'And mor off valu (as yt ys told)
Than al the sheldys mad off gold,
Wych in hys temple (out off doute)
He madë hangë round a-boute.
Line 8040
'ffor, by thys targë off prudence, [Stowe folio 144a]
He haddë so gret excellence
Of worshepe, & so gret honour,
As he that was off wysdom flour.
Line 8044
Whil he was gouernyd by prudence,
Endurede hys magnyfycence;
And whan that prudence was a-go,
Hys worshype wente a-way also. [folio 126b]
Line 8048
Hys sheldys off gold, ek euerychon,
A dyeu [[A Dieu St.]] whan prudence was a-gon.
ffor prudence, the shyld I calle,
Off fyue hundryd the best off alle,
Line 8052
ffor to rekne hym, [[hem St.]] on by on;
And, to kepe a man ffrom hys fon,
Ys noon so myghty off vertu,
Nor equyualent [[Equypolent St.]] off valu.
Line 8056
'Wherfor, [[Alway St.]] whil thow art at large,
Looke thow haue vp-on, thys targe, [[Stowe puts this line before the one above it.]]
Wherso thow entre in batayll,
Whan thyn Emnyes the assaylle,
Line 8060
To force [[Tafforce St.]] thy quarel & a-mende,
Ber vp, & wel thy-sylff [[C. inserts 'thy,' St. 'the.']] dyffende
At alle assautys fer & ner,
In maner off a bokëler.
Line 8064
ffor [[against]] gonnys, dartys, & quarel,
Shrowdë the ther-vnder wel;
Be no coward, But wysly bolde.
'And now I haue the pleynly tolde
Line 8068
Off thyn armure, (yiff thow tak hede,)
Wher-off thow shalt haue ay most nede,
With-outen many wordys mo:
Now be avysed what thow wylt do.'
Line 8072
The pylgrym.
[Lines 8073—8100 have no counterpart in the Cambr. prose, or in its original, the first version of the French prose.] "Certys," quod I, "ther ys no more; [Stowe folio 144b]
