The Shorter Poems

by Edmund Spenser

  He would haue slipt the coller handsomly,

  270

  And to him said; good Sir, full glad am I,

  To take what paines may anie liuing wight:

  But my late maymed limbs lack wonted might

  To doo their kindly seruices, as needeth:

  Scarce this right hand the mouth with diet feedeth,

  275

  So that it may no painfull worke endure,

  Ne to strong labour can it selfe enure.

  But if that anie other place you haue,

  Which askes small paines, but thriftines to saue,

  Or care to ouerlooke, or trust to gather,

  280

  Ye may me trust as your owne ghostly father.

  With that the husbandman gan him auize

  That it for him were fittest exercise

  Cattell to keep, or grounds to ouersee;

  And asked him, if he could willing bee

  285

  To keep his sheep, or to attend his swyne,

  Or watch his mares, or take his charge of kyne?

  Gladly (said he) what euer such like paine

  Ye put on me, I will the same sustaine:

  But gladliest I of your fleecie sheepe

  290

  (Might it you please) would take on me the keep.

  For ere that vnto armes I me betooke,

  Vnto my fathers sheepe I vsde to looke,

  That yet the skill thereof I haue not loste:

  Thereto right well this Curdog by my coste

  295

  (Meaning the Foxe) will serue, my sheepe to gather,

  And driue to follow after their Belwether.

  The Husbandman was meanly well content,

  Triall to make of his endeuourment,

  And home him leading, lent to him the charge

  300

  Of all his flocke, with libertie full large,

  Giuing accompt of th’annuall increce

  Both of their lambes, and of their woolly fleece.

  Thus is this Ape become a shepheard swaine

  And the false Foxe his dog. (God giue them paine)

  305

  For ere the yeare haue halfe his course out-run,

  And doo returne from whence he first begun,

  They shall him make an ill accompt of thrift.

  Now whenas Time flying with winges swift,

  Expired had the terme, that these two iauels

  310

  Should render vp a reckning of their trauels

  Vnto their master, which it of them sought,

  Exceedingly they troubled were in thought,

  Ne wist what answere vnto him to frame,

  Ne how to scape great punishment, or shame,

  315

  For their false treason and vile theeuerie.

  For not a lambe of all their flockes supply

  Had they to shew: but euer as they bred,

  They slue them, and vpon their fleshes fed:

  For that disguised Dog lou’d blood to spill,

  320

  And drew the wicked Shepheard to his will.

  So twixt them both they not a lambkin left,

  And when lambes fail’d, the old sheepes liues they reft;

  That how t’acquite themselues vnto their Lord,

  They were in doubt, and flatly set abord.

  325

  The Foxe then counsel’d th’Ape, for to require

  Respite till morrow, t’answere his desire:

  For times delay new hope of helpe still breeds.

  The goodman granted, doubting nought their deeds,

  And bad, next day that all should readie be.

  330

  But they more subtill meaning had than he:

  For the next morrowes meed they closely ment,

  For feare of afterclaps for to preuent.

  And that same euening, when all shrowded were

  In careles sleep, they without care or feare,

  335

  Cruelly fell vpon their flock in folde,

  And of them slew at pleasure what they wolde:

  Of which whenas they feasted had their fill,

  For a full complement of all their ill,

  They stole away, and tooke their hastie flight,

  340

  Carried in clowdes of all-concealing night.

  So was the husbandman left to his losse,

  And they vnto their fortunes change to tosse.

  After which sort they wandered long while,

  Abusing manie through their cloaked guile;

  345

  That at the last they gan to be descryed

  Of euerie one, and all their sleights espyed.

  So as their begging now them failed quyte;

  For none would giue, but all men would them wyte:

  Yet would they take no paines to get their liuing,

  350

  But seeke some other way to gaine by giuing,

  Much like to begging but much better named;

  For manie beg, which are thereof ashamed.

  And now the Foxe had gotten him a gowne,

  And th’Ape a cassocke sidelong hanging downe;

  355

  For they their occupation meant to change,

  And now in other state abroad to range:

  For since their souldiers pas no better spedd,

  They forg’d another, as for Clerkes booke-redd.

  Who passing foorth, as their aduentures fell,

  360

  Through manie haps, which needs not here to tell;

  At length chaunst with a formall Priest to meete,

  Whom they in ciuill manner first did greete,

  And after askt an almes for Gods deare loue.

  The man straight way his choler vp did moue,

  365

  And with reproachfull tearmes gan them reuile,

  For following that trade so base and vile;

  And askt what license, or what Pas they had?

  Ah (said the Ape as sighing wondrous sad)

  Its an hard case, when men of good deseruing

  370

  Must either driuen be perforce to steruing,

  Or asked for their pas by euerie squib,

  That list at will them to reuile or snib:

  And yet (God wote) small oddes I often see

  Twixt them that aske, and them that asked bee.

  375

  Natheles because you shall not vs misdeeme,

  But that we are as honest as we seeme,

  Yee shall our pasport at your pleasure see,

  And then ye will (I hope) well mooued bee.

  Which when the Priest beheld, he vew’d it nere,

  380

  As if therein some text he studying were,

  But little els (God wote) could thereof skill:

  For read he could not euidence, nor will,

  Ne tell a written word, ne write a letter,

  Ne make one title worse, ne make one better:

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  Of such deep learning little had he neede,

  Ne yet of Latine, ne of Greeke, that breede

  Doubts mongst Diuines, and difference of texts,

  From whence arise diuersitie of sects,

  And hatefull heresies, of God abhor’d:

  390

  But this good Sir did follow the plaine word,

  Ne medled with their controuersies vaine.

  All his care was, his seruice well to saine,

  And to read Homelies vpon holidayes:

  When that was done, he might attend his playes;

  395

  An easie life, and fit high God to please.

  He hauing ouerlookt their pas at ease,

  Gan at the length them to rebuke againe,

  That no good trade of life did entertaine,

  But lost their time in wandring loose abroad,

  400

  Seeing the world, in which they booties boad,

  Had wayes enough for all th
erein to liue;

  Such grace did God vnto his creatures giue.

  Said then the Foxe; who hath the world not tride,

  From the right way full eath may wander wide.

  405

  We are but Nouices, new come abroad,

  We haue not yet the tract of anie troad,

  Nor on vs taken anie state of life,

  But readie are of anie to make preife.

  Therefore might please you, which the world haue proued,

  410

  Vs to aduise, which forth but lately moued,

  Of some good course, that we might vndertake;

  Ye shall for euer vs your bondmen make.

  The Priest gan wexe halfe proud to be so praide,

  And thereby willing to affoord them aide;

  415

  It seemes (said he) right well that ye be Clerks,

  Both by your wittie words, and by your werks.

  Is not that name enough to make a liuing

  To him that hath a whit of Natures giuing?

  How manie honest men see ye arize

  420

  Daylie thereby, and grow to goodly prize?

  To Deanes, to Archdeacons, to Commissaries,

  To Lords, to Principalls, to Prebendaries;

  All iolly Prelates, worthie rule to beare,

  Who euer them enuie: yet spite bites neare.

  425

  Why should ye doubt then, but that ye likewise

  Might vnto some of those in time arise?

  In the meane time to liue in good estate,

  Louing that loue, and hating those that hate;

  Being some honest Curate, or some Vicker

  430

  Content with little in condition sicker.

  Ah but (said th’Ape) the charge is wondrous great,

  To feed mens soules, and hath an heauie threat.

  To feede mens soules (quoth he) is not in man:

  For they must feed themselues, doo what we can.

  435

  We are but charg’d to lay the meate before:

  Eate they that list, we need to doo no more.

  But God it is that feedes them with his grace,

  The bread of life powr’d downe from heauenly place.

  Therefore said he, that with the budding rod

  440

  Did rule the Iewes, All shalbe taught of God.

  That same hath Iesus Christ now to him raught,

  By whom the flock is rightly fed, and taught:

  He is the Shepheard, and the Priest is hee;

  We but his shepheard swaines ordain’d to bee.

  445

  Therefore herewith doo not your selfe dismay;

  Ne is the paines so great, but beare ye may;

  For not so great as it was wont of yore,

  It’s now a dayes, ne halfe so streight and sore:

  They whilome vsed duly euerie day

  450

  Their seruice and their holie things to say,

  At morne and euen, besides their Anthemes sweete,

  Their penie Masses, and their Complynes meete,

  Their Dirges, their Trentals, and their shrifts,

  Their memories, their singings, and their gifts.

  455

  Now all those needlesse works are laid away;

  Now once a weeke vpon the Sabbath day,

  It is enough to doo our small deuotion,

  And then to follow any merrie motion.

  Ne are we tyde to fast, but when we list,

  460

  Ne to weare garments base of wollen twist,

  But with the finest silkes vs to aray,

  That before God we may appeare more gay,

  Resembling Aarons glorie in his place:

  For farre vnfit it is, that person bace

  465

  Should with vile cloaths approach Gods maiestie,

  Whom no vncleannes may approachen nie:

  Or that all men, which anie master serue,

  Good garments for their seruice should deserue;

  But he that serues the Lord of hoasts most high,

  470

  And that in highest place, t’approach him nigh,

  And all the peoples prayers to present

  Before his throne, as on ambassage sent

  Both too and fro, should not deserue to weare

  A garment better, than of wooll or heare.

  475

  Beside we may haue lying by our sides

  Our louely Lasses, or bright shining Brides:

  We be not tyde to wilfull chastitie,

  But haue the Gospell of free libertie.

  By that he ended had his ghostly sermon,

  480

  The Foxe was well induc’d to be a Parson;

  And of the Priest eftsoones gan to enquire,

  How to a Benefice he might aspire.

  Marie there (said the Priest) is arte indeed.

  Much good deep learning one thereout may reed,

  485

  For that the ground-worke is, and end of all,

  How to obtaine a Beneficiall.

  First therefore, when ye haue in handsome wise

  Your selfe attyred, as you can deuise,

  Then to some Noble man your selfe applye,

  490

  Or other great one in the worldes eye,

  That hath a zealous disposition

  To God, and so to his religion:

  There must thou fashion eke a godly zeale,

  Such as no carpers may contrayre reueale:

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  For each thing fained, ought more warie bee.

  There thou must walke in sober grauitee,

  And seeme as Saintlike as Saint Radegund:

  Fast much, pray oft, looke lowly on the ground,

  And vnto euerie one doo curtesie meeke:

  500

  These lookes (nought saying) doo a benefice seeke,

  And be thou sure one not to lacke or long.

  But if thee list vnto the Court to throng,

  And there to hunt after the hoped pray,

  Then must thou thee dispose another way:

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  For there thou needs must learne, to laugh, to lie,

  To face, to forge, to scoffe, to companie,

  To crouche, to please, to be a beetle stock

  Of thy great Masters will, to scorne, or mock:

  So maist thou chaunce mock out a Benefice,

  510

  Vnlesse thou canst one coniure by deuice,

  Or cast a figure for a Bishoprick:

  And if one could, it were but a schoole-trick.

  These be the wayes, by which without reward

  Liuings in Court be gotten, though full hard.

  515

  For nothing there is done without a fee:

  The Courtier needes must recompenced bee

  With a Beneuolence, or haue in gage

  The Primitias of your Parsonage:

  Scarse can a Bishoprick forpas them by,

  520

  But that it must be gelt in priuitie.

  Doo not thou therefore seeke a liuing there,

  But of more priuate persons seeke elswhere,