Part 24 (2/2)

Syns she vnstable is and can nat longe endure Hir gyftis changith, she is blynde and sodayne Thoughe she firste lawghe hir ende is vncertayne.

Thou shakest boste ofte of hir foly in vayne For he is most happy whiche can auoyde hir snare If she exalte some one vnto welth mundayne She bryngeth another to payne sorowe and care Whyle one is ladyd to the others backe is bare Whyle she a begger maketh in good abounde A lorde or state she throweth to the grounde

But nat withstandynge hir mutabylyte.

Thou bostest thy G.o.de and to moche abundaunce Thou bostest thy welth and thy prosperyte Thy good auenturs, and plentyfull pleasaunce Alas blynde fole amende thy ygnoraunce And in thy welthe to this saynge intende That fortune euer hath an incertayne ende

Fals fortune infect of countenaunce and of face By hir iyen clowdy and varyable vysage Hath many for a whyle taken to hir grace Whiche after by hir whele vnstable and volage Hath brought them to wo mysfortune and damage She ruleth pore and riche without difference Lewdnes exaltynge and d.a.m.nynge innocence

Thus is that man voyde, of all intellygence Whom fortune fedyth, with chaunche fortunable If he therin haue ouer large confydence And thynke that sure that euer is mutable That fole is sonne, to the fende abhomynable That foloweth ryches, and fortune that is blynde His sauyour lefte, and clene out of mynde

Whan the foule fende, father of vnhappynes Pore man purposyth by falshode to begyle He sendeth hym welth worldly, and fals ryches And causeth fortune, awhyle on hym to smyle Whiche with hir blyndenes doth mankynde so defyle That whyle they trust in hir fauour to sore.

They damme theyr soules in h.e.l.l for euermore

By large examples thou eche day mayste se The chaunge of fortune and the ende vncertayne Wherfore to boste the of hyr commodyte It is great foly and also thynge in vayne From this lewdnes thy mynde therfore refrayne And be content with fortune moderate Nor boste the nat of thy welth or estate

This day thou art ryche and despysest the pore Yet so may it fall, that for thy lewde lyuynge To morowe thou beggest thy brede from dore to dore Therfore remembre that blynde fortune wandrynge Hath nat in hyr handes power, nor gydynge The rewardes of welth, nor of felycyte But G.o.d them gydeth by his great maieste

And all thynge chaungeth as is to hym plesaunt His dedes to wysdome alwaye agreable Wherfore blynde fole be nat so ignoraunt To prayse fortune whiche is so varyable And of rewardes vnsure and chaungeable But thoughe she smyle trust nat to hir intent For amonge swete herbes ofte lurkyth the serpent

BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Ye folys that haue in fortune confydence: And boste you of welth and of prosperyte Leue of your foly, and note by euydence: Hir cours vnsure: and hir mutabylyte None in this lyfe can byde in one degre But somtyme hye, than after pore and lowe.

Nowe nought set by, nowe in auctoryte Nowe full nowe voyde as waters ebbe and flowe

I am remembred that I haue often sene Great worldly ryches ende in pouertye And many one that hath in fauour ben: And hye promotyd in welth and dignyte.

Hath sodaynly fallyn into calamyte Thus is it foly to trust in fortunes grace For whyle the Se floweth and is at Burdews hye It as fast ebbeth at some other place

Of the ouer great and chargeable curyosyte of men.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Unto mo folys here ordayne I a barge Whiche medlyth with euery mannys besynes And nat intendeth to their owne losse and charge Great payne and wo suche folys oft oppresse And let them lerne with pacyent mekenes To suffer sorowe for why they shall none lacke Syns they alone, the hole worlde take on theyr backe]

He that wyll coueyt to bere more than he may And take on his sholders more than he can sustayne Suche is a fole, his dedys wyll not deny And with his owne wyll gooth to peryll and payne.

He is vnwyse whiche is ioyous and fayne To offer his necke to bere that without fere Whiche were ynoughe for dyuers men to bere

That man that taketh vpon his backe alone The heuy weght of the large fyrmament Or any burdeyne whiche maketh hym to grone Whiche to sustayne his strength is ympotent No meruayle is if he fall incontynent And than whan he lowe on the grounde doth lye He oft repentyth his purpose and foly

We haue in storyes many examples great Shewynge the lewde ende of this curyosyte.

I rede of Alexander that dyd often sweate In great peryls to augment his dignyte He was nat content with europe and asye Nor all the grounde under the fyrmament At the last ende, cowde nat his mynde content

As if all the erth were nat suffycyent For his small body by curyouse couetyse But at the last he must holde hym content With a small cheste, and graue nat of great pryce.

Thus deth vs shewyth what thynge sholde vs suffyce And what is the ende of our curyosyte.

For dethe is lyke to hye and lowde degre

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