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THE FOND FATHER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Of a man that some time was
Last Line: That the son to the father is not kind.
Alternate Author Name(s): Mannyng, Rober
Subject(s): Fathers; Ten Commandments


Of a man that some time was
I shall you tell a little pas.
Of his son he was jealous
And gave him all his land and house,
And all his catel in town and field
That he should keep him well in his eld.
This young man wax fast and was jolife,
His counsel was to take a wife;
He wedded one and brought her home
With all the mirth that thereto come:
He badde her first loud and still
To serve his father well at his will.
Soon afterward, this yonge man
His heart, his thoughte, change began;
Tendrer he was of wife and child
Than to his father meek or mild.
Of one day he thoughte five,
Long him thought his father alive;
And every day, both the tone and the tother,
Served him well worse than other.
I trow this man, when he gan moan
For thought that he gave so much his sone,
This olde man, was brought so low
That he lay full cold beside a wow.
This olde man upon a day
Plained him that he colde lay: --
"Son," he said, "for Goddes love
Wrie me with some clothe above."
The son that was the husband
To whom was given all the land,
Cleped his son, and bade him take
A sack, of those that he did make,
And bade him turn it tweyfold
And lay it on his father for cold.
The child, as he bade him do,
Took a sack and carve 't in two.
His father spake to him yorn,
"See! Why hast thou the sack shorn?"
The child answered him in haste, --
It was through the Holy Ghast, --
"This deed have I done for thee.
Good example giv'st thou me
How I shall serve thee in thy eld,
When thou, thyself, may'st not weld.
This half sack shall lie thy father above:
And keep the tother part to thy behove.
Unkindly thou teachest me the good:
Of unkind cometh unkind blood."
This example were good to con,
Both to the father and eke to the son.
God is not payed, here we find
That the son to the father is not kind.





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