Thus who that selleth his youthes lustynes For frayle ryches and this mundayne vanyte He byeth stryfe, gyle and falshode endlesse Suche force nat for fayth true loue nor honestye And thoughe that he discende of hye degre For hope of money he shall an olde fole wed By whose foly he to euery yll is led. And so these folys subdue them to bondage And worthely endure suche payne and punysshement They hope therby to come to auantage But that they lese and lyue in sore tourment They wast theyr good, and so whan that is spent And nought remayneth theyr bodyes to relefe Theyr disputacion is nought but hore and thefe But if I sholde wryte all the vnhappynes The wrath discorde and the great deuysyon Wherin they lyue, that mary for ryches And nat for loue. I neuer sholde haue done Wherfore this say I for a conclusyon That he shall neuer thryue ne come to his behoue That weddyth a wyfe for gode and nat for loue THE ENUOY OF BARKLAY. Alas man myndles what is thyne intent To wed for ryches, that weddynge I defy Maryage was ordeyned by god omnypotent In goddes lawes the worlde to multyply Wherfore that man that wyll therto aply And wolde haue the profyte of faythfull maryage This worldly ryches ought no thynge to set by But wed for loue and hope to haue lynage Remember ryches is no thynge comparable To mekenes vertue and discrete gouernaunce And other maners whiche ar more commendable Than worldly treasour or suche vnsure substaunce Wherfore consyder and call to thy remembraunce That better is to haue some woman pore and bare And lyue in eas: Than one with habundaunce Of great ryches: and euer to lyue in care * * * * * Of enuyous Folys. [Illustration: Yet ar mo folys whiche greatly them delyte In others losse, and that by fals enuy Wherby they suche vnrightwysly bacbyte The dartis of suche ouer all the wordly flye And euer in fleynge theyr fethers multyply No state in erth therfro can kepe hym sure His sede encreasyth as it wolde euer endure] Wastynge enuy oft styreth to malyce Folys nat a fewe whiche ar therto enclynyd Pryckynge theyr frowarde hertes vnto vyce Of others damage reioysynge in theyr mynde Enuyes darte doth his begynnynge fynde In wrathfull hertes, it wastyth his owne nest Nat suffrynge other to lyue in eas and rest If one haue plenty of treasour and ryches Or by his merytis obteyne great dignyte These folys enuyous that of the same haue les Enuy by malyce, the others hye degre And if another of honour haue plente They it enuy and wysshe that they myght sterue Howe be it suche folys can nat the same deserue