The Minor Poems of John Lydgate edited from all available mss. with an attempt to establish The Lydgate Canon: By Henry Noble MacCracken |
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 | The Minor Poems of John Lydgate |  |
Septem sunt gradus magnatum.
Thys world ys born vp by astates seuyn,Prynce[s] ordeynyd to susteyn [þe] ryght,
Prestes to pray, þe iustyces to deme euyn,
Marchauntes in sellyng to do trouþe in weyght,
For comon profyte fyght[e] shal þe knyght,
Plowman in tylþe, þe laborer in trauayll.
Artyfycers diligent day and nyght.
The ryche her almes to parte with þe porayll.
725
Officia dictorum magnatum.
Pryncys. To vs longeþ prestys to gouerne,Presthode And we be bounde to lyue in parfytnes.
Iuges. Betwene ryght & wrong our office doþ dyscerne.
Merchantes. In bying & sellyng we shall do no falsnes.
Knyghthode. We shull defende trouþe & ryghtwysnes.
Plowman. Our occupacion to tyll & sowe þe lond,
Werkemen. And by our labour we voyden idylnes.
Rycheman. We delyuer our almes with our hond.
Explicit.
| The Minor Poems of John Lydgate | |