'But goodë pylgrymes that ha grace,
Alway by the myddys pace;
Exaumple [[Bexaumple St., om. by]] off whom b[y] nyht & day
Hold alway the menë way.
Line 11876
Lat moral vertu be thy guyde;
ffle posternys that stonde a side,
By whos pereyl (who taketh hede) [folio 182a] [Stowe folio 209a] [[C. & St.]]
Many a pylgrym hath be ded.
Line 11880
'And whyl that youthë (herkne me,)
ffressh and lusty abyt wyth the,
Yiff the to vertu ech hour and space;
ffor, whan youthe a-way doth pace
Line 11884
Wyth-outë vertu (trustë me,)
Yt ys ful hard (who that kan se,)
Vertu to wynne, whan youthe ys gon.
Who that in youthe lyst lernë noon,
Line 11888
ffor custoom take in tendre age,
(As seyn thys oldë ffolkys sage,)
Wyth-outë [[out St., om. C.]] labour (thys no nay,)
Ys ful hard to parte away.'
Line 11892
The pylgrym.
"Ma dame," quod I, "so mot I the,
I wendë sykerly ta be
In the ryhtë weye ywys;
But, certys, I ha gon amys,
Line 11896
ffor I ha chose (and thus yt stood)
Two euele weyës ffor on good:
I not what yt may sygnefye,
That I thus erre thorgh my ffolye."
Line 11900
Vertu moral:
'Ha no merveyl in thy siht;
flor ther ys weyë noon so ryht
That yt ne fforketh out asyde
By many pathys that yt devyde,
Line 11904
Wych causë ffolkys euere among, [Stowe folio 209b]
fful offtë sythës to go wrong.
'And many on that thow dost sen,
Ys nat ther-for A Geometryen
Line 11908
Wyth-In a compas (ha thys in mynde)
Thogh he konne out the centre fynde;
