University of Virginia Library

The firste hundred of Epigrammes.

To the reader.

An Epygramme on this booke of Epygrammes. 1.

This booke maie seeme, as it sorteth in sute,
A thin trym trencher to serue folke at frute.
But caruer or reader can no waie win,
To eate frute theron, or compt frute therin.

Of three sages. 2.

Three maner sages nature dooth deuise,
The sage herbe, the sage foole, and the sage wise.
And who for moste wyse him selfe dooth accept,
Maie matche any sage, the sage wise except.

Questions answered. 3.

Of water, wine, and ale. 4.

Water vnder a bote, wine in a bottell,
The tone I can beare, thother bearth me well,
And where as nother botes nor bottels bee,
Nother can I beare wyne, nor water beare mee.
But aboue all licour welfare ale (I saie)
For I with ale, and ale with me wag away.

To muche or to little. 5.

If that I drinke to muche, than am I drie,
If I drinke to littell, more drie am I:
If I drynke no whit than am I dryest.
To muche, to little, no whit, nought is the best,
Thus drinke we no whit, or drinke tyll we burst,
Yet poore drie soules we be euer a thurst.

Of the senses. 6.

Speake not to muche, lest speeche make the speechelesse,
Go not to muche, for feare thou go behynde,
Here not to muche, lest hearyng bring deafnesse.
Looke not to muche, lest lookyng make the blynde.
Smell not to muche, lest smellyng lose his kynde.
Tast not to muche, leste taste mistast thy chaps.
Touche not to muche for feare of after claps.

Of talkyng. 7.

Thy tayle can talke, and knowth no letter,
Thy tounge can talke and talkth much swetter.
But except wisdome be the gretter,
Of tounge and tayle, thy tayle talkth better.

Of heares and wyttes. 8.

Thinne heares and thicke wittes be deyntee,
Thicke heares and thicke wittes be pleintee.
Thicke heares and thicke wittes be skant,
Thinne heares and thinne wittes none want.

A dronkard. 9.

A goose is harnest in hir white fethers,
A drunkard in drynke against all weathers.
A foole in his fooles hood, put all togethers.

The foxe and the mayde. 10.

Of an yll gouernour called Jude. 11.

A ruler there was in countrey a fer,
And of the people a great extorcioner:
Who by name (as I vnderstand) was called Iude,
One gaue him an asse, whiche gyft when he had veude,
He asked the geuer, for what intent
He brought him that asse. For a present
I bryng maister Iude (quoth he) this as hyther,
To ioygne maister Iude and this as together.
Whiche two ioygned in one, this is brought to pas,
I maie byd you good euen maister Iudas.
Macabe or Iscariot thou knaue (quoth he?)
Whom it please your mastership, him let it be.

Of geuyng an almes. 12.

Into a beggars hande, that almes did craue,
In steede of one peny, two pense one gaue.
Whiche doone, he saide beggar happie thou art,
For to the my hand is better then my hart.
That is (quoth the begger) as it chaunceth now,
The better for me, and the woorse for yow.

Of a surfet. 13.

Repugnancie in apparance. 14.

Muche contrarietee may seeme to stand
Where none is. as by example, my son.
In London is the best ale of all England:
And yet as good ale in England as in London.

The ape and the asse. 15.

A foole and a wise man. 16.

A foole and a wyse man ridyng one espyde.
He asked the horse, that the wyse man dyd ryde,
Whither goste thou horse? whither go I (quoth he?)
Aske him that guideth the brydell, aske not me.
Whither rydest thou foole (quoth he) with looke so fell?
Aske my horse knaue (said he) what can I tell.
Whan fooles ryde (quoth he) that can not rule the raine
Their horses be their herbengers, I see plaine.
And when wise men ryde, I right well espie,
Them selfe, not their horse, apointe where they lie.

Of syght. 17

Who needes will looke, and would not see,
The syght once seene thou lookest fore,
Close vp thine eies. For trust thou me.
Muche lookyng so, breedth much eie sore.

Feigned newes. 18.

From a feeld fought, one of the beaten syde,
Ran home, and victorie on his part he cride.
Whose prince by him thus enfourmed of this,
Made bonfiers and bankettes, as the vse is.
In short tyme after all whiche ioie and cost,
The kynge was acertaind, the feeld was lost.
Wherwith he (in as great hast as great greefe)
Charged the fyrst messenger to make preefe,
Where he had this lie, that the feeld was wonne.
My selfe sir (quoth he) this lie fyrst begonne.
Which for commoditee vnto your grace
And all your subiectes, I brought it in place.
Where the truth should haue brought watchyng and weeping,
My lie brought two daies of laughyng and sleeping.
And if ye all this yere tooke my lye for true,
To kepe you mery, what harme could ensue?
Better is (quoth he) be it new or stale,
A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale.
How his ly was aloude, I know none that knowth.
But it was at least winkt at, I heard of trowth.

Two, arme in arme. 19.

One said to an nother takyng his arme,
By licence freend, and take this for none harme.
No sir (quoth the other) I geue you leeue
To hang on my arme, but not on my sleeue.

Of hearyng and speakyng. 20.

Who heareth all
And speaketh nought,
Chaunce maie so fall
He is well tought.
Who speaketh all
And heareth nought
Fall what shall fall,
He is ill tought.
Who heareth all,
And all bableth,
What euer fall
He ofte fableth.
Who hereth nought,
Nor nought can speake,
Maie soone be thought
A hodie peake.
Saie nought, here all,
Saie all, here nought,
Both, none, these fall
Extremely wrought.
Who hereth oft,
And speaketh seeld,
Be witte alofte
He wynth the feeld.

Of wit, will, and wisdome. 21.

Where will is good, and wit is yll,
There wisdome can no maner skyll.
Where wit is good, and will is yll,
There wisdome sitteth all silent still.
Where wit and will are both two yll,
There wisdome no waie meddle will,
Where wit and will well ordred bee,
There wisdome makth a trinitee.

The wrenne, and hir birdes. 22.

The maister and the man. 23.

Vpon penance. 24.

Jacke and his father. 25.

Iacke (quoth his father) how shall I ease take?
If I stand, my legges ake, and if I kneele,
My knees ake, If I goe, then my feete ake,
If I lie, my backe akthe, If I sit I feele
My hyps ake: and leane I neuer so weele,
My elbowes ake: Sir (quoth Iacke) peyn to exile,
Sens all these case not, best ye hang a while.

Of a daw. 26.

Of shewyng the waie. 27.

Twaine met in a high waie, what tyme they did go,
Eche one toward the place the tother came fro.
What is my waie (saide the tone) I pray the?
Foule (quoth thother.) That is yll tidynges (quoth he.)
I can tell the better tidyngs then this:
Thy way, both faire and smooth as a dye is.
My tidynges (quoth he) is better then thyne,
But I thinke thy tidyngs truer then mine.
This is (quoth the tother) so well brought about,
That it brought and shall bryng me in dout,
Whiche of these twayne is most ill to vew,
Good tales that be false, or yll tales that be trew.

A quiet neighbour. 28.

Accompted our commoditees,
Few more commodious reason sees,
Than is this one commoditee,
Quietly neighboured to bee.
Whiche neighbourhood in the apeers.
For we two hauyng ten whole yeers
Dwelt wall to wall, so ioygninglie,
That whispering soundeth through welny.
I neuer herd thy seruaunts brall
More than thou hadst had none at all.
Nor I can no way make auaunt,
That euer I heard the geue them taunt.
Thou art to them and they to thee
More milde then muet, mum ye bee.
I heare no noise mine ease to breake,
Thy buttry doore I here not creake.
The kitchin cumbreth not by heate,
Thy cookes choppe neither herbes nor meate.
I neuer heard thy fyre once sparke,
I neuer heard thy dog once barke,
I neuer heard once in thy house,
So muche as one peepe of one mouse.
I neuer herd thy catte once mew.
These preyses are not small nor few.
I beare all water of thy soyle,
Wherof I feele no fylthie foyle,
Saue water, which dooth wash thy hands,
Wherin there none annoiance stands.
Of all thy guestes set at thy boorde,
I neuer heard one speake one woorde.
I neuer heard them coegh nor hem:
I thinke hence to Ierusalem,
For this neighbourlie quietnesse,
Thou art the neighbour neighbourlesse.
For er thou wouldest neighbours annoy,
These kyndes of quyet to destroy,
Thou rather wouldest to helpe that matter,
At home alone fast bread and water.

Of dogges and theeues. 29.

To kepe theeues by night out of my house,
I kepe doggs to ayde me in my yarde,
Whose barkyng at stur of euery mouse,
By lacke of sleepe kylth me in regarde,
Theeues or dogs than, whiche maie best be sparde?
Murder is the most mischiefe here to gesse,
Theeues can do no more, and dogs will do no lesse.

A keper of the commaundementes. 30.

Of a nose. 31.

But for blemishe of a face to looke vpon,
I doubt which were best, to haue a nose or none.
Most of our sauours are more sowre than sweete,
A nose or no nose, whiche is now most meete?

Lettyng of a ferme. 32.

By woord without wrytyng one let out a farme,
The couenaunts wherin the lessee brake a mayne:
Wherby the lessor, lackyng wrytyng, had harme.
He saide and sware, he would make promise plaine,
Without wrytyng, neuer to let thyng againe.
Husband cryde this wyfe, that othe agayne reuarte,
Els without wrytyng, ye can not let a farte.

Age and youth. 33.

Though age and youth together can seeld agree,
Yet once two yong and two olde folke did I see,
Agreede lyke lams together dyuers yeres.
The storie wherof foorthwith aperes.
A woman olde, and a man yong were led,
She him for loue, and he was good to wed.
A yong woman, and olde man in lyke case,
Were wed for lyke cause at the same tyme and place.
Into one house these two couples wedded were,
And duryng their lyues, together must liue there.
And they once acquainted, and one month maryed,
All their liues after they neuer varyed.
Company and condicion these foure folke hold,
As nature naturally wylth yong and old:
Couplyng them selues to gether thus euery daie,
Tholde fooles aldaie prate, the yong fooles aldaie plaie.

A rose and a nettill. 34.

What tyme herbes and weedes, and such things could talke,
A man in his gardeine one daie did walke,
Spiyng a nettill greene (as Themeraude) spred
In a bed of roses lyke the rubie red.
Betwene whiche two colours, he thought by his eye,
The greene nettill did the red rose beautifie.
How be it he asked the nettill, what thing
Made him so pert? so nye the rose to springe.
I grow here with these roses, saide the nettill:
Their milde propertees in me to settill.
And you, in laiyng vnto me your nose,
Shall smell, how a nettle maie change to a rose.
He did so, whiche done, his nostrils so pritcht,
That rasshely he rubd, where it no whit itcht,
To whiche smart mocke, and wyly begylyng,
He the same smellyng, saide smoothly smylyng,
Roses conuert nettils? Nay, they be to fell,
Nettils will peruet Roses rather, I smell.

Of the wyues and hir husbandes waste. 35.

Where am I least husband? quoth he, in the wast:
Which comth of this, thou art vengeable streit laste.
Where am I biggest wife? in the waste (quoth shee)
For all is waste in you, as far as I see.

An olde wiues boone. 36.

A talke of two conies. 37.

In tyme whan dum beastes, as well as birds spake,
Two conies their mindes in this mater brake.
Were all conies in such case (said the one)
That of two winters weather we must choose one?
Whiche were best choice, frost neuer, and snowe euer?
Or els to choose frost euer, and snow neuer.
Frost (quoth the other) maketh vs lustie and fat,
And snow lameth vs for leane. What (quoth he) for that?
Fortie fat conies be oft kylde in one night,
Whan leane conies with lyfe scape away quight.
Ye (quoth the tother) but where snow to long lyeth,
Conies by famin well nie euery one dieth.
Better all be fatte, though some die as lotts fall,
Than linger in leannesse, and therby die all.

A prisoner. 38.

In prison, a prisoner condemned to die,
And for execucion waityng daylie,
In his handes for woormes lookyng on a daie,
Smilyng to him selfe these woordes did saie:
Sence my foure quarters in foure quarters shall stand,
Why harme I these seely woormes eatyng my hand?
Nought els in this deede doo I, but my selfe show,
Enemy to the woorine and freend to the crow.

Two blinde men. 39.

One blynde man to supper an other bad,
Whiche twayne sittyng at such meate as they had,
Me thinkth (quoth the blind host) this candell burnth dim.
So thinkth me sir, saide the blind guest to him.
Wife (saide the good man) with sorow mend this light.
She put out the candell, whiche burned very bright.
And chopt downe emptie candelsticks two or three.
So lo: now eate and welcome neighbour (quoth he.)

Debilitee of senses. 40.

A foolishe husbande. 41.

Husband, two wittes are better then one, clarks saie,
To debate mattiers: whiche seemeth true this waie.
Whan we two contend whats my wit without thyne,
To conuince thy selfe, thy wyt conducth mine.

A wytty wyfe. 42.

Handsom handlyng. 43.

Some wonder to see thy handlyng of things neate,
But it is no wonder as the case stands.
The toes of thy feete in handlyng of things feate,
Are as hansom as the fyngers of thy hands.

A saiyng of Patche my lord cardinals foole. 44.

Master Sexten, a parson of knowne wit,
As he at my lord Cardinals boord did sit,
Gredily raught at a goblet of wyne:
Drinke none (said my lord) for that sore leg of thine.
I warrant your grace (quoth Sexten) I prouide
For my leg: For I drinke on the tother side.

Certaine folies. 45.

To cast faire white salte into wise mens meate,
To make them count salt suger, when they eate, (a foly.)
To beare a man in hand he itcheth in eche parte
Whan the man feeleth an vniuersall smarte, (a foly.)
To speake alwaies well, and do alwaies ill,
And tell men those deedes are doone of good wyll, (a foly.)
Thy lustie limd horse to leade in thy hand,
When on thy lame lyms thou canst scantly stand, (a foly.)
Of kyks for cage woorke, to builde thy house hie,
And couer it with leade to kepe thy house drie, (a foly.)

Of two studentes. 46.

A merie woman. 47.

A louse and a flea. 48.

Of him that forgat his pater noster in latine. 49.

An olde homely man at shrift commaundid
By his Curate his pater noster to bid.
After long studie, he saide: Master vicker,
By Iys cham a shamd, my wyt is no quicker.
Ich said it within littell more then fortnight.
And now, lyke a beast, cha forgote it quight.
Fye on age. In youth Ich had euer suche wit,
That what so euer Ich had to dooe, yit
At shrift chad my pater noster euermore,
Whan Iche saide it not twise in the yere before.

Of him that could not learne his Pater noster in Englishe. 50.

Of the fist and the hart. 51.

One curst an others hart for a blowe in a fume,
Curse not his hart (quoth one by) curse his fist.
His hert (quoth he) to mine eare did not presume,
But his hart to mine eare did his fist assist.
Sens eche lim must frame in feate, as the hart list,
Whan the hart willth any lym in any faute to fall.
No man blame any man, to blame the hart for all.

Of this woorde enough. 52.

A mery man by his maister at mete set.
Me thinkth (quoth the maister) thou canst no drinke get.
Here is enough, though there be none said hee:
Than art thou not drie. Yes so moote I thee,
And faine would drinke. How be thy words true than?
Thus: This woord enough twoo waies we may skan.
Thone much enough, thother littell enough.
And here is littel enough. His maister lough,
Callyng in his wife to discant vpon this.
How saiest thou wife? our man in this case is
Drie, and would drinke, and drinke nothyng nie him.
And yet proueth he drinke enough by him.
Sens he (quoth she) proueth drinke enough in store,
More then enough were wast. He getth no more.

Of table play. 53.

Wife, I will no more play at tables with thee:
When wee come to bearyng, thou begylest mee,
In bearyng of thy men, while thou hast any,
Eche other caste thou bearest a man to man.

The cocke, and the hen. 54.

A cocke and his hen perchyng in the night,
The cocke at his houre crode loude as he might,
The hen heuy of slepe, praide the cock that he
Would leaue of his crowyng, but it would not be,
The hen saw the cock sticke to his tacklyng,
In hir treble voyce, she fell so to cacklyng,
That the cocke praide hir, hir cacklyng to seare,
And he of his crowyng would hold his peace,
Nay chorle (quoth she) be sure, that will I not.
And for thy learnyng hencefoorth marke this knot.
Whan euer thou wouldest seeme, to ouer crow mee,
Than will I surely ouer cakill thee.

Cheepenyng of a face of furre. 55.

Into a skinners shop, while his wife there wrought,
In hast ran a gentilman there to espie.
A fayre face of fur, which he woulde haue bought.
What fur (quoth she) would your maistership bie?
Harlots wombs (quoth he) know ye any nie?
Harlots wombs (forsooth) I haue none (quoth she)
But ye shall haue knaues shankes, meete as can be.

Biyng of showes. 56.

Whan I at the shoemakers shall shoes assay,
If they be to littell, they will stretche (saith he)
If they be to muche, they will shrinke streight way:
To long, to short, how narrow or wide they be,
All is one matter as he shapth them to me.
For may he once get his shooes on my feete,
Without last or lingel his woordes make them meete.

A suspicion cleared. 57.

Of spite. 58.

If there be any, as I hope there be none,
That would leese both his eies, to leese his foe one,
Than feare I, there be many as the world gothe,
That would leese one eie, to leese their foes bothe.

Of the letter H. 59.

H, is worst among letters in the crosse row,
For if thou finde him other in thine elbow,
In thine arme, or leg, in any degree,
In thy head, or teeth, in thy toe or knee,
Into what place so euer H, may pike him,
Where euer thou finde ache, thou shalt not like him.

Il fliyng of idelnesse. 60.

If flight from idelnesse may be deemed.
Mayn meane to vertue beyng fled warely:
How maist thou than therby be esteemed?
Thou fleest that vice not meanly nor barely,
But mainely: scrupulously, and so charely,
That in thee, er idelnesse shalbe spied,
Thou wilt yet rather be ill occupied.

A tounge and a clocke. 61.

Thy tong should be a clocke wife, had I gods power,
For than would it strike but once in one hower,
Yet it might ren (quoth she) and strike er the time,
And should that clocke haue (as my tong hath) a chime?
I beyng sexten, might set the clocke foorth soone,
To strike and chime .xij. twoo houres before noone.

A hearer of a sermon. 62.

What bringst thou from the sermon Iacke? declare that.
Forsooth maister (quoth he) your cloke and your hat.
I can thee good thanke Iacke. for thou art yet sped,
Of somwhat in thy hande, though nought in thy hed.

A man without wit, strength, and cunnyng. 63.

Thou art a wight to wonder at.
Thy head, for wit, showth thee a wat.
Thy bodie for strength shewth thee a gnat.
Thy voyce for tune sheweth thee a cat.
Doo, say, or syng, in any what,
Thou art a minion marmsat.

How to wishe. 64.

How may I haue thee Gill, whan I wishe for thee?
Wishe not for me Iacke, but whan thou maist haue mee.
This is a lesson Gill propre and pleasaunt.
For by these woordes this winning Iacke may auaunt,
Though Iacke be no nere Gill then Iacke was before, ]
Yet Iack is nere his wit, by yis, by ten score.

A doubtfull demaunde of choise. 65.

An olde widower and a yong mayde. 66.

A widower riche, with riueld face old,
Wooyng a fayre yong woman, his minde he told.
Bostyng what he had, as wowers doe, that can,
Wherin he bosted of a goodly yong man.
A son of his owne, whome god had him sent,
Of condicions and qualitees excellent,
In this whot wooyng this old mans behauour
So far foorth had won this yong womans fauour,
That in short tale, whan his long tale was don,
She prayd him to go home, and send hir his son.

Gaping oysters. 67

On whom gape thine Oysters so wide, oysterwife?
Mine Oysters gape on you sir, god saue your life.
Wherfore gape they? Sir they gape for promocion.
They hope (to promote them) you haue deuocion.
Nay (quoth he) the perill were pernicious,
To promote oysters, that be ambicious.

The Judge and the Juggler. 68.

To a iustice a iuggler did complaine
Of one, that dispraised his liger demaine.
Whats thy name (sayd the iustice) Dauson said hee.
Is thy father aliue? Nay, dead sir pardee.
Than thou shalt no more be Daus son, a clere case,
Thou art Daw thy self now, in thy fathers place.

Of lookyng. 69.

To saue mine head, whan I vpward cast mine eie,
And looke not to my feete: to the ground fall I,
Whan I looke downeward to my feete, to take heede,
A tile falne from a house makth my hed bleede.
And looke I right foorth, betweene my feete and hed,
Broken head, breke necke falls, of both I am sped.
I thinke it as good, by ought I can deuise,
To be starke staryng blinde, as thus to haue eies.

Of constancie. 70.

Some say, thou art inconstant, but I say nay,
What though thy wit be wauryng euery way?
Whose wit like the winde hath been wauryng euer,
And in vnstedy wauryng doth perseuer,
A constant man I affirme him constantly,
For he is constant in inconstancy.

Of a face and a witte. 71.

In thy youth and age these properties are sprong,
In youth thy face was olde, in age thy wit is yong.

Of blowyng. 72.

What winde can there blow, that doth not some man please?
A fart in the blowyng doth the blower ease.

To the flatterer. 73.

Thy flatteryng of me, this foloweth thervpon:
Other thou art a foole, or els I am one.
Where flattrie aperth, at least: by wyse mens schoole
The flattrer, or the flattred, is a foole.

Of contentacion. 74.

Is not the poore man riche, that is contented?
Yes: riche by his contentacion consented.
Is not the riche man poore, that is not content?
Yes: poore by lacke of contentacion here ment.
Than riches and pouertee in mens mindes lie.
Ye: but we may far sooner learne (thinke I)
To thinke our selues riche, hauyng no riches nie,
Than make our selues riche, hauyng much riches by.

Of waytyng. 75.

I would see a man waite to his maisters minde,
As the weathercock waiteth on the winde,
Blow it here or there, blow it low or hie,
The weathercocks beke is still in the winds eie.

Of fore knowlage. 76.

Mistakyng an errand. 77.

Feastyng a freend, the feaster (whose man did waite)
Bad him at the last course, fetche the clouted conceite.
What bringst thou here knaue (quoth he) what hast yu doone?
I haue (quoth his man) brought here your clouted shoone.
Clouted shoone carterly knaue, what dost thou dreame?
Eate thou the clouted shoone, fetche vs the clouted creame.

Of holdyng an Inne. 78.

Beyng holden in Newgate, thou canst not bee
An inholder, for thine Inne holdeth thee.

A wiues defence of hir beetill brow. 79.

Were I to wed againe wife, I make a vow,
I would not wed a wife with a beetill brow.
And I (quoth she) rather would a husband wed
With a beetill brow, than with a beetell hed.

The shrewde wiues tounge. 80.

A fooles tounge. 81.

Upon a fooles prouocacion
A wise man will not talke:
But euery light instigacion
May make a fooles toung walke.

Of glas and lattise. 82.

Where glasiers and lattise makers worke in sight,
This one difference in their twoo feates wee finde:
Glas keepeth out the winde and letth in the light,
Lattise keepeth out the light and letth in the winde.
Of both sorts I wishe, whan I shall wish any,
Lattise makers few, and glasiers many.

Two wisshers for two maner of mouthes. 83.

I wisshe thou hadst a littell narrow mouth wife,
Littell and littell to droppe out words in strife.
And I wisshe you sir, a wide mouth for the nonce,
To speake all that euer you shall speake at once.

Of dispraise. 84.

All men must be blinde and deafe er thou prayse win.
For no man seeth or herth ought to prayse thee in.

A discharge from hipocrisie. 85.

Thou art no birde of hipocricise broode.
For thou fleest all things, that might shew thee goode.

Of the foole and the gentlemans nose. 87.

A foole taken for wise. 87.

Wisdome and foly in thee (as men scan)
Is as it were a thyng by it selfe soole:
Among fooles thou art taken a wise man,
And among wyse men, thou art knowne a foole.

Thinges to forbeare. 88.

Displeasures that fume and fret
Good to forgeue and forget.
All othes, what whan, and where,
Better forbeare, than forsweare.
Other mens liuyngs
As good forsteale as forstall,
Not at bottom but at brynke,
Better foresee, than forthinke.

Of medlars. 89.

To feede of any frute at any feast,
Of all kinds of medlers, meddell with the least.
Meddle not with great medlers. For no question,
Medlyng with great medlers, makth yll digestion.

Of dwelling. 90.

Betwene Ludgate and Newgate thou canst dwell neuer,
For in Ludgate or Newgate thou must dwell euer.

Of the Milner and the Sexten. 91.

The milner tolth corne, the sexten tolth the bell,
In whiche tollyng, tollers thriue not a lyke well.
Thon tolth with the clapper, thother in the hopper.
Thone sauerth of syluer, thother soundeth of copper.

Of bookes and cheese. 92.

No thre thinges in all thinges can seeme onely one:
Because two thynges so, must be one thing alone.
How be it readyng of bookes and eatyng of cheese,
[illeg.] things for some things, more like one then theese.
The talent of one cheese in mouthes of ten men,
Hath ten different tasts in iudgement most times when.
He saith tis to salt, he saith tis to freshe,
He saith, tis is hard, he saith tis to neshe.
It is to strong of the rennet, saith hee.
It is saith he, not strong enough for mee.
It is saith an other, well as can bee.
No two of any ten in one can agree.
And as they iudge of cheese, so iudge they of bookes.
On look ys on whiche, who that narowly lookes.
Maie serve for this: Seith he, that booke is to long.
Tis to short saith he, Nay, saith he, ye say wrong,
Tis of meete length, and for fine phrase or faire stile:
The like that booke was not made a good whyle:
And in touchyng the truth inuincibly wrought.
Tis all lies, saith a nother, the booke is nought.
No booke, no cheese, be it good, be it bad.
But prayse and dispraise it hath, and hath had.

Of heades. 93.

Some heades haue taken two heads better then one:
But ten heads without wit, I wene as good none.

The woodcocke and the daw. 94.

A woodcocke and a dawe set vpon a playne,
Both shewde comparison eche other to disdaine.
Back (quoth the woodcocke: Straw for the, quoth the dawe.
Shall woodcocks kepe dawes now in dredfull awe?
None awe (quoth the woodcocke) but in behauour
Ye ought to reuerence woodcocks, by your fauour.
For what cause (quoth the daw?) For your long bils?
Nay (quoth the woodcocke) but lords will by their wils
Rather haue one woodcock, than a thousand dawse.
Woodcocks are meate, daws ar carren, wey this clause.
In deede sir (saide the daw) I must needes agree,
Lords loue to eate you, and not to eate mee.
Cause of dawes curtesis, so, if woodcocks thus gather.
Ye shall haue curtsy: For this I would rather.
Be a daw, and to woodkock curtesy make:
Than be a woodcocke, and of dawes curtesy take.
I were double a daw, had I not leuer,
Byrders should (in their byrdyng endeuer)
Take vp gins, and let me go, whan they geat mee,
Than set gins to get me, for lordes to eate mee.

Of few woordes. 95.

Few woords shew men wise, wise men doe deuise,
Whiche is oft tyme true, and oft otherwise.
In some case silence may as stifly stand
With folly, as with wisdome, wisely scand:

Wottyng and weenyng. 96.

A much like matter. 97.

Tom, thou thinkst thy selfe wise, ye what of that Hew?
Thou thinkst thy selfe wyser then I. Ye tom, trew.
It seemth (said a third man) by this deuise,
No maistry for fooles, to weene them selues wise.

Wisedome and foly. 98.

Thy wisedome and foly both, nay no one
Can be conteined in volumes great nor small.
Thy wisedome beyng none, occupieth place none,
Thy folly beyng all, occupieth place all.

Of lacke 99.

One lacke of late in thee saw wee,
Whiche lackth not now, for this we see,
Thou hast lackt lacke of honestee:
But now that lacke lackth not in thee.

The weathercocke, the reede, and the wynde. 100.

The wethercocke and the reede comparyng late,
Their seruice done to the wynde, fel at debate.
The wynde (quoth the weathercock) windth no where,
But streight bolt vpryght I stand waityng there.
Forsooth said the reede & where the wynd is found,
At euery blast I bow downe to the ground.
Surely said the wynde, the waytyng of the tone,
And curtesie of the tother I take both one.
And none of both good but rather yll to me:
For whan I oft in corners secrete would be,
Other the crooked curtsy of the reede,
Or weathercockes waytyng, bewraith me with speede.
As liefe is to me, in such seruyng pretence
Single negligence, as double diligence.
The weathercocke and the reede, beynge both blanke,
Ech told him selfe, much seruice haue small thanke.