| | Whenne might is ioyned vnto cruelte | |
| | Allas to depe wol the venym wade | |
| | In yonthe a maistir had this Emperour | |
| 410 | To teche hym lettrure and curtesye | |
| | For of moralite he was the flour | |
| | And in his tyme but yf his bokis lye | |
| | And whilis his maister hadde of hym maistrie | |
| | He made hym so konnynge and so souple | |
| 415 | That longe tyme it was or tirannye | |
| | Or ony vice durste in hym vncouple | |
| | Seneca his maistir was of which I deuyse | |
| | Be cause Nero had of hym such drede | |
| | For he for his vicis wolde hym chastise | |
| 420 | Discretly as by worde and not be dede | |
| | Syre he wolde say an Emperour moot nede | |
| | Be vertuous and hate Tyrannye | |
| | For whiche he made hym in a bath to blede | |
| | On bothe his armys til he must dye | |
| 425 | This Nero hadde eek of a custumaunce | |
| | In yongthe ayens his maistir to ryse | |
| | Whiche aftirward him thoughte a gret greuance | |
| | Be cause he ofte wolde hym chastyse | |
| | Therfore he made hym dye in this wyse | |
| 430 | To chese in abath to dye in this manere | |
| | Rathir thanne to haue another turmentyse | |
| | And thus hath Nero slayn his maistir dere | |
| | Now fyl it so that fortune liste no lenger | |
| | The high pryde of Nero to cherisshe | |
| 435 | For though he were strong yet was she strenger | |