Then laid he him down, and turned him away, 'And' prayd me to goe, and leave him to rest. I told him, I haplie might yet see the day

120

For him and his fellowes to live with the best. First, said he, banish Pride, then all England were blest;

For then those wold love us, that now sell their

land,

125

And then good 'house-keeping wold revive' out of hand.

Abbey.

II.

PLAIN TRUTH AND BLIND

IGNORANCE.

HIS excellent old ballad is preserved in the little ancient miscellany, intitled, The Garland of Goodwill.-Ignorance is here made to speak in the broad Somersetshire dialect. The scene we may suppose to be Glastonbury

TRUTH.

OD speed you, ancient father,
And give you a good daye;
What is the cause, I praye you
So sadly here you staye?

And that you keep such gazing
On this decayed place,

The which, for superstition,

Good princes down did raze?

5

[Ver. 122. I might happen to see. V. 123. to have him. V. 124. you must banish pride and then. V. 125. and then . . . sells their lands.] V. 126. houses every where wold be kept, MS.

IGNORANCE.

Chill' tell thee, by my vazen

That zometimes che' have knowne

A vair and goodly abbey

Stand here of bricke and stone;

And many a holy vrier,3

As ich may say to thee,
Within these goodly cloysters
Che did full often zee.

TRUTH.

Then I must tell thee, father,
In truthe and veritiè,
A sorte of greater hypocrites
Thou couldst not likely see;
Deceiving of the simple

With false and feigned lies:
But such an order truly

Christ never did devise.

IGNORANCE.

Ah! ah! che zmell thee now, man;

25

Che know well what thou art;

A vellow of mean learning,

Thee was not worth a vart:
Vor when we had the old lawe,
A merry world was then ;
And every thing was plenty
Among all zorts of men.

30

* i. e. faithen: as in the Midland counties they say housen, closen, for houses, closes. A.

[1 I will.

3 friar.

4 I.]

2 I.

TRUTH.

Thou givest me an answer,
As did the Jewes sometimes
Unto the prophet Jeremye,

When he accus'd their crimes;
'Twas merry, sayd the people,
And joyfull in our rea'me,
When we did offer spice-cakes
Unto the queen of heav'n.

IGNORANCE.

Chill tell thee what, good vellowe,

Before the vriers went hence,

A bushell of the best wheate

Was zold vor vourteen pence;

And vorty egges a penny,

That were both good and newe;

And this che zay my zelf have zeene,
And yet ich am no Jewe.

TRUTH.

Within the sacred bible

We find it written plain,

The latter days should troublesome

And dangerous be, certaine ;

That we should be self-lovers,

And charity wax colde;

Then 'tis not true religion

That makes thee grief to holde.

IGNORANCE.

Chill tell thee my opinion plaine,
And choul'd' that well ye knewe,
Ich care not for the bible booke;
Tis too big to be true.

[1 I would.]

35

40

45

50

55

Our blessed ladyes psalter

Zhall for my money goe;

Zuch pretty prayers, as there bee*,
The bible cannot zhowe.

TRUTH.

Nowe hast thou spoken trulye,
For in that book indeede
No mention of our lady,

Or Romish saint we read:
For by the blessed Spirit
That book indited was,
And not by simple persons,
As was the foolish masse.

IGNORANCE.

Cham' zure they were not voolishe
That made the masse, che trowe;
Why, man, 'tis all in Latine,

And vools no Latine knowe.

Were not our fathers wise men,

And they did like it well;

Who very much rejoyced
To heare the zacring bell?'

TRUTH.

But many kinges and prophets,

As I may say to thee,

Have wisht the light that you have,
And could it never see:
For what art thou the better
A Latin song to heare,

And understandest nothing,

That they sing in the quiere?

Probably alluding to the illuminated Psalters, Missals, &c. [1 I am. 2 the sacring bell was rung to give notice of the elevation of the host.]

IGNORANCE.

O hold thy peace, che pray thee,
The noise was passing trim
To heare the vriers zinging,

As we did enter in ;

And then to zee the rood-loft

Zo bravely zet with zaints;-
But now to zee them wandring
My heart with zorrow vaints.
TRUTH.

The Lord did give commandment,
No image thou shouldst make,
Nor that unto idolatry

You should your self betake:

The golden calf of Israel

Moses did therefore spoile;
And Baal's priests and temple
Were brought to utter foile.

IGNORANCE.

But our lady of Walsinghame
Was a pure and holy zaint,
And many men in pilgrimage
Did shew to her complaint.
Yea with zweet Thomas Becket,
And many other moe:
The holy maid of Kent* likewise
Did many wonders zhowe.

TRUTH.

90

95

100

105

110

Such saints are well agreeing

To your profession sure;

And to the men that made them

115

So precious and so pure;

* By name Eliz. Barton, executed Apr. 21, 1534. Stow, p. 570.