¶ This wrecched worlde-is t{ra}nsmutaciou{n}
As wele / or wo / now poeer{e} {and} now hono{ur}
W{i}t{h}-owten ordyr or wis descresyou{n}
Gou{er}ned is by fortunes errour 4
But natheles the lakke of hyr fauowr+
Ne may nat don me syngen thowh I. deye
[Sidenote: [fol. 53 _b_.]]
Iay tout p{er}du mou{n} temps {et} mou{n} labour
For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 8
¶ Yit is me left the lyht of my resou{n}
To knowen frend fro foo in thi merowr+
So mochel hath yit thy whirlynge vp {and} down
I-tawht me for to knowe in an howr 12
But trewely no fors of thi reddowr+
To hym þ{a}t ou{er} hym self hath the maystrye
My suffysau{n}ce shal be my socour+
For fynaly fortune I. thee deffye 16
¶ O socrates þ{o}u stidfast chau{m}pyou{n}
She neu{er} myht[e] be thi tormentowr
Thow neu{er} dreddest hyr opp{re}ssyou{n}
Ne in hyr cher{e} fownde thow no sauour+ 20
Thow knewe wel the deseyte of hyr colour+
And þ{a}t hir most[e] worshipe is to lye
I knew hir ek a fals dissimulour+
For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 24
[[pg 183]]
LE RESPOU{N}CE DE FORTUNE A PLEINTIF.
¶ No man ys wrechchyd but hym self yt wene
{And} he þ{a}t hath hym self hat suffisaunce
Whi seysthow tha{n}ne y am [to] the so kene
Þ{a}t hast thy self owt of my gou{er}nau{n}ce 28
Sey thus grau{n}t m{er}cy of thyn habou{n}dau{n}ce
That thow hast lent or this why wolt þ{o}u stryue
What woost thow yit how y the wol auau{n}ce
{And} ek thow hast thy beste frende a-lyue 32
¶ I haue the tawht deuisyou{n} by-twene
Frend of effect+ {and} frende of cowntenau{n}ce
The nedeth nat the galle of no hyene
Þ{a}t cureth eyen derkyd for penau{n}ce 36
Now se[st] thow cleer þ{a}t weere in ignorau{n}ce
Yit halt thin ancre {and} yit thow mayst aryue
Ther bownte berth the keye of my substau{n}ce
{And} ek þ{o}u hast thy beste frende alyue 40
¶ How manye haue .I. refused to sustigne
Syn .I. the fostred haue in thy plesau{n}ce
Wolthow thanne make a statute on þy quyene
Þ{a}t .I. shal ben ay at thy ordynau{n}ce 44
Thow born art in my regne of varyau{n}ce
Abowte the wheel w{i}t{h} oother most thow dryue
My loore is bet than wikke is thi greuau{n}ce
{And} ek þou hast thy beste frende a-lyue 48
[Linenotes:
37 _se[st]_--partly erased and _ist_ written on it in a later hand.
41 _igne_ of _sustigne_ is in a later hand.]