| | Comfort in this tyme hadde he noon | |
| | Saue his brothir whiche was a clerk | |
| | He knew al this woo and al this werk | |
| | For to noon other creature certeyn | |
| 400 | Of this mater he durste no word sayn | |
| | Vnder his brest he bare it more secree | |
| | Than euer did Phamphilus or Galathe | |
| | His brest was hool withoute forto seen | |
| | But in his hert ay was the arow keen | |
| 405 | And weel I knowe of Surgeture | |
| | In surgerye ful perlous is the cure | |
| | But men mighte touche the arow or com therby | |
| | His brother wepith and waylith priuely | |
| | Tyl atte laste hym fyl in remembraunce | |
| 410 | That whylis he was at Orliaunce in Fraunce | |
| | As yonge clerkis that been likorous | |
| | To redyn artis that been curious | |
| | Sekyn in euery halke and euery herne | |
| | Particuler science forto lerne | |
| 415 | He hym remembrid that vp on a day | |
| | In orliaunce in a book that he say | |
| | Of magik naturel with his felow | |
| | That was that tyme a bacheler of lawe | |
| | Al were he there to lerne another craft | |
| 420 | Had priuely vp on his deske laft | |
| | Suche a book as spak moche of operacions | |
| | And of many dyuers coniuracions | |
| | That longen to the mone and suche foly | |
| | As in our dayes is not worth a flye | |
