WIth pyte moued to my payne I dyde me dres
To shew ye people what doth thē most greuās
I saye yll tonges full of bytter crewelnes
In this worlde may be no greter penaunce
Thes be ye clappers of sorowe ye skorges of vengans
These preuy morderers these cōberous hell wedes
Because of grete meschefe & dystroyers of good dedys
Yf there were in ye worlde none other punyshement
But yll tonges onely in especyall
Of very ryght it were suffycyent
Seyenge how euery creature nowe ouer all
Is sodeynly smyten wt this venemous spere mortall
Of comberous tonges that god ne man dredys
Bycause of myschefe & dystroyers of good dedys
Bothe ryche and poore be brought in torment
By this cursed slo worme yt swelleth worse thā a tode
I mene the yll tonge that venymous serpent
Whiche many good doer destroyed with a worde
Who ledeth theyr lyfe now in peasyble concorde
Full fewe for yll tonges so moche sorowe bredys
They be cause of myschefe & dystroyed good dedys
No enemy so lytell we out hym to doute
Ne none so grete rome but remedy may be founde
If it in tyme be perceyued and brought oute
Than to a good ende it may rebounde
But an yll tonge so brode renrieth the sounde
Fro bad to worse and so myschefe spedys
Whiche caused many a man to wtdrawe good dedys
The tonge is instrument of lyes treason & trechery
And causeth warre morther myschefe wtout ende
Grete multytude of other with ypocrysy
Rebellyons thefte dyscorde full yll to defende
Fyghtynge chydynge to stryfe euer Intende
With shame & sclaunder to yll fortune all ledes
Lo how ye tōge caused myschefe & dystroyed good dedes
Some theues escapen & many true men be hanged
It is dayly sene in this worlde rounde
Faythfull people by yll tonges be condempned
That to vntruth there dydes neuer dyde founde
But he that cometh in daunger of an yll tonge
Seldome or neuer he scapeth there fro
For by an yll tonge the good name is soone a go
And this yll Ioynt of moost dyspyte
Sormounteth all venyme of serpentes fell
They haue suche malycyous appetyte
They may be lykened to the fende of hell
The sorowe yt by them is rered no man may tell
The true seruaunt put out of fauour yt is pyte & wo
For by an euyll tonge ye good name is soone a go
A false tonge wyll euer Imagyne and saye
That neuer by creature was sayd ne thought
And this hath be sene and is euery daye
The fader and mother betraye & in sorowe brought
Many good folke hath sclaunder dere bought
As loste theyr goodes and theyr lyues also
For by an yll tonge the good name is soone a go
Many there be that neuer dyde offende
Whiche by an euyll tonge is brought to dysshonoure
And in to an euyll name sone they be comptende
That a. M. to theyr good name cannot them restore
The claterers cōdycyon is to grose vp more & more
Maydens by them is blamed wedowes & other mo
For by an euyll tonge the name is soone go
There is many one blamed and accused for nought
And many gyltles theyr lyues fro them is take
Ye and a thousande into pouerte brought
That dayly goth a begȳge & prayed for goddes sake
And all thorowe tale tellers his scrowe doth wake
Whiche caused many one theyr selfe to slo
Where by an euyll tonge theyr good name is a go
Full many be brought to dyseas and captyuyte
In euery regyon that man can trauayll
The tonge is causer of this wofull aduersyte
Full lytell or nought now dooth trouth auayll
True heyers be dysheryte without ony fayll
With wepynge & waylynge some waxeth blynde
And all causeth euyll tōges moost enemy to mākȳde
Thoughe some preestes now be neuer so pacyent
And in towne and cyte be pease ouer all
Or though the relygyous be neuer so obedyent
Yet an euyll tonge wyll trouble them all
Multyplyenge of lesynges by hym aryse shall
To trouble good people in soule and mynde
This is euyll tonges moost enemy to mankynde
Yf ony man wolde begynne his synnes to reny
Or ony good people that fro vyce dyde refrayne
What so euer he were that to vertue wolde applye
But an yll tonge wyll all ouerthrowe agayne
Lo by whome is raysed all this grete payne
Of sorowefull sclaunder that flyeth as the wynde
These yll tonges be moost enemy to mankynde
I saye not but warre is grete abusyon
Yet is there not so many as is wt yll tonges slayne
And though honger be neuer so sharpe for ye season
Yet for all that god some people doth sustayne
Of frostes grete some people be not fayne
But so sore grefe no where may we fynde
As it the yll tonge moost enemy to mankynge
Though sodayne deth be neuer so rygorous
Yet by preestes it seaseth at the laste
But where all yll tonges lyste to be malycyous
There is neuer remedy whan the worde is past
To lye and saye wronge they be neuer agast
Of heuen and hell they haue lytell mynde
I meane yll tonges moost enemy to man kynde
Speke of salpeter arsnek or ony poyson mortall
The fyre of hell the blood of serpentes venymmous
Ye fynde none sone so peryllous amonge all
As is the yll tonge to them that be vertuous
They be of malyce so full and rygorous
For they yt lyste to do well & ther o do theyr payne
By the euyll tongue all is ouerthrowe agayne
Therfore euery creature take hede what ye saye
For yf the worde be escaped at any throwe
It wyll not be called agayne though yu wolde laye
Bothe lyfe and goodes and on it bestowe
I wolde wete how we a good tongue sholde knowe
It wyll not be for by the subtyll trayne
Of the yll tongue whiche all ouerthroweth agayne
Men shette surely theyr chystes wt syluer & golde
With dyuyrs Iulles of grete comodytes
Furred gownes in grayne ryght goodly to beholde
Yet were they better to kepe theyr aduersaryes close
The yll tonge and sette all the other lose
For many hath purposed to amende wt herte fayne
But an yll tonge ouerthroweth agayne
For that yll by another dothe saye
Yf he his owne defautes dyde well beholde
How many tymes hymselfe is out of the waye
Full gladly than his tonge kepe he wolde
For yf pykethankes theyr owne fautes se sholde
To theyr hertes it wolde be a grete payne
For by yll tonges all vertue is ouerthrowe agayne
All people beware of these yll tonges most peryllous
And eschewe them where euer you go
Tonge breketh bone he is so malycyous
And none hath hymselfe all knoweth it is so
Sclander cometh lyghtly whiche causeth grete wo
For though thou be in name I tell the playne
By an yll tonge all is ouerthrowen agayne
These comberose clamores in euery towne
That thynge whiche the deuyll can not brȳge about
An yll tonge wyll performe by vnkynde perolysene
Yf a thousande fendes were to gyder in a route
Coude not by theyr malyce suche falshede vter oute
To brynge the people to grete dessensyon
As doth these yll tonges mannes moost confusyon
O enuyous tonges destroyers of hye & lowe degre
Thy wycked sedes thou doest sowe downe
Here and elles where ouer euery countre
Bothe in cyte borowe vyllage and towne
Sease thy rorynge thou fendly lyon
In the coffer of scyence hyde the full soone
For yll tonges is mannes most confusyon
He that can kepe his tonge and beware
Laude vnto hym shall euer encrease
And where that euer he go he nede not to care
For he is sure of reste and pease
More of this mater I nede not reherse
For take these wordes for a conclusyon
That yll tonges is euer mannes confusyon
¶Amen.