 | Songs, Carols, and other Miscellaneous Poems, from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace book |  |
100. [Bon jour!]
Bonjowre, bonjowre a vous!
I am cum vnto this hows,
Vt parla pompe, I say.
1
I[s] þer any good man here,Þat will make me any chere?
& if þer were,
I wold cum nere,
To wit what he wold say.
A! will ye be wild?
Be Mary myld,
I trow ye will synge gay!
Bon Jowre!
2
Be gladly, masters, euery-chon,I am cum my self alone,
To appose you, on by on;
Let se who dare say nay!
Sir, what say ye?
Syng on, lett vs see!
Now, will it be
Thys or an other day?
Bon Jowre!
118
3
Loo, this is he þat will do þe dede,He tempereth his mowth; þerfore take hede!
Syng softe, I say, leste yowr nose blede,
For hurt yowr self ye may.
But, by God þat me bowght,
Your brest is so towght,
Tyll ye haue well cowght,
Ye may not þer-with a-way;
Boniowr!
4
Sir, what say ye with your face so lene?Ye syng noþer good tenowre, treble ne mene.
Vtter not your voice withowt your brest be clene,
Hartely I you pray.
I hold you excused,
Ye shall be refused,
For ye haue not be vsed
To no good sport nor play.
Bon Jowre!
5
Sir, what say ye with your fat face?Me thynkith ye shuld bere a very good bace
To a pot of good ale or ipocras,
Truly, as I you say.
Hold vp your hede,
Ye loke lyke lede,
Ye wast myche bred,
Euer more from day to day.
Bon Joure!
6
Now will ye see, wher he stondith behynde?Iwis, broþer, ye be vnkynd:
Stond forth & wast with me som wynd,
For ye haue ben called a synger ay.
Nay, be not a-shamed,
Ye shall not be blamed,
For ye haue ben famed
The worst in this contrey.
Bon Jowre!
Explicit.
| Songs, Carols, and other Miscellaneous Poems, from the Balliol Ms. 354, Richard Hill's Commonplace book | |