His noble blode never disteynyd was,
Trew to his prince for to defende his right,
Doublenes hatinge, fals maters to compas,
Treytory and treson he bannesht out of syght,
With trowth to medle was all his holl delyght,
As all his kuntrey kan testefy the same:
To slo suche a lord, alas, it was grete shame.
If the hole quere of the Musis nyne
In me all onely wer sett and comprisyde,
Enbrethed with the blast of influence dyvyne,
As perfightly as could be thought or devysyd
To me also allthough it were promysyde
Of laureat Phebus holy the eloquence,
All were to lytell for his magnyficence.
O yonge lyon, bot tender yet of age,
Grow and encrese, remembre thyn estate,
God thé assyst unto thyn herytage,
And geve thé grace to be more fortunate,
Agayne rebellyouns arme thé to make debate.
And, as the lyoune, whiche is of bestis kinge,
Unto thy subjectis be kurteis and benyngne.
I pray God sende thé prosperous lyf and long,
Stabille thy mynde constant to be and fast,
Right to mayntein, and to resist all wronge:
All flattringe faytors abhor and from thé cast,
Of foule detraction God kepe the from the blast!
Let double delinge in thé have no place,
And be not light of credence in no case.
Wythe hevy chere, with dolorous hart and mynd,
Eche man may sorow in his inward thought,
Thys lords death, whose pere is hard to fynd,
Allgyf Englond and Fraunce were thorow saught.
Al kings, all princes, all dukes, well they ought
Bathe temporall and spirituall for to complayne
This noble man, that crewelly was slayne.
More specially barons, and those knygtes bold,
And all other gentilmen with hym enterteynd
In fee, as menyall men of his housold,
Whom he as lord worshyply manteynd:
To sorowfull weping they ought to be constreynd,
As oft as thei call to ther remembraunce,
Of ther good lord the fate and dedely chaunce.
O perlese prince of hevyn emperyall!
That with one worde formed al thing of noughte;
Hevyn, hell, and erth obey unto thy call;
Which to thy resemblance wondersly hast wrought
All mankynd, whom thou full dere hast boght,