“Of Mockers and Scorners, and false Accusers”
O HEARTLESS fools, haste here to our doctrine,
Leave off the ways of your enormity,
Enforce you to my precepts to incline,
For here shall I show you good and verity:
Incline, and ye find shall great prosperity,
Ensuing the doctrine of our fathers old,
And godly laws in valor worth great gold.
Who that will follow the graces manifold
Which are in virtue, shall find advancement:
Wherefore ye fools that in your sin are bold,
Ensue ye wisdom, and leave your lewd intent,
Wisdom is the way of men most excellent:
Therefore have done, and shortly speed your pace,
To acquaint your self and company with grace.
Learn what is virtue, therein is great solace,
Learn what is truth, sadness and prudence,
Let murmuring be gone, and gravity purchase,
Forsake your folly and inconvenience,
Cease to be fools, and ay to sue offence,
Follow ye virtue, chief root of godliness,
For it and wisdom is ground of cleanliness.
Wisdom and virtue two things are doubtless,
Which man endues with honor special,
But such hearts as sleep in foolishness
Know nothing, and will nothing know at all:
But in this little barge in principal
All foolish mockers I purpose to reprove,
Claw he his back that feels itch or grief.
Mockers and scorners that are hard of belief,
With a rough comb here will I claw and grate,
To prove if they will from their vice remove,
And leave their folly, which causes great debate:
Such captives spare neither poor man nor estate,
And where their self are most worthy derision,
Other men to scorn is all their most condition.
Yet are more fools of this corruption,
Which of wise men despise the doctrine,
With grimaces, mocks, scorn, and collusion,
Rewarding rebukes for their good discipline:
Show to such wisdom, yet shall they not incline
Unto the same, but set nothing thereby,
But mock they doctrine, still or openly.
So in the world it appears commonly,
That who that will a fool rebuke or blame,
A mock or grimace shall he have by and by:
Thus in derision have fools their special game.
Correct a wise man that would eschew ill name,
And gladly would learn, and his lewd life amend,
And to thy words he gladly shall intend.
If by misfortune a rightwise man offend,
He gladly suffers a just correction,
And him that him teaches takes for his friend,
Him self putting meekly unto subjection,
Following his precepts and good direction:
But if that one a fool rebuke or blame,
He shall his teacher hate, slander and defame.
Howbeit his words oft turn to his own shame,
And his own darts return to him again,
And so is he sore wounded with the same,
And in woe ends, great misery and pain.
It also proved full often is certain,
That they that on mockers alway their minds cast,
Shall of all other be mocked at the last.…
But who that of sin is clean in deed and thought,
May him well scorn whose living is stark nought.
The scorns of Nabal full dear should have been bought,
If Abigail his wife discrete and sage,
Had not by kindness right crafty means sought,
The wrath of David to temper and assuage.
Hath not two bears in their fury and rage
Two and forty children rent and torn,
For they the prophet Elisha did scorn.
So might they curse the time that they were born,
For their mocking of this prophet divine:
So many other of this sort often mourn
For their lewd mocks, and fall into ruin.
Thus is it folly for wise men to incline,
To this lewd flock of fools, for see thou shall
Them most scorning that are most bad of all.…
From SHIP OF FOOLES, by Alexander Barclay, circa 1550, edited and adapted
