Þerfore my þouht on þe i feste;
ffor þer i wot to fynden reste—
Of vche loue þou art þe beste,
Þou art þe loue þat euere wol leste.
Line 28
Nis no mon, Ihesu, bote in þe
In whom bi-houeþ us I-borwed be.
Þi loue to winne, i wolde fonde,
Ȝif I me mihte wel vndurstonde,
Line 32
Sum þing of þe to write and rede,
Þer-þorwh of þe to winnen mede.
And heo þat scholden hit iheren,
Of þe Gospel mowe sumwhat leren
Line 36
Þat writen is þer-Inne of þe,
On Englisch tonge þorwh swynk of me.
Wyse men bi Olde dawes
Bokes made of goode lawes,
Line 40
Hou me scholde hem wiþ rihte leden
And wys to ben in alle heor deden;
And þei no-þing ne wusten of þe,
But goddus heo maden of ston and tre,
Line 44
And þing þat ne mihte seo ne here
ffor God heo honourede and heolde dere:
Sonne and Mone, Day and Niht,
Sterre and al þat ȝiueþ lyht,
Line 48
Þat Goddus weren alle þei wenden,
And God of heuene no-þing ne kenden.
Of grete Clerkes also we fynde
Þat Bokes made of Beestes kynde,
Line 52
Of ffoul, of Ston, of Gras, of Treo,
And al for Mon þeron to seo,
Solace to haue and techinge,
And hem to holde from fool lykynge—
Line 56
ffor whose hereþ of Beestes kynde
Mony wondrus he may þer fynde,
ffeole þinges seon and here
Wher-þorwh he may him-self lere
Line 60
Hys lyf to lede wiþ more wynne,
Good to do and hatyȝe synne.
A wys mon seiþ þat bestes weren,
Hert and Eddre, þeos þreo, and Ern,
Line 64
