C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.

Of To[o] Moche Spekynge or Bablynge

HE that his tunge can temper and refrayne

And asswage the foly of hasty langage

Shall kepe his mynde from trouble, sadnes and payne,

And fynde therby great ease and avauntage;

Where as a hasty speker falleth in great domage

Peryll and losse, in lyke wyse as the pye

Betrays hir byrdes by hir chatrynge and crye….

Is it not better for one his tunge to kepe

Where as he myght (perchaunce) with honestee,

Than wordes to speke whiche make hym after wepe

For great losse folowynge wo and adversyte?

A worde ones spokyn revoked can not be,

Therfore thy fynger lay before thy types,

For a wyse mannys tunge without advysement trypes.

He that wyll answere of his owne folysshe brayne

Before that any requyreth his counsayle

Shewith him selfe and his hasty foly playne,

Wherby men knowe his wordes of none avayle.

Some have delyted in mad blaborynge and frayle

Whiche after have supped bytter punysshement

For their wordes spoken without advysement….

Many have ben whiche sholde have be counted wyse

Sad and discrete, and right well sene in scyence;

But all they have defyled with this one vyse

Of moche spekynge: o cursyd synne and offence

Ryte it is that so great inconvenience

So great shame, contempt rebuke and vylany

Sholde by one small member came to the hole body.

Let suche take example by the chatrynge pye,

Whiche doth hyr nest and byrdes also betraye

By hyr grete chatterynge, clamoure dyn and crye,

Ryght so these folys theyr owne foly bewraye.

But touchynge wymen of them I wyll nought say,

They can not speke, but ar as coy and styll

As the horle wynde or clapper of a mylle.