ÆTAS PRIMA.
APPENDIX.
[Camb. Univ. MS. Ii. 3. 21, fol. 52 b.]
Chawcer vp-on this fyfte metur of the second book
A Blysful lyf a paysyble and a swete
Ledden the poeples in the former age
They helde hem paied of the fructes þat þey ete
Whiche þat the feldes yaue hem by vsage 4
They ne weere nat forpampred with owtrage
Onknowyn was þe quyerne and ek the melle
They eten mast hawes and swych pownage
And dronken water of the colde welle 8
¶ Yit nas the grownd nat wownded with þe plowh
But corn vp-sprong vnsowe of mannes hond
Þe which they gnodded and eete nat half .I.-nowh
No man yit knewe the forwes of his lond 12
No man the fyr owt of the flynt yit fonde
Vn-koruen and vn-grobbed lay the vyne
No man yit in the morter spices grond
To clarre ne to sawse of galentyne 16
¶ No Madyr welde or wod no litestere
Ne knewh / the fles was of is former hewe
No flessh ne wyste offence of egge or spere
No coyn ne knewh man which is fals or trewe 20
No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe
No Marchaunt yit ne fette owt-landissh ware
No batails trompes for the werres folk ne knewe
Ne towres heye and walles rownde or square 24
¶ What sholde it han avayled to werreye
Ther lay no profyt ther was no rychesse
[fol. 53.]But corsed was the tyme .I. dar) wel seye
Þat men fyrst dede hir swety bysynesse 28
To grobbe vp metal lurkynge in dirkenesse
And in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte
Allas than sprong+ vp al the cursydnesse
Of coueytyse þat fyrst owr sorwe browhte 32
¶ Thyse tyrauntȝ put hem gladly nat in pres
No places wyldnesse ne no busshes for to wynne
Ther pouerte is as seith diogenes
Ther as vitayle ek is so skars and thinne 36
Þat nat but mast or apples is ther Inne
But þer as bagges ben and fat vitaile
Ther wol they gon and spare for no synne
With al hir ost the Cyte forto a-sayle 40
¶ Yit was no paleis chaumbres ne non halles
In kaues and wodes softe and swete
Sleptin this blyssed folk+ with-owte walles
On gras or leues in parfyt Ioye reste and quiete 44
No down of fetheres ne no bleched shete
Was kyd to hem but in surte they slepte
Hir hertes weere al on with-owte galles
Euerych of hem his feith to oother kepte 48
¶ Vnforged was the hawberke and the plate
Þe lambyssh poeple voyded of alle vyse
Hadden no fantesye to debate
But eche of hem wolde oother wel cheryce 52
No pride non enuye non Auaryce
No lord no taylage by no tyranye
Vmblesse and pes good feith the emperice
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
¶ Yit was nat Iuppiter the lykerous
Þat fyrst was fadyr of delicasie
Come in this world ne nembroth desyrous
To regne had nat maad his towres hye 60
Allas allas now may [men] wepe And crye
For in owre dayes nis but couetyse
Dowblenesse and tresoun and enuye
Poyson and manslawhtre and mordre in sondry wyse 64
39, 40 MS. transposes the lines
44 On—MS. Or
56 A line omitted, but no gap left for one.
BALADES DE VILAGE SANZ PEINTURE.
Causer / Balades de vilage sanz peinture
¶ This wrecched worlde-is transmutacioun
As wele / or wo / now poeere and now honour
With-owten ordyr or wis descresyoun
Gouerned is by fortunes errour 4
But natheles the lakke of hyr fauowr)
Ne may nat don me syngen thowh I. deye
[fol. 53 b.]Iay tout perdu moun temps et moun labour
For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 8
¶ Yit is me left the lyht of my resoun
To knowen frend fro foo in thi merowr)
So mochel hath yit thy whirlynge vp and down
I-tawht me for to knowe in an howr 12
But trewely no fors of thi reddowr)
To hym þat ouer hym self hath the maystrye
My suffysaunce shal be my socour)
For fynaly fortune I. thee deffye 16
¶ O socrates þou stidfast chaumpyoun
She neuer myht[e] be thi tormentowr
Thow neuer dreddest hyr oppressyoun
Ne in hyr chere fownde thow no sauour) 20
Thow knewe wel the deseyte of hyr colour)
And þat hir most[e] worshipe is to lye
I knew hir ek a fals dissimulour)
For fynaly fortune .I. the deffye 24
Le respounce de fortune a pleintif.
¶ No man ys wrechchyd but hym self yt wene
And he þat hath hym self hat suffisaunce
Whi seysthow thanne y am [to] the so kene
Þat hast thy self owt of my gouernaunce 28
Sey thus graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce
That thow hast lent or this why wolt þou stryue
What woost thow yit how y the wol auaunce
And ek thow hast thy beste frende a-lyue 32
¶ I haue the tawht deuisyoun by-twene
Frend of effect+ and frende of cowntenaunce
The nedeth nat the galle of no hyene
Þat cureth eyen derkyd for penaunce 36
Now se[st] thow cleer þat weere in ignoraunce
Yit halt thin ancre and yit thow mayst aryue
Ther bownte berth the keye of my substaunce
And ek þou hast thy beste frende alyue 40
¶ How manye haue .I. refused to sustigne
Syn .I. the fostred haue in thy plesaunce
Wolthow thanne make a statute on þy quyene
Þat .I. shal ben ay at thy ordynaunce 44
Thow born art in my regne of varyaunce
Abowte the wheel with oother most thow dryue
My loore is bet than wikke is thi greuaunce
And ek þou hast thy beste frende a-lyue 48
37 se[st]—partly erased and ist written on it in a later hand.
41 igne of sustigne is in a later hand.
Le Respounce du pleintif countre fortune.
[fol. 54.]¶ Thy loore y dempne / it is aduersyte
My frend maysthow nat reuen blynde goddesse
Þat .I. thy frendes knowe .I. thanke to the
Tak hem agayn / lat hem go lye on presse 52
The negardye in kepynge hyr rychesse
Prenostik is thow wolt hir) towr) asayle
Wikke appetyt comth ay before sykenesse
In general this rewle may nat fayle 56
Le respounce de fortune countre le pleintif
¶ Thow pynchest at my mutabylyte
For .I. the lente a drope of my rychesse
And now me lykyth to with-drawe me
Whi sholdysthow my realte apresse 60
The see may ebbe and flowen moore or lesse
The welkne hath myht to shyne reyne or hayle
Ryht so mot .I. kythen my brutelnesse
In general this rewle may nat fayle 64
Le pleintif
¶ Lo excussyoun of the maieste
Þat al purueyeth of his ryhtwysnesse
That same thinge fortune clepyn ye
Ye blynde beestys ful of lewednesse 68
The heuene hath proprete of sykyrnesse
This world hath euer resteles trauayle
Thy laste day is ende of myn inter[e]sse
In general this rewele may nat fayle 72
Lenuoy de fortune
¶ Prynses .I. prey yow of yowre gentilesses
Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne
And .I. shal quyte yow yowre bysynesse
At my requeste as thre of yow or tweyne 76
Þat but yow lest releue hym of hys peyne
Preyeth hys best frend of his noblesse
That to som betere estat he may attayne