That came frome hevyne, and stiede up with our nature, u Or he ascendid he yafe to us cure, And lefte wyth us pease ageyne striffe and debate, 1 Here in this worlde, that after alle this? feste Wee mowe have pease in the londe of byheste, Jerusalem, which of pease is the sight, Wyth his bryghtnes of eternalle lighte. There glorified in reste wyth his tuicione, He secunde persone in divinis is,3 He us assume, and brynge us to the blisse. Amen. Here endithe the trewe processe of the libelle 5 of Englysshe policie, exhortynge alle Englande to kepe the see enviroun, and namely the narowe see; shewynge whate worshipe, profite, and salvacioun commethe thereof to the reigne of Englonde, etc. Go furthe, libelle," and mekely shewe thy face, 8 In opposaile, and cherisshynge the avaunce To hardynesse, if that not variaunce Thow haste fro troughte" by full experience, Auctours and reasone, yif ought faile 10 in substaunce, Remitte to heme that yafe the this science. u "Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis.” V "Urbs beata, Jerusalem, dicta pacis visio, etc." That sythe it is sothe, in verray feythe, That the wyse lorde baron of Hungerforde Hathe the oversene, and verrily he seithe That thow arte trewe, and thus he dothe recorde, Nexte the gospell; God wotte, it was his worde, Whanne he the redde alle over in a nyghte. Go forthe, trewe booke, and Criste defende thi ryghte. Explicit libellus de policia conservativa maris. LAMENT OF THE DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER.2 Thorowowt a pales as I can passe, I hard a lady make gret mone, And ever she syked and sayd, Alas! "Alle wordly joy ys from me gone; "Alas! I am fulle woo begon; "Alle women may be ware by me. "Alle women that in this world be wrowght, "As I that was browght up of nowght, Instead of the lines which follow, B. has in conclusion: To the gret prelate, the heyghest so confessor, The gret mayster of the gretest housse, Cheff tresorere of the gret socoure, Besschop, herle, and baroun plentivous, Of highe wyttes lordes thre famous, To examene thy doubled rendytee, I offer the tham to be gracious, To myn excuse, farwelle, my own treté. MSS. C. and D. conclude in the same words. 2 The duchess of Gloucester performed her penance on the 13th of November 1441. The poem here printed is preserved in a MS. of the latter half of the fifteenth century, in the Library of Balliol College, Oxford, No. 354, fol.169, vo, written by a citizen of London named Richard Hill, but the poem itself appears to have been composed at the time of the event to which it refers. "My sofferen lorde so to forsake, "Yt was a dulfulle destenye. "Alas! for to sorow how shuld I slake; "Alle women may be ware by me. "I was so high upon my whele, Myne owne estate I cowld not know, "Therfor the gospelle seythe fulle welle, "Who wille be high, he shalle be low. "The whele of fortune, who may it trow, Alle ys but veyn and vanyté ; "My flowris off joy be alle down blow; "Alle women may be ware by me. "In worldly joy and worthynes "I was besette on every side; "Of Glowcestere I was duches, Amonge alle women magnyfyed. "As Lucyfer felle down for pryde, "I felle ffrom alle felycyté; "I hade no grace my self to gyde; "Alle women may be ware by me. "Alas! what was myne adventure, "To crok and knele, whan I wold calle? "Now, fader of hevyn celestyalle, "Of my complaynt have pyté. "Now am I made sympulest of alle; "Alle women may be ware by me. "Before the counselle of this londe, A worde for me durst no man say. "Owre soverayn lorde withowt delay Was there he myght both here and see "And to his grace he toke me ay. Hys grace to me was evermore gayne, Thowgh I had done so gret offence; "The lawe wolde I hade bene slayn, "And sum men dyde there delygence. "That worthy prynce of high prudence "Of my sorow hade gret petye. Honour to hym, with reverence ! "Alle women may be ware by me. "I come before the spiritualité ; Two cardynals, and byshoppis fyve, And oder men of gret degré, tr Examened me of alle my lyffe. "And openly I dyde me shryffe Of alle thyng that they asked me. « Than was I putt in penaunce belyffe ; "Alle women may be ware by me. Thorow London in many a strete, "Of them that were most pryncy palle, "I went bare fote on my fette, tr That sum tyme was wonte to ride rialle. "Fader of hevyn and lorde of alle, "As thou wilt, so must yt be. "The syne of pryde wille have a falle; t Ffarewelle, London, and have good day; "At the I take my leve this tyde. "Farewelle, Grenwych, for ever and ay; Ffarewelle, alle welth and the world so wide. "I am asigned where I shalle be; "Under mens kepyng I must abide. "Ffarewelle, damask and clothes of gold; ८८ Ffarewelle, I se you never agayn. Ffarewelle, my lorde and sufferayn; "Ffarewelle, that may no bettere be; "Owr partyng ys grownd of felyng payn. "Alle women may be ware by me. "Ffarewelle, my mynstrels, and alle your songe, "That ofte hath made me for to daunce. "Ffarewelle; I wott I have done wronge; "And I wyte my mysgovernaunce. "Now I lyste nother to pryke nor praunce; My pryde ys put to poverté. "Thus, both in Englond and in Fraunce, Alle women may be ware by me. Ffarewelle, alle joy and lustynesse; "Alle worldly myrth I may forsake. "I am so fulle of hevynesse, "I wotte not to whom my mone to make. "Unto hym I wille me take "That for me dyed upon a tre. "In prayer I wille both walke and wake; "Alle women may be ware by me." Here endith the lamytacion of the duches of Glowcettre. |