fol. 5v

And co[m]me to hem . þat be of hevy chere
whanne þei hym calle to slake her[e] distresse.
But . o . allas . how . deef and dulle he is .
wriyinge[?] awey fro wrecches . whenne þei clepe
And werneth hem wiþ wondre quelues.
the eyen for to close . þat wayle and wepe.
¶ But while Fortune unfeithfull. & untrewe.
Of lusty lyff was to me favorable.
Full sodeynly myn hede . doune he drewe.
the carefull houre . of deth unmerciable.
But now . þat she changyng and unstable.
hath torned to me her cloudy face.
this wrecched lyff . þat is uncomfortable.
wole drawe a longe. and tarieth now allas.
¶ Wherto . yee Frendes made yee youre avaunt
So oft tymes of my felicite
this worldly welfthe is not p[er]severaunt
Ne never abidyng in stablitie
For he þat Falleth . out of hye degre.
yee knowen wele þat stable was he noght
ne he stode never in full prosp[er]ite
þat in to myschief is so lowe y brought.
¶ In mo[ur]nynge þus I. made my compleynt
and for to write my fyngres gan I folde.
For dreryness I. wax. alle feeble and feynt.
þat of my lyff almoste . no þinge . I. tolde.
But upward atte last. I. gan biholde.
In sothe I sawe so faire a creature
I coude her not discryve. þough I wolde
So semely was her shappe & her feture.
¶ She was fo wondre reverent of her chere.