specially Your youth in vertue shapeth to dyspende Plante the rote of youthe in such a wyse That in vertue your growynge be alway Loke alwaye goodnesse be in your exercyse That shall you myghty make at eche assay The fende to wythstande at eche affray Passeth wysely thys peryllous pylgrymage Thynke on thys worde werke it euery day That shall you yeue a parfyte floured age Taketh also hede howe y t these noble clerkes wrytten in her bokes of great sapience Sayeng y e fayth is deed wythouten werkes And ryght so is estate wyth negligence Of vertue and therfore wyth diligence Shapeth of vertue so to plante the rote That ye therof haue full experience To worshyp of your lyfe and soules bote Taketh also hede that lordshyp ne estate wythout vertue may not longe endure Thynketh eke howe vyces vertue at debate Haue ben shall whyle the worlde may dure And euer the vycious by auenture Is ouerthrowe and thynketh euermore That god is lorde of al vertue and fygure Of all goodnesse therfore folowe his lore My mayster Chaucer god hys soule saue That in hys langage was so curious He sayd that y e father whych is deed graue Byqueth nothynge hys vertue w t his house Vnto hys chyldren and therfore laborouse Ought ye be besekynge god of grace To yeue you myght for to be vertuous Through whych ye might haue parte of his place Here may se that vertuous noblesse Cometh not to you by way of auncestrye But it cometh by leful besynesse Of honest lyfe and not by slogardrie wherfore in youth I rede you ye edifye The house of vertue in suche a manere That in your age may you kepe and gye Fro the tempest of worldes wawes here Thynketh howe betwyxe vertue and estate There is a parfyte blessed mariage Vertue is cause of peace vyce of debate In mans soule the which be full of corage Cherysheth than vertue vyces to outrage Driueth he away let hem haue no woÌ„ning In your soules leseth not the heritage which god hath yeue to vertuous lyuyng Taketh hede also how men of pore degree Through vertue haue be set in great honour And euer haue lyued in great prosperitie Through cheryshyng of vertuous labour Thynketh also how many a gouernour Called to estate hath be set full lowe Through misvsyng of ryght and of errour And therfore I couÌ„sel you vertue to knowe thus by your auÌ„cestres ye may nothiÌ„g claim As y t my master Chaucer sayth expresse But teÌ„poral thiÌ„g y t men may hurt or maym Than is god stocke of vertues noblesse And syth that he is lorde of blyssednesse And made vs al and for vs all deyde Foloweth hym in vertue with full besynesse And of this thing herk how my master seyd The fyrst stocke father of gentylnesse what man that claymeth gentle for to be Must folow his trace al his wyttes dres Vertue to loke and vyces for to flye For vnto vertue longeth dignitie And not the reuers safely dare I deme All weare he mytre crowne or dyademe The fyrst stocke was full of ryghtwysnesse True of his worde sobre pytous and free Clene of his ghost and loued besynesse Ayenst the vyce of slouth in honestie And but his heyre loue vertue as dyd he He is not gentle though he ryche seme Al weare he mytre crowne or dyademe Vyce may be an heyre to olde rychesse But there may no man al men may se Byqueth his heyre his vertuous noblesse That is appropred vnto no degree But to the fyrst father in maiestie that maketh his heyres hem y t caÌ„ hiÌ„ queâ—e Al weare he mytre crowne or dyademe Lo here this noble poete of Bretayne How lyghtly in vertuous sentence The losse on youth of vertue can coÌ„playne And therfore I pray you with your diligeÌ„ce For your profyte and gods reuerence Tempreth fully vertue in your mynde That whaÌ„ ye come to your iuges presence Ye be not vertulesse than behynde Many lordes haue a maner now adayes Though one shewe hem a vertuous matere Her feruent youth is of so false alayes That of that arte they haue no ioy to here But as a shyp that is without a stere Dryueth vp downe without gouernauÌ„ce wenyng that calme wolde laste yere by yere Ryght so fare they for very ygnoraunce For very shame knowe they not by reason y t after an ebbe there coÌ„meth a floud ful rage In y e same wyse whaÌ„ youth passeth his sesoÌ„ CoÌ„meth croked and vnweldy palled age And sone after coÌ„men y e kalendes of dotage And if y t her youth haue no vertue prouided All men wol say fye on her vassalage Thus hath her slouth fro worshyp hem deuyded Boetius the clerke as men may rede and se Sayth in his boke of Consolation what man desyreth of vyne or tree Plenteous frute in reapyng season Must euer eschue to do oppressyon Vnto the rote whyle it is yonge and grene Thus may ye se wel by that inclusyon That youth vertulesse doth moche tene Now seeth there ayenst howe vertuous noblesse Roted in youth w t good perseuerauÌ„ce Dryueth away al vyces and wretchednesse As slogardrye ryote and distaunce Seeth eke how vertue causeth suâ—â—saunce Seeth eke how vertue voydeth al vyse And who so hath vertu hath al abuÌ„daunce Of wele as ferre as reason can deuyse Taketh hede of Tullius Hostylius That fro pouerte came to hygh degree Through vertue redeth eke of Iulius The conquerour howe poore a man was he Yet through his vertue and his humilitie Of many countrie had he gouernaunce Thus vertue bringeth a man to great degre Eche wyght that lust to do him enteÌ„daunce Rede here ayenst now of Nero vertulees Taketh hede also of proude Baithasare They hated vertue equyte and pees And loke howe Antyochus fyl fro his chare That he his skyn and bones al to tare Loke what mischauÌ„ce they had for her vices who so wol not by these signes beware I dare wel say infortunate and nyce is I caÌ„ no more nowe say but herby may ye se Nowe vertue causeth perfyte sykernesse And vices exilen al prosperite The best is eche man to chose as I gesse Doth as you lyst I my excuse expresse I wolde be ryght sory yf that ye mischefe God confirme you in vertuous noblesse So that through negligence ye not it lese ¶ Explicit SOmtyme the worlde so stedfast was and stable That mannes worde was an obligation And nowe it is so false and disceyuable That worde and dede as in conclusion Is nothyng lyke for turned is vp so downe Al the worlde through mede and fykelnesse That al is lost for lacke of stedfastnesse what maketh the worlde to be so variable But lust that men haue in discention For amonge vs a man is holde vnable But yf he can by some collusion Do his neighbour wronge and oppression what causeth this but wylful wretchednesse That al is lost for lacke of stedfastnesse Trouth is put downe reason is holde fable Vertue hath
ful sothe in game and play ¶ Thou sayst ful sothe ê™ Roger by my say But soth play quade play as y e sleming saith And therfore Henry Baylly by thy fayth Be thou not wrothe or we departen here Though that my tale ben of an hostelere But nathelesse I wol not tellen it yet But er we parte ywys thou shalte be quyt And therwithal he lough and made chere And sayd his tale as ye shullen after here ¶ Here endeth the Cokes prologue and here foloweth hys tale APrentise whilom dwelte in our cyte And of the crafte of vitaylers was he Galiard he was as goldfynch in the shawe Browne as a bery a proper shorte felawe with lockes blake kempt ful fetously Daunce he couthe ful wel and ioltly He was called Perkyn Reuelour He was as ful of loue and paramout As is the hyue ful of hony swete wel was the wenche wyth hym might mete At euery bridal wolde he syng and hoppe He loued bette the tauernes than the shoppe For whan any ridyng was in chepe Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe Tyl that he had al the syght iseyn And daunced wel he wolde not come ageyn And gather hym a meyny of hys sorte To hop and syng and make suche disporte And there they setten steuyn for to mete To playen at the dise in suche a strete For in the cyte nas there no prentise That fayrer couthe casten a payre of dise Than Perken couthe and therto he was fre Of his dispence in place of priuyte That founde his maister wele in his chafare For oftymes he founde his bore ful bare For sikerly a prentise reuelour That haunteth dise riotte or paramour His maister shal it in hys shoppe abye Al haue he no parte of the mynstralcy For thefte and riotte they ben conuertible Al can he play on gettron or on ribible Reuel and trouthe as in lowe degre They ben ful wrothe al day as men may se This ioly prentise with his mayster abode Tyl he were nye out of his prentishode Al were he snybbed bothe early and late And somtyme ledde with reuel to Newgate But at the last his maister him be thought Vpon a day whan he hys paper sought Of a prouerbe that saith this same worde welbette is rotten apple out of horde Than that it rote al the remenaunt So fareth it by a riottous seruaunt It is moche lesse harme to let him passe Than he shende al the seruauÌ„tes in the place Therfore his maister gaue hym a quitaunce And badde him go w t sorowe myschaunce And thus this ioly prentise had his leue Nowe lette hym riot al the nyght or leue And for there is no thefe without a louke That helpeth hym to waste or to souke Of that he bribe can or borowe may Anon he sent hys bedde and hys array Vnto a compere of hys owne sorte That loued dice reuel and disporte And had a wyfe that helde for countenaunce A shoppe and swyued for her sustenaunce ¶ Here endeth the Cokes tale here foloweth the man of lawes prologue OVr hoste saw wel that the bright sonne The arke of hys artifyciall daye hath ronne The fourthe parte halfe an hour more And though he were not depe expert in lore He wyste it was the eyghtene day Of Apryl that is the messanger to May And sawe wel that the shadowe of euery tre Was as in lengthe the same quantyte As was the body erecte that caused it And therfore by the shadowe he roke his wit That Phebus whiche y t shone clere bright Degrees was fourty clomben of hyght And for that daye as in latitude It was ten of the clocke he gan conclude And sodaynly he plight hys horse aboute ¶ Lordynges ê™ he I warne you al y e route The fourthe parte of thys day is gon Now for the loue of God and of saynt Iohn Leseth no tyme as ferforth as ye may Lordinges the tyme wasteth both night and day And stealeth from vs what priuely slepyng And what through negligeÌ„ce in our wakyng As doth y e streme that turneth neuer agayn Discendynge fro the mouÌ„tayne in to y e playn Wel can Seneke and many a phylysofre By waylen tyme more than golde in cofre For losse of catel may recouered be But losse of tyme shendeth vs ê™ he It wol not come ayen withouten drede No more than wol Malkyns maydenhede Whan she hath loste it in her wantonnesse Let vs not mowlen thus in ydelnesse Syr man of lawe ê™ he so haue I blys Tel vs a tale anon as forwarde is Ye ben submytted through your fre assent To stonden in this case at my iugement Aquyteth you now of your beheste Than haue ye done your deuer at the leste ¶ Hoste ê™ he de pardeuxied assent To breke forwarde is not myn entent Byheste is dette and I wol holde fayne Al my behest I can no better sayne For such law as a maÌ„ yeueth an other wight He shulde hym selue vsen it by ryght Thus wol our text But natheles certayne I can right now no thrifty tale sayne That Chaucer though he can but leudly On metres and in rymyng craftely Hath sayd hem in suche Englysshe as he can Of olde tyme as knoweth many a man And yf he haue not sayd hem leue brother In one boke he hath sayd hem in another For he hath tolde of louers vp and doun Mo than Ouyde made of mencioun In his Epystels that ben ful olde what shuld I telleÌ„ hem sythen they ben tolde In youthe he made of syxe al a lone And sythen he hath spoken of euerychone These noble wyues and these louers eke who so that wol hys large volume seke Cleped the sayntes lyues of Cupyde There may he se the large woundes wyde Of Lucresse and of Babylon Thisbe The swerde of Dydo for the false Enee The tre of Phillis for her Demophoon The playnte of Deianire and of Hermyon Of Artadna and of Hysiphilee The baâ—ayne yle stondyng in the see That dreynte Lyandre for his Hero The teares of Heleyn and eke the wo Of Brisets and of Laodomia The crueltie of quene Media The lytel chyldren hongyng by the hals For the Iason that was of loue so fals Of Hypermistra Penelope and Alceste Your wyfehode he coÌ„mendeth with the beste But certaynly no worde ne writeth he Of thylke wycked ensample of Canace That loued her owne brother synfully Of suche cursed stories I say fy Or els of Tyro Appolloneus Howe that the cursed kyng Antyocus Byrafte his doughter of her maydenhede That is so horrible a tale for to rede whan he her drewe vpon the pament And therfore he of ful auisement Nolde neuer write in uon of hys sermons Of suche vnkynde abhominations Ne I ne wol non reherce yef that I may But of my tale howe shal I don thys day Me were lothe be lykened doutles To Muses that men clepeth Piryades Methamorphoseos wotte what I mene But natheles I
whyle that thou kepest thy counsayle in thyne herte thou kepest it in thy pryson and when thou bewrayest thy counsayl to any wyght he holdeth y t in hys snare And therfore you is better to hyde your coūsayle in your herte then to pray hym to whō ye haue bewrayed your counsayle y t he woll kepe it close styl For Seneca sayth Yf so be y t thou mayst not thyne owne counsayle hyde howe darste thou praye any other wight thy counsayle secrete to kepe But nathelesse yf thou wene sykerly that the bewrayeng of thy counsayle to a persone woll make thy condycion stonde in y e better plyght then shalt thou tell hym thy counsayle in thys wyse Fyrst thou shalte make no semblaunt whether the were leuer peace or warre or thys or that ne shewe hym not thy wyll ne thyne entent for trust well that comenly these coūsaylers ben flatterers namely the counsaylers of greate lordes for they enforce hem alway rather to speake pleasaunt wordes enclynynge to the lordes luste then wordes that bene trewe or profytable and therfore men saye y t the rych man hath selde good coūsayle but yf he haue it of hym selfe And after that thou shalt consyder thy frendes and thyne enemyes And as touchynge thy frendes thou shalte consyder whych of hem ben moste faythful most wyse and eldest and moste approued in coūsaylynge and of hem shalt thou aske thy coūsayle as the case requyreth I saye that fyrst ye shal call to your counsayle your frendes that ben trewe For Salomon sayeth that ryght as the herte of a man delyteth in sauoure that is sote ryght so the counsayle of trewe frendes yeueth swetnesse to the soule And he sayeth also there may no thynge be lykened to the trewe frēde For certes golde ne syluer be not so moche worth as the good wyll of a trewe frende And also he sayeth that a trewe frende is a stronge defēce who so that it fyndeth hath a great treasure Then shall ye also consyder yf that your true frendes be dyscrete and wyse for the boke sayeth aske alwaye thy counsayle of them that ben wyse And by thys same reason shall ye call to your counsayle your frendes that ben of age suche as seme and ben experte in many thynges and ben approued in coūsaylyng For the boke sayeth that in olde men is sapience and in longe tyme the prudence And Tullius sayeth that great thynges bene not aye accomplyshed by strength ne by delyuernesse of body but by coūsayle by auctorite of persones and by science the whych thre thinges ne ben not feoble by age but certes they enforce and encrease daye by daye and then shall ye kepe thys for a generall rule Fyrste shall ye call to your counsayle a fewe of your frendes that ben especial For Salomon sayeth many frendes haue thou but amonge a thousande chose the one to be thy coūsaylour for al be it so that thou fyrst ne tell thy counsayle but to a fewe thou mayste afterwarde tel it to mo folke yf it be nede But loke alway that thy counsaylers haue those condicions that I haue sayd before that is to saye that they be trewe wyse and of olde experience And werke not alway in euery nede by one counsayler alone for somtyme behoueth it to be counsayled by many For Salomon saythe saluaciō of thynges is where as there be many counsaylers ¶ Nowe haue I tolde you of which folke ye shall be counsayled Nowe wol I tel you whiche counsayle ye ought to eschue Fyrste ye shall eschue the counsaylynge of fooles Salomon sayth take no counsayle of a foole for he wol counsayle but after his owne lust and hys affection The boke saythe that the propertie of a foole is this He troweth lightly harme of euery man and lightly troweth al bountie in him selfe Thou shalt eschue the counsaylyng of al flatterers which as enforcē hem rather to prayse your persone by slatterye than for to tell you the sothfastnesse of thynges Wherfore Tullius saith amonge al the pestelencie that ben in frendshyp the greatest is flaterye And therfore it is more nede that thou eschue and drede flaterers thā any other people The boke sayth thou shalt rather flee fro the swete wordes of flatering and praysynge than fro the eygre wordes of thy frendes that sayth the sothes Salomon sayth that the wordes of a flaterer is a snare to catche innocence He sayth also he that speketh to his frende wordes of flatery of plesaunce he setteth a nette beforne hys fete to catche hym And therfore Tullius sayth Enclyne not thyne eares to flatterers And Caton saythe Auyse the wel and eschue y e wordes of swetnesse and of pleasaunce And eke thou shalt eschue the counsaylynge of thyne olde enemyes that ben reconciled The boke saythe that no wight retourneth safely in to the grace of his olde enemy And Esope saith ne trust not to hem to whiche thou hast somtyme had werre or enemyte ne tell hem not thy counsayle And Seneke telleth the cause why it may not be for he saith there as great fyre hath longe tyme endured y t there dwelleth some vapoure of hete And therfore saith Salomon in thyn olde foe trust thou neuer For sikerly though thy enemy be reconciled and make the sygne of humilite and lout to the with hys heed truste hym neuer for certes he maketh thilke fayned humylite more for hys profyte than for any humilite or for any loue of thy person bycause y t he demeth to haue victorie ouer thy persone by suche fayned countynaunce the whych vyctorie he myght not haue by stryfe or werre And Petrus Alphons saith make no felowship with thyne olde enemyes for yf thou do hem bountye they wollen peruerte it to wyckednesse And eke thou must eschue the counsaylynge of hem that ben thy seruauntes and beren y e gret reuerence for parauenture they sayen it more for drede than for loue And therfore saythe a philosopher in this wyse There is no wyght parfetly true to hym y t he dredeth And Tullius saith there is no might so great of any emperour that longe may endure but he haue loue of the people and drede Ye shall eschue also the counsaylyng of folke that ben dronklewe for they ne can no coūsayle hyde For Salomon saythe there nys no priuyte ther as reygneth dronknesse ye shal haue also in suspecte the counsaylyng of suche folke as counsayle you one thynge priuely and counsayle you the contrary openly For Cassidorie saith that it is a maner sleight to hynder his enemye whan he sheweth to done a thynge openly and werketh priuely the contrarye Thou shalte haue also in suspecte the counsaylyng of wycked folke that be alway ful of fraude And Dauid saythe that blisful is the man that hath not folowed the counsaylyng of shrewes Thou shalte also eschue the counsaylynge of yonge folke for her counsaylynge is not rype as Salomon saythe ¶ Nowe sir sythens I haue shewed you of suche folke as
vngrene And newe frute fylled with wynter tene It is a slowe maye not forbeare Ragges rybaned with golde to weare For all so well woll loue be sette Vnder ragges as ryche rochette And eke as wel by amorettes In mournyng blacke as bryght burnettes For none is of so mokel pryse Ne noman founden so wyse Ne none so hygh is of parage Ne noman founde of wyt so sage No man so hardye ne so wyght Ne no man of so mokell myght None so fulfylled of bountie That he with loue maye daynted be All the worlde holdeth this waye Loue maketh all to gone myswaye But it be they of euyll lyfe whome Genius cursed man and wyfe That wrongly werke agayne nature None suche I loue ne haue no cure Of suche as loue seruauntes bene And woll not by my counsayle flene For I ne preyse that louynge wherthrough men at the last endyng Shall call hem wretches full of wo Loue greueth hem and shendeth so But yf thou wolt well loue eschewe For to escape out of his mewe And make all hole thy sorowe to slake No better counsayle mayst thou take Than thynke to fleen well ywys Maye nought helpe els for wyt thou this yf thou flye it it shall flye the Folowe it and folowen shall it the ¶ Lamaunt whan I had herde al Reason sayne which had spylt her speche in vayne Dame sayde I I dare well saye Of this auaunt me well I maye That from your schole so deuiaunt I am that neuer the more auaunt Ryght nought am I through your doctrine I dull vnder your disciplyne I wot nomore than wyst euer To me so contrary and so fer Is euery thynge that ye me lere And yet I can it al by partuere My hert foryeteth therof ryght nought It is so wrytten in my thought And depe grauen it is so tender That all myne hert I can it render And rede it ouer communely But to my selfe leudest am I BVt syth ye loue discryuen so And lacke and preise it bothe two Defyneth it into this letter That I maye thynke on it the better For I herde neuer defyned here And wylfully I wolde it lere Yf loue be searched well and sought It is a syknesse of the thought Annexed and lined bytwyxt tweyne with male and female with o cheyne So frely that byndeth that they ne twynne whether so therof they lese or wynne The rote spryngeth through hote brenning Into disordinate desyryng For to kyssen and embrace And at her lust them to solace Of other thynge loue retcheth nought But setteth her hert and all her thought More for delectatioun Than any procreatioun Of other frute by engendrure which loue to god is nat pleasure For of her body frute to get They yeue no forse they are so set Vpon delyte to play in fere And some haue also this manere To faynen hem for loue seke Suche loue I prayse not at a leke For paramours they do but fayne To loue truly they disdayne They falsen ladyes traytoursly And swerne hem othes vtterly with many a lesyng many a sable And all they fynden disceyuable And whan they han her lust getten The hote ernes they all foryeten women the harme byen full sore But men this thynken euermore That lasse harme is so mote I the Disceyue them than disceyued be And namely where they ne may Fynde none other meane way For I wot well in sothfastnesse That who doeth nowe his busynesse with any woman for to dele For any lust that he may fele But yf it be so for engendrure He doth trespasse I you ensure For he shulde letten all his wyll To getten a lykely thyng hym tyll And to sustayne yf he myght And kepe forth by kyndes ryght His owne lykenesse and semblable For bycause all is corumpable And fayle shulde successyoun Ne were theyr generatioun Our sectes sterne for to saue whan father or mother arne in graue Her chyldren shulde whan they ben bede Full diligent bene in her stede To vse that warke on suche a wyse That one may through another ryse Therfore set kynde therin delyte For men therin shulde haue delyte And of that dede be not erke But oft sythens haunt that werke For none wolde drawe therof a draught Ne were delyte which hath hym caught This had subtyl dame Nature For none goth ryght I the ensure Ne hath entent hole ne perfyte For her desyre is for delyte The which fortened crease and eke The playe of loue for oft seke And thrall hem selfe they be so nyse Vnto the prince of euery vyce For of eche synne it is the rote Vnlefull lust though it be sote And of all euyll the racyne As Tullius can determyne which in his tyme was full sage In a boke he made of age where that more he prayseth elde Though he be croked and vnwelde And more of cōmendatioun Than youth in his descriptioun For youth set both man and wyfe In all paryll of soule and lyfe And parell is but men haue grace The paryll of youth for to pace without any deth or distresse It is so full of wyldnesse So oft it doth shame or domage To hym or to his lynage And ledeth man now vp nowe downe In mokell dissolutioun And maketh hym loue well company And led his lyfe disrulely And halte hym payde with none estate within hym selfe is suche debate He chaungeth purpose and entent And yalte into some couent To lyuen after her empryse And leseth fredom and fraunchyse That nature in hym had sette The whiche agayne he may not gette Yf he there make his mansyon For to abyde professyon Though for a tyme his hert absent It maye not fayle he shall repent And eke abyde thylke daye To leaue his habyte and gone his waye And leseth his worshyp and his name And dare not come agayne for shame But all his lyfe he doth so mourne Bycause he dare not home retourne Fredom of kynde so lost hath he That neuer may recured be But that yf god hym graunt grace That he may or he hence pace Conteyne vnder obedience Through the vertue of patience For youth set man in all folye In vnthryft and in rybaudrye In lechery and in outrage So oft it chaungeth of corage Youth gynneth oft suche bargayne That may not ende without payne In great paryll is set youth hede Delyte so doth his brydell lede Delyte this hangeth drede the nought Both mans body and his thought Onely through youthes chambere That to done euyll is customere And of naught els taketh hede But onely folkes for to lede In to disporte and wyldenesse So is fro warde from sadnesse But elde draweth hem therfro who wote it not he may wel go And mo of hem that nowe arne olde That whylom youthe had in holde whiche yet remembreth of tender age Howe it hem brought in many arage And many a folly therin wrought But now y t elde hath hym through sought They repent hem of her follye That youth hem put in