Lo here, this noble poete of Bretayne How hyely he, in vertuous sentence, The losse in youthe of vertue can complayne; Wherfore I pray you, dooth your diligence, For your estats and goddes reverence, 130 T'enprintë vertue fully in your mynde, That, whan ye come in your juges presence, Ye be not set as vertules behynde. Ye lordes have a maner now-a-dayes, Though oon shewe you a vertuous matere, 135 Your fervent youthe is of so false alayes That of that art ye have no joy to here. But, as a ship that is withouten stere Dryveth up and doun, withouten governaunce, Wening that calm wol lastë, yeer by yere, 140 Right so fare ye, for very ignoraunce. For very shamë, knowe ye nat, by réson That, after an ebbe, ther cometh a flood ful rage? In the same wyse, whan youth passeth his séson, Cometh croked and unweldy palled age; 145 Sone after comen kalends of dotage; And if your youth no vertue have provyded, Al men wol saye, fy on your vassalage! Thus hath your slouth fro worship you devyded. Boëce the clerk, as men may rede and see, 150 Saith, in his Boke of Consolacioun, What man desyreth +have of vyne or tree Plentee of fruit, in the ryping sesoun, Must ay eschewe to doon oppressioun Unto the rote, whyle it is yong and grene; 155 Ye may wel see, by this conclusioun, That youthë vertulees doth mochel tene. Seeth, there-ayenst, how vertuous noblesse Roted in youthe, with good perséveraunce, Dryveth away al vyce and wrecchednesse, 160 As slogardrye, ryote and distaunce! Seeth eek how vertue causeth suffisaunce, And suffisaunce exyleth coveityse! And who hath vertue hath al abundaunce Of wele, as fer as reson can devyse. 165 Taketh hede of Tullius Hostilius, That cam fro povertee to hy degree; Through vertue redeth eek of Julius The conquerour, how povre a man was he; Yet, through his vertue and humanitee, 170 Of many a countree had he governaunce. Thus vertue bringeth unto greet degree Eche wight that list to do him entendaunce. Rede, here-ayenst, of Nero vertulees; Taketh hede also of proude Balthasar; 175 They hated vertue, equitee, and pees. Loke how Antiochus fil fro his char, That he his skin and bones al to-tar! Loke what meschauncë they had for hir vyces! Who-so that wol not by these signes be war, 180 I dar wel say, infortunat or nyce is. I can no more; but here-by may ye see How vertue causeth parfit sikernesse, And vyces doon exyle prosperitee; The best is, ech to chesen, as I gesse. 185 Doth as you list, I me excuse expresse; I wolde be sory, if that ye mischese. God you conferme in vertuous noblesse, So that through negligence ye nothing lese! _Explicit_.