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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Cy parle Lauctour de prime temps. |
 | Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte |  |
Cy parle Lauctour de prime temps.
This is the lusty seson newe
Which euery thing causeth renewe
And reioyssheth in his kynde,
Commonly as men may fynde
In these herbes white and rede,
Which spryngen in the grene mede,
Norysshed wyth the sonne shene,
So that alle the soyl ys grene,
Al ouersprad with sondry floures,
With bavme dewed and soote shoures,
Both hil and wale on euery syde,
So that the erthe, of verrey pride,
Semeth of beaute to be evene
Vnto the bryghte sterred hevene.
Hys mantel ys so lusty hewed,
Wyth sondry floures al renewed
And wyth motles fressh and fyne,
Which as any sterres shyne;
And euery bough, braunch, and tre,
Clad newe in grene, men may se,
By kyndely disposicion
Ech to bere fryut in ther seson.
And the wellys thanne appere
As cristal or quyk syluer clere,
Out of her veynes as they sprynge,
And in ther lusty stremes bringe:
Al plente and habondaunce
And fulsomnesse of al plesaunce,
Makyng the soyl so fresh and fair;
And so attempre was the air
That ther' ne was, in sothfastnesse,
Of colde nor hoot[e] no duresse;
The bryghte sonne, y yow ensure,
Hys bemes sprad by swhich mesure.
And Zepherus, the wynde moost soote,
Enspired bothe croope and roote
Of herbes and of floures newe,
That they wern alway fresh of hewe
And with her blosmes ful habounde,
And the siluer dropes rounde
Lych perles fret vpon the grene;
And euery greyn, with-oute wene,
Out of the erthe gan tappere,
Euerech be kynde in ther manere.
And thus the erthe, sooth to seyne,
Enforced him to gete ageyne
Hys beaute olde and his fairenesse,
That wynter slough with his duresse;
And with his ornementz newe
He made him faire and fresh of hewe,
As a mayde in hir beaute
That shal of newe wedded be,
To seme pleynly to hir spouse
More agreable and graciouse,
For which she taketh, with-oute fayle,
Hyr beest and rychest apparayle.
Which euery thing causeth renewe
4
Commonly as men may fynde
In these herbes white and rede,
Which spryngen in the grene mede,
Norysshed wyth the sonne shene,
So that alle the soyl ys grene,
Al ouersprad with sondry floures,
With bavme dewed and soote shoures,
Both hil and wale on euery syde,
So that the erthe, of verrey pride,
Semeth of beaute to be evene
Vnto the bryghte sterred hevene.
Hys mantel ys so lusty hewed,
Wyth sondry floures al renewed
And wyth motles fressh and fyne,
Which as any sterres shyne;
And euery bough, braunch, and tre,
Clad newe in grene, men may se,
By kyndely disposicion
Ech to bere fryut in ther seson.
And the wellys thanne appere
As cristal or quyk syluer clere,
Out of her veynes as they sprynge,
And in ther lusty stremes bringe:
Al plente and habondaunce
And fulsomnesse of al plesaunce,
Makyng the soyl so fresh and fair;
And so attempre was the air
That ther' ne was, in sothfastnesse,
Of colde nor hoot[e] no duresse;
The bryghte sonne, y yow ensure,
Hys bemes sprad by swhich mesure.
And Zepherus, the wynde moost soote,
Enspired bothe croope and roote
Of herbes and of floures newe,
That they wern alway fresh of hewe
And with her blosmes ful habounde,
And the siluer dropes rounde
Lych perles fret vpon the grene;
And euery greyn, with-oute wene,
5
Euerech be kynde in ther manere.
And thus the erthe, sooth to seyne,
Enforced him to gete ageyne
Hys beaute olde and his fairenesse,
That wynter slough with his duresse;
And with his ornementz newe
He made him faire and fresh of hewe,
As a mayde in hir beaute
That shal of newe wedded be,
To seme pleynly to hir spouse
More agreable and graciouse,
For which she taketh, with-oute fayle,
Hyr beest and rychest apparayle.
And thus in semblable wise
The erthe did him self disgise,
To shew him fair, lusty, and clere,
After the seson of the yere;
Whan briddes in ther Armonye
Synge and maken melodye
In the seson most benygne,
As nature lyst assigne;
Whan eche be kynde cheseth his make
And besy ben her nest to make,
Lych as techeth hem nature
To make, longe for tendure,
And her lignes to sustene,
And to Recure, thus I mene,
Ageyn the harmys and gret damage,
That wynter wroughte with his rage,
And euery maner creature,
Of verray kynde, did his cure
To be glad and eke joyouse
For the seson graciouse;
And dyd also her besy peyne,
With hool herte and nat f[e]yne,
To serve love and to be trewe
In that lusty seson newe.
The erthe did him self disgise,
To shew him fair, lusty, and clere,
After the seson of the yere;
Whan briddes in ther Armonye
Synge and maken melodye
In the seson most benygne,
As nature lyst assigne;
Whan eche be kynde cheseth his make
And besy ben her nest to make,
Lych as techeth hem nature
To make, longe for tendure,
And her lignes to sustene,
And to Recure, thus I mene,
Ageyn the harmys and gret damage,
That wynter wroughte with his rage,
And euery maner creature,
Of verray kynde, did his cure
To be glad and eke joyouse
For the seson graciouse;
And dyd also her besy peyne,
With hool herte and nat f[e]yne,
To serve love and to be trewe
In that lusty seson newe.
| Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte | |