THefrutefull 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
[A.ii.]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 abydeth 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