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Tales from the Decameron

Walter, William

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R. Coplande to the translatour.
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GUYSTARDE AND SYGYSMONDE
 
TYTUS AND GESYPPUS

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101

R. Coplande to the translatour.
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Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations.

Thynflammate desyre / of your good intent
Newes to compyle / eschewynge ydelnesse
Cometh of grace / & of wysdome excellent
To occupy suche / as haue no besynesse
Whiche vertu of doynge / moche harme doth oppresse
For surely ydelnesse / is portresse of all synne
Euery vyce / redy to lette in
The wretched lyfe / of osyosyte
Engendreth slouth / pouerte and payne
It is nouryce / of voluptuosyte
And setteth the mynde on all thynges vayne
It sleeth the body / and troubleth the brayne
Unstedyeth the wyt / and wasteth good dede
And letteth vertu / and goodnesse to procede
Example playne / of ydle Sygysmonde
Fedde deyntely / no maner werke to vse
Whiche caused ydelnesse / for to habonde
And vnto pleasure / set onely for to muse
Daunce / songe / and play / she dyd not refuse
Whiche thynges assembled / engendred delyte
Of naturall lust / to do her appetyte
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Here lacketh besynesse / and good pastyme
Grace of good doynge / was from her exyled
Caught as a byrde / tangled with lyme
Fyrst by one feder / and than with all begyled
Ryght so who with this vyce is fyled
Take with one synne / all other dothe ensue
Ergo / good besynesse / is gate of vertue
Thus endeth the prologue.
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