Thornton Manuscript, leaf 149, back,
as printed by Dr. J.A.H. Murray.
[A prologue of six stanzas, found only in the Thornton
Manuscript, is omitted, as being, even if genuine, not to the
present purpose.]
| 1 |
Als I me wente þis endres daye,
Ffull faste in mynd makand my mone,
In a mery mornynge of Maye,
By Huntle bankkes my selfe allone, |
| 2 |
I herde þe jaye and þe throstelle,
The mawys menyde of hir songe,
Þe wodewale beryde als a belle,
That alle þe wode a-bowte me ronge. |
| 3 |
Allonne in longynge thus als llaye,
Vndyre-nethe a semely tre,
[Saw] I whare a lady gaye
[Came ridand] ouer a longe lee. |
| 4 |
If I solde sytt to domesdaye,
With my tonge to wrobbe and wrye,
Certanely þat lady gaye
Neuer bese scho askryede for mee.
|
| 5 |
Hir palfraye was a dappill graye,
Swylke one ne saghe I neuer none;
Als dose þe sonne on someres daye,
Þat faire lady hir selfe scho schone. |
| 6 |
Hir selle it was of roelle bone,
Ffull semely was þat syghte to see;
Stefly sett with precyous stones,
And compaste all with crapotee; |
| 7 |
Stones of oryente, grete plente.
Hir hare abowte hir hede it hange;
Scho rade ouer þat lange lee;
A whylle scho blewe, a-noþer scho sange. |
| 8 |
Hir garthes of nobyll sylke þay were,
The bukylls were of berelle stone,
Hir steraps were of crystalle clere,
And all with perelle ouer-by-gone. |
| 9 |
Hir payetrelle was of irale fyne,
Hir cropoure was of orphare,
And als clere golde hir brydill it schone;
One aythir syde hange bellys three.
|
| 10 |
[Scho led three grehoundis in a leesshe,]
And seuene raches by hir þay rone;
Scho bare an horne abowte hir halse,
And vndir hir belte full many a flone. |
| 11 |
Thomas laye and sawe þat syghte,
Vndir-nethe ane semly tree;
He sayd, ȝone es Marye, moste of myghte,
Þat bare þat childe þat dyede for mee. |
| 12 |
Bot if I speke with ȝone lady bryghte,
I hope myne herte will bryste in three;
Now sail I go with all my myghte,
HiI' for to mete at Eldoune tree. |
| 13 |
Thomas rathely vpe he rase,
And he rane ouer þat mountayne hye;
Gyff it be als the storye sayes,
He hir mette at Eldone tree. |
| 14 |
He knelyde downe appone his knee,
Vndir-nethe þat grenwode spraye,
And sayd, Lufly ladye, rewe one mee,
Qwene of heuene, als þou wele maye! |
| 15 |
Then spake þat lady milde of thoghte:
Thomas, late swylke wornes bee;
Qwene of heuene ne am I noghte,
Ffor I tuke neuer so heghe degre. |
| 16 |
Bote I arne of ane oþer countree,
If I be payreldc moste of pryse;
I ryde aftyre this wylde fee;
My raches 1'ynnys at my devyse.' |
| 17 |
'If þou be parelde moste of pryse,
And here rydis thus in thy folye,
Of lufe, lady, als þou erte wyse,
Þou gyffe me leue to lye the bye.' |
| 18 |
Scho sayde, þou mane, þat ware folye;
I praye þe, Thomas, þou late me bee;
Ffor I saye þe full sekirlyc,
Þat synne will for-doo all my beaute. |
| 19 |
'Now, lufly ladye, rewe one mee,
And I will eue,. more with the duelle;
Here my trouthe I will the plyghte,
Whethir þou will in heuene or helle.' |
| 20 |
'Mane of molde, þou will me marre,
But ȝitt þou sall hafe all thy will;
And trowe it wele, þou chewys þe werre,
Ffor alle my beaute will þou spylle.' |
| 21 |
Downe þane lyghte þat lady bryghte,
Vndir-nethe þat grenewode spraye;
And, als the storye tellis full ryghte,
Seuene sythis by hir he laye. |
| 22 |
Scho sayd, Mane, the lykes thy playe:
Whate byrde in boure maye delle with the?
Thou merrys me all þis longe daye;
I pray the, Thomas, late me bee. |
| 23 |
Thomas stode vpe in þat stede,
And he by-helde þat lady gaye;
Hir hare it hange all ouer hir hede,
Hir eghne semede owte, þat are were graye. |
| 24 |
And alle þe riche clothynge was a-waye,
Þat he by-fore sawe in þat stede;
Hir a schanke blake, hir oþer graye,
And all hir body Iyke the lede. |
| 25 |
Thomas laye, and sawe þat syghte,
Vndir-nethe þat grenewod tree.
...
... |
| 26 |
Þan said Thomas, Allas! allas!
In faythe þis es a dullfull syghte;
How arte þou fadyde þus in þe face,
Þat schane by-fore als þe sonne so bryght[e]! |
| 27 |
Scho sayd, Thomas, take leue at sone and mon[e],
And als at lefe þat grewes on tree;
This twelmoneth sall þou with me gone,
And medill-erthe sail þou none see.' |
| 28 |
He knelyd downe appone his knee,
Vndir-nethe þat grenewod spraye,
And sayd, Lufly lady, rewe on mee,
Mylde qwene of heuene, als þou beste maye! |
| 29 |
'Allas!' he sayd, 'and wa es mee!
I trowe my dedis wyll wirke me care;
My saulle, Jhesu, by-teche I the,
Whedir-some þat euer my banes sail fare.'
|
| 30 |
Scho ledde hym in at Eldone hill,
Vndir-nethe a derne lee,
Whare it was dirke as mydnyght myrke,
And euer þe water till his knee. |
| 31 |
The montenans of dayes three,
He herd bot swoghynge of þe flode;
At þe laste he sayde, Full wa es mee!
Almaste I dye, for fawte of f[ode.] |
| 32 |
Scho lede hym in-till a faire herbere,
Whare frwte was g[ro]wan[d gret plentee];
Pere and appill, bothe ryppe þay were,
The date, and als the darnasee. |
| 33 |
Þe fygge, and alsso þe wyneberye,
The nyghtgales byggande on þair neste;
Þe papeioyes faste abowte gane flye,
And throstylls sange, wolde hafe no reste. |
| 34 |
He pressede to pulle frowte with his hande,
Als mane for fude þat was nere faynt;
Scho sayd, Thomas, þou late þame stande,
Or ells þe fende the will atteynt. |
| 35 |
If þou it plokk, sothely to saye,
Thi saule gose to þe fyre of helle;
It commes neuer owte or domesdaye,
Bot þer in payne ay for to duelle. |
| 36 |
Thomas, sothely I the hyghte,
Come Iygge thyne hede downe on my knee,
And [þouJ sail se þe fayreste syghte
Þat euer sa we mane of thi contree. |
| 37 |
He did in hye als scho hym badde;
Appone hir knee his hede he layde,
Ffor hir to paye he was full glade;
And þane þat lady to hym sayde: |
| 38 |
Seese þou nowe ȝone faire waye,
Þat lygges ouer ȝone heghe mountayne?
Ȝone es þe waye to heuene for aye,
Whene synfull sawles are passed þer payne. |
| 39 |
Seese þou nowe ȝone oþer waye,
Þat lygges lawe by-nethe ȝone rysse?
Ȝone es þe waye, þe sothe to saye,
Vn-to þe joye of paradyse. |
| 40 |
Seese þou ȝitt ȝone thirde waye,
Þat ligges vndir ȝone grene playne?
Ȝone es þe waye, with tene and traye,
Whare synfull saulis suffirris þaire payne. |
| 41 |
Bot seese þou nowe ȝone ferthe waye,
Þat lygges ouer ȝone depe delle?
Ȝone es þe waye, so waylawaye!
Vn-to þe birnande fyre of helle. |
| 42 |
Seese þou ȝitt ȝone faire castelle,
[Þat standis onerJ ȝone heghe hill?
Of towne and towre it beris þe belle;
In erthe es none Iyke it vn-till. |
| 43 |
Ffor sothe, Thomas, ȝone es myne awenne,
And þe kynges of this countree;
Bot me ware leuer be hanged and drawene,
Or þat he wyste þou laye by me. |
| 44 |
When þou commes to ȝone castelle gay,
I pray þe curtase mane to bee;
And whate so any mane to þe saye,
Luke þan answere none batt mee. |
| 45 |
My lorde es seruede at ylk a mese
With thritty knyghttis faire and free;
I sail saye, syttande at the desse,
I tuke thi speche by-ȝonde the see |
| 46 |
Thomas still als stane he stude,
And he by-helde þat lady gaye;
Scho come agayne als faire and gude,
And also ryche one hir palfraye. |
| 47 |
Hir grewehundis fillide with dere blade,
Hir raches couplede, by my faye;
Scho blewe hir horne with mayne and mode,
Vn-to þe castelle scho tuke þe waye. |
| 48 |
In-to þe haulle sothely scho went,
Thomas foloued at hir hande;
Than ladyes come, bothe faire and gent,
With curtassye to hir knelande. |
| 49 |
Harpe and fethill bathe þay fande,
Getterne, and als so þe sawtrye;
Lutte and rybybe bothe gangande,
And all manere of mynstralsye. |
| 50 |
Þe most meruelle þat Thomas thoghte,
Whene þat he stode appone the flore;
Ffor feftty hertis in were broghte,
Þat were bathe grete and store. |
| 51 |
Raches laye lapande in þe blode,
Cokes come with dryssynge knyfe;
Thay brittcned þame als þay were wode;
Reuelle amanges þame was full ryfe. |
| 52 |
Knyghtis dawnesede by three and three,
There was revelle, gamene and playe;
Lufly ladyes, faire and free,
That satte and sange one riche araye. |
| 53 |
Thomas duellide in that solace
More þane I ȝowe saye, parde,
Till one a daye, so hafe I grace,
My lufly lady sayde to mee: |
| 54 |
Do buske the, Thomas, þe buse agayne,
Ffor þou may here no lengare be;
Hye the faste, with myghte and mayne.,
I sall the brynge till Eldone tree. |
| 55 |
Thomas sayde þane, with heuy chere,
Lufly lady, nowe late me bee;
Ffor certis, lady, I hafe bene here
Noghte bot þe space of dayes three. |
| 56 |
'Ffor sothe, Thomas, als I þe telle,
Þou hase bene here thre ȝere and more;
Bot langere here þou may noghte duelle;
The skylle I sall þe telle whare-fore. |
| 57 |
'To morne of helle þe foulle fende
Amange this folke will feche his fee;
And þou arte mekill mane and hende;
I trowe full wele he wolde chese the. |
| 58 |
'Ffor alle þe gold þat euer may bee,
Ffro hethyne vn-to þe worldis ende,
Þou bese neuer be-trayede for mee;
Þerefore with me I rede thou wende.' |
| 59 |
Scho broghte hym agayne to Eldone tree,
Vndir-nethe þat grenewode spraye;
In Huntlee bannkes es mery to bee,
Whare fowles synges bothe nyght and daye. |
| 60 |
'Fferre owtt in ȝone mountane graye,
Thomas, my fawkone bygges a neste;
A fawconne es an erlis praye;
Ffor-thi in na place may he reste. |
| 51 |
'Ffare well, Thomas, I wend my waye,
Ffor me by-houys ouer thir benttis browne:'
Loo here a fytt: more es to saye,
All of Thomas of Erselldowne. |
| |
Fytt II |
| 1 |
'Fare wele, Thomas, I wend my waye,
I may no lengare stande with the:'
'Gyff me a tokynynge, lady gaye,
That I may saye I spake with the.' |
| 2 |
'To harpe or carpe, whare-so þou gose,
Thomas, þou sail hafe þe chose sothely:'
And he saide, Harpynge kepe I none,
Ffor tonge es chefe of mynstralsye. |
| 3 |
'If þou will spelle, or tales telle,
Thomas, þou sail neuer lesynge lye;
Whare euer þou fare, by fry the or felle,
I praye the speke none euyll of me. |
| 4 |
'Ffare wele, Thomas, with-owttyne gyle,
I may no lengare duelle with the:'
'Lufly lady, habyde a while,
And telle þou me of some ferly.' |
| 5 |
'Thomas, herkyne what I the saye:' etc. |
| |
Here begin the prophecies. |
