William Dunbar: Off every asking followis nocht

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142	1	Off every asking followis nocht
	2	Rewaird, bot gif sum caus war wrocht;
	3	And quhair caus is men weill ma sie,
	4	And quhair nane is it wilbe thocht.
	5	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	6	Ane fule, quhidder he haif caus or nane,
	7	Cryis, ‘Gif me, gif me’, in to a rane;
	8	And he that dronis ay as ane bee
	9	Sowld haif ane heirar dull as stane.
	10	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	11	Sum askis mair than he deservis,
	12	Sum askis far les than he servis,
	13	Sum schames to ask (and braidis of me)
	14	And all withowt his guardoun stervis.
	15	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	16	To ask vut seruice huirtis gud fame,
	17	To ask but seruice is not to blame,
	18	To serve and leif in beggartie
	19	To man and maistir is baith schame.
	20	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	21	He that dois all thair best servyis
	22	May spill it all with crakkis and cryis,
143	23	Be fowll inoportunitie.
	24	Few wordis may suffice to the wyis.
	25	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	26	Nocht neidfull is men sowld be dum,
	27	Na thing is gottin but wordis sum;
	28	Nocht sped but diligence, we se,
	29	For nathing it allane will cum.
	30	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	31	Sum micht haif ‘#e’ with litill cure,
	32	That hes oft ‘Nay’ with grit labour;
	33	All for his tyme not byd can he,
	34	He tynis baith eirand and honour.
	35	In asking sowld discretioun be.
	36	Suppois the servand be lang vnquit,
	37	The lord sumtyme rewaird will it.
	38	Gif he dois not, quhat remedy?
	39	To flytt with Fortoun is no wit.
	40	In asking sowld discretioun be.

