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A Mumming at London:
British Library Additional 29729 Verses

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f.140 verso
Folio 140 RectoFolio 140 VersoFolio 141 RectoFolio 141 VersoFolio 142 RectoFolio 142 VersoFolio 143 RectoFolio 143 VersoFolio 144 Recto

Folio 140 Verso
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some singe on hye and som lowe
and zepherus1 ther doth eke blow
with his smoothe / attempre ayre
he makethe the weder / cler and fayr
And the sesoun full of grace
but sodenly in lytell space
vpon this place most royall
ther cometh awawe and for dereth all
ffirst the freshe floures glad
on ther stalkes / he dothe fade
to ther bewty / he doth wronge
and than farewell the byrdes songe
braunch and bougħe of euery tre
she robbethe them of ther beutye
leffe and blosomes doune they fall
and in that place / she hath an hall
departed / and wonder disgysee
ffrom that on syde / ye maye see
curyously2 wrough for the nones
of gold and sylluer and of stones
whos richesse / may not be tould
but that other syde / of that hold
Is obylte in ugly wyse
and ruynous / for to deuyse
daubed of claynes3 that doungeoun
ay in poynt to fall adoun
that on fayre / by apparence
and that other in existence
shaken with wyndes rayne and hayle
and sodenly ther doth assayle
a rage flud / that mancyon
and ouer floweth it vp and doune
her is no rescnes / ner obstacle
of this ladyes habytacle
and as hur hous is aye vnstabell
ryght so hir sellfe is deseuabell4
In no poynte she is neuer alytche
this daye she maketh aman all rytche
and thorough his[r]5 mutabylite
casteth hym to morowe / in pouerte
the proudest / she can gyue afalle
she made alexaunder wynnen all
that no man him with stand dare
and caste him doun / or he was ware
Notes
  1. Bracketed on both sides.
  2. Trinity R.3.20 has "Ceryously" here.
  3. Trinity R.3.20 has "clay is" here.
  4. Trinity R.3.20 has deceyuable
  5. The scribe originally had "his" here, but realized their mistake and replaced it with "hir."