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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The Sixte povne. |
 | Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte |  |
The Sixte povne.
The syxte povne of grete renoun
I-callyd was by good reson
Substancyally, as in sentence,
Purveyaunce or providence,
To sen aforn what shal falle,
Nat oonly sugre but the galle
Of worldly mutabylyte,
In Ioye and eke aduersyte,
Consydre by discresion
The sodeyn transmutacion
Of al erthely felycite,
Whiche selde a-byt in o degre,
That wel ys him that kan beforn
The chaffe dessever fro the corn.
I-callyd was by good reson
Substancyally, as in sentence,
Purveyaunce or providence,
To sen aforn what shal falle,
Nat oonly sugre but the galle
Of worldly mutabylyte,
In Ioye and eke aduersyte,
Consydre by discresion
The sodeyn transmutacion
Of al erthely felycite,
Whiche selde a-byt in o degre,
That wel ys him that kan beforn
The chaffe dessever fro the corn.
And for this skylle, of entent,
This povne hath graven A serpent
Myd of his sheelde ful craftyly,
To signefye fynally
That of Nature the serpent,
To eschewen al enchauntement,
Dooth to forn hys besy peyne
For to stoppe hys erys tweyne,
By defnesse to make him stronge,
That the soote sugryd songe
Of thenchauntour by hys wyle
For lak of prudence him begyle,
Whan yt ys late for to stryve.
But ther ys serpent noon alyve,
Wher he wake or ellys slepe,
Provided bet him self to kepe
Than ys a woman provident
To kepe hir from enchauntement
Of al deceyt of flaterye.
This povne hath graven A serpent
Myd of his sheelde ful craftyly,
To signefye fynally
That of Nature the serpent,
To eschewen al enchauntement,
Dooth to forn hys besy peyne
For to stoppe hys erys tweyne,
By defnesse to make him stronge,
That the soote sugryd songe
Of thenchauntour by hys wyle
For lak of prudence him begyle,
168
But ther ys serpent noon alyve,
Wher he wake or ellys slepe,
Provided bet him self to kepe
Than ys a woman provident
To kepe hir from enchauntement
Of al deceyt of flaterye.
They kan crafte so wel espye,
And hem preserve by prudence
For to yive noon Audience,
But ben as deffe as stok or ston,
What they here, they let yt gon,
For they lyst nat to aduerte
Nor to enprynten in her herte
The sugryd wordys that they here;
Of newe they be nat for to lere,
For to a-voyde and to Refuse,
And with delayes hem excuse,
And longe for to holde on honde
Folkys bothe free and bonde.
They ben of wisdam Serpentyne
And of force leonyne
To kepe hem fre fro the panter,
And pleynly vn-to her daunger
They al constreyn, ther skapeth noon.
They be so prudent euerychon,
Myghty to assaylle, strong at dyffence;
And al ys this but providence,
For to wynne and nat be wonne
Of nature the crafte they konne;
And for they be to forne so wis,
Of providence yif hem the pris.
And hem preserve by prudence
For to yive noon Audience,
But ben as deffe as stok or ston,
What they here, they let yt gon,
For they lyst nat to aduerte
Nor to enprynten in her herte
The sugryd wordys that they here;
Of newe they be nat for to lere,
For to a-voyde and to Refuse,
And with delayes hem excuse,
And longe for to holde on honde
Folkys bothe free and bonde.
They ben of wisdam Serpentyne
And of force leonyne
To kepe hem fre fro the panter,
And pleynly vn-to her daunger
They al constreyn, ther skapeth noon.
They be so prudent euerychon,
Myghty to assaylle, strong at dyffence;
And al ys this but providence,
For to wynne and nat be wonne
Of nature the crafte they konne;
And for they be to forne so wis,
Of providence yif hem the pris.
| Lydgate's Reson and Sensuallyte | |