Early English Alliterative Poems 17

Early English Alliterative Poems 17

XVII.

 

[Sidenote: The father prays his daughter to bring him to the

blissful bower. His daughter tells him that he shall see

the outside, but not a foot may he put in the city.]

“Moteleȝ may so meke & mylde,”

Þen sayde I to þat lufly flor,

“Bry{n}g me to þat bygly bylde,

& let me se þy blysful bor.” 964

Þat schene sayde, þat god wyl schylde,

“Þ{o}u may not enter w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne hys tor,

Bot of þe lombe I haue þe aquylde

For a syȝt þer-of þurȝ gret fauor. 968

Vt-wyth to se þat clene cloystor,

Þ{o}u may, bot i{n}wyth not a fote,

To strech in þe strete þ{o}u hatȝ no vygo{ur},

Bot þ{o}u wer clene w{i}t{h}-outen mote. 972

 

 

[Headnote: A DEscRIPTION OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.]

 

XVIII.

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 52b.]]

[Sidenote: The maiden then tells her father to go along the bank

till he comes to a hill. He reaches the hill, and beholds the

heavenly city.]

If I þis mote þe schal vn-hyde,

Bow vp to-warde þys borneȝ heued,

& I an-endeȝ þe on þis syde

Schal sve, tyl þ{o}u to a hil be veued, 976

Þe{n} wolde [I] no lenger byde,

Bot lurked by lau{n}ceȝ so lufly leued,

Tyl on a hyl þat I asspyed

& blusched on þe burgh{e}, as I forth dreued, 980

By-ȝonde þe brok fro me warde keued,

Þat schyrrer þen su{n}ne w{i}t{h} schafteȝ schon;

I{n} þe apokalypce is þe fasou{n} preued,

As deuyseȝ hit þe apostel Ihoñ. 984

 

[Sidenote: As St. John saw it, so he beheld it. The city was

of burnished gold. Pitched upon gems, the foundation composed

of twelve stones.]

As Ioh{a}n þe apostel hit syȝ w{i}t{h} syȝt

I syȝe þat cyty of gret renou{n},

I{e}r{usa}l{e}m so nwe & ryally dyȝt,

As hit watȝ lyȝt fro þe heuen adou{n}. 988

Þe borȝ watȝ al of brende golde bryȝt,

As glemande glas burnist brou{n},

W{i}t{h} gentyl ge{m}meȝ an-vnder pyȝt;

W{i}t{h} banteleȝ twelue on basy{n}g boun, 992

Þe fou{n}dementeȝ twelue of riche tenou{n};

Vch tabelment watȝ a serlypeȝ ston,

As derely deuyseȝ þis ilk tou{n},

I{n} apocalyppeȝ þe apostel Ioh{a}n. 996

 

[Sidenote: The names of the precious stones.]

[Sidenote: i. Jasper. ii. Sapphire. iii. Chalcedony.

iv. Emerald. v. Sardonyx. vi. Ruby.]

As þise stoneȝ i{n} writ con ne{m}me

I knew þe name aft{er} his tale;

Iasper hyȝt þe fyrst ge{m}me,

Þat I on þe fyrst basse con wale, 1000

He glente grene i{n} þe lowest he{m}me.

Saffer helde þe secou{n}de stale,

Þe calsydoyne þe{n}ne w{i}t{h}-outen we{m}me,

I{n} þe þryd table con purly pale; 1004

Þe emerade þe furþe so grene of scale;

Þe sardonyse þe fyfþe ston;

Þe sexte þe rybe he con hit wale,

I{n} þe apocalyppce þe apostel Ioh{a}n. 1008

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 53a.]]

[Sidenote: vii. Chrysolite. viii. Beryl. ix. Topaz.

x. Chrysoprasus. xi. Jacinth. xii. Amethyst.]

Ȝet Ioyned Ioh{a}n þe crysolyt,

Þe seuenþe ge{m}me i{n} fundament;

Þe aȝtþe þe beryl cler & quyt

Þe topasye twy{n}ne how þe ne{n}te endent; 1012

Þe crysopase þe tenþe is tyȝt;

Þe Iacy{n}gh[41] þe enleuenþe gent;

Þe twelfþe þe gentyleste i{n} veh a plyt,

Þe amatyst purpre w{i}t{h} ynde blente; 1016

Þe wal abof þe bantels bent,

Masporye as glas þat glysnande schon,

I knew hit by his deuysement,

I{n} þe apocalyppeȝ þe apostel I{o}h{a}n. 1020

 

[Sidenote 41: _Iacynth_ (?).]

 

[Sidenote: The city was square. The wall was of jasper.

Twelve thousand furlongs in length and breadth.]

As Ioh{a}n deuysed ȝet saȝ I þare.

Þise twelue de-gres wern brode & stayre,

Þe cyte stod abof ful sware,

As longe as brode as hyȝe ful fayre; 1024

Þe streteȝ of golde as glasse al bare,

Þe wal of Iasper þat glent as glayre;

Þe woneȝ w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne enurned ware

Wyth alle ky{n}neȝ perre þat moȝt repayre, 1028

Þe{n}ne helde vch sware of þis manayre,

Twelue forlonge space er eu{er} hit fon,

Of heȝt, of brede, of lenþe to cayre,

For meten hit syȝ þe apostel Ioh{a}n. 1032

 

 

[Headnote: NO SUN NOR MOON IN HEAVEN.]

 

XIX.

 

[Sidenote: Each “pane” had three gates. Each gate adorned with

a pearl. Such light gleamed in all the streets, that there

was no need of the sun or moon.]

As Ioh{a}n hy{m} wryteȝ ȝet more I syȝe

Vch pane of þat place had þre ȝateȝ,

So twelue i{n} po{ur}sent I con asspye

Þe portaleȝ pyked of rych plateȝ 1036

& vch ȝate of a margyrye,

A parfyt perle þat neu{er} fateȝ;

Vchon i{n} scrypture a name con plye,

Of isr{ae}l barneȝ folewande her dateȝ, 1040

Þat is to say as her byrþ whateȝ;

Þe aldest ay fyrst þ{er}-on watȝ done.

Such lyȝt þer lemed i{n} alle þe strateȝ

Hem nedde nawþ{er} su{n}ne ne mone. 1044

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 53b.]]

[Sidenote: God was the light of those in the city.

The high throne might be seen, upon which the “high God” sat.

A river ran out of the throne;]

Of su{n}ne ne mone had þay no nede

Þe self god watȝ her lompe[42] lyȝt,

Þe lombe her lantyrne w{i}t{h}-outen drede,

Þurȝ hy{m} blysned þe borȝ al bryȝt. 1048

Þurȝ woȝe & won my loky{n}g ȝede,

For sotyle cler moȝt[43] lette no lyȝt;

Þe hyȝe trone þer moȝt ȝe hede

W{i}t{h} alle þe apparaylmente vmbe-pyȝte, 1052

As Ioh{a}n þe appostel in termeȝ tyȝte;

Þe hyȝe godeȝ self hit set vpone.

A reu{er} of þe trone þer ran out-ryȝte

Watȝ bryȝter þen boþe þe su{n}ne & mone. 1056

 

[Sidenote 42: MS. _lombe_.]

[Sidenote 43: MS. _noȝt_.]

 

[Headnote: NO CHURCH IN HEAVEN.]

 

[Sidenote: it flowed through each street. No church was seen.

God was the church; Christ the sacrifice. The gates were

ever open.]

Su{n}ne ne mone schon neu{er} so swete;

A! þat foysou{n} flode out of þat flet,

Swyþe hit swange þurȝ vch a strete,

W{i}t{h}-outen fylþe oþ{er} galle oþ{er} glet. 1060

Kyrk þer-i{n}ne watȝ non ȝete,

Chapel ne temple þat eu{er} watȝ set,

Þe al-myȝty watȝ her mynyster mete,

Þe lombe þe saker-fyse þer to reget; 1064

Þe ȝates stoken watȝ neu{er} ȝet,

Bot eu{er} more vpen at vche a lone;

Þer entreȝ non to take reset,

Þat bereȝ any spot an-vnder[44] mone. 1068

 

[Sidenote: There is no night in the city. The planets,

and the sun itself, are dim compared to the divine light.

Trees there renew their fruit every month.]

The mone may þer-of acroche no myȝte

To spotty, ho is of body to grym,

& al-so þ{er} ne is neu{er} nyȝt.

What schulde þe mone þer compas clym 1072

& to euen wyth þat worþly lyȝt[45],

Þat schyneȝ vpon þe brokeȝ brym?

Þe planeteȝ arn i{n} to pou{er} a plyȝt,

& þe self su{n}ne ful fer to dym. 1076

Aboute þat wat{er} arn tres ful schym,

Þat twelue fryteȝ of lyf con bere ful sone;

Twelue syþeȝ on ȝer þay beren ful frym

& re-nowleȝ nwe i{n} vche a mone. 1080

 

[Sidenote: [Fol. 54a.]]

[Sidenote: The beholder of this fair city stood still as a

“dased quail.”]

An-vnder mone so gret m{er}wayle

No fleschly hert ne myȝt endeure,

As quen I blusched vpon þat baly,

So ferly þ{er}-of watȝ þe falure. 1084

I stod as stylle as dased quayle,

For ferly of þat french[46] fygure,

Þat felde I nawþ{er} reste ne t{ra}uayle,

So watȝ I rauyste wyth gly{m}me pure; 1088

For I dar say, w{i}t{h} conciens sure,

Hade bodyly burne abiden þat bone,

Þaȝ alle clerkeȝ hy{m} hade i{n} cure,

His lyf wer loste an-vnder mone. 1092

 

[Sidenote 44: MS. _an-vndeȝ_.]

[Sidenote 45: Or _syȝt_.]

[Sidenote 46: _fresch_ (?).]

 

 

[Headnote: A PROCESSION OF VIRGINS.]

 

XX.

 

[Sidenote: As the moon began to rise he was aware of a

procession of virgins crowned with pearls, in white robes,

with a pearl in their breast.]

Ryȝt as þe maynful mone con rys,

Er þe{n}ne þe day-glem dryue al dou{n},

So sodanly on a wonder wyse,

I watȝ war of a prosessyou{n}, 1096

Þis noble cite of ryche enpresse

Watȝ sodanly ful w{i}t{h}-outen so{m}mou{n}

Of such v{er}gyneȝ i{n} þe same gyse

Þat watȝ my blysful an-vnder crou{n}, 1100

& coronde wern alle of þe same fasou{n}

Depaynt i{n} perleȝ & wedeȝ qwyte,

I{n} vchoneȝ breste watȝ bou{n}den bou{n},

Þe blysful perle w{i}t{h} gret[47] delyt. 1104

 

[Sidenote 47: MS. _with outen_.]

 

[Sidenote: As they went along they shone as glass.

The Lamb went before them. There was no pressing.]

W{i}t{h} gret delyt þay glod i{n} fere,

On golden gateȝ þat glent as glasse;

Hu{n}dreth þowsandeȝ I wot þer were,

& alle in sute her liureȝ wasse, 1108

Tor to knaw þe gladdest chere.

Þe lombe byfore con proudly passe,

Wyth horneȝ seuen of red golde[48] cler,

As praysed perleȝ his wedeȝ wasse; 1112

Towarde þe throne þay trone a tras.

Þaȝ þay wern fele no pres i{n} plyt,

Bot mylde as maydeneȝ seme at mas,

So droȝ þay forth w{i}t{h} gret delyt. 1116