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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=374402" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>Prosopopoia: or Mother Hubbard's Tale</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">By that he ended had his ghostly sermon,<br> The fox was well induc'd to be a parson,<br> And of the priest eftsoons gan to inquire,<br> How to a benefice he might aspire.<br> &quot;Marry, there&quot; (said the priest) &quot;is art indeed:<br> Much good deep learning one thereout may read;<br> For that the ground-work is, and end of all,<br> How to obtain a beneficial.<br> First, therefore, when ye have in handsome wise<br> Yourself attired, as you can devise,<br> Then to some nobleman yourself apply,<br> Or other great one in the world{&quot;e}s eye,<br> That hath a zealous disposition<br> To God, and so to his religion.<br> There must thou fashion eke a godly zeal,<br> Such as no carpers may contrare reveal;<br> For each thing feigned ought more wary be.<br> There thou must walk in sober gravity,<br> And seem as saint-like as Saint Radegund:<br> Fast much, pray oft, look lowly on the ground,<br> And unto every one do courtesy meek:<br> These looks (nought saying) do a benefice seek,<br> But be thou sure one not to lack or long.<br> And if thee list unto the court to throng,<br> And there to hunt after the hoped prey,<br> Then must thou thee dispose another way:<br> For there thou needs must learn to laugh, to lie,<br> To face, to forge, to scoff, to company,<br> To crouch, to please, to be a beetle-stock<br> Of thy great master's will, to scorn, or mock.<br> So may'st thou chance mock out a benefice,<br> Unless thou canst one conjure by device,<br> Or cast a figure for a bishopric;<br> And if one could, it were but a school trick.<br> These be the ways by which without reward<br> Livings in court be gotten, though full hard;<br> For nothing there is done without a fee:<br> The courtier needs must recompensed be<br> With a benevolence, or have in gage<br> The primitias of your parsonage:<br> Scarce can a bishopric forpass them by,<br> But that it must be gelt in privity.<br> Do not thou therefore seek a living there,<br> But of more private persons seek elsewhere,<br> Whereas thou may'st compound a better penny,<br> Ne let thy learning question'd be of any.<br> For some good gentleman, that hath the right<br> Unto his church for to present a wight,<br> Will cope with thee in reasonable wise;<br> That if the living yearly do arise<br> To forty pound, that then his youngest son<br> Shall twenty have, and twenty thou hast won:<br> Thou hast it won, for it is of frank gift,<br> And he will care for all the rest to shift,<br> Both that the bishop may admit of thee,<br> And that therein thou may'st maintained be.<br> This is the way for one that is unlearn'd<br> Living to get, and not to be discern'd.<br> But they that are great clerks, have nearer ways,<br> For learning sake to living them to raise;<br> Yet many eke of them (God wot) are driven<br> T' accept a benefice in pieces riven.<br> How say'st thou (friend), have I not well discourst<br> Upon this common-place (though plain, not worst)?<br> Better a short tale than a bad long shriving.<br> Needs any more to learn to get a living?&quot;</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> &quot;Now sure, and by my halidom,&quot; (quoth he)<br> &quot;Ye a great master are in your degree:<br> Great thanks I yield you for your discipline,<br> And do not doubt but duly to incline<br> My wits thereto, as ye shall shortly hear.&quot;<br> The priest him wish'd good speed, and well to fare:<br> So parted they, as either's way them led.<br> But th' ape and fox ere long so well them sped,<br> Through the priest's wholesome counsel lately taught,<br> And through their own fair handling wisely wrought,<br> That they a benefice 'twixt them obtained;<br> And crafty Reynold was a priest ordained,<br> And th' ape his parish clerk procur'd to be.<br> Then made they revel rout and goodly glee;<br> But, ere long time had passed, they so ill<br> Did order their affairs, that th' evil will<br> Of all their parish'ners they had constrain'd;<br> Who to the Ordinary of them complain'd,<br> How foully they their offices abus'd,<br> And them of crimes and heresies accus'd,<br> That pursuivants he often for them sent;<br> But they neglected his command{&quot;e}ment.<br> So long persisted obstinate and bold,<br> Till at the length he published to hold<br> A visitation, and them cited thether:<br> Then was high time their wits about to geather.<br> What did they then, but made a composition<br> With their next neighbour priest, for light condition,<br> To whom their living they resigned quite<br> For a few pence, and ran away by night.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Edmund+Spenser">Edmund Spenser</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=374402" data-title="Prosopopoia: or Mother Hubbard's Tale de Edmund Spenser" data-description="By that he ended had his ghostly sermon,
 The fox was well induc'd to be a parson,
 And of the priest eftsoons gan to inquire,
 How to a benefice he might aspire.
 &quot;Marry, there&quot; (said the priest) &quot;is art indeed:
 Much good deep lea..."></div>
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