<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395591" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>A Ballad Sent to King Richard</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Sometime this world was so steadfast and stable,<br>That man's word was held obligation;<br>And now it is so false and deceivable,<br>That word and work, as in conclusion,<br>Be nothing one; for turned up so down<br>Is all this world, through meed and wilfulness,<br>That all is lost for lack of steadfastness.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What makes this world to be so variable,<br>But lust that folk have in dissension?<br>For now-a-days a man is held unable<br>But if he can, by some collusion,<br>Do his neighbour wrong or oppression.<br>What causeth this but wilful wretchedness,<br>That all is lost for lack of steadfastness?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Truth is put down, reason is holden fable;<br>Virtue hath now no domination;<br>Pity exil'd, no wight is merciable;<br>Through covetise is blent discretion;<br>The worlde hath made permutation<br>From right to wrong, from truth to fickleness,<br>That all is lost for lack of steadfastness.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">L'Envoy.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">O Prince! desire to be honourable;<br>Cherish thy folk, and hate extortion;<br>Suffer nothing that may be reprovable<br>To thine estate, done in thy region;<br>Show forth the sword of castigation;<br>Dread God, do law, love thorough worthiness,<br>And wed thy folk again to steadfastness.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Geoffrey+Chaucer">Geoffrey Chaucer</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395591" data-title="A Ballad Sent to King Richard de Geoffrey Chaucer" data-description="Sometime this world was so steadfast and stable, That man's word was held obligation; And now it is so false and deceivable, That word and work, as in conclusion, Be nothing one; for turned up so down Is all this world, through meed and wilfulness..."></div> </div> </div>

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