ad THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



c. 1437. 



The comodities and nicetees of the Venetians 



and Florentines, with their Gallees. 



Chap. 7. 



THe great Galees of Venice and Florence 

 Be well laden with things of complacence, 

 All spicery and of grossers ware : 

 With sweete wines all maner of chaffare, 

 Apes, and Japes, and marmusets tayled, 

 Nifles and trifles that little have avayled : 

 And things with which they fetely blere our eye : 

 With things not induring that we bye. 

 For much of this chaffare that is wastable 

 Might be forborne for dere and deceivable. 

 And that I wene as for infirmities 

 In our England are such commodities 

 Withouten helpe of any other lond 

 Which by witte and practise both yfound : 

 That all humors might be voyded sure, 

 Which that we gleder with our English cure : 

 That we should have no neede of Scamonie, 

 Turbit, enforbe, correct Diagredie, 

 Rubarbe, Sene, and yet they ben to needefull, 

 But I know things al so speedefull, 

 That growen here, as those things sayd. 

 Let of this matter no man be dismayde ; 

 But that a man may voyde infirmitie 

 Without degrees fet fro beyond the sea. 

 And yef they should except be any thing 

 It were but sugre, trust to my saying : 

 He that trusteth not to my saying and sentence, 

 Let him better search experience. 

 In this matter I will not ferther prease, 

 Who so not beleeveth, let him leave and cease. 

 [I. 194.] Thus these galeys for this licking ware, 



And eating ware, bare hence our best chaffare : 

 Cloth, woll, and tinne, which as I sayd before, 

 Out of this lond worst might be forbore, 



124 



