 | The Mumming At Bishopswood |  |
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 dovneÞe 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 ermonyeWynter is goone, whiche did hem gret payne,
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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 magnifysenceHowe 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.
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9
And by þe grace of Oure Lorde IhesuÞat 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.
| The Mumming At Bishopswood | |