'Maketh fayr a sepulture
Line 14544
On euery party, syde and brynke,
With-Innë thogh yt ffoulë stynke
Off karyen and off rootë boonys;
So thys mantel (for the noonys)
Line 14548
Maketh me (in my repayr)
Outward for to semyn ffayr,
Parfyt, and off gret holynesse.
'But, yiff Outward my foulnesse
Line 14552
Wer open shewed to the syht,
I sholde be ffoul, and no thyng bryht:
My mantel overspredeth al; [folio 220b]
But who that (in especyal)
Line 14556
Inwardly knewë herte and thouht, [[C. & St.]]
Blowh, and he shal fyndë nouht; [Souffle; si, na rien. St., om. C.]
Wherfor, by descripcïoun,
I bere the sygnyficacïoun [[C. & St.]]
Line 14560
In résemblancë, and am lych
Taffoul [[To a fowl]] callyd an Ostrych,
Off whom the nature euerydel [Stowe folio 256b]
Ys vnderstonde by my mantel.
Line 14564
'Thys [[Thys St., Thy C.]] ffoul hath fethres fressh to se,
ffayrë wynges, and may nat ffle,
Nor fro the erthe (in hys repayr)
He may nat soore in-to the heyr;
Line 14568
Yet men wolde demyn, off resoun,
And wene in ther oppynyoun,
By ápparencë, to ther syht,
That he wer hable to the fflyht;
Line 14572
But he ffleth nat, whan al ys do.
'And by myn habyt ek also
Men myghtë deme ther-by in al
That I were celestyal,
Line 14576
Goostly and contemplatyff,
Parfyt, and hooly off my lyff,
Hable to fflen vp to heuene,
ffer aboue the sterrys seuene;
Line 14580
And how my conuersacïoun
Wer nat in erthë lowë doun;
But who the trouthë kan wel se,
