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

At the reuerence of Seynt Margarete
My purpos is hir lyfe to compile;
Though I haue no Rethorikes swete
Nor colour noon tenbelisshe with my style
Yet dar I seyn, it happeth so somen while,
Vnder writyng rude of apparence
Mater is hid of grete intellygence.

2

Ful ofte falleth, in this Chestys blake
Gold and perlys and stones of grete prys

174

Ben ylooke and into warde ytake;
And by sentence and the prudent avys
Of philosoffres, that holden were so wys,
A Royal Ruby in whiche ther is no lak,
May closed ben in a ful pore sak.

3

And though that I haue noon eloquence
For to discryue hir parfit holynesse
Hir chaste lyf, hir tendre Innocence.
Hir martirdam wrought by grete duresse,—
Ay vnmutable in hir stablenesse,
Vn-to the dethe ay one in hir suffraunce,
So was hir herte roted on constaunce.

4

In Crystes feith she gan hir so delyte,
For whom she lyste despyse al worldly glorye,
This daysye, with leves rede and white,
Purpul hewed, as maked is memorye,
Whan that hir blode was shad oute by victorye,
The chaste lely of whos maydenhede
Thorugh martyrdam was spreynt with roses rede.

5

Margarete, the storye dothe hir calle,
After a stone ynamed Margarite,
A precyous gemme amonge these stones alle,
In there bokes as clerkys liste to write;
For of nature perlys echone ben white,
Right vertuous of kynde, rounde and small—
Whiche propurtees resemblen hir at alle.

6

She was first white by virginyte,
In al hir lyvyng preuyde vertuous;

175

And smal she was by humylite;
Right strong in God, this maide glorious;
And for she was thurgh deth victoryous,
Thurgh hir triumphe she gate the palme in heuene,
With laurer crowned above the sterres seuene.

7

This stone in vertu is a cordyal,
To the spirit a grete confortatyf;
Right so hir herte was imperyal
I mene, in vertu duryng al hir lyf;
For she venquesshed with al hir mortal stryf
The deuel, the worlde, her storye dothe devyse,
And of hir flesshe she made a sacryfice

8

Vnto the lorde, that starf vpon the rode,
Whan he liste deye for oure redempcyoun;
So this virgine, taquyte him, shad hir blode
Ful benygnely in her passyoun.
O gemme of gemmes, vyrgyn of most renoun,
Thy lif to write be thou my socoure,
And shede of grace the aureat lycoure

9

In-to my penne, quakyng of verray drede,
Of retoryke for I haue no muse
Duely to write this martirdom: in dede,
Ne were oo thyng, I wolde me excuse,—
That thou of grace wylt me not refuse
But dyrectyn, O blysful lode-sterre,
Me and my penne to conveye, whan I erre.

10

Lat thi lyght in derkenesse be my guyde
Tochyng this processe whiche I haue vnder-take.

176

Remembre, O virgyne, vpon that other side
On hir that caused, oonly for thi sake,
Thyn holy lyf me to compile and make,—
My lady Marche I mene, whiche of entent
Yafe firste to me in commaundement

11

That I shulde considre welle and see
In Frensshe and Latyne thyn holy passyoun,
Thi martidam and thi virginite,
And thereof make a compilacyoun;
So, as I cowde, vnder correccioun,
And vnder supporte of alle that shal it rede,
Vpon this storye thus I wylle procede.

Here endeth the prolog of Seynt Margarete, and next folwyng begynneth the storye of hir.

12

In Anthiochye, a famous grete Citee,
This blyssed mayde, this martir gloryous
Whilom was born, hire legende ye may see,—
Hir fader callid Theodosius;
And as the storye playnly telleth vs,
A patryark he was of Paynym lawes
After the ryghtes vsed in tho dawes.

13

To a Noryce this mayde was ytake,
Right gracious of shape and of visage:
The Paynym lawe of herte she hath forsake
And was baptised in hir tendre age,
For whiche hir fader gan fallen in a rage
And to hir-ward bare ful grete haterede,
Whan that he knewe she crystened was in dede.

177

14

And whan that she by processe dede atteyne
Vnto the Age of xv. yere,
With othir maydnes of beaute souereyne,
This holy virgyne, benygne and glad of chere,
Flouryng in vertu, moste goodly and entere,
Humble of hir porte, this gracyous creature
Kepte of hir Noryce the shepe in theire pasture.

15

Devoyde of pride, of rancour and of Ire,
She called was a mirrour of mekenesse,
The Holy Gost hir herte so dede enspire
That wille and thought were sette on parfitnesse,
To thynke on Criste was holy hir gladnesse,
And chere benygne to alle she dede shewe,
Softe of hir speche, and but of wordys fewe.

16

She gat hir love vpon euery syde,
By cause she was so inly vertuous,—
For God and grace with hir dide abide—
Al thyng eschewyng that was vycious;—
Til that the Prefette, called Olibrius,

Prefectus no mie Olibrius

Of auenture rode on his pleyng,
Where he sawe first this mayde, hir shepe kepyng.

17

He was rauesshede anoon with hir beaute,
Hir grete fairnesse whan he dide aduerte,
Hir fresshe face eke whan he dide see;
Hir heuenly Iyen perced thurgh his herte,
Brent in his corage with importable smerte:
This cruel wolfe, for love inpacyent,
Cast him devowre this cely Innocent.

178

18

Firste to him-self thus he spake and sayde:
“What is she this, where dothe this goodely duelle?
Who saw ever to-forn so faire a maide,
Whiche alle othir in beaute dothe excelle?
Of wommanhede she is the verray welle;
For me semeth myn herte in euery weyne
Is thurgh perced with hir Iyen tweyne.”

19

And with that thought he made for to gone
His seruauntes to hir Innocence,
Bad thei sholde enquere of hir anoon,
What that she was, with al hir diligence,
And reporte vnto his presence
Of hir lynage playnly how it stode
And where she were born of gentil blode;

20

“And of hir birthe if that she be fre,
I wille hir haue sothly to my wyfe,
Loue and cherysshe for hir grete beaute,
As it is skyle, duryng al my lyfe,
That atwene vs ther shal be no stryfe;
And if she be born of foreyne lyne,
I wille hir take to my concubyne.”

21

Whan she was brought vnto his presence,
First he enquerede of hir condicyoun,
Bad hir declare platly in sentence
Of hir lawe and hir religioun,
And of hir kyn, by short conclusyoun,
Clerly dyscure, and the trouthe attame,
Hooly hir purpos, and what was hir name.

179

22

She, not to Rekel for noon hastynesse,
But ful demure and sobre of contenaunce,
Gan looke on him, by grete avisenesse,
Dressyng to God hir hertes remembraunce,
Of chere nor colour ther was no variaunce;
Constaunt of herte, this holy blyssed mayde
To the Prefecte euene thus she saide:

23

“Touchynge my lynage, by successyoun
My bloide conveied is fro grete noblesse,
My name Margarete; and of religioun
I am cristen, in verray sothfastnesse;
And in that lawe, with-oute doublenesse,
For lyf or dethe playnly I wille abide,
Perseuere stable, and varien on no side.”

24

Wher-of the Iuge in manere gan disdeyne,
To hir saide, for short conclusioun,—
“Margarete, ther ben thinges tweyne
Ful couenable to thi condicyoun:
And this the first, to myn oppinioun,
Of thi byrthe the grete nobilite,
And the seconde is thi grete beaute,

25

“Whiche in thi persone Ioyned ben y-fere,
Worthi to be called a Margarite,
Of fairenesse of shape and eke of chere,
A chose gemme among these perles white;
And in this tweyne for I me delite,
Sewyng my counsaille thou mustest condiscende
Better avysed the thride to amende.

180

26

“To thi beaute it were a ful grete loos,
To thi youthe and to thi maydenhede,
To leve on him that deied on a croos,
I holde it foly; wherfore take goode hede,
For-sake his feithe, and do as I the rede;
First lat that God of the be denyed
Which on a tre was hange and crucified.”

27

“Certes,” quod she, “what euer that thou seye,
He wilfully suffred passioun,
And humbely liste for mankynde deye
And sched his blode for oure redempcioun
To make vs fre, and payen oure raunsoun,
Of his Ioye that we ne sholde mysse
Where now he regneth eternaly in blysse.”

28

The Iuge, wrothe, sent hir to prisoun,
There to abide tille on the next day,
Makyng as thoo, no dilacioun,
Bad she sholde in al the haste thei may
Be brought aforn him, to seyn yee or nay
Touchyng hir creaunce, what was hir lawe or feithe;
And to hir evenne thus he seithe:

29

“Margarete,” quod he, “haue pite on thyne age,
And haue eke mercy on thi grete fairnesse.
Spille not thi thought of foly ne of rage,
But tourn thyn herte, and thi wittes dresse
To our goddes, and do thi besynesse
Hem to honour and plese her deyete,
As thou desirest to lyue in prosperite.”

181

30

Quod she ageyn: “with hert, wille and thoughte
I worship him verrayly in dede
That made man, and after hath him bought,
Whom heuene and erthe and the see dothe drede.
Alle elementes he dothe conveie and lede,
For wynde, nor weder, nor no creature
With-oute his mercy may no while endure.”

31

Quod the Iuge: “Anoon but thou consente
To my desire as thou hast herde devyse,
Truste fully that thou shalt repente.
For first I shal in ful cruel wyse
Mercyles thy body so chastyse,—
Trust me welle, this no feyned tale,—
Thi flesshe assonder kerve on peces smale.”

32

Quod Margarete, “while that me lastethe brethe,
I shal abide in this oppinioun.
Sytthe Criste for me suffred peyne and dethe,
Shad al his blode for my redempcyoun,
So for his sake, of hole affeccyoun,
Be assured that I haue no drede
To deye for him, and al my blode to shede.”

33

The Iuge thanne vpon a galowe tre
Lete hangen vp this holy pure virgyne,
Hir flesshe be rente in his cruelte,
Whos blode ran doun right as eny lyne;
Lyke a quyke this maiden in her pyne
Shad oute hir blode, hir veynes al to-rent,
Til of hir body the lycour was al spent.

182

34

Allas the while! thei that stode beside,
Full sore wepten of compassyoun;
Allas! for doole! thei myght vnnethe abide
To sene hir blode so renne and rayle doun
So importable was hir passyoun
For Cristes feithe, that the peple abraide
And of pite thus to hir thei saide:

35

“O Margareta, allas, whan we take hede
Hou thou whilom were faireste vn-to see,
But now, allas! thi body is al rede,
Steyned with blode, whereof we han pite,
Allas! allas! hou myght it euere be
To sene a mayde yonge, fresshe, and tendre of age
Mighty to endure of tourment suche arage?

36

“Whi hast thou lost thyn excellent fairenesse,
Whi hast thou lost this shape and thy beaute?
And fynal cause of thi mortal distresse
Is thi wilful incredulite.
Lete fantasies out of thyn herte fle
Now at the last, that thou maist in eese
Of thy turment the bitternesse appese.”

37

Quod she: “Goth hens, ye fals counsaylirys,
Ye worlde peple, vnsad and euer vntrewe,
Flesshely, chaungeable, and in youre desirys
Delityng euere in thinges that be newe;
Amonge remembreth—and wolde God ye knewe—
That of my flesshe the mortal tourmentrie
Is to my soule chief salve and remedie.”

183

38

And to the Iuge thus she saide and spake:
“O gredy hounde, lyoun insaciable,
On my body thou maiste welle taken wrake,
But the soule shal perseuere stable,
For Cristes feith abiden immutable.
For thilke lorde Crist Ihesu, whom I serve,
From al mischief my spirit shal preserve.”

39

The Iuge, confuse sittyng in the place,
To beholde myght not sustene
The rede blode rayle aboute hir face,
Like a ryver rennyng on the grene;
Toke his mantel in his mortal tene,
Hid his visage, whanne that he toke hede
In herte astoned to sene hir sydes blede.

40

Made hir in hast to be taken doun
Myd of hir peyne cruel and horrible,
And efte ageyne putte hir in prisoun,
Where she prayde,—if it were possible,
Hir mortal foo, dredful and odible,
The lorde besechynge that she myght him see,
Whiche cause was of her aduersite,

41

Hir impugnynge thurgh his mortal fight
That man first brought to distruccyoun.
And sodeynly appered in hir sight,
Where as she lay bounden in prisoun,
In the lykenesse of a felle dragoun
The olde serpent, whiche called is Sathan,
And hastyly to assayle her he began;

184

42

With open mouthe, the virgyne to deuour,
First of alle, he swolwed in hir hede,
And she deuoutly, hirself to socoure,
Gan crosse hirself, in hir mortal drede;
And by grace, anoone or she toke hede,
The horrible beste, in relees of hir peyne,
Brast assondre, and partyd was on tweyne.

43

And efte ageyne to assayl hir he began,
The story seith, and after dothe appeere
By gret disceit in lykenesse of a man;
And she deuoutly, with hir yen clere
Lyfte vp to God, gan maken hir prayere.
And as she lay in hir orisoun,
Vnder hir fete lyggyng the dragoun,

44

The deuel, venquysshed, toke hir by the honde,
Spake thes wordes, as I shal devyse:
“Thou hast me bounde with invisible bonde,
Whiche victorie ought ynogh suffice!
Cese of thy power, and lat me now aryse,
For I may not abiden thi constreynt,
In this batayle thou hast me made so feynt.”

45

And she aroos with-oute fere or drede,
This cely ma[i]de, this tendre creature,
By grace of God hent him by the hede
And cast him doun, for al his felle armure,
Vnder hir fete—he myght[e] not recure;
And on this serpent for to do more wrake,
Hir ryght fote she sette upon his bake.

185

46

“Oo feende,” quod she, “of malyse serpentyne,
Remembre of the how I haue victorye,
A clene mayde, by powere femynyne,
Whiche shall be rad to myn encrees of glorye,
Perpetuelly putte eke in memorie,
How a mayde hath put vnder fote
Sathan, that is of synne crope and roote.”

47

With that the serpent lowde gan to crie,
“Thou hast me brought shortly to vttraunce,
I am ve[n]quysshed, I may it not denye,
Ageyns the ful feble is my puyssaunce,
Thyn Innocence hath brought me to myschaunce,
And a mayde, but of yeeres tendre,
Hath me outrayed with hir lymmes sklendre.

48

“Yif that a man, whiche had force and myght,
Had me venquysshed, I myght it welle sustene;
But now, allas, ageyn al skele and ryght,
A cely virgyne, a mayde pure and clene,
Hath me bore down in al my felle tene;
And this, allas, bothe at eve and morowe
Is grettest cause of my dedly sorowe.

49

“This encreseth grete party of my peyne,
Whan I consydre with-ynne my-self and see
How thi fader and moder bothe tweyne
Were in their tyme friendly vnto me;
But thou allone, thurgh thy virginite,
Thi chast[e] lyf, thy parfyt holynesse
Han me venquysshed and outrayed in distress.”

186

50

Whan she bigan the serpent to constreyne
To discure, and no thinge to hyde
By what mene and what manere treyne,
Outher by malys, outher by envye and pryde
That he assailed man on any syde.
“The kynde of man, telle on anoon,” quod she,
“And be welle ware thou lye nat to me.”

51

“Sothely,” quod he, “I may it not denye,—
To seyn the trouthe playnly, and not spare,
My nature is of custume for to lye,
As I that am of trouthe and vertue bare,
Lyggynge awayte ayenste the welfare
Of folkes goode, and alway envyous
To alle that ben parfite and vertuous,

52

“Naturelly to hem I haue envye,
Though thei thurgh vertu me ofte put abak,
And whan it falleth thei haue of me mastrie,
Ageyn to me resorteth al the wrak;
Of charite I haue so grete a lak,
So grete sorowe only for lak of grace
That man in heuene sholde occupye my place.

53

“Yet, wote I welle, I may it not recure,
Nor in that place shal I neuer abide,
But in helle sorowe and peyne endure,
From heuene caste for my grete pryde—
This foule vice fro thennes was my guyde,
Yet of malys, thye trouthe for to telle,
Envye I haue that man ther sholde duelle.

187

54

“This eke trouthe that whilom Salamon,
As bookes olde recorden and conclude,
Closed in a vesselle fendes many on
And of spiritus a grete multitude,
Whiche Innocentes ful often can delude;
But after dethe of that prudent kynge
Fro that vessel thei caste out fire sparklynge.

55

“Men supposyng in theire oppinioun
There was closed grete tresour and rychesse,
Brak the vessel of entencyoun,
And sodeynly the fendes gan hem dresse
Oute of that holde fer fro that distresse,
At her oute-goyng enfectyng al thayre,
Where thei abiden and haue theire repaire;

56

“Which to mankynde do ful grete damage
By their malys and ther temptacions,
To olde and yonge and euery manere age,
By ther conspired fals illusyouns;
But fynally all ther collusyons
Goth vnto nought, and al ther violence,
Whan ther is made myghty resistence.”

57

Whan the serpent malicyous and olde
To the mayde, whos fote dede him oppresse,
Had his processe and his tale tolde,
She with-drowe to done him more duresse;
And the dragoun upwarde gan him dresse,
Disapered, and forth his wey is goo;
And she, assured of hir gostly foo,

188

58

Wenquysshed hath the prynce of al derkenesse,
And sitthe she hathe ouercome the hede,
It faylethe nat she nedes moste oppresse
His cruel mynystre, and haue of him no drede.
And sewyng on, this floure of goodelyhede
The next[e] day, voyde of all refuge
Save of the lorde, was brought afore the Iuge,

59

Ful moche peple beyng in presence.
And for she wolde do no sacryfice
The fals goddes, by mortal violence
She was dispoiled in ful cruel wyse
And naked stode, that folke myght hir despise;
And after that this gemme of maydenhede
Was brent with brondus bright as eny glede,

60

Hir sydes skorched, whilom white as melke,
The cruel mynystres liste hir nat to spare,
For Crystes sake, hir body, softe as selke,
Mercyles, naked stode and bare;
And to avment and encrese hir care,
In boylyng water she was caste and bounde,
The [wawys burblyng] [with bolles grete & round].

61

The folkes alle, that stonden enviroune
Of doo[l]ful pite, that sawe this auenture,
Gan wepe and pleyne, and of compassyoun
Merueyled sore a tendre creature
Sustene myght suche tourment and endure;
For the tyraunt, to make hir peynes straunge,
In fire and water gan hir tourment change.

189

62

And sodeynly there fille an erthe-quave.
The people, in drede, dempte it was vengeaunce;
And fyve thousand, for God wolde hem save,
Conuerted weren from there myscreaunce,
For Cristes sake heveded by vengeaunce,—
Se how a mayde in al hir tourmentrie
The feith of Crist coude magnifie.

63

The blynde Iuge, all voyde of happe and grace,
Last that othre conuerted wolde be
To Cristes feith, withoute lenger space
Commaunded hath that this mayde fre,
In youth flourynge and virginite,
To ben heueded, withoute more tarying,
In hir praier as she lay knelynge.

64

But first she praied of humble affeccyoun
To the Iuge, to graunten hir leysere
That she myght make hir orisoun,
And haue a space to lyue in hir praiere.
And ful deuoutly with hert hole and entere
Vpon the poynte when she sholde deye,
The blessed virgyne thus bygan to preye.

65

First she praide of parfite charite

primo orauit pro suis persecutoribus.

For hir enemys and hir tourmentours,
For hem that caused hir aduersite
And had hir pursued with mony sharpe shours,
Of parfit loue she gadrid oute the flours,
Praying also for thoo folkes alle
That after helpe vnto hir grace calle.

190

66

And for alle thoo that haue hir in memorie,

Peticio & per eius memoriam agentibus & se inuocantibus.

And swiche as truste in hir helpe at nede;
That God hem graunte, sittinge in his glorie,
Of his grace that thei may welle spede,
And ageyn right that no man hem myslede,
“And, lorde,” quod she, “to alle be socoure
That for thi sake done to me honoure.

67

“And specyally to the I beseche

Etiam denote orauit ad deum ut quecunque in partu parielitans se inuocauit ille sa prolem emittet.

To alle wymmen whiche of childe trauayle,
For my sake, oo lorde, be thou her leche,
Lat my prayere vn-to hem availe,
Suffre no myschief tho wymmen, lorde, assaile.
That calle to me for helpe in theire greuaunce,
But for my sake save hem fro myschaunce.

68

“Lat hem, lorde, not perisshe in theire childynge,
Be thou her comforte and consolacyoun,
To be deliuered thurgh grace of thyn helpynge,
Socoure hem, lorde, in theire tribulacyoun.
This is my praier, this is myn orisoun,
And specially do alle folkes grace
That calle to me for helpe in any place!”

69

And fro that high[e] heuenly mansyoun
Was herde a voys in open audience
That God had herde hir peticioun,
To be parfourmed with-oute resistence.
And than this maide, moste of excellence,
Roos vp deuoutly, and no thynge afferde
Seide vnto him whiche that helde the swerde:

191

70

“Come nere,” quod she, “myn oune brother dere,
Smyte with the swerde, and loke thou spare nought.
My body shal behynde abiden here,
But my soule to heuene shall be brought.”
Her hede enclynynge with an humble thought;
The mynystre with al his myght and peyne
Lefte vp his swerde and smote hir necke on tweyne.

71

The peple of pite gan to crie and soun
That stode and sawe hir bitter passioun;
Of martirdam thus she toke the croun[e]
For Cristes feithe, with hole affeccyoun.
Threttene kalendes, the boke maketh mencyoun,
Of Iul this maide, a merour of constaunce,
Was laureat thurgh hir parfit suffraunce.

72

An holy seynt writeth of this maide, and seithe:
“This Margareta, parfyt of hir creaunce,
With drede of God moste stable in hir feythe,
Vn-to the deth hauyng perseueraunce
Sette hoole to God with thought and remembraunce,
In herte ay compunt, she was so vertuous,
Euery-thing eschewyng that was vicious.

73

“Hir blyssed lyf, hir conuersacioun
Were example of parfite pacience,
Of grounded clennesse and of religioun,
Of chastite founded on prudence;
God gaf to hir souerayn excellence
In hir tyme that she shulde be
To all a maisterasse of virginite.

192

74

“Hir fadir, modir, hir kynred she forsoke,
Hir holy lyuynge was to hem odious,
To Cristes lawe al holy she hir toke,
This blissed mayde, this virgin glorious,
Of alle hir enemyes she was victorious,
Til at the laste, in vertu complet goode,
For Cristes sake she shad hir chaste bloode.”

Explicit vita sancte Margarete.

Lenvoy.

75

Noble princesses and ladyes of estate,
And gentilwomen lower of degre,
Lefte vp your hertes, calle to your aduocate
Seynt Margarete, gemme of chastite.
And alle wymmen that haue necessite,
Praye this mayde ageyn syknesse and dissese,
In trayvalynge for to do yow ese.

76

And folkes alle that be disconsolat
In your myschief and grete aduersite,
And alle that stonde of helpe desolate,
With devout hert and with humylite
Of ful trust, knelyng on your kne,
Pray this mayde in trouble and alle dissese
Yow to releve and to do yow ese.

77

Now, blissed virgyne, in heuene hy exaltat,
With othir martirs in the celestialle se,
Styntith werre, the dredfulle fel debat
That vs assailith of oure enemyes thre,
From whos assaute inpossible is to fle,
But, chaste gemme, thi servauntes sette at ese
And be her shelde in myschief and dissese.

Explicit.