§ 1. MAN OF LAW'S HEAD-LINK.
ELLESMERE MS.
¶ The wordes of the Hoost to the compaignye [folio 53a]
Ovre hoost saugh wel / that the brighte sonne
The ark of his artificial day hath ronne
The ferthe part and half an houre and moore
And though / he were nat depe ystert in loore
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He wiste / it was the eighte and twentithe day
Of Aprill / that is messager to May
And saugh wel / that the shadwe of euery tree
Was as in lengthe / the same quantitee
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That was the body erect that caused it
And ther fore / by the shadwe / he took his wit
That Phebus / which þat shoon / so clere and brighte
Degrees / was fyue and fourty clombe on highte
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And for that day / as in that latitude
It was ten at the clokke / he gan conclude
And sodeynly / he plighte his hors aboute
¶ Lordynges quod he / I warne yow al this route
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The fourthe party of this day is gon
Now for the loue of god / and of Seint Iohn
Leseth no tyme / as ferforth as ye may
Lordynges / the tyme wasteth nyght and day
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And steleth from vs / what pryuely slepynge
And what thurgh necligence / in oure wakynge
As dooth the streem / that turneth neuere agayn
Descendynge fro the montaigne in to playn
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¶ Wel kan Senec and many a philosophre
Biwaillen tyme / moore than gold in cofre
ffor losse of catel / may recouered be
But losse of tyme / shendeth vs quod he
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