The Extirpation of Ignorancy

Bushe, Paul

TextBaseEarlyTudorEnglish
PBEI4186
2008
STC 4186
Ringler 4186 and TP 1145. UMI microfilm reel 96

Here begynneth a lytell treatyse in Englysshe, called the extripacion of ignorancy
London: Richard Pynson,[1526?].



Composition Date: 1526?.

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Umbred ='shaded'; see OED s.v. umber v1.enshewe: =ensue, 'follow, pursue'his prince and souerayne with-all.

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	¶Here begynneth a lytell treatyse in Englysshe / called the Extripacion of ignorancy: and it treateth and speketh of the ignorance of people / shewyng them howe they are bounde to feare god / to loue god / and to honour their prince. Which treatise is lately compyled by sir Paule_Busshe preest / and Bonhome of Edyndon: and dedicate vnto the yong and most hye-renomed lady Mary / princes and doughter vnto the noble progenytour / our worthy souerayne kyng Henry the eight / kyng of Englande and of Fraunce / and hye defender of þ e christen faithe. etc.
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	Hystoris to rede / autentycall and trewe
	Grace to augment / and ydelnesse to subdewe.
	¶ Wherfore gracious lady / sythe ye are so prone
	By naturall instyncte / and humble humylite
	Thus vertuously to be occupyed / no hour forgone
	Of your mylde goodnesse / my dytties to ouerse
5	Wherin ye shall fynde / touched in breuyte
	Hystoris autentycall / of the testament olde
	And some presydentes of þ e new / necessary to beholde
	¶ And though I lacke dropes / of þ e lycour laureate
	Whiche sprang of Chaucer / þ e fountayne of oratours
10	To adorne my style / and my mater to consecrate
	Yet gracious princes / to repell the sharpe shours
	Of synistrall reportes / among yuell detractours
	Somtyme at leysar / your other charges layde a_syde
	Where ye faute fynde / correcte or it be spyde.
15	¶Thus doyng / your grace shal me straitly bynde
	With hert and seruyce / to do what lyeth in me
	Your magnifycence to extoll / or els I were vnkynde
	Accordyng to your merytes / to testify my fydelyte
	Against you and your parentes / whose welth and dignite
20	Christ conserue / and also dayly augment
	Wt honor and worshyp / congrue / to your power exellent.
	¶The prologue generall of Paule_Busshe / composytour of this lytell treatyse.
	¶ Deum timete / et regem honorificate. Prima Petri secundi .
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	¶In an orcharde as I walked / desolate of company
	In a pathe / from tre to tre / as my vsage was
	U[m]bred with bowes pendaunt / in order plesauntly Umbred] Unbrede 1526Umbred ='shaded'; see OED s.v. umber v1.
	In mynde I reuolued / howe I might bring to passe
5	Some treatise to endyte / to the conforte and solace
	Of people desyrous / vertuously to be occupyed
	To se god lauded / and his hye name magnifyed.
	¶And as I walked alone / in mynde thus musyng
	I thought to endyte / what thyng were necessary
10	And by long delyberacion / I coniectred most fytting
	Somwhat to write / of mans ingratytude and folly
	And to prosecute his demeaner / all croked and contrary
	To god his maker / by lyueng nat commendable
	Subdued by vyce / and suche maters semblable.
15	¶And no great marueyle / ne wonder certayne
	Though suche inconuenyence / enshewe vs amonge inconuenyence =improprietyenshewe: =ensue, 'follow, pursue'
	For wylfully is broken / the bridell and the rayne
	Whiche shulde gouerne man in euery thronge
	As first / drede is expulsed / by audacite stronge
20	And sensualtye ruleth / as gouernour principall
	So that Christ is nat dradde / ne feared at all
	¶Also perfyte loue / whiche shulde deuout myndes
	Sette on fyre / in louyng god omnypotent
	Is subpeditate / by enormytes of sondrie kyndes subpeditate: = suppeditate, 'subdued'
25	Wherfore I thought it semyng / and most conuenyent
	As touchyng my purpose / for this tyme present
	Of these two maters / and their circumstaunce chefely
	Somwhat to write / to mittygate suche folly.
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	¶And also to speke / I thought it expedient
30	Thirdly of ignorance / which ledeth people froward
	Shewyng them by auctorites / and reasons euydent
	Howe they are oblygate / in especiall regarde
	Their prince to honour / as capten of their forward forward: =foreward, 'vanguard'
	Whose magnanimyte / they ought to auaunce
35	With hertes and goodes / after their substaunce.
	¶Of these maters thre / as god wyll dispose
	I entende this volume / shall beare th'importaunce
	And as breuely / as I can / in meter compose
	I shall discribe / as my wyttes can forge vttraunce
40	Their grades and distinctions / their propertis and eligaunce
	Rebukyng in especiall / wylfull rashe audacite
	and also blynde ingratitude / which man ought to fle.
	¶That gostly champion / saint Peter the apostell
	In his epistels / this sentence ofte dothe resight
45	Feare you god he saithe / this is his counsell
	And loke ye honor your prince / with power and might
	In his iuste tytell / alway redy for to fyght
	Thus shall you please god / and your soules decorate
	Whan þ e heed with the membres / togider be adunate. adunate ='united'
50	¶What causeth mischefe? what causeth discencion?
	Discorde and debate: But o[n]ely disobedience
	Thus olde hystores and scripture / maketh mencion
	For it is counted a lyfe brutall / euer saithe sapience
	Whan that people lyueng / dothe nat their dilygence
55	God chefly to worship / and their prince to honour
	As the thyng speciall / of their corporall treasour.
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	¶What caused cyties and townes to fall to ruyne:
	But onely the decayeng / of Christes hye honour
	Whan þ e people to vyce / them-selfe dyd fully enclyne
60	Somtyme the Romayns / habounded in treasour
	But whan christes honor decayed / and they fell to error
	Than their renome abated / vrged by violence vrged ='spurred, actuated'? See OED s.v. urge v4a.
	For their vnstable demeaner / to kepe true sylence.
	Manyfolde presydentes / reduce we may to memory
65	Cotidially shewed of mannes vnstable dotage
	Waueryng as the wynde / laboring right busely
	For honour and worship / as one of hye lynage
	Clyming so hye / that forgoten is their parentage
	Ye / god and his prince / and hym-selfe also
70	Whiche after subuerteth his state / to sorowe and wo.
	Well this set clene aside / I shall my wittes auaunce
	My purpose to comprice / and therto my pen direct
	No lengar to remayne / by goddes gouernaunce
	In maters dependyng / nothyng to th'effecte
75	Eschewing wordes superflewe / which oft doth infect
	The sentence clere / of hystores true and autentycall
	Lefte for morall presydentes / to people vnyuersall.
	But in mynde whan I pondre / this prouerbe olde
	Who casteth lesse peryls / than dothe bayarde blynde
80	It maketh my hande quake / and also my hert colde
	And tosseth my wyttes / as a ship before the wynde
	Lest some frowarde persons / peruert and vnkynde
	Shulde by me reporte / wordes somwhat equiualent
	Sayeng / to enterprice suche causes / he is insufficient.
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85	Such saying may be verified þ a t dede maketh relacion
	Wherfore to my maisters / knowyng the quiditice quiditice: =quiddities, 'subtleties'
	Of scolasticall actes / by practyse and speculacion
	I submyt my-selfe / in most humble wyse
	Their due correction / in no case to dispyce
90	But as a discyple / leanyng to doctryne
	So vnto their tradicions / gladly I shall enclyne.
	¶But the correction I refuce / and that in especiall
	Of a wandring mynstrell / or of a rusty coke
	Of a iester / a rayler: or of a barbaryke rurall
95	Or of any suche other / knowyng no letter in boke
	The trouthe to say / nat an A / from a fysshe-hoke
	And after myne opinyon / it is greatly vnsyttyng
	That suche shulde haue / suche maters in handlyng.
	¶But yet though suche chatte / as dothe the Pye
100	And fynde many fautes / for lacke of intellection
	Yet that shall nat cause me to omyt my study
	But to kepe ydelnesse / in bonde and subiection
	Suche pastyme wyll I vse / vnder the protection
	And the diuyne suffraunce of god omnypotent
105	As to my state / is most syttyng and conuenyent.
	¶Commendacion it is none / this I knowe certayne
	A relygious man / to ydelnesse to be obedyent
	Nor the laude is but small / vyle and mundayne
	His tyme to contryue / in discribing workes insolent
110	For to suche thynges / if he do his mynde frequent
	Wyse men shall say / deprauyng his fame
	This man gothe about / to lese his good name.
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	¶Therfore my lordes and maisters in generall
	Pondre the entent / of my enterprise rude
115	For the thyng þ a t prouoked me / to this worke speciall
	My study to apply / with dilygent solycitude
	Was that slouthfull idelnesse / shulde nat me illude illude ='mock, make sport of'
	And þ a t I maye accomplysshe / my purpose and entent
	First shall I pray / as it is most expedient.
120	Nowe lorde / as thy sapience surmounteth mans estimacion
	In rulyng and gouernyng / by prouidence incomparable
	Heuyn / erthe / and hell / as doctors make relacion
	So nowe rule my penne / and my wytte variable
	That my worke be nat founde / fauty ne yet culpable
125	But fartell of goodnesse / garnysshed with vertue fartell: =fardel
	Uice vtterly to repell / and gostly fortitude to renue.
	¶Also helpe me lorde / of thy goodnesse habundaunt
	Directly to procede / in this matter compendyous
	My style to adorne / with sentence plesaunt
130	That to the reders / gredy and desyrous
	It may be profytable / and also commodious
	Their hertes to enflame / alwayes pondring
	God to drede / and to honour their kyng.
	¶Thus endeth the prologue of Paule_Busshe / compositour of this worke / and begynneth the first treatyse / whiche speketh of the drede and feare that euery man ought to haue to offende almighty god.
Venite filij audite me, timorem domini docebo [u]os. Psalmo .xxxiij
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	AS ornamentes freshe / plesaunt and comely
	Garnisheth þ e body / of man woman and childe
	So is þ e soule decorate / whan people labour busely
	God specially to honor / by conuersacion vndefylde
5	Whose power inuincible / chasteth and tameth þ e wylde
	As hunger dothe the faucon / all at large flyeng
	Wherfore attende my wordes and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶He that purposeth / graciously to comprehende
	The ioyes inestymable / and with god to raigne
10	Must remembre pondre / and well attende
	That he haue sure in store / wynges twayne
	The one must be drede / the other loue certayne
	And these two well ordred / feare nat thy departing
	Wherfore attende my wordes and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete / et diligite.
15	Dauyd the prophet / dothe pronostike this sentence pronostike: =prognostic, 'prognosticate, prophesy'
	In his boke of psalmes / as plainly dothe appere
	That the originall onely / of all wisedom and sapience
	Is to drede god / and also his power to feare
	For it is nat good / man hym-selfe to endanger
20	With his trewe iustyce / and most rightuous dealyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶If Adam our first parent / being in paradice
	Had humbly obeyed / the commaundement speciall
	Of god his maker / the myrrour of all iustyce
25	And nat wylfully trangressed / by suggestion mortall
	But always haue feared / his despleasure principall
	Than chaunged had nat ben his state in welth flowing
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
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	¶Whan the worlde also / was replete with synne
30	Almost euery creature / prone to vnthriftynesse
	Was nat Noe preserued / and eight of his kynne
	From dredefull drownyng / for his constant sadnesse
	And lyfe ryght commendable: as beareth wytnesse
	The history trewe: without colour of faynyng
35	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	Olde Abraham þ e patriarke / hath made immolacyon
	Offryng his sonne ysaac / in sacrifice most redolent
	Had he nat feared / goddes iust castygacion
	No doutlesse / the history sheweth playne and euident
40	For it was alwayes / his mynde and entent
	Goddes wyll to accomplysshe / as it is most syttyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	Was nat vertuous Iacob / had in worthy reputacion
	With almighty god / and endewed with great substaunce
45	Ruling nere the worlde / as writing maketh relacion
	By his pruident dealyng / and polytike gouernaunce
	And all this was prouided / by goddes ordynaunce
	For his morall lyueng / and rightuous demeanyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
50	¶Also what abled Ioseph / to suche hye authorite
	As to be lorde and gouernour / of Egipt that region
	Was it nat his vertue / and sober grauyte
	Dredyng t[o] enfecte / his soule with the poyson to] the 1526
	Of Uenus flamyng lustes / fylthy as carion
55	Beholde well genesis / there appereth the writyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
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	¶What auaunced Moises / somtyme a shepherde
	To honour and fame / as man of hye parentage
	But onely that his lorde / he dradde and feared
60	Instructing his people / commytted to his gouernage
	With langage discrete / countinaunce / demure and sage
	The fame speciall to enshewe / vice and syn auoyding
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶Why was Iosue electe / by god omnypotent
65	Moyses to succede / in offyce and dignyte
	But that he feared god / and eschewed workes insolent
	As it becometh a captayne / sette in auctorite
	For hye roumes / and dissolute maners / as we se
	Full yll dothe acorde / as iugeth wisdome and connyng
70	Wherfore attende my wordes and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	Were nat þ e childre of israll plonged in care and sorowe
	In the tyme of Aioth / Delbora and Gedeon
	As in captiuyte to_day / and at lyberte to_morowe
	Nowe in nowe out / brought to great confusyon
75	And all for their iniquite / and vnstable conuersacion
	God nat dredyng / but all at pleasure wandring
	Wherfore attende my wordes and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶O holy Ruth / a woman though thou were
	And made of nature frayle / as all women be
80	Yet example arte thou / as plainly dothe appere
	To all men / for thy mekenesse and hye humylite
	For in the raigned / no suche mutabylite
	But vertue and goodnesse / god alwayes fearyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
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85	¶If Ofnye and Phynes / the sonnes of Hely
	Had feared god / and nat preuaricate his entent preuaricate ='deviated from'; see OED s.v. prevaricate v5.
	Ne defrauded their father / and the people chefely
	Whiche made oblacion / with myndes beniuolent
	Than suffred they had nat / suche strait punyshment
90	As to be slayne bothe / the holy arke also lesyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶Howe garnysshed Samuell / his lyfe leuiticall
	With workes meritorious / as a lampe and luminary
	Rulyng all Israell / in causes iudiciall
95	With iustyce and equite / by his wytte and policy
	Subduyng transgressours / myttigatyng folly
	Feryng goddes punisshment / as I said at beginning
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶Dyde nat Da[u]id commyt a syn great and detestable
100	Whan that Urye his se[r]uaunt / he caused to be slayne seruaunt] seeuaunt 1526
	For Barsabe his wyfe / whiche was so amyable
	Commytting auoutry / as th'istory sheweth playne
	But immediatly / with dolefull hert and great payne
	He dyde penaunce / goddes punysshment fearyng
105	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	O Salomon salomon / whyle þ u dyddest premeditate
	In thy hert inwardly / god to serue and feare
	Than greatly was magnifyed / thy regall estate
	For in wysedome and glorie / thou haddest no pere
110	But after for thy idolatry / and ingratitude clere
	Ouerthrowen was thy state / in welth so standynge
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
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	Why was Eliseus þ e prophet / endued with such vertue
	As to restore the deed to lyfe agayne
115	But that with dilygence / he dyde alwayes eschue
	Unclenly maners / whiche vtterly dothe distayne
	The lyfe of man / and the soule reuolue in payne
	For tyme perpetuall / in turment alwayes lyeng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
120	What caused Nabugodonosor / a kyng of gret fame
	To fall from his regall state / to lead a life brutall
	Lyueng by hey and grasse / in wofull misery and shame
	But onely his errogance / nat fearing god eternall
	Whiche by his myght / subdueth such people frontall A sense 'arrogant, impudent', which is required here and below (D1), is not recorded in OED s.v. frontal adj., but see front n4.
125	Wandring at pleasure / as the wynde waueryng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	Whan people be enflamed / with blinde ambiciosite
	Couetyng hye gouernage / vnworthy and vnable
	Than ruleth wyll / and brutall sensualyte
130	So that vertue to vice / must be seruysable
	Whiche is nat comely / sytting / nor yet laudable
	Thus saithe the theologe / playne in his writyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶What mencion maketh / that boke so exellent
135	Paralipomynon / whiche treateth seriously
	Of kynges and princes / and of their regyment
	Shewyng howe some were auaunced to glorie
	For their lyues venerable / dispisyng pleasurs transitorie
	Dredi[n]g alwayes: the finall day of rec[n]yng Recnyng, 'reckoning', is consistently spelled 'recuyng' in the copytext.
140	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
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	¶Agayne some were throwen / in-to bale and misery
	Their lyues so to lede / brought to extreme ruyne
	For their inor[di]nate lyueng / all vyle and beestly inordinate] inornate 1526
	God nat fearyng / dispisyng to enclyne
145	Their myndes and hertes / to his lore and doctryne
	Whiche causeth them to lye / in paynes euerlastyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶ Esdras the scribe / as his boke maketh mencion
	Whiche gouerned his lyfe / by vertue most exellent
150	Reuolued well in mynde / suche maner abusyon
	Whan to Ierusalem / by Artaxerxes he was sent Artaxerxes] Artraxerxes 1526
	His busy study was / to stable people maliuolent
	In the drede of god / by counsell and demure dealyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
155	¶O holy drede / howe surely thou were planted
	In the hert of Toby / that gostly-lyueng person
	Whiche of perfyte goodnesse / nothyng at all wanted
	For all his cure was sette / in the mynistracion
	Of workes of mercy / eschewyng the diffamacion
160	Of thefte and rapyne / the sequele therof dredyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	¶Lytell of this drede / with his rasshe audacite
	Had blynde Olifernes / whan he thretned þ e subuersion
	Of Bethulia and Ierusalem / cyties of preemynent degre
165	But what became of hym / marke the conclusion
	Dyde nat vertuous Iudith / by diuyne permission
	His heed of stryke / dronken in his bedde lyeng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
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	¶O Iudith Iudith / great was the iubilacion
170	Of Bethulia and Ierusalem / with man woman and childe
	Whan thou haddest vanquesshed / þ e pride and elacion
	Of the outrage assyrio[n]s / all furious and wylde
	Whiche thought in their myndes / god to begyle
	But suche can nat preueyle / thus brefely concludyng
175	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶O holy Hester lykewise great was thy businesse
	To persuade kyng Assuerus / to pytie and compassion
	Enflamed with yre / by th'entysement doutlesse
	Of cruell Aman / whiche for pride and indignacion
180	Wolde of the iewes / haue distroyed the hole nacion
	But of suche dredeles whelpes / nought is th'ending
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
	¶Suche encensate villayns / may lerne god to fere
	Of perfite Iob / which lost his substaunce and childre also
185	But yet styll with pacience / he tempred his chere
	Neuer moued / but sayd / nowe all is go:
	So god be pleased / voyde is my hert of care and wo
	Thought he none toke / but goddes displeasure fering
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
190	¶What great feare toke þ e woman so constaunt
	Holy Susane / whiche cruell dethe to tollerate
	Dyde frely chose / with mynde strong and valyaunt
	Rather than her body / to defyle and contamynate
	With the vnchast officers / which founde her desolate
195	And wolde her oppres[se] / their lyues therfore lesyng oppresse] opprest 1526
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
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	¶If Isaye / Heremye / Baruthe / and Ezechiell
	Abacuthe / Osee / and perfite Amos also
	Abdon and Ionas / and that prudent Danyell
200	Holy prophetes / with other of their felowes mo
	Had lacked this feare / as their hystoris dothe sho
	Than nowe in heuyn / shulde nat be their abyding
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	What was þ e origynall / þ a t caused the macabeis fyue
205	As valyaunt men / discended of stocke royall
	In marciall busynesse / their lyues to contryue
	Was it nat / that they as thyng most principall
	Feared sore to breake / their lawes moisecall
	Is doutlesse / thus saithe playne the writyng
210	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	¶Many thousandes mo / there be without dout
	In the olde testament / as we rede / which deuoutly
	Lyued vnder godly feare / who lyst to seke them out
	Whose names and actes / I purpose to omyt chefly
215	Bycause I entende to write nowe consequently
	Of our newe patrons / the merites also praysing
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	¶First what caused the holy apostels all
	This worlde to dispyce / caduke and transitory
220	Affectyng no honours / ne pleasurs corporall
	Certayne it was / as the text dothe testify
	For feare of lesyng / the euerlastyng glory
	Of heuenly ioye souerayne / excellyng all-thyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
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225	¶O blessed Paule / dyddest nat thou also blessed] blesshed 1526
	Feruently labour / with traueyle and great payne
	To preche and teche / where-euer thou dyddest go
	And all bycause / that thou woldest optayne
	The ioyes inestymable / and with god to raigne
230	Yes surely: this was thy speciall rec[n]yng recnyng ='estimation, distinction'; see OED s.v. reckoning vbln8.
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	¶At first begynning / þ u were enflamed greatly
	With furious audacite / procuring onely to abate
	Christes hye honor / his disciples pursuing namely
235	But thy tyrannous corage / was soone subpeditate
	Whan thou laist nuslyng / on the grounde prostrate nuslyng ='thrusting the nose into the ground'; see OED s.v. nuzzle v1.
	In the felde of Damasse / for mercy alwayes crieng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	What caused Steuen and Laurence / with dyuers other
240	As vincent / albane / and thom[a]s: these martyrs glorious thomas] thomms 1526
	Also Cyrike the enfant / with Iulyta his mother
	Constantly to parseuer / in turmentes dolorous
	Was it nat for feare of lesyng / the mancion glorious
	Yes doutlesse / or els in vayne was their traueyling
245	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum timete.
	Howe many holy confessors / do we fynde in likewise
	As we rede in legendes / lefte in perpetuall memory
	Whiche dayly mortifyde / as plantes of paradyce
	Their membres corporall / asswaging lustes filthy
250	Feryng t[o] contamynate / the figure of endles glory to] the 1526
	Of these we fynde thousandes / without any fayning
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: [B6]
	¶Also what is he / whiche truely can expresse
	The nombre of perfyte virgyns / pure and immaculate
255	Whiche lyued here contynent / grounded in sobernesse
	In whose honors nowe / our temples are dedycate
	I knowe certayne / if I shulde dayly inuestigate
	Yet shulde I neuer bring them all to rec[n]yng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum timete.
260	¶Thus styll to replycate / hystores autentycall
	Tyme it consumeth / wherfore to conclude
	That I say to one / I say breuely to all
	If ye wyll optayne / the euerlastyng beatytude
	Beware of ignorance / and blynde ingratytude
265	And euermore among / as I sayd at begynning
	Attende my frequent wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	¶Here endeth the first parte of this volume / whiche hath shewed howe man is bounde to feare god by manyfolde examples. And nowe immediately here foloweth the seconde parte / whiche shall speke of þ e loue that man ought to haue to almighty god.
	¶ Diligamus nos deum / quoniam deus prior dilexit nos. Prima Iohannis quarto.
	¶Rede the last worde in the seconde ly[n]e ouer the leafe / merytorious / for metorious.
	Deum diligite.
sig: [B6v]
	BUt yet god thus to drede / and nothing to loue
	It were but labour tedious / and scant me[ry]torious merytorious] metorious 1526
	For he that a place wyll purchase aboue
270	Eternally to raigne / in state most prosperous
	Must combyne drede / with loue ardent and amorous
	As two thynges necessary / to one belongyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum diligite.
	¶This loue is so noble / so hye and so exellent
275	If it be pure / voluntary / fre and spontayne
	That to all vertues / it is a spectacle euydent spectacle ='mirror, model'; see OED s.v. spectacle n1, 5b.
	For nother drede / nor yet obedience certayne
	May be acceptable vnto god / this is playne
	Except loue be the origynall / and the well-spring
280	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum diligite.
	¶The loue that Christ shewed first for man
	In his plasmacion / by giftes hye and excellent plasmacion ='creation'
	Was for no qualyteis / that in hym raigned than
	His production was so baren / yet of his mynde prouident
285	To magnify our nature / it was his entent
	For of all his creatures / he made man lorde and kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum diligite.
	¶Wherof mounted this gifte of preemynence
	But onely of his mere loue / as I sayd before
290	Nat in vayne to be taken / through our neglygence
	But as a presydent / alwayes to be had in store
	Loue to encrese and augment / specially again therfore
	This may we vnderstande / by reason rulyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: C[1]
295	The multitude of benefites / shulde engendre amyte
	Namely whan they be exibite / to people indigent
	Wrapped in wretchednesse / and bondes of calamite
	As is our nature / all lame and impotent
	By necessite ineuitable / of it-selfe nat sufficient
300	But that god mynistreth / vnto vs all-thynge
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶Suche is our necessyte / that no creature can say
	Without the exellent gyftes / of god omnypotent
	I am able to lyue / one naturall day
305	No doutlesse / to speke / and to be indifferent indifferent ='indifferently, alike'
	Be he neuer so noble / nat the space of a moment
	So feble and so sklender / is our substaunce wauering
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶Let vs consydre / howe prone in tymes all
310	Christ is to suffulte / our impotence and debilyte suffulte ='support'
	For our necessite / is nat so vrgent at all
	But moche more prone / is his ayde and benignyte
	All seasons helpyng / our care and aduersite
	Gyueng vs lyfe / conseruyng our being
315	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum diligite.
	¶This is euydent / experience dothe þ e cause [r]atify ratify] patify 1526
	That his conseruacion / may nat be sequestrate
	From our substaunce caduke / vyle and transitory
	For if it be / we all are but frustrate
320	Redacte to adnichilacion / from all-thyng priuate adnichilacion: =annihilation; see OED s.v. annihilation, where the first attestation is 1638.
	Of shape and forme / nothyng remayning
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: [C1v]
	¶These consyderacions / ought to auaunce reason
	With solicitude of mynde / concludyng finally
325	That man is most bounde / hauyng discrecion
	God alwayes to laude / with seruage and study
	Inuestigate who listeth / he fyndeth nat the contrary
	For this yeldeth reason / without more rec[n]yng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
330	¶Nowe / sithe man is bounde / aboue creatures all
	To god omnypotent / for his benefites infynite
	He ought to reuolue / in his mynde principall
	What thyng may be / most acceptable in his sight
	And the same to rendre / with hert and myght
335	Or els reason may reproue / his vnworthy dealyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶What thyng may be / thynketh man in mynde
	Unto god his maker / more plesaunt or acceptable
	Than to shewe him loue / as reason doth him binde
340	Doutlesse nothyng / so precious nor commendable
	Nor to vs nothyng / so necessary nor profytable
	If it be depured / from all erthely rec[n]yng depured ='purified'
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	This loue must be pure tangled with no welth mundain
345	But fixte on hym onely / which of nought made all
	Or els inordinate is our lawe / this is playne inordinate ='deviating from right or rule'
	For whan loue is wrapped / with affection carnall
	It is nat good nor godly / but beestly and brutall
	And to people reasonable / greatly discordyng
350	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: C2
	¶What shulde man / hauyng the vse of discrecion
	Fixe his mynde / on thynges vayne and transitory
	Though nature gyue beautie / and fayre impression
	Set nat thy mynde / on suche maters ras[h]ly rashly] rasly 1526
355	For it is but volage / and chaunged shalbe shortly
	To all creatur[e]s: this chefe poynt is belongyng creatures] creaturrs 1526
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶It is greatly vncomely / vnto vs people mortall
	To set our hertes on that / whiche can nat remayne
360	For he that is prudent / to mynde ofte wyll call
	That suche faynt follyes / shulde nat hym constraine
	His maker to forget / for thynges abiecte and vayne
	But labour he shulde busely / for his soule prouiding
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
365	¶What can the worlde promyse to the perpetually
	Sithe nothyng it hath / that is perdurable
	But fraite with vanitees / cowarde vnder pall
	Thy mynde to enuolue / with thoughtes damnable
	And thy soule to put / to paynes intermynable
370	This euer eschewyng / thy lyfe mysgouernyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶Such dolefull rewardes / among people prudent
	Are vtterly dispysed / and set at nought
	Reuoluyng in mynde / this prouerbe ofte frequent
375	The childe is yll taught / and worse vp-brought
	Whiche in age / hath no mynde nor thought
	His body to refrayne / from in_ordynate lyueng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: [C2v]
	¶ God made nat man / as doctors make relacion
380	His wyttes fyue / to spende inordynate
	But his parte were / his lyfe and conuersacion
	So to gouerne and adorne / with no abusyon violate
	That with ioye and felycite / his soule might be decorate
	In the stage glorious / all-thyng surmountyng stage ='a degree or step in the "ladder" of virtue, honour, etc.', or simply 'storey, level', or 'station, position, seat', as below; see OED s.v. stage n, 1, 2, 3a.
385	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶A hert with deuocion flamed / wyll couet alway
	The thyng speciall / whiche is pure and constaunt
	And that onely desyre: bothe night and day
	Whiche is good and honest / and to god plesaunt
390	Deformed with no enormyte / to his state repugnant
	His laude so hyndring / and his good name deprauing
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶Man ought to desyre / the thyng moost emynent
	Sure and nat fadyng / whiche all-tyme dothe profite
395	Drowned with no errour / voyde of all turment
	As endlesse blysse / incomparable and perfyte
	Whiche euery good man / dothe desyre and couyte
	His carcas dispisyng / for suche treasour sekyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
400	¶This endlesse blysse certayne / is of suche valour
	That it is impreciable / no man can it bye impreciable ='invaluable'
	With golde ne syluer / richesse nor yet treasour
	It excelleth so in honour / in beautie and glorie
	And ordayned it is / no man can deny
405	For god and his angels / and man well lyueng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: C3
	¶The apostell Paule / in his epystles dothe say
	That no hert can thynke / nor materiall eye se
	No eare can here / nor tonge expresse may
410	The inestymable glorie / ioye and felycite
	That is comprised / without fastidiosyte fastidiosyte ='fastidiousness, disdainfulness, haughtiness, pride'; see OED s.vv. fastidiousness, fastidiosity, where the first attestation is 1704.
	In this realme of pleasure / in beautie shinyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	In this court angelycall / raigneth no mortalyte
415	No nede nor indigence / but plente and habundaunce
	No age decrepite / infecte with infyrmyte
	But helth / welthe / and peace / without perturbaunce
	No bonde ne seruytude / nor yet mysgouernaunce
	May entre this trone / of Christes garnysshyng
420	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Deum diligite.
	¶ Salomans sapience / that surmounted so hye
	Nor Absalons beautie / þ a t was praysed in especiall
	Is nat to be compared / in laude and glorie
	To the wisedome and beautie / whiche perpetuall
425	In this stage and trone / [is] clerer than cristall is] 1526 omits
	Gloriously adorned / thynges all excellyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Deum diligite.
	The fortitude of Sampson / nor the velocite of Asael
	As scripture sheweth / in sentence most worthy
430	Not yet the long lyfe / of the auncient Matusaell
	Were but gyftes naturall / enuolued with misery
	Nothyng to be resembled / to the goodnesse heuenly
	Whiche in this glorious habitacle is euer abydyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: [C3v]
435	¶And all this man / þ u maist purchace and optayne
	By vertuous lyueng / and by loue true and perfyght
	Louyng thy maker / þ a t hath ordayned the to raigne
	Thus for tyme perpetuall / in his presence and sight
	In his trone euerlastyng / neuer destitute of lyght
440	But garnisshed with beautie / in vertue shyning
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	¶Here endeth the seconde parte of this volume / whiche hath shewed / howe man is bounde to loue almighty god: And nowe here-after foloweth þ e thirde parte / whiche shall speke of the honour that euery man is bounde to reuerente
reuerente ='reverence'
Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit, quia non est potestas nisi a deo. Ad roma. xiij
	¶Nowe seyng that I / haue made demonstracion
	In style homly / thy loue howe þ u shuldest bestowe
	To goddes pleasure man / and thy soules conseruacion
445	Nowe breuely to reuert / I purpose to showe
	Howe that thy prince / thou oughtest to knowe
	That to god may be acceptable / thy lyueng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶By morall wysedome / first deuysed were
450	Officers and gouernours / of constant grauyte
	This worlde namely to rule / and set in an ordere
	With comely maners / eschewyng all enormyte
	Adornyng their owne lyues / mortifyeng vanyte
	To people rude / vertuous examples gyueng
455	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: [C4]
	Of these gouernours / whiche ruled thus long space
	Some were patryarkes / prophetes: and iuges temporall
	And some were prestes discrete / and as th'istory do trace
	Discended lyneally / of the styrpe and stocke leuiticall
460	And againe some were scribes / ingenious and morall
	By polytike discrecion / their offices gouernyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Prepositos honorificate.
	Whan these worthy gouernors / armed with prudence
	Had gouerned thus the worlde / a long tyme and date
465	It was thought more conuenyent / for þ e commens defence
	One heed and ruler / to gouerne and the principate principate ='principality, community'
	Therfore as people discrete / in one mynde confederat
	They chose them a ruler / and named hym a kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
470	¶This kyng our souerayne / we ought to honour
	And haue in reputacion / as the myrrour of chiualry
	In whose magnanimite / resteth our trust and tresour
	All tymes and seasons / to suffult our bale and misery
	As a capten valeaunt / rulyng by wytte and policy
475	His subiectes transgressours / straitly punisshyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Who maketh our enemyes to drede and feare
	Insurrections to make / our welthe to molest
	Who punissheth the felone / who correcteth murder
480	Who kepeth our noble realme in peace and rest
	Who maketh þ e prone lecher / to be good and honest prone: perhaps an error for praue, 'depraved'.
	Dothe nat this our souerayne and worthy kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: [C4v]
	¶Who causeth iustyce / who causeth equite:
485	Duely to be mynistred / in cytie / borowe / and towne
	Who quencheth the flames / of rasshe lassyuite
	Who exalteth iust lyuers / and the wicked putteth downe
	All this doth our prince / beryng þ e cepter and crowne
	In whose hande resteth / our welth and gouernyng
490	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶If our prince were nat / order were there none
	For euery man wolde rule / and play the lorde
	And than shulde þ e pore man bothe grudge and grone
	Kept vnder bondage / as dogge vnder borde
495	And nat so hardy / as ones to speke a worde
	For drede of punisshment / and of his goodes lesyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Where is no heed / the body deformed is
	Farre out of shappe / as we se by experyence
500	So in case like / thou canst nat contrary this
	Where is no soueraine / there reigneth inconuenyence
	As fraude / gyle / and extorcion / with many other offence
	So that all-togiders / ronneth to the deuyll hedlyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
505	¶Were it nat for feare / of our prince and souerayne
	I thynke surely / and dare boldely say
	Uerite nor yet equite / shulde be suffred to raigne
	And than soone after / shulde our realme decay
	So craftely wolde auarice / her maters conuey
510	Through subtylte / her handmaydes helpe and socoring
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: D[1]
	¶At syses and sessyons / moche periury is vsed
	Falsheed and power / be so nye of consanguinite
	But than our worthy prince / which can nat be deluded
515	By his lawe and iustyce / extirpeth suche parcialyte
	Thus it is doutlesse / or els thus it shulde be
	In euery realme and region / where reigneth a kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
	Wolde our maisters trowe ye / bothe spretuall and temporall
520	Feare as they do: their lyues to contamynate
	With maners vncomely / by suggestions infernall
	Hyndring their honour / and hurtyng their estate
	Were it nat for their prince / to whom they be subiugate
	Doutlese no: The more pytie without fayning
525	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Reason wolde be so blinded / by ambicion verily
	Were it nat for drede of our prince and souerayne
	That by simony execrable / holy churches patrimoni
	Shulde be bought and solde / as it is knowen playne
530	More common than the oxe / vyle and mundayne
	Whiche is solde in markettes / for great wynning
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
	Here maist þ u aduert man / what profites dothe ensue
	To the realme and subiectes / of euery region
535	Where-as valyaunt princes / do correct and subdue
	Suche frontall enormytes / by their lawes correction
	No state fauoring / if he worthy be punissyon
	But euery man to rewarde / after his deseruyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: [D1v]
540	¶Whan princes be parciall / and nat to all indifferent
	It gyueth people occasion / to grudge and complayne
	But whan they minister to all lyke punysshment
	Than in their realmes / most commenly do raigne
	Peace / vnyte / and concorde / without disdayne
545	So that euery man ioyeth / of others well-lyueng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶O / what treasour it is / and synguler aueyle
	Whan princes be gyuen / to vertue and goodnesse
	Their owne fautes to beholde / and them to bewayle
550	Their soules to redeme / out of wretchednesse
	This poynt most chefely / belongeth doutlesse
	To euery good prince / endles paynes reuoluyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶The next poynt also / that a prince valyaunt
555	Ought to bere in mynde / bothe in welthe and distresse
	Is to be alwayes lyberall / and in his dedes constaunt
	His pore commens to loue / and them neuer to oppresse
	Except necessite do instant / his noble worthynesse instant ='urge, press'
	Ayde to requyre / for his iust tytles defendyng
560	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶In suche causes man: thou arte bounde to socour
	Thy prince and souerayne / with goodes and substance
	Wi[t]h thy body also / and with thy worldly treasour With] Wich 1526
	His right to mentayne / and his honour to auaunce
565	Wherby thy welthe / with good perseueraunce
	Shall prospere the better / for thy true dealyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: D2
	¶To this christ gaue vs / as we rede in the gospell
	Example most euydent / whan he commaunded Peter
570	To the see to go / as Mathewe dothe vs tell
	Sayeng: in þ e fisshes mouth / finde he shulde there
	A pece of money / whiche duely he shulde delyuer
	For their subsedy / to their emperour and kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
575	The same also affirmeth / the postell and doctour
	Blessed saynt Paule / in his epistell whiche he sent
	To the romayns / whiche he brought out of errour
	Sayeng: loke þ a t to princes / shinyng in power eminent
	Ye be alwayes subiecte / meke / lowe / and obedyent
580	Redy them to ayde / at all tymes callyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Lykewise saithe Peter / as the text lyeth playne
	In his first epistell / and in the seconde chapitour
	Loke that ye be dilygent / saithe he / redy and fayne
585	Lyke humble subiectes / your princes to honour
	With faithfull hertes / with goodes and treasour
	And so please you shall / our euerlastyng kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
	And all-though saith he / that in lyueng and behauour
590	All princes and souerayns / be nat lyke of condicion
	But some rigorous and vicyous / enuolued in errour
	Yet natwithstandyng / your purpose and chefe entencion
	Must be to obey / for your dewe correction
	Such vnworthy rulers / sent for your mislyueng
595	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
sig: [D2v]
	¶In many places els / in scripture I fynde
	And in the lawe also / allegacions autentycall allegacions ='assertions' or 'quotations, citations'; see OED s.v. allegation n3, 5.
	Whiche dothe the commaunde man / and straitly bynde
	Thy prince to honor / vnder statutes penall
600	Whiche if thou breke / thou doest surely fall
	In the censours ecclesiasticall / and danger of the kyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
	Nowe conclude vpon this / and thy corage auaunce
	And thynke that it is nat / the regall power onely
605	Whiche princes haue in gouernage / to speke in substance
	That to suche obedience / byndeth the thus straitly
	But it is certayne / as se thou maist playne
	The state legall / of the churches first ordring
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
610	¶Beholde what inconuenience / commenly dothe ensue
	Where reigneth inobedien[c]e / debate and discencion inobedience] inobediente 1526
	Beholde also agayne / where people be vntrue
	Howe their ofspringes / be put vnder subiection
	To_day a lorde / and a man of great possession
615	And to_morowe scant worthe / a poore sely fardyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Lykewise beholde / what vtterly distruction vtterly ='absolute, final'
	Hath comen of rebellyon / and wylfull conspiracy
	Is it nat plainly lefte in discription
620	Howe by suche meanes / monasteries right worthy
	Hath ben distroyed / and contaminate vncomely
	Yet doutlese: it appereth playne in writyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
sig: [D3]
	¶Also / howe many noble cyties / castels / and towres
625	Hath ben subuerted / and made wayes playne
	By violent force / and marciall showres
	The goodes dispoyled / the gouernours slayne
	Their wyues and doughters / defloured certayne
	This for rebellion / hath ben sene without fayning
630	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶Suche lamentable conflictes / and mortall dolours
	Are spectacles necessary / somtyme to beholde
	To stable mennes myndes / auoyding dishonours
	And to lyue in peace / whiche a thousande-folde
635	Is treasour more precious / than syluer or golde
	As man may iudge / by his owne wytte reuoluyng
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
	¶O noble Englande / O worthy realme of fame
	Note well these presydentes / and beare them in mynde
640	And be true to thy prince / contynuing thy good name
	For in cronycles / yet coude I neuer fynde
	That to thy worthy souerayn / thou were vnkynde
	Whiche to þ e is great laude / and also to god praysinge
	Wherfore attende my wordes / and pondre my sayeng.
	Regem honorificate.
645	¶Nowe thus to conclude / without more prolixite
	I purpose by goddes grace / and no lengar to tary
	Repeting these foresaid wordes / togider as they be
	Feare you god / loue you god / and also finally:
	Honour your prince / myrrour of all chiualry
650	And so shall ye purchace / ioye without endyng
	The whiche god graunt vs all / at our departyng.
	AMEN.
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	¶Here foloweth a brefe conclusyon of Paule_Busshe / composytour of this worke / to the reders of the same.
	¶Nowe hast þ u lytell boke / god be thy good spede
	And loke that thy-selfe / thou mekely present
	Among my maisters all / requyring no mede
	No laude / ne praysing / for that was nat th'entent
5	Of thy compositour / as knoweth god omnypotent
	But his purpose was / people chefely to excyte
	In vertuous pastyme / to haue some delyte.
	¶Some haue pleasure / in the feldes to walke
	Of þ e stillyng of th'erth / to take þ e fragrant odours
10	Some delyteth agayne / to byde at home and talke
	In redyng cronycles / of their auncient progenytours
	Howe worthely they optayned / glorie and honours
	And some agayne there be / and they desyre chefely
	Of musicall instrumentes / to here þ e swete armony.
15	¶All these be pastymes / right honest and venerable
	To reproue them greatly / we haue none occasyon
	For all-thyng that is done / after maner laudable
	May be permytted / in the way of recreacyon
	So that it be done / with demure conuersacyon
20	Hurtyng no man / alwayes obseruyng measure
	Whiche is thyng commendable / in euery gesture.
	¶But some villayns ther be / refrayning no shame
	Dispyce all pastymes / honest and morall
	Unclenly thoughtes / dothe them so enflame
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25	That their hertes and myndes / be set in especiall
	In redyng of bokes and balades / of actes veneryall
	Thinking in their opinions / nothyng more laudable
	Whiche is right vyle / full wretched and damnable
	¶Howe shulde I than / after this wyse and rate
30	Please and content / suche myndes vnstable
	It were greatly vnsyttyng / vnto my order and state
	If I shulde endyte / suche maters [nat] commendable The copytext is illegible here.
	This wys men wyll say / though þ e fole with his bable
	Thinke no workes good / except they in speciall
35	Smacke of Uenus lustes / filthy and brutall.
	¶But let suche thynke / and say what they please
	To say that I wyll contryue / my tyme and study
	About suche busynesse / almighty god to displease
	Doutles I purpose nat / wherfore my-selfe to occupy
40	In workes commendable / I dyde my mynde apply
	This lytell brefe processe / thus rudely to endight
	Some thynges therby / to bring to lyght.
	¶Therfore my worthy lordes / and maister [in generall] in generall] ingennall 1526
	Ouer-rede this lytell volume / somtyme at leysour
45	And if it be well / gyue laudes chefe and principall
	To god omnypotent / our lorde and sauyour
	And if it be otherwise / let me beare the dishonour
	For well am I worthy / as I said at begynning
	for enterprisyng this cause / hauyng so lytell conning.
	¶Thus endeth this boke / entytuled or c[alled þ]e extyrpacion of ignorancy. Imprint[ed ... ] in fletestrete / by Richarde_P[ynson prin]ter to the kynges most nobl[e ... ] The bottom right-hand corner of the leaf is torn away in the copytext.
	Cum priuilegi[o]
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