What though I did from forayne foes defend My _Saxon_ soyle, with thrice renowmed fame: What though I rulde with equitie the same:[1231] What though to buyld vp abbies I did bend My selfe, and prayd that God his worde would send: Though these good deedes did honour much my name, Yet these defaste with deedes of foule defame, Be of no price: for filthie fleshly luste Destroyd them al, and layd them in the duste.[1232] 20. For as you see dissolued clowdes with rayne The beames of _Phebus_ do deface: Euen so one sinne did al my vertues race, They blemished myne honor with disdayne, So that I finde al vertue is in vayne, If vices be with vertue linkt in place, On vice an hundred vertues doth disgrace: Therefore the man who hopeth for renowme, Must fight with flesh, and beate al vices downe. 21. And hee who can his raging wyl resiste, Is much more strong then _Alexander_ greate, Who wonne the worlde, yet had he not the feate, With conquest to compel his lawlesse liste, To do the thing whereby he might be bliste: But they who hope to haue a heauenly seate, Their lust and fleshly fancies downe must beate: And hereby me you may perceiue at large, The thinges which God committeth to man’s charge.] [THE INDUCTION. “It is requisite,” quoth _Memory_, “that now you seeke for _Edmund Ironside’s_ father, I meane _Egelrede_, of some writers called _Etheldrede_, who as his predecessor, _Alurede_, had but one vice, so hee had neuer a vertue. In whose time the _Danes_ dyd more then ouerrunne _England_, for they ruled and raigned ouer the whole realme, and although a very valiant impe proceeded out of his raynes, who for his ablenesse to indure paynes and trauayle, was surnamed _Ironside_; yet had not _William_, duke of _Normandy_, nephew vnto the saide _Edmunde_, made a conquest therof, the _Danes_ no doubte had ruled it euen vnto this day. It is necessary, therfore, that we heare this man’s complaynt.” “I haue hym here,” quoth _Inquisition_, “but I haue no minde to heare him speake, for seeing he dyd dispise all vertue and learnyng, it is to be thought that hee wyll tell a crooked tale, such a one as wil (I feare except it be fyled after him) deforme all the rest. But I wyl take paynes to polish that which he roughly doth frame.” “Not at all,” quoth _Memorie_, “the browne byl is a goodly weapon: and let it suffise if the matter wyll beate downe vice, let the meeter delight as it may.” “Seeing you saye so,” quoth _Inquisition_, “I am content that by the example of his death, he may admonish all the worlde to flee the fall which he felt.” Wherewith he stepped forth, and saide as foloweth.] THE COMPLAYNT OF EGELREDE.