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Bodleian MS. Digby 185, f. 157v.
Thomas Hoccleve's
The Tale of Jonathas
[Bodleian Library MS Digby 185, f. 157v et seq.]
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Whilom an Emperour prudent & wys 85
Regned in Rome / and hadde sones three,
whiche he hadde in greet chiertee and greet prys;
And whan it shoop so / þat thinfirmitee
Of deeth / which no wight may eschue or flee,
Him threew down in his bed / he leet do call
His sones / and before him they cam all;
And to the firste / he seide in this maneere:
"Al theritage which at the dyynge
Of my fadir he me lefte ؛ al in feere
leue y thee ¶ and al þat of my byynge
was / with my peny / al my purchacynge,
My second sone / byqwethe y to thee."
¶ And to the .iijde. sone / thus seide he:
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"Vnmeeble good right noon, withouten ooth,
Thee yeue y may / but y to thee dyuyse
Iewelles .iije. a ryng / brooch & a clooth,
with whiche / and thow be gyed as the wyse,
Thow maist gete al þat oghte thee souffyse.
who-so þat the ryng vsith for to were,
Of alle folke the loue he shal conquere; 105
"And who so the brooch berith on his brest,
It is eek of swich vertu and swich kynde
That thynke vp-on what thyng him lykith best,
And he as blyue shal it haue & fynde.
My wordes, sone, enprynte wel in mynde;
¶ The clooth eek hath a meruillous nature,
Which þat committed shal be to thy cure:
"Who-so sit on it / if he wisshe where
In al the world to been / he sodeynly
Withoute more labour shal be there.
Sone, tho three Iewelles byqwethe y
To thee / vn-to this effect certeynly,
þat to the studie of the vniuersitee
Thow go / and þat y bidde and charge thee."
Whan he had thus seid / the vexacioun 120
Of deeth so haastid him, þat his spiryt
Anoon forsooke his habitacioun
In his body / deeth wolde no respyt
him yeue at al / he was of his lyf qwyt,
And biried was with swich solempnitee
As fil to his imperial dignitee.
¶ Of the yongeste sone I telle shal,
And speke no more of his brethren two,
ffor with hem haue y nat to do at al.
Thus spak the modir, Ionathas vn-to:
"Syn god his wil hath of thy fadir do,
To thy fadres wil / wole y me confourme,
And trewely / his testament parfourme:
"He .iij. Iewelles / as thow knowest weel,
A ryng / a brooch & a clooth, thee byqweeth,
Whos vertues / he thee tolde euerydeel
Or þat he paste hens / and yald vp the breeth.
O goode god / his departynge, his deeth
fful greuously stikith vn-to myn herte;
But souffred moot been al / how sore it smerte." 140
In þat cas wommen han swich heuynesse,
þat it nat lyth in my konnynge aright
Yow telle of so greet sorwe the excesse,
But wyse wommen konne take it light,
And in short whyle putte vn-to the flight
Al sorwe and wo / and cacche ageyn confort:
Now to my tale make y my resort.
¶ "Thy fadres wil, my sone, as y seide eer,
wole y parfourme / haue heer the rynge, and go
To studie anoon / and whan þat thow art theer,
As thy fadir thee bad / do euene so;
And as thow wilt, my blessyng haue also."
Shee vn-to him as swythe tooke the ryng,
And bad him keepe it weel / for any thyng.
He wente vn-to the studie general, 155
Wher he gat loue ynow, and aqueyntance
Right good and freendly / the ryng causynge al.
And on a day / to him befil this chance:
With a womman, a morsel of plesance,
By the streetes of the vniuersitee
As he was in his walkynge, mette he;
And right as blyue he with hire had a tale,
And ther-with-al / sore in hir loue he brente:
Gay / fressh and pykid was shee to the sale,
ffor to þat ende and to þat entente
Shee thidir cam / and bothe foorth they wente,
And he a pistle rowned in hire ere:
Nat woot y what / for y ne cam nat there.
Shee was his paramour, shortley to seye.
This man to folkes alle was so leef,
þat they him yaf habundance of moneye.
he feestid folke / and stood at hy boncheef;
Of the lake of good / he felte no greef,
Al whyles þat the ryng he with him hadde;
But faylynge it / his frendshipe gan sadde. 175
His paramour, which þat y-callid was
ffellicula / meruailled right greetly
Of the despenses of this Ionathas,
Syn shee no peny at al with him sy.
And on a nyght / as þat shee lay him by
In the bed / thus shee to him spake & seide,
And this peticion assoill him preyde:
¶ "O reuerent sire / vn-to whom", quod shee,
"Obeye y wole ay with hertes humblesse,
Syn / þat yee han had my virginitee,
yow y byseeche, of your hy gentillesse,
Tellith me whens comth the good and richesse
That yee with feesten folke / and han no stoor,
By aght y see can / ne gold ne tresor."
"If y telle it," quod he / "par auenture 190
Thow wilt deskeuere it / & out it publisshe:
Swich is wommannes inconstant nature,
They can nat keepe conseil worth a risshe;
Bettre is, my tonge keepe / than to wisshe
Þat y had kept cloos þat is goon at large,
And repentance is thyng þat y moot charge."
¶ "Nay, goode sire / haldith me nat suspect;
Doutith nothyng; y can be right secree.
wel worthy were it me to been abiect
ffrom al good conpaignie / if y", quod shee,
"Vn-to yow sholde so mis take me ;
Beeth nat adrad your Conseil me to shewe."
¶ "wel," seide he / "thus it is, at wordes fewe:
"My fadir, the ryng which þat thow maist see
On my fyngir / me at his dyyng day
Byqweeth / which this vertu & propretee
hath / þat the loue of men, he shal haue ay
Þat werith it / and ther shal be no nay,
Of what thyng þat him lykith axe & craue,
But with good wil / he shal as blyue it haue 210
"Thurgh þat rynges vertuous excellence:
Thus am y ryche, and haue euere ynow."
¶ "Now, sire, yit a word, by your licence,
Suffrith me for to seye and speke now:
Is it wysdam / as þat it seemeth yow,
were it on your fyngir continuelly?"
¶ "what woldest thow mene," quod he, "ther-by?
"What peril ther-of mighte ther befall?"
¶ "Right greet," quod she / "as yee in conpaignye
walke often / fro your fyngir mighte it fall,
Or plukkid of been in a ragerie,
And so be lost, and þat were folie.
Take it me / let me been of it wardeyn;
ffor as my lyf, keepe it wole y certeyn."
This Ionathas / this innocent yong man, 225
Yeuynge vn-to hir wordes / ful credence,—
As youthe nat auysed best be can؛—
The ryng hir tooke of his insipience.
Whan this was doon / the hete & the feruence
Of loue þat he had beforn purchaced
Was qweynt / & loues knotte was vnlaced.
Men of hir yiftes for to stynte gan:
"A," thoghte he / "for the ryng y nat ne bere,
ffaillith my loue / fecche me, womman,"
Seide he, "my ryng / anoon y wole it were."
Shee roos / and in-to Chambre dressith here;
And whan shee there-in / hadde been a whyle,
"Allas," quod shee / "out on falshode and gyle,
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"The chiste is broken / and the ryng take out."
And whan he herde hir conplaynte and cry,
He was astoned sore / and made a shout,
And seide / "Cursid be þat day þat y
The mette first, or with myn yen sy."
She wepte, and shewid outward cheere of wo,
But in hire herte / was it no thyng so; 245
The ryng was sauf ynow / and in hir cheste
It was / al þat shee seide was lesyng,
As sum womman / othir whyle atte beste
Can lye and weepe / whan is hir lykyng.
¶ This man sy hir wo / and seide, "derlyng,
Weepe no more / goddes help is ny;"
To him vnwist / how fals shee was and sly.
He twynned thens / and hoom to his Contree,
Vn-to his modir, the streight way he wente.
And whan shee sy / thidir comen was he,
¶ "My sone," quod shee / "what was thyn entente,
Thee fro the scoole / now for to absente?
What causid thee / fro scoole hidir to hye?"
¶ "Modir, right this," seide he / "nat wole y lye:
"ffor soothe, modir / my ryng is ago; 260
My paramour, to keepe y betooke it,
And it is lost / for which y am ful wo;
Sorwefully vn-to myn herte it sit."
¶"Sone / often haue y warned thee / & yit
ffor thy profyt y warne thee, my sone;
Vnhonest wommen / thow heere-aftir shone.
"Thy brooch anoon right wole y to thee fette."
Shee broghte it him / and charged him ful deepe—
Whan he it tooke / and on his brest it sette,—
Bet than he dide his ryng / he sholde it keepe,
lest he the los / bewaille sholde and weepe.
To the vniuersitee / shortly to seyn,
In what he kowde / he haastid him ageyn.
And whan he comen was / his paramour
Him mette anoon / and vn-to hire him tooke,
As þat he dide erst / this yong reuelour;
Hir conpaignie he nat a deel forsooke,
Thogh he cause hadde / but, as with the hooke
Of hir sleighte / he beforn was caght & hent /
Right so he was deceyued eft & blent. 280
And as thurgh vertu of the ryng before,
Of good he hadde habundance & plentee,
while it was with him / or he hadde it lore
Right so / thurgh vertu of the brooch, had he
What good him list / shee thoghte, "How may this be?
Sum pryuee thyng / now causith this richesse
As dide the ryng / heer-before, y gesse."
Wondrynge heer-on / shee preide him, and besoghte
Bysyly nyght and day / þat telle he wolde
The cause of this / but he anothir thoghte;
He mente / it cloos for him / it kept be sholde;
And a long tyme it was / or he it tolde.
Shee kepte ay to and to / and seide, "allas
The tyme and hour / þat euere y bore was!
"Truste yee nat on me, sire?" she seide; 295
"leuer me were be slayn in this place
By þat good lord / þat for vs alle deide,
Than purpose ageyn yow any fallace.
Vn-to yow wole y be, my lyues space,
As treewe as any womman in eerthe is
Vn-to a man / doutith no thyng of this."
¶ Smal may shee do / þat can nat wel byheete,
Thogh nat parfourmed be swich a promesse.
¶ This Ionathas thoghte hir wordes so sweete,
Þat he was dronke of the plesant swetnesse
Of hem / and of his foolissh tendrenesse,
Thus vn-to hire he spak and seide tho:
"Be of good confort / why weepist thow so?"
¶ And shee ther-to answerde thus / sobbynge:
"Sire," quod shee / "myn heuynesse and dreede
Is this / y am adrad of the leesynge
Of your brooch / as almighty god forbeede
It happid so" // "now, what so, god thee speede,"
Seide he, "woldist thow in this cas consaille?"
¶ Quod shee, "þat y keepe mighte it, sanz faille." 315
He seide, "y haue a fere & dreede algate,
If y so dide, thow woldest it leese,
As thow lostist my ryng / now goon but late."
¶ "ffirst, god preye y," quod shee, "þat y nat cheese
But þat myn herte / as the cold frost may freese,
Or elles be it brent / with wylde fyr;
Nay / seurly it to keepe / is my desyr."
To hir wordes / credence he yaf pleneer,
And the brooch tooke hire / and aftir anoon,
Where-as he was beforn ful leef & cheer
To folke / and hadde good / al was agoon:
Good and frendshipe him lakkid / ther was noon.
"Womman / me fecche the brooch," quod he, "swythe
In-to thy chambre for it go / now hy the!"
Shee in-to Chambre wente / as þat he bad, 330
But she nat broghte / þat he sente hir fore;
Shee mente it nat / but as shee had be mad,
hir clothes hath shee al to-rent & tore,
And cryde, "allas / the brooch away is bore!
ffor which y wole anoon right, with my knyf
My self slee / y am weery of my lyfe."
This noyse he herde / & blyue he to hir ran,
weenynge shee wolde han doon as shee spak;
And the knyf, in al haaste þat he can,
ffrom hire tooke / & threew it behynde his bak,
And seide / "for the los / ne for the lak
Of the brooch / sorwe nat / y foryeue al;
I truste in god / þat yit vs helpe he shal."
To themperice his modir / this young man
Ageyn him dressith / he wente hire vn-to.
And whan shee sy him / shee to wondre gan;
Shee thoghte / 'Now sumwhat ther is mis-do';
And seide / "y dreede thy Iewelles two
Been lost now / per cas the brooch with the ryng."
¶ "Modir," he seide / "yee / by heuene kyng." 350
¶ "Sone, thow woost wel / no Iewel is left
Vn-to thee now / but the clooth precious,
Which y thee take shal / thee chargynge eft,
The conpaignie of wommen riotous
Thow flee / lest it be to thee so greuous
That thow it nat susteene shalt, ne bere:
Swich conpaignie, on my blessynge, forbere!"
The clooth shee fette / and it hath him take,
And of his lady his modir, his leeue
He tooke / but first this forward gan he make:
¶ "Modir," seide he / "trustith this weel, & leeue
Þat y shal seyn / for sooth yee shul it preeue:
If y leese this clooth / neuere y your face
Hens-foorth se wole / ne yow preye of grace.
"With goddes help / y shal do wel ynow." 365
Hir blessyng he tooke / and to studie is go;
And as beforn told haue y vn-to yow,
His paramour, his priuee mortel fo,
Was wont for to meete him / right euene so
Shee dide thanne / & made him plesant cheere:
They clippe and kisse / and walke homward in feere.
Whan they were entred in the hows / he spradde
This clooth vp-on the ground / and ther-on sit,
And bad his paramour, this womman badde,
To sitte also / by him adoun on it.
Shee dooth as þat he commandith and bit.
had shee his thoght / and vertu of the clooth
wist / to han sete on it / had shee been looth.
Shee for a whyle was ful sore affesid.
¶ This Ionathas wisshe in his herte gan:
"wolde god þat y mighte thus been esid,
That as on this clooth y and this womman
Sitte here / as fer were, as þat neuere man
Or this cam" / and vnnethe had he so thoght,
But they with the clooth thidir weren broght 385
Right to the worldes ende, as þat it were.
¶Whan apparceyued had shee this / shee cryde
As thogh shee thurgh-girt had be with a spere:
"Harrow / allas þat euere shoop this tyde!
How cam we hidir?" / "nay," he seide / "abyde;
Wers is comynge / heer, soul wole y thee leue;
Wylde beestes thee shuln deuoure or eue,
"ffor thow my ryng and brooch haast fro me holden."
¶ "O reuerent sire, haue vpon me pitee,"
Quod shee / "if yee this grace do me wolden,
As me brynge hoom ageyn to the Citee
Whereas y this day was / but if þat yee
hem haue ageyn / of foul deeth do me dye;
Your bontee on me kythe / y mercy crye."
¶ This Ionathas kowde nothyng be waar, 400
Ne take ensample of the deceites tweyne
Þat shee dide him beforn / but feith him baar,
And hire he comanded, on dethes peyne,
ffro swiche offenses / thens-foorth hir restreyne.
Shee swoor, and made ther-to foreward;
But herkneth how shee baar hire aftirward:
Whan shee sy and kneew þat the wratthe & ire
Þat he to hire had born / was goon and past,
And al was wel ؛ shee thoghte him eft to fyre;
In hir malice ay stood shee stidefast,
And to enquere of him / was nat agast,
In so short tyme / how þat it mighte be
That they cam thidir out of hir contree.
¶ "Swich vertu hath this clooth on which we sitte,"
Seide he / þat where / in this world vs be list,
Sodeynly with the thoght shuln thidir flitte,
And how thidir come / vn-to vs vnwist,
As thyng fro fer / vnknowen in the mist."
And ther-with to this womman fraudulent,
"To sleepe", he seide / "haue I good talent; 420
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"Let see," quod he / "strecche out anoon thy lappe,
In which wole I myn heed doun leye and reste."
¶ So was it doon / and he anoon gan nappe:
Nappe ؛ nay / he sleep / right wel atte beste.
What dooth this womman / oon the fikileste
Of wommen alle / but þat clooth þat lay
Vndir him / shee drow lyte & lyte away.
Whan shee it had al / "wolde god," quod shee,
"I were as I was this day morwenynge."
And ther-with / this roote of iniquitee
Had hir wissh / and soul lefte him ther slepynge.
¶ "O Ionathas, lyke to thy perisshynge
Art thow / thy paramour maad hath thy berd;
Whan thow wakist / cause hast thow to be ferd;
"But thow shalt do ful wel / thow shalt obteene 435
Victorie on hire / thow haast doon sum deede
Plesant to thy modir / wel can I weene,
ffor which our lord god / qwyte shal thy meede,
And thee deliure out of thy woful dreede.
The chyld / whom þat the modir vsith blesse,
fful often sythe is esid in distresse."
Whan he awook / and neithir he ne fond
Womman ne clooth / he wepte bittirly,
And seide, "allas / now is ther in no lond
Man werse, I trowe, begoon / than am y!"
On euery syde his looke he caste, and sy
Nothyng but briddes / in the eir fleynge,
And wylde beestes / aboute him rennynge.
Of whos sighte / he ful sore was agrysid:
He thoghte / "al this wel disserued y haue.
What eilid me to be so euel auysid,
That my Conseil / kowde I nat keepe & saue?
Who can fool pleye / who can madde or raue,
But he þat to a womman his secree
Deskeuereth / the smert cleueth now on me." 455
¶ He thens departed / as god wolde harmlees
And foorth of auenture his way is went,
But whidirward he drow / he conceitlees
Was / he nat kneew to what place he was bent.
He paste a watir / which was so feruent
Þat flessh vp-on his feet / lefte it him noon;
Al cleene was departid fro the boon.
¶ It shoop so þat he had a lytil glas,
Which, with þat watir / anoon filled he;
And whan he ferthere in his way goon was,
Before him he beheeld and sy a tree
Þat fair fruyt baar / and þat in greet plentee:
He eet ther-of / the taast him lykid wel,
But he ther-thurgh becam a foul mesel;
ffor which, vn-to the ground, for sorwe & wo 470
He fil / and seide / "cursid be þat day
Þat I was born / and tyme and hour also
Þat my modir conceyued me / for ay
Now am I lost / allas and weleaway!"
And whan sumdel slakid his heuynesse,
He roos / and on his way he gan him dresse.
¶ Anothir watir before him he sy,
Which for to comen in he was adrad;
But nathelees / syn ther by / othir way,
Ne aboute it / ther kowde noon been had ؛
He thoghte / "so streytly am I bystad,
Þat thogh it sore me affese or gaste,
Assaye it wole I" / and thurgh it he paste.
And right as the firste watir his flessh
Departed from his feet ؛ so the secownde
Restored it / and made al hool and fressh.
And glad was he and ioieful þat stownde,
Whan he felte his fete hoole wer and sownde
A viole of the watir of þat brooke
He filde / & fruyt of the tree with him tooke. 490
ffoorth his iourneye this Ionathas heeld;
And, as þat he his looke aboute him caste,
An-othir tree from a-fer he byheeld,
To which he haastid and him hyed faste:
Hungry he was / and of the fruyt he thraste
In-to his mowth / and eet of it sadly,
And of the leepre / he pourged was ther-by.
Of þat fruyt more he raghte / & thens is goon;
And a fair Castel from a-fer sy he,
In compas of which / heedes many oon
Of men ther heeng / as he mighte wel see;
But nat for þat / he shone nolde or flee;
He thidirward him dressith the streight way,
In al þat euere þat he can or may.
Walkynge so / two men cam him ageyn, 505
And seiden thus / "deere freend, we yow preye,
What man be yee" ¶ "Sires," quod he certeyn,
A leeche I am / and thogh myself it seye,
Can for the helthe of seeke folke wel purueye."
¶ They seide him / "Of yondir Castel, the kyng
A leepre is / and can hool be for no thyng.
"With him ther hath been many a sundry leeche
Þat vndertooke / him for to cure and hele
On peyne of hire heedes / but al to seeche
Hire art was / waar / þat thow nat with him dele,
But if thow canst the chartre of helthe ensele,
Lest þat thow thyn heed leese / as diden they.
But thow be wys / thow fynde it shalt no pley."
¶ "Sires," seide he / "yow thanke I of your reed,
ffor gentilly yee han yow to me qwit;
But I nat dreede to leese myn heed;
By goddes help / ful sauf keepe I wole it,
God, of his grace, swich konnynge & wit
hath lent me / þat I hope I shal him cure;
fful wel dar I me putte in auenture." 525
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They to the kynges presence han him lad;
And him, of the fruyt of the second tree
He yaf to ete / & bad him to be glad,
And seide anoon / "your helthe han shul yee."
Eeke of the second watir, him, yaf he
To drynke / and whan he tho two had receyued,
His leepre from him / voided was & weyued.
¶ The kyng / as vn-to his hy dignitee
Conuenient was / yaf him largely,
And to him seide, "if þat it lyke thee,
Abyden heere / I more habundantly
Thee yeue wole" ¶ "my lord, sikirly,"
Quod he / "fayn wolde I your pleisir fulfill,
And in your hy presence abyde stille;
But I no whyle may with yow abyde, 540
So mochil haue I to doone elles where."
¶ Ionathas euery day to the See syde
Which was ny / wente / to looke & enquere
If any ship drawynge thidir were,
Which him hoom to his Contree lede mighte.
And on a day, of shippes had he sighte,
Wel / a xxxti toward the Castel drawe;
And atte tyme of euen-song they all
Arryueden / of which he was ful fawe;
And to the Shipmen crie he gan & call,
And seide / "if it so happe mighte & fall
Þat some of yow, me hoom to my Contree
Me brynge wolde / wel qwit sholde he be;"
And tolde hem whidir / þat they sholden go.
¶ Oon of the shipmen foorth stirte atte laste,
And to him seide / "my ship, and no mo
Of hem þat heer been / hem shape & caste
Thidir to weende / Let see / tell on faste,"
Quod the Shipman / "þat thou for my trauaill
Me yeue wilt / if þat I thidir saill." 560
They were accorded / Ionathas foorth gooth
Vn-to the kyng / to axe of him licence
To twynne thens / to which the kyng was looth;
And nathelees, with his beneuolence,
This Ionathas from his magnificence
Departed is / and foorth to the Shipman
his way he takith / as swythe as he can.
In-to the ship he entrith / & as blyue
As wynd and wedir, good shoop for to be,
Thidir as he purposid him arryue
They saillid foorth / & cam to the Citee
In which this serpentyn womman was / shee
That had him terned with false deceitis;
But where no remedie folwith / streit is;
Tornes been qwit / al be they goode or badde, 575
Sumtyme / thogh they put been in delay.
¶ But to my purpos / shee deemed he hadde
Been deuoured with beestes many a day
Goon / shee thoghte / he deliured was for ay.
ffolke of the Citee / kneew nat Ionathas,
So many a yeer was past / þat he ther was;
Mislykynge & thoght / changed eek his face.
Abouten he gooth / and for his dwellynge
In the Citee / he hyred him a place,
And ther-in excercysid his konnynge 585
Of phisyke / to whom weren repeirynge
Many a seeke wight / and all were helid;
wel was the seek man / þat with him hath delid!
Now shoop it thus / þat this Fellicula—
The welle of deceyuable doublenesse,
ffolwere of the steppes of dalida—
Was thanne exaltat vn-to hy richesse,
But shee was fallen in-to greet seeknesse,
And herde seyn / for nat mighte it been hid,
How maistreful a leche he had him kid ؛
Messages solempne to him she sente,
Preyynge him to do so mochil labour
As come and seen hire / and he thidir wente.
Whan he hir sy / þat shee his paramour
had been, he wel kneew / and for þat, dettour 600
To hire he was / hire he thoghte to qwyte
Or he wente / & no lengere it respyte;
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But what þat he was / shee ne wiste nat.
He sy hire vryne / & eeke felte hir pous,
And seide / "the soothe is this, pleyn & plat :
A seeknesse han yee strange & merueillous,
Which for to voide / is wondir dangerous;
To hele yow / ther is no way but oon;
Leche in this world / othir can fynde noon:
"Auysith yow / whethir yow list it take 610
Or nat / for y told haue yow my wit."
¶ "A, Sire," seide shee / "for goddes sake,
Þat way me shewe / and y shal folwen it,
What-euere it be / for this seeknesse sit
So ny myn herte / þat y woot nat how
Me to demene / telle on, preye y yow."
"Lady, yee muste openly yow confesse;
And if ageyn good conscience & right
Any good han yee take, more or lesse,
Beforn this hour of any maner wight,
yilde it anoon / elles nat in the might
Of man is it / to yeue a medecyne
Þat yow may hele of your seeknesse & pyne.
"If any swich thyng be / telle out, y rede;
And yee shul been al hool, y yow byheete;
Elles myn art is naght, withouten dreede."
"O lord," shee thoghte / helthe is a thyng ful sweete;
Therwith desire y souerainly to meete.
Syn y it by confessioun may rekeuere,
A fool am I, but I my gilt deskeuere." 630
How falsly to the sone of themperour
Ionathas / had shee doon / before hem all,
As yee han herd aboue / al þat errour
Bykneew shee / o Fellicula, thee call
Wel may y so / for of the bittir gall
Thow takist the begynnynge of thy name,
Thow roote of malice / and mirour of shame!
¶ Than seide Ionathas / "wherw arn tho three
Iewelles / þat yee fro the Clerk withdrow?"
¶ "Sire, in a Cofre / at my beddes feet yee
Shul fynde hem / opne it / and see, preye y yow."
He thoghte nat to make it qweynte and tow,
And seye nay / and streyne courtesie,
But with right good wil / thidir he gan hye.
The Cofre he opned / and hem ther fond. 645
Who was a glad man but Ionathas, who?
The ryng vp-on a fyngir of his hond
He putte / and the brooch on his brest also;
The clooth eeke vndir his arm heeld he tho,
And to hire him dressith / to doon his cure,
Cure mortel / way to hir sepulture.
he thoghte, reewe shee sholde, and forthynke
Þat shee hire hadde vn-to him mis bore;
And of þat watir hire he yaf to drynke,
Which þat his flessh / from his bones before
Had twynned / wherthurgh he was almoost lore,
Nad he releeued been / as yee aboue
Han herd / and this he dide eeke for hir loue.
Of the fruyt of the tree he yaf hire ete,
Which þat him made in-to the leepre sterte;
And as blyue in hir wombe gan they frete
And gnawe so / þat change gan hire herte.
Now herkneth / how it hire made smerte:
Hir wombe opned / and out fil eche entraille
That in hire was / thus seith the booke sanz faill. 665
Thus wrecchidly, lo / this gyle [wo]man dyde;
And Ionathas, with tho Iewelles three,
No lengere there thoghte to abyde,
But hoom to themperice, his modir, hastith he,
Where as in ioie and in prosperitee
his lyf ledde he / to his dyynge day:
And so god vs graunte þat we do may! 672
Amen.
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[Moralization.]
Themperour þat y spake of aboue, is oure lord god,
þat hath .iij. sones. ¶ By the firste sone, we
shul vndirstonde Angels / to whiche / god yaf swich
confirmacion þat they may nat synne / for aftir þat the
wikkid Angels fillen ؛ the goode angels so sadly weren
adherent to god, and by him so confermed / þat they
mighten nat synne. ¶ By the second sone, we shul
vndirstonde Patriarks and Prophetes / to whiche god
yaf and bytook the olde lawe / þat is to seye, the lawe
of Moyses / which was meuable / for it changid by the
comynge of Cryst / ¶ To the .iij. sone, this Emperour
yaf the Iewelles / þat is to seyn, the ryng / the brooch
& the clooth / ¶ By the ryng þat is rownd / We shul
vndirstande feith / which is rownd, withouten obliquitee
or crookidnesse / and who-so hath the ryng of verray
feith / he shal haue the loue of god and of his angels.
¶ Where-of our Sauueour spekith and seith thus: ¶ "If
yee haue as mochil feith as is the greyn of Senefee;
yee shuln mowe seye to this hil, passe & go / and it
shal passe" / & therfore he þat hath the ryng of verray
feith ؛ he shal haue al thyng at his lust and plesance.
¶God yaf also to the Cristen man a brooch / þat is to
seyn, the holy goost / and seyde / "I shal sende to yow
the holy goost / & he shal telle and informe yow of al
þat y seye" / and if we haue the holy goost in oure
hertes / withouten doute we shul han all goodes þat
profyten to the helthe of soule / ¶ Also god yaf to the
Cristen man the .iijde
Iewel / þat is to seyn, the precious
clooth / this clooth is parfyt charitee / which god
shewid vs in the Crois / he loued vs so mochil þat he
deide for vs / to brynge vs to eternel blisse / therfore
who-so sitteth vp-on parfyt charitee ؛ dowtelees he shal
be translated out of this world / vn-to perpetuel reste.
¶ The seid Ionathas may be clept a Cristen man /
which is sliden or fallen in-to synne. ¶ His paramour,
þat is to seyn, his wrecchid flessh, cometh to him and
meetith him / stirynge him to synne / and so he leesith
the ryng of feith / which he receyued & tooke in his
bapteme. ¶ Also the brooch, þat is to seyn, the holy
goost, fleeth from hym by cause of his synne.
¶ The clooth eek is with-drawen from him, þat is to seye,
parfyt charitee / as often as he consentith to synne /
and thus the wrecchid man dwellith or abydith withouten
help among beestes / þat is to seyn / with the
feend / the world and the flessh.
¶ Do therfore as dide Ionathas. ¶ Ryse vp fro thy synne, ryse vp / for
al to longe haast thow slept in the lappe of carnalitee
or flesshlyhede / as it is writen: ¶ "Aryse vp thow
þat sleepist, and y shal enlumyne thee." ¶ Right so
Sampson slepte in the lappe of Dalida, and loste his
strengthe.
¶ Ionathas roos and entred in-to the watir
of penance / which twynneth and disseuerith the flessh,
þat is to seyn, flesshly affeccions / ¶ Aftirward he eet
of the fruyt of sharpnesse / which changed his cheere
in-to the manere of a leepre / as it is red of Cryst:
¶ "we sy him as hauynge no chiere or contenance."
¶ Right so of the soule, which is in bittirnesse for the
wroght offense and synne. ¶ wher-of it is seid in the
figure and liknesse of the soule: ¶ "Blake y am, but y
am fair" / þat is to seyn, blake in body, and fair in
soule.
¶ Ionathas entred the second watir, which restored al, &c.
¶ This watir is the holy communioun
aftir penitence, ¶ Wher-of spake our2 Sauueour:
"I am the well / who-so drynkith of þat watir, he
shal nat thriste ageyn."
¶ Aftir, this Ionathas eet of
the fruyt of the second tree, which restored al þat was
lost, þat is to seyn, whan man is glorified in eternel
lyf, and helith the kyng, þat is to seyn, resoun.
and so he entrith the ship of the chirche / and to his
paramour, þat is to seyn, his flessh, he purueieth watir
of contricioun & fruyt of penance and sharpnesse / for
which the flessh / þat is to seyn, carnel or flesshly
affeccion, sterueth and dieth / and the man purchaceth
& getith by penitence the goodes þat were lost / and so
he gooth in to his Contree, þat is to seyn, the Regne
of heuene: to which, god of his grace brynge vs all.
Amen!
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Source:
Furnivall, Frederick J., ed. Hoccleve's Works. Vol I: The Minor Poems.
London: Early English Text Society, 1892. 219-242.
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