Of The Mean And Sure Estate Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABA BCB CDC DED EDE DFD FGF GDG DFD FHF HIH IDI DJD KDL DFD FJF JBJ BBB BMB MNM NHN HOH CDC DPD PQP QDQ DBD BDB DBD BKR KDK DDD DMD MSM STU TDT DBDB

My mother's maids when they did sew and spinA
They sang sometime a song of the field mouseB
That for because her livelood was but thinA
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Would needs go seek her townish sister's houseB
She thought herself endur egrave d too much painC
The stormy blasts her cave so sore did souseB
-
That when the furrows swimm egrave d with the rainC
She must lie cold and wet in sorry plightD
And worse than that bare meat there did remainC
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To comfort her when she her house had dightD
Sometime a barley corn sometime a beanE
For which she laboured hard both day and nightD
-
In harvest time whilst she might go and gleanE
And where store was stroy egrave d with the floodD
Then well away for she undone was cleanE
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Then was she fain to take instead of foodD
Sleep if she might her hunger to beguileF
My sister quod she hath a living goodD
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And hence from me she dwelleth not a mileF
In cold and storm she lieth warm and dryG
In bed of down the dirt doth not defileF
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Her tender foot she laboureth not as IG
Richly she feedeth and at the richman's costD
And for her meat she needs not crave nor cryG
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By sea by land of the delicates the mostD
Her cater seeks and spareth for no perilF
She feedeth on boiled bacon meet and roastD
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And hath thereof neither charge nor travailF
And when she list the liquor of the grapeH
Doth glad her heart till that her belly swellF
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And at this journey she maketh but a japeH
So forth she goeth trusting of all this wealthI
With her sister her part so for to shapeH
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That if she might keep herself in healthI
To live a lady while her life doth lastD
And to the door now is she come by stealthI
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And with her foot anon she scrapeth full fastD
Th' other for fear durst not well scarce appearJ
Of every noise so was the wretch aghastD
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At last she ask egrave d softly who was thereK
And in her language as well as she couldD
Peep quod the other Sister I am hereL
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Peace quod the towny mouse why speakest thou so loudD
And by the hand she took her fair and wellF
Welcome quod she my sister by the RoodD
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She feasted her that joy it was to tellF
The fare they had they drank the wine so clearJ
And as to purpose now and then it fellF
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She cheer egrave d her with How sister what cheerJ
Amids this joy befell a sorry chanceB
That well away the stranger bought full dearJ
-
The fare she had for as she look askanceB
Under a stool she spied two steaming eyesB
In a round head with sharp ears In FranceB
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Was never mouse so fear'd for the unwiseB
Had not i seen such a beast beforeM
Yet had nature taught her after her guiseB
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To know her foe and dread him evermoreM
The towny mouse fled she know whither to goN
Th' other had no shift but wonders soreM
-
Feard of her life At home she wished her thoN
And to the door alas as she did skipH
The Heaven it would lo and eke her chance was soN
-
At the threshold her silly foot did tripH
And ere she might recover it againO
The traitor cat had caught her by the hipH
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And made her there against her will remainC
That had forgotten her poor surety and restD
For seeming wealth wherein she thought to reignC
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Alas my Poynz how men do seek the bestD
And find the worst by error as they strayP
And no marvail when sight is so opprestD
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And blind the guide anon out of the wayP
Goeth guide and all in seeking quiet lifeQ
O wretched minds there is no gold that mayP
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Grant that ye seek no war no peace no strifeQ
No no although thy head were hooped with goldD
Sergeant with mace hawbert sword nor knifeQ
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Cannot repulse the care that follow shouldD
Each kind of life hath with him his diseaseB
Live in delight even as thy lust wouldD
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And thou shalt find when lust doth most thee pleaseB
It irketh straight and by itself doth fadeD
A small thing it is that may thy mind appeaseB
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None of ye all there is that is so madD
To seek grapes upon brambles or breresB
Nor none I trow that hath his wit so badD
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To set his hay for conies over riversB
Ne ye set not a drag net for an hareK
And yet the thing that most is your desireR
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Ye do mis seek with more travail and careK
Make plain thine heart that it be not knottedD
With hope or dread and see thy will be bareK
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From all affects whom vice hath ever spottedD
Thyself content with that is thee assignedD
And use it well that is to thee allottedD
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Then seek no more out of thyself to findD
The thing that thou hast sought so long beforeM
For thou shalt feel it sitting in thy mindD
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Mad if ye list to continue your soreM
Let present pass and gape on time to comeS
And deep yourself in travail more and moreM
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Henceforth my Poynz this shall be all and someS
These wretched fools shall have nought else of meT
But to the great God and to his high doomU
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None other pain pray I for them to beT
But when the rage doth lead them from the rightD
That looking backward Virtue they may seeT
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Even as she is so goodly fair and brightD
And whilst they clasp their lusts in arms acrossB
Grant them good Lord as Thou mayst of Thy mightD
To fret inward for losing such a lossB

Sir Thomas Wyatt



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