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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Sapyence argueth: |
 | The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man |  |
Sapyence argueth:
‘Than her-vp-on,’ a-noon quod she,
‘In any wyse how myght yt be,
That thys world, so gret in al,
With[in] an herte that ys so smal
Myghte be put, or closyd be?
ffor thannë, off necessyte
Mot nedys folwen, & off Resoun,
The hous or thabitacïoun
Mot be lasse (a preff to wynne,)
Than the thyng yput with-Inne.
Wher vp[on], conclude I may
‘That al thy wordys (yt ys no nay,)
Be repreuáble founde in dede,
And verray fals, yiff thow take hede.
‘In any wyse how myght yt be,
That thys world, so gret in al,
With[in] an herte that ys so smal
Myghte be put, or closyd be?
ffor thannë, off necessyte
Mot nedys folwen, & off Resoun,
The hous or thabitacïoun
Mot be lasse (a preff to wynne,)
Than the thyng yput with-Inne.
Wher vp[on], conclude I may
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Be repreuáble founde in dede,
And verray fals, yiff thow take hede.
‘Also to the I shal devyse
A preff in a-nother wyse,
By open demonstracyouns.
Hastow nat ben in thilkë touns,
Rome, and Athenys ek also,
And soiournèd in bothë two,
fful many a yer in bothë leyn,
The maner & the gretnesse seyn,
And be-holde ther gouernaunce?
Now yiff thow haue in Rémembraunce
By cler report off outher toun,
Tel me thyn Oppynyoun,
What space of land they do contene,
And yiff thy wyth may eke sustene,
I chargë the that thow me telle
What noumbre off clerkys ther-in duelle,
Off ther estate and ther degres,
And the gretnesse of ther cytes.’
A preff in a-nother wyse,
By open demonstracyouns.
Hastow nat ben in thilkë touns,
Rome, and Athenys ek also,
And soiournèd in bothë two,
fful many a yer in bothë leyn,
The maner & the gretnesse seyn,
And be-holde ther gouernaunce?
Now yiff thow haue in Rémembraunce
By cler report off outher toun,
Tel me thyn Oppynyoun,
What space of land they do contene,
And yiff thy wyth may eke sustene,
I chargë the that thow me telle
What noumbre off clerkys ther-in duelle,
Off ther estate and ther degres,
And the gretnesse of ther cytes.’
| The Pilgrimage of the Life of Man | |