The Minor Poems of John Lydgate :: :: University of Virginia Library

The chief gynnyng of grace and of vertue
To exclude slouþe is ocupacioun,
Martha minystred to our lord Iesu,
And Maria by contemplacioun,
Þeos boþe tweyne, of clene entencyoun,
For to exclude al maner ydelnesse
Þeire labour sette in vertuous besynesse.

2

Who is it þat cane nowe fynde suche tweyne,
Or of þeire secte one verraily in dede,
Whiche þat list in labour do suche peyne,
Thorugh diligence longinge to womanhede?
By excercyse þeire werkes oute to sheede
To gif ensaumple, voyding ydelnesse,
How þey in vertue shoulde do þeire besinesse.

3

Þe lavde of hem and þe price goþe ferre
As by reporte to many fer cuntree,
Labour with vyces of custume holdeþe werre,
Where as it falleþe that femyninytee
Cawseþe slowþe frome housholdes for to flee,
Þat he dar nought have none Interesse
To interupte vertuous besinesse.

4

Suche a woman, mayde, widowe, or wyffe,
Men shoulde of right comende and magnefye,

Namely alle þeo þat beon intentyffe
In diligence þeire wittes to applye,
For alle suche, I dar wel specefye,
Namely wyves bencresce of gret richchesse
Gretly delyte in hooly besynesse.

5

An housbande which þat suche one doþe possede
May hertly truste in hir governaunce,
To robbe or spoyle for he haþe no neode
He fyndeþe in hir so muche suffisaunce,
Of worldely plentee fulsum habondance,
And in hir soule ful goostely gladnesse,
Ay moste reioyssing vertuous besynesse.

6

Sheo shal preserve him frome al damage
At alle tymes, and of hir gret bountee,
With right gode chere and a glad visage
Shewe him gret signes of huge humylite;
In cloþemakinge sheo shal eke besy be,
Wolle and flexsse vn-to hir servantȝ dresse,
Sette hem on werke in vertuous besynesse.

7

Sheo resembleþe a shippe of marchandyse,
From ful fare providing hir victayle,
With wache also sheo cane aught devyse
Þat hir housholde of stuffe shal not fayle.
In truwe pourchace ful muche sheo shal avayle,
Bigynge in tovne on feelde muche besinesse,
Alwey in trouthe vsinge avisynesse.

8

With hir handewerk and hir houswyfrede
Sheo besy aye amonge in hir gardynes,
Provydence did aye hir brydel lede,
Plauntynge amonge hir lousty fressh vynes,
Which þat brought forþe delytable vynes
Vsinge a girdel aboute hir of clennesse,
Her lyff tenbrace in vertuous besinesse.

9

And for sheo saughe þat hir werke was goode
Hir clere lanterne shal never qwenche his light,
And of hir porte to telle yowe howe it stode;
With truwe Lucre concluding vp-on right
[OMITTED]
Hir fingers smale, lyche a truwe maystresse,
In silke and weving did hir besynesse.

10

To the poure folke did hir almesdede,
Hir armes oute a-fer she gaue to reeche,
Of colde in wynter hir meynee thare not dreede,
For in suche cas sheo was a prudent leche,
Alle hir servantes vertues ay to teche,
Were twyes cladde, hem kepinge frome distresse
In somer and wynter by hir besynesse.

11

Rayed motleys of divers silke and golde free,
Of fyne pourpur was wrought hir garnement,
Amiddes þe gates of þat royal cytee
Sete hir housbande, so noble and prudent,
On trespassours to give his Jugement,
With Senatours his doome he can dresse,
Refourmynge wronge with vertuous besynesse.

12

Of golde and silke sheo made a ryche cloþe
And solde it affter thorughe hir providence,
And for þat fame ful far in vertue goþe
Sheo made a girdel of gret excellence
For to represse þe mighty vyolence
Of Canandus wilful wrecchednesse,
Sheo brideld hir with vertuous besynesse.

13

Of force, of clennesse, and of honestee,
And of fayrrenesse made was hir vesture,
Hir to defende in al adversitee
Of feyth, of trouþe, shal beo hir armure,
And sheo shal love, of entente moste pure,

Hir last daye of verray perfytenesse,
Deservinge heven by vertuous besynesse.

14

Hir mouþe sheo opunde for to be enspyred
With þe grace of goostly sapyence,
Þe trouþe of hir was specially desyred
Lowe of hir speche, of womanly clemence;
And sheo considerd of wit and hye prudence,
Of hir housholde þe paþes for to dresse
Þat al concluded of vertuous besynesse.

15

In ydelnesse sheo eete not hir bred
Her childre aroose and blest did hir calle,
And hir housbande prudently toke hede
And preysed hir amonge hir folkes alle,—
So finally it is now þus byfalle,
Thourgh his wisdame and gret avisynesse
Sheo al governed by vertuous besynesse.

16

Many doghtren of olde antiquytee
Gadred golde, goode, and gret tresore,
But sheo surmounted by autoritee,
To reken hem alle, by diligent labour,
She gate hir price, lawde, and gret honnour,
By þat worching of gracious richchesse
Shutte in hir coffres by vertuous besynesse.

17

Al worldly besynesse nis but vanytee,
Grace of fayresse as a floure doþe fade;
Fresshnesse abydeþe in mutabilitee
And persinge eyene with þeire lookis glade;
Al froyte doþe falle, whane trees beon overlade,
And al dooþe waste sauf oonly perfytnesse
Slouþe to exclude with vertuous besynesse.

18

But a woman provident in dede,
I mene suche one þat prudent is and wyse,
Þe whiche of Herte þe lorde above doþe drede,
Sheo worþy is to haue a ful gret pryce,
For sheo conceyveþe by circumspecte avycc,
Whatever sheo doþe and with gret redynesse
Texclude slouþe with vertuous besynesse.

VERBA FACTORIS.

O yee wyves and wydowes moste entiere,
And godely maydens yonge and fresshe of face,
What ever be sayd as in þis matere,
Ful humbully I putt me in youre grace,
And remembreþe every houres space
Þat moder of vyces is wilful ydelnesse,
And grounde of grace is vertuous besynesse.

LENVOYE.

Go, lytel pistel, and recomande me
Vn-to my ladye which cleped is Cybille,
Pray hir to haue rouþe and eke pitee
Of þe dulnesse of þis my rude style,
And as þis dytee doþe also compyle,
Let hir labour, avoydyng ydelnesse,
Vsinge hir handes in vertuous besynesse.