charge In braue arraye do bring them selues into Cock lorrels Barge When ere sawe you their Dames so nice and wines so richly clad When wiÌ„st yoâ— Women ere so proude or Husbandes ere so mad O where are Matrones now become O where are Husbands graue Where are y Wiues that tooke such care their honesty to saue Woulde Matrones walcke or Wiues discreet with syluer shining browes From streat to streat no rather they would kéepe within their howse Would Matrons skud to common games and prancke in earle prease No t ys to vyle I loath to tell I le therefore holde my peace T ys this t ys this y Banckrowts breede This brings the wife yll name The husband thus is bare through spence and wife naught by the same And nowe you see a difference twéene him that banckrowâ—e is Of vyle intent and him that falles through great excesse of his But both of these perhaps a lyke by fraude haue Nummus gote Though both in care and wanting pine syng not lyke dolefull note And nowâ— as to my promise made at fyrst when I began I le place syr Nummus caught by Fooleâ— and Roysters now and than A wise man dyes and welthy leaues his sonne in goodes and lands The young man when he is of age takes all into his handes And streight to Court or Innes of Court he goes to leade his lyfe Where franck he is and youthfull bent for why haas Nummus ryfe Or else if not So he ban lande or ought that 's Money worth He shall not want of Marchauntmen fine silcks to set him forth Nor Money will they stick at all to lende him at his néede As long as ought he doth possesse they le neuer cease to feede My yonker and yong Maister so And he when once he sees The bridle layde vpon his necke is loath much time to léese For why he wisht it long before And sith he doth espie The matter wholy in his handes why should he longer lye Lyke blunt John Whoball all at home No fie hee le haste him now Both lybertie and Chinck ynough himselfe he will allow And streightway else the world is hard He meetes with Copesmates such As to exalt and set him forth at all will nothing grutch And hée forsooth must foremost be in euery braue attempt Who eare be one yong Maister must at no time he exempt Hée le be the chiefe within the Masks and chiefe in bancquet hée Shall syt exalted to the Sunne Euen to the tenth degrée And now and then else scapes he well hee le haue a spyrt at Dice He wantes no mates to bring him too 't by slight and fine deuice He must haue walkinges in the night he must be braue and fine He must be of the hoygh no doubt He neuer must repine Although it be to sit it oute all night in costly game And more then this he must not stick to paye for all the same And when he seemely seemeth once and thinks well of himselfe Then then no doubt he is stird vp to spende this noysome pelfe And then I saye with posting speede he must be gaylie dect In colours of his Ladie and therein not â—ught neglect That 's incident to euery sute Of chaunge he must haue store And frame himselfe full scatly then to euery lusty lore And doubtlesse then he is so drownde in pleasure and in pride That nought at all may him withdrawe It hath bene often tride Yea though at length he féele great smart through that he made away Yet is his minde so hawtie then that he can make no stay For woâ—e you what vse custome brings and yongâ—er thus doth say Shall I make spare whyle ought is left and so lyue wanting Naye It were a shame and great reproche if I that euer haue As yet lyu'de lyke a Gentleman should now lyue like a slaue And so my chylde no chaungling is tyll all be spent and gone And till his mates him needie leaue and comfortlesse alone From which time forth if ought he haue whereof may Nummus ryse He will lyue shiâ—ting til 't be gone Then forth of Towne he flyes And kéepes the high way side perchaunce to lyue by theft and spoyle Till Tyborne twitch him by the neck and Hangman giue the foyle So that 's the ende of all his wealth and ending of the man. But goods perhaps were euill gote and who can maruaile than Though that the same were all consumde in filthy vaine exspence And who will doubt that gallowes should such Dingthrifts recompence But one thing I do here lament and t ys most wicked sure T ys noysome vyle and beastly trade yet most of all in vre A Gentleman his childe doth sende t' apply his studies here With hope to haue him do the same as daylie doth appere The youth oft tymes declyneth streight as apt to youthly guise And sets his minde to make him braue with all he may deuise The Citizen when that he sées the bruite so brauely bent Doth closely search the yong mans state and learnes the whole extent Of all his possibilitie which knowne he will not spare For friendship sake vnto the same of loane to let his ware The yong man hauing welth at wyll and all thinges at request Byds booke adue and cuts it out as brauelie as the best How vyle this is let all men iudge how oft it comes to passe The yongmen brought to naught therby are witnesses alas Oh where is loue or feare of God Wher 's faith for to be found Wher 's friendship truth and honestie Where doth not Fame resound The beastly pranckes of wicked men Wher 's one that thinks of God Wher 's one that doubts or feareth ought the sharpnesse of his rod How few be there that tread the pathes or trace Dame vertues steps How many rather be there now that quite from vertue leps O wofull case the best almost do much account it now If they from vile notorious faultes at any time do bow How talke our tatlers of the truth and Scripture still discusse How lyue they quite contrarie yet for all their talking thus How earnest bent are men as now to heare the worde of God I meane professors of the trueth How farre yet liue they od They crie Lord Lord and God be praysde but streight within an howre That heate of theirs is colde as stone Such heate hath made them sowre O thou good God and Father kinde were not thy mercies great Thou wouldst destroy these men with fire from thy supernall seat O heauenlie Prince of glorie and O thou alone Iehoue Thou God of grace oh louing Christ yond whome we can not roaue Or raunge aright yond whome no man can perfite blisse attaine Thou only one and all in one yond whome doth nought remaine Giue grace vnto thy wandring sheepe Fetch home the same againe Sith blood of thine hath them redéemde from sharpe infernall paine Graunt graunt O God thy holy spréete to guide defend and
Lawiers then be principall and first within my playe But as for Judges now to iudge my iudgement will nor saye I wote full well their prayse was spread by me this other daye And Trueth it is our Judgement seates such Uyrent beades possesse As former dayes for men of choyse had neuer such I guesse What then no sort no one degrée no place no function so Uprightly standes but with the good some wicked weede doth growe With vertues league som vice doth lyuk and forme of godly vâ—w Oft equall makes with men of troth some Hypocrites vntrue I knowe friend Bertulph sâ—we there be whose hands regarde no meede Whose hartes Dye no deceypt at all from whome no harmes proceede And sure I am when cause of troth before such men is tryde With simple troth they Justice yéelde and iustly do decyde But nowe although with these there syt no one that doth dissent Though all of them in publicque place doo sing Amesine lentent Yet vnderhande perhaps there are that nowe and then denoure The sugred sappe that Justice yeeldes And where they lyst to lowre For spyte or gayne or priuate wreke there Justice course is stayde And where they lyst to smoother troth there right is cleane dismayde Such such there be or haue bin some who when they rule alone When scope course hath hoyst them vp and set them chiefe in Throne From Censors sight and priuate made their swaye and supreme place Then then they wring wrong the right then then they truth deface Ah Bertulph be there not thinke you In place of Justice sette Some fained sortes of fawning Spreetes that course of Justice letts That frame a semblaunce sound and good that iuste and holy seeme â—nd yet in harte are fraught with guyle and ofte vniustly deeme I feare I feare me falsehod lurkes in lappes of learned syse I feare me Nummus oft peruerts in some that go for wyse So then some chiefe and some besides so smally ponder meâ—de That where they syt in common swaye there Justice doth procéede But some againe where place hath made their powres distinct I feare Of popish willes through grutâ—h or gaine with much enorme do beare And hence from hence I feare me come these cryes of common sort That oft lament and oft affyrme their Judgement to be â—ort One here be wayles his wofull case and wisheth him vnborne Another cryes with wringing handes alas I am forlorne My sute thus long depended hath The Lawe is on my syde And yet in harde delayes I lye true Judgement to abyde Another thus be friended is the Judge doth loue him well And me as poore and needie they doo dayly thus depell Two hundreth myles and more I come My Wife at home alas Lyes with my Children halfe forepynde O lamentable case My goods are spent which labor brought through long and carefull toyle The Lawe hath lyckt vp all my wealth for which I dyd turmoyle Oh I can haue no Law nor right ne Money haue I nowe I must go beg my goodes be gone to lyue I knowe not howe These eares of mine abhorred haue mine eyes haue wet my plants My hart hath yeâ—nd in Judgement true to see such wofull wants T ys harde to saye I le holde my peace But if these playnts be true Syr Nummus swayeth there with some a woorthy cause to rue But vnto him that highest syts and sées eche secrete yll With prayer I commytte the same t'amende it at his wyll And nowe to Lawiers that do parle and pleade in cause of right To such as for syr Nummus wyll turne darknesse into lyght And lyght into obscured sence and arsiuersie turne eche thing To such wyll I procéede as now and to my matter bring I wyll not speake of fine deuise nor fowle deceyptfull clause In Leases wyls and other lyke but wresting of the Lawes And foding of the Clyent forth for though that fraude abound And though by falsely framing so eche where are beggers founde Yet I as nowe will blason forth and geue you well to sée Howe these men ioyne in matters false retayned for a fée And so for Nâ—mmus long delays a poore and needy soule To fleese and slea the simple wretche to pylfer and to powle To shred him cleane from all his wealth and then perhaps â—elent And ware full colde to ayde his right when Nummus all is spent Yea lykewise t ys in doubte with some when Nummus so doth fayle If they through brybe of thother syde let not the sute to quayle A Fée of Forma pauperisâ— no no it hath no sent Such formall Fées finde smal reliefe they buy no lande ne rent My friend therfore if you haue nought wherewith to see me styll But formes and showes Take formes againe for Counsayle if you wyll But what sayde I was promise made to paint such practise heere No no If so I must relent Great matter doth appeare Therein and therefore will I leaue them to the worldly vewe I meane the false and subtil ones I speake not of the true Nor such as are affected well as many there are such Although the false in number doo excéede them very much But well go too â–ª this gotten good howe is it spent I praye Forsooth no poore man must haue lande for so wyll they assaye And practise that in tyme they wyll gette all into their handes And turne the poore men headlong forth of all both house and landes A shame it were and great reproche to sée a poore man dwell Or haue a house not farre from theirs their Noses hate the smell And long no doubt their Noses be right mischeuous of Sent For that which once was lande demeasâ—e is holden nowe for rent They smell it forth though farre it be they haue a vengeaunce hooke Both Parsuage and ought besides they le haue by hooke or crooke Their Princely Places stately be their houses buylt for aye Their Turrettes vp aloâ—t are raysde foundations déepe they laye So thus no doubt and farre more yll they let syr Nummus wagge Reseruing still some mightie Masse to rust within the bagge And here you sée what wayte they laye and eke what wayes they vse To get this pelfe and gotten sée how they the same abuse The next are Petypractisers and Petyfogging matesâ— Yea Clarkes Attorneyes such of them as lyue of lewde debates Eache honest calling towardes Lawe so pressed is from Sise That hardly can an honest man with honesty aryse And twise as hardly may he stande to stoppe eche strayned shyfte Such force hath falsehood more theÌ„ truth so deadly can they lyfte What crewes of greedy griping crowes what fowle infecting rowte Good Lord what store of gleaning Jacks dispersed are through out Can Lawes reliefe be easily got or gotten can't do ease Where such great troupes of bribing fists must fyrst syr Nummus cease Of trueth such â—â—aines of truthles mates such heapes of monsters dwell Tweene playnts and fynall Judgements seate
neerer hande He ment and bent his forces he against the Irish landes But what this Marquesse left vndone Mack Morice he contryuâ—d And hotly gan pursue the charge But ah it neuer thryu'd For Martyrlyke â–ª he lost his head a losse in deede to wayle Sithe holy Father through this losse of his intent dooth fayle Great Sacks of newes are poured forth in that same worthy walke And knauish knackes are there deâ—nsde whilst that they stately stalck About the place lyke honest men and subiects true of hart From that same place doe rumors rise Gods truth to ouerthwart From that same place doe slaunders come and vile reprochful lyes Against Gods word and Preachers true From that same corner flyes Lewde skoffing testes and taunting tales there doe these Rebels coyne Their suttle drifts and noysome tales Yea there doe they conioyne And cleaue like burres with solemne vow the truth for to resist And doubt ther 's none for why I thinke that they will so persist Untill that Sathan snatch them hence the Graundsire great of lyes And till through want of vitall breath they may no more deuise What kinde of men be these I praye that thus themselues in vre What are they open foes profest that by these meanes procure The slaunder of the certaine truth and teachers of the same Or Ipocrites that couertly the Ghospell doe diffame Once Bertulph t ys well knowne to thée that small restraint there is For papistes tongues that proudly prate how ere they gabbe amisse They talke from feare of check at large But yet of them there bée That prease amongst professors true and well with them agrée For why their lyuings so doe lye that but they seemed such They neuer coulde aspire so high nor yet obtaine so much As now they doe O Ianus Jacks and double faced Dogs O wylie wincking wyzard Woolues O grunting groyning Hogs These men I say forsweare them selues As periurde Papistes do They graunt the Quéene is supreme head and murmure at it to But what of that fine fled heads well fraught with trim deuise And ciuile sleights without remorse suche scruples count vnwise And so through sharpe and wylie wits And through farre fetching braines They mount aloft to honors tipe and come by greatest gaines And these be they that vnder hande the trueth do still annoy And let the working of the worde in such as might enioy The sweetest salue of sauing health Such lay the lothsome snares And when good seede is sowne forthwith such men sowe noysome fares Yea such I say as to my tale lay waite by wylie wayes For Nummus and to get the same are prest at all assayes These be supporting purueyors for Papistes nowe supprest These ranckly feede the pamperd Swyne vpstalled in their nest These foyson bring and brokers set through bend of popishe crew And these men foster Balamites To whome reuenge is dew These men are sale abettors of the cursed Priests of Baall And these men shauelings doe suffulse which else wolde haue a fall I st meruaile though they cranckly crowe well lodged in their cage With prouen prickt y st meruaile now That thus the Tigars rage What neede haue they to yelde theÌ„selues vnto their lawfull Queene For what intent should subiectes they at any time be seene They want nothing no pleasant lodge of viands they abounde Both Uenion Wine and finest cates almoste that may be sounde They doe enioy yea and such store as true report doth saye That rather than the poore shoulde haat they cast their scraps awaye And in good sooth their welth is such and dainty fare so ryfe That worldlings wil not blame their wit to leade such captiue lyfe And fooles they were if they woulde not be persecuted so Yea some of them so sore be hurt that broade they ryde and go They walke and wallow at their will they hawke and hunt yféere With such as haue the charge of them they quatâ—e and make good chéere Set Cock on hoope with hoape that once a dare shall paye for all Meane time they wil not die through care nor from their treason fall Why Pawle quoth Bertulph mercy will perhaps so pierce their hart That through the mercye of the Prince they will to trueth conuart Nay Bertulph t ys so farre that they with mercye shoulde be wonne That vauntingly they bragge and saye bounde dutie will haue done All that is done and thus they crake that if the Queene by lawe Or conscience coulde them gyltie dampne she woulde not stande in awe To send them to their doome nor to restraine their tongues so loose Thus bleate the Popish Balamites thus creakes the Romishe goose And what should mercie here be shewde or can the sante preuaile No no as long as mercy is their tongues shall neuer quaile Nor harte obdured once relent nor common state be sounde For how can gentle salue doe good or cure the festred wounde How can the body be in health that is with Biles infect Or Trée spriÌ„g well that hath dead spraies vnlesse you doe resect The braunches of What man so mad will shewe himselfe to bée As ought to hope for leaues or fruite to come from rotten Trée How can the state of Christ his flock be fenced from decay Unlesse the higher powers doe cast the stumbling stocks away How can the Lord of truth be pleasde when such false Prophets liue How will he like to haue them kept his siely Lambes to grieue And doubt the Tiraunts now to say that time shall come againe Wherein the blessed Saints of God by them shall suffer paine No no they feare not to protest that where they put to death Of late but few for earye such shall twentie loose their breath In time to come O bloudie beastes and foule infected Swine But these be they for whom no doubt men scrape and so purloine For whome these factors haue such care and passing great regard For whom they powle the Preachers true these Monsters to reward And hate of theirs so haynous is their â—ancor hath such force Against the Ghospell of the Lorde that voyde of all remorse They eft procure Pluralities For vile disguised Jacks They glad and ioy to see the Church sustaine such wofull lacks And they againe a Priesting sort attyred in theyr kinde Doe creepe into Cathedrall Celles theyr charge they haue assignde To be dischargde per auters mains themselues will liue at ease They force not what become of flock so they sir Nummus sease And Nummus do they seise in deede which seised buyldes no Schooles Nor makes no stockes for men decayde no Bertulph so playes fooles But here you may not take me so as if I did defase Without respect the good with badde in eache Cathedrall place Much lesse that I depraued haue all Preachers so attyrde In Priestish weedes as Popelings were and as theyr state requyrde No farre and farre be this from me for why I knowe right well