As some that be tyede in newgate M well now he is gone god speed well his gate But what shall we do now the meane season K Let us take now some recreacyon And come agayn here and keep our poyntment M Now therto I am ryght well content And in the meayn wyle good lord of thy grace Preserue all the people here in this place Amen Finis prime partis ¶ 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 substancy all 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 maÌ„nis 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 coÌ„dycyons the coÌ„trary 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 infew For the gentylnes of hysblode clery In hym doth decay vtterly dye So he that vsyth coÌ„dycyons 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 gyffyn 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 ê“genye Both of adam eue ye wyll not denye The beggar thou wer both do wtles Lonseyuyd born infylth vncleannes 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 theyrlyffys 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 coÌ„dycyons than Is that whych makyth the very gentylman And though the fadyr may bequeth to hys son Hyts ryches hys land hys possess yon yet may he nothyr gyf nor vequeth Unto hym in no wyse after hys deth Hys vertew nor hys gentyl coÌ„dyeyons 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 ê‘seyue not the reason of the thyng Another 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 lyse in pryde slouth vnthrystynes And be cause they haue no maner goodnes Nor ê“perte nor vertew in them wher by Any man shulde thynk them any prayse worthy Therfore they seke for coÌ„mendacyon Of the actê that theyr auncestours haue done M Then Imeruell men desyre to be callyd Of the blode of them that excellyd In worldly honour as kyngê emê‘ours where some were tyrantê some were coÌ„querours And few desyre to be callyd of theyr blod whych haue ben callyd Iust meÌ„ verteous good And vsyd indifferent 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 coÌ„dycyons shuld be Longyng to gentylmen of ê“perte K If gentyl coÌ„dycyons be the cause lo Tken wyll I compare with both you two For I haue vsyd euer gentyll maner And so haue myn auncestours that before were For fursto 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 coÌ„myn among them doutles But after warde when people dyd increse Ich man to increse hys pleasure volupte Of goodê landes desyryd ê“perte wereof grete sttyf debate dyd aryse TheÌ„ such as mie auÌ„cestours were that werewyse Did studi to make laws how the people myght be Lyssyng to gedyr in pease vnyte And agayns enmiys alwey defendyd The people that tyllyd the ground laboryd The people pseyuyng than theyr goodnes Theyr gret wyt dyscressyon gentylnes were coÌ„tent to gyfe them ê‘t of the ê“ffet Comyng of theyr landê whych they dyd get As corn catell such thynê as they wan But after when that coyn of money began They chauÌ„gid those seuenuse were coÌ„tent To gyfe them in money an aÌ„nyell rent So for theyr good vetteous coÌ„dycyons They cam furst to laÌ„dê possessyons So possessyons began were furst found Uppon a good resonable ground P By goggê swete body thou lyest falsely All possessions began turst 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 ê‘t of theyr gettingê in peas of lyfe Or ellê 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 heyrê myght inioy it afterward So the law of inhetyaunce 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 ellê to let them descend lynyyally To my chyld or cosyn of my blod most nye For inherytaunce must nedys be a good thyng Because so much good therof is ê“cedyng Euery man to hys blod such loue doth bere Because the land shall descend
I can For I sey it be coÌ„meth a noble man To have rych apê‘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 thyngê were not made work for pore peple coud neuer be hade And many folkê 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 w t 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 expÌ„ssyd 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 staÌ„dyth in his own coÌ„sait so well That opynyon we shall neuer expell From hym by no argument nor reason Therfore now for a lytyll season Let vs deê‘t from hym I hold it best Then we shall haue w t hym some rest K I agre therto for caton sayth this Contra verbosas noli cotendere verbis Contend nor argu neuer in no matter w t hym that is full of words and clatter M wherefore for a season let us both deê‘t K I am agreid therto w t all myn hart P why sirs than wyll ye deê‘t 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 cockcoldê 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 exê‘ience 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 w t 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 pÌ„cysely thus it shall be For exortacyons techyng and pÌ„chyng 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 pÌ„uayle 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 is he 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 desseuyd 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 w t 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 coÌ„tent To folow wyse mens councell and aduysement And syth that yt hath ben so long coÌ„tynned 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 gentyl coÌ„dycyons most comÌ„enly 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 w t 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 comÌ„ynly 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 churlyth and spayryng But gentylmen be taught to be lyberall And so they may be for they haue where w t 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
to hys heyre Be wyll byld theron the land improw And make corn grasse to encrese grow Graft frute set trecs norysh tymber And to incresse fyssh make pondys wyth water Stok busshis wedes whych dystroy herbage And all baren ground bryng to tyllage And amend the hye wayes that be ther about And do many other good dedis no dowt For the ê“fet of hys heyrys that shal be And for the coÌ„myn welth of his countre which thyngê 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 theÌ„ theyr medys K whyder god or the deuyll quyt them therfore Is now to our purpose neuer the more For theyr myndê intentê no man can tell But touchyng in herytaunce thys I wot well Much good coÌ„myth therof dayli doth grow P Nay mych Ill coÌ„myth 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 lake money they wyl alwey Euer borow neuer wyllyng to pay And when they shall dye ye see the exê‘ience Few of them haue remors of coÌ„syens To make any maner restytucyon Of any land so wrongfully gotton K Thou hast spoke fore agayns gentylmen But what seyst thou of marchaundê then P Many be good and worshipful also And many charitable dedis they do Byld churchys amend the hye ways Make almys howsys help many decays But some be couerous full falsely Get theyr good is 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 marchauntê 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 landê marchauntê do K yes this vylleyn carters almost echon Haue nother coÌ„scyens 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 marchauntê that be Use mych more vyce iniquyte M why thynkyst all marchauntê 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 dettê vnpayd to be And dye and Ieoê‘d hys soule rather than he wyil any of hys landê mynysh and empayre That shuld after hys deth come to hys heyre And some of them so proud be of they re blod And vse small vertew and doo lytyll good But gyfe all they re myndys and they re 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 the able for to doo extorcyon And to mayntayn it wythout punycyon K Bi goggrs swet bodi thou art a stark knaue Noble men and gentylmen so to depraue P what thou proud horesoÌ„ fole whoÌ„ 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 haÌ„dys 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 gaÌ„e K By cokkys body were not for wordly shame I shuld cut thy flesh or ellê see thy herte blode M Sir hold your toÌ„g your wordis be nothyng good we lose here w t thys lewyd altereacyon 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 w t a whyp M But I loue it not therfore of felyshyp Leue thys brablyng and w t good argument Trye the matter that is nost coÌ„uenyent P Nay I wyll trye it how so euer he wyll Be it w t wordys or dedê I wyll answere hym styll For be god yf he wyll not be coÌ„tent To be coÌ„cludyd by good argument I wyll coÌ„clud hym one way or that I goo Or I shall ê“ue 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 th entent to rebuke hym opynly Before the vnlernyd people that stand therby And if he can no colour of such thyng fynd Then wyll he vex and chafe in hys mynd And cast owt some lewd wordê 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 ê“uyd 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 coÌ„nynge To instruct the people in vertuous lyuynge Some made to be actyfe in marcyall dedê Able to defend the land when nede is And the rustycall people that haue no land Such thyngê be not able to take in hand wherfore yf we shuld dystroy enherytaunce we shulde destroy all good rule and ordynaunce P But such men as haue gret rentê and landê 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 coÌ„myn 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