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‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge From tyme that it first biginneth springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon Under our feet, on which we trede and goon, Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye. The grete tounes see we wane and wende. Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende. ‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge From tyme that it first biginneth springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon Under our feet, on which we trede and goon, Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye. The grete tounes see we wane and wende. Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende.
‘Of man and womman seen we wel also, That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; Som in his bed, som in the depe see, Som in the large feeld, as men may se; Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye. Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. What maketh this but Iupiter the king? The which is prince and cause of alle thing, Converting al unto his propre welle, From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. And here-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to stryve. ‘Of man and womman seen we wel also, That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; Som in his bed, som in the depe see, Som in the large feeld, as men may se; Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye. Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. What maketh this but Iupiter the king? The which is prince and cause of alle thing, Converting al unto his propre welle, From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. And here-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to stryve.

Original Text

Modern Text

‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge From tyme that it first biginneth springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon Under our feet, on which we trede and goon, Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye. The grete tounes see we wane and wende. Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende. ‘Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisshinge From tyme that it first biginneth springe, And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, Yet at the laste wasted is the tree. ‘Considereth eek, how that the harde stoon Under our feet, on which we trede and goon, Yit wasteth it, as it lyth by the weye. The brode river somtyme wexeth dreye. The grete tounes see we wane and wende. Than may ye see that al this thing hath ende.
‘Of man and womman seen we wel also, That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; Som in his bed, som in the depe see, Som in the large feeld, as men may se; Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye. Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. What maketh this but Iupiter the king? The which is prince and cause of alle thing, Converting al unto his propre welle, From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. And here-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to stryve. ‘Of man and womman seen we wel also, That nedeth, in oon of thise termes two, This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, He moot ben deed, the king as shal a page; Som in his bed, som in the depe see, Som in the large feeld, as men may se; Ther helpeth noght, al goth that ilke weye. Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. What maketh this but Iupiter the king? The which is prince and cause of alle thing, Converting al unto his propre welle, From which it is deryved, sooth to telle. And here-agayns no creature on lyve Of no degree availleth for to stryve.