Early English Alliterative Poems 15

Early English Alliterative Poems 15

[Sidenote: David says no man living is justified.

Pray to be saved by innocence and not by right.]

An-ende ryȝtwys men, ȝet saytȝ a gome

Dauid in sauter, if eu{er} ȝe seȝ hit,

“Lorde þy seruau{n}t draȝ neuer to dome,

For[29] non lyuyunde to þe is Iustyfyet.” 700

For-þy to corte quen þ{o}u schal com,

Þer alle oure causeȝ schal be tryed,

Alegge þe ryȝt þ{o}u may be i{n}-nome,

By þys ilke spech I haue asspyed; 704

Bot he on rode þat blody dyed,

Delfully þurȝ hondeȝ þryȝt

Gyue þe to passe when þ{o}u arte tryed

By in{n}ocens & not by ryȝte. 708

 

[Sidenote 29: MS. _sor._]

 

[Headnote: CHRIST BLESSED LITTLE CHILDREN.]

 

[Sidenote: When Jesus was on earth, little children were brought

unto him. The disciples rebuked the parents. Christ said,

“Suffer little children to come unto me,” etc.]

Ryȝt-wysly quo con rede,

He loke on bok & be awayed

How Ih{esu}c hy{m} welke in are þede,

& burneȝ her barneȝ vnto hy{m} brayde, 712

For happe & hele þat fro hy{m} ȝede,

To touch[30] her chylder þay fayr hym prayed.

His dessypeleȝ w{i}t{h} blame let be hy{m} bede,

& wyth her resou{n}eȝ ful fele restayed; 716

Ih{esu}c þe{n}ne hem swetely sayde,

“Do way, let chylder vnto me tyȝt.

To suche is heuen-ryche arayed,”

Þe i{n}nocent is ay saf by ryȝt. 720

 

[Sidenote 30: MS. _touth_.]

 

 

XIII.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 49a.]]

[Sidenote: No one can win heaven except he be meek as a child.]

Ih{esu}c con calle to hy{m} hys mylde

& sayde hys ryche no wyȝ myȝt wy{n}ne.

Bot he com þyder ryȝt as a chylde,

Oþ{er} elleȝ neu{er} more com þer-i{n}ne, 724

Harmleȝ, trwe & vnde-fylde,

W{i}t{h}-outen mote oþ{er} mascle of sulpande sy{n}ne;

Quen such þer cnoken on þe bylde,

Tyt schal hem men þe ȝate vnpy{n}ne, 728

Þer is þe blys þat con not bly{n}ne,

Þat þe Iueler soȝte þurȝ perre pres

& solde alle hys goud boþe wolen & ly{n}ne,

To bye hy{m} a perle [þat] watȝ mascelleȝ. 732

 

[Headnote: FORSAKE THE MAD WORLD.]

 

[Sidenote: The pearl of price is like the kingdom of heaven,

pure and clean. Forsake the mad world and purchase the spotless

pearl.]

This makelleȝ perle þat boȝt is dere,

Þe Ioueler gef fore alle hys god,

Is lyke þe reme of heuenesse clere

So sayde þe fader of folde & flode, 736

For hit is we{m}leȝ, clene & clere,

& endeleȝ rou{n}de & blyþe of mode,

& co{m}mune to alle þat ryȝtwys[31] were,

Lo! euen i{n} myddeȝ my breste hit stode; 740

My lorde þe lombe þat schede hys blode,

He pyȝt hit þere i{n} token of pes;

I rede þe forsake þe worlde wode,

& porchace þy perle maskelles.” 744

 

[Sidenote 31: MS. _ryȝtywys_.]

 

[Sidenote: The father of the maiden desires to know who formed

her figure and wrought her garments. Her beauty, he says,

is not natural. Her colour passes the fleur-de-lis.]

“O maskeleȝ perle i{n} perleȝ pure

Þat bereȝ,” q{uod} I, “þe perle of prys,

Quo formed þe þy fayre fygure?

Þat wroȝt þy wede, he watȝ ful wys; 748

Þy beaute com neu{er} of nature,

Pymalyon paynted neu{er} þy vys,

Ne arystotel nawþ{er} by hys lettrure

Of carpe þe kynde þese p{ro}perteȝ. 752

Þy colo{ur} passeȝ þe flo{ur}-de-lys,

Þyn angel hauy{n}g so clene corteȝ

Breue me bryȝt, quat-kyn of p{r}iys[32]

Bereȝ þe perle so maskelleȝ.” 756

 

[Sidenote 32: The MS. has _triys_.]

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 49b.]]

[Sidenote: The maiden explains to her father that she is a bride

of Christ. She is without spot or blemish. Her weeds are washed

in the blood of Christ.]

“My makeleȝ lambe þat al may bete,”

Q{uod} scho, “my dere destyné

Me ches to hys make al-þaȝ vnmete,

Su{m} tyme semed þ{a}t assemblé 760

When I wente fro yor worlde wete.

He calde me to hys bon{er}té,

‘Cu{m} hyder to me my le{m}man swete,

For mote ne spot is non i{n} þe:’ 764

He gef me myȝt & als bewté.

I{n} hys blod he wesch my wede on dese,

& coronde clene i{n} v{er}gynté,

& pyȝt me i{n} perleȝ maskelleȝ.” 768

 

[Sidenote: The father asks the nature of the Lamb that has

chosen his daughter, and why she is selected as a bride.]

“Why maskelleȝ bryd þat bryȝt con flambe

Þat reiateȝ hatȝ so ryche & ryf,

Quat-kyn þy{n}g may be þat lambe,

Þat þe wolde wedde vnto hys vyf? 772

Ou{er} alle oþ{er} so hyȝ þ{o}u clambe,

To lede w{i}t{h} hy{m} so ladyly lyf

So mony a cumly on v{n}der cambe,

For kryst han lyued i{n} much stryf, 776

& þ{o}u con alle þo dere out-dryf,

& fro þat maryag al oþ{er} depres,

Al only þyself so stout & styf,

A makeleȝ may & maskelleȝ.” 780

 

 

[Headnote: THE LAMB AND HIS BRIDES.]

 

XIV.

 

[Sidenote: The Lamb has one hundred and forty thousand brides.

St. John saw them on the hill of Sion in a dream, in the new

city of Jerusalem.]

“Maskelles,” q{uod} þat myry quene,

“Vnblemyst I am wyth-outen blot,

& þat may I w{i}t{h} mensk me{n}teene;

Bot makeleȝ quene þe{n}ne sade I not, 784

Þe lambes vyueȝ i{n} blysse we bene,

A hondred & forty þowsande flot

As i{n} þe apocalyppeȝ hit is sene;

Sant Ioh{a}n hem syȝ al i{n} a knot, 788

On þe hyl of syon þat semly clot.

Þe apostel hem segh i{n} gostly drem

Arayed to þe weddy{n}g i{n} þ{a}t hyl coppe,

Þe nwe cyte u I{e}r{usa}l{e}m. 792

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 50a.]]

[Sidenote: Isaiah speaks of Christ or the Lamb. He says that

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.]

Of I{e}r{usa}l{e}m I in speche spelle.

If þ{o}u wyl knaw what-kyn he be,

My lombe, my lorde, my dere Iuelle,

My ioy, my blys, my le{m}man fre, 796

Þe p{ro}fete ysaye of hy{m} con melle,

Pitously of hys debonerté

Þat gloryo{us} gyltleȝ[33] þ{a}t mon con quelle,

W{i}t{h}-outen any sake of felonye, 800

As a schep to þe slaȝt þ{er} lad watȝ he

& as lombe þat clypper i{n} lande nem,[34]

So closed he hys mouth fro vch query,

Quen Iueȝ hy{m} iugged i{n} Ih{erusal}em. 804

 

[Sidenote 33: MS. reads _gystleȝ_.]

[Sidenote 34: MS. _men_.]

 

[Sidenote: In Jerusalem was Christ slain. With buffets

was His face flayed. He endured all patiently as a lamb.

For us He died in Jerusalem.]

In I{e}r{usa}l{e}m watȝ my le{m}man slayn

& rent on rode w{i}t{h} boyeȝ bolde;

Al oure baleȝ to bere ful bayn,

He toke on hy{m} self oure careȝ colde, 808

W{i}t{h} boffeteȝ watȝ hys face flayn,

Þat watȝ so fayr on to byholde;

For sy{n}ne he set hy{m} self i{n} vayn,

Þat neu{er} hade non hym self to wolde, 812

For v{us} he lette hy{m} flyȝe & folde

& brede vpon a bostwys bem,

As meke as lomb[35] þat no playnt tolde.

For v{us} he swalt i{n} I{e}r{usa}l{e}m: 816

 

[Sidenote 35: The MS. reads _lomp_.]

 

[Headnote: THE LAMB WAS SLAIN IN JERUSALEM.]

 

[Sidenote: The declaration of St. John, “Behold the Lamb

of God,” etc. Who can reckon His generation, that died

in Jerusalem?]

I{e}r{usa}l{e}m, Iordan & galalye,

Þer as baptysed þe goude say{n}t Ion,

His wordeȝ acorded to ysaye;

When Ih{esu}c con to hy{m} warde gon 820

He sayde of hy{m} þys p{ro}fessye,

“Lo godeȝ lombe as trwe as ston,

Þat dotȝ away þe sy{n}neȝ dryȝe!”

Þat alle þys worlde hatȝ wroȝt vpon, 824

Hy{m} self ne wroȝt neu{er} ȝet non,

Wheþ{er} on hym self he con al clem,

Hys generacyou{n} quo recen con,

Þat dyȝed for v{us} i{n} I{e}r{usa}l{e}m? 828

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 50b.]]

[Sidenote: In the New Jerusalem St. John saw the Lamb sitting

upon the throne.]

In I{e}r{usa}l{e}m þ{us} my le{m}man swatte,

Twyeȝ, for lombe watȝ taken þere,

By trw recorde of ayþ{er} p{ro}phete,

For mode so meke & al hys fare, 832

Þe þryde tyme is þ{er}-to ful mete

In apokalypeȝ wryten ful ȝare.

In mydeȝ þe trone þere saynteȝ sete,

Þe apostel ioh{a}n hy{m} saytȝ as bare, 836

Lesande þe boke with leueȝ sware,

Þere seuen sy{n}gnetteȝ wern sette i{n}-seme

& at þ{a}t syȝt vche douth con dare,

In helle, i{n} erþe & I{e}r{usa}l{e}m. 840