University of Virginia Library

2. Secunda pars

The Plouman
P
Here I may walk and wander to and fro
But I se not them whych I wold speke to

M
Yes by rode here we be both twayn
To whom thou dydyst promys to mete here agayn
To dyspute the questyon that we began
whych of us coud proue hym most gentylman

K
Thou seydest thou hardyst our argumentes all

P
so dyd I nother good nor substancyall
For thy folysh and pyuysh oppynyon
was because of the grete domynyon
Of the landis and rentis wher to thou wast bore
whych thyn auncestours had long tyme before
Thou thynkyst thy self a gentylman to be
Ant that is a folysh reason semyth ne
For when adam dolf and eue span
who was then a gentylman
But then cam the churl and gederyd good
And ther began furst the gentyll blood
And I thynk verely ye do beleue
That we cam all of adam and eue
Then to speke by reason grete possessions
Make no gentylmen but gentyl condycyons
That is the cause and best reason why
One shuld be callyd a gentylman truly
And forthermor mark well this reason then
If a mānis auncestours haue be gentylmen
And verteous and good to commyn well
That ought to be reputyd neuer adell
To the prayse of the chylde whych doth refuse
Such good cōdycyons & the cōtrary vse
But he ought to be dyspraysyd the more
Because hys auncestours hath shewid hym before
A precedent of gentylnes & vertew
whych good example he dothe not insew
For the gentylnes of hys blode clery
In hym doth decay & vtterly dye
So he that vsyth cōdycyons verteous
Though that hys auncestours were vycyous
Ought not to be dyspraysyd therfore
But ought to be honoryd & praysyd the more

K
yet me thynkyth more honor shulde be gyftyn
To hym whych ys of noble blood & kyn

P
Then yf thou wylt loke honoured to be
Be cause of thy blod then mark well & see
The vylyst beggar that goth by the dore
Had ye not both one god & creature
ye cam of one furst stok & progenye
Both of adam & eue ye wyll not denye
The beggar & thou wer both dowtles
Conseyuyd & born infylth & vnclennes
Thy blood & the beggars of one colour be
Thou art as apt to take seknes as he
yf thou be in the body woundyd
Thy flessh is as yll as his to be helyd
Alas I haue knowen many or thys
So proud of theyr byrth that all theyr lyffys
wold gyf them to no labour nor lernyng
whych brought them to myserable endyng
That in pouerte wrechydly dyd dye
Or fallyn to theft & hangyd therfore full hye
So I sey vertew & good cōdycyons than
Is that whych makyth the very gentylman
And though the fadyr may bequeth to hys son
Hys ryches hys land & hys possessyon
yet may he nothyr gyf nor bequeth
Unto hym in no wyse after hys deth
Hys vertew nor hys gentyl cōdycyons
They can not descend as other possessyons
And yf thou wylt be a gentylman nedys
Thou must than vse vertew & gentyll dedys

K
why desyre men then prayse euermore
Of the actis of theyr auncestours done before

P
One cause ther of ys for lak of lernyng
They perseyue not the reason of the thyng
A nother is be cause ther be many
That call them self gentylmen vnworthy
whych lyfe voluptuously & bestyall
And do no good in the world at all
But lyfe in pryde slouth & vnthryftynes
And be cause they haue no maner goodnes
Nor properte nor vertew in them wher by
Any man shulde thynk them any prayse worthy
Therfore they seke for cōmendacyon
Of the actes that theyr auncestours haue done

M
Then I meruell men desyre to be callyd
Of the blode of them that excellyd
In worldly honour as kynges & emperours
where some were tyranttes some were cōquerours
And few desyre to be callyd of theyr blod
whych haue ben callyd Iust mē verteous & good
And vsyd indyfferent Iustyce & equyte
Mekenes abstynens or wylfull pouerte

P
yf I shuld tell the the verey cause trew
It is because they loue no such vertew
whych vertew & gentyll cōdycyons shuld be
Longyng to gentylmen of properte

K
If gentyl cōdycyons be the cause lo
Then wyll I compare with both you two
For I haue vsyd euer gentyll maner
And so haue myn auncestours that before were
For furst of all when thys worlde began
Long after ther were but few people than
Men had suffycyent of euery thyng
wyth oute gret labour for fode & clothyng
All thyng was in cōmyn among them doutles
But afterwarde when people dyd increse
Ich man to increse hys pleasure & volupte
Of goodes & landes desyryd properte
were of grete stryf & debate dyd aryse
Thē such as mīe aūcestours were that were wyse
Did studi to make laws how the people myght be
Lyffyng to gedyr in pease & vnyte
And agayns enmiys alwey defendyd
The people that tyllyd the ground & laboryd
The people perseyuyng than theyr goodnes
Theyr gret wyt dyscressyon & gentylnes
were cōtent to gyfe them ∥t of the proffet
Comyng of theyr landes whych they dyd get
As corn catell & such thynges as they wan
But after when that coyn of money began
They chaūgid those reuenuse & were cōtent
To gyfe them in money an ānyell rent
So for theyr good & verteous cōdycyons
They cam furst to lādes & possessyons
So possessyons began & were furst found
Uppon a good & resonable ground

P
By gogges swete body thou lyest falsely
All possessions began furst of tyranny
For when people began furst to encrese
Some gafe them self all to Idylnes
And wold not labour but take by vyolence
That other men gat by labour & dylygence
Than they that labouryd were fayne to gyfe
Them ∥t of theyr gettinges in peas to lyfe
Or elles for theyr landis money a porcyon
So possessyons began by extorcyon
And when such extorsyoners had oppressyd
The labouryng people than they ordeynyd
And made laws meruelous strayte & hard
That theyr heyres myght inioy it afterward
So the law of inherytaunce was furst begon
whych is a thyng agayns all good reason
That any inherytaunce in the world shuld be

K
That is a shamefull opynyon semyth me
For when I haue labouryd & by grete study
Gat & purcheysyd landys truly
It is good reason that I haue lyberte
To gyfe those landis to whom it lyketh me
Or elles to let them descend lynyally
To my chyld or cosyn of my blod most nye
For inherytaunce must nedys be a good thyng
Because so much good therof is procedyng
Euery man to hys blod such loue doth bere
Because the land shall descend to hys heyre
He wyll byld theron & the land improw
And make corn & grasse to encrese & grow
Graft frute set trees & norysh tymber
And to incresse fyssh make pondys wyth water
Stok busshis & wedes whych dystroy herbage
And all baren ground beyng to tyllage
And amend the hye wayes that be ther about
And do many other good dedis no dowt
For the profet of hys heyrys that shalbe
And for the cōmyn welth of his countre
which thynges surely he wold neuer intend
yf the land shuld not to hys heyre descend

P
By thy reason no nothyr thyng is ment
But a good dede vppon an yuell intent
when men for loue or pryd do such good dedis
The dyuell therfore shall quyt thē theyr medys

K
whyder god or the deuyll quyt them therfore
Is now to our purpose neuer the more
For theyr myndes & intentes no man can tell
But touchyng in herytaunce thys I wot well
Much good cōmyth therof & dayli doth grow

P
Nay mych Ill cōmyth therof I shall proue how
For these men that be of gret possessyons
Unto theyr blod haue such affeccyons
yf any land lyke them that lyeth nye them
Of theyr pore neghbors they wyll distroy them
Or by extort meanys they wyll them compell
The land for half the worth to them to sell
And when they take money they wyl alwey
Euer borow & neuer wyllyng to pay
And when they shall dye ye see thexperience
Few of them haue remors of cōsyens
To make any maner restytucyon
Of any land so wrongfully gotton

K
Thou hast spoke sore agayns gentylmen
But what seyst thou of marchaundes then

P
Many be good and worshipful also
And many charitable dedis they do
Byld churchys & amend the hye ways
Make almyshowsys & help many decays
But some be couetous & full falsely
Get theyr goodis by dysseyt & vsury
And when they haue a .M.li. in theyr cofers
They wyll rathyr suffer theyr neyghbers
To sterue for hunger & cold & to dye
Or they wyll gyfe to help them a peny
And yet more ouer when any of them be
Promotyd to rule or auctoryte
They dysdayn all lernyng law & reason
And Iugge all by wyll & affeccyon

M
Thou art but a rayler to speke so sore
Agayne gentylmen & marchauntes euermore
Be not plowmen & other that dryfe the cart
And such rusticall felows as thou art
Fals shrews & lyfe as vycyously also
As gentylmen of landes & marchauntes do

K
yes this vylleyn carters almost echon
Haue nother cōscyens nor deuocyon
For brybe & stele euery thyng they wyll
If they may secretly come theruntyll
And as for prayer & dyuyne seruyce
They loue them in no maner wyse
Nor neuyr wolde labour nor work do
If nede of lyffyng drofe them not therto

P
yet gentylmen & the rych marchauntes that be
Use mych more vyce & iniquyte

M
why thynkyst all marchauntes & gentylmen nought

P
Nay I sey not so that is not my thought
I am not yet so folysh nor so mad
For I know many good though some be bad
yet some wyll suffer hys dettes vnpayd to be
And dye and Ieo∥d hys soule rather than he
wyll any of hys landes mynysh and empayre
That shuld after hys deth come to hys heyre
And some of them so proud be of theyre blod
And vse small vertew and doo lytyll good
But gyfe all theyre myndys and theyre study
To opprese the pore people by tyrrany
And some of them thynk thys for a surete
It is the most honour to them that can be
To be able for to doo extorcyon
And to mayntayn it wythout punycyon

K
Bi gogges swet bodi thou art a stark knaue
Noble men and gentylmen so to depraue

P
what thou proud horesō fole whō dost thou knaue
I trow thou woldist a good blowe or two haue
wyth a good whypstoke to tech the curtesy

K
Auant beggerly knaue I the defye

P
what wylt thou wage battell by & by now
That shall I proue strayght I make god auowe

Et hic verberat eos
M
Kepe the peace masters hold your hādys for shame
To make thys besynes ye be gretely to blame
ye wyll dysturb all thys hole company

P
Nay mary it is a cause to make them mery
To walke such a proude foole is but sport & gāe

K
By cokkys body were not for wordly shame
I shuld cut thy flesh or elles see thy herte blode

M
Sir hold your tōg your wordis benothyng good
we lose here wt thys lewyd altercacyon
Mych good pastyme and recreacyon

P
why what better pastyme her canst thou haue
Then to here one to call an other knaue
And see such a proud foole walkyd wt a whyp

M
But I loue it not therfore of felyshyp
Leue thys brablyng and wt good argument
Trye the matter that is nost cōuenyent

P
Nay I wyll trye it how so euer he wyll
Be it wt wordys or dedes I wyll answere hym styll
For be god yf he wyll not be cōtent
To be cōcludyd by good argument
I wyll cōclud hym one way or that I goo
Or I shall proue it on hys pate that shall I doo

K
Thow spekyst lyk a clerk that hath lyttyll wyt
when a case is put yf he can not soyle it
By no maner reason that he can ley
Then wyll he answere hym thys wyse & sey
Beware what ye sey syr now I aduyse you
For it is treason or herysy that ye spek now
To thentent to rebuke hym opynly
Before the vnlernyd people that stand therby
And yf he can no colour of such thyng fynd
Then wyll he vex and chafe in hys mynd
And cast owt some lewd wordes of quarelyng
To torn the hole matter to chydyng & fyghtyng
And so dost thou now lyke one that were mad

P
Nay I wold thou knewist thou folysh lad
I am nother mad nor dronken yet
For myn oppynyon I haue well prouyd it
By substancyall reason and argument
That enherytaunce is not conuenyent
And shewyd better reasons than thou canst doo

K
Nay thy reasons may soone be answered vnto
For god defende that estates of enherytaunce
Shuld be dystroyed for by that good ordynaunce
Gentylmen of landes vndoutydly
Brynge vp theyr chyldren full honourably
Some put to the scole to lerne cōnynge
To instruct the people in vertuous lyuynge
Some made to be actyfe in marcyall dedes
Able to defend the land when nede is
And the rustycall people that haue no land
Such thynges be not able to take in hand
wherfore yf we shuld dystroy enherytaunce
we shulde dystroy all good rule and ordynaunce

P
But such men as haue gret rentes and landes
And no estate but terme of theyr lyuys
And euery thyng theron wyll norysh and saue
For the grete zele & loue that they only haue
To the cōmyn welth of theyr contrey
And for god sake lo these people be they
That be worthy to haue possessyons
And such people of vertuouse condycyons
And no nother shuld be chosyn gouernours
& thei shuld haue lādes to maintain their honours
Terme of theyr lyuys as long as they take payn
For the cōmyn welth thys is good reason playn
So that no man owght to haue any land
But such as be apt and haue charge in hand
For the cōmyn welth as pryncys and rulers
Bysshoppes curates prechers and techers
Iugges mynysters and other offycers
That of the cōmyn welth be executers
And valyant men of the chyualry
That be bounde to defende the people dayly
Such men as be apt to all such thynges
Shuld haue landes to mayntayne theyr lyffynges
So enherytaunce is not besemynge
To let them haue landes that cā do no such thing
Nor I thynk it not resonable nother
One man to lyf by labour of an nother
For ych man is borne to labour truly
As a byrde is to fle naturally
Nor a man ought not to haue such lyberte
To lefe landes to hys chyld wher by that he
Shall lust for to lyfe in slouth & gloteny
Compellyd to do nought but lyfe voluptuously

M
There is alway good remedy for that
That is to compell them to do som what
So that ych man hauyng enherytaunce
Haue some auctoryte and gouernaunce
wherein he shulde take payne and besynes
To constrayn hym to eschew Idelnes

P
Then thys grete myschef shuld folow of hit
Oft tymes they shuld rule that haue lyttyll wyt
Or disposyd to be proud & couetous
Or to lyfe after theyr lustis voluptuous
which yf such men had auctoryte
Many thynges no dowte mys orderyd shuld be
where Iustyce shuld be / there wold be tyranny
where peas shuld be warr debat & enuy
So there is no good reason that I can se
To proue that any enherytaunce shuld be

K
yes that shall I proue by good auctoryte
For rede in the byble and thou shalt therin see
God sayd to abraham tibi dabo
Terram hanc et semine tuo
whych is as much to say to expounde yt trew
I shall gyfe thys land to the and thyn yssew
Here is a good proue that it was goddes wyll.
That Abrahā and his blode shulde continew styl
As possessyoners and haue the gouernaunce
Of that lande as theyr propre enherytaunce

P
Thou answerest me now euen lyke a fole
As some of these fonde clarkes that go to scole
when one putteth to them a subtyll questyon
Of phylozophy to be prouyde by reason
whan they haue all theyr wyttes & reason spende
And can not tell how theyr parte to defende
Than they wyll aledge some auctoryte
Of the lawes or elles of deuynite
whiche in no wyse men may denye
And yet ye knowe well that of phylozophy
The pryncyples oft contraryant be
Unto the very groundes of deuynite
For the phylozophers agre here vnto
Quod mūdus fuit semper ab eterno
And deuynys quod in principio oīm
Creauit deus terram et celum
But thou dydest promyse openly euen now
Onely by naturall reason to proue how
That enherytaunce ought for to be had

M
By gogges body syrs I holde you bothe mad
ye be lyke some woman that I knowe well
when they wolde any matter vnto a man tell
They wyll tell .xx. talys by the way
Nothynge to purpose to the matter that they
Dyd furst in tend to tell and declare
And in lyke maner now both ye do fare
For ye dyspute now whytheyr enherytaunce
Be a resonable thyng or a good ordynaunce
whych is a matter no thyng perteynyng
To the questyon mouyd at the begynnyng
For the questyon was whych of vs all thre
Coud proue hym selfe most gentylman to be

K
As touchyng that we haue all spoke & sayd
Ich man for hys ∥t as much as can be sayd

P
Nay I haue yet reasons laft wherby I can
proue my selfe of vs all most gentylman
That nother of you both can voyde by reason

M
If thou haue ought elles to say now speke on

P
Then to you both answer me thys short clause
Is not gētyll cōdycyons the most prīcypall cause
To make one to be a gentylman

K
Paraduenture it may be so what than
∥aduenture qd a
Nay I shall proue that by examples many on
For musyke makyth one a musycyon
Grāmer to be good gramareon
And also geomytry a good geometrycyon
And chorlysh condycyons a chorle for to be
And so of euery other estate & degre
And where gentyll condycyons be doutles
In any person there is gentyllnes
Than as vertew makyth a good man
So gentyl condycyons a gentylman

M
All those poyntes I thynk must nedys graūtyd be
what arguyst more therof forth let vs see

P
How feyst than to pryde wrath & enuy

K
They be nought & euyll I thynk verely

P
what is mekenes pacyens & charyte

K
Euerychone a gentyll & good properte

P
what is couetous & lyberalyte

K
The furst good the other nought for surete

P
what is gloteny sloth & lechery

K
They be nought all who can that deny

P
What abstynens good besynes & chastyte

K
Uerteous & gentyll propertees they be

P
Syth ye haue graūytyd thys I shall proue playn
I am a gentylman so is none of you twayn
Furst for pryde your raymēt shewyth what ye be
For ye wyll neuer be content except that ye
Haue the fynest cloth & sylke for to were
Of oryent colours & all your gere
So costly &your housys gylt gloryously
As though ye wold therin your self deyfy
ye couet euermore goodes landes & rent
what so euer ye get yet neuer content
wrathfull ye be mouyd to anger anon
And enuyous dysdaynyng euery man
And as for me I am content alwey
wyth a pore cotage & symple aray
I dysdayn no man & yet pacyently
Can suffer to be callyd knaue and not angry
Somtyme I call hym knaue agayn in hast
And when I haue sayd my anger is past
ye haue your beddys so pleasaunt & soft
wherein ye ease your self to long and to oft
whych makyth your bodyes so tender to be
That ye can not endure labour lyke me
wyth no maner course fode ye wyll be fede
But wyth pleasand wynys & most whytest brede
wyth flesh & fysh most dylycate & fat
All frutes & spyces that can be gat
And when ye haue had such pleasaunt refeccyons
To aswage your carnall insurreccyons
what so euer she be wyfe wedow or mayde
If she come in the way she shalbe assayd

M
Thou liest sklāderours chorle for I thīk of troth
Thou vsyst sych vyse more then we both

P
Nay by cokkes body I vse no sych lyfe
For I am content wyth blak maud my wyfe
Trow ye yt I care for these nise proude prīmys
These paītyd popagays that hold vp their chynnes
And loke so smoterly as who say they wold
Haue euery mā woo them that doth them behold
Tote man for all sych venereall werk
As good is the foule as the fayre in the derk

K
Thou sayst trew / drafe is good Inough for swyne

P
yet thou answerest to no reson of myne

K
Thy reasons all ryght well answere I can
For I sey it be cōmeth a noble man
To haue rych ap∥ell & clothyng
And goodly housys of costly byldyng
And that ych man accordyng to hys degre
Be knowyn from other and what they be
For yf such costly thynges were not made
work for pore peple coud neuer be hade
And many folkes than shuld fall to Idylnes
whych is the moder of vyce and wretchydnes

P
ye but I delyte noo such vanytese worldly
I delyte nother in sloth nor gloteny
I dyg and delfe & labour for my lyvyng
Neuer ydyll but somewhat euer doyng
Dayly I ren and go bere swete & swynk
I ete broun brede and drynk small drynk
Content wt cours meat what so euer it be
so it quench the hunger it suffysyth me
These poyntes I use whych I haue rehersyd now
Be not these gentyl condycyons I pray you

M
If thou use them nede compellyth the therto
For if thou coudist hardli thou wold other wise do

P
what I wold doo then ye can not tell
It is not to purpose but thys I wot well
Syth that I use my lyfe in such good maner
whyth such gentyll condycyons exp̄ssyd here
More than ye both do styll contynuyng
And syth that gentyll condycyons is the thyng
To make a gentylman the cause pryncypall
wherin I vse my life most of vs all
who can by any reason deny than
But that I am of us all most gentylman

K
In feyth yf thou be gentylman therfore
Thou art a gentylman agaynt thy wyll full sore

M
Syth I se he stādyth in his own cōsait so well
That opynyon we shall neuer expell
From hym by no argument nor reason
Therfore now for a lytyll season
Let vs dept from hym I hold it best
Then we shall haue wt hym some rest

K
I agre therto for caton sayth this
Contra verbosas noli cotendere verbis
Contend nor argu neuer in no matter
wt hym that is full of words and clatter

M
wherefore for a season let us both dept

K
I am agreid therto wt all myn hart

P
why sirs than wyll ye dept & be gon

M
ye that we wyll farewel for a season
For to tarry here lenger we see no grete cause
Et exeant
Then fare ye well as wyse as two dawys
And I pray god sende you such grace both twayn
To be stark cockeoldes or ye come agayn
Now masters they be both gone away
Therefore one worde now harke what I sey
wee see well now by playne expience
when a man is set in a wyllfull credens
All to fortefye hys owne opynyon
If god hym selfe than wold wyth hym reason
In effect it shall no more auayle
Than wt a whyp to dryfe a snayle
Therfore no remedy is that I can see
For yuell men that be in auctoryte
But let them alone tyll god wyll send
A tyme tyll our gouernours may intend
of all enormytes the reformacyon
And bring in theyr handis the rod of coreccyon
And the reformyng of iniuryes them self see
And wyll say p̄cysely thus it shall be
For exortacyons techyng and p̄chyng
Gestyng and raylyng they mend no thyng
For the amendement of the world is not in me
Nor all the grete arguments that we thre
Haue made syth we resonyd here to gedyr
Do not p̄uayle the weyght of a fether
For the helpyng of any thyng that is amys
we can not help it then syth it so is
I wyll let the world wagg & home wyll I goo
And dryf the plowgh as I was wont to do
And praye god send us peas I wyl no farr mell
Therfore masters all now fare ye well

Hic miles & mercator iterum intrant
K
Now by my troth I am glad that he is gon

M
And so am I by swete seynt Iohn
I hard not a chorll thys seuyn yere
Shew so curst reasons as he hath done here
For the mayntenaunce of hys oppynyon
yet he hys dysseuyd for all hys reason
For it is necessary that rulers be
To haue posseyons to mayntayn theyr degre
And those few to dryfe the multytude all
of the other people to labour to fall
For yf the rulers drof them not therto
The peple wold be ydyll & nothyng doo
And most reason is that gouernaunce
Shuld come to such rulers by inherytaunce
Rather than to haue them chose by eleccyon
Oft tymys by drede mede and affeccyon
Men of euyll conscyens that grete tyraunts be
Rede old cronyclys the proue ye shall see
And though they haue grete wyt and lernyng
Yet so proud they be therof they fere nothyng
Nother god nor man but euermore styll
wt out councell or aduyse folow theyr own wyll
But they that by inherytaunce rulers be
Though they haue no grete lernyng yet we see
yet makyth them more ferefull & better cōtent
To folow wyse mens councell and aduysement
And syth that yt hath ben so long cōtynnyd
Enherytours to haue rule and so long usyd
And that they haue ruled by as dyscressyon
As the other that haue be chose by eleccyon
If that order of rule by successyon of blode
Shuld be dystroyd it shuld doo hurte & no good

M
That reason is so grete no man can debarr
Neuertheles that churllysh knaue that carter
After hys fond oppynyon thynkyth thus
Hymselfe more gentylman than us

K
And therin he lyeth for by expiens we see
That gentyll cōdycyons most com̄enly be
In them that be of noble blode borne
For take .xx. carters whych neuer were beforne
Aquayntyd let them be to gyder
Take .xx. straynge gentylmen in lyke maner
These churlysh carters I dare well say
wyll not agre to gyder skant one day
wt out chydyng quarrellyng or fyghtyng
ychone wyll stele from other and be pykyng
And stryfe whych of them at the skot shall pay lest
And indeuer them who can play the knaue best
But these gentylmen I warant you wyll study
who can shew to other most curtesy
And of theyr gentylnes wyll pfer to pay
For the other and shew what pleasurs they may
So touchyng gentylnes I say surely
Men of grete byrth vse it most com̄ynly

M
There can be no truer saying nor sentence
And the cause therof we see by expience
For these pore wretches that haue no thyng
Must be nygardys churlysh and spayryng
But gentylmen be taught to be lyberall
And so they may be for they haue where wt all

K
And as touchyng noblenes that argument
whych the plowman made late puyth euydent
That gentylmen borne to land must nedys be
For suffyency of most nobylyte
For besyde goddys gyfts of grace & of nature
As wyt and bodely stryngh yet they be sure
Of other ryches as of land and rent
To auoyd nede so they be more suffycyent
of them self than other pore people doutles
Then yf nede of straunge helpe cause wrechydnes
And suffysauns be cause wrechydnes

M
A better reason no man can deuyse
And yet farther I thynk lykewyse
He that hath grete haboundance of ryches
May vse lyberalyte and gentylnes
And also it is euer necessary
That some lyfe in welth and some in mysery
And let churllys bable and say what they wyll
Hit hath ben so euer and wyll be so styll
For it is almyghty goddys purueaunce
wyse men of folys to haue the gouernaunce
And they that rule well I beseech Ihesu
Send them good lyfe & long to contynew