 | Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century |  |
173. The Rancour of this Wicked World
1
In ffull grett hevenesse myn hert ys pwyght,And sadely warpud mony a ffowld;
Wher [it be]ffore wasse ryght lyght
And warme, that ys nowe ffull Colde.
Alle Ioy ffro myn hert ys bowght and sowld,
Thorow rancoure off thys wekyd worde
That never agayne hyt may remord.
2
Synglure persone I doo none name,But alle the world In generalle
Swyfte off ffalsnesse, replete off blame,
lame off trewth, off malese regalle.
267
Beste be trust, wythowghton any nay
Sonest may them-selffe be-tray.
3
But iij. thynges ther bene wryten off recordA mane to be ware a-boue all other:
The pryncypall ffurst ys the world,
A monis hown flechse ys a-nother,
The develle hym-selff, the thred brother,
But who so Euer be to blame
A wold Euerry body wer the ssame—
4
Not ffor tha[t] ne, so god me spede,Be all the world I sett no talle,
ffor any-thyng that Euer I sed or dede
Vn-to thys owr, securet or aperyalle.
But trust ryght thus wythowghton ffaylle—
And that ys Euer my be-leff—
The trewth In dede hyt-selff well preffe.
5
But the moste parte off my grevaunce,Ottherly hyt ffor to Exspresse,
ffor to haue In my rememberaunce
Wyth-owtthten Causse that lythe En destresse,
Trustyng to Ihū, off hys Ryghtewyssnese,
Tho send hys grace to subpouell & Comffort
Tho all that ys wyth wronge repourt.
6
And alle wykyd tongyss, who Euer they be,The whych haue no grace to say wylle—
That I may sse or Euer I dey
The Skene ther-off a-wey to pell
268
And shurtely shew they grace
Tho Comfort the trewth and all ffalshed deface.
amen pure cherite.
| Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century | |