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ABSTRACT

AN EDITION OF BRITISH MUSEUM MANUSCRIPT
ADDITIONAL 37049: A RELIGIOUS
MISCELLANY

 

BY

Brant Lee Doty

British Museum manuscript Additional 37049 has

 

been familiar to medievalists by name since its acquisi-
tion by the Museum in 1905. Various selections from the
manuscript attracted attention in scholarly journals and
books, but the manuscript has never before been edited in
its entirety--the objective of this dissertation.

Initial work, begun from an early microfilm, en-
countered several difficulties. Some pages were not
completely photographed. The black-and-white reproductions
made it impossible to distinguish the rubricator's work,
and the coloration of illustrations. The manuscript has
suffered damage from liquid and grease stains, torn and
badly worn pages, and careless handling. The trimmer has
removed portions of a few lines at top, bottom, or both
sides. To complete the study, it became necessary to

study the manuscript in the British Museum.

Brant Lee Doty

At least four writers contributed to 31932, each
employing an easily distinguishable hand. The primary
scribe, whom I have dubbed 'A', is careless, irregular,
often difficult to read, and he commits numerous errors
of every description. His style is that of the 'bastard'
hand, of which glggg_may be considered a most elementary
example. The secondary scribes contribute less substan-
tially, although "The Desert of Religion", the longest
single item in the manuscript, is the work of '3'.

Some of the items have not yet been identified,

either by myself, or the Catalogue, or by Brown and

 

Robbins' lgggx. These are usually minor and brief.

The primary purpose of this work is to present
an accurate, literal transcription of the text of E1232!
preserving both the intent and the integrity of the
original. Verse is transcribed in stanzaic forms accord-
ing to rhyme schemes, excepting for the extensive couplets.
Pictures are plentiful, and each one is described in de-
tail. More than 1200 scribal and authorial errors have
been documented; they are noted where they affect the
text materially. Unusual words, or common wordgx1: usual
forms, are footnoted and entered in the glossary.

Major findings of the study indicate that the
manuscript has been properly classified as a Northern

work, probably produced in one of two Carthusian monas-

teries (Mount Grace or Kingston-upon-Hull) in York, with

Brant Lee Doty

the latter location more likely. At least four scribes
wrote portions of the manuscript, providing an interesting
study in writing styles of the day. While the manuscript
is not distinguished for its great literary value, it
provides an important dialectal study, with numerous
interesting examples of Northern vocabulary and word forms.
In addition, as a religious sampler, £1232 well represents
several contemporary works advocating the ascetic
Christian life.

This dissertation makes further scholarly re-
search, analysis and identification of the seventy-one
items immediately available without the necessity of

consulting the original.

AN EDITION OF BRITISH MUSEUM MANUSCRIPT

ADDITIONAL 37049: A RELIGIOUS

 

MISCELLANY

BY

Brant Lee Doty

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department of English

1969

DEDICATION

To my wife, Ruth, and to my family, from
whom I have stolen many irreplaceable hours in
order to complete this work, this volume is

most affectionately dedicated.

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Without the extensive, courteous and efficient
assistance of numerous individuals and institutions, this
thesis would have been infinitely more difficult to produce.

First mention must go to my Guidance Committee,
chaired by Dr. Arnold Williams, and further composed of
Drs.William W. Heist and Harry R. Hoppe. They have shown
a vital interest and have rendered innumerable constructive
criticisms and suggestions.

To my colleagues at Great Lakes Bible College is
due my sincerest gratitude. On numerous occasions, and in
countless ways, they willingly assumed various responsi-
bilities and duties normally my own.

A number of students at Great Lakes Bible College,
as well as many other personal friends, gave of their own
funds to sponsor my period of six weeks' study in the British
Museum. To them is due a special, warm expression of deep
thanks.

The staff of the British Museum are to be commended
for efficient and unreserved assistance during the period
of research there.

Mrs. Sharon Vliet, typist, gave willingly and un-

selfishly of her time and efforts to bring the dissertation

to proper form for publication.

iii

INTRODUCTION

TEXT . . . .

GLOSSARY . .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TABLE OF

CONTENTS
Page

0 O I O O O O O O O O O 539

. . . . . . . . . . . . 548

iv

INTRODUCTION

British Museum Manuscript Additional 37049 has
never before been edited in its entirety. A few articles
from the volume have been read, edited, or reviewed by
various writers during the sixty-four years since its
acquisition by the Museum, but by far the bulk of the
manuscript has escaped careful scrutiny. Because of the
dialectal, literary, religious and historical significance,
31222_is worthy of scholarly attention.

It is the controlling purpose of this disserta-
tion to make available an accurate transcription of the
entire contents of the manuscript, and to present at the
same time preliminary research in various areas touched
by the contents. Fidelity to the original intent of the
writer is a primary objective at all times.

For the most part done crudely in distressingly
poor scripts, the manuscript offers several problems in
transcription. I first attempted to edit from a micro-
film copy. When this proved to be inadequate, it was
necessary to spend six weeks in the British Museum with
the original. Although most of the difficulties were
resolved as a consequence, a few problems remain--those

caused by irrecoverable loss to the book itself, those

encountered in illegible portions, and miscellaneous mat-
ters which will be noted in the text. Nevertheless, it
is possible to present a transcription of sufficient
accuracy to assure that no violence has been done to the
extant text. The product is, I hope, a work which may
be used by others for their individual purposes.
Provenance of There are immediate difficulties in
the Manuscript

attempting to establish the provenance
of the manuscript. Records of the Museum simply show
that 312£2_was purchased from one L. Rosenthal of Munich
on 13 May, 1905. Nothing more could be learned of its
prior history of ownership.
Carthusian HOpe Emily Allen has proposed that
Origin

§ZQ£g_was produced by a Carthusian monk
late in the first half of the fifteenth century.1 The
hypothesis is consistent with the data at hand. Since,
as will be shown later, the manuscript is of distinctly
Northern origin, we are at the moment concerned essen-
tially with those monasteries in the northern area of the
country. Between 1422-1500 there were nine Carthusian
monasteries and nine nunneries in Britain, with a total
of 182 monks and 175 nuns as regular members of the order.2
Monasteries in the North of England were Axholme, founded

in 1397-8 in Lincolnshire; Beauvale, founded in 1343 in

Nottinghamshire; Kingston-upon-Hull, founded in 1377 in

East Yorkshire; and Mount Grace (or Mountgrace), founded
in 1398 in North Yorkshire.3 Because of the fundamental
concept behind the order itself, they were quite small
in comparison with those of other orders. Beauvale, for
example, housed only the prior and twelve monks at its
founding; forty years later, provision was made for the
addition of two more. Mount Grace was begun with one
prior and sixteen monks, with the number increased to
twenty-one in 1420.4
The Carthusians were never a popular order in
England, and there were never more than eleven houses

simultaneously in the country.5 Peter the Venerable,

whose writing in the Patrologiae Latinae is widely cited,

 

said the houses regularly had no more than twelve monks
with the prior, along with eighteen lay brothers and a
few paid servants. He notes their unique and identifying
customs: they wore their hair shirts of the most severe
kinds; their fasting was almost continuous; they never
ate meat, and ate other foods but once daily; they lived
in separate little houses.6 The tonsure of the order
allowed a narrow strip of hair around the head, and no
beard. The habit was of white, a scapular with attached
hood.

The Carthusians have been associated with a

large body of ascetic writings, as well as mystical

theological works. 37049 gives a history of the founding

of the Charterhouse (ff. 22r’v),

in 29-couplet verse. It
is directly followed by a succession of verses stressing
the Passion.
Richard Rolle It is possible that a few of the verses
of Hampole

in 31049 are actually the work of Richard
Rolle of Hampole or are later versions of Rolle's writings.
The matter is well discussed by Miss Allen in the work
cited.7 More probably they are products, for the most
part at least, of his 'school', of which the best known
are Walter Hilton, William Nassyngton and Juliana Lampit.

Description of The Catalogue of the Additions to the
the Manuscript

 

 

British Museum gives, at the end of the

 

portion dealing with our manuscript, a very brief descrip-
tion: "Paper (except ff. 1,21); ff. 3. + 96. First half
of the xv. cent. The coloured drawings are in the crudest
style. On f. 1. is an old number 94. 10 3/4 in. by 8
in."8 Folios l and 2 are vellum, much darkened by age
and use. The paper is usually well preserved, although
the lower outside corner shows damage rather consistently.
Toward the end of the volume, the damage becomes rather
severe, resulting in the loss of an increasingly large
portion of the text. Because the writing often approaches
all margins, some material has been lost in the process

of trimming and binding (see esp. 72r, 91r). Loss of

full lines or portions of lines, and marginalia has

4

resulted from such trimming, as well as from the more
common factors of natural deterioration of the paper,
or from ordinary wear in use, or from tearing.

These damages cause frequent problems for the
reader of 31242, Folio lr is marred by some kind of
liquid, making some of the original Latin undecipherable,
even under ultra-violet light. Apparently the stain has
been left from the moist bottom of a circular container.
The primary portion of the stain is crescent-shaped, and
beyond the crescent there is irregular dispersion of the
mark. The text is elsewhere troubled at times by stains
from liquid or what might have been, in some instances,
bits of meat or grease dropped upon the pages.

The vellum of ff. 1 and 2 is reasonably well
preserved. Irregularly throughout the paper pages (ff.
3-96) various other difficulties are encountered. Both
lower corners of ff. 11-22 are torn, bordering upon the
text, but without any great loss. Folio 26 is torn
diagonally from the lower left to within about one inch
of the outer margin. Approximately two-thirds of the
bottom line of f. 30v is ripped off and lost. Folio 32
is torn horizontally just below the center, from the outer
edge of the interior margin, but without loss.

The binder has carelessly trimmed away an in-
scription above the title on 36r, leaving only the barest

lower tips of some letters remaining. The line cannot be

deciphered. A similar misadventure has eliminated much
of the top line of 45V, and the bottom line of 46r. In
defense of the trimmer, it should be said that the orig-
inal scribe(s) extended the writing most irregularly in
all directions.

Folio 59V loses up to half of its first five
lines in the upper left from a rip. An unusual tear,
rectangular in shape, leaves a large hole in the lower
center of f. 65. The lost portion measures approximately
three inches in width and three and one-half inches in
height, at the interior margin. The title on 82r is
trimmed, but the text may be reasonably inferred. From
this page to the end of the book, the corner damage be-
comes progressively worse on both sides of the bottom
until, at the end (f. 96), the outer corner is lost to
more than four and one-quarter inches from the outer
edge inward, and to about six inches upward at the outer
edge; nearly one-fifth of the page is missing as a con-
sequence. The rip along the inside corner is much the
smaller, and runs diagonally across the interior. It
affects the final four lines of f. 96V, and smaller por-
tions of the preceding pages. Spotty damage from tearing
can be seen in many other places, but without important
effects upon the text.

The rubricator's ink often soaks through the

paper. This may be seen especially where the title on 87V

is legible in reverse on 87r. The black ink, although
less prominently than the red, is often visible from
this cause. Sometimes such bleeding makes the reading
difficult, but nowhere does it become obliterated or
undecipherable.

Contents of The Catalogue briefly describes the
37049

 

 

contents of the manuscript: "The Desert
of Religion and other poems and religious pieces, etc.,
mostly illustrated, in Northern English."9 Then follows
a listing of each of the seventy-one separate articles.
In some instances, where a work is known from other
sources, the description gives aid in further research;
in others, so little is known that a brief sentence
suffices. Few if any of the articles are unique.

The book is, nonetheless, an interesting collec-
tion of religious miscellany done in both prose and verse.
All articles are of a religious nature. The verse differs
widely in type, topic, and literary merit.

Many of the items in 11019 have not been found
in any other manuscripts. The 1ndgx g£_Middle English
Verse gives other manuscript sources for most, but not
all, of the verse. Some articles are very well known
and were widely distributed before the end of the fifteenth
century. Mandeville, and the Horologium (both relatively

short in 37049), are well known in their entirety elsewhere,

as is the "Desert of Religion." Several disputations
and other verse have come to us from well-known works.
Viewed according to types, the prose articles
of 11222 are legends, travelogues, chronicles, treatises,
disputations, meditations, miracle-tales, dialogues, and
visions. The verses include meditations, dialogues,
mimes, songs, moral distiches, emblem poetry, and gen-
eral religious verse. Some thirty pages are filled with
illustrations, crudely done and colored with red, blue,

green, brown and shades of gray and black inks.

Drawings Drawings are common in the manuscript.
They may be found on virtually every page.10

Some are tiny and some are large enough to fill entire

pages, like the full-page spreads of the Blessed Virgin

and the Christ (ff. 1v, 2r), or the double page layout

of the Seven Sacraments (72v, 73r). Texts of the "Dis-

putacion Betwyx pe Body and Wormes," (ff. 334-35r), and

of the Horologium (ff. 39r_43v) are interspersed with

 

small repetitive figures throughout. Most of the draw-
ings of any size are given some coloring, but there is
little consistency; and the predominant color, besides
basic black, is red. Nothing of the ornately artistic
drawings or illuminations of the better manuscripts of

the period will be seen in this one.

The "Desert of Religion," extending from 46r
to 66v, devotes each verso to a divided page, with the
text of the poem occupying the left half and an illus-
tration filling the right half. Each recto of the folios
is filled with a full-page drawing of one of the many
trees of the desert, upon whose leaves, trunks and
branches are inscribed alternately the vices or the
virtues represented by the tree. This is the same pat-
tern used by other manuscripts which preserve the poem,
although the illustrations do not always follow the same
order in all sources. The technique is not used with any

other article in 37049.

Prose in 91229 The longest prose works in 91229_are
the "Book of John Mandeville" and "Agayns
Despayre." The former extends from f. 3r to 9V; the lat-
ter occupies ff. 89v to 95r. Much of the attention of
the prose is directed toward the ascetic and mystical;
all is of a religious nature, a fact which harmonizes
with the verse content of the manuscript. Reverence
for the Blessed Virgin is strong and consistent, and the
wounded and bleeding body of Jesus is a common topic.
Both topics are reproduced frequently among the drawings,
with the crucifixion scene of Jesus the most common sin-
gle subject. The several saints' legends, the disputa-

tions, the chronicle and the exempla are highly didactic

and hortatory in nature. All are told with a totally
reverent manner; indeed, there is nothing anywhere in
the entire manuscript which would offend the tenderest
conscience or the most rigid religious code of the con-
temporary fifteenth-century orthodox Christian.

Far from being literarily meritorious, however,
the prose works are, by twentieth-century standards at
least, stilted and at times incredibly banal. Since
these certainly are not all original compositions, what-
ever blame or credit may be accounted to the contents of
91229_must be given further to the sources from which
the writers of 91229 drew.

Original Order There is some evidence that the
of the Contents

of the Manuscript seventy-one items bound together in
this manuscript have not always been a part of the same
volume; or, if they have, that they have not always been
arranged in the present order. Clearly f. 11 is much
more severely damaged than is f. 10; in addition, it is
much darker from handling and is badly smudged, whereas
f. 10v appears comparatively clean and relatively undam-
aged. Both lower corners and both upper corners of f. 10
show diagonal rips, but the loss is minimal. The four
corners of f. 11 are also torn, but the rips are not
similar in size or shape to those of f. 10, as are the

rips at the edges of the immediately preceding pages.

10

Damage to the folios immediately following f. 11 follows
the same general shape and size, in diminishing scope.
It may be fairly concluded that folios 10 and 11 have
not always been neighbors, and perhaps that folio 11

may have served at some time as the opening page of the
book. This division coincides with a break between Ar-
ticles 3 and 4, which makes their separation logically
possible. Both seem to have been done in the same hand,
indicating they are part of the same author's work, if
not always of the same volume.

The next, and perhaps most significant differ-
ence is to be noted in the end of Article 42 (f. 45v) and
the beginning of Article 43 (from f. 45r). One would
first notice the obvious fact that they are done in dif—
ferent hands (see prefatory discussion to Article 43).
In addition, f. 45 has a very irregular horizontal tear
across the bottom of the page, reaching up as much as
1 1/2 inches. There is no other damage. Folio 46 shows
no damage whatever. This factor is significant when it
is pointed out that the damage to f. 45 can be traced
back consistently to f. 31; its abrupt ending, along with
the fact that no page from f. 46 through 56 is similarly
damaged shows again that ff. 45 and 46 probably have not
always been immediate neighbors.

The next location where such a differential may

be seen is at folios 66 and 67. The former shows damage

11

at the lower left corner--a diagonal rip causing no loss
in the text, and a long, narrow rip up the interior mar-
gin which is also without effect on the text. Folio 67
also shows a rip along the interior margin, but it is
dissimilar to that of f. 66, being longer and wider;
this type of rip continues on the folios following, and
may have run the height of the entire page, as indicated
by repair work on 67.

Since ff. 46r-66V precisely include the "Desert
of Religion," and since, at_both its end and at its be-
ginning there is evidence that it has not always fit
between the articles preceding and following, it may be
inferred that this Article, (43), has been moved at some
time. There is little likelihood that Articles 42 and
44 were neighbors, since the pages are not at all simi-
larly damaged or stained.

Similar arguments to demonstrate an earlier,
different arrangement in 91229 could be adduced from
evidence that ff. 73 and 74 are differently damaged;
this division coincides with the break between Articles
52 and 53. From this point to the end of the manuscript
it seems unlikely that the arrangement has been altered.

Scholarly Uses The official record of the Museum
of BM Add 37409

 

shows fifteen listed scholarly uses

of the manuscript prior to 1968. Each citation makes it

12

evident, however, that scholars who consulted the text
were concerned with single items or with themes which
necessarily limited their interests in the manuscript to
a small portion of its contents.11

Broader interests in 91229_have largely centered
about the "Desert" poem, the version of Mandeville's
journeys, various poems ascribed to Rolle and his 'school',
and some of the lesser verse. The inevitable consequence
is that the manuscript has been only spottily reproduced
for study outside of the Museum itself. Microfilms of
the manuscript were in existence some years ago, but the
official and recorded microfilm copy was not undertaken
until I requested it in August of 1968.

Even so, enough of 91229_had become known through
scholarly reproductions and citations to generate an in-
terest in the entire manuscript, the rationale for the

present volume.

 

Various Hands BM Additional 37049 appears essentially
Used in the
Manuscript to have been the work of a single scribe,

whom we shall call 'A'. However, there are portions which
are dissimilar enough to the main body to suggest that
other hands contributed to its compilation. Criteria used
to make this judgment include writing styles; an analysis
of the number and types of errors observed and classified;

the vocabulary; traits of dialect; variations in types of

13

abbreviations.and cancellations; and, otherwise unaccount-
able differences, such as size of letters and the work of
the rubricator. We are here concerned primarily with the
writing styles as distinguishing bases for our judgment.

12 accounts for the overwhelm-

The 'bastard' hand
ing bulk of this manuscript. Used by scribe 'A', in
91229 it becomes at times cramped, irregularly sized,
sometimes sloping downward and sometimes climbing upward
on the page; and it is generally lacking in neatness.
Errors are very common, and the general impression one
must get from even a casual examination is that 'A' was
careless. The pages were never lined. Words are often
cramped, although the right-hand margin is not well justi-
fied. 'A' always cancels by drawing several lines through
the portion to be deleted. This may be done in the orig-
inal black ink, or in both black and red ink, or in red
only. Often the deletion is so complete that the orig-
inal cannot be read with the unaided eye. 'A' may insert
his correction in the margin, above the appropriate place,
or in both spots; or he may write below the line, if he
is at the bottom of the page. He usually uses the caret
for such insertions (A), but is not consistent.

Mechanically, 'A' has further singular traits
The letters 'b', 'd', '1', 'h', and 'w' are always looped,
as is the tail of the '9'. Initial 's' is nearly always

'f', with the tail extending below the line. 'F' also is

14

elongated below the line. It is relatively easy to dis-
tinguish between 'p' and 'y'--the latter usually has a
longer, more slender tail, and usually ends with a small
curl to the right. The top of the 't' extends upward
higher that the spine of the 'c', thus helping avoid a
problem sometimes encountered in distinguishing these
two letters. The ampersand of 'A' is a consistent '%'.
The 'r' commonly used by 'A' is 'y', with an occasional
'1'. 'Yodh' is always rounded (3), regardless of its
use.

Scribe 'B', who did "The Desert", (ff. 46V-66V),
consistently uses a block form for his letters, rather
than the loosely rounded style of 'A'. He consistently
lines his pages, making his line of writing much more
nearly straight than is that of 'A'. Unlike 'A', 'B'
often cancels by dotting beneath the letters to be re-
moved, and he indicates inverted word order by short
parallel lines before and after the word to be moved
(as 'Pryde‘Vmen”make§). 'B' loops none of his letters
excepting the tail of '9'. At times it is difficult, if
not impossible to distinguish between 'thorn' and 'y'.
Both his 'f' and his tall '3' usually stop at the line
of writing, with a terminal slant at the base; they may
be differentiated only when he uses another form of 's'
(S), or by the horizontal line through the 'f'. A slight

outward curl may be found at the base of his 'h', below

15

the line of writing. The common 'r' is '7”, with an
occasional '1'. Ampersand is written '5‘. The vowels
'e' and 'o' are often joined to the vertical lines of
letters where this line forms the right side of the
letter (as 'd', the most commonly used letter). 'Yodh'
is angular at the tOp, (' 3 ') . Initial 'v' is ordinarily
quite distinct (Q9); medially, it is usually like 'u'.
The numeral 'x' is written in a single stroke: 'f".

There are few dialectal differences between 'A'
and 'B'; 'B' interchanges plural endings '-es' and '-is'.
Northern forms prevail in most instances in 'B', as in
'A'. See the following section for a more complete dis-
cussion of dialects.

The second obvious exception to 'A' may be found
in Article 22, ff. 26v-27r, where a book style appears
for a total of 48 lines. The initial capital letters
are much more elaborately drawn than elsewhere. Capital
'8' is '8"; capital 'P' is '3‘3'; capital 'A' is 'A'--
all distinctive from every other hand. The tail of small
'9' is not looped, nor is the top of 'd' ordinarily; when
it is, it is broadly flared. Small 'h', 'k', and 'b' are
looped at the top; 'w' is not. The ampersand is distinctly
different, '/E', as is the small 'a' ('ofl). Medial 'v'
has a long initial stroke consistently ('\>'). Cancella-
tions are by subscript dotting only or a single line

through the erroneous portion, or both. Ligaturing is

16

common, giving a semi-cursive appearance to the writing.
Many words have '-ys' endings for plural nouns or third
person singular present verb forms, alongside both Lis'
and '-es'; but '-ys' predominates here, and nowhere else.
At the bottom of 30r, a 32-line poem is written
with a small, fine script. Occupying less than half of
the page, Article 29 represents the fourth hand, 'D'.
Two columns are separated by a drawing of Christ on the
cross. The drawing is done in the familiar manner used
throughout 91229, but the script is quickly identified
in a number of ways. Two uses of capital 'W' appear, and
neither is blacked in, as would be done in all other
places. The 'y' lacks the pronounced curl at the end
of the tail. Small 'd' is usually unlooped at the top,
with a single downward stroke sufficing. The 'h' curls
beneath the body of the letter to the left, as may be
commonly seen in 'A', but here the tail is much shorter
and stubbier. 'Thorn' and 'y' are not always distinguish-
able. Ampersand is uniquely '@'. The forms of 'u' and
'v' are interchangeable. The piece is generally much
neater than other portions of the manuscript, and the
lines, although no linings are visible, are uniform and
straight. The writer makes use of the preverb once
('ybled')--its sole use in 91229; but this is for metric

purposes.

17

Dialectal Analysis The dialect of M9 37049 is

of the Manuscript

consistently that of the North,16

with the single exception of Article 29, (q. v.). There
is evidence of the expansion of certain traits of the
standard London dialect, a fact to be expected by the
time the manuscript was produced.

The Northern dialect is indicated in many ways,
but never so clearly as in the consistent retention of
OE long 5, which was being replaced by open 3 (a) in
other sectors of the country. One commonly encounters
'stane' (stone), 'ald' (old), 'ath' (oath), 'bath' (both),
'awne' (own), 'whas' (whose), 'pas"(those), along with
'DOS' and 'po', 'wha sa' (whosoever), 'faas' (foes),
'hame' (home), 'lawer' (lower), 'mare' (more), 'anly'
(only), 'gastely' (ghostly), 'nathing' (nothing), 'salde'
(sold), 'wa' (woe), and numerous other instances of this
phenomenon. Many, if not all of the OE Class I strong
verbs reflect this characteristic: 'bare', 'hald',
'rase', 'smate', 'behald', 'drafe', 'knawe', and others.

Scandinavian forms of the third person plural
pronouns are consistent; none of the old native forms
appear. Our manuscript has 'pai', 'pei', 'pem', 'pair',
'pir', 'pairs', 'peir(e)', 'paim', and 'pos'; but one
never finds Southern forms, 'heo', 'heom', 'hy', or 'he'
in this use. Southern 'Ich' never appears; it is always

'1‘; other first person forms are standard.

18

The common ending for third person singular and
plural, present tense verbs is Ls' or Les', with an
occasional Lis' in the singular. The Len' plural ending
of the Midlands and South is unknown. In the "Desert",
the writer uses 'es' instead of 'are': 'wher many
rampand 1yon es.‘

The Northern participial form Land(e)' alternates
with the encroaching standard Ling' or Lyng'. We encounter
'mystrowand (unbelieving) men', 'brynnande (burning)
lawmpes', 'brynyng luf', 'slepand (sleeping) Saynt Iohn',
a stream 'ful of grauel schynynge', 'eyne (eyes) so
sprykland' (sparkling), and a place which is fair and
'lykand' (beautiful). Distribution of the two forms is
relatively even throughout the writing of 'A'. Scribe
'B' is more restrictive, using only Land': a 'floryschand
(flourishing) tree', 'rampand (rampaging) lyon(s)',
'brenand (burning) bands of iron', a 'sorowand' (sorrowing)
heart, and 'lastand' (lasting) joy, among others. He has
no uses of the Ling' form.

As if to underscore this difference between the
two basic scribes of 91229,immediately after 'A' resumes
writing, on 67r, the next verse says, 'Dat hyll is noght
els to vndirstandyng/Bot holy poght and byrnyng 3ernynge.'

There are no participles in the portions written

by 'C' or 'D'.

19

Apocopation, another Northern characteristic,

occurs in several verbs, such as 'ta' (take), 'mas'
(makes), 'ha' (have), and 'sla' (slay). Northern forms
'sal(1)' and 'suld' appear beside an occasional standard
'shal(l)'. The Scandinavian 'gart' is not rare, although
it had long since disappeared in the South.

The common plural for substantives is standard,
Les', with Northern Lis' or Lys' seen often, especially
in the "Desert": 'kyngis', 'monasteris', 'bodis',
'chekys', and 'couetosnesis'.

Northern numerals are seen in 'c', 'an', and 'a'
for 'one'. 'Twa' occurs, as does 'tWo(o)'. The distinc-
tively Northern 'aght' or 'eght' may be found, along
with 'aghtent' (eight and eighth). Typical examples of
the Northern vocabulary may be seen in 'till' (to), and
'syne' or 'sen' (since), 'whawe myre' (quagmire), 'whik-
kand' (living), and several instances of 'qw' where the
standard 'qu' or 'wh' had prevailed in the South: 'qwere'
(choir), 'qwhykke' (alive), 'qwhen' (when), and 'qwhilk'
(which).

Considering the evidences of dialect and the
locations of the Carthusian monasteries in which the
manuscript might logically have been produced, we may
suppose that the source of 91229_was either Mount Grace

or Kingston Upon Hull.13

20

The Alphabet The writers of 91229 use the same
mama

letters as our own, with minor excep-
tions. There is usually no distinction between 'i' and
'j', and seldom any distinction between medial 'u' and
'v'. The thorn ('b, p') appears frequently. It is
regularly transcribed as a thorn rather than as 'th'
to distinguish its use from those occasions where the
manuscript actually uses 'th'. 'Yodh' is transcribed
'3' regularly, although it is used to represent such
varied modern sounds as '2', 'gh', 'y', 'i', or 'j'.
The use of '3' in 91229 varies widely. It is most
commonly a velar spirant, as in '3e', and other forms of
the second person pronoun, as well as in such words as
'3onder', 'be3onde', and '3alow'. As a palatal spirant,
it occurs in '3ates', 'for3efe'; medially, it often has
the value of 'z': Na3areth', 'ly3erd', and 'bapty3ed'.
In all instances, its value should be evident. 'Edh'

(' ‘8’ ') appears once, on 74V ('fesyrd') .

Abbreviations Numerous abbreviations are used
throughout 91229, both in the English
and Latin portions. There is some variety from scribe
to scribe, but for the most part the abbreviations are
common and standardized. This is especially true of the
shortened English words. The writers seem to follow

no set pattern in the use of specific types of abbreviations,

21

however. Some words appear in both abbreviated and full
forms with apparent indiscrimination: 'our(e)', 'and',
'bat', 'with' and 'Per' are examples. The full form of
any word is usually found at the beginning of a sentence
in English; in the midst of a sentence, abbreviations
follow the choice of the scribes.

The macron(-) signifies several different abbre-
viations. It may denote a doubling of 'n' or 'm': 'sofies':
'sonnes'; 'cumes': 'cummes'. It may signify the absence
of an 'n' or 'm': 'ha' for 'ban'; 'pai‘ for 'baim'.

It may denote the abbreviation of a longer word familiar
to the reader: 'IhE‘ or 'IhE' alternately are used for
Ihesus or 'Ihesu'; 'Ierlm‘ signifies 'Ierusalem'. It may
signify the need to supply an 'i' Cffihdacon' for‘funda-
ciod).

A reverse apostrophe (‘) signifies an 'r' to be
supplied with a preceding or following vowel: 'pson' is
'prison' or 'person', according to context. 'Vtew' is
‘virtew' or 'vertew'; 'brefi' is brepir' or 'breper'; 'pched'
is 'preched', 'parched', or 'perched'; 'muel' is 'maruel';
'fifore' is 'perfore’.

A short horizontal line intersecting the tail of
the 'p' signifies ‘ar' or 'er'. It may be found in the
initial or medial position in the word: [ptes' is 'partes';

'deptes' is 'departes'; Epses' is 'Perses'.

22

A wavy 100p intersecting the tail of the 'p' or
of the elongated form of 's' signifies 'ro', 're', or
'er': 'pu'y-ces' is 'prouynces'; Qpphet' is 'prophet';
{épent' is 'serpent'; 'fipued' is preserued'.

A small loop following the final letter of a
word adds the plural l-es' or Lis' form to nouns, or the
third person singular to present tense verbs: 'lightf '
may be either the noun or the verb at different places.
A small upward curl following the final letter adds an

'
|maner; the form

'er': 'toged" is 'togeder'; 'maro' is
occurs medially but seldom: 'ou9cfi' is 'ouercum'.

Occasionally the scribe indicates that an 'm'
must be supplied by his use of the fermata: 'h§' is
'hym'.

A subscript attached to the elevated macron has
different uses: 'AbraHm' is 'Abraham'; 'pylgmege' is
'pylgramege'; 'sadmet' is 'sacrament'.

Ampersand is common, with the forms 'V:', '5' ,
and (9' . 'tc' appears, with the obvious meaning g
cetera.

Miscellaneous superscripts are used for purposes
other than the above; they are less common. 'Very' appears

,5

as vy'; 'p'“ as 'thus'; 'Romulb'tRem“ is 'Romulus and

Remué; 'Preter' is abbreviated to 'p9 tg'.

23

Many short, common words are seldom written in
full; 'wt' ('with'); 'Pt' ('pat'); 'yu' ('ru' or 'Pou');
'I' ('in'), and numerous others.

Latin abbreviations are frequent, and usually

consistently orthodox. Cappelli is indispensable here.l4

Scribal Errors in Nowhere is the non-professional
the Manuscript
nature of the work in 91229 so ap-

parent as in the matter of scribal errors, which are both
frequent and variable. They result from nearly every con-
ceivable cause, and include all the common mistakes of
omission and commission and carelessness. Some are cor-
rected; others remain to be detected by the reader. The
more common types are abundantly represented: confusion
between similar words; substitution of familiar and hab-
itual words or thoughts for the unfamiliar; transposition;
dittography; haplography; and, misreading of the source.

When detected, the errors are usually corrected
by cancellation, either by lines through the wrong por-
tion or by dots beneath. Those corrections may be made
by the original scribe, by the rubricator, or by both.
Careting into the text, or into the margin above, below
or beside the error is usual. Omissions are usually

careted into the text, most frequently above the line of

writing; sometimes the insertion is here and in the margin

24

as well; it may be in the margin alone, with a caret de-
signating the proper place of insertion.

Misspellings are common. With unstandardized
forms of most words prevailing, this is to be expected;
sometimes the product is difficult to recognize. Ink
blobs result from carelessness or from overloading the
pen--these are frequent. I have found and classi-
fied more than 1200 errors of all types, from which are
extracted those which follow.

1. Omissions, whether letters, words, phrases,
or clauses, are inserted or careted into the text. The
correction is placed above or below the proper place, or
in the margin, or both.

a. "...for it helqumany one of seknes..." 6r
b. "And her oure Lord transfygured hym

fore

beA 5V

Saynt Petyr..."
as not

c. "And for als mykilAmanyAgo and fele..."

6v
at bare hym r
d. "...his hors‘of one of be nayles" 4
e. "Gyf vs pe mercy her or weApasse."
hence
f. "For‘wan a1 pe landes of Assye..." he

4r
2. Ordinarily, mistaken words, letters, phrases
or clauses are cancelled by horizontal lines drawn through

the error.

25

O

a. "...pat was Sodam and Gomor..." 5v
b. "Her sal eel I telle 3ow..." 6r
0. "...pan come a-wharle-wynde ane erth

whake..." 4r
3. Many times the scribe corrects his spelling,
indicating the correction by cancellation or simple in-
version.
a. "...and before pe awter lygh lygges
Godfray..." 3v
b. "An be cyrcuyt abowte it was fyfhundreth..."
(on the margin is written): A"(f)yfe
hundreth" 9v
4. There are misquotations. The scribe is un-
familiar with Greek, and errs in the few instances where
he attempts to quote the language. He is much more ac-
curate with Latin. Biblical references are usually cor-
rect, but not invariably.

a. 'Etheos basileon ysmon presinas ergaste

sothias eyes." 3v The Paris text accur-

 

ately gives Etheos g£_basi1eon ysmon

 

proseonas ergogaze sochias 32 mosotis gis.
b. "And as be Apostyl Saynt Paule says, 'Vs
nedys to be angyrd in his warld pat pe
profe of cure faythe be more preciouse
v

Fan be gold bat is profet in be fyre, "' 92

The reference is actually to I Peter 1:7.

26

c. P...as Haly Wrytt says, 'When he
Iewes, God's enmys, had schamfully
bettym paim, pai went away myry and
glad,'" 93r. Essentially correct from
Acts 5:40, 41, this citation shows ex-
tensive interpolation.
5. There is occasional dittography of words,
phrases and clauses.‘
a. "...and toward/ And toward..." Final
two words at the end of Sr are repeated
at top of 5V.
b. "...wher/pe pyler wher--e-pyler lygges..."
3v
c. "An pe cyrcute abowte it was fyfhundreth
and foure score stages, be whilk eyreuyte
abowte goyng was..."
6. Obvious omissions are not always detected,
either by the scribe or the proofreader. '
"And be tempyl [is] lxiiii cubytes and v." 4v
7. The correct letter may be superimposed directly
upon a wrong one.
"...wher alle pe appostyls on Whysonday..."

5r; Correct 'h' is written over the incorrect

Iyl .

27

8. Numerous ink blots appear throughout the
manuscript. They often obscure single letters, brief

words, or portions of words.

a. "...a chapell pat men cald Betanya, and
per dwelt Symon Legos..." 5r. Probably
a 'p', but obscured by ink.

b. "...and fro pence men may go by many
townes..." Doubtless the first effort
was 'by'; it is obscured by an ink blot.

c. On 7V, 'pence' is virtually blotted out
when red ink cancelling 'Bypre' on 8r
opposite has coincided with the word on
the previous page.

9. Omissions may be inserted in the wrong place,
and later properly located.

"Also who sgowiixporow..." 7r

10. The final letter of one word, being identical
with the opening letter of the succeeding word, is shared.

"Also he pat will go to Tartary or to Persye

or Caldee or Inde, hentyrs into pe see..."

(for 'he entyrs') 8r

11. Writing may be careted into the text, then

cancelled.
pat-is-ful-hete
"And it is cald IndeApe more and it is dyuyded..."
12. An omitted letter or word may be supplied

without careting .

28

a. "...Noe had thre sonne?" 8V

men
b. "...bot pat way may gode Crysten go

porow be vayle..." 9r
13. Words, letters, or phrases may be anticipated,

and inserted prematurely into the text.

a. '...and four iornayes pens is h a hyll..."
9r

b. "...his paleys is so ryche bat is it is
maruel to tell..." 9r

c. "Nakyd in to his warld I-am borne am I..."
28"
d. "This is be warke pat-moste-pleses-Ged
of pe saule pat moste pleses God." 89r
14. An explanatory word may be given for one

assumed to be unfamiliar to the reader.

"...(pai) war lyke bestes and ete appyls
aakorns
of okes..." 9

v
15. A lengthy passage, omitted from its proper
location, is encircled, and its spot indicated by a
connecting arrow .
On 10v nine lines, given below on the same
page, are to be inserted near the end of
line seven, as shown by an arrow drawn from
the omitted section along the left margin,

then across the page to the point of its

correct insertion.

29

l6. Portions of two words become tangled to-
tether.

"And for mercy tod-de God dos crye..."

17. Cancellation of an entire line is not un-
usual, especially in the verse sections.

"Pe-whawe—ée—te—be—vaéyretené-

be whawe myre is to be vndirstande..."

18. In limited sections of the manuscript, can-
cellations are indicated by subscript dots under the
letter, word, or words to be stricken. Rarely, both dots
and cancellation marks occur.

a. "And for f sakes pat pe flesch lofes
maste..." 48v
b. "ban commes pryde after pg victory...‘

('t' is correct) 49v
0. "Thurgh whytyng of a1 pat dett is es..."
48"

19. The correct word may be cancelled or blotted;
it remains visible, and no other change is made.

"Fast to his mayster he hastes to go" 28r

20. Words are directly inverted.

v

"And‘fiude‘hlléwerkes pat men dose..." 49

('all gude werkes')

30

Besides true scribal errors, the ms. contains
examples of authorial mistakes: erroneous quotations
or the wrong attribution of a source.

1. "...wittness Salomon per he says pus, '2322
32 incipio fecit hominem 32 reliquit..." 96r. Attributed

to Solomon, this reference is actually found in Deuter-

onomy 30:15.

2. Words of Christ in 38r are attributed to the
gospel of John; they are, in fact, in all of the other
three gospel accounts, but not in John; cf. Matthew 19:21,
Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22.

Als says Saynt Ion be euangelist/"If pou wil be
perfyte in Criste,"/ He says, "Go, selle a1 pat pou has/

And gif it to pore..."

For sheer number of errors, no section in the
manuscript can compare with folios 78r,v and 79r, which
have, respectively, 26, 27 and 25 mistakes of all kinds.
Pagination Since the major aim of this disserta-
System

tion is to present a faithful reproduc-
tion of the various contents of BM Additional 37049, the
work is divided according to its component items. Each
itentis preceded by a preface which draws primarily upon
material available from the Catalogue, and is supplemented

by my own research, as well as by those who have investi-

gated individual items for their various purposes. Other

31

comments appear in cumulative form at the conclusion of
the individual articles.
Pagination is determined by the articles, which

are numbered according to the order in the Catalogue.

 

Any portion of the manuscript may be quickly found by
consulting the two numbers in the tOp.right corner of
the page. The number to the left of the slash (/) iden-

tifies the number of the article in the Catalogue. The

 

number to the right of the slash indicates the sequence
of pages from the preface, through transcription and
closing comments and references for the article. Hence,
43/16 would be the sixteenth page of Article 43.

To facilitate the location of each folio of
the original manuscript, the end of the transcription
of each folio is bracketed in its proper place--(f. 7V]
appears at the end of the seventh folio, verso. Con-
secutive page numbers are used, and may be found at the
bottom center of each page.
Methods of Punctuation has, for the most part,
Transcription

been modernized in transcription. In

91229 such marks are either non-existent, irregular,
ambiguous or inconclusive, making them of little real
value to the contemporary reader. Of note is the fact

that the apostrophe was never used in the original;

where the text indicates a possessive such as would

32

require an apostrophe in modern usage, it has been sup-
plied. Quotations cannot always be accurately isolated,
especially with reference to the point where they end;
quotation marks are supplied where they may be reason-
ably inferred.

Comments within brackets [ ] set apart insertions
I have made. These are emendations, corrections, or
other points requiring explanation.

Bibliographical footnotes occur commonly in the
various prefaces. They are indicated by superscript
letters (a), with the information supplied at the close
of the article. Comments upon the content of the text
itself are indicated by superscript numerals (2), and
are supplied in the form of footnotes on the pages of
occurrence.

Words of interest or unusual form are glossed,
often in the textual footnotes. A more complete glossary
has been incorporated in the Appendix. Since such a
compilation necessarily represents much personal judgment,
its value must be relative. Words listed in the Oxford

English Dictionary or the Middle English Dictionary are

 

usually not included in the glossary unless they are
found in an unusual form in 37049 or have special

meanings determined by the context.

33

FOOTNOTES

1Writings Ascribed Eo Richard Rolle, Monograph
Series 22. 9, Modern Language Association of America,

2Summarized from pages 362-364 of Volume V,
History 9: the Christian Church, by Philip Schaff.

3David Knowles and R. Neville Hadcock, Medieval
Religious Houses, England and Wales, Longman, Green &
COD, No Yo, I933, p0 3600

4David Knowles and J. K. S. St. Joseph, Monastic
Sites from the Air, Cambridge U. Press, 1952, pp. 233,

 

 

5Schaff, 92. cit., p. 364.

6"The Carthusian Order," Lionel Lindsay, pp.
388-392, Vol. III, The 22tholic Encyclopedia, New York,
The Encyclopedia Press, Inc., 1913.

7Pages 54, 55, 306-311.

8The Catalogue, p. 332.

91bid., p. 324.

10There are drawings on 114 of the 192 folios,
illustrating both prose and verse, and ranging from two-
;mqe spreads to numerous small insets throughout.

11The list of acknowledged scholarly uses of 37049
Imw be found on the inside flyleaf. Fifteen citations
had been made through the summer of 1968.

lsz. Plate XIIa, p. 80 in Hector's The Hand-
writin of En lish Documents for a sample similar to the
Writing TIT 37339; see pp. 57-59 for a discussion of the

bastard han .

 

34

‘ l3The dialectal maps of Moore-Meech-Whitehall,
as reproduced by Mosse' in his Handbook 9; Middle English,
as well as Mosse's own dialectaI anaIyses (pp. 1-86)
establish the criteria for suggesting that 37049 was
produced in Area V (north of the Humber), and in the
southeastern section. Kurath's fascicle introductory
to the Middle English Dictionary reproduces these maps,
and refines certain boundaries from more recent research.

l4Adriano Cappelli, Dizionario 21_Abbreviature,
Latine gE_Italiane, Ulrico Hoepli, Milano, 1961.

 

 

35

l/l

ARTICLE la, f. 1r

A brief, imperfect fragment, this Latin portion
may be from some unidentified legend or apocryphal gos-
pel.a It is written on the recto of the first of two
vellum leaves.

The fragment has suffered severe liquid damage.
A crescent-shaped stain has blurred many of the words
badly-—it is as if a wet goblet had been placed upon the
text--and the original cannot always be deciphered, even
under ultra-violet light.

Because of this deficiency, and because of the
very brief nature of what is legible, the fragment has
little value, and seems a disparate element in the manu-
script. It does not resemble any of the later articles
in content.b What does remain is centered at the top of
the page, and the lines are unusually short, occupying
less than half of the width of the page. Nowhere else in
the manuscript is this profligate use of the page to be
seen; and it is even the more curious since ff. 1 and 2
are vellum, whereas the remainder are paper. It would
appear that the final page of some other manuscript may
have been removed to be used as a binding for 91229; how-
ever, the hand is similar to the basic script of 91229J

36

1/2

and the pictures of 1V and Zr, as well as the picture and
the opening text on 2v are apparently done by the same

scribe as the immediately following folios.

The TEXT:

atus gt . . . . . . . . . . .pase-

 

bant. E; §ultorien . . . . .omnia

terrestria gt urindana octis suis

 

subiecta clare videre. Sicut

. . .tis signie Iunius ex parte frequen-
tissimo. ‘Qg. . parentis eius £3-

mgg} 12g; audientes £311 . . . . .

patria sua 32 eum_yeniebat. [f. 1r]

 

aCatalogue of the Additions to the Manuscripts
in the BritiSh Museum in the Years 1900-1905, p. 324.
Hereafter, The Catalogue.

bAlthough there are Latin citations, inscriptions
and quotations found frequently throughout this manu-
script, nowhere else is there an isolated, unidentified
portion such as this. Latin passages are, to the body
of the book, references rather than items standing alone;
and none of them are of any length.

37

1/3

ARTICLE lb, ff. 1V, 2r

Folio lV portrays a bust of the Blessed Virgin,
occupying the full page, and without inscription of any
kind. From the standpoint of artistry, it is perhaps
the best drawing in the manuscript. Even so, it cannot
be classed as a work of great merit. Byzantine influence
is evident in the technique, as well as the Greek Byzan-
tine script which surrounds the head of Christ on 2r.

He is portrayed lying upon the cross, with pierced hands
folded across the chest. The drawing lacks finesse,

but is typical of the period. It occupies the entire
page. The brief superscription on 2r is the only writing

on either page. Both drawings are in color.

The INSCRIPTION:

'I[E]SO[US], 'o BASILOUS 'IOUDON [TJON CH[RI]S[TOS].l

 

 

 

lThe corrupt inscription is based upon the title
assigned to Jesus by Pilate; this version most closely
resembles Matthew 27:37:

‘Outos ’estin ’iesous, 'o basileus tSh ’ioudaiSn.

 

 

38

1/4

ARTICLE 1c, f. 2v

About three-quarters of this page is taken up
with a "circular map or diagram showing the elements,
fire as a crescent at the top, air a zone beneath it,
then earth divided by water (in the shape of a T) into
three continents, with note how 'The thre sonnes of Noe
dyuyded be warld in pre partes emange paim'".a

Typical of medieval lessons in geography and a
form of anthropology, the map and following text allocate
the territory of 'Asya' to 'Sem'; and the territory is
then divided into fifteen provinces. 'Cham' is given
'Affrica', with twelve provinces, and fourteen provinces
of 'Europa' are assigned to 'Iaphet'. Among the provinces
of Asia are listed 'Egiptus' and 'Libia', while Samaria
is assigned to Africa. The purpose of the lesson is to
show how the various nations of the world descended from
the sons of Noah.

Handling, aging, and natural darkening of the
vellum have made some of the writing difficult, and small

portions illegible.

The TEXT:

[The four points of the compass, at the outer

39

1/5

perimeter of the circle, are labelled]: Oriens, Meridi-
iens, Occidens, Septentrio.

[At the tOp, within the Circle]: his is be
element of fyre.

[Closely beneath]: his is be eliment of be ayer.

[Next below, left]: Meotis. [At center, in a
vertical column, are listed the following]: be este,
India, Inde, Asya, Iudea, Ierusalem, Syria.

[Opposite, right]: be Red Se, Egiptus.

[Center, on horizontal lines]: his is be ely-
ment1 of erth. Medius mundus. his is be eliment of
watyr.

[In lower left of circle]: Europa. Alpes.
Roma. Hispana. Pirinei Mountes.2 Gallia. Inferior
Hispana. Alpes.

[Bottom of circle, center]: Gades. Hercules.

[In lower right of circle]: Affrica. Cartago.

3 Amedo. Medi. Acclas. Ciraien.4

Ethiopia. F ida.
Catabatinen. Philemonare. Libies. Perse.

[Beneath the circle, the text proceeds

 

1In three appearances, the word 'element' has
been spelled differently each time. This is rather more
typical than unusual-

2Written: Iflinei; obviously, the Pyrenees.

3Undecipherable.
4Not clear. The fourth letter is unclear: '0'

or 'a'.

40

l/6

uninterrupted]: The thre sonnes of Noe dyuyded pe warld
in bre partes emange baim after be gret flode. Pies ar
bair names: Sem, Cham and Iaphet. Sem in Asya, Cam in
Affrica, Iaphet in Europa. So spred bai Obrode ber cerms
into thre partes, for so many brebir war bai. In Asya

ar 151 prouynces: Inde, Achaya, Parthia, Syria, Persya,
Medya, Mesapotamya, Capadocia, Palestina, Armenia, Sili-
cia, Caldea, Surya, Egiptus, Libia. In Affrica ar 12
prouynces: Lyddia, Cirini, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, Tripol-
itania, Bu3aoa, Getalia, Natabria, Neumedia, Samaria,
Sutes, be mor and be les. In EurOpa ar 14 prouinces:
Roma, Calabria, Yspanya, Alemanya, Macedonia, Tracia,
Dalmania, Pannonnia, Colonia, Gallia, Acquetanya, Buitan-

nia, Hibernia, Aquilonaria within be Grett See. [f. 2V]

 

1Here, as elsewhere, the number is in Roman
numerals; no Arabic numerals appear in the text.

 

aThe Catalogue, p. 324.

 

41

2/1

ARTICLE 2, ff. 3r-9r

In describing this item as "The Book of Mande-
ville, an abridgement of the mutilated English version...

in a perturbed order," The Catalogue refers the reader

 

to the Roxburgh Club edition, 1889.a Since that time,
Letts' modernized text, volumes 101 and 102 of Series 2,
done for the Hakluyt Society,b is the standard edition-

and the version which appears in Additional 37049 is

 

transcribed there.

Without consulting a standardized edition, as of
the Paris text, it would be impossible to emerge from
91229 with anything other than a confusing jumble of
rambling commentary upon fancied travels to Jerusalem'
and parts of the East. The writer of the manuscript
jumps about from place to place without any apparent
plan or logic, making it extremely difficult to follow
him. Something of this problem will be noted in the
transcription.

The geographical information from this article
is both interesting and confusing. Again, without help

from other sources, many of the cities, countries or

42

2/2

incidents would be all but indecipherable. Even so, not
all of the places cited are positively identified.

The primary purpose of the writer in 91229 seems
to be to set forth the various routes by which pilgrims
may make the journey from EuroPe to Jerusalem; and the
knowledgeable reader must sometimes wonder what would
happen if he were to attempt the trip with no information
available beyond that supplied by this manuscript.

The t0p half of f. 3r is devoted to a medieval-
styled drawing of Jerusalem. Circular in form, the city

is labelled "Ierusalem...Civitas Sancta." The drawing

 

is rudimentary, and consists of numerous buildings,

nearly all of which are capped with crosses.

The TEXT:

The cyte of Ierusalem standes fayr emange hylles.

 

And ber is no ryuer ne welles, bot watyr cummes be condeth
fro Ebron. And 3e sal vndyrstand bat men calde it fyrst
Ieru, and aftyrward it was cald Salem vnto be tyme of

Kyng Dauyd. And he set bo two wordes togedir and cald it
Ierusalem, and so it is cald nowe. Abowte Ierusaleml is
be kyndom of2 Surye. And berby is be land of Palestyne,
and Ascalon. Bot Ierusalem is in be lande of Iude. And

it marches estward to be lande Araby, and on be sowthe

 

1The text abbreviates: 'Ierlm', and this abbre-
viation alternates with the full name throught the text.
2

Text: 'of of'.
43

2/3

syde to be land of Egypt, and on be weste syde to be
lande of Egypt, and be Gret See, on be northe syde to be
kyngdom of Surye and be se of Spyre.

In bat cuntre abowte Ierusalem ar bies cytes:
Ebron at 8 myle; Iericho at 6 myle; Barsabee at 8 myle;
Ascolon at 18 myle; Iaffe at 25 myle; Ramatha at 3 myle;
Bedleem.l

his land 3erusalem has bene in many men's handes,
as Iewes, Cananees, Assyryens, Perses, Medoynes, Grekes,
Romaynes, Sar3ynes, barbarynes, Turkes and Cristen men,
and many obir [f. 3r] nacyons. Nowe has mystrowand men
bat lande in bair handes many beres; bot bai sal not
halde lange, yf God wyll.

When men cummes to Ierusalem, bai go be fyrst
pylgrimege to a kyrke wher be graue or sepulcre of cure
Lord bat was cute of be cyte opon be northe syde, bot it
is nowe closed in with a walle of stone of be towne. And
ber is a ful fayr kyrke rownde cpyn abowne and thekyd with
lede and on be weste syde is a fayr towre and stronge for
belles. And in be myddys of be kyrk is a tabernakyl, as

it was a lytel howse in maner of a cowmpas right wele

and rytchely of gold and syluer and aysure and obir

 

lSeven cities are listed, but only six mileages.
The distances are very inaccurate, however they are as-
signed. This is quite typical of the geographical con-
fusions.

44

2/4

colours wele dyght. And on be right syde is be sepulkyr
of cure Lord. And be tabernakyl is eight foote longe

and five foote wyde and eleuen foote on hegthe. And also
it is not lange sen be sepulkyr was cpyn bat men kysse it
and towche it, bot for men bat come bider pyned baim to
breke be stone in pecys or in powdyr; berfore be sodan
has gart make a walle abowte be sepulkyr, bat men towche
it not, bot on o syde. And on be tabernakil is no wyn-
dow, bot ber ar many lawmpes light brynnande. And one

of be lawmpes gos oute on be Fryday be it selfe, and
lightes agayn be it selfe at be same houre bat oure

Lord Ihesu Cristel rase fro deth to lyfe in. Also with-
outen be kyrk on be right syde is be Mounte of Caluery,
whelr]2 oure Lord was done on be cros. And be cros was
set on a morteys in be rotche bat was whyte of colour

and a lytel rede menged with alle. And opon be rotche
droppyd be blode of cure Lorde when he way pyned on be
cros. And bat is cald Galgatha on Greke. And in Pat

3
mortes was Adam hede fun after Noe flode,3 in token bat

 

1The form of the name 'Jesus Chgist' varies in
the manuscript.- Here it is written 'Ihc Criste'.

2The manuscript omits the 'r'.

3Zero endings for the genitive are common in this
ms. As in the Latin Vulgate, there are instances of
such endings, (Genesis 5:1, Hic est liber generationis
Adam) and of the regular genitives, TGenesis 29:12, ...
Prater esset patris sui, 32 filius Rebeccae).

 

 

 

45

2/5

be syn of Adam suld be boght in bat same place. And

cpon bat rotche made Abraham sacrifyce to cure Lord. And
ber is ane awter, and before be awter lygges Godfray de
Boleyne, and Bawdwyne, and obir bat was Cristen kynges

of Ierusalem. And ber wher oure Lord was done on be

cros is wrytten Grewe, Hebrewe, and Latyn: Etheos basil-

 

eon ysmon presinas ergaste sothias eyes,l bat is to say

 

in Latyn, Hic deus noster ante secula operatus est salu-

tem in medio terre, bat is in Ynglesche, "Pis oure Lord

 

before be warld has wroght heele in myds of be erthe."
And also on be rotche wher be cros was fest is written

within, Cyros gust rosis thon pestis thay they moysy,2

 

bat is to say.in Latyn, Quod vides est fundamentum tocius

 

munde, et huius fidei, bat is to say, "bat bou sees is

 

grownde of al be warld and of his faythe." Also within
be mounte of Caluery at be right syde is ane awter wher
be pyler lygges bat oure Lorde was bownden to [f. 3v]
when he was scowrged. And ber besyde ar four stones bat
alway drOppes watyr. And sum men say bai grete for cure
Lord's deth; and nere bis awter in a place 42 degres

depe was fonden be very cros of cure Lord, be whilk was

 

1The Paris text gives Etheos et basileongysmon
proseonas erogaze sochias et mosotis gis.

2The Paris text reads Cyos nist basys ys tou
pysteos thoy chesmosy,

 

46

2/6

hyd vndyr a roche, wher Iewes had hyd it. And berby is
be place wher be 3 nayles of cure Lord war hyd.

And in myddes of bat kyrke is a cowmpes be whilk
Ioseph of Aramathy layd oure Lord on when he had takyn
hym of be cros. And sum men says bat bat compas is in
be myddys of be warlde. And in be kyrke on be north
syde is be place wher oure Lord was done in prison. And

ber is parte of be chyne bat he was bun with.1

And be
Emprour of ConstantynOple made a brydyl to his hors bat
bare hym of one of be nayles bat oure Lord was fest to
be cros with, hoping to borow virtew berof2 bat he suld
overcum his enmys in batell. And when he had bat on hym
he sped be better, for he wan al be landes of Assye,
Turkey, Amasoyn be more and be les, Surry, Ierusalem,
Arabye, Perse, Mesopotayne, be kyngdom of Alape, Egypt,
be hyer and be lawer, and obir kyngdoms many vnto be
feldlawe in Ethyope and into Inde be les. And now ar
bai in paynymn handes and Sar3ynnes, bot when God wyll,
right as be landes ar lost borow oure syn, right so sal
bai be wonne agayne by Cristen men.

In be kyrke of be sepulkyr was wont to be chanons,

and be patriarch was bair souerayne. And withouten be

 

1This sentence, originally omitted, was written
between the lines.

2 .
SlC- Probably should read: "hoping bat borow

virtew berof..."

47

2/7

dores of be kyrke on be right syde as men gos Vppe l8
greces, ber went oure Lord Vp when he bare be cros on
his scholder. And vnder bies greces is a chapell. And
ber nere is be place where cure Lord restyd hym when he
Vie beryng be 3:03.

And on be este syde withouten be walles of be
cyte is be vale of Iosaphat, bat cummes to be walles of
Ierusalem. Withouten be cyte is be kyrke of Saynt Stefen
wher he was stoned to deth. And berby is be Gylden 3ate
bat may not be cpynd. borow bat cure Lord entyrd on
Palme Sonday, and ban be 3ate opynd agayn hym when he
wald go into be tempyl. And a lytell before be kyrke of
be sepulkyr toward be myddes twoo hundreth pase is a gret
hospytall of Saynt Ion, where be hospytalers had ber
fundacioun. And to toward be este fro be hospytalle is
a right fayre place pat is cald Notre Dame de Graunte¥
And ban is ber ane obir kyrke bat is cald Notre Dame
Vytaynes,1 and ber drewe Mary CleOphe and Mary Mawdleyn
bair hare when oure Lord was done to dethe. And fro be
kyrke toward be este at eght score pase is be Tempyl
Domini. And it is a ryght fayre howse, and alle rownde
and bye, and couerd with lede, and it is wele paued with

whyte marbull. Bot be Sar3yns wil suffer no Cristen men

to cum berin.

1The Paris text shows, respectively, Notre Dame
la Grande, and Nostre Dame de Latins.

 

 

 

48

2/8

Bot 3e sal vndyrstande bat it is noght bat tempyll
bat Salamon made, for bat tempyl lastyd bot a thowsand
and a hundreth and twoo 3ere, for Tytus gart byrne be
tempyl and cast it downe.2 And after bat be Iews made
3

be tempyl of Ierusalem agayn and ban come ane erthe whake
as God wold and keste al downe bat bai had made.4 And
aftyr bat [f. 4r] Adrayne be emprour bat was of Troy made
Ierusalem agayne in be same maner bat it was made. And
bis kyrke be Emprour gart close and walle be kyrke of be
sepulkyr within be cyte. And be tempyl [was] sixty-four
cubytes of wydnes and als mykil on lenthe, and of heght
sex score cubytes and five;5 and it is within alle abowte
with pyllers of marbul.

And in myddes of be tempyl is a stage fowre and

twenty greces of hyght and gode pylers a1 abowte. bis

 

1The scribe's knowledge of this temple, and of
the two temples built after Solomon's, is grossly inaccur-
ate, as is his knowledge of the chronology. Solomon's
building stood from B.C. 970-586, and was destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar.

2The temple destroyed by Titus was the third, and
had been built by Herod the Great. The second temple,
built by Zerubbabel, does not figure in this account.
It is unlikely the scribe thought of it.

3Originally the scribe wrote ' a whorle wynde',
which be cancelled.

4This traditional incident is said to have occur-
red during the time of Julian the Apostate, Roman emperor
from A. D. 361-363.

5The height, 97 1/2 feet, is grossly exaggerated.

49

2/9

place be Iewes calle Sanctum Sanctorum, bat is, be Holy
of Halows. And in bat place cum none bot onely bair
prelates bat makes bair sacrifyce. And be folk standes
a1 abowte be stages after bai ar of dignyte and worschip.
And ber ar fowre entrys to pat tempyll, and be dores ar
of cypyrs. And in be northe syde within be dore is a
watyr bat rynnes, of whilk holy writte says, Vidi aguam
egredientem de templo, that is, "I sawe be watyr cum cute

1

of be tempyll." And in be tobir syde is a rotche of

stone bat men calles Moriache.

The arke of God led Tytus with relykes to gret
Rome when he had scomfet all be Iewes. And opon bat
stone slepyd Iacob when he sawe angels go vp and downe
by a leddyr,2 and per be angel held stylle Iacob and

3

turned his name and cald him 'Israel'. And in bat place

sawe Dauyd be angel bat smote be folk with a swerd and
put it vp in be schethe blody.4 And in bat roche Saynt

Symeon was when he receyfed oure Lord into be tempyll,5

 

1The reference is obscure; it may refer to Revel-
ation 22:1, where water is said to proceed from the throne
of God.

2Jacob's dream, recorded in Genesis 28:10-22,
occurred to the north at Bethel.

3This incident, from Genesis 32:24-28, happened
far to the northeast and across the Jordan at Peniel.

4Probably a reference to I Chronicles 21:27.

5There is no mention of a.rock in the account of
lmke 2:25-35.

50

2/10

and ber was oure Lord Circumcysed.1 And ber offerd
Melchisadech bred and wyne and watyr in tokynyng of be
sacrament bat was for to cum.2 And withouten be dore of
be tempyll is ane awtere wher Iewes war wont to offer
dowfes and trutyls.

And fro bis tempyl a lytel in be right syde is a
kyrke thekyd with lede, and it is cald be Scole of Salo-
mon. And toward be north syde is be tempyl Salomon, and
in bat tempyl dwells chanons. And nere besyde is be
towmbe of Saynt Symeon. And withouten be cloystyr of
be tempyl, toward be northe, is a fayr kyrke of Saynt

Anne. In bis kyrke is a welle that is cald Probatica

 

Piscina, and into it was wont ane angel to descende and
mofe be watyr, and what man bat bathed hym fyrst berin

3 And on be

was hoole of what seknes sumeuer he had.
tobir syde toward be sowthe as men gos to Mount Syon is
a fayre kyrke of Saynt Iames wher he was hedyd. And ban
is be Mounte Syon, and ber is a kyrke of God and cure
Lady wher sche was dwellyng and dyed; and fro bat place

sche was borne with be apostyls to be vayle of Iosaphath.

And ber besyde is be 3ate wher oure Lady met with Ely3abeth

 

1It is to be inferred from Luke 2:21, 22 that the
circumcision occurred in Bethlehem.

2From Genesis 14:18ff.

3The tradition of such healings is recorded in
John 5:2ff.

51

2/11
vmen sche went with chylde to Bedleem.l Also at be entre
ct Mounte Syon is a chapell and per [f. 4V] is be stone
with be whylke be sepulkyr was couerd when Crist was layd
berin. And ber is a lytel pece of be pyler to be whilk
oure Lord was scowrged. And ber is a parte of be tabyll
cpon be whilke oure Lord made his mawndy. And ber ap-
peryd Criste first to his discipuls after his resurrecc-
ion.. And in bat same chapell were2 alle be appostyls on
Whysonday when be Holy Goste descendyd. And ber slepyd
Saynt Iohn be euangelist on oure Lord's kne and sawe
slepand many fayr thynges of heuen.3

Mounte Syon is within be cyte. And it is a lytil
hygher ban be tobir syde of be cyte. And at be Mounte
Syon fote is a fayre castel and stronge. And at be
Mounte Syon was Dauyd be kynge and Salomon grafen and
obir many. And a stone caste fro bat chapel is ane obir
chapell wher oure Lord was iuged. And vndyr be Mounte
Syon toward be Vayle of Iosaphath is a welle bat men
called Natatorio Syloe. And in Ierusalem is a fayr kyrk
of our Lady wher be tre grewe of be whilk be holy cros

was made. And ber nere is a kyrk where oure Lady mette

 

1Luke 1:39 states simply that Mary visited Eliza—
beth at her home in "a city of Juda". This was not Jeru-
salem, as may be inferred from 1:23.

2

The text reads "wher', which cannot be correct.

3Clearly a reference to the Revelation; and per-
haps confused with John 13:25.

52

2/12

with Eli3abeth. And vnder be awtere is a place wher
Saynt Iohn Baptyst was borne. And berby is be castelle
of Emaus.

And fro Ierusalem twoo myle is be Mounte on bat
is a fayre place and lykand. And ber lygges Samuel be
prOphet in a fayr towmbe, and it is cald Mownte on, for
per sees pylgrems first Ierusalem. And in myddes of bat
vayle of Iosaphath is a lytel ryuer bat is cald Torrens
Cedron. And ber nere is a chapel wher oure Lord swette
blode and watyr.1 And on be tone syde of be vayle of
Iosaphath is be Mounte Olyuete, and betwyx bat hille and
Ierusalem is noght bot be vayle of Iosaphath, and bat is
noght ful large. And on bat hylle stode oure Lorde when
he ascended vnto heuen,2 and 3it ar be steppes seen ber
of his fete in be stone. And a lytel3 bence is a chapell,
and ber is a stone on be whylke oure Lord sat and preched
and sayd, Beati pauperes spiritu, "Blyssed ar bai bat

ar pore in Spyrit, for bairs is be kyngdom of heuen."4

5

And ber he taght his discyples be Pater Noster. And

 

 

1The site is that of the Garden of Gethsemane,
Matthew 26:36; Luke 22:39-44.

2The ascension occurred in Galilee, Matthew 28:
16ff.

3'A' is ligatured to 'lytel', doubtless in error.
4Matthew 5:3.

5Matthew 6:9-13.

53

2/13

ber toward be este is a chapell bat men cald Betanya,
and ber dwelt Simon Leprrosl bat herbard oure Lord.2
And after he was baptysed he was cald Iulyan. And ber

is be Mounte of Galele. Also fro Betany to Iericho is

5 myle. Of bat cyte or it was distroyed was Raab bat
receyfed be mesyngers of be childer of Israel.

Also fro Betany men gos to Flom Iordayne borow
wildernes. And it is nere a day's iorney betwene. And
toward [f. 5r] And toward3 be est is a gret hylle wher
oure Lord fastyd fourty dayes when be fende bad hym make
brede of stones.4 Also fro Iericho twoo myle is Flom
Iordan. And be falle of be see departes be lande of
Iude and of Arabye. Also Ierusalem is thre hundreth
furlongs fro be se bat is cald be Ded See,5 for it rynnes
noght, ne no man ne beste may lyf berin. And ber growes
froyte berby fayr of colour and semes rype and when men

brekes it, it is ful of asches or cols, in token bat

 

1The name is badly written. It appears the
scribe first wrote 'Legrros', then superimposed a 'p'
upon the 'g', leaving a mutilated spot.

2Matthew 26:6.

3Sic. The final two words on 5r were written as
a continuation of the previous sentence. On 5v 'And'
is capitalized.

4Matthew 4:3, 4.

5This distance is nearly double the actual
mileage.

54

2/14

borow vengeance of God for be fowle syn agayns Kynde,
fyfe cytes war byrnt with be fyre of helle and sanke down
ber. her was Sodom and Gomor, Aldena, Salame, Segor;1
3it Segor borow prayer of Loth whas2 safed a gret whyle.
And now it is distroyed. And in to bat Ded See rynnes
Flom Iordayne. And it cummes fro Mounte Lybany fro twoo
welles bat men cal Ior and Dan,3 and of baim takes it be
name bat is Iordan.

And on be tobir syde men gos to Mount Lybany.
bis Flom Iordan departes Galilee and be lande of Ydumee,
and ban gos men to Na3areth. And fro Ierusalem to Na3ar-
eth is thre day iornays. Men gos borow be prouynce of
Galile, borow Ramatha and Sophyne, and borow be hye hylles
of Effraym where Anna, Samuel be prophet moder, dwelt.4
And ban men cummes to Sobola, and bere nere is Sabaon,
Ramatha, and Beniamyn. And ban cumes men to Sychem bat
men cals Sycar. And ber is a towne bai calle Neopyl.

And fro bence is o iornay to Ierusalem. And ber is be

 

1The record of Genesis gives only Sodom and Gom-
orrah: Gen. 19.

2Obviously a scribal error; should be 'was'.

3The etymology of the word 'Jordarf is still a
matter of dispute. If the origin is Indo-Aryan, the words
'yor' and 'don', meaning respectively 'year' and 'river'
indicate a 'perennial river' , in contrast with most of
the Palestinian streams, which flow only during the rainy

periods.

41 Sam. 1:1,2.

55

2/15

welle wher oure Lord spake with be woman of Samarytane.l
Sychem is 10 myle fro Ierusalem.2 And it is cald Neople,
Newe Towne. And ber ner is be tempyl Ioseph, Iacob son.
And ber nere is be tempyl Dotaym. And ber is be cisterne
bat Ioseph was put in. Fro bence men gos to Bobaste.

Fro Bobast to Ierusalem is 12 myle. And betwyx be hylles
of bis cuntre is a welle bat men cals Fons Iacob, bat

Chawnges thre tymes in be 3ere [h]is colour. For sum

3 be Cane

tyme it is rede, sumtyme grene, sumtyme bykke.
of Galile is foure myle fro Na3areth. And fro Na3areth

to Mounte Thabor is 4 myle. And ber oure Lord transfygured
hym before Saynt Peter, Saynt Iohn, and Saynt Iames.4 And
ber bai saw gostly Moyses and Helyas be prophets. Also

fro Mounte Thabor a myle is be Mounte Ermon, and ber was

be cyte of Nayin. And on be See of Galile is set be cyte
bat is cald Tybor. And ber is be tabyll bat Criste and

his discipyls ete opon after his resurreccion. And 3e sal
vndyrstande bat be lande of Beheste begynnes at be kyngdom
of Surye, and it lastes to be lande of Arabye. Now who

so wyll turne fro be lande of Galile bat I spake of to

cum to bis syde, he sal go borow Damaske, bat is a fayre

 

1John 4:5 ff.

2Actually, about 30 miles.

3The writer probably intended 'pykke', or black.

4Matthew 17:2-8.

56

2/16

cyte. Fro Damaske men cummes to a place bat is cald
Notre Dame de Saradamach, five myle fro Damask. 'And ber
is a fayre kyrke. And behynde be hygh awtere in be walle
is [f. 5V] a tabyll of tree cpon be whilk oure Lady was
paynted bat many tymes turnes to flesche and blode. Bot
[fl ymage is sene bot lytyll. Bot euer more borow grace
of God be tabyll droppes oyle as it war 0 lyfe. And of
bat oyle bai gyf to pylgrems, for it helpes many one of
seknes. And he bat kepes it clenly o 3ere, it turnes to
flesche and blode after be fyrst 3ere.

Here sall

I telle 3ow schortly how 3e sal go to
Ierusalem. A man bat cummes fro be weste part of be
warlde, he gos borow Burboyne, Lumbardy, or Venyse to

Gene or sum obir hafen of bos marches.and takes ber a
schip and gos by be se to be yle of Gryff, and so ryfes
Iman in Greke or els at Port Myrrok or Valon or Duras or
sum.obir hafen, and gos to lande to reste baim, and gos
ban agayne to be2 and ryves3 vp in Cypre and cum not in

be yle of Rodes, and ryfes Vp at Famagost, bat is be chefe
hafen of Cypre, or els at Lamaton, and entyrs to schip

agayne and passes be syde be hafen of Tyre and cummes to

lande. And so passes he in to all hafens of bat lande

 

l'Sal' is repeated and cancelled.

2The author's thought here is not clear; probably
'to pe se' is intended.

3'V' and 'f' are used interchangeably here.

57

2/17

vnto he cum to port Iaffe, bat is be next hafen to Ieru-
salem, for it is 28 myle betwene. And fro port Iaffe men
gos to be cyte of Rames bat is a lytel bence. And besyde
Rames is a fayr kyrk of cure Lady. And ber nere is a
kyrke of Saynt George, wher he was hedyd. And ban to be
castel of Chynay,l and ban to be Mounte Toy; and fro bens
pilgrems may fyrst see Ierusalem. And at be Mounte Modyn
lygges Machabe, and over Ramatha is be towne of Dauke2
wher be prophet Amos was.

And for als mykil as many [may] not go3 and fele
be savor of be see, bot is levyr for to go by lande bof a1
it be more payne, a man so gos to a hafen of Lumbardy as
Venyse or ane obir hafen. And he sal go in to be Gret See
at Port Myrrok and so go to Constantynople. And ban sal
he passe be water bat is cald be Brace Saynt George bat
is a hafen of be see. And fro bence he cum to Puluerhall,
and syne to be castell of Synopyll. And fro bence he sal
cum to Capadoce bat is a gret cuntre, and ber is many
gret hylles. And he sal go borow Turkeye to be cyte of

Nyle,4 whilk bai wan fro be Emprour of Constantinople,

 

1The Paris text reads 'Emmaus'.

2The Paris text gives 'Temque', or Teuke. Amos'
home was Tekoa, near Bethlehem.

3 . .
One or more words are omitted in the clause.

4'Nyke', or Nicea, according to the Paris
version.

58

2/18

and it is a fayr cyte and wele walled. And ber is a
ryuer bat men cals be Lay. And ber men gos by be alpes
of Morramit, and by be vayle of Ynglebrys, be vayle of
Aermes, and so to Antyoche the better bat standes on be
Rychay, and berabowte ar many hylles and fayr, and many
fayr woddes and wylde bestes. And he bat wil go ane obir
way, he gos by be playne of Romaynes, costyng be Romayne
See. Of bat coste is a fayr chapell bat is cald Florache.
And when a man is cute of bos hylles, he passes be cyte
of Morache and Artais, wher is a gret brygge on be ryuer
of Ferne, bat men cals Farsare1 and it is a ryuer beryng
schips. And besyde be cyte of Damas is a ryuer bat cummes
fro be mountaynes of Lybany bat men cals Alban, and it
gos borow be playne Arcades and so to be Rede See. And
so gos men to be [f. 6r] cyte of Ferne, and so to be cyte
of Antyoche. Antyoche is a fayr cyte and wele walled and
two myle of lenthe. And ber is a brygge, and on euere
pyler is a gode towre. And bis is be best cyte of Sury.
And fro Antyoche men gos to be cyte of _bachno,2 and ban
to Gelboe and ban to Turtons, and berby is be lande of
Cumbme, wher is a stronge castell bat is cald Mambrokes.

.And fro Turtons men gos to Triple, and on be se men gos

 

1The Biblical Farphar, or Orontes.

2The initial letter is completely obliterated.
Letts gives "Caouse' or 'laouse'.

59

2/19

to Dacres, and bar ar twoo ways to Ierusalem. Of be lefte
way men gos to Damas fro Flom Iordan to be cyte of Cay-

1 And sum men gos to be castel of Pellirens,2 and

phas.
fro bence it is thre day iorneys to Ierusalem. And on be
tobir ryght syde bai go borow Cesarea Phylipp, Iaffe,
Rames, and Synay3 and so to Ierusalem.

Also if a man cum fro be weste syde of be warld
and wil go to Ierusalem, as Inglande, Ireland, Scotland,

Wales, Norway, he may if he wyll, go by and borow Almayne

and borow be kyngdom of Hungry bat marches to be lande of

4 7

Poyle and to be lande of Paymayne5 and of Ylsey,6 Sonay,

Cananye8 and a gret parte of Bulgaria bat is cald be lande
of Bugres,9 and parte of be kyngdom of Rosse and bat

10

lastes to be Myflonde and marches on Sprues;ll and men

gos bus borow be lande of Hungry and borow be cyte bat

 

lHaifa, which was founded by Caiaphas.
2'Pilgrims' in Letts.

3The castle of Emmaus in Letts.
4Poland.

5Pannonia.

6Silesia.

7Savoy (Slavonia).
8Comany, or Cumania.

9The Bulgars.

10Livonia.

1J'Prussia.

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men cals Typaym,l and borow be castell of Newbourgh. And
also men passes by be ryuer of Daniby, and bat ryuer gos
borow Almayne vnder be hylles of Lumbardy. And it takes
in to hym fourty obir ryuers, and it rynnes borow Hungry,
Cresses,2 and borow Crochye.3 And after bat men gos to
Balgraue4 and entyres into be lande of Bugres. And ber
men passes a brygge bat is cald Marrok. And ban men passes
borow be lande of Pynceras5 and cum to a cyte bat is cald
Stermys,6 and to be cyte of Affynpane,7 and sythen to be
cyte of Constantynenople. And ber is be beste kyrke of

be warld and be fayreste, and it is of Saynt Stephen.8

And vaard to be see opon be watyr was be cyte of Troy

bat was dystroyed with be Grekes. And ber is ane yle bat
is cald Lempne, and in bis yle ys Mounte Athos9 bat passes

be clowdes. And toward be ende of Macedonye is a gret

hill bat men calle Olympus, and it beres Vp to be clowdes.

 

lChippron, or Soprony.

2Greece.

3Thrace.

4Bulgaria.

5Tetscheneys, a land south of the Danube.

6Modern Sophia.

7Philippopolis. There is great variation here in
various mss.

8St. SOphia must be intended here.

9Elsewhere, this is Olympus.

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2/21

IUso he bat wyll go fro Constinople to Ierusalem, he may
maborow Turkey toward be cyte of Inke,1 and passes borow
Fm 3ate of Chenetot2 bat ar right hye, and by be Brace of
Saynt George and by be Grekes See, wher Saynt Nicholes
lyes.

First men cummes to be yle of Syle3 and after bat
men gos to be yle of Pathmos and fro Pathmos to Epheson,
a cyte wher Saynt Ion be euangelist was beryd behynd be
awtere. Also Assye be les is cald Turkey. Fro Epheson
men gos borow many yles in be see, vnto be cyte of Pateran,
and so to Martha,4 and so to be yle of Grece. Also borow
be yle of Gosfos5 and Lango,6 and fro bence to be yle of
Rodes, and sumtyme it was cald Colys. bis yle is nere
800 myle longe; and fro bence [bai gos] to Cypre. And
so men passe be a place wher sum tyme was a cyte bat was

cald Satyllay.8 her is many perlyous passages fro Rodes

 

lMisspelled; It is Nike, or Nicaea.
2Chienetout; now Gemlik.

3Chios.

4Myra.

5Cohos, or Calcos.
6Cos was known as Lango at this time.

7The first two letters are 'nr', an uncorrected
error.

8Correctly, the Gulf of Satalia, now Adalia, which
has a notoriously treacherous harbor.

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to Cypress, 500 myle and more. Bot men may go to Cypre
and cum noght at Rodes. Cypre is a gode yle and a gret.
[f. 6V] And ber is many gode cytes in bat lande; at
Famagoste is one of be beste hafens bat is of be see bat
is in be warlde.

And fro Egypt men gos to Ierusalem by be see in
a day and in a nyght. And he bat has a gode wynde may
cum to be hafen of Tyre bat is cald Surye. Also men myght
go right nere to be hafen and cum not in Cypre. Bot bai
go gladly to Cypre to reste baim on be lande. Who so wil
go longe tyme on be se and cum nere to Ierusalem, he sal
go fro Tyre by be see; fro bat haven is none bot one day
iorney and a halfe to Ierusalem and be hafen is cald Iaffe,
and be towne Affe, and bat is be eld towne of al be
warld. And who so ryfes Vp on be fyrst hafen of Tyre and
of Sury before sayd, he may be lande to Ierusalem. And
he gos to be cyte in o daye. And fro Venyse to Acon on
be see is 2,040 myle of Lumbardy. And fro Calabre or fro
Cesylly is to Aconl a 1,300 myle of Lumbardy, and be yle

2 is mydward. And besyde Acon to ward be se 800

of Grece
furlonges3 on be right syde toward be southe is be hyll

of Carmele wher Helyas be prOphet dwelt.4 Also bysyde

 

lAcre.

2Crete.
3

4The scene of Elijah's famous contest with Jeze-
bel's priests: I Kings 18.

The distance is nearer 80 furlongs.

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2/23

Acon is a gret hyll bat hight Scala de Tyrys. And besyde

of Acon rynnesl a lyte water bat men cals Relion.2

And
ber nere is3 a dyke of Mynoner a1 rownde, and it is ful
of grauel schynynge, of be whilk men makes gode glasses.
Also fro Acon is to go thre iorneys to be cyte of Ga3a,
wher Sampson toke away be 3ates. And fro bence men sal
go to Cesar and to be castel of Philiriens, and so to
Scalon, and ban to Iaphet, and so to Ierusalem. Also who
so will go borow be lande of Babyloyne, wher be soldan
dwelles and for to go to Mounte Synay before he cum to
Ierusalem wher be pilgramege of Saynt Kateryne is, he sal
go fro Ga3a to be castel Dayre. And after a man cums
oute of Sury and gos vnto wildernes bat lastes 8 day
iorneys wher men fyndes a1 bat baim nedes of vytayles,
and bat wildernes is cald Achilley, and fro bence a man
entyrs in to Egypte canopate,4 and ban to a towne bat is
cald Beleth, and ban to Babyloyne, and ber is a fayr kyrk
of cure Lady; and per lygges Saynt Barbara be virgyn, and

ber dwelt Ioseph when he was salde of his bredir.5 And

ber wer be Nabugodeno3or wher Anania, A3aria, and Mysael

 

1The writer makes two false starts on the word
before getting it correct.

2Belyon.

3'Is' is repeated and uncancelled.

4Canopak.

5Genesis 39ff.

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2/24

1 and he cald baim bus, Sydrak,

put in be chymney of fyre,
Mysaak, and Abdenego, bat is to say, "God glorios," "God
victorius," "God ouer al thynges," and bat was for be
myrakyl bat he sawe how God presyerued bos thre childir
in be fyre. And ban when a man cums to Saynt Kateryne,

he gos cpon Mounte Saynt Kateryne, and bat is mykil more
hyer ban be Mounte Moyses. And ber as Saynt Kateryne was
grafen is no kyrke nor chapell ne none obir place, bot

bar is a hylle of stones gedyrd to geder abowte be place
wher sche was grafen of angels. Der was wont to be a
Chapel, bot it is castyn downe. Pat cuntre abowte is
cald Mount Synay. Nowe when a man has vysit bis holy
place of Saynt Katerynes he takes his lese at be monkes
bat dwels at be hylle foote. [f. 7r] And bies same
monkes gyfes vitayles with gode will to pylgrems to pas
borow wyldernes with to2 Surye. And bat laste wele 12
iorneys. And when men ar past bis wildernes to Ierusalem,

bai cum to Barsabee,3 a cyte. And fro bence men gos to

be vayle of Mambre, and also it is cald Ebron, bat is fro

 

1The incident, from Daniel 3, occurred in Babylon.
The account here is confusion, and seems to locate this
with Joseph's residence in Egypt.

2
deleted.
3

Not clear here; the 'with' probably should be

Beersheba.

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Ierusalem more ban 12 myle. And ber is be grafes of
hpatriarkes Adam, Isaak, and Iacob, and ber wyfes, Eua,
Sarra, and Rebecca,1 and bai ar in be hangyng of be hyll.
And vnder baim is a fayr kyrke. And right nere bat place
is a caue on a rotche wher Adam and Eue dwelt after bai
wer dryfen oute of Paradyse. And as it is sayd, Adam was
made in bat same place. be vayle of Ebron lastes to
Ierusalem, and twoo myle fro Ebron is be grafe of Loth
and a lytel bens is Mounte of Mabyl; and ber is be oke

of be drye tre bat Sar3yns cals it Dipre. And bof be tre
be drye, 3it it beres gret vertew, for he bat has a lytel
berof it heles fro be fallyng euyll. And mony obir ver-
tews it has, and berfore2 it is holden right precious.
Fro Ebron men gos to Bedlem on halfe a day, for it is but
5 myle perlyos way, and roghe with woodes ful thykke.
.And.it is a lytel cyte long and narowe and walled on euer
syde. And toward be este ende of be cyte is a fayr kyrke.
And bysyde be qwere of be kyrk at be‘ right syde as men
cumes downe seuenteen greces is be place wher oure Lord
was borne bat is ful wele dyght with marbyl and rychely
paynted with gold and syluer and obir colours. And a lytel

bence thre passes is be crybbe or mawnger of be ox and be

 

1The names of Adam and Eve are anachronisms; the
fielxl was not procured until Abraham's day, see Genesis

2Ms: 'berfofore'.

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2/26

asse. And besyde bat place fell be sterne bat ledde be
thre kynges Iasper, Melchior, Belthasar. Bot in Greke
bai ar cald Galgalath, Galgath, Saraphyn. Pies thre
kynges offerd to cure Lord ensence, gold, and myrre.

And also vnder be cloyster of be kyrke on be right syde
l8 greces is be charnell of be innocentes bones bat was
martyrd. And before bat place wher Crist was borne is
be towmbe of Saynt Ierom, be holy and glorios doctour.
Also besyde is a kyrke of Saynt Nycholes. And fro Bed-
leem to Ierusalem is bot twoo myle. And in be way to
Ierusalem is a kyrke halfe a myle fro Bedleem wher be
angel teld be scheppardes of be byrth of Criste. And in
bat way is be towmbe of Rachell bat was Ioseph moder, be
wyfe of Iacob. In bis way to Ierusalem ar many kyrkes
by be whilk men 903 to Ierusalem.

Here is dyuysed of be holy lande and be cuntres
abowte it and many ways bider and to be Mounte of Synay
to Babylon and to obir places. Now is to speke of obir
cuntres, for bos cuntres ar departyd with foure floddes
bat cummes out of Paradyse erthly. For Mesopotayne and
be kyngdom of Calde and Arabye are betwene twoo flodes,
bat is Tygreand Eufraten. And be kyngdom of Medye and
Parsaye ar betwyx two flodes bat is Tygris and Nyle. And
be kyngdome of Surye and Palestyn and Synes ar betwyx
Eufrate and be se Medyterane. And it is full longe fro

Marrtflc on be se of Spayne vnto be Grette Se, and so lastes

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it [f. 7V] be3onde Constantynenople thre thowsand and
fourty myle of Lumbardy. And to be see Occeanel in Inde
is be kyngdom of Sychy2 bat is closed emonge hylles. And
in bos cuntres ar many yles and landes. Also he bat will
go to Tartary or to Persye or Caldee or Inde h[e] entyrs
into be see at Gene or Venyse or at sum obir hafen and so
passes be see and ryfes vp at Tropsand.3 Pat is a gode
cyte. Per is be kyng of Persyes and Medoynes. In bat
cyte lyes Saynt Athanasyus, bischop bat made Quicumque

Vult, etc.4 Tropsand was sum tyme cald Porte de Ponte.

 

And fro bence men gos borow lytel Ermonye.S And fro TrOp-
sand men gos to be gret Ermonye to a cyte bat is cald
Arthiron. And ber nere is a hylle bat is cald Arrarache6
wher Archa Noe restyd; bat is, Noy schyp.

Fro bence men gos to a cyte bat is cald Tauriso.7
And fro bence may men go by many townes and castels to—

ward Inde, and so gos to a fayr cyte bat is cald Cassake.

 

lMare Oceanum--usually the great outer sea surround-
ing the earth; Mandeville usually speaks of the Indian
Ocean, but here it is the Caspian Sea.

2Scythia.

3Trebizond.

4The Athanasian Creed, beginning: Quicumque
vult salvus esse. . .

SArmenia.
6Ararat.

7Tauris, or Tabriz.

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2/28

And fro bence men gos to be cyte of Carmas, and ber endes
be lande of be Emprour of Persye.

And on be tobir syde of Carmas men gos into be
lande of Iob, and it is cald be land of Swere.1 bis lande
marches to be lande of Caldee. And after be lande of
Calde is be lande of Amasoyne,2 and besyde bat is be lande
of Turmagut. And on be tobir syde of Calde to be sowthe
is be lande of Ethyope in bis land on be sowthe syde are
folkes right blake. In Ethyope ar folk bat has bot o
foote and gos right fast beropon. And in bat Ethiope is
be cyte of Saba3 wher one of be kynges of Colan come fro.
Fro Ethiope men gos to Inde borow many dyuerse cuntres.
And it is cald Inde be more, and it is dyuyded in thre
partyes, bat is to say, Inde be more bat is ful hote,

Inde be les bat is temperate, and be thirde to be northe
is right colde. And ban men gos and fyndes be yle of

Ermes,4 to be whilk marchandes of Venyse, Gene, and obir
partyes of Cristendom gos to by marchandyse. Fro bence

men gos to be cyte bat is cald Sarchy,S and fro bence men

6

gos to be lande of Lombe, bar is be cyte of Polome, and

 

lSweze.

2Amazon.

3Cassan.

ob

Chermes, or Ormuz.

U'l

Apparently the Paroche of Odoric.

6Polumbum, or modern Quilon in Malabar.

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ber is a hylle, and at be hylle fote is a fayre welle

with a swete sauour and smels wele of alle of alle spyces.
And who so drynkes of bat welle thrys on be day, he is
made hole of alle seknes bat he has, and it is sayd bat
bis welle cumes fro Paradyse erthly for it is so vertewos.
And fro bence men 905 to be cuntre of Mabron.l In bat
lande lygges Saynt Thomas of Inde in a fayre tombe in be
cyte of Calamee.2 Also ber is a lande in Inde be moste
bat is cald Mansy,3 and ber is moste delytabyll and most
godes of be warld ber ar in man's power. Also ber is a
cyte bat is cald Latorym, and fro bis cyte men 903 to be
cyte of Cassy,4 and bat is be moste cyte of a1 be warld,
for it [is] fyfty myle abowte. Per ar in bat cyte twelfe
bowsand 3ates, and on euere 3ate a gode towre. ban cumes
men to be cyte Chibens.5 In bis cyte ar threscore fayr
stone brygges. And ban men cum to be lande of be gret
Cane, and ban trauels mony iornes to be cyte of Menkes,6
and fro bence men gos on be ryuer of Coromason bat rynnes
borow Catay, be whilk is [f. 8r] is [sic] a fayr cuntre

and a grete.

 

1Mobar.

2Mailapur--now Madras.

3Manzin.

4Censcalan in Odoric; modern Canton.
5

Chilenfu; modern Nanking.

6Menzu; perhaps Ningpo or Chin-kiang.

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Marchandes bat cumes fro Venyse or Gene or obir
places of Lumbardy, bai go by be se 11 monethes or bai
cum to Catay and in bat prouynce of Catay made be Tartar-

1 And it has twelfe 3ates,

ynes a cyte bat is cald Codome.
and it is a myle euer betwene twoo 3ates. In bis cyte is
be sege of be gret Cane in a fayr pales and a grete, and
it is be fayrest bat may be fonden in any place. Within
be halle of be pales ar foure and twenty pylers of gold,
and a1 be walles ar couerd with2 rede skynnes of bestes
bat ar cald Panters, and bai wele smellyng and, bai schyne
agayns be son bat vnethes may men loke on baim. bai ar
rede as blode, and men prayses bes skynnes als dere as
siluer or gold, and it is maruel to telle be ryches bat
is ber of siluer and gold and precious stones and perle
bat is in anowrmetes of bat paleys and how be Cane his3
arayed and his coppys and obir thynges abowte his tabyll
and a1 obir thynges.

Noe had thre sonnes, Sem, Cham, and Iaphet. And
thyes thre bredyr had a1 be lande of be warld. Sem in
Asya este, Chem in Affrica, and4 Iaphet in Europa. Cham

umde hym selfe Emprour, bot now is be Emprowre in bat

lande cald Cane. And be kyngdom of Catay is cald be moste

 

lTaitu, or the Great Court, northeast of Peking.

2'With' is repeated, uncancelled.

3Unclear; may simply be an error for 'is'.

4'And' is repeated, uncancelled.

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kyngdom of al be warld, and ber ar twelfe kynges vnder

be gret Cane. Catay is in be lande of Asye be depe lande
berof marches to be weste on be kyngdom of Tarcysl bat
was one of be kynges of Calayne.

And on be northe syde of Catay is be land of Cor-
aisym. And berby is be lande of Concayne. Dis lande
descendes toward Spruys and Rossye. And borow lande
rynnes Echyles2 on of be gretest ryuers of be warld, and
a lytel fro bence is be see Occeane bat is cald Maure,3
and betwyx Maure and Caspye is a ful strayt passage to
go toward Inde. be principal cyte of Concayne is cald
Sarache4 bat is one of be thre ways bat gos to Inde. bis
passage is cald Barbent.5 Ane obir way is to go to Turk-
stone borow Persye. And be thyrd way cumes fro Cosmayne
and bat gos borow be Gret See and borow be kyngdom of
Abkar.6 Now here is declared of be kyngdomes toward be
north. To cum fro Catay to Pruys and Rossye be gret Cane
has twoo kyngdomes. One begynnes estward at be kyngdom

of Turkstone. And it lastes westward to be cyte of Caspye,

 

1Tharse, or Tarse.
2Ethill--the Volga.
The Black Sea.

Sarak, on the Akhtuba, a branch of the Volga.

01-500

Derbent.

6Abcaz, on the Black Sea.

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and sowthward to be lande of Inde. be tobir kyngdom of
Persye lastes fro be ryuer of Physon vnto be gret Ermonye
and sowthward vnto be Inde. And by3onde Catay is be lande
of Caldehyll, and in bat lande ar be hylles of Caspye,
wher Gog and Magog is clossed, be whilk men cum oute
afore domes day. And fro bis lande gos men to be lande
of Bakarye.l

And ban fro bis lande is be lande of Pretyr Ion,
bat is lord and emprour of Inde. And bis lande is cald
be lande of Pentexer.2 Dis lande of Inde is parted in
many yles because of gret flodes bat cumes out of Paradyse.
Preter Ion has vnder hym many kynges and many dyuers
folkes. His londe is gode and ryche, bot no so ryche as
be gret Cane land is. per is a cyte bat is cald Sobothe3
on ane arme of be see and per is al merchandys and popin-
ayes [f. 8V] als gret plente as larkes in obir cuntres.
be gret Cane weddes commonly be doghttyr of Preter Ion,
and Preter Ion his doghtyr. be pOpinaes spekes borow ber
awne kynde als apertly as a man. And bai bat speke wele
has lange tonges and large, and ouer euere fote fyfe toos.

And ber ar sum bat has bot thre toos, and bai speke bot

yll or lytell. Preter Ion has vnder hym thre score and

 

lBactria.

2Pent exoire, a remote island.

3Cambray.

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ten prouynces, cuntres, and ilkone has a kynge. In bis
lande is be grauel see bat ebbes and flowes, and no water
berin. And foure iornayes bens is a hyll borow be whilk
cumes a flode out of Paradyse ful of precious stones.
When Preter Ion gos to batel, he has thre crosse of fyne
gold borne before hym, dight with precious stones. Also
he has one cros borne before hym of tree, not paynted and
with outen gold and precious stones al playne, in token
bat oure Lord Ihesu Crist sufferd deth opon a cros of
tree. Also he has borne before hym a plate of gold ful
of erthe, in tokenyng bat his lordship sall turne to
erthe. He dwels commonly at be cyte of Susee. His paleys
is so ryche bat it is maruel to tell it. be forme of his
bed is al with saphyres bonden with gold to make hym to
slepe and also to distroye lychery, for he lyes be his
wyfes bot thrys in be 3ere. He has euer more seuen kynges
in his court to seryf hym and threscore and twelfe dukes
and thre hundreth erls and 13 archiebischops. His lande
lastes foure monethes iornayes. In bis cuntre besyde be
ryuer of Physon is a gret myrk valle betwene twoo hylls
bat is foure myle longe. In bis vayle ar many tempestes
and gret noyse and hydos euere day and nyght. bis vale
is ful of deuels, and has bene alway for men says ber is
ane entre into helle in ytt. And in myds of bis vale on
a roche standes a vysage of a deuel bodely right vgly and

ciredfull to see, and ber is no thyng seene bot ber hede

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to be scholders. But bar is no man in be warld, Cristen
ne obir, so hardy bot he suld be aferd to loke on hym.
His eyne ar so sprykland lyke any fyre, and he chawnges
so often his cowntenance bat no man dar cum ner hym for
al be warld. For oute of his nose and mowthe cums gret
plenty of fyre of dyuers colours, bot bat way may gode
Cristen men go borow be vayle if so be bat bai schryfe
baim wele and be stabyl in be faythe withouten harme if
bai blysse baim wele with be token of be holy cros, for
ban sal be fende hafe no power ouer baim.

Be3ond be yles of Preter Ion and his lordschip
este sal men fynde noght bot hylles and gret roches and
myrk lande wher no man may see, on be day ne on be nyght,
and bis wildernes and myrknes lastes to erthly paradyse
as it is sayd. Also it is sayd bat erthly paradyse is so
enclosed al abowte with a walle bat men wote not wher be
3ates ar. And be walle is al couerd with mosse as it
semes bat men may se no stones ne noght els wher of it is.

And in be hyest place of Paradyse is a welle bat
cast oute foure flodes bat watyrs be erthe. be fyrst is
cald Physon, or Gamgas, bat rynnes borow Inde. be secund
is cald Gyon, or Nylus, and bat rynnes borow Asye and
Ermony be gret. be thyrd is cald Tygris, and bat rynnes

borow .1 And be fourt is cald Eufrates, and

 

 

1Nothing follows the preposition. There is no
punctuation, and only a normal space separates 'borow'
from the next word, 'And'.

75

2/35

bat rynnes borow Ermonye and Persye. It is sayd bat no
man may go to Paradys by lande ne be watyr, for be lande
he may not go for wylde bestes bat ar in wyldernes, and
for hylles and roches bat no man may passe by; ne be watyr
may no man passe, for be watyr cumes down with so gret
wawes bat no schip may go agayns baim. Bot if any man

hafe any special grace gyfen of God .1 [f. 9r],

 

 

lThis abrupt ending ends folio 9r, without punc-
tuation and with an incomplete thought. The fact may
support the hypothesis that at one time the articles
were bound differently--at least in a different order.

 

ap. 324.

bMalcolm Letts, Sir John Mandeville: The Man

 

and his Book, London, Batchworth Press, 1949.

76

3/1

ARTICLE 3, ff. 9V-10V

This is a series of extracts from Higden's Poly-

chronicon. While most of the incidents related here can

 

be found in Lumby's edition,a the treatment resembles
that of the previous selection (Article 2). The scribe
jumps about from place to place in the narration, and is
difficult to follow. There is something of a chronologi-
cal thread, giving a better continuity than does the
treatment of Mandeville; but it is far from reliable, and
certainly was not copied from the same text as was Lum-
by's, unless it was done in a random fashion.

The chronicles here treat with both Babylon and
Rome, especially the emperors Tiberius and Maurice, and
with the Saracen invasion of Italy in the ninth century.
Folio 9V has two drawings--insets on the opposite margins--
depicting Babylon and Rome. The drawing on the left is

a single tower, with the caption 'Turris Babilonis' to

 

the left of the t0p. The drawing on the right shows a
wall enclosing several buildings, and on the parapet above

the gate is written: Roma Caput Mundi.

 

The handwriting of Article 3 is that of Scribe

'A'. It is typically careless, with frequent cancellations

77

3/2

and marginal corrections. The three pages show a total
of fifty-seven errors, making it the most concentrated
example of the c0pyist's deficiencies in the entire manu-

script.

The TEXT:

be cronykyls tels,bat be cyte of Babylon in brede
of be felde was borow be nature of be place set vn ylk
syde schynyng, and it was made foure cornerd. be walles
of it was fyfty cubyts on hyght, and in brede foure cubyts.
be syment was mengyd with terre.1 And ber was on be
fronte of be walles a hundreth 3ates of brasse. In be
cyrcuyte abowte it was fyfhundreth and foure score stages,
be whylk abowte goyng was contened one and fyfty myle.

be tyme in be whilk Rome began was after be crea-
cion of be warld foure thowsand fyfe hundreth and foure
score 3eres. After be distruccion of Troy, fyfe hundreth
fyfty and foure. Quinque quatuor mille centum octogina

guatuor anni. Sunt §_principio dum, surgeret vrbs caput

 

 

9322.-
The maner of be byg and disposicioun of Rome

schewes Estodius bus: Aftyr bat be sonnes of Noee had

byggyd be toure of confusion bat was Babylon, with pepyll

come Noe in schyppe in to Ytalye noght far fro be place

 

1'Pyke' is cancelled, and 'terre' written above.

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3/3

wher nowe is Rome, and he bygged ber a cyte of his name
in be whilk he endyd his lyfe. And lange before be cyte
of Rome was byggyd, bar reyned pepyll in Ytalye abowte be
place wher be cyte of Rome is made. And Saturnius come
fro Cretis into Ytalye ner war Rome is be schypl and
lurgyd in woddes and buskes and hydde hym for his son
Iubiter Iouem.2 And ber fore Latyn folk cald aftyrd bat
regyon Ytalye. And afterward Saturnius taght ban be
pepyll to byg howses and to tylle be erthe and sett vynes
and lyf lyke men. For before bai cowthe not labyr, bot
war lyke bestes and ete aakorns, appyls of okes,3 and
dwelt in canes and couerd with bewes of tres. And for
bis he was made bair prynce. And aftyr Saturne reyned
hys son Pytus, and after Pytus reyned his son Farnis, his
son bat was be fadyr of Latyne. And ban after reyned
Latynus, be whilk mendyd Latyne tonge; and Latyn folk ar
cald Latyny be bair name. bies forsayd kynges reyned a
hundreth and fyfty 3ere before be cumyng of Enee, of
whome bai come of bat byggyd Rome. bis Enea was be duke of

Troy. bis Enea and his son come by schip in to Ytalye,

 

1The line is so sadly written that one can only
suppose this is the author's thought.

2'Iubiter' is glossed in tiny script, not careted,
above the interval between the two words. The hand dif-
fers from 'A'.

3'Aakorns' is written above 'appyls of okes' as a
most interesting gloss.

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3/4

and helpyd be kyng Euandrusl bat reyned in be place wher
now is Rome made hym to feght a agayne be kyng Latyne.2
And aftyr be [f. 9V] deth of Latyne he held be kyngdom
of Latynes. And after Enea reyned Ascanius his son. And
after bies reyned many kynges. An[d] ban reyned Amulius,
be whilk put oute fro be kyngdom Munytorem, of be whilk
Munytorus Rea, his doghtyr bat was a mayden, conceyfed
preuely twoo childer of Mars; and bai war cald Romulus
and Remus. And ban bair moder, be cause sche brake hir
maydynhede again be lawes bat was ban vsyed, sche was

3 And hir childer Remus and Romulus was

beryd qwhykke.
casten in buskes be syde Tyber and gyfen at sowke with a
sche wolfe. And a hyrdman fand baim and bar baim to hys
wyfe, and sche noreschyd baim vp, and be sayd Romulus and
Remus after gedyrd hyrd men to gedyr and thefes and slewe
Amilius be kyng and restoryd agayn Munytorem into be
kyngdom.

Of bies twoo, bat is to say, Romulus and Remus

bat come of Enea of Troy, was Rome byggyd and named, and

bai had fyrst lordship berof. And be thyrd 3ere after be

 

1Poorly written, this is Evander, who came from
Troy to settle on the Palatine hill.

2A badly written line. 'Agayne' follows 'a',
dareted beneath it in the bottom margin.

3Elsewhere, the word is spelled without the 'q'"
'whilk', and 'whikkand', as well as without the 'h':

'qukke'.
80

3/5

byggyng of be cyte was Remus slayne of Fulno, be duke of
Romulus. And be sayd Romulus walled Rome rownde abowte
and cald it Rome after his name. And it has threhundreth
towres and fourty and one. And be cyrcuyte bat is abowte
Rome is twoo and twenty myle. By syde bat is be3onde
Tybyr and.be cyte of Leoning,l with be whilk is sayd bat
it is thre and fourty myles. And be pryncypall 3ates of
be cyte ar 18. And palasces thyrty and one and thyrty
tempyls. And be syde be tempyl Solis et Lune is Sancta
Albinna in Albstone, and ber was a candilstyk made of
albestone; and bat and it be ones lyghtyd and put vnder
be ayer, it wil be no crafte be slokynd. And in.bat place
after is ane ymage of cure saueour Crist heuenly paynted.
And when Remus was ded, ban.reyned onely Romulus his bro-
bir. And he chesyd to hys cownsell a hundreth aged men
and baim he called senatours. And a bowsand feghtyng men
he chesyd and for be nowmer of mille he cald baim mylites,
knyghtes. And aftyrward at a myddow Romulus was, and per
felle tempest of weder and thoneryng, and ber come abowte
hym a clowde and lappyd hym in, and he apperyd no more
after.

And many 3eres aftyr bis, bar was gret pestylence

in Rome and deth, and in be myddes of be cyte be erthe

 

1A final letter, which may be an 'e', is obscured
by being superimposed upon at least one other letter; or
the scribe may have intended to cancel.

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3/6

cpynd and soudanly as helle apperyd, and mykyll folk war
slayne with be stynke bat come oute berof.

The ymperial gouernyng of Rome began of Octouyane
bat was fyrst emprour and August of be cyte and of be
warld, and he sett a1 men in pes by a1 be cyrkill of be
occeane. In his tyme was Crist borne. ban come two gou-
ernances, one spyrytual and one obir temporal. be fyrst
of Criste bat was byschOp of present thynges, and of gode
thynges for to cum; an be bischOp kyngdom by Criste, and

be emprour kyngdom be Octouyane.1 Huius sunt duo gladii,

 

323., "Thies ar be twoo swordes," bat is to say, be
spiritual and be materiall, be whilk sufficys to be
gouernyng of be kyrke. Petyr2 sayd to Cryste, EEE£.§22.
gladii, "Behold twoo swordes," and Cryst sayd, "It suf-
fices."3 bies are be twoo gret lyghtes be whilk God put
in be firmament of heuen, bat is to say in alle be kyrke
bat is be auctoryte of be pope, and be power of be empr-
our. For as be lyght of be son is more and be lyght of
be mone is lesse, so be sprytual power is more and be
imperiall, bat is be emprour power, is lesse. [ff. 10%]
It is red in cronykils how bat Tyberius be emprour

of Rome delt in almos to pore men be tresours of his

 

1The sense must be inferred; the scribe has poorly
condensed his source.

2In the margin to the left, just ahead of 'Petyr',
the word 'Apostil' appears.

3Luke 22:38.

82

3/7

palace, and when his wyfe Augusta reprofed hym for he gaf
to pore folk a1 his tresours as he war a distroyer of1
be common profet, ban he awnswerd agayne and sayd, I
trayst in God bat oure pursse sal not be withouten money,
bot of bies thynges be whilk oure Lorde has gyfen in doyng
almos, we gyt tresours in heuen.2 And when be forsayd
emprour Tyberius went be one of his palaces, he sawe a
marbyl stone in be whilk a cros was wroght. And when he
had gart lyft Vp bat stone, and sayd it bat was not
worthy bat be cros be whilk aght to be prynted in be
brestes and fronts of men suld be troden opon with men's
feete. And ban vnder bat stone ane obir stone on be same
with a cros he fande, and bat he gart lyft vp also, and
ban aperyd be thyrd stone lyke be tobir. And when be
emprour merueld of bis, gart lyft vp bat he fande ane
infynyte multitude of tresour.2

Also on a tyme aperyd a man in a monke abyt goyng
abowte be cyte with a drawen swerde in his hande and sayd,
bis 3ere sal Mawrys be emprour with swerde is to be slayne.
And when be emprour heryng bis he dyd penance for his yll

dedis3 and was sory. And be hymselfe and by obir he prayd

 

1'Of' is repeated, and not cancelled.

2The section between the two numerals is written
at the bottom of 10V, and is careted into the text by red
ink.

3One of the few places in the earlier part of the
manuscript where the '-is' plural occurs.

83

3/8

God bat bis sentence myght be withdrawne. And when bis
was done, be hard in slepe a voyce saynge, Vnethes here

or in be dome to cum I sal spare be. And ban awnswerd

be emprour, O bou God, lufer of wretches, 3elde here yll
to me, bat bou spare me in be dome to cum. Afterward
when be emprour Mawris was ordand in be est when he re—
strenyd his knyghtes fro rauayne and beft, nor gaf baim
noght bair hyre, ban bai made one bat bai cald Phoke be
prynce opon baim. And when Maurys be emprour herd bis

he fled in to ane yle, and ber with his wyfe and his twoo
childir he was slayne by bis sayd Phocam. Also it is red
in cronykils bat sum wykkyd men of be Romaynes sent to

be soldan bat he suld cum to Rome and hafe it and Ytalye.
And ban ber come swylk a multitude of Sar3yns bat bai
segyd Rome and toke be cyte Leonyng, and bai spoyld Saynt
Petyr kyrk and made it a stabyl to bair hors, and distroyed
be cuntre. And ban at be last and askynge of be pape come
Marchio with Lombards after Lowys with Franche men, and
with gret scheddying of Crysten men's blode be Sarcyns

was chast away. If. 10V.]

 

aPolychronicon Ranulfi Higden Monachi Cestrensis;
together with the En§1ish TranslatiOn of John of Trevisa
and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century. Ed.
Rev. Joseph Rawson Lumby. London, Longmans and Co.,
1865-66.

 

84

4/1

ARTICLE 4, ff. 11r-16V

The source of Article 4 is Methodius' "fie begyn-
nyng of be warld and of be endyng...," edited for the
2219 by Aaron Jenkins Perry.a It is principally a trans-
lation of Eoy219M9. 9.9, 2211., f. 170 and elsewhere,"
from Pseudo-Methodius.

With the selection following, this item consti-
tutes a deliberately chosen pair of hortatory messages
designed both to inform Christians and to judge them, and
to urge them to steadfastness of faith against the day
of the ultimate judgment.

Rapidly summarizing various Biblical incidents
from Adam to Gideon, the writer Springs from the histori-
cal narratives to a vigorous exhortation lest the reader
be unaware of subsequent fulfillment of various prOphecies
which may bring about his doom. The great and impending
struggle between Gog and Magog receives special atten-
tion; and this account reaches its climax ultimately in
a detailed description of "be day of dome," at which time
the prose flows logically into the setting for the Dooms-
day poem, Article 7.

Bearing no title in the manuscript, this poem is

85

4/2

directly tied to the final line of the prose: '...of
boes thynges be whilk bai sal se before be day of dome,"
and the opening line of the poem: "When be day of dome
sall be...."

In form, Article 4 follows a regular pattern.
Nearly one half of the top of the pages are occupied by
pictures illustrating the text. Some pages have but one
picture, filling all of the area; others have two or three
illustrations. Folio llr, for example, shows three illus-
trations: God speaking to Eve in Eden as Adam slumbers
in the foreground; the Angel of God driving Adam and Eve
from the fenced Garden; and, Cain standing over a kneel-
ing, imploring Abel, whose head is slashed and dripping
blood as Cain wields what appears to be the jawbone of
an ass. The illustrations are usually quite vivid and
self-explanatory, and depict incidents narrated on the
page below. Beginning with 12V, and extending through
15r, all pictures show armed knights at deadly combat,
and there are captions on some. Lest the full impact be
missed, from the appearance of the wicked Gog and Magog
on 15V, each picture is labelled.

Folios 13V, 14r, and 16V are examples of the care-
less trimming of this manuscript. In each instance, the
trimmer has removed some of the caption. Fortunately,
most of the writing can be deduced from the lower halves

of the letters; but this is not always true.

86

4/3

Article 4 offers an excellent study of the hypo-
thesis that some of the writings of 91229_were at one
time separately bound, or that they may have been given
in a different order. The last preceding folio, 10V, is
quite well preserved. It has insignificant diagonal
tears in both lower corners. None of the text suffers.
The page is quite light in color, as if it has received
little wear. By contrast, llr is very dark, is torn at
all four corners, and may have been written by another
scribe. F. 11V is much lighter in color than is llr,
which might be harmonized with the hypothesis that llr
was at some time an outer page. The damage to the succes-
sive pages increases in severity, however, which would
probably not be true if they were protected by being
farther from the cpening page of a previous binding. The
damage does impose a hardship upon the text, with losses
occuring at the ends of the lines, and along the bottom
of the pages at 15V and 16r.

The possibility of this section's having been
written by a second scribe is discussed in the Introduc-
tion. The data are not entirely convincing, but may be

considered compatible with the hypothesis proposed.

The TEXT:

[Above the text, written within the boxed area of
the first picture on this page]; In nomine Christi.

 

87

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12 nomine Christi, incipit liber Methodii episcopi

 

 

eccelesie paterensis martiris Christi. This tretys is

 

drawen oute of Latyn into Ynglysche, be whilk a holy bis-
chOp and martyr drewe oute of Hebrew and Greeke into
Latyn, and it tretys of be begynyng of be warld and of
be endyng, and also of binges bat has fallen and sal
falle.

It is to be knawen to vs, dere breber,l how bat
God in be begynyng made heuen and erthe, and by hym a1
binges ar formed, and how he made man, and a helpe lyke
vnto hym, and put baim in Paradyse. And he cald be names
of baim Adam and Eua, be whilk afterwarde with be serpent2
gylefulness war disceyfed, and bai beyng vergyns, castyn
oute of Paradyse. In be thyrty 3ere, aftyr bai was castyn
oute of Paradys, bai gat Caym, ber fyrst son. And in be
hondrethe and thyrty 3ere of Adam slewe Caym his brober
Abel, and put his hande opon3 hym. And in be two hundreth
and thyrty 3ere of be lyfe of Adam was borne his son Seth,
lyke vnto hym. And after bai gat doghtyrs and sonnes.

In be sexhundreth 3ere of be lyfe of Adam began be sonnes

 

1In this section, 'er' prevails in the text when
the final syllable of such words as 'breber', 'childer',
and 'ober' is written out; hence this spelling is adOpted
when abbreviations occur.

2The abbreviation ' ' occurs here for the first
time in the ms.

3Perry misreads this 'vpon'; the ms. is clearly
'opon'.

88

4/5

of Caym to myshuse be wyfes of bair breber in gret forny-
caciouns of lychery. And in be eght hundreth 3ere of be
lyfe of Adam war spred obrode1 gretly fornycaciouns and
vnclennes of be childer of Caym. In be neyne hundreth
3ere and thyrty, Ada[m] dyed, and [was] beryd in Ebron.2

In be fyrst bowsand 3ere of be warld, ban was be
generaciouns bat is be kynredyn of Seth [f. llr] dyuydyd
fro be generacioun of Caym. And Seth toke his genera-
cioun agayns be este in to a mownte bat is next vnto
Paradyse. And Chaym dwelt ber as he slewe his brober
Abel vnlefully; bat is to say in Ynde, in be same place
of delicousnes wher he fyrst made a cyte and cald it
Effrem. And bis was fyrst byggyd before Noe flodde.

In be fourty 3ere of Iareth, in be secunde thow-
sand of be warld, war wykkyd men and of ylle craft be
fynders of be sonnes of Chaym, and of vnclennes and
filthe, bat is to say Obal, Tobal, be sonnes of Lamech bat
was blynde, bat was first blynde man, be whilk slewe
Chaym. bir men fande be werkes of yren and bras and gold
and syluer to be made soft. And bir men fande fyrst al
[2 craftes of musyk. And after seuen hundreth 3ere of

be lyfe of Iareth in be secund bowsand 3ere of be warld

 

lPerry misreads this 'abrode'.
2The end of this thought, and beginning of the

next paragraph, is indicated by a disproportionately large
capital 'i' following 'Ebron'.

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4/6

began wars ban be first for to grow mykil ylle and malyce
opon erth, be whilk we lefe now on spokyn of.

ban oure Lord God was greued and bad Noe make a
schip and bryng in his wyfe and his thre sonnes and bair
wyfes, and safed fro drownyng of be flode. And ber was
made a flode cpon be erth. And ban Noe toke into be
schip of a1 lyfyng binges both of fewles and of bestes,
and al binges ber war oupon erth; bai wer kepyd in be
schip. In be sex hundreth 3ere went Noe oute of be schip,
with al bat war with hym. ban mad[e]1 Noe offerand to
God, and God blissed Noe and his childer. In be sex-
hundreth and twelft 3ere of be lyfe of Noe, in be thyrd
bowsand of be warld, began Noe and his childer new [f.
11V] possession in erthe. And bai cald bos regions Tam-
non, after be callyng of be nowmer of baim bat come oute
of be schip, bat is to say eght.

In be thre hundreth 3ere in be thyrd bowsand of
be warld, gat Noe a son, and cald hym Ionitum. In be
threhundreth and fyfty 3ere after be flode gaf Noe be
lande of Etham, bat is to say be este parte, into gyft
of his son Ioniti[m].2 And Noe dyed when he was neyne-
hundreth and fyfty 3ere. After his deth in be thyrd

bowsand 3ere of be warld his childer descendyd into be

 

1A tear in the corner has removed the 'e'.

2The 'm' is entirely deleted, and not replaced.

90

4/7

lande of Sennarr, and began to make a towre of whos
hyghnes suld towche vnto heuennes. And ber dyuydid God
his ire opon baim bat began to bygge it. And bai war
sparpyldl opon be face of a1 be erth, and bai war dyuydyd
cpon a1 erthe. Ionitus, be son of Noe, entyrd into be
erth of Eotham, bat is to say be este, wher be son sprynges
vp, and dwelt ber. And he toke wysdom of God. And he
fande a1 astronomy and be sterres2 of heuen. Sem, be son
of Noe, toke be lande of Asye, and Cham be land of be
sowthe vnto be weste. Ionitus, be son of Noe, gat Nem-
brot, a gret man and a strang hunter. And bat Nembrot
after be flode byggyd a cyte bat was cald Babilonia.

In be seuenthundreth 3ere, in be thyrd bowsand
of be warld, was byggyd gret Babilon. And after bis be
sones of Cham made baim a kyng whos name was Pontubus.
Afterward be sonnes of Iaphet sent to Ionitum men and
craft men of theker craft, and byggers, and bai come into
Eotha[]m3 to Ionitum, and bai byggyd ber a cyte bat was
cald Ionita. And ber [f. 12r] was pes4 betwyx be kyngdom

of Nembrot and be kyngdom of Pontubi, be sonnes of Cham.

 

lScattered widely.

2Ms. is clearly 'sternes'; Perry gives 'sterres'.

3The corner is torn following the 'a'; however,
the macron, indicating final 'm', is still visible, al-
though the letter over which it is written has been lost.

4Perry reads this 'pees'. There is but one 'e'
in the copy.

91

4/8

And fro ban forth bai began for to make batell ilk one
with ober. And when Ionitus hard bis, he wrote a pystill
to Nembrot, be whilk held Bobilon, and bat was written
for why be kyngdom of be sonnes of Iaphet began fro bine
to do away be kyngdom of be sonnes of Cham. Her apperyd
fyrst batels betwyx kyngdom and kyngdoms opon erthe.

In be eght 3ere in be fourte bowsand of be warld,
alway bai faght with manly power. And be kyngdom of Cham
was ouercummen of2 be kyngdom of Nembrot. And be kyngdom
of Nembrot opteyned be principalite vnto Esdrem kyng.
Esdres byrned be kyngdom of Cham, and put in thraldom a1
bat war dwellyng, Iebuseos, Amorreos, Palestinos, and
Affros, be whilk was at be weste. After Esdres gat Cus-
drum be kyng. And ban be childer of Cham gydyrd baim to
geder threhundreth and twenty bowsand of fote men, and
when Cusdro hard bis, he left baim to bai war past be
flode of Tygyr. And ban sent Cusdro his company agayn
baim with elyfantes and slewe baim a1 bat neuer one scapyd
of baim. And ban was be warldes made byttyr.

In be fyft 3ere in be fyfe bowsand of be warld
descendyd Sannsab, kyng fro Eotham, with a gret compeny,

and destroyed be pepyl of many cytes, bat is to say

 

1The 'a' is not joined, and the second vowel is

an 'i'.

2'With' is cancelled, and a caret follows; how-
ever, the 'of' is inserted before the 'with'.

92

4/9

seuenty and eght regions of hym. And he went vnto be

thyrd kyngdom of Ylnde].l [f. 12V.] And when he turned
fro Ynde, he come into Araby and went into desert Sabia

in be lande of Ismael and put ber his hostes of pepyl in

be lande of be childer of Ismael. And ber was Sannsab

be kyng ouercummen of be Sarsyns. And yer fell ber many
bowsandes, and ober fledde. And ban at fyrst went be
sonnes of Ysmael oute of wildernes to feght with batels.
And bai entird into be kyngdoms of folk after bat God be-
heste vnto Ysmael bat in be region of his breber he suld
fest tabernakyls. bair compenys wer gret multitude. And
bai began to feght agayn be este lande and be sowth, and
bai began to make cytes desolate. And bai made baim schips,
and bai come vnto be weste kyngdoms nere vnto Rome, and

bai had lordyschip of landes bat tyme. And bai ete vnclene
bodys, bat is of camels and hors, and bai dranke blode of
bestes mengyd with mylk. Than made bai to baim of baim
selfe foure princes, Oreb, and 3eb, and 3ebee, and Sal-
mana. And when bai entyrd cpon be childer of Israel,

oure Lord stroke baim euen ber, and toke baim into be

2

handes of Gedeon Eberrie, be son of Ioer. ber was ber

a hundreth and fourty bowsand. And [bair]3 prynces

 

1The manuscript is torn.

2Perry reads 'Ioel'; the ms. is 'Ioer'; Judges
6:11 gives Gideon's father's name as 'Joash.' Vulgate,
'Ioas'.

3The ms. is torn, and 'bair' must be supplied.

93

4/10

feldowne ber. And Gedeon persewed baim to bair awn
cuntre, and God delyuerd be childer of Israel fro be
thraldom of be childer of Ismael.

It is to cum bat bai sal do swilk ane ober lyke
vnto bis bing, and make destitute be erthe, and opteyne
a1 erthe, and ober kyngdoms fro be rysyng of be son vnto
be weste [and] fro be sowthe vnto be north, and vnto
Rome. And [ber 3ok]l [f. 13r] sal be greuos to al folk.
And ber sal be no folk or kyngdom bat may feght with baim
to be nowmer of bair tymes. And after bai sal be ouer-
cummen of Cristen men. And be sonnes of Ismael sal be
subiect to be kyngdom of Romaynes, and be kyngdom of Rome
sal be gret, abowne a1 kyngdoms of folk when bai er brokyn
done to be Romayne empyre. Than agayne sal ryse be chil-
der of Israel oute of wildernes, and withstande be kyng-
dom of Romaynes, be whilk scriptur makes mencion of

Australia, Brachia, Danyel hoc preuidens, and bai sal

 

gayne say be kyngdom.

In be laste sext2 bowsand 3ere of be warld sal be
childer of Ysmael go out of wildernes. And bair chastys-
syng sal be withouten mesure and withouten mercy. And
God sal gyf in to bair handes al be kyngdoms of folk for

synnes bat we wyrk agayns be commawndmentes of God.

 

1The words are obscure. Perry's emendation 'ber
3ok' appears to be correct.

2Careted into the line above is the numeral:

'vii'.

94

4/11

berfor God has taken vs into be handes of barbarynes of
hathen men, for we hafe forgytten be commawndmentes of

God. Cristen men dos mykil vnlefull binges, for bai fyle
baim selfe with syn bat is fowlest to be spokyn. berfore
God has taken baim in to be handes of Sar3yns. Persida

sal be in captyuyte and in slayng and Capadoce also. be
lande of Syrie sal be made waste, and be dwellers of it
put in thraldom. Cicilia and be dwellers in it sal per-
ysche with swerde. Grek sal be in slayng and thraldom.
Affrica also. Egypcianes and be Este and Asia sal be vnder
tribut greuos in siluer and gold. Spayne sal perysche
with swerde, and be dwellers of [f. ‘13V]l it put in
thraldom. Frawnse, Germany, Agothaina with diuers batels
be deuoured and put in thraldom. be Romaynes sal be in
slayng and turned and fle in yles of be se in dissolu-
cion. And be sonnes of Ysmael sal cpteyne fro be north,
fro be este, and fro be sowthe, fro be weste. And Ieru-
salem sal be fyld of al pepyll bat sal be led in captiuyte.
And be land of beheste sal be fyld of al folkes. And

ber2 3oke sal be heuy opon a1 folkes, and bai sal be vndyr

be 3oke of baim, and tribute. And a1 anournmentes of

 

1Above the picture of armored men fighting at
t0p left: "ismalytes agayns Gentyles." Over fighting
men, top right, most of the superscription is cut off.
The remainder reads: "Sar3y[ns]...and ouercume baim."

2Perry transcribes 'be'; the ms. gives 'b“,
I I
per 0

95

4/12

ryche men sal be bairs, and ba bat was in be kyrk of
Sayntes, owder gold or syluer or precious stones, and a1
be anournmentes of be kyrk sal be bairs. And bai sal
distribut be mynyster binges of God, and be prestes sal
be as be pepyll sal be when be kyrkes sal be byrnt, and
ber sal be gret tribulacioun. And bai sal cast be bodyes
of baim in be streetesl or in be ways, and none for to
bery baim. And be way of be Sar3yns sal be fro se to se,
and regions sal be be way, and be way of baim sal be cald
sorowe. And bai sal go to geder, 3ongmen, rychemen, and
pore men, and old men with turmentyng and sorow, and bai

sal say, Beati sunt qui 22 hac luce nos processerunt.2

 

"Blissed ar bai bat went before vs fro bis light of bis
warld." bis Saynt Paule sayd before, Cum venerit dis-

cessio primum, 22 reuelatus fuerit homo peccati gE_per-
3

 

dicionis. What is fyrst depertyng bot disciplyne, borow

be whilk a1 be dwellers on erth er chastyd of be sonnes
of Ismael. berfore, Onagrum deus appellauit Ismaelem,4
God cald Ismael be fader of baim a wylde asse. bies

pepyl ar not as obir folk[es]5 [f. l4r]. Bot bai ar

sonnes to cum oute of wildernes, and bai ar hateful to

 

1Perry reads 'stretes', incorrectly.

2This quotation is not identified.

3II Thess. 2:3.

4Gen. 16:11,12.

5The corner of the page is torn.

96

4/13

men. Here be folowyngl of baim bat ar to cum oute of be
wildyrnes, bai sal sla women with childe, and prestes in
holy places bai sal kylle, and in be kyrkes of Sayntes

bai sal lyg with bair wyfes. And ber bestes bai sal bynde
at be grafes of sayntes as it wer to a mawnger. And ber
sal be gret tribulacion opon Cristen folkes bat dwels

cpon be erth. And ban sal bai appere be trew men bat ar
to trow in Criste. God sendes not berfore bies tribula-
cions opon Cristen men, bat rightwismen be done away bat
ar to trowe in Criste, bot bat bai be schewed bat ar for

to trowe faythfully in Criste. As veritas ait, Beati

 

eritis cum persecuti vos fuerint propter nomen meum etc.,2
"Blissed sal 3e be when bai persewe 3ow for my name, etc.,
So hafe bai persewed prophetes bat war before 30w."

"Bot he bat perseuers vnto be ende he sal be safe."3 And
after be tribulacions of be dayes bat sal be done of be
sonnes of Ismael, al erth sal be made desolate of baim.
And bai sal be cled with ornamentes of gold and purpyll,
and with schynyng Clothes, saying bat Cristen men may not
be delyuerd [f. 14V] fro oure handes. And bai sal ioy

in bair victorys and say,'Behold, we hafe ouercummen be

erth in our strengthe, and a1 bat dwels in it." Than sal

 

lPerry: folewyng.
2Perry omits the 'etc.‘ Matt. 5:11.

3Matt. 24:13.

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4/14

rememmyr our Lord God after hys beheste, be whilk he
hyght to baim bat lufs hym and ar to trow in Criste, and
he sal delyuer baim fro be handes of be Sar3yns. The
Cristen pepyl sal ryse VP and feght1 with baim, and sal
kyll baim with swerde, and lede ber wyfes into thraldom
and sla bair 3ong childer. And be childer of Ismael sal
descende into swerde and tribulacion and affliccion. And
oure Lord God sal 3e1d to baim be ylls bat bai dyd to
obir, and ber sal falle opon baim seuen tymes als mykil
malyce als bai dyd to obir. And God sal take baim into
be handes of Cristen pepyll, and be kyngdom of Cristen
pepyll sal be exaltyd abowne al obir kyngdoms, and Cris-
ten men sal put a heuy 3oke on baim, and al bat sal be
left of baim sal be seruandes.

And ban sal be erth be made pesabyl bat was dy-
stroyed of baim. And bai bat wer in captiuite and thral-
dom of baim sal cum agayne into bair awne lande, and man
sal be multiplyed cpon erth, and gret indignacion sal be
to be kyng of Romaynes opon baim bat denyed Crist.
Egipcii and Arabes has denyed Crist. And ber sal be pese
and gret reste cpon erth, swilk as has not bene before,
he 3it sal be lyke it afterward, [f- 15f] for bat bat
it is in be ende of be warld, and ber sal be gladnes and

pes opon be erth, and bai sal hafe reste of ber tribulacions.

 

lPerry shows 'fight'; the vowel is an 'e'.

98

4/15

bis is be pes of be whilk be Apostil says, Cum fuerit

 

tranquillitas 22 securitas, tunc veniet repentinus 12f

 

 

 

teritus: "When it is reste and sykyrnes, ban sal cum

sodan dethe."1

And men sal be in bos dayes as it was in
be dayes of Noe, etyng and drynkyng and weddyng, and per
sal no drede be in be hertes of baim. And when pes is
bus, ban sal be opynd be 3ates of Caspy in be syde of be
northe, and bai folkes sal cum cute with God and Magog,
and a1 erthe sal be strykkyn for drede of baim. And al
men on erth sal drede and hyde baim in mowntes and caues
and dennes fro be sight of baim. bai er of be kynryden
of Iaphet, and a plag sal go oute of be north, and bai
ete be flesche of men and serpentes and bestes, and
women with childer bai sal ete. And ber sal be none bat
may feght with baim. And aftyr seuen 3ere bai sal entyr
into cyte of Iosaphen. And ban sal oure Lord sende one
of hys princys, and he sal stryke baim with leuenyng and
fyre in a moment. And be emprour of Greke sal cum and
sytt in Ierusalem seuen 3ere. And ban sal apere be son
of perdicion, bat is to say, Antecrist. He sal be borne
in Cor03aym, and he sal be noresched in Bethsayda and

reyne in Capharnaum as oure Lord say in be gospel, 93

tibi, Corogaim, z§_tibi Bethsayda, zg_tibi Capharnaum,

 

 

 

 

"we be to be, Cor03aim, wo be to be, Bethsayda, wo be to

 

1I Thess. 5:3.

99

4/16

be Chapharnaum, for if bu sal be exalted vnto heuen,
into helle bow sal [be] [f. 15V]l drowned."2
Afterward be kyng of Romaynes and of Greke sal
ascende in Golgatha in be place wher oure Lord Ihesus
Crist vowchedsafe to suffer deth3 for vs opon be cros.
And be kyng of Romaynes sal take be crowne of his hede

4 vp his handes vnto

and put it opon be cros, and hald
heuen and 3eld his spirit vnto God, be kyng of Cristen
men. And ban sal appere be tokyn of be holy cros in
heuen. After bis sal cum be son of perdicion, Antecrist.
And he sal be trowed as he war God, and he sal do many
tokens and wonders. Dede men sal seme as bai rase Vp,
and blynd men as bai sawe, and halt men go. And he sal
entyr into Ierusalem and sytt in be tempyl of God, semyng
as he war God, and his hert sal be exaltyd gretly dis-
puttyng as he war God, and he sal be fals and wyrk with5
disceytfulnes and begyle many one. He sal be of be

kynredyn of Dan, werof Iacob sayd, Fiat Dan coluber 13

via, etc., "Dan sal be a serpent in be way," 35 cerastes

 

i2,§2fli§g, "and a horned serpent in be strayt way."6
1Over the illustration at top left: "Here weds

Cristen and makes festes and myrghe." Above the illus-
tration at right: "Gog and magog cummes oute of be
mountes of Caspy and etes man's flesche and drynkes man's
blode."

2Cf. Matthew 11:21-23.

3Written: 'sufferd deth'. The 'd' of 'death' ap-
parently is anticipated.

4Perry reads: 'hold'.

5Quite badly written.
GeneSis 49:17. 100

4/17

And after bis sal oure Lord send his two seruandes,
Enoch and Hely, bat ar left in his witnes to reprofe bis
enmy, and bai sal reprofe hym before al be pepyl, and
schew hym a lyer and fals and confused, and when folks
sees bus confused and made lyer of bir1 holy sayntes,
bai sal do penance. And ban sal be Iewes of ilk a kyn-
ryden of Israel trow in Crist, and ban sal ber be slayne
for Criste a hundreth and foure and fourty bowsand in
bais days. And ban [sal A] ntecriste be f[i1d] with
wodnes and commande to sla be sayntes [f. 16"]2 of God
and al bat ar to trowe to baim. And oure Lord Ihesus
Criste sal cum, be Son of God, in be clowdes of heuen
with compenys of angels and heuenly ioy. And onone he
sal sla bis beste Antecrist, enmy and disceyfer, with be
swerd of his mowthe, and a1 bat consentyd vnto hym.
And be endyng of be warld sal be; and be dome wher bow-
sandes of bowsandes and ten tymes hundreth bowsandes of
archangels, cherubyn and seraphyn sal be ber, and ber
sal be compenys of sayntes of patriarchs, prophetes,
apostils, martyrs, confessours, virgyns, and of a1 sayntes.
bar sal be rightwismen, and synners sal 3elde a cownte

and reson before be sight of God how ilk one has done.

 

lPerry mistakenly reads: 'bin'.

2In the top right picture, above armored sold-
iers, "Antecriste gart sla Cristen pepyl." In the same
picture, on the far right, seated on a throne, is a
figure by whom is written: "[Anltecrist."

101

4/18

And be right wisman sal be departed fro be wykidmen.

And be right wismen sal schyne as be son, fowlowyng be
lamme of lyfe, and be kyng of heuen seyng alway be
clernes of God in heuen, and bai sal be felischipd ber

to euermore. be wykkyd men sal descende with be beste

_ Antecriste into helle. be rightwis men sal lyf euer and
with be kyng of heuen sal ioy withouten ende. And wikkyd
men withouten end sal be ponesched, fro be whilk oure
Lord vowtschesafe to delyuer vs be whilk lyfes and

reynes with Fader and Son and Holy Goste, God by infynyte

warldes of warld. Amen.

 

aDialogus inter militem...and Methodius' 'be
bygynnyng of be wafldT ed. Aaron Jenkins Perry, London,
EETS, No. 168.

 

102

5/1

ARTICLE 5, ff. 16V-17V

This typical Meditation is expressed in the spe—
cial form of a lengthy prayer. It concerns the Last Judg—
ment, and reflects a kind of preoccupation with the
general theme of the bliss awaiting the saved, and the
doom and punishment confronting the damned at that great
Day.

Once attributed to Methodius, the meditation has
a distinctly medieval tone and frame of reference. The
most obvious evidence, however, is the anachronistic
appeal to 'Saynt Austyn'--hardly possible since Methodius'
death preceded that of Augustine by nearly a century.

The bulk of the Meditation is a version of Hilton's 221

Habitat and Bonum Est.a No slavish c0py, nevertheless

 

the parallel is unmistakable.

The Meditation begins at the bottom of 16V, where
there are only six lines of the text. Because a drawing
fills most of l7r, only eleven lines are found here. But
17v is entirely devoted to the text, as is the top half
of l8r, where it ends. The picture of l7r depicts the
Last Judgment. Jesus is seated on a small stool in the

center at top, with a band of saints and angels on either

103

5/2

side. Above are two scrolls, that on the right reads
"Cum be blyst into be kyngdom of my fader," (Matthew
25:34); the one to the left says "Go 3e cursed into euer-
lastyng fyre," (Matthew 25:41). One of the angels on
either side is blowing a horn to depict the ending of
time. Below, those on the Lord's right are shown rising
from their graves, ascending a stairway into the company
of the saved. Those on the left are mourning as they enter
the open mouth of a large dragon in the bottom corner;
the devil supervises. The drawing is done in the same
manner as are most of the others in 91229; though crude,

the meaning is immediately clear.

The TEXT :

Almyghty God, for be gret godenes, hafe mercy of
Cristen pepyll, and graunte baim grace to stande strongly
in be trewe fayth and belef of holy kyrk in kepyng bi
commawndements right and fulfyllyng of be seuen warkes
of mercy, of be whilk bai mon be accused at be gret dome,
how bai hafe fulfyld baim after bair gode will and power
and degre. And also to consyder inwardly gret vengeaunce
[f. 16V] and poneschements be whilk has fallen cpon pepyll
for syn sen be begynnyngs of be warld, and nowe is fallyng
and sall falle, bat bai may hafe sum grace to amende bair
synfull lyfe, bat bai may be of whome be prophet says bus,

:Plantati in domo domini in atriis domus dei nostri

 

 

104

5/3

florebunt, bat is, "Plantys in be hows of cure Lord sal
l

 

floresche in be halles of be hows of cure Lord God.“
be hows of cure Lord is holy kyrk, and it may be cald

a wyntyr halle, for it is ordaynd for pylgryms trauellyng
in bis lyfe, and safes rightwis men fro colde of wykkyd-
nes. Bot be hygh hows of cure Lord God is be blys of
heuen, and it may be cald a [s]ommer halle wher men sal
reste baim esely in be hete of blyssyd [f. l7r]2 luf.

And ban be rightwismen bat ar plantyd in haly kyrk borow
stabyll trowthe withouten errours or herysyes or fals
fantesyes, and ar whikkynd and rotefest in luf and Charite,
noght blendyd with pryde nor couetyce of be warld, nor
with obir fleschly synnes, and lyfes vndyr be sacraments

of holy kyrk with meknes and pacyence, and by be virtew

of be sacraments kepes baim fro cold of be fende a1 bis
tyme of wyntyr, sothly bai sal floresche in be hygh summer
halle of cure Lord God, for trowthe sal be fully turned
into lyght of knawynge, withouten vayle of myrknes, and
luf of God sal fully be felyd withouten mellyng of obir
affeccion. And ban sal a1 fygures of sacramentes cesse,

for sothfastnes sal opynly be sene, and so sal bai

 

lThis quotation, from Amos 3:15, Opens a brief
version of a portion of Walter Hilton's Bonum Est Confi-
teri Domino. See Wallner, pp. 86-90.

 

 

2The drawing which fills most of this folio is
intended to illustrate the entire poem, since no others
are found.

105

5/4

floresche in ioy and blys lastyngly. He bat is not
planted in be wyntyr halle, bat is holy kyrk, for defawte
of trowthe, as ar paynyms, Iewes, and herytykes, or els
if he be plantyd be fayth in yt, nerbeles he is not
whykkyndl for defawte bat he has no Charite, as ar be
luffers of be warld, bat trowes vnschaply in God and holy
kyrk and lygges in dedly syn, bai sal not floresche in be
sommer halle bat is in be blys of heuen.

Many rightwis-men herbefore has bene planted be
trowthe and rotefest be chartye in be hows of holy kyrk
as be apostyls, martyrs, confessours, and holy virgyns,
and al abir rightwismen withouten moner2 borow be grace
of God bat floresches now in be hyge kyrk of heuen. And

3it is it not al done, for why 22 huc multiplicabuntur

 

12_senecta uberi et bene pacientes erunt, ut annuncient,

 

 

 

"3it sal bai be multiplyed in plentyvos3 elde and wele
sufferyng sal bai be bat bai may schewe." The elde of
holy kyrk is be last ende of bis warld, and bat ende sal
be plentyvos, for 3itt sal chosyn saules be multyplyed

in be eld of holy kyrk be fulnes of gyftes of grace, als

 

l'Made alive.‘

2'Number.‘
3In this word, appearing four times in close
proximity, the 'v' is very evident in the manuscript.

It seems to have been pronounced so: c.f.Chaucer, 91,
A. 344.

106

5/5

plentyvosly as bai wer at be begynnyng for grace of God
was neuer better chepe ban it sal be 3itt, and bat is not
for be worthynes of men's desertes, bot for be endles
godenes of God, for as men waxis wayke for frelte of baim
selfe, right so more abundantly falles grace to baim wher
oure Lord vowtchessafe. Holy kyrk began with martyrs,
and so it sal ende, and bat plentyvosly, for charite sal
abownde in baim bat sal be martyrs, more ban it was in
obir before, for it sal be more nede. bis sal fale in be
tyme of be last persecucioun, as holy doctours says. Bot
nerbeles or bat tyme cum grace sal no[t] dye, bot it sal
multyply preuely in menn's herts and kyndel [f. 17V] be
desyres of baim borow brynyng luf and make saules redy
and gredy agayn bat tyme cum. It sal drawe sodanly chosyn
saules fro a1 be luf of be warld to be serves of God.

And ban sal bai be wele sufferyng bat bai may schewe, bat
is bat bai sal be made myghty in faythe and brynnyng luf,
so fully bat bai sall bryste for to dye bat bai myght se
God. And so sal bai pacyently and gladly suffer bodely
deth, for luf of hym bat bai moste couettyd. And ban may
bai schewe be gret mercy of God done specially to baim
before a1 obir saules, etc.l berfore euer creature take
hede and dispose hys lyfe to God's lofyng and consyder

how sone deth ravesches man's lyfe fro hym, and whyder

 

1At this point, the ms. departs from Hilton.

107

5/6

he sal go he is vncertayne. Nerbeles Saynt Austyn says,

Qui bonum vixit non male moritur, "He bat wele has lyfed,

 

 

dyes noght ylle." Also scriptur says, Qui bona egerunt

 

ibunt in vitam eternam, qui vero mala 12_ignem eternum,

 

 

 

"bai bat has done ylle binges (withouten bai hafe grace
of amendment of bai dye)l sal go into euerlastyng fyre"2
fro whilk oure mercyful Lord Ihesus Crist bat sched his

blode opon be cros and dyed for vs safe vs all. Amen.

 

1The portion within the parentheses is not in the
Latin, although the scribe makes no distinction in his
translation. Parentheses are supplied by the editor.

2A summary of Matthew 25:41, 46.

 

aSee Bj6rn Wallner, An Exposition 2:.QUi Habitat
and Bonum Est, Lund Studies :5 English, 23, C. W. K.
GIeerup, Lund, 1954.

 

 

108

6/1

ARTICLE 6, ff. 18r-18V

Article 6 is titled in the manuscript, "Of be
Cumym [sic] of be Day of Dome," the title being written
in red ink. The final words of Article 5 are separated
from this title, and from the body of Article 6, by a
red line, having been squeezed into the final third of
the line opposite the title.

Similar to the preceding article in style and
content, this essay purports to detail the events of

Doomsday.

The TEXT:

The ordyr of be dome sal be swylk: In be day of
dome, oure Lorde cumyng to be dome, fyre sal go before
hym with be whilk be face of bis warld sal be byrntt.
Heuens and erthe sal peresche, noght aftyr be substance,
but after be kynde. Heuen, bat is to say be ayre, and
no3t be ethere wher be sternes ar, for so hyghe sal be
fyre in be dome ascende Vp as watyr dyd at Noye flode.
And be fyre sal be be wastyng of yll men and women bat
ar ban fon whykke. And in gode men and women bat thynge
bat is to be purged or clensyd in baim sal be clensyd by

bat fyre. To obir perfyte gode men and women it sal

109

6/2

n03t noye. Bot as Saynt Austyn says, "bat sal be be
byrnyng of be warld, bat is to say, as bat chymnay of
Babylon was to be thre childer, fro bence sal bat gret
voyce with be whylk alle ded men and women sal ryse be."1
And [bat] borow angel mynystracioun bai sal be takyn and
[send forth]2.vnto Criste in be aere. And oure Lord
cumyng vnto be [dom]e, be son and be mone ar sayd to be
made dyrke, n03t [with] outen be puttyng away of lyght,
bot for clernes cumyng of more lyght; and be virtews of
heuens and angels sal be mefed, no3t with mofyng and
trobyll, bot by mynysterynge [f. 18r] of boes thynges be

whilk bai sal se before be day of dOme.3

 

1There is no punctuation for any quotes, here or
elsewhere. This appears to be the end here.

2'Send forth' is written above a severe rip in
the margin.

3The final line of Article 6 comes at the top of
18V, and is a very logical antecedent to the poem follow-
ing, which begins, "When be day of dome sall be/ It is
in God's priuyte."

110

7/1

ARTICLE 7, ff. 18V

Flowing without break from the preceding prose,
Article 7 presents a full-page poem concerning the day of
Doom—-that its time is known to the heavenly Father alone.
The poem is in couplets. The first four couplets are
bracketed; then the practice is abandoned for the remain--
der of the lines until it is resumed for the final three
couplets. In three places the writer includes Latin
passages, which are written as if they were a part of the
poem. They do not rhyme, of course, but are set in the

same pattern as are the couplets.

The TEXT:

When be day of dome sall be

It is in God's pryuyte;

For a1 be prOphets bat men may neuen
And al be halows and angels of heuen
My3t neuer none wytt bat preuyte

What time bat day of dome sal be;

For God wil bat none before wytte

Bot hym selfe bat ordand it.

berfore Crist to his dyscipyls says bus,

As be boke of be Apocalips schews vs,

111

7/2

Non est vestrum nosce tempora momenta

 

Que Pater posuit 12 sua potestate;l

 

 

"It fals not 3ow to knawe be tyme of pryuyte
pat be Fader has sett in His powste."
berfore no man suld aske ne saye

Howe mykil we hafe to domesday;

Ne we suld not desyre it to lere,

To wytt, whedyr it war far or nere.
Bot we suld make vs redy all,

As be day of dome to morne suld falle,
And binke ay on be dredful dome

As be holy man sayd, Saynt Ierome,

bat ay beropon thought nyght and day,
And berfore bus in a boke gan he say,

Sive comedam, sive bibam, sive aliquid

 

 

 

Aliud faciam.semper mihi videtur illa tuba

 

Sonare 13_auribus meis: Surgite mortui venite 32
2

 

 

iudicium.
He says, "Wheder I ete or drynke,
Or els do ay, me thynke

bat be beme bet blawe sal at domesday

 

ypse.

1The actual reference is Acts 1:7, not the Apocal-

2As if to enforce the regularity of the length of

the lines of the poem, the final three Latin words in this
line are added to the end of the English line following,
set.off by a red bracket.

112

7/3

Sowndes in myne ere, and bus says ay,

'Ryse 3e vp bat ar ded and come

Vnto be gret dredful dome.‘

Now mercyfull God, bou graunte vs here
Grace of gode lyfyng bat we may appere

By fore bi face to cure saluacyon

At be gret dome before ilk nacyon.

Now Lord, bi grace bou schews be meny ways,
berfore be prophet Dauyd says,

0 O 0 O O l
Misericordia domini p1ena est terra,

 

"be erth," he says, "is full of God's mercy."
ban may men here it fynde plentyfully,

And he bat has mercy or he hence wende,

Sal fynde Criste at be gret dome his frende,
Wher rightwysnes onely sal be hawntyd,

And no mercy ban be graunted.

berfore, gracios God, bat alle goodenes hasse,

Gyf vs bi mercy here or we hence passe. [f. 18X]

 

lPs. 118:64.

113

8/1

ARTICLE 8, f. 19r

A full-page drawing occupies f. 19r, depicting
a dialogue between the Soul, God, Jesus Christ, an Angel,
the Blessed Virgin, Death, and Satan. Each of the char-
acters speaks once, as indicated by a scroll which un—
folds from the vicinity of the mouth. A severe rip across
the bottom of the page has resulted in the loss of the
speech of the Corpse. There remains, however, a fragment
of the tail of the scroll, reaching down from the Corpse.
The same drawing is to be seen in Cotton M9.
£2211;- 232314.452. and MES-12:92.13-
Aside from the fact that these two pictures are much
more carefully drawn, there are no significant differ—

ences among the three.

The TEXT:

[Soul, depicted as a Child rising from the Corpse,
speaks]:

O hOpe, in nede bou help me,

God's Moder, I pray to be.

[Angel, standing beside the head of the Corpse]:

Al if bis saule synned hafe,

Oft tymes forgyfnes he gun crafe.

114

8/2

[Christ, nailed to the cross by one hand and both
feet; the other hand clutches at the wound in His side]:

I pray be, Fader, graunt bi Son

For my sake, my moder bone.

[God, seated above all on a throne, holds an open
book in His left hand, and holds His right hand upraised
in the sign of blessing]:

Son, als bou byddes sal a1 be;

No thyng wil I denye be.

[Flying toward the throne as if bearing the peti-
tions in the picture of a dove, obviously representing
the Holy Spirit; but there is no dialogue with this fig—
ure.]

[Standing somewhat above the Corpse, with her left
hand to her bared right breast, is the Blessed Virgin]:

For bis bou sowke in bi childhede;

Son, forgyf hym his mysdede.

[At the foot of the bed, pointing a long spear
at the breast of the Corpse, is Death]:

I hafe be sought many a day;

For to take be to my pray.

In heele bou myght hafe taken hede

bus whyte/.....l

 

1The final words have been trimmed by the binder.

115

8/3

[Satan, standing beside Death, glowers at the
Corpse, holding an ugly club on his shoulder]:
bis saule I chalange for to wyn,

bat I knawe is ful of syn. [f. 19r.]

116

9/1

ARTICLE 9, f. 19V

The ancient allegory of Barlaam and Josaphat is
written here as an emblem poem. The body of the poem
occupies all but about one-third of the page, with a
drawing in the right margin depicting a man in a tree
(man's life), threatened by a rearing unicorn (death),
as the man takes honey (the vanities and wealth of this
world) from one of the branches. At_the bottom of the
tree, a white mouse (day) and a black mouse (night) gnaw
at its base, beneath which are four serpents (the four
elements). The tree is set in a quagmire (depicting the
world's instability), and beneath the entire picture is
a hugh gaping dragon.

The allegory itself is from an ancient oriental
tradition, and has appeared in virtually every country
of Christendom, "from Iceland to Ethiopia, from Poland
to the Philippines...."a

Barlaam is listed as a saint of India. Numerous
.books, manuscripts and writings of nearly every sort have
Jbeen found treating the legend in early ages. It was
.1ong believed that Barlaam had, indeed, been a prominent

saint in the East in early years. But, as Lang has shown,

about a century ago this story was proved to be a mythical

117

9/2

tale based upon similarities between Gautama Buddha and
a genuine St. Josaphat.b The most helpful English works
are Lang's translation and historical tracing of the

Balavarianic and René Lavaud's edition and translation,
d

 

Les Troubadours.

 

Brown and Robbins list the poem as No. 491, p.

80.6 Brunner edited it from this manuscript in Archiv.,
167.f Ross includes it as one of five emblem poems from

9122919 entitling it "The Unicorn." There is no title
in the manuscript.

The poem itself consists of twenty-one couplets
of more or less regular meter. The scribe uses brackets
to indicate rhymed lines--a common practice in 91229,
Line twenty-one was deleted when the scribe wrote only
'whawe' instread of 'whaw myre'; the corrected line fol-
lows. The paper is torn in both lower corners, affect-
ing the final line at bottom left and the final five

lines in the lower right corner.

The TEXT:

Behalde here as bou may se

A man standyng in a tree

And ane vnycorne fast1 persewyng hym2

 

l'Fast' is written twice; the first word is can-
celled, although it may be read easily.

2Spelled 'h§'; the fermata indicates 'm'.

118

9/3

bat caused hym in be tre to clym;

And be nethe hym was a dragon fell,

Gapyng hym, redy for to qwell;

And whyte mowse and a blak be tre gnawyng,
Besily hym downe for to bryng.

And also vndyr be rote of bis tre

Foure serpentes1 loke oute sawe he.

be tre stode opon a sodde al grene,

And a whawe myre abowte it seene.

3itt for al be perels2 bat he standes in

A hony drOp he hastes hym for to wyn;

And lytel hede of a1 bur perels dos he take
For with be3 ony drop he purpos mery to make.
bis man betokens both man and4 wyfe,

And be tre betokens of baime be lyfe.

be vnycorne bat hastes man for to kyll

Betokens deth bat sla hymS wyll.

 

1Spelled 'serpente'; the final loop is trans-
scribed 'es' since this is by far the most common form
of the plural, rather than the northernmost 'is', which
is relatively rare.

2Following 'perels', 'he' is written out of order,
anticipating its appearance two words later.

3'be' was first omitted, and has been careted
into the text. ‘

'4Written with the common ampersand (T).

5The final 'm' is here indicated by the more
common macron (by).

119

9/4

be whawe myre is to be vndirstandel

bis warld bat euer is fals and flowand;

be turfe2 opon whilk growes be tre,

With be foure serpentes, as 3e may se,
Betokens man's body in bis warld here

bat is made of foure elymentes sere.

be whyte and be blak mowse is be nyght and3 be day
bat man's lyfe fast wastes a way.

And be gapyng dragon as I 3ow telle

Is vndirstand be mouthe of helle,

Euer man's saule besy to wyn

bat her dos dye in dedly syn.

And be hony drop vndirstand may be

be warldes welthe and vanyte,

For be whilk men labours both day and nyght,
And for to gyt it with alle bair myght.

And bus paim selfe bai forgett,

And al be perels bat bai ar in sett.

It is4 my cownsel ma....

 

1The previous line, still easily readable, has
been cancelled.

2Following 'turfe', a false start is cancelled.
It could be the initial mark of the 'p' in 'opon', which
immediately follows.

3This line is badly crowded by the picture. Con-
sequently, the ampersand is set off from the words pre—
ceding and following by bars: 'nyght/&/be day'.

4Careted into text.

120

9/5

In gode lyfyng....
Or fro bi....

....bu..../F. 19V/

 

aDavid Marshall Lang, The Balavariani, §_Tale
from the Christian East, further adds that the Ahmadi
sect of Islam have created a legend that a certain holy
man named Yuz Asaf, whom they identify with our Lord
Jesus Christ, came to Kashmir and died there. The ram-
ifications of the various versions of the tale are almost
unlimited in scope, p. 8.

b

 

Ibid., p. 10.

CThe conclusion by Lang is that Barlaam and Josa-
phat were not actual Christian saints at all, but fanci—
ful characters based upon old stories about the Bodhisttva
Indian prince and his great renunciation, p. 10.

dBruges, Desclée de Brower, 1960. A helpful
Provencal version.

eéglndex 9: Middle English Verse, Columbia Uni-
versity Press, N. Y., 1943.

f(1935), p. 24.

9s eculum, xxxii (1957), "Five Fifteenth-Centur
E Y
'Emblem' Verses,‘ pp. 274-282.

121

10/1

Article 10, f. 20r

 

 

The 22erela Divina and Responsio Humana are two
of the better-known short poems found in this manuscript,
although they are known from only two other sources,

Bodleian 819, f. 14V and BM. Add. 36505. Morris edits

 

the poem from one of the "very remarkable verses" abound-
ing "round the roof-plate of the nave" among several
others, in the village church at Almondbury, West Riding.a
It has also been printed by Stevick,b and by Comper,c the
latter attributing it to Rolle.d
More than three-fourths of the page is taken up
with a drawing, which shows a man kneeling at the feet of
Jesus. The Lord is shown standing, with the five wounds
especially prominent; blood is dripping from each. Cen-
tered in the drawing, above the head of the man, is a
large heart with wounds at each side of the tOp, and each
side of the bottom, and an especially large wound spanning
the center. Parallel lines above and below this large
would contain the inscriptions noted. Beside Jesus' head
is a scroll, with dialogue as indicated below. There is

a caption at the t0p, but it has all but disappeared from

trimming.

122

10/2

The drawing on 20r is very similar to that on 24r,
and the poems begin similarly; however, their purposes
are different, and they are altogether dissimilar after

the second verse.

The TEXT:
[The Latin caption, all but removed in trimming]:

Beati [mundo] corde [quoniam ipse Deus videbunt].l

 

[Above the opening stanza of the poem]:

22erela Divina

 

0 man vnkynde

Hafe in mynde

My paynes smert;
Beholde and see
bat is for be
Percyd my hert.
And 3itt I wolde,
Or ban bou schult
bi saule forsake,
On cros with payne
Scharp deth agayne,
For bi luf take;
For whilk I aske
None obir taske

Bot luf agayne

 

1Matthew 5:8.

123

10/3

Me ban to luf
Al byng abofe

bow aght be fayne.

Responsio Humana

 

O Lord right dere,
bi wordes I here
With hert ful sore,
berfore fro synne

I hope to blynne,
And grefe no more.
Bot in bis case,
Now helpe bi grace
My frelnes,

bat I may euer

Do bi pleser,

With lastyngnes

bis grace to gytt
bi moder ekel
Euer be prone,

bat we may alle
In to bi halle
With ioy cum sone.

Amen.

 

1The word should certainly be '3itt' and Stevick
gives 'yet', from the other mss.

124

10/4

 

aJoseph Ernest Morris, Guide Eg_the West Riding;
Annals of the Church and Parish of Almondbury, pp. 81,

 

84. In_Ehis version, the poem begins: "Thou man unkynd/
Have in thy mind/ My bloody face:/...."

bRobert D. Stevick, Ed., One Hundred Middle
English Lyrics, pp. 96, 97.

 

 

cFrances Margaret Mary Comper, The Life o£_Richard
Rolle, p. 317.

622. Cit., p. 133.

125

11/1

ARTICLE 11, f. 20v

The Ten Commandments, in English verse, derived

from the Speculum Christiani, of doubtful authorship.

 

From this source has sprung a family of verses with
greater or lesser similarity. Holmstedt edited the

Speculum Christiani,a and reports an English version in

 

thirteen mss. Latin quotations, preceding the verses as

in 91229, are used with relative regularity, although

the use of such device varies from ms. to ms. In some,
only the Latin occurs; in others, there is no Latin at

all. Some precede one or a few of the commandments with
Latin, but not all ten. Holmstedt gives his textus
receptus, footnoting all variants, and established familial
relationships among the versions.

The treatment in 91229 is regular; after a Latin
introduction, each commandment is given first in Latin,
which is followed by an English quatrain making applica-
tion of the commandment. An illustration in the upper
left quarter of the page shows Moses kneeling on the
mountain as he is ready to receive what must be an in-
scribed stone from God. Moses has the familiar 'horns',

and a mandorla radiates from the figure of the Deity.

126

11/2

The text itself begins at the top right, continues until
it reaches the level of the illustration, then switches
to the left column. From the bottom of this column, the
writing is continued below the writing on the right half
of the page. The writer has indicated this switch, from
right to left, by a line. Following the final command-

ment and quatrain there is a concluding passage in Latin.

The TEXT:

Ecclesiastici duodecimo.l 22[2m’time]2 32

 

mandata eius obserua; hoc est [enim] omnis b[omo].

Glos[§]§.§2_hoc omnis homo est creatus. Ambro,4

 

 

I a 5 a
GrauISSIme peccas duum ignoras.

 

Primum mandatus. Non habebis deo alienos. be

 

 

fyrst comawndment:
Thow sal luf God with hert intere,
With al bi saule and a1 bi myght;
Obir god in no manere

bow sal not hafe, be day nor nyght.

 

1An error; the reference is not to Ecclesiasticus,
but to Ecclesiastes.

2Here, and in the line below, a rip in the upper
right corner has removed some letters.

3Ecclesiastes 12:13.

4Ambrose.

5
Ms.: guum.

127

11/3

Secundum mandagpm. Non assumes nomen deitui 13

 

 

2.81.921".-
Thy God's name in vanyte
bow sal not take in wele nor woo;
Vayne sweryng and fals loke bat bou flee,
Yf bou to heuen thynke for to go.

Tercium est. Sabbata sanctifices.

 

 

 

bi haly dayes kepe wele also;

Fro warldly warke take bou bi reste;
Alle bi howsald be same sal do,

Both wyfe and childe, seruand and beste.

Quartum mandatum est. Honora patrem tuum 22

 

 

matrem.
bi fadyr and moder bou sal honowre,
Not onely with reuerence;
In bair nede bow baim socowre,
And kepe vnto baim obedyence..

Quintum. Non occides.

 

Yow sal sla none of mankynde borne,
Ne harme with worde, wyl, nor dede,
Ne suffer none to be forlorne

Yf bou wele may help hym at nede.

Sextum enim. Non mechaberis.

 

bi wyfe bou may in tyme wele take,

Bot none obir woman lawfulle.

128

11/4

Lychery and synful lust fle and forsake,

And drede ay God, wher so bou be.

 

 

Septimum enim. Non facies furtum.
Be bou no thefe ne thefe fere.

Ne no thyng wynne borow trechery.
Okyr nor symony cum bou not nere,
Bot conscience clere kepe ay trewly.

Octauum enim. Non loqeris contra proximum falsum

 

 

testimonium.

 

bow sal in worde be trewe also,

And wytnes fals bou sal not bere;
Loke bou not lye for frende nor foo,
Lest bou bi saule ful gretly dere.

Nonum enim. Non desiderabis vxorem proximi tui.

 

Thy neghbor wyfe bou not desyre,
Ne woman none borow syn couet;
Bot as holy kyrke wold it were,
Right so bi purpos loke bou sett.

Decimum enim. Non concupisces rem proximi tui.

 

 

Hows nor lande ne obir thynge
bow sal not couet wrangfully,
Bot kepe wele God's byddynge,

And Cristen faythe luf wele stedfastly.

Ista sunt omnino credenda, scilicet baptismus,

 

 

confirmacio, penitencia, eukaristia, ordo, matrimonium,

 

 

 

 

129

11/5

extrema vnccio, cum articulis in simbalo cum tentus.

 

 

 

Paulus, Sine fidem impossibile.est placere Deo. Ieroni—

 

mus, Domine oculi tui respiciunt fidem; Nichil est bonum

 

 

homini isto mundo absequius fide. Seneca dicit, Nichil

 

 

retinet qui fidem perdidit. [f. 20V]

 

 

aSpectum Christiani, EETS, no. 182, pp. 16-39.

 

bIbid., pp. clv-clvi.

130

12/1

ARTICLE 12, f. 21r

An unassigned prose tract of one page, Article 12
is written of the Blessed Virgin, discussing her three
"fairnesses". The tract is accompanied by a drawing in
the upper left quarter of the page. Here Mary holds the
Infant Jesus with her right arm, and a scepter in her
left. The title is rubricated. The interior margin is
torn, damaging the initial portions of the words in the

final four lines.

The TEXT:

[Title, in red ink]: Of be Fayrnes of Saynt
Mary, God's Moder, oure Lady.

Oof [sic] be fayrhed of Saynt Mary, Alexander
says bat thre fayrnesses is; one is natural, ane obir is
spryitual, be thyrd is essencyal. Fayrhed natural wor-
schipt hyr body. Fayrhed spiritual anowrnyd hir mynde.
be endles fayrnes bat is essencial inhabyt bodely in be
chawmer of be vyrgyn wome.

Mary1 has swylk natural fayrnes bat I hope neuer

woman in bis lyfe has swylk fayrnes. For bi it is sayd

 

1Although the name 'Mary' occurs in the middle
of the line,.it is rubricated--a rarity in this ms.

131

12/2

of Saynt Ignacius bat of tymes wrote pystyls to be Blys-
sed Virgyn, and sche to hym agayne; bat when he sawe be
Blyssed Virgyn he felle to be erthe for be fayrnes he
sawe in hyr face and in hyr body. And when he rose at
hyr byddyng, it is sayd bat he sayd, if he had not bene
certyfyed by hyr and by Saynt Ion be euangelist, and
verely bene informed in be faythe, he had trowed bat no
obir god had bene bot sche, for be wondyrful schynyng of
hyr face and excellent fayrnes. And be certayne argument
we may profe bat sche was fayrest of body, for it is
written of hyr Son Ihesus bat he was fayrest before be
sonnes of men. And certayne sobe moder was fayrest be-
fore be doghtyrs of men, for bi ilk deuowte seruant to

hyr says, Quam pulchra 32 amica, etc., bat is, "How fayr

 

 

art bu, my frende. How fayr and how semely."

It is sayd bat fro bat tyme bat sche had concey-
fed be son of rightwysnes bat a brightnes of be son
schane in hyr face, bat Ioseph myght not se in hyr face
before sche was delyuerd. If be face of Moyses so [sc]hane
for be compeny of be wordes of God bat be sonnes of
Israel myght [n]ot luke in hys face, how mykil more bis
Blyssed Virgyn ber was [ameyschadowedl of be virtewe of
be aller hyghest, and bat be Holy Goste [delylghtyd in.
[f. 21?]

 

lEncompassed, surrounded.

132

13/1

ARTICLE 13, f. 21v

This unassigned article occupies the first fif-
teen lines of 21V. The 'Frebertus' to whom the writer
attributes the opening would be Fredebertus, an eighth-
Century bishop of Angouleme who is said to have obtained

a charter from Pippin.a

The TEXT :

Frebertus says, "A Mary, a bou gret, a bou mylde,
a bou onely lufabyll, Mary, bou may neuer be neuynde bot
bou kyndels, nor bought but bou comforths and fedes be
affecciouns of bi lufer." Also Acomuersl sayd, "A bou
glorios lady, Saynt Mary, Blyssed Virgin, moder of God,
Doghtyr of Ihesu, hande mayden of Ihesu, Moder of Ihesu,
nures of Ihesu, Syster of Ihesu, frende and lufer of
Ihesu, luf of Ihesu, swetnes of Ihesu, a Mary of Ihesu,

2 For bi he bat

for bou dwels in Ihesu, and Ihesu in be."
lufes Ihesu, he lufes be, and he bat lufes be, lufes
Ihesu. For by inseparabyl luf 3e ar ioyned togedyr. For

bi by grace I couet to hafe in my mynde be name of Mary

 

1Reference is probably to Michael Akominatos,
d. 1215, onetime arcbbishop of Athens. Cf. The Catholic
Engyclopedia, Vol. I, pp. 239, 240.

 

2Neither here nor elsewhere does the writer in-
dicate the end of the quotation.

133

13/2

closed with in be name of Ihesu, and be name of Ihesu
closed within be name of Mary. And so by be name of
Ihesu, and be name of Mary I sal hafe be Moder and be
Son, be Fader and be Holy Goste. For none may say "Lord
Ihesu" bot in be Holnyost, and wher be Holy Gost is,
ber is be holy Trynyte, indyuysibill, incomprehensybyll,

0 God almighty.

 

aWilliam Smith and Henry Wace, 2 Dictionary 2;
Christian Biography, Vol. II, p. 560.

134

14/1

ARTICLE 14, f. 21V

Thirty-four lines are devoted to a miracle-tale,
relating the punishment upon a "seruand of Saynt Ancelme"
who was slothful on Sunday. By intercession of the
Blessed Mother, his punishment was cancelled, and he was
saved from the snare of the fiend. No sources are indi-

cated.

The TEXT:

bar was a seruand of Saynt Ancelme bat, when his
felos bad hym ryse of his bed opon a Sonday and go to be
kyrk with baim, hal lay styll and wald not ryse for baim,
and bard be chawmer dore after baim, bat bai suld not let
hym to hafe his ese. And ban come ber a fende to a
hole, and cald cpon hym, and sayd bat he had broght hym
a gyft. And ban he rase naked and come to be hole ber
as a child myght not pas forth at, and ber he sawe when
he put forth his hande ane vgly roghe deuyll with byrnand
eene sprenkylland mowthe and nose thyrls, lowande lyke

to a bere, bat toke hym by be arme.

 

1A rare, but not unexpected form of the pronoun.
Usually from south of the Thames, though, where it is
not rare.

135

14/2

And he wald hafe crost hym, but he myght not,
for he was flayd oute of wytte; and ban be fende puld
hym oute at bat lytel wyndow withouten any horte and
keste hym cpon his bake and flow forthe with hym sum
tyme in be ayer and by be erthe and borow woddes. And
when he felde it was a fende bat bare hym, he gret and
made gret sorow, blamyng his slewthe, tellyng his synnes,
and beheste to a mende hym if he myght scape bat perell.
And ban he aske help of saynts to pray for hym before be
maieste of God, be whome he conired [be] fende to tell
hym whyder he wald bere hym, and be fende sayd to hell.
ban be fende bare hym borow clewes and cragges depe and
strayte.

And ban he cryde and sayd, "Lord Ihesus Criste,
by be virtew of bi passion and be prayer of bi blissed
moder, haf mercy on me, wretche." And, "Glorios Virgyn
Mary, hafe mercy on me, in bis gret nede lyke to per-
resche," and sone be enmy stode stil and sayd, "bou
synges to me a bytter sange bat rehersysl be name of
Mary." And ban with a gret [cr]ye2 he kest hym downe

cpon a hepe of stones and vanysched away.

 

1'Rehersys' is the badly written word in the
text; careted into the left margin is 'rehersis'.

2A rip obscures the first letter(s). The rip

continues down the right margin, causing loss as indi-
cated later.

136

14/3

ban wyst he not wher he was, and made gret sorow
and prayed. And son come in a man's lyknes ane angel
and askyd whyne he was and why he was nakyd. And ban he
teld hym a1 how he was delyuerd by be help of Saynt Mary.
And ban sayd be angel, "And bow had not cald be name of
cure Lady, bou had entyrd into helle. [And] fro now
forthe, be deuowte to bi delyuerer and forgyt not bat
bou suffers. bou [are] so fer fro home bat be man's
helpe bou cummes neuer agayne."

And blan] he was made slepyng, [and] with be
angel help, broght to be same in war he was layd in a
hows opon a hyghe valle. And when he felt hym selfe
ber, he [cald] of be name of Saynt Mary besyly. And
when his felows soght [hym], bai hard hym cryyng bf
be name of Saynt Mary, and with mykil lablour] gat hym
downe, and warmed hym at a fyre, for he was ner hard
lost...And ban be remelande of his lyfe he led in be

drede [of God].‘ [f. 21V.]

137

15/1

ARTICLE 15, ff. 22r'V

In twenty-nine couplets, Article 15 gives a
resumé of the history and work of the Carthusian order.
It is one of the more metrically regular poems in the
entire manuscript. Above the opening eight couplets on
22r is a drawing which fills about two-thirds of the
page. It is actually four drawings depicting incidents
in the life of Saint Hugh and the founding of the Charter-
house.

The poem pays high tribute to the founders of
the Order, and extols the virtues of the ascetic, contem-
plative life demanded. The standard work in English on
the Carthusians is that of E. Margaret Thompson, 2E2
Carthusian Order igEngland.a

The presence of this poem is a strong argument

b No other

in favor of a Carthusian origin of 37049.
Order receives any such attention; indeed, no other is

mentioned by name.

The TEXT:

At be begynyng of be chartirhows God dyd schewe

138

15/2

To be byschop of Gracionapolitane, Saynt Hewe,l

Seuen sternes goyng in wildernes to bat place

Wher now be ordir of be chartirhows abydyng has.

And when bes sternes at bat place had bene

At be bischop's fete, bai felle a1 bedene;

And aftyr bis visione be sothe for to saye,

be doctor Bruno and sex felows, withouten delay,

Come to bis holy bischop, cownsel to take,

To lyf solytary in wildernes, and bis warld to
forsake.

And at his feete mekly downe bai a1 felle,

Praying hym of informaciounand his cownsell to
telle. I

ban confyded he wele be vision of be seuen sternes
bat he sawe,

When be doctor of diuinite, Brune, with his sex
felos cumyng on raw[2

And how be seuen sternes signyfyed bies seuen
persons alle,

Whome of his gret mercy Almyghty God dyd calle.
[£01. 22‘]

 

1Although the order was founded by Bruno, it is

natural that the English should especially recognize Hugh,
who, although born in Normandy, is noted for his staunch
work as bishop of Lincoln from 1181 until his death in

His unyielding stands against Kings Henry II and

Idohard I were typical of the Carthusians' rigidity and
discipline.

2The ms. is torn here.

139

15/3

To begynyng of be chartyrhows, be holy ordir
clere,

Aftyr be insawmpil of Antony and Arseny and obir
bat holy men were,

And at Saynt Ion Baptiste bat into wildirnes
fledde,

be whilk fro be warld went, and holy lyfe ledde;

bus bis holy bischOp Hew bies persons gon lede

To bat place where be chartirhows bai made with
gode spede.

Of bis holy ordir Carthusiens has bene holy men,

Saynt Hewe, Saynt Ancelme,l Basilius, Budus, and
Bouo2 ben,

And obir many of whome be writtynges of bokes
makes mencioun,

be whilk be ordir kepyd in solytary lyfe and
trewe intercioun.-

Solytary lyfe is be scole of doctryne bat ledys
vnto heuen,

And wildernes is be paradyse of deliciousnes to

neuen .

 

Probably Anselm of Laon, d. 1117. Educated at

1

Bec, he met and associated with Bernard of Chartres, be-
coming one of the 11th century's finest teachers. See
the New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1, p. 584.

 

 

2This is the form in the verse: 'Bruno' is

written in the margin to the left of the line.

140

15/4

To holy men bat bis warld for Cristes luf dos flee,
And solitary in cells besily seryfs God with
hert fre.
be celle is be grafe fro bis trobyld lyfe vexacioun,
. And of heuenly lyfe be entre and consolacioun.
Solitary lyfe gretly holy doctours commends it
in bokes,
As men in writtyngs may fynde bat ber after lokes.
In be name of God and cure Lady and Baptyst Sayn
Iohan,
By Saynt Hewe and Bruno be chartirhows beganne;
And for to withchewe perels and be more surte,
It is ordande of ordirs in maners thre,
In be cloyster, fratour, and kyrk, monkes rewle
bai kepe;
And in be wildirnes bai lyfe be lyfe of hermete.
In be celles solitary ankyrs bai ar calde,
per besily contemplatyfe lyfe stedfast to halde.
bis holy ordir Carthusiens standes in grace of
be court of Rome,
For it grauntes a1 obir ordirs lycence bider for
to come
Ordynatly for hele 0f Saule and more perfeccioun
To lyfe contemplatyfe lyfe and of pair maners
correccioun.

In commendacion of solitary lyfe I fynde

141

15/5

How bat perfyter persons was wont with deuoute
mynde

To go forth of monasteris into solitary place,

bat bai myght-tent to contemplacioun by God's
grace.

Bot now gos none so wele luf bai

be vanytes and solace of man bat wyttes away;

berfore fro gostly myrght withouten dowte,

And solace of angels bai ar put oute;

berfore who so contemplatyfe wil veryly be,

Alle erthly myrthe and melody must flee,

And set his hert and myndedeuoutely

Opon be luf of Ihesu Crist, God almyghty.

 

aNew York, The Macmillan Co., 1930.
bIt is interesting to notice that 'Saynt Hewe'

is e first-mentioned of the 'holy men' of the Carthusians
(22 , l. 8), while Bruno's name is last, and misspelled.

142

16/1

ARTICLE 16, 23r

"The Charter of Human Redemption," here with
elementary drawings of the symbols of the Passion, ap-
pears as a poem, but is given with the lines continuously
written across the page. The universal mark of the
scribe's punctuation (-) specifies the end of each line
of verse, and all lines start with capital letters.
Eighteen couplets constitute the poem, and the couplets
are separated by Latin phrases at irregular intervals.

"The Charter" is found in at least three other manuscripts,

Additional M_s. 24143, f. 6"; Harleian M_s_. 6840, f. 239";

 

Additional 5960.

 

The TEXT:

Sciant presentes 32 futuri.

Wets now a1 bat ar here,

And after sal be lefe and dere,

pat I, Ihesu of Na3areth,

For luf of man has sufferd deth

Opon be cros with woundes fyfe,

Whils I was man in erth on lyfe.
Dedi et concessi.

I hafe gyfen and made a graunt

143

16/2

To a1 bat asks it repentaunt,

Heuen blis withouten endyng,

Als long as I am bair kyng.

Kepe I no more for al my payne smert,
Bot trew luf man of bi hert;

And at bou be in charite,

And luf bi neghbour as I luf be.

bis is be rent bou sal gyf me,

As of be chefe lord of be fe.l
If any man wil say now

bat I ne hafe dyed for man's prow,
Rather or man suld be forlorne,

3it wald I eft be al to torne.
912§.testibus,

Witnes be erth bat ban dyd qwake,
And stones gret bat sonder brake;
Wittnes be vayle bat ban did ryfe,
And men bat rose fro ded to lyfe;
Witnes be day bat turned to nyght,
And be son bat withdrewe his light;
Witnes my moder and Sayn Ion,

And obir bat wer ber many one.

13 cuius rei testimonium.

 

In witnes of whilk binge

 

l'Fe' was omitted from the original writing, and
is careted into the left margin.

144

16/3

My awne seal berto I hynge;

And for be more sikirnes,

be wounde in my syde be seal it is,
With perchyng sore of my hert,
With a spere bat was scharpe.
9.5113112-

bis was gyfen at Caluery,

be fyrst day of be gret mercy, etc. [f. 23r]

145

17/1

ARTICLE 17a, f. 23V

The description of Article 17 in The Cataloguea

 

contains two minor errors: the opening poem consists of
four couplets rather than five, and is followed by three
prose notes rather than one.

Preceding the poem, at the top of 23V, the words

Iesus Na3arenus are written in large illuminated letters,

 

filling more than one-fourth of the page. The first
prose article begins without real warning, and might be
easily mistaken for a continuance of the poem but for
the bracketing of the couplets and a minor enlargement
of the first capital letter. The writer left no space
between the two, and the item is untitled. The second
prose bit, like the first, bunches closely to the pre-
ceding line, and is untitled. Again, the first capital
letter is enlarged, and the final line of the prior line
ends before reaching the margin; but the scribe put no

period there.

The TEXT:

Our Lord Ihesu Crist dyd apere

To Saynt Edmunde be archebischop clere,

146

17/2

And bad hym writ nyghtly in his forehede
be name bat safes fro sodan dede:

bat is Ihesu Na3arenus, for to say

If he it wryte withouten delay,

bus to hym God his grace dyd graunte,

And also to obir bat wil bis writtyng haunte.

 

P. 326.

147

17/3

ARTICLE 17b, f. 23"

This brief selection, with the preceding poem
and the small tales to follow, has as its purpose to
introduce the very graphic Folio 24r, which is designed
to express love and reverence to Jesus Christ and to His
Passion. A certain mystical aura attached to the rever-
ent repetition of this name, and to the devout contem-

plation of the Lord's suffering.

The TEXT :

It is written bat ber was in gret paynes a saule
be whilk a monke saw in a vision and askyd be saule how
men myght be delyuerd fro sodan ded and swylk paynes.
be saule awnswerd and sayd, "0, if I had knawen when I
was in be warld bat I knaw now, I suld hafe desendyd and
informed how sikyr bai myght hafe bene, and safe fro bis
chawnce and ingruens berof; bat is, if bai wald dayly
writte in bair forehedes and abowt be place of bair hert
with bair fynger, or on any obir maner bir two words bat
are be mystery contenyng of man's hele, bat is to say,

'Ihesus Na3arenus,‘l withouten dowte be trew pepil of

 

1The complete name is rubricated.

148

17/4

God suld be safed fro bis perell." And eftyr bair ded,
be fygure of bos letters, be places in be whilk bai war
wonnte to be written in when bai lyfed, suld be made

nobil with fayr clernes.

149

17/5

ARTICLE 17c, ff. 23V, 24r

The TEXT:

Also in Yreland was a combyrd man in malyce to
whome when men sayd, "Forgyf bi rankor and hattryden,"
he awnswerd and sayd, "ber to sal I not be broght, nowder
for God ne for be deuel, bof I sal be in hell withouten
[f. 23V] ende. ban a frere come with devocion, and

wrate in his forhede with his fynger, Ihesus N§3arenus.l

 

And ban onone be synful man began to hafe sorow and sayd,

"For be luf of Ihesu sal I forgyffe."

 

1Written out in full, and rubricated.

150

17/6

ARTICLE 17d, f. 24r

The final words of this brief bit flow smoothly
into the effusive expression of devotion in the famous
poem which follows. There is an extraordinary space
left between the prose and the poem, as if it were orig-

inally intended to insert a title for the poem.

The TEXT :

Also when a deuoute knyght dyed as it war sodanly,
his felows and his serfnads broght a leche, bat bai myght
witt how bat be felle. be leche askyd of what condicioun
he was. bai sayd, ful ioyful, "He was in be luf of God."
ban be leche sayd, "For mykil ioy his hert is clofyn."
And ban bai cpynd his syde, and fand it so. And in his

hert bai fande written, Amor meus Iesus. "Ihesu is my

 

luf."

151

18/1

ARTICLE 18a, f. 24r

The impassioned words which conclude Article 17
blend logically into the theme of the three articles
classed together on the remainder of folio 24r, all of
which present the appeal of Christ to Man by virtue of
His Passion. Article 18a, consisting of six lines, is
similar, but not identical to Article 10, q. v. Besides
its appearance in 91919, it is found in Bodleian 10234,

f. 52V, and Trinibnyollege Cambridge 1157, f. 69r.

 

There are minor spelling variations among these sources,
but the verse is virtually identical.

There is a clear difference in the sizes of the
letters and writing between Articles 18a and b, and they
are considered to be separate poems. The six lines of
Article 18a are written in the manner of "The Charter,"
Article 16; that is, they actually occupy but two lines
in the manuscript itself, but versification is indicated
by the universal punctuation mark and capitalization;
however, even this latter point is much less obvious in
.Article 18a.

When Ross edited this poem for Speculum, he at-

tached it substantially to 18b, and not without reason.

152

18/2

The two items are intimately related in subject matter,
and the large illustration, or emblem, to which 18b is
inseparably attached crowds 18a somewhat on the lines it
occupies; that is, approximately one and one-half inches
of space which might have been used for the poem has
been apprOpriated to the head of the figure of Christ.
It is Clear that the writer, while writing the poems as
separate entities, intended the illustration to be assoc-
iated with both of these poems.

All three of the items in this Article are con-
sidered among the large body of writings attributed at
one time or another to Richard Rolle; it is safe to as-
sume, on the basis of the research of various scholars,a
that they have at least issued from his school.

Folio 24r, as has been noted, begins with the
final portions of Articles 17b and c in prose at the tOp.
A figure of the Christ is centered under this prose, ex-
tending somewhat below the middle of the page. The five
wounds are prominent, and the entire body is perforated,
as the illustrative poem indicates. Directly adjoining
the figure of Christ, and centered to the page, is a
large heart which becomes the 'emblem' for 18b. A broad
gash spans nearly the entire width of the heart, and
from the gash, drops of blood and water radiate above
and below. Written above these drops is the number of

wounds; written below is the number of drops of blood.

153

18/3

To the left and to the right, there is the title 'Ihesu,
Mercy' written. The outer border of the heart is adorned
with radiating drops of blood. Below and to the right

of the heart is the figure of a kneeling monk, while the
final twelve lines of Articles 18b and 18c are written

directly below the heart.

The TEXT:

0 man kynde,

Hafe in bi mynde

My passion smert,
And bou sal fynde
Me ful kynde;

Lo here my hert.

 

aThe standard work for this study is that of
Frances Margaret Mary Comper, The Life of Richard Rolle.
See also M. R. James, The Western M35. in the Library of
Trinigy College, Cambridge, on Trin. C. —1157_'Volume III,
and Writings Ascribed to Richard Rolle, by Hope Emily
Allen.

 

 

154

18/4

ARTICLE 18b, f. 24r

The number of the wounds of Christ,.and a kind
of fascinated, awesome concern with the precise number
of drOps actually shed by our Lord exercised a mysterious
influence upon speculative religious thinkers during the
Medieval period. Of the fact, Huizinga says, "Such
mechanical multiplication of symbols from the original
five wounds is found particularly in the Middle Ages,
when the excesses of decadent sensationalism sometimes
reduced Christian symbolism to 'nothing more than arith-

a

metical exercises'." It is suggested by Malé that the

theme of Christ's wounds "may be traced back to St. Bern-

ard in a hymn..."b

which would have the exercise being
practiced for approximately two and one-half centuries
by the time of the writing of 31932,

In this version of the bleeding heart, there are
some staggering suggestions, as the number of wounds is
increased from five to "fyve powsande foure hondreth
sexty and fyftene," and the count of the drops of blood
reaches "Fyve hundreth thowsand...and seuen and fowrty
bowsand...Fyve hondreth."

Ross classifies this work as the second of five‘

‘emblem verses' in this manuscript.C The relationship is

155

18/5

self-evident, and the inferences of the drawing reach

beyond the actual content of the poetry itself.

The TEXT :

be nowmer of Ihesu Criste's wowndes

Ar fyve powsande foure hondreth sexty and fyftene,l
be whilk in His body war felt and sene.

The nowmer of our Lord's drOppes alle2

I wil reherse in generall:

Fyve hundreth thowsand, for to say,3
And seuen and fowrty bowsands, withouten delay,

Fyve hondreth also, gret and small;

his is be nowmer of paim alle. [f. 24r.]

 

l
erals: "

The number is written on the heart in Roman num-

4 d . u
'V-C'Ecc-e x xv" woun es

2There is no little confusion in reading the poem
because the writer has crowded the opening three lines
into a small space between the heart and the first poem
(Article 18a); the final six lines are dropped to the
very bottom of the page, and follow Article 18c. It is
as if the poem (Article 18b) were written into the manu-
script after the others were finished. The hand is the
same.

3'Telle' is cancelled, and 'say', which is correct,
is written in. The writer, depending upon his memory, or
with the previous rhyming words 'alle' and 'generall' in
mind, first wrote 'tell'; then he corrected himself to
anticipate the rhyme with 'delay'.

 

aIn The Waning of the Middle Ages, p. 185.

bL'Art religieux d2 13 fin du|mgyen age i2_France,
Paris, 1965.
cSpeculum, xxxii (1957).

156

 

 

 

 

18/6

ARTICLE 18c, f. 24r

In his edition of the Works of Skelton (i. 144,
ff.), Dyce attributed this poem to Skelton.a This has

b With much more convincing

been disproved by F. Brie.
rhetoric, Allen has ascribed it to Rolle,C and Comper

d
concurs.

The TEXT:

Ihesu, my luf, my ioy, my reste,

Pi perfite luf close in my breste
pat I be luf and neuer reste;

And make me luf be of al binge best;
And wounde my hert in bi luf fre,

Pat I may reyne in ioy euer more with be.1

 

1A line of demarkation separates this poem from
the final lines of Article 18b, which follows immediately,
and might otherwise appear to be a continuation of 18c.

 

aThe text in 37049 is defective, but nothing
similar is found in the authentic works of Skelton.

bEngl. Stud. xxxvii., 22-26.

cWritings Ascribed to Richard Rolle, p. 307.
This is an abridgment or imitation.

dLife and Lyrics g: Richard Rolle, p. 318; see
also Early English Carols, p. 401, by the same author.

157

19/1

ARTICLE 19, 24V

Sixteen couplets tell of "be relefyng of saules
in purgatory." The right margin--nearly one-half of the
page--is given to an illustration showing a large bucket
containing four peOple who are being lifted from Purga-
tory below to Heaven above. The rope is drawn through
two scenes, one of three priests kneeling before the
chalice and the wafers; the other has a man doling alms
to two figures before him. The inference is obvious.

At the t0p, 'Heuen' is depicted as a cluster of people
gathered about the Christ, enclosed in a walled fort-like

circular structure. The poem is unassigned.

The TEXT:

Fe saules bat to purgatory wendes
May be relyfed borow help of frendes
bat almos for baim dos and prayes,
For be holy man Saynt Austyn says,

Non est negandum spiritus defunctorum

 

Pietate suorum amicorum posse releuari.

 

 

Foure maner of helpes ar generall
bat in purgatory avayles paim alle,

bat is to say Pater Noster, and fastyng,

 

158

19/2

Almos dede, and mes syngyng.

berfor men when bi frendes ar past,
To help baim hye be fast.

Also I rede bou take gode hede

To git be pardon bou spede

For a1 be synnes bou has done here,
And with parfite penance not made he clere,
For so mykil pardon may a man
Purches bat he may ban

In purgatory whyte1 a1 be dette

bat fro blis may drawe or lett;

For so large is holy kirk2 tresor
bat it is ynogh to pay be fore,

And for al be payns bat det be

Of al be men of Cristiante.

bus pardon in purgatory avayles,
Bot sum clerks bus cownsayles

Pat we it spare and kepe holy

To bat we cum to purgatory,

And do here penance whils we may,
bat sone fro purgatory we wyn away.
Her may 3e se pardon more worthy to gess

ban is al warldly rytches. [f. 24%]

 

l'Quit.‘

2'Kirk' is careted into text, having been omitted
in the first writing; 'Kyrk' is written into the right
margin.

159

20/1

ARTICLE 20, f. 25x

The Catalogue lists Article 20 as the "last
forty-five lines of a poem. . . describing the appear-
ance of Christ(?), with a drawing (Arbor Amoris)."a
Brown and Robbins, too, consider it an acephalous work,
and list it in the appendix.b Bowers agrees, showing a
likeness between this poem and the prose description of

Christ in Cursor Mundi.c

 

Untitled, Article 20 presents an enigmatic first
line. It has no apparent connection with the following
lines on the page, although it is done in the same hand,
and at the same margin. It cannot be joined to the pre-
ceding poem, which is an entity; and there is enough room
on 24v to have written more than half a dozen additional
lines. The line cannot be a title to Article 20, being
substantially irrelevant. It is uncancelled, thus in-
creasing the mystery. Perhaps the.solution is that it
was a false start which the scribe did not correct, and
which also escaped the rubricator.

The most probable answer, however, is that the
single line concludes a previous article, and that the

two items have been separated when the order of the

160

20/2

contents was rearranged in rebinding. One or more folios
may have been lost in the process. The line does not
supply any of those missing from other articles in the ms.
A final possibility, but one which is much less likely,

is that the scribe copied from a defective source, making
no attempt to correct or supply the missing portion.

Ross dismisses the first line entirely, consider-
ing it irrelevant; then he breaks with the other scholars
in maintaining that the rest of the lines (44) form
eleven quatrains, and a complete unit. He, too, accepts
the work as a description of Christ, and titles it "The

Appearance of Christ."d

Interestingly, Ross classifies
the poem as an emblem verse. Folio 25r does contain an
illustration, but it has nothing to do with the poem
itself. Ross maintains that the very mode of description
used in the poem makes it logical to assume that it had
originally been done with an illustration; but that the
picture was not used in 81252 for some.reason. If one

is to accept this position, he must account for the
following: Ms. 31012 is profusely illustrated, and
probably a majority of the illustrations are well known,
having been copied from other sources, and readily
recognizable; there is ample room on 25r for an illustra-
tion--indeed, there is an.irrelevant illustration on the
page; and, no other manuscript has yet been found where

the poem and the illustration which Ross proposes may be

seen.
161

20/3

There remains the slight possibility that the
illustration was intended to accompany the unidentified
work introduced by the mysterious first line. However,
we have not enough facts at hand upon which to base a
logical conclusion.

Numerous terms are used in this poem which are
unusual-enough to warrant extensive footnoting. Gener—
ally, the hypotheses of Bowers or Ross will be followed
where there is doubt about a particular term.

A final word is appropriate about the illustra-
tion on this folio. It is done in the same elementary
manner as are the other illustrations, and depicts "be
Tre of Luf" at the top, with three clusters of branches.
The central cluster is labelled first in Latin, then
English: Dilige deum patrem fortiter, and beneath is
the English translation, "Luf God be Fader strangly."
The cluster on the left, written in English only, says,
"Luf God be Son wysely.". On the right, the cluster syas,
"Luf God be Holy Gost of a1 bi mynde swetly." Written
at the base of the tree is a Latin inscription, Dilige

deum super omnia, and the English, "Luf God abowne a1

 

thynges." Directly below is the title, Arbor Amoris,
also with its English translation, "be Tre of Luf." At
the bottom of the margin is.an angel, speaking to a soul

kneeling at his feet: "Luf God with bi hert fre,/ O God,

and parsons thre."

162

20/4

The TEXT:

If bai do so he wil baim safe.1

As walnot barke his hare is2 3alowe,
In summer ceson when it is grene,
Playne downe to be eres.bai can folow,
And wele bai seme al be dene.3
Abowte be cowmpes of be hede

be hare is blayk forth fro be eres,
And sumwhat lokyrd4 wele on brede,‘
And also schynyng fro be scholders,
Lyke a wyndgaleS bai ar scheddyng
Vp ouer be hede by be myddes,

As of a custom I fynde writtyng

Of pepyll of Na3areth bat so byddes;
A playne front also he has,

And face ful clere withouten spotte,

Modyrd6 ful wele and ful of grace,

 

1

apparent.

That this line stands in isolation is immediately

2Written 'io'; no doubt the writer did not add
the final flourish: 'd‘.
3ApprOpriately fixed.

4Curled.

5A fragment of the rainbow.

6Perhaps 'restrained' or 'tempered'.

163

20/5

And freschely vttrandl wele, I wote.

No reprefe2 was fun bare,

In nose nor mowthe, cheke nor chyn;

His berd was multiplyed wele with hare
Like to downe-both fayr and clene;

Noght to bostos,3 bot longe and smaylle,
With oder hare was mykil less,

And his berd is forgyd4 with alle,

And in his face ful mykil clernes,

With cowntenance swete and schynyng eene,
With dyuers fayrnes in baim beyng;

In his correccion is oft tymes seene
Ferdful5 and dredfull, as wele is semyng,
And in his tretty6 ful of plesaunce,

And vere blithe when he is plesyd,

 

1Probably, as Bowers suggests, a participle mean-
ing 'uttering' or 'expressing'; Ross gives 'outer', or
'sincere', which seem less apprOpriate.

2Probably 'reproof', i.e., 'ground of reproof';
alternatives would be 'repression', or 'wrinkle'.

3Bowers suggests, 'not too embossed or rounded';
Ross proposes 'coarse'; MED gives 'big', 'coarse', or
'crude' ('boistous').

4Forked.

5Awe-inspiring.
6Bowers gives 'trettys', meaning 'handsome'. The
form of the word, being a noun, would require an extension

of the meaning to the Mod. Fr. trait, 'lineaments', or
perhaps 'character as expressed by the lineaments.l

164

20/6

Both sad and stabyll in his demenaunce;l
And neuer wald laghe, bot.of[t].tyme wepyd.
As for is stature wele lettyn on.brede,
And streyght vp gangyng on his feete;

His handes, his armes ar semely in wede,
And seldyn Spekyng, as 3e may wete;

When he is noght plesyd ful graciously,

On be, bou man, ban will he loke;

He is most curteys, now sothly,

Of a1 be creatures,.as says be boke.

Now God, as bou art Lord and Kynge

And maker of man into bis warld,

Vnto bi blis bou vs brynge~

Wher bou art emprowre, kyng and lorde. Amen.

[F. zsr]

 

1Behavior.

 

ap. 326.

bAglndex 9£_Middle English Verse, p. 694.

 

c"Middle English Verses on the Appearance of
Christ," Anglia, Band 70 N. F., p. 58.

d"Five Fifteenth-century 'Emblem Verses' from
British Museum Additional Manuscript 37049," Speculum,

165

21/1

ARTICLE 21, ff. 25V, 26r

The Quia Amore Langueo, or "Lament of the Blessed

 

Virgin," as it is alternately called, is found in eight
manuscripts other than 37049. In its complete form, it
is composed of twelve 8-line stanzas with the refrain,

Quia amore langueo.

 

Most of the extant copies have at least one of
the stanzas missing, and there is wide diversification in
spelling, wording, word order, and stanza order. Furni-
vall edits the poem in §§T§_No. 15, using Lambeth MS. 853
as the standardlform,a although this manuscript contains
but eight of the stanzas.. Our manuscript has eleven
stanzas, as does qugg_MS 322 (RL xiv, no. 132), which

is the basic text used by Stevick in One Hundred Middle

 

English Lyrics.b.Lines 1-63 are parallel in Douce 3g

 

and 37049, after which there are variations, often of

major character. Lambeth 853 parallels 37049 through

 

stanza 6, after which the divergencies are frequent.
Lambeth concludes with two stanzas which are not in 31022,
and 31252 gives three stanzas of irregular length which
are not in Lambeth.. The Lambeth text is assigned to about

1430 A. D.; the Douce to about 1400.

166

21/2

Perhaps the most regular version is that of
Harleian Mg 1106, whose meter is generally more careful
than that of the other versions; the stanzaic forms,
too, are less irregular. It is in a Southern dialect,
in contrast to the others.

Both 25v and 26r have illustrations, with the
Blessed Virgin holding the infant Jesus in her arms, while
standing within an enlarged door of a castle on 25V.
Beneath is a monk, who says, "0 Maria, be flowre of
virgyns c1ere,/ In a1 oure nede.our prayer bou here."
The picture and inscription on 26r is treated with the

text.

The TEXT:

In a tabernakil of a towre,

As I stode musand of be mone,

A crowned Qwene most of honour

I sawe, syttyng on a trone.

Sche complaynted by hyr one1

For man's saule so wrappyd in woo:

"I may not lofe2 mankynde allone."

 

1In lines 4 and 5, the Harleian MS reads:

Aperd in gostly syght ful sene.
Sche made compleynt by hyr one. . .

 

2The Harleian here has 'lefe'.

167

21/3

 

Quia amore langueo.

I lang for luf of man my brobir,

I am his vocate to voyd his vice;

I am his mediatryce and his moder;
Why suld my dere son hymdyspyse,1
If he me wrathe in dyuers wyse?
borow fleschly frellte sal me fro,2
3itt bus me rewe to he wil ryse.3
Quia amore langueo.

I byde, I byde in gret langyng;

I loke my luf when men wil craue;

I pleyne for pyte of his pynyng.
Whald he ask mercy, he suld it hafe;
Pray to me4.and I sall be safe;

Byd me my barne, and I sal goo;

Pou prayed me neuer, bot I forgafe.

Quia amore langueo.

 

O wretche, in be warld I loke on be;
I se bi tresPas day be day,

With lytchery agayn my chastite,

 

1Harleian gives 'chylde' for 'son'.

2The Harleian reads 'Though' rather than 'fro'.

 

3Harleian: '3itt must we rewe hym tel he ryse,’
certainly much better.

 

4Harleian: 'Say to me....'

168

21/4

With pride agayne my pore aray.
My luf abydes; bine is away.

My luf be cals; bou stels me fro.
Turne to me,1 syner, I be pray.

Quia-amore langueo.

 

Moder of mercy I was for be made;

Who nedys it?. None bot bou allone;

To gyf be grace I am more glad ,

Pan bou to ask it; why wil-bounone?2
When sayd I 'Nayi, tell me onone;

For sothe, neuer 3itt to frende ne foo;
When bou askes not, ban make I mone.

Quia amore langueo.

 

I seke be in wele and wretchydnes,
I seke be in ritches and purte,3
Dan man, behold wher bi moder is;'

Why lufs bou not me as I luf be? [F. 25v]
Synful or sory, how euer bou be,

So welcom to me ber ar no mo;

I am bi syster; bou traystes on me.

Quia amore langueo.

 

 

is:

lHarleian:‘ ’Shewe to me....'
2

 

In this, and the previous two lines, the Harleian

 

Medeth hit but thow allone;
To gete pe grace I am more glad
ban bou to ask it; why-tell me one?

3Harleian: 'pouerte'.
169

21/5

My chyld is outlawed for bi syn,
My barne is bett for biatrespasl
It prykkes2 my hert bou art so nere my kynne
Suld bou be dysesed or dampned, allas,
Pou art his brobir; bi moder I was;3
Pou sowkyd my pappe; bou luf man so;
Pou dyed for hym; my hert bou has.
Qui2.am2£§ langueo.
Man, lefe bi syn for my sake;
Why suld I gyf be bat bou not walde;
And if bou syn, sum prayer take,
And trayst on me as I haf talde.
Am I not bi moder cald?
Why suld bou flee? I luf bi pees;
I am bi frende; I helpe be now by halde;
berfore man, fro synnes bou cesse.
When bat I say '3aa', will bou say 'nay'?
I may be helpar of bi blis;
'Hertly to me if bou wil pray,

I sal forgyf be a1 bi mysse.

 

lHarleian gives the line: 'Mankende ys bette for
hys trespas.T

 

2Harleian: 'bet prykketh my hert....'

3Harleian: 'his moder I was.‘ Written in the
left margin, just before this line, are the words '0
Iesus.‘

 

170

21/6

0 synful man, I say be bis,
A hondreth 3ere, if bou war me fro,

Aske mercy.and I sal graunt be blis.l

Qgia amore langueo.

I am soker2 to man knawlegyng,

When bai wil calie,I wil restore;

I luf to safe my of spryng.

Now wil I tell of bis mater more:

No wonder if my hert on Ihesu3 hyng,
I am his moder; what may I doo

For hym, if hafe bis worschyppyng.

Quia amore langueo-

 

I was crowned and made a qwene;
Why was I cald of mercy be welle?

Why suld any erthly woman clene

 

1This portion is incorrectly written. Whereas
the other stanzas consist of seven English lines each,
concluded by the refrain Quia amore langueo, we have here
15 English lines without interruption. Consistently
throughtout the poem, excepting here, all stanzas have
an eccentric sixth line rhyme—-the '0' sound ('woo',
'fro', 'goo', etc.)--which rhymes only with the correspond—
ing lines of other stanzas.. Line six breaks this pattern,
closing with 'pees', and the eighth line, normally the
Quia..., instead is English, and rhymes line six with
'cesse'.v

The final seven lines resume the uniform stanzaic
structure, with the 'o' rhyme picked up in 'fro', line
14.

2In the margin: 'sokyr'.

3Poorly written in the text, 'Ihesu' is in the
margin.

171

21/7

So hye in heuen besett abowne angell,

Bot for be, manlk]yndel be trewth to tell.
berfore aske mer[cy] and I sal doo

bat I was o[rda]nd to helpe be fro hell.C

Quia amjgjrg langueo. [F. 26r]

 

1Here and following, a severe rip obscures certain
letters, although it has been repaired.

 

aFrederick James Furnivall, Political, Religious

 

 

and Love Poems, EETS 15,1903, pp. 177- 179.

bRobert D. Stevick, ed., One Hundred Middle
English Lyrics, 1964, pp. 84-87.

 

 

 

0The illustration and marginal writing on 26r
are only topically related to the poem: they suggest
the identical thought of the efficacy of the name and
veneration of Mary. The illustration is elementary.
It is a crude tree, with MARIA inclosed by the main body
of limbs. Single small isolated branches spring off to
both sides, each one having a flower. Within the flower
to the left is the word 'luf', and to the right 'Maria'.
The prose inscription beneath the tree reads:
Luf wele bis blyssed name Maria, for Saynt Bern-
arde says, 'So mykil dredes not visibyll enmys,
ilk multytude of hostes, as invisibil vnseabyl
enmys; bat is to say, fendes, dredes be name and
be helpe [the manuscript actually reads 'belpe',
with the correction obvious] of Mari.’ berfore
bat lytell bat bou desyres to offer, take it to
be offerd to be worthyest and bankfulest and a1
acceptabylnes handes of Mary, if bou will not

suffer puttyng bakke.
172

22/1

ARTICLE 22, ff. 26V, 27r

The presence of Article 22 is somewhat enigmatic.
There are numerous important differences between it any
anything else to be found in the manuscript. It is done
in a book hand, rather than the disorderly bastard hand
which characterizes nearly all of the rest of 31219. It
is distinctly different in dialect, as is noted in the~
Introduction. Aesthetically, it is the finest writing
of the entire manuscript, but it occupies a mere one and
one-half pages. .The writing is uniform in size, a trait
not seen in the work of the major scribe (A); and the lines
of writing are quite straight, although unruled. The
left margin is uniform, and the right margin shows some
effort at compensation, another trait missing in the
work of 'A'.

Article 22 discusses the granting of indulgences

by Pope Clement.Ia upon various conditions. The Catalogue

 

does not assign thearticle.b

At the conclusion of this item, a line is drawn
beneath the text, and the writing reverts to that of
scribe 'A', whose writing is found in the preceding

articles.

173

22/2

A rip spans the lower portion of the page, from
the left margin to the lower right corner, beginning
nearly one-third of the way up from the exterior side of
the left margin. The page has been repaired, and al-
though some letters are read with difficulty, they may
be logically supplied. Nearly the right third of the
page is used for writing, in enlarged letters, the key
opening phrases of the various passages which are to be
repeated in order to attain the indulgences. There are

five of these on 26V: Verbum caro factum est; §E_homo

 

factus est; Te ergo quius familis; Gloria Patri; and,

 

 

 

Ave Maria. There are no accompanying pictures. On 27r,

 

in the right margin, there is no writing; there is, how-
ever, a cross formed by crossed tree branches, whose limbs

are roughly trimmed, standing in a squared base.

The TEXT :

This Pope Sant Clement pe fyrst grantyd a 3er

l

and 40 days to pardon to all yam pat byne confest and

contryte, and also devoytly hers or says Sant Iohn gos-

pell, bat ys to say, 'Ig principio eratverbum,‘2 And

 

yen to ye end whenne 'Verbum caro factum est'3 is sayd,

 

 

1In this section, 'y' and 'p' are at times almost
indistinguishable; and they are often interchangeably
used. In the transcription, the writer's 'y' is tran-
scribed 'y'; the ”y' is transcribed 'p'.
2John 1:1.

3John 1:14.

174

22/3

and declynes dewotely or knyellys or kyssys be erthe, or
ye wayll, or a stolle, he sal haue ye pardon as it is be
for sayde.

Also ye forsayd pape Clement efte sonys granttyd
a 3er and 40 days tyll all yam yat herys in ye cred of
ye mess bat is sovng or sayd bes wordys, 'EE homo factus
gst,’ and yan inclinys dewotely or knelys and kyssis a
forme or be erthe, he sall haue ye forsayd pardon as it
is grantyde. Also ye pope Iohn ye 22nd grantyd 20 days
to pardon tyll all yam yat in yis Psalme of 'Tg'dggm_

laudamus' sayis, or ellys herys dewotely yies wersse,

 

'Tg’ggggyguius familis tuus, 253.,' and yan with gud de-
wocyon knellys down to all ye wersse be sayd, he schall
haue ye forsayd pardon. Also ye forsayd pope Iohn grantyd
40 days to pardon tyll all yam bat als oft tymys as yis
worschipfull name 'Ihesu' is namyd or sayd dewotely of
any man or woman, as oftyng tymys yey schall haue ye
forsayd pardon.

Also ye forsayd pope Iohn grantyd 40 days to
pardon tyll all yam yat deuotely inclynes whyles bis

wersse Gloria patri, etc., ys in syngyng or sayng etc.

 

Also mor ower be forsayd Pop Iohn grantyd 40 days to

pardon tyll all yam bat dewotely knellys downe at 3

175

22/4

kneyllyngisl of ye bell, and says thre Aue Marys in ye

 

worschip of our Lady, Goddis moder, at euyng and at ye
morne schall haue ye forsayd pardon, etc. And also who
so bat sayis yis orysone bat folowys efter when he seys
A cros, he schall noght dey yat day no sadayn deth.
[f. 26"]

And also POpe Innocent2 gravntyd to ylke a mane
or woman yat sayis yis oryson with contryte hert and
deuocyon, 40 days to pardon in remission of yer synnes

versus, 'Adoremus Eg_domine Ihesu Criste, gt_benedicimus

 

 

tibi guia per crucem gt mortem tuam redimisti mundum.

 

Oremus, etc.

 

Domine Ihesu Christe, fili dei propter illam

 

amaritudinem mortem guam Eg_in nomine sustinuisti propter

 

 

nos et maxime quando anima tua ggressa est d2 corpore

 

tuo. Miserere anime mee in egressu suo, domine deus

 

 

 

meus o

 

1Throughout Article 22, the 'is' or 'ys' ending
is used for plurals or for the third person singular,
indicative active, presnet tense of the verbs; hence it
is used to transcribe the familiar ending ' '.

2This would be Innocent III, in 1215. See 'In-
dulgences', The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, pp. 783-
88.

 

 

aIndulgences were proclaimed by various ones of
the popes bearing the name Clement; but none as early as
Clement I (probable date of whose death is about A. D.
99). Perhaps the writer was actually referring to the
Bull 'Unigenitus', proclaimed by Clement VII on 27 Janu-
ary, 1343. See preceding footnote.

 

176

23/1

ARTICLE 23, 27r

A miracle tale concerning a clerk whose devotion
to the Blessed Virgin diminished after he had seen her
image at Rome. The Catalogue points out that a similar
story is told in wynkyn de Worde's Miracles 2£.92£.EE§XJ
dated about 1514.a

In the left margin is a picture of the Virgin,
standing above the bed in which the clerk lies. The

story is done in the bastard hand of scribe 'A'.

The TEXT:

It is red in be myrakils of oure Lady bat a clerk
luffed wele oure Lady bat insomykil bat he went vnto Rome
of deuocion bat he myght se be ymage of oure Lady, be
whilk as it is sayd, Sayn Luke purtred. After h/1 when
he had sene bat ymage, hym boght it was no3t so fayre as
it was before, or he sawe bat ymage. Nerbeles he luffed

hyr, bot not so intentyfly as he dyd before.

 

1The 'After' is uncancelled; the 'h' ends our
page, which has been trimmed to this letter. The text
makes sense if this is deleted, and 'when' is made to
open the sentence.

177

23/2

At be last he fell seke and as he lay be hys one
in his chawmer opon a day, oure blissed.Lady apperyd vnto
hym and sayd vnto hym, "Pou went vnto Rome bat bou suld
se me in myne ymage. And for be fayrnes of it plesed be
no3t, be whilk bou sawe in be ymage, bi luf and bi de-
uocyon is lessend to me."

be blyssed Virgyn was cled in a blak cote, and
abowte hyr a gyrdyll, and a bende in hyr hede and bare
fote. And ban sche sayd to pe seke clerke, "bus was I
anowrned when Gabriel schewed vnto me be incarnacion of
be Son of God. And wer not bot at bi luf and bi deuocion
had bene to me, bou suld no3t hafe bene in.heuen with me
before my Son. And for bi luf was lessend to me, bou
sal not be vnponesched with bis seknes vnto be thyrd
day. And ban sal I mete be. And fro ban forth bou sal
be in ioye."

And so sche went fro hym. [F. 27r]

 

aP. 327. For a good summary of English tales of
this nature, see Beverly Bond's Middle English Miracles
g; the Virgin, Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.,
Giff

 

 

178

24/1

ARTICLE 24, f. 27V

Carleton Brown says this poem was not printed

prior to his publication of Religious Lyrics 9: the Fif-

 

teenth Century.a Brunner had, in fact, edited it from
b

 

our manuscript in Anglia LXI, pp. 145, 46.
The Museum's Catalogue lists no sources other

than 37049,C nor does the Index g£_Middle English Verses,d

 

published four years later than Brown's Religious Lyrics.

 

Brown remarks that "despite the Latin title which
stands at the head of these verses, they are very loosely
related to the Hymn Ayg_Ma£i§_stella." This may be one
of the reasons that Ross did not include the poem among
his selection of 'emblem verses' from 3194239 Otherwise,
it would qualify as well as do the others. The figure of
the sea is quickly incorporated in lines 3 and 4, "lyke
vnto be se/Ebbyng and flowyng ful of vanyte...." After
this, the likeness is drOpped.

The text of the brief poem fills only about one-
third of the page. At the top is an illustration showing
Mary, kneeling before the enthroned Jesus. A circular
frame surrounds them. Within this circle several angels

rim the border. On the exterior, radiant beams,

179

24/2

as of glory, surround the circle. Beside both

figures are scrolls, but they are empty. In the lower
right corner is the figure of a man standing at waist-
level in water--apparently to catch the significance of
the title--looking up at the throne. He, too, has an
empty scroll beside him. The scribe left the page un-
finished, perhaps intending to write couplets later in-
side the scrolls, as he has done in most of the previous
illustrations.

Had the writer of this portion of 31942_been
c0pying from another manuscript, it seems improbable that
both he and the rubricator would have left the scrolls
unfinished. One may suppose that it is simply an unfin-

ished, original work.

The TEXT :

[Above the poem, this title is enlarged letters]:
Aue Maris Stella Dei Mater Alma.

Hayle se sterne, God's modyr holy;

Pray bou bi swete son safe vs fro foly

bat walks in bis warld lyke vnto be se,

Ebbyng and flowyng ful of vanyte;

For to al wretches bat wil for sake bair syn

bow schynes as a sterne baim redy to wyn,

And euermore redy for vs to pray,

To gytt vs forgyfnes withouten delay.

180

24/3

Of a1 oure synnesl and gret trespes

bat we hafe done, both more and les,

Now swete lady, both meke and mylde,

And Moder of God, mayden vnfyled,

Crowned abofe al angels qwene of heuen,

Blyssed art bou berfore euermore to neuen.

Pow pray bi son to gif vs grace, oure lyfe to mende,
And his byrnyng luf in to vs sende;

Thynk on gode Lady, bus for vs to praye,

bat we with be may dwelle for euer and ay. Amen.

[F. 27V.]

 

1The words 'oure synnes' are inverted in the
text, and corrected by two subscript parallel dashes
(// //) . '

 

aPp. 35, 36. Brown says this is 'the unique text
of this piece,‘ and associates it with the poem on 22r,
the founding of the Carthusian order. He assigns a date
of about 1450 to the poem and manuscript.

bBrunner assigns a much later date, c. 1475, to
this work.
cp. 327.

dPrinted in 1943; with supplement issued by the
University of Kentucky Press, 1965.

eSpeculum, XXXII, (1957), 274-82.

181

25/1

ARTICLE 25, f. 28r

The five couplets forming this poem are quoted

from the Horologium Sapientiae,a with no specific refer-

 

ence in the source identified. The piece is topically
related to the works of this section of the manuscript,
but stands isolated otherwise. Lines 7 and 8 were omitted
in the original writing, and have been careted into the

right margin.

The TEXT:

Who so rememors Cristes passion deuoutely,
To hym profets specially two binges in hye:
be tone is if a man be put in heuynes,

It remefes a way his gret distres;

Also, ane obir, it dos and helps certanly
To relese be bitter paynes of purgatory.

If a man conforme hym ber to right,

And qu God with al his myght,l

 

lThis couplet is careted into the text following
'purgatoryn, being written in a cramped manner in the
margin to the right of the preceding couplet.

182

 

25/2

bis affermes be boke Horologium Sapiencie cald,

 

To baim bat deuoutely Cristes passion in mynd

wil halde.

 

aSee The Catalogue, p. 327.

 

183

Based

26/1

ARTICLE 26, f. 28r

upon the reference to 'be fawconnere,‘ and

line 7, 'as 3e may see,‘ Ross speculates that this poem

existed in an
and Christ on
Christ to the
poem requires
to supply the

Since

elsewhere, it

earlier version with a picture of a falconer
the cross.a Such a figure of comparison--
falconer--is admittedly obscure, and the
nothing more than the reader's imagination
prOper meaning.

the manuscript is so profusely illustrated

is difficult to explain the absence of an

essential picture in this instance, unless it is missing

from the COpy

from which our scribe worked. The poem

consists of fifteen couplets on the tOpic of self-cruci—

fixion.

The TEXT:

Also take hede to his insawmpyl here

bat is lykend vnto be fawconnere,

be whilk, when his hawke fro hym dos flee,

Schews to pe hawke rede flesche to see,

And when be hawke lokes ber vnto,

Fast to his mayster he hastes to1 go.

 

1The

'to' is cancelled, but belongs in the text.

184

26/2

bus dos Criste, as 3e may see,

Hynges bledyng opon a tre,

Hys body with blody woundes schewynge

For to reduce to hym man's saule and brynge,

be whilk fro hym by syn dos fle away,

And to hym wil turne agayn, withouten delay.

bus he has his armes spred, man to hals and kysse,
pat to hym by luf wil turne, repentyng his mys.
perfore of saluacion if bou sur wil be,

be cros of penaunce bou take on be;

bat is, be discret poneschyng of bi body,

And nayled borow bi left hande for bi foly,

With schame and displesaunce of a1 bi syn

Pat letts be alway heuen to wyn,

be nayle in be right hande also sal be

Desyre and luf of heuenly binges in bi hert fre;
be nayle sal be drede bat borow bi fete sal go,
bat in dedly syn bou be not dampned to endles wo;
And be spere be whilk sal perche bi hert

Sal be contricion for syn with sorow smart;

be blode and be watyr bat fro be hert ryns clere
Sal be wepyng for be syns bou has done here.

bus bi selfe here bou sal do crucifye,

bat aftyr in blis bou may be set full hye.

[F. 28r.]

 

aSpeculum, xxxii, (1957), pp. 278, 279.

185

27/1

ARTICLE 27, ff. 28V, 29r

Certainly one of the very interesting articles
in this manuscript, a crudely done dialogue here gives
account of the continuing efforts of 'be fende' to en-
snare the soul of a man at various stages of life, from
early youth until death. The man's feeble efforts are
abetted by the presence of 'be gode angel,‘ who inter-
venes with necessary counsel at the propitious moment.

The dialogue is introduced by a kind of title,
rubricated, at the tOp of 28v: 'Of be Seuen Ages, Note
Wele be Sayng of be Gode Angel and be Yll.' Beneath
this, the principals appear. The good angel, the child
and the devil stand, in that order, beneath a reclining
body or corpse, unidentified. Throughout the article
appear illustrations, drawn in either or both margins,
or between segments of the dialogue. The final illus-
trations show the deceased lying on his death-bed as the
good angel rises, carrying away his soul. Opposite, a
snarling fiend departs, lamenting his lost cause. Many
of the speeches are connected by lines drawn from the
speech itself to the illustration of the character to

which it is assigned.

186

27/2

Mechanically, the instructions to the actors are
all rubricated, while their actual dialogue is in the
customary black. There is an exchange of dialogue for
each of the seven ages of the man, running to a total of

fifty lines. The Catalogue gives no source for the ar-

 

ticle.a

The TEXT :

Of be Seuen Ages, Note Wele be Sayng of be Gode

Angel, and be YII.+1

be childe spekes to hymselfe, and says, as is
written beneth.+

be goode angel says to be childe, and awnswers.+

2

Nakyd+ in to bis warlde borne am I.

Angel:+ Loke Cristes commawndements bou kepe for
bi.
be fende says:+ When bou art a lytell more and
more,
ban sal you lerne on my lore.
be childe:+ I wil go play with my felowe.

be angel:+ To goode vertews loke bou drawe.

 

lExcepting where noted, Lines or words followed
by the symbol (+) are rubricated in 37049.

2The 'N' only is rubricated here, probably by
mistake. It is the only instance in which red ink appears
in the dialogue itself.

187

27/3

be fende:+ '3onge saynt, alde devell' is ane
alde sawe;
Begyn notl iat to kepe God's lawe.
3outhe spekes to his selfe and says:+
With women me lyst both play and rage.
Angel:2 To bi saule it is gret damage.
be fende:+ If bou be holy in bi 3ong age,
bi sorow sal incres and bi myght swage.
Man spekes to hym selfe and says:‘.-
Now I am in strenthe; who dar to me
say 'Nay'?
Angel:+ Man, hafe mynde of bine endyng day!
be fende:+ Whils bou are 3onge, be ioly and lyght,
With a1 ryall and ryche aray;
When bou art olde, and fayles myght,
ban is tyme to do foly away.
Angel:+ Be war of be fendes cownsell, I be say,
And of bine amendment make no delay.
[F. 28"]
Age:+ Of bies ryches I hafe gret wone.

A

. . 1Following 'not', there has been an erasure,
thCI} :13 undecipherable. Then comes, uncancelled, 'Iat
:Iape - If the.'Iape' is considered erroneous, and 'Iat'
:is takqu for 'yet', the line is sensible. The OED does
not list 'iat' as a form of 'yet'; however, 'yafir is
given, and the Old Frisian forms 'ieta', 'eta', and 'ita'
are 8180 shown.

2Not rubricated; again, by error.

188

27/4

Angel:+ Do bou almos dede, or you hense gone,
If bou wil hafe lyfe in eternalyte;
And euer in ioy and blis wil be.
be fende:+ Lat bine executours berwith allone,
For bai wil do right wele for be;
Do not away bi goode onone,
Lest in age bou falle in pouerte.
[In the margin on the right]:
be Crepyl Spekes to Hymselfe:+
be Crepil:+ Now must I beddes byd bof my bones
ake:
I drede bat ded persewes me fast.
Angel:+ Goode prayers sal bi paynes slake,
And safe bi saule so at be last.
be fende says:+ When bi syn has be forsake,
ban for bi bale bou ask heuen blis,
And ban may bou amendes make,
For at bou has done mysse.
Angel:+ At bis tyme bou hast grace
If bou willfor mercy crye;
be fende fro be I sal do chasse,

And bere bi saule to blis on hye.

be last old age says:+ I deele my godes for God's

sake now sone in by.

And amendes me life whils I hafe space,

And for mercy to do God dos crye,

189

be fende:+

27/5

To send me his godenes and his grace;
berfore my saule to hym I take,
And dos goode werkes whils bat I may,
For lytel wil men do for my sake
When I am hence past away.

Here be saule is gone fro me, allas;
Al my labour is turned in vayne
bat I purposed in many a place,
And supposed hafe getyn hym to payne;
Bot mercy has taken hym to grace,
For bat he has lyfed in bis warld here,
And els in helle he hade had a place
Emange fyre and fendes of vgly chere.

[F. 29‘]

 

ap. 327.

190

28/1

ARTICLE 28, ff. 29V, 3or

In his expansion of the Salue Regina in Religious

 

 

Lyrics pf the XVth Century,a Carleton Brown says this
item appears in Ms. 37049 only, adding that. there is a

'macaronic version' in Balliol College DE 354, 'In which

 

the English lines begin with verbal parallels between the
two pieces....(and) the Latin is incorporated into the
structure of the line,‘b whereas in this text the Latin
is merely placed opposite the corresponding phrase in

the English. .

The Latin in the left margin is written in red
ink, whereas the text is in black. An illustration fills
the upper half of the page. In it, the Blessed Virgin is
seated with the Infant Jesus upon her lap. She holds a
scepter in her left hand, while He has a ball. A monk
kneels before her, at the left, and the Infant is ex-
tending the right arm in blessing. Their speech is re-

corded with the text.

The TEXT:
[The monk addresses Mary]:

0 suete lady, mayden mylde,

Pray for me to Ihesu Criste, bi childe.

191

28/2

[Mary responds]:
I am redy for all to pray,
bat my Son wil luf god aray.

[The poem beneath the picture]:

Saluel Hayle, oure patron and Lady of erthe,
Regina Qwheneof heuen, and emprys of helle,
Mater Moder of al blis bou art, be ferth

Misericordie Of mercy and grace, be secunde welle;

 

Vit§_ Lyfe come of be, as be sownde of a
bell;

Dulcedo Swetnes, bou art both moder and mayde;

E22299.

nostra Oure hope with be, bat we may dwelle.

Sglgg Hayl, ful of grace, as Gabriel sayd.

§§.EE. To be, our socoure, oure helpe, oure
trust;

Clamamus We crye, we pray, we make oure com-
playnt,

Exules Exylde to pryson fro gostly lust,

Filii [be]2 childer of Adam, bat so was
ataynte

Egg Of Eue oure moder, here, ar we dreynte.

5d 22. To be bat byndes be fendes whelpe,

 

1Here and in all lines following, the Latin is
rubricated.

2Supplied from Brown's text, p. 302.

192

 

28/3

Suspiramus We sigh, we grone, we wax al
faynte,
Gementes Wepyng for sorow gode lady now

[Et flentes]1

 

 

helpe

Wepyng for syn and for oure

payne

$2.923 In bis derknes oure tyme we
spende;

Lacrimarum Of teres be comforth is'a swete
rayne [f. 29v]

Valle In be wayle of grace it will
discende.

§y2_ Hafe done, gode lady, grace is
bi frende;

Eggg berfore send vs sum of pi grace;

Aduocata Our aduocate, make vs afore oure
ende

Nostra Oure synnes to wesche whils we

hafe space.

11105 tuos mlisericordes] o[culos]2

bi mercyful eene and lufly loke,

Ad nos conuert[e] Cast opon vs for oure disporte,

 

1

37049 omits this phrase, which is supplied from

Dyboski's standard text of the Salue Regina, from Songs,
Camus, and Other Miscellaneous Poemsifrom the Balliol
§§.342, EETS Extra Series 101, pp. 60-61.

The scribe has abbreviated here, apparently to
allow space for the English verse.

 

 

193

gt Ihesum

Benedictum

 

Fructum

Ventris tui

 

Nobis

Post hoc

 

Exilium

Ostende

Benignum

chlemens

IO

pia
Q_dulcis
Maria

Salue

 

28/4

And Ihesu bi babe, bat bi flesche
toke,

So blyssed a Lord make vs supporte,

bat fruyt of lyfe may vs comfort.

Of bi wome be fruyt may suffyse

To vs, wherby we may resorte,

Aftyr bis exyle, to paradyse;

Exyle is greuos in bis derk werre;

Schewe vs bi luf,l be stronger to
fyght.

Benygne Lady, and oure se sterre;2

O buxum lanterne, gyf vs bi lyght;

O meke, o chaste, o blistfull syght;

O swete, o kynde, o gentyll and fre,

Mary, with Ihesu.bat ioyful3 knyght,

Hayle and fare wele, and binke on

me. Amen.4

'bi 1ust.‘

1Brown gives

2Note similarity to 27v here, both in content and
in the structure of the works.

3At first, 'gentyl' was written, then deleted,
and 'ioyful' has been squeezed between the lines.

4The standard text closes:
\Hrgo Marya. Salue, Mater, Salue.

_

...g Clemens, Q dulcis,

app. 47, 48.

bIbid., in the notes, pp. 302-303.

194

29/1

ARTICLE 29, f. 30r

Th2 Catalogue lists this entry as a poem of six-
teen couplets.a More accurately, Brown and Robbins says
it is composed of eight quatrains.b At first glance,
the couplet arrangement seems adequate, since the author
lum bracketed the lines in successive pairs. A more
careful examination of the text will show the proper
stanzaic form, which is first indicated by an enlarged
Capital letter introducing each fourth line, and by the
marginal notes.

Written into the left margin, at each fourth line,
is an unusual series of comments. Opposite the first
quatrain are the words 'Contra Superbiam'; opposite the
second, 'Contra Invidiam', etc., for the four quatrains
occuping the left column of the page. Brown and Robbins
has interpreted this to mean that the poem points to the
wounds of Christ as remedies for the seven Deadly Sins,
and that the final, or eighth quatrain, is a consolida-
tion. There are minor problems in holding this position:
traditionally there were but five wounds, and these are
Imw.given successive treatment in the opening five

stanzas, although each stanza is associated with one of

195

29/2

the Sins by marginal notation. An exact alignment is
therefore not intended. The second problem is caused by
the trimmer of the manuscript who has removed virtually
all of the right margin. None of the marginal notation
of the original remains in the text today. Instead, in
a.much later hand, and crowded at the t0ps of the first
three quatrains are the final three Sins. They are all
but illegible, having been faintly printed, in contrast
to the very clear list in the left margin.

A tear across almost the entire width of the
sage has removed more than one-half of the final line of
the fourth quatrain, which occupies the bottom of the
left column. The final line of the eighth quatrain, at
the bottom of the right column, is not affected.

Between the two columns is a drawing of the
Christ on the cross. It is done in the familiar pattern
used commonly throughout the manuscript, with the body
profusely spotted as by blood, while the hands and feet
are spiked to the cross and a gaping wound shows on the
right breast.

Because of obvious differences in the printed
letters, because of a Clearly more Southern form for
several of the words, and because of certain more re-
fined techniques, all discussed in the Introduction,

Iuticle 29 is not the work of the basic Scribe 'A'. No

cmher portion in the manuscript is done in the same hand,

196

29/3

hence the work is unique in 31942, It is quite reason-
able to suggest that this poem could have been added at
a.later time, as well as by a different author, since-
Article 28 left nearly one-half of the page unfilled.
anflbe 'C', to whom we attribute No. 29, writes in an
unusually fine, neat hand, and his lines are much more

nearly straight than are those of Scribe 'A'.

The TEXT:

[In the left margin, Opposite the t0p line of the
poem]: [91993531 [§_]uperbiam.l

Wyth scharp bornes bat beth kene,

Mye hede was crowned, 3e may sene;

My blode ranne down be mye cheke;

Thowprowde man berfore be meke.

[In the left margin, Opposite the first line of
the second quatrain]:

Contra Invidiam.

 

wyth a spere bat was fulle grylle

Mye harte was perchyd--bat was my wyl;

For luf of man bat was my dere,

Envyouse man, of luffe thow lere.

[In the left margin, opposite the first line of

the third quatrain]:

*

1The initial letters are removed from the margin
niboth of these words, written one above the other.

197

29/4

Contra Gulam.

In al my briste vpon be rode,

Men gaffe me drynke bat was not gode;

Eyselle and galle for to drynke;

Gloton, beron I rede thow binke.

[Opposite the fourth quatrain]: Contra Luxuriaml

Offe a clene madyn I was borne

To saue mankynde bat was forlorne,

And sufferde deth for mannes synne,

...........] of lustes ber offe [......

[Above the final word in the first line of the
right column]:

Contra,i__[£§._].2

Iffe bou be wrothe and wolde take wreke,

Be holde be lesson bat I be teche:

Thorow my ry3t hande be nail it gothe;

berfore for3effe and be not wrothe.

[Almost totally faded, but still legible above
the last word, sixth quatrain]:

Sloth.

 

1Contra Luxuriam is inserted. The list of the
Seven Deadly Sins here corresponds with Gregory's, although
it is quaintly a mixture of Latin and.English terms; the
cuder in which they are given is exceptional. See Bloom-
fiehd's excellent study, The Seven Deadly Sins, Michigan
State Press, East Lansing, MiEHigan, 1952, esp. pp. 69,
77 and 104.

2Written in a blacker ink, and a much later hand.
Ike trimmer has cut the paper at the 'i'.

 

198

29/5

Aryse Vp, vnlustye, oute of bi bed,

And beholde mye fete bat ben ybled

And nailed faste to the tre;

Thanke me berof; al was for be.

[Badly faded, and almost indecipherable above
the next quatrain]:

Couetousnes.

Thorow my left hand a nail was dryne;

Thynke beron, 3ef bou wylle lyue;

Helpe be pore with almys dede,

And bou in heuen schal hafe mede.

Ihesu, for thye woundes fyue,

Thow be baim wele in a1 ber lyue

That bis lesson euer wyl rede,

And berwith here bere saules fede.

 

ap. 327.

bReligious Lyrics 9; the Fourteenth Century, p.
674; see also pp. 227, 28.

 

199

30/1

ARTICLE 30, ff. 30V, 31r

Four paragraphs are extracted from a tract bear-

ing the title attached to this article: Ego dormio, gt.

 

cor meum vigilat. .Horstmann has edited the tract in

 

Yorkshire Writers: Richard Rolle 9__f_.Hampole.a The four

 

 

paragraphs are run together in 31049, but each is intro-
duced by a Latin preface which is rubricated.

Comper has also treated this article, erroneously
assigning it to 31v and 'the opposite page,‘b which would
in actuality refer to 32r. It is a minor error, since
the reference is obviously to 31r and its Opposite, 30V.

Of major interest is the large drawing on 30v.
Covering nearly the entire page, it leaves room for just
four lines of the text at the bottom. The illustration
is that of a reclining figure below, clutching a rolled
scroll in the right hand. Although the eyes are Open,
the text describes him as sleeping. Above him, the in-
fant Jesus sits upon the lap of Mary. Stars surround
them, and an embellished circle rims the illustration,
with the familiar radiant beams shining out to all points
of the compass. There is a scroll above the reclining

figure, and Jesus holds one end of another. The contents

200

30/2

are given below. A bad tear has removed more than half

Of the fourth line on 30V.

The TEXT:

[On the scroll above the reclining figure]:

I slepe and my hert wakes to be

Swete Ihesu, be son of Mary fre.

[On the same scroll, but separated from the
English]:

Egg dormio gt cor meum vigilat.

[On the scroll unrolling before the Infant]:

If bou my trewe lufe wil be,

My selfe to reward I sal gyf be.

[On this scroll, again separated from the English]:

Fili, probe mihi cor tuum.

[Below the reclining figure, the main text]:

Egg dormio, g£_gg£_mggm_vigilat. I slepe, and
my hert wakes. bat is, I slepe gostly when borow grace
be luf of be warld is slayne in me. And wikkyd styrrynges
of fleschely desyres ay did, bat vnethes I fele baim,

I am n [................]e.1

And ban it wakes, [f. 30v]
for it is scharp and redy for to luf Ihesu and se hym. 5
The more I slepe fro owtward binges, be more waker am I
in knawyng of Ihesu and inward binges. I may not wake

to Ihesu bot if I slepe to be warld. And berfore be grace

 

1The bottom line is damaged by a severe tear.

201

30/3

of be Holy Gost speryng be fleschly ee, makes be saule to
slepe fro warldly vanyte. And Opynynge be gostly ee wakeng
into be sight Of God's maiste couerde vnder be clowde of
his precious manhede, as be gospel says of be Apostils
when bai wer with oure Lord Ihesu in his transfiguracioun,
1

first bai slepyd and ban Euigilantes viderunt maiestatem.

Ig_cantico.amoris dicitur, 'Ego dormio, gt cor

 

 

meum vigilat.‘2 In be sang of luf is written, 'I slepe

 

and my hert wakes." be fyrst degree of luf is when a

man kepes be Ten Commawndmentes, and kepis hym fro be
seuen dedly synnes, and is stabil in be trowthe of holy
kyrke, and when a man wil not for no erthly binge grefe
God, bot trewly standes in his seruys and lastes ber into
his lyfes ende. bis degre Of luf behofes euer man to

hafe bat wil be safed, for no man may cum to heuen hot if
he luf God and his neghbour. When bou has wele lyfed in
bis degre, avyse be bat bou wil more luf God and do better
with bi saule, and becum perfyte, and ban entyrs bou into
be tobir degre of luf: bat is, for to forsake al be warld,
and bi fader and bi moder and al bi kyn, and.folow Criste

in pouerte. In bis degre bou sal stody how clene bou may

 

1There is no clear distinction, excepting in the
context, between the first and the second paragraphs,
since the first ends, and the second begins, with the
Latin quotations.

2Song of Solomon 5:2.

202

30/4

be in hert, and how chaste in body, and gyf be to meknes,
sufferyng and bowsumnes, and loke how fayr bou may make
bi saule in vertew, and hate alle vices.

Psalmista dicit, Igdecacordol psalterio, cum cantico
i3 cithera. bat is, "With be ten-strynghed sawtre, with
songe in be harpe, be rightwis man makes myrth vnto God,"2
for he schewes to hym his mercy and his rightwisnes in
be ten-stryngyd sawtre, bat is in fulfyllyng of his Ten
Commandments for bat is be fyrst fyt of his myrthe, for
to luf and kepe a1 be byddynges of oure Lord. And after
bis, he makes myrth with be sange in be harpe, for noght
onely he kepys be commawndmentes of God, bot settes hym
also for to kepe his cownsels, for he forsakes fully be
lust of be warld, and offers hym interly, in wil and
in warke to be seruys of God, for sothly he moste lufs
God bat borow grace is moste departed fro luf of be warld,
for he has leste of pride and moste of meknes; moste
myght and strenthe agayns synne and a1 bat may falle.

Clamavit gg mg, 33 exaudiam eum cum ipso sum 13

tribulacione.3 bat is, "He cryed to me, and I sal here

 

hym. I am with hym in tribulacion." I sal oute take

hym, and I sal glorifye hym. He cryed to me not onely

 

1Miswritten in the text: 'decatordo'.

2Essentially, from Psalm 143:9.

3Psalm 117:5.

203

30/5

by voyce of be mowthe, for bat crye is common to gode
and to badde; bot be desyre of hert. For a meke desire
to God in‘a clene.hert is a gret crye in be eyes of oure
Lord God sumtyme when be tunge stylles. Sotly he cryes
to me with a wonder hyevoyce, for al his life in worde,
in will and in warke is a contynewal crye Vpstying to me.
And berfore I sal here hym and fauourabilly helpe hym.

Hec gg_iusto ig_glos[s]a super psalmum.

 

aPp. so, 415.

bThe Life of Richard Rolle, Together with an
Edition g£_His EngIIsh Lyrics, New York, 1929, p. 3T5.

 

204

31/1

ARTICLE 31, f. 31V-32r

The "Dawnce of Makabre" here is given in twelve

stanzas of seven lines each, in rhyme royal. The "Dawnce"

a

has been edited for the EETS by Florence Warren from

Ellesmere 26/Al3 and §M_Lansdowne 699, where a collation

 

 

with other sources is included.

The poem stresses the transitory nature Of life,
the certainty of death, and the urgency of avoiding spir-
itual sloth and various other sins. Line 22 poses the
question, 'Wher is Salomon now, with al his prudence,‘
from which point the 'Ubi sunt' motif is employed to
catalogue numerous mighty and noble men of the past who
could not escape inexorable Death.

More striking than the poem itself in 31049 are
the two leering death's head depictions of 'Macabre'.

He wears a crown on 31V, and a tall derby-like hat on 32r.
He is barefooted and unclothed on 31v, and has on a pair
of long pointed slippers on 32r. The imagery set forth
shows that death visits king, priest and commoner alike;
the hat may well represent the clergy, and the slippers
are suggestive of the Pope, familiar in French versions

of the dance.

205

31/2

While the drawings in this ms. doubtless were
grisly and awe-inspiring to the early 15th century reader,
they scarcely carry this impression to the contemporary
eyes, which might well consider the leering grin and
cadaverous body a rather stark but humorous caricature,
popping in and out of the pages of the text. Unlike the
illustrations in other mss., 'Macabre' appears alone in

37049 rather than in the company of the various people

 

upon whom he intrudes unexpectedly as an unwelcome guest.
A rip runs across f. 32 at the center from the

right margin to within about an inch of the left margin.

Expert repair has made it possible to read the entire

line it affects with a minimum of difficulty.

The TEXT :

0 3e al whilkl by me cummes and gothe,2
Attende and behold bis warldes vanyte;
To lyke symylitude, be 3e lefe or lothe,

Sal 3e cum, for al 3oure warldly prosperite.

bine abydyng here is in no stab[i]llite;3

 

l
'whilk'.
2This unusual form of the verb is correct, as may

be seen both in the rhyme scheme ('lothe'), and in the
later occurrence of the same form in the final stanza.

3The 'i' is omitted in the text, and is not sup-
plied anywhere.

'bat' has been careted into the text after

206

31/3

3owthe sal passe, and his virtevsl swage;

Deth sal cum, and lyfe sal hafe passage.

Why art bou so sett in prowde elacyon,
And with be desyres Of worldly couetyse?
Why in wrathe has bou syche disturbacion,
With invyos swellyng of gret malyce,
Glotony vsyng wher les wald suffyce;
Brynnyng in slomer and slawly in corayge,

Or to be lycheros for al syche lofe has sone

pasayge.

bogh gleteryng bou be as byrnysched gold bright,
None of be lyke be semes in lusty purtrature,
Ilk membyr‘BStowte in his perfyte right,
Enformed with bewtes by nature,

And with strenth also to fortefye bi fygure,

be day sal cum bou sal out of bis warld wende;

bi mortal fayte of be sal make ane ende.

Wher is Salomon now, with al his prudence?

Or myghty Sampson, duk invyncybyll?

 

1An unusual occurrence of the medial 'v' form.

2Lest the reader should miss the subtle rhyme
scheme, the writer has bracketed rhyming lines, with the
final couplet making a distinct close for each stanza.

3Brunner has misread this as 'men byn'; the let-
ters are quite poorly written.

207

31/4

Jullyusl be retrysciane with al his eloquence?
Or Arystotil, in witt moste sensybyll?
Or bis emprour Octauyane and be Sybyll?2

Or swete Ionathas ful amyabyll?3

Wher bene bies clerkes so experte in clergy;

bies kynges and prynce myghty and stronge?

Al ar bai gone and close with twynkillyng of ane
ee.

Of bis warldly ioy be feste dures not longe,

bat ioy is endyd as a schadow vs emonge.

 

l'Julius the rhetorician' may be Caius Julius
Octavianus, or Augustus, representing the Golden Age of
the Roman rule.

2The ms. cryptically reads: 'Octauyane and pessy-
byll'; Brunner has proposed 'Octavay mest pessybyll.‘
But Octavian is here being identified through a legend
associated with him by Caxton in the Golden Legend.
Beverly Boyd alludes to the tale, 'Octavian and the Sybil'
as the first miracle tale in the Le enda (see pp. 132-
133, The Middlg English Miracles of the Vir in, Hunting-
ton Library, San Marino, CaIIfornIE)_I964$. The scribe
Of 37049 has misread his source, at first substituting a
'p' for the article's 'thorn', then combining the article
with the noun to produce what he has assumed is an appos-
itive and title for Octavian, 'Peaceable'. Mary McLeod
Banks edited the story in Ag_Alphabet gbeales, EETS,
Original Series, Nos. 126, 127, London, 1904-05, pp.
369-370.

 

 

3The friendship of Jonathan, son of King Saul,
with his father's enemy, David, is suggested here.

Following this line, there is a verse missing.
The rhyme in the stanza is an unusual ababbb-; the
regular pattern otherwise is ababbcc.

208

31/5

Here is no lastyng ese, ne no tranquyllite,

Bot labour, trauell, and myche aduersyte.

Remembyr bi selfe here is no sykyr abydynge,
And se how bis warld is so transitory;

bou must departe; here is no long dwellynge,
As Iob says in his funerall Obsequye,

'In whos seruyse bou may lerne to dye,

Whos tretys is a perfyte euydence

To schew what sal be after bine existence.‘1

0 erthly man, why reioyces bou be of gudes erthly,
Sen erthe sal to erth, what is bi cause? [f. 31v]
Remembyr bi selfe on ilk syde verely;

NO chartyr may help, byll strow,2 ne clawse;

bine abydyng here is bot a lytel pawse--

It vanysches away, and bat hastely,

A53 teches experience dayly.

 

1The quotation from Job is not literal; it seems
to be a-summary of thoughts found in chapters 7, l4, and
30, loosely spun together.

2A variant of 'bill scrow', a kind of itemized
receipt.

3Brunner reads 'And at' instead of 'As'; again,
the writing is very poor, but there is an unmistakable
flare stroke rising from the body of the 's', which is
all but obliterated, and the single character following
is a cancelled 'O'.

209

31/6

We bat wer sum tyme in bis warldes passayge
War myghty streng and replete in ryches,

In to powdyr we sal fall, be we neuer so sayge;
Of warldly ioy syche is be progresse;

O barayne saule, bat is so witles

pat in be lyfes space can not remembyr,

bi selfe safe, bat sal be dust ilk membyr.

Why is bi hert so sett in gladnes,

For to wormes mete bou art grathed and made,
For erth is gifen to erth, so in sothfastnes
be flesche is borne into dethe to be hade;

O wretchyd man, whi art bou so glad?

With syche daliance and fals elacioun,

Why wantes bou reson and discrecioun?

Man, remembyr of be dawnce of makabre,

How lordes spiritual and also temperall,
3owthe nor age, ber has none lyberte,

Bot must passe be dethes dedes mercyall;
Wher fore lat it be oft in bi memoriall,
For be tyme sal aproche hence for to wende,

And to a lyke semblande be brought to ende.

When deth sal smyte be with his mercyal darte,
By paynes strong broghe be hert rote,

Mynysteryng be poyntes of his sore arte,

210

31/7

No help ne socour ban nedes to mote,
Resembyl bis fygure, ber is none Obir bote,
And bi reward hafe owbir gode or yll,

When be tyme cummes Ite venite to fulfyll.

 

Who sum euer it be bat by bis cummes and gothe,
Stande and behold bis litterall scripture,

And it se and ouer rede be bou lefe or lothe,

Pi wepyng teres fest1 sched in gode vre,

bou art now as I was in warldly2 fygure;

I was as bou art sum tyme be dayes olde;

O pray 3e al for me, I pray 3ow a bowsand folde.

[f. 32‘]

 

1Brunner-reads 'fast', incorrectly.

2Brunner: 'in wardly'; the ms. is clearly 'in
warldly.‘

 

aTwelve mss. are listed for the English version
of the Danse Macabre in Tbe Dance gf Death, EETS, original
series 181, Oxford U. Press, 1931, in the Introduction,
pp. xxiv, xxv. 37049, which is incomplete, is not in-
cluded. Karl Brunner reproduces the text.from 37049 in
'Mittelenglische Todesgedichte,‘ Archiv fur das Studium
der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, 167—71935], pp. 26—
28.

 

 

211

32/1

ARTICLE 32, ff. 32V-35r

32V, introducing the body of the longer work
which follows, is done uniquely. Three-fourths of the
page at top contains an ornate illustration of a noble
lady lying in a magnificent coffin. The coffin is elab-
orately decorated with several different coats of arms
circling the sides. Directly beneath is a deteriorated
corpse, among whose bones numerous worms and bugs are
crawling. The impression is far more grisly than that
left by the previous selection.a

The 'Disputacion betwyx be body and wormes',
Opening on 33r, is.much more pleasant, with the right
margin given to a monk kneeling before the customary
figure of Christ on the cross. On the following page,
however, 'Makabre' reappears, and he is to be found in
various situations on each of the successive pages, at-
tacked alternately from above and below by the 'wormes',
of serpent size, and possessing eyes and mouths.

A curious 'Catalogue of Varmints' appears in the
'wormes' speech on 34r, immediately after a list of the
'nine worthies'--exemplary men--and four women Of beauty

who have fallen alike to death. The object of the poem

212

32/2

is summarized at its close, lines 39-41, 35r= '. . .a mony-
scyon both to styr and to mefe/ Man and woman to be
acceptabyll/ Vnto oure Lord, and for al lustes for to
lefe/ Of warldly binges....'

The 'Disputacion' consists of thirty-one stanzas
of rime royal. It has been edited by Brunner in Archiv.b

The TEXT:

Take hede vn to my fygure here abowne,

And se how sumtyme I was fresche and gay;

Now turned to wormes mete and corrupcion;

But fowle erth and stynkyng slyme and clay.

Attende berfore to bis disputacion written here,

And writte it wysely in bi hert fre

At ber at sum wisdom bou may lere,

To se what bou art and here aftyr sal be.

When bou leste wenes, venit mors te superare;

 

When bi grase grenes, bonum est mortis meditari.l

 

[f. 32"]

A Disputacion Betwyx be Body and Wormes2

In be ceson of huge mortalite

 

1The final double-rhyming couplet is inscribed
upon a banner beneath the eight-line stanza. It is a
logical bridge to the main poem.

2This title is separated above the poem, and is
rubricated. In its opening, the poem has a marked SImIl-

arity to Chaucer, both in verse form and concept.

213

32/3

Of sondre disseses with be pestilence,
Heuely reynand whilom in cuntre,

To go pylgramege mefed be my conscience,
And on my way1 went with spedily diligence,
In a holy day afore me I sawe a kyrk

Wher to go I dressed my bedes to wirk.

In a wilsom2 felde standyng desolate,

Vn to here a messe was my hole intent.

It was done and sayd be I come ber at.

Oppyn I fande be dOre, and entre sone I hent.
I knelyd me downe and to my prayers went
With lawe Obeysance mekyd3 [welnte downe

To ane ymage with gret deuocione.

Bysyde me I sawe a towmbe or sepulture,
Ful freschly forgyd depycte and depynte,
Compassed and made be newe coniecture,
Of sondre armes ber many a prynte;

be epytaf to loke was I not faynte,

In gylt copyr with goldly schewyng ban

With a fresche fygure syne of a woman

 

1'Way', originally Omitted, is careted into the
line, and is also written into the left margin.

2'Lonely and wild.‘

3'Made humble.‘

214

32/4

Wele a tyred in be moste newe gyse,

With long lokkes of bis disceyfyng.

In a slomer I slept, taken I was in syche wyse,
Rapt and rauesched fro my selfe beynge

Betwyx bis body and wormes hyr fretynge,
Strangly ilk one obir corespondynge

In maner of a dyaloge it wente;

berfore to bis insawmpyl 3e take intente.

be Body Spekes to be Wormes1
Wormes, wormes, bis body sayd,
Why do 3e bus? What causes 3ow me bus to ete?
By 30w my flesche is horribilly arayed
Whilk was afygure whylom, fresche and feete,
Right amyabyll and odorus and swete--
Beste belofed of any creature.

Lady and soferayne cald I 3ow ensure;

Of bewte I was a lady precious,

Of gentil blode descendyng of right lyne,

Of Eve and of trewe begynyng generows;

A1 hertes glad my plesannce to dyuyne,

Men of honour and Of gret worschip al dyd declyne.
[F. 33"]

And nowe here in erth mortal deth come me to;

Emang 30w wormes nakyd lyg I 100,

 

lRubricated.

215

32/5

Most vnkynde neghbours bat euer war wrought,
Dynner, mete, and sowper al to lyte,

3ow fretyng and etyng 3e hafe me borow soght
With ane insaciabyll and gredy appetyte-n—
No rest, bot alway 3e synk, sowke, and byte;
Day tyme ne houre with 3ow is no abstynence,

Bot ay redy agayne me with vyolence.

When 3e fyrst began to drawe me to,

It semes me 3e wer fed in a faynt pasture:

Now fatte waxen and vgly, rownde and gret also,
Of curtasy and gentilnes lefe of me 3ou eure,
And with sum Obir dwelle and endure,

Whilk may 30w rewarde with better war done,

For ner am I wasted, consumed, and gone.

Wormes Spekes to be Bodyl
Nay, nay, we will not 3it departe be fro
Whils bat one of bi bones with Obir wil hange
To we hafe scowred and pollysched to,
And made als clene as we can baim emange.
For oure labour we aske no maner of bing to fange:
Gold, syluer, ryches, ne no Obir mede,

Bot onely vs wormes on be to fede,

 

lRubricated.

216

32/6

Whilk may not sauour ne smell in no wyse

bine orrybill flesche rotyng and stynkynge;

Of a1 creatures hated to devyse

Safe onely of vs wretchid wormes beyng

If we as bestes had smellyng and tastynge,
Trows bow bat we wald towche bi caryone playne?

Nay, parde, we wald it voyde for certayne.

be Body spekes to be Wormesl
Parde, vn cortes 3e be vn to me
bus heuely to threte me and manace,
And bus me lefe bot bare bones to see.
Now where be 3e knyghtes cum forth in place,
And Be worschipful squers both hye and base,
bat sumtyme to me offerd 3oure seruyse,

Dayes Of 3oure lyfes of hertes frawnchsyse,

Sayng permyttyng 3oure lyfe to myne avyse,

To do me seruys, cum and defende now me

Fro bies gret horribil wormes, vgly to se,
Here gnawyng my flesche bus with gret cruelte,
Deuowryng and etyng nowe as 3e may se,

bat sum tyme 3e lufed so interly;

Now socour and defende here my body. [f. 33v]

 

1Rubricated.

217

32/7

pe Wormes Answers to be Bodyl
What suld bai do lat se vs vnto
Of baim drede we noght, ne of bair mone,
For at be vtteraunce we hafe had to do
With alle bat wer myghty passed forth and gone
Afore bis tyme, hafyng bair dominacyone:
Emproure, kynge, and conqwerours alle,

Lords temperall and spyritualle--

be neyne worthnyudas Machabeus sure,
Iulyus Cesar, Godfray de Bolayne,
Alexander, Dauyd, Ector, and Athure2

Kyng Charls, Duk Iosue, be captayne

With a1 be Troiane knyghtes most souerayne,
With fayr Elyn bewtyuows of vysage,

Pollysene, Lucres, Dydo of Cartage;

bies and Obir war also fayr as 3e,

3it durst bai not styr ne mofe in no wyse
When possession on baim taken had we;

For a1 venomos wormes to devyse,
Acowmpenyd ar to bat seruyse

With vs for to halde ar bai set fully,

30w vnto devowre and waste vttyrly:

 

1Rubricated.

2King Arthur.

218

32/8

pe cokkatrysy be basilysk and be dragon,
be ly3erd, be tortoys, be coluber,

be tode, be mowdewarp, and be scorpyon,

be vypera, be snake-and be eddyr,

be craWpande, be pyssemoure and be canker,
be spytterd, be mawkes, be evet Of kynde,

be watyr leyche and Obir ar not behynde.

be Body Spekes to be Wormesl
Remedy can I fynde none in no wyse,
Socowre ne no relese in no stownde;
Bot in bis case must I go after bair devyse--
borowly gnawen my flesche and sore bownde,
For bai ar hateful to lyfes kynde fownde.
What sal I do bot lat baim hafe bair wyll?

Aventure me must abyde bof bai do me Spyll?

be Wormes Answers to be Bodyl

be fyrst day bow was borne, oure mesyngers we sende;
Vnto baim we gaf in oure commawndement

As in charge bai suld vs not Offende,

Ne not departe fro be to deth on be went;

be to frete and to gnawe was oure intent,

And after come with be to oure regyowne,

bi flesche here to hafe for bair warysowne,

 

lRubricated..

219

32/9

Whilk has obeyde oure commaundment,

Of bis may bou on no wyse say nay,

Bot bat sum both bi wombe and stomak hent,

Owdyr lyce or neytes in bi hede alway. [f. 34r]
Wormes in be handes flees in be bedde, I be say,
With obir venomosnes dyners and sondry,

To warne 3ow of vs to make 3ow redy.

be Body Spekes to be Wormes
Now knawe I wele youre mensyngers; bai were
be whilk with me in lyfe kepyd resydence.
No langer wil I dispute bis matere,
Nor debate, bot suffer 3our violence.
DO 3our will with me at 3our beneuolence;
Bot 3it in be sawter, Dauid says bat alle

Sal be obedyent vn to man's calle.l

be Wormes Awnswers to be Body2
bat power dures whils man has lyfe.
In bis wretchid warld here ar bai be apon;
Now bi lyfe is gone, with vs may bou not stryfe.
bou art bot as erthe and as binge to noght gone,
Lyke as I be sayd was in bine aduencione,
Of Lentyn comynge be Ask Wedynsday

When be preste with asses crosses a1 way,

 

1Probably a reference to P5. 8:6-8.
2Rubricated.

220

32/10

And with asses blisses to hafe rememoraunce
What bou art and wher to bou sal turne agayne,
For asses bou was afore bis instaunce,

And asses sal bou be after for certayne.

Be bou Lord, Lady, or hye sufferayne,

To powder and dust in tyme to cum bou sall;

Of warldly goynforth, swylk is bi entyrvall.

be Body Spekes to be Wormesl
Allas, allas, now knaw I ful well
bat in my lyfe was I made lewyd and vnwyse
With a reynawnde pryde so mykil for to mell,
For myne abowndant bewte to so devyse;
To prowde hafe I bene, to wanton, and to nyse,
In warldly plesaunce gret delyte hafyng:

To be my comper none worthy binkynge;

And now soget to wormes I am beyng,

Beryng bair prive mensyngers dayly,

As loppes and lyce and Obir wormes right commerowsly,
Vnknawyng fro whyne bai come trewly.

To bis can I say no more vttyrly,

Bot a3ine me I must with gode sufferaunce

Oure Lordes will to abyde with al be circumstaunce.

 

lRubricated.

221

32/11

be Wormes Awnswers to be Body1
By bis sufferaunce of vs no thanke gyt 3ee,
For by 3oure wil lyfed hafe ever 3e walde;
Rememor 3e sal with will of 3oure hert fre,
In holy Scripture, and 3e wele behalde
bat be fayrnes of women talde
Is bot vayne binge and transitory;

Women dredyng God sal be praysed2 holy. [f. 34V]

be Body Spekes to be Wormesl
3a now is to late tyme paste to call agayne,
As now at bis stownde, bot put me onely
In be mercy of oure Lord God most sufferayne,
Whilk is for be best so to do sothely,
And bat bos on lyfe may hafe space to be redy
To rememor in be same wyse also,

Contynewly binkynge in be tyme to cum berto

What he sal be, and also what is he,

Be it he or sche, be bai neuer so fayr, be war
Of pryde with his felows bat noght be,

be whilk oft men brynges in to care,

As scripture mencion makes, be soth to declare,
berfore gode is to avoyde fleschly temptacion

By be feende, oure foo, both wroght and done;

 

1Rubricated.

2'Lofed' is deleted, and 'praysed' supplied.

222

32/12

bis bat I hafe complened and sayd,

In no displesyng take it 30w vnto;

Lat vs be frendes at bis sodayn brayde,l
Neghbours and luf as before we gan do;
Let vs kys and dwell to gedyr euermore
To bat God wil bat I sal agayn vpryse

At be day of dome before be hye iustyse

With be body glorified to be;

And of bat nowmbyr, bat I may be one

To cum to bat blis of heuen in fee,

borow be mene and be mediacione

Of oure blissed Lord, oure verry patrone,
bar in abilite to be for his hy plesaunce,

Amen, amen.2 Pour chartie at bis instaunce.3

Now Spekes He bat Sawe be Vysion4
With bis, I woke fro slepe sompnolent,

Or of a slomery meditacion;

 

1That is, cast together by a swift action of
Chance.
2The second 'amen' is careted into the text; [pa]

3'Pour chartie', with the remaining words of this
line, serves two purposes: it completes the poem's rhyme
scheme, and it serves as a kind of benediction to the
speech. The same technique may be seen in the closing
line of 'the Merchant's Survey,‘ f. 125 , Ms. Vernon
Bodleian Library, reproduced on p. 49, Beverly Boyd's
Miracles g: the Virgin, Huntington Library, San Marino,
Calif., 1964.

4

 

Rubricated.

223

32/13

To a holy man of hye excellent

Mefed I bis dreme and strange vysion,
Whilk bad me put it vndir scripcion
Als nere as I cowde remembyr me verely,

In als fayir langage as I cowde godely,

Vn to be reders binge delectabyll,

And a monyscyon both to styr and to mefe

Man and woman to be acceptabyll

Vn to oure Lord and al lustes for to lefe
Of warldly binges, whilk dos baim grefe,

And be more rather to call vn to mynde

Oure Saueour, and to hym vs bynde. Amen. [f. 35r]

 

aThe motif here parallels that found in mural
paintings of the period, as seen in Paintin ig_Britain:
The Middle Ages, by Margaret Josephine Rickert. Discussion
touches the point on pp. 148, 157, 163 (no. 45), and 164
(No. 89). The illustration in this book shows three
ladies, the first set in a pair entitled "Three Living
and Three Dead"; the second set is not shown.

b"Mittelenglische todesgedichte," Archiv fur das
studium der neueren sprachen und Literatuien, 167 (I935),

 

224

33/1

ARTICLE 33, f. 35V

Two prose bits fill this folio. The first, which
occupies all but the final eight lines of the page, has
as its purpose to guide men to 'couet God's luf and to
desyre be ioy of heuen...to dispise be vanytes of bis
warld...(by) binkyng of be disese and of be woundes and

Of be dad of Ihesu Criste.‘ The Cataloguea gives no source,

 

and lists no other manuscripts where it may be found.

The smaller article on 35v is set apart from the
preceding prose by a line drawn around and under the final
two words of the first piece. This technique is common
in 31242, The two words thus set apart are put at the
right margin, and the succeeding brief article is clearly
indicated as a separate work by a somewhat embellished
capital 'C', rubricated, at the beginning of the first
line. Topically, this article may be likened to Article
68, ff. 87v-89r, a more lengthy discussion of the relative

merits of the active and of the contemplative lives.

[A rubricated title precedes the text]:
Note bis wele, Of Dispisyng of be Warld.

Werely1 I knawe no binge bat so inwardly sa16t5ke

1'W' and 'v' are interchanged uniquely in this
article: 'werely', 'svete', 'svetnes'.

 

225

33/2

bi hert to couet God's luf, and to desyre be ioy of
heuen, and als to dispise be vanytes of bis warld, as
stedfast binkyng of be disese and of be woundes and of
be ded of Ihesu Criste. It wil rayse bi boght abowne
erthly binge and make bi hert to byrne in be luf of God,
and purches be swetnes1 and savour Of heuen in to bi
saule. Bot perauenture bou wil say, "I may not dispyse
be warld and ponesche my flesche, and me behofes luf my
fleschly frendes and take myne ese when it cumes." Now
I pray be bat bou wil avyse be fro be begynnyng Of bis
warld wher be warldes lufers ar becummen now, and whar
be lufers ar of God. Sykirly bai war men and women as
we ar, and ete and dranke and loghe as we do. And be
wretches bat lufed be warld to ese to bair body, and
lifed as baim lyst in lykyng of bair wikkyd wil, and bai
led bair dayes in lust and delycousnes, and at ber dying
in a poynte, bai felle in to helle, ber to dwelle with
outen ende. Now may bou se bat bai wer foles and fowle
glotons, be whilk in a fewe 3eres of bis warld, wasted
and distroyed endles ioy, be whilk was boght to baime if
bai wald hafe lufed2 God and done penaunce for bair synnes.
bou sees with bine eene bat be godes of bis warld and be

ese and be lykyng of any creature bat here lyfes, vanysches

 

1Written 'svetnes'.

2'Lyfed' is cancelled, and 'lufed' follows.

226

33/3

away and cumes to noght; for soth, so dos al bair lufers.
bair bodys ar gyfen to wormes in erthe, and bair saules
to devyls of helle with baim to dwelle in endles fyre.
Bot a1 bou bat studyed nyght and day to luf our Lord
Ihesu Criste in a1 bair myght, and sett bair lykyng in
hym, interly forsakyng vnskilfull ese of pair flesche and
rakyd not Of erthly binge, and stode strongly agayns al
temptacions, and endyd in be luf of God, bai ar now in
ioy and bai hafe bair herytage in heuen to be in bat
wonnyng stede in endles lyfe, for bi yll and gode lyfe
and dede is schewed to vs so bat we may put forth oure
hande and take whilk we wille.

Dis fowle bi flesche, and luf noght be warld,
and hate synne, and so sal bou cum to be blys bat neuer

more sal blynne.1

Contemplatife2 life has twoo partes, a lawer and
a hyer. be lawer parte is meditacion of holy Scripture,
and obir gode boghtes and swete,3 as of be passion of
oure Lord Ihesu Criste, and obir swete3 boghtes abowt his

luf and his lofyng in Psalmes and ympnes4 and Obir gode

 

l'Sal blynne' is bracketed in red at the right
margin, shortening the first line of the succeeding article.

2The capital 'C' is rubricated, and enlarged to
the size of two lines of writing, indicating, along with
n. 2 supra, that a separate article is beginning here.

3Written 'svete'.

4'Hymns.‘

227

33/4

prayers. Ye1 hygher parte of contemplacion is behaldyng
and desyring of be binges of heuen in ioy in be Holy
Goste, bof a1 bat be mowthe be not praying, bot onely
binkyng of God and Of be fayrhed of angels and holy

saules. [f. 35V]

 

1The 'P' is rubricated; this is rare, since it is
well within the line of writing and does not begin a new
article.

 

aThe description of Article 33 is one of the brief-
est in the Catalogue, simply noting the title and the
opening line, with a word which identifies it as 'a
prose note.‘ See p. 328. -

 

228

34/1

ARTICLE 34a, f. 36r

Two articles share f. 36r. The first, which

occupies the greater space, consists of twenty—three
couplets from the Pricke g: Conscience, (lines 1090-95;
1358-61; and portions from 1516-1603).a It is introduced
by a line which has been almost totally removed by the
trimmer; none of the writing can be deciphered, since
only the barest bits of the tails of some letters remain

on the paper. Below this trimmed portion is a Latin in-

scription, serving as the title.

The TEXT :
[The Latin inscription:]
Apostolus dicit, Civitatem hic manentem non
habemusl
Sed futuram sum inquirimus.
Behold howe in be wildernes of bis warld men gase,

Bot ber in place of abydynge none has;

3it many to be warld fraystes,2

 

lHeb. l3:l4--Non enim habemus hic manentem Civita-

tem, sed futuram inquirimus.

2'TO put to a test', or 'learn by trial.‘

229

34/2

Bot he is noght wyse bat ber to traystes,
For be warlde laghes on a man and smyles,
Bot at be last, it hym begyles.

berfore I hold bat man vnwytty

bat to be warld is over besy _

More ban trewe conscience wil and nede,
And hym self be God's lawe wil not lede.
Bot now, allas, for sorow I may say

Of be myschefes bat reynes bis daye,

For be warld, as we may se,

Is noght bot pompe, pride, and vanite,
Lustynes of lychery, and couetyce,

Vayne sleghts and fals malyce.

Now men may se oft chawnchyng

Of sere maner of clethyng,

For men wers clothes now schort, now wyde;
Now uses men narow, now syde.1

Sum has bair clothes schapyn on sere manere,
And sum gos tatyrd as bai foles were;

Som gos wrentchand to and fro,

And sum gos hyppyng as a rO

borow swylk vncumly pompe and pryde,

bat bai schewe wheder bai go or ryde.

 

lA synonym here for 'wide'.

230

34/3

SO mykyl pryde as nowe is, as I wene,
Was neuer afore bis tyme seene,

Of swilk vncumly disgyses as I see,
Bot I drede bat bai may tokens be

Of gret and hasty myschefes to vndirstande
bat to be warld ar nere cumande.

Now is vertew turned to vyce,

And witt and wisdam in to couetyce.
Now is foly halden wysdom,

With prowde men and vnbuxsom;

Now is luf torned to lychery,

And rightwisnes to tyrantry.

bus is be warld turned Vpsodowne,l
To many man's dampnacyone,

be whilk to be warld makes baim gaye,
And turnes baim fro God awaye.

Bot bis men bat ar witty and slee
Consyders,and bat bai sal dye,

And amends baim or bai hense wende,

bat2 bai go not to payne with outen ende. [f. 36r]

 

1Upside down.

2'bat' is poorly written and, though legible, is
doubled in the text.

 

aBrown and Robbins gives this as item NO. 492,
p. 80, listing only 37049 as the source for this fore-
shortened version.

231

34/4

ARTICLE 34b, f. 36‘

Crowded into the right margin of f. 36 is a series
of three pictures, one above another, depicting successive
dialogues between the Spearman Death and a king, a clerk,
and a knight. Death appears only in torso, with two
spears levelled at the figures. He is behind and above
the left shoulder of each. On the Opposite side appear
three scrolls, in each of which a quatrain is written--
one scroll per character.

The device is the common Vado Mori.a This article

 

is well known from other mss.: in Latin in Royal M88.

5 E. xxi, f. 126b; 1g. 311., f. 177, etc.; in English in

 

Cotton M3, Faustina 3, 11., pg. 11, f. lb; and in §Eggg_
MS. 31, f. 32. In Faustina, the knight, king and clerk
(or bishOp) are standing side by side, with the figure

Of Death to the right of the page. In 35933, the same
alignment is used as in Faustina, and Black Death leers

at the trio. The quatrains are printed overhead, and
there is an eight-line verse given with Death. In these
two mss., the illustrations are beautifully done; in 31443,
it is quite crude. The dialects differ in all three mss.,
although all are Northern. They are given in parallel
lines with our text.

232

34/5

Carleton Brown lists the article in Religious
Lyrics 9; the_Fifteenth Century, and it is one of Brunner's
items in Archiv fur das Studium der neueren Sprachen und

Literaturen, clxvii (1935), pp. 21, 22. The final line

 

must be supplied for 37049, from which it has been trimmed

by the binder.

The TEXT:

[The words beside the king]:

37049 I wende to dede a kyng, ywys,

Faust. I weende a kynge, I wisse,
Stowe I wende to ded a kyng, I wys,

37049 What helps honour or warlds blys?
Faust. W. helpis honor or werldis blysse?
Stowe W. helpis here h. or worldis blys?

37049 Ded is to man be kynde way;

 

 

 

 

Faust. Dede i. t. mane be wai.
Stowe (This, and the next line missing.)
37049 I wende to be cled in clay.

Faust. I w. t. b. clade i. c.

37049 I wende to dede clerk, ful of skill
Faust. I w. t. d. c. f. o. s.
Stowe I w. t. ded c. full O. s.

37049 bat cowthe with wordes men make and styll;
Faust.r b. couth w. worde m. mare and dill;
Stowe b. couth w. word mate men at will;

 

 

 

37049 SO sone has be dede me made ane ende,
Faust. Sone hath me made be d. ane e.,
Stowe Sone h. me m. be ded an e.,

 

37049 Bes war with me to dede I wende.
Faust. Beese ware w. m. t. d. I w.
Stowe Be war w. m. t. ded I w.

 

233

34/6

37049 I wende to dede knyght styf in stowre;
Faust. I w. t. d. knight stithe i. stoure;
Stowe I w. t. d. k. styffe in stoure;

 

37049 borow fyght in felde I wan be flowre;
Faust. Thurghe fyghte i. f. I wane b. flour;
Stowe Thurgh fight i. f. I w. b. floure;

 

 

37049 No fyghts me taght be dede t0
qwell;

Faust. Na fightes m. t. b. d. t. quell;
Stowe N. feghtis m. t. b. ded t. q.;

 

 

37049 /.I.........OOOOOOOOOOIOOOO/ tell-.1

Faust. I weend to dede, soth I 3ow tell.
Stowe I wende t. ded, soth I 3. t.

 

 

....

Torn from the bottom.

 

aSee The Catalogue, p. 328.

bP. 249, No. 15; the corresponding Faustina and
Stowe versions are on pp. 248.

234

35/1

ARTICLE 35, f. 36V

'Ihesu est amor meus' is a 45-line meditation on

the Passion. It has been edited by Comper in Spiritual

 

§ggg§.a Although it is verse, the lines are written
across the page like prose, with each verse's ending
shown by the universal punctuation mark (.), and the be-
ginning indicated by a capital letter. The author's
divisions are followed in the transcription.

The tOp half of 36v has the title, illustrated
with 'Ihesu' written in large letters at the tOp. In
the center, on the 'h', Jesus is nailed as if on the
cross. Directly below the name is a heart, with a banner
piercing its center. On the banner to the left is '§§£_
gmgg'; to the right is 'meus'. A monk kneels to the

left of the heart.

The TEXT :

be luf of God who so will lere,

In his hert be name of Ihesu he bere,

For it puts oute be fende and makes hym flee,

And fils a man with charyte.

235

35/2

berfore to purche[s]1 be ioy bat euer sal last,

Deuoutely in Ihesu youre herts 3e kast.

Ihesu, receyfe my hert
And to bi luf me bryng,
Alle my desyre bou art;

I couet be, my kyng.

To thynk is gret pyte,
How demed bou art to ded,
And nayled on a tre,

be bright angels' brede.

Dryfen bou art to doole
bat art oure gastly gode,
And fowled as a fole,

In heuen be halows fode.2

Allas, my ioy and my swetyng

Is demed for to hyng.

Nayled is his hend,
And nayled is his fete,
And birled is his syde

SO semely and so swete.

 

1Ms.: 'purche,' or 'purchase'.'

2'Angels fode' is cancelled.

236

35/3

Nakyd is his whyte breste,
And rede his blody syde;
Wan was his fayr hewe,

His woundes depe and wyde.

In fyfe stedes of his flesche
be blode gan downe glyde,
As streme dos of be strande;

bis payne is noght to hyde.

A wondyr it is to se
Who so vndyrstode
How God of maieste

Was dyng on be rode;

Bot sothe ban is it sayd
bat lufl ledes be ryng,
bay hym so lawe has layd,

Bot luf it was no thyng.

Now Ihesu with bi blode me boght,
bat fro bi hert gon ryn,

bow make me clere of al my syn,
And fest bi luf into my boght

So bat we neuer more twyn. Amen [f. 36V]

 

1'luf', omitted in the text, is careted into the
right margin.

 

aP. 133.
237

36/1

ARTICLE 36, f. 37‘

The Catalogue provides this description:

 

"'Ihesu est amor meus': another version,
with a drawing, of the same poem differently
arranged, with preface, beg.

 

'Whils I satte in a chapel in my prayere
A heuenly sounde to me drewe nere.‘

The poem (52 lines) beg.
'I knawe no binge bat so inwardly bi
luf to God wyl brynge
As of Cristes passion and deth deuoute
binkynge.‘a
With Article 35, this Meditation is discussed in

b They are called two

Comper's Life 91 Rolle, p. 315.
slightly different versions of the same poem, which is
really a composite of Rolle's verse, starting with a

paraphrase of Chapter XV of the Incendium Amoris. On

 

the other hand, Allen's Monographc says that although
these poems use some lines from Rolle and echo others,
they were probably composed in the present form by the
scribe of 31943, hence are unique.d

A drawing fills two-thirds of the upper left
column. At the top is Jesus on the cross. At the base
of the cross is a heart, through which a banner is drawn,

with the inscription, 'IHC est amor meus.’ Below the

 

heart is a long narrow sheet of music containing four

238

36/2

staves, three of which contain notes, and between which
is written 'Sanctus,/ Sanctus,/ Sanctus.'/ Three angels
cluster about the music as if singing. Below this, a
white-robed monk sits with an open book in his lap. His
breast shows the letters '132'. The text of 'I knaw no
binge...‘ immediately follows, filling the remainder of
this column.

The major work, 'Whils I satte...’ occupies the
right column excepting for a small rectangular area in
the bottom right where, within a box, 'Eggf appears in
large capitals, followed by an obscure symbol which is
largely torn away; above this symbol rests a crown. Be-

neath the writing is a Latin inscription, 'Est amor

 

[mggg], with the final word lost in the torn corner.
Comper points out that the monk depicted here is

not dissimilar to the well-known picture, supposed to

be Rolle, in the Faustina M3,Ԥ. yi. 3 of the 'Desert

of Religion.‘e Her transcription differs in several

places from our ms., with numerous spelling variations.

In the same source, nothing is said of the poem beneath

the seated figure of the hermit-monk.

[Text of the briefer piece, lower left corner]:
I know of no binge
bat so inwardly bi luf to God wyl brynge

As of Cristes passion and deth deuoute binkynge,

239

36/3

For fro bo be vsed ber in hawntyngly,

be wil binke it more swete ban a1 erthly melody,
For erthly solace and myrth is bot noysum binge;
Sa a man's hert bat in luf Of God is brynynge,
For he bat lufes God brynyngly euer amange1
Has myrth and melody in angell sange;
berfore be luf of God who so wil lere,

In hert bis name Ihesu he bere;

For it putts oute be fende and makes hym flee,
And fils a man with chariyte;

berfore to purches be ioy bat euer sal laste,

Deuoutely in Ihesu 3oure hertes 3e caste.

[The major work, in the right-hand column]:
Whils I satte in a chapel in my prayere,

A heuenly sounde to me drewe nere,

For be sange of sanges I felt in me,

And my boght turned in to luf dyte

Of be heuenly and sweetest armony,

be whilk I toke in mynde delitabylly.

berfore I sytt and syng
Of luf langyng
bat in my breste is bred:

Ihesu, Ihesu.

 

lWritten: 'euere mange'.

240

36/4

Ihesu, my kynge and my ioynge,
When wer I to be ledde?

Ihesu, receyfe my hert,

And to bi luf me brynge;

Al my desyre bou ert;

I couet bi cumynge.

In luf bou wounde my boght,
And lyft my hert to be;

be saule bou hast dere boght,
bi lufer make to bee.

Bot be I couet noght;

bis warld for be I flee.

When wil bou cum to comforth me
And brynge me oute of care,
And gyf me bat I may se,

Hafyng be euer mare?

Ihesu, my saule bou mende;
bi luf in to me sende,
bat I may with be lende

In ioy withouten ende.

A wonder it is to se
Who so vnderstode
How God of mageste

Was dyinge on be rode;

241

36/5

Bot sothe ban it is sayd
bat luf ledes be rynge
bat 1ym so lawe has layd;

Bot luf, it was no binge.

In fyfe stedes of his flesche
His blode gan downe glyde
As stremes dos Of be strande;

bis payne is noght to hyde.

To binke is gret pyte
How demed he is to dede,
And nayled on a tre,

be bright angels brede. [f. 37r]

 

ap. 328.

bComper writes (Appendix II), that the ms. is
'carelessly written, on paper, and is full of abridge-
ments and imitations of Rolle's writings.‘

cHope Emily Allen, Writings Ascribed to Richard
Rolle, MLA Monograph Series NO. 3, Oxford,l927, pp.

dThe uniqueness, then, becomes one of poetic ex-
pression and structure rather than Of intrinsic thought.
Witnessing against the uniqueness, or at least against
the absolute originality of the poem, would be the
errors of lines 9, 10, 17, and 20. These appear to be
more the errors Of a copyist than of a composer.

 

egp. cit., p. 315.

242

37/1

V

ARTICLE 37, ff. 37 , 38‘

Forty-five couplets constitute this poem, 'Of be
State of Religion.‘ No other source is given for the
work,a which advocates a rigorous, self-disciplined life
of denial on this earth in order to gain heaven's bliss.
On the interior margin Of 37v is a drawing labelled 'be
Mounte of Perfeccioun,‘ depicting a ladder whose rungs
are inscribed, from bottom to top, with the words 'Meknes',
'Pouerte', 'Obediens', 'Chastite', and 'Charite'. At the
left of the ladder stand three monks clad in brown; to
the right are two monks in white robes. The ladder
reaches to a scene of heaven, in which Christ holds a
sheet-like enclosure, within which are seven saved souls.
At the immediate tOp of the ladder, and just beneath the
nest of the souls 'be Mounte of Perfeccioun' is inscribed.

Rays of glory encircle the tOp scene.

The TEXT:
Of be State of Religion
The state of religioune: suld be borow right

intencione.l

 

1The previous line serves as a title. This line,
which must have been the opening couplet, is written con-
tinuously across the page, and is punctuated by the rare
colon.

243

37/2

Far fro be warld, as be boke telles,
Als in deserte ber no man dwelles,
bat he bat bis state kepis wele

be maners Of be warld noght fele,
For whi he bat is in bat state,

He is as bies clerkes-wele wate,

Ded as anencel be warld, namely,
And lifes in God al myghty,

As says Saynt Paule in a stede,

"For als a man bat is dede

Bodyly borow deds dynt2

Has a1 bodely wittes tynt,"3
bat is to say, sight and smellyng,
Heryng, speche and felynge.

Right so sult be religious man

As to be warld be ded ban

bat he fele no binge with in

bat suld falle to any syn,

Bot be4as ded in bat party,

So bat he may sothfastly

Say bes wordes bat ar mykil to prayse,

 

lAgainst.
2'Cut off', 'overcome'.

3'Cared for', 'attended to'. The reference is a
summary of the thoughts generally expressed in Romans
6:12 and 8:13; Cf. I Corinthians 12.

4Written 'he'.
244

3773

be whilk Saynt Paul bus says,1
'be warld is hyngyd to me,

And Ito be warld,’ bus says he;2
bat is, he3 held be warld dispysabil,
And hym to it abhomynabyll

Als men dos a hynged man

bat is a thefe or a lurdan.4

Right so he held be warld for vyle

bat is ful Of falsed and of gyle,

Als men dos hym bat hyngyd es

For his trespes and wikkydnes;

Right so he suld borow right intencion,
bat is in state of religioune,

be warld for ay hate and flee,

bat is couetyce and obir fole,

And his conuersacion suld be

In heuen before be Trinite,

As Saynt Paule bus says,

"[O]ure5 conuersacion is in heuen" in God's palays6

 

reason.

1An Open space follows this line for no apparent
It is almost wide enough to insert another line,

although nothing can be missing from the text at this point.

Galatians 6:14.

Omitted in the text; careted into the left margin.

th

A dullard, or a slothful person.

5Here, and in the two following lines, a rip has

removed some letters and words. The line is written poorly,
is deleted, and written a second time.

6Philippians 3:20.

245

37/4

[........] if be body in erthe be right
[............] is hyghe in heuene bright. [f. 37V]
be gode religious suld no binge hafe

Propyr in erth for hym selfe to safe,

Bot he suld do a1 his tresour1

In heuen bat is sykirest berfore.

Als says Saynt Ion be euangelist,

'If bou wil be perfyte in Criste,‘

He says, 'go selle al bat bou has

And gif it to pore bat abowte be gase.‘2
be tresour of a man religios3

Is clene pouerte bat is precios,

If it cum Of a gode will,

And without grotchyng, lowde or stylle;
Wherfore God says bus, 'Blissed ar bai
bat pore ar in spyrit nyght and day,
For bairs is as falles borow right

be kyngdom of heuen bright';4

For sothe, who so is pore in gaste,

bat is wyll borow grace to taste,

 

l'In heuen' erroneously followed on this line,

and was deleted. The thought is from Matthew 6:19, 20.
2Jesus' counsel to the rich young ruler, Matthew
19:16-22.

3Originally written 'of a religios man'.

4Matthew 5:3.

246

‘37/5

He sekes noght in bis warld here,
Nowbdr gret worschips ne powere,

Ne ritches ne delyces to profe,

Bot forgites al bat for God's luf,
Right so suld do be man Of religion
bat clym wil on be hylle of perfeccioun;
For he bat is gone borow deuocioun
Oute of be warld's'conuersacion,

He sal noght nere be warld hym hald,
borow desyryng bat warldly is cald;
Bot he suld drawe hym far away

Fro be warld in a1 bat he may

To he be with right intencion

Opon be hylle of perfeccioun.

ber suld he tent to his hele souerayne,
And noght behynde hym loke agayne,
And lefe haly byhynde hym ay

Al warldly godes bat wittes away,
And endles godes bat ar hyghe,

He suld hafe ay before hys eghe,

And lefe baim not behynde hym,

Bot ay fro vertew to vertew clym

To he cum to bat mowntayne;

bar endles ioy is souerayne

ber sal he se ay clerly

Oure Lord Ihesu Crist, God Almyghty,

247

37/6

And he sal luf perfitely bare,

And hafe hym pan foreuer mare. Amen.l [f. 38r]

 

lb 'tree of religion' is drawn in the right mar-
gin of 38 . It anticipates a pattern which will become
common in article 43, the 'Desert of Religion,‘ where
such trees are found on alternate pages, Opposite the
text of this poem. Here the tree is labelled at the_
bottom: 'be Froyte of Relygyon.’ Seven clusters of
leaves are attached to the trunk of the tree, one at the
top and three on either side. They read, from top down-
ward and left to right: "Luf to God and to his brebir";
"To desire and praye for heuenly binges"; "To hafe deuo-
cion of hert"; "To hafe gode condiciouns and maners";
"To oyse ['use'] besely prayer"; "To kepe wele be obseru—
ance of religion"; and, "To forsake erthly binges."

 

aThe Catalogue, p. 328. This is entry number
3478 in Brown and Robbins, p. 556. Neither book gives
any additional data.

 

248

38/1

ARTICLE 38, f. 38V

Of the folio, The Catalogue simply says, "Draw-

 

ing of a death-bed. The verses are inserted later."a

The familiar skeletal figure of Death stands at the
right with a long spear thrust into the right side of a
man who is lying on his bed. Above the man is a monk,
and in the upper right corner a mandorla surrounds Jesus.
Scrolls are drawn for all the figures excepting that of
the man. The writing on the scrolls is dissimilar to any
other hands in the manuscript, and is clearly done much
later than the drawing itself. Each of the three scrolls
contains a couplet. Death says, "I haue sought the many
a day,/ For to have the to my pray." The words of the
monk are "Comitt thy body to the graue;/ Pray Crist thy
soule to saue." Jesus is saying, "Tho it be late ere
thou mercie craue,/ Yet mercie thou shall haue."

The writing from 38r bleeds through badly here,
with much of the poem being legible in reverse on the
'upper half of the page. The purpose of the folio seems

‘to be introductory, serving 39r in this capacity.

 

apage 328.

249

39/1

ARTICLE 39, ff. 39‘-43‘

Chapter v. Of the English abridged version of
the dialogue Horologium Sapientiae is taken from Lib, ii,
cap. ii of the original Latin work, composed by the
Dominican St. Amandus (Heinrich von Berg 41. von Seuss).a
Horstmann edited the same extract, in another version,
in Anglia, x., p. 357. Elsewhere, the chapter occurs in
£351. gg, 1199, f. 20‘, — 24v in a different dialect;

and the French version is extant in Harleian M3. 4386.b

The TEXT :
It is written in be boke bat is cald Horologium

Diuine Sapientie how a man sal lerne for to dye and desyre

 

for to dye for be luf of Ihesu, lyke as 3e may fynde here
fylowyng.l

Sen it is so bat deth gyfes noght to man, bot
rather takes fro hym of bat he has, wher Of profets bis
doctryne of deth, it semes wonderfull. And berfore teche

me, heuenly mayster9wysdam.

Mayster:2 Thow sal vndirstonde bat it is a scyence

 

1

heading.
2Rubricated.

The sentence is rubricated, and stands as a

250

39/2

most profetabil and passyng al Obir scyences for to cun
dye. For a man to knawe bat he sal dye, bat is comon to
al men, in als mykil as ber is no man bat may euer lyfe

or hafe hope or tryst ber of. Bot bou sal fynde bot fewe
bat has bis connynge to cun dye,for bat is a souerayne
gyft of God. Sothly, a man for to kun dye is for to hafe
his herte and his saule in al tymes prard to bo binges
bat ar abofene. bat is to say, bat what tyme deth cummes,
it fyndes hym redy, so bat he receyfes it gladly withouten
any withdrawynge. Right as he bat abydes be desyred
cumyng of his dere lufed felowe, bot allas, for sorow bou
sal fynde in sum religious als wele as in vayne seculeres,
ful many bat hates so mykil be deth bat vnethes wil bai
hafe it in mynde or here speke berof, bai wold not go fro
bis warld; and cause is, for bai lerned not to kun dye.
bai spende mykil of bair tyme in vayne spekynges and
harlotryes and Obir swwylke1 vayne binges, and berfore
what tyme deth cummes so sodanly, for als mykil as he
fyndes hym vnredy, he drawes oute of be body be wretchid
saule and ledys it to helle, as he wald of sythes hafe
done to be, had not be hand of be gret mercy of God with-
standen hym. Wherefore, leve bou vayne binges to baim

bat ar vayne, and gyf gode intent to my techynge, be

 

1Doubling the 'w' occurs only here in the mss,
and is probably an uncancelled error.

251

39/3

whilk sal profet be more ban choys gold and ban be bokes
of alle philosofres bat hafe bene. And bat bis techyng
Of me more feruently mefe be, and bat it be al way dwell-
yng fest in bi hert, vndyr a felabil insawmpyll I sal
schewe be be priuete of his doctryne, be whilk sal pro-
fet be gretly to be begynnyng of gostly hele, and to
stabil grownde of alle vertewes. Se now ban lyknes of a
man dyinge, and ber with spekyng with be.1
And ban be dyscipil, heryng bis, began to gedyr
a1 his wittes fro outward binges, and in hym selfe besily
consyderd and behelde bat liknes set before hym, be lyknes
of a fayre 3onge man, be whilk was sodanly ouercome with
dethe in hasty tyme for to dye, and had noght disposed

for be hele Of his saule, before be whilk with a carfull

voyce cryed and sayde, Circumdederunt mg_gemitus mortis

 

dolores inferni Circumdederunt mg.2 bat is, be wementynges3
of ded has vmbylapped me, and be sorowes of Helle has
gone abowte me. Allas, my God euerlastynge, wher to was
I borne in to bis warld? And why, after bat I was borne,
had not pereschyd onone, for loo, be begynyng of my lyfe
was with wepyng and sorow, and now be ende and be passyng
is with gret care and mournyng. O dethe, how bytter is

bi mynde to a lykyng hert and noresched vp in delycousnesl

1The text seems to indicate an illustration at
this point. Apparently the drawing on 38v serves this
purpose. Small marginal pictures dot the other pages of
this article excepting for this page and 40‘.

2Ps. 17:5, 6.
3"Laments."

 

252

39/4

0 how lytel trowed I bat I suld so sone dye! Bot now

bou, wretched deth, sodanly as lyggyng in wayte as a thefe,

has fallen Opon me. Now for sorow wryngynge my [f. 39r]

handes, I 3e1de owtward goyng, desyryng to fle dethe,

bot ber is no place to flee fro hytt. I loke on euere

syde, and I fynde no cownseller nor comforther. It is

vttyrly fest and sett, and berfore it may not be chawnged.

in hyr, bat horribil voyce Of dethe saying in bis maner,

"bow art be son of dethe, for ritches nor reson nor kyns-

men nor frendes may delyuer be fro my handes. be ende

is cummen. It is demed, and berfore it must be done."

0 my God, sal I nowe nedes dye? May not bis sentence be

chawnged? Sal I nowe so sone go fro bis warld? O, be

gret cruelte Of dethe, spare, I praye, to be 3owthe;

spare to be age bat is not 3it fully ripe. Do not so

cruelly with me, not so vnpurveyd fro bis lyght of lyfe.
Discipul,l heryng bies wordes, turned to hym and

sayd, Frende, bi wordes semes to me not saueryng dysciplyne.

Wotes bou not bat be dome Of dethe is euen to alle? For

it outtakes no person be fore obir, and it spares no

man. It has no mercy, nowbir of 3onge nor Olde. It

slees als wele be ryche as be pore. And soth it is bat

ryght many before be profitabil fullyng of pair 3eres ar

 

1'Discipul' is rubricated.

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39/5

drawen away fro bis lyfe. Trowe bou bat ded suld hafe
spared be allone? Nay, for be prOphetes be dede.

The lyknes or be ymage of deth awnswerd and sayd,l
Sothly he sayd bou art ane heuy comforthour, for my
wordes sownden foly; bot bai ar rather lyke fooles, be
whilk has lyfed ylle2 vnto bair dethe, and bat has wroght
boo binges bat ar wothy dede. And 3it bai drede not dede
when it neghes baim. bai ar blynde, and lyke to vnresna-
bil bestes bat sees not before bair last ende, and bat is
to cum after dethe. And berfore I wepe not sorowyng be
dome of dethe, bot I wepe for be harmes of vndisposed
dethe. I wepe not for bat I sal passe hence, bot I am

3

sory for be harmes of be dayes bat ar past spendyd vnprOe

fetabilly and withouten any froyte. Erravimus g_via veri-
5

 

tatis etc. 13 libra sapientie.4 Allas, how hafe I lyfed.

 

I hafe erred fro be way Of sothfastnes, and be light of
rightwisnes has not schyned into me. And be vndirstandyng
was not receyfed into my saule. Allas, what profettyd

to me pryde or be boste of ryches? What has bat helpyd

 

1None Of this line is rubricated, unlike most
introductory words in the article.

2'Ydell' is cancelled, and is replaced by 'ylle'.

3'Past' is written above 'spendyd'; it is not
careted, but should precede this word.

4Wisdom 5:6.
5The scribe starts poorly, cancelling out 'I hafe

er' before the correct word 'Allas'; immediately follow-
ing, he has cancelled 'I hafe what.‘

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39/6

me? Alle bies ar passed as a schadowe, and as be mynde
of a gest of 0 day passyng forthe. And berfore now is
my worde and my speche in bittirnes to my saule, and al
my wordes ful of sorow, and myn eyne dasewed. O, who
sal now gyf to me, bat I myght be after myne old dayes
when I was clothed strengthe and with bewte, and had
many 3eres before me to cum, bat I myght knawe be ylle
bat has sodanly fallen Opon me in bis houre? I toke no
fors to be gret worthynes [f. 39v] of tyme, bot frely
gyfyng me to lustes, I led my lyfe and spendyd my dayes
al in vanyte, and berfor now right as a fysche taken
with a hoke, and as byrdes ar taken with be snare, so
am I taken in ane ylle tyme, bat has cummen Opon me
sodanly. be tyme is passed and slyden away, and may not
be cald agayne of any man. ber was no houre so schort
bot bat I myght berin hafe gettyn gostly wynngnges bat
passes in valow a1 erthly godes withouten comparison.

Allas, I wretche, why hafe I dispendyd so many
gracios dayes in moste vayne and longe spekynges, and so
litell fors hafe I taken of my selfe? O bou vnspekabil
sorow of my hert, why hafe I so gyfen me to vanyte, and
why in al my lyfe lerned I not to dye?

Wherfore, 3e al bat ar here and sees my wretchid-
nes, 3e bat ar mery in be floure of 3owthe and has 3it
tyme abil, behold me, and take hede of my myschefes and

_sorowes, and eschewe 3our hayme in my perell. Spende 3e

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39/7

in godenes be floure of 3our 3outhe, and occupy 3e be
tyme in holy werkes, lest if bat 3e do like to me, 3e
suffer be paynes of me.

O, euerlastyng God, to be I knawledge compleynyng
be wretchidnes bat I suffer be wanton 3outhe in me, hated
wordes of blamynge for my trespas. I wold not obey to
baim bat taght me, and I turned away be ere fro baim bat
wald godely cownsel me. I hated disciplyne, and my hert
wald not assent to reprehencions. And berfore now I am
fallen into a depe pytte, and is taken with be gyn of
deth. It had bene better to me if I had neuer bene
borne,l or els bat I had perreschid2 in my moder womel

ban bat I had so vnprofetabily3

spendyd my tyme, bat was

graunted to me for to do penaunce,and mysvsed it in pride.
Discipu[1]:4 Loo, we alle dy, and as watyr falles

downe into be erthe turnes noght agayne,5 and God wil

not man's saule perresche, bot he with drawes his stren3te

bat he be not fully loste, bat is of hym selfe abiecte.

 

1The exact quotation is found in Matthew 26:24,
for the first portion of this thought; the general mes-
sage is from Job 3:3, 10 and 11.

2'Preshid'.

3Two words appear with 'vnhappely' on the line
and 'vnprofetabily' written directly above; again, neither
is cancelled, and there is no caret. 'Vnprofetabily'
fits the context better.

4The word is rubricated, and the final letter (1)
is trimmed from the right margin of the paper.

5Isaiah 55:10.
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39/8

Where fore, here now my cownsell, and forthynke be and
do penaunce for be mysdedes bat ar past and turne be to
bi Lord God, for he is ful benyigne and mercyfull. And
if it so be bat be ende be gode, it suffices to be hele
of saule.

be ymage of dethe sayd, What word is bis bat bou
spekes? Sal I turne me and do penaunce? Sees bou not
be angwys of deth bat ouerlays me? Loo, I am so gretly
afferd with be drede and horror of deth, and so bunden
with be bandes of dethe, bat I may not se or knawe what
I sal doo. Bot right as be partriche,l contreyned vnder
be clawes of be hawke is as halfe dede for drede and
angwys of deth, right so al witt is gone fro me, binkyng
noght els bot how I myght in any maner askape bis perell
of dethe, be whilk neuerbeles I may not askape. O bat
blissed penaunce and turnyng fro syn be tyme, for bat is
sikyr. For sothe, he bat has late turned hym and gyfes
hym to penance, he sal be in dowte and vncertayne, for
he [f. 40r] wote not wheder his penaunce be trewe or
feyned. WOO to me bat so longe sufferd to amende my
lyfe, for I hafe so longe taryed to get me hele. Loo,
al my dayes ar past and loste, and wretchidly perysched,
and ar gone so negligently bat I wote not wheder I hafe

dispendyd 0 day of baim al in be wil of God and excercyes

 

1

mistake.

'Is' follows 'partriche', but is apparently a

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39/9

of virtews, so worthily and perfytely as perawnter I
myght or sulde hafe done, or els if I euer dyd to my
maker so plesyng seruys and acceptabil as myne astate
askys. Allas, for sorow bis it is for wherefore a1 my
inward affeccions ar so wounded. A, God euerlastyng,
how schamfastly sal I stande at be dome before be and
a1 bi sayntes, when I sal be compeld to gyf awnswere and
reson Of al bat I hafe done, and left vndone.

And what sal I say her to? Bot at be next is
my tribulacion bat I sal passe forth fro bis.warld; take
hede of me now besyly, I pray 3owe. LOO, in bis houre
I wold hafe more ioy Of a lytel schort prayer, as ane
Aue maria,l sayd deuoutly of me, ban a bowsand pownde of
syluer or golde. O my God, how many godes hafe I negli-
gently 1oste. Sothly, I know nowe bat as to be gretnes
Of heuenly medes, it suld more hafe avayled me a besy
kepyng of my hert and a1 my wyttes with clennes of hert
ban bat left, or be inordynate affeccion in fecce2
thyrty 3ere, in be whilk any obir man had bysed hym by
prostracions for to get me reward of God here or in

blis.

 

lRubricated.

2'During a period of thirty years.‘ 'Feece' <
'fee', OE fac, 'a specific interval or period.’

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39/10

0 3e al bat sees my wretchidnes, hafes compassione
of me and mercy Opon me, and al be whyle 3our strenthes
ar sufficiant and be tyme helpes gedyr into heuenly tre-
sour, be may receyfieand take 3ow into euerlastyng taber-
nakils. What tyme bat 3e falkaand bat 3e be not left
voyde, in syche ane houre bat is to cum to 30w as 3e se
me now, voyde.and Of al godes dispoyled.

Discipul,l My loued frende, I se bat bi sorow is
ful gret, and berfore I hafe compassion of be with al my
hert, adiuryng be be God almyghty bat bou gif me cownsel
wherby I may be taght, bat I fal not in syche perell of
my disposed dethe. Here to sayd be ymage Of dethe, be
best cownsel and souerayne prudence and most prouidente
standes in bis poynte, bat bou dispose be whils bou art
hole and stronge, be trewe contricion and clene and hole
confession, and be dewe satisfaccioun, and al wykkyd
and noyos binges bat suld withdraws or lette be fro
euerlastyng hele; bat bou caste away fro be and bat bou
kepe be so in a1 tymes as bof bou suld passe oute of bis
warld bis day, or to morne, or, at be vttyrrest, within
bis seuen nyghtes. Put in bi hert as bof bi saule war

now in purgatory, [f. 40"]2 and had in penance for bi

 

lRubricated.

2On 40V, and on each page following to the con-
clusion of this selection, rectangular marginal drawings
occupy a portion of either side Of the page. In all in-
stances, the figure on the left is that of a monk, whose

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trespas lyggen berin ten 3ere in be fowrnes of brynynge
fyre, and onely bis 3ere is graunted be for bi helpe.

And so behold oft tymes bi saule amonge be brynyng coles
crying, "O bou beste beloued of a1 frendes, help bi
wretchyd saule. Hafe mynde of me now bat is in so herd
prison. Hafe mercy on me al desolate, and suffer me no
longer to be turmenttyd in bis dirk prison, for I am for-
saken Of bis warld. ber is none bat schewes kyndnes or
bat wil put to hande to help me in my nede. Ilkone sekes
ber awne person, and has forsaken me and left me in be
vengeabil byrnyng flawmes alle desolate."

Discipyll awnswerd, Sothely bis doctryne of be
wer most profetabil. Who so had it be experyence as bou
has it? Bot bof it so be bat bi wordes ar sene ful
styrrynge and byttyng, nerbeles bai brofet lytel as to
many folke, for bai turne away bair face, bat bai wil
not se in to bair ende. bai hafe eyen, bot bai se noght,
and be eres heres not.2 bai wene to lif longe, and for
bai dred not vndisposed deth, ba grutche to se before be
harmes berof what tyme bat be messynger cummes of deth,

bat is to say, hard and gret seknes. ban cummes frendes

 

pose is almost inert; on the right, the Disciple alter-
nates between his death-couch, and standing in various
torments by fire and by the figure of Death, with his
familiar spear.

1Rubricated.

Mark 8:18; from a theme common to the book of
Isaiah.

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39/12

and felows to be seke man for to visit hym, and comforth
hym. And ban a1 prOphecyes and behestes be goode, and
bat he nedys not to drede be dethe, and ber is no perell
ber Offe, bot at it is bot a rynynge of be humers vnkynd-
ly, or stOppynge of be synowes or veynes bat sal sone
passe ouer. bus be frendes of be body ar enmys to be
saule, for what tyme be seknes contynewly encresses, and
he bat is seke euer hopes of amendment, at be laste
sodanly he falles and withouten froytecflfhele, 3e1des Vp
be wrettchyd saule.

Right so, bo bat here bi wordes, be whilke lenys
al to geder to man's wysdom, bai kast behynde ber bake
bi wordes and wil not Obey to bi helful cownsell.

be ymage Of dethe sayd ban, berfore what tyme
bai ar taken with be snare of dethe, when ber fals opon
baim sodanly tribulacion and angwys, bai sal crye and
not be harde, for als mykil as bai had wysdam in hatredyn
and dispysed to here my cownsell. And right as now ful
fewe ar founden bat ar compuncte borow my wordes for to
amende baim and turne bair life into better, so for sothe
for be malyce of bis tyme and defawte of gostly feruour
and be wykkydnes of be warld [f. 4lr] now is in elde,
ber ar ful fewe so perfitely disposed to deth, be whilk
gret withdrawyng fro be warld, and deuocion of hert,
couets to dye for be desyre of euerlastynge lyfe, and

with al hir inward affeccions desyres to be with Criste.

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39/13

Bot rather agaynward for be most party, bai so sodanly
with be bytter dethe ouercummen, be founden at bat a1
indisposed tyme, in maner as I am nowe ouercummen. And
if bou wil knawe be cause of so gret and so comon a
perell, loo, be inordinate desyre of worschip and ouer-
mykil takyng hede Of be body and erthly luf, and to mykyll
besynes abowte warldly lyfynge blyndes many herts Of be
commonte, and brynges baim at be laste in bies myschefes.
Bot sothely, if bou with fewe desyres to be safed
fro bis perell of vndisposed dethe, here my cownse11,.
and oft tymes set before bine eene bis bat bou nowe sees,
my sorowfull person, and besyly brynge in to bi mynde,
and bou sal fynde sone bat my doctrynce and techynge is
to be most profetabil, for bou sal so profett berby bat
not onely bou sal not drede to dye, bot also bat dethe
bat is to alle lyfyng men dredfull, bou sal abyde and
receyfe with be desyre of bi hert, in bat, batl it is be
ende of bi travell and be begynynge of happynes euer-
lastynge. Thys binge onely I do, bat bou euere day bryng
me inwardly to bi mynde, and besily take intent to my
wordes, and writt baim sadly in bi hert, of be sorows
and angwisches bat bou sees in me, take hede and binke
opon bO thynges bat ar to cum in hasty tyme Opon be.

Hafe mynde of my dome, for syche sal be bi dome. 0 how

 

1SO written, and so punctuated in the text.

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39/14

blist art bou euer bou had bis houre of dethe before
bine eene. And so blist is he, be whilk what tyme bat
is Lord cummes and knokes on be 3ate, he fyndes hym redy
to lat him in, for be what maner of deth he be ouerlayd,
he sal be purged and brought to be sight of almyghty
God, and be passyng oute of his spyrit sal be blyssed
entre of euerlastyng blis.

Bot woo is me, wretche, wher trows bou sal abyde
bis nyght my spirit, who sal take my wretchyd saule, and
wher sal it be herbard at nyght in bat vnknawen cuntre?

0 how desolate sal be ban my saule, and abiect passyng

a1 Obir saules! berfore hafyng compassion of my selfe
amonge bies bitter wordes, I schewe andl wepes oute teres
as be ryver, bot helps it to wepe or multyply many bytter
words. It is concludet and may not be chawnged.

O my GOd, now I make ane ende of my wordes and
may no longer make sorowe, for lo, now is [f. 41"]2 be
houre cummen bat wil take me fro be erthe. WOO is me
nowe. I se and knawe bat I may no longer3 lyfe and at dede

is at be nexte, fo[r]4 lo be handes vndedly begyn for to

 

1The 'and' is cancelled improPerly.

2The Disciple, on the right, standes in the pic-
ture amid the flames of torment, representing Purgatory.

3'1 se and knawe at I may no longer' is written
twice consecutively, and both writings are uncancelled.

4There is no 'r' in the text.

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rankill, be face to be pale, be sight to wax derke, and
be eene to go in. be light of be worlde I sal no more
se, and be astate of a nobir warld before be eene of my
saule in my mynde I begyne to behalde.

O my God, how dredful a sight! Loo be cruel
bestes, be horribill faces of devells and blake for-
schapyn binges withouten nowmber has gone abowte me,
aspyng and abydyng my wretchyd saule bat sal in haste
passe oute, if perauentour it suld be taken to baim for
to be tormentyd as for bair lote.

O bou most rightwis domesman, how strayt and
herd, demynge me wretche in bo binges be whilk few folk
charges or dredes, for as bai seme bot small and lytell.
0 be dredful sight of be rightwis iustyse bat is nowe
present to me by drede and sodanly to cum in dede. LO,
be swete of be deth perchyng be membyrs is cummen, bat
witnesses be kynde pereschyd and ouercome be spirite.

Now farewele,felows and frendes moste dere, for
now in my passyng hence I caste be eye of my mynde into
purgatory, whyder I sal now be ledde. And oute berof
sal I not passe to I hafe 3e1dyd be leste farthynge of
my dett for syn.l ber I behalde with be eye of my hert

wretchidnes and sorow, and manyfald payne and tormentynge.

 

1Matthew'5:26. The reference is to the common
practice Of imprisonment for failure to pay a debt.

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Allas, me wretche, ber I se amonge obir paynes bat longes

to bat place, rysyng Vp flawmes Of fyre, and be saules

of wret[c]hid1

folk casten berin, Vp and down and to and
fro bat ryn as sparkyls of fyre in myddes of be fyre,
brynynge lyke as in a gret towne al on fyre, and in be
fyre. And be smoke, be sparkyrlls ar borne Vp and downe;

r 2

so be saules [f. 42 ] wemettyng for sorow of bair paynes,

cryes ilkone and says bies wordes, Miseremini mei, misere-

 

mini mei saltem, vos amici me, bat is, "Hafe mercy on

 

me, hafe mercy on me at be leste, 3e bat ar my frendes."

Wher is nowe be helpe of my frendes? Wher ar
now be gode behestes of oure kyns men, and Obir by whos
inordinate affeccion we toke no fors of oure selfe? And
so incresed we bis payne to oureselfe. Allas, why hafe
we done so? LO, be leste payne of bis purgatory bat we
now fele passes a1 maner of paynes of bis temporall
warld; be bitternes of payne bat we nowe fele in ane
houre, semesals gret as al be sorow of be passyng warld
in ane hundrethe 3ere. Bot passyng a1 obir maner of

tormentes and paynes it grefes me moste be absence of

 

1The 'c' is torn from the text.

r 2There are two small drawings at the bottom of
42 , in addition to the customary pair in the right and
left margins. They are largely redundant, although be-
neath the Disciple's bed in the right margin is a cluster
of demons, and in the lower right picture, several souls
are in the torturing flames.

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bat blissed face of God. bies bat I hafe now sayd in
my laste passynge, I lefe to be as for a mynde and so,
passyng, I dye.

At bis vision be discipill made gret sorow, and
for drede al his bones qwakyd, and ban turnyng hym to
God, he sayd bus.

Discipil,1 Wher is euerlastyng wysdam nowe?
Lord, has bou forsaken me, bi seruant? bow wold teche
me wysdam ynoghe. I am broght into be dethe. O my God,
how mykil byndes me be presence of dethe bat I hafe sene.
be ymage of dethe has so raueschyd al to geder bat
vnethes wote I wheder bat I hafe seene it be so in dede
or elles by liknes. O Lord Of lords, dredful and mercy-
ful, I banke be with al my hert of bi special grace.

And I beheste amendment for I am made afferde with passyng
gret drede, for sothe I perceyfed not al my lyfe be

perels of dethe vndisposed so opynly as I hafe now in

bis houre. I beleve for certayn bat bis dredful syght

sal avayle to my saule for euer. For certayn now I knawe
bat we hafe here no lastyng cyte, and berfore to be
vnchawngeabil state of be saule bat is to cum, I dispose
me with al my myght. I purpose me for to lerne to dye,

and I dispose me to amende my lyfe withouten any

 

lRubricated.

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39/18

withdrawynge, for sen I am so made aferde onely of be
mynde, what sal be of be presence?

Wherfore now, do away fro me be softnes of beddynge,
be precioste of clothynge, and slewthe Of slepe me lettyng.
O bou holy and mercyful Saueour, put me not to so bitter
a dethe. LOO, I fallyng downe before be with wepyng
teres. I aske of be bat bou ponesche me here at bi will,
so bat bou reserve not my wykkyd dedes in to [f. 42"]1
be laste ende, for sothly in bat vgly place ber is so
gret sorow, and payne, bat no tunge may suffys to tell
it. 0, how gret a fole hafe [I]2 bene vnto bis tyme, in
als mykil as I hafe so litel fors taken of indisposed
dethe, and of be payne of purgatory bat is so gret, and
how gret wysdam it is to hafe bies binges of before be
eyne. Bot now sen I am so faderly admonesched and taghte,
I Opyn myne eene and drede it gretly.

Sapiencia.3 Wisdam awnsweynge sayde, bees binges

 

bat ar sayd, my son, in al tymes hafe bou in mynde whils
bou art 3onge and hole and myghty. Amende bi selfe,4

for what tyme bou cummes to bat houre in sothnes, and

 

lThe paired illustrations are typical: A monk
kneels on the left below a vision of Jesus; Spearman
Death threatens the Disciple on his bed, on the right.

2'I' is omitted in the text.
3Rubricated.
4

'Lyfe' is cancelled, and 'selfe' is the replace-
ment.

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may no obir wyse helpe bi selfe, ban is ber none obir
remedy,1 bot bat bou commytte be to be mercy of God

onely, and [blat2 bou put my passion betwyx be and my
dome, lest bat bou, dredyng more ban nedes my rightwis-
nes, bou falle downe fro bi hope. And nowe for als mykil
as bou art efferde with passyng drede, be.o gode comforth,
vndirstondyng bat drede of God is begynyng of wisdam.3
Seke bi bokes, and bou sal fynde how many godes and pro-
fetes be mynde of dethe brynges to man. Wherfore hafe
mynde of bi creator and maker in be day Of bi 3outhe,4
or bat be power turne agayne into his erthe whens he
come fro, and be spirit turne agayne to be Lord bat gafe

5 And blis bou God of heuen with al bi hert and be

hym.
kynde, for ber ar ful fewe bat perceyfes with bair hert
be vnstabilnes of bis tyme, be disceyte Of dethe bat a1
tyme ligges in wayte, and be euerlastyng hapynes Of be
cuntre to cum. Lyft Vp bine eene and loke abowte bysily,
and se how many ber ar blynde in bair saule, and closes
bair eene bat bai loke not vnto bair laste ende, and

stops bair eres bat bai here not for to be conuertyd and

helpyd of bair syn.6 And berfore bair 105 and dampnacion

 

lWritten twice, with the first word cancelled.
The 'b' is omitted.

Proverbs 1:7.

Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Ecclesiastes 12:7.

QU'IubWN

A loose paraphrase of Matthew 13:15.

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39/20

sal not long tarye. Also behold be compeny with nowmer
of baim bat ar now loste, borow be myschefe and vndis-
posed dethe, nowmer be multytude of baim if bou may, and
take hede how many has bene be whilk in be tyme dwellyng
[f. 43r] with be, now ar dede and past hence fro bis
erthe. How gret a multitude of brebir and felows and
obir of bi knawlege in so fewe 3eres ar gone before be
bat art 3it bot a 3onge man and left 3it o lyve. And if
bou gart aske of baim and serche of euerilkone, and bai
sal teche be and awnswer to be wepyng and mournyng and
say bus, "0 how blist is he bat sees before and purveys
for bies last binges and kepes hym fro syn and dos after
my cownsel and in a1 tyme disposes hym to his laste houre.
Wherfore, puttyng abake al binges bat suld with-
draw be her fro, ordan for bi hows and make be redy to
bat last way of euere man, and into be houre of dethe.
For in certayne bou wote not in what houre it sal cum,1
and how nere it is. And berfore right as a trauellyng
man, standyng in be haven beholdes besily a schyppe bat
swyftly sayls toward fer cuntres bat he suld go to lest

bat it suld ouerpasse hym, right so al bi lyfe and al bi

 

1The central thought here expressed is a recurrent
thought in the twenty-fourth chapter Of Matthew, see vs.
36, 42, 44, 50; also Matthew 25:13. Matthew refers
specifically to the second coming of Jesus.

269

39/21

wyrkyng be drest and sett to bat ende bat bou hafe a
blyssed obet and dyenge so bat bou may cum at be laste

to be place of immortalite, vndedlynes and euerlastyng

felicite and hapynes. Amen.

 

aThe Catalo ue, p. 328.

bIbid., pp. 328-29.

270

40/1

ARTICLE 40, ff. 43V-44v

A continuation of the Horologium, from chapter iv.

 

It has been edited by Horstmanna in the original order of
the source. The work is much abridged. Folio 43v alone
has an illustration. It is located in the lower left
corner, and shows the familiar monk as the personifica-
tion of Wisdom, kneeling beneath the same representation

of Jesus above.

The TEXT :

Formula compendiosa Vite spiritualis.l

 

It is written in Horologio, Diuine Sapiencie,

 

how sapiencia, wisdam, techis his discipul.l

In be felischip of saynts, whilk as be morne
sterne schane in be myrk nyght of bis warld, and as gret
lyghtes sched oute be bemes of pair clere knawyng, bou
sal fynde sum bat passyngly war perfitely grownded not
onely in actyf lyfe and virtew, bot also in contemplatyfe
lyfe, Off whos techyng and insawmpyll bou may take be
most perfyte doctryne and luf of trewe gostly lyfe.

Neuerbeles I, willyng and condescendyng to bine vnexperiens

 

1Rubricated.

271

40/2

and vnkunnyng, sal gif be sum pryncipals of gostly lyfyng,
as for a mynde to hafe a1 way at hande for to sett be

in be right wyrkyng. Wher fore, if bou desyre for to
hafe be perfeccion of gostly life, bat is to be desired
of al men, and if bou will and has affeccione to take it
Opon be manfully, bou sal fyrst withdrawe be fro alle
felischyps and noyus hamelynes of a1 men bat wald lett

bi gode purpos, sekyng [f. 43V] alway Oportunyte whar

and what tyme bou may fynde a place of reste, and ber
take be priue sylence of contemplacion, and flee be
perels and trobyls Of bis noyus warld. Alle tymes it
longes to be principally to stody for to hafe clennes of
hert, bat is to say, bat speryng bi fleschly wittes, bou
be turned into bi selfe, and [b]atl bou hafe in als mykill
as is possibill be dores of bi hert besily closed fro

be formes of outeward binges and ymagynacion of erthly
binges, for sothly emang a1 Obir gostly exercyses,
clennes Of hert has be soueraynte as afynyal intencioun,
and reward of al be trauels bat a chosyn knyght of Criste
is wonnte to receyfe. Also bou sal lesse bine affeccion
with al bysynes fro a1 bo binges bat myght lett be
fredom of it, and fro euere binge bat in any maner has
myght and power for to drawe downe bine affeccion to it

after bat it is writtyn in Moyses' lawe bus, Maneat

 

1Again, the 'b' is omitted.

272

40/3

vnusquisque apud semetipsium, gE_nullus egrediatur ostium
l

 

 

domus sue die sabbati. "Euere man dwelle by hym selfe,

 

and no man passe oute at be dore Of his hows Opon be
sabot day." bat is bus mykil to say, "A man for to
dwell with hym selfe" is bat he gedyr a1 be varyant
boghtes and affeccions Of his hert and hafe baim knyt2
togedyr in to one sothfast and souerayne God bat is God;
and "for to kepe be Sabot," bat is for to hafe be hert
fre and vnbun fro al fleschly affeccion bat myght defowle
be saule, and fro alle warldly cures and bysynes bat
myght distrac3 it, and so rest swetely in pes of hert as
in be hafeuen of sylence and in be luf and felyng of

his maker, God. Abowne a1 obir binges, lat bis be bi
pryncipall intent and bysynes, bat bou hafe alway bi
sawle and bi mynde lyftyd vp in to contemplacion of

heuenly binges, and erthly binges4 frelte lest it be

besyly5 drawne Vp to bo binges bat ar abowne, and what

 

1Based on Exodus 12:22. The Scriptural reference
is to the day of the Passover as the Israelites prepared
to leave Egypt.

2Originally 'knytt'; the final "tt' is cancelled,
with the single 't' written above.

3Badly written in the text; careted into the mar-
gin at right.

4The text is imperfect. Carets after both 'binges'
lead to the marginal writing to the right: 'bat to g[..]
binges [. .]god be[..]alway[..]here.' Trimming has re-
moved whatever else might have been written here.

273

40/4

binge so euer it be bat is dyuers fro bies, bof it seme
gret in it selfe, as chastysyng of be body, fastyng,
wakyng, and swylke obir exercyes of virtew, bai sal be
takyn and demyd as secundary and les worthy. And so

mykyl onely expedient and profetabyl as bai profet and
help to clennes of hert. And herfore is bat so fewe

cumes to perfeccioun, for bai dispende bair tymes and pair
myghts in mene binges bat ar not If. 44r] not [sic] mykyl
profetabill and be dewe remedyes bai lefe and put behynde.

Bot if bou desyre to cun be ryght way to be ende
of bine intent, bou sal souerayndly desyre to contynual
clennes of hert and rest of spirit and tranquillyte, and
for to hafe bi hert lastyngly lyft vp to God.

Discipil,2 Who is he in bis dedly body bat may
alway be knytt to bat spyrittual contemplacion?

W’ysdom,2 ber may no dedly man be alway fest and
sett in to bis contemplacion bot by bis cause be sentence-
before is sayd, bat bou may knawe wher bou sal fest and
sadly sett bine intencion of be spyrit. And to what
marke bou sal alway drawe be behaldyng of bi saule, be
whilk what tyme be mynde may gett, ban is he glad and
‘when he is dystract and drawen away, ban is he sory and

syghes als oft as he feles hym selfe departed fro bat

 

1In the ms., 'profetabit'.

2Rubricated.

274

40/5

beholdyng. Bot if bou wil perauenture cum agayns me and
say bat bou may not lang abyde and dwell in one maner of
astate bou sal knawe and vndyrstand bat myght of God may
do and wyrk more ban any man may binke. Wherfore it
fals of tymes bat bat bing bat a man byndes hym to at be
begynnyng with a maner of violence and difficulte, after-
ward he sal so it lightly, and at be last with gret
likyng, so bat if he contynow and lefe not of fro bat
he hafe first begun.

Here now, my dere son, be techyng of bi fader;
take hede besyly to my wordes and writ baim in bi hert
as in a boke. Folow bou not be multitude of baim bat
gos abake after be desyres and lustes of bair hertes, in
be whilk deuocion is slokynd, chartye made cold, and meke
obediens is castyn downe, be whilk couet to be ouer Obir
men in prelacy, and sekes, besily worschips and delicatly
serues to ber bely, bat ouer mesure sekes gyftes and
folows rewardes in bis warld, receyfes bat bai couet as
for mede of Obir werk. Bot in ane obir warld bai sal
be1 left voyde of euerlastyng ioy. And folow bou not bies
maner of folk, bot hede besily to be worthy flowres, bat.
is holy faders, bat spred out be swete sauour of bar
sufferayn holynes, and besy be to take bair purpos with

swilk intent and conuersacion as is now schewd to be.

 

1'Be' is written twice in the text.

275

40/6

Wherfor, wheder bou ete or drynke, or any obir binge,
do lat euer bis voyce of bi svete fader sownde in bi
eres bus saying, "My son, turne agayn into bi hert, with-
drawyng be fro al outeward binges, in als mykil as is
possibyl to be, and with a feruent luf clefyng ay to be
souerayne Gode bat is God, and hafyng alway bi mynde
liftyd vp into contemplacion of heuenly binges, so bat al
bi saule with be myghts and strenthes gedird to geder
into God, be made in spirit with hym, in whome standes
souerayne perfeccioun of way and lyfyng in bis warld."l
bis schort doctryne for forme and maner of lyfyng
is gifen to be in be whylk standes be soueraynte of a1
perfeccioun, and in be whilk and bou wil besyly stody,
and trewly fulfil it in effect, bou sal be blissed. And
in bis maner begyn here in bis frele body euerlastyng
felicity. bis is be helpful way bat Arseny,2 taght of
be angel, kepyd hym self and bad his discipyls kepe,

bat is to say, Tace, fuge 32 guiesce. "Flee and kepe

 

sylence and be in rest." bies he said, ar be pryncipals

of gostly hele: Hec 12_h[g]rologi03 diuine sapientie, deo

 

 

gratias. [f. 44V]

1The end of the quotation is not indicated by
any method. It must be inferred. The technique is usual
in the ms.

2S. Arsenius (d. 450), anchorite in Egypt, much
admired for his rigid, ascetic life and humility. The
Catholic Encyclopediay_p. 754.

3A small hole in the ms. has removed the 'o'.

 

 

276

40/7

 

aFrom chapter iv of the Horologium, which Horst-
mann published in Anglia, x, p. 353. The original is in
lib. ii, cap. iii. See The Catalogue, p. 329.

 

 

 

277

41/1

ARTICLE 41, f. 45‘

From an unidentified source, Article 41, in this
manuscript, consists of fifty-eight lines of irregularly
rhymed verses. An analysis is difficult, since the text
is clearly corrupt. There is duplication of lines (lines
'1-3 are almost literally reproduced in lines 16-18); there
are lines without companion rhymes (lines 31, 54); lines
appear to be missing (between lines 52 and 53--the scribe
has, in fact, drawn half a bracket to indicate a line
which should rhyme with line 54); there is a very irregu-
larly recurring refrain (line 13, "Now gode God, bou here
my oryson," which is repeated in this form in line 29; a
second form occurs in line 39, "And gode God, bou here
myne orison", a form seen again in line 48; and a third
variation appears in line 56, "And bat 3e here my oryson,"
followed by the concluding three lines).

The scribe of 31343 consistently utilized brackets
to call attention to the rhyming technique he used. The
poem is written in two columns on 45r, and in the first
column the bracketing is done on a simple every-other
line basis, alternate lines rhyming. At the bottom lines

29, 30 and 31 are broken up, with line 30 actually rhyming

278

41/2

with line 33 at the tOp of the second column, although
this is not indicated in any manner. Column two begins
with the first seven lines consecutively bracketed, al-
though the rhyming is still alternated. The following
nine lines are arranged as they should be if we accept
the hypothesis that the body of the poem was originally
done in 9-line stanzas. Lines 40-43 are alternately
bracketed; lines 44-47 are also bracketed by pairs, while
the refrain, line 48, is joined by a final line to the
preceding pair, with which it rhymes. The rhyming pat-

tern thus established is ababababb.

 

The TEXT :

Thy myghty mercy, kyng of blis,

My syn and me be bu ay betwyx;

For in al my care my moste comforth is

be conseyt I hafe of be crucifix.l

be cros and be kyng I behold

In fygour of be blissed passion;
I am fed with ioy many fold

For bis conceyt and bis reson,

For wele I wote to mak vs bold;

 

1The opening quatrain is probably intended to
stand alone as an introduction to the theme of the
entire poem.

279

41/3

bi hede is ay inclyned downe,
Redy to here what bat we wold
When we pray be with deuocione,

"Now, gode God, bu here my oryson."l

And at bi blissed moder reueraunce
In bi luf graunt gode conclusione

To bine honour, laude, and plesaunce;
bi myghty mercy, bu king of blis,

My syn and me be ay betwyx,

For in a1 my care my comforth is

be trest I hafe in be crucifix.2

bine armes brode I se displayd
With lust and delectacion

For to embrace, redy arayed,

be folkes of bi redempcion,

Sen bu bus, Lord, as I hafe sayd,
To take vs art ay redy bowne,

Of my saule borow syn affrayd,

To be I make my oblacion;

Now, gode God, bu here my orison.

 

1The original poem was probably composed of 9-

line stanzas, as this one, and has been corrupted in
transmission.

2A corrupt 7—line stanza, as may be clearly seen

in the isolated, unrhymed second verse, whose essential
rhyming sound ('-ione') or its approximation is found in
all the other full stanzas.

280

41/4
bi fete, festynd to be tre,l
bat has bis signyficacion
bat bu, Lord, wil not fro vs fle
And lefe vs here in oppression,
Sen bu with vs list stabil to be
In welthe and in our tribulacon,
I pray be, Lord, for bi pyte;
With me bu make bi mansion,

And, gode God, bu here myne orison.

. All Open now I se bi syde,
With pyte and compassione
Redy to gif and noght to hyde
bi hert for folkes here in presson.
Sen bat bus bou list opyn so wyde
bi syde to hald for oure redempcion,
I pray be make it with be to abyde,
bi grace and bi luf and bi beneson,

And, gode God, bou here myne orison.

Mary, moder, mayden so fre,

And bou, Saynt Ion2 in heuen abowne,
TO whome we oft crye for 3oure pyte,
And for be luf and be gret compassion,

Hafe vs alway in 3our commendacion;

 

1The line was first written 'bi festynd to be
tre.‘ It was cancelled.

2'Ion' is careted into the right margin.

281

41/5

And, I pray 30w two to pray for me,

bat Crist be my saluacion,

And bat 3e here my orysonl

And [blat al be saynts reuerence

Hys luf, he graunt me in conclusion

To his honour, lofyng and complacense. AmIen.]

[f. 45‘]2

 

lThe stanza form breaks down here. In previous
instances there would be a line between the rhymes of
'compassion' and 'commendacion', and it would rhyme with
'fre', 'pite', and 'me'. Furthermore, the thought is
unbroken after therefrain 'And bat 3e here my oryson,‘
with this line actually incorporated into and coupled
by the scribe with the final lines as a concluding
quatrain.

2A drawing, illustrating this poem fills the tOp
one-third of f. 45‘. It depicts Jesus nailed to the
cross in the center-—the figure quite overshadowing all
else. Kneeling at lower left is a white-robed monk. He
prays to Mary, who stands beneath the left arm of the
cross. On the right, John stands alone.

282

42/1

ARTICLE 42, f. 45V

A Meditation by Christ on the Cross, in the form
of a complaint. In 31343, the poem is arranged as if
composed of twelve double tercets. Because the fifth
line consistently rhymes its end with the sound occurring
at the verse's caesura, the stanzas could be construed
as having seven lines. This is the 'master stanza' Of
Towneley Play XXVI.a

The poem appears in Arundel 285, f. 164V, and

 

Edinburgh 3, 205, f. 200V. The latter is imperfect at

its end; the former consists of 23 7-1ine stanzas.b The

 

poem has been wrongly attributed to Skelton; some Of
the stanzas are incorporated into the Towneley Play.

The tOp line on 45v is partially trimmed, and
line 50, which is at the top of the second column, is
lost almost entirely, with only the tails of seven let-
ters remaining. In the center column, at mid-page, a
hand with extended index finger points to a verse dia-
logue found in the lower right half of the folio.
Beneath the dialogue in the bottom margin a second drawn
hand points upward to the dialogue. Beside it are the

words Nota bene. The lines of the dialogue are badly

 

cramped and are written consecutively across the lines,

283

42/2

with the universal punctuation mark indicating each
separate verse's ending. Brief prose bits precede and
follow the dialogue as orientation to the rhymed conver-

sation..

The TEXT:

On galows hy............l
3it stand a while and bink no lange
Behold my body, how Iewes it dange2
With knotty scourges and whyps strange;
On ilk a syde

Wher knots hitt, wele may bou witt

Made woundes ful wyde.

And berfor sal bou vndirstande

In body, in hede, in fete, in hande,
Foure hundreth woundes and fyfe bowsand,
And woundes sexty

And 3it fyftene, was tald and sene

On my body.

No binge hale on me was left,

And 3it or bou war fro me reft,

All bies paynes I wald bole3 eft,

 

1Apparently a title, this line is lost in trimming.
2'Scourge'or beath

3'Endured', Suffered.

284

42/3

And for be dye;
Here may bou se bat I luf be,

Man,‘faythfully.

Sen I for luf boght be so dere,

Als bi selfe may wele se here,

I pray be hertly and with gode chere,
Luf me agayne,

bat it like me bat I for be

bold a1 bis payne.

If bou bi lyfe in syn hafe ledde,
Mercy to aske be noght adred;

be leste drop I for be bled

May clense be sone

A1 be syn, bis warld within

If bou had done.

I was wele wrother with Iudas
bat he wald noght mercy asse1
ban I was for his trespas;
When he me sold

I was redy to schewe mercy--

Ask none he wolde.

And Caym, when he his brobir sloghe,

Myght hafe had mercy wele ynoghe,

 

lVarying form of 'ask'.

285

42/4

Bot wanhOpe hym fro mercy droghe;
He wald aske none;
berfore to hell,euermore to dwelle

His saule is gone.

Bot Paule, Mawdelayn and Egypciane
And Obir synful many ane,

Mercyles fro me gos nane

When bai it aste,l

Al bair 3ernyng and al bair askyngel

bat had als fast.

2

A lytell before bat he dyed
Desyred mercy, and to me cryed
In rewfull wyse,

berfore with me bat day was he

In Paradyse.

Loo, how I hald my hands onbrade3
be to receyfe, ay redy made,

be gret luf I to be hade;

Wele may bou knawe

Sum luf agayn; I wald ful fayn

pou wald me schewe,

 

lVarying form of 'ask'.
2Trimmed from the top right column.

3'Extended' or 'outspread'.

286

 

'.lf 5..— A

42/5

For luf no els ask I be

Bot [b]at bou fande fast syn to flee;
Payne be to lif in honeste

Both nyght and day

ban in my blis, bat neuer sal mys,

Sal bou dwell ay.

Ihesu, for bi gret godenes

bat for mankynde bold swilk hardnes,
Wele for to lyf and in clennes,
Grace bou vs len,

And graunt vs grace to se bi face

In heuen. Amen.

[The 'verse dialogue' between St. Peter, a
Dominican,c and the crucifix follows]:

It is sayd of Saynt Petyr of be ordyr of pre-
chours bat when he was emange gret persecucion and
tribulacion, Opon a nyght before a crucifyx he made
gret lamentacyon. And ane Obir stode in a hyrnel and
herd his lamentacion. And Petyr sayd bus,

"Ihesu, Criste, God's Son,
bat on be rode wald be done,
What woo and wretchydnes hafe I wroght

bat in swylk perels I am broght?

 

1'Corner' or 'nook'.

287

 

42/6

I frayst to flee all maner of syn,

And 3itt my angwys wil not blynne."
ban sayd be ymage bus to Petyr,

"Petyr, why wald I be slayne

bat neuer deseruyd to suffer payne?

Was I owder prowde or couetowse,
Enuyos, slawe, or lycherowse?

bis sorow I sufferd and wykkyd woo,

bi saule to safe and Obir moo

Swylk payne sen I profed for ber prowe,

For bi selfe sumwhat sal bowe."

And after is myrakil, Petyr toke swylke hardy-
nes at he was alway eftyrward for Criste redy for to

dye. [f. 45v]

 

aSee Brown and Robbins, Index, p. 686; also, p.
177, item 119.

bIhid., p. 686.

cPietro Martire, or Peter Martyr, OP, d. 1252;

feast day, April 29. See Butler's Lives 23 the Saints,
Vol. II, pp. 186, 187.

288

 

!-Is “.1 'L'

43/1

ARTICLE 43, ff. 46‘-66V

Occupying 22 pages of Ms. 31343, the poem on the
'Desert of Religion' is easily the longest selection in
the ms. The Catalogue describes it as 'a poem in about
470 couplets (exclusive of the verses attached to the
drawings)...,' and takes note of the drawings of the
symbolical trees, the pictures of hermits, ascetics, and
others, as well as other sources of the poem--Cotton 33.
Faustina 3. 31. pg. 11 323_3Eggg_33, 33.a

Much of the material for the poem comes from the

Speculum Vitae, with some passages from The Pricke g:

 

Conscience.b Hfibner edited the poem in Archiv.c

The work here is substantially parallel to Faustina
and 35933, but no two mss. agree on all details, either
in the wording of the text, the illustrations to the poem,
the order in which various hermits and others are pre-
sented, or the exact order of appearance for the symbolic
trees of vice or virtue. All adopt the common system of
giving one-half page of the verso to the text of the poem,
with an illustration occupying the other half; and, all
give the poems alternating with the trees. The poems con—
sistently occupy the verso (with the exception of the

first page in Faustina and 37049, which Open with a page

289

 

43/2

of the poem on the recto, followed by a second page on
the verso--then the first tree appears Opposite), and
the trees occupy the recto.

The artistic quality of 31343 is quite inferior to
that of Faustina and 39933. The latter two are delicately
done, with finely shaded colors and carefully drawn fig-
ures; by comparison, 31343 is crude both in concept and
in execution.

The scribe of Faustina is more careful in his
effort to identify the various characters used in the
illustrations than are the other two. He identifies
Paul the Hermit on 3V, St. Antony on 4V, Mary of Egypt
on 5v, Mary Magdalene on 6V, Saint Egidius (more commonly
known as St. Giles) on 7V, Richard the hermit on 8v, St.
Hilarius (St. Hilarion) on 9v, John the Baptist on 12V,
Moses on 13V, The Blessed Virgin and Jesus on 16V, St.
Benedictus on 19v, and Saint Hilda on 21v. The scribe
of 39933 is least careful about identifications, labell-
ing only David on 10V, Mary Magdalene on 14v, and Moses
on 21v. Hence, only Mary Magdalene and Moses are held
in common by all three mss. The scribe Of 31343 identi-
fies the monk on 52v as Richard Hampole; in Faustina the

identification is simply 'Richard hermite'.

The TEXT :

Elongavi fugiens; 33_mansi 39'solitudine.l

IPsalm 54:8. The verse Opens with 'Ecce,‘ omitted

in this reference.

 

290

 

“I‘M 'm‘f. "I ~

43/3

Dauyd bat prophet was ay,

In be sawter boke bus we here say,

"Fleand I fled fra mare and les,

And dwelled in herd wyldernes."

bis wyldernes be takens wele

Herd penaunce bat men suld fele

bat fleys fra be werld, bat es, be flesch,
And groves in gastely wyldernes

Als men of religioune dose

 

bat fleys be flesch and be saule fylose.l
For qwen man thurgh deuocioune
Enters in to religioune,
He es als man bat suld wende
In to be felde to fyght with be fende;
Whare for God blyssed mot he be,
K‘Qwen he of be fende faund wald be;
He went in to deserte to dwell,
Als itt is wryten in be gospell,

Ductus est Iesus 19 desertum 3 Spiritu 99

 

 

tentaretur2 [3 diabolo].

For be deserte of religioune

 

1'Follows'--this form evidently developed from
the earlier 'filien'.

2Matthew 4:1. The Opening 'Tunc' is omitted here;

the manuscript also does not give the final two words of
the verse, 'a diabolo'.

291

43/4

Is cald a felde of temptacioune.
Religioune bat gude men suld hald

May be gude skyll deserte be cald,

For als desertel comonly is sene

In stede whare no dayntes bene,

And far fra men deserte it es,

bar for men calles wyldernes;

Ryght swa be state of religioune

bat falles to be lyfe of perfeccioune2
Suld be scharpe in all thynge,

Thurgh scharpenes of strayt lyfynge,
bat es als a thorne garth to tell
Agayn be wykked gaste of hell,

With be whilk be herte is closed abowt,
To hald bas wykked bestes owt.

And 3it in wyldernes men sees

Many wykked wylde bestees,

As beres,3 wolves and lyouns,
\

lThe scribe here joins his 'e' unto the spine of
‘t‘-he elongated 's', and uses no 'r'. While this technique
13 not consistently used, it is common in Article 43; the
cm\‘i-tted 'r' must be inferred only from a proper identifi-
cation of the word.

2Uniquely, written Lpfeccioune'. This method of
supplying the 'er' by subscript“fiots is not seen else-
where in the ms.

'and lyo' is cancelled. In Article 43, cancel-
lation is done either by the common method of cancella-
tion or by subscript dots; in this instance, and often
elsewere, both techniques are used.

292

 

43/5

beir er bot fendes temptaciouns

bat be gude religioune with his my3t

Kepes hym fra, both day and nyght.

In bis gastely foreste groves

Trees with braunches and boghes;

Sum groves to heuen and sum to hell;

Sum to stande and sum to fell;

Sum to grove in gastely garthe

[And sum to grub awai with pe swarth.]1 [f. 46r]

[The right half of each page containing the
poetry 0; "The Desert of Religion" has an illustration.
Folio 46 depicts a white-robed monk kneeling before an
angel above, who is behind a shield with the inscription
"Ihc", a standard abbreviation. A scroll above the angel
contains the inscription, Qui confidet 39 Deo, fortis est
vt leo. Below the monk, a wolf, a lion and a bear bare
Eheir teeth and their claws at the monk. Surrounding the
illustration on either side is the following poem, written

on an upward vertical line to the left, and downward
vertically to the right:]

Ihesu Criste graunt me grace to dres
All my dedes with delyte,
bat no beste of bis warldernes

Bytterly me byte.

[F]le2 into bis wyldernes
If bou will be perfite,
.And hald be bare in halynes

.Als falls to gode hermites.

 

1This line is trimmed from 37049; it is supplied
from Faustina.

2The 'F' is not supplied, although there is more
than enough room.
293

'.Mm '9 -

 

V‘Ktfii

43/6

[Cotton Faustina, 3r, has a similar illustration
without the beasts; Stowe 33, f. llr resembles 37049.]

 

be fyrste tre Of bis forest schene

Is be tre of vertus bat ay is clene,

bat in mekenes festis his rotes;

Of hym vertus vaarde schotes

And sprynges and spredes his leues and groles
And buriones bath with braunches and boghes.
bis tre be takenes men bat ar mylde,

And debonere als a chylde;

Swylk ar be varay scolers right

Of our mayster God of myght.

Mekenes falles in hert to dwell,

Thrugh bir four thynges to tell,

Thrugh oft be thynkyng Vp and doune1

And thrugh veray contrycioune,

Thrugh sufferance withouten gruchyng,
Thrugh haly delyte withouten changyng,

Or thynkyng of his wrechenes,

Or what God has done hym, mar or les.

bis thoght, if he lat noght pas,

And vmthyngkyng what he was,

And wheyne2 he come and ryght se,

 

1The line immediately following, is cancelled;
it is most of the third line following, misplaced:
'Thrugh haly delyte withouten.‘

2Faustina: 'When then'.

294

 

‘In.“ . ._.._r ‘ __

43/7

And what he is, and wheyder sall he,
And what he sall be at his ende,

And whyderward bat he sall wende.

Hee sall be many skylles knaw-

Hym for to meke and for to law

For out of mekenes of dede and thoght
Comes all be vertus bat euer was wroght.
In seuen braunches of bis tre,1

In seuen vertus may men se,

And out of ilk a vertu euen

Sprynges other vertus in leues seuen
bat forth brynges be froyte of lyfe
bat bath suld couayt, man and wyfe;

bis is be tre of whylk we here

bat Dauyd of spekes in be sawtere,

"be ryghtwys is als a tre bat standes
Besyde be course of be water strandes,
And gyfes his froyte in conabill2 tyme;

His lefe sall nother fade ne dwyne."3

 

lFrom f. 46v forward, each portion of the poem
stands opposite tree on the recto of the following
folio. These trees illustrate the texts, alternating
from those trees which produce wholesome fruit to those
whose fruit is worthless or evil, and back again. This
pattern is held in common with the versions in Faustina
and Stowe, although the order of the poems, and Hence,
of the trees, cannot be consistently depended upon. See
the review of 47rbelow.

2'Appropriate' or 'suitable,‘ from 'covenable'.

3Psalm 1:3. 'Dwyne' here means 'wither'.

295

 

'lfl' .u-i '

git: . E15111?

43/8

[On the right half of this folio appears a draw-
ing of 'Paulus, be first Hermet,‘ who is clothed in a
green robe of leaf—like design. A red halo surrounds
his head. Above, a dove flies toward him from the angel
Of 46r, now behind a shield which bears marks similar to
the five wounds of Christ on 20r. In this illustration,
which has no inscription, the wounds have no logical
connection with the text of the poem. The picture is
similar to Faustina, 3v, and to fol. llv of 33933 33.
Surrounding the picture, written vertically as on 46r,
and above the picture on this folio, is the following]:

Fourty 3er in wyldernes

I dwelled in a caue

Whare God of His gret godenes

Graunted me for to haue,

And ilk day to me gun dres

With a raven halfe a lafe;

bar my clathes ware mare and les

Of leues bat me gun save. [f. 46V]

[The first of the trees of the forest makes its
appearance on f. 47‘, occupying the entire page. At the
base is a banner with the inscription]:

be rote spryngand is meknes,

Of a1 vertewes mare and les.

[Written vertically on the trunk of the tree is

this couplet]:

296

43/9

In verteus suld a1 men floresche,

And froyt bryng forth as bar trees.

[Above the couplet, on the trunk is the word]:
Charite.

[From the trunk of the tree spring seven branches.
In clockwise order, they are]: Qwayntnes,l Rightwisnes,
Faythe, Charite, Hope, Mightfulnes, and Strenthe.

[Each of the branches has seven leaves. They are
labelled, in clockwise order]:

Qwayntnes: Prouidence, Cownsell, Diligence,
Drede of God, Reson, Tractabilite, and Discrecion.
Rightwisnes: Keping of right, DOme, Lawe, Sothfastnes,
Correccioun, Severite, Right. Faythe: Chastite, Contyn-
ence, Clennes of boght, Maydenhede, Clennes of body,
Deuocion, Sympilnes. Charite: Forgifnes, Concorde,
Pees, Pyte, Compassion, Mercy, Grace. Hope: Disciplyne,
one, Pacience, Contemplacion, Contricon, Confession,
Penaunceu Mightfulnes: DeSpite of be Warlde, Sobirnes,
Fastyng , Dedlynes , Modenes , Blissednes , Tholmodynes . 2
Strenthe: Lastandnes , Silence , Stabilnes , Reste , Per-

seueraunce, Vnhyghyng in Welthes, anallyng in aduersites.
[f. 47‘]

1'Qwauntnes' here means 'wisdom'. 'Rightwisnes'
is cancelled on this branch and written on the next above.

2'Patience' or 'meekness'.

297

43/10

be secund tre of bis foreste fayre

Is be tre of vices, bat may enpayre,
bat groves and festes his rotes on pride,
And boghes and braunches on ilk a syde;
bat dounward groves ay in to hell;

His froyte is bath bytter and fell,

For out of pride comes all wykkenes

bat euer was wroght her, mare or les.
For pride bat comes of herte and thoght
Was be fyrste synn bat euer was wroght.
Pryde was begynyng of all ill;

Pryde is contrarius to alkyn skill;
Pryde brake fyrste be company

And be ordour in heuen bat was semely,
bar for fra heuen doune he fell

Into be depeste pytt of hell.

be syn of pryde full perlyous es1

Of wham sprynges a1 wykkednes.

It blyndes a man and reues hym syght
bat he knawes noght hym selfe ryght.
Pryde may be lykkende wele

To be fendes awne wyfe,2 as I fele

 

1The word is first simply written '3'; this is
cancelled, after which the scribe wrote 'is', cancelled
the 'i', and wrote 'e' in superscription.

2 . .
SO, also, In Faustlna. The context would seem

to indicate an emendation to 'wine' .

298

43/11

bat semes gode and delycyous,

And is straunge and perlyous,
Thrugh be whilk be fende he can
Make here dronken many a man

bat ar reche her, wyght and myghty,
Nobell, wyse, balde and hardy,

And communly to vnderstande

All maner of men here lyfeande.

In seuen braunches of bis tre,

In seuen vices may men se,

And out of ilk vice doune euen
Sprynges other vices in leues seuen,
bat forth brynges be froyte of dede;
Tast itt noght, man, I be red.

bis is be tre bat in sermoune

God bad fell and hew it doune,

And cast itt in a fyre to bryne,
For no froyte itt will begyne

To bere--l bat is at say,2 of lyfe,
Nother to man ne to wyfe.

bar for grub itt vp be be rotes,

.And all be braunches bat of hym schotes.

 

lCondensed from John 15:2-6.

2Faustina: 'is at sai'; the text is corrupt.

 

299

43/12

[The illustration on 47v has two parts. In the
upper half, the hermit Antoniusl is seated, looking up-
ward toward an angel in upper left. There is a small
dog beside him. In the lower half of the margin is a
characterization Of Pride. He is a dashing figure--a
young man of splendid physique and fine dress, at whose
sides two demons clutch and pull. Again, vertical lines
of writing occupy both the left and right edges and the
top of the marginal illustration]:

Went in to wyldernes,

And closed me in a caue,

And lyfed bar in grete halynes,

Als God voched saue.

To me come fendes, mare and les,

.Als wylde bestes bay me raue;

Bott Ihesu seand my dyses,2

Sentt angels me to saue. [f. 47V]

[The tree of vice on 48r is drawn similarly to
that on 47r with two notable differences: all of the

leaves hang downward, as if in shame; and the leaves

 

1See the Catholic Engyclopedia, Vol. I, pp. 553-
55. St. Anthony Is credItEd with giving the great initial
impetus to the monastic movement, having withdrawn from
society in about 270 A. D., and remaining a recluse almost

continuously until his death, ca. 356, at the age of 105

years.
.Antonius is also pictured on Faustina again with

a dog beside him.

2'Seeing my troubles.‘

300

43/13

appear at irregular spots on the down-sweeping branches,
rather than uniformly spaced. The top of the tree is split,
showing three leaves to the left and four to the right

of the trunk. The inscription on the trunk of the tree]:

Vices ar growyng euer downe;

be froyt is mannes dampnacion.

[The banner intersecting the base of the tree
reads]:

be rote of bis tre downe springand

Is pride bat synnes is vpberand.

[Again reading in clockwise order, from the
lower left of the page, the seven branches, each with
seven leaves, are labelled]:

Couetyse: Rauyn, Traytury, Okyr,l Symony, Man—
sweryng, Thefte, Fraude; Ire: Boluyng of boght, Indig-
nacioun, Wodnes, Hateredyn, Gret noyes, Blasfeme, Stryfyng;
Glotony: Vnclennes, Mikil speche, Foule conscience,
Drunkynhede, Outragenes, Harlotry, Dulnes Of witte;
Lychery: Vnconsideraucon, Incontinence, Fleschly luf,

» Castyng downe, ioy of ille, vnstabilnes, Torment o be
‘warlde; Slewthe: Lyghthede, Erryng in be faythe, Lefyng
of gode, Despayre, Heuynes, Idelnes, Wauyryng of boght;
JPryde: Presumpcioun, Rosyng, Discorde, anaythfulnes,

Ypocrisy, Frawardnes, anuxsumnes; Inuy: Bakbytyng,

 

l'Usury'.

301

43/14

Sorow in welfare, on in yll fare, Manslaghtyr, Fals re-

profe, Ilfyndyng, Ouerleyng. [f. 48r]

In bis wod here may bou se
Spryngand full fayr a nother tre
Wyth leues on ilka syde be dene,
bat wynter and somer is ay grene,
And beres froyte bat is ay rype,
bat nane bot meke with hend may grype.
bis is be tre of medenes gode

bat Our Lady vnder stodel
In mouthe mekenes schew itt may
Thurgh four thynges bat I sall say:
Thurgh oft wreyng in schryft of ill,
Thurgh deuote prayer, loude or still,
Thurgh hert contynuel lowynge,

Thurgh gode schewyng and techynge.

In werk, mekenes may be sene

Thurgh four thynges bat here bene:
Thurgh whytyng of all bat dett 682

Thurgh lely3 body burionnes,4

 

l'Gode' and 'stode' are clear in 37049; Faustina
gives 'gude' and 'stude'.

2

 

'Is' is cancelled, and 'es' supplied.
3A figurative use: 'pure'.

4Faustina: 'buroinnes'. See 51V, line 7.

302

43/15

Thurgh wyrkyng of gode werkes namly,
Thurgh herd lyfe be flesch to chasty;
For when a man is penaunce lyfes,

And thurgh penaunce his flesch grefes,
And fleys delyte, and kepes hym chaste,
And forsakes1 bat be flesch lofes maste,
And chastis itt and puttis itt law;

ban may men mekenes in hert kaw.

bir tuelf degrese bat I now neuen,
Ledes uerry mekenes euen

Be thre partes and makes itt lyght

In hert, in mouthe, and Wark ryght.
Withouten bir tuelf in bir thre,

Verray mekenes may noght be.

bis tre floryschand bat bou sees;

Of mekenes is be tuelf degrees

bat in a meke hart fyrst begynnes,

And sythen Vp ward spredes and sprynges,
And beres be froyte bat ay is swete
And delycyous for to ette.

bis suld men sett in bair orch3arde,.

bat groves or clymbes2 to heuen warde,

 

1The scribe mistakenly stroked through the 's'
:fodlowing 'for', then cancelled the letter with a sub-
script dot.

2Ms.: 'clymles'.

303

43/16

And dyke itt with depe deuocioune

bat wynd of pryde dryfe itt not doune,

Ne stelel be froyte bat on itt groves,

Ne breke be braunches ne boghes.

[The illustration on 48V is of 'Mary Egyptiane',
d. about 421, who, after 17 years as a prostitute, was
converted while plying her trade among pilgrims aboard
ship en route to Jerusalem. She then retired to a soli—
tary life in Arabia for 47 years.2 She is entirely en-
shrouded in her long hair as she kneels in prayer before
a small inset at top left depicting the Blessed Virgin
seated with the baby Jesus on her lap. Mary of Egypt
speaks]:

O swet Mary, God's modyr clere,

I beseke be my prayer to here,

And bis warld I wil forsake,

And to lyfe mast me redy make.3

[Above, Mary says]:

If bou wil ouer flom Iordan go,

bou sal be safe fro lastyng wo.

[Beneath the figure of Mary of Egypt]:

 

1Very poorly written, the 'Ne' must be emended.
It bears little resemblance to the same word below.

2Catholic EncyclOpgdia, Vol. IX, pp. 763, 764.

3Following 'mast', which is dim and irregularly
written, 'I wil' is cancelled.

304

43/17

Mary Egypcine fourty 3ere and seuen

Dwelt in wildernes ful euen,

Doyng penaunce for hir trespesse

Seyng no man more ne lesse.

Now, swete Ihesu, bou gyf vs grace

To mende our lyfe whils we hafe space.

[Written clockwise around the illustration, from
lower left]:

be tyme bat I of my mysdede

And of my trespas me repentt;

Into wyldernes I 3ede,

To suffer penaunce and tOurment.

My hare to hape me was my wede;

Amange be risse me raffe and rentt;

A monk bat Iosmasl hight in lede;

To my endyng God hym sentt. [f. 48V]

[The Tree of Virtew on f. 49r has the customary
banner at the base and vertical inscription on the trunk.
Unlike the previous trees, however, there are six large
leaves in either side of the trunk, and the labels are

more lengthy]:

 

lSt. Zosimus, who, according to tradition, served
Mary of Egypt the Blessed Sacrament exactly one year
prior to her death; then returned to find her corpse at
the spot. Ibid., p. 763.

305

43/18

Noght to luf bi propir wille; To be pacient in
hard and scharp binges for obedience; To trow and graunt
bat bou art vnworthy to al binges; TO lif aftir be comon
lyfe of be place; Noght to be oft redy in laghynge; To
schewe meknes in hert and in body with mylde lokyng; To
speke fonel wordes and resnabil and noght crying; To
halde be stil bot if bou be askede; To trow and hald be
wars ban any Obir; Verry schrift Of bi synnes; To be
buxum and obedient to alle men; To kepe be ilk houre fro
syn, with drede of God.

[On the banner at the foot of the tree]:

be rote of meknes bat bou sees

Schotes oute of hym bir trees.

[The vertical writing on the tree trunk]:

be twelffe degres Of meknes
Growes in be tre bat here is. [f. 49r]
3itt groves here in bis wylldernes
A tre of grett wykkednes
bat beres froytte bitter als gall,
bat itt tastes itt poysonus all.
bo man bat thoght hym for to schryfe,
Braunches and boghes a way suld ryfe,
For pride agaynes God weres all ways,

And his godes, als clerkes says;

 

1Faustina: 'foine'.

306

43/19

And God weres agayn pryde,

And abates hir myght on ilka syde.
Pryde is quene of all vyces

bat to al wykkednes vs entices

bat all gode swelous as I gesse.l
Pryde for does all grace and vertose,
And all gude2 werkes bat men dose.
Pryde is be fyrste bat asayles faste
Goddes knyght and leues hym laste.
Pryde is be gredy 1yonesse3

For when he has ouercommen ryght,

All other synnes thurgh grace and myght,
ban commes pryde after bat4 victory
And assayles hym maste stalworthly,
Pryde makes a man to wyn hell sone,
And wastes all be gude bat he has done.
Pryde makes men hey state to convayte,

And mastry ouer all other to layte.

 

1The fifth line below should be inserted follow-
ing 'gesse'. It is so found in Faustina, preserving the
rhyme scheme.

2'All' and 'gude' are inverted in the text. This
is indicated by the usual double set of short parallel
lines stroked at an angle above and before the words.

3The ms. does not indicate in any way that this
line is misplaced.
'f
4Bunched all together, the ms. shows 'PQ'; evi-
dently the 'e' is cancelled.

307

43/20

Bott pride, as clerkes in bokes cane rede,
May be for done thurgh gyfte of drede.1
bis spryngand2 tre bat bou now sees,
Of pryde is called be tuelfe degrees.
be fyrste in proude hert festes his rotes,
And sythen vaarde his boghes schotes.
Grub and graue als gode gardynere

Abowt be rote bath day and 3ere,

And fell itt doune3 in to be fyre;

Heuen bar for sall be bi hyre.

Unto bi Lorde, if bou be trew,

In his erbere latt it noght grew;

In to his gardyne when he will ga,

His dyssporte bar in to ta.

[On this page the illustration is the 'Scala
celi', with a nine-rung ladder reaching from the monk
below to the angel with spread wings at the top. Pro-

gressively upward the rungs are labelled]:

 

1This line is entirely omitted in Faustina.

2Written 'spreyngand', with the cancelling dot
beneath the 'e'.

3Apparently first written 'douse'; then an 'n'
was superimposed upon the 's'. Faustina reads 'downe'.

308

43/21

Humiliacione, Conuersacione, Meditacione, Con-
tricioune, Confession, Satisfaccion, Orison, Deuocion,

Contemplacion.l [f. 49V]

[Again, the tree on 50r has but twelve leaves,
evenly divided on the right and on the left, with the
banner beneath reading]:

Oute of be rote of pride growes

bir degres set in be boghes.

[Vertically on the trunk of this tree]:

be twefe2 degres of pryde here

In a lefe ilk one grows sere.3

[The twelve leaves contain these inscriptions,
again in clockwise order from lower left]:

A fredom of synynge; Feyned Confession; Surquid-
ry;4 Syngularite; Vnmesurd gladnes; Curiosite; Lightnes
of boght; Rosynge; Auawntyng; Defence of defawtes;

Rebellyng in sufferaynes and in sisters; Custom of

synne. [f. 50‘]

 

1On the corresponding page, Faustina pictures
'Marie Magdalene'.

2'Twelve'.

3Written, and cancelled, above this line: 'be
twelfe degres of pride growes/ bir degres set in be
boghes.‘

4A form of pride.

309

43/22

In bis deserte is a nother tre
Sprynges and spredes as men may se,
bat nother groves in cite ne in towne,
Bott in places Of relygioune.

Itt beres froyte bat is full soure
And full bytter of sauoure;

For be state of relygioune

Suld be thurgh right intencioune,
Far fra be werld, als be boke telles,
Als in deserte whar1 na man dwelles;
For he bat kepes bat wele

be maners of be werld suld not fele,
For man thurgh right intencioune
bat is in be state of relygioune

Ay bis werld suld hate and fle,

bat is ay full of vanyte,

Swa bat his conuersacioune be

In heuen2 before be trinyte,

For he sult putt all his tresore

In heuen bat sekyrest is bar fore;
Swa may he ban his tresore saue,
And in heuen itt fynd and haue.

be tresore of men relygiouse

 

1The 'h' is very dimly careted in.

2Phil. 2:20.

310

43/23

Is poruertt bat is preciouse,

If itt come of a gode will

Withouten gruchyng loude or styll.
Bott be relygiouse bat loues his saule
Suld take insampell at Saynt Paule,
And als he dyd be werld forgett,

And all bat may relygioune lett.

bir ar be tuelfe abusyouns

bat groves in relygiouns;

bis tre suld bai nyght and day

Be a boute to hew a way,

With his boghes and with his braunches
bat in relygioune makes dystaunces
Whar be saule suld duell in wildernes
bat has forsaken be werkes of be flesch.
bis tre has poysound1 and broght doune
Many a man Of relygioune.

[The top portion of the illustration on 50v de-

picts Mary Magdalene between two angels; directly below

is the verse, and at the bottom is a small chapel. Both

Faustina and Stowe also give this illustration--the

former on 6v and the latter on 14V. The verse]:

 

1The 'y' is very poorly drawn, resembling a

thorn more than the conventional 'y'.

311

43/24

In wildernes dwelt thyrty 3ere

Mary Mawdleyn vnknawen clere;

And seuen howres of be day

Was borne Vp, be sothe to say,

With angels into be ayer ful clere,

bir heuenly melody to here.

bus in contemplacion God hir dyd fede,

bat of erthly mete sche had no nede. [f. 50v]

[Six leaves hang downward on each side of the
tree on Slr. The inscription in the banner at the base]:

be rote of bis unthrifty tree

Spredes of hym bis ill men3e.

[This couplet is written vertically on the trunk
of the tree]:

bir ar be twefe Abucions

bat growes emange religiounes.

[Following the order of previous pictures, the
leaves of the tree]:

Dissolucion in be qwere; New tydynges in cloyster;
Ane habyt preciouse; A mownke1 courtyoure; A 3ong man
ydill; A prelate negligent; A discipyl inobedient; Ane
ald man obstinate; A mounke pleture; Mete dayntyvos;
Strifyng in be chapitoure; Vnreuerence abowte be awtere.

[f. 51‘]

 

l . .
Written first as 'monke', and cancelled.

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43/25

3itt groves here in bis wildernes
A tre of gret wykkednes.

In tuelfe degrees of bis werlde
Als ilka day is sene and herde,

be rotes of bis tre sees men sprede
Ouer all be werld on lengh and brede.
In hey states bis tre buriounes,
And all be werld swa confundes,

For be bis werld is our passage

By be whilk we make pryualage,

For be bis way behoues gange;

Bott be wele ware we ga not wrange.
Certis bis werld is nothyng elles
Bot wildernes bat men in dwelles,
And a stede of wrychednes,

Of trauels, angers bat ay here es,
Of payne, of syn and of foly,

Of senschypp and of velany,

Of lettyng and of taryinge,

Of frawardnes1 and of scornynge,

Of fylth and of corrupcioune,

Of violence and of opprescioune,

Of gyllori and of falshede,

Of tresone, discorde and of drede,

 

l'Of' is anticipated, and follows 'frawardnes';
it is cancelled .

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43/26

Of pompe and pryde and couatyse,

Of vayne sleght and of qwayntyse.1

In bis werlde noght els2 we see,

Bot wrychednes and vanite.

bis is be tre bat groves not euen,

For itt groves dounward fra heuen;

be same tre bat no froyte walde bere

When itt was watterd all a 3ere.

bis tre called Austyn in his sermouns

be tre Of tuelfe abusyouns,

bat groves and spredes in bis werlde here

In tuelfe degrees3 both fer and nere.

be4 froyte of bis tre oft has marred

And poysound many men of be werld

bat has bene in any degree

Wryten in leves of bis tree.

[A monk, probably St. Antonius once more, sits
with his dog, looking upward toward an angel, which
holds an Open book with the following Latin inscription]:

Vir fidelis coronabitur 33 celis Humilis5 homo

 

triumphat 39 deo.
l

 

 

'Wisdom', 'skill'.

2'See' is anticipated; 'se' has been written and
cancelled after 'els'.

3'Fer' was anticipated and written before 'de-
grees'; then cancelled.

4Following 'be', 'rott' is written and cancelled.

5A minim is omitted, leaving the word 'hunilis'.

314

43/27

[Above the monk's head, between his figure and
the angel]:

bis warld for Cristes luf I forsake,

And in wildirnes myne abydyng I make,

Penance for to do for my trespes

And for my synnes, both more and les. [f. 51v]

[Although the twelve leaves on the tree of 52r
do not have the pronounced droop seen in the previous
trees of evil, there is a decided downward slant. In
clockwise order, the leaves are labelled]:

Pepyl withouten rewle; A pore man prowde; A
lord withouten vertew; A riche man with outen almos; Ane
ald man with oute religion; A bischop negligent; Ane
ald man withouten gode warke; A 3ong man vnbowxsum; A
woman with outen Clennes; A man stryfynge; A wikkyd kynge;
Pepyll withouten lawe.

[On the banner at the bottom Of the tree]:

be rote bis tre sprynges,

bis yll compeny forth brynges.

[Vertically on the trunk]:

bir ar be twelfe abucyons hard
bat ar growyng in be warld. [f. 52r]
In bis wyldernes here groves
A tre bat has fourtene boghes,

Seuen on be right syde for to rede,

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43/28

bat are be seuen poyntes of be godhede,1
And seuen apon be left syde, bat es

Seuen poyntes of be manhede of his flesch.
bir ar ground of be trouth to se,

bat founded is in be Trynite,

For why als be apostell telles,

Criste in be trouth ay duelles,

Ande be trouth is in be thoght,

And thoght is in be hert broght,

And be hert is within be breste,

And be body aboute itt neste;

Ande bat is be warde of be castell

Of be herte whar trouth2 suld duell,

For men suld on bis maner wirke

Thurgh be trouth and be noght irke.

Right trouth, als says bis clerkes,

Is begynnyng of all gode werkes.

Trouth withouten werkes is ded;3
Of all gude werkes itt is be hed.
Thurgh werkes anly na man may,

Withouten trouth, God wele pay;

 

1Faustina. 'bat is seuen pointes of be crede.‘

 

2Written 'trought'; the 'g' is cancelled.

3A reference to James 2:26, 'Faith without works
is dead.‘

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43/29

barfore we suld trow in mynde

In his manhede of our kynde,

For men suld trow with all bar myght
In his manhede, day and nyght;

bat Ihesu Criste, Of myghtes maste,
Was consaued thurgh be Haly Gaste,
And1 of a Virgyn Mary borne,

Elles had we a1 bene for lorne;

And for to trow arly and late

bat Criste tholed vnder Pounce Pilate
Mikell reproue and vilany,

And ded thurgh be Iues' envy,

And als swa as I schew 3ow now,

In all haly kyrke to trow,

And we sall trow if we vs kepe

To commun with all haly felawschepe.
bis tre be houes be rotede wele

In our faith, if we will fele,

And2 taste be froyte of itt in heuen,

bat is be ioy bat name kane neuen.

[A man seated in white occupies the lower half

of the illustration on 52V. Bearded, he wears a brown

 

1Omitted from the regular line, an ampersand is

Written in the margin preceding this verse.

2Following 'And', 'sta' has been written and

cancelled .

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43/30

head covering, and holds an Open book in his lap. On
his breast are the letters '133'. At the extreme lower
right the name 'Richard Hampole' appears, rubricated.
The hand is very similar to, if not identical with that
of the verse written beneath the figure]:

I syt and synge

Of luf langyng

bat in my breste is bred;

Ihesu my kynge and my ioyinge,

When wer I to be ledde.

[A choir of six angels at the top of this illus-
tration sings]:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,

Dominus deus omnipotens.

['Hampole' is seated inside a cubicle with tall
spires. These words appear between the spires]:

Armonia; Odas; Canora. [f. 52v]

[Fourteen leaves grow from the tree on 53r. They
have a slight upward slant]:

To trow be Trynyte thre in persons, and one in
beynge; To trow be Fadyr vngetyn; To trow be Son onely
99tyn4 To trow be Holy Gost not getyn, ne vngetyn bot
fro bothe passyng; Maker of heuen and erthe; In a1 holy
kYli‘ke; Commonyng of halows; To trow he sall cum to deme;

To trow he sty to heuen; To trow he rose fro ded to life;

TO trowe he went to helle; To trow he sufferd dede; To

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43/31

trow he was borne of a mayden; To trow in his incarna-
cion.
[At the base of the tree]:
be rote of bis tre for to wirke
Is festynd in al holy kirke.
[On the trunk of the tree, this inscription]:
bis is be first tre and also be last
bat in oure fayth sadly suld be feste. [f. 53r]
Itt standes bar in bis foreste fayre,
A tre bat groves Vp into be ayre;
[And]1 has2 fourtene braunches bryght,
Seuen on be leftsyde, and seuen on be right.
be rottes of bis tre euer to last,
In haly kyrke er festend fast,
And in be hertesof haly men
bat couaytes vertuse to kene
Of be poyntes Of trouth bat men to tentes
Hynges al be seuen sacramentes,
In be whilk men aw to trow,
bat in be tre3 groveand ar now:

Baptem fyrste is called ane,

1The left margin is very closely trimmed, and
the first word must be supplied.

2Written 'as', and cancelled.

3'Kyrk' was first written, then cancelled.

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43/32

bat is taken at be fountstane;-

be secunde is to vnderstande
Confermyng of byschope hande;

be thyrd is penaunce, mare or les;

be ferth is1 be sacrament of be mes;
be fyft is ordur of gret myght;

be sext is matrymone ryght;

be seuent is last a noyntynge.

bir seuen in our trouth suld hynge
With haly werkes bat strenghes2 wele,
And gode vertus3 als we may fele,

And namely with bir vertus Seuen

bat in bis tre groves vaard euen,
bat is, fayth, hOpe, and charyte,

And sleght bat thurgh grace bus be4
Rethfulnes, strenght and ryghtwisnes,
Thurgh whilk ilk gode man gouernd es;
bir three deuyne vertus men calles,
And bir four efter cardynalles.

Dyuyne men calles be fyrst thre

1'be' is anticipated, and written before 'is';
then cancelled.

2Written without the 'h' at first; the omitted
letter is careted between '9' and 'e'.
3'And 5' precedes 'vertus', and is cancelled.

4Faustina also gives 'grace bus be'.

320

43/33

Fayth and hope and charyte,l

For bir thre ordayns specialy
All be hert to God all myghty.
He bat had bir vertus all,
A perfite man men myght hym call,
For why he suld be in gode wharte,2
And ay at rest in pees of herte,
ban suld hym faylle here nathyng
bat gode ware to his lyuyng.
bis is be tre of be sacramentes,
And be vertuse bat men to tentes,
bat men sall excuse and saue,3
And bryng to blys als God4 vouchesaue.
[Faustina also identifies the figure which matches
the illustration here as that of John the Baptist. A
man Clad in a hairy garment stands with a small lamb and
a cross-staff held in his left arm. He is barefoot. He
wears a cloth robe over his hairy garment. Above him is
written]:

Sanctus Iohannes Baptista vocatur Helyas raconne5

 

1I Cor. 13:13.

2'Health.'

3 . .

FaustIna: 'baI sall men excuse and saue.‘
4 .
FaustIna: '...as gud vouchesaue.‘

SWritten raconne; apparently the scribe's form
0f ratione .

321

43/34

I C I 1 O 0
SItus, quIa ambo 39 deserto. Raconne VIctus qpla ambo

 

victus para. Raconnel cultus, ggia ambo vestitu inculti,

 

 

O I I I O 2 I
Raconne1 OffIcII, guIa ambo precursores, cqus Ille

 

 

 

 

 

 

precursor indites, Iste saluatoris:etc.

Sayn Ion Baptist in to desert gun fle,

To forsake be warld's vanyte,3

And serifed ber God in gret straytnes

In puttyng his body to dystres;

For wyne ne sydir he drank none,

And he with scharpe clethyng was ouer begone.

In sawmpyl berfore at hym we take:

bis warldes lust and vanyte to forsake. [f. 53v]

[Fourteen leaves adorn the tree of virtues on 54r]:

Matrymony; Ordyr, Anoyntyng; Howsyllyng, or com-
momone;4 Penaunce; Confermyng; Baptyme; Faythe; Hope;
Charite; Prudence; Strenthe; Rightwisnes; Temporance.5

[At the base of the tree, this inscription]:

be rote of bis tre bat here growes,

Oute of hym schotes bir virtews.

 

1Written raconne; apparently the scribe's form
of ratione.

2Written 'suius.‘

3The 'a' has been careted into the word.

4The Communion, or Eucharist.

5This interesting juxtaposition of the seven

sacraments and the seven virtues also appears in Faustina
and Stowe.

322

43/35

[In the trunk of the tree]:
be seuen sacraments seere,

And be vertews ar spryngand here. [f. 54r]

Here in bis foreste and in bis fryrthe,l
Groves a tre bat getes men gryrthe

be tre of mercy, men itt calles,2

And of pite bat to all Cristen falles.
Of be tre of mercy, als telles clerkes,
On ayther syde groves seuen werkes;

On be right syde, gastey'sprynges,

And on be lyft syde, bodely hynges,

be whilk I will rekken on raw

be gastely werkes ar to knaw3

be fyrst gastely werke es4

To cownsayle5 baim bat ar redeles;

be secunde es at vnderstande,

To teche and lere be vnconande;

be thyrd werk als swa es bis,

 

1The rhyming words are spelled 'firth' and
'girth' in Faustina.

2 .

FaustIna reads:
be tre of mercy men it callis righte,
And of pite also it highte;

3'Kaw' is deleted; 'knaw' supplied.

4'Is' is deleted; 'es' supplied.

5Faustina gives 'comforth', which is emended to
'counsair in the margin.

323

43/36

To chasty baim bat dose a mys;

be ferth is to do solase

And comforth baim bat anger hase;
[b]e fift es here for to forgefe1
[b]aim bat vs hase done forgrefe;
[b]at sext es in herte2 to haue pite
Of baim bat we in anger se;

be seuent is withouten fayntes

To pray ilk day for our enmys.

On be left syde sprynges other seuen
bat ar bodyly werkes to neuen;

Twa es hungry and thyrsthy to fede,
With mete and drynke bat has nede;
be thryde es ay when nede ware,

To cleth baim bat ar naked and bare;
be ferth, als men vnderstandes,

To viset be ligand in Godes bandes;
be fift es pore men to herbar,

And pore pilgryms bat walkes far;

be sext es als in boke is founden,

To vysett presouns bat ar bounden;

be seuent es to bery be ded;

 

1Faustina: the rhyming is '...forgife,/and
'...hafe done grife;'.

2
deleted.

'Hase' anticipates 'haue' erroneously, and is

324

43/37

Ie saules in payn may stand in sted.

Als men may here in sentence say,

God hym seluen on dome day,1

When he sall deme to hell or heuen

Ifir werkes Of mercy sall be neuen.

[The marginal picture on 54V depicts a monk seated
beneath a tree. At the top of the tree is a nest, within
which a large bird stands above her young, pricking her
breast to feed them on her flood. Although labelled a
pelican, it bears no resemblence to that bird, having a
short, narrow and sharp beak and a long, slender body.
Above the drawing]:

be pylicane hir blode dos blede,

berwith hir byrds to fede.

So Ihesu Criste Opon be rode

For vs sched his precious blode. [f. 54V]

[Matching the text of the poem-on 54v, the tree
illustrated on 55r shows on its fourteen leaves the seven
spiritual and seven corporal fruits of the tree of mercy]:

To pray for oure enmys; To hafe pyte of men in
dysese; To forgyf be trespesande; To comforth be sorowful;

1k) chasty mysdoers; To teche be vnconnynge; To counsel

 

1The final three lines in Faustina:

bat Gode selfe on domes dai
bere wordes of mercy fall neuene
When he sall deme to hell and to heuene.

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43/38

be redles; To fede be hungry; To gyf be thristy drynke;
To clethe be nakyd; To herber be howsles; To viset be
seke; To viset prisonners; To bery be dede.
[The couplet at the bottom]:
be rotes of bis gastly tre
Is mercy, pyte and charite.
[The couplet on the tree's trunk]:
Pe seuen gostly warkes here growes,
And be seuen bodely in bir bowes. [f. 55r]
Here groves in bis forest a tre
bat Crist sett thurgh his sciens sle
On be mounte of Synay for to grew
Bath1 in be ald law and in be new.
be rote of bis tre is full swete,
And full delycius for to ete
bat ar be commaundmentes ten
bat ar boden to all Cristen men.
be first is withouten erroure
bat bou sall na fals goddes honoure;
be secunde is trew and certayn,
bor sall noght take Godes name in vayne;

be thryd is, bi haly day bu kepe;

 

l'be ro' was first written, then cancelled. It
anticipates the line following. With the correction,
the text agrees with Faustina.

326

43/39

be ferth, bi fader and moder worschepe;
be fift, bou sla na man wilfully;

be sext, with na woman do foly;

be seuent, stele noght bat other men's es;
be aghtent, bere no fals wittnes;

be neyent, loke bou covayt noght

bi neghbur wyfe thurgh dede ne thoght;
be tent, couait noght whar bou gase,
Na thyng bat bi neghbur hase.

bir ten commaundmentes on raw

Ar taken oute of be ald law,

And closed in twa of be new,

bat in be rote bou se grew

bat is, bou lufe God bat be boght

With all bi hert and all bi thoght,
And all bi vertu and bi witt,

And all bi mynde to gedyr knytt.

bis tre groveand standes ay nere

be course bat rennes fra be gode ryuere.
ber for he gyfes in gode sesoune

His froyte to ilka nacioune.l

be froyte bat groves apon bis tre

Was gyfen to Moyses meine

bat dulled in wildernes

 

1Revelation 22:2.

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43/40

Was fourty 3ere and na les.
bis tre is roted swa fast
bat na wynd doune may it cast.
If his rotes in bis forest
Stalworthly be knytt and fest,
ban may it spryng and spr[e]de1 and grew,2
And burion and bere fair froit and new.
[The picture here shows a monk kneeling beneath
seven labelled banners, each of which is to represent a
special gift of the Holy Spirit. The symbol of the Holy
Spirit, a dpve, perches upon each of the banners with
the exception of the second, 'pyte', whose dove is fly-
ing. From the top downward, the banners and gifts]:
be seuen giftes of be Holy Goste, bat is wisdome;
be gift of Pyte;
be gyft of strenthe;
be gyft of counsell;
be gyft of vndirstandyng;
be gyft Of connynge;

3

be gyft of drede. [f. 55V]

 

1The 'e' is omitted and not supplied.

2Faustina reads: '...sprede in fere,/ ...(froit
and) ful ere.

v 3Moses appears in all three mss. at later points:
13 1J1 Faustina, 21 in Stowe, and 66V in our ms. At
gone of these points does his appearance harmonize with
he text of the poem at that page.

328

43/41

[The tree on 56r has ten leaves, each one identi-
fied with one of the Ten Commandments. From the top
leaf, left, downward, then downward on the right]:

Hafe no God bot one;

Take not God's name in vayne;

Kepe wele bi haly day;

bi fader and moder worschip bou ay;

Sla bou no man;

Luf bi Lord God of al bi hert, of bi saule, and

of al bi vertew;

Syn bou noght with no woman;

Take no man's gode ne stele;

Bere no fals wittnes, bot lele;

Couet not bi neghbour wyfe;

Couet no gode bat he has;

And luf bi neghbour as bi selfe.

[Written on the banner at the bottom]:

be rote of bis tre here growande

Is be grownde of be Lawe to vnderstande.

[Vertically, on the tree trunk]:

bir two commaundements in bir ten,

In bis tre growes as bou may reken. [f. 56r]

In bis gastely foreste groves

A tre bat hase bot fyue boghes,

And fyue leves bat ay ar sene,

Wynter and somer elyke grene.

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43/42

If bis tre be sadly sett,

And fra enmys grathly gett,

bar is nathyng men saule may greve
Bott if bis tre graunt baim leve.
bir fyue leves hase Office sere,
bat men kepes on sere manere;

bis phylosofers bat war wyse,

Of baim spekes apon bis wyse;

Fra vanytes with all bi myght

bat ar valeffull, kepe bi syght;
Fra vnlefull heryng, bin eres

Kepe, and ditt man saule bat deres;
bi nese fra all vnlefulnes

Of smellyng wele kepe with stres;
Be wise in hert ouer all thyng,

To kepe bi mouth fra vayn spekyng;
Kepe bi fete fra wanton wayes,

Bath be nyghtes and be dayes;

Fra thyng bat is vnlefull

To kepe bi hend is nedefull.

All bat God bath lofes and hates,
In hert and oute, gase be bir 3ates.
bir ar be fyue nobill besaundes

bat our Lord be taght to his seruaundes,

bat whar a seruaunt of baim toke,

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43/43

And dowbell[ed]l baim, als says be boke.
He gafe hym powere and hym made
Keper ouer ten citees brade.2

A castell mannes hert here is called,

bat with vertuse wele is walled,

Or els a cite bat hase gates;

bir fyue be takens be 3ates

Be be whilk men gase oute or in,

Or bai be cite lose or wyn.

For if yaites of any cite

Be wele sperd, als bai suld be,

bar is na enmys bat may dere

Nane bat within be cite ere.

[The picture on 56v shows a monk kneeling upon
the ground under an angel, who holds an inscribed banner.
The inscription]:

Qui bonum operatur,

 

3 Deo benedicatur.

 

[Beneath the monk]:
For to kepe my fyfe witts clene and fre,
In to wildyrnes God to seryf I flee. [f. 56V]

[As the text Of the poem on 56V indicates, the

 

lThe suffix is omitted; Faustina gives 'dowbeld'.

2Based upon Jesus' parable in Luke 19:11-27.

331

43/44

tree on 57r has but five leaves, each treating one of
the five 'witts'. In clockwise order, from lower left]:
Of mouthe vnleful tastyng;
Of eene vnleful seyng;
Of eres vnleful heryng;
Of neyse vnleful smellyng;
Of fete and hende vnleful towchyng.1

[The banner at the base of the tree]:
be rotes of bis tre for to rest

In man's hert ar sadly fest.

[The inscription on the trunk of this tree is a
quatrain, written in two vertical lines]:

Here growes a tre of leefes fyfe

bat euer elyke is grene;

It is be tre for to dyscryfe
Of be fyfe inwytts Clene. [f. 57r]
In bis forest 3itt groves a tre,
Als telles be boke of pryuete,
bat God bat is maste of myght
bus says to hym bat kepes itt ryght,
I gyfe to ate with outen stryfe

Of be froyte bat sprynges of be tre of lyfe

 

1A similar treatment may be seen in C. Horstman's
"Sins of the Five Wits", Minor Poems 93 the Vernon 33,,
Part II, p. 35.

 

332

43/45

bat standes in myddes Paradyse,l
Itt. passes all be froyt of pryse;
And he bat kepes noght bis tre,

Of bat gude froyt sall noght se,
For wha sa is synfull and ill,

bir thre names he beres be skill:
Godes thefe and thefes fere,

And mortherer of his doghter dere,
And Godes traytour men hym calles,
be synfull man bat in syn falles.
First, God thefe he may be knawen,
For he wastes bat is noght his awen,
bat he hym tok to kepe and welde,
Of be whilk hym buse a counte 3e1de;
Mortherer he hym self mase,

bat thurgh syn his saule slase;
For God ordayned it to blys

bat thurgh grace his doghter ys;
Godes traytour he is be resone,
For he dose God grett tresone
When he 3e1des to be fende haly,
bat is Godes maste enmy,

be castell of his hert so qweme,

 

and 19.

lRevelation 22:1,2, with inferences from vv. 14

333

43/46

be whilk God toke hym for to 3eme,

For he bat in schryfe his hert lawes,

Spekes to God bat itt wele knawes,

For be preste bat is of schryfte herer,

In schryfte is called Goddes awn er.

bis tre sprynges of a mannes hert

bat vn to God is convert

Fra all wikkednes and his synnes

When he with sare herte on baim mynnes,

And schryfes hym clene and tase pennance,

And for baim haues verray repentaunce,

And thynkes na mare to do ba synnes.

bis tre to florysch ban be gynnes;

be froyte is satisfaccioune

bat commes oute of confescioune.

[A white-robed monk, with hood, kneels beneath
an angel, who holds a banner with an inscription, first
in Latin, then in English]:

Angelus: 33 ama dicit tibi deus. Non 39.33

 

amabitur p3r aliguem ipse amor tui presentem 33 facit.

 

Luf me, says God, for bat luf makes me present to be.
[f. 57"]

[The tree on 58r uses a different technique from
those preceding: each of the six branches has three
leaves, illustrating the thought of the inscription on

the branch itself]:

334

43/47

bir thre beres vp schryft: Satisfaccion, Con-
tricion, Confession;

bir thre lets schrift: Drede of penaunce, Dy—
spayre, Schame of syn;

bir thre amendes syn: Prayng, Faystyng, Almusdede;

bou synnes in bir thre: Thynkyng, Wirkyng, Spek-
yng;

Syn begynnes in bir thre: Suggestion, Consentyng,
Delytyng;

Our thre enmy: be flesche, be warlde, be fende.

[The top of the tree sends forth three leaves
which are labelled]: ‘

God; Oure neghbour; Oure selfe.

[On the banner at the base of the tree]:

be rote of bis tre ban begynnes

To grow when men lefes bair synnes.

[The couplet written vertically on the trunk of
the tree]:

bis tre may be gode reson
Be called be [tre]1 of confession. [f. 58r]
In bis forest groves a nother tre
bat in wyldernes sprynges full hee,

be whilk tre als I vnderstande,

Sathanas sett itt with his hande.

 

l'Tre' is omitted, and not supplied.

335

43/48

In be fyrst braunche bu may se

Sex thynges bat ar gode to fle;

bir sex ar full mykell in vse

bat gode begynnyng of lyfe for does.
Ane is dasynes of hert anelny;

be secunde is tendernes of body;

be thryd2

is idelnes of man in qwart;
be ferth is hevines of hert;

be fift is lythernes3 of hert within;
be sext is arghnes4 to be gyn.

Other sex in a braunche ar sett,5

Als tariyng and reklesnes,

Sone forgetyng and slawnes,

Lachenes, alswa, and faylyng.

bir sex mase a grett lettyng.

Other sex ar spryngand ban

bat till ill endyng brynges a man,

 

lA badly written line. 'itt' is cancelled after

KAne', as in a false start on 'dasynes'--'dasa'. Faustina
gives the final word 'anely'.

2First written 'thyrde', and cancelled.

3'Wickedness'.

4'Neglect'.

5These lines interrupt the regular flow of coup-
The scribe has bracketed rhyming lines throughout;

he uses a special symbol to call attention to the
s which are separated by three couplets, a marginal
a marginal 'b' occurs seven lines later.

336

43/49

bat amendment of life may lett.1

bir ar ba sex bat ar noght gode:
anuxsumnes and vntholemode,

Gruchyng alswa, and drerynes,

Langour, wanhOpe bat werst es.

bir sprynges and spredes on ilka syde
Oute of be tre bat is called accyde,

bir ar be vices aghten to knaw

In whilk men falles bat ar slaw,

For be fende thurgh idelnes can

Lett be gude lyfe of a man,

And occupie hym in his nedes

If he fynd hym idell in gode dedes.

bis tre, with braunches and with boghes,
And with leves bat on hym groves,

Ware gode to grub and grave away

Oute of gastely gardyn for ay;

For itt is nawther gode ne abell

To bere thyng bat is perfectabell2
To man bat gode lyfe walde lede;

Itt sall hym fayle in his maste nede.3

 

1'Hinder'.
2Faustina: 'profitabill'.

3Faustina: 'For it will faile him in his nede.‘

337

43/50

[The picture on 58V has no writing. It shows a
brown-clad monk kneeling below a drawing of the cruci-
fixion, done on a gray-shaded shield. The background is
dotted with drops of blood, after the common order else-
where.] [f. 58V]

[The tree of vices on 59r has four deeply sagging
branches, two on each side. The lower branches have six
leaves; the upper, three. The lower branches are in-
scribed. There is no inscription on a small three-sided
shoot at the top of the tree. Branches and leaves read,
clockwise]:

bir sex lets gode lyfyng of life: Dasynes, Tend-
yrnes, Idilnes, Heuynes, Lythernes, Arghnes; Grutchyng,
Vnpacience, anuwxsumnes; WanhOpe, Langour, Drerynes;
bir sex lets amendement of lyfe: Tarying, Reklesnes,
Forgyttyng, Slawnes, Lachenes, Faylynge.1

[The banner at the base reads]:

be rote of bis tre may be called

Despayre of bat ar ouer balde.

[Vertically on the trunk is this couplet]:

bis tre bat bou may se spryng

Is be tre bat fordos gode lifyng. [f. 59r]

 

1Many of the leaves in Faustina are differently

labelled, or interchanged. 'Dasynesl and 'Idilnes' are
interchanged. 'Vnpacience' here is 'Untholmodnes', and
'Wanhope' and 'Languor' are interchanged. The leaves in
lower right read, successively, 'Faillynge', 'Slawnes',
'Lachenes', 'Reklesnes', 'Forgetting', and 'Tarynge'.

338

43/51

[In bis]l forest of delite2

[Growes a tr]e bat is full white

[And, clen]e3 and honest, day and houre,
[And flull delycious of savoure,

[A]pon be qwhilk be Haly Gaste

Makes duellyng for itt is chaste;

For chastite men calles right,

A tre of grete vertu and might,

be whilk has seuen degrece sere,

And seuen braunches spryngand here:

be fyrst degre is to be gyn

Clene consciens of hert within;

be secund aght to be full couthe--

bat is honest speche4 of mouthe;

be thryd is kepyng of be wittes fyfe;

be ferth is straytnes here of lyfe;5
be fift is felyng of ill company,
And be encheson of grete foly;
be.sext is gode occupacioune;

be seuent is prayer with deuocioune.

4.

1The tOp left corner is torn, damaging the first
five lines on 59V. The text is supplied by Faustina.

2Faustina: '...forest of grete delite.‘

3M3. torn; supplied from Faustina.

4First written 'spek', and cancelled.

5Faustina: '...straytnes in hert of lyfe.‘

339

43/52

Now will I schew efter my witt

be seuen braunches bat commes Of itt:
Ane is of maydens bat will fle
Flescly dede to bai maryd be;

be secund is of anlapy1

bat has bene filed and left foly;

be thryd is bas bat wedded bene;

be ferth is state of wydouse2 clene
be fift state is Of maydens schene,
bat whils bai lyfe thynkes schast to bene;
be sext state of clerkes may be,

bat ar ordand in haly degre;

be seuent als boke mas mencioune,

Is be state of men of religioune.
bis tre to men is full profytabill;
It festens bair herttes and mas~baim stabill
Als tre in be erth roted fast

bat wyndes ne stormes doune may cast.
bis is be gode tre of continence

bat men suld kepe with diligence

Fra fleschly filth bat itt may fyle,

And fra be fende bat has many wyle.

 

1An unmarried state.

2Wrong beginning; 'wo', is cancelled.

340

43/53

[The kneeling figure on 59V is that of a nun in
a dark brown habit, with a white hood. A white inner
garment shows beneath the Opening of the brown robe in
front. Above, the Virgin Mary stands with four angels
about her, two on each side. Beneath her is the in—
scription]:
O swete Virgyn, God's moder fre,
bow art be flowre of virginite;
bow grawnt me grace of bi godenes
To kepe me chaste and in Clennes. [f. 59V]
[The tree of chastity is drawn on 60r. Seven
branches, each with one large leaf, bear the inscriptions]:
Gode occupacion: Maydenhede keped to maryage;
Kepyng of be fyfe wittes: bat has be fyled and
left foly;
Clene conscience: be state of martirdom;
Prayer with deuocion: Maydenhede of lyfe;
Honest speche: Maydenhede of religious;
Straytnes of lyfe: Maydenhede of clerkes;1
Fleyng ill compeny: Chastite of wydows.
[On the banner at the bottom]:
be rote of bis tre bat is here seene
Sprynges in hert honest and cleene.

[On the trunk of the tree]:

 

1Faustina: 'Clergi'.

341

43/54

bis is be tre of chastite

bat sprynges and spredes in honeste. [f. 60r]
In bis forest a nother tre sprynges

bat many scharpe thornes forth brynges,

bat many prykes and makes wrath,l
bat deserues full litell schath.
Bot men may vnderstand and se
bar wikked tonge is be tre,

And be leves in haly writt

Is vnderstanden be wordes of itt,
And lange itt is to tell be2 talle,
All be leves grete and smale.

Bot men may ten braunches knaw

bat on bis tre groves hye and law,
And bas may be cald skill,

bir ten synnes bat I neuen will:
Idell speche and vayn a vauntyng,
Losengery and bakbiteyng,

Leyng and floryschyng3 thurgh ath,
Stryuyng and gruchyng bath,

Frawardnes and sclaunder to neuen,

 

word.

1A false start on 'wrath' ('war') precedes this

2Faustina reads: '...to tel bi tale,‘ which is

to be preferred.

3'For', a false start on 'floryschyng' precedes.

342

43/55

To God and to his halows in heuen;

Here may men se spryngand wyde

be tre of be tonge bat noght can hyde
bat men may call and halde be skill,

be tre of be tonge bat is ill;

And on bis tre ten leves hynges,
bat oute of wikked tonge sprynges,
be qwhilk may a man lede

To be pitt of hell bat is to drede.
bis tre beres full many leves

bat many sakles oft tyme greves;
bis is be tre bat God in yre

Bad hew doune and cast in fyre,l
For be froyte Of itt was full soure
And byske2 and bitter Of odoure.

A mange thornes bis tre sprynges,
For of itt commes alkyn synnes

bat dyseses bath man and wyfe.

bis tre sprynges now full ryfe;

Itt ware gode to hew itt doune

And putt itt oute of religioune,
And all swa oute of all be werlde,

For itt fra heuen has many marrede.

 

‘ 1

Based loosely on Matthew 7:17-19.

2 . .
Written 'baske'; the cancelling dot is written

beneath the 'a', and 'y' is written above the cancella-

tion.

343

43/56

[A kneeling, white-robed monk prays beneath a
shield, upon which are displayed the implements of Jesus'
torture. An angel stands above the shield, looking down-
ward upon the monk. The monk's prayer, written above
him and beneath the shield]:

Arme me, Ihesu, with bis schelde,

My faas bat I may fell in felde.

[Surrounding the entire illustration, written
in clockwise order about the sides and top]:

For heuen God sendes be here

A schelde to hafe in wildyrnes

TO feght when bou wendes into be felde;

bis scheld on be bou dres,

For it may gar bine enmys 3e1de,

baim both more and les.

be victory may bou welde

Be bis gere, as I gesse. [f. 60v]

[The tree of the wicked tongue, portrayed on 6lr,
produces ten drooping leaves]:

Leyng, Losyngery, Bakbytyng, Vauntyng,l Idel
speche, Floreschyng, Stryfyng, Grutchyng, Frawardnes,
Sclawnder.

[The label on the banner at the tree base]:

 

lThe scribe has unnecessarily inserted the 'n'
ix: 'vaunting'.

344

43/57

be rote of bis tre is growand

In hert wher inuy is spryngande.

[The vertical couplet on the trunk]:
bis tre spryngyng to behalde,

be tre of wykkyd tonge is calde. [f. 6lr]
In bis deserte sprynges a tre

bat spredes his boghes bath wyde and hee.
bis tre is called prowes be name;

Many braunches beres be same,

For prowes is a vertu pryse;

Itt mase a man hardy and wyse.

Seuen braunches has bis vertu,

And seuen leves of grete valu.

bir ar be braunches first to knaw,

And ay ar groveand on a raw:

Nobelnes of hert in ilk a chaunce,
Trayst bus sekyrnes and sufferaunce;
Stedfastnes bat mekyll may wayle,

And lastandnes withouten fayle;

Hunger and thryst of rightwisnes,

And ilk ane of bir a vertu es;

Bot seuen leves sprynges of itt,

bat men calles and haldes thurgh witt;
Seuen victories bat here awayles

Of seuen manere of batayles,

Thurgh qwhilk a man may not mys

345

43/58

Of seuen crounes in heuen blys:

be fyrst batayle to be gynne

Is be batayle of dedely synne;

be secund is penaunce harde;

be thryd is of be flesch frawarde;
In be werld is be ferth and be fift twa,
bat ane is welth; bat other is wa;
be sext is wikked men and fell;

be seuent is be fende of hell.

bir ar called be seuen degrese

Of prowes bat a man may chese,

And seuen braunches of victory

bat men suld couayte for be maystry,
bat may hym lede be right way

To heuen blys, bat lastes ay.

bir bataylles suld a man a byde,
And fyght fast on ilk a syde,

And stande stalworthly in bat stoure;
God will hym helpe and socoure,

And sane and kepe hym and defende,
Fra be begynnyng vnto be ende.

[A monk in white kneels below a shield upon which

there is an unusual portrayal of Jesus' suffering: the

nailed hands are in the upper corners of the shield, and

the nailed feet in the lower. In the center is a large

.heart, pierced by a spear. Only these portions of the

346

43/59

body appear, and they are disconnected. The shield is
dotted with drops of blood. Above the shield is the
customary angel. There is no writing anywhere.] [f. 61V]

[The tree of spiritual battles has seven branches,
each with one leaf. Consecutively and clockwise, the
labels read]:

Lastandnes:1 Batell of wikkyd men;

Sufferaunce: Batell of be warld with welthes;

Traystyng: Batell of dedly syn;

Nobilnes of hert: Batell of penaunce;

[The leaves on the right side Of the tree are
labelled; the branches are not. On the leaves]:

Batel of be flesch;

Batell of be warld with wathes;

Batel of be fende.

[On the banner at the base of the tree]:

be rote of bis tre bat here sprynges

In gostly batel be baner brynges.

[Written on the trunk of the tree]:

Here growes a tre bat gracious es,

be whilk men calles be tre of prowes. [f. 62r]

In bis wylde foreste is a tre

Grovand bat gracius is to se;

 

lFirst written upside down, the scribe cancelled
the word, made the branch broader, and rewrote the word.

347

43/60

bis tre may be gode resoune

Be cald be tre of perfeccioune

bat groves in gastely lyuynge here,
And is grene all tymes of be 3ere.
Of perfite lyuyng tuelf degrese
Groves in be tre bat bu here sese:
Conuersion is be fyrst bat is herd;
be secund is despite of be werld;
be thryd is pouert of man and wyfe;
be ferth is settyng of gode lyfe;
Tribulacioune be fift is ban;

be sext is penaunce of man;

be seuent is orisone, as telles be text;
Meditacione be aghtent is next;

be neyent is lessone wysly soght;
be tente is Clennes of dede.and thoght;
be elleuent is lufe of Godes Sonn;
be twelfe is contemplacioun.

bir groves in ilk a man and wyfe,
bat thynkes to begyn perfite lyfe;
bis tre groves and festes his rotes
In meke hert bat vaard schotes

His leves, bat is to vnder stande
be vertu Of be contynuande.

bai sprede in vs if we baim kepe

Besely with deuocioune depe,

348

43/61

bat perfeccioune gers vs profe,
And on perfite lyfe to sett oure lofe,
And als be tre rotet in be erth fast
bat na tempest may itt doune cast,
Swa serues men God withouten fall,
For we suld be his seruandes all.
Sum begynnes God wele to pay,
And faylles lang or be terme day;
Bot he is worthy to haue na mede
bat wele begynnes and fayles in nede.
He groves noght in be tre of lyfe,1
For man bat wele endens2 sall wende
To ioie bat neuer sall haue ende,
Wheber itt be man or wyfe.
[Clad in white, a monk kneels beside a large
heart labelled 'Contemplacion', out of which grows a
tree with twenty leaves, all labelled. Above, Jesus
stands, holding his right hand under the wound of the
spear in his side, from which blood flows. An angel
stands on either side. The leaves Of the tree read]:
Reson, Meknes, Simpilnes, Prayer, Tractabilite;

Luf, Mercy, Charite, Fayth, Sobirnes, Drede, Hope,

 

1The scribe has again indicated alternately rhym-
ing lines here by writing an 'a' in the margin to the
left and a 'b' before the final line on the page.

2The scribe surely intended 'endes'.

349

43/62

Chastite, Pyte, Obedience, Stabilnes, Modenes, Desire,
Pouerte, Myldnes. [f. 62V]

[63r depicts the tree of twelve degrees Of per-
fection. Six leaves grow on each side, two from each
of three branches.1 The branches are unlabelled; the
leaves, from bottom left, clockwise, read]:

Penaunce, Tribulacioun, Setyng of gode lyfe,
Pouerte, Despisyng of be warlde, Conuersacioun, Prayer,
Meditacion, Redyng, Clennes of thoght, Luf of God, Con-
templacion.

[At the base of the tree]:

be rote of bis tre if it spryng

In stabil trowthe, behoues it hynge.

[On the trunk of the tree]:

bis is be tre of twelfe degres
Of perfyte lyfyng bat bou sees. [f. 63r]
In bis deserte 3itt groves a tre
Of tuelfe vertus, as men may se.
bis deserte call I noght elles
Bot gastely lyfe, als scripture telles.
When we forsake bis werldly dedes,

And gastely lyfynge lely ledes,

ban wende we vnto wildernes,

 

1The corresponding tree in Faustina shows all
branches and leaves individually, rather than paired.

350

43/63

Whare hard lyfynge and penaunce es.
bir ar be tuelfe degrese Of vertus
bat groves in be tre bat here feelus:
be first is verray trouth of Criste;
be secund is to be baptyste;

be thryd is fornycacione to fle;

be ferth is couetus noght to be;

be fift is glutoriel to refreyne;

be sext is penaunce withouten feyne;
Lastandnes be seuent is calde;
Hospitalite be aght we halde;

be neyent is godes to full fill;

be tent, to lefe our propur will;

be elleuent is chastite to spyr;

be tuelft2 is besynes of all bir.

bir grefe of vertus men3 may fynde
In be lyfe of Saynt Thomas of Ynde.4
bir tre has full swete sauour;

bis tre beres full many flour;

 

1A false start, 'glo', is cancelled. 'Gluttony'

OHG gluttire, 'to swallow'.

celled.

2Written 'tuelfet'; the erroneous 'e' is can-

3'Ma', anticipating 'May', written before 'men',

and cancelled.

4A common, ancient tradition sends the apostle

Thomas to India, where he ultimately died a martyr's

351

43/64

bis vertus a mannes hert ledes,

Swa bat he na parels dredes,

And settes itt in a traystyng fast,

And makes itt stabill and lange to last;
For he bat will vnder take

A gode way for God sakel

SO fast his hert sall be sett

On his purpose bat noght itt lett;

And for na thyng to be abayste,

Bot in God ay seker trayste

To full fill with all his myght

bat he has be gunnen ryght;

bat is, vertus for to chese

bat men2 may se grew in bir trese,

bat ledes men be way euen,

bat gase to be kyngdome of heuen.

[At the bottom of the illustration on 63v, be—
neath a man kneeling toward three angels, is this in-
scription]:

Abraham to God was der[e]

For kepyng Godes byddyng clere.

 

lFaustina gives 'Goddis sake'.

2For the second time in this poem, the writer
anticipates 'may', writing 'ma' before 'men'; he cancells
the error.

352

43/65

[Abraham prays, anachronistically]:1

With bis schelde, Ihesu me arme,

bat be fende do me no harme.

[The shield to which the prayer refers is drawn
at the top of the page. Three angels look down upon
Abraham, as if to attend to his prayer. Below the shield]:

Sanctum fidei.

 

[The shield has an unusual inscription. The three
points, top left, top right, and bottom center, are con-

secutively labelled Pater, Filius, and Spiritus Sanctus.

 

 

In the center of the shield is written 3399. Each of

the three corners is connected to the center by a channel,
in which is written 339. Similarly, each is connected to
the adjoining outer corners by a channel in which is
written 399‘339. Hence, the shield would read]:

Pater est Deus. Filius est Deus. Spiritus

 

 

Sanctus est Deus.

 

Pater non est Filius. Pater non est Spiritus

 

 

Sanctus. Filius non est Spiritus Sanctus.

[A poorly written poem appears continuously
about the illustration]:

Her God sendes be gastly gere

Agayns be wikkyd gaste;

 

1The appearance of the tree angels is a reference
to Genesis 18:1-22; in the first verse of this reference,
«one of the angels is identified as Jehovah.

353

printed

trunk.

43/66

be scheld of fayth bat bou may bere,

His myght it marres maste;

His fayndyngs sal be not dere;

If bou beron wil trayste,

bis wapynl worschip bou and were.

Fader, Son, and Haly Gaste. [f. 63V]

[64r shows the tree of twelve virtues, each
upon a leaf which grows directly from the tree
In clockwise order, they are]:

Penaunce, To refrene glotony, To fle couetyce,

To fle fornicacion, Baptym, Trowthe, Lastyngnes, Hospi-

talite,

To do God's will, To lefe Oure prOper wille,

Chastite, Kepyng of al bies.

[On the banner at the tree base]:

be rote of bis tre bat is grene

In gracious hert growyng is seene.
[Written on the tree trunk, vertically]:
be twelfe degres of virtues sere

In bis tre ar grawande here. [f. 64r]
bis tre groves in wildernes

Whare many rampand 1yon es,

bat ar fendes vgly and fell,

bat kepes bis tre bat groves in hell.

 

lOmitted by the original writer, 'wapyn' is

crowded into the right margin by the rubricator.

354

43/67

His froyte is bath bitter and soure

To baim bat tastes of his sauore

In saule and body bath to geder
Withouten ende when bai come bedyr.

bis is be tre Of paynes fourtene

In hell bat sall be felde and sene,

bat synfull sall be pyned with ay

In body and saule eftyr domesday:

be fyrst is fire full hate to reken,
bat na maner of thyng may slekken;

be secund is calde als says some,

bat na fire may ouer come;

be thryd payn is bath filth and stynke,
Stranger ban any hert may thynke;

be ferth is hunger, sharpe and strange;
be fift is thyrst, brenand omange;

be sext is so grete myrknes

bat itt may be1 graped, sa thyk2 itt es;
be seuent is be horrybell syght

Of deuels bat ar full vgly dyght;

be aght payn is vermyn grette

bat synfull saules sall gnaw and frette;

 

1'Be' is badly written, cancelled, and written
a second time.

2Ms.: 'fhyk'; not corrected.

355

43/68

be neyent is dynghyng of deles handl

With melles of iren hate gluand;2
be tent payn is gnayng within
Of consciens bat bites3 as vermyn;

be elleuent is hate teres of gretyng

bat baim sall scald4 in doune fallyng;

be tuelfe is schame and senschyng5 Of syn
bat bai sall haue bat neuer sall blyn;

be thritene is bandes Of iren bernand

bat baim sall bynde bath fote and hand;
be fourtene payne despayre is cald,

bat synfull men in hert sall hald.

bis is be tre of dampnacione

To ilk a synfull nacione;

When schame and senschipe6 dobell es

To saule and body in hell endeles.

 

lFaustina: '...dingginge of deuel's hande.‘
2Faustina: 'glowande';

3First written 'bittes'; the first 't' is can-
celled by subscript dot.

4Ms.: 'sold' is written and cancelled. The
margin, and Faustina, 'scald'.
5

A false start, 'schen', is cancelled.

6A false start, 'sel' is cancelled.

356

43/69

[The wide Open maw of a huge dragon fills the
bottom of the right marginal illustration on 64v. Into
his mouth are falling the doomed souls. The upper por-
tion depicts a hermit, garbed similarly to John the Bap—
tist on 53v in hairy garment, but without the outer robe,
and wearing a bishop's mitre. He kneels, facing an
angel which flies toward him from upper left. The angel
speaks after the hermit's opening quatrain]:

[Hermit]:

Comforth and indulgence I toke none,

To eghte and twenty 3ere was cummen and gone;

berfore blissed be God in in Trinite,

bat fro helle payne has safed me.

[Angel]: For bou has serfid1 God perseuerantly,

In heuen bis seete is ordand hye. [f. 64"]

[Page 65r suffers a severe rip in the left center
part Of the page. Nearly square, the tear has removed
two of the fourteen leaves Of the tree of Confusion, and
has left only a small portion of two other leaves. The
rip extends to the left side of the trunk of the tree,
and it measures over 2 1/2 inches on each side. The
missing words or letters are supplied from Faustina.

The leaves are labelled]:

 

l'Serifd' in the text.

357

43/70

Sigh[t of fendes]; [Blak mirknes]: [Christe
brinnande]: [Hunger scharpe and] strang; Fylth and
stynk; Calde bat noght may heet; Fyre bat noght be slek;l
Foule vermyn;2 Betynge of fendes; Gnawyng of conscience;
Hote teres of gretyng and wepynge; Schame and schenschyp
euerlastyng; Bandes of yren brynnynge; Payne and dispayre
Of al godenes.

[At the base of the tree is this couplet]:

be rote of bis tre sal grewe

In hell, wher paynes sal ay be newe.

[The inscription on the tree trunk differs from
the previous ones in that it is not a rhyme]:

bis is be tre of confusion bat saules sal hafe
in hell bat ill has done. [f. 65r]

Now groves here be last tre Of price,

bat sprynges to heuen fra paradice,

Whas froyt sall be to man and wyfe

Geuen in heuen efter his lyfe;

And all be ioyes and be bl[i]ssehedes3

bat men sall haue for bair gode4 dedes,

 

lFaustina: 'kele'.

2Initially written 'vy', and cancelled.
3The 'i' has not been supplied; Faustina: 'blissed-
nes'.

4A false start, 'gd', is cancelled.

358

43/71

Seuen blyses be body bere1 sall haue,
And seuen be saule bat sall be saue:
be first blis is brightnes2 cald,

bat saued bodis in heuen sall hald;
be secund blis is swyftnes,

bat bodis sall haue bat rightwis is;
be thrid blis is~strenght and myght
bat bodys sall haue in heuen bryght;
be ferth blis is fredome right,

bat bodis sall haue in heuenly sight;
be fift blis is lastand hele

bat saued bodis sall ay with dele;

be sexte blis is grette delite

bat bodis sall haue of men perfite;
be seuent blis is endeles lyfe

bat saued sall haue withouten stryfe;
be first blis be saule sall haue

Is wisdome to baim bat sall be saue;
be secund blis bat saules sall fele
With be bodis, als clarkes wate wele,
Sall be frenschipe and perfite loue,
Mare ban any man may proue;

be thrid blis, als men may rede,

 

1First written 'bair', and cancelled.

2A false start again: 'bli' is cancelled.

359

43/72

Is verray a corde and anehede;

be ferth blis sall be powere

bat saued saulles sall haue in fere:

be fifte blis is worschepe

bat saved saules sall ay kepe;

be sext blis sall be sekernes

bat saules sall haue bat saved es;

be seuent blis is ioye perfite

bat saules sall haue with grete delite.

bis tre sall florysch in heuen ryke,

Whar ioye and blis lastes euerelyke.1

Now pray we bath day and nyght

bat God graunt vs grace and myght

To taste be swete froyte of bis tree

Withouten ende in heuen hee.

[The severe tear mentioned on 65r has removed
the center from the illustration on 65v. At lower left
is a ladder with three rungs. It is labelled]:

be leddyr of heuen [and the rungs]: Fayth, Hope,
Charite. -

[In the lower right, a kneeling figure is labelled

'Heleseus prOpheta.' Beneath him is an inscription which

 

suggests that the missing portion of the drawing depicts

 

1Faustina: 'Whar ioye and blis sal laste ilike.'

360

43/73

Elijah's ascension to heaven in a chariot of fire (See
II Kings 2:11, 12), since this was the condition upon
which Elisha was to receive his requested 'dowbyl spyrit',
(See II Kings 2:9, 10). The inscription]:

3393;, my Fader myne, bou art be wayne of Israel

kend;

bi dowbyl spyrit in to me bou sende.

[Some writing remains outside the rip and beside
the missing portion of the illustration]:

Helyasl...]; With h[.........]; be propheta[.....]

[Above, Jesus is shown looking down from within
the confines of a medieval castleelike structure; sur—
rounding him are some souls of the saved.] [f. 65V]

[The tree of the heavenly blisses on 66r has
fourteen leaves, seven per side. They are]:

Endeles lyfe; Gret delyte and ioye; Lastyng hele;
Fredom; Strenthe and myght; Swyftnes; Brightnes; Wisdom
and vindirstandyng; Luf and frenschyp; Acorde and One-
hede; Powere; Gret worschip; Sikyrnes; on perfyte and
euerlastyng.

[On the banner at the tree's base]:

be rote of bis ryal tre

Growes wher ioy lastyng sal be.

[The couplet on the trunk]:

361

43/74

bis tre growes wher be saule full right
With bir dewres2 sal be dyghte. [f. 66r]
3How of bis gastely wildernes

In be sawter boke bus writen es,

In a Salme on bis manere,

As bu may se writen here,

Inuenit eum 19_33££3_deserta 39 loco horroris 39

V. _S_.4

 

 

He fand hym in deserte land,

In vgly place traueland,

In vaste and in wildernes

Whare all walkes bat wilde es.

Be bis deserte bou vnder stand
Penaunce of hert sorowand,

For when a man forsakes his flesch
And all thyng bat delycius es
And lyfes in saule be hardnes,
ban enters he in to wildernes

In bat entent, als men may loke,
Als wildernes is wroght bis boke.
To gar men vnderstande and taste

How vertus may grove in bair gaste,

 

1Two bungled words precede; the first is illegible,
and the second is 'sal'.

2'Spiritual attributes' or 'virtues'.

3The writer begins the page by repeating the first
two lines of 65V, which are cancelled.

4This is incorrectly cited; the prOper source has
not been identified.

362

43/75

And whilk tre bai sall haunte and vse,
And whilk bai sall fell and refuse,
And whilk froyte ledes men to lyfe,
And whilk posouns man and wyfe.

Take gude kepe to bis tretis,1
bat here is writen on Englis,
For itt is taken of bokes sere

And made groveand in treys here,

Bath bat bou may study and see,
Vertus to folow and vices to flee.
bis litell tretis of sere degreys

Of vices and vertus in bir treys,

A haly man sent itt to his frende

To haue itt to bair lyfes ende,

And ban to lefte itt in som place
Whar gederyng of pepull wase,

For was it nother his will ne rede
bat itt suld be lefte in baran stede,
For itt may in tyme comyng2

Turne som man to gode lyfeyng.

 

lines:

1Faustina differs here, and for the next four

Kepis wele bis dere presande

bat first was written wit hali man hande,
For he it tok oute of bokes sere

And made it growand in trees here

bat men may bair on stody and see.

2Faustina: 'For it myghte in tyme to coming'.

363

43/76

Haly men, perfite and gode,

In to bis wildernes 3ode,

In werld whilis1 bai war lyfeand;

Now ar bai gane to ioye lastand,

Vnto be qwilk ioye he vs brynge,

bat for our sake on rode gun2 hynge;

bar to duell with haly men

Withouten ende, Amen,3 amen.

[Moses is shown receiving the tablets of stone
from God on 66v. Beneath the illustration]:

God to Moyses his lawe gaf fre,

Wrytten in tabils, as 3e may se,

With a1 be commaundements ten,

be whilk ar bownden to kepe a1 men

If bai to heuen wil go,

And safe bair saule fro lastyng w[o].4 [f. 66v]

 

1First written 'wilis', and cancelled.

2A false start, 'go' is cancelled.

3The initial 'A' was omitted, and careted into
the text.

4

The 'o' is torn from the corner of the page.

 

ap. 329.
bBrown and Robins, p. 107, item 672.

CArchiv ffir das Studium der neuren Sprachen und
:Literaturen, (cxxvi), pp. 59-73.

 

364

43a/l

ARTICLE 43a, f. 67‘

The Catalogue shows no separate listing for this

 

miscellaneous page, leaving the reader with the impression
that 67r is the conclusion of the 'Desert of Religion.‘a
This cannot be true for several reasons. The hand changes,
reverting entirely to scribe 'A', who wrote none of the
text of the 'Desert', but did the illustrations and the
marginal writing. The ending on 66V is clearly terminal:
'Amen. Amen'. The poem of 67r represents a tOpical
change--no longer is the stress upon the ascetic life,

but upon a prOphetic vision of the 'cyte of heuen' and

the necessary purification of thought required to attain
it. Whereas twenty or more couplets comprise the poems

on each page of the 'Desert', there are but eighteen

lines on 67r; and, although the 'Desert' is done almost
entirely in consecutive couplets, this poem Opens with
five couplets and concludes with eight lines of alternate
rhyme, a form which never occurs purely in the 'Desert'.
Finally, one would expect one Of the trees of vice or
virtue to occupy 67r, since this is the consistent pattern
in the 'Desert' from its beginning. There is nothing of

this sort on 67r.

365

43a/2

The single real point of resemblance on this page
to the preceding poem and its accompaniments is the
illustration on the right half of the page. The familiar
monk kneels at the bottom; doves fly upward from him
toward Jesus, who stands at tOp center with his right
hand in the sign of blessing; there is an angel on either
side. The doves carry short ribbons on which are written
out the various evil thoughts one must overcome if he
would join the Saviour in heaven. The monk's couplet
prayer springs from a large red heart which he holds in
his hands.

Further obviating the posSibility that the poem
of 67r is a conclusion to the 'Desert' is the fact that,
between the couplets and the concluding quatrains is
drawn an illustration of the 'cyte of heuen.‘ The text
is interrupted abruptly; this never happens in the
'Desert'.

Beneath the final lines on 67r is a diamond-
shaped drawing with 'Ihc' in the center, and a Latin
inscription written about the four sides. Off the
upper right side of the diamond is a large '3', standing

alone. Its significance, if any, is lost.

[The TEXT] :
The cyte of heuen is set on so hye a hylle

bat no synful man may wyn ber tylle,

366

43a/3

be whilk hylle I likken to byral clene

bat is clerer ban any bat here is seene.

bat hyll is noght els to vndirstandyng

Bot holy boght and byrnyng 3ernynge

bat holy men had here to bat stede,

Whils bai lyfed before bair dede;

For God wil bat bai als hye Vp pas

As bair boght in 3ernyng vaard was.

[There follows a drawing Of this 'cyte of Heuen',
occupying the equivalent of about ten lines. The two
quatrains follow]:

Thoghts ar so sotell and so slee

And so qwaynt comes ouer qwart,1

bat none may let baim to flee,

Ne for to entyr man's hert;

For als be swalow may not be

To flee in hows let ne gart,

Bot if sche byg, let may we,

SO may we boghts to byg in hert.

[The Latin inscription, written on the perimeter
Of the diamond border which surrounds 'Ihc' in the cen-

ter]:

 

l .
'Craftlness overcomes gentleness.‘

367

43a/4

19 nomine Ihesu omne genu flectatur bonum mihi

 

diligre.l Ihesu nil vltra querere, optimum estimo esse

 

Ihesu 39_corde figuri, 39 aliud nequaquam desiderare.

 

 

[The banner which grows from the monk's hert
reads]:

Lord, help my hert fro vanytes,

And fowle boghtes bat abowte it flees.

[The evil thoughts written on the ribbons
carried by the doves]:

Couetos boght; Yll boght; Glotorus boght; Vayne
boght; Lycherus boght; Prowde boght; Irefull boght;

Vnclene boght; Inuyos boght; Warldly boght. [f. 67x]

 

1This portion: Philippians 2:11.

 

aOn p. 329, the Catalogue shows Article 43 be-
ginning on f. 46‘, and ArtiEle 44 on f. 67V. Page 67r
therefore is either considered the concluding page of
Article 43, or it is overlooked. For the reasons given
above, it cannot be assigned to Article 43.

 

368

44/1

ARTICLE 44, f. 67v

A Complaint Of Christ on the Cross, this medita-
tion consists of a poem on the Tree of Life, done in the
same meter as Article 42. It is both incomplete and im-
perfect here, being without the final line of the 8th
stanza. The complete version is Item number 1119 in
Brown and Robbins, and it has been reproduced in full
elsewhere.a

Originally ascribed to Skelton, the meditation

is now considered to be anonymous.

The TEXT :

Take Gode Hede Wele of bis Medytaconl
Herkyn wordes swete and goode,

Lofely speche with mylde mode,

When Ihesu Crist hang on be rode,
Scewed vnto man;

With paynes fell when he fro hell

2
Our saules wan.

 

1This serves as the title, and is rubricated.

2The poem is considered to have seven-line stan-
zas. In 37049, the fifth line is written as one with the
sixth, giving internal rhyme. It is reproduced here as
it appears in this ms.

369

44/2

bou synful man bat by me gase,
A while to me turne bou bi face;
Behold and se in ilk a place
How I am dyght,

Al to rent and al to schent

Man for bi plyght.

Behold be crowne of borne kene
be Iewes set on my hede for tene;
Two befes hang bai me betwene,
Al for dispyte;

bis sorow and wa bou sees me ta;

Man, I be wyte.

A whyle by me stand bou 3itt;

Behold my handes, behold my feete,
How bay ar knaghed with nayles wete
Vnto bal tree;

bis sorow and care with woundes sare

boled I for be.

Behald and se with ropes toghe
How Iewes fell my lymmes droghe,
For no 1ym was mete ynoghe

Vnto be bore

 

1Written 'be'; the cancellation runs through both
letters, but the thorn is not rewritten, and the 'a' is
inserted above the cancellation.

370

44/3

ber strang stowndes and depe wowndes;

boled I be fore.

Hertly behald vn to my syde--

bar may bou se a wounde ful wyde,
Made with a spere unryde

Vnto my hert;

bis sorow and care bir wounde sare,

bi syns it gart.

And berfore vndirstand bou sall

In stede of drynk, bai gaf me gall,
Aysell mengyd ay with all,

bies Iewes felle;

bis sufferd I for to by

bi saule fro hell.

Me rewed on Mary, my moder mylde,

bat gret for me sore, hir childe,

When sche sawe me bus revyled

In alkyn binge;

0 child as a tyke and befe lyke...1 [f. 67V]

[In the illustration to the right of this poem,
Jesus is shown fastened to a tree with the inscription

'be Tre of Lyfe' directly overhead. The branch to the

 

1The poem ends abruptly here, with the final
line[s] missing.

371

44/4

left is inscribed 'Luf', while that to the right is
'Char[yte]'. Surrounding Jesus are the implements of

his torture: the spear, held only by a hand, is thrust
toward the wound in his side; another hand extends a
long pole with the sponge and vinegar; on each side is

a hand-held whip with four lashes each; the crown of
thorns is on his head, and the oversize spikes hold him
to the tree by hands and feet. His body is dotted with
the drops Of his blood, and blood drips from hands, side,
and feet. A monk bows in reverence at the base of the

tree.]

 

aSee pp. 151-156, Religious Lyrics 93 the 31
Century.

372

45/1

ARTICLE 45, f. 68‘

The tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, four—
teenth and fifteenth joys of our Lady appear here alone,
an extract from the 'Fifteen Joys of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.‘ It is listed as Item NO. 61 in Brown and Robbins,
p. 698. The poem here consists of twenty-one couplets,
excepting that the second line is missing from the third
couplet. The page is very carelessly written, being
plagued by errors of many kinds. It is untitled, and
could well be a continuation of the poem from an earlier
source, with some pages missing. This possibility is

”‘5‘—

further enforced by the fact that the page is more severely

damaged than is the preceding, and the two pages almost

certainly were not consecutive at one time.

The TEXT:

be tent ioy had oure Lady at be feste of Archi-
triclynel '
When oure Lord Ihesu torned watyr into wyne.

Here say 3e berfore a Pater Noster and ten Aues

also,

 

l'In be hows' is written above 'at be feste';
neither is cancelled, and the phrase is not careted into
the text. This feast, two Sundays after Epiphany, com-
memorated Jesus' first miracle, in Cana. See John 2:1-11,
(esp. vv. 8, 9, in the Vulgate).

373

a blank

into the

45/2

bat 3e may hafe happe and grace ay wele to do.
be eleuynt ioy, and also a crede, bat 3e may be
bettyr spede
1

Also hafe 3e in mynde with 3our hertes fre

How Criste baptyst of Synt Ion wald be,

And ordand bis sacrament to wasche vs2 fro be
orygynal syn,

And Opynd heuen to al bat wil fro wykkydnes blyn.

bus by be vertewe Of his blyssed passion and
payne

He has safed vs fro dampnacioun and boght vs
agayne.

berfore in honoure of bis blyssed lady3 bou of
bis had gret ioye,

Say for be eleuynt ioy a Pater Noster and ten

 

9933 withouten noye.

And for be twelft ioy bat oure Lady had of Criste
hir son,

On be poste day of his resurreccion,

When he apperyd to hyr withowute any fayle

1The second line of this couplet is missing, and

space is left in the ms.

2Careted above the line.

3Omitted on the first writing, 'lady' is careted

text, and is written on the left margin as well.

374

45/3

And sayd ioyfully,l "Holy Modyr, hail"
For bis ioy deuowtely as 3e maye2

A Pater Noster and ten Aues 3e saye.

 

be thyrtende ioy Mary had in Criste ascencion

When he styed to heuen as scriptoure makes mencion,
borow his awne glorios power and myght,

be whilk to hyr was ioyfull syght;

berfore in thynkyng of bis ioy deuowtlye

Sa a Pater Noster and ten Aues in hye.

 

be fowrtende ioy Mary had on Wyssonday

When be Holy Goste, withouten delay,

Was3 4

Before a1 obir pryncipally in hyr gun glyde,

And fylld hyr and be Apostyls with mykil ioy bat
tyde4

And made baim so stronge in Cristes faythe and
belefe

bat with bair prechyng bai dred not tyrants to
grefe.

berfore in honoure of ioy of be Holy Gost cumyng

bat daye,

 

the

1

2First written '...deuowtely 3e say as 3e maye';
say' is cancelled.

3

'Glor' is cancelled, and 'onfully' replaces it.

Written in margin before the line.
4The context of Acts 2:1-14 makes it clear that

the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles only, since Peter
stood to preach with the eleven (v. 14).

375

45/4

A Pater Noster and ten Aues deuoutely 3e saye.

 

be fyftende ioy of oure blyssed Lady was bis,
When sche was broght vp with angels to blys
And crowned Qwene of heuen with gloriosnes;

berfore a Pater Noster and ten1 Aues say 3e,

 

both more and les.

With a crede bis prayer deuoutely 3e hawnte,

bat sche praye to hir Son Ihesu to vs bat he
grawnte

Heuen blys and here our lyfe to amende,

bat we may reyne euer with hym [with]owten ende.

Amen. [f. 68‘]

 

1 . .
'Ten' 13 the numeral 'x' here, and In the pre-
vious instances.

376

46/1

ARTICLE 46, f. 68v

Folio 68v Offers a most interesting study in com-
position. Essentially it is a 'deuowte meditacion of
be passion Of Ihesu Criste after be seuen howres of be
day.‘a A series Of sixteen couplets on the left side is
parcelled out in seven divisions, five of which are
titled after the 'five wits', and the remaining two are
identified as 'Consentyng' and 'be frenes of W[ylle]'.
Seven tiny illustrations separate the left and right
columns, representing successively the themes of the
meditation of each hour.

Brown and Robbins lists the poems separately.
Column One is entry 2075, and Column Two is number 3251.b
A single two-line introduction stands over both columns
in 31343. Topically, St. Bonaventure's "The Privity 0f the
Passion" is the model for this meditation. It has been
edited, along with some poems attributed to Rolle, by
Geraldine E. Hodgson,c and for the EETS by J. Meadows

Cowper.d

The TEXT:

Here begynnes a deuowte meditacion of be passione

‘...,

377

46/2

of Ihesu Criste after be seuen howres of be day, ordand
in holy kyrke how a man sal remembyr bilr].1

be howre of Mateynes2

Man, take hede on be day or on be nyght,

How Criste was taken with grete myght

And broght vnto Pylate

With Iewes, bat Criste dyd hate.

be Howre of Prime
At be howre of prime sal bow deuowtely thynke

How Criste was scowrged with grete swynke.

be Howre of Terce

At be thyrd howre also,

Christe bare be cros with gret woo;
Thynke deuowtly on bis

To purches be mercy of bi mys.

be Howre of Sext
At be howre of sext in hye

Was Crist crucyfyed with vylany;

 

1The page is torn at the right margin. These
lines are rubricated.

2Here, and following, the title for each section
of the poem is written to the outside margin beside the
‘verses, and both title and verses are enclosed in lines
*which separate them from the following verses and stretch
across the page. This quickly identifies the proper illus-
tration with the matching meditation, and with the cor-
responding poetry opposite.

378

46/3

Take hede of his paynes smert,

bat it pytefully perchel bi hert.

be Howre of None

At be howre of none Cryst dyd dye,
And 3eld his spyrit in hye

With gret sorow and strange payne

To by our saules agayne.

be Howre of Euen Sanger

At be howre of euensange CrySte was taken of be
cros,

Sore wounded, to safe man's saule fro losse;

Take gode hede and hafe pyte

Of hym bat dyede for be.

be Howre of Complyn

At be houre of complyn, be sothe to say,
Criste was beryd withouten delay.

0 gret dole it is to consyder wele

What sorow his moder and his frendes dyd fele
When bai his paynes had sene and woo,

And ban fro hym suld goo;

Take hede man, and sorowful be,

And thanke hym hertly bat bis sufferd for be.

For sake bi syn and turne to hyme.

If bow to heuen wyll clyme.

 

l'Pierce.‘

379

46/4

[Titles for the second column verses are found
in the right margin and, like those of the first protion,
the titles are rubricated.]

be Heryng

Take hede, man, how be Iewes dyd cry

To put me to deth in hye,

And fyld my heryng wykkydly;

Fro heryng of yl kepe bat for bi.

be Syght

Behald, man, and se

What payn I sufferd for be;
berfore fro ylle bi sight bou kepe,

bat bou be safe fro syn and schenschepe.

be Smellyng

be payne of Criste be to be sweete
In smellyng bi bale to bete

Agayns smellyngl of wykkydnes

bat puts bi saule in gret distres.2

be Towchyng3
Take hede how I was towchyd with paynes smert,

And with a spere, towched was my hert.

 

1A false start made here, 'tastyg', is cancelled.

2First written 'in swele', and cancelled.

3False start 'Tast' is cancelled.

380

46/5

berfore fro vnclene towchyng

bou kepe be in al thynge.

be Tastyng

My tastyng was fyldel

With aysel and galle,

And with Obir fylthe bot gret and small;

berfore fro a1 vnlefull taste

To kepe be wele bow haste.

Consentyng

bow sal in a1 bi hert consent;
Kepe be fro syn with trewe intent,
And hafe me in bi luf fre

At a1 tymes, wherso bu be.

be Frenes of W[ylle]2

My fre wylle was euer to do gode,

berfore rewfully I hange on be rode

To safe fro los man's saule,

And bryng hym to be heuenly halle;

berfore euer fro wykkydnes bi fre will bow sett

If bou blis will gett;

 

1Misspelled 'flde', and cancelled.

2Torn from the edge.

381

46/6

An[d]l put it euer to godenes,

Euermore in al distres. [f. 68V]

 

1The 'd' is missing, probably not intentionally.

 

aThe Catalggue, pp. 329, 330.

bListed on pages 326 and 518 in An Index of Middle
English Verse.

 

 

cSee Some Minor Works of Richard Rolle with the

Privit of the PaSSIon, London: John M. WatEIns, 1923,
pp. 186 -208.

dMedigations on the Sn er of our Lord, and the
Hours of the Passion,-§y Cardinal thn Bonaventura,
originET Series 60, Lon on, 1875.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

382

47/1

ARTICLE 47, f. 69r

An unassigned piece, Article 47 consists of
twenty-three couplets calling for the reader to think
upon death and the hereafter, and make proper prepara-
tions for the future. A drawing accompanies the poem,
in the right margin, showing a man standing above a face-
less skeleton, which holds five arrows in his hands.

There are no inscriptions on the drawing.

The TEXT :

£n_omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima tua
g£_ig eternum non peccaberis.

Pat is on Ynglysche bus to say,

He says, Thynke on pine endyng daye.

Ay, when pou suld any warke begyn

And pan sal pu neuer more syn,

And berfore pu man in bi warke be slee,

And binke ay wele pat pu sal dye,

For pou sal dye, pou wote neuer when,

Ne in whatt state pou sal be en,

Ne pou wate neuer in whate stede

bou sal dye, ne of what ded.

Foure skyls I fynde in sum stede,

383

47/2

Why men specially suld drede pe ded:
One is for dad stowre is so felle

bat it is more payne pan man can telle,
bat euere man sal fele within

When body and saule sal twynne;

Anopir is for pe syght pat he sal see
Of fendes pat abowte hym pan sal be;
be thyrd is a cownte pat he sal 3e1de
Of a1 his lyfe, both 3owthe and elde;
be fourte is for he is vncertayne
Wheder he sal wende to ioy or payne.
be prophete says bus in a stede,

And spekes pus vnto be dede,

O, pou grisly deth, says he,

Ful byttyr is be mynde of be

Vnto be synful, namely

bat amends hym noght or he dye.
berfore me thynke he is vnslee

pat makes hym not here redy to dye,
For dethe is prevy and sodayne,

And be tyme of his cumynge vncertayne;
berfore at morne, when bou sees light,
binke pou sal dye or it be nyght.
When pou gos to slepe, if pou be wyse,

binke with pi life pou suld not ryse,1

 

correct.

1'Not rse' is cancelled, although the 'not' is

384

For
Sat
For
And

And

47/3

Saynt Austyn pus says in a boke,
ay pi hert on pi laste day loke,
who so wil binke on his manere
beware and make hym redy here,

of a1 his syn clense hym wele,

Or deth com pat he mon fele,

Dan

may he askape and go lyghtly,

be bittyr paynes of purgatory,

And

com to be blis of heuen bright,

Wher euer is day and neuer nyght. [f. 69r]

385

48/1

ARTICLE 48, ff. 69V, 7or

'The Apple of Solace' is a short prose treatise,

with an illustration, setting forth the Virgin Mary as

the green tree, and Jesus Christ as her fruit, through

whom all nations may have solace. It is unassigned.

The illustration for 'The Apple of Solace' shows
a group of eight monks examining an apple in the center
On the left, the Virgin stands before a

of the page.

tall, fully-leafed tree. Jesus hangs from a roughly

trimmed, dead tree to the right. In the left margin,

below Mary, the inquisitor stands, while the angel, who

answers him, is opposite.

The TEXT:

Now gode angel, telle me what 3onder pepyl menes

pat plays and has pair solace with 3on appyll.

be Angel sayd,l per is no man so wyse nor so holy
pat can so certainly hald his way, bot sum tyme he sal
fynlde]2 heuynes and sorow at his hert. Wherfore, he

nedes sum solace and consolacion per with to comforth his

 

1Rubricated.

2Letters missing because of a hole in the ms.

386

48/2

hert, as who so wald comforth a child with sum maner of
solace. Wherfore witt it wele pat pies pus playes here
to avoyde pair heuynes; pai hafe funden vndyr 3one grene
tre 3on appyll, wherof pai hafe gret ioy and comforth,
with pe whilk appyl pai play as often as pai ar noyed or
in heuynes. And witt pou wele pat appyl is not withouten
gret vertewe, and comforth. Bot pis is not pe appyl wher
of Aristotyll wrote in his marvelos boke, nor pis is not
pe appyl pat Adam ete of, by pe whilk so mykil myschefe
come to pe warld. Bot it is pat appyl pat for cause of
Adam and his lynage was hangyd opon bis drye tre, whilk
appyl grow hyd before opon be grene tre, and pus fro pe
grene tree was he takyn and put opon pe drye tree to
fresche it for be freschnes pat was takyn fro it by pe
syn of Adam. Thou sal vndirstande pat pis grene appyll
tree is be tre in verry vndyrstandyng, wher of wrote
Danyel pe prophet, whilk pat Nabugodonosor sawe in his
slepe standing in myddys of pe erthe, so pat fro euere
parte of be warld, euere creature pat nede had myght if
hym lyst to loke towards it to his hertis ese and solace
and comforthe.l So ferforth pat excuse hym may no man,
bot pat he myght ful lightly fynde pis tre if hym list
for to loke toward it. Dar ar many trees here now pat ar

not knawen, bot onely in pa cuntre wher pai growe. Bot

 

1The dream, and Daniel's interpretation, may be
found in Daniel, the 4th chapter.

387

48/3

bis tree pe gode Lord has sett as Ezechiel pe prOphet
says,fin myddes of his pepyll pat a1 landes abowte it who
so has oght at do may right [f. 69V] wele fynde it and

.l

fayle not perof. Wherof says Saynt Bernerde, "In hyr

is as in a morrow pat standes in myddes.‘ Euere creature
may sett hys sight in what place or what parte pat he be
in, in heuen or in erthe, and a1 pies pat has bene or
sal be, if paim like to gytt hir gret grace and beneuo-
lence.

This tre also is wondyr stronge and.myghty rechyng
into hyghe heuen, so pat sche is sufficiant to sustene
and to bere pos pat wil reste and.leneraim vnto hyr. And,
fynally, sche2 may sende also grace fro heuen ful redyly
als often as paim nedes. Sche has hir behaldyng abowte
be a1 be erthe so pat sche knawes and sees euer man's
hert of pos pat ar besekyng, wheder it be of hoole intent
or noght. Sche knawes what pai ar, and howe pai demene
pe dayes of pair lyfyng, and what way pai wende, wheder
it be right or wronge. Hyr wordes ar lefes of ful gret

bewte and fayrnes, and al pat sche says is full amyabil

and lufly and swete lykyng, lyghtynd all with hy charyte.

 

1This tree is a common recurrent figure in Ezekiel--
see, for example, 17:24; 20:47; 31:2-6 (probably intended
here), et passim.

2The words 'will and' are written in the left

margin immediately before 'sche'; the text would read:
'sche will and sche may...‘

388

48/4

Pis forsayd grene tree betokyns pe sveete Virgyn,
oure Lady Saynt Mary, God's moder, pe whilk bare pe appyll
pat 3onder pepyll has pair solace and comforth with, pe
whilk appyll sygnyfyes oure Lord Ihesu Crist, oure blyssed
Saueoure, pe whilk, for be redempcion of man was hangyd
and dyed opon pe dry tree, pe whilk betokens pe holy cros.
bis grene tre, pe whilk sygnyfies oure blissyd Lady, Saynt
Mary, may wonder wele kepe and schadowe vnder hir brawnche
a1 pos pat ar wary of pair labour.

Vndyr pis tree dwelles a1 bestes, for why al po
bat lyfes beestly with synnes acummyrd, vndyr hir schadowe
pai ar fauord and spard and long tyme forborne to pat
ende pat bai may be better avysed for to amende paim selfe
withouten fowle rebukyng or hastynes of vengeaunce. And
in hyr lykyng and fayr bewes and brawnches, pat is, in
hir plentyful gyftes and bunfyces,l pe byrds of heuen ar
alway conuersaunt, pe whilk ar sprytual men pat ar in
contemplatyfe lyfe, and has set pair hertes on hyght, and
drawen paim selfe oute of pis modde erth, pe whilk is
bot fleschly lykyng and vanyte.

bis tree, oure Lady, is so froyteful pat of hir
froyte alle folkes ar refreschyd and fulfyld euere day
and euere houre. No tyme fayle pai perof, bot if it be

longe of paim selfe and slewthynes. bos froyte sygnyfies

 

l'Benefices'.

389

48/5

cmre Lord Ihesu Crist pat sufferd hard passion and dethe
opon pe cros, and pis froyte is pe appyll with pe whilk
awn must solace and comforth paim with, for to putt away
pair heuenes, pe whilk ar in temptacion and tribulacion.
For if a creature remembyr deuoutely pe passion of oure
Lord and what he sufferd wilfully for man, it wil cause
hym to hafe comforth, for trest pat he sal hafe of his
saluacion and also to bere his tribulacion and temptacyon
esely and mekely.

berfore cumforth pe and solace with pis blissed
appyl, Ihesu Crist, lyke as pou sees 3onder pepyl do,
and as Saynt Austyn says, Semper sit tibi fixus in mgntg,

921 semel pro te fuit fixus in cruce. Always be fest in

_fl__

 

pi mynde pat ones for pe was fest [on] pe cros. [f. 70r]

390

49/1

ARTICLE 49, ff. 7oV-71V

The 'Songs of the Angels,‘ or 'Cantus peregrin-

 

ggum' of Hoccleve consists of three sets of rhyme royal
stanzas in 31232, Two sets contain five stanzas; the
final one, seven. The original is found in seven mss.,
including our own, and it has been edited for the EETS
by Furnivall.a

A lengthy 4-1ine prose introduction precedes the
first set of the songs, and the subsequent sets are
introduced by a single line and two lines, consecutively.

Along the right margin of 70V, in a kind of totem-
pole arrangement, are four angels, each having a young
man in his charge. In a similar position on 7lr, the
four angels kneel beneath a drawing in which the young
men, along with others, are shown safely inside a castle,
over which Jesus presides. 71v shows Jesus surrounded

by angels and saved souls.

The TEXT :
Pies sygnyfies pe saules patl aftyr pair iugement
and delyuerance oute of Purgatory went vnto blysse with a

ful ioyful toyne, euerylk one of paim more schynyng pan

 

1Careted into the text.

391

49/2

is pe son at mydday, hafyng with paim ilkone hys angel
pat ledde hym. And pis was pe nobyl sange pat pai sange.
Honourd be blyssed Lord on hy,
hat of pe blyssed mayndyn was borne,
bat with pi deth pou vs boght myghtyly;
bin awnel flesche and blode pou gaf vs forne,
And for vs pou sufferd paynes pat by Adam syn was
lorne.
Sore was pou nayled, both foote and hande opon
pe roode,

And bled per pi very hert bloode.

Worshippyd be pou, Fader souerayne,

bat vowsched safe swylk rawnson to sende
bine awne luffed Son to suffer payne,
Oure disese and myschefe to amende;

bou, Holy Goste, art withouten ende;
With Fader and Son, one God in Trynyte,

For euer honourd be pi mageste.

Also, pou blissedful mayden and moder mylde,
bou Lady, qwene of heuen and empryce

Whome Ihesu chesed, and as pineawne childe
bow bare, his vere moder and noryce,

bou floure of vertewe and of delyce,

 

lWritten 'pi nawne'.

392

49/3

Pou toure of Criste and tresour.of grace,

Honord mot pu be in euere place.

Honord be pou, blissedful Lord Ihesu;

Swilk grace and mercy hafe we1 fun in be;
Swilk Godhed, swilk myght, and swilk vertewe
Whils pat we hafe in purgatory be,

Of a1 oure payne relesyd now ar we;

Whilk lange tyme we hafe abyden in,

Bot wondyr schorte in regard of oure syn.

With pe whilk we hafe pi souerayn blissedful
hede,

Ful greuosly displesyd and offendyd

In worde and warke and vnthryfty dede;

Bot pankyd be pou, Lord, it is amendyd,

And now is al oure noyos labor endyd.

To pe we cum as ende of oure labour,

Whome wileuere trewe trauellour.

Than sange pe angels pis sange pat folows,2
Almyghty Lord, oure blistful Lord Ihesu,

Pou mororwre of pa blissed Fadyr in Maieste,

 

1Written: '...merch hafe we hafe (and an un-
.decipherable cancellation) fun in pe'.

2An introductory line--not part of the verse.

393

49/4

In whome is sene his myght and his vertewe,
De welle of wytt and wisdom is in pe,

To whos presence now we returned be

With pies saulesl whilk we to pe brynge [f. 70v]

To pine honour ful ioyfully we synge.

Toward pe ful lange pai hafe trauald;

bou wate pi selfe how pai hafe bene distressid,
be fals fende so sore paim has assayled

And greuosly disesyd and oppressyd;

Bot pi hi grace his malyce has repressed,

And porow pi mercy pai wele relefyd,

And pair intent fully pai hafe achefyd.

What labour and what angwysche hafe we had
Sen pat we toke paim in oure gouernaunce;
bow wate, Ihesu, and nowe we ar ful glad
Of al pat we hafe done to pi plesaunce;
Wherfore pou wil reward vs and avaunce,
Swilk as pe lyst abowne in pi blys:

Eternal ioy we sal it neuer mysse.

Lo, we present in to pi hande agayne,
Almyghty Lord, pat pou to vs has betake;

Honord be pou, Ihesu sufferayne,

 

1'Whilk we to pe' was written before 'saule',
and cancelled; the final '3' in 'saules' was omitted,
and is careted into the text.

394

49/5

Of pat we hafe labord for pi sake;
Of pis labor now ane ende pou make;
bi creatures vnto pi presence;

Receyfe.paim of pi hygh beneuolence.

For pof pai hafe erred and myswent,

pai hafe it boght with woundes hard and sore,
And purged with gret paynes and torment

And dewly to paim was iuged perfore

Al if pai had deseruyd mykil more;1

be remeland is relesyd of per grace,

In heuen is assyned2 pair place.

Than3 pe angels sang ane opir sang, when pe
saules were entyrd into blis,

A1 worschip, wisdom, weltheg and worthynes,

Al bownte, bewte, ioy and blystfulhede,

Al honour, vertu, and myghtynes,

Al grace and al thankyng vnto pi Godhede,

Fro whomeal grace and.mercy dos procede,

Ay preysed be pou, Lord in Trynite,

And euer honourd be pi maieste.

 

1The line is written badly and cancelled, after
which it Is written again in full.

The 'is' recurs, uncancelled.

3Written: 'tan'.

4'Joy', 'spiritual well-being.‘ The '1' is
faintly carated into the word.

395

49/6

bat be mankynde our nowmyr is incresyd,
And pies pat long hase bene in pylgramage,
And now is al pair noyos labour cessyd

Pat was begun in pair day's age;

He is pe porte of pe sykyr aryfage;

Honourd be pou, worthy Lord on hy, [f. 71r]

And welcom be 3e saules to our cumpeny;

Now past ar 3oure perlyos aventures,

And al 3oure aventure has ane end take;
Right welcom be 3e blissed creatures,
Tyme is pat 3e reste and sorow forsake,
For now 3e sal no langer iornay make,
And aftyr 3our labour is tyme of quyete,

And heuynes and angwysche to forgete.

For 3e hafe done a nobil vyctory,

And 3our labor nobylly dispendyd

Pat so agayns 3our trobyllus enmy
3oure selfe has myghtyly defendyd,

And pat 3e hafe mysdone, it is amendyd
By sufferaunce of purgatory payne;

Thankyd be pou, Ihesu sufferayne.

In heuen blis 3e sal be with vs
Vnto pe day of fynal iugement,

To pe whilk day 3e sal abyde pus,

396

49/7

And prayse God with 3oure hoole intent
Whils pat 3our body, be assingment
Of God, is turned to corrupcion,

And fully sal hafe his purgacion.

For reson wil and also God's lawe,

bat he pat has done a1 his besynes,

For God's wyll 3our lustes to withdrawe,
Acombyrd 3ow with mykil vnthryftynes,
bat fro pat fowle and woful wretchydnes
Aclensyd be and renewyd clene,

bis maner of way 3our flesche is pat I mene.

So at pe last day pai sal vpryse

And com before pe iuge sufrayne,

To 3ow conioyned in a wondyr wyse,

In gode acorde withoute any payne,
And in pis ioy eternally remayne.
What ioy is here 3e sal assay and se;

Honord be pe_hyghe maieste

Of pe blissed Lord in Trynyte.1 [f. 71V]

 

lThis added line breaks the regular rhyme royal

of the previous stanzas.

 

aIn Hoccleve's Works, No. 61 in the extra series,

 

reprinted in 1937. Originally printed in 1892, the work
could.not have utilized 37049, since the British Museum
did not acquire the ms. untIl 1905.

397

50/1

ARTICLE 50, f. 72r

This fifty-six line poem (twenty-eight couplets),
does not appear in Brown and Robbins' Index, and is un-

assigned by the Catalogue.a It is not well done, and

 

the page has suffered damage along the entire interior
margin, although none of the text is lost. Unfortunately,
the final line has been trimmed in binding.

The poem itself compares the world to the sea,

to a wilderness, and to a forest.

The TEXT :

Alle pe warld wyde and brade

Oure Lord specyally for man made,

And opir thynges, as clerkes can profe,

He made onely for man's behofe.

Sythene he al pe warld and a1 pinge wroght
To man's behofe pat man aght noght

Luf warldly thyng nor bodely

More pan oure Lord God almyghty.

berfore it is gode pat a man hym selfe kepe
Fro warldly luf and vayne worschype,

For luf of pis warld's vanyte

A man at pe last forbarred may be

398

50/2

Fro pe blyssedful warld; per alle ioy is

For pe lyfe of man sal be endles

bat here lufs God abowne a1 pinge,1

And in vertewos lyfe and purpos makes goode
endyng.

bis warld may lykkynd be

Most propyrly vnto pe see,

For pe see aftyr pe tyde certayne

Ebbes and flows and falles agayne,

And waxis kene porow stormes pat blawes,

And casts Vp and downe many gret wawes;

So castes pe warld porow fauoure

Sum man on hyght and gret honour,

And fro agayne he castes hym down

To pouerte and to tribulacioun;

And pon ar pe gret stormes kene,

And pe wawes pat in pe warld ar sene.

be warld may pat here sene is

Be lykkynd vnto a wyldernys

bat ful of wylde bestes is sene

As lyons, lyberts, and wolfes kene

bat wald wory men be lyfe

And rent paim in sonder and ryfe;

 

lSeveral words follow 'pat here', but are so
completely cancelled as to be entirely illegible.

399

50/3

So pe warld is ful of mysdoers

And of tyraunts pat men noye and deres,
bat ar besy nyght and day

To take of men al pat pai may.

Also, pis warld may lykkynd be

To a forest in a wylde cuntre

bat is ful of thefes and outelawes

bat comonly to a forest drawes,

bat both robbesl and reves

Men of pat pai hafe and no3t paim lefes,
So is pe warld here per we dwelle

Ful of thefes pat ar fendes of helle
bat vs waytes and ar besy

To robbe vs of oure goode gostly.

Now God of his goodenes

Safe vs fro pair distres,

And gyf vs grace to wele consyder here
be insawmpyl pat folows clere,

How Adam was castyn fro paradyse

For a forbyddyn pynge of lytel pryse

 

lWritten 'robbess', with the second '5' cancelled.

400

50/4

In to pis wretchyd warld, as pe may se,

........ [f. 72r]

 

Final line trimmed from the ms.

 

P. 330.

401

51/1

ARTICLE 51, ff. 72V, 73r

A panoramic two-page spread here depicts five
distinct items related to man's religious history, pre-
sent circumstances, and future. The left upper corner
shows Adam and Eve, clutching their fig-leaf clothing,
as they are expelled from the 'Paradyse Terestyr'--a
castle courtyard within which the serpent is twined
about a tree, and in whose door stands an angel with
sword in hand. Immediately to the right, and extending
to the narrow upper right margin is the scene of Christ's
crucifixion. From Jesus' side, five streams of blood
are drawn to various points of the pages, connecting
with individual scenes depicting the sacraments--'Pe
sacrament of Baptym' pictures a priest holding a small
baby in his arms at a font; 'Confirmacyon'l shows a child,
somewhat larger than the first, but still carried by his
mother, before the bishop; 'Matrimony' has a couple
standing before the priest; 'Ordir' shows a young priest
kneeling in front of the bishop; 'be Sacrament of pe
.Altyr' depicts a priest saying Mass before the eucharistic

cup and bread; 'be Last Anoyntynge of pe Seke' shows the

 

1There are four minims in the 'm' of 'Confirmacyon'

402

51/2

priest administering the last rites to a man in bed; at
bottom, just left of the center, is 'be Sacrament of
Penance', with four penitents lined up before the priest.
Immediately following, a much longer line continues, and
it is labelled 'Confession'.

The third item is the 'Meretrix Magna', surrounded
by men and women who cast adoring glances toward her.
The fourth item shows 'Celum--Heuen,' in the upper right
corner. Jesus' head is seen among those of several souls
within the castle. Guarding the door is an angel, whose
spear is dispatching small fiends into the yaw of a gap-
ing dragon. The final scene consists of this dragon and
another like him, receiving the damned and the fiends
into their horribly toothed mouths.

Above the entire picture is the inscription,
'Dis sygnyfyes heuen [and earth].1 Beneath the scene of
baptism is this Writing, 'Pies betokyns paim pat gos and
receyfes pe sacrament of baptym.‘ A stream of people
extends toward the baptismal font and away from it. This
inscription is under them, 'bies pat cummes downe signy-
fyes paim [pat] aftyr pe sacrament of baptym, fyles paim
selfe be dedly syn and delytes in fals delectacion of
pis warld.' Above this another line of people extends

to the right, with this inscription, 'bies signyfyes

 

1These words are trimmed from the top margin.

403

51/3

paim pat aftyr pair baptym kepyd paim_se1fe clene oute
of dedly syn, and pai ar lykynd to wyse virgyns, pe
whilk bers byrnyng lamps with oyle, pe whilk signyfies
trewe charyte.’

A second line of people, parallel to the above,
follows a banner with this label, 'bies signyfies paim
pat repents paim self of pair dedly syn and schryfes
paim and takes pe sacrament of penance and so gos to
b1is.‘ These two lines of people lead upward toward the
scene of heaven in the top right corner of 73r. Above

'Heaven' is this writing, 'Dominus d3 celo prospexit

 

super filios hominum, Oure Lord fro heuen has-behelde

 

opon pe sonnes of men if per be any vndirstandyngl or
sekyng him.‘

Branching away from the line of people cited
above are two other lines, both leading dangerously close
to the dragon. They are inscribed 'Her pe sawles aftyr
pair purgatory ar had up into b1is,‘ and, 'Pies after
confession ar sent to purgatory be cause pai dyd not dewe
penance and satisfaccion here.‘

At the bottom of the page, a third group of peo-
ple falls from the main stream. They are twice labelled,

'bies has no oyle in pair lampes, pat is, no Charite, and

 

1Written 'vndirstanddyng'.

404

51/4

so ar put oute,’ and, 'Pies signyfyes fals Cristen men
pat wil no[t r]epentl per syn, and so 905 to hell.‘

The next inscription is written on the head of
the dragon in the lower right, 'Lucyfer and alle pat
consentyd vnto hym was castyn oute of heuen into pe pytt
of helle.‘

Finally, written across the width of the double
pages, 'bies pat cummes downe signyfyes Adam and Eue, pe
whilk war dryfyn [oute of] Paradyse. And pis woman be-
tokens pe lust and lykynge and delectacion of pis fals
warld and pies pepyl [....] signyfies pe Gentyles and
mystrowyng folkes pat delytes paim alle in erthly and
fleschly lust, and cummes noght to pe faythe of Crist-
Ihesu, bot a1 [....] in pair errour, and so perysches

and gos to helle.‘ [ff. 72v and 73‘]

 

l . . . .

Here and folloWIng, portIons are mISSIng from
the interior margins of both folios; the writing spans
both pages continuously in Article 51.

405

52/1

ARTICLE 52, f. 73V

This unassigned portion of a dialogue between the
soul and an angel fills only three-quarters of the page,
although it is apparently incomplete. The writing is
tiny and cramped, with crowded lines and narrow margins.
Small drawings occupy the upper left and upper right
corners--the soul and the angel respectively. The title
has been trimmed, and a scattering of tails below the

line of the writing from this point indicates that the

line spanned the page originally.

The TEXT :

be Saule [ ..... ............]l

Nowe gode angel telle me whedyr pe fende pat has
so gret delyte to dysceyfe and ponesche a saule wheder
he hafe any payne or none perof. be angel answerd.
Vtrtte pou wele when he sees any saule ascape pat he may
Iurt torment it nor disese it he has gret sorow and trow
pow not pat he is with outen gret torment and pyne for
alway withouten cesyng he is in pe hote fyre pynes. be

cause is pis, he is takyn with syn irremyssibil nor he

 

lRubricated.

406

52/2

may not hafe no rawnson for als mykil as he synned with-
outen suggestyn of any entycement withouten forthl agayn:
hym pat was his souerayne lord almy3ty of heuen. And by
cause of his sympilnes of nature he myght not be changed
fro pat fowle affeccion of pryde and invy. And durryng
pat affeccion he myght not ne neuer may nor sal be re-
formyd to grace. Bot for cause man is of dowbyl nature
both he has occasion of syn by his fleschly kynde and
also changeabylite of wil and affecioun fro yll to gode
and fro goode to yll. And loke what is his affecioun at
pe departyng of pies two natures pe epyrit pat is simpil
may neuer forlete it. So had poubene departyd fro pi
body with affecioun of any maner of syn withouten repent-
aunce of pi fordone synnes, pan had it bene impossibil
pat euer pou had bene sauyd, bot pou suld euerlastyngly
hafe bene felow to pe fende of helle. Bot als mykil as
pe syn pat pou had done was be fals intycynge of pe
cursed fende be drawyng and inclinacioun of pe frel
flesche and not be very malyce engendyrd of pe with in,
parfor when pe wil chawnges pe swete Lord God receyfes
to grace, for why he pat is dysceyfed be ane opir, he
may be reformed agayn. Bot he pat wilfully disceyfes

hymselfe who may relefe hym of myschefe. be saule2 asked

why saules ar dampned euerlastyngly.
1

 

A form of 'force'.

2Rubricated. Written on margin: '[sa]ule'.

407

52/3

Why ar pe saules dampned euerlastyngly to payne
pat was so disceyfed by pe fende and by pair awne fleschly
febilite and why may pai not be helpyd be opir pat be
opir was falsly begyled? be angel sayd,l For because
pat pai hafe done wars and in maner more to blame pan
pa fende, for why also sone as Sathanas had synned, he
was confermyd in malyce be simpilnes of his nature nor
he myght not be reformyd because of his vnchawngeabilite.
Bot pies men pat ar dampned. Pai had lyberte of choys
and resnabyl space for to amend paim. And if pat pe
fende hafe myscownseld paim, pat had also counsel on pe
topir syde, pe whilk pat schewyd vnto paim pe venom and
pe malyce pat was hyd in pe fendes fals suggestyon and
temptacioun. And skilful menes pai had also how pai
suld avoyd it. And playnly was it schewyd paim pe mys—
chefe pat folows his cownsell. And on pe topir syde per
was schewyd vnto paim pe medful reward and excellent
ioy pe whilk is ordand for paim pat myghtely withstandes
his cownsell and his temptacioun. Sum of paim has hard
and red in scripture approfed insawmpyls of many goode
saules how pai hafe gone and wele lyfed here in pair
iornay. Bot al pis hafe pai set at noght, and bettyr
belefyd pai pair enmy pat drewe paim to myschefe. Pan

pair frendes pat labord to safe paim perfro, and so pai

 

lRubricated.

408

52/4

dyd contrary to pat pat pai hadde lerned and not with-
standyng a1 pis mysgouernaunce when grace and mercy was
proferd to paim of a1 pat was mysdone if pai wald turne
pair fowle and synfull affeccioun, pai refusyd it and
wald not perof. Wherfore I say and wele may say pat a
creature pat has had a goode cownsell and vttyrly refuses
it and forsakes it ys mykil more to blame pan he pat
neuer had cownsell nor grace proferd vnto hym aftyr his
mysded. Sen pen pat pies dampned saules has bene alway
drawyng to pe fendes cownsell and obstynate to grace and
rebell to goode informacion with a fraward wyll and
malycios hert, gode skill is pat pai with pe fendys be

pyned in torment and payne perdurabyl euerlastyngly.

[f. 73"]

409

53/1

ARTICLE 53, f. 74r

A prose passage introduces an illustrated poem
depicting the ravages to damned souls in hell. The prose
describes seven damned souls who are being led by a
leering fiend into the dragon's mouth as they resignedly
follow. The poem purports to be the words of the fiend--
identified in the prose as Satan--although it becomes
discursive and rather resembles a dire warning to the
reader than an introduction to hell for the pictured
souls. It is the most grisly picture in the ms.

Ross includes this among the five emblem verses
in Speculum, and there is no reason to question his
Classification.a In line 18, he misreads 'brynstone'
as 'brymstone'. The second minim of the 'n' takes an
upward stroke, joining the 's' which follows, obviating
Ross' reading. Nine quatrains constitute the poem, with

verses alternately rhymed.

The TEXT :

Here folows a vysion of saules pat war dampned
and put to helle after per iugement, and how pai ar de-
formed and myschapyn. Sum of paim was horned as bolles,

and pai betokyn prowd men. And tothed as bares, and pai

410

53/2

signifie manslaers and moderers in wil or in dede, and
ireful. And sum semed as pair eene hang opon pair chekys,
pe whilk ar pai pat ar inuyos, lokyng opon opir men's
prosperite and hatyng pair welfare, and wele plesyd of
pair ylle fare. Sum has lang hokyd nayles lyke lyons,
pe whilk ar fals couetos men and extorcioners. Sum had
bolued belys pat ar fowle glotons and lyfes al in lust
of pair belys. Sum had pair rygges alrotyn and pair
bakkes, pat ar lycheros caytyfes pe whilk had a1 pair
delyte in lustynes of lychery. Sum had fete al to
gnawyn and bun1 as pai wer brokyn and bolued leggys,
pat ar slewthy caytyfe pat wil not labour in gode workes
for pe hele of pair saules.2 bie caytyfes ledes Sathanas
to hell.

Cum, folow men, my frendes, vnto helle,

Ay to dwelle in helle depe,

For par sal 3e both rare and 3elle,

bat to 3ow sal be schame and schenschepe;

For to my lare ay 3e toke gode hede

When I to 3ow gaf cownsell,

 

1'Bound', 'wrapped'.

2Each of the figured souls suffers a malforma-
ticum derived from one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Such
representations usually trace to Visio Sancti Pauli,
as edited by Theodore Silverstein, Studies and Documents,

London, 1935 .

411

53/3

berfore gret payne sal be 3oure mede,

For with me ay 3e sall dwelle.

bar sal 3e se with 3oure syght
More sorow and payne pan man can telle,
For 3ow ay redy dyght,

bat for 3oure syn ay per sal dwelle.

Alle pat hert hates and wald flee,
ber sal 3e se within helle 3ate,
And of a1 pat yll is gret plente,

And defaute of alle godes, as clerkes wate.

Fyre pat neuer slokynd sal be
Is par with brynstone byrnyng hate,
bat if alle pe watyr in pe see

It porow ran myght not abate.

For as fyre is hoter here aywhere
ban is pe fyre paynted on a walle,
Ryght so is pe fyre hoter pere

ban is here pe fyre pat we calle.

3it per is swylk cold euermare,
With stormes and wynde bat ay sal blawe,
bat if a hyll byrnande ware,

It suld ay turne to yce and snawe.

412

Euer'

53/4

is ay smoke and stynke ymange,
myrknes more pan euer was here;
is hongyr and thyrst and thrange,l

vgly fendes of gret powere;

is wepyng and doolful sange,

Gnaystyng of tethe and grisly chere,

And opir torments hard and strange,

DMD pan hert can pinke, fer or nere,

 

1

Oppression, affliction.

aVol. xxxii (1957), pp. 279, 280. The seven
figures here can be seen in other mss. of the period,
revealing "a startling amount of almost uncontrolled
emotionality in the artist," Ross, p. 280.

413

 

54/1

ARTICLE 54, ff. 74V, 75r

'The Angels' Second Song, with Heaven,‘ is also
:ived from Hoccleve, in English translation of de

ileville's Peleringe c_1_e_ l'Ame. This selection con-

 

sts of five stanzas of rhyme royal, and is found in
1e same seven mss. as is Article 49. It has been
dited by Furnivall for the Egg?
Folio 74v shows the soul being led by four angels,
me playing a harp and another a lute with four strings.

Folio 75r depicts Jesus seated on the throne of heaven.

The TEXT:

Here is a saule led with myrthe and melody of
angels to heuen pe whilk passed vertewosly be pe trewe
sacramentes of holy kyrk and kepyng of pa commawndmentes

of God oute of pis warlde.

Honord be pou blyssed Ihesu (pe sayng of pe
angels)l

And praysed mot you be in euere place

So ful of myght, mercy, and vertewe,

0f blysse, of bownte, of pyte, and of grace,

 

lRubricated .

414

 

54/2

Whos honour may no thynge deface,
Who is pat withstande may pi myght,

Bot seryf pe of force must euery wyght.

Honourd be pou Ihesu,heuen kynge,

bat has taken to my gouernaunce

Swylk one pat has abowne a1 opir thynge
Bowyd vnto pa with al lawly obeysaunce,
And lofyd pa with sad perseueraunce

Thy cownsel and pi commawndmente

Kepyng with his hertly hoole intent

He has not walkyd by pe ways larger

bat to pe warld so lusty ar and grene,

Bot he has bene intentyfe to pi charge

Fro dedly syn to kepe hym selfe Clene,

And gone pe hard way of trauel and of tene,
Of penaunce and of tribulacyon,

In greuos stormes of temptacion.

So has he had in erthe his purgatory,
Whilk pat he has sufferd wylfully;
Wherfore receyfe hym nowe to pi hy glory,
And take hym vp into pi blis on hy,

With pe to be in ioy eternally,

In what degre pat to hym is condygne,

Right as pi selfe lykes to assyngne.

415

54/3

Honourd be pou Ihesu,gracios,

ban man become piselfe for mannes nede,
And man pou taght to be vertewos,

To seryf pe be vere luf and drede,
Rewardyng paim with blys for pair mede
bat dos pair deuyr1 as pai may and can:

Thankyd be pou Ihesu, God and man.

 

1Aform of 'deueyr', or 'duty'.

 

aHoccleve's Works, EETS, Extra Series 61, Oxford

 

University Press, 1937.

416

n? -' _'

 

55/1

ARTICLE 55, f. 75v

A short prose vision of St. Antony. The illus-
tration shows a huge scaly and winged monster standing
nearly to the full height of the page, whose outstretched
and taloned hands are beating down some of the flying

souls the vision describes. Others escape, being beyond

 

his reach. In a separate portion to the left, St. Antony

looks on.

The TEXT:

Opon a nyght a voyce come to Saynt Anton and
sayd, "Ryse and cum and se." He went forth and pan he
sawe a lange1 one and awfull and hys hede rechyd to pe
clowdes. And per also he sawe sum fedyrd2 couetyng to
lyft vp pair selfe vnto heuen. And pat lange one he
sawe streke oute hys handes and forbed paim pat pai
:myght not passe. And sum of paim he smate downe into
jpe erthe. And fro pat tyme Saynt Anton vndyrstode pat
jpai.pat wer fedyrd ar saules styghyng vp to God. And
jpat.lange one was pe deuyll pat letts a1 pat he may and

Inany pat be began to ascende vp- borow hys sotelte he

 

1'Tall'?

2'6' appears but twice in the ms.

417

L 1—

   

55/2

castes agayne into vanyte and into erthly delyte and
fleschly Inf, and makes pair poght pat it has no reste
in God ne stabilnes to stande agayne opir thoghtes.
berfore euere creature awe besyly1 to rayse pair intente
and desyre to pe luf of God abowne al thynges. For as
Saynt Austyn says, Tota vita boni Xristiani, Sanctum

desiderum est. "Al pe lyfe of a gode Cristyn man is a

 

holy desyre." Wherfore he pat keps pis intent and de-
syre hooly to God, noght willfully inclyneyng and de-
1ytyng hym selfe vnlefully into erthly vanytes, porow

pe myght of God sal ouercum pe deuell.

 

1Written 'besysely'.

418

 

56/1

ARTICLE 56, ff. 76r-77r

Four additional songs, done after the manner of
those in Articles 49 and 54, (q. v.), present songs of

the angels. Topically, they commemorate the baptism of

— -4“? .1

Christ, and his first miracle; the resurrection; the

founding of the Lord's Supper, and Whitsunday. Illustra— L

 

VIT3~

tions of each of these (excepting the miracle) will be
found in the margin to the right of the text. Separate
songs are introduced by the leading line, 'Honourd(e)
be...,' and designated in the transcription by [a], [b],

[c], and [d].

The TEXT:
be songe and lofyng of Angels on Twelfe Day1
[a] Honourd be pis holy feste day,
In worschip of pe swete well of lyfe,
With al pe ioyes and myrthes pat we may
For Criste pe kyrke has chosyn to his wyfe,
And fynally abated is pe stryfe

bat betwyx hym and man has so longe be;

Honourd be pe blissed Trynyte.

 

lThis rubricated line stands as a title to the

poem.

419

56/2

Oute of pis welle so nobil, lycour ranl
So fayr, so fresche, so lusty, hony swete,
bat sen pe fyrst day pat pe warld began,
With swilk a welle myght no man mete;

Al heuynes and malyce is forgete,

As anence men excused clene is he;

Honourd be pe blissed Trynyte.

Thys day so lawe he wald hym selfe inclyne,

bis thyrd feste with his hye persone,

To honowre turnyng watyr into wyne;

bis day was Ihesu Criste bapty3ed of Saynt Ion;
be Fadyr's voyce was hard oute of his trone,
"bis day is my lufede Son pat lykes me,

Honourd be pe sufferayne Trynyte."2

And pat he suld hafe recorde autentyke,
be thyrd person in our Lord lyght,

be Holy Goste vnto a dowfe3 in lyke,
bat playnely was sent of euere wyght,
bus blyssed has pe watyr God Almyght,
In worschip of pis solempnyte;

Honourd be pe Holy Trynyte.

 

1An erroneous line preceding is cancelled, '[b]is
day he wald so lawe hym selfe declyne inclyne.‘
2Matt. 3:16, 17.

3'Dove'.

420

56/3

be Songe and Lofyng of Angels on Pase Dayl
[b] Honourde be pou, Ihesu, Saueoure,

bat for man kynde was done on pe rode,

And per pou wald do vs pat honowre

To fede vs with pi flesche and pi blode;

Was neuer to vs flesche halfe so goode,

For wondyrly oure ioyes it dos renewe;

Worschipd be pou, Lord, blyssed Ihesu.2

When pou was ded, to helle pou descendyd,
And fetchyd paim oute pat lay per in payne,
For be pi dethe oure mys was al amendyd;

be thyrd day pou rose to lyfe agayne,

With hye victory and ioy suffrayne [f. 76r]
As myghtyfull of hye vertewe;

Worschipd be pou, blyssed Lord Ihesu.

be greuos iornay pat pou toke on Hande3

Has clerely made to euere wyght apere
In sothfastnes to se and to vndyrstande
bat onely was pi talent and pi chere,

So sufficyant pat oure rawnson were

 

lRubricated.
2Written: 'Lord blyssed Ihesu,‘ and the correct

order indicated by the subscript short angled parallel
strokes before and following 'Lord'.

3The lines are rubricated.

421

56/4

Superhabundant ouer pat was dewe;

Honourd be pou blyssed Lord Ihesu.

On Thursday pou a nobyl soper made,1

Wher pou ordand fyrst pi sacrament,

Bot mykil more it dos oure hertes glade,
be worthy dyner of pis day present

In whilk pou schewes pi selfe omnypotent,
Rysyng fro dethe to lyfe it is full trewe;

Honourd be pou, blyssed Lord Ihesu.

Now for pis feste sal we say pe graces,

As worthy is with alle oure dilygence,

And panke pe here in all places

Of pi ful bowntyfus benyuolence,

bi myght, pi grace, pi suffrayne excellence,
bat art pe grownde and welle of al vertewe;

Honourd be pou blyssed Lord Ihesu.

be sang of Graces of Al Holy Sayntes on Pase Day.1
Honourd be pou, blyssedful Lord abofe,1
bat vowshest safe pis iornay for to take,
To becum man onely for man's luf,

And deth to suffer for my synnes sake;

So has pou vs oute of pe hande schake

 

1The line is rubricated.

422

 

56/5

Of Sathanas pat held vs lange in payne;

Honourd be pou, Ihesu suffrayne.

Ful yll I dyd when I pe appyl dyd take;

I wende hafe had perby prosperite;

It sat so nere my sydes and made paim ake;
To gret myschefe I felle fro hye degre,
And al myne ysschewelfor by cause of me.
Now has pow, Lord, restored al agayne;

Honourd be pou, Ihesu, Lord suffrayne. [f. 76v]

So rytchely pow has refresched vs,

And vs comford with pi feste ryalle,
So swete a froyt and so delycyous,

So fayr it is and so celestial,

bat oure dysese is now forgyttyn alle;
bis froyte has so vysytyd euere vayne;

Honourd be pou, Lord Ihesu suffrayne.

Thys may wele pe froyte of lyfe,

be froyte of dethe was wher of I assayd,

bat be iugement dyfynytyfe;

Foure thowsand 3ere I was ful ylle arayed,

To pat pis froyte pat borne was of a mayde
Had reformyd; perfore lat vs synge and sayen,

Honourd be pou, Lord Ihesu suffrayne.

 

1
'Issue', or 'descendants.‘

423

 

[d]

56/6

be songe of angels and opir saynts on Whyssonday.1
Honourd be pou, Holy Goste in hye,

bat vnto pe pepyl of so pore estate

Has gyfen pat grace to stande myghtely

Agayne tyrauntes ferse and obstynate,

For to indewe paim with pi pryncypate,

To lefe pair errour and pair lyfe to amend;

Honourd be pou, Lord, withouten ende.

bow gaf paim wytt and connyng for to preche,
And corege for to stand be pi lawe,

Al maner of folk for to wysche and teche,
Fro vices a1 pair lustes to withdrawe;

And of pair Lord God to stande awe

To his plesaunce, pair hertes to intende;

Honourd be pou, Lord, withouten ende.

bies fyschers a1 avoyded ar of slewthe

For thretyng, for maneschyng,2 ne for drede;
bai spard not bot stode by pe trowthe;

Of payne and torment toke pai no hede,

Bot fayne to se pair hede and sydes blede,
Ful myghtily pi lawes to defende;

Honourd be pou, Lord Ihesu, withouten ende.

[f. 77r]

 

1Rubricated.

2'Menacing'.

424

57/1

ARTICLE 57, ff. 77V, 78r

Two brief prose bits, each introduced by a Latin

 

quotation, are centered in the lower portion of f. 77V.

They are surrounded on all sides by drawings based upon

 

the text. The drawings dominate the page almost totally. .
Filling nearly half of the top is a picture of E

God, seated upon the throne of heaven; to His right is

the Blessed Virgin, also seated upon a throne. There

are angels above them and along both borders of the page.

To the left, the angels are arranged according to the

celestial hierarchy of St. Dionysius,a and a similar

arrangement fills the right margin. The angels are ar-

ranged in descending order of their hierarchial import-

ance, with three angels each drawn for the top four

<mrders, and two angels for each of the lower five. At

'the bottom of the page, in the center, Jesus stands among

:3 group of saints in heaven, with the cross, empty, at

Hie: left. Undergirding the entire page is a wall with a

single door, behind which Jesus stands. Embedded in the

wall are the twelve precious gems of Revelation 21:19, 20.

425

57/2

The TEXT :

Te deum laudamus, pg dominum confitemus. O, pou

 

afl.myghty God, pe we lofe and pe Lord we mak knawlege,
rm euerlastyng Fader, al erthe worschips. To be alle angels,
to pe a1 heuens and al potestates, to pe cherubyn and
seraphyn cryes with ane vncessyng voyce. Sanctus,
sanctus, sanctus, Lord God of Sabaoth,l pat is, of com-
penys.

Ego sum ostium, per mg pi quis introierit,

saluabitur.2 I am dore; be me, if any entyr in, he sal

 

be safed. I am dore be my manhede, and pai entyr by pe
dore pat in contemplacion and meditacion, pat is behald-
yng and thynkyng of my passion, and has compassion perof,
sorowyng per awne wretchidnes pat was cause perof. Also
I am dore keper by my godhede, and lats entyr in whome I
wyll. And he pat ascendes any opir way, he is bot a
mycher and a thefe.3 berfore, he pat wil mekly cum
aftyr me to pe ioy of heuen, forsake he hymselfe, and

take his cros and folow me,4 pe whilk is trewe penance.

[From tOp to bottom in the left margin, the

angels are labelled]:

 

1Extracted and combined from Revelation 4:8 and
James 5:4, in the canon of the mass.

2John 10:9.

3John 10:1.

4Matthew 16:24.

426

57/3

be ordir of Seraphyn; pe ordir of Cherubyn; pe
ordir of Thrones; pe ordir of Dominacion; pe ordir of
Princypates; pe ordir of Potestates; pe ordir of Vertews;
pe ordir of Archangels; pe ordir of Angels.

[The same order is followed in the right margin,
with the simple subscriptions]:

Seraphyn; Cherubym; Thrones; Dominacions; Princi-
pates; Potestates; Vertewes;Archangels; Angels.

[From left to right, the twelve jewels in the
wall of heaven]: I

Iaspis, Saphyr; Caladone; Smaragd[us]; Sardonyk;
Sardio; Crisolyt; Berill; Topa3io; Crisopras; Iacinto;
Amastistus.2 [f. 77v]

Saynt Dynnes3 says pat par ar neyne ordyrs of
angels and pai ar as neyne cyrkyls before pe trone of
God. And pai ar dyuyded in thre ierarchyes pat yo34
thre compenys [o]r terrutoryes.5 be Fyrst thre ar kynd-

ylynge as kyndyls of be swetnes or contemplacioun of God.

 

lFirst written poorly, and correctly supplied

below.
Written: 'Amastistus' with the first 'st' liga-

‘ture resembling the Greek theta.

3St. Denis, (patron Saint of France, not to be

(nonfused with Dionysius the Areopagite, of Athens) a
‘thixd.century writer who divided the angels into three
trierarchies and three orders. See Catholic EncyclOpedia,

Vol. IV, p. 721.

4The use of '3' here is unique.

5Written: 'tc u‘ryes . ' ‘1“

427

 

57/4

pe secunde thre ar lyghtynyng of lightynd of pe lyght or
pe clerte of God. be thyrd thre ar mynysteryng in execu-
cioun and doynge of pecmmmaundementes of God. In ilk a
ierarchy ar thre ordyrs. In pe fyrst ierarchy, Seraphyn,
Cheruby, and Thrones. In pe myddes ar Dominaciouns,
Potestats and Vertewes. In pe thyrd ierarchy ar Pryncy-
pats, Archangels, and Angels.

Saynt Gregourl says per ar nine2 ordyrs of angels,
and for pe nowmer of pe chosyn man is made pe tenth.

For why pat euerlastyng cyte is of angels and men, vnto
pe whylk cyte we trowe als many of mankynde to ascende
as it happynd per pe chosyn angels to abyde styll. So
it is writtyn, "He has ordand pe termes of folkes after
pe nowmer of pe angels of God."

The conuersaciouns of men ar dystynctd of euere
compeny and acordes to pe ordyrs of angels and into pe
sorte pat is pe compeny of paim by liknes of conuersa-
cioun pai ar deput and put. 'Angel' is for to say 'a

schewer' or 'a mesynger'. In pe nowmer of angels ryn

 

lGregory the Great, who, in Homiliarum in Evangelia,
Libri I}, follows the classification of angels ifitroduced
By St. Dennis. See Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, p.

787.

2The numerals are Roman, not written Ollt.

428

57/5

pas folk pe whilk pas lyte vertews, pinges pat pai take
mekly to pair brepir pai cesse not to schewe.

In pis fyrste ordyr1 arpei set and made euen to
angels pat mynysters trewly and mekly and deuotly in haly
kyrk, and also for God helps to seke men, pylgryms or
pore men. And in charyte releues ilk one to opir. Arch-
angel is als mykil to say as 'a hye schewer' or 'a
messynger.‘

In pe secunde ordyr of archangels ar pai depute
and put pe whilk, with be gyft of pe secrete and priuy
heuenly thynges ar refresched and may take and schewe hye
thynges. And with prayer and deuocion famylyarly and
homely intendes to God and gyfes to pair neghbors helpe
and cownsel, doctryne and techynge. I

In pe nowmer of pe thyrd ordyr of vertews pat is
of hye vertews ar pai and acordes to pos folk pat dos
meruellos thynges and strongly wyrkes myrakyls. In to
pis thyrd ordyr go pai Vp with vertewes pat oyses and
exercyse paim selfe in pacience, obedience, and wilful
pouerte and mekenes. And a1 vertewes pai do strongly.

In pe fourte ordyr or degre and nowmer potestates

take pai pair sorte of felyschyp pe whilk casts oute of

 

1In the left margin here, and for each of the re-
maining orders, the appropriate numeral is written beside

the text.
2Originally, 'of prynces or principates', but
cancelled and rewritten 'postestates' .

429

57/6

assayled body and chases yll spyrits porow vertew of
prayer and with myght of pe power, pe whilk pai hafe
taken. And also with potestates pai sal purches pe
victory of ioy, pe whilk stryfynge with vyces and con-
cupiscensis, couetosnesis, dispises pe deuyl with al
pynges pat he puts to paim.

In pe nowmyr of pryncipates, pai pat take pair
sorte and felyschyp pe whilk gos abowne pe meryts and
medes of chosyn men with pe vertewes pat pai hafe
taken, and of gode folkes pai ar bettyr and to pair
chosyn breper pai hafe power abofe. In pis fyft degre
or ordyr with pryncipates sal pai welde pe ioy of pe
kyngdom of heuen for pair labyr, pe whilk in holy kyrk
ar prelates [f. 78r] to opir wakyng nyght and day in pe
offyce commyttyd vnto paim to pe wynyng of saules, and

with al pe dyligence pat pai can, dowbyllyng pe talentes

gyfen vnto paim.l

In pe sext ordyr or degre in pe nowmbyr of domyna-
ciouns ryn pai pe whilk in paim selfe has maystre and
lordschyp to al pair vyces and desyres pat by pat lawe
<xf clennes, emang men pai ar cald gods. In pis degre

with dominaciouns sal pai ioy also pe whilk reuerently

 

1The final three words here, 'gyfen vnto paim',
are bracketed into the end of the line at the right,
permitting the next paragraph to continue without loss
of the remainder of the space of the line, a common
practice in prose articles in the ms.

430

57/7

with al subieccioun pai inclyne paim selfe and bowes to
God's mageste and for pe ioy of hym pai worschip ilk

man and lufs paim selfe also for why pai ar made to pe
ymage of God, and als mykil as pai may, pai conforme

paim selfe to God, subiectynge and puttyng ondyr pe flesche
vnto pe spirit, pai hafe dominacioun and maystre to pair
reson, transferryng in raysyng it Vp vnto heuenly thynges.

In pe seuent ordyrl of thrones ar pai and ar pe

thrones of pair maker and ar asscrybed or put to pe
nowmbyrs of pe hye seete, pe whilk whils to paim selfe
with a wakyr cure has lordschip and maystre, whils pai
with besy intencion2 discusses paim selfe alway in draw-
yng with God's drede pat hafe pai taken in gyft of ver-
tewe, pat par may rightly deme opir, of whome to pe
myndes whils God's contemplacioun is present in pies as
111 his throne, oure Lord is presedent, and sets and ex-
ampgns pe dedys of opir and a1 thynges maruellosly of his
sete:he dyspensys; to pis degre of thrones ar pai fely-
schipd, pe whilk serfys besely to meditacioun and contem-
placioun in halsyng Clennes of hert and restfulnes of
mynde, and gyfes paim selfe for to seke pe most restful

dwellyng or habitacioun to God. bies may be cald pe

 

lFollowing 'ordyr', the scribe first wrote, then
cancelled, 'cum pe' .

2Before 'intencion', 'dyscussyng' was written
and cancelled.

431

57/8

paradysel of God after pis scripter, Delicis mee cum

filiis hominum,2 'My delytes with pe sonnes of men,‘ of

 

whome he says also, 'I sal walke and indwelle in paim.'3

In pe eght ordyr in cherubyn ar pai pe whilk ar
ful of luf of God and pair neghbour. Cherubyn is for to
say 'Fulnes of connynge,‘ and pe apostil Paule says,
Plenitudo legis est caritas,4 'be fulnes of pe lawe is
charyte.‘ A1 pat ar more full with charyte of God and
of pair neghbour pan opir, pe sorte and felyschip of
pair medes pai take in pe nowmyrs of cherubyn.5 Also
with cherubyn, pai sal be sett pat in connynge and knawyng
is abowne before opir pe whilk With syngular blystnes
behalds God face to face with lyghtyng mynd. And pos
thynges pe whilk pai drawe of pat welle of al wysdom by

techyng and lyghtynyng of opir pai 3ette in to hym.6

 

l'be paradys' is repeated, and cancelled.

2Proverbs 8:31; the reading: 'EE deliciae meae
esse cum filiis hominum.’

3The exact quotation is difficult to identify,
although the general concept is very common throughout
Scripture.

4Romans 13:10.
5
nowmwrs'.
6As above, the concluding words 'in to hym' are

bracketed into the right end of the line of writing
which opens the next paragraph.

'Cheruby..' is written and cancelled before 'pe

432

57/9

In pe neynte ordyr pat is of Seraphyn; take pai
sorte and felyschyp of pair callynge, pe whilk ar kyndyld
with pa brandes of hye contemplacioun and brethys in pe
onely desyre of pair maker. And no thyng in pis warld
pai couet, and in onely luf of euerlastyngnes pai ar
fedde, and erthly thynges pai cast away and passes in
mynde. Abowne al thynges, pai luf and pai byrne, and in
pat same byrnyng pai rest. In lufyng pai byrne, [f. 78V]
and in spekyng pai kyndyl opir; and paim pat pai towche
with worde, onone pai make for to byrne into pe luf of
God, of whome pe hert turned into fyre2 it lyghtyns and
byrnes for why and pe eyene3 of myndes pai lyghtyn vnto
hyathunges. And in prykkyng,4 in wepynges, pai clense
be rust of vyces. berfore pai pat ar so inflawmed to
pe luf of pair maker in whom bot emange seraphyn nowmyr
pai hafe taken pe sorte and felyschip of pair callynge.
'Searaphyn' is almykil to say as 'ardens byrnynge.‘5 bai
‘pat: ar in [>13 ordyr, pai luf God with al pair hert and

:mynde, and alle thynges into God and for God pai luf.

 

1A false start, 'syra' is cancelled.

2'Luf' is cancelled and replaced by 'fyre'.

3'Myndes' is anticipated, and preceded 'eyene';
.it is cancelled.

4The first start, 'pk...‘ is cancelled.

5

The Hebrew word‘Q ”D ‘) W. means 'burning' or
'noble'. ' T'

433

57/10

pair enmys as pair frendes pai behalde, whos1 fro pe 1uf
of God no thyng may departe nor lett. Hapely pai ar
byrnyng into paim selfe and kyndyllynge opir, so pat
and pai myght a1 men pai suld make perfyte in pe 1uf of
God. And opir men's vyces as pair awne wepynge and lufs
vttirly and sekes pe ioy of onely God and noght pairs.
bies ar in pe neynte degre emang seraphyn and betwyx
paim and God ar none opir spyrites. To God immediatly
pai sal draw nere.2

Also be Danyel it is sayd, Milia mylium ministra—
pgpp.g£,3 'Thowsandes of thowsands mynysted to hym, and
ten tymes powsandes hundreth powsandes' assistebant pi,
'stode nere vnto hym.‘ Saynt Gregour says, For sothe
ane opir thyng is for to mynyster, and ane opir is for to
stande nere. Angels mynysters when pai gOforth4 to
schewe any thynge to vs, pai stande nere pe whilk pat

oysesinward contemplacioune behaldyn of God, pat pai be

not sent forthe to fulfyll werkes.

 

1Two false strokes are joined to 'whos', and are
cancelled .

2'Draw nere' is bracketed at the end of the
following line .

3The complete passage, in Daniel 7:10: millia
Imillium.ministrabant pi, pp decies millies centena millia

assistebant pi.

4First written 'cum forth.‘

434

57/11

Saynt Bernarde says,‘No thynge represents so
nere pe state of pe heuenly habitacioun in erthes as pe
besynes of men lofyng God} Lerne we perfore in erthes
pe whilk ar for to do in heuen. Perauentour sum says,
'I can not lofe God1 alway as I suld do.‘ To pes is
awnswer made pus, 'A man's reson is lyke to a bowe. A
bowe may not lang2 be bendyd, nor pe reson may not lange
be bendyt. berfore oure mynde may not besyly intende
to God's lofynges. Mykil les suffices oure voyce to
besy lofyng.' Bot beholde, pe voyce of pe hert is stylle,
pe voyce of pe flesche is stylle, wheder not pe voyce of
meke conuersacioun awe to be stylle. be reson is wery,
pe flesche is wery, bot pe meke purpos is neuer wery;
als lange as pou perseuers in gode purpos, in pi labors,
pou lofes God. And als lange as pe state of meke conuer-
sacioun wauers not in pe, withouten dowte, pe clernes of
bilyfe cesses not to lofe God. If3 pou fayle for pe
clernes of lyfe fro pe lofynges of God, pou are domme.

Dauyd sayd, Benedicam dominum ip_omni tempore,4 'I sal

 

blis God in a1 tyme.‘ And Iob sayd, 'I sal not lefe my
5

 

iustyfyinge, pe whilk I hafe taken to halde.‘ He pat
1'God' is repeated, and cancelled.
2

After 'lang', 'alway' is written and cancelled.

3'When', following 'if', is cancelled.

4Psalm 33:2.

5Job 27:6.

435

57/12

lefes not his iustifyinge, pe whilk he has taken to
halde with persuerans of mekel purpos in a1 tymes, he
blisses God. Semper laus eius ip_ore meo,2 'Alway be

3 vndyrstandyd nowder

his lofyng in my mowthe.‘ It is
of pe mowthe of pe hert, nor of pa mowthe of pe flesche,
bot of pa mowthe of meke conuersacioun. be apostil says,

Sine intermissione orate,4 'Without cessyng5 pray 3e.'

 

In God's chosyn childer, when pe tonge prayes not, pe
reson prays not. be lyfe prays als lang as it perseuers
in Clennes. Sggper orat qui semper bonum laborat,6 'he
prays alway pat alway labours wele.‘7 be apostyl says,

Secundum ppopositum vocati sunt [sancti.....]8 gode

 

 

purpos ar men and women cald holy pof pai may not [.....]

wald do ma[.....] [f. 79r]

 

l'Gode' is cancelled, replaced by 'meke'.

2psaIm 33:2.

3'It is' is repeated, and only the repeated 'is'
is cancelled.

41 Thessalonians 5:17.
5A false start, 'sesy' is cancelled.
6The quotation is unidentified.

7'Dos wele' is cancelled, and replaced by
'labours wele'.

8Romans 8:28. The page is trimmed, removing much
of the final line.

436

57/13

 

aDionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, an interesting
man of whom little is known personally outside of his
own writings. He was probably a native of Syria, living
in the latter half of the fifth century. His development
of the nine orders of the hierarchy shows distinct shades
of neo-Platonism; but it was, nevertheless, a commonly
accepted medieval concept. See the Catholic Enpyclopedia,
Vol. V., pp. 13-18.

437

58/1

ARTICLE 58, ff. 79V, 80r

An unassigned prose selection, discussing the
symbolical Four Beasts of the Gospel writers. This an-
cient characterization was most poPular during the
Middle Ages, and may be seen often in mss. of the Bible
itself.

A drawing fills approximately two-thirds of 79v.
Above is the inscription Benedicamus Pater pp filium cum

Sanctum Spiritum. Centered in the illustration is Jesus,

 

who is surrounded by a host of angels and saved souls.
Beneath His feet are the words Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus deus sabaoth. Gloria Patri pp Ellié.2£ Spiriti
Sancto. The symbols of the four evangelists are enclosed
in circles among the angels and souls, toward but not in
the four corners of the picture. The first, labelled
Matheus, shows a winged man in the upper left.a In the
lower left is a winged lion, labelled Marchus. At the
lower right is a winged calf and the name Epggg, The
‘upper right figure is that of an eagle, and the circle

contains the name Iohannes.

438

58/2

The TEXT :

Saynt Austyn says, Que regnum celorum nulli

 

Clauditur nisi gi'qui §g_excluserit, pat is, 'pe kyngdom

 

 

of heuen is stokyn to none bot to hym pat excludes hym
selfe perfro.' berfore ryn 3e whils 3e hafe pe light of
pis lyfe pider, pat is with gode werkes and holy desyres,
for per sal 3e hafe ioy withouten ende.

By pies foure bestes abofe, aftyr holy saynts ar
signyfyed and vndyrstanded pe foure euangelistes, pat is,
Marchus, Matheus, Lucas, and Iohannes. And as Saynt Ion
says, 'pe foure bests ilk one of paim had sex weyngs, and
in pe cyrcuyte and within pai war full of eene, and pai

had no restel day and nyght, sayng, Sanctus, sanctus,

 

sanctus, dominus deus omnipotens, pat is, 'Holy, holy,

 

holy, God almyghty, pat was, and is, and is for to cum.‘
And pe lyknes of pe vysages of paim, pe face of a man
and of a lyon on pe right hande of paim2 foure. [f. 79V]
And pe face of ane oxe of pe left hande of paim foure.
And pe face of ane egyll abowfen of paim foure; pies
foure euangelistes wrote of pe manhede and passyon and
resurrecioun and of pe godhede of Criste. Mathew is

fygured to man, for princypally he wrote of pe manhede

 

1The word order is originally inverted: '.

[careted] nyght and by [careted] day and...’
2

..by

'Of paim' is repeated, and cancelled.

439

58/3

of Criste. Lucas in a calfe doyng in pe presthede of
Criste. Marchus in a 1yone writtyng euydently of pe
resurreccioun.

It is sayd pat pe whelps of pa lyons lygs ded to
be thyrd day, and porow pe romyngel of pe 1yon, pai ar
raysed vp in pe thyrd day. Iohannes, Ion, in ane egyll
flying hyer pan opir wryttyng of Cristes dyuynyte.
Criste was pies foure of pe whilk pai wryte, 'He was man,
borne of pe Virgyn Mary! A calfe in his passyon, for he
sufferd deth. A 1yone in his resurreccioun on Pasce
day.2 Ane egyll in his ascension when he assendyd to
heuen. So ilk3 chesyn man pe whilk is perfyte in pe way
of oure Lord, is man, and calfe, and 1yon, and egyll.
‘berfore,4 ilk right wysman is man by reson, and by sac-
ryfice of his mortyficacioun, pat is of slayng of his
vyces, he is calfe; and by strenthe of sykyrnes he is
1yon; and be contemplacioun, pat is behaldyng of heuenly
thyngs, he is egyll. berfore rightly by pies foure
bestes, ilk perfyte man may be signyfyed or lykkynde.
And pe faces of pos foure bestes and pe pennes of paim

extended abowfen. be facys and pe pennes extendyd abowfen

 

lOriginally, 'romyynge'; the second 'y' is can-

celled.
Careted into the text.

3'Man' is anticipated, and cancelled.

4'By' follows, and is cancelled.

440

58/4

sal be descrybed. For why al pe intent and a1 contempla-
cioun of sayntes tendys abowne hym selfe, pat he may
purches pat thynge pe whilk he desyres in heuenly thynges,
pe chosyn pepyll desyres to plese God almyghty in gode
warke. And be grace of contemplacioun pat couet nowe to
taste pe euerlastyng blissednes, pe faces and pe pennes
abowne pai extende. bies holy bestes vses foure pennes,
forwhy be luf and hope pai flee vnto heuenly thynges, and
be drede and penaunce pair vnlefull dedys in paim selfe
pai wepe and amendys.

Saynt Ionl was raueschid vnto pe mydil heuen.
And he says pe voyce pat he harde was as pat had bene
harpers harpyng in pair harpes.2 be glose says, 'When
pe harpers ar pe saynts of God, pe whilk crucyfied3 pair
flesche with pair vyces and pair4 concupyscens, couetys-
nesses, pai lofe hym in pe sawtre and in pe harpe. And
how mykil more pai pat makes a1 paim selfe offeryng to

oure Lorde by priuylege of anger,5 chastite, and also

 

1'Euangelist' is written in the left margin before
'Saynt Ion'.

2Revelation 14:2.

3'Crucifyng' is written immediately following
'crucified', in the right margin.

4A false start on 'concupyscens', 'concuyng', is
cancelled.

5The word 'anger' is obviously wrong here. It may
have been intended originally to have been among the vices
previously listed; and, when written in the margin, was
improperly inserted at this point.

441

58/5

forsakes paim selfe, takyng pair crosl and folows pe
lamme, whyder soeuer he go, angels fro pe begynni[n]ge

. . 2
cryes, Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, domInus deus exerCItuum,

 

 

'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of compenys.‘ And solemply

pai say, Benedicamus Patrem, 'Blis we pe Fader, and pe

 

Son, with pa Holy Goste.’ So fro pe begyninge synges pe
angel comepny, neuer fro hence forward for to cese; and

in pa same sange it is laudemus et superexaltemus eum in

 

seculam, 'Lofe we hym and exalt we hym abowne in to
warlds.‘3 berfore4 for his litel maner, man's deuocion
suld folow angels' sange, hafyng no thyng sweter in his

mowthe hawntyngly pan Gloria Patri pp Filio, gE_Spiriti

 

Sancto, pat is 'on be to pe Fader, and to pe Son, and

to pe Holy Goste.‘ [f. 80x]

 

1'Cros' is written quite poorly, cancelled, and
rewritten.

2Revelation 4:8.

3Daniel 3:74, 83.

4'After oure maner we suld folow in deuo' follows,
and is cancelled.

 

aThe picture is that of a winged man. Where this
figure occurs elsewhere in the ms., it is identified as
an angel. In this article, it is called a man. Since
the lion and calf also have wings, and since the point
of the wings is quite evidently to establish the fact of
the writer's divine inspiration, the wings alone do not
require identification of the figure as an angel.

442

59/1

ARTICLE 59, f. 80v

Twenty couplets on the joys of heaven, unassigned.a
The supreme joys, it is affirmed, are to be 'be blyssed
syght of be Trynyte,’ and of 'God's blissedful moder,
oure Lady Saynt Mary.‘ The meter is irregular, and the

rhymes often seem forced.

The TEXT :

Behald, man, and pi poght Vplede

To heuen with al pi spede,

For par ar saules fedde and cled wele,
With ioy of sight pat pai sal fele,

bai sal wyrke per none opir thynge,

Bot lofe ay God withouten cesynge;

For with pa syght of God pai sal be fedde,
And with bryghtnes of lyght pai sal be cled,
And pair warke sal be ay lofynge,

In pe whilk pai sal hafe gret lykynge,

Bot pair moste ioy in heuen sa[1] be

be blyssed syght of pe Trynyte,

be whilk pai sal se euer more;

And pat ioy sal passe al opir pore;

For ay whils pai pat sight sal se,

443

59/2

Of al ioyes pa sal fulfylled be.

bai sal per God ay apertly se,

And a1 thre persons in Trynyte:

Fader and Son and Holy Goste;

bat sight sal be pair ioy moste,

For as he is, pai sal se hym pan,
Sothfast God, and sothfast man,

borow pe whilk syght pai sal knawe,
And se a1 thyng both hye and lawe.
Also per sal pai se apertly

God's blissedful moder, oure Lady Saynt Mary,
bat next syts to God in heuen bryght,
Abownel a1 angels as is right.

Sche is so fayr per sche syttes,

bat hir fayrnes passes a1 man's wytts.
A gret ioy per may be cald,

Hyr fayrnes to behalde.

berfore when pou has heuen sene2
borow sight of pi hert fre,

At pi synnes pou suld sore tene

bat puts pe fro pat fayr cyte,

For al if hell suld neuer hafe bene,

 

l'Abof' is written in the left margin; 'Abowne'
remains in the text, uncancelled.

2From this point, the couplets are no longer
used, and the rhymes alternate.

444

59/3

And syn suld neuer venged be,
3it suld pou 3erne to kepe pe clene,

For pat ioy to hafe and God to se.

 

aThe Catalpgue, p. 331, does not note the final
eight lines as exceptions to the succession of couplets.

 

445

60/1

ARTICLE 60, ff. 80V, 81r

The Biblical parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew
25:1—13) appears here, with an illustration on 80v. In
the illustration, the five wise virgins stand in an as-
cending line, lamps upright and burning, before the door
to Heaven. The five foolish virgins, in a similar line
to the right, stand somberly with their lamps black and
held askew. Two angels guard the gate of heaven. Both
of them point the wise virgins toward the open door of
Heaven, while the angel above holds a sword in his left
hand, levelling the sword against the foolish five.
Within the castle, Heaven, are God and the Blessed Virgin.
In its location at the top of the page, this last element

may well be associated with both articles on 80V.

The TEXT :

The kyngdom of heuens is lykkynd to ten vyrgyns;
pies vyrgyns betokens Cristen pepyll. Bot pe fyfe fonde
virgyns betokens fals Cristen pepyll, and pe fyfe wyse
virgyns betokens trewe Cristen pepyll. And ilk one1 of
pies had lawmps in pair handes. be lawmpys betokens

werkes, and pe oyle in be lawmpes betokens charyte. For

 

1'One' was omitted, and is careted into the text.

446

60/2

alle als welel gode as ylle has2 lawmpes, pat is to say,
werkes. Bot onely gode pepyll has oyle, pat-is, charyte,
for why fals Crystem pepyll with trewe Crysten [f. 80V]
pepyll dose werkes3 now. Bot in doyng, pai4 hafe no
charite, parfore se 3e pat per be oyle in 3oure lawmpes;
bat is to say, if 3e hafe in 3oure gode warkes trewe
charite, if 3e 1uf God5 abowne a1 thynges, and 3oure
neghbour as 3oure selfe 3e 1uf,6 certaynly when pe spowse

7 ordand

sal cume, bat is oure Lord, and he pat is redy
in hafyng7 trewe charite sal entyr8 into euerlastyng
weddynges, pet is euerlastyng lyfe in ioy.9 And he pat
is not redy10 is hafyng trewe charite, euerlastyngly he

sal abyde withouten heuen.

 

l'Ylle' is anticipated, written before 'gode',
and cancelled.

2'Werkes' was written before 'lawmpes', and is
cancelled.

3Poorly written at first, 'does wer' is cancelled.
4Written 'pair'; the 'r' is cancelled.

5The next portion, 'and 3oure neghbour as 3oure
selfe' is anticipated, and is cancelled after 'God'.

6From Matthew 19:19.

7Careted into the text.

8'Sal entyr' ends one line, and is repeated at
the beginning of the next, but is not cancelled in either
place. 9

At first poorly written, 'ioy' is cancelled and
rewritten.

10'Redy' is cancelled and rewritten.

447

61/1

ARTICLE 61, f. 81r

Two brief, anonymous prose notes fill the lower
portion of 81x. The first of these, 'be Cart of pe
Fayth,‘ is illustrated; the second is not. It discusses
the four dimensions of the cross of Christ, and is crowded
badly into the lower left corner of the page, under the
illustration.

The illustration itself shows a procession led
by a company of priests, with a banner inscribed 'IHC' at
the front. Following the priests is the 'cart', a cum-
bersome wagon loaded with people, with the signs of the
four Evangelists at the top and bottom corners. Above
is the title, 'be Cart of Fayth.‘ Below and behind the
cart are a number of prostrate people, above whom stand
two fiends with grappling hooks by which means they
pull and prod the lost into the mouth of a gaping dragon
at lower right. Above their heads is the boxed inscrip-
tion, 'bie fendes is abowte to drawe oute of pe carte of

pe faythe pe Cristen pepyl.‘

The TEXT :
When God made a pales to hym selfe, pe walle

slyded downe when pe angels felle, pe whylk God wyllyng

448

61/2

to restore, he sent his Son Ihesu Criste for to gedyr to
pat byggyng whykke stones, pat is to say man, pe whilk
Lord Ihesu Crist ascendyng his cart and caryed many
pepyll. Bot pai pat slyded downe fro pence he left, and
pat was Lucyfer and hys felyschip. And as it is sayd in

Scr[i]ptour, Ascendens super equos tuos-pp quadriqe tue

 

saluacion,l pat is, "Ascendyng opon pi hors and pi waynes

 

saluacioun;' pe waynes of God ar pe foure euangelystes.
And pe hors ar pe apostyls, pe whilk with pair prechynge
by pe warld in pat cart drewe and also gedyrd many pepyll
to pat byggyng. Ihesu is as mykyl for to say, as Salueour;

in Mathew it is wrytten, Vocabis nominem eium Ihesum,

 

'bus sal [h]is name Ihesu2 be cald; he sal make safe his
pepyll fro pair synnes.‘ And in pe Acts of pe Apostils
it is written, 'ber is none opir name vndyr heuen gyfen
in pe whilk vs behoues to be safed in bot in pis.'3
Ihesu is a name of valow and of almyght to whome nothyng
pat is of pa fende may withstande, nor no fantestyke
pinge may withstande if it [be] worthyly pronownced or

spoken agayns fendes.4 Our Lord says, 'In my name pai

sal caste oute fendes.‘5

 

lHabakkuk 3:8.
2

Following 'Ihesu', 'be cald' was omitted, it
has been careted into the text, and is written in the
right margin.

3Acts 4:12.

4'Fendes' was first prOperly written, then can-
celled; it is written in the right margin.

5Mark 16:17.
449

61/3

[The second brief prose feature]:

The cros of Crist has foure dymensions. In pe
brede it betokens charite or pe warkes of charite, and
in pe lenthe it betokens perseuerance in godnes vnto pe
ende. And in pe hyghnes it betokens pe hyghe ende euer-
lastyngly in heuen, to pe whilk al thynges ar referd.
And pe depnes of it pat is in pe erthe is betokend pe
depnes of pe grace of God. Also it betokens pe mortyfyng
ofl'pe flesche with pa vyces.

bes fygours abowne betokens pe apostils pat
ledes gode Cristen pepyl to heuen with pair holy doc-
trine and techeng. And pies pat ar drawe oute of pe
cart with fendes betokens fals Cristen pepyl and hery-

tykes. [f. 81r]

 

1'Of' is repeated, and is uncancelled.

450

62/1

ARTICLE 62, f. 81V

A brief homily, setting forth the ascended Christ
with his power to save and to damn fills most of 81V. It
is an unassigned work, extolling the virtues of martyrdom
and virginity, which are certainly rewarded in the king—
dom of heaven.

Nearly one-fourth of the page is left blank at
the bottom--a most exceptional fact. It may have been
the intention of the writer to return and draw an illus-
tration in the vacant space; there is more than enough

room. But if this were the plan, it was not completed.

The TEXT :

 

Ascendens Cristus ip_altum dedit dona hominibus;
pat is, "Cryste Ascendyngl in to hyght gaf gyfts to men."2
And pe seruands pe whilk dowbyld pe3 talents pat is pe3
besants of pair Lorde betokens gode Cristen men, wheder

pai be perfyte or imperfyte, pe whilk after pe fayth lyfes

holyly after pe conyng pat pai hefe taken. And not onely

 

lFirst written 'ascendy' poorly, and cancelled.
2Ephesians 4:8.

3'bair' is cancelled, replaced by 'pe'. The
parable of the talents may be found in Matthew 25:14-30.

451

62/2

in wyrkyng pair selfe ryghtly, botl also opir with pair
gode insawmpyl als mykil as pertenes to paim, pai-drawe
to hele of saule. And pe seruandes pat hydes pe mony
pat is his gyfe,2 of pair lord in pe erthe and bryngs

no froyte, betokens fals Cristen men pe whilk in lyfyng
fleschely takes hede to onely erthly couetosnes, and in
paim3 pat wytt pai take of God pai exspende, nowdyr to
paim selfe [nor] to opir profetes in lyfynge wele. Bot
oure Lord aftyr sal cum and requyre straytly, and pe
seruand wyrkyng wele he sal rewarde. And pe seruande
beyng slawe fro gode warke he sal dampne. Therfore euere
man awe to lyf wele and rightwisly, als far forth as he
may. bai ar cald rightwys men pat fulfyls pe commawnde-
mentes of God withoute any qwerell. And pies when pai
ar ded of angels ar led in to erthly paradyse, or rather
in to sum spyritual ioy. bar is ane ordyr of rightwys
men pe whylk in perfyte ar led4 and5 nerpeles pai ar
wrytten inpe boke of lyfe as pe ar weddyd folke, pat when

pai ar ded pai ar receyfed into mery dwellynge places.

 

Careted into text.
'bat is his gyfes' is careted into the text.

'selfe' is cancelled.

othNH

'Ar led' is careted into the text.

5'Pai ar' is anticipated here, and cancelled.

452

62/3

Of pies manyl before pe day of dome porow prayers of
holy ----- sayntes and with almos of men pat lyfes ar
taken Vp in to more ioy. Bot all aftyr pe domesday2
sal be felyschippyd with angels.

Also pai ar cald perfyte pepyll, pe whilk not
onely kepys pe commaundments, bot also pai do pe cownsels
of Criste, as monkes and martyrs and virgyns. Martyrdom
and virgynyte and forsakyng of pe warld ar not commaundyt,
bot pai ar pe cownsels of Criste. berfore pai pat dos
paim as be lawful inherytaunce sal welde pe kyngdom of

heuen, as it is written, Cum dederit dilectis suis sompnum
3

 

ecce hereditas domini. "When he gyfes slepe to his

 

 

lufed childer," pat is to say, 'dethe', "behald pe herit-
age of oure Lord," pat is pe kyngdom of heuen pe whilk

pa sal hafe euermore. Also if monkes and opir religios4
fulfyll pair porpos5 in lyfyng religiosly, pai sal be

iuges with oure Lord in pa day of dome. [f. 81v]

 

1'Afore' was first written, but is cancelled and
replaced by 'before'.

2'Sal' first poorly written, and cancelled.

3P5. 126:2.

4'In ly' of 'in lyfyng' is anticipated, and can-
celled.

5'Right' follows 'purpos', but is cancelled.

453

63/1

ARTICLE 63, ff. 82r-84r

Body and Soul engage in the familiar disputatio,

 

each seeking to lay the blame upon the other for the
miserable end to which they have come in the grave.
Three versions of this dialogue are given by Booker,a
which are listed as I, IIa, and IIb. Sources for II are

Bodleian 343 and Worcester; for IIa, Auchinleck, Laud.

 

 

 

108, Vernon, and Linow, w. IIb is found in Harleian
b

 

2253. No date is given for this last, while version I

 

is traced to the late eleventh or early twelfth centuries,
and 11a to the first quarter of the thirteenth.

The Catalogue identifies this article with the

 

genre of poems discussed by Batiouchkof in Romania, xx.
pp. 1,513 sqq.,C although pointing out that there is
little in common in the treatments.

A Latin title heads the article, followed by a
rubricated English heading. At the top right the two
speakers are depicted in an illustration with the Soul
standing naked at the foot of the wrapped, emaciated
corpse of the Body as an angel looks on from above. The
pages following show the same characters in small inserted
boxes at various points of the text. On the final page,

however;(84r), the closing parable of the orchard and

454

63/2

the conspiring blind and crippled men is illustrated:
the crippled man hands fruit to the blind man, standing
at the base of the tree. In the background to the left,
the king observes their conspiracy from the top of his

castle.

The TEXT:

Spiritus adversus carne; carno adversus spiritum.

 

 

A dysputacioun betwyx pe saule and pe body when
it is past oute of pe body.l
be saule sayd to pe body pus, "Art pou pere pon
wretchyd body so horribill and fowle stynkyng wormes mete
and noreschyng of corrupcioun? Wher is now pi pryde and
pi fers hert? What is pi lewd play cummen to?2 Wher is
it now cummen and how has pou with alle pi qwayntnes done?
Sothly as me semes I sawe neuer a more deformed fygure.
And certes wele is worthy, for I myght neuer hafe bene
fully avenged on pe, for whils pat pou and I was copyld
to gedyr, pou made me lede a ful unthryfty lyfe, and made
me lose many a day's labyr in folowyng pe and my tyme
wastyng be crokyd ways, for pou soght alway pine awne ese

and pine awne plesaunce and made me sorow with pi mysgouern-

aunce alway contraryyng to pat pat suld hafe bene to myne

 

lRubricated.

2Uncareted, the 'to' is inserted above the words.

455

63/3

avawntege, wherby I was broght in to gret disese and
heuynes, and has made me ynoghe to do for many a day her
aftyr bot if pe mercy of God1 abredge my distres. Bot
not for pi blyssed be hys grace pat has put me in sykyrnes
oute of perell pat pou had broght me in. Ne had not pat
grace bene I had bene lost and dampned be pi purveaunce."
be body awnswers to pe saule,2

Then lyft pe body a lytel his fowle hede and be-
gan to opyn hys horrybyl mowthe, sayng in pis wyse, "What
says pou," quoth3 he. "Yll be pou commen pat begyns pus
to dyspyse me pat awe to comforth me and solace me als
mykil as wer in pe. Wat pou noght pat pou was gouerner
and mayster of my flesche sum tyme and [Eat pou sal in
bones cum to pi iugement at pe general resurreccioun of
me and of a1 opir pat ar ded? Has pou not vndirstandyng
here before of pe sayng of E3echiel pat sum tyme in a
vysion was in pis felde and in pis same place, saying in

pis wise, Arida ossa audite verbum domini.4 '3e drye

 

bones here 3e word of God,‘ at pe whilk worde euere bone

went to opir'ioynyng paim seler]5 in pair propyr places

 

1'Be abred' is cancelled before 'abredge'.

2Rubricated.

3The common Latin abbreviation for uod serves
for the English word "quoth". The scribe may ave made
no differentiation in his pronunciation.

4Ezech. 37:4.

5Here, and following, the corner of the page is
torn away.

456

63/4

and suyngly pe spyrytes resorted to pair bones. So
[pat]l pai stode Vp as men in same persons so as bai

had bene before w[ith]-l [f. 82r] outen any spotte or
tetche of vylany. Werefore pou awe not so fowle to dis-
pyse ne so rodly to blame me, for sothly pis syght pat
Ezechiel sawe pat tyme in spyryt, it sal be fulfyld at
pe day of iugement verely, and bodely withouten dowte.
berfore suld pou not so schortly set me at noght, for
cause pat I am pus fowle deformed and pus greuosly tor-
mentyd in stynke and filthe amonge wormes and a1 corrup—
cioun, for pou has bettyr right to blame pi selfe pan to
pleyne opon me, for of al my fowle horribilite pi selfe
art pe cause. What reson has pe fyre to pleyne on pe
woode, pe whilk when it has taken it brynes in to askes?
Why suld pies askes be blamed or rebukyd for pair un-
thryftynes?" be saule sayd,2 "No cause of skylle has3
any wyght for to blame pe askes. Bot betwyx pe and me
pis maner of lyknes is not comparabyll? “Sothlmrquoth4
pe bodgflpis lyknes acordes wele. Vndyrstandes pou not
wele pat when I was broght fro my moder wome, pou was

wyth me and after pat tyme pou occupyed me alway to pat

 

1Here, and following, the Corner of the page is
torn away.

2Rubricated.

3The 'h' is careted into the word.

4
Again, the Latin quod.

457

63/5

I was pus wasted uttyrly? And when1 pou fand in me no
more for to waste, pou forsoke me and left me lyke unto
askes. And I suppose wele if pou had left me sodanly
in myne hele or els pat pou had be.vyolence be castyn-
oute fro me, pan wald pou not hafe dispysed me as askes,

bot perauenture cald me blak2 forbyrnt cols." be saule:3

4 pat5 al pis6 was sothe, 3it must me nedes

"I put cas
blame pe and sorow and complene pat euer I come in pi
compeny, for I was in my nature as clere as in pe pure
elyment of fyre with outen any corrupccioun. And right
as pe fyre takes smoke and derknes of pa matyr, pe whilk
he is conioyned unto, right so7 what tyme I reccyfed pe
and mellyd with pi compeny, swylk fowle derknes and smoke
whilk kest oute fro pi8 fowle unclene and stynkyng vap-

oures." be body answers:3

"Saull, wele may I awnswer
to pis. bou was to me actyfe as fyre-in pe woode, and
I to pe passyue as woode in pe fyre. I cowthe not hyde

myn humers in so priuy a place bot pou soght paim oute

 

lCareted into the text.

2'Foburte' was first written, and cancelled.

3Rubricated.

4'2" is cancelled after 'cas'.

5'al was' is cancelled after 'pat'.

6'pas' is careted into the text.

7At first omitted, then careted into the text.

First written 'pe', and cancelled.

458

“ 63/6

and drafe paim oute fro me wheder I wald or noght, so
pat I left not myne humers bel myne awne assent, bot
onely I was compeld to suffer pe to do what pe lyst, be
als mykyll as pine was pe accion and I not bot pe matyr
abyl for to suffer wheder I wald or noght. Wherfore if
so be pat in pa is any fylth or unclennes infect be my
vapoures as pou beres me on hande, soth it is sen pine
is pe accioun in me as pe matyr pat pou has procurd pi
self, and on piselfe onely is pe defaute. I was taken
unto pe pat2 pe suld gouerne me and teche me in pe best
wyse. bou was ordande to be my mayster, and if I hafe
disobeyde pe, I trow pou put on me bot lytel disciplyne,
wherby pat I myght hafe bene holden vndyr subieccion.
What pat I desyred, pou grauntyd me, and so mykil pou
attendyd to my plesaunce pat I was ful often acombyrd
of oure both mysrewle. So pou pat suld hafe bene souer-
ayne made me pi maystyr, whilk3 suld hafe bene [fol. 82v]
bot soiett. All pat I haf desyred was bot onely of
naturall inclynacioun to pe cuntre pe whilk I come fro
pat was pis wretchyd erthe, Wherfore in erth I lyg cled
hafyng here my very purgatory. Bot pou pat art of pe

souerayne cuntre and pe nobyl work of pe souerayne Trinyte,

 

l'Myne' is written at the end of the line, can-
celled, and opens the following line.
2'suld' is cancelled, and 'pe' is written above.

3Poorly written, then rewritten in lower margin.

459

63/7

pou suld hafe drawne me to pe with pi goode gouernance
aftyr God's lawe to pe cuntre whilk pou come fro. ber-
fore was I taken to pe to be vnder pi rewle and gouern-
aunce. Bot sothly ol opir wyse has pou done not onely
consentyng to my mysrewled lusts, but moreouer ful oft
tymes pou has styrred me to synne and mykil vnthryftynes,
techeyng me for to kast sleghtes and cautels, whilk come
neuer to me of nature, bot only be pi techyng for els
had I neuer knawne paim; and for to speke more propyrly
of al my defawtes, pi self art to blame as cause of my
foly, for withouten pe myght I not performe no maner of
desyre,nowdyr gode nor ylle. And per as pou has cald me
fowle and stynkyng, if pou take hede to reson, wele
avysyng pi selfe, of pe come al my stynke, for wele pou
wate pat of wax and of_pe weke closed perin, a1 yf it

be hemp or cotom, per comes no stynke perof, bot if it
fyrst be inflawmed or kyndeld with fyre. If pis fyre be
put1 oute, pan cummes of pis mater fowle smoke and ‘
stynke. I asse pe pan pat has lernyd of Aristotel pe
cause of corrupcioun, wher of cummes pis wykkyd sauor
and smoke of pe torche when pe fyre is oute? Wheder it
is of pe weke or onely of pe wax, sen it is so pat nowder
of paim stynkes of pair awne propyr nature?" be saule

awnswers:2 "Sothly as I vndyrstand pat som fowle vnholsum

 

l

2Rubricated.

Written 'but'.

460

63/8

sauour cummes of pe corrupcioun whilk pe fyre has caused
in pe torche, whilk torche what tyme pe fyre is with-
drawne hym be violence, pan in maner of complaynt he
castes oute fowle vapours and smoke, whilk ar as it wer
teres of wepyng because of pa harme pat pe fyre has done
perin, wastyng of his substance. And as me semes, pe
more nobyl pat pe matyr is, pe fowler is pe sauour when
it is pus corrupt, as it is clerly prouyded pat pe wax
candel smels wars als tyte as it is done oute, pan pa
candel pat is made 0 tawghe." be body says:1 "This
awnswer suffyces for myne intent, for pinge only pat is
corrupt stynkes and is of yll Sauour. So pat both pe
wax and pe weke has taken corrupcioun onely of pe fyre,
pat has chawnged pe matyr and apayred specially at pe
forletyng of pe same matyr. For why pou has no cause
for to reprefe me because pat I stynke, for in me has
pou bene as fyre in wax, and me has pou corrupt and
caused pat I stynke. And as mykil pou has forleten me,
pou awe of right more to be blamed pan I. And more
cause hafe I to complene on pe pan pou has on me. And
semes wele be pe fowle savour pat pou feles, whilk
ascen[des]2 fro me to pe complenyng of pe corrupcioun

r1

whilk pat pou pi selfe has cau[sed]2 [f. 83 [caused]3

 

lRubricated.

2Bottom corner of page torn.

Repeated from previous page.

461

63/9

in me pe stynke pat pou feles in me is noght els bot

pine awne syn. And I say pe pat per ar many one lyggyng
in pe erthe all hole withouten corrupcioun in pair graue
or sepulkyr wherof pe cause is noght els bot pai wer wele
taght and disciplyne and kepyd oute of syn and gouernd

in a ful gracios scole vndyr a ful goode and gracios
rewler pat had paim in gouernaunce. And if pou had
haldyn me so schort, I had not now bene so fowle corrupt,
for onely be pi synnes it is pat I am so lothely and of.

1 "Who so pat is put and

fowle savour." be saule sayd:
closed in ane narow sekkezand bunden fast withouten, he
has not pe maystre ne pe gouernaunce of pe sekke. Bot
pe sekke has maystre of hym whome he halds so closed
within hym. Now pis pou knawes wele, pat pou held me
closed within pe and kepyd me ful derly pat I went not
fro pe nor I myght not do myne awne pleasaunce. So by
pe it is pat I hafe bene lettyd fro gracios gouernaunce,
and pou art cause of my forfet and of my foly." be

body says:l "Certes now argues pou folyly, for pi reson
is more to my purpos pan it is to pine, for he pat is
closed in a sekke has more myght and power pan has pe

ded sekke pat kepys hym closed perin, namelybsen pat pe

sekke is of gret largenes so pat his wittes may vse his

 

1Rubricated.

2'Sack'.

462

63/10

iugementes withouten any lettynge, for sothly pe sekke
it selfe may not mefe to ne fro, bot if he pat is in
pe sekke mefe it and styr it of his awne myght. I hafe
bene noght els bot as it wer pi sekke, whome pou had
caryed whyder pat pe lyst. bou had within me large
space ynoghe, and al pi wittes myght pou vse at pine
awne plesaunce, so pat pou wald not departe nor suffer
pi sekke for to be vnbon or lowsed by pi wyll." ban

1 "Pes and stynt of 3our pleyng,for it

sayd pe Angel:
is not 3our avaylyng--betwyx 3ow twoo to stryfe on swylk
maner of wyse be swylk wordes and to be mefed, for 3e

ar predestinate to saluacioun, and hereafter sal be ioyned
agayn togeder. Betwene paim swilk stryfe of wordes

suld be mefyd whilk pat ar perpetually dampned and

ordand to pe payne of Helle. berfore to al lyffyng crea-
tures it is to take hede to pis insawmpyl how per was a
kyng pat betaght his orchard pat he luffed passyng wele

to a blynde man and to a crokyd man pat of payne of deth
pai suld kepe it wele and not take of pe froyte. be
crokkyd sawe pis froyte was fayre, and had to ete perof.
He prayed pe blynde to helpe hym into pe tresse and he
suld gyf him of [ple froyte pat he myght gytt.

And opon [f. 83v] pis beheste pe blynde helpyd pe crokyd

to clym in pe trees. He gat of pe froyte and gaf pe

 

lRubricated.

463

63/11

blynde parte, and pus ete pai bothe of pe froyte, ay
when pai walde. And sone aftyr it was teld pe kynge how
pe twoo dyd pat kepyd his orchard--pe best froyte pi
ete, and gaf it wher pai wald. And pan pe kyng for his
commaundment brekyng demed paim both to ded. bus sal
oure Lord do to pe blynde saule and to pe crokyd body
pat etes of pe forbodyn froyte, wherby pe apostyl spekes

pus, Manifesta sunt opera carnis etc. etc.,1 pat is

 

'Vnclennes, lychery, enmyte, ire, and stryfynges, man-
slaghtyr, dronkynes, osee,2 theft, leyng, bannyng, avowtre,‘
pies synnes God forbyds to be done, as pai wer forbyddyn
apyls as he dyd to Adam oure formest fadyr. pies ar pe
froyt pat pe flesche desyres agayns God's commaundmentes
And as pe apostyl Paule says, 'pos pat pies dos,pai ar
forbarred fro pe blysse of heuen.’3 pe saule,for it as-
sents. be bodyifor it is occupyed in lust agayns God's
defence, and pe saule for it assentes with pe body; per-
fore both ar worthy to dye. berfore, as pe apostil says,

Qui autem Xristi sunt 3E etc.,4 'pai pat ar of Criste

 

has crucyfyed pair flesche with vyces and concupyscences,’

and in ane opir place he says, g; secundum carnem vixeritis

 

 

1Gal. 5:19.

2Written above text, uncareted: 'witchcraft' or
'augury'.3
Gal. 5:21.

4Gal. 5:24.

464

63/12

moriemini1 'If 3e lyf aftyr 3our flesche, 3e sal dye.‘
Wherfore it is nedful to euere creature to consyder pis

and discretly hald vnder his flesche with helful discyplyne
pat it may be obedyent to pe wil and pe reson of pe

saule, and pe saule obedyent vnto God in kepyng his
commaundmetes right and pan sal pai bothe be gloryfyed

togeder in euerlastyng ioy." [f. 84r]

 

Rom. 8:13.

 

aJohn Manning Booker, A_Middle English Biblio-
graphy, pp. 8, 9.

bThe Harleian ms. has a topical but not a
literal relationship, and is in poetic form.

CCatalogue, p. 331.

 

465

64/1

ARTICLE 64, f. 84V

'Versa est ip luctpmcithera mea...‘ is a 48-

 

line poem in quatrains, with two illustrative drawings.
The harper sits at top left, opposite the cpening eighteen
lines. Skeleton-like death stands at the right, Opposite
the next twelve lines, aiming an arrow toward the harper.
Death leers, and appears to be disemboweled.a

Ross titles this poem 'The Harper', and includes
it among his selection of five emblem verses from 31049.b
At the top of the page five parallel lines are drawn
across almost the full width of the page. It may be in-
ferred that the writer intended to write one line of

music at this place. The lines are boxed at both ends,

like musical scores.

The TEXT :

[Heading]: Versa est ip_luctum cithera mea, pp

 

. . l
organum meum £p_vocem flenCIum.

 

Allas, ful warly for wo may I synge,
For into sorow turned is my harpe,
And my organ in to voyce of wepynge

When I rememyr pe deth pat is scharpe;

 

1Job 30:31.

466

64/2

1
For in jolyte ioyed I in my 3onge age,
And in ryote and rotynge I my lyfe ledde,
So pat with vanyte I dyd my selfe fage,2

Attendyng not pe tedyosnes pat I am inspred.

Wher fore, wofully rememyr now I may
Of dethe pe dolful beheste,
And pus to my selfe I may say,

12 luctum versa mea cithera est;

 

For after my dethe whyder I sal wende
Vttyrly vnknawen it is vnto me,
Bot if gode warkes be pan my frende,

Wondyrly ful wo may I be;

Wherfore when I rememyr me of pis,

Doolfully ip luctum versa mea cithera is.

 

Bot allas now, for sorow I may say,

3

For welner attendes men in euery degre,

be welthe of pe warld gyt yf pai may
As pair abydyng euer more per with suld be;

berfore turned is myne organ into vocem flencium;

 

When I se pis nOght consyderd in cordibus viuerguium.

 

 

1The initial letter, 'j', is clearly intended to
be distinct from the common 'i' of the following word.
It is distinguished by a full tail.

2'Elatter'.
'Well-nigh'; 'Close'.

467

64/3

3it allas, for sorow I may say,
For gret pyte is nowe for to se
How men disgyses paim in vgly aray,

Consyderyng noght in what myschefe pat pai be;

Wherfore when I thynke on pis,
My harp into sorow turned is.
Sum beres bolsters opon pair bak,

With pair haer hyngyn as a gayt1 berde,

With schone pyked of vgly myschap
As of pe fende pai war not afferd;
Sum with inuy and fals couetyce

Spends a1 pair wytt and wysdom

[A]nd2 in sotelte and falshede ar wonder wyce,
[An]d pinkes not on pair dome for to cum;
[berf]ore turned is my organ ip_vocem flencium,

[When] I se pis not consyderd £3 cordibus viuenCium.

bus in lustynes and likyng pai lede a1 per l[yfe]3
Hafyng no poght of deth pat sal paim smyte,
Bot euer debate makyng and stryfe,

Haly perin pai put pair dely[te];

 

1
2

3The final eight lines are squeezed into a small
space below the figure of the death-archer in the right
column. Some final letters or words are missing from a
rip along the right margin.

Written 'agayt': 'a goat's beard'.
Here, and following, the interior margin is torn.

468

64/4

Wherfore when I thynke on [pis],
£2 luctum versa mea cithera is.

Now God of gret mercy his grace to vs sende,

bat of our mysdedes [.......]. [f. 84V]

 

aThis is a distinguishing feature between the

'danse des morts' here and the 'danse du mort.‘ See
Ross, Speculum, xxxii, (1957), p. 276.
b

Ibid., pp. 281, 282.

469

65/1

ARTICLE 65, ff. 85r-86r

The Catalogue describes this section as 'Moral

 

distichs (about 103 in number) with prefatory quatrain.‘a

Such a count may be had only by including Article 66
along with Article 65. While there are similarities,
there are also obvious differences, as will be seen by
comparison of the description, and by reading the texts.

The couplets are thrown together from various
sources, known and unknown, and Article 65 consists of
not less than five separate poems, according to Brown
and Robbins.b In 21049, the various components are
written consecutively, and there is no break indicating
separate origins. The order in which the poems occur
varies greatly, as does the subject matter; all of them
purport to show the manner by which one may learn to
'luf God and drede/ And hym seryf...‘

That such maxims were popular and widely circulated
is evidenced by the fact that the distichs appear in num-
erous manuscripts.C Herrtage has shown that the original
sources for some of the poems are lost, but that the ex-
tant mss., especially of the English version of the Eggpg

Romanorum, reflect this common ancestry and individual

470

65/2

treatment in development.d Three consecutive Harley mss.
give poems of the genre (Mss. nos. 2251, 2252, and 2253).
The first two of these poems are found in 31223; the
third is not.e

For our purposes, the components of Article 65
are labelled 'a', 'b', 'c', and 'd'; however, any attempt
at affixing a logical sequence must be considered purely
arbitrary, and the order of 31223 is followed here.

[65a, which fills 85r and 26 lines of 85V, is
preceded by four introductory lines, written as two
couplets. There is no separation from the text follow-
ing, although the purpose is Clearly to set the tenor of
the poems. Throughout Article 65, the poems are written
in two columns on each page, and a portion of the page is
given to picturing the teacher with his disciple. The
TEXT] :

Fyrst pou sal 1uf God, and drede,

And hym seryf with al pi spede,

And lerne to kepe pies wisdomes clere

bat folows in wrytyng here.

Botl witt wil pas wylle,

Vyce wil vertewe spylle.

Tynke on pe ende or pou begyn,

And it sal pe kepe fro trobil and syn.

 

r

1'Unless'.

471

65/3

Man in pi wele be war of woo;

Wele is he pat can do 300.

Of pi sorow be noght to sadde,

Ne of pi ioy be noght to gladde.

Yf pou be greuyd in any seson,

Lat it pas ouer, it is my reson.

Tel not pi pryuyl counsell

To hym pat may it noght avayle.

A soft worde suages ire;2

Suffer and hafe pi desyre.

He pat wreks hym of euere wrathe

be langer he lyfes, pe les he hathe.
Lerne pis, my lefe brepir,

Als sotyl as pou, as fals is ane opir.

He is oft distreyfed pat noght wil lerne;
bof he vnthryfe,3 who may hym werne?
Lerne of pa wyse,

be rather pou salt ryse.

He is litel worth and les gode can

bat makes his seruande mayster and hym self man.

Pride gos before, and after cumes schame;4

 

l'Pryy' was written, then cancelled.

2Proverbs 15:1.
3'Fail to prosper.‘

4This suggests Proverbs 6:18.

472

65/4

Wele is he on lyfe pat has a gode name.l
Lat pi neghbor pi frenschip fele;

What euer pou say, avyse pe wele.

Euer at pe ende, wrong wil oute wende

Or pou hafe nede, assay pi frende

This warld turnes as a balle:

Clym not to hye lest pat pou falle.

Lat pi wytt pas pi wyll;

Say wele, or els be stylle.

Luf pes and charite;2
Do euere man equyte.
After gret cold per cummes hete;

When pe gain is at pe beste, gode is to lete.
God is gode alway to drede;

Of vertewe has pou moste nede.

In gode rewle is mykil reste;

Better is to bowe pan to breste.

Maners and clothyng makes man;

Say noght a1 pat pou can.

bat now is sal turne to was;

Ontaken grace, al pinge sal pas.

Spende pou no man's gode in vayne;

Borowd pinge wald home agayne.

 

1Similar to Proverbs 22:1.

2The opening line of column 2.

473

65/5

A fayr virtewe is gode sufferance

And a fowle vyce is hasty vengeanc[e].
In flattyryng wordes lyggesl]

And in fyre and watyr gret pal ] [f. 85r]
Euermore fle discorde and hate,

And with pi neghbor make no debate.
Mesure is a myry mele;

Aftyr seknes cummes hele.

Knaw or you knytt,

And pan wil men prays pi witt.

Of pi hode be pou hende,

And specially to pi frende.

SOWp1 pou not to late;

Spende after pine astate.

If pou wil stand in grace,

Fro pe pore turne not pi face.
Whateuer pou do, hafe God in mynde,
And pinke ymange on pi last ende.

Of speche it is gode to be soft,

And mefe not pi mode to oft.

Do pou wele and drede no man,

For trewthe to kepe is best pou can.
Worschyp ay pi bettyr,

And grotche not agayn pi gretter.

 

1'Eat' or 'dine'; 'sup'.

474

65/6

Make not to many festes;

Behyght not many behestes.

To awe n03t and hafe no3t is better at ese;

Couetyce makes many man in yll disese.

Men may say, and pat is rewthe,

bat mede sal spede, rather pan trewthe.

[85b, here following, according to Brown and
Robbins, contains only four rhyming couplets. This com-
pletes column 1 of f. 85v. Column 2, coming next on the
folio without title or interval, follows without break
in this transcription, completing f. 85v and continuing
for 30 lines on f. 86r]:
Set and sawel if pou wil hafe;

Waste and want, len and crafe.

Who so in welth2 takes no hede

Sal fynde defawte in tyme of nede.

Vndyr gret lords men takes gret strokes;
And with gret wynde falls gret okes.

A foles bolt is son schot;

Dele with no godes euyl begot.

Deme no pinge pat is in dowte;

To pe trewthe pe tryed oute.

[If] pou wil best in pes abyde,

[FR]e hyghe hert and stynk and pryde.

 

l . .
Other verSIons gIve 'saue'.

2Written 'welht'.

475

65/7

[Be not] to bold opir to blame
[ lame.l
He pat wil hym wreke of ylk wronge

May not lyf in pes longe.

He pat makes to myche of lytell,

It sal be long or he hafe mykell.

Better it is to suffer and abyde

ban hastely to clym, and sodanly to slyde.
Say pou wele or els be stylle,

For wrethe says alway ylle.

Do pou ay wele and drede no man,

And say not al pat pou can.2
Be nowpir to hasty ne to slawe;

Fle not to hye, ne crep not to lawe.
Behold wele and see

bis warld is bot vanyte?

Who so hops pe best sal hafe pe4
Tyme is gode in euer pinge

Be charytabyl to folk pat has ned[e]

And be virtewus for pi awne med[e]

 

1The end of column 1. The left margin and bottom

line are torn.

2Appearing for the second time (see 65/9/1ine

19), the thought is smoother and more appropriate here.

3The theme of Ecclesiastes. Throughout the Article,

similarities of thought, as well as direct quotations, may
be discovered.

4The end of this line is torn from the ms.

476

65/8

[ ]kel mercyful and pytyful pou be

And yll cumpeny ay pat pou flee.

Old syn makes newe schame;

A wykkyd wyfe is yll for to tame. [f. 85V]
Old wreth put oute of mynde;

Many a flee etes pe blynde.

Dysprays no pynge pat God pe sent;

Who so says pe sothe is often schent.

bi priuy cownsel do pou not wrye;

Repent pe of pi syn or pat pou dye.

bis warld's ioyes passes sone;

Of opir men's stryfe hafe no3t to done.

In lytel besynes stands gret reste;

In a1 pinge is mesure ay pe beste.

Tryst in God, pus says pe text;

When bale is most, bute is next.2
Before al pinges kepe God's behestes,
For sawles men ar war pan bestes.

Be trewe bothe in worde and dede;
Euer 1uf God, and hym drede.

Hafe done and com sone,

3

For pis warld is bot a blome.

Be neuer thrall vnto syn,

 

1Obscured by an ink blot.
'When sorrow is greatest, help is nearest.‘

'Bone' is cancelyed, and replaced by'blome'.

477

65/9

Bot pinke on pe ende or pou begyn.

If you be sykyr, kepe pi place;

Be war be tyme and take pi grace.

Be no3t to pensel in no disese;

God wil helpe if pou hym plese.

Whos conscience is incombyrd and is not clene,
Of opir men's dedes pe warst he wil wene.

Who so is copyld with a schrewe,

Wyrk wysely and say bot fewe.

Lords kepes noght pe lawe,

And 3ong men withowtyn awe.

[65c is remotely based upon the "Abuses of the

Age," 16 short lines translating "Munus fit index", etc.,

 

and following the Gesta Romanorum.f Only four lines in

 

37049 are parallel to this text, however, as may be seen

in its reproduction from Additional 9060 in the foot-

 

notes. The TEXT]:
Wyt is holden tretchery;
Luf is nowe lychery.
Old men ar oft scorned,

And women ar oft defowled.2

 

1
2

'Fretful', 'anxious'.

The 8 lines of Additional 9060 read:
Gifte is domesman,
And gile is Chapman.
Witte is turnede to trechery,
And love into lechery.
Wise men are but scornede,
And wedowes be sore yermede.
Lordeswexen blynde,
And kynnesmen ben unkynde.

 

478

65/10

be rychel men ar belefyd,

be pore men ar reprefyd.

Fals sotel men makes lesyng;

At of old men pai hafe hethyng.
Who pat is copyld with a schrewe,
Wyrke wysely and say bot fewe.

bi witt is gret and ful of sotelte
And wenes no man consafes pe.

Ryse vp arely, seryf God deuoutly;
be warld as nedeis besyly

Go be pe way sadly2
Trest neuer pine old enmy,

Nor deme no pinge to sodanly.

A fals tale is sone tolde;

In opir men's hows be not to bold.
Avyse pe wele or pou speke;

Caste pe not al yll to wreke.
Wyrke wysely and say bot fewe;
Ouer pi hede loke neuer pou hewe.
Trest to no warldes vanyte;

Lefe pi syn, or pe warld lefe pe.

pou has no chartyr of pi lyfe;

 

l'Wyse' was written, and cancelled.

2The end of column 1, 86r. The line following
is trimmed away.

479

65/11

Cawse no debate ne make no stryfe.

Do euer wele whils pou has space;

If pou wyll, pou may hafe grace.

In old askes may fyer be rake;

Better is to bowe pan to breke.

Rytches gettyn vntrewly

Causes conscience to be sory.

Sum men ar to blynde,

And sum kynredyn ful vnkynde.

The ded is oute of mynde,

And trewe frenschip is yll to fynde.

[65d represents a small portion of a series of
couplets--precepts "-ly", and found in numerous mss.g
Furnivall has edited the distichs for the EETS (series,
No. 32).h Elsewhere, the poem begins "A ryse erly/
Serve God deuoutly." The TEXT]:

Go to pe mette appetytly,

And ryse Vp temperatly.

Go to pi 30por soberly,

And to pi bed tymosly.

Trowthe is put downe,

And vertewes has no dominacioune.

Reson is holdyn a fabyll,

And welner no man mercyabyll.

Thorow couetyce blynde is gentyl discrecioun;

bis warld has made a perturbacioun.

480

65/12

Fro right to wrong, fro wrong to fykylnes,

And pus al his lost for lake of stedfastnes.
Trowthe may be trobyld,

Bot neuer sal be schamed.

Whos consciens is combyrd and not clene,

Of opir men's dedes pe wars he wil deme.

Deme not my dedys pof pou thynke paim nOgh[t]1
Deme what pou deme, wil, pou knaws not my [ ]
3e wene to knawe and knawes neuer a dele,

To knawe a trewe frende it is right cas[ ]

A manly knyght in lawful fyght ynge

A wyse knyght in his go[ ]

A dredful in debatyng

 

A [ ] we in his [ ] kynge
[ 16w is [ 11 [f. 86r]
l

The page is torn; last lines are imperfect.

 

app. 331, 332.

bThe poems are, in the Index, according to the
order of their appearance in 37049, No. 558, (p. 89);
No 3088, (p. 491); No. 906, (p. 144); No. 324, (p. 53);
and No. 4177, which does not appear in 37049. The
standard edition of the poems is Brunner's treatment in

Archiv. Clix (1931), pp. 86-92.

cThe five poems of the Index appear irregularly
in a total of 28 different mss. Item 65a is from 37049
alone; item 65b is found in Harley l1p, Harley 2252,
EM Add. 22720, and our mss; Item 65c is also in_Bleeian
1339, Bodleian 6621, Bodleian 21669; Merton Oxford 2 ;

481

65/13

.§§&Al2_n—§ cambgiége 31; Harley 2251, Harley 3362 ;_ngal
11 .B .2111 BMAdd §1_51. 811517—3165; Tr._ih_it.y_nnh11n

309; Trin;;y Qgplin 511; Westmigster Abbe 213 and W_;r
ster ggppgdgalgfi,.154. The standard e Ition for this

item 13 Sidney J. Herrtage' s The Early English Versions

of the Gesta Romanorum, EETS. e33, p. 360. Herrtage

Bases7his worEvupon BM Add. 9066, leaf 54, which differs

greatly from 37049 but shows a common source. The occasion

for the composition of 65c is that the Emperor of Rome

sought the causes of the trouble in his empire. Four

different philosoPhers gave their analyses: bribery and

guile; treachery and lechery; scorn of wisdom and the

abuse of widows; and, unjust lords and heartless kinsmen.
65d may be found in ten mss.: Balligl.354;

W7; L. ansdowne ___2.z76 51523111241: Sloane 115; 5.1511119

Stowe 850; 37049; Tginity Dublin 515; and Porking-
tgno 10. Only 4 lines appear in 37049. Furnivall has

edited the entire 16 lines from Lansdowne 262 (f. 16V),
for the EETS, Vol. 32, p. 359.

 

 

dgp. cit.

eThis selection, entitled 'A Winter Song' in
Brown and Robbins as item 4177, consists of 3 5-1ine
stanzas beginning 'Wynter wakenet a1 my care.‘ See
Religious Lyrics 92 the XIV Century, p. 10.

 

 

fFurnivall, (EETS Extra Series 3), edits the
poem from two mss.-egarley 2251, p. 88, and Additional
8151, p. 85.

 

9As with the other items, this one shows great
variation. See also Dyboski, (EETS 101), p. 139.

hFurnivall's text of 16 lines is entirely unlike
our text, excepting for the 4 lines cited.

482

66/1

ARTICLE 66, f. 86V

The 'A. B. C. of Arystotyll of Gode Doctrine'
is an acrostic using the letters of the alphabet consecu-
tively within twenty-one unrhymed couplets. Each letter
is employed two, three or four times, with the omission
of 'j', 'u', 'x', 'y', and '2'. While 'w' is not written
in the left margin, as are the other letters used, the
final couplet and, indeed, the second line of the 'u'
couplet, contain a total of fOur uses of this 'w'. The
couplets are maxims regulating human personality traits
which tend to destroy the spiritual life if they are
allowed in excess.

The 'A. B. C.‘ is known elsewhere from Bodleian

11556, f. 110V; Trinity Cambridge 1157, f. 69V; Harley

 

1706, f. 94r; Harley 5086, f. 90V; Capesthorne, f. 26V;

 

 

V

and, Additional fig. 36983, ff. 263r’ . From the last of

 

these, Furnivall edited the 'A. B. C.‘ for the EETS, Vol.

32, pp. 258—9.a

The TEXT:

his is be A. B. C. of Arystotyll of Gode Doctrinel

l 2
a To amoros, to awnteros,

1The title is rubricated, as are the letters in
the left margin.

2Add. 36983: 'auenterous'.

 

 

483

Ne
b To
Ne
c To
Ne
d To
Ne
e To
Ne

f To

66/2

angyr not piselfe;
bold, ne to besy;
bowrd not to brode;l
curtes, to cruell,
care not to sore;
dulle, ne to dredfull,
drynke not oft;
eloquent,2 to excellent,

to ernestful nowder

fers, ne to famyliar,

Bot frendly of chere;

9 To

glad ne to glorius,

And gelyosnes3 pou hate;

h To

Ne

hasty, ne to hardy,

to hefy in pi hert;

i To Jettyng4, to iangyllyng5

Ne

k To

And warre knafes tetchys

jape not to large;6

kynde, ne to kepyng
7

 

1
2

Ibid., 'Boorde thou not to large'.
Ibid., 'ellente'.

3Ibid., 'gelOW3y'.

The marginal letter is distinctly 'i'; the lines
use separate forms for 'jettyng', and for 'jape', in con-
trast with that in 'iangyllyng'.

5
6
7

boke

Ibid., 'Janggelyng'.

not too much.’

Ibid., 'Beware of knaves tacches'.

484

66/3

1 To lothe, ne to lefe,
Ne lyberal of godes;l
m To melyos2 ne to mery,
Bot as gode maner askes;
n To noyos, ne to nyse,
Ne to newfangyll;
c To orpyd, ne to ouerthwart,
And othes you hate;
p To precios, ne to preve3
With prynces ne with kynges;4
q To qwaynt ne to quarelos,
Bot kepe wele pi mayster;
r To ryotos, ne to reuellynge,
Ne rage not to ofte;
5 To strawnge, ne to styrryng;5
Ne stare not to brode;
t To trobylos, to toylwos,6

For temperaunce it hates;

 

lIbid., 'Ne to lyborall....'

2Ibid., 'Medlous'. However, perhaps from 'mellan'
'to contend', hence, 'contentiouS'.
3

Ibid., 'Precyng, ne to preve'.

4Ibid., '...prynces ner dukes'.

5Ibid., 'sterynge'.

6Ibid., 'To toillous, to talewys.‘

485

66/4

u To venomos, to vengeabyll;

Ne wast not pi tymel

To wylde ne to wrathfull,

And wade not to depe.

For a mesurabyl mene is best for vs all.
[Filling in the space below the 'A. B. C.‘ poem

is an isolated diagram]:

 

I lente to

I askyde my godes of my frende.
[I lo]ste2 and

1

Ibid., 'And waste not to moche.‘

2 I I I
The corner 15 mis51ng.

 

aThe Babees Book...Wynkyn gg_Worde's Book 2:
Keruynge, London, T868.

 

 

486

67/1

ARTICLE 67, ff. 86V, 87r

This 'Dialogue between the emperor and his dead
father' is a single brief extract from the exhaustive

works of Vincent of Beauvals, in his Speculum Historiall.a

 

The account is partly in English and partly in Latin, and
concludes with a poem of eight lines, whereas the main
body of the narrative is prose. The account begins in
the right column of f. 86V, filling that half-page, and
occupies approximately half of 87r. The lower half of

87r

shows the young man, scepter in hand, as he is led
to his father's crypt by the steward, who directs the
son's attention to the corpse, which is being attacked
by the devouring worms and bugs. The top of the casket
has a likeness of the emperour, in regal splendor and

holding a scepter across his chest. Numerous coats of

arms have been inscribed on the border of the casket lid.

The TEXT :

Vincencius, in Speculo Historiali, telles how per

 

was ane emprour whilk pat was cald Antiochenus1 pat was
a nobyl knyght and a worthy conquerour. And of al synnes

pat he had vsyd maste was pe syn of pryde. So be tyme

 

lThirteen rulers of the Seleucids held the name
of Antiochus; the specific one cannot be identified from
our meager information here.

487

67/2

come bat he dyed. And when he was dede, he was ryole1
beryd in a towmbe of gold.

Dis emprour had a son pat was his hayre, and he
was more wykkyd of lyfynge ban euer was his fader before
hym. bis emprour son had a steward whilk bat sawe bat
his lard was so wikkyd, and he come to hym and sayd,
'Syr, behald vnto 3our fader, whilk bat was so worthy a
knyght and so nobyll a conquerour. Take hede how he
lygges in his graue, wormes and snakes etyng opon hym.‘

When he had sayd bus, be lord was wrothe with
hym, to he sawe it in dede, as he sayd hym. And so he
went vnto his fader graue and gart opyn it. And ban he
sawe be body stynkyng, and wormes and snakes etyng opon
hym. And when he had seene bat horribil sight, ban he

sayd on bis wyse, Tu quis eras pridem. Sicut eram gs

 

talis gt idem. Sencio fetorem, E3 reddes deteriorrem,

 

 

horrida sunt tecum, venies reguiescere mecum. bat is
bus mykil to say bat be son sayd to his fader, 'Fader,
sum tyme what was bou?‘

A voyce awnswerd and sayd, 'Swilk as I was art

 

bou nowe.‘ ban sayd be son to be fader, 'A fowle stynke
I fele of be.‘ [f. 86V] be voyce awnswerd, 'Son, wele
fowler sone sal cum2 of pe.‘

1'Royally'.

2

'bou be' is cancelled before 'cum'.

488

67/3

ban sayd be son, 'Horrybil bestes restys with
be.' be voyce sayd, 'Thow sal cum and reste with me.‘
ban sayd be son, 'Thy fayr flesche falles and fadys away.‘

'Son, so sal bine do, bat is now so gay.‘

And when he had sene bis syght and hard bis noyse,
he went home and gart bryng hym a paynter. And in hys
bed chawmer he gart paynt be lyknes of his fader as he
lay in his graue. And when he was styrred to any syn,
he beheld be ymage of his fader, knawyng wele bat he come
fro be erthe and suld turne to be erthe. And on bis wyse
he ouercome his synne. So bou bat wyll ouercum syn, take
heede at bis insawmpyll.

Fader, sum tyme what was you?

A fowle stynke I fele of be;

Horrybyll bestes restes with be;

Pi fayr flesche falls and fades away.

Swylk son1 as I was art bou nowe;

Son, wele fowler sone sal cum of be;

Pow sal cum and rest with me.

Son, so sal bine do bat is now so gay. [f. 87r]

 

l'Son' is careted into the text.

 

aVincent of Beauvais, of whose personal history
little is known, set about composing a systematic and
compendious work on all branches of human knowledge. The
Speculum historiale, in 31 books and 3793 chapters, traces
the history of the world to A. D. 2150. See The Catholic
Encyclopedia, Vol. XV, p. 439, or Eigtionnaire d3 Theo-
Togie Catholique, Tome XV, Paris, 1950, pp. 3029-3030.

 

 

 

 

 

489

68/1

ARTICLE 68, ff. 87V-89V

This treatise on the 'Actyfe Lyfe and Contempla-
tyfe Declaracion‘ is unassigned. Twenty-five couplets
are inserted into the prose text. These verses deal
successively with the forms of confession (5 couplets),
the Ten Commandments (8 couplets), the seven works of
mercy (4 couplets), and the fourteen articles of faith
(8 couplets). The treatise is ostensibly done in the
form of a dialogue between a young inquirer and 'be
reuerent doctour'. The two characters are depicted on
87V, occupying the upper corners. At the bottom right,
a different young man kneels before a priest, whose right
hand is extended in a symbol of absolution. The word
'confession' serves as a label, being boxed at the top

of the illustration.

The TEXT :

Of Actyfe Lyfe and Contemplatyfe Declaracionl

‘I beseke be, reuerent doctour, to inform me be
way of goode lyfyng, and how I sal dispose me to cum to
euerlastyng lyfe, be whilk is ordand for baim bat here

dewly lufs2 and serfys almyghty Godf'
l

 

The title line is rubricated.

'Serfe' is written erroneously at this point,
and cancelled.

490

68/2

be doctorl awnsuers,”Thou sal vndyrstande bat
ber ar two lyfes in holy kyrke. be tone is actyfe, and
be tobir is contemplatyfe. To men and women bat takes
baim to actyfe lyfe, twoo binges falles: one for to
ordand bair meyne in be drede and be 1uf of God and fynde
baim bair necessares, and baim selfe kepe interly be
commawndments of God, doyng to bair neghbours as bai
wald bai dyd to baim; ane obir is bat bai do at bair
power be seuen warkes of mercy, bat bai may hafe be
blyssyng on domes day bat Ihesu Crist sal gyf to al bat
dos baim, or els may bai drede be malyson bat all mon-
hafe bat dos baim noght, when bai had godes to do baim
with. Allebat may and is of power, bai may not be whytte
with one or twoo of baim, bot bai behofes to do baim
alle, and to bi more cpyn declaracioun, take gode hede to
bies bat folowes:

Fyrst, bow sal make knawlege to God of heuen

How bou has synned dedly in be synnes seuen,

And to be preste, God's vicar, bou sal be schryfe,

And take bi penaunce here in bi lyfe;

For and bow to heuen wyll wyn,

bou must kepe be cute of dedly syn,

bat is to say, pryde and fals inuy,

Couetyce, slewthe, glotone, and lychery,

 

1Rubricated.

491

68/3

And ire, bat many man dos woo,

be whilk to helle makes many one go.1

bow must be ten commawndments kepe also,

bat is, worship 0 God and no mo;

be secunde, in vayne God's name pou not swere,
And bi fader and moder bou worship here;

Also in gode warkes kepe bi haly day,

Nor sla bou no man, ne his godes take away;
Ber bou no fals witnes on bi lyfe;

Take not bi neghbour catell, lande, ne wyfe,

Ne his seruand, ne no woman bou fyle;

Desyre not bi neghbour gode, nor hows, with

frawde or gyle;
Alslo2 be fyfe inwyttes bou awe to kepe and lere,

...........]ee, syght, and heryng of ere,

.............] mowthe, taste, speche, and nose
smellynge,
.............]e goyng and myshandyllynge,

.............]t thynkynge for i folye,
...............]cy to [....]n kynge [..] mekely

bou crye. [f. 87v]

 

1The break between portions of the poem is indi-
cated by an enlarged capital letter which opens each
separate portion; We indicate the break by an extra space.

2Here, and following, the left margin is torn.

492

68/4

Also to bi power behofes be in hy

To fulfyll be seuen warkes of mercy,

bat is, be hongry and birsty to gyf drynke and
feede,

And clethe be nakyd bat has nede,

And help and vyset baim bat ar in prison sette,

And to comforthe be sorowful and seke, loke bou
not lette;

Harbarl bou be howsles, and bery bou be dede;

To do bies warkes bou haste be, I rede.

be fourtene artykyls of trowthe withouten heresy

Awe bou with trewe fayth to trowe stedfastly,

And be seuen sacraments as I be say

Awe be to trowe and worschip ay.

Kepe also be seuen princypal virtews in euere
chawnce,

bat is, faythe, hope, charyte, and temporaunce,

And trewe strenthe, with wisdom also;

Thynke on bies wer so bou go,

For and bou wil bies virtews trewly kepe,

bi saule bai wil safe fro schame and schenschepe.

Alle bies forsayd thyngees must be kepe with

alle bi myght

 

1'Herber' is written into the left margin.

493

68/5

If bou wil in actyfe lyfe lyf right,

And also pray and do penaunce for bi syn,
And to do gode werkes, loke bou not blyn,
And if bou dol bus or bou hence wende,

Pow gos to blys wyth outen ende.

Contemplatyfe Lyfe2

"The secunde is contemplatyfe lyfe. bis lyfe
contemplatyfe lygges mykil in perfyte 1uf and charyte
felyd inwardly be gostly virtewe and be sothfast knawyng
and syght of God and gostly thynges. bis lyfe langes
specially to baim be whilk forsakes for be 1uf of God al
warldly rytches, worschps [sic] and outeward besynes,
and hooly gyfes baim body and saule in bair myght and
bair connynge to be serues of God be gostly occupacion.
be menes to bis lyfe be God's grace is lesson, medita—
cion and prayer, bat is redyng of holy writt and specially
wher it styrs to be luf of God and myndyng of bine awne
wretchydnes with repentance and also of be passion of
Criste with compassion, pyte, and lofyng and praying
besily with deuocion for to exclude al syn, and purches

be perfyte luf and lofyng of God.

 

1A badly written line. 'Helpende', following
'if', was first written, then cancelled. There is an
undecipherable cancelled blot after 'bus'.

2Rubricated, this title to the prose section
following has been crowded onto the right margin at the
conclusion of the poem.

494

68/6

"Thre ways ber ar to cum by be be mercy and
grace of God. be fyrst is purgatyfe, be secunde ill[u]m-
ynatyfe, and be thyrd vnatyfe. Fyrst bou sal ascende
by be way bat is purgatyfe, bat is clensyng. Eat is
bou be lawfully amendyd of bi mysdedys be be forme and
lawe of holy kyrk with trewe confession, contricioun and
satisfaccion to bi power. And in be day or in be nyght
bou sal in bi secrete and preuy place rememyr be offence
and trespes bou has done agayne bi Lord God with bi syn-
full lyfyng be many synnes doyng, and lyg prostrate or
knele deuoutly and cry1 hym mercy. Also, bou sal rememyr
how he myght hafe dempned be in to be pytte of hell and
[...]his gret mercy 3it has spard be and abydes of [f.
88r] bine amendment. Also rememyr Cristes passion
deuoutely and hafe sorow and compassion berof with gret
lofyng and thankyng of hym for al his bunfyces and gode-
nes schewyd to be and obir. And also for a special
aduocate and helper to be bou sal incal our lady Saynt
Mary to be bi socoure and helpe bat bou may hafe forgyf-
nes of pi synes, and for a special homage bou sal say
dayly a certayne Aues vnto hyr as fyfty or als many as
be lykes bat sche wil be bi helper and meue2 to hir

blissed son Ihesu bat bou may be trewly purged and clensed

 

1'Cry' is written and deleted in the text, but is
in the margin.

2'Move'.

495

68/7

in bi saule fro al fylth of syn. bis way purgatyfe awn—
swers to be ordyr of thrones when be saule is bare purged--
to bat bat fyrst in hyr God as in a clene place is resident
and syttes.

"The way illumynatyfe cummes aftyr purgatyfe, for
by be way purgatyfe on one after be mynde is raysed Vp
to be way bat is lightynd, for why be sorow and wepyng
be saule is clensed fro rust of syn, and by bat it is
ordand to receyfyng of be light of be godly beme, wher-
fore it behofes bat be mynde be fyrst as a morrowor with-
outen spotte and sone disposed to receyfe be schynyng of
be godly lyght and conformed to euerlastyng wisdom. And
be cause a saule is lightly inclyned to vayne thoghtes,
berfore it is necessary to sett be mynde to o binge in
bis maner of wyse: bou sal calle togeder a1 bi thoghtes
and bi desyres and make of baim a kyrk and lerne berin
for to 1uf onely bis gode worde Ihesu so bat al bi desyre
and bi boght be onely set for to 1uf Ihesu, and bat vn-
cessyngly as it may be here in bis lyfe so bat bou ful-

fyll bat is sayd in be Psalme, In ecclesiis benedicam be

 

domine.1 'In kyrkes I sal blys be Lord,‘ bat is in
thoughtes and desyres of be 1uf of Ihesu and ban in bis
kyrk of boghts and desyres and in bis onehede of stodyes

and of wylles loke bat a1 bi boghtes and bi desyres and

 

1Psalm 21:23.

496

68/8

al bi stodyes and al bi wills be onely set in be luf and
be praysynge of bi Lord Ihesu withouten forgyttyng als
far forth as bou may be grace and as bi frelte wil suffer
euermore, mekyng be to prayer and to cownsel paciently
abydyng be wyll of our Lord vnto be tyme bat bi mynde

be raueschyd abowne it selfe to be fedde with be fayr
foode of angels, in behaldyng of God and godly thynges,
so bat it may be fulfyld in be bat is written in be

Salme, Ibi Beniamyn adolestentulus in_mentis excessu.1

 

 

'ber is Beniamyn be 3onge chyld in raueschyng of mynde,‘
lufe berfore bi Lord Ihesu, and desyre alway be perfyte
1uf of God in contemplacion, for contemplacion is noght
els bot a syght of Iheus be whilk is vere pees, for trest
sykyrly bof bou hafe synned here before if bou be nowe
reformed by be sacrament of penaunce aftyr be lawe of
haly kyrke bat bou art in be right way and be behofes to
halde bies twoo thynges oftyn in bi mynde, bat is meknes
and 1uf: bat is, I am noght. I hafe noght, I couet noght
bot one, bou sal hafe be menyng of bies wordes in bine
intent and inhabyt of bi saule lastyngly, bof bou hafe
not specialy bies wordes ay formed in bi boght for bat
nedes not. Meknes says, I am noght; I hafe noght. And
1uf says, I couet noght bot one, and bat is Ihesu. And

bus sal bou sett in bi hert fully bat bou wald no binge

 

1Psalm 68:27.

497

68/9

hafe bot be 1uf of Ihesu and be gostly syngt of hym as
he wyll schewe hym. F[......]at onely art bou made

[f. 88V] and boght, and if it hapyn be bine enmys gostly
or bodely to be sayd vnto be in bi boght or obir ways
bat bou art not worthy to hafe be luf of God, trow baim
not hot hald forth and say bus, Noght for I am worthy,
bot for I am vnworthy, berfore wald I luf God, for if I
had it, it suld make me worthy. And sen I was made berto,
bof I suld neuer hafe it, 3it wil I couet it, and bus be
God's grace sal bou cum to be way illumynatyfe. bis way
illumynatyfe awnsswers to be ordyr of angels be whilk is
cald cherubyn, for cherubyn is als for to say, as fulnes
of connyng for be saule is lightynd to vndirstand holy
scripture and bai bat ar in bis way has mony lightnynges
of grace in bair saule, as God wil vouchesafe to gyf to
his lufers.

"be thyrd way is vnatyfe, for by bis way bat is
cald illuminatyfe it is ascendyd to bat way bat is cald
vnatyfe, a saule awe with al hir strenthe to take and
aspyre bat it may be oned to be spowse and bat it may
receyfe in bis present lyfe be erlsl of euerlastyng ioy.
And berfore a man awe to make our Lord Ihesu Crist euer-
present before be sight of his saule and couet no thyng

for to hafe bot onely hym and desyre to 1uf hym with a

 

lFrom 'arles'--pledges or down-payments.

498

68/10

reuerent affecioun and acordaunce of wil aftyr be wordes

of Saynt Paule sayng us, Qui adheret deo, unus spiritus

 

 

est cum illo.1 bat is to say, 'Whoso drawes nere to God

 

as it is by swylk a reuerent affeccioun, he is o spyrit
with God.‘ bat is bof a1 bat God and he ar twoo and
sere in kynde, nerbeles 3it in grace bai ar so knytt to-
geder bat bai ar bot one in spyrit. And al bis is for
onehed of 1uf and acordaunce of wyll, and in bis onehede
is be maryage made betwyx God and be saule, be whilk sal
neuer be brokyn, bof a1 bat be hete and be feruour cese
for a tyme, bot be a dedly syn. berfore lyft bi hert
vnto God with a meke styrryng of 1uf and meve hym selfe,
and berto loke bat be lothe for to thynke on oght bot on
hym selfe, so bat noght wyrk in bi wytt ne in bi wylle
bot onely hym selfe, and do bat in be is to forgytt al
be creatures bat euer God made and be warkes of baim, so
bat bi thoght nor bi desyre be not direct ne reche vnto
any of baim nowdyr in general nor in speciall, bot lat
baim be and take no kepe to baim. This is be warke of
be saule bat moste pleses God. Alle sayntes and angels

has ioy of bis werke and hastes baim to helpe it [with]2

 

1I Corinthians 6:17.

2'A1 at ai can' is anticipated from the lines
following and has been deleted here. The 'with‘ is sup-
plied from two badly written characters following the
cancellation of the erroneous words.

499

68/11

a1 bair myght. Also fendes ar woode when bou dos bus.
And prefes for to fell it in all bat bai can. Al men
lyfyng in erthe ar wondyrfully helpyd of bis warke;
biselfe art clensed and made vertewos be no wark so mykil
3e be saules in purgatory ar esed of bair paynes be ver-
tewe of bis warke.

Sothely I had leuer fele and hafe a sothfast
desyre and a clene 1uf langyng in my hert to my Lord
Ihesu Criste bof I se right lytel of hym with my gost[ly]l
ee, ban for to hafe withouten is desyre, alle bodely
penaunce or visions [....] reuelaciouns of angels or
sanges or sowndes, smelles or byr[nyng]es, and [......]
lykynges bodely felyng. And schortly to say, al be ioy
of he [.............] whilk I myght hafe withouten bis
desyre to my Lord Ih[..... ..... .] bi hert, for if God
be bi 1uf and bi menyng [.......] and be ch[..........]
suffice to be in bis lyfe, bof bou se neuer [..........]
[f. 89r] a1 bi lyfe tyme. Swilk a blynde schote with be
scharp darte of longyng luf may neuer defayle of be prykke
be whilk is God as hym selfe says in be boke of luf,
wher he spekes to a langwyschyng saule and a lofyng sayng
bus, Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea, amica mea, gt sponsa

mea, etc.,2 'bou has wounded my hert, my systyr, my 1uf

 

1Here and following, the lower right corner is
torn. 2
Song of Solomon 4:9.

500

68/12

and my spowse.‘ bus sal bou knyt bi hert to Ihesu. be
knyttyng and be festynyng of Ihesu to a man's saule is

be a gode will and a gret desyre to hym onely for to hafe
hym and se hym in his blys gostly. be more bat bis desyre
is, be faster is Ihesu knytt tolpe saule, and be les bat
be desyre is be lowslyer is he knytt. bis thyrd way
vnatyfe awnswers to be ordyr of seraphyn be whilk be-
tokens byrnyng, for ber is be saule in so mykyl 1uf borne
vp in to God bat gretly be body be be extendyng of af-
fecciouns and of mefynges is sumtyme meruelosly afflicted.

Capiat guid potest capere quid graciam est ductrix."

501

69/1

ARTICLE 69, ff. 89V-94r

Similar to Article 68, this item is entirely in
prose. It is*a tract done to speak out 'Against Despair',
with dialogue between the young scholar and the 'reuerent
doctour'. The two characters are portrayed in small
marginal insets on each side of 89V; otherwise the pages
are entirely filled with prose excepting 9lr. Here a
monk kneels before the common scene of Christ's cruci-
fixion in a small inset at the left center margin. The
dialogue is filled with quotations from the Fathers and
from the Scriptures.

The title, 'Agayne Despayre', appears, rubricated,
to complete the last line of Article 68. 'Agayns Dee
spayre' appears again, rubricated, at the tOp of 91V,
centered. Throughout, and to the end of the ms., some
of the text is lost from every page, with the damage

progressively becoming worse toward the close of the ms.

The TEXT:
Agayne Despayrel
Worthy doctour, I beseke be to declare vnto be

ese and to exclude be heuynes of my herte sum dowtes and

 

lRubricated, filling the right end of the line
above this article.

502

69/2

mocions with be whilk I am mefed by myne awne conceyte,
and also be be suggestion of myne enemy1 dyuerse tymes
on bis wyse: I consider and knawes bat my lyfyng has
not aforetyme bene so vertewos as it aght for to be, bot
I hafe bene combyrd with many gret synnes, be whilk when
I rememyr baim, bat I am in a maner of dispayre, wher-
fore, for my consolacioun I desyre to here sum gode doc-
tryne.

Doctour anwswers bus,2 bou sal consyder be sayng
of Saynt Austyn bat says, No may despayre of forgyfnes
of his syn, when bai athyld3 forgyfnes bat slew Criste.

Also be same doctor says, Sicut sintilla in_medio maris,

 

 

sic omnis impietas viri ad misericordam dei, 'As a sparkil

 

 

of fyer is sone slokynd in be myddes of be se, so is al
be wikkydnes of a man vnto be mercy of God.‘ Also he
says, 'be kyngdom of heuen to none is sporne bot to hym
bat excludes hymselfe berfro. Ryn berfore,‘ he says,
'whills 3e hafe light of bis lyfe, bat dyrknes take 3ow
noght. And to be mendyng of 3our lyfe als mykil as 3e
may, haste 3ow. be day of dethe put alway before 3our

eene.‘

 

lMs: 'emy'.
2Rubricated.
3From 'at-holden'--'cancealed' or 'withheld'.

503

69/3

And Saynt Gregor says, 'Because no man sal dis-
payr of be mercy of God, bot turne hym mekely with luf
vnto hym and contricoun for his synnes in wil, to do no
more. 'No man,‘ he says, 'for be gretnes of hys wykkyd-
nes falle in dyspayre,‘ bat is to say, in wan hope, for
why as almyghty God is strayte to baim bat perseuers in
bair schrewdnes. So is he mercyful to baim bat turnes

vnto hym.

And also, Saynt Bernarde says bus of be mercy of
God, 'In our Lord God ar two gret profes of his wondyr-
ful myldnes. One is bat he pacyently abydes be trespe-
sand; one obir is bat he mercy [............] es be re-
pentande.‘ bis is be dowbyll swetnes of charite [.....]
in be breste of oure Lord Ihesu Crist, lyghtynd in
abydynge [........]yfyng, for bat ende he hynges [........]
of vengeaunce fro be dispaysand, bat [f. 89V] he myght
sum tyme gyf grace of forgyfnes to be forthynkand. be pyte
of Ihesu, he says, ouerpasses be mykilnes and.be nowmer of
a1 synnes. 'More is my wykkydnes,‘ sayd Caym, 'ban forgyf-
nes.‘1 Nay, God forbede. More is be pyte and be mercy of
God.ban al wykkydnes. For sothly our Lord is goodely and
mercyful, soft and mylde and plentiful in mercy abowne al
malyce. For why his kynde is godnes, his wonnyng is be
welle of pyte, and softnes is hamely to hym, to whome it is

propyr to forgyfe and hafe rewthe, for wher he wyll he has

rewthe, and wher he wyll he lefes is hardnes. For to have
TI

 

Perhaps alludes to Genesis 4:13.

504

69/4

mercy and rewthe it is his awne kynde. And of hym selfe
he is matyr for to forgyf. Bot for to deme and lefe vs
in hardnes, it is onely of our selfe agayns his will, for
we constreyne hym berto. And bat is when we wil not crye
hym mercy. berfore bai bat ar wyse schewes be woundes

of pair synnes to hym, and schryfes baim to God and to
man. Also he says in ane obir place bus, 'Vnknawyng of
God is cause of dispayre as bus perchawnse a synner
turnes to hym in his hert, bat myslykys hym in all his
yll dedes, and thynkes for to amende hym, and turne to
goode 1yfyng.‘ If he knawe not how goode God is, how
soft, how mylde and how mercyful he is, his awne fleschly
thynkyng or els be fende borow priuy suggestion sal

argue with hym self saying bus, What thynkes bou for to
do? bi synnes ar so mykill and so many bat bof bou wald
do al bodely penance 3e or myschefe bi selfe or in swilke
maner pynefully disese bi selfe, bou sal neuer make

1 for baim. bi complexion is tendyr, bou art febyll,

asethe
bi lyfe is delycate. Custom may not wele be ouercumen.
And so for swylk boghtes ofttymes it happens bat a
wretchyd synner wenes bat bai ar sothe and dispayres in
hym selfe, for he knawes not be almyghty goodnes of God
bat wil bat no man perysche bat wold be safe. How lyght-

ly it may lows al bies obstakils. And so for dispayryng

 

l'Atonement' or 'amends'. The substantive de-
rives from F. assethe, 'to atone'.

505

69/5

fals he bat is vnwyse to vnrepentaunce, bat is be moste
syn bat may be forgyfen. And ban owdyr he falles into
depnes of sorowe, and wil receyfe no comforth, bot dis-
pises al counsell, or els he turnes a1 fully to lustes

of be flesche and fedes hym with delytes of bis lyfe als
lange as he may; bothe bies twoo partes ar myschefes.

And al bis cummes of vnknawynge of God. As be Apostil
spak to sum men bus bat has not be knawyng of God. And

I say sykirly bat a1 bos men knawes not God bat wil not
be turnyd to hym and bat is for no obir cause bot for
bai ymagyn borow stirryng of be fende, bat God is sterne,
felle, and greuous, be whilk is pytifull and esy, and
bai thynke hym hard and vnplesabyll, be whilk is soft
and mercyabyll, and bai fene hym strayt and awful bat

is benygne and lufsom. And so lees a man's boght to

hym selfe, borow fals ymagynaciouns, schapyn and fenyd
amawmentl in his hert insted of God. bus dos be fende
styrryng swylk fals conceytes and fals syght[es] [f.
90r] of vnknawyng of God, for to cast a man into despyyre.

Bot all bis is fals and se howe. Quare dubitas modice

 

fidei.2 'Why dredes bou and dowtes bou so mykil of God,

bou litel in feythe,‘ and wayke3 in treste bat oure Lord

 

l'Dismay'.

2Matthew l4:3l, Medicae tidei quare dubitasti.

 

3'Weak'.

506

69/6

wil not forgyf be bi synnes? A1 bat is fals, for why

he has hym selfe with his awne handes slayne bi synnes
and stykkyd baim on be cros, and perchawnce bou trowes
for mykilnes and vglynes of bi synnes bat he wil not lay
to his hande of mercy and helpe be. bat is fals for be

Apostil says, Vbi abundavit delictum etc.,l 'Wher synne

 

has abownded, ber has grace abownded more plentyfully.‘
What letts be ban for be hele of bi saule? Sothly no
thynge els bot for bou knawes not God. berfore knawe
God, or els if bou may not knawe hym 3it for myrknes of
bi hert, trowe baim bat knawes hym and 3e1de be to God

in bis trowthe bat bou may be Safe. S. Bernarde says
also, 'Wher is stedfast sikirnes and trewe reste to seeke
saules, bot onely in be woundes of Ihesu Criste, (nowre

wher2

els.) In so mykil I won in baim be more sikyrly
for als mykil as he is myghty to safe me bof be warld
ryse agayn me, and be frele flesche bete me downe, and
be fende on be tobir syde wayt me with his woodde wyles,
I sal not falle for I am grounded on a sikir stone.
Perchaunce I hafe done a gret horribil syn and my hert
is trobild. Sothly it sall not be ouertrobyld, for why

I sal hafe mynde of be woundes of Ihesu Criste and of

his passion, and I sal be safe for why for our synnes he

 

1Romans 5:20.

2A miswriting. 'Nowher' seems intended.

507

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was wounded. And what syn may be dedly, bat it ne may
be lowsed and distroyed borow be deth of Ihesu Criste,
ber is none. And berfore when it cummes to my mynde so
myghty and so helfull, I may not be aferde of no wykkid-
nes of syn, be it neuer so mykil, if I forsake it. And
also bat me wants of myne awne deserts, I sal labour to
gytt it oute of bis precios woundes, for bai flowe ful
of mercy, and berfore sal I with faythe sowke oute of

bies holes be hony of my saluacioun.

Also Saynt Austyn says bus, 'Alle synnes our
Lord forgyfes outakenl vnrepentaunce of syn,‘ for he bat
has synned avysedly and ekes to his synnes bis bat he
wil not repent, bot dwels styl obstynate in his synnes
saying bus, bat forgyfnes of synnes in holy kyrk may not
be, he bis may not be safe, for he says blaspheme agayns
be Holy Goste, be whilk in holy kyrk forgyfe al synnes.
Bot 3it may it be demyd of no man als lange as he lyfes
in bis lyfe, whedyr he syn agayn be Holi Goste borow
blaSpheme or none, for we sal despayre of no man als
lange as be pacyence of God suffers hym to lyf to repent-
aunce be he neuer so fraward ne so fowle a baspheme, for
our Lord wil not be ded of a synner, bot bat he be turned
and lyf. If he war a paynym 3istirday, he may to morne

be a Cristen man. If he war ane herityke, he may to

 

l'Except'.

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morne folow be trewthe of holy kyrk techynge. Also in
what errour of syn bat a man be, in so mykil bat a man
semes as desparate for his obstynacy; 3it may he or his
lyfe be endyd turne to repentaunce and fynd sothfast,
lyfe in heuen. And berfore we sal deme no man be fore
be tyme of dom[e.....................] by heuen, for it
may be boght. Drede be not1 [f. 90v] for be mykilnes of
pryce, for so gret a thynge. It is als mykil worthe as
bou art. Seke not what bou has, bot what bou art bi
selfe, for it is worth bi selfe. Gyf bi selfe and bou
sal hafe it. Be not to besy to seke ane obir pryce ban
bi selfe. Bot ban says bou, 'I‘ am ane yll mary perchawnce
he wil not take me for be pryce.‘ 3is, if bou gyf bi
selfe yll and badde to hym bat is gode, his godenes sal
make be gode. Lo, here is gret mercy of almyghty God.
Saynt Austyn says bus of bies wordes, Criste
come for to forgyf forgyfnes to synful men, 3e to baim
bat was hys enmys. For insawmpyl he chesyd fyrst his
moste ful'enmy and helyd hym of his syn, bat was Saynt
Paule, for bis skyll bat no man suld despayre. Also our
Lord forgaf Dauyd bat dyd avowtry and homycydye, and
Petyr and Mawdlayne and many obir bat synnede, bat we
suld take insawmpyl noght for to despayre bot trystfully

in his mercy, if so be bat we be in wil to resort vnto

 

1'For', written at the end of the page, is blurred,
it is rewritten to open f. 9lr.

509

69/9

hym and forsake our syn. Also in Horologio Diuine

 

Sapiencie, oure Lord says to his discypul bus, 'I boght,

 

be not with gold ne with syluer, bot with my precios
blode, and berfore, son, I purchesyd be with so mykil
trauell and passion, trowes bou not bat I sal be glad
and hafe mykil ioy of bi hele, and wonndyr light to for-
gyf a1 bat is mysdone?‘ 3is sothly, for o thyng I say
be bat is sothe bof it be wondyrful. Bot bou sal hald
it in bi faythe with outen any dowte, bat if ber war a
byrnyng fyer als mykil as bis warld, and into be fyer
wer castyn a handful of hardesl or towe, 3itt suld not
bies hardes receyf byrnyng of be lowe so redely ne so
sodanly as be mykilnes of my mercy receyfes to grace a
synner bat is repentand and redy for to turne hym to me,
for why in byrnyng of be hardes is sum maner of tarying
be it neuer so litel, bot betwyx be repentand and God
bat forgyfes, betwyx be sorow and be sorows herand is no
maner of taryynge. Loo, her may bou take consolacioun
at be plentiful mercy of God. ‘berforefSays Saynt
Austyn, 'Lat not man's schame, nor be drede of God, nor
be gretnes of synnes drawe into disperacioun, when our
Lord is more redy for to forgyf ban bou for to aske for-

gyfnes.’ DOwbyl is be wyl in a man as be apostyl says,

 

lThe coarse fibre of flax; perhaps 'wick' here.

510

69/10

Lex carnis,1 be lawe of be flesche,‘ bat is to delyte

 

fleschly agayns be will bat he couetyd so he wald not
bot it was don[...] agaynasbe wil. berfore he says, 'I
now wyrks not bat thynge, bot bat binge bat abydes in

2 So if bou be tempyd with fleschly concupysence

me, syn . '
or [...] despayre or invy ar any ober syn, als lange as

be reson wil not,bat bou dos noght, nor bou sal not be
demyd aftyr bat felyng, bot aftyr be f[.............]
consent of be reson and of be wyl:

many for w[.....] and ferdnes, trowes bai despayre when bai
despayre noghl...] als l[...] as be reson and be wyll
consentes not, bat felyng sal not [.................]

Saynt Ambros says 'If be contricioun [...] be [...]

of be wil stedfast, nowder be gnt[...]

be schortnes of houre exclud [...]

mercy hydes hym in his be[...] [f. 9lr]
[Final line trimmed from manuscript.]
Agayns Despayre

For als mykil as be apostyl says bat with outen
faythe no man may plese Godfgberfore our enemy be fende
with wykkyd boghtes fantesyes and errours in many a mer-

velos maner strenthes hym to bere downe be faythe, whilk

1

 

Probably Rom. 7:25.
2Romans~7:27.
3Hebrews 11:6.

511

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is be grownde of haly kyrke, and be begynnyng of gode
virtews. berfore wysely and gostly awe a man to with-
stande be temptaciouns,and be wrenkes of be fende.

The fyrst rewle is to withstande hym in swylk
temptaciouns to gyf no force of no temptacion nor thoght
ne errour ne of no dyspyte, ne of no fals leynge nor
fantesyes nor trauels of be fende, wheder so a man here
baim, bynke baim, or fele baim in hys body. For bai ar
matere and no wyse syn. Trauels and angyrs bat cumes of
schrewydnes of be fende, and of schrewd dysposycioun of
a man's compleccioun. To swylk trauels and angyrs a man
aght to take no hede, nor to tent to baim, bot mekly
suffer baim to1 God wyl do remedy as matere of gret mede.
Ne a man aght not to stryfe agayn ne marvell ne bynke ne
seke be what skyll he is so traueld, for be more bat a
man ransakes and binkes in eroour and angyrs, be more
depe he falles in baim.

And berfore, for als mykyl as a man's boghts ar
vayne and dyuerse and has none ende, bai awe to be sett
at noght nor no hede awe to be taken of baim. Also a
man awe not to angyr hymselfe ne blame ne aret to hys
defawtes bat he is so traueld, for swylk trauels ar pyne—
ful and noght synfull. For bai ar agayns a man's wylle.

And Saynt Austyn says bat euer ilk syn is in wylle, and

 

l'Till'.

512

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what so is agayns a man's wylle it is no syn. And be

holy doctor Ysyder1 gg_summo bono, be thyrd boke says.

 

bat be fende tempys no man more ban God suffers hym.2
Bot it happyns sumtyme bat be fende trauels so mykil a
rightful man bat3 he is ouerlayde with care anddryfen to
dyspayre. And al bat tyme bof al bat he perceyf it not
dwels stylle in be dred and be 1uf of God, for al bat
trauell is to hym mede before God, bof his care be neuer
so mykyll it departes hym not fro God, for our Lord ful
of godenes and mercy arets not yt to syn bat he hymselfe
suffers be fende wyrke in be saule withouten any wyll,
for when be fals desyres and wykkyd lykynges frely we do
agains God's byddyngs, ban syn we. Bot when we are dryfen
and tormentyd in wykkyd and vyolent dispayryng boghtes
agayne oure wyll borow vyolent temptacioun of be fendes
we suffer pyne, bot we do no syn. Al bis, says be holy
doctor Ysider, 'Also oft tymes be fendes temptacious bat
makes [..b]e saule to dowte in be faythe and fantesy in
dyspayre semes [ ...... ] man's saule, and it is not so.
For as holy wrytt [f. 91V] beres wytnes, fayth and hope
ar virtews of man's wylle. Wherfore who so wald in wyll

lyfe in ryght belefe, is in ryght belefe afore God. And

 

lIsidore of Seville.
2The source is I Cor. 10:13.

3Written 'ba'.

513

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who so wyll traystfully hope in God is in fulle hope be-
fore God, bof he be neuer so mykyl traueld in dowtful
boghtes, for be apostyl Sayn Paule says, 'In man's wyll
is be belefe of rightwysnes;'lopon be whylk wordes says
glose be Alan,2‘ 'In man's wyll, whilk may not be con-
streyned, is bothe made and payne,‘ bat is to say, A man
before God has nowder mede nor gylt of no dede bot onely
of dedys bat he do? be his fre wyll. Bot sum tyme a
man's thoghtes is traueld and ouerlayd bat he knawes not
his awne wyll. And if it be so, he awe not care, for
always gode dedys schews a gode wyll, and ylle dedys ane
yll wyll. Wherfore bat man bat dos in dede be serfes of
God, bat man has a gode wyll to God, bof his trauelles,
fantesyes, and temptaciouns has bene be contrary. And
also a man awe not for no dowtful fantesy deme his euen
Cristen,3 bot if he hafe opyn knawyng of binge bat he
sal deme, for it is a gret syn [in] a man to deme yl of
hys neghbour for a thyng bat is in dowte. Right so it
is ylle and noght skylfully done a man to deme hys saule
in yll plyte and departed fro God for a dowtful boght
and fantesy. And if it falle bat a man knawe apertly
certayne poyntes in be whilk he has grefed God, of bos

poyntes he awe to cry God mercy and meke hym to be

 

1Romans 10:10.

2 Alain de l'Isle Dictionnaire...Tome I, Cols.
656-658.3

 

'Fellow-Christian.‘

514

69/14

sacramentes of holy kyrke and 0 none he awe to belefe
trewly bat he is receyfed to be grace of God. For God
says hym selfe by his prophet Ezechiel, 'What houre bat
a synful man sorows for his synnes, he wyl neuer more
hafe mynde of baim.‘ An bof a man may noght perceyfe
verry repentance in his hert and if he binke when he

says his prayers or cryes God mercy, bat he dos al to
gedyr agayns his hert, berfore aght he not to care nor
deme hym selfe graceles, for who so wald hafe sorow for
his synnes, in be dome of God he has verre sorow for his
synnes. And who so wyll in hert cry God mercy, verrely
he cryes God mercy, for as I hafe sayd oft, God takes
hede onely at a man's wyll and noght at his trauellos
fantesy. A man awe not care bat he is so traueld more
ban ane obir man, bot lat hym thynke what care God's
chosyn seruandes has sufferd in erthe. The holy doctour
Leo Papa says bat ber fals in goode and ryghtful saules
sum tyme by styrrynge of be fende, sum tyme be styrryng
of compleccioun swylk angyrs and taryinges and dredes
bat it semes to baim bair lyfe a torment, and bair ded
an ese. In so mykil bat sum tyme for dysese bai begyn
to dyspayre both of be lyfe of be body and o[f...] saule.
And bai weene bat bai ar forsaken of God. be[...] assays
and profes his chosyn frendes by fayndynges temp[...]

[f. 92r] angyrs the whyse man says in holy wrytte, 'Ryght

as be fyre profes be vessels of be potter, right

515

69/15

temptaciouns and angyrs profes be rightwis man.‘ And as
be apostyl Saynt Paule says, 'Vs nedys to be angyrd in
bis warld bat be profe of cure faythe be more preciouse
ban be gold bat is profed in be fyre,'lfor be angel sayd
to Toby, 'For als mykil as bou was dere to God, it was
nedful bat temptacione suld profe be.' It is knawen wele
bat sekenes falles to a man after dysposycioun of his
complexion. And as Leo Papa says, 'be fende aspyes in
ilk man what vyce he is moste disposyd to of complexion,
and berto he tempes a man moste.‘ And berfore be com-
plexion bat he fyndes ful of humers of malyncoly, baim
he turments moste with gostly temptacions. And also
clerkes bat when be smoke of be blake colery styesvp in
to be attrell of be hede and myrkes be place of dome
whilk is in be hede, it makes a man to seme as bof he
sawe blake and myschapyn ymages and bis blake smoke letts
be saule bat it may not for be tyme knawe no resnabyl
skyll, bot it makes hym deme fals for trewethe, and binge
bat is agayns hym, moste for hym. And bies men ar of
compleccion sory and dredfull withouten cause skylfull,
drye of compleccion, dispayryng of baim selfe. Bot ber-
fore awe bai not to blame baim selfe, for bai hafe pyne,
bot no syn. berfore bies men and bai will be wele re-
warddyd of God must schape baim als mykil as bai may to
gostly strenthe and pacyence. And bai awe to say with

Iob, 'Sen we hafe taken of God's hand bonchefe, why suld

 

lWron 1y attributed to Paul, the quotation is
from I Peter : .

516

69/16

we not suffer myschefe?J' And berfore what dysese or

tribulacion fal to baim, lat baim say stedfastly with

 

Iob, Si occiderit mg, sperabo ig_eum.2 'Pof he sla me,
I sal trayste in hym.‘ And alway emang bai awe to thynke

of be gret mede bat langes to pacyence. And how our
saule spowse our Lord Ihesu Criste hymselfe so mekly put
hym to matere of gret pacience, when he sayd, 'My saule
is sory to be dethe.‘3 And ane obir tyme he sayd 'My

God, why has bou forsaken me?‘4 Sen_our Lord in his man-
hede sayd bies wordes, be whilk was ful of grace, lat

not a synful man meruel bof his hert be sory, and bof he
thynke bat God has forsaken hym. Bot myghtyly and mekely
he awe to abyde be comforthe of God. And withowten dowte
when he verely nedes he sal not fayle of be comforth of
God. 'For to swylk men, says God by hys prophet Isaye
[...]el whyle I hafe forsaken be, and in a moment I hafe
hyd my face [.....] bot I sal gedyr be agayne in many
mercys and I sal hafe mercy [......]-y bat euer more sal
laste.‘5 No man mervell bof a.[fol. 92V] gostly man and

a gude syngulerly be tempyd, for be more bat he is traueld
agayns his wyll, both in faythe, hope, and charite, be
more afore God he is strenthyd and saddyd in alle gode
maners. Saynt Austyn lernes vs bat be maner of God is,

when a man is febyll and newly turned to hym, to gyf hym

 

lJob 2:10.

2Job 13:15.
3Matthew 26:38.
4Matthew 27:46.
5Isaiah 54:7, 8.

517

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pes and swetnes and susteyne hym in his1 1uf. Bot when
he is stabyld, ban suffers he hym to be al to traueld
for twoo skyls, one is for to profe hym and crowne hym
more nere hym in his blis of heuen; be secunde skyll is
for to purge hym and clense hym of his synnes in bis
warld, bat he suld no wyse be lang fro hym in be tobir.
And for als mykil as bai bat ar bus traueld ar dredful
and sory of complexion, thre thynges ar nedful to baim.
be first is bat bai be not mykil alone by baim selfe.

be secunde is bat bai thynke nor seke no thyng deply,
bot fully rewle baim by be cownsell and commynycacion of
sum gode wysman, for be gode counsell of bair wyser may
neuer turne baim to dampnacion, be whilk is gyfen to
baim for bair saluacion. God sas in be gospel, 'If be
menyng of a man's purpos be gude, be dede is gode.‘ be
thyrd remedy is, for als mykil as be fende trauels to
make a man dredful and sory, in dispyte of be fende and
in trayst of God's helpe a man awe to strenthe hym selfe
to be glad and myry, and noght drede be malyce of be
fende, bof it be alle agayns hyr hert, for be les glad-
nes bat he fyndes in his hert, be more mede he is worthy
bat strenthys hym selfe to be glad in despite of be
fende. be apostyls, as haly wrytt says, 'When be Iewes,

God's enmys, had schamfully bettyn baim, bai went away

 

1Written in left margin.

518

 

69/18

myry and glad.‘1 Also a man awe if he be tormenttyd of
be fende to be glad for thre skyls. be fyrst is for God's
enmy tormentes hym; be secund for in swylk tormentes be
fende schewes bat he is his ful enmy; be thyrd skyll is

by swylke tormentes a man not onely byes a way be paynes
of purgatory for syn, bot berto purcheses be blis of
heuen. Ihesu says in be gospell, 'Blyssed ar bai bat
suffers persecucion for ryghtwysnes, for bairs is be

blys of heuen.‘ We rede of Saynt Guthlake,2 when he began
to twelle3 in solytary place by hym selfe, be fende
greuosly tempyd hym with wanhope, bat is dispayre, and so
mykil myght bat Cuthlake boght he myght not fulfylle be
purpos and be dede bat he had beg[.....] nor his synnes
beforedone borow penaunce, wherfore he wa[.....]masyd thre
days bat he wyst not what he suld do. In be th[.......]as
he began to syng, In tribulacione mea invocam dominum,

bat is [.....] my tribulacion I hafe incald our Lord.
Saynt Bartylmew be apo[....] whame he luffed specially

apperyd to hym and monesched hym to [.....]manfully and

 

beheste hym bat he suld be his help[......] drewe to his
1Based on Acts 5:40, 41.
2'Dwell'.
3

Guthlac, c. 674, d. April 11, 714. Attacked by
devils, he is said to have been carried to the mouth of
hell, whence his patron, St. Bartholomew, rescued him.

He was often consulted by Ethelbald, later King of Mercia.
Basic account in Bede and in Lives of Guthlac--one an

Old English poem. New Catholic Engyclopedia, Vol. 6,

p. 868.

 

519

 

69/19

dede. His seru[ ...... ] to hym and s[.......] or bou
3e1de be gaste, schew[.........]ame[.........] [f. 93r]
and morne.‘ Pan Cuthlake sayd to hym, 'Fro be tobir 3ere
bat I began to dwelle in bis stede, God sent his awngel
to me in solace and comforth and he had speche with me,
and he schewd to me be priuytes of God, bat man has no
lefe to speke to men. be hardnes of trauels relesyng
with awnswers of heuen to me bat I sufferd gladly. Lo,
here may men se how bis holy man was tempyd, and berfore
lat not a synful man maruell if he be tempyd for his best;
for God ilk chylde bat he receyfes he scowrges for bair
betterland bair gret made and berfore a man awe to schape
hymselfe to pacyence and thanke God and say with be

prophet, Laudamus invocabo Dominum, gt ab inimicis meis

 

 

salvus §£9,2 that is, 'lofyng I sal calle our Lord and

I sal be safe fro myne enmys.‘ Also it is wrytten in be
boke of be myrakyls of our blyssid lady, God's moder, how
ber was a man bat was feruent and haldyng to gedyr rytches,
and to swylk almost alway felyschips lustynes and vnrest-
reyned to obir vyces. And bof a1 it hapyn so to hym,
neryeles he vsyd meke deuocyon to be glorios Virgyn our
lady Saynt Mary, God's moder. And when he felde his

last day, when he suld dye, he was towchid with inward

sorow and myndfully he wepyd for be binges bat vanyly he

 

1Hebrews 11:6, paraphrased.
211 Sam. 22:4.

520

 

69/20

had gedyrd. And sone come his frendes and his cosyns,
and he exhortyd baim to be sykyrnes of hys saule with
more plentyful teres and teld baim be nowmer and maner

of his synnes. And when bai suld with soft and cumforth-
abil awnswers haf raysed vp his reson and aght for to
hafe strenthyd hym--to hope and atyllyng of mercy—.bai
dyd euen contrary. bai sayd bai iugged1 horribily be
gretnes of his synnes, bies men brethyd onely erthly
thynges and vnknawyng what be strenthe of penaunce is.
And when be seke man vndyrstode bis, he gydird his spyrit
to hym vndirstandyng bat it was be dysceyte of be fende
bat by be mowthes of his mynystyrs inforced baim to put
hym in dyspayre, bat is wanhope. ban he cryde with al

be myghtes of his saule, and sayd to baim, '3e are heuy
comforthers alle. I hafe knawen how pytefull our Lord

is to whome I go. ' And ban awnswerd a voyce fro abowne
and sayd, 'bou cald me pyteful, and bou sal fynde me pyte-
full.‘ And sone aftyr be man past oute of bis lyfe, and
swete sauyr and odor come to be pepyll bat war ber.

perfore as be prophet says, Laudate nomen [g]ius, quoniam

 

 

O O I O I O I 2
suauis est Dominus, in eternum misericordia eius, 'Lofe

 

 

3e be name of our Lord [....]u,3 for why he is swete and

 

l'Iugged' must be intended; ms. is 'huggyd'.
2
Ps. 99:5.

3A rip in the exterior (left) margin has removed
some of the text of each line here and following; other
rips affect the interior margin and the bottom lines later.

521

69/21

his mercy euerlastyng.‘ And also 1uf wele [...] blyssed
Lady saynt Mary, God's moder, and euereday say a certayne
Augg [........]r for socour and helpe, for sche dyceyfes
none bat trewly trestes [...........]and cals opon hyr
and helps baim in bair nede. It is wryten in elucidario
[.....]purgatory fyre to sum men is in bis lyfe purgyng,
bat is to say [.....]ly diseses be whilk ill men dos to
sum folkes. Also affliccioun or torment [.....]sche by
penaunce doynge be whilk sum dos to baim [...]and wak[...]
labyrs and to obir sum be loffe or[...]air f[.....]
thynges, and to sum sorow or seknes[...]ty[....]de of
mete or drynke or clethyngl.......]le ar bai bat has
grace to [f. 93V] take bies thynges paciently, be whilk
ar put to baim for bair purgatory here in bis lyfe, for
after a man be dede and he be not purged here and clensed
in bis lyfe, he must suffer gret hete of fyre or els

gret felnes of cold or obir dyuers kyndes of paynes of

be whilk be leste is more ban be gretest payne bat may

be boght in bis lyfe. berfore, lofe our Lord in al tribu-
lacion als wele as in prosperite. For as Saynt Ierom
says, 'bof al bat no man be fun conabyll to be lofeng
of God, nerbeles withal vowse or wylls ilk a synner awe
not to cesse fro lofyngs bof he may not fulfylle bat he

feles, wher of God's worde when of a synner it dose.

522

69/22

Sacrificium inquit laudis honorificabit mg.l 'Sacrifyse,‘

it says, 'of lofyng sal worschip me,‘ and onone addyng

to, E5 illic iter est quo ostendam illi salutare Dei,2

 

'and ber is be way in be whilk I sal schewe to hym be
hele of God,‘ as if he suld say, 'bedyr is be way of
lofyng to be euerlastyng lofyng, for to abyde withouten
ende.‘ Bot no man sal apprehende bat bot if I schewe. ;
be way of our hele stands in be lofynges of God. berfore,

pray bou to God bat He will schewe be right way to his

 

lofynge.

Bonauentur says, 'If any thoght vndyrcrepe to
be, of be predest[y]nacyon3 or be prescience of God,
awnswer bus to be fende bat byrls4 or putes swylk thynges,
"Whatsumeuer bat be of me, it is certayne bat bou art
dampned. And if I suld knaw bat I awe not to hafe my
God after bis lyfe, with all my strenthes I sal labyr,
bat at be leste I may hafe hym in bis present lyfe, bat
I may welde hym als mykyl as I may, bat I want not so
mykil godenes in be[...] be state, berfore bou sal con-
clude be fende in be ende, and say [...] What sum euer

is for to cum of me, fro be seruys of God [...]

 

1Psalm 49:23, which reads Sacrificium laudis
honorificabit mg.

2The second half of the same verse of Psalm 49:
g; illic iter quo ostendam illi salutare Dei.

 

 

 

3Written: 'Predestnacyon'.
4'Pricks' or 'stabs'.

523

69/23

sal not cesse"' And wo be to be fende bat may [....]

to swylk a lord, and be ioyed in be swete presence [...]
Austyn says, 'If bou knawe bi selfe a synn[...]

he says confesse vs and schryfe our s[....]

wys bat he forgyf vs our synnes and [....]

524

70/1

ARTICLE 70, 94r-95v

Seven Miracles of the Virgin, each briefly told

in a prose piece, constitute Article 70. The Cataloguea

 

describes them as follows: i

(a) The Drowned Sacristan (here called a Canon),
of. 93E. of Romances, ii, p. 604....(b) A clerk
in an university Has his sins weighed against
his good deeds, but the Virgin takes the roll
from the scales and gives it back to him...(c)
Compact with the devil rescinded....(d) A monk
of Cluny rescued from despair....(e) A story

of the Marienbrautigam type (cf. Cat.aeéyze::u
Romances, ii, p. 621....(f) The VIfgin_bares
her breast (of. Cat. of Romances, ii., p.
635)....(g) A knight TIh dioce51 Leodiensi be-
syde Florence,‘ a similar story to (c) above.

 

 

Horstmann has edited the Miracles of Our Lady
from Vernon MS I, N9 xxix, along with the minor poems of

the ms.b This ms, too, is of Northern origin. The best

contemporary study is Beverly Boyd's The Middle English

 

Miracles of the Virgin.C

 

Damage to our ms. from here to the end is quite
severe. Nearly one-sixth or more of the total writing
on each page is entirely missing from the outer, lower
corner. Only items 'd' and 'f' are complete, both being
written entirely above the damaged portion, and both are
very brief. Fully one-half of item 'a' is gone from the

bottom of 94r; the final portion is complete at the top

525

70/2

of 94V. About one-fifth of item 'b' is missing from 94V;
and item 'c', starting at the bottom of this folio, has
lost approximately one-half of its entire text, with the
final two lines given at the tOp of 95v. Items 'e' and
'g' lose about one-third of their contents from 94r,v

successively.

[The Text of 70a]:
Also it is gode for to hafe a special lu[....]
moder and euer more call on hyr in al[....]

prayers vnto hir as Aue Maria [....]

 

socord many a synful wrettche and s[....]

hir myrakels, how ber was a chano[....]

of cure Lady, Saynt Mary, deuoutel[....]
avowtre, and cumyng home war[....]

to passe be watyr. And he h[....]

Mary. And when he beg[....]

in myddes of be flod a cumpen[....] [f. 94r]
schyp bothe and raueschyd hys saule to torments.
On be thyrd day come be blissed virgyn, God's
moder, with compeny of saynts to be place wher
fendes tormentyd be saule and sayd to baim, 'Why
torment 3e be saule of my seruande vnrightwisly?‘
bai sayd, 'We awe to hafe hym for he was take in
our warke.‘ Oure Lady sayd, 'If he suld be bair

whame he seruyd, he suld be oures, for he sayd

526

70/3

our matens when 3e slewe hym. Wherfore 3e ar
gylty anence me, for 3e hafe done wykkydnes
agayns me.‘ ban be fled be fendes swyftly away,
and be blissed Virgyn bare be saule to be body,
and raysed be body vp by be arme fro dowbyl deth,
and commanndyd be watyr to stande onbe ryght
hande and on be left hande lyke a walle and fro
be grownde of be see broght hym to be hafen.

ban be chanon,gretly gladdyd,fel downe before hyr
and sayd, 'My dere swete Lady, what sal I gyf be
for bis bunfyce bat bou has done to me?‘ God's
moder sayd, 'I praye be bat bou falle no more in
a vowtry, and bou sal halow be feste of my con-
cepcioun and preche it to obir.‘ And fro bens
forth he lyfed hermet lyfe. And to alle bat couet
it he teld what befelle hym. berfore blissed be

our lady Saynt Mary.

[The Text, Article 70b]:

Also in be same boke it tells how ber was a
clerke in ane vnyuersite synfully lyfyng. He was
raueschyd to be dome. And he sawe fewe gode deds
of his be layd in be to weyscale. be fende helde
a rolle wrytten full of synnes and layd it in be
tobir party of be weyscale bat bowed down; wherfore

sentence suld hafe gone agayn be synful man. He

527

70/4

was ferd and beheld to Saynt Mary bat stode ner

hande and sche toke be rolle offe be weyscale

and gaf be

clerk it in hys hande and he red it,

and sone he went to confession to schryfe hym,

and chawnged his abetl and mendyd his lyfe, and

fro [...]th seruyd Saynt Mary deuoutely. Also

it is teld

[......] clerke bat oure lady Saynt

Mary toke hym oute of

[...] cause he put his body and his saule in

[...]is
[...]es
[...]on
[...]ne

gode to euer creature to put bat blyssed
in welthe and in woo bair body and payr
and tribulacion commytt baim holy to hir

bat verely trests in hyr.

[The Text, Article 70c]:

[...]rd

ritches with gret trauell

[...]wastyd and gone, he was sory. be

[...]sayd, bat he suld make hym rytcher

[...]se

Criste and his Cristyndom and

[...]for to forsake Criste he dyd me

[...]with gret trauell he has taken

[...]sacramentes of holy kyrke. Loo

[...]se. ban sayd obir fendes, 'Hym

[...]gYn Mary be whome bay

[...]art Mary for s[...]Criste [f. 94V]

 

cancelled.

'Clethyng' was first written, then

528

 

70/5

and noght his glorios moder, sche helped baim.
And ban when bis man wald not for sake Saynt

Mary, sche purchest and gat hym forgifnes.

[The Text, Article 70d]:
Also in ane Abbay of Cluny was a monke ful F‘
religios and deuowt to Saynt Mary so bat his life
schane in virtews as a lantyrne in be sight of
God. Bot oft tymes a gode tylman tylles lande

yll. So bis monke synned, and for bat syn he 2

 

fell in dyspayre, bat is, wanhope. At be laste

by be grace of Criste he soght socour at God's
moder a 3ere contynewly dwellyng in wakynge, in
sorowynge, in prayinge and lofyng and praysyng

of be blissed virgin moder of God- And on a nyght
be sterne of be see bat is our Lady aperyd to

hym and teld hym in his slepe bat his syn was
forgyfn hym borow hir prayer. ban he thanked

God and his glorios moder Mary with al be myghtes

of his body and his saule.

[The Text, Article 70e]:

Also it is red bat a 3ong man luffed a 3onge
woman bat was ful deuowte to Saynt Mary. And be
3onge woman prayed our blyssed lady to kepe hyr
fro bat 3onge man. And he dyspended all his

godes for to gytt hyr. be deuyl seynge bat, come

529

70/6

to hym and sayd, If he wald deny and forsake
before his lord be prince of deuyls, bos thynges
bat he prince of deuyls suld neuyn1 vnto hym,

he suld make hym dowbyll rycher ban he w[...]

And he suld hafe be woman to his wyll bat he d[...]
amonesched hym bat he suld not make be tokr[...]
hym. ban he 3ode with be fende into preuy ple[...]
fendes war. ban be kynge of deuyls say[...]
'Welcum. Aske what bou wyll, and I sal gyf be[...]
sal make me a chartyr written with bil...]

thynges bat I byd be.' When be chartyr wa[...]

say bus, 'I denye be trowthe of be [...]

of holy kyrke, and be moder of Ihesu Cris[...]
deryng of bat, bat he sayd made [...]

selfe.’ And ban al be fendes vanescl...]

sorow bat he made be chartyr. An[...]

wher he fande be 3onge woma[...]

aperyd and sayd to hym, 'I delyuer[...]

here prayed for be bat I suld refre[...]

be whilk bou made to be de[...]

breke God's byddynge.' And [...]

weddyd be same mayden [...] [f. 95r]

 

'Name'.

530

70/7

[The Text, Article 70f]:

Also ber was a syngul man bat felle seke and
cald to hym a religious man and mekely prayed
him bat he and alle his brebir suld pray for
hym. And he beheste bat he suld amende his lyfe
if he myght lyfe. And when he was recouerd, he
was wars ban he was before. Sone after he fel
seke be saule passed and come before our Lord
Ihesu Criste domesman. And he sawe on his right
hande his chosyn, and on his left hande b[ e]
reprofed. When he boght bat he suld hafe bene
sett with be reprofed bat was dampned, he askyd
helpe at Saynt Mary bat sat by be domesman.

Oure lady prayed hyr son for hym. be domesman
sayd hym aghte not to do agayns rightwisnes.
ban be blissed Virgyn sayd to be synfull man,
'Se, wretche, how mykil be vyce of vnkyndnes is
and how fully bat syn is to ponesche? I am moder
of be kyng and domesman, and I am not hard for
be.' ban sayd be synful man, 'I wate,blyssed
lady, bat mykil is my syn and my wretchydnes.
Bot I wate bat bi mercm,be whilk bat I aske,is
mykil more.‘ ban eftyrward oure blyssed lady
schewed vnto hir son hyr breste and hir pappes,
prayng hym for boes bat he sowked to do mercy

with be wretche. ban our Lord graunted hym space

531

 

70/8

of lyfe to do penance. And after bat he lyfyd

most holyly and happely endyd.

[The Text, Article 709]:

In Diocesi Leodiensi besyde Florannce was a

 

3onge knyght bat in tornyamentes and in vanytes

had wastyd al his godes, and berfor he began for

to dyspayre. ban on of hys men led hys mayster

on a myght into a wodde and cald a fende as he

was wont to doo obir tymes. ban be knyght askyd

hym with whom he spake. He awnswerd, 'Make 3e

no force. Wil 3e not be rytche as 3e war?‘ be

knyght sayd, '3is, if it may be done at God's

will.‘ ban his seruand sayd to be fende, 'Lo,

I hafe broght 3ow a nobil man, my lord, bat 3e

restore hym to his ritches.‘ be fende sayd, 'He

sal fyrst forsake [God] and make me homage.‘ be

knyght a1 if it wer dredynge and

[....]e intysynge of his man and for hoope to be
ritche he

[...I]be fende aftyr bat sayd, "be behofes to
forsake

[....]nyght sayd, "bat sal I neuer doc," and went
away

[....]e blissed Virgyn Mary and felle downe be

532

70/9

[....]ng and sorowynge. In bat same tyme a
[....] ht of hym alle his godes come in to be
[....]be 3onge knyght bus praye and gretynge
[....]e a pyler for to se be endynge. Bothe be
[....]ed Virgyn Mary spake borow be

[....]n bus, "My svettest Son, hafe mercy
[....]swerd noght and turned hys

[....]prayed eft sones be child turned
[....]bis man forsoke me, what

[....]ymage of be Virgyn rase vp and
[....]and fel downe to his feete and
[....]forgyf hym bis Syn. And ban be
[....]moder I myght neuer denye

[....]e I forgyf a1. be 3onge

[....]ery for his syn, bot glad he

[....]t 3ode to be 3onge knyght

[....]edde hir. I sa[...]e 3ow a1

[....]ow aye[...]e[...]s and

[...................]SYn

 

[........ ........... ]ed [f. 95V]
ap. 332.
b

EETS, Original Series no. 98, pp. 138-167.

CPublished by The Huntington Library, San Marino,
Calif., 1984. Article 'a' is found in this volume, pp.
114, 115; 135. Article 'b' is similar to one found in
Boyd, p. 129, nos. 2, 3.

533

71/1

ARTICLE 71, ff. 96""V

The final article, 'Of God's Justice,‘ is an un-
assigned prose work. Essentially, it is an apologetic
for the damning of the unrighteous and unrepentant, de-
fending the righteousness of God's judgments. Again the
author appeals to the Saints and to Scripture to support
his thesis. Perhaps indicating that the text was origin-
ally part of a longer dialogue, the writer of 32242_shows
the young scholar and the doctor inset on 96x. The text
gives no indication of such dialogue, being written in a
continuous manner from a single perspective and without

interruption.

The TEXT :

Mykil folkes ber is bat hopes bat God wil dampne
no man, bot bat al sal be safed borow hys mercy. Swilk
folkes haldes God vnryghtwis, and lyfes agayns be trowthe
of haly kyrke, whilk trowthe teches vs bat he sal cum

and deme al, both whilkl

and ded, and 3e1de to ilkone
after bai hafe deseruyd. And in be Crede it bus tells,
bat bai bat wele has done sal wende in to euerlastyng

lyfe, and bai bat ylle has done sal go into euerlastyng

 

1'Living'.

534

71/2

fyre. 'Nay,‘ says bies lewde folkes, 'God wil not dampne
baim bat he boght so dere.’ And it semys it wer for baim

bat Saynt Paule says, Deus vult omnes homines saluos

 

§;3£;,1 that is, 'God wil bat a1 men be safed.‘ Bot

obir vnderstandyng is in bies wordes hydde, bat is, he
wil bat we be safe if we do bat in vs is to cure salua-
cion, God wil bat we helpe our selfe to our saule hele,
and bat with a gode wil. For withouten a gode will may
no man be safed, for oght bat he may do. ban if a man
with a fraward will syn agayns God,2 if God dampne hym

for bat syn, he dos hym no wrange, bot schewes hys3

right-
wisnes, as lawe written says, 'Vnto be synfull no wrange
is done,‘ that is, if a man be dampned for his syn, bar

is no wrange done hym, for he chesyd bat he has. How so

euer it fall, wittness Salomon ber he says bus, Deus ab

incipio fecit hominem 23 reliquit eum in manu consilii

 

 

 

sui. Ante hominem vita gt_mors, bonum gE_ma1um; quod
4

 

 

placuit dabitour gi[....]

 

'At be begynnyng, God made man and gaf [....]

will, bat he myght with his awn[ ..... ]

 

11 Timothy 2:4.

2Originally written, '...syn agayns God's will,

3First written 'his', cancelled, and written 'hys'.

4Ecclesiaticus 15:14, 18. The quotation ends
'(gi) dabitur illi.’

 

535

71/3

gode or to yll. He sett before man lyfe and [....]
whilk so he will hafe hym sal be gyf[...]

be gode and take be yll. If he be damp[...]
selfe to wyte, for he hym selfe chesyd i[...]

is agayns God's rightwisnes bat s[....]

synful and rightwys illyke. And m[....]

bi God wil not bat it be so, bot if be[....]

nes hym to helle. Of bis same ma[....]

bat desyres bat a1 men war safed, m[....]

hys wille dampne be synful to he[....]

wondyr, sen almyghty God may d[....]

hym dampne any agayne his will[....]

be mercy of God, for as he bat with[....]
[....]er felle and sterne, so bai bat dos i[....]
[....]t desyres. It is arett to [....]

1 [f. 96‘]

[....]er to may mon[....]
hym in a1 bat he may, and forthynkes be tyme bat euer
dyd he syn. To swilk God dos his mercy als frely as bai
desyre it. When we do any gode we do it not to God, bot
to our selfe, and 3it God has ioy berof for noght bat he
wynnes berby bot for our saule hele. So when we do not
wele bot ylle, we harme not God, bot onely our selfe.
Bot 3it God has sorow bat we mysdo. If any myslikyng

myght be in hym, for bi if a man be dampned for his syn

to payne, God is not be cause why he is dampned. A1 if

1Final line[s) missing altogether; there may have
been at least four additional in the original.

536

71/4

he borow rightwisnes of God be dampned for hys syn. A
rightwis domes man bat be gylty demes is not to wyte of
his ded, bot his awne mysdede. And as anence be synful,
it is be God as be a rightwis domes man, bat for pyte
bat he has, tenderly wepes when he any for his gylt
dampnes to be ded; he wald helpe baim if he myght, bot
rightwisnes lettis hym, for so awe mercy to be done bat
rightwisnes may stand. For if rightwisnes be fordone,
and mercy Vp halden, ban mercy loses be name of mercy,
and is cald foly. Now may sum say, 'If God wald be syn-
full war gode, bai war gode.‘ Herto awnswers Saynt
Austyn, 'God,‘ he says, 'wald bai war better ban swilke
as bai wald be.' If bai wer gode not withouten mede,

if bai obir war noght withouten payne, sen it is in man's
will to do wele or ylle, if he do welle, it is skylle he
hafe wele, for he chesyd it. For as Saynt Paule says,
'bat man sawes, bat sal he mawe.‘l For bi

[...] Salomon, Noli facere mala 25 non be apprehendent,2

 

 

bat is, 'Do
[...] and be sal falle no yll.‘ For as be godenes of God
ouerall binges

[...]e gode. And as His godenes 3e1des to be gode after

 

1Galatians 6:7.

2Ecclesiasticus 7:1.

537

71/5

[...]s to be synful after bai deseryfe, here to
[...]os whare, wil falle to hym no mede on
[...] bot bat he here sowe. It askes in be gospel

[...]unt d3 spinis uvas, aut d3 tribulis ficus?l In

 

 

[...]s of thornes swete grapes, or of breers
[...]more of ylle lyfe bat byttes be saule with
[...] lyfe geder heuenly mede to be suste-
[...] not chawnged ber, bot bat men here
[...]men it fynde, for bi by be synful

[...] holy man spekes, Dedit eis locum
[...]superbia,2 bat is, 'God has gyfen baim tyme
[...] God gyfs to vs be tyme al bat we

[...] saule hele; he gyfes not vs ane

[...]yme bat we lyf in, is propyrly our
[...]res, bot tyme is oures in [...]

[...]d straytly, we sal 3e1de a [...]

[...]yme nowe [...]

[...] sal w[...] [f. 96V]

 

1Matthew 7:16.

2This fragmentary reference has not been identi-
fied.

538

GLOSSARY

Words are generally not glossed unless they
occur in 37049 in a form differing from those readily

found in the Middle English Dictionary, or, past 'H',

 

in the Oxford English Dictionary.

 

A
abofene — above
aduencion(e) - adventitious
afygue (two words) - a fygure

anelyp - anoint

anhede - unity

apertly - openly

aret - ascribe, reckon, lay charge
argnes - cowardice, or kind of sloth
aryfage - arrival

ataynte - stained, condemned

athyld — glorified

attrell - crown of the head

aysel - vinegar
B

bedown - down, at another's feet

539

 

besaunds - orders

billstrow - an itemized listing, inventory; <bill straw
bolued - swollen, bulging

bonchefe - blessing, bounty

bowsumnes - humility, obedience

buncyses - tumors, swellings

bunfyce - benefice, gift

bute - help

byg - to build, or a building (usually verb only)

byske - bush

C
caryone - carrion
cautels - tricks, deceits
chawchyng - changing
comper - companion
condeth - conduit
consafes - conceives

D

dasewed - dimmed vision, blinded

dasynes - numbness, stunned, bewildered, dizziness of
heart?

delyce - delight, pleasure, beautiful; <delice

dene - seem worthy

deuyr - do one's duty, do all one can

dewres - spiritual gift or possession; <douerie

540

 

diffowle - pollute, abuse, trample on
ditt - song, message

domme - damned, doomed

dunacyone - a benefice; <donacioun
dures - lastes, endures

dwyne - fade
E

encheson - a cause; that which produces an effect;
<enchesoun

evet - newt, lizard, salamander
F

fage - deceive, fool by trickery, coax, flatter;
<fagen

feldowne - kill, slay

forne - before, previously, forward

fountstane - baptismal font; <font-ston

fraystes - test of strength, attacks

fryrth - game preserve, royal forest, woodland; <frith
G

goynforth - departure

grathed - grown

greces - steps, degrees

grylle - fierce, terrible, angry

gryrthe — sanctuary, protection, peace

541

hals - greet

hardes - shells, hard part
hedyd - beheaded

herband - housed, sheltered
hethyng - heeding

hode - hood

hyng - hang

ingruens - attack, onset; <Med. L. ingruentia

 

K
knaghed - knotted, nailed

kyngyden - kingdom

lachnes - laziness

lokyrd - curled

loppes - fleas

losyngery - flattery

lowslyer - more loosely

lurdan - dullard, slothful person
lurgyd - lurked, lived in concealment

lyberts - leopards

malyson - punishment

542

matyrabyl — material

mell - mix, mingle

modde - courage, mood

modnes - humility

modyrd - restrained, controlled; <moder
monyscyon - warning, admonition
morower - moreover

morrowour - mirror

mowdewarp - mole

mycher - beggar

mynnes - minds

mystrowand - unbelieving, non-Christian

myswent - gone astray, wandered
N

neyent, neynt - mentioned

nowre wher - nowhere
O

obet - death, departure; <obit

oftyng - often

okyr - bribe, usury

orpyd - stout, strenuous, bold; <orped

osee, oyses - augury, prophescy; <oss(e)

P

pennes - pinions, wings

543

powste - power

purte - poverty

purtred - portrayed

pyked - worried, brooding, pensive

pykke - black

qwart - health

qweme - satisfy, appease, mitigate
qwhen - when

qwhilk - which

qw(h)ykke - alive
R

rakyd - led a dissolute life

reaysed - received

remefes - removes

remeland - remnant

represe - wrinkle? flaw?

retrysciane - rhetorician

romyng - clearing the throat of obstructions; <room,
rhum

rotyng - rottenness, undergoing decay or decomposition

ryfelle - strip bare, deSpoil; <rifle

ryke - kingdom

544

S

sakles - innocent, simple, guileless, harmless;
sackless

scewed - hated, or set obliquely; <schewed

schast - chaste

schath - reasure, tribute, oppression; <scat

schenschepe - bound by chains; <schene, obs. form of
chain

scomfet - discomfit

sege- throne

sen - since

sleght - skill, prudence, wisdom

slokynd - distroyed

soget - subject

soiett - subject

tan - then

tawghe - candle wick of short, unworked fibres of flax
or wool

tene - vex, distress, grieve; <teen

ternes - monks, members of religious order

thrange - pressure; a kind of disease; <thring

tone - the one (as opposed to 'the other')

torrens - river, brook [torrent]

towe — see 'tawghe' above

545

tyll - to, unto

tyte - soon, quickly; tite
b

birled - pierced with a sharp instrument

bore - obs. there

varay - true

venite - coming return

umbylapped - surrounded

unconnande - ignorant

uncortes - discourteous

vocate- advocate

vowse - vows, solemn promises

vpstyng - ascending

ure - work, practice, custom

vttrand - setting forth the character or identity;
reveal

vytayles - victuals

wa - woe
war - was

war - were
war - where

wathes - mouth, stream booty, spoil, or clothing

546

welner - well-nigh

wementynges - lamentations; <waymentings
whalde - would

whawe myre - quagmire

wheyne - whence

wrenkes - tricks, deceits, wiles; <wrench
Y

ympnes - hymns

547

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