The Bishop  Who  Loued Moche to here the Harpe

Y shall yow telle, as y haue herd

Of the bysshope Seynt Roberd,

Hys toname ys Orostest

Of Lynkolne, so seyth the gest.

He loued moche to here the harpe,

For mannys wytte hyt makyth sharpe:

Next hys chanmbre, beside hys stody,

Hys harpers chaumbre was fast thereby.

Many tymes, be nyhtys and dayys,

He had solace of notes and layys.

One asked hym onys, resun why

He hadde delyte yn mynstralsy:

He answerede hym on thys manere,

Why he helde the harper so dere,

The vertu of the harpe, thurgh skylle & ryght

Wyl destroye the fendes myght,

And to the croys by gode skylle

Ys the harpe lykened weyle. . ..               ~

The harpe therof me ofte mones;

Of the ioye and of the blys

Where God hymself wonys and ys.

Thare-fore, gode men, ye shul lore,

Whan ye any glemen here,

To wurschep God at youre powere,

As Dauyd seyth yn the sautere,(פסלתר)

Yn harpe, yn thabour, and symphan gle,

Wurscbepe God, yn troumpes and sautre,

Yn cordes, an organes, and bellys yngyng,

Yn al these, wurschepe ye heuene kyng.

Yf ye do thus, y sey hardly,

Ye mow here youre mynstralsy.

Source: Pound, Louise,   Poetic Origins and the Ballad,   p. 186, Russel & Russel, N.Y., 1962

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