A spending hand that alway powreth owte

A spending hand that alway powreth owte
Had nede to have a bringer in as fast :
And, on the stone that still doeth tourne abowte
There groweth no mosse : these proverbs yet do last,
Reason hath set theim in so sure a place,
That lenght of yeres their force can never wast.
When I remembr this, and eke the case
Where in thou stondes, I thowght forthwith to write
Brian, to thee, who knows how great a grace
In writing is to cownsell man the right;
To the therefore, that trottes still up and downe
And never restes, but runnyng day and nyght
From Reaulme to Reaulme, from cite, strete, and towne,
Why doest thou were thy body to the bones
And myghtst at home slepe in thy bed of downe.
And drynck goode ale so noppy for the noyns
Fede thyself fat and hepe up pownd by pownd
Lykist thou not this ? no : why ? for swyne so groyns
In stye and chaw the tordes molded on the grownd
And dryvell on perilles the hed still in the maunger
Then of the harp the Asse to here the sownd
So sackes of dust be filled up in the cloyster
That servis for lesse than do thes fatted swyne
Tho I seme lene and dry withoute moyster
Yet woll I serve my prynce, my Lord and thyn,
And let theim lyve to fede the panche that list,
So I may lyve to fede both me and myn.
By God, well sayde ! but what and if thou wist
How to bryng in as fast as thou doest spend
That would I lerne. And it shall not be myst
To tell the how. Now hark what I intend :
Thou knowst well, first, who so can seke to plese
Shall pourchase frendes where trowght shall but offend ;
Ffle therefore trueth, it is boeth welth and ese
For tho that trouth of every man hath prayse
Full nere that wynd goeth trouth in great misese.
Use Vertu as it goeth now a dayes so
In word alone to make thy langage swete
And of the dede yet do not as thou say so
Elles be thou sure thou shalt be farr unmete
To get thy bred, eche thing is now so skant;
Seke still thy proffet upon thy bare fete ;
Lend in nowise for fere that thou do want,
Onles it be as to a dogge a chese,
By which retorn be sure to wyn a kant
Of half at lest; it is not good to lese.
Lerne at Kittson that in a long white cote
From under the stall withoute landes or feise
Hath lept into the shopp ; who knoweth by rote
This rule that I have told thee here before.
Sumtyme also riche age begynneth to dote :
Se thou when there thy gain may be the more,
Stay him by the arme where so he walke or goo.
Be nere alway and if he koggh to sore,
When he hath spit, tred owte and please him so.
A diligent knave that pikes his maisters purse
May please him so that he withouten mo
Executor is, and what is he the wourse?
But if so chaunce you get nought of the man
The Wedow may for all thy charge deburse
A ry veld skyn a stynking breth what then ?
A tothles mowth shall do thy lips no harme.
The gold is good and tho she curse or ban
Yet where the list thou maist ly good and warme ;
Let the old mule byte upon the bridill
Whilst ther do ly a swetter in thyn arme.
In this also se you be not idill
Thy nece, thy cosyn, thy sister or thy doghter
If she be faire, if handsom by her myddell
Yf thy better hath her love besoght her
Avaunce his cause and he shall help thy nede
It is but love, turne it to a lawghter.
But ware I say so gold the helpe and spede
That in this case thou be not so unwise
As Pandare was in suche a like dede ;
Ffor he the ffooll of conscience was so nyse,
That he no gayn would have for all his payne.
Be next thy self for frendshipp beres no prise.
Laughst thou at me? Why, do I speke in vayne?
No not at thee, but at thy thrifty gest?
Would 'st thou I should, for any losse or gayne,
Chaunge that for gold that I have tan for best
Next godly thinges, to have an honest name?
Should I leve that? then take me for a beest
Nay then farewell, and if you care for shame,
Content thee then with honest povertie.
With fre tong, what the myslikes to blame ;
And for thy trouth somtyme adversitie;
And therewithall this thing I shall the gyve :
In this worould now litle prosperite.
And coyne to kepe as water in a syve,