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The Epitaffe of the moste noble and valyaunt Iasper late duke of Beddeforde. |
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Rydynge al alone with sorowe sore encombred. | |
In a frosty fornone / faste by seuernes syde. | |
The wordil beholdynge / wherat moche I Wondred wordil: =world | |
To se the see and sonne / to kepe both tyme and tyde. | |
5 | The ayre ouer my hede / so wonderfully to glyde. |
And howe saturne by circumference borne is aboute. Color Ficcio. | |
Whiche thynges to beholde / clerely me notyfyde | |
One verray god to be / therin to haue no dowte | |
And as my fantasy flamyd in that occupacyon. | |
10 | Fruteles deuoyde of all maner gladnes |
Of one was I Ware / into greate desolacyon. | |
To the erthe prostrate rauynge for madnes | |
By m[o]nys so inmoderate / encreased was his sadnes monys] menys 1496 | |
That by me can not be compyled | |
15 | His dedly sorowe / and dolorous dystres |
Lyfe in hym / by deth / so ny Was exiled | |
Hym better to beholde / so ferre oute of frame | |
Nerre I nyghed / farsyd with fragyllyte | |
Wherwith Smert I perceyued he called was by name | |
20 | Which ouer haukes and houndes had auctoryte. |
Though the roume vnmete were / for his pouer degre | |
Yet fortune so hym farthered to his lorde | |
Wherfore him to lye in soch perplexite. | |
What it myghte mene / I gan to my-sylfe recorde | |
25 | I shogged him I shaked him I ofte aboute him Wente. |
And al to knowe / Why so care / his carayn [r]yued ryued] hyued 1496 | |
sig: [A2v] | |
His temples I rubbyd and by the nose him hente | |
Al as in vayne Was / he coude nat be reuyued. | |
He waltered / he wende / and With him-silfe stryued. | |
30 | Suche countenaunce contynuynge / but or I parte the place |
Up his hede he caste whan his woful goste aryued. | |
Those Wordes saynge with righte a pytous face. | |
O sorowe sorowe beyonde al sorowes sure. Metricus primus. Color. repeticio. | |
All sorowes sure surmountynge / lo. | |
35 | Lo Which payne no pure may endure |
Endure may none such dedely wo. | |
Wo alas ye inwrapped for he is go. | |
Go is he Whose valyaunce to recounte. | |
To recounte all other it dyd surmounte. | |
40 | Gone is he alas that redy was to do. |
Eche thynge that to nob[l]es required. nobles] nobes 1496 Metricus secundus. C. recitacio simplex. Metricus secundus. C. recitacio simplex. | |
Gone is he alas that redy Was to do. | |
Eche thynge that curtesye of him desyred. | |
Whose frowarde fate falsely was conspyred. | |
45 | By antraphos vnasured and her vngracyous charmys. |
Iasper I mene is gone mars son in armys. | |
He that of late regnyd in glory. | |
With grete glosse buttylly glased. M .iii. C. narracio. buttylly ='beautifully'? See OED s.v. buttyly adj., where this example is the sole attestation.buttylly ='beautifully'? See OED s.v. buttyly adj., where this example is the sole attestation. | |
Nowe lowe vnder-fote doth he ly. | |
50 | With wormys ruly rente and rasyd ruly ='wretchedly' |
His carayne stynkynge his fetures fasyd. | |
Brother and vncle to kynges yesterday. | |
sig: A3 | |
Nowe is he gone and lefte vs as mased. | |
Closed here lyeth he in a clote of clay. | |
55 | Shal he come agayne / a nay nay. |
Where is he become I can nat discusse. | |
Than with the prophet may We say. | |
Non inuentus est locus eius. | |
Restynge in him Was honoure with sadnesse. | |
60 | Curtesy kyndenesse With great assuraunce. |
Dispysynge vice louynge alway gladnesse. Metricus quartus e[t] retrogradiens. Colo[r] discripcio. | |
Knyghtly condicyons feythful alegeaunce | |
Kyndely demenoure gracyous vtteraunce. | |
Was none semelyer [of] feture ne face. of] 1496 omits | |
65 | Frendely him fostered quatriuial aliaunce. quatriuial ='belonging to the quadrivium'; see OED s.v. quadrivial adj., where this example is cited. Alternatively, quatriuial could mean simply 'fourfold'. |
Alas yet dede nowe arte thou iaspar alas. | |
Wherfore sorowe to oure sorowe / none can be founde. | |
Ne cause agayne care to mollyfy oure monys. | |
Alas the payne | |
70 | For his body and goste Metricus quintus. |
That we loued moste. | |
In a graue in the grounde | |
Deth depe hath drounde | |
Amonge robel and stonys | |
75 | Wherfore complayne. .] .. 1496 |
Complayne complayne who can complayne. | |
For I alas past am compleynte. | |
To compleyne wyt can not sustayne. | |
sig: [A3v] | |
Deth me with doloure so hath bespraynte M. .vi. bespraynte ='besprinkled'; see OED s.vv. besprent ppla, bespreng v. | |
80 | For in my syghte. |
Oure lorde and knyghte | |
Contrary to righte. | |
Deth hath ateynte. | |
As the vylest of a nacyon. | |
85 | Deuoyde of consolacyon. |
By cruel crucyacyon. | |
He hath combryd hym sore. | |
He hath him combryd sore. M .vii. C. iteracio | |
That fraunce and englonde bere byfore. | |
90 | Armys of both quarteryd. |
And with hony soyte was garteryd. | |
Se howe he is nowe marteryd. | |
Alas for sorowe therfore. | |
Alas for sorowe therfore. | |
95 | Oute and Weleaway. |
For people many a score. | |
For him shal yel and rore. | |
Alas that we were bore. | |
To se this dolorous day. | |
100 | With asshy hue compleyne / also I cry. |
Ladyes / damosels mynyonat and gorgayse. mynyonat ='elegant'; see OED s.v. minionate adj., where this example is the sole attestation. | |
Knyghtes a[u]nterus of the myghty monarchy. | |
Complayne also for he that in his dayes. | |
To enhaunce wonte was your honoure youre prayse. | |
105 | Nowe is he gone of erthly blysse ryfyld. |
For dredeful deth withouten delayse. | |
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Ful dolorously his breth hath stifild. | |
Terys degoutynge also complayne complayne. | |
Houndes peerles / haukes withoute percialyte. | |
110 | Sacris / faucons / heroners hautayne. C. transsumpcio. Sacris: =sakers, 'lanner falcons'; heroners ='falcons trained to fly at the heron'; hautayne ='high-flying'Sacris: =sakers, 'lanner falcons'; heroners ='falcons trained to fly at the heron'; hautayne ='high-flying' |
For nowe darked is youre pompe / youre prod[y]galyte. | |
Youre plesures been past vnto penalyte.prodygalyte] prodogalyte 1496 | |
Of With your rich caperons / put on your mourning-hodes | |
For iaspar your prynce by proporcyon of qualyte. | |
115 | Paste is by deth / those daungerous flodys. |
He that manhode meyntened / and magna[n]y[m]ite magnanymite] magnamynite 1496 | |
His blasynge blys nowe is with balys blechyd M .viii. with balys blechyd ='wounded with evils'; see OED s.vv. bleche v, bless v2.with balys blechyd ='wounded with evils'; see OED s.vv. bleche v, bless v2. | |
Throgh dethes croked and crabbed cruelte. | |
In doloure depe nowe is he drowned and drechyd. | |
120 | His starynge standerde that in stoures strechyd |
With a sable serpente / nowe set is on a wall. | |
His helme heedles / cote corseles / woful and wrechyd. | |
With a swerde handeles / there hange they all. | |
Gewellys of late / poysed at grete valoyre. | |
125 | He ded they desolate of euery membre.none shaloyre ='neglect, disregard'; see OED s.vv. nonchaloir (where this example is the sole attestation), challoir. |
Stykynge on stakes as thynges of none shaloyre | |
For the corse that the[m] couched couched ='set (as jewels)'; see OED s.v. couch v1, 3d./ cast is in ####ab#### sendre. | |
By cruel compulsyon caused to surrendre. M .ix. them] they 1496them] they 1496 | |
Lyfe vp to deth / that al ouerspurneth. | |
130 | O se howe this worlde tourneth. |
Some laugheth some mourneth. | |
Yet ye prynces precyous and tendre. | |
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Whyle that ye here in glory soiourneth. | |
The deth of our mayster rue to remembre. | |
135 | O turmentoure / traytoure / torterous tyraunte. |
So vnwarely oure duke haste thou slayne C. exclamacio. | |
That Wyt and mynde are vnsuffycyaunte. | |
Agayne thy myschyf malyce to mayntayne | |
We that in blysse wonte Were to bay[n]e. | |
140 | With fortune flotynge moste fauourably. |
Nowe thorow-thrylled and persyd with payne. thorow-thrylled ='pierced', here and below; see OED s.vv. thrill v1, 1, and through-.; Langoure ='languish' | |
Langoure we in feruente exstasy. | |
O murtherer vnmesurable withouten remors. | |
Monstruus of entayle aborryd in kynde. | |
145 | Thou haste his corse dystressed by force. C. reprobacio. |
Whos parayle alyue thou can not fynde. | |
Howe durst thou his flessh and spyryte vn[t]ynde. vntynde] vnrynde 1496vntynde ='separate, sever'; see OED s.v. untine v, 2, where this example is the sole attestation.vntynde ='separate, sever'; see OED s.v. untine v, 2, where this example is the sole attestation. | |
Dissendynge fro Cyzyle / Ierusalem and Fraunce. | |
O bazalyke bryboure with iyes blynde. bazalyke ='regal'; see OED s.vv. basilic adj., basilical adj.1; bryboure ='thief' or perhaps 'corrupt judge'; vtterquidaunce: =outrecuidance, 'self-conceit, arrogance, presumption'. | |
150 | Sore may thou rue thy vtterquidaunce |
Thou haste berafte / I say the erthly ioye | |
Of one broder and vncle to kynges in degre. | |
Lynyally descendynge fro eneas of troye. | |
Grete-vncle and vncle to prynces thre. | |
155 | Brother to a saynte by Way of natyuyte |
Vncle to another / whom men seketh blyue. | |
Blynde / croked lame / for remedyes hourly. | |
Thus god / that bromecod / had gyuen a prerogatyue. bromecod: =broom-cod, 'the seed-vessel of the broom', used figuratively here and below (='human being'). | |
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And yet thou dolorous deth / to the herte hast him stynged. | |
160 | Wenest thou felon / such murther to escape brewtors: =bruiters, 'spreaders of report, rumour'; but see also OED s.v. bruterer ='prophesier, soothsayer', where the OED notes: 'cf. also brut, in its Welsh sense of "prophecy"'. |
I say the brewtors of Wales on the Wyl be reuenged | |
For thy false conspyracy and frowarde fate C. newgacio. newgacio: =negatio; cf. neugacio below.newgacio: =negatio; cf. neugacio below. | |
We his seruauntes also sole disconsolate. | |
Haste thou lafte / so that creatures more maddyr. | |
165 | In erthe none Wandreth atwene senit and naddyr. senit: =zenith |
Wherfore to the felde / to the felde / on With plate and male. | |
Beest / byrde / foule / eche body terrestryal. M .x. | |
Seke we this murtherer him to assayle. | |
Unafrayde ioyne in ayde / ye bodyes celestyal. | |
170 | Herry saynt / with iyes faynte / to the also I cal. |
For thy brothers sake / help deth to take / þat al may on him wondre | |
For and he reyne by drift sodeyne / he Wil ech kynd encumbre. drift ='scheme, plot' | |
¶Dethe. |
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Fouconer thou arte to blame. | |
And oughte take shame. | |
175 | To make suche pretense. |
For I deth hourly. M .xi. C. prosopopeya. | |
May stande truly. | |
At ful lawful defence | |
Deth hath no myghte. | |
180 | Do wronge ne righte. |
Fauoure frende ne fo. | |
But as an instrumente. | |
At commaundemente. | |
Whether to byde or go. | |
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185 | I am the instr[u]mente instrumente] instromente 1496 |
Of one omnipotente | |
That knowest thou fyrme and playne. | |
Wherfore fro dethe | |
Thy wo and wreth | |
190 | I Wolde thou shulde reteyne. |
And agayne god | |
For thy bromecod | |
Batayle to darayne. darayne ='to maintain (a wager of battle or single combat) in vindication of a claim, right, etc.'; see OED s.v. deraign v1, 4. | |
Than if it be ryghte / most of myght / thy godhed I acuse. | |
195 | For thy myght / contrary to right / thou doste gretly abuse. M .xii. C. Introductio. |
Katyffes vnkind / thou leuest behind / paynims turkes and iewis | |
and our maister gret / thou gaue wormes to ete wheron gretly I muse | |
Is this wel done / answer me sone / make lorde thyn excuse | |
Dyd thou disdayne þat he shuld rayne / was þat els the cause. | |
200 | In his rayne / he was moste fayne / to mynester thy lawes |
Than certayn / and thou be playn / and stedfaste in thy sawes. | |
Euery knyght that doth right / ferynge drede ne awes M .xiii. C. onomotopeya. | |
Of thy face bryghte / shal haue a syghte / | |
After this worldly wawes. | |
205 | Than gode lorde / scripture doth record / verefieng þat cause |
That our bromcod / Wt the gode god / in heuen shal rest and pause | |
For first of nought / thou him wroght of thy special grace | |
And Wers than noght him also boght / in caluery in þat place | |
Th[an] by thoght / oft he were broght / Wt satanas to trace. M .xiiii. C. probacio. Than] Thou 1496Than] Thou 1496 | |
210 | Yet lorde to haue / pyte thou oght / on the pycture of thy face |
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We / neyther he / dampned to be / willyngly thou wilt noght. M .xv. | |
Yet dampned shal he and we be / if thy mercy helpe nought. | |
Discrecion hast thou gyuen perde / what wold we more ought | |
After deth to lyue with the / if we offende nought | |
215 | There is a cause yet of oure care / thou creatoure alofte. |
That thy gospel doth declare / which I forgete noughte | |
Howe vnwarly our Welfare / fro vs shal be broughte | |
By deth þat none wyl spare / lorde þat knowe we noughte M .xvi. | |
In syn drowned if we dare / and so sodenly be coughte | |
220 | Than of blysse ar we bare / þat fylleth me ful of thoughte |
Thou knowest lorde beste thy-sylfe | |
Man is but duste stercorye and fylthe | |
Of him-sylfe vnable. | |
Saue only of thy specyal grace | |
225 | A soule thou made to occupye place. |
To make man ferme and stable. C degressio | |
Which man to do as thou ordeyned. | |
With fendes foule / shal neuer be payned. | |
But in blysse be perdurable. | |
230 | And if he do the contrarye |
Af[t]er this lyfe than shal he dye. M .xvii: Af[t]er: letter broken.Af[t]er: letter broken. | |
Fendes to fede vnsaciable. | |
For which fendys foule thou made a centre. centre ='a nucleus or point of concentration'; see OED s.v. centre n, 6a. | |
In which centre / thou made an entre | |
235 | That such þat to breke thy commaundementes Wolde auenter |
Theder downe shulde dessende. | |
But oure maister whan deth hym trapte. | |
sig: [A6v] | |
In pure perseueraunce so was Wrapte. | |
That thou inuisyble his speryte thyder rapte | |
240 | Where thy sheltrons him shal defende. sheltrons ='troops, phalanxes'. |
If We nat offende | |
He wyl purchace. M. quatrinalis. C. transuersio. | |
A gloryous place. | |
At oure laste ende The following quatrain is printed alongside the previous one in the copytext. | |
245 | To se his face. |
We shal assende | |
By his grete grace. | |
If we nat offende. | |
Thou haste enuapored I say alofte. enuapored: =envapoured; see OED s.v. en-, prefix 1a, where one example, dated 1605, is cited. | |
250 | The soule of iasper that thou wroughte. |
Seruyce to do latrial. latrial ='of the supreme worship which is due to God alone'; see OED s.v. latria n. | |
And why lorde I dyd the reproue. | |
Was for perfyte zele and loue. | |
To the nat preiudicyal. | |
255 | For lorde this I knowe expr[e]sse expresse] exprsse 1496 |
This worldly frute is bytternesse. | |
Farcyd With wo and payne. | |
Lyfe ledynge dolorously in distresse | |
Shadowed with dethes lykenesse. | |
260 | As in none certayne. |
Yet me-semeth so thou art non of tho / þat vs so shuld begyle | |
He is nat yet ded / I lay my hed / thou hast him hid for a while | |
And al to proue / who doth him loue / and Who wil be vnkynd C. neugacio | |
Thou hast in led / layde him a ####ab#### bed / this trow I in my mynd | |
265 | For this we trow / and thou dost know / as thy might is most |
That him to dye / to lowe and hye / it were to grete a lost. lost ='loss' | |
sig: B[1] | |
And he be dede this knowe I very right | |
Thou saw lorde this erth corrupt with fals adulacyon. | |
And thought it place vnmete for iaspar thy knyght. | |
270 | Wherfore of body and soule / thou made seperacyon. |
Preantedate seynge by pure predestynacyon. C. excusacio. Preantedate ='premature'? Preantedate is not recorded in OED.Preantedate ='premature'? Preantedate is not recorded in OED. | |
Whan his lyfe here shulde fyne and consum. | |
Wherfore lorde thus ende I my dolorous exclamacyon | |
Thy godenes knewe what was beste to be done. | |
275 | As a prynce penytente and ful of contricion. |
So dyed he / we his seruauntes can recorde. M .xviii. C. conclusio. | |
And that he may haue euerlastynge fruicyon. | |
We the beseche gloryous kynge and lorde | |
For the laste leson that he dyd recorde. leson ='liturgical reading' | |
280 | To thy power he it aplyed / saynge tibi omnes. |
As a hye knyghte / in fidelyte / fermely moryd | |
Angeli celi et potestates. | |
Wherwith payne / to the herte him boryd | |
And lyfe him lefte / gyuynge deth entres | |
285 | Whiche lyfe in comparyson of thyne: |
Is as poynt in lyne / or as instant in tyme. | |
For thou were / and arte / and shal be al-tyme | |
In thy-silfe reynynge by power diuyne | |
Makynge gerarcyiis thre / and orders nyne gerarcyiis: =hierarchies | |
290 | The to deifye |
Wherfore we crye. | |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
But to lyue | |
sig: [B1v] | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. eternally] enternally 1496 | |
295 | Is oure byleue. |
And than moste craftely dyd combyne. | |
Another heuen called cristalline. | |
[T]o the thyrde stellyferal to shyne. M .xix. C. prolongacio. To] So 1496To] So 1496 | |
Aboue thy skye. | |
300 | Wherfore we crye |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is oure byleue. | |
305 | Moreouer in a zodiake / pure and fyne. |
Synys .xii. thou set for a tyme. Synys: =signs | |
And them nexte in cercle and lyne | |
Saturne thou set / iupiter and mars citryne. | |
Contect and drye. Contect ='covered over', from Latin contectus? Contect is not recorded in OED, but see OED s.v. contection, 'covering up'. | |
310 | Wherfore we crye. |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is oure byleue. | |
315 | Than to peryssh thorouthryll and myne. |
The mystes blake and cloudes tetryne. tetryne ='gloomy', from Latin taeter? Tetryne is not recorded in OED, but cf. OED s.vv. tetric adj.1, tetrical. | |
Tytan thou set clerely to shyne. | |
The worldes iye. | |
Wherfore we crye. vt supra | |
sig: B2 | |
320 | Yet in their epycercles to tril and twyne. epycercles is probably an error for epycycles ('epicycles'), but is retained as a nonce-form; tril and twyne ='revolve and meander'; stacyoner: =stationary? Cf. Henryson, Moral Fables IV.3, '... the planeitis ... Sum retrograde, and sum stationeir'; see OED s.v. stationary adj., 1c.; masseline ='made of brass' (see OED s.v. maslin n1, 3), or 'mixed, mingled' (see OED s.v. maslin n2, 1c) |
Retrograte / stacyoner / directe as a lyne. | |
Uenus thou set marcury and the mone masseline. | |
Nexte fyre / and ayre so sotyl of engyne. | |
The to gloryfye | |
325 | Wherfore we crye |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is oure byleue. | |
330 | [..................................]A line has dropped out in the copytext. |
Water and erth with braunch and vine. | |
And so thy we[r]kes to ende and fyne. we[r]kes: letter broken | |
Man to make thou dyd determyne. | |
Of whome cam I. | |
335 | Wherfore I cry and the supplye. |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is o[u]re byleue. | |
340 | With him to comford at all-tyme. comford: =comfort |
Tho[u] ioyned the sex than of frayle femynyne | |
Which by temptacyon serpentyne. | |
Theyre hole sequele broughte to ruyne. sequele ='posterity' | |
By ouergrete folye. | |
345 | Wherfore we crye. |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
sig: [B2v] | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is oure byleue. byleue] byleueue 1496 | |
350 | Than of thy godenes thou dyd enclyne |
Flessh to take of thy moder and virgyne. | |
And vs amonge in payne and famyne. | |
Dw[e]lte and taughte thy holy doctryne. Dwelte] Dwalte 1496 | |
Uulgurly | |
355 | Wherfore we crye. |
Suffer nat iaspar to dye. | |
But to lyue. | |
For eternally that he shal lyue. | |
Is oure byleue. | |
360 | Tyl a traytoure by false couyne. |
To pylat accused the at pryme. | |
So taken slayne / and buryed at complyne. | |
Rose agayne of adam redemynge the lyne. | |
By thy infynyte mercy. | |
365 | For whych mercy. |
Incessantly we crye | |
And the supplye | |
Suffer nat our lorde to dye | |
But to lyue. | |
370 | For eternally that he shal lyue. |
Is oure byleue. | |
sig: [B3] | |
¶Lenuoy. |
|
Kynges / prynces / remembre whyle ye may. | |
Do for your-silfe for that shal ye fynde. M .xx. | |
Executours often maketh delay. | |
The body buryed / the soule sone oute of mynde. | |
5 | Marke this Wel / and graue it in youre mynde. |
Howe many grete estates gone are before. | |
And howe after ye shal folowe by course of kynde. | |
Wherfore do for youre-silfe / I can say no more. | |
Though ye be gouernours moste precious in kynde. | |
10 | Caste downe your crounes and costely appareyle. |
Endored With golde / and precyous stones of ynde. Endored: =adored, reflecting the common confusion of adore and adorn in Middle English (see OED s.v. adore v)? OED records a verb endore only with the specialised sense of 'to cover with a yellow glaze of yolk of egg, saffron, etc.' | |
For al in the ende lytyl shal auayle. | |
Whan youre estates deth lyketh to assayle | |
Your bodyes bulgynge with a blyster sore | |
15 | Than Withstande shal neyther plate ne mayle. |
Wherfore do for youre-silfe / I can say no more. | |
There is a vertue that moost is auaunsed | |
Pure perseueraunce called of the porayle. | |
By Whome al vertues are enhaunsed. | |
20 | Which is nat Wonne but by diligente trauayle. |
Ware in the ende / for and that vertue fayle. | |
Body and soule than are ye forlore | |
Wherfore if ye folowe Wyll holsom counsayle. | |
Do for youre-silfe I can say no more. | |
sig: [B3v] | |
25 | Kynges prynces moste souerayne of renoune. |
Remembre oure maister that gone is byfore. | |
This Worlde is casual / nowe vp / nowe downe. | |
Wherfore do for your-silfe I can say no more. | |
Amen. | |
Honor tibi deus / gloria / et laus. Quod Smerte maister de ses ouzeaus. |