For two serpentis that venemus were and fell Were set to the brestis of fayre Cleopatray So this cruell purpose had punysshement cruell For theyr intendynge theyr countrey to betray And worthy they were, what man can it denay Thus it apereth playne by euydence That of false loue cometh great inconuenyence For he that loueth is voyde of all reason Wandrynge in the worlde without lawe or mesure In thought and fere sore vexed eche season And greuous dolours in loue he must endure No creature hym selfe may well assure From loues soft dartis: I say none on the grounde But mad and folysshe bydes he whiche hath the wounde Aye rennynge as franatyke no reason in his mynde He hath no constaunce nor ease within his herte His iyen ar blynde, his wyll alwaye inclyned To louys preceptes yet can nat he departe The Net is stronge, the fole caught can nat starte The darte is sharpe, who euer is in the chayne Can nat his sorowe in vysage hyde nor fayne Rede howe Phedra hir loue fixed so feruent On ypolitus in prohybyte auowtry. That whan he wolde nat vnto hir consent To hir husbonde she accused hym falsly As if he wolde hir tane by force to vylany Ipolitus was murdred for this accusement But Phedra for wo hanged hyrself incontynent The lewde loue of Phasyphe abhomynable As poetis sayth) brought hir to hir confusyon Nero the cruell Tyrant detestable. His naturall mother knewe by abusyon Uenus and Cupido with their collusyon. Enflamyd Messalina in suche wyse That euery nyght hir selfe she wolde disgyse And secretly go to the brothelhous For to fulfyll hir hote concupyssence What shall I wryte the dedes vicious Of Julia or, hir cruell offence. What shall I wryte the inconuenyence Whiche came by Danythys cursed auowtry Syth that the bybyll it shewyth openly What shall I wryte the greuous forfayture Of Sodom and Gomor syns the Bybyll doth tell Of their synnes agaynst god and nature For whiche they sanke alyue downe into hell. Thus it aperith what punysshement cruell. Our lorde hath taken both in the olde lawe and newe For this synne: whiche sholde vs moue it to eschewe ALEXANDER BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Ye folys inflamyd with loue inordynate. Note these examples, drawe from this vyce your mynde Remember that there is none so great estate But that false loue hym causeth to be blynde Our folysshe wymen may nat be left behynde For many of them so folowys in this way That they sell theyr soules and bodyes to go gay The graceles galantes, and the aprentyce pore Though they nought haue, themselfe they set nought by Without they be acquaynted with some hore Of westmynster or some other place of rybawdry Than fall they to murder theft and robery. For were nat proude clothynge, and also flesshely lust All the feters and gyues of Englonde shulde rust.