Hymns to the Virgin & Christ, the Parliament of devils, and other religious poems.

Kepe Weel Cristis Comaundement.

[Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 49; written without breaks.]

I Warne eche lijf þat liueþ in lond And do him dredlees out of were, Þat he must studie & vndirstonde Þe lawe of god to loue & lere. Line 4 ¶ For þere is no man feer ne neer Þat may him sillfe saue vnschent But he þat castiþ him with conscience clere To kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 8

Thou schalt haue oon god & no mo, And serue him boþe wiþ mayn & myȝt, And ouer al þing loue him also, For he haþ lent þee lijf & liȝt. Line 12 ¶ If þou be noied bi day or nyȝt, In peyne be meeke & pacient, And rewle þee ay bi resoun riȝt, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 16

Lete þi neiȝe [page 50] boris, boþe freend & fo, Freli of þi freendschip feele; In herte wilne þou hem also Riȝt as þou woldist þi silf were wele. Line 20 ¶ Helpe to saue hem from vnsele So þat her soulis ben not schent, And her care þou helpe to kele, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 24

Line 24

Goddis name in ydil take þou nouȝt, But ceesse & saue þee from þat synne; Swere bi no þing þat god haþ wrouȝt, Be waar his wraþþe lest þou so wynne. Line 28 ¶ But bisie þee euere her bale to blinne Þat wiþ blaberinge ooþis ben blent, Vncouþe & knowen of þi kynne; And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 32

In clennes and in cristis werk Haue mynde to halowe þin holi daye, And drawe þee þanne from dedis derk Wiþ al þi meyne, man & may. Line 36 ¶ Men vnsoft, loke þou asay To soften [page 51] them to good assent, Helpe poore and sike to please & pay, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 40

Þi fadir & modir worschipe boþe— If þou wolt botelees bale eschewe— With councelle, coumforte, meete & cloþe, As þou seest þat hem nediþ newe. Line 44 ¶ And if þei talke of wordis vntrewe, Þou turne hem out of þat entent, And cristis lawe helpe þat þei knew, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 48

Sle no man with wickid wille; Be waar, of veniaunce take þou noon; Eerli ne late, lowde ne stille, Bacbite no man, blood ne boon, Line 52 ¶ But lete euere gabbing glide & goon Away, wheþer it wole glase or glent; And helpe þat alle men were at oone, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 56

Line 56

Synne þou not in leccherie; Such lust vnleefful, lete it passe Consente þou not to þat folie Þat founden it is so [page 52] foule a trespase. Line 60 ¶ And loke þou, neiþer more ne lasse Þi likinge on þat lust be lent, Lest þou singe þis song 'alas For brekinge of cristis comaundement.' Line 64

Stele þou nouȝt of þi neiȝboris þing Neiþer wiþ stilnes ne with strijf, Ne with no maner of wrong geetynge, Þi silf, þi seruaunt, child, ne wijf. Line 68 ¶ To bie & sille if þou be rijfe, Loke euere þat wrong away be went: If þou wolt han euerlastinge lijf, Kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 72

Fals witnes, loke þat þou noon bare; If þou wolt in blis a-bide, þi neiȝbore wilfulli þou ne dere, Ne noon þat woneþ þee biside; Line 76 ¶ But loke þat no man be anoied If þou may him from harmes hent, And helpe þat falshede were distroied, And kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 80

Þi neiȝboris wijf, coueite þou nouȝt Vnleeffulli, aȝens þe lawe, [page 53] Wiþ hir to synne in dede or þouȝt, But from þe dede euere þou drawe, Line 84 ¶ And ceesse, & seie to hir no sawe To make hir for to synne assent, Ne please hir not with no nyce plawe, But kepe weel cristis comaundement. Line 88

Line 88

Thi neiȝboris hous, wenche, ne knawe, Vnleeffulli coueite þou nouȝt, Ne oþir good, wrong to haue, Lest þou for it to bale be brouȝt. Line 92 ¶ For whanne þe sooþe schal be up souȝt, If þou to þis synne assent, Ful bittirli it schal be bouȝt For brekinge of cristis comaundement. Line 96

Ech man þat wole þis lessoun lere, And loueþ a lawful lijf to lede, He ne may mys on no manere Þe myrþis of heuen to haue to meede; Line 100 ¶ For crist wole him heere helpe at nede, For from hens to heuene be wole him hent, For-þi praie we þat crist us spede Kindeli to kepe his comaundement. [["There is no creatour but oon," printed pp. 18-21, follows here in the MS.]] Line 104

Amen.