Hoccleve's works. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

(1) The epistle of grace sent to the seek man. littera. [folio 17b]

[26 stanzas of 7 lines each, ababb, cc.]

(1)

I' Gracë quen, and heuenly princesse,— Line 1 As depute [? MS. deprite.] be the souereyn kyng eterne, In erthe a-lowe to be the gyderesse That [That = of him that. (Tags t r f &c. are not printed.)] liste the redy wey[ë]s for to lerne, In pilgrymagë him selff to gouerne— Line 5 Gretyng, with yerde & lore of disciplyne, To the that hast, and must be, one of myn. Line 7

(2)

It is me don to knowe & vnderstonde, Line 8 Þat, this dethës seruaunt, malady, The hath arrest, and holdith now in hande, And the oppressith, nought knowyng the forwhi. I wil therfore, as for thi remedy, Line 12 Ordeyne[n] in my best[ë] manere wise; I rede þ^e that thi self þou wel aduyse. Line 14

(3)

I haue be with the whan thu knewe it nought, Line 15 Enserchyng, lo, thi poin[t]is of conscïence, Be wich I knewe the innermost of thought. Thu hauest, thi self, with veari neclegence, And also for defawte of diligence, Line 19 Noght take heed to thi gouernaunce, Thi selffë brought in anguysshe & greuaunce. Line 21

Line 21

(4)

Thu hast, with surfeet, leuyng sobirnesse, Line 22 fful greuously encombred thi corage, In lust dispending al thin besynesse, [folio 18] Syn þat thu were a childe of tender age, That the now doth ful gret disauauntage; Line 26 Wherfore the nature of thi maladye Wil askë sothly a fleobotomye. Line 28

(5)

Also I see, þat ful art thu withinne Line 29 of córrupte humour al a-bowt[ë] spred, That rennyth ay betwyn [þi] flesch and skynne, That causith þat thu kepist now thi bedde: Than ydilnesse and slouthë hath this bred; Line 33 Thu hast nought swet owt of thin eye one tere; Wich thing to the ful necessary were. Line 35

(6)

For if thu myghtist, dayës two or thre, Line 36 With mynde upon thi foulë wrechidnesse haue suche a sweet, it wolde availë the; ffor leue it weel,—I sey it the expresse— but if thu do the rathere thi besynesse, Line 40 with suche a swet thi self[ë] to amende, This malady will of the make an ende. Line 42

(7)

Take heed[ë] nowe, and to thi self conuerte, Line 43 And see what wrechidnesse is the withinne, Or dethë take thi liffe out of thin herte; To be my reed, anon þat thu be-gynne To make the clenë of thi sory synne, Line 47 As ferrë [forth] as þou canst think or spye, And wasshe hem out with terës of thin eye. Line 49

(8)

For if þat deth the sudeynly assaile, Line 50 beleue it weel, he sparith no persone; With him to trete, it may no thing avayle; On the hath he no piete, thow thu grone; Complayntis sothly he rewardith none, Line 54

Line 54 But buskith you vnto the pittës brynk: On this, I rede, thu besely bethink. Line 56

(9)

Take heed, and here, how þat to euery wight Line 57 With-in[në]-forth he clepith preuely: [folio 18b] "Arayeth you, and be al redi dight, ffor I wil come—beleve it sikerly— Or ye be ware, parauenture sudeynly: Line 61 And me by-for ther may [no] praiere spede Ne non ne wele: I sparë for [no] mede." Line 63

(10)

"Beholde and see, how þat this messageres, Line 64 lo, in awaitë, [now] be leyd for the. Sest thu noght Agë, with his whightë eres, hath had [[? hid]] himselff ful nye,—canst thu not see?— And maladi[ë] hath arrest par-de. Line 68 Herist thu nowt, how thei crie lowde alwey, 'what eilith vs, to tarye so al day?' Line 70

(11)

"How oftë haue I warned the be-for, Line 71 Som while apert, somtymë preuely, That redy schuldist thu have be euermor: Witnesse upon thi self, I say the, whi Thu might the nought excusë vtterly: Line 75 Synderesis, she knowith euery deel; Sche will be thin appélloure, wete it weel, Line 77

(12)

"Aneinptes me, that alway wold thi prowe; Line 78 fful folili thu hast thi self mystake: for thu behetest—this knowist well I-nowe— Þat alle thin foli woldest thu for-sake, And woldest thi-self very clenë make, Line 82 Puttyng [thi] flesch vnder subieccioun, To be gouérned after thi reason. Line 84

(13)

"But sekerly she euery deel reuerse Line 85 vsurped hath hire ownë ladi right, By here delites and lustës full dyuers Oppressyng her with alle hir mayn & myght.

A fool is he (as semith in my sight) Line 89 That be no lore ne will his freend[is] knowe Till þat he be in myschief ouerthrowe. Line 91

(14)

"But now I rede, take good entent & hepe, [folio 19] Line 92 Puttyng awey thi slombre & [thi] slouthe. A fool he is, that leith him self to slepe, To whom I springe, the veray sterre of trewthe. How ofte hast thu refused, for thi yowthe, Line 96 To herë me? and sone hast thu for-yete Myn lusty songës veary hony-swete. Line 98

(15)

"Now sey me, be thi feith, whethir þou were he Line 99 Alone of woman in this world I-bore, So clene of wemme, that no thing is in the To weylë ne to wepe thi synnës sore. Nay, sekerly—and þat me for-thinke sore— Line 103 That thu ne canst [nat] se thi wrechidnesse, Thi synne, thi surfeet, and thin vnthriftynesse,

(16)

"And hard conflicte of bataile, the withinne. Line 106 Thu felë myght (but if thu be vnwys), How þat þⁱ sowle assailed is with synne, And vnder-cast þou art of hye malice, And subiecte, thu madist thi selfe, to vice, Line 110 Wich þat of god, the Juge omnipotent, Condempned is with-owt[en] iugëment. Line 112

(17)

"Shamë hath he þat at the cheker pleith, Line 113 Whan þat a powne saith to the kyng 'chek mate;' And shame it is, whan that thi gost obeith Vnto thi flessh, þat schuld obeye algate Vnto thi goost. And now, thowe it be late, Line 117 Yilte helpe thi self, and cast her vnder fote, Or elles þou art lost: þere is non other bote. Line 119

(18)

"In bataylë, as it hath ofte be-tydde Line 120 a myghti man to falle, it is no schame, The first[ë] tyme, the secunde, and the thridde,

And rysith weel—this holde I but a game;— But gretly, me thinkith, is he to blame, Line 124 And worthi as [a] fool to be reproeved, That not enforsith him to be releuyd. [folio 19b] Line 126

(19)

"Now youthë may no lengere the excuse, Line 127 for age is come, and calengith his plase. Yeld thi promyse! þou myght it not refuse. A fool is he þat desobëyth grace, And is to meward fallë in trespace, Line 131 And castith him nought ámendis to make: Suche one, what wondir is, though I forsake? Line 133

(20)

"Ful long I haue a-beden and susteyned Line 134 to haue amendës for thi forfeture; And or this tyme I haue me not compleyned. I may no more the wrechidnesse endure: I rede the do [MS. to do.] thi besynesse and cure; Line 138 Amende thi self; it is anow to me, That is the amendës þat I askë the. Line 140

(21)

"Now chese thin port, at wich thu wilt aryve; Line 141 But to there ben, of solace and distresse: At one, thow myght thi self[en] kepe a lyve, And euere abide in ioye and lustynesse; That othir, is but care and wrechidnesse; Line 145 here comë deth; and if þat he [schal] smyte Thi liffe, there is non leche that [may] respite. Line 147

(22)

"Se now thi self, that hauest no defence! Line 148 A-bove thin heed the swerd is redy drawe; I redë the to look thi conscïence, How þou hauest lyved a-geyn thi lorde-is lawe; And after this, a-nothir wey thu drawe, Line 152 Þat alle thi tyme in foly so dispended, yit at the last[ë], lat it be amendyd. Line 154

Line 154

(23)

"How oftë tyme have I the tolde & taught Line 155 The worthynesse of vertue, and the mede! how ofte haue I the from the clowches caught Of sathanas! yitte takist thu non heed. But now be ware, and nought withowt[ë] nede; Line 159 ffor sekirly the bowe is bent ful sore [folio 20] To smytë the: than may I do no more. Line 161

(24)

"The birde that syngith on a braunche on hye, Line 162 And schewith him self a lusty Jolyvet, Vnto the deth is sinet sudeingly Or he be ware, and takë with a net. I have the said, how deth hath the be-sette; Line 166 And almost vnder-myned is thi wall; But thu be ware, ful grevous is thi fall. Line 168

(25)

"Allas! what thinkest thu? what wilt þou sayn, Line 169 In þat ilke day of anger and of dreed, Vn-to the heighë Iugë souereyne? What dost þou, man? whi takist thu non hede? If þou wilt be releuyd in thi nede, Line 173 What helpith it, thus [for] to preche and teche? But schewe thi soore, to me þat am thi leche, Line 175

(26)

"And [than] I schal a-voyde the of thi fylthe, Line 176 receyvyng the anon vnder my cure. I schal the bringe in redynesse of tylthe, So that [thu] schalt thi selff[e] weel assure, Þat whan thi flesch is laid in sepulture, Line 180 Thu schalt be haved up in-to heven blisse; Eternall myrthës schalt þou neuere mysse." Line 182