[Illustration: That man whose herte vnhappy synne doth blynde And prayth gasynge into the fyrmament Or he that setteth nat his herte and mynde Upon his wordes, theyr sentence or intent And he that desyreth thynge nat conuenyent Suche folys shall nat theyr peticion obtayne For without the herte the tonge laboureth in vayne] Here we repreue (reperue) ye and reuyle. A sorte of folys lewde of condicions Whose herte and tunge theyr soules doth defyle By theyr blynde prayers and yll peticions Suche folowe no techynge nor gode monysyons For often many of them with tunge doth pray Theyr mynde, abstract nat knowynge what they say Man oft desyreth with great affeccion That thynge of god, whiche thynge if god wolde graunt. Sholde be at last vnto thyer destruccyon Examples hereof thou canst nat lacke nor want The great Medas somtyme kynge tryumphant. Of Phrygye By his owne folysshe desyre With paynfull hunger, his lyfe breth dyd expyre This kynge Mydas of whom I haue you tolde Of god desyred with prayer dylygent. That all that he touchyd tourne myght vnto golde His prayer was harde, he obteynyd his intent But nat to his welth, but mortall punysshement For whan he brede or drynke tast or touche sholde Incontynent was it tourned in to golde Thus was his prayer to his owne damage For at the laste he dyed in wo and payne For no golde coude his sore hunger asswage Nor his desyre coude he nat call agayne. Thus his peticion desyred was in vayne: And where he wenyd great welth to get therby He dyed in shame hunger and mysery. Some dayly pray with marueylous besynes Cryeng and syghynge to god omnypotent For to haue plenty of welth ioy and ryches And to be made ryche myghty and excellent. O cursyd lyuers, o blynde men of intent On suche desyres they set theyr mynde and thought Whiche thousandes vnto shamefull ende hath brought What profyted the myghty edefyces: Of Lycynus, or lyuelode of excesse: What profyteth the money gotten in vyces Of riche Crassus, or cresus, great ryches They all ar dede by theyr vnhappynes And that lewdely, nat by deth naturall Theyr blynde desyres chefe rote and cause of all Another whiche is in youthes prosperyte For strength and myght often to god doth pray Some of theyr lyfe to haue prolyxyte Desyreth god, and here to byde alway In riches welth, ioy and solempne aray But yet they in glotony take suche custome That they slea them selfe longe or theyr day be come Alas mad fole why prayest thou for age Syns it so greuous is and ymportable Unstable and full of dolour and damage Odyous to youth and intollerable Say folysshe man whiche art of mynde vnstable Is it nat great foly to any creature To pray for that thynge, whiche he can nat endure