Part 9 (2/2)

No question here of Royal Grace, It shall be showed in this place Upon you all, and well and fine, If Fortune fails by Fault of mine.”

They all kneel down, and with one voice They thank the King for this free Choice; And after this they up arise And go aside and them advise, And at the last they all accord; Whereof their Finding to record To what Issue their Voices fall, A Knight shall answer for them all.

He kneeleth down unto the King And saith, that they upon this thing Or for to win or for to lose Are all decided how to choose.

Then took this Knight a Rod in hand And goes to where the Coffers stand, And with the a.s.sent of every one He layeth his Rod upon one, And tells the King they only want Him that for their Reward to grant, And pray him that they might it have.

The King, who would his Honour save, When he hath heard the common Voice, Hath granted them their own free Choice, And gave them thereupon the Key.

But as he would that men might see What Good they got, as they suppose, He bade anon the Coffer unclose, - Which was filled full with Straw and Stone; Thus are they served, the Luck's their own.

”Lo,” saith the King, ”now may ye see That there is no Default in me; Therefore myself I will acquit, Bear ye the Blame now, as is fit, For that which Fortune you refused.”

Thus was this wise old King excused, And they left off their evil Speech, And Mercy of their King beseech.

Touching like matter to the quick, I find a Tale how Frederick, At that time Emperor of Rome, Heard, as he went, a Clamour come From two poor Beggars on the way.

The one of them began to say, ”Ha, Lord, the man is rich indeed To whom a King's Wealth brings his Speed!”

The other said, ”It is not so, But he is rich and well-to-do To whom G.o.d pleases Wealth to send.”

And thus their Words went without end, Whereto this Lord hath given ear And caused both Beggars to appear Straight at his Palace, there to eat; And bade provide them for their Meat Two Pasties which men were to make, And in the one a Capon bake, And in the other, Wealth to win, Of Florins all that may within He bade them put a great Richesse, And just alike, as one may guess, Outward they were, to Sight of Men.

This Beggar was commanded then, He that had held him to the King, That he first choose upon this thing.

He saw them, but he felt them not, So that upon his single Thought He chose the Capon, and forsook That other, which his Fellow took.

But when he wist how that it fared, He said aloud, that men it heard: ”Now have I certainly conceived That he may lightly be deceived Who puts his trust in Help of Man.

He's rich whom G.o.d helps, for he can Stand ever on the safer side That else on Vain Hope had relied.

I see my Fellow well supplied, And still a Poor Man I abide.”

Thus spake the Beggar his intent, And poor he came, and poor he went; Of all the Riches that he sought His evil Fortune gave him nought.

And right as it with those men stood, Of evil Hap in worldly Good, As thou hast heard me tell above, Right so, full oft, it stands by Love; Though thou desire it evermore Thou shalt not have a whit the more, But only what is meant for thee, Of all the rest not worth a Pea.

And yet a long and endless Row There be of Men who covet so That whereas they a Woman see, To ten or twelve though there may be, The Love is now so little wise That where the Beauty takes his Eyes Anon the Man's whole Heart is there And whispers Tales into her Ear, And says on her his Love is set, And thus he sets him to covet.

A hundred though he saw a day, So would he have more than he may; In each of them he finds somewhat That pleaseth him, or this or that.

Some one, for she is white of skin, Some one, for she is n.o.ble of kin, Some one, for she hath a ruddy cheek, Some one, for that she seemeth meek, Some one, for that her eyes are gray, Some one, for she can laugh and play, Some one, for she is long and small, Some one, for she is lithe and tall, Some one, for she is pale and bleach, Some one, for she is soft of speech, Some one, for that her nose turns down, Some one, for that she hath a frown, Some one, for she can dance and sing; So that of what he likes something He finds, and though no more he feel But that she hath a little heel, It is enough that he therefore Her love; and thus an hundred score While they be new he would he had, Whom he forsakes, she shall be bad.

So the Blind Man no Colour sees, All's one to take as he may please; And his Desire is darkly minded Whom Covetise of Love hath blinded.

LONDON LICKPENNY BY JOHN LYDGATE.

To London once my steps I bent, Where truth in nowise should be faint; To Westminster-ward I forthwith went, To a man of law to make complaint, I said, ”For Mary's love, that holy saint, Pity the poor that would proceed!”

But for lack of Money I could not speed.

And as I thrust the press among, By froward chance my hood was gone, Yet for all that I stayed not long Till to the King's Bench I was come.

Before the judge I kneeled anon, And prayed him for G.o.d's sake to take heed.

But for lack of Money I might not speed.

Beneath them sat clerks a great rout, Which fast did write by one a.s.sent, There stood up one and cried about, ”Richard, Robert, and John of Kent!”

I wist not well what this man meant, He cried so thickly there indeed.

But he that lacked Money might not speed

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