For we may allow & dissalow / our{e} office is þe cheeff In celler{e} & spicery / & the Cooke, be he looth{e} or leeff. (l. 1173-82.) Further on, at line 1211, he says, “Moor{e} of þis co{n}nyng{e} y Cast not me to contreve: my tyme is not to tary, hit drawest fast to eve. þis tretyse þat y haue entitled, if it ye entende to p{re}ve, y assayed me self in youth{e} w{i}t{h}-outeñ any greve. while y was yong{e} y-nough{e} & lusty in dede, y enioyed þese maters foreseid / & to lerne y toke good hede; but croked age hath{e} co{m}pelled me / & leue court y must nede. þerfor{e}, son{e}, assay thy self / & god shall{e} be þy spede.” And again, at line 1227, “Now, good soñ, thy self, w{i}t{h} other þ{a}t shall{e} þe succede, which{e} þus boke of nurtur{e} shall{e} note / lerne, & ou{er} rede, pray for the sowle of Iohñ Russell{e}, þat god do hym mede, Som tyme s{er}uaunde w{i}t{h} duke vmfrey, duc[A] of Glowcet{ur} in dede. For þat prynce pereles prayeth{e} / & for suche other mo, þe sowle of my wife / my fadur and modir also, vn-to Mary modyr and mayd / she fende us from owr{e} foe, and bryng{e} vs all{e} to blis wheñ we shall{e} hens goo. =AMEN=.” [Text Note: The _duc_ has a red stroke through it, probably to cut it out.] As to his Boke, besides what is quoted above, John Russell says, Go forth{e} lytell{e} boke, and lowly þow me co{m}mende vnto all{e} yong{e} gentilmeñ / þ{a}t lust to lerne or entende, and specially to þem þat han exsperience, p{ra}yng{e} þe[m] to amend{e} and correcte þat is amysse, þer{e} as y fawte or offende. And if so þat any be founde / as þrouȝ myñ necligence, Cast þe cawse oñ my copy / rude / & bar{e} of eloquence, which{e} to d{ra}we out [I] haue do my besy diligence, redily to reforme hit / by resoñ and bettur sentence. As for ryme or resoñ, þe for{e}wryter was not to blame, For as he founde hit aforne hym̅, so wrote he þe same, and þaugh{e} he or y in our{e} mater{e} digres or degrade, blame neithur of vs / For we neuyr{e} hit made; Symple as y had insight / somwhat þe ryme y correcte; blame y cowde no mañ / y haue no persone suspecte. Now, good god, graunt vs grace / our{e} sowles neu{er} to Infecte! þañ may we regne in þi regiou{n} / et{er}nally w{i}t{h} thyne electe. (l. 1235-50.)