Beinge thus englyshed, as of righte they oughte, accordinge to the frenche:
Amyde sawe I hate stonde,
That of wrathe and yre & onde
Semed well to be mooveresse,
An angry wighte and chyderesse.
Molinet calleth Hate a Ducteress, or leader. Whiche woord mooveresse the learned molinet, in his moralizatione of that Romant, dothe turne into Ducteresse, a leader or leadresse, so that they agree yt shoulde not be a minoresse, but a mooveresse or leadresse of and to anger and yre; anye of whose woordes will as well and rather better fytt the sence and verse of Chaucer, and better answere the Frenche originall and meanynge, than the incerted woorde Minoresse.
Thus hooping that you will accepte in good and frendlye parte, these my whatsoever conceytes vttered vnto you, (to the ende Chawcers Woorkes by much conference and many iudgmentes mighte at leng[t]he obteyne their true perfectione and glory, as I truste they shall, yf yt please godde to lend me tyme and leysure to reprinte, correcte, and comente the same after the manner of the Italians who have largely comented Petrarche;) I sett end to these matters; comyttinge you to god, and me to your curtesye.
Clerkenwell Greene,
the xvi of december 1599.
Your lovinge frende,