Here begynnethe the boke calledde Iohn bochas descriuinge the falle of princis princessis [and] other nobles tra[n]slated i[n]to englissh by Iohn ludgate mo[n]ke of the monastery of seint edmu[n]des Bury ...

Here Iohn bochas speketh ageyne Idelnesse reher¦cinge howe sūme men haue ioye in one science and sūme in another

Myn auctour Bochas maketh a rehersayle In eschuynge of froward Idelnesse That vnto vertue may more auayle Good diligent laboure and honest besynesse And so concludynge full pleynly doth expresse Euery man reioyseth this sentence is nat glos••d ••o do such thinge to which he is disposyd

Sūme haue ioye by heuenly influence To knowe the cours aboue celestiall And sūme of knighthode do their diligence To p••eue theym silf in actys marciall And sūme reioise in their entent fynall In eloquence sūme in philosophie Sūme aboue all to studye in poetrye

The hardy knight is seruaūte to saint george M••uynge of planetys sercheth thas••ronomore Martys smyteth laboureth in his forge Ha••ys of steele maketh tharmoure ••ut the diuisoure by diligent entere labo•••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 f••••ssh contriuynge out of the olde entayle Fyndeth newe diuises of plate and eke of mayle

The laborere set holy his plesaunce ••o ••yl••h of londe in tyme to sowe hys greyne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his sede by yeerly habundaunce And that his plough laboure nat in veyne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y••ge his cesons of drought and eke of reyne And poetes to syt in their librarye D••s••••e of nature and to be solitarye

••uch as men loue such thinge they vndertake F••ssh or foule to hunte with their houndes Sūme of wulle sundry clothes make By philosophers was founde oute first the groundes And of all study they set oute first the boundes Caused poetys pleynly to conclude Oute of all prees to lyue in solitude

Logiciens delyte in argumentys Philosophers in vertuous lyuynge And legistres folowynge the ententys Greatly reioyse in lucre and wynnynge Phesiciens trauayle for getinge And of poetys this the subtyll fourme By newe Inuencion thinges to transfourme

Poetys shulde eschewe all Idelnesse Walke by ryuers and wellys cristalyne To hye mounteyns amorowe their cours dresse The myst diffied whan phebus first doth shyne Studye in bokys of morall disciplyne No thinge coueite but let their entent With moderate fode ••or to be content

Their cheef laboure is vices for to fage With a maner couert simylitude And none estate with their language By no rebukynge of termys dull and rude What euer they wryte on vertue ay conclude Appeyre no man in no maner wyse This thoffices of poetys that been wise