¶The debate and stryfe betwene Somer and wynter with the estate present of Man.
Somer spekyth first
EVery thynge of my comynge is desirous
For I cause the trew louers hartis to be amerous
All birdes by me / renew their songes glorious
In the shadow / vnder my bowes grene & copious
wynter
Frende what be ye / that maketh so great boste
Saynge that you haue all at wyll on your coste
Be you so valiaūt as ye say / & of so greate bownte
That so great ioye demeaneth of what contre be ye
Somer
Frende why demaunde you of my hye estate
Of god and his mother / I am very puysant create
In so moche that all the worlde dothe me great honoure
I am tyme of somer to all creatures great plesure
wynter
Somer thou doest greate wronge / to boste so as I trow
If thou canst no answere make / to that that I wolde know
wherfore sholde the worlde / to the do such honour here
Fro deth to life / canst not thou reise the ded leyd on bere
Somer
Frende & what art thou to whome I shulde answere
Thou art very olde as thynketh me go shaue thy here
I trow thou art very colde for frosen is thy cote
As great a fyer nedfull is for the as wolde make an yron hote
wynter
Somer / I am named wynter that in to many contres
Sende forth of my goodes / rayne frost & snowes
where so euer that I am / is founde often great colde
I make riche men were furred gownes / & spēd som of their golde
¶Somer
[Page]wynter loued as I am / canst thou in no wyse be
Thorow me cometh good wyne / & corne & good fruites gret plēte
But thorow the all theis goodis be wasted & destroied
Thou causest the people / suffer moche wo / it can not be denyed
¶Wynter
Somer yf that I were not / thou sholdest be made full lene
By many a beste venymus / of the which I make the clene
Of snakes / adders / & stynkynge wormes & of mamy a flie
From the I make clere delyueraunce by my great curtesye
¶Somer
Wynter this that thou sayest / is not worth a drope of rayne
Euery thynge reioyseth my comynge and therof is right fayne
Thou causest all thynges to be kepte in mewe
Bestis birdis & floures / by the lese all their Ioy and hewe
¶Wynter
Somer thou art not beloued but of the pore and nedy
That with great payne get their lyuyng / and therto be not spedy
They haue no wyll to labour / in felde nor in garysone
But only to spoyll of their clothes / & lowse them at thy sōne
¶Somer
Wynter all thy saynge / is not worth a here of wull
I haue the swete nyghtyngale / that syngeth with notes full
Prayng euery louer / that he to loue do his payne
Who can than holde hym selfe fro loue / nother fre nor vilayne
¶Wynter
Somer theis plesures thou spekist of / be not profitable
I loue better the good wynes / & good swete metes vpon my table
That is to me more plesaunt / agreable & more Ioyous delyght
Than songes of byrdes / & these louers Ioye that often be lyght
Somer
[Page]wynter I haue yonge damsels that haue theyr brestes whyte
That go to gader the fayr flowres with their louers bryghte
The whiche swetely kyseth them laughynge merely
And than go they thens glad & gay syngynge Ioyfully
wynter
I haue more of my ease than thou hast of delyghtes
I haue my chambres made plesaunte and paynted for all syghtes
There is no people in the worlde greate nor small
Bestys and byrdes wythout nombre but be paynted on the wall
Somer
Wyntyr all thy desyre is the belly to fyll
Bett were to be in a grene herbre where one may haue his wyll
His trew loue to enbrace & to kysse swete
Than to be at the fyre in chafynge of his fete
Wynter
Somer in this good tyme I haue great assembles
I haue burgeses & marchantes with well furred robes
Futred hose & good mantles & good cheynes of golde
For me they make a great fyer to chere my bonys olde
Somer
Wynter thow sayest trew of god by thow accursed
Thou sellyst in to exyle my goodes & mone ymburssed
All that thow lyuyst by? cōmeth fro me wherfor I am sory
And of thyne haue I nothynge it maketh my hart heuy
Wyntyr
Somer thow vnderstondest not my dede & my reason
Thou haste good potage made with fleshe of my season
As the hogges that I slee that maketh the good bakon
The good brawne of my tyme is etyn afore thy venyson
Somer
[Page]Wynter god send the an euyll desteny
For all that cōmeth in thy tyme is not worth a peny
Nomore than a man scholde sayle ouer the salte flode
And ware sholde bryng ouer with hym nouther holsom nor gode
Wynter
Somer men make greate Ioy what tyme I com in
For cōpanyes gadareth togyther on the eue of seynt martyn
Ther is nother great not small but than they wyll drinke wyne
If they sholde lay theyr cote to gage to drynke yt or it fyne
Somer
wynter in the moneth of may whan thou lurkyst in bowre
I haue prymeroses & dayses & the wyolet slowre
The whych be for the trew louer and his swete leman
That go home syngyng & make good chere as merely as they can
Wynter
Somer entend what I say it is of veryte
The hyest day in the yere is the Natiuyte
Than be capons on the table bred wyn & clare
Many a bote is slayn agaynst that tyme moch Ioy is made & gle
Somer
Wynter in this tyme he that hath nought hym self for to clouth
When it rayneth & bloweth colde freseth & sore snouth
All the pore comyns they lyue in great displeser
The pore mēbres of god that haue so great payne to suffer
Wynter
Somer thou sayest trouth a byde we the aduenture
Praynge that kynge / sone of the virgyn pure
That he wyll geue vs suche hete after this great colde
That the pore comonalte may lyue in ease euer hym to beholde
¶Somer
[Page]Wynter by one assent / our great stryfe let vs ceas
And togeder agre we / and make a fynall peas
God that create this worlde / & made bothe the & me
Let vs pray to hym to send vs a good ende / Amen for charite
¶The tyme presente of man
¶The more helth he hath / the more he compleyneth
The more hardy he is / the more he feyneth
The more he loueth / the more he payneth
The more he is beleuyd / the more he lyeth
The more he hath wherwith / the lesse he contenteth
The more he is reproued / the more he murmureth
The more hye of pryce / the lesse tyme abydeth
The more mony he hath / the lesse hym sufyseth
The more vnderstonynge / the lesse he well sheweth
The more he hath done amisse / the lesse he feryth
The more he contynueth the worsse he lyueth
What shall god say to hym that this doeth
¶In a prynce loyalete
In a clarke humylite
In a prelate sapience
In an aduocate eloquence
In [...] cloth good coloure
In wyne good sauoure
In a marchante to kepe his fayth
In a subiecte whan he obeith
In a woman good countenans
This is a very good ordynans
¶Larges of the frenche men
Loyalte of the scotish men
Clenlynes of the alman
Swerynge of the norman
Cursynge of the pickarde
Hardynes of the lombarde
Sapyence of the brytton
Consyens of the burgonyon
Greate boste of the begger
All is not worthe a poynte of lether
¶To tyse betymes / hym selfe to recreate
To loke well to his owne / & to kepe a sobre estate
Longe or he ete / & not to soupe late
To ley hye with his hede / & to slepe moderate
Maketh man ryche / longe lyfe & fortunate.
Finis