He lept hedelynge into the flamynge fyre Of a brennynge hyll whiche callyd is Ethnay To knowe the trouth, and nature to enquyre Whether that same flame were very fyre or nay So with his deth the trouth he dyd assay But who that wolde hym drawen out of that hyll Had ben a fole, syns it was his owne wyll For why his mynde was blyndyd so certayne That thoughe a man had hym delyuered than The same peryll wolde he haue proued agayne As mad as he forsoth is euery man That is at eas, and hym nat so holde can And also he that putteth hymselfe in drede Or fere and peryll, where as he hath no nede So he that prayeth to god that he may get The blysse of heuen, and scape infernall payne He is a fole his herte or mynde to set On frayle ryches, welth and ioy mundayne On stedfast fortune, on lucre or on gayne For certaynly these thynges of worldly welth Oft man deuydeth away from heuenly helth Thus he that prayeth for welth or for ryches Or in this worlde hym selfe to magnyfy Prayeth for his hurt and cause of viciousnes For worldly welth doth vyce oft multyply So seke men theyr owne peryll wyllyngly But who that prayeth, and can nat as he ought He bloweth in the wynde, and shall nat haue his thought And who that to honour couetyse to ascende Or to lyue in damnable voluptuosyte He seketh his peryll for if that he descende From welth and worshyp to payne and pouerte It is but worthy, and let hym pacyent be It to endure with mynde demure and meke He is worthy sorowe that wyll it alway seke THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Ye that fayne wolde escape all ieopardy Auoyde suche thynges the whiche myght cause the same To proue a peryll, is foly certaynly Whether it be done in ernest or in game They that so doth may theyr owne madnes blame For he that is sure, and to a fray wyll ren May fortune come home agayne, nosles or lame And so were it better for to haue byd within * * * * * Of the way of felycyte and godnes, and of the payne to come vnto synners. [Illustration: Many in this lyfe the cart of syn doth drawe By payne and labour, alway right dylygent Norysshynge theyr syn agaynst all right and lawe And alway lyuynge after one lyke assent But whan they ar dede than shall theyr punysshement In hell be dowblyd with cartis of whelys foure Where as they thought, deth shuld ende theyr laboure] God suffreth nat eche vicious fole to knowe The wonders that he made hath on this grounde And dayly worketh. wherfore theyr syn doth growe So that theyr foly them selfe doth confounde And here theyr bodyes to great labours ar bounde Sparynge no peryll for pleasour and for gayne Than after deth haue they euerlastynge payne