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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[Little Homilies with Proverbial Refrains.]
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| 57. |
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 | The Minor Poems of John Lydgate |  |
[Little Homilies with Proverbial Refrains.]
56. AMOR VINCIT OMNIA MENTIRIS QUOD PECUNIA.
1
Eche man folwith his owne fantasyeLiche as it fallith in his oppinioun,
His witte enclyneng vnto that partie
745
Whiche of the two by ust comparisoun
Love or money in valew doth excede?
To gyve an answer for short conclusioun,
Love is sette bakke, gold goth byfore, and mede.
2
Fressh lusty lovers professed to Venus,Sworn to service of the god Cupyde,
Suche of corage as bene amerous,
On theyr hye hors prowdly whan they ride
Seyn how that love sette euery thyng aside;
The revers founde in bookis, who list reede,
Make no comparisoun, wayte on the tyde,
Love is set bakke, gold goth byfore, and mede.
3
Remembre Troye, of Troylus and Cres[e]ide,Eche in theyr tyme furtherd to plesaunce;
But what fille after longe or Troylus deyde?
A false serpent of chaunge and variaunce
Withouten any lengger attendaunce
Put out Troylus, and set in Dyomede.
What shal I say or conclude in substaunce?
Love was set bakke, gold went afore, and mede.
4
Men seyn how Amor vincit omnia,Of hie noblesse love is so corageous;
But folk expert seyn how pecunia
Put at preef is more victorious.
Toforne Haniball preferrid was Cresus,
Wher gold and tresoure makith folk to spede,
An evidence how Cupide and Venus
In al suche case, ben set abak for mede.
746
5
Ovyde saith, whos writyng is ful kowth,How Socrates for al his sapience,
The Greke Omerus with his sugre mowth,
Tullius put out for al theyr eloquence;
Where love in povert lakkith his dispence,
Farewele! adieu! prayer ne may nat spede
The cause out sought, of longe experience,
Olde aqueyntaunce is set abakke for mede.
6
Love peysith nat ageyne an hevy purs,Trowth is nat herd where lak is of richesse,
A false forswerer dredith nat Goddis kurs,
To be forsworn for lucre in his falsenesse;
Reken storyes of marcial noblesse,
Prowesse of princes, allyaunce of hye kynrede,
The old auctours can bere hereof witnesse,
Love hath ful oft be set abak for mede.
7
Take it for a custome, it wil be non other,In worldly quarels lucre goth toforn.
A man for wynnyng wil forsake his brothir,
Som tyme for lucre weede above the corn,
For lucre alday men wilbe forsworn,
Chaunge hath be founde som tyme in wommanhede;
In al suche case love blowith the bukkis horn,
Where olde acqueyntaunce is sette abak for meede.
8
Paris, for love he gate the qwene Heleyne;Cleopatras loved Anthonius tresoure,
Trewe Piramus he felt also grete peyne,
For love of Thesbe suffred grete langoure;
Kynge Alisaundre, the grete conqueroure,
747
Concludyng thus, in al worldly laboure
Love in al thyng is set abak for mede.
9
Ovyde doth write that goddis and goddessisHave a delite gyftes for to take,
And of custom princis and princessis,
Who gevith hem ought, they wil it nat forsake;
Love may go pley, and his dogge hey shake,
For any friend he fyn[dith] at strayt nede;
Thus concludyng, short proces for to make,
Frendship goth bak, gold goth before, and mede.
10
Frenship on these dayes in fayre langage feynedWith a gladd chiere, outward, wordes of liberte,
At a straite suche love nys but disdeyned,
To fynde socour in his necessite;
Al nys nat golde that shyneth bright, parde!
Money as revel ay the daunce doth lede;
Love is put bak by false duplicite,
For in eche court, gold goth before, and mede.
11
The world vnsure, fortune is variable,Booth right friendly founde in prosperite;
Put at assay, if they abide stable,
Outher of them in tyme of aduersite,
Pref thy friende afore, and thou shalt se
Whom thow maist trust, thy iournay for to spede;
As thow fyndest, so make thyn owne suerte,
Whiche of them both, love goth tofore, or mede.
748
12
Al worldly frenship is straunge and right dyuers.Lete al men trust as they causes fynde;
Dede to bihest doth oft the reuers,
Theffect in werk goth lame and halt behynde;
Of obligacions som sealis ben so blynd
That men may neither se the printe ne rede;
Thynk thervpon lete it nat out of mynde,
Whiche goþ before frenship, money, or mede?
13
The faire behestis maken foolis gladde,Fye on the werk whan hestis ben contrayre!
Like to a tre, with fressh blosmes ladde,
Whiche that in Aprill so lusti be and fayre;
But whan in August folk[es] do repayre
To gadre his fruyte, there is none found in dede:
Of suche friendis there be mo than a payre,
Save with fayre chiere they love nat but for mede.
14
But for to grounde oure love in sikernesse,And sette asyde fraude and decepcioun,
Late vs to God al oure wittis dresse
Where feyth abydith, and al perfeccioun
And perfite love hath his foundacioun:
Suche love as wil nat faile his friende at nede,
But love for love in the heuenly regioun
God yevith to man, for his eternal mede.
15
There men shal fynde ioy and al gladnesse,The love excellyng of Dalida and Sampson,
Passe Octovian or Cresus in riches,
749
And in fayrenesse transcendyng Absolon;
Sette ther your love and ye shul nat myspede
That Cite bilt with euery precious ston,
Ther for to dwelle for youre eternal mede.
16
Vp to that court now do youre loves dresse,Vnto that gracious gostly mansioun,
Whiche that excellith in beaute and brightnes
Rome, Cartage, Troye and Ilioun;
Of hevenly rubyes bilt is that dongeoun,—
God graunt vs grace there oure lyf to lede!
And clayme [by] love to have possessioun,
With hym for love, that suffre[d] his sides bleede.
17
Who seyth that Amor vincit omnia,He saith ful triew, playnly to expresse,
Nought erthely love, whiche with pecunia
Sette trouth aside be fraude and doublenesse;
But perfite love, whiche hath none interesse
To erthly thyngges, neyther in word ne dede;
Suche love grounded in love and stablenesse
Shal have of God his gwerdoun and his mede.
750
57. CONSULO QUISQUIS ERIS.
CONSULO QUISQUIS ERIS, QUI PACIS FEDERA QUERIS, CONSONUS
ESTO LUPIS, CUM QUIBUS ESSE CUPIS.
1
I conseyl[e] what-so-euyr thou be,Off policye, forsight, and prudence,
Yiff thou wilt lyve in pees and vnite,
Conforme thy-sylff and thynk on this sentence,
Wher-so-evere thou hoold residence,
Among woluys be woluyssh of corage,
Leoun with leouns, a lamb for innocence,
Lyke the audience so vttir thy language.
2
The vnycorn is cauht with maydenys song,By dispocicioun, record of scripture;
With cormerawntys make thy nekke long,
In pondys deepe thy prayes to recure;
Among foxis be foxissh of nature,
Mong ravynours thynk for avauntage,
With empty hand men may noon haukys lure,
And lyke the audience so vttir thy language.
3
With hooly men speke of hoolynesse,And with a glotoun be delicat of thy ffare,
With dronke men do surfetys by excesse,
751
With woodecokkys lerne for to dare,
And sharpe thy knyff with pilours for pilage;
Lyke the market so preyse thy chaffare,
And lyke the audience so vttre thy language.
4
With an otir spare ryveer noon nor pond,With them that forett robbe conyngerys;
A bloodhound with bowe & arwe in hond,
Mawgre the wach of fosterys and parkerys;
Lyke thy felaship spare no daungerys,
For lyff nor deth thy lyff put in morgage,
Mong knyhtes, squyers, chanouns, monkes, fryers,
Lyke the audience vttir thy language.
5
Danyel lay a prophete ful notable,Of God preservyd in prysoun with lyouns;
Where God lyst spare, a tygre is nat vengable,
No cruel beestys, berys, nor gryffouns;
And yif thu be in cavys with dragouns,
Remembre how Abacuk brought the potage
So feere to Danyel, to many regiouns,
As caas requerith so vttre thy language.
6
With wyse men talke of sapience,With philosophres speke of philosophie,
With shipmen, seyleng that haue experience,
In troubly seis how they shal hem guye;
And with poetys talke of poetrye;
752
But where thou comyst in ony companye,
Lyke the audience so vttir thy language.
7
This litel ditee concludith in menyng,Who that cast hym this rewle for to kepe,
Mot conforme hym lyke in euery thyng,
Wher he shal byde, vnto the felashipe;
With wachmen wake; with sloggy folkes sleepe;
With wood men wood; with frentyk folk savage;
Renne with beestys; with wilde wormys creepe;
And like the audience vttir thy language.
VERBA TRANSLATORIS.
8
Mong alle thes I counceyl yit take heed,Wher thu abydest or reste in any place,
In cheef love God, and with thy love ha dreed,
And be feerful ageyn Hym to trespace;
With vertuous men encrece shall thy grace,
And vicious folk arn cause of gret damage,
In every ffelaship so for thysilf purchace,
Wher vertu regnyth, ther vttir thy language.
9
Be paied with litel, content with suffisaunce,Clymb nat to hih, thus biddith Socrates;
Glad pouert is of tresours moost substaunce,
And Catoun seith is noon so greet encres
Off wordly tresours, as for to live in pees,
753
I take record of Diogenees,
Which to Alisaundre had this language.
10
His paleys was a litel poore tonne,Which on a wheel with hym he gan carye,
Bad this emperour ride out of his sonne,
Which dempt hym-sylf richer than Kyng Darye,
Kept with his vessel fro wyndis moost contrarye,
Wherin he made daily his passage,
This philosophre with pryncys lyst nat tarye,
Nor in ther presence to vttre no language.
11
Attwen thes tweyne a greet comparysoun,Kyng Alisaundir he conqueryd al,
Diogenes lay in a smal dongoun;
Lyke sondry wedrys which turnyd as a bal,
Fortune to Alisaundir gaff a sodeyn ffal;
The philosophre disposed his coignage,
He thouht vertu was moor imperrial
Than his acqueyntaunce, with al his proud language.
12
Antonye and Poule dispised al richesse,Lyved in desert of wilful poverte;
Sesar and Pompey of marcial woodnesse,
By ther envious compassyd cruelte,
Twen Germanye and Affryk was gret enmyte;
No comparisoun twen good greyn and fforage;
Preise every thyng like to his degre;
And lyke the audience so vttir thy language.
754
13
I fond a lyknesse depict vpon a wal,Armed in vertues, as I walk up and doun,
The hed of thre ful solempne and roial,
Intellectus, Memorye, and Resoun;
With eyen and erys of cleer discrecioun,
Mouth and tonge avoiden al outrage,
Ageyn the vice of fals detraccioun,
To do no surfet in woord nor in language.
14
Hand and armys with this discrecioun,Wher-so man have force or ffebilnesse,
Trewly to meene in his affeccioun,
For fraude or favour to folwe rihtwisnesse;
Entrailes inward, devocioun with meeknesse,
Passyng Pigmalioun which graued his ymage;
Preyd to Venus, of lovers cheef goddesse,
To graunt it lyff and quyknesse of language.
15
Of hool entent pray we to Crist Iesu,To quyke a figure in our conscience,
Reson as hed, with membris of vertu,
Aforn rehersyd breeffly in sentence;
Vndir support of his magnificence,
Crist so lyst governe our wordly pilgrymage,
Tween vice and vertu to sette a difference,
To his plesaunce to vttren our language.
Explicit.
755
58. A FREOND AT NEODE.
Here begynneþe a Polletyke Balade Ryale made by
þat approbate Poete Lidegate þe Munk of Burye
with þe gode Refrayde, To fynde a freonde at neode.
1
Late whane Aurora of Tytane toke leve,Nought longe agone in a gladde mor[we]nyng,
Soole by my self walking in a greve,
Goldyne Phebus feyre in chare shyninge,
I harde a larke in maner compleyninge,
Seying þis refreyde, I toke þer off heede,
“Þe worlde is divers, ffortune is chaungyng,
Ful weele is him þat fyndeþe a freonde at neede.”
2
Gret noumbre of frendes in prosperiteeWhylest fortune sheweþe hir lookes glade;
Gret prees of coustume is abowte þe tree,
While þat boughes beon with fruytes lade;
But whane þe braunches beon bareine and fade
Þat he revested is in wynters weede,
Fare weele þe prees, þis liknesse þat I made,
Is agayne hem þat fayle þeire freonde at neede.
3
Þe ryche man haþe freondes gret plentee,Every wight redy til do him plesaunce.
But folke þat beon fallen in pouerte
Noman desireþe to haue þeire qweyntance,
To þeyme men chaunge chere and contenaunce,
756
Lat every man have þis in remembraunce
It is ful vnkouþe to fynde a freonde at nede.
4
Whilome Horaste was freonde vnto Pilade,Never to part as seyþe Ovydius,
In frowarde fortune ne in þeire stoundes glade,
So did Achilles and Patreolus,
Þe duc Prothee and eke duc Theseus,
Þeire thoughtes oone in herte, wille, and dede,
Giving ensaumple to prynces vertuous,
Howe gret a tresore to fynde a freonde at nede.
5
Kyng Dauid alsoo and freondly Ionathas,Loved as brether voyde of devisyoun,
Þey sparde not for daunger nor manasse
Ne for al Saulus fel parsecucyoun,
Ay to contynue in oone opynyoun,
And never dessever for no foreine dede,
Texemplefie by short conclusioun
Howe muche avayleþe to fynde a frende at nede.
6
Þer is a storye noted in substaunceOf knightes tweyne, Amys and Amylon,
As þey were lyke of chere and countenaunce,
Of all þeire fayture made none excepcion,
Booþe of one porte and one condicion
Hole, vndeparted of courage and manhede,
As by þere fatal constillacyoun
Echeone til oþer feythfull founde at nede.
7
Rethor Tulius, De Amicicia,Hyest of vertues frenship doþe preferre,
In þe hevenly courte supra cidera,
With gods goddesse caste heos beemis ferre,
In whos clere stremis pilgrymes may not erre,
What cooste or parte heos lightes for to shede,
A precyous tresore founde in pees and werre,
A man to fynde a feythful freonde at nede.
757
8
Þe doctrinal þus writeþe is me toldeÞereinne concludeþe pleinly by sentence,
For nuwe knowelegge chaunge not þy freondes alde.
Straunge bypathes doone offt gret offence,
Til vnkouþe folke þat fayle exparience
Vnto what parte þat pathe doþe hem lede,
By whiche ensaumple gif to my worde credence,
Kepe wele þat freonde þat wil not fayle at neede.
9
Þeos stately freondes boþe of worde and chere,Salmon calþe hem felawes at þe table,
As at feestis at dyners and sowpere,
With feyre byhestis as þey were vaillable,
But at þe point, adieux, al nys but fable,
Save worde and wynde conclusion of þeire crede,
As weþercok þeire faites beo founde vnstable,
Yitte wele is him þat fyndeþe a freonde at nede.
10
And who þat haþe his feithfull freonde ef wonneVndesseuered þeire hertis knitte in feere
Tulius seyþe, þeire frenship is lyche sunne,
Whane it sitte hyest in þe midday spere
Þat wyndy clowdes approchen man no nere,
Nothing but cleer heos bemys ay sprede,
Þeire frenship wol not twynne in no manere,
For lyff nor deþe to fayle his freonde at nede.
11
By þe counseyle of prudent Salamon,Yif þou of freondes make elleccion
By gode avyse cheese þee vnto such one,
Preved and expert of olde affeccion,
And whane þou haste of him pocession,
Þane for no nuwe þou chaunge him I þee rede,
Of golde of tresore make no comparisoun,
To him þat wil not fayle his freonde at nede.
12
Þere ben eke freondes founden for a tymeWheche þat endure but a smal saysoun,
Of whiche chaunge is aye þe nuwe pryme,
758
Gerisshe, stormisshe of entencion,
Liche march weder, let noman take hede,
Preyse as þou fyndest in þyne opynioun,
And chese þy freonde þat wol not fayle at neode.
13
Þe sone of Syrake called was Ihesus,Whiche in heos dytes hade so gret a fame,
Seþe þere beo freondes of langage glorious
Þeire worde and worke not lyke who list atame
For hem he callþe freonde but of name,
Þeire heestis suspecte, deperted is þeire wede,
But þey of frenship bere but þe surname,
Be no fals feynier, þat faileþe freonde at nede.
14
Alle one to me þat freonde þat doþe no gode,And þat enemye þat doþe me no damage,
As Ianus Byfronus twoo faces in oone hode
Byhinde and fore double of þeire vysage,
Peyse yee hem boþe with footeles avauntage,
Oone countrepeyse þeire love and þeire haterede,
A smal destinccion sette in þeire ymage,
Þeire trust, þeire hate conclude all one at nede.
15
Þere beon freondfull freondes in wele and woo,And ever elych[e] truwe in þeire entent,
And þere beo freondes, Salamon seyþe eke soo,
Feyning, flatering, fals, and fraudelente,
And some beo double of entendement,
Þat flourisshe and floure, but þei do not feede,
Of whome I may conclude in sentement,
Alle suche wol fayle þeire freonde at his neode.
16
Blessed þis man þat dooþe his freonde socour,Him to support at neode frome his mescheef,
Incomporable to golde or suche tresore,
Bavme or tryacle agenst alkyns greef,
Of pryce no charboncle ne perlle is so cheef,
759
He may beo marked and trusted, I let you leve,
As for to fynde so feythfull freonde at neode.
17
O Cryste Ihesu, whos frenship may not fayle,For love of man þat suffred passyoun,
And with Golye þat heldest gret battayle,
Oure Dauid þat sloughe bere and lyoun,
Oure Moyses, oure Gedeon, oure Sampson,
On Calvarie þat list for vs to blede
For Maries sake be oure proteccion
And helpe alle þoo þat calne þee at þeire nede.
59. A DITTY UPON HASTE.
Here enduth the songe on þis worde / Who sueth
vertu, vertu schall he leere / And begyneth the dite
on þis worde He hasteth weel þat wysely can abyde.
1
Alle haste is odious, where as discressionOff wylfulnesse hath non int[e]resse,
And sodeyne rauncour oppressed hath reson,
And extort power rebukyd riȝtwisenesse,
Nameli when fraude, flateri, & ffalsenesse
Geyne consience haue trouth[e] sette aside,
Afforne providid all surfetys to represse;
He hastuth weele þat wysely can abyde.
2
The hasti man ffayleth neuer woo,Haste contrarious enemy to sadnesse,
And wylful haste to wisdam gretteste foo,
760
Cheef of counsell to ffurius dronkenesse,
Spor of vengaunce whan woode man lyste ride,
In eueri mater Salamon bereth wittenesse,
He hasteth weele þat wyseli can abyde.
3
Geyne foltysche haste without avisinesse,Whan out of counsell exiled is prudence,
What folewuth aftur but rancour & rudenesse?
Lak of thre mirrouris longyng to prouydence
Of tyme passed, ffutur & presence,
Grounde of all damage for wantyng of a gyde,
To ffolewe þe councell of parfite pacyence,
He hastuth wele þat wysely can abyde.
4
Haste ageyne reson requireth repentaunce,Haste vnavysed braydeth on neclygence,
Haste puttuth al counseyle in distemperaunce,
Hasty report & hasti false credence,
Hasti mevyng & hasti violence,
In þem þat lyste not afforne provyde
For to remembre in þer advertence
He hastuth wele þat wysely can abyde.
5
Proverbiorum, Salamon speketh of thre,Alle were to hasti & noon of hem was good,
The ffyrste of them of ffurious cruelte
Was of kynde hasty to scheede bloode,
As whylom Cayme geyne Abel was to wood
For he in his offeryng lyste ryȝtfully devide,
Cayme accursed Abel in grace stood,
He hastuth wele þat wysely can abyde.
761
6
Off a nother Salamon bereth wyttenesse,Whech [hastith] faste toward his heritage,
Of coveytyse to gedre grete richesse,
In hope þerby to gete grete avauntage
He maketh his god of tresour & coygnage
What ffolewuth aftur, the schippes seyle wyde,
Such folke alday dye or þer myddyll age,
He hastuth wele þat wysely can abyde.
7
Tryste is not best þat cometh afforne his tyme,Ner hasty clymbynge to grete possession.
Nexte Phebus vpryste þe next oure is prime,
And mydday folewuth by iyste succession.
Caste weel þyn houres by revolucyoun,
Dethys horlage wul not passe his tyde,
Be-war þat complyne, preferre not his sesoun,
He hastuth wele þat wysely can abyde.
8
Hasty blosomes a sodeyne wynde doth [shake]The seluer deuh a-morewe clere schynynge
Wyth bryght bemes of Tytan been vptake,
Or heete of mydmorewe þe mystis doth doun brynge,
And þus his ffareth by hasty vp clymbynge,
Sodeyne rysynge doth sodeynly doun slyde,
Take þe moralite vpon þis worde thynkynge,
He hastuth weel þat wysely can abyde.
9
At prime-tens, men seen hit wel at ye,Hasty ffrutus haue no longe resydens,
Ryght feyre outward þe coore doth putrifye,
Dayly perceyuyd of olde experyence;
Clymbyng of beggers to worldely excellence,
762
What folewuth þerof? Al such false apparence
Though hit schyne outwarde, hit wyl no while abyde.
10
Eche thyng is beeste take in his sesoun,Thend of Auguste disposeth his ventagys,
Caneculer dayes bryng home venyson,
In May & Iune bryddys synge in cagys,
Corn at hervest is brought home by cariagys,
Off hey moneth Iule hath set þe tyde,
In temperat weder men goon on pylgrymagis,
He hastuth well þat wysely can abyde.
11
Asael was hasti of rennyng,More swyft of cours than outher hert or hynde,
Lyste not take of Abner the warnyng,
Sleyne for his hast In Regum as y ffynde,
Troian stori of Patroclus maketh mynde,
When he for hast geyne Hector wolde ryde,
Off presumpcyon his yen were to blynde
He hastuth weel þat wesely can abyde.
12
Furius hast made Hector lese his lyffOf hateful yre, for he ȝaff no credense
Vnto þe dreme of his notable wyff,
Causyng his deth by fatall influence,
Troyus champyoun cheff wall of þer defence,
Geyne Iunoos bydyng allas, why wolde he ryde?
Geyne Parchas sustren is made no resistence,
He hastuth weele þat wysely can abyde.
13
Achylles spere vnwarly made hym bleede,Perced his hert, þe heed was whette so keene,
Fortune quyt hym, ther stoory who lyste reede,
For haste he hadde toward Pollycene,
His deth compasyd by Ercula þe Queene,
763
That deth for deth departed þem betweene,
He hastuth weel þat wysely can abyde.
14
Hasty sechyng & rauaschyng of Heleyne,Whan Paris ryued vp at Citheron,
Maade Erles mortally dysdeyne,
Geyne Troians leyde siege to þer towne,
Looste ther relyquyt called Palladyon,
Froward cheer offeryng to Venes & Cupide,
Causyng the brennyng of ryche Ylion,
He hastuth weel þat wysely can abyde.
15
The amerous haste of Philles who lyste see,For longe abydyng of proude Demophon,
Maade sche was turned to a philbert tree,
And bare philbertis passyng grete ffuson.
Hasti desyris, wyfly affeccion,
Off Penolape recorde of Ovide,
For Vluxes fyl ofte sithes downe,
He hastuth weel þat wysely can abyde.
16
The hasti werres & þe ffurious rageAtwyxe þe tweyne ffamous myghti touns.
Atwene þe Romaynes & cite of Cartage,
Caused in Auffryk grete desolacyouns,
Deth & distruccyon of thre Scipions,
Tytus Lyuyus þer trivmphus wyl not hyde,
Concludyng thus monge all condicions,
That haste is beeste which wysely can abyde.
17
Euer be war of hasti ffrowarde speche,Kepe close þy tonge from rekeles langage,
Geyn hurt of tonges harde to fynde a leche,
764
Swyft of wynge sclaunder doth his message,
And frowarde ffame splayeth his fflyȝt ful wyde.
Good report is best in eueri age,
And haste is best þat wysely can abyde.
18
That hast is good wheche hastuth to vertue,And slouthe is good þat vengaunce doth differre.
Best of all hastus is haste towarde Ihesu,
Haste hym to serue for suche haste may not erre,
Criste brought [in] pees, Sathan brought in werre,
Pursewe for pees, & late pees be þy gyde,
Lette parfyte cherite be þy loode sterre,
Suche haste is beste who can þer-on abyde.
19
In wykkyd haste was neuer founde speede,Slouth to be vengid, men seyne such slouth is good,
Haste to Criste Ihesu meynt with loue & dreede,
Wyth remembraunce he starff apon þe Rood,
And for mankynde spent his presyous blood,
Wyth a scharpe spere persyng thourgh his syde,
To vynqusche Sathan no scheltron is so good,
As Cristus Passion who can þer on abyde.
20
Lerne in ȝouth to proffyte in vertu,Thyn[g]e take in ȝouth hath good impression,
A goode begynnynge requireth a good issu,
A good preamble a good conclusyon,
For vertuous lyff vertuous gwerdon,
His bryght bemes vertu can not hyde;
Haste in all perylys to Cristus Passion,
Embrace þat baner, & do þer-by a-byde.
Explicit quod Lydgate.
765
60. LOOK IN THY MEROUR, AND DEEME NOON OTHIR WIGHT.
1
Toward the eende of ffroosty Ianuarye,Whan watry Phebus had his purpoos take
For a sesoun to sojourne in Aquarye,
And Capricorn hadde vttirly forsake,
Toward Aurora a-morwe as I gan wake
A feldefare ful eerly took hir fliht,
To fore my study sang with hir fetheris blake:
“Look in thy merour and deeme noon othir wiht.”
2
Thouh the Pecok haue wengys briht and sheene,Grauntyd be nature to his gret avayl,
With gold and azour and emeroudis grene,
And Argus eyen portrayed in his tayl,
Berth up his fethrys displayed like a sayl,—
Toward his feet whan he cast doun his sight,
Tabate his pryde ther is no bet counsayll;—
Look in thy merour and deeme noon othir wiht.
3
The kyng of ffoulys moost imperyal,Which with his look percith the fervent sonne,
The Egle, as cheef of nature moost roial,
As oolde clerkys weel devise konne;
To Phebus paleys by flight whan he hath wonne,
What folwith aftir for al his gret[e] myght?
Bit men remembre vpon his fetherys donne;
Look in thy merour and deeme noon othir wiht.
766
4
In large lakys and riveers fressh rennyng,The yelwe Swan famous and aggreable,
Ageyn his deth melodyously syngyng,
His fatal notys pitous and lamentable;
Pleynly declare in erthe is no thyng stable,
His byl, his feet, who[so] look ariht,
In tokne of moornyng be of colour sable;
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
5
The hardy Lioun, of beestys lord and kyng,Whan he sit crownyd as prynce of wyldirnesse,
Alle othir beestys obeye at his biddyng,
As kynde hath tauht hem, ther lady & maistresse;
But natwithstondyng his bestial sturdynesse,
Whan he is moost furyous in his myht,
Ther comyth a quarteyn, seith in his gret accesse,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
6
The Tigre of nature excellith of swiftnesse,The Lynx with lookyng percith a stoon wal,
The Vnycorn, by musical swetnesse,
Atwen too maydenys is take and hath a fal;
Al wordly thyng turneth as a bal,
The Hert, the Roo, been of ther cours ful liht,
By ther prerogatives, but noon allone hath al;
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
7
Among alle beestys the Leoun is moost strong,Of nature the Lamb hath gret meeknesse,
The Wolff dispoosid by raveyn to do wrong,
The sleihty Fox smal polayl doth oppreesse;
To ffissh in watir the Otir doth duresse,
Greet difference atwix day and nyht,
Lak of discrecioun causeth gret blyndenesse,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
767
8
Thouh thu have poweer, oppresse nat the porail,Of o mateer was maad ech creature,
Pryde of a tyraunt a sesoun may prevayl,
A cherl to regne is contrary to nature;
No vengable herte shal no while endure,
Extort power nor fals vsurpyd myht,
Lyst for no doctryne nor techyng of Scripture,
Look in ther myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
9
Reyse vp a beggere that cam vp of nouht,Set in a chayer of wordly dignite.
Whan fals presumpcioun is entryd in his thouht,
Hath cleene forgete his stat of pouerte;
An asse, vp reysed vnto the roial see
Off a leoun, knowith nat day fro nyht;
A ffool lyst nat, in his prosperyte,
Look in his myrour and deem noon othir wiht.
10
Thus by a maner of simylitude,Tirauntys lyknyd to beestis ravynous,
Folk that be humble, pleynly to conclude,
Resemble beestys meek and vertuous;
Som folk pesible, som contrarious,
Stoundemel now heuy and now liht,
Oon is froward, anothir is gracious,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
11
Som man of herte disposed to pryde,By disposicioun of froward surquedye,
Som man may suffre and long tyme abyde,
Som man vengable of oold malencolye;
Som man consvmyd with hate and fals envye,
To hold a quareel whethir it be wrong or riht,
But vnto purpoos this mateer to applye,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
768
12
No man is cleer withoute som trespace,Blissed is he that nevir did offence,
O man is meeke, anothir doth manace,
Som man is fers, som man hath pacience;
Oon is rebel, anothir doth reuerence,
Som man coorbyd, som man goth vpriht;
Lat ech man cerche his owne conscience,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
13
Thynges contrary be nat accordyng,A poore man proud is nat comendable,
Nor a fayr saphir set in a copir ryng,
A beggers thret with mouth to be vengable;
Nor fayr behestys of purpoos varyable;
A lordis herte, a purs that peiseth liht;
Outward gay speche, in meenyng disseyvable;
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
14
Som yeue no fors for to be forsworn,Oonly for lucre abraydyng on falsnesse;
Som can dissymele and blowe the bukkys horn,
By apparence of feyned kyndenesse;
Vndir flours of fraudelent fresshnesse,
The serpent dareth with his scalys briht,
Galle vndir sugre hath doubyl bittirnesse,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
15
Cure nat thy conceyt with no feyned glosys,Som goldene flours have a bittir roote,
Sharp thornys hyd somtyme vndir roosys,
Fowl heyr oppressyd with synamomys soote;
Lat fals presumpcioun pley bal vndir foote,
Torchis comparyd to Phebus beemys briht;
What doth cleer perle on a bawdy boote?
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
769
16
Kynde in hir werkys can hyndre and preferre,Set differencys many moo than oon,
Attwen Phebus and a litel sterre,
Twen a fflynt and a precious stoon;
Twen a dul masoun and Pigmalioon,
Twen Tercites and Hector, a good knyht,
Lat euerey man gnawe on his owne boon,
Look in his myrour and deeme noon othir w[iht].
17
Som man is strong berys for to bynde,Anothir feeble preferryd with prudence;
Oon swyft to renne, anothir comyth behynde;
Oon hath slewthe, anothir diligence:
Som man hath konnyng, lakkith elloquence;
Som hath force, yit they dar nat fiht;
Pees most profiteth with this experience,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
18
Som man hath bewte, anothir hath goodnesseOon hath ioye, anothir aduersite;
Som man fortune and plentevous ricnesse,
Som man content and glad with pouerte;
Som oon hath helthe, anothir infirmyte;
What euyr God sent, thank hym with al thy myght;
Grucch nat ageyn, and lerne oon thyng of me,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
19
There is no gardeyn so ful of fressh flouris,But that ther been among som weedys seene;
The holsome roser for al his soote odouris,
Growith on thornys prykyng sharp and keene;
Alcestis flowr, with whit, with red and greene,
770
In stormys dreepith, conseyue what I meene,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
20
The somerys day is nevir or seelden seyn,With som cleer hayr, but that ther is som skye;
Nor no man erthly so vertuous in certeyn,
But that he may been hyndred by envye;
A voys distwnyd troublith al melodye,
As seyn musiciens which knowe that craft a-riht;
On trewe accoord stant al melodye;
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
21
Comparysouns conceyued in nature,By a moralite of vertuous lyknesse,
Lat euery man doon his besy cure,
To race out pride and sette in first meeknesse,
Geyn covetise compassioun and almesse;
Fro poore peple lat no man turne his siht;
Geyn flesshly lust, chastite and clennesse,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
22
Off euery man, by repoort of language,Affile thy tunge of trewe affeccioun,
Of hast nor rancour with mouth do no damage,
Restreyne thy corage fro fals detraccioun,
Fro flatrye and adulacioun;
Withstond[e] wrong, susteyne trewthe and riht,
Fle doubilnesse, fraude, and collusioun,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
23
No man of kynde is moore suspecious,Than he that is moost vicious and coupable,
By cause he halteth and is nat vertuous,
771
A gallyd hors wyl wyncen in a stable,
For noyse of sadlys, heuy outhir liht;
A fool that is by repoort repreeuable,
Shuld look yn his myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
24
That man for vertu may were a dyademe,With stoonys xij remembryd by auctours,
And as a kyng weel crowned he may beene,
That hath no weed growyng among his flours;
Thouh Aprille haue many soote shours,
Fro Iubiter an vnwar thundir liht,
Seith with an hayl fro Sagittaries tours,
Look in thy myrour and deeme noon othir wiht.
25
With vertuous pite and iust compassioun,Rewe on thy neihbour whan he is coupable,
Lat mercy modefie rigerous correccioun,
Alle we be synners thouh God be nat vengable;
We myht nat lyve but he wer merciable,
That his pacience peysed a-doun his riht;
Affore your doomys, ye Iuges moost notable,
Look in your merours or ye deeme any wiht.
26
Set a myrour of hih discreciounTo-fore youre face by polityk governaunce;
Farith faire with them that han contricioun,
And for ther surffetys in herte have repentaunce;
Lat nat your swerd be whet to do vengaunce,
Twen flat and egge thouh shapnesse tokne liht,
The flat of mercy preent in your remembraunce,
Look weel your myrour or ye deeme any wiht.
772
Lenvoye.
Go litel bille withoute title or date,And of hool herte recomaund[e] me,
Which that am callyd Iohn Lydgate,
To alle tho folk which lyst to haue pite
On them that suffre trouble and adversite,
Beseche hem alle that the shal reede a-riht,
Mercy to medle with trouthe and equyte,
Look weel your myrours and deeme noon othir wiht.
Explicit.
61. A SONG OF JUST MESURE.
1
By witte of man al thyng that is contryved,Standith in proporcioun, plainly to conclude,
In old auctours lyke as it is discryved,
Whether it be depnesse or longitude,
Cast out by compas of height or latitude,
By peyse, by nombre, tryed out by equite,
To voyde al errour fro folkis that ben rude,
Nothyng commendyd but it in mesure be.
2
Mesours of musyk bene the spieris nyne,Mevid by mesure with hevenly armony;
Lower in erth compas, squyer, and lyne,
Voyde al errours cause of geometrye;
Sownyng of instrumentis, concorde of mynstralcye,
773
Swetnesse of mesure causith al melodye,
By perfit musyk if it in mesure be.
3
Without mesure may non artificereIn his wirkyng parfitely procede,
Peyntour, steynour, mason, nor carpentere,
Without mesure accomplissh nat in dede;
Where mesure fayleth, wrong wrought is euery dede,
Of thyng to longe the superfluite
Mesure cutte of, and thus who can take heede,
Iche thyng is praysed if it in mesure be.
4
Whan mesure faileth in dome or iugement,Rightwisnes is tourned to woodenesse,
A rigurous iuge, a foltissh president,
With hate and rancour doth his vertu dresse;
Vengeaunce by envye theyre reason doth oppresse;
Whan they ben blynde and can no mesure se,
False rooted malice and cruel wilfulnesse,
Wil suffre no mesure in theyr court to be.
5
[A crownyd asse rude, that can no goode,That wylle play a countarffetyd lyon,
And he allso that is a cherll of blode
Brought vp of naght vnto dominacion;
A Scottysche hare lyke to a fell gryffon,
The lyknesse made contraryous of degre,
In theyr accord is no conuencion,
Nor in ther meethyng ther may no mesure be.]
6
An olde prouerbe, mesour is tresoure,Where mesure faileth is disconuenience;
In rethorik stant no parfite colour,
But if it be conveyed by cadence,
If mesure lak, what vailith eloquence?
774
Of euery craft and of eche scyence,
Receyvith his price, if it in mesure be.
7
[Who that presumythe to make in mytar or prose,Or to accomplyshe matters of poetry,
Withe-oute mesure to endyte texte or glose,
Or usyth his tonge in truthe or flaterye,
Oute of mesur, for to say sooth or ly,
Whan over-mykile is, and grett scarsete,
A mene is best eche man his witt to plye
What-evar he doo, that it in mesure be.]
8
[Temperyd by mesur is every medysyn,Proporcion sent unto the Apotecarie,
Helthe Recuryd, folowynge the doctryne
Ypocras set in his diatary,
Surfatt to mesure is noyous and contrarie,
Wher-by is causyd grett in-fermyte,
In this mattar what sholde I longar tarye,
Wher mesure reygnyth, ther may non exses be.]
9
Where mesure reygnith, subgettis lyve in peas;Roote of discorde is froward tyrannye:
Favour in mesure causith grete incres,
And out of mesure it causith grete envye.
Men must by mesour rigour modifye,
Atwixt love and hate mesure doth equyte;
Wherfor late souerayns vse this policye,
What-euer they do late it in mesure be.
10
Lete men be mesure werk other travaile,Mesoure biddith men do none outrages;
And he that euer of mesure takith counsaile,
775
The coke by mesour sesonyth his potages,
A temperat hete egall in oone degre,
By decoccioun to take theyr avauntages,
Aforn provyded that al in mesure be.
11
Disport with labour among is necessary;Travaile requyrith a recreacioun;
Pees and werre ben thynges ful contrary:
Mesure of eueriche grauntith his season;
Chaunge and diuersite of complexioun
In sundry agees set aduersite,
Nat to glad ne to hevy of condicioun,
But al is wele so it in mesure be.
12
That [play] is goode that causith no damage,Honest disport that causith none hyndryng.
Blessid of God is also that langage,
That kepith his tunge fro froward bakbytyng;
And blessid is he that saith wele of al thyng,
And blissed is he whiche in his pouerte,
List thank God, voyde of al grucchyng,
And doth nothyng but it in mesure be.
13
Late euery man wisely aduertise,He shal agayne receyve suche mesoure,
By egal peyse and in the same wise,
So as he weyeth vn-to his neyghboure;
Be it of hate, fauour, or rancoure;
The gospel tellith, lerne this of me,
So as thow weyest be mercy or rigoure,
The mesure same shal be don to the.
776
62. MESURE IS TRESOUR.
1
Men wryte of oold how mesour is tresour,And of al grace ground moost principall,
Of vertuous lyf[e] suppoort & eek favour,
Mesour conveyeth and governyth all,—
Trewe examplayr and orygynall,
To estaatys of hyll and lowe degree,
In ther dewe ordre, for, in especiall,
Alle thyng is weel so it in mesure be.
2
Mesure is roote of al good policye,Sustir-germayn vnto discrecioun,
Of Poopys, Prelatys, it beryth vp the partye,
Them to conduce in hyh perfeccioun,
To leve in preyour and in devocioun,
Yeve good exaunple of pees and vnite,
That al ther werkys, for shoort conclusioun,
With trewe mesure may commendid be.
3
Al theyr doctryne, nor all ther hoolynesse,Kunnyng, language, wisdam, nor science,
Studye on bookys, in prechyng besynesse,
Almesse-dede, fastyng, nor abstinence,
Clothe the nakyd with cost and dispence,
Rekne alle these vertues, compassioun, and pite,
Avayllith nought, pleynly in sentence
But ther be mesure and parfight charyte.
4
Myghty emp[er]ours, noble wourthy kynges,Pryncis, dukys, erlys, and barounnys,
Ther greete conquestys, ther surquedous rydynges,
But ther be mesure in ther condicyounnys,
That attemperaunce conveye ther renownys,
Rekne vp the noblesse of euery conquerour,
What availlith al ther pocessiounnys,
But ther ende conclude in iust mesure?
777
5
Kyng Alisaundre, that gat al myddyl-erthe,Affryk, Ayse, Ewrope, and eek Ynde,
And slowh Porrus with his dreedful swerde,
Yit in his conquest mesure was set behynde;
For which, ye lordys, lefft vp your eyen blynde!
The stoon of paradys was ffyn of his labour,
In al his conquest, haue ye wel in mynde,
Was sett ferre bak for lak of iust mesure.
6
Knyghthood in Grece and Troye the CiteTook hys principlys, and next in Rome toun,
And in Cartage, a famous greet cuntre,
Recoord of Hanybal and wourthy Scipioun;
The greete debaatys and the divisioun
Among these kyngdammys by marcial labour,
Fynal cause of ther destruccioun,
Was fawte of vertu and lakkyng of mesure.
7
To knyghthood longith the Chirche to suppoorte,Wydewys, and maydenys, and poore folke to diffende,
Men in ther ryght knyghtly to recoumfoorte,
To comoun profight nyght and day entende,
Ther lyff, ther good manly to dispende,
To punysshe extorcioun, raveyne, and ech robbour,
And brynge[n] alle vnto correccioun,
That be froward vnto the iust mesour.
8
Trewe iuges and sergeauntis of the lawe,For hate or frenshippe they shal ther doomys dresse,
With-oute excepcioun, and ther hand with-drawe,
Fro meede and yifftes alle surffetys to represse;
Holde trouthe and sustene rightwisnesse,
Mercy preferre alwey to-for rigour,
That fals for-sweryng haue there noon interesse,
For lak of trouthe and lak of iust mesour.
9
So egally ther doomys to avaunce,Of God and trouthe alwey to takyn hede,
And Cambises to haue in remembraunce,
778
Of poore folk, the causys they shall speede,
To moordre nor theffte they shal doo no favour,
In al ther doomys of conscience to dreede,
That ryght goo not bak, equite, nor mesour.
10
Meyris, sherevys, aldirmen, cunstablys,Which that governe bourghes and citees,
Kepith your fraunchise and statutys profitablys,
That moost avaylle may to the Comountees;
In no wise lese nought your libertees,
Accorde ech man with his trewe neyhbour,
As ye ar bounde to hih and lowh degrees,
That peys and wheyghte be kept, and iust mesour.
11
A-mong yoursilf suffre noon extorcioun,Let no wrong be doo vnto the poraylle,
On theffte and manslaughte doo execucioun,
Beth weel providid for stuff and for vitaylle;
Let no devisioun, Salamon doth counsaylle,
With-inne your-silf holde no socour;
And for a tresour which greetly may avaylle,
Among alle thyng kepe peys and iust mesour.
12
Famous marchauntys, that ferre cuntrees ryde,With al ther greete rychesse and wynnynges,
And artificerys, that at hom abyde,
So ferre castyng in many sundry thynges,
And been expert in wondirful konnyngges,
Of dyvers crafftys tavoyden al errour;
What may avaylle al your ymagynynges,
Withoute proporciouns of weyghte and iust mesour?
13
Rekne vp phesyk with all ther letuaryes,Grocerys, mercerys, with ther greet habundaunce,
Expert surgeyns, prudent potecaryes,
And all ther weyghtes peysed in ballaunce,
Masouns, Carpenterys, of Yngelond and of Fraunce,
779
All set at nought to rekne in substaunce,
Yiff peys or weyghte doo lakke, or iust mesour.
14
Ploughmen, carterys, with othir laborerys,Dichers, delverys, that greet travaylle endure,
Which bern vp all, and haue doon many yeerys,
The staatis alle set here in portrature,
On Goddys wyll, and also by nature,
Alle oon ymage diuers in ther degree,
Shulde be alle oon, by recoord of Scripture,
Be large mesour of parfight charyte.
15
Fro yeer to yeer thexperience is seyn,Ne were the plough no staat myght endure;
The large feeldys shulde be bareyn,
No corn vp-growe nor greyn in his verdure,
Man to suppoorte, nor beeste in his nature,
For which we shulde of trouthe for our socour
Wourshippe the plough, sithe euery creature
Hath of the ploughman his lyffloode be mesour.
16
So as the shepperde wacchith vpon ther sheep,The hoote somyr, the coolde wynterys nyght,
Spiritual heerdys shulde take keep
In Crystes foolde, with al ther ful[le] myght,
By vertuous doctryne as they ar holde of ryght,
To save ther sogettys fro wolvys fell rygour,
That heretikys quenche nat the lyght
Of Crystes feith nor of iust mesour.
17
Heerdys with sheep shul walke in good pasture,And toward nyght sewrly sette a foolde,
Of Isaac and Iacob a ful pleyn figure,
That wer shepperdws whyloom be dayes oolde;
Which lyk prelatys and bysshoppes as I toolde,
Thestaatys here sett in charyte shal governe,
By good exaumple in heete and froostys coolde,
That ryght and mesure shal holde vp the lanterne.
780
18
Strong as Herculees of manhood & of myght,I am set here to stondyn at dyffence,
Wrong to represse, and to suppoorte ryght.
With this burdoun of sturdy violence;
But vnto alle that wyl doo reuerence,
To alle the staatys sett here in portrature,
I shall to hem make no resistence,
That be gouernyd iustly be mesure.
19
Among boorys, beerys, and leounnys,Myn office is to walke in wyldirnesse,
Reste a-nyght in cavys and dongeounnys,
Tyl Phebus shewe a-morwen his bryghtnesse
Now stonde I here to kepe in sekirnesse
This hows in sewyrte, with al my besy cure,
To letyn in folk, that of gentilnesse
Lyst hem governe iustly be measure.
Explicit quod Lydgate.
63. AS A MYDSOMER ROSE.
1
Lat no man booste of konnyng nor vertu,Off tresour, richesse, nor of sapience,
Off wordly support, for al comyth of Ihesu
Counsayl, confort, discrecioun, and prudence,
Prouisioun, forsight, and providence,
781
Somman hath wisdam, somman hath elloquence,
Al stant on chaung, lyke a mydsomyr roose.
2
Holsom in smellyng be the soote fflourys,Ful delitable outward to the sight;
The thorn is sharp, curyd with fressh colouris,
Al is nat gold that outward shewith bright;
A stokfyssh boon in dirknesse yevith a light,
Twen ffair and foul, as God list dispoose,—
A difference atwix[en] day and nyght,
Al stant on chaung, lyke a mydsomyr roose.
3
Floures open vpon euery grene,Whan the larke, messager of day,
Salueth the vprist of the sonne shene
Moost amerously in Apryl and in May,
And Aurora, ageyn the morwe gray,
Causith the dayeseye hir crowne to vncloose;
Worldly gladnesse is medlyd with affray,
Al stant on chaung, like a mydsomyr roose.
4
Atwen the cokkow and the nightyngaleTher is a maner straunge difference.
On fressh braunchys syngith the woode-wale;
Iayes in musyk haue smal experyence,
Chateryng pyes whan they come in presence,
Moost malapert ther verdite to purpoose,
Al thyng hath favour breffly in sentence,
Off soffte or sharp, lyke a mydsomyr roose.
782
5
The roial lioun leete calle a parlement,Alle beestys abowte hym enviroun,
The wolff of malys, beyng ther present,
Vpon the lamb compleyned, ageyn resoun;
Said he maad his watir vnholsom,
His tendir stomak to hyndre and vndespoose;
Raveynours reigne, the innocent is bore doun,
Al stant on chaung, lyk a mydsomer roose.
6
Al wordly thyng braydeth vpon tyme,The sonne chaungith, so doth the pale moone,
The aureat noumbre in kalenderys set for prime,
Fortune is double, doth favour for no boone,
And who that hath with that queen to doone,
Contrariously she wyl his chaunce dispoose.
Who sittith hihest moost like to falle soone,
Al stant on chaung, like a mydsomyr roose.
7
The goldene chaar of Phebus in the hayr,Chasith mystes blake, that day dar not appeere,
At whos vprist mounteyns be made so fayr
As they were newly gilt with his beemys cleere;
The nyht doth folwe, appallith al his cheere,
Whan westerne wawes his streemys ouer-cloose,
Rekne al bewte, al fresshnesse that is heere,
Al stant on chaung, lyke a mydsomyr roose.
783
8
Constreynt of coold makith flours dareWith wyntir froostis, that they dar nat appeere.
Al clad in russet the soyl of greene is bare,
Tellus and Imo be dullyd of ther cheere
By revolucioun and turnyng of the yeere,
As gery March his stoundys doth discloose,
Now reyn, now storm, now Phebus bright & cleere,
Al stant on chaung like a mydsomyr roose.
9
Wher is now Dauid, the moost worthy kyngOf Iuda and Israel, moost famous and notable?
And wher is Salomon moost souereyn of konnyng,
Richest of bildyng, of tresour incomparable?
Face of Absolon, moost fair, moost amyable,
Rekne vp echon, of trouthe make no gloose,
Rekne vp Ionathas, of frenship immutable,
Al stant on chaung lyke a mydsomyr roose.
10
Wher is Iulius, proudest in his empyre,With his tryumphes moost imperyal?
Wher is Pirrus, that was lord and sire
Of Ynde in his estat roial?
And wher is Alisaundir that conqueryd al?
Failed leiser his testament to dispoose.
Nabugodonosor or Sardonapal?
Al stant on chaung like a mydsomyr roose.
11
Wher is Tullius, with his sugryd tonge?Or Crisistomus, with his goldene mouth?
The aureat ditees that be red and songe
784
The tragedyes divers and vnkouth
Of moral Senek, the mysteryes to vncloose?
By many example this mateer is ful kouth,
Al stant on chaung like a mydsomyr roose.
12
Wher been of Fraunce al the dozepeers,Which in Gawle hadde the governaunce?
Vowes of the Pecok, with al ther proude cheers?
The worthy nyne with al ther hih bobbaunce?
Troian knyhtis, grettest of alliaunce?
The fflees of gold, conqueryd in Colchoos?
Rome and Cartage, moost souereyn of puissaunce?
Al stant on chaung, like a mydsomyr roos.
13
Put in a som al marcial policye,Compleet in Affryk and boundys of Cartage,
The Theban legioun example of cheualrye,
At Rodamus Ryuer was expert ther corage,
Ten thousand knyhtes born of hih parage,
Ther martirdam, rad in metre and proose,
Ther goldene crownys, maad in the heuenly stage,
Fressher than lilies, or ony somyr roose.
14
The remembraunce of euery famous knyht,Ground considerid, is bilt on rihtwisnesse.
Race out ech quarel that is not bilt on riht;
785
Lawrer of martirs foundid on hoolynesse,—
Whit was maad red, ther tryumphes to discloose.
The whit lillye was ther chaast clennesse,
Ther bloody suffraunce was no somyr roose.
15
It was the Roose of the bloody feeld,Roose of Iericho, that greuh in Beedlem;
The five Roosys portrayed in the sheeld,
Splayed in the baneer at Ierusalem.
The sonne was clips and dirk in euery rem
Whan Crist Ihesu five wellys lyst vncloose,
Toward Paradys, callyd the rede strem,
Off whos five woundys prent in your hert a roose.
Explicit.
64. A PRAISE OF PEACE.
1
Mercy and Trouthe mette on an hih mounteyn,Briht as the sonne with his beemys cleer
Pees and Iusticia walkyng on the pleyn,
And with foure sustryn moost goodly of ther cheer,
List nat departe, nor severe in no maneer,
Of oon accoord by vertuous encrees,
Ioyned in Charite, pryncesses moost enteer,
Mercy and Trouthe, Rihtwisnesse and Pees.
786
2
Misericordia, ground and originalOf this processe Pax is conclusioun
Rihtwisnesse, of vertues pryncipal,
The swerd to modefye of execucioun
With a sceptre of discrecioun,
Ther sustir Equitas wil put hir silf in prees
Which with hir noble mediacioun
Sette alle vertues in quiete and in pees.
3
In this woord Pax, ther be lettrys thre,P set to-forn for polityk Prudence,
A for Augmentum, and moore Auctorite,
X for Χρυς moost digne of reverence,
Which on a cros, by mortal violence
With blood and watir wrot by a relees
Of our trespacys, and for ful confidence
With hym to regne in his eternal pees,
4
An inward pees ther is eek of the herte,Which callid is a pees of conscience,
A pees set outward, which that doth averte
To wordly tresours with to gret dilligence;
Glad pees in pouert, groundid on pacience,
Professyd to which was Diogenees,
Which gruchyd nevir for noon indigence
Such as God sent, content in werre and pees.
5
Ther is also a pees contemplatifOf parfiht men in ther professioun,
As som that leede a solitary lif
In fastyng, prayng, and devout orisoun
Visite the poore, and of compassioun
Nakyd and needy, and hungry socourlees,
And poore in spirit, which shal haue ther guerdoun
With Crist to regne in his eternal pees.
787
6
Pees is a princesse, douhtir to Charite,Kepyng in reste cites and roial touns,
Folk that be froward, set in tranquyllite,
Monarchies and famous regiouns
Pees preseruyth them from divisiouns,
As seith the philisophre, callid Socratees,
A-mong alle vertues makith a discripcioun
He moost comendith this vertu callid pees.
7
Pees is a vertu pacient and tretable,Set in quyet discoord of neihbours,
Froward cheerys pees makith amyable,
Of thorny roseers pees gradrith out the flours,
Makith the swerd to ruste of conquerours
Provided by poeetys, nat slouh nor reklees,
And mediacioun of wise enbassitours,
The spere, maad blont, brouht in love and pees.
8
And who that list plente of pees possede,Live in quyete fro sclaundre and diffame,
Our Lord Ihesus he muste love and drede,
Which shal preserve hym fro wordly trouble & shame,
This woord Ihesus in Nazareth took his name,
Brouht by an angil, which put hym silf in prees,
Whan Gabriel cam, the gospeleer seith the same,
Brouht gladdest tydynges þat evir was of pees.
9
And in reioisshyng of this glad tydyngAngelis song devoutly in the ayr
Gloria in excelsis at comyng of this kyng,
And thre kynges hauyng ther repayr
With a sterre that shoon so briht and fayr
Brouht hem to Bedleem, a place that they chees,
Of ther viage brouht out of dispayr,
Where, poorly loggyd, they fond the kyng of pees.
788
10
Briht was the sterre ovir the dongoun moostWher the Heuenly Queen lay poorly in iesyne,
With the seven douhtren of the Hooly Goost
On hire awaytyng, moodir and virgine,
Tofore whos face lowly they did enclyne,
Song Laudes Deo pastores doutlees,
Fyl doun to ground, bowyd bak and chyne,
And of ther song the refreit was of pees.
11
Of thes seven douhtren of the Hooly Goost,Caritas in love brente briht as levene,
And for bicause that she lovyd moost,
Hir contemplacioun, rauht vp to the heuene.
The next sustir in ordre, as I can nevene,
Was Pacience, which put hir silf in prees,
And moost was besy of alle the sustryn sevene
Folk at discoord to settyn hem in pees.
12
Gaudium in Spiritu to reiosshe euery wrong,For Cristes comyng among her sustrys alle,
With a glad spirit this was hir newe song,
Gaudete in Domino, born in an oxis stalle,
A newe myracle in Bedleem is now falle,
Kyng Dauid-is heir mong prophetis perlees,
Shal at Ierusalem in that royal halle
As lord of lordys callyd souereyn lord of pees.
13
In thes seven sustryn was no divisiounCheef of ther consayl wac Humylitas,
Content with litel was Discrecioun,
Moost meke of alle was Leta Paupertas,
Alle of accord, cause that Benignitas
Set governaunce, that none was reklees,
Of cardinal vertues perfecta societas,
What-evir they wrouhte, concludid vpon pees.
789
14
Thes sustryn alle, pacient and pesible,Lyk ther princesse, moost fayr, moost gracious,
Callyd Maria, as ferre as was posible
Fulfilled with vertues she was moost plentevous,
Queen of Hevene lay in a symple hous,
A poore stable mong beestys rewleless
An oxe, an asse, no courseers costious,
In a streiht rakke lay ther the Kyng of Pees.
15
At Cristes birthe, as I reherse can,This pees cam in almoost at merk mydnyht,
Tyme of thempyre of Octovian,
Whan Sibile cast hir look vpriht
Toward the Orient, and sauh an auhteer briht
Callyd Ara Celi, of beute peerlees,
Theron an empresse, moost fayr of face and siht,
A child in hir armys, callyd cheef Lord of Pees.
16
This pees of grace long while did endure,Tyme that iij. kynges wer conveyd with the sterre,
Tyl Herodes, of froward aventure,
Geyn Ihesus by malys gan a werre,
Sent his knyhtes both[e] nyh and ferre,
Slouh Innocentys, of malys giltlees,
In Bedleem boundys this Tyraunt list so erre,
Ageyn the prynce callyd souereyn Lord of Pees.
17
This Herodis, tiraunt ful of pryde,In his malys surquedous and cruel,
Thoruh alle the citees that stood there be-syde,
Slouh alle the childre, geyn Crist he was so fel;
Of compassioun moost pitously Rachel
Wepte whan she sauh the knyhtes mercilees,
Slouh so hir childre, born in Israel,
For his sake souereyn Lord of Pees.
790
18
Ther be figures dolorous of pite,Of fals tyrauntes vengable to do wraak,
Caym slouh Abel for his gret equite,
Attwen Ismael was stryff and Isaak,
Esaw wolde haue founde a laak
Cause that Iacob was put out of prees,
By Rebecca a while set a-baak,
Atwen the brethre, tyl ther wer maad a pees.
19
The Apocalips remembryd of seyn Iohn,In his avisiouns the Ewangelist took heede,
With a sharp swerd he sauh ridyng Oon,
Fers and proudly vpon a poleyn steede,
Of colour reed, his iourne for to speede,
By his array vengable and reklees,
Whos power was bothe in lengthe and breede
To make werre and distroye pees.
20
His swerd wex bloody in the mortal werre,Attween Grekys and them of Troye toun,
Gan spreede abrood, bothe nyh and ferre,
Thebes aforn brouht to destruccioun,
Kyng Alisaundre put Darye doun,
In Perce and Meede, the crowne whan he chees,
Vowes of the Pecok, the Frenssh makith mencioun,
Pryde of the werrys moost contrary vnto pees.
21
Othir werrys, that were of latter age,Afftir Ierusaleem and gret Babiloon,
Werrys attween Roome and Cartage
Of thre Scipiouns, moost souereyn of renoun,
Rekne Hanybal, the proude champioun,
Brak Rome wallys, furyous and reklees,
At the laste stranglyd with poisoun,
Of marcial ire koude lyve nevir in pees.
791
22
Al werre is dreedful, vertuous pees is good,Striff is hatful, pees douhtir of plesaunce,
In Charlys tyme ther was shad gret blood,
God sende vs pees twen Ynglond and Fraunce;
Werre causith povert, pees causith habundaunce,
And attween bothen for ther moor encrees,
Withoute feynyng, fraude, or varyaunce,
Twen al Cristene Crist Ihesus send vs pees.
23
The Fifte Herry preevyd a good knyht,By his prowesse and noble chivalrye,
Sparyd nat to pursue his riht,
His title of Fraunce and of Normandye,
Deyed in his conquest, and we shall alle dye,
God graunt vs alle, now aftir his discees,
To sende vs grace attween ech partye,
By loue and charyte, to live in parfiht pees:
24
Criste cam with pees at his Natiuite,Pees songe of angelis for gladnesse in Bedleem,
And of his mercy to make vs alle fre,
He suffryd deth at Ierusaleem,
The day wex dirk, the sonne lost his beem,
The theef to Paradys by mercy gan in prees,
Gladdest kalendis to euery Cristen reem,
For vs to come to evir-lastyng pees.
Explicit quod Lydgate.
792
65. RYME WITHOUT ACCORD
1
All thyng in kynde desirith thyng i-like,But the contrary hatis euery thyng,
Save only mankynd can neuer wele lyke,
Without he have a volumus livyng,
Flesshly desire, and gostly norisshyng,
In oone persone can neuer be wrought,
Fuyre and water, to-gyder al brennyng,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
2
A man that vsith to serve lordis twayne,The whiche holdith contrary to oone oppynioun,
To please hem both, and serve no disdayne,
And to be triewe, without touche of treasoun,
Now to talk with that oon, and with that other rowne,
To telle hym a thyng that neuer was [i]-wrought,
And to bryng this to a goode conclusioun,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
3
A myghti kyng, a pore regioun,An hasty hede, a comunalte nat wise,
Mikel almes-dede and false extorcioun,
Knyghtly manhod, and shameful cowardise,
An hevenly hevene, a peyneful paradise,
A chast doctryne with a false thought,
First don on heede, and sithen witte to wise,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
4
Freely to spende and to folwe covetise,To se burgyons on a dede drye stok,
A gay temple withoute divyne service,
A byrdles cage, a key withouten lok,
A tombe shyppe alway ridyng on a rok,
A riche bisshop convauncyd with right noght;
And to bryng this to a goode [OMITTED]
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought,
793
5
To have a galle, and be clepid a douffe,To be my friend, and gyve me false counsaile,
To breke myn hede, and yeve me an houffe,
To ben a prist, and fight in eche bataile,
To lye in bedde, and a strong castel to assaile,
To be a merchaunt, where nothyng may be bought,
To have a wyf with a fikel tayle,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
6
A prowde hert in a beggers brest,A fowle visage with gay temples of atyre,
Horrible othes with an holy prist,
A iustice of iuges to selle and lete to hyre,
A knave to comande and have an empire,
To yeve a iugement of that neuer was wrought,
To preche of pees and sette eche man on fyre,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
7
A leche to thryve where none is sore ne sike,An instrument of musyk withouten a sown,
A scorpion to be both mylde and meke,
A cloyster man euer rennyng in the towne,
First to kille and sith to graunt pardoun,
To yeve a stone to hem that of brede the besought,
To make a shippard of a wielde lyoun,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
8
A lewde wrecche to were a skarlet gowne,With blac lamb furre without purfile of sable,
A goode huswyf alwey rennyng in towne,
A chield to thryve that is vnchastisable,
But euer inconstaunte and lightly chaungeable,
To make moche of them that neuer wol be [o]ught,
And take a Rome Renner without a lesyng fable,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
9
Religioun men alway wonnyng in the court,Also curatis evil ther children to love,
To be forsworn they hold it but a bord,
794
The riche man cherissith the poore to robbe and reve,
Hym to disseyve that of trust the besought,
To hele dede men with gresse on the greve,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
10
To do reddour alwey without grace or mercy,A powche ful of straw, a prowde purs penyles,
Trew tayled land ayenst the right to bye,
A blynde borne man to pley wele at chesse,
First to dyne and after go to messe,
A chield without noryce to be vpbrought,
To kepe trewe weight and selle peper by gesse,
It may wele ryme, but it accordith nought.
11
Now almighti God, sith it is as thow wost,Among mankynd made suche variaunce,
Send downe thy sonde from the Holi Gost,
And festen in vs love and concordaunce;
And with suche dedis, Lord, thow vs avaunce,
That we be neuer streyned with worme nor mought,
And bryng vs al to thyn enheritaunce,
With thi precious bloode, as thow vs bought.
795
66. SAY THE BEST, AND NEVER REPENT.
[Ballade.]
1
Who seith the best shal neuer repent,A vertu callid of full grete reuerens;
For euery wiseman, to saue hym from reprefe,
Doth kepe his tong fful couert in scilens;
And men that bith most expert in prudens
Seyn of old tyme, that “tong brekith boone,”
Of his nature, “though he hymself haue none.”
2
Crokid langage is a ful perilous thefe,Robbith the fame of vertuous innocens,
Take the darnel and cast corn fro the sheffe,
Sugurat gall with aureat eloquens,
Noise of disslaunder is wers þan pestilens,
Which comyth of tonges as men se mo þan oon,
And brekyth bonys though he hymself haue none.
3
Hit were bettir he fed hym on raw [befe],Than with his slaundir mortal violens,
So for to sett his venym at a prefe,
To hurt a man which is not in presens,
And faile treacle to make resistens;
Ageyn such tonges as persse vnto þe boone,
Of their nature, þou þei hamself haue none.
4
Of viceȝ al, to seyn euyl is the chef,That maybe told or rekenyd in sentens,
For cankerid mouthis doth most mortal grefe,
Namly when princeȝ list to yeue hem audiens,
For slaughtyr of sword doth not so grete offens
As mordir of tonges, expert of yore agone,
For he brekith bonys though he himself haue none.
796
5
He gaderith vp the vicious relefeOf menneȝ maners be froward diligens,
Disseuerith frendship of folk þat were most lefe,
And cuttith asondir theire old benevolens,
For ech fals tong hath þis, of experiens,
Ageyn eche vertu to abutt anoone,
Thus brekith he bonys, and hymself hath none.
[Text.]
6
When the siluer deweȝ soteFrom the heuyn down gan still
To bryng the bawme oute of the rote,
Aftyr kalendes of Aprill,
Within a park I found a bill
Vndir a bank beside a bent,
Directid to folk þat lyst speke yll,
“Who seith the best shall neuer repent.”
7
To sey the best, hit greuyth nought,Both of folkes hiegh and low,
Lete the trouth be first out sought,
And deme no man till þou hym know;
Among good greyn no cockill sow
To peyr no man in thyn entent,
A foole hath redy bent his bow
To shete his bolt, till he repent.
8
For in this world þer is no man,Where so a man to list fer sech,
Nor so vertuous no woman,
But may be hynderid be cursid spech
Venym of tung doth grete wrech,
And al þat euer þer-to assent,
For with þis lesson I wil hym tech,
“Who seith the best shal neuer repent.”
797
9
Alas, fals conspiracion,Hath hynderid many a creature,
Vnkynd subplantacion,
Who may the sore ther-of endure?
The wound ther-of hath no mesure,
Hit perssith deppir þan doth a tent,
Take heed, therfore, to this scripture,
“Who seith the best shal neuer repent.”
10
A word, when hit is onys i-spooke,May not be callid ayen of new;
When tonges arn to wyde vnlooke,
Hit makith many man to rew.
Theire spech is clad in dowbill hwe
To compace thynges þat neuer was ment,
Thei slaundir falsly folkes trew,
Ho seith the best shal neuer repent.
11
Most perilous hurt þat is on lyueAs inward smytyng at the bak,
A bacbiter for to discryue
Behynd folk he doth most wrak.
On folk absent he settith a bak,
Of such as be most innocent;
Of lesinges so i-stuffid is his sak,
That folkes welfare he doth repent.
12
And tho tunges be most to witeThat for suger yeuyn gall
Ageyn good wol hamself delite
To sey the worst in boure and hall,
And to eclipsyn and apall
Ech thyng be appeyrment
Therfore I sey to one and all
Who seith þe best shal neuer repent.
13
Caton writith þat good tungOf vertuous hath the first price,
No man may stop whan thei be rong,
798
A slaundir of one goth vp so suyse,
By fals report or iugement;
Therfore folk[es] þat be wise,
To sey the best shal neuer repent.
14
There is som tong can mater ffynd,Afore folk to fflatyr and glose,
And cursidly can sey behynd,
And of fals slaundir his sak vnclose,
Resemblyng and braydyng on a rose,
Outward fayre, and thorn in his entent,
Wherfore late ech man hym dispose
To sey wele, and he shal neuer repent.
15
Ther was on callid Diotropes,Of whom Seynt Iohn makith mencion;
Whois tong couth neuer be in pees
But brought folk at discencion,
With fals spech and detraxcion,
For ech mannys tong was rent,
Wherfore ech of such condicion
Were good to chaunge lest he repent.
16
Many a lady and princesseOf hiegh estate, and many a maide
Tonges haue brought in heuynesse,
Th[r]ough slaundir of tong falsly seid,
And where the venym doth abreid
Of recles tonges necligent,
Therfore, remembr the on þat I seid,
“Who seith þe best shal neuer repent.”
17
Salamon be writyng berith record,He had abhominacion
Of tonges þat shew fals discord,
Among folkes by diuysion;
By hois cursid conclusion
799
Therfore lern in this lesson,
Who seith þe best shal neuer repent.
18
Sey the best of more and lesseOf low also and hiegh estate,
Lete not langage to sone passe
Nor bryng no folkes at debate.
To their name sey not chekmate,
Speke not withoute avisement
But lern this word, erly and late,
“Who seith the best shal not repent.”
19
Good seing doth ful greete plesaunce,To God truly and to ech man.
Ther folowith þer-of no repentaunce
Who to hym first þat slaundir ganne.
The poison fro the Deuyll out-ranne
Rote and branch fro hym oute went,
Therfore þe best reed þat I canne,
To sey wele and hit neuer repent.
20
Ther is no wers þat thei þat most deme,Ne more lewdir in theire lyuyng,
For with a circumstaunce thei make to seme,
Wele trewir in tast þan euer was trew thyng.
And al is long in cursid fauoryng
Of them þat lust hire of such oblocucion,
Almyghty Ihesu, heuyn kyng,
Staunch cruel tonges and fals detraxion.
21
Nature of God askith vengeaunceOn falshed and vnkyndnes,
For þer is neithir sword nor launce
So whet to kerue with sharpnes,
As tonges ful of doubylnes,
For all the world with hem is shent,
Therefore, for most sekyrnes,
Who seith þe best shal neuer repent.
Et ibi finis Inde.
800
67. SEE MYCHE, SAY LYTELL AND LERNE TO SOFFAR IN TYME.
1
See myche, say lytell, & lerne to soffar in tyme;Emprynte thes thre in thy remembraunce.
Lyke as the mone chaungith a-fore the pryme
So faryth this worlde, replett with variaunce.
Ofte lewde langage cawsyth gret distaunce,
Wherefore wyse Caton seythe to olde and yonge,
“The first cheffe vertwe is to kepe oure tonge.”
2
So wolde God, that thes fals tonges allMovynge and clappyng lyke þe leffe of aspe,
Whos daly venym more bittar is then galle,
Were bounden eche one & closed with a claspe
Tyll trwthe & temparaunce lyst them to wnhaspe;
For falce detractyon, lesyng, and slaundar
Hathe slayne more people then dyde kynge Alisander!
3
Yff in this lyffe thow wilt encrese & echeThy worldely ioye, thyne ease, and thyn welfare,
Be well avysed at all tymes of thy speche,
And safe the sure frome Sathan and his snare.
Ofte fals report of tonges kyndels care;
Wherfore in spekynge at no tyme is he ydell
That can his tonge att alle tymes wyselye brydell.
4
A lytell sparke ofte sette a tonne a-fyreBut when it [brennythe], it is not lyghtely quent.
O worde myse spoken may bringe the in the myre.
801
A falce tonge may floryshe well and peynt
As for a while, but evar the end is shame;
And wo is hym whos tonge hath lost his name.
5
Lytell medelynge causeth quiete & rest;Ovar busy was nevar yet commendable.
Loke where thow art in dout, & deme þe best,
Dele not with dobblenesse, ne be not dessayvable,
Recheles and rakle ar offt tymes reprevable;
Wherfore, thy self and thow wolt kepe fro cryme,
Se myche, sa[y] lytell, and lerne to suffar in tyme.
Explicit (Lidgat)
68. EVERY THING TO HIS SEMBLABLE.
“A NATURAL BALADE BY LYDEGATE.”
Here nowe followeþe a balade ryal made by Lidegate
affter his resorte to his religyon with þe refrayde
howe every thing draweþe to his semblable.
1
Trete every man as he is disposed;With holy men entrete of holynesse,
Þambissyous man loveþe to be glosed,
Þe marcyal prynce to here of hys prowesse,
Þe hardy knight of werre and worþynesse,
Þe rightful iuge to make heos doomes stable,
Þamorous squyer relesse of his distresse,
Thus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
802
2
The conqueror reioyeþe heos victoriesAnd heos tryvmphus gladde in his entent,
Þastrologier of heos aquatories
With þastrelabur to take þascendent,
Moeving of sterres, coursse of þe firmament,
Constillacions for to make hem greable,
By influence doune frome heven sent
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
3
Philosofres trete of philosophye,With þe marchande of tresore and richchesse,
And with þe poete entreteþe of poesye,
With gentylemen entrete of gentylesse,
And serve þe ruyde affter þeire rudynesse,
Who correyþe horsse resorteþe to þe stable,
Plowman in tilthe settþe al his besynesse,
Þus every thinge draweþe to his semblable.
4
Men þat beon entirde into religyounEntrete and talke of þeire obedyence,
Musyssyen of instrument and sovne,
Rethorien of craffte of elloquence,
Þe vercefyour of metres and cadence,
Geometryen sette markis covenable,
By squyre and compas to showe evydence,
Howe every thing draweþe to his semblable.
5
Þe smyth in forging, þarmorier in aremure,In steele tryinge he cane al þe doctryne,
By crafft of Ewclyde mason doþe his cure,
To suwe heos mooldes ruyle, and his plumblyne,
Þe craffty ffynour cane þe golde wele fyne,
803
Maþe saphyres, rubyes, on a foyle to shyne,
Þus every þing draweþe to his semblable.
6
Þalknamystre treteþe of myneralles,And of metalles þe alteracyouns,
Of sulphur, mercury, of alomys, of sallis,
And of þeire sundry generacyouns,
And what is cause in þeire comixstyons,
Why somme beo clene, some leprous, and not able,
Fixing of spirites with sublymacions,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
7
In ryche colours delyteþe þe peyntour,Þe ymageour in ymages of entayle,
And in proporcion reioyeþe þe steynour,
Þe brouderer in vnkouþe apparayle.
Þe man of armes in plate and stronge mayle,
Þe tayllours slye, to shewe hemself notable,
In nuwe devyse [to] Fraunce, Duche, and Ytayle,
Þus every thinge draweþe to his semblable.
8
Of waters demyng þe phisicyen,Of þe comfytes þexspert appoticarye,
Of þemplastres treteþe þe surgen,
Of moderate dyete as þe yeere doþe varye,
Þe famous clerk haþe ioye of his librarye,
As for tresore to him mooste acceptable,
Grossiers of baales and divers letwarie,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
9
Þe besye hunter is gladde to fynde game,Þe fissher leyþe heos nettis and heos dragges,
Þe foouler murþerþe þe wylde with þe tame,
804
With hevy lumpes to stuffe heos large bagges,
Selleþe hem for money whane þey beo chargeable,
Þe turffman turff, þe ffenman [delvith] flagges,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
10
Prevydent husbandes done þeire dilygenceThorowe oute þe yeere þeire saysouns for to knowe,
Devoyding slouþe and froward necgligence,
To cheese þeire tymes whane þei shal eyre or sowe,
Þeire haye, þeire corne, to repe, bynde, or mowe,
Sette oute þeire falowes, pastures, and lande ayreable,
Governe þeire hyrdes affter þe wynde doþe blowe,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
11
[The gardyner in erbis and in rootis,The laborer doth hegge about his croft,
The cordewaner on sundry shone and bootis,
And on the last for to tourne hem oft,
The curriour on ledres hard and soft
To the weryng to make hem profitable.
Plummers on stieplis and towris clymming aloft,
Thus euery thyng drawith to his semblable.]
12
Þe glover casteþe to make heos gloves sheyte,Þat þey sitte streyte vppon þe mans hande,
Þe marynier amonge þe wawes weete,
Holdeþe his coursse to many vnkouþe lande,
By the streytes of Marroke and many dredful sande,
And ryde on ankre tyed with many a cabull,
Til þey arryve and reste hem on þe strande,
Þus every thinge draweþe to his semblable.
805
13
Wevinge of clooþe, of wol, and eke of lyne,In bookis olde as men may rede and see,
Was one þe first as autours do termyne,
Of þe seven crafftes called mechanycee,
And Cayme was first þat bylde feire citee,
By masonry[e] made it defensable,
And sloughe Abel of hateful cruweltee,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
14
Þe pyebaker leteþe heos pyes blode,With stobul-geesse selleþe garlec dere,
Þe vynter, gladde of vendages goode
Of beestis fatte reioyeþe þe bochier,
Parkis replenisshed gladeþ þe parker,
And in comparysoun of thinges comporable,
Þe ffatter conyes þe gladder þe wariner,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
15
Þe mighty archier in bowes that beo stronge,In craffty takle boosteþe þe fflechcher,
Þe ioynours of bourdons, of speres [round and longe],
In feyre knyves gladeþe þe cuttiller,
Of sharp swerdes þe ffourbour garnisshed clere
Made for þe werre of proef vnreprevable,
Champyoun ful gladde, withouten pere,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
16
Þe chappechirche þe persone cane deceyve,Þe fals and coveytous acorded be,
Þe patrouns to permute lycence to resceyve,
806
Frome þeire prelate comþe þavctorite,
Archedens and denys þer to beo favourable,
Þey alle acorde vppon duplicyte,
Þeos folkes alle drawen to þeire semblable.
17
At sessyons and assyses þere moste cheef,Iurours al redy þere, for-sworne for mede,
To honge þe truwe and save þerrant theef,
Tendyte preestis of God þey haue no drede,
Þe belleweder to fore þe daunce doþe lede,
Echone acurst in conscyence ful coupable,
Ley hande on booke þe Sysour taþe none hede,
For every thing draweþe to his semblable.
18
A shrewed payer maþe muche longe delaye,With fals byhestis and fals flatterye,
Ay gladde to borowe and looþe ageine to paye,
He haþe of custume where he cane best aspye,
Where men haue golde, þider wol he hye,
Creaunce on weddis with face receyvable,
And feyrest speker whane he casteþe to lye,
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
19
Gladde is þe larke Aurora to salue,Þe nightingale on cedres for to singe,
Gladde is þe mawvys as it is til him duwe,
Kalendes of [Aprill and of May to] brynge,
Gladde is þe throstel whane þe floures spring[e]
807
For ioye þey proigne hem evyry mor[we]nyng
Þus every thing draweþe to his semblable.
20
Gladde beo beestis to walke in þeire pasture,Þe raveynous wolff and þe stowte lyoun,
Þe swyfft tygre his ravyne to recure,
And for to stynge glad is þe scorpyoun,
So to devowre wol þe foule dragoun,
Ay of his kynde þe serpent to vengeable,
And þus of natural inclynacyoun,
Every thing draweþe to his semblable.
21
[Iren is drawer] of þademantes stone,Þe gootis blode dissolveþe it of nature,
Þe mighty Achate, auctours seyne eche one,
Of heos enemys doþe victorye recure
Þus of kynde here every creature,
Reioyseþe him, soþely it is no fable,
His owen place of nature holdþe most sure
And causeþe him to drawe to his semblable.
22
Man was ordeynde talyved in Paradys,Til he was founde frowarde of entente,
Lefft Goddes heeste, þerfore he was not wyse,
And gaf his credence to a fals serpente,
Forsoke his dwelling aboffe the firmament,
Chase eorþely thinges of nature corumpable,
And was frowarde by fals avysement
Til drawe to God, to whome he was semblable.
808
23
God gaf to man hevenly intelligenceWith heos aungelles þat beon so hye in heven,
Feoling with beestis more excellence,
Lyving with trees as clerkis cane it neven,
Knowing of ellementis þe thondres leven,
Beinge with stoones excepte he is chaungeable,
To knowe þe Kyng above þe sterres seven
Sith He to hem of nature is semblable.
24
Þe heven ordeynde for folke contemplatyff,Þe worlde for men þat þereindwelle,
As fore deserte here in þis present lyff
Þe goode gone vp, þe curssed drawe to helle,
Affter þeire merytes eche shal haue his celle;
O Lorde of Lordes, þat art so mercyable,
In Paradys graunte vs drynke of þe welle,
Whiche to þyne ymage madest man semblable.
25
Lyfft vp þyne eyeghe, man, and have rewarde,Vnto þat lord þat is þy saveour,
Þyne hertes looke caste not bakwarde,
Which with his bloode was þy redemptour,
Made þee of nought and was þy creatour,
Of his gret mercy which is incomporable.
Prerogatyff moste souereine of honour,
Vn-to his ymage list make þee semblable.
Explicit.
809
69. THAT NOW IS HAY SOME-TYME WAS GRASE.
Here begyneth a balade whych Iohn Lydgate the
Monke of Bery wrott & made at þe commaundement
of þe Quene Kateryn as in here sportes she
wallkyd by the medowes that were late mowen in the monthe of Iulij.
1
Ther is full lytell sikernesHere in this worlde but transmutacion,
The sonne by þe morowe gyvyth bryghtnes,
But towardes eve his bemes gon downe.
And thus all thynge, be revolucion,
Nowe ryche, now pore, now haut, now base,
By resemblaunce to myn opynyon,
That now is heye some tyme was grase.
2
Take hede nowe in this grene mede,In Apryll howe thes floures sprynge,
And on theyr stalke splaye and sprede
In lustye May in eche mornynge;
But whan Iuyn cometh, the ben droppynge,
And sharpe sythes lygge them full base,
Therfore I seye, in my wrytynge,
That nowe is heye som tyme was grasse.
3
Thes rede roses and the whyteAt mydsomer bene full fresche & soote,
Then folke gretly them delyte
To them to smelle for hertes bote;
Then sone a geyne in-to theyr rote
The bawme of them is brought full base,
Theyr vertwe lythe than vndar fote,
That nowe is hey som tymes was gras.
810
4
In somer men here the nyghtyngalle,And fele fowles in theyr armonye,
Erly and late on hylle and vale
That makyn full hevenly melodye;
But in wyntar, who lyst aspye,
Theyr lowde songe is browght full base,
By whiche ensample I may applye
That now is heye some tyme was grase.
5
Ther may nothynge here longe contynueFor to endure in his freshenys,
The whelle so turnythe of Dame Fortune
By chaungynge of her doublenes,
For olde defasethe all fayrenys,
And all beawtie bryngyth full base.
So here a sample and a lyknes
That now is heye some tyme was grase.
6
Wymen that bene most freshe of faceAnd moste lusty in all theyr corage,
Proses of yeres can all defface,
And chaunge the colours of theyr vysage,
“Chekemate to beawtye,” seyth rymplyd age,
When theyr fayrnys is browght full base;
Behold ensample in yowr passage
That now is hey some tyme was grase.
7
Whilome full feyre was Polixene,So was Creseyde; so was Helene
Dido also of Cartage quene,
Whos beaute made many one pleyne;
But dethe came laste and can dysteyne
Their freshenes, and made them full base,
Youre remembraunce let not disdeyne,
That now is heye some tyme was gras.
811
8
Hester was fayrest on to seHer tyme of most excellence,
And Gresylde surmontynge of beaute,
But she and all her pacience
Wer buryed with dethes violence,
And in her grave brought full base,
Wherfore have evar in yowr advartence
That now is hey some tym was grase.
9
Remembre vpon the Worthi Nyne,Of Kynge David and of Iosue,
The whiche in knyghthod deden shyne,
Forget not Iudas Machabe,
What was the fyne of all thes thre,
When dethe hade brought theyr poure base,
By whiche ensample yow may se
That nowe is heye sometyme was grase.
10
Hector of Troy, and Iulius,And Alisandar most myghty kynge,
The story of them tellyth thus,
For all theyr conquest and rydynge,
For all theyr ryches and gederynge,
Dethe made them to be layd full base,
Remembre therfore in thy thynkyng,
That now is hey some tym was gras.
11
Arthur, most worthy of renowne,And Charls, the myghty emperowre,
And good Godfray of Bolyoune,
Of knyghthod clepyd susteynoure,
What was the fyne of theyr laboure?
Whan dethe provyens hath brought base,
But for to shewe that everyche floure,
That nowe is heye some tyme was grase.
12
Nowe it is day, nowe it is nyght;Nowe it is fowlle, nowe it is feyre;
Nowe it is derke, nowe it is lyght;
812
Nowe hope in luve, nowe false dispayre;
Nowe on the hylle, now brought full base;
Nowe clymben hiegh vppon the steyre,
That nowe is heye some tyme was grase.
13
Nowe clothed in blake, nowe clothed in grene;Nowe lustye, nowe in sobernes;
Now clothe of golde that shynyth shene,
Nowe rede, in token of hardynes,
Nowe all in white, for clennes,
Nowe sise, nowe synke, nowe ambbes aas;
The chaunce stondes in no stabulenes,
That now is hey some tyme was grase.
14
Nowe thes tres blosome and blome,Nowe the leves fade and falle;
Nowe suger, nowe swete synamome,
Nowe tryakle, nowe bytar galle;
Nowe yowthe, nowe age þat dothe apall;
Nowe ioye, nowe myrthe, nowe alas;
And thynke a-mongest thes chaungis all
That nowe is heye: some tyme was gras.
15
Nowe men reioys, nowe men complayne;Nowe can thes wimen flattar and wepe;
Nowe dothe it shyn, nowe dothe it rayne;
Nowe on drye soylle, nowe in the depe;
Nowe stonde vpryght, nowe lowe to crepe;
Nowe rune, nowe go an esy pase,
Nowe mene a wake, nowe folke a slepe;
Nowe that is heye some tyme was grase.
16
In this mater lat ws not tarye;Alle stont on chaunge, who list to see,
Every thynge here dothe chaunge and varye,
Nowe feythe, nowe mutabylyte;
Nowe vpon tweyne, nowe vpon thre;
813
Ensample in medowes thow mayst se
That nowe is heye some tyme was grase.
Explicit Lydgat.
Lenvoye.
Go forth anon, thou short dite,Bydde folke not trust this worlde at all,
Bydde theme remembre on þe cite
Which is a-bove celestiall;
Of precious stones bylt is the wall,
Who clymbeth theder gothe nevar base,
Out of that place may be no fall,
Ther is no heye but all fresh grase.
/Finis quod Lydgat of Bery/.
70. THE COK HATH LOWE SHOONE.
1
Svm man goth stille of wysdam & resoun,A-forn provided, can kepe weel scilence;
Ful offte it noyeth be recoord of Catoun
Large language concludyng off no sentence;
Speche is but fooly and sugryd elloquence
Medlyd with language wheer man haue noght to don.
An old proverbe groundid on sapience
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
2
To thynke mochyl, and seyn but smal,Yiff thow art feerffull to ottre thy language,
It is no wisdam a man to seyn out al,
Sum bird can synge merily in his cage.
The stare wyl chatre and speke of long vsage,
Though in his speche there be no great resoun,
Kepe ay thy tounge fro surffeet and outrage,
All go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
814
3
Unavised speke no-thyng to-forn,Nor of thy tounge be nat rekkelees,
Vttre nevir no darnel with good corn,
Be-gyn no trouble whan men trete of pees,
Scilence is good, and in euery prees,
Which of debate yevith noon occasyoun,
Pacience preysed of prudent Socratees,
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
4
Comoun astrologeer, as folk expert weel knowe,To kepe the howrys and tydis of the nyght,
Sumtyme hih and sumtyme he syngith lowe,
Dam[e] Pertelot sit with hire brood doun-right;
The Fox comyth neer with-oute candellyght,
To trete of pees menyng no tresoun,
To avoyde al gile and ffraude he hath behight;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
5
Vndir fals pees ther may be covert ffraude,Good cheer outward with face of innocence,
Feyned fflaterye with language of greet laude:
But what is wers than shynyng apparence,
Whan it is prevyd ffals in existence?
Al is dul shadwe, whan Phebus is doun goon,
Berkyng behynde, ffawnyng in presence;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
6
The royall egle with his ffetherys dunne,Of nature so hih takith his flyght,
No bakke of kynde may looke ageyn the sunne,
Of ffrowardnesse yit wyl he ffleen be nyght,
And quenche laumpys, though they brenne bright.
Thynges contrarye may nevir accorde in oon,
A fowle gloowerm in dirknesse shewith a lyght;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
7
The wourld is tournyd almoost vp so doun:Vndir prynces ther dar noon officeer
Peyne of his lyff do noon extorcioun;
815
Where-evir he walke al the longe yeer,
Awtentyk his seelys euerychoon,
Vp peyne of cursyng I dar remembre heer;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
8
Alle estatys of good condiciounWill noon of them offende his conscience;
Bysshoppis, prelatys of oon affeccioun
Kepe ther chargys, of entieer dilligence;
Avaunsyd persownys holde residence
Among ther parysshens make a departysoun
Of ther tresours to folk in indigence,
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
9
I saugh a kevell, corpulent of stature,Lyk a materas redlyd was his coote,
And theron was sowyd this scripture,
“A good be stille is weel wourth a groote;”
It costith nat mekyl to be hoote,
And paye ryght nought whan the feyre is doon,
Suych labourerys synge may be roote,
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
10
Atwen a ship with a large seyl,And a cokboot that goth in Tempse lowe,
The toon hath oorys to his greet avayl,
To spede his passage whan the wynd doth blowe;
A blynd maryneer that doth no sterre knowe,
His loodmaunage to conveye doun,
A ffressh comparisoun, a goshawk and a crowe;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
11
The royall egle with his fetherys dunne,Whoos eyen been so cleer and so bryght,
Off nature he perce may the sunne,
The owgly bakke wyl gladly fleen be nyght;
Dirk cressetys and laumpys that been lyght,
816
Daryth in his shelle, yit may he se no sight;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
12
The pecok hath fetherys bryght and shene,The cormeraunt wyl daryn in the lake,
Popyngayes froo Paradys comyn al grene,
Nyghtynggales al nyght syngen and wake,
For long absence and wantyng of his make:
Withoute avys make no comparysoun,
Atween a laumperey and a shynyng snake;
Alle go we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
13
There is also a thyng in-comparable,By cleer rapoort in al the wourld thorugh right;
The ryche preferryd, the poore is ay cowpable,
In ony quarell gold hath ay moost myght;
Evir in dirknesse the owle takith his flight,
It were a straunge vnkouth devisyoun,
Tersites wrecchyd, Ector moost wourthy knyght;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
14
Is noon so proude, pompous in dignyte,As he that is so sodeynly preferryd
To hih estaat, and out of poverte,
Draco volans on nyght his tayl is sterryd?
Stelle eratice, nat ffix for they been erryd,
Stable in the eyr is noon inpressioun,
This wourld wer stable, yif it were nat werryd;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
15
Among estatys whoo hath moost quiete,Hih lordshippes be vexid with bataylle,
Tylthe of ploughmen ther labour wyl nat lete,
Geyn Phebus vprist syngen wyl the quaylle;
The amerous larke of nature wyl nat faylle,
Ageyn Aurora synge with hire mery sown,
No laboureer wyl nat for his travaylle;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
817
16
Foo vnto hevys and enemy is the drane:Men with a tabour may lyghtly cacche an hare,
Bosard with botirflyes makith beytis for a crane,
Brechelees beerys be betyn on the bare;
Houndys for favour wyl nat spare,
To pynche his pylche with greet noyse and soun,
Slepith he merye that slombryth with greet care;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
17
I sauh a krevys with his klawes longe,Pursewe a snayl poore and impotent,
Hows of this snayl the wallys wer nat stronge,
A slender shelle the sydes, al to-rent;
Whoo hath no goold his tresoure soone [is] spent,
The snayl-is castel but a sklendir coote,
Whoo seith trouthe offte he shall be shent;
A good be stille is offte weel wourth a groote.
18
Whoo hath noon hors, on a staff may ryde;Whoo hath no bed, may slepyn in his hood;
Whoo hath no dyneer, at leyser must abyde,
To staunche his hungir abyde vpon his ffood;
A beggers appetight is alwey ffressh and good,
With voyde walet whan al his stuff is doon,
For fawte of vitaylle may knele afore the Rood;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
19
The ryche man sit stuffyd at his table,The poore man stant hungry at the gate,
Of remossaylles he wolde be partable,
The awmeneer seyth he cam to late;
Off poore men doolys is no sekir date,
Smal or ryght nought whan the feeste is doon,
He may weel grucche and with his tounge prate;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
20
A good be stille is weel wourth a groote,Large language causith repentaunce,
The kevel wroot in his rydlyd coote,
818
Whoo cast his iourne in Yngelond or in Fraunce,
With gallyd hakeneys, whan men haue moost to doon,
A ffool presumptuous to cacche hym acqueyntaunce;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
21
Whoo that is hungry & hath no-thyng but boonys,To staunche his apetyght is a froward foode,
Among an hundryd oon chose out for the noonys,
To dygestioun repastys be nat goode;
To chese suych vitaylles ther braynes wer to woode,
That lyoun is gredy that stranglith goos or capoun,
Fox and ffulmard, to-gidre whan they stoode,
Sang, be stylle, the Cok hathe lowe shoon.
22
Here al thyng and kepe thy pacience,Take no quarell, thynk mekyl & sey nought,
A good be stille with discreet scilence,
For a good grote may not wel be bought;
Keep cloos thy tounge, men sey that free is thought,
A thyng seid oonys outhir late or soon,
Tyl it be loost stoole thyng is nat sought;
Alle goo we stille, the Cok hath lowe shoon.
Explicit quod Lydgate.
71. THEY THAT NO WHILE ENDURE (TWO VERSIONS).
First Version.
1
This wyde woourld is so large of space,No man hath poweer it holly to restreyne:
Kyng Alisaundre myght not alwey enbrace
Al to conquere, though he did his peyne;
Nor riche Cresus nevir myght atteyne
With tresour gadryd by soort or aventure,
Whan fortune list at hym disdeyne,
But that he afftir myght no whyle endure.
819
2
Myghty prynces, abydyng on the werrys,Which them delyte in there oppynyouns,
As ferre as Phebus shyneth or his sterres,
By ther conquest in diuers regiouns,
To gadre vp al to ther pocessiouns,
What fallith of them? recoord of scripture,
Whoo al conveyeth, by manyfoold resouns,
Heer lordshippe here may no whyle endure.
3
Certeyn folk be diuersly disposyd,Summe for the wourld as it shulde evir laste,
Summe in ther consceyt fully be purpoosyd
Al ther studye and ther wittys caste,
Previd this dayes and tymes that be past,
Care no ferther, but lyk the chaunteplure;
But wheer so be that they suppe or faste,
Whoo nat providith, shal no while endure.
4
A knyght in werrys hardy as a lyoun,And hasty squyers that been amerous,
Or a facoun that flyeth for the herown,
Nor a grehound on boorys coragious,
Nor he that is to stryve desirous,
For noon of alle, I do yow weel assure,
Of folk fool-hardy, causelees despitous,
Off kyndely ryght may no whyle endure.
5
Nor no woman that bargeyneth hire bewte,Ne no greet glotoun nor no chyderesse,
Nor a strong theef, bydyng in o cuntre,
Ne noon morderer, nor no fals sorceresse,
Nor noo wastour that spendith by excesse,
Ne he that falsly doth ony lond recure,
And he that vsith to bere fals witnesse,
Of right me semyth they shuld not longe endure.
6
For he that is a comoun cutpurs,And vsith longe to ryote on nyght,
Nor he that hath of ech man Goddys curs,
820
Nor an owle that fleth be dayes lyght,
Nor a seruaunt froward to come to lure,
Ne he that hath disdeyn of euery wyght,
Off right me semyth they may not longe endure.
7
Therfore in this be wys, and take good counsayl,And prey God fro suych vices teschewe them in-dede,
For comoun profight and for our greet avayl,
In our diffence that we may procede,
In alle vertues, and therto also to takyn hede
To exclude necligence that he may recure
By devoute prayeer to helpe in suych a nede
Thorugh mercy and grace, and so longe endure.
Explicit.
71B. THEY THAT NO WHILE ENDURE
Second Version.
1
A knyght that is hardy as a lyon,Ner a squyer that is amerous,
Ner a goshawke that ffleeth for the heron,
Ner a grehounde on bores corageous,
Ner he that forto stryue is desirous,
None of all these, I doo yow well assure,
Off kyndely ryght may no while endure.
2
Ner a womman that sellith her beaute,Ner a glotton ner a chydresse,
Ner a theeffe abyding in oo contre,
Ner a murdrer ner a felonesse,
Ner a waster that spendith by excesse
821
Off kyndely right may no while endure.
3
Ner he that is a comune cut purs,Ner he that vseth to ryott long on nyght,
Ner he that hathe of eche man Goddes curs,
Ner he that dothe to euery man vnright,
Ner an owell that ffleeth by dayes light,
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Off kyndely right may no whyle endure.
4
Ner he that vseth of custome for to lye,Ner he that fforgeth tydyngges ay vntrewe,
Ner he that drynketh tyll slepe falle in his ye,
Ner he that loueth euery day a newe,
Ner these vynters that her wynes brewe,
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Of kyndely right may no while endure.
5
Ner he that ioyeth to wyueth hym on a wich,Ner he that ioyeth to horse hym on a mare,
Ner he also that houndeth hym on a bich,
Ner he that lyst no warayne for to spare,
Ner he that holdeth bothe with hounde & hare,
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Of kyndely right may no while endure.
6
Ner he that is withholde with euery lorde,Ner he that can nat a-byde in noo contre,
Ner he that vseth to make folke att discorde,
Ner he that can not sey well in noo degre,
Butt lete his tung iangle att libertee,
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Of kyndely right may no while endure.
822
7
Ner he that vseth to bryng folke in deffame,Ner he that can haue no paciense,
Ner he that vseth to hynder mannes name,
Ner he that hathe no man in reuerense,
Ner he that passeth his wynnynges by dispense,
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Off kyndely right may no whyle endure.
8
Ner he that boroweth, and caste hym neuer to pay,Ner he that swereth falsely forto wynne,
Ner he that beheth and allway dothe delaye,
Ner he that neuer lyst schryve hym of his synne;
There as I lefft, I will ayen begynne,—
None of all these, I do yow well assure,
Of kyndely right may no while endure.
Lenvoy.
72. A THOROUGHFARE OF WOE.
1
Lyft up the ieen of your aduertence,Ye that beth blynde with worldly vanyte,
No better myrrour than experience,
For to declare his mutabilite.
Lo! now with ioye, now with aduersite,
To erthly pilgrymes that passen to and froo,
Fortune shewith ay, by chaungyng hir see,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
2
Boys in his booke of Consolacioun,Writeth and rehersith fortunes variaunce,
And makith there a playne discripcioun,
823
For who til hir, lo! hath attendaunce,
Is liche a pilgryme passyng to and froo,
To shewe to vs with sugred false plesaunce,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
3
In this world here is none abidyng place,But that it is by processe remuable:
For who had euer in erth suche a grace,
To make fortune for to abide stable:
Hir double face is so variable,
Seeth by these pilgrymes that passen to and fro,
To prudent folkes an ymage acceptable,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
4
Nis nat this world liche a pilgrymage,Wher high ne lowe no while may abyde?
Liche a fayre peynture sette on a stage,
That sodainly is oft so cast aside?
Fy on pompe, and fy on worldly pride,
Whiche bien but pilgrymes passyng to and froo,
To shewe plainly, who that can provide,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
5
Oure fader Adam bygan with sore travaile,Whan he was flemed out of Paradice.
Lord! what myght than gentillesse availe,
The first[e] stokke of labour toke his price;
Adam in the tilth whilom was holden wyse,
And Eve in spynnyng prudent was also,
For to declare as be myn advise,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
6
Is nat the cart and the laborious plough,Of lordes riches and of theyr haboundaunce
Roote and grounde, if they kowde have i-nowgh,
And hold hem content with fortunes chaunce.
But covetise oppressith souffisaunce,
824
To shewen allas and maken demonstraunce,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
7
And for to telle plainly and nat to spare,Whiche bien the worthy surmountyng noblesse,
That han be tymes passid this thurghfare,
And kowde therin fynde no surenesse,
For to abyde but chaunge and doublenesse,
What was ther fyne whan that they shuld goo?
Redith the cronycles and trouth shal expresse,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
8
Who was more knyghtly than was Iosue,Whiche hyng vp kynges there at Gabaon?
Or more manly than Iudas Machabe,
Meker than Dauid, wiser than Salamon?
Or fayrer founde than was Absolon?
Icheon but pilgrymes passyng to and froo;
Takyng ensample also by Sampson,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
9
Hector was slayne also of Achilles,As he hym mette vnwarly in bataile,
And Iulius was murthred in the prese,
Whan senatours at Rome hym dide assaile.
What myght the conquest of Alisaundre availe?
Al ner but pilgrymes passyng to and froo,
Plainly to declare to riche and to the poraile,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
10
Remembrith how that many a riche realme,Hath bien to-forn cast downe and ouerthrowe,
Prynces of provynces whilom Ierusalem,
Was for his synne somtyme brought ful lowe,
Seede of discord also that was sowe,
825
Gyvith evidence to make men to knowe,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
11
Of Babyloyne the grete Balthasar,Whan he sat hyest in his estate royal,
Ful sodainly, or he list be ware,
Had from his crowne a ful dredeful fal;
Mane techel phares writen on the walle,
Taught hym plainly what wey he shuld goo,
To vs concludyng in especial,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
12
[The gret stryffe and the deuisyon]Betwene Pompey and Cesar Iulius,
Was grounde and cause why that Rome town
Distroyed was, cronycles tellen vs;
Cesar slayne by Brutus Cassius,
Makyng thempire vnto declyne to goo,
For to reporte plainly vnto vs,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
13
Hertis devided have caused mochel wrake;Recorde on Fraunce and Parys the fayre citee,
Betwene Burgoynoun and hateful Armynake,
Gynnyng and roote of grete mortalite,
Shedyng of bloode, slaughter, and aduersite,
As Martis chaunce torned to and froo,
To yeve ensample if men kowde se,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
14
The fyft Henry, the myghti conquerour,To sette rest atwene Ingland and Fraunce,
Dide his peyne and diligent labour,
As he wele kydde by knyghtly gouernaunce,
[But o allas, fortunes varyaunce]
To grete hyndryng of these reames twoo,
Toke hym awey, to shewe vs in substaunce,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
826
15
Clarence the Duk, ensample of gentilesse,Of fredam callid the verray exemplayre;
The Duk of Excestre, ful famous of prowesse,
Though he were knyghtly, he was eke debonayre;
But for al that fortune was yit contrayre:
To both these dukes, allas! why dide she so?
But for hir list to shewe by mortal chaunce,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
16
Of Salusbury the manly Montagw,Though he was preved in armys a goode knyght,
The fatal day yit myght he nat eschewe,
Whan that he dyed for his kynges right,
And Parchas sustren list preve ther yvel myght,
Of his paradice, whan it come therto,
To make a myrrour how we may have a sight,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
17
Stabilnesse is founde in nothyng,In worldly honour who so lokith wele;
For deth ne sparith emperour ne kyng,
Though they be armed in plates made of steele:
He castith downe princes from Fortunes wheele,
As hir spokes rounde about[e] goo,
To exemplifye, who that markith wele,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
18
God sent aforn ful oft his officers,To dukes, erles, barouns of estate,
Sommoneth also by his mynisters
Surquidous people, pompous and elate,
Ageyns whos somons they dare make no debate,
Obey his preceptis and may nat go ther fro,
To signifie to pope and to prelate,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
827
19
Of his bedils the names to expresse,And of his sergeauntis, as I can endite,
To somowne he sendith langour and sikenesse,
And som with povert hym list to visite;
To iche estate so wele he can hym qwyte,
Markyng his seruantis with tokens where they goo,
To shewe hem plainly as I dare wele write,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
20
Whom that he lovith, the Lord forgeth hym nought,I meane the children of his heritage,
He gyvith hem leuerey of gold ne perle i-wrought;
The prente whiche he bare in his pilgremage,
Scorne and rebuke cast in his visage,
He pacient and sayde nothyng therto,
But gaf ensample to euery maner of age,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
21
Thankith God with humble pacience,Whan he yow visiteth with suche aduersite,
Heven nys nat wonne with worldly influence,
With gold ne tresour ne grete prosperite,
But with suffraunce and with humylite,
For this lyf heere, take goode heede therto,
Faileth ay at nede wherby ye may se,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
22
Kynges princis, most souerayne of renoun,For al theyr power, theyr myght, theyr excellence,
Nor philosophers of euery regioun,
Nor the prophetes preferred by science,
Were nat fraunchised to make resistence,
But liche pilgrymes whan it cam therto,
To shewe ensample and playn evidence,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
828
23
Reken vp the realmes and the monarchyes,Of erthly princes, reigneng in theyr glorye,
With theyre sceptres and theyr regalyes,
With theyr tryumphes conquerid bi victorye,
Theyr marcial actes entitled by memorye,
And to remembre whan that al this is doo,
They doo but shewe a shadew transitorye,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
24
O, ye maysters, that cast shal yowre lookeVpon this dyte made in wordis playne,
Remembre sothly that I the refreyd tooke,
Of hym that was in makyng souerayne,
My mayster Chaucier, chief poete of Bretayne,
Whiche in his tragedyes made ful yore agoo,
Declared triewly and list nat for to feyne,
How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo.
73. TIMOR MORTIS CONTURBAT ME.
1
So as I lay this othir nyght,In my bed tournyng vp so doun,
Whan Phebus with his beemys bryght
Entryd the signe of the Lyoun,
I gan remembre with-inne my resoun
Vpon wourldly mutabilite,
And to recoorde wel this lessoun
Timor mortis conturbat me.
2
I thoughte pleynly in my devise,And gan considre in myn entent,
How Adam whyloom in Paradise
Desceyved was of a fals serpent
To breke Goddys comaundement,
829
Lernyd by short avisement
Tymor mortis conturbat me.
3
For etyng of an appyl smalHe was exyled froom that place;
Sathan maade hym to haue a fall
To lese his fortune and his grace,
And froom that gardeyn hym enchace
Fulle ferre froom his felicite;
And thanne this song gan hym manace,
Timor mortis conturbat me.
4
And had nought been his greet offence,And this greet transgressioun,
And also his inobedience
Of malice and of presumpcioun;
Gyf credence ageyn al resoun
To the Develys iniquite,
We had knowe no condicioun
Of timor mortis conturbat me.
5
This lastyd forth al the age;Ther was noon othir remedye,
The venym myght nevir aswage
Whoos poysoun sprong out of envye,
Off pryde, veynglorye, and surquedye:
And lastyng til tyme of Noye,
And he stood eek in iupartye
Of timor mortis conturbat me.
6
Froom our forn ffadir this venym cam,Fyndyng nevir noon obstacle,
Melchisedech, nor of Abraham,
Ageyn this poysoun by noon pyacle,
But of his seed ther sprang tryacle;
Figure of Isaak, ye may rede and see,
Restoore to lyff by hih myracle,
Whan timor mortis conturbat me.
830
7
Moyses with his face bryghtWhich cleer as ony sunne shoon;
Iosue that was so good a knyght
That heng the kynges of Gabaoon;
Nor the noble myghty Gedeoon
Had no poweer nor no powste,
For ther ffamous hih renoun,
Ageyn timor mortis conturbat me.
8
Sampson that rent the liounOn pecis smale, thus stood the caas;
Nor Dauid that slowh the champyoun,—
I meene the myghty greet Golias—
Nor Machabeus the strong Iudas,
Ther fatal ende whoo so lyst see,
Bothe of Symon and Ionathas,
Was timor mortis conturbat me.
9
In the Apocalips of Seyn Iohn,The chapitlys whoo so can devyde,
The Apoostyl thoughte that he sawh oon
Vpon a paale hors did ryde,
That poweer hadde on euery syde,
His name was Deth thorugh cruelte,
His strook whoo so that durste abyde
Was timor mortis conturbat me.
10
Rekne alle the Wourthy NyneAnd these olde conquerours;
Deth them made echoon to fyne
And with his dedly mortal shours,
Abatyd hath ther fressh[e] flours;
And cast hem doun froom hih degree,
And eek these myghty emperours
With timor mortis conturbat me.
11
These ladyes that were so fressh of faceAnd of bewte moost souereyn,
Ester, Iudith, and eek Candace,
831
And eek the goodly wywes tweyne
Marcya and Penelope,
Were embracyd in the cheyne
Of timor mortis conturbat me.
12
What may all wourldly good avaylle?Strengthe, konnyng and rychesse,
Nor victorye in bataylle,
Fame, conquest, nor hardynesse,
Kyngdammys to wynne, or oppresse,
Youthe, helthe nor prosperyte?
All this hath here no sykirnesse
Ageyn timor mortis conturbat me.
13
Whan youthe hath doon his passageAnd lusty yeerys been agoon,
Thanne folwith afftir crookyd age
Slak skyn, and many a wery boon;
The sunne is dirk that whyloom shoon
Of lusty youthe and fresshe bewte,
Whan othir socour is ther noon
But timor mortis conturbat me.
14
In August whan the levys falleWyntir folwith afftir soone,
The grene of somyr doth appalle,
The wourld is chaungeable as the moone;
Than is there no moore to doone,
But providence in ech degree
Of recure, whan ther is no boone
Saaff timor mortis conturbat me.
15
Ech man be war and wys befornOr sodeyn deth come hym to saylle,
For there was nevir so myghty born,
Armyd in platys nor in maylle,
That whan deth doth hym assaylle
832
To thynke afore what myght avaylle
On timor mortis conturbat me.
16
Enpreente this mateer in your mynde,And remembre wel on this lessoun,
Al wourldly good shal leve be hynde,
Tresour and greet pocessioun.
So sodeyn transmutacioun
Ther may no bettir socour be
Thanne ofte thynke on Cristes passioun
Whan timor mortis conturbat me.
74. TYED WITH A LYNE.
1
The more I go, the further I am behynde;The further behynd, the nere the weyes end;
The more I seche, the wers can I fynd;
The lighter leve, the lother for to wend;
The lengger I serve, the more out of mynd;
Is this fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I tyed am with a lyne.
2
Drye in the see, and wete vpon the stronde;Brenne in watir, in fuyre fresyng;
In reveris thurstlew, and moyst vpon the lond;
Gladde in mournyng, in gladnes compleyneng;
The fuller wombe, the gredyer in etyng;
Is this fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I teyed am with a luyne.
3
A wery pees, and pees amyd the weere;The better felaw, the rathir at discorde;
The neere at hande, the sonner set a-ferre;
Accorde debatyng, debatyng at accorde;
Furthest fro court, grettest with the lorde;
833
Though I go loose, I tyed am with a lyne.
4
A wepyng laughter, a mery glad wepyng;A fresy thowe, a meltyng fryse;
The slowar paas, the further in rennyng;
The more I renne, the more wey I lese;
The grettest losse whan I my chaunce do chese;
Is this fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I teyed am with a lyne.
5
Weryles I walke ay in trouble and travaile,Euer travilyng without werynes;
In labour idel, wynnyng that may nat availe;
A troubled ioy, a ioyeful hevynes;
A sobbyng songe, a chierful distres;
Is it fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I tyed am with a lyne.
6
Wakyng a bedde, fastyng at the table;Riche with wysshis, pore of possessioun;
Stable vnassured, assured eke vnstable;
Hope dispeyred, a gwerdonles gwerdon;
Trusty disceyte, feythful decepcioun;
Is this fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I tiede am wythe a lyne.
7
A mournyng myrth, sobrenes savage,Prudent foly, stidefast wildenesse;
Providence conveyed ay with rage;
A dronken sadnesse, and a sad drunkenesse;
A woode wisdom, and a wise woodenesse;
Is this fortune, or is it infortune?
Though I go loose, I tyed am with a lyne.
8
Vnhappy everous fortune infortunat;An hertles thought, a thoughtlees reme[m]braunce;
Lo what avauntage! and sodainly chekmate,
834
Thus al the world stant in variaunce:
Late men dispute, whethir this be fortune?
No man so loose, but he is tied with a luyne.
9
The world vnsure, contrary al stablenesse,Whos ioye is meynt ay with adversite;
Now light, now hevy, now sorwe, now gladnes;
Ebbe after floode of al prosperite.
Set al asyde and lierne this of me,
Trust vpon fortune? Defye false fortune,
And al recleymes of hyr double luyne.
10
The gretter lord, the lasse his assuraunce;The sikerest lyffe is in glad pouerte;
Both high and lough shal go on dethis daunce,
Renne vnto Powlis, beholde the Machabe;
Fraunchise of phisyk makith no man go free;
Trust vpon God, defye fals fortune,
And al recleymes of hyr double luyne.
11
Lothest departyng where is grettest richesse;Al worldly tresour goth to the world agayne;
To kepe it longe may be no sikernesse,
Of grete receytis grete rekenyng in certayne.
Whan we gon hens al this shalbe but vayne;
Trust vpon God, defye false fortune,
That al recleymes of hir double luyne.
12
Nothyng more sure than al men shal deye,Late men aforne make theyr ordynaunce;
vij. dedis of mercy shal best for vs purveye,
And almesdede shal make achevisaunce,
Texclude by grace the rigour of vengeaunce;
For Cristis passioun mavgre false fortune,
Shal-recleyme vs to his merciable luyne.
835
75. A SONG OF VERTU.
1
As of hony men gadren out swetnesse,Of wyn and spices is maad good ypocras,
Fro silver wellys þat boyle vp with fresshnesse
Cometh cristal watir rennyng a gret pas;
So as Phebus perceth thoruh the glas,
With briht beemys, shynyng in his speere,
Byforn our dayes this prouerbe provid was,—
Of prudent folk men may vertu leere.
2
Quyk lusty sprynges, that boile vp in the welle,Do gret refresshyng and counfort to the siht,
Mong holsom herbys in vertu that excelle,
What folwith aftir makith hertis glad and liht;
Good hair a morwe aftir the dirke nyht,
Passyng holsom al sesouns of the yeere,
Concludyng thus of verray trouthe and riht,—
W[h]o sueth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
3
Frut fet fro fer tarageth of the tre,Wyn takith his pris of the holsom vyne,
Of puryd flour maad holsom breed parde,
As clerkys wyse is holsom the doctryne;
The wyntres nyht is glad whan sterrys shyne,
836
And the Maydewh round lik perlys fyne,—
Who sueth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
4
Ech thyng of kynde drawith to his nature,Som to profite in wysdam and science,
Som also to studyen in scripture,
A fool is dullyd of slouth and necligence;
Konnyng conqueryd with long experyence,
Which noble tresour may nat be bouht to deere,
And who that doth his enteer dilligence,—
Vertu to sewe, vertu he shal leere.
5
A yong braunch wol soone wexe wrong,Dispoosyd of kynde for to been a crook,
The ffyr of nature wyl growe vpriht and long,
Hoot ffir and smoke makith many an angry cook;
The fissh for beit goth to the angil-hook,
The larke with song is Phebus massageer,
A thryvyng scoler riht eerly to his book,—
Who sewith vertu, vertu he shal leere.
6
Off rethoricyens men lerne fressh language,Of hooly seyntes procedith parfitnesse,
Of furyou[s] folk debate and gret outrage,
Of marcial pryncis vertuous hih noblesse,
Of wise wisdam, of gentil gentillesse;
For lyk hymsilf kynd wyl ay appeere,
A cherl of nature wil brayde on rewdnesse,—
Who seweth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
837
7
Lusty hertys in gladnesse them delite,Set al ther study on occupacioun,
In ioye and myrthe, riht as an ypocrite
Reioysith hymsylf in symylacioun;
And bakbiters in fals detraccioun,
To hurt wers than brymbyl, busk, or breere,
Contrary to vertu of condicioun,—
Who sueth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
8
Off knyhtis knyhthood expert in pees and werre;Marchauntys by travayle gadre greet richesse;
Be nedle and stoon and by the lood-sterre,
Maryners ay ther cours they dresse;
And massageers with wacch and gret swiftnesse,
Texpleyte ther iourne al tymes of the yeere,
Ther grettest foo is slouthe and ydilnesse,—
To alle tho that vertu list to leere.
9
Love Hooly Chirche, do therto reuerence,Do no man wrong, mayntene rihtwisnesse;
Thouh thu be strong, do no violence,
Specially no poore man oppresse;
With glad herte parte thyn almesse;
In prosperite be nat to proud of cheere,
In aduersite be pacient with meeknesse;
Sewe aftir vertu, and vertu thu shalt leere.
10
Touchyng also thyn occupacioun,Departe thy tyme prudently on thre,
First in prayer and in orisoun,
Trauayl among is profitable to the;
Reede in bookys of antiquyte,
838
And it shal tourne to gret comodite,—
Sewe aftir vertu, and vertu thu shalt leere.
11
Be no sloggard, fle from ydilnesse;Connyng conquer by vertuous dilligence;
Slouthe of vices is cheef porteresse,
And a step-moodir to wysdam and science;
Labour cheef guyde to profit in prudence,
With vertuous lyff take heed of this mateere,
Withdrawe thyn hand from froward necligence;
Sewe aftir vertu, and vertu thu shalt leere.
12
Sith thu were wrouht to be celestial,Lat resoun brydle thy sensualite,
Geyn froward lustys flesshly and bestial,
Ageyn al wordly disordinat vanyte;
With fortunys fals mutabilite,
Peysed how short tyme thu shalt abyden heere,
Pray Crist Ihesu, of mercy and pite,
Or thu parte hens, vertu so to leere.
13
With tyme and space and goostly remembraunce,Of oold surfetys to haue contricioun,
Shrifft, and hosyl, and hooly repentaunce,
With a cleer mynde of Crystes passioun,
His v. woundys and blood that raileth doun,
Vpon the Cros He bouht the so deere,
Cleyme of His mercy to haue possessioun,
With Hym to dwelle above the sterrys cleere.
Explicit.
839
76. A WICKED TUNGE WILLE SEY AMYS.
A resoun de fallacia mundi.
1
Considere welle with eueri circumstaunce,Of what estate euer that thowe be,
Riche, stronge or myghti of puysaunce,
Prudent or wis, discrete or avyse,
The dome of folkes yn sothe thow maiste not fle.
What-euer thow do, truste right welle this,—
A wicked tunge wille alwei sey a-mys.
2
For yn thi port or yn thyn apparaile,Ȝif thow be glad or honestli be-seyne,
A-noon the peple of malis wille not faile,
With-owte aduyse or resoun, for to seyne
That thyn arrai is made, or wrowght yn veyne.
What, suffre hem speke! & truste right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwei sey a-mys.
3
Thow wolt to kynges ben equypolent,With grete lordes euene and peregal,
And ȝif thow be to-torne & to-rent,
Then wille thei seyne, & ianglyn ouer al,
Thow art a slogarde, that neuer thryue shal.
Ȝitte suffre hem speke, & trust[e] right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwey sey a-mys.
840
4
Ȝif thow be feire, excellyng of beaute,Than wille they seyne that thow art amerous.
Ȝif thow be fowle & owgle vn-to see,
They wille afferme that thow art vycious,
The peple of langage is so despitous.
Suffre al ther speche & trust[e] right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwey sey a-mys.
5
Ȝif hit be-falle, that thow take a wif,Thei will falsly seyne yn ther entent
Thow art lyke euer to lyue yn strif
Voide of al reste, with-owte allegement;
Wyues ben maistres, thus there iugement.
Ȝitte suffre ther speche, & truste right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwei sey a-mys.
6
And ȝif so be that of perfitnesseThow haste a-vowed to lyue yn chastite,
Than wille folkes of thy person expresse
Thow art ympotent tengendre yn thi degre.
And thus whether thou be chaste or dislaue
Suffir hem speke, & truste right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwei sei a-mys.
7
Ȝif thow be fatte owther corpolent,Than wille folke seyn thow art a grete glotoun,
A deuowrer or ellis vinolent;
Ȝif thow be lene or megre of fassioun,
Calle the a negard yn ther oppynyoun,
841
A wicked tonge wille alwei sei a-mys.
8
Ȝif thow be riche, somme wille ȝeue the laude,And seyne, hit cometh of prudent gouernaunce;
And somme wille sai[en], hit comyth of fraude,
Owther be sleighte or false cheuysshaunce.
To seyne her worste folke han so grete plesaunce:
What, suffre hem sai! & triste right welle this,
A wicked tonge wille alwei sei a-mys.
9
Ȝif thow be sad and sowbre of contenaunce,Men will seyn thow thenkest somme tresoun;
And ȝif thow be glad of daliaunce,
Men wil deme it dissolucioun,
Callen faire speche adulacioun
Ȝitte let hem speke & trist[e] right wel this,
A wicked tonge wille alwey sey a-mys.
10
And who that is holi bi perfeccioun,Men of malice wil cal hym ypocrite;
And who that is meri of clene entencioun
Men seyne yn riot he dothe hym delite
Somme morne yn blak, somme laweth in clothis white,
What, suffre hem speke, & triste right wel this
A wicked tonge wil alwey sei a-mys.
11
Honest a-rai, men deme it pompe & pride,And who go pore men calleth hym a wastour;
And who go stille, men marke hym on the side,
Seyn that he is a spie or a gylour,
Who wasteth not, men seyn he hathe tresour,
842
A wicked tonge wil alwey sey a-mys.
12
Who speketh moche me[n] calle hym prudent,And who that debateth, men seyn he is hardi.
And who seyeth litel, with grete sentement,
Somme folke wil hym atwyten of foli
Trouth is putte doun, & vp goth flaterie,
And who liste pleynli to know the cause of this,
A wicked tonge alwey seyinge a-mys.
13
For thowgh a man were as pacientAs was Dauid thorow his humylite,
Or with Salamon yn wysdom as prudent,
Or yn knyȝthode egal with Iosue,
Or manli preuyd as Iudas Machabe,
Ȝitte for al that, trist[e] right wel this,
Somme wicked tonge wolde sei of hym a-mys.
14
And thowgh a man had[de] the prewesseOf worthi Ector, Troies champioun,
The loue of Troylis, or the kyndenesse,
Or of Cesar the famous high renoun,
With al Alisaundres domynacioun,
Ȝit for al that, trist[e] right wel this,
Somme wicked tonge wil sey of hym a-mys.
15
Or thowgh a man of hye or lowe degreOf Tullyus had the sugred eloquence,
Or of Senek the moralite,
843
The conquest of Charlous, Arturs magnyficence,
Ȝit for al that, triste right wel this,
Somme wicked tonge wol sey of hym a-mys.
16
Towchyng of wymmen the perfite innocence,Thowgh they had of Ester the mekenesse,
Or Gresildis humble pacience,
Or of Iudith the preued stabulnesse,
Or Pollicenys virgynal clennesse,
Ȝit dar I seyne, & triste right wel this,
Somme wicked tonge wole sey [of hem] a-mys.
17
The wifli trowthe of PenolopeThowgh thei had yn her possessioun,
Elenes beaute, the kyndenesse of Mede,
The loue vnfeyned of Mercia Catoun,
Or of Alceste the trewe affeccioun,
Ȝit dar I sain, & triste right wel this,
Somme wicked tonge wole sey of hem a-mys.
18
Than seweth it that no man mai escheweThe swerde of tongus, but hit wole kerue & bite,
Ful harde hit is a man for to remewe
Out of ther daunger hymsilf for to a-quyte,
Woo to thoo tongis that hem so delite
To hyndre and sclaundre, and sette her studie yn this,
And ther plesaunce, al-wai [to] say a-mys.
844
19
Moste noble princes, cherissheris of vertu,Remembreth ȝow of hygh discrecioun,
The first vertu most plesyng to Ih[es]u
Be the writyng and sentence of Catoun
Is a gode tonge, yn his oppynyoun.
Chastiseth the reuers, & of wisdom dothe this,
Voideth ȝowre heryng from al that sey a-mys.
77. THE WORLD IS VARIABLE.
1
Toward Aurora in the monyth of Decembre,Walkyng alloone in contemplacioun,
On flittyng fortune I gan me remembre,
Callyng to mynde wourldly variacioun
In poyntes dyvers be computacioun,
Prevyng that she ay was vntretable;
And euere my mynde concludid this resoun
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
2
Musis poetichall includyng royalte,In feyned tragedyes put therto delyght,
Philisoffres moral, hih of auctorite,
Thorugh experience of konnyng had delight.
Among the Romayns previd was the knyght
Whanne ad Rem puplicam he was profitable,
With dynt of swerd lyst to diffende ryght,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
3
Off his crafft talkyth the artificeer,Frute folwith the tarage of the tree,
Beyn twygges cause smokyng feer
A beggere sett in a chayer of degree,
Hym silff not knowyng in souereyn dignite,
845
Clene forgetith his consanguinite,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
4
In the goldene wourld ech man kept his degree,Chevalrye delityd nat with marchaundise,
Nyse array in the comunaltee
Lefft was, lyst them nat desguyse;
Knyghtes in bataylle took greet empryse,
Here laureat crownys to make perdurable.
Al wourldly rychesse for wourship did despise
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
5
In the Capitolye among the senatoursHonowryd he was, writyng whoo list se,
Which lyst nat spare fel and sharpe shours,
The right to diffende of the comunalte,
Pryvat avayl lyst in no degree
Vnto hym sylf make acceptable,
In metal corrupt put noon felicite,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
6
The owle with the egle doth nat compare,Ne the lamb with the furious lyoun,
The sleyghty ffox pleyeth with the hare,
In feyned pees, to fals conclusioun,
Ryght delyuered for ambicioun
Vnto trewthe is nat appliable,
Colowryd trety conuertible with tresoun
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
7
An argement sophistical doth me conclude,Hym which to resoun yevith aduertence,
Dalida Sampson sotilly did delude,
Materys sumtyme put be in suspence,
Which partyes doth put to greet exspence,
Wrechydnesse causyd that is detestable,
Manhood withstondith in the prime temps
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
846
8
Mars goddesse souereyn of bataylleBrennyng Venus doth exyle froom hire ryght,
Which shewyn hire sylff in countirfeet apparaylle,
Froom his propirte drawith the hardy knyght
In marcial prowesse that put shulde his delyght,
Holdyng of the swerd to hym moost covenable,
Enemyes foreyn to put vnto flight,
Exsperience shewyth the wourld is varyable.
9
Off nedyl and stoon direccioun fayllyng,In his iourne the shipman doth erre,
In Aurora a-fore Phebus doth spryng,
Risyth with Esperus, namyd the day sterre,
Thy tydy shepperde to save froom mortal werre,
His owne sheep to hym moost amyable,
On fooldys foreyn lyst nat looke to ferre,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
10
Whoom the egle lyst to diffende,Be poweer absolute moost imperial,
To hym vengeaunce wyl not ostende,
Othir foolys in poweer not egal,
Othir conserve in a boody natural,
Ech membre to othir supportable,
Whoos contrarye destroyeth the body political,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
11
The eraunt theef is hange be the purs,Smal polaylle the kyte doth offende,
Of the Chirche they purchace Crystes curs,
Ageyn the sensours colours which pretende,
A summe notable for hem to dispende,
Rollyd at Rome in the audyte countable,
Vndir colowryd pretens mateerys which diffende,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
12
Ageyn Aurora the cok doth meryly crowe,Which for envye redily doth fight,
Countirfeet poetis seedys doun sowe,
847
Al is not goold which shynyth cleer & bryght,
A beggere to a lord is not comperable,
Lyk in apparaylle which apperyth to sight,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
13
Vnprofitable talkyng with-oute discrecioun,As of Aristotyll doth teche the sentence,
Is men to comowne ffailyng discrecioun,
On teermys passyng there intelligence;
A beggere to trete the hih magnificence
Off a prynce famous and aggreable,
Contrarye doth take for wisdam vnprudence,
Exsperience shewith the wourld is varyable.
Lenvoye
Goo, litil bille, and vndir socourTo euery estaat, this proverbe present,
Ech tale is endid, as it hath favour,
For among many ech man seith his entent.
A greet multitude in oon to make assent
Thyng celestial is, and devynable,
Envye feerfull for devyne iugement,
Experience shewith the wourld is varyable.
Explicit quod Lydgate.
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