CAXTON'S TEXT.
[51]
Beholde Ocklyf in his translac_i_on
[Sidenote: Read Occleve too,]
In goodly langage / & sente_n_ce passyng wyse
How he gyueth his prynce / suche exortac_i_on 353
[Sidenote: who gave his Prince such wise advice]
As to the hyest / he coude best deuyse
Of trouthe. pees. mercy. and Iustise
And vertues / leetyng for no slouthe
To do his deuoir & quite him of his trouthe 357
[52]
[Sidenote: Leaf 9 b.]
Required_e_ hym / as ayenst his souerayne
Most drad_e_ & louyd_e_ / wos excellent hyeues
He aduertysed_e_ / by his wrytyng_e_ playne 360
To vertu / apperteynyng to nobles
Of a prynce / as bereth good_e_ witnes
His traytye / entitled_e_ of regymente
[Sidenote: in his treatise De Regimine Principum.]
Compyled_e_ of entyer trewe entente 364
[53]
Loke also / vpon dan Io[=h]n lydgate
My maister whylome / monke of berye
[Sidenote: John Lydgate, too, my master.]
Worthy to be renomed_e_ / as poete laureate 367
I praye to god_e_ in blysse his soule be mercy
Syngyng_e_ Rex splendens that heuenly kyrye
[Sidenote: I pray God his soul is singing Rex splendens.]
Amonge the muses nyne celestyall_e_
Byfore the hyest Iubyter of all_e_ 371
* * * * *
THE ORIEL TEXT.
[54]
I not why deth my mastir_e_ dide envie,
But for he shuld_e_ chaunge his habite;
Pety hit is that suche a man shulde die! 374
But nowe I trist he be a carmylite;
His amyse blacke is chaunged into white,
Among the muses ix celestiall,
Afore the hieghest Iubiter of all; 378
[55]
Passing the muses all of elicon_e_,
Where is ynympariable of Armonye,
Thedir I trist my mastir-is soule is gon_e_, 381
The sterrede palays aboue dapplede skye,
Ther to syng 'sanctus' incessantly
Among the muses ix celestiall,
Affore the highest Iubiter of all. 385
[56]
Redith is volumes that ben so large and wyde,
Souereynly sitte in sadnesse of sentence,
Elumynede wyth colouris fresshe on eu_er_y syde, 388
Hit passith my wytte, I haue no eloquence
To yeue hym lawde aftir his excellence,
For I dare say he lefte hym not on lyue,
That coude his cu_n_nyng suffisantly discreue. 392
[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]
[Omitted. See Preface, p. ii] 372
376
¶ Passyng the mvses nyne of elycon,
Wher ys no pareyll[e] of Armonye; 380
Thyder I trust my Maysters sowle be gon,
The sterred paleys above _th_e dappled skye,
Ther to syng snactus insessavntly 384
Emonge the mvses nyne celestyall[e],
Before _th_e hyeste Iubyter of all[e].
¶ Redyth hys volumes _tha_t be large & wyde,
Severyly sette in sadnes of sentence,
Enlumined w_i_t_h_ colovres fresshe on eu_er_y side. 388
[Sidenote: ffl C lxiiij.]
Me lakketh wytt, I haue non eloquence,
To geve hy_m_ lawde after his excellence,
ffor I dare saye he lefte hy_m_ not alyve
That covde his cu_n_yng ssufficiently discryve. 392