Part 24 (1/2)
Of the sermon or erudicion of wysdome bothe to wyse men and folys.
[Ill.u.s.tration: He that delyteth in G.o.dly sapience And it to obtayne puttyth his besynes Aboue all folys shall haue preemynence And in this worlde haue honour and rychesse Or a worthy crowne in heuyns blessydnesse Or els bothe welthe here, and after ioy and blysse Where as a fole of bothe the two shall mysse]
Wysdome with voyce replete with grauyte Callyth to all people, and sayth o thou mankynde Howe longe wylt thou lyue in this enormyte Alas howe longe shalt thou thy wyt haue blynde Here my preceptis and rote them in thy mynde Nowe is full tyme and season to clere thy syght: Harkyn to my wordes, grounde of goodnes and ryght
Lerne mortall men, stodyenge day and nyght To knowe me wysdome, chefe rote of chastyte My holy doctryne thy herte shall clere and lyght My tunge shall shewe the ryght and equyte Chase out thy foly, cause of aduersyte.
And seke me wysdome whiche shall endewe thy mynde With helth and welth wherby thou lyfe shalt fynde
Aryse I say agayne to the mankynde And seke me wysdome that am well of goodnes Let nat this worlde thy conscyence farther blynde Nor to synne subdue for loue of false rychesse Blynde nat thy herte with mondayne wretchednes I am worth golde and worth all good mundayne: And to mankynde counselloure souerayne
No maner Jowell is to me lyke certayne Ne so profytable to mortall creature I pa.s.se all ryches and cause a man refrayne His mynde from synne, and of his ende be sure There is no treasoure nor precious stone so pure Carbuncle Ruby ne adamond in londe nor see Nor other lapydary comparable to me:
And shortly to speke wysdome is more laudable Than all the worlde or other thynge mundayne There is no treasoure: to wysdome comparable But it alone is a vertue moste souerayne Hauynge nought lyke in valoure nor worth certayne No fole is so ryche, nor hye of dignyte But that a wyse man pore is more worthy than he
Wysdome preserueth men in auctoryte Prynces promotynge by counseyll prouydent By it pore men somtyme, and of lowe degre Hath had the hole worlde to them obedyent It gydeth Cytees and countrees excellent And gouerneth the counseyll of prynce lorde and kynge Strengthynge the body the herte enlumynynge
It gydyth lordes and from bondage doth brynge Them whome foly hath brought in to captyuyte Hir gyftys to mankynde frely offrynge Gydynge hir discyples from all aduersyte Wysdome stondynge vpon a stage on hye Cryeth to mankynde with lowde voyce in this wyse I trouth exalte: and vycious men dispyse
Lerne of me wysdome cast out your couetyse For by my myght craft and wyse prouysicion Kynges vnto their dygnyte dothe ryse Theyr septers gydynge by my monycion I gaue them lawes to gyde eche regyon In welthe defendynge and in prosperyte Them and theyr royalmes whyle they gyde them by me
All maner nacyons that doth to me inclyne I gyde and gouerne by lawe and equyte In me is right, G.o.dly wyt and doctryne What blynde foly, and howe great aduersyte Do they auoyde that gyde them selfe by me And he that me louyth with worshyp and honour Shall knowe my loue my grace and my fauour
He that me folowyth shall auoyde all dolour I shall hym folowe promotynge in suche case That none shall be before hym in valour I G.o.dly ryches in my power inbrace Whiche man by me may esely purchase And he that wyll his way by me addresse I shall rewarde with heuenly ioy endles
The father of heuen of infynyte goodnesse.
Me comprehendyth within his deytee Of hym my firste begynnynge is doutles.
And heuen and erth he create hath by me And euery creature bothe on londe and se The heuen imperyall all planetis and firmameut G.o.d neuer thynge made without my true a.s.sent
Therfore mankynde set thy mynde and intent To me wysdome to be subiect and seruaunt To my preceptis be thou obedyent And heuenly ioy thou shalt nat lacke nor want For doutles they ar mad and ignoraunt And folys blyndyd who so euer they be That wyll nat gladly be seruauntes vnto me
THE ENVOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.
Aryse folys of myndes darke and blynde.
Receyue the gyftes of G.o.dly sapyence Here hir perceptis and plant them in your mynde And rote out the gaffys of your olde offence.
Call to your myndes what inconuenyence Howe sodayne fallys, what sorowe and turment Hath come to many a myghty lorde and prynce For nat folowynge of hir commaundement.
Of bostynge or hauynge confydence in fortune.
[Ill.u.s.tration: He is a fole whiche settyth confydence On frayle fortune vncertayne and mutable His mynde exaltynge in pryde and insolence Because that she somtyme is fauorable As if she wolde so be perdurable Suche folys oft whan they thynke them most sure All sodaynly great mysfortune endure]
Amonge our folys he ought to haue a place And so he shall for it is resonable Whiche thynketh hymselfe greatly in fortunes grace Bostynge that she to hym is fauorable As if hyr maner were nat to be mutable In this vayne hope suche theyr lyfe doth lede Tyll at the laste theyr hous borne oure theyr hede
He shakyth boost and oft doth hym auaunte Of fortunes fauoure and his prosperyte Whiche suffreth hym nought of his wyll to wante So that he knoweth nought of aduersyte Nor mysfortune nor what thynge is pouertee.
O lawles fole, o man blyndyd of mynde Say what suretye in fortune canst thou fynde
To what ende or vnto what conclusyon Shall fortune frayle vnrightwyse and vnsure Lede the blynde fole by hyr abusyon.
Howe darest thou the in hir blyndnes a.s.sure.