That few have found, and manie one hath mist! Full little knowest thou that hast not tride, 895 What hell it is in suing long to bide: To loose good dayes, that might be better spent; To wast long nights in pensive discontent; To speed to day, to be put back to morrow; To feed on hope, to pine with feare and sorrow; 900 To have thy Princes grace, yet want her Peeres; To have thy asking, yet waite manie yeeres; To fret thy soule with crosses and with cares; To eate thy heart through comfortlesse dispaires; To fawne, to crowche, to waite, to ride, to ronne, 905 To spend, to give, to want, to be undonne. Unhappie wight, borne to desastrous end, That doth his life in so long tendance spend! Who ever leaves sweete home, where meane estate In safe assurance, without strife or hate, 910 Findes all things needfull for contentment meeke, And will to court for shadowes vaine to seeke, Or hope to gaine, himselfe will a daw trie: That curse God send unto mine enemie! For none but such as this bold Ape unblest 915 Can ever thrive in that unluckie quest; Or such as hath a Reynold to his man, That by his shifts his master furnish can. But yet this Foxe could not so closely hide His craftie feates, but that they were descride 920 At length by such as sate in iustice seate, Who for the same him fowlie did entreate; And, having worthily him punished, Out of the court for ever banished. And now the Ape, wanting his huckster man, 925 That wont provide his necessaries, gan To growe into great lacke, ne could upholde His countenaunce in those his garments olde; Ne new ones could he easily provide, Though all men him uncased gan deride, 930 Like as a puppit placed in a play, Whose part once past all men bid take away: So that he driven was to great distresse, And shortly brought to hopelesse wretchednesse. Then closely as he might he cast to leave 935 The court, not asking any passe or leave; But ran away in his rent rags by night, Ne ever stayd in place, ne spake to wight, Till that the Foxe, his copesmate, he had found; [_Copesmate_, partner in trade.] To whome complayning his unhappie stound, 940 [_Stound_, plight, exigency.] At last againe with him in travell ioynd, And with him far’d some better chaunee to fynde. So in the world long time they wandered, And mickle want and hardnesse suffered; That them repented much so foolishly 945 To come so farre to seeke for misery, And leave the sweetnes of contented home, Though eating hipps and drinking watry fome. [_Hipps_, dog-rose berries.] Thus as they them complayned too and fro, Whilst through the forest rechlesse they did goe, 950 [_Rechlesse_, reckless.] Lo! where they spide how in a gloomy glade