University of Virginia Library

[OMITTED] JOHN
A mervelus mater marcyfull lord
Yf reason whyth this conclewsyon acord
better to be a folle than a wyse man

JAMES
Better or wurs I seay as I began
Better ys for man that may be wyttles
Then wytty

JOHN
Ye show some wytty wyttines

JAMES
Experyens schall wyttnes my tale trewe
And for temperall welth let vs fyrst vewe
And that experyens may schowe the trewer
Accept we reson to be owr wewer
In wh[ich] reson by experyens we knowe
That folk most wytty to whom ther doth growe
By frendds dedd befor nowght left them be hynde
Nor by lyvyng frendds no lyvyng a snyde
Except they wyll storve ther fyndyng must they fynd
By muche payne of body or more payne of mynde
And as for the wyttles as who saythe the sott
The naturall foole cald or thydeot
From all kynds of labor that do the payne constrayne
As farr as suffycyency nedythe obtayne
In sewrty of lyvyng the sot doth remayne

JOHN
In sewrty of lyvyng but not w[ith]owt payne
For admyte all sotts in case as be mayny
That leve w[ith]owt labor yet wher ys any
But for that one plesewr he hathe mor payne
Then the wytty wurker in all dothe sustayne
What wretch so faryth payne havyn eny wytt
Lyke the wyttles wretche none yf ye mark hyt
Who cumeth by the sott who cumeth he by
That vexythe hym not somewey usewally
Some beat hym some bob hym
Some joll hym some job hym
Some tugg hym by the hers
Some lugg hym by the eares
Some spet at hym some spurne hym
Some toss hym some turne hym
Some snap hym some scratch hym
Some cramp hym some cratch hym
Some cuff [hym] some clowt hym
Some lashe hym some lowte hym
Some whyske hym some whype hym
Wythe scharpe naylys some nype hym
Not evyn mayster somer the kyngs g[r]acys foole
But tastythe some tyme some nyps of new schoole
And by syd thys kynde of frettyng and fewmyng
Another kynd of turment in consewmyng
The wytty to the wyttles oft invent
After inventyon of yer full entent
The foole by flatery to turment ys browght
So farr overjoyd and his brayne so wyde wrowght
That by joy of a jewell skant wurth a myght
The sott oft slepyth no wynk in a whole nyght
And for ensampyll wyth a walsyngam ryng
Thys dystemperans to the sot ye may bryng
And mak hym joy theryn as hyt war a thyng
Or prys to peyse the rawnsome of a kyng
In joying whereof yf any man got way
To get yt from hyn as every chyld may
Then man & chyld seth the sot in such case
That nowght but paynfull sorow takyth any place
By thys small proses a small wytt may ges
That wyd wer the wytty to wysh them wyttles

JAMES
Theffect of this yowr matter as ye spak yt
Standythe much yn two poynts as I tak yt
Of whyche tweyne the tone ys that the sot hath
By jollyng and jobbyng and other lyk skath
Extreame payne wyth extremyte of yer
Thother ys after frettyng fewryus fyer
That the foole w[ith] eche frewtles tryflyng toy
Is so dystempryd w[ith] dystemperat joy
That as much payne brynght his pleasaunt passyon
As dothe the pynchyng of his most paynfull fassyon
These two poynts consyderyd the sot as ye say
Hathe some payne sometyme but most tymes I say nay

JOHN
Then from no payne to some payne the wyttles are browght

JAMES
Ye but wytty and wyttles wyttly wrowght
By some payne to suche payne that wytty fele most
Then wytty and wyttles eche part his part bost
Tak of wytty the degres and nomber all
And of yt nombyr I thynke ye nōbyr small
But that eche one of them ys of nede asynd
To labor sore yn body or ells yn mynde
And few to all that fortewne so doth favor
But yn body & mynde bothe they do labor
And of body thes labors the most paynefullest
Is the labor of mynde I have hard gest
And lest bothe paynes or most of twayne be to towght
For yow to matche w[ith] and the lest payne inowgh
To the fyrst most payne of ye wyttles nody
Joyne we the wyttyse least payne payne of body
Who seth what payne labor bodyly bryngth
Schall easely se thereby how the body wryngth
Husband mens plowyng or earyng and sowyng
Hedgyng and dychyng w[ith] repyng and mowyng
In cartyng such lyftyng such burdenns bareyng
That payne of the body bryngth these to stareyng
And muche of thys done yn tyme of such het
That yn colde cave covryd the carcas must swet
Some other use crafts in wh[ich] wurck ys so small
That yn somer plesaunttly they lyve all
Who in wynter when husbondmen warme w[ith] wark
In that they may not sturr for cold or evyn stark
Some yn wynter fryse some yn somer fry
And the wyttles do the nother for comenly
Other whythe wurshypfull or honorabull
He temprately standith in howse at the tabyll
And of all his labors rekyn the hole rabyll
Bygger burden barth he none then his babyll
So that from thes paynes or th[e] lyk recytyd
The wyttles hath warrant to be aquyghtyd
And sewr the sotts pleasewre in this last aquyghtall
Cownterwaylth his payne in yowr fyrst recyghtall
For vnto the sotts nyppyng and beatyng
Joyne the wytty laborers nypps and freatyng
And whether ye cownt by yer month or weke
Ye shall fynde thease of the wytty to seek
As far as of the wyttles and of bothe sorts
This ys the dyfferens that to me ymports
Sotts are coyld of other the wytty coylth hymself
What choyse thus alegyd

JOHN
Small ah horson elf
Somewhat he towchyth me now yn very deed
Howbeyt to thys am not I yet full agred
The wytty who beate them selves by bysynes
May oft yn beatyngs favowr them selves I ges
Such oportewnyte by wytt ye ofte espyd
That labor by wytt ys ofte qualyfyd
In takyng tyme or place as best may stand
Most easely to dyspatch things cumyng in hand
Wytt hathe provytyon alway for releef
To provyd some remedy agaynst myscheef
Wytty tak bysynes as wytty wyll mak yt
And as wytty beat wyttles must tak yt

JAMES
Tak yt howe ye lyst ye can mak yt no les
But wytty have suche payne as my worde wyttnes
ffor thowgh wytt for tyme sometyme may payne prevent
Yet yn most tymes theyr foreseyd payne ys present
Whyche payne in the wytty wyttyly weyde
May match payne of the wyttles by ye fyrst leyd
And to the second poynt for dystemporat joyes
By havyng or hopyng of fancyes or toyes
In wyttles or wytty bothe tak I as one
ffor thowgh the thyngs that wytty have or hope on
Are yn some kynd of acownt thyngs muche gretter
Then thyngs of the sotts joyings yet no whyt better
Nor les payne bryngth yt passhyon but endyferent
To bothe except wytty have the woors turment
Thynk yow aright good wytty havyng clerely
A thowsand pownd sodaynly gyven hym yerely
Who befor that owre myght dyspend no peny
Nor tyll that owre never lokyd for eny
Myght not joy as much yt soden recevyng
As joyth the sott reseyte of hys walsyngam ryng
And therby be kepte from quyet sleepe a wek
As well as the ryng maketh the sotte sleep to seek
And in a soden leesyng that gyfte agayne
Myght not the wytty be presyd w[ith] payne
As depe as the wyttles his ring stolne or lost
And thowgh thys ensampyll chanse seeld when at most
Yet sometyme yt happyth and dayly we see
That folk far from wyttles passhynyd be
By joyfull hope of thyngs to them lyk to hape
Or havyng of thyngs plesaunt lat lyght in the lap
As muche to theyr vnrest for dystemprancy
As ye showde the wyttles restles formerly
And oft tyme for cawse consydryd and weyd
As lyght as yowr walsyngam ryng aforseyd
Wytt in wytty hathe seelyd such perfecshyon
To bryng dysposyshyn full in abieckshyon
And the dyphers of dysposhshyon ys such
Some wytts hope to lyttyll some wytts hope to much
By whyche over much I sey and sey must ye
That wytty and wyttles one in thys case be
And thus in both casys rasonyng cawse showth
Cawse to conclewd that to the wytty growth
As muche payne as to the wyttles wherby
As good be wyttles as wytty say I

JOHN
That conclewsyon ys conclewdyd wysely
Your pryme proposycyon dyd put presysely
Better to be wyttles then wytty and now
As good to be wyttles as wytty sey yow
But that wytt whych putth case in degre cōparatyve
And conclewdyth case in degre posytyve
Sall not in that case clame degre sewperlatyve

JAMES
Ye pas in this tawnt yowr prerogatyve
But that wytt whych bostythe ye full of his wynnyng
As thowghf ke knewe thend of thing at begynnyng
That wytt schall schow wyttles ympedymēt
To be takyn wytty w[ith] wytts exelent
I conclewd her not for thend but for the myds
Whyche yf ye will her to end as reason byds
Ye schall perceyve and also condysend
To grawnt me thanks then yn that I entende
Yowr fall by fear handelyng to be ye mor fayr
To set ye downe feately stayer after stayer
And so by a fayer fygewre of ynducksyn
To bryng y[our] parte softe and fayer to distrucksshyn
ffor wher ye grawnt fully for owght your worde make
That as much payne wytty as wyttles doth take
So from thys myds to the end I schall prowe
That most payne of twayne to the wyttles doth move
For as I lode egally paynes of body
To wytty and wyttles lyke wyse wyll I
Over lode the wytty w[ith] payne of mynde
In mater as playne as can be asynde
Whyche payne of mynde in mete mesewr to wey
Ys mor paynfull then payne of body I sey

JOHN
Ye sey so and seyd so but so seyd not I
Nor sey yt not yet but that seyng deny
And tyll sayng prove y[our] sayng more playnely
I wyll asay to sey the contrary
I thynk paynes of body cowntyd in ech kynde
May compare w[ith] all kynde of paynes of mynde

JAMES
Yf ye assewrydly thynk as ye sey now
I thynk ye thynk as few men thynk but yow
Howbeyt that beyng but an ynsydent
To pryncypall purpose presently ment
Yet that excepshyn took yow wyttyly
For had ye grawntyd that as ye schall schortly
Then forthw[it]h shold owr pryncypall proses
Have concludyd in the part that I profes
For a meane whervnto as mesewr may
Meet vnmesewrabull thyng as who say
Joyne in lyke proporshyn as may be ment
The meane laborer to the meane studyent
And ye schall anon fynd the stewdyents payne
More paynfull then the laborers labor playne

JOHN
The stewdyents payne ys oft plesantly myxt
In felyng what frewt by his study ys fyxt

JAMES
The laborers labor quyghtth that at a whypp
In felynge the frewt [of] hys wurkmanshyp
As muche delyght carters oft in carts neat trymd
As do studyents yn bokes wythe golde neate lymd
And as much envy who may dreve hys cart best
As among stewdyents who may seme lernd hyest
Wherby inwarde delyght to tolle forthe eche part
Semthe me yndyfrent to art or to cart
And furder meane labor in most comon wyse
Ys most parte hansome and holsome excersyse
That purgyth hewmors to mans lyfe and quycknes
Whyche study bredyth to mans dethe or sycknes
Also most kynds of labor most comenly
Strane most grose owtewarde partes of the body
Wher study sparyng sholders fyngers and tose
To the hedd and hart dyrectly study gose
Pervert ys your jugment yf ye iudge not playne
That less ys the parell and les ys the payne
The knockyng of knockylls whyche fyngers dothe strayne
Then dyggyng yn the hart or drying of the brayne

JOHN
For comun meane kynde in bothe parts now leyde
I see not but reason saythe as ye have seyde

JAMES
The labor of body and mynde thus compare
In what degrese ye can devyse to declar
Betwene bothe beyng not kynt yn suche degre
But that thone from thother seperate may be
And that bothe labors yn joynyng ye arecte
As lyke yn degre as wytt may coniecte
And bothe ons ser[c]hyd ser[c]he schall mak warantyse
In labor of mynde the wurst payne doth aryse

JOHN
Methynketh I cowld mak yt other wyse apere
Save I lack tyme to dylate matter her
For tyme of reasonyng wold be long therin
And tyme of reasonyng must be short here in
Whyche weyd w[ith] that this standeth but insydently
To owr present porpose pryncypally
I grawnt to agree as ye have defynd
Of labor of body and labor of mynde
That labor or payne of mynd ys the greter
And thys now grawntyd what be ye the better

JAMES
So muche the bettyr and yow so muche the wurs
That ye may now put your toong in your purs
For any woord in defens yowr toong shall tell
After these my next woords gyve ear and mark well
This labor of myndd whyche we now agre
Above labor of body we must decre
To joyne sole to the wytty for possybly
Cannot the wyttles tak part of that payne

JOHN
Why

JAMES
How can he have payne by imagynacyon
That lackythe all kynds of consyderatyon
And yn all sencys ys so ynsofycyent
That nowght can he thynk in owght t[hat] may be ment
By any meane to devyn ony self thing
Nor devyse in thyng past present or cumyng
No more hathe he in mynde other payne or car
Then hathe other cock my hors or Iyll my mar
Thys cawse w[ith] wyttles payne of mynde dyspensys
But the wytty havyng all vytall sensys
Hathe therby and ynwarde clock whyche mark who wyll
May oftymes go false but yt never standyth styll
The plummets of that clock come never to grownde
Imagynatyon ys watche and gothe so rownd
To whyche consyderacyon gyvyth so quyck ear
That in the wytty mynd the restles rest ys ther
A small wytt may ges no wone wytt can deme
How many or how myche ar theyr paynes extreme
Nor how many contrary kyndes in some one brest
If ye perceyve thys tale ye se yt wytnest
Thre thyngs of wyche the fyrst ys that the wyttles
Off labor or payne of mynde have reles
The second ys that the wytty have in ure
All paynes of mynde and that wytty doth yt procur
Thyrdly I glanset at payne of mynd allewdyng
That payne to be most payne As in for conclewdyng
Perceyve ye this

JOHN
Ye and grawnt yt trew to

JAMES
Then must ye grawnt wytty to have most payne

JOHN
So I do

JAMES
If wytty have most payne of tweyne ye must say
Better to be wyttles than wytty

JOHN
Nay

JAMES
I say yes

JOHN
I say nay and wyll so envey
That I wyll hold ye wagg a nother way
As I grawnt wytty of twayne most payne endewr
So wyll I prove wytty to have most plesewr
Whych plesewer shall bothe drowne the wyttyse payne
And the plesewer yn whyche the wyttles remayne

JAMES
Thys p[ro]myse wyll hardly bryng good paymēt
Fot yt ys a strange kynde of argewmēt
To p[ro]ve hym in most plesewre who hath most payne
Or hym yn least payne who least plesewre doth sustayne

JOHN
Let vs reason all plesewrs on both sydes
And then let that syde have best that best provydes

JAMES
All pleswrs on bothe sydes that wer a thyng
To make vs make ende to morow mornȳg

JOHN
As now the best parte of my parte cumth on
Ye make marvelus hast ye wold fayne be gone

JAMES
Right now yowr self cowld wey in right wytty sort
That resonyng her now of reason must be short

JOHN
Yt schal be short ynowgh yf ye tak awey
All that parte that for my part effeckt dothe ley

JAMES
I wyll nother tak awey all nor tak all
But for a meane betwene bothe my selfe streyght schall
Alege not plesewrs all I sey but such one
As over weythe other plesewrs evry chone
Whych plesewre wher yt in fyne dothe not remayne
All plesewrs in all parts ar plesewrs but vayne
Of whyche one plesewre the wyttles ar sewre evyr
And of that plesewre wytty ar sewr nevyr

JOHN
What plesewr ys that

JAMES
Plesewr of salvashyon
I thynk yowr self wyll affyrme affyrmashyon
That from owre forfathers syn orygynall
Bapty[s]m sealyth vs all a quyttās generall
And faythe of ynfants whyle they infants abyde
In faythe of parents for the churche ys supplyd
Wherby tyll wytt take root of dysernyng
And betweene good a[nd] yll geve perfyght warnyng
Wherever innosents innosensy dyspewt
For thowghts worddes or dedes god doth none yll ympewt
Where god gyvyth no dyscernyng god taketh none acownte
In whyche case of acownt the sot dothe amownt
ffor no more dysernythe the sott at yeres thre score
Then thynosent borne w[ith] in yeres thre before
This short saynge yf ye yn mynde revolve
Then schall thys long debate forthw[ith] dysolve

JOHN
Syr I graunt sotts shall be saved as ye tell
And safe shall wytty be to yf they do well

JAMES
Yff they do well that yf altryth much lo
Theffeckte of my sentens to wyttles

JOHN
How so

JAMES
That yf leyd for the wytty purportth a dowte
But all dowtes in the wyttles ar scrapt clene owt
Sans dowte the wyttles ys sewer of salvashyon
Wherby I to conclewde thys communycashyon
Make wytty sewer of all plesewrs can be leyde
Dowtyng lack of none but thys one plesewer last seyde
And of all plesewrs wyttless to have none
Savyng he standth in sewrte of this one
Ys not the sewrte of thys one much bettyr
Then of the rest thowgh the nomber be grettyr

JOHN
Yes

JAMES
Lyk as a goose can say nothyng but hys
So hath he now nothyng nothing to say but yes
And in affyrmyng my sayng he sayth thys
In whyche he grawntth hys partt not partly a mys
But all a mys as who seythe in all placys
The sum whereof in bothe partes standth in thre casys
Off wh[ich] thre thargewment of the fyrst was thus
In laboryus payne of body to dyscus
Who soferythe more the wytty or the sott
Yn whyche by bothe assents we knyt thys knott
That as muche payne of body in effeckte hathe ye one
As thother conclewdyng thus ffar thervppon
As good to be wyttles as wytty and then
We argewde labor or payne of mynd in men
Wherin I dryvyng hym to grawnt payne of mynde
More then payne or labor bodyly defynd
In the second case I payne of mynde provyng
To wytty and not to wyttles to be movyng
Drave hym to grawnt furder that by t[hat] payne
Better w[ith]owte wytt then w[ith] wytt to remayne
Now in this thyrd case wher ye mad a bragg
By plesewrs in the wytty to hold me wagg
And plesewrs of the wyttles to overwhelme
I stamyng in w[ith] hym stack so to the helme
That hys parte fynally to shypwrack ys browght
The sewrte of all plesewrs in this world wrowght
Match not the sewrte of plesewr eternall
And the state of sotts have none acownt so carnall
That god ympewtetthe any yll to them I say
And the wyttyse acownt awgmentth evry day
And thawdytors wytt who schall tak thacownt so cler
He forgeth not wone worde in a thowsand yer
What ned mo woords I thynk the least wytt her
Sethe thes thre casys on my syd so aper
That in the two fyrst casys temporally
And in this thyrd and last case spyrytewall
Ys sene fully I may conclewde fynally
Better to be wyttles then to be wytty

JOHN
So sey I now to by owr blyssyd lady
I gyve vpp my part and y[our] part playnly
Off wytty and wyttles I wyshe now rather
That my chyld may have a fool to hys father
The pyth of yowr conclewsyons be all so pewr
That better be a foole then a wyse man sewr

JEROME
Not so althowgh yowr fancy do so surmyse
Not better for man to be wytles then wyse
Nor so good to be wyttles as wytty nother
Thus ys yowr wytt dysseyved in other

JOHN
Why what dyffrens betwene wyse and wytty

JEROME
As muche sometyme as betwene wysdom and folly

JOHN
Man can in no wys be wys w[ith]owt wytt

JEROME
No and man may have gret wytt and wysdom nowght
Wytt ys the wurker of all perseyvyng
And indyfert to good or yll wurkyng
And as muche wytt may be in thyngs of most yll
As in the best thyngs wytt can aspyr vntyll
In vertu or vys I meane and wytt hath receyght
Off non yll where vppon wysdom doth weyght
Wysdome governth wytt alwey vertu to vse
And all kynds of vys alway to refewse
Thus ys wysdom in good part takyn alweyse
And gydythe wytt in all thyngs beyng thyngs of preyse
Thus thowgh ye must (as ye nede not) graunt his grownd
Whyche ys better wyttles then wytty to be fownd
Yet as muche as wysdom above wytt showth
So muche grawntyd ye hym more then of nede growthe

JAMES
Thys ys some yowng schooleman a fresh comonar
Hard ye the pryncypall that plantyd thys jar

JEROME
I hard all

JAMES
And dothe not all on my syde fall

JEROME
No if ye had resonyd as I shall

JAMES
If ye as ye say have hard all he sayd
And yt is that saying have so widely wayd
To way my parte wurst herein in conclewsyon
Then ar ye wyttles yt we towe talkt on
But babyll y[ou]r will thys wyll I byd vppon
Better be sott somer then sage salamon

JEROME
Geve ye sentens or ye her what I cane say
Loo how wyll carythe hym and hys wytt away

JOHN
Syr yf ye hard all in my parte how say ye
What dyd I graunt hym to farr show I p[ra]y ye

JEROME
All that ye grauntyd welnye

JOHN
Nay I trow

JEROME
Ye shall when we have done not trow but know
For entre whereto I p[ra]y ye answer me
A questyon or twayne or mo yf nede be
And fyrst vnto thys answer as ye can
Whether wold ye be a resonable man
Or an vnresonabyll beast

JOHN
By and sell
I wolde be the symplest man betwene hevyn and hell
Rather than the best beast t1 ever was bred

JEROME
Then yf ye of one of the twayne must be sped
Ye wolde be a maltman ye a myller
Rather then a mylhorse

JOHN
Be ye my well wyller

JEROME
Ye

JOHN
Spek no more of thys then what man fye
I wold not be a beast for all this world I
Wer yt for nowght ells but for this lyfe pr[e]s[n]t

JEROME
The tyme of thys lyfe in dede I meane and ment
But tell me why by yo[u]r faythe evyn playnely
Ye wyl not chang estate w[ith] the myll horse

JOHN
Why ther be whyse and wherforse I thyngk a thowsand
In cownt of two kynds of things cumyng in hande
Sensybyll plesewre and sensybyll payne
And fyrst for payne sustaynyd in thes twayne
Begyn w[ith] the myll hors whom ye put for prefe
Or any lyk beast sustaynyg the lyk grefe
And or I wold tak the payne the poore beests tak
I wolde eche day be twygd and tyd to a stak
Caryng fro the mill caryng to the myll
Drawyng in the myll poor jade he jetth styll
Ambyll he trot he go he a foot pase
Walop he galop he rack he in trase
Yf hys pase please not be yt softe or faster
The spurrs or whypp shal be hys pay master
Were not a man trow ye in plesaunt case
W[ith] a beast in thys case to change case or plase
No man except some few so ynfortewnate
That they be owt of thacownt of mans estat
That wolde agre to leve to chang paynes I trow
Wythe beasts payne beyng such as all men know
Now to spek of plesewr in thes twayne asynde
The beasts to cōpare ys to far behynde
Plesewr dyscussybyll in thes thus doth fall
The beast in effect hathe none the man hathe all
The resonabyll manns imagynashyon
Joynd w[ith] resonabyll consyderatyon
Bryngth man muche plesewr in consyderȳg
The plesant proporte of eche plesaunt thyng
Possesyd to mans behof at cōandyng
Beasts have thyngs of nede but no furder pleasyng
Syns man hathe releef for all nesessyte
As well as beaste and above beast cōmodyte
Of plesewrs plantyd for mans recreatyon
In the hyest kynd of mans contentatyon
Wherby plesewre in effect betwene thes twayne
Showth thus man hath all beast hathe none & more payne
Hathe beast then resonabyll man by thes bothe
Change fro man to beast who wyll I wolde be lothe

JEROME
Ye have yn my mynd thys right well defynde
And for cawse kepe yt well a while yn yowr mynde
Set we asyde man and beasts symylytewde
And full dysposytyon in bothe se we vewde
What thyng dysposythe most the varyet
Betwene man and beast

JOHN
Reson in ma(n)y perde

JEROME
That man who of reason ys as destytute
As a beast ys what dyffrens schall we dyspewte

JOHN
Small in this case excepte yt be this one
The sott hathe a resonabyll sowle beasts have none

JEROME
What helpyth ye wytt of the sowle in the sott
Syns the body ys suche yt vsythe yt not
Wher ympotensy plantth such ympedyments
That vse of sensys are voyd to all yntents
For vse of reason so that for vse of wytt
They ar as beasts wyttles vsyng wytt nowght
In man thus wyttles and thunreasonabyll beaste
I se small dyffrens for thys lyf at leaste

JOHN
I grawnt the wyttles and the beast thus as one

JEROME
Then shall thes beasts wyttles man and mylhors draw on
Bothe yn one yok for thynk yow the nombere
Standth as somer dothe all day yn slomber
Nay somer ys a sot foole for a kyng
But sots in many other mens howsyng
Bear water bear woodd and do yn drugery
In kychyn cole howse & in the nersery
And dayly for fawtes whych they cannot refrayne
Evyn lyke the myll hors they be whyppyd amayne
Other fooles that labor not have other conseyts
Vppon thydyll foole the flok ever mor weytes
They tos hym they turne hym he is jobd & jolde
Whyth frettyng and fewmyng as ye afore told
Except mayster somer of sotts not the best
But the myll hors may compar w[ith] hym for rest
Th[er]fore plesewr conceyvyng or receyvyng
The wyttles and mylhors are both as one thyng
Yowr last tale and thys tale together conferd
By matter of bothe let y[our] answer be hard
Whether ye wold be a man resonabyll
Or vnresonabyll and except ye fabyll
Thys answer shall show playne and vndowtydly
Whether ye wold be wyttles or wytty

JOHN
In good faythe I tak thys conclewcyon so full
That I may geve over and evyn so I wull
For thys lyf

JEROME
Well then for the lyf to come
Few woords wher rason ys may knyt vpp the sum
Concernyng plesewr after thys lyf present
By whych he and yow dyssolvyd argewment
Bothe parts by bothe partyse wer so endyd
That y[ou] part full fayntly ye defendyd
Thowgh the more meryt of owr redemptyon
Stande in crystys passyon yet in execusyon
Thereof shall we stand by gods justys except
Havyng tyme and wytt hys cōmandments be kepte
And who in whyche dothe most dylygently
Plant ymps of good woorcks gyvyn by god chefely
Most hyly of god shall he have rewarde

JOHN
How prove ye that

JEROME
By scryptur have in regard
Cryst in the gospell of John doth thys declar
In the howse of my father sayth crist ther are
Dyvers and many mantyons that ys to say
As thexposytyon of saynt Awstyne dothe way
There are in hevyn dyvers degrees of glory
To be receyved of men acordyngly
Eche man as he vsythe gods gyfts of grace
So schall he have in hevyn hys degre or place
But mark thys chefe grownd the sum of scrypture saythe
We must walk w[ith] these gyfts in the path of fayth
In whyche walk who wurkthe most in gods cōmandment
He shall have most & seynt powle showth lyk entent
As one starr dyfferthe from another in shynyng
So the resurectyon of the ded whych lyk thynge
Aperthe in other placys of scrypture

JOHN
I grawnt [thys] and what than

JEROME
That what cummth streyght in vre
Syns he that vsythe gods gyfts best schall have best
And he next who dothe next and so forth the rest
And that the wytty do dayly wurk or may
And the wyttles nowght wurkyth by no way
So that hys rewarde may cōpare in degre
If wytty have thys avantage thynkythe me
The wyse wyttyse place wyshe I desyrnfly
Rather then place of the wyttles

JOHN
So do I
Iff wyshe wolde wyn yt but where the sot ys sewr
The wytty standthe in hasardous adventewr
To lees all and so in fyne fayr and well
In sted of way to hevyn to tak the waye to hell
In wurks cōmandyd in faythe walkthe not
By gods justyce he hathe damnatyon in lott
And what other folkes fele I can not tell
But suche frayle falls fele I in my selfe to dwell
And by them to lees hevyn I am so adrad
The sotts sewrte of least joy ther wold I hadd
An old proverb makyth w[ith] thys whyche I tak good
Better one byrd in hand then ten in the wood

JEROME
What yf of the ten byrds in the wood eche one
Wer as good as that one in y[ou]r hand alone
And that ye myght cache them all ten yf ye wold
Wolde ye not leve one byrd for the ten now told

JOHN
Yes

JEROME
Wolde ye not havyng helpe tak resonabyll payne
For thonors of ten byrds for one in gayne

JOHN
Yes

JEROME
Then in gods name fear not let fle thys one
Ye schall I trust catche thes ten byrds evry chone
Your fleshly frayle falls ar suche yt ye drede
As muche as hope in havyng hevynly mede
By whych dred sewrte of joyes there ye most small
Wyshe ye rather then byd ventur to have joyes all
And th[e] soner by this ye chose thys I deme
The least joy there ys more then man can esteme
But now to remove thys block y[ou]r grett drede
We have a lever that removethe dred w[ith] spede
God sofrethe but not wylth ony man to syne
Nor god wylth no synners dethe but he be yn
Suche endless males yt his fynall estat
In lack of penytens mak hym selfe reprobate
In tyme of this lyf at eche penytent call
Owr marcyfull maker remytth synns all
From the perpetewall peyne infernall
Whatever they be from least to most carnall
By whyche goodnes of god we ar set in hopes chayer
Not to brede presumpsyon but to banysh despayr
The grace of god alwey to grace alewrthe man
And when man wyll call for gr[ac]e of gr[a]c[e] asewrth man
To assyst man gods cōmandments to fulfyll
At all tymes yf man cast owte yll wyllyng wyll
Howe syns the crystyane that wurkyth most in faythe
Schall have most in rewarde as the scrypture saythe
And t[hat] gods gr[ace] by gr[ace] cald for wyll asyst
Mans wyll to wurk well alwey when man lyst
And at instant of dew ordyrd penytens
Man hathe gods mercy of all former offens
Whyche showthe for mercy man ys not mor gredy
To ax then god to grawnt mercy ys redy
Thys sene what show yow to mayntayne the feare
Whyche ye toward desperatyon were in whyl [h]ear

JOHN
What show I nay the show of that feare ys extyngkt
Evyn by thys praty tale thus pythyly lynkt
Syns god to the most faythfull wurker gyvyth most
And to mak man wurk muche god hasth as in post
And when man hath now wrowght at contrycyon
God grawnthe man of damnatyon remycyon
Makyng man sewre of frewte of crystys passyon
Except mans wylfull wyll mar all good fascyon
By this I dred god as standth w[ith] love & hope
But no desperate dred dothe my hart now grope

JEROME
Ten byrds in the wood or one in hand alone
Whych chos ye now

JOHN
I wyll not change ten for one
Syns the byrder wyl helpe me to tak them all
As sewr to myne vse as the one byrd cowld fall

JEROME
Well for conclewsyon syns ye sowndly se
That wytty have plesewr here in more degre
Then wyttles and also wytty wyse se ye
In hevyn by scrypture in hyer joyes be
Then the wyttles yow seyng thys clerly
Whether wold ye now be wyttles or wytty

JOHN
Wytty and the more wytty am I for you
Of which hartyly I thank yow and now
Where my mate my lords sayd that ys gone
Better be sot somer then sage salamon
In forsakyng that I woold now rather be
Sage saloman then sot somer I assewr ye

JEROME
Thes thre stave next folowyng in the kyngs absens ar voyde