< Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918.djvu
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And also the plante of pees • moste precious of vertues.
  For hevene myghte noughte holden it • it was so hevy of hym-self,
Tyle it hadde of the erthe • yeten[1] his fylle,
  And what it haved of this folde • flesshe and blode taken,
Was neuere leef upon lynde[2] • lighter ther-after,
And portatyf[3] and persant • as the poynt of a nedle,
That myghte non armure it lette[4] • ne none heigh walles.
  For-thi is love leder • of the lordes folke of hevene,
And a mene[5], as the maire is • bitwene the kyng and the comune,
Right so is love a ledere • and the lawe shapeth
Upon man for his mysdedes • the merciment[6] he taxeth.
And for to knowe it kyndely[7] • it comseth bi myght,
And in the herte, there is the hevede • and the heigh welle.

1316?–1395

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Freedom

A! Fredome is a noble thing!
Fredome mays man to haiff liking;[8]
Fredome all solace to man giffis,
He levys at ese that frely levys!
A noble hart may haiff nane ese,
Na ellys nocht[9] that may him plese,
Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking
Is yarnyt[10] our[11] all othir thing.
Na he that ay has levyt fre
May nocht knaw weill the propyrtè,

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  1. ↑ yeten] eaten.
  2. ↑ lynde] lime tree
  3. ↑ portatyf] quick-moving.
  4. ↑ lette] prevent.
  5. ↑ mene] mediator
  6. ↑ merciment] fine.
  7. ↑ kyndely] properly.
  8. ↑ liking] pleasure.
  9. ↑ na ellys nocht] nor aught else.
  10. ↑ yarnyt] yearned for.
  11. ↑ our] above.
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