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 ...

IV. Lerne say wele, say litel, or say noȝt.

[Digby 102, leaf 101, back.]

[31 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

As þe see doþ ebbe and flowe, So fareþ þe world hyder and þedere. Aȝen þe wynd they sayle and rowe To gadre worldys gooddis to-gedere. Line 4

Line 4 At þe last it goþ, y wot not whyder, As ende of web out of slay. And hem-self stoden so slydere, How it is wiþ hym, y kan not say. Line 8

(2)

¶ Sum man dar not be þef for drede; His trouþe is vice, and no vertue. In heuene he nys not worþi mede, Þat cloþes trouþe in falsed hewe. Line 12 Maugre his teeþ he is trewe; Stoken in presoun as best fro stray, Here wikked wille groweþ newe; Þey thenke more þan þey say. Line 16

(3)

¶ Men may not staunche a comoun noys, Noþer for loue ne for awe. After men lyue is comoun voys, In wrongwys dede, or ryȝt lawe. Line 20 Who doþ hem pyne, who doþ hem pawe, Eche on telle oþer, child and may. Tho that to vertues drawe, Hem thar not recche what [men] say. Line 24

(4)

¶ Tak fro þi foo, and ȝeue þi frende; Tak not fro thy frend, to ȝeue þi foo: Þy frend wole holde þe vnhende; Þow haddest on enemy, þan hast þou [MS. þ^u. As the MS. has "thou," 4/116, 8/46, above, I print þ^u 'þou.' In my first-edited text of some Saints' Lives (Philolog. Soc. 1862) I printed i^c as the Northern 'ic' instead of the Southern 'ich' as I ought to have done. Dr. R. Morris told me of the mistake.—F. J. F.] two. Line 28 Man, be war er þou do so; To greue the he wol assay; [folio 102a] When þyn enemys wexen mo, Litil worchipe of þe say. Line 32

(5)

¶ Oo prouerbe loke ȝe preue, Ȝe þat wole to resoun bende: Look what neyȝebore most may greue; By al way make hym þi frende. Line 36

Line 36 Þan wole þyn enemys fro þe wende, Here owen þouȝt wol hem afflay. Be out of daunger of the fende, And recche neuere what men say. Line 40

(6)

¶ To synge or preche generale, Werkys of vices for to blame, Summe tak to hem speciale, And say, "felow, þou dost vs blame." Line 44 Þere he accuseþ his owen name; All þat hym se, knowe it may, He can not hele his owen shame; And so, all folk wole say. Line 48

(7)

¶ Ȝif men speke of goddis wille, To preyse werkys of vertue, A good man wole holde hym stille, And lete as he hem neuere knewe, Line 52 And noþer chaunge hyde ne hewe; ffor vaynglory wolde hem betray. Who is fals, and who is trewe, After þey lyue, all folk wole say. Line 56

(8)

¶ Thouȝ a man holynes preche, He sheteþ noȝt, but bent his bowe; But he lyue as he teche, He nys not trusty for to trowe; Line 60 ffor suche seed he doþ sowe In stones, in thornes, and in clay, The same he schal repe and mowe; So he is worthy, folk wole say. Line 64

(9)

¶ A lord of hym-self haþ no wyt, He knoweþ wele, but no wo; Of pore men he mot haue hit, Knowelechyng of frend and fo. Line 68

Line 68 He is wys, that can do so, And wel twynnen hem o tway. In sykernes may he go, And recche neuere what men say. Line 72

(10)

¶ Gloseres maken mony lesynges— Al to sone men hem leue [MS. leues] — Boþe to lordys and to kynges, Þat boþe partye ofte greue. [MS. greues] Line 76 Wolde lordis seche repreue, Glosers shuld not go so gay, Ne not so hardy for to meue Suche wordes as they say. Line 80

(11)

¶ Thouȝ prestes prechyng hem avyse, Or mynstrallis synge in song now, A glosere wole a lord askuse: Sire, þey synge or preche of gow. Line 84 Þe lord vnderstondes not how Þe fals[e] glosere hym bitray; Wolde he make þo wordis avowe, He wolde auyse hym eft to say. Line 88

(12)

¶ Many can stomble at a stre; Þey nyl not snapere at a style, And graunte purpos nay and ȝee, Þouȝ his þouȝt be þens a myle. Line 92 Whan falsed lawheþ, he forgeþ gyle; Half in malice is his play. Wiþ wysdom who so voydeþ that wyle, He is [folio 102b] wys, all folk wole say. Line 96

(13)

¶ Thouȝ men in erþe trouþe hyde, On halle roof he wole be sayn. In botme of see he nyl not byde, But shewe in market, on the playn. Line 100

Line 100 And þouȝ trouþe a while be slayn, And doluen depe vnder clay, Ȝut he wole ryse to lyue agayn, And al the sothe he wole say. Line 104

(14)

¶ Many callen conscience fleschly willis, And nelen non oþere counseil craue. But soule of reson is gostly skillis, Þat conscience shal hem deme, or saue. Line 108 ffleschely wille is fendes knaue, Out of reson, out of stray. As they disserue, þey shal haue, ffor so doþ þe gospel say. Line 112

(15)

¶ ffalshed wolde trouþes tunge teyȝe ffor trewe wordis þat he haþ spoken; God biddeþ vengeaunce hiȝe, And helpe trouþe be wel wroken. Line 116 ffor trouþe lippes ar faste stoken, And false mede haþ þe kay. Whan vengeaunce haþ look broken, Þan trouþe shal al þe soþ say. Line 120

(16)

¶ Sumtyme men halwed the holyday; Now holiday is turned to glotonye. Sumtyme men vsed honest play; And now it is turned to vilonye; Line 124 And paramour is turned to lecherye,— Sumtyme was loue of good fay,— And shameles haunted so comounly, Vnneþe þey recche what men say. Line 128

(17)

¶ Summe men sowe here seed in skornes, Ofte on oþere mennys londes; Summe on stones, summe on thornes, Summe on hiȝe way, summe on sondes. Line 132

Line 132 He þat wel vnderstondes, Amende while he mende may, Make hym clene, and wasche his hondes, And recche neuere what men say. Line 136

(18)

¶ Thouȝ holy chirche shulde fawtes mende, Summe put hem of for mede; And summe wiþ maystriȝe hem defende, That holy chirche stant of hem drede. Line 140 Þo þat recchelesly sowe here sede, Here lond of vertues ligge ful lay. Þe holy chirche þe corn shuld wede; ffor cowardis, þey dar not say. Line 144

(19)

¶ Gloseres that wiþ lordis bene, Þey thryue faste þouȝ þey come late, ffor þey wole a lord to wene Þat he is byloued ther men hym hate, Line 148 And wiþ his frendis make debate, Of pore puple pyke here pray. Of all degre, of eche astate, After þey lyue, all folk wole say. Line 152

(20)

¶ ffro goddis syȝt, who may stele Word or werk, þe lest þouȝt? Þe comoun voys nyl not hele, But loue, or hate, as werk is wrouȝt; [folio 103a] Line 156 ffor soþnes neuere hernes souȝt. Who secheþ wel, he may assay. The good[e] lyuere neuere rouȝt Of his werkis what men say. Line 160

(21)

¶ Of all degre, of eche astate, After desert þe name haþ prys. Þat lord his owen worship doþ hate, Þat ȝeueþ anoþer his offys— Line 164

Line 164 ffor in astate grace lys— And wilfully wast it a-way. Who is fool, who is wys, After þey lyue, alle folk wole say. Line 168

(22)

¶ A glosere is gredy ay to craue. Ȝeue hym no thyng, þouȝ he bede. A lord þat wole his worschip saue, Lerne not at a glosere to don his dede. Line 172 Ȝeue to vertuous men þat haue nede, Þat to god wole for þe pray: Þe pore mannys erande, god doþ spede. God wil not here what glosere wole say. Line 176

(23)

¶ Alle þe þouȝtes ben but wast [Nota.] Wiþoute contemplacioun. ffro heritage of heuene is born o hast Shrifte wiþoute contricioun. Line 180 And werkys wiþoute discrecioun, Þat ȝifte pleseþ not god to pay, Ne preyer wiþoute deuocioun: God nyl not here what þey say. Line 184

(24)

¶ Sum-tyme, and a worschip felle To a lord, in batayle, by goddis grace, Ȝif a glosere wolde telle Among folk, byfore his face, Line 188 Þe lord wolde bidde hym voyde þe place. Þou corayest ffauel, and stelest his hay. Of alle degre, of eche astate, After þey lyue, alle folk wole say. Line 192

(25)

¶ A cheuenteyn may fyȝte o day, Þe victorye wiþ hym stande; ffor synne god mon tak it away, And put his swerd in enemys hande. Line 196

Line 196 Vertues make free, vices make bonde. To-day is quyk, to-morwe is fay. Þat knew hym-self, he wolde wonde Any good of him self wolde say. Line 200

(26)

¶ What a glosere here or see, Þouȝ it shulde to shame falle, He knoweþ in chambre preuytee, Telleþ his felow in þe halle; Line 204 And felow to felow, tyl þey knowe alle, ffro toun to toun, in all contray. The glosere þe comoun voyce hit calle, ffor non shulde knowe who first dede say. Line 208

(27)

¶ A good man doþ a lord gret ese, Þat is a trewe officere, Þat wel can serue a lord to plese, Passe not þe boundes of his powere. Line 212 In preuyte vnwetand he may come nere. Be handles, and stele no þyng away; Be blynd of eyȝe, and deef of here; Be dombe of mouth, and no þyng say. Line 216

(28)

¶ I wolde suche a statute were, And þer-vpon set a payne, What soget [folio 103b] wolde make his souereyn swere Þat he tolde in counseil layne. Line 220 Oft glosere makeþ lordis fayne, Passe þe boundes of here play. Al þat trouþe haþ herd and sayne, All tymes nys not soþ to say. Line 224

(29)

¶ When al þe world is þurgh souȝt, In his best tyme is worst to trest. Þis world is a fayre nouȝt, A fals lemman, þat chaunge lest; Line 228

Line 228 His last ende is had-y-wist, When deþ haþ þy lyues kay. "Litel while he mon be myst," So þe executours wol say. Line 232

(30)

¶ They rekene his richesse what it amountes, Ete and drynke, synge 'hay ȝol hayl,' Þe while þe fendis his synnes countes, And bryng to hym þe countertayl; Line 236 Wiþ hard paynes hym assaile. Wiþ berkande fendis brouȝt to bay, What helpeþ his riches or wys counsaile? Hym self his owen tale shal say. Line 240

(31)

¶ God made oo lawe for eche astate, Riche and pore in al degre: Do no wrong ne [no] debate, But as þou wolde men dede by þe. Line 244 ffor god hym self, þis wrot he, Betok to Moyses in his lay. Be goddis childre in charyte, As god doþ in the gospell say. Line 248