 | The Reynes Extracts |  |
A. A SPEECH OF ‘DELIGHT’
Lo, here is a ladde lyght,
Al fresch I ȝou plyght,
Galant and joly.
Wyl ȝe knowe what I hyght?
My name, serys, is Delyght.
[I hope not ful holy.]
Al fresch I ȝou plyght,
Galant and joly.
Wyl ȝe knowe what I hyght?
My name, serys, is Delyght.
[I hope not ful holy.]
Holy, quod sche? Nay, let be!
Be Crist, it acordyth not with me,
But sporte, myrthe, and play
Me reioyceth for to see;
Þe worldys wunderys and vanyté,
Therinne delyght I ay.
Be Crist, it acordyth not with me,
But sporte, myrthe, and play
Me reioyceth for to see;
Þe worldys wunderys and vanyté,
Therinne delyght I ay.
For me semet it is to delyght
To behelde þe firmament lyght,
The cours of sterrys to kenne,
The sunne with his bemys bryght,
Þe mone how he refulsyth þe nyght,
The planetys in her circumferens renne.
To behelde þe firmament lyght,
The cours of sterrys to kenne,
The sunne with his bemys bryght,
Þe mone how he refulsyth þe nyght,
The planetys in her circumferens renne.
The skyes in her coloures rake,
Þe therke sladdes of clowdes blake—
This reioyceth me above.
Than of the erthe delyght I take
To see the florent wodys þer leves shake,
The ryverys rennyng by þerinne dyuers fysshes move.
Þe therke sladdes of clowdes blake—
This reioyceth me above.
Than of the erthe delyght I take
To see the florent wodys þer leves shake,
The ryverys rennyng by þerinne dyuers fysshes move.
I se these hey hyllys wher is the holsom ayer;
Benethe, the redolent medowes with ther flowres fayer,
Þe therke mystes how it ascendys.
In the valeys of the cornys ylke ayer
I se dyuers fowlys to þe wodes repayer—
Þer swetly syngang me mekyl amendys.
Benethe, the redolent medowes with ther flowres fayer,
Þe therke mystes how it ascendys.
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I se dyuers fowlys to þe wodes repayer—
Þer swetly syngang me mekyl amendys.
I se in these gay gardeynes wher holsum erbys spryng
Þese pererys, þe pomerys, þe venys þat swete frutys bryng,
The reed rosys and the lelyes whyte.
I se in þe gret see ther shyppys euer seylyng,
Also how it ebbyt and flowit and fysshes þerin swymmyng,
The whawys how they waltyr, and se the qwall fyght.
Þese pererys, þe pomerys, þe venys þat swete frutys bryng,
The reed rosys and the lelyes whyte.
I se in þe gret see ther shyppys euer seylyng,
Also how it ebbyt and flowit and fysshes þerin swymmyng,
The whawys how they waltyr, and se the qwall fyght.
In þe hore hethys I se the hare sterte,
The forant dere huntyd, the bukke and the harte,
And the swyfte grefoundes renne;
The foxe huntyd with howndes in þe gret couerte,
The swyfte flyght of hawkes, þe fowlys reuerte,
The fawkonerys rennyng throw thykke and throwe thynne.
The forant dere huntyd, the bukke and the harte,
And the swyfte grefoundes renne;
The foxe huntyd with howndes in þe gret couerte,
The swyfte flyght of hawkes, þe fowlys reuerte,
The fawkonerys rennyng throw thykke and throwe thynne.
Also I am gretly delyghtand
In fayer courses swyftly renand,
In harneys gledryng bryght;
Stately howsys beheldand
Glased with storys glasand,
Pynnakelys ful of fanys gloriously dyght.
In fayer courses swyftly renand,
In harneys gledryng bryght;
Stately howsys beheldand
Glased with storys glasand,
Pynnakelys ful of fanys gloriously dyght.
Precyos aray, that plesyth me gretly,
The swet musy[ci]auns in dyuers melody,
The cumlynesse of iche creature;
And þe bewté of women specyaly,
With ther whyte pappys poppyd vp prately—
Þat passeth al other, as me semet in sure.
The swet musy[ci]auns in dyuers melody,
The cumlynesse of iche creature;
And þe bewté of women specyaly,
With ther whyte pappys poppyd vp prately—
Þat passeth al other, as me semet in sure.
Me seyng now these solacious sythys,
Therfor in hem al my delyght is
So souereynlyche abouen alle.
This warlde so preciously pyght is,
Þerinne delyght I with alle myn mythis,
As for wele most speciall.
Therfor in hem al my delyght is
So souereynlyche abouen alle.
This warlde so preciously pyght is,
Þerinne delyght I with alle myn mythis,
As for wele most speciall.
| The Reynes Extracts | |