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

Atwyxe dred and tremblyng reuerence
Astoned I am, for fer der nat be bold
To shewe my face, or comyn in presence
Feynt of ffantasyes, dulled many fold,
My wit but feble, my memorye dulled for old,
To medele of thyng solemply be-gonne;
Mak no comparisoun attwixen led and gold,
Tween a smal sterre and a mydday sonne.

2

I may be wyllyng and fervent in my desirys,
Though for vnkonnyng I dar nat procede,
In aysshis olde a lytel ffer there ys
Wich yeveth no light nor clernesse at a neede;
My torche is queynt, his brihtnesse doth nat procede,
Wherfore I sholde pleynly me Excuse,
Neer that good hope doth my brydel leede
Toward Pernaso, to fynde there som muse,

3

I dar nat calle, nouther of old nor newe,
To Euterpe for dytees of plesaunce,

That be depict with roial purpil hewe,
Rad and recordyd, vertuous of substaunce,
Such as calle ageyn to remembraunce
Excyte hertys with devout mateerys,
In Cryst Iesu to ffynde at suffysaunce
As they be tauht by the sevene praieris.

4

In pater noster, breeffly comprehendyd,
While he was here, of trouthe it is thus fall,
Tauht his discipulis, wich may nat ben amendyd,
For it transcendith other prayerys all,
Most auctorised, whan we for socour Call,
Most celestyall and moost of dygnyte,
Crowned among praieris in þe hevenly stall
Yif it be said in parfight Charyte.

5

Foure be remembrid, in Especyall,
Wich appertene on to this mateer,
And been in dede verray Celestyall,
Wich passe in Shynyng þe hevenly sterris cleer;
And been foure thyngis longyng to prayeer,
Lyk as myn auctour maketh mencyoun,
But I am dul and clypsed of my cheer
To telle what vertu restith in Oysoun.

6

I speke of foure, first in myn avys,
Nat of the foure hevenly Gospelerys;
Nor of foure floodys that come fro paradys
That norisshe al Egypt with ther fressh Reverys;
Nor how Ezechiel with his ffoure speerys
Callid Quatuor rote wich in al vertu schyne;
But of a mater longyng to prayeerys
Tauht by Iesu, our rudenesse tenlumyne.

7

I nat remembre of the foure Elementys,
Nor of the foure sesouns of the yeer,

Of foure complexiouns dyuerse of ententys,
Of sonne or mone, why they be dirk or clee;
Nor of foure wyndys wich dyuersly appeer,
But under support and correccyoun
I me submytte to alle that schall now heer
This symple processe of my translacyoun.

8

I dar nat speke of foure Cardynall,
Fortitudo nor of attemperaunce,
Of rightwysnesse oon the pryncipall,
Wich al policie set in good gouernaunce,
For wich I caste my rudenesse to avaunce
So that prudencia lyst to be present,
And grace also, thorough Goddys purviaunce,
List to prouyde taccomplisshe myn Entent.

9

Malapertnesse and presumpcyoun,
With vnfeyned trewe humylyte
In despit of ffals ambycyoun
I take counsayl of feith, hope, and charyte,
Callyd virtutes Theologice
To dyrecte my desolacyoun,
And on this processe to haue mercy and pite,
With favour benygne to do correcyoun.

10

Nat apperteneth on to this partye
The foure wheelys, brennyng briht as gleede,
That ladde the chaar to paradys of Helye,
Nor of Perseus the firy wynged steede,
Whos goldene trompe thoruh-out Perce and Mede,
To blowe ther trivmphes sent out his bloody souns;—
I passe al this, grace shal my penne leede
To speke of prayer and sevene peticiouns,

11

The wich sevene, groundid in al vertu,
I dar weel seyn, passen alle prayerys,

Maad and compiled of our lord Iesu,
Most covenable to alle our goostly desirys,
Nat withstondyng alle old astronomerys
Seyn and conferme in ther phylosophie
Soun and mevyng of the nyne Speerys
Passe and surmounte al wordly armonye.

12

I haue no mouthe, pleynly to devyse,
First to remembre the grete dygnyte,
Ferfull to take on me so hih Empryse,
Moost celestial, most angelyk of degre,
For to the hih myghty Trynyte
It is direct, lord of moost puyssaunce,
Which callid is oon, two, and thre,
Al oon in vertu, and al oon in substaunce.

13

This woord Pater shewith in substaunce
His myght ys moost grettest of excellence,
Of hevene and erthe hath al the ordenaunce,
Callyd welle of grace, myrour of sapience,
Wich to his children, of ffadirly providence,
Hath yeue a fraunchise aboue fraunchises alle,
That we may boldly with devout reuerence
Ageyn al myschef to hym for helpe calle.

14

First this woord Pater set us in assuraunce,
And this woord Noster geveth us homlynesse,
Him to requere, with devout obeysaunce,
Remedye geyn al worldly dystresse,
So that charite, with hir suster meeknesse,
Feith, trust, and hope be with hem present,
Than, whan we prei and seyn of feithfulnesse
Pater noster, we shal haue our Entent.

15

In this woord Pater stant al our confydence,
Our hool beleue whan we seyn Qui es,
Our stedefast feith and fully our credence,
In heuene abidyng as souereyn lord of pes,
Where thre Ierarchies day nor nyght nat ses
To crie in celis, with heuenly mellodye,
Cherubyn nor Seraphyn nat slouh nor rekles
Syngen Osanna with fervent armonye.

16

Whos glorious name for to magneffye
Mouth and tonge be lame of ther langage,
But the Hooly Goost by grace lyst us guye,
Us to enspire in our mortal passage,
As goostly children, born of hih parage,
Neuer to thyn hihnesse by no mortal offence
In this dredful perlous pylgrymage
Tyl cleer confessioun our gyltes recompense.

17

We wer renewyd ful nyh to thyn allye
By the Hooly Goostys gracious influence,
First be baptem, to gynne at that partye,
Next confermed be thy magnyfycence,
To been accepted to thy benyvolence
As chose children to thyn herytage,
That we may seyn, with devout reuerence,
Lord haue mercy on al our old outrage.

18

Thes sevene peticiouns been of vertu moost,
Only to God of hooll herte applyed
To the sevene vertues of the Hooly Goost;
First whan we seyn thy name be sanctyfyed.
Name of alle names halwyd and gloryfyed,
As the gospel pleynly doth comaunde,—
But her my symplesse with Argus nat cleer eied,
Meue this questioun, aske this demaunde,

19

How myhte in us be kyndelyd suych desire,
Boldly to seyn conceyued our febylnesse,
Though charite in us brente as flawme of fyre,
Lyk as in Seraphyn brenneth al parfitnesse?
I answere thus, a ground take of meeknesse,
Vertu of vertues, doctours sey the same,
Vnder support of his paternell goodnesse,
To seyn or thynke, Halwyd be thy name,

20

With-oute addicioun to sette our herte at reste
That therwithal we haue this sentence,
For our party, to conclude for our beste
In our Inward goostly Intellygence,
First that his name, name of most excellence,
With-Inne hym-silf, euery hour and space,
Be sanctyfied, so by his provydence
It may in us be sanctyfied be his grace.

21

Thy kingdam, lord, enlumyned with thy face,

adueniat regnum tuum.

Where is ful gladnesse of al goostly lyght
Mot come to us, tyme set and space,
Whan thow assignest be thyn eternal myht,
Of thy presence that we may haue a sight;
O gracious lord, our tyme so provyde
Cleymed with meknesse, of mercy more than riht,
Mene of thy passioun that we may there abyde.

22

Thy kingdam, lord, first in this present lyf
Come to us, to rewle us and gouerne
Geyn the assautys and the treble stryf
Of our enmyes, lord, hold so the lanterne
By thy grace, which that is Eterne,
Regne so in us, of resoun hold so our brydell, y

Tween good and evell we may so dyscerne
Geyn thy plesaunce, to do no thyng in Idell.

23

Lord, by thy mercy regne in us so heere,
Of alle vices we may haue victorye,
To cleyme a title aboue the sterris cleere,
Thy passioun cheef set first in memorye
With the to regne in thyn eternall glorie,
Axed by bille, wreten with thy precious blood,
For folk alyve, and folk in purgatorye,
Doosed and asseled at Calvary on the rood.

24

So as thy will fulfelled is in hevene,
Right so in erthe fulfellyd mot it be,
Lyk as the court aboue the sterrys sevene
Of ordrys nyne and Ierarchies thre
Syngen sanctus thries to-for the Trynyte,
So make us lord, with devout observaunce
Day and nyht knelyng on our kne,
Thy deth, thy passioun, to haue in remembraunce.

25

First thy preceptys and ten comaundementis
We may fulfylle, attwixen hoope and dreede,
And for-sake with al our hooll ententys
Al that sholde dysplese the in deede.
Sith to a peler thow lyst for us to bleede
Therwith to doon al that thow lyst comaunde,

ffiat voluntas tua.

Suffre thy mercy so vp-on us spreede,
Part to receyue, that thow gaf at thy mawnde

26

To thy dyscyplys for a memoryall,
For a perpetuall commemoracyoun,
Of thy flessh and thy blood, take in especiall,
Of a pure maydyn thyn Incarnacioun,

Thy meek suffraunce for our Redempcioun,
With mynde also thow lyst for us be ded,
That we may cleyme for our savacioun
Receyve thy boody among in forme of bred;

panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie.

27

That we dar seyn, with al humylyte,
Vnder the wynges of thy proteccyoun,
Panem nostrum da nobis hodie,
Knoden afforn Pilat, baken in thy passioun,
Our dayly bred, our Restauracioun,
Our foode, our manna, geyn fendis violence,
Strong with Helias, Bible maketh mencyoun,
To mount Oreb, to haue there residence.

28

This bred of lyf yeveth us force and myht
Geyn goostly enmyes, whan they wolde assayll,
Helthe of the sowle, our boody strong in fight,
With spiritis infernall to holden a batayll,
Sathan abitt nat, for all his apparayll,
Wher this bred is sacred with Crystis mouth,
Clenly receyved, the ffend may nat avayll,
So gret vertu this bred hath est and south.

29

This bred of angelis, bred celestyall,
Bred that excelleth resoun and nature,
Callid bred of lyf, and repast eternall,
Yeueth lyf ay-lastyng and euer shal endure;
Most comended by prophetis in Scripture,
To sowle and boody bred of moost comfort,
Folk in siknesse, this bred doth hem recure,
To pore pilgrymes restoratyf and support.

30

In this peticioun, O lord, do us socoure,
First consydryng our ffragylyte,
For-yeve our dettys as we for-yeve oure,
Above al thyng to love and drede the,

Next our neihebour in parfit charite,
First deme my-silf werst of any man,
Void of presumpcioun, bowyng doun my kne,
And to remembre vp-on the publican,

31

Durst nat lefft vp his eie vp to the hevene,
To looke up ferful on-to the sonne streem;
And I am soyled with the synnes sevene,
Can In myn eien nat seen a large beem,
Though it spradde al abrood this Rewm,
Can seen weell motys in other menhis sight,
A smal sparck, that casteth out no beem,
Blent in my fauhtys thouh torchis wer cler light.

32

This to seyne, I can be weell vengable,

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra.

Whan my neihbour doth a smal trespace,
Thouh I be gylty and horrybly coupable
Can fynde weies lyghtly for to passe,
Ageyn my brother grete gyltes compasse,
My-silf excuse, and put on him the wrak,
Lyk fawssemblaunt shewe out a fair face
As in my-silf ther founde were no lak.

33

And to conclude, who wil no mercy haue,
At his most neede he shall go mercylees;
And who is besy his neihbour to deprave,
By fals report escapeth nat harmlees,
Mordre at the bak and language reklees,
Ipocrysie, fraude, compassed guyle,
Symylacioun, and fflatery put in prees,
This soort wil out, thouh they dare a while.

34

But yf thou stonde in parfit charite
To love thy frend and also thyn enmye,

With-oute feynyng or duplycyte
That ther be no fraude Couertlye,
To shewe oon outward another Inwardlye,
In suych wyse thy prayer is nat good,
I dar afferme, and wryte trewlye,
God lovyd neuer two facys in oon hood.

35

O Lord Ihesu, of mercyfull pyte

Et ne nos inducas in temptacionem.

Vnder the baner of thy passioun,
Ageyn our dedly dredful foys thre
Suffre us to falle in no Temptacioun,
The flessh, the fend, by fals collusioun,
With olde serpent with many thousand treyne,
With-oute blood shad for our Redempcioun,
We may in charite nat weell this praier seyne.

36

It is remembred of Mathew the gospell,
Of a servaunt, as maad ys mencyoun,
Cause his lord was ageyn hym ffell,
He was fetryd and signed to prysoun;
In signe who wyll do no remyssioun
At such a streit, his servaunt for to save,
Dimitte nobis put from this Orysoun,
Who doth no mercy, he shall no mercy haue.

37

Of thy benygne mercyfull pyte,

libera nos a malo amen.

Lord, in this perlous dredful pilgrymage,
Saue us from daunger and al aduersyte,
And us delyuer from al foreyn damage,
From perellys passed with our present passage,
Future swolwys of fortunys ffloodys,
Dredfull Caribdys, Syrenes mortal rage,
And transmutacyoun of al worldly goodys.

38

Pater noster, thys prayeer vertuous,

pater noster

Yif it be sayd with dewe Reuerence,

Of alle prayerys is moost victoryous,
Geyn our thre enmys to stondyn at dyffence,
So that Maria lyst shewen her presence,
And fervent charyte be capteyn of the ffeld,
Fy on all Infernall vyolence,
So Crystys passioun be portrayed in our sheeld.

39

Lyk as a glenere on a large lond
Among shokkys plentyvous of auctours,
Thouh I were besy to gadren with myn hond,
Lyk my desire, to haue founde out som flours,
The grene was repen, russet were the colours,
I ffond no sugre in my smal lybrarye,
Soyll dryed vp of my sylver schours,
Ferful and dul there lenger for to tarye,

40

In this processe any more to seye;
Good will abood in myn Inward Entent,
The aureat lycour was in my study dreye,
Of Calliope and al hir favour spent,
Fond there no clauses, but shrowes al to-rent,
No thyng enlumyned with gold, asour, nor red,
Wich shall be Ioyned with my testament,
Leyd on my brest, hour whanne I shall be ded.

41

Though I was dul in my devocyouns,
Duryng my lyf with cordyall Reuerence
Dayly to seyn thes sevene Petycyouns,
Herte and mouth accordyng in sentence,
With circumstaunces of Intellygence
To plese the lord, with hooll affeccyoun,
Veyn thoughtis voide slouthe and necclygence
Mor than a thousand with-oute devocioun.

42

To alle my maystris knelyng on my kne

lenvoye.

That shall reede this Compylacyoun,

I pray them meekly of ther benyngnyte
First dewly doon Examynacyoun,
And folwyng affter Iust correccyoun
When they haue leyser and covenable space,
That I may ffynde Supportacyoun
By goodly ffavour to correcte of ther grace.

Explicit.