Classic Poem

Lordes and maisters

Lordes and maisters, wise and honourable,
Of this said booke make oft a loking glas:
For ye shal find it good and profitable,
With wisedome to bring your dedes to passe:
Make your entent, as the auctoures was,
Which grounded it on right hie grauitie,
Counselling you to lyue in equytie.

Lenuoy and excuse of Robert Coplande the translatour and
Imprynter of this boke

In humble maner / and moost due reuerence
Tremblynge for drede afore thy souerayne
Yf thy chaunce be to come in presence
Where ony person shall the there retayne
Submytte thy selfe as one that wolde be fayne
His grace to please in all maner degre
And of thy rudenesse for to pardon the

And where as thou art but as an abstract
As touchynge the auctours compylacyon
Yf I therfore be ony wyse detract
In defaut of thy abreuyacyon
Lay thou the blame in the frensshe translacyon
Whiche I haue folowed as nygh as I can
Vnder correcyon of euery wyse man

Yf ony man dyspyse the language rude
Whiche barayne is / of puryd eloquence
Desyre them that they do not delude
Thy fronysate mater full of sentence
But in theyr hertes / enprynt thy morall sence.
Which compyled is / by wysdome naturall
Of prudent men / the veray gouernall

Where many wedes be in a felde of corne
All though the weders thynke to wede it clene
Some shall remayne / whan the fylde is shorne.
Drawke or cokle / yet there wyll be seen
The fawtes thereof / is in the handes and eyen
Lykewyse where many / wordes and lettres be
No meruayle is / though I some ouerse
Yf by impressyon / ony thynge be amys
In worde / in sence / or in ortography
I you requyre / to mende where the faute is
In the best wyse / it for to Iustyfy
For though all be not to your fantasy
In formall maner / do ye it dyscus
Saue onely god / nemo est perfectus
Deo gratias
Dytee du translateur
Tost ou tard / pres ou loing
A le fort du foible besoing.