Proue thy frende in a mater fayned Or thou haue nede than shalt thou se Whyther he be iustly with the reteyned The for to socour in thy necessyte By profe thou mayst knowe the veryte For profe afore that nede requere Defeteth dowte euer in fere Be thou neuer so blynde in wylle Yet loke thou be refourmed by reason Than shalt thou my mynde fulfyll And thou therto thy selfe abandon Stryue not with reason for none encheson For wher she lacketh ther is grete outrage And without her may not aswage Eschew also the synne of pryde The moder and the feruent rote Of all the synnes at euery tyde Wherfore trede thou her vnder fote With helpe of vertue so swete and sote Whiche is best salue to hele thy sore And to thy helth the to restore Wo worth synne without repentaunce Wo worth bondage without reles Wo worth man without good gouernaunce Wo worth infynall payne and dystresse Wo worth vyce put fer in presse Wo worth soueraynte hauynge dysdeyn And wo worth pyte that doth refrayn Wo worth ryght that may not be herd Wo worth frendshyp without stabylyte Wo worth true sentence that is deferd Wo worth the man full of duplycyte Wo worth hym without benygnyte Wo worth lybertye withouten pease And wo worth crueltye that may not cease Wo worth connynge that is abused Wo worth promys withouten payment Wo worth vertue that is refused Wo worth trouble without extynguysment Wo worth foly on message sent Wo worth reason that is exyled And wo worth trouth that is defyled Wo worth the trust without assuraunce Wo worth grace not sette by Wo worth Iustyce kepte in dystaunce Wo worth welth replete with enuy Wo worth the batayll without vyctory Wo worth begynnynge without good ende And wo worth wronge that doth defende These commaundementes I put in memory Theym for to kepe doynge my dylygence With dame Sapyence I dyd longe tary Whiche dyd me teche with partynge influence Of her delycate and doulcete complacence Than spake dyscrecyon anone to me In the presens of her systers mageste Thou art beholdynge to my syster reuerent That the reteyned hath vnto her seruaunt Wherfore be thou to her obedyent And at euery houre to her attendaunt And ryotous company do thou not haunt For that wyll payre and yll thy name Wherfore of vertuous myrth let be thy game Capitulum .vi. [Illustration] Discrecyon ferther forth me lede Vnto the solempne and royall mancyon Of dame nature in humayne stede Ryght pleasaunt was her habytacyon Of merueylous werke and sytuacyon And she her selfe helde her estate In a gloryous chaumbre without chekmate Her towre was gylted full of sonne bemys And within hanged with cloth of aras The roof was paynted with golden stremys And lyke crystall depured was Euery wyndowe aboute of glas Where that she sat as a fayre goddes All thynges creatynge by her besynes