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When power lackes care and forceth not: When care is feable and may not: When might is slouthfull and will not: Wedes may grow where good herbes cannot. +(25) Take wrong away, law nedeth not: For law to wrong is bridle and paine. Take feare away, law booteth not. To striue gainst streame, it is but vaine. Wyly is witty: brainsicke is wise: (30) Trouth is folly: and might is right: Wordes are reason: and reason is lies: The bad is good: darknesse is light. Wrong to redresse, wisdome dare not. Hardy is happy, and ruleth most. (35) wilfull is witlesse, and careth not, Which end go first, till all be lost. Few right do loue, and wrong refuse. Pleasure is sought in euery state. Liking is lust: there is no chuse. (40) The low geue to the hye checke mate. Order is broke in thinges of weight. Measure and meane who doth not flee? Two thinges preuaile: money, and sleight. To seme is better then to be. (45) The bowle is round, and doth downe slide, Eche one thrusteth: none doth vphold. A fall failes not, where blinde is guide. The stay is gone: who can him hold? Folly and falshed prayeth apace. (50) Trouth vnder bushell is faine to crepe. +Flattry is treble, pride singes the bace. The meane the best part scant doth pepe. This firy plage the world infectes. To vertue and trouth it geues no rest: (55) Mens harts are burnde with sundry sectes, And to eche man his way is best. With floods and stormes thus be we tost, Awake good Lord, to thee we crye. Our ship is almost sonk and lost. (60) Thy mercy help our miserye. Mans strength is weake: mans wit is dull: Mans reason is blinde. These thinges tamend,