As highest hilles with tempestes beene most touched, And tops of trees most subiect vnto winde, And as great towers with stone strongly cowched, Haue heauy falles when they be vndermynde, Euen so by proofe in worldly thinges wee finde, That such as clime the top of high degree From perill of falling neuer can bee free. 2. To proue this true, good _Baldwine_, hearken hyther, See, and behold mee vnhappy _Humfrey_,[697] _England’s_ protector and duke of _Glocester_, Who in the time of the sixt king _Henry_, Ruled this realme yeares moe then twenty: Note well the cause of my decay and fall, And make a myrour for magistrates all.[698] 3. In theyr moste weale to beware of vnhap,[699] And not to sleepe in slumbring sickernes, Whilst fortune false doth lul them in her lap Drowned in dreames of brittle blessednesse, But then to feare her freakes and ficklenesse Accompting still the higher they ascend, More nigh to bee to daunger in the end. 4. And that vayne trust in bloud or royall race, Abuse them not with careles assuraunce[700] To trust fortune,[701] but waying well my case, When shee most smyleth to haue in remembraunce[702] My sodayne fall, who in all apparaunce[703] Hauing most stayes which man[704] in state mayntayne, Haue found the same vntrusty and most vayne. 5. Better then I none may the same affirme,[705] Who trusting all in height of high estate, Led by the eares with false flatterie’s chyrme,[706] Which neuer prince could banish from his gate, Did litle thinke on such a sodayne mate, Not heeding, lesse breeding, all vnaware, By foes least feared was trapt in a snare. 6. If noble byrth or high autority, Nombre of friendes, kinred, or alliaunce, If wisedome, learning, [or] worldly pollicy, Mought haue beene stayers to fortune’s variaunce, None stoode more strong, in worldly countenaunce, For all these helpes had I to auayle mee, And yet in fine, all the same did fayle mee.[707] 7. Of king _Henry_ the fourth,[708] fourth sonne I was, Brother to _Henry_, the fift of that name,[709] And uncle to _Henry_ the sixt,[710] but, alas, What cause had I to presume on[711] the same? Or for vayne glory, aduauncing my[712] fame My selfe to call in recordes and writinges, The sonne, brother, and vncle vnto kinges. 8.