Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A03184
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The spider and the flie A parable of the spider and the flie, made by Iohn Heywood.
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Heywood, John, 1497?-1580?
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1556
(1556)
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STC 13308; ESTC S106106
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149,287
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458
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nexte woordes here togither I will ley Exampling the gouernement of one moste hie He puth the three persons whiche three are god one And further he bringth in this texemplifie The ship on one keele all partes stande eurychone The house standth vnder one top rafter alone Thoste vnder one captaine Bese vnder one be The cranes one crane the herde one shepherde saith he To this quoth the flie an other clerke answerith Similitude of god and man To man and man As far wyde as far fet the matter varith And lybertee being gods great gifte to scan To take from all no one by autoritee can As who saie any one mans autoritee Shall not or shulde not lese all mens lybertee Further he saith one mannes iudgement is subdewde To yll affectes soner then many can be As one booket of water in reson vewde May soner be poisoned we in reason se Then may a poole or a ponde and more saith he Though one crane gyde all where euer cranes range Yet nowe this one then that one thei ofte times change Whiche exsaumple partely doth your parte apall For it as muche maie a senate signify As one one tyme chosen all times to rule all And where all beese folow one bee vnchangeably Yet is that bee of a more exelensy And of an other kynde then thother beese are As the sheperde aboue the herde he did declare This laste sample moueth choice of one ruler in place Of a more exelent kynde then the reste be The saide lernde man quoth the spyder in this race Repliyng to your clerkes resons this saith he First where your clerke saith one wightes auctorite Can not take all from libertee this man seith T is not lybertee to liue as mans will weith But to liue in thordinance of good lawse And the order of nature saith he assinthe Sum to serue sum to rule as aptenes drawse The weake wit stronge of body to seruice enclinthe The witty lernde head reason towarde rule combinthe And a kyng calde in scripture goddes anointed Hath of god giftes aboue the reste apointed God promiseth to rule the hartes of kynges Whiche gifte showth a kyng aboue the reste And where it is more harde by your clarkes saiynges To corrupte many then one so our clarke witnesâ—e More easy to finde one good then many thus selfe Th argument of these two and our clerke anone Chokte your clerke with one reason ioinde hervpone These thre kyndes of comon welthe he tride Of a kynge of the peeres and of comons laste In whiche as there maie be three good rulinges weide So maie be in these thre thre yll rulinges caste In rule of a kynge tiranie may blow blaste In peeres vsurping In few comons gouernance All to be gouernours maie them selues auaunce Now whose contrary is worst saith he thatê beste But tyrane is worste of these thre ergo Rule or reigne of a kyng is beste manifeste This is the conclusion of our clarke and so Th argument in effecte endth without worde mo Which for rule preferde in a senate or prince For one or many rulers doth thy parte conuince Syr quoth the flie these olde clarkes clarkly saiyng The repeting therof let vs leue of quighte And fall we to reason of weighty waiyng Experience herein sene in our owne sighte On whose syde these or these lyke cases run righte Be et quoth the spider but ere we enter that Here me clere a case that might displease sumwhat In that we in this case draw nere to compare A spider to a kyng and flise to a senate Contectors that capcious or curious are If cause shall to them our talke communicate May chaunce to coniectâ— that we two derogate Those two estates in that we two do deuise To cowple kynges and peeres with spiders and flise But witnes thou with me as I wyll with the. That for my parte I know and for thine I trow We no whit meane those states Imbased to be By our talke as a kynge in propertee to show Lyke a spider or comparison to grow In flise and a senate For propertee of flise Moste rude of vs. Not so rude that tenterprise Syr quoth the flie as you here for your selfe saie So may you here assuredly for me sweare This example meane I to respecte no waie But only thorder of rule that those states beare And so resembling them and vs I whyle eare Entended by waie of example to treate And do so quoth the spider an ende to beate Then with your fauer haue at it quoth the flie Passing from all former clarkely argument To our owne experience familierly For flise gouernement I le shew good reason bente By sample of a senate Standing in extente At this present daie From hundrethes of yeres paste To this daie prospering and so lyke to laste It selfe being but a citee Doth yet possesse Kyngdomes fer from it in ciuile order suche As no kynge hath one realme in more quietnesse Iuste iustice goth forth there who euer gruche Their people obedient few other so muche This sample of senate for flyse rewle I saie Againste one spyder or one kynge here I laie The moste quoth the spider that this makth for the Is that that senate rewith as well as a kyng To whiche one senate for mo there none be Many kynges in many realmes haue sole gouerning Eche one of whose gouernance all or moste prouing In both kyndes of comon welthe since thei began As good as that one â—enate scan who can scan One kynges rule as good as one senates rule is Compareth herin For rule both our partes euen And many kynges rulyng so the nomber in this Shouth thy side to the worste shore to be dreuen And by one reason mo more weakenes is geuen Vnto thy parte whiche plainly shall apere In these my nexte wordes now folowing here Although those senatours in sondry respectes Seme equall for gouernance in open show Yet in other sondry respectes profe directes Show of one amonge all aboue all to grow One hath of all these place and reuerence we know In whose estate staie of the reste doth moste stande Hauing voice as muche as twaine in his owne hande In many and moste thinges Preeminence he hath Moste lyke to kyngly superiorite Two partes of three in senates gyding path Are drawne out of kyngly rule in properte Without whiche to gouerne well it will not be Thus a senates rewle wherin ye your brag brought Backyng aide of a kynges tewle ye se doth nought I coulde quoth the fly say more but I will not This case standth not in our case principally This law or that law what law stande it skill not So the law and ministers geue iustice iustely My cause is so iuste that no iuste lawe feare I Nor for euery faute in lawes or lawiers geste To remoue lawes or lawiers I thinke not beste Corrupcion in lawes or ministers of lawse I wish vs to redresse rather then remeue Either lawes or lawyers
faultles Sins I this dreadfull daunger must endure I am not mortified to beare distres And being cleere remediles from cure Of all my paines that putteth most paine in vre From step to step stretcht on this straining staier No step like that straineth daunger of dispaier For where as if remedy anie weare Hope out of hande shoulde set me there about As hope of helpe is drownde so I for beare All diligens that hence might helpe me out Thus though the caged byrde with stomake stout And voise right sweete can sing his songê by roate Yet can the fettred flie so sing no noate Example of my selfe whose weeping eiese With sobbing sighinge harte bewaileth my payne Appeering suche by ought I can surmiese As doth in maner show my death certaine Namely if so the spider now remaine In this his manshion set here presentlie Then dred I doutles here foorthwith to die Of such a death as most abhorth vs flies Which flies haue felt and folke haue seene to plaine Of propertie the spider hath the gise First to sucke out and so eate vp our braine To his small gaine and our most losse and paine Thus hath it bene thus is it and thus shal be Till pittie may mitigate thextremite ¶ The dreadfull wonder of the spider at sodaine shakyng of his copweb Cap. 3. VVhat tyme the flie this to him selfe had saide About the house he cast a dolefull looke Wherwith to breake away he made abraide With such a thrust that all the copweb shooke At whiche the spider stert and streight awooke Out of sounde sleepe full fast trembling for feare And feintlie spake anone as ye shall heare Alas where am I alas whence came I Or whither shall I whatê this an erthe quake Or cometh the daie of doome now sodeinly Nought els I trow but that my house coulde make In euery place to shatter and to shake What is this buzzyng blumberinge trow we thunder Holde house alas my seelyng riueth a sunder No parte hath rest in all partes of this frame From roofe to groundsill within any roome Is it the diuell or is it our dame Or is it the page or is it the groome Or is it our maide with hir birthin broome Betwene the diuel and all these last and furst The diuel take me if I can choose the wurst But ill woorse and woorst diuel and all togither Do me assaute as it to me â–ª doth seeme Hath fortune wrought my foes at this tyme hither And not so much as warnde me to misdeeme Now fie on fickle fortune thus extreeme And I defie the garde of suche a guider Alas this day I am but a dead spider These woordes thus spoken downe anone he sanke Kneling a while deuoutlie on his knee And then rounde on a heape to grounde he shranke Like an vrchyn vnder an aple tree No felon fast in fetters for his fee Nor ape in chaine that euer lookte more pale Then lookâ—e this spider after this tolde tale So that these twayne stand now in one estate For in like langour both be now here led And of their liues both like desperate For now the spider is as far in dred And by that dred he is euen as neere ded As is the flie Who thinketh he seeth at eie His death aproachyng him aparantlie ¶ The spider takyng comfort entreth in quarell with the flie Cap. 4. Howbeit anone the spider well espide That ennemies were there none saue onely one And him he sawe so safe and surely tide That vp he stoode to stretche him and anone His former feare from him now beyng gone To the top of his copweâ— he stept boldely And in these wordes began to common coldely Who are you that lithe there speake if ye can Forsooth saide then the flie syr it is I I be you I quoth he I pray you than What I be you tell me that by and by What I am I forsooth sir a poore fly What thou false theefe art thou here quoth the spider Thou shalt feele cause to wishe thou hadst gone wider And therwithall full furiouslie he flang Towarde the flie but what tyme he espide him Oh lord how his feat feete and handes he wrang Beseching his great god that day to guide him And from his mortall ennemie to deuide him With out whose ayde from which his foe to flit He saw it past a flies poore powre and wit And his dreadfull dispayre was muche the more To see how speedelie the spider span All rounde about his house eche syde to shore No weauing workman in this worlde that can Weaue that like web of that like stuffe wouen than In eche weake place is wouen a weauing cast By warde in warde to warde the flie more fast Whiche done these woordê the spider sewrely saide Thou auncient enemie and arrant theefe Whose lignage alwaie hath shewde banner splaide Against my parentage to their great greefe And now thy selfe renewing their mischeefe With mallice of thine owne in vre to put Art stolen in to my house my throate to cut And neuer had my house and housholde harme By any flie so much as now by thee I shrew thy naked hart I was full warme Naked a bed a sleepe so moâ—e I thee There as my wife and all my children bee Where god knoweth what they do or how they do By feare whiche thou at this time bringest them to ¶ The spider sterting into his house to comfort his housholde the flie deuiseth what way to escape the daunger of the spider Cap. 5. ANd with these woordes aside the spider start Where his saide bedfelow and ofspring were Saying these woordes now good mine owne sweete hart And my two babes be ye all of good there The present cause of all your present fere Is past I haue the caiteffe fast in snare That was the cause of all your fearefull care What horeson is it husband quoth he wife A fleshe flie as big as a humble bee That shall if I liue surelie leese his life The yongest spider there at this cride he Oh father father I hertelie pray ye Remembre when ye shall returne againe To bring me some part of that fleshe flies braine How say ye to this babe quoth the mother Will ye here this vrchin of eyght weekes olde It is a babling brat aboue all â—ther Ye quoth the father childe hardely be bolde Thornes pricke yonge that shal be sharpe folke haue tolde Which sheweth in thee in that thou art enâ—linde To craue thus yonge accordyng to thy kynde And while the spider dalied in this wise The flie considering this extremitee Did with him selfe aduisedlie deuise To scape with life what might his best meane bee Sâ—ftely as I might here saying I see Like as muche contension can nought prenayle So to muche cowardise might all quayle Betwene these two cowardise and contension The spiders ire the rather to asswage I temprately must tempre mine inuension To plead my right in reason not in rage And sens my body