And in him felfe he lough right at the wo
Of them that weptin for his dethe so fast,
And dampnid all our werkes, that foloweth fo
The blindè luft whiche that ne may nat last,
And fhuldin al our herte on hevin caft;
And forthe he went, shortily for to tell,
There as Mercury fortid him to dwel.

Suche fine hath, lo! this Troilus for love,
Suche fine hath all his gretè worthineffe,
Suche fine hath his eftate royal above,
Suche fine his luft, fuch fine hath his nobleffe,
Suche fine hath this false world'is brotilneffe!
And thus began his loving of Crefeide
As I have tolde, and in this wife he deide.
O yonge and freshè folkis, he or fhe!

In whiche that love up growith with your age,
Repairith home from worldely vanite,

And of your hertes up caftith the visage
To thilke God that aftir his image

You made, and thinkith al n'is but a faire,

1827

1834

This world that paffith fone, as flouris faire : 1841

And lovith him the whiche that right for love

Upon a croffe, our foulis for to bey,

Firft ftarfe and rofe, and fit in heven above,

For he n'il falfin no wight, dare I fey,

That wol his hert al wholly on him ley;
And fens he beft to love is and moft meke
What nedith fainid lovis for to seke?

1848

Lo! here of Painims curfid oldè rites! Lo! here what al ther goddis maie availe! Lo! here this wretchid world'is appetites! Lo! here the fine and guerdon for travaile Of Jove, Apollo, Mars, and fuch rafkaile! Lo! here the forme of oldè clerk is fpeche In poetrie, if ye ther bokis feche!

O, moral Gower! this Boke I directe
To the and to the philofophicall Strode,
To vouchfafe there nede is for to correcte
Of your benignities and zelis gode;

And to the fothfaft Chrift, that starfe on rode,
With al mine hert of mercy er I praie,

1855

And to the Lorde right thus I fpeke and faie: 1862
Thou One, and Two, and Thre! eterne on live,
That raignift aie in Thre, and Two, and One!
Uncircumfcript, and all maist circumfcrive,
From vifible and invifible fone

Defende us in thy mercy everichone!

So make us, Jefus, to thy mercy digne,
For love of maide and mothir thine benigne! 1869

Thus endeth the fifth boke and laft of Troilus.

CHAUGER to CHU ROHI

don Printed for John Bell British Library March 31 17 83.