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 ...

III. Treuth, reste, and pes.

[Early in 1401]

[Digby 102, leaf 100.]

[21 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

FOr drede ofte my lippes y steke, ffor false reportours, that trouhte mys-famed. Ȝut Charitee chargeth me to speke. Þouȝ trouþe be dred, he nys not ashamed. Line 4 Trouþe secheþ non hernes ther los is lamed; Trouþe is worschiped at euery des. In that kyngdom ther trouþe is blamed, God sendes vengeaunce to make trouþe haue pes. Line 8

(2)

¶ Trouþe is messager to ryȝt, And ryȝt is counseille to Iustice; Iustice in goddis stede is dyȝt. Do euene lawe [folio 100b] to fooll and wyse. Line 12 Set mesure in euene assise, The riȝte weye as lawe ges. And lawe be kept, folk nyl not ryse. That kyngdom shal haue reste and pes. Line 16

Line 16

(3)

¶ Ȝif suche a tale-tellere were, To a kyng apayre a mannys name, The kyng shulde boþe partyes here, And punysche þe fals for defame. Line 20 Þan fals men wolde ases for blame; ffor falshed, body and soule it sles. ffalshed endes ay in shame; And trouþe, in worschipe and in pes. Line 24

(4)

¶ Whanne lawe is put fro riȝt assise, And domes man made by mede, ffor fawte of lawe ȝif comouns rise, Þan is a kyngdom most in drede. Line 28 ffor whanne vengeaunce a comouns lede, Þei do gret harm er þey asses. There no man oþer doþ mysbede, That kyngdom shal haue reste and pes. Line 32

(5)

¶ Whan craft riseþ aȝens craft, In burgh, toun, or citee, Þey go to lordes whan lawe is laft, Whoche party may strengere be. Line 36 But wyse men þe sonere se By witles wille þey gedre pres, Or lordis medle in foly degre, Let lawe haue cours in reste and pes. Line 40

(6)

¶ Ȝit þere is þe þridde distaunce Bryngeþ a kyngdom in moche noyȝe: Ofte chaunge of gouernaunce Of all degre, lowe and hyȝe. Line 44 A kyng may not al aspie. Summe telle hym soþ, summe telle hym les. Þe whete fro þe chaf ȝe tryȝe, So mowe ȝe leue in reste and pes. Line 48

Line 48

(7)

¶ I speke not in specyale Of oo kyngdom the lawe to telle; I speke hool in generale In eche kyngdom the lawe to telle. Line 52 Also is writen in þe gospelle A word þat god hym-seluen ches: Raþere þan fiȝte, a man go selle On of his cloþes, and biȝe hym pes. Line 56

(8)

¶ A worþi knyȝt wol worchip wynne; He wil not ȝelde hym þouȝ me þret, But raþere as Malice doþ begynne, Quenche hit at þe firste het. Line 60 ffor, and ȝe lete it growe gret, Hit brenneþ breme as fyre in gres. Laweles nouellerye loke ȝe lete, So mowe ȝe lyue in reste and pes. Line 64

(9)

¶ Old speche is spoken ȝore: What is a kyngdom tresory? Bestayle, corn stuffed in store, Riche comouns, and wyse clergy; Line 68 Marchaundes, squyers, chiualry That wol be redy at a res, And cheualrous kyng in wittes hyȝe, To lede in were, and gouerne in pes. Line 72

(10)

¶ Among philosofres wyse, In here bokes, men writen fynde Þat synne is cause of cowardyse; [folio 101a] Wel lyuyng man, hardy of kynde; Line 76 Wikked lyuere, graceles blynde; He dredeþ deþ, þe laste mes. Þe good lyuere haþ god in mynde; Þat mannys counseil makeþ pes. Line 80

Line 80

(11)

¶ What kyng that wol haue good name, He wol be lad by wys counsayle Þat loue worschip, and dreden shame, And boldely dar fende and assayle. Line 84 Þere wit is, corage may not fayle, ffor wysdom neuere worschip les. Corage in querell doþ batayle, And ende of batayle bygynneþ pes. Line 88

(12)

¶ Defaute of wit makeþ long counsayle; ffor witteles wordes in ydel spoken, Þe more cost, þe lesse auayle; ffor fawte of wyt, purpos broken. Line 92 In euyl soule no grace is stoken, ffor wikked soule is graceles. [[nota]] In good lyuere goddis wille is loken, Þat mannys counsell makeþ pes. Line 96

(13)

¶ To wete ȝif parlement be wys, Þe comoun profit wel it preues. A kyngdom in comouns lys, Alle profytes, and alle myscheues. Line 100 Lordis wet neuere what comouns greues Til here rentis bigynne to ses. Þere lordis ere, pore comons releues, And mayntene hem in werre and pes. Line 104

(14)

¶ Make god ȝoure ful frend; Do þe comaundement þat he bede. Þouȝ all þe world aȝen ȝow wend, Be god ȝoure frend, ȝe thar not drede: Line 108 ffor þere as god his frendis lede, He saueþ hem boþe on lond and sees. Who so fiȝteþ, god doþ þe dede, ffor god is victorie and pes. Line 112

Line 112

(15)

¶ What kyngdom werreþ hym-self wiþ-ynne, Distroyeþ hym-self, and no mo. Wiþ-oute here enemys bygynne On eche a syde assayle hem so. Line 116 Þe comouns, þey wil robbe and slo, Make fyere, and kyndel stres. Whan ryches and manhode is wastede and go, Þan drede dryueþ to trete pes. Line 120

(16)

¶ The world is like a fals lemman, ffayre semblaunt, and moche gyle. Wiþouten heire dyeþ no man: God is chief lord of toun and pyle. Line 124 God makeþ mony heire in a whyle, ffor god ressayueþ eche reles; God kan breke hegge and style, And make an hey wey to pes. Line 128

(17)

¶ God made lordis gouernoures To gouerne puple in vnyte. Þe puple, ne ryches, nys not ȝoures: Al is goddis, and so be ȝe. Line 132 Eche day ȝe may ȝoure myrrour se. Eche man after oþer deses; Ȝoure auncetres arn gon, after shal ȝe, To endeles werre, or endeless pes. Line 136

(18)

¶ Eche kyng is sworn to gouernaunce To gouerne goddis puple in riȝt. Eche kyng bereþ swerd [folio 101b] of goddis vengeaunce To felle goddis foon in fiȝt. Line 140 And so doþ euerons honest knyȝt That bereþ þe ordre as it wes; The plough, þe chirche, to mayntene ryȝt, Are goddis champyons, to kepe þe pes. Line 144

Line 144

(19)

¶ The world is like a chery fayre, Ofte chaungeþ all his þynges. Riche, pore, foul, and fayre, Popes, prelates and lordynges, Line 148 Alle are dedly, and so ben kynges; Or deþ lede ȝow in his les, Arraye by tyme ȝoure rekenynges, And trete wiþ god to gete ȝow pes. Line 152

(20)

¶ What bryngeþ a kyngdom al aboue? Wys counseil, and good gouernaunce; Eche lord wil other loue, And rule wel labourrers sustynaunce. Line 156 God makeþ for his frendis no destaunce, ffor god kan skatre þe grete pres. God for his frendis maþ ordynaunce, And gouerneþ hem in werre and pes. Line 160

(21)

¶ Good lyf is cause of good name; Good name is worthi to haue reueraunce. . . . . . Synne is cause of greuaunce. Line 164 Eche kyngdom hongeþ in goddis balaunce; Wiþ hym þat holdeþ, wiþ hym þat fles. Ȝe haue fre wille; chese ȝoure chaunce, To haue wiþ god, werre or pes. Line 168