Rather Lambes) that be evved early in the beginning of the yeare.
Youth is) A verye moral and pitthy Allegorie of youth, and the lustes thereof, compared to a vvearie vvayfaring man.
Tityrus) I suppose he meane Chaucer, whose prayse for pleasaunt tales cannot dye, so long as the memorie of hys name shal liue, & the name of Poetrie shal endure.
VVell thevved) that is, Bene moratae, full of morall wisenesse.
There grew) This tale of the Oake and the Brere, he telleth as learned of Chaucer, but it is cleane in another kind, and rather like to Aesopes fables. It is very excellente for pleasaunt descriptions, being altogether a certaine Icon or Hypotyposis of disdainfull younkers.
Embellisht) beautified and adorned. To wonne) to haunt or frequent. Sneb) checke.
VVhy standst) The speach is scorneful & very presumptuous. Engrained) dyed in grain.
Accloieth) encombreth. Adavved) daunted & confounded.
Trees of state) taller trees fitte for timber vvood. Sterne strife) said Chaucer. s fell and sturdy. O my liege) A maner of supplication, vvherein is kind∣ly coloured the affection and speache of Ambitious men.
Coronall) Garlande. Flourets) young blossomes.
The Primrose) The chiefe and vvorthiest
Naked armes) metaphorically ment of the bare boughes, spoyled of leaues. This colou∣rably he speaketh, as adiudging hym to the fyre.
The blood) spoken of a blocke, as it vvere of a liuing creature, figuratiuely, and (as they saye) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
Hoarie lockes) metaphorically for vvithered leaues.
Hent) caught. Nould) for vvould not. Ay) euermore. VVounds) gashes.
Enaunter) least that.
The priestes crevve) holy vvater pott, wherewith the popishe priest vfed to sprinckle & hallovve the trees from mischaunce. Such blindnesse vvas in those times, which the Poete supposeth, to haue bene the finall decay of this auncient Oake.
The blocke oft groned) A liuelye figure, vvhiche geueth sence and feeling to vnsensible creatures, as Virgile alfo sayeth: Saxa gemunt grauido &c.
Boreas) The Northerne vvynd, that bringeth the moste stormie vveather.
Glee) chere and iollitie.
For scorning Eld) And minding (as shoulde seme) to haue made ryme to the former verse, he is conningly cutte of by Cuddye, as disdayning to here any more.
Galage) a startuppe or clovvnish shoe.
Embleme.
This embleme is spoken of Thenot, as a moral of his former tale: namelye, that God, vvhich is himselfe most aged, being before al ages, and vvithout beginninge, maketh those, vvhom he loueth like to himselfe, in heaping yeares vnto theyre dayes, and blessing them vvyth longe lyfe. For the blessing of age is not giuen to all, but vnto those, vvhome God will so blesse: and albeit that many euil mē reache vnto such fulnesse of yeares, and some also vvexe olde in myserie and thraldome, yet therefore is not age euer the lesse blessing. For euen to such euill men such number of yeares is added, that they may in their last dayes repent, and come to their first home. So the old man checketh the rashheaded boy, for despysing his gray and frostye heares.
VVhom Cuddye doth counterbuff with a byting and bitter prouerbe, spoken indeede