| | 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 | |