The Contention Betwyxte Churchyeard and Camell
About this text
Introductory notes
The Contention bet
twyxte Churchyeard and Camell upon Da
uid Dycers Dreame sett out in suche
order, that it is bothe wyttye
and profytable for all degryes.
Rede this littell comunication betwene
Churchyarde: Camell: and
others mo
Newlye Imprinted and sett furthe for
thy profyt gentill
Reader
Imprinted at
London by Owen Rogers, for Mychell
Loblee dwelyng in Paulls churchyeard.
ANNO M.D.LX.
PUBLISHED BY Owen Rogers
PUBLISHED FOR Mychell Loblee
1560
1.
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Dicars Dreame
From tuning to rayling so ofte to dygresse,
wher as reason and wyt doth wil nothing lesse.
As Dicar hath dreamed so time out of minde,
Some thynges were amys, that some men dyd fynde,
If al thynges were wel, as I woulde god they were,
we shoulde not be plaged from yeare unto yeare,
If all men do ryght, what nedeth the lawe,
what nede any justice to hange and to drawe,
If no man be wronged nor wydowe oppressed,
Then neusing [...]eth no care to have it redressed,
If no man wil venter to robbe or to steale,
O England thou hast a good common weale.
If no man do hurde nor hydeth in store,
Then England shall have no dearth any more
If no man offend by way of excesse.
Then grace doth abound, the fault is the lesse,
If the lustes of the fleshe be pute oute of ure
The world is amended the people be pure.
If the poore and the nedye be daylye re( [...])ived,
what man is so mad, therat to be greved( [...])
If no man do slaunder nor styre up debate,
Then Dicar I thinke hath dreamed to late.
If no man do flater, nor fawne for againe.
Then may it appeare this dreame is but vain.
If all thing be wel, and in the ryght waye,
why do they not use good lawes to obey.
If no man defraude in bying nor sellyng.
Then happy is England, for ther is best dwellyng.
If faith be unfained, and wordes do once bynde,
The dreame is all false, and so ye may finde.
If truth do take place and in all thinges encreasse,
dreame no more Dicar, but lette thy dreame ceasse,
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If this be not so then Camell to you.
I feare me thys dreame wyll prove to be true.
For it is not so geeson withe us for to heare,
But the effect of thee dreame doth dayly appeare.
And every man is now in such takinge,
It passeth a dreme, they finde it out waking
If you be suche a one as never had peere,
Then are you fauty in none of this geere.
But seyng your writyng doth seme some what quycke,
You seme that ye smarted because ye did kycke.
Yet when the dreame was to printing dyrected,
I thincke of the dreamer ye were not suspected.
And where as you contende it doth not belonge,
For Dicar to dreame of right have or of wronge.
In ded you dooe well yf you done amis,
To shewe him his faulte, and say thus it is,
And if you so well know what doth Dicar behove,
Then ought you to shewe the same to approve.
But me thincketh you want a frendli good will.
To deface a good matter though the authour wer ill.
And certes of you both indifferentli to tell
I cannot in your raili( [...])ges commend your doings we( [...])l.
And both of you twaine are yet to me unknowen,
Yet can I aide your doinges, as if they were mine own,
Ye passe from your purpose in such unworthi sorte.
Ye make of your doinges a very laughing sporte.
Ye close and ye glose, in seking to be fine,
Ye taunt and retaunt al most in everi line.
Ye affirme ye have red both Terence and Cato,
Ye count ye do but faletrye wel resemble Gnato.
And looke howe much differs a Fore from a foole,
Su much do you differ from Cato and his scole,
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