So many wronges So few mery songges And so many ivel tonges Say I neuer. So moche trechery Symony and vsery Poverte and lechery Say I never. So fewe sayles So lytle avayles And so many jayles Sawe y never. So many esterlynges Lombardes and flemynges To bere awey our wynynges Sawe I never. Be there sotyll weys Al Englande decays For suche false Januayes Sawe I neuer. Amonge the ryche Where frenship ys to seche But so fayre glosynge speche Sawe I never. So many poore Comynge to the dore And so litle socour Sawe I never. So prowde and say [gay?] So joly in aray And so litle money Sawe I never. So many sellers So fewe byers And so many marchaunt taylors Sawe I never. Executores havynge mony and ware Than havynge so litle care How the pore sowle shall fare Sawe I never. So many lawers vse The truthe to refuse And suche falsehed excuse Sawe I never. Whan a man ys dede His wiffe so shortely wed And havynge suche hast to bed Sawe I neuer. So many maydens blamed Wrongefully not defamed And beyenge so lytle ashamyd Sawe I never. Relygiouse in cloystere closyd And prestes and large[272] losed Beyenge so evyll disposyd Sawe I never. God saue our sovereygne lord the kynge And alle his royal sprynge For so noble a prince reyny[n]ge Sawe I never.” [272] _and large_] Qy. “at large?” but it is by no means certain that “large” is the reading of the MS. Page 148. v. 9. _gardes_] i. e. facings, trimmings. v. 10. _Jagged_] See note, p. 163. v. 124: but here probably (as certainly in v. 54) something ornamental is meant. —— _al to-torne_] See note, p. 100. v. 32. v. 15. _hostryes_] i. e. inns. v. 17. _warkes_] i. e. works. v. 22. _preves_] i. e. proves; equivalent, perhaps, to—turn out well. Page 149. v. 25. _garded hose_] i. e. faced, trimmed breeches. v. 26. _cornede_] i. e. horned, pointed. v. 29. _questes_] i. e. inquests. v. 31. _quitte_] i. e. acquitted. v. 50. _crakers_] i. e. vaunters, big talkers. v. 54. _cultyng and jagging_] See note above, v. 10: _cultyng_, I believe, should be _cuttyng_. Page 150. v. 57. _knackes_] i. e. trifles, toys, or perhaps tricks. v. 58. _naughty packes_] An expression which occurs again in our author’s _Garlande of Laurell_, v. 188. vol. i. 369, is common in writers of a much later date, and is not yet altogether obsolete (see _The Dialect of Craven_, &c. in _Noughty-Pack_),—equivalent to worthless, loose persons (properly, it would seem, cheaters; see Richardson’s _Dict._ in v. _Pack_). Page 151. v. 90. _kepe tuche_] i. e. keep contract, agreement. v. 93. _pore_] i. e. poor. v. 94. _bordoure_] i. e. border. v. 101. _bowyers_] i. e. bow-makers. v. 102. _fletchers_] i. e. arrow-makers.