shail dye the ryche as the poure/ deth
maketh alle thynge lyke and putteth alle to an ende/ And therof made a
noble versifier two versis whiche folowe Forma. genus. mores.
sapi[=e]cia. res. et honores/ Morte ruant subita sola manent merita/
Wherof the english is Beaulte. lignage. maners. wysedom. thynges &
honoures/ shal ben deffetid by sodeyn deth/ no thynge shal abide but the
merites/ And herof fynde we in Vitas patrum. that ther was an erle a
riche & noble man that had a sone onely/ and whan this sone was of age
to haue knowlech of the lawe/ he herde in a sermone that was prechid
that deth spareth none/ ne riche ne poure/ and as well dyeth y'e yonge
as the olde/ and that the deth ought specially to be doubted for .iii.
causes/ one was/ y't noman knoweth whan he cometh/ and the seconde/ ner
in what state he taketh a man/ And the thirde he wote neuer whither he
shall goo. Therfore eche man shold dispise and flee the world and lyue
well and hold hym toward god And when this yong man herde this thynge/
he wente oute of his contrey and fledde vnto a wyldernesse vnto an
hermytage/ and whan his fader had loste hym he made grete sorowe/ and
dyde do enquere & seke hym so moche at last he was founden in the
hermitage/ and than his fader cam theder to hym and sayde/ dere sone
come from thens/ thou shalt be after my deth erle and chyef of my
lignage/ I shall be lost yf thou come not out from thens/ And he than
that wyste non otherwise to eschewe the yre of his fader bethought hym
and sayde/ dere fader ther is in your centre and lande a right euyll
custome yf hit plese yow to put that away I shall gladly come out of
this place and goo with yow The fader was glad and had grete Ioy And
dema[=u]ded of hym what hit was And yf he wold telle hym he promysid him
to take hit away and hit shold be left and sette aparte. Than he sayde
dere fader ther dyen as well the yong folk in your contrey as the olde/
do that away I pray yow/ Whan his fader herde that he sayde Dere sone
that may not be ner noman may put that away but god only/ Than answerd
the sone to the fader/ than wylle I serue hym and dwelle here wyth hym
that may do that. And so abode the childe in the hermytgage & lyuyd
there in good werkes After this hit apperteyneth to a labourer to
entende to his laboure and flee ydlenes/ And thou oughtest to knowe that
Dauid preyseth moche in the sawlter the treve labourers and sayth/ Thou
shalt ete the labour of thyn handes and thou art blessi