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[The Tale of Lucretius, and how the Devil leapt into him.]
Þyr was a man þat hyght Lucrecyus,
A swyþë ryche and coueytous;
Besyde hym wonèd a mayden wys,
Here name was kalled Beatrys.
Lucrecyus þoght on felonye;
here landës he wulde algate bye.
And, shortly ȝow for to telle,
Þys lady wuldë nat hem selle.
when he wyst hyt, þan was hym wo;
He weyted here, and ded here slo.
whan he hád do here þat pyne,
Yn alle here landes he toke sesyne,
And was þan a ryche lordyng
And bare hym stoutë as a kyng.
A swyþë ryche and coueytous;
Besyde hym wonèd a mayden wys,
Here name was kalled Beatrys.
Lucrecyus þoght on felonye;
here landës he wulde algate bye.
And, shortly ȝow for to telle,
Þys lady wuldë nat hem selle.
195
He weyted here, and ded here slo.
whan he hád do here þat pyne,
Yn alle here landes he toke sesyne,
And was þan a ryche lordyng
And bare hym stoutë as a kyng.
Þys Lucrecyus made a feste,
A ryche, with men of noble geste.
Þe lordyngës þat he myȝt gete
were settë with hym at þe mete;
And as he sat yn alle hys pryde,
Com a pore womman þat tyde,
And bare a chylde yn cloþës loke,
Þe pappe yn þe mouþe as hyt had soke;
Hyt hade neuer spoke before, saunȝ fayle,
Þarfor y telle hyt, þe more meruayle.
As for grete myrácle, þe chyld seyd þus,
“y sey to þe, Lucrecyus,
Þat þou hast slayn seynt Beatrys,
To haue here lond þat by here lys.
Þou art come now vn-to here fe,
And syttest þere yn þy pouste;
And y comaunde, þurgh Goddys myȝt,
Þe deuyl, yn-to þe to lyȝt.”
A ryche, with men of noble geste.
Þe lordyngës þat he myȝt gete
were settë with hym at þe mete;
And as he sat yn alle hys pryde,
Com a pore womman þat tyde,
And bare a chylde yn cloþës loke,
Þe pappe yn þe mouþe as hyt had soke;
Hyt hade neuer spoke before, saunȝ fayle,
Þarfor y telle hyt, þe more meruayle.
As for grete myrácle, þe chyld seyd þus,
“y sey to þe, Lucrecyus,
Þat þou hast slayn seynt Beatrys,
To haue here lond þat by here lys.
Þou art come now vn-to here fe,
And syttest þere yn þy pouste;
And y comaunde, þurgh Goddys myȝt,
Þe deuyl, yn-to þe to lyȝt.”
As sonë as þe chylde had spoke,
Þe fendë yn-to hym was lope,
And traueyled hym þre dayys with pyne
Þat alle hyt sawë with here yne;
And, at þe þre day[y]s ende,
He deydë, and to helle gan wende.
Þe fendë yn-to hym was lope,
And traueyled hym þre dayys with pyne
Þat alle hyt sawë with here yne;
And, at þe þre day[y]s ende,
He deydë, and to helle gan wende.
loke now, how þe deuyl hym laght
For coueytyse of wurldys aght.
Ful wykked ys þat coueytyse,
with oþer mennes gode falsly to ryse.
For coueytyse of wurldys aght.
Ful wykked ys þat coueytyse,
with oþer mennes gode falsly to ryse.
Ȝyt hyt ys wers þan ys þe lore
To do a man to deþ þarfore.
Of God almyȝty haþ he noun eye,
Ne he ne þenkeþ for to deye;
On hys deþ he þenkeþ neuer,
And þarfor deyeþ he for euer.
“Ȝe ryche men, ȝe ryche purchasours,
Ȝe wene þat al þe worlde be ȝours;
And yn alle ȝoure moste purcháce
Comþ ȝoure deþ sunnest yn place;
God sheweþ hyt oftë to ȝow;
Þenkeþ þéron for ȝoure prow.
196
Of God almyȝty haþ he noun eye,
Ne he ne þenkeþ for to deye;
On hys deþ he þenkeþ neuer,
And þarfor deyeþ he for euer.
“Ȝe ryche men, ȝe ryche purchasours,
Ȝe wene þat al þe worlde be ȝours;
And yn alle ȝoure moste purcháce
Comþ ȝoure deþ sunnest yn place;
God sheweþ hyt oftë to ȝow;
Þenkeþ þéron for ȝoure prow.
What seye ȝe by þese streyte negons
Þat se al day Goddës persones
Before hem deyë for mysese,
And þey are ryche and wel at ese,
And, ȝyt mow þey no þyng spare
To helpe þe porë þat mys fare.
Swyche a man ys auarous,
weyl wers þan ys coueytous;
For coueytyse ys yn purchace,
And auarycë halt long space.
Þat se al day Goddës persones
Before hem deyë for mysese,
And þey are ryche and wel at ese,
And, ȝyt mow þey no þyng spare
To helpe þe porë þat mys fare.
Swyche a man ys auarous,
weyl wers þan ys coueytous;
For coueytyse ys yn purchace,
And auarycë halt long space.
Aȝens mokerers wyl y þrepe
Þat gadren pens vn-to an hepe;
y warne hem allë yn þys wurde,
whan mokerers gadren yn-to hurde
Þe deuyl ys here tresorer,
For auaryce ys hys spenser.
Þat gadren pens vn-to an hepe;
y warne hem allë yn þys wurde,
whan mokerers gadren yn-to hurde
Þe deuyl ys here tresorer,
For auaryce ys hys spenser.
Y speke to men of rychë lyfe
Þat han no charge of chylde ne wyfe,
persones, prestes, þat han here rente,
And ouþer þat han grete extente,
Þat mow weyl, at allë ȝers,
lyue as lordes, and be here pers:
Þese nede nat to haue tresourye,
But aftyr manhede and curteysye.
Þat han no charge of chylde ne wyfe,
persones, prestes, þat han here rente,
And ouþer þat han grete extente,
Þat mow weyl, at allë ȝers,
lyue as lordes, and be here pers:
Þese nede nat to haue tresourye,
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Ȝyf an husbond chyldryn haue,
One or two, mayden or knaue,
He may haue store and tresour
To kepe with hys chyldryn yn honour.
wele ys wurþy þat he haue gode,
Þat wel dyspendeþ hyt on hys blode.
As wykkedly, me þenkeþ ys hyt doun,
A man to gadyr oute of resoun,
And do þerwith noun almës dede,
Porë men to helpe at nede.
One or two, mayden or knaue,
He may haue store and tresour
To kepe with hys chyldryn yn honour.
wele ys wurþy þat he haue gode,
Þat wel dyspendeþ hyt on hys blode.
As wykkedly, me þenkeþ ys hyt doun,
A man to gadyr oute of resoun,
And do þerwith noun almës dede,
Porë men to helpe at nede.
A man þat haþ pens in chest,
Vnneþes to slepe haþ he rest;
with alle þat go nerhond, hym greues,
For alle, he weneþ þat þey be þeues;
Þus seyþ he þat gadreþ tresoure,
Of alle þat go byfore hys dore.
Swych euyl þoghtes here soulë þenkeþ,
And seye of hem euyl, þat noun hym þenkeþ.
Vnneþes to slepe haþ he rest;
with alle þat go nerhond, hym greues,
For alle, he weneþ þat þey be þeues;
Þus seyþ he þat gadreþ tresoure,
Of alle þat go byfore hys dore.
Swych euyl þoghtes here soulë þenkeþ,
And seye of hem euyl, þat noun hym þenkeþ.
He þat gadryþ to tresorye,—
Be he neuer so wys ne slye,—
Þese þre sorwes shal he haue,
hys tresour for to gete and saue:
Þe fyrst, ys trauayle yn þe wynnyng;
Þe touþer, ys drede to kepe þat þyng;
þe þryd ys þe most wo,
Þat tyme þat he shall parte þarfro.
“Þou rychë man, þou lestene weyl;
Þou gettyst but sorow of euery deyl.
Sykyr lyfe shalt þou noun lede;
Þyn herte ys þerfor euer yn drede.”
And herë y shal telle a lyte,
A wurdë of a gode Ermyte.
Be he neuer so wys ne slye,—
Þese þre sorwes shal he haue,
hys tresour for to gete and saue:
Þe fyrst, ys trauayle yn þe wynnyng;
Þe touþer, ys drede to kepe þat þyng;
þe þryd ys þe most wo,
Þat tyme þat he shall parte þarfro.
“Þou rychë man, þou lestene weyl;
Þou gettyst but sorow of euery deyl.
Sykyr lyfe shalt þou noun lede;
Þyn herte ys þerfor euer yn drede.”
And herë y shal telle a lyte,
A wurdë of a gode Ermyte.
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