An English friend of Charles of Orléans / [Henry Noble MacCracken].

E. POEMS IN SUFFOLK'S MANNER

I Balade coulourd and Reuersid

(MS. Arundel 26, fol. 32 v.)

Honour and beaute, vertue and gentilnesse, Noblesse and bounte of grete valure, ffygure playsant with coulour and fresshenesse, Witnesse prudent, with connyng and norture, Humblesse with contynuance demure, Plente of this have ye, lo, souuerayn, Expresse soo youe fourmyd hath nature, Pyte savyng, ye want no thyng certayne.

Creature noon hath more goodlynesse Goodenesse grete, so wred yow hath vre; ffeture and shap of faire lucresse, Mekenesse of Tesbe, as voide of all rigure, ffrendelynesse of mede, port of geynure, Pennolope of hestis, true and playne, Alcesse of Bounte lo, thus ar ye sure, Pite savyng ye want no thyng certayn.

Endure me doth, lo, payne and hevynesse, Distresse and thought with trouble and Langour, Vusure stondyng of socour and Relesse; Maistres and lady, trustyng you of cure, Witnesse of God, I gre myn aduenture, Parde is falle me what joy or payne. Gladnesse or woo, thus I you ensure, Pytte savyng ye want no thyng certeyn.

[Lenvoye].

Prynce[sse] I you beseche this rude meture Ye not disdayne, beholde with eyen [MS. theym.] tweyn,

Witnesse though [MS. thowe.] I doo in this scripture, Pite Savyng ye want no thyng certeyne. [Note initial and internal ryme in this poem.]

II Ballade from MS. Cam. Univ. Lib. Ff. 1. 6, fol. 178, probably by the same author.

A mercy, fortune, haue pitee on me, And thynke that þou hast done gretely amysse, To parte asondre them whiche ought to be Alway in on, why hast þou doo thus? Haue I offendyd the, I? nay, ywysse; [ 5] Then torne thy whele, and be my frende agayn, And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.

And thynke, what sorowe is the departyng Of ij trewe hertes louyng feithfully, ffor partyng is the most soroughfull thynge, [ 10] To myn entent, that euer yet knewe I; Therfore I pray to the, Right hertely, To turne thy whele & be my frende agayn, And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.

ffor tyll we mete, I dare wel say for trouth [ 15] That I shall neuer be in ease of herte, Wherfor I pray you to haue of me summe Routh And release me of all my paynes smerte. Nowe sith þou woste hit is nat my deserte, Then torne thy whele And be my frynde agayn, And sende me Ioy where I am nowe in payn.

HENRY NOBLE MACCRACKEN.