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

Nowe here nexst folowyng ys made a balade by Lydegate, sente by a poursyvant to þe Shirreves of London, acompanyed with þeire breþerne vpon Mayes daye at Busshopes wod, at an honurable dyner, eche of hem bringginge his dysshe.

1

Mighty Flourra, goddes of fresshe floures,
Whiche cloþed hast þe soyle in lousty grene,
Made buddes springe with hir swote showres
By influence of þe sonne so sheene;
To do plesaunce of entent ful clene
Vn-to þestates wheoche þat nowe sitte here,
Haþe Veere dovne sent hir owen doughter dere,

2

Making þe vertue þat dured in þe roote,
Called of clerkes þe vertue vegytable,
For to trascende, moste holsome and moste swoote,
In-to þe crope, þis saysoun so greable.
Þe bawmy lykour is so comendable
Þat it reioyþe with þe fresshe moysture
Man, beeste, and foole, and every creature

3

Whiche haþe repressed, swaged, and bore dovne
Þe grevous constreinte of þe frostes hoore;
And caused foolis, ffor ioye of þis saysoune,
To cheese þeire makes þane by natures loore,
With al gladnesse þeire courage to restore,
Sitting on bowes fresshly nowe to synge
Veere for to salue at hir home comynge;

4

Ful pleinly meninge in þeire ermonye
Wynter is goone, whiche did hem gret payne,

669

And with þeire swoote sugre melodye,
Thanking Nature þeire goddesse souereyne
Þat þey nowe have no mater to compleyne,
Hem for to proygne every morwenyng
With lousty gladnesse at Phebus vprysinge.

5

And to declare þe hye magnifysence
Howe Vere inbringeþe al felicytee,
Affter wynters mighty vyolence
Avoydinge stormys of al adversytee;
For sheo haþe brought al prosperitee
To alle þestates of þis regyoun
At hir comynge to-fore youre hye renoun:

6

To þe mighty prynces þe palme of þeire victorie;
And til knighthode nowe sheo doþe presente
Noblesse in armes, lawde, honnour, & glorie;
Pees to þe people in al hir best entente,
With grace and mercy fully to consente
Þat provydence of hye discressioun
Avoyde descorde and al devysyoun.

7

Wynter shal passe of hevynesse and trouble,
F[l]owres shal springe of perfite charite,
In hertes þere shal be no meninge double,
Buddes shal [blosme] of trouþe and vnytee,
Pleinly for to exyle duplicytee,
Lordes to regne in þeire noble puissance,
Þe people obeye with feythful obeyssaunce.

8

Of alle estates þere shal beo oone ymage,
And princes first shal ocupye þe hede,
And prudent iuges, to correcte outrages,
Shal trespassours const[r]eynen vnder drede,
Þat innosentes in þeire lowlyhede
As truwe comvnes may beo þeire socour,
Truwly contune in þeire faithful labour.

670

9

And by þe grace of Oure Lorde Ihesu
Þat Holly Chirche may have parseueraunce,
Beo faythfull founde in al [vertu],
Mayre, provost, shirreff, eche in his substaunce;
And aldremen, whiche haue þe governaunce
Over þe people by vertue may avayle,
Þat noone oppression beo done to þe pourayle.

10

Þus as þe people, of prudent pollycye,
Pryncis of þe right shal governe,
Þe Chirche preye, þe iuges iustefye,
And knighthode manly and prudently discerne,
Til light of trouþe so clerely þe lanterne:
Þat rightwysnesse thorughe þis regyoune
Represse þe derknesse of al extorcyoune.

11

Þeos be þe tyþinges, wheoche þat Weer haþe brought,
Troubles exylinge of wynters rude derknesse;
Wherfore reioye yowe in hert, wille, and thought,
Somer shal folowe to yowe off al gladnesse;
And siþen sheo is mynistre of lustynesse,
Let hir beo welcome to yowe at hir comyng,
Sith sheo to yowe haþe brought so glad tyþinge.

12

Þe noble princesse of moste magnifisence,
Qweene of al ioye, of gladde suffisaunce,
May is nowe comen to Youre Hye Excellence,
Presenting yowe prosperous plesaunce,
Of al welfare moste foulsome haboundance,
As sheo þat haþe vnder hir demayne
Of floures fresshe moste holsome and soueraine.

671

Lenvoye to alle þestates present.

13

Þis Princesse haþe, by favour of nature,
Repared ageine þat wynter haþe so fade,
And foolis loustely recvvre
Þeire lusty notes and þeire enemye glade,
And vnder braunches vnder plesant shade
Reioyssing þaire with many swote odoures,
And Zepherus with many fresshe [shoures].

14

Topyted fayre, with motleys whyte and rede,
Alle hilles, pleynes, and lusty bankes grene,
And made hir bawme to fleete in every mede,
And fury Tytane shewe oute heos tresses sheene,
And vppon busshes and hawthornes kene,
Þe nightingale with plesant ermonye
Colde wynter stormes nowe sheo doþe defye.

15

On Parnoso þe lusty muses nyene,
Citherra with hir sone nowe dwellis,
Þis sayson singe and þeire notes tuwyne
Of poetrye besyde þe cristal wellis;
Calyope þe dytes of hem tellis,
And Orpheus with heos stringes sharpe
Syngeþe a roundell with his temperd herpe.

16

Wher-fore to alle estates here present,
Þis plesant tyme moste of lustynesse,
May is nowe comen to fore yow of entent
To bringe yowe alle to ioye and fresshnesse,
Prosparitee, welfare, and al gladnesse,
And al þat may Youre Hyenesse qweeme and pleese,
In any parte or doone youre hertes eese.