the man and the wyfe, and betweene the body and the soule, the whiche is the
lhome et la femme, et entre le corps et lame, laquelle est la
worste, and more dangerous of the others, but touchyng the peas, saint
pire, et plus dangereuse des aultres, mais quant est de la paix, saint
Austin, in the place above alleged, sayth that it is clennesse of thought,
Augustin, ou lieu dessus allegué, dict que cest serenité de pensée,
peas of corage, simplenesse of hert, bonde of love, feliship of
tranquilité de courage, simplesse de coeur, lien damour, compagne de
charite, breker of strife, pacifier of molifiyng of
charyté, destruiseresse destrif, apaiseresse de batailles, mollifieresse de
angre, vainquisshyng proude men, love of humilite, asswagyng
couroux, uainqueresse des orguilleus, amour dhumilité, en mitigant
discorde, and agreyng ennemys, nat sekyng but his, that can nat
les discordz, et concordant ennemis, non cerchant laultruy, non scachant
hate, callyng nothyng his, that can nat exalte him nor be proude,
hair, rien ne reputant sien, non scauant soy exaultér ne enorgueillir,
techyng to love, pleasante to every body, he that had it let him kepe it,
ensegnant aimér, plaisante a chescun, quil la tient sy la garde,
he that lese it let him seke it, for he that in it shall nat be founde, God the father
qui la pert sy la cerche, car qui en elle trouué ne sera, Dieu le pére
him shal pluck out of his roote, and the Sonne him shal disenherite, and of the Holy
le disracinera, et le Filz le deshéritera, et du Saint
Goost shalbe unknowen, wherof the same be willyng us to defende and
Esprit sera descongneu, dont icelle Trinité nous ueulle deffendre et
kepe.
gardér.
Ma.
In my God it is a great thyng of peas; I requyre the swete Jhesus
En mon Dieu, cest grand chose que de paix; je requiér le doulz Jhesus
to mainteyne it to us.
la nostre uoulloir maintenir.
Amen.
Page 1041
HERE FOLOWETH CERTAYNE VERSES, SENDE TO THE NOBLE LADY MARY,
FOR TO LERNE THEM HER SCOLE MAISTER BEYNG SICKE.
To you, most soverayn,
A uous, tressouueraine maistresse,
I sende these vers, wyllyng to signifie
jenvoy ces uerse, uoullant sinifiér
my great dolour and that more me oppresse
ma grand doulleur et que plus mopresse
that I may nat you serve and teche
ne uous pouoir seruir et enseygnér
than for to suffre sekenesse and danger
que de souffrir maladie et dangiér
wherfore, if it please so moche do to your grace
pourquoy, sil plaist tant faire a uostre grace
them for to rede some lyttell space
les uoulloir lire quelque petitte espace
my hope is that better therof ye shalbe
mon espoir est que mieulz uous en vauldrés
and by that point also shall excuse me.
et par ce point aussi mescuserés.
Me thinketh that other than you ought nat
Il me semble quaultre que uous ne doibt
to be judge of my greuous payne
estre juge de ma griéfue payne
bycause also that other myght nat
pource aussy quaultre ne pouroit
nat knowyng the whiche lede me
non congnoisant la cause qui me maine
but as for you, I know that ye be
mais quant a uous, say questes certaine
of the good wyll and great
du bon uoulloir et grande affection
Page 1042
that I have to serve, and the
quay de seruir, et la déuocion
to fulfyll of hert and of power
pour accomplir de coeur et de pouoir
all that whiche please to the noble kynge to wyll.
tout ce quil plaist au noble roy uoulloir.
Amonge the monethes which fulfyll the yere
Entre les mois qui accomplissent lan
two there ben specially
deux en y a espéciallement
whiche have done me yvell, great sorowe and harme
qui mont fait deul, grant ennuy et ahan
it may nat be that I say otherwyse
estre ne peult que je die aultrement
often I have sene theyr maner and how
souvent ay ueu leur maniere et comment
they me have entreated, without any deservyng
ilz mont traicte, sans lauoir deseruy
bycause they ben of courage bounded
pour ce quilz sont de courage asseruy
never lovyng the workes of the springe of the yere
naimant jamais les oeuures de printemps
rather without cesse than doth yvell at all tymes.
ains sans cessér leur font mal en tous temps.
The principall of the whiche more I me complayne
Le principal duquel plus je me plains
in his blason him doth name
en son blason se fait nommér Décembre
by him I have made weppyng and syghes many
par luy ay fait pleurs et soupirs mains
never shall it be but I shall
ja ne sera que ne men remembre
Page 1043
he and me have ravyshed a
luy et Januiér mont tollu ung membre
whiche me shall make that so longe as I shall lyve
qui me fera que tant que je uiuray
in great sorow fromhensforth shall go
en grant doulleur doresnauant iray
wherfore I drede that in great melancoly
pourquoy je crains quen grant merencolie
at the latter ende shall behove that therof I lose my lyfe.
en fin fauldra que jen perde la uie.
If it hap nat that the springe
Sansy naduient, que printempz gracieuz
to his commyng the whiche is nygh
a sa uenue laquelle est prouchaine
beholdyng me and seyng so pitious
me regardant et uoiant sy piteuz
to heale me, put him nat in paine
de me guerir ne se mecte en paine
for trewly, I know well that he love me
car pour certain, bien je scay quil mayme
by him first in this worlde was I put
par luy primiér en ce monde fus mys
with that always he hath him indever
auec ce tousjours sest entermys
duryng his tyme, to do me somme good
son temps durant, de me faire du bien
wherof from ever I shall yelde me for his.
dont a jamais je me tiendray pour sien.
Whiche I requyre that it may hap
Ce que requiér ainsy puist aduenir
to the ende that to God I may crie mercy
affin qua Dieu puisse criér mercy
Page 1044
of my synnes, and to go and come
de mes pechéz, et allér et uenir
in servyng you, for to satisfie also
en uous seruant, pour satisfaire aussy
to your good dedes, that do entreate me so
a uos biens faitz, qui me traictéz ainsy
wherfore next Good, I am more bounde
dont appres Dieu, je suis plus obligéz
to your grace, than to any under heven
a uostre grace, qua nul dessoubz les cielz
wherfore in the meane tyme that I shalbe in this worlde
pourquoy tandis que seray en ce monde
I shall him requyre to kepe you pure and clene.
luy requerray uous garder pure et monde.
Amen.