Blynde myndyd man whiche wylt all thynge ouercome Reputynge thy selfe, moste souerayne and royall If thou be wyse or partener of wysdome Labour to ouercome thyne owne selfe firste of all Thy wrath asswage thou in especyall Let neyther malyce, nor yre with the abyde Thou art a fole the chefe or lorde to call Of other: whan thou can nat thy selfe well gyde. * * * * * Of the mutabylyte of fortune. [Illustration: That man whiche hopyth hye vp to ascende On fortunes whele, and come to state royall If the whele turne, may doute sore to descende If he be hye the sorer is his fall So he whiche trustyth nat therto at all Shall in moste eas and suerty hymselfe gyde For vnsure fortune can in no place abyde] We dayly proue by example and euydence That many be made folys mad and ignorant By the brode worlde, puttynge trust and confydence In fortunes whele vnsure and inconstant Some assay the whele thynkynge it pleasant But whyle they to clym vp haue pleasour and desyre Theyr fete them faylyth so fall they in the myre Promote a yeman, make hym a gentyl man And make a Baylyf of a Butchers son Make of a Squyer knyght, yet wyll they if they can Coueyt in theyr myndes hyer promosyon And many in the worlde haue this condicion In hope of honour by treason to conspyre But ofte they slyde, and so fall in the myre Suche lokys so hye that they forget theyr fete On fortunes whele whiche turneth as a ball They seke degrees for theyr small myght vnmete Theyr folysshe hertis and blynde se nat theyr fall Some folys purpose to haue a rowme Royall Or clym by fortunes whele to an empyre The whele than turneth lyuynge them in the myre O blynde man say what is thyne intent To worldly honoures so greatly to entende Or here to make the hye ryche and excellent Syns that so shortly thy lyfe must haue an ende None is so worthy, nor can so hye ascende Nor nought is so sure if thou the trouth enquyre But that it may doute to fall downe to the myre There is no lorde Duke kynge nor other estate But dye they must, and from this wolde go All worldly thynges whiche god hath here create Shall nat ay byde, but haue an ende also What mortall man hath ben promotyd so: In worldly welthe or vncertayne dignyte That euer of lyfe had houre of certaynte In stormy wyndes lowest trees ar most sure And howsys surest whiche ar nat byldyd hye Where as hye byldynges may no tempest endure Without they be foundyd sure and stedfastly So gretest men haue moste fere and ieopardy Better is pouertye though it be harde to bere Than is a hye degre in ieopardy and fere,