University of Virginia Library

Of the vnstedfastnes of this worlde.

God ordeyned, as it was his wyll
Uaryaunce of the season to fulfyll
And dyuers wethers, and other seasones
In token of the false worldes condycyones
That so vnstable be to mannes hande
That lytell tyme in theyr state may stande
For God wyll that men throughe tokens may knowe
Howe vnstable the worlde is in euery throwe
So that men theron the lesse shulde trust
And for no welth theron, to moche haue lust
The tymes chaungeth often, and be nat in one state
For nowe is the morenynge, and nowe it is late
And nowe it is day, and nowe it is nyght
And nowe it is darcke, and nowe it is lyght
And nowe is there colde, and nowe great hete
And nowe it is drye, and nowe it is wete
And nowe it is hayle, and snowe full stronge
And nowe fayre wether, and Sonne shyne amonge
And nowe is the wether clere, and fayre with all
And nowe it is darcke, and rayne doth downe fall
By all the varyaunce men may vnderstande
Are tokens of the worlde, that is varyande
Yet there be mo tokens, that we may lere
Of the vnstablenes, of this worlde here
For nowe is great myrth, and nowe mournynge
And nowe is laughter, and nowe wepynge
And nowe men be well, and nowe be wo
And nowe is a man frende, and nowe is fo
And nowe is a man lyght, and nowe is heuy
And nowe is a man glad, and nowe is drery
And nowe haue we ioy, and nowe haue we pyne
And nowe haue we cattayle, and nowe we it tyne
And nowe we be ryche, and nowe we be poore
And nowe we haue lytell, and nowe we haue more
And nowe we haue rest, and nowe we haue trauayle
And nowe fynde we our strength, what it may auayle
And nowe we be great, and nowe we be bare
And nowe we be well, and nowe we be in care
And nowe we be lyght, and nowe we be slowe
And nowe we be hye, and nowe we be lowe
Nowe loue, nowe hate, nowe peace, and stryfe
All these be the maners, of mannes lyfe
That euer betokeneth moche vnstedfastnes
Of this worldes welth, that so chaungeable is
And as this lyfe is euer away passynge
So is the worlde euery day apparynge
For the worlde to her ende draweth fast
As clarckes by many thynges can cast
Therfore the worlde, as clarckes hath me tolde
Is as moche to mene, as the worlde that is olde
For two earthly worldes to this lyfe befalleth
As tolde is before, as clarckes it calleth
But the more worlde, and also the lesse
Full chaungeable be, and away doth passe
The more worlde is this worlde, longe and brode
But the lesse worlde is lykened to manhode.