to mislike war moste When spiders and flies haue falne at this lyke iar For quarels wherin flies might most their ryght boste Who euer had the right the flies the feeld loste To one score spyders sleyne flies slayne twentyscore And much of their ofspring lost for euermore Which showth as spiders calte that no sedicion Can haue good sucses In flies inferior By stoburne war but by humbyll peticion For thing interior or exterior Flies must sew to the spider superior They take this as a full hold not to be remist Well framid flies wyll suffre and not resist Flies wreks in wars in time past yf flies reuolue How spiders copwebs flies sepultures haue beene Your wise quiet retire shall this war disolue But yf smart of time past be forgoton cleene Cast Iye to parell at Iye presentlie seene Uew yonder copweb castell with endifrent iye And marke whether ye be macht endifrentlye Behold the batilments in euerie loope How thordinance lieth flies fer and nere to fach Behold how euerie peece that lith there in groope Hath a spider gonner with redy fired mach Behold on the wals spiders waking ware wach The wach spider in the towre a larum to strike At a proch of any nomber showing war like Se thenprenabill for t in euery border How euerie spider with his weapon doth stand So thorowlie harnest in so good order The capitall spider with weapon in hand For that sort of sowdiers so manfully mand With copwebs like casting netts all flies to quell My hart shaketh at the sight be hold it is hell Against whose strength there your weaknes here behold Sum haue harnes most haue none all out of rey Capitaynes practised politike and bold Few or none haue ye this armie to conuey But eche in others neck as sheepe start a strey Ordinance meete for the ship ye bring to the feelde But force without order winth victorie seelde And put case that of you fortie thousand flise Thirtie thousand shall scape and his window win Yet if ech one of you in him selfe surmise That he shal be one that shall die entring in What one flie of all flies wil thassaute begin No one but that one that from home now come Shall thinke him selfe wisest that sonest goth home But to die all and in this window nought geyne Of that sayde practise of time past assewrth ye To venter life and suffer deth are thinges tweyne Ventring of life tobteyne right oft se we But to benter life where deth hath certente For these kinds of right to die while ye may liue No wise flie will but right rather ouer giue But if your harms of time past be forgoten Warning of present harms at present time take Of which two measures if none may be moten Time past nor time present of which two I spake Let the third time to cum be meane thend to make Weying that in time to cum The end must cum To one end of foure which folow here in sum After this war begoon either both parts shall Take ende with condision as both partê can gre Or continew in war time perpetuall Or the flies by the spiders conquered shal be Or the spiders conquered by the flies Now se How in eche one end of these fowre shall a rise Paynfull perelus penuries to all flies First if ye after a time had in conflickt Take ende with the spider by composicion Beside the flies that to death shal be addickt The suruiuers shall receyue such condicion At the spiders hand as the distribicion Shall make flies at end bid fie on their winning And after that end repent their beginning Second this war continuing continualy Euery yere moneth weeke day howre euery minute Many flies shall die and all may feare to dy What flie can besure one howres life texecute At poyntes of all weapons euer had in pursute In vndoughted death and doughtfull deadly life This ende sheweth small difrens where reason is rife Thirdly yf the spider do conquere you flise What so euer flie then him selfe best be haues The best and the worste all in one rate shall rise Now frank free franklin flies then all vile bonde slaues Now flie in light windowse then sit in darke caues Flies beginning war ending thus they shall clere Their hell or purgatory begin euine here The fourth yf you flies shall the spider conqueare Then shall all spiders go to wracke first no dout And after shall the flies folow eueri wheare When flies haue kild spiders that stey the rewde rout Then flie against flie comun cuthrote moste stout Foure endes in this one war show th one and thother The last being worste ech end wors then other In time past time present and in time to coome Sins ye haue woon do win nor shall win here ought Beter wende your ship a loofe and take sea roome Then roon here on rockes and to shipwrak be brought It is to fer fet and ferder to dere bought To fet and bye thinges with no les los in striues But with los both of all your liuinges and liues Here haue I sayde my minde vnder principles few First desiring you to here me thorowly Ere ye iudge any part of what I should shew And then to iudge me by equite equaly Whervnto for hereing in this case sewde I First for me next for you and me last for you Of which proses a brigde brefe pith aprochth now For me the flies and butterflies tales I weyde To my discharge Sins I cam of all offence And before I cam my discharge my selfe leyde Wherin my case being giltles inosence For you and me both in reson and consiens To saue both sides vpright this counsell I gaue You to saue my life your honestie to saue For you and not me in your present quarell On this principle my hole talke did depende Ere we ought begin namelie thing of parell Wisdom wilth vs to haue an Iye to the ende In parelus quarelus case to contende Chieflie this in time past present and to cum How ye sped and be like to spede I shoud the sum But to end at beginning you casting Iye At this poore counsell of poore Antonie ant Of shap and good wit small of good will great and hye I shall reioyse Hoping here shall be no want Of equite in my discharge this instant Which I humbly pray and so to end to fall I say no more but the great God saue you all This done a noyse began of such a huzzing Ech one flie blowing in an other flies eare As if ten milions of flies had ben buzzing And all by this tale so astonide in feare That most of them their weapons could scantly beare Thants perswasions in drede of deth strake them so That hundreds cride oute home a gayne let vs go With this mounser graund captayne the great bragger Was much a mased and vengeably vext To se these flies now so vnstedily stagger So late so redie to bring their foose
againe Cap. 39. ¶ Thant telth them that where theuidence for both sides goth to one effect and that in debatinge which side is most credible to awarde the window vnto it is concluded that credence standth vpon honestie and that as all spiders and flies are honest so are they credible now must it first be tride whiche side is most honest theron to iuâ—ge whiche side is moste credible Cap. 40. ¶ One spider and one flie reasoning which side is most honest agreeing in conclusion that thonestie on both sides appeereth to them â—wo to be one that flie requireth the arbiters to ponder the case as they shall thinke good Cap. 41. ¶ Tharbiters commaunding all to go aparte againe they fall in talking somwhat at large touching bothe credence and honestie in bothe these sides whiche doone to shew therin their mindes they call all before them agayne Cap. 42. ¶ The ant telleth them that they two determine thonestie oâ— bothe sides to be one Willing them to go foorth in the matter wherwith one tart taunting spider and one sharpe saucie flie forbearing till this time with much payne speaking or rather rayling stande now foorth vpon tip toes to â—hop logike eche with other in rude reasoning of this case Cap. 43 â–ª ¶ Where an other spider and flie reasoned late before to proue whiche side of both is most honest this sayd quareling spider and cocking flie labour to proue which parte of both is moste dishonest in woordes and deedes As by vsurpacion in windowes and other misbehauiour At ende wherof infurious fumes thence â—onth the spider one waie and the flie flingth an other Cap. 44. ¶ After a few woordes whiche the ant speaketh to the rest of bothe sorts there they are assigned to stande backe againe while tharbiters gather out of this rayling â—uche reasons as they can Cap. 45. ¶ Tharbiters consider in this saide taunting talke that sondry dishonest abvses there are in sâ—dry parties on bâ—th sides vpâ— their agrement of conclusion wherin thei haue before them those other spiders and flies againe Cap. 46. ¶ Thant declarth to those spiders and flies that the tales of the pearte spider flie before tolde do charge ech others part in such sort that they caÌ„not say which side is most dishonest but they two adiudge clereli in dishonest thingê both sides of like dishonestie Wherwith they all auoyded backe againe tharbiters talke to fall to apoint betwene them selues what reporte finallie and fully to make Cap. 47. ¶ Tharbiters being agreed on their report thei call to them againe the spiders and the flies Cap. 48. ¶ Thant shewth them that the butterflie and he are at poynt what to reporte deuising it to be reported before the head spider and the flie in the copweb the two principall parties And to haue with them to here and witnesse theyr reporte two spiders and two flies witty and discrete And the rest to staye there till theyr returne Whych beyng agreed they set foorth streight to the sayd copweb Cap. 49. ¶ The ant associete with the sayde sort pronounceth at length to the spider and flie in the copweb this briefe effect That in as much as on both sides the euidence is one and that the creâ—ence is one by thonestie being one they two can in reason no waie trie howe to laye thaccustomed right more on th one side then on thother they finallie leaue the case euen at libertie as they founde it And so departe to the place of abitremeÌ„t agayne Cap. 50. ¶ Thant and butterflie set where they had sit thant repeteth to those spiders and flies the reporte made by him at the sayde copweb At end wherof the spiders and flies seeing that time spent all in vayne eche side amonge them selfes fall in mourmuring Cap. 51. ¶ Vpon the spiders and the flies mutring murmering sodenlie there cum nie aboute them a wonderfull nombre of all manner of flies in theyr warlike manner Wherat with twynke of an iye as it were the head spider with a greate nombre of spiders hath builded a strong castell in that copweb With ordinaunce and weapons and spiders redie in order of defence Cap. 52 â–ª ¶ This huge heape of flies light aboute tharbiters Apprehending thant casting a halter aboute his necke drawing him to their tree of reformacion as they call it to hang him streyght But at his sute to be hard speake ere he die on fli fleeth into the tree wherwith the captaine commaundeth silence Cap. 53. ¶ The flie in the tree to perswarde the flies to here the ant speake wadeth honestlie politiklie to a lewre them to quiet heryng of the ant before they put him to death His which tale tolde he remoueth to his place agayne Cap. 54. The flies former fine tale nowhâ—t sturreth the grose flies to the hearing of the ant Whervpon the butterflie that was an arbiter fleeth into the tree laboring the flies to haue the ant heard speake ere he die Cap. 55. ¶ The butterflie to get thant to be heard telth his tale in such rude maner and matter that anone he setth them all welnie together by the eares But vppon his grose tale grosely tolde much more lyked then the flies fineâ— tale thei graunt to hers the flie speake Cap. 56. ¶ The ant prayth to be herd speake thorowlie before anie part of his tale be adiudged And then they to adiudge the whole as standth with equite First alleging matter to cleare himselfe from offending the flies Finallie geuinge them as it semeth freendli counsell touchyng this strife grounded vpon this common saying before thou ought begin haue an iye to the ende Cap. 57. ¶ Thant hath set the flies in such feare of the spiders that most are redie to ronne awaie whom to staie the captaine flie deuiseth thant to set the spiders in like feare of them by a tale tolde on the same grounde that he tolde this in paine of hanging at his returne Cap. 58. ¶ Thant after entre in talke before the hed spider he to hym and all the spiders vpon this saide grounde ere thou ought begin haue a iye to the ende inueyth what he can to set the spiders in feare of the flies Cap. 59. ¶ ThaÌ„t hauing brought the spiders in great feare of the multitude of flies the head spider takinge greate displeasure with the ant for thâ— same he answereth thantes tale so that he bringeth all the spiders in corage agayne Geuinge in his owne name and all theyrs defiance to the flies Cap. 60. ¶ Vpon defiaÌ„ce geuin by the spider to the flies the ant brought agayne to the flies maketh full report of all sayde at the copweb At end wherof two flies argue wether thant haue deserued life or death By keeping or breaking former comnant to bring the spiders in feare of the flies Cap. 61. ¶ At ende of this last argument The captayne axing the ant what he can saye whye he should not die the ant after a few woordes submitteth him to their
ye procede Contrary therto in hope of whiche dealing I did at beginninge renoke apealyng But if your dealyng deale dole otherwise Contrarying iustice erst graunted here My reuocacion of apeale lykewyse I wyll reuoke and as thinges nowe apere I muste reuoke that reuocacion clere Or els that iustice here although ye wolde Can not acording to your promesse holde For so is nowe this matter brought aboute That it to iudge neither can you nor I We both be parties so perciall that this doute Muste be discuste and iudgde indifferently By folke indifferent which if ye deny In suche fourme as I haue here erste deuised Then by the Iustice whiche ye erste promised I claime thre comon lawe where I am sure To saue me safe from harme that lawe hath grounde For if your euidence be put in vre That is so sleight I shall be gilteles founde And being silent if no witnes sounde Then this bondage of prison to discharge Proclamacion streight shal set me at large Naie sir ye must paie your fees er ye go But goth my parte flie in thine opinion No nere vnto the pyth for sooth syr no. Your case in lawe is not worth an inion Well flie quoth he sins thou arte a minion Of so large learninge I praie the teache me Sum lesson in this tale to beleue the. That lesson shewth here not so ferre behyndâ— In lacke of learning as of remembrance For if it lyke you here to calle to mynde By brefe recytall the very substance Argude as yet betwene vs in this chance I doute not in the same your selfe to se Cause in my former wordes to credite me As thus ye remember our mattier paste Your selfe hath deuided into partes thre Burglary felonie and trepas laste And firste for burglary ye saw and muste se That flies by nature no night theues can be And though we coulde yet might your selfe in sight Witnes with me to cum nowe by daie lighte And vnto this touchinge the seconde charge Whiche chargeth me with single felonie I am assured you serching at large Remembring my cumminge vnwillinglie Shall well perceiue my pure innocencie In talke wherof the trewthe muste make vs saiâ— That we at length were driuen to ye and naie Wherin I proue that mine affirmatiue Your negatiue so crerely doth confute That I dare saie any iewry alyue You letting not the case fall to nonsute But stande to triall in that we dispute Shall vpon hearinge what this mounth vntill Geue verdite with cumming againste my will And thirdely in trespas you charginge me With the hurte of your howse I nothinge donte The carte case shall make iewry and iudge se This trespas on my syde cleane scraped out And this debate at ende so brought aboute That in this lates lawe shall well aproue The holes all mine and you to bylde aboue Now sins of vs twaine no one can be iudge Because we be both extreme perciall partise I wonder what cause doth cause you to grudge At the arbitermente that I deuise In these thre saide cases there can arise In your recouery by the comon lawe None aduauntage to the value of a strawe ¶ The spider puth a case in appeale ill in apparence for the flie as the spider drawth it and anone he by example of the lordes will had in courtes of copie holde seming to leane to warde will the flie laboreth to qualefie that will Cap. 24. THou shalte quoth the spider in this strife all Answere thy selfe by thy answering me To one question whiche nowe demaunde I shall My felow flie I put this case to the. That this same daie at London chaunste to be Some man committing suche a heinous dede That death by lawe in London should procede The whiche dede being at Louane committed Lawe there for that dede no death doth prouide The faughter herin so wilely witted To saue his lyfe apealth to be repride From London to Louane there to be tride Were it flie quoth he reason in this case That this mans apeale shoulde take any plase I thinke sir quoth the flie it were no reason To graunte requeste of suche apeale in race Of trymes deseruing death at any season But thottender being taken in place Where he hid the dede to stande to the grace Of lawful lawe in that precinkte presente Whiche so iudgeing him I take iuste iudgemente Ouoth the spider god haue mercie on the. A men quoth the flie but why speake you that I speake and praie it euen of charite Neuer was there yet any larke or wat Before hawke or dog flatter darde or squat Then by this answere al thy matter is Thou haste condemde thy selfe now in all this How so quoth the flie thus quoth the spyder Thou grantst where faughters do an enterprise Whiche worthy death the lawe doth cosider Thenterpriser shall apeale in no wise But take suche chaunce as by lawe there doth ryse Adewe arbiterment and nisi prius In stede of twelue or twaine one shall nowe trie vs. What one shall that be my selfe quoth he Thy dede done here hath by lawe here death sure Alonely to be tride at wyll of me At mine erste sewte saide the flie here in vre Ye promised iustice to be so pure That with or against me ye wolde nought do But as my selfe in reason muste gre to Wherin we being cumminge towarde the pointe In performance of promise to see triall Nowe is iuste iustice so iotted out of ieinte That ye here vniustely stande at deniall To do me iustice and wolde by power ryall Sirecte mine acquitall or condemnacion Euen as wyll in both weith your acceptacion Flie doest thou waie my will herein thus lighte In euery pety courte of copy holde All grauntes that passe passing in their moste mighte Passe to holde at lordes will and so enrolde Syr quoth the flie copy holders of olde Holde to them and theirs at wyll of the lorde As with custome of the maner doth acorde But this terme custome standeth not here idle Custome in many cases semeth to me To tenauntes a bukler to lordes a bridle From trespassing wherin if tenauntes se On their partes customes kepte as thei shoulde be The will of the lorde moste wilfully bente Winthe nought worthe a bente by customs extents Were this windowe your maner in freholde And flies here your copie holders knowne clere And that I being your tenaunt ye wolde Ley in me breche of custome to apere Yet shoulde not your onely will be iudge here For as thomage vpon their othe present So custome bindthe the lordes wyll in iudgement Flie thinkste thou this case a bukler for the This case to our case quoth the flie being scande Is nother sworde to you nor bukler to me With sworde and bukler we maie goe or stande Betwene bothe cases and touche neither hande This case to lordes and tenauntes is concurrant But you are not my lorde nor I your tenant ¶ The â—â—ie claimeth all holes in all windowes to be â—â—â—es
perplext This time thought he should giue warning to the next Yf he scaped this at all times to be ware With faint fond flies to fiske agayne a warfare ☞ He be gan to cast that in commun knowne gise In all like tumults that flies do thus procure Of simple flies most are pardned that thus rise But captaine flies as he is now are hangd sure Of which present daunger to put delaie in vre He wound into that tree and silence woon The flies tencorage againe this he be goon ¶ Thant hath set the flies in such feare of the spiders that most are redie to ronne awaie whom to staie the captaine flie deuiseth thant to set the spiders in like feare of them by a tale tolde on the same grounde that he tolde this in paine of hanging at his returne Cap. 58. SIrs I se well this tale of this ant here told To passe this seene parel putth you in such dreede That manie are minded to leaue of their hold As though leauing of now should your safgard breede As it should not Nor for that it should in dede His tale is told nowhit But all told for this To saue him selfe and those spiders freends of his He seeth what and whie he saith Which you se nat He foreseeth if feare driue vs to ronne awaie That we shall not onlie leese this window plat But in fleeyng like flease kild in chase from raie Which shal be he knowth well our leyserlesse daie To be iaylers to ants and he thervpon Being his owne Iayler breakth iayle and is gone This waie our enemies win all and we leese all They laugh and we wepe They liue and we die They in fame we in shame Perpetuall And without cost paine or daunger by and by This ant at libertie immediatlie Thus where thaÌ„ts woords show him to be your great freÌ„de Pyth of thants woords proue him to be your great feende Sum clarks of whom this litle ant not least clark Can fine lies as finelie as fine trew tales tell Right side or wrong side they can turne in eche woork And make flies take either side trew as gospell Which turne in this tale to appere in sequell I haue deuisde a waie hauing your consent Here it and speake to it as your brests are bent As this ant clarklie or craftelie here Hath cast manie masing mists before your iyse Of much dread by much daunger here to a pere So vpon his life or deth let him deuise Vpon the same ground that your feare doth a rise A speech to the spiders To show what depe dreads He can draw or driue in to their harts and heads Which ground is this Ere anie wight ought begin Haue an Iye to th end The wise wight sayth sayth he Wherin to mach the feare that you be now in If he bring spiders in as much feare of ye As he hath brought you in feare of them to be Then at returne pardon him Goods life and land Which if ye do not then hang him out of hand Be it so cried all then sayd this one that all leades Choose fortie flies to gard this ant that here stands Twentie whose hands we trust more then their heades And twentie whose heades we trust more then their hands All of hart trustie both power and polisis bands â–ª And for feare of fals measures among all theese Send sum that sumwhat leaue behinde loth to leese This sayd and thant sworne his best here to be bent An harold with trompet and truce baner spleyde For their safe conduckt to the spider they sent The spider warnd watch to se their cuming steyde It should to his honour be reproche he sayde To treate with traytors in order of arms But of grace he graunth them to cum without harms The harold and that reste to the captaine flie And all flies the spiders pleasure did declare Wherwith to gard thant they chose out flies fortie Whome while they were choosing one cople thare Two flies of bysie wit as sondry flies are Fell to deuining by coniecture to show What should in this mesage and mesenger grow How seist thou my frende quoth thoue flie to this gereâ— What woldest thou giue to haue the Ants office now Geue quoth thother flie not paring of a Pere Nor I quoth he but wolde rather make a vow Toleaue all that I haue and liue at the plow Then take it What 's thy minde therin quoth thother That shalt thou here hering this quoth he brother If so fall that thant bringe not spiders in feare Then seth he him self hanged at cuming againe And bringing spiders in feare when he cumth theare He is in daunger of the head spiders disdaine Which is a nother death And to scape both twaine I take it to be a bisie peece of warke And to shoote at a croked crabid marke For both these cases quoth thother flie put case In either case of both thantê deth do ensew Yet in which case of both deth shall first take place That will thant labour fyrst and most to eschew Whos 's first parell in handes of vs flies to vew It shall enfors the an t in all the force he may For feare of death by flies the spiders to fray Note quoth thother flie to this this obiection Nature in the spiders and the ant ioyneth nie Which shall make thant ieperd much by affection In spightful woordes to comfort spiders spightfully Rather then discomfort them thus fearingly I haue seene sum that for this like cause vpstood Whose craftie coucht tales haue done more harme theÌ„ good They haue done so quoth thother and they do so Where feare is small by penalte being small But where penalte as here to death doth go In the ants like tales few trip or none at all Manie say oft honger perseth the stone wall But honger and feare where both cum in like vre Feare perseth as depe as honger make ye sewre The father his sonnne and the sonne his father The wife her husband and the husband his wife The brother his brother all these we gather To haue seene compeld by feare where feare was rife Bewrey and be trey echother In feare of life Seeld se we so naturall a foolish kind elf But he will hang his father to saue him self Oft quoth thother t ys so sum times otherwise Of flies condemd the father and sonne both haue Vpon their knees sewde with flowing watred Iyse Ech him self to be hangd the other to saue That sute quoth thother flie is no comon slaue But in his apparence so straunge a straunger That his presence this time wyll bring no daunger But contrarie in these like stormes we se oft Where Ants spiders or flies thants like tale must tell Or they in auctorite forst vp a loft Not for that their setters vp trust their truths well But as this ant made instruments at parell There shall feare force them for feare of suspicion To sticke fast to their forsers disposicion They wet
here to varie Both being on one part seeming on parts twaine In that in this one point we are contrarie Ech one to other it maie make you retaine And detaine a dout whether we both remaine Constant on that part that we professe or no. But here me furder here ere we furder go Th argument of vs tweine is onlie this one Concerning the condision toucht formerlie Either by performance or performance none How the ants desert standth to liue or to die Thant should liue sayth he thant shuld die say I. Now consider that this present argument Is to principall case but an incident Our cheife cuming is on spiders to make war By cause we no way els can obtaine our right Wherin we ioyne with you without iote of iar This remembre I you of to scrape out quight All doughtes of our trewth in iudgement of heddes light For this case or like case in case vsed thus Showth mistrust in no wight anie case to discus And now we tweine to satisfie as we can Our selues and to se you the rest satisfide Aleage brother flie what ye can herin scan Wherto mine answere shall forthwith be applide Thants life or death in our iudgements to se tride That shall quoth the other flie without delay Cum in vre as brieflie as it fullie may Thant in his charged tale to spiders told erst Grounded thus ere ought begin haue iye to thend At end of thants talke spiders harts it so perst That it stagard and stonide all that hole bend Weapons falne to ground this out crie they extend Shaking of their headdes and casting vp their iyes Take peace with the flies take peace with the flies Thant made spiders of flies as much a frayde tho As he made flies of spiders in tale erst told I graunt quoth thother flie in deede he did so Wherto you must graunt that that feare did not hold For spiders forthwith were againe brag and bolde Though they so were quoth he thant performde cumnaūt That quoth thother flie for trew I can not graunt There is in thants cumnant further meaning ment Then the verie wordes therin fullie expresse To bring spiders in feare of flies by bond bent Is not all that all flies looke fore in sucsesse But to bring and keepe them in that fearefulnesse Bringing them in feare not keping them in feare As fruitfull to flies as paring of a peare To answere this quidite quoth thother flie You can haue no more of the Fore but the skin The ant hath done all that he can possiblie To bring spiders in feare and kepe them therin Whose good will not wanting though powre cannot win Thing that good will wold win yet is it not ill Rather then blame lacke of power to thank good will Put case quoth thother thant outh you fortie pound bound in obligacion to paie at a daie At which daie he cumth to you as he is bound And where he should bring powre fortie pounde to paie He bringth good will and will paie you when he maie Whether wold ye more in this case of your Accept thants good will or blame thants lacke of pour What I wold do quoth the other I know nat But what I should do that right well I know Thant showing full good will to paie me that And that lacke of pour without his faut did grow I would in trobling thant in consciens show A rigur ye quoth thother flie but in law To what end wold thants good will without pour draw In this case quoth he commun law condemth thant In that the woordes of the bond are fulfild no whit Performance wherof in thants case hath no want Which maie a pere to flies of most simple wit In marking these wordes of this cumnant here knit Thant paine of death shall bring spiders in like feare Of flies as he brought flies of spiders here care These are in thanis cumnant the wordes in effect Which bind the ant the spiders in feare to bring But to keepe them in feare no woord runth direct And commun law commonlie in euerie thing Constrewth woordes in their common plaine se 〈…〉 lieing And that thant made spiders a fraide ye do graunt Ergo thant by common law hath kept cummant Now to bring this case in courte of consience Declaring our meaning in these woordes to be That thant should kepe spiders in feareful suspence Thant answering to this that neuer ment he To be bounde to that inconuenient decre The iudge in this case and place must nedes assent With thants meaning against oures to geue iudgement ‡ * ‡ In law conscience and reason as thinkth me The desert of this ant doth his pardon craue Landes goods bag baggage life and liberte Freends quoth thother flie I haue a soule to saue Whervpon I proteast I no malice haue To thant But in reason I thinke he should die This saide those flies to their place againe did flie ¶ At ende of this last argument The captayne axing the ant what he can saye whye he should not die the ant after a few woordes submitteth him to their order Wherevpon the captaine goinge to the question the ant is condemde by the voyce of the most nombre The captaine then willing hym to make his last prayers he doth so Cap. 62. THe captaine to this axt thant how sayst thou What hast thou to saie why thou shouldst not die here The talke quoth he for me by the flie had now In reason law and conscience doth me clere Whose which tale doth much more pithilie appere For my selfe then if my selfe had told it And as he told it I pray all to hold it Wherin as I haue kept comnant at the full So craue I of you to kepe cumnant with me Here stand I to liue or die now as ye wull But in killing me a poore an t what win ye Or what leese I neither profite nor honeste Honest death in honest fame shall perseuer Vnhonest life vnhonest shame shall haue euer Then saide the captaine freends though I now at will Onlie by vertue of mine auctoritee Might geue iudgement here this ant to saue or spill Yet will I not geue it but graunt to agree To se this case decreede by comun decree Which shal be tride by these two wordes ye and no. And streight to the question herein let vs go All you that will haue the ant liue say ye Ye ye with a loude voice cride a great nomber tho Now quoth the captaine on thother side le ts see All that will not haue the ant to liue saie no. No no cride out manie and showde manie mo Then weare on thother part Then saide the captaine Ant of thine owne death thou herest here iudgement plaine I commit me quoth thant to the great gods will Say thy prayers quoth the captaine ere thou dye On the ladder downe on knees half dead he fill Forthwith saying his deuocion deuoutlie In which while two flies togither wondringlie Thinking thant to be
was most I thought it to small The shooting at all was my marke principall And now shooting at all I haue lost all quight The meane is the merie part being soong right And of the two extreme parts as I take it The base is better then the treble to sing Treble prosperite reason doth make it Worse then base aduersite it approuing In the flies base and my treble state erst mouing Prosperite as that flie saide makth vs blinde Aduersite I feele giueth sight by kinde When I had all that could welnie begof Restreint of libertie had bene my hell paint Now I haue nought I weare content with lot To sit and beg fast locked in a chaine I neuer to obtaine more estate or gaine But onlie life and liuing such as wold Mainteine a beggers life baselie to hold But life liberte lands and all must I loose And I confesse me to leese all worthili Euerie wight is worthie to haue as he doose Lands life and goods of manie flies had haue I. And now must I leaue life lands and goods semblablie This long learnd leason I late had forgottun Our mesurs mette to other shal to vs be mottun But in this measure here me measure right How wrong iudgers wrong iudgements in this text laie Sum expounde it so largelie that in their sight Wheare aucthorised iudges ponishment waie Mesuring harme to harme doers thill to stay If anie ill cum to those iudges eft sone That iudge thill to be done for thill to them done But those iudgements grow of this condission Malice arogant or ingnorance insolent Mothers of erronius exposission This text hath a limit how fer it hath bent Such harms as chance iudges or such as assent To procure ponishment to such as are nought Those harms vnto them for that are not wrought Iudgements of the great god are secret we know A iudge vsing iustice of iust trew dealing The god maie ponish for other things that grow Which he knowth and we know not by reuealing And oftimes the good their glorie ensealing He ponishth sum here as standeth with his will Whose mesures he knowth of mans mesurs least ill But for such false mesurers as I haue bene This mesure is made and dewlie put in vre At hands of the great god oft directlie sene Right mesure motun for wrong motun mesure And oftimes he doth his instruments procure As now this maide right mesurer to me is As I to other haue mesurde wrong ere this This declaracion one part of these thre What I haue partlie bene hath made you here Whereby what case I am in here you se Which sight and hereing maie be mirror clere To looke in all times of the daie and the yere For spiders hie and spiders vnderneth To kepe with life that I haue lost with deth And so to do I shall you all exhort And first my sonne mark mine aduice to thee That shall succede me streight in place of such port As I first began in superiorite In few woords which smart small time limitth me For the which while my child to me most dere Thy weeping leaue and ley thine eare to here Those things that thou hast herd me here declare By which thou seest thy father cast awaie To saue thy selfe my child se thou prepare To flee the same by temperate stedie stay The contrarie of my demenure ay Shall ay defend thee so in euerie case As thou both loued and drad shall kepe thi plase Against my sotletee vse thou simplicitee Against my wrong vsurping vse thou right Against my pride vse thou humilitee Against my wrath vse charite in sight Against my hate in loue haue thou delight Against these ills and other folowing mee Note these next ills not to folow but to flee Wheare truth is taken treason and traitors in trust Wheare faith is framd fancie and fancie feind feith Where losels ouer lords ley lawes at their lust Where witlesse as wiseste the wittie out weith Where mercie to the meeke meare malice dismeith Where dawcocks in doctrine haue dominacion There doth deuision bring desolacion Let truth be the vage in whom thou trust dost take Let not firme faith be left for fikill fancie Let rewld lords rewle rewlesie losels when they crake Let wise wisdom ouer wey witlesse follie Let malice passe vse mesurable mercie Let thunlearnd in doctrine to the learnd giue plase Let pastors be plaste as I place them in case In place of a shepherd place not a shepe In place of a shepe place not a shephard In no place place a wolfe the flocke to kepe The sheepe or the wolfe to the shepherds place prefard By faintnesse or fercenesse the flocke must be mard Place thou thy shepherds such shepherds to be As from the sheepe and wolfe vse the meane decre Offenders penitent for offences past Sauing of whom offendth not the standing state Nor encorageth other to offend the more fast Correct as mercie maie rigor moderate But to this make this a ground inuiolate Vpon sturdie stif standers in violensie Draw thy sword of iustice sharpned sharplie And marke my son these points that I now cum to In commun order of thy gouerning Who honestlie doth as other honest do And saith as those honest saie or saith nothing Are him not what he thinkth for marke this othing Whose deede and his thought repungnantlie varie His woord and his thought iar likewise contrarie Loue to be loued and hate to be hated Of those that loue good and hate ill otherwise Hauing hate of thill for iustice iustlie rated Hate so be thou glad to haue and by iustice Continew that hate in insessant sise In whom by their fauts to thee fautlesse it drawse To continew by their continewed cause Touching right or wrong of both must thou choose one As thus eyther to do wrong or to take wrong Rather take it then do it se thou do none The wrong that I haue done the flies here among Of myne ill their ill hath bene partlie a long Answere mine ill all alas streight must I do And as much of theirs as mine hath forst them to Of spider or flie sewde to for ought in grant Ere thou graunt loke what where why thou grauntest it But graunts once past thee at suters sutes instant Performe them full without restreint anie whit Performance of promise perfitelie doth knit Such credence to all they performing the same As winth them fast freendship and perpetuall fame Thy councell choose in these condiscions bent Few wise secret expert temperate and trew Satiffide with sufficiencie and diligent All sale of iustice and all offers teschew That shall to thee or commun welth hindrance brew Their taking wherof seming winning to bee May leese them with all theirs and all thine with thee Here haue I geuen thee son such exortacion As weake wit and short time will suffer in mee Which if thou vse at thy fathers contemplacion Behold then my son thyne owne prosperitee Yfnot behold thy