Here begynneth the testame[n]t of Iohn Lydgate monke of Berry which he made hymselfe, by his lyfe dayes.

DVryng the tyme / of this season Vere I meane y^e season / of my yeres grene Ginnyng fro chyldhode / stretcheth vp so fere To y^e yeres acōpted / fully .xv. By experyence / as it was well sene The gerysshe season / strong of condycion Dysposed to many / vnbrideld passyon.

¶Voyde of reason / gyuen to wylfulnesse Frowarde to vertue of Christ gaue lytell hede Lothe to lerne / loued no vertuous besynesse Saue play or myrth / straung to spell or rede Folowyng all appetytes longyng to chyldhede Lightly tournyng: wylde / and selde sadde Wepyng for nought / and a none after gladde.

¶For lytell worth / to stryue with my felawe As my passyons / dyd my bridell lede Of the yarde / stode I somtyme in awe To be scoured / that was all my drede Lothe towarde scole / lost my tyme in dede Lyke a yong colt / that ranne without bridell Made my frendes gyue good / to spende in ydell.

¶I had in custome / to come to scole late Nat for to lerne / but for a countenaunce With my felawes / redy to debate To iangle and iape / was set all my plesaunce Wherof rebuked / this was my cheuysaunce To forge a lesyng / and there vpon to muse Whan I trespased / my selfe to excuse.

¶To my better / dyd no reuerence Of my soueraynes / gaue no force at all Wexe obstynate / by inobedyence Ranne into gardeyns / appels there I stall To gather frutes / spared hedge nor wall To plucke grapes on other mennes vynes Was more redy / than for to say mattynes.

¶My lust was alway / to skorne folke and lape Shrewed tournes / euer among to vse To scoffe and mowe / lyke a wanton ape Whan I dyd euyll / other I dyd acuse My wyttes fyue / in wast I dyd abuse Redyer cherystones / for to tell Than go to churche / or here the sacryng bell.

¶Lothe to ryse / lother to bedde at eue With vnwasshe handes / redy to dynere My Pater noster / my Crede: or my beleue Cast at the cocke: lo / this was my manere Waued with eche wynde / as dothe a rede spere Snobbed of my frendes / suche tatches tamende Made deffe eare / lyst nat to them attende.

¶A childe resēblyng / which was nat like to thriue Frowarde to god / recheles in his seruyce Lothe to correctyon / slothe my selfe to shriue All good thewys / redy to dyspice Chefe belwether / of fayned trowandyce This is to meane / my selfe I coude fayne Sicke lyke a trowande / felt no maner payne.

¶My port / my pase: my fote alway vnstable My loke / myne eyen: vnsure and vacabounde In all my werkes / sodenly chaungeable To all good thewys / contrary I was founde Nowe ouersad / nowe mournyng: nowe iocounde Wylfull / recheles / madde: startyng as an hare To folowe my lust for nothyng wolde I spare.

¶Entryng this tyme / into relygion Vnto the ploughe / I put forthe my hande A yere complete / made my professyon Consydering lytell charge / of thylke bande Of perfectyon / full good example I founde The techyng good / in me was all the lacke With Lothes wyfe / I loked oft a backe.

¶Taught of my maisters / by vtuous dysciplyne My loke restrayne / and kepe close my syght Of blessed Benet / to folowe the doctryne And bere me lowly / to euery maner wyght By thaduertence / of myne inwarde syght Cast to god warde / of hole affectyon To folowe themprises / of my professyon.

¶His holy rule was vnto me radde And expounde / in full notable wyse By vertuous men / relygious and sadde Full well expert / dyscrete / prudent / and wyse And obseruauntes / of many goostly emprise I herde all well / but to wchyng to the dede Of that they taught / I toke but lytell hede.

¶Of relygion / I ware a blacke habyte Onely outwarde / as by good apparence To folowe the charge / sauoured but a lyte Saue by a maner / counterfet pretence But in effect / there was none exystence Lyke to the ymage / of Pygmalyon Shewed lyffely / and was nat but a ston.

¶Vpon the ladder / with staues thrise thre The nyne degrees / of vertuous mekenesse Called in the rule / degrees of humylite where on to ascende / my fete me lyst nat dresse But by a maner / fayned false humblesse So couertly / whan folkes were present One to shewe outwaree / an other in myne entent.

¶First / where I forsoke myne owne wyll Shet with a locke / of obedyence To obey my souerayns / as it was right and skyll To folowe the scole / of perfyt pacyence To my emynes / do worshyppe and reuerence Folowyng the reuers / toke all an other wey What I was bydden / I coude well disobey.

¶With tong at large / and brotell conscyence Full of wordes / dysordinate of langage Recheles / to kepe my lyppes in scylence Mouth: eye / and eares / toke their auauntage To haue their course / vnbrideld by outrage Out of the raynes / of attemperaunce To sensualyte / gaue all the gouernaunce

¶Watche out of tyme: ryot / and dronkennesse Vnfructuous talkyng / intemperat dyete To vayne fables / I dyd myne eares dresse False detractyon among / was to me swete To talke of vertue / me thought it was nat mete To my courage / nor my complexyon Nor nought / that sowned towarde perfectyon.

¶One with the first / to take my dysport Last that arose to come to the quere In contemplacyon / I founde but small confort Holy stories / dyd to me no chere I sauoured more / in good wyne that was clere And euery houre / my passage to dresse As I sayd erst / in ryotte or excesse.

¶Coude grudge / and founde no cause why Causles / oft complayned of my fare Gayne my correctyons / answered frowardly Without reuerence / lyst no man to spare Of vertue and pacyence / I was all bare Of recheles youth / I lyst none hede to take What Christ Iesu / suffred for my sake.

¶Which nowe remembring / in my later age Tyme of my chyldhode / as I reherce shall Within fyftene / holdyng my passage Mydde of a cloyster / depyct vpon a wall I sawe a crucyfixe / whose woūdes were nat small With this worde / vide / written there besyde Beholde my mekenes chylde / and leaue thy pride.

¶The which worde / whan I dyd vnderstande In my last age / takyng the sentence Theron remembring my penne I toke in hande Gan to write / with humble reuerence On this worde vide / of humble dyligence In remembring / Christes passyon This lytell dyte / this compylacion.