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 | The South English Legendary |  |
Nou vasteþ þer monymen and wel vewe ariȝt
Manie wolleþ biginne sone & ete almest forte niȝt
Woso wol nou faste ariȝt bote nede it make do
He ne may noȝt bigynne is mete to raþe ne to longe sitte þerto
Ne ete noþemo noȝt to muche ne touore in þoȝte be[o]
Hou me miȝte in mest delices his metes him byse[o]
He mot ek faste for Godes loue and noȝt to spelie is god
And forto amendi is foule sunne & noȝt is heuie blod
As doþ monye riche men þat habbeþ al hore ese
Wanne hi habbeþ to muche iȝete as best in vatte lese
Hi goþ up and doun and bolkeþ wiþ wel dreori chere
Hi nolleþ ete a mossel more bote hore mawe amti were
Hi bolkeþ and bloweþ aboue ac ine segge noȝt elles ware
Hi poffeþ and meneþ hore stomak þat mot nede vuel vare
And fasteþ þanne day and oþer mid wel lite god
Ac for ȝare soule riȝt noȝt ac fore hore heui blod
Alas swete Iesus þin ore þat þeos maners beoþ stronge
A man to amendi is foule vleiss þat faste ssel so longe
Ac for bote of þe seli soule þat sunne doþ aspille
Al euene vastinge he makeþ & ȝute al aȝen is wille
And vnneþe ȝute þulke dawes scarse wiþoute mo
As me bit in Holy Churche and vnneþe alle þo
And þat muchedel aȝen wille bote he neder oþer do
As wo seiþ for þe worles ssame & for Godes eiȝe also
Manie wolleþ biginne sone & ete almest forte niȝt
Woso wol nou faste ariȝt bote nede it make do
He ne may noȝt bigynne is mete to raþe ne to longe sitte þerto
Ne ete noþemo noȝt to muche ne touore in þoȝte be[o]
Hou me miȝte in mest delices his metes him byse[o]
He mot ek faste for Godes loue and noȝt to spelie is god
And forto amendi is foule sunne & noȝt is heuie blod
As doþ monye riche men þat habbeþ al hore ese
Wanne hi habbeþ to muche iȝete as best in vatte lese
Hi goþ up and doun and bolkeþ wiþ wel dreori chere
Hi nolleþ ete a mossel more bote hore mawe amti were
Hi bolkeþ and bloweþ aboue ac ine segge noȝt elles ware
Hi poffeþ and meneþ hore stomak þat mot nede vuel vare
And fasteþ þanne day and oþer mid wel lite god
Ac for ȝare soule riȝt noȝt ac fore hore heui blod
Alas swete Iesus þin ore þat þeos maners beoþ stronge
A man to amendi is foule vleiss þat faste ssel so longe
Ac for bote of þe seli soule þat sunne doþ aspille
Al euene vastinge he makeþ & ȝute al aȝen is wille
And vnneþe ȝute þulke dawes scarse wiþoute mo
As me bit in Holy Churche and vnneþe alle þo
And þat muchedel aȝen wille bote he neder oþer do
As wo seiþ for þe worles ssame & for Godes eiȝe also
And ȝif eny hey eue comþ as ualþ bi Soneday
As me bit him faste þen Saterday wel sone he seiþ nay
Ac nim þe day as he comþ day þat oþer do
A balled reson makeþ þanne & plaidinge þerto
And resons haþ þerto inowe wiþ wel stordi mod
Ac of plaidynge of wisdom ne can he noȝt a uerþing worþ god
131
Ac nim þe day as he comþ day þat oþer do
A balled reson makeþ þanne & plaidinge þerto
And resons haþ þerto inowe wiþ wel stordi mod
Ac of plaidynge of wisdom ne can he noȝt a uerþing worþ god
Ac to soþe wanne eny vastyng eue comþ bi Soneday
As in decretals is iwrite me ssel uaste þe Saterday
And þerto holde ech Cristen man wo so euer segge nay
And wo so eni oþer deþ he brecþ is fastyng day
Anoþer þinge bi uastinge falleþ ver & ner
As me seiþ alday þe coppe abuþ þe defaute of soper
And be[o] he ihandled wel ynou as hom þincþ it is riȝt
Atte faillynge of þe soper to drinke forte midniȝt
In alle wise [of] on oþer of oþer fol hi wolleþ be[o]
Alas alas such glotonie nis noȝt worþ a stre[o]
Wo so wole uaste ariȝt he mot somdel wiþdrawe
Of drinke as wel as of mete oþer it nis noȝt worþ an hawe
As in decretals is iwrite me ssel uaste þe Saterday
And þerto holde ech Cristen man wo so euer segge nay
And wo so eni oþer deþ he brecþ is fastyng day
Anoþer þinge bi uastinge falleþ ver & ner
As me seiþ alday þe coppe abuþ þe defaute of soper
And be[o] he ihandled wel ynou as hom þincþ it is riȝt
Atte faillynge of þe soper to drinke forte midniȝt
In alle wise [of] on oþer of oþer fol hi wolleþ be[o]
Alas alas such glotonie nis noȝt worþ a stre[o]
Wo so wole uaste ariȝt he mot somdel wiþdrawe
Of drinke as wel as of mete oþer it nis noȝt worþ an hawe
| The South English Legendary | |