The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas Eclogue. 4 Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A03727 of text S104475 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 1384B). 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. 62 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A03727 STC 1384B ESTC S104475 99840213 99840213 4689 2240900403

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A03727) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 4689) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 128:07) The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas Eclogue. 4 Barclay, Alexander, 1475?-1552. Baptista, Mantuanus, 1448-1516. Bucolica. 5. [44] p. : ill. (woodcuts), port. Emprinted by Richarde Pynson, pri[n]ter to the kynges noble grace, [[London] : [1521?]] In verse. Designated Barclay's fourth eclogue in the headings and colophon. Based on: Baptista Mantuanus. Bucolica. 5. Caption title. Printer's name from colophon; publication date conjectured by STC. Signatures: a⁶ b⁴ c-d⁶. The last leaf bears a printer's mark. Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. eng eebo The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas. Barclay, Alexander, 1521 42 10018 5 0 0 0 0 0 4.99 B The rate of 4.99 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-05 Sampled and proofread 2005-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The boke of Codrus and Mynalcas .
The prologe of the fourthe Eglog of Alexander Barcley . COdrus a shepherde / lusty gaye and stout Sat with his wethers / at pasture rounde about And poore Mynalcas / with ewes scarse fourtene Sat sadly musyng / in shadowe on the grene This lusty Codrus / was cloked for the rayne And double decked / with hoodes one or twayne He had a pautner / with purses manyfolde And surely lyned / with syluer and with golde Within his wallet / were meates good and fyne Bothe store and plentie / had he of ale and wyne Suche fulsome pasture / made hym a double chynne His furred myttans / were of a curres skynne Nothyng he wanted / longyng to clothe and fode But by no meane / wolde he departe with gode Somtyme this Codrus / dyde vnder shadowe lye Wyde opyn pipyng / and gapyng on the skye Somtyme he daunced / and hobbled lyke a beare Somtyme he pried / howe he became his geare He lept / he song / and ranne to proue his might Whan purse is heuy / oftyme the hert is lyght But though this Codrus / had store ynough of gode He wanted wysdome / for nought he vnderstode Saue worldely practice / his treasure for to store Howe euer it came / small force made he therfore On the other syde / the poore Mynalcas lay With empty belly / and symple poore aray yet coude he pype and fynger well a drone But sour is m●syke / whan men for hungre grone Codrus had richesse / Mynalcas had connyng For god nat gyueth / to one man euery thyng At last this Codrus / espyed Mynalcas And soone he knewe / what maner man he was For olde aquayntance / bytwene them erst had ben Long tyme before / they mette vpon the grene And therfore Codrus / downe boldely by hym satte And in this maner / with hym began to chatte . Finis prologe .
Here begynneth the fourthe Eglogge / of the behauour of riche men anenst poetes / interlocutours / be Codrus and Mynalcas .

Codrus first speketh . ALhayle mynalcas / now be my fayth well met Lorde Jesu mercy / what troubles dyd the let That this long season / none coude the here espy With vs was thou wont / to syng full merely And to lye pipyng ofte tyme among the flouers What tyme thy bestes / were fedyng among oures In these colde valeys / we two were wont to bourde And in these shadowes / talke many a mery worde And ofte were we wont / to wrastell for a fall But nowe thoudroupest / and hast for gotten all Here was thou wont / swete balades to syng Of song and dytie / as it were for a kyng And of gay maters / to syng and to endyte But nowe thy courage is gone / and thy delyte Trust me Mynalcas / nowe playnly I espy That thou arte wery / of shepherdes company And that all pleasure / thou semest to dispyse Lothyng our pasture / and feldes in lykewise Thou fleest solace and euery mery fytte Lesyng thy tyme / and sore hurtyng thy wytte In slouthe thou slombrist / as buryed were thy song Thy pype is broken / or som what els is wrong . Mynalcas . What tyme the cocke crowes / fethers mout & fall from sight she lurketh / her song is gone withall Whan backe is bare / and purse of soyne is lyght The wytte is dulled / and reason hath no might A due endityng / whan gone is lyberte Enuy to muses / is wretched pouerte What tyme a knight / is subget to a knaue To iust or tourney / small pleasure shall he haue . Codrus . What / no man the kepeth / here in captiuyte And busy labour / subdueth pouerte And ofte is it better / and moche surer also Assubget to obey / than at frewyll to go As by ensample / beholde a wanton colt In ragyng youthe / lepeth ouer hyll and holt But whyle he skippeth / at pleasure and at wyll Oftyme dothe he fall / in daunger for to spyll Somtyme on stubbes / his hofes sore he teares Or falles in the mudde / bothe ouer heed and eares Somtyme all the night / abrode in hayle or rayne And ofte among breres / tangled by the mayne And other peryls / he suffreth infynite So mengled with sorowe lis pleasure and delyte But if the same colte / be broken at the last His sytter ruleth / and hym refrayneth fast The spurre him pricketh / the bridell dothe him holde That he can nat praunce at pleasure wher he wolde The ryder hym ruleth / and saueth from dangere By whiche example / Mynalcas it is clere That frewyll is subget / to inconuenyence Where by subgection / man voydeth great offence For man of hymselfe / is very frayle certayne But ofte a ruler / his folly dothe refrayne But as for thy selfe / thou hast no cause parde To walke at pleasure / is no captiuyte . Mynalcas . Seest thou nat Codrus / the feldes rounde about Compased with flodes / that none may in nor out The muddy waters / nere choke me with the styuke At euery tempest / they be as blacke as ynke Pouerte to me / shulde be no disconfort If other spepherde / were all of the same sort But Codrus / I clawe ofte where it dothe nat ytche To se ten beggers / and halfe a dosen ritche Truely me thynketh / this wrong particion And namely sithe all / ought to be after one Whan I first beholde / these feldes from a farre Me thought them plesant / & voyde of stryfe or warre But with my poore flocke / aprochyng nere and nere Alway my pleasure / dyde lesse and lesse apere And truely Codrus / sithe I came on this grounde Ofte vnder floures / vyle snakes haue I founde Adders and todes / and many vyle serpent Enfect olde shepe / with venym violent And ofte be the yong / infected of the olde That vnto these fewe / now brought is all my folde Codrus . In some place / is nother venym nor serpent And as for my selfe / I fele no greuous sent . Mynalcas . It were great marueyle / wherso gret grounde is sene yf no small medowe / were plesant swete and clene As for the Codrus / I may beleue right wele That thou no sauour / nor stynke of mud dust fele For if a shepherde / hath styll remayned long In a foule prison / or in a stynking gong His poores with yll eyre / be stopped ●o echone That of the eyre / he feleth small sent or none And yet the dwellers / be badder than the place The riche and sturdy / dothe threten and manace The poore and symple / and suche as came but late And who most knoweth / him most of all they hate And all the burthen / is on the asses backe But the strong caball / standeth at the racke And suche be assigned / somtyme the flocke to kepe Whiche scante haue so moche / of reason as a shepe And euery shepherde / at other hath enuy Scant be a couple / whiche loueth parfitely Ilwyll so reigneth / that braulyng be thou sure Constrayned me nere / to seke a newe pasture Saue onely after / I hope of better rest Forsmall occasyon / a byrde nat chaungeth nest Codrus . We le ere thou graunted / that in a small grounde Some plot of pleasure / and quyet may be founde So where of herdes / assembled is great sorte There some must be good / than to the best resorte But leaue we all this / tourne to our poynt agayne Of thy olde balades / some wolde I here full fayne For often haue I had / great pleasure and delyte To here recounted / suche as thou dyde endyte . Mynalcas . ye other shepherdes / which haue ynough at home Whan ye be mery / and stuffed is your wombe Whiche haue great store / of butter / chese / and woll your cowes vthers / of mylke replete and full Payles of swete mylke / as full as they be able Whan your fat disshes / smoke hote vpon your table Than laude ye songes / and balades magnify If they be mery / or written craftely ye clappe your handes / and to the makyng harke And one say to other / lo here a proper warke But whan ye haue said / nought gyue ye for o payne Saue onely laudes / and plesaunt wordes vayne All if these laudes / may we le be counted good yet the pore shepherde / must haue some other fode . Codrus . Mayst thou nat somtyme / thy folde & shepe apply And after at leysar / to lyue more quyetly Dispose thy wyttes / to make or to endyte Renounsyng cures / for tyme whyle thou dost write Mynalcas . Nedes must a shepherde bestowe his hole labour Intendyng his flockes scant may he spare one hour In goyng / comyng / and often them to tende Full lightly the day / is brought vnto an ende Somtyme the wolues / with dogges must he chace Somtyme his foldes / must he newe compace And oftyme them chaunge / and if he stormes dout Of his shepe cote / daube the walles rounde about Whan they be broken / oftymes them renewe And hurtfull pastures / note we le and then eschewe Bye strawe and lytter / and hay for wynter colde Oft greas the scabbes / as well of yong as olde For drede of theues / ofte watche vp all the night Besyde this labour / with all his mynde & might For his poore hous holde for to prouyde vitayle If by aduenture / his wolle or lambes fayle In doyng all these / no respyte dothe remayne But well to endyte / requyreth all the brayne I tell the Codrus / a style of exellence Must haue all labour / and all the dilygence Bothe these two warkes / be great nere importable To my small power / my strength is moche vnable The one to entende / scant may I byde the payne Than is it harder / for me to do bothe twayne What tyme my wyttes / be clere for to endyte My dayly charges / wyll graunt me no respyte But if I folowe / endyting at my wyll Echone disdayneth / my charges to fulfyll Though in these feldes / eche other ought sustayne Clene lost is that lawe / one may requyre in vayue yf coyne commaunde / than men count them as bounde Els fle they labour / than is my charge on grounde . Codrus . Cornix ofte counted / that man shulde fle no payne His frendes burthen / to support and sustayne Fede they thy flocke / while thou dost write and syng Eche horse agreeth / nat well for euery thyng Some for the charet / some for the cart or ploughe And some for hackeneys / if they belyght & toughe Eche felde agreeth nat wele for euery sede Who hath moost labour / is worthy of best mede . Mynalcas . After endityng / than gladly wolde I drinke To reche me the cuppe / no man dothe care ne thike And ofte some foles / voyde of discrecyon Me and my maters / hath in derisyon And marueyle is none / for who wolde sowe that felde With costly sedes / whiche shall no frutes yelde Some wanton body / ofte laugheth me to scorne And sayth Mynalcas / se howe thy pyltche is torne Thy hose and cokers / be broken at the kne Thou canst nat stomble / for bothe thy shone may se Thy berde lyke bristels / or lyke a porpos skyn Thy clothyng sheweth / thy winnyng is but thyn Suche mockyng tauntes / reneweth ofte my care And nowe be wodes / of frute and leaues bare And frosty wynter / hath made the feldes white For wrathe and angre / my lyppe and tong I byte For dolour I droupe / sore vexed with disdayne My wombe all wasteth wherfore I byde this payne My woll and wethers / may scarsly fede my wombe And other housholde / whiche I retayne at home Leane be my lambes / that no man wyll them bye And yet their dammes / they dayly souke so drie That from their vthers / no lycour can we wring Than without repast / who can endyte or syng It me repenteth / if I haue any wytte As for my scyence I wery am of it And of my poore lyfe / I wery am Codrus Sithe my harde fortune / for me disposeth thus That of the starres / and plannettes echone To poore Mynalcas / we le fortunate is none Knowen is the trouthe / if it were clerely sought That nowe to this tyme / I styll haue song for nought For youthe is lusty / & of small thyng hath nede That tyme to age / men gyue no force nor hede Ages condycion / is greatly contrary Whiche no we aprocheth / right styll and craftely But what tyme age / dothe any man oppresse yf he in youthe / haue gathered no richesse Than passeth age / in care and pouerte For nede is greuous / with olde infyrmite And age is fettred / oftyme with care and nede Whan strength is faded & man hath nought to fede Whan strength is faded / than hope of gayne is gone In youthes season / to make prouisyon The lytell emet / is wyse and prouydent In somer workyng / with labour dilygent In her smalle caue / conueying corne and grayne Her lyfe in wynter / to norisshe and sustayne And with her small mouthe / is busy it cuttyng Lest in her caue / the same might growe or spring So man of reason / hym selfe reputyng sage In youthe shulde puruey / to lyue theron in age . Codrus . Men say that clerkes / whiche knowe astronomy Knowe certayne starres / whiche long to desteny But all their sayeng / is nothyng veritable yet here the mater / thought it be but a fable They say that Mercury / dothe poetes fauour Under Jupiter / be princes of honour And men of richesse / of welthe or dignyte And all suche other / as haue authorite Mercury gyueth / to poetes laureate Goodly conueyaunce / speche plesaunt and ornate Inuentyfe reason / to syng or play on harpe In goodly dytie / or balade for to carpe This is thy lotte / what sekest thou richesse No man hath all / this thyng is true doutlesse God all disposeth / as he parceyueth best Take thou thy fortune / and holde the styll in rest Take thou thy fortune / and holde thy selfe content Lette vs haue richesse / and roumes exellent . Mynalcas . Thou hast of richesse / and goodes habundaunce And I haue dyties / and songes of plesaunce To aske my connyng / to couytous thou art Why is nat thy selfe / contented with thy part Why dost thou enuade / my parte and porcion Thou wantest Codrus / wytte and discrecyon . Codrus . Natso Mynalcas / forsothe thou art to blame Of wrong enuasyon / to gyue to me the name I wolde no dytie / nor balade take the fro No harpe nor armes / whiche long to Appollo But onely Mynalcas / I sore desyre and long To gyue myne eares / to thy swete soundyng song It fedeth heryng and is to one plesant To here good reason / and balade consonant . Mynalcas . yf thou haue pleasure / to here my melody I graunt the Codrus / to toye my armony So I haue pleasure / and toye of thy richesse So gyftes doubled / encreaseth loue doutlesse . Codrus . He of my richesse / hath ioye whiche loueth me And who me hateth / nothyng content is he Enuyous wretches / by malyce commenly Take others fortune / and pleasure heuely . Mynalcas . In lyke wise mayest thou / enioye of our scyence And of our muses / thoughe thou be fro presence And of our connyng / thou toyest semblably yf ought prouoke the / by malyce and enuy yf I fede thy eares / fede thou my mouthe agayne I lothe were to spende / my gyftes all in vayue Meate vnto the mouthe / is fode and susteynance And songes fedeth / the eares with plesaunce I haue the muses / if thou wylte haue of myne Than right requyreth / that I haue parte of thyne This longeth to loue / to norisshe charyte This fedeth pyte / this dothe to right agre This is the pleasure / and wyll of god aboue Of hym disposed / for to engendre loue All plesaunt gyftes / one man hath nat parde That one of other / shulde haue necessite No man of hym selfe / is sure sufficient This is prouisyon / of god omnipotent That one man shulde nede / anothers assystence Wherby is ioyned / loue and beneuolence . Englande hath clothe / Butdeux hath store of wyne Cornwayle hath tynne / and Lymster wolles fyne . London hath scarlot / and Bristo we plesaunt reed Fenne lande hath fyss hes / in other place is leed . This is of our lorde / disposed so my brother Bycause all costes / shulde one haue nede of other . So euery tre / hathe frute after his kynde And dyuers natures / in beestes may we fynde . Alway whan nature / of thyng is moost laudable That thyng men counteth / moost good & profitable And euery person / in his owne gifte hath toye The fole in his bable / hath pleasure for to toye . The clerke in his boke / the marchaunt in richesse The knyght in his horse / harnes and hardynesse . But euery person / of his gyftes and arte Whan nede requireth shulde gladly gyue someꝑte Suche meane contoyneth / in bonde of loue certayne Englande & Fraunce / Scotlande Grece & Spayne . So hast thou Codrus / of golde ynough in store And I some connyng / though fewe men care therfore Thou art beholden / to Jupiter truely And I beholden to plesaunt Mercury . Joyne we our sterres / let me haue parte of thyne Concorde to cheryss he / thou shalte haue parte of myne Make thou Jupiter / be frendely vnto me And our Mercury / shal be as good to the. If thy Jupiter / gyue me but onely golde Mercury shall gyue the / giftes manyfolde His pylsion ceptre / his wynges / and his harpe If thou haue all these / thou mayst grathly carpe And ouer all these / gyue the shall Mercury The knot of Hercules enlaced craftely . Codrus . Lorde god Mynalcas / why hast thou all this payne This wyse to forge / so many wordes in vayne . Mynalcas . That vayne thou countest / whiche may hurt or enlesse Thy loued treasour / or mynisshe thy richesse If thou wylte harken / or here my musessyng Refress he my mynde with confort and lyking Rydde me fro troubles and care of busynesse Confort my corage / whiche nowe is confortlesse A clerke a poete / combyned with a boy To haunt the muses / hath but lytell ioye The wytte and reason / is dull or of valour Lyke as the body / is called to honour Whau busy charges / causeth a man to grone The wytte than slombreth / and muses all be gone A dytie wyll haue / mynde quyet and respyte And case of stomake / els can none wele endyte I sighe / I slombre : care troubleth ofte my thought Whan some by malyce / myne art setteth at nought I heule as a kyte / for hunger and for colde For thought and study / my youthe apaereth olde My skynne hath wrincles and pomples all about For colde and study / I drede me of the gout Whan sickenesse cometh / than lyfe hath breuyte By false vnkyndnesse / and wretched pouerte If men were louyng / benigne / and charytable Than were pouerte / bothe good and tollerable But sithe charyte and pyte bothe be gone What shulde pouerte remayne behynde alone No man hath pyte / eche dayneth me to fede I lost haue confort / but styll remayneth nede I haue no wethers nor ewes in my folde No syluer in purse / I knowe nat what is golde Nor corne on the grounde / haue I wheron to fare Than wolde thou haue me to lyue voyde of care Nay nay frende Codrus / trust me I the assure Suche maner salues / can nat my dolour cure Make thou me ioconde / helpe me with clothe & fode Clothe me for wynter / with pylt●he / felte / & hode Auoyde all charges / let me sytte in my sell Let worldly wretches / with worldly maters mell Socour my age / regarde my heeres gray Than shake thou proue / & se what thyng I may Than shalte thou fynde me / bothe apt to write & sing Good wyll shall fulfyll / my scarsnesse of connyng A plentyfull house out chaseth thought and care Soiorne dothe socour there / wher althing is bare The sellar couched with bere / ale / or wyne And meates redy whan man hath lust to dyne Great barnes full / fatte wethers in the folde The purse well stuffed / bothe with syluer & golde Fauour of frendes / and suche as loueth right All these and other do make the full lyght Than is it pleasure the yong maydens among To watche by the fyre / the wynter nightes long At their fonde tales / to laughe or whan they brall Great fyre and candell / spendyng for labour small And in the asshes / some playes for to make To couer wardeyns / for faut of other warke To tost white sheuers / and to make prophytrolles And after talkyng / oftymes to fyll the bolles Where welthe aboundeth / without rebuke or cryme Thus do some herdes / for pleasure and pastyme As fame reporteth / suche a shepherde there was Whiche that tyme lyued vnder Mecenas And Titerus I trowe / was this shepherdes name I wele remembre / a lyue yet is his fame He song of feldes / and tyllyng of the grounde Of shepe / of oren / and batayle dyde he sounde So shirle he sounded / in termes eloquent I trowe his tunes / went to the firmament The same Mecenas / to hym was fre and kynde Whose large gyftes / gaue confort to his mynde Also this Shepherde by heuenly influence I trowe optayned his perelesse eloquence We other shepherdes / be greatly dyfferent Of commen sortes / leane / ragged and rent Fed with rude frowyse / with quacham or with crudde Or slymy kempes / yll smellyng of the mudde Suche rusty meates enblyndeth so our brayne That of our fauour / the Muses haue disdayne And great Appollo / dispyseth that we write For why ? rude wyttes / but rudely dothe endyte . Codrus . I trust on fortune / if it be fauourable My trust fulfylling / than shall I wele be able Thy nede to socour / I hope after a thyng And if fortune fall wele after my lyking Trust me Mynalcas / I shall delyuer the Out of this trouble / care / and calamyte . Mynalcas . A Codrus Codrus / I wolde to god thy wyll Were this tyme redy / thy promes to fulfyll After the power / and might that thou hast nowe Thou hast ynoughe for bothe man / god auowe If thy good mynde / accordyng with thy might At this tyme present / thou shulde my hert we le light I aske nat the store / of Cosmus or Capell With sylken robes / I coueyt nat to mell No kynges dysshes / I coueyt nor desyre Nor riche mantels / or palles wrought in tyre No clothe of golde / of Tyssue nor veluet Damaske nor saten / nor orient Scarlet I aske no value of Peters costely cope Shelde of Mynerua / nor patyn of Esope I aske no palays / nor lodgynge curyous No bedde of state / of rayment sumptuous For this I lerned of the deane of Poules I tell the Codrus this man hath won some soules I aske no treasour / nor store of worldely gode But a quyet lyfe / and onely clothe and fode With homely lodgyng / to kepe me warme and dry Enduryng my lyfe / for forthe no more aske I If I were certayne this lyueng styll to haue Auoyde of trouble / no more of god I craue . Codrus . This lyueng hast thou / what nedes the complayne ? Nothing thou wantest / whiche may thy lyfe sustayne What fele man parde / thy chekes be nat thynne No lacke of vitayle / causeth a double chynne Mynalcas . Some beest is lusty / and fatte of his nature Though he sore labour / and go in badde pasture And some beest agayne / styll leane and poore is sene Though it fatly fare / within a medowe grene Though thou Codrus / styll argue tyll to morowe I lycke no dysshes / whiche sauced is with sorowe Better one smale dysshe / with ioye and hert lyking Than dyuers denties with murmure & grutching And men vnlerned / can neuer be content Whan scolers common / and clerkes be present As soone as clerkes / begyn to talke and chat Some other gloumes / and hath enuy therat It is a tourment a clerke to sytte at borde Of his lernyng / nat for to talke one worde Better were to be with clerkes with a crust Than at suche tables / to fare at wyll and lust Lette me haue the borde of olde Pytagoras Whiche of temperaunce a very father was Of philosophers the moderate rychesse In youthe or age / I loued neuer excesse Some bost and promes / and put men in confort Of large gyftes / moost men be of this sort With mouthe and promes for to be lyberall Whan nede requireth / than gyue they nought at all All onely in the is fired all my trust If thou fayle promes / than roule I in the dust My hope is faded / than shall my song be dom Lyke a nightyngale at the solsticium If thou fayle promes my confort clene is lost Than may I hang my pype vpon the post Shytte thy shop wyndowes for lacke of marchandice Or els for bycause / that easy is the price Codrus . Mynalcas / if thou the court of Rome hast sene With forked cappes / or els if thou hast bene Or noble prelates by richesse exellent Thou wele parceyuest / they be magnifycent With them be clerkes / and plesaunt oratours And many poetes promoted to honours There is abundaunce of all that men desyre There men haue honour / before they it requyre In suche fayre feldes / without labour or payne Bothe welth and richesse / thou mayst lightly optayne Mynalcas . Thou art abused and thynkest wronge doutlesse To thynke that I am desyrous of richesse To fede on rawe flesshe / it is a wolues gyse Wherfore he weneth all beestes do lyke wise Bycause the blynde man / halteth and is lame In mynde he thynketh / that all men do the same So for that thy selfe / desyrest good in store All men thou iugest / infected with lyke sore Codrus / I coueyt nat to haue abundaunce Small thyng me pleaseth I aske but suffisaunce Graunt me a lyueng suffycient and small And voyde of troubles / I aske no more at all But with that lytell / I holde me selfe content If sauce of sorowe my mynde nat tourment Of the court of Rome / for sothe I haue herde tell With forked cappes / it folly is to mell Mycene and Morton / be deed and gone certayne They nor their lyke shall neuer retourne agayne O Codrus Codrus / Augustus and Edwarde Be gone for euer / our fortune is more harde The scarlet robes / in song hath smale delyte What shulde I traueyle / in Rome is no profyte It gyueth mockes and skornes many folde Styll cratchyng coyne / and gapyng after golde Fraunde and disceyt / dothe all the worlde fyll And money reigneth / and dothe althyng at wyll And for that people / wolde more entende to gyle Uertue and trouthe / be driuen into exyle We are commaunded to trust for tyme to come Tyll care and sorowe / hath wasted our wysdome Hope of rewarde / hath poetes them to fede Nowe in the worlde / fayre wordes be their mede . Codrus . Than write of batayls / or actes of men bolde Or mighty princes / they may the wele vpholde These worthy rulers of fame and name royall Of very reason ought to be lyberall Some shalt thou fynde bitwene this place and Kent Whiche for thy labour / shall the ●yghtwell content . Mynalcas . ye / some shall I fynde : whiche be so prodigall That in vayne thyngꝭ spende / & clene wasteth all But howe shulde that man / my pouertie sustayne Whiche nought reserueth his honour to mentayne . For auncyent blode / nor auncyent honour In these our dayes / be nought without treasour The coyne auaunceth / nede dothe the name deiect And where is treasour / olde honour hath effect But suche as be riche and in promocion Shall haue my writyng but in derisyon For in this season great men of exellence Hath to poemys no greatter reuerence Than to a brothell or els a brothelshous Madde ignorance is so contagyous . Codrus . It is nat semyng / a poete thus to iest In wrathfull speche / nor wordes dishonest . Mynalcas . It is no iestyng be thou neuer so wrothe In open langage to say nothyng but trouthe If parauenture / thou wolde haue trouthe kept styll Prouoke thou nat me / to angre at thy wyll Whan wrathe is moued / than rayson hath no might The tonge forgetteth discrecyon and right Codrus . To moue thy myndes / I truely were full lothe To gyue good counsaile is far from beyng wrothe . Mynalcas . As touchyng counsaile my mynde is plentifull But nede and troubles / make all my reason dull If I had counsaile and golde in lyke plente I tell the Codrus / I had no nede of the Howe shulde a poete / poore / bare / and indygent Indyte the actes / of princes exellent Whyle scant is worthe / a knyfe his pype to mende To rounde the holles / to clense or pyke the ende Beholde my whittell / almost hath lost the blade So long tyme past / is sithe the same was made The hafte is brused / the blade nat worthe a strawe Rusty and tothed / nat moche vnlyke a sawe But touchyng this hurt / it is but lyght and small But care and trouble / is greuous payne withall Good counsaile helpeth / makyng the wyttes stable Ill counsaile maketh / the myndes varyable And breketh the brayne / deminysshing the strength And all the reason / confoundeth at the length Great men are shamed / to gyue thyng poore or small And great they deny / thus gyue they nought at all Besyde this Codrus / princes and men royall In our enditynges / hath pleasure faynt and small So moche power haue they / with men of might As symple douues / whan eglys take their flyght Or as great wyndes / careth for leaues dry They lyue in pleasure / and welthe continually In lust their lyking is / and in ydlenesse Fewe haue their myndes / from all vicyousnesse Pleasure is thyng / wherto they must entende That they most cheriss he / they wolde haue men cōcende If poetes shulde / their maners magnify They were supporters of blame and lechery Than shulde their writyng / be nothyng commendable Conteyning iestes / and dedes detestable Of stynking Uenus / or loue inordynate Of rybaude wordes / whiche fall nat for a state Of right oppressed / and beestly glotony Of vyce auaunced / of slouthe and iniury And other dedes / in fame and worthy blame Whiche were ouer long / here to recount or name These to commende / Codrus do nat agre To any poete / whiche loueth chastyte . Codrus . What / yes Mynalcas / some haue ben strong & bolde Whiche haue in batayle / done actes manyfolde With mighty courage / hauyng them in fight And boldely byding / for to maynteyne the right To the coude I nowe / reherse welnere ascore Of lust nor richesse / settyng no force ne store Despisyng softe golde / swete fare / and beddes softe Whiche in colde harnes / lye on the grounde full ofte Closed in yron / whiche whan their woundes blede Want breed and drinke / them to restore and fede Whyle some hath pleasure / in softe golde orient With colde harde yron / their mynde is well content Suche were the sonnes / of noble lorde Hawarde Whose famous actes / may shame a faynt cowarde What coude they more / but their swete lyues spende Their princes quarell / and right for to defende Alas that batayle / shulde be of that rigoure Whan fame and honour / ryseth and is in floure With sodayne furour / than all to quence agayne But boldest hertes / be nerest dethe certayne . Mynalcas . For certayne Codrus / I can nat that deny But some in batayle / behaue them manfully Suche as in batayle / do actes marcyall Laude worthy poetes / and style heroycall The plesaunt muses / whiche soundeth grauyte Had helpe and fauour / whyle these were in degre But sythe strong knightes / haue left their exercyse And manly vertue / corrupted is with vyce The famous poetes / whiche ornatly endyte Haue founde no mater / wherof to syng or write The wytte thus dyeth / of poetes auncyent So dothe their writyng / and deties eloquent For lacke of custome / thought / care / and penury These be confounders / of plesaunt poesy But if some prince / some kyng / or conquerour Hath wonne in armes / or batayle great honour Full lytell they force / for to delate their fame That other realmes / may laude or praise their name Of tyme for to come / they force nothyng at all By fame and honour / to lyue as immortall It them suffyseth / they count ynoughe truely That their owne realmes / their names magnify And that for their lyfe / they may haue laude & fame After their dethe / than seke they for no name And some be vntaught and lerned no seyence Or els they disdayne / hye style of eloquence Than standeth the poete / and his poeme arere Whan princes disdayne for to rede or here Or els some other / is drowned all in golde By couetyse kept / in cures many folde By flagrant ardour / inflamed in suche cas As in tyme past the olde kyng Mydas was Than of poemes / full small pleasure hath he Couetyse and clergy / full leudly dothe agre Besyde this Codrus / with princes commonly Be vntaught courters / fulfylled with enuy Juglers and pykers / bourders / and flatrers Baudes and ianglers / and cursed auoutrers And mo suche other / of lyueng vicyous To whom is vertue / aduers and odyous These do good poetes / forthe of all courtes chace By thousande maners / of thretnyng and manace Somtyme by fraudes / somtyme by yll report And them assysteh / all other of their sort Lyke as whan curres / lyght on a caryon Or stinkyng rauyns / fedde with corrupcion These two all other / away dothe bete and chace Bycause they alone / wolde occupy the place For vnto curres / is caryon moost mete And also rauyns / thynke stynkyng thynges swete Another thyng yet / is greatly more dampnable Of rascolde poetes / yet is a shamefull rable Whiche voyde of wysdome / presumeth to endyte Though they haue scantly / the connyng of a snyte And to what vyces / that princes moost intende Those dare these foles / solemnyse and commende Than is he decked / as poete laureate Whan stinkyng Thays / made hym her graduate Whan muses rested / she dyde her season note And she with Bacchis / her camous dyde promote Suche rascolde drames / promoted by Thays Bacchis Lycoris / or yet by Testilys Or by suche other / newe forged muses nyne Thynke in their myndes / for to haue wyt diuyne They laude their verses / they bost / they vaunt & get Though all their connyng / be scantly worthe a pet If they haue smelled / the artes trinycall They count them poetes / hye and heroycall Suche is their folly / so folisshely they dote Thinkyng that none / can their playne errour note yet be they folysshe / auoyde of honeste Nothyng seasoned / with spice of grauyte Auoyde of pleasure / auoyde of eloquence With many wordes / and frutelesse of sentence Unapt to lerne / disdayning to be tought Their priuate pleasur / in snare so haue them caught And worst yet of all / they count them exellent Thoughe they be frutelesse / rasshe & improuident To suche ambages / who dothe their mynde enclyne They counte all other / as priuate of doctryne And that the fautes / whiche be in them alone Also be commen / in other men echone Thus byde good poetes / oftyme rebuke and blame Bycause of other / whiche haue dispysed name And thus for the badde / the good be clene abiect Their arte and poeme / counted of none effect Who wanteth reason / good to discryue from yll Dothe worthy writers / enterprete at his wyll So bothe the laudes / of good and nat laudable For lacke of knowledge / become vituperable . Codrus . In faythe Mynalcas / I we le alowe thy wytte yet wolde I gladly / here nowe some mery fytte Of mayde Maryon / or els of Roby Hode Or bentleys Ale whiche chaseth wele the blode Of Pert of Norwyche / or sauce of Wylberton Or buckysshe ioly / we le stuffed as a ton Talke of the botell / let go the boke for nowe Combrous is connyng / I make to god auowe Speke of some mat / which may refreshe my brayne Trust me Mynalcas / I shall rewarde thy payne Els talke of stoutney / wher is more brayne than wyt Place moost abused / that we haue spoke of yet . Mynalcas . Of all these thynges / langage to multiply Except I lyed / shulde be but villany It is nat semyng / a poete one to blame All if his honour / haue won dyffamed name And thoughe suche beestes / pursue me with enuy Malgre for malyce / that payment I defy My maister techeth / so dothe reason and skyll That man shulde restore / and rendre good for yll Codrus . Than talke of somwhat / lo it is long to night yet hath the sonne / more than one hour of lyght Mynalcas . yf I nought common / soundyng to grauyte I feare to optayne / but smale rewarde of the But if I common of vice or wantonnesse Than of our lorde / shall my rewarde be lesse Wherfore my balade / shall haue conclusyon Of frutefull clauses / of noble Salomon . Codrus . Syng on Mynalcas / he may do lytell thyng Whiche to a balade / disdayneth the heryng But if thy dytie / accorde nat to my mynde Than my rewarde / and promes is behynde By mannes maners / it lightly dothe appere What men desyreth / that loue they for to here Mynalcas . Thoughe in thy promes / I fynde no certente yet of my connyng / shalte thou haue parte of me I call no muses / to gyue to me doctryne But ayde & confort / of strength & might diuyne To clere my reason / with wysdome and prudence To syng one balade / extract of sapyence .
AS medowes paynted / with floures redolent The sight reioyseth / of suche as then beholde So man endewed / with vertue exellent Fragrantly shyneth / with beames many folde Uertue with wysdome / excedeth store of golde If richesse habounde / set nat on them thy trust Whan strength is sturdy / than man is perte & bolde But wyt & wysdome soone leyeth hym in the dust . Than man is beestly / whiche seweth carnall lust Spende nat on women / thy richesse or substaunce For lacke of vsyng / as steele or yron rust So rusteth reason / by wylfull ignoraunce In fraudefull beaute / set thou but small pleasaunce A plesaunt apple / is ofte corrupt within Grounde the in youthe / on goodly gouernaunce It is good token / whan man dothe we le begyn . Joye nat in malyce / that is a mortall synne Man is parceyued / by langage and doctryne Better is to lose / than wrongfully to wynne He loueth wysdome / whiche loueth disciplyne Rass he enterprises / ofte bringeth to ruyne A man may contende / god gyueth victory Set neuer thy mynde / on thyng whiche is nat thyne Trust nat in honour all welthe is transitory . Combyne thou thy tong / with reason and memory Speke nat to hasty / without aduysement So lyue in this lyfe / that thou mayst trust on glory Whiche is nat caduke / but lastyng parmanent There is no secrete / with people vyuolent By beestly surfet / the lyfe is breuyate Though some haue pleasure / in sumptuous garment yet goodly maners / hym maketh more ornate .
Codrus . Ho there Myaclas / of this haue we ynoughe What shulde a plouman / go farther than his plough What shulde a shepherde / in wysdome wade so farre Talke of his tankarde / or of his box of tarre Tell somwhat els / wherin is more conforte So shall the season / and tyme seme light & shorte Mynalcas . For thou of Hawarde / nowe lately dyde recyte I haue a dytie / whiche Cornir dyde endyte His dethe complayning / but it is lamentable To here a capitayne / so good and honourable So soone withdrawen by dethes cruelte Before his vertue / was at moost highe degre If dethe for reason / had shewed hym fauour To all his nacyon / he shulde haue ben honour Alas / bolde hertes / be nerest dethe in warre Whan out of daunger / cowardes stande a farre . Codrus . All if that ditye / be nener so lamentable Refrayne my teares / I shall as I am able Begyn Mynalcas / tell of the bolde Hawarde If fortune fauour / hope after some rewarde . Mynalcas . I pray the Codrus / my whey is weke and thyn Len me thy botell / to drinke or I begyn . Codrus . If ought be tasted / the remnaunt shall pall I may nat afore the / nowe for to spende out all We sytte in shadowe / the sonne is nat feruent Call for it after / than I shall be content . Mynalcas . Styll thou desyrest / the pleasure of my arte But of thy botell / nought wylte thou yet departe Though thou be negarde / & nought wylt gyue of thyne yet this one tyme / thou shalt haue parte of myne Nowe herken Codrus / I tell myne elegy But small is the pleasure / of dolefull armony .
The discrypcion of the towre of Uertue and Honour / in to whiche the noble Hawarde contended to entre / by worthy actes of chiualry .

Mynalcas speketh . Hyghe on a mountayne / of highnes marueylous With pendant clyffes / of stones harde as flent Is made a castell / or toure moost curyous Dredefull vnto sight / but inwarde exellent Suche as wolde entre / fynde paynes-tourment So harde is the way / vnto the same mountayne Streight / hye / and thorny / tournyng and dyfferent That many labour / for to ascende in vayne . Who dothe perseuer / and to this toure attayne Shall haue great pleasure / to se the bylding olde Joyned and graued / surmountyng mannes brayne And all the walles within of fynest golde With olde hystories / and pyctures manyfolde Glystring as bright / as Phebus orient With marbyll pyllers / the bylding to vpholde About the turrettes / of shape moost exellent . This toure is gotten / by labour dilygent In it remayneth / suche as haue won honour By holy lyueng / by strength or tournament And moost by wisdome / attayne vnto this tour Brefely all people / of godly behauour By rightwyse batayle / iustyce and equyte Or that in mercy / haue had a chefe pleasure In it haue rowmes / eche after his degre This goodly castell / thus shinyng in beaute Is named castell / of vertue and honour In it eight Henry / is in his mageste Moost hye enhaunsed / as ought a conquerour In it remayneth the worthy gouernour A stocke and fountayne / of noble progeny Moost noble Hawarde / the duke and protectour Named of Northfolke / the floure of chiualry . Here is the Talbot / manfull and hardy With other princes / and men of dignyte Whiche to wyn honour dothe all their might apply Supportyng iustyce / concorde / and equyte The manly Corson / within this toure I se These haue we sene / echone in his estate With many other / of hye and meane degre For mercy all actes / with crownes laureate . Of this stronge castell / is porter at the gate Strong sturdy labour / moche lyke a champyon But goodly vertue / a lady moost ornate Within gouerneth / with great prouisyon But of this castell / in the moost hyest trone Is honour shinyng / in rowme imperyall Whiche vnrewarded / of them leueth nat one That come by labour / and vertue princypall . Ferefull is labour / without fauour at all Dredefull of vysage / a monster vntretable Lyke Cerberus lyeng / at gates infernall To some men his loke / is halfe intollerable His shulders large / for burthen stronge and able His body bristled / his necke mighty and styffe By stourdy senewes / his ioyntes strong and stable Lyke marbyll stones / his handes be as styffe . Here must man vanquysshe / the dragon of Cadmus Agayne the Chymer / here stoutly must he ●ight Here must he vanquysshe / the ferefull Pegasus For the golden flese / here must he shewe his might If labour gainsay / he can nothyng be right This monster labour / ofte chaungeth his fygure Somtyme an ore / abore / or lyon wight Plainly he semeth / thus chaungyng his nature . Lyke as Protheus / ofte chaunged his stature Mutable of fygure / oftymes in one hour Whan Aristeus / in bondes had hymsure To dyuers fygures lyke wise chaungeth labour Under his browes he dredefully do the lour With glystring eyen / and syde dependant berde For thurst and hunger / alway his chere is sour His horned forheed / dothe make faynt hertis ferde . Alway he drinketh / and yet alway is dry The sweate distyllyng / worthe droppes habundant His brest and forheed / dothe humour multiply By swetyng shoures / yet is this payne plesant Of day and of night / his restyng tyme is scant No day ouerpasseth / erempt of busyncsse His sight enfourmeth / the rude and ignorant Who dare parseuer / he gyueth them richesse . None he auaunceth / but after stedfastnesse Of lytell burthen / his bely is and small His mighty thyes / his vigour dothe expresse His shankes sturdy / and large fete withall By wrathe he rageth / and styll dothe chyde & brall Suche as wolde entre / repellyng with his cry As well estates / as homely men rurall At the first entre / he thretneth yrefully . I trowe olde fathers / whom men nowe magnify Called this monster / Mynerua stout and soure For strength and senewes / of man moost comenly Are tame and febled / by cures and laboure Lyke as becometh / a knight to fortify His princes quarell / with right and equite So dyde this Hawarde / with corage valtantly Tylldethe abated / his bolde audacyte . O happy Sampson / more fortunate than he Onely in strength / but nat in hye courage O cruell fortune / why durst thy cruelte This flour of knighthode / to slee in lusty age Thou hast debated / the flour of his lynage If thou had mercy / be wayle his dethe thou might For cruell loyns / and mo beestes sauage Long tyme nat cessed / sore to be wayle this knight O dethe thou hast done / agaynst bothe lawe & right To spare a cowarde / without danger or wounde And thus soone to quenche / of chiualry the light O dethe enuyous / moost enmy to our grounde What moost aueyleth / thou sonest dost confounde Why dyde nat vertue / assyst her champyon Thou might haue ayded / for sothly thou was bounde For duryng his lyfe / he loued the alone . O god almighty / in thy eternall trone To whom all vertue / is dere and acceptable If reason suffred / to the our crye and mone This dede might impute / and fortune lamentable Thou might haue left vs / this knight most honourable Our welthe & honour / to haue kept in degre Alas why hath dethe / so false and disceyuable Mankynde to tourment / this wyll and lyberte . It quencheth vertue / sparyng iniquite The best it stryketh / of badde hauyng disdayne No helpe nor confort / hath our aduersyte Dethe dayly striketh / though we dayly complayne To treate a tyranne / it is but thyng in vayne Mekenesse prouoketh / his wrathe & tyranny So at our prayer / dethe hath the more disdayne We do by mekenesse / his furour multiply . If some fell tyranne / replete with villany Shulde thus haue endyng / the dede were commendable But a stout capitayne / disposed to mercy So soone thus faded / the case lamentable Was he nat humble / ioconde and companable No man dispysing / and first in all labour Rightwyse with mercy / debollaire and tretable Mate and companyon / with euery soudyour . Uyce he subdued / by goodly behauour Lyke as a ryder / dothe a wylde stede subdue His body subget / his soule was gouernour From vice withdrawen / to goodnesse and vertue Whan pride rebelled / mekenesse dyde eschue Fre mynde and almes / subdued auaryce Alway he noted / this sayeng iust and true That noble myndes / dispyseth couetyse . His dethe declareth / that slouthe he dyde espyse By hardy courage / as first in ieopardy Al way he vsed / some noble exercyse Suche as belongeth / to noble chiualry In hym was there founde / no sparcle of enuy Alway he lauded / and praysed worthynesse Suche as were doughty / rewardyng largely Wrathe saue in season / he wisely coude represse . Of wyne or Bacchus / despysed he excesse For myndes kyndled to actes mercyall Sekyng for honour / and name of doughtynesse Despyseth surfet / and lyueng beestyall In hym no power / had lust veneryall For busy labour / and plesaunt abstynence All corporall lust / soone causeth for to fall No lust subdueth / where reigneth dilygence He was a pyller / of sober contynence His onely treasure / and iowell was good name But O cursed dethe / thy wrathfull vyolnece By stroke vnwarned / halfe blynded of his fame Who may I accuse ? who may I put in blame ? God for deth / or fortune / or impotent nature God dothe his pleasure / & dethe wyll haue the same Nature was mighty / long able to endure . In fortune the faut is / holde nowe am I sure I wolde if I durst / his tyranny accuse O cursed fortune / if thou be creature Who gaue the power / thus people to abuse Thy mutable might / me causeth ofte to muse Whan man is plunged / in dolour and distresse Thy face thou chaungest / whiche dyde erst refuse By sodayne chaunces / hym liftyng to richesse . And suche as long tyme / haue lyued in nobles Anone thou plungest / in payne and pouerte Welthe / honoure / strength / right / iustyce / & goodnes Misery / dolour / lowe roume / and iniquyte These thou rewardest / lyke as it pleaseth the To mannes meryte / without respect at all One this day beyng / in great authorite Agayne to morowe / thou causest for to fall . Whan man is worthy / a roume imperyall On hym thou gloumest / with frowarde countenance Weyke is thy promes / reuoluyng as a ball Thou hast no fauour / to godly gouernance No man by meryte / thou vsest to auance O blynded fortune / oftyme infortunate Whan man the trusteth / than falleth some myschance Unwarely chaungyng / his fortune and estate . Tell me frayle fortune / why dyde thou breuyate The lyueng season / of suche a capitayne That whan his actes ought to be laureate Thy fauour tourned / hym suffring to be slayne I blame the fortune / and the excuse agayne For thoughe thy fauour / to hym was rigorous Suche is thy custome / for to be vncertayne And namely whan man / is hye and glorious . But moost worthy duke / hye and vyctorious Respyre to conforte / se the vncertaynte Of other princes / whose fortune prosperous Of tyme hath ended / in harde aduersyte Rede of Pompeius / whose pereles dignyte Agayne great Cesar / dyde welthe of Rome defend Whom after fortune / brought in captiuyte That he in Egypt / was heeded at the ende . In lykewise Cesar / whiche dyde with hym contende Whan all the worlde / to hym was subyngate From his hye honour / dyde sodaynly discende Murdred in Rome / by chaunce infortunate Cato an Seneke / with Tully Rewreate These and mo lyke / for all their sapyence Hath proued fortune / sore blynding their estate By wrongfull sclaunders / and deedly violence . To poore and riche / it hath no difference Olde Polycraces / supposyng peryll past With dethe dishonest / ended his exellence Great Alexander by fortune / was downe cast One draught of poyson hym fylled at the last Whom all the worlde / erst coude nat sacyate What is all honour / and power but a blast ? Whan fortune thretneth / the lyfe to breuyate Beholde on Pyrrus / the kyng infortunate With a small stone / deed prostrate on the grounde Se Ualeryan brought downe from his estate From his empyre / in Percy thrall and bounde Of olde Priamus / it is in writyng founde Howe he by ▪ Pyrrus / was in his paleis slayne Paris and Hector / receyued mortall wounde To trust in fortune / it is a thyng in vayne . The mighty Cyrus / a kyng of realmes twayne Was slayne & his hoost / of Thomyrus the quene Thus is no mater / of fortune to complayne All that newe falleth / of olde tyme hath ben sene This shal be / this is / and this hath euer bene That bolde hertes / be nerest ieopardy To dye in batayle / is honour as men wene To suche as haue ioye / in hauntyng chiualry . Suche famous endyng / the name dothe magnify Note worthy duke / no cause is to complayne His lyfe nat ended / foule nor dishonestly In bedde nor tauerne / his lustes to meyntayne But lyke as besemed / a noble capitayne In sturdy harnesse / he dyed for the right From dethes danger / no man may flye certayne But suche dethe is metest / vnto a noble knight . But dethe it to call / me thynke it is vnright Sithe his worthy name / shall last parpetuall To all his nacion / example and clere light But to his progeny / moost specially of all His soule is in pleasure / of glory eternall So duke moost doughty / ioy may that noble tree Whose braunches honour / shall neuer fade ne fall Whyle beest is in erthe / or fysshes in the see . Lo Codrus / I here haue tolde the by and by Of shepherde Cornir / the wofull elegy Wherin he mourned / the greuous payne and harde And last departyng / of noble lorde Hawarde