Alas man remembre heuens blyssednes And though the way be harde that lyeth therto Forsoke it nat for all that great sharpnes For at the ende is lyfe and rest also Euerlastynge glory with other ioyes mo But who that taketh the other way certayne Shall fynde at the ende eternall payne and wo Thoughe the way thether be easy streyght and playne * * * * * Of the yll example of elders gyuyn vnto youth. [Illustration: If that the fader and mother before theyr son By anger or malyce brake, platter pot, or pan The son in hande shall take some cauderon And lerne to breke it if his small power can Thus oft tyme chyldren haue cause to curse or ban Theyr frendes for suche example of lewdnes For soner that they lerne than vertue or goodes] Ye aged men rotyd in folysshnes And folysshe parentis lewde of your langage Vnto our shyp swyftly your selfe addres Syns ye be worthy therin to haue a stage Nowe cast I repreues agaynst your outrage Whiche boldly bost you of your vnthryfty lyues Before your maydes, your doughters and your wyues Alas the folys of this mad company By theyr example cause great inconuenyence Before theyr children recountynge rybaudry Of suche as they haue had experyence. So gyue they to them example of offence And in that synne wheron they bost and vant They make them perfyte whiche erst were ignorant Theyr wordes ar voyde of shame and honestye Theyr lyfe is without mesure and reuerence But yet they thynke that they moste worthy be That moste can tell of this greuous offence Thus all the youth that is in theyr presence Or that doth here theyr vyce and rybawdry Vnto the same with theyr full mynde aply Thus theyr yonge children maners lernyth none The wyfe hath occasyon to breke hir chastyte So is the lyfe defyled of them echone And to be playne, we often tymes se That of what maners the folysshe husbondes be Such ar theyr wyues, children and housholde The yonge Cok lerneth to crowe hye of the olde A folysshe Father, full hardly shall ensyne His sone to good lyfe or to good gouernaunce For if the father to foly doth enclyne The sone wyll folowe his father in that daunce And if the father vse hasarde or the chaunce Or any prohybyt and vnlawfull game Most comonly the sone wyll do the same If that the husbonde be vycious of his lyfe Wastfull or dronken, or vyle in his langage His sonnes doughters, his seruauntes and his wyfe Wyll lerne of hym to passe the same passage And if the husbonde breke his maryage If the wyfe knowe, in mynde she wyll be wroth Without he haue a hode of the same cloth An olde prouerbe hath longe agone be sayde That oft the sone in maners lyke wyll be Vnto the Father, and in lyke wyse the mayde Or doughter, vnto the mother wyll agre So if the elders vse enormyte And before theyr children bost them of the same The sone and doughter shall folowe syre and dame