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35
46. A Compleint vn to Dame Fortune Capitulo xxviii
O þou fortune why art þou so inconstaunt
To make þis land so to meeve
Thou hast a dominacioun traversaunt
Wyth owte numbre doyst þou greeue
Vnstedefast art þou for to be leve
He þat yn þe settyth hys confidence
He holdyth ryght naught of clene consciennce
To make þis land so to meeve
Thou hast a dominacioun traversaunt
Wyth owte numbre doyst þou greeue
Vnstedefast art þou for to be leve
He þat yn þe settyth hys confidence
He holdyth ryght naught of clene consciennce
Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas
I whoot weel what causyth oure necligenncefful fewe now þer be content of sufficisaunce
Wherfore þe coveytous doth greet offennce
Heygh to surmounte þe worldis bobaunce
Wordely men often tymes hem a vaunce
Be fortune and þat ys here confidennce
he holdyth ryght nawt of clene consciennce
Qui cupiunt diuites fieri incidunt in laqueos diaboli
Many men byn brought from poverteOn to rychesse and þat in dyvers wyse
Whanne þey haue y nough þey cannot se
Poverte þanne doun þey dyspyse
Resoun with hem may not aryse
He þat yn fortune settyth his confidence
He kepyth ryght naught of clene conscience
Multis mortem generauerunt diuitie
Mysure ys tresour as men doon seyeTherto euery man schold take heed
And yn alle his warkes to god obeye
Hym ful hertely loue and dreed
And ellys fortune so hym may leed
Puttynge in here al his confidence
A doun to falle in here presence
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Si diuitie vobis affluant nolite cor apponere
ffor whanne rychesse doth a bounde
In greet mesure þat ys ful casual
fful often tymes yt ys weel founde
þat ful lyghtely . he getyth . a . fal .
Hys wynnyng at þe last may be smal
In fortune was set hys confidence
He kepte ryght nawȝt of clene conscience
In greet mesure þat ys ful casual
fful often tymes yt ys weel founde
þat ful lyghtely . he getyth . a . fal .
Hys wynnyng at þe last may be smal
In fortune was set hys confidence
He kepte ryght nawȝt of clene conscience
Manhood in þys reame hath regnyd lange
But now þerfayleth ordynaunce
Covetyse and meede ben had in hand
Sustrys þey be of oon a lyaunce
Euery day to gedere þey do daunce
ȝyf men wolde sette in god here confidence
ffare weel þanne large conscience
But now þerfayleth ordynaunce
Covetyse and meede ben had in hand
Sustrys þey be of oon a lyaunce
Euery day to gedere þey do daunce
ȝyf men wolde sette in god here confidence
ffare weel þanne large conscience
Coveytyse spredyth now ful wyde
Wherfore worschepe ys set be hynd
Dyscrecioun faylyth now in many a syde
Cawsyng rychemen to be blynde
Nyghtes reste can þey noon fynde
In wordely muk ys al here confidence
Therfore absentyth ys clene conscience
Wherfore worschepe ys set be hynd
Dyscrecioun faylyth now in many a syde
Cawsyng rychemen to be blynde
Nyghtes reste can þey noon fynde
In wordely muk ys al here confidence
Therfore absentyth ys clene conscience
ffalseheed ys suster vn to meede
Euere þey ben of oon acordaunce
Manye to hem taken good heed
Al þat cawsyth a greet variaunce
Large conscience makyth a dysturbelaunce
In wordely muk ys here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawt clene consciennce
Euere þey ben of oon acordaunce
Manye to hem taken good heed
Al þat cawsyth a greet variaunce
Large conscience makyth a dysturbelaunce
In wordely muk ys here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawt clene consciennce
That ynfortunat false coveytyse
of gold and syluer falsely gote
Wher þrough many men doon aryse
And kepyn gold in coferys stoke
Day houre and tyme þey ne wote
How long schal endure here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawȝt clene conscience
of gold and syluer falsely gote
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And kepyn gold in coferys stoke
Day houre and tyme þey ne wote
How long schal endure here confidence
ffor þey sette at nawȝt clene conscience
fful often tymes yt ys y seye
That vntrowthe supportyth tresoun
Wher þrought a man may lyghtely deye
ffor falseheed and tresoun ben the enchesoun
In thys land þys mateyr ys not gesoun
Inworldely muk ys his confidence
And al þat causyth . large conscience
That vntrowthe supportyth tresoun
Wher þrought a man may lyghtely deye
ffor falseheed and tresoun ben the enchesoun
In thys land þys mateyr ys not gesoun
Inworldely muk ys his confidence
And al þat causyth . large conscience
Holy doctouris thus doon þey seye
That worldely . good gotyn wyth wrong
To resoun þei moste nedys a beye
In helle pette ellys schall þey hong
But restitucioun be mayd among
And trewe repentaunce here defennce
ffor þat wele charyte & clene conscience
That worldely . good gotyn wyth wrong
To resoun þei moste nedys a beye
In helle pette ellys schall þey hong
But restitucioun be mayd among
And trewe repentaunce here defennce
ffor þat wele charyte & clene conscience
Duplex est restitucio scire actualis et mentalis
Restitucion ys weel to vndyrstande
In two wyses as thenkyth me
On . ys þe good þat he hath in hande
To ȝeelde yt ageyn to hys powste
That other ys þe good spendyd in vanyte
Good wyl to ȝeelde yt with owte vyolence
ffor þat wele charyte and conscience
In two wyses as thenkyth me
On . ys þe good þat he hath in hande
To ȝeelde yt ageyn to hys powste
That other ys þe good spendyd in vanyte
Good wyl to ȝeelde yt with owte vyolence
ffor þat wele charyte and conscience
Coveytyse dooth often ful greet schame
Vnto manhood and þat ys greet pyte
ffalseheed þerof beryth þe name
And þat ys for lak of charyte
Thus many men faren of euery degre
In worldely muk lyeth here confidence
And al þis causyth large conscience
Vnto manhood and þat ys greet pyte
ffalseheed þerof beryth þe name
And þat ys for lak of charyte
Thus many men faren of euery degre
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And al þis causyth large conscience
Nemo potest duobus dominis seruire contrarijs
He þat ys servaunt vn to greet rychesseAnd wyl not governe yt to goddys intent
That may lette hym from goddys presence
And so par aventure he may be schent
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