Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

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 !!
The boris hede in hond I bryng
Witt garlond gay in porttoryng.
I pray yow all witt me to synge

TT Lordys, knyzttis, and skyers,

Persons, prystis and wycars,
The boris hede ys pe fur[s]t mes,

TT The boris hede, as I yow say,

Witt hay.

Witt hay.

He takis his leyfe, & gothe his way
Son aftur þe xij theylffyt day,

Witt hay.

TT Then commys in pe secund kowrs with mekyll
pryde,

pe crannis & pe heyrrouns, pe bytturis by pe syde,
pe partrychys & pe plowers, pe wodcokis & pe

snyt,

Witt hay.

TT Larkys in hoot schow,2 ladys for to pyk,
Good drynk perto, lycyvs and fyñ,
Blwet of allmayñ,3 romnay and wyin,

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.]

[blocks in formation]

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
Maner Chyldryn.

[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, y warne þee yn al wyfe
That pu tel trowth & make no lyes.

Chyld, be not froward, be not prowde,

16 But hold vp þy hedde & fpeke a-lowde;
And when eny man fpekyth to the,
Do of þy hode and bow thy kne,
And wayfch thy handes & py face,

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
In halle or bowre, bydde "god be here!"
Loke pou caft to no mannes dogge,
24 With staff ne ftone at hors ne hogge;
Loke pat pou not fcorne ne iape
Noper with man, maydyn, ne ape;
Lete no man of pee make playnt;

28 Swere pou not by god noper by faynt.
Loke pou be curteys ftondyng at mete;
And pat men 3euyth pee, pou take & ete;
And loke that pou nother crye ne crave,
32 And fay "that and that wold y have;"
But ftond pou ftylle be-fore pe borde,

And loke pou fpeke no lowde worde.

And, chyld, wyrfhep thy fader and thy moder,
36 And loke pat pou greve noper on ne oper,
But euer among pou fhalt knele adowne,
And afke here bleffyng and here benefowne.
And, chyld, kepe thy clopes fayre & clene,
40 And lete no fowle fylth on hem be fene.
Chyld, clem pou not ouer hows ne walle
For no frute, bryddes, ne balle;

And, chyld, caft no ftonys ouer men hows,
44 Ne caft no ftonys at no glas wyndowys;
Ne make no crying, yapis, ne playes,

In holy chyrche on holy dayes.

And, chyld, y warne pee of anoper thynge,
48 Kepe pee fro many wordes and yangelyng.
And, chyld, whan pou goft to play,
Loke pou come home by lyght of day.
And, chyld, I warne the of a-nopþer mater,
Loke pou kepe pee wel fro fyre and water;
And be ware and wyfe how pat pou lokys
Ouer any brynk, welle, or brokys;

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,
And per-to be bete on pe bare ers.
Chyld, be pou lyer noper no theffe ;
64 Be pou no mecher2 for myfcheffe.

Chyld, make pou no mowys ne knakkes
Be-fore no men, ne by-hynd here bakkes,
But be of fayre femelaunt and contenaunce,
68 For by fayre manerys men may þee a-vaunce.
Chyld whan pou goft yn eny ftrete,

Iff pou eny gode man or woman mete,
Avale thy hode to hym or to here,

72 And bydde, "god fpede dame or fere !"
And be they fmalle or grete,

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 fare not as Wanton fole,

And lerne as faft as pou may and can,
80 For owre byfchop is an old man,
And per-for pou most lerne fast

Iff pou wolt be byffhop when he is past.
Chyld, y bydde pe on my bleffyng

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.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PoprzedniaDalej »