Fyrst noble Gower / moralytees dyde endyte And after hym Cauncers / grete bokes delectable Lyke a good phylozophre / meruaylously dyde wryte After them Lydgate / the monke commendable Made many wonderfull bokes moche profytable But syth the are deed / & theyr bodyes layde in chest I pray to god to gyue theyr soules good rest
Whan fayre was phebus / [with] his bemes bryght Amyddes of gemyny / aloft the fyrmament Without blacke cloudes / castynge his pured lyght With sorowe opprest / and grete incombrement Remembrynge well / my lady excellent Saynge o fortune helpe me to preuayle For thou knowest all my paynfull trauayle
I went than musynge / in a medowe grene Myselfe alone / amonge the floures in dede With god aboue / the futertens is sene To god I sayd / thou mayst my mater spede And me rewarde / accordynge to my mede Thou knowest the trouthe / I am to the true Whan that thou lyst / thou mayst them all subdue
Who dyde preserue the yonge edyppus Whiche sholde haue be slayne by calculacyon To deuoyde grete thynges / the story sheweth vs That were to come / by true reuelacyon Takynge after theyr hole operacyon In this edyppus / accordynge to affecte Theyr cursed calkynge / holly to abiecte
Who dyde preserue / Ionas and moyses Who dyde preserue yet many other mo As the byble maketh mencyon doubles Who dyde kepe Charles frome his euyll fo Who was he / that euer coude do so But god alone / than in lyke wyse maye he Kepe me full sure / frome all inyquyte
Thus as I called to my remembraunce Suche trewe examples / I tenderly dyde wepe Remembrynge well / goddes hyghe ordynaũce Syghynge full oft / with inwarde teres depe Tyll at the last / I fell in to a slepe And in this slepe / me thought I dyde repayre My selfe alone / in to a garden fayre
This goodly gardyn / I dyde well beholde Where I sawe a place / ryght gaye and gloryous With golden turrettes / paynted many afolde Lyke a place of pleasure moste solacyous The wyndowes glased / with crystall precyous The golden fanes / with wynde and melody By dulcet sounde / and meruaylous armony
The knottes flagraunt / with aromatyke odoure With goodly sprynges / of meruaylous mountaynes I dyde than tast / the redolent lycoure Moost clere and swete / of the goodly vaynes Whiche dyde me ease / somwhat of my paynes Tyll to me came / a lady of goodly age Apareyled sadly / and demure of vysage