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 ...

VI. To lyf [read 'lyue,' vb.] bodyly, is perylous.

[Digby 102, leaf 104.] [9 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

Lerne bodyly to lyue. Þy seruaunt, non hyre þou pay. Pore ne riche, no ȝiftes ȝeue, But take and gedre al þat þou may; Line 4 Þouȝ it come wiþ wrong, say not nay, But falsely loke þou swere and liȝe. Þe pore man is the riches pray. Lerne þus to lyue bodilye. Line 8

(2)

¶ There market beteres gadere in þrong, Loke þat company þou lede. Stalworþly mayntene wrong; So may þou wynne moche mede. Line 12 To reue fro pore take non hede. Do as þou þouȝt neuere to dye. Say noþer pater noster ne crede. Lyue þou in ese bodyly. Line 16

(3)

¶ Rechelesly þe gouerne, Day and nyȝt; walke late At cokes hostry and tauerne. Þouȝ þat no man oþere hate, Line 20 Go not er þou make debate. To lewed, lettred, and clergye, Do no reuerence to non astate: Þan men wole drede þe bodylye. Line 24

(4)

¶ Thé þat þe good wolde teche, Rebuke hem, and foule despise; Byd hem go to þe chirche and preche. ffolwe [folio 104b] fooles, and fle fro wyse. Line 28

Line 28 Ȝeue no doom in riȝt assyse. ffle fro trouþe and þou hym spye. Loke þou be proudest in alle gyse: Þan men wole preyse þe bodylye. Line 32

(5)

¶ Loke þou haue sorwe sad Whan þou seest folk haue welfare; Loke þou be mery and glad Whan þou wost folk haue sorwe and care. Line 36 ffede non hungry, ne cloþe no bare; Lete herberweles þerout ly; Visite no syke, and prisoners spare. Loue þy seluen þus bodyly. Line 40

(6)

¶ Ȝif þy man be a good seruaunt Þat þe were loþ to for-go, Stele þyn owen good fro his hand, Bere on hym he stal it so. Line 44 Bryng hym in presoun tho, Longe there for to lye, Til he be fayn, for sorwe and wo, To swere to serue þe bodylye. Line 48

(7)

¶ And ȝif þou haue a damysele Þat serueþ þe wel, of trewe lynage, ffonde to make here wombe to swelle, Make no fors of no maryage. Line 52 And ȝif she grucche wiþ þe to rage, And alway fro the wole wrye, Bete here, and ȝeue here non oþer wage, And lyue in lustes bodylye. Line 56

(8)

¶ Thus make þe byknowe. After þy dede, resceyue thy name. So shal þyn horn oft[e] blowe, And hunte after his owen shame. Line 60

Line 60 Ȝe, þouȝ þou be of feble fame, Bere good visage, þy nouȝt aspye, Make þerof but iape and game In fleschly lustis bodylye. Line 64

(9)

¶ At masse, at matyns, rule ȝow so: Leue dewe deuocioun ȝow byhynde. Speke no good of frend ne foo, Lete non skorneles fro ȝow wende; Line 68 Loke no man be thy frende; Lete no man thryue, but do hem nye; Kepe hem pore, and to þe bende: Þen wole þey drede þe bodylye. Line 72