that one truth, so many nations have swallowed all the errors and follies of the Alchoran, or that of Mahomet; as, on the other hand, Christianity has been rejected and detested among them, on the account of the Christians 'three persons, who are severally and each of them God.'

But the mischiefs of this creed do not stay here. It is levelled not only against the true faith, but is also destructive of that love and charity, which is the spirit and life of Christianity; and, without which, faith is but a lifeless body. For, as if it would effectually inspire all its believers, with a spirit of judging, damning, and uncharitableness; it pronounces the sentence of eternal damnation, in the beginning, middle, and conclusion, upon all that do not both believe and profess this faith, and keep it whole and undefiled; that is, upon the whole Greek church, and other churches in the East; and upon at least five parts of six of all that profess Christianity in the world, whose understandings cannot possibly reach to the sense and coherence, which some pretend to find in this creed.

Thus the Christian religion is destroyed, in both the essential parts of it, faith and love. Hence have proceeded many and endless controversies, bitter animosities, cruel peisecutions, wars among Christians; and, at length, the more fierce and violent, the more deceitful and sophistical part, have attained their tyrannical domination over their opposers; and have introduced and settled, a Christianity shall I call it, or, a superstition, or a polity, quite contrary to the doctrine and practice of our Blessed Lord, and of his apostles.

THE PARLEMENT OF BYRDES.

Imprynted at London, in Paules Churche Yarde, at the Sygne of the Lambe, by Abraham Uele. In Black Letter, Quarto, containing fourteen Pages.

The Grype. The great grype was the fyrst that spake, And sayd: Owne is owne, who can it take?

For thyne and myne make much debate,

With great and small, in euery estate.

The Cuckowe. I synge, sayde the cuckowe, euer one songe:

That the weake taketh euer the wronge;

For he, that hathe wyth vs moost myght,
Taketh his wyll, as reason is, ryght.

The Fawcon. Then aunswered the fawcon to that saw:
That pleaseth a prynce is iust and lawe;

And he that can no songe but one,

Whan he hathe songe, his wytte is gone.

The Commyns. Than all the byrdes, that coude speake, Sayde: the hauke doth vs great wreake;

Of them so many diuers there be,

That no foule, ne byrde, may fro them flye,

The Hauke. The bauke aunswered the prating pye: Where is many wordes, the trouthe goeth by;

And better it were to seace of language sone,

Than speake, and repent whan thou hast done.

The Sterlynge. Then sayde the sterlynge verement: Who sayth soth shalbe shent;

No man may now speake of trouthe,

But his head be broke; and that is routhe.

The Hauke. The hauke swore, by his head of gray,

All sothes be not for to say;

It is better some be left by reason,

Than trouthe to be spoken out of season.

The Popyn Laye. Then spake the popyn iaye of Paradise: Who sayth lytell, he is wyse:

For lytell money is soone spende,

And fewe wordes are soone amende.

The Hauke. The hauke bad, for dreade of payne,

Speake not to muche of thy souerayne;

For, who that will forge tales newe,

Whan he weneth leest, this tale may he rewe.

The Commyns. Then desyred great and small

To mewe the hauke for good and all:

A place alone we would he had,

For his counsell to vs was neuer glad.

The Hauke. The hauke aunswered: Ye fayle, ye fayle all witte,

It is no tyme to mewe haukes yet;

Commyns of haukes can but lytell skyll,

They shall not rule them as they wyll.

The Nyghtyngale. Anone than synge the nyghtyngale,

With notes many, great and smale:

That byrde, that can well speake and synge,

Shall be cheryshed with Quene and Kyng.

The Hauke. The hauke aunswered, with great furye: The songe is nought, that is not mery;

And who so no better synge can,

Maketh lytell chere to any man.

The Douue. Than rombled the douue for her lot:
Folke may be mery, and synge not;

And who so hath no good voyce,
Must make mery with lytell ncyse.

The Hauke. Whant his reason was forth shewed,

Lerne, quoth the hauke, or ye be lewed;

For the byrde, that can not speake, ne synge,

Shall to the kechyne to serue the Kynge.

The Fesaunt. Than crowed the fesaunt in the wood:

Domme med, he sayde, getteth lytell good;

Wodde, nor water, nor other foode;

It fleteth from hym, as doeth the flodde.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Whan all is sought, Great crowers were neuer ought;

For, I swere by my foly,

He is not moste wyse, that is moste ioly.

The Moore Cocke. Than crowed agayne the moore cocke:

The hauke bringeth much thing out of nocke;

The osyll whysteleth, and byrdes blacke;

He must haue a do, that a do doth make.

The Hauke. I must, sayde the hauke, by all my belles, Say for my selfe, for none will elles:

He is not greatly to repreue,

That speaketh with his soueraynes leue,

The Byttur. Than blusshed the byttur in the fenne,

The cote, the dabchicke, and the water henne:

The hauke that doeth vs all this dere,

We woulde he were soused in the myre.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Wysshers want wyll,

Whether they speake loude, or styll;

Whan all this done was sayde and lafte,

Euery man must lyue by his crafte.

The Malarde. Than creked the malarde and the gose:

They may best flye that are lose;

He is well that is at large,

That nedeth not the Kynges great charge.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: though they fle lose,

They must obeye, they may not chose;

Who hath a maister, or a make,

He is tyed by the stake.

The Heronne. Than creked the heronne and the crane:

Great trouble make wittes lame;

He is well aduysed, that can bere hym lowe,

And suffer euery wynde to ouerblowe.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde: Who can blowe to please?

Longe neckes done great ease;

For the commyns, that hath no rest,
Meneth not euer with the best.

The Partryche, Quayle, and Larke, The partryche, quayle, and larke in fielde

Sayde: Her may not auayle but spere and shelde;

The hauke with vs maketh great batayle,

In euery countrey, where he may auayle.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde; Who so wylfully wyll fyght, May make hym wronge sone of his ryght;

Lawe is best, I vnderstande,

To ryght all in euery lande.

The Robyn and the Wrenne. Than chydde the robyn and the

wrenne,

And all small byrdes that beare penne :

Against the hauke the commyns must aryse,

And helpe them selfe in theyr best wyse.

The Hauke. The hauke made the wrenne his answer,

Small power may lytle dere,

And who wyll lyue in rest longe,

Maye nat be besy with his tonge.

The Commyns. Than prayed all the commyn house,

That some myght the hauke souce,

For foule ne byrde, by water ne lande,

He wyll leaue a lyue, and he myght stande;

In his nest, may none abyde

In countre where he doth glyde;

Theyr fethers he plucketh many a folde,

And leaueth them naked in full great colde;

We think, therfore, by reason good,

To destroy the hauke, and all his bloode.

The Kynge and his Lordes. The Kynge and his lordes

answered, anone

States may not the hauke forgone,
Nor by no law his kynde destroye,
Nor deme him selfe for to dye,
Nor put him to none other distresse,
But kepe him in a payre of iesse,
That he fle nat to no byrde about,

But his keper let hym oute.

The Cornysshe-daw. Then said the cornisshe-daw,

Lytle money, lytle lawe,

For here is nought els with frende ne fo,

But go bet peny, go bet, go.

The Hauke. Thou cornisshe, quod the hauke, by thy wyll,

Say well, or holde the styll;

Thou hast harde of many a man,

A tonge breaketh bone, and it selfe hath none.

The Kynge, Than answered the Kynge, and the byrdes by

rowe,

Why cometh not to the parlyament the crowe?

For good counsell refourmeth euery mysse,

And it betokeneth where it is.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde, It is nat lesse, Councell is good in warre and pese;

But the crowe hath no brayne

For to gyue counsell, but of the rayne.

The Nightwhale. Then sayd the nightwhale, with his heed

gaye,

He shameth vs with his parlyament aray;

It is a tearme with Iohn and Iacke,

Broked sleue draweth arme a backe.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde, He shall thryue full late That loketh to kepe a great estate,

And can nat, wyth all his wysedome,

Gette hym selfe an hole gowne.

The Pecocke and the Swanne. Then sayde the pecocke and

the swanne,

Who no good hath, no good canne,

And lytle is his wytte set by,

That hath not to beare out company.

The Hauke. The hauke sayd, He is worse than wood,

That maketh hym fresshe with other mennes good,

Orought wyll borowe and neuer paye,

Or with wrong getteth gallaunt araye.

The Specke. Then in his hole, sayd the specke,

I would the hauke brake his necke,

Or brought vnto some myscheuous dale,

For of euery byrde he telleth a tale.

The Hauke. The hauke sayd, though thy castell be in

the tree,

Buylde not aboue thy degree;

For who so heweth ouer hye,

The chippes wyll fall in his eye.

The Kynge. Then sayd the Kynge, It is our entent,

To amande the crowes rayment;'

And all the byrdes sayde, anone

Of eche of our fethers he shall haue one.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde, He may sone come to

honeste,

That euery man helpeth in his poste;

For, as teacheth vs the learned clerke,

Many handes maketh lyght werke.

The Tytyffre. I say, sayde the tytyffre, we Kentysshe men, We may not geue the crowe a penne,

For, with them that are sobre and good,

A byrde in hande is worth two in the wood.

The Hauke. The hauke sayde, I take me to my crede,

Who so will spende wit you he may spede;

Lytle ye gyue, but he wote why,

Ye make the blynde cate many a flye.