65. RYME WITHOUT ACCORD
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[From MS. Harl. 2251, leaves 26 to 27.]
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,
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,
God to serve and with the fiende to beleve,
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.
