To thine office loâ—â—e that thou se And leaâ—e not thy flock desolate And fyrst before all other thynges Timo. v. Seke thou to fynde good ministers And appoynt them honest lyueynges To be the peoples enstructers Let none haue care wythin thy See In whom any great vyce doth raygne Timo. v. For wher mysslyueyng curates be The people are not good certayne zach xxxiii And for them al that do perish Through thy defalte thou shalt answer Wherfore I do the admonish To loke ernestly to thys geare Loke vnto it thy selfe I saye And trust not to a trifellar That wyl allowe al that wyl paye Sonne what vnto the regester Se that they do enstructe the youth Of ech parri he diligently And trayne them vp in the lordes â—ruth So much as in theyr powre shal lye Nowe if so be thou be called To be thy princes councellour Be ware thou be not corrupted By the vayne desyre of honour Be not carefull howe for to holde Thy selfe styl in authoritie But to speake truth be euer bolde Accordyng to goddes veritie Wyncke not at faltes that thou shalt se Though it be in thy Souerayne But do as it becometh the Exhorte him al vice to refraine If thou perceiue him ignorant In any poynte of his dutye Se thou do him not checke or taunt But tel him wyth sobrietie Tel hym his falt I say playnly And yet wyth al submission Lest thou do seme to speake vainly For gettynge thy vocation Thus haue I told the as I would Be told if I were in thy place To the intent that no man should Haue cause to tell the to thy face Thus do I leaue the wyth wyshynge To the a wyl for to aduaunce Goddes glorye by godly learnynge And not thy lyueyng to enhaunce ¶ The Phisitians lesson GEue eare maister Phisition And set a side thyne vrinal And that with expedition For I the last trumpet do cal Geue care I say and marke me well And printe al my wordes in thy minde For eche thynge that I shall the tell Thou shalt both true and certaine fynd God made the to succour mans nede As Iesus Sirach wrytteth playne â—â—â—lt xxxviii But by due proofe we know in ded That many thousandes thou hast slaine But nowe am I sent from the kyng Of powre and domination To call the from thy murtherynge To walke in thy vocacion Fyrst where thou dydest her to fore vse To haue respect to the ryche man I would not nowe thou shouldest refuse To helpe the pore man if thou can Helpe him I saye thoughe it be poore And hath nothynge wherewyth to paye For his maister hath yet in store Iacob ii A crowne for him at the last day And if thou do on him thy cure For his sake that gaâ—e herbes their streÌ„gth Thou shalt vndoubtedly be sure He wyl rewaâ—de the aâ— the length This maister of his doth regard Mercye so much that he hath told Al his that thei shal haue reward Matt. ix For geueynge water thin and coulde And thynkest thou that he wyl not Reward them that geue medicine Thou hast no suche mistrust I woe In his promies that is diuyne I say therefore if thou canst cure The pore mans soâ—e or maladie Of thy reward thou shalt be sure If thou wylt shew on hym mercye But if thou suffer him to lacke Thine healpe because he lacketh goulde No doubt wheÌ„ thou shalt a compt make Thy confidence shal be ful colde Then shewe thy writting if thou can Wheron thou bearest the so bolde That thou wylt viser no sicke man That cannoâ— lyue thy pursse with gould Bringe forth thy writting then I say If thou haue any such in store Whereby thou mayst require ech daye A noble of goulde or else more And shew by what ryght thou maist take Two pense for the syght of water WheÌ„ thou knowest not therby to make The sycke man one farthyng better Yea if a man should try the wel To proue what thy couÌ„tyng can do He should fynde that thou canst not tell Whether the man be sycke or no. I grauÌ„t the water sheweth something But not so much as thou dost crake Neyther is thy labour condyngue That thou shouldest money for it take But if so be thou canst espye By the water what is a mysse Teache hym how to seke remedie And worthy some reward that is But if thou do but gesse as doth The blynd man that doth cast hys staffe Though thou by chauÌ„ce hit one the soth Thy labour is scrase worthy crafe Thou doest burgesse money to wyne And with straunge wordes make meÌ„ agast And yet thou thynckest it no synne To cause pore meÌ„ theyr goodes to wast But noâ—e I saye to the â—epent And do thy selfe hensforth employe To vse the gyft God hath the sente To the profyt of thy contrere Let not lucre make the professe Before thy knowledge be perfect For he that ministreth by gesse Shal not so sone heale as infect Apply the earnestly therfore To get phisickes perfection That thou maiest ease the sicke and sore And remedy infection And shut not vp thine helpe from such As stande in most nede of the same And certes thou shalte gayne as muche By them as by men of greate fame Math. xxvi Lukâ— x. For God hym selfe hath promised To make for them a recompence Wherefore doubte not to be paied Both for thy labour and expence But if thou wilt not take my read But folowe after lucre styll I wyll put the out of all dreade Thy last rewarde shal be full yll For when cruel death shal the stynge And thy lyfe from the seperate Then shalt thou se thou hast nothing Thy silly soule to recreate Wherfore I must nedes greatly fear That in that extreme Agony Thou wilt of Gods mercy dispayre And so perishe eternally Take hede therfore take hede bi time Let not slyppe thys occasion But spedely repent thy crime And walke in thy vocation ¶ The Lawyers lesson NOw come hither thou manne of lawe And marcke what I shall to the saye For I entende the for to drawe Out of thy most vngodly waye Thy callyng is good and Godly If thou wouldest walke therin arighte But thou art so passynge gready That Gods feare is out of thy sight Thou climest so to be alofte That thy desire can haue no stay Thou hast forgotten to go softe Thou art so hasty on thy way But nowe I call the to repent And thy gredines to forsake For Gods wrath is agaynst the bent If thou wylt not my warnynge take Fyrste call vnto thy memory For what cause the lawes were fyrste made And then apply the busily To the same ende to vse thy trade The lawes were made vndoubtedlye That all such men as are opprest Might in the same fynde remedy And leade their lyues in quiet rest Doest thou then walke in thy callyng When for to vexe the innocent Thou wylt stande at a barre ballyng With al the craft thou
canst inuent I say ballynge for better name To haue it can not be worthy when lyke a beast wythout all shame Thou wilt do wronge to get money Thyne excuses are knowen to wel Thou saist thou knowest not the matter Wherfore thou sayest thou canst not tel At the fyrst whose cause is better Thou knowest not at the fyrst I grauÌ„t But why wylte thou be retained Of plaintife or defendaunt Before thou hast their cause learned For such a plea I blame the not When neither parties right is knowen But when thou thy selfe dost wel wot Thy client seaketh not hir owne It were a Godly way for the To know the ende ere thou began But if that can by no meanes be To make short suite do what thou can If thou be a mans atturney In any court where so it be Let him not wayte and spend money If hys dispatch do lye in the Apply his matter earnestly And set him goynge home agayne And take no more then thy duty Luke iii. For God shal recompence thy paine If thou be calde a counsellar And many men do seke thy read Se thou be founde no triffellar Either for money or for dread But waigh mens matters thorowly And se what may be done by ryght And further as wel the neady As thou woâ—ldest do the man of might Se thou haue no respect at all To the person but to the cause And suffer not such trueth to fall Leuit. xxx As thou findst grounded on good lawes If any man do thâ— desire Him to defende in doâ—nge wronge Though he woâ—ld giue the triâ—le hire Yet geue none eare vnto his song Fere not his power though he be king A duke an earle a Lorde or kinght But euermore in thy doynge ii Par. xxii Haue the Lordes feare present in sight If thou be iudge in commune place In the kynges bench or Eschequier Or other court let not thy face Be once turned to the bryber Beware that bribes blinde not thy sight Deu. xvi Eccle. xx And make the that thou canst not se To iudge the pore mans cause aryght When it is made open to the. Why sholdest thou stil admit delaies In matters that be manifest Why doest thou not seke all the wayes That may be to rid the oppreste To thine office it doeth belonge Leuiti xix To iudge as iustice doth require Though the party that is to stronge Would giue the house and land to hire I haue no more to say to the But warne the that thou be conâ—ente To lyue onely vpon thy fee Fearynge the Lorde omnipotent And for to se that no man wreste The lawes to do any man wronge And that no pore man be oppreste Nor haue hys suite deferred longe Now if thou be Lorde Chauncelour As Censor ouer all the reste Se thou do thy beste endeuour To se all open wronges redrest And of this one thyng take good hede That among them that do appeale Thou do not for fauour or mede Suffer any falselye to deale Beware of them I saye that vse Firste for to tempt the commune lawes And yet the iudgement to refuse When they be like to losse their cause Beware of them and let them not Abuse the courte in any wise To wery suche as by iuste lot To clayme theyr ryght do enterprise When they shall make peticion Examine them diligently And graunt not an Iniunction To eche false harlot by and by Graunt thou not an Iniunction To hym that doth nought else entende But by subtyle inuention His owne falsehode for to defend I nâ—de not to tell any more Of thy duty thou maiste it se In Gods sacret and holy sore If thou wylt thereto apply the. Thus leaue I the thou man of lawe â–ª Wyshynge the to be as willynge To folowe as I am to drawe The backe againe to thy callynge ¶ The Marchauntes lesson NOwe marcke my wordes thou Marchaunte man Thou that dost vse to bye and sel I wyl enstruct the if I can How thou maiest vse thy callynge wel Fyrst se thoâ— cal to memory The ende wherfore al men are made And then endeuour busily To the same ende to vse thy trade The ende why all men be create As men of wisdome do agre Is to mainâ—ayne the publike state In the contrey where they shal be Apply thy trade therfore I say To profit thy contrey wythal And let conscience be thy staye That to pollynge thou do not fal If thou venter into straunge landes And brynge home thinges profitable Let pore meÌ„ haue them at thine handes Vpon a price reasonable Though thou maist thy money forbeare Til other mens store be quire spente Yet if thou do so that thy ware May beare high price thou shalt be shente Thou shalt be shent of him I say That on the seas did prospere the And was thy guide in al the way That thou wentest in great ieopardye For he gaue the not thy richesse To hurt thy contrey with all Neither gaue he the good successe That thou sholdst therbi make meÌ„ thral But thy richesse was geuen to the That thou mightest make prouision In farre contreys for thinges that be Nedefull for thine owne nation And wheÌ„ by Gods helpe thou hast brought Home to thy coÌ„try am good thing TheÌ„ shouldst thou thaÌ„ke him that al wrought For thy prosperouse returnyng Which thing thou caÌ„st not do in dede Vnles thou walke in thy callyng And for his sake thâ—t was thy spede Content thy selfe with a liuynge But oh me thinke I write in vayne To marchaunte men of this our time For they wil take no maner paine But onely vpon hope to clime So sone as they haue ought to spare Beside their stocke that must remaine To purchase landes is all theyr care And all the studye of their braine Ther can be none vnthrifty heyre WhoÌ„ they wil not smel out anon And handle him with wordes ful faire Til al his landes is from him gone The fermes the woddes and pasture That do lye rouÌ„d about LoÌ„don Are hedged in within their mowndes grouÌ„ds Or else shall be ere they haue done They haue their spyes vpon eche side To se when ought is lyke to fall And as sone as ought can be spied They are ready at the fyrst call I can not tell what it doeth meane But white meaâ—e beareth a greate price Which some meÌ„ thinke is by the meane That fermes be found such marchaÌ„dice For what is it when the pore man That erste was wont to pay but lite Must now nedes learne do what he caÌ„ To playe eyther double or quite If ye aske of the coliar Why he selleth hys coles so dere And ryght so of the wodmongar They say marchauÌ„tes haue all in fere The wod say thei that we haue bought In tymes past for a crowne of golde We can not haue if it be ought Vnder ten shyllynges ready told I am ashamed for to tell Halfe the abuse that all men see In such men
Both the and thine past thy degre And eke maintaine outragiouse play Til thou haue spent both land and fee. To make an end vnlesse thou haue Knowledge remayninge in thy breste Thou shalt be worsse then a vile slaue That doth al honesty detest Get the knowledge therfore I say And eke the feare of God aboue And let thy study be alwaye To knowe what thing doth the behoue But fyrst before all other thynges Sette the Lordes feare before thy face Psa xxxiii To guide them all thy doynges That thou delite not in trespace For he that doth delite in synne Shal neuer gouerne his life wel Nor any Godly knoweledge wyn For wisedome wil not with hym dwell Sapie i. Then seke for knowledge busily And leaue not of ty she be found And wheÌ„ thou hast hir perfectly To the Lordes feare let hir be bound And let theim two beare al the swea In thy doynges early and late Let them agre and ende their plea Before thou do appoint the state By their aduise suruey thy Lande And kepe thy courtes doeth farre nere And se they do faste by the stande In thyne housekepynge thy chere Gaue them present before thine eyes In all thy dedes what so they be In cessions and eke in assise Let them not be absent from the. Let them rule al thy familye And eke enstructe thy children yonge That they may thyne office supply When with his dart death hath the stonge And last of al leaue them to guide Thy chyldren and theyr families That thine house and stocke may abide And râ—le the route in godly wyse No more to the haue I to say But that thou kepe Gods feare in sight And make it the guyde of thy way As wel by bright day as by nyght So doynge I dare the assure That in the ende thou shalt obtayne The blysse that shal euer endure Wyth Christe our maister for to raigne ¶ The Maiestrates lesson WHo so thou be that God doth call To beare the swerde of punishemente Marke well my wooâ—des take theÌ„ all Accordyngly as they be ment When thou art in Authoritie And hast the bridle raine in hand TheÌ„ be well ware that Tyranny Do not get the within hir band Loke not vpon thy sword alwaye But loke some tyme on thy balaunce And se that neither do decaye In the tyme of thy gouernaunce For to punishe wyth equitie Is and aye shall be bysemynge Where as to â—ewe extremitie Is founde rather a bloud suckeynge If any man be accused Se thou heare him indifferently And let him not be punished Tyl thou know his cause thorowli If he haue wrought againste the lawes So that iâ—stice wolde haue him dye Then â—n thy balaunce laye his cause And iudge him after equitie If he did it of ignoraunce Of nede or by compulsion Or else by fortune and by chaunce Then muste thou vse discretion Consyder what extreme nede is And home force may the weake compell And howe fortune doeth hyt and mysse When the intent was to do well And though the euidence be playne And the accusares credible Yet calle to mynde the elders twayne Dani. xiii That Daniell founde reproueable And if thou fynde them false or vayne Forged to worcke theyr brother yll Then let them suffer the same paine That he shoulde haue had by their wil Much myght be sayd in this matter Out of the workes of writters olde And for to proue it the better Many late stories myght be tolde But I leaue this to the studie Of them that haue had exercise In iudgment in whose memorie It is as styll before their eies I thought mete to touch it only That thou mightest haue occasion To call to mynde the chiefe dutie Of thy state and vocation Which is to scanne the euideâ—ce And eke to trye the accusars all Though thei be men of good credence Leste haply the iuste be made thral Moreouer it behoueth the If thou wylt walke in thy callynge To se that all good statutes be Executed before all thynge For to what ende do statutes serue Or whye should we holde parliamente If men shall not such lawes obserue As in that courte we shall inuent And what thynge shal a realme decay So sone as when men do neglecte The wholsome lawes as who should say They were in dede to none effect For in that realme the myghtie shal Worcke after theyr fancie and wyll For there the pore may crye and call For helpe and be oppressed styll Se thou therfore to thy duttie In this behalfe boeth daye and nyght And let none breake such lawes fâ—ely But let theÌ„ knowe that lawes haue myght Let them all knowe I saye that thou Art set to minister iustyce And that thou madest therto a vowe At the takeynge of thyne offyce Wincke not at thinges that be to plaine Leste godli knowledge fle the fro And thou flyt into endlesse payne At such tyme as thou must hense gâ— For if thou wylt not minister Iustice to them that do oppresse What are the people the better For the when they be in distresse The heauenli housband man therfore Who planted the vice to suppresse Shall drye thy roâ—e for euer more And geue the vp to wyckednes Ihon. xvi Be ware of this vengeaunce betyme Leste it come on the sodainly When thou wouldest faine repeÌ„t thy crime But shalt dispere of goddes mercie For what thing causeth men dispeire Of gods mercie at their last ende But their coÌ„science that sayth thei were Tolde of their fault would not mende If thou therfore doest se this thinge And wilt wincke at it willingly I saye that when death shal the stinge Thou shalt dispeyre of gods mercy Yet haâ—e I more to saye to the Concerning thy vocacion Which if it growe styl must nedes be Double abhominacion For he that byeth must nedes sell Thou knowest alreadie what I meane I nede not with plaine wordes to tell If sinne haue not blynded the cleaue Se vnto it I the aduise And let not offices be solde For god wyl punishe in straite wyse Suche as with him wyl be so bolde He wyl not aye suffer his flocke Of wolfes to be so deuoured Neither shall they that would him mocke Escape his handes vnpunished Exo. xiiii His arme is as stronge it was When he plaged Kynge Pharao In Egipt and can bringe to passe All that he listeth now also He spent not all his power vpon The â—ynge Nabuchodonozer He shall neuer be founde suche one Dani. iiii That he should not haue might in store Take hede take hede I saye therfore That thou fall not into his hande For if thou do thou art forlore Thou canst not be able to stande Hebru x. Yet one thing more I must the tell Which in no wise thou maist forget If thou wylt professe gods Gospel And thine affraunce therin set Thou must not couet imperie Nor seke to rule straunge nacions For it is charge inoughe perdie