University of Virginia Library

Of the begynnyng of mans lyfe.

Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum & in peccatis concepit me mater mea.

Beholde he sayeth, what mannes kynde is
In wretchydnes, I am conceyued ywys
And also my mother, hath conceyued me
In many synnes, and moche vylte
For there dwelleth a man, in a dercke dongyon
That is full of fylth and corrupcyon
Wherin he had, no maner of fode
But foule glat, and waltsome blode
And when that he hyther come was
From his mother wombe, that foule place
And was here brought, in to this worldes ryght
He had neyther power, ne myght
Neyther for to go, ne on fete stande
Neyther to crepe in fete, ne in hande
Than hath a man lesse myght, than hath a beest
When he is newe borne, and semeth leest
For when a beest is ybore, than it may go
And doth his kynde here euermo
But a man hath no myght, in his yongeheade
For he may nat go, but as men doth hym leade
For he may nother go nor crepe
But lye and spraule, crye, and wepe
For a chylde is nat fully ybore
That it ne cryeth as thynge forlore
And by that crye, men tell can
Whyther that it be woman or man
For when it is borne, it cryeth swa
And yf it be a man, it sayeth .A.
And that is the fyrste letter of the name
Of Adam our father that brought vs in blame
And yf it of a womans kynde be
When it is borne, it soundeth .E.
E. is the fyrste letter, who that taketh hede
Of the name of Eue, that brought vs in drede
Therfore a wyse Clarcke, made in this maner
A verse that telleth, of that same matter.

Dicentes .E. vel .A. quotquot nascuntur ab Eua.

All he sayeth, that cōmeth of Eue
May for nothynge, that letter leue
When they be borne, what soeuer they be
He cryeth fyrste .A. other els .E.
This is of our lyfe, the fyrste begynnynge
And after our byrth, sorowe and wepynge
And to wretchydnes, our kynde styrreth vs
And Innocent the bysshop, therfore sayth thus.

[illeg.] nascimus [illeg.] vt nature nostre miseriā cuprimamus.

He sayeth, we be ybore here euerychone
Makynge sorowe and reuthly mone
All for to shewe, our great wretchydnes
Of our kynde, that is full of brotelnes
And naked we come hyther, and bare
And so we shall all hence fare
Upon this thynke all, that any good can
For thus sayeth saynt Iob, the holy man.

Nudus egressus sum ex vtero matris mei et nudus reuertar illuc.

Naked he sayeth, in to this worlde I come
When from my mothers wombe nome
And naked I shall tourne hence away
And so shall all at the last day
Thus is a man, at his fyrste cōmynge
Naked and bare, and bryngeth nothynge
But a skynne foule and waltsome
That is his garment, when he shall come
And that is a blody skynne full thynne
That he brought, and was wounde in
When he in his mother wombe lay
Forsoth this was a symple aray
And thus is man made, as ye may se
In moche wretchydnes, and captyuyte
And afterwarde lyueth here, but a fewe dayes
As Iob openly vnto vs all sayes.

Homo natus de muliere breui viuens tempore.

He sayeth, man that is borne of a woman
Lyueth here lytell tyme, and soone is tan
And euery man is borne to nothynge elles
But to trauayle and sorowe, as the boke telles.

Homo nascitur ad laborem: sicut Auis ad volandum.

He sayeth man is made, to trauayle aryght
As the foule is made to his flyght
For lytell rest he hath in his lyfe ywys
But euer in trauayle, full besye is
And yet is a man, when he is bore
The fendes of hell, and all ylore
Untyll he throughe grace, agayne ben ynome
And to baptyme afterwarde come
Therfore euery man, shall vnderstande so
That his lyfe, is but sorowe and woo.