		Contents \| Search \| About \| Editorial Policy \| Glossary \| Lexicon \| Bibliography:Text - Topic

The Four Foes of Mankind

Þe siker soþe whoso seys {f.303rb}

Wiþ diol dreye we our days

& walk mani wil ways

As wandrand wiȝtes.

5000 Al our games ous agas,

So mani tenes ou[s] tas

Þurth fonding of fele fas

Þat fast wiþ ous fiȝtes.

Our flesche is fouled wiþ þe fende

1000 Þer we finde a fals frende;

Þei þai heuen vp her hende

Þai no hold nouȝt her hiȝtes.

Þis er þre þat er þra,

er: e altered from i on both occasions.

ȝete þe ferþ is our fa:

1500 Deþ þat derieþ ous swa

& diolely ous diȝtes.

¶ Þis world wileþ þus, y wat,

Þurth falsschip of fairhat;

Where we go bi ani gat

2000 Wiþ bale he ous bites:

Now kirt, now care,

Now min, now mare,

Now sounde, now sare,

Now song, now sites,

2500 Now nouȝt, now ynouȝ,

Now wele, now wouȝ,

Now is in longing þat louȝ

Þat o þis liif lites,

Now geten, now gan;

3000 Y tel it bot a lent lan

When al þe welþ of our wan

Þus oway wites.

¶ Now vnder, now ouer,

Now cast, now couer,

3500 Now plente, now pouer,

Now pine, now plawe,

Now heþen, now here,

Now feble, now fere,

Now swift, now swere,

4000 Now snelle, now slawe,

Now nouȝt, now ynouȝ,

Now fals, now frouȝ,

Þe warld tirueþ ous touȝ

Fram wawe to wawe

4500 Til we be broyden in a brayd {f.303va}

Þat our lickham is layd

In a graue þat is grayd

This line: inserted in a smaller script by Scribe 1.

Vnder lame lawe.

¶ When derne deþ ous haþ ydiȝt

5000 Is non so war no so wiȝt

Þat he no felles him in fiȝt

As fire dos in tunder;

Þer nis no letting at lite

Þat he no tittes til him tite

5500 Þat he haþ sammned in site

Loue wel he sunder.

Noiþer he stintes no stokes

Bot ay prickes & prokes

Til he vnclustri al þe lokes

6000 Þat liif ligges vnder.

When y tent til him take

How schuld ich ani mirþe make

Or wele in þis warld wake?

Ywis, it were wonder.

6500 ¶ Deþ þat deries ous ȝete

& makes mani wonges wete,

Þer nis no liif þat he wil lete

To lache when him list.

When he is lopen out of les

7000 No pray noman after pes;

For non giftes þat ges

Mai no man til him trist.

Our gode frendes has he fot

& put þe pouer to þe pot

7500 & ouer him yknett his knott,

Vnder his clay kist.

Derne deþ, opon þe ȝong

Wiþ þe to striue it is strong;

Y wold be wreken of mi wrong,

8000 ȝif y way wist.

¶ When þou has gaderd & yglened

Long lyopon & lened

Sparely þi gode spened

& loþ for to lete.

8500 Þe war leuer swelt vnder sword

Þan parti of þi peni hord;

Þou wringest mani wrang word

Wiþ wanges ful wete;

& deþ dinges o di dore

9000 Þat nedes schal be þi neiȝebore {f.303vb}

& fett þe to ten f[l]ore

Foule vnder fete.

For al þe craft þat þou can

& al þe wele þatow wan

9500 Þe mock & þe mad man

No schul þai neuer mete.

¶ Seþþen font ous fra filþ wesche

ous: s inserted superscript.
wesche: originally wasche; e inserted
superscript and a underdotted

Our fa haue founde we our flesche

Wiþ mani fondinges & fresche

1000 & four-sum of fendes.

Is nan so þra of hem þre

Þat ma merres þan me;

Bisier mai nan be

To bring ous out bendes.

1050 Man, mene þou þi mis,

Trowe trustly on þis:

Þou no wat neuer, ywis,

In world whare þou wendes,

No wat gat þatow gas,

1100 Þis four er redi on þi pas.

Now haue y founden þi fas,

Finde tow þi frendes.