INEDITED BALLAD ON TRUTH.

I send you herewith a copy of an ancient ballad which I found this day while in search of other matters. I have endeavoured to explain away the strange orthography, and I have conjecturally supplied the last line. The ballad is unhappily imperfect. I trust that abler antiquaries than myself will give their attention to this fragmentary poem.

"A BALADE OF TROUTHE.

(Harl. MSS. No. 48. folio 92.)

"What more poyson . than ys venome.

What more spytefull . than ys troozte.[[1]]

Where shall hattred . sonere come.

Than oone anothyr . that troozte showthe.

5

Undoyng dysplesure . no love growthe.

And to grete[[2]] men . in especyall.

Troozte dare speke . lest[[3]] of all.

"And troozte . all we be bound to.

And troozte . most men now dothe fle.[[4]]

10

What be we then . that so do.

Be we untrewe . troozte saythe ee.[[5]]

But he yt tellethe troozte . what ys he.

A besy foole . hys name shalle ronge.[[6]]

Or else he hathe an euyle tonge.

15

"May a tong . be trew and evyle.

Trootze ys good . and evyle ys navtze.[[7]]

God ys trootze . and navzt ys ye devyle.

Ego sum veritas . or[[8]] lord tavzt.[[9]]

At whyche word . my conceyt lavzt.[[10]]

20

To se[[11]] our Lorde . yff[[12]] foly in hym be.

To use troozt . that few doth but he.

"To medyle wt trouthe[[13]] . no small game.

For trouthe told . of tyms ys shent.

And trouthe known . many doth blame.

25

When trouthe ys tyrned . from trew intent.

Yet trouthe ys trouthe . trewly ment.[[14]]

But now what call they trouthe . trow ye.

Trowthe ys called colored honestè.

"Trouthe . ys honest without coloure.

30

Trouthe . shameth not in no condycyon.

Of hymself . without a trespasowre.

By myst and knowne . of evyle condycyon.

But of trouthe thys ys ye conclusyon.

Surely good ordre there ys brokyne.

35

Where trouthe may not . nor dare be spokyne.[[15]]

"Trouthe many tyms ys cast.

Out of credence . by enformacyon.

Yet trouthe crepthe[[16]] out at last.

And ovyr mastrythe cavylacyon.[[17]]

40

That I besech Cryst . every nacyon.

May use trouthe . to God and man.

* * that he * not * syn * * ."

* * * * * *

I would fill up the lacuna—

"Now that he do not syn . we can."

Perhaps, I repeat, some more able antiquaries will give their attention to this, and satisfy me on the points of punctuation, date, &c.

Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie.

Footnote 1:[(return)]

Truth, I presume, is meant, though it does not seem to agree with the context, which is pure nonsense in its present condition.

Great.

Least.

Flee.

Yea.

Ring, I fancy.

Naught.

Our.

Taught.

Laughed.

See.

If.

Here the orthography changes.

Meant.

I think there must be some allusion here, which can only be arrived at by knowing the date of its composition.

An elision for creepeth; possibly an intermediate etymological state of creeps.

From "to cavil."