A myserable Fole euermore shal he be. A wretche vnauysed, and a Catyf blynde. Whiche his chyldren fawtes forseth nat to see Hauynge no care for to induce theyr mynde To godly vertue: and vyce to leue behynde. For whyle they ar yonge fereful and tender of age Theyre vyce and foly is easy to asswage. Two dyuers sortes of these foles may we fynde. By whome theyr chyldren ar brought to confusion. The one is neglygent. the other is starke blynde. Nat wyllynge to beholde his childes yl condicion. Whyle he is in youthe: But for a conclusion He is a Fole that wyl nat se theyr vyce. And he that seyth: and wyl it nat chastyce. Alas thou art a cursed counselloure To wanton youth that tender is of age To let them wander without gouernoure Or wyse mayster, in youthes furious rage Get them a mayster theyr foly to asswage For as a herdles flocke strayth in Jepardy So children without gyde wandreth in foly. To moche lyberty pleasoure and lycence Gyuen vnto youth, whether it be or age Right often causyth great inconuenyence As ryot mysrule with other sore damage Theyr londe and goodes solde or layde to gage But thou folysshe father art redy to excuse Thy yonge children of theyr synne and abuse Thou sayst they ar ouer tender to eschewe Theyr folysshe maners and they haue no skyll To knowe the wayes of goodnes or vertue Nor to discerne what is gode, what is yll Thou blynde dodart these wordes holde thou styll Theyr youth can nat excuse thy folysshenes He that can yll as well myght lerne goodnes A yonge hert is as apt to take wysdome As is an olde, and if it rotyd be It sawyth sede of holy lyfe to come Also in children we often tymes se Great aptness outwarde and syne of grauyte But fyll an erthen pot first with yll lycoure And euer after it shall smell somwhat soure So youth brought vp in lewdnes and in sin Shall skant it shrape so clene out of his mynde But that styll after some spot wyll byde within A lytell twygge plyant is by kynde A bygger braunche is harde to bowe or wynde But suffer the braunche to a byg tre to growe And rather it shall brake than outher wynde or bowe Correct thy childe whyle he is lyke a twygge Soupyll and plyant, apt to correccion It wyll be harde forsoth whan he is bygge To brynge his stubron herte to subieccion What hurtyth punysshement with moderacion Unto yonge children, certaynely no thynge It voydeth vyce, gettynge vertue and cunnynge Say folysshe fader haddest thou leuer se Thy sonnes necke vnwrested wyth a rope. Than with a rod his skyn shulde brokyn be. And oft thou trustest: and hast a stedfast hope To se thy son promoted nere as hye as is the Pope But yet perchaunce mourne thou shalt ful sore. For his shameful ende: fortuned for lacke of lore.