## Alphabetical Praise of Women

### Publication Statement:

This file is part of the facsimile-edition of the Auchinleck Manuscript was co-edited by Professor David Burnley and Dr Alison Wiggins. The HTML versions of the resource are freely available at http://www.nls.uk/auchinleck/

### Notes:

This manuscript file was originally supplied as abc.html and the header file was located in heads/abc_head.html both of which were converted to TEI XML by Dr James Cummings of the Oxford Text Archive. The notes below were taken from the header file and each HTML paragraph placed in a separate note.

Scribe 1

11-line stanzas of which the ninth line is single-stress (cf. Sir Tristrem; rhymes ababababcdc). 330 lines, with some defective through cutting of f.325. Begins imperfect, having lost the first 17 lines.

Unique copy. However, MS Harley 2253 contains a copy of the French source. Harley 2253 also has in common with Auchinleck: The Harrowing of Hell and The Sayings of St Bernard.

Edition:
E. Kölbing, 'Kleine Publicationen aus der Auchinleck-hs', Englische Studien, 7 (1884): 101-110.

Other editions and studies:
F. Holthausen, 'Die Quelle des Mittelenglischen Gedichtes 'Lob der Frauen'', Archiv für das Studium der Neueren Sprachen und Litteraturen, 108 (1902): 288-301. (Text with French source in parallel).
D. Laing, A Penni Worth of Witte, Abbotsford Club (Edinburgh, 1857): 107-118.
J. Leydon, The Complaynt of Scotland (Edinburgh: Constable, 1801): 161.

Index *20. Suppl. 552.8.

### Source:

The Auchinleck Manuscript (NLS Adv MS 19.2.1) is one of the National Library of Scotland’s greatest treasures. Produced in London in the 1330s, it provides a unique insight into the English language and literature that Chaucer and his generation grew up with and were influenced by. It acquired its name from its first known owner, Lord Auchinleck, who discovered the manuscript in 1740 and donated it to the precursor of the National Library in 1744.

### Alphabetical Praise of Women

.... .... .... .... [f.324ra] [Image]
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....
.... .... .... ....[5]
Bot fals men make her fingres feld
& doþ hem wepe wel sore, to rewe
Her res:
Þurth wreches, þat er vntrewe,[10]
Wimen ben holden les.
Chosen þai be to mannes fere,
O niȝt in armes for to wende:
ȝif ani man may it here
Of a schrewe, þat wil wimen schende,[15]
Y speke for hem, & make hem skere,
& say, þat þai er gode & hende.
When þou art ded & leid on bere,
In to blis þi soule schal wende
& bide:[20]
He was born of woman kinde,
For ous bare blody sin.
Derworþer drouri wot y non,
Þan woman is, & wise of rede.
Gold no siluer no riche ston[25]
Is non so douhti in dede.
Þai make Willam, Roberd & Jon
In ioie & blis her liif to lede,
þat elles schuld spille, flesche & bon,
& ly & dwine hem selue to dede[30]
Þurth pine:
Birddes, blisced mot ȝe be
For loue of o virgine.
Eiȝen gray & browes bent [ bent: originally written brent, but r underdotted.]
Þat bere þis birddes briȝt on ble;[35]
In eueri lond, þer þai be lent
Is ful of mirþe & jolifte.
It is a sond, þat God haþ sent,
In erþe to gladi man wiþ gle.
Were wimen out of lond ywent,[40]
Al our blis were brouȝt on kne
Wel lawe:
Hou schuld men ani corn repe,
Þer no sede is souwe?
Feir & swete is wimannes viis,[45]
Þe man, þat wil hem wele bihold,
White & rede so rose on riis,
Louely liþe her here yfold
Wiþ eiȝe, forheued & nose tretis,
Al beutes þai han in wold.[50]
For loue of on, þat berþ þe priis, [f.324rb] [Image]
Y prais hem, boþe ȝong & old
Bidene:
Who so lackeþ hem in lore,
He wretþes heuen-quene. [55] [ wretþes: s is written superscript.]
Gentelri is a plaunt, as y ȝou telle,
In wiman it springeþ in ich a liȝ þ,
Þai er meke & noþing felle, [ er: e altered from ?i.]
Hende in halle as hauke in friȝ þ. [ friȝ þ: þ altered from another letter.]
He schal be curssed wiþ boke & belle,[60]
Þai ani vilaini mengeþ hem wiþ,
To rest him in þe pine of helle,
Þer neuer more schal be no griþ
No bote.
Y wold rede no cursed wreche,[65]
Oȝain our leuedi to mote.
Harpe no fiþel no sautri,
Noiþer wiþ eld no wiþ ȝong,
Is non so swete to sitten by
Al wiman, þer þai speke wiþ tong.[70]
Her speche resteþ a man wel ney
Bitvene his liuer & his long,
Þat doþ his hert rise on hey,
So clot, þat liþ in clay yclong
So sore:[75]
Who þat lackeþ wiman in lore,
Y rede, he do no more.
In al þis world was neuer no clerk,
Seþ þen Adam was fourmed & Eue,
No man þat wered breche no serk,[80]
Þat wimannes vertu couþe screue.
Þan were it to me ful derk,
A þing, þat schuld min hert greue,
For to ginne swiche a werk,
Þat neuer man no miȝt acheue[85]
To þende:
Y take wittnes at our leuedi,
Þat wimen er gode & hende.
King & emperour & kniȝt,
Alle þai were of wiman bore, [90] [ wiman: originally wan, crossed through with the correct form inserted at the end of the line. ]
& God was in a woman liȝt,
& elles were alle þis world forlore.
For it is a þing, þat bereþ riȝt
Atvix þe crop & þe more.
Amid þe tre þe frout was piȝt, [f.324va] [Image] [95]
Þat Jesu was don on rode fore,
To winne
Our soules out of helle,
Þat were bounden in sinne.
Liif is alle in woman laft[100]
& chosen þai be for trister in tour.
Þennes þarf hem neuer be raft,
Þai may þer liue wiþ gret honour.
In a chaumber of louely craft
No þarf hem dout of no schour:[105]
Oȝain al þing wiman schaft
Of alle londes þai bere þe flour
& priis,
As ouer alle oþer floures
Rose yrailed on riis.[110]
Mari, þat bar God almiȝt,
Help now, ich haue nede,
For wimannes honour to fiȝt,
Hou þai er hende in ich a dede.
Of hem it springeþ day & niȝt[115]
Swete morseles, þis lond to fede,
Frout þat is so michel o miȝt
Men y-armed stef on stede
& strong;
God ȝiue hem ioie & blis[120]
& liif to last long!
Note of þe niȝtingale
Ysett at nouȝt in time of May,
No oþer foules gret & smale,
Þat sit & singen her lay,[125]
Oȝaines a foule, þat sit in sale,
Wiþouten cage (ain) yclad in say:
Hir note abateþ mannes bale,
Þer nis no wiȝt, þat can say nay
Wiþ mouþe:[130]
We auȝt for our leuedi loue
Honour wiman, ȝif we couþe.
Of al vertus wiman is rote;
Say noman nay, for it is so
Of al bales þai be bote,[135]
To help a man of vncouþe wo;
þai beren salues, þat ben swote,
To hele me & oþer mo,
To make a man to lepe wiþ fot, [f.324vb] [Image]
Þat ere was sike & miȝt nouȝt go[140]
No stonde.
Wiman is comfort to man,
To bring him out of bond.
Perlis priis & paruink
Is woman viis in eueri plas.[145]
No may no clerk write wiþ ink
Þe swetnesse, þat þai han in face,
No in his hert him biþink,
Alle his wittes þei he chace,
Wimen, þer þai sit on benk,[150]
Hou miȝti þai ere & ful of grace
Fulfilt;
For God for ous in a wiman
His bigging haþ ybilt.
Quen of heuen, ich am þi man,[155]
In erþe to speke for þine ost;
Helpe me, leuedi, for y no can,
For to abate þe wreche bost,
Hem, þat schende gode wiman,
Þat ioie of hem in erþe is most.[160]
Al our blis of wimen gan,
Swete leuedy, þou it wost,
Ywis,
For þou bar þat ich bern,
Þat brouȝt ous alle to blis.[165]
Rose no no lili flour
No woderof þat springeþ on heþ,
Is non so swete in his odour,
For soþe, so is wimannes breþ.
Piment, clare no no licour,[170]
Milke, perre no no meþ;
& who so loued hem wiþ honour,
No dye he neuer schamely deþ
Þurth gilt!
God lat neuer her soules[175]
For non sinnes be spilt!
Spice wiþ schip, is time of pes
Þat com sailand out of þe souþe,
Rapeli raikand on a res
Ouer þe se, þat ebbeþ & flouþ,[180]
Is non so swete in his reles,
So is a cosse of womannes mouþe;
For priis of spices ichir ches, [f.325ra] [Image]
Most of vertu & namcouþe.
For why?[185]
It is euer aliche newe
Boþe lat & arly.
Trewe as treacle er þai to fond,
Clere of colour, so is þe wine;
Þai ben birddes of Godes sond,[190]
Loueliche to leggen vnder line.
Mani & fele þer ben in lond;
For soþe y say, þat on is min;
Where so þat y wake or stonde,
Ywis, ichaue a mele fin[195]
In hord,
Lufsum, fair & hende,
Trewe & trusti in word.
Bontable is womannes þouȝt,
It stikeþ þer þai han it sett.[200]
Þei anoþer hir haþ bisouȝt,
Sche wil held þat sche haþ hett,
& say, for soþe, hem helpeþ nouȝt,
No schal hem neuer be þe bett;
Bot fals werkes, þat men han wrouȝt,[205]
Maken oft her leres wet
Wel wete.
Þer a woman loue is sett,
Loþ hir is to lete.
Christ is king & God in tron:[210]
Þay þat woman schende, ȝif hem schame!
Lord, þou graunt me mi bon,
Y schal grete þe wiþ game.
Þine heued, þi fete, þi bodi bidon;
Wel oft þai swere idel þi name:[215]
Þou, þat made sonne & mone,
Swiche wreches, in erþe hem to tame
To schond,
For we auȝt for our leuedi loue
Wiman honour to fond.[220]
Þei a schrewe on woman lyȝe,
Hir godenis is neuer þe las;
ȝete he may happen, ar he dye,
Þurth tvelue monþes for to pas,
Heiȝe on galwes his mete to fi,[225]
& vnder him grese boþe ox & asse,
& as a dogge in feld to ly, [f.325rb] [Image]
Wolues & houndes to don his masse
Bi niȝt;
For we auȝt for our leuedi loue[230]
Hold wiman to riȝt.
Zabulon is a land of lede,
Þat mani man haþ ben inne;
Nouȝt al þe minstrels, þat ben kidde,
Out of þat lond in to Linne,[235]
Wiþ harpe no fiþel, sautri þer midde,
Orgens þat er ioined wiþ ginne, [ Orgens: g altered from l.]
No miȝt nouȝt telle half þe gode,
Þat a gode woman is wiþ inne,
To þende;[240]
Who þat seit wiman schame,
Ywis, he is vnkende.
Þei y were as douhti a swai(n)
As was Samson er he w ...
Or also wiȝt so was Waw[ain][245]
Or Salamon, þat was....
ȝete wald me nouȝt.......
Þat wiman schuld.........
To go on feld in snow
To help on erþe to s ....[250]
To growe:
Of wimen springe...
Joie & vertus yt ...
Est & west when . . .
Swete birdes ......[255]
Is no þing, may.........
Swiche a sond þa.......
In alle þe tales.........
Euer be sely wi............
He þat alle þin.....[260]
He was in a wo..........
For loue:
Þurth þe bern þ............
Brouȝt we ben.............
Amen say we......[265]
Blisced be þat...............
Þat God wiþ o.............
In a woman w.............
& seþ þen lent h............
To bigge ous o...........[270]
His owhen bodi wiþ flesche & bon [f.325va] [Image]
Þoled ded wiþ grimly wounde
On rode:
Lord, blisced be þi name,
It was for our gode![275]
Place is fair, þer wimen be sett,
Þai er louesum & fair of siȝt
In euerich lond, þer þai be mett,
In ich a toun, þer þai be diȝt.
Y wil held þat y haue hett,[280]
[O]uer al þis world bicom her kniȝt:
[W]el oft for ous her leres be wett
... re gronnis þai gron o niȝt
... . . dde.
... þai siken & sorwe for ous,[285]
... e be forsterd & fedde.
..........rekned in lond
........oul of al is on,
........ounde in Godes bond,
........filt of mannes mon,[290]
........urch Godes sond
........ned flesche & bon,
........em we auȝt to fond,
........ng no wot y non,
.......[295]
........t to worþschip hem
........þat he can.
........þai gon in bounde,
........es ber ous about,
........in a stounde,[300]
........ben in dout.
........ken & gon on grounde,
........hem to lout.
........grimli wounde,
........s wete wiþout[305]
..............s oft.
............rille.
............en we be brouȝt,
.......annes barm,[310]
.......i in þouȝt,
.......ram harm.
.......e ous nouȝt,
.......ous warm.
Þai sing ous mani a song for nouȝt, [f.325vb] [Image] [315]
& swetely lol ous in her harm,
Wel oft.
Wele auȝt we þan to loue wiman,
Þat kepen ous so soft.
Leuedi, þat ert flour of al þing,[320]
Þat al godenes haþ in wold,
For þe loue of þat tiding,
Þat Gabriel wiþ mouþe þe told,
Þat Jesu, þat is heuen-king,
In þi bodi liȝten he wold,[325]
ȝif hem al gode ending,
Þat honour wiman ȝing & old
In word & dede:
Þe child, þat our leuedi bare,
Graunt hem heuen to mede. Amen.[330]
Explicit