The Rowley Poems Part 24

MANNE.

Bie oure ladie her yborne, 135 To-morrowe, soone as ytte ys daie, I'lle make thee wyfe, ne bee forsworne, So tyde me lyfe or dethe for aie.

WOMANNE.

Whatt dothe lette, botte thatte nowe Wee attenes[38], thos honde yn honde, 140 Unto divinistre[39] goe, And bee lyncked yn wedlocke bonde?

MANNE.

I agree, and thus I plyghte Honde, and harte, and all that's myne; Goode syr Rogerr, do us ryghte, 145 Make us one, at Cothbertes shryne.

BOTHE.

We wylle ynn a bordelle[40] lyve, Hailie, thoughe of no estate; Everyche clocke moe love shall gyve; Wee ynne G.o.denesse wylle bee greate. 150

aeLLA.

I lyche thys songe, I lyche ytt myckle well; And there ys monie for yer syngeynge nowe; b.u.t.te have you noone thatt marriage-blessynges telle?

CELMONDE.

In marriage, blessynges are botte fewe, I trowe.

MYNSTRELLES.

Laverde[41], wee have; and, gyff you please, wille synge, 155 As well as owre choughe-voyces wylle permytte.

aeLLA.

Comme then, and see you swotelie tune the strynge, And stret[42], and engyne all the human wytte, Toe please mie dame.

MYNSTRELLES.

We'lle strayne owre wytte and synge.

_Mynstrelles Songe._

FYRSTE MYNSTRYLLE.

The boddynge flourettes bloshes atte the lyghte; 160 The mees be sprenged wyth the yellowe hue; Ynn daiseyd mantels ys the mountayne dyghte; The nesh[43] yonge coweslepe bendethe wyth the dewe; The trees enlefed, yntoe Heavenne straughte.

Whenn gentle wyndes doe blowe, to whestlyng dynne ys broughte. 165

The evenynge commes, and brynges the dewe alonge; The roddie welkynne sheeneth to the eyne; Arounde the alestake Mynstrells synge the songe; Yonge ivie rounde the doore poste do entwyne; I laie mee onn the gra.s.se; yette, to mie wylle, 170 Albeytte alle ys fayre, there lackethe somethynge stylle.

SECONDE MYNSTRELLE.

So Adam thoughtenne, whann, ynn Paradyse, All Heavenn and Erthe dyd hommage to hys mynde; Ynn Womman alleyne mannes pleasaunce lyes; As Instrumentes of joie were made the kynde. 175 Go, take a wyfe untoe thie armes, and see Wynter, and brownie hylles, wyll have a charme for thee.

THYRDE MYNSTRELLE.

Whanne Autumpne blake[44] and sonne-brente doe appere, With hys goulde honde guylteynge the falleynge lefe, Bryngeynge oppe Wynterr to folfylle the yere, 180 Beerynge uponne hys backe the riped shefe; Whan al the hyls wythe woddie sede ys whyte; Whanne levynne-fyres and lemes do mete from far the syghte;

Whann the fayre apple, rudde as even skie, Do bende the tree unto the fructyle grounde; 185 When joicie peres, and berries of blacke die, Doe daunce yn ayre, and call the eyne arounde; Thann, bee the even foule, or even fayre, Meethynckes mie hartys joie ys steynced wyth somme care.

SECONDE MYNSTRELLE.

Angelles bee wrogte to bee of neidher kynde; 190 Angelles alleyne fromme chafe[45] desyre bee free; Dheere ys a somwhatte evere yn the mynde, Yatte, wythout wommanne, cannot stylled bee; Ne seyncte yn celles, botte, havynge blodde and tere[46], Do fynde the spryte to joie on syghte of womanne fayre: 195

Wommen bee made, notte for hemselves, botte manne, Bone of hys bone, and chyld of hys desire; Fromme an ynutyle membere fyrste beganne, Ywroghte with moche of water, lyttele fyre; Therefore theie seke the fyre of love, to hete 200 The milkyness of kynde, and make hemselfes complete.

Albeytte, wythout wommen, menne were pheeres To salvage kynde, and wulde botte lyve to flea, Botte wommenne efte the spryghte of peace so cheres, Tochelod yn Angel joie heie Angeles bee; 205 Go, take thee swythyn[47] to thie bedde a wyfe, Bee bante or blessed hie, yn proovynge marryage lyfe.

_Anodher Mynstrelles Songe_, bie Syr _Thybbot Gorges_.

As Elynour bie the green lesselle was syttynge, As from the sones hete she harried, She sayde, as herr whytte hondes whyte hosen was knyttynge, 210 Whatte pleasure ytt ys to be married!

Mie husbande, Lorde Thomas, a forrester boulde, As ever clove pynne, or the baskette, Does no cherysauncys from Elynour houlde, I have ytte as soone as I aske ytte. 215

Whann I lyved wyth mie fadre yn merrie Clowd-dell.

Tho' twas at my liefe to mynde spynnynge, I stylle wanted somethynge, botte whatte ne coulde telle, Mie lorde fadres barbde haulle han ne wynnynge.

Eche mornynge I ryse, doe I sette mie maydennes, 220 Somme to spynn, somme to curdell, somme bleachynge, Gyff any new entered doe aske for mie aidens, Thann swythynne you fynde mee a teachynge.

Lorde Walterre, mie fadre, he loved me welle, And nothynge unto mee was nedeynge, 225 Botte schulde I agen goe to merrie Cloud-dell, In sothen twoulde bee wythoute redeynge.

Shee sayde, and lorde Thomas came over the lea, As hee the fatte derkynnes was chacynge, Shee putte uppe her knyttynge, and to hym wente shee; 230 So wee leave hem bothe kyndelie embracynge.

aeLLA.

I lyche eke thys; goe ynn untoe the feaste; Wee wylle permytte you antecedente bee; There swotelie synge eche carolle, and yaped[48] jeaste; And there ys monnie, that you merrie bee; 235 Comme, gentle love, wee wylle toe spouse-feaste goe, And there ynn ale and wyne bee dreyncted[49] everych woe.

aeLLA, BIRTHA, CELMONDE, MESSENGERE.

MESSENGERE.

aella, the Danes ar thondrynge onn our coaste; Lyche scolles of locusts, caste oppe bie the sea, Magnus and Hurra, wythe a doughtie hoaste, 240 Are ragyng, to be quansed[50] bie none botte thee; Haste, swyfte as Levynne to these royners flee: Thie dogges alleyne can tame thys ragynge bulle.

Haste swythyn, fore anieghe the towne theie bee, And Wedecesterres rolle of dome bee fulle. 245 Haste, haste, O aella, to the byker flie, For yn a momentes s.p.a.ce tenne thousand menne maie die.

aeLLA.

Beshrew thee for thie newes! I moste be gon.

Was ever lockless dome so hard as myne!

Thos from dysportysmente to warr to ron, 250 To chaunge the selke veste for the gaberdyne!

BIRTHA.