A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

                                  
                                    Alle þat wylle of wysdam lere, [folio 5a] 
                                  
                                    lystyn to me and ȝe xall here
                                  
                                    off a tale of holy wryth,—
                                  
                                    Seynth John the holy postyll wetnes yt,—
                                    Line 4 
                                  
                                    How yt be-fell yn grete Rowme,
                                  
                                    The chyffe cyty of crystyn-dome,
                                  
                                    A chyld wos seynt throw hys mytys moste,
                                  
                                    Trow the vertu of the holy goste.
                                    Line 8 
                                  
                                    The Emprore of Rome than
                                  
                                    Hys name was klepyd Adryan,
                                  
                                    Whan the chyld of grete onowre
                                  
                                    Was cume be-fore the Emprore,
                                    Line 12 
                                  
                                    Down on knys the chyld hym sette,
                                  
                                    The Emprore wyll fayere hym grete.
                                  
                                    The Emprore wyth myld chyre,
                                  
                                    Askyd the chyld fro wens he came, and were,
                                    Line 16 
                                  
                                    The chyld answord "for soth I the plyte,
                                  
                                    ffro my fader [Vern. and Arundel versions have moder.]  I cume now ryth,
                                  
                                    ffro my fader that hey justyce,
                                  
                                    To teche them that be nowte wysse,
                                    Line 20 
                                  
                                    And note fulfylled yn goddys lawe."
                                  
                                    Than seyd þe Emprore, note slawe,
                                  
                                    "Arte thow wysse wysdam to teche?"
                                  
                                    The chyld answord with mylde chyre, ["Speche" in Vern.] 
                                    Line 24 
                                  
                                    "He ys wysse that heuyn may wynne,
                                  
                                    And kepe hym owte of de[d]ly synne."
                                  
                                    The Emprore seyd with owtyne blame,
                                  
                                    "Tell me chyld, wat ys thy name?"
                                    Line 28 
                                  
                                    "My name," he seyd, "ys Epotys,
                                  
                                    Mekyll I can of heuyn blysse."
                                  
                                    The Emprore seyd, "wat may heuyn be?"
                                  
                                    "Syr," he seyd, "yt ys goddes prevyte?"
                                    Line 32 
                                  
                                    "Wat," he seyd, "ys god all myte?"
                                  
                                    The schyld answord a-non ryte,

About this Item

Title: A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.
Canvas: Page 25
Publication: London,: Trübner,; 1886.
Subject terms: Commonplace-books

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajd3529.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/ajd3529.0001.001/37:4

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Full citation: "A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ajd3529.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 18, 2025.

A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

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