Wharfore to yow, moste souereyn prynce and lorde,
It fytteth wele that poynte to execute,
The comon wele and verry hool concorde,
That none ouer ronne your comons ne rebute,
And kepe your lawe as it is constytute,
And chastyse hem that market dassehers bene
In euery shire that now of new er sene;
In euery shire with Iakkes and Salades clene
Myssereule doth ryse and maketh neyghbours werre;
The wayker gothe benethe, as ofte ys sene,
The myghtyest his quarell wyll preferre,
That pore mennes cause er putte on bakke full ferr;
Whiche thrugh the pese and law wele conserued
Myght bene amende, and thanke of God deserued.
Thay kyll your men alway by one and one,
And who say ought he shall be bette doutlesse;
For in your Reme Iustyse of pese bene none
That darr ought now the contekours oppresse;
Suche sekenesse now hath take thaym and accesse,
Thay wyll noght wytte of Ryot ne debate,
So comon is it now in eche estate.
Bot this I drede full sore withouten gabbe
Of such riottes shall ryse amore mescheue,
And thrugh the sores vnheled wyll brede a skabbe
So grete that may noght bene restreynt in breue;
Wharfore gode lorde, iff ye wyll gyffe me leue,
I wolde say this vnto your excellence,
[In margin: Principiis obsta ne deterius contingat.] Withstonde the first mysreule and violence.
Wythstonde, gode lorde, begynnyng of debate,
And chastyse well also the Ryotours
That in eche shire bene now consociate
Agayne youre pese, and all thair mayntenours;
For treuly els wyll fall the fayrest flours
Of your coroune and noble monarchy,
Whiche God defende and kepe thrugh his mercy.
Who prayeth yow for any contekoure,
Whether he be Duke, Erle, or other estate,
Blame him as for the verry mayntenoure
Of suche mysreule contecte and eke debate:
Whiche elles your lawe woulde chastyse and abate,
If mayntenours wolde suffre it haue the course
That playntyffs myght to lawe haue thayre recourse,