Lydgate's Troy Book A.D. 1412-1420. Edited from the best manuscripts with introduction, notes, and glossary by Henry Bergen |
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LENVOYE. |
 | Lydgate's Troy Book |  |
LENVOYE.
Most worþi prince, of knyȝthod sours & welle,
Whos hiȝe renoun þoruȝ þe world doþ shine,
And alle oþer in manhood dost excelle,
Of merit egal to þe worþi nyne,
And born also by discent of lyne
As riȝtful eyr by title to atteyne,
To bere a crowne of worþi rewmys tweyne!
Whos hiȝe renoun þoruȝ þe world doþ shine,
And alle oþer in manhood dost excelle,
Of merit egal to þe worþi nyne,
And born also by discent of lyne
As riȝtful eyr by title to atteyne,
To bere a crowne of worþi rewmys tweyne!
And also fer as Phebus in his spere
From est to west shedeþ his bemys briȝt,
And Lucyna, with a shrowdid chere,
Goth compas rounde with hir pale liȝt,
Þou art [y-]rekned for þe best[e] knyȝt,
To be registred worþi as of name
In þe hiȝest place of þe hous of fame,
From est to west shedeþ his bemys briȝt,
And Lucyna, with a shrowdid chere,
Goth compas rounde with hir pale liȝt,
Þou art [y-]rekned for þe best[e] knyȝt,
To be registred worþi as of name
In þe hiȝest place of þe hous of fame,
To holde a palme of knyȝthod in þin hond,
For worþines and for hiȝe victorie,
As þou þat art drad on se & lond,
And euermore with laude, honour, & glorie,
For iust conquest to be put in memorie,
With a crowne made of laurer grene
Vp-on þin hed, to-fore þat famus quene—
For worþines and for hiȝe victorie,
As þou þat art drad on se & lond,
And euermore with laude, honour, & glorie,
For iust conquest to be put in memorie,
With a crowne made of laurer grene
Vp-on þin hed, to-fore þat famus quene—
Whilom ordeyned only for conquerours,
Stable of herte, with longe perseueraunce,
And gaf nat vp til þei wer victours,
Emprises take for no sodeyn chaunce,
Whos name ay floureþ with newe remembraunce
And fadeth nat of ȝeris ȝore a-goon,
Amonge whiche þou maist be set for oon:
Stable of herte, with longe perseueraunce,
And gaf nat vp til þei wer victours,
Emprises take for no sodeyn chaunce,
877
And fadeth nat of ȝeris ȝore a-goon,
Amonge whiche þou maist be set for oon:
For þoruȝ þe world in euery regioun
Reportid is with fame þat fleth wyde,
Þat naturelly þi condicioun
On þing be-gonne is knyȝtly to abide,
And for þe tyme manly sette a-side
Reste and ese, what cost þer-on be spent,
Til þou haue cheved þe fyn of þin entent.
Reportid is with fame þat fleth wyde,
Þat naturelly þi condicioun
On þing be-gonne is knyȝtly to abide,
And for þe tyme manly sette a-side
Reste and ese, what cost þer-on be spent,
Til þou haue cheved þe fyn of þin entent.
Most circumspect and passinge avysee,
Al þi werkes conveied with prudence,
Saad & demvre, like to Iosue,
Ageyn whos swerd is no resistence,
And hast also heuenly influence,
With Salomon, wysly to discerne,
Only be grace þi peple to gouerne—
Al þi werkes conveied with prudence,
Saad & demvre, like to Iosue,
Ageyn whos swerd is no resistence,
And hast also heuenly influence,
With Salomon, wysly to discerne,
Only be grace þi peple to gouerne—
Mercy eke meynt with þi magnificence,
On alle oppressed for to haue pite,
And of rebelles be manly violence
Abate canst þe grete cruelte;
And so with Dauid þou hast kyngly pite,
And hiȝe prowes with Sesar Iulius,
In his tyme most victorius.
On alle oppressed for to haue pite,
And of rebelles be manly violence
Abate canst þe grete cruelte;
And so with Dauid þou hast kyngly pite,
And hiȝe prowes with Sesar Iulius,
In his tyme most victorius.
And manly holdest in þin hondes two
—Who can beholde by clere inspeccioun—
Þe swerd of knyȝthod & þe scepter also:
The ton to bring to subieccioun
Hertes made proude by fals rebellioun,
And with þe scepter to rewle at þe beste
Þi pore liges, þat wolde live at reste.
—Who can beholde by clere inspeccioun—
Þe swerd of knyȝthod & þe scepter also:
The ton to bring to subieccioun
Hertes made proude by fals rebellioun,
And with þe scepter to rewle at þe beste
Þi pore liges, þat wolde live at reste.
Now, þou þat haste manhod, vertu, & grace,
Attemperaunce, fredam, & bounte,
Lowly I praie, with a dredful face,
Disdeyne nat benyng[e]ly to se
Vp-on þis boke rudly made by me,
To fyn only to agreen þin hiȝnesse—
And rewe of merci vp-on my symplesse,
Attemperaunce, fredam, & bounte,
Lowly I praie, with a dredful face,
Disdeyne nat benyng[e]ly to se
878
To fyn only to agreen þin hiȝnesse—
And rewe of merci vp-on my symplesse,
And [eke] in þi knyȝtly aduertence
Considre & se, my souereyn lord most dere,
Of þi Innat famous sapience,
Þat Crist Iesus received with good chere
Þe twey Mynutes ȝoue of herte entere
By þe wydowe, whiche of wille & þouȝt
Gaf al hir good, & kepte hir silf riȝt nouȝt.
Considre & se, my souereyn lord most dere,
Of þi Innat famous sapience,
Þat Crist Iesus received with good chere
Þe twey Mynutes ȝoue of herte entere
By þe wydowe, whiche of wille & þouȝt
Gaf al hir good, & kepte hir silf riȝt nouȝt.
By whiche ensample, so þat it nat offende
Þoruȝ myn vnkonnynge to þin hiȝe noblesse,
Late good wil my litel gift amende,
And of þi mercy & renomed goodnesse
Haue no disdeyn of my bareyn rudnesse,
And, in makyng þouȝ I haue no mvse,
Late trewe menyng þe surplus [al] excuse.
Þoruȝ myn vnkonnynge to þin hiȝe noblesse,
Late good wil my litel gift amende,
And of þi mercy & renomed goodnesse
Haue no disdeyn of my bareyn rudnesse,
And, in makyng þouȝ I haue no mvse,
Late trewe menyng þe surplus [al] excuse.
More þan good hert hath no maner wyȝt
To presente nouþer to God nor man,
And for my part to þe, as it is riȝt,
Þat gyf I hool as ferforþe as I can,
Ay to perseuere, fro tyme þat I gan,
With wil & þouȝt for þin estate to preie,
Whiche to conserue, þus finally I seie:
To presente nouþer to God nor man,
And for my part to þe, as it is riȝt,
Þat gyf I hool as ferforþe as I can,
Ay to perseuere, fro tyme þat I gan,
With wil & þouȝt for þin estate to preie,
Whiche to conserue, þus finally I seie:
First of al, Almyȝti God to queme
With al þat may be to his plesaunce,
And to þi crowne and þi diademe
Grace & good eure with long continuaunce,
Of þi liges feithful obeisaunce,
And eche vertu þat man may specefie,
I praye God graunte vn-to þi regalye!
With al þat may be to his plesaunce,
And to þi crowne and þi diademe
Grace & good eure with long continuaunce,
Of þi liges feithful obeisaunce,
And eche vertu þat man may specefie,
I praye God graunte vn-to þi regalye!
879
Verba translatoris ad librum suum.
Go, litel bok, & put þe in þe grace
Of hym þat is most of excellence;
And be nat hardy to apperen in no place
With-oute support of his magnificence:
And who-so-euere in þe fynde offence,
Be nat to bold for no presumpcioun—
Þi silfe enarme ay in pacience,
And þe submitte to her correccioun.
Of hym þat is most of excellence;
And be nat hardy to apperen in no place
With-oute support of his magnificence:
And who-so-euere in þe fynde offence,
Be nat to bold for no presumpcioun—
Þi silfe enarme ay in pacience,
And þe submitte to her correccioun.
And for þou art enlumined with no floures
Of rethorik, but with white & blak,
Þerfore þou most abide alle showres
Of hem þat list sette on þe a lak;
And whan þou art most likly go to wrak,
Ageyn[e]s hem þin errour nat diffende,
But humblely with-drawe & go a-bak,
Requerynge hem al þat is mys to amende.
Of rethorik, but with white & blak,
Þerfore þou most abide alle showres
Of hem þat list sette on þe a lak;
And whan þou art most likly go to wrak,
Ageyn[e]s hem þin errour nat diffende,
But humblely with-drawe & go a-bak,
Requerynge hem al þat is mys to amende.
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