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1994 Prospectus: Bodleian Library Laud Misc. 581 (MS L) Documentary Edition Sample

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Passus Tercius


	Now is Mede þe Maide . and namo of hem alle

	With bedellus & wiþ bayllyues . brou3t bifor þe kyng

	The kyng called a clerke . can I nou3t his name

 4	To take Mede þe mayde . and make hire at ese

	I shal assaye hir my-self . and sothelich appose

	What man of þis molde . þat hire were leueste

	And if she worche bi my witte . and my wille folwe

 8	I wil forgyue hir þis gilte . so me god help



	¶ph;Curteysliche þe clerke þanne . as þe kyng hight

	Toke Mede bi þe Middel . and brou3te hir in to chaumbre

	And þere was myrthe and mynstralcye . Mede to plese 



12	They þat wonyeth in westmynstre . worschiped hir alle

	Gentelliche wiþ ioye . þe Iustices somme

	Busked hem to þe boure . þere þe birde dwelled

	To conforte hire kyndely . by clergise leue

16	And seiden mourne nought Mede . ne make þow no sorwe

	ffor we wisse þe kynge . and þi wey shape

	To be wedded at þi wille . and where þe leue liketh

	ffor al conscience caste . or craft as I trowe



20	¶ph;Mildeliche Mede þanne . mercyed hem alle

	Of þeire gret goodnesse . and gaf hem vchone

	Coupes of clene golde . and coppis of siluer

	Rynges with rubies . and ricchesses manye

24	The leste man of here meyne . a motoun of golde

	Thanne lau3te þei leue . þis lordes at Mede



	¶ph;With that comen clerkis . to conforte hir þe same

	And beden hire be blithe . for we beth þine owne 

28	ffor to worche þi wille . þe while þow my3te laste



	Hendeliche heo þanne . bihight hem þe same

	To loue 3ow lelli . and lordes to make

	And in þe consistorie atte courte . do calle 3owre names

32	Shal no lewdnesse lette . þe leode þat I louye

	That he ne worth first auanced . for I am biknowen

	Þere konnyng clerkes . shul clokke bihynde



	¶ph;Þanne come þere a confessoure . coped as a ffrere

36	To Mede þe mayde . he mellud þis wordes

	And seide ful softly . in shrifte as it were

	Thei3 lewed men . and lered men . had leyne by þe bothe

	And falsenesse haued y-folwed þe al þis fyfty wyntre

40	I shal assoille þe my-selue . for a seme of whete

	And also be þi bedeman . and bere wel þi message

	Amonges kni3tes and clerkis . conscience to torne



	¶ph;Thanne Mede for here mysdedes . to þat man kneled

44	And shroue hire of hire shrewednesse . shamelees I trowe

	Tolde hym a tale . and toke hym a noble

	fforto ben hire bedeman . and hire brokour als



	¶ph;Thanne he assoilled hir sone . and sithen he seyde

48	We han a wyndowe a wirchyng . wil sitten vs wel heigh

	Woldestow glase þat gable . and graue þere-inne þi name

	Siker sholde þi soule be . heuene to haue 

	Wist I that quod þat womman . I wolde nou3t spare

52	ffor to be 3owre frende frere . and faille 3ow neure

	Whil 3e loue lordes . þat lechery haunteþ

	And lakkeþ nou3t ladis . þat loueþ wel þe same

	It is a frelete of [*] flesche . 3e fynde it in bokes

56	And a course of kynde . wher-of we komen alle

	Who may scape þe sklaundre . þe skaþe is sone amended

	It is synne of seuene . sonnest relessed



	¶ph;Haue mercy quod Mede . of men that it haunte

60	And I shal keure 3owre kirke . 3owre cloystre do maken

	Wowes do whitten . and wyndowes glasen

	Do peynten and purtraye . and paye for þe makynge

	That eury segge shal seyn . I am sustre of 3owre hous



64	¶ph;Ac god to alle good folke . suche grauynge defendeth

	To writen in wyndowes . of here wel dedes

	On auenture pruyde be peynted þere . and pompe of þe worlde

	ffor crist knoweþ þi conscience . and þi kynde wille

68	And þi coste and þi coueitise . and who þe catel ou3te



	¶ph;ffor-þi I lere 3ow lordes . leueþ suche werkes

	To writen in wyndowes . of 3owre wel dedes

	Or to greden after goddis men . whan 3e delen doles

72	An auenture 3e han 3owre hire here . and 3oure heuene als

	Nesciat sinistra quid faciat dextra

	Lat nou3te þi left half . late no rathe

	Wyte what þow worchest . with þi ri3t syde

76	ffor þus bit þe gospel . gode men do here almesse



	¶ph;Meires and maceres . that menes ben bitwene

	Þe kynge and þe comune . to kepe þe lawes

	To punyschen on pillories . and pynynge stoles

80	Brewesteres and bakesteres . bocheres and cokes
Notes
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Copyright (c) 1994 by Hoyt N. Duggan, all rights reserved.
Last Modified: Friday, 23-Sep-1994 13:02:04 EDT

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