Political, religious, and love poems. Some by Lydgate, Sir Richard Ros, Henry Baradoun, Wm. Huchen, etc. from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Ms. no. 306, and other sources, with a fragment of The Romance of Peare of Provence and the fair Magnelone, and a sketch, with the prolog and epilog, of The Romance of the knight Amoryus and the Lady Cleopes,

PROLOGUE.

From MS. Ashmole 61, fol. 136.

SIR WILLIAM BASTERDFELD'S WARNING.

All crysten men þat walke by me, Be-hold and se þis dulfull syȝht! It helpys not to calle ne cry, For I ame dampned, a dollfole wyȝht. Line 4 Some tyme in Ingland duellynge— Thys was trew with-outen lesynge— I was callyd sir Wylliam Basterdfeld, knyȝt; Be-were be me, both kynge and knyȝht, Line 8 And amend ȝou whyle ȝe haue space, Fore I haue lost euer-lastynge lyȝht, And þus of mercy cane I gete no grace. When I was now as ȝe be, Line 12 I kepyd neuer oþer lyffe, I spendyd my lyffe in vanyte, I[n] veynglory, bate, and stryffe; Grete othes with me wer fulle ryffe; Line 16 I had no grace me to amend, I sparyd noþer meyd ne wyffe, And þat hath brouȝt me to þis ende. I hade no hape whyll I was here Line 20

Line 20 Forto a-ryse and me repent, Tyll þat I was brouȝt on bere; Than was to late, ffore I was schente. All-wey with þem I ame aweyde, Line 24 In fyre of hell I schall euer be brente; Alas! þis world hath me deseyuede, Fore I had no grace me to amende. In lechery I lede my lyfe, Line 28 Fore I hade gode and gold at wylle; I scleuȝe my selue with-outene knyffe, And of glotony I hade my fylle; In sleuth I ley, and slepyd stylle. Line 32 I was deseyued in a reyste, A dolefulle deth þat dyde me kylle; Than was to late off had-I-wyste. Thus ame I lappyd all a-boute; Line 36 With todys and snaks, as ȝe may se, I ame gnawyne my body a-boute. Alas, alas! full wo is me, It is to late, it will not be! Line 40 I knaw welle women, mor and mynne, Fore hym þat dyȝed fore ȝou and me, Aryse, and rest not in ȝour synne! Fore when I was in my flowres, Line 44 Than was I lyȝht as byrd on brere; There-fore I suffere scharpe schoures, And by þat bergayne wonder dere, And byde in peynes many and sere; Line 48 There-fore þus I make my mone. Now may helpe me no prayere, I have no gode bot god alone. Wo be þei, who so euer þei be, Line 52 And haue þer v wyttes at wylle, And wyll not be-wer be me, And knaw gode thinge fro þ^e ylle. The pore, fore faute late þem not spylle! [folio 136b] Line 56 And ȝe do, ȝour deth is dyȝht;

Ȝoure fals flessch ȝe not fullfylle, Lost with lucyfere fro the lyȝht. In delycate metes I sette my delyte, Line 60 And myȝhty wynes vn-to my pay; That make þis wormys on me to byte, Ther-fore my song is well-y-wey! I myȝht not fast, I wold not praye, Line 64 I thouȝt to amend me in myn age, I droffe euer forth fro dey to dey, There-fore I byde here in þis cage. Thys cage is euer lastynge fyre; Line 68 I ame ordeynd þer-in to duelle; It is me gyuen, fore myne hyre, Euer to bryne in þe pytte of helle. I ame feteryd with þe fendes selle, Line 72 There I a-byde as best in stalle; There is no tonge my care cane telle, Be-were ȝe haue not sych a falle! Alas þat euer I borne was, Line 76 Or modere me bore! why dyde sche so? For I ame lost fore my trespas, And a-byde in euer-lastynge wo; I haue no frend, bot many a fo. Line 80 Be-hold me how þat I ame tourne, Fore I ame rente fro tope to to; Alas þat euer I was borne! Gode broþer, haue me in mynd, Line 84 And thinke how þou schall dyȝe all wey, And to þi soule be not vn-kynde, Remenbyre it boþe nyȝt and dey! Besyly lokë þat þou praye, Line 88 And be-seke þou heuen kynge To saue þe on þat dredfull dey That euery man schall gyffe rekenynge; Fore þer no lordes schall fore þe praye, Line 92 Ne Justys, noþer no mane of lawe; There charter helpys þe not þat dey,

There pletyne is not worth an hawe. God gyue þe grace þi selue to know, Line 96 And euery mane in hys degre! Fare wele! I here an horne blow, I may no lenger byde with þe.