Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 3381

DIMEV 3381

IMEV 2077

NIMEV 2077

Man that life upholdest / think when thou art oldest

Do good while you may (6 lines), a tag in the Fasciculus Morum; listed by Wenzel (1978)

XWenzel, Siegfried. Verses in Sermons: ‘Fasciculus morum’ and Its Middle English Poems. Cambridge, MA: Medieval Academy of America, 1978

as ‘When þou þy lyfe vp-holdyste…’

Subjects: sermons, verse in; advice, spiritual

Versification: — six-line — aaaabb, aabaab

Bibliographic Ghosts: Cambridge UK, St John’s College F.22 (159)

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 213 (SC 1045), ff. 130v-131

Transcription:

Man that lyfe vp holdest
thenke wen þu a toldest
And do good at thi yate
When thu with deth vnboldest
thow shalt not they thow woldest
ffor than is al to late

Note: Written as prose.

2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 187 (SC 2090), ff. 186vb

First Lines:

Man þat lif vpholdyst
þenke wanne þu a coldyst…

Last Lines:

…þu shalt nat now þu woldyst
ffor þenne hyt ys to late

Note: Written as prose.

3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 410 (SC 2305), f. 67

First Lines:

Man þat lyf vt holdest
thenk whan þu art oldest
…

Last Lines:

…þu shalt not you þu woldest
for þan is all to late

Note: Written as prose.

4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson C.670 (SC 12514), f. 114

Transcription:

When þou þy lyfe vp holdyste
Þynke wan þou arte oldyste
And do gode at þe ȝate
Wen þou with deth vnboldeste
[þou shalt not þou þou woldest]
For þan is al to late

Editions:

Foster, Frances Allen, ed. “Some English Words from the Fasciculus Morum.” Essays and Studies in Honor of Carleton Brown. Percy Waldron Long, ed. New York: NYU Press; London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Pres, 1940: 149-57: 157.

Wenzel, Siegfried. Verses in Sermons: ‘Fasciculus morum’ and Its Middle English Poems. Cambridge, MA: Medieval Academy of America, 1978: 190.

5.Source: Cambridge UK, Gonville & Caius College 364/619, f. 111va

First Lines:

Man þat lyf vp holdest
þynke whon þou coldest…

Last Lines:

…þan schal nougth þou þowh þou woldest
ffor þan is al to late

6.Source: Lincoln, Lincoln Cathedral Library 44 (A.2.13), f. 200vb

Transcription:

Man þat lyf vp holdest
þenke þe wen þu art oldest
wen þu wyt þeþ vndoldest
þu ne schuld þe þi woldest
and do goude at þi ȝate
for þan it is all to late

7.Source: Worcester, Worcester Cathedral Library F.19, f. 211va

First Lines:

Man þat lyf vpholdis
þenk wen þu acoldest…

Last Lines:

…þu schal noȝt yf þu woldist
for þen y al to late

Note: Written as prose.

priven: verb To deprive (sb.) of (sth.), deny (sb. sth.); ppl. prived, bereaved, bereft of, deprived of; without; (b) ~ of (from), to deprive (sb. of sth.), deny (sth. to sb.), exclude (sb. from sth.); prived of (from), deprived of (sth.), bereft of; lacking, without; ben of god priving, be a robber of goods; (c) to depose (sb.), dismiss; ~ of (from), deprive (sb.) of (power, kingdom, etc.), remove or dismiss (sb.) from (office or position); (d) to take (sth.) away; prevent (sth.), deny, oppose; weaken (the body); -- also without obj. MED