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But this may be in many wife,
Of the whiche I will the devife,
As fowne comith of pype or harpe,
For whan a pype is blowin sharpe

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The eyre is twift with violence

And rent; lo! this is my fentence:
Eke whan that men harpeftringis fmyte,
Whedir that it be moche or lyte,

Lo! with the stroke the eyre it breketh,
And right so breketh it whan men speketh;
Thus woft thou wel what thing is speche:
Nowè hennisforthe I wil the teche
Howe everiche fpeche, voice, or fowne,
Throughe his multiplicaciowne,
Thoughe it were pipid of a mouse,

Mote nedis come to Fam'is House:
I prove it thus ; takith hede nowe
By experience, for if that thou
Threwe in a watir nowe a stone,
Wel wofte thou it wil make anone

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A lityl roundil as a circle,

Para'venture as brode as a covircle,

And right anone thou fhalte fe wele

That circle caufe anothir whele,

And that the thirde, and fo forthe, brother,

Every circle caufinge other

Moch brodir than himfelfin was,

And thus from roundil to compas

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Eche aboutin othir goinge

Ycaufith of othirs fteringe
And multiplying evirmo,
Tyl that it be so far ygo

That it at bothè brinkis be,

Although thou mayist it not se

Above, yet gothe it alwaye under,

Although thou thinke it a grete wonder,

And whofo faithe of trouthe I vary,

Bydde him provin the contrary:
And right thus every worde ywis,
That loude or pryve' yspokin is,
Ymovith firfte an eyre aboute,
And of his movinge out of doute
Anothir eyre anone is moved,
As I have of the watir proved,
That every circle caufith other;
Right fo of eyre, my levè brother,

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Everiche eyre anothir fterith

More and more, and speche up berith,

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Or voife or noyfe, or worde or fowne,

Aye through multiplicaciowne,

Tyl it be at The House of Fame,

Take it in ernest or in game.

Nowe have I tolde, if thou have mind,

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Howe speche or fowne of purè kinde

Enclinid is upward to meve,

This mayift thou fele wel by preve,

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It fhewith every foune perde
Ymovith kindely to pace
As up into his kindely place;
And this place of whiche I the tel,
There as Fame doth ylifte to dwell,
Is fette amiddis of these thre,
Hevin, and erthe, and eke the se,
As mofte confervatife of foun;
Than is this the conclufion

That every speche of every manne,
As I the tellin firfte beganne,
Ymovith up on height to pace
Kindèly unto Fam'is place.

Tellith me this nowe faithfully,
Have I not provid thus fimply,

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Withoutin any fubtilte
Offpeche, or grete prolixyte
Of termis of philosophie,

Of figuris of poetrie,

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Or colouris of rhetorike?

Perde it oughtin the to like,

For harde langage and harde matere
Is incombrous for the to here

At onis, wofte thou not wel this?
And I answerid and faid, Yes.

Ah ha! (quod he) lo! so I can
Leudlye unto a leudè man

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Yfpeke, and fhewin him foche skilles

That he maye shake 'hem by the bylles,

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So palpable they fhuldin be;

But tel me this nowe praye I the,

Howe thinketh the my conclufioun ?

Parde a gode perfuafioun

(Quod I) it is, and lyke to be,

Right fo as thou haste provid me.
By God (quod he) and as I leve
Thou fhalte have it or it be eve,
Of every worde of this fentence
A profe by thine experience,
And with thine eris herin wel
The toppe and taile, and every del,
That every worde that fpokin is
Comith into Fame's Houfe ywis

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As I have faide; what wilte thou more?

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And with this worde uppir to fore

He began, and faide, By fainte Jame
Nowe wyll we fpekin al of game.

Howe fareft thou now? quod he to me.
Right wel, (quod I.) Now fe (quod he)

By thy trouthè yondir adowne,

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And behelde feldis and plainis,
Nowe hyllis and nowe mountainis,
Nowe valeys and nowe foreftis,
And nowe unnethis grete beftis,
Nowe riveris nowe citeis,

Nowe townis and nowe grete treis,
Nowe shippis failinge in the fe;

But thus fone in a whilè he

Was flowin fro the grounde fo hye
That al the worlde, as to myne eye,
No more ysemid than a pricke,
Or ellis was the eyre so thicke
That I ne might it not difcerne;
With that he fpake to me fo yerné,
Volume XIII.

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