University of Virginia Library

Now, Richard þe redeles reweth on ȝou-self,
Þat lawelesse leddyn ȝoure lyf and ȝoure peple boþe;
For þoru þe wyles and wronge and wast in ȝoure tyme,
Ȝe were lyghtlich ylyfte from þat ȝou leef þouȝte,
And from ȝoure willffull werkis ȝoure will was chaungid,
And rafte was ȝoure riott and rest for ȝoure daieȝ weren wikkid,
Þoru ȝoure cursid conceill ȝoure karis weren newed,
And coueitise hath crasid ȝoure croune for euere!
Of alegeaunce now lerneth a lesson oþer tweyne
Wher-by it standith and stablithe moste—
By dride, or be dyntis or domes vntrewe,
Or by creaunce of coyne for castes of gile,
By pillynge of ȝoure peple ȝoure prynces to plese,
Or þat ȝoure wylle were wrouȝte þouȝ wisdom it nolde;
Or be tallage of ȝoure townnes without ony werre,
By rewthles routus þat ryffled euere,
Be preysinge of polaxis þat no pete hadde,
Or be dette for þi dees deme as þou fyndist,—
Or be ledinge of lawe with loue well ytemprid.

Though þis be derklich endited for a dull nolle,
Miche nede is it not to mwse þer-on,
For as mad as I am þouȝ I litill kunne,
I cowde it discryue in a fewe wordys;
For legiance without loue litill þinge availith.
But graceles gostis gylours of hem-self,
That neuere had [harmesse] ne hayle-schouris,
But walwed in her willis forweyned in here youthe,
Þey sawe no manere siȝth saff solas and ese,
And cowde no mysse amende whan mysscheff was vp,
But sorwed for her lustus of lordsch[i]pe þey hadde,
And neuere for her trespas oo tere wolde þey lete.
Ȝe come to ȝoure kyngdom er ȝe ȝoure-self knewe,
Crouned with a croune þat kyng vnder heuene
Miȝte not a better haue bouȝte, as I trowe;
So full was it filled with vertus stones,
With perlis of pris to punnysshe þe wrongis,
With rubies rede þe riȝth for to deme,
With gemmes and juellis joyned to-gedir,
And pees amonge þe peple for peyne of þi lawis.
It was full goodeliche ygraue with gold al abouȝte;
The braunchis aboue boren grett charge;
With diamauntis derue y-douutid of all
That wroute ony wrake within or withoute;
With lewte and loue yloke to þi peeris,
And sapheris swete þat souȝte all wrongis,
Ypouudride wyth pete þer it be ouȝte,
And traylid with trouþe and treste al aboute;
For ony cristen kynge a croune well ymakyd.

But where þis croune bicome a clerk were þat wuste;
But so as I can declare it I thenke,
And nempne no name; but þo þat nest were,
Full preuyly þey pluckud þy power awey,
And reden with realte ȝoure rewme þoru-oute,
And as tyrauntis, of tiliers token what hem liste,
And paide hem on her pannes whan her penyes lacked.
For non of ȝoure peple durste pleyne of here wrongis,
For drede of ȝoure dukys & of here double harmes.
Men myȝtten as well haue hun[t]yd an hare with a tabre
As aske ony mendis for þat þei mysdede,
Or of ony of her men þouȝ men wulde plete,
For all was felawis and felawschepe þat ȝe with ferde,
And no soule persone to punnyshe þe wrongis;
And þat maddid þi men as þei nede muste.
For wo, þey ne wuste to whom for to pleyne.
For, as it is said by elderne dawis,
“Þer gromes and þe goodmen beth all eliche grette,
Woll wo beth þe wones and all þat woneth þer-in!”
Þey ladde ȝou with loue þat ȝoure lawe dradde
To deme ȝoure dukys myssdedis so derue þei were.
Thus was ȝoure croune crasid till he was cast newe,
Þoru partninge of ȝoure powere to ȝoure paragals.
Thus lacchide þey with laughinge and lourid longe after,
But frist sawe þey it not ne youre-self noþer;
For all was wisliche ywrouȝte as ȝoure witte demed,
And no fauutis yffounde till fortune aperid.
But had ȝoure croune be kepte þat comons it wiste,
Þer nadde morder ne mysscheff be amonge þe grette.
Thus ȝoure cautell to þe comoune hath combred ȝou all,
That, but if God helpe ȝoure heruest is ynne.
Wytteth it not ȝoure conceill but wyte[t]h it more ȝoure-self,
The fortune þat fallyn is to feitheles peple;
And wayte well my wordis and wrappe hem to-gedir,
And constrwe [clerlie] þe clause in þin herte
Of maters þat I thenke to meve for þe best
For kyngis and kayseris comynge here-after.
Whane ȝe were sette in ȝoure se as a sir aughte,
Ther carpinge comynliche of conceill arisith,
The cheuyteyns cheef þat ȝe chesse euere,
Weren all to yonge of ȝeris to yeme swyche a rewme;
Oþer hobbis ȝe hadden of Hurlewaynis kynne,
Reffusynge þe reule of realles kynde.
And whane ȝoure conceill i-knewe ȝe come so at ones
For to leue on her lore and be led be hem,
For drede þat þey had of demynge þer-after,
And for curinge of hem-self cried on ȝou euere,
For to hente hele of her owen greues,
More þan for wurschepe þat þey to ȝou owed.
Þey made ȝou to leue þat regne ȝe ne myȝte
Withoute busshinge adoun of all ȝoure best frendis,
Be a fals colour her caris to wayve,
And to holde hem in hele if it happe myȝte.
For trostiþ rith treuly and in no tale better,
All þat þey moued or mynged in þat mater
Was to be sure of hem-self and siris to ben y-callid;
For þat was all her werchinge in worde and in dede.
But had ȝe do duly and as a duke oughte,
Þe frist þat ȝou formed to þat fals dede,
He shulde haue hadde hongynge on hie on þe forckis,
Þouȝ ȝoure brother y-born had be þe same.
Than wolde oþer boynardis haue ben abasshyd
To haue meved ȝou to ony maters þat myssheff had ben ynne.
But for ȝe cleued to knavis in þis cas I avowe,
Þat boldid þi burnes to belde vppon sorowe,
And stirid ȝou stouttely till ȝe stombled all.