THe frutefull sentẽce & the noble werkes

To our doctryne wrytẽ ĩ olde ãtyquyte

By many gret & ryght notable clerkes

Groũded on reason and hygh auctoryte

Dyde gyue vs example by good moralyte

To folowe the trace of trouth and ryght wysnes

Leuynge our synne and mortall wrechednes

By theyr wrytynge doth to vs appere

The famous actes of many a champyon

In the courte of fame renowned fayre and clere

And some endyted theyr entencyon

Cloked in coloure harde in construccyon

Specyally poetes vnder cloudy fygures

Couered the trouthe of all theyr scryptures

So hystoryagraphes all the worthy dedes

Of kynges and knyghtes dyde put in wrytynge

To be in mende for theyr memoryall medes

How sholde we now haue knowledgynge

Of thynges past / but by theyr endytynge

Wherfore we ought to prayse them doubteles

That spent theyr tyme in suche good busynes.

Amonge all other my good mayster Lydgate

The eloquent poete and monke of bury

Dyde bothe contryue and also translate

Many vertues bokes to be in memory

Touchynge the trouthe well and sentencyously

But syth that his deth was intollerable

I praye god rewarde hym in lyfe perdurable

Amonge all thynges nothynge so prouffytable

As is scyence with the sentencyous scrypture

For worldly rychesse is often transmutable

As dayly dothe appere well in vre

Þet scyens a bydeth and is moost sure

After pouerte to attayne grete rychesse

Scyens is cause of promocion doubtles

I lytell or nought expert in poetrye

Remembrynge my youth so lyght and frayle

Purpose to compyle here full breuyatly

A lytell treatyse wofull to bewayle

The cruell swerers which do god assayle

On euery syde his swete body to tere

With terryble othes as often as they swere

But all for drede plonged in neclygence

My penne dothe quake to presume to endyte

But hope at laste to recure this scyence

Exorteth me ryght hardely to wryte

To deuoyde ydlenesse by good appetyte

For ydlenesse the grete moder of