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Alphabetical Praise of Women

.... .... .... .... {f.324ra}

.... .... .... ....

5000 .... .... .... ....

Bot fals men make her fingres feld

& doþ hem wepe wel sore, to rewe

Her res:

1000 Þurth wreches, þat er vntrewe,

Wimen ben holden les.

Chosen þai be to mannes fere,

O niȝt in armes for to wende:

ȝif ani man may it here

1500 Of a schrewe, þat wil wimen schende,

Y speke for hem, & make hem skere,

& say, þat þai er gode & hende.

When þou art ded & leid on bere,

In to blis þi soule schal wende

2000 & bide:

He was born of woman kinde,

For ous bare blody sin.

Derworþer drouri wot y non,

Þan woman is, & wise of rede.

2500 Gold no siluer no riche ston

Is non so douhti in dede.

Þai make Willam, Roberd & Jon

In ioie & blis her liif to lede,

þat elles schuld spille, flesche & bon,

3000 & ly & dwine hem selue to dede

Þurth pine:

Birddes, blisced mot ȝe be

For loue of o virgine.

Eiȝen gray & browes bent

bent: originally written brent,
but r underdotted.

3500 Þat bere þis birddes briȝt on ble;

In eueri lond, þer þai be lent

Is ful of mirþe & jolifte.

It is a sond, þat God haþ sent,

In erþe to gladi man wiþ gle.

4000 Were wimen out of lond ywent,

Al our blis were brouȝt on kne

Wel lawe:

Hou schuld men ani corn repe,

Þer no sede is souwe?

4500 Feir & swete is wimannes viis,

Þe man, þat wil hem wele bihold,

White & rede so rose on riis,

Louely liþe her here yfold

Wiþ eiȝe, forheued & nose tretis,

5000 Al beutes þai han in wold.

For loue of on, þat berþ þe priis, {f.324rb}

Y prais hem, boþe ȝong & old

Bidene:

Who so lackeþ hem in lore,

5500 He wretþes heuen-quene.

wretþes: s is written superscript.

Gentelri is a plaunt, as y ȝou telle,

In wiman it springeþ in ich a liȝþ,

Þai er meke & noþing felle,

er: e altered from ?i.

Hende in halle as hauke in friȝþ.

friȝþ: þ altered from another letter.

6000 He schal be curssed wiþ boke & belle,

Þai ani vilaini mengeþ hem wiþ,

To rest him in þe pine of helle,

Þer neuer more schal be no griþ

No bote.

6500 Y wold rede no cursed wreche,

Oȝain our leuedi to mote.

Harpe no fiþel no sautri,

Noiþer wiþ eld no wiþ ȝong,

Is non so swete to sitten by

7000 Al wiman, þer þai speke wiþ tong.

Her speche resteþ a man wel ney

Bitvene his liuer & his long,

Þat doþ his hert rise on hey,

So clot, þat liþ in clay yclong

7500 So sore:

Who þat lackeþ wiman in lore,

Y rede, he do no more.

In al þis world was neuer no clerk,

Seþþen Adam was fourmed & Eue,

8000 No man þat wered breche no serk,

Þat wimannes vertu couþe screue.

Þan were it to me ful derk,

A þing, þat schuld min hert greue,

For to ginne swiche a werk,

8500 Þat neuer man no miȝt acheue

To þende:

Y take wittnes at our leuedi,

Þat wimen er gode & hende.

King & emperour & kniȝt,

9000 Alle þai were of wiman bore,

wiman: originally wan, crossed through
with the correct form inserted at the end of the line.

& God was in a woman liȝt,

& elles were alle þis world forlore.

For it is a þing, þat bereþ riȝt

Atvix þe crop & þe more.

9500 Amid þe tre þe frout was piȝt, {f.324va}

Þat Jesu was don on rode fore,

To winne

Our soules out of helle,

Þat were bounden in sinne.

1000 Liif is alle in woman laft

& chosen þai be for trister in tour.

Þennes þarf hem neuer be raft,

Þai may þer liue wiþ gret honour.

In a chaumber of louely craft

1050 No þarf hem dout of no schour:

Oȝain al þing wiman schaft

Of alle londes þai bere þe flour

& priis,

As ouer alle oþer floures

1100 Rose yrailed on riis.

Mari, þat bar God almiȝt,

Help now, ich haue nede,

For wimannes honour to fiȝt,

Hou þai er hende in ich a dede.

1150 Of hem it springeþ day & niȝt

Swete morseles, þis lond to fede,

Frout þat is so michel o miȝt

Men y-armed stef on stede

& strong;

1200 God ȝiue hem ioie & blis

& liif to last long!

Note of þe niȝtingale

Ysett at nouȝt in time of May,

No oþer foules gret & smale,

1250 Þat sit & singen her lay,

Oȝaines a foule, þat sit in sale,

Wiþouten cage (ain) yclad in say:

Hir note abateþ mannes bale,

Þer nis no wiȝt, þat can say nay

1300 Wiþ mouþe:

We auȝt for our leuedi loue

Honour wiman, ȝif we couþe.

Of al vertus wiman is rote;

Say noman nay, for it is so

1350 Of al bales þai be bote,

To help a man of vncouþe wo;

þai beren salues, þat ben swote,

To hele me & oþer mo,

To make a man to lepe wiþ fot, {f.324vb}

1400 Þat ere was sike & miȝt nouȝt go

No stonde.

Wiman is comfort to man,

To bring him out of bond.

Perlis priis & paruink

1450 Is woman viis in eueri plas.

No may no clerk write wiþ ink

Þe swetnesse, þat þai han in face,

No in his hert him biþink,

Alle his wittes þei he chace,

1500 Wimen, þer þai sit on benk,

Hou miȝti þai ere & ful of grace

Fulfilt;

For God for ous in a wiman

His bigging haþ ybilt.

1550 Quen of heuen, ich am þi man,

In erþe to speke for þine ost;

Helpe me, leuedi, for y no can,

For to abate þe wreche bost,

Hem, þat schende gode wiman,

1600 Þat ioie of hem in erþe is most.

Al our blis of wimen gan,

Swete leuedy, þou it wost,

Ywis,

For þou bar þat ich bern,

1650 Þat brouȝt ous alle to blis.

Rose no no lili flour

No woderof þat springeþ on heþ,

Is non so swete in his odour,

For soþe, so is wimannes breþ.

1700 Piment, clare no no licour,

Milke, perre no no meþ;

& who so loued hem wiþ honour,

No dye he neuer schamely deþ

Þurth gilt!

1750 God lat neuer her soules

For non sinnes be spilt!

Spice wiþ schip, is time of pes

Þat com sailand out of þe souþe,

Rapeli raikand on a res

1800 Ouer þe se, þat ebbeþ & flouþ,

Is non so swete in his reles,

So is a cosse of womannes mouþe;

For priis of spices ichir ches, {f.325ra}

Most of vertu & namcouþe.

1850 For why?

It is euer aliche newe

Boþe lat & arly.

Trewe as treacle er þai to fond,

Clere of colour, so is þe wine;

1900 Þai ben birddes of Godes sond,

Loueliche to leggen vnder line.

Mani & fele þer ben in lond;

For soþe y say, þat on is min;

Where so þat y wake or stonde,

1950 Ywis, ichaue a mele fin

In hord,

Lufsum, fair & hende,

Trewe & trusti in word.

Bontable is womannes þouȝt,

2000 It stikeþ þer þai han it sett.

Þei anoþer hir haþ bisouȝt,

Sche wil held þat sche haþ hett,

& say, for soþe, hem helpeþ nouȝt,

No schal hem neuer be þe bett;

2050 Bot fals werkes, þat men han wrouȝt,

Maken oft her leres wet

Wel wete.

Þer a woman loue is sett,

Loþ hir is to lete.

2100 Christ is king & God in tron:

Þay þat woman schende, ȝif hem schame!

Lord, þou graunt me mi bon,

Y schal grete þe wiþ game.

Þine heued, þi fete, þi bodi bidon;

2150 Wel oft þai swere idel þi name:

Þou, þat made sonne & mone,

Swiche wreches, in erþe hem to tame

To schond,

For we auȝt for our leuedi loue

2200 Wiman honour to fond.

Þei a schrewe on woman lyȝe,

Hir godenis is neuer þe las;

ȝete he may happen, ar he dye,

Þurth tvelue monþes for to pas,

2250 Heiȝe on galwes his mete to fi,

& vnder him grese boþe ox & asse,

& as a dogge in feld to ly, {f.325rb}

Wolues & houndes to don his masse

Bi niȝt;

2300 For we auȝt for our leuedi loue

Hold wiman to riȝt.

Zabulon is a land of lede,

Þat mani man haþ ben inne;

Nouȝt al þe minstrels, þat ben kidde,

2350 Out of þat lond in to Linne,

Wiþ harpe no fiþel, sautri þer midde,

Orgens þat er ioined wiþ ginne,

Orgens: g altered from l.

No miȝt nouȝt telle half þe gode,

Þat a gode woman is wiþ inne,

2400 To þende;

Who þat seit wiman schame,

Ywis, he is vnkende.

Þei y were as douhti a swai(n)

As was Samson er he w ...

2450 Or also wiȝt so was Waw[ain]

Or Salamon, þat was....

ȝete wald me nouȝt.......

Þat wiman schuld.........

To go on feld in snow

2500 To help on erþe to s ....

To growe:

Of wimen springe...

Joie & vertus yt ...

Est & west when . . .

2550 Swete birdes ......

Is no þing, may.........

Swiche a sond þa.......

In alle þe tales.........

Euer be sely wi............

2600 He þat alle þin.....

He was in a wo..........

For loue:

Þurth þe bern þ............

Brouȝt we ben.............

2650 Amen say we......

Blisced be þat...............

Þat God wiþ o.............

In a woman w.............

& seþþen lent h............

2700 To bigge ous o...........

His owhen bodi wiþ flesche & bon {f.325va}

Þoled ded wiþ grimly wounde

On rode:

Lord, blisced be þi name,

2750 It was for our gode!

Place is fair, þer wimen be sett,

Þai er louesum & fair of siȝt

In euerich lond, þer þai be mett,

In ich a toun, þer þai be diȝt.

2800 Y wil held þat y haue hett,

[O]uer al þis world bicom her kniȝt:

[W]el oft for ous her leres be wett

... re gronnis þai gron o niȝt

... . . dde.

2850 ... þai siken & sorwe for ous,

... e be forsterd & fedde.

..........rekned in lond

........oul of al is on,

........ounde in Godes bond,

2900 ........filt of mannes mon,

........urch Godes sond

........ned flesche & bon,

........em we auȝt to fond,

........ng no wot y non,

2950 .......

........t to worþschip hem

........þat he can.

........þai gon in bounde,

........es ber ous about,

3000 ........in a stounde,

........ben in dout.

........ken & gon on grounde,

........hem to lout.

........grimli wounde,

3050 ........s wete wiþout

..............s oft.

............rille.

............en we be brouȝt,

3100 .......annes barm,

.......i in þouȝt,

.......ram harm.

.......e ous nouȝt,

.......ous warm.

3150 Þai sing ous mani a song for nouȝt, {f.325vb}

& swetely lol ous in her harm,

Wel oft.

Wele auȝt we þan to loue wiman,

Þat kepen ous so soft.

3200 Leuedi, þat ert flour of al þing,

Þat al godenes haþ in wold,

For þe loue of þat tiding,

Þat Gabriel wiþ mouþe þe told,

Þat Jesu, þat is heuen-king,

3250 In þi bodi liȝten he wold,

ȝif hem al gode ending,

Þat honour wiman ȝing & old

In word & dede:

Þe child, þat our leuedi bare,

3300 Graunt hem heuen to mede. Amen.

Explicit