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 ...

I. Loue god, and drede.

[A.D. 1400]

[Digby 102, leaf 98.]

[21 stanzas of 8, abab bcbc.]

(1)

Eche man be war, that bereth a state, Of counseil of double entendement, Of tyrauntrye, and preuey hate, And synguler profit by fals assent, Line 4 And ȝong to ȝyue Iugement. In Euenhede, Lawe ȝe lede. Worche be good auisement. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 8

(2)

¶ Drede god, and knowe thy selue, That ouer puple hast gouernaunce. Noght for the loue of ten or twelue, Brynge not a Comone in greuaunce. Line 12 Make vnyte ther was distaunce. Weye o lawe in euenhede, Bytwen ffauour and vengeaunce. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 16

(3)

¶ Eche mannys gouernours Of hous or lordshipe or cite, The puple is godes, and not ȝoures, Thow they be soget to ȝoure degre. Line 20 Gouerne the puple in vnyte, In the comaundements that god bede, And ȝe wole lyue in charite. Knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 24

Line 24

(4)

¶ Eche man wot, that hath wyt, These worldes goodes beth not his. Alle is godes; he oweth hit, And land and see, and pyne and blis. Line 28 God wole haue rekenyng, ywys, Of men and cloth, the leste shrede, Thy getyng, thy holding, thy spendyng mys. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 32

(5)

¶ Man of his owen hath no thyng; Man is goddis, and al god sent. God wole haue rekenyng Of ryht and wrong, how it is went. Line 36 Man, not nys thyn, alle god lent, And borwed thyng mot home ful nede; And ȝut thy soule is goddis rent: Quyte that wele in loue and drede. Line 40

(6)

¶ Serue god for helle drede, ffle fro synne and al vys. And ȝe loue god for heuen mede, Ȝyue hym thyn hert fro fleschly delys. Line 44 ffor worldly wys is gostly nys, And fooles erande may not spede. In begynnyng to be wys Knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 48

(7)

¶ And ȝe wole wyte, thus mowe ȝe lere: What man pursueth his soule to saue, Ȝif hym be lef of god to here, He ableth hym self mercy to haue. Line 52 Richesse [folio 98b] and hele maketh wylde men raue, That to vertues take non hede. Er thy soule be fendes knaue, Knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 56

Line 56

(8)

¶ That man that wole be gouerned by wyt, ffle fro foly, and worldis delys; Loke his charge how it is knyt, And take counseil that is wys; Line 60 ffolwe mesure in euene syse; Lete no falshed blome ne sede. And lawe be kept, no folk nyl ryse. Than seruest god in loue and drede. Line 64

(9)

¶ Whanne a fool stereth a barge, Hym self and al the folke is shent. There as conscience is large, By wrath or mede the doom is went. Line 68 The bowe of goddis wrath is bent On hem that deth not that god bede. War wordes of dowble entendement, Knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 72

(10)

¶ Gif a kyngdom falle a chaunce That al the rewme myght greue, Aȝen that make an ordinaunce, To kepe ȝow euere fro suche myscheue; Line 76 And chastise hem that matere meue: Make othere take ensaumple treuth to hede. Who so is wys, his werkys preue. Loue god, and ȝe thar not drede. Line 80

(11)

¶ Goddis bowe of wratthe on vs was bent; There we thenke al to lyte. His ȝerde of loue on summe is lent, With swerd of vengeaunce he summe doth smyte. Line 84 The brydell with teeth thay byte That of god taken non hede. Or fendys alle ȝoure werkys wryte, Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 88

Line 88

(12)

¶ Why pore men don riche reuerence, Two skylles y fynde therfore: To tyrauntes don hem greuaunce, To rewe and aȝen restore. Line 92 Goode men for loue they worshipe more, That don hem good, and help at nede; ffor god seeth thurgh euery bore. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 96

(13)

¶ Eche man wot, that bereth estate, Why they hit resceyue, and to what wyse. Worship for drede is preue hate; Suche worship of frendes men schold refuyse. Line 100 In loue and drede worshipe the wyse. Be suget to resoun in lengthe [folio 99a] and brede, ffor god seeth thurgh eche mysse. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 104

(14)

¶ As long as man doth wrong, He maketh god his ful foo; The more he dwelleth theryn long, To his soule he encreseth woo. Line 108 Er he fele het, y rede say hoo, Er his soule glowe as glede. Haue heuene, or helle: chese of two. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 112

(15)

¶ The man withoute charitee May neuere wynne heuen blisse. As thou wolde men dede for the, Do thou so liche eche man haue hisse; Line 116 ffor all that euere is goten mysse, Mot be rekened, a drope ȝe shede. Thes worldis good and thou mon kysse. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 120

Line 120

(16)

¶ ffalse men bye helle ful dere. That taken with wrong, are goddis theues; They han here heuene in this world here; After in helle, huge myscheues. Line 124 What they byleue, here werkys preues Arn heretikes, and out of the Crede. Why god doth loue, why god doth greues, Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 128

(17)

¶ Man, synne not in ouerhope; Thou wynnest not goddis mercie with fight; Hit wolde brynge the in wanhope, To wene no mercy thou hauen myght. Line 132 Alle thyng is nombred in goddis sight, The leste tryp that euere ȝe trede. His mercy is medled with his right. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 136

(18)

¶ Mannes conscience wil hym telle, Riche and pore, fool and wyse, Whether he be worthi heuene or helle To resceyue, after his seruyce. Line 140 Eche man auyse hym, that is wys, Pore, and prynce styf on stede, Or vyces ouer vertues rys. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 144

(19)

¶ Who that takeþ fro pore to eke with his, ffor that wrong is worthy wo; A-nother, richer than he is, Of the same shal serue hym so. Line 148 That ȝeueth to that liȝe or go, Mete or drynke, herborwe or wede, God sendes y-now to tho That louen god, and hym wolen drede. Line 152

Line 152

(20)

¶ He is a fool, that doth answere To a man er tale be told; But after the dede deme there; Lete not lawe be fauoured ne sold. Line 156 Suche maken fals men be bold, [folio 99b] And false men myghte stroye a thede. Er charitee in hert wexe cold, Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 160

(21)

¶ Ȝif a man do a-nother mys, Neighbores shuld hem auyse, The trespasour amende and kys, Do bothe parties euene assise. Line 164 Old horded hate maketh wratthe to rise, And ofte gilteles blod to blede. ffle fro fooles, and folwe wise. Man, knowe thy self, loue god, and drede. Line 168