The pilgrimage of the life of man, English by John Lydgate, A. D. 1426, from the French of Guillaume de Deguileville, A. D. 1330, 1335. The text ed. by F. J. Furnivall ... With introduction, notes, glossary and indexes by Katharine B. Locock ...

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Title

Author

Guillaume, de Deguileville, 14th cent.

Publication

London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., limited,

1899-1904.

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"The pilgrimage of the life of man, English by John Lydgate, A. D. 1426, from the French of Guillaume de Deguileville, A. D. 1330, 1335. The text ed. by F. J. Furnivall ... With introduction, notes, glossary and indexes by Katharine B. Locock ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AJT8111.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 11, 2024.

Pages

[The Pilgrim.]

                        Wyth thys skryppe whan I was bounde,
                        Line 7037 
                      
                        Glad I was, & ful Jocounde;
                      
                        And than I gan a-noon enquere,
                      
                        Prayede she wolde vn-to me lere.
                        Line 7040 
                      
                        (Lyst that ther wer any lak)
                      
                        Off the gyrdel that she off spak,
                      
                        That I myghte vnderstonde aryht
                      
                        The thyng that she hadde me behyht.
                        Line 7044

Grace dieu:

                        Quod Grace dieu, 'touchyng al thys, [prose cap civ] 
                      
                        Off thy gyrdel & my promys,
                      
                        Thow sholdest (off good entencioun)
                      
                        ffyrst yaxyd A Bordoun,
                        Line 7048 
                      
                        The to sustenë nyht & day,
                      
                        And supporte the on thy way
                      
                        Wherso that thow go or walke.
                      
                        And affter, I caste me to talke
                        Line 7052 
                      
                        With the, and pleynly ek expresse
                      
                        Off the gyrdel off ryhtwysnesse.

Page 191

                      
                        'But ffyrst tak hed off the Bordoun, [folio 108a] 
                      
                        How yt ys good in ech sesoun,
                        Line 7056 
                      
                        ffor he nat falleth comounly
                      
                        That leneth ther on stedefastly.
                      
                        ffor wych thow shalt (as yt ys ryht,)
                      
                        With al thy fforce & al thy myght,
                        Line 7060 
                      
                        Ther-on reste, what so be-falle.
                      
                        And trewly thow shalt nat falle,
                      
                        What perillous passage that thow go,
                      
                        As longe as thow takest hed ther-to, [Stowe folio 128a] 
                        Line 7064 
                      
                        And, tavoyde away dyspeyr,
                      
                        Wherso thow gost in foul or ffayr,
                      
                        Or what fortunë the be-falle.
                      
                        "Good hope" alway thow shalt yt calle:
                        Line 7068 
                      
                        Thys the name off thy Bordoun,
                      
                        Off trust & trewe affeccïoun,
                      
                        Wych ys callyd Esperaunce,
                      
                        Affter the speche vsyd in fraunce,
                        Line 7072 
                      
                        And the maner off that languáge.

                      
                        'And looke alway, in thy passáge,
                      
                        That thow holde the wel ther-by,
                      
                        And ther-on restë feythfully
                        Line 7076 
                      
                        In peryllous pathys wher thow wende.
                      
                        And by the pomellys at the Ende,
                      
                        Holde the strongly, I the rede,
                      
                        ffor they shal, in al thy nede
                        Line 7080 
                      
                        Sustenë the, thow fallë nouht,

                      
                        'The hiher pomel (yiff yt be souht) [prose cap cv] 
                      
                        Ys ihesu cryst: haue hym in mynde;
                      
                        And in scrypture (as thow shalt fynde.)
                        Line 7084 
                      
                        He ys the morour cler & bryht,
                      
                        With-outë spot, (bothe day & nyht,)
                      
                        In the wyche, a man, by grace,
                      
                        May beholde hys ownë fface,
                        Line 7088 
                      
                        In wych merour (as I tolde) [folio 108b] 
                      
                        Al the world ouhtë be-holde.
                      
                        In wych also men may fynde
                      
                        Allë thynges wrouht be kynde.
                        Line 7092 
                      
                        Reste vp-on hym with herte and thouht,
                      
                        And go surly, & dred the nouht;

Page 192

                      
                        And to hys helpë alway calle,
                        Line 7095 
                      
                        And trustë wel thow shalt nat falle. [Stowe folio 128b]

                      
                        'The tother pomel lowere doun, [prose cap cvi] 
                      
                        Wych (with-oute comparisoun,
                      
                        Yiff I shal the trouthë telle)
                      
                        Ys the Mayde that doth excelle
                        Line 7100 
                      
                        Al other off bewte & bounte;
                      
                        ffor she, in hyr vyrgynyte,
                      
                        Bar a chyld in thys world here,
                      
                        Mayde & moder bothe yfere,
                        Line 7104 
                      
                        The Charbouncle most cler off lyht,
                      
                        Chasynge away dyrknesse off nyht,
                      
                        And al thys world doth énlwmyne;
                      
                        The ffresshë bemys so clerly shyne.
                        Line 7108 
                      
                        Al that go mys in ther passáge,
                      
                        Or erryn in ther pylgrymáge;
                      
                        Or ffolk that gon out off her way,
                      
                        (As wel be nyhtë as be day,
                        Line 7112 
                      
                        I dar afferme yt in certeyn
                      
                        She maketh hem to resorte ageyn
                      
                        Vn-to the ryhtë weye a-noon:
                      
                        ffor to pylgrymës euerychon
                        Line 7116 
                      
                        She ys the trewë Gyderesse;
                      
                        And ther socour in al dyrknesse;
                      
                        And yiff they slydre, or fallë doun,
                      
                        Thys Emperesse off most renoun,
                        Line 7120 
                      
                        Only off mercy, doth hem releue,
                      
                        That no thyng ne may hem greue
                      
                        In ther passagë nyh nor ferre,
                      
                        For she ys the loodë sterre,
                        Line 7124 
                      
                        With her bryhtë bemys clere,
                      
                        To al pylgrymes in thys lyff here,
                      
                        That han to hyre affectyoun.
                        Line 7127

                      
                        'And for that skyle, in thys bordoun, [folio 109a]  [Stowe folio 129a] 
                      
                        In thys pomel (yiff thow kanst knowe)
                      
                        She ys yset her doun alowe
                      
                        By an Arche ymad off newe:
                      
                        No charbouncle so bryht off hewe,
                        Line 7132 
                      
                        Nor noon other precyous ston,
                      
                        Rekne the .xij. euerychon.

Page 193

                      
                        'And in thys bordoun, lookë wel
                      
                        How she ys set for a pomel,
                        Line 7136 
                      
                        Pylgrymes to saue, they be nat lorn,
                      
                        Wher-as ther was but On to-forn.

                      
                        'But thys pomel most bryht & shene,
                      
                        Pylgrymës only to sustene,
                        Line 7140 
                      
                        Ys set in ful goodely wyse;
                      
                        ffor ellys myghtë nat suffyse
                      
                        The tother, but she wer ther also,
                      
                        Hem to supporte, wher-so they go.
                        Line 7144 
                      
                        ffor she ys mene, (& that ful offte,)
                      
                        To the pomel hih a -loffte:
                      
                        Thys to seyne, thys heuenely quene,
                      
                        To hyr sone ys euere a mene;
                        Line 7148 
                      
                        Coumfort most princypal & cheff
                      
                        Tal pylgrymes in ther myscheff,
                      
                        Hem to supporte, who taketh hede.
                        Line 7151

                      
                        'And therfore whan thou hauest nede,
                      
                        Trust on hyre, & neuere varye,
                      
                        ffor she ys most necessarye
                      
                        To holde hem vp in ther passage,
                      
                        Wher they ben old or yong off age.
                        Line 7156 
                      
                        Leue on hyre, what so befalle,
                      
                        & in thy way thow shalt nat falle,
                      
                        Yiff that thow in eche sesoun
                      
                        Haue in hyre affeccïoun,
                        Line 7160 
                      
                        Thow mayst nat stomble nouther slydre [Stowe folio 129b] 
                      
                        Whan thys pomellys ben to-gydre;
                      
                        She ys the pomel set mor lowe,
                      
                        By whose helpe, (as thow shalt knowe, [folio 109b] 
                        Line 7164 
                      
                        And as I shal the trewly teche,)
                      
                        To the hiher thow shalt wel reche;
                      
                        Bothë wrouht off Stonys clere:
                      
                        And yiff thow loue on bothe yfere,
                        Line 7168 
                      
                        Thow mayst trust, thorgh ther myght,
                      
                        Thow shalt nat falle, but gon vp ryht.

                      
                        'Wherfor, for thy sauacyoun,
                      
                        Hold the wel by thys Bordoun
                        Line 7172 
                      
                        Wych ys mad ful stronge, to laste;
                      
                        And therfor, therby hold thé faste;

Page 194

                      
                        Trust on yt & nat ne feyne;
                      
                        ffor thys pomellys bothë tweyne
                        Line 7176 
                      
                        Ben so noble and ffayr off syht,
                      
                        So glad, so coumfortable & bryht,
                      
                        And lyk thy skryppe (I the ensure,)
                      
                        Thow shalt ffor ech haue a scrypture
                        Line 7180 
                      
                        Yiff thow kanst hem vnderstond:
                      
                        Lo, haue hem here now in thyn hond;
                      
                        And consydre & loke hem wel:
                      
                        The ffyrst toucheth the pomel,
                        Line 7184 
                      
                        Yset a-lofftë most cheffly;
                      
                        And the tother, wryt ther-by,
                      
                        (Shortly, for thow shalt nat tarye)
                      
                        Longeth to the Secoundarye.
                        Line 7188

Notes

[have askt, y axede St.]

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[goo St.]

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[ffaylleth St.]

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[to avoyde St.]

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[langage St.]

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[that thou]

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[Merour St.]

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Sapicncie vij^o. Speculum sine macula. St., om. C.

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[lower St.]

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[Tal C., Talle St.]

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[ysette . . alowe St., yset lowe C.]

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[twelvë]

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[that they]

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[myghte yt St.]

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[off St.]

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[To all. Tyl St.]

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[haste St.]

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[To holde St., Tolde C.]

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[the St.]

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[St.] Pater Creator Omnium [& cetera, whiche should folowe. [Stowe folio 109b] ]

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The pilgrimage of the life of man, English by John Lydgate, A. D. 1426, from the French of Guillaume de Deguileville, A. D. 1330, 1335. The text ed. by F. J. Furnivall ... With introduction, notes, glossary and indexes by Katharine B. Locock ...

About this Item

Pages

description Page 191

description Page 192

description Page 193

description Page 194

Notes

Page 191

Page 192

Page 193

Page 194