And also the plante of pees • moste precious of vertues.
For hevene myghte noughte holden it • it was so hevy of hym-self,
Tyle it hadde of the erthe • yeten[1] his fylle,
And what it haved of this folde • flesshe and blode taken,
Was neuere leef upon lynde[2] • lighter ther-after,
And portatyf[3] and persant • as the poynt of a nedle,
That myghte non armure it lette[4] • ne none heigh walles.
For-thi is love leder • of the lordes folke of hevene,
And a mene[5], as the maire is • bitwene the kyng and the comune,
Right so is love a ledere • and the lawe shapeth
Upon man for his mysdedes • the merciment[6] he taxeth.
And for to knowe it kyndely[7] • it comseth bi myght,
And in the herte, there is the hevede • and the heigh welle.
A! Fredome is a noble thing!
Fredome mays man to haiff liking;[8]
Fredome all solace to man giffis,
He levys at ese that frely levys!
A noble hart may haiff nane ese,
Na ellys nocht[9] that may him plese,
Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking
Is yarnyt[10] our[11] all othir thing.
Na he that ay has levyt fre
May nocht knaw weill the propyrtè,
