 | The Wars of Alexander |  |
Vicesimus passus Alexandri.
Anothire mirthe is in May þat vs maste ioyes,Þe faire floryscht filds of floures & of herbys,
Quare-of þe breth as of bawme blawis in oure noose,
Þat ilk sensitife saule mast souorly delyte,
As in þe woddis for to walke vndire wale schawis,
Quen̄ all is lokin̄ ouire with leuys as it ware littill heuen.
Þan̄ haue we liking to lithe þe late of þe foules,
Þe swoȝing of þe swift wynde & of þe swete wellis.
Þe kind of þire customs we kepe euire-mare,
Þe quilk, I hope, ser, þe to hald vnhalesom̄ it ware.
If þou will chalang þaim be chaunce chese if þe likis,
For here is written̄ all þi will & we na writh serue.
As þe tenour of ȝour titill is oure techis haue we schawid,
Oure dedis & of oure disciplyne a dele of þaim aythir;
And of þi lare a litill-quat likis me to write,
For þe sothe of oure solitude will serue þe stille aftir.
Sire, ȝe haue laȝt now on̄ late within̄ a lite ȝeres
All Europ & Asie & Auffrik þe mare;
Þat seising burde sufficiant þofe soȝt ȝe na ferre.
Bot ay mekill wald haue mare as many man spellis;
Þe son̄, for sake of ȝour syn̄ sesys his liȝt,
Be-cause of ȝoure couatise to clym̄ to his bounds.
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And ȝit for-feȝtils ȝoure face all fasting it semes.
A-nothire laȝe is in ȝoure lande at oure lord hatis,
As, slaa ȝoure son̄nes in sacrifice & othire synnys many,
To sawe emang þir simpill men̄ sedis of debate,
And make a terant of a tulke þat neuire tene thoȝt.
Þe soile ne þe foure sees suffice ȝowe nouthire,
Bot if ȝe miȝt ken̄ þe costis of þe clere heuen.
Ȝoure giltis growis of ȝour gods or god geue þam̄ sorowe,
For many modirson̄ þai marre miȝt ellis haue bene safe.
A-vise ȝow now be Venus quat vertous him foloȝes,
Þe Iusule of Iupitir & of his Iapis als,
Dame Proserpyne, a prophetese of ȝoure praysid laȝes;
Latis þis be witnes of my wordis & waitis now þar tetchis.
Venus was a-vowtrere & many vice hauntid,
And Iupitir a Iettoure þat Iapid many ladis;
Dame proserpine in preue place playd as hire likid.
Loo, sary sottis slike a sowme of synnars ȝe lufe!
Ȝe lett men̄ of þar libertes at þam̄ oure lord grauntid,
Thryngis þam̄ in-to thraldom̄ of thaire þede spoiles.
Vn-iust is ȝour Iugementis so is ȝoure Iugis all;
Þe dedis of ȝour domesmen ȝe for dere halde.
Is þare na renke in ȝoure rewme þat othire rewill kepis,
Bot “þus me þinke” & “so me þinke” & threpis it is lawe!
Þus fra þe rote of riȝtwisnes rauyst ere ȝe clene,
And to þe way of wickidnes be warlaȝes gidid.
Ȝe hald na wee of þe werd of witt worthe a myte,
Bot he can̄ practise & paynt & polisch his wordis.
For all ȝoure wisdom̄, I-wis is wroken̄ to ȝour tongis,
And all þe sauour of ȝoure sauls is sattild in ȝour mouthis.
Ȝoure grete garisons of gold vngastly ȝe spende
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And quen ȝe sitt in ȝoure sale with syris & dukis,
Þan haue ȝee seggis ȝow to serue sowmes enogh.
Þan̄ as a Mare at a moghe ȝoure mawis ȝe fill,
With bakin mete & with briddis bolnes ȝoure paunches,
Stuffis so ȝour stomake with stullis & of wynes,
Þat vnethis haldis, be ȝe hoo þe hide of ȝow hale!
Quat dewis ȝow þan þire diatis & all þis dere fode,
Ȝoure sowping in vnseson̄ ȝoure surfete of drinkis,
Bot settis ȝow in-to sekenes of sere-lepy kyndis,
And gers ȝow die or ȝoure day many dreȝe wyntir?
Þan ȝe couett & craue castels & rewmes,
And thristis eftir all thingis at in ȝoure thoȝt rynnes,
Iaspre, Iuwels, & gemmes & Iettand perle:
And all sall leue ȝow at þe laste & in-to laire worth!
And maydese ȝit, for all your molle þat modire ws cried,
Þat fourmed þe flode & þe flynt & þe faire lyndis.
And, as I brefe it in þis bull þe bragmeyns takens
Surmontis all ȝour sapientis & oure assemy thewis.
And oþir werkis of wast is wroȝt in ȝoure landis,
As, graffis garnyscht of gold & gilten tombis,
Thurghis to thrawyn in quen ȝe þraa worthe,
Sum of siluir, sum of sipirs sum of sere gemmes.
Þus make ȝe vessels in vayn̄e to ȝoure foule corses,
To crom̄ in ȝoure cariouns þat kind ȝow defendis,
Þat ilk slymand slugh quen ȝe ere slide hyne,
And will noȝt suffire þe erth to haue at him fallis.
For iolite of Iupitir ȝe ioyen̄ vp templis,
With Imagis of ȝoure ydolatry all within payntid;
Symolacris vp sett of Seropis & othir,
And slees in-to þe sacrifis many sere bestis.
Quen ȝe haue tildid vp-on̄ [top] ȝour trouthles gods,
Sum of gold, sum of glas sum of gray marbill,
Sum of latoun & of lede & sum of liȝt siluir,
And sum ere tiffid all of tree & sum of tyn̄ pured,
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Bath Amon & Appolyne & asskis at þam welthys;
Of any gud at ȝe geet a gift ye þam offirre,
A quantite of all-quat of quike & of ellis;
Ȝe latt as þai miȝt all leth at ony lede wald,
And þai may send ȝow bot vnsele & noȝt oþir godis.
Þus ȝe comende þaim on knees as cocards suld,
Þat nouthire siȝt has ne saule bot of segge werke;
Ȝe haue na sauour, I suppose how þat þe kyn̄g of heuen
He has na hert vs to here ne no hathill ellis
For calues ne for kidis blode ne for na crispe wethris,
Bot an[l]y for oure orisons & for na noþire giftis.
God seȝis oure saȝes for his son̄ at in him-selfe duellis;
For sekire god is þe son̄ þat all oure sede loues.
And sothly, by þe same son̄ we ere him all like,
And all he sustayned of þat son̄ þat any saule wildis.
Forþi vnhappy we ȝow hald þat in ȝoure hertis leues
Ȝoure kind with slike a conquirour to comen or to euen.
And othire harlotry ȝe hant þat heris þe goste,
Of fornicacion̄ & filth & many foule synnes,
Maumentry, & manslatir mosardry & pride,
Þat dose ȝow dompe to þe devill quen he ere dede hethen.
And we þe contrari clene kepis all oure lyue,
Þat we may bowe to þat blis þat neuir sall haue ende.
Ȝe gronde ȝow noȝt on a god þat all of glett fourmed,
Þat note newid all of noȝt þat neuire sall haue ende,
Bot oþire many do ȝe menske ere him na mare sibbe
Þan was þe flesch of þe fysch to þe faire me[m]bree.
Ilk lede þat liȝt is of ȝour lede ȝe call þe litill werde,
And gesse wele as many gods as growis in him membris;
Ilk a parcele of his person̄ a-proprid is a-pert driȝtin,
And euire-ilk lym, it awne lust eftir as him list craues!
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Ȝe graith him to be gouenoure & god of þe tonge.
And Arcules has aythire arme in his awen warde,
For þe xij wondirfull werkis he wroȝt with his handis.
Mars for his maisterris & for his many weris,
Him brefe ȝe for his baratris þe breste to defend.
Dame Iuno was a iettir & ioyned full of iree,
For-þi scho hedis to þe hert & has it to ȝeme.
Bary he was brayne-wode for bebbing of wynes,
Forþi [þe] swire & þe swalow þat swiere he kepis.
Cupido has þe custodi & cure of þe mawe,
For he was couatus & cursid vnclene of him-selfe.
Serenon is sustenour & sire of þe wambe,
For hem was quartirs of qwete vmqwile out of nombre.
Dame venus þe a-v[er]ous for vices opon̄ niȝtis,
Is possessour & principale of all þe preue menbris.
Þus ilk cantell of ȝoure cors ȝe call þam̄ driȝtins,
Deu[i]dis it in-to duesses & oþire deuels many.
Of ilk gobet of þat glett ȝe a god make,
And leues noȝt as mekill as a lym̄ ȝour liches on̄ to stand.
Ȝe haue na hoping in þat hathill at on̄ hiȝe sittis,
How he ȝoure nase & ȝoure nebb & all of noȝt cried,
Bot þinkis on þir othir thefis & þam̄ as thrall seruys,
And sacrifice to ilk a segge a sere-lepy gifte.
To Mars in his mynstir at maynteines þe weris,
Ȝe bringe him a wild bare for his wale dedis.
Þe carcas of a fatt kid þat carayne is worthe,
Þat bring ȝe to ser bacus to bere vp his drinke.
And Iupitir þat Ioglour sum Iape bos haue;
A bullok or a fell bule is broȝt to his temple.
And Iuno þe Ientill for ioy of his pride,
Ȝe presand hire a pakoke with pennes of an̄ Aungell.
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A ratland niȝt ravyn̄ is him to rent ȝolden̄.
To Venus þe vowtriere may noȝt ells a-vaile,
Bot ilk moneth to mede & mi[l]ke-quite doufe.
Appollo with a quite swan is paid him to tende;
A manere of corne to mercure þat we þi muld call.
And Serenon is sone serued þat sees to þe paunche;
Haue he a boll full of bran̄ bedis he na mare.
And Ercules as emperoure emyddis all he standis;
And for he preuyd ay þe prise in̄ prowis of armes,
He has a hatt on̄ his hede hiȝtild o floures,
Of palme & of peruyk & othire proud blossoms.
Þe kirke of cupido is clenly a-rayed,
Þe stallis & in̄ all stedis strowid with Rose.
Lo, to so many mayned gods ȝour menbris ȝe dele,
And will noȝt knaw ȝour creatour at ȝow of clay fourmed.
Þire deme ȝe for ȝour driȝtins þat drepis þe saule;
For þai may sende ȝow na sele bot sla ȝow within.
As many of þat feleschip̄ as ȝe trow & adoures,
As many turmentis & tene ȝow tidis in hell.
A-vise ȝow now quat velany & vices þai ȝow teche:
Ane leris ȝow to be licherus & leris ȝow to syn̄;
Ane, to be grindand gluttis & glorand dronkin;
And ane, to bragg & to bost & bate with þe pepill.
If ȝe be herd of ȝour happ vn-happe þai ȝow ken̄;
Forþi bot harlotry or harme is at ȝe here craue;
And if ȝe hede to ȝour hestis ȝour hert is a-meued,
So queþir þai here or els-quat it hurtis ay þe saule.
Ȝour doctours ere ȝoure duesses þaire ditis alegis,
How þat þai hampire in ȝour here with many hard payn̄.
Þai cause all vnkindnes & corperall lustis,
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Constrene ȝow in̄-to cauatise to clame all þe werd,
To rayme & to robry to rayme men̄ þaire godis,
Wailaway to wriches & wa is ȝow in erthe;
Herefore ȝe hinge mon̄ in hell quen̄ ȝe ere hethen passed!”
Þan was þe kyng of his carpe crabbid vnfaire,
For he was spetous of speche & spised his driȝtins;
Quen̄ he had lokid on̄ þe lyne he lappid it to-gedire,
And notid to him a-nothire new þat now next fologhes.
| The Wars of Alexander | |