I then said to myself methinkes this may assure all those that clyme to honor's seate there state may not endure; the hills of highest hight are sonest perskt with sone, the silver streames with somer's drowght are letten oft to rone, the loftiest trees and groves are ryfest rent with winde, the brushe and breres that thickest grow the flame will sonest finde, the loftie rerynge towers there fall the ffeller bee, most ferse dothe fulgent lyghtnyng lyght where furthest we may see, the gorgyous pallace deckt and reared vp to the skye are sonner shokt with wynter stormes then meaner buildings bee, vpon the highest mounts the stormy wynds do blowe, the sewer seate and quyet lief is in the vale belowe; by reason I regawrde the mean estate most sure, that wayteth on the golden meane & harmles may endure; the man that wyselie works in welthe doth feare no tide, when fortune failes dispeareth not but stedfastlie abide, for He that sendeth stormes with windes and wynter blasts, and steanes with hale the wynter face & fils ech soile with frosts He slaks the force of cold he sends the somer hote, he causethe bayle to stormy harts of joy the spring & rote. Reader regawrde this well as I of force nowe must, appoinct thie mewse to merke my verse thus ruffled up in rust, and lerne this last of me: Imbrace thie porpose prest, and lett no storme to blowe the blasts to lose the port of rest; and tho the gale be great & frowarde fortune fayle, againe when wynde do serve at will hoist not to hye the saile ffor prowffe may toche the stone to prove this firme and plaine, that no estate may countervale the gyld or golden meane. Both the poem and the Epistle Dedicatory bear the signature of Thomas Jenye. It is the name of an unscrupulous adventurer who held some subordinate position in the service of Thomas Randolph, whilst he was in Scotland, and afterwards of Sir Henry Norris, in the Netherlands. From the literary point of view, the most noteworthy feature of his _Fantasie_ is the barefacedness with which he pilfered, not only the ideas, but the actual words of others. Indeed, in its introduction and conclusion, which consist, for the most part, of moral reflections, Jenye's satire is little better than a patchwork, rather cleverly made up, it is true, of lines purloined from Surrey, Grimsald, Sackville, and the other writers who figure with them in _Tottell's Miscellany_. But besides being a curiosity in plagiarism, the _Fantasie_ is a valuable historical document, by reason of the accuracy with which it describes the various incidents of Murray's revolt, of which Jenye was practically an eyewitness. FOOTNOTES: for MAISTER RANDOLPHE'S FANTASIE [109] Earl of Morton to the Earl of Bedford, 24 May, 1566. [110] Thomas Randolph to Sir William Cecil, 26 May, 1566.