Thoughe Laureate Poetes In Olde Antyquyte Poem by Thomas Feylde

The Cotrauerse Bytwene A Louer And A Laye. The Prologue.
Thoughe laureate poetes in olde antyquyte
Fayned fables vnder clowdy sentence
yet some intytuled fruytefull moralyte
Some of loue wrote grete cyrcumstaunce
Some of cheuaulrous actes made remembraunce
Some as good phylosophres naturally endyted
Thus wysely and wyttely theyr tyme they spended.
Ouyde of loue made matters wonderfull
Good to be knowen for eschewynge more euyll
But Calunace and Tybull with style moche paynful
Tenderly wrote of loue dylectable
Gallus and Sappho ben nothynge profytable
For yonge folkes to rede of lusty courage
Lest they be taged in Uenus bondage
Cancer floure of rethoryke eloquence
Compyled bokes pleasaunt and meruayllous
After hym noble Gower experte in scyence
Wrote moralytyes herde and delycyous
But Lydgates workes are fruytefull & sentencyous
Who of his bokes hathe redde the fyne
He wyll hym call a famus rethorycyne
Yonge Steuen Hawse whose soule god pardon
Treated of loue so clerkely and well
To rede his werkes is myne affeccyon
Whiche he compyled for Labell pusell
Remembrynge storyes fruytefull and delectable
I lytell or nought experte in poetry
Of lamentable loue hathe made a dytty.