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THE PRACTICE practiced by the Pope and his prelates. which they haue vsed synce they came to their estates. |
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ALas alas, what shall I now doo: | ||
My kyngdome is lyke, no longer to stande: | ||
These Englyshmen, wyll me vndoo: | ||
And dryue me quyte out of their lande, | ||
5 | I may to them, holde vp my hande, | |
And say adue, my frendes all, | ||
But specially, my preestes of Ball. | ||
Yet at the fyrst, whan that I harde, | ||
How that my Pilgrimages, were put downe, | ||
10 | And that my pardones, they dyd not regarde, | |
Nor cared not for my triple crowne, | ||
All this, lytle minished my renowne: | ||
Hopyng to haue it vp agayne all, | ||
By the craftye conueyaunce, of my preestes of Ball. | ||
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15 | And as for Scala_celi, my Masse, | |
With idle holydayes in the yere, | ||
For the losse of them, I dyd not passe, | ||
Bycause they were, but sclender gere, | ||
I haue men lyeng, euery-where: | ||
20 | That can make them new agayne all, | |
By the wycked counsell, of my preestes of Ball. | ||
And than agayne, for my Peter-pence, | ||
The which came yerely to my purse. | ||
They haue lytle bated my exspence, | ||
25 | Nor made my cofers, lytle the worse, | |
And though they doo not regarde my curse, | ||
Nor yet my blessyng, amongest them all, | ||
Yet this wyll be recouered, by my preestes of Ball. | ||
And as for all my Abbayes and Selles, | ||
30 | With Charter-houses and Monesteries, | |
That were thrust downe, with hallowed welles, | ||
Therein to wasshe, for feare of feryes, | ||
All this, my kyngdome lytle weryes, | ||
Not doubtyng to haue it vp agayne all, | ||
35 | By the wycked counsell, of my preestes of Ball. | |
My fat-headed Monkes, with my .iiii. orders of Friers | ||
My stoute Channons, and wympeled Nonnes, | ||
Which were dryuen out, as sellers and byers, | ||
All this with other, in agayne commes, | ||
40 | For I haue store ynough, in other kyngdommes, | |
And also in Englande, when-so-euer I call, | ||
As knoweth full well, my preestes of Ball. | ||
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And as for the name of Supreme heade: | ||
For that, I doo not greatly care: | ||
45 | So longe, as by my lawes they are leade: | |
Let them dyspyse me, and not spare, | ||
All thys can not make, me worse to fare. | ||
Hopyng to haue yt, vp agayne all, | ||
By the deuyse, of my preestes of Ball. | ||
50 | But I maye my-self, bothe curse and ban: | |
And teare my clothes, for very madnes: | ||
That when I was, with euery man, | ||
Regarded much, in ernest sadnes: | ||
Then vsed I, suche open badnes: | ||
55 | That the people, fled from me all: | |
Sauyng, my louyng preestes of Ball. | ||
I had no measure, in sellynge of my wares: | ||
But made them paye, I cared not what, | ||
Which was the begynnyng, of all my cares: | ||
60 | But now to repent, it is to late, | |
I vsed such a geynfull common rate, | ||
That the people, fled from me all, | ||
Sauyng, my louyng preestes of Ball. | ||
Also my Byshops, I trow they were mad, | ||
65 | That when they saw the Abbayes put downe, | |
And that the Kyng, their treasure had, | ||
All thys, mynisshed lyttell their renowne, | ||
But one, as with his shauen crowne, | ||
Toke counsell, with hys fellowes all. | ||
70 | Insurrection to make, by my preestes of Ball | |
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And when they sawe, their euell chaunce: | ||
How in that, they were ouer_come: | ||
Then sent they one, vnto the Kynge of Fraunce, | ||
To carry hym worde, they were vndon, | ||
75 | Desyryng hym, with all and some; | |
That he wold helpe. hys subiectes all: | ||
To set vp agayne, the preestes of Ball. | ||
And then an-other, into Scotland was sente: | ||
That they, on the other syde shuld be doyng: | ||
80 | So that, their subtyll intente, | |
Must go forwarde, in euery-thyng, | ||
Continuall warres, they dyd brynge: | ||
Whiche was to stoppe, Goddes truthe with-all: | ||
By the customed practice, of my preestes of Ball: | ||
85 | And when these men, were set on worke. | |
Hauynge mynde of nothyng but battayle: | ||
Then dyd my men, to_gether lurke, | ||
Thynkyng, on their purpose to preuayle: | ||
Deuysyng a beaste, with .vi. heades and a tayle, | ||
90 | Desyryng the Kynge, with his counsell all, | |
To lycence my beastes, the preestes of Ball. | ||
And when that lycence, then was graunted. | ||
They begane to bragge, in euery place: | ||
And the new gospellers, by them were taunted: | ||
95 | Thynkyng ther-by, the truthe to defase: | |
Alas there ys an heuy case. | ||
For downe I must, with my baggage all: | ||
Sparyng not me, nor my preestes of Ball. | ||
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Styll dothe the Kyng, contynew in warre: | ||
100 | And hath almost spent, the ryches of the Abbayes: | |
Thys gere, I feare me, wyll vs cleane marre: | ||
Gatheryng of money, my power decayes: | ||
Colleges, and Chaunteries, in theyr ryche arayes: | ||
They are lyke now, to go downe all: | ||
105 | And thus decayes, my preestes of Ball. | |
And when the ryches, of them ys wasted, | ||
Then, haue at the Byshops landes: | ||
And Cathedrall churches, shalbe tasted: | ||
The which, full gorgyously now standes: | ||
110 | I maye lament, and wrynge my handes: | |
Geuyng vp the soule titles all: | ||
And take my leaue, of my preestes of Ball. | ||
By thys my darlynges, shall be made so poore: | ||
That they shall not be able, to doo me good: | ||
115 | But shall go begge, from dore to dore: | |
With sad countenance, and carefull mood: | ||
To chafe, frette, or to be wood: | ||
It wyll not helpe, nothynge at all. | ||
But farewell, my noynted preestes of Ball. | ||
120 | Farewell mattens, with tunable notes: | |
Farewell euensong, done at nyght. | ||
Farewell Diriges, with trentall grotes: | ||
Farewell Idolles, now put to flyght: | ||
Farewell, my great god of myght: | ||
125 | Farewell ones ag[a]yne, my god of all: agayne] agyne 1550 | |
Farewell good-nyght, my preestes of Ball. | ||
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Farewell Pax, Pascalls and Palmes: | ||
Farewell Alter, Asshes: and Aue-maries: | ||
Farewel Portuous, Pystelles and Psalmes: | ||
130 | Farewell Anteme of Alys: and Annes: | |
Farewell commendations, and also mortuaries: | ||
Farewell my copes, and vestimentes all | ||
Farewell my shauen preestes of Ball. | ||
Adew my holybread, in howsell-stede | ||
135 | Adew my holly water, for veniall synnes: | |
Adew my crepyng, to the crosse at nede. | ||
Adew my belles, with all their gynnes. | ||
Adew cusshyons, knelynges, and crouchynges: | ||
Adew my sensores, and cruets all. | ||
140 | Adew my full trust, in the preestes of Ball. | |
Commende me to my seuen sacramentes. | ||
But specyally, to my good derlyng Whyte_cote, | ||
And shewe to hym, that my good intentes. | ||
The christians, nothyng regarde or note: | ||
145 | Goddes worde, amongest them is so hote. | |
That downe I must, with my baggage all, | ||
Sparing not me, nor my preestes of Ball. | ||
And as for the .vi. Gardiners Gospelles. | ||
They are euen sodeynly, now decayed. | ||
150 | And also my .vi. Articles. | |
Thys maketh me in-dede, to be afrayde, | ||
I haue but small trust, in fresh ayde. | ||
For surely my ceremonies: wyll go downe all. | ||
That out alas, my preestes of Ball. | ||
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155 | Thus with euell wyll, I take my flyght. | |
Departyng a_waye, with wofull chere. | ||
Neuermore in England, to come in syght: | ||
How saye Lawyers, to thys gere: | ||
I_wys I helped you, this menny yere, | ||
160 | With kepynge the people in blindnes all, | |
But we trust no more to the preestes of Ball. | ||
Leaue of your byndynge of heauy burdens, | ||
Upon mens shouldres, to oppresse them downe: | ||
Leste you and I, lyke idle lurdens, | ||
165 | Go labor a_bout, from towne to towne, | |
I saye trust no more, to my shauen crowne, | ||
But minister truly, a_mongest you all, | ||
And haue no more truste in the preestes of Ball. | ||
Now maysters, you that dyd here: | ||
170 | The pitifull complaynt, of my song. | |
Wolde very gladly, see it appere: | ||
Thynkynge the tyme, to be very longe: | ||
Thys prossesse of myne, wyll not prolonge. | ||
For the breath of God, wyll downe with all: | ||
175 | Shortely not to see, a preeste of Ball. | |
God saue the Kyng, hys noble grace, | ||
And send hym to spye, the subtiltie of the bysshoppes | ||
And that he may in any case, | ||
Once thrust downe, these forked toppes: | ||
180 | For as long as the pye, in the Kyngs chambre hoppes, | |
The silly sheepe, and lambes all, | ||
Are lyke to be deuoured, with the preestes of Ball. | ||
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Doo not thynke here, that I discommende, | ||
Any of the sacramentes, that Christ dyd institute: | ||
185 | For I dyd neuer so pretende, | |
My mynde was, nothyng but to confute, | ||
The abuses of thynges, therein to dispute, | ||
Which I wolde were taken away in generall, | ||
No more to be mainteyned, by the preestes of Ball. | ||
Finis. |
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Imprinted at London by Humfrey_Powell, dwellyng aboue Holburne conduit. And are to be solde by Hugh_Syngleton, at the sygne of saynt Augustine, in Poules church-yarde. |