What cheere.

I Syr Thomas Malleorré, knyght-presoner, have purveyed me agayne of pauper, penne and inke, and I wol heere drawe in brief thistorye off my lif, knyghthode, off the bookis wryton by myn owyn honde of the MORTE DARTHUR and other talis of the knyghtis off the TABLE ROUNDE , and thereto my much empresonmente al upon severall and divers chargis. of which the mooste party be false. Natforthan have I ben shytte in severall prisounes fro whiche ful ofte I have ascapid for that I have hadde ovirmuch bysynesse elleswhere.

Therto I wol heere reherse the verray falsehede off the Duk of Buckingham who hath with grete bobbaunce wrought hys mal engynes in this lond to the hurte of many a bettir man than he. som men yn Engelonde wol say that thys duk of Bokhyngeham is ‘fatte’ and ‘ful off grece’; I know nat whethir hit be so, but I wold sey, that that selff dewke is an overthwartely opynne-mowthed duke that hath nat so muche pousté as he wol lette be noysed he hath. But as for that, let be: I wol sey more touchynge hym anone.

Thys ys my herborgage as at thys tyme:

And ye wol say: Hit ys presoun! Thanne wol I sey, Ye, hyt is. {Sayde I nat knyghte-presoner tofornehonde?} That ys hyghte Newegate in Londoun, whiche ys passyng stronge and thicke-wallyd. But be that as be may. hit may nat holde me ovirlong. but I wol sey, hyt ys a wel-purveyed preson, and i dwelle within myn owen chambir that is a warme chambir and a drye, and ys a gode enow. And y am grauntid therto thappurtenances longing unto knyghthode, and hyt is somdel gode herbowrage, yif that I myghte wythstonde the vermayne, which are terrabil wise-fyghtyng rattis! her ys a byg and boysteous one that I hyghte Werlow. (But as for that, wete you well, thys place is bettir thanne the presoun at Colchestre.) And I have had sum bookys delivird, and leyser to rede.

Pray for hym that this wrote,

that God delyver hym sone

Syr Thomas Malleorré knyght