Classic Poem

The blessed Angell not a word replies
But doth his makers holy will obay.
Foorthwith ev'n in a moment downe he flies,
And where he goes the clouds do fleet away,
But by the way he thinks and doth devise
Of ev'rie place where Silence find he may:
Though he an Angell were he could not tell
Where this same enemie of speech doth dwell.

At last he fully doth him selfe perswade
To find him in some houses of devocion
That first for life monasticall were made,
Where godly men, despisers of promocion,
Dwell far from all this worldly wicked trade
With minds abhorring flesh and fleshly motion,
Where idle words should counted be a shame
And where on ev'rie wall they write his name.

Wherefore into an Abbey he doth go,
And makes no question Silence there to find
And Peace and Charitie and Love also
And lowly thoughts and well contented mind,
But soone he was aware it was not so.
All contrarie their humors were enclind,
For Silence in that Abbey doth not host:
His name was onely writ upon a post.

Nor Quietnesse, nor Humblenesse, nor Peace,
Nor Charitie, nor godly love was here.
They wer somtimes, but now those times do cease.
Nor Covetise and Ease and Belly chere,
Pride, Envie, Slouth, and Anger so increase,
That Silence banisht is and comes not nere.
With wonder great the Angell them doth vew
And findeth Discord in this cursed crew.

He knew her by her weed of sundrie hew,
All patcht with infinit unequall lists.
Her skin in sundrie places naked vew
At divers rents and cuts, he may that lists.
Her haire was gray and red and blacke and blue
And hard and soft; in laces some she twists;
Some hangeth down; upright some standeth staring
As if each haire with other had bene squaring.

Her lap was full of writs and of citations,
Of processes, of actions and arrests,
Of bill, of answers, and of replications
In courts of Delegats and of Requests,
To grieve the simple sort with great vexations.
She had resorting to her as her guests,
Attending on her circuits and her journeys,
Scriv'ners and clarks, and lawyers and atturneys.