But though the childe be of lewde condicion And of his nature frowarde and varyable If the fader be slacke in the correccion Of his childe, he onely is culpable Whiche wyll nat teche hym maners commendable Thus is the fader a fole for his suffraunce And the sone also for his mysgouernaunce THE ENUOY. Auoyd faders your fauour and suffraunce Anenst your children in theyr faute and offence Reduce ye clerely vnto your remembraunce That many a thousande inconuenyence Haue children done by theyr faders negligence But to say trouth brefely in one clause The fader's fauour onely is the cause * * * * * Of tale berers, fals reporters, and prometers of stryfes. [Illustration: Of folys yet fynde I another maner sorte Whiche ar cause of brawlynge stryfe and deuysion Suche ar dowble tongyd that lesyngys reporte Therby trustynge to come to great promosion But suche lewde caytyfes at the conclusion Bytwene two mylstons theyr legges puttes to grynde And for rewarde, theyr confusion shall they fynde.] Some ar that thynke the pleasoure and ioy of theyr lyfe To brynge men in brawlynge to discorde and debate Enioynge to moue them to chydynge and to stryfe And where loue before was to cause mortall hate With the comonty, and many great estate Suche is moche wors than outher murderer or thefe For ofte of his talys procedeth grete myschefe Within his mouth is venym Jeperdous and vyle His tonge styll laboryth lesynges to contryue His mynde styll museth of falshode and on gyle Therwith to trobyll suche as gladly wolde nat stryue Somtyme his wordes as dartis he doth dryue Agaynst good men: for onely his delyte. Is set to sclaunder to diffame and bacbyte. And namely them that fautles ar and innocent. Of conscience clene, and maners commendable These dryuyls sclaunder, beynge full dilygent. To deuyde, louers that ar moste agreable His tonge Infect his mynde abhomynable Infectyth loue and ouertourneth charyte Of them that longe tyme haue lyuyd in amyte But he that accused is thus without all faute And so sclaundred of this caytyf vnthryfty Knowyth nought of this ieoperdous assaute For he nought dowteth that is no thynge fauty Thus whyle he nought feryth comyth sodaynly This venemous doloure distaynynge his gode name And so gyltles put to rebuke, and to shame. Thus if one serche and seke the worlde ouerall Than a backbyter nought is more peryllous His mynde myscheuous, his wordys ar mortall His damnable byt is foule and venemous A thousande lyes of gyles odyous He castyth out where he wolde haue debate Engendrynge murder whan he his tyme can wayt