Early English Alliterative Poems 23

Early English Alliterative Poems 23

Clecheȝ to a clene cloþe & kesteȝ on þe grene,

Þrwe þryftyly þ{er}-on þo þre þerue kakeȝ,

& bry{n}geȝ butt{er} wyth-al, & by þe bred setteȝ 636

Mete; messeȝ of mylke he merkkeȝ bytwene,

Syþe{n} potage & polment i{n} plater honest;

As sewer i{n} a god assyse he serued hem fayre,

Wyth sadde semblau{n}t & swete of such as he hade, 640

 

[Headnote: GOD DISCLOSES HIS PURPOSE TO ABRAHAM.]

 

[Sidenote: God praises his friend’s feast, and after the meat is

removed, He tells Abraham that Sarah shall bear him a son.]

& god as a glad gest mad god chere,

Þat watȝ fayn of his frende & his fest praysed.

Abraham, al hodleȝ w{i}t{h} armeȝ vp-folden,

Mynystred mete byfore þo men þat myȝtes al weldeȝ; 644

Þe{n}ne þay sayden, as þay sete same{n} alle þry{n}ne,

When þe mete watȝ remued & þay of mensk speken,

“I schal efte here away abram,” þay sayden,

“Ȝet er þy lyueȝ lyȝt leþe vpon erþe, 648

[Sidenote: [Fol. 66a.]]

& þe{n}ne schal saré consayue & a su{n} bere,

Þat schal be abrahameȝ ayre, & aft{er} hy{m} wy{n}ne

W{i}t{h} wele & wyth worschyp þe worþely peple

Þat schal halde i{n} heritage, þat I haf men ȝark.” 652

[Sidenote: Sarah, who is behind the door, laughs in unbelief.]

Þe{n}ne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed;

& sayde sothly[31] to hir-self saré þe madde:

“May þ{o}u traw for tykle þat þ{o}u to{n}ne moȝteȝ,

& I so hyȝe out of age & also my lorde,” 656

For soþely, as says þe wryt, he wern of sadde elde,

Boþe þe wyȝe & his wyf, such werk watȝ hem fayled,

Fro mony a brod day by-fore ho barayn ay byene,[32]

Þat selue saré w{i}t{h}-outen sede i{n}-to þat same tyme. 660

[Sidenote: God tells Abraham that Sarah laughs at His words.]

Þe{n}ne sayde oure syre þer he sete “se! so saré laȝes,

Not trawande þe tale þat I þe to schewed;

Hopeȝ ho oȝt may be harde my hondeȝ to work?

& ȝet I a-vow v{er}ayly þe avau{n}t þat I made, 664

I schal ȝeply aȝayn & ȝelde þat I hyȝt,

& sothely sende to saré a soñ & an hayre.”

[Sidenote: Sarah denies that she laughed.]

Þe{n}ne swenged forth saré & swer by hir trawþe,

Þat for lot þat þay lansed[33] ho laȝed neu{er}. 668

“Now i{n}nogh{e} hit is not so” þe{n}ne n{ur}ned þe dryȝtyn,

“For þ{o}u laȝed aloȝ, bot let we hit one.”

[Sidenote: Abraham’s guests set out towards Sodom, two miles

from Mamre.]

With þat þay ros vp radly as þay rayke schulde,

& setten toward sodamas her syȝt alle at-oneȝ; 672

For þat Cite þ{er} bysyde watȝ sette i{n} a vale,

No myleȝ fro mambre mo þe{n} tweyne,

Where-so wonyed þis ilke wyȝ þat wendeȝ w{i}t{h} oure lorde,

For to tent hy{m} w{i}t{h} tale & teche hy{m} þe gate, 676

[Sidenote: The patriarch accompanies them.]

Þen glydeȝ forth god, þe godmo{n} hy{m} folȝeȝ.

Abraham heldeȝ hem wyth, he{m} to co{n}ueye,

I{n} towarde þe Cety of sodamas þat sy{n}ned had þe{n}ne

I{n} þe faute of þis fylþe; þe fader hem þretes, 680

& sayde þ{us} to þe segg þat sued hy{m} aft{er}:

[Sidenote: God determines to reveal to Abraham his secret

purposes.]

“How myȝt I hyde myn hert fro habraham þe trwe,

Þat I ne dyscou{er}ed to his corse my cou{n}sayl so dere.

Syþen he is chosen to be chef chyldryn fader, 684

[Sidenote: [Fol. 66b.]]

Þat so folk schal falle fro, to flete alle þe worlde,

& vche blod i{n} þat burne blessed schal worþe.

Me bos telle to þat tolk þe tene of my wylle

& alle myn atly{n}g to abraham vn-haspe bilyue. 688

 

[Sidenote 30: _cov-hous_ = cow-house (?).]

[Sidenote 31: ? _softly_ or _sotly_ = foolishly]

[Sidenote 32: ? _bycame_.]

[Sidenote 33: _laused_ (?).]

 

 

[Headnote: THE FILTHINESS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.]

 

IX.

 

[Sidenote: He informs him of the destruction about to fall upon

the cities of the plain, for their great wickedness, in abusing

the gifts bestowed upon them.]

“The grete sou{n} of sodamas synkkeȝ i{n} my{n} ereȝ,

& þe gult of gomorre gareȝ me to wrath;

I schal lyȝt i{n}-to þat led & loke my seluen,

If[34] þay haf don as þe dyne dryueȝ on-lofte, 692

Þay han lerned a lyst þat lykeȝ me ille,

Þat þay han fou{n}den i{n} her flesch of fauteȝ þe werst,

Vch male matȝ his mach a man as hy{m} seluen,

& fylt{er} folyly i{n} fere, on fe{m}maleȝ wyse. 696

I compast hem a kynde crafte & kende hit hem derne,

[Sidenote: The ordinance of marriage had been made for them, but

they foully set it at nought.]

& amed hit i{n} my{n} ordenau{n}ce oddely dere,

& dyȝt drwry þer-i{n}ne, doole alþ{er}-swettest,

& þe play of paramoreȝ I portrayed my seluen; 700

& made þer-to a man{er} myriest of oþ{er},

When two true togeder had tyȝed hem seluen,

By-twene a male & his make such m{er}þe schulde conne;[35]

Wel nyȝe pure paradys moȝt preue no bett{er}, 704

Elleȝ þay moȝt honestly ayþ{er} oþ{er} welde.

At a stylle stollen steuen, vnstered wyth syȝt,

[Sidenote: The flame of love.]

Luf lowe hem bytwene lasched so hote,

Þat alle þe meschefeȝ on mold moȝt hit not sleke; 708

Now haf þay skyfted my skyl & scorned natwre,

[Sidenote: Therefore shall they be destroyed as an example to

all men for ever.]

& hentteȝ hem i{n} heþy{n}g an vsage vn-clene;

Hem to smyte for þat smod smartly I þenk

Þat wyȝeȝ schal be by hem war, worlde w{i}t{h}-outen ende.” 712

 

[Headnote: ABRAHAM PLEADS FOR THE CITIES.]

 

[Sidenote: Abraham is full of fear, and asks God whether the

“sinful and the sinless” are to suffer together.]

Þe{n}ne arȝed abraham & alle his mod chau{n}ge[d],

For hope of þe harde hate þat hyȝt hatȝ oure lorde;

Al sykande he sayde “s{ir} w{i}t{h} yor leue,

Schal synful & sakleȝ suffer al on payne; 716

Weþ{er} eu{er} hit lyke my lorde to lyfte such domeȝ,

Þat þe wykked & þe worþy schal on wrake suffer,

& weye vpon þe worre half þat wrathed þe neu{er}?

Þat watȝ neu{er} þy won þat wroȝteȝ v{us} alle. 720

[Sidenote: [Fol. 67a.]]

[Sidenote: Whether he will spare the cities provided fifty

righteous are found in them?]

Now fyfty fyn frendeȝ wer fou{n}de i{n} ȝonde toune

In þe Cety of Sodamas & also gomorré

Þat neu{er} lakked þy laue, bot loued ay trauþe,

& reȝt-ful wern & resou{n}able & redy þe to serue, 724

Schal þay falle i{n} þe faute þat oþ{er} frekeȝ wroȝt

& ioyne to her iuggement her iuise to haue?

Þat nas neu{er} þyn note, vnneuened hit worþe,

Þat art so gaynly a god & of goste mylde!” 728

[Sidenote: For the sake of fifty the cities shall be spared.]

“Nay for fyfty,” q{uod} þe fader, “& þy fayre speche,

&[36] þay be fou{n}den i{n} þat folk of her fylþe clene,

I schal for-gyue alle þe gylt þurȝ my g{ra}ce one,

& let hem smolt al unsmyten smoþely atoneȝ.” 732

[Sidenote: The patriarch beseeches God to spare the city for the

sake of forty-five righteous.]

“AA! blessed be þow,” q{uod} þe burne, “so boner & þewed,

& al haldeȝ i{n} þy honde, þe heuen & þe erþe,

Bot for I haf þis talke tatȝ to non ille,

Ȝif I mele a lyttel more þat mul am & askeȝ; 736

What if fyue faylen of fyfty þe nou{m}bre,

& þe remnau{n}t be reken, how restes þy wylle?”

[Sidenote: For the lack of five the cities shall not be

destroyed.]

“And fyue wont of fyfty,” q{uod} god, “I schal forȝete alle

& wyth-halde my honde for horty{n}g on lede.” 740

“& quat if faurty be fre & fauty þyse oþ{er}

Schalt þow schortly al schende & schape non oþ{er}.”

[Sidenote: For forty the cities shall be spared.]

“Nay þaȝ faurty forfete ȝet fryst I a whyle,

& voyde away my vengau{n}ce, þaȝ me vyl þynk.” 744

Þe{n} abraham obeched hym & loȝly hi{m} þonkkeȝ,

“Now sayned be þou sauio{ur}, so symple i{n} þy wrath!

I am bot erþe ful euel & vsle so blake,

[Sidenote: Abraham entreats God’s forbearance for his speech.]

Forto mele wyth such a mayst{er} as myȝteȝ hatȝ alle, 748

Bot I haue by-go{n}nen wyth my god, & he hit gay{n} þynkeȝ,

Ȝif I for-loyne as a fol þy frau{n}chyse may serue;

What if þretty þryuande be þrad i{n} ȝon tou{n}eȝ,

What schal I leue if my lorde, if he hem leþe wolde?” 752

Þe{n}ne þe godlych god gef hy{m} onsware,

[Sidenote: Thirty righteous, found in the cities, shall save

them from destruction.]

“Ȝet for þretty i{n} þrong I schal my þro steke,

& spare spakly of spyt i{n} space of my þeweȝ,

& my rankor refrayne fo{ur} þy reken wordeȝ.” 756

[Sidenote: [Fol. 67b.]]

“What for twenty,” q{uod} þe tolke, “vntwyneȝ þ{o}u hem þe{n}ne?”

“Nay, ȝif þ{o}u ȝerneȝ hit, ȝet ȝark I hem g{ra}ce;

[Sidenote: For the sake of twenty guiltless ones God will

release the rest.]

If þat twenty be trwe I tene hem no more,

Bot relece alle þat regiou{n} of her ronk werkkeȝ.” 760

“Now aþel lorde,” q{uod} Abraham, “oneȝ a speche

& I schal schape no more þo schalkkeȝ to helpe;

If ten trysty i{n} toune be tan i{n} þi werkkeȝ

[Sidenote: Or if ten only should be found pure.]

Wylt þ{o}u mese þy mode & menddy{n}g abyde?” 764

“I grau{n}t,” q{uod} þe grete god, “grau{n}t mercy,” þ{a}t oþ{er}.

& þe{n}ne arest þe renk & raȝt no fyrre;

& godde glydeȝ his gate by þose grene wayeȝ

& he co{n}ueyen hy{m} con w{i}t{h} cast of his yȝe, 768

[Sidenote: The patriarch intercedes for Lot.]

& als he loked along þere as oure lorde passed,

Ȝet he cryed hy{m} aft{er} w{i}t{h} careful steuen:

“Meke mayst{er} on þy mon to my{n}ne if þe lyked,

Loth lengeȝ i{n} ȝon leede þat is my lef broþ{er}, 772

He sytteȝ þer i{n} sodomis, þy seruau{n}t so pou{er}e

Among þo mansed men þat han þe much g{r}eued;

[Sidenote: Beseeches Him to “temper His ire,” and then departs

weeping for sorrow.]

Ȝif þ{o}u tyneȝ þat tou{n}, te{m}pre þyn yre

As þy mersy may malte þy meke to spare.” 776

Þe{n} he wendeȝ, wendeȝ his way wepande for care

To-warde þe mere of mambre wepande for so[rȝe,][37]

& þere i{n} longy{n}g al nyȝt he lengeȝ i{n} wones,

Whyl þe sou{er}ayn to sodamas sende to spye. 780