| | But for the more part they laughte & pleyden | |
| 5 | Ne at this tale y saw noman hym greue | |
| | But yf it were only Oswold the reue | |
| | Be cause he was of Carpenteris craft | |
| | A litil yre is in his herte y laft | |
| | He gan to grucche and blame it a lyte | |
| 10 | Si the quod he ful wel I coude the quyte | |
| | With bleryng of a proud Mylleres ye | |
| | Yf that me list to speke of Rebaudrye | |
| | But y am olde me list not to pleye for age | |
| | Gras tyme is doon my foder is forage | |
| 15 | This whyte top writith my olde yeris | |
| | Myn herte also moulid is as myn heer is | |
| | But yf I fare as doth an open ers | |
| | That ilke fruyt is euer lenger the wers | |
| | Tyl it be rotyn in mullok or in stre | |
| 20 | We olde men I drede so fare we | |
| | Tyl we be rotyn can we not be rype | |
| | We hopyn alwey whyle the worlde wol pype | |
| | For in our wyl ther stikith euer a nayl | |
| | To haue an hoore hed and a grene tayl | |
| 25 | As hath a leek for though our myght begon | |
| | Our wil desirith fully euer in one | |
| | For whan we may nought do than wol we speken | |
| | Yet in our cold asshen old fyre is rekyn | |
| | Four gledis haue we whiche I shal deuyse | |
| 30 | Auauntyng lyynge anger and couetyse | |
| | Thyse four sparkelis longith vnto eld | |
| | Our olde lymys mowe we not beweld | |
