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The poems of John Audelay

Edited with introduction, notes and glossary [by Ella Keats Whiting]
Audelay, John

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Audite hec, omnes gentes: hanc epistolam scripsit Dominus Ihesus Christus manibus suis et misit in siuitatem Gazon vbi ego Petrus primum episcopatum accepi.
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In die epephanis &c.
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12

I pray ȝou serys pur charyte
When ȝe han red þis treuly
Þen redis þis passion
What Cryst sofyrd fore synful men.
Here schul ȝe here a treu lessoun,
Hou fayþ and charyte away is gon;
Multis diebus iam peractis,

Videte.


Nulla fides est in pactis;
Mel in ore verbis lactis,

Cauete.


Fel in corde, fraus in factis.
95

Mone days now a-gone
Fayþ ne couenant is þer non;
Behold and se.
In mouþ is hone swet wordis vchon;
In hert is galle; in dede, tresoun;
Ware now be.
Godis laus beþ turnyd vp-so-doun,
In hole cherche deuocion,
And fore charete.
Fore trew corexion is þer non,
Fore loue of mede, þat swet maydyn,
In non degre.
Fore ale þat clerkis now prechon
Of hole Cristis passion,
Is no pete.
To make here satisfaccion,
With wrong þat men here geten
With sotelte,
Ȝe schul acownt euerechon
Fore ȝour goodis, when ȝe bene gone,
Ful sekyrle,
Ȝif ȝe haue dissayuyd one mon,
Bot ȝe make satisfaccion
Or þat ȝe dye.
Here may ȝe se an he tokyn
Þat God He is wroþ with mon,
In heuen on hye.
96

Now werris þen don awakyn;
Þe erþ we fele quakyn;
Honger hathe be.
Pestlens we sen raynen;
Men al day þai dyen,
Sum sodenle.
Fore al þat trew tokyn,
Oure wittis ȝet we wantyn
To make vs redy.
Nou excusacion haþ we non
Out of þis word when þat we gon,
Leue ȝe me.
Godis bedyng bot we done,
We schul haue confucion,
Ful ryȝtwysly,
Fore men wil not beleuen
Þat heuen nor hel þer is non,
Ne turmentre.
And sekyr þou schalt haue þet on,
Ioy or ellis dampnacion,
Perpetualy.
I red þat nowe we amend
To God and mon þat we offend,
Here specialy;
And do fore oreselue or we goon,
And trust not to anoþer mon;
Hit is foly.
97

Fore oþer cownsel nede ȝe non,
Ȝif ȝe wil haue saluacion
Or þat ȝe dee.
Schryue ȝoue clene with contrition,
And make treu satisfaccion,
Þen blessid ȝe be.
I mad þis with good entent,
In hope þe raþer ȝe wold repent,
Þe soþ to say.
Fore I say soþ I am e-schent;
Prays fore me, þat beþ present,
Þe blynd Audlay.
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