The p[ro]uerbes of Lydgate Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A06561 of text S120597 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 17026). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 38 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A06561 STC 17026 ESTC S120597 99855792 99855792 21295 2264216540

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A06561) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 21295) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1:32) The p[ro]uerbes of Lydgate Lydgate, John, 1370?-1451? Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375. De casibus virorum illustrium. aut [14] leaves In Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wykyn de Worde, [Enprynted at London : [1510?]] Consists largely of extracts from STC 3175: Boccaccio, Giovanni. De casibus illustrium virorum. Place of publication and printer's name from colophon; publication date conjectured by STC. Colophon: Here endeth the prouerbes of Lydgate vpon the fall of prynces. Signatures: a⁶ b. Reproduction of the original in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York City. eng Kings and rulers -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800. eebo The p[ro]uerbes of Lydgate. Lydgate, John, 1510 29 5251 4 0 0 0 0 0 7.62 B The rate of 7.62 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-10 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-11 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-02 Sampled and proofread 2006-02 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

The prouerbes of Lydgate .

GO kysse the steppes of them that were fortheryng Laureate poetes whiche had soueraynte Of eloquence to supporte thy makynge And pray all tho / that shall this processe se In thyn excuse / that they lyste to be Fauourable to lacke or to commende Gete tyhgrounde vpon humylyte Vnto theyr grace that thou mayst vp ascende In a short clause thy content rehersynge As one vp clymbeth to grete prosperyte So another by experte knowlechynge Fro grete rychesse is brought to pouerte Alas o boke what shall I saye in the Thy tragedyes thrughe all the worlde to sende Go forth I praye excuse thyselfe and me Who loueth moost vertue hyest shall ascende Blacke by the wede of complaynt and mornynge Called fall of prynces from theyr felycyte Lyke chantyplur̄ nowe syngynge nowe wepynge Wo after myrthe / nexte Ioye aduersyte So intermedled there is no surete Lyke as this boke dothe preyse and reprehende Now on the whele / nowe set in lowe degre Who wyll encrease by vertue muste ascende SOdeyne departynge out of felycyte In to myserye & mortall heuynesse Vnware depryuynge of our prosperyte Chaunge of gladnes in to wretchednesse Longe languysshynge in wo and bytternesse Contynuell sorowe drede / dole and offence Were fyrste brought in by inobyence Adam and Eue loste theyr lyberte Theyr fraunchyse & theyr blyssednesse Put in to exyle and captyuyte To lyue in labour wo and pensyfnesse Thrugh false desyre of pompous wylfulnes To the serpent whan they gaue credence The lorde mystrustynge thrughe inobedyence But oo alas as they were fre Of Ioye eternell stode in sykernesse They were to blynde alas it is pyte To leue theyr reste and lyue in werynesse All theyr of sprynge to brynge in dystresse Drawynge fro god his dewe reuerence Thrugh false consentynge to inobedyence Wherfore ye prynces auysyly do se As this tragedye in maner bereth wytnesse Where as wanteth in ony comonte Subieccyon for lacke of mekenesse And whyle pouert pryde hath an interesse There foloweth after thrughe frowarde insolence Amonge the people fals inobedyence And noble prynces whiche hathe the soueraynte To gouerne the people in ryghtwysnesse Lyke as ye cherysshe them in peas and vnyte Or frowardly dystroye them or oppresse So agaynwarde theyr courages they wyll dresse Lowly to obeye / to your magnyfycence Or dysobeye by inobedyence
Pauꝑtas conqueritur super fortunam THis wredchyd worlde is transmutacyon As we le / and wo / now poore / & nowe / honour Withouten ordre / or wyse dyscrecyon Gouerned is by fortunes erroure But neuertheles / the lacke of her fauoure Ne may not do me / synge thoughe that I dye Iay toutz ꝑdu mon temps et mon labour For fynally / fortune I defye Yet is me lefte the syght of my reason To knowe frende fro fo in my myrroure So moche hath yet thy turnynge vp & downe I taught me to knowe in an houre But truely no fo rs of thy reddoure To hym that on hymselfe hathe maystrye My suffysaunce shall be my socoure For fynally fortune I defye O Socrates thou stedfast champyon She myght neuer be thy tormentour Thou neuer dreddest her oppressyon Ne in her chere founde thou no fauoure Thou knewe well / the deceyte of her coloure And that her moost worshyp is to lye I knowe her eke / a false dyssymulour For fynally fortune I dyffye Fortuna ad pauꝑtatem . No man is wretched / but hymselfe it wene And he that hathe hymselfe hathe suffysaunce Why sayst thou than / I am to the so kene That hast thyselfe out of my gouernaunce Say thus gramercy of thyn haboundaunce That thou hast lent / or this thou shalt not stryue What wotest thou yet how I wyll the auaunce And eke thou haste / thy best frende alyue I haue the taught / dyuysyon between Frende of effecte / and frende of countenaunce The nedeth not / the galle of none hen That cureth eyen / duk for penaunce Nowe seyst thou clere / that were in ygnoraunce Yet holde thyn anker / & yet thou mayst aryue There bounte bereth / the keye of my substaunce And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue How many haue I refused to sustene Syth I the fostered / haue in my pleasaunce Wylte thou than make / a statute on thy quene That I shall be ay at thyn ordynaunce Thou borne arte in my reygne of varyaunce Aboute the whele with other must thou dryue My lore is better than thy wycked gouernaunce And eke thou hast thy best frende alyue Paupertas ad fortunam . Thy lore I dampne / it is aduersyte My frende / mayst thou not reue blynde goddesse And that I frendes knewe / I thanke it the Take them agayne / let them go lye on presse The negardes / kepynge theyr rychesse Pronostyk is / her toure thou wylte assayll Wycked appetyte / cometh a before sykenesse In generall this rule may not fayle Fortuna ad paupertatem Thou pynchest at my mutabylyte . For I the lente a droppe of my rychesse And nowe me lyketh to withdrawe me Why sholdest thou my royalte oppresse The se may ebbe / & flowe more & lesse The skye hathe myght / to shyne rayne and hayll Ryght so may I stowe my brytylnesse In generall this rule may not fayll Pauꝑtas ad fortunam . So execucyon of the mageste That all puruayeth of his ryghtwysmesse That same thynge fortune clepe ye Ye blynde beestes / full of rudenesse The heuen hathe properte of sykernesse This worlde hath euer / restles trauayll Thy laste daye is ende of myn intresse In generall I this rule may not fayll Finis .
Ecce bonum consilium galfridi chaucers contra fortunam . I Le from the prece & dwell with so the fastnesse Suffyse vnto thy good thoughe it be small For hoorde hathe hate / & clymbynge tykylnesse Prece hathe enuye / and we le is blente ouer all Sauoure no more than the behoue shall Rule thyselfe that other folke canst reede And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede Payne the not eche croked to redresse In truste of her that turneth as a ball Grete reste ▪ stonde in lytell besynesse Be ware also to sporne agaynst a wall Stryue not as dothe a cocle with a whall Daunt thyselfe that dauntest other dede And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede That the is sente receyue it in buxumnesse The wrastlynge of this worlde asketh a fall Here is none home / here is but wyldernesse Forth pylgrym forth / forth beest out of the stall Loke vp on hyghe / and thanke our lorde of all Weye thy luste / & let thy ghoost the lede And trouthe the shall delyuer it is no drede THe vnsure gladnesse the Ioye transytory He vnstable surenes the transmutacyons The gloury bryghtnes / the false eclypsed glorye Of erthly prynces whiche haue possessyons And monarchyes and domynacyons Theyr sodayne chaunge declareth to vs all Theyr pompous fygures meynt with bytter gall This blynde goddesse in her consystour With her pleasaunce medleth dyscencyons After tryumphes conquest and vyctour Reueth fro prynces theyr sceptres & theyr crownes And troubleth the people with fals rebellyownes Syth by these dukes whiche from her whelebe fall All worldly suger is meynt with bytter gall This tragedye maketh a memorye Of dukes twayne & of theyr hye renownes And of theyr lawe wryte a grete hystorye And how they conquered dyuers regyownes Gouerned cytees countrees and eke townes Tyll fortune theyr prowesse dyde appall To theyr suger was meynt with bytter gall Prynces pryncesses seeth how deceptour Bene all these worldly reuolucyons And how fortune in her reclinatour With her tryacle tempreth false poysons So meruaylous bene her confeccyons Of frowardnesse she wyll what so befall Ay with her sug●r of custome temper gall
A commendacyon of pacyence . VErtue of vertues / o noble pacyence With Lauret crowned for vertuous constaunce Laude / honour / preyse / and reuerence Be yeue to the pryncesse of moost pleasaunce Moost renommed by auncyent remembraunce Of whom the myghty marcyall armure Agayne all vyces / lengest may endure Grounde & begynnynge / to stande at dyffence Agayne Sathans / infernall puyssaunce Laureate quene / where thou arte in presence Foreyn outrages / haue no gouernaunce Conduyte hedsprynge / of plenteuous haboundaunce Crystall well / celestyall of fygure Agayne all vyces whiche lengest may endure Chefe foundresse / by souerayne excellence Of goostly buyldynge / & spyrytuall substaunce Empresse of moost magnyfycence With heuenly spyrytes / nexte of alyaunce With lyfe euerlastynge / the tryumphe to auaunce And Ioye eternall / thy noblesse to assure In th aureate throne / perpetually to endure Thre Ierarchyes / there beynge in presence With whom humylyte / hath souerayne acquayntaunce Where Osanna / with deuoute dylygence Is songe of aungelles / by longe contynuaunce Tofore the throne / kepynge theyr obseruaunce Sayng Sanctus Sanctus recorde of scrypture With voys memoryall perpetually to endure The brennynge loue / of Cherubyn by feruence Parfyre in charyte / and dylygent obeyssaunce And Seraphyn with humble obedyence And orders . ix . by heuenly concordaunce Dominationes / with vertuous attendaunce Afore the trynyte / synge fresshely by mesure With voyce memoryall perpetually to endure Suffraunce of paynymes / hath but an apperence Done for vaynglorye / hangynge in balaunce But crystes martyrs / in very existence Lyste agayne tyrauntes / make repugnaunce Rather deye / than do god dyspleasaunce Shewed in no myrrour / lykenesse nor pycture Take full possessyone / foreuer with cryst tendure Suffraunce for vertue / hath the preemynence Of them that set / in god theyr affyaunce Recorde of Steuen / Vincent and Laurence Blyssed Edmonde by longe perseueraunce Suffred for our fayth / vyctoryous greuaunce Kynge mayde / & martyr a palme to recture In the heuenly courte / perpetually to endure And for to set a maner dyfference In this mater tolde euery cyrcumstaunce How for our fayth / by full grete vyolence Dyuers sayntes / haue suffred grete penaunce Stable of theyr chere / vysage and countenaunce Neuer to varye for none auenture Lyke crystes champyons / perpetually to endure Whose foundacyon by notable prouydence Grounded on cryst / theyr soules to auaunce Graue in theyr hertes / & in theyr conscyence Voydynge all trouble / of worldy perturbaunce Chaunges of forture / with her double haunce Louyd god & dradde / aboue eche creature In hope with hym perpetually to endure MYn auctour Bochas wryteth no longer processe Of Iulius dethe complaynynge but a whyle To wryte of Tully in haste he gan hym dresse Compendyously his lyfe for to compyle Complaynynge fyrste / his baren style Is insuffycyente to wryte as men may seen Of so notable a rethorycyen The name of Tullius / was knowen in many place His eloquence in euery lande was ryfe His langage made hym stande in grace And be prefered durynge all his lyfe Maryed he was / & had a ryght fayre wyfe Chyldren many seruauntes yonge and olde And I fynde he helde a good housholde This thynge was done / whan that in rome towne The stryfe was grettest betwene Cesar & pompeye And for Tullius drewe hym to Caton With Pompeyus Cesar to warreye And of Iulius the partye dysobeye Out of Rome Tullius dyde hym hye Fledde with Pompeye in to Thessalye Cesar after of his free mōcyoune Whan that he stode hyest in his glorye Hym reconsyled agayne to Rome toune Vpon Pompeye accomplysshed the vyctorye But Iulyus slayne in the consystorye By syxty senatours beynge of assent Tullius was agayne in to exyle sent And in a cyte called Farnuan Tullius his exyle dyde endure For Anthonius was to hym enmy than Bycause that he / parcase of auenture Compyled had an Inuentyf scrypture Agayne Anthonyne rehersynge all the case Of his defautes and of Cleopateas Thus of enuye and of mortall hatred His dethe was compassed by Anthonius And afterwarde execute in dede By procurynge of one Pompilius Gate commyssyon the storye telleth thus Of fals malys & forth anone wente he In to Gayte / of champaygne a cyte And by the vertue of his cōmyssyowne Takynge of Anthyne lycence & lyberte Chefe Rethorycyen that euer was in the towne Amonge Romayns to worshyp the cyte Was slayne alas of hate & enmyte By Pompilius rote of all falshede Proferynge hymselfe to smyte of his hede Tullius afore had bene his defence Fro the galowes and his dethe eke let Whiche had deserued for his grete offence To haue ben hanged vpon a hye gybet Who saueth a thefe whan the rope is knet Aboute his necke as olde clerkes wryte With some fals torne the brybour wyll hym quyte Lo here the vyce of ingratytude By experyence brought fully to a prefe Who in his herte treason dothe include Caste for good wyll to do a man reprefe What is the guerdon for to saue a thefe Whan he is scaped loke ye shall fynde Of his nature euer to be vnkynnde This poplyue traytour moost odyble To shewe hymselfe false cruell & vengeable Towarde Tully dyde a thynge horryble Whan he was deed / this brybour moost culpable Smote of his ryght hande / to here abhomynable With whiche hande he lyuynge on hym toke To wryte of vertues many a famous booke The hande / the heed of noble Tullyus Whiche euery man ought of ryght complayne Were take and brought by Pompylyus Vpon a stake set vp bothe the tweyne There to abyde whether it dyde shyne or rayne With wynde and weder tyll they were yffyed In token all fauoure was to hym denyed THis tragedye dothe naturally complayne Vpon this vyce called vnkyndenesse Whiche to punysshe is torment / none nor payne Rygoure condygne / flagell / nor duresse Enprysonynge / nor none erthely dystresse That may suffyce bryefly to conclude Agayne the vyce of ingratytude All creatures on this vyce complayne Lawe / nature / deeres / ryghtwysnesse This monster in kynde dothe the lyght dysteyne Of euery vertue derketh the bryghtnes Alysander can bere herof wytnesse Whiche to his for theres he of tatches rude Shewed the vyce of ingratytude Of Cerberus th ynfernall tryble chayne Nor of Tantalus honger nor thrustynesse Of Xxion or Cicius bothe twayne Reken theyr torment remembre theyr sharpenesse All were to lytell to chastyce or redresse The hatefull vyce of them that can delude Theyr frendes olde / by fals ingratytude Noble prynces whiche in your demayne Haue gouernaunce of all worldy rychesse Agayne folke vnkynde loke that ye dysdayne Suffre them not haue none interesse For to approche to youre hygh noblenesse For there is no vyce more hatefull to conclude Than is the vyce of Ingratytude Consulo quisquis eris : qui pacis sedera queris Consonus esto lupis : cum quibz esse cupis I Counsayll what so euer thou be Of polycye / foresyght and prudence Yf thou wylte lyue in peas and vnyte Conforme thyselfe & thynke on this sentence Where so euer thou holde resydence Amonge wolles / be woluysshe of courage Lyon with lyons / a lambe for Innocence Lyke the audyence / so vtter thy language The vnycorne is caught with maydens songe By dysposycyour recorde of scryptuee With cormorauntes make thy necke longe In pondes depe / thy prayes to recure Amonge foxes / be foxysshe of nature Amonge raueners thynke for auantage With empty hande / men may not haukes lure And lyke thy audyence so vttre thy language With holy men speke of holynesse And with a glouton / be delycate of thy fare With dronken men / do surfettes by excesse And amonge wasters no spendynge that thou spare With wodcockes / lerne for to dare And sharpe thy knyfe / with pyllers for pylage Lyke the market / so preyse thy chaffare And lyke thy audyence so vtter thy language With an Otyr spare ryuer none nor ponde With them that forette / robbe conyngers A blode hounde with bowe & arowe in honde Maugre the watche of fosters & parkers Lyke thy felawshyp / spare no daungers For lyfe nor dethe / thy lyfe put in morgage Amonge knyghtes / squyers chanons monkes freers Lyke thy audyence vtter thy language Danyell lay / a prophete full notable Of god preserued / in pryson with lyons Where god lyste spare / a Tygre is not vengeable No cruell beestes / beres nor gryffons And yf thou be in caues with dragons Remembre how abacuk / brought potage So ferre to danyel / to many regyons As case requyreth so vtter thy language With wyse men talke of sapyence With phylosophers speke of phylosophye With shypmen sayllynge that haue experyence In troubly sees / how they shall them guye And with poetes talke of poetrye Be not presumptuous / of chere nor of vysage But where thou comest / in ony companye Lyke the audyence / so vtter thy language This lytell dytee / concludynge in menynge Who that cast hym / this rule for to kepe Must conforme hym / lyke in euery thynge Where he shall byde / vnto the felawshyp With watche men wake / with sloggy folke slepe With wood men wood / with frontyke folke sauage Renne with beestes / with wylde wormes crepe And lyke thy audyence / vtter thy language Amonge all these / I counsayll yet take hede Where thou abydest / or rest in ony place In chefe loue god / & with thy loue haue drede And be ferefull agayne hym to trespace With vertuous men / encrease shall thy grace And vycyous folke / are cause of grete dommage In euery felawshyp so for thyselfe purchace Where vertue regneth / there vtter thy language Be payed with lytell / content with suffysaunce Clymbe not to hye / thus byddeth Socrates Glad pouert is / of treasours moost substaunce And Caton sayth / is none so grete encreas Of worly treasour / as for to lyue in peas Whiche amonge vertues / hathe the vassalage I take recorde of Dyogenes Whiche to Alexander had this language His palays was a lytell poore tonne Whiche on a whele / with hym he gan carye Badde this Emperour / ryde out of his sonne Whiche dempte hymselfe / rycher than kynge darye Kepte with his vessell / fro wyndes moost contrary Wherin he made dayly his passage This phylosopher / with prynces lyste not tarye Nor in theyr presence / to vtter no language Betwene these twayne a grete comparyson Kynge Alexander / he conquerd all Dyogenes lay in a small dongeon Lyke sondry weders / whiche torned as a ball Fortune to Alexander / gaue a sodayne fall The phylosopher dysposed the comynage He thought vertue / was more imperyall Than is acquayntaunce / with al his proude language Anthony & Poule dyspysed all rychesse Lyued in deserte / of wylfull pouerte Cesar and Pompeye / of marcyall woodnesse By theyr enuyous / compassed cruelte Betwene germany & affrycke was grete enmyte No comparyson betwene good greyn and forage Prayse euery thynge lyke to his degre And lyke thy audyence / so vtter thy language I founde a lykenesse depyct vpon a wall Armed in vertues / as I walkt vp and downe The hede of thre / full solempne and royall Intellectus / memorye / and reason With eyen and eres / of clere dyscrecyon Mouthe and tongue / auoyden all outrage Agayne the vyce of fals detraccyon To do not surfet / in worde nor in language Hande and armes / with this dyscrecyon Where so man haue / force or feblenesse Truely to mene / in his affeccyon For fraude or fauoure / to folowe ryghtwysnesse Outrayles inwarde / deuocyon with mekenesse Passynge pygmalyon / whiche graued an ymage Prayed to Venus of louers chefe goddesse To graunt it lyfe / & quyckenesse of language Of hole entente / pray we to cryste Ihu To quyk a fygure / in our conscyence Reason as heed / with membres of vertue Afore rehersed / breefly in sentence Vnder supporte of his magnyfycence Cryst so lyste gouerne / our worldly pylgrymage Bytwene vyce and vertue / to sette a dyfference To his pleasaunce / to vttre our language
Lenuoy . TOwarde the ende of frosty Ianuarye Whan watry phebus / hadde his purpose take . For a season to soiourne in aquarye And Caprycorne hadde vtterly forsake Towarde aurora amorowe as I gan wake A feldfare / full erly toke her flyght Tofore my studye / sange with her fethers blake Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght Thoughe the pecocke / haue wynges bryght & shene Graunted by nature to his grete auayll Withgolde & azure / and Emendes grene And Argus eyen / portrayed in his tayll Berynge vp his fethers / dysplayed lyke a sayll Towarde his fete / whan he caste downe his syght To bate his pryde there is no bet counsayle Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght The kynge of foules / moost imperyall Whiche with his loke / perseth the feruent sonne The Egle as chefe / of nature moost royall As olde clerkes / well deuyse konne To phebus palays / by flyght whan he hathe wonne What foloweth after / for all his grete myght But men remember / vpon his fethers donne Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght In large lakes / and ryuers fresshe renuynge The yelowe swanne / famous and agreable Agayne his dethe / melodyously syngynge His fat all notes / pyteous & lamentable Playnly declare / in erthe is nothynge stable His byll his fete / who loke a ryght In token of mornynge / ben of colour sable Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght The hardy lyon / of beestes lorde and kynge Whan he syt crowned / as prynce of wyldernesse All other beestes / obeye at his byddynge As kynde hathe taught them / theyr lady & maystresse But notwithstondynge his bestyall sturdynesse Whan he is moost furyous in his myght There cometh a quartayn / syth in his grete actesse Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght The Tygre of nature / excelleth of swyftnesse The Lynx with lokynge / perceth a stone wall The vnycorne by musycall swetnesse Betwene two maydens / is take & hathe a fall All worldy thynge / tourneth as a ball The harte / the roo / ben of theyr cours full lyght By theyr prerogatyues / but none alone hathe all Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght Amonge all beestes / the lyon is moost stronge Of nature the lambe / hathe grete mekenesse The wulfe dysposed / by rauayne to do wronge The sleyghty foxe / small pollet dothe oppresse To fysshe in water / the Ottyr dothe duresse Grete dyfference bytwene daye and nyght Lacke of dyscrecyon causeth grete blyndnesse Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght Though thou haue power / oppresse not thy parayll Of one mater / was made eche creature Pryde of a tyraunt / a season may preuayll A chorle to regne / is contrary to nature No vengeable herte / shall no whyle endure Theyr tort power / nor fals vsurped myght Lyst for no doctour / nor techynge of scrypture Loke in theyr myrour & deme none other wyght eyse vp a begger / that came of nought Set in a chayer / of worldy dygnyte Whan fals presumpcyon / is entred in his thought Hathe clene forgete / his state of pouerte And as vp reysed / vnto the royall see Of a lyon / knoweth not daye fro nyght A fole lyst not / in his prosperyte Loke in his myrour & deme none other wyght Thus by a maner / of symylytude Tyrauntes lykened / to beestes rauynous Folke that ben humble / playnly to conclude Resemble beestes / meke and vertuous Some folke peasable / some contraryous Sondrymelled / now heuy / & now lyght One is frowarde / another is gracyous Loke in thy myrrour and deme none other wyght Some man of herte / dysposed to pryde By dysposycyon / of frowarde surquedye Some man may suffer / & longe tyme abyde Some man vengeable / of olde melancolye Some man consumed / with hate & fals enuye To holde a quarell / whether it be wronge or ryght But vnto purpose this mater to applye Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght No man is clere / without som trespace Blyssed is he / that neuer dyde offence Do man is meke / another dothe menace Some man is fyers / some man hathe pacyence One is rebell / another dothe reuerence Some man coorbed / some man gothe vpryght Let eche man serche his owne conscyence Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght Thynges contrary / be not accordynge A poore man proude / is not commendable Nor a fayre saphyr / set in a coper rynge A beggers thret / with mouthe to be vengeable Nor fayre behestes / of purpose varyable A lordes herte / a purse that peyseth lyght Outwarde gay speche / in menynge dysceyuable Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght Some gyue no forse / for to be sworne Onely for lucre / abraydynge on falsnesse Some can dyssymyle / & blowe the buckes hoorne By apparence / of fayned kyndenesse Vnder floures / of fraudulent fresshenesse The serpent dareth / with his scales bryght Galle vnder suger / hathe double bytternesse Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght Cure not thy conceyte / with no fayned glosys Some golden floures / haue a bytter rote Sharpe thornes / hydde somtyme vnder rosys Foule heyr oppressed / with synamomes soote Let fals / presumpcyon play ball vnder foote Torches compared to phebus bemes bryght What dothe clere perle / on a baudy boote Loke in thy myrroure / and deme none other myght Kynde in her werkes / can hynder & preferre Set dyfferences many mo than one Atwene phebus / & a lytell sterre Betwene a flynte / and a precyous stone Betwene a dull mason / & pygmalyon Betwene Tercytes / and Hector a good knyght Let euery man gnawe on his owne bone Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght Some man is stronge / beres to bynde Another feble / preferred with prudence One swyft to renne / another cometh behynde One hathe slouthe another hathe dylygence Some man hath connynge / lackynge eloquence Some haue force / yet they dare not fyght Peas moost profyteth with this experyence Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght Some man hathe beaute / another hathe goodnesse One hathe Ioye / another aduersyte Some man fortune / & plentuous rychesse Some man content / & gladde with pouerte Some one hathe helthe / another infyrmyte What euer god sent / thanke hym with all thy myght Grutche not agayne / & lerne this thynge of me Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght There is no gardyn / so full of fresshe floures But that there are / amonge them some wedes sene The holsom Roser / for all his swete odoures Groweth on thornes / pryckynge sharpe and kene Alcestys floure / with whyte / with rede & grene Dysplayeth her crowne / agayne phebus bemys bright In stormes dreepeth / conceyue what I mene Loke in thy myrrour & deme none other wyght The somers day / is neuer or selden seyn With some clere ayre / but that there is some skye Nor no man erthly / so vertuous in certayn But that he may / be hyndred by enuye A voyce dystuned / troubleth all melodye As sayth musycyens / whiche knowe that crafte aryght On trewe accorde / standeth all armony Loke in thy myrrure & deme none other wyght Comparysons / conceyued in nature By a moralyte of vertuous lykenesse Let euery man / do his besy cure To race out pryde / and set in fyrste mekenesse Agayne couetyse compassyon and almesse Fro poore people let no man tourne his syght Agayn flesshely luste / chastyte and clennesse Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght Of euery man by reporte of language Affyle thy tongue / of trewe affeccyon Of haste nor rancour / with mouthe do no dommage Restrayne thy courage / fro fals detraccyon Fro flaterye / and adulacyon Withstonde wronge / susteyne trouthe and ryght Fle doublenesse / fraude & collusyon Loke in thy myrroure and deme none other wyght No man of kynde / is more suspeccyous Than he that is moost vycyous & culpable Bycause he halteth / & is not vertuous He wolde cche man to hym were resemblable A galled hors wyll wynche in a stable For noyse of sadels heuy eyther lyght A fole that is / by reporte reprouable Shold loke in his myrroure & deme none other wyght That man for vertue may were a dyademe With stones . xii remembred by auctours And as kynge / wel crowned he may bene That hathe no wede / growynge amonge his floures Though apryll haue many swete showres Fro Iupyter / an vnware thundre lyght Syth with an hayll / fro sagyttaryes toures Loke in thy myrrour / & deme none other wyght With vertuous pyte / & iust compassyon Rewe on thy neyghbour / whan he is culpable Let mercy mode●ye / rygorous correccyon All we be synners / though god be not vengeable We myght not lyue / but he were mercyable That his pacyence / peysed adowne his ryght After your domes / ye Iuges moost notable Loke in your myrrour & deme none other wyght Set a myrrour / of lyght dyscrecyon Tofore your face / by polytyk gouernaunce Fare farer with them / that haue contrycyon And for theyr surfettes / in herte haue repentaunce Let not your swerde / be whet to do vengeaunce Bytwene flat & edge / though sharpenesse token lyghte The flat of mercye / prynte in your remembraunce Loke well your myrrour / or ye deme ony wyght Go lytell byll / with out tytle or date And of hole herte / recommaunde me Whiche that am called Iohan Lydgate To all tho folke / whiche lyst to haue pyte On them that suffre trouble & aduersyte Beseche them all that the shall rede a ryght Mercy to medle with trouthe & equyte And loke wel theyr myrrours & deme none other wight

Here endeth the prouerbes of Lydgate vpon the fall of prynces . Enprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de Worde .