Lament of a prisoner against fortune / [ed. Eleanor Prescott Hammond].

MS. Brit. Mus. Harley 7333, fol. 30 b.

Here next folowith a litell Tretys by wey of compleint ageins ffortune

1.

Fortune alas . alas what haue I gylt [The playntif] In prison thus to lye here desolate Art thou the better to haue [me] thus yspylt. [Line 3. Harley has not the bracketed word; the other two MSS. read thus to have me spilt.] Nay nay god wote . but for þou wilt debate With euery wight . eiþer erly or late [ 5] [Line 5 is omitted by the other two MSS.] And art chaungeable eke as is the mone ffrom wele to woo thou bringest a man ful sone.

2.

ffor like a whele that turnyth ay aboute Now vp now doun . now est west north & south [Line 9. The word west is omitted by the other two MSS.] So farist thou now . þu drivest ynne & oute [ 10] [Line 10. Other MSS. read So farestow moone—etc.] As don the wedris oute of the wyndis mouth In the no trust is sechen / thou art so selcouth [Line 12. The word sechen (sithen?) is not in the other MSS.] And canst neuer still wher abide [Line 13. Other MSS. read stille ther abide.] When men wene sekir to be . þou makest hem slide [Line 14. Other MSS. read—hem to slide.]

3.

I wote ful wele both lordis prince and kyng [ 15] Thou hast or this welewors Iouerthrowe [Line 16. Other MSS. read Thow hast in his wele . worse Iouerthrowe.] Thi condicion is euer so varying That now þu laughist . & now þu makist a mowe Alas fortune who may the trist or trowe But yit I pray . that in some manere wise [ 20] So turne thi whele þat I may yit arise [Line 21. Other MSS. read—may ones arise.]

4.

Why nad I rather died an Innocent Or seke in bed ful ofte whan I haue layn Than had my name be paired not ne shent Better hit had be so . þan thus to haue me slayn [ 25] But what to stryve wt the it may not gayn And yit thou wotest I suffre and shame [Stanza 4 is not in the other MSS. The evident omission of a word from line 27 can therefore not be controlled.] ffor þat / that I god wote am not to blame

5.

But whom a long hit were . wold I wete [Line 29. Other MSS.—now wolde I wite.] That wrongfully I lye thus in prison [ 30] Saturnus or mars . I trow I may hit wyte Or some infortunate constellacion But this I wote as for conclusion Be it by destyny or fortunece chaunce [Line 34. Other MSS. read—fortunate chaunce.] In prison here I suffre moche myschaunce. [ 35]

6.

Peas of thi wordis þat are both lewid & nyce [ffortune] Wenest thou . þat god chastith þe for nought [Line 37. Other MSS. chastiseth.] Though þou be giltles I graunt wele of this vyce [Line 38. Other MSS.—graunt wele in this wise.] Hit is for synnes þat thou hast foredrought [Line 39. Other MSS.—that thow hast afore wrought.] That now peraunter full litell are in thi thought [ 40] Therfore be glad . for hit is writen thus Maxima etenim morum semper paciencia virtus

7.

Thow wotest wele eke god chastiseth whom he lovith [Line 43. Other MSS. omit eke.] That of his grace þe graunt be oon of thoo [Line 44 reads in other MSS. That of his grace . he graunte the to be oon of tho.]

Eke who þat will be saued hym behovith [ 45] [Line 45. Other MSS. omit Eke.] Suffre in this world aduersite or he go . [Line 46. Other MSS. To suffre—etc.] Thus fortune grace wynne for present woo The best conceyt eke I can yeve the . [Line 48. Other MSS. read that instead of eke.] Esto forti Animo cum sis dampnatus inique

8.

ffare wele fortune þan & do right as þe liste [ 50] [Line 50. Other MSS. omit þan.] Complayne will I now . to the sustres thre [Line 51. Other MSS.—as to thi sustres thre.] That whan I crope oute of my modirs cheste [Line 52. Other MSS. crept instead of crope.] fforthwith anon thei shope my desteney Cloto come forth . what seist thou let se Wilt thou no lenger þe stace of my lif holde [ 55] [Line 55. Other MSS.—the state of my lif holde.] Or be my yeris come vp . dey I shulde [Line 56. Other MSS.—that I die sholde.]

9.

If it be so the nombre of my daies Be comen vp . that I may not hem pace Why nadde I than by othir maner weyes Ordeyned me to dye . in othir place [ 60] [Line 60. Other MSS.—in som other place.] And not in prison / is ther non othir grace Wille Lachesis my threde no lenger twyne Be ster the than & all my sorow fyne .

10.

And Antrapos þat makis an ende of all Cut of the threde . wherto wilt þou tarye [ 65] And help me hens sith I nedis shall That men to Chirch my corps myght carye

And my soule to god & seint Mary I now be take / and pray hem yeve me space [Line 69. Other MSS.—pray hem to yive me space.] My rightes all to receiue or I pace [ 70] [Line 70. Other MSS.—or I hens pace.]

11.

The worste of all / that grevith me so sore Is that my fame is lost & all my good los [Line 72. Other MSS.—lost and eke goode loos.] And spredith wyde euer lenger the more As wele amonge my frendis as my foos ffor wykked sclaundre . will in no wise be close . [ 75] [Line 75 is omitted by other MSS.] But wt the wenges of envy fleth a lofte There as good los slepith full still & softe . [Line 77. Other MSS.—slepith and lith ful soft.]

12.

Whan I was fre . and in bounchief at ese In company ouer all where I went [Line 79. Other MSS.—where that I went.] No man seid þan . þt I did hem displese [ 80] [Line 80. Other MSS.—sayde that I dyd hym displease.] Ne worthie was no thing to be shent . And thus wt faire wordis was I blent And he þat seid [he] wold me neuer faile I myght for him [chese to] synke or saile [Lines 83, 84. Bracketed words are not in Harley 7333.]

13.

Thei wold me onys not yeve a draught of drynke [ 85] [Lines 85. Other MSS. They wold me nat oones—.] Ne say ffrend . wilt þow aught wt me . The soth is said . such frendship sone doth synke That from his frend fleeth in aduersite And will not [bide] / but in prosperite [Line 89. MS. Harley reads bid; other MSS. byde, abide.] Suche fayned frendis lord þere be full many [ 90] ffy on her flateryng / þat are not worth a peny .

14.

I haue no ffrende þat will me now visite In prison here to comfort me . of care [Line 93. Other MSS.—to comfort of my care.] Of sorow ynow I haue . of ioy but lite ffare wele my blys . & all my welfare [ 95] [Line 95. Other MSS.—farewele my welfare.] To telle my sorowe / my wittes be all bare . There is no man can tell my heuynesse Saue oonly . Ekko that can bere me witnesse. [Line 98. Other MSS.—that can bere no witnesse.]

15.

Now & oure lord / þe kyng of blis Ihus Shuld with his fynger here on erth write . [ 100] Amonges hem that me accusen thus I trow thei wold on me haue litell dispite And with her mouthis say but right a lite [Line 103. Other MSS. omit but.] Nomore þan ded þe men . þat soughten wreche [Line 104. Other MSS. read diden instead of ded.] Vpon the woman . þat take was in spouce breche . [ 105]

16.

ffy on this world it is but fantesye Seurete is non . in no degre ne state Aswele a kyng as a knafe shal dye Not wetyng wher ne whan erly or late When men be meriest . alday deth seith chek mate [ 110] Ther is no man shall here alway abide The richest man eke / from his good shal slide .

17.

Then best is þus / þe world to set at nought [Line 113. Other MSS. read Than best is this world to sette at nought.] And mekely suffre al aduersite .

That may vs vaile of synnes we haue wrought [ 115] [Line 115. Other MSS. read—of synnes that we have wrought.] In mede encresyng or relesynge parde Of paynes which in purgatory be And so wille I be glad . so god me save To suffre men me wrongfully deprave [Line 119. Other MSS. read—wrongly to deprave.]

18.

Ther is no more I se now at eiȝe [ 120] þes fayned goddis & goddesse . vaile right nought ffortune & eke the Sustresse I defie [Lines 121, 122. Other MSS. goddessis, sustres.] ffor I will go to him . þat me hath bought To whom I pray and euer haue be sought [Line 124. Other MSS. omit euer.] My synnes all / þat he wold relesse. [ 125] And furthermore yit pray I or I cesse. [Line 126. Other MSS. omit yit.]

19.

All holy Chirche þat is þi veray spouse [Line 127. Other MSS. read his instead of þi.] Benigne lorde kepe from all damage And make thi people to be vertuouse . The for to serue in euery maner age [ 130] With fervent loue & hertes hool corage And alle þat erre . oo lord in any side [Line 132. Other MSS. omit oo.] Or þou do right / let mercy be her guyde

20.

And stedfastly þou make vs to perceyver In veray feith & hooly Chirche beleve [ 135] And vs to blys bryng þat lastith euer And mary vs help . both morow and eve And of this world when we take oure leve . Or þat the fende oure soulys þan betrappe Helpe blisfull quene . & couer vs wt thi lappe [ 140]

21.

Lette not be spilt . þat thi sone dere bought [Line 141. Other MSS. dere hath bought.] Vpon þe crosse with deth and woundes smert And namely hym þat his synnes forthought [Line 143. Other MSS. synnes hath forthought.] Here in þis lyf . with meke & contrite hert . And þe of grace . to aske ay vpstert [ 145] [Line 145. Other MSS. ay thow vp stert.] Now lady swete I can no more now say But rew on me . and helpe me when I dey

Explicit le compleint again ffortune.

CHICAGO.

ELEANOR PRESCOTT HAMMOND.