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

                                
                                  Þat Matyns nor Masse herest þou non,
                                
                                  To ffreres prechinge wolt þou not gon—
                                
                                  Þer-Inne of swetnesse þou felest no tast;
                                
                                  Bote to þe tauerne þe þinkeþ more hast
                                  Line 512 
                                
                                  Þen to visyte þe seke or þe pore,
                                
                                  Þat liggen a-tome or at þi dore;
                                
                                  Ȝif þou dost þus, soþ to say,
                                
                                  Þou halewest not wel þyn halyday.
                                  Line 516 
                                
                                  Godes curtesye her maiȝt þow se:
                                
                                  To him-self he ȝaf biddynges but þre;
                                
                                  Þe seuen þat comen herafter nou
                                
                                  To þe and to þi neiȝebores prou.
                                  Line 520 
                                
                                  ffader and Moder þow most honoure;
                                
                                  Wiþ foul cher not on hem to [om. to]  loure;
                                
                                  Ȝif heo of þyne habbeþ gret nede,
                                
                                  But þou hem helpe, vuel schalt þou spede.
                                  Line 524 
                                
                                  Loke þat þou sle no mon,
                                
                                  Wiþ hond ne wiþ wepene non,
                                
                                  Ne þorw þyn owne gilerye
                                
                                  Nouȝwhere to puite him for to dye;
                                  Line 528 
                                
                                  Sle no mon wiþ tonge, biddynge,
                                
                                  Beo tisement ne bi procurynge;
                                
                                  In herte Coueyte no mon to spille—
                                
                                  To borwe him raþure is godes wille,
                                  Line 532 
                                
                                  Ȝif þou hit may do lawefully,
                                
                                  Elles of þis biddynge þow art gulti.
                                
                                  Stele non oþure monnes good.
                                
                                  ffrom fals witnes þow torn þi mood.
                                  Line 536 
                                
                                  Þi neiȝebores good þow schalt not desyre,
                                
                                  Wyf nor Mayde-child for heor white swire.
                                
                                  Loke þou do no Lecherie,
                                  Line 539 
                                
                                  Þi-self for þat wol most anuye. [vv. 539-40 ought to follow v. 534.] 
                                
                                  But i prei þe, þou seist, telle me þe skile
                                
                                  Whi god forbed raþur vuel wille
                                
                                  Of worldes good, and of Monnes wyf,
                                
                                  Þen to bi-reue a Monnes lyf.
                                  Line 544 
                                
                                  ffor, hose is in wille for to stele,
                                
                                  Wiþ oþer monnes wyf or wiþ to dele,
                                
                                  Hit is hardore him-self þer-from to holde
                                
                                  Þen from monslauȝt, be þou bolde!

                                  Line 548

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Title: The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...
Canvas: Page 289
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/ape7335.0001.001/353:2.35

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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 8, 2025.

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

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