Part 49 (2/2)

Doubletys of glas yeve a gret evidence; Thyng contirfet wil faylen at a.s.say: On this mateer concludyng in sentence, Bewte wyl shewe, thouh h.o.r.n.ys wer away.

Aleyn remembryth his compleynt, who lyst see In his book of famous eloquence; Clad al in floures and blosmys of a tree, He sawh Nature in hir moost excellence, Upon hir hed a keverchef of Valence, Noon othir richesse of countirfet array; T'exemplefye by kyndly providence, Bewte wil shewe, thouh h.o.r.n.ys wer away.

Famous poetys of antiquyte, In Grece and Troye, renoumyd of prudence, Wroot of queen Helene, and Penelope, Off Polyceene with hir chaast innocence: For wyves trewe calle Lucrece to presence, That they wer fayr, ther can no man sey nay; Kynde wrouht hem with so gret dilligence, Ther bewte couthe, h.o.r.n.ys wer cast away.

Clerkys recorde by gret auctorite, h.o.r.n.ys wer yove to beestys for diffence; A thyng contrary to femynyte, To be maad st.u.r.dy of resistence: But arche wyves egre in ther violence, Fers as tygre for to make affray, They have despyt ageyn conscience, Lyst nat of pryde, ther h.o.r.n.ys cast away.

L'ENVOYE.

n.o.ble Pryncessys, this litel shoort ditee, Rewdly compiled, lat it be noon offence, To your womanly merciful pitee, Thouh it be rad in your audience: Peysed ech thyng in your iust advertence, So it be no displesaunce to your pay, Undir support of your pacience, Yevyth example, h.o.r.n.ys to cast away.

Grettest of vertues is humylite, As Salomon seith, sone of sapience, Moost was accepted to the Deite.

Takith heed heer of yeuyth, to this woord credence, How Maria, whiche hadde a premynence Above alle women, in Bedleem whan she lay, At Cristes birthe no cloth of gret dispence, She weryd a keverche, h.o.r.n.ys wer cast away.

Off birthe she was hihest of degre, To whom alle aungelis did obedience; Of David is lyne which sprang out of Jesse, In whom alle vertues by iust convenience, Maad stable in G.o.d, by goostly confidence: This roose of Jerycho, ther greuh noon suych in May, Poore in spirit, parfight in pacience, In whoom alle h.o.r.n.ys of pryde wer put away.

Moodir of J'hu, myrour of chast.i.te, In woord nor thouht that nevir did offence, Trewe exemplaire of virginite, Heedspryng and welle of parfit contynence, Was nevir clerk, by rethoryk nor science Kowde alle hir vertues reherse to this day; n.o.ble Pryncessys of meeke benyvolence, B'example of hir, your h.o.r.n.ys cast away.

ON FRAUDULENT MILLERS AND BAKERS.

[_Harleian MSS._ 2255.]

Put out his hed lyst nat for to dare, But lyk a man upon that tour to abyde, For cast of eggys wil not conys spare, Tyl he be quaylled body, bak, and syde; His heed endooryd, and of verray pryde, Put out his armys, shewith abrood his face, The fenestrallys be made for hym so wyde, Cleymyth to been a capteyn of that place.

The bastyle longith of verray dewe ryght, To fals bakerys it is trewe herytage; Severelle to them, this knoweth every wight, Be kynde a.s.syngned for ther sittyng stage, Wheer they may freely shewe out ther visage, Whan they take oonys there possessione, Owthir in youthe or in myddyl age, Men doon hem wrong yif they take hym done.

Let mellerys and bakerys gadre hem a gilde, And alle of a.s.sent make a fraternite; Undir the pillory a litil chapell bylde, The place amorteyse and purchase liberte, For alle thoo that of ther noumbre be; Whatevir it coost afftir that they wende, They may cleyme be just auctorite, Upon that bastile to make an ende.

EXP^{t}. Q' LYDGATE.

THE END.

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