Читать книгу The Political Songs of England: From the Reign of John to That of Edward II - Various - Страница 17

[MS. Cotton. Jul. D. VII. fol. 133, v^o. of 13th century.]

Istud canticum factum fuit anno gratiæ moccolvio supra desolatione Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ.

Or est acumpli à men acient

La pleinte Jeremie, ke oï avez suvent;

ke dit cument set sule

cité pleine de fule

Plurant amerement,

ore est sanz mariage

e mis en tailage,

La dame de la gent.

Cest est seint eglise trestut apertement,

Ke est ja hunie e tut mis a vent:

E si est maumise, nus veum cument.

Ele gent e plure,

n’a ad nul ke sucure

De sun marement.

Jà fu cleregie

franche e à desus,

Amée e cherie,

nule ren pot plus.

Ore est enservie,

E trop envilie,

e abatu jus;

Par iceus est hunie,

Dunt dut aver aïe;

jo n’os dire plus.

Li rois ne l’apostoile ne pensent altrement,

Mès coment au clers tolent lur or e lur argent.

Co est tute la summe,

ke la pape de Rume

Al rei trop consent,

pur aider sa curune

la dime de clers li dune,

De ço en fet sun talent.

Jo ne quid pas ke li rois face sagement,

Ke il vit de roberie ke il de la clergie prent.

Jà ne fra bone prise,

pur rober seinte eglise;

Il la say verament.

Ke vot aver semblance,

regarde le rois de France

E sun achevement.

Translation.—Now is accomplished as I conceive—the plaint of Jeremiah, which you have often heard,—who tells how this sole—city full of people—bewailing bitterly,—is now without marriage—and put in contribution,—the Lady of the people.—That is holy church very evidently,—who is now disgraced and all put to sale;—and truly is she in ill case, we see how.—She laments and weeps,—there is none who helps her—out of her desolation.

Formerly clergy was—free and uppermost,—loved and cherished,—nothing could be more so.—Now it is enslaved,—and too much debased,—and trodden down.—By those is it disgraced,—from whom it ought to have help;—I dare not say more.

The king and the pope think of nothing else,—but how they may take from the clergy their gold and their silver.—This is the whole affair,—that the pope of Rome—yields too much to the king,—to help his crown,—the tenth of the clergy’s goods he gives him,—and with that he does his will.

I do not think that the King acts wisely,—that he lives of robbery which he commits upon the clergy.—He will never be a gainer,—by robbing holy church;—he knows it truly.—He who seeks an example,—let him regard the King of France—and his achievement.

The next Song, directed against the avarice of the Bishops, appears to be of about the same date. In the manuscript it is written, like the foregoing, as prose.