is makynge lyst se the lapydary

When I had aduerted / in my remembraunce
All the maters / vnto the glasse I wente
Beholdynge it / by a longe cyrcumstaunce
Where as I dyde perceyue well verament
How preuy malyce / his messengers had sent
With subtyll engynes / to lye in a wayte
Yf that they coude take me with a bayte

I sawe there trappes / I sawe theyr gynnes all
I thanked god than / the swete holy goost
Whiche brought me hyder so well in specyall
Without whiche myrour / I had been but loost
In god aboue / the lorde of myghtes moost
I put my trust / for to withstande theyr euyll
Whiche dayly wrought / by the myght of the deuyll

I sawe theyr maysters blacke and tydyous
Made by the craft of many a nacyon
For to dystroye me / with strokes peryllous
To lette my Iournaye / as I make relacyon
Peryllous was the waye / and the cytuacyon
Full gladde was I of the vertu of this glasse
Whiche shewed me / what daungers I sholde passe

O all ye estates / of the hygh renowne
Beware these gynnes / beware theyr subtylte
The deuyll is grete / {and re}dy to cast downe
By calculacyon / of the {cur}sed cruelte
Of the subtyll beestes / full of inyquyte
In the olde tyme what snares were there sette
By fals calkynge / to dystroye lordes grete

Than after this to the yron gynne
I wente anone my wyte for to proue
By lytell and lytell / to vndo euery pynne
Thus in and out / I dyde the chayne ofte moue
Yet coude I not come / vnto myne aboue
Tyll at the last / I dyde the crafte espy
Vndoynge the pynnes / & chayne full meruaylously

Full gladde was I than / whan I had this floure
I kyst it oft / I behelde the coloure grene
It swaged ryght well / myn inwarde doloure
Myn eyes conforted / with the bryghtnes I wene
This ryall floure / this emeraude to shene
Whan I had goten it by my prudence
Ryght gladde I was / of fortunes premynence

O fortune sayd I / thou art ryght fauorable
For many a one / hath ben by symylytude
To wynne this floure / full gretely tendable
But they the subtylnes / myght nothynge exclude
Sythnen by wysdome / I dyde this fraude conclude
This floure / I sette nere my harte
For perfyte loue / of my fayre ladyes darte

So this accomplysshed / than incontynent
To the thyrde myrour I went dyrectly
Beholdynge aboute by good auysement
Seynge an ymage made full wonderly
Of the holy goost with flambes ardauntly
Vnder whiche I sawe with letters fayre and pure
In golde well grauen this meruaylous scrypture

Frome