Somtyme I bost me of falshode and dysceyt Somtyme of the sede that sawyn is by me Of all myschefe, as murder flatery debate Couetyse bacbytynge theft and lechery My mynde is nat to mende my iniquyte But rather I sorowe that my lyfe is wore That I can nat do as I haue done before But syns my lyfe so sodaynly dothe apeyre That byde I can nat styll in this degre I shall infourme and teche my sone and heyre To folowe his fader, and lerne this way of me The way is large, god wot glad shall he be Lernynge my lore with affeccion and desyre And folowe the steppys of his vnthryfty syre I trust so crafty and wyse to make the lad That me his father he shall pas and excell O that my herte shall than be wonder glad If I here of may knowe, se, or here tell If he be false faynynge sotyll or cruell And so styll endure I haue a speciall hope To make hym scrybe to a Cardynall or Pope. Or els if he can be a fals extorcyoner Fasynge and bostynge to scratche and to kepe He shall be made a comon costomer As yche hope of Lyn Calays or of Depe Than may he after to some great offyce crepe So that if he can onys plede a case He may be made Juge of the comon place. Thus shall he lyue as I haue all his dayes And in his age increas his folysshenes His fader came to worshyp by suche ways So shall the sone, if he hym selfe addres To sue my steppes in falshode and lewdnes And at leste if he can come to no degre This shyp of folys shall he gouerne with me BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Awake age alas what thynkest thou be Awake I say out of thy blynde derkenes Remembrest thou nat that shortly thou shalt dye Aryse from synne amende thy folysshenes Though thy youth reted were in vyciousnes Aryse in age is full tyme to leue it Thy graue is open thy one fote in the pyt Leue thy bostynge of that thou hast done amys Bewayle thy synnes, sayeng with rufull mone Delicta iuuentutis mee deus ne memineris Amende the or thy youth be fully gone That sore is harde to hele that bredes in the bone He that is nought yonge, procedynge so in age Shall skant euer his vyciousnes asswage What thinge is more abhomynable in goddes syght. Than vicious age: certaynly no thynge. It is eke worldly shame, whan thy corage and mycht Is nere dekayed, to kepe thy lewde lyuynge. And by example of the, thy yonge children to brynge. Into a vicious lyfe: and all goodnes to hate. Alas age thus thou art the Fendes bate. * * * * * Of the erudicion of neglygent faders anenst theyr chyldren. [Illustration: That fole that suffreth his Chylde for to offende Wythout rebukynge, blame, and correccion. And hym nat exhorteth, hymselfe to amende. Of suche fawtes as by hym ar done. Shal it sore repent: god wote howe sone For oft the faders foly, fauour, and neglygence Causeth the Chylde for to fall to great offence]