Te London once my stepps I bent,
Where trouth in no wyse should be faynt,
To Westmynster-ward I forthwith went,
To a man of law to make complaynt;
I sayd, for Marys love, that holy saynt!
Pity the poore that wold proceede';
But for lack of mony I cold not spede.
[After visiting all the courts at Westminster one after another, and finding that everywhere want of cash is the one insuperable impediment, he passes eastward to the Citv.]
Then unto London I dyd me hye,
Of all the land it beareth the pryse:
'Hot pescodes,' one began to crye,
'Strabery rype, and cherryes in the ryse';
One bad me come nere and by some spyce,
Peper and safforne they gan me bede1,
But for lack of mony I myght not spede.
Then to the Chepe I began me drawne,
Where mutch people I saw for to stand;
One ofred me velvet, sylke, and lawne,
An other he taketh me by the hande,
'Here is Parys thred, the fynest in the land';
I never was used to such thyngs indede,
And wanting mony, I might not spede.
Then went I forth by London stone,
Th[o]roughout all Canwyke streete ;
Drapers mutch cloth me offred anone;
Then comes me one, cryed, 'Hot shepes feete';
One cryde 'makerell,' 'ryshes2 grene,' an other gan greete3;
On bad me by a hood to cover my head,
But for want of mony I myght not be sped.
Then I hyed me into Est-Chepe;
One cryes rybbs of befe, and many a pye :
Pewter pottes they clattered on a heape
There was harpe, pype, and mynstralsye.
Yea, by cock! nay, by cock!' some began crye;
Some songe of Jenken and Julyan for there mede;
But for lack of mony I myght not spede.
Then into Corn-Hyll anon I yode1,
Where was mutch stolen gere amonge;
I saw where honge myne owne hoode,
That I had lost amonge the thronge;
To by my own hood I thought it wronge,
I knew it well as I dyd my crede,
But for lack of mony I could not spede.
The taverner tooke me by the sleve,
'Sir,' sayth he, 'wyll you our wyne assay'?
I answered, 'That can not mutch me grevc:
A peny can do no more then it may';
I drank a pynt, and for it did paye;
Yet sone a-hungerd from thence I yede,
And wantyng mony, I cold not spede.
Then hyed I me to Belyngsgate;
And one cryed, 'Hoo! go we hence!'
I prayd a barge-man, for God's sake,
That he wold spare me my expence.
'Thou scapst not here,' quod he, 'under two pence;
I lyst not yet bestow my almes dede.'
Thus, lackyng mony, I could not spede.
Then I convayd me into Kent;
For of the law wold I meddle no more;
Because no man to me tooke entent,
I dyght me to do as I dyd before.
Now Jesus, that in Bethlem was bore,
Save London, and send trew lawyers there mede!
For who so wantes mony with them shall not spede.
FROM LYDGATE'S 'DIETARY,' OR RULES FOR HEALTH.
And if so be that lechis done the faile1,
Thanne take good hede, and use thyngës three, Temperat diete, temperat travaile,
Nat malicious for none adversité ;
Meke in trouble, gladde in poverté ;
Riche with litel, content with suffisaunce;
Nat grucchyng2, but mery like thi degré :
If phisyk lak, make this thy governaunce.
Fyre at morowe, and towards bed at eve,
For mystis blak, and eyre3 of pestilence;
Betime at masse, thow shalt the better preve,
First at thi risyng do to God reverence,
Visite the poor with intyre diligence,
On al nedy have thow compassioun,
And God shal sendë grace and influence,
To encrease the and thy possessioun.
Suffre no surfetis in thy house at nyght,
Ware of rere-soupers, and of grete excesse,
Of noddyng hedës, and of candel light.
And sloth at morow, and slomberyng idelnes,
Whiche of al vices is chief porteresse;
Voyde al drunklew, lyers, and lechours; Of al unthriftës exile the mastres,
That is to say, dyse, players, and haserdours.
After mete beware, make not to longë slepe,
Hede, foote, and stomak preserve ay from cold;
Be not to pensyf, of thought take no kepe;
After thy rent, mayntenë thyn houshold,
Suffre in tymë, in thi right be bold;
Swere none othis no man to begyle;
In thy youth be lusty, sad whan thow art olde.
' if physicians make thee fall ill.
Dyne nat at morwe aforne thyn appetite,
Clere eyre and walkyng makith goode digestioun,
Between meles drynk nat for no froward delite,
But thurst or travaile yeve the occasion;
Over-salt mete doth grete oppressioun
To feble stomakes, whan they can nat refrayne;
For nothing more contrary to theyr complexioun,
Of gredy handes the stomak hath grete peync.
Thus in two thinges standith al the welthe
Of sowle and body, whoso lust to sewe2,
Moderat foode gevith to man his helthe,
And al surfetis doth from hym remeue,
And charité unto the sowle is dewe :
This ressayt is bought of no poticarye, Of maister Antony, nor of maister Hewe, To all indifferent, richest diatorye 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE GOLDEN AGE.
[Falls of Princes, book vii.]
Rightwisenes chastised al robbours,
By egall balaunce of execucion,
Fraud, false mede, put backward fro jurours,
True promes holde, made no delacioun ";
Forswearing shamed durst enter in no toun,
Nor lesingmongers, because Attemperaunce
Had in that world wholy the governaunce.
That golden world could love God and drede,
All the seven dedes of mercy for to use,
The rich was ready to do almës dede,
Who asked harbour, men did him not refuse;
No man of malice would other tho accuse,
Defame his neighbour, because Attemperaunce
Had in that world wholy the governaunce.
The true marchant by measure bought and sold, Deceipt was none in the artificer,
Making no balkes, the plough was truely hold, Abacke stode Idlenes, farre from labourer, Discrecion marcial at diner and supper, Content with measure, because Attemperaunce Had in that world wholy the governaunce.
Of wast in clothing was that time none excesse ;
Men might the lord from his subjectës know;
A difference made twene povertie and richesse,
Twene a princesse and cther statës lowe;
Of horned boastës no boast was tho blowe,
Nor counterfeit feining, because Attemperaunce
Had in that world wholy the governaunce.
This golden world long whylë dyd endure,
Was none allay in that metall sene,
Tyll Saturne ceased, by record of scripture,
Jupiter reygned, put out his father clene,
Chaunged obrison into silver shene,
Al up so downe, because Attemperaunce
Was set asyde, and loste her governaunce.
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