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A man that hath litel to doone, [Fol. 103b] [col. 1.] [INTRODUCTION.]
Werk he may make him soone; [A man with little to do]
Ne thar him nat be idel long
That any werk wił vnderfong,— [ 4]
Neither lewd man̄ ne clerk,—
That he ne may find him werk, [may soon find work:]
Forto sing, or forto rede,
Or for to speke of sum old dede [ 8] [may tell of some old deed]
That here before hatħ be wroght,
Which vnto this day be on thoght,
Of doughtie men̄ that sum tyme were, [of doughty men,]
How noblè that thei hem̄ bere,— [ 12]
Guy of Warwik, and Tristram̄ also, [Guy, Tristram, Bevis, Perceval, Gaweyn, and Oweyn.]
Bevis of Hampton̄, and othir moo,
Percyuale, and curteys Gaweyn̄,
And othir knightes as Sir Oweyn̄,— [ 16]
I ne may reken̄ hem̄ ałł
That worship han̄ goote in boure and hałł,
And, for here ladies sake, to and froo
Suffred grete sorow and woo; [ 20]
And at the last, to here purpos,
Thei gate worship and grete los.
Now of a geste that was sum tyme, [So I will tell you a tale,]
That was raddè in frensh ryme: [ 24]
A clerk itt in to latyn̄ tooke
Att hertford out of a booke,
There in latin was it wretin, [(written in Latin at Hertford)]
As clerkès wele knowen and weten̄; [ 28]
Now if ye wil listen̄ a stound, [if you will listen awhile,]
Like as I haue this tale I-found,
I shal you tell in my maner,
Yf it pleas you forto here. [ 32]