¶The treatyse answerynge the boke of Berdes. Compyled by Collyn clowte, dedycatyd to Barnarde barber dwellynge in Banbery.
¶The preface, or the pystle.
TO the ryght worshypfulle (Barnarde Barber,) dwellynge in Banberye, Collyn▪ Clowte, surrendreth gretynge with immortall thankes.
IT was so worshypful syr, that at my last beynge in Mountpyllour I chaū sed to be assocyat with a doctor of Physyke / which at his retorne had set forth .iij. Bokes to be prynted ī Fleetstrete, within Temple barre, the whiche Bokes were compyled togyther ī one volume named the Introductorie of knowledge / whervpon there dyd not resort only vnto hym marchauntes, gentylmen, and wymen / but also knyghtes, and other great men, whiche were desyrous to knowe the effycacyte, and the effecte of his aforesayd bodis, and so amonge many thynges, they desyred to knowe his fansye, consernynge the werynge of Berdes / He answeryd in great experyence. Some wyl weer berdis bycause theyr faces be pocky, maungy [Page] sausflewme, lyporous, & dysfygured / by the whiche many clene men were infected. So this done he desyred euery mā to be contentyd: Vvherfore I desyre no man to be dyspleasyd with me. And where as he was anymatyd to wryte his boke to thende, that great men may laugh therat / I haue deuysed this answere to the entent: that ī the redyng they myght laughe vs bothe to scorne / And for that cause I wrote this boke, as god knoweth my pretence / who euer keape youre maystershyp in helthe.
¶Here foloweth a treatyse, made Answerynge the treatyse of doctor Borde vpon Berdes.
CAllynge to remembraunce your notable reproche gyuē vnto berdes, I was cōstrayned to render the occasion therof, wherupon, I founde by longe surmyse and studye that ye had red the storye of Hellogobalus, & founde therin greate and stronge auctoryties / which by lykelyhode mouyd you to this [Page] Reformacyon of berdes. For ye knowe that Hellogobalus beynge gyuen moche to the desyre of the body, & that by moche superfluyte, ye thought it requysyght to cōmyt the fylthy syn̄e of lechey, vpon the receyptꝭ of delycate meatꝭ. For he caused his cokes to make & ordeyne suche hote meates that maye prouoke or st [...]t [...] hym the rather therunto. And ī ther so doyng he made them some of his preuye chambre some of his hed lordes of his counsell But yet the chefe and pryncypall preseptes that he gaue vnto his cokꝭ, was this that they shulde not only polle theyr hedes, but also shaue theyr berdes. For this entente, that when he were dronkyn, or v [...]etynge rype by takyng excesse, that he myghte be well assuryd, that it came not by no heer of from his cokes heddes. For his delyght was not onely in the feminyne kynde / and also delyghted in wo [...]y mēn / yet [...] and his syne vnder [...]y [...] faces ledde not onely a [...]ytyous lyfe, but also made a shameful ende. Not withstandynge other that, or this storye folowynge was and [...]s the [...]alyon why yt [Page] abore berdes, and that was this at your laste beynge in Mowntpyllyer, Martyn the surgyen beyng there with you, & dyd accompany dayly with none so moch as with you: yf ye be remēbred, he brought you to dyner vpon a daye to one Hans smormowthes house a duche mā, in whiche house you were cupshore, otherwyse called dronkyn, at whiche tyme your berde was lōge / so then your assocyat martyn brought you to bed / and with the remouyng your stomake tornyd, & so ye vometyd in his bosome, howbeit as moche as your berde myghte holde vpon youre berde remayned tyll the next daye in the morenyng. And when ye waked & smelt your owne berde, ye fel to it a fresshe, and callynge for your frende Martyn shewynge the cause of this laste myschaunce. wherupon ye desyred to shaue you. And so when ye sawe your berde ye sayd that it was a shamfull thynge on any mans face. And so it is in suche cases I not denye / yet shall ye consyder, that our Englysshe men beynge in Englande dothe vse to kepe theyr berdes moche more clen
The seconde parte of that songe.
❧Barnes in the defence of the Berde.
¶Ad imprimendum solum.