CHAPTER X

SONGS AND LYRICS

LYRICAL poetry is of many kinds, and many productions that might be included under that heading have already been treated in previous chapters. There still remain, however, for consideration a goodly number of short poems which might be collected into a medieval "Golden Treasury of Songs and Lyrics," the basis of selection being, as in Palgrave's anthology, that "each poem shall turn on some single thought, feeling, or situation."

Middle English lyrics may be roughly divided into three classes—ecclesiastical, popular, and courtly; the production in general of monks, minstrels, and secular clerks. Yet no such division is permissible that does not recognise the inevitable transgression of limits; for monks were clerks, and clerks were minstrels, and all sorts of clergy might be courtiers by merit for the nonce, or always by reason of birth. Moreover, ecclesiastics were often lewd while laymen were devout, and in both classes were poets who occupied themselves now with religious, now with secular themes. Furthermore, no style of lyrical writing was without influence on the others. Ecclesiastical poems favour the metres of the Latin hymns and chants; popular songs are generally accompanied by refrains; courtly lays are apt to exhibit the complications and conventions of Southern art. But it is striking how the various methods encroach each on the other's special domain. The songs of churchmen often glow with the

sensuousness of amorous troubadour verse, while those of courtiers as often betray the gleeman's love of nature and breathe the wholesome atmosphere of out-of-doors. Sometimes to a purely artificial product will be added a refrain from a minstrel lay. Occasionally in the same metre and in much the same words, thoughts of contrasting kind will be conveyed. In general, Middle English lyrics are characterised by a certain earnestness, warmth, and healthy vigour that give them a peculiar quality as opposed to similar Continental productions: what they lack in polish, they make up for in sincerity. All show in form a definite departure from Anglo-Saxon models. Many, to be sure, especially those from the West Midland district, evince a tendency to alliteration; but this is used as contributive ornament rather than as a method of structure. The lyrics of the period. reached their finest form in artistically fashioned stanzas, presenting a wide variety in disposition of rhyme and length of line. These are the direct prototypes of much of modern English verse.

Just as the winsome spirit of legend casts a glamour over the first composition of religious verse in Anglo-Saxon times, so it seems to hover over its new birth five hundred years later, when it revisits for a moment the scenes of past achievements. Again it came to Whitby, and again a man of lowly origin was inspired by a heavenly vision to sing in praise of God. The story of St. Godric, like that of Cædmon, deserves to be held in memory.

Of him it is related that one day, when the sun was shining bright in the heavens, he lay bowed in earnest prayer before the altar of the Virgin, when all at once Our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by Mary Magdalen, both very beautiful, with raiment shining white, in figure not large, resembling maidens of tender years. The petitioner was possessed by joy, but dared not move. Soon, however, the two drew near with slow steps, and Our Lady spoke. "We will," said she, "protect thee to the end of the world, and seek to support thee in every need." Godric threw himself at her feet, and confided himself to her care. Thereupon the holy ones laid their hands on his head and stroked the hair from his temples, and the whole place was filled

with sweet fragrance. Next the mother of mercy taught him a new song,
which she sang before him as before a pupil, and he sang it after her and
remembered it all the days of his life. When he had the text and melody fast
in his mind, she bade him, as often as pains plagued him, or temptation, or
vexation threatened to overcome him, to sing the same, giving him this assur-
ance: "From now on, if thou wilt call on me with this prayer, thou shalt have
me at once as a propitious helper." Then, after making repeatedly over his
head the sign of the cross, she and her companion vanished, leaving behind
them the most wonderful fragrance. This tale, with tears flowing from his
eyes, Godric more than once related to Reginald, monk of Durham, by
whom it was recorded, together with the text of the song, as follows:

Sainte Marie, Cristes bur,
Maidenes clenhad, moderes flur,
Dile mine sinne, rixe in min mod,

Bing me to opore's lefies "Bring me to winne with self God.
fod Himself for age to cu!

Mary Mary, then viam Clean
Mothe of feen, the platen
me, they godric help alway
shild protect me, when ping
Godes ric.
That eternally

"St. Mary, Virgin, mother of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, receive, shield, help thy Godric; embrace and bring him aloft with thee into the kingdom of God.-St. Mary, Christ's abode, pearl (cleanness) of maidens, flower of mothers, remove my sin, rule in my mind, aid me to reach to God Himself."

Reginald gives detailed information regarding the life of Godric, as apprentice, pilgrim, and hermit, from his birth in Norfolk to his death (in the year 1170) at Durham. We possess parts of two other songs attributed to him, one composed on the occasion of the appearance to him of his dead sister, who in answer to his prayer was allowed to return to earth to assure him of her salvation, and another concerning a vision that he had of St. Nicholas, whom he saw with angels singing at the grave of Christ. He joined in their song, which St. Nicholas commended.

If we examine Godric's song to the Virgin, we observe three noteworthy facts: that it is in stanzas, is embellished by rhyme, and is fired by mysticism-that, in fact, it anticipates in striking features the style and spirit of religious lyrics for the next three hundred years. Very similar are the ecstatic effusions.

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attributed to Richard Rolle, who in the fourteenth century followed St. Godric's manner of life.

But it is not necessary to come down so late to find parallels to his prayer-poem. Only a little after Godric's time (c. 1210) was written A Good Orison of Our Lady, a "lay" skilfully wrought in some 170 long lines of fluent verse, "found," we are informed, by a monk, possibly first in Latin.

It begins : "Christ's mild mother, St. Mary, light of my life, my dear lady -to thee I bow and bend my knee and all my heart's blood offer to thee." The poet declares that he will sing love-songs to her incessantly, for she has released his soul from torment. She is bright and blissful above all women, their "blossom" before the throne of God. High is her throne above the cherubim; the angels make joyful music in her presence; she dispenses the richest gifts to her friends, ennobles them in a land of indescribable mirth, from golden bowls pours out to them eternal life with angelic joys. Her company are all radiant in white ciclatouns and wear golden crowns-red as roses and white as lilies, gleeful in the presence of their Lord and His queen. She is the well-spring of life; heaven is full of her bliss, the earth of her mercy. The poet is in servitude for her love; for it he has forsaken all that was dear to him. He implores her, his "lief sweet lady," to have pity on him, to shield him from sorrow, and heal his wounds; for in her is all his trust, after her dear Son.

Many are the orisons and salutations to Our Lady, the Ave Marias short and long, separate and in sequences, original and translated, that were written in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. An early example of the sort, simpler yet more dignified than most, is one beginning thus:

Blessed be thou, Lady, full of Heaven's bliss,
Sweet flower of Paradise, mother of mildëness,

Pray Jesu thy Son that He me rede and wiss (guide)
So my way for to go, that He me never miss.

The metre, it may be observed, is the familiar long line with seven accents and a cæsura after the fourth, found most accurately in the Ormulum, which by division into parts became what is known as the "Common Metre." With it should be compared that of another charming poem of the first half of the thirteenth

century, from the same West Midland district, where French rhymes in the second half-line blend with the English of the first.

Maiden, mother mild, oiez cel oreysoun;

From shame thou me shield, e de ly malfeloun.
For love of thy child, me menez de tresoun;
I was wod and wild, ore su en prisoun.

Thou art fair and free, e plein de doucour;
Of thee sprang the blee, ly souerein creatour;
Maiden, beseech I thee vostre seint secour,

Meek and mild be with me, per la sue amour.

Another, with English and Latin combined, in a modified stanza, is still more melodious:

Of one that is so fair and bright, velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light, parens et puella,

I cry to thee, thou look on me.

Lady, pray thy Son for me, tam pia,

That I may come to thee, Maria.

All this world was forlorn, Eva peccatrice,
Till our Lord was y-born, de te genetrice.

With ave it went away.

Thuster (dark) night and cometh the day salutis.

The well springeth out of thee, virtutis.

Lady, flower of allë thing, rosa sine spina,

Thou bore Jesu, Heaven's king, gratia divina,
Of all thou bearest the prize.

Lady, queen, of paradise, electa.

Maiden mild, mother, es effecta.

A stabat mater of uncommon tenderness is extant in six-line stanzas, rhyming aabccb. In stanzas of eight lines the "five joys" of the Virgin were sung. And various other short poems full of "love-longing" attest the sentiment of tender devotion that she inspired. At the same time were frequent mystical lovesongs in praise of Christ "so mild and sweet." Most notable of these is the well-known Love Rune of the Franciscan Thomas of