The Minor Poems of John Lydgate :: :: University of Virginia Library

O Iesu lorde, for þi Circumsicyon,
In þe begynnyng as of þe new ȝere,
Kepe me euer from al confusyon,
When þat I shal stonde at myne answere;
Lorde, graunt me grace wel for to apere,
And for þi worshipful Epyphanye,
Graunt þou me good lyfe, and wel for to dye.

2

Now pray for me, blessid Seynt Lucyan,
That I myght be hadde forth vnto ȝoure daunce,
There God reulith both angel and man,
In right true loue with-outen variaunce.
Ȝiffe me som comfort, as of acqueyntaunce,
Confessour and bisshop Seynt Hillary,
With good Seynt Felice, þat ioyeth þe by.

3

O sacred abbot Maure, kepe me from vyce,
With help of þe pope and martir Marcel,
I pray þe teche me, blessid Seynt Sulpice,
With þat holy virgyn Prisce, syng nowel.
O bysshop Wlstan, ȝif me good councel,
And þese martirs, Fabian and Sebastian,
With þe, virgyn Agnes, þat wel help can.

364

4

Sette my pacience, halowed Vincent,
That hit may grow withynne my inwarde saule.
Conuert þou us from al euel entent,
Glorious conuersion of Seynt Poule,
That we escape þe wikked fendes braule,
Help us, Seynt Iulyan, to be vnbound,
With þe, virgyn Agnes, now þe secound.

Kepe us dayly from al maner of synne,
Quene Batylde, in especyal from pryde,
Suffer us neuer for to dye þere ynne.

Februarius.

Iesu for þi holy virgyn Seynt Bryde,
O puryfyed lady be now our gyde,
Teche us to lyue wel, o bysshop Seynt Blase,
For þis wrecchid lyfe is but as a mase.

6

Lede þou us virgyn and martir Agas,
And þe bisshopes Vedast and Amand,
We walke now here in þis derkenes, alas,
Teche us þe trouth for to vnderstond;
Delyueryng us from the fendes bond,
Help þu us holy virgyn Seynt Scolast,
Until þis short lyfe here be ouer past.

7

Be of good comfort and ioye now, hert[e] myne,
Wel mayst þu glade and verray lusty be,
For as I hope truly, Seynt Valentyne
Wil schewe us loue, and daunsyng be with me.
O virgyn Iulyan, I chese now the
To my valentyne, both with hert and mouth,
To be true to þe, wold God þat I couth.

8

I hope and trist to lerne for to pursewe
Aftur þese valentynes be metre,
I loue þem al wel, with olde and newe,

365

With cathedracion of Seynt Petre,
Nomore of loue y me entremetre,
I pray þe now apostel Seynt Mathye,
For cristes true loue I do lyue and dye.

O true valeyntyne is oure lord to me,
Al his body on þe crosse he spredde,
And for þat my soule his spouse shuld be.

Marcius.

With his blode Seynt Dauid he did me wedde
Pray for me now, with sacred Seynt Chedde,
That I to hym my couenaunt wole holde,
That for me was both bought and solde.

10

In þis world here shul not we longe ben,
Vn-to a-noþer contrey we ben bought,
Now pray for us, moost holy virgyn,
That in oure wey no wise we erre nought,
But al oure werkes both in worde and þought,
Be made so plesaunt vnto þi hyȝe spruse,
That we may ben seruantes in his hyȝe house.

11

O holy doctour, blessid pope Gregour,
That sendist Seynt Austyn in-to Englonde,
In my temptacion I may fynde socour,
By comfort of þi moost gracyous soonde,
But ȝit by þi writyng I vndirstonde
That al þis wrecchid lyfe is here ful harde,
Now pray for us blessid kyng Seynt Edward.

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12

We ben ful myche dayly in Goddes dette,
Good bisshop Cuthbert, pray þu now for us,
And þou holy Abbot good Seynt Benette,
Help whyle we stond in þe myre now þus,
That oure good lord now, swete Iesus,
May make us þerof a mytigacion
In reuerence of his Anunciacion.

O blessid lady, with þis Emanuel,
Now for his glorious Resureccion,
Helpe us with þine angel Gabriel,
For his worshipful salutacion,
And for his mervelous incarnacion
Which þat wrought was þorgh þe Holigost,

Aprilis.

Kepe us, lady, vnder þi blessid ost.

14

Now thenke on gentil oft chose,
For þe riȝt good prayer of Seynt Richard,
And for þe huge loue of doctour Ambrose,
For þis world is now ful fals and hard,
Turne not swete lady þi chere awayward,
For al þogh þat we ryȝt synful be,
The more nede lady haue we now to þe.

15

Who spareth to speke he spareth to spede,
Therfor we aught to cry both day & nyght,
Now helpe us, good lady, in oure nede,
For þi halowed sone ys ful of myght;
Of the blessid sonne beem ȝeue us summe light,
For Seynt Tyburce, and for Valerian,
And shew us þu art a gentil woman.

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16

Whiles þat I lyue, y wil no wyse sese
To crye on hym þat ys my souerayn lege,
Halowed kyng Iesu now sende us pese,
For þe holy prayer of Seynt Alphege,
I wil now me walke from sege to sege,
And pray to help me now euery saynt,
For vnto hym I made þere my complaynt.

17

O sacred Seynt George, oure lady knyght,
To þat lady þu pray now for me;
Ȝeueth me, Seynt Marke, some goostely sight,
Þat I may my-self þe bettur to se,
Alas myne yȝe is blynd in his degre,
But ȝitte y pray þe marter Seynt Vital,
Helpe me to lyue wel, when þat I dye shal.

And ȝe two apostelis now both in fere,

Mayus.

Philip and Iacob, maken mencyon
To God of us al, in ȝoure good prayere,
Now, for the holy Crosse Inuencyon,
Heuen blisse we ane, for oure pension,
Thorgh meryte of þy dyuyne Ascencion
With þe helpe of Seynt Iohn at porte latyne.

19

Now glorious seynt, Iohn of Beuerlay,
I pray þe hertely, draw not a backe,
Gadre us floures of heuenly maye,
With martyrs Gordian and Epimache,
And cureth þer-with oure grete soules ache,
Now, Nerei Achille, And Pancrace
Seyth forȝeuenesse as of oure trespace.

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20

Good seyntes, make ȝe al oure soules hole
Aȝenst þe hyȝe fest as of Pentecost,
Þat we ben cladde in a snow whyȝt stole,
Thorgh þe vertue of þe Holy Goost,
He us comfort þat is of myghtes moost,
With þe holy prayers of Seynt Dunston,
For with out hym forsoth wytte haue we noon.

21

God, þat is but one in persones thre,
Holy Trynyte with-oute begynnyng,
Sende us such grace, þat we saued may be,
When we shal passe at þis lyues endyng,
Helpe us Seynt Aldelme, for oure amendyng,
With þe feste of Corpus Christi, and Seynt Austyne,
Which þat taught us to his feyth enclyne.

O þou blessid bysshop, Seynt German,
I pray þe my petycyon fulfyl,
I pray þe same, as hertily as I can,
Helpe us gentil virgyn, Seynt Petronyl.

Iunius.

Also Seynt Nichomede, I pray þy good wille,
Teche me ȝoure daunce, Marcellyne and Petre,
To whom I syng with þis sympul metre.

23

I cry vnto ȝow now, al on a rowe,
In special to martyr Boneface,
With al þi felowes, both hyȝe and lowe,
That ȝe gete to us repentaunce and space,
Medard and Gildard, now where is ȝour grace,
Prayeth for our synnes with [Seynt Edmund],
And aftur þis lyfe to haue þe secund.

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24

Now blessid Seynt Barnard, for us þu pray,
With þe good Batylde, þe martyr and preste,
That we be cloþed al in ȝoure aray,
Where as he sitteth at his ryal feste,
Kepe ȝoue now I pray ȝoue Vite and Modeste,
Cyryce and Iulytte, kepe us fro þe wulfe,
And lyght oure goost eclipsed Seynt Botulfe.

25

Prayeth for us, Marcellyan and Marke,
Wyth Geruase and Prothase, martyrs ylkone,
This world now, Seynt Edward! wenyth darke,
For oure ynward syght ys almost agone,
Lede us oure first martyr, Seynt Albone,
Etheldrede of Ely, I pray now helpe me,
Wyth Seynt Iohn Baptist þe natiuite.

Bryng us mydsomer of heuenly blys,
I pray ȝow martyrs both Paule and Iohn,
Wherof gladsom myrth we shal not mys,
For þat Leo Pope endureth al one,
Now Petre and Paule, I trist ȝow vpon,
And, Seynt Paule þi commemoracyon,

Iulius.

Helpe us euer to oure saluacyon.

27

O ȝe martirs, Martynyan and Processe,
Now al oure floures begynneth to fade.
In þis erth, Martyn, is but wrecchidnesse,
Syth þat Adam put þer-on his spade;
Now, mercyful God, þat al þing hath made,
For þe translacyon of Seynt Thomas
Bryng us ones to his endeles solace.

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28

Lo now tyme passith of chyrry fayre,
Therfor I pray ȝou þen, Brethren seuyn,
That I may be one of Benet ys heyre,
Where ȝe ben yn Relyques of heuyn;
Ientyl broþer Iesu, bryng us þer euyn,
That were to me a gracyous fortune,
Now help, þe holy bysshop Swithinne!

29

I mette a while with blessid Seynt Botulphe,
Now sacred Seynt Kenelme, with þe I mete,
Prayng þe with hert þis, Seynt Arnulphe,
Bryng me to þat mery daunsyng so swete,
A, gentyl mayden, O, seynt Margarete!
And noble Praxede, lete me bere ȝoure trayne,
And ȝoure also, Lady Magdaleyne!

30

Seynt Appollinare, teche me ȝoure games,
Make us, Seynt Crystyn, heuenly lepars,
Lete us dispute with þe good Seynt Iames,
Bryng us to Seynt Anne to oure verse pars,
Make us to study þe seuen slepars,
Lede us, Seynt Sampson, to þe hyȝe scoles,
For þedir, Felice, comen no foles.

O Abdon and Sennen, I me redresse,
Good Seynt German, bring us to blys [of heuen].

Augustus.

The bondes of Seynt Petur of lammesse,

371

Unbynde us, [with þe] blessid pope Steven,
And sacred Stephen, deken [of heuen]
Help with þi merytes many a folde,
With þis kyng and martir Seynt Oswolde.

32

Seynt Sixte, þe pope, for Goddes loue and sake,
With Donate Bysshop, do þi diligence,
And with þi felowes Seynt Cyriake,
With Seynt Romane, helpe þu oure conscience.
O þow worthy martir, Seynt Laurence,
Pray for us now, with þis Seynt Fyburce,
I hope now, hit wil be neuer þe wurse.

33

Seynt Ypolyte, here my petycyon,
With Seynt Euseby, the holy confessour,
Now, lady, for þyne hyȝe Assumpcyon,
Ȝeue us þi hande, and þi holy socour,
That we nowe mowe styȝe in-to þe hyȝe toure,
Where þat glorious Seynt Magne is with þe
Lady [Agapite], only socour me!

34

To my valentyne, lady, I chese þe,
Whom þat I wyl chaunge neuer for no newe,
Now pray for me, halowed Seynt Tymothe,
To my lady þat I euer be trewe.
Helpe me nowe, I pray þe, Seynt Bartilmewe,
So worthy apostil as þow art one,
For better helpe þan prayer can I none.

Helpe us, Seynt Ruphe, þe martir of Crist,
And Seynt Austyn, þe worthy hyȝe doctour,
With Decollacyon of Seynt Iohn Baptyst

372

Seynt Felice, pray Iesu xÞyst oure saviour,
With blessyd Seynt Cuthburge, þat virgyn flour,

September.

So þat we may daunse with hooly Seynt Gyle,
In heuen an hyȝe aftir þis litul whyle.

36

Al þis world ys ful of care and pyne,
Now pray for us, holy bysshop Seynt Cuthbert
With þe holy Abbot, Seynt Bertyne,
That we may now gracyously astert;
Ȝitte I pray to þe with al myne hert,
Lady for þi ioyful Natyuyte,
That with Seynt Gorgone þow þenke on me.

37

Souerayn lady, þyne Vtas we done holde,
With Prothe and Iacincte A commemoracyon,
Muche grace of the lady haue I herde tolde,
Now helpe lady in our temptacyon,
For þy holy Crosse Exaltacyon,
Pray for us now martyr atte oure moost nede,
With virgyn Edythe for þe bettyr spede.

38

Now, þow bysshop and martyr Seynt Lambert,
Pray here for us al, to swete Iesu Crist,
That he pourge and clense oure soules and hert,
Fro al wikked synful and derkely myst,
Help us Seynt Mathew þe euangelist,
And al þi felowes of Seynt Mauryce,
With þe virgyn Tecle to make a spyce.

373

39

That heuenly spyce, hit is ful swete,
Help us þerof, good bysshop Fermyne,
Sacred Cipriane, ȝif hit wold be gete,
With Cosme and Damane wold I dyne,
Lede us þederward as ryght as a lyne,
Seynt Myghel, To þat heuenly kyngdome,
Helpyng þe holy doctour Seynt Ierome.

October.

Now holy Seynt Kemyge, with al angeles,
Thorgh þe prayer of Seynt Leodegate,
Bringe us now from al wrecchidnesse,
Beyng ful of synne, wrecchid sorow, and care.
I wyl not loue þis world I wil be wel ware,
For me hit is tyme as to leue þat warke,
By help of ȝow martirs Marcelle and Marke.

41

I wyl be as stedfast as any stone,
Helpe with þi felowes Seynt Dyonyse,
So þat I may dwelle with Seynt Gerone,
And with Seynt Nichase in hyȝe paradyse,
For of þis lyfe I sette ful litul pryce.
I pray þe, Seynt Edward, confessour and kyng,
That I may with Kalynte both hoppe and syng.

42

Teche me þe way, glorious Seynt Wolfstan,
To Myghel in þe Mount, wold I ryde,
Flessh is my hors, sowle ys þe man,
I pray þe, Seynt Luke, for to be my gyde,
Helpe me, ientyl virgyn, Seynt Fryswyde,
One of þe floures here of Englond,
With al holy virgyns Eleuen þowsond.

374

43

That was a present, made al in a day,
Ful worthy to God, Seynt Romanian,
Hys floures in October as wel as I may,
God gaderyth Seynt Cryspyn and Cryspynian,
Some of þem fadeth and wexith al wan,
Why? for her maners be so lewde and rude,
But prayeth for us now, Symon and Iude!

I chese al seyntes to my valentyne,
Trewly I hold hit ryght as for the beste,
Teche us for to Daunse, blessid Seynt Quyntyne,

Nouember.

With Al halowen in þis moost hyȝe feste,
Al Cristen sowles, God ȝeue þem good reste,
Abydyng hys mercy in purgatory,
Suffryng for her synnes, peynes bitturly.

45

Lord Iesu Crist þo peynes ben ful scharpe,
Now Seynt Leonard, Helpe us þerfore,
Make þem easy with þy moste dowcet harpe,
And þe Foure crowned, I pray ȝow euermore,
Helpyng with þy sawtry Seynt Theodore.
That hit may aswage somewhat oure grete peyne,
With þe prayere of holy Seynt Martyne.

46

For þis holy daunce mynstralcy ys goode,
Now, Seynt Bruce, helpe with þy sounded lute,
That Cryste wassh me with his precyous blode,
Pray for us now, al sacred Seynt Machute,
Edmund of Pounteney, now in ȝovre sute,
I wold þat I were, with sacred Seynt Hewe,
Wheþer hit were coloure whyte, rede, or blewe.

375

47

I wold be cloþed in Cristemasse lyueray,
Helpe me þerto, holy Edmund þe kyng,
Of al þat huge feste þere ys but a day,
Where þat Seynt Cecily ys euer beyng,
And þere Seynt Clement ys euer enduryng,
Bring me þere Grysogone with my valentyne,
So þat I may daunse with Seynt Kateryne.

Ȝeue me þy blessid hond, Seynt Lyne þe pope,
Wold God I cowth þy steppes wel to sewe,
Helpe me to daunse, in þy halowed cope,
With Seynt Saturne, þe martyr ful trewe,
Pray for us þen, Apostel Seynt Andrewe.

December.

As aȝenst oure lordes Secund aduent,
So at domes-day þat we be not shent.

49

A lord Iesu Crist, to þe now I cry,
Whome þis þat we offende with synnes, Alas,
Lord haue mercy for þy moder Mary,
And also for þe loue of Seynt Nicholas,
As truly lord as she þy moder was,
Kepte from fylthed in her Concepcyon,
Wassh us from synne with þy swete passyon.

50

Saue, lord, þy blessid spowse, holychurch,
From erroures and heresyes þat doon spryng,
And tech with feyth truly for to wurch,
With deuoute Seynt Lucy þyn own derlyng;
Graunt us þyne hert, as for to ioye and syng,
With al oþer sayntes in þy presence,
Thy worthy so grete song, O Sapience.

376

51

Kepe al þy peple which þat ben on lyue
Them especyal þat I haue of mynd
And al good sowles þat with þy woundes fyue,
Whoom hit pleasith þe from peynes vnbynde,
Graunt us for to be with Thomas of ynde,
A curyous caral þis Crystemasse
As to syng nowel when þat we hens passe.

52

Lo, now ys come þe moost glorious feste
The holy Natyuyte of oure lorde,
Goode Stephen make us al, moste and leste,
With Seynt Iohn in vertues to acorde,
That we may sitte at Innocentes borde,
With Thomas of Caunturbery, oure frende,
Now saue us fader with oure flessh þy worde,
For Seynt Siluester loue at oure laste ende.

University of Virginia Library

69. A KALENDARE.[_] The attribution of this poem is questionable.

Ianuarius.

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69. A KALENDARE.
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.