The Middle-English translation of Palladius De Re Rustica / ed. by Mark Liddell.

PROHEMIUM. [The proem and epilogues are written in hand A, in colored inks, the arrangement of which is described in the notes.]

AGRICULTURE AS IN NATURE AND ART [fol. 10.] [1 See notes.]

Tendure, of creature al Creatour, List to prouide; and duc H[umfrid]e his part Diuide of either side, a[dd]ynge honour [3, 4 H[umfride]e (H and e still legible) and two letters not reaching below line in a[dd]ynge covered by blot.] So high that we of princis se the flour [ 5] Hym be, So sende he me sense and science [6 sense and science] over erasure.] Of my balade away to rade errour, Pallade and do, to glade his excellence. [8 glade] gl and part of a covered by blot, though still legible.]

His excellence, O Trine and Oon, eterne Almyghty Lord, alsapyent al good, [ 10] Thy Prouidence, as sterismon and sterne Emforth this word now refluent, now flood. Now in concord, now violent and wood, By lif present, so list extende in grace, That of his woord, his werk, entent or mood [ 15] Noon inuident may reprehende an ace.

An ace apoynt, y vndirstonde, is werk [fol. 10a.] Disioynt, mys take, on honde of his support.

Wroght euer kynge, or prince, or knyght, or clerk, [19 Wrought] o added above in same hand and ink.] A thynge other then right, by his confort? [ 20] Though opon fame ha maad thus pleyn report, Yit lame is she tatteyn unto the dede. Of myghtiest, to hym is glad resort; Of meest and leest, is had his loue and drede.

His loue and drede in brestis sprede; his wit [ 25] And grace in sondri place is so fecounde, That sapience in his prudence is knyt. As seyn in trewthis pleyn—(that list abounde In myn entent, the sapient secound Is fonde) inte euery londe whos fame is born. [ 30] And worthy straunge her londis chaunge, & founde Expresse of his prowesse at eye aforn.

At eye aforn, is hym right here in sight To here; and noon was lorn of their labour Whos vertu seyn and doon, disport aright. [ 35] Resort han summe ayeyn, with gret honour And yiftis grete; and summe vnder this flour Are heer, and thyngis trete of high emprise ffor lif present, for lif future, vehe hour. His cure and iust entent who kan comprise? [ 40]

Who kan comprise in werkis wise, in right, [fol. 11.] In sadde avise as forto wise a londe? The due periure, who made assure in flight? Calise endure who made, and sure in honde? The kyngis right, who made vpright to stonde? [ 45] Who hath insight to stynte vnright, aduerse? Who hath be prest the chirche in rest to londe?— As trewthe is best let feithfullest reherce.

Let feithfullest reherce, y treste hym beste, [49 Ms. rehence.] Yf heretike ought kouthe pike him fro, [ 50]

Yf Sharp or Wawe hadde of the lawe a feste, Yf right was fond in al this londe [undo], [52 Ms. unto—a cross stands opposite this line in the margin.] Hit to gouerne he doon the sterne vnto. Of euery poynt, a kyng ennoynt of bothe Englond and ffraunce hath conysaunce also. [ 55] Nis ther noo lord that nil record hem sothe.

Record hem sothe; hit self the dede apperith, Wul he for bothe, alyue and dede, esploye To saue vs here and hem in ffraunce; hit cherith His wit to here and Orliaunce ennoye. [ 60] Wel myght a kynge of suche a flour enioye, To seen hit sprynge in fyn odour & huys, Strenght & sauour, hym oueral to ioy, In whos fauour science and al vertu is.

Uertu is fonde if goldon sapience [fol. 11a.] [ 65] Haue intellect, and consel fortitude; If pite stonde enaured with science That hem connect: the Lordis drede enclude, Man thus confect is voide of dedis rude. This kyngis dere vncul, & sone, and brother, [ 70] Hath God prouect, His werkis to conclude, His werkis here—or where is suche another?

Another felyng so—the philosophre In bokis natural, as is phisic. Metaphisic: also thus prompt to profre [ 75] Vche art quadriuial: and hath practic, With theorie, moral, as is ethic, Politic, monastic yconomye, In gramer, ground of al, growyng logic ffor fruyt and rethoric to florifie? [ 80]

To florifie in artificial Science and al thorgh se philosophie, Beth thyngis hie, And yiftis natural

Hit is not smal to haue, as memorie— What thynge engyne vpfynde, or reson trie [ 85] And iustifie. In tresor to reclyne, Is not indigne, if good phisionomye Vche organ eye, and al figure & lyne.

At Oxenford thys lord his bookis fele [89 fele] glossed plures s. CXXX.] [fol. 12.] Hath euery clerk at werk. They of hem gete [ 90] Metaphisic; phisic these other feele; [91 Feele] glossed sentiunt.] They natural, moral they rather trete, Theologie here bye is with to mete: Hem liketh loke in boke historical. In deskis xij hymselue, as half a strete, [ 95] Hath boked thair librair vniuersal.

For clergie, or knyghthod, or husbondrie, That oratour, poete, or philosophre hath tretid, told, or taught, in memorie Vche lef and lyne hath he, as shette in cofre; [ 100] Oon nouelte vnnethe is hym to profre. Yit Whethamstede, and also Pers de Mounte, Titus, and Anthony, and y laste ofre And leest. Our newe is old in hym tacounte

But that his vertu list vs exercise, [ 105] And moo as fele as kan in vertu do. He, sapient, is diligent to wise Alle ignoraunt, and y am oon of tho. He taught me metur make, and y soso Hym counturfete, and hope, aftir my sorow, [ 110] In God and hym to glade; and aftir woo, To ioy, and aftir nyght, to sey good morow,

And hym that held, as doubil mortal foo [fol. 12a.] Ten yeer, myself and myne in wrong oppresse,

And yit my chirche and al my good me fro [ 115] Hath in effect, yit treste y God redresse. But this matere as here is not texpresse; As y seid erst, in hope y thynke abide, And to that princis werk, my wit compresse; My wronge, my woo, my care y sette aside. [ 120]

And Hym, that Lord that with his woundis wide ffrom deth vs bought, and hath our lif in cure— Thorgh al this werk so derk he be my gide: My wight he right, my number and mesure, That first for hym, and thenne his creature, [ 125] His princis flour, good fruyt & fresh plesaunce Vpgrowe on hit, in his Agriculture Maad at his hest and his Consideraunce.

Explicit Prohemium [pro emulis.] .