Читать книгу Notes and Queries, Number 69, February 22, 1851 - Various - Страница 5
Notes
INEDITED BALLAD ON TRUTH
ОглавлениеI send you herewith a copy of an ancient ballad which I found this day while in search of other matters. I have endeavoured to explain away the strange orthography, and I have conjecturally supplied the last line. The ballad is unhappily imperfect. I trust that abler antiquaries than myself will give their attention to this fragmentary poem.
"A BALADE OF TROUTHE
(Harl. MSS. No. 48. folio 92.)
"What more poyson . than ys venome.
What more spytefull . than ys troozte.1
Where shall hattred . sonere come.
Than oone anothyr . that troozte showthe.
Undoyng dysplesure . no love growthe.
And to grete2 men . in especyall.
Troozte dare speke . lest3 of all.
"And troozte . all we be bound to.
And troozte . most men now dothe fle.4
What be we then . that so do.
Be we untrewe . troozte saythe ee.5
But he yt tellethe troozte . what ys he.
A besy foole . hys name shalle ronge.6
Or else he hathe an euyle tonge.
"May a tong . be trew and evyle.
Trootze ys good . and evyle ys navtze.7
God ys trootze . and navzt ys ye devyle.
Ego sum veritas . or8 lord tavzt.9
At whyche word . my conceyt lavzt.10
To se11 our Lorde . yff12 foly in hym be.
To use troozt . that few doth but he.
"To medyle wt trouthe13. no small game.
For trouthe told . of tyms ys shent.
And trouthe known . many doth blame.
When trouthe ys tyrned . from trew intent.
Yet trouthe ys trouthe . trewly ment.14
But now what call they trouthe . trow ye.
Trowthe ys called colored honestè.
"Trouthe . ys honest without coloure.
Trouthe . shameth not in no condycyon.
Of hymself . without a trespasowre.
By myst and knowne . of evyle condycyon.
But of trouthe thys ys ye conclusyon.
Surely good ordre there ys brokyne.
Where trouthe may not . nor dare be spokyne.15
I would fill up the lacuna—
"Now that he do not syn . we can."
Perhaps, I repeat, some more able antiquaries will give their attention to this, and satisfy me on the points of punctuation, date, &c.
Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie.
1
Truth, I presume, is meant, though it does not seem to agree with the context, which is pure nonsense in its present condition.
2
Great.
3
Least.
4
Flee.
5
Yea.
6
Ring, I fancy.
7
Naught.
8
Our.
9
Taught.
10
Laughed.
11
See.
12
If.
13
Here the orthography changes.
14
Meant.
15
I think there must be some allusion here, which can only be arrived at by knowing the date of its composition.
16
An elision for creepeth; possibly an intermediate etymological state of creeps.
17
From "to cavil."
