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

Title

Author

Kail, J., ed.

Publication

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

1904-

Rights/Permissions

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].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Subject terms

English poetry

Link to this Item

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

Cite this Item

"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

V. Wyt & Wille.

[Digby 102, leaf 103, back.] [9 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

                    Man, be war of wikkid counsaile,
                  
                    He wol the lede in wayes slidre;
                  
                    In day of batayle he wol þe faile,
                  
                    And make þi goode men to shidre.
                    Line 4 
                  
                    Riȝt as hay, þey mon widre;
                  
                    As blades of gres, his seed doþ spille.
                  
                    Gostly blynd goþ, and not neuere whidre,
                  
                    Þat leueþ wit, and worchiþ by wille.

                    Line 8

Page 23

(2)

                    ¶ Who so wist, what tresoure
                  
                    He haþ þat worcheþ by wit;
                  
                    Þe fader of heuene is gouernoure,
                  
                    Þe holigost, þe sone wiþ hit.
                    Line 12 
                  
                    In oo godhede alle þre are knyt,
                  
                    Non departe fro oþer nylle;
                  
                    In eche mannys herte, alle þre þey syt,
                  
                    Þat makeþ wit lord aboue his wille.
                    Line 16

(3)

                    ¶ Who so wyste what wille harmes,
                  
                    Þat willefully fro wyt wendes;
                  
                    ffro þe fader of heuene his soule he charmes,
                  
                    ffro grace of þe holygost hym blendes,
                    Line 20 
                  
                    ffro angels pere, soget to fendes,
                  
                    Þat nyl not mende, but ay don ylle.
                  
                    Gostely and bodily hym self he shendes,
                  
                    Þat leueþ wyt, and worcheþ by wille.
                    Line 24

(4)

                    ¶ In kyngdom, what makeþ debate,
                  
                    Riche and pore both anoyȝed?
                  
                    Ȝong counseil, and preuey hate,
                  
                    And syngulere profit ys aspiȝed,
                    Line 28 
                  
                    Hiȝe and lowe men abyȝed;
                  
                    Echon wayte oþer for to kille.
                  
                    Þat kyngdom mot nede be striȝed,
                  
                    That leueþ wit, and worcheþ by wille.
                    Line 32

(5)

                    ¶ That leueþ trouþe, and falshed vse,
                  
                    And [folio 104a]  lyue not after goddis sawe,
                  
                    Suche folk god doþ despuse,
                  
                    Rebell and ryse aȝen his lawe.
                    Line 36 
                  
                    Þo puple that stondes of god non awe,
                  
                    But robbe and reue, coffres to fylle:
                  
                    Þe swerd of vengeaunce on hem is drawe,
                  
                    Þat leueþ wit, and worcheþ by wille.

                    Line 40

Page 24

(6)

                    ¶ That ouer puple han gouernaunce,
                  
                    Loke how goddis lawe ȝe vse;
                  
                    Whom ȝe refuse, and whiche auaunce,
                  
                    ffor goddis loue, or ȝoure owen seruyce,
                    Line 44 
                  
                    Whiche is þe charge ȝow auyse.
                  
                    Let eche man serue his charge in skylle,
                  
                    And ȝoure werkis preue ȝow wyse.
                  
                    Let wit be lord aboue thy wylle.
                    Line 48

(7)

                    ¶ Be not to crowele in þy wele,
                  
                    Þou nost how sone þou myȝt haue lesse.
                  
                    Be not to sykere of þyne hele,
                  
                    Þou not how sone falle in sykenesse.
                    Line 52 
                  
                    Deþ claymeþ eche man for hesse,
                  
                    And sodeyn, deþ no dayes selle.
                  
                    Siþ no man is in sykernesse,
                  
                    Be redy euere at goddis wille.
                    Line 56

(8)

                    ¶ And on þy strengþe be not to bold,
                  
                    Ne skorne no pore, ne feble of elde.
                  
                    ffor lyue longe ȝe mon be old,
                  
                    In feblenes to hoke and helde,
                    Line 60 
                  
                    In cowardys ȝoure corage kelde.
                  
                    But ȝe had help, ȝe shuld spille.
                  
                    Ȝe þat heuene blisse wole welde,
                  
                    Let wit be lord aboue ȝoure wille.
                    Line 64

(9)

                    ¶ God haþ lent ȝow discrecioun
                  
                    Boþe of wele and of woo,
                  
                    Werkis of deuocioun,
                  
                    Vyces, vertues, frend, and foo.
                    Line 68 
                  
                    Siþ ȝe can part hem wel o two,
                  
                    Let vyces on ȝow brynge no bille.
                  
                    Þe weye of grace, and ȝe wol go,
                  
                    Let wyt be lord aboue ȝoure wille.

                    Line 72

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

V. Wyt & Wille.

description Page 23

description Page 24

Page 23

Page 24