Of the mutabylyte of fortune.
That man whiche hopyth hye vp to ascende
On fortunes whele, and come to state royall
If the whele turne, may doute sore to descende
If he be hye the sorer is his fall
So he whiche trustyth nat therto at all
Shall in moste eas and suerty hymselfe gyde
For vnsure fortune can in no place abyde
We dayly proue by example and euydence
That many be made folys mad and ignorant
By the brode worlde, puttynge trust and confydence
In fortunes whele vnsure and inconstant
Some assay the whele thynkynge it pleasant
But whyle they to clym vp haue pleasour and desyre
Theyr fete them faylyth so fall they in the myre
Promote a yeman, make hym a gentyl man
And make a Baylyf of a Butchers son
Make of a Squyer knyght, yet wyll they if they can
Coueyt in theyr myndes hyer promosyon
And many in the worlde haue this condicion
In hope of honour by treason to conspyre
But ofte they slyde, and so fall in the myre
Suche lokys so hye that they forget theyr fete
On fortunes whele whiche turneth as a ball
They seke degrees for theyr small myght vnmete
Theyr folysshe hertis and blynde se nat theyr fall
Some folys purpose to haue a rowme Royall
Or clym by fortunes whele to an empyre
The whele than turneth lyuynge them in the myre
O blynde man say what is thyne intent
To worldly honoures so greatly to entende
Or here to make the hye ryche and excellent
Syns that so shortly thy lyfe must haue an ende
None is so worthy, nor can so hye ascende
Nor nought is so sure if thou the trouth enquyre
But that it may doute to fall downe to the myre
There is no lorde Duke kynge nor other estate
But dye they must, and from this wolde go
All worldly thynges whiche god hath here create
Shall nat ay byde, but haue an ende also
What mortall man hath ben promotyd so:
In worldly welthe or vncertayne dignyte
That euer of lyfe had houre of certaynte
In stormy wyndes lowest trees ar most sure
And howsys surest whiche ar nat byldyd hye
Where as hye byldynges may no tempest endure
Without they be foundyd sure and stedfastly
So gretest men haue moste fere and ieopardy
Better is pouertye though it be harde to bere
Than is a hye degre in ieopardy and fere,
The hyllys ar hye, the valeys ar but lowe
In valeys is come the hyllys ar barayne
On hyest places most gras doth nat ay growe
A mery thynge is mesure and easy to sustayne
The hyest in great fere, the lowest lyue in payne
Yet better ly on grounde, hauynge no name at all
Than hye on a Clyf ferynge alway to fall
Thus as me thynke it is no thynge lawdable
On fortunes whele, for one to clym to hye
Syns the swyft cours therof is so vnstable
And all must we leue whan we depart and dye
Of our short lyfe haue we no certayntye
For lachesys (whan that thou hast lefte drede)
Of thy lyue dayes shall shortly breke the threde.
Atropos is egall to pore man and estate
Defar wyll nat deth by prayer ne request
No mortall man may his furour mytygate.
Nor of hym haue one day longer here to rest:
Content the with measure (therfore) for it is best
Coueyt nat to moche in honour to excell
It is a fowle fall to fall from erth to hell
Unstable fortune exalteth some a loft
To this intent, them to brynge to an yll ende
For who that hye clymmeth his fall can nat be soft
If that mysfortune constrayne hym to dyscende
Though Julius Cesar his lordshyp dyd extende
Ouer all the worlde: yet fortune at the last.
From lyfe and lordshyp hym wretchydly dyd cast
This hath ben sene, is sene, and euer shall
That most peryll is in hyest dignyte
Howe many estatis, howe many men Royall.
Hath fortune dryuyn downe into aduersyte
Rede dyuers cronycles, and thou shall playnly se
That many thousandes hath endyd in doloure
By theyr immoderate mynde to honoure
Ouer rede Bochas and than shalt thou se playne
The fall of prynces wryten ryght compendeously
There shalt thou se what punysshement and payne
Haue to them fallen, somtyme by theyr foly
And oft is moche preuy hatered and enuy
Had agaynst lordes of the rude comonte
Where euer they go: they lyue in ieopardye
Ay dowtynge deth by cursed gyle and treason
Eche thynge mysdemynge, ferynge to be opprest
By some mysfortune, with venym or with poyson.
Thus in great honour is neyther ioy nor rest
But thought and fere, ye whyle the lyfe doth lest
Thus who that procuryth great honour to attayne
Procuryth with all, enuy, peryll, fere and payne
A lorde or state whom many men doth drede
With loueles fere, and fayned countenaunce
Unto hym selfe ought wysely to take hede
And them to fere, if he wyll voyde myschaunce
For why a comonty is of suche ignoraunce
And so enuyous, that both erly and late
They muse to destroy hym whom, they fere and hate
A man promotyd vnto hye dygnyte
Shall haue loue shewyd hym by adulacion
But no true loue nouther faythfull amyte.
Good fame nor name, ne commendacion
Ye though he be worthy great exaltacion
Pytefull louynge and full of equyte
Yet harde is to please a folysshe comonte
Therfore me thynke of all thynge it is best
Man to be pleased and content with his degre
For why in mesure, is suerty eas and rest
And ay moste peryll in hyest dignyte
Fortune is full of changes and mutabylyte
Trust nat therto, therby comyth do gode
But nowe hye nowe lowe, vnstable as a flode
Alexander barklay to the Folys.
Labour nat man with to moche besy cure
To clymme to hye lyst thou by fortune fall
For certaynly, that man slepyth nat sure
That lyeth lows vpon a narowe wall
Better somtyme to serue, than for to gouerne all
For whan the Net is throwen into the se
The great fysshe ar taken and the pryncipall
Where as the small escapyth quyte and fre