[from http://www.hancock.cc.ca.us/home/bisaac/truth.html, no longer on the net)

Truth
Balade de Bon Conseyl

Flee fro the prees, and dwelle with sothfastnesse,
suffyce unto thy good, though it be smal;
For hord hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse,
Prees hath envve, and wele blent overal;
Savour no more than thee bihove shal;
Reule wel thyself, that other folk canst rede;
And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse,
In trust of hir that turneth as a bal:
Gret reste stant in litel besinesse;
Be war also to sporne ayeyns an al;
Stryve not, as doth the crokke with the wal.
Daunte thyself, that dauntest otheres dede;
And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse;
The wrastling for this world axeth a fal.
Her is non hoom, her nis but wildernes:
Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy stal!
Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al;
Hold the heye wey, and lat thy gost thee lede;
And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

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fro: from

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prees: crowd

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sothfastnesse: truth

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suffyce: suffice; be able

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hord: hoard; store-house

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tikelnesse: instability

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wele: happiness; well-being

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blent: blind; deceive

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Savour: savor; smell

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bihove: profit; advantage

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Reule: rule

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rede: read; advise; counsel

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trouthe: truth

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drede: dread; fear; doubt

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Tempest thee: distress oneself

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noght: not; not at all; by no means

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croked: crooked

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redresse: amend; vindicate

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hir: her ( female personification of Fortune)

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stant: stand; take a position; abide by

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litel: little

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sporne; spurn; trample on

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ayeyns: against

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al: all

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crokke: crock; pot

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Daunte/dauntest: overcome; terrify

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buxumnesse: obediance; submissiveness

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wrastling: wrestle

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axeth: ask; seek; require

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fal: fall

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hoom: home

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beste: beast; animal

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contree: country; fatherland

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heye: higher

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lat: let; allow

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gost: spirit

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