❧ The reedifying of Salomons Temple / and the Laborers therof.
WHen that the Cocke began to crow
in February last
It was nere dai I knewe right wel
the byrdes they songe so fast
For they recorded plesauntly
when they did vnderstande
That winters blastes began to swage
and Vere was euen at hande
And when the Parker hard this Cock
eftsone he gan to stere
And vp he start and gate him forth
to viewe and se the dere,
And when he came he se the dere
where they were on the launde
At whome the dere were not amasde
but styll they stode and faunde.
For well they wyst this Parker came
to do his wonted feate,
And or he went from them agayne
in dede he gaue them meate.
Which they had sought & could not find
wherefore they loked thyn,
As though they had ben chast with dogs
that lately had rusht in.
As sone as he was gon from them
a Scory scourde the coste,
To fray the bandogges from the Dere
for feare they should be loste.
Whiche longe had made such spoile of them
as like hath not ben sene,
At euery course a leyshe or two
as we full ofte haue sene.
This Scory scoured all the parke
he sercht it rounde about.
To fortifie the walles therof
to kepe the bandogs out
When he had take the viewe therof,
and sawe the parke so scalde.
He made his sute vnto the Quene
to haue it all newe palde.
And after him there dyd succede
a man of auncient yeares.
Which did renewe the former sute
vnto the noble Peeres.
Whose iudgement is profounde & depe
as all the learned say.
And he affyrmde and proued it both
our fayth was in decaye.
Whiche is the moost assured wall
that may or can be bylte,
Whiche wall hath ben battred at
that it was almoste spylte,
And if this wall be not repayrde
but fall styll in decaye
The bandogs wyll breake in againe
and driue the deare awaye.
Thus hath this aunciēt whithed proued
with argumentes moost stronge,
That if this wall be not repayrde
the parke cannot stande longe.
Wherfore the buylders of this wall
that haue take it in hande
Haue sharpned all theyr tooles right wel
to haue this buildinge stande.
A Byll also sharped his edge
to cut the brambles downe
And to destroy the wicked wedes
that were in hye renoume.
Thus all these builders work righe well
for they haue begon the frame,
And all that se theyr workmanship
do much commend the same.
They worke it artificiallye
as men experte and wyse.
For why they builde vpon the rocke
and not vpon the yse.
Who hath not sene, who hath not hard
the doynges of these men,
What paynes they take incessantlye
to buylde this wall agen,
To kepe the yonge fawnes frō the fox
and from the wolues and dogges.
Leste that the parke be soylde agayne
with swyne and fylthy hogges.
Marke well ye grist that grind all groūd
and ye shal vnderstande,
That he is able well to buyld
the thinge he taketh in hande.
For he hath newly bete his quernes,
wherfore it may be thought,
That he intendes to grinde the grist
that we full longe haue sought,
But when the mighty Sampson cam
that longe had ben away.
He musled vp the bandogges mouthes
that the had naught to saye.
So that theyr fury is well cooled
through Sampsons force and might
For though they grin and loke awrye
they haue no power to byte,
For nowe the dere go quietlye
within the pale and parke,
And are nothinge afrayde to here
the bandogs how they barke,
There kepers nowe ar come agen
that longe haue ben awaye,
Wherfore the poore and simple Dere,
are ioyfull of this daye,
For when the Horne was heard of thē
which sounded like a bell,
The Dere that knewe the same before
dyd like it wery well.
He blew his measures in such sort
so truly and so trymme
That all that hard the sound therof
had much delight in him,
Besides all these yet are there mo,
whose diligence and payne,
Do craue of vs etarnall prayse
that lyue and do remayne,
Leuer and Sandes, for so they hyght
whose godly hartes and wyll
Are wholy bent vnto the truth
and to confute the yll,
So are these two that yet remayne,
as it hath well bene sene,
How learnedly they speake their mindes
before our noble Quene.
Pedder and Wyntrel, these are they
whose memory and fame
Shalbe reuiued, when they are dead
their actes deserue the same,
For these and for the rest of them
let vs geue thankes to God,
whose mercy towardes vs is suche,
that he hath broke the rod,
O Lorde be holde thy labourers
and now put to thy hande,
To buylde thy holy Temple vp
that it may euer stande.
Dryue out the ydle men therof
ye dryue them cleane awaye
Whiche long haue sought the spoile of it
to bringe it to decaye.
To whome let vs left vp our hartes
at morow and at euen,
That it wyll please him to preserue
Elisabeth our quene,
Long to endure amongest vs here
and to possesse her place,
And afterwardes to Ioye with him
when she hath runne her race.
Finis
God saue the quene,
Imprinted at London, for Wyllyam Pickering dwellind at Saint Magnus Corner.