| | Take hym for the grettist gentilman | |
| 1090 | First wol we clayme of hym our gentilnes | |
| | Not of oure eldres for her olde riches | |
| | For though they yeue vs al her heritage | |
| | For which we claymen to be of here parage | |
| | Yet may they bequede for no thing | |
| 1095 | To none of vs her vertuous leuynge | |
| | That made hem gentilmen callid to be | |
| | And bad hem folowe vs in suche degre | |
| | Well can the wyse Poet of Forence | |
| | That hight daunte speke of this sentence | |
| 1100 | Lo in suche manere ryme is dauntis tale | |
| | Ful selde vp rysid be his braunchis smale | |
| | Preuys of man for god of his goodnes | |
| | Wol that of hym we clayme our gentilnes | |
| | For of our oldris may we no thing clayme | |
| 1105 | But temporel thing that may hurte & mayme | |
| | Eke euery wight woot this as wel as I | |
| | If gentilnes were plantid naturally | |
| | Vnto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne | |
| | Priuy and pert than wol they not fyne | |
| 1110 | To do of gentilnes the feir office | |
| | They mighte do no vilony or vice | |
| | Take fyre and bere it in to the derkist hous | |
| | Betwix this and the mounte of Cancasus | |
| | And leet men shitte the doris and go thenne | |
| 1115 | Yet wol the fyre as fair ly and brenne | |
| | As twenty thousand men mighte it beholde | |
| | His office naturelly ay wol he holde | |
