| sig: A1 | |
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¶Here is a necessarye Treatyse for all maner persons to reade, and hath to name, the Maydens Crosse-rewe. |
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| IAn[u]s_Byfrons, amyddes Ianuary | |
| With his frosty berde, and thycke loc[k]es [h]ore lockes] locbes 1540; hore] rore 1540 | |
| Began the colde calendas of February | |
| Right than I thought, how longe me before | |
| 5 | My mayster Lydgate, dyd applye him sore |
| Fables to fayne vnto moralyte | |
| To shewe the euyll theyr iniquyte. | |
| ¶All this consyderyd to my bedde I went | |
| Fallynge a_slepe than full ryght shortly | |
| 10 | And in this slumbre me-thought incontynent |
| By an olyue-tre I was full sodaynely | |
| Where sat a Mayde complaynynge rufully | |
| Beatynge her handes, and vnder bowes dyd shrowde | |
| In the maner folowynge bewaylynge all alowde. | |
| sig: [A1v] | |
| The copytext reads: A.ij. | |
| 15 | ¶Alas she sayde I may nowe sorowe euer |
| My good frende is gone which wolde haue remayne remayne ='stay'; see OED s.v. remain n2 | |
| The tyme so past se nowe shall I neuer | |
| Therfore no wonder thoughe that I complayne | |
| With syghes depe and with mortall payne | |
| 20 | My flowrynge age I spent in vanyte |
| With all wretched foly and frag[i]lyte. fragilyte] fragalyte 1540 | |
| ¶I toke no hede vnto dame reason | |
| Whiche these prouerbes folowynge dyd me tell | |
| Upon all the letters to haue conclusyon | |
| 25 | So was I ruled by thre enemyes so fell |
| As the worlde, the flesshe, and the fende of hell | |
| But as I may, I wyll them specify | |
| Eche after other as I harde them truely. | |
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A. |
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| ALas ryot ledeth the brydyll-rayne | |
| 30 | Alas that I loued so concupyscence |
| Alas tyme past may not turne agayne | |
| Alas that I lost it by neclygence | |
| Alas to lernynge I had no dylygence | |
| Alas that euer I loued vnhappynes | |
| 35 | Alas I haue banyshed reason and sadnes. |
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B. |
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| Beware thou youth euermore of ydlenes | |
| Beware of pryde, and also enuy | |
| Beware of wrathe, be ruled by mekenes | |
| Beware of couetuousnes and of glotony | |
| 40 | Beware also of the synne of Le[c]hery Lechery] Lethery 1540 |
| Beware ryght well also of presumpcyon | |
| Beware and wyse also of false rebellyon. wyse: =vise, 'consider' | |
| sig: [A2] | |
| The copytext reads: A.i. | |
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C. |
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| Coueyte heauen with dedes of Charyte | |
| Coueyte connynge with all thy busynes | |
| 45 | Coueyte the company of dame fydelyte |
| Coueyte wysdome and all stablenes | |
| Coueyte repentaunce for th[y] wretchednes thy] the 1540 | |
| Coueyte measure for thy bodely wealthe | |
| Coueyte the waye also of thy soules healthe. | |
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D. |
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| 50 | Drede god also aboue euery kynge |
| Drede for synne euermore the vengeaunce | |
| Drede for the tyme, the tyme of rekenynge | |
| Drede for to do thy neyghboure anoyaunce | |
| Drede aboue other thy-selfe for to auaunce | |
| 55 | Drede for to do euyll alwaye certayne |
| Drede euermore also thy souerayne. | |
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E. |
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| Exyle from the falshode and flatery | |
| Exyle from the euermore the vycyous | |
| Exyle also vyle speche and rebaudry | |
| 60 | Exyle all thynges nowe superstycyous |
| Exyle dysdayne whiche is presumptuous | |
| Exyle foly and dyssymulacion | |
| Exyle alwaye also detraccion. | |
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F. |
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| Folowe the trace of truth and ryghtuousnes | |
| 65 | Folowe example of vertuous gouernaunce |
| Folowe bounte and also lowlynes | |
| Folowe measure in all thy purueaunce | |
| Folowe wysdome by good remembraunce | |
| Folowe Iustyce without corrupcion | |
| 70 | Folowe conscyence at euery season. |
| sig: [A2v] | |
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G. |
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| Gladly be ruled by counceyll prudent | |
| Gladly enclyne alwayes to reason | |
| Gladly to lerne be thou moche dylygent | |
| Gladly take trouth to thy companyon | |
| 75 | Gladly forsake the yll operacyon |
| Gladly serue God and thy prynce also | |
| Gladly be pacyent in trouble and wo. | |
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H. |
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| Haue good respect vnto thynges all | |
| Haue thou no doubte of holy scrypture | |
| 80 | Haue God in thy mynde most memoryall |
| Haue gentyll chere and countenaunce demure | |
| Haue good remorse to euery creature | |
| Haue most thy trust in Goddes goodnes | |
| Haue not thy trust in worldely ryches. | |
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I. |
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| 85 | I knewe nothynge in youth what I was |
| I wolde not knowe the steppes of vertue | |
| I thought full lytell howe my youth sholde pas | |
| I wolde nothynge the carnall vyce exchewe | |
| I thought good fortune wolde me well renewe | |
| 90 | I was subdued or that I was ware |
| I lytell thought of myne after care. | |
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K. |
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| Knowe fyrst God and thy-selfe secondly | |
| Knowe well thy prynce by dewe obedyence | |
| Knowe thy neyghboure well and certaynely | |
| 95 | Knowe well connynge by dewe experyence |
| Knowe well in whom thou mayst haue confydence | |
| Knowe well the pore and not hym forsake | |
| Knowe hym w[e]ll that thou of counsayle make. well] woll 1540 | |
| sig: A3 | |
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L. |
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| Loue God also aboue euerythynge | |
| 100 | Loue thy neyghboure and cherysshe thy wyfe |
| Loue not ryot nor backe-reakenynge backe-reakenynge: =back-reckoning, 'a reckoning for past transactions or misdeeds'; see OED s.v. back- | |
| Loue alwaye peace and auoyde the stryfe | |
| Loue in hones[t]e to lede thy lyfe honeste] honesle 1540 | |
| Loue euer myrth and vertuous dysporte | |
| 105 | Loue to the wofull to gyue ayde and comforte. |
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M. |
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| Moche myschyfe commeth of great debate | |
| Moche drynke doth wysdome aswage | |
| Moche sorowe doth the courage abate | |
| Moche euyll greueth a great outrage | |
| 110 | Moche medlynge letteth great auantage |
| Moche Ioye grounded vpon vnyte | |
| Moche harme doth growe of instabylyte. | |
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N. |
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| Nothynge is sweter than the dewe of grace | |
| No man may taste it, but by Sapye[n]ce | |
| 115 | No man without charyte may heauen purchace |
| No man without laboure may haue a scyence | |
| Nothynge to man is better than pacyence | |
| No earthly ryches, but it is transmutable | |
| No man without maners can be conuenable. | |
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O. |
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| 120 | O mortall man ryse out of deedly synne |
| O foolysshe loue of worldly vanyte | |
| O vnkynde man to amende the bygynne | |
| O man remembre Goddes benygnyte | |
| O man Goddes goodnes consydre and se | |
| 125 | O man remembre howe he graunteth space |
| O man in tyme nowe take the gyfte of grace. | |
| sig: [A3v] | |
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P. |
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| Please God thy maker, and kepe his commaundement | |
| Please not thy flesshe, by carnall affeccyon | |
| Please well thy prynce and be to hym obedyent | |
| 130 | Please not the worlde with hole occasyon |
| Please the causer of thy fyrst creacyon | |
| Please not the Deuyll, by Pryde, Enuy, and Ire | |
| Please hym aboue, that is the heauenly Empyre. | |
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Q. |
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| Quare deo fui sic contrarius | |
| 135 | Quare heu non ipsum amaui |
| Quare noluissem cum habuerim tempus | |
| Quare ve sic semper peccaui | |
| Quare mundum ego frequentaui | |
| Quare me sequetis o tu vir in vanis | |
| 140 | Quare laboras sic mundi inanis. |
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R. |
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| Ryght greuously I haue God offended | |
| Ryght nought I thought vpon his Iustyce | |
| Ryght lytell I thought for to be a_mended | |
| Ryght oft I dyd my neyghboure preiudyce | |
| 145 | Right well I thought fortune shulde suffyce |
| Ryght lyttell I thought on my soules healthe | |
| Ryght so my mynde was all on worldly wealthe. | |
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S. |
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| Supporte not wronge vnto ryght contrary | |
| Supporte Iustyce with all thy dylygence | |
| 150 | Supporte not thy seruaunt to do vylany |
| Supporte no man whan he doth offence | |
| Supporte alwaye the grounde of sapyence | |
| Supporte pouerte in the tyme of nede | |
| Supporte alwaye the ryghtfull man to spede. | |
| sig: [A4] | |
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T. |
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| 155 | Truth may be bolde in euery maner of place |
| Truth is good and must nedes endure | |
| Truth doth his seruaunt call vnto great grace | |
| Truth is ryght fayre and a precyous treasure | |
| Truth is worshyped of euery creature | |
| 160 | Truth is good both in worde and dede |
| Truth of God shall haue rewarde and mede. | |
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W. |
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| Wo worth falshode nowe euerywhere aryued | |
| Wo worth also false ymagynacyon | |
| Wo worth pryde whiche hath mekenes depryued | |
| 165 | Wo worth nowe flatery and dissymulacyon |
| Wo worth doublenes and detraccyon | |
| Wo worth debate without extynguysshement | |
| Wo worth also a corrupt Iudgement. | |
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X. |
|
| Christi time semper potentiam | |
| 170 | Christi vide ac quinque vulnera |
| Christi tunc pete misericordiam | |
| Christi decem serua mandata | |
| Christi sit nomen in memoria | |
| Christi mors liberet nos a morte | |
| 175 | Christi [nomen] nos saluet omni tempore. nomen] 1540 omits |
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Y. |
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| Ye that lyst heauen nowe for to attayne | |
| Ye must apply to vertuous gouernaunce | |
| Ye in this worlde must yet take a pay[n]e | |
| Ye must not folowe your sensuall pleasaunce | |
| 180 | Ye sholde your ende haue in remembraunce |
| Ye must forgyue as you wolde haue forgyuenes | |
| Ye than shall come to the glory that is endles. | |
| Amen. | |
| sig: [A4v] | |
| ¶Alas these prouerbes whiche I haue you tolde | |
| 185 | I lytell regarded in the tyme so past |
| But nowe by reason I do them beholde | |
| Full well is hym that may haue grace at last | |
| Beware ryght well, spende not your youth in wast | |
| Lese no tyme, but spende it vertuously | |
| 190 | Than shall ye come to heauen merely. merely: =merrily |
| ¶I wretched mayde plonged all in care | |
| The tyme so past may ryght sore bewayle | |
| That the flesshe with slouth had me in a snare | |
| Alas the Deuyll dyd me ryght sore assayle | |
| 195 | The worlde also dyd gyue me a battayle |
| These thre me fettered in a deadly place | |
| Tyll I was helpt out by good dame grace. | |
| ¶Whiche me hath set in [t]his garden grene this] his 1540 | |
| Under this olyue-tree to synge ryght swetely | |
| 200 | Amyddes this arber so ryght fayre and shene |
| Gyuynge great lawdes v[n]to God almyghty vnto] vato 1540 | |
| Whiche me hath brought out of vayneglory | |
| And there-with-all she beganne to synge | |
| Lawdes to her maker in the fayre mornynge. | |
| 205 | ¶The cocke crowed and I dyd awake |
| Greatly musynge vpon my vysyon | |
| And vnto me I brefly began to take | |
| Penne and inke for to wryte that season | |
| All that I had harde without abusyon | |
| 210 | Prayenge you all that it doth here or se |
| To Pardon me of your benygnyte. | |
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¶Finis. quod Robert_wyer. |
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