My power, estate, and ryall dygnyte, Doth torne the whele of worthely glorye Often up so downe by mutabilyte. Have not I promoted full nobly Many a lowe degre to reigne full ryally? And often have made a transmutacion Of worldly welthe into tribulacion? Thus can I make an alteracion Of worthely honoure, whiche doth depende All onely in my dominacion; Through the worlde my whele doth extende, As reason doth ryght well comprehende; Of my great chaunces whiche are unsure, As dayly doth appere well in ure. If I should worke with perfite stedfastnes, And to exalte some to be honourable, And that they knewe by perfyte sykernes, That it should dure and not be variable, It were a thyng unto me culpable; For great orguell pryde should them so blynde, To knowe them selfe they should lose their mynde. Thus whan that they should them selfe forgete, And in no wyse their owne persone knowe, Full lytell than they would by me sette, That them exalted to hye degre from lowe; And by my chaunce could nought them overthrowe; Thus should they do and drede me nothyng, Wherfore my whele is evermore tournyng. And where that I shoulde turne my face, Castinge some in pytte of poverte, They were condampned without ony grace As for to attayne any prosperite; Whiche were a cause of greate iniquite: For riche mennes goodes I must ofte translate, Unto the poore, them for to elevate. And thyrdely; I shoulde lese my name, For this worde fortune is well derifyde Of an accydent chaunge, both good or shame, Whan that the deade is so exemplifyde; Wherfore by reason I must be duplifyde; And nothing stable in myne hye werke, As wryteth many a ryght noble clerke. Therfore by reason I must be mutable, And turne my whele right ofte up so downe, Labouringe in werkes whiche are unstable, On some to laughe and on some I must frowne; Thus all aboute in every realme and towne, I shew my power in every sundry wyse, Some to descende and on some to aryse. Wherfore my power doth ryght well excell Above the, Mars, in thine house enclosed; For to rule man thou hast power never a dele, Save after the somwhat he is disposed: Thy consolacion hath him so apposed Who under the taketh his nativitie, Yet God hath gyven him power to rule the. Wherfore I am of a ferre hyer power Than thou arte; for there is no defence Agaynst my wyll at any time or houre; And in my name there is a difference, For in these wordes in my magnifycence Predestinate, and also desteny, As I shall shew anone more formably. Predestinate doth right well signify A thing to come, whiche is prepared: None but God doth know it openly, Tyl that the dede caused to be declared; For many one, whan they well fared, Full lytell thought that tribulacion To them was ordeyned by predestinacion.