The boke of the fayre genty[l]woman that no man shulde put his truste, or confydence in that is to say, Lady Fortune, flaterynge euery man that coueyteth to haue all, and specyally, them that truste in her, she deceyueth them at laste. More, Thomas, Sir, Saint, 1478-1535. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A07691 of text S2237 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 18078.5). 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. 18 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 11 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A07691 STC 18078.5 ESTC S2237 23184287 ocm 23184287 26348 2240929826

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A07691) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 26348) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1800:8) The boke of the fayre genty[l]woman that no man shulde put his truste, or confydence in that is to say, Lady Fortune, flaterynge euery man that coueyteth to haue all, and specyally, them that truste in her, she deceyueth them at laste. More, Thomas, Sir, Saint, 1478-1535. [16] p. : ill. Imprinted by me Robert Wyer dwellynge, in Saynt Martyns parysshe, in the Duke of Suffolkes tentes, besyde Charynge Crosse, [London] : [ca. 1540] "The prologue" signed: T.M. Imprint from colophon. Signatures: [A]-B⁴. T.p. contains woodcut ill. (labelled "The Lady Fortune"). Reproduction of original in the Lambeth Palace Library. eng eebo The boke of the fayre genty[l]woman that no man shulde put his truste, or confydence in that is to say, Lady Fortune, flaterynge euery man that coueyt More, Thomas, Sir, Saint, 1556 20 2794 238 0 0 0 0 0 851.83 F The rate of 851.83 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2002-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2002-03 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-04 Sampled and proofread 2002-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-05 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

The Boke of the fayre Genty●woman , that no man shulde put his truste , or confydence in : that is to say , Lady Fortune : flaterynge euery man that coueyteth to haue all , and specyally , them that truste in her , she deceyueth them at laste .

The Lady Fortune .

The Prologue . IS often as I consydre , these olde noble cle●k●● Poetis , Oratours , & Phylosopher● sectes thre● Howe wonderfull they were , in all theyr werkes Howe eloquent , howe inuentyue in euery degre Halfe amased I am , and as a d●ed tre Stonde styll , ouer ●ude for to brynge forth Any fruyte or sentence , that is ought worth● ●euertheles though rude I be , in all cōtrynyng Of matts , yet somwhat to make , I nede not to care I se many a one occupyed , in the same thynge ●o vnlerned men nowe a dayes , wyll not spare To wryte , to bable , theyr myndes to declare Trowynge them selfe , gay fantasyes to drawe when all theyr cunnynge is not worth a strawe . Some in french Cronycles , gladly doth presu●● Some in Englysshe , blyndly wade and wander Another in laten bloweth forth a darke ●●me As wyse as a great hedded Asse of Al●●andr● Some in Phylosophye , lyke a gage●yng● gand● Begynn●th lustely the browes to set vp And at the last concludeth , in the good ale cup● Finis Prologus . ●uod . T. M.

FO●tune peruersse Qui le monde versse Toult a ton desyre Iamais tu nas cesse Plaine de finesse Et y prens pleasite● Par ●oy vēnent ma●lx Et gu●●res mort●●lx Touls inconueniens Parmo●s et par vau●y Et aulx hospitalx Me●●ent tant de ●ens .
FOrtune , O myghty & varyable w●at rule thou ●laym●st , with thy ●ruel po●er Good folk● thou stroyest , and louest re●r●uable ●hou mayst not waraunt thy gyf●ꝭ for on● houre Fortun● vnworthy men settet● in ho●oure Thorowe fortune t●īnocent in wo & so●ow sh●i●heth The iust man she sp●y●●th , & the vn●ust enrycheth . Yonge men she kylleth , & letteth olde men lyue V●ryghtuously deuydynge , tyme and season That good ●en leseth , to wyck●d doth she gyue She hath no difference , ●ut iudgeth all good reason Inconstaunce , slypper , ●rayle , ●n● full of treason Ne●ther for euer cherys●●ynge , 〈…〉keth Nor for euer oppressynge , whom s●e fors●keth . Finis . ꝙ . T. M.

The wordes of Fortune to the people . ꝙ . Tho. Mo. MYne hyghe estate , power and auctoryte If ye ne knewe , enserche an● ye shall spye That rychesse , worshyp , welth , and dygnyte Ioye , rest , and peace , and all thynge fynally That any pleasure or profyte maye come by To mannes comforte , ayde and sustenannce 〈◊〉 all at my deuyse , and ordynaunce . Without my fauoure , there is no thynge wonne ●any a matter haue I brought at laste To good conclusyon , that fondly was begonne And many a purpose , bounden sure and faste ●●th wyse ●rouysyon , I h●ue ouercaste ●●thout good h●ppe , there may no wyt suffyse Better is to be fortunate , than wyse . And therfore hath there some men ben or thi● ●y deedly fooes , and wr●ten many a boke ●o my disprayse , and no oth●r cause th●re i● ●ut for me ly●t , not frendly on th●m loke ●hus lyke the fox they fare , that ones forsoke ●he pleasaunt grapes , and gan for to desy● them ●ycause he ●ept & ●ept , & coulde not come by them , But let them wryte , theyr labo●● is in vayne For well ye wot , myrth , honoure and ●ychesse Better is than shame , penury and payne The nedy wryteth , that lyngeryth in dystresse without myne helpe , is euer comfortlesse A wity b●rden odyouse and lothe To all the world● , and to hyms●lfe both . But he that by my fauoure maye ascen●● To myghty power , and excellent degre A common wele to gouerne , ●nd defende O in howe bless●d condycyon , standeth he Hym selfe in honour and felycyte And o●●r that , m●y forther and encreace An hol● regyon , in ioye●est and p●ace . Now● in this poynt , t●ere is no more to saye Eche man hath o● hym selfe the gouernaunce Let eue●y wyght , than ●a●e his ow● waye And he th●t out of pouert● , and mys●haunce Lyft for to l●ue● and wyll hym selfe enhaunce In welth & rychesse , come ●orth and wayte on me And he that wyll be a begger , let hym be .
To them that trusteth in Fortune . THou that art proude of honour shape or kyn That helpest vp this wretched worldis tresure Thy fyngers shryned with golde / thy tawny skyn With fresshe appareyll , garnyshed out of mesure And weny●t to haue fortune , alway at thy plesure Cast vp thyne eye , and l●●● howe slypper chaunce Illudeth her men with chaunge and varyaunce . Somtyme she loketh , as louely fayre & bryght As goodly Venus , mother of cupyde She becketh and smyleth vpon euery wyght ●ut this feyned chere , may not abyde There commeth a cloude , and farewell all our pryde Lyke any serpent , she begynneth to swell And loketh as fearse , as any fury of hell . Yet for all that , we brothle men are fayne So wretched is our nature , and so blynde As soone as fortune lyst , to laughe agayne With fayre countenaunce , and deceytfull mynde To croutche and knele , and gape after the wynde Not one or twayne , but thousandes in a rout Lyke swarmyng bees , come flakerynge her about . Then as bayte , she bryngeth forth her ware Syluer , golde , ryche perle , and precious stone On whiche , the mased people gase and stare And g●pe therfore● as ●o●ges for the bone Fortune at them l●ugheth , and in her trone Amyd her tresure● and wauerynge ry●hesse Prowdly she loueth , as Lady and Empresse● Fast by her syde doth wery laboure stande Pale fere also and sorowe all be wepte Dysdeyne● and hatred , on that other hande Eke r●stle● watche , f●o slepe with trauayle kep● His eyes drowsy , and lokynge as he slepte Before her standeth Daunger and ●nuye Flatery , Dysceyte , Myschyfe , and Tyrrannye● Aboute her commeth , all the worlde to begge He as●eth lond●●and he to passe wolde brynge T●i● ioye and that , and all not worth an egge He wolde in loue prosp●re , aboue all thynge He kneleth downe and wolde be made a kynge He forceth not● so he maye money haue Thoughe all the worlde accompt hym for a kna●● Lo t●us dyuers heddy● , dyuers wyttes Fortune alone , a● dyue●● 〈◊〉 th●y all Vnstable here and there , amon●e them flyttes And at auenture , downe h●r gyftes fall Catche who so may , she throw●th great and sin●● Not to all m●n , as cometh sonne or dewe But for the most p●rte , all among● a fewe . And yet her brotell gyftes , maye not last He that she gaue them , loketh proude and hye She whyrleth aboute , and plucketh away as fast And gyueth them to an other , by and by And thus from man to man , contynually She vseth to gyue and take , and s●y●y tosse One man to wynnynge , and of an others losse . And when she robbeth one , downe goth his pryde He wepeth and wayleth , and curseth her full sore But he that receyueth it , on that other syde Is glad , and blesseth her , a . M , tymes therfore But in a whyle whan she loueth hym no more She glydeth from hym , and her gyftes to And he her curseth , as other fooles do● Alas the folysshe people , can not seace Ne voyde her trayne , tyll they the harme f●●● Aboute her alwaye , besely they preace But lorde what he thynketh hym selfe , we●e That maye set ones , his hande vpon her whele He holdeth fast , but vpwarde as he styeth She whyppeth her whe●e about , & there he lyeth . Thus fell Iulius , from his myghty power Thus fell Darius , the worthy kynge of perse Thus fell Alexandre , the souerayne conqueroure Thus many mo , then I maye well reherse Thus double Fort●ne , when she ly●t reuerse Her slypper fauoure , fro them that in her tru●t She flyeth her waye , and lyeth hym in the dust● She sodenlye enhaunce hym a lofte And sodenly myscheuyth , all the flock● The hed that late laye , easely and softe In stede of pylouse , lyeth after on the blocke And yet alas , the cruell proude mocke The deyntye mouth , that ladyes kyssed haue She bryngeth in the case , to kysse a knaue . Thu● when she cha●nseth , her vncertayne course Vp starteth a knaue , & downe ther fall●th a knight The begger ryche , and the ryche man poore i● Hatred is turned to loue , Loue to despyght This is her sport , thus proueth she her myght Great bo●t she maketh , yf one be by her power welthy● and wretched , both in an houre . Po●●●te that of her gyf●es , wyll no thynge tak● with me●y chere , she loketh on the prese And seeth howe f●rtunes , how shulde go 〈◊〉 w●ake Fast by h●● standeth , the wyse Socrates Aristippus , Pithagoras , and many a lyfe Of olde Phylosophe●● , and eke agaynst the sonne B●ke●h hym ●ore D●●●●nes in his ●onn● with her is Bia● , whose countrey lacked defens● And whylom of theyr fooes stode so in dout That eche man hastely gan to cary thense And a●ked hym why , ●e nought caryed out I bere quod he , all myne with me about wysdome he ment , not fortunes brotell fees For nought he counted his , that he myght lese . Heraclit●s to , lyst felowsshyp to kepe with glad pouerte , Democrytu● also Of whiche the ●yrs● can neuer but wepe To se howe thycke , the blynd people go with great labour● , to pur●hale care and 〈◊〉 That other laugheth , to se the folysse ap●s Howe ●arn●s●ly , they walke about theyr Iape●● Of this poore secte , it is the vsage Onely to take , that nature maye sustayne Banyshynge clene , all other surplusage They be content , and o● no●hynge complayn● No n●garde e●e , is of his golde so fayne But they more pleasure ●aue , a thousande fol●● The s●c●ete draugh●es of nature and to beholde . Set fortunes seruauntes by them a●d ye wull That one is fre , that other ●uer thrall That one content , that other neuer full That one in suerty , that other lyke to fall who lyst to aduyse them , both perceyue ye shall As great dyfference betwene them , as we se Betwyxte wretchednes , and felycyte . Now haue I shewed you both , ●hese which ye 〈◊〉 Stately fortune , or humble pouerte That is to saye , nowe lyeth it in your fyst To take you to bondage , or fre lyberte But in this poynt , and ye do after me Drawe you to fortune , and labour her to please Yf that ye thynke your selfe , to well at ease . And fyrst vpon the , louely shall she smyle And frendly on the cast , her wanderynge eyes Embrace the in her armys , and for a whyle Put the into a fol●s paradyse And forthwith all , what so thou lyst deuyse She wyll the graunt it , lyberally perhappes But for all that beware of ●fter clappes . Rekyn you neuer , of her fauour sure Ye maye in the clowdes , as easely trace an ha●● Or in dry londe cause fysshes to endure And make the burnynge fyre his hete ●o spare As all this worlde encompasse to forfare A● her to make by c●afte , or engyne stable That of her nature , i● 〈◊〉 varyable . Serue her daye and nyght , as reuerntly Vpon thy knees , as any seruaunte maye And in conclusion , that thou shall wynne ther●y Shall not be worth thy seruyce I dare saye And yet , loke what she gyueth the to daye with labour wonne , she shall haply to morowe Plucke it out of thy hande agayne with sorowe● wherfore yf thou in suerte lyft to stande Take pouerties parte , and le● proude fortune go Receyue nothynge that commeth from he● hande Loue maner and vertue , for they be onely tho whiche double fortune maye neuer take the fro Then mayst thou boldely defy her turnynge chaunce She can the neyther hynder , nor anaunce . Bu● & thou wylt nedes medle with her tresure Trust not therin , and spende it lyberally Bere ●he not proude , nor take not out of mesure Bylde not thyne house , hyghe vp in the skye None falleth farre , but he that clynbeth hye Remembre nature sent the hyther bare The gyftis of fortune compt them , as borowed ware who so delyteth to prouen and assaye Of wauerynge fortune , the full vncertayne lot Yf that the answere please ye not alwaye Blame not me for I commaunde ye not Fortune to trust , and eke full well ye wo● I haue of her no brydle in my fyst She re●neth loose , and turneth where she lyst● The rollyng dyse , in whom yo●r lucke doth sta●● with whose vnhappy chaunce ye be so wrought Ye knowe y●ur selfe , came neue● in myne hande ●o in this ponde , be fysshes and frogges both Cast in your net , b●t be ye lyefe orloth Holde you content a● Fortune lyft assygne It is your owne fysshynge and not myne . And thoughe in one chaunce fortune you offen●● Grudge not therat , but bere a mery face In many another , she shall it amende There is no man so ●●t out of her grace But he somtyme , hath comforte and solace Ne none agayne so set forth in her fauoure That fully satyfyed is with her behauyou●● . Fortune is stately , solempne , proude , and hye And ryches gyu●th , to haue seruyce therfore The ●edy begger catcheth an hal●e peny Some man a . M. pounde some lesse some more But for all that , she kepeth euer in store From euery man some parcell of his wyll That he may praye therfor● , and serue her ●●y●● . Some man hath good , but chyldren hath none Some ma● hath both , but he can get none he●t● Some hath all thre , but vp to honoures trone Can he not crepe by no maner of stelth To som● she sendeth , chyldren , ryches welth Honoure , worshyp , and reuerence all his lyfe But yet she pyncheth hym , with a shrewed wyfe . Then for as moche as it is fortunes gayse To graunt no man all thynge that he wyll axe But as her selfe lyst order and deuyse Doth euery man his parte dyuyde and taxe I counceyll you trusse vp your packys And take nothynge at all , or be content With suche rewarde , as fortune hath you sent . All thynges in this booke that ye shall ●ede Do as ye lyst , there shall no man you bynde Them to beleue , as surely as your crede But notwithstandynge , certyes in my mynde I durste well swere , as trewe ye shall the● fynde In euery poynt , eche answere by and by ●s are the iudgementes of Astronomye●
Here Fineth Lady Fortune .