The .xxv. orders of Fooles.
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STay a while with pacience, my freends I you pray,
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Of the orders of Fooles, somewhat I wyll say:
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Five and twentie, just a quarterne is ye know,
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Every Foole in his foolishnes wyll I show.
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And as the proverbe doth show very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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Many Fooles, the carte of sin nowadayes doth draw,
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Nowrishyng their sinne against all right and law:
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Though that the way to hell be very playne,
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Yet lyke a foole I advise thee to returne agayne.
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If thou in foolishnes styll doest dwell,
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Thou shalt have a bable and a bell.
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He is a foole that his sinnes cannot hate,
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Naught young, worse olde, such is his estate:
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This olde foole is glad of that name,
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Desiryng all men to take parte of the same.
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This foole must have in hand without fayle,
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A bable, a bell, or els a Fox tayle.
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Of Fooles, yet I fynd another sorte,
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Which are causers of lying, and yll reporte:
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And he is a foole both even and morrow,
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That nothyng wyll lend, but all thynges borrow.
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And as the proverbe doth show very playne
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A hood for this foole to kepe him from the rayne.
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Of Fooles, yet another sorte doth come,
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Which never seketh for to have wisedome:
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Many such fooles, wisedome disdayne,
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Yet for their foolishnes they shall suffer payne.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole which to others doth preach and tell,
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And yet this foole is ready himself to go unto hell:
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Live thou uprightly, be cause of no blame,
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If thou doo not, the more is thy shame.
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And as the proverbe doth say very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, and ever be shall,
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That others judgeth, and himself worst of all:
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This foole is blynd, frantike, and wood,
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Without all reason, judgeth bad thinges good.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole that wisedome doth eschue,
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For no good counsell can bring him to vertue:
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This foole which scorneth his neighbour fast,
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Shall be scorned justly himself at the last.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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Another Foole yet, I doe here fynd,
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Which cannot kepe close the secrets of his mynd:
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This is a naturall foole, and undiscrete,
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Which cannot hyde his owne counsell and secrete.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that in youth wyll not provyde,
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In age must he sterve, or in povertie abyde:
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This is a foole, and of the numbe one,
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Which in the Sommer can make no provision.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that getteth his goods wrongfullye,
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For his heires after him, wyll spend it unthriftelye:
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This fooles golde is his God, wrongfullye got,
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Why thou foole, thy golde is muk & clay, knowest thou not?
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him srom the rayne.
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He is a Foole, whether he be man or wyfe,
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Whice styll deliteth in discorde and stryfe:
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Such fooles their owne flesh to the bones may gnaw,
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That contendeth in matters, scant worth a straw.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole that on message is sent,
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And when he is on his way, forgot whether he went:
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This feele is worthy of the bable and the bell,
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For of all other fooles, he doth excell.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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Yet of Fooles, a whole dozen I have espyed,
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And lead in a stryng, together they are tyed:
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These fooles you may know by their favour,
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For lyke the Aspen leafe, with every wynd they waver.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that thinketh it great wonder,
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When God stryketh by lightnyng and thunder:
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Alas, we dayly without all dread commit
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Much cursed vice, for lacke of godly wit.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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All youth, I doo lyken unto Fooles blynd,
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That unto their Parents are rebels unkynd:
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Thou unkynd chylde, and foole disobedient,
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Remember what goods thy freends on thee spent.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that greatly doth flatter and boast,
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When he thinks least, he shall tast of the rost:
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This foole at last, is cast out of favour,
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For flatteryng pleaseth no wise man of honour.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, and voyd of all prudence,
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Which to vayne tales doth geve all his credence:
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Therfore remember this both low and hye,
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That flatterers speake fayre when they doo lye.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a naturall Foole, and a very daw,
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That from doing good, his neighbour doth withdraw:
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Such froward fooles, all goodnes they defile,
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If their neighbours doe good, then they revile.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, and greatly unprovable,
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That in all his doings he is unfortunable:
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But in his misfortune he is so blynd,
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He never considereth no remedy in mynd.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole to kepe him from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that himself doth applye
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Bebynd his neighbours backe to sclander with envye:
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Such beastly fooles commonly are well apayd,
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Which thinke all is well, that falsely is wayd.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for this foole, to kepe him from the rayne.
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Yet more Fooles there be, which be uncommendable,
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That useth yll manners alway at the table:
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Of pleasant nurtour they have no heede,
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But beastly entend as swyne alway to feede.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
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Many Fooles there be, in these our dayes,
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Which seeme to be wyse, yet folow foolish wayes:
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Therfore I have tolde unto you very playne,
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What foolishnes in these dayes in many doth remayne.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for these fooles, to kepe them from the rayne.
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He is a Foole, that wyll styll desyre
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His owne death, to runne into the fyre:
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And he is a foole, that hath no mynd devoute,
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But in the temple styll walketh aboute.
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And as the proverbe doth shew very playne,
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A hood for these fooles to kepe them from the rayne.
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GOD grant that all Fooles wisedome may learne,
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And that they may good from yll alway discerne:
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Then no more fooles we may them call,
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But wyse men, and wisedome shew they shall.
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God grant that on all partes we may now begin
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To repent of our follye, and flye from our sin.
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