+Or him was boden maken thilke tweye +Of som persone, and durste hit nat with-seye; *Or him repenteth utterly of this. +He ne hath nat doon so grevously amis +To translaten that olde clerkes wryten, 370 +As thogh that he of malice wolde endyten Despyt of love, and had him-self hit wroght. +This shulde a rightwys lord have in his thoght, +And nat be lyk tiraunts of Lumbardye, Than han no reward but at tirannye. 375 +For he that king or lord is naturel, +Him oghte nat be tiraunt ne cruel, +As is a fermour, to doon the harm he can. +He moste thinke hit is his lige man, *And is his tresour, and his gold in cofre. 380 +This is the sentence of the philosophre: +A king to kepe his liges in Iustyce; +With-outen doute, that is his offyce. Al wol he kepe his lordes hir degree, +As hit is right and skilful that they be 385 +Enhaunced and honoured, and most dere-- +For they ben half-goddes in this world here-- Yit mot he doon bothe right, to pore and riche, Al be that hir estat be nat y-liche, +And han of pore folk compassioun. 390 +For lo, the gentil kynd of the leoun! +For whan a flye offendeth him or byteth, +He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth +Al esily; for, of his genterye, +Him deyneth nat to wreke him on a flye, 395 +As doth a curre or elles another beste. +In noble corage oghte been areste, +And weyen every thing by equitee, +And ever han reward to his owen degree. +For, sir, hit is no maystrie for a lord 400 To dampne a man with-oute answere of word; +And, for a lord, that is ful foul to use. +And if so be he may him nat excuse, But asketh mercy with a dredful herte, +And profreth him, right in his bare sherte, 405 +To been right at your owne Iugement, +Than oghte a god, by short avysement, +Considre his owne honour and his trespas. +For sith no cause of deeth lyth in this cas, +Yow oghte been the lighter merciable; 410 +Leteth your yre, and beth somwhat tretable! +The man hath served yow of his conning, And forthred wel your lawe in his making. 'Al be hit that he can nat wel endyte, Yet hath he maked lewed folk delyte 415 +To serve you, in preysing of your name. +He made the book that hight the Hous of Fame, +And eek the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse, +And the Parlement of Foules, as I gesse, +And al the love of Palamon and Arcyte 420 +Of Thebes, thogh the story is knowen lyte; +And many an ympne for your halydayes, +That highten Balades, Roundels, Virelayes; And, for to speke of other holynesse, +He hath in prose translated Boëce, 425