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| IF every man might him avaunt | |
| Of fortune’s friendly cheer; | |
| It was myself, I must it grant, | |
| For I have bought it dear: | |
| And dearly have I held also | 5 |
| The glory of her name, | |
| In yielding her such tribute, lo, | |
| As did set forth her fame. | |
| Sometime I stood so in her grace, | |
| That as I would require, | 10 |
| Each joy I thought did me embrace, | |
| That furthered my desire: | |
| And all those pleasures, lo, had I, | |
| That fancy might support; | |
| And nothing she did me deny | 15 |
| That was unto my comfort. | |
| I had, what would you more, perdie? | |
| Each grace that I did crave; | |
| Thus Fortune’s will was unto me | |
| All thing that I would have: | 20 |
| But all too rathe, alas the while, | |
| She built on such a ground: | |
| In little space, too great a guile | |
| In her now have I found. | |
| For she hath turned so her wheel, | 25 |
| That I, unhappy man, | |
| May wail the time that I did feel | |
| Wherewith she fed me than: | |
| For broken now are her behests, | |
| And pleasant looks she gave, | 30 |
| And therefore now all my requests | |
| From peril cannot save. | |
| Yet would I well it might appear | |
| To her my chief regard; | |
| Though my deserts have been too dear | 35 |
| To merit such reward: | |
| Since Fortune’s will is now so bent | |
| To plague me thus, poor man, | |
| I must myself therewith content, | |
| And bear it as I can. | 40 |
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