Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ...

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Title

Author

Kail, J., ed.

Publication

London,: Pub. for the Early English Text Society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., limited,

1904-

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The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

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English poetry

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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/APE9594.0001.001

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"Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/APE9594.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 5, 2025.

Pages

IX. With god of loue & pes, ȝe trete.

[Easter, 1410.] [Digby 102, leaf 106, back.] [24 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

                    This holy tyme make ȝow clene,
                  
                    Burnysche bryȝt ȝoure soules blake.
                  
                    ffro ȝow to god, let þe prest be mene.
                  
                    To do penaunce, and synnes forsake,
                    Line 4 
                  
                    Wiþ almes dede amendes make,
                  
                    And repentaunce may grace gete.
                  
                    In goode werkis wysely wake,
                  
                    And wiþ god of pes, y rede ȝe trete.

                    Line 8

Page 35

(2)

                    ¶ Wiþ soulis briȝt in god ȝe glade
                  
                    As shynyng angels out of synne,
                  
                    In worschip of hym þat ȝow made,
                  
                    To knowe ȝoure seluen now bygynne.
                    Line 12 
                  
                    To stryue wiþ god we may not wynne;
                  
                    Boþe body and soule he can bete.
                  
                    Ihesus is broþer of oure kynne;
                  
                    ffor-þy wiþ god of [pes] ȝe trete.
                    Line 16

(3)

                    ¶ Ofte han we treted wiþ god o trewe,
                  
                    And sayde no more synne we wolde;
                  
                    And euery ȝeere we breke it newe,
                  
                    Thre dayes no trewes wiþ hym nele holde;
                    Line 20 
                  
                    Synne to bay many a folde
                  
                    On soules helle houndes slete.
                  
                    Er ȝe come þere, ȝonge and olde,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes y rede ȝe trete.
                    Line 24

(4)

                    ¶ Trete while ȝe haue ȝoure hele,
                  
                    ffor sodeyn deþ stomblen as blynde.
                  
                    Þe grettere lordschipe of worldis wele,
                  
                    Þe more in þraldom hit doþ hem bynde.
                    Line 28 
                  
                    Man, þenke þy lyf is but a wynde;
                  
                    When þat is blowen, þou art forȝete;
                  
                    Holde couenaunt to god, and be kynde.
                  
                    ffor-þy, wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.
                    Line 32

(5)

                    ¶ Ȝe mot hit shewe, wiþ herte sorwe,
                  
                    To a prest, and weel ȝow shryue;
                  
                    Noȝt turne aȝen þerto to-morwe,
                  
                    But þenke be good al thy lyue.
                    Line 36 
                  
                    Wiþ goddis sonde looke ȝe not stryue,
                  
                    Ne derne mornyng counterfete.
                  
                    Rekne wysely all þy wittes fyue,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes when ȝe do trete.

                    Line 40

Page 36

(6)

                    ¶ The synnes þat wolde þy soule apayre,
                  
                    To a prest shewe þe cas.
                  
                    Loke þat þou not paynte hit fayre,
                  
                    But shewe it forþ riȝt ful as it was.
                    Line 44 
                  
                    Þat shame is mede for þy trespas;
                  
                    ffor synne þat wolde þy soule þrete,
                  
                    Aske mercy, and seche gras,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes when ȝe trete.
                    Line 48

(7)

                    ¶ That clippen money, þey haue þe curs
                  
                    ffoure tymes in þe ȝere;
                  
                    Here waȝtes, þat þey waye þe wors,
                  
                    Ȝerde or elne, fer or nere;
                    Line 52 
                  
                    Wheþer þey selle good chep or dere:
                  
                    But þey þe full mesure mete,
                  
                    Hit semeþ in skornyng þat it were,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes whan ȝe trete.
                    Line 56

(8)

                    ¶ Auyse ȝow þat leden lawe,
                  
                    ffor drede of lordschipe or for mede
                  
                    Holde no pore men in awe
                  
                    To storble here ryȝt or lette here nede.
                    Line 60 
                  
                    Hit bryngeþ þe soule in gret drede,
                  
                    Aȝens goddis lawe to plete.
                  
                    Þe rolles ariȝt y red ȝe rede,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes when ȝe trete. [folio 107a] 
                    Line 64

(9)

                    ¶ That haldeþ questes or assise,
                  
                    Þat takeþ or ȝeueþ fee or hire,
                  
                    Lette not lawe fro riȝt gyse,
                  
                    Ne mayntene wrongis as master and sire.
                    Line 68 
                  
                    Þey may be ferd for helle fire,
                  
                    To ete here neyȝebores at here mete.
                  
                    Þat lyf shal not euere more dure;
                  
                    ffor-þy, wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.

                    Line 72

Page 37

(10)

                    ¶ Ȝe þat comeþ to goddis berd,
                  
                    Resceyueþ hym in clene lyf;
                  
                    Holde non old synnes in hord,
                  
                    ffor þanne begynneþ a newe stryf;
                    Line 76 
                  
                    ffor he to god haþ drawen his knyf,
                  
                    Þat þenkeþ in skorne þere wolde hym ete.
                  
                    Here be war, man and wyf,
                  
                    Horde no synne when ȝe trete!
                    Line 80

(11)

                    ¶ Man, ȝif þou haue tan a fal,
                  
                    Ryse vp, and no more slyde;
                  
                    O prest, þy shrifte schewe it al,
                  
                    But hyde no synne in hord by syde.
                    Line 84 
                  
                    In venyale synne longe to byde,
                  
                    Makeþ dedly synnes to growe grete.
                  
                    Wiþ ȝoure werkis ȝe mot chyde,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes when ȝe trete.
                    Line 88

(12)

                    ¶ Seuene syþes on þe day,
                  
                    Men seyn, the riȝtwis man doþ falle.
                  
                    Þanne he þat falleþ in synnes alway,
                  
                    How shulde he rekene þo synnes alle?
                    Line 92 
                  
                    But he wrot hem, grette and smalle,
                  
                    Summe at shrifte he schulde forȝete,
                  
                    He shulde þe prest þe oftere calle,
                  
                    Wiþ god of pes when ȝe trete.
                    Line 96

(13)

                    ¶ ffoure acountes þou shalt ȝelde: [nota] 
                  
                    God made þe lyk to his ymage;
                  
                    How þou it wan, how þou it helde,
                  
                    How þou it spendid in wast outrage.
                    Line 100 
                  
                    fforfete not heuene, þyn heritage;
                  
                    Among seyntes þy soule sete.
                  
                    Rekene ere þou renne in rerage,
                  
                    And wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.

                    Line 104

Page 38

104

(14)

                    ¶ Holy writ biddeþ god sende vengeaunce
                  
                    To kyngdom þat nele not holde his lawe,
                  
                    Wraþþe and stryf and alle greuaunce
                  
                    Among prynces and pore men þrawe,
                    Line 108 
                  
                    Þat nele not leue goddis sawe
                  
                    Ne counte his gynnyng at o clete.
                  
                    To werkis of wysdom, by tyme ȝe drawe,
                  
                    And wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.
                    Line 112

(15)

                    ¶ Who so leued þat god were trewe,
                  
                    Þan wolde þey do þat god hem bede.
                  
                    Þat mende no mysse, but synne ay newe,
                  
                    Hem lakkeþ all þe poyntes of þe crede.
                    Line 116 
                  
                    Serue god for helle drede
                  
                    Lest þy soule falle in chete;
                  
                    And loue god for heuene mede;
                  
                    Wiþ loue and drede wiþ god ȝe trete.
                    Line 120

(16)

                    ¶ Þouȝ þou take ordre or religeoun,
                  
                    Wiþ-oute charite þou seruest no mede. [folio 107b] 
                  
                    Ȝeue drynke to þursty, þat han and mown,
                  
                    Cloþe þe naked, and hungry fede,
                    Line 124 
                  
                    Vysite þe pore and syk þat nede,
                  
                    And giltles presoneres, loos ȝe lete,
                  
                    And burye þe dede, is charite dede;
                  
                    Wiþ þes werkis, wiþ god ȝe trete.
                    Line 128

(17)

                    ¶ Þere þou hast borwed, quyte þy dette,
                  
                    And to þy seruaunt þat reson is.
                  
                    Loke what degre god haþ þe sette;
                  
                    Quyte hym þy dette, þy soule is his,
                    Line 132 
                  
                    And resceyue þy dette, heuene blis;
                  
                    Þere thar þe noþer swynke ne swete;
                  
                    And ordeyne þe wele, and amende þy mys.
                  
                    Þus wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.

                    Line 136

Page 39

136

(18)

                    ¶ Caste þe not to couetys,
                  
                    Ȝe þat ryȝtwys werryours be,
                  
                    But loke where riȝt querel lys;
                  
                    Chastise þe rebell in charite.
                    Line 140 
                  
                    Þere god is frend, his foomen fle;
                  
                    Ȝe thar not counte hem at o pete.
                  
                    God doþ batayle, and not ȝe;
                  
                    fforthy, with god of pes ȝe trete.
                    Line 144

(19)

                    ¶ And ȝe in batayle haue maystrie,
                  
                    And fortune serue, and god ȝow spede,
                  
                    Thank god þe victorie,
                  
                    And holde it not ȝoure owen dede.
                    Line 148 
                  
                    Serue god in loue and drede,
                  
                    And be not proud of ȝoure byȝete.
                  
                    After ȝoure werkis, wayte aftur ȝoure mede,
                  
                    And so wiþ god of pes ȝe trete.
                    Line 152

(20)

                    ¶ Ȝif a clerk haue þurgh hap
                  
                    Cure of soules or bischopriche,
                  
                    He hat not bischop, he hat a byshap;
                  
                    Make oþere after his werkis like.
                    Line 156 
                  
                    To kepe his shep fro helle tike,
                  
                    In folde go, amonge hem blete;
                  
                    Saf and sounde brynge hem y-lyk,
                  
                    Bytwen god and hem to trete.
                    Line 160

(21)

                    ¶ Benefice of holychirche first was graunted,
                  
                    For prestis, holy lyf to lede;
                  
                    Dryue out synne, suffre non be haunted;
                  
                    Here non oþer to do his dede.
                    Line 164 
                  
                    Þe werkman is worþy his mede
                  
                    In felde, in toun, and in strete.
                  
                    Teche vnwys, helpe hem þat nede,
                  
                    Byfore god for hem to trete.

                    Line 168

Page 40

168

(22)

                    ¶ In wordis þey sayn þey wil do wel,
                  
                    Take cure of soules as worthi clerkis,
                  
                    And resceyue þe charge euery del
                  
                    To wasche synful soules serkis.
                    Line 172 
                  
                    Þey preue hemself fooles in werkis;
                  
                    Wiþ holy water nele no parischen wete.
                  
                    Caste away Antecrist merkis,
                  
                    Goþ wiþ god of pes to trete.
                    Line 176

(23)

                    ¶ Now sumwhat y haue ȝow sayd
                  
                    What is salue to ȝoure sore. [[MS. store]] 
                  
                    To sauȝten wiþ god, holde ȝow payed,
                  
                    And arraye ȝow wel þerfore
                    Line 180 
                  
                    To resceyue god, ȝoure soules store,
                  
                    His body in forme of bred o whete,
                  
                    And kepe hym: so ȝe nede no more
                  
                    Eft of pes wiþ hym to trete.
                    Line 184

(24)

                    ¶ Whan þou hast told al þy greuaunce,
                  
                    Þan do as þe prest þe tauȝte;
                  
                    Holde wel þy penaunce;
                  
                    Repentaunce,  [folio 108a] forȝete þat nouȝt.
                    Line 188 
                  
                    Whan ȝe wiþ loue god han lauȝt,
                  
                    Neuere fro ȝow hym ȝe lete.
                  
                    God brynge ȝow to his angels sauȝt,
                  
                    Þere neuere nys nede o pes to trete.
                    Line 192

Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ...

About this Item

Pages

IX. With god of loue & pes, ȝe trete.

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