The Rowley Poems Part 46

[Footnote 39: esteem, favour.]

[Footnote 40: glittering.]

[Footnote 41: settled.]

[Footnote 42: help.]

[Footnote 43: adventure.]

[Footnote 44: Many.]

[Footnote 45: guide.]

[Footnote 46: tost.]

[Footnote 47: astonish.]

[Footnote 48: gla.s.sy, reflecting.]

[Footnote 49: lessen, alloy.]

[Footnote 50: hollow.]

[Footnote 51: Bewildered, curious.]

[Footnote 52: hid, covered.]

[Footnote 53: huge, bulky.]

[Footnote 54: dispatched.]

[Footnote 55: red lightning.]

[Footnote 56: cruel.]

[Footnote 57: flames, rays.]

AN EXCELENTE BALADE

OF CHARITIE:

As wroten bie the G.o.de Prieste THOMAS ROWLEY[1], 1464.

In Virgyne the sweltrie sun gan sheene, And hotte upon the mees[2] did caste his raie; The apple rodded[3] from its palie greene, And the mole[4] peare did bende the leafy spraie; The peede chelandri[5] sunge the livelong daie; 5 'Twas nowe the pride, the manhode of the yeare, And eke the grounde was dighte[6] in its mose defte[7] aumere[8].

The sun was glemeing in the midde of daie, Deadde still the aire, and eke the welken[9] blue, When from the sea arist[10] in drear arraie 10 A hepe of cloudes of sable sullen hue, The which full fast unto the woodlande drewe, Hiltring[11] attenes[12] the sunnis fetive[13] face, And the blacke tempeste swolne and gatherd up apace.

Beneathe an holme, faste by a pathwaie side, 15 Which dide unto Seyncte G.o.dwine's covent[14] lede, A hapless pilgrim moneynge did abide, Pore in his viewe, ungentle[15] in his weede, Longe bretful[16] of the miseries of neede, Where from the hail-stone coulde the almer[17] flie? 20 He had no housen theere, ne anie covent nie.

Look in his glommed[18] face, his sprighte there scanne; Howe woe-be-gone, how withered, forwynd[19], deade!

Haste to thie church-glebe-house[20], a.s.shrewed[21] manne!

Haste to thie kiste[22], thie onlie dortoure[23] bedde. 25 Cale, as the claie whiche will gre on thie hedde, Is Charitie and Love aminge highe elves; Knightis and Barons live for pleasure and themselves.

The gatherd storme is rype; the bigge drops falle; The forswat[24] meadowes smethe[25], and drenche[26] the raine; 30 The comyng ghastness do the cattle pall[27], And the full flockes are drivynge ore the plaine; Dashde from the cloudes the waters flott[28] againe; The welkin opes; the yellow levynne[29] flies; And the hot fierie smothe[30] in the wide lowings[31] dies. 35

Liste! now the thunder's rattling clymmynge[32] sound Cheves[33] slowlie on, and then embollen[34] clangs, Shakes the hie spyre, and losst, dispended, drown'd, Still on the gallard[35] eare of terroure hanges; The windes are up; the lofty elmen sw.a.n.ges; 40 Again the levynne and the thunder poures, And the full cloudes are braste[36] attenes in stonen showers.

Spurreynge his palfrie oere the watrie plaine.

The Abbote of Seyncte G.o.dwynes convente came; His chapournette[37] was drented with the reine, 45 And his pencte[38] gyrdle met with mickle shame; He aynewarde tolde his bederoll[39] at the same; The storme encreasen, and he drew aside, With the mist[40] almes craver neere to the holme to bide.

His cope[41] was all of Lyncolne clothe so fyne, 50 With a gold b.u.t.ton fasten'd neere his chynne; His autremete[42] was edged with golden twynne, And his shoone pyke a loverds[43] mighte have binne; Full well it shewn he thoughten coste no sinne; The trammels of the palfrye pleasde his sighte; 55 For the horse-millanare[44] his head with roses dighte.

An almes, sir prieste! the droppynge pilgrim saide, O! let me waite within your covente dore, Till the sunne sheneth hie above our heade, And the loude tempeste of the aire is oer; 60 Helpless and ould am I alas! and poor; No house, ne friend, ne moneie in my pouche; All yatte I call my owne is this my silver crouche

Varlet, replyd the Abbatte, cease your dinne; This is no season almes and prayers to give; 65 Mie porter never lets a faitour[45] in; None touch mie rynge who not in honour live.

And now the sonne with the blacke cloudes did stryve, And shettynge on the grounde his glairie raie, The Abbatte spurrde his steede, and eftsoones roadde awaie. 70

Once moe the skie was blacke, the thounder rolde; Faste reyneynge oer the plaine a prieste was seen; Ne dighte full proude, ne b.u.t.toned up in golde; His cope and j.a.pe[46] were graie, and eke were clene; A Limitoure he was of order seene; 75 And from the pathwaie side then turned hee, Where the pore almer laie binethe the holmen tree.

An almes, sir priest! the droppynge pilgrim sayde, For sweete Seyncte Marie and your order sake.

The Limitoure then loosen'd his pouche threade, 80 And did thereoute a groate of silver take; The mister pilgrim dyd for halline[47] shake.

Here take this silver, it maie eathe[48] thie care; We are G.o.ddes stewards all, nete[49] of oure owne we bare.

But ah! unhailie[50] pilgrim, lerne of me, 85 Scathe anie give a rentrolle to their Lorde.

Here take my semecope[51], thou arte bare I see; Tis thyne; the Seynctes will give me mie rewarde.

He left the pilgrim, and his waie aborde.

Virgynne and hallie Seyncte, who sitte yn gloure[52], 90 Or give the mittee[53] will, or give the G.o.de man power.

[Footnote 1: Thomas Rowley, the author, was born at Norton Mal-reward in Somersetshire, educated at the Convent of St. Kenna at Keynesham, and died at Westbury in Gloucestershire.]

[Footnote 2: meads.]

[Footnote 3: reddened, ripened.]

[Footnote 4: soft.]

[Footnote 5: pied goldfinch.]

[Footnote 6: drest, arrayed.]

[Footnote 7: neat, ornamental.]

[Footnote 8: a loose robe or mantle.]