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

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 goodnesse
Oon 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

Displaieth hir crown geyn Phebus bemys briht,
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

He wold ech man to hym were resemblable;
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 discrecioun
To-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.