69. THAT NOW IS HAY SOME-TYME WAS GRASE.[_]
[MS. B.M. Adds. 29729, leaves 127, back, to 129, back.]
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 sikernes
Here 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 whyte
At 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.
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 contynue
For 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 face
And 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.
8
Hester was fayrest on to se
Her 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;
Nowe clowdye mystes, nowe bryght ayre;
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;
Who clymbeth hyest gothe ofte base,
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/.
