CAXTON'S TEXT.
[54]
[Omitted. See Preface, p. ii.]
374
378
[55]
Passyng_e_ the muses nyne of Elyco[=n]
Where is non pareyl of armonye
Thider I truste my meistres soule begone 381
The sterrid_e_ paleys / aboue the dapplyd skye
[Sidenote: in the starred palace above the dappled sky, before the]
There to synge sanctus incessantly
Amonge the muses ix celestyall_e_
Byfore the hyest / Iubiter of all_e_ 385
[Sidenote: highest Jupiter of all.]
[56]
[Sidenote: Leaf 10 a.]
Redeth his volumes / that ben large & wyde
[Sidenote: Read his large volumes]
Seueryly set / in sadnes of sentence
Enlumyned with colours fressh on euery side 388
[Sidenote: illuminated with fresh colours.]
Me lacketh witte / I haue none eloquence
To gyue hym lawde / after his excellence
For I dar saye / he lefte hym not a lyue
That coude his co_n_nyng / sufficiently discriue 392
* * * * *
THE ORIEL TEXT.
[57]
But his werkys his laude moste nede conquere,
He may neuer oute of remembrance die,
His werkys shall his [name[1] conuey and bere 395
[Sidenote: MS. here repeats werkys.]
Aboute the world all-most eternallie;
Lette his owne werkys prayse hym and magnifie;
I dare not preyse, for fere that I offende,
My lewde langage shuld rather appeyre than amend.
[58]
Lo, my childe, thes good faders Au[=n]cient
Repide the feldis fresshe of fulsumnesse,
The floures feyre they gadderid vp and hent, 402
Of siluereus langage the tresoure and richesse;
Who wolle hit haue, my litle childe, doutelesse
Must of hem begge, ther is no more to say,
For of our_e_ toung they were bothe locke and key.
[59]
There can no man ther_e_ fames nowe disteyne,
Thanbawmede toung and aureate sentence,
Men gette hit nowe by cantelmele, and gleyne 409
Here and there wyth besy diligence,
And fayne wolde riche the crafte of eloquence;
But be the glaynes is hit often sene,
In whois feldis they glayned haue and ben_e_. 413
[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]
¶ But his werkes his lavde must nede co_n_quere;
_the_i may never owt of reme_m_bravnce dye;
hys werkes shall[e] his name co_n_veye & bere
Abowte _th_e world almoste eternelly. 396
lete his own_e_ werk_is_ p_ra_yse hy_m_, & magnyfye;
I dare not p_ra_yse, leest for fere I offende;
My langage shuld rather_e_ apayer_e_ tha_n_ amend.
¶ Loo, my child, this faders avncyente
Repen _th_e fyldes ffresshe of fulsomnes; 401
_th_e flowres fresshe thei gadered vp, & hente.
Off syluer langage _th_e greate ryches
who will[e] yt haue, my child, dowtles 404
Muste of the_m_ bege: ther_e_ ys no more to saye,
ffor of owr_e_ tonge _the_i were both loke & keye;
¶ Ther ca_n_ no ma_n_ ther werkes dysteyne:
The enbamed tonge & avreat sentence, 408
Me_n_ gete yt now by ca_n_telmele, & glene
here & ther_e_ by besy delygence,
& fayne wold reche ther crafte of eloqvence;
& by the gleyne ytt ys full[e] ofte sene 412
In whose fylde the gleners haue bene.