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

Lyk as the Bible makith mencioun,
The original ground of devout offryng,
Callyd of clerkys iust decimacioun,
In pleyn Ynglissh trewe and iust tithyng;
Abel began Innocent of lyving,
Oonly to God for to do plesaunce,
Of frut, of beestys, reknyd euery-thyng,
Gaff God his part, tenthe of his substaunce.

2

Melchisedech, bisshop, preest, and kyng,
To Abraham, a prynce of gret puissaunce,
For his victorye at his hoom-Comyng,
Whan Amelech was brouht unto uttraunce,
Offryd bred and wyn with devout obeisaunce,
Of alle Oblaciouns figurys out to serche;
On bred and wyn, by roial suffisaunce,
The feith is groundid of al hooly cherche.

3

Of good greyn sowe growith up good wheete,
With gret labour plantyd is the vyne,
The tenthe part is to our lord moost meete,
To whose preceptis, heuenly and divyne,
We muste our heedys meekly doun enclyne,
Paye our dymes by his Comaundementis,
Moyses lawe and Eek bi the doctryne,
Foure Ewangelistis and too Testamentis.

194

4

Fro Melchisedech doun to Abraham,
To sette of tithes a fundacioun,
Th'encrees of frute and al that therof cam
They trewly made ther oblacioun;
Whan Iacob sauh in his avisioun,
Tyme that he slepte upon the cold[e] stoon,
Sauh on a laddere goon angelis up and doun,
To God above made his avowh anoon.

5

This was his vowh, with gret humylite,
Lik his entent in ful pleyn language;
“Lord, yif thou list to conduite me,
Of thy grace, Fortune my passage,
To retourne hoom to myn herytage,
My fadris hous come therto by-tymes,
Of good and tresour, with al the surplusage,
I shal to the offren vp the dymes.”

6

Among al frutys in especial,
By a prerogatif excellent and notable,
In worthynesse verray imperial,
Of reverence condigne and honourable,
By antiquite in templys custumable,
In hooly writ remembryd ofte sithes,
Wyn, Oyle, and wheete, frutis moost acceptable,
To God above were offryd vp for tythes.

7

The Patriark of antiquyte,
Callyd Isaak next by Successioun,
To Abraham which with thes frutys thre
Gaff to Iacob his benediccioun:
The which thre in comparisoun,
Of the moralité who-so takith heed,
To preesthood first and kynges of renoun,
Gret mysteries in Oyle wyn and breed.

195

8

Breed and wyn to bisshopis apparteene,
Oyle longith for to anoynte kynges,
Offryng is maad of frutys ripe and greene,
Of Foul and beeste and of al othir thynges;
Breefly conclude alle folk in there livynges,
That trewly tithe with glad herte and face,
Patriarkis, prophetis in ther writynges,
Shal evere encreese with fortune, hap, and grace.

9

And who fro God with-halte his dew[e]te,
Lat hym knowe for pleyn conclusyoun,
Of warantise he shal nevir the,
Lakke grace and vertuous foysoun;
Of ther tresour discrece in ech sesoun,
To hoolychirche that wil nat pay hys dyme,
Lat hym adverte and haue inspeccioun,
What ther befyl in Awstynes tyme.

10

I meene Austyn that was fro Rome sent,
By Seyn Gregory in to this regioun,
Graciously arryued up in Kent,
Famous in vertu, of gret perfeccioun;
His liff was lyk his predicacioun,
As he tauht, sothely so he wrouhte:
By his moost hooly conversacioun,
Into this lond the feith of Crist he brouhte.

11

Thoruh al the parties and provynces of the lond,
Of Cristis gospel he gan the seed to sowe,
Unkouth myracles wrouhte with hys hand,
Worshipped he was bothe of hih and lowe;
With-outen pompe grace hath his horn so blowe,
Thoruh his merites that the hevenly soun,
He callid was as it is wel knowe,
Cristes Apostil in Brutis Albioun.

196

12

He was Aurora whan Phebus sholde arise,
With his briht beemys on that lond to shyne,
Callyd day-sterre moost glorious to devise;
Our feith was dirkid undir the Ecliptic lyne;
Our mysbeleeve he did first Enlumyne,
Whan he out-sprad the briht[e] beemys cleere,
Of Cristes lawe by his parfit doctryne,
Thoruh al this land to make his liht appeere.

13

This was doon by grace or we wer war,
Of tholygoost by the influence,
Whan foure steedys of Phebus goldene char,
List in this regioun holde residence;
Who droff the char to Conclude in sentence,
By goostly favour of the nyne speerys,
Til blissed Austyn, by goostly elloquence,
Was trewe Auriga of foure gospelleeris.

14

Or Austyn cam, we slombryd in dirknesse,
Lyk ydolastres blyndid in our siht,
Of Cristes feith was curteyned the cleernesse,
Tyl Sol justicie list shewe his beemys briht;
Of his mercy to clarefye the liht,
Chace away our cloudy ignoraunce,
The lord of lordys of moost imperial myht,
Tavoyde away our froward mescreaunce.

15

First fro the Pope that callid was Gregory,
Awstyn was sent, who that list adverte,
Tyme and date be put in memory,
To Cristes feith whan he did vs converte,
Our goostly woundys felte as tho gret smerte;
Deed was our soule, our boody Eek despised,
Tyl Awstyn made vs cast of cloth and sherte,
In coold watir by hym we wer baptised.

197

16

Kyng Ethelbert regnyng that tyme in Kent,
Touchyng the date whan Awstyn cam first doun,
Noumbryd the tyme whan that he was sent,
By Pope Gregory into this regioun,
Yeer of our Lord by computacioun,
Compleet five hundryd fourty and Eek nyne,
As cronyclers make mencioun,
In ther bookys fully determyne.

17

Thus he began by grace of Goddis hond,
Wher God list werche may be noon obstacle,
By his labour was cristened al this lond,
Feith of our lord wex moor cleer than spectacle;
Whan tholygoost made his habitacle
In tho personys that wern in woord and deede,
By Awstyn tournyd, God wrouhte a gret myracle,
To make hem stable in Articles of the Creede.

18

But to resorte ageyn to my mateere,
With thOlygoost Austyn sett a-fire,
Gan preche and teche devoutly the maneere
Of Cristes lawe abrood in every shire:
Grace of our Lord did hym so inspire,
To Enlwmyne al this regioun,
Of aventure his herte gan desire
To Entre a village that callid was Comptoun.

19

The parissh preest of the same place,
Aforn provided in ful humble wyse,
Bosouhte hym meekly that he wolde of grace
Here his compleynt as he shal devise:
In pleyn language told hym al the guyse,
Lord of that thorpe requeryd ofte sithes,
He ay contrayre tobeye to themprise,
Of hooly chirche list nat paye his tithes.

198

20

“Entretid hym lik to his estat,
First secrely, next afforn the toun,
But al for nouht I fond hym obstynat,
Moost indurat in his oppynyoun;
Toold hym the Custom groundid on resoun,
He was bounde by lawe of oold writyng,
To pay his dymes, and for rebellioun
I cursyd hym, cause of fals tithyng.

21

“This mateer hool ye must of riht redresse;
Requeryng you of your goodly heede,
By your discrecioun to do rihtwisnesse,
Peysen al the cas and prudently take heede
That hooly chirche haue no wrong in deede;
Al thyng commytted and weyed in ballaunce,
Ye to be Iuge, and lyk as ye proceede
We shall obeye to youre ordynaunce.”

22

Hooly Awstyn, sad and wel avised,
Kneuh by signes this compleynt was no fable,
And in maneer was of the caas agrised,
Fond that the lord was in that poynt coupable;
To reduce hym and mak hym moor tretable,
As the lawe ordeyned hath or riht,
Blissid Awstyn, in Cristes feith moost stable,
Took hym apart seyde unto this knyght,

23

“How may this be that thou art [so] froward
To hooly chirche to pay thy dewtee,
Lyk thy desert thou shalt haue thy reward;
Thynk that thou art bounde of trouthe & equitee,
To paye thy tithes; and lerne this of mee,
The tenthe part fro God yif thou withdrawe,
Thou myste incurre, of necessite,
To been accursyd by rigour of the lawe.”

199

24

The knyht, astonyd somwhat of his cheer,
“Sire,” quod he, “I wol wel that ye knowe,
My labour is ay from yeer to yeer
By revolucioun that the lond be sowe,
Afore this peple stondyng here arowe,
By evidence to maken an open preef,
What maner boost that ony man list blowe,
I with the nynthe wil have the tenthe cheef.

25

“Sey what ye list, I wyl have no lasse.”
This was the answere pleynly of the knyht;
Hooly Austyn dispoosid hym to masse,
Ful devoutly and in the peeplys siht,
Tornyd his face, comaundith anoon riht,
Ech cursyd man that wer out of grace
Tyme of his masse that euery maneer wiht
That stood accursyd, voyde shulde his place.

26

Present that tyme many creature,
Withoute abood or any long taryeng,
Ther roos up oon out of his sepulture,
Terrible of face, the peeple beholdyng,
A great paas the chircheyeerd passyng,
The Seyntuarye bood ther a greet whyle,
Al the space the masse was seyeng,
Feerfully afore the chirche style.

27

With-oute meevyng, alway stille he stood,
The peeple feerful in ther oppynyoun,
Almoost for dreed they gan to wexen wood,
Afftir masse alle of assent cam doun,
To hooly Austyn made relacioun,
Of al this caas riht as it was falle,
Gaff hem a spirit of consolatioun,
Ful sobirly spak unto them alle.

200

28

Sad and discreet in his aduertence,
Sauh by ther poort that they stood in dreede,
First of alle with ful devout reverence,
Cros and hooly watir he made aforn proceede;
The Crucifix their baner was in deede,
Blissid Austyn the careyn gan compelle:—
“In Iesu name, that lyst for man to bleede,
What that thu art trewly for to telle.”

29

“Disobeisaunt my tithes for to paye,
Of yoore agoon I was lord of this toun,
My dew[e]tees I did alwey delaye,
Stood accursyd for my rebellioun,
Made in my liff no restitucioun,
Geyn thy biddyng I myht no socour haue;
My cursed Careyn, ful of corrupcioun,
By Goddis angel was cast out of my graue.

30

“Thy precept was upon ech a side,
Beyng at masse whil thou were in presence,
No stynkyng flessh myht in the poorche abyde,
I was take up, lad forth by violence;
On me was yove so dreedful a sentence
Of Curs, allas! which to my diffame,
Now as ye seen, for disobedience
Disclaundrid is perpetuelly my name.

31

“Tyme whan Britouns wer lordis of this lond,
Hadde the lordship and domynacioun,
The same tyme as ye shal undirstond,
Of this village in soth I was patroun;
To hooly chirche hadde no devocioun,
Offte sith steryd of my Curat
To paye my dymes, hadde indignacioun,
Was ay contrayre, froward, and obstinat.

201

32

“This hundryd yeer I have enduryd peyne,
And fifty ovir by Computacioun,
Greet cause have I to moorne and to compleyne,
In a dirk prisoun of desolacioun,
Mong firy flawmys, voyd of remissioun.”
And whil that he this wooful tale toold,
Hooly Austyn with the peeple enviroun,
Wepte of compassioun, as they to watir woold.

33

Austyn gan muse in his oppynyoun,
To fynde a mene the sowle for to save,
Of this terrible doolful inspeccioun
The peeplis hertys gretly gan abave,
Whom to behoolde they cowde no coumfort have
Al the while the careyn was in ther presence,
Austin axith yif he knew the grave,
Of thilke preest that gaf vn hym sentence,

34

“So longe aforn for thy fals tythyng,
As we have herd the mateere in substaunce.”
“Sothly,” quod he, “ther shal be no taryeng,
But ye shal have a reconysaunce,
So ye wil digge and doon youre observaunce,
To delvyn up his boonys dul and rude,
Loo! heer he lith, cheef cause of my grevaunce,
So fel a curs he did on me conclude.”

35

Austyn fulfilled of grace and all vertu,
As ony pileer in our feith moost stable,
The deed preest, in name of Crist Iesu,
He bad arise with woordys ful tretable;
Requeryd hym, by tokenys ful notable,
Yif he hadde sith tyme that he was born
Seyn that Owgly careyn lamentable,
The deed body that stood hem beforn.

202

36

“Sothly,” quod he, “and that me rewithe soore,
That evir I knewh hym for his frowardnesse,
I gaf hym counseil, daily moore and moore,
To paye his tithes, the pereil did expresse;
He took noon heed his surfetys to redresse;
I warnyd him many divers tymes,
But al for nouht, I can weel bere witnesse,
Deyed accursyd, rebel to paye his dymes.”

37

Whan the preest hath toold euery deel,
With evy cheer and voys most lamentable,
Quod Seyn Austyn, “Brothir, thou knowest weel,
Thynk he that bouht us is evir merciable,
By whose exaumple we must be tretable,
As the Gospel pleynly doth recoorde,
And for thy part be nat thu vengable,
So that with rigour mercy may accorde.

38

“Thynk how Iesus bouht us with his blood,
Oonly of mercy suffryd passioun,
For mannys sake was nayled on the rood,
Rive to the herte for our redempcioun;
Remembre how thu dist execucioun
Upon this penaunt ploungid in greet peyne,
Withdrawe thy sentence and do remissioun,
Fro purgatorye his trowblys to restreyne.

39

“On hym thu leydist a ful dreedful bond,
To the it longith the same bond to unbynde;
Tak this flagelle devoutly in thy hond,
On Cristes passion in this mateer have mynde,
Many exaumple to purpoos thu mayst fynde,
Of trespasours relesyd of ther peyne,
Of Petir, Poule, and Sein Thomas of Ynde,
Of Egipsiacha, and Mary Mawdeleyne.

203

40

“[Take] to mercy for ther greet repentaunce,
Ther was noon othir mediacioun,
Thu must of riht yeve hym his penaunce,
With this flagelle of equite and resoun;
Sette on this careyn a castigacioun,
As he requerith kneelyng afor thy face,
Best restoratif next Cristes passioun,
Is thyn assoylyng for his gret trespace.”

41

Al this was doon by the Comaundement
Of Seyn Austyn, the Careyn ther knelyng,
Lord of that village was also ther present,
Al the peeple moost pitously sobbyng;
From ther eyen the teerys distyllyng;
The last[e] preest reised from his grave,
The tothir corps with bittir fel scorgyng,
Assoyled him his soule for to save.

42

Oo ded man assoiled hath anothir,
An unkouth caas merveilous texpresse;
Oon knelith doun, requerith of the tothir,
Pleyn remissioun of Oold cursidnesse,
Bete with a scorge, took it with meeknesse,
Hopyng that Iesus shuld his soule save.
Seyn Austyn bad him in hast he shuld hym dresse,
Thankyng our Lord, ageyn unto his grave.

43

Circumstaunces in ordre to accounte,
Of this myracle peised euery thyng,
Mercy of our Lord doth every-thyng surmounte,
To save and dampne he is lord and kyng;
Hevene and helle obeye to his biddyng,
By many exaumple expert in this mateer,
Traian the Emperour for his just deemyng,
I-savid was by meene and the prayeer

204

44

Of Seyn Gregory, Pope of Rome toun,
Cause in his doomys he did so gret riht,
Rigour was medlyd with remyssioun,
For he that is of moost imperial myht,
List advertise in his celestial siht,
Tween rihte and favour, rigour and pite,
By doom and sentence of every maneer wiht,
Mercy of vertues hath the sovereynte.

45

Unto the preest aforn that I you toold,
Seyn Austyn made a straunge questioun,
To cheese of tweyne whedir that he woold,
To goon with hym thoruh this regioun,
The feith of Crist by predicacioun,
For his part groundid on Scripture,
To doon his deveer of hool affectioun,
Or to resoorte ageyn to his sepulture.

46

“Fadir,” quod he, “with supportacioun,
Of your benygne fadirly pite,
I you requeere to graunte me pardoun,
Unto my grave I may restooryd be;
This world is ful of mutabilite,
Ful of trouble, chaung, and varyaunce,
And for this tyme I pray you suffrithe me,
Tabyde in reste from worldly perturbaunce.

47

“I reste in pees and take of nothyng keep,
Rejoisshe in quiete and Contemplacioun,
Voyd of al trouble, celestial is my sleep,
And by the meene of Cristes passioun,
Feith, hoope, and Charite, and hool affecioun,
Been pilwes foure to reste upon by grace,
Day of the general resurrectioun,
Whan Gabriel callith tappeere a-forn his face.”

205

48

O brothir myn, this choys is for thy beste!
Contemplatiff, fulfilled of al plesaunce,
I pray to God sende the good reste,
Of goostly gladneese, sovereyn suffisaunce;
Pray for vs and have in remembraunce,
Al hooly chirche in quiete to be crownyd,
That Crist Jhesus dispoose so the ballaunce,
That Petris ship be with no tempest drownyd.

49

I meene as thus, that noon heresye
Ryse in thes dayes, nor noon that was beforn,
Nor no darnel growe nor multeplye,
Nor no fals Cokkyl be medlyd with good corn;
Cheese we the roosys, cast away the thorn,
Crist boute us alle with his p[r]ecious bloode,
To that he bouht us lat no thyng be lorn,
For our redempcioun he starf upon the rood.

50

The knyht present lord of the same toun,
Thes myracles whan he did se,
Austyn axith of hym this questioun,
“Wilt thu,” quod he, “paye thy dew[e]te?”
He grauntith his axing, and fyl doon on his kne,
Moost repentaunt forsook al the world as blyve,
With devout herte and al humylite,
Folwith Seyn Austyn duryng al his live.

LENVOYE.

Go litil tretys, void of presumpcioun!
Prese nat to ferre, nor be nat to bold;
This labour stant undir Correccioun,
Of this myracle remembryd many fold,

206

In many shire and many Cite toold,
To you echon to whom I it directe,
By-cause I am of wittis dul and old,
Doth your deveer this processe to corecte.

Explicit quod Lidgate.