¶ Ye, efte-soones, my child, let vs resorte To _th_e yntent of yo_u_r fyrst matere Degressed somwhat, for we wolde reporte & revyue _th_e lawde of the_m_ _tha_t were famovs i_n_ owr_e_ langage, thise faders dere 432 who_s_[1] sowles i_n_ blis, god et_er_nall[e] avaunce, [Sidenote 1: The _s_ is by a later hand.] _th_at lysten sone owr_e_ langage to enhavnce! CAXTON'S TEXT. [60] And vnto me / age hath bode good morowe I am not able clenly / for to gleyne [Sidenote: I cannot glean,] Nature is fay[=n] of craft / her eyen to borowe 416 Me lacketh clerenes / of myn eyen tweyne Begge I maye / gleyne I can not certeyne [Sidenote: I can only beg:] Therfore Þ^t werck / I wil playnly remytte To folkis yong / more passyng clere of witte 420 [Sidenote: gleaning I give up to younger folks.] [61] Seche ye therfore / and in caas ye fynde [Sidenote: If you find such gleaners,] Such gleynors fressh as haue so[=m] appare_n_ce Of fayr langage / yet take hem & unbynde 423 [Sidenote: unbind their sheaves:] And preue ye / what they be in existence Colourd in langage / sauerly in sentence [Sidenote: their fair speech] And doubte not my childe / withoute drede It wil prouffite to see suche thingis & red[e][1] 427 [Sidenote: will profit you.] [Footnote 1: A hole in the paper.] [62] [Sidenote: Leaf 11 a.] Yet eft sones my child_e_ / lete vs resorte [Sidenote: But let us return to our first subject.] To thentente of yur first matere Degressed somwhat / for we wold reporte 430 And reuiue the laude of hem that were Famous in our langage / these faders dere Whos sowles in blysse / god et_er_nel aua_u_nce That lysten so our langage to enhaunce 434 * * * * * THE ORIEL TEXT. [63] Than, litle childe, I councelle you that ye Take hede vnto the norture that men vse, Newe founden or Auncient whet[h]er hit be, 437 So shall no man your_e_ curteyse refuse; The guise and custome shall you, my childe, excuse; Mennys werkys haue often entirchaunge, That nowe is norture, sumtyme had ben full straunge. [64] Thinges whilome vside ben layde aside, And new fetis dayly ben contryvyde, Men[nys actes] can in no plight abyde, 444 They ben chaungeable and oft mevide, Thing some-tyme alowide is nowe reprevide, And aftir this shall thingis vppe aryse, That men sette nowe but [at] litle a prise. 448 [65] Thus mene I, my childe, that ye shull vse and haunte The guise of them that don most man_er_ly, But be ware of vnthrefte ruskyn galaunte, 451 Counterfetour_e_ vncunnyng of curtesie, His tecches ben infecte wyth vilonye, Vngerde, vnblesside, seruyng at the table, Me semeth hym s_er_u_a_unt full pendable. 455 [Sidenote: _Hill's Text_.]