[Page]
EVen aboute the moneth of maye
I wene it was the thirde daye
Of that same moneth as I gesse
And so it was so haue I blesse
For I knowe it well by a thinge
Of the whiche I haue had knowledgynge
As here after ye shall heare full well
Of a knightes sone how it befell
A riche knight there was in Fraūce I vnderstan
[...]
And was a man of greate lande
and hyght syr Thomas perlore
a sone he had with his wyfe and no more
And she was called faire Ysaungrayne
and their sone called Rafelyne
and of this childe ye shall heare
and of his father and his mother dere
Of his father he was lefe and dere
So was he of his mother I you ensere
So it happened vpon a daye
That this yonge man shoulde sporte and playe
His father bade hym go amonge wyse men
That he might learne some good of them
But this yunge man him bethought
That after his fathers counsell he wold do nougt
But to yll company he him drewe
and learned all vyce and lefte vertue
Tyll father and mother were deade
Than coulde he none other rede
But burye them after the comune vse
Other sorowe woulde he none vse
[Page]But forth he wente to his company anone
and saide sirs let vs be mery euerychone
Syr they saide welcome be ye truely
and we all praye you hartely
To syt by vs and kepe company
So he did and thanked them hertely
They called anone for meate & drincke of the beste
For to eate and drincke as them lest
and whan they had eaten and dronken theyr fyll
Syr they saide knowe ye nothinge of oure wyll
No by my faith he saide incontinente
But by saint Thomas of kente
I woulde haue at the hasarde a cast or two
For to learne to caste the dyce to and fro
and if here be any body that wyll for money playe
I haue yet in my purse money and pledges gaye
Some be nobles, some be crownes of Fraunce
Haue at all who wyll of this daunce
One of them answered with that worde
and caste a bale of dyce on the borde
and saide maister Rafeleyne wyll ye haue a fytre
Haue at all yf ye wyll sytte
Maister Rafeleyne drewe to his pouche
Tyll he had loste coyne and o w
[...]che
Than he drewe out pledges fresshe and gaye
Tyll all was gone and played awaye
home he goeth lyke as he were out of his minde
and solde al his goodes before and behynde
and to harlotes he goeth and to baudes bolde
For he thought his money shoulde euer holde
[Page]To the tauerne and to the bordell he h
[...]ndrest
For al that his felowship d
[...]d coūsel him for the best
But at the la
[...]te whan all was gone
Than he began to make his mone
L
[...]ke as here after ye shal vnderstande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande.
¶ Thus endeth the prolo
[...]ue
ALas my good is spente I haue no more
Therfore I am troubled sore
with great greuaunce in my herte rote
To spende a pounde was but a small note
Lyke as I was vsed to do here and there
Therfore I must now mirth forbeare
Whyche here before I did not vnderstande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande.
What shall I now begin to do alace
Here before I might go in euery place
Wyth the best where so euer they wente
vnto the wine, to the good ale, or to y
e bere al vnshēt
But for bycause gyue no more I maye
Muste I be caste out of al game and play
In my greuaunce is no remedy I vnderstand
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
What auayleth it me to crye or to complayne then
Whan my frendes and also my kynnesmen
Maie neither se me nor heare me
Therfore thincke I of thē but lytell cōforted to be
Thus haue I spente al my good out right
which euery wise man wil not do I vnderstande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hand.
Neuer I coulde perce
[...]ue this great charge
But my luste hath brought me in this rage
The whiche I begin no
[...] to vnderstand
That money is lorde of all the lande
For bycause I haue not hadde this in remēbraunce
Therfore pouertie and miserye is tall to my chaūce
And am taken of no value I vnderstande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
I see that they with fingers point after me
The whyche here before were vsed to prayse me
And they let me passe by the dore
The whiche I haue kepte good felowshippe to fore
They mocke with me whiche I was wont
[...] to trime
May not I haue great repentaunce of this luste
Ye and must suffre this I vnderstande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
Whan I was yonge and had good at wyll
And euery body eate and drancke with me their fyll
Than they did cal me in euery place
Now they thincke I am not worth a lace
Pouertye hath taken me with greate sorow
I haue nothinge nor can nothinge borow
Thus haue I but yll fortune I vnderstande
therefore spare your good that ye haue in hand
[...]ue thought in my minde
Coulde I any good get or find
I woulde not caste it awaye euery del
[...]
Lyke as my felowshippe did my counsel
Whan I was vsed to beare money be my syde
I thought not that it shoulde thus from me slyde
Thus was I not wyse I vnderstande
Therefore spare your good that you haue in hande
Might I yet that daye liue
That my frendes woulde me giue
Some thinge where with all
I might get richesse and honeste princypall
I woulde thanke them nowe and than amonge
But certes my thinketh they tary to longe
Therfore I must suffer be it swete or soure I vnderstād
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hād
Whan any body hath any richesse
Euery body him worshippeth both more and lesse
But and he haue nothinge in value
He is nothinge sette by perdue
And if he come hyther or els where
Euerie bodye fleeth from him as he the deuyll were
Ful often chaungeth his courage I vnderstande
Therfore spare youre good that ye haue in hande.
He that hath nothinge is taken of no value
And wyll not do after good counsell perdue
Lyke as of me ye maye example take
Howe of ryot and other games was vsed to make
[Page]Who so euer in the worlde yf ryot me bethought
I coulde it lyghtly helpe for to be wrought
whiche is now bitter it was than swete at that stād
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
Wherfore sholde not I take now sorowe againe
Ye certes there is none that wyl me any thing lene
Euen thus the whele of fortune renneth
And if good lucke dyd tame I sholude not be wete
If it be good lucke or yll happe
It commeth to him that shall haue it at a clappe
Euery body maie se by me in this stande
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
A man maye well a good felow be
In the wine, in good ale, in bere where so it be
and yf he thinke for the comune profyte also
Here or there where so euer he go
Thus may a man haunte mirth and gaine
If he do it not by measure he is to blame
For in euery thinge measure is good I vnderstand
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hand
Farewell I sette you al this testamente
Who wyll learne this shall be vnshente
and can kepe him amonge good company
Shall be fre of al sorowe and myserye
Who so euer taketh this testamente in remēbraūce
Pouertye and myserye shall not fall to his chaunce
Hys good his worshippe shall he kepe I vnderstāde
Therfore spare your good that ye haue in hande
FINIS
I Here endeth a lytell tre
[...]tyse very profitable for euery yonge man and yonge woman called Syrs spare your good.
Imprinted at London in Poules churche yarde by Anthony Kytson.