¶ The, xxv, orders of Fooles,
STay a while with paciēce, my fréends I you pray,
Of the orders of Fooles, somewhat I wyll say:
Fiue and twentie, iust a quarterne is ye know,
Euery Foole in his foolishnes wyll I show.
And as the prouerbe doth show very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ Many Fooles, the carte of sin now a dayes doth draw,
Nowrishyng their sinne against all right and law:
Though that the way to hell be very playne,
Yet lyke a foole I aduise thée to returne agayne.
If thou in foolishnes styll doest dwell,
Thou shalt haue a bable and a bell.
* He is a foole that his sinnes can not hate,
Naught young, worse olde, such is his estate:
This olde foole is glad of that name,
Desiryng all men to take parte of the same.
This foole must haue in hand without fayle,
A bable, a bell, or els a Fox tayle.
¶ Of Fooles, yet I fynd an other sorte,
Which are causers of lying, and yll reporte:
And he is a foole both euen and morrow,
That nothyng wyll lend, but all thynges borrow.
And as the prouerbe doth show very playne
A hood for this foole to kepe him from the rayne.
* Of Fooles, yet an other sorte doth come,
Which neuer seketh for to haue wisedome:
Many such fooles, wisedome disdayne,
Yet for their foolishnes they shall suffer payne.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole which to others doth preach and tell,
And yet this foole is ready himself to go vnto hell:
Liue thou vprightly, be cause of no blame,
If thou doo not, the more is thy shame.
And as the prouerbe doth say very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
* He is a Foole, and euer be shall,
That others iudgeth, and himself worst of all:
This foole is blynd, frantike, and wood,
Without all reason, iudgeth bad thinges good.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole that wisedome doth eschue,
For no good counsell can bring him to vertue:
This foole which scorneth his neighbour fast,
Shall be scorned iustly himself at the last.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
* An other Foole yet, I doe here fynd,
Which can not kepe close the secrets of his mynd:
This is a naturall foole, and vndiscrete,
Which can not hyde his owne counsell and secrete.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole, that in youth wyll not prouyde,
In age must he sterue, or in pouertie abyde:
This is a foole, and of the numbe one,
Which in the Sommer can make no prouision.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
* He is a Foole, that getteth his goods wrongfullye,
For his heires after him, wyll spend it vnthriftelye:
This fooles golde is his God, wrongfullye got,
Why y
u foole, thy golde is muk & clay, knowest thou not?
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole, whether he be man or wyfe,
Whice styll deliteth in discorde and stryfe:
Such fooles their owne flesh to the bones may gnaw,
That contendeth in matters, scant worth a straw.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
* He is a Foole that on message is sent,
And when he is on his way, forgot whether he went:
This féele is worthy of the bable and the bell,
For of all other fooles, he doth excell.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ Yet of Fooles, a whole dozen I haue espyed,
And lead in a stryng, together they are tyed:
These fooles you may know by their fauour,
For lyke the Aspen leafe, with euery wynd they wauer.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
* He is a Foole, that thinketh it great wonder,
When God stryketh by lightnyng and thunder:
Alas, we dayly without all dread commit
Much cursed vice, for lacke of godly wit.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ All youth, I doo lyken vnto Fooles blynd,
That vnto their Parents are rebels vnkynd:
Thou vnkynd chylde, and foole disobedient,
Remember what goods thy fréends on thée spent.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
* He is a Foole, that greatly doth flatter and boast,
When he thinks least, he shall tast of the rost:
This foole at last, is cast out of fauour,
For flatteryng pleaseth no wise man of honour.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole, and voyd of all prudence,
Which to vayne tales doth geue all his credence:
Therfore remember this both low and hye,
That flatterers speake fayre when they doo lye.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
* He is a naturall Foole, and a very daw,
That from doing good, his neighbour doth withdraw:
Such froward fooles, all goodnes they defile,
If their neighbours doe good, then they reuile.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole, and greatly vnprouable,
That in all his doings he is vnfortunable:
But in his misfortune he is so blynd,
He neuer considereth no remedy in mynd.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole to kepe him from the rayne.
* He is a Foole, that himself doth applye
Behynd his neighbours backe to sclander with enuye:
Such beastly fooles commonly are well a payd,
Which thinke all is well, that falsely is wayd.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
¶ Yet more Fooles there be, which be vncommendable,
That vseth yll manners alway at the table:
Of pleasant nurtour they haue no héede,
But beastly entend as swyne alway to féede.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
* Many Fooles there be, in these our dayes,
Which séeme to be wyse, yet folow foolish wayes:
Therfore I haue tolde vnto you very playne,
What foolishnes in these dayes in many doth remayne.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
¶ He is a Foole, that wyll styll desyre
His owne death, to runne in to the fyre:
And he is a foole, that hath no mynd deuoute,
But in the temple styll walketh aboute.
And as the prouerbe doth shew very playne,
A hood for these fooles to kepe them from the rayne.
*
GOD grant that all Fooles wisedome may learne,
And that they may good from yll alway discerne:
Then no more fooles we may them call,
But wyse men, and wisedome shew they shall.
God grant that on all partes we may now begin
To repent of our follye, and flye from our sin.
¶ FINIS.
ꝙ T. Gr.