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[The Tale of the Two wicked Kesteven Executors.]
A man, shortly for to sey,
Whan he wyst þat he shuld deye,
Twey lewed men hys executours he ches,
As þou shalt here, wykked and les.
Þat tyme hyt happed for to be,
Hys sone was oute of þat cuntre.
Whan he wyst þat he shuld deye,
Twey lewed men hys executours he ches,
As þou shalt here, wykked and les.
Þat tyme hyt happed for to be,
Hys sone was oute of þat cuntre.
Whan þe dede was yn hys graue,
þey toke alle þat þey myȝt haue.
þe sonë herd[ë] þat tydyng,
And come home fo þe énteryng;
But he myȝt, with no procurement,
Se ones hys fadres testament,
For þe katel was a-counted
More þan þe testament amounted,
And þey wuldë nat fulfylle
þe testement of þe dedës wylle.
þey toke alle þat þey myȝt haue.
þe sonë herd[ë] þat tydyng,
And come home fo þe énteryng;
But he myȝt, with no procurement,
Se ones hys fadres testament,
For þe katel was a-counted
More þan þe testament amounted,
And þey wuldë nat fulfylle
þe testement of þe dedës wylle.
Þe sone besoght hem þat þey wylde
Þe testement of hys fadyr were fulfylede:
Þan bygan þey hym for to þrete,
And spakë to hym wurdys grete;
For tene, þey seyd þey wulde nat do
For hym þat þey were ordeyned to.
Þe testement of hys fadyr were fulfylede:
Þan bygan þey hym for to þrete,
And spakë to hym wurdys grete;
For tene, þey seyd þey wulde nat do
For hym þat þey were ordeyned to.
Þe chylde besoght[ë] God almyȝt
To take veniaunce on here vnryght.
hyt was nat a moneþ aftyrward,
þe ton fyl yn a chaunce ful hard:
At hys foreyne, y ne wot what,
Strangled hym þeron as he sat;
Þe touþer executoure þat had þe þyng,
Yn pouert he madë hys endyng.
To take veniaunce on here vnryght.
hyt was nat a moneþ aftyrward,
þe ton fyl yn a chaunce ful hard:
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Strangled hym þeron as he sat;
Þe touþer executoure þat had þe þyng,
Yn pouert he madë hys endyng.
Now haue ȝe herde, myschaunce and nede
Cumþ of fals executours dede;
Whedyr hyt be stylle, or loude on hy,
Fals executours endyn wykkedly;
lyfe or soule, þe toon ys shent,
Or, boþe shul yn fyre be brent.
Cumþ of fals executours dede;
Whedyr hyt be stylle, or loude on hy,
Fals executours endyn wykkedly;
lyfe or soule, þe toon ys shent,
Or, boþe shul yn fyre be brent.
As mochë ioyë and onours
Shal come to gode executours;
God graunteþ hym, for hys gode wyl,
hele and welþe with-outyn yl;
And for hys dede þat he douþ ryght,
He shal haue mercy aȝens hys plyght.
Þe soule prayeþ also, with wyl fre,
Þat hys gode dede hym ȝouldë be
Yn blys of heuene, wyþoutyn ende,
Whan he out of þys wurlde shal wende;
And loue of man, he shal fynde,
Yn þe syght of alle mankynde:
Þys godënesse shal ay be newe
To þe executur þat ys trewe.
Shal come to gode executours;
God graunteþ hym, for hys gode wyl,
hele and welþe with-outyn yl;
And for hys dede þat he douþ ryght,
He shal haue mercy aȝens hys plyght.
Þe soule prayeþ also, with wyl fre,
Þat hys gode dede hym ȝouldë be
Yn blys of heuene, wyþoutyn ende,
Whan he out of þys wurlde shal wende;
And loue of man, he shal fynde,
Yn þe syght of alle mankynde:
Þys godënesse shal ay be newe
To þe executur þat ys trewe.
Now we þe executore haue mysseyd,
And of hys wrong he haþ vpbreyd,
he aȝensseyþ alle þat tresun,
And setteþ þus hys resun,
And prayeþ vs þe soþe to se,
Þat þe dede ys more to blame þan he,
And argueþ vp-on þys skylle,
And byt þe dede answere þartylle:
“ȝyf þou be ryche yn ȝongþe or elde,
And hast ynowe of welþe to welde,
And knowest þy self yn wyl and dedes,
Þy wo, þy welë, how þou ledes,
“Alle þy lyfe, what hyt ys wurþy,
Þou wost hyt bettyr þan wote y;
Wyk and godë, þou hyt wyst,
And þe to sauë, þou ne lyst,
And haddest þy self alle þy powere;
why were þou nat þyn owne spensere?
how shuld y þan do now for þe,
Syn þy self were nat so fre?
how shulde y loue þy soulë nowe,
whan þou louedyst nat þy soulë prowe?
how shulde y þenke, þy soule to saue,
Whan þou þoghtyst noun to haue?
how shulde y bryngë þe to blys,
whan þou þy self ne wuldest þe wysse?
how shulde y bringë þe of pyne,
when þou ne wuldest, whyl alle was þyne?
how shulde y, frend-man, be þy frende,
when þy-self fo-man, wald þy hende?
how shulde y late þy gode me fro,
when þou lete noun fro þy-self go?
who shulde þe oute of sorowe vnbynde,
When to þy self þou were vnkynde,
and wystyst weyl þou shuldest deye,
and nedely þe behoued passe þat weye?
And of hys wrong he haþ vpbreyd,
he aȝensseyþ alle þat tresun,
And setteþ þus hys resun,
And prayeþ vs þe soþe to se,
Þat þe dede ys more to blame þan he,
And argueþ vp-on þys skylle,
And byt þe dede answere þartylle:
“ȝyf þou be ryche yn ȝongþe or elde,
And hast ynowe of welþe to welde,
And knowest þy self yn wyl and dedes,
Þy wo, þy welë, how þou ledes,
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Þou wost hyt bettyr þan wote y;
Wyk and godë, þou hyt wyst,
And þe to sauë, þou ne lyst,
And haddest þy self alle þy powere;
why were þou nat þyn owne spensere?
how shuld y þan do now for þe,
Syn þy self were nat so fre?
how shulde y loue þy soulë nowe,
whan þou louedyst nat þy soulë prowe?
how shulde y þenke, þy soule to saue,
Whan þou þoghtyst noun to haue?
how shulde y bryngë þe to blys,
whan þou þy self ne wuldest þe wysse?
how shulde y bringë þe of pyne,
when þou ne wuldest, whyl alle was þyne?
how shulde y, frend-man, be þy frende,
when þy-self fo-man, wald þy hende?
how shulde y late þy gode me fro,
when þou lete noun fro þy-self go?
who shulde þe oute of sorowe vnbynde,
When to þy self þou were vnkynde,
and wystyst weyl þou shuldest deye,
and nedely þe behoued passe þat weye?
“Þogh y, for þe, ȝaf aywhore,
who shulde kunne me þank þerfore?
what shuld God do þè mede?
Þou dedyst hyt nat; hyt ys oure dede?
a peny ȝyue of þe, yn þy lyue,
hadde be bettyr þan oure fyue.
Þou gederdyst, and ȝaue þyn executours;
Þat before was þyn, now ys hyt ours.
Þou gaderdyst faste, and puttest yn holde;
So shul we, be þou bolde;
Þou boghtyst fast, and madyst a ryche eyre,
Þy sone ys now yn þe samë speyre;
he shal nat þenk þat he shal deye,
“Ne noght of þe, but alle to beye.
what þoghtest þou on þy fadyr before,
lesse shal he þenke on þe, þat of þe ys bore.
Of þy wofare ne haþ he þoght,
Þou myghtyst þy self, and wuldest noght;
and þogh now we ȝaue alle þy gode
vntyl porë mannës fode,
Or dede anouþer (for þy sake,)
Cherche to sette, or auter make,
y trowe þy mede shal be but smal,
Syn þou dedyst noȝt whan þyn was al.
who shulde kunne me þank þerfore?
what shuld God do þè mede?
Þou dedyst hyt nat; hyt ys oure dede?
a peny ȝyue of þe, yn þy lyue,
hadde be bettyr þan oure fyue.
Þou gederdyst, and ȝaue þyn executours;
Þat before was þyn, now ys hyt ours.
Þou gaderdyst faste, and puttest yn holde;
So shul we, be þou bolde;
Þou boghtyst fast, and madyst a ryche eyre,
Þy sone ys now yn þe samë speyre;
he shal nat þenk þat he shal deye,
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what þoghtest þou on þy fadyr before,
lesse shal he þenke on þe, þat of þe ys bore.
Of þy wofare ne haþ he þoght,
Þou myghtyst þy self, and wuldest noght;
and þogh now we ȝaue alle þy gode
vntyl porë mannës fode,
Or dede anouþer (for þy sake,)
Cherche to sette, or auter make,
y trowe þy mede shal be but smal,
Syn þou dedyst noȝt whan þyn was al.
“loke now þy-self, and gode skyl why,
Þat þou art more to blame þan y.
wharefor ys alle y with þe stryue,
Þat þou do godë yn þy lyue;
Make þy-self þyn ownë weye,
Þat þyn executor of þe þus seye;
For what time þat þou awey gos,
Þo þat were þy frendys are þan þy fos,
And comunly þyn ownë wyfe,—
Þát, mayst þou se here ful ryfe,—
Also þy chyldryn are vnkynde,
Þat þou hast be aboute ful mynde;
Of boþe mayst þou þy merour se,
Ȝyf þou kanst, or wyl párseue þe;
And alle cumþ hyt of coueytyse
Þat men done vpp-on þys wyse;
Þárfore þenk on þe endyng,
And spendë weyl þyn ownë þyng,
Þat þou fal nat yn auaryce:
Of vnkyndhede hyt cumþ, þat vyce.”
Þat þou art more to blame þan y.
wharefor ys alle y with þe stryue,
Þat þou do godë yn þy lyue;
Make þy-self þyn ownë weye,
Þat þyn executor of þe þus seye;
For what time þat þou awey gos,
Þo þat were þy frendys are þan þy fos,
And comunly þyn ownë wyfe,—
Þát, mayst þou se here ful ryfe,—
Also þy chyldryn are vnkynde,
Þat þou hast be aboute ful mynde;
Of boþe mayst þou þy merour se,
Ȝyf þou kanst, or wyl párseue þe;
And alle cumþ hyt of coueytyse
Þat men done vpp-on þys wyse;
Þárfore þenk on þe endyng,
And spendë weyl þyn ownë þyng,
Þat þou fal nat yn auaryce:
Of vnkyndhede hyt cumþ, þat vyce.”
God, for hys holy myȝt,
late us neuer, with wnryȝt,
Coueyte oght aȝens hys wyl,
No with auaryce to holde for yl,
But þat hyt be, hym to queme,
And body and soule yn clenesse ȝeme.
late us neuer, with wnryȝt,
Coueyte oght aȝens hys wyl,
No with auaryce to holde for yl,
But þat hyt be, hym to queme,
And body and soule yn clenesse ȝeme.
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