The Poetical Works of John Skelton principally according to the edition of the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In three volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of John Skelton |  |
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.
And beleue it as your Crede.
To hasty of sentence,
To ferce for none offence,
To scarce of your expence,
To large in neglygence,
To slacke in recompence,
To haute in excellence,
To lyght [in] intellegence,
And to lyght in credence;
Where these kepe resydence,
Reson is banysshed thence,
And also dame Prudence,
With sober Sapyence.
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.
To ferce for none offence,
To scarce of your expence,
To large in neglygence,
To slacke in recompence,
To haute in excellence,
277
And to lyght in credence;
Where these kepe resydence,
Reson is banysshed thence,
And also dame Prudence,
With sober Sapyence.
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.
Than without collusyon,
Marke well this conclusyon,
Thorow suche abusyon,
And by suche illusyon,
Vnto great confusyon
A noble man may fall,
And his honour appall;
And yf ye thynke this shall
Not rubbe you on the gall,
Than the deuyll take all!
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.
Hœc vates ille,
De quo loquuntur mille.
Marke well this conclusyon,
Thorow suche abusyon,
And by suche illusyon,
Vnto great confusyon
A noble man may fall,
And his honour appall;
And yf ye thynke this shall
Not rubbe you on the gall,
Than the deuyll take all!
All noble men, of this take hede,
And beleue it as your Crede.
Hœc vates ille,
De quo loquuntur mille.
| The Poetical Works of John Skelton | |