 | A Mumming For The Goldsmiths of London |  |
And nowe filoweþe a lettre made in wyse of balade by
Ledegate Daun Iohan, of a mommynge, whiche þe goldesmythes of þe Cite of London mommed in
right fresshe and costele welych desguysing to þeyre Mayre Eestfeld, vpon Candelmasse day at
nyght, affter souper; brought and presented vn to þe Mayre by an heraude, cleped Fortune.
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1
Þat worþy Dauid, which þat sloughe Golye,Þe first kyng þat sprang oute of Iesse,
Of God echosen, þe bookes specefye,
By Samuel sette in his royal see,
With twelve trybus is comen to þis citee,
Brought royal gyfftes, kyngly him taquyte,
Þe noble Mayre to seen and to vysyte.
2
Þe first trybe, þe Byble cane well telle,Is called Iuda, þe hardy, strong lyoun.
Fro whos kynrede—for hit did excelle—
Cryst lyneally he came adowne,
Which lyche David was þe chaumpyoun
Þat sloughe þe tyraunt, to gete him-self a prysse,
Man to restore ageyne to Paradys.
3
Þis noble Dauid, moost mighty and moost goode,Is nowe descended in his estate royal
With alle þe trybus of Iacobus blood,
For to presenten in especial
Gyfftes þat beon boþe hevenly and moral,
Apperteyning vn-to good gouuernaunce,
Vn-to þe Mayre for to doo plesaunce.
4
Frome his cytee of IherusalemHe is come dovne of humble wille and thought;
Þe arke of God, bright as þe sonne beeme,
In-to þis tovne he haþe goodely brought,
Which designeþe, if hit be wel sought,
Grace and good eure and long prosperitee
Perpetuelly to byde in þis cytee.
5
O yee Levytes, whych bere þis lordes arke,Dooþe youre devoyre with hevenly armonye
Þe gret mysterye deuoutely for to marke,
With laude and prys þe Lord to magnefye;
Of oon acorde sheweþe your melodye,
700
Nowe to þe Mayre with hoole and truwe entent.
6
Whylome þis arke, abyding in þe housOf Ebdomadon, brought in ful gret ioye;
For in effect it was more gracyous
Þanne euer was Palladyone of Troye.
Hit did gret gladnesse and hit did accoye
Thinges contrarye and al aduersytee.
Þeffect þer-of, whane Dauid did see,
7
And fully knewe, howe God list for to blesseThorughe his vertu and his mighty grace,
Þat of gladdnesse þey might nothing mysse—
Wher hit aboode any maner spaace,
God of His might halowed so þe place—
Wherfore Kyng Dauid, by gret deuocion,
Maade of þis ark a feyre translacion
8
In-to his hous and his palays royal,Brought by þe Levytes with gret solempnytee;
And he him-self in especyal
Daunsed and sang of gret humylyte,
And ful deuoutely lefft his ryaltee,
With Ephod gyrt, lyche preestis of þe lawe,
To gyf ensaumple howe pryde shoulde be withdrawe
9
In yche estate, who list þe trouth serche,And to exclude al veyne ambycyoun,
Specyally fro mynistres of þe Chirche,
To whome hit longeþe by deuocyoun,
To serve God with hool deffeccyoun
And afforne him mynistre in clennesse,
Bensaumple of Dauid for al his worþynesse.
10
Nowe ryse vp, Lord, in-to Þy resting place,Aark of Þyne hooly halowed mansyoun,
701
Keepe and defende in þy proteccion
Þe Meyre, þe citeseyns, þe comunes of þis tovne,
Called in cronycles whylome Nuwe Troye,
Graunte hem plente, vertu, honnour and ioye.
11
And for þat meeknesse is a vertu feyre,Worþy Dauid, with kyngly excellence,
In goodely wyse haþe made his repayre,
O noble Mayre, vn-to youre presence,
And to youre hyeghnesse with freondly dilygence
Þis presande brought, oonly for þe best,
Perpetuelly þis tovne to sette at rest,
12
Of purpoos put þis aark to youre depoos,With good entent, to make youre hert light;
And þoo three thinges, which þer inne beo cloos,
Shal gif to yowe konnyng, grace and might,
For to gouuerne with wisdome, pees and right
Þis noble cytee, and lawes suche ordeyne,
Þat no man shal haue cause for to compleyne.
13
A wrytt with-inn shal vn-to you declareAnd in effect pleynly specefye,
Where yee shal punysshe and where as yee shal spare,
And howe þat Mercy shal Rygour modefye.
And youre estate al-so to magnefye,
Þis aark of God, to make you gracyous,
Shal stille abyde with you in youre hous.
14
For whyles it bydeþe stille in youre presence,Þe hyeghe Lord shal blesse booþe yowe and youres,
Of grace, of fortune sende yowe influence
And of vertue alle þe fresshe floures;
And of aduersytee voyde awey þe shoures,
Sette pees and rest, welfare and vnytee
Duryng youre tyme thoroughe-oute þis cytee.
| A Mumming For The Goldsmiths of London | |