Early English Alliterative Poems 13

Early English Alliterative Poems 13

 [Sidenote: All lead a blissful life. She reminds her father

that she was very young when she died. Now she is crowned

a queen in heaven.]

A blysful lyf þ{o}u says I lede,

Þou woldeȝ knaw þ{er}-of þe stage;

Þow wost wel when þy perle con schede,

I watȝ ful ȝong & tender of age, 412

Bot my lorde þe lombe, þurȝ hys god-hede,

He toke my self to hys maryage,

Corou{n}de me quene i{n} blysse to brede,

I{n} lengh{e} of dayeȝ þat eu{er} schal wage, 416

& sesed i{n} alle hys herytage

Hys lef is, I am holy hysse;

Hys prese, hys prys & hys parage,

Is rote & grou{n}de of alle my blysse.” 420

 

 

[Headnote: MARY IS THE EMPRESS OF HEAVEN.]

 

VIII.

 

[Sidenote: The father of the maiden does not fully understand

her. Mary, he says, is the queen of heaven. No one is able

to remove the crown from her.]

“Blysful,” q{uod} I, “may þys be trwe,

Dyspleseȝ not if I speke erro{ur};

Art þou þe quene of heueneȝ blwe,

Þ{a}t al þys worlde schal do hono{ur}? 424

We leuen on marye þat grace of grewe,

Þat ber a barne of vyrgyn flo{ur},

Þe croune fro hyr quo moȝt remwe,

Bot ho hir passed i{n} su{m} fauo{ur}? 428

Now for synglerty o hyr douso{ur},

We calle hyr fenyx of arraby,

Þat freles fleȝe of hyr fasor,

Lyk to þe quen of cortaysye.” 432

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 45a.]]

[Sidenote: The maiden addresses the Virgin. She then explains

to her father that each has his place in heaven.]

“Cortayse quen” þe{n}ne s[a]yde þat gaye,

Knelande to grou{n}de, folde vp hyr face,

“Makeleȝ moder & myryest may,

Blessed bygy{n}ner[16] of vch a grace!” 436

Þe{n}ne ros ho vp & con restay,

& speke me towarde i{n} þat space:

“S{ir} fele here porchaseȝ & fongeȝ pray

Bot supplantoreȝ none w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne þys place; 440

Þat emp{er}ise al heue{n}ȝ hatȝ,

& vrþe & helle i{n} her bayly;

Of erytage ȝet non wyl ho chace,

For ho is quen of cortaysye. 444

 

[Sidenote 16: MS. reads _bȳgyner_.]

 

[Sidenote: The court of God has a property in its own being.

Each one in it is a king or queen. The mother of Christ holds

the chief place.]

The co{ur}t of þe kyndom of god alyue,

Hatȝ a p{ro}perty i{n} hyt self bey{n}g;

Alle þat may þer-i{n}ne aryue

Of alle þe reme is quen oþ{er} ky{n}g, 448

& neu{er} oþ{er} ȝet schal depryue,

Bot vchon fayn of oþ{er}eȝ hafy{n}g,

& wolde her corou{n}eȝ wern worþe þo fyue,

If possyble were her mendy{n}g. 452

Bot my lady of quom Iesu con spry{n}g,

Ho haldeȝ þe empyre ou{er} v{us} ful hyȝe,

& þat dyspleseȝ non of oure gy{n}g,

For ho is quene of cortaysye. 456

 

[Sidenote: We are all members of Christ’s body. Look that

each limb be perfect.]

Of co{ur}taysye, as saytȝ say{n}t poule,

Al arn we me{m}breȝ of ih{es}u kryst,

As heued & arme & legg & naule,

Temen to hys body ful trwe & t[r]yste; 460

Ryȝt so is vch a krysten sawle,

A longande lym to þe mayster of myste;

Þe{n}ne loke what hate oþ{er} any gawle,

Is tached oþ{er} tyȝed þy ly{m}meȝ by-twyste, 464

Þy heued hatȝ nauþer greme ne gryste,

On arme oþ{er} fynger, þaȝ þ{o}u ber byȝe;

So fare we alle wyth luf & lyste,

To ky{n}g & quene by cortaysye.” 468

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 45b.]]

[Sidenote: The father replies that he cannot understand how

his pearl can be a queen. He desires to know what greater

honour she can have.]

“Cortayse,” q{uod} I, “I leue

& charyte grete be yow amo{n}g,

Bot my speche þat yow ne greue,

. . . . . 472

Þy self in heuen ou{er} hyȝ þ{o}u heue,

To make þe quen þat watȝ so ȝonge,

What more-hond moȝte he acheue

Þat hade endured i{n} worlde stronge, 476

& lyued i{n} penau{n}ce hys lyueȝ longe,

W{i}t{h} bodyly bale hy{m} blysse to byye?

What more worschyp moȝt ho fonge,

Þen corou{n}de be ky{n}g by cortayse? 480

 

 

[Headnote: THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.]

 

IX.

 

[Sidenote: She was only two years old when she died,

and could do nothing to please God. She might be a countess

or some great lady but not a queen.]

That cortayse is to fre of dede,

Ȝyf hyt be soth þat þ{o}u coneȝ saye,

Þ{o}u lyfed not two ȝer i{n} oure þede,

Þ{o}u cowþeȝ neu{er} god nauþ{er} plese ne pray, 484

Ne neu{er} nawþer pater ne crede,

& quen mad on þe fyrst day!

I may not traw, so god me spede,

Þat god wolde wryþe so wrange away; 488

Of cou{n}tes damysel, par ma fay,

Wer fayr i{n} heuen to halde asstate

Aþ{er} elleȝ a lady of lasse aray,

Bot a quene, hit is to dere a date.” 492

 

[Sidenote: The maiden informs her father that there is no limit

to God’s power. The parable of the labourers in the vineyard.]

“Þer is no date of hys god-nesse,”

Þen sayde to me þat worþy wyȝte,

“For al is trawþe þat he con dresse,

& he may do no þynk bot ryȝt, 496

As mathew meleȝ i{n} yo{ur} messe,

I{n} sothfol gospel of god al-myȝt

I{n} sample he can ful grayþely gesse,

& lykneȝ hit to heuen lyȝte.” 500

“My regne, he saytȝ, is lyk on hyȝt,

To a lorde þat hade a uyne I wate,

Of tyme of ȝere þe terme watȝ tyȝt,

To labor vyne watȝ dere þe date, 504

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 46a.]]

[Sidenote: The lord of the vineyard hires workmen for a penny a

day. At noon the lord hires other men standing idle in the

market place.]

Þat date of ȝere wel knawe þys hyne;

Þe lorde ful erly vp he ros,

To hyre werkmen to hys vyne,

& fyndeȝ þ{er} su{m}me to hys porpos, 508

Into acorde þay con de-clyne,

For a pené on a day & forth þay gotȝ,

Wryþen & worchen & don gret pyne,

Keruen & caggen & man hit clos; 512

Aboute vnder, þe lorde to marked totȝ

& ydel men stande he fyndeȝ þer-ate,

“Why stande ȝe ydel” he sayde to þos,

Ne knawe ȝe of þis day no date? 516

 

[Sidenote: He commands them to go into his vineyard, and he will

give them what is right.]

“Er date of daye hider arn we won{n}e,”

So watȝ al samen her answar soȝt;

“We haf standen her syn ros þe su{n}ne,

& no mo{n} byddeȝ v{us} do, ryȝt noȝt.” 520

“Gos i{n}-to my vyne, dotȝ þat ȝe co{n}ne.”

So sayde þe lorde & made hit toȝt.

“What resonabele hyre be naȝt be ru{n}ne,

I yow pray i{n} dede & þoȝte.” 524

Þay wente i{n} to þe vyne & wroȝte,

& al day þe lorde þ{us} ȝede his gate,

& nw men to hys vyne he broȝte;

Wel neȝ wyl day watȝ passed date, 528

 

[Sidenote: At an hour before the sun went down the lord sees

other men standing idle. Tells them to go into the vineyard.]

At þe day of date of euen-songe,

On oure byfore þe so{n}ne go dou{n}

He seȝ þer ydel men ful stronge

& sa[y]de to hem[17] w{i}t{h} sobre sou{n}; 532

“Wy stonde ȝe ydel þise dayeȝ longe.”

Þay sayden her hyre watȝ nawhere bou{n}.

“Gotȝ to my vyne ȝemen ȝonge

& wyrkeȝ & dotȝ þ{a}t at ȝe mou{n}.” 536

Sone þe worlde by-com wel brou{n},

Þe su{n}ne watȝ doun &[18] hit wex late;

To take her hyre he mad su{m}ou{n};

Þe day watȝ al apassed date. 540

 

[Sidenote 17: MS. _hen_.]

[Sidenote 18: MS. & &.]

 

 

[Headnote: THE PAYMENT OF THE LABOURERS.]

 

X.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 46b.]]

[Sidenote: As soon as the sun was gone down the “reeve” was told

to pay the workmen. To give each a penny. The first began to

complain.]

The date of þe daye þe lorde con knaw,

Called to þe reue “lede pay þe meyny,

Gyf hem þe hyre þat I hem owe,

& fyrre, þat non me may repreue, 544

Set hem alle vpon a rawe,

& gyf vchon i{n}-lyche a peny.

Bygyn at þe laste þat sta{n}deȝ lowe,

Tyl to þe fyrste þat þ{o}u atteny;” 548

& þe{n}ne þe fyrst by-go{n}ne to pleny

& sayden þat þay hade trauayled sore,

Þese bot an [h]oure hem con streny,

V{us} þy{n}k v{us} oȝe to take more. 552

 

[Sidenote: Having borne the heat of the day he thinks that he

deserves more. The lord tells him that he agreed only to give

him a penny.]

More haf we serued v{us} þy{n}k so,

Þat suffred han þe dayeȝ hete,

Þe{n}n þyse þat wroȝt[e] not houreȝ two,

& þ{o}u dotȝ hem v{us} to cou{n}terfete. 556

Þe{n}ne sayde þe lorde to on of þo,

“Frende no wrang[19] I wyl þe ȝete,

Take þat is þyn owne & go;

& I hyred þe for a peny a grete, 560

Quy bygy{n}neȝ þ{o}u now to þrete;

Watȝ not a pené þy couenau{n}t þore?

Fyrre þe{n} couenau{n}de is noȝt to plete,

Wy schalte þou þe{n}ne ask more? 564

 

[Sidenote 19: MS. _wanig_.]