I. The Complaint of Conscience. ...............................................................................
The following song, intitled, "The Complaint of Conscience," is printed from
the Editor's folio manuscript: some corruptions in the old copy are here corrected.
As I walked of late by an wood side,
To God for to meditate was my entent;
Where under a hawthorne I suddenlye spyed
A silly poore creature ragged and rent,
With bloody teares his face was besprent,
His flesh and his color consumed away,
And his garments they were all mire, mucke, and clay.
This made me muse, and much to desire
To know what kind of man hee shold bee;
I stept to him straight, and did him require
His name and his secretts to shew unto mee.
His head he cast up, and wooful was hee,
"My name," quoth he, "Is the cause of my care,
And makes me scorned, and left here so bare."
Then straightway he turnd him, and prayd me sit downe,
"And I will," saithe he, "declare my whole greefe;
My name is called CONSCIENCE:"-- wheratt he did frowne,
He pined to repeate it, and grinded his teethe,
"Thoughe now, silly wretche, I'm denyed all releef,
Yet while I was young, and tender of yeeres,
I was entertained with kinges, and with peeres.
"There was none in the court that lived in such fame,
For with the kings councell I sate in commission;
Dukes, earles, and barrons esteem'd of my name;
And how that I liv'd there needs no repetition:
I was ever holden in honest condition,
For howsoever the lawes went in Westminster-hall,
When sentence was given, for me they wold call.
"No incomes at all the landlords wold take,
But one pore peny, that was their fine;
And that they acknowledged to be for my sake.
The poore wold doe nothing without councell mine:
I ruled the world with the right line:
For nothing was passed betweene foe and friend,
But Conscience was called to bee at the end.
"Noe bargaines, nor merchandize merchants wold make
But I was called a wittenesse therto:
No use for noe money, nor forfett wold take,
But I wold controule them, if that they did soe:
And that makes me live now in great woe,
For then came in Pride, Sathan's disciple,
That is now entertained with all kind of people.