Westerne Wyll upon the debate betweene Churchyarde and Camell

¶ Rowe thy bote thou ioly ioly maryner , & wynd wel vp thy sayle , For thou mightst neuer wind it vp better thine own self for to auaile . THere ware thre mery maryners , that dwelt in Maldon meade That could sayl of wynde and tyde , of chanel and of streame And eke theyr compasse well dyrecte , from euery shore & steade And ware acqueinted with the rockes : and sandes that myght them queame From Maldon hauen to Billingesgate , aswel I vndertake As any thre of many yeres , suche course that vsed to make . A Crayer had they prest to sayle , and all theyr takle yare And all theyr fraught ybrought a borde , to wende to Maldon towne But for the wynde was not the best , before they forth wolde fare They thought the citie for to rowme , and viewe it vp and downe If thing vncouth they there might fynde , wherwith to moue some glee When they came home to Maldon meade , amonge theyr companye . To Powles they hyed as place most fytte , for newes in theyr deuyce Amonge the prynters gan they search , and busily enquyre For thinges that might for Noueltie , at home be had in price The printer sayd he thought he had , to pleasen theyr desyre And drewe them nere into his shoppe , and gan vnfolde them lyght A rolle of Rythmes , wherof the fyrst , the dickers dreame it hyght . Then folowed answere to this dreame , to Dauie dickers whan A solempne processe at a blusshe , be quoted here and there With matter in the margent set , wheron to gase they gan But they ne wist for ought I knewe , but hebrue that it were A Replicacion was the next , whiche well I vnderstoode For that I founde no worde therin , but it was Englyshe good . But lo ye here the fourth quod he , that maketh vp the moste I warrant you a clarkely pece , se howe it is be deckte ( As sellers are not nowe to learne , theyr wares to prayse I gesse ) The name therof Reioynder was , a terme to them suspecte Because it sounded of the lawe , as though some case it warre . Of ioyncture right for waywarde wyues , to pleaden at the barre . But ay the prynter pressed on , and take them all quod he I notte your names , but brethren myne . I you assure can They be as good as in this towne in any shoppe there be Our names quod be , and one stepped forth , a wight yonge watre man Wylkyn is my name , and this is watte , and Herman hight the third As trusty and sure at tackle knotte , as euer with corde was gyrd . Well Wilkin , Watte , and Herman gent , by al your names I sweare Ye shall not nede vpon my worde , to stande in any doubt A meryer iest ye can not fynde , a boord with you to beare So wyll ye say your selues I knowe , when ye haue red it out But yf ye be vnlearned to reade , as maryners lyghtly be Then yf ye lyst to harke a whyle , ye shall it heare of me . For Gods swete bones quod Watkyn tho , for bokyshe be we not We knowe to halfe , and stryke , & vyere , & vp the anchore waye And cables folde , and clymbe to toppe , and then go tosse the potte But if thou wylt of curtesy , of this vs somwhat say By god my peny shal be twayne , and theyrs shal make a grote Though we therfore shulde go to bed , at nyght with thyrsty throte . Nay then quod he Saynt George to borowe , the day is ours all Ye shall it heare eche lyne at length , but fyrst and wote ye what The partyes twayne betwene the which , this stryfe is nowe befall It me behoueth fyrst to tell , good order asketh that Wherfore a whyle gyue eare I pray , tyll I those twayne set out And then ye may your fansye say , by turne eche one about . This Diker semes a thryuynge ladde , brought vp in Pierces scole The plowman stoute , of whom I thynke ye haue ful often harde A swynckyng swaine , that handleth wel his spade and other toole Ful loth he ware for lacke of hede , they shulde be reckly marde For why in them and in his hande , his lyuynge chefely standes He bragges not of his rentes ne fees , ne of entayled landes . And yet he semeth a curtouse hind , and comen of good stocke For Dikers feawe in my contrey , so wel y thewed bene I warraunt you who lyst him proue , he is no spritelesse blocke But to my tale , In cockowe tyme when eche thyng gan to gren All weryed from his worke , retournes this Daui Diker hende And for to ease hym selfe the bet , ful softely gan he wende Unto his house within a groue , a lytle there besyde His bottle & his bagge , he hent , he left them not behynde Wherin remayned but small surplus , of viande at that tyde And downe he sate hym on the benche , of meate had lytle mnide But gan complayne his werynesse , and on his hande his hedde He dyd arrest , & cleped wyfe , as though he wolde to bedde Lo dame he sayd thou wotest I trowe , that candle is to diere To sytte vp late and praten out our thryft tyll farther nyght And eke I nyll no supper haue , lette be put out the fiere And hast we all to bed I saye , that ryse betymes we myght And in he stepte , and sone he was vncased in his couche And at his heade as was his wonte , he layed vp his pouche . To wery labouring men , full swete doth seme such rest He had not lyen longe , but loude he gan to route And softly by his syde his wyfe , her selfe to bed adrest The dogge , the cat , and syb the mayde , eche couchen them about Into theyr hernes where they ware wont , and al was huyst and styll And Dauy gan to dreame his dreame , as we deuysen wyll Then Wylkyn gan at once vpbrayde , and sware by gods dyne harte A rushe for bookes , me leuer ware that I could tel this tale Then of your scrabblynges for to haue , a loade by wayne or carte Strawe for such peltry , it is good to stuffe an empty male I durst it take vpon my soule , in all this lyther thynge Is not a tale that may be founde so muche to my lykynge . Yea yea quod Wat , my selfe by gisse , in youth might this haue learned If I so wyse or happye had ben to folowe my fathers wyll Who would haue spent vpon my scoole so muche as he had earned But I was bent another waye , me thought it very yll All daye to rucken on my tayle , and poren on a booke It was nothyng vnto my paye , full soone I it forsoke . But Herman here our other mate , it was a wytty elfe Ado , ado , quod herman then and prynter yet go forth What was the dreame that Dauy mette as he it tolde him selfe For yet me thinketh by thy fare , that dreme is somewhat worth . Content quod he gyue heare agayne , and here me what I sayne I shall you reade this dreame a ryght , as here I fynde it playne .

Dauye Dikers dreme . WHen fayth in frendes beares fruite , and foolyssh fansies fade & crafty catchers come to nought & hate great loue hath made When fraude flieth farre from towne : & loyterers leaue the fylde And rude shall runne a ryghtfull race , and al men be well wylde When gropers after gayne , shal carpe for common wealth And wyly woorkers shall dysdayne to fygge and lyue by stealth When wysedome walkes a lofte , and folly syttes full lowe And vertue vainquisheth pamperd vice & grace begynnes to growe : When Iustice ioynes to trueth , and lawe lokes not to miede And brybes helpe not to buyld faire bowers , nor gyftes gret glotons fiede When hongre hides his head & pleinty pleaseth the pore And nyggardes to the nedy men shall neuer shutte the dore When double darke deceipt , is out of credite worne And fawnyng speche is falshed founde & craft is laught to skorne When pryde that pykes the purse , gapes not for garmentes gay Nor Iauelles weare no veluette wiedes nor wandring wittes beare sway When riches wronges not right , ne power puttes pore abacke Nor coueytous criepes not into court nor learned lyuinges lacke When slipper sleightes are sene and farre fatches be founde And pryuate profite and selfe loue shall both be put in pounde When debt no sergaunt dredes and courtiers credite kepe And might melles not with merchaundise , nor lordes shal sel no shiepe When lucre lastes not longe , and hurde greate heapes doth hate And euery wyght is well content , to walke in his estate When truth doth treade the stretes , and lyers lurke in den And Rex doth reygne and rule the rost , and wiedes out wicked men Then balefull barnes be blyth , that here in Englande wonne Your stryfe shall stynt I vndertake , and dredfull dayes be donne . This Dyker was no fole I gesse , quod Watte and Herman tho It semeth well he hym bethought , vpon the worldes change And of his drudge and myckle payne , when he to bed dyd go And then to dreame of such lyke thynges , perdy it is not straunge Such as my talke and thoughtes haue bene , the day before certaine Such thinges again at night in slepe , my dreme hath shewed me plaine . And eke I harden ones , a ryght good doctour tell . That such as farced go to bedde , with meate and drynke good store Theyr dreames alwaye to them in more dysordre fell Then yf they empty went to bedde , as ye haue harde before That Dauie dyd whose supper was , so slender and so short That nothynge els but wearynesse , and nature caused hym snort . A dreame , a strawe quod Wylkin then , by god it nas no sweuyn Men dreame of deuyls , of apes , and ●wles , of naked gyrles and boyes But I ne thynke this dreame is such , it hitteth thynges so euen It talketh with good reason rounde , of fansies ne of ioyes But of suche thynges as I can not , amenden with my wytte Nor neuer shall I thynke be founde , refourmed euery whytte . No quod the prynted no , that ment not the dreame I vndertake But where as many thynges ben found , that mans wyt can not fatche To mend as many as we can , and the rest a paterne make To brynge our state as nyghe to them , as mans deuyce can matche As out of Plat●es commen welth , a tale I coulde you tell Of many thynges that he wolde haue , and not but very well : That neuer yet in earthe ware founde , as he wolde haue them done Quod Watte no more of Platoes lore , I ken him not by gysse Ne care not muche except he coulde some rules for chaunge of mene But well I wot algates and am full sure of this That I haue harde the preachers speake , of asmuche as is here And of mo thynges than any man , is able to come nere . But ay me thynkes it is to fyne , for such a rude vplande It ware ynoughe for a ryght good clerke , at instyuynsty taught He had to helpe his parysshe prest , I venture durst my hande What though he coulde it dreame thus right , yet I beleue it naught That he coulde with such queint prouerbes , his dreame at large endite And eke I thynke the sely swayne , dyd neuer learne to wryte No Watte quod the prynter tho , thou harpest on the truth This Diker had a frende in court that well coulde handle pen With whom he was acqueynted earst , as play felowes in youth Who for they then companions ware dyd hym vouchsafe to ken And loued Dauy euermore , in hym suche truth there was And Dauy when he came to towne , vnsene wolde not hym pas . Befell vpon a market daye , when he this dreame had had That he to London lyst resort , for thynges that stode him niede He founde his frende , and al this dreame , at length ●●to him radde And he for that it semed a thynge , the pennynge worth in diede Gan drawe it into frame , and shapen as ye harde And one that lust it fantasien , to pryntynge it prefarde . Lo nowe I haue the halfe perfourmed , that I you earst behight What maner man this Diker was , and howe this dreame came out And nowe I wyll to Camell passe , if ye therin delight By whom this ioly sturre , is chiefly brought about And tell fro poynte to poynte , as earst I dyd of this His worthynesse as I it knowe , and as the sayeng is . The Camell semes to me to be , a great outlandishe beast Quod Herman to the prynter then , that longe his peace had holde With bunches twayne vpon his backe , as highe as any horse at least . Of which I do remenbre is , in the newe Testament tolde That euery ryche gnof , may vp to heauen as easyly stye As maye this wylde vnruly beast , passe through a nydles eye . And eke we none in Englande haue except they bene vs brought Of late that I ne knowe , out of some farre countrye And by my trouth if I shall say you playnly to my thought Thoughe none we had , it skylles not muche , if they so vnruly be But prynter trust thou me , I nylle it not belieue A beaste to speake and wryten this , my reason doth not gieue . The prynter loude he loughe , and so dyd al the shoppe And sayde that Herman spoken had , asmuch as myght he sayde But ware the Camell here quod he , he wolde be in thy toppe No force quod he ▪ of beastes I am nothynge afrayde Though I do selde on horsebacke come , there can no Camel kynde Tyll I knowe more , lette me to say , tho fansies of my mynde . Mary knowe thou then quod he , that Camell is a man Nay prynter softe quod Wylkin the , and suffer me to speake What cause had he that moued hym , to answer to thys whan Or why shulde he of other al , so sumysshlye out breake To dart at Dauye Dikers dreame that ment him none vnrest Except he ware one of those sortes , that it wolde haue redrest . Pardien a dreame is but a dreame , a fansye of the heade And he ne ment I hope that men , shulde it for godspell take But as a sweuyn or fantasie , that eche one shulde it reade For thy me thynkes accordyngly , the name dyd Dauye make And nowe a man ( ye saye he is ) agaynst a dreame to spurne Me thynke it eyther smelles of craft , or els of some harte burne . What soft mate quod the prynter tho , and he began to lowre You gynue waxe hote I wene , agaynst the somer sonne Ye may be cooled ere ye come home , with some fresshe Apryl showre This is to much before that I my tale haue all ydonne Here fyrst an ende of all , and then prononcen dome Or els depart ye calmely hence , euen such way as ye come . Herman was full wo , when he , the printer sawe thus wroth And had but lyttle lust to tary out the tale And to his felowes gan vpbrayde , ye se the daye hence goeth And eke ye knowe aswel as I , the water gynnes to vale And by the vanes I spye the wynde , to be by south at west . That we vs haste to Maldon meade , I thynke it be the best And therfore nowe gyue vs quod he , and take thou here thy grote And though that Wylkin and this Wat , haue shewed theyr hasty wyt ( We Maryners be salte yfrette , we can no bet god wote ) I pray the prynter be content and take no grefe at it We haue at home a maryner that can some skyl of booke He shall them see and reade them vs , and so theyr leaue they ioke . And I that present was at al , for that I lyked the sporte Gan prynt it in my fyckle heade , in order as I tolde And for to pen it out the bet dyd to my celle resorte And drewe it there into a some , as I had harde it tolde Not with such wordes as they it spake , but in suche wordes as I Had partly learned of my dame , and lyst to fantasy . Suche happe may happe , to gyue a seconde fytte If cause shall happe , and laysure serue for it .