The example of euyll tongues Of euyll tongues. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A00474 of text S110674 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 10608). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 10 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A00474 STC 10608 ESTC S110674 99846174 99846174 11124 2240893482

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A00474) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 11124) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 20:10) The example of euyll tongues Of euyll tongues. [8] p. Wynkyn de Worde, [London : 1525?] Imprint from STC. An edition of: Of euyll tongues (STC 24115.5). In verse. Signatures: A⁴. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Libel and slander -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. eebo The example of euyll tongues [no entry] 1525 10 1375 0 0 0 0 2 0 145.45 F The rate of 145.45 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2012-08 Assigned for keying and markup 2012-08 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2012-11 Sampled and proofread 2012-11 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2013-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

woodcut depicting the punishment of two people (one in the stocks and one tied to a tree) enduring punishment The example of euyll tongues .

WIth pyte moued to my payne I dyde me dres To shew the people what doth them most greuans I saye yll tonges full of bytter crewelnes In this worlde may be no greter penaunce Thes be the clappers of sorowe the skorges of vengans These preuy morderers these comberous hell wedes Because of grete meschefe & dystroyers of good dedys Yf there were in the worlde none other punyshement But yll tonges onely in especyall Of very ryght it were suffycyent Seyenge how euery creature nowe ouer all Is sodeynly smyten with this venemous spere mortall Of comberous tonges that god ne man dredys Bycause of myschefe & dystroyers of good dedys Bothe ryche and poore be brought in torment By this cursed slo worme that swelleth worse than a tode I mene the yll tonge that venymous serpent Whiche many good doer destroyed with a worde Who ledeth theyr lyfe now in peasyble concorde Full fewe for yll tonges so moche sorowe bredys They be cause of myschefe & dystroyed good dedys No enemy so lytell we out hym to doute Ne none so grete rome but remedy may be founde If it in tyme be perceyued and brought oute Than to a good ende it may rebounde But an yll tonge so brode renrieth the sounde Fro bad to worse and so myschefe spedys Whiche caused many a man to withdrawe good dedys The tonge is instrument of lyes treason & trechery And causeth warre morther myschefe without ende Grete multytude of other with ypocrysy Rebellyons thefte dyscorde full yll to defende Fyghtynge chydynge to stryfe euer Intende With shame & sclaunder to yll fortune all ledes Lo how the tonge caused myschefe & dystroyed good dedes Some theues escapen & many true men be hanged It is dayly sene in this worlde rounde Faythfull people by yll tonges be condempned That to vntruth there dydes neuer dyde founde But he that cometh in daunger of an yll tonge Seldome or neuer he scapeth there fro For by an yll tonge the good name is soone a go And this yll Ioynt of moost dyspyte Sormounteth all venyme of serpentes fell They haue suche malycyous appetyte They may be lykened to the fende of hell The sorowe that by them is rered no man may tell The true seruaunt put out of fauour that is pyte & wo For by an euyll tonge the good name is soone a go A false tonge wyll euer Imagyne and saye That neuer by creature was sayd ne thought And this hath be sene and is euery daye The fader and mother betraye & in sorowe brought Many good folke hath sclaunder dere bought As loste theyr goodes and theyr lyues also For by an yll tonge the good name is soone a go Many there be that neuer dyde offende Whiche by an euyll tonge is brought to dysshonoure And in to an euyll name sone they be comptende That a. M. to theyr good name cannot them restore The claterers condycyon is to grose vp more & more Maydens by them is blamed wedowes & other mo For by an euyll tonge the name is soone go There is many one blamed and accused for nought And many gyltles theyr lyues fro them is take Ye and a thousande into pouerte brought That dayly goth a begynge & prayed for goddes sake And all thorowe tale tellers his scrowe doth wake Whiche caused many one theyr selfe to slo Where by an euyll tonge theyr good name is a go Full many be brought to dyseas and captyuyte In euery regyon that man can trauayll The tonge is causer of this wofull aduersyte Full lytell or nought now dooth trouth auayll True heyers be dysheryte without ony fayll With wepynge & waylynge some waxeth blynde And all causeth euyll tonges moost enemy to mankynde Thoughe some preestes now be neuer so pacyent And in towne and cyte be pease ouer all Or though the relygyous be neuer so obedyent Yet an euyll tonge wyll trouble them all Multyplyenge of lesynges by hym aryse shall To trouble good people in soule and mynde This is euyll tonges moost enemy to mankynde Yf ony man wolde begynne his synnes to reny Or ony good people that fro vyce dyde refrayne What so euer he were that to vertue wolde applye But an yll tonge wyll all ouerthrowe agayne Lo by whome is raysed all this grete payne Of sorowefull sclaunder that flyeth as the wynde These yll tonges be moost enemy to mankynde I saye not but warre is grete abusyon Yet is there not so many as is with yll tonges slayne And though honger be neuer so sharpe for the season Yet for all that god some people doth sustayne Of frostes grete some people be not fayne But so sore grefe no where may we fynde As it the yll tonge moost enemy to mankynd Though sodayne deth be neuer so rygorous Yet by preestes it seaseth at the laste But where all yll tonges lyste to be malycyous There is neuer remedy whan the worde is past To lye and saye wronge they be neuer agast Of heuen and hell they haue lytell mynde I meane yll tonges moost enemy to man kynde Speke of salpeter arsnek or ony poyson mortall The fyre of hell the blood of serpentes venymmous Ye fynde none sone so peryllous amonge all As is the yll tonge to them that be vertuous They be of malyce so full and rygorous For they that lyste to do well & ther o do theyr payne By the euyll tongue all is ouerthrowe agayne Therfore euery creature take hede what ye saye For yf the worde be escaped at any throwe It wyll not be called agayne though thou wolde laye Bothe lyfe and goodes and on it bestowe I wolde wete how we a good tongue sholde knowe It wyll not be for by the subtyll trayne Of the yll tongue whiche all ouerthroweth agayne Men shette surely theyr chystes with syluer & golde With dyuyrs Iulles of grete comodytes Furred gownes in grayne ryght goodly to beholde Yet were they better to kepe theyr aduersaryes close The yll tonge and sette all the other lose For many hath purposed to amende with herte fayne But an yll tonge ouerthroweth agayne For that yll by another dothe saye Yf he his owne defautes dyde well beholde How many tymes hymselfe is out of the waye Full gladly than his tonge kepe he wolde For yf pykethankes theyr owne fautes se sholde To theyr hertes it wolde be a grete payne For by yll tonges all vertue is ouerthrowe agayne All people beware of these yll tonges most peryllous And eschewe them where euer you go Tonge breketh bone he is so malycyous And none hath hymselfe all knoweth it is so Sclander cometh lyghtly whiche causeth grete wo For though thou be in name I tell the playne By an yll tonge all is ouerthrowen agayne These comberose clamores in euery towne That thynge whiche the deuyll can not brynge about An yll tonge wyll performe by vnkynde perolysene Yf a thousande fendes were to gyder in a route Coude not by theyr malyce suche falshede vter oute To brynge the people to grete dessensyon As doth these yll tonges mannes moost confusyon O enuyous tonges destroyers of hye & lowe degre Thy wycked sedes thou doest sowe downe Here and elles where ouer euery countre Bothe in cyte borowe vyllage and towne Sease thy rorynge thou fendly lyon In the coffer of scyence hyde the full soone For yll tonges is mannes most confusyon He that can kepe his tonge and beware Laude vnto hym shall euer encrease And where that euer he go he nede not to care For he is sure of reste and pease More of this mater I nede not reherse For take these wordes for a conclusyon That yll tonges is euer mannes confusyon Amen .

printer's device of William Caxton with the sun and stars in the top register, appropriated by Wynkyn de Worde

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wynkyn · de · worde .