An Envoy from Thomas Smyth

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¶An Enuoye from Thomas_Smyth vpon th'aunswer of one .W._G. Lurkyng in Lorrells Denne / for feare men shulde hym see.

Whether I troll here, or troll ther, I wyll so troll aboute

That in my trollynge, I do trust, as you are, to trolle you oute.

NOwe with no lesse salutacyon, that to such doth pertayne

Unto you I do present, this lytell poore t[r]eatyse treatyse] tteatyse 1540

Wyllynge you to vnderstande, and also to knowe playne

I haue receyued, your lewde lybell, wherin you enterpryse

Both me and my doynges, full proudely to despyse

But bable what you lyst / it skylleth not a whyt

Remember well this worde, hereafter cometh not yet.

¶You ruffle, and you rayle, for malyce and despyte

And as a ragynge ruffyen / your-se[l]fe you do shewe playne selfe] sesfe 1540

For-as-moche as you be greued, with that, that I dyd wryte

Which I wyll neuer denye, but throughlye mayntayne throughlye: =thoroughly

Yet (as you wryte) in one poynte, you haue cause to complayne

For that I spake but of lykelyhod / and wente but by gesse

Of the treson in your herte / you knowynge there no lesse.

¶If with the poynte of my penne, I do you so spurre and prycke

That therby you be greued and greatly styrred to yre

Yet doubte I not to syt sure / all-though you wynche and kycke

Fast closed in my dewty / to saue me from the myre

But in your flynges take hede, beware I saye the fyre

Or some other galtrope / take thys prouerbe for a token galtrope: =caltrop

The pot so often goeth forth / at last it commeth home broken.

¶You are angry that I my-selfe / so openly declare

My name playnly dyscrybynge, and of my seruyce the pyth pyth ='substance'

All honest men thynk, I shulde no lesse, wherfore I ne care

Though mad malyce moue you / to be despyted therwith

Hit haue plesed you, to compare, the cobbler with the smyth

Your proude skorne wherin / is easye ynough to be founde

Yet better is a cobbler than an ydell vagabounde.

In openynge my name and seruyce / this was myne entente

In case that for my doynges, I were thought worthy blame

Any other person gyltles therfore shuld not be shente

Consydred (as is well knowen) many be of my name

Myne offyce therfore I added / and thought therin no shame

Nether braggynge, nor bostynge / as to my charge you laye

Who is naught hym-selfe / so iudgeth in others alwaye.

¶A true man shameth neuer, to shewe his name and face

A thefe hym-selfe mystrusteth and is euermore in doubte

Lest that his lewde lyuynge / shulde present it-selfe in place

As commenly it is sene / at lenght trouth is tryed oute lenght: =length

So in lykewyse you / do seke all corners round a_boute

But it woll not helpe you, though a whyle there be delaye

Tyme shall trye your colour, be it russet, blacke / or graye.

¶Of rumblynge in scryptures / you do me moch reproue

Well yf your wyttes do serue you / my doynges to amende

Come forth and shew your face / as to honestye doth behoue

And lay vnto my charge / what you can reprehende

Nay / nay / I am sure, you do it lest intende lest: =least

In raylynge is your ruffe, in your spelunke whan ye syt ruffe ='vainglory, passion'; see OED s.v. ruff n6.

But remember well this worde / hereafter commeth not yet.

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¶Full wysely you councell me / to some taylour to resorte

For shapynge out of scrypture / my texte the better to frame

You can not hyde your secte / nor yet your brotherly sorte

(A Clergy for the deuyll) you shewe your-selfe the same

As Taylours / Cobblers / and Tylers / doctou[r]s of worthy fame doctours] doctous 1540

Uagaboundes / Ruffyens / and others / amongs whom you rynge your bell amongs: =amongst

And euen lyke as you be / so set you forth your councell.

¶Blusterynge in your boldnes / you wolde your-selfe a traytour proue

Upon the only pretens of my most desyred fall

The mayntenans of popery / you say I do most loue

Whiche yf you knowe trewe / than a traytour I maye you call

For suche your concelement but I woll dryue you to the tryall

Both our doynges shall appere / thoughe deferred for a space

I am no .W._G. I dare well shewe my face

¶The rest of your raylynges / I woll as nowe omyte

Upon suche purpose peuysshe / my tyme I woll not spende

They do naught but declare / the lewde vse of your wyt

And what malyce of herte towardes other you pretende

You haue no nother buckler / wherwith your-selfe to defende

Who rebuketh your secte / or wolde refourme your heresye

Amonge you strayte he is a mayntaynour of popery.

¶Thus though you wolde hyde your-selfs / yet men may easely knowe

What fayned hertes you do beare to God and our good Kynge

His grace hath ordey[n]ed lawes / whiche cleane to ouerthrowe

What trauayll is dayly taken / to euydent is the thynge

We shulde beware your secte for surely you wolde fayne brynge

Some other to rayne ouer vs / yf you wyste / by what shyfte

Example we haue / herof / Reade of kynge Henry the fyfte

There maye we playnly fynde / what a detestable sorte

Of false fayned hertes / agaynst theyr kynge dyd ryse,

Myndynge to chose another kynge / that wolde theym supporte

In theyr naughtye errours and mayntaynaunce of heresyes

But god (who of his grace) euer prouydeth for his

Gaue suche knowlege therof / that they had not theyr entente

Some fled / some taken / some were hanged on the gallowes and brente.

¶Whiche thynge I do desyre / all true subiectes to regarde

And to god and our good kynge / to beare a due obedience

And to all false fayned hertes / I wishe the same rewarde

Euen lyke as th'others had / worthely / for theyr offence

And nowe syr .W._G. marke well this sentence

Consyder that as you be / so haue you vsed your wytte

Remember well this worde / here-after commeth not yet. Remember] Rememberr 1540

¶Peraduenture syr .W._G. you wyll yet bragge and boste

Sayng from the scripturs you haue dryuen me cleane a_waye

Trye me therin whan you dare / you shall come to your coste

Though for cause consyderable / a whyle I do lytell saye

I thinke to ryde you with a byt / shall dryue you from your playe

And cause you holde downe your hed / that fayne you wolde bere a_loft

And I woll so tramell your heles / youre pace shall be more softe.

¶Nowe for an ende (Eternall God) I beseche the graunt longe lyfe

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With prosperous contynuans / to Henry our most noble kynge

And to Katheryne our Quene also / his most Laufull Wyfe

And graunte betwene theym bothe / lyke other braunches to sprynge

(As is Edwarde our Prynce) that most odoriferous thynge

Preserue theym longe to_gither Lorde / and graunt theym all the blysse

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Where angels incessantly / synge (Gloria in excelsis) Amen.

¶God saue the Kynge.

Whether I trolle here, or trolle there, I wyll so trolle aboute

¶That in my trollynge I do truste, as you are, to trolle you oute

¶By the selfe-same person, who not-withstandynge your despyte

¶Shameth not, nor shrynketh not playnely him-selfe to wryte

¶Thomas_Smyth, seruant to the Kynges Royall Maiestye

¶And Clerke of the Quenes graces counsell (though most vnworthy)

¶Finis.