❧A NEVVE BALLADE INTITVLED, AGAYNST Rebellious and false Rumours. To the nevve tune of the Blacke Almaine, vpon Scissillia.
GEVE GOD THE GLORYE NOWE AND EVERMORE
WHat Rumores now are raised of late
Within this English lande:
Which is not much for to be praysed
The case so harde doth stand,
For euery one doth talke,
There tongues contrary walke,
And semes to meddell, of this and that,
There babling tongues, so large doth chatte,
As foolishe fancye, moues them saye,
So out there foolish talke they braye.
And euery one doth besie him still,
About the thing he hath no skill.
¶Some of his neighbors doth inquire,
What newes abrode there is:
If that he any thinge doth here,
Of those that dyd amisse.
Some longeth to here tell, ¶⁋
Of those that dyd Rebell,
And whether they be fled or take,
Thus still inquirie they do make,
Some sayth to Scotland they be goe,
And other sayth it is not so,
The Rumerous Deuell is now abrode,
Which makes them so to laye on lode.
¶Some sayth this yeare there shalbe hapte,
Much trouble in the lande: ¶⁋
Of Prophesies they carpe and clappe,
As they that haue them skande.
Doth tell them so abrode,
And thus they laye on lode:
And filles the peoples eares with lyes,
Thus Rumor still abrode he flyes.
Which makes them now in such a rore,
As all true hartes may well deplore.
And praye to God if that he please,
These foolish Rumores once maye cease.
¶And let vs nowe applye our tyme,
In prayer to the Lorde: (¶)
That he may cease this furious cryme,
That now is blowne abrode.
And euery one to staye,
His tongue and nothing saye:
But of the thinges he hath in hand,
And sée his besynes well be scand?
And not to meddle of Princes actes,
What they will do nor of there factes,
If occupied, well we thus abyde:
The Lorde for vs will well prouide.
¶For surely Plagues we do desarue,
Most horrable and great:
Because from God we still do swarue.,
And dayly doth him frette.
And still prouoke his Ieare,
Which glous as hotte as fyare:
His Bow is now all redye bent,
Therfore in tyme let vs repent,
Least he for sinne do vs depriue, ¶⁋
For warned folkes they saye may liue?
And warning take by other men,
Which we before our eyes haue sene.
That hath bene many a daye:
There countrey spoyled in Ruth and feare,
Vnto there cleane decaye.
With losse of many a man,
Since first that sturre began:
And many a Noble hath bene slayne,
A Duke, and eake a Prince certayne.
Which weare the chiefe stayes of that land,
Wherfore in hazarde now they stande,
For where the chiefe are taken awaye,
The rest must nedes runne to decaye.
¶In what estate doth Souldiers stand,
Great ruth it is to here:
That there is wrought the Tirants hand
We nede not to declare.
Experiaunce well may showe,
What numbers here doth flowe.
Of Flemminges fled from Tirantes hand,
Which dayly commeth to this land:
Whose harts in wrath full long hath boyld
And eake there Countrye cleane dispoyld.
Which thing may warne vs well I saye
Least that we féele the lyke decaye.
¶The Lorde hath suffered vs full longe,
And spared hath his rodde:
What peace hath bene vs now among,
A leuen yeares praysed be God.
And round about vs hath,
Bene warre and cruell fayth,
And all to cause vs to repent,
For we desarue worsse punnishment,
Then any of these Landes haue done,
I feare we shall be plagud right sone,
Thy Iudgement sure our God hath had,
To plague the good still for the bad.
¶Wherefore let vs with one accorde,
Fall all to fast and praye:
And Pardon craue now of the Lorde,
To kepe vs from decaye.
And leaue this murmoring spight,
Which God doth not delight:
The Scripture playnely doth declare,
The Isralites they plagued weare:
Because the murmered at there God,
Therin we do desarue lyke rod.
With hartes deuoute now let vs praye,
To kepe this Realme from all decaye.
Finis.
ꝙ. Thomas Bette.
¶IMPRINTED AT LONDON, in Fletestreat at the signe of the Faucon by VVylliam Gryffith, and are to be sold at his shoppe in Sainct Dunstones Churchyarde. 1570.