For theyr loue moste in the worlde is set The whiche the loue of God slaulyche doth let And for the loue of this worldes vanyte A man at the last for barred may be From the hye heauen where all ioye is There a man shall dwell without ende ywys But a great clarcke telleth that is Bartylmewe There be two worldes pryncypally to eschewe And that one worlde is inuysyble and clene And that other bodely as men may sene And the ghostly worlde that no man may se Is the hye heauen where God sytteth in trynyte And thyther shall we come and there lyue ay If that we thytherwarde holde the ryght way Nowe wyll I no longer vpon this matter stande For soone after it shall come more to hande BUt the same worlde that men may here se In two partyes well deuysed may be For both partyes men may well knowe For that one is hye and that other lowe The hyer lasteth from the moone ful euen To the hyest place of the sterred heauen And that worlde is bryght and fayre For there is no corrupcyon but clene ayre But sterres and Planettes bryght shynynge As euery man may there haue vnderstandynge But the lowest worlde that may befall Conteyneth holly the Elamentes all And in this worlde is both well and wo And ofte tyme chaungeth both to and fro To some it is softe and to some men harde As ye shall here soone afterwarde But that worlde that passeth all maner thynge Was made for mannes endeles dwellynge For euery man there shall haue a place Euer to be in ioy that here hath grace And that was made for our aduauntage For there is ordeyned our kynde herytage But that other worlde that lower is atwyne Where that the sterres and planettes be set in God ordeyned onely for our behoue By this reason that I shall proue For the eyre from thence and the hete of the SoÌ„ne Susteyneth the earth here where that we woÌ„ne And noryssheth all thynge that fruyte here gyueth To helpe man and beest that in earth lyueth And tempreth our kynde and our complexyon And setteth the tymes of the yere in theyr season And gyueth vs lyght here where that we dwell Elles were this worlde as darke as hell And the lowest worlde was made for man And for these encheasones that I tell can For man shulde therin haue his dwellynge And lyue in Goddes seruyce and do his byddynge And holde his coÌ„maundementes and done his wyll Them to knowe and kepe and flye all euyll And here to be proued in ghostly battayles Of many ennemyes that man often assayles So that throughe ghostly myght and vyctorye He may gete to hym endeles glorye And haue than the crowne of endeles blysse Where all ioye is that neuer shall mysse Twayne worldes togyther here may befall That all men may earthly call One is this dale that is our dwellynge Another is man that is therin abydynge And this same dale that we dwell in Is full of sorowe and all maner synne That of wyse Clarckes in bokes called is The more worlde that men may knowe by this And of the lesse worlde yet wyll I nought speke For in to that matter soone I wyll brekâ— And of the more worlde yet wyll I tell Or I go further therin to dwell Than wyll I tell afterwarde as it falleth The cause why men a man the worlde calleth THe more worlde God wolde in earth set For it shulde to man be subget Man to serue after his owne delyte And so God ordeyned for mans proffyte But nowe this worlde that man lyueth in So wycked is and so full of synne For many maketh the worlde theyr soueraygne So that all theyr workes tourneth in to vayne And some man doth therto all that he may To serue the worlde both nyght and day But this worlde is nothynge elles But the condycyon of men that therin dwelles For the worldely men knowe may nought But by the condycyons that they hath wrought For what myght men by the worlde vnderstande If none worldely men lyued in lande But he that serueth the worlde and hath therto loue Serueth the worlde and nothynge God aboue For the worlde is here the deuylles seruaunt And he that it serueth and therto wyll graunt And many a man nowe after the worlde lysteneth But I holde hym nat wyse that theron trusteth For this worlde is false and deceyuable And in all thynges wonderly vnstable Therfore I holde a man nothynge wytty That aboute the worlde maketh hym besy For a man may nat Goddes seruaunt be But he the maners of the worlde wyll fle 〈◊〉 he may nat loue God but he the worlde dyspyse 〈◊〉 the holy Gospell sayeth in this wyse ¶ â—emo potest duobâ—s 〈◊〉 â—eruire aâ—t vnum odio habebit 〈…〉 vnum susâ—inebit asterum contempâ—â—et ¶ He sayeth no man can serue God at wyll Neyther two lordes that he ne doth full euyll For els he shall hate one in his dede And that other loue in his manhede Other he shall mayntayne that one outryght 〈◊〉 that other despyse and set full lyght The worlde is Goddes ennemye and so men shulde it call For it is contraryous to his workes all 〈◊〉 so be euerychone that the worlde loueth well As the holy euangelyst sayeth in the Gospell ¶ 〈◊〉 vust esse amicus hâ—ius muÌ„dâ— inimicus dei coÌ„stitultur ¶ 〈…〉 he that wyll the worldes frende be Goddes ennemye forsoth than is he And sore worldly men greueth God ywys Therfore the Apostell in his epystell sayth this ¶ Noâ—â—te diligere mundum nec ea que in mundo suâ—â—t ¶ Loue nought the worlde sayeth he Ne nothynge that in the worlde may be For all that is in this worlde that any man teâ—â— can Other it is couytous or lust of flesshe of man Other couytous of eyen that men may with loke Other pryde of lyfe as wytnesseth the boke ¶ Omne quod est in mundo aut est concupiscentia carnis aut concupiscentia ocuâ—orum aut superbia vite ¶ Couytous of flesshe that is seynge That parteyneth to a mannes lust or lykynge Couytous of eyen as euery man may gesse Is ryches that coÌ„meth to a man with blysse And pryde of lyfe that men kepeth in thought And euer desyreth to great honour to be brought And lyckynge and lust of flesshely maiestye Engendreth the foule synne of lecherye But God made the worlde as he is wytnes For to serue man in all maner of goodnes Wherefore is man seruaunt to the worlde than And make hym the worldes bonde man Syth he may serue God and euer be â—re And out of the worldes thraldom be But wolde a man knowe ryght as he shulde What the worlde is and her falsenes beholde He shulde haue no wyll as I vnderstande After the worlde any thynge to fonde Lo what sayth Bartholomewe the great clarke That speaketh of the worlde and of her warke ¶ Mundus nichil aliud est ê™ quodâ—am exilium erumpna labore
befall The more is theyr trauayle and sorowe with all But nowe moche shorter be mannes dayes As Iob the good man openly sayes ¶ 〈◊〉 quid non paucitas diâ—rum meorum finietur breu◠¶ Nowe he sayeth my shorte dayes that fewe were Shall come to ende in lytell tyme here And when a man waxeth to be olde Than begynneth his kynde to be feable and colde And than chaungeth his complexyon And his maners tourne vp so downe Than waxeth his herte full heuy and harde And his heade feble and euer downwarde Than reueleth his face euermore and more And fouler waxeth than it was before His wyt is short when he ought thynketh â—is nose droppeth his onde stynketh His syght waxeth dym he loketh vnder the browe His barke is croked he stopeth full lowe His eares waxeth death and hearde to here And his tongue to speake is nothynge clere Soone he is wroth and waxeth all frowarde To tourne hym from wrath it is harde He is couytous and fast holdynge And heuy of chere and euer lourynge He prayseth olde men and holdeth them wyse And yonge men hym lysteth to dyspyse And often is sycke and begynneth to grone And often angrye and playneth hym soone An these thynges to an olde man befalleth That Clarckes propertyes of age calleth Thus men may se that rede can The condycyons that be in an olde man ¶ Here ye may here of the ende of a mannes lyfe ☜ THe last ende of mannes lyfe is harde When that he draweth to deathwarde For when he is sycke in any wyse So feable that he may nat aryse Than be men in doubte and vncertayne Whyther he shall euer recouer agayne And yet can some men that be sley Knowe whyther he shall lyfe or dye Throughe certayne tokens in pounce and breath That falleth to a man that draweth to death For than begynneth his front downewarde to fall And his browes waxeth heuy with all And the lefte eye of hym shall seme lasse And nerer than that other eye was And his nose before shall sharpe become And his chyne than downe shall be nome And his pounce shall haue no meuynge His fete waxe colde and his wombe doth clynge And yf a yonge man nere his death be Euer he is wakynge for slepe may nat he And yf an olde man drawe towarde death He shall nat from slepe kepe hym vnneth Clarckes telleth that these tokens echone Be in a man when he shall dye soone For when a man lyueth he is lyke a man But whan he is blodeles and becoÌ„meth wan Than may a man his lykenes there se And all chaunged as neuer had ben he And when his lyfe is brought to the ende Than shall he hence in this maner wende Both poore and naked as he hyther come When from his mothers wombe he was nome For he brought with hym nothynge that day And so he shall hence passe away But it be onely a wyndynge cloth That shall aboute hym be wrapped forsoth For when the lyfe wyndeâ—h from hym away Than is he but foule earth and clay That tourneth to more corrupcyon aboute Than any caryon that lyeth there oute For the corrupcyon of hym in euery syde If it lye aboue grounde longe in any tyde It myght than the eyre so corrupte make So that men shulde theyr death therof take So soule stynkynge it is and so vyolent And so wytnesseth the clarcke Innocent ¶ Quid enim fetidius humano cadauâ—râ— Quid 〈◊〉 homine mortuo c. ¶ He sayeth what thynge may fouler be Than a deade mannes body is for to se And what is more horryble in any place Than is to behelde a deade mannes face And when it is in earth by wounde Wormes wyll do eate it in a lytell stounde Tyll that foule flessâ—e away be ybyte And thus I fynde in holy boke ywryte ¶ â—um autem moritur homo hereditabit â—erpenteâ— verines ¶ The boke sayeth that when a man shall dye As his kynde herytage he taketh the way To wormes and adders that foule be of syght For to them falleth mannes flesshe by ryght Therfore shall euery man after earth slepe Amonge foule wormes that on them shall crepe And they shall gnawe his foule â—arkayes And so sayeth holy wryt and speaketh this wayes ¶ Omnes enim in puâ—uere doimienâ— verâ—es operient 〈◊〉 ¶ That is in earth shall slepe euery man And wormes shall eare them from the â—oe to the pan For in this worlde so wytty man is none Neyther so fayre in flesshe ne bone Neyther Emperour Kynge ne Ceaseâ— Ne none other Lorde what state he haue here Neyther ryche ne poore ne bonde ne fre Learned ne lewde what euer he be That he ne shall tourne after his last day To earth and to powdre and to foule clay Therfore in my thought I haue moche wonder 〈…〉 That no man in earth vnneth wyll it se What he was and is and what he shall be But who that wyll here in his herte cast What he fyrste was and shall be at the last And also what he is whyle he lyueth here He shulde than fynde full lytell matâ—ere To make any myrth here whyle he dwelleth As a wyse vereyfyour in his verse telleth ¶ Si quie sentuet quo tendet vnde veniret Numê™ gauderet set in omni tempore fleret ¶ He sayeth who that wyll fele and se Whence he coÌ„meth and whyther shall he All maner myrthes he shulde forsake And euer wepe and sorowe make For who that of a man had than a syght When wormes had gnawen hym out ryght And eaten his flesshe in to the harde bone So horryble a syght sawe he neuer none As he myght se in that carkayes As saynt Bernarde wytnesseth and sayes ¶ Post hominem vermis post vermen fetor horror Et sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo ¶ He sayeth after death man is worme become And after wormes to stenche he is nome And so euery man here tourned shall he be Fro man in to no man as it were nat he Thus may mense as it is wryte Howe that a man in his mother is behyght And of this matter more myght I tell But no lenger theron thynke I to dwell ¶ Here begynneth the seconde parte of this boke that speaketh of the worlde ALl this worlde here both longe and brode God it made for mannes gode And al other thyngê as clarckes can proue He made onely for mannes byhoue If a man loue any thyng more by any way Than he doth God that in heuen is on hye Than is that man to God vnkynde That so lytell on hym setteth his mynde For God is more worthye loued to be Than any creature that men may se Syth he is the begynnynge of all maner thynge And of all thynge make shall an endynge And thus I say by them that gyueth them ofte To the worldes lykynge that thynketh them lofte And loueth all thynge that therto falleth And suche men worldely men me calleth
rerum habundancia eterna dampnacionis sunt indicia ¶ He sayth contynuall hele and worldly wele As to moche ruches and goodes fele Be tokens as in boke wryten is Of hell dampnacyon endles ywys And to these wordes that some men mysspeaketh Accordeth saynt Gregory and thus he sayeth ¶ Continuus successus rerum temperasium eterne dampnacioâ—â— est iudicium ¶ He sayeth that contynuall hap coÌ„mynge Of worldly goodes is a tokenynge Of dampnacyon that at the last shall be Before God that then shall fall without pyte But the worlde prayseth none men onely But them that to the worlde be happy And vpon wordly thynges setteâ—â— theyr herte And euer flyeth the symple state of pouerte Suche men be besy and gathereth fast And fareth as theyr lufe shulde euermore last To them the worlde is queynt and fauourable Iâ— all thynge that thynketh them profytable And can moche of worldly queyâ—tyse The worlde calleth them good men and wyse And to them falleth ryches many folde But it is theyr dampnacyon as I haue tolde For in heauen may no man haue an home That foloweth the worlde and his wysoome And suche wysdome sayeth a wyse clarcke and 〈◊〉 That before God it is holde but foly ¶ Sapiencia huâ—u◠〈…〉 ¶ But many to the worlde mothe lystetâ— And he is nat wyse that theron trusteth For it ledeth a man with wrynches and wyles And at the last hym it begyles A man may be calde both wytty and wyse That setteth the worlde at lytell pryse And hateth the thynges that the worlde loueth moste And thynketh to blysse to brynge his ghoste And to the worlde trusteth ryght nought But euer in that other worlde setteth his thought For no sure dwellynge shall we here fynde As the apostell Paule wytnesseth thus sayende ¶ Non manentem ciuitatem hiâ— habemus set futuram inquitimus ¶ He sayeth no sure dwellynge here haue wâ— But seke we another that euer shall be And as geâ—â—â—s haue our soâ—â—urne A lytell tyme tyll we hence tourne And that may fall rather than we wenâ— For man is here but as an alyaâ—e To trauayle here in way all tymes To wende in to our countre as doth pylgryines Therfore the Prophete vnto God speaketh thus As Dauid in the Psalter telleth to vs. ¶ 〈…〉 aduena ego sum apud te 〈…〉 vt omnes patres mei c. ¶ Be thou styll Lorde sayeth he For why I am coÌ„mynge towarde the And a pylgryme as all my fathers were Thus may euery man se that lyueth here That is to say Lorde be thou nat styll That 〈◊〉 make me here knowe thy wyll And 〈…〉 to my soule thou gyue That may make her both glad and blyue And say thus therto I am thy saluacyon For thou arte my pylgryme trowe in deuocyon ¶ Of two wayes in this worlde TWo wayes there be in this worlde full ryfe One is way of death another of lyfe This worlde is the way and also passage Throughe the whiche lyeth our pylgrymagâ— By this way all we must nedes go And eche man beloueth that it is so In this worlde be two wayes of kynde Who that wyll assay the soth he may fynde One is the way of death here tolde And that other is the way of lyfe holde But the way of death semeth large and easy For that may vs lede euen and lyghtly To the horryble lande of darckenes Where sorowe and payne is and wretchydnes But the way of lyfe semeth narowe and harde That ledeth vs euen to our countre warde And that is the kyngdome of heauen bryght Where we shall be in Goddes syght And as Goddes sones there ben ytolde If we do well both yonge and olde For the way of the worlde is here vnstable And our lyfe also well chaungeable As often is sene in many maner wyse Through tempest of wethers that maketh men anguyse For the worlde and the worldly lyfe yfere Chaungeth full ofte and in dyuers manere And in her state dwelleth but a whyle Unneth the space of a lytell myle And for the worlde is so vnstedfast For all thynge theron soone is ouercast Of the vnstedfastnes of this worlde GOd ordeyned as it was his wyll Uaryaunce of the season to fulfyll And dyuers wethers and other seasones In token of the false worldes condycyones That so vnstable be to mannes hande That lytell tyme in theyr state may stande For God wyll that men throughe tokens may knowe Howe vnstable the worlde is in euery throwe So that men theron the lesse shulde trust And for no welth theron to moche haue lust The tymes chaungeth often and be nat in one state For nowe is the morenynge and nowe it is late And nowe it is day and nowe it is nyght And nowe it is darcke and nowe it is lyght And nowe is there colde and nowe great hete And nowe it is drye and nowe it is wete And nowe it is hayle and snowe full stronge And nowe fayre wether and Sonne shyne amonge And nowe is the wether clere and fayre with all And nowe it is darcke and rayne doth downe fall By all the varyaunce men may vnderstande Are tokens of the worlde that is varyande â—et there be mo tokens that we may lere Of the vnstablenes of this worlde here For nowe is great myrth and nowe mournynge And nowe is laughter and nowe wepynge And nowe men be well and nowe be wo And nowe is a man frende and nowe is fo And nowe is a man lyght and nowe is heuy And nowe is a man glad and nowe is drery And nowe haue we ioy and nowe haue we pyne And nowe haue we cattayle and nowe we it tyne And nowe we be ryche and nowe we be poore And nowe we haue lytell and nowe we haue more And nowe we haue rest and nowe we haue trauayle And nowe fynde we our strength what it may auayle And nowe we be great and nowe we be bare And nowe we be well and nowe we be in care And nowe we be lyght and nowe we be slowe And nowe we be hye and nowe we be lowe Nowe loue nowe hate nowe peace and stryfe All these be the maners of mannes lyfe That euer betokeneth moche vnstedfastnes Of this worldes welth that so chaungeable is And as this lyfe is euer away passynge So is the worlde euery day apparynge For the worlde to her ende draweth fast As clarckes by many thynges can cast Therfore the worlde as clarckes hath me tolde Is as moche to mene as the worlde that is olde For two earthly worldes to this lyfe befalleth As tolde is before as clarckes it calleth But the more worlde and also the lesse Full chaungeable be and away doth passe The more worlde is this worlde longe and brode But the lesse worlde is lykened to manhode ¶ Howe the rowndenes of this worlde is lykened to a man ANd as the more worlde is rownde yset So is the lesse as a man that is mer For in y â— brede of a man
as god worlde sende As moche space fro the longe fyngers ende Of the ryght hande the armes out spredynge To the fyngers ende of the left hande out stretchynge And also fro the top aboue at the crowne Streyght to the soole of the fote there downe Than yf a man his armes out sprede No more is the lenght of hym than is the brede And so may a man be met all aboute Euer as acompas hym selfe without And thus hath the lesse worlde that a man is Euen after the shape of the more worlde ywys But these two worldes the more and the lesse At the last tyme away shall passe For the more eldre that they shall bere The more they enpereth and become feblere As me â— may se that gyueth here entent And so wytnesseth the great clarcke Innocent ¶ Senuit iam muÌ„dus vâ—erque maior mundus minor quanto proluxius vtriusque senectus ê“ducitus tantâ— deterniâ— vtriusque natura conprobatur ¶ He sayeth as it is in latyne tolde Eyther worlde nowe waxeth full olde And the longer that theyr tyme is here sought And the age of eyther other forth ybrought The more in malyce aâ—d in feblenes ywys The kynde of eyâ—her other mâ—â—led â—s Of the condycyons of worldlyâ—â—â— OF those worldly meÌ„ great outrage meÌ„ may se Of pompe and pryde and all vanyte In dyuerse maner and in dyuerse guyse That nowe is vsed in many maner wyse In worldly hauynge and hye bearynge As in ydle apparyle and foule werynge The whiche asketh ouer great costage And at the last it tourneth to moche outrage For suche dysguysynge and suche manere As yonge men nowe hath as we may lere For nowe is euery day contynually say That myght before haue be by no way For thynge that somtyme was called vylonye Nowe yonge men holdeth it for great curtesye And that men somtyme for curtesye wolde call Aâ—we in lytell tyme to bylonye it is fall For nowe maketh men so oft theyr chaungynge In many maners and also of dyuerse clothynge Nowemen vseth short clothes and nowe wyde And other whyle narowe clothes and ouer syde And some haue theyr clothynge hangynge as stooles And some goeth tatered as it were fooles And some goeth wryckynge towarde and fro And some goeth skyppynge as doth ado And so vseth men all the newe get And therwith the deuyll taketh them in to his net And throughe suche vncomely pompe and pryde They ne wote whyther they may gone or ryde For so moche pryde as nowe is ywene Was neuer before amonge men sene For suche guyses that coÌ„meth of wantonhede I trowe that they may be tokens drede Of great myschyfes and hasty to vnderstande That is nowe in to this worlde coÌ„mande And therfore Goddes wrath with them shall mete As wytnesseth Dauid the prophete ¶ Etirritauerunt deum in vanitatibus suis. ¶ And they meued hym to wrath sayth he In theyr newe fyndynges of vanyte This may be called as the boke proueth By them that suche dysguyses vseth For suche men therwith God greueth And therfore from them his grace he reueth And God at the last to them wyll sende Great vengeaunce but they them amende God suffreth them a whyle to haue theyr wyll And in theyr folyes for to abyde styll And that may be knowen by many maner of guyse As saynt Dauid wytnesseth in this wyse ¶ Eâ— dimisi â—os secundum desideria cordis eorum ¶ The prophere Dauid speaketh and sayeth thus In Goddes name as the Psalter telleth vs I let them he sayeth without all maner couerte After iustes and lykynge of theyr owne herte And in theyr newe fyndynges they shall go Well may this be sayde by them and other mo That God suffreth in folye and theyr tyme leseth And after theyr lustes newe fyndynges cheseth That to the worlde maketh them gay And from God tourneth both nyght and day And at the last they shall hence wende To the 〈◊〉 that be without ende Therfore I counceyll all vanyties to forsake And in this worlde betymes amendes make yet hath the worlde that is so trecherous Many other maners that be contraryous For nowe is vertue tourned in to vyce And playeth myrth and game in to malyce And nowe is deuocyon in many a mannes syde Tourned all in to boste and to foule pryde And nowe is wyt and wysdome holde folye Both amonge yonge and olde tourned to trecherye And nowe is folye holde great wysdome And therto is tourned nowe both mayster and grome And nowe is clene loue tourned to lecherye And all ryghtfulnes in to trecherye And thus is this worlde tourned vp so downe To many a mannes soule great dampnacyown But suche semeth as they were wode For good thynge they holde euyll and euyll thynge gode Wo shall they be therfore as clarckes can tell For God hym selfe wytnesseth it in the Gospell Wo to you sayth Chryst that thynketh with your wyll That euyll thynge is good and good thynge euyll That is to say that them selfe shulde be wo That in this worlde myslyueth theyr lyfe so And thus is the worlde and mannes lyfe therin Full with vanyte and wretchednes of synne But some men loueth so moche this lyfe And also the worlde that is full of stryfe And so they thynke neuer to wende there fro But euer to dwell here yf it myght be so And loueth so moche this worldes vanyte And neuer desyreth here in other lyfe to be But wolde a man well hym vnderstande That the worlde is besy a man for to shoâ—de And what he shall haue therof at the last ende When he shall from the worlde wende Than shulde hym lyst both nyght and day To forsake myrthes and synge well away A man therfore must suche workes forsake And to Goddes mercye all his herte take And lede here his lyfe in mekenes and pouert In fâ—stynge and in penaunce and other workes smert And knowe his conseyence that is inwarde To haue the ioy of heauen than afterwarde And thus shulde euery man hym well be thynke If he wyll Goddes grace in hym synke Nowe haue I tolde you in dyuerse manere The condycyons of maÌ„nes lyfe and of the worlde here And nowe I wyll passe furthermore And speake of the thyrde parte and of his lore That telleth specyally as I shall rede Of death and wherfore it is to drede ¶ Here begynneth the thyrde parte of this boke that speaketh of death DEath is moste dredefull thynge that is In all the worlde as the boke wytnesseth this For there is no quycke thynge lyuynge That agaynst death is sore dredynge Fleeth it as long as he may but at last it is deathes pray And when death coÌ„meth and maketh debate All thynge he bryngeth in to another state For no man may agaynst hym stande Whyther he come by water or by lande ¶ Of thre maners of death AS Clarckes fynde wryten they redeth Thre maners of death ben y â— men dredeth One is bodely that after kynde doth wende And y e
dolore doso tristicia plenus ¶ He sayth that the worlde is nothynge elles But an harde exyle that a man in dwelles Both darcke and dym and a dolefull dale That is full of sorowe and eke of bale And a place full of all wretchydnes Of anger and trauayle and all besynes Of sorowe and synne and of all folye Of shendshyp also and eke vylonye Of flyttynge also and of moche taxyinge Of moche greuaunce also and moche mournynge Of all maner of fylth and corrupcyon Of moche wrath and extorcyon And fill of gyle and of falshed Of great debate and contynuall dred So that in this worlde is nought man to auaunce But moche sorowe and harde myschaunce And pompe and pryde with foule couytyse With vayne glorye and slouth that men ofte vse The worlde to hym draweth all men And so dysceyueth his louers then And to many is greuous and to fewe auayleth For his louers he dysceyueth and fayleth And all that despyseth hym he awayteth fast And thynketh them soone in to myschyfe cast For them that he loueth he wyll socour And make them ryche and great of honour And to begyle them he thynketh ar the last And into great myschyfe he wyll them cast Therfore worldly worshyp may be tolde I vanyte that dysceyueth both yonge and olde And worldly rychesse howe so it come I holde nought elles but as fantome The worlde hath many a man with vanyte defyled And with pompe and pryde ofte them begyled Therfore an holy man as ye may here Speaketh vnto the worlde in this manere ¶ O munde inmunde vtinam ita inmaundus esses vt me non tangeres aut ita mundus esses vt me non conquares ¶ And that is in englyshe thus moche for to meâ—â— O thou worlde he sayth that euer arte vnclene Why myght thou nat euer so vnclene be That thou shuldest neuer nyghe me Other be so clene in thy werkes all That thou make me in to no synne fall ¶ Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto the see ☜ THe worlde may by many encheason Be lykened to foure thynges by good reason Fyrste may the worlde be lykened ywys Most proprely to the see that long brode is For the see after her owne certayne tyde Ebbeth and floweth and may nat abyde And throughe stormes waxeth kene and blowes And than ryseth tempestes and stronge wawes â–ª So fareth the worlde with his fauour Bryngeth a man in to ryches and to honour But afterwarde than he casteth hym a downe In to moche pouerte and trybulacyown And those be the great stormes and kene That bryngeth a man in sorowe and tene ¶ Howe the worlde may be lykened vnto a wyldernes YEt may the worlde that is brode and wyde Be lykened to a wyldernes in euery syde That is full of bestes that be wylde As Lyons Lybardes and Wolfes vnmylde That wyll strangle men and dystroye And slee theyr beestes and sore them noye So is this worlde full of mysdoers all aboute Of many tyrauntes that bryngeth men in doute That euer be besy both nyght and day Men to annoye in all that they may ¶ Howe the worlde maya be lykened vnto a Forest. ☜ ALso the worlde lykened may be To a forest that standeth in a wylde couÌ„tre That is full of theues wylde our lawes That often tymes to suche forest drawes HauÌ„teth theyr hyre passe robbeth reueth Both men and women and nothynge leueth So fareth this worlde that we in dwell Is full of theues that be deuylles of hell That vs awayteth and euer be besy 〈◊〉 to â—obbe and reue our goodes ghostly ¶ Howe the worlde may be lykened to a battell in a felde ANd yet is this worlde as ye shall here May thus be lykened in the fourth manere To a fayre felde full of dyuers battayles Of straunge ennemyes y â— eche day vs assayles For here we be brought in great doute And set with ennemyes all harde aboute And pryncypally with these ennemyes thre But agaynst them well armed we mught be That is the worlde the fende and thy flesshe That eche day assayleth vs lyke freshe Therfore vs behoueth both day and nyght For to be redy agaynst them to fyght THe worlde as clarckes doth vs to vnderstande Agaynst vs fyghteth euer with double hande Both with the ryght hande and the left also That euer yet hath yben our flesshe fo And welth the ryghthande may ben tolde And the left hande is hap and angers colde For the ryght hande assayleth men some whyle With welth of the worlde them to begyle And that is welth without anger and dolour Of worldly ryches and great treasour And with the left hande he assayleth estsoone And maketh men sory often and grone And that is anger and trybulacyon And also pouerte and moche persecucyon Suche thynges Clarckes the left hande calleth That in this worlde amonges men falleth And with the worlde coÌ„meth dame fortune soone That eyther hande chaungeth as the newe moone For euer he tourneth aboute her whele Somtyme in to wo and somtyme to wele And when she letteth the whele aboute go Somtyme she tourneth from well in to wo And eftsones agayne form wo in to blysse And thus tourned her whele often is And that whele Clarckes nought els calleth But hap or chaunce that sodaynly falleth And suche hap men holdeth nothynge elles But wrath or haâ—e that in men dwelles Therfore worldly wleth is euer more in doubte Whyle dame fortune tourneth her whele aboute Wherfore perfyte men that good lyfe lede The welth of the worlde sore they drede For welth draweth a man from the ryght way And ledeth hym from God both nyght and day Thus may eche man drede welth who that can And so sayth saynt Ierome the good holy man The more he sayth that a man waxeth vp ryght In welth other in any worldly myght The more he shulde haue drede in thought That from the blysse he ne fall nought ¶ Quanto magis in virtutibus crescimus can to 〈◊〉 â—mere debemuâ—nt sublimius corruâ—mus ¶ To this accordeth a clarcke SEneca the wyse That counceyleth vs the worlde to despyse ¶ Tune salubre consiliuÌ„ adâ—oca cuÌ„ tibi affuduÌ„t muÌ„di despera ¶ Seneca sayeth and gyueth good counceyll When this worlde maketh his merucyll Than seche thy wyt and after counceyllâ—all That moche welth make the nat fall For welthynes is but a shadowe somdele darcke And so sayth saynt Gregory the noble clarcke ¶ 〈◊〉 fortunis timenda est magis 〈◊〉 prospera ê™ adnersa ¶ Saynt Gregory sayeth in this maâ—er That yf euery hap be for to drede here yet is hap of welth to drede more Thaâ— any 〈◊〉 sorowe thoughe it greue sore For anger manâ—es lyfe cleâ—seth and proueth And welth to synne a man soone moueth And so may man his soule lyghtly spyll Throughe welthes that men haue at theyr wyll And so coÌ„meth afterwarde to endles payne And so wytnesseth the doctour saynâ— Auâ—ayne ¶ Sanitas continuâ—â— et