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"Old Time, which alle things don maliciously,
"Gnawen with rusty tooth continually,
"Gnattrid my lines, that they all cancrid ben,
"Till at the last thou smoothen 'hem hast again;
"Sithence full semely gliden my rymes rude,
"As, (if fitteth thilk similitude)
"Whannè shallow brooke yrenneth hobling on,
"Ovir rough stones it maken full rough song;
"But, them stones removen, this lite rivere
"Stealen forth by, making plesaunt murmere:
"So my sely rymes, whoso may them note,
"Thou maken everichone to ren right sote;
"And in thy verse entuneth so fetisely,
"That men sayen I make trewe melody,
"And speaken every dele to myne honoure.
"Mich wele, grete clerk, betide thy parting houre!"
"Gnawen with rusty tooth continually,
"Gnattrid my lines, that they all cancrid ben,
"Till at the last thou smoothen 'hem hast again;
"Sithence full semely gliden my rymes rude,
"As, (if fitteth thilk similitude)
"Whannè shallow brooke yrenneth hobling on,
"Ovir rough stones it maken full rough song;
"But, them stones removen, this lite rivere
"Stealen forth by, making plesaunt murmere:
"So my sely rymes, whoso may them note,
"Thou maken everichone to ren right sote;
"And in thy verse entuneth so fetisely,
"That men sayen I make trewe melody,
"And speaken every dele to myne honoure.
"Mich wele, grete clerk, betide thy parting houre!"
He
