¶ Whiche is callid properly the tyme of pylgremage
¶ After some & some named it otherwyse
¶ And call hit the tyme of daungerous passage
¶ And some of werre that fully hit dyspyse
¶ But what so it be named I wyll the auyse
¶ Remembre it well and prynte it in thy mynde
¶ Wherof the fygure mayst thou me behynde
¶ And elles remembre thyselfe in thyne herte
¶ How Vyce & Vertue dayly theym occupy
¶ In maner one of hem hym to peruerte
¶ Another to bryng hym to endeles glory
¶ Thus they contynue fyght for the vyctory
¶ Hit is no nede herof to tell the more
¶ For in this short vysyon thou hast seen it before
¶ And as for Attropos greuous compleynt
¶ Vnto the goddys betokeneth noo more
¶ But oonly to shew the how frendely constreynt
¶ On a stedfast herte weyeth full sore
¶ Good wyll requyreth good wyll ayene therfore
¶ Dyscorde to deth hathe ay byn a frende
¶ For Dyscorde bryngeth many to her ende
¶ Wherfore Dethe thought he wolde auenged be
¶ On his frendes quarell yf that he myghte
¶ For her gret vnkyndnesse is somoche as she
¶ Was among hem all had so in despyte
¶ And at that ba[n]ket made of soo lyte
¶ Which caused hym among hem to cast in a bone
¶ That founde theym gnawyng ynough euerichone
¶ Thus ofte is seen on frende for a nother
¶ Wyll say & doo and some tyme maters feyne
¶ And also kynnysmen a cosyne or a brother
¶ Wyll for his alyer he haue cause compleyne
¶ And where that he loueth doo his besy peyne
¶ His frendes mater as his owne to take
¶ Whiche oft sythe causeth mychyll sorow awake
¶ Be hit ryght or wrong he chargeth not a myte
Ap towarde that poynt he taketh lytyll hede
¶ So that he may haue his frowarde appetyte
Performed he careth not how his soule spede (note
¶ Of God or Deuyll haue suche lytyll drede
¶ How be it one there is that lord is of all
¶ Whiche to euery wyght at last rewarde shall
¶ And as for the batayl betwene Vertu holde
¶ Soo playnly appereth to the inwardly
¶ To make exposycyon therof new or olde
¶ Were but superfluyte therefore refuse hit I
¶ In man shall thou fynde that were kept dayly
¶ Lyke as thou hast seen it fowtye before thy face
¶ The pycture me behynde sheweth it in lytyll space
¶ And as for Macrocosme it is nomore to say
¶ But the lesse worlde to the comon entent
¶ Whiche applyed is to man both nyght & day
¶ Soo is man the felde to which all were sent
¶ On bothe partyes & they that thyder went
¶ Sygnyfye nomore but after the condycyon
¶ Of euery manes opynyon
¶ And as for the noble knygt Perseueraunce
¶ Which gate the felde when it was almost gone
¶ Betokeneth nomore but the contynuaunce
¶ Of vertuous lyvyng tyll dethe hath auergone
¶ Who soo wyll doo rewarded is anone
¶ As Vertue was with the crowne on hy
whiche is noo more but euerlastyng glory
¶ And as for Prestynacyon[4]
¶ That eche of hem rewarded after his deserte
¶ Is to vnderstonde nomore but dampnacyon
¶ To vycyous people is the verey scourge smert
¶ Rewarde for they fro Vertue wolde peruert
¶ And endelesse Ioye is to hem that be electe
¶ Rewarded & to all that folow the same secte
