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Measour is Treasour:
British Library Harley 2255 Verses

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f.144 recto
Folio 143 VersoFolio 144 RectoFolio 144 VersoFolio 145 RectoFolio 145 VersoFolio 146 RectoFolio 146 Verso

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Folio 144 Recto
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Myghty Emperours1 / noble wourthy kynges •
Pryncis / Dukys / Erlys and barounys •
Ther greete conquestys / ther surquedous rydynges •
But ther be mesure / in ther conducyounnys •
That attemperaunce conveys ther renownys •
Rekne vp the noblesse / of euery conquerour •
What a vaillith al ther pocessiounnys •
But ther ende conclude / in Iust mesure •
Kyng Alisaundre / that gat al myddyl erthe •
Affryk / Ayse / Ewrope / and eek ynde •
And slowh Porrus / with his dreedful swerde •
Þat in his conquest / mesure was sat be hynde •
ffor which ys lordys / lefft vp your eyen blynde •
The stoon of paradys / was ffyn of his labour •
In al his conquest / haue þe wel in mynde •
Was sett ferre bak / for lak of Iust mesure •
Knyghthood in Grece / and Troye the cite •
Took hys principlys / and next in Rome toun •
And in cartage / a famous greet cuntre •
Recoord of hanybal / and wourthy Scipioun •
The greete debaatys / and the devisioun2 •
Among these kyngdammys / by marcial labour •
Ffynal cause / of ther destruccioun •
Was fawte of vertu / and lakkyng of mesure •
Notes
  1. There is a slight pen mark crossing the first "p" here, hidden partially by the red underline. ↩
  2. The EETS edition has "divisioun" here, but it is clear the second glyph is an e. ↩

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