The loue of vertue was full out of his mynde So he concludyd to sue dilyciousnes Thynkynge after deth no welth nor ioy to fynde For this is the sentence of the prynce of derknes But good almyghty seynge his vycyousnes His body and soule deuydyd soon in twayne From worldly pleasour vnto infernall payne By this hystory to vs it apereth playne That from worldly pleasour and voluptuosyte With all our myght we ought vs to refrayne For thoughe the first of them delycious be Theyr ende is poyson, and of sournes plente Sue wyse men vertue, and set suche lust asyde For they ar folys that in it lyue and byde THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Amende mad men your blynde mysgouernaunce Subdue nat your necke to the captyuyte Of flysshely lust and corporall pleasaunce Nor to blynde Venus with hir lasciuyte (If ye it note) ye dayly here and se The mysfortune of them that it ensue And certaynly no man can saued be By carnall lust, but by godly vertue * * * * * Of folys that can nat kepe secrete theyr owne counsell. [Illustration: Of other Foles a nomber yet I fynde Which by theyr bablynge wordes and langage Can nat kepe close the secrete of theyr mynde. But all theyr counsel out they shewe at large. So that oft therof procedeth great damage. As Murder, myschefe, hatered and debate. That after they repent. But than it is to late] He is a naturall fole and vndiscrete And to hym selfe ingendryth oft great stryfe Whiche can nat hyde his counsell and secrete But by his foly it sheweth to his wyfe And all that he hath done in his hole lyfe Or that to do here after he doth purpose To euery man suche a fole wyll disclose The noble Sampson moste excellent of myght And strongest man that euer was get or borne Were nat this foly: sholde nat haue lost his syght Nor had his here, by gyle from his hede ofshorne And of his ennemyes ben laughyd vnto scorne And at the last with herte wrethfull and wo His ennemyes murdred and hym selfe also Where as he myght haue lyued in honour If he had kept his secretes in his mynde With his owne wyll he dyed in great dolour. By the fals treason of his lemman vnkynde We may in dyuers mo examples fynde Howe many thousandes haue suffred paynes smart And all for shewynge the secretes of theyr hart Amphiaraus a Prynce moste excellent Shortened the dayes of his pore doutfull lyfe For shewynge the preuetees of his intent By his owne foly to his disceytfull wyfe And thoughe he longe escaped had the stryfe And war of Thebes whiche he dyd longe defende Yet at the leest his tunge was his owne ende Thus olde storyes doth oft recorde and tell By theyr examples whiche they vnto vs gyue That wymen ar no kepars of councell It goeth through them as water trough a syue Wherfore let them that quyetly wolde lyue No more of theyr counsell to any woman showe Than that they wolde that euery man dyd knowe