Nequit stare (219)

Summary

[fol. 77v]

¶ Nequit stare set rotare fortuna mutabilis

Per quam scita mors uel uita uenit admirabilis.

En iam primus set nunc ymus flos florum militie

Regnat modo ruit modo, pacem zelans Anglie.

Heu uir fortis Montis Fortis, corpus tuum moritur,

Denudatur, mutilatur, per partes diuiditur.

Amputatur capud, datur, mulieri mittitur.

Non uilescit nec sordescit, Baptiste coniungitur.

Set mens fortis hora mortis [non] morte percutitur.

Sullimatur, coronatur, in celis recipitur.

Hoc monstrauit, hoc probauit sol priuatus lumine,

Terre motus, orbis totus tunc percussus fulmine.

Die martis marce Martis transit in uigilia

<Par> amici dominici cum sua militia.

Deridebat et pedebat scutifer ignobilis,

Male sonans quasi plorans necem plangens comitis.

Laus sit Deo nil ab eo post exisse dicitur.

Tumens uentre gemens mente derisor confunditur.

Symon ergo mortis ergo fac ne nos concuciat,

Te tutore te ductore Christus nos suscipiat.

Nequit stare (219)

Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, MS Kk.4.20, fol. 77v

¶ The changeable wheel of Fortune, by which is made the awesome decree of death or life, will not stay still but revolves.

[3] Lo, the greatest now and not the least, the flower of the flowers of knighthood, at one moment rules and at another is cast down, ardent for the peace of England.

[5] Alas, Montfort, you strong man, your body dies, is stripped, mutilated and split into parts.

[7] Your head is cut off and given away, and is sent to a woman. It has become neither debased nor sullied; it is associated with the Baptist.

[9] But at the hour of death a strong conviction is not struck down by death. It is exalted, crowned, received in heaven.

[11] This was shown, this was proved, by a sun deprived of light, by an earthquake, by the whole world then hit by lightning.

[13] On a Tuesday (die martis) he passes from the field of Mars with his army in the evening like a friend of the Lord.

[15] A lowly squire mocked and farted, making a foul sound like weeping to lament the earl's violent death.

[17] Praise be to God, nothing afterwards is said to have come out of him. With swollen belly and groaning mind, the one who mocked is confounded.

[19] Therefore, Simon, make it so that death may not shake us so that, with you as our guardian and leader, Christ may receive us.