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¹ Bvt now they that are my inferiours & yonger then I, haue me in derision: yee eue they, whose fathers I wolde haue thought scorne to haue set wt the dogges of my catell.² The power & stregth of their hades might do me no good, & as for their age, it is spet & past awaye without eny profit.³ For very misery & honger, they wente aboute in the wildernesse like wretches & beggers,⁴ pluckynge vp herbes from amonge the bu?shes, & the Iunipers rote was their meate.⁵ And when they were dryuen forth, men cried after them, as it had bene after a thefe.⁶ Their dwellinge was beside foule brokes, yee in the caues & dennes of the earth.⁷ Vpo the drye heeth wete they aboute crienge, & in the brome hilles they gathered them together.⁸ They were the children of fooles & vylanes, which are deed awaye fro the worlde.⁹ Now am I their songe, & am become their iestinge stocke.¹⁰ they abhorre me, they fle farre fro me & stayne my face wt spetle.¹¹ For ye LORDE hath opened his quyuer, he hath hytt me, & put a brydle in my mouth.¹² Vpon my right hade they rose together agaynst me, they haue hurte my fete, made awaye to destroye me,¹³ & my path haue they clene marred. It was so easy for them to do me harme, that they neded no man to helpe the.¹⁴ They fell vpon me, as it had bene ye breakynge in of waters, & came in by heapes to destroye me.

¹⁵ Fearfulnesse is turned agaynst me. Myne honoure vanisheth awaye more swiftly then wynde, & my prosperite departeth hece like as it were a cloude.¹⁶ Therfore is my mynde poured full of heuynesse, & ye dayes of trouble haue take holde vpon me.¹⁷ My bones are pearsed thorow in ye night season, & my synewes take no rest.¹⁸ With all their power haue they chaunged my garmet, & gyrded me therwith, as it were wt a coate.¹⁹ I am eue as it were claye, & am become like asshes & dust.²⁰ Whe I crie vnto the, thou doest not heare me: & though I stonde before the, yet thou regardest me not.²¹ Thou art become myne enemye, & wt yi violet hade thou takest parte agaynst me.²² In tymes past thou didest set me vp an hye, as it were aboue ye winde, but now hast thou geue me a very sore fall.²³ Sure I am, yt thou wilt delyuer me vnto death: where as a lodgyng is prepared for all me ²⁴ Now vse not me to do violece vnto the, yt are destroyed allready: but where hurte is done, there vse thei to helpe.²⁵ Dyd not I wepe in ye tyme of trouble? Had not my soule copassion vpo ye poore?²⁶ Yet neuerthelesse where as I loked for good, euell happened vnto me: and where as I waited for light, there came darcknesse.²⁷ My bowels seeth wt in me & take no rest, for ye dayes of my trouble are come vpo me.²⁸ Mekely & lowly came I in, yee & without eny displeasure: I stode vp in ye cogregacion, & commoned with the²⁹ But now. I am a copanyon of dragons, & a felowe of Esiriches.³⁰ My skynne vpo me is turned to black, & my bones are bret wt heate:³¹ my harpe is turned to sorow, & my pipe to wepinge.