160. A. Cx. vyce; H. vice; Th. vyces. 161. A. Al (_for_ As). A. al ryote; H. Cx. Th. _om._ al. 162. Th. eke howe. 163. _So_ A. Cx.; H. _om._; Th. _has_ Seeth eke howe vertue voydeth al vyce (!). 164. Th. H. Cx. whoso; A. _om._ so. 165. Th. ferre; A. far. Th. reason. 167. A. came frome pouertee; Th. fro pouert came. Th. hygh; A. hye. 168. Th. eke. 169. Th. howe poore. 170. A. H. Cx. humanite; Th. his humylite. 171. Th. _om._ a. 172. A. unto gret; Cx. to hye; Th. a man to great. 173. A. Cx. list; Th. H. lust. Th. entendaunce; _rest_ attendaunce. 174. Th. nowe of; A. H. Cx. _om._ nowe. 177. Th. And loke; _rest om._ And. Th. howe; chare. 178. Th. tare. 179. A. meschaunces. 180. Th. H. Cx. _om._ that. Th. ware. 181. A. Th. infortunate. A. H. Cx. or; Th. and. 182. Th. no more nowe say; Cx. no more say; H. no more; A. more (!). Th. herby; se. 183. A. Th. Howe. A. Th. perfyte. 184. A. done exyle; Th. H. exylen al; Cx. exyles al. 185. Th. eche man to; Cx. man to; A. dethe to (dethe _is put for_ eche). A. cheesen; Th. chose. 186. Th. A. Dothe. 187. A. Cx. wil (_for_ wolde). Th. right sorie; A. H. Cx. _om._ right. 188. A. you conferme; Th. confyrme you. 189. A. no thing; Cx. H. nothing; Th. not it. COLOPHON. Cx. Thus endeth the traytye wiche John Skogan sent to the lordes and estates of the kynges hous. * * * * * VIII. JOHN LYDGATE. THE COMPLAINT OF THE BLACK KNIGHT; OR, THE COMPLAINT OF A LOVERES LYFE. In May, whan Flora, the fresshe lusty quene, The soile hath clad in grene, rede, and whyte, And Phebus gan to shede his stremes shene Amid the Bole, with al the bemes brighte, And Lucifer, to chace awey the night, 5 Ayen the morowe our orizont hath take To bidde lovers out of hir sleepe awake, And hertes hevy for to recomforte From dreriheed of hevy nightes sorowe, Nature bad hem ryse, and hem disporte, 10 Ayen the goodly, gladde, greye morowe; And Hope also, with seint Johan to borowe, Bad, in dispyt of daunger and dispeyre, For to take the hoolsom lusty eyre: And with a sigh I gan for to abreyde 15 Out of my slombre, and sodainly up sterte As he, alas! that nigh for sorowe deyde, My sekenes sat ay so nigh my herte. But, for to finde socour of my smerte, Or at the leste som réles of my peyne, 20 That me so sore halt in every veyne, I roos anon, and thoghte I wolde goon Into the wode, to here the briddes singe, Whan that the misty vapour was agoon And clere and faire was the morowning; 25 The dewe also, lyk silver in shyning Upon the leves, as any baume swete, Til fyry Tytan, with his persaunt hete,