The diſcription of a …

The discription of a rare or rather most monstrous fishe taken on the East cost of Holland the .xvii. of Nouember, Anno 1366.

The Workes of God how great and straunge they be
A picture plaine behold heare may you see.
[depiction of a giant squid-like sea creature]

HEare thou hast (gentle frend) the picture shape and fashion of a fishe straūge and maruailous taken (as is saide) in Holland, hauing on his finnes hard skales in forme much like the beggers disshes, which in that Contrie they were wont to weare in skoffe & derision, his eies like an owle & mouthed as a Popin gaye his taile reede and fower cornered like to a priestes Cap, which fishe hath bene seene and vewed of most Nobles and Peares of Flaunders, who hath plucked of his skales lyke to disshes and kepes them for a shew and for the more credit hereof, ye shal vnderstand that the .vii. of December the said fishe was brought to the Citie of Antwarpt where it was openly shewed and sene aswell of Englishe men as other straungers what this monster with other vncouth sights sene of late do Prognosticate and signifye vnto vs, that I leaue to thy coniecture (louing Reader) beseching God the Lord and gouernour of all creatures not to deale with vs according to our desertes but for Christ his sonnes sake to power his mercye vpon vs and graunt vs Grace to amende and to doe those thinges whiche are pleasaunt and acceptable in his sight thorowe Iesus Christe our Lord. Amen.

AS thou this formed fishe doest see
I Chaunged from his state
So many men in eche degree.
From kynd degenerate,
To monsters men are turned now,
Disguised in their raye.
For in theyr fonde inuentions new
They kepe no meane ne staye,
Their maners mad and monsterous,
what shoulde I now discry?
Or yet their cates delitious,
why shoulde I them espye?
If one that liued in thys land,
A fortye yeares before:
Could be released from the band,
To be as he was yore.
would he not wonder wonderously,
when he our monsters spied,
In so small tyme so folyshly
From auntiant custume flyed?
These monsters therfore God doth sende,
To put vs all in minde.
Such shaples shapes for to amend,
whych now are out of kynd,
Or els the God of kind and shape
wyll shaples vs detest,
And with his plage will punishe vs.
But more to speake I rest.

Imprinted at London in Pawles Churchyarde by Thomas Purfoote at the signe of the Lucrece.

〈1… pages missing〉¶S …
[...]
¶Secretary.
¶What nedes assawte, I dare saye she wyll consent
That ye shall entre by a reasonable poyntment
And thā take hede, for in keping of this warde & holde
Is more daunger than in getynge a thousande folde.
¶Ialowsye.
¶She that is of mynde somwhat rechelesse
Gyuynge her selfe all to ydelnesse
And loueth to lye longe in her bedde
Who wayteth a tyme, shall he not be spedde.
¶Secretary.
¶Tyme may nay, wayte yf she be in good mode
For out of the chyrche, all tymes be good
But passe not theron, though she saye naye
For so she wyll, whan she hath best lust to playe.
¶Ialowsye.
¶She that can no conseyle kepe
And lyghtly wyll sobbe and wepe
Laugh agayne, and wote not why
Wyll she not be soone tyced to foly.
¶Secretary.
¶The teares betoken a gracyous couroge
And laughynge dothe all malyce aswage
Whan she is in that takynge, marke well marke
Let slyp, spare not for one course in her parke.
¶Ialowsye.
[Page]
¶She that is fayre, lusty and yonge
And can comon in termes wyth fyled tonge
And wyll abyde why sperynge in the eare
Thynke ye her tayle is not lyght of the seare.
¶Secretary.
¶By all these semely touches, me thynketh surely
Her owne tayle she sholde occupy
Somtyme for nede, her honesty saued
She wyll wasshe often, or she be ones shaued.
¶Ialowsye.
¶She that paynteth her in starynge apparell
Vse hote wynes, and dayly fare well
And loueth to slepe at after none tyde
Who lyst to stryke, trowe ye she wyll not stryde.
¶Secretary.
¶I can not saye, yf she wyll stryde
But yf reason be offred, nothynge shall fall besyde
For of trouth, as frost engendreth hayle
Ease and ranke fedynge, dothe cause a lycorous tayle.

¶Imprynted at London in Crede Lane, by Iohn kynge.

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