Thou man that hast thy secret in thy brest
Holde it styll there suffer it nat out to go
Who that so doth, therby shall fynde great rest
Ne to thy frende shewe nat thy mynde also
For if that he after become thy fo
As often hapneth, than myght he the bewry
So sholde thy foly tourne vnto thy great wo
Howe be it suche thynges are prouyd comonly.
* * * * *
Of yonge folys that take olde wymen to
theyr wyues, for theyr ryches.
[Illustration: Within our shyp that fole shall haue a hode
Whiche an olde wyfe taketh in maryage
Rather for hir ryches and hir worldly gode
Than for pure loue, or hope to haue lynage
But suche youth as mary them selfe with age
The profyte and pleasour of wedlocke lese certayne
And worthely lyue in brawlynge stryfe and payne.]
Under the Asse tayle thoughe it be no thynge pure
Yet many seke and grope for the vyle fatnes
Gatherynge togyther the fowle dunge and ordure
Suche ar they that for treasour and ryches
Whyle they ar yonge in theyr chefe lustynes
An agyd woman taketh to theyr wyfe
Lesynge theyr youth, and shortynge so theyr lyfe
They that so do hath neyther rest nor peas
But besy brawlynge and stryfe contynuall
They have no pleasour, but thought and great dyseas
Rebuke out braydynge, and strypes whan they fall
But theyr owne foly is grounde and cause of all
For they be maryd unto the vyle treasour
And precious bagges, but nat for godly pleasour
They haue no hope of children nor lynage
Loue is there none, and durynge theyr wretchyd lyfe
Is nat one day in suche mad maryage
Auoyde of brawlynge, of hatered and of stryfe
But that pore man that weddeth a ryche wyfe
Cast in his nose shall styll hir bagges fynde
For whose cause he made was made and blynde
They that ar weddyd nat for loue but rychesse
Of moryage despysynge the pleasour and profyte
Suche seldome sauour fortunes happynes
But oft mysfortune them greuously doth byte
Thus gone is theyr pleasour theyr ioy and delyte
And for vayne treasoure suche ar so glad and fayne
That for the same they them subdue to payne
They wyllyngly to payne them selfe subdue
The whiche ar weddyd for wretchyd couetyse
They take no hede to maners and vertue
To honeste nor wysdome but lyue ay in malyce
For if a woman be fowle and full of vice
And lewde of maners, nought both to man and lad
Yet good shall hir mary be she neuer so bad
If that a man of hye or lowe degre
Wolde spouse his doughter vnto a strange man
He nought inquyreth of his honestye
Of his behauour, nor if he norture can
But if he be ryche in londes and good: than
He shall be prayed his doughter for to haue
Thoughe be but a bonde man or a knaue
The firste enquyrynge and speciall questyon
Is of the money, that thynge namely they moue
And last of all aske they the condicion
So whan they mete they neuer haue perfyte loue
Wherfore it were better to suche for theyr behoue
To byde alone in deserte and wyldernes
Than in wedloke in payne for frayle ryches
Forsoth it is an vnmete maryage
And disagreynge and moche agaynst the lawe
Bytwene fresshe youth, and lame vnlusty age
The loue bytwene them is scantly worth a strawe
So doth the one styll on the other gnawe
And oft the man in mynde doth sore complayne.
His sede to sowe vpon a grounde barayne
Than muste he haue another prymme or twayne
With them to slake his wanton yonge cowrage
But in that space must he endure great payne
With hir that he hath tane in maryage
Hir bablynge tunge whiche no man can asswage
With wrathfull wordes shall sle hym at the laste
His other prymes his good shall spende and waste
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