From pleasure’s place, when thou shalt turne thy face, The high may then discretion wil thee shewe To vertue’s lodge, which thou right well mayst know By such as dwell about that pleasaunt place: A hundred vertues raunging on a rowe, Thou there shalt see, how fame her trumpe doth blowe, For greate exploytes: where when thou art renownde, Then fame thy name through all the world shal sounde. 8. And when thou hast obtainde that place with payne, There is no doubt desert will honour haue, Which being had, beware that waltering waue Of wordly lust, which vertue doth disdayne, Beware least thou thy former deedes doost staine: For he who could himself from sinning saue, He seeking that which most his minde did craue: Which being founde, his feeble feet dooe faynt, And strayght he doth with sinne himselfe acquaynt. 9. When man hath most of that he doth desire, Then most the fleshe doth force the soule to sinne, The ende doth proue how wel we do beginne: For he who doth from vertue’s lore retire, His wretched ende doth make the worlde admire: Let him therfore which will the garlond winne, Euen to the end auoyde the hatefull ginne Which Satan sets, with traynes of tastlesse bayte, The glosse whereof prognosticates desayght. 10. What gayne is got by him who runnes in hast, If that his stumbling feete do make delay? An other man doth beare the price away, He got no game, one fall hath hym defast: Euen so that man from fame is quite displaste, If once his feete in vice’s steppes do stay, As may appeare by me, and my decay: For once I slipt, one vice did me deface, One onely vice did _Alurede_ disgrace. 11. I the fourth sonne of _Ethelwolfus_ king, Twice tenne and eight I wore the _Saxon_ crowne, For martial feates I had a greate renowne, My gouernaunce was good in euery thing, I rulde my realme to euery man’s liking, My stature tall, my face did neuer frowne, My learning did deserue a lawrell crowne,[1226] My wisedome and my iustice purchast fame, My courage bolde dyd much extoll the same. 12. In seuen conflictes I did the _Danes_ destroy, But more ariude which did me more molest, Yet they likewise were by my meanes destrest: But when my strength their strength could not destroy, I did deuise a pretty pleasant toy, By meanes whereof my _Saxon_ soyle was bleste: Amidst my fone I minstrel like did ieste, I playd the part of _Scoggin Skelton’s_ mate, Transformde, I trudgde about from gate to gate. 13.