No thyng is [[to St.]] cleyme as be tytle of ryht,
But of mercy, wych ay lyth in hys myght,
Line 108
Vn-to synnerys, that deye repentaunt,
To yive pardon off hys benynge graunt,
[The] Wych ys to hem, vn-to ther refut,
Proteccyon and truë sauff-conduit,
Line 112
Hem to savë, that thay be nat lorn.
And thys book, the wych I spake off to-fforn,
I mene, the book Pylgrymage de Movnde,
Morall of vertu, of materys ful profovnde,
Line 116
Maad & compylyd in the Frenchë tonge,
ffull notáble to be rad & songe.
To every pylgryme, vertuous of lyff,
The mater is / so contemplatyff;
Line 120
In all the book, ys not lost a word.
Thys consydred full wysly of my lord
Of Salysbury, the noble manly knyht,
Wych in Fravncë, for the kyngys Ryht,
Line 124
In the werre hath meny day contunyd;
Whom God & gracë han ful wel ffortunyd
In thenpryses wych he hath vndertake;
Lyff and godes, for the kyngys sake,
Line 128
Knyhtly Inpartyd thys prince vertuous;
Ay in the ende beyng victoryous,
Swych grace & Eur, God to hym hath sent,
Wych gaff me ffyrst in comavndement
Line 132
Thys seydë book in Englysshe for to make, [folio 4a]
As I koude, [al] only for hys sake.
Be-cause he woldë that men schold[e] se,
In ovre tonge, the grete moralyte
Line 136
Wych in thys book ys seyde & comprehendyd,
That yt ne myhte (me semyth) be Amendyd;
The auctour, wych that dyde hyt ffyrst compyle,
So vertuously spent ther-on hys whyle.
Line 140
And of entent to do my lord plesaunce,
In hys worschepë, for a remembravnce,
As I am bovnde for to be hys man,
I wyl translate hyt sothly as I kan,
Line 144
After the lettre, in ordre effectuelly.
Thogh I not folwe the wordës by & by,
