Women lo! with here brestes1
procedunt arte profana;2
Prechers ne pristes

non possunt hæc pellere vana.
With poyntys ful strong

caligas de more sigillant,

Now shorte and now longe,

ventus veluts ecce vacillant.

Her knokelys elbowys.

manica laqueant lacerata;

In frost and in snow,

ut aves spectant laqueatæ.

Qwhan frost awakys,

tunc stringunt frigore gentes,

Here chekys than quakys,5

sese quasi concutientes.

Qwan men rest takyn,

noctis somno recreati,

Swoch felawys wakyn,

ad damna patrata parati.®

Ful oftyn tyme iwys

gelido fervent in amore, Here specialis yf y kys,

distillat nasus in ore.

Of a galaunt the towch,

unguentum stillat amoris. I wolde ful were here pouge 1o

tanti dulcedine roris!

Lo! this for a gret nede,

10

sua miscent ora libenter.

Ho so ever take hede,

manet liquor irreverenter.

Wyv sa belle," thei cry, fragrantia vina bibentes, Thei drynke tyl they be dry, lingua sensuque carentes.

Thei cry, "Fyl the bowles!

bonus est liquor, hic maneamus;

"For alle crystone sowllys,

"dum durant vasa, bibamus!"

Armys, sydus, and bonus,2

horum quidam recitabit;

Yit whan he ys most wode,

tunc blandus sermo donabit.

Paraventure on ware 3

post sumptum temporis plausus,*

A cowntur-tenur at Newgat

cantabit carcere clausus.

Of the chyrche that I drede,"

non placet sibi psalmus; Nowt I say for despyte,

8

Sic me Deus adjuvet almus,

Alas, and welawey!

decus ecclesiam tenebrascit;

Lyzt wyl falle that y say,"

Sanctus nunc Spiritus assit.

Symon, that fals man,

doctor potat ecclesiarum;

Moch sorow he began,

virus diffudit 10 amarum.

And that false avys,11

satis ecclesiam laqueasti,

With many other a vys1
Christi sponsam violasti.
Here mych more myght I say,2
cum ordo vetat seriarum;
Of swche more se he may

3

in libris ecclesiarum.

The lanterne of lyghtte

non fulget luce serena;

Yt ys not alle aryght,

populus bibit ecce venena. Ouer kynge and his lond

servet, regat, et teneatur; • Oo God with ys hond

cælum, terram moderatur.

In age as he growyt,

sua crescat gratia fructu;

Ful welle that he knowe,

quanto dolet Anglia luctu.

O rex, si rex es, rege te, vel eris sine re rex,
Nomen habes sine re, nisi te recteque regas rex.

Explicit autem scriptum. Nunc finem feci, da mihi
quod merui.

DISTICH ON THE YEAR 1391.6

The ax was sharpe, the stokke was harde,
In the xiiij. yere of kyng Richarde.

ON THE PESTILENCE.1

Ecce dolet Anglia luctibus imbuta,
Gens tremit tristitia sordibus polluta,
Necat pestilentia viros atque bruta,
Cur? quia flagitia regnant resoluta.

Heu! jam totus vertitur mundus in malignum,
Inter gentes quæritur ubi cor benignum;
Christus non recolitur mortuus per lignum,
Ergo plebs perimitur in vindicta signum.

Pax et patientia penitus orbantur;
Amor et justitia domi non morantur;
Errores et vitia gentes amplexantur;
Patrum pro malitia parvuli necantur.

Pastorum pigritia greges disperguntur ;
Insontes astutia mercantum falluntur;
Fraus et avaritia sorores junguntur ;
Divitum nequitia pauperes plectuntur.

Simonia colitur, Simon Magus vivit;
Equitas opprimitur, veritas abivit.
Christi grex dispergitur, lupus insanivit ;
Pestisque diffunditur, agnos deglutivit.

This short poem is printed from a manuscript in the University Library, Cambridge, Ee. vi. 29, fol. 27, ro. The MS. appears to belong to the close of the fourteenth century, and its allusions, which are vague and general, may, and

probably do, apply to the grea pestilence of 1391, but there is no internal evidence of a direct kind which will enable us to fix its date with certainty, while its form of versification resembles that of an earlier date.

Favor non scientia promovet rectores;
Intrudit potentia servos ob labores;
Et regum clementia quosdam per favores
Es et amicitia invadit provisores.

Fortes Christi milites modo recesserunt; Sathanæ satellites templum subverterunt; Laceras et, debiles oves perdiderunt; Cuculi degeneres nisis successerunt.

Patres quondam nobiles pestes fugarunt, Et in fide stabiles languidos sanarunt; Vita venerabiles signis coruscarunt, Actus per laudabiles Christo militarunt.

Tales erant vestibus asperis vestiti,
Ut moderni mollibus raro sunt potiti;
Hi præclaris moribus erant insigniti.
Juvenes a sordibus sacris eruditi.

Heu nunc mercenarii, nec veri pastores,
Rectores, vicarii mutaverunt mores;

Ambitu denarii subeunt labores.
Tales operarii merentur mærores.

Isti pro ciliciis utuntur pellura ;
Farciunt deliciis ventres tota cura;
Dant post spurcitiis se sine mensura;
Suffulti divitiis vivunt contra jura.

Dum capella tegitur nobili vestura,
Sponsa Christi capitur nudata tectura;
Vinea destruitur porcorum usura,
Et vitis evellitur carens jam cultura.