[6-text p 404]
As fer as reson axeþ hardel
I wil ȝou telle a tale which þat I
lernede at paradovse of a worþi clerk
As preued by his wordes and his werk
Line 28
he is now deed and nayled in his cheste
I pray to god to ȝiue his soule reste [¶ Pausacio]
ffraunces Petrake þe laureat poete
highte þis clerk whos retorique sweete [[a leaf out]]
Line 32
[enlumynede al ytaille / of Poyetrie [MS Arch. Seld. B. 14 folio 66a]
as Lynyan dide / of Philosophie
or lawe / or other arte par-ticulere
but deth that wol not suffre vs / duelle here
Line 36
but as it were / a twynkelyng of an yghe
hem both hath sleyn / and alle shulle we dye
but forthe to tellen / of this worthy man
that taughte me this tale / as I bigan
Line 40
I sey that he first / wight highe stile enditeth
er he the body of his tale writeth
a proheme / in the which discerneth he
the mounde / and of Saluce the contre
Line 44
and spekith of Appenyn the hilles highe
that ben the boundes / of west Lumbardie
and of the Mounte Vesulus / in special
where as the Poo / out of a wel smal
Line 48
takith his first spryngyng / and his sours
and holte even streighte wey / his cours
to Emel-ward / to Ferrare / and to Venyse
the which a longe thing were / to devise
Line 52
and trewely / as to my Iugement
me thinkith it a thing / inpertynent
save he wol conveye / his matiere
but this is the tale / which ye shal hiere
Line 56
Here endith the clerke of Oxonford his prolog
