Lament of a prisoner against fortune / [ed. Eleanor Prescott Hammond]. Hammond, Eleanor Prescott, 1866-1933. 7 pages, ca. 15 kb University of Michigan Library Ann Arbor, Michigan 2018 CME00094 04078771 BAV4375

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials in furtherance of its educational and research mission. This work has been identified as being in the public domain, free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. You may copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact Digital Content and Collections (mec-info@umich.edu). If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact Library Information Technology (LibraryIT-info@umich.edu).

 Anglia : zeitschrift für Englische philologie / ed. Eugen Einenkel. Vol. 32, p. [481]-490. [10] p. ; 24 cm. Halle a. S. Max Niemeyer 1909 Title from email of 2000-03-08 ; description based onemail note. Corpus of Middle English. "Eleanor Prescott Hammond."--Editor, p. 490.

Header created with script catalogedexcerpts2cmeteiutf.xsl on 2018-07-13.

Header expanded with script IDmapper.xsl on 2018-07-31.

Encoding has been done using the recommendations for Level 4 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.

 English, Middle (1100-1500) 9-13-16lattajMURPAdded TEMPHEAD, checked ID, and added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Checked for N=""s. Checked for GROUP tags. Proofed title. Checked s. Reviewed structure; removed DIV2; changed HEAD to HEADNOTE P; removed incorrect MILESTONEs from HEADNOTE. Checked placement and completeness of PBs. Checked for damage GAPs, #s, @s, --s, and UNCLEARs. Corrected [dollar]s. Checked for &cs with incorrect spacing. Checked for LBs. Checked for startqs and endqs, abq's, oes, qs, Ae's, and Qs. Checked proofsheets and made corrections. Checked italic I / J and U / V. Checked for missing page GAPs. Checked for EPIGRAPHs and ARGUMENTS. Checked CLOSERs, OPENERs, SIGNEDs, SALUTEs, TRAILERs, BYLINEs. Checked decorated initials. Checked FIGUREs. Sample: 2 minutes. Proofing: 0 minutes. Tag review and corrections: 50 minutes. DONE.
94 CME00094 CME00094

MS. Brit. Mus. Harley 7333, fol. 30 b.

 Here next folowith a litell Tretys by wey of compleint ageins ffortune 1. Fortune alas . alas what haue I gylt The playntif In prison thus to lye here desolate Art thou the better to haue [me] thus yspylt. Line 3. Harley has not the bracketed word; the other two MSS. read thus to have me spilt. Nay nay god wote . but for þou wilt debate With euery wight . eiþer erly or late Line 5 is omitted by the other two MSS. And art chaungeable eke as is the mone ffrom wele to woo thou bringest a man ful sone. 2. ffor like a whele that turnyth ay aboute Now vp now doun . now est west north & south Line 9. The word west is omitted by the other two MSS. So farist thou now . þu drivest ynne & oute Line 10. Other MSS. read So farestow moone—etc. As don the wedris oute of the wyndis mouth In the no trust is sechen / thou art so selcouth Line 12. The word sechen (sithen?) is not in the other MSS. And canst neuer still wher abide Line 13. Other MSS. read stille ther abide. When men wene sekir to be . þou makest hem slide Line 14. Other MSS. read—hem to slide. 3. I wote ful wele both lordis prince and kyng Thou hast or this welewors Iouerthrowe Line 16. Other MSS. read Thow hast in his wele . worse Iouerthrowe. Thi condicion is euer so varying That now þu laughist . & now þu makist a mowe Alas fortune who may the trist or trowe But yit I pray . that in some manere wise So turne thi whele þat I may yit arise Line 21. Other MSS. read—may ones arise. 4. Why nad I rather died an Innocent Or seke in bed ful ofte whan I haue layn Than had my name be paired not ne shent Better hit had be so . þan thus to haue me slayn But what to stryve wt the it may not gayn And yit thou wotest I suffre and shame Stanza 4 is not in the other MSS. The evident omission of a word from line 27 can therefore not be controlled. ffor þat / that I god wote am not to blame 5. But whom a long hit were . wold I wete Line 29. Other MSS.—now wolde I wite. That wrongfully I lye thus in prison Saturnus or mars . I trow I may hit wyte Or some infortunate constellacion But this I wote as for conclusion Be it by destyny or fortunece chaunce Line 34. Other MSS. read—fortunate chaunce. In prison here I suffre moche myschaunce. 6. Peas of thi wordis þat are both lewid & nyce ffortune Wenest thou . þat god chastith þe for nought Line 37. Other MSS. chastiseth. Though þou be giltles I graunt wele of this vyce Line 38. Other MSS.—graunt wele in this wise. Hit is for synnes þat thou hast foredrought Line 39. Other MSS.—that thow hast afore wrought. That now peraunter full litell are in thi thought Therfore be glad . for hit is writen thus Maxima etenim morum semper paciencia virtus 7. Thow wotest wele eke god chastiseth whom he lovith Line 43. Other MSS. omit eke. That of his grace þe graunt be oon of thoo Line 44 reads in other MSS. That of his grace . he graunte the to be oon of tho. Eke who þat will be saued hym behovith Line 45. Other MSS. omit Eke. Suffre in this world aduersite or he go . Line 46. Other MSS. To suffre—etc. Thus fortune grace wynne for present woo The best conceyt eke I can yeve the . Line 48. Other MSS. read that instead of eke. Esto forti Animo cum sis dampnatus inique 8. ffare wele fortune þan & do right as þe liste Line 50. Other MSS. omit þan. Complayne will I now . to the sustres thre Line 51. Other MSS.—as to thi sustres thre. That whan I crope oute of my modirs cheste Line 52. Other MSS. crept instead of crope. fforthwith anon thei shope my desteney Cloto come forth . what seist thou let se Wilt thou no lenger þe stace of my lif holde Line 55. Other MSS.—the state of my lif holde. Or be my yeris come vp . dey I shulde Line 56. Other MSS.—that I die sholde. 9. If it be so the nombre of my daies Be comen vp . that I may not hem pace Why nadde I than by othir maner weyes Ordeyned me to dye . in othir place Line 60. Other MSS.—in som other place. And not in prison / is ther non othir grace Wille Lachesis my threde no lenger twyne Be ster the than & all my sorow fyne . 10. And Antrapos þat makis an ende of all Cut of the threde . wherto wilt þou tarye And help me hens sith I nedis shall That men to Chirch my corps myght carye And my soule to god & seint Mary I now be take / and pray hem yeve me space Line 69. Other MSS.—pray hem to yive me space. My rightes all to receiue or I pace Line 70. Other MSS.—or I hens pace. 11. The worste of all / that grevith me so sore Is that my fame is lost & all my good los Line 72. Other MSS.—lost and eke goode loos. And spredith wyde euer lenger the more As wele amonge my frendis as my foos ffor wykked sclaundre . will in no wise be close . Line 75 is omitted by other MSS. But wt the wenges of envy fleth a lofte There as good los slepith full still & softe . Line 77. Other MSS.—slepith and lith ful soft. 12. Whan I was fre . and in bounchief at ese In company ouer all where I went Line 79. Other MSS.—where that I went. No man seid þan . þt I did hem displese Line 80. Other MSS.—sayde that I dyd hym displease. Ne worthie was no thing to be shent . And thus wt faire wordis was I blent And he þat seid [he] wold me neuer faile I myght for him [chese to] synke or saile Lines 83, 84. Bracketed words are not in Harley 7333. 13. Thei wold me onys not yeve a draught of drynke Lines 85. Other MSS. They wold me nat oones—. Ne say ffrend . wilt þow aught wt me . The soth is said . such frendship sone doth synke That from his frend fleeth in aduersite And will not [bide] / but in prosperite Line 89. MS. Harley reads bid; other MSS. byde, abide. Suche fayned frendis lord þere be full many ffy on her flateryng / þat are not worth a peny . 14. I haue no ffrende þat will me now visite In prison here to comfort me . of care Line 93. Other MSS.—to comfort of my care. Of sorow ynow I haue . of ioy but lite ffare wele my blys . & all my welfare Line 95. Other MSS.—farewele my welfare. To telle my sorowe / my wittes be all bare . There is no man can tell my heuynesse Saue oonly . Ekko that can bere me witnesse. Line 98. Other MSS.—that can bere no witnesse. 15. Now & oure lord / þe kyng of blis Ihus Shuld with his fynger here on erth write . Amonges hem that me accusen thus I trow thei wold on me haue litell dispite And with her mouthis say but right a lite Line 103. Other MSS. omit but. Nomore þan ded þe men . þat soughten wreche Line 104. Other MSS. read diden instead of ded. Vpon the woman . þat take was in spouce breche . 16. ffy on this world it is but fantesye Seurete is non . in no degre ne state Aswele a kyng as a knafe shal dye Not wetyng wher ne whan erly or late When men be meriest . alday deth seith chek mate Ther is no man shall here alway abide The richest man eke / from his good shal slide . 17. Then best is þus / þe world to set at nought Line 113. Other MSS. read Than best is this world to sette at nought. And mekely suffre al aduersite . That may vs vaile of synnes we haue wrought Line 115. Other MSS. read—of synnes that we have wrought. In mede encresyng or relesynge parde Of paynes which in purgatory be And so wille I be glad . so god me save To suffre men me wrongfully deprave Line 119. Other MSS. read—wrongly to deprave. 18. Ther is no more I se now at eiȝe þes fayned goddis & goddesse . vaile right nought ffortune & eke the Sustresse I defie Lines 121, 122. Other MSS. goddessis, sustres. ffor I will go to him . þat me hath bought To whom I pray and euer haue be sought Line 124. Other MSS. omit euer. My synnes all / þat he wold relesse. And furthermore yit pray I or I cesse. Line 126. Other MSS. omit yit. 19. All holy Chirche þat is þi veray spouse Line 127. Other MSS. read his instead of þi. Benigne lorde kepe from all damage And make thi people to be vertuouse . The for to serue in euery maner age With fervent loue & hertes hool corage And alle þat erre . oo lord in any side Line 132. Other MSS. omit oo. Or þou do right / let mercy be her guyde 20. And stedfastly þou make vs to perceyver In veray feith & hooly Chirche beleve And vs to blys bryng þat lastith euer And mary vs help . both morow and eve And of this world when we take oure leve . Or þat the fende oure soulys þan betrappe Helpe blisfull quene . & couer vs wt thi lappe 21. Lette not be spilt . þat thi sone dere bought Line 141. Other MSS. dere hath bought. Vpon þe crosse with deth and woundes smert And namely hym þat his synnes forthought Line 143. Other MSS. synnes hath forthought. Here in þis lyf . with meke & contrite hert . And þe of grace . to aske ay vpstert Line 145. Other MSS. ay thow vp stert. Now lady swete I can no more now say But rew on me . and helpe me when I dey Explicit le compleint again ffortune. CHICAGO. ELEANOR PRESCOTT HAMMOND.