Alas mad folys howe longe wyll ye procede In this beestly lyuynge agayst humayne nature Cease of your Foly: gyue aduertence and hede That in eche thynge ought to be had measure Wyne ne ale hurteth no maner creature But sharpeth the wyt if it be take in kynde But if it be nat, than I the ensure It dulleth the brayne, blyndynge the wyt and mynde Rede all bokes and thou shalt neuer fynde That dronkennes and wysdome may togyther be For where is dronkennes, there madnes is by kynde Gydynge the hauer to all enormyte And where as is madnes thou shalt neuer se Reason ne wysdome take theyr abydynge In one instant, wherfore lerne this of me That dronkennes is mortell enmy to cunnynge. * * * * * Of ryches vnprofytable. [Illustration: Yet fynde I folys of another sorte Whiche gather and kepe excessyfe ryches With it denyeng their neyghboures to conforte Whiche for nede lyueth in payne and wretchydnes Suche one by fortune may fall into distres And in lyke wyse after come to mysery And begge of other, whiche shall to hym deny.] It is great foly, and a desyre in vayne To loue and worshyp ryches to feruently And so great laboure to take in care and payne Fals treasoure to encrease and multyply But yet no wonder is it sertaynly Syth he that is ryche hath gretter reuerence Than he that hath sadnes wysdom and scyence The ryche mannes rewardes stande in best degre But godly maners we haue set clene asyde Fewe loueth vertue, but fewer pouertye. Fals couetyse his braunches spreddeth wyde Ouer all the worlde, that pety can nat byde Among vs wretches banysshed is kyndnes Thus lyeth the pore in wo and wretchydnes Without conforte and without auctoryte But he only is nowe reputed wyse Whiche hath ryches in great store and plente. Suche shall be made a sergeant or Justyce And in the Court reputed of moste pryse He shall be callyd to counseyll in the lawe Though that his brayne be skarsly worth a strawe He shall be Mayre baylyfe or constable And he onely promotyd to honoure His maners onely reputed ar laudable His dedys praysyd as grettest of valoure Men laboure and seke to fall in his fauoure He shall haue loue, echone to hym shall sue For his ryches, but nought for his vertue Se what rewardes ar gyuen to ryches Without regarde had to mannys condycyon A strawe for cunnynge wysdome and holynes Of ryches is the first and chefe questyon What rentes what londes howe great possessyon What stuffe of housholde what store of grotz and pens And after his gode his wordes hath credence. His wordes ar trouth men gyue to them credence Thoughe they be falsly fayned and sotell But to the pore none wyll gyue aduertence Though that his wordes be true as the gospell Ye let hym swere by heuyn and by hell By god and his sayntes and all that god made Yet nought they beleue that of hym is sayde