63. AS A MYDSOMER ROSE.
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[From B.M. Harley 2255, leaves 3, back, to 5, back.]
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,
Like as the Lord of grace list dispoose;
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 nightyngale
Ther 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.
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.
8
Constreynt of coold makith flours dare
With 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 kyng
Of 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
Of Omerus, in Grece both north and south?
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;
Withoute trouthe, what vaileth hih noblesse?
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.
