleane talke and banqueting:
Although we saye that chastitie
Be gone, and in place lecherie.
Blame not my lute.
Though with their own fewe be cōtent,
Chastly to lyue with one good make:
But rather the moste part be bent
Their constant vowe for to forsake:
Though some in Sodom rather byde,
[75]

Then honest mariage to prouide.
Blame not my lute.
If my lute blame the couetyse,
The glottons, and the drunkards vyle,
The proud dysdayne of worldly wyse,
And howe falshod doth truth exyle:
Though vyce and sinne be nowe in place,
In sted of vertue and of grace.
Blame not my lute.
Though wrong in iustice place be set,
Committing great iniquitie:
Though hipocrites be counted great,
That mainteine styll idolatrie:
Though some set more by thynges of nought,
Then by the lorde that all hath wrought.
Blame not my lute.
Although eche man finde faulte with other,
And no man will him selfe acuse,
But eche man blameth his brother:
Though he him selfe as great faulte vse,
Though we see none their owne fault fynde,
Nor call repentance vnto mynde.
Blame not my lute.
Though my lute say that suche as preache
And should men leade in wayes directe
Doe lyue amys, though truth they teache,
Whiche causeth truth to be suspect,
Though my lute say suche cause offence
Through their great slouth and negligence.
Blame not my lute.
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Though some gods worde doe still despyse,
For beggerly traditions:
Aduancing highly fayned lyes
Of mens imaginations.
Although my lute doe suche accuse,
As by errors gods worde abuse,
Blame not my lute.
Although we see the clergie slack,
Wrong wayes by ryght for to redres:
Though some also goe rather back,
Then procede forth in righteousnes:
Although we saye that auarice
Doth stop the mouthe, and choke the wyse,
Blame not my lute.
Though offendors be borne withall,
Although the wolues in corners lurke
That haue and will the lambes make thrall,
And daily doe their false feates worke.
Though whispryng treason in the eare
Burst out somtyme without all feare.
Blame not my lute.
Though some also abuse the lute
With sinfull songes of lechery:
Though some goe forth as beastes brute,
In false treason and trechery:
Though at eche sermon we may see
Gods holy worde scorned to be.
Blame not my lute.
Blame not my lute I you desyre,
But blame the cause that we thus playe:
[76]

For burnyng heate blame not the fyre,
But hym that blowth the cole alway.
Blame ye the cause blame ye not vs,
That we mēs faultes haue touched thus
Blame not my lute.
Blame not my lute, nor blame not me,
Although it sound against your sinne:
But rather seeke for to be free,
From suche abuse as ye are in.
Although we warne you to repent:
Whiche grant you God omnipotent.
Blame not my lute.
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