“Strong be thy wallis that about the standis;
Wise be the people that within the dwellis;
Fresh is thy ryver with his lusty strandis;
Blith be thy chirches, wele sownyng be thy bellis;
Riche be thy merchauntis in substance that excellis
Fair be thy wives, right lovesom, white and small;
Clere be thy virgyns, lusty under kellis:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.”

— William Dunbar

"London, thou art of townes A per se", line 41.
John Stow's ascription of this poem to Dunbar, though unchallenged for centuries, is no longer accepted.
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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William Dunbar4

Poet and civil servant 1460–1520

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