Popes by the idle inuention of Monasticall men then raigning al in their
superlative. So did every scholer & secular clerke or versifier, when he
wrote any short poeme or matter of good lesson put it in ryme, whereby it
came to passe that all your old Proverbes and common sayinges, which they
would have plausible to the reader and easy to remember and beare away,
were of that sorte as these.
_In mundo mira faciunt duo nummias & ira
Molleficant dura peruertunt omnia iura._

And this verse in disprayse of the Courtiers life following the Court of
Rome.
_Vita palatina dura est animaque ruina._

And these written by a noble learned man.
_Ire redire fequi regum sublimia castra
Eximiius status est, sed non sic itur ad astra._

And this other which to the great injurie of all women was written (no
doubt by some forlorne lover, or else some old malicious Monke) for one
woman's sake blemishing the whole sex.
_Fallere stere nere mentari nilque tacere
Haec qumque vere statuit Deus in muliere._

If I might have bene his Iudge, I would have had him for his labour serued
as _Orpheus_ was by the women of Thrace. His eyes to be picket out with
pinnes for his so deadly belying of them, or worse handled if worse could
be deuised. But will ye see how God raised a revenger for the silly
innocent women, for about the same ryming age came an honest civill
Courtier somewhat bookish, and wrate these verses against the whole rable
of Monkes.