Tottel sig. Cciir

[sig. Cciir]

An answere +

T O trust the fayned face, to rue on forced teares, To credit finely forged tales, wherin there oft appeares And breathes as from the brest a smoke of kindled smart, Where onely lurkes a depe deceit within the hollow hart, (5) Betrayes the simple soule, whom plaine deceitlesse minde Taught not to feare that in it selfe, it selfe did neuer finde. Not euery trickling teare doth argue inward paine: Not euery sigh doth surely shew the sigher not to faine: Not euery smoke doth proue a presence of the fire: (10) Not euery glistring geues the gold, that gredy folke desire: Not euery wayling word is drawen out of the depe: Not grief for want of graunted grace enforceth all to wepe. Oft malice makes the minde to shed the boyled brine: And enuies humor oft vnlades by conduites of the eyen. +(15) Oft craft can cause the man to make a seming show, Of hart with dolour all distreined, where grief did neuer grow. +As cursed Crocodile most cruelly can tole, With truthlesse teares, vnto his death, the silly pitying soule. Blame neuer those therfore, that wisely can beware (20) The guilefull man, that sutly sayth himselfe to dread the snare. Blame not the stopped eares against the Syrenes song: Blame not the minde not moued with mone of falsheds flowing tong. If guile do guide your wit by silence so to speake, By craft to craue and faine by fraude the cause that you wold break. (25) Great harme your suttle soule shall suffer for the same: And mighty loue will wreke the wrong, so cloked with his name. But we, whom you haue warnde, this lesson learne by you: To know the tree before we clime, to trust no rotten bowe, To view the limed bushe, to looke afore we light, +(30) To shunne the perilous bayted hooke, and vse a further sight. As do the mouse, the birde, the fish, by samply fitly show. That wily wits and ginnes of men do worke the simples wo: So, simple sithe we are, and you so suttle be, God help the Mouse, the birde, the fish, & vs your sleightes to fle.

The louer complaineth his fault, that
with vngentle writing had dis-
pleased his lady. +