Their prenticehood; and furthermore I Blessed mot1 be the goddis all, pray2

So fair that glitt'ren in the firmament!

For them that passèd been the many And blessed be their might celestial,

In guerdon of all my lufis space

She hath me tak, her humble creature ;
And thus befell my blissful aventure,
In youth of love, that now from day to
day,

Flow'reth ay new, and yet further I say:

XXII.

Go little treatise, naked of eloquence,

Causing simpless and poverty to wit;
And pray the reader to have patience

Of thy default, and to supporten it;
Of his goodness thy brukilnesse1 to knit,
And his tongue for to rule and to steer,
That thy defaultis healed may been here.

XXIII.

Alas! and gif thou comest in the presence,2
Where as of blame fainest thou would
be quit,

To hear thy rude and crooked eloquence,
Who shall be there to pray for thy

remit?

No wight, but gif3 her mercy will admit

XXV.

Unto impnis1 of my maisteris dear,
Gower, and Chaucer, that on the steppis

sate

Of rhetoric, while they were livand here,
Superlative as poetis laureate,

Of morality and eloquence ornate,

I recommend my book in linis seven, And eke their souls unto the bliss of heaven.

PEBLIS TO THE PLAY.

I.

At Beltane 3 when ilk 4 body bounis 5
To Peblis to the play,

To hear the singing and the sounds,
The solace, sooth to say,

By firth, and forest, furth they found ;7
They grathit them full gay,
God wot, that would they do, that stound,9
For it was their feast day,

Thee for good will, that is thy guide and Of Peblis to the play.

steer,

To whom for me thou piteously requere.4

XXIV.

And thus endeth the fatal influence,

II.

They said,

All the wenches of the west

Were up ere the cock crew;

ΤΟ

For reiling to there might no man rest,

Caused from heaven where power is For garray," and for glew; 12