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Storys to rede ar delitabill
Suppos that thai be nocht bot fabill;
Than suld storys that
suthfast wer,
And thai war said on gud maner,
Hawe doubill plesance in heryng. [5]
The first plesance is the carpyng,
And the tothir the
suthfastnes,
That schawys the thing rycht as it wes;
And suth thyngis that ar likand
Till mannys heryng ar plesand. [10]
Tharfor I wald fayne set my
will,
Giff my wyt mycht suffice
thartill,
To put in wryt A suthfast
story,
That it lest ay furth in memory,
Swa that na lenth of tyme It
let, [15]
Na ger it haly be forȝet.
For aulde storys that men
redys
Representis to thaim the dedys
Of stalwart folk that lyvyt
ar
Rycht as thai than in presence war. [20]
And, certis, thai suld weill hawe prys
That in thar tyme war wycht and
wys,
And led thar lyff in gret trawaill,
And oft in hard stour off
bataill
Wan [richt] gret price off chewalry, [25]
And war woydyt off
cowardy.
As wes King Robert off Scotland,
That hardy wes off hart and hand;
And gud Schyr Iames off
douglas,
That in his tyme sa worthy was, [30]
That off hys price & hys
bounte
In fer landis renownyt wes he.
Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma;
Now god gyff grace that I may swa
Tret It and bryng till
endyng, [35]
That I say nocht
bot suthfast thing!
A! fredome is A noble thing! [225]
Fredome mays man to haiff liking;
Fredome all solace to man giffis:
He levys at es that frely levys!
A noble hart may haiff nane es,
Na ellys nocht that may him
ples [230]
Gyff fredome failȝhe; for
fre liking
Is ȝharnyt our all othir thing.
Na he, that ay has levyt
fre,
May nocht knaw weill the propyrte,
The angyr, na the wrechyt
dome, [235]
That is cowplyt to foule
thyrldome.
Bot giff he had perquer he suld It
wyt;
And suld think fredome mar to
prys
Than all the gold in warld that
Is. [240]
Thus contrar thingis euir-mar
Discoweryngis off the tothir
ar.
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