This statly bridde dothe ful highe sore,
Percyng the beames of the highe sonne,
And of his kynde excellithe evermore,
In soryng up above the skynnes donne ;
And for this bridde hath the crowne wonne,
Above briddes alle, presentithe to your glorye,
Honour of knyghthode! conquest and victory!
This fowle is sacred unto Jupiter,
The lord of briddis in the highe heven,
Wele willyng planete beholdyng from so ferre,
Above the paleys of the sterris seven,
Alle constellaciouns that any man can neven,
This same fowle presentithe to youre glorie,
Honour of knyghthode! conquest and victorye!
This is the fowle, as clerkis telle can,
Whiche leete downe falle in the nativyté
Of Crist Jhesu unto Octovyan
The grene olyve of pees and unité;
Whan the high lord toke oure humanyté,
This royal egle sendithe to youre glorye
Honour of knyghthode! conquest and victorye!
This is the fowle whiche Ezechiel,
In his avisioun, saugh ful yoore agon,
He saugh foure bestis tornyng on a whele, Amonges whiche this royal bridde was oon, Callid in Scripture th' Evangelist seynt John, This yeeris day presentyng to youre glorye Honour of knyghthode! conquest and victorye!
This royal bridde most persaunt of hir sight, [sheene, Ageyn Phebus streames most shynyng, fresshe, and Blenchithe never for al the cliere light;
Presentith also unto the noble qwene,
That sittith now here ful gracious unto seene,
This yeeris day downe from that hevenly see,
Helthe and welfare, joy and prosperité !
This fowle also, by title of hir nature,
Of fowles alle is qwene and emperesse,
Flyeth hiest and longest may endure,
Batyng hir wynges witheoute werynesse;
To Junoes castel in heven a grete goddesse,
Sendith to you, pryncesse, her sittyng in youre see,
Helthe and welfare, joy and prosperité !
He sendithe also unto youre noblesse,
Of al vertues fulsom habundaunce,
Fredam, bounté, honour, and gentillesse,
Whiche we the meane by gracious allyaunce
To sette in pees England and Fraunce,
To whos hyghnesse downe from the hevenly see,
Helthe and welfare and prosperité.
This bridde in armes of emperours is born,
Whiche in the tyme of Cesar Julius,
In Rome apperyng, whan Crist Jhesu was born
Of a mayde most clene and vertuous;
Wherfore, O pryncesse! happy and gracious,
To yow presentithe this egle, as he dothe flee,
Helthe and welfare, joy and prosperité!
This fowle withe briddes hathe hold his parlement,
Where as the lady whiche is callid Nature
Satte in hir see liche a president,
And al ichon they dide hir besy cure,
To sende to yow goode happe, goode aventure,
Al youre desires accomplisshed for to be,
Helthe and welfare, joye and prosperité !
Most noble prince! whiche, in especial,
Excelle al other, as maked is memory,
This day be gyf unto youre estate royal,
As I sayd erst, honour, conquest, victory,
Liche as this egle hath presented to youre glorye,
And to yow princesse he wil also ther be
Helthe and welfare, joye and prosperyté.
THE TRIUMPH OF VIRTUE.
[From MS. Harl. 2255, fol. 12-14. Other copies are in MS. Rawl. Oxon. C. 86, and MS. Bib. Coll. Jes. Cantab. Q. F. 8.]
As of hony men gadren out swetnesse,
Of wyn and spices is maad good ypocras,
Fro silver wellys that boyle up with fresshenesse
Cometh cristal watir rennyng a gret pas;
So as Phebus perceth thoruhe the glas,
With brihte beemys, shynyng in his speere,
Byforn our dayes this proverb provid was,-
Of prudent folk men may vertu leere.
Quyk lusty sprynges, that boile up in the welle, Do gret refresshyng and coumfort to the sihte, Mong holsom herbys in vertu that excelle,
What folwith aftir makith hertis glad and lihte; Good haire a morwe aftir the dirke nyhte,
Passyng holsom al sesouns of the yeere, Concludyng thus of verray trouthe and rihte, Wo sueth vertu, vertn he shal leere.
Frut fet fro fer tarageth of the tre,
Wyn takith his pris of the holsom vyne,
Of puryd flour maad holsom breed pardé,
As clerkys wyse is holsom the doctryne;
The wyntres nyhte is glad whan sterrys shyne,
Somer toward whan buddys first appeere,
And the May-dewhe round lik perlys fyne,-
Who sueth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
Eche thyng of kynde drawith to his nature,
Som to profite in wysdam and science,
Som also to studyen in Scripture,
A fool is dullyd of slouth and necligence;
Konnyng conqueryd with long experyence,
Which noble tresour may nat be bouhte to deere, And who that doth his enteer dilligence,
Vertu to sewe, vertu he shal leere.
yong braunche wol soone wexe wrong, Dispoosyd of kynde for to been a crook,
The ffyr of nature wyl growe up rihte and long,
Hoot fir and smoke makith many an angry cook;
The fisshe for beit goth to the angil hook,
The larke with song is Phebus massageer,
A thryvyng scoler rihte eerly to his book,-
Who sewith vertu, vertu he shal leere.
Off rethoryciens men lerne fresshe language,
Of hooly seyntes procedith parfitnesse,
Of furyon folk debate and gret outrage,
Of marcial pryncis vertuous hihe noblesse,
Of wise wisdam, of gentil gentillesse ;
For lyk hymsilf kynd wyl ay appeare,
A cherl of nature wil brayde on rewdnesse,-
Who seweth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
Lusty hertys in gladnesse them delite,
Set al ther study on occupacioun,
In joye and myrthe, rihte as an ypocrite
Rejoysith hymsylf in symylacioun ;
And bakbiteres in fals detractioun,
To hurt wers than boymbyl, busk, or breere, Contrary to vertu of condicioun,
Who sueth vertu, vertu he shal leere.
Off knyhtis knyhthood expert in pees and werre;
Marchauntys by travayle gadre greet richesse ;
Be nedle and stoon and by the lood-sterre,
Maryneres ay ther cours they dresse;
And massageres with watche and gret swiftnesse,
T'expleyte the journé al tymes of the yeere,
Ther grettest foo is slouthe and ydilnesse,-
To alle tho that vertu list to leere.
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