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

This World is False and Vain.

[Lambeth MS. 853, page 32, written without breaks.]

Whi is þis world biloued þat fals is & veyn, Siþen þat hise welþis ben so vnserteyn? ¶ Al so soone hee passiþ his power away As dooþ a brokil poot þat freisch is and gay. Line 4 ¶ Truste ȝe raþer to lettris written withinne þis Þan to þis wrecchid world þat ful of synne is. ¶ It is fals in his biheeste, & riȝt disceyuable; It haþ bigilid many a man, it is so vnstable. Line 8 ¶ It is raþir [page 33] to bileeue þe wageringe wijnde Þan þe chaungeable world þat makiþ men so blinde. ¶ For wheþer þou slepe or wake, þou schalt fynde it fals. Bothe in hise bisinessis & in hise lustis als. Line 12 ¶ Telle me where is Salamon, sumtyme a king richee, Or Sampson þe stronge to whom was no man liche? ¶ Or þe fair man absolon, merueilose in cheere, Or þe duke ionatas, a weel biloued fere? Line 16 ¶ Where is bicome cesar, þat lorde was of al, Or þe riche man cloþid in purpur & in pal? ¶ Telle me where ys tullius, in eloquence so sweete, Or aristotil þe Filosofre with his witt so greete? Line 20

Line 20 ¶ Where ben þese worþi þat were heere-to-forn? Boþe kingis & bischopis, her power is al lorn. ¶ Alle þese greete princis with her power so hiȝe Ben vanischid now a-way in twynke [page 34] ling of an yȝe. Line 24 ¶ Þe ioie of þis wrecchid world is a schoorte feeste, And it is likened to a schadewe þat may not longe leste, ¶ And ȝit it drawiþ man from heuen riche blis, And ofte tyme it makiþ him to synne & do a-mys. Line 28 ¶ Calle no þing þine owne, þerfore, þat þou maist heere leese; For þat þe world haþ lent þee, efte he wole it cese. ¶ Sette þin herte in heuene a-boue, & þenke what ioie is þere, And þus to dispise þe world y rede þat þou lere. Line 32 Þou þat art but wormes meete, poudre, & dust, To enhaunce þi silfe in pride sett not þi lust. ¶ For þou woost not to-day þat þou schalt lyue to-morowe, Þerfore do þou euere weel, And þanne schalt þou not sorowe. Line 36 ¶ It were ful ioieful & sweete, lordschipe to haue, If so þat lordschip miȝte a man fro [page 35] deeþ saue, ¶ But for as myche as a man schal deie at þe laste, It is noo worschip, but a charge, lordschip to taaste. Line 40 Omnia terrena Per vices sunt aliena: nescio sunt cuius; mea nunc, cras huius et huius. Line 44 Dic, homo, quid speres, si mundo totus adheres; nulla tecum feres, licet tu solus haberes. Line 48