George Ashby's Poems Edited from Two 15th Century MSS. at Cambridge by Mary Bateson |
 |
| I. |
A Prisoner's Reflections, A.D. 1463.
|
| II. |
| III. |
 | George Ashby's Poems |  |
A Prisoner's Reflections, A.D. 1463.
Prohemium vnius Prisonarii.
1
[A]t the ende of Somer, when wynter beganAnd trees, herbes and flowres dyd fade,
Blosteryng and blowyng the gret wyndes than
Threw doune the frutes with whyche they were lade,
Levyng theym sone bare / of that whyche they hade,
Afore myghelmas, that tyme of season,
I was commyttyd, geynst ryght and reason,
2
In to a pryson, whos name the Flete hight,By a gret commaundment of a lord,
To whom. I. must obey for hys gret myght,
Though .I. cannat therto sadly acord,
Yet .I. must hyt for a lesson record,
Thery'n abydyng without help singler,
Sauf of god and hys blessyd modyr ther.
3
But oth, or other declaracion,Coude at no season be herd ne takyn,
By no prayer ne exhortacion.
But of all pite and grace forsakyn,
Myne enemyes on me awakyn,
Takyng awey hors, money, and goodes,
Pullyng myne houses downe and gret wordes.
2
4
Because of my draught and my bryngyng vpI haue suffryd thys and other spoylyng,
Nat leuyng me worth a dyssh, neyther cup,
Of asmoche as myght come to theyr handlyng,
Puttyng on me many fals lesyng,
Whyche I must suffyr and bere on my ruge,
Tyll the trouth discussyd hath god or the iuge.
5
George Asshby ys my name, that ys greuedBy enprysonment a hoole yere and more,
Knowyng no meane there to be releued,
Whyche greveth myne hert heuyly and sore,
Takyng hyt for my chastysement and lore,
Besechyng god I may take my dysease
In dew pacience, our lord god to please.
6
Oon thyng among other greueth me soreThat myne old acqueintaunce disdeyned me
To vysyte, / though I haue doon to theym more
Kyndnes, / forgetyng me and let me be,
Ne yeuyng me comfort, ne wold me se,
Ne the werkes of mercy remembryng,
Ne my kyndnes to theym before shewyng.
7
The grettest peyne that .I. suffyr of allIs that .I. am put to vnpayable det,
Lykly to be therfore a wrechyd thrall,
For the enprisonment that .I. am in set,
Without goddes grace wol hyt souner let.
Wheropon to god .I. clepe, call and cry
To help me out of det or .I. dy.
8
What may I. do? to whom shall I compleynOr shew my trouble, or myne heuynes?
Beyng in pryson, wrongfully certeyn;
But with dylygence and gret besynes,
I beseche god of hys gret worthynes,
3
And of my wrong to haue humble suffraunce.
9
I gan remembre and revolue in myndeMy bryngyng vp from chyldhod hedyrto,
In the hyghest court that I coude fynd,
With the kyng, quene, and theyr vncle also,
The duk of Gloucetre, god hem rest do,
With whome .I. haue be cherysshyd ryght well,
In all that was to me nedefull euery dell.
10
Wrytyng to theyr sygnet full fourty yere,Aswell beyond the see as on thys syde,
Doyng my seruyce aswell there as here,
Nat sparyng for to go ne for to ryde,
Hauyng pen and Inke euyr at my syde,
Redy to acomplysshe theyre commandment,
As truly as .I. coude to theyr entent.
11
And in theyr seruyce I spendyd all my youth,And now in pryson throwen in myn age,
Hauyng of me no pyte ne routh,
Reuylyng me with vnfyttyng langage,
As thaugh I were neyther wytty ne sage,
Whiche greuyd me sore and was gretly sad,
To be in pouert and of goodes bad,
12
That before was well in goodes and rest,And no man was ayenst me dysplesyd,
And all my dayes was among the best.
And so no creature me dyseasyd,
But at all tymes with me were pleasyd,
Thaugh fortune lyft make me ryght sory
Shewyng that thys welth ys transytory.
13
Gef I had in youth suffred any payne,By lake of goodes or takyng hardnes,
4
And take my fall the better in swetnes.
God for hys hyghe grace and gret worthynes
Counseyll me in my trobyll for the best,
That I may leue hens in quyet and rest.
14
Now me-thynketh well, yef I had ben euyrIn prosperyte and in worldly ioy,
And theryn to haue abydyn leuyr
Then to haue tastyd of thys peynfull noy,
I cast me nat to be neyther styll ne coy,
But say as me-thynketh, in verray soth.
To haue chaungyd my lyf I had be loth.
15
And my wrechydnes nat to know euyn,So well as by goddes grace I shall
And the best lyfe take & the wors leuyn,
In consyderall that I am mortall,
And so to obey hym that ys eternall,
And to chaung my lyf to god greable,
Both in pacyence and in feyth stable.
16
Knowyng in serteyn that my punysshyngIs other-whyle for my soule profytable,
For a feth in goddes vengeance ceasyng,
Vnto goddes plesure ryght acceptable,
By meke pecyence to vertu able,
Therfore punysshment ys other-whyle good,
Aswell to low degre as to hygh blode.
17
I thynke to wryte of trouble rehersall,How hyt may be takyn in pacyence,
Procedyng theryn for myn acquytall,
Though I haue no termes of eloquence,
With that I may conclude perfyte sentence;
5
Euery man to be lernyd on thys wyse.
Ad sustinendum pacienciam in aduersis.
18
O thow creature of nature ryght noght!Remembre thy sylf, thy lyfe, thy demert,
Yef thow to pryson or trouble be broght,
Haply by gret wrong and nat of desert,
Suffryng iniury and ryght peynfull smert,
Kepe pacience and wyte hyt thyne offence,
Nat for that sylf thyng but of iust sentence.
19
Or perauenture thow mayst ryght-fullyCome to trouble or tribulacion.
Yet I counseyll the, suffyr hyt wylfully,
Without fenyng or simulacion,
Nat the exaltyng by elacion.
And thus pacience may the woll preserue
From gostly sorow, yef thow thys obserue.
20
And so, by process of suffraunce long,Thow mayst atteyne to verrey knowlege
Of thy demeryt, and vengeance prolong
By thy lamentyng and prayer mekeleche.
And so at last comfort haue trewleche
Aswell here as hense, by goddes hyghe grace,
And perauenture with-in lytyll space.
21
And as precyous gold ys thorough purydBy foull metall led, and claryfyed,
Ryght so ys the sowle by trowbyll curyd,
And by humble profe, hygh gloryfyed,
As in the scrypture ys specyfyed.
So for soules helth hyt ys a gret grace,
To haue here trouble rather then solace.
6
22
What ys trouble or trybulacyon,Vexed wrongfully, or worldly disease,
Lyuyng here without consolacion,
But callyng of god hymself for to please?
Wherfore hyt ys best, for thy soules ease.
Rather of trouble be mery and glad,
Than therof be grogyng, heuy & sad.
23
Who may haue more heuynes & sorowThen to be welthy and aftyr nedeful?
Furst to be ryche, aftyr, redy to borow?
Furst prosperous and aftyr carefull?
Who ys more comfortable and ioyfull?
Then take the world in pacyence and worth,
Suffryng hit to come and goo playnly forth.
24
Set the neuyr thy full wyll hereIn worldly ioy and in felycyte.
For all dayes thow mayst both see and here,
In all thy lyfe there ys contraryte;
Yef thow be ryche thow hast aduersyte,
Yef thow haue a feyre wyfe and gret plente,
Moche sorow peraventur ys sent the.
25
Yef thow tak a wyfe to thy freelte,Ryght thoutfull thow art, carfull and pensyf;
Yef thow lyue aftyr censualyte,
That ys acursyd and vnthryfty lyf;
Yef thow be weddyd, without any stryf,
Thow lakkest chyldren, to be thyne heyres,
Lesyng thy name in market and feyres.
26
Yef thow haue chyldren ryght plenteuously,Haply suche may be theyr gouernaunce
That they woll dysplese ryght greuously;
Yef thow be set in holy obseruaunce,
7
Yef thow be set in temporalyte,
Thy lust ys in spyrytualyte.
27
Yef thow be well, haply thow lackest good,Yef thow haue good, thow suffrest gret sekenes.
Thus welth ebbeth and floweth as the flood,
Neuer welthy, but som maner dystres,
Neuyr so mery but som heuynes.
Oone thyng lakkyng aftyr thyne apetyte,
Nat all thynges beyng in pleasaunt plite.
28
Yef thow be forth at large out of pryson,Thow mayst haue sorow ynowgh and gret wrong.
Yef thow be ryght welthy for the seson,
Many pluckers-at thow mayst haue and strong.
Prosperyte here shall neuer endure long.
So euyr, whyle thow art on erth lyuyng,
Som maner thyng lakketh to thy plesyng.
29
Wenest thow to haue here perfeccionOf worldly ioy, comfort and delyces?
Nay bettyr ys sharp persecucion
For thy synnes, offenses and vyces,
Kepyng pacience without malyces,
Puttyng thy wyll to goddes volunte,
So thy spyryt may best in quyet be.
30
Thynke that thy lyfe here ys but pilgremageTowardes the hygh place celestiall.
Wherfore, for any trouble or damage,
Preve nat thysylf lewde and eke bestiall,
Seyth thou may be in heuyn menyall
Seruaunt thorough thy tryumphall victory
By mekenes and werkes merytory.
8
31
Thow canst nat be so pryve ne secretBut god ys there present and knoweth all thyng,
Therfore be euyr wytty and dyscret,
Nat for to do ne say hym dysplesyng,
But as thow woldest before hym beyng,
So by mekenes take all thyng for the best,
What that god sendeth, trouble or vnrest.
32
Thynke that worldes welth and felycyteYs nat euermore in oone abydyng,
But transitory ys prosperyte,
And no certeynte whyle thow art lyuyng.
But euyr as a whele, turnyng and meuyng,
Knowyng for certayn that thow art mortall,
And neuer in thys world verray rest haue shall.
33
Wytnes of oure lord, allmyghty Ihesu,Suffryng Reproves and vexacion,
Thowgh he were clennest in lyf and vertu,
Yet no man suffred suche trybulacion.
And all was for our alther saluacion.
Yeuyng vs example for to take trouble
In worth, syth he hath suffred the double.
34
What suffred Mary the quene of heuyn?Most pure, most clennyst, without any syn,
Claryfyed from the synnys seuyn,
Ever to plese Ihesu she wold nat blyn.
How be hyt that feare and tene she was in,
Mornyng, sorowyng, euyr in drede,
To opteyne the loue of Ihesu and hyr mede.
35
What sey ye of seynt Iohn the Euaungelist?Of many martyrs and eke confessours,
Of holy vyrgyns, and seynt Iohn Baptist?
That here in thys lyfe suffred many shours,
9
Refusyng all worldly ioy and plesaunce,
And all trowble for god take in sufferaunce.
36
Of Iob to suffyr take thow example,Whyche pacyently suffred hys gret smert,
Who had in thys world of losse more ample?
Yet for goddes sake he plesyd in hert
With hys trowbelous hurt / put out in desert
As fowle, vyle, abhomynable and wreche,
Takyng hyt in gre and therof nold reche.
37
And so to procede in the pacienceOf seyntes, and make therof rehersall
That suffred trowbyll with out resystence,
They be infynyte to be wretyn all.
Hyt suffyseth to touche the principall,
To thy lernyng and informacion
To be of pacyent condicion.
38
Right so kyng, Quene, Duke, Prynce and Emperoures,Erle, Baron, lord, knyght, and many squyers,
Bysshop, Abbot, Pryour and conquerours,
And many gret estates and Rewlours,
Clerkes, marchauntes and eke counseylours
Haue be put in trouble and gret greuaunce
For theyr soules helth by humble sufferaunce.
39
Was there euyr lord so gret and so sure,Or any gret Clerk lernyd in the law,
That may not fall in the snare and in the lure
Of trouble, maugre hys hed and his maw?
Wherfore hyt may be a lawdabyll saw,
Euery man worshyp god in hys season
Accordyng to hys law / trouth and reason.
10
40
Euery man may take example and hedeBy suche men of good disposicion,
And by lernyd men that can teche and rede
To conforme hym to lyk affeccion,
To haue of pacience perfection,
To take trouble in worth and in gre,
As other men haue do in liberte.
41
In conclusion of the verrey trouth,Euery man other fauour and socour,
And of hys trouble haue pyte and routh,
And the blessyd men helpe and eke honoure,
Doyng your dylygence and peynfull laboure,
The virtuous pepyll for to cherysshe,
Suffryng the wykkyd Rather to perysshe.
42
That all pacience, Riches and scienceCome oonly of god and noon other,
Hyt may be prouyd by experience.
As oone ryche, another pore; hys brother,
The ryche, slepeth, the pore laboreth vnder.
So that Ryches commeth nat by labour
Oonly / but to hym that god lyst shew fauour.
43
And syth all thynges come of IhesuAnd nothyng without hym may avayle,
I beseche hym so full of vertu
To guyde me, Rule me / and counsayle,
That by pacience .I. may wyn batayle
Of my troubles, and haue the vyctory,
Thorough my symple werkes merytory.
44
And with humylyte and soburnes,With feruent loue and feythfull reuerence,
I beseche the, god, of thy worthynes,
Yeue me grace, comfort and assistence,
Good wyll, good werkes, good thought and eloquence,
11
That I may dwell in heuyn at myn ease. Amen.
Lenuoy.
45
Goo forth, lytyll boke, mekely, without rous,To folk troubelyd and vexed greuously,
Steryng theym by thy counseil vertuous
To kepe pacience thereyn ioyously,
Redyng thys tretyse forth ceryously,
By the whyche they shall fynde grace as .I suppose,
To comfortable entent and purpose;
46
Besechyng all folk, though I am no Clerk,For to vndyrstand that I nat presume
To take opon me labour of thys werk
For worldly glory and thank to assume,
But vertu to encrese and lewdnes consume,
And namely to take trowble in suffraunce
Paciently to deseruyd penaunce.
47
Also vndyr protestacionThat I wyll nat kepe presumptuosly
Any errour or feynyd opinion,
But me to theym conforme graciously,
That of hygh connyng haue plenteuously,
Besechyng theym my defaut to correct,
Yef any be, and nat to me hyt to arect,
48
But my dylygence and good wyll to acceptIn to theyre fauour, support and goodnesse,
And in no maner me therof except,
Though .I. haue offendyd in my lewdnesse,
Vnaduised and nat of wylfulnesse,
Kepyng euermore vertuous entent
With discrecion that god hath me sent.
49
Wretyn in pryson, in oure lordes date,A thowsand foure hundryd syxty and thre,
12
Besechyng the, our lord god in trynyte,
To take my makyng in plesure and gre,
And therto hau mannys benyuolence,
To thyne owne preysyng, laude and reuerence. Amen.
Explicit.
50
Pryson properly ys a sepultureOf lyuyng men, with strong lokkes thereon,
Fortyfyed without any Rupture,
Of synners a gret castigacion,
Of feythfull frendes a probacion,
Of fre liberte a sharp abstinence,
Lackyng volunte for theyr dew penaunce.
| George Ashby's Poems | |