Of disordred and vngoodly maners.
Drawe nere ye folys of lewde condicion
Of yll behauoure gest and countenaunce
Your proude lokys, disdayne and derysyon
Expresseth your inwarde folysshe ignoraunce
Nowe wyll I touche your mad mysgoueraunce
Whiche hast to foly, And folysshe company
Treylynge your Baybll in sygne of your foly
In this our tyme small is the company
That haue good maners worthy of reuerence
But many thousandes folowe vylany
Prone to all synne and inconuenyence
Stryuynge who sonest may come to all offence
Of lewde condicions and vnlefulnesse
Blyndnes of yll, and defylyd folysshenesse
All myserable men alas haue set theyr mynde
On lothsome maners clene destytute of grace
Theyr iyen dymmyd, theyr hertes are so blynde
That heuenly ioy none forceth to purchace
Both yonge and olde procedeth in one trace
With ryche and pore without all dyfference
As bonde men subdued to foly and offence
Some ar busshed theyr bonetes, set on syde.
Some waue theyr armys and hede to and fro
Some in no place can stedfastly abyde
More wylde and wanton than outher buk or do
Some ar so proude that on fote they can nat go
But get they must with countenaunce vnstable
Shewynge them folys, frayle and varyable
Some chyde that all men do them hate
Some gygyll and lawgh without grauyte
Some thynkes, hymselfe a gentylman or state
Though he a knaue caytyf and bonde churle be
These folys ar so blynde them self they can nat so
A yonge boy that is nat worth an onyon
With gentry or presthode is felowe and companyon.
Brybours and Baylyes that lyue upon towlynge
Are in the world moche set by nowe a dayes
Sergeauntis and Catchpollys that lyue upon powlynge
Courters and caytyfs begynners of frayes
Lyue styll encreasynge theyr vnhappy wayes
And a thousande mo of dyuers facultyes
Lyue auauntynge them of theyr enormytees.
Within the chirche and euery other place
These folys use theyr lewde condicions
Some starynge some cryeng some haue great solace
In rybawde wordes, some in deuysyons
Some them delyte in scornes and derysons
Some pryde ensueth and some glotony.
Without all norture gyuen to vylany
Theyr lyfe is folysshe lothsome and vnstable
Lyght brayned, theyr herte and mynde is inconstant
Theyr gate and loke proude and abhomynable
They haue nor order as folys ignorant
Chaungyng theyr myndes thryse in one instant
Alas this lewdnes and great enormyte
Wyll them nat suffer theyr wretchydnes to se
Thus ar these wretchyd caytyfes fully blynde
All men and wymen that good ar doth them hate
But he that with good maners endueth his mynde
Auoydeth this wrath hatered and debate
His dedes pleaseth both comonty and estate
And namely suche as ar good and laudable
Thynketh his dedes right and commendable
As wyse men sayth: both vertue and cunnynge
Honoure and worshyp grace and godlynes
Of worthy maners take theyr begynnynge
And fere also asswagyth wantones.
Subduynge the furour of youthes wylfulnes
But shamefastnes trouth constance and probyte
Both yonge and olde bryngeth to great dignyte.
These foresayde vertues with charite and peas.
Together assembled stedfast in mannys mynde.
Cawseth his honour and worthynes to encreas.
And his godly lyfe a godly ende shal fynde
But these lewde caytyfs which doth theyr myndes blynde
With corrupt maners lyuynge vnhappely.
In shame they lyue and wretchedly they dye.