Early English Alliterative Poems 20

Early English Alliterative Poems 20

For-þy þaȝ þe rape were rank, þe rawþe watȝ lyttel;[13]

Þaȝ he be kest into kare he kepes no bett{er}.

[Sidenote: For the fault of one, vengeance alighted upon all men.]

Bot þat oþ{er} wrake þat wex on wyȝeȝ, hit lyȝt

Þurȝ þe faut of a freke þat fayled i{n} trawþe. 236

[Sidenote: Adam was ordained to live in bliss.]

A{da}m i{n} obedyent[14] ordaynt to blysse,

Þer pryuely i{n} paradys his place watȝ de-vised,

To lyue þer i{n} lyky{n}g þe lenþe of a terme,

& þe{n}ne en-herite þat home þat au{n}geleȝ for-gart, 240

[Sidenote: Through Eve he ate an apple.]

Bot þurȝ þe eggy{n}g of eue he ete of an apple

Þat en-poysened alle pepleȝ þat parted fro hem boþe,

[Sidenote: Thus all his descendants became poisoned.]

For a defence þat watȝ dyȝt of dryȝtyn seluen,

& a payne þer-on put & pertly halden; 244

Þe defence watȝ þe fryt þat þe freke towched,

& þe dom is þe deþe þat drepeȝ v{us} alle.

[Sidenote: A maiden brought a remedy for mankind.]

Al i{n} mesure & meþe watȝ mad þe vengiau{n}ce,

& efte amended w{i}t{h} a mayden þat make hade neu{er}. 248

 

[Sidenote 11: _wened_ (?).]

[Sidenote 12: _ȝis_ (?).]

[Sidenote 13: MS. _lyttlel_.]

[Sidenote 14: _obedience_ (?).]

 

 

[Headnote: THE WICKEDNESS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.]

 

IV.

 

Bot in þe þryd watȝ forþrast al þat þryue schuld,

[Sidenote: Malice was merciless.]

Þer watȝ malys mercyles & mawgre much scheued,

Þat watȝ for fylþe vpon folde þ{a}t þe folk vsed,

[Sidenote: A race of men came into the world, the fairest, the

merriest, and the strongest that ever were created.]

[Þ]at þen wonyed i{n} þe worlde w{i}t{h}-outen any mayst{er}ȝ; 252

[Sidenote: [Fol. 60b.]]

Hit wern þe fayrest of forme & of face als,

Þe most & þe myriest þat maked wern euer,

Þe styfest, þe stalworþest þat stod eu{er} on fete;

& lengest lyf i{n} hem lent of ledeȝ alle oþ{er}, 256

For hit was þe forme-foster þat þe folde bred,

[Sidenote: They were sons of Adam.]

Þe aþel au{n}cetereȝ su{n}eȝ þat ad{a}m watȝ called,

To wham god hade geuen alle þat gayn were,

Alle þe blysse boute blame þat bodi myȝt haue, 260

& þose lykkest to þe lede þat lyued next aft{er},

For-þy so semly to see syþe{n} wern none.

[Sidenote: No law was laid upon them.]

Þer watȝ no law to hem layd bot loke to kynde,

& kepe to hit, & alle hit cors clanly ful-fylle; 264

[Sidenote: Nevertheless they acted unnaturally.]

& þe{n}ne fou{n}den þay fylþe i{n} fleschlych dedeȝ

& controeued agayn kynde contraré werkeȝ,

& vsed hem vn-þryftyly vchon on oþ{er},

& als with oþ{er}, wylsfully, vpon a wrange wyse. 268

[Sidenote: The “_fiends_” beheld how fair were the daughters of

these mighty men, and made fellowship with them and begat a race

of giants.]

So ferly fowled her flesch þat þe fende loked,

How þe deȝt{er} of þe douþe wern dere-lych fayre,

& fallen i{n} felaȝschyp w{i}t{h} hem on folken wyse

& en-gendered on hem ieau{n}teȝ w{i}t{h} her Iapeȝ ille. 272

Þose wern men meþeleȝ & maȝty on vrþe,

Þat for her lodlych laykeȝ alosed þay were.

He watȝ famed[15] for fre þat feȝt loued best,

[Sidenote: The greatest fighter was reckoned the most famous.]

& ay þe bigest i{n} bale þe best watȝ halden; 276

& þe{n}ne eueleȝ on erþe ernestly grewen

& multyplyed mony-folde i{n}-mongeȝ mankynde,

[Sidenote: The Creater of all becomes exceedingly wroth.]

For þat þe maȝty on molde so marre þise oþ{er}.

Þat þe wyȝe þat al wroȝt ful wroþly bygy{n}neȝ. 280

 

[Headnote: GOD DETERMINES TO DESTROY ALL FLESH.]

 

When he knew vche contre corupte i{n} hit seluen,

& vch freke forloyned fro þe ryȝt wayeȝ,

[Sidenote: Fell anger touches His heart.]

Felle temptande tene towched his hert;

As wyȝe, wo hy{m} with-i{n}ne werp to hy{m} seluen: 284

[Sidenote: It repents Him that He has made man.]

“Me for-þy{n}keȝ ful much þat eu{er} I mon made,

Bot I schal delyu{er} & do away þat doten on þis molde,

[Sidenote: He declares that all flesh shall be destroyed, both

man and beast.]

& fleme out of þe folde al þat flesch wereȝ,

Fro þe burne to þe best, fro bryddeȝ to fyscheȝ; 288

[Sidenote: [Fol. 61a.]]

Al schal dou{n} & be ded & dryuen out of erþe,

Þat eu{er} I sette saule i{n}ne; & sore hit me rweȝ

Þat eu{er} I made hem my self; bot if I may her-aft{er},

I schal wayte to be war her wrencheȝ to kepe.” 292

[Sidenote: There was at this time living on the earth a very

righteous man: Noah was his name.]

Þe{n}ne i{n} worlde watȝ a wyȝe wonyande on lyue,

Ful redy & ful ryȝtwys, & rewled hy{m} fayre;

In þe drede of dryȝtyn his dayeȝ he vseȝ,

& ay glydande wyth his god his g{ra}ce watȝ þe more. 296

Hy{m} watȝ þe nome Noe, as is i{n}noghe knawen,

[Sidenote: Three bold sons he had.]

He had þre þryuen su{n}eȝ & þay þre wyueȝ;

Sem soþly þat on, þat oþ{er} hyȝt cam

& þe Iolef Iapheth watȝ gendered þe þryd. 300

[Sidenote: God in great anger speaks to Noah.]

Now god i{n} nwy to Noe co{n} speke,

Wylde wrakful wordeȝ i{n} his wylle greued:

“Þe ende of alle-kyneȝ flesch þat on vrþe meueȝ,

Is fallen forþ wyth my face & forþ{er} hit I þenk, 304

W{i}t{h} her vn-worþelych werk me wlateȝ w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,

Þe gore þ{er}-of me hatȝ greued & þe glette nwyed;

[Sidenote: Declares that He will destroy all “that life has.”]

I schal strenkle my distresse & strye al to-geder,

Boþe ledeȝ & londe & alle þat lyf habbeȝ. 308

 

[Headnote: NOAH IS COMMANDED TO BUILD AN ARK.]

 

[Sidenote: Commands him to make “a mansion” with dwellings for

wild and tame.]

Bot make to þe a manciou{n} & þat is my wylle,

A cofer closed of tres, clanlych planed;

Wyrk woneȝ þ{er}i{n}ne for wylde & for tame,

& þe{n}ne cleme hit w{i}t{h} clay comly w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne[16] 312

& alle þe endentur dryuen daube w{i}t{h}-outen.

[Sidenote: To let the ark be three hundred cubits in length,

and fifty in breadth, and thirty in height, and a window in it a

cubit square.]

& þ{us} of lenþe & of large þat lome þ{o}u make,

Þre hundred of cupydeȝ þ{o}u holde to þe lenþe,

Of fyfty fayre ou{er}-þwert forme þe brede; 316

& loke euen þat þyn ark haue of heȝþe þretté,

& a wyndow wyd vpon, wroȝt vpon lofte,

In þe compas of a cubit kyndely sware,

[Sidenote: Also a good shutting door in the side, together with

halls, recesses, bushes, and bowers, and well-formed pens.]

A wel dutande dor, don on þe syde; 320

Haf halleȝ þer-i{n}ne & halkeȝ ful mony,

Boþe boskeȝ & bo{ur}eȝ & wel bou{n}den peneȝ;

For I schal waken vp a wat{er} to wasch alle þe worlde,

& quelle alle þat is quik w{i}t{h} quauende flodeȝ. 324

[Sidenote: [Fol. 61b.]]

[Sidenote: For all flesh shall be destroyed, except Noah and his

family.]

Alle þat glydeȝ & gotȝ, & gost of lyf habbeȝ,

I schal wast with my wrath þat wons vpon vrþe;

Bot my forwarde w{i}t{h} þe I festen on þis wyse,

For þ{o}u in reysou{n} hatȝ rengned & ryȝtwys ben eu{er}; 328

Þ{o}u schal ent{er} þis ark w{i}t{h} þyn aþel barneȝ

& þy wedded wyf; with þe þ{o}u take

Þe makeȝ of þy myry su{n}eȝ; þis meyny of aȝte

[Sidenote: Noah is told to take into the ark seven pairs of

every clean beast, and one of unclean kind, and to furnish the

ark with proper food.]

I schal saue of mo{n}neȝ sauleȝ, & swelt þose oþ{er}. 332

Of vche best þat bereȝ lyf busk þe a cupple,

Of vche clene comly kynde enclose seuen makeȝ,

Of vche horwed, i{n} ark halde bot a payre,

For to saue me þe sede of alle ser kyndeȝ; 336

& ay þ{o}u meng w{i}t{h} þe maleȝ þe mete ho-besteȝ,

Vche payre by payre to plese ayþ{er} oþ{er};

W{i}t{h} alle þe fode þat may be fou{n}de frette þy cofer,

For sustnau{n}ce to yow self & also þose oþ{er}.” 340

[Sidenote: Noah fills the ark.]

Ful grayþely gotȝ þis god ma{n} & dos godeȝ hestes,

In dryȝ dred & dau{n}ger, þat durst do non oþer.

Wen hit watȝ fettled & forged & to þe fulle grayþed,

Þe{n}n con dryȝttyn hym dele dryȝly þyse wordeȝ: 344