Worldly Bliss lasteth not a throwe

Here beginneth an overset of elden stavecraft writ in the 13th-yearfivescore yclept 'Worldes blis ne last no throwe' in the Middle English tong into Clean English. Yeddings are split by the ¶. Mark that this stavecraft is ful yeedy and hath lots of elden words (some of which had been pulled straight from Middle English, others are nowen ways to write said words) and is ful .

¶ Worldly Bliss lasteth not a ;

It wanes and wends away anon;

The longer that I know

the less I find worth thereon,

for all it is mended with care,

with sorrow and with evil fare,

and at last poor and bare it man

when it.

all of the bliss thus here and there

at end weeps and moans.

¶ All shall go that here man ;

and  shall wend to naught;

the man that here good sows not,

when others reap, he wroth bekert.

think man,  while thou hast might,

that thou thy guiltiness here alright,

and work good by day and night,

and then thou be of .

thou  when christ our dright

asketh what he hath.

¶ All the bliss of this life

thou shalt, man, end in weeping —

of house and home and child and wife.

Silly man, take care thereof!

For thou shalt all believen here



when thou liest, man, upon bere

and sleepest a, dreary sleep

ne shalt thou have with thee no fere

but your workings on a heep.

¶ Man, why setest thou love and heart

on worldly bliss that lasteth not?

why thou that thee so oft smart

for love that is so unsteadfast?

Thou likest honey of thorn ,

that sets thy love on worldly bliss

for full of bitterness it is.

sorely thou might be aghast,

that here wealth amiss,

where-through been into hell.

¶ Think, man, christ thee wrought

and pride and filthy mood.

think how dear he thee bought

on the with his sweet blood;

himself he gave for thee in

to buy the bliss if thou be wise

bethink thee, man, and up arise

of sloth, and go to work good

,

for else thou art and.

¶ All day thou might understand

and the before thee see:

what is to do and to ,

and what to and to flee,

for all-day thou seest with thine

how this world wends and how men.

that wit well, that thou shalt

death, also another death.

It helpeth not at all there to ,

ne may no man be death.

¶ No wort any good for there

nor any evil nor worth :

when thou liest, man, under molde

thou shalt have as thou hast wrought.

bethink thou well, I ,

and cleanse thee of thy misdeeds,

that he may help at thy need,

he that so dearly us have i-brought,

and to heaven's bliss lead

that ever lasts and faileth not.