 | Speculum Gy de Warewyke |  |
Herkneþ alle to my speche,
And hele of soule i may ou teche.
Þat i wole speke, it is no fable,
Ac hit is swiþe profitable.
Man, if þu wolt heuene winne,
Þurw loue to god þu most biginne.
Þus shal ben þi biginning:
Þu loue god ouer alle þing
And hele of soule i may ou teche.
Þat i wole speke, it is no fable,
Ac hit is swiþe profitable.
Man, if þu wolt heuene winne,
Þurw loue to god þu most biginne.
Þus shal ben þi biginning:
Þu loue god ouer alle þing
And þin emcristene loue also,
Riht as þi-self[e] þu most do.
If þu wolt þus biginne and ende,
Þu miht be seker to heuene wende;
Ac, if þu louest more worldes god
Þan god him-self[e] in þi mod,
Þu shalt hit finde an yuel plawe:
To deþ of soule it wole þe drawe,
Riht as þi-self[e] þu most do.
If þu wolt þus biginne and ende,
Þu miht be seker to heuene wende;
Ac, if þu louest more worldes god
Þan god him-self[e] in þi mod,
Þu shalt hit finde an yuel plawe:
To deþ of soule it wole þe drawe,
For, whan þe world þe haþ ikauht
In his paunter þurw his drauht,
Al at his wille he wole þe lede.
Ne shaltu spare for no drede,
Ne for loue to god, ne for his eiȝe,
To gon out of þe rihte weye;
In his paunter þurw his drauht,
4
Ne shaltu spare for no drede,
Ne for loue to god, ne for his eiȝe,
To gon out of þe rihte weye;
For swiche [þer] beþ, þat loueþ more
Þe world and his foule lore,
Þan þeih don god, þat hem wrouhte
And on þe rode [hem] dere bouhte.
Her-of i wole a while dwelle,
Þe world and his foule lore,
Þan þeih don god, þat hem wrouhte
And on þe rode [hem] dere bouhte.
And a tale i wole ȝou telle
Off an eorl of gode fame—
Gy of Warwyk was his name—
Hou on a time he stod in þouht:
Þe worldes blisse him þouhte noht.
Þe world anon he þer forsok
And to Iesu Crist him tok,
And louede god and his lore
And in his seruise was euere more.
A god man þer was in þilke dawe,
Þat liuede al in godes lawe;
Alquin was his rihte name,
And man he was of gode fame;
Dekne he was, and þe ordre he hadde;
In holinesse his lyf he ladde;
Wit of clergie he hadde inouh,
Þerfore to godnesse euere he drouh.
Off him þe eorl was wel war,
Þerfore his wille to him [he] bar,
And of him he tok his red,
Þerfore his wille to him [he] bar,
5
To kepen his soule from þe qued.
On a day, i vnderstonde,
Sire Gy þe eorl sente his sonde
To þe holi man Alquin
And seide: ‘[I] grete þe wel, fader myn,
And preie þe for godes loue,
Þat us alle sit aboue,
Þat þu wole, par charite
And in amendement of me,
Sire Gy þe eorl sente his sonde
To þe holi man Alquin
And seide: ‘[I] grete þe wel, fader myn,
And preie þe for godes loue,
Þat us alle sit aboue,
Þat þu wole, par charite
And in amendement of me,
Make me a god sarmoun
And don hit write in lesczoun:
Þat were my ioye and my delit
And to my soule a gret profyt;
For þe world þurw his foule gile
Haþ me lad to longe while.
Þer-of i wole consail take,
Hu i mihte þe world forsake.’
And don hit write in lesczoun:
Þat were my ioye and my delit
And to my soule a gret profyt;
For þe world þurw his foule gile
Haþ me lad to longe while.
Þer-of i wole consail take,
Hu i mihte þe world forsake.’
Alquin þe eorl þo answerede,
And Iesu Crist ful ȝerne he heriede,
Þat swich a wit was comen him to
And seide: ‘His preie i wole do.’
‘And, [sethen] i shal be þi leche,
Aller furst i wole þe teche,
Faire uertuz for to take
And foule þewes to forsake.
And Iesu Crist ful ȝerne he heriede,
Þat swich a wit was comen him to
And seide: ‘His preie i wole do.’
‘And, [sethen] i shal be þi leche,
Aller furst i wole þe teche,
Faire uertuz for to take
And foule þewes to forsake.
Þat maitou noht don, leue broþer,
Bote þu knowe on and oþer,
I shal þe now shewe boþe,
Whiche beþ gode and whiche beþ loþe;
Bote þu knowe on and oþer,
6
Whiche beþ gode and whiche beþ loþe;
And at þe beste i wole biginne,
Þe betre grace for to winne.
Þe uertuz i wole first shewe,
Whiche þeih beþ, alle on rewe.’
Þe betre grace for to winne.
Þe uertuz i wole first shewe,
Whiche þeih beþ, alle on rewe.’
‘Wisdom in godes drede
Vse wel, þat be my rede;
Trewe bileue and charite—
Þise sholen bileue wid þe—
Stedefast hope and mieknesse,
Pes, merci, and forȝifnes,
Vse wel, þat be my rede;
Trewe bileue and charite—
Þise sholen bileue wid þe—
Stedefast hope and mieknesse,
Pes, merci, and forȝifnes,
Loue of herte, ful of pite,
Þat is verray humilite.
And þu wolt haue godes ore,
Ȝit þu most vse more,
For þi sinne repentaunce,
And redi þerfore to don penaunce
Wid sorwe at þin herte rote,
And shrifte of mouþe shal be þi bote.
In almes dede and charite
Þi lyf shal euere more be.
Þat is verray humilite.
And þu wolt haue godes ore,
Ȝit þu most vse more,
For þi sinne repentaunce,
And redi þerfore to don penaunce
Wid sorwe at þin herte rote,
And shrifte of mouþe shal be þi bote.
In almes dede and charite
Þi lyf shal euere more be.
Þise beþ þe þewes, þat i þe teche,
Whar-þurw þu miht to heuene reche,
And so þu miht þe world forsake,
If þu wolt hem to þe take.’
Whar-þurw þu miht to heuene reche,
And so þu miht þe world forsake,
If þu wolt hem to þe take.’
7
‘Nu i wole nempne þe wicke þewes,
Þat beþ noht gode, ac muche shrewes,
For, if þu dost bi here red[e],
To strong[e] pine þeih wolen þe led[e];
Þat beþ noht gode, ac muche shrewes,
For, if þu dost bi here red[e],
To strong[e] pine þeih wolen þe led[e];
Þanne is hit god, þat þu shone
To drawe hem into þi wone.
Herkne nouþe to me,
And i hem wole nempne þe:
Pride, wraþþe, and enuie,
Fals iugement and tricherie;
Fals witnesse is on of þo—
Many a soule itt doþ ful wo.
Loue noht to muche þis worldes blisse:
Hit bringeþ man to þisternesse,
To drawe hem into þi wone.
Herkne nouþe to me,
And i hem wole nempne þe:
Pride, wraþþe, and enuie,
Fals iugement and tricherie;
Fals witnesse is on of þo—
Many a soule itt doþ ful wo.
Loue noht to muche þis worldes blisse:
Hit bringeþ man to þisternesse,
Auarice and glotonye,
Wicke sleuþe and leccherie.’
Wicke sleuþe and leccherie.’
‘Accedie is a wel foul sinne
To man, þat he may come widinne,
And, what it is, i wole þe wisse,
Vnderstond, þat þu ne misse:
To man, þat he may come widinne,
And, what it is, i wole þe wisse,
Vnderstond, þat þu ne misse:
Accedie is (as) sleuþes broþer,
Wicke on and wicke oþer;
Hit is a derne mourni[n]g in mod
And makeþ man anuied to do god.
Offte þurw swiche mourning[e]
Wanhope beginneþ for to spring[e],
Þat, bote man turne awey þerfro,
Sauued worþ he neuere mo.
Wicke on and wicke oþer;
Hit is a derne mourni[n]g in mod
And makeþ man anuied to do god.
Offte þurw swiche mourning[e]
Wanhope beginneþ for to spring[e],
8
Sauued worþ he neuere mo.
Wroþer hele was Iudas born,
For þurw þat sinne he was lorn;
Merci he les þurw þat sinne,
Wher-þurw he ne mihte no ioye winne.
For þurw þat sinne he was lorn;
Merci he les þurw þat sinne,
Wher-þurw he ne mihte no ioye winne.
Vch man birede him in his sihte
To flen þat sinne bi his mihte
And alle oþere þat i haue nempt,
If he wole to ioye be dempt.’
To flen þat sinne bi his mihte
And alle oþere þat i haue nempt,
If he wole to ioye be dempt.’
| Speculum Gy de Warewyke | |