O Marvelous tydynges both Wonders Old and New
The Devyll is endited yf many mens wordes be tru.
|
IN all Christendom, Christes Godspell now is rad
|
Of man, woman, and chyld, it maketh their harts glad
|
Whiche with shamefull syns, before were full sad
|
O wounders good tydynges, yf all sayinges be tru.
|
It is rad so oft, and with soch diligence
|
That no text is wrested, thorow raische negligence
|
Playn declaracions, help moche to the true sense
|
We all have cause to rejoyse, yf these tydyngs be tru.
|
Now after Christes rule, all folk do lead theyr lyfe
|
They abhor all chydyng, braulyng, fyghtyng, and stryfe
|
Grete fervent charytie is betwyne man and wyfe
|
No worse wordes then honycomb, sweet hart of gold, most tru.
|
One neybur resorteth fryndly to another
|
As though all were kynsfolk, lyke brother and brother.
|
Greter love was never betwyne chyld and mother
|
This world is no world, yf all tydynges be tru.
|
It is rather lyke Hevyn, or pleasaunt Paradyse
|
The folk be lyke Angels, discrete, sober, and wyse
|
If one fall through fraylty, he repentyng more then twyse
|
Ryseth styll a new man, a good Christian and tru.
|
Folk fast, pray, and serve God, not Hipocritically
|
(Only to be seen of men, for folysh vaynglory)
|
But from the very hart, the Lord God to gloryfy
|
Despysyng fond fantasyes, as false thynges, and not tru.
|
Everybody now, in som trade of lyvyng
|
Doth labour for his foode, with travell or swetyng
|
Som dyggyng, som spynnyng, som wrytyng, som redyng
|
Som gevyng good counsell, lyke honest folk and tru.
|
They knowe that they must make, a rekenyng to God
|
Of theyr dispensacion, they feere gretely Gods rod
|
The ryche do helpe the poore, with rost meat or with sod
|
None lye starvyng in Streets, yf all mens tonges be tru.
|
Great ryche men be afrayd, least they dye sodaynly
|
Least theyre goods (after them) be spent in foolery
|
Least God wyll call them fooles, therfore liberally
|
They spend moche in theyr lyfe, upon poore folk and tru.
|
They be redy also, somwhat to prysons to send
|
If any through frayltie, chaunse folyshly to offend
|
But now Prisons be empty, the world doth so amende
|
There be but .iiii. score and ten in kynges benche, it was tru.
|
Of them that be in pryson, som be tyed with clogges
|
Som gnaw broun crustes of bred, som burnish boones lyke doggs
|
Som wysh to fyll theyr gutts, with catts, ratts, myse, or froggs
|
Specyally this deere yere: Now (they say) they wyll be tru.
|
How many be in Ludgate, and Neugate I cannot tel
|
But they that be abrode, be afrayd, I trust well
|
And fall to wourk lustely, thorow theyr exampell
|
They abhorre Clinkerum: They say they wyll be tru.
|
A man may goo now, over Fyns bery fylde
|
Without sweard and buckler, without speare or shylde
|
With an houndred poundes: as safe as with a nylde
|
In a mysty mornyng, and by nyght, yf tales be tru.
|
All England and Spayn, all Scotland, and Germany
|
All Fraunce and Ireland, all Denmark and Hungary
|
Be purged so (I trust) from vice and Idolatry
|
That the Turk doth beghyn to thynk the Godspele tru.
|
The Saracens and Jewes (I trust) do now convert
|
Moved with Godlynes that is in Christians harte
|
They fere least Chrysts scourge wyll make theyr bones to smart
|
I trust they receyve baptyme, and belyve the Godspell is tru.
|
They hire it so discussed by calculacyon
|
That Doomesday is at hand, yf mens speculacion
|
In Astronomye be tru, the worldes transformacyon
|
Wyl be within .x. yeres, straunge newes yf it be tru.
|
I (one of .xl. yeres) thought to provyde for age
|
House for one and twenty yere, or som fat personage
|
Som prebend, deanery, or som vicarage
|
But now I pas not moche, yf Astronomers be tru.
|
Yea whither Astronomers, be true eyther no
|
Or that generall jugement be commyng to or fro
|
This one thyng I kno sure, that I shall hence go
|
I kno nor day, nor ooure: Nothyng is more tru.
|
And douteles, yf all men, wolde be of my mynde
|
We wold som better way, for to lyve here out fynde
|
Men shulde be set awurk, onlesse they were stark blynd
|
Yea blynde shuld do somwhat, to kepe themselfe tru.
|
Helthy folke lackyng wourk, shuld resorte to a place
|
With theyr tooles and instrumentes (as som use to shew their face)
|
Then set awourk, or fed, (of mens favour and grace)
|
With som comon purse, to kepe themselfs tru
|
So that it shuld be a straunge thyng for to see
|
Any theft or murder, ever committed to be
|
As (thankes be to God) folk burne so in charytie
|
That no knavery raigneth, yf all mens wordes be tru.
|
The Devyll hath ben a knave, and hath kylde many men
|
Yea both soule and body, moe perchaunse then ten
|
Now he is endyted, as witnesseth my pen
|
His Quest is empayneld, he is founde false, not tru.
|
Here folowe the names of the .xii. men
|
that goo upon the Devyll.
|
Gen.iii.i. Paralip.xxi. Job.i.ii. Sapien.ii.
|
Christ in Math.xiii. and in Luke.viii. Math.iiii.
|
Mar.i. Luke.xxii. Joan.xiii. and .i. Joan.iii.
|
Paull to the Ephesians.vi.i. Pet.v. Jacob.iiii.
|
It wyl be hard to kyll, suche an immortall knave
|
He recoveryth so oft, though a stronge hooste we have
|
Call in Turkes and Saracens, that they also may be save
|
Through Gods help, we may breke Satans hed, It is tru.
|
To breke Satans hed, of all wayes this is one
|
With the buckler of fayth, to resyst suggestion
|
And strongly to belyve, that Christes passion
|
Christes wordes and myrakels, all be most surely tru.
|
All Christian Kyngs, do now theyr wittes bende
|
Theyr letters in print to the Turkes for to sende
|
With many new testamentes, theyr blynd lyfe to amend
|
For fere of hellfyre, I trust it wyl be tru.
|
When Satan the Devyll, seeth such a great hoost
|
Suche a sort of christians, to diminish his boost
|
He must nedes be compelld, to graunt his great strenght lost
|
When his pate is broken, God graunte this may be tru.
|
Then the golden world, I trust wyll com agayn
|
That folk may lyve easyly, without any great payn
|
Many egges for a peny, at London I wolde se fayn
|
Flesche and fische better chepe, I trust it wyl be tru.
|
All other thynges good chepe, I trust to se er I dye
|
Coynes, measures, and weyghtes, in good uniformitie
|
Thorow all the world, I trust to se schortely
|
Onles that diversitie doth more good, it be tru.
|
Jentyll reder, farewell: Thou knoest part of my mynd
|
There lye in my harte, many such thynges behynde
|
Whiche towards the brekyng, of Satans hed I fynde
|
That all may be mery, and wyse in Christ: It is tru.
|
|
|
|
|
|