To lyue in wantonnes and blyndnes lascyuyte In pryde in Lechery andin couetyse Suche sytteth theyr myndes and theyr felycyte Not ferynge hell whiche is rewarde of vyce. Those dredefull dennys, in a right ferefull wyse With fyres flamynge, and manyfolde tourment Can nat suche folys, theyr synnes cause to stent O sleuthfull fole say why doste nat thou call Unto thy mynde that this worldes wretchydnes Is full of sorowe moche more bytter than gall Uoyde of all ioy, all pleasour and swetnes Why settest thou so moche by frayle delyciousnes On vayne pleasours, whiche shall sothly decay Lyke as the sone meltyth the snowe away Man note my wordes and gyue to them credence I say that pleasours and also ioyes mundayne As it apereth playne by good euydence Ar fylled with sorowe bytternes and payne Without all rest quyete or certayne And yet alas the worlde so doth men blynde That it they loue and caste heuen out of mynde Wherfore it hapneth full often as I fynde That suche as foloweth shamefull wantonnes Ungoodly luste, and statelynes of mynde Shall ofte perceyue great shame and wretchydnes And them most suffer, with great mundayne distres. And better charges, and after must nede endure Cruell deth whiche ende is of euery creature The worlde shall passe: ye and all ioy mundayne Without all doute at last shall haue an ende And euery thynge outher fruytfull or barayne Shall to the grounde outher firste or last discende We se also that none can hym defende From dethes dartis. and for conclusyon. We dayly se many mennys confusyon. We dayly se the fallys innumerable And greuous deth aswell of youth as age Thus is this wretchyd worlde moche vnstable Wherfore me thynke it is a great outrage To trust therto, or for an vnsure stage Or hye place of welth or worldly honour The presence to despyse of our sauyoure But without doute the tyme shall come and houre Whan all mankynde shall se hym euydent Some to theyr ioy, some to wo and doloure None shall eskhape that rightwyse iugement. But eche be rewardyd as he his tyme hath spent So they that vertuously haue lyuyd here Despysynge this worlde shall gladly there apere But they that here haue led theyr lyfe in vyce For to depart ar wo in herte and mynde And ferefull to byde that sentence of iustyce Syns of theyr synne excuse they can none fynde But to conclude forsoth that fole is blynde That for worldly welth, from god wolde hym deuyde And for vayne clay, the hye heuyn set a syde THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. O blynde man whiche hast thy moste felycyte On worldly thinges, alas make clere thy mynde What fyndest thou here, but great aduersyte Wylt thou for it leue y^t heuenly ioy behynde And where thou myght euerlastynge ryches fynde Where as is helth, endles lyfe and all goodnes Wylt thou forsake it for worldly wretchydnes