Hystoris to rede / autentycall and trewe Grace to augment / and ydelnesse to subdewe . ¶ Wherfore gracious lady / sythe ye are so prone By naturall instyncte / and humble humylite Thus vertuously to be occupyed / no hour forgone Of your mylde goodnesse / my dytties to ouerse Wherin ye shall fynde / touched in breuyte Hystoris autentycall / of the testament olde And some presydēces of the new / necessary to beholde ¶ And though I lacke dropes / of the lycour laureate Whiche sprang of Chaucer / the fountayne of oratours To adorne my style and my mater to consecrate yet gracious princes / to repell the sharpeshours Of synistrall reportes / among yuell detractours Sometyme at leysar / your other charges layde asyde Where ye faute fynde / correcte or it be spyde . ¶ Thus doyng / your grace shal me straitly bynde With hert and seruyce / to do what lyeth in me your magnifycence to extoll / or els I were vnkynde Accordyng to your merytes / to testify my fydelyte Against you & your parentes / whose welth & dignite Christ conserue / and also dayly augment with honor & worshyp / congrue / to your power exellent .

¶ The prologue generall of Paule Busshe / composytour of this lytell treatyse . ¶ Deum timete / et regem honorificate . Prima Petri secundi . ¶ In an orcharde as I walked / desolate of company In a pathe / from tre to tre / as my vsage was Vnbrede with bowes pendaunt / in order plesauntly In mynde I reuolued / howe I might bring to passe Some treatise to endyte / to the conforte and solace Of people desyrous / vertuously to be occupyed To se god lauded / and his hye name magnifyed . ¶ And as I walked alone / in mynde thus musyng I thought to endyte / what thyng were necessary And by long delyberacion / I cōiectred most sytting Somwhat to write / of mans ingratytude & folly And to prosecute his demeaner / all croked & contrary To god his maker / by lyueng nat commendable Subdued by vyce / and suche maters semblable . ¶ And no great marueyle / ne wonder certayne Though suche inconuenience / enshewe vs amonge For wylfully is broken / the bridell and the rayne Whiche shulde gouerne man in euery thronge As first / drede is expulsed / by audacite stronge And sensualyte ruleth / as gouernour principall So that Christ is nat dradde / ne feared at all . ¶ Also perfyte loue / whiche shulde deuout myndes Sette on fyre / in louyng god omnypotent Is subpeditate / by enormytes of sondrie kyndes Wherfore I thought it semyng / and most conuenyent As touchyng my purpose / for this tyme present Of these two maters / and their circumstaunce chefely Somwhat to write / to mittygate suche folly . ¶ And also to speke / I thought it expedient Thirdly of ignorance / which ledeth people froward Shewyng them by auctorites / & reasons euydent Howe they are oblygate / in especiall regarde Their prince to honour / as capten of their forward Whose magnanimyte / they ought to auaunce With hertes and goodes / after their substaunce . ¶ Of these maters thre / as god wyll dispose I entende this volume / shall beare th importaunce And as breuely / as I can / in meter compose I shall discribe as my wyttes can forge vttraunce Their grades & distinctions / their proꝑtis & eligaūce Rebukyng in especiall / wylfull rashe audacite & also blynde ingratitude / which man ought to fle . ¶ That gostly champion / saint Peter the apostell In his epistels / this sentence ofte dothe resight Feare you god he saithe / this is his counsell And loke ye honor your prince / with power & might In his iuste tytell / alway redy for to fyght Thus shall you please god / & your soules decorate Whan the heed with the membres / togider be adunate . ¶ What causeth mischefe ? what causeth discencion ? Discorde and debate : But onely disobedience Thus olde hystores and scripture / maketh mencion For it is counted a lyfe brutall / euer saithe sapience Whan that people lyueng / dothe nat their dilygence God chefly to worship / and their prince to honour As the thyng speciall / of their corporall treasour . ¶ What caused cyties and townes to fall to ruyne : But onely the decayeng / of Christes hye honour Whan the people to vyce / them selfe dyd fully enclyne Somtyme the Romayns / habounded in treasour But whan christis honor decayed / & they fell to error Than their renome abated / vrged by violence For their vnstable demeaner / to kepe true sylence . Many folde presydentes / reduce we may to memory Cotidially shewed of mannes vnstable dotage Waueryng as the wynde / laboring right busely For honour and worship / as one of hye lynage Clyming so hye / that forgoten is their parentage ye / god and his prince / and hymselfe also Whiche after subuerteth his state / to sorowe & wo. Well this set clene aside / I shall my wittes auaunce My purpose to comprice / and therto my pen direct No lengar to remayne / by goddes gouernaunce In maters dependyng / nothyng to th effecte Eschewing wordes suꝑflewe / which oft doth infect The sentence clere / of hystores true & autentycall Lefte for morall presydentes / to people vnyuersall . But in mynde whan I pondre / this prouerbe olde Who casteth lesse peryls / than dothe bayarde blynde It maketh my hande quake / and also my hert colde And tosseth my wyttes / as a ship before the wynde Lest some frowarde persons / peruert and vnkynde Shulde by me reporte / wordes somwhat equalent Sayeng / to entprice suche causes / he is insufficient . Such saying may be verified the dede maketh relacion Wherfore to my maisters / knowng the quiditice Of scolasticall actes / by practyse and speculacion I submyt my selfe / in most humble wyse Their due correction / in no case to dispyce But as a discyple / leanyng to doctryne So vnto their tradicions / gladly I shall enclyne . ¶ But the correction I refuce / and that in especiall Of a wandring mynstrell / or of a rusty coke Of a iester / a rayler : or of a barbaryke rurall Or of any such other / knowyng no letter in boke The trouthe to say / nat an A / from a fysshe hoke And after myne opinyon / it is greatly vnsyttyng That suche shulde haue / suche maters in handlyng . ¶ But yet though suche chatte / as dothe the Pye And fynde many fautes / for lacke of intellection yet that shall nat cause me to omyt my study But to kepe ydelnesse / in bonde and subiection Suche pastyme wyll I vse / vnder the protection And the diuyne suffraunce / of god omnypotent As to my state / is most syttyng and conuenyent . ¶ Commendacion it is none / this I knowe certayne A relygious man / to ydelnesse to be obedyent Nor the laude is but small / vyle and mundayne His tyme to contryue / in discribing workes insolent For to suche thynges / if he do his mynde frequent Wysemen shall say / deprauyng his fame This man gothe about / to lese his good name . ¶ Therefore my lordes and maisters in generall Pondre the entent / of my enterprise rude For the thyng that prouoked me / to this worke speciall My study to apply / with dilygent solycitude Was that slouthfull idelnesse / shulde nat me illude And that I maye accomplysshe / my purpose and entent First shall I pray / as it is most expedient . Nowe lorde / as thy sapience surmounteth mans estimacion In rulyng & gouernyng / by prouidence incomparable Heuyn / erthe / and hell / as doctors make relacion So nowe rule my penne / and my wytte variable That my worke be nat founde / fauty ne yet culpable But fartell of goodnesse / garnysshed with vertue Vice vtterly to repell / & gostly fortitude to renue . ¶ Also helpe me lorde / of thy goodnesse habundaunt Directly to procede / in this matter compendyous My style to adorne / with sentence plesaunt That to the reders / gredy and desyrous It may be profytable / and also commodious Their hertes to enflame / alwayes pondring God to drede / and to honour their kyng . ¶ Thus endeth the prologue of Paule Busshe / compositour of this worke / and begynneth the first treatyse / whiche speketh of the drede & feare that euery man ought to haue to offende almighty god . Venite filij audite me , timorem domini docebo uos . Psalmo . xxxiij

AS ornamentes freshe / plesaunt and comely Garnisheth the body / of man woman & childe So is the soule decorate / whan people labour busely God specially to honor / by conuersacion vndefylde Whose power inuincible / chasteth & tameth the wylde As hunger dothe the faucon / all at large flyeng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ He that purposeth / graciously to comprehende The ioyes inestymable and with god to raigne Must remembre pondre and well attende That he haue sure in store / wynges twayne The one must be drede / the other loue certayne And these two well ordred / feare nat thy departing Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete / et diligite .

Dauyd the prophet / dothe pronostike this sentence In his boke of psalmes / as plainly dothe appere That the originall onely / of all wisedom & sapience Is to drede god / and also his power to feare For it is nat good / man hym selfe to endanger With his trewe iustyce / & most rightuous dealyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ If Adam our first parent / being in paradice Had humbly obeyed / the commaundement speciall Of god his maker / the myrrour of all iustyce And nat wylfully transgressed / by suggestion mortall But always haue feared / his displeasure principall Than chaunged had nat been his state in welth flowing Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Whan the worlde also / was replete with synne Almost euery creature / prone to vnthriftynesse Was nat Noe preserued / and eight of his kynne From dredefull drownyng / for his constant sadnesse And lyfe ryght commendable : as beareth wytnesse The history trewe : without colour of faynyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

Olde Abraham the patriarke / hath made īmolacyon Offryng his sonne ysaac / in sacrifice most redolent Had he nat feared / goddes iust castygacion No doutlesse / the history sheweth playne & euident For it was alwayes / his mynde and entent Goddes wyll to accomplysshe / as it is most syttyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

Was nat vertuous Iacob / had in worthy reputacion With almighty god / & endewed with great substaunce Ruling nere the worlde / as writing maketh relacion By his pruident dealyng / & polytike gouernaunce And all this was prouided / by goddes ordynaunce For his morall lyueng / and rightuous demeanyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

¶ Also what abled Ioseph / to suche hye authorite As to be lorde & gouernour / of Egipt that region Was it nat his vertue / and sober grauyte Dredyng the enfecte / his soule with the poyson Of Venus flamyng lustes / fylthy as carion Beholde well genesis / there appereth the writyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ What auaunced Moises / somtyme a shepherde To honour and fame / as man of hye parentage But onely that his lorde / he dradde and feared Instructing his people / commytted to his gouernage With langage discrete / countinaunce / demure and sage The fame speciall to enshewe / vice & syn auoyding Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ Why was Iosue electe / by god omnypotent Moyses to succede / in offyce and dignyte But that he feared god / & eschewed workes insolent As it becometh a captayne / sette in auctorite For hye roumes / and dissolute maners / as we se Full yll dothe acorde / as iugeth wisdome & connyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

Were nat the childre of israll plonged in care & sorowe In the tyme of Aioth / Delbora and Gedeon As in captiuyte to day / and at lyberte to morowe Nowe in nowe out / brought to great confusyon And all for their iniquite / and vnstable conuersacion God nat dredyng / but all at pleasure wandring Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ O holy Ruth / a woman though thou were And made of nature frayle / as all women be yet example arte thou / as plainly dothe appere To all men / for thy mekenesse and hye humylite For in the raigned / no suche mutabylite But vertue and goodnesse / god alwayes fearyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ If Ofnye and Phynes / the sonnes of Hely Had feared god / and nat preuaricate his entent Ne defrauded their father / and the people chefely Whiche made oblacion / with myndes beniuolent Than suffred they had nat / suche strait punyshment As to be slayne bothe / the holy arke also lesyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ Howe garnysshed Samuell / his lyfe leuiticall With workes meritorious / as a lampe & luminary Rulyng all Israell / in causes iudiciall With iustyce and equite / by his wytte and policy Subduyng transgressours / myttigatyng folly Feryng goddes punisshment / as I said at beginning Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ Dyde nat Dauid commyt a syn great & detestable Whan that Vrye his seeuaūt / he caused to be slayne For Barsabe his wyfe / whiche was so amyable Cōmytting auoutry / as t history sheweth playne But immediatly / with dolefull hert & great payne He dyde penaunce / goddes punysshment fearyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

O Salomon salomon / whyle thou dyddest p̄meditate In thy hert inwardly / god to serue and feare Than greatly was magnifyed / thy regall estate For in wysedome and glorie / thou haddest no pere But after for thy idolatry / and ingratitude clere Ouerthrowen was thy state / in welth so standynge wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . Why was Eliseus the prophet / endued with such vertue As to restore the deed to lyfe agayne But that with dilygence / he dyde alwayes eschue Vnclenly maners / whiche vtterly dothe distayne The lyfe of man / and the soule reuolue in payne For tyme perpetuall / in turment alwayes lyeng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

What caused Nabugodonosor / a kyng of gret fame To fall from his regall state / to lede a lyfe brutall Lyueng by hey & grasse / in wofull misery & shame But onely his errogance / nat fearing god eternall Whiche by his myght / subdueth such people frontall Wandring at pleasure as the wynde waueryng Wherefore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

Whan people be enflamed / with blinde ambiciosite Couetyng hye gouernage / vnworthy and vnable Than ruleth wyll / and brutall sensualyte So that vertue to vice / must be seruysable Whiche is nat comely / sytting / nor yet laudable Thus saithe the theologe / playne in his writyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ What mencion maketh / that boke so exellent Paralipomynon / whiche treateth seriously Of kynges and princes / and of their regyment Shewyng howe some were auaunced to glorie For their lyues venerable / dispisyng pleasures transitorie Dreding alwayes : the finall day of recuyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ Agayne some were throwen / in to bale & misery Their lyues so to lede / brought to extreme ruyne For their inornate lyueng / all vyle and beestly God nat fearyng / dispisyng to enclyne Their myndes and hertes / to his lore and doctryne Whiche causeth them to lye / in paynes euerlastyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ Esdras the scribe / as his boke maketh mencion Whiche gouerned his lyfe / by vertue most exellent Reuolued well in mynde / suche maner abusyon Whan to Ierusalem / by Artraxerxes he was sent His busy study was to stable people maliuolent In the drede of god / by counsell & demure dealyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ O holy drede / howe surely thou were planted In the hert of Toby / that gostly lyueng person Whiche of profyte goodnesse / nothyng at all wanted For all his cure was sette / in the mynistracion Of workes of mercy / eschewyng the diffamacion Of thefte and rapyne / the sequele therof dredyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

¶ Lytell of this drede / with his rasshe audacite Had blynde Olifernes / whan he thretned the subuersion Of Bethulia & Ierusalem / cyties of p̄emynent degre But what became of hym / marke the conclusion Dyde nat vertuous Iudith / by diuyne permission His heed of stryke / dronken in his bedde lyeng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ O Iudith Iudith / great was the iubilacion Of Bethulia & Ierusalem / with man woman & childe Whan thou haddest vanquesshed / the pride & elacion Of the outrage assyrions / all furious and wylde Whiche thought in their myndes / god to begyle But suche can nat preueyle / thus brefely concludyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ O holy Hester lykewise great was thy businesse To persuade kyng Assuerus / to pytie and compassion Enflamed with yre / by th entysement doutlesse Of cruell Aman / whiche for pride and indignacion Wolde of the iewes / haue distroyed the hole nacion But of suche dredeles whelpes / nought is th ending Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ Suche encēsate villayns / may lerne god to fere Of perfit Iob / which lost his substaunce & childre also But yet styll with pacience / he tempred his chere Neuer moued / but sayd / nowe all is go : So god be pleased / voyde is my hert of care & wo Thought he none toke / but goddis displeasure fering Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ What great feare toke that woman so constaunt Holy Susane / whiche cruell dethe to tollerate Dyde frely chose / with mynde strong and valyaunt Rather than her body / to defyle and contamynate With the vnchast officers / which founde her desolate And wolde her opprest / their lyues therfore lesyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng . ¶ If Isaye / Heremye / Baruthe / and Ezechiell Abacuthe / Osee / and perfite Amos also Abdon and Ionas / and that prudent Danyell Holy prophetes / with other of their felowes mo Had lacked this feare / as their hystories dothe sho Than nowe in heuyn / shulde nat be their abyding Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

What was the origynall / that caused the macabeis fyue As valyaunt men / discended of stocke royall In marciall busynesse / their lyues to contryue Was it nat / that they as thyng most principall Feared sore to breake / their lawes moisecall Is doutlesse / thus saithe playne the writyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

¶ Many thousandes mo / there be without dout In the olde testament / as we rede / which deuoutly Lyued vnder godly feare / who lyst to seke them out Whose names and actes / I purpose to omyt chefly Bycause I entende to write nowe consequently Of our newe patrons / the merites also praysing Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

¶ First what caused the holy apostels all This worlde to dispyce / caduke and transitory Affectyng no honours / ne pleasurs corporall Certayne it was / as the text dothe testify For feare of lesyng / the euerlastyng glory Of heuenly ioye souerayne / excellyng all thyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ O blesshed Paule / dyddest nat thou also Feruently labour / with traueyle and great payne To preche and teche / where euer thou dyddest go And all bycause / that thou woldest optayne The ioyes inestymable / and with god to raigne yes surely : this was thy speciall recuyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

¶ At first begynning / thou were enflamed greatly With furious audacite / procuring onely to abate Christes hye honor his disciples pursuing namely But thy tyrannous corage / was sonne subpeditate Whan thou laist nuslyng / on the grounde prostrate In the felde of Damasse / for mercy alwayes crieng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

What caused Steuen & Laurence / with dyuers other As vincent albane / & thomas : these martyrs glorious Also Cyrike the enfant with Iulyta his mother Constantly to parseuer / in turmentes dolorous Was it nat for feare of lesyng / the mancion glorious yes doutlesse / or els in vayne was their traueyling Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum timete .

Howe many holy confessors / do we fynde in likewise As we rede in legendes / lefte in perpetuall memory Whiche dayly mortifyde / as plantes of paradyce Their membres corporall / asswaging lustes filthy Feryng the contamynate / the figure of endles glory Of these we fynde thousandes / without any fayning Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ Also what is he / whiche truely can expresse The nombre of perfyte virgyns / pure and immaculate Whiche lyued here contynent / grounded in sobernesse In whose honors nowe / our temples are dedycate I knowe certayne / if I shulde dayly inuestigate yet shulde I neuer bring them all to recuyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum timete .

¶ This styll to replycate / hystores autentycall Tyme it consumeth / wherfore to conclude That I say to one / I say breuely to all If ye wyll optayne / the euerlastyng beatytude Beware of ignorance / and blynde ingratytude And euermore among / as I sayd at begynning Attende my frequent wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Here endeth the first parte of this volume / whiche hath shewed howe man is bounde to feare god by manyfolde examples . And nowe immediately here foloweth the seconde parte / whiche shall speake of the loue that man ought to haue to almighty god . ¶ Diligamus nos deum / quoniam deus prior dilexit nos . Prima Iohannis quarto . ¶ Rede the last worde in the seconde lyne ouer the leafe / merytorious / for metorious .

Deum diligite .

BVt yet god thus to drede / and nothing to loue It were but labour tedious / & scant metorious For he that a place wyll purchase aboue Eternally to raigne / in state most prosperous Must combyne drede / with loue ardent & amorou● As two thynges necessary / to one belongyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum diligite .

¶ This loue is so noble / so hye and so exellent If it be pure voluntary / fre and spontayne That to all vertues / it is a spectacle euydent For nother drede / nor yet obedience certayne May be acceptable vnto god / this is playne Except loue be the origynall / and the well spring Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum diligite .

¶ The loue that Christ shewed first for man In his plasmacion / by giftes hye and excellent Was for no qualyteis / that in hym raigned than His production was so baren / yet of his mynde prouident To magnify our nature / it was his entent For of all his creatures / he made man lorde & kyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum diligite .

¶ Wherof mounted this gifte of preemynence But onely of his mere loue / as I sayd before Nat in vayne to betaken / through our neglygence But as a presydent / alwayes to be had in store Loue to encrese & augment / specially again therfore This may we vnderstande / by reason rulyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng The multitude of benefites / shulde engendre amyte Namely whan they be exibite / to people indigent Wrapped in wretchednesse / and bondes of calamite As is our nature / all lame and impotent By necessite ineuitable / of it selfe nat sufficient But that god mynistreth / vnto vs all thynge Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Suche is our necessyte / that no creature can say Without the exellent gyftes / of god omnypotent I am able to lyue / one naturall day No doutlesse / to speke / and to be indifferent Be he neuer so noble / nat the space of a moment So feble & so sklender / is our substaunce wauering Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Let vs consydre / howe prone in tymes all Christ is to sufflute / our impotence and debilyte For our necessite / is nat so vrgent at all But moche more prone / is his ayde and benignyte All seasons helpyng / our care and aduersite Gyueng vs lyfe / conseruyng our being Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum diligite .

¶ This is euydent / experience dothe the cause patify That his conseruacion / may nat be sequestrate From our substaunce caduke / vyle and transitory For if it be / we all are but frustrate Redacte to adnichilacion / from all thyng priuate Of shape and forme / nothyng remayning Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ These consyderacions / ought to auaunce reason With solicitude of mynde / concludyng finally That man is most bounde / hauyng discrecion God alwayes to laude / with seruage and study Inuestigate who listeth / he fyndeth nat the contrary For this yeldeth reason / without more recuyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Nowe / sithe man is bounde / aboue creatures all To god omnypotent / for his benefites infynite He ought to reuolue / in his mynde principall What thyng may be / most acceptable in his sight And the same to rendre / with hert and myght Or els reason may reproue / his vnworthy dealyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ What thyng may be / thynketh man in mynde Vnto god his maker / more plesaunt or acceptable Than to shewe him loue / as reason doth him binde Doutlesse nothyng / so precious nor commendable Nor to vs nothyng / so necessary nor profytable If it be depured / from all erthely recuyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

This loue must be pure tangled with no welth mundain But fixte on hym onely / which of nought made all Or els inordinate is our lawe / this is playne For whan loue is wrapped / with affection carnall It is nat good nor godly / but beestly and brutall And to people reasonable / greatly discordyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ What shulde man / hauyng the vse of discrecion Fixe his mynde / on thynges vayne and transitory Though nature gyue beautie / & fayre impression Set nat thy mynde / on suche maters rasly For it is but volage / and chaunged shal be shortly To all creaturrs : this chefe poynt is belongyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ It is greatly vncomely / vnto vs people mortall To set our hertes on that / whiche can nat remayne For he that is prudent / to mynde ofte wyll call That suche faynt follyes / shulde nat hym constraine His maker to forget / for thynges abiecte & vayne But labour he shulde busely / for his soule prouiding Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ What can the worlde promyse to the perpetually Sithe nothyng it hath / that is perdurable But fraite with vanitees / cowarde vnder pall Thy mynde to enuolue / with thoughtes damnable And thy soule to put / to paynes intermynable This euer eschewyng / thy lyfe mysgouernyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Such dolefull rewardes / among people prudent Are vtterly dispysed / and set at nought Reuoluyng in mynde / this prouerbe ofte frequent The childe is yll taught / and worse vp brought Whiche in age / hath no mynde nor thought His body to refrayne / from inordynate lyueng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ God made nat man / as doctors make relacion His wyttes fyue / to spende mordynate But his parte were / his lyfe and conuersacion So to gouerne & adorne / with no abusyon violate That with ioye & felycite / his soule might be decorate In the stage glorious / all thyng surmountyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ A hert with deuocion flamed / wyll couet alway The thyng speciall / whiche is pure and constaunt And that onely desyre : bothe night and day Whiche is good and honest / and to god pleasaunt Deformed with no enormyte / to his state repugnant His laude so hyndring / & his good name deprauing Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Man ought to desyre / the thyng moost emynent Sure and nat fadyng / whiche all tyme dothe profite Drowned with no errour / voyde of all turment As endlesse blysse / incomparable and perfyte Whiche euery good man / dothe desyre and couyte His carcas dispisyng / for suche treasour sekyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ This endlesse blysse certayne / is of suche valour That it is impreciable / no man can it bye With golde ne syluer / richesse nor yet treasour It excelleth so in honour / in beautie and glorie And ordayned it is / no man can deny For god and his angels / and man well lyueng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ The apostell Paule / in his epystles dothe say That no hert can thynke / nor materiall eyese No eare can here / nor tonge expresse may The inestymable glorie / ioye and felycite That is comprised / without fastidiosyte In this realme of pleasure / in beautie shinyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

In this court angelycall / raigneth no mortalyte No nede nor indigence / but plente and habundaunce No age decrepite / infecte with infyrmyte But helth / welthe / and peace / without perturbaunce No bonde ne seruytude / nor yet mysgouernaunce May entre this trone / of Christes garnysshyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Deum diligite .

¶ Salomans sapience / that surmounted so hye Nor Absalons beautie / the was praysed in especiall Is nat to be compared / in laude and glorie To the wisedome and beautie / whiche perpetuall In this stage and trone / clerer than cristall Gloriously adorned / thynges all excellyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Deum diligite .

The fortitude of Sampson / nor the velocite of Asael As scripture sheweth / in sentence most worthy Nor yet the long lyfe / of the auncient Matusaell Were but gyftes naturall / enuolued with misery Nothyng to be resembled / to the goodnesse heuenly whiche in this glorious habitacle is euer abydyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ And all this man / thou maist purchace and optayne By vertuous lyueng / and by loue true & perfyght Louyng thy maker / that hath ordayned the to raigne Thus for tyme perpetuall / in his presence and sight In his trone euerlastyng / neuer destitute of lyght But garnisshed with beautie / in vertue shyning wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Here endeth the seconde parte of this volume / whiche hath shewed / howe man is bounde to loue almighty god : 〈◊〉 potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit , quia non est potestas ●usi a deo . Ad ●oma . 〈◊〉 And nowe here after foloweth the thirde parte / whiche shall speke of the honour that euery man is bounde to reuerente his prince and souerayne with all .

¶ Nowe seyng that I / haue made demonstracion In style homly / thy loue howe thou shuldest bestowe To goddes pleasure man / & thy soules conseruacion Nowe breuely to reuert / I purpose to showe Howe that thy prince / thou oughtest to knowe That to god may be acceptable / thy lyueng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ By morall wysedome / first deuysed were Officers and gouernours / of constant grauyte This worlde namely to rule / and set in an ordere With comely maners / eschewyng all enormyte Adornyng their owne lyues / mortifyeng vanyte To people rude / vertuous examples gyueng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . Of these gouernours / whiche ruled thus long space Some were patryarkes / ꝓphetes : & iuges temporal And some were prestes discrete / & as t history do trace Discended lyneally / of the styrpe & stocke leuiticall And againe some were scribes / ingenious & morall By polytike discrecion / their offices gouernyng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Prepositos honorificate .

Whan these worthy gouernors / armed with prudence Had gouerned thus the worlde / a long tyme & date It was thought more conuenyent / for the commens defence One heed and ruler / to gouerne and the principate therfore as people discrete / in one mynde confederat They chose them a ruler / and named hym a kyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

¶ This kyng our souerayne / we ought to honour And haue in reputacion / as the myrrour of chiualry In whose magnanimite / resteth our trust & tresour All tymes and seasons / to suffult our bale & misery As a capten valeaunt / rulyng by wytte and policy His subiectes transgressours / straitly punisshyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Who maketh our enemyes to drede and feare Insurrections to make / our welthe to molest Who punissheth the felone / who correcteth murder Who kepeth our noble realme in peace and rest Who maketh the prone lecher / to be good and honest Dothe nat this our souerayne and worthy kyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Who causeth iustyce / who causeth equite : Duely to be mynistred / in cytie / borowe / & towne . Who quencheth the flames / of rasshe lassyuite Who exalteth iust lyuers / & the wicked putteth downe All this doth our prince / beryng the cepter & crowne In whose hande resteth / our welth and gouernyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ If our prince were nat / order were there none For euery 〈◊〉 wolde rule / and play the lorde And than shulde the poreman bothe grudge & grone Kept vnder bondage / as dogge vnder borde And nat so hardy / as ones to speke a worde For drede of punisshment / & of his goodes lesyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Where is no heed / the body deformed is Farre out of shappe / as we se by experyence So in caselike / thou canst nat contrary this Where is no soueraine / there reigneth inconuenyence As fraude / gyle / & extorcion / with many other offence So that all togiders / ronneth to the deuyll hedlyng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Were it nat for feare / of our prince and souerayne I thynke surely / and dare boldely say Verite nor yet equite / shulde be suffred to raigne And than soone after / shulde our realme decay So craftely wolde auarice / her maters conuey Through subtylte / her handmaydes helpe & socoring Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Al syses and sessyons / moche periury is vsed Fals heed and power / be so nye of consanguinite But than our worthy prince / which can nat be deluded By his lawe and iustyce / extirpeth suche ꝑcialyte Thus it is doutlesse / or els thus it shulde be In euery realme & region / where reigneth a kyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

Wolde our maisters trowe ye / bothe spiritual & temporal Feare as they do : their lyues to contamynate With maners vncomely / by suggestions infernall Hyndring their honour / and hurtyng their estate were it nat for their prince / to whom they be subiugate Doutlesse no : The more pytie without fayning Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

¶ Reason wolde be so blinded / by ambicion verily Were it nat for drede of our prince and souerayne that by simony execrable / holy churches patrimoni Shulde be bought & solde / as it is knowen playne More common than the oxe / vyle and mundayne Whiche is solde in markettes / for great wynning Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

Here maist thou aduert man / what profites dothe ensue To the realme and subiectes / of euery region Where as valyaunt princes / do correct and subdue Such frontall enormytes / by their lawes correction No state fauoring / if he worthy be punissyon But euery man to rewarde / after his deseruyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ Whan prices be ꝑciall / and nat to all indifferent It gyueth people occasion / to grudge & complayne But whan they minister to all lyke punysshment Than in their realmes / most commenly do raigne Peace / vnyte / and concorde / without disdayne So that euery man ioyeth / of others well lyueng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

¶ O / what treasour it is / and synguler aueyle Whan princes be gyuen / to vertue and goodnesse Their owne fautes to beholde / & them to bewayle Their soules to redeme / out of wretchednesse This poynt most chefely / belongeth doutlesse To euery good prince / endles paynes reuoluyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ The next poynt also / that a prince valyaunt Ought to bere in mynde / bothe in welthe & distresse Is to be alwayes lyberall / and in his dedes constaunt His pore commens to loue / and then neuer to oppresse Except necessite do instant / his noble worthynesse Ayde to requyre / for his iust tytles defendyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ In suche causes man : thou arte bounde to socour Thy prince and souerayne / with goodes & substance Wich thy body also / and with thy worldly treasour His right to mentayne / and his honour to auaunce Wherby thy welthe / with good perseueraunce Shall prospere the better / for thy true dealyng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ To this chrisst gaue us / as we rede in the gospell Example most euydent / whan he comaunded Peter To the see to go / as Mathe we doth vs tell Sayeng : in the fisshes mouth / finde he shulde there A pece of money / whiche duely he shulde delyuer For their subsedy / to their emperour and kyng Wherfore attende my wordes & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

The same also affirmeth / the postell and doctour Blessed saynt Paule / in his epistell whiche he sent To the romayns / whiche he brought out of errour Sayeng : loke that to prices / shinyng in power eminent ye be alwayes subiecte / meke / lowe / and obedyent Redy them to ayde / at all tymes callyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Lykewise saithe Peter / as the text lyeth playne In his first epistell / and in the seconde chapitour Loke that ye be dilygent / saithe he / redy and fayne Lyke humble subiectes / your princes to honour With faithfull hertes / with goodes and treasour And so please you shall / our euerlastyng kyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

And all though saith he / that in lyueng & behauour All princes and souerayns / be nat lyke of condicion But some rigorous & vicyous / enuolued in errour yet nat withstandyng / your purpose & chefe entencion Must be to obey / for your dewe correction Such vnworthy rulers / sent for your mislyueng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng ¶ In many places els / inscripture I fynde And in the lawe also / allegacions autentycall Whiche dothe the commaunde man / & straitly bynde Thy prince to honor / vnder statutes penall Whiche if thou breke / thou doest surely fall In the censours eccliasticall / & danger of the kyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

Nowe conclude vpon this / and thy corage auaunce And thynke that it is nat / the regall power onely Whiche price haue in gouernage / to speke in substance That to suche obedience / byndeth the thus straitly But it is certayne / as se thou maist playne The state legall / of the churches first ordring Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Beholde what inconuenience / commenly dothe ensue Where reigneth inobediente / debate and discencion Beholde also agayne / where people be vntrue Howe their of springes / be put vnder subiection To day a lorde / and a man of great possession And to morowe scant worthe / a poore sely fardyng Wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng

Regem honorificate .

¶ Lykewise beholde / what vtterly distruction Hath comen of rebellyon / and wylfull conspiracy Is it nat plainly lefte in discription Howe by suche meanes / monasteries right worthy Hath ben distroyed / and contaminate vncomely yet doutlesse : it appereth playne in writyng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng . ¶ Also / howe many noble cyties / castels / & towres Hath ben subuerted / and made wayes playne By violent force / and marciall showres The goodes dispoyled / the gouernours slayne Their wyues and doughters / defloured certayne This for rebellion / hath ben sene without fayning wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Suche lamentable conflictes / & mortall dolours Are spectacles necessary / somtyme to beholde To stable mennes myndes / auoyding dishonours And to lyue in peace / whiche a thousande folde Is treasour more precious / than syluer or golde As man may iudge / by his owne wytte reuoluyng wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ O noble Englande / O worthy realme of fame Note well these presydentes / & beare them in mynde And be true to thy prince / contynuing thy good name For in cronycles / yet coude I neuer fynde That to thy worthy souerayn / thou were vnkynde Whiche to the is great laude / & also to god praysinge wherfore attende my wordes / & pondre my sayeng .

Regem honorificate .

¶ Nowe thus to conclude / without more prolixite I purpose by goddes grace / and no lengar to tary Repeting these foresaid wordes / togider as they be Feare you god / loue you god / and also finally : Honour your prince / myrrour of all chiualry And so shall ye purchace / ioye without endyng The whiche god graunt vs all / at our departyng .