Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 1506

DIMEV 1506

IMEV 906

NIMEV 906

Gift is made doomsman / guile is made chapman

The Abuses of the Age — sixteen short lines, translating Munus fit iudex, etc.

Note: Ringler Jr. (1992)

XRingler Jr., William A. Bibliography and Index of English Verse in Manuscript 1501-1558. London: Mansell, 1992; prepared and completed by Michael Rudick and Susan J. Ringler

, TM 463; this does not follow the Latin version, however, but the Gesta Romanorum — see Herrtage (1879)

XHerrtage, Sidney John Hervon. The Early English Version of the Gesta Romanorum. EETS e.s. 33 (1879); repr. 1962

, 360; cf. 3384, 3492, 4480

Title(s): The Abuses of the Age

Subjects: abuses of the age; translations

Versification: — four-line — aabb, aaaa, abab

Bibliographic Ghosts: Oxford, Bodleian Library Digby 53 (SC 1654), f. 55; see 3492; Oxford, Merton College Lat. 248, f. 120rb (cited in Brown (1939)

XBrown, Carleton Fairchild. Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century. Oxford: Clarendon, 1939

, 345-6, 268).

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole 750 (SC 6621), f. 100rb-100rc

First Lines:

Wytte is trechery
Loue is lechery…

Last Lines:

…The deed is out of mynde
and freend may no man fynde

Note: Twelve lines, written two lines of verse per line of MS; preceded by Latin version.

Editions:

Brown, Carleton Fairchild, ed. Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century. Oxford: Clarendon, 1939: 345-6, 268.

Holmstedt, Gustaf, ed. Speculum Christiani. EETS o.s. 182 (1933); repr. 1988: clxxxvii.

Brown, Carleton Fairchild. “The ‘Pride of Life’ and the ‘Twelve Abuses.’” Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 128 (1912): 72-8: 76.

Wright, Thomas, and James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, eds. Reliquiae Antiquae. 2 vols. London: Smith, 1845: 1.58.

Silverstein, Theodore, ed. Medieval English Lyrics. York Medieval Texts. London: Edw. Arnold, 1971: 144.

2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 797 (SC 2649), f. viii

First Lines:

Wytt is torned to trecherie
Loue is torned to lecherie…

Last Lines:

…Lordes be wiþ outr lawe
And children ben wiþ outen awe

Note: Variant copy of 7 lines: the second couplet lacks the second line; the scribe left space for this line but did not copy it.

Editions:

Brown, Carleton Fairchild, ed. Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century. Oxford: Clarendon, 1939: 345-6, 268.

Holmstedt, Gustaf, ed. Speculum Christiani. EETS o.s. 182 (1933); repr. 1988: clxxxvii.

Brown, Carleton Fairchild. “The ‘Pride of Life’ and the ‘Twelve Abuses.’” Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 128 (1912): 72-8: 76.

Wright, Thomas, and James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps, eds. Reliquiae Antiquae. 2 vols. London: Smith, 1845: 1.58.

Silverstein, Theodore, ed. Medieval English Lyrics. York Medieval Texts. London: Edw. Arnold, 1971: 144.

3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Douce 95 (SC 21669), f. 23v

First Lines:

Yifte is domesman
And gyle is Chapman…

Last Lines:

…The dede is oute of mynde
and frendes may non fynde

Note: Sixteen lines (not just four as in Brown and Robbins (1943)

XCarleton Fairchild Brown, and Rossell Hope Robbins. The Index of Middle English Verse. New York: Printed for the Index Society by Columbia University Press, 1943

); English verses alternate with Latin.

Editions:

Herrtage, Sidney John Hervon, ed. The Early English Version of the Gesta Romanorum. EETS e.s. 33 (1879); repr. 1962: 500, 360.

4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 748 (SC 1339), f. 83

Transcription:

Wyse men beth blinde
kenrede ys vnkynde
deth ys out of mende
A ffrend ys hard to fynde

Note: Last 4 lines only.

5.Source: Cambridge UK, St John’s College B.15 (37), Part I, f. 56v

First Lines:

Ȝeft is domus man
& gyle is chapman…

Last Lines:

…Symonye is aboue
and awey is trwloue

Note: Sixteen short lines written two lines of text per line of MS; plus six additional lines this MS after a two-line Latin interruption.

Editions:

Robbins, Rossell Hope, ed. Historical Poems of the XIV and XV Centuries. New York: Columbia UP, 1959: 143-4, 326-7.

6.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College O.2.53 (1157), f. 72

First Lines:

Oldmen ben scornyd Women arn wowed
Richemen arn glosed and pouere men bowed…

Last Lines:

…Wysemen arn blynde kynesby kynesmen beth vnkynde
The dede is out of mynd & ffrendes may noone fynde

Note: Missing lines 1-4; 2 four-line stanzas with each English couplet preceeded by Latin equivalent.

Editions:

Robbins, Rossell Hope, ed. Historical Poems of the XIV and XV Centuries. New York: Columbia UP, 1959: 143-4, 326-7.

7.Source: London, British Library Addit. 8151, f. 200v4

First Lines:

Gyfte is domismane
Gyle is chapeman…

Last Lines:

…Ande euere in weele & in woo
þenke one þe ioy þat lasteþe for oo

Note: Lines 1-8 and 2 additional lines.

Editions:

Furnivall, Frederick James, ed. Queene Elizabethes Achademy, etc. EETS e.s. 8 (1869); repr. 1973: 88, 85.

Herbert, John Alexander, and Frederick Madden, eds. Gesta Romanorum. Roxburghe Club 55. London: Nichols, 1838: 398.

8.Source: London, British Library Addit. 9066, f. 54v

First Lines:

gifte is domesman and gile is chapman
the grete hold no lawe and seruantes have none awe…

Last Lines:

…dethe out of mynde
and trewthe may no man fynde

Editions:

Madden, Frederick. The Old English Versions of the Gesta Romanorum. Roxburghe Club. 55. London: Nicol, 1838: 398.

Holmstedt, Gustaf, ed. Speculum Christiani. EETS o.s. 182 (1933); repr. 1988: clxxxvii.

Herrtage, Sidney John Hervon, ed. The Early English Version of the Gesta Romanorum. EETS e.s. 33 (1879); repr. 1962: 500, 360.

Robbins, Rossell Hope, ed. Historical Poems of the XIV and XV Centuries. New York: Columbia UP, 1959: 143-4, 326-7.

9.Source: London, British Library Addit. 37049, f. 86

Note: Missing lines 1-2; contained in 917.

Editions:

Brown, Carleton Fairchild, ed. Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century. Oxford: Clarendon, 1939: 345-6,268.

Doty, Brant Lee, ed. “An Edition of British Museum MS Additional 37049: a Religious Miscellany.” Diss. Michigan State, 1969: 478-80.

10.Source: London, British Library Addit. 60577 [Winchester Anthology], ff. 75v-76

First Lines:

Wyt ys trechery
luff ys lechery
play ys vylony
and holyday ys glotony…wysse men are blynd
& kynnysmen are vnkynde
dethe us oute of mynde
and frende can no man fynde…

Last Lines:

…Gyfte ys Iugeman
and gyle ys chapman
lordys haue no lawe
nor chyldurn haue noo awe

Note: Three four-line stanzas translating corresponding Latin which follows each stanza.

Editions:

Wilson, Edward. “Introduction.” The Winchester Anthology. A Facsimile of British Library Additional Manuscript 60577. With an account of the music by Iain Fenlon. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1981.

11.Source: London, British Library Harley 2251, f. 153

First Lines:

Yift is made domesman
Gyle is made chapman…

Last Lines:

…The dede is out of mynde
Triew friende can noman fynde

Editions:

Brown, Carleton Fairchild, ed. Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century. Oxford: Clarendon, 1939: 345-6, 268.

Furnivall, Frederick James, ed. Queene Elizabethes Achademy, etc. EETS e.s. 8 (1869); repr. 1973: 88, 85.

12.Source: London, British Library Harley 3362, f. 4v

Editions:

Holmstedt, Gustaf, ed. Speculum Christiani. EETS o.s. 182 (1933); repr. 1988: clxxxvii.

13.Source: London, British Library Royal 17 B.XVII, f. 2v4

First Lines:

Gift is domes mon gyle is chapman
Lerdus be laules childer bene awleys…

Last Lines:

…Cosens ben vnkynd
A gode syker frend is…

Note: Lines 1-10. Two verse lines per manuscript line. Damage to manuscript.

14.Source: London, Westminster Abbey 27, f. 32

Transcription:

wise men ben but scorned[?]
[three unreadable lines]
lordes wex euer blynd
frendes ben vnkynde
dethe is out of mynde
Treuth may noman fynd

Note: Lines 9-16 only.

Editions:

Peter, John Desmond. Complaint and Satire in Early English Literature. Oxford: Clarendon, 1956: 68.

15.Source: Manchester, John Rylands Library Lat. 394, f. 15v

Transcription:

Þere childe is kynge
& clerke bysshop
And chorle reue
all is greue

Note: Variant; 4 lines written as two, translating the Latin Quando puer regnat… which follows.

Editions:

Pantin, William A. “A Medieval Collection of Latin and English Proverbs…from Rylands Latin MS. 394.” Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 14 (1930): 81-114: 102.

16.Source: Norwich, Norwich Castle Museum 158.926 (4g-5) [olim St Peter Hungate Museum 48 158.926], ff. 88-88v

First Lines:

ȝifte is domysman
Gyle is chapman…

Last Lines:

…Deth is owt of mynde
& treuþe may no man fynde

Note: Wooden boards, four thongs, two clasps, following lengthy Latin preamble in rubric, then primus dixit before first 2 couplets, etc.

17.Source: Worcester, Worcester Cathedral Library F.154, f. 110va

First Lines:

Ȝifte hys mad domesmon
gyle is mad chapmon…

Last Lines:

…Þe dede is out of mynde
frend ne may non fynde

Note: Folio formerly foliated 102va; 8 couplets written as verse, two lines of verse per line in the MS.

Editions:

Brown, Carleton Fairchild. “The ‘Pride of Life’ and the ‘Twelve Abuses.’” Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 128 (1912): 72-8: 76.

Floyer, John Kestell, and Sidney Graves Hamilton. Catalogue of Manuscripts Preserved in the Chapter Library of Worcester Cathedral. Oxford: for the Worcester Historical Society, by James Parker, 1906: 85.

18.Source: Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 509, pp. 7-8

First Lines:

Yifte is domesman
and gyle is chapman…

Last Lines:

…The dede is oute of mynde
and frendes may none fynd

Note: Each stanza written as two lines, immediately following the Latin equivalent.

Attributed Title: In porta Orientali primus philosophus hos scriptsit versus (p. 7), etc.

19.Source: Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 517, f. 134v

First Lines:

Wyt ys turnyd to trecherye
and loue ys turnyd to lecherye…

Last Lines:

…Lordys haue non lawe
ne chyldryn haue non hawe
Non est lex dominis nec timor est pueris

Note: Stanzas re-arranged; four couplets written as two lines verse to one line with Latin equivalents after each couplet.

20.Source: Beaminster, Dorset, J. Stevens Cox [olim Harmsworth; Sotheby Sale, Oct., 1945, lot 1956], now privately owned

Note: Present location unknown.

Editions:

Cox, James Stevens. Literary Repository 4 (1957): 4.1.

21.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya Deposit 61 [Sotheby’s, 10 November 1952, olim Lawrence Witten], f. 56

First Lines:

Yift is domesman and gile is Chapman
lordes haue noo lawe ne children haue none awe…

Last Lines:

…wysemen ar blynd kynesmen ar vnkynd
The dede is oute of mynd & frendes may non fynd

Note: Possibly same as Beaminster, Dorset, J. Stevens Cox [olim Harmsworth; Sotheby Sale, Oct., 1945, lot 1956], now privately owned (see above). Lines mixed with Latin verses on same subject; two lines of Latin precede this first line