Regius Poem
Halliwell MS or Regius Poem
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Table of Contents
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The Halliwell Manuscript
The MS is a very small quarto on vellum, and is No. 17, A1. in the Bibl. Reg., British Museum. It is described in David Casley’s Catalogue of the MSS. of the Old Royal Library, 1734, page 259, as "A Poem of Moral Duties: here entitled, Constitutiones Artis Gemetrie secundem Euclidem. - 'Whoso wol bothe wel rede and loke.'"
The existence of this MS. has been known for a long time, but its contents were mistaken until Mr. Halliwell-Phillips drew attention to it in a paper "On the introduction of Freemasonry into England," read before the Society of Antiquaries in the 1838-9 session. He thereafter published two small editions of a work entitled "The Early History of Freemasonry in England,"giving a transcript of the poem.
"In the year 1757, King George II., under an instrument that passed the Great Seal, presented [the old Royal] Library to the nation. At that time it was deposited in the old Dormitory at Westminster, to which place it had been removed from Ashburnham House, at the time of the lamentable fire which broke out in that building on the 23rd October, 1731 from which it fortunately sustained but slight injury." [Sims’s Handbook to Library of Brit. Mus., 1854. p. 35.]
The facsimile is the exact size of the original. It bears the Royal arms stamped on both covers, and G.R.II., with the date 1757. The lettering on the back has also been reproduced. The MS. was bound in its present cover in or about the year 1838.
The age of the MS. has been variously estimated. Mr. Halliwell and the late Rev. A.F.A. Woodford supposed it to have been written about 1390, or earlier.
The MS. is admitted to be the oldest genuine record of the Craft of Masonry known. Mr. Halliwell pointed out that the writer of the poem was evidently a priest , from the words, "And when the gospel me rede schal," on line 629. He also drew attention to line 143, which intimates a still older MS. must have existed when the poem was written.
Here Begin the Constitutions
| Hic incipiunt constituciones artis gemetriae secundum Eucyldem. | Here begin the constitutions of the art of Geometry according to Euclid. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whose wol bothe wel rede and loke, | Whoever will both well read and look |
| 2 | He may fynde wryte yn olde boke | He may find written in old book |
| 3 | Of grete lordys and eke ladyysse, | Of great lords and also ladies, |
| 4 | That hade mony chyldryn y-fere, y-wisse; | That had many children together, certainly; |
| 5 | And hade no rentys to fynde hem wyth, | And had no income to keep them with, |
| 6 | Nowther yn towne, ny felde, ny fryth: | Neither in town nor field nor enclosed wood; |
| 7 | A cownsel togeder they cowthe hem take; | A council together they could them take, |
| 8 | To ordeyne for these chyldryn sake, | To ordain for these children’s sake, |
| 9 | How they my[g]th best lede here lyfe | How they might best lead their life |
| 10 | Withoute gret desese, care and stryfe; | Without great disease, care, and strife; |
| 11 | And most for the multytude that was comynge | And most for the multitude that was coming |
| 12 | (They) sende thenne after grete clerkys, | Of their children after great clerks, |
| 13 | To techyn hem thenne gode werkys; | To teach them then good works; |
| 14 | To techyn hem thenne gode werkys; | To teach them then good works; |
| 15 | And pray we hem, for our Lordys sake, | And pray we them, for our Lord’s sake. |
| 16 | To oure chyldryn sum werke to make, | To our children some work to make, |
| 17 | That they my[g]th gete here lyvynge therby, | That they might get their living thereby, |
| 18 | Bothe wel and onestlyche, ful sycurly. | Both well and honestly full securely. |
| 19 | Yn that tyme, thro[g]gh good gemetry, | In that time, through good geometry, |
| 20 | Thys onest craft of good masonry | This honest craft of good masonry |
| 21 | Wes ordeynt and made yn thys manere, | Was ordained and made in this manner, |
| 22 | Y-cownterfetyd of thys clerkys y-fere; | Counterfeited of these clerks together; |
| 23 | At these lordys prayers they cownterfetyd gemetry, | At these lord’s prayers they counterfeited geometry, |
| 24 | And [g]af hyt the name of masonry, | And gave it the name of masonry, |
| 25 | For the moste oneste craft of alle. | For the most honest craft of all. |
| 26 | These lordys chyldryn therto dede falle, | These lords' children thereto did fall, |
| 27 | To lurne of hym the craft of gemetry, | To learn of him the craft of geometry, |
| 28 | The wheche he made ful curysly; | The which he made full curiously; |
| 29 | Thro[g]gh fadrys prayers and modrys also, | Through fathers' prayers and mothers' also, |
| 30 | Thys onest craft he putte hem to. | This honest craft he put them to. |
| 31 | He that lerned best, and were of onesté, | He learned best, and was of honesty, |
| 32 | And passud hys felows yn curysté; | And passed his fellows in curiosity, |
| 33 | [G]ef yn that craft he dede hym passe, | If in that craft he did him pass, |
| 34 | He schulde have more worschepe then the lasse | He should have more worship than the lasse, (less) |
| 35 | Thys grete clerkys name was clept Euclyde, | This great clerk’s name was Euclid, |
| 36 | Hys name hyt spradde ful wondur wyde | His name it spread full wonder wide. |
| 37 | Get thys grete clerke more ordeynt he | Yet this great clerk ordained he |
| 38 | To hym that was herre yn thys degré, | To him that was higher in this degree, |
| 39 | That he schulde teche the synplyst of (wytte) | That he should teach the simplest of wit |
| 40 | Yn that onest craft to be parfytte; | In that honest craft to be parfytte; (perfect) |
| 41 | And so uchon schulle techyn othur, | And so each one shall teach the other, |
| 42 | And love togeder as syster and brothur. | And love together as sister and brother. |
| 43 | Forthermore [g]et that ordeynt he, | Furthermore yet that ordained he, |
| 44 | Mayster y-called so schulde he be; | Master called so should he be; |
| 45 | So that he were most y-worschepede, | So that he were most worshipped, |
| 46 | Thenne sculde he be so y-clepede: | Then should he be so called; |
| 47 | But mason schulde never won other calle, | But masons should never one another call, |
| 48 | Withynne the craft amongus hem alle, | Within the craft amongst them all, |
| 49 | Ny soget, ny servand, my dere brother, | Neither subject nor servant, my dear brother, |
| 50 | Tha[g]ht he be not so perfyt as ys another; | Though he be not so perfect as is another; |
| 51 | Uchon sculle calle other felows by cuthe, | Each shall call other fellows by cuthe, (friendship) |
| 52 | For cause they come of ladyes burthe. | Because they come of ladies' birth. |
| 53 | On thys maner, thro[g] good wytte of gemetry, | On this manner, through good wit of geometry, |
| 54 | Bygan furst the craft of masonry: | Began first the craft of masonry; |
| 55 | The clerk Euclyde on thys wyse hyt fonde, | The clerk Euclid on this wise it found, |
| 56 | Thys craft of gemetry yn Egypte londe. | This craft of geometry in Egypt land. |
| 57 | Yn Egypte he taw[g]hte hyt ful wyde, | In Egypt he taught it full wide, |
| 58 | Yn dyvers londe on every syde; | In divers lands on every side; |
| 59 | Mony erys afterwarde, y understonde, | Many years afterwards, I understand, |
| 60 | [G]er that the craft com ynto thys londe, | Ere that the craft came into this land. |
| 61 | Thys craft com ynto Englond, as y [g]ow say, | This craft came into England, as I you say, |
| 62 | Yn tyme of good kynge Adelstonus day; | In time of good King Athelstane’s day; |
| 63 | He made tho bothe halle and eke bowre, | He made then both hall and even bower, |
| 64 | And hye templus of gret honowre, | And high temples of great honour, |
| 65 | To sportyn hym yn bothe day and ny[g]th, | To disport him in both day and night, |
| 66 | An to worschepe hys God with alle hys my[g]th. | And to worship his God with all his might. |
| 67 | Thys goode lorde loved thys craft ful wel, | This good lord loved this craft full well, |
| 68 | And purposud to strenthyn hyt every del, | And purposed to strengthen it every del, (part) |
| 69 | For dyvers defawtys that yn the craft he fonde; | For divers faults that in the craft he found; |
| 70 | He sende about ynto the londe | He sent about into the land |
| 71 | After alle the masonus of the crafte, | After all the masons of the craft, |
| 72 | To come to hym ful evene stra[g]fte, | To come to him full even straghfte, (straight) |
| 73 | For to amende these defautys alle | For to amend these defaults all |
| 74 | By good consel, [g]ef hyt myt[g]th falle. | By good counsel, if it might fall. |
| 75 | A semblé thenne he cowthe let make | An assembly then he could let make |
| 76 | Of dyvers lordis, yn here state, | Of divers lords in their state, |
| 77 | Dukys, erlys, and barnes also, | Dukes, earls, and barons also, |
| 78 | Kyn[g]thys, sqwyers, and mony mo, | Knights, squires and many mo, (more) |
| 79 | And the grete burges of that syté, | And the great burgesses of that city, |
| 80 | They were ther alle yn here degré; | They were there all in their degree; |
| 81 | These were ther uchon algate, | There were there each one algate, (always) |
| 82 | To ordeyne for these masonus astate. | To ordain for these masons' estate, |
| 83 | Ther they sow[g]ton by here wytte, | There they sought by their wit, |
| 84 | How they my[g]thyn governe hytte: | How they might govern it; |
| 85 | Fyftene artyculus they ther sow[g]ton | Fifteen articles they there sought, |
| 86 | And fyftene poyntys they wro[g]ton. | And fifteen points there they wrought, |
First Article
| Hic incipit articulus primus. | Here begins the first article. | |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | The furste artycul of thys gemetry: | The first article of this geometry; |
| 88 | The mayster mason moste be ful securly | The master mason must be full securely |
| 89 | Bothe stedefast, trusty, and trwe, | Both steadfast, trusty and true, |
| 90 | Hyt schal hum never thenne arewe: | It shall him never then rue; |
| 91 | And pay thy felows after the coste, | And pay thy fellows after the cost, |
| 92 | As vytaylys goth thenne, wel thou woste; | As victuals goeth then, well thou woste; (knowest) |
| 93 | And pay them trwly, apon thy fay, | And pay them truly, upon thy fay, (faith) |
| 94 | What that they deserven may; | What they deserven may; (may deserve) |
| 95 | And to her hure take no more, | And to their hire take no more, |
| 96 | But what they mowe serve fore; | But what that they may serve for; |
| 97 | And spare, nowther for love ny drede, | And spare neither for love nor drede, (dread) |
| 98 | Of nowther partys to take no mede; | Of neither parties to take no mede; (bribe) |
| 99 | Of lord ny felow, whether he be, | Of lord nor fellow, whoever he be, |
| 100 | Of hem thou take no maner of fe; | Of them thou take no manner of fee; |
| 101 | And as a jugge stonde upry[g]th, | And as a judge stand upright, |
| 102 | And thenne thou dost to bothe good ry[g]th; | And then thou dost to both good right; |
| 103 | And trwly do thys whersever thou gost, | And truly do this wheresoever thou gost, (goest) |
| 104 | Thy worschep, thy profyt, hyt shcal be most. | Thy worship, thy profit, it shall be most. |
Second Article
| Articulus secundus. | Second article. | |
|---|---|---|
| 105 | The secunde artycul of good masonry, | The second article of good masonry, |
| 106 | As [g]e mowe hyt here hyr specyaly, | As you must it here hear specially, |
| 107 | That every mayster, that ys a mason, | That every master, that is a mason, |
| 108 | Most ben at the generale congregacyon, | Must be at the general congregation, |
| 109 | So that he hyt resonably y-tolde | So that he it reasonably be told |
| 110 | Where that the semblé schal be holde; | Where that the assembly shall be holde; (held) |
| 111 | And to that semblé he most nede gon, | And to that assembly he must needs gon, (go) |
| 112 | But he have a resenabul skwsacyon, | Unless he have a reasonable skwasacyon, (excuse) |
| 113 | Or but he be unbuxom to that craft, | Or unless he be disobedient to that craft |
| 114 | Or with falssehed ys over-raft, | Or with falsehood is over-raft, (overtaken) |
| 115 | Or ellus sekenes hath hym so stronge, | Or else sickness hath him so strong, |
| 116 | That he may not com hem amonge; | That he may not come them among; |
| 117 | That ys a skwsacyon, good and abulle, | That is an excuse good and able, |
| 118 | To that semblé withoute fabulle. | To that assembly without fable. |
Third Article
| Articulus tercius. | Third article. | |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | The thrydde artycul for sothe hyt ysse, | The third article forsooth it is, |
| 120 | That the mayster take to no prentysse, | That the master takes to no 'prentice, |
| 121 | but he have good seuerans to dwelle | Unless he have good assurance to dwell |
| 122 | Seven [g]er with hym, as y [g]ow telle, | Seven years with him, as I you tell, |
| 123 | Hys craft to lurne, that ys profytable; | His craft to learn, that is profitable; |
| 124 | Withynne lasse he may not be able | Within less he may not be able |
| 125 | To lordys profyt, ny to his owne, | To lords' profit, nor to his own |
| 126 | As [g]e mowe knowe by good resowne. | As you may know by good reason. |
Fourth Article
| Articulus quartus. | Fourth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 127 | The fowrhe artycul thys moste be | The fourth article this must be, |
| 128 | That the mayster hym wel be-se, | That the master him well besee, |
| 129 | That he no bondemon prentys make, | That he no bondman 'prentice make, |
| 130 | Ny for no covetyse do hym take; | Nor for no covetousness do him take; |
| 131 | For the lord that he ys bonde to, | For the lord that he is bound to, |
| 132 | May fache the prentes whersever he go. | May fetch the 'prentice wheresoever he go. |
| 133 | Gef yn the logge he were y-take, | If in the lodge he were ty-take, (taken) |
| 134 | Muche desese hyt mygth ther make, | Much dis-ease it might there make, |
| 135 | And suche case hyt mygth befalle, | And such case it might befal, |
| 136 | That hyt mygth greve summe or alle. | That it might grieve some or all. |
| 137 | For alle the masonus tht ben there | For all the masons that be there |
| 138 | Wol stonde togedur hol y-fere | Will stand together all y-fere. (together) |
| 139 | Gef suche won yn that craft schulde swelle, | If such one in that craft should dwell, |
| 140 | Of dyvers desesys ge mygth telle: | Of divers dis-eases you might tell; |
| 141 | For more gese thenne, and of honeste, | For more ease then, and of honesty, |
| 142 | Take a prentes of herre degre. | Take a 'prentice of higher degree. |
| 143 | By olde tyme wryten y fynde | By old time written I find |
| 144 | That the prenes schulde be of gentyl kynde; | That the 'prentice should be of gentle kind; |
| 145 | And so symtyme grete lordys blod | And so sometime, great lords' blood |
| 146 | Toke thys gemetry, that ys ful good. | Took this geometry that is full good. |
Fifth Article
| Articulus quintus. | Fifth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 147 | The fyfthe artycul ys swythe good, | The fifth article is very good, |
| 148 | So that the prentes be of lawful blod; | So that the 'prentice be of lawful blood; |
| 149 | The mayster schal not, for no vantage, | The master shall not, for no advantage, |
| 150 | Make no prentes that ys outrage; | Make no 'prentice that is outrage; (deformed) |
| 151 | Hyt ys to mene, as [g]e mowe here, | It is to mean, as you may hear |
| 152 | That he have hys lymes hole alle y-fere; | That he have all his limbs whole all y-fere; (together) |
| 153 | To the craft hyt were gret schame, | To the craft it were great shame, |
| 154 | To make an halt mon and a lame, | To make a halt man and a lame, |
| 155 | For an unperfyt mon of suche blod | For an imperfect man of such blood |
| 156 | Schulde do the craft but lytul good. | Should do the craft but little good. |
| 157 | Thus [g]e mowe knowe everychon, | Thus you may know every one, |
| 158 | The craft wolde have a my[g]hty mon; | The craft would have a mighty man; |
| 159 | A maymed mon he hath no my[g]ht, | A maimed man he hath no might, |
| 160 | [G]e mowe hyt knowe long [g]er ny[g]ht. | You must it know long ere night. |
Sixth Article
| Articulus sextus. | Sixth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 161 | The syxte artycul [g]e mowe not mysse, | The sixth article you must not miss |
| 162 | That the mayster do the lord no pregedysse, | That the master do the lord no prejudice, |
| 163 | To take of the lord, for hyse prentyse, | To take the lord for his 'prentice, |
| 164 | Also muche as hys felows don, yn alle vyse. | As much as his fellows do, in all wise. |
| 165 | For yn that craft they ben ful perfyt, | For in that craft they be full perfect, |
| 166 | So ys not he, [g]e mowe sen hyt. | So is not he, you must see it. |
| 167 | Also hyt were a[g]eynus good reson, | Also it were against good reason, |
| 168 | To take hys, hure as hys felows don. | To take his hire as his fellows don. (do) |
| 169 | Thys same artycul, yn thys casse, | This same article in this case, |
| 170 | Juggythe the prentes to take lasse | Judgeth his prentice to take less |
| 171 | Thenne hys felows, that ben ful perfyt. | Than his fellows, that be full perfect. |
| 172 | Yn dyvers maters, conne qwyte hyt, | In divers matters, know requite it, |
| 173 | The mayster may his prentes so enforme, | The master may his 'prentice so inform, |
| 174 | That hys hure may crese ful [g]urne, | That his hire may increase full soon, |
| 175 | And, ger hys terme come to an ende, | And ere his term come to an end, |
| 176 | Hys hure may ful wel amende. | His hire may full well amend. |
Seventh Article
| Articulus septimus. | Seventh Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 177 | The seventhe artycul that ys now here, | The seventh article that is now here, |
| 178 | Ful wel wol telle gow, alle y-fere, | Full well will tell you all y-fere (together) |
| 179 | That no mayster, for favour ny drede, | That no master for favour nor dread, |
| 180 | Schal no thef nowther clothe ny fede. | Shall no thief neither clothe nor feed. |
| 181 | Theves he schal herberon never won, | Thieves he shall harbour never one, |
| 182 | Ny hym that hath y-quellude a mon, | Nor him that hath killed a man, |
| 183 | Wy thylike that hath a febul name, | Nor the same that hath a feeble name, |
| 184 | Lest hyt wolde turne the craft to schame. | Lest it would turn the craft to shame. |
Eight Article
| Articulus octavus. | Eight Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 185 | The eghte artycul schewt [g]ow so, | The eighth article sheweth you so, |
| 186 | That the mayster may hyt wel do, | That the master may it well do. |
| 187 | [G]ef that he have any mon of crafte, | If that he have any man of craft, |
| 188 | And be not also perfyt as he au[g]te, | And he be not so perfect as he ought, |
| 189 | He may hym change sone anon, | He may him change soon anon, |
| 190 | And take for hym a perfytur mon. | And take for him a more perfect man. |
| 191 | Suche a mon, thro[g]e rechelaschepe, | Such a man through rechalaschepe, (recklessness) |
| 192 | My[g]th do the craft schert worschepe. | Might do the craft scant worship. |
Ninth Article
| Articulus nonus. | Ninth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 193 | The nynthe artycul schewet ful welle, | The ninth article sheweth full well, |
| 194 | That the mayster be both wyse and felle; | That the master be both wise and felle; (strong) |
| 195 | That no werke he undurtake, | That he no work undertake, |
| 196 | But he conne bothe hyt ende and make; | Unless he can both it end and make; |
| 197 | And that hyt be to the lordes profyt also, | And that it be to the lords' profit also, |
| 198 | And to hys craft, whersever he go; | And to his craft, wheresoever he go; |
| 199 | And that the grond be wel y-take, | And that the ground be well y-take, (taken) |
| 200 | That hyt nowther fle ny grake. | That it neither flaw nor grake. (crack) |
Tenth Article
| Articulus decimus. | Tenth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | The then the artycul ys for to knowe, | The tenth article is for to know, |
| 202 | Amonge the craft, to hye and lowe, | Among the craft, to high and low, |
| 203 | There schal no mayster supplante other, | There shall no master supplant another, |
| 204 | But be togeder as systur and brother, | But be together as sister and brother, |
| 205 | Yn thys curyus craft, alle and som, | In this curious craft, all and some, |
| 206 | That longuth to a maystur mason. | That belongeth to a master mason. |
| 207 | Ny he schal not supplante non other mon, | Nor shall he supplant no other man, |
| 208 | That hath y-take a werke hym uppon, | That hath taken a work him upon, |
| 209 | Yn peyne therof that ys so stronge, | In pain thereof that is so strong, |
| 210 | That peyseth no lasse thenne ten ponge, | That weigheth no less than ten ponge, (pounds) |
| 211 | But [g]ef that he be gulty y-fonde, | But if that he be guilty found, |
| 212 | That toke furst the werke on honde; | That took first the work on hand; |
| 213 | For no mon yn masonry | For no man in masonry |
| 214 | Schal no supplante othur securly, | Shall not supplant other securely, |
| 215 | But [g]ef that hyt be so y-wro[g]th, | But if that it be so wrought, |
| 216 | That hyt turne the werke to nogth; | That in turn the work to nought; |
| 217 | Thenne may a mason that werk crave, | Then may a mason that work crave, |
| 218 | To the lordes profyt hyt for to save; | To the lords' profit for it to save |
| 219 | Yn suche a case but hyt do falle, | In such a case if it do fall, |
| 220 | Ther schal no mason medul withalle. | There shall no mason meddle withal. |
| 221 | Forsothe he that begynnyth the gronde, | Forsooth he that beginneth the ground, |
| 222 | And he be a mason goode and sonde, | If he be a mason good and sound, |
| 223 | For hath hyt sycurly yn hys mynde | He hath it securely in his mind |
| 224 | To brynge the werke to ful good ende. | To bring the work to full good end. |
Eleventh Article
| Articulus undecimus. | Eleventh Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 225 | The eleventhe artycul y telle the, | The eleventh article I tell thee, |
| 226 | That he ys bothe fayr and fre; | That he is both fair and free; |
| 227 | For he techyt, by hys my[g]th, | For he teacheth, by his might, |
| 228 | That no mason schulde worche be ny[g]th, | That no mason should work by night, |
| 229 | But [g]ef hyt be yn practesynge of wytte, | But if be in practising of wit, |
| 230 | [G]ef that y cowthe amende hytte. | If that I could amend it. |
Twelfth Article
| Articulus duodecimus. | Twelfth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 231 | The twelfthe artycul ys of hye honesté | The twelfth article is of high honesty |
| 232 | To [g]every mason, whersever he be; | To every mason wheresoever he be, |
| 233 | He schal not hys felows werk deprave, | He shall not his fellows' work deprave, |
| 234 | [G]ef that he wol hys honesté save; | If that he will his honesty save; |
| 235 | With honest wordes he hyt comende, | With honest words he it commend, |
| 236 | By the wytte that God the dede sende; | By the wit God did thee send; |
| 237 | Buy hyt amende by al that thou may, | But it amend by all that thou may, |
| 238 | Bytwynne [g]ow bothe withoute nay. | Between you both without nay. (doubt) |
Thirteenth Article
| Articulus xiijus. | Thirteenth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 239 | The threttene artycul, so God me save, | The thirteenth article, so God me save, |
| 240 | Ys,[g]ef that the mayster a prentes have, | Is if that the master a 'prentice have, |
| 241 | Enterlyche thenne that he hym teche, | Entirely then that he him teach, |
| 242 | And meserable poyntes that he hym reche, | And measurable points that he him reche, (tell) |
| 243 | That he the craft abelyche may conne, | That he the craft ably may conne, (know) |
| 244 | Whersever he go undur the sonne. | Wheresoever he go under the sun. |
Fourteenth Article
| Articulus xiiijus. | Fourteenth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 245 | The fowrtene artycul, by good reson, | The fourteenth article by good reason, |
| 246 | Scheweth the mayster how he schal don; | Sheweth the master how he shall don; (do) |
| 247 | He schal no prentes to hym take, | He shall no 'prentice to him take, |
| 248 | Byt dyvers crys he have to make, | Unless diver cares he have to make, |
| 249 | That he may, withynne hys terme, | That he may within his term, |
| 250 | Of hym dyvers poyntes may lurne. | Of him divers points may learn. |
Fifteenth Article
| Articulus quindecimus. | Fifteenth Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 251 | The fyftene artycul maketh an ende, | The fifteenth article maketh an end, |
| 252 | For to the mayster he ys a frende; | For to the master he is a friend; |
| 253 | To lere hym so, that for no mon, | To teach him so, that for no man, |
| 254 | No fals mantenans he take hym apon, | No false maintenance he take him upon, |
| 255 | Ny maynteine hys felows yn here synne, | Nor maintain his fellows in their sin, |
| 256 | For no good that he my[g]th wynne; | For no good that he might win; |
| 257 | Ny no fals sware sofre hem to make, | Nor no false oath suffer him to make, |
| 258 | For drede of here sowles sake; | For dread of their souls' sake, |
| 259 | Lest hyt wolde turne the craft to schame, | Lest it would turn the craft to shame, |
| 260 | And hymself to mechul blame. | And himself to very much blame. |
Beginning of the Fifteen Points
First Point
| Plures Constituciones. | Plural constitutions. | |
|---|---|---|
| 261 | At thys semblé were poyntes y-ordeynt mo, | At this assembly were points ordained mo, (more) |
| 262 | Of grete lordys and maystrys also, | Of great lords and masters also. |
| 263 | That whose wol conne thys craft and com to astate, | That who will know this craft and come to estate, |
| 264 | He most love wel God, and holy churche algate, | He must love well God and holy church algate, (always) |
| 265 | And hys mayster also, that he ys wythe, | And his master also that he is with, |
| 266 | Whersever he go, yn fylde or frythe; | Wheresoever he go in field or frythe, (enclosed wood) |
| 267 | And thy felows thou love also, | And thy fellows thou love also, |
| 268 | For that they craft wol that thou do. | For that thy craft will that thou do. |
Second Point
| Secundus punctus. | Second Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 269 | The secunde poynt, as y [g]ow say, | The second point as I you say, |
| 270 | That the mason worche apon the werk day, | That the mason work upon the work day, |
| 271 | Also trwly, as he con or may, | As truly as he can or may, |
| 272 | To deserve hys huyre for the halyday, | To deserve his hire for the holy-day, |
| 273 | And trwly to labrun on hys dede, | And truly to labour on his deed, |
| 274 | Wel deserve to have hys mede. | Well deserve to have his mede. (reward) |
Third Point
| Tercius punctus. | Third Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 275 | The thrydde poynt most be severele, | The third point must be severele, (severely) |
| 276 | With the prentes knowe hyt wele, | With the 'prentice know it well, |
| 277 | Hys mayster conwsel he kepe and close, | His master’s counsel he keep and close, |
| 278 | And hys felows by hys goode purpose; | And his fellows by his good purpose; |
| 279 | The prevetyse of the chamber telle he no man, | The privities of the chamber tell he no man, |
| 280 | Ny yn the logge whatsever they done; | Nor in the lodge whatsoever they don; (do) |
| 281 | Whatsever thou heryst, or syste hem do, | Whatsoever thou hearest or seest them do, |
| 282 | Telle hyt no mon, whersever thou go; | Tell it no man wheresoever you go; |
| 283 | The conwsel of halls, and [g]eke of bowre, | The counsel of hall, and even of bower, |
| 284 | Kepe hyt wel to gret honowre, | Keep it well to great honour, |
| 285 | Lest hyt wolde torne thyself to blame, | Lest it would turn thyself to blame, |
| 286 | And brynge the craft ynto gret schame. | And bring the craft into great shame. |
Fourth Point
| Quartus punctus. | Fourth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 287 | The fowrthe poynt techyth us alse, | The fourth point teacheth us alse, (also) |
| 288 | That no mon to hys craft be false; | That no man to his craft be false; |
| 289 | Errour he schal maynteine none | Error he shall maintain none |
| 290 | A[g]eynus the craft, but let hyt gone; | Against the craft, but let it gone; (go) |
| 291 | Ny no pregedysse he schal not do | Nor no prejudice he shall not do |
| 292 | To hys mayster, ny hys felows also; | To his master, nor his fellow also; |
| 293 | And that[g]th the prentes be under awe, | And though the 'prentice be under awe, |
| 294 | [G]et he wolde have the same lawe. | Yet he would have the same law. |
Fifth Point
| Quintus punctus. | Fifth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 295 | The fyfthe poynte ys, withoute nay, | The fifth point is without nay, (doubt) |
| 296 | That whenne the mason taketh hys pay | That when the mason taketh his pay |
| 297 | Of the mayster, y-ordent to hym, | Of the master, ordained to him, |
| 298 | Ful mekely y-take so most hyt byn; | Full meekly taken so must it byn; (be) |
| 299 | [G]et most the mayster, by good resone, | Yet must the master by good reason, |
| 300 | Warne hem lawfully byfore none, | Warn him lawfully before noon, |
| 301 | G]ef he nulle okepye hem no more, | If he will not occupy him no more, |
| 302 | As he hath y-done ther byfore; | As he hath done there before; |
| 303 | A[g]eynus thys ordyr he may not stryve, | Against this order he may not strive, |
| 304 | [G]ef he thenke wel for to thryve. | If he think well for to thrive. |
Sixth Point
| Sextus punctus. | Sixth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 305 | The syxte poynt ys ful [g]ef to knowe, | The sixth point is full given to know, |
| 306 | Bothe to hye and eke to lowe, | Both to high and even to low, |
| 307 | For suche case hyt my[g]th befalle, | For such case it might befall; |
| 308 | Amonge the masonus, summe or alle, | Among the masons some or all, |
| 309 | Throwghe envye, or dedly hate, | Through envy or deadly hate, |
| 310 | Ofte aryseth ful gret debate. | Oft ariseth full great debate. |
| 311 | Thenne owyth the mason, [g]ef that he may, | Then ought the mason if that he may, |
| 312 | Putte hem bothe under a day; | Put them both under a day; |
| 313 | But loveday [g]et schul they make none; | But loveday yet shall they make none, |
| 314 | Tyl that the werke day be clene a-gone; | Till that the work-day be clean gone |
| 315 | Apon the holyday [g]e mowe wel take | Upon the holy-day you must well take |
| 316 | Leyser y-now[g]gth loveday to make, | Leisure enough loveday to make, |
| 317 | Lest that hyt wolde the werke day | Lest that it would the work-day |
| 318 | Latte here werke for suche afray; | Hinder their work for such a fray; |
| 319 | To suche ende thenne that hem drawe, | To such end then that you them draw. |
| 320 | That they stonde wel yn Goddes lawe. | That they stand well in God’s law. |
Seventh Point
| Septimus punctus. | Seventh Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 321 | The seventhe poynt he may wel mene, | The seventh point he may well mean, |
| 322 | Of wel longe lyf that God us lene, | Of well long life that God us lene, (lend) |
| 323 | As hyt dyscryeth wel opunly, | As it descrieth well openly, |
| 324 | Thou schal not by thy maysters wyf ly, | Thou shalt not by thy master’s wife lie, |
| 325 | Ny by the felows, yn no maner wyse, | Nor by thy fellows', in no manner wise, |
| 326 | Lest the craft wolde the despyse; | Lest the craft would thee despise; |
| 327 | Ny by the felows concubyne, | Nor by thy fellows' concubine, |
| 328 | No more thou woldest he dede by thyne. | No more thou wouldst he did by thine. |
| 329 | The peyne thereof let hyt be ser, | The pain thereof let it be sure, |
| 330 | That he prentes ful seven [g]er, | That he be 'prentice full seven year, |
| 331 | [G]ef he forfete yn eny of hem, | If he forfeit in any of them |
| 332 | So y-chasted thenne most he ben; | So chastised then must he ben; (be) |
| 333 | Ful mekele care my[g]th ther begynne, | Full much care might there begin, |
| 334 | For suche a fowle dedely synne. | For such a foul deadly sin. |
Eigth Point
| Octavus punctus. | Eight Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 335 | The eghte poynt, he may be sure, | The eighth point, he may be sure, |
| 336 | [G]ef thou hast y-taken any cure, | If thou hast taken any cure, |
| 337 | Under thy mayster thou be trwe, | Under thy master thou be true, |
| 338 | For that pynt thou schalt never arewe; | For that point thou shalt never rue; |
| 339 | A trwe medyater thou most nede be | A true mediator thou must needs be |
| 340 | To thy mayster, and thy felows fre; | To thy master, and thy fellows free; |
| 341 | Do trwly al….that thou my[g]th, | Do truly all that thou might, |
| 342 | To both partyes, and that ys good ry[g]th. | To both parties, and that is good right. |
Ninth Point
| Nonus punctus. | Ninth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 343 | The nynthe poynt we schul hym calle, | The ninth point we shall him call, |
| 344 | That he be stwarde of oure halle, | That he be steward of our hall, |
| 345 | Gef that ge ben yn chambur y-fere, | If that you be in chamber y-fere, (together) |
| 346 | Uchon serve other, with mylde chere; | Each one serve other with mild cheer; |
| 347 | Jentul felows, ge moste hyt knowe, | Gentle fellows, you must it know, |
| 348 | For to be stwardus alle o rowe, | For to be stewards all o-rowe, (in turn) |
| 349 | Weke after weke withoute dowte, | Week after week without doubt, |
| 350 | Stwardus to ben so alle abowte, | Stewards to be so all in turn about, |
| 351 | Lovelyche to serven uchon othur, | Amiably to serve each one other, |
| 352 | As thawgh they were syster and brother; | As though they were sister and brother; |
| 353 | Ther schal never won on other costage | There shall never one another costage (cost) |
| 354 | Fre hymself to no vantage, | Free himself to no advantage, |
| 355 | But every mon schal be lyche fre | But every man shall be equally free |
| 356 | Yn that costage, so moste hyt be; | In that cost, so must it be; |
| 357 | Loke that thou pay wele every mon algate, | Look that thou pay well every man algate, (always) |
| 358 | That thou hsat y-bow[g]ht any vytayles ate, | That thou hast bought any victuals ate, (eaten) |
| 359 | That no cravynge be y-mad to the, | That no craving be made to thee, |
| 360 | Ny to thy felows, yn no degré, | Nor to thy fellows in no degree, |
| 361 | To mon or to wommon, whether he be, | To man or to woman, whoever he be, |
| 362 | Pay hem wel and trwly, for that wol we; | Pay them well and truly, for that will we; |
| 363 | Therof on thy felow trwe record thou take, | Thereof on thy fellow true record thou take, |
| 364 | For that good pay as thou dost make, | For that good pay as thou dost make, |
| 365 | Lest hyt wolde thy felowe schame, | Lest it would thy fellow shame, |
| 366 | Any brynge thyself ynto gret blame. | And bring thyself into great blame. |
| 367 | [G]et good acowntes he most make | Yet good accounts he must make |
| 368 | Of suche godes as he hath y-take, | Of such goods as he hath y-take (taken) |
| 369 | Of thy felows goodes that thou hast spende, | Of thy fellows' goods that thou hast spende, (spent) |
| 370 | Wher, and how, and to what ende; | Where and how and to what end; |
| 371 | Suche acowntes thou most come to, | Such accounts thou must come to, |
| 372 | Whenne thy felows wollen that thou do. | When thy fellows wish that thou do. |
Tenth Point
| Decimus punctus. | Tenth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 373 | The tenthe poynt presentyeth wel god lyf, | The tenth point presenteth well good life, |
| 374 | To lyven withoute care and stryf; | To live without care and strife; |
| 375 | For and the mason lyve amysse, | For if the mason live amiss, |
| 376 | And yn hys werk be false, y-wysse, | And in his work be false y-wisse, (I know) |
| 377 | And thorw[g] suche a false skewysasyon | And through such a false skewsasyon (excuse) |
| 378 | May sclawndren hys felows oute reson, | May slander his fellows without reason, |
| 379 | Throw[g] false sclawnder of suche fame | Through false slander of such fame. |
| 380 | May make the craft kachone blame. | May make the craft acquire blame. |
| 381 | [G]ef he do the craft suche vylany, | If he do the craft such villainy, |
| 382 | Do hym no favour thenne securly. | Do him no favour then securely, |
| 383 | Ny maynteine not hym yn wyked lyf, | Nor maintain not him in wicked life, |
| 384 | Lest hyt wolde turne to care and stryf; | Lest it would turn to care and strife; |
| 385 | But get hym [g]e schul not delayme, | But yet him you shall not delayme, (delay) |
| 386 | But that [g]e schullen hym constrayne, | Unless that you shall him constrain, |
| 387 | For to apere whersevor [g]e wylle, | For to appear wheresoever you will, |
| 388 | Whar that [g]e wolen, lowde, or stylle; | Where that you will, loud, or still; |
| 389 | To the nexte semblé [g]e schul hym calle, | To the next assembly you shall him call, |
| 390 | To apere byfore hys felows alle, | To appear before his fellows all, |
| 391 | And but [g]ef he wyl byfore hem pere, | And unless he will before them appear, |
| 392 | The crafte he moste nede forswere; | The craft he must need forswear; |
| 393 | He schal thenne be chasted after the lawe | He shall then be punished after the law |
| 394 | That was y-fownded by olde dawe. | That was founded by old dawe. (day) |
Eleventh Point
| Undecimus punctus. | Eleventh Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 395 | The eleventhe poynt ys of good dyscrecyoun, | The eleventh point is of good discretion, |
| 396 | As [g]e mowe knowe by good resoun; | As you must know by good reason; |
| 397 | A mason, and he thys craft wel con, | A mason, if he this craft well con, (know, |
| 398 | That sy[g]th hys felow hewen on a ston, | That seeth his fellow hew on a stone, |
| 399 | And ys yn poynt to spylle that ston, | And is in point to spoil that stone, |
| 400 | Amende hyt sone, [g]ef that thou con, | Amend it soon if that thou can, |
| 401 | And teche hym thenne hyt to amende, | And teach him then it to amend, |
| 402 | That the l(ordys) werke be not y-schende, | That the lords' work be not y-schende, (spoiled) |
| 403 | And teche hym esely hyt to amende, | And teach him easily it to amend, |
| 404 | With fayre wordes, that God the hath lende; | With fair words, that God thee hath lende; (lent) |
| 405 | For hys sake that sytte above, | For his sake that sit above, |
| 406 | With swete wordes noresche hym love. | With sweet words nourish his love. |
Twelfth Point
| Duodecimus punctus. | Twelfth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 407 | The twelthe poynt of gret ryolté, | The twelfth point is of great royalty, |
| 408 | Ther as the semblé y-hole schal be, | There as the assembly held shall be, |
| 409 | Ther schul be maystrys and felows also, | There shall be masters and fellows also, |
| 410 | And other grete lordes mony mo; | And other great lords many mo; (more) |
| 411 | There schal be the scheref of that contré, | There shall be the sheriff of that country, |
| 412 | And also the meyr of that syté, | And also the mayor of that city, |
| 413 | Kny[g]tes and sqwyers ther schul be, | Knights and squires there shall be, |
| 414 | And other aldermen, as [g]e schul se; | And also aldermen, as you shall see; |
| 415 | Suche ordynance as they maken there, | Such ordinance as they make there, |
| 416 | They schul maynté hyt hol y-fere | They shall maintain it all y-fere (together) |
| 417 | A[g]eynus that mon, whatsever he be, | Against that man, whatsoever he be, |
| 418 | That longuth to the craft bothe fayr and fre. | That belongeth to the craft both fair and free. |
| 419 | [G]ef he any stryf a[g]eynus hem make, | If he any strife against them make, |
| 420 | Ynto here warde he schal be take. | Into their custody he shall be take. (taken) |
Thirteenth Point
| xiijus punctus. | Thirteenth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 421 | The threnteth poynt ys to us ful luf. | The thirteenth point is to us full lief, |
| 422 | He schal swere never to be no thef, | He shall swear never to be no thief, |
| 423 | Ny soker hym yn hys fals craft, | Nor succour him in his false craft, |
| 424 | For no good that he hath byraft, | For no good that he hath byraft; (bereft) |
| 425 | And thou mowe hyt knowe or syn, | And thou must it know or sin, |
| 426 | Nowther for hys good, ny for hys kyn. | Neither for his good, nor for his kin. |
Fourteenth Point
| xiiijus punctus. | Fourteenth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 427 | The fowrtethe poynt ys ful good lawe | The fourteenth point is full good law |
| 428 | To hym that wold ben under awe; | To him that would be under awe; |
| 429 | A good trwe othe he most ther swere | A good true oath he must there swear |
| 430 | To hys mayster and hys felows that ben there; | To his master and his fellows that be there; |
| 431 | He most be stedefast and trwe also | He must be steadfast and also true |
| 432 | To alle thys ordynance, whersever he go, | To all this ordinance, wheresoever he go, |
| 433 | And to hys lyge lord the kynge, | And to his liege lord the king, |
| 434 | To be trwe to hym, over alle thynge. | To be true to him over all thing. |
| 435 | And alle these poyntes hyr before | And all these points here before |
| 436 | To hem thou most nede by y-swore, | To them thou must need be y-swore, (sworn) |
| 437 | And alle schul swere the same ogth | And all shall swear the same oath |
| 438 | Of the masonus, be they luf, ben they loght, | Of the masons, be they lief be they loath. |
| 439 | To alle these poyntes hyr byfore, | To all these points here before, |
| 440 | That hath ben ordeynt by ful good lore. | That hath been ordained by full good lore. |
| 441 | And they schul enquere every mon | And they shall enquire every man |
| 442 | On his party, as wyl as he con, | Of his party, as well as he can, |
| 443 | [G]ef any mon mowe be y-fownde gulty | If any man may be found guilty |
| 444 | Yn any of these poyntes spesyaly; | In any of these points specially; |
| 445 | And whad he be, let hym be sow[g]ht, | And who he be, let him be sought, |
| 446 | And to the semblé let hym be brow[g]ht. | And to the assembly let him be brought. |
Fifteenth Point
| Quindecimus punctus. | Fifteenth Point. | |
|---|---|---|
| 447 | The fiftethe poynt ys of ful good lore, | The fifteenth point is of full good lore, |
| 448 | For hem that schul ben ther y-swore, | For them that shall be there y-swore, (sworn) |
| 449 | Suche ordyance at the semblé wes layd | Such ordinance at the assembly was laid |
| 450 | Of grete lordes and maystres byforesayd; | Of great lords and masters before said; |
| 451 | For thelke that be unbuxom, y-wysse, | For the same that be disobedient, y-wisse, (I know) |
| 452 | A[ g]eynus the ordynance that ther ysse | Against the ordinance that there is, |
| 453 | Of these artyculus, that were y-meved there, | Of these articles that were moved there, |
| 454 | Of grete lordes and masonus al y-fere. | Of great lords and masons all y-fere, (together) |
| 455 | And [g]ef they ben y-preved opunly | And if they be proved openly |
| 456 | Byfore that semblé, by an by, | Before that assembly, by and by, |
| 457 | And for here gultes no mendys wol make, | And for their guilt’s no amends will make, |
| 458 | Thenne most they nede the crafy forsake; | Then must they need the craft forsake; |
| 459 | And so masonus craft they schul refuse, | And no masons craft they shall refuse, |
| 460 | And swere hyt never more for to use. | And swear it never more to use. |
| 461 | But [g]ef that they wol mendys make, | But if that they will amends make, |
| 462 | A[g]ayn to the craft they schul never take; | Again to the craft they shall never take; |
| 463 | And [g]ef that they nul not do so, | And if that they will not do so, |
| 464 | The scheref schal come hem sone to, | The sheriff shall come them soon to, |
| 465 | And putte here bodyes yn duppe prison, | And put their bodies in deep prison, |
| 466 | For the trespasse that they hav y-don, | For the trespass that they have done, |
| 467 | And take here goodes and here cattelle | And take their goods and their cattle |
| 468 | Ynto the kynges hond, everyt delle, | Into the king’s hand, every delle, (part) |
| 469 | And lete hem dwelle ther full stylle, | And let them dwell there full still, |
| 470 | Tyl hyt be oure lege kynges wylle. | Till it be our liege king’s will. |
Another Ordinance of the Art of Geometry.
| Alia ordinacio artis gematriae | Another ordinance of the art of geometry | |
|---|---|---|
| 471 | They ordent ther a semblé to be y-holde | They ordained there an assembly to be y-holde, (hold) |
| 472 | Every [g]er, whersever they wolde, | Every year, wheresoever they would, |
| 473 | To amende the defautes, [g]ef any where fonde | To amend the defaults, if any were found |
| 474 | Amonge the craft withynne the londe; | Among the craft within the land; |
| 475 | Uche [g]er or thrydde [g]er hyt schuld be holde, | Each year or third year it should be holde, (held) |
| 476 | Yn every place whersever they wolde; | In every place weresoever they would; |
| 477 | Tyme and place most be ordeynt also, | Time and place must be ordained also, |
| 478 | Yn what place they schul semble to. | In what place they should assemble to, |
| 479 | Alle the men of craft tehr they most ben, | All the men of craft there they must be, |
| 480 | And other grete lordes, as [g]e mowe sen, | And other great lords, as you must see, |
| 481 | To mende the fautes that buth ther y-spoke, | To mend the faults that he there spoken, |
| 482 | [G]ef that eny of hem ben thenne y-broke. | If that any of them be then broken. |
| 483 | Ther they schullen ben alle y-swore, | There they shall be all y-swore, (sworn) |
| 484 | That longuth to thys craftes lore, | That belongeth to this craft’s lore, |
| 485 | To kepe these statutes everychon, | To keep their statutes every one |
| 486 | That ben y-ordeynt by kynge Aldelston; | That were ordained by King Athelstane; |
| 487 | These statutes that y have hyr y-fonde | These statutes that I have here found |
| 488 | Y chulle they ben holde thro[g]h my londe, | I ordain they be held through my land, |
| 489 | For the worsche of my ry[g]olté, | For the worship of my royalty, |
| 490 | That y have by my dygnyté. | That I have by my dignity. |
| 491 | Also at every semblé that [g]e holde, | Also at every assembly that you hold, |
| 492 | That ge come to [g]owre lyge kyng bolde, | That you come to your liege king bold, |
| 493 | Bysechynge hym of hys hye grace, | Beseeching him of his high grace, |
| 494 | To stonde with [g]ow yn every place, | To stand with you in every place, |
| 495 | To conferme the statutes of kynge Adelston, | To confirm the statutes of King Athelstane, |
| 496 | That he ordeydnt to thys craft by good reson, | That he ordained to this craft by good reason. |
The Art of the Four Crowned Ones
| Ars Quatuor Coronatorum | The Art of the Four Crowned Ones | |
|---|---|---|
| 497 | Pray we now to God almy[g]ht, | Pray we now to God almight, (almighty) |
| 498 | And to hys moder Mary bry[g]ht, | And to his mother Mary bright, |
| 499 | That we mowe keepe these artyculus here, | That we may keep these articles here, |
| 500 | And these poynts wel al y-fere, | And these points well all y-fere, (together) |
| 501 | As dede these holy martyres fowre, | As did these holy martyrs four, |
| 502 | That yn thys craft were of gret honoure; | That in this craft were of great honour; |
| 503 | They were as gode masonus as on erthe schul go, | They were as good masons as on earth shall go, |
| 504 | Gravers and ymage-makers they were also. | Gravers and image-makers they were also. |
| 505 | For they were werkemen of the beste, | For they were workmen of the best, |
| 506 | The emperour hade to hem gret luste; | The emperor had to them great luste; (liking) |
| 507 | He wylned of hem a ymage to make, | He willed of them an image to make |
| 508 | That mow[g]h be worscheped for his sake; | That might be worshipped for his sake; |
| 509 | Suche mawmetys he hade yn hys dawe, | Such monuments he had in his dawe, (day) |
| 510 | To turne the pepul from Crystus lawe. | To turn the people from Christ’s law. |
| 511 | But they were stedefast yn Crystes lay, | But they were steadfast in Christ’s lay, (law) |
| 512 | And to here craft, withouten nay; | And to their craft without nay; (doubt) |
| 513 | They loved wel God and alle hys lore, | They loved well God and all his lore, |
| 514 | And weren yn hys serves ever more. | And were in his service ever more. |
| 515 | Trwe men they were yn that dawe, | True men they were in that dawe, (day) |
| 516 | And lyved wel y Goddus lawe; | And lived well in God’s law; |
| 517 | They tho[g]ght no mawmetys for to make, | They thought no monuments for to make, |
| 518 | For no good that they my[g]th take, | For no good that they might take, |
| 519 | To levyn on that mawmetys for here God, | To believe on that monument for their God, |
| 520 | They nolde do so thaw[g] he were wod; | They would not do so, though he were wod; (furious) |
| 521 | For they nolde not forsake here trw fay, | For they would not forsake their true fay, (faith) |
| 522 | An beyleve on hys falsse lay. | And believe on his false lay, (law) |
| 523 | The emperour let take hem sone anone, | The emperor let take them soon anon, |
| 524 | And putte hem ynto a dep presone; | And put them in a deep prison; |
| 525 | The sarre he penest hem yn that plase, | The more sorely he punished them in that place, |
| 526 | The more yoye wes to hem of Cristus grace. | The more joy was to them of Christ’s grace, |
| 527 | Thenne when he sye no nother won, | Then when he saw no other one, |
| 528 | To dethe he lette hem thenne gon; | To death he let them then gon; (go) |
| 529 | Whose wol of here lyf [g]et mor knowe, | Whose will of their life yet more know |
| 530 | By the bok he may kyt schowe, | By the book he might it show |
| 531 | In the legent of scanctorum, | In the legend of sanctorum (holy ones) |
| 532 | The name of quatour coronatorum. | The names of the quatuor coronatorum. |
| 533 | Here fest wol be, withoute nay, | Their feast will be without nay, (doubt) |
| 534 | After Alle Halwen the eyght day. | After Hallow-e'en the eighth day. |
| 535 | [G]e mow here as y do rede, | You may hear as I do read, |
| 536 | That mony [g]eres after, for gret drede | That many years after, for great dread |
| 537 | That Noees flod wes alle y-ronne, | That Noah’s flood was all run, |
| 538 | The tower of Babyloyne was begonne, | The tower of Babylon was begun, |
| 539 | Also playne werke of lyme and ston, | As plain work of lime and stone, |
| 540 | As any mon schulde loke uppon; | As any man should look upon; |
| 541 | So long and brod hyt was begonne, | So long and broad it was begun, |
| 542 | Seven myle the he[g]ghte schadweth the sonne. | Seven miles the height shadoweth the sun. |
| 543 | King Nabogodonosor let hyt make, | King Nebuchadnezzar let it make |
| 544 | To gret strenthe for monus sake, | To great strength for man’s sake, |
| 545 | Tha[g]gh suche a flod a[g]ayne schulde come, | Though such a flood again should come |
| 546 | Over the werke hyt schulde not nome; | Over the work it should not nome; (take) |
| 547 | For they hadde so hy pride, with stronge bost, | For they had so high pride, with strong boast |
| 548 | Alle that werke therfore was y-lost; | All that work therefore was lost; |
| 549 | An angele smot hem so with dyveres speche, | An angel smote them so with divers speech, |
| 550 | That never won wyste what other schuld reche. | That never one knew what the other should tell. |
| 551 | Mony eres after, the goode clerk Euclyde | Many years after, the good clerk Euclid |
| 552 | Ta[g]ghte the craft of gemetré wonder wyde, | Taught the craft of geometry full wonder wide, |
| 553 | So he ded that tyme other also, | So he did that other time also, |
| 554 | Of dyvers craftes mony mo. | Of divers crafts many mo. (more) |
| 555 | Thro[g]gh hye grace of Crist yn heven, | Through high grace of Christ in heaven, |
| 556 | He commensed yn the syens seven; | He commenced in the sciences seven; |
| 557 | Gramatica ys the furste syens y-wysse, | Grammar is the first science I know, |
| 558 | Dialetica the secunde, so have y blysse, | Dialect the second, so I have I bliss, |
| 559 | Rethorica the thrydde, withoute nay, | Rhetoric the third without nay, (doubt) |
| 560 | Musica ys the fowrth, as y [g]ow say, | Music is the fourth, as I you say, |
| 561 | Astromia ys the v, by my snowte, | Astronomy is the fifth, by my snout, |
| 562 | Arsmetica the vi, withoute dowte | Arithmetic the sixth, without doubt, |
| 563 | Gemetria the seventhe maketh an ende, | Geometry the seventh maketh an end, |
| 564 | For he ys bothe make and hende, | For he is both meek and hende, (courteous) |
| 565 | Gramer forsothe ys the rote, | Grammar forsooth is the root, |
| 566 | Whose wyl lurne on the boke; | Whoever will learn on the book; |
| 567 | But art passeth yn hys degré, | But art passeth in his degree, |
| 568 | As the fryte doth the rote of the tre; | As the fruit doth the root of the tree; |
| 569 | Rethoryk metryth with orne speche amonge, | Rhetoric measureth with ornate speech among, |
| 570 | And musyke hyt ys a swete song; | And music it is a sweet song; |
| 571 | Astronomy nombreth, my dere brother, | Astronomy numbereth, my dear brother, |
| 572 | Arsmetyk scheweth won thyng that ys another, | Arithmetic sheweth one thing that is another, |
| 573 | Gemetré the seventh syens hyt ysse, | Geometry the seventh science it is, |
| 574 | That con deperte falshed from trewthe y-wys. | That can separate falsehood from truth, I know. |
| 575 | These bene the syens seven, | These be the sciences seven, |
| 576 | Whose useth hem wel, he may han heven. | Who useth them well he may have heaven. |
| 577 | Now dere chyldren, by [g]owre wytte, | Now dear children by your wit |
| 578 | Pride and covetyse that [g]e leven, hytte, | Pride and covetousness that you leave it, |
| 579 | And taketh hede to goode dyscrecyon, | And taketh heed to good discretion, |
| 580 | And to good norter, whersever [g]e com. | And to good nurture, wheresoever you come. |
| 581 | Now y pray [g]ow take good hede, | Now I pray you take good heed, |
| 582 | For thys [g]e most kenne nede, | For this you must know nede, (needs) |
| 583 | But much more [g]e moste wyten, | But much more you must wyten, (know) |
| 584 | Thenne [g]e fynden hyr y-wryten. | Than you find here written. |
| 585 | [G]ef the fayle therto wytte, | If thee fail thereto wit, |
| 586 | Pray to God to send the hytte; | Pray to God to send thee it: |
| 587 | For Crist hymself, he techet ous | For Christ himself, he teacheth ous (us) |
| 588 | That holy churche ys Goddes hous, | That holy church is God’s house, |
| 589 | That ys y-mad for nothynge ellus | That is made for nothing ellus (else) |
| 590 | but for to pray yn, as the bok tellus; | But for to pray in, as the book tellus; (tells us) |
| 591 | Ther the pepul schal gedur ynne, | There the people shall gather in, |
| 592 | To pray and wepe for here synne. | To pray and weep for their sin. |
| 593 | Loke thou come not to churche late, | Look thou come not to church late, |
| 594 | For to speke harlotry by the gate; | For to speak harlotry by the gate; |
| 595 | Thenne to churche when thou dost fare, | Then to church when thou dost fare, |
| 596 | Have yn thy mynde ever mare | Have in thy mind ever mare (more) |
| 597 | To worschepe thy lord God bothe day and ny[g]th, | To worship thy lord God both day and night, |
| 598 | With all thy wyttes, and eke thy my[g]th. | With all thy wits and even thy might. |
| 599 | To the churche dore when tou dost come, | To the church door when thou dost come, |
| 600 | Of that holy water ther sum thow nome, | Of that holy water there some thou nome, (take) |
| 601 | For every drope thou felust ther | For every drop thou feelest there |
| 602 | Qwenchet a venyal synne, be thou ser. | Quencheth a venial sin, be thou ser. (sure) |
| 603 | But furst thou most do down thy hode, | But first thou must do down thy hood, |
| 604 | For hyse love that dyed on the rode. | For his love that died on the rood. |
| 605 | Into the churche when thou dost gon, | Into the church when thou dost gon, (go) |
| 606 | Pulle uppe thy herte to Crist, anon; | Pull up thy heart to Christ, anon; |
| 607 | Uppon the rode thou loke uppe then, | Upon the rood thou look up then, |
| 608 | And knele down fayre on bothe thy knen; | And kneel down fair upon thy knen, (knees) |
| 609 | Then pray to hym so hyr to worche, | Then pray to him so here to worche (work) |
| 610 | After the lawe of holy churche, | After the law of holy church, |
| 611 | For to kepe the comandementes ten, | For to keep the commandments ten, |
| 612 | That God [g]af to alle men; | That God gave to all men; |
| 613 | And pray to hym with mylde steven | And pray to him with mild steven (voice) |
| 614 | To kepe the from the synnes seven, | To keep thee from the sins seven, |
| 615 | That thou hyr mowe, yn thy lyve, | That thou here may, in this life, |
| 616 | Kepe the wel from care and stryve, | Keep thee well from care and strife; |
| 617 | Forthermore he grante the grace, | Furthermore he grant thee grace, |
| 618 | In heven blysse to hav a place. | In heaven’s bliss to have a place. |
| 619 | In holy churche lef nyse wordes | In holy church leave trifling words |
| 620 | Of lewed speche, and fowle bordes, | Of lewd speech and foul bordes, (jests) |
| 621 | And putte away alle vanyté, | And put away all vanity, |
| 622 | And say thy pater noster and thyn ave; | And say thy pater noster and thine ave; |
| 623 | Loke also thou make no bere, | Look also that thou make no bere, (noise) |
| 624 | But ay to be yn thy prayere; | But always to be in thy prayer; |
| 625 | [G]ef thou wolt not thyselve pray, | If thou wilt not thyself pray, |
| 626 | Latte non other mon by no way. | Hinder no other man by no way. |
| 627 | In that place nowther sytte ny stonde, | In that place neither sit nor stand, |
| 628 | But knele fayre down on the gronde, | But kneel fair down on the ground, |
| 629 | And, when the Gospel me rede schal, | And when the Gospel me read shall, |
| 630 | Fayre thou stonde up fro the wal, | Fairly thou stand up from the wall, |
| 631 | And blesse the fayre, [g]ef that thou conne, | And bless the fare if that thou can, |
| 632 | When gloria tibi is begonne; | When gloria tibi is begun; |
| 633 | And when the gospel ys y-done, | And when the gospel is done, |
| 634 | A[g]ayn thou my[g]th knele adown; | Again thou might kneel down, |
| 635 | On bothe thy knen down thou falle, | On both knees down thou fall, |
| 636 | For hyse love that bow[g]ht us alle; | For his love that bought us all; |
| 637 | And when thou herest the belle rynge | And when thou hearest the bell ring |
| 638 | To that holy sakerynge, | To that holy sakerynge, (sacrament) |
| 639 | Knele [g]e most, bothe [g]yn[g]e and olde, | Kneel you must both young and old, |
| 640 | And bothe [g]or hondes fayr upholde, | And both your hands fair uphold, |
| 641 | And say thenne yn thys manere, | And say then in this manner, |
| 642 | Fayr and softe, withoute bere; | Fair and soft without noise; |
| 643 | "Jhesu Lord, welcom thou be, | "Jesu Lord welcome thou be, |
| 644 | Yn forme of bred, as y the se. | In form of bread as I thee see, |
| 645 | Now Jhesu, for thyn holy name, | Now Jesu for thine holy name, |
| 646 | Schulde me from synne and schame, | Shield me from sin and shame; |
| 647 | Schryff and hosel thou grant me bo, | Shrift and Eucharist thou grant me bo, (both) |
| 648 | [G]er that y schal hennus go, | Ere that I shall hence go, |
| 649 | And vey contrycyon of my synne, | And very contrition for my sin, |
| 650 | Tath y never, Lord, dye therynne; | That I never, Lord, die therein; |
| 651 | And, as thou were of a mayde y-bore, | And as thou were of maid y-bore (born) |
| 652 | Sofre me never to be y-lore; | Suffer me never to be y-lore; (lost) |
| 653 | But when y schal hennus wende, | But when I shall hence wend, |
| 654 | Grante me the blysse withoute ende; | Grant me the bliss without end; |
| 655 | Amen! amen! so mot hyt be! | Amen! Amen! so mote it be! |
| 656 | Now, swete lady, pray for me." | Now sweet lady pray for me." |
| 657 | Thus thou my[g]ht say, or sum other thynge, | Thus thou might say, or some other thing, |
| 658 | When thou knelust at the sakerynge. | When thou kneelest at the sakerynge. (sacrament) |
| 659 | For covetyse after good, spare thou nought | For covetousness after good, spare thou not |
| 660 | To worschepe hym that alle hath wrought; | To worship him that all hath wrought; |
| 661 | For glad may a mon that day ben, | For glad may a man that day be, |
| 662 | That onus yn the day may hym sen; | That once in the day may him see; |
| 663 | Hyt ys so muche worthe, withoute nay, | It is so much worth, without nay, (doubt) |
| 664 | The vertu therof no mon telle may; | The virtue thereof no man tell may; |
| 665 | But so meche good doth that syht, | But so much good doth that sight, |
| 666 | As seynt Austyn telluth ful ryht, | That Saint Austin telleth full right, |
| 667 | That day thou syst Goddus body, | That day thou seest God’s body, |
| 668 | Thou schalt have these, ful securly:- | Thou shalt have these full securely:- |
| 669 | Mete and drynke at thy nede, | Meet and drink at thy need, |
| 670 | Non that day schal the gnede; | None that day shalt thou gnede; (lack) |
| 371 | Ydul othes, an wordes bo, | Idle oaths and words bo, (both) |
| 672 | God for[g]eveth the also; | God forgiveth thee also; |
| 673 | Soden deth, that ylke day, | Sudden death that same day |
| 674 | The dar not drede by no way; | Thee dare not dread by no way; |
| 675 | Also that day, y the plyht, | Also that day, I thee plight, |
| 676 | Thou schalt not lese thy eye syht; | Thou shalt not lose thy eye sight; |
| 677 | And uche fote that thou gost then, | And each foot that thou goest then, |
| 678 | That holy syht for to sen, | That holy sight for to sen, (see) |
| 679 | They schul be told to stonde yn stede, | They shall be told to stand instead, |
| 680 | When thou hast therto gret nede; | When thou hast thereto great need; |
| 681 | That messongere, the angele Gabryelle, | That messenger the angel Gabriel, |
| 682 | Wol kepe hem to the ful welle. | Will keep them to thee full well. |
| 683 | From thys mater now y may passe, | From this matter now I may pass, |
| 684 | To telle mo medys of the masse: | To tell more benefits of the mass: |
| 685 | To churche come [g]et, [g]ef thou may, | To church come yet, if thou may, |
| 686 | And here thy masse uche day; | And hear the mass each day; |
| 687 | [G]ef thou mowe not come to churche, | If thou may not come to church, |
| 688 | Wher that ever thou doste worche, | Where that ever thou dost worche, (work) |
| 689 | When thou herest to masse knylle, | When thou hearest the mass knylle, (toll) |
| 690 | Pray to God with herte stylle, | Pray to God with heart still, |
| 691 | To [g]eve the part of that servyse, | To give they part of that service, |
| 692 | That yn churche ther don yse. | That in church there done is. |
| 693 | Forthermore [g]et, y wol [g]ow preche | Furthermore yet, I will you preach |
| 694 | To [g]owre felows, hyt for to teche, | To your fellows, it for to teach, |
| 695 | When thou comest byfore a lorde, | When thou comest before a lord, |
| 696 | Yn halle, yn bowre, or at the borde, | In hall, in bower, or at the board, |
| 697 | Hod or cappe that thou of do, | Hood or cap that thou off do |
| 698 | [G]er thou come hym allynge to; | Ere thou come him entirely to; |
| 699 | Twyes or thryes, without dowte, | Twice or thrice, without doubt, |
| 700 | To that lord thou moste lowte; | To that lord thou must lowte; (bow) |
| 701 | With thy ry[g]th kne let hyt be do, | With thy right knee let it be do, (done) |
| 702 | Thyn owne worschepe tou save so. | Thine own worship thou save so. |
| 703 | Holde of thy cappe, and hod also, | Hold off thy cap and hood also, |
| 704 | Tyl thou have leve hyt on to do. | Till thou have leave it on to do. (put) |
| 705 | Al the whyle thou spekest with hym, | All the time thou speakest with him, |
| 706 | Fayre and lovelyche bere up thy chyn; | Fair and amiably hold up thy chin; |
| 707 | So, after the norter of the boke, | So after the nurture of the book, |
| 708 | Yn hys face lovely thou loke. | In his face kindly thou look. |
| 709 | Fot and hond, thou kepe ful stylle | Foot and hand thou keep full still, |
| 710 | From clawynge and trypynge, ys sckylle; | For clawing and tripping, is skill; |
| 711 | From spyttynge and snyftynge kepe the also, | From spitting and sniffling keep thee also, |
| 712 | By privy avoydans let hyt go. | By private expulsion let it go, |
| 713 | And [g]ef that thou be wyse and felle, | And if that thou be wise and felle, (discrete) |
| 714 | Thou hast gret nede to governe the welle. | Thou has great need to govern thee well. |
| 715 | Ynto the halle when thou dost wende, | Into the hall when thou dost wend, |
| 716 | Amonges the genteles, good and hende, | Amongst the gentles, good and hende, (courteous) |
| 717 | Presume not to hye for nothynge, | Presume not too high for nothing, |
| 718 | For thyn hye blod, ny thy connynge, | For thine high blood, nor thy cunning, |
| 719 | Nowther to sytte, ny to lene, | Neither to sit nor to lean, |
| 720 | That ys norther good and clene. | That is nurture good and clean. |
| 721 | Let not thy cowntenans therfore abate, | Let not thy countenance therefore abate, |
| 722 | Forsothe, good norter wol save thy state. | Forsooth good nurture will save thy state. |
| 723 | Fader and moder, whatsever they be, | Father and mother, whatsoever they be, |
| 724 | Wel ys the chyld that wel may the, | Well is the child that well may thee, |
| 725 | Yn halle, yn chamber, wher thou dost gon; | In hall, in chamber, where thou dost gon; (go) |
| 726 | Gode maneres maken a mon. | Good manners make a man. |
| 727 | To the nexte degré loke wysly, | To the next degree look wisely, |
| 728 | To do hem reverans by and by; | To do them reverence by and by; |
| 729 | Do hem [g]et no reverans al o-rowe, | Do them yet no reverence all o-rowe, (in turn) |
| 730 | But [g]ef that thou do hem know. | Unless that thou do them know. |
| 731 | To the mete when thou art y-sette, | To the meat when thou art set, |
| 732 | Fayre and onestelyche thou ete hytte; | Fair and honestly thou eat it; |
| 733 | Fyrst loke that thyn honden be clene, | First look that thine hands be clean, |
| 734 | And that thy knyf be scharpe and kene; | And that thy knife be sharp and keen, |
| 735 | And kette thy bred al at thy mete, | And cut thy bread all at thy meat, |
| 736 | Ry[g]th as hyt may be ther y-ete. | Right as it may be there y-ete. (eaten) |
| 737 | [G]ef thou sytte by a worththyur mon. | If thou sit by a worthier man, |
| 738 | Then thy selven thou art won, | Then thy self thou art one, |
| 739 | Sofre hym fyrst to toyche the mete, | Suffer him first to touch the meat, |
| 740 | [G]er thyself to hyt reche. | Ere thyself to it reach. |
| 741 | To the fayrest mossel thou my[g]ht not strike, | To the fairest morsel thou might not strike, |
| 742 | Thaght that thou do hyt wel lyke; | Though that thou do it well like; |
| 743 | Kepe thyn hondes, fayr and wel, | Keep thine hands fair and well, |
| 744 | From fowle smogynge of thy towel; | From foul smudging of thy towel; |
| 745 | Theron thou schalt not thy nese snyte, | Thereon thou shalt not thy nose smite. (blow) |
| 746 | Ny at the mete thy tothe thou pyke; | Nor at the meat thy tooth thou pike; (pick) |
| 747 | To depe yn the coppe thou my[g]ght not synke, | Too deep in cup thou might not sink, |
| 748 | Thagh thou have good wyl to drynke, | Though thou have good will to drink, |
| 749 | Lest thyn enyn wolde wattryn therby- | Lest thine eyes would water thereby- |
| 750 | Then were hyt no curtesy | Then were it no courtesy. |
| 751 | Loke yn thy mowth ther be no mete, | |
| 752 | When thou begynnyst to drynke or speke. | When thou beginnest to drink or speak. |
| 753 | When thou syst any mon drynkynge, | When thou seest any man drinking, |
| 754 | That taketh hed to thy carpynge, | That taketh heed to thy carpynge, (speech) |
| 755 | Sone anonn thou sese thy tale, | Soon anon thou cease thy tale, |
| 756 | Whether he drynke wyn other ale. | Whether he drink wine or ale, |
| 757 | Loke also thou scorne no mon, | |
| 758 | Yn what degré thou syst hym gon; | In what degree thou seest him gone; |
| 759 | Ny thou schalt no mon deprave, | Nor thou shalt no man deprave, |
| 760 | [G]ef thou wolt thy worschepe save; | If thou wilt thy worship save; |
| 761 | For suche worde my[g]ht ther outberste, | For such word might there outburst. |
| 762 | That myg[h]t make the sytte yn evel reste, | That might make thee sit in evil rest. |
| 763 | Close thy honde yn thy fyste, | Close thy hand in thy fist, |
| 764 | And kepe the wel from "had-y-wyste." | And keep thee well from "had I known". |
| 765 | Yn chamber amonge the ladyes bryght, | In chamber, among the ladies bright, |
| 766 | Holde thy tonge and spende thy syght; | Hold thy tongue and spend thy sight; |
| 767 | Law[g]e thou not with no gret cry, | Laugh thou not with no great cry, |
| 768 | Ny make no ragynge with rybody. | Nor make no lewd sport and ribaldry. |
| 769 | Play thou not buyt with thy peres, | Play thou not but with thy peers, |
| 770 | Ny tel thou not al that thou heres; | Nor tell thou not all that thou hears |
| 771 | Dyskever thou not thyn owne dede, | Discover thou not thine own deed, |
| 772 | For no merthe, ny for no mede; | For no mirth, nor for no mede: (reward) |
| 773 | With fayr speche thou myght have thy wylle, | With fair speech thou might have thy will, |
| 774 | With hyt thou myght thy selven spylle. | With it thou might thy self spylle. (spoil) |
| 775 | When thou metyst a worthy mon, | When thou meetest a worthy man, |
| 776 | Cappe and hod thou holle not on; | Cap and hood thou hold not on; |
| 777 | Yn churche, yn chepyns, or yn the gate, | In church, in market, or in the gate, |
| 778 | Do hym revera(n)s after hys state. | Do him reverence after his state. |
| 779 | [G]ef thou gost with a worthyor mon | If thou goest with a worthier man |
| 780 | Then thyselven thou art won, | Then thyself thou art one, |
| 781 | Let thy forther schulder sewe hys backe, | Let thy foremost shoulder follow his back, |
| 782 | For that ys norter withoute lacke; | For that is nurture without lack; |
| 783 | When he doth speke, holte the stylle, | When he doth speak, hold thee still, |
| 784 | When he hath don, sey for thy wylle; | When he hath done, say for thy will, |
| 785 | Yn thy speche that thou be felle, | In thy speech that thou be felle, (discreet) |
| 786 | And what thou sayst avyse the welle; | And what thou sayest consider thee well; |
| 787 | But byref thou not hym hys tale, | But deprive thou not him his tale, |
| 788 | Nowther at the wyn, ny at the ale. | Neither at the wine nor at the ale. |
| 789 | Cryst then of hys hye grace, | Christ then of his high grace, |
| 790 | [G]eve [g]ow bothe wytte and space, | Save you both wit and space, |
| 791 | Wel thys boke to conne and rede, | Well this book to know and read, |
| 792 | Heven to have for [g]owre mede. | Heaven to have for your mede. (reward) |
| 793 | Amen! amen! so mot hyt be! | Amen! Amen! so mote it be! |
| 794 | Say we so all per charyté. | So say we all for charity. |
~~ooOoo~~
