  Dame Prudence F(Forth) FOrth we walked to the dwellynge place Of dame sapyence so full of blys Replete with Ioye vertu and grace No thynge there lacked that possyble is Man for to comfort withouten mys Though he were derke in wordely foly He sholde there b enlumyned shortely Her towre was made of werkes curyous I can no thynge extende the goodlynes Of her palays so good and gloryous Bylded in the place soth of fastnes With owten tast of wordely bytternes No persone can extoll the souerente Of her worthy and royall dygnyte She eche estate sholde haue in gouernaunce As theym to rule or that they repent For better it is to haue good puruyaunce At the begynnynge as is expedyent Than for to wyssh for thynges myspent That myght be saued longe afore And with a for wytte kepte in store Her chaumbre was glased with byrall clarefyed Depeynted with colours of delectacyon A place of pleasure so heuenly gloryfyed In vertue heale lyfe and saluacyon Without ony stormy trybulacyon That myght anoy the heuenly helth But alway comfort to the sowlys welth There sate dame prudence in vertue magnyfyed Impossyble it is to shewe her goodelyhed She was so fayre and clerely puryfyed And so dyscrete and full of womanhede That and I trowe vertue were deed It sholde reuyue yet in her agayne She was so gentyll and without dysdeyn It was grete comfort vnto my hert For to beholde that heuenly syght Dyscrecyon sayd I sholde not depert Tyll I had spoken with her syster bryght Forth she me ledde with all her myght Vnto that prynces and royall souerayn Ergo my labour was not in vayn Than spake dame prudence with meke contenauce Welcome dyscrecyon my syster dere Where haue ye ben by longe contynuaunce Wyth youth she sayd that ye se here And for my sake I you requere Hym to receyue in to your seruyse And he shall serue you in goodely wyse Welcome she sayd for my systers sake And yet also now for your owne In to my seruyce I wyll you take Sythens that your wyldnes is ouerblowen The sede of vertu on you shall be sowen Vyce to depryue by his good auctoryte As for to subdue all yll iniquyte Of other mennes wordes be thou not bolde And of theyr promys make no behest And yf thou here an yll tale tolde Gyue no iugement but say the best So shall thou lyue euermore in rest Who lytell medeleth is best at ease For well were he that all myght please Beware kepe the from grete offence That thou condempned be not by ryghtwysnes Whan she doth gyue her mortall sentence Without pease or mercy cause her reles Her iugement of mortall heuynes That the best frende to the wyll be The for to socour in grete necessyte But yet in theym haue none affyaunce As fyrst to synne thynkynge that they At the ende to the wyll be delyueraunce Nay ryghtwysnes wyll dryue theym away For of all synnes without delay Suche synne in hope it is the moost For it is the synne of the holy ghoost Now I amytte you into your rome In the whiche ye shall your selfe apply Of myn owne chaumbre ye shall be grome Loke ye be dylygent and do not vary From my cÕmaundementes neuer specyally For and ye wyll theym well obserue A moche better rome ye do deserue The fyrst cÕmaundement that I gyue the Thynke on the ende or thou begynne For thou by ryght may knowe the certente That deth is fyne of euery synne Be neuer taken in dyabolycall engyne But that repentaunce may loose the sone Of that grete synne that thou hast done Trust not to moche in fortunes grace Though that she laugh on the a whyle For she can sodenly turne her face Whan that she lyst the to begyle She welth and Ioye can sone defyle And plonge the in the pyte of pouerte Wherfore in her haue thou no suertye Presume no ferther than the behoueth For it wyll turne the to grete shame For who that from his rome remoueth He is often full gretely to blame And medeleth with other in theym lame As no thynge connynge nor expert They may hym say syr malapert Or that thou speke call to remembraunce Vnto what mater thy worde shall sygnyfye Loke that it torne no man to greuaunce Though that it be spoken merely Yet many a one wyll take it greuously Whiche that myght cause wroth and debate Whyle that thou lyues beware of that For a thynge lost without recouer Loke that thou neuer be to pensyfe Thanke god of it thynke to haue an other Lete wysedome than be to the comfortyfe That to thy brayn is best preseruatyfe For euermore ryght wyse is he That can be pacyent in aduersyte Proue thy frende in a mater fayned Or thou haue nede than shalt thou se Whyther he be iustly with the reteyned The for to socour in thy necessyte By profe thou mayst knowe the veryte For profe afore that nede requere Defeteth dowte euer in fere Be thou neuer so blynde in wylle Yet loke thou be refourmed by reason Than shalt thou my mynde fulfyll And thou therto thy selfe abandon Stryue not with reason for none encheson For wher she lacketh ther is grete outrage And without her may not aswage Eschew also the synne of pryde The moder and the feruent rote Of all the synnes at euery tyde Wherfore trede thou her vnder fote With helpe of vertue so swete and sote Whiche is best salue to hele thy sore And to thy helth the to restore Wo worth synne without repentaunce Wo worth bondage without reles Wo worth man without good gouernaunce Wo worth infynall payne and dystresse Wo worth vyce put fer in presse Wo worth soueraynte hauynge dysdeyn And wo worth pyte that doth refrayn Wo worth ryght that may not be herd Wo worth frendshyp without stabylyte Wo worth true sentence that is deferd Wo worth the man full of duplycyte Wo worth hym without benygnyte Wo worth lybertye withouten pease And wo worth crueltye that may not cease Wo worth connynge that is abused Wo worth promys withouten payment Wo worth vertue that is refused Wo worth trouble without extynguysment Wo worth foly on message sent Wo worth reason that is exyled And wo worth trouth that is defyled Wo worth the trust without assuraunce Wo worth grace not sette by Wo worth Iustyce kepte in dystaunce Wo worth welth replete with enuy Wo worth the batayll without vyctory Wo worth begynnynge without good ende And wo worth wronge that doth defende These commaundementes I put in memory Theym for to kepe doynge my dylygence With dame Sapyence I dyd longe tary Whiche dyd me teche with partynge influence Of her delycate and doulcete complacence Than spake dyscrecyon anone to me In the presens of her systers mageste Thou art beholdynge to my syster reuerent That the reteyned hath vnto her seruaunt Wherfore be thou to her obedyent And at euery houre to her attendaunt And ryotous company do thou not haunt For that wyll payre and yll thy name Wherfore of vertuous myrth let be thy game |
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