Of disordred loue and veneryous.

Here drawe we folys mad togyther bounde
Whom Uenus caught hath in hyr net a snare
Whose blynde hertes this forour doth confounde
Theyr lyfe consumynge in sorowe shame and care
Many one she blyndeth alas fewe can beware
Of hyr dartes hedyd with shame and vylany
But he that is wondyd can skant ynde remedy

O cruel Uenus forsoth who doth insue

Thy flaterynge gylys and proude commaundement

And hastyth nat the dartis to eschewe

Of blynde Cupido but folowys his intent

Suche folys endure moche sorowe and turment

Wastynge theyr goodes dishonestynge their name

As past fere of god and sekynge after shame

Howe many yllys, what inconuenyence

Howe great vengeaunce, and howe bytter punysshement

Hath god oft takyn for this synne and offence

Howe many Cytees hye and excellent

Hath Uenus lost, destroyed, and alto brent

What lordes and howe many a great estate

Hath loue lost, murdred, or els brought in debate

The noble Troyans murdred ar and slayne

Theyr cyte brent, decayde is theyr kyngdome

Theyr kynge pryant by pyrrus dede and slayne

And all this by Parys vnhappy loue is come

Whiche voyde of grace and blynde without wysdome

To fyll his lust, from Grece rubbyd Helayne,

But this one pleasour was grounde of moche payne

Also Marcus a Prynce of the Romayns

Called Antonius by another name

After that he had ouercome the persyans

To Rome retournyd with tryumphe lawde and fame

And there (whiche after was to his great shame)

With cleopatra in loue was take so in blyndnes

That he promysyd to make hir empresse

So this blynde louer to fyll his interpryse

Caused his men two hondred shyppes ordayne

And toke the see wenynge in suche fourme and wyse

His lewde desyre: to perfourme and obteyne

But shortly after was he ouercome and slayne

Of Cesar: and whan he this purpose vnderstode

He bathed his Corse within his lemmans blode

For two serpentis that venemus were and fell

Were set to the brestis of fayre Cleopatray

So this cruell purpose had punysshement cruell

For theyr intendynge theyr countrey to betray

And worthy they were, what man can it denay

Thus it apereth playne by euydence

That of false loue cometh great inconuenyence

For he that loueth is voyde of all reason

Wandrynge in the worlde without lawe or mesure

In thought and fere sore vexed eche season

And greuous dolours in loue he must endure

No creature hym selfe may well assure

From loues soft dartis: I say none on the grounde

But mad and folysshe bydes he whiche hath the wounde

Aye rennynge as franatyke no reason in his mynde

He hath no constaunce nor ease within his herte

His iyen ar blynde, his wyll alwaye inclyned

To louys preceptes yet can nat he departe

The Net is stronge, the fole caught can nat starte

The darte is sharpe, who euer is in the chayne

Can nat his sorowe in vysage hyde nor fayne

Rede howe Phedra hir loue fixed so feruent

On ypolitus in prohybyte auowtry.

That whan he wolde nat vnto hir consent

To hir husbonde she accused hym falsly

As if he wolde hir tane by force to vylany

Ipolitus was murdred for this accusement

But Phedra for wo hanged hyrself incontynent

The lewde loue of Phasyphe abhomynable

As poetis sayth) brought hir to hir confusyon

Nero the cruell Tyrant detestable.

His naturall mother knewe by abusyon

Uenus and Cupido with their collusyon.

Enflamyd Messalina in suche wyse

That euery nyght hir selfe she wolde disgyse

And secretly go to the brothelhous

For to fulfyll hir hote concupyssence

What shall I wryte the dedes vicious

Of Julia or, hir cruell offence.

What shall I wryte the inconuenyence

Whiche came by Danythys cursed auowtry

Syth that the bybyll it shewyth openly

What shall I wryte the greuous forfayture

Of Sodom and Gomor syns the Bybyll doth tell

Of their synnes agaynst god and nature

For whiche they sanke alyue downe into hell.

Thus it aperith what punysshement cruell.

Our lorde hath taken both in the olde lawe and newe

For this synne: whiche sholde vs moue it to eschewe

Alexander Barklay To the Folys.

Ye folys inflamyd with loue inordynate.

Note these examples, drawe from this vyce your mynde

Remember that there is none so great estate

But that false loue hym causeth to be blynde

Our folysshe wymen may nat be left behynde

For many of them so folowys in this way

That they sell theyr soules and bodyes to go gay

The graceles galantes, and the aprentyce pore

Though they nought haue, themselfe they set nought by

Without they be acquaynted with some hore

Of westmynster or some other place of rybawdry

Than fall they to murder theft and robery.

For were nat proude clothynge, and also flesshely lust

All the feters and gyues of Englonde shulde rust.

Therfore folys awake, and be no longer blynde

Consyder that shame, seknes, and pouertye

Of loue procedeth: and drawe from it your mynde

Suffre not your soules damned and lost to be

By vayne lust and carnall sensualyte

For thoughe the small pleasure do make the fayne

The ende oft is worldly wo and myserye

Or amonge the fendes eternall payne

Of them yt synne trustynge vpon the mercy of god.

Who that styll synneth without contricion
Trustynge goddes mercy and benygnyte
Bycause he sparyth our transgressyon
And he that thynketh iustice and equyte
Is nat in god as well as is petye
Suche is forsoth without discressyon
Syns he thus synneth upon presumpcion

The wynde is up our Nauy is aflote

A bande of Folys a borde is come yet more

Theyr cursed maners and mad I shall nowe note

Whose herte for synne is neyther contryte ne sore

Nat mornynge (as they ought to do) therfore

Without fere styll lyuynge in theyr vyciousnes

No thynge inclyned to godly holynes

They thynke no thynge on goddes rightwysnes

But grounde them all, on his mercy and pyte

For that he redyer is vnto forgeuenesse

Unto all people, than them punysshed to se

Trouth it is that the great enormyte

Of the worlde hathe nat aye worthy punysshement

Nor he nat damnyd that doth his synne repent

Put case he gyuyth nat aye lyke iugement

On mannys mysdede, nor yet mundayne offence

And though he be gode meke and pacyent

Nor shortly punyssheth our inconuenyence

Put case also he gyue nat aduertence

To all mundayne fawtes synne and fragylyte

Yet none sholde synne in hope of his mercy

But these folys assembled in a companye

Sayth eche to other that oft it is laufull

To perseuerant synners lyuynge in iniquyte

Yo trust in god syns he is mercyfull

What nedeth vs our wyttis for to dull

Labourynge our synne and foly to refrayne

Syns synne is a thynge naturall and humayne

Than sayth another forsoth thou sayst playne

And also our fore Faders and progenitours

Before our dayes offendyd haue certayne.

As well as we, in many blynde errours

But syns they haue escapyd all paynes and dolours

Of hell; and nowe in heuyn ar certayne

What nede haue we to fere infernall payne.

Than comys in an other with his dotysshe brayne

By god sayth he I knowe it without fable

That heuyn was made neyther for gose nor crane

Nor yet for other bestes vnresonable

Than of the Scripture doth he Chat and bable

Alleggynge our forefaders whiche haue mysdone

Saynge that no synne is newe in our season

A myserable men destytute of reason.

That thus on hope do synne vnhappely

Remember the synne of our forefaders done

Haue neuer ben left vnpunysshed fynally

And that somtyme, full sharpe and bytterly

For euer more all synne hath had a fall

With sorowe here, or els wo infernall

The synne of Sodom foule and nat natural

The Pryde of rome, whiche was so excellent

The offence of Dauyd Prophete and kynge royal

The furour of Pharao fyers and violent

Haue nat escaped the rightwyse punysshment

Of God aboue, the celestial and highe Justice

Which fyrst, or last punyssheth euery vyce.

Remember Richarde lately kynge of price

In Englonde raynynge vnrightwisely a whyle.

Howe he ambycion, and gyleful Couetyse

With innocent blode his handes dyd defyle

But howbeit that fortune on hym dyd smyle

Two yere or thre: yet god sende hym punysshment

By his true seruant the rede Rose redolent.

Therfore remember that god omnypotent

Oft suffreth synners in theyr iniquyte

Grauntynge them space and tyme of amendement

And nat to procede in their enormyte

But those synners that byde in one degre

And in this lyfe their synne wyll nat refrayne

God after punyssheth with infernall payne

As I haue sayde (therfore) I say agayne

Though god be of infynyte pety and mercy

His fauour and grace passynge all synne mundayne

Yet iustice is with hym eternally.

Wherfore I aduyse the to note intentifly

Though pyte wolde spare, iustyce wyll nat so

But the here rewarde, els with infernal we.

Alexander Barklay to the Folys.

Syghe synners, syghe, for your mysgouernance.

Lament, mourne, and sorowe for your enormyte.

Away with these Clowdes of mysty ignorance

Syn nat in hope of goddys hyghe petye

And remember howe ye daily punysshed be

With dyuers dyseases both vncouthe and cruel

And all for your synne, but suche as escapeth fre

And styl lyue in syn, may fere the peynes of helle