Right in lyke wyse the myghty Darius Was kynge of Persy a realme moche excellent Yet was his mynde so greatly couetus That with the same helde he hym nat content But warred on other Royalmes adiacent So whan his myght coude nat therto extende His owne Royalme he loste and so came to his ende And also Xerxes in ryches abundant Was longe in peas and great tranquyllyte And in his Royalme was hye and tryumphant As longe as he was content with his degre Than had he pleasour and great felycyte. To assay by warre his kyngdome to amende But all he lost and so came to his ende Whyle Nabugodonosor kynge of Babylone In vnsure fortune set to great confydence Commaundynge honour vnto hym to be done As vnto god: with all humble reuerence, God by his power and hye magnyfycence Made hym a beste, for that he dyd offende And so in proces of tyme came to his ende Alexander the great and myghty conquerour To whome all the worlde scantly myght suffyse Of Grece was the origynall lorde and Emperour And all the worlde subdued as I surmyse Yet hath he done as is the comon gyse Left all behynde, for nought coude hym defende But as a symple man at the last came to his ende The myghty Cresus with his kyngdomes and store Of golde and ryches hym selfe coude nat content But whyle he trustyd and laboured for more Fortune hym fayled: So lost he his intent. What shall I wryte of Cyrus excellent Drynkynge his blode by deth whiche fortune sende To here of states the comon deth and ende All kyngdomes dekay and all estate mundayne Example of Rome Cartago and Mycene Of Solyme Tyre grace and Troy moste souerayne None of these places ar nowe as they haue ben Nor none other ouer the worlde as I wene Thus shortly to speke and all to comprehende All worldly thynges at last shall haue an ende. THE ENOUY OF BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. O man that hast thy trust and confydence Fyxed on these frayle fantasyes mundayne Remember at the ende there is no difference Bytwene that man that lyued hath in payne And hym that hath in welth and ioy souerayne They both must dye their payne is of one sort Both ryche and pore, no man can deth refrayne For dethes dart expellyth all confort Say where is Adam the fyrst progenytour Of all mankynde is he nat dede and gone And where is Abell of innocence the flour With adamys other sonnes euerychone A: dredfull deth of them hath left nat one Where is Mathusalem, and Tuball that was playne The first that played on Harpe or on Orgone _Ilz sont tous mortz ce monde est choce vayne_ Where is iust Noy and his ofsprynge become Where is Abraham and all his progeny As Isaac and Jacob, no strength nor wysdome Coude them ensure to lyue contynually Where is kynge Dauyd whome god dyd magnyfy And Salomon his son of wysdome souerayne Where ar his sonnes of wysdome and beauty _Ilz sont toutz mortz ce monde est choce vayne._