GO kysse y
e steppes of them y
t were fortherȳg
Laureate poetes whiche had soueraynte
Of eloquence to supporte thy makynge
And pray all tho / y
t shall this processe se
In thyn excuse / that they lyste to be
Fauourable to lacke or to cōmende
Gete tyhgrounde vpon humylyte
Vnto theyr grace that thou mayst vp ascende
In a short clause thy content rehersynge
As one vp clymbeth to grete prosperyte
So another by experte knowlechynge
Fro grete rychesse is brought to pouerte
Alas o boke what shall I saye in the
Thy tragedyes thrughe all the worlde to sende
Go forth I praye excuse thyselfe and me
Who loueth moost vertue hyest shall ascende
Blacke by the wede of complaynt and mornynge
Called fall of prynces from theyr felycyte
Lyke chantyplur̄ nowe syngynge nowe wepynge
Wo after myrthe / nexte Ioye aduersyte
So intermedled there is no surete
Lyke as this boke dothe preyse and reprehende
Now on the whele / nowe set in lowe degre
Who wyll encrease by vertue muste ascende
SOdeyne departynge out of felycyte
In to myserye & mortall heuynesse
Vnware depryuynge of our prosperyte
Chaunge of gladnes in to wretchednesse
Longe languysshynge in wo and bytternesse
[Page]Contynuell sorowe drede / dole and offence
Were fyrste brought in by inobyence
Adam and Eue loste theyr lyberte
Theyr fraunchyse & theyr blyssednesse
Put in to exyle and captyuyte
To lyue in labour wo and pensyfnesse
Thrugh false desyre of pompous wylfulnes
To the serpent whan they gaue credence
The lorde mystrustynge thrughe inobedyence
But oo alas as they were fre
Of Ioye eternell stode in sykernesse
They were to blynde alas it is pyte
To leue theyr reste and lyue in werynesse
All theyr of sprynge to brynge in dystresse
Drawynge fro god his dewe reuerence
Thrugh false consentynge to inobedyence
Wherfore ye prynces auysyly do se
As this tragedye in maner bereth wytnesse
Where as wanteth in ony comonte
Subieccyon for lacke of mekenesse
And whyle pouert pryde hath an interesse
There foloweth after thrughe frowarde insolence
Amonge the people fals inobedyence
And noble prynces whiche hathe the soueraynte
To gouerne the people in ryghtwysnesse
Lyke as ye cherysshe them in peas and vnyte
Or frowardly dystroye them or oppresse
So agaynwarde theyr courages they wyll dresse
[Page]Lowly to obeye / to your magnyfycence
Or dysobeye by inobedyence
¶ Pauꝑtas conqueritur suꝑ fortunā
THis wredchyd worlde is transmutacyon
As wele / and wo / now poore / & nowe / honour
Withouten ordre / or wyse dyscrecyon
Gouerned is by fortunes erroure
But neuertheles / the lacke of her fauoure
Ne may not do me / synge thoughe that I dye
Iay toutz ꝑdu mon temps et mon labour
For fynally / fortune I defye
Yet is me lefte the syght of my reason
To knowe frende fro fo in my myrroure
So moche hath yet thy turnynge vp & downe
I taught me to knowe in an houre
But truely no fors of thy reddoure
To hym that on hymselfe hathe maystrye
My suffysaunce shall be my socoure
For fynally fortune I defye
O Socrates thou stedfast champyon
She myght neuer be thy tormentour
Thou neuer dreddest her oppressyon
Ne in her chere founde thou no fauoure
Thou knewe well / the deceyte of her coloure
And that her moost worshyp is to lye
I knowe her eke / a false dyssymulour
For fynally fortune I dyffye
¶ Fortuna ad pauꝑtatē.
No man is wretched / but hymselfe it wene
And he that hathe hymselfe hathe suffysaunce
Why sayst thou than / I am to the so kene
That hast thyselfe out of my gouernaunce
Say thus gramercy of thyn haboundaunce
That thou hast lent / or this thou shalt not stryue
What wotest thou yet how I wyll the auaunce
And eke thou haste / thy best frende alyue
I haue the taught / dyuysyon between
Frende of effecte / and frende of countenaunce
The nedeth not / the galle of none hen
That cureth eyen / duk for penaunce
Nowe seyst thou clere / that were in ygnoraunce
Yet holde thyn anker / & yet thou mayst aryue
There bounte bereth / the keye of my substaunce
And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue
How many haue I refused to sustene
Syth I the fostered / haue in my pleasaunce
Wylte thou than make / a statute on thy quene
That I shall be ay at thyn ordynaunce
Thou borne arte in my reygne of varyaunce
Aboute the whele with other must thou dryue
My lore is better than thy wycked gouernaunce
And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue
¶ Paupertas ad fortunam.
Thy lore I dampne / it is aduersyte
My frende / mayst thou not reue blynde goddesse
And that I frendes knewe / I thanke it the
Take them agayne / let them go lye on presse
The negardes / kepynge theyr rychesse
Pronostyk is / her toure thou wylte assayll
[Page]Wycked appetyte / cometh a before sykenesse
In generall this rule may not fayle
¶ Fortuna ad paupertatem
Thou pynchest at my mutabylyte.
For I the lente a droppe of my rychesse
And nowe me lyketh to withdrawe me
Why sholdest thou my royalte oppresse
The se may ebbe / & flowe more & lesse
The skye hathe myght / to shyne rayne and hayll
Ryght so may I stowe my brytylnesse
In generall this rule may not fayll
¶ Pauꝑtas ad fortunā.
So execucyon of the mageste
That all puruayeth of his ryghtwysmesse
That same thynge fortune clepe ye
Ye blynde beestes / full of rudenesse
The heuen hathe properte of sykernesse
This worlde hath euer / restles trauayll
Thy laste daye is ende of myn intresse
In generall I this rule may not fayll
¶ Finis.
¶ Ecce bonū consiliū galfridi chaucers ꝯtra fortunā.
FLe from the prece & dwell with so the fastnesse
Suffyse vnto thy good thoughe it be small
For hoorde hathe hate / & clymbynge tykylnesse
Prece hathe enuye / and wele is blente ouer all
Sauoure no more than the behoue shall
Rule thyselfe that other folke canst reede
And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede
Payne the not eche croked to redresse
In truste of her that turneth as a ball
Grete reste▪ stonde in lytell besynesse
Be ware also to sporne agaynst a wall
Stryue not as dothe a cocle with a whall
Daunt thyselfe that dauntest other dede
And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede
That the is sente receyue it in buxumnesse
The wrastlynge of this worlde asketh a fall
Here is none home / here is but wyldernesse
Forth pylgrym forth / forth beest out of the stall
Loke vp on hyghe / and thanke our lorde of all
Weye thy luste / & let thy ghoost the lede
And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede
THe vnsure gladnesse the Ioye transytory
He vnstable surenes the transmutacyons
The gloury bryghtnes / the false eclypsed glorye
Of erthly prynces whiche haue possessyons
And monarchyes and domynacyons
Theyr sodayne chaunge declareth to vs all
Theyr pompous fygures meynt with bytter gall
This blynde goddesse in her consystour
With her pleasaunce medleth dyscencyons
After tryumphes conquest and vyctour
Reueth fro prynces theyr sceptres & theyr crownes
And troubleth the people with fals rebellyownes
Syth by these dukes whiche from her whelebe fall
All worldly suger is meynt with bytter gall
This tragedye maketh a memorye
Of dukes twayne & of theyr hye renownes
And of theyr lawe wryte a grete hystorye
And how they conquered dyuers regyownes
Gouerned cytees countrees and eke townes
Tyll fortune theyr prowesse dyde appall
To theyr suger was meynt with bytter gall
Prynces pryncesses seeth how deceptour
Bene all these worldly reuolucyons
And how fortune in her reclinatour
With her tryacle tempreth false poysons
So meruaylous bene her confeccyons
Of frowardnesse she wyll what so befall
Ay with her sug
[...]r of custome temper gall
¶ A cōmendacyon of pacyence.
VErtue of vertues / o noble pacyence
With Lauret crowned for vertuous cōstaūce
Laude / honour / preyse / and reuerence
Be yeue to the pryncesse of moost pleasaunce
Moost renōmed by auncyent remembraunce
Of whom the myghty marcyall armure
Agayne all vyces / lengest may endure
Grounde & begynnynge / to stande at dyffence
Agayne Sathans / infernall puyssaunce
Laureate quene / where thou arte in presence
Foreyn outrages / haue no gouernaunce
Conduyte hedsprynge / of plenteuous haboundaunce
Crystall well / celestyall of fygure
[Page]Agayne all vyces whiche lengest may endure
Chefe foundresse / by souerayne excellence
Of goostly buyldynge / & spyrytuall substaunce
Empresse of moost magnyfycence
With heuenly spyrytes / nexte of alyaunce
With lyfe euerlastynge / the tryumphe to auaunce
And Ioye eternall / thy noblesse to assure
In thaureate throne / perpetually to endure
Thre Ierarchyes / there beynge in presence
With whom humylyte / hath souerayne acquayntaūce
Where Osanna / with deuoute dylygence
Is songe of aungelles / by longe contynuaunce
Tofore the throne / kepynge theyr obseruaunce
Sayng Sanctus Sanctus recorde of scrypture
With voys memoryall perpetually to endure
The brennynge loue / of Cherubyn by feruence
Parfyre in charyte / and dylygent obeyssaunce
And Seraphyn with humble obedyence
And orders. ix. by heuenly concordaunce
Dominationes / with vertuous attendaunce
Afore the trynyte / synge fresshely by mesure
With voyce memoryall perpetually to endure
Suffraunce of paynymes / hath but an apperence
Done for vaynglorye / hangynge in balaunce
But crystes martyrs / in very existence
Lyste agayne tyraūtes / make repugnaūce
Rather deye / than do god dyspleasaunce
Shewed in no myrrour / lykenesse nor pycture
[Page]Take full possessyone / foreuer with cryst tendure
Suffraūce for vertue / hath the preemynence
Of them that set / in god theyr affyaunce
Recorde of Steuen / Vincent and Laurence
Blyssed Edmonde by longe perseueraunce
Suffred for our fayth / vyctoryous greuaunce
Kynge mayde / & martyr a palme to recture
In the heuenly courte / perpetually to endure
And for to set a maner dyfference
In this mater tolde euery cyrcūstaunce
How for our fayth / by full grete vyolence
Dyuers sayntes / haue suffred grete penaunce
Stable of theyr chere / vysage and countenaunce
Neuer to varye for none auenture
Lyke crystes champyons / perpetually to endure
Whose foundacyon by notable prouydence
Grounded on cryst / theyr soules to auaunce
Graue in theyr hertes / & in theyr conscyence
Voydynge all trouble / of worldy perturbaunce
Chaunges of forture / w
t her double haunce
Louyd god & dradde / aboue eche creature
In hope with hym perpetually to endure
MYn auctour Bochas wryteth no longer processe
Of Iulius dethe complaynynge but a whyle
To wryte of Tully in haste he gan hym dresse
Compendyously his lyfe for to compyle
Complaynynge fyrste / his baren style
Is insuffycyente to wryte as men may seen
[Page]Of so notable a rethorycyen
The name of Tullius / was knowen in many place
His eloquence in euery lande was ryfe
His langage made hym stande in grace
And be prefered durynge all his lyfe
Maryed he was / & had a ryght fayre wyfe
Chyldren many seruauntes yonge and olde
And I fynde he helde a good housholde
This thynge was done / whan y
t in rome towne
The stryfe was grettest betwene Cesar & pōpeye
And for Tullius drewe hym to Caton
With Pompeyus Cesar to warreye
And of Iulius the partye dysobeye
Out of Rome Tullius dyde hym hye
Fledde with Pompeye in to Thessalye
Cesar after of his free mōcyoune
Whan that he stode hyest in his glorye
Hym reconsyled agayne to Rome toune
Vpon Pompeye accomplysshed the vyctorye
But Iulyus slayne in the consystorye
By syxty senatours beynge of assent
Tullius was agayne in to exyle sent
And in a cyte called Farnuan
Tullius his exyle dyde endure
For Anthonius was to hym enmy than
Bycause that he / parcase of auenture
Compyled had an Inuentyf scrypture
Agayne Anthonyne rehersynge all the case
[Page]Of his defautes and of Cleopateas
Thus of enuye and of mortall hatred
His dethe was compassed by Anthonius
And afterwarde execute in dede
By procurynge of one Pompilius
Gate cōmyssyon y
• storye telleth thus
Of fals malys & forth anone wente he
In to Gayte / of champaygne a cyte
And by the vertue of his cōmyssyowne
Takynge of Anthyne lycence & lyberte
Chefe Rethorycyen y
t euer was in the towne
Amonge Romayns to worshyp the cyte
Was slayne alas of hate & enmyte
By Pompilius rote of all falshede
Proferynge hymselfe to smyte of his hede
Tullius afore had bene his defence
Fro the galowes and his dethe eke let
Whiche had deserued for his grete offence
To haue ben hanged vpon a hye gybet
Who saueth a thefe whan the rope is knet
Aboute his necke as olde clerkes wryte
With some fals torne y
e brybour wyll hym quyte
Lo here the vyce of ingratytude
By experyence brought fully to a prefe
Who in his herte treason dothe include
Caste for good wyll to do a man reprefe
What is the guerdon for to saue a thefe
Whan he is scaped loke ye shall fynde
[Page]Of his nature euer to be vnkynnde
This poplyue traytour moost odyble
To shewe hymselfe false cruell & vengeable
Towarde Tully dyde a thynge horryble
Whan he was deed / this brybour moost culpable
Smote of his ryght hande / to here abhomynable
With whiche hande he lyuynge on hym toke
To wryte of vertues many a famous booke
The hande / the heed of noble Tullyus
Whiche euery man ought of ryght complayne
Were take and brought by Pompylyus
Vpon a stake set vp bothe the tweyne
There to abyde whether it dyde shyne or rayne
With wynde and weder tyll they were yffyed
In token all fauoure was to hym denyed
THis tragedye dothe naturally complayne
Vpon this vyce called vnkyndenesse
Whiche to punysshe is torment / none nor payne
Rygoure condygne / flagell / nor duresse
Enprysonynge / nor none erthely dystresse
That may suffyce bryefly to conclude
Agayne the vyce of ingratytude
All creatures on this vyce complayne
Lawe / nature / deeres / ryghtwysnesse
This monster in kynde dothe the lyght dysteyne
Of euery vertue derketh the bryghtnes
Alysander can bere herof wytnesse
Whiche to his for theres he of tatches rude
Shewed the vyce of ingratytude
Of Cerberus thynfernall tryble chayne
Nor of Tantalus honger nor thrustynesse
Of Xxion or Cicius bothe twayne
Reken theyr torment remembre theyr sharpenesse
All were to lytell to chastyce or redresse
The hatefull vyce of them y
t can delude
Theyr frendes olde / by fals ingratytude
Noble prynces whiche in your demayne
Haue gouernaūce of all worldy rychesse
Agayne folke vnkynde loke that ye dysdayne
Suffre them not haue none interesse
For to approche to youre hygh noblenesse
For there is no vyce more hatefull to conclude
Than is the vyce of Ingratytude
Consulo quisquis eris: qui pacis sedera queris
Consonus esto lupis: cū quibz esse cupis
I Counsayll what so euer thou be
Of polycye / foresyght and prudence
Yf thou wylte lyue in peas and vnyte
Conforme thyselfe & thynke on this sentence
Where so euer thou holde resydence
Amonge wolles / be woluysshe of courage
Lyon with lyons / a lambe for Innocence
Lyke the audyence / so vtter thy language
The vnycorne is caught with maydens songe
By dysposycyour recorde of scryptuee
With cormorauntes make thy necke longe
In pondes depe / thy prayes to recure
Amonge foxes / be foxysshe of nature
[Page]Amonge raueners thynke for auantage
With empty hande / men may not haukes lure
And lyke thy audyence so vttre thy language
With holy men speke of holynesse
And with a glouton / be delycate of thy fare
With dronken men / do surfettes by excesse
And amonge wasters no spendynge that thou spare
With wodcockes / lerne for to dare
And sharpe thy knyfe / with pyllers for pylage
Lyke the market / so preyse thy chaffare
And lyke thy audyence so vtter thy language
With an Otyr spare ryuer none nor ponde
With them that forette / robbe conyngers
A blode hounde with bowe & arowe in honde
Maugre the watche of fosters & parkers
Lyke thy felawshyp / spare no daungers
For lyfe nor dethe / thy lyfe put in morgage
Amonge knyghtes / squyers chanons monkes freers
Lyke thy audyence vtter thy language
Danyell lay / a prophete full notable
Of god preserued / in pryson with lyons
Where god lyste spare / a Tygre is not vengeable
No cruell beestes / beres nor gryffons
And yf thou be in caues with dragons
Remembre how abacuk / brought potage
So ferre to danyel / to many regyons
As case requyreth so vtter thy language
With wyse men talke of sapyence
[Page]With phylosophers speke of phylosophye
With shypmen sayllynge that haue experyence
In troubly sees / how they shall them guye
And with poetes talke of poetrye
Be not presumptuous / of chere nor of vysage
But where thou comest / in ony companye
Lyke the audyence / so vtter thy language
This lytell dytee / concludynge in menynge
Who that cast hym / this rule for to kepe
Must conforme hym / lyke in euery thynge
Where he shall byde / vnto the felawshyp
With watche men wake / with sloggy folke slepe
With wood men wood / with frontyke folke sauage
Renne w
t beestes / w
t wylde wormes crepe
And lyke thy audyence / vtter thy language
Amonge all these / I counsayll yet take hede
Where thou abydest / or rest in ony place
In chefe loue god / & with thy loue haue drede
And be ferefull agayne hym to trespace
With vertuous men / encrease shall thy grace
And vycyous folke / are cause of grete dōmage
In euery felawshyp so for thyselfe purchace
Where vertue regneth / there vtter thy language
Be payed with lytell / content with suffysaunce
Clymbe not to hye / thus byddeth Socrates
Glad pouert is / of treasours moost substaunce
And Caton sayth / is none so grete encreas
Of worly treasour / as for to lyue in peas
Whiche amonge vertues / hathe the vassalage
[Page]I take recorde of Dyogenes
Whiche to Alexander had this language
His palays was a lytell poore tonne
Whiche on a whele / with hym he gan carye
Badde this Emperour / ryde out of his sonne
Whiche dempte hymselfe / rycher than kynge darye
Kepte with his vessell / fro wyndes moost contrary
Wherin he made dayly his passage
This phylosopher / w
t prynces lyste not tarye
Nor in theyr presence / to vtter no language
Betwene these twayne a grete comparyson
Kynge Alexander / he conquerd all
Dyogenes lay in a small dongeon
Lyke sondry weders / whiche torned as a ball
Fortune to Alexander / gaue a sodayne fall
The phylosopher dysposed the comynage
He thought vertue / was more imperyall
Than is acquayntaunce / with al his proude language
Anthony & Poule dyspysed all rychesse
Lyued in deserte / of wylfull pouerte
Cesar and Pompeye / of marcyall woodnesse
By theyr enuyous / compassed cruelte
Betwene germany & affrycke was grete enmyte
No comparyson betwene good greyn and forage
Prayse euery thynge lyke to his degre
And lyke thy audyence / so vtter thy language
I founde a lykenesse depyct vpon a wall
Armed in vertues / as I walkt vp and downe
[Page]The hede of thre / full solempne and royall
Intellectus / memorye / and reason
With eyen and eres / of clere dyscrecyon
Mouthe and tongue / auoyden all outrage
Agayne the vyce of fals detraccyon
To do not surfet / in worde nor in language
Hande and armes / with this dyscrecyon
Where so man haue / force or feblenesse
Truely to mene / in his affeccyon
For fraude or fauoure / to folowe ryghtwysnesse
Outrayles inwarde / deuocyon with mekenesse
Passynge pygmalyon / whiche graued an ymage
Prayed to Venus of louers chefe goddesse
To graunt it lyfe / & quyckenesse of language
Of hole entente / pray we to cryste Ihū
To quyk a fygure / in our conscyence
Reason as heed / with membres of vertue
Afore rehersed / breefly in sentence
Vnder supporte of his magnyfycence
Cryst so lyste gouerne / our worldly pylgrymage
Bytwene vyce and vertue / to sette a dyfference
To his pleasaunce / to vttre our language
¶ Lenuoy.
TOwarde the ende of frosty Ianuarye
Whan watry phebus / hadde his purpose take.
For a season to soiourne in aquarye
And Caprycorne hadde vtterly forsake
Towarde aurora amorowe as I gan wake
A feldfare / full erly toke her flyght
Tofore my studye / sange with her fethers blake
[Page]Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
Thoughe the pecocke / haue wynges bryght & shene
Graunted by nature to his grete auayll
Withgolde & azure / and Emendes grene
And Argus eyen / portrayed in his tayll
Berynge vp his fethers / dysplayed lyke a sayll
Towarde his fete / whan he caste downe his syght
To bate his pryde there is no bet coūsayll
Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght
The kynge of foules / moost imperyall
Whiche with his loke / perseth the feruent sonne
The Egle as chefe / of nature moost royall
As olde clerkes / well deuyse konne
To phebus palays / by flyght whan he hathe wonne
What foloweth after / for all his grete myght
But men remember / vpon his fethers donne
Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght
In large lakes / and ryuers fresshe renuynge
The yelowe swanne / famous and agreable
Agayne his dethe / melodyously syngynge
His fat all notes / pyteous & lamentable
Playnly declare / in erthe is nothynge stable
His byll his fete / who loke a ryght
In token of mornynge / ben of colour sable
Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
The hardy lyon / of beestes lorde and kynge
Whan he syt crowned / as prynce of wyldernesse
All other beestes / obeye at his byddynge
As kynde hathe taught them / theyr lady & maystresse
[Page]But notwithstondynge his bestyall sturdynesse
Whan he is moost furyous in his myght
There cometh a quartayn / syth in his grete actesse
Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght
The Tygre of nature / excelleth of swyftnesse
The Lynx with lokynge / perceth a stone wall
The vnycorne by musycall swetnesse
Betwene two maydens / is take & hathe a fall
All worldy thynge / tourneth as a ball
The harte / the roo / ben of theyr cours full lyght
By theyr prerogatyues / but none alone hathe all
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
Amonge all beestes / the lyon is moost stronge
Of nature the lambe / hathe grete mekenesse
The wulfe dysposed / by rauayne to do wronge
The sleyghty foxe / small pollet dothe oppresse
To fysshe in water / the Ottyr dothe duresse
Grete dyfference bytwene daye and nyght
Lacke of dyscrecyon causeth grete blyndnesse
Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght
Though thou haue power / oppresse not thy parayll
Of one mater / was made eche creature
Pryde of a tyraunt / a season may preuayll
A chorle to regne / is contrary to nature
No vengeable herte / shall no whyle endure
Theyr tort power / nor fals vsurped myght
Lyst for no doctour / nor techynge of scrypture
Loke in theyr myrour & deme none other wyght
eyse vp a begger / that came of nought
[Page]Set in a chayer / of worldy dygnyte
Whan fals presumpcyon / is entred in his thought
Hathe clene forgete / his state of pouerte
And as vp reysed / vnto the royall see
Of a lyon / knoweth not daye fro nyght
A fole lyst not / in his prosperyte
Loke in his myrour & deme none other wyght
Thus by a maner / of symylytude
Tyrauntes lykened / to beestes rauynous
Folke y
t ben humble / playnly to conclude
Resemble beestes / meke and vertuous
Some folke peasable / some contraryous
Sondrymelled / now heuy / & now lyght
One is frowarde / another is gracyous
Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght
Some man of herte / dysposed to pryde
By dysposycyon / of frowarde surquedye
Some man may suffer / & longe tyme abyde
Some man vengeable / of olde melancolye
Some man consumed / with hate & fals enuye
To holde a quarell / whether it be wronge or ryght
But vnto purpose this mater to applye
Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
No man is clere / without som trespace
Blyssed is he / that neuer dyde offence
Do man is meke / another dothe menace
Some man is fyers / some man hathe pacyence
One is rebell / another dothe reuerence
Some man coorbed / some man gothe vpryght
[Page]Let eche man serche his owne conscyence
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
Thynges contrary / be not accordynge
A poore man proude / is not cōmendable
Nor a fayre saphyr / set in a coper rynge
A beggers thret / w
t mouthe to be vengeable
Nor fayre behestes / of purpose varyable
A lordes herte / a purse y
t peyseth lyght
Outwarde gay speche / in menynge dysceyuable
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
Some gyue no forse / for to be sworne
Onely for lucre / abraydynge on falsnesse
Some can dyssymyle / & blowe the buckes hoorne
By apparence / of fayned kyndenesse
Vnder floures / of fraudulent fresshenesse
The serpent dareth / with his scales bryght
Galle vnder suger / hathe double bytternesse
Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
Cure not thy conceyte / with no fayned glosys
Some golden floures / haue a bytter rote
Sharpe thornes / hydde somtyme vnder rosys
Foule heyr oppressed / with synamomes soote
Let fals / presumpcyon play ball vnder foote
Torches compared to phebus bemes bryght
What dothe clere perle / on a baudy boote
Loke in thy myrroure / and deme none other myght
Kynde in her werkes / can hynder & preferre
Set dyfferences many mo than one
[Page]Atwene phebus / & a lytell sterre
Betwene a flynte / and a precyous stone
Betwene a dull mason / & pygmalyon
Betwene Tercytes / and Hector a good knyght
Let euery man gnawe on his owne bone
Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
Some man is stronge / beres to bynde
Another feble / preferred with prudence
One swyft to renne / another cometh behynde
One hathe slouthe another hathe dylygence
Some man hath connynge / lackynge eloquence
Some haue force / yet they dare not fyght
Peas moost profyteth with this experyence
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
Some man hathe beaute / another hathe goodnesse
One hathe Ioye / another aduersyte
Some man fortune / & plentuous rychesse
Some man content / & gladde with pouerte
Some one hathe helthe / another infyrmyte
What euer god sent / thanke hym with all thy myght
Grutche not agayne / & lerne this thynge of me
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
There is no gardyn / so full of fresshe floures
But that there are / amonge them some wedes sene
The holsom Roser / for all his swete odoures
Groweth on thornes / pryckynge sharpe and kene
Alcestys floure / with whyte / with rede & grene
Dysplayeth her crowne / agayne phebus bemys bright
In stormes dreepeth / conceyue what I mene
[Page]Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght
The somers day / is neuer or selden seyn
With some clere ayre / but that there is some skye
Nor no man erthly / so vertuous in certayn
But y
t he may / be hyndred by enuye
A voyce dystuned / troubleth all melodye
As sayth musycyens / whiche knowe y
t crafte aryght
On trewe accorde / standeth all armony
Loke in thy myrrure & deme none other wyght
Comparysons / conceyued in nature
By a moralyte of vertuous lykenesse
Let euery man / do his besy cure
To race out pryde / and set in fyrste mekenesse
Agayne couetyse compassyon and almesse
Fro poore people let no man tourne his syght
Agayn flesshely luste / chastyte and clennesse
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
Of euery man by reporte of language
Affyle thy tongue / of trewe affeccyon
Of haste nor rancour / with mouthe do no dōmage
Restrayne thy courage / fro fals detraccyon
Fro flaterye / and adulacyon
Withstonde wronge / susteyne trouthe and ryght
Fle doublenesse / fraude & collusyon
Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght
No man of kynde / is more suspeccyous
Than he that is moost vycyous & culpable
Bycause he halteth / & is not vertuous
[Page]He wolde cche man to hym were resemblable
A galled hors wyll wynche in a stable
For noyse of sadels heuy eyther lyght
A fole that is / by reporte reprouable
Shold loke in his myrroure & deme none other wyght
That man for vertue may were a dyademe
With stones. xii remembred by auctours
And as kynge / wel crowned he may bene
That hathe no wede / growynge amonge his floures
Though apryll haue many swete showres
Fro Iupyter / an vnware thundre lyght
Syth with an hayll / fro sagyttaryes toures
Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght
With vertuous pyte / & iust compassyon
Rewe on thy neyghbour / whan he is culpable
Let mercy mode
[...]ye / rygorous correccyon
All we be synners / though god be not vengeable
We myght not lyue / but he were mercyable
That his pacyence / peysed adowne his ryght
After your domes / ye Iuges moost notable
Loke in your myrrour & deme none other wyght
Set a myrrour / of lyght dyscrecyon
Tofore your face / by polytyk gouernaunce
Fare farer with them / that haue contrycyon
And for theyr surfettes / in herte haue repentaunce
Let not your swerde / be whet to do vengeaunce
Bytwene flat & edge / though sharpenesse token lyghte
The flat of mercye / prynte in your remembraunce
Loke well your myrrour / or ye deme ony wyght
Go lytell byll / with out tytle or date
And of hole herte / recōmaūde me
Whiche that am called Iohan Lydgate
To all tho folke / whiche lyst to haue pyte
On them y
t suffre trouble & aduersyte
Beseche them all y
t the shall rede a ryght
Mercy to medle with trouthe & equyte
And loke wel theyr myrrours & deme none other wight