The most famous and Tragicall Historie of Pelops and Hippodamia Whereunto are adioyned sundrie pleasant deuises, Epigrams, Songes and Sonnettes. Written by Mathewe Groue |
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 | The most famous and Tragicall Historie of Pelops and Hippodamia |  |
To his friend of the frailenesse of dame Fortune.
VVhō fortune doth most smilingly aduanceThose sonest doth she cast vnto yt ground
Unequall hap she holdeth still by chaunce,
For to extoll, or else defame by sound.
Who neuer felt the fel aduersitie,
Yet dreading lest she once would work her wil,
Into the sea did throw (to satisfie
Her brittle minde) a ring of value great,
Yet fortune thoght to shew hir power & might
And forst a fish with gulching iawes to eate
The same: which geuen to the king, by sight
The ring appeerde: with maruel he at last
Was captiue tane of great Orontes king,
And strangling string about his neck ycast,
Was forst adieu vnto his life to sing.
Learne thou by this I say my gentle frend,
That riches ranke, ne yet the precious stone
Can once deferre this fortune so vnkind,
For if it might this king had not been gone,
And for because that thou art set so hie,
And placed stayest in seate of this degree
Unwilling aye to lose authoritie,
I cannot chuse but now aduertise thee
To train thy selfe in such wise thou maist haue
(If fortune fraile should hap to slip from thee)
Ech mans good wil, wherby he might thee saue
Frō dangers dread, which yu might haply see,
For now a thing not rare it is in deede,
That where we wey our footesteps best to be
With slippery place then soonest doe we slide
Therefore marke wel that I haue said to thee.
| The most famous and Tragicall Historie of Pelops and Hippodamia | |