The reader will remark the fondness of our Satirift for alliteration in this he was guilty of no affectation or fingularity; bis verfification is that of Pierce Plowman's Vifions, in which a recurrence of fimilar letters is effential: to this he has only fuperadded rhyme, which in his time began to be the general practice. See farther remarks on this kind of metre in the preface to Book 11I. BALLAD I.

TN december, when the dayes draw to be fhort,

IN

After november, when the nights wax noysome and

As I paft by a place privily at a port,

I faw one fit by himfelf making a fong:

*

His laft talk of trifles, who told with his tongue

[long;

That few were faft i'th' faith. I freyned' that freake, Whether he wanted wit, or fome had done him wrong. He said, he was little John Nobody, that durft not speake.

[tell

John Nobody, quoth I, what news? thou foon note and
What maner men thou meane, that are so mad.
He faid, Thefe gay gallants, that wil conftrue the gospel,
As Solomon the fage, with femblance full fad;

To difcuffe divinity they nought adread;

More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke.
Thou lyeft, quoth I, thou lofel, like a leud lad. [speake.
He faid, he was little John Nobody, that durft not

Its meet for every man on this matter to talk,
And the glorious gospel ghoftly to have in mind;
It is fothe faid, that fect but much unfeemly skalk,
As boyes babble in books, that in fcripture are blind :

* Perhaps He left talk.

† feyned. MSS. and P. C.

Yet

!

ANCIENT POEM Ś.

Yet to their fancy foon a caufe wil find;
As to live in luft, in lechery to leyke:
Such caitives count to be come of Cains kind;
But that I little John Nobody durft not speake.

125

For our reverend father hath fet forth an order,
Our service to be faid in our feignours tongue;
As Solomon the fage fet forth the fcripture;
Our fuffrages, and fervices, with many a fweet fong,
With homilies, and godly books us among,
That no stiff, stubborn ftomacks we should freyke:
But wretches nere worse to do poor men wrong;
But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

For bribery was never fo great, fince born was our Lord, And whoredom was never les hated, fith Christ har

rowed hel,

And poor men are fo fore punished commonly through the world,

That it would grieve any one, that good is, to hear tel For al the homilies and good books, yet their hearts be

fo quel,

That if a man do amiffe, with mischiefe they wil him

wreake;

The fashion of thefe new fellows it is fo vile and fell: But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

Thus to live after their luft, that life would they have, And in lechery to leyke al their long life;

For

Ver. 3. Cain's kind. So in Pierce the Ploruman's creed, the proud friars are faid to be · Of Caymes kind.”- Vid. Sig, Cíj, b.

For al the preaching of Paul, yet many a proud knave
Wil move mifchiefe in their mind both to maid and wife
To bring them in advoutry, or else they wil ftrife,
And in brawling about baudery, Gods commandments
breake:

But of thefe frantic il fellowes, few of them do thrife;
Though I little John Nobody dare not speake.

If thou company with them, they wil currifhly carp,

and not care

According to their foolish fantacy; but faft wil they naught:

Prayer with them is but prating; therefore they it forbear: Both almes deeds, and holiness, they hate it in their thought:

Therefore pray we to that prince, that with his bloud us bought,

That he wil mend that is amifs: for many a manful freyke Is forry for thefe fects, though they fay little or nought; And that I little John Nobody dare not once fpeake.

Thus in No place, this NOBODY, in no time I met, Where wo mang * NOUGHT was, nor NOTHING did

appear;

• ne

Through the found of a fynagogue for forrow I fwett,
That 'Aeolus t'through the eccho did caufe me to hear.
Then I drew me down into a dale, whereas the dumb deer
Did fhiver for a fhower; but I fhunted from a freyke:
For I would no wight in this world wift who I were,
But little John Nobody, that dare not once speake.

IV. Q..

then. MSS. and P. C.

Hercules, MSS. and PC.