Of enuyous Folys.
Yet ar mo folys whiche greatly them delyte
In others losse, and that by fals enuy
Wherby they suche vnrightwysly bacbyte
The dartis of suche ouer all the wordly flye
And euer in fleynge theyr fethers multyply
No state in erth therfro can kepe hym sure
His sede encreasyth as it wolde euer endure
Wastynge enuy oft styreth to malyce
Folys nat a fewe whiche ar therto enclynyd
Pryckynge theyr frowarde hertes vnto vyce
Of others damage reioysynge in theyr mynde
Enuyes darte doth his begynnynge fynde
In wrathfull hertes, it wastyth his owne nest
Nat suffrynge other to lyue in eas and rest
If one haue plenty of treasour and ryches
Or by his merytis obteyne great dignyte
These folys enuyous that of the same haue les
Enuy by malyce, the others hye degre
And if another of honour haue plente
They it enuy and wysshe that they myght sterue
Howe be it suche folys can nat the same deserue
These folys desyre agaynst both lawe and right
Anoters good if they may get the same
If they may nat by flaterynge nor by myght
Than by fals malyce they hym enuy and blame
Outher if one by his vertue hath good name
By fals enuy these foles hym reproue
Their wrath them blyndeth so that they none can loue
The wounde of this malycious, fals enuy
So dedely is, and of so great cruelte
That it is incurable and voyde of remedy
A man enuyous hath suche a properte
That if he purpose of one vengyd to be
Or do some mysche, whiche he reputyth best
Tyll it be done, he neuer hath eas nor rest
No slepe, no rest nor pleasour can they fynde
To them so swete, pleasaunt and delectable
That may expell this malyce from theyr mynde
So is enuy a vyce abhomynable
And vnto helth so frowarde and damnable
That if it onys be rotyd in a man
It maketh hym lene. his colour pale and wan.
Enuy is pale of loke and countenaunce
His body lene of colour pale and blewe
His loke frowarde, his face without pleasaunce
Pyllynge lyke scalys, his wordes ay vntrue
His iyen sparklynge with fyre ay fresshe and newe
It neuer lokyth on man with iyen full
But euer his herte by furious wrath is dull
Thou mayst example fynde of this enuy
By Joseph whome his bretherne dyd neuer beholde
With louynge loke, but sharpe and cruelly
So that they hym haue murdred gladly wolde
I myght recount examples manyfolde
Howe many by enuy lost hath theyr degre
But that I leue bycause of breuyte
Enuyous folys ar stuffed with yll wyll
In them no myrth nor solace can be founde
They neuer laughe but if it be for yll
As for gode lost or whan some shyp is drounde
Or whan some hous is brent vnto the grounde
But whyle these folys on other byte and gnawe
Theyr enuy wastyth theyr owne herte and theyr mawe
The mount of Ethnay though it brent euer styll
Yet (saue itselfe) it brenneth none other thynge
So these enuyous Folys by theyr yll wyll
Wast theyr owne herte, thoughe they be ay musynge
Another man to shame and losse or hurt to brynge
Upon them sellfe Thus tournyth this yll agayne
To theyr destruccion both shame great losse and payne
This fals enuy by his malycious yre
Doth often, bretherne so cursedly inflame
That by the same the one of them conspyre
Agaynst the other without all fere and shame
As Romulus and Remus excellent of fame
Whiche byldyd Rome, but after: enuy so grewe
Bytwene them that the one the other slewe
What shall I wryte of Cayme and of Abell
Howe Cayme for murder suffred great payne and wo
Atreus story and Theseus cruell.
Ar vnto vs example hereof also
Ethyocles with his brother: and many mo
Lyke as the storyes declareth openly
The one the other murdred by enuy
The enuoy of Barklay to the Folys.
Wherfore let hym that is discrete and wyse
This wrathfull vyce exyle out of his mynde
And yll on none by malyce to surmyse
Let charyte in perfyte loue the bynde
Sue hir preceptis than shalt thou consort fynde
Loue in this lyfe, and ioy whan thou art past
Where as enuy thy conscyence shall blynde
And both they blode and body mar and wast