Lyue well and wysely, than let men chat theyr fyll Wordes ar but wynde, and though it oft so fall That of lewde wordes comyth great hurte and yll Yet byde the ende, that onely prouyth all If thou canst suffer truste well that thou shall Ouercome thyne ennemyes better by pacience Than by hye wordes rygour or vyolence If poetis that somtyme vyce blamyd and discommendyd And holy Prophetis whiche also dyd the same To suche vayne and mortall wordes had intendyd They sholde nat haue durst the peoples vyce to blame So sholde they haue lost their honour and good name Theyr fame and meryt, but nowe they haue nat so But spred theyr fame, whiche neuer away shall go Forsoth none lyueth within the worlde wyde Suche meke so holy, so wyse or pacyent Whiche can hym selfe at euery tyme so gyde To please eche fole, for none can some content Forsoth he myght be named excellent Happy and blessyd and lyue in welth and eas Whiche euery man cowde serue content and pleas But suche is none, and he that wyll assay For to content eche folysshe mannes mynde Must brake his slepe and stody nyght and day And yet alway some fole shall be behynde Ye if one lyue well, yet wyll they somwhat fynde Behynde his backe hym to sclaunder and diffame For beggers and bawdes therin haue all theyr game For whether thou dwell in Est west north or south Of suche dryuels euer shalt thou fynde plente One must haue moche mele, to stoppe eche mannys mouth Sclander is the cunnynge of all the comonte And in the same suche ay moste besy be Whiche lyue them selfe in shame and vylany Euen nowe they speke repentynge by and by Thus all the cunnynge and stody dilygent. Of people vnthryfty is alway to despyse And diffame other whiche ar but innocent Wherfore let suche as ar discrete and wyse Nought set by them that lesyngys doth deuyse Nor theyr vayne foly: for he that doth certayne Is but, a fole. and euer shall lyue in payne. THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Trouble nat thy selfe (thou man) where is no nede And arme thou thy selfe with goodly pacyence Be sure it is great foly to take hede Unto backbytynge syns that no resystence May be founde to withstande his violence And take thou this one thynge for thy comfort That none wyse, or good, wyll commyt this offence But all ar caytyffes, that ar of this lewde sort. * * * * * Of mockers, and scorners, and false accusers. [Illustration: Yet ar mo Folys whiche mocke and scorneth fast Suche as them shewyth wysdome and doctryne And at theyr hedes (vngoodly) stonys cast In mynde disdaynynge to wysdome to enclyne But gladly they ensue the discyplyne Of folysshe mockers, let wyse men them eschewe For no correccion can brynge them to vertue]