The Example of Vertu | Page 2

radyaunt hete and operacyon?Whan the vyrgyn had full domynacyon?And Dyane entred was one degre?Into the sygne of Gemyne
Whan the golden sterres clere were splendent?In the firmament puryfyed clere as crystall?By imperyall course without incombrement?As Iuppyter and Mars that be celestyall?With Saturne and Mercury that wer supernall?Myxt with venus that was not retrograte?That caused me to be well fortunate
In a slombrynge slepe with slouth opprest?As I in my naked bedde was leyd?Thynkynge all nyght to take my rest?Morpleus to me than made abreyd?And in my dreme me thought he sayd?Come walke with me in a medowe amerous?Depeynted with floures that be delycyous
I walked with hym into a place?Where that there grue many a fayre floure?With Ioye replete and full of solace?And the trees dystyllynge redolent lycoure?More sweter fer than the Aprell shour?And tary I dyd there by longe space?Tyll that I saw before my face
A ryght fayre lady of myddell stature?And also enduyd with grete vertue?Her apparell was set with perlys pure?Whose beaute alway dyd renue?To me she sayd and ye wyll extue?All wyldnes I wyll be your guyde?That ye to fraylte shall not slyde.
[>>]?Vnto her I answerde o lady gloryous?I pray you tell me what is your name?For ye seeme to be ryght precyous?And I am yonge and sore to blame?Of vyces full and in vertue lame?But I wyll be ruled now by your pleasure?So that your order be made by mesure
Eclepyd I am she sayd dyscrecyon?And yf ye wyll be ruled by me?Ye shall haue Ioye without reprehencyon?And neuer fall in to fragylyte?Youth lackynge me it is grete pyte?For in what place I am exyled?They be with synne ryght oft defyled
It longeth euer vnto my properte?Youth to gyue courage for to lerne?I wyll not medle with no duplycyte?But faythfulnes I wyll dyscerne?And brynge thy soule to blesse eterne?By wyse example and morall doctryne?For youth hauynge to me is a good syne
Forsake also all euyll company?And be founde true in worde and dede?Remembre that this worlde is transytory?After thy desert shall be thy mede?Loue god alway and eke hym drede?And for no mannes pleasure be thyn owne foo?Gyue theym fayre wordes and lete theym goo
[<>]?Be to thy kynge euer true subgete?As thou sholdest be by ryght and reason?Lete thy herte lowely on hym be sete?Without ony spot of euyll treason?And be obedyent at euery season?Vnto his grace without rebellyon?That thou with trouth may be companyon
Loue neuer vnloued for that is payne?Whyle that thou lyuest of that beware?Loue as thou seest the loued agayne?Or elles it wyll torne the to care?Be neuer taken in that fast snare?Proue or thou loue that is moost sure?And than thou in doubte shalt not endure.
Beware byleue no flaterynge tonge?For flaterers be moost disseyuable?Though that they company with the longe?Yet at the ende they wyll be varyable?For they by reason are not fauorable?But euermore fals and double?And with theyr tonges cause of grete trouble
This brytell worlde ay full of bytternes?Alway turnynge lyke to a ball?No man in it can haue no sykernes?For whan he clymmeth he hath a fall?O wauerynge shadowe bytter as gall?O fatall welth full soone at ende?Though thou ryght hy do oft assende
[<>]?Whan she to me had made relacyon?Of all these prouerbes by good conclusyon?She gaue to me an Informacyon?For to depryue all yll abusyon?And to consydre the grete derysyon?Whiche is in youth that may not se?No thynge appropred to his prosperyte
Forth than we went to an hauen syde?Wher was a shyp lyenge at rode?Taryenge after the wynde and tyde?And with moche spyces ryght well lode?Vpon it lokynge we longe abode?Tyll eolus with blastes began to rore?Than we her aborded with payne ryght sore
This water eclyped was vayneglory?Euer with yeopardy and tempestyous?And the shyp called was ryght truly?The vessell of the passage daungerous?The wawys were hyghe and gretly troublous?The captayn called was good comfort?And the sterysman fayre pasport
[P] Capitulum .ii.
Longe were we dryuen with wynde & weder?Tyll we arryued in a fayre Ilonde?Wher was a boote tyed with a teeder?Of merueylous wood as I vnderstonde?Precyous stones ley vpon the sond?And poynted dyamondes grewe on the rockes?And corall also by ryght hyghe stockes?[<<]
Amased I was for to beholde?The precyous stones vnder my fete?And the erth glysterynge of golde?With floures fayre of odour swete?Dame dyscrecyon I dyd than grete?Praynge her to me to make relacyon?Who of this Ilonde hath domynacyon
She sayd foure ladyes in vertue excellent?Of whiche the eldest is dame nature?That dayly fourmeth after her entent?Euery beest and lyuynge creature?Both foule and fayre and also pure?All that dependynge in her ordynaunce?Where that she fauoureth there is grete pleasaunce
The seconde is called dame fortune?Ayenst whome can be no resystence?For she doth sette the strynges in tune?Of euery persone by her magnyfycence?Whan they sound best by good experyence?She wyll theym loose and let theym slyp?Causynge theym fall by her turnynge tryp
The thyrde called is dame hardynes?That