Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

'The court of þe kyndom of God alyue               85
      Hatȝ a property in hytself beyng:
      Alle þat may þerinne aryue
      Of alle þe reme is quen oþer kyng,
      And neuer oþer ȝet schal depryue,
      Bot vchon fayn of oþereȝ hafyng,                     90
      And wolde her corouneȝ wern worþe þo fyue,
      If possyble were her mendyng.
      Bot my Lady, of quom Iesu con spryng,
      Ho haldeȝ þe empyre ouer vus ful hyȝe;
      And þat dyspleseȝ non of oure gyng,                  95
      For ho is quene of cortaysye.

        'Of courtaysye, as saytȝ Saynt Poule,
      Al arn we membreȝ of Iesu Kryst;
      As heued and arme and legg and naule
      Temen to hys body ful trwe and t<r>yste,            100
      Ryȝt so is vch a Krysten sawle
      A longande lym to þe Mayster of myste.
      Þenne loke what hate oþer any gawle
      Is tached oþer tyȝed þy lymmeȝ bytwyste:
      Þy heued hatȝ nauþer greme ne gryste                105
      On arme oþer fynger þaȝ þou ber byȝe:
      So fare we alle wyth luf and lyste
      To kyng and quene by cortaysye.'

        'Cortaysé,' quod I, 'I leue,
      And charyté grete, be yow among,                    110
      Bot my speche þat yow ne greue,

             *       *       *       *       *

      Þyself in heuen ouer hyȝ þou heue,
      To make þe quen þat watȝ so ȝonge.
      What more honour moȝte he acheue                    115
      Þat hade endured in worlde stronge,
      And lyued in penaunce hys lyueȝ longe,
      Wyth bodyly bale hym blysse to byye?
      What more worschyp moȝt h_e_ fonge,
      Þen corounde be kyng by cortaysé?                   120

        'That cortaysé is to fre of dede,
      Ȝyf hyt be soth þat þou coneȝ saye;
      Þou lyfed not two ȝer in oure þede;
      Þou cowþeȝ neuer God nauþer plese ne pray,
      Ne neuer nawþer Pater ne Crede;                     125
      And quen mad on þe fyrst day!
      I may not traw, so God me spede,
      Þat God wolde wryþe so wrange away;
      Of countes, damysel, par ma fay!
      Wer fayr in heuen to halde asstate,                 130
      Aþer elleȝ a lady of lasse aray;
      Bot a quene!—hit is to dere a date.'

        'Þer is no date of Hys godnesse,'
      Þen sayde to me þat worþy wyȝte,
      'For al is trawþe þat He con dresse,                135
      And He may do no þynk bot ryȝt,
      As Mathew meleȝ in your messe,
      In sothful Gospel of God Almyȝt,
      In sample he can ful grayþely gesse,
      And lykneȝ hit to heuen lyȝte:                      140
        "My regne," He saytȝ, "is lyk on hyȝt
      To a lorde þat hade a uyne, I wate.
      Of tyme of ȝere þe terme watȝ tyȝt,
      To labor vyne watȝ dere þe date.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

'The court of þe kyndom of God alyue               85
      Hatȝ a property in hytself beyng:
      Alle þat may þerinne aryue
      Of alle þe reme is quen oþer kyng,
      And neuer oþer ȝet schal depryue,
      Bot vchon fayn of oþereȝ hafyng,                     90
      And wolde her corouneȝ wern worþe þo fyue,
      If possyble were her mendyng.
      Bot my Lady, of quom Iesu con spryng,
      Ho haldeȝ þe empyre ouer vus ful hyȝe;
      And þat dyspleseȝ non of oure gyng,                  95
      For ho is quene of cortaysye.

        'Of courtaysye, as saytȝ Saynt Poule,
      Al arn we membreȝ of Iesu Kryst;
      As heued and arme and legg and naule
      Temen to hys body ful trwe and t<r>yste,            100
      Ryȝt so is vch a Krysten sawle
      A longande lym to þe Mayster of myste.
      Þenne loke what hate oþer any gawle
      Is tached oþer tyȝed þy lymmeȝ bytwyste:
      Þy heued hatȝ nauþer greme ne gryste                105
      On arme oþer fynger þaȝ þou ber byȝe:
      So fare we alle wyth luf and lyste
      To kyng and quene by cortaysye.'

        'Cortaysé,' quod I, 'I leue,
      And charyté grete, be yow among,                    110
      Bot my speche þat yow ne greue,

             *       *       *       *       *

      Þyself in heuen ouer hyȝ þou heue,
      To make þe quen þat watȝ so ȝonge.
      What more honour moȝte he acheue                    115
      Þat hade endured in worlde stronge,
      And lyued in penaunce hys lyueȝ longe,
      Wyth bodyly bale hym blysse to byye?
      What more worschyp moȝt h_e_ fonge,
      Þen corounde be kyng by cortaysé?                   120

        'That cortaysé is to fre of dede,
      Ȝyf hyt be soth þat þou coneȝ saye;
      Þou lyfed not two ȝer in oure þede;
      Þou cowþeȝ neuer God nauþer plese ne pray,
      Ne neuer nawþer Pater ne Crede;                     125
      And quen mad on þe fyrst day!
      I may not traw, so God me spede,
      Þat God wolde wryþe so wrange away;
      Of countes, damysel, par ma fay!
      Wer fayr in heuen to halde asstate,                 130
      Aþer elleȝ a lady of lasse aray;
      Bot a quene!—hit is to dere a date.'

        'Þer is no date of Hys godnesse,'
      Þen sayde to me þat worþy wyȝte,
      'For al is trawþe þat He con dresse,                135
      And He may do no þynk bot ryȝt,
      As Mathew meleȝ in your messe,
      In sothful Gospel of God Almyȝt,
      In sample he can ful grayþely gesse,
      And lykneȝ hit to heuen lyȝte:                      140
        "My regne," He saytȝ, "is lyk on hyȝt
      To a lorde þat hade a uyne, I wate.
      Of tyme of ȝere þe terme watȝ tyȝt,
      To labor vyne watȝ dere þe date.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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