July 26, 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



51 



[It can scarcely be necessary for us to add tliat we 

 shall be very glad to do our part towards carrying out 

 the very sensible and practical suggestion of our Cor- 

 respondent, We shall indeed bi- glad to show the 

 sense we entertain of the obligations which we, in 

 common with all lovers of literature in this country, 

 owe to the British Museum, by aiding in this or any 

 other well connected scheme for euriLhing that store- 

 house of learning, and increasing, if possible, its present 

 usefulness. ] 



MS. TRAGMENTS OF OLD POETKT. 



I have before me a sheet of vellum, part of old 

 tale 01- tales in verse, which has been used as the 

 cover of a manuscript Viook. I conceive it to be 

 about the time of Henry VI. Can any of your 

 correspondents, from the following extracts, give 

 me any information as to the author, or the work 

 of which it is a part ? There would appear to be 

 parts of two tales, at least. G. II. D. 



" Thanne scido the Prest, i will the telle, 

 For alle my good i wele the selle. 

 For alle the synnes that thou hast don, 

 I graunte the hem alle sone anon. 



Alle gode dedes and eke preiere. 

 That Marchaunt the Prest wel understod. 

 That the Prestes chaffare was to hym good, 



Gif tliat it mythe awelde ; 

 And seide, as i am a trewe man, 

 In alle the wittis that i can, 

 Covenaunt i wele the helden. 



Gif thou wilt me with lierte and thouth (thouglit), 

 Give mo alle thi gode dedes that Ihou hast wrouth. 



As covenaunt was before ; 

 Loke, he seide, to the Prest anon. 

 That thou telle hem everecheon. 



That thou be nouth forswore. 

 And i schal telle the anon, 

 Alle the . . . de dedes that I haue don, 



Alle with outen ende ; 

 The Prest began anon to telle, 

 Of hese goodiiesse anon snelle, 



No lengere he wolde hym wende. 

 The Prest seide, while i v.-as yonge, 

 And coude gon and spekc with tunge, 



I was sette to lore ; 

 Pore men i loved wel, 

 Of that i hadde i zaf hem su . . . cl, 



Bothe lesse and more. 

 And quanne i my primer cou[the], 

 I seide it cche day with my uiouthe, 



And forgat . . . uth on ; 

 To God i made my preiere, 

 And eche dai seide oure ladles [sa]utcre, 



To God I made my mone. 

 Everechc day to cliirche i went. 

 And seide my psauter with sex [en ?]tente 



Both be dai and be nyth ; 

 Quanne i to beddc sthulde go, 

 Mi clothes i kcst me fro, 



To scrue God ful of myth. 



Certes oftyn i gan take, 



An usage on nyth moche to wake. 



And prei to hevene kyug ; 

 Tliat i moste comen to this . . . religion. 

 To my soule Savacioun, 



To joye with outen endyng. 

 And quanne i was made a prest here, 

 God thewes i wolde lere. 



As I haue the told ; 

 Nov? thou woste with outen strife. 

 How I haue led in lif, 



And all my goodnesse I haue thee solde. 

 Thanne .seide the Prest to the Marchaunt, 

 Hold thou me my covenaunt, 



That I of haue of the bouih ; 

 Thou woste wel al untold. 

 But gif a man wolde truthe hold, 



Marchaundize is rith nouth. 

 With iretchere thou myth me katche. 

 And do me hie the cat in a Satche*, 



Thyng that I may nouth se ; 

 All thi synnes thou me telle, 

 And thou schalt be saued fro the payne of hellc, 



Gif thou ne levest nouth me. 

 The INIarchaunt seide, geve me myn. 

 And thou schalt have chaflare thin, 



Gif thou wilt understonde ; 

 This seide the Prest, be my leute, 

 Alle thi synnes telle thou me. 



For no thyng that thou ne wende. 

 The Marchaunt seide, wil I was yong. 

 And coude gon and spake with tung, 



I was jolif and wilde ; 

 Be myn own sister I lay. 

 Many a nyth and many a day, 



And gret sche was with childe. 

 With childe she was, tho sothe to telle. 

 And I gaf reed my fader to quelle. 



So God me bryng out of care ; 

 Now God Fader in Trinite, 

 Have merci on here and on me. 



Of blisse I am all bare. 

 And after that with outen othe, 

 Oure fader and oure moder bothe, 



Whanne that it was eve ; 

 And thei bothe aslepe were, 

 AVe wen ten to hem bothe in fere. 



And slowc hem with outen weve (?). 

 And quanne this dede was i-do. 

 We wenten away bothe to. 



Mi sister wente behynde ; 

 As gret with childe as sche was, 

 I lep to here a woligret pas. 



And dede here heved of wynde. 

 Sche that was me lef and dere, 

 T smot here heved of be the swere, 



Now lord, merci I crie ; 

 Fader, God onmijiotent, 

 Ne lete our .soules never be schent. 



For the love of oure lefclie. 

 Maries sone that sitteth in trone, 

 Lade to the i make mv mone, 



* Proverb. 



