The Minor Poems of John Lydgate :: :: University of Virginia Library

Problemys, liknessis & ffigures
Which previd been fructuous of sentence,
And han auctoritees groundid on scriptures
Bi resemblaunces of notable apparence,
With moralites concludyng in prudence,—
Lik as the Bible reherseth bi writyng,
How trees somtyme ches hem-silf a kyng;

2

First in ther chois they namyd the Olive
To regne among hem, Iudicum doth expresse,
But he hym-silf gan excusen blyve,
He myht nat forsakyn his fatnesse;
Nor the Figge-tre hir amerous swetnesse;

469

Nor the Vyne hir holsom fresh tarages,
Which yeuyth comfort to al maner ages.

3

And semblably poetes laureate,
Bi dirk parables ful convenyent,
Feyne that briddis & bestis of estat—
As roial eglis & leones—bi assent
Sent out writtis to hold a parlement,
And maade decrees breffly for to sey,
Som to haue lordship, & som to obey.

4

Eglis in the ayer hihest to take ther fliht,
Power of leones on the grounde is seene,
Ceedre of trees hihest is of sight,
And the Laurel of natur is ay grene,
Of floures all Flora, goddes & queene;
Thus of al thyng ther been dyuersites,
Some of estat, & som of lowe degrees.

5

Poetes write wondirful liknessis,
And vndir covert kepte hem silf ful cloos;
Bestis thei take, & fowlis, to witnessis,
Of whoos feynyng fables first arroos;—
And heere I cast vnto my purpoos
Out of Frenssh a tale to translate,
Which in a paunflet I radde & sauh but late.

470

6

This tale, which I make of mencioun,
In groos rehersid, pleynly to declare,
Thre proverbis paied for raunsoun
Of a fair bird that was take in a snare,
Wondir desirous to scape out of hir care:—
Of myn auctour folwyng the processe,
So as it fill, in ordre I shal expresse.

7

Whilom ther was [in] a smal village,—
As my auctour makith rehersail—
A cherl which had[de] lust & gret corage
Withyne hymsilf, bi diligent travaile,
Tarray his gardeyn with notable apparaile,
Off lenghte & brede ilich[e] square & longe,
Hedgid & dichid to make it sewr & strong.

8

Al thaleys were made pleyn with sond,
The benchis turved with newe turvis grene,
Sote herbis with condittes at the hond,
That wellid vp ageyn the sonne shene,
Lich siluer stremys, as any cristal cleene,
The burbly wawis in ther vp boylyng
Round as berel, ther bemys out shewyng.

471

9

Mid the gardeyn stood a fressh laurer,
Theron a brid syngyng, bothe day & nyht,
With sonnyssh fetheris brihter than gold wer,
Which with hir song makith heuy hertis liht,
That to bihold it was an heuenly siht
How toward evyn & in the daw[e]nyng,
She did hir peyn most amorously to syng.

10

Esperus afforcid hir corage,
Toward euyn, whan Phebus gan to weste,
Among the branchis for hir avauntage,
To syng hir complyn & than gon to reste,
And at the risyng of the Queene Alceste
To syng ageyn, as it was to hir dewe,
Erly on morwe the day-sterre to salewe.

11

It was a verray heuenly melodie
Euen & morwe to here the briddis song,
And the soote sewgred armonye
Of vncouth warblis & tewnes drawe along,
That al the gardeyn of the noise rong,
Til on a morwe, that Titan shon ful cleere,
The brid was trappid & cauht in a panteere.

12

The cherl was glad that he this brid hath take,
Mery of cheer, of look, and of visage,
And in al hast he cast[e] for to make

472

Withyn his hous a praty litel cage
And with hir song to reioissh his corage;
Tyl atte last the cely bryd a-brayde,
And sobirly to the cherl [s]he saide:—

13

“I am now take & stonde vndir daungeer,
Hold[e] streite, & I may nat flee;
Adieu my song & al my notis cleer
Now that I haue lost my liberte,
Now am I thral, and somtyme I was fre,
And trust weel now I stonde in distresse,
I can-nat syng, nor make no gladnesse.

14

“And thouh my cage forged were of gold,
And the pynaclis of berel & cristall,
I remembre a prouerbe seid of old,
‘Who lesith his fredam, in soth, he lesith all;
For I haue leuer vpon a braunche small
Meryly to syng among the woodis grene,
Than in a cage of siluer briht and shene.

15

“Song & prisoun haue noon accordaunce,
Trowistow I wole syngen in prisoun?
Song procedith of ioie & plesaunce,
And prisoun causith deth & destruccioun;
Ryngyng of ffeteris makith no mery soun;
Or how shold he be glad or iocounde,
Ageyn his wil that lith in cheynes bounde?

473

16

“What vaileth it a leon to be a kyng
Off bestis all, shet in a tour of ston?
Or an egle vndir streite kepyng,
Callid also kyng of ffoules euerychon?
Fy on lordship whan liberte is gon!
Answer heer-to, & late it nat asterte,
Who syngith mery, that syngith nat of herte?

17

“But if thou wilt reioissh my syngyng,
Late me go flee free fro [al] daungeer,
And euery day in the morwenyng
I shal repair vn-to thi laurer
And fresshly syng with lusty notis cleer
Vndir thi chaumbir or aforn thyn halle,
Euery sesoun whan thou list me calle.

18

“To be shet vp & pynned vndir drede
Nothyng accordith vn-to my nature;
Thouh I were fed with mylk & wastelbred,
And swete cruddis brouht to my pasture,
Yit hadde I leuer do my besy cure
Erly on morwe to shrape[n] in the vale
To fynde my dyner among the wormes smale.

19

“The labourer is gladder at his plow,
Erly on morwe to feede hym on bacoun,
Than som man is, that hath tresour inow

474

Of all deyntes, plente & foisoun,
And hath no fredam, with his pocessioun,
To gon at large, but as a bere at stake,
To passe his boundis, but if he leve take.

20

“Take this answeer for a ful conclusioun,
To syng in prisoun thou shalt me neuer constreyn,
Tyl I have fredam in woodis vp and doun,
To flee at large on bouhis rouh & pleyn;
And of resoun thou shuldist nat disdeyn
Of my desir, but lawhen & haue game,
But who is a cherl wold eche man were the same.”

21

“Weel,” quod the cherl, “sith it wole nat be
That I desir, as be thi talkyng,
Maugre thi wil thou shalt chese oon of three,
Withyn a cage myryly to syng,
Or to the kechen I shal thi body bryng,
Pulle thi ffetherys that be so briht & cleere,
And aftir roste, or bake to my dyneer.”

22

Than quod the brid:—“To resoun sei nat I nay,
Touchyng my song a ful resoun thu hast,
And whan my fetheris pullid ben away
Yiff I be rostid othir bake in past,
Thou shalt of me haue a ful small repast;
But yiff thou wilt werkyn bi my counsail,
Thou maist bi me han passyng gret avail.

475

23

“Yiff thou wilt on-to my rede assent,
And sofre me gon frely fro prisoun
Without raunsom or any othir rent,
I shal the yeve a notable gret gwerdoun,
Thre greete wisdames, accordyng to resoun,
More of availe, take heed what I do profre,
Than al the gold that is shett in thi coofre.

24

“Trust me weel I shal the nat disseive,
Whoo that shal teche, of resoun he shal go fre.”
“Weel,” quod the cherl, “telle on, anoon lat see.”
“Nay,” quod the brid, “thou shalt anon conceyve,
It sitt a mayster to have his liberte,
And at large to have his lessoun,
Have me nat suspectt, I meene no tresoun.”

25

“Weel,” quod the cherl, “I hold me weel content,
I trust the promys which thou hast made to me.”
The brid fley forth, the cherl was at assent,
And took hir fliht vp to the lawrer tre.
Than thouht she thus:—“Now that I stond[e] free,
With snarys, panteris, I cast nat al my live,
Nor with no lymetwigges any more to stryve.

476

26

“He is a fool, that skapid is daunger,
Hath brooke his ffeteris, & fled is from prisoun,
For to resort; for brent child dredith fyer;
Eche man bewar, of wisdam & resoun,
Of sugre strowid, that hidith fals poisoun;
Ther is no venym so perlious of sharppnesse,
As whan it hath of triacle a liknesse.

27

“Whoo dredith no perel, in perel he shal falle;
Smothe watres beth oft-sithis deepe;
The quaile-pipe can most falsly calle,
Til the quaile vndir the nett doth creepe;
A blereyde fowler trust nat, thouh he weepe,
Eschew his thombe, of wepyng take non heed,
That smale briddis can nype bi the hed.

28

“And now that I sich daungers am askapid,
I wole bewar, & a-forn provide,
That of no fowler I wole no more be iapid,
From ther lyme-twiggis I wol fleen ferr a-side,
Wher perel is, gret perel is tabide;—
Com nere thou cherl, take heed [vn-]to my speche,
Of thre wisdamys that I wole the teche.

29

“Yiff nat of wisdam to hasty credence
To euery tale, nor to eche tidyng,
But considre of reson & prudence

477

Mong many talis is many grett lesyng;
Hasty credence hath causid gret hyndryng,
[Report of talis, & tydynges brought vp new
Makith many a man to be hold vntrewe.]

30

“For oo party take this for my raunsoun;
Lerne the secounde, groundid on Scriptur:
Desir thou nat bi no condicioun
Thyng that is inpossible to recur;
Wordly desires stond al in aventure,
And whoo disireth to clymbe to hih a-loftt,
Bi sodeyn torn, felith often his fal vnsoftt.

31

“The thridde is this, bewar, bothe eue & morwe,
Forgete it nat, but lerne this of me:
For tresour lost make nevir to grett sorwe,
Which in no wise may recured be;
For who takith sorwe for losse in that degre,
Rekne first his losse, & aftir rekne his peyne,
Off oo sorwe, he makith sorwis tweyne.”

32

Aftir this lessoun the brid began a song,
Off hir escape gretly reioisshi[n]g,
And she, remembring also of the wrong

478

Don bi the cherl, first, at hir takyng,
Off hir affray & of hir prisonyng,
Glad that she was at large & out of dreede,
Said on-to hym, houyng above his hede:—

33

“Thou were,” quod she, “a verry natural foole,
To sofre me departe of thi lewdnesse,
Thou aughtist of riht to pleyn & makyn deole,
And in [thyn] hert[e] han grett hevynesse
That thou hast lost so passyng gret richesse,
Which myht suffise bi valew in rekeny[n]g
To pay the raunsom of a myhty kyng.

34

“Ther is a ston which callid is iagounce,
Off old engendrid withynne my entrayle,
Which of fyne gold peiseth a gret vnce,
Citryne of colour, lik garnetes of entaile,
Which makith men victorious in bataile,
And who-so-euer bere on hym this stoon
Is ful assured of his mortal foon.

35

“Who hath this stoon in poscessioun,
Shal sofre no povert, nor non indigence,
But of all tresour haue plente & foisoun,
And euery man shal doon hym reverence,
And noon enmye shal hym doon offence;
But from thyn handis now that I am goon,
Pleyn if þou wilt, for thi part is noon.

479

36

“It causith love, it makith men gracious
And favorabil in euery mannys siht,
It makith accord attween folk envious,
Comfortith sorweful, makyth hevy hertis liht,
Lik thopasion of colour sonnyssh bright;—
I am a fool to telle þe al attonys,
Or teche a cherl the prys of precious stonys.

37

“Men shuld nat put a precious margarite
As rubies, saphires or othir stonys ynde,
Emeroudes, nor othir perlis whihte
To fore rude swyn, that love draff of kynde;
For a sowe delitith, as I fynde,
Moore in fowle draff hir pyggis for to glade,
Than in all the perre, that cometh of Garnade.

38

“Ech þing drawith vn-to his semblable:
Fissh in the see, bestis on the stronde,
The eyr for fowlis of natur is covenable,
To a plowman for [to] tyle his londe,
And to a cherl, a mookfork in his honde;
I lese my tyme any moor to tarye,
[To telle a bovir of the lapidarye].

480

39

“That thou haddist, thou getist no more ageyn,
Thy lyme twyggis & panteeris I defye.
To lete me gon thou were fowle ovir-seyn,
To leese thi richesse only for folie;
I am now free, to syngen & to flie
Wher that me list, & he is a fool at all
That goth at large, & makith hym-silf thrall.

40

“To heeryn a wisdam thyn eris ben half deeff,
Lik an asse that listeth on a harpe,
Thou maist go pypen in a ivy leeff;
Bett is to me to syngyn on thornes sharpe,
Than in a cage, with a cherl to karpe,
For it was seyd of ffolkis yoore a-goon,
A cherlis cherl ful oft is woo-bigoon!”

41

The cherl felt his hert[e] parte on tweyn,
For verry sorwe, and a-sondry rive.
“Allas,” quod he, “I may weel weepe & pleyn
As a wretche nevir lik to thryve,
But for tendewr in povert al my live,
For of foly & of wilfulnesse
I have now lost al holly my richesse.

42

“I was a lord, I crie, ‘Out on fortune!’
Hadde gret tresour late in my kepyng,
Which myht haue made me long to contune

481

With thilk[e] ston to have lived lik a kyng,
Yif that I hadde sett it in a ryng,
Born it on me, I hadde had good i-nowh,
I shold no more haue goon on-to the plowh!”

43

Whan the brid sauh the cherl thus moorne,
And how that he was hevy of his cheere,
She took hir fliht, and gan ageyn retoorne,
Towardis hym, & seide as ye shal here:—
“O dulle cherl! wisdames for to leere
That I the tauht, al is left bi-hynde,
Racid awey, and cleene out of thi mynde.

44

“Tauht I the nat this wisdam in sentence:
To every tale brouht to the of newe,
Nat hastily yeue ther-to credence,
Into tyme thou knowe that it were trewe?
All is nat gold that shewith goldissh hewe,
Nor stoonys all bi natur, as I fynde,
Be nat saphires that shewe colour ynde.

45

“In this doctryne I lost my labour,
To teche the sich proverbis of substaunce.
Now maist thou seen thi blynded lewde errour;
For al my body, peised in balaunce,
Weieth nat an vnce, rewde is thi remembraunce,
I to have moore peise closyd in myn entraile,
Than al my body set for the countirtaile.

482

46

“Al my body weieth nat an vnce,
How myht I than have in me a stoon,
That peisith more than doth a grett iagounce?
Thi brayn is dul, thi witt is al-most goon,
Off thre wisdamys thou hast forgeten on,
Thou shuldist nat, aftir my sentence,
To euery tale yeue to hasty credence.

47

“I bad al-so, bewar bothe day & morwe,
For thyng lost of sodeyn aventur,
Thou sholdist nat make to mych sorwe,
Whan thou seest thou maist it nat recur;
Heer thou failist, which doost thi besi cur
In thi snare to catche me ageyn,
Thou art a fool, thi labour is in veyn.

48

“In the thridde also thou dost rave,
I bad thou sholdist in no maner wyse,
Coueite thyng which thou maist nat have,
In which thou hast forgeten myn emprise,
That I may seyn, pleynly to devise,
Thou hast of madnesse forgeten all thre
Notable wisdamys, which I tauht[e] the.

49

“It were but foly with the for to carpe,
Or to preche of wisdamys more or lasse,
I hold hym mad that bryngith foorth an harpe,

483

Ther-on to teche a rude, for-dullid asse;
And mad is he that syngith a fool a masse;
And he most mad that dooth his besynesse
To teche a cherl termys of gentilnesse.

50

“And semblably in Aprill and in May,
Whan gentil briddis make most melodie,
The cookkow syngen can but o lay,
In othir tymes she hath no fantasye;
Thus euery thyng, as clerkes specifie,
Frute on trees, & folk of euery age,
Fro whens thei cam, [thei taken] a tarage.

51

“The vynteneer tretith of his holsom wynes,
Off gentil frute bostith the gardeneer,
The ffissher cast his hookis & his lynes,
To catche ffissh in euery fresh ryveer,
Of tilthe of lond tretith the boveer,
The cherl deliteth to speke of ribaudye,
The hunter to speek of venerye.

52

“All oon to the a ffaucoun & a kyte,
As good an oule as a popyngay,
A donghyl doke, as deynte as a snyte;

484

Whoo serveth a cherl hath many a carful day.
Adieu, Sir Cherl, farwell, I flye my way ;
I cast me nevir hensforth, my lyvyng,
Aforn a cherl anymore to syng!”

Verba auctoris.

Ye folk that shal this fable seen & rede,
New forgid talis counceilith yow to flee,
For losse of good takith no gret heede,
Beeth nat to sorwefful for noon aduersite,
Coveitith no-thyng that may nat bee,
And remembrith, wheer that euer ye gon,
A cherlis cherl is alwey woo-begon.

Lenvoie.

54

Vn-to purpoos this proverbe is ful riff,
Rad & reportid bi oold remembraunce:
A childis brid. and a knaves wyff
Have oft[e] sithe gret sorwe & myschaunce.
Whoo hath freedam, hath al suffisaunce,
Better is freedam with litel in gladnesse,
Than to be thral in al wordly richesse.

55

Go, litel quaier, & recomaunde me
Vn-to my maistir with humble affeccioun;

485

Beseche hym lowly, of mercy & pite,
Of thi rude makyng to have compassioun;
And as touchyng thi translacioun
Out of the Frenssh, how-euyr the Englysh be,
All thyng is seide vndir correccioun
With supportacioun of your benyngnyte.
Explicit Fabula de Ave & Rustico.