Dibdin, Thomas Frognall; Spencer, George John [Oth.]: Bibliotheca Spenceriana: or a descriptive catalogue of the books printed in the fifteenth century, and of many valuable first editions, in the library of George John Earl Spencer (Band 4) (London, 1815) [Cicognara, 4650-4]

314

BOOKS PRINTED BY {Chcmcer's Book.

Lo how a womman doth amys
To loue hym that vnknowen is
For euery trust, lo thus it faryth
3t is not all gold that glaryth
For also browke I myn hede
Ther may be vnder goodly hede
Couerd many a sherewd vyce
Therfore be no wyght so nyce
To take a loue only for chere
Or for speche or frendely manere
For thus shal euery womman fynde
And swere, how he is vnkynde
Or fals prouyd, or double was
Alle thys saye I by Eneas
And dido, and her nece loste
That louyd alto sone a ghoste
Therfore I wyl saye o prouerbe
That he that fully knoweth the herbe
May saufly leye it to hys eye

Wythouten drede that is no lye Sign. a v.

From the Second Book we are presented with the following spirited
passage :

And I adoun gan to loke tho

And behelde feldes and pleynes

Now hylles, and now mounteynes

Now valeyes, and now forestes

And now vnnethe grete bestes

Now ryuers, now grete cytees

Now townes, now grete trees

Now shyppes sayllyng in the see

But thus sone, in a whyle he

Was flowen fro the ground so hye

Eat alle the world as to myn eye

Nomore semed than a prykke

Or els the eyer was so thykke

That I myght it not decerne

Wyth that he spack to me so yerne

And seyde, seest thou ony token

Or ought, that in the world is of spoken

I sayd nay, no wonder is

Quod he, for neuer half so hye as thys