Whose wol bothe wel rede and loke, He may fynde wryte yn olde boke Of grete lordys and eke ladyysse, That had mony chyldryn y-fere, y-wisse; And hade no rentys to fynde hem wyth, Nowther yn towne, ny felde, ny fryth: A cownsel togeder they cowthe hem take; To ordeyne for these chyldryn sake, How they myzth best lede here lyfe Withoute fret desese, care and stryge; And most for the multytude that was comynge Of here chyldryn after here zyndynge. [They] sende thenne after grete clerkys, To techyn hem thenne gode werkys; And pray we hem, for our Lordys sake, To oure chyldryn sum werke to make, That they myzth gete here lyvnge therby, Bothe wel and onestlyche, ful sycurly. Yn that tyme, throzgh good gemetry, Thys onest craft of good masonry Wes ordeynt and made yn thys manere, Y-cownterfetyd of thys clerkys y-fere; At these lordys prayers they cownter- fetyd gemetry, And zaf hyt the name of masonry, For the moste oneste craft of alle. These lordys chyldryn therto dede falle, To lurne of hym the craft of gemetry, The wheche he made ful curysly;