Shorter Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer, Walter William Skeat
Chaucer’s Words unto Adam, His Own Scrivener
Adam scriveyn, if ever it thee bifalle Boece or Troilus to wryten newe, Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle, But after my making thou wryte trewe. So ofte a daye I mot thy werk renewe, Hit to correcte and eek to rubbe and scrape; And al is through thy negligence and rape.