FURTHERANCE

¶Farewell my masters for I may hence walk, For I see you two will have all the talk. ¶Fetched Me? ¶Marry do what thou dare. ¶Tush a sigge for him, let him do what he can. ¶If so I do wish, it is long of Thee, For thou thereunto baste encouraged Me. ¶ for my partly do thereunto consent. And shake hands. ¶Truly I mean to do even as do the rest, For in mine opinion that is the best, And as hurting help, hath hurting forgone, And painted profit, is profit alone, So I feigned furtherance, henceforth do mind, To be furtherance plain, leaving feigned behind: Other men's furtherance to seek I will say, Yet will I seek mine own as much as I may. ¶Tush why spend you time in speaking of that, While thereon you talk, in vain is your chat. For who helps not himself, before any other, I Count him a fool, if he were my brother. And as I count him, all people do so, Therefore cease this talk, and hence let us go. For some of us may chance to meet with a chiding, Because that so long from home we are biding. ¶Now Master Courage how do you fare. ¶Thereto I am ready at each tide and time, To do for him what in me does lie. Therefore let me know your mind by and by. ¶Then Neighbourhood thou shalt shortly see, That I can do somewhat between my master and Thee. Thou couldst never speak better to speed, For of money now he stands in need. To pay for a purchase of certain land, Which needs he must discharge out of hand. Therefore this time for Thee well does fallen, If that thou have money to tempt him withal. ¶Then needest thou no whit for to care, And if thou take pain now to walk home, There shalt thou find him sitting alone. ¶No, do Help and you go before together, And I warrant you I will not long be behind you, For though I be absent, yet I will mind you. ¶Ah sir this gear does trimly fallen out, I know this lease, which he goes about: Wherefore I will work so on both the sides, That of both parties I will obtain bribes, I will show the old Tenant how one goes about, To take his house and to thrust him out. Wherefore he will largely grease me in the hand, Because his friend therein I shall stand. The other here did promise me plain, That he would reward me for my pain. Therefore Courage farewell unto he, For how this gear will frame, I will see. ¶What I can do for you, soon you shall see, It is but folly thereof for to boast. ¶You I know well at home he does rest, And I guess that now he is sitting alone, Therefore no longer here let us stay. ¶Marry sir can you blame him, that so hath be rung, He may say he hath paid, to hear a fair tongue. And now without his man he is gone, His man gives him leave for to walk alone. ¶Yea but already we have tarried to long. ¶Nay I will tarry to sing, though therefore I should die. ¶Indeed whosoever unto Thee is near, For a knave he needeth not to seek far. ¶I faith to show Thee what luck we have had, By (Willing to win Worship) that lusty lad. To make talk thereof, now it is no time, But if thou wilt go with us, we will give Thee the wine. ¶Nay soft Profit, leave us not behind, For hence to depart, we also do mind.