The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...
Horstmann, Carl, b. 1851., Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.
11. Thank God of all.
(17 stanzas of 8, abab bcbc.)
(1)
BI a wey wandryng as .I. went
Sore .I. syked for serwyng sad;
ffor harde happes þat .I. haue hent,
Mournyng mad me al-most mad.
4
Vn-til a lettre al-one me lad
Þat wel was writen on a wal;
A blisful word þer .I. rad
Euere to þonke god of al.
8
(2)
¶ Þauȝ þou waxe blynd or lome,
Or eny seknesse on þe be set,
Þenk riht wel hit is no schome,
Wiþ such grace god haþ þe gret.
12
In serwe & tene þou art .I.-knit,
And þi catel bi-ginneþ to fal;
.I. not neuere hou þou myst do bot,
But euere to þonke god of al.
16
(3)
¶ Ȝif þou welde worldes goode,
Ryally rayed in þi rest,
ffeir of face, freoly of foode,
Nis non þe lyk, bi Est ne West,
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20
Ȝit god may senden as him lust,
Riches to torne as a Bal.
In vche a maner .I. holde hit best,
Euere to þonke god of al.
24
(4)
¶ Ȝif þi catel be-ginne to pase,
And after waxest a pore mon,
Tak good cumfort & bere good face,
And trust on hym þat al good won.
28
In God furst al goodnes bi-gon;
He may vs reue boþe bour and hal.
Better cumfort .I. non con,
But euer to þonke god of al.
32
(5)
¶ Þenk on Iob þat was so riche, [folio 409:2]
Hou he wox pore from day to day;
His beestes doun dyȝeden in eueri diche
His catel vanischt al a-way;
36
.I.-put he was in pore array
Nouþer in purpul ne in pal,
But in symple wede, as clerkes say,
And euer he þonked god of al.
40
(6)
¶ ffor faute of Catel, Iobpus floures
ffaded and fel clene him fro;
In seknesse he soffred scharpe schoures
Wiþ honger, chele, repreof & wo.
44
God sende him hele and catel bo,
Toun and tour, and steede in stal,
ffor he neuer grucched in wele ne wo,
But euer þonked God of al.
48
(7)
¶ Hose serueþ crist wiþ trewe entent,
Þe ffend þerto wol han Envye,
Þorw mis-beeleeue to make him schent,
And he him cacche in his baylye.
52
Þauh he þin hele and catel struye,
Let studefast herte stonde in stal,
Page 690
And trustne to God þat sit so heiȝe
And euer to þonken him of al.
56
(8)
¶ Ac mony mon comeþ vp of nouȝt,
And geteþ godes gret plente;
Þorw pruide & bost he makeþ touȝt,
And clene for-ȝit his pouerte.
60
Þen grete wronges worcheþ he
To hem þat he may ouer cal,
ffor þat þei mowe no forþer fle,
But euer to þonke god of al.
64
(9)
¶ Me prikeþ þe Oxe in þe plouh,
Whon he is ȝong, vntoun and wylde,
He wol Rore and make hit touh,
And of his drauȝt ben vn-bylde;
68
Þe more he torneþ out of his tylde,
Þe driuere wole him boxe and Bral:
So god wol þe, but þou be mylde,
And euere to þonken him of al.
72
(10)
¶ Aȝeyn God to grucche is gret trespas,
Þat such sondes may sende bi est & west;
Þi worldlich wo may turne to solas
Whon þou lyst clongen & closed in chest,
76
Whon þou schalt wenden to trauayl or rest,
Þi worldlich weole hit is but smal.
In vche a maner, hit is þe best,
Euer to þonke God of al.
80
(11)
¶ ffor goddes loue, so do we,
ffor he may boþe ȝiue and take;
In what meschef þat euer we be,
he is mihti I-nouȝ vr serwe to slake.
84
Good amendes he wol vs make,
And we to him wol crie & cal,
What weole or wo þat we in wake,
And euer to þonken god of al.
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88
(12)
¶ Þeiȝ þou be in prisun cast
Or eny distresse men doþ þe beode,
ffor godes loue þou beo studefast
And haue good mynde vppon þi crede.
92
Þenk God feyleþ þe neuer at neode,
Þat derworþe duyk vs deme schal.
Whon þou art wo, þerto tak hede,
And euer to þonken him of al.
96
(13)
¶ And þei þi frendes from þe fayle
And deþ ha raft hem of heore lyue,
Wharto schuldestou wepe or waile?
Hit is no boote wiþ god to striue.
100
God maade boþe Mon and wyue;
hit is skil he tak vs; we ben his þral.
What-so þou þole or elles to þryue,
Euer to þonke god of al.
104
(14)
¶ Diuerse sondes crist haþ .I.-sent
Boþe here and eke in oþer place:
Tac we hit wiþ trewe entent,
Þe sannore he wole sende vs grace.
108
Þauȝ þat vr bodies ben brouȝt in bace,
Let not ȝor hertes ben vn-tal,
And þenk þat god is þer he was,
And euer to þonken him of al.
112
(15)
¶ ffor Godes loue be not to wylde, [folio 409:3]
Reule ȝow in Reson alle to Route,
And tak wiþ trewe tent & mylde,
Diuerse sondes crist sent a-boute:
116
Þen dar .I. seyen wiþ-outen doute,
In heuene-blisse is maad vr stal,
To Riche & pore þat lowe wol loute,
Euer to þonke God of al.
120
(16)
¶ Þis world is good & nouȝt in gesse
To hem þat wolen kuynde be,
Page 692
And parte aboute of heore richesse
To hem þat ben In pouerte.
124
A wonder þing hit is to se
Þat kuynde loue adoun schal fal.
Better cumfort non con .I. me,
But euer to þonke god of al.
128
(17)
¶ Ȝit .I. radde forþer-more—
Trewe entent I tok þertil,—
Þat crist may riht wel vr stat restore,
Hit nis nouȝt to striuen aȝeines his wil.
132
He may vs saue, he may vs spil;
Þenk riht wel we ben his þral.
Þouȝ we haue not al vr wil,
Euermore þonke we god of al.
136
