Si je les pus ateindre la teste lur froi voler,
De touz lur manaces ne dorroi un dener.

Ly Martyn et ly Knoville sunt gent de pieté,
E prient pur les povres qu'il eyent sauveté ;
Spigurnel e Belflour sunt gent de cruelté,
Si il fuissent en ma baylie ne serreynt retornée.

Je lur apre[n]droy le giw de Traylebastoun,
E lur bruseroy l'eschyne e le cropoun,
Les bras e les jaunbes, ce serreit resoun,
La lange lur tondroy e la bouche ensoun.

Qy cestes choses primes comença,
Jà jour de sa vie amendé ne serra;

Je vus di pur veyr, trop graunt pecché en a,
Quar pur doute de prisone meint laroun serra.

Ytel devendra leres que ne fust unque mès,
Que pur doute de prisone ne ose venir à pes;

my peace, if I can reach them I will make their heads fly off,-I would not give a penny for all their threats.

The Martin and the Knoville are people of piety, -and pray for the poor that they may have safety ;-Spigurnel and Belflour are people of cruelty,— if they were in my keeping they should not be returned.

I would teach them the game of Trailebaston,—and would break their backbone and their crupper, their arms and their legs, it would be but right,—I would cut their tongues and their mouths likewise.

He who first commenced these things,-never in his life will he be amended; -I tell you for truth, he has committed therein too great a sin,-for out of the fear of prison there will be many a robber made.

He will become a robber who was never so before,-who for fear of prison CAMD. SOCc. 6. 2 H

Vivre covient avoir chescum jour adès;

Qy ceste chose comenca, yl emprist grant fes.

Bien devoient marchaunz e moygnes doner maliçoun
A tous iceux que ordinerent le Traillebastoun;

Ne lur vaudra un ayle le roial proteccioun,
Que il ne rendrount les deners sauntz regerdoun.

Vus qy estes endité, je lou, venez à moy,

Al vert bois de Belregard, là n'y a nul ploy,
Forque beste savage e jolyf umbroy;
Car trop est dotouse la commune loy.

Si tu sachez de lettrure, e estes coroucé,
Devaunt les justices serrez appellée;
Uncore poez estre à prisone retornée,
En garde de le evesque, jesque seiez purgée,
E soffryr messayse e trop dure penaunce,
E par cas n'averez jamès delyveraunce.

Pur ce valt plus ou moi à bois demorer,
Q'en prisone le evesque fyerge gyser.

dare not come to peace ;-it is necessary to have livelihood every day as it comes; -he who commenced this thing, undertook a great task.

Well may merchants and monks bestow a curse-on all those who ordained the Trailebaston ;-the royal protection will not be worth a garlic to them,-if they do not repay the pence without recompense.

You who are indited, I advise you, come to me,-to the green wood of Beauregard, there where there is no plea,-except wild beast and beautiful shade ;-for the common law is too much to be feared.

If thou knowest letters, and art enraged,-thou shalt be called before the justices;-again you may be returned to prison,-in keeping of the bishop, until you be cleansed ;-and suffer mis-ease and too hard penance, and perchance you will never have deliverance.

Therefore it is better to dwell with me in the wood,-than to lie cast in

Trop est la penaunce e dure à soffrer;

Quy le mieux puet eslyre, fol est qe ne velt choyser.

Avant savoy poy de bien, ore su-je meins sage;
Ce me fount les male leis par mout grant outrage,
Qe n'os à la pes venyr entre mon lignage;
Les riches sunt à raunsoun, povres à escolage.

Fort serroit engager ce qe ne puet estre aquytée,
C'est la vie de honme que taunt est cher amée.
E je n'ay mye le chatel de estre rechatée;

Mès si je fusse en lur baundoun à mort serroi lyverée ;

Uncore attendroy grace e orroi gent parler,

Tiels me dient le mal que me ne osent aprochier.

E volenters verroient mon corps ledenger;

Mès entre myl debles Dieu puet un honme sauver.

Cely me pust salver que est le fitz Marie;
Car je ne su coupable, endité su par envye;

the bishop's prison.-Too much is the penance, and hard to suffer;-he who has the opportunity to select what is better, is a fool if he does not make the choice.

Before I knew little what was good, now I am less wise ;-the bad laws cause this by very great outrage,-so that I dare not come to the peace among my kindred ;-the rich are put to ransom, the poor to prison.

It would be penible to engage what cannot be acquitted; that is the life of man which is so dearly loved ;-and I have not at all the goods wherewith to be bought off ;-but if I were in their power I should be put to death.

Yet if I should expect grace and hear people talk,-those would say evil to me who dare not approach me,-and would willingly see my body disgraced.— But God can save a man in the midst of a thousand devils.

He can save me, who is the son of Mary ;-for I am not culpable, I am in

Qy en cesti lu me mist, Dieu lur maldie!
Le siècle est si variant, fous est qe s'affye.

Si je sei compagnoun e sache de archerye,
Mon veisyn irra disaunt, "cesti est de compagnie,
De aler bercer à bois e fere autre folie;"

Que ore vueille vivre come pork merra sa vye.

Si je sache plus de ley qe ne sevent eux,

Yl dirrount," cesti conspyratour comence de estre faus,"

E le heyre n'aprocheroy de x. lywes en d'eus ;

De tous veysinages hony seient ceux.

Je pri tote bone gent qe pur moi vueillent prier,

Qe je pus à mon pais aler e chyvaucher;
Unqe ne fu homicide, certes à moun voler,
Ne mal robberes pur gent damager.

Cest rym fust fet al bois desouz un lorer,
Là chaunte merle, russinole, e cyre l'esperver;
Escrit estoit en parchemyn pur mout remenbrer,
E gitté en haut chemyn, qe um le dust trover.

dited out of malice ;-God's curse be on those who drove me to this place!— The world is so variable, that he is a fool who trusts in it.

"This

If I am a companion and know archery,—my neighbour will go and say, man belongs to a company,-to go hunt in the wood and do other folly ;"-so now I will live as a pig will lead his life.

If I happen to know more law than they know,-they will say this conspirator begins to be treasonable,—and I will not approach home within ten leagues of them ;-of all neighbourhoods cursed be those.

I pray all good people that they will pray for me,—that I may be able to go and ride to my country;-I was never a homicide, at least by design,—nor an ill robber to do people damage.

This rhyme was made in the wood beneath a bay tree,-there sings the thrush, the nightingale, and the hawk cries (?);—it was written on parchment to be better remembered, and cast in the highway, that people may find it.

The following song is a satire upon the numerous retinues of the nobles and rich people, whose idle attendants and servants preyed upon the produce of the industrious peasantry. It shows us how great were the pride and ostentation of the courtiers of the latter years of Edward the First.

A SONG AGAINST THE RETINUES OF THE GREAT PEOPLE.

[MS. Harl. 2253, fol. 124, vo; of reign of Edw. II.]

Of ribaudz y ryme
Ant rede o mi rolle,
Of gedelynges, gromes,
Of Colyn ant of Colle,
Harlotes, hors-knaves,

Bi pate ant by polle;
To devel ich hem to-lvyre
Ant take to tolle!

The gedelynges were gedered
Of gonnylde gnoste;
Palefreiours ant pages,
Ant boyes with boste;

Alle weren y-haht

Of an horse thoste:

The devel huem afretye,

Rau other a-roste !

TRANSLATION.-Of ribalds I rhyme-and read in my roll,-of gadlings, grooms,―of Colin and of Colle,-scoundrels, horse-boys,-by pate and by poll; -to the devil I them deliver-and give for toll.

..........

;-palfrey-keepers and pages,

The gadlings were gathered-of and boys with boast ;-all were ......-of a horse .... devour them-raw or roasted!

...... :—may the devil