[The horse the ghoos & the sheep]

cOntre versies / plees and discordes Bitwene persones were two or thre Sought out the groundes be recordes This was the custom of antiquite Iugges were sette / that had auctorite The caas conceyued stondyng in different Betwene parties to yeue Iugement Parties assembled of highe & lowe degre Weren amytted to shewen in sentence Grounded of their quarels the lawe made hem fre With oute excepcion to come in audience Be the president / comaunded first scilence Fredom yeue / the parties not to spare Be titel of right their greues to declare Vpon this mater shortly to conclude Nought yore agoon as I reherce shall I fonde to purpose a simylitude Full craftely depeynted vpon a wall Tweyne sittyng in estate royall The fierce lyon famous in alle royames And themperial egle percyng the sonne beames These were the dredefull Iugges tweyne In theyre estate sittyng I toke kepe That herde the parties by and by compleyne The hors the ghoos and the symple shepe The processe was not to perfound● ne depe Of their debate but contryued of a fable Whiche of hem was to man most prouffitable Eche for his partye proudly gan procede To force hym self be record of scripture By phylosophers as clerkes seen and rede The prerogatiues / yeuen hem be nature Whiche of these thre / to euery creature In re publica / auayleeth most a man For his partye thus first the hors began

▪ The hors ▪

To procede briefly and not long to tarye First fro the trouthe that I do not erre What beest is found in alle thing so necessarie As is the horse bothe nyghe and ferre And so notable to man in pees and werre Hors in cronycles who so redeth a right Haue saued ofte many a worthy knyght Marcyall prowesse in especyall God hath be horse yeue to werrours Recorde of alisaundre whos hors bucyfall Made hym escape fro many sharp shours The golden chare of olde conquerours Towarde the tryumphe for knyghtly dedes Conceyued hit was with foure white stedes Remembre hector the troian champion Whos hors was callyd whilom galathe Vpon whos back he pleyde the lyon Full ofte fithes he made the grekes flee The stede of perseus was cleped pigase With swifte wynges / poetes seyn the same Was for his swiftenes named the horse of fame Eques ab equo is seyd of verrey right And chyualer is sayd of chyualrye In duche a rider is called a knyght Aragon tonge doth also specifye C●ualoro / whiche in that partye Is named of worship & toke begynnyng Of spores of gold & chiefly of ridyng These emperours these princes & these kynges Whan they ben armed in bright plate & mayle Withoute horse what were their mustringes Their brode baners or their riche apparaylle To fore here enemyes to shewe hem in batayle Withoute horse . spere . swerde . ne shelde Myght litell auayle for to holde a felde The hardy prykars vpon hors back Be sent to forn what ground is best to take In their ordenance that ther be no lack Be prouidence how they the felde shal make An hors wole wepe for his maister sake Chaw●er remembrith the swerd . rynge & glasse Presented were vpon a stede of brasse Betwene two hilles the prophete zacharye Sawe stedes foure / the first of hem was rede In chares foure the felde to magnefye And the seconde was black it is no drede The ●hirde was whyte body neck and hede The fourth diuerce of colours / wonder stronge And to knyghthode alle these colours longe The rede hors was token of hard●●●● Whiche apperteyneth to euery manly knyght The cole black hewe a signe of ●●bernesse Poraylle oppressid to helpe in their right The whyte mylke stede that was glad of sight Tokeneth that knyghthode treuly shold entende Holy chirche maydens & wedewis to defende The many folde colours to speke in generall Be sondry vertues and condicions As the foure vertues callyd cardynall Longyng to knyghthod t encrece their renons In re publica / callyd the champions Trouthe to sustene & shewe hem self strong Bound be ordre to se noman haue wrong Withouten horse iustes ne tournayll May not be holde in werre ne in pees Nor in palastre no pleyes marcyall Yf horse do fayle may come to non encrees Ne noman sothly dar put hym in prees Withouten hors for short conclusion To atteyne the palme of triumphal guerdon 〈…〉 ther ben of hors also Do grete prouffit / to euery comonte The plough ne carte myght nought do With oute horse / dayly ye may see ●yllyng were loste ne were we horses parde The besy marchante to his auantage N●● shippes & horse coude haue no cariage The shippe be liknesse is callid an hors of t●● Full notably who can vnderstande To lede men and carye them ouer the see As don horse whan they come to lande The poure man eke ledeth in a bande His litell capull . his corn his mele to selle And whan hit is grounden bringeth it fro the melle In wynter season to make beal chere The hors is nedeful wode & turf to carye Wyn fruyt and oyle to serue thurgh the yere Ys brought to vyneters & to the potecarye Diuerse drugges and many a letuarye Sondry bales and shortly all vitayll Of the cariage horse haue the trauayll Theye ne otes pleinly who 〈…〉 Maye fro the feldes ner the 〈…〉 To the garner neyther to the berne With oute horse be caryed hit is sene And vnto pourpose / I seye as I mene Ther is no beest rekene as I began So necessarye / as horse is vnto man Auguste is a season mery and glad Whan euery tre with newe fruyt is lade With draught of hors the sheuis ben home lad That moneth passid / the leeuis gyn to fade Whiche made in somer a plesant lusty shade What don horse than to speke in wordes pleyn The second croppe they carye home of ryweyn By draught of horse fro ryuers and well is Bouges be brought to brewars for good ale Lede stoon tymbre caryage of bellis We brynge to chirches in trouth this is no tak We lede cloth sackis & many a large male And gladly somers be sent to forne With gardeuyandes / how might horse be for born Ye ●●●dent Iuges th● egle and the lyon What I haue sayd doth wysely aduertyse Weyeth this mater in your discrescon Where ghoos or shepe pleynly to deuyse Of their nature may in ony wyse Iustely deme ye / late hit not be spared Vnto an horse be likenyd and compared That I haue told is trouth & no feynyng No wight of reson agayn hit may applye Ghoos ne gander ne grene gosselyng But yf they entre the boundes of enuye Late her come forth and saye for her partye Ghoos yes truste me wel for the I wyl not spar● Lyke as I fele my verdyte to declare Where as thou hast vnto thy pasture But oon place / to make in thy repayre Hit is granted to me by nature To abyde on water / londe and eyer Now amonge flowres & grenys that be feyr Now bathe in ryuers swymme m many a ponde For storme or showre as drye as on the londe Thurgh alle the londe of brutes albyon For fethers arowes as I reherce can Ghoos is the beest to make comparison Excepte fethers of pecok and of swan Be bowe and arowes sith the warre began Haue englishmen remembrid in storye Of their enemyes had many a victorye Hors in the felde may mustre with grete pryde Whan they of trompettis here the blody sowun But whan an arowe hath percyd his syde To ground he goth & caste his maister dowun Entryng the felde he pleyeth the lyon What foloweth after / his carayn stynketh sore Sauf skyn and shone ther leueth nomore Myghty captayns and knyghtes in the felde Make ther wardes and their ordenance First men of armes with polax spere & shelde Sette in ordre dewe to haue the gouernance Whiche at peyters toke the kynge of fraunce Thanke to the ghoos moste be youen of right Whiche in the felde so proudly toke her flight Slouth of my flyght for hasty negligence Of presumpcion / the ghoos was lefte behynde Whan the famous & worthy duc of clarence Rode on bayard with his eyen blynde Flight of my fethers was put out of mynde And for he set that day of me no force So lityl or nought what auayled him his horse Bookes olde remembre wel in sentence Whilom whan Rome by his foon was take The capitole kepte of with grete defence Noyse of a gander / the captayn dyde wake Whiche remembred / they set vp for his sake In their temples wyde and olde A large gandre forged al of fyn golde His waker noyse was theyre sauacon Be whiche the captayn ran vpon the wall Thus be a gander recouerd was the toun Called of the world the cyte moste ryall Cyte of cytees that day most principall Was euer horse in book that ye can rede Pro re publica / that dyde suche a dede In the book named of cheualier destyne The storye telleth as in sentement There were children of the ryall lyne Born with chaynes / and whan they were of rent They torned to swannes be enchantement Toke their flight the trouth is full cleer And as swannes they swam̄e in the ryuer This storye is fu●● autentyk and olde In frenshe compiled oft red and seyn Of thilke cheynes was made a cup of golde Whiche is yet kept as some folkes seyn And by discent hit longeth in certeyn To the herfordes ye shal so fynde in dede Ceriously who so lifte the storye to rede And semblably / not long here toforn̄ I telle this tale as for my partye Ther was a man in lombardy born To a ghoos y torned by crafte of sorcerye And so abode viI. yere me list not to lye His wrytte fyl of than stode he vp a man And bode in seruice with the duke of melan And for he was a man of highe degree Boorn of good blood & notable in substance His kynrede yeueth a ghoos for their liueree Thy sayd meruayle to put in remembrance Peyse alle tynges Iustely in balance And lete the horz leue his boost and roos To make comparison with gander or ghoos With in rome the gander was deysyed Set in their temples of grete affection Be senatours of the toun magnefyed As chief protectour and sauer of her toun Late hors and shepe leye their boost adoun But yf the ram with his brasyn belle Can for the shepe som better storye telle

. The Ram speketh for the sheep .

The sheep was symple & lothe to make affraye Lyke a beest disposed to mekenesse The sturdy Ram his aduocate was that daye To fore the Iugges he gan hym dresse With an exordye of latyn he dide expresse Veste purpurea vt rectores regum In duti sunt arietes ouium Of this notable ryalle hye scripture The blessid doctour Augustyn as I rede Be a man goostly fayre of figure Of a meke sheep thus he doth procede Called maria a mayde in thought and dede Brought forth a lambe of most vertu The lambe of grace whos name was thesu Augustyn callyd this lambe in estate Be many folde recorde of scripture The ryall lambe of colour purpurate Whiche for mankynde list pascion tendure Born of a mayde be grace agayn nature Whan he be mene of her humylyte Toke the clothyng of oure humanyte Born by discente to be bothe preest and kyng Kyng by succession fro dauid doun by lyne Of purpyll rede was his ryall clothing This agnus dei born of a pure virgine Whiche wysshe a way alle venyn serpentyne Ou caluerye whan he for man was dede With his pure blod purpurate and rede This paschal lambe with out spot al whyte Be his passion in bosra steyned rede Whiche cam from edom this lambe of delite That ghaf his body to man in forme of brede On sherthursday to fore that he was dede Was ther euer founde in scripture Of hors or ghoos so solempne a figure This lambe was criste that lyneally cam By disc●nt conueyed de pee de gree From the patriark called abraham Be ysaac and Iacob so doun to Iesse Whiche be vertu of his humylite Liste to be called the blessid Ihesu For his mekenes the lambe of most vertu And for to reherce worldly com̄oditees In re publica make no comparison There is no beste / whiche in alle degrees Neyther . tygre . olyphante . ne griffon Alle thinges rekenyd thurgh euery region Doth so grete prouffit . hots . ghoos ne swan As doth the sheep vnto the ease of man Late be thy boost thou hors & thy Iangeling Leye doun thy trappours forged of plate & mayl Caste of thy sadel of gold so fresshly shynyng What may thy brydel or boces now avayll This gostly lambe hath don a grete batayll Be his mekenes he offred vp for man Clad in purpyll veynquysshid hath sathan The ghoos may cakle the horse prike & prance Neyther of hem in processe may acteyne ▪ For to be sette or put in remembrance Agayn the lambe though they disdeyne For comyn prouffit he passeth bothe tweyne Weye and considere betwene poure & riche To hym in valewe they be nothyng liche Of brutes albion his wulle is chief richesse In pryce surmountyng euery other thing Saue grayn & corn marchantes alle expresse Wulle is chief tresour in this lond growyng To riche and poure this beest fynde clothyng Alle nacions afferme hit vp to the full In alle the world is no better wulle Of the sheep also cometh pellet & eke felle Gadred in this londe for gret marchandyse Caryed ouer the see where men may hit selle The wulle skynnes causen men to ryse In to grete richesse in many sondry wyse The sheep also tornyth to grete prouffit To helpe of man bereth furres black & whyte There is also made of the sheeps skynne Pilches & gloues to dryue away the cold Therof also is made good parchemyne To wryte of bookes & quayers many fold The ram of cholchos bare a flees of gold The flees of gedeon with dewe delectable Was of maria a figure ful notable His flessh his natural restauracion As some men seyn after grete sekenesse Rosted or sodyn holsome is moton Boyled with grewell / phisiciens expresse Ful nutrityf after grete accesse The sheep also concludyng douteles Of his nature loueth reste and pees Of the sheep is caste away nothyng His horne for nockes to haftes goo his bone To londe grete prouffit doth his tyrtelyng His talowe serueth for plasters mo than oone For harpe strynges his roppes serue echeone Of whos hede boyled with wulle and alle Ther cometh a gely and an oynement riall For the ache of bones and also for brefure Hit remedieth and deth ease blyue Causeth men of starke Ioyntes to recure Dede senewes restoreth agayn to lyue Black shepes wulle with oyle olyue These men of armes with charmes preued good At a strait n●de can wel staunche blood Vnto the wolf contrayre of nature As seyne auctours is this humble beest Loueth no debate for whiche eche creature For his partye he wolde lyue in rest Wherfore ye Iuges I holde hit for the best Rem publicam ye shold of right preferre Alway considering that pees is better than werre In this mater briefly to conclude Pees to preferre as to my deuyce Be many olde prouyd simylitude Make no delaye / yeue the sheep the pryce Of one assent sith that ye bee wyse Late alle werre and stryf be sette a syde And vpon pees do with the sheep abyde

. The hors .

Nay said the hors your request is wrong Alle thing considered me were loth to erre The sheep is cause and hath be ful long Of newe stryues and of mortall werre The circumstance , me list not to deferre Thy wulle was cause and grete occasion Why that thy prowd duke of bourgoyn Cam to fore calais with flemyngis not a fewe Whiche yaf the sackes & sarplers of the toun To gaunt & brugges his fredom for to shewe Of thy wulles / he hight hem possession His boystous vastyle first was bete doun Hym self vnnethe escaped with the ●yf What / but thy wulles was cause of this stryf Were richesse is of wulles & suche good Men drawe thyder that be recheles As souldyours that braynles be & wood To gete bagage they put hem self in prees Thus causest thou werre / & saist thou louest pees And yf ther were no werre ne batayll Lytil or nought grete horse shold a wyll

. The ghoos .

No sayd the ghoos nor my fethers whyte With oute warre shold doo none a vauntage Ner hokyd arowes profyte but a lyte To mete our enemyes magre their visage And from them to saue vs fro domage Flight of fethers despyte of shepe echene Shall vs defenden agayn our mortall foone

. The horse holdyng with the ghoos .

Soth qd the horse as in my Iuward fight With oute werre afore as I yow tolde We may not saue / ne kept our right Oure garisouns ner castellis olde But here this sheep ruckyng in his folde Sette litell store of swerde nor arowes stene Whan he in pees may pasture on the grene Yf hit so stode that no werre were Lost were the craft of armorers What shoold auayle polax swerd or spere Or these daggers wrought be cuttelers Bowes . crossebowes . arowes of fleathers All these instruments for the werre is wrought Yef werres were stint they shold serue of noght Their occupacion shold haue none encrees Knyghthode shold not floure in his estate In euery contre yef that ther were pees No man of armes shold be fortunate I preue that pees is ground of all debate For in fyue spekes lyke as is a whele Torned alle the world who considereth wele Begynne first at pees whiche causeth richesse And richesse is th original of pryde Pryde causeth for lack of rightwysnesse Werre betwene remes loke ou euery syde Hertes contrarye in pees wyl not abyde Thus fynably who can considre and see Werre is chief ground and cause of pouerte Pouerte be werre brought to disencrees For lack of tresour whan he can nomore Saue only this / he crieth after pees And compleyneth on the werres sore He seyth be warre he hath his goodes lore Can no recoure be / but grucching & disdayn Saith the world wold fayn haue pees agayn Thus pryde and richesse to conclude in clause Betwene th etremytees of pees and pouerte Of alle debates and werre be chief cause And saith wulles brynge in grete plente Where they habounde as folke expert may see That may I saye yf men wyl take kept Warre is brought in all onely by the shepe

. The sheep answereth .

Here is a gentyl rayson of an horse I trowe he be falle in to some dotage Whiche of madnes by wulle sette no forse Falsely affermyng hit doth none auauntage Vertuouse plente may do no domage The shepe berith his flees I told whan I began Not for hym self but for the prouffit of man Diuerse comoditees that comyn of a shepe Cause no warres what men Iangle or muse As in her gylte / ye Iugges take ye kepe What that I saye their Innocence texcuse Of couetyse men falsely may muse Her benefetes and wrongly her atwyte Of suche occasions / wher she is not to wyte What is the sheep to blame in your sight Whan she is shorn and of her flees mad bare Though folk of malice for her wulles fight Causeles to stryue fooles wyl not spare Where pees resteth ther is all welfare And sithe the shepe loui●h pees of Innocence Yeue ye for his parte diffinytyf sentence

. The lyon & egle yeuyng Iugement .

The ryall egle and the lyon of one assente Alle thyng considered rehercyd here beforn Of alle thyse thre be good aduisement Of horse and ghoos / and the ram with his horn Sawe in re publica myght non be forborn Be shorte sentence to voyden alle discorde Caste a meen to sette hem at acorde This was the mene to auoyde first her stryues And olde grucchyng with their hertes glade Vse these ghyftes and thyse prerogatiues To that ende / to whiche they were made Ware with presumpcion their backes be not lade Vndeuoyded in herte wyll and thought To den her office as nature hath hem wrought The hors be kynde to lyuen in trauayll The ghoos with her geslinges to swymme t̄ the lake The sheep / whos wulles doth so moche auayll In his pasture to grese & hym mery make Their comparisons by on assent forsake Alway remembryng how god and nature To a good ende made euery creature That none to other shold doo wronge The rauenons wolf the sely lambe toppresse And though one be more than another stronge To the febeler do no froward duresse Alle extorcion is grounded on falsenesse Wille is now lawe whether it be wrong or right Trouthe is leyd a doun / the feble is put to flight Odyous of olde ben alle comparisons And of comparisons engendrid is hatered And alle folke be not lyke of condicions Nor lyke disposed of thought wyll and dede For whiche cause this fable that ye rede Contriued was / that who hath the grettest parte Of vertuouse yeftes shuld with his frende departe As thus all vertues allone hath not one man That one lacketh nature hath yeue to another That thou canst ▪ not / percas another can Entercomen therfore as broder doth with broder Yf charyte gouerne well the rother Alle in one vessell to speke in wordes pleyn That noman sholde of other haue disdayn

. Thus endeth the horse the ghoos & the sheep .

Hit is ful hard to knowe ony estate Double visage loketh out of euery ho●d Sewerte is lost Truste is past the date Thrifte hath take his leue ouer the flood Lawe can do no thyng withouten good Thefte hath leue to goo oute at large Of the commons misreule hath take the charge And thou desire thy self to auaunce Poure or riche whether that thou be Be lowly and gentyl in thy gouernance Good reule douteles may best preferre the Yf thou be gentif hurte not thy degre And thou be poure Do alle that thou can To vse good maners for maner maketh man Atte thy mele be glad in contenance In mete and drynke 〈…〉 mesurable Beware of surfete and misgouernance They cause men ofte to be vnresonable Suffre nothyng be sayd at thy table That ony man may hurte or displese For good mete and drinke axeth Ioye and ese Yf thy goodes to the not suffyse Conforme the euer to that thou hast Gouerne so thy self in suche a wyse In thyn expences make no waste Grete excesse causeth vnthrift in haste Beware betyme bere this in thyn herte Misrewle maketh ofte many men to smerte Beware of nouellis that be new brought Though they be plesant / lokke fast thy lyppe An hasty worde may be to sore bought Close thy mouth leste thy tonge trippe To thy self / loke thou make not a whyppe Hurte not thy self / lest thou sore rewe For thyn owen ese / kept thy tonge in mewe The worlde so wyde the ayer so remuable The sely man so lityl of stature The graue & ground of clotyng so mutable The fyre so hoot and subtyll of nature The water neuer in oon / what creature That made is of these foure thus flyttyng Maye endure stable and yseuere in abidyng The further I goo / the more behynde The more behynde / the ner my weyes ende The more I seche / the werse can I synde The lyghter leue / the lother for to wende The truer I serue / the ferther out of mynde Though I goo loose I am teyde with a syne Is hit fortune or Infortune thus I fyne . Explicit .