The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man Englisht by John Lydgate, A.D. 1426, from the French of Guillaume De Deguileville, A.D. 1330, 1355. The Text Edited by F. J. Furnivall ... With Introduction, Notes, Glossary and Indexes by Katharine B. Locock |
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 | The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man |  |
Sapyence speketh:
‘Certys,’ quod she to hym ryht tho,
‘Thys bred I haue ymadd ryht so,
So sotyl ek, yt ys no doute,
But I ha not shewyd with-oute
‘The grete Tresour wych verrayly
Ys shet with-Innë secrëly,
Porë folkys for to fede,
Ay, whan they ther-off ha nede;
And specyally to hem that be
ffrendys vn-to charyte,
Wych in ther passage, nyht & day
Holden ay the ryhtë way.
Allë swych (yt ys no dred)
Shal be sustenyd with thys bred,
And haue ther ful repast with-Inne,
Swych as be nat infect with synne.
And Over-mor, (yiff thow take hed,)
Yiff the valu off thys bred
Were yshewyd al with-oute,
Men sholdë nat (yt ys no doute,)
Haue no maner hardynesse
ffor taproche, in sothfastnesse;
But rather, for verray feere,
Go, seke her bred ellys where,
To ther sustentacïoun.
‘Thys bred I haue ymadd ryht so,
So sotyl ek, yt ys no doute,
But I ha not shewyd with-oute
152
Ys shet with-Innë secrëly,
Porë folkys for to fede,
Ay, whan they ther-off ha nede;
And specyally to hem that be
ffrendys vn-to charyte,
Wych in ther passage, nyht & day
Holden ay the ryhtë way.
Allë swych (yt ys no dred)
Shal be sustenyd with thys bred,
And haue ther ful repast with-Inne,
Swych as be nat infect with synne.
And Over-mor, (yiff thow take hed,)
Yiff the valu off thys bred
Were yshewyd al with-oute,
Men sholdë nat (yt ys no doute,)
Haue no maner hardynesse
ffor taproche, in sothfastnesse;
But rather, for verray feere,
Go, seke her bred ellys where,
To ther sustentacïoun.
‘But her ys no decepcyoun,
But curteisye & gret bounte,
Honour & lyberalyte;
ffor, to speke in wordys fewe,
But yiff I dyde with-outë shewe
A gretë thyng by ápparence,
The wychë, as in existence,
Were nat with-Inne, (who lyst se,)
But verray smal off quantyte,
Thou myyghtest than[ë] me repreve,
And by argumentys preve
Ageyn me (in conclusyoun)
A maner off decepcyoun,
And blamë me in many wyse.
But curteisye & gret bounte,
Honour & lyberalyte;
ffor, to speke in wordys fewe,
But yiff I dyde with-outë shewe
A gretë thyng by ápparence,
The wychë, as in existence,
Were nat with-Inne, (who lyst se,)
But verray smal off quantyte,
Thou myyghtest than[ë] me repreve,
And by argumentys preve
Ageyn me (in conclusyoun)
A maner off decepcyoun,
And blamë me in many wyse.
‘And yet to the I shal devyse
Another Answere, wych to the
Shal suffyse, yiff thow lyst se.
I Holde yt no deceyt at al,
Thogh to the Eye it shewë smal,
‘And with-Inne be gret & large.
Wher-vp-on, her I the charge
That thow be-leue yt stedefastly,
And put no doute, but fermëly
Truste ay so, off herte & thouht;
And lokë thow denye yt nought,
But her-on feythfully abyde.
ffor yiff that I (on any syde)
Hadde yt mad in other wyse,
Than thow a-forn hast herd devyse,
I haddë, thorgh my neclygence,
Ther-in don ful gret offence.
Another Answere, wych to the
Shal suffyse, yiff thow lyst se.
I Holde yt no deceyt at al,
Thogh to the Eye it shewë smal,
153
Wher-vp-on, her I the charge
That thow be-leue yt stedefastly,
And put no doute, but fermëly
Truste ay so, off herte & thouht;
And lokë thow denye yt nought,
But her-on feythfully abyde.
ffor yiff that I (on any syde)
Hadde yt mad in other wyse,
Than thow a-forn hast herd devyse,
I haddë, thorgh my neclygence,
Ther-in don ful gret offence.
‘But tel me now A-noon, I preye,
And sparë nat, platly to seye
As thow semest in thys matere,
Wych hast repreuyd me so here,
Off myche thyng, nat yore agon,
Trowest thow answere A-noon,
That nat a-cordeth with resoun.
A vessel, hows, or mansïoun
May be lasse (& her I gynne)
Than the thyng that ys with-Inne.
And sparë nat, platly to seye
As thow semest in thys matere,
Wych hast repreuyd me so here,
Off myche thyng, nat yore agon,
Trowest thow answere A-noon,
That nat a-cordeth with resoun.
A vessel, hows, or mansïoun
May be lasse (& her I gynne)
Than the thyng that ys with-Inne.
‘But ffyrst I axe, to voyde al stryff,
Sawh thow euere, in al thy lyff,
Off manhys herte the quantyte?
Answere A-geyn; tel on, lat se!’
Sawh thow euere, in al thy lyff,
Off manhys herte the quantyte?
Answere A-geyn; tel on, lat se!’
| The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man | |