Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte Edited from the Fairfax MS. 16 (Bodleian) and the additional MS. 29,729 (Brit. Mus.) by Ernst Sieper |
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 | Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte |  |
To alle folkys vertuouse,
That gentil ben and amerouse,
Which love the faire pley notable
Of the chesse, most delytable,
Whith alle her hoole ful entente:
To hem thys boke y wil presente;
Where they shal fynde and sen Anoon,
How that I, nat yore agoon,
Was of a Fers so Fortunat
In-to a corner dryve and maat,
Of hir[e[ that, withoute lye,
Koude ful many iupartye,
And hir draughtes in swich wise
So disposen and devise
That vlixes, to reknen alle,
To hir ne was nat peregalle.
That gentil ben and amerouse,
Which love the faire pley notable
Of the chesse, most delytable,
Whith alle her hoole ful entente:
To hem thys boke y wil presente;
Where they shal fynde and sen Anoon,
How that I, nat yore agoon,
Was of a Fers so Fortunat
In-to a corner dryve and maat,
Of hir[e[ that, withoute lye,
Koude ful many iupartye,
And hir draughtes in swich wise
So disposen and devise
That vlixes, to reknen alle,
To hir ne was nat peregalle.
But first or I do specifye
Myn entent, for to vnwrie,
Or ferther in this boke procede,
I prey hem all that shal hyt rede,
Wherso hyt plese hem outher greve,
Nat be to hasty to repreve
Thys werke, in hyndring of my name,
Ther-vpon to sette a blame.
For many oon, in metre and prose,
That nouther kan the text nor glose,
Wil ful ofte at prime face
Som thing hindren and difface,
Or they can any lake espye,
Oonly of malyce and envye
Or collateral necligence;
But who that of good dilligence
Lyst bysye him to don his cure
To sen and rede thys scripture,
And feleth fully the sentence,
Yif hee therin kan fynde offence,
My wille is this, that he observe
Me to repreve, as y desserve,
Besechinge him for to directe
Al that ys mys, and to correcte:
This pray I him of hert entere.
Now wille ye than this matere
Considre wel, and han a sight,
And ye shal fynde anoone ryght
By and by in this scripture
Of my matynge the Aventure.
Myn entent, for to vnwrie,
Or ferther in this boke procede,
I prey hem all that shal hyt rede,
Wherso hyt plese hem outher greve,
Nat be to hasty to repreve
Thys werke, in hyndring of my name,
Ther-vpon to sette a blame.
For many oon, in metre and prose,
That nouther kan the text nor glose,
2
Som thing hindren and difface,
Or they can any lake espye,
Oonly of malyce and envye
Or collateral necligence;
But who that of good dilligence
Lyst bysye him to don his cure
To sen and rede thys scripture,
And feleth fully the sentence,
Yif hee therin kan fynde offence,
My wille is this, that he observe
Me to repreve, as y desserve,
Besechinge him for to directe
Al that ys mys, and to correcte:
This pray I him of hert entere.
Now wille ye than this matere
Considre wel, and han a sight,
And ye shal fynde anoone ryght
By and by in this scripture
Of my matynge the Aventure.
| Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte | |