bolde And do here after for thyn auayle Thus mayst thou come without trauayle To rychesse so thou autoyde reason If thou thus do without fayle No more wyll I saye at this season The auctour ¶ Whan this fals catyf had thus sayd I was abstracte nere fro my mynde His wordes made me sore afrayde That I vnstable was as the wynde Aboute me socour coude I none fynde For fere I quaked colde were my fete I had in me as good a mynde As hath a gose vpon a spete That whiche reason dyde me counsayle Was good holsome and reasonable Dysceyte contrarye dyde me assayle Shewynge me craftes dysceyuable Thus was my mynde as varyable As a fane strondynge in the wynde In no purpose ferme nor stable As now a dayes we may fynde As I thus laye troubled full sore Wysedome retourned to me agayne More prudent than he was before Whiche with his langage dyscrete playne Exorted me for to refrayne Me fro that thefe decepcyon And than reason sholde me mayntayne And thus sayd he in conclusyon ¶ Wysedome wysedome DOst thou trust falshode or dysceyte A poore man they wyll the dyffame They loue but dyscorde and debate They prayse the yll good doth blame And they pryncypally are the same Whiche bryngeth man to the pytte of hell Trust in reason moost noble of fame Whiche no thynge doth but that is well That man is madde that leueth reason Vnto dysceyte for to be lenynge He that so doth after in brefe season Ayenst hym selfe is murmurynge Therfore be thou the withdrawynge For of hym venym doth dyscende Lyue after reason aboue all thnge For who well lyueth well doth ende How many dayly doost thou se That leuynge reason them selfe assure In falshode hauynge grete dygnyte Fro poore men takynge theyr pasture In this extorcyon they longe endure By falshode getynge good mundayne But whan that knowen is theyr nature They he made poore by chaunce sodayne We haue ofte sene grete wyndes blowe And with a lytell rayne ouercome So many men be brought full lowe Before exalted by fals custome Some rayed in scarlet and other some Arayed in golde tyssue and veluet The one after vnto the swerde become The other trayned vnto the gybet If that they had trusted in reason Leuynge falshode that dysceyuour They sholde not haue had suche confusyon But styll haue lyued in theyr honour Reason that lady of grete valour Doth nought that is to repreue But dysceyte that fals traytour His chefe subgertes doth myschefe Syth that rychesse is so varyable Wherfore take we therfore suche payne Consyderynge our lyfe so vnstable From deth we can vs not refrayne The daye and houre is vncertayne Therfore let vs lyue scarsely For this is a thynge moost certayne That fyrst or last we must nedes dye Dysceyte in his fyrst begynnynge To eche man well ynough doth sounde But an euyll deth is his endynge His scolers thus doth he confounde But hym that in rychesse doth abounde By reason goten eche man doth prayse In dysceyte suche ende is founde That euery man doth it dysprayse By reason well mayst thou obtayne Rychesse mundayne suffycyently Who that hath none bydeth in payne And ofte is entreted vncurteysly Who hath not money and that largely Were he as holy as was saynt poule Where euer he goth contynually He shall be taken but for a fole Who that by reason doth good purchace He lyueth therwith ryght merely To his pleasour with grete solace But yf that ony thrugh enuye Wolde do hym wronge or iniurye He must to god call for socoure And than shall he full hastely Hym ayde and helpe at euery houre Thus in my bedde sore troubled layde Halfe releued was my courage I toke good hede to that he sayd For he was wyse dyscrete and sage And thynkynge it for myn auauntage Submytted me to the grace dyuyne I knowe dysceyte by his outrage Wolde me haue brought vnto ruyne So purposed I fully to take The counsayle of my lady reason And dysceyte vtterly forsake With his falshode and abusyon Than beynge of this opynyon Reason dyde vnto me appere With her face bryght as the sonne Arayed in a ryche manere This lady was ryght gracyous Pleasaunt curteys and amyable On me lokynge with chere Ioyous With a salutacyon ryght honourable For this fals caytyfe myserable Dysceyte with his seruauntes two For all theyr chere abhomynable At her comynge dyde fro me go Reason Reason I Am gladde of the perfyte vyctorye Whiche thou hast obteyned this nyght It shall be to the ryght merytorye In the hygh trone that is so lyght Wysedome with his noble myght Hath ben for the a good solycytour But syth thou hast agreed to the ryght Now shalte thou be my seruytour I gyue the in cōmaundement For to serue me ferme and faythfully Haunt company wyse and prudent So shalte thou haue ryches largely I knowe that mannes mynde truly By temptacyon full ofte doth vary What I cōmaunde do thou gladly And to me reason be not contrary What man that I do sustayne I make clene from all maner vyce But he that falshode doth mayntayne Hateth concorde peas and Iustyce God wyll that thou leue malyce And vsurye in pryncypall Whiche thou must do yf thou be wyse With perfyte wyll and cordyall I kepe men in theyr fraunchyse I make the feble stronge and able Dysceyte to yll men doth atyse And doth nought that is profytable Be therfore constaunt ferme and stable Endue thy herte with forte and vertue So shalte thou dysceyte full myserable By godly wysedome strongly subdue Good name is better than rychesse The grace of god is full excellent Trust not in the fayre promesse Of dysceyte ne his termes eloquent Behaue thy selfe wyse and prudent Be ruled by grace and pacyence Bothe daye and nyght be dylygent To gete the treasour of sapyence And yf that god gyue the wysedome Be not therof proude nor gloryous But more symple se thou become Thankynge hym with chere pyteous Let thy mynde be euer vertuous Submyttynge the to thy creatour Whiche is so meke and gracyous That he wyll be thy gouernour With eche man be in charyte Begynnynge at thy selfe fyrst of all Let all thy dedes sounde vnto equyte To poore men be thou lyberall Men wyse and vertuous to the call Whiche shall the kepe from all domage Auoyde flaterers from thy hall The to dysceyue is theyr vsage With me abydeth none malycyous Tyraunt traytour nor cowarde But noble people wyse and vertuous And peas as chefe bereth the standarde Who casteth on me his regarde Shall suerly scape bothe hole and sounde Who in dysceyte hath his forwarde Whan he moost trusteth is brought to grounde If that by fortune thou haue aduersyte Without noyse pacyently endure God knoweth thy fragylyte Fro poynt to poynt I the ensure And yf dysceyte on the procure Auoyde the cause the tyme and place For without doute I the ensure Dysceyte stynketh in goddes face Where as is pryde myschefe is bye Therfore of
cat heuynes BEynge in this perturbacyon This chorle on me gaped full wyde I fered sore his entencyon Whan that I sawe hym by my syde He loked as he had ben fryde Of shape and colour was he full vyle Than he began with me to chyde In his langage whiche was subtyle Vpon my bely he set his knees And sayd his name was heuynesse With scarled bordred were his eyes Balde and full of vnlustynesse He semed fader of all vnthryftnesse Iagged and garded full vngay With a race fylled with falsnesse Berded lyke to a kytlynge of may Hym to beholde I was dysmayed Howe he of thynges past dyd clatter Many a newe tale to me he sayde He had well lerned for to patter Of thynges to come fast dyd he chatter Byddynge me call them to remembraunce He lyst no thynge with me to flatter But put me to extreme vttraunce He bad I sholde remember my dettys And brought me forthe my countynge boke He shewed me there of my receptes And me compelled theron to loke By fere constrayned me body quoke That power was past me for to speke That rybaude fered me with his loke That confort to me coude I none take Of his tourment what sholde I say I neuer was in suche encumbraunce He bode styll and went not away And dyd me moche more greuaunce Than all the other by theyr noysaunce And tourned me fro syde to syde To slepe he left me no suffraunce But fyresly styll at me dyd chyde This fals caytyf by his cruelnesse Troubled me that my wytte was gone He put me in so grete dystresse That my herte was colde as ony stone I knewe not to whome me for to mone So was I enuyroned rounde about They me tourmented so echone That of my lyfe I had grete dout ¶ Than rounde about me dyd I loke Fyrst of all same I pouerte And fals nede by the berde me shoke There were dystresse and necessyte Thought was in theyr companye And heuynes dyd clater fast All these syr so layde at me That fro my bed they me nere cast Than as I dyd my hede remeue About me lokynge for confort I sawe one come whiche dyd me greue More than all the other sorte He sayde his name was dysconfort Of colour was he pale and wan It nought auayled hym to exhort I sawe neuer suche an other man Disconfort By the hande fast he me toke And with grete myght dyd m constrayne Full sore me by the berde he shoke This these renewed all my peyne His encumbraunce wasted my brayne That often I wysshed that I were dede He wolde hym selfe no thynge refrayne But kept me styll fast by the hede In frowarde imaginacyon Dysconforte kept me a longe space He bad me in conclusyon To sue to hym after his grace Saynge that the tyme and space Ones lost coude not recouered be With suche termes dyd he me manase Than in conclusyon thus sayd he A poore man how shalt thou pay All thy dettes that are behynde Brede and drynke must thou puruay And a house to kepe the fro the wynde Bothe men and maydens must thou fynde With euery thynge that longeth them to Doth not fortune strongly the bynde Now let se how thou canst do What I this harde I was nere mad And often fortune cursed I The specyall cause why I was sad Was for my purse was clene empty Than was it nede I dyd espye My gowne to pledge vnto one I sawe there was no remedy Though that I had but that alone O blessyd iesu what may this be Maryed was I in an euyll chaunce To lyue in suche pouerte As I this sayd thesame instaunce Came to me Despayre in cruell ordonaunce One of the worst of all the sort She was chyef capytayne of theyr daunce And doughter vnto Dysconfort Despayre dysconfort This Despayre dyd me so assayle That lost was my dyscrecyon My face began to wax pale By fere of her cruell vexacyon So cruell was her perturbacyon Whiche on me she dyd extende That I thought in conclusyon Of my selfe to make an ende ¶ I was redy to renne here and there To clymbe vp hye and than to fall By my lyfe set I not an here By meanes of this furye infernall I thought who nedes to his deth shall It is but folye it to prolonge This is a worde sayde ouerall He that is drowned may no man hange And therfore thought I for to do The worst that eyther I coude or myght To sle my fader and moder also Yf I had founde them in my syght Than vnto my mynde came full ryght That I sholde dye no more but ones Wherfore dyspayre that wretched wyght Bad me go therto at ones I sawe well that without labour I neuer sholde sholde obteyne rychesse Fortune therof is gouernour To some she gyueth with largesse But I haue neyther more nor lesse So that I wery am of my lyfe Auoyde of ioyefull of dystresse Lo what it is to take a wyfe I se dysconfort doth me greue Despayre encreaseth my lang our That fote ne hande can I remeue Suche is my payne and my dolour Neyther thought I on worshyp ne honour On knyght squyer baron ne lorde My mynde was on no thynge that houre But to hange my selfe with a corde Or elles to lepe in to some ryuer And there with peyne my selfe to drowne I cared not in what maner I dyed so that my lyfe were done Despayre made me her champyon And had me so take in her snare That sodenly as I fell in suowne She me nere strangled or I was ware treason Despeyre AS I was in this perturbacyon I sawe a lady pleasaunt and bryght For to beholde her meke fassyon Sothly it was a pleasaunt syght Her caperon with parle was pyght With precyous stones about enlumynynge Her beaute full face shone as bryght As phebus doth in a may mornynge This lady standynge me before In her behauour was meke and lyberall Good and gracyous to ryche and poore She semed to me the quene celestyall A quene excellent I may her call For she was doughter shortly to say Vnto that meke lorde and immortall The whiche was borne on Chrystmas day Sore I desyred to knowe her name By cause she was of suche excellence She sayde reason whome none doth blame Than was I ryght glad of her presence This noble lady by her dylygence Approched nere vnto my syde Despayre anone gate her thens And dysconfort with her dyd glyde All the hole company dyd auoyde What tyme reason sat by me thus It was some wynde wolde me haue noyed Sende vnto me by myght of Eolus I trowe that Pluto or Neptunus Or mars chyef forger of batayle Or elles helporter Cerberus Engendred them me to assayle What sholde I say they fled that tyde Bothe despayre and the other rout Than was there none with me to chyde I rysynge vp loked rounde about Than of no thynge was I in doubt Whan reason began to speke softly Whan she had dryuen the
wyfe was euer in his presence Thynkest thou to entre he sayd cowarde Not hauynge our loue nor our lycence ¶ Besynesse ¶ Thynkest thou to entre without our leue In to this castell chefe grounde to rychesse Nay nay thou must hens remeue None entreth here but by mekenesse My wyfe Cure and I besynesse Haue suche offyce in this castell To vs obeyeth bothe more and lesse That hath intencyon therin to dwell By the fayre path of dylygence Thou arte come hyder as I byleue Yet mayst thou not here haue resydence Without our loue fauour and leue Thou mayst not entre therfore remeue For with the am I not content Auoyde or elles I shall the greue His wyfe than sayd incontynent ¶ Cure ¶ Gentyll husbonde holde hym excused He wyll obey vnto your coÌ„maundement Let not his mekenesse be refused He wyll nought without your assent I knowe hym wyse dyscrete prudent He wyll gladly do you homage So it wyll please you be content Of fauour to graunt hym passage CoÌ„maunde hym what so euer ye please And he shall do it without fallace He purposeth not you to dysplease But hym submytteth vnto your grace Prayenge that he may haue place In to this castell for to go He hath our fauour to purchace Good herte and good wyll also ¶ The auctour ¶ Than besynesse as a man full kynde Sayd syth thou hast suche socour My fauour redy shalte thou fynde The for to helpe at euery houre To here hym speke I had pleasoure Than sayd he syth thou hast reason Thou shalte not fayle of grete honoure With welth and rychesse in brefe season ¶ Besynesse The castell of laboure cure besines I That called am besynesse Vnto man rychesse do procure My wyfe also in all dystresse Doth man of her helpe assure This place is called by droyture The excellent castell of labour If thou here be I the ensure Thou must be besye in euery houre Syth thou arte in our subgeccyon Trust well thou shalte come to rychesse For whyle in thy mynde abydeth reason By no meane cannest thou haue skarsnesse I shall helpe the in all besynesse In this castell to ensue the trayne The capytayne therof and the maystresse Are called by name trauayle and payne Thou shalte in this place haue moche ad Mannes good wyll for to deserue Thou shalte skant fynde the meane therto The capytayne is so yll to serue Vnneth his byddynge canst thou obserue Without it be well done and a pace But in goodnesse thou the styll preserue Thou shalte be soone out of theyr grace Thus do I the afore aduerte Of the grete payne that thou shalte fynde Lest that after it sholde greue thy herte Therfore on wysedome set thy mynde The capytayne is somwhat vnkynde Whiche shall do to the grete rygour Eche thynge tourneth as the wynde Within this castell of labour ¶ The auctour ¶ All that shall do me none yll I shall assaye them for to please I haue founde good herte and good wyll With lust to do good whiche shall me case I trust no man for to dysplease Whyle I of them do take counsayle I wyll not let for no dysease To go in to this castell of trauayle cure besinesse THan besynesse cure brought me in to This castell ample and spacyous Shewynge me men and women also Sore workynge and none ocyous TheÌ„ to beholde was a thyÌ„ge meruaylous Bothe yonge and olde of euery facultye To labour was there none contraryous Eche one wolde afore his felawe be They smote with hambers that were stronge That to beholde I had grete wonder Suche a noyse was them amonge That it sounded lyke the thunder Some were aboue and some were vnder In theyr shertes labourynge for hete Some dyde peces breke in sunder Some agayne them togyder bete To beholde them I had delyte Seynge them worke so lustely That to labour I had appetyte Cure and besynesse that dydespye Whiche sayd vnto me shortly That yf I coude labour well They wolde gete me lycence gladly In that castell for to dwell Than to them answered I certayne That to labour I was content Than spake they to the capytayne Requyrynge hym for to assent He graunted me a place present Conuenyent for my degre There promysed I for to be dylygent So that in theyr fauour I myght be I set me downe vnto labour With besynesse and parfyte dylygence Trustynge therby to haue honour Cure and besynesse were not thens I was ryght glad of theyr presence For they taught me how I sholde do Vnto them I gaue audyence And what they sayd I agreed therto Than came the wyfe of the capytayne Goynge here and there trottynge They tolde me that her name was payne Eche mannes labour vysytynge Her handes and her forehede swetynge She taryed nomore in ony place Than doth a pursuyuaunt rydynge Whan he wolde purchace some grace Somtyme in her smocke rennynge fast No thynge tendynge to rest nor ease She ran styll whyle her breth wolde last Not sparynge for no dysease She was dylygent eche man to please And me behelde approchynge nere She sayd syr porter ye me dysplease For bryngynge of this straunger here ¶ Payne Syr besynesse that are porter Of this castell shewe me playne Who hath brought hyther this straunger I sawe hym neuer afore certayne Cometh he fro fraunce or fro brytayne I must knowe his cause and his entent He must submytte hym vnto my payne Or elles in vayne his tyme is spent ¶ Besynesse ¶ My lady payne haue ye no doute For hyther is he come truly With good herte and good wyll hym aboute Whiche hyther hath hym brough besely Lust to do good is to hym nye Whiche is a chylde ryght honourable Ye shall fynde hym to you redy Humble of herte and seruysable ¶ Cure ¶ My husbonde and I loue hym ryght well We shall helpe hym at euery nede Ye shall not nede hym â—â—ght to tell Therfore my lady haue ye no drede Euen as he doth gyue hym his mede And my husbonde shall be his borowe That in his labour he shall spede And neyther spare for payne nor sorowe ¶ Payne payne Cure YE saye bothe well and wysely I knowe not yet how he wyll preue For many one be soone wery Of labour whan it doth them greue But suche sothly be to repreue But we shall soone se what labour He can do or that he remeue To come to rychesse and honour ¶ The auctour ¶ Than payne to me approched nere Byddynge me labour dylygently And that I sholde in eche manere Do my besynesse well and wysely Not sparynge my body nor my bones And he that dyde not so truly Sholde auoyde that place at ones I tolde her that I had desyre To worke fast without fayne And for to folowe her pleasyre So that she sholde not complayne Saynge I trusted to obtayne By my labour welth and rychesse And that I sholde my setfe constrayne To be nere Cure and Besynesse ¶ Payne ¶ That is answered by
humylyte take comforte Fals flaterye se thou defye And tende no thynge to dyscomforte Beware falshode and yll reporte Auoyde robberye and all maner wronge If thou do as I the exorte In vertue shalte thou lyue full longe Thou mayst gete yf thou folowe me Rychesse mundayne in suffysaunce Without falshode or iniquyte Or doynge thy neyghbour ony greuaunce Thy good and yll in a balaunce Shall be weyed at the daye extreme And than after thyn ordynaunce The myghty Iuge shall the deme Therfore sone by me thou may Obteyne goodes mundayne eternall Lyue without thought in lowe aray Without ony payne corporall Of this rychesse that is temporall Thou mayst with Ioye haue here thy parte And the hyghe glorye celestyall Whan thy soule shall hens departe Beholde what two grete benefyces I ordayne for my seruytour Where other fylled with malyces By falshode lese all suche honours Periurers theues and seductours Saturate with synne and ordure Lyue here in castelles and in toures But theyr estate can not endure Robbery pykynge and cauyllacyon Thefte with falshode doth gouerne That fals tyraunt decepcyon And ledeth hym vnto the tauerne Fals vsurye doth dyscerne Theyr armes with his termes blasynge With pryde of all vyce lanterne Vnto theyr counseyll is lenynge Suche as they haue but small conscyence Wherfore se that thou them dyspyse They refuse vertue cunnynge and scyence Lenynge to ryotte suche is theyr guyse Wherfore dere sone I the aduyse Let not theyr power on the extende For yf it do I the promyse At tyborne wyll they make the ende If falshode thrugh his wylynes Exalte a man vnto honour And after yf that his ryches Be lost by some sodayne shoure They to whome ye dyde rygour Before wyll Ioye of his domage They wyll be redy at euery houre To hym to render his outrage One vnto another wyll saye Loke where he lyeth that was so ryche His good yll goten is now awaye And lo where he lyeth in the dyche We thought that his ende wolde be suche He hath lyued in welth to longe His scabbed skyn lo now doth ytche That he dare not come vs amonge Thus mayst thou se it is profytable To lyue truly in this mortall lyfe Getynge rychesse by meanes verytable Syth it yll goten encreaseth stryfe Who laboureth for rychesse excessyfe Weneth to come vnto hye estate But at the last he abydeth pensyfe And euery good man doth hym hate Leue therfore vyce and loue vertue If thou wylte lyue in lybertye And than men knowynge the good true Wyll be gladde of thy company But yet must thou haue humylyte With pacyence concorde thy way to dresse With fayth trouth and equyte If thou wylte gete heuenly rychesse Be thou symple of countenaunce Speke fayre with chere amyable Beware dysceyte and fere his launce Be not of purpose varyable It is a thynge abhomynable Vnde an abyde of faythfulnesse To haue a fals herte reprouable Full of wrathe yre and falsnesse Vnder the vmbre of veryte Many one vseth fals dyscepcyon Vsynge to speke ryght faythfully But falshode is in theyr entencyon Then thynke other to dysceyue by treason But theyr selfe dysceyued do they fynde But lerne this sone of me reason God knoweth euery mannes mynde God knoweth playne and clerely Mannes mynde thought and courage For he by his grace ineffably Made hym lyke to his owne ymage Sholdest thou not than do hym homage Whiche hath the gyuen so grete a benefyce Passynge all other in auauntage That is the realme of paradyse And after whan by dysobedyence Man was dampned to be in payne That hyghe lorde a lambe of innocence With his owne blode brought hym agayne This blessed lorde had no dysdayne For to become a man mortall And suffre deth with many a payne To make vs fre that erst were thrall This lorde chefe mayster of Iustyce Shall kepe his Iugement fynall Than some that there be moost of pryce Shall than be myserablest of all The poore and ryche shall be egall Eche man shall haue lyke audyence All mankynde there in generall Shall there abyde this Iuges sentence The aungelles shall theyr trumpettes blowe Callynge men to the Iugement Than euery man full well shall knowe How that he here his lyfe hath spent With an hygh voyce that lorde omnipotent Shall call my seruauntes with hym to dwell The badde all pensyf woo and dolent Perpetually shall be dampned to hell Now arte thou so that thou mayst chuse The harde waye of saluacyon Or elles yf thou wylte that abuse Thou fyndest the waye of perdycyon Do after me sone that am reason To auoyde the fendes cruell bonde And than that Iuge prynce of dyscressyon Shall the set on his ryght honde On the rayne bowe meke and propyce On hye shall syt that myghty lorde Hauynge on his one hande Iustyce And on the other myserycorde With them shall be peas and concorde And veryte shall be there playne This Iuge with these at one accorde Shall Iuge the lygnage humayne God shall my seruauntes vnto hym call With meke chere and countenaunce Vnto his hyghe sete emperyall But after another maner of chaunce He shall saye wordes of grete penaunce To falshode seruauntes whiche shall be dum Puttynge them to extreme vttraunce Ite maledicti in ignem eternum What shall theyr rychesse than auayle Whan they shall haue but ryghtwysnesse Eche man shall haue after his trauayle The good lyght and the yll derkenesse Some shall thynke it a daye of swetnesse But other some with crye and yell Shall thynke that daye of bytternesse Dyscendynge downe to the pytte of hell Therfore frende to thy selfe take hede Renounce falshode with all iniquyte This daye shall make the to haue drede If thou it call to mynde truly Who geteth rychesse here falsly Of hell paynes shall haue his parte And therfore hyther come am I Fro this payne the to dyuerte Therfore aryse and do me homage With meke herte and entencyon Refusynge falshode with his outrage Makynge sucke prouysyon That thou mayst lyue by dyscressyon Than shall I make the to possede A place in the heuenly regyon Lo all my seruauntes hath suche mede ¶ The auctour Reason AFter that I herde my lady reason So wysely speke full of prudence I forsoke dysceyte falshode treason Yeldynge me vnto her magnyfycence I kneled downe in her presence Knowynge it for myn auauntage With meke Ioue and obedyence Vnto reason I made homage Holdynge my handes vp to her grace With lowe chere dyde I me present There shewed I her all the case How that I my lyfe had spent This noble lady wyfe and prudent Surely vnto me dyde promesse So I wolde make amendement To be my lady and maystresse Than this lady approched nete Of all other moost good and gracyous With lowly countenaunce and chere Of my helth gretly desyrous And to her seruauntes neuer contraryous Seynge her nere thus vnto her sayd I Moost excellent lady moost good gloryous To you wyll I me submytte gladly Do ye