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PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0001 Glorious God, in all degres lord most of myth,
0002 žat heuene and erthe made of nowth, bože se and lond,
0003 že aungelys in heuene hym to serue bryth
0004 And mankynde in mydylerd he made wyth hys hond,
0005 And our lofly Lady, žat lanterne is of lyth,
0006 Save oure lege lord že kynge, že leder of žis londe,
0007 And all že ryall of žis revme and rede hem že ryth,
0008 And all že goode comowns of žis towne žat beforn us stonde
0009 In žis place.
0010 We mustyr 3ou wyth menschepe
0011 And freyne 3ou of frely frenchepe.
0012 Cryst safe 3ou all fro schenchepe
0013 žat knowyn wyl our case.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0014 že case of oure comynge 3ou to declare,
0015 Euery man in hymself forsothe he it may fynde:
0016 Whou Mankynde into žis werld borne is ful bare
0017 And bare schal beryed be at hys last ende.
0018 God hym 3euyth to aungelys ful 3ep and ful 3are,
0019 že Goode Aungel and že Badde to hym for to lende.
0020 že Goode techyth hym goodnesse, že Badde synne and sare;
0021 Whanne že ton hath že victory, že tožyr goth behende,
0022 Be skyll.
0023 že Good Aungel couetyth euermore Mans saluacion
0024 And že Badde bysytyth hym euere to hys dampnacion,
0025 And God hathe govyn Man fre arbitracion
0026 Whežyr he wyl hymself saue or hys soule spyll.
PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0027 Spylt is Man spetously whanne he to synne asent.
0028 že Bad Aungel žanne bryngyth hym thre enmys so stout:
0029 že Werlde, že Fende, že foul Flesche so joly and jent.
0030 žei ledyn hym ful lustyly wyth synnys al abowt.
0031 Pyth wyth Pride and Couetyse, to že Werld is he went,
0032 To meynten hys manhod all men to hym lout.
0033 Aftyr Ire and Envye že Fend hath to hym lent,
0034 Bakbytynge and endytynge wyth all men for to route,
0035 Ful evyn.
0036 But že fowle Flesch, homlyest of all,
0037 Slawth, Lust and Leccherye gun to hym call,
0038 Glotony and ožyr synnys bože grete and small.
0039 žus Mans soule is soylyd wyh synnys moo žanne seuyn.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0040 Whanne Mans sowle is soylyd wyth synne and wyth sore,
0041 žanne že Googe Aungyl makyth mykyl mornynge
0042 žat že lofty lyknesse of God schulde be lore
0043 žorwe že Badde Aungelys fals entysynge.
0044 He sendyth to hym Concyens, pryckyd ful pore,
0045 And clere Confescyon wyth Penauns-doynge.
0046 žei mevyn Man to mendement žat he mysdyd before.
0047 žus žei callyn hym to clennesse and to good levynge,
0048 Wythoutyn dystaunce.
0049 Mekenesse, Pacyense, and Charyte,
0050 Sobyrnesse, Besynesse, and Charyte,
0051 And Largyte, uertuys of good degre,
0052 Man callyth to že Castel of Good Perseueraunce.
PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0053 že Castel of Perseuerauns wanne Mankynde hath tan,
0054 Wel armyd wyth vertus and ouyrcome all vycys,
0055 žere že Good Aungyl makyth ful mery žanne
0056 žat Mankynde hath ouyrcome hys gostly enmiis.
0057 že Badde Aungyl mornyž žat he hath myssyd Man.
0058 He callyth že Werld, že Fende, and že foule Flesch iwys
0059 And all že seuene synnys to do žat žey canne
0060 To brynge Mankynd ageyn to bayle out of blys,
0061 With wronge.
0062 Pride asayleth Meknesse wyth all hys myth,
0063 Ire ageyns Paciensse ful fast ganne he fyth,
0064 Envye ageyn Charyte strywyth ful ryth,
0065 But Covytyse ageyns Largyte fytyth ouyrlonge.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0066 Coveytyse Mankynd euere coueytyth for to qwell.
0067 He gaderyth to hym Glotony a3eyns Sobyrnesse,
0068 Leccherye wyth Chastyte fyteth ful fell
0069 And Slawthe in Goddys seruyse ageyns Besynesse.
0070 žus vycys ageys vertues fytyn ful snelle.
0071 Euery buskyth to brynge Man to dystresse.
0072 But Penaunce and Confescion wyth Mankynd wyl melle,
0073 že vycys arn ful lyckely že vertues to opresse,
0074 Saun dowte.
0075 žus in že Castel of Good Perseuerance
0076 Mankynd is maskeryd wyth mekyl varyaunce.
0077 že Good Aungyl and že Badde be euere at dystaunce;
0078 že Goode holdyth hym inne, že Badde wold brynge hym owte.
PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0079 Owt of Good Perseueraunce whanne Mankynde wyl not come,
0080 3yt že Badde Aungyl wyth Coveytyse hym gan asayle,
0081 Fyndende hym in pouerte and penaunce so benome,
0082 And bryngyth hym in beleue in defaute for to fayle.
0083 žanne he profyrth hym good and gold so gret a sowme,
0084 žat if he wyl come ageyn and wyth že Werld dayle,
0085 že Badde Aungyl to že Werld tollyth hym downe
0086 že Castel of Perseueraunce to fle fro že vayle
0087 And blysse.
0088 žanne že Werld begynnyth hym to restore.
0089 Haue he neuere so mykyl, 3yt he wold haue more;
0090 žus že Badde Aungyl leryth hym hys lore.
0091 že more a man agyth, že harder he is.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0092 Hard a man is in age and covetouse be kynde.
0093 Whanne all ožyr synnys Man hath forsake,
0094 Euere že more žat he hath že more is in hys mynde
0095 To gadyr and to gete good wyth woo and wyth wrake.
0096 žus že Goode Aungyl caste is behynde
0097 And že Badde Aungyl Man to hym takyth,
0098 žat wryngyth hym wrenchys to hys laste ende
0099 Tyl Deth comyth foul dolfully and loggyth hym in a lake
0100 Ful lowe.
0101 žanne is Man on molde maskeryd in mynde.
0102 He sendyth afftyr hys sekkatours, ful fekyl to fynde,
0103 And hys eyr aftyrward comyth euere behynde,
0104 I Wot Not Who is hys name, for he hym nowt knowe.
PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0105 Man knowe not who schal be hys eyr and gouerne hys good.
0106 He caryth more for hys catel žanne for hys cursyd synne.
0107 To putte hys good in gouernaunce he mengyth hys mod,
0108 He wolde žat it were scyfftyd amongys hys ny kynne.
0109 But žer schal com a lythyr ladde wyth a torne hod,
0110 I Wot Neuere Who schal be hys name, hys cložis be ful žynne,
0111 Schal eryth že erytage žat neuere was of hys blod,
0112 Whanne al hys lyfe is lytyd upon a lytyl pynne
0113 At že laste.
0114 On lyue whanne he may no lenger lende,
0115 Mercy he callyth at hys laste ende:
0116 "Mercy, God! be now myn frende!"
0117 Wyth žat Mans spyryt is paste.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0118 Whanne Manys spyryt is past, že Badde Aungyl ful fell
0119 Cleymyth žat for couetyse Mans sowle schuld ben hys
0120 And for to ber it ful boysowsly wyth hym into hell.
0121 že Good Aungyl seyth nay, že spyryt schal to blys
0122 For at hys laste ende of mercy he gan spell
0123 And žerfore of mercy schal he nowth mysse,
0124 And oure lofly Ladi if sche wyl for hym mell,
0125 Be mercy and be menys in purgatory he is,
0126 In ful byttyr place.
0127 žus mowthys confession
0128 And hys hertys contricion
0129 Schal saue Man fro dampnacion
0130 Be Goddys mercy and grace.
PRIMUS VEXILLATOR.
0131 Grace if God wyl graunte us of hys mykyl myth,
0132 žese parcellys in propyrtes we purpose us to playe
0133 žis day seuenenyt before 3ou in syth
0134 At...on že grene in ryal aray.
0135 3e haste 3ou žanne žedyrward, syrys, hendly in hyth,
0136 All goode neyborys ful specyaly we 3ou pray,
0137 And loke žat 3e be žere betyme, luffely and lyth,
0138 For we schul be onward be vnderne of že day,
0139 Dere frendys.
0140 We thanke 3ou of all good dalyaunce
0141 And of all 3oure specyal sportaunce
0142 And preye 3ou of good contynuaunce
0143 To oure lyuys endys.
SECUNDUS VEXILLATOR.
0144 Os oure lyuys we loue 3ou, žus takande oure leue.
0145 3e manly men of..., žer Crist saue 3ou all!
0146 He maynten 3oure myrthys and kepe 3ou fro greve
0147 žat born was of Mary myld in an ox stall.
0148 Now mery be all...and wel mote 3e cheve,
0149 All oure feythful frendys, žer fayre mote 3e fall!
0150 3a, and welcum be 3e whanne 3e com prys for ro preve
0151 And worži to be worchepyd in boure and in hall
0152 And in euery place.
0153 Farewel, fayre frendys,
0154 žat lofly wyl lystyn and lende.
0155 Cryste kepe 3ou fro fendys!
0156 Trumpe up and lete vs pace.
MUNDUS.
0157 Worthy wytys in al žis werd wyde,
0158 Be wylde wode wonys and euery weye-went,
0159 Precyous prinse, prekyd in pride,
0160 žorwe žis propyr pleyn place in pes be 3e bent!
0161 Buske 3ou, bolde bacheleyrs, vndyr my baner to abyde
0162 Where bryth basnetys be bateryd and backys ar schent.
0163 3e, syrys semly, all same syttyth on syde,
0164 For bothe be see and be londe my sondys I haue sent,
0165 Al že world myn name is ment.
0166 Al abowtyn my bane is blowe,
0167 In euery cost I am knowe,
0168 I do men rawyn on ryche rowe
0169 Tyl žei be dyth to dythys dent.
0170 Assarye, Acaye, and Almayne,
0171 Cauadoyse, Capadoyse, and Cananee,
0172 Babyloyne, Brabon, Burgoyne, and Bretayne,
0173 Grece, Galys, and to že Gryckysch See,
0174 I meue also Masadoyne in my mykyl mayne,
0175 Frauns, Flaundrys, and Freslonde, and also Normande,
0176 Pyncecras, Parys, and longe Pygmayne,
0177 And euery toun in trage, euyn to že Dreye Tre,
0178 Rodys and ryche Rome.
0179 All žese londys at myn avyse
0180 Arn castyn to my werdly wyse.
0181 My tresorer, Syr Couetyse,
0182 Hath sesyd hem holy to me.
0183 žerfor my game and my gle growe ful glad.
0184 žer is no wythe in žis werld žat my wytte wyl me warne.
0185 Euery ryche rengne rapyth hym ful rad
0186 In lustys and in lykyngys my lawys to lerne.
0187 Wyth fayre folke in že felde freschly I am fadde.
0188 I dawnse doun as a doo be dalys ful derne.
0189 What boy bedyth batayl or debatyth wyth blad
0190 Hym were betyr to ben hangyn hye in hell herne
0191 Or brent on lyth leuene.
0192 Whoso spekyth a3eyn že Werd
0193 In a presun he schal be sperd.
0194 Myn hest is holdyn and herd
0195 Into hy3e heuene.
BELYAL.
0196 Now I sytte, Satanas, in my sad synne,
0197 As deuyl dowty, in draf as a drake.
0198 I champe and I chafe, I chocke on my chynne,
0199 I am boystows and bold, as Belyal že blake.
0200 What folk žat I grope žei gapyn and grenne,
0201 Iwys fro Carlylle into Kent my carpynge žei take,
0202 Bothe že bak and že buttoke brestyth al on brenne,
0203 Wyth werkys of wreche I werke hem mykyl wrake.
0204 In woo is al my wenne.
0205 In care I am cloyed
0206 And fowle I am anoyed
0207 But Mankynde be stroyed
0208 Be dykys and be denne.
0209 Pryde is my prince in perlys ipyth;
0210 Wretthe, žis wrecche, wyth me schal wawe;
0211 Enuye into werre wyth me schal walkyn wyth;
0212 Wyth žese faytourys I am fedde, in feyth I am fawe.
0213 As a dyngne deuyl in my dene I am dyth.
0214 Pryde, Wretthe, and Enuye, I sey in my sawe,
0215 Kyngys, kayserys, and kempys and many a kene knyth,
0216 žese louely lordys han lernyd hem my lawe.
0217 To my dene žei wyl drawe.
0218 Alholy Mankynne
0219 To helle but I wynne,
0220 In bale is my bynne
0221 And schent vnder schawe.
0222 On Mankynde is my trost, in contre iknowe,
0223 Wyth my tyre and wyth my tayl tytly to tene.
0224 žorwe Flaundris and Freslonde faste I gan flowe,
0225 Fele folke on a flokke to flappyn and to flene.
0226 Where I graspe on že grounde, grym žer schal growe.
0227 Gadyr 3ou togedyr, 3e boyis, on žis grene!
0228 In žis brode bugyl a blast wanne I blowe,
0229 Al žis werld schal be wood iwys as I wene
0230 And to my byddynge bende.
0231 Wythly on syde
0232 On benche wyl I byde
0233 To tene, žis tyde,
0234 Alholy Mankende.
CARO.
0235 I byde as a brod brustun-gutte abouyn on žese tourys.
0236 Euerybody is že betyr žat to myn byddynge is bent.
0237 I am Mankyndys fayre Flesch, florchyd in flowrys.
0238 My lyfe is wyth lustys and lykynge ilent.
0239 Wyth tapytys of tafata I tymbyr my towrys.
0240 In myrthe and in melodye my mende is iment.
0241 žou I be clay and clad, clappyd vndir clowrys,
0242 3yt wolde I žat my wyll in že werld went,
0243 Ful trew I 3ou behyth.
0244 I loue wel myn ese,
0245 In lustys me to plese;
0246 žou synne my sowle sese
0247 I 3eue not a myth.
0248 In Glotony gracyous now am I growe;
0249 žerfore he syttyth semly here be my syde.
0250 In Lechery and Lykynge lent am I lowe,
0251 And Slawth, my swete sone, is bent to abyde.
0252 žese thre are nobyl, trewly I trowe,
0253 Mankynde to tenyn and trecchyn a tyde.
0254 Wyth many berdys in bowre my blastys are blowe,
0255 Be weys and be wodys, žorwe žis werld wyde,
0256 že sothe for to seyne.
0257 But if mans Flesch fare wel
0258 Bothe at mete and at mele,
0259 Dyth I am in gret del
0260 And browt into peyne.
0261 And aftyr good fare in feyth žou I fell,
0262 žou I drywe to dust, in drosse for to drepe,
0263 žow my sely sowle were haryed to hell,
0264 Woso wyl do žese werkys iwys he schal wepe
0265 Euyr wythowtyn ende.
0266 Behold že Werld, že Deuyl, and me!
0267 Wyth all oure mythis we kyngys thre
0268 Nyth and day besy we be
0269 For to distroy Mankende
0270 If žat we may.
0271 žerfor on hylle
0272 Syttyth all stylle
0273 And seth wyth good wylle
0274 Oure ryche aray.
HUMANUS GENUS.
0275 Aftyr oure forme-faderys kende
0276 žis nyth I was of my modyr born.
0277 Fro my modyr I walke, I wende,
0278 Ful feynt and febyl I fare 3ou beforn.
0279 I am nakyd of lym and lende
0280 As Mankynde is schapyn and schorn.
0281 I not wedyr to gon ne to lende
0282 To helpe myself mydday nyn morn.
0283 For schame I stonde and schende.
0284 I was born žis nyth in blody ble
0285 And nakyd I am, as 3e may se.
0286 A, Lord God in trinite,
0287 Whow Mankende is vnthende!
0288 Whereto I was to žis werld browth
0289 I ne wot, but to woo and wepynge
0290 I am born and haue ryth nowth
0291 To helpe myself in no doynge.
0292 I stonde and stodye al ful of žowth.
0293 Bare and pore is my clothynge.
0294 A sely crysme myn hed hath cawth
0295 žat I tok at myn crystenynge.
0296 Certys I haue no more.
0297 Of erthe I cam, I wot ryth wele,
0298 And as erthe I stande žis sele.
0299 Of Mankende it is gret dele.
0300 Lord God, I crye žyne ore!
0301 To aungels bene asynyd to me:
0302 že ton techyth me to goode;
0303 On my ryth syde 3e may hym se;
0304 He cam fro Criste žat deyed on rode.
0305 Anožyr is ordeynyd her to be
0306 žat is my foo, be fen and flode;
0307 He is about in euery degre
0308 To drawe me to žo dewylys wode
0309 žat in helle be thycke.
0310 Swyche to hath euery man on lyue
0311 To rewlyn hym and hys wyttys fyue.
0312 Whanne man doth ewyl, že ton wolde schryue,
0313 že tothyr drawyth to wycke.
0314 But syn žese aungelys be to me falle,
0315 Lord Jhesu, to 3ou I bydde a bone
0316 žat I may folwe, be strete and stalle,
0317 že aungyl žat cam fro heuene trone.
0318 Now, Lord Jesu in heuene halle,
0319 Here whane I make my mone.
0320 Coryows Criste, to 3ou I calle.
0321 As a grysly gost I grucche and grone,
0322 I wene, ryth ful of thowth.
0323 A, Lord Jhesu, wedyr may I goo?
0324 A crysme I haue and no moo.
0325 Alas, men may be wondyr woo
0326 Whanne žei be fyrst forth browth.
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