 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
186. Measure is Best of All Things
In a semely someres tyde,
Als I gan walke in a wilde woude,
Vndre a bowe I sawe a-byde
A company of clerkes gude;
In a stody als þai stode
Þus þai gan mene in þaire spekynge:
‘In ilke manere of mans mode
Mesure is best of all thynge.’
Als I gan walke in a wilde woude,
Vndre a bowe I sawe a-byde
A company of clerkes gude;
In a stody als þai stode
Þus þai gan mene in þaire spekynge:
‘In ilke manere of mans mode
Mesure is best of all thynge.’
Crist þat all thynge has vndre cure,
Heuene & erthe and also helle—
All he made vndre mesure,
As holy writte wytnes welle.
Þu spare no pont of þaire spelle,
Bot leue wele in þis lernynge;
And take þis tale as I þe telle,
Þat mesure is best of all thynge.
Heuene & erthe and also helle—
All he made vndre mesure,
As holy writte wytnes welle.
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Bot leue wele in þis lernynge;
And take þis tale as I þe telle,
Þat mesure is best of all thynge.
To litill or to gret excesse,
Bothe arne wike and vicyous
And greue god bothe, as I gesse,
ffor bothe þe partise arne perillouse;
Þen were a mene full vertuouse
And proued prisse in prechynge,
And þer-fore, bothe in hille & house,
Mesure is best of all thynge.
Bothe arne wike and vicyous
And greue god bothe, as I gesse,
ffor bothe þe partise arne perillouse;
Þen were a mene full vertuouse
And proued prisse in prechynge,
And þer-fore, bothe in hille & house,
Mesure is best of all thynge.
God graunt þat his grace so grete
Be wele mesured till ilka man;
And to his grace he take hym mote,
With crafte to kepe hym as he kan.
Be wele mesured till ilka man;
And to his grace he take hym mote,
With crafte to kepe hym as he kan.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |