[Illustration: Unto mo folys here ordayne I a barge Whiche medlyth with euery mannys besynes And nat intendeth to their owne losse and charge Great payne and wo suche folys oft oppresse And let them lerne with pacyent mekenes To suffer sorowe for why they shall none lacke Syns they alone, the hole worlde take on theyr backe] He that wyll coueyt to bere more than he may And take on his sholders more than he can sustayne Suche is a fole, his dedys wyll not deny And with his owne wyll gooth to peryll and payne. He is vnwyse whiche is ioyous and fayne To offer his necke to bere that without fere Whiche were ynoughe for dyuers men to bere That man that taketh vpon his backe alone The heuy weght of the large fyrmament Or any burdeyne whiche maketh hym to grone Whiche to sustayne his strength is ympotent No meruayle is if he fall incontynent And than whan he lowe on the grounde doth lye He oft repentyth his purpose and foly We haue in storyes many examples great Shewynge the lewde ende of this curyosyte. I rede of Alexander that dyd often sweate In great peryls to augment his dignyte He was nat content with europe and asye Nor all the grounde under the fyrmament At the last ende, cowde nat his mynde content As if all the erth were nat suffycyent For his small body by curyouse couetyse But at the last he must holde hym content With a small cheste, and graue nat of great pryce. Thus deth vs shewyth what thynge sholde vs suffyce And what is the ende of our curyosyte. For dethe is lyke to hye and lowde degre What shall a kynge at his last endynge haue Of all his realme and infynyte treasoure Saue onely his towmbe, and the grounde of his graue But thoughe it be of great pryce and voloure As is conuenyent to his hye honoure. Yet lytell conforte to his soule shall it gyue But cause of bostynge to them that after lyue Thus whan man vnto his last ende is come He nought with hym bereth of his dignytees Wherfore cynicus a man of great wysdome Lorde grettest of Grece in londes and Cytees Hathe lefte great example vnto all degrees For his great ryches his herte dyd neuer blynde But worldly pompe set clene out of his mynde He forced of no castels nor excellent byldynge Dispysynge charges and besynes worldly But gaue his mynde to vertue and cunnynge And namely to the scyence of astronomy Consyderynge that great rest of mynde and of body With hym abydeth whiche with bolde herte is fayne To folowe vertue, and leue charges mundayne He that so doth no weght doth vndertake Vpon his backe of so great a grauyte That his small strength must it agayne forsake. Where he that attempteth grettest thynges, and hye: Great weyght of charges and moche dignite Must lerne to suffer payne thought and vexacion By his great charges of perturbacion.