University of Virginia Library

[1]

Perchance hit might be best to shun at al that home
Wher throughout the wind passage none can get,
Or dimmed darke or subiect to the cold and windz,
Or els to siknis thral that bredeth helth decay;
But if so one delight by costom in such place
The lights may changed be, or staiers alter case,
Or dores some for the passage, some other shutted be,
Wiche fayrar muche may frame hit cleare with bettar helth.
And some have served ther cities turne by altering suche.
A sample may my country make, as said hit is,
That bending to Zephirus wynde and from Parnasus taking sone,
That to ye west his course did turn by Cherons help,
Hit wryed was to east, the sons arising place.
Empedocles eke, the knower wel of naturs cours,
Is said to stop the gaping deap of hil and the rok
Wiche grevous was and siknys ful the place,
For that the northen wind did beat on neagbours filds,
And thus the plage out chast from regions ground.
Therfor if plagy wilz ther be that noyful ar unsound,
Arising tempest great and dimly marks the mynd,
Best shal hit be giue them repuls and down throw flat to ground;
So to ourselues we bride an air clear, a ligh and brethe ful pur.
And if this may not be, yet let our labor at lest be this,
That by al menes that possible make we may,
Tourning from us and changing al [that] brideth us offence,
We make them serue our tourne and helpe us the beste.
A sample let us make of curius nideles care,
Whose study is naugh else but other homes to knowe,
Diseas that nether void of enuy nor pure from wickedn[is].
Why than, O man, with enuye ful an others yls
Sharpist sight dost set, and in thyn owin stil?
Inward drawe thy science study and so hit apply
That thy busy care be tourned from outward to thyn own.
And if thou fancy haue to enter storyes yvels,
Thou hast ynough at home that ydel thou ne be.
As great a stream as waters floud doth bring to bay,
Or circled oak by fawling leves from tre.
So great a store of faultes in thy life shalt find,
A hepe eake of yl desiars fraught in thy mynd.
No les neglect of that thou shuld by office yeld.
For as the writ of Senoφ on telz the ordar how good frugal men
Do part aside suche laid up stuf as sacrifice nides,
And do deuide from banquetz cost, in sort that some
Do serue the plowshares turne, in other place the war;
Euen so do thou deuide thy ivels part that enuy bridz,
A part let ielosy haue, some for cowardz frute do leue,
For sparing some, reserue all the do count and know.
Suche windowes as to neghbours hous giues the vewe,
And curius foote steps make a way to patent;
But other wayes open thou must, truly fit and sound,
Suche as to seruauntz romes in thy hous the bring,
Sometime into thy womens closetz and wher thy slaues abide.
Thes be suche thing as axing study and busy care do nide,
Wher never profitles businis nor wicked work hath rome,
But ful of welth and holesum councel giues the,
Whan eache telz himself this tale and this accompt:
Whens slide I, what done haue I, what ther vndon shuld not?

[2]

But now, as fables tell, Lamia at home doth blindedly:
Her yees she putz in vesselz store til furthe she go.
Than in her hed the go, and open bendz her lookes.
So eache man abrode in others matters with hate
Into his thoght a curius regard into his head as yee he putz.
From faultz our owne and wicked actz by ignorance we slip;
On thes nor rolling yees nor light of them receue.
The curius more profit yeldz his foes than good vnto himself,
That telleth them ther lacks, and wher the do, and
That bettar the may ware the warnid to correct,
Neglectz at home the dedes that nide wer to regard,
So stoned is his care for that most other touche.
Vlisses eke no word wold giue to mother his
Til of the proφet axed he had the cause, why to hel he went;
And after he to dame returned and wemen rather axed
What wenche Tiro was, wher faire Cloris bid,
And what bred cause for murthering Epicastes life,
Whan woful knot of corde she knitz to hiest beame.
But we ouer secure and knowing naugh that most us touche,
Inquires of others liues: as why our neghbors sire
A Sirian was and grand dame why a Thresian borne,
And suche man owes talentz thre nor usury hath paid.
Yea, and sometime suche things discours, whens suche a wife leaue home,
Why he and he haue in a corner talkt togither.
But Socrates romed up and downe with doute ful great,
What wordz, what spiche Pitagoras vsid to bride belife;
And Aristippus in Olimpias meting Ischomachus axed
Why Socrates in his disputes so wyn could yonge men.
Who whan he picked had some sedes and samples of his wordz,
So moued he was, that skant he stedy cold his pas,
And grew throughout bothe pale and lene, until
Thirsty and inflamed to Athenes hoissed vp his sailes,
And bothe the man his wordz and φiloφie he lerned,
Wiche did contain in somme to all conclude in short
That al men shuld an audit make of al ther iuels
And so them bettar knowe to make them shun the more.

[3]

An other sort ther is that broke can not a louk
On life ther owne, but demes hit as a yrcksome shewe,
Nor reasons lustar beare the can, reflections hers the shun,
But ther mynd filld all with eache mans iuel al shaking dreads.
What dwels within abrod hit goes and gasith round about,
And others sins do vew, bothe nurs and crame ther vice.
For as the hen oft in the house whan food is broght
Runs to a cornar strait and ground doth skrape with claw,
That some wher in the dounge on grain at lest may find,
So fareth hit with curius mans vice, who passing ouer
Institutes, lessons and skanted matter in retorik give,
And other caus suche as no man grives is axed,
In hepes the throw the housis secret iuels and hid.
Righ wel applied is that the Egyptian said to him that axed
What hid was that he had. That made hit hid, quoth he.
Nor is hit the fasyon to enter others house with out he afore knoke;
Though now the portars add to for harmerling, and rings did hange
Vntouchet with out, served for the eare from him that enter wold,
Lest stranger migh the huswife in her house surprise
Beting of her maid or chastening her man,
Or shirles might heare that maiden gaue for skourge.
The prying man to all this wyl slily make his one,
Suche one as hedes not to behold a chast and wel ruuld hous,
No thogh a man in treating sort wold cal him to that sight;
But suche as kay requires, a clog or sparred dore
Vncouver list, and to the vulgar sort abrode hit migt.
Of all the wyndz the greue us most and troble bride,
Ariston telz, whos turne back strawes vs anoy,
But curius man no neghbors cloak nor clothes estimes,
But wales he brekes and opens dores, euen to sily maidz,
In sort euen suche as wind that perceth in and enters rome
Wher Bacchus feasts, roundz and daunce he may behold,
Euen suche as in the night to Dianes temple dedicate were,
With hedy yea espies what faultz he may find ther.

[4]

Besides, as Cleon sais, whom comedie old reproved,
His mynd in Clopis was, his handz in Etole hid.
So mynd of curius man at onis in riche mans hous doth make abode
And in self time the cotage poor doth haunt and court of king.
And at a wedding latly made to prie the businis of eache man,
Bothe of the gestz that biddid be and of the chifest all.
And so as not of peril he ventur makes therof,
But like to him that henban tast with curius fault,
That gridy is to knowe afor he fele is reued of his like:
So who serche the mightiars ylz first dy or understand,
For who disdains to looke on sun beames large and windo
And nides wil star on bodies sun hit selfe to bold that striue
The light from him to turne, are blinded starke for here.
Rightly said Φilippides the poete to Lisimachus who axed:
What of myne shal I imparte as of my gift to the?
What so thou wylt, quoth he, so secret none thou giue me.
For what so kingdome hathe of pleasur and ioy
Outward set furthe be: banquetz, riches, solemne liberal shewes;
But if hid aught ther be, nor hit assist ne ons hit touche.
Nor coverd be a kingly ioy whan prosperous hap arrives,
Nor scorne made at his sportz nor whom with bringeth kindly gifts.
What hidden is fearful, woful, sower and vnknowen,
The tresor of an ouerflowing wasting ire,
Or rather habit deape in mynd to rolle revenge,
Or zelosie of wife or sons suspect or dout of frind.
Fly thou this darke and thikky mysty folded cloude;
A flasche and thoundar shal burst out whan hidden shewes.

[5]

What way therfor for fligt or shuning of the same?
If strait thou do as said is yore to spare thy busy care,
But best if mynd thou turne helpz and delites.
O busy man, cherche what the heauen, erthe, air and sea afourdz.
Wither doth delite the most, the small or great to knowe?
If great, than care whens son arise and wher she doth couche,
Aske why the mone at times as man so changeth she,
Whence so great light she tooke and whens she lost repairs.
Whan left she hathe us semed how may hit be
That strait her new face faire to vs aperes
Slily to the circles ful increasing makes
Again whan beauty hers hathe shone unto the top
Than waning eldar growes til none be shewn.
For thes thingz be naturs secret inward workes,
Nor doth disdaine suche science to the lerned folke.
But great thinges thou despice and dost not reke serche?
Be curius than for things of les regarde.
Aske thou than of that wiche erthe brings furthe,
Why some do florisshe stil and grine remaine,
In euery season grine the be as she that bosts herself,
Some other sort in some what like to thes the shew,
Some other kind be bared left and lea, like husbandman
That thrift neglects at ons that al his goodz hathe spent;
For nether iust, honist nor pleasing wer suche shewe.
Than why do divers grondz brede fruts of sondry sortz,
Both long, cornard, halfe round and rounded all?
Perchance of this thou carest not muche, for yl non is.
If nides thou sekest in ivels a curius care,
Iven serpent like that fed and nourist is in poisund wood,
Let us suche curius man bringe to stories read,
And gather ther suche stuf as doth include and tel.
A plenty great of al mishaps, aboundance of all ivel,
For ther do ly the ruine of men, the wast of goodz,
The wifes dishonor, the sarvantz baitz, the frindz slander,
The venom prepared, enuies, zelosies, wrak of frindz,
The treasons huge of kings from kingdoms thrown.
Fil thou with these thy curius nice desiars:
Pleasure taken this that bride can no wo,
Nor dolor to such folke as thou dost dwell with alle.

[6]

But as hit semes the curius man cared not for old pane.
Not suche as wonted were but sly and unfond harme he vews,
That willingly may tragidies new made behold;
He recks not for to felowe comiche cause nor mery matter.
Than if he mit with one that talk of mariage makes,
Or sacrifice telz, or brides retourne, hideles and lasy
The curius man hit heares, and tels how oft that he hard,
And wilz the tellar be brief in short or pas hit ouer;
But if a sittar by do tel a tale of a dishonested maid,
Or wife that wedlok brake or cartel sent, or brothers debat,
Heare he slipith not nor siuseth makes for laisur,
But sekes for more mens tongz and listen makes his eares.
How rightly said is this: that easilar il than good to mortal men arrives.
And rightly said is this of curius natured man,
For as the boxing glas the worst from flesche do draw,
So eares of noysy folkes the wor. . .he draweth out.
And bettar for to say, as cities haue some gates
Vnlucky and void of noys of multitude the great,
By wiche condemned men to dy are oft conveied,
And throw wiche the throw that filthy is and fowl,
And naugh by them ther goes that pure or holy is;
So by the eares of curius men naugh good or faire doth pas,
But slaughtar talk in to ther eares has passage sure,
And ther abides wiche wicked cursed tales them brings.
Euer chanting teares within my house do dwell.
This is the muse for curius man and siren his alone,
Nor aught than this may joy them best or please,
For curius folke have gridy wyl to heare that secret is and hid.
No such opens, yea to aught, if good the haue at al,
And some while the do faine suche good as ther is none.
And so the nisy man that gridy is to know the ivel
Is subiect to disiase that joyes at others harmes,
The bretherne true of spite and enuious folkes.
For enuy sorow is for good that others joys,
A gladsomnis of ivel, the joy conciued of others wicked actz;
And both procides of malice humor, beastlike and mad.

[7]

But yrksome so vnto eache man the opening is of his ivels
That many chuse to dy befor his secret disease the doctor prove.
What if Heroφilus, Erasistratus or Esculapius, choys men therfor,
Carying the cures instrumentz, if standing without dores
Wher axed wiche fistula in the thigh suche man hathe had,
Or wither a wife a cancer hathe in secret hiden place?
Albeit the heltheful care be nidful of suche art,
Yet no man, I belive, but cast of wold suche on as hit wold axe,
Whom no unlouked for nid uncald wold sike out others harme.
The busy man sikes out al thes and many wors,
That with no mynd to cure, but clattar out the same.
Wherfor no nikurne the shal giue that names the cuyrous folk.
For serchers we disdain and hardly brooke we can,
Not when the find that openly is brought to vew of all
But suche as hiden be in vesselz and in packz;
And yet the law hit bids, and for neglect shuld smart.
In other sort the nice men lose ther owne for others serche,
Nor dwell the chuse in country soile, for quiet fildz no care.
But yet if after longed time the to the contry goe,
The rather vewe ther neighbors fild and pas ther owne;
And axis how many oxen he hathe loste in numbar all,
And how much sowered wine he cast away with los;
And furnist this, he quikly to the citie retournes.
But he that is a plowman right receue ful slowly wyl such newes
As of fre wyl is from the citie spred abrod,
And sais: than wyl fal out my diggar shal tel me tales
On what barganes strifes haue ther ende in plea,
For even now curius of suche matter this wicked wreche doth walke.

[8]

But busy man the cloiny life doth hate as empty cold,
That nurs no tragicke part woful nor wicked cause,
But go the wyl to jugis seates, to markets and to portz,
Vsing this vois: have you no newes today, wer ye in fair?
What than? Do you belive the cities reuolt in thre hours time?
And if such tale he hathe, from his horse he lights,
Taking hands, imbrasis the man and listing sits him by.
If met he do a man that tel can naugh: what sais thou?
Wert thou in pleading place? Didst thou not pas the hal?
Nor hast not faln in passangers suche as last from Italye come?
Praised be therfor the Locrens law, who did forbid
A question ons at his ret[OMITTED] any newes
And promist was [OMITTED]
For as to coukes ful welcome is the numbar great of shipe,
To fisshar eke spaum ful thik of fische find,
So curius men wische plenty of ivel, and businis make
New and strange euent, wiche euer the hunt and kil.
Yea, hidely do the Thurian lawes, that charge no citizen think
In comedie be vsed but to the whoring or curius men.
For adultry desiar of other pleasur, inquiry and serch also
Of matter such as hid is hardly to be knowen;
For curiositie is a palssy and consumption eke that shews what shuld couet,
Wiche makes the chatting vice to folow care of knowing muche.

[9]

And so can not be shuned, but slandar felowes the busy care,
Wiche made Pithagoras teche fiue yeres silence to young men,
Wiche cal he did Εχεμυθια, the suafes thing that silence doth expres.
Yea, hit can not be but wicked tong doth curiositie fere
For what the gladly heare the willingly readely tel,
And what with hide from some the yet to others tel delite.
Wherfor this disease besides more iuels brings this to bote,
That let it doth to haue that most the seke to get;
For al men hides them wel and hides them from suche feloship,
Nor wyl do aught or say in curius sight or eare
But councel defers and businis care for other time appointz,
Vntil suche man away him get from companie thers.
And if perchance a busy man come in wher secret tale
Or earnist aught be don, no nother wise than as the cat
In running hides his meat so sknatchz from hand that ready was;
So that oft that other here or se may to suche,
Nor vewe nor eare may serue ther turnes,
In fine, a curius man lacks al confidence or trust,
For rather to slaues and strangers charge our lettars we commit
Or trust [OMITTED]ler than to curius knowen frindes.
But Belleroφon not lettars born against himself did open,
But hand refrained from kingly writ with tempar suche
As he wold do with continenci from his wife.
To be a curius man lacks tempar nowhit less
Than if adulteres part he plaid as faut no les.
To this distempar this is worst that foli madnis hathe.
For in neglect of most and commen womens haunt,
To the shut and glorious one, perhaps to the deformed,
Be caried to: what madnis more or brain siknis may be?
So fareth hit with curius folk, who, passing by the fairest shews,
Lectors studies and disputes, others lettars breakith up,
With eares close to neghbors wales, and whisperars adz
Wher seruaunts and women bide, yet not void of ding,
But sure euer of slandars mark and infamy.

[10]

Yea, nideful for suche curius ons to shake of ther disease
Remembar what ther gaines haue bene or what ther los.
For if, as Simonides said, whan sometime he opened had his deskes,
One fild with rewardz ful he found but empty that of thankes;
So if man sometime shal serche and open with curius mans bages,
Ful of unnideful, vaine and stufd with al vnpleasing thingz,
Perchance the first sight wyl him offend whan by al menes
He shal make plain how undeliteful, vaine and skornful al the be.
Now go on, if entring in to ancient boukes and takes out
The worst from them, and bouke he haue so invented,
As out of Homeres vers that hedles named be,
Or out of tragical solosismz, or out of suche vers
As Archilochus againe women lewdely and ful sawsy made,
In maner suche him selfe betraing and deciuing;
Worthy do you not think him of tragical curs and ban?
Ivel may the betide, the sercher out of humain woes!
Yea, hit shal not nide tragical curs, for of hit self
Vnsemely and fruteles sleing the stooring of others sin;
Such citi as that was wiche Φilip of wikedz wretched men
First bilt, named therfor Πονεροπολις, as fild ful of yl.
Curius men, therfor, while round about the gather and hepe,
Not fault of vers or poesy but crimes of other life,
Ther faultz and incongruety and about them each
A most unpleasing ungraceful tables of other iuels,
Wiche ther owne memory fittest instrument maks.
For as at Rome some pictures, and yea in dide
Formes bold of boyes, of women, the dispise, about the go
And bide in market place wher monstars sold be,
Vewing and axing for foteles men that armes haue lik cat,
Or thre yead men, or suche whos nek is like to camel torne,
Or if ther any be of kind that mixture hathe of like
Or yuel shapd untimely birth; but if dayly the be broght
To suche a sight, short wil ther liking be, and some wyl hit abhor.
So suche as curius be of others liues and liuing birth,
About the rabel and sins that haue befalne in others hous,
Suche as afore the pried on, comes to ther mynd,
Remembar the do how of the hede of others yuels
The gather haue no credit nor profit any.

[11]

Hit muche may therfor avail suche maladie to driue,
If first from dede may hap alof with vse our self inure,
And so may lerne in this motion to tempar giue our self;
For disease increase hathe growen by customs use,
Wiche els wold turne to wors, if hit had further gone.
But how hit may be don of custome let vs speke.
Beginningz first be made of easy things sone don
And suche as comen haps and vulgar peple vse.
For what mad matter passing by monumentz old
To neglect to read verse or writ that graffin be,
Or what hard thing wer hit to pas by suche skrapings
As walz in writing receue, and not read?
In silence warning vs that nothing ther is writen
That profit or delite may bride vs or to giue vs,
But doth remember a writing good, be best frind of ours,
Or other like to this, ful vain and fild with toys,
Wiche in them selves semes not to hurt in reading,
But slily the annoy for briding care to knowe vnnideles thing;
And as the huntars rates ther houndz that usith change,
And with ther lyans them pluk back and with drawe,
And kipes ther sente bothe pure and hole in right chase,
That egerlar the firm ther pace and folowe firme,
And winding with ther sent the steps of ther game.
So aught hit fare with curius man that runs to euery gase
In striuing for to see or lift his eare al to hire.
Bak kipe him and withdrawe, him selfe reserue for profit more.
For as the lions walke with couver clawes and eglis eke ther talon,
Lest sharpnis thers and fiersnes to muche the dul,
So mynding how al curius care haue sharpist sight
And narowly lookes on knowlege of sondry sortz,
Let us not hit consume nor blunt in worsar thing.

[12]

In secund place, let us invre if by an others hous we go
Not to louk in nor rolle our yees to that wiche is within
In vsing curius serche in stede of other handz,
But ready haue Zenocrates saw, that did deny
That differens any wer wither fite or hand the house did enter;
For guest it is a shame an inner ivel to vewe.
For thes be suche in hous most: potz that lie on ground
Or maidens sitting stil, but nothing worth or graue.
Yet a shame hit is with glanche on suche to bend our yees,
And hither turne our witz sharpnis and pliing mynd,
For to suche thinges a custom make is wicked.
Diogines ons whan saw he did Dioχsipon in Olimpia race
In charet caried, not hable to with drawe his yea from woman fair,
But bak wrying and turning nek in casting on her looke,
Behold, quoth he, a wrestlar stout with wry nek by maid is won.
The busy men you may behold to eche shew ther hed the turn about,
Whan custom and care hathe made them ready to vewe eche thing.
But I suppos that no man ought permit his sence abrode to range
Like maiden that no bringing vp hathe had such as wer meet.
But whan from myndz care sence is sent to businis wark,
Attend suche thingz and quicly tel thy message answer,
And than againe in thy selfe with reasone make abodd
And ther abide, not strayinge out of office charg.
But now hapz that wiche Soφocles wont is tel:
And so as freed hors the bit
That careles hand of holdar
Did neglect.
So sence (as we have told) void of a guide or vse,
Furthe the go and often drawe the mynd to that and more,
At length hurles him down to breke his nek.
Wiche makes that falsly said and brakd is of Democratus
That of purpos he pluckt out his yees, holding them to fired glas,
And from the same reflection tooke, lest that the shuld
His mynd kepe shut and oft cal back to outward caus,
Not suffering that the shud him let, left them at home,
That he migh bode in vnderstandings good, as shutting she[we]
From windowes that to hie ways bend ther light.
But most tru hit is that rarely the do file what do the shuld,
That vexeth oft ther mynd with busy careful thoght.
Yea, musis dipe the fur from towne did place,
And night as firmest frind to knowledge great
The titeld with Euphρonen name, supposing suche vse
And ease, whom no other care did let or hindar,
Shuld have great helpe to such things as seke the did.

[13]

Yea, and that is not hard nor cumber hathe therin
As oft men ban the or cursing wordes aforde,
Nor eare giue therto, but as a defe man hard them;
Or whan great pres is in the place to sit the stil,
And if thou cans not rule the so, arise and go thi way.
For if thou felowe curius folke no good therof thou getz;
But profit great shal the bifal if curius part thou shun
With violence great, thou vse and vse hit may reason lore.
And profit taking from this grounwork and earnestar custom,
Right wel shalt do if theatur thou pas wher pleasant augh is plaid,
And if thy frindz do the intreat to comedie or game, deny.
Or if comen shutz about the ringe, witsafe not.
For as Socrates did wel warne us to take hede and beware
Of suche meat as did prouoke the unhungrie man,
Alike he said of draughtz suche without thrust to take.
So we must shun suche shewes and tales as intise and allure
Whan nide of them we haue not at all, but ar to muche.
Yea, Cirus wold not Panthea behold or vewe,
And whan Araspus told him how she worthy was to be seen,
That is the cause, quoth he, why more I wold refrain her.
Yea, if I shuld thy counsel folowe and go to her,
Perhaps she wold perswade me againe to retourne againe,
Euen whan my laisur aught not be to sit by her and louke
In leauing of more serius hideful matters.
In maner suche nor Alexander wold Darius wife behold
Whan fame she had of beauty great and praised her muche,
But meting mother hers, a woman old, the maiden fair denied.
We while ful slily looke in chamber of the wife,
Thogh pentische like the windowe built, we think no harm;
The curius care our owne we suffar slip, to curius al.

[14]

Hit profits also sometime that iustice may be don to pas ouer suche ded,
That thou mast more accustume the to flie from that as wrong,
And that thou mast the bettar invre in continent sort,
Sometime forbeare the lawful companie of thi owne wif,
Lest another time thou be inticed to other mens.
Briding this custom in curiositie, prove sometime that the doth touche, neglect;
Nor suffer ons thy eare to give therto a hede,
And if a man wold tel the aught don at thy home, diffar him,
And from thy eares fur set what wordz of the be said.
Edipus busy serche did wrap him in most harmes.
For whan of himself he axed, as he no Corinte wez
But guest, he met with Laius, who after kild he had,
And mother his own in mariage tok, with whom he got kingdom
With dowary hers; whan than happy he thoght he was,
Againe he questioned who he was, wiche whan his w[ife] wold let,
More earnest he, the old man as guilty he wer rebukd,
Omitting no good menes to make bewrayd al that was hid.
Than whan suspect herof his mynd had moche distract,
And old man had skrigd out, O worthi me whom nide to spike constrains;
Yeat kindeled and vexed with curiositis stinge made answer:
Compeld to heare, yeat heare I must.
So swet a sowre hit is, nor may be withstode, curiosities motion,
As wound that bloudies hit self while hit is launged.
But who is freed from this disease and is of mildy spirit
Nor gilty is of any iuel shal thus begin to say:
O goddis, how wise art thou, that dost forget the yl.

[15]

Wherfor against al this a custoum must be made
That strait a lettar broght may not be broken vp,
As many do, wiche whan the think ther handz to slow the ad to ther tithe.
Whenseuer post do come, mete him not, nor let us change our pla[ce].
If so hit hap a frind ariue and say that some what he wyl tel him;
Yea, rather if aught thou brings of profit and help.
Whan ons in Rome dispute I made, a cloin, that Domitian after kild,
Who envied much the princis glory, listening to my lectur
And in the while a soldiar comming, Ceasars pistel gaue him,
A silence made, whom none wold let to reade the sent,
Refuse hit nor wold hit open til endid was my reading,
And that I had dismist my hearars and scolars;
Wherin eache man did admire the grauitie of this man.
But whan by all menes and ways he nurris shal
Curiosities maladie and so shal make hit stronge and violent,
Than easy is not hit refrain and rule,
For that by vse hit throwen is, born to things vnlawful.
Yea, the lettars teare vp and frindz secretz discover,
And sacred things behold whom no mans vewe aught se,
And steps setz in place unfit, and kingly wordz and dedes do serche.

[16]

And tirans to, who ought al knowe, ar made most odius
By thos men who eares thers and flatterars be called.
Therfor youngar Darius the first some hirars he had, αutoκoustas cald,
Himself mistrusting, douting others moe and fearing;
But Dionisians fuisted amonge the Siracutions suche flering folk
Whom in changest state, whan Siracusians found, distroied.
For flatterars are of kind and stoke of curius line.
And senthars two inquire what ivel another ment or did.
Yea, busy men iven wretched haps of neighbors thers do serche,
Euen suche as fals vnto ther share though fur vnloukt for wer,
And to the vulgar folke hit tel abrode, suche newes the [seke].
And said hit is that wrongged folkes beare suche name of curius vice;
For (as like hit was that famine had Athenes plaged, nor ownars wold ther corn vttar,
But in night and secret sort grind the did ther store)
Thes walking about did note and marke ther milles noys,
To wiche ther names were giuen alitern, propar for suche.
Of like cause, the say, were sicoφantz cald and so surnamed,
For whan by law hit was forbid that no man shuld figues gather,
Suche as them found and broght to light bar sicoφantz name.
Yea, that wer not unfit for curius folke to shame them ther,
If the knowe them gilty of suche and like andevor as the hold,
Wiche hated most and griuous ar to al the haunt.