| As olde bokis maken mencion | |
| He was the most lusty bacheler | |
| Of al the worlde and eke the beste archer | |
5 | He slough Pheton the serpent as he lay | |
| Slepyng ayens the sonne vp on a day | |
| And many anothir nobil dede | |
| He with his bowe wrought as men mowe rede | |
| Pleye he coude on euery mynstralcye | |
10 | And syngen that it was a melodye | |
| To here of his cleer vois the soun | |
| Certes the kyng of Thebes amphion | |
| That with his song wallid the cyte | |
| Coude neuer synge half so wel as he | |
15 | Therto he was the semelist man | |
| That is or was sith the worlde began | |
| What nedith it his feture forto discryue | |
| For in this worlde was ther non so fair a liue | |
| He was therwith fulfillid of gentilnsse | |
20 | Of honour and of parfyt worthynesse | |
| This Phebus that was flour of bachelerye | |
| As wel in fredom as in chiualrye | |
| For disporte in signe eek of victorye | |
| Of Pheton so as tellith vs the story | |
25 | Was wont to bere in his hond aboue | |
| Now hadde this Phebus in his hous a crowe | |
| With ynne a cage y fostrid many a day | |
| And taughte it speke as men teche a Iay | |
| Whit was this crowe as is a snow whit swan | |
30 | And countirfetid the speche of euery man | |