Early English Alliterative Poems 14

Early English Alliterative Poems 14

[Headnote: THE APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE.]

 

[Sidenote: The last shall be first, and the first last.

The maiden applies the parable to herself.]

More weþ{er} louyly is me my gyfte

To do wyth myn quat so me lykeȝ?

Oþ{er} elleȝ þyn yȝe to lyþ{er} is lyfte,

For I am goude & no{n} by-swykeȝ.” 568

“Þ{us} schal I,” q{uod} kryste, “hit skyfte,

Þe laste schal be þe fyrst þat strykeȝ,

& þe fyrst þe laste, be he neu{er} so swyft,

For mony ben calle[d] þaȝ fewe be mykeȝ.” 572

Þ{us} pore men her part ay pykeȝ,

Þaȝ þay com late & lyttel wore,

& þaȝ her sweng wyth lyttel at-slykeȝ,

Þe merci of god is much þe more. 576

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 47a.]]

[Sidenote: She came to the vine in eventide, and yet received

more than others who had lived longer.]

“More haf I of ioye & blysse here-i{n}ne,

Of ladyschyp gret & lyueȝ blom,

Þen alle þe wyȝeȝ i{n} þe worlde myȝt wy{n}ne

By þe way of ryȝt to aske dome. 580

Wheþer wel nygh[t] now I con bygy{n}ne,

In euentyde in-to þe vyne I come,

Fyrst of my hyre my lorde con my{n}ne,

I watȝ payed anon of al & sum; 584

Ȝet oþ{er} þer werne þ{a}t toke more tom,

Þat swange & swat for long ȝore,

Þat ȝet of hyre no þynk þay nom,

Parau{n}t{er} noȝt schal to ȝere more.” 588

 

[Sidenote: The father says that his daughter’s tale is

unreasonable.]

Then more I meled & sayde apert,

“Me þynk þy tale vnresou{n}able,

Goddeȝ ryȝt is redy & eu{er} more rert,[20]

Oþ{er} holy wryt is bot a fable; 592

I{n} sauter is sayd a verce ouerte

Þat spekeȝ a poy{n}t determynable,

‘Þ{o}u quyteȝ vchon as hys desserte,

Þ{o}u hyȝe ky{n}g ay p{re}termynable,’[21] 596

Now he þat stod þe long day stable,

& þ{o}u to payment com hym byfore,

Þe{n}ne þe lasse i{n} werke to take more able,

& eu{er} þe lenger þe lasse þe more.” 600

 

[Sidenote 20: _ert_ (?).]

[Sidenote 21: MS. p{er}termynable.]

 

 

[Headnote: GOD IS NO NIGGARD.]

 

XI.

 

[Sidenote: In heaven, the maiden says, each man is paid alike.

God is no niggard. The grace of God is sufficient for all.]

“Of more & lasse in godeȝ ryche,”

Þat gentyl sayde “lys no Ioparde,

For þer is vch mon payed inliche,

Wheþer lyttel oþ{er} much be hys rewarde, 604

For þe gentyl cheuentayn is no chyche,

Queþ{er}-so-eu{er} he dele nesch oþ{er} harde,

He laueȝ hys gyfteȝ[22] as wat{er} of dyche,

Oþ{er} goteȝ of golf þat neu{er} charde; 608

Hys frau{n}chyse is large þ{a}t eu{er} dard,

To hy{m} þat matȝ i{n} sy{n}ne no scogh{e}[23]

No blysse betȝ fro hem reparde,

For þe grace of god is gret I-nogh{e}. 612

 

[Sidenote 22: MS. _gysteȝ_.]

[Sidenote 23: In the MS. it looks like _rescoghe_.]

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 47b.]]

[Sidenote: Those who live long on the earth often forfeit heaven

by sinning.]

Bot now þ{o}u moteȝ me for to mate

Þat I my peny haf wrang tan here,

Þ{o}u sayȝ þat I þat com to late,

Am not worþy so gret lere. 616

Where wysteȝ þ{o}u eu{er} any bourne abate

Euer so holy i{n} hys prayere,

Þat he ne forfeted by su{m}kyn gate,

Þe mede su{m}-tyme of heueneȝ clere; 620

& ay þe ofter, þe alder þay were,

Þay laften ryȝt & wroȝten wogh{e}

Mercy & g{ra}ce moste hem þe{n} stere,

For þe g{ra}ce of god is gret i{n}-noȝe. 624

 

[Sidenote: Innocents are saved by baptism. Why should not

God allow their labour.]

Bot i{n}-nogh{e} of grace hatȝ i{n}nocent,

As sone as þay arn borne by lyne

I{n} þe water of babtem þay dyssente,

Þ{en} arne þay boroȝt i{n}-to þe vyne, 628

Anon þe day w{i}t{h} derk endente,

Þe myȝt of deth dotȝ to en-clyne

Þat wroȝt neuer wrang er þe{n}ne þay wente;

Þe gentyle lorde þe{n}ne payeȝ hys hyne, 632

Þay dyden hys heste, þay wern þere-ine,

Why schulde he not her labo{ur} alow,

Ȝy[rd] & pay hem[24] at þe fyrst fyne

For þe grace of god is gret i{n}-nogh{e}? 636

 

[Sidenote 24: MS. _hym_.]

 

[Headnote: PARADISE WAS LOST THROUGH AN APPLE.]

 

[Sidenote: Our first father lost heaven by eating an apple.

And all are damned for the sin of Adam. But there came one

who paid the penalty of our sins.]

Inoȝe is knawen þ{a}t man-kyn grete,

Fyrste watȝ wroȝt to blysse parfyt;

Oure forme-fader hit con forfete,

Þurȝ an apple þat he vpon con byte; 640

Al wer we dampned for þat mete,

To dyȝe i{n} doel out of delyt,

& syþen wende to helle hete,

Þ{er}-i{n}ne to won w{i}t{h}-oute respyt; 644

Bot þer on com a bote as-tyt.

Ryche blod ran on rode so rogh{e},

& wy{n}ne [&] wat{er}, þe{n} at þat plyt

Þe g{ra}ce of god wex gret i{n}-nogh{e}. 648

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 48a.]]

[Sidenote: The water that came from the pierced side of Christ

was baptism.]

Innogh{e} þer wax out[25] of þat welle,

Blod & wat{er} of brode wou{n}de;

Þe blod v{us} boȝt fro bale of helle,

& delyu{er}ed v{us} of þe deth secou{n}de; 652

Þe water is baptem þe soþe to telle;

Þat folȝed þe glayue so gry{m}ly grou{n}de,

Þat wascheȝ away þe gylteȝ felle,

Þat adam wyth i{n}ne deth v{us} drou{n}de. 656

Now is þ{er} noȝt i{n} þe worlde rou{n}de

Bytwene v{us} & blysse bot þat he w{i}t{h}-droȝ

& þat is restored i{n} sely stou{n}de,

& þe grace of god is gret i{n}-nogh. 660

 

[Sidenote 25: MS. _out out_.]

 

 

XII.

 

[Sidenote: Repentance must be sought by prayer with sorrow and

affliction. The guilty may be saved by contrition.]

Grace i{n}-nogh þe mon may haue,

Þat sy{n}neȝ þe{n}ne new, ȝif hy{m} repente,

Bot w{i}t{h} sorȝ & syt he mot hit craue,

& byde þe payne þer-to is bent, 664

Bot resou{n} of ryȝt þat con not raue,

Saueȝ eu{er} more þe i{n}nosse{n}t;

Hit is a dom þ{a}t neu{er} god gaue,

Þat eu{er} þe gyltleȝ schulde be schente. 668

Þe gyltyf may contryssyou{n} hente

& be þurȝ mercy to grace þryȝt;

Bot he to gyle þat neu{er} glente,

At i{n}-oscente is saf & ryȝte. 672

 

[Headnote: INNOCENTS ARE SAVED BY RIGHT.]

 

[Sidenote: Two sorts of people are saved, the _righteous_ and

the _innocent_. The words of David. The innocent is saved by

right.]

Ryȝt þ{us}[26] I knaw wel i{n} þis cas,

Two men to saue is god by skylle;

Þe ryȝt-wys man schal se hys face,[27]

Þe harmleȝ haþel schal com hym tylle, 676

Þe saut{er} hyt satȝ þ{us} i{n} a pace:

“Lorde quo schal klymbe þy hyȝ hylleȝ

Oþ{er} rest w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne þy holy place?”

Hymself to on-sware he is not dylle; 680

“Hondely{n}geȝ harme þat dyt not ille,

Þat is of hert boþe clene & lyȝt,

Þer schal hys step stable stylle,”

Þe i{n}nosent is ay saf by ryȝt. 684

 

[Sidenote 26: MS. þ{us} þ{us}.]

[Sidenote 27: MS. _fate_.]

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 48b.]]

[Sidenote: The words of Solomon.]

The ryȝtwys man also sertayn

Aproche he schal þ{a}t proper pyle,

Þat takeȝ not her lyf in vayne

Ne glauereȝ her nieȝbor wyth no gyle; 688

Of þys ryȝt-wys saȝ[28] salamon playn,

How kyntly oure con aquyle

By wayeȝ ful streȝt he con hym strayn,

& scheued hy{m} þe rengne of god a whyle, 692

As quo says “lo ȝon louely yle,

Þ{o}u may hit wy{n}ne if þ{o}u be wyȝte,”

Bot hardyly w{i}t{h}-oute peryle,

Þe i{n}nosent is ay saue by ryȝte! 696

 

[Sidenote 28: _satȝ_ (?).]