Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets Part 6

[37] 'Nempned:' named.

[38] 'Loth:' willing.

[39] 'Lever:' rather.

[40] 'Waxeth: grow.

[41] 'Them were lever:' they had rather.

[42] 'Kerse:' curse.

[43] 'Loveday:'lady.

[44] 'Wieldeth:' commands.

[45] 'Fayting:' deceiving.

[46] 'Can:' know.

[47] 'Losenchery:' lying.

[48] 'Carpen:' speak.

[49] 'Dais:' table.

[50] 'Gorge:' throat.

[51] 'Careful:' poor.

[52] 'Chill:' cold.

[53] 'Nymen:' take.

[54] 'Noye:' trouble.

[55] 'Hoten:' order.

[56] 'Mendynauntes meatless:' beggars supperless.

[57] 'Faitours:' idle fellows.

[58] 'Elenge:' strange, deserted.

[59] 'Rule:' custom.

[60] 'Hoten:' named.

[61] 'Syb:' mother.

[62] 'Clergy:' learning.

[63] 'Lyther:' wanton.

[64] 'Gard:' made.

[65] 'Tened:' grieved.

COVETOUSNESS.

And then came Covetise; can I him no descrive, So hungerly and hollow, so sternely he looked, He was bittle-browed and baberlipped also; With two bleared eyen as a blinde hag, And as a leathern purse lolled his cheekes, Well sider than his chin they s.h.i.+vered for cold: And as a bondman of his bacon his beard was bidrauled, With a hood on his head, and a lousy hat above.

And in a tawny tabard,[1] of twelve winter age, Alle torn and baudy, and full of lice creeping; But that if a louse could have leapen the better, She had not walked on the welt, so was it threadbare.

'I have been Covetise,' quoth this caitiff, 'For sometime I served Symme at style, And was his prentice plight, his profit to wait.

First I learned to lie, a leef other twain Wickedly to weigh, was my first lesson: To Wye and to Winchester I went to the fair With many manner merchandise, as my master me hight.-- Then drave I me among drapers my donet[2] to learn.

To draw the lyfer along, the longer it seemed Among the rich rays,' &c.

[1] 'Tabard:' a coat.

[2] 'Donet:' lesson.

THE PRELATES.

And now is religion a rider, a roamer by the street, A leader of lovedays,[1] and a loude[2] beggar, A p.r.i.c.ker on a palfrey from manor to manor, An heap of houndes at his a.r.s.e as he a lord were.

And if but his knave kneel, that shall his cope bring, He loured on him, and asked who taught him courtesy.

[1] 'Lovedays:' ladies.

[2] 'Loude:' lewd.

MERCY AND TRUTH.

Out of the west coast, a wench, as methought, Came walking in the way, to heavenward she looked; Mercy hight that maide, a meek thing withal, A full benign birde, and buxom of speech; Her sister, as it seemed, came worthily walking, Even out of the east, and westward she looked, A full comely creature, Truth she hight, For the virtue that her followed afeared was she never.

When these maidens met, Mercy and Truth, Either asked other of this great marvel, Of the din and of the darkness, &c.

NATURE, OR KIND, SENDING FORTH HIS DISEASES FROM THE PLANETS, AT THE COMMAND OF CONSCIENCE, AND OF HIS ATTENDANTS, AGE AND DEATH.

Kind Conscience then heard, and came out of the planets, And sent forth his forriours, Fevers and Fluxes, Coughes and Cardiacles, Crampes and Toothaches, Rheumes, and Radgondes, and raynous Scalles, Boiles, and Botches, and burning Agues, Phreneses and foul Evil, foragers of Kind!

There was 'Harow! and Help! here cometh Kind, With Death that is dreadful, to undo us all!'

The lord that liveth after l.u.s.t then aloud cried.

_Age the h.o.a.r, he was in the va-ward, And bare the banner before Death: by right he it claimed._ Kinde came after, with many keene sores, As Pocks and Pestilences, and much people shent.

So Kind through corruptions, killed full many: Death came driving after, and all to dust pashed Kings and Kaisers, knightes and popes.

Many a lovely lady, and leman of knights, Swooned and swelted for sorrow of Death's dints.

Conscience, of his courtesy, to Kind he besought To cease and sufire, and see where they would Leave Pride privily, and be perfect Christian, And Kind ceased then, to see the people amend.

'Piers Plowman' found many imitators. One wrote 'Piers the Plowman's Crede;' another, 'The Plowman's Tale;' another, a poem on 'Alexander the Great; 'another, on the 'Wars of the Jews;' and another, 'A Vision of Death and Life,' extracts from all which may be found in Warton's 'History of English Poetry.'

We close this preliminary essay by giving a very ancient hymn to the Virgin, as a specimen of the once universally-prevalent alliterative poetry.

I.

Hail be you, Mary, mother and may, Mild, and meek, and merciable; Hail, folliche fruit of soothfast fay, Against each strife steadfast and stable; Hail, soothfast soul in each, a say, Under the sun is none so able; Hail, lodge that our Lord in lay, The foremost that never was founden in fable; Hail, true, truthful, and tretable, Hail, chief ychosen of chast.i.ty, Hail, homely, hendy, and amiable: _To pray for us to thy Sone so free!_ AVE.

II.

Hail, star that never stinteth light; Hail, bush burning that never was brent; Hail, rightful ruler of every right, Shadow to s.h.i.+eld that should be shent; Hail, blessed be you blossom bright, To truth and trust was thine intent; Hail, maiden and mother, most of might, Of all mischiefs an amendement; Hail, spice sprung that never was spent; Hail, throne of the Trinity; Hail, scion that G.o.d us soon to sent, _You pray for us thy Sone free!_ AVE.

III.

Hail, heartily in holiness; Hail, hope of help to high and low; Hail, strength and stel of stableness; Hail, window of heaven wowe; Hail, reason of righteousness, To each a caitiff comfort to know; Hail, innocent of angerness, Our takel, our tol, that we on trow; Hail, friend to all that beoth forth flow; Hail, light of love, and of beauty, Hail, brighter than the blood on snow: _You pray for us thy Sone free!_ AVE.

IV.

Hail, maiden; hail, mother; hail, martyr trew; Hail, kindly yknow confessour; Hail, evenere of old law and new; Hail, builder bold of Christe's bower; Hail, rose highest of hyde and hue; Of all fruite's fairest flower; Hail, turtle trustiest and true, Of all truth thou art treasour; Hail, pured princess of paramour; Hail, bloom of brere brightest of ble; Hail, owner of earthly honour: _You pray for us thy Sone so free!_ AVE, &c.

V.

Hail, hendy; hail, holy emperess; Hail, queen courteous, comely, and kind; Hail, destroyer of every strife; Hail, mender of every man's mind; Hail, body that we ought to bless, So faithful friend may never man find; Hail, lever and lover of largeness, Sweet and sweetest that never may swynde; Hail, botenere[1] of every body blind; Hail, borgun brightest of all bounty, Hail, trewore then the wode bynd: _You pray for us thy Sone so free!_ AVE.

VI.