¶The Boke of the fayre Genty [...]woman, that no man shulde put his truste, or confy­dence in: that is to say, Lady Fortune: flaterynge euery man that coueyteth to haue all, and specyally, them that truste in her, she decey­ueth them at laste.

The Lady Fortune.

¶The Prologue.

IS often as I cōsydre, these olde noble cle [...]k [...]
Poetis, Oratours, & Phylosopher [...] sectes thre [...]
Howe wonderfull they were, in all theyr werkes
Howe eloquent, howe inuentyue in euery degre
Halfe amased I am, and as a d [...]ed tre
Stonde styll, ouer [...]ude for to brynge forth
Any fruyte or sentence, that is ought worth [...]
[...]euertheles though rude I be, in all cōtrynyng
Of matts, yet sōwhat to make, I nede not to care
I se many a one occupyed, in the same thynge
[...]o vnlerned men nowe a dayes, wyll not spare
To wryte, to bable, theyr myndes to declare
Trowynge them selfe, gay fantasyes to drawe
when all theyr cunnynge is not worth a strawe.
¶Some ī french Cronycles, gladly doth presu [...]
Some in Englysshe, blyndly wade and wander
Another in laten bloweth forth a darke [...]me
As wyse as a great hedded Asse of Al [...]andr [...]
Some in Phylosophye, lyke a gage [...]yng [...] gand [...]
Begynn [...]th lustely the browes to set vp
And at the last concludeth, in the good ale cup [...]
¶Finis Prologus. [...]uod. T. M.
[figure]
FO [...]tune peruersse
Qui le monde versse
Toult a ton desyre
Iamais tu nas cesse
Plaine de finesse
Et y prens pleasite [...]
¶ Par [...]oy vēnent ma [...]lx
Et gu [...]res mort [...]lx
Touls inconueniens
Parmo [...]s et par vau [...]y
Et aulx hospitalx
Me [...]ent tant de [...]ens.
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]

FOrtune, O myghty & varyable

w [...]at rule thou [...]laym [...]st, with thy [...]ruel po [...]er
Good folk [...] thou stroyest, and louest re [...]r [...]uable
[...]hou mayst not waraunt thy gyf [...]ꝭ for on [...] houre
Fortun [...] vnworthy men settet [...] in ho [...]oure
Thorowe fortune t [...]īnocent ī wo & so [...]ow sh [...]i [...]heth
The iust man she sp [...]y [...]th, & the vn [...]ust enrycheth.
¶Yonge men she kylleth, & let [...]eth olde men lyue
V [...]ryghtuously deuydynge, tyme and season
That good [...]en leseth, to wyck [...]d doth she gyue
She hath no differēce, [...]ut iudgeth all good reason
Inconstaunce, slypper, [...]rayle, [...]n [...] full of treason
Ne [...]ther for euer cherys [...]ynge, [...] keth
Nor for euer oppressynge, whom s [...]e fors [...]keth.
¶Finis. ꝙ. T. M.
[figure]

¶The wordes of Fortune to the people. ꝙ. Tho. Mo.

MYne hyghe estate, power and auctoryte
If ye ne knewe, enserche an [...] ye shall spye
That rychesse, worshyp, welth, and dygnyte
Ioye, rest, and peace, and all thynge fynally
That any pleasure or profyte maye come by
To mannes comforte, ayde and sustenannce
[...] all at my deuyse, and ordynaunce.
¶Without my fauoure, there is no thynge wonne
[...]any a matter haue I brought at laste
To good conclusyon, that fondly was begonne
And many a purpose, bounden sure and faste
[...]th wyse [...]rouysyon, I h [...]ue ouercaste
[...]thout good h [...]ppe, there may no wyt suffyse
Better is to be fortunate, than wyse.
And therfore hath there some men ben or thi [...]
[...]y deedly fooes, and wr [...]ten many a boke
[...]o my disprayse, and no oth [...]r cause th [...]re i [...]
[...]ut for me ly [...]t, not frendly on th [...]m loke
[...]hus lyke the fox they fare, that ones forsoke
[...]he pleasaunt grapes, and gan for to desy [...] them
[...]ycause he [...]ept & [...]ept, & coulde not come by thē,
¶But let them wryte, theyr labo [...] is in vayne
For well ye wot, myrth, honoure and [...]ychesse
Better is than shame, penury and payne
The nedy wryteth, that lyngeryth in dystresse
without myne helpe, is euer comfortlesse
A wity b [...]rden odyouse and lothe
To all the world [...], and to hyms [...]lfe both.
¶But he that by my fauoure maye ascen [...]
To myghty power, and excellent degre
A cōmon wele to gouerne, [...]nd defende
O in howe bless [...]d condycyon, standeth he
Hym selfe in honour and felycyte
And o [...]r that, m [...]y forther and encreace
An hol [...] regyon, in ioye [...]est and p [...]ace.
¶Now [...] in this poynt, t [...]ere is no more to saye
Eche man hath o [...] hym selfe the gouernaunce
Let eue [...]y wyght, than [...]a [...]e his ow [...] waye
And he th [...]t out of pouert [...], and mys [...]haunce
Lyft for to l [...]ue [...] and wyll hym selfe enhaunce
In welth & rychesse, come [...]orth and wayte on me
And he that wyll be a begger, let hym be.

¶To them that trusteth in Fortune.

THou that art proude of honour shape or kyn
That helpest vp this wretched worldꝭ tresure
Thy fyngers shryned with golde / thy tawny skyn
With fresshe appareyll, garnyshed out of mesure
And weny [...]t to haue fortune, alway at thy plesure
Cast vp thyne eye, and l [...] howe slypper chaunce
Illudeth her men with chaunge and varyaunce.
¶Somtyme she loketh, as louely fayre & bryght
As goodly Venus, mother of cupyde
She becketh and smyleth vpon euery wyght
[...]ut this feyned chere, may not abyde
There cōmeth a cloude, and farewell all our pryde
Lyke any serpent, she begynneth to swell
And loketh as fearse, as any fury of hell.
¶Yet for all that, we brothle men are fayne
So wretched is our nature, and so blynde
As soone as fortune lyst, to laughe agayne
With fayre countenaunce, and deceytfull mynde
To croutche and knele, and gape after the wynde
Not one or twayne, but thousandes in a rout
Lyke swarmyng bees, come flakerynge her about.
¶Then as bayte, she bryngeth forth her ware
Syluer, golde, ryche perle, and precious stone
On whiche, the mased people gase and stare
[Page]And g [...]pe therfore [...] as [...]o [...]ges for the bone
Fortune at them l [...]ugheth, and in her trone
Amyd her tresure [...] and wauerynge ry [...]hesse
Prowdly she loueth, as Lady and Empresse [...]
¶ Fast by her syde doth wery laboure stande
Pale fere also and sorowe all be wepte
Dysdeyne [...] and hatred, on that other hande
Eke r [...]stle [...] watche, f [...]o slepe with trauayle kep [...]
His eyes drowsy, and lokynge as he slepte
Before her standeth Daunger and [...]nuye
Flatery, Dysceyte, Myschyfe, and Tyrrannye [...]
¶Aboute her cōmeth, all the worlde to begge
He as [...]eth lond [...]and he to passe wolde b [...]ynge
T [...]i [...] ioye and that, and all not worth an egge
He wolde in loue prosp [...]re, aboue all thynge
He kneleth downe and wolde be made a kynge
He forceth not [...] so he maye money haue
Thoughe all y • worlde accompt hym for a kna [...]
¶Lo t [...]us dyuers heddy [...], dyuers wyttes
Fortune alone, a [...] dyue [...] [...] th [...]y all
Vnstable here and there, amon [...]e them flyttes
And at auenture, downe h [...]r gyftes fall
Catche who so may, she throw [...]th great and sin [...]
Not to all m [...]n, as [...]ōmeth sonne or dewe
But for the most p [...]rte, all among [...] a fewe.
¶And yet her brotell gyftes, maye not last
He that she gaue them, loketh proude and hye
She whyrleth aboute, and plucketh away as fast
And gyueth them to an other, by and by
And thus from man to man, contynually
She vseth to gyue and take, and s [...]y [...]y tosse
One man to wynnynge, and of an others losse.
¶And whē she robbeth one, downe goth his pryde
He wepeth and wayleth, and curseth her full sore
But he that receyueth it, on that other syde
Is glad, and blesseth her, a .M, tymes therfore
But in a whyle whan she loueth hym no more
She glydeth from hym, and her gyftes to
And he her curseth, as other fooles do [...]
¶Alas the folysshe people, can not seace
Ne voyde her trayne, tyll they the harme f [...]
Aboute her alwaye, besely they preace
But lorde what he thynketh hym selfe, we [...]e
That maye set ones, his hande vpon her whele
He holdeth fast, but vpwarde as he styeth
She whyppeth her whe [...]e about, & there he lyeth.
¶Thus fell Iulius, from his myghty power
Thus fell Darius, the worthy kynge of perse
Thus fell Alexandre, the souerayne conqueroure
[Page]Thus many mo, then I maye well reherse
Thus double Fort [...]ne, when she ly [...]t reuerse
Her slypper fauoure, fro them that in her tru [...]t
She flyeth her waye, and lyeth hym in the dust [...]
¶She sodenlye enhaunce hym a lofte
And sodenly myscheuyth, all the flock [...]
The hed that late laye, easely and softe
In stede of pylouse, lyeth after on the blocke
And yet alas, the cruell proude mocke
The deyntye mouth, that ladyes kyssed haue
She bryngeth in the case, to kysse a knaue.
¶Thu [...] whē she cha [...]nseth, her vncertayne course
Vp starteth a knaue, & downe ther fall [...]th a knight
The begger ryche, and the ryche man poore i [...]
Hatred is turned to loue, Loue to despyght
This is her sport, thus proueth she her myght
Great bo [...]t she maketh, yf one be by her power
welthy [...] and wretched, both in an houre.
¶Po [...]te that of her gyf [...]es, wyll no thynge tak [...]
with me [...]y chere, she loketh on the prese
And seeth howe f [...]rtunes, how shulde go [...] w [...]ake
Fast by h [...] standeth, the wyse Socrates
Aristippus, Pithagoras, and many a lyfe
Of olde Phylosophe [...], and eke agaynst y • sonne
B [...]ke [...]h hym [...]ore D [...]nes in his [...]onn [...]
¶with her is Bia [...], whose countrey lacked defens [...]
And whylom of theyr fooes stode so in dout
That eche man hastely gan to cary thense
And a [...]ked hym why, [...]e nought caryed out
I bere quod he, all myne with me about
wysdome he ment, not fortunes brotell fees
For nought he counted his, that he myght lese.
¶Heraclit [...]s to, lyst felowsshyp to kepe
with glad pouerte, Democrytu [...] also
Of whiche the [...]yrs [...] can neuer but wepe
To se howe thycke, the blynd people go
with great labour [...], to pur [...]hale care and [...]
That other laugheth, to se the folysse ap [...]s
Howe [...]arn [...]s [...]ly, they walke about theyr Iape [...]
¶Of this poore secte, it is the vsage
Onely to take, that nature maye sustayne
Banyshynge clene, all other surplusage
They be content, and o [...] no [...]hynge complayn [...]
No n [...]garde e [...]e, is of his golde so fayne
But they more pleasure [...]aue, a thousande fol [...]
The s [...]c [...]ete draugh [...]es of nature and to beholde.
¶Set fortunes seruauntes by them a [...]d ye wull
That one is fre, that other [...]uer thrall
That one content, that other neuer full
[Page]That one in suerty, that other lyke to fall
who lyst to aduyse them, both perceyue ye shall
As great dyfference betwene them, as we se
Betwyxte wretchednes, and felycyte.
¶Now haue I shewed you both, [...]hese which ye [...]
Stately fortune, or humble pouerte
That is to saye, nowe lyeth it in your fyst
To take you to bondage, or fre lyberte
But in this poynt, and ye do after me
Drawe you to fortune, and labour her to please
Yf that ye thynke your selfe, to well at ease.
¶And fyrst vpon the, louely shall she smyle
And frendly on the cast, her wanderynge eyes
Embrace the in her armys, and for a whyle
Put the into a fol [...]s paradyse
And forthwith all, what so thou lyst deuyse
She wyll the graunt it, lyberally perhappes
But for all that beware of [...]fter clappes.
¶Rekyn you neuer, of her fauour sure
Ye maye in the clowdes, as easely trace an ha [...]
Or in dry londe cause fysshes to endure
And make the burnynge fyre his hete [...]o spare
As all this worlde encompasse to forfare
A [...] her to make by c [...]afte, or engyne stable
That of her nature, i [...] [...] varyable.
¶Serue her daye and nyght, as reuerntly
Vpon thy knees, as any seruaunte maye
And in conclusion, that thou shall wynne ther [...]y
Shall not be worth thy seruyce I dare saye
And yet, loke what she gyueth the to daye
with labour wonne, she shall haply to morowe
Plucke it out of thy hande agayne with sorowe [...]
¶wherfore yf thou in suerte lyft to stande
Take pouerties parte, and le [...] proude fortune go
Receyue nothynge that cōmeth from he [...] hande
Loue maner and vertue, for they be onely tho
whiche double fortune maye neuer take the fro
Thē mayst thou boldely defy her turnynge chaūce
She can the neyther hyn [...]er, nor anaunce.
¶Bu [...] & thou wylt nedes medle with her tresure
Trust not therin, and spende it lyberally
Bere [...]he not proude, nor take not out of mesure
Bylde not thyne house, hyghe vp in the skye
None falleth farre, but he that clynbeth hye
Remembre nature sent the hyther bare
The gyftꝭ of fortune compt thē, as borowed ware
¶who so delyteth to prouen and assaye
Of wauerynge fortune, the full vncertayne lot
Yf that the answere please ye not alwaye
[Page]Blame not me for I cōmaunde ye not
Fortune to trust, and eke full well ye wo [...]
I haue of her no brydle in my fyst
She re [...]neth loose, and turneth where she lyst [...]
¶The rollyng dyse, in whō yo [...]r lucke doth sta [...]
with whose vnhappy chaunce ye be so wrought
Ye knowe y [...]ur selfe, came neue [...] in myne hande
[...]o in this ponde, be fysshes and frogges both
Cast in your net, b [...]t be ye lyefe orloth
Holde you content a [...] Fortune lyft assygne
It is your owne fysshynge and not myne.
¶And thoughe in one chaūce fortune you offen [...]
Grudge not therat, but bere a mery face
In many another, she shall it amende
There is no man so [...]t out of her grace
But he somtyme, hath comforte and solace
Ne none agayne so set forth in her fauoure
That fully satyfyed is with her behauyou [...].
¶Fortune is stately, solempne, proude, and hye
And ryches gyu [...]th, to haue seruyce therfore
The [...]edy begger catcheth an hal [...]e peny
Some man a .M. pounde some lesse some more
But for all that, she kepeth euer in store
From euery man some parcell of his wyll
That he may praye therfor [...], and serue her [...]y [...].
¶Some man hath good, but chyldren hath none
Some ma [...] hath both, but he can get none he [...]t [...]
Some hath all thre, but vp to honoures trone
Can he not crepe by no maner of stelth
To som [...] she sendeth, chyldren, ryches welth
Honoure, worshyp, and reuerence all his lyfe
But yet she pyncheth hym, with a shrewed wyfe.
¶Then for as moche as it is fortunes gayse
To graunt no man all thynge that he wyll axe
But as her selfe lyst order and deuyse
Doth euery man his parte dyuyde and taxe
I counceyll you trusse vp your packys
And take nothynge at all, or be content
With suche rewarde, as fortune hath you sent.
¶All thynges in this booke that ye shall [...]ede
Do as ye lyst, there shall no man you bynde
Them to beleue, as surely as your crede
But notwithstandynge, certyes in my mynde
I durste well swere, as trewe ye shall the [...] fynde
In euery poynt, eche answere by and by
[...]s are the iudgementes of Astronomye [...]
¶Here Fineth Lady Fortune.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.