[Sidenote: The one is wavering and incapable of reflection, the other is staid and wise through experience of adversity.] the amyable fortune maysthow sen alwey wyndynge {and} flowynge / {and} eu{er}e mysknowynge 1659 of hir self // the contrarye fortune is a-tempre {and} restreynyd {and} wys thorw excersyse of hir aduersyte // [Sidenote: Lastly, prosperous fortune leads men astray. Adversity teaches them wherein real happiness consists.] at the laste amyable fortune w{i}t{h} hir flaterynges draweth mys wandrynge men fro the souereyne good // the contraryos fortune ledith ofte folk ayein to sothfast goodes / 1664 {and} haleth hem ayein as w{i}t{h} an hooke / [Sidenote: It renders us no inconsiderable service in enabling us to recognize our true friends.] weenesthow thanne þ{a}t thow owhtest to leten this a lytel thing / þ{a}t this aspre {and} horible fortune hath discoueryd to the / the thowhtes of thy trewe frendes // For-why this ilke fortune 1668 hath departyd {and} vncou{er}yd to the bothe the [[pg 62]] certeyn vysages {and} ek the dowtos visages of thy felawes // wha{n} she dep{ar}tyd awey fro the / she took awey hyr frendes {and} lafte the thyne frendes // 1672 [Sidenote: At what price would you not have bought this knowledge in your prosperity?] now whan thow wer{e} ryche {and} weleful as the semede / w{i}t{h} how mochel woldesthow han bowht the fulle knowynge of this // þ{a}t is to seyn the knowynge of thy verray freendes // [Sidenote: Complain not, then, of loss of wealth, since thou hast found infinitely greater riches in your true friends.] now pleyne the nat thanne of Rychesse 1676 .I.-lorn syn thow hast fowndyn the moste p{re}syos kynde of Rychesses þ{a}t is to seyn thy verray frendes. [Headnote: ALL THINGS BOUND BY THE CHAIN OF LOVE.] QUOD MU{N}DUS STABILI FIDE. [Sidenote: [The viij Met{ur}.]] [Sidenote: This world, by an invariable order, suffers change.] ++THat þ^e world w{i}t{h} stable feith / varieth acordable chaungynges // [Sidenote: Elements, that by nature disagree, are restrained by concord.] þ{a}t the contraryos qualite of elementȝ 1680 holden among{e} hem self aliau{n}ce p{er}durable / þ{a}t pheb{us} the sonne w{i}t{h} his goldene chariet / bryngeth forth the rosene day / þ{a}t the mone hath {com}mau{n}dement ou{er} the nyhtes // whiche nyhtes hesp{er}us the eue sterre hat browt // 1684 [Sidenote: The sea is thus kept within its proper bounds.] þ{a}t þ^e se gredy to flowen constreyneth w{i}t{h} a certeyn ende hise floodes / so þ{a}t it is nat l[e]ueful to strechche hise brode termes or bowndes vp-on the erthes // þ{a}t is to seyn to cou{er}e alle the erthe //