The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

How that Wisdom without Supportation availeth little or nought.

Like as this bishop with al his high prudence, For cause he might haue none audience, All his wisedome and his prophecy Of the Greekes was holden but folly, For though Plato, and wise Socrates, Morall Seneke, and Diogenes, Albumaser, and prudent Theolonee, And Tullius, that had soueraintee Whylome in Rome, as of eloquence, Though all these, shortly in sentence, Were aliue, most cunning and expert, And no man list her counsaile to aduert, Nor of her sawes for to taken heed, What might auaile, and it come to need: * For where as prudence can find no succour, And prouidence hath no fauour, Farewell wisedome, and farewell discretion, For lacke onely of supportation. For vnsupported with his lockes hore, Amphiorax sighen gan full sore, With hed enclined, & many an heuy thought, When y^• he saw his counsail s••ood for nought: For vtterly, the Greekes, as I told, Haue fully cast her journey for to yhold, Made hem ready, and gonne for to hostey Toward Thebes, the city for to werrey, And in Greece will no lenger tarry, And forth with hem Amphiorax they carry, Set in his chaire with a dolefull hert, When he wist he might not astert Of his fate the disposition, And hosteying into the region Of Ligurge, Greekes can approche A sundry lond, with many a craggy roche, But all the way soothly that they gone, For horse ne man water was there none, So dry were the valleyes and the pleines, For all that yeare they had had no reines, But full great drought, as made is men∣tion, And all the lond searching enuiron,