I take my marke amys¶Finis.
| sig: [A1] | |
| A pore helpe. | |
| ¶The buklar and defence | |
| Of mother holy kyrke | |
| And weapen to driue hence | |
| Al that against here wircke. | |
| sig: [A1v] | |
| WIl none in al this lande | |
| Step forth and take in hand | |
| These felowes to withstand | |
| In number like the sande | |
| 5 | That wyth the Gospel melles |
| And wil do nothynge elles | |
| But tratlinge tales telles | |
| Agaynste our holy prelacie | |
| And holy churches dignitie | |
| 10 | Sayinge it is but papistrie |
| Yea fayned and Hypocrisy | |
| Erronious and heresye | |
| And taketh theire authoritye | |
| Out of the holy euangelie | |
| 15 | All customes ceremoniall |
| And rites ecclesiastical | |
| Not grounded on scripture | |
| No longer to endure | |
| And thus ye may be sure | |
| 20 | The people they allure |
| And drawe them from youre lore | |
| The whiche wil greue you sore | |
| Take hede I saye therfore | |
| Your nede was neuer more | |
| 25 | But sens ye be so slacke |
| It greuith me a_lacke | |
| sig: A2 | |
| To here behind your backe | |
| Howe they wyll carpe and cracke | |
| And none of you that dare | |
| 30 | With one of them compare |
| Yet some ther be that are | |
| So bolde to shewe there ware | |
| And is no priest nor deacon | |
| And yet wyl fire his becone | |
| 35 | Against such felowes fraile |
| Make out wyth tothe and nayle | |
| And hoyste vp mayne-saile | |
| And manfully to fyght | |
| In holy prelates right | |
| 40 | With penne and ynke and paper |
| And like no trifling Iaper | |
| To touch these felowes in-dede | |
| With all expedient spede This and the following line are added in W | |
| And not before it nede | |
| 45 | And I in-dede am he |
| That wayteth for to se | |
| Who dare so hardy be | |
| To encounter here with me | |
| I stande here in defence | |
| 50 | Of sume that be far hence |
| And can both blysse and sence | |
| And also vnder-take | |
| Right holy thinges to make | |
| Yea god within a cake | |
| sig: [A2v] | |
| 55 | And who-so that forsake |
| His breade shalbe dowe-bake | |
| I openly professe | |
| The holy blissed masse | |
| Of strength to be no lesse | |
| 60 | Then it was at the firste |
| But I woulde se who dourst | |
| Set that amonge the worst | |
| For he should be acurst | |
| With boke and bell and candel | |
| 65 | And so I would him handel |
| That he shoulde right wel knowe | |
| Howe to escape I trow | |
| So hardy on his head | |
| Depraue our holy breade | |
| 70 | Or els to prate or patter |
| Against oure holy-watter | |
| This is a playne matter | |
| It nedeth not to flatter | |
| They be suche holy thinges | |
| 75 | As hath bene vsed with kinges |
| And yet these lewde loselles | |
| That bragge vpon ther Gospelles | |
| At ceremonies swelles | |
| And at our christined belles | |
| 80 | And at your longe gownes |
| sig: A3 | |
| And at your shauen crownes | |
| And at your tipettes fyne | |
| And Iauelles will repyne | |
| They saye ye lead euil liues | |
| 85 | Wyth other mens wyues |
| And wil none of your owne | |
| And so your sede is sowne | |
| In other menns grounde | |
| True wedlocke to confound | |
| 90 | Thus do they raile and Raue |
| Calling euery priest knaue | |
| That loueth messe to saye | |
| And after Idel al day | |
| They woulde not haue you playe | |
| 95 | To driue the time awaye |
| But brabble on the byble | |
| Whiche is but vn_possible | |
| To be lerned in al your life | |
| Yet therin be they rife | |
| 100 | Which maketh al this strife |
| And also the paraphrasies | |
| Much differing from your porteises | |
| They woulde haue dayly vsed | |
| And porteise cleane refused | |
| 105 | But they shalbe accused |
| That haue so far abused | |
| sig: [A3v] | |
| Their tonges against such holines | |
| And holy churches busines | |
| Made hundred yeres ago | |
| 110 | Great clearckes affirmeth so |
| And other many mo | |
| That searched to and fro | |
| In scripture for to fynde | |
| What they myght leaue behinde | |
| 115 | For to be kept in mynde |
| Amonge the people blind | |
| As waueringe as the wynde | |
| And wrote thereof suche bokes | |
| That whoso on them lokes | |
| 120 | Shal find them to be clarkes |
| As proueth by their warks | |
| And yet therebe that barke | |
| And say they be but darcke | |
| But harke ye loulars harke | |
| 125 | So wel we shal you marcke |
| That if the worlde shall turne | |
| A sort of you shall burne | |
| Ye durst as wel I saye | |
| Wythin this tow yeres day | |
| 130 | As sone to rune a_waye |
| As such partes to playe | |
| When sume dyd rule and reygne | |
| sig: A4 | |
| And auncient thinges maintayne | |
| Which nowe be counted vaine | |
| 135 | And brought into disdayne |
| Suche men I saye they were | |
| As loued not thys geare | |
| And kept you styl in feare | |
| To burne or faggottes bere | |
| 140 | Then durste ye not be b[ol]de bolde] blode 1548 |
| (Against our lerninges olde | |
| Or images of golde | |
| Which nowe be bought and solde | |
| And were the lay-mannes boke | |
| 145 | Whereon they ought to loke) |
| One worde to speake a_misse | |
| Can ye say nay to this? | |
| No no ye foles I_wysse | |
| A thinge to playne it is. | |
| 150 | Then did these clarkes deuyne |
| Dayly them-selues encline | |
| To proue and to define | |
| That Christes body aboue | |
| Whiche suffered for oure loue | |
| 155 | And died for oure behoue |
| Is in the sacrament | |
| Fleshe bloude and bone present | |
| And breade and wyne a_waye | |
| sig: [A4v] | |
| As sone as they shall saye | |
| 160 | The wordes of consecracion |
| In time of celebracion | |
| So muste it be in-dede | |
| Though it be not in the crede | |
| And yet thes felowes newe | |
| 165 | Wyl saye it is not true |
| Christes body for to vewe | |
| Wyth any bodely eye | |
| That do they playne deny | |
| And stifely stand therby | |
| 170 | And enterprise to wright |
| And also to endight | |
| Bokes both great and smal | |
| Agaynste these fathers al | |
| And heresy it cal | |
| 175 | That any man should teach |
| Or to the people preache | |
| Such thinges without their reach | |
| And some ther be that say | |
| That Christ cannot alday | |
| 180 | Be kept within a box |
| Nor yet set in the stokes | |
| Nor hidden like a fox | |
| Nor presoner vnder lockes | |
| Nor clothed with powdred armine | |
| sig: [A5] | |
| 185 | Nor bredeth stinking vermine |
| Nor dweleth in an howse | |
| Nor eatyn of a mouse | |
| Nor moulde or he be spent | |
| Nor yet with fire be brent | |
| 190 | Nor rotten is nor rusty This and the following three lines are added in W |
| Nor moth-eaten nor musty | |
| Nor light as is a fether | |
| Nor blown about with wether | |
| Nor can no more be slayne | |
| 195 | Nor offered vp agayne |
| Blessed sacrament for thy passion | |
| Here and se our exclamacion | |
| Agaynste thes men of new facion | |
| That striue agaynst the holy nacion | |
| 200 | And Iest of them in plays |
| In tauerns and hye-wayes | |
| And theyr good actes disprayse | |
| And martirs woulde them make | |
| That brent were at a stake | |
| 205 | And sing pipe meri annot |
| And play of wil-not cannot | |
| And as for cannot and wil-not | |
| Though they speke not of it it skil not | |
| For a noble clarke of late | |
| 210 | And worthie in estate |
| Hath played with them chek-mate | |
| Theyr courage to abate | |
| And telles them such a tale | |
| As makes theyr bonettes vale | |
| 215 | And marreth cleane the sale. |
| sig: [A5v] | |
| Of all their whole pastime | |
| And al is done in ryme | |
| Oh, what a man is thys | |
| That if he coulde I_wysse | |
| 220 | Woulde mend that is amys |
| His meaninge is in-dede | |
| That if he myght wel spede | |
| And beare some rule againe | |
| It shoulde be to their paine | |
| 225 | I thinke they were but worthye |
| Because they be so sturdy | |
| To rayle agaynste the wircke | |
| Of our mother holy kyrke | |
| Yet some ther be in fume | |
| 230 | And prowdly do presume |
| Unto thys learned man | |
| To answere and they can | |
| And wene they had the grace | |
| His balad to deface | |
| 235 | And trowe ye that wilbe? |
| Nay nay beleue ye me | |
|
I take my marke amys |
|
| If once he dyd not mys | |
| A verie narowe hys | |
| 240 | Wel if you come agayne |
| Maye happen twelue men | |
| sig: [A6] | |
| Shal doe as they dyd then | |
| Haue you forgote the bar | |
| That euer ther you war | |
| 245 | And stode to make and mar |
| By god and by the contrey | |
| You had a narowe entrey | |
| Take hede of coram nobis | |
| We wyl reken wyth vobis | |
| 250 | If you come agayne |
| We wyl know who pulled the hen | |
| For all your bolde courage | |
| You maye paye for the potage | |
| And are you nowe so bragge | |
| 255 | You maye come to lagge |
| Your happe may be to wagge | |
| Upon a wodden nagge | |
| Or els a fayer fyer | |
| May hap to be your hier | |
| 260 | Take hede lest you tyer |
| And lye downe in the myer | |
| Holde fast by the mane | |
| By the masse it is no game | |
| If my Lord ware not lame | |
| 265 | You wyll all be tame |
| When you here him next | |
| Marcke well his texte | |
| sig: [A6v] | |
| He hath ben curstly vext | |
| I fere me he be wext | |
| 270 | A popistant stout |
| Surely all the rout | |
| That heres him shall doubt | |
| He wylbe in and out | |
| Prowlynge rounde about | |
| 275 | To get forth the snowt |
| If prayer maye do good | |
| All the whole broode | |
| Skuruy, skabbed, and skald | |
| Shauen, shorne, and baul[d]e baulde] baule 1548 | |
| 280 | Pore priestes of Baule |
| We praye for him all | |
| Unto the god of breade | |
| For if he be deade | |
| We may go to bed | |
| 285 | Blyndefild and be led |
| Without rag or shred | |
| But I am sore adred | |
| I se him loke so red | |
| Yet I durste ley my heade | |
| 290 | As docter frier saide |
| He hath some-what in store | |
| Wel you shal knowe more | |
| Herken well therefore | |
| sig: [A7] | |
| Some shal paye the skore | |
| 295 | He hath ben a pardoner |
| And also a garddener | |
| He hath ben a vitaylar | |
| A Lordly hospitelar | |
| A noble teacher | |
| 300 | And so-so a preacher |
| Though Germin his man | |
| Were hanged what than? | |
| Say worsse and you can | |
| Best let him alone | |
| 305 | For Peter Iames and Iohn |
| And Apostelles euery one | |
| I giue you playne warninge | |
| Had neuer no suche learnyng | |
| As hath thys famous clarke | |
| 310 | He is lerned beyond the marke beyond] be beyond 1548 |
| And also mayster huggarde | |
| Doth shewe him-selfe no sluggard | |
| Nor yet no drunkin drunkarde | |
| But sharpeth vp hys wyt | |
| 315 | And frameth it so fyt |
| These yonkers for to hit | |
| And wil not them permit | |
| In errour stil to sit | |
| As it may wel apeare | |
| sig: [A7v] | |
| 320 | By his clarkely answere |
| The whiche initled is | |
| Agaynste what meaneth this | |
| A man of olde sorte | |
| And writeth not in sporte | |
| 325 | But answereth ernestly |
| Concludynge heresy | |
| And yet as I trowe | |
| Some bluster and blo[w]e blowe] bloude 1548 | |
| And crake (as the crowe) | |
| 330 | But nettes wyl wee laye |
| To cache them if we maye | |
| For if I begin begin] beging 1548 | |
| I wyll bringe them in | |
| And feche in my cosyns | |
| 335 | By the whole dosens |
| And call them coram nobis | |
| And teache them dominus vobis | |
| With his et cum spiritu tuo | |
| That holy be both-duo. | |
| 340 | When they be sayed and songe |
| In holy latyn tonge | |
| And solemne belles do ringe | |
| But these babes be to yonge | |
| Perkyng vpon theyr patins | |
| 345 | And fayne would haue the mattens |
| sig: [A8] | |
| And eueninge-songe also | |
| In Englishe to be do | |
| With mariage and baptising | |
| Burialles and other thyng | |
| 350 | In vulgare tonge to saye and sing |
| And so they do it newly | |
| In diuerse places truly | |
| Sayinge they do but duely | |
| Maynteinyng it in any wyse | |
| 355 | So shoulde they do their seruice |
| Alasse who woulde not mone | |
| Or rather grount or grone | |
| To se suche seruice gone | |
| Whiche saued many one | |
| 360 | From dedly synne and shame |
| And many a spote of blame | |
| From purgatorye-payne | |
| And many showre of rayne | |
| Wel yet I saye agayne | |
| 365 | Some honest men remayne |
| And kepe there customes stil | |
| And euer-more wyl | |
| Wherfore in-dede my read is | |
| To take you to your beades | |
| 370 | Al men and women I saye |
| That vseth so to praye | |
| sig: [A8v] | |
| That such good priestes maie | |
| Continue so alwaye | |
| Or eles none other like | |
| 375 | But al lieth in the dyke |
| And loke ye do not faynt | |
| But pray to some good saynt | |
| That he maye make restraint | |
| Of all these straung facions | |
| 380 | And greate abo[min]acions abominacions] abonamacions 1548 |
| Because I maye not tary | |
| I praye to swete Sir Harry | |
| A man that wyl not vary | |
| And one that is no sculker | |
| 385 | But [a] knyghte of the sepulchre a] kna. 1548 |
| That he maye stand fast | |
| And be not ouer-cast | |
| Or eles to be the last | |
| Of al them that do yelde | |
| 390 | In city towne or fielde |
| For if he stike therin | |
| No doute he shal not blin | |
| Tyl he come to eternitie | |
| With al his whole fraternite | |
| 395 | Amen therfore saye ye |
| That his partakers be | |
| Ye get no more of me | |
|
¶Finis. |