The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

                                
                                  Þe Bodi and þe soule ben al a-stray,
                                
                                  Diuerse þouȝtes, willes, disires al day:
                                
                                  Ho mihte þenne seche his herte so niȝ
                                
                                  To ȝiue acountes al trewely
                                  Line 168 
                                
                                  Of al þat euere he hedde mys-wrouht
                                
                                  Or eny mis-dede hedde in þouht?
                                
                                  Seoþ now, breþeren bi ten or twelue,
                                
                                  How ȝe ha neode to knowe or-selue!—
                                  Line 172 
                                
                                  Tac good ȝeme what þou [now] art
                                
                                  To soule, and let hit not astart,
                                
                                  Whon þou hast in þe luytel of goode,
                                
                                  Luitel of wit and pouwer and moode,
                                  Line 176 
                                
                                  Þis is þus muche forte say
                                
                                  Þat þou coueytest vche a day
                                
                                  Þing þat nouht is worþ in dede
                                
                                  Ne þat þe helpe mai at gret nede.
                                  Line 180 
                                
                                  Help vs god þat sitteþ on lofte,
                                
                                  ffor elles beo we bigyled ofte,
                                
                                  Oþurwhile þorwh Ragynge as vnwitti,
                                
                                  And oþurwhile beo veyn [MS. veny]  glori;
                                  Line 184 
                                
                                  Now are we trauaylet in to drede I-lope,
                                
                                  Now beo þe wey of fals hope.
                                
                                  Þow art so chaungable be-hynde & bi-forn,
                                
                                  Þat we wol to-day we wol not to-morn;
                                  Line 188 
                                
                                  Ofte vr-seluen for to plese
                                
                                  Are we aboute worldly ese,
                                
                                  But we haue hem at vr wille
                                
                                  We beo turmented, us þinkeþ wiþ [om. wiþ]  ille:
                                  Line 192 
                                
                                  Whon þou hem at þi wille most hast,
                                
                                  Þen art þou wiþ hem agreued mast.
                                
                                  Þenk wel ȝit, I rede þe,
                                
                                  Hou liht þou art to tempted be,
                                  Line 196 
                                
                                  ffebel and Brutel to stonde a-ȝeyn,
                                
                                  Redi to asente wiþ al oure mayn.
                                
                                  Of alle þeos Merueylous chaunces
                                
                                  Vr lord haþ sent vs diliueraunces,
                                  Line 200 
                                
                                  And vche oþur day þerfore [r. þerfro] 
                                
                                  He vs dilyuereþ more and more. [r. mo] 
                                
                                  Whon þou weore nouȝt, he formede þe,
                                
                                  Þi soule to his liknesse to be,

                                  Line 204

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Title: The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...
Canvas: Page 233
Publication: London,: Pub. by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., for the Early English Text Society,; 1892-1901.
Subject terms: English poetry

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/ape7335.0001.001/288:2.32

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Full citation: "The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2025.

The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

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