Rather Lambes) that be ewed early in the beginning of the yeare.
Youth is) A verye moral and pitthy Allegorie of youth, and the lustes thereof, compared to a wearie wayfaring man.
Tityrus) I suppose he meane Chaucer, whose prayse for pleasaunt tales cannot dye, so long as the memorie of hys name shal liue, & the name of Poetrie shal endure.
Well thewed) that is, Bene moratæ, full of morall wisenesse.
There grew) This tale of the Oake and the Brere, he telleth as learned of Chaucer, but it is cleane in another kind, and rather like to Æsopes fables. It is very excellente for pleasaunt descriptions, being altogether a certaine Icon or Hypotyposis of disdainfull younkers.
Embellisht) beautified and adorned.
To wonne) to haunt or frequent.
Sneb) checke.
Why standst) The speach is scorneful & very presumptuous.
Engrained) dyed in grain.
Accloieth) encombreth.
Adawed) daunted & confounded.
Trees of state) taller trees fitte for timber wood.
Sterne strife) said Chaucer. s fell and sturdy.
O my liege) A maner of supplication, wherein is kindly coloured the affection and speache of Ambitious men.
Coronall) Garlande.
Flourets) young blossomes.
The Primrose) The chiefe and worthiest
Naked armes) metaphorically ment of the bare boughes, spoyled of leaues. This colourably he speaketh, as adiudging hym to the fyre.
The blood) spoken of a blocke, as it were of a liuing creature, figuratiuely, and (as they saye) κατ` ἐικασμόν.
Hoarie lockes) metaphorically for withered leaues.
Hent) caught.
Nould) for would not.
Ay) euermore.
Wounds) gashes.
Enaunter) least that.
The priestes crewe) holy water pott, wherewith the popishe priest vsed to sprinckle & hallowe the trees from mischaunce. Such blindnesse was in those times, which the Poete supposeth, to haue bene the finall decay of this auncient Oake.
The blocke oft groned) A liuelye figure, whiche geueth sence and feeling to vnsensible creatures, as Virgile also sayeth: Saxa gemunt grauido &c.
Boreas) The Northerne wynd, that bringeth the moste stormie weather.
Glee) chere and iollitie.
For scorning Eld) And minding (as shoulde seme) to haue made ryme to the former verse, he is conningly cutte of by Cuddye, as disdayning to here any more.
Galage) a startuppe or clownish shoe.
Embleme.
This embleme is spoken of Thenot, as a moral of his former tale: namelye, that God, which is himselfe most aged, being before al ages, and without beginninge, maketh those, whom he loueth like to himselfe, in heaping yeares vnto theyre dayes, and blessing them wyth longe lyfe. For the blessing of age is not giuen to all, but vnto those, whome God will so blesse: and albeit that many euil mē reache vnto such fulnesse of yeares, and some also wexe olde in myserie and thraldome, yet therefore is not age euer the lesse blessing. For euen to such euill men such number of yeares is added, that they may in their last dayes repent, and come to their first home. So the old man checketh the rashheaded boy, for despysing his gray and frostye heares.
Whom Cuddye doth counterbuff with a byting and bitter prouerbe, spoken indeede
at the
