[Footnote 44:  Many.]

[Footnote 45:  guide.]

[Footnote 46:  tost.]

[Footnote 47:  astonish.]

[Footnote 48:  glassy, reflecting.]

[Footnote 49:  lessen, alloy.]

[Footnote 50:  hollow.]

[Footnote 51:  Bewildered, curious.]

[Footnote 52:  hid, covered.]

[Footnote 53:  huge, bulky.]

[Footnote 54:  dispatched.]

[Footnote 55:  red lightning.]

[Footnote 56:  cruel.]

[Footnote 57:  flames, rays.]

AN EXCELENTE BALADE

OF CHARITIE: 

As wroten bie the gode Prieste THOMAS ROWLEY[1],
1464.

    In Virgyne the sweltrie sun gan sheene,
    And hotte upon the mees[2] did caste his raie;
    The apple rodded[3] from its palie greene,
    And the mole[4] peare did bende the leafy spraie;
    The peede chelandri[5] sunge the livelong daie; 5
    ’Twas nowe the pride, the manhode of the yeare,
  And eke the grounde was dighte[6] in its mose defte[7] aumere[8].

    The sun was glemeing in the midde of daie,
    Deadde still the aire, and eke the welken[9] blue,
    When from the sea arist[10] in drear arraie 10
    A hepe of cloudes of sable sullen hue,
    The which full fast unto the woodlande drewe,
    Hiltring[11] attenes[12] the sunnis fetive[13] face,
  And the blacke tempeste swolne and gatherd up apace.

    Beneathe an holme, faste by a pathwaie side, 15
    Which dide unto Seyncte Godwine’s covent[14] lede,
    A hapless pilgrim moneynge did abide,
    Pore in his viewe, ungentle[15] in his weede,
    Longe bretful[16] of the miseries of neede,
    Where from the hail-stone coulde the almer[17] flie? 20
  He had no housen theere, ne anie covent nie.

    Look in his glommed[18] face, his sprighte there scanne;
    Howe woe-be-gone, how withered, forwynd[19], deade! 
    Haste to thie church-glebe-house[20], asshrewed[21] manne! 
    Haste to thie kiste[22], thie onlie dortoure[23] bedde. 25
    Cale, as the claie whiche will gre on thie hedde,
    Is Charitie and Love aminge highe elves;
  Knightis and Barons live for pleasure and themselves.

    The gatherd storme is rype; the bigge drops falle;
    The forswat[24] meadowes smethe[25], and drenche[26] the raine; 30
    The comyng ghastness do the cattle pall[27],
    And the full flockes are drivynge ore the plaine;
    Dashde from the cloudes the waters flott[28] againe;
    The welkin opes; the yellow levynne[29] flies;
  And the hot fierie smothe[30] in the wide lowings[31] dies. 35