The poems of John Audelay Edited with introduction, notes and glossary [by Ella Keats Whiting] |
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 | The poems of John Audelay |  |
3
[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
To þi neȝbour fore loue of me,
To make debate ny dyscorde,
And þou dust me more cumford,
Þen þaȝ þou wentust barefote in þe strete,
For loue of me þat ys þi Lorde,
Þat stremus of blood folewed þi fete.
I sai for wi:
A wekid worde a mon may schame,
To lese his godes and hys good name;
Whoso falsly duþ men fame
Beþ curse[d] tr[u]ly.
[OMITTED]
To þi neȝbour fore loue of me,
To make debate ny dyscorde,
And þou dust me more cumford,
Þen þaȝ þou wentust barefote in þe strete,
For loue of me þat ys þi Lorde,
Þat stremus of blood folewed þi fete.
47
A wekid worde a mon may schame,
To lese his godes and hys good name;
Whoso falsly duþ men fame
Beþ curse[d] tr[u]ly.
Þe vij vertu ys good conselyng;
Entyse not þi neȝbour to wekednes,
Ny say no worde to hym ni sklanderyng,
But consel hym to al goodenes.
And þis þou myȝt me more plese
Þen þaȝ þou stydest ones a day,
Into heuen þi sowle to sese,
Into þat ioy þat lastus ay,
Withowten drede.
For bi þi goodenes and þi consele
Þou may pytte þi neȝbour fro gret perele,
And saue hym fro þe peynes of hele,
And encrese þi mede.
Entyse not þi neȝbour to wekednes,
Ny say no worde to hym ni sklanderyng,
But consel hym to al goodenes.
And þis þou myȝt me more plese
Þen þaȝ þou stydest ones a day,
Into heuen þi sowle to sese,
Into þat ioy þat lastus ay,
Withowten drede.
For bi þi goodenes and þi consele
Þou may pytte þi neȝbour fro gret perele,
And saue hym fro þe peynes of hele,
And encrese þi mede.
Þe viij vertu is hole prayere;
Dyssyre and aske of me ryȝtwesly;
Þiselfe þou schalt be messangere,
And do þi message dewoutly,
And þou plesust me more speciali,
Þen þaȝ my moder and sayntis alle
Praydyn in heuen on hy fore þe,
For þou ast fre choyse to ryse or falle,
Boþ þou may.
Ȝif þou fall, aryse anon,
And call to me with contricion,
Þen my moder and sayntis vchon
Wil fore þe pray.
Dyssyre and aske of me ryȝtwesly;
Þiselfe þou schalt be messangere,
And do þi message dewoutly,
And þou plesust me more speciali,
Þen þaȝ my moder and sayntis alle
Praydyn in heuen on hy fore þe,
For þou ast fre choyse to ryse or falle,
Boþ þou may.
Ȝif þou fall, aryse anon,
And call to me with contricion,
Þen my moder and sayntis vchon
Wil fore þe pray.
48
Þe ix vertu is þou schalt only
Loue me in hert ouer al þyng,
Þen gold, or seluer, or lond, or fee,
Or wyf, or child, or wordle þyng;
And þou dost me þen more plesyng,
Þen þaȝ þou styedust vpon hyȝ pelere
Folle of rayssors kene stekyng,
Fore me loue þi flesche to tere;
Bileue wyl þis.
Loue plesis me ouer al þyng,
Fore charete with hym is euer dwellyng;
Mon soule to ioy hit doþ hit bryng
Into my blis.
Loue me in hert ouer al þyng,
Þen gold, or seluer, or lond, or fee,
Or wyf, or child, or wordle þyng;
And þou dost me þen more plesyng,
Þen þaȝ þou styedust vpon hyȝ pelere
Folle of rayssors kene stekyng,
Fore me loue þi flesche to tere;
Bileue wyl þis.
Loue plesis me ouer al þyng,
Fore charete with hym is euer dwellyng;
Mon soule to ioy hit doþ hit bryng
Into my blis.
Þese ix vertus son soþ þou schalt fynd.
Lerne þis lesson now I þe pray;
To God and mon loke þou be kynd,
And make amendis wyle þou may,
For to heuen þer ys noon oder way.
Ȝyf þou wolt haue saluasyon,
Me þou most nede plese and pay,
Or ellus haue damnacyon;
Hit ys for þe best.
Do as þou woldust me dud by þe,
Vcheon of oder ȝe haue pyte,
And leues in loue, in charyte,
Þen be ȝe blest.
Lerne þis lesson now I þe pray;
To God and mon loke þou be kynd,
And make amendis wyle þou may,
For to heuen þer ys noon oder way.
Ȝyf þou wolt haue saluasyon,
Me þou most nede plese and pay,
Or ellus haue damnacyon;
Hit ys for þe best.
Do as þou woldust me dud by þe,
Vcheon of oder ȝe haue pyte,
And leues in loue, in charyte,
Þen be ȝe blest.
Sum men þer ben þat stelon heuen
With penans, prayers, and pouerte,
And sum goon to hele ful euen
For lust and lykyng of here b[o]dy.
Here twey wayes, my sone, þer be;
Þou hast fre choyse wedur to passe;
Chese þe better, Y consel þe,
Lest þou syng þe sung alasse,
For euer and ay.
I rede þou serue heuen Kyng;
For any lust or lykyng
Haue mynde apon þi endyng,
And dredeful domusday.
With penans, prayers, and pouerte,
And sum goon to hele ful euen
For lust and lykyng of here b[o]dy.
Here twey wayes, my sone, þer be;
Þou hast fre choyse wedur to passe;
Chese þe better, Y consel þe,
Lest þou syng þe sung alasse,
49
I rede þou serue heuen Kyng;
For any lust or lykyng
Haue mynde apon þi endyng,
And dredeful domusday.
Meruel ȝe not of þis makyng;
I me excuse, hit ys not Y;
Hit ys Goddus worde and His techyng
Þat He taȝt a salutary,
For Y kowþe neuer but hye foly.
God haþ me chastest for my leuyng;
I þonk my God, my grace, trewly,
Of His gracyouse visetyng,
Ellus were Y lore.
Euer þat Lorde be He blest;
Al þat He duþ ys for þe best,
Ellus were ȝe lyke to be lost,
And better vnbore.
I me excuse, hit ys not Y;
Hit ys Goddus worde and His techyng
Þat He taȝt a salutary,
For Y kowþe neuer but hye foly.
God haþ me chastest for my leuyng;
I þonk my God, my grace, trewly,
Of His gracyouse visetyng,
Ellus were Y lore.
Euer þat Lorde be He blest;
Al þat He duþ ys for þe best,
Ellus were ȝe lyke to be lost,
And better vnbore.
Vpon ȝour lyfe take good eme;
Bewar lest God þat ȝe offende;
As He fyndes ȝow He wil ȝou deme,
Owþer be saued or ellus be schent.
For soden deþ loke ȝe amende,
And settus no trist where noon ys,
For al ys good þat haþ good ende,
When ȝe han mended ȝe han do mys,
Þis ys no nay.
Y made þis wit good entent,
In hope þe raþer ȝe wolde repent.
Prayes for me þat beþ present;
My name hyt ys þe blynde Awdelay.
Bewar lest God þat ȝe offende;
As He fyndes ȝow He wil ȝou deme,
Owþer be saued or ellus be schent.
For soden deþ loke ȝe amende,
And settus no trist where noon ys,
For al ys good þat haþ good ende,
When ȝe han mended ȝe han do mys,
Þis ys no nay.
Y made þis wit good entent,
In hope þe raþer ȝe wolde repent.
Prayes for me þat beþ present;
My name hyt ys þe blynde Awdelay.
Explicit de salutare.
| The poems of John Audelay | |