The Example of Vertu: The Example of VirtueHawes, Stephen
General
The Example of Vertu: The Example of Virtue
Hawes, Stephen
Poetry
Than spake dame prudence with meke contenaũce
Welcome dyscrecyon my syster dere
Where haue ye ben by longe contynuaunce
Wyth youth she sayd that ye se here
And for my sake I you requere
Hym to receyue in to your seruyse
And he shall serue you in goodely wyse
Welcome she sayd for my systers sake
And yet also now for your owne
In to my seruyce I wyll you take
Sythens that your wyldnes is ouerblowen
The sede of vertu on you shall be sowen
Vyce to depryue by his good auctoryte
As for to subdue all yll iniquyte
Of other mennes wordes be thou not bolde
And of theyr promys make no behest
And yf thou here an yll tale tolde
Gyue no iugement but say the best
So shall thou lyue euermore in rest
Who lytell medeleth is best at ease
For well were he that all myght please
Beware kepe the from grete offence
That thou condempned be not by ryghtwysnes
Whan she doth gyue her mortall sentence
Without pease or mercy cause her reles
Her iugement of mortall heuynes
That the best frende to the wyll be
The for to socour in grete necessyte
But yet in theym haue none affyaunce
As fyrst to synne thynkynge that they
At the ende to the wyll be delyueraunce
Nay ryghtwysnes wyll dryue theym away
For of all synnes without delay
Suche synne in hope it is the moost
For it is the synne of the holy ghoost
Now I amytte you into your rome
In the whiche ye shall your selfe apply
Of myn owne chaumbre ye shall be grome
Loke ye be dylygent and do not vary
From my cõmaundementes neuer specyally
For and ye wyll theym well obserue
A moche better rome ye do deserue
The fyrst cõmaundement that I gyue the
Thynke on the ende or thou begynne
For thou by ryght may knowe the certente
That deth is fyne of euery synne
Be neuer taken in dyabolycall engyne
But that repentaunce may loose the sone
Of that grete synne that thou hast done
Trust not to moche in fortunes grace
Though that she laugh on the a whyle
For she can sodenly turne her face
Whan that she lyst the to begyle
She welth and Ioye can sone defyle
And plonge the in the pyte of pouerte
Wherfore in her haue thou no suertye
Presume no ferther than the behoueth
For it wyll turne the to grete shame
For who that from his rome remoueth
He is often full gretely to blame
And medeleth with other in theym lame
As no thynge connynge nor expert
They may hym say syr malapert
Or that thou speke call to remembraunce
Vnto what mater thy worde shall sygnyfye
Loke that it torne no man to greuaunce
Though that it be spoken merely
Yet many a one wyll take it greuously
Whiche that myght cause wroth and debate
Whyle that thou lyues beware of that
For a thynge lost without recouer
Loke that thou neuer be to pensyfe
Thanke god of it thynke to haue an other
Lete wysedome than be to the comfortyfe
That to thy brayn is best preseruatyfe
For euermore ryght wyse is he
That can be pacyent in aduersyte
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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