The Bybyll wytnessyth howe the prophete Thoby Gaue his dere sone in chefe commaundement That if he wolde lyue sure without ieoperdy He sholde sue the counsayle of men wyse and prudent The story of Roboam is also euydent Whiche for nat suynge of counseyll and wysdome Lost his Empyre, his scepter and kyngdome If that it were nat for cawse of breuyte I coude shewe many of our predecessours Whiche nat folowynge counceyll of men of grauyte Soone haue decayed from theyr olde honours I rede of Dukes, Kynges, and Emperours Whiche dispysynge the counsayle of men of age Haue after had great sorowe and damage. For he suerly whiche is so obstynate That onely he trusteth to his owne blyndnes Thynkynge all wysdome within his dotynge pate He often endyth in sorowe and dystres Wherfore let suche theyr cours swyftly addres To drawe our Plough, and depe to ere the ground That by theyr laboure all folys may be founde. THE ENUOY OF ALEXANDER BARCLAY THE TRANSLATOUR. O man vnauysed, thy blyndnes set asyde Knowledge thy owne foly thy statelynes expel Let nat for thy eleuate mynde nor folysshe pryde, To order thy dedes by goode and wyse counsel Howbeit thou thynke thy reason doth excel Al other mennys wyt. yet oft it doth befall. Anothers is moche surer: and thyn the worst of all. * * * * * Of disordred and vngoodly maners. [Illustration: Drawe nere ye folys of lewde condicion Of yll behauoure gest and countenaunce Your proude lokys, disdayne and derysyon Expresseth your inwarde folysshe ignoraunce Nowe wyll I touche your mad mysgoueraunce Whiche hast to foly, And folysshe company Treylynge your Baybll in sygne of your foly] In this our tyme small is the company That haue good maners worthy of reuerence But many thousandes folowe vylany Prone to all synne and inconuenyence Stryuynge who sonest may come to all offence Of lewde condicions and vnlefulnesse Blyndnes of yll, and defylyd folysshenesse All myserable men alas haue set theyr mynde On lothsome maners clene destytute of grace Theyr iyen dymmyd, theyr hertes are so blynde That heuenly ioy none forceth to purchace Both yonge and olde procedeth in one trace With ryche and pore without all dyfference As bonde men subdued to foly and offence Some ar busshed theyr bonetes, set on syde. Some waue theyr armys and hede to and fro Some in no place can stedfastly abyde More wylde and wanton than outher buk or do Some ar so proude that on fote they can nat go But get they must with countenaunce vnstable Shewynge them folys, frayle and varyable Some chyde that all men do them hate Some gygyll and lawgh without grauyte Some thynkes, hymselfe a gentylman or state Though he a knaue caytyf and bonde churle be These folys ar so blynde them self they can nat so A yonge boy that is nat worth an onyon With gentry or presthode is felowe and companyon.