A Treatyse of a Galaunt
1. Ryght as small flodes encrease to waters fell
So that narowe furrous maye not susteyne.
Ryght so pryde vnclosed may not counsell
This new wretchedness that causeth vs complayne 4
How wo hath wrapped vs in a cruell chayne
Our pryde sheweth it well bothe ferre and nere
Englonde may wayle that euer it came here 7
2. The synne that now regneth to beholde is ruthe.
Of fraude and dysceyte grete abhomynacyon
But nede constrayneth vs now to saye the truthe
Of pryde and dysceyte this newe dyssymulacyon11
That blyndeth and consumeth our Englysshe nacyon.
Lucyfers progeny amonge vs doth appere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here 14
3. Ryght late stode our lande in suche prosperyte
Of chyualry manhode and ryche marchaundyse
Thrughe all crysten royalmes sprange our felycyte
Of grete welthe and prowesse in sondry wyse 16
Our sadnes is chaunged the for newe guyse
We haue exyled our welthe I note where
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 21
4. Pryde hath founde waye to exclude man fro blys
In dysfygurynge nature by this newe araye
Bothe men and women can saye what it is
For bothe nede and pouerte goth nowe ryght gaye 25
But alas our sorowe encreaseth euery daye
And yf ye lyue longe ye shan bothe se and here
That Englande shall wayle that euer it came here. 28
5. For pryde hathe our plente tourned to euyll fare
And fedeth vs as beestes that draweth in the ploughe
Many a worthy man bryngeth he to sorowe and care
Where fortune somtyme fresshely on hym loughe 32
Examyne the lyuynge that this worlde vseth ynoughe.
How nede with synne groweth euery where
Englande may wayle that euer it came here 35
6. For many a vengeaunce as scrypture maketh mencyon
Hath fallen to kyngdomes in sondry wyse
And fynally put the people in dystruccyon
For theyr obstynacy a[nd] newe fangle guyse 39
Alas englande that somtyme was so wyse.
Other nacyons refuse hast bought so dere
That thou mayst wayle that euer it came here. 42
7. Sometyme we had Fraunce in grete derysyon
For theyr hatefull pryde and lothsome vnclennes
Use me not nowe the same in our regyon
And haue permuted our welthe for theyr gladnes 46
Lechery of our people is become a maystres.
Our gentylnes for galauntyse haue we lefte there.
Englonde may wayle that euer it came here. 49
8. If ye beholde the galauntes progenye vyperyous
That out of Fraunce be fledde for theyr intoxycacyon
Hath nowe vengeaunce consumed that royalme gloryous
For theyr pryde and synfull abhomynacyon. 53
That all the worlde may wayle theyr desolacyon
O Fraunce why dyde not these galauntes abyde there.
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 56
9. For in this name Galaunt ye maye expresse.
Seuen letters for some cause in especyall
That fygureth the vii deedly synnes and theyr wretchednes
By whome man is made to the deuyll thrall. 60
Was not pryde cause of Lucyfers fall
Pryde is in hell and galauntes nygheth them nere.
Englonde may wayle that euer it came here 63
10. O thou gay galaunt by thyne vnthryfty name.
With gabbynge and glosynge gettest that thou hast
Gyle was thy father and Jalousye thy dame
In Jettynge, in Janglynge thy dayes ben past. 67
For all thy gloryous goynge age gnaweth fast
Thy glased lyfe and glotony be glewed so in fere
That Englande may wayle that euer it came here 70
11. Appetytes of auaryce be to them so amerous
Abusyon and arrogaunce ben of one affyntye
Aduenture and angre ben aye so debatous.
Faynynnge estate of counterfet auctoryte 74
Adulacyon of aduenture mayst thou not auaunt the
As a lyer in goodnes in thyne araye doest appere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here 77
12. For all the lande lechery lepeth [so fast] aboute
That good loue and lawe ben almoost lorne
Of luste and lykynge ledest thou suche a route
That slouth and lechery haue clennes to-torne 81
Thou labourest to lose that thy frendes gat toforne
For lewdenes lechery ben so ledde in fere.
Englonde may wayle that euer it came here. 84
13. Abhomynable aceydye accuseth all our nacyon
Our aungelyke abstynence is nowe refused.
Ferthermore of Antecryste this newe dyssymulacyon
Alas that suche sorowe amonge vs is vsed 88
Our auaryce and hatred haue vs so accused
That dyuers aduersytees seweth vs yere be yere.
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 91
14. For our wastynge wretchednes that wades so depe.
In our wanton werynge of clothes to-torne
To wyldenes and wrathe the worlde taketh moost kepe.
For in wastynge and vanyte men reken not what is lorne 95
For wyfe and for women for to were the horne.
That vertuous vyrgynyte is deed and layde on bere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here 98
15. The noble course of nature nycete hath deuoured
For nede causeth it to be our desolacyon
So hath these newe fangles our welth obscured
That neglygence nouryssheth necessyte to our confusyon. 162
This causeth our galauntes by theyr nacyon
Neuerthryfte and thryueles noye euer vs so nere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 105
16. For trygetours and tryflours that tauernes haunte
Haue trouth and temperaunce troden vnder foote
Talewes and talkynge and drynkynge ataunte.
As tyrauntes and traytours toyllous in moote 109
Tyll they be tried out is there no boote
And trysed to baratrum tossed in fere.
Englande shall wayle that euer it came here. 112
17. O galaunt vpon galaunt and o thou galaunt gaye
And thou ruskyn galaunt that pouerte doth menace
For all thy warrocked hoode and thy proude araye
And thy parrocked pouche that thou so fast doest brace,
Thou busyest the to counterfet Lucyfers trace. 117
Thynke not to longe or thou dwell with hym there
For the cursed ensample that thou shewest here. 119
18. So many barefote people and so fewe good lyuers
Hath no man sene syth the worlde began
So many styroppes and so fewe good chyuallers
And so many braynles that lytell good can 123
Men arayed as women and woman as man
This causeth deth and that all thynge is so dere
Englande maye wayle that euer it came here 126
19. So moche rychesse and araye and so moche nede
So many bedes borne and so lytell deuocyon
So moche fastynge for hungre and so lytell nede
So moche paynted worshyp and so lytell reason 130
I trowe no man hath sene in this regyon
Our synne asketh vengeaunce I am in grete fere.
In shorte tyme we shall wayle that euer it came here. 133
20. Howe many poyntes were they nowe a dayes
And yet a good poynte among them were harde to fynde
Daggers of vengeaunce redy to make frayes.
With long taters downe to the ars behynde 137
Tryppynge with small shankes as lyght as lefe on lynde.
To make it toughe and fresshe as it were the newe yere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 140
21. So many purfled garmentes furred with non sequitur
With so many penyles purses hath no man sawe.
Small gyrdynge in the waste with all theyr other mustur
That we go all backewarde from hyghe to the lawe 144
The florysshynge mede of our welth we haue begon to mawe
But we beseche god amende vs another yere
Or elles we shall wayle that euer it came here 147
22. Our women are dyspoyled and gyue them to wantones
Our men with cloutes at theyr brest lyke a pye
Our women haue debated with shamefastnes
And our men with vnclennes yf I shall not lye 151
O englande thou mayst wepe with Ieromye
Seynge the people thus ledde by the ere.
Englande maye wayle that euer it came here. 154
23. Our women in theyr parte laboure as they may
In theyr aray with chere and countenaunce
Our men on theyr syde make them fresshe and gay
And laboure to purchace womens pleasaunce 158
Thus bytwene bothe groweth moche myschaunce
Eche seketh synne as it dothe appere.
Englande may wayle that euer it came here. 161
24. Our galauntes lyue in lustes as beestes.
Maynteynours of quarrelles and vnthryftynes.
Our shameles women with theyr hyghe crestes
Extorcyon, robbery, and our vngentylnes. 165
Prelatis necligence lordis rauayn and marchauntis deceytes
These asketh vengeaunce this lesson must ye lere
Elles shall ye wayle that euer it came here. 168
25. Beholde these dayes the people of our nacyon
Are charged with synne and gouerned by folye.
Nowe nede wyll compell vs by transmygracyon
With very wo dryue vs vnto Babylone. 172
O englonde where is nowe thy glorye
That somtyme shone thrughe the worlde so clere.
Well mayst thou wayle that euer this sorowe came here.
26. All people laboure of this newe dysguysynge
In forgynge theyr fantasyes to maynteyne pryde.
He is nowe wysest that can moost of deuysynge
Good makynge of a man is nowe layde on syde 179
This newe araye is brought vp in this lande to wyde
And yet for all that it may not last a yere
Englande may wayle that euer it came here 182
27. Beholde the rolled hodes stuffed with flockes
The newe broched doublettes open at the brestes
Stuffed with pectoll of theyr loues smockes
Theyr gownes and theyr cotes shredde all in lystes 186
So many capes as now be and so few good preestes
I can not reken halfe the routes of theyr marde gere.
Englonde may wayle that euer it came here. 189
28. These galauntes vse also full abhomynable
Theyr typpettes be wrythen lyke to a chayne
And they go haltered in them as horse in the stable
It is a peryllous pronostycacyon certayne 193
For synfull soules shall be bounde in payne
Hande and fote in perpetuall fyre.
They shall curse the tyme that euer it came here 196
29. All these newe bulwarkesthey were at theyr knees
They laboure sore in theyr wyttes fantasyes to fynde
No man holdeth hym contente with his degrees
Pryde goth before and shame cometh behynde 200
Alas that Englysshe men sholde be so blynde
So moche sorowe amonge vs and so lytell fere
We may wayle the tyme that euer it came here 203
30. Forget not lyghtly howe many straungers
Haue entered this kyngdome and kepte the possessyon.
Fyue tymes as wryteth old cronyclers
And chaunged our tunges in sondry dyuyson. 207
O clergy praye for our Englysshe nacyon
That god for his mercy of this synne make vs clere
Elles we shall wayle that euer it came here 210
31. Effectually pray god for his reformacyon
Of welth, manhode and of marchaundyse
And tresoury of peas that Cryst in his passyon
Lefte bytwene god and man whan he sholde dye. 214
The comynalte in loue conserue perseuerauntlye
With charyte bothe hyghe and lowe to Ioyne in fere
In voydynge of synne that tourmenteth vs here 217
32. O Englonde remembre thyne olde sadnes
That thou may resorte agayne to thy gladnes
Exyle pryde relyeve to thy goodnes
Synne hath consumed this worldes humanyte 221
Ptaye God thou maye reioyse thyn olde felycyte
And his blessyd moder as this londe is her dowere
We haue no cause to wayle that euer it came here 224
False or deceptive appearance, hypocrisy, dishonesty.
New fashion.
To mar the proper appearance of sth, to force sb. out of his natural form or state.
a) a showy man of fashion, b) a dissolute rake.
Deceiving and flattering.
Strutting, quarreling (or boasting or gossipping).
A wicked practice, a violation of decency or propriety.
Lying about one’s position in society.
Tattered articles of clothing.
Rolls of hair on each side of the head, or a headdress to cover such an arrangement.
Recent, fresh things.
Charlatans and good-for-nothings.
Garrulous.
Drinking to excess.
Contentious in arguments.
Oppressed to hell, buffeted together.
Dressed in (squirrel) furs.
Bound hood.
Closed purse.
Apparel (ordinaunce of ~ refers to any one of the sumptuary laws regulating dress).
Beads for ornament or prayer.
Feigned, or cosmetic.
Lace used to fasten garments or as a fringe or border.
Ragged strips of material hanging from a garment or points of a slashed garment.
Capering, dancing.
Trimmed with fur on the collar (fig: incongruity).
Belted tightly at the waist; gray woollen cloth.
With rags at their breasts like a magpie.
Headdresses, diadems.
Robbery, greed.
Fabricating lies, being governed by caprice.
Wool used for stuffing.
A man’s tight-fitting garment, studded with ornaments.
Ornament for the breast made from their ladies’ undergarments.
Narrow strip along the edges of a piece of fabric, selvage.
A hat, a priest's close-fitting cap.
Ruined apparel.
Long, narrow ornamental piece of cloth coiled like a (prisoner’s) chain.
Haltered as for a horse (fig. devil's or hangman’s noose).
A pad or padding at the knee, in place of a garter.
