Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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

And lordene sones here laborers, and leid here rentes to wedde,
      For þe ryght of þes reame ryden aȝens oure enemys,
      In confort of þe comune and þe kynges worshep,
      And monkes and moniales, þat mendinauns sholden fynde,          80
      Han mad here kyn knyghtes, and knyghtfees purchase<d>,
      Popes and patrones poure gentil blod refuseþ,
      And taken Symondes sone seyntewarie to kepe.
      Lyf-holynesse and loue han ben longe hennes,
      And wole, til hit be wered out, or oþerwise ychaunged.          85
        Forþy rebuke me ryght nouht, Reson, ich ȝow praye;
      For in my conscience ich knowe what Crist wolde þat ich wrouhte.
      Preyers of <a> parfyt man and penaunce discret
      Ys þe leueste labour þat oure Lord pleseþ.
      _Non de solo_,' ich seide, 'for soþe _uiuit homo,               90
      Nec in pane et pabulo_, þe _Paternoster_ witnesseþ:
      _Fiat uoluntas tua_ fynt ous alle þynges.'
      Quath Conscience, 'By Crist! ich can nat see this lyeþ;
      Ac it semeth nouht parfytnesse in cytees for to begge,
      Bote he be obediencer to pryour oþer to mynstre.'               95
      'That ys soth,' ich seide 'and so ich byknowe
      That ich haue tynt tyme, and tyme mysspended;
      And ȝut, ich hope, as he þat ofte haueþ chaffared,
      Þat ay hath lost and lost, and at þe laste hym happed
      He bouhte suche a bargayn he was þe bet euere,                 100
      And sette hus lost at a lef at þe laste ende,
      Suche a wynnynge hym warth þorw wyrdes of hus grace:—
          _Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in agro, et
              cetera_;
          _Mulier que inuenit dragmam, et cetera_;
      So hope ich to haue of Hym þat his almyghty                    105
      A gobet of Hus grace, and bygynne a tyme
      Þat alle tymes of my tyme to profit shal turne.'
        'Ich rede þe,' quath Reson þo 'rape þe to bygynne
      Þe lyf þat ys lowable and leel to þe soule'—
      'Ȝe, and continue,' quath Conscience; and to þe churche
          ich wente.                                                 110

[Foot-note: 3 And a lytel ich let by _MS._]

[Foot-note: 19 Heggen] Eggen _MS._]

[Foot-note: 44 þerwith] þerhwit _MS._]

[Foot-note: 62 alle] and alle _MS._]

[Foot-note: 63 in churches] and in kirkes _Ilchester MS._]

[Foot-note: 92 tua] tuas _MS._]

[Foot-note: 99 laste] latiste _MS._]




IX

MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS

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

Opening the text

History

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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

And lordene sones here laborers, and leid here rentes to wedde,
      For þe ryght of þes reame ryden aȝens oure enemys,
      In confort of þe comune and þe kynges worshep,
      And monkes and moniales, þat mendinauns sholden fynde,          80
      Han mad here kyn knyghtes, and knyghtfees purchase<d>,
      Popes and patrones poure gentil blod refuseþ,
      And taken Symondes sone seyntewarie to kepe.
      Lyf-holynesse and loue han ben longe hennes,
      And wole, til hit be wered out, or oþerwise ychaunged.          85
        Forþy rebuke me ryght nouht, Reson, ich ȝow praye;
      For in my conscience ich knowe what Crist wolde þat ich wrouhte.
      Preyers of <a> parfyt man and penaunce discret
      Ys þe leueste labour þat oure Lord pleseþ.
      _Non de solo_,' ich seide, 'for soþe _uiuit homo,               90
      Nec in pane et pabulo_, þe _Paternoster_ witnesseþ:
      _Fiat uoluntas tua_ fynt ous alle þynges.'
      Quath Conscience, 'By Crist! ich can nat see this lyeþ;
      Ac it semeth nouht parfytnesse in cytees for to begge,
      Bote he be obediencer to pryour oþer to mynstre.'               95
      'That ys soth,' ich seide 'and so ich byknowe
      That ich haue tynt tyme, and tyme mysspended;
      And ȝut, ich hope, as he þat ofte haueþ chaffared,
      Þat ay hath lost and lost, and at þe laste hym happed
      He bouhte suche a bargayn he was þe bet euere,                 100
      And sette hus lost at a lef at þe laste ende,
      Suche a wynnynge hym warth þorw wyrdes of hus grace:—
          _Simile est regnum celorum thesauro abscondito in agro, et
              cetera_;
          _Mulier que inuenit dragmam, et cetera_;
      So hope ich to haue of Hym þat his almyghty                    105
      A gobet of Hus grace, and bygynne a tyme
      Þat alle tymes of my tyme to profit shal turne.'
        'Ich rede þe,' quath Reson þo 'rape þe to bygynne
      Þe lyf þat ys lowable and leel to þe soule'—
      'Ȝe, and continue,' quath Conscience; and to þe churche
          ich wente.                                                 110

[Foot-note: 3 And a lytel ich let by _MS._]

[Foot-note: 19 Heggen] Eggen _MS._]

[Foot-note: 44 þerwith] þerhwit _MS._]

[Foot-note: 62 alle] and alle _MS._]

[Foot-note: 63 in churches] and in kirkes _Ilchester MS._]

[Foot-note: 92 tua] tuas _MS._]

[Foot-note: 99 laste] latiste _MS._]




IX

MANDEVILLE'S TRAVELS

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

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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