 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
 | Saint Alban and Saint Amphabel |  |
To call Clio, my dulnesse to redresse,
With all systers dwellyng at Elicon,
What myght auayle, to wryte the perfytenes
Of the holy martyr slayne full yore a-gone
For Christis fayth, the holy man Albon,
Called of ryght through euery regyon
Prothomartyr of Brutis Albion,—
With all systers dwellyng at Elicon,
What myght auayle, to wryte the perfytenes
Of the holy martyr slayne full yore a-gone
For Christis fayth, the holy man Albon,
Called of ryght through euery regyon
Prothomartyr of Brutis Albion,—
I not acqueynted with muses of Maro,
Nor with metris of Lucan nor Virgile,
Nor sugred deties of Tullius Cicero,
Nor of Homerus to folowe the fresshe style,
Croked to clymbe ouer so high a style,
Or for to folowe the steppes aureate
Of Fraunces Petrake, the poete laureate?
Nor with metris of Lucan nor Virgile,
Nor sugred deties of Tullius Cicero,
Nor of Homerus to folowe the fresshe style,
Croked to clymbe ouer so high a style,
Or for to folowe the steppes aureate
Of Fraunces Petrake, the poete laureate?
The golden trompet of the house of fame
With full swyfte wynges of the pegasee
Hath (blowe) full farre the knyghtly mannes name,
Borne in Uerolame, a famous olde citie;
Knyghthode in Rome, the cronycle who lyst se,
And, as I fynde, this yonge lusty man
Toke fyrst order by Dyoclesyan.
With full swyfte wynges of the pegasee
Hath (blowe) full farre the knyghtly mannes name,
Borne in Uerolame, a famous olde citie;
Knyghthode in Rome, the cronycle who lyst se,
And, as I fynde, this yonge lusty man
Toke fyrst order by Dyoclesyan.
Whose lyfe to wryte / of wyt I am barayne,
His high perfection curyously to tell,
Dredyng my labour shulde be in vayne
That neuer dranke of Pegaseus well;
But for his goodnes so hyghly doth excell,
I stande in hope, his influence shall shyne
My tremblyng penne by grace to enlumyne.
His high perfection curyously to tell,
Dredyng my labour shulde be in vayne
That neuer dranke of Pegaseus well;
But for his goodnes so hyghly doth excell,
I stande in hope, his influence shall shyne
My tremblyng penne by grace to enlumyne.
In tender age this goodly yonge Albon,
Borne, as is sayde, in Brutis Albion,
A lordes sonne; more lykely was there none
To marciall prowes by disposition:
Whiche for his persone, as made is mention,
For conditions and hygh byrthe of blode
In great fauour of all the lande he stode;
Borne, as is sayde, in Brutis Albion,
A lordes sonne; more lykely was there none
To marciall prowes by disposition:
Whiche for his persone, as made is mention,
For conditions and hygh byrthe of blode
In great fauour of all the lande he stode;
And for that he in vertue dyd excell,
Beloued and cherysshed of euery maner man,
By kynge Seuerus, myn auctor can well tell,
Sent vnto Rome to Dyoclesyan
With a yonge prince, called Bassian:
They bothe tweyne, as the statute bonde,
To be made knyghtis of his owne honde.
Beloued and cherysshed of euery maner man,
By kynge Seuerus, myn auctor can well tell,
Sent vnto Rome to Dyoclesyan
With a yonge prince, called Bassian:
They bothe tweyne, as the statute bonde,
To be made knyghtis of his owne honde.
12
With them also went Amphybalus,
There baptised by pope zepheryne,
Lefte all the worlde and becam vertuous,
Of wylfull power folowed the doctryne:
By whose teachyng and vertuous discipline
Blessed Albon, as myn auctor sayth,
Was afterwarde conuerted to our fayth.
There baptised by pope zepheryne,
Lefte all the worlde and becam vertuous,
Of wylfull power folowed the doctryne:
By whose teachyng and vertuous discipline
Blessed Albon, as myn auctor sayth,
Was afterwarde conuerted to our fayth.
All his processe in order for to sette
My purpose is, if I haue tyme and space,
If ignorance not my style let,
By influence only of goddes grace,
The troubly mystes from me to enchace
Of rude langage, / so that I may in dede
To write his lyfe and ceryously procede,
My purpose is, if I haue tyme and space,
If ignorance not my style let,
By influence only of goddes grace,
The troubly mystes from me to enchace
Of rude langage, / so that I may in dede
To write his lyfe and ceryously procede,
Under supporte of this martyr benygne
My penne directe by meane of his prayer,
The gracious stremes sent downe for a signe
Of his celestyall goodly eien clere
To forther my labour and teache me the maner.
Of his name to write and specifie,
So as I can, the ethymologie:
My penne directe by meane of his prayer,
The gracious stremes sent downe for a signe
Of his celestyall goodly eien clere
To forther my labour and teache me the maner.
Of his name to write and specifie,
So as I can, the ethymologie:
This name Albanus by enterpretation
Compowned is of plente and of whytnes;
Plente he had in great perfection,
Made whyte also with lylyes of clennesse,
With whyte roses ment, stable in theyr rudenesse,—
It was well sene that he stable stode,
For Christis fayth / whan paynyms shed his blode.
Compowned is of plente and of whytnes;
Plente he had in great perfection,
Made whyte also with lylyes of clennesse,
With whyte roses ment, stable in theyr rudenesse,—
It was well sene that he stable stode,
For Christis fayth / whan paynyms shed his blode.
Whiche two colours dyd neuer fade,
Of these lylyes nor of these roses rede,
In blessed Albon, but euer ylyche glad:
Within his bapteme the lylyes dyd sprede,
The roses splayed whan he dyd shede
His purpurate bloude, spared for no deth,
The storme abydyng tyll he yafe vp the breth.
Of these lylyes nor of these roses rede,
In blessed Albon, but euer ylyche glad:
Within his bapteme the lylyes dyd sprede,
The roses splayed whan he dyd shede
His purpurate bloude, spared for no deth,
The storme abydyng tyll he yafe vp the breth.
Thus was the chapelet made of red and whyte:
Whyte for his clennes, I haue so tolde aforne;
To chese the red he dyd also delyte
Whan from the chaffe was tryed whete-corne
In the holy martyr, that hath the bront borne.
Grayne of this frument was this man Albon
In the gospell remembred of seynt John̄.
Whyte for his clennes, I haue so tolde aforne;
To chese the red he dyd also delyte
Whan from the chaffe was tryed whete-corne
In the holy martyr, that hath the bront borne.
Grayne of this frument was this man Albon
In the gospell remembred of seynt John̄.
This chose greyne for Christ was mortified,
To get encrease of his eternall glorye;
The frute grewe vp by fayth multipliplied (!);
Through meke sufferance he gate the victorie,
A palme of conquest, to be put in memorie,
A lauret crowne by tryumphes manyfolde
For his merites set on his hede of golde.—
To get encrease of his eternall glorye;
The frute grewe vp by fayth multipliplied (!);
Through meke sufferance he gate the victorie,
A palme of conquest, to be put in memorie,
A lauret crowne by tryumphes manyfolde
For his merites set on his hede of golde.—
Now to this martyr crowned hygh in heuen
Deuoutly knelyng with humble and meke visage,
Whiche syt so high aboue the sterres seuen:
O blessed Albon, fro that celestiall stage
Cast downe thy lyght, to enlumyne my langage,
Whiche of my-selfe am naked and bareyne;
In this great nede thy fauour may be seyne.
Deuoutly knelyng with humble and meke visage,
Whiche syt so high aboue the sterres seuen:
O blessed Albon, fro that celestiall stage
Cast downe thy lyght, to enlumyne my langage,
Whiche of my-selfe am naked and bareyne;
In this great nede thy fauour may be seyne.
I haue no colours / but only blacke and whyte,
Of longe or shorte wantyng proporcion;
Where ought doth fayle, I must beare the wyte,—
Golde nor asure nor fresshe vermylyon.
But with thy gracious supportation,
In hope thou shalte conueye my penne and lede,
To wryte thy lyfe / thus I wyll procede.
Of longe or shorte wantyng proporcion;
13
Golde nor asure nor fresshe vermylyon.
But with thy gracious supportation,
In hope thou shalte conueye my penne and lede,
To wryte thy lyfe / thus I wyll procede.
Explicit prologus.
| Saint Alban and Saint Amphabel | |