It is wronge with eche degre;
For the temporalte

Accuseth the spiritualte;
The spirituall agayne

3

Dothe grudge and complayne
Upon the temporall men:
Thus eche of other blother 2
The tone agayng the tother.
Alas, they make me shoder!
For in hoder moder1
The Churche is put in faute. 5
The prelates ben so haut,"
They say, and loke so hy,
As though they wolde fly
Above the sterry skye.
Laye-men say indede,
How they take no hede
Theyr sely shepe to fede,
But plucke away and pull
The fleces of theyr wull;
Unethes they leve a locke

Of wull amonges theyr flocke.
And as for theyr connynge,

A glommynge and a mummynge,
And make therof a jape;
They gaspe and they gape,

All to have promocyon;

There is theyr hole devocyon,

With money, if it wyll hap, To catche the forked cap.

"For love swetnes

And joy endles

I made my lady fre, Unto my lyknes

1

I gave her quicnes
In Paradyse to be.
Who shall, etc.

"O my swet store,

My true love therfore

Thy place yt ys above; What man may do more Than only dy therfore,

14

21

'Quho is at my windo? Quho? Quho? Go from my windo, go, go!

Quho callis thair

Sa lyke a strangair?

Go from my windo, go!"

"Lord I am heir, ane wretchit mortall That for thy mercy dois cry and call Unto the, my Lord celestiall.

Se quho is at thy windo, quho!"

Forsothe they are to lewd To say so, all beshrewd!

EARLY TUDOR LYRICS (c. 1500)

I. RELIGIOUS LYRICS

I

Thys ender nyght3

I saw a syght,

A star as bright as day;

And ever among

A maydyn song:

By-by, baby, lullay!

Thys vyrgyn clere

Wythowtyn pere

Unto hur son gane say:

"My son, my lorde,

My fathere dere,

Why lyest thow in hay?

6

12

3. "Me thought they did mee beate and binde, And tooke my bow mee froe;

4.

18

ΙΟ

20

1. When shawes beene sheene, and shradds '

ΙΟ

"Sweavens 2 are swift, master," quoth John, "As the wind that blowes ore a hill; For if itt be never soe lowde this night, To-morrow it may be still."

5. "Buske yee, bowne yee, my merry men all,
For John shall goe with mee;
For I'le goe seeke yond wight yeomen
In greenwood where they bee."

6. They cast on their gowne of greene,
A shooting gone are they,

Until they came to the merry greenwood,
Where they had gladdest bee;

There were they ware of a wight yeoman,

His body leaned to a tree.

7. A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
Had beene many a mans bane,
And he was cladd in his capull-hyde,3
Topp, and tayle, and mayne.

20

30

8. "Stand you still, master," quoth Litle John, "Under this trusty tree,

And I will goe to yond wight yeoman,
To know his meaning trulye."

9. "A, John, by me thou setts noe store,
And that's a ffarley' thinge;

IO.

How offt send I my men beffore,
And tarry my-selfe behinde?

"It is noe cunning a knave to ken;
And a man but heare him speake.
And itt were not for bursting of my bowe,
John, I wold thy head breake."

II. But often words they breeden bale;
That parted Robin and John.
John is gone to Barnesdale,

The gates he knowes eche one.

12. And when hee came to Barnesdale,
Great heavinesse there hee hadd;
He ffound two of his fellowes
Were slaine both in a slade,

5

13. And Scarlett a-ffoote flyinge was,
Over stockes and stone,

For the sheriffe with seven score men
Fast after him is gone.

5

40

50

1 avenged dreams 3 horse-hide strange valley

"That ere thou grew on a tree!

For this day thou art my bale,

My boote3 when thou shold bee!"

17. This shoote it was but looselye shott,

The arrowe flew in vaine,

And it mett one of the sheriffes men;
Good William a Trent was slaine.

18. It had beene better for William a Trent
To hange upon a gallowe
Then for to lye in the greenwoode,
There slaine with an arrowe.

19. And it is sayd, when men be mett,
Six can doe more than three:
And they have tane Litle John,

And bound him ffast to a tree.

70

25. "I seeke an outlaw," quoth Sir Guye, "Men call him Robin Hood;

I had rather meet with him upon a day
Than forty pound of golde.”

67

100

26. "If you tow mett, itt wold be seene whether were better

Afore yee did part awaye;
Let us some other pastime find,
Good ffellow, I thee pray.

27. "Let us some other masteryes make,
And wee will walke in the woods even;
Wee may chance meet with Robin Hoode
Att some unsett steven." 1

1

yew 2 made ready 3help

4

astray