The Boris hede furst. [Porkington MS. No. 10, fol. 202; ? ab. 1460-70 A.D.] Hey, hey, hey, hey, pe borrys hede is armyd gay !! TT Lordys, knyzttis, and skyers, Persons, prystis and wycars, TT The boris hede, as I yow say, Witt hay. Witt hay. He takis his leyfe, & gothe his way Witt hay. TT Then commys in pe secund kowrs with mekyll pe crannis & pe heyrrouns, pe bytturis by pe syde, snyt, Witt hay. TT Larkys in hoot schow,2 ladys for to pyk, Witt hay. ¶¶ Gud bred, alle & wyin, daer I well say, pe boris hede witt musterd armyd soo gay, ¶¶ furmante to podtage, witt wennissun fyñ, & pe hombuls of pe dow, & all pat euer commis in, ¶¶ Cappons I-bake witt pe pesys of pe roow, Reysons of corrans, witt odyre spysis moo, [incomplete.] 1 "When you print I recommend that the first line of the MS. 'Hey, hey,' &c. should stand alone in two lines. They are the burthen of the song, and were a sort of accompaniment, or undersong, sung throughout, while an upper voice sang the words and tune. You will see numbers of the same kind in Wright's Songs and Carols printed by the Percy Society. It was common in the 14th and 15th centuries."-WM. CHAPPELL. This Carol is printed in Reliq. Antiq., vol. ii., and is inserted here-copied from and read with the MS.-to fill up a blank page. The title is mine. 2 ? sewe, stew. 3 the name of a wyne. Recipes for the dish Brouet of Almayne (H. O.), Brewet of Almony, Breuet de Almonde, are in Household Ordinances, p. 456; Forme of Cury, p. 29, and Liber Cure Cocorum, p. 12. 4P MS. End. 5 Recipe for Potage de Frumenty in Household Ordinances, p. 425. [Fol. 202 b.] See other carols on the Boar's Head, in Songs and Carols, Percy Soc., p. 42, 25; Ritson's Ancient Songs; Sandys's Carols and Christmastide, p. 231, from Ritson, -a different version of the present carol,-&c. Symon's Lesson of Wysedome for all [From MS. Bodl. 832, leaf 174.] [The Rev. J. R. Lumby has kindly sent me the following amusing 'lesson of wysedome' to 'all maner chyldryn', signed Symon, which he found in the Bodleian. Mr G. Parker has read the proof with the MS. Lydgate sinned against most of its precepts. It makes the rod the great persuader to learning and gentleness.] All maner chyldryn, ye lyften & lere A leffon of wyfedome þat ys wryte here! My chyld, y rede pe be wys, and take hede of pis ryme! 4 Old men yn prouerbe fayde by old tyme 'A chyld were beter to be vnbore Than to be vntaught, and fo be lore." The chyld pat hath hys wyll alway 8 Shal thryve late, y thei2 wel fay, And per-for euery gode mannys chyld That is to wanton and to wyld, Lerne wel this leffon for fertayn, 12 That thou may be pe beter man. Chyld, be not froward, be not prowde, 16 But hold vp þy hedde & fpeke a-lowde; 20 And be curteys yn euery place. 1 Compare "Better vnfedde then vntaughte" in Seager's Schoole of Vertue, above, p. 348, l. 725. 2 thee Children, attend! You'd be better unborn than untaught. You mustn't have your own way always. Tell the truth, don't be froward, hold up your head, take off your hood when you're spoken to. Wash your hands and face. Be courteous. Don't throw stones at dogs and hogs. Mock at no one. Don't swear. Eat what's given you, and don't ask for this and that. Honour your father and mother: kneel and ask their blessing. Keep your clothes clean. Don't go bird'snesting, or steal fruit, or throw stones at men's windows, or play in church. Don't chatter. Get home by daylight. Keep clear of fire and water, and the edges of wells and brooks. And where pou comyft, with gode chere 28 Swere pou not by god noper by faynt. And loke pou fpeke no lowde worde. And, chyld, wyrfhep thy fader and thy moder, And, chyld, caft no ftonys ouer men hows, In holy chyrche on holy dayes. And, chyld, y warne pee of anoper thynge, 52 Cp. Lydgate's Tricks at School, Forewords, p. xliv. , And when pou ftondyft at any fchate', 56 By ware and wyfe pat pou cacche no stake, For meny chyld with-out drede Ys dede or dyffeyuyd throw ywell hede. Chyld, kepe thy boke, cappe, and glouys, 60 And al thyng þat þee behouys; And but pou do, pou fhat fare the wors, Chyld, make pou no mowys ne knakkes Iff pou eny gode man or woman mete, 72 And bydde, "god fpede dame or fere !" This leffon pat pou not for-gete, For hyt is femely to euery mannys chylde,76 And namely to clerkes to be meke & mylde. And, chyld, ryfe by tyme and go to fcole, And lerne as faft as pou may and can, Iff pou wolt be byffhop when he is past. 84 That pou for-zete nat pis for no thyng, But pou loke, hold hyt wel on þy mynde, 1 meaning. Skathie, a fence. Jamieson. Skaith, hurt, harm. Halliwell. A mychare seems to denote properly a sneaking thief. Way. Prompt., p. 336. Mychare, a covetous, sordid fellow. Jamieson. Fr. pleure-pain: m. A niggardlie wretch; a puling micher or miser. Cotgrave. |