To dwell in Court, my friend

To dwell in court, my freind, gife that thow list,
For gift of fortoun invy thow no degre;
Behold and heir, and lat thy tung tak rest,
In mekle speiche is part of vanitie;
And for no malyce preiss the nevir to lie ;
Als trubill nevir thy self, sone, be no tyd,
Vthiris to rewill, that will not rewlit be :
He rewlis weill, that weill him self can gyd.

Bewar quhome to thy counsale thow discure,
Ffor trewth dwellis nocht ay for that trewth appeiris :
Put not thyne honour into aventeure;
Ane freind may be thy fo as fortoun steiris :
In cumpany cheiss honorable feiris,
And fra vyle folkis draw the far on syd ;
The Psalme sayis, Cum sancto sanctus eiris :
He rewlis weill, that weill him self can gyd.

Haif pacience thocht thow no lordschip posseid,
For hie vertew may stand in law estait ;
Be thow content, of mair thow hes no neid ;
And be thow nocht, desyre sall mak debait
Evirmoir, till deth say to the than chakmait :
Thocht all war thyne this warld within so wyd,
Quha can resist the serpent of dispyt?
He rewlis weill, that weill him self can gyd.

Ffle frome the fallowschip of sic as ar defamit,
And fra all fals tungis fulfild with flattry,
Als fra all schrewis, or ellis thow art eschamit ;
Sic art thow callit as is thy cumpany :
Fle perrellus taillis foundit of invy;
With wilfull men, son, argown thow no tyd,
Quhome no ressone may seiss nor pacify :
He rewlis weill, that weill him self can gyd.

And be thow not ane roundar in the nwke,
For, gif thow be, men will hald the suspect :
Be nocht in countenance ane skornar, nor by luke,
Bot dowt siclyk sall stryk the in the neck :
Be war also to counsall or coreck
Him that extold hes far him self in pryd :
Quhair parrell is but proffeit or effect,
He rewlis weill, that weill him self can gyd.

And sen thow seyis mony thingis variand,
With all thy hart treit bissines and cure ;
Hald God thy freind, evir stabill be him stand,
He will the confort in all misaventeur ;
And be no wayis dispytfull to the peure,
Nor to no man to wrang at ony tyd :
Quho so dois this, sicker I ȝow asseure,
He rewlis weill, that sa weill him can gyd.

Finis quod Dumbar.