University of Virginia Library

Mundus nichil aliud est quoth quoddam exilium [illeg.] labore, dolore, dolo, & tristicia plenus.

He sayth that the worlde, is nothynge elles
But an harde exyle, that a man in dwelles
Both darcke and dym, and a dolefull dale
That is full of sorowe, and eke of bale
And a place full of all wretchydnes
Of anger and trauayle, and all besynes
Of sorowe and synne, and of all folye
Of shendshyp also, and eke vylonye
Of flyttynge also, and of moche taryinge
Of moche greuaunce also, and moche mournynge
Of all maner of fylth, and corrupcyon
Of moche wrath, and extorcyon
And full of gyle, and of falshed
Of great debate, and contynuall dred
So that in this worlde, is nought man to auaunce
But moche sorowe, and harde myschaunce
And pompe and pryde, with foule couytyse
With vayne glorye and slouth, that men ofte vse
The worlde to hym draweth all men
And so dysceyueth his louers then
And to many is greuous, and to fewe auayleth
For his louers, he dysceyueth and fayleth
And all that despyseth hym, he awayteth fast
And thynketh them soone, in to myschyfe cast
For them that he loueth, he wyll socour
And make them ryche, and great of honour
And to begyle them, he thynketh at the last
And in to great myschyfe, he wyll them cast
Therfore worldly worshyp, may be tolde
A vanyte, that dysceyueth both yonge and olde
And worldly rychesse, howe so it come
I holde nought elles, but as fantome
The worlde hath many a man, with vanyte defyled
And with pompe and pryde, ofte them begyled
Therfore an holy man, as ye may here
Speaketh vnto the worlde, in this manere.