[Footnote 8: oft.] [Footnote 9: holy.] [Footnote 10: rake, lewd person.] [Footnote 11: humble.] [Footnote 12: adder.] [Footnote 13: hurt, damage.] [Footnote 14: learning.] [Footnote 15: knows.] [Footnote 16: plucks or tortures.] [Footnote 17: knowledge.] [Footnote 18: a service used over the dead.] [Footnote 19: peasant.] [Footnote 20: unlearned.] [Footnote 21: laugh.] [Footnote 22: sounds.] [Footnote 23: foolish.] [Footnote 24: churls.] [Footnote 25: knows.] [Footnote 26: laughable.] [Footnote 27: tale, jest.] [Footnote 28: beyond.] [Footnote 29: foolishly.] [Footnote 30: if.] [Footnote 31: many.] [Footnote 32: holy.] [Footnote 33: strange perversion of words. _Droorie_ in its antient signification stood for _modesty_.] [Footnote 34: another.] LETTER TO THE DYGNE MASTRE CANYNGE. Straunge dome ytte ys, that, yn these daies of oures, Nete[35] butte a bare recytalle can hav place; Nowe shapelie poesie hast loste yttes powers, And pynant hystorie ys onlie grace; Heie[36] pycke up wolsome weedes, ynstedde of flowers, 5 And famylies, ynstedde of wytte, theie trace; Nowe poesie canne meete wythe ne regrate[37], Whylste prose, & herehaughtrie[38], ryse yn estate. Lette kynges, & rulers, whan heie gayne a throne, Shewe whatt theyre grandsieres, & great grandsieres bore, 10 Emarschalled armes, yatte, ne before theyre owne, Now raung'd wythe whatt yeir fadres han before; Lette trades, & toune folck, lett syke[39] thynges alone, Ne fyghte for sable yn a fielde of aure; Seldomm, or never, are armes vyrtues mede, 15 Shee nillynge[40] to take myckle[41] aie dothe hede. A man ascaunse upponn a piece maye looke, And shake hys hedde to styrre hys rede[42] aboute; Quod he, gyf I askaunted oere thys booke, Schulde fynde thereyn that trouthe ys left wythoute; 20 Eke, gyf[43] ynto a vew percase[44] I tooke The long beade-rolle of al the wrytynge route, Asserius, Ingolphus, Torgotte, Bedde, Thorow hem[45] al nete lyche ytte I coulde rede.-- Pardon, yee Graiebarbes[46], gyff I saie, onwise 25 Yee are, to stycke so close & bysmarelie[47] To hystorie; you doe ytte tooe moche pryze, Whyche amenused[48] thoughtes of poesie; Somme drybblette[49] share you shoulde to yatte[50] alyse[51], Nott makynge everyche thynge bee hystorie; 30 Instedde of mountynge onn a wynged horse, You onn a rouncy[52] dryve yn dolefull course.