¶ Ye, efte-soones, my child, let vs resorte
To _th_e yntent of yo_u_r fyrst matere
Degressed somwhat, for we wolde reporte
& revyue _th_e lawde of the_m_ _tha_t were
famovs i_n_ owr_e_ langage, thise faders dere 432
who_s_[1] sowles i_n_ blis, god et_er_nall[e] avaunce,
[Sidenote 1: The s is by a later hand.]
_th_at lysten sone owr_e_ langage to enhavnce!
CAXTON'S TEXT.
[60]
And vnto me / age hath bode good morowe
I am not able clenly / for to gleyne
[Sidenote: I cannot glean,]
Nature is fay[=n] of craft / her eyen to borowe 416
Me lacketh clerenes / of myn eyen tweyne
Begge I maye / gleyne I can not certeyne
[Sidenote: I can only beg:]
Therfore Þ^t werck / I wil playnly remytte
To folkis yong / more passyng clere of witte 420
[Sidenote: gleaning I give up to younger folks.]
[61]
Seche ye therfore / and in caas ye fynde
[Sidenote: If you find such gleaners,]
Such gleynors fressh as haue so[=m] appare_n_ce
Of fayr langage / yet take hem & unbynde 423
[Sidenote: unbind their sheaves:]
And preue ye / what they be in existence
Colourd in langage / sauerly in sentence
[Sidenote: their fair speech]
And doubte not my childe / withoute drede
It wil prouffite to see suche thingis & red[e][1] 427
[Sidenote: will profit you.]
[Footnote 1: A hole in the paper.]
[62]
[Sidenote: Leaf 11 a.]
Yet eft sones my child_e_ / lete vs resorte
[Sidenote: But let us return to our first subject.]
To thentente of yur first matere
Degressed somwhat / for we wold reporte 430
And reuiue the laude of hem that were
Famous in our langage / these faders dere
Whos sowles in blysse / god et_er_nel aua_u_nce
That lysten so our langage to enhaunce 434