Kardinal og Konge

Dethe to the Cardynall

Ye ben a-basshed / hit semeth and yn drede
Sire Cardynal / hit sheweth be ȝowre chere
But yit for-thi / ȝe folow shul yn dede
With other folke / my daunce for to lere
Ȝowre grete a-rai / al shal be-leue here
Ȝowre hatte of rede / ȝowre vesture of grete coste
All these thinges / rekened well I-fere
In grete honowre / gode avise is loste.

The Cardynal answereth

I haue grete cause / certis this is no faile
To be a-basshed / and gretli drede me
Sithen dethe is come / me sodeynli to assaile
That I shal neuer / here after clothed be
In gris ner hermyn / like to my degre
Mi hatte of rede / leve eke yn distresse
Bi whiche I haue / [lerned] wel and se
How that al ioye / endeth yn heuynesse.

Dethe to the Kynge

O noble Kynge / moste worthi of renown
Come forth a-noon / for al ȝowre worthinesse
That somme-tyme had / a-bowte yow envroun
Grete [r]ialte / and passynge hye noblesse
But right a-noon / al ȝowre grete hyenesse
Sool fro ȝowre men / yn haste ȝe schul hit lete
Who most haboundeth / here yn grete richesse
Shal bere with him / but a sengle shete.

The Kynge answereth

I haue not lerned / here-a-forne to daunce
No daunce in sothe / of fotynge so sauage
Where-fore I see / be clere demonstraunce
What pride is worth / force or hye lynage
Deth al fordoth / this is his vsage
Grete and smale / that yn this worlde soiourne
Who is moste meke / I holde he is moste sage
For [w]e shalle al / to dede asshes turne.