And therwithalle he writethe hem in his mynde,
So stidefastly withe devoute and highe corage,
That never a day a word he forgate behynde,
But seyde hem entierly into his last age,
His olde gyltis bothe to a soft and swage,
After his matyns as was his appetite,
To seyn hem ever was his most delite.

Therto his diligence withe al his hert and mighte,
And forthe contynued in his devoute wise,
Til at the last it befille upon a nyghte,
The hole covent at midnyght gan arise,

As is her usage to don to God servise,
So whan they were assembled ther in generalle,
The suppriour beholdyng aboute overalle,

As is his office, that non of them were absent,
But of Dane Jose he cowde no wise espie,
He rose hym up and priveliche he is went
Into hys chambre, and there he fond hym lye,

Dede as a stone, and lowde he gan to crye,

66

Help," quod he," for the love of oure lady bright,

Dan Joos oure brother is sodainely [dede] to nyght."

The covent anon ganne renne half in drede,
Til they behielde whan passid was theyre affray,
Out of his mowthe a rose bothe sprynge and sprede,
Fresshe in his coloure as any floure in May,
And other tweyne out of his eyen gray,
Of his eris as many ful freshly flouryng,

That never yit in gardyn half so fayre gan spryng.

This ruddy rose they have so long behold,

That sprong fro his mowthe, til they han espyed,
Ful fayre i-graven, in lettris of bourned gold,
MARIA ful curiously, as it is specifyed

In bookis olde, and anon they have hym hyed
Unto the temple, with lowde solempnité,
Beryng the cors that al men myght it se.

Whiche they kept in royalté and perfeccioun,
Sevene dayes in the temple there beyng present,
Til thre Bisshoppes of fame and grete renowne
Weren comen thyder right with devout entent,
And many another clerk withe hem by on assent,
To sene this myracle of this Lady bright,
Sayeng in this wise withe al theyr hert and myght:-

"Yowre blynde fantesies now in hertis weyve
Of childisshe vanyté, and lete hem over slyde,
And lovith this Lady that can no wise disceyve,
She is so stidefast of hert in every syde,
That for youre nedis so wonderly can provyde,
And for youre poyesye these lettres v. ye take,
Of this name MARIA, only for hir sake,

"That for youre travaile so wele wille you avaunce,
Nought as these wymmen on whiche ye don delite,
That fedithe yow al day withe feyned plesaunce,
Hid under treason withe many wordes white;
But bette than ye deserve she wil yow qwyte,
And for ye schal nat labour al in veyne,
Ye shul have hevene; ther is no more to seyne."

F

Whos passyng goodenes may nat be comprehendyd, In mannes prudence fully to determyne,

She is so perfite she kan nat be amended,

That ay to mercy and pité dothe enclyne;

Now benyng Lady, that didest oure sorowes fyne,

In honoure of the that these psalmes rede,

As was Dane Joos, so quyte hem for hir mede! Amen.

RULES FOR PRESERVING HEALTH.

THE following short poem is very common in manuscript, but several of the copies vary considerably from each other. It may be sufficient to refer to MS. Harl. 116, fol. 166; MS. Oxon. Bernard. 1479; MS. Rawl. Oxon. C. 86; MS. Arund. 168; MS. Sloan. 775; and MS. Sloan. 3534, which contains a Latin version. Ritson has inserted this in his list of Lydgate's works in two places, under Nos. 55 and 61. The present text is from MS. Harl. 2251, fol. 4-5.

IF SO BE THAT LECHIS DONE THE FAILE.

FOR helth of body cover for cold thyn hede;

Ete no raw mete,—take goode heede therto;
Drynk holsom wyne; feede the on light brede;✓
Withe an appetite rise from thy mete also.
In thyn age, with wymmen have thow nat ado;
Upon thi slepe drynk nat of the cuppe;
Glad towards bedde and at morowe both to,
And use never late for to souppe.

And if it so be that lechis done the faile,

Thanne take goode [hede] and use thynges iij.,—

Temperat dyete, temperat travaile,

Nat malicious for none adversité;

Meke in trouble, gladde in poverté;

Riche with litel, content with suffisaunce,
Nat grucchyng, but mery like thi degré;
If phesyk lak, make this thy governaunce.

To every tale, sone, yeve thow no credence;
Be nat to hasty, nor sodainly vengeable;
Το poore folke do thow no violence;

Curteys of language, in spendyng mesurable;
On sundry mete nat gredy at the table;
In fedyng gentil, prudent in daliaunce;
Close of tunge, of word nat deceyvable,
the best sette alwey thy plesaunce.

Το

sey

Have in hate mowthes that ben double;
Suffre at thy table no distractioun ;
Have dispite of folkes that ben trouble,
Of false rowners and adulacioun;
Withyn thy court, suffre no divisioun,

Whiche, in thi houshold, shal cause grete encrese

Of al welfare, prosperité, and foyson;

With thy neyghburghs lyve in rest and peas.

Be clenly clad after thyn estate;

Passe nat thy bowndis, kepe thy promyse blyth; With thre folkes thow be nat at debate:

First with thy bettir beware for to stryve; Ayenst thy felawe no quarrele thou contryve; With thy subject to stryve it were shame : Wherfor I counsaile thow pursue al thy lyve,

To lyve in peas and gete the a goode name.

Fuyre at morowe, and towards bed at eve,

For mystis blake, and eyre of pestilence; Betyme at masse, thow shalt the better preve, First at thi risyng do to God reverence, Visite the pore, with intyre diligence,

On al nedy have thow compassioun, And God shal sende grace and influence, To encrese the and thy possessioun.

Suffre no surfetis in thy house at nyght,
Ware of reresoupers, and of grete excesse,
Of noddyng hedys and of candel light,

And slowth at morow, and slomberyng idelnes,
Whiche of al vices is chief porteresse;
Voyde al drunklew, lyers, and lechours;
Of al unthriftes exile the mastres,

That is to say, dyse, players, and haserdours.

After mete beware, make nat to longe slepe,
Hede, foote, and stomak preserve ay from cold;
Be nat to pensyf of thought, take no kepe
After thy rent, mayntene thyn houshold,
Suffre in tyme, in thi right be bold;
Swere none othis no man to begyle,

In thi yowth be lusty; sad whan thow art olde.

Dyne nat at morwe aforne thyn appetite,

Clere eyre and walkyng makith goode digestioun, Betwene meles drynk nat for no froward delite, But thurst or travaile yeve the occasioun;