❧ A proper new ballad showing that Philosopher's learnings, are full of good warnings.  
And song to the tune of my Lord Marquis Galyarder? or the first traces of Que passa.  
 

Philosopher's learnings, are full of good warnings,  
in memory yet left, to school us,  
So be there contained, in Poietries feigned  
great Documents, to rate and rule us,  
As well for continuance, of life health and substance,  
whose vanities the world requireth,  
As for the derection of life by correction  
from liberties that lust desireth.   

Menander being asked what life was, he answered,  
a misery, that never ceaseth  
Tormenting minds worldly, for goods goton hardly  
with contraries as time increaseth,  
Where in is no surance of hope nor in durance  
but jeoberdies as fortune sendeth,  
Now sickly now helthie now poorly now wealthy,  
with casualties as life contendeth.   

Of Chilo thus read we, whose council most need we  
no memory aught more to move us,  
Then for to know thoroughly, ourselves & our duty,  
to notify what doth behove us,  
And as we seem faulty, reject follies noughty  
with practissing all ways to shone them,  
So may we triumphing, give praise to each good thing,  
Recomfortinge that we have done them:   

Excess that delighteth as plutarch well writeth  
in greediness that life requireth,  
In surfeiting dishes ill working ill wishes  
such filthiness as flesh desireth,  
withdraw, with their pleasures, dame nature's dew measures,  
whose governance is so defaced,  
What man can dispose them, when lust over throws them:  
to temperance, that should be placed.   

Periander of living good counsel once giving,  
said merrily look well within thee,  
If conscience accuse thee, ill rest will abbuse thee  
no liberty hath leave to win thee,  
Keep conscience then clearly, that life may live cheerly  
as Socrates doth wisely will thee,  
No corzye shall grieve thee, sound sleeps shall relive thee  
Unquietness, can no way spill thee.   

If fortune displease us, whose wracks may disease us,  
Let Sophacles his doctrine skoole us,  
Who writes that no surety, on earth getteth victrye  
But patience in pains to rule us,  
In such points presisely good counsel most wisely,  
Exuperate blind fortunes scourges,  
As the Mariner steereth, the Ship when he feareth  
The violence of salt Sea surges.   

Ten thousand and ten to, of these & like men to,  
Like Documents have left behind them,  
Methinks that these pagons, may counsel good Christians,  
Sith life hath no surety, nor long time of puertie  
nor accedence that can prevail us,  
Let wisdom now win us, to plant virtue in us,  
With penitence ear life doth fail us.   
ꝙ W. Elderton.  
¶ Finis.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Fleets; treet beneath the Conduit, at the sign of saint. john Evangelist, by Thomas Colwell.