Your selfe attyred, as you can devise, Then to some nobleman your selfe applye, Or other great one in the worldës eye, 490 That hath a zealous disposition To God, and so to his religion. There must thou fashion eke a godly zeale, Such as no carpers may contrayre reveale: For each thing fained ought more warie bee. 495 There thou must walke in sober gravitee, And seeme as saintlike as Saint Radegund: Fast much, pray oft, looke lowly on the ground, And unto everie one doo curtesie meeke: These lookes (nought saying) doo a benefice seeke, And be thou sure one not to lacke or long. 501 [_Or_, ere.] But if thee list unto the Court to throng, And there to hunt after the hoped pray, Then must thou thee dispose another way For there thou needs must learne to laugh, to lie, 505 To face, to forge, to scoffe, to companie, To crouche, to please, to be a beetle-stock Of thy great masters will, to scorne, or mock: So maist thou chaunce mock out a benefice, Unlesse thou canst one coniure by device, 510 Or cast a figure for a bishoprick: And if one could, it were but a schoole trick. These be the wayes by which without reward Livings in court he gotten, though full hard; For nothing there is done without a fee: 515 The courtier needes must recompenced bee With a benevolence, or have in gage [_Gage_, pledge.] The primitias of your parsonage: [_Primitias_, first-fruits.] Scarse can a bishoprick forpas them by, But that it must be gelt in privitie. 520 Doo not thou therefore seeke a living there, But of more private persons seeke elswhere, Whereas thou maist compound a better penie, Ne let thy learning question’d be of anie. For some good gentleman, that hath the right 525 Unto his church for to present a wight, Will cope with thee in reasonable wise, [_Cope_, bargain.] That if the living yerely doo arise To fortie pound, that then his yongest sonne Shall twentie have, and twentie thou hast wonne: 530 Thou hast it wonne, for it is of franke gift And he will care for all the rest to shift; Both that the bishop may admit of thee, And that therein thou maist maintained bee. This is the way for one that is unlern’d 535 Living to get, and not to be discern’d. But they that are great clerkes have nearer wayes For learning sake to living them to raise: Yet manie eke of them (God wote) are driven T’accept a benefice in peeces riven.— 540 How saist thou, friend, have I not well discourst Upon this common-place, though plaine, not wourst? Better a short tale than a bad long shriving: Needes anie more to learne to get a living?” “Now sure, and by my hallidome,” quoth he 545 “Yea great master are in your degree: Great thankes I yeeld you for your discipline,