University of Virginia Library

But the same worlde, that men may here se
In two partyes well deuysed may be
For both partyes, men may well knowe
For that one is hye, and that other lowe
The hyer lasteth from the moone ful euen
To the hyest place, of the sterred heauen
And that worlde, is bryght and fayre
For there is no corrupcyon, but clene ayre
But sterres and Planettes, bryght shynynge
As euery man may there haue vnderstandynge
But the lowest worlde, that may befall
Conteyneth holly, the Elamentes all
And in this worlde, is both well and wo
And ofte tyme chaungeth, both to and fro
To some it is softe, and to some men harde
As ye shall here soone afterwarde
But that worlde, that passeth all maner thynge
Was made for mannes, endeles dwellynge
For euery man, there shall haue a place
Euer to be in ioy, that here hath grace
And that was made, for our aduauntage
For there is ordeyned, our kynde herytage
But that other worlde, that lower is atwyne
Where that the sterres and planettes be set in
God ordeyned onely, for our behoue
By this reason, that I shall proue
For the eyre from thence, and the hete of the Sōne
Susteyneth the earth here, where that we wōne
And noryssheth all thynge, that fruyte here gyueth
To helpe man and beest, that in earth lyueth
And tempreth our kynde, and our complexyon
And setteth the tymes of the yere, in theyr season
And gyueth vs lyght here, where that we dwell
Elles were this worlde, as darke as hell
And the lowest worlde, was made for man
And for these encheasones, that I tell can
For man shulde therin, haue his dwellynge
And lyue in Goddes seruyce, and do his byddynge
And holde his cōmaundementes, and done his wyll
Them to knowe and kepe, and flye all euyll
And here to be proued, in ghostly battayles
Of many ennemyes, that man often assayles
So that throughe ghostly myght and vyctorye
He may gete to hym endeles glorye
And haue than the crowne, of endeles blysse
Where all ioye is, that neuer shall mysse
Twayne worldes togyther, here may befall
That all men may earthly call
One is this dale, that is our dwellynge
Another is man, that is therin abydynge
And this same dale, that we dwell in
Is full of sorowe, and all maner synne
That of wyse Clarckes, in bokes called is
The more worlde, that men may knowe by this
And of the lesse worlde, yet wyll I nought speke
For in to that matter, soone I wyll breke
And of the more worlde, yet wyll I tell
Or I go further therin to dwell
Than wyll I tell, afterwarde as it falleth
The cause why men, a man the worlde calleth.