De ftatu regnorum ut dicunt fe
Betwene the vertue and the vice, Which longeth unto this office. my wittes ben to smale To tellen every man his tale, This boke upon amendement To ftonde at his commaundement, With whom min herte is of accorde, I fende unto min owne lorde,
Which of Lancaftre is Henry named. The highe god him hath proclamed Full of knighthod and alle grace, So wol I now this werke embrace With hol trufte and with hol beleve, God graunte I mote it well acheve.
Tempus preteritum prefens fortuna beatum Linquit, et antiquas vertit in orbe vias. Progenuit veterem concors dilectio pacem, Dum facies hominis nuncia mentis erat. Legibus unicolor tunc temporis aura refulfit, Jufticie plane tuncque fuere vie. Nuncque latens odium vultum depingit amoris, Paceque fub ficta tempus ad arma tegit. Inftar et ex variis mutabile cameliontis
Lex gerit, et regnis funt nova jura novis. Climataque fuerant folidiffima, ficque per orbem Solvuntur, nec eo centra quietis habent.
If I fhall drawe into my minde cundum tempora- The time paffed, than I finde
pore regis Ricardi The world ftode in al his welthe, fecundi, anno reg- Tho was the life of man in helthe,
Tho was plente, tho was richesse, Tho was the fortune of proweffe, Tho was knighthode in pris by name, Wherof the wide worldes fame
Write in croniques is yet witholde. Juftice of lawe tho was holde, The privelege of regalie Was fauf, and all the baronie Worshiped was in his estate. The citees knewen no debate, The people ftode in obeifaunce Under the reule of governaunce, with rightwifneffe keste, With charite tho ftode in reste, Of mannes herte the corage Was fhewed than in the vifage. The word was liche to the conceipte Withoute femblaunt of deceipte, Tho was there unenvied love, Tho was vertue fet above, And vice was put under fote.
Now ftant the crope under the rote, The worlde is chaunged overall, And therof mofte in speciall That love is falle into difcorde. And that I take to recorde Of every lond for his partie
The comun vois, which may nought lie, Nought upon one, but upon alle
It is that men now clepe and calle And fain, that regnes ben devided, In stede of love is hate guided, The werre wol no pees purchace, And lawe hath take her double face,
So that juftice out of the wey With rightwifneffe is gone awey. And thus to loke on every halve Men fene the fore without falve, Whiche al the worlde hath overtake. Ther is no regne of alle out take, For every climat hath his dele After the torninge of the whele, Which blinde fortune overthroweth, Wherof the certain no man knoweth. The heven wot what is to done.
But we that dwelle under the mone Stonde in this worlde upon a were, And namely but the power Of hem, that ben the worldes guides, With good counfeil on alle fides Be kept upright in fuche a wife, That hate breke nought thaffife Of love, whiche is all the chefe To kepe a regne out of mischefe. For alle refon wolde this,
That unto him, which the heved is, The membres buxom fhall bowe,
And he fhulde eke here trouth alowe With all his hert and make hem chere.
Salomon. Omnia For good counfeil is good to here,
All though a man be wise him selve, Yet is the wifdome more of twelve. And if they ftonden both in one, To hope it were than anone,
That god his grace wolde fende
To make of thilke werre an ende, Whiche every day now groweth newe. And that is gretely for to rewe
In fpeciall for Criftes fake,
Which wolde his owne life forfake Amonge the men to yeven pees. But nowe men tellen netheles, That love is fro the world departed, So ftant the pees uneven parted With hem that liven now a daies. But for to loke at all affaies To him, that wolde refon feche After the comun worldes fpeche, It is to wonder of thilke werre,
In which none wote who hath the werre. For every lond him felf deceiveth And of difefe his parte receiveth, And yet ne take men no kepe.
But thilke lorde, whiche al may kepe, To whom no counfeil may be hid Upon the world, whiche is betid, Amende that, wherof men pleine With trewe hertes and with pleine, And reconcile love ayeine As he, whiche is king fovereine Of all the worldes governaunce, And of his highe purveiance Afferme pees bitwene the londes And take here caufe into his hondes,
De ftatu cleri ut dicunt fecundum
So that the world may ftande appefed And his godhede alfo be plefed.
Quas coluit Mofes vetus, aut novus ipfe Joannes, Hefternas leges vix colit ifta dies.
Sic prius Ecclefia bina virtute polita
Nunc magis inculta pallet utraque via. Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro refumens Horruit ad Chrifti verba cruoris iter. Nunc tamen affiduo gladium de fanguine tinctum Vibrat avaricia lege repente facra.
Sic lupus eft paftor, pater hoftis, mors miserator, Prædoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor.
To thenke upon the daies olde
fpiritualia, vide. The life of clerkes to beholde licet tempore Ro- Men fain, how that they were tho
berti Gibbonenfis,
qui nomen Cle
mentis fibi fortitus Enfample and reule of alle tho,
eft tunc Antipape. Which of wisdom the vertue foughten. Unto the god first they befoughten
As to the fubftaunce of here fcole, That they ne sholden nought befole Her witte upon none erthly werkes, Whiche were ayein theftate of clerkes, And that they mighten fle the vice, Which Simon hath in his office, Wherof he taketh the golde in honde. For thilke time I understonde The Lumbarde made non eschaunge The bishopriches for to chaunge, Ne yet a letter for to fende For dignite ne for provende Or cured or withoute cure, The chirche keie in adventure
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