The Minor Poems of John Lydgate edited from all available mss. with an attempt to establish The Lydgate Canon: By Henry Noble MacCracken |
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The Minor Poems of John Lydgate | ||
461
18. RYGHT AS A RAMMES HORNE.
A Resoun of the Rammes Horne.
1
Al Right-Wisnesse dothe now procede,Sitte crowned liche an Emperesse;
Lawe hathe diffied Guerdoun & Mede,
And sette vp Trowthe as a goddesse.
Good Feithe hathe outraied Dowblenesse,
And Prudence seeth al thynge a-forne,
Kepyng the ordre of Stablenesse
Conueyed by lyne—right as a rammes horne.
462
2
Princes of custome maynteyne right yn dede,And prelates lyuen alle yn holynesse,
Knyȝthode wille suffre no falshede,
And presthode hathe refused al richesse;
Religious, of verray parfitenesse,
With vertues ben on hight vp-borne;
Enuye yn cloisters hathe noon entresse:
There loue conueyed—right as a rames horne.
3
Marchauntes of lucre take noon hede,And Vsure lith fetred yn distresse;
And for to speke or write of womanhede,
Thei ban[i]shed han from hem Nowfangelnesse;
And laborers done ay ther besynesse
That of the daie they wille none owre be lorne,
With swotte & trauaile avoydyng Idilnesse:
Conueyed be lyne—right as a rammes horne.
4
Pore folke pleyne hem for no nede,—These riche men dothe so grete almesse!
Plente eke dothe the hungry fede,
Clothe the naked & his wrecchednesse;
463
Sclandre from his tunge hathe plucked owte þe thorn;
Detraccioun his langage dothe represse:
Conueyed be lyne—right as a rammes horn.
5
Ipocrisie chaunged hathe his wede,Take an habite of vertuous gladnesse;
Deceyte dare not abrode is whynges sprede,
Nor Dissymulynge owte his hornes dresse;
For Trowthe of kynde wille shewe his brightnesse
Withowte eclipsynge, thowgh Falsnesse had hit sworn;
And for to afferme this dite by processe,
Hit is conueied—right as a rammes horn.
6
Owte of this londe—& elles God forbede!—Owtlawed ben Feynynge & Falsenesse;
And Flatrie is fled, for verrai drede;
Riche and pore haue chose hem to Sadnesse;
Women lefte Pride, & take hem to Mekenesse,
Whos paciens is now wette and shorne,
Ther tonges haue non tarage of sharpnesse:
Conueied be lyne—right as a rammes horne.
7
So now remembre, & prudentli take hede,How Vertu is of Vices lady & maistresse;
464
Thurgh right beleue, the dede bereth witnesse;
Eretikes han loste here frowardenesse,
Wedid the cokle from the pure corne:
Thus eche astate is gouerned, yn sothenesse,
Conueied be lyne—right as a rammes horne!
The Minor Poems of John Lydgate | ||