¶ No Madyr welde or wod no litester{e} Ne knewh / the fles was of is former hewe No flessh ne wyste offence of egge or sper{e} No coyn ne knewh man which is fals or trewe 20 No ship yit karf the wawes grene {and} blewe No Marchau{n}t yit ne fette owt-landissh war{e} No batails trompes for the werres folk ne knewe Ne towres heye {and} walles rownde or square 24 ¶ What sholde it han avayled to werreye [[pg 181]] Ther lay no p{ro}fyt ther was no rychesse [Sidenote: [fol. 53.]] But corsed was the tyme .I. dar+ wel seye Þ{a}t men fyrst dede hir swety bysynesse 28 To grobbe vp metal lurkynge in dirkenesse {And} in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte Allas than sprong+ vp al the cursydnesse Of coueytyse þ{a}t fyrst owr sorwe browhte 32 ¶ Thyse tyrau{n}tȝ put hem gladly nat in pres No places wyldnesse ne no busshes for to wynne Ther pou{er}te is as seith diogenes Ther as vitayle ek is so skars {and} thinne 36 Þ{a}t nat but mast or apples is ther Inne But þ{er} as bagges ben {and} fat vitaile Ther wol they gon {and} spar{e} for no synne W{i}t{h} al hir ost the Cyte forto a-sayle 40 ¶ Yit was no paleis chaumbres ne non halles In kaues {and} wodes softe {and} swete Sleptin this blyssed folk+ w{i}t{h}-owte walles On gras or leues in p{ar}fyt Ioye reste {and} quiete 44 No down of fetheres ne no bleched shete Was kyd to hem but in surte they slepte Hir hertes weer{e} al on w{i}t{h}-owte galles Eu{er}ych of hem his feith to oother kepte 48 ¶ Vnforged was the hawberke {and} the plate Þ^e lambyssh poeple voyded of alle vyse Hadden no fantesye to debate But eche of hem wolde oother wel cheryce 52 No p{r}ide non enuye non Auaryce No lord no taylage by no tyranye Vmblesse {and} pes good feith the emp{er}ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 ¶ Yit was nat Iuppit{er} the lykerous [[pg 182]] Þ{a}t fyrst was fadyr of delicasie Come in this world ne nembroth desyrous To regne had nat maad his towres hye 60 Allas allas now may [men] wepe And crye For in owr{e} dayes nis but couetyse Dowblenesse {and} tresou{n} {and} enuye Poyson {and} manslawhtr{e} {and} mordre in sondry wyse 64 [Linenotes: 39, 40 MS. transposes the lines 44 _On_--MS. Or 56 A line omitted, but no gap left for one.] [Headnote: BALADES DE VILAGE SANZ PEINTURE.] CAUS{ER} / BALADES DE VILAGE SANZ PEINT{UR}E