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 ...

XIII. Dede is worchyng.

[A.D. 1414. In 2 Parts.] [Digby 102, leaf 111, back.] [21 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(Part I. 1)

Whanne alle a kyngdom gadrid ysse In goddis lawe, by on assent, For to amende þat was mysse, Þerfore is ordayned a parlement. [folio 112a] Line 4 Trouþe wiþ glad chere þeder went, And falsed stondis ay in drede For ferd of ryȝtwis iugement, ffor to be demed after his dede. Line 8

(2)

¶ In doom of parlement ofte is fauour, Þat afterward it harmeþ grete; Make oþere bold take þerof sauour To mayntene falsed for beȝete. Line 12

Line 12 Slouþe vn-tyme eft mon swete When it is hot, and gloweþ as glede. Stonde wiþ trouþe, and smyte an hete, Þat god þonke ȝow for ȝoure dede. Line 16

(3)

¶ Lawe ȝeueþ kyng lyf and leme; To hasty slauȝt, and sodeyn fed, Lawe ȝeueþ no grace to heme; Morþere, ne treson, ne forcast ded, Line 20 To ȝeue þere mercy, god forbed; Þat fauour myȝt destroye a þede. God in his lawe ȝaf moyses red, Wiþ-oute he dampneþ þe dede. Line 24

(4)

¶ In alle kyngdomes, here lawe is wryten; For mede ne drede, þey chaunge it nouȝt. In Engeland, as all men wyten, Lawe, as best, is solde and bouȝt. Line 28 Eche ȝeer newe lawe is wrouȝt, And cloþe falsed in trouþe wede. Fern ȝer was lawe; now nes it nouȝt. We ben newe fangyl, vnstable in dede. Line 32

(5)

¶ To stonde wiþ comons in here ryȝt, Is hyȝest poynt of charite. To quyte þat dede, no man myȝt, Saue onely god in trynyte. Line 36 Þouȝ þe comons vnkonnyng be, God ȝeueþ ȝow neuere þe lasse mede. Þat mede askeþ so heyȝ degre, Nes non bot god may quyte þat dede. Line 40

(6)

¶ Ȝet o wysdom mot ȝe lere, Most profyt, and heyest honour; Ȝoure tenauntes playntes ȝe mot here, ffor þey kepen all ȝoure tresour. Line 44

Line 44 Ȝe are holden to ben here socour. Non wiþ wrong oþer mysbede: For-þy god made ȝow gouernour, In goddis ryȝt to deme þe dede. Line 48

(7)

¶ Lordis þat han castels and toures, Alle folk stonden of ȝow awe. Þe puple is goddis, and noȝt ȝoures. Þey paye ȝoure rente, to gouerne lawe. Line 52 Let no man here ryȝt wiþdrawe, Body ne catell hem mysbede. Who doþ so, god sayþ in sawe, He shal haue heuene for þat dede. Line 56

(8)

¶ Þe lord þat wole haue good loos, Stonde fast in trouþe, waxe not faynt. Let trouþe gon out of cloos, Þat alle folk may here his playnt. Line 60 Let treson be shamely ataynt, Graunte hem no mercy, ne take no mede; For mede wiþ poyson sotyly is maynt; Mercy myȝt cherische hem in here dede. Line 64

(9)

¶ Ȝif a man wolde þe ouertylt, Caste þy deþ for to kille, Let not a-noþer byȝe his gylt, Þat [folio 112b] neuere in dede dede þe ylle. Line 68 Dampne no man for non euyl wille To do þe gylteles blod to blede. Sette ȝoure domes in euene skille; In drede of god, ȝe deme ȝoure dede. Line 72

(10)

¶ Who skorneþ hem þat telleþ hem wit, Is rebell to god, þat repreueþ reson; Þat loueþ hym most, þat hateþ hit, Aȝenst goddis counseill cast a-cheson; Line 76

Line 76 To worschipe hym þere wit is geson; For fawte of grace, vertue ben gyde. To chastyse fooles is ay in seson, To worschip or shame, after þe dede. Line 80

(11)

¶ Syngulerte is sotyle þefte. Þey calle hit custom, trouþe to blende. Whan trouþe wole reherce þat efte, Þan god wil vengeance wiþ trouþe sende, Line 84 Shamely falsed to shende, Drede and stryf among hem shede. To preue who is goddis frend, Comons be witnesse of here dede. Line 88

(12)

¶ Putte fro court, þat chericheþ vys, Þat place of vertues wolde shende. Nedeles delys, and nedeles gys, Þe wastours out of worschip spende. Line 92 Wiþ wit and vysement all amende. Lete werk be witnes ȝe can ȝoure Crede. Wiþ corage and hardynes ȝoure reme defende, In goddis querell ȝe do ȝoure dede. Line 96

(13)

¶ A trewe man reccheþ neuere a dell Þouȝ all þe world his werkis aspyȝed; And falsed, for he doþ not well, He wolde trouþes tonge were tyȝed, Line 100 For he shulde not telle who hym nyȝed. Þerfore þe fals þe false fede, Til trouþe in preson be faste alyȝede, And dampne trouþe for falsed dede. Line 104

(Part II. 14)

¶ Whanne ȝe han made pes wiþ-ynne, All ȝoure reme in vnyte, Vttere-more ȝe mot bygynne; Strengþe ȝoure marche, and kepe þe see. Line 108

Line 108 Ofte haue ȝe made ȝoure fomen fle, Here hatest blod o brod to sprede. God doþ batayle, and not ȝe; Þouȝ ȝe fauȝt, god doþ þe dede. Line 112

(Part II. 15)

¶ To ffraunce, kyng Edward had queryle, Hit was his kynde heritage; And ȝe han þe same style, Wiþ armes of þe selue parage; Line 116 And ȝit ȝoure querell dede neuere aswage; Þat god haþ shewed in ȝoure manhede: On see, on land, in eche vyage, In dent of swerd, god demed ȝoure dede. Line 120

(Part II. 16)

¶ Stuffe ȝoure castels in eche coost, Warnestor and folk þeder sende; So mow ȝe abate ȝoure enemys bost, But not in trete, in wast to spende. Line 124 Wheþer ȝe assayle or defende, On see or land, god ȝow spede! Wiþ word of wynd, mad neuere [folio 113a] werre ende, But dent of swerd endid þe dede. Line 128

(Part II. 17)

¶ And ȝe þenke werre to holde, Do after hem [þat] is most wys. Corage of ȝong, and wit of olde, Can telle where þe vauntage lys, Line 132 In dede of armes wonnen prys. Whan gloser and flaterer on tapetis trede, For wynnyng þey counseled to cowardys. Man wan neuere worschip by here dede. Line 136

(Part II. 18)

¶ Als ofte as ȝe trete, Ȝoure enemys, ordynaunce þey diȝt. While ȝe trete, ay þey gete. Ȝe trete ȝoure self out of ȝoure riȝt; Line 140 Þere lakkeþ conscience of knyȝt. Lete falsed growe tyl he sede.

Ordre of knyȝt was mad to fyȝt, [nota Milicia &c.] In goddis riȝt, to ende þe dede. Line 144

(Part II. 19)

¶ Ordre of knyȝt hardest is On see, on lond, on sholde, and depe; He passeþ relegous ywis, Þouȝ þey preye and faste wepe. Line 148 Ofte wiþ ful wombe relegous slepe, Whan knyȝtes han hunger, and moche in drede. Þe beter in clene lyf þey auȝt hem kepe, As goddis knyȝt to don here dede. Line 152

(Part II. 20)

¶ On of two, ȝe mot chese: On lond or see or shippes bord, Wiþ fiȝt ȝe wynne, wiþ trete ȝe lese. Ȝoure enemys han þat eure in hord, Line 156 Þat þey wynne wiþ word Ȝoure townes and castels in lengþe and brede; And þat ȝe wynne, ȝe wynne wiþ sword. Þerfore wiþ swerd do ȝoure dede. Line 160

(Part II. 21)

¶ God ȝeue ȝow grace þis reme to ȝeme, To cherische þe goode, and chastyse þe nys. And also serue god to queme, Þat ȝoure werkis preue ȝow wys. Line 164 And in ȝow þe helpe it lys, Þe puple in goddis lawe to hede. Do so now, ȝe wynne ȝow prys And heuene blisse for ȝoure dede. Amen! [Amen is struck through in red ink; but whether it is meant to be erased or not, is doubtful.] Line 168