Part 25 (2/2)

Ryght in lyke wyse our lorde omnipotent In this worlde to lyue grauntyth vs tyme and s.p.a.ce Nat styll to synne, but vnto this intent To leue our vyce, and folowe the way of grace But if we styll contynue in one case And haue done no good to pay hym at our day In h.e.l.l pryson he iustly shall vs lay

BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS.

Thou fole mysmyndyd to large of sconscyence To the I speke that art a lewde dettour Borowe thou no thynge, n.o.ble grote ne pens.

More than thou mayst agayne pay thy credytour Right so endeuer the to pay thy sauyour His right and dewty, with a glad wyll and fayne That is true seruyce, with glory and honour Than shalt thou surely escape infernall payne.

Of inprofytable and vayne prayers vowes and peticyons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: That man whose herte vnhappy synne doth blynde And prayth gasynge into the fyrmament Or he that setteth nat his herte and mynde Upon his wordes, theyr sentence or intent And he that desyreth thynge nat conuenyent Suche folys shall nat theyr peticion obtayne For without the herte the tonge laboureth in vayne]

Here we repreue (reperue) ye and reuyle.

A sorte of folys lewde of condicions Whose herte and tunge theyr soules doth defyle By theyr blynde prayers and yll peticions Suche folowe no techynge nor G.o.de monysyons For often many of them with tunge doth pray Theyr mynde, abstract nat knowynge what they say

Man oft desyreth with great affeccion That thynge of G.o.d, whiche thynge if G.o.d wolde graunt.

Sholde be at last vnto thyer destruccyon Examples hereof thou canst nat lacke nor want The great Medas somtyme kynge tryumphant.

Of Phrygye By his owne folysshe desyre With paynfull hunger, his lyfe breth dyd expyre

This kynge Mydas of whom I haue you tolde Of G.o.d desyred with prayer dylygent.

That all that he touchyd tourne myght vnto golde His prayer was harde, he obteynyd his intent But nat to his welth, but mortall punysshement For whan he brede or drynke tast or touche sholde Incontynent was it tourned in to golde

Thus was his prayer to his owne damage For at the laste he dyed in wo and payne For no golde coude his sore hunger a.s.swage Nor his desyre coude he nat call agayne.

Thus his peticion desyred was in vayne: And where he wenyd great welth to get therby He dyed in shame hunger and mysery.

Some dayly pray with marueylous besynes Cryeng and syghynge to G.o.d omnypotent For to haue plenty of welth ioy and ryches And to be made ryche myghty and excellent.

O cursyd lyuers, o blynde men of intent On suche desyres they set theyr mynde and thought Whiche thousandes vnto shamefull ende hath brought

What profyted the myghty edefyces: Of Lycynus, or lyuelode of excesse: What profyteth the money gotten in vyces Of riche Cra.s.sus, or cresus, great ryches They all ar dede by theyr vnhappynes And that lewdely, nat by deth naturall Theyr blynde desyres chefe rote and cause of all

Another whiche is in youthes prosperyte For strength and myght often to G.o.d doth pray Some of theyr lyfe to haue prolyxyte Desyreth G.o.d, and here to byde alway In riches welth, ioy and solempne aray But yet they in glotony take suche custome That they slea them selfe longe or theyr day be come

Alas mad fole why prayest thou for age Syns it so greuous is and ymportable Unstable and full of dolour and damage Odyous to youth and intollerable Say folysshe man whiche art of mynde vnstable Is it nat great foly to any creature To pray for that thynge, whiche he can nat endure

Peleus, and Nestor and many other mo As Itackes and laertes, sore haue complayned For to longe age, euer full of payne and wo Wherwith theyr bodyes sore haue ben constrayned And with great sorowes and dyuers often payned: And to conclude brefly in one sentence Oft to age falleth moche inconuenyence

Yet ar mo folys whiche ought repreued be And they ar suche whiche styll on G.o.d doth call For great rowmes, offyces and great dignyte No thynge intendynge to theyr greuous fall For this is dayly sene, and euer shall That he that coueytys hye to clym aloft If he hap to fall, his fall can nat be soft

Some other pray for bewty and fayrnes And that to a cursyd purpose and intent Wherby they lese the heuenly blyssydnes: Theyr soule subduynge to infernall turment O ye mad folys of myndes ympotent Pray your Pater noster with deuoute herte and mynde For therin is all that is nedefull to mankynde

Our sauyour criste whyle he was on this grounde Amonge vs synners in this vale of mysery Taught his disciples this prayer whiche doth sounde Nere to this sentence, nor greatly doth nat vary (Our father wiche art in heuen) eternally Thy name be halowyd (graunt that to thy kyngdome) All we thy seruauntis worthely may come

In heuen and erth thy wyll be done alway And of thy great grace and thy benygnyte Our dayly brede graunt vnto vs this day Forgyuynge our synnes and our iniquyte: As we forgyue them that to vs detters be And to auoyde temptacion thy grace vnto vs len And vs delyuer from euery yll amen.

Whan thou hast clensyd thy mynde from syn before And sayd this prayer to thy maker deuoutly Thou nedyst nat of hym to desyre more Yet mayst thou pray and desyre rightwysly For helthe of soule within thy hole body For stedfast fayth and yll name to eschewe.

And chastely to lyue (by his help) in vertue

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