Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

::;i6 XXVI. GEORGE GASCOIGNE.His daughters and his neipces euerychone,To spin and worke the clothes that he shuld weare,And neuer carde for silks or sumpteous cost, 775For cloth of gold or tinsel figurie,For Baudkin, broydrie, cutworks, nor conceits.He set the shippes of merchantmen on workeWith bringing home oyle, graine, and savrie salt,And such like wares as serued common vse. 780Yea, for my life,those merchants were not woontTo lend their wares at reasonable rate,(To gaine no more but Cejiio por cento,)To teach yong men the trade to sel browne paper,Yea, Morrice-bells, and byllets too sometimes, 785To make their coyne a net to catch yong frye.To binde such babes in father Derbies bands,To stay their steps by statute-Staples staffe.To rule yong ro)Sters with Recog7iisa7iceTo read Arithmelicke once euery day 790In VVoodstreat, Bredstreat, and in Pultery,(Where such schoolmaisters keepe their counting-house,)To fede on bones whew flesh and fell is gon,To keepe their byrds ful close in caytiues cage,(Who being brought to Hbertie at large, 795Might sing, perchaunce, abroade, when sunne doth shine.Of their mishaps, & how their fethers fel,)Vntill the canker may their corpse consume.These knackes (my lord) Icannot cal to minde,B) cause they shewe not in my glasse of Steele. 800But holla : here I see a wondrous sight,Isee a swarme of Saints within my glasseBcholde, behold, Isee a swarme in deedeOf holy Saints, which walke in comely wise,