A compendious dittie wherin the state of mans lyfe is briefely touchid.

A COMPENDIORS DITTIE. NO wyght in this worlde that welthe can attayne, Oneleſſe he beleue, that all is but vayne, And looke howe it cometh, ſo leaue it to goe, As tydes vſe theyr tymes to ebbe and to floe. This mucke on the molde, that men ſo deſyre, Doeth worke them much wo, and moueth them to ire. With grefe it is gotte, with care it is kept, With ſorowe ſoone loſte that longe hath ben rept. And wo woorth that man, that fyrſte dolue the molde, To fynde out the myne of ſyluer and golde. For whan it laie hyd, and to vs vnknowen, Of ſtrife and debate the ſede was not ſowen. Than lyued men well, and helde theim content, With meate, drinke, and clothe, without any reu • . Theyr houſes but poore to ſhroude theim ſelues in: For caſtelles and towres were than to begyn. No towne had his wall, they feared 'to warre, Nor cunemies hoſte to ſeeke theim afarre. So ledde they theyr lyues in quiete and reſte, Tyll hourde began hate from eaſt vnto wefte. And golde for to growe a lorde of great price, Whiche chaunged the worlde from vertue to vice, And tourned all thyng ſo farre from his kynde, That howe it ſhoulde be, is worne out of mynde. For rycheſſe beareth nowe the fame and the brute, And onely the cauſe of all our purſute, Whiche maketh amonge vs muche miſchiefe to reigne, And ſhall tyll we ſeeke the ryght waie ageyne, Whan mariage was made for vertue and loue, Than was no diuorſe goddis knotte to remoue. Whan iudges woulde ſuffre no brybes in their ſyght, Their iudgement was than accordyng to ryght. Whan prelates had not poſſeſſions nor rent, Thei preached the trouthe, and truely thei went. Whan men did not flatter for fauour nor mede, Than kynges herd the trouth, & how the world yede. And men vnto honour thorough vertue did tyſe, But all this is nowe tourned contrary wyſe. For money maketh all, and ruleth as a god, Wiche ought not to be, for Chriſte it forbod, And bad, that we ſhoulde take nothyng in hande, But for the lordes loue and welthe of the lande. And wylles vs full oft, that we ſhoulde refrayne From wraſtyng his will to make our owne gayne. For couetous folke of euery aſtate, As hardly ſhall entre within heuen gate 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 As though perfect bliſ •• ſhoulde that waie ariſe. But if thei wolde ſuffre to ſynke in their breſt, What trouble of mynde, what vnquiete reſt, What miſchiefe, what hate this money doeth brynge, Thei woulde not ſo toyle for ſo vyle a thyng, For thei that haue muche, are euer in care, Whiche waie to wyune, and howe for to ſpare. Theyr ſlepes be vnſounde for feare of the theefe, The loſſe of a litell doeth worke them muche greefe. In ſekyng their lacke thei want that the haue, And ſubiecte to that whiche ſhoulde be their ſlaue. Thei neuer doo knowe, whiles rycheſſe dooeth reigne, A frende of effect from hym that dooeth feigne. For flatterers ſeeke where fortune dooeth dwell, And whan that ſhe lowreth, thei bid theim farewell. The poore doeth theim curſe as ofte as thei want. In hauyng ſo muche to make it ſo ſcant. Their children ſometymes doo wiſſhe theim in graue, That thei myght poſſeſſe that rycheſſe thei haue. And that whiche thei wyn with trauayle and ſtryfe, Oftentymes (as we ſee) doeth coſte theim their life. Lo theſe bee the fruites that rycheſſe bryngeth foorth, With many other mo, whiche be no more woorth. For moneie is cauſe of murder and thefte, Of batayle and bloudſhed, whiche wold god wer left, Of rauine, of wronge, of falſe wytueſſe bearyng, Of treaſon conſpired, and eke of forſwearyng. And for to be ſhorte and knyt vp the knot, Fe •• 〈◊〉 •• eues at all that mo • e • e maketh not. 〈…〉 it bee yll, whan it is abuſed, 〈…〉 vſed. As prieſtes ſhoulde not take promocions in hande, To lyue at their eaſe lylie lordes of the lande, But onely to feede goddis flocke with the trouthe, To preache and to teache without any ſlouthe. Nor folkes ſhulde not neede great rycheſſe to wynue, But godly to lyue, and for to flee ſynne. His will for to worke that is theyr ſoules helthe, And than maie thei thynke, thei lyue in much welthe. For in this vayue worlde that we be nowe in, Is nothyng but miſery, miſchiefe, and ſyn, Temptaciou, vntrouthe, contencion, and ſtryfe: Than lette vs not ſette by ſo vile a lyfe, But lyfte vp our eyes, and looke thorough our faithe, Beholdyng his mercies, that many tymes faithe, The iuſte men ſhall lyue by their good belefe, And ſhall haue a place where can be no greefe, But gladneſſe and myrthe that none can amende, Vnſpeakable ioyes, whiche neuer ſhall ende, With pleaſures that paſſe all that we haue ſought, Fe ••• ters ſuche as can not be thought •••• he place the • ſhall haue that 〈◊〉〈1 line〉