Apparell, good syr, what faulte is that

Iniuri.

Though grey be her cote why blame ye ye wild cat.

Why shuld ye hym deme of nature frayle

Though as wyse as ye wolde were a Foxtayle

Or a cote after the comen usage

Or have by nature a mad vysage

These be no wytnesse for Iustyce to dyserne
Nor certayne knowledge of nature to lerne
And christ taught you syr how ye shuld judge men
Sayenge Nolite judicare secundum faciem.

And yet in nature better knowledge shuld bee
Then is in apparell ye know perdie.

O yet in apparell is great abusion

If it be framed without dyscretion

For in apparell there may a great token bee
Of fraylenes, of pryde, and instabilytie,
If comen assyse therin use no measure
For then is apparell a wanton foolysh pleasure
And foly, best mede is of presumpeyon
When nature of reason used resumpcyon
And therfore Chryst taught a great wyse prose
Sayenge Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos.

Iustice.

Yet with ye same text I pray you wipe your Iniuri.

But thys gentleman I thinke wyll go pysse.
Nay syr Albyon I will not draw backe

If that of mee ye have lacke

So that I were in perfyte suertie

That this man here shuld manhode bee.

Iustice.

Now Chrystes benedycyte

How Albion and Justyce hath forgot mee
Because of mee they had no exercyse

Of long tyme by any enterpryse.

Iniury.

Wherfore sethen ye can not know me by experience

I wote not how ye shuld knowe me but by my credence
Therfore by my trouth & by my honestie
Beleve mee, for manhode trulie I am hee.
Then by your othe I am content
To haue your frendshyp with good assent
And Justice I pray you to do the same.
Syr if manhod be hys name

Albion.

Iustice.

As he hath sworne I wolde be glad
That hys frendshyp also I had.
Then Iustyce I pray you bothe

Let mee knyt you both upon hys othe.

Albion.

And the he taketh both their hands togither saieing

Now freindes I trust we be all three

And with this knot I pray you contented to bee.
Syr ye ought to be contented best of all

Where justice is treited with due equitie
And where no favour nor mede shuld bee

And when reason hath tried there everie deale

That such an acte were good for the comen weale
If therin

any losse may

bee

To the disaduauntage of Principaltie

Such an acte loseth all hys sute

With a lytle indoysing of reason astute
And if it touche the Lordes sprytuall

Or be disadvantage to the Lordes temporall
Fare well, go bett, this bill may sleepe
As well as through the parlyament creepe
And if that Marchauntes be moouid with all
Or anie multitude of the comen hall

This is not for us say they than

Iniuri.

This bill is naught but for to wype a pan
And this is all your new equitie

And for all your message yet thus will it bee.

Why halfe a man and halfe a wyld goose.

Albion.

For with hie reason they saie ye can dispute Iniuri.

And trie out perils with laborous sute

And eke the treasure for the comen vaile

As farr as wit or reason can assaile

But when all is done and your statute made
They foorth ye go in a wise trade
To brynge it all to good conclusion
And put it never in execucyon

Then speke they further in steede of a mocke
They have made a statute lyke a woodkocke

That hath but one eye and the other blynde
And it wyll turne with euery wynde

And for because ye study but for the begynnynge
And never provide for a sure endyng

Begynnyng lyke a man ye take great assay

At last lyke a wyld goose even but to flye awaye.

Well if thys be true it is more pytie

Yet let us endever both ye and I

To taste our message that it were done

To helpe here of some reformacyon.
Ye that to do I pray you bothe

And to you two I promyse by othe

Iustice.

Albion.

I shall mee endeuer with the comynaltie

Theyr hole allegyaunce to keepe in vnytie.

Then God be your spede for I will forth my way Iustice.

And I will after god guyde us that best may. Albion. And I wyll tarye no longer whyle

Iniuri.

But as I see you over the style.

Then departeth Albion & Justice both.

Now here begynneth a game ywys

Iniuri.

For manhode they wene my name is

But trust me syrs if I shuld not lye

My name is called Injury

Whych name to hyde I thought it polysie
And turne it to manhode, and wote ye why?
It is a parte of our new experyence

When I agaynst ryght make styffe defence
That Justyce in hys seate may not be enstabled
Then am I Injury manhode called

O than of mee craketh every man

How lyke a lorde this fellow stere can
The lawe to defend without a fall

For all theyr pledyng in Westminster hall,
Or say what they will and bable there
Yet mayntenance and I wyll kepe the chere
If it come once to the countree

Then as I wyll, so shall it bee.

A very cause, syrs, why I hyde my name
Was, they shuld not suspect my fame
Because I wolde spye all theyr intent
To chaunge theyr purpose after my judgement
And so wyll I do for this is theyr pretence
By meane of Justice to brynge in experyence
That peace shuld continew the people amonge
And so, by that meane, to banysh mee wronge.
But trust me, syrs, I will none of that
But rather by theyr faces I will them scrat

And mee to mayntayne in this opynion
I have an olde mate called Dyvycion
That shalbe of my counsaile in thys case
Whych I truste wyll not turne hys face
Tyll Peace be dryven clene from Albyon
And then let Justyce and mee alone
For I trust or hee and I have done
He shall go whystle in a mary bone
As for any ryghtfull judgement
That after this shall folow hys intent
And now syrs will I goo my waye
My felow to seke, fynde hym if I may.

Here Injury goeth out and then Division cometh in with a

byll, a sword a buckler and a dagger.

Have in a ruske

Out of the buske

A lustye captayne.

A Boore with a tuske

A sturdie Luske

Any battaile to deraine

A stalyon stoute

To beare it out

In every wheare

And neuer to Loute

For a knaves cloute

Though my hed it beare.

As styffe as a stake

Battayle to make

As neuer aferde.

I can awake

These knaues and take

Them fast by the berde.

For Peace is bent

Nor full intent

Divisyon.