AGE. Alas! alas! that me is woe! My life, my liking, I have forlorn My rents, my riches, it is all y-go: Alas the day that I was born! For I was born Manhood most of might, Stiff, strong, both stalwart and stout, The world full worthily hath made me a knight: All bowed to my bidding bonerly about: Then Conscience, clear, comely and kind, Meekly he met me in seat, there I sat, He learned me a lesson of his teaching, And the seven deadly sins full loathly he did hate: Pride, wrath, and envy, and covetise in kind, The world all these sins delivered me until,[266] Sloth, covetise, and leechery, that is full of false flattering, All these Conscience reproved both loud and still. To-Conscience I held up my hand,[267] To keep Christ's commandments. He warned me of Folly, that traitor, and bad me beware, And thus he went his way: But I have falsely me forsworn, Alas the day that I was born! For body and soul I have forlorn. I clang, as a clod in clay, In London many a day; At the passage I would play, I thought to borrow and never pay. Then was I sought and set in stocks, In Newgate I lay under locks, If I said aught, I caught many knocks. Alas where was Manhood tho? Alas, my lewdness hath me lost. Where is my body so proud and prest? I cough and rought,[268] my body will burst, Age doth follow me so. I stare and stacker[269] as I stand, I groan glisly upon the ground. Alas, death, why lettest thou me live so long? I wander as a wight in woe and care; For I have done ill. Now wend I will My self to spill, I care not whither nor where. PERSEVERANCE. Well y-met, sir, well y-met; and whither away? AGE. Why, good sir, whereby do ye say? PERSEVERANCE. Tell me, sir, I you pray, And I with you will wend. AGE. Why, good sir, what is your name? PERSEVERANCE. Forsooth, sir, Perseverance, the same. AGE. Sir, ye are Conscience' brother, that me did blame, I may not with you linger. PERSEVERANCE. Yes, yes, Manhood, my friend in fere. AGE. Nay, sir, my name is in another manner. For Folly his own self was here, And hath cleped me Shame. PERSEVERANCE. Shame? Nay, Manhood, let him go: Folly and his fellows also, For they would thee bring into care and woe, And all that will follow his game. AGE. Yea, game who so game: Folly hath given me a name, So, wherever I go, He cleped me Shame. Now Manhood is gone, Folly hath followed me so. When I first from my mother came, The world made me a man, And fast in riches I ran, Till I was dubbed a knight; And then I met with Conscience clear, And he me set in such manner, Me thought his teaching was full dear, Both by day and night. And then Folly met me, And sharply he beset me, And from Conscience he fet[270] me: He would not fro me go, Many a day he kept me, And to all folks he cleped me Shame:[271] And unto all sins he set me, Alas, that me is woe! For I have falsely me forsworn. Alas, that I was born! Body and soul, I am but lorn, Me liketh neither glee nor game.