crucifixion of Christ with the two thieves   

 
The Epitaffe of the most noble & valiant jasper late duke of Beddeforde.   


Riding all alone with sorrow sore encumbered.  
In a frosty fornone/ fast by severnes' side.  
The wordil beholding/ whereat much I Wondered  
To see the see & son/ to keep both time and tide.  
The air over my heed/ so wonderfully to glide. 
Colour ficcio.   
And how saturn by circumference borne is about.  
Which things to behold/ clearly me notyfyde  
One verray god to be/ therein to have no doubt   

And as my fantasy flamed in that occupation.  
fruitless/ devoid of all manner gladness  
Of one was I Ware/ into great desolation.  
To the earth prostrate raving for madness  
By means so inmoderate/ increased was his sadness  
That by me can not be compiled  
His deadly sorrow/ and dolorous distress  
Life in him/ by death/ so nigh Was exiled   

Him better to behold/ so far out of frame  
Nerre I nighed/ farced with fragyllyte  
wherewith Smert I perceived he called was by name  
which over hawks & hounds had authority.  
Though the room unmeet were for his poor degree  
yet fortune so him farthered to his lord  
wherefore him to lie in such perplexite.  
what it might mean/ I 'gan to my sylfe record   

I shogged him I shaked him I oft about him Went.  
And all to know/ Why so care/ his carrion hyved  
His temples I rubbed and by the nose him hent  
Al as in vain Was/ he could not be revived.  
He waltered/ he wend/ and With him self strived.  
Such countenance continuing/ but or I part the place  
Up his heed he cast when his woeful ghost arrived.  
Those Words saying with right a piteous face.   

O sorrow sorrow beyond all sorrows sure. 
Metricus pumus. Color. repeticio.   
All sorrows sure surmounting/ lo.  
To Which pain no pure may endure  
Endure may none such deadly wo.  
Woe alas ye enwrapped for he is go.  
Go is he Whose valiance to recount.  
To recount all other it did surmount.   

Gone is he alas that ready was to do.  
Each thing that to nobes required. 
Metricus secundus. C. recitacio simplex.   
Gone is he alas that ready Was to do.  
Each thing that courtesy of him desired.  
Whose froward fate falsely was conspired.  
By antraphos unasured & her ungracious charmies.  
jasper I mean is gone mars son in arms.   

He that of late reigned in glory.  
With great gloss buttylly glazed. 
M. iii. C. narracio.   
Now lo we under foot doth he lie.  
With worms ruly rent and razed  
His carrion stinking his features fasyd.  
Brother and uncle to kings yesterday.   

Now is he gone and lafte us as mased.  
Closed here lieth he in a clote of clay.  
Shall he come again/ a nay nay.  
Where is he become I can not discuss.  
Than with the prophet may We say.  
Non inventus est locus eius.   

Resting in him Was honour with sadness.  
Courtesy kindness With great assurance.  
despising vice loving all way gladness. 
Metricus quartus e● retrogradiens. Color discripcio.   
knightly conditions faithful alegeaunce  
Kindly demenoure gracious utterance.  
Was none semelyer feature ne face.  
Friendly him fostered quatrivial alliance.  
Alas yet deed now art thou jasper alas.   

wherefore sorrow to our sorrow/ none can be found.  
Ne cause again care to mollify our moneys.  
Alas the pain  
For his body and ghost 
Metricus quintus   
That we loved most.  
In a grave in the ground  
Death deep hath drowned  
Among robel and stonies  
Wherefore complain..   

Complain complain who can complain.  
For I alas past am compleynte.  
To complain wit can not sustain.  
Death me with dolour so hath bespraynt 
M. vi.   
For in my sight.  
Our lord and knight  
Contrary to right.  
Death hath ateynte.   

As the vilest of a nation.  
devoid of consolation.  
By cruel cruciation.  
He hath cumbered him sore. 
M. seven. C. iteracio   
He hath him cumbered sore.  
That france and england bear before.  
Arms of both quartered.  
And with honey soyte was gartered.  
See how he is now martyred.  
Alas for sorrow therefore.  
Alas for sorrow therefore.  
Out and Weleaway.  
For people many a score.  
For him shall yell and roar.  
Alas that we were boar.  
To see this dolorous day.   

With ashy hue complain also I cry.  
ladies/ damosels mynyonat & gorgayse.  
Knights aunterus of the mighty monarchy.  
Complain also for he that in his days.  
To enhance wont was your honour your praise.  
Now is he gone of earthly bliss ryfyld.  
For dreadful death withouten delays.  
Full dolorously his breath hath stifild.   

Teries degouting also complain complain.  
Hounds peerless/ hawks without percialyte.  
Sacris/ faucons/ heroners hautayne. 
C. transsumpcio.   
For now darked is your pomp/ your prodogalyte.  
your pleasures been past unto penalty.  
Of with your rich caperons/ put on your mourning hodes  
For jasper your prince by proportion of quality.  
Paste is by death/ those dangerous floods.   

He that manhood meyntened/ & magnamynite  
His blazing bliss now is with balies bleached 
M. viii.   
Through deaths crooked & crabbed cruelty.  
In dolour deep now is he droWned & drenched.  
His staring standard that in stoures stretched  
With a sable serpent/ now set is on a wall.  
His helm heedless/ cote corseles/ woeful and wretched.  
With a sword handeles there hang they all.   

Gewellies of late/ poised at great valoyre.  
He dead they desolate of every member.  
Styking on stakes as things of none shaloyre  
For the corpse that they couched/ cast is in sendre.  
By cruel compulsion caused to surrender. 
M. ix.   
Life up to death/ that all overspurneth.  
O see how this world turneth.  
Some laugheth some mourneth.  
yet ye princes precious and tender.  
While that ye here in glory sojourneth.  
The death of our master rue to remember.   

O turmentoure/ traitor/ torterous tyrant.  
So unwarely our duke haste thou slain 
C. exclamacio.   
That Wit and mind are unsuffycyaunte.  
Again thy myschyf malice to maintain  
We that in bliss wont Were to bain  
With fortune floating most favourably.  
Now thorough thrylled & pierced with pain.  
languor we in fervent exstasy.   

O murderer unmeasurable withouten remorse.  
Monstruus of entail abhorred in kind.  
Thou haste his corpse distressed by force. 
C. reproba cio.   
whose parayle alive thou can not find.  
How durst: how his flesh and spirit unrind.  
Dissending fro Cyzyle jerusalem and France.  
O bazalyke bryboure with eyes blind.  
Sore may thou rue thy utterquidaunce   

Thou haste bereft/ I say the earthly joy  
Of one brother & uncle to kings in degree.  
lineally descending fro aeneas of troy.  
great uncle and uncle to princes three.  
Brother to a saint by Way of nativity  
Uncle to another/ whom men seeketh belive.  
Blind crooked lame/ for remedies hourly.  
Thus god that bromecod had given a prerogative.   

And yet thou dolorous death/ to the heart hast him stinged.  
Weenest thou fellow/ such murder to escape  
I say the brewtors of Wales on the Will be revenged  
For thy false conspiracy and froward fate 
C. newgacio.   
We his servants also sole disconsolate.  
Haste thou lafte/ so that creatures more maddyr.  
In earth none wandereth atween senit & naddyr.   

Wherefore to the field/ to the field/ on With plate & male.  
Be'st/ bird/ foul/ each body terrestryal. 
M. x.   
Seek we this murderer him to assail.  
Vnafrayde join in aid/ ye bodies celestial.  
Herry saint/ with iyes faint/ to the also I call.  
for thy brother's sake/ help death to take/ that all may on him wond  
for & he rain by drift sudden/ he Will each kind encumbre.   

¶ death.  
Fouconer thou art to blame.  
And ought take shame.  
To make such pretence. 
M. xi. C. ꝓsopopeya.   
For I death hourly.  
May stand truly.  
At full lawful defence  
Death hath no might.  
Do wrong ne right.  
Favour friend ne fo.  
But as an instruments  
At commandment.  
Whether to bide or go.   

I am the instroment  
Of one omnipotent  
That knowest thou firm and plain.  
wherefore fro death  
Thy woe and wretch  
I Would thou should retain.  
And again god  
For thy bromecod  
battle to darayne.   

Than if it be right/ most of might/ thy godhead I accuse.  
For thy might/ contrary to right/ thou dost greatly abuse. 
M. xii. C. Introductio.   
Katyffes' unkind/ thou leavest behind/ paynins turks & iewis  
& our mayst great/ thou gave worms to eat wrō greatly I muse  
Is this well done/ answer me soon/ make lord thine excuse   

Did thou disdain that he should rain/ was that else the cause.  
In his rain he was most fain/ to mynest thy laws  
Than certain & thou be plain/ & steadfast in thy saws.  
Every knight that doth right/ fearing dread ne awes 
M. xiii. C. onomotopeya.   
Of thy face bright/ shall have a sight/  
after this worldly waves.  
Than good lord/ scripture doth record/ verefieng that cause  
that our bromcod With the good god/ in heaven shall rest & pause   

For first of nought thou him wrought of thy special grace  
And Were than nought him also bought/ in calvary in that place 
M. xiiii. C. ꝓbacio.   
Thou by thought/ oft he were brought/ With satanas to trace.  
yet lord to have pity thou ought/ on the picture of thy face  
we/ neither he/ dampened to be/ willingly thou witted nought. 
M. xv.   
yet dampened shall he & we be/ if thy mercy help nought.  
Discretion hast thou given ꝑde/ what Would we more ought  
After death to live with thee/ if we offend nought   

There is a cause yet of our care/ thou creature aloft.  
That thy gospel doth declare/ which I forget nought  
How unwarly our Welfare/ fro us shall be brought  
By death that none will spare/ lord that know we nought 
M. xvi.   
In sin drowned if we dare/ & so suddenly be coughte  
Than of bliss are we bare/ that filleth me full of thought   

Thou knowest lord best thy sylfe  
Man is but dust stercorye and filth  
Of him sylfe unable.  
Save only of thy special grace  
A soul thou made to occupy place.  
To make man firm and stable. 
C degressio   
which man to do as thou ordained.  
With fiends foul/ shall never be pained.  
But in bliss be perdurable.  
And if he do the contrary  
After this life than shall he die. 
M. xvii:   
fiends to feed unsatiable.  
For which fiend's foul thou made a centre.  
In which centre/ thou made an entre  
That such that to break thy commandments Would aventer  
thither down should dessende.  
But our master when death him trapte.  
In pure perseverance so was wrappeth.  
That thou invisible his spirit thither rapt  
Where thy sheltrons him shall defend.   

If We not offend  
He will purchase.  
A glorious place.  
At our last end  
To see his face.  
we shall ascend 
M. quatrinalis. C. transuersio.   
By his great grace.  
If we not offend.   

Thou haste enuapored I say aloft.  
The soul of jasper that thou wrought.  
service to do latrial.  
And why lord I did the reprove.  
Was for perfit zeal and love.  
To the not prejudicial.  
For lord this I know exprsse  
This worldly fruit is bitterness.  
farced With woe and pain.  
Life leading dolorously in distress  
Shadowed with deaths likeness.  
As in none certain.   

yet me seemeth lo thou art none of though that us so should beguile  
He is not yet ded/ I lay my head thou hast him hid for a while  
And all to prove/ who doth him love/ & Who will be unkind 
C. neugacio   
Thou hast in led laid him a bed this trow I in my mind  
for this we troW/ & thou dost know/ as thy might is most  
That him to die/ to sow & high/ it were to great a lost.   

And he be deed this know I very right  
Thou saw lord this earth corrupt with false adulation.  
And thought it place unmeet for jasper thy knight.  
wherefore of body and soul/ thou made separation.  
Preantedate saying by pure predestination. 
C. excusacio.   
When his life here should fine and consume.  
Wherefore lord thus end I my dolorous exclamation  
Thy goodness knew what was best to be done.   

As a prince penytente and full of contrition. 
M. xviii. C. conclusio.   
So died he/ we his servants can record.  
And that he may have everlasting fruition.  
We the beseech glorious king and lord  
For the last leson that he did record.  
To thy power he it aplyed/ saying tibi omnes.  
As a high knight/ in fidelity/ firmly moored  
Angeli celi et potestates.  
Wherewith pain/ to the heart him bored  
And life him left/ giving death entries   

Which life in comparison of thine:  
Is as point in line/ or as instant in tyme.  
For thou were/ and art/ and shall be all time  
In thy self reyning by power divine  
Making gerarcyiis three/ and orders nine  
The to deify  
Wherefore we cry.  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

And than most craftily did combyne.  
Another heaven called crystalline.  
So the third stellyferal to shine. 
M. nineteen. C. prolongacio.   
Above thy sky.  
Wherefore we cry  
Suffer not jasper to die  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

Moreover in a zodiac/ pure and fine.  
Synys. xii. thou set for a tyme.  
And them next in circle and line  
Saturn thou set/ jupiter and mars citryne.  
Contect and dry.  
Wherefore/ we cry.  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

Than to peryssh thorouthryll & mine.  
The mists black and clouds tetryne.  
Titan thou set clearly to shine.  
The worlds eye.  
Wherefore we cry. ut supra  
yet in their epycercles to tril & twine.  
Retrograte/ stacyoner/ direct as a line.  
Venus thou set marcury & the moan masseline.  
next fire/ and air so sotyl of engine.  
The to glorify  
Wherefore we cry  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

Water and earth with branch and vine.  
And so thy works to end and fine.  
Man to make thou did determine,  
Of whom came I.  
wherefore I cry & the supply.  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

With him to comford at all tyme.  
Thou joined the sex than of frail feminine  
Which by temptation serpentine.  
their hold sequel brought to ruin.  
By overgrete folly.  
Wherefore we cry.  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our byleveue.   

Than of thy goodness thou did incline  
flesh to take of thy mother and virgin.  
And us among in pain and famine.  
Dwalte and taught thy holy doctrine.  
Vulgurly  
Wherefore we cry.  
Suffer not jasper to die.  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

Till a traitor by false covin.  
To pylat accused the at prime.  
So taken slain/ and buried at compline.  
Rose again of adam redeeming the line.  
By thy infinite mercy.  
For which mercy.  
Incessantly we cry  
And the supply  
Suffer not our lord to die  
But to live.  
For eternally that he shall live.  
Is our believe.   

¶ Envoy.  

Kings/ princes/ remember while ye may.  
Do for your self for that shall ye find. 
M. xx.   
executors often maketh delay.  
The body buried the soul soon out of mind.  
Mark this well/ and grave it in your mind.  
How many great estates gone are before.  
And how after ye shall follow by course of kind.  
Wherefore do for your self/ I can say no more.   

Though ye be governors most precious in kind.  
Cast down your crowns and costly apparel.  
Endored With gold/ and precious stones of ynde.  
For all in the end little shall avail.  
When your estates death liketh to assail  
your bodies bulging with a blister sore  
Than Withstand shall neither plate ne mail.  
Wherefore do for your self/ I can say no more.   

There is a virtue that most is advanced  
Pure perseverance called of the porail.  
By Whom all virtues are enhanced.  
Which is not Won but by diligent travail.  
Ware in the end/ for and that virtue fail.  
Body and soul than are ye forlore  
Wherefore if ye follow Will wholesome counsel.  
Do for your self I can say no more.   

Kings princes most sovereign of renown.  
Remember our master that gone is before.  
This World is casual/ now up/ now down.  
Wherefore do for your self I can say no more.    
Amen.  
Honour tibi deus/ gloria/ et laus. Quod Smart master de ses ouzeaus.