Or walk the streets in nice and strange array,
Or with coy phrases court his mistress' fan;
A poor delight with toil and painful watch
With loss of time a sill fish to catch!"
"What pleasure can it be to walk about
The fields and meads in heat or pinching cold;
And stand all day to catch a silly trout
That is not worth a tester to be sold?
And peradventure sometimes go without,
Besides the toils and troubles manifold?
And to be washt with many a shower of rain
Before he can return from thence again?"
"More ease it were, and more delight I trow
In some sweet house to pass the time away
Among the best, with brave and gallant show;
And with fair dames to dance, to sport and play;
And on the board, the nimble dice to throw
That brings in gain, and helps the shot to pay;
And with good wine and store of dainty fare
To feed at will and take but little care."
The Answer.
I mean not here men's errors to reprove,
Nor do envy their seeming happy state;
But rather marvel why they do not love
An honest sport that is without debate;
Since their abusèd pastimes often move
Their minds to anger and to mortal hate;
And as in bad delights their time they spend,
So oft it brings them to no better end.
