Note on the text: TK.
| Storys to rede ar delitabill° | delightful | |
| Suppos that thai be nocht bot fabill; | ||
| Than suld° storys that suthfast° wer, | should — true; cf. forsooth | |
| And thai war said on gud maner, | ||
| 5 | Hawe° doubill plesance° in heryng. | have — pleasure |
| The first plesance is the carpyng,° | speaking | |
| And the tothir° the suthfastnes, | other | |
| That schawys° the thing rycht° as it wes; | shows — right | |
| And suth° thyngis that ar likand° | true — pleasing | |
| 10 | Till mannys heryng ar plesand. | |
| Tharfor I wald fayne° set my will, | happily | |
| Giff° my wyt° mycht suffice thartill,° | if — intelligence — to that | |
| To put in wryt° A suthfast story, | writing | |
| That it lest° ay° furth in memory, | last — always | |
| 15 | Swa° that na lenth of tyme It let,° | so — hinder |
| Na ger° it haly° be forȝet. | make — wholly | |
| For aulde° storys that men redys | old | |
| Representis to thaim the dedys | ||
| Of stalwart folk that lyvyt° ar | lived | |
| 20 | Rycht as thai than in presence war.° | were |
| And, certis,° thai suld° weill hawe prys° | certainly — shuld — praise | |
| That in thar tyme war wycht° and wys,° | brave — prudent | |
| And led thar lyff in gret trawaill,° | hardship | |
| And oft in hard stour° off bataill | conflict | |
| 25 | Wan° [richt] gret price° off chewalry,° | won — praise — chivalry |
| And war woydyt° off cowardy. | freed | |
| As wes King Robert off Scotland, | ||
| That hardy wes off hart and hand; | ||
| And gud Schyr° Iames off douglas, | Sir | |
| 30 | That in his tyme sa worthy was, | |
| That off hys price° & hys bounte° | honor — excellence | |
| In fer landis renownyt wes he. | ||
| Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma°; | make | |
| Now god gyff grace that I may swa° | so | |
| 35 | Tret It and bryng till° endyng, | to |
| That I say nocht° bot suthfast thing! | nothing | |
| 225 | A! fredome is A noble thing! | |
| Fredome mays° man to haiff° liking°; | makes — have — pleasure | |
| Fredome all solace to man giffis: | ||
| He levys° at es° that frely levys! | lives — ease | |
| A noble hart may haiff nane° es, | none | |
| 230 | Na ellys nocht that may him ples | |
| Gyff fredome failȝhe°; for fre liking° | fail — will | |
| Is ȝharnyt° our° all othir thing. | desired — over | |
| Na he, that ay° has levyt fre, | always | |
| May nocht knaw weill the propyrte,° | condition | |
| 235 | The angyr,° na the wrechyt dome,° | affliction — fate |
| That is cowplyt° to foule thyrldome.° | coupled — servitude | |
| Bot giff° he had assayit° It, | unless — tried | |
| Than all perquer° he suld It wyt°; | by heart — know | |
| And suld think fredome mar° to prys° | more — prize | |
| 240 | Than all the gold in warld that Is. | |
| Thus contrar thingis euir-mar° | evermore | |
| Discoweryngis off the tothir° ar. | other |