The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

                                
                                  Be way of kynde thes two may noȝt be the to dere;
                                
                                  To thaim ogh thou buxumnes & honour,
                                  Line 101 
                                
                                  And also in thair [nede] help and socour.
                                
                                  And haly kirk is thi moder gastly,
                                
                                  And the keper of thi saule thi fadir, sot[h]ly;
                                  Line 104 
                                
                                  And who so is thi warldly lord or thi kyng,
                                
                                  Is taken for thi fadir in this byddyng.
                                
                                  The fift is: thou salt no man sle vnlaghfully.
                                
                                  That is to say, nother bodely ne gastly;
                                  Line 108 
                                
                                  ffor ille ensaumple, hate, & bakbityng
                                
                                  Are ille to thi neghbur gastly sleyng;
                                
                                  Hurtyng bothe gastly & bodely is forbed,
                                
                                  And wernyng of mete to the pour in peril of ded.
                                  Line 112 
                                
                                  The sext is: thou sal don non auoutrie.
                                
                                  And this forbedes all maner of lecherie,
                                
                                  Bot it be betwix the & thi wyf with gode entent,
                                
                                  ffor to kepe the lagh of god in that sacrament.
                                  Line 116 
                                
                                  The seuent biddes that thou sal no thing stele
                                
                                  Ne non othir mannes gode agayns his wille dele.
                                
                                  This forbedes fals cautels, deceit, and maystrie,
                                
                                  That mas many to loise his gode vnriȝtwisly;
                                  Line 120 
                                
                                  And who so harmes any man in this maner,
                                
                                  Sal noȝt be saf, bot he make asseth at his power.
                                
                                  The aghtend is: bere agayn no man fals witnes,
                                
                                  And in tyme & maner skilful layne thou sothfastnes
                                
                                  When it is noȝt lefful & nedful to say,
                                  Line 125 
                                
                                  And al lesyng eschue as wele as thou may.
                                
                                  The neyghend is: thi neghbur hous sal thou noȝt coueit.
                                
                                  In this is forboden assent to wrang & deceit.
                                  Line 128 
                                
                                  The tend is: thou sall noȝt ȝerne another mannes wyf,
                                
                                  His seruant ne his other thing, that may helpe his lyue.
                                
                                  Here is forbeden alle maner of wikked couetyse
                                
                                  That myght harme thi neghbur on any-maner wise.
                                  Line 132 
                                
                                  If slik thoght come to thi hert, thou sal noȝt assent,
                                
                                  Bot euer agayn-stande with gode auysement:
                                
                                  And then sal thou noȝt falle in dedly synne,
                                
                                  Bot ilk a tyme a croun of gret ioye wynne.
                                  Line 136 
                                
                                  Thurgh this ten thou may wynne gret ioye, & eschewe payn.

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Title: The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...
Canvas: Page 418
Publication: London,: Pub. by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., for the Early English Text Society,; 1892-1901.
Subject terms: English poetry

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001
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Full citation: "The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2025.

The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

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