The Debate between Summer and Winter

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¶The debate and stryfe betwene Somer and wynter with the estate present of Man.

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Somer spekyth first

EUery-thynge of my comynge is desirous

For I cause the trew louers hartis to be amerous

All birdes by me / renew their songes glorious

In the shadow / vnder my bowes grene and copious

wynter

Frende what be ye / that maketh so great boste

Saynge that you haue all at wyll on your coste

Be you so valiaunt as ye say / and of so greate bownte

That so great ioye demeaneth of what contre be ye demeaneth ='indicates'

Somer

Frende why demaunde you of my hye estate

Of god and his mother / I am very puysant create

In-so-moche that all the worlde dothe me great honoure

I am tyme of somer to all creatures great plesure

wynter

Somer thou doest greate wronge / to boste so as I trow

If thou canst no answere make / to that that I wolde know

Wherfore sholde the worlde / to the do such honour here

Fro deth to life / canst not thou reise the ded leyd on bere

Somer

Frende and what art thou to whome I shulde answere

Thou art very olde as thynketh me go shaue thy here

I trow thou art very colde for frosen is thy cote

As great a fyer nedfull is for the as wolde make an yron hote

wynter

Somer / I am named wynter that in-to many contres

Sende forth of my goodes / rayne frost and snowes

Where-so-euer that I am / is founde often great colde

I make riche men were furred gownes / and spend som of their golde

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¶Somer

Wynter loued as I am / canst thou in no wyse be

Thorow me cometh good wyne / and corne and good fruites gret plente

But thorow the all theis goodis be wasted and destroied

Thou causest the people / suffer moche wo / it can not be denyed

¶Wynter

Somer yf that I were not / thou sholdest be made full lene

By many a beste venymus / of the which I make the clene

Of snakes / adders / and stynkynge wormes and of ma[n]y a flie many] mamy 1528

From the I make clere delyueraunce by my great curtesye

¶Somer

Wynter this that thou sayest / is not worth a drope of rayne

Euery-thynge reioyseth my comynge and therof is right fayne

Thou causest all thynges to be kepte in mewe

Bestis birdis and floures / by the lese all their Ioy and hewe

¶Wynter

Somer thou art not beloued but of the pore and nedy

That with great payne get their lyuyng / and therto be not spedy

They haue no wyll to labour / in felde nor in garysone

But only to spoyll of their clothes / and lowse them at thy sonne lowse: =loose

¶Somer

Wynter all thy saynge / is not worth a here of wull

I haue the swete nyghtyngale / that syngeth with notes full

Prayng euery louer / that he to loue do his payne

Who can than holde hym-selfe fro loue / nother fre nor vilayne

¶Wynter

Somer theis plesures thou spekist of / be not profitable

I loue better the good wynes / and good swete-metes vpon my table

That is to me more plesaunt / agreable and more Ioyous delyght

Than songes of byrdes / and these louers Ioye that often be lyght

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Somer

Wynter I haue yonge damsels that haue theyr brestes whyte

That go to gader the fayr flowres with their louers bryghte

The whiche swetely kyseth them laughynge merely

And than go they thens glad and gay syngynge Ioyfully

wynter

I haue more of my ease than thou hast of delyghtes

I haue my chambres made plesaunte and paynted for all syghtes

There is no people in the worlde greate nor small

Bestys and byrdes wythout nombre but be paynted on the wall

Somer

Wyntyr all thy desyre is the belly to fyll

Best were to be in a grene herbre where one may haue his wyll

His trew loue to enbrace and to kysse swete

Than to be at the fyre in chafynge of his fete

Wynter

Somer in this good tyme I haue great assembles

I haue burgeses and marchantes with well-furred robes

Furred hose and good mantles and good cheynes of golde

For me they make a great fyer to chere my bonys olde

Somer

Wynter thow sayest trew of god b[e] thow accursed be] by 1528

Thou sellyst in-to exyle my goodes and mone ymburssed

All that thow lyuyst by: commeth fro me wherfor I am sory

And of thyne haue I nothy[n]ge it maketh my hart heuy

Wyntyr

Somer thow vnderstondest not my dede and my reason

Thou haste good potage made with fleshe of my season

As the hogges that I slee that maketh the good bakon

The good brawne of my tyme is etyn afore thy venyson

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Somer

Wynter god send the an euyll desteny

For all that commeth in thy tyme is not worth a peny

No more than a man scholde sayle ouer the salte flode

And ware sholde bryng ouer with hym nouther holsom nor gode ware ='seaweed'?

Wynter

Somer men make greate Ioy what tyme I com in

For companyes gadereth togyther on the eue of seynt martyn

Ther is nother great nor small but than they wyll drinke wyne

If they sholde lay theyr cote to gage to drynke yt or it fyne

Somer

Wynter in the moneth of may whan thou lurkyst in bowre

I haue prymeroses and dayses and the wyolet flowre

The whych be for the trew louer and his swete leman

That go home syngyng and make good chere as merely as they can

Wynter

Somer entend what I say it is of veryte

The hyest day in the yere is the Natiuyte

Than be capons on the table bred wyn and clare

Many a bore is slayn agaynst that tyme moch Ioy is made and gle

Somer

Wynter in this tyme he that hath nought hym-self for to clouth

When it rayneth and bloweth colde freseth and sore snou[e]th snoueth] snou th 1528

All the pore comyns they lyue in great displeser

The pore membres of god that haue so great payne to suffer

Wynter

Somer thou sayest trouth a_byde we the aduenture

Praynge that kynge / sone of the virgyn pure

That he wyll geue vs suche hete after this great colde

That the pore comonalte may lyue in ease euer hym to beholde

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¶Somer

Wynter by one assent / our great stryfe let vs ceas

And togeder agre we / and make a fynall peas

God that create this worlde / and made bothe the and me

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Let vs pray to hym to send vs a good ende / Amen for charite

¶The tyme presente of man

This section =Ringler TP 1801.

¶The more helth he hath / the more he compleyneth

The more hardy he is / the more he feyneth

The more he loueth / the more he payneth

The more he is beleuyd / the more he lyeth

The more he hath wherwith / the lesse he contenteth

The more he is reproued / the more he murmureth

The more hye of pryce / the lesse tyme abydeth

The more mony he hath / the lesse hym sufyseth

The more vnderstonynge / the lesse he well sheweth

The more he hath done amisse / the lesse he feryth

The more he contynueth the worsse he lyueth

What shall god say to hym that this doeth

¶In a prynce loyalete This section =Ringler TP 878.

In a clarke humylite

In a prelate sapience

In an aduocate eloquence

In a cloth good coloure

In wyne good sauoure

In a marchante to kepe his fayth

In a subiecte whan he obeith

In a woman good countenans

This is a very good ordynans

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¶Larges of the frenche-men This section =Ringler TP 1014.

Loyalte of the scotish-men

Clenlynes of the alman

Swerynge of the norman

Cursynge of the pickarde

Hardynes of the lombarde

Sapyence of the brytton

Consye[n]s of the burgonyon

Greate boste of the begger

All is not worthe a poynte of lether

¶To ryse betymes / hym-selfe to recreate This section =Ringler TP 2034.

To loke well to his owne / and to kepe a sobre estate

Longe or he ete / and not to soupe late

To ley hye with his hede / and to slepe moderate

Maketh man ryche / longe lyfe and fortunate.

Finis

Cum priuilegio.

¶Imprynted by me laurens_andrew

¶These bookes be for to sell at the signe of seynt Iohnn_Euangelyst / in saynt_Martyns parysshe besyde Charynge_crosse.

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