Early English Alliterative Poems 26

Early English Alliterative Poems 26

 Þ{us} is he kyryo{us} & clene þat þ{o}u his cort askes;

Hov schulde þ{o}u com to his kyth bot if þ{o}u clene were?

Nov ar we sore & synful & sov[_er_]ly[57] vch one,

How schulde we se, þe{n} may we say, þ{a}t syre vpon throne? 1112

[Sidenote: God is merciful.]

Ȝis, þat mayst{er} is mercyable; þaȝ þ{o}u be man fe{n}ny,

& al to-marred i{n} myre whyl þ{o}u on molde lyuyes,

Þ{o}u may schyne þurȝ schryfte, þaȝ þ{o}u haf schome serued,

 

[Headnote: PENANCE MAKES MAN PURE AS A PEARL.]

 

[Sidenote: Through penance we may shine as a pearl.]

& pure þe with penau{n}ce tyl þ{o}u a perle worþe. 1116

[Sidenote: [Fol. 72b.]]

[Sidenote: Why is the pearl so prized?]

Perle praysed is prys, þ{er} perre is schewed,

Þaȝ hy{m} not derrest be demed to dele for penies,

Quat may þe cause be called, bot for hir clene hwes,

Þat wy{n}nes worschyp, abof alle whyte stones? 1120

For ho schynes so schyr þat is of schap rou{n}de,

Wyth-outen faut oþ{er} fylþe ȝif ho fyn were;

[Sidenote: She becomes none the worse for wear.]

& wax eu{er} i{n} þe worlde i{n} wery{n}g so olde,

Ȝet þe perle payres not whyle ho i{n} pyese lasttes 1124

[Sidenote: If she should become dim, wash her in wine.]

& if hit cheue þe chau{n}ce vncheryst ho worþe,

Þat ho blyndes of ble i{n} bo{ur} þ{er} ho lygges,

No-bot wasch hir wyth wo{ur}chyp i{n} wyn as ho askes,

[Sidenote: She then becomes clearer than before.]

Ho by kynde schal be-com clerer þen are; 1128

So if folk be defowled by vnfre chau{n}ce,

[Sidenote: So may the sinner polish him by penance.]

Þat he be sulped i{n} sawle, seche to schryfte

& he may polyce hym at þe prest, by penau{n}ce taken,

Wel bryȝt{er} þen þe beryl oþ{er} browden perles. 1132

[Sidenote: Beware of returning to sin.]

Bot war þe wel, if þ{o}u be waschen wyth wat{er} of schryfte,

& polysed als playn as parchmen schauen,

Sulp no more þe{n}ne i{n} sy{n}ne þy saule þ{er}-aft{er},

[Sidenote: For then God is more displeased than ever.]

For þe{n}ne þ{o}u dryȝtyn dyspleses w{i}t{h} dedes ful sore, 1136

& entyses hy{m} to tene more trayþly þe{n} eu{er}

& wel hatt{er} to hate þe{n} hade þ{o}u not waschen;

[Sidenote: The reconciled soul God holds as His own.]

For when a sawele is saȝtled & sakred to dryȝtyn,

He holly haldes hit his & haue hit he wolde, 1140

Þe{n}ne efte lastes hit likkes, he loses hit ille,

[Sidenote: Ill deeds rob Him of it.]

As hit were rafte wyth vn-ryȝt & robbed wyth þewes.[58]

War þe þe{n}ne for þe wrake, his wrath is achaufed,

 

[Headnote: GOD PUNISHES IMPURITY.]

 

[Sidenote: God forbids us to defile any vessels used in His

service.]

For þat þat ones watȝ his schulde efte be vn-clene, 1144

Þaȝ hit be bot a bassy{n}, a bolle, oþ{er} a scole,

A dysche oþ{er} a dobler þ{a}t dryȝtyn oneȝ serued,

To defowle hit eu{er} vpon folde fast he for-bedes,

So is he scoym{us} of scaþe þat scylful is eu{er}. 1148

[Sidenote: In Belshazzar’s time, the defiling of God’s vessels

brought wrath upon the king.]

& þat watȝ bared i{n} babyloyn i{n} Baltaȝar tyme,

Hov harde vnhap þer hy{m} hent & hastyly sone,

For he þe vesselles avyled þat vayled i{n} þe temple

I{n} seruyse of þe sou{er}ayn su{m} tyme byfore. 1152

[Sidenote: [Fol. 73a.]]

Ȝif ȝe wolde tyȝt me a tom telle hit I wolde,

Hov charged more watȝ his chau{n}ce þat he{m} cherych nolde

Þen his fader forloyne þat feched he{m} wyth strenþe,

& robbed þe relygiou{n} of relykes alle. 1156

 

[Sidenote 47: þi{n}geȝ.]

[Sidenote 48: _broþer_ is written over in a later hand.]

[Sidenote 49: _Sweyed_ (?).]

[Sidenote 50: _alkatran_ (?).]

[Sidenote 51: _augre_ = _aigre_ (?).]

[Sidenote 52: _spinnande_ (?).]

[Sidenote 53: _festres_ (?).]

[Sidenote 54: MS. wy{n}dowande.]

[Sidenote 55: _abof_ (?).]

[Sidenote 56: _cut_ (?).]

[Sidenote 57: MS. _sovly_.]

[Sidenote 58: _þeues_. (?).]

 

 

XII.

 

[Sidenote: Daniel in his prophecies tells of the destruction of

the Jews.]

Danyel i{n} his dialokeȝ de-vysed su{m} tyme,

As ȝet is proued ex-presse i{n} his p{ro}fecies,

Hov þe gentryse of Iuise & Ih{e}r{usa}l{e}m þe ryche

Watȝ disstryed wyth distres, & drawen to þe erþe, 1160

[Sidenote: For their unfaithfulness in following other gods, God

allowed the heathen to destroy them, in the reign of Zedekiah,

who practised idolatry.]

For þat folke i{n} her fayth watȝ fou{n}den vntrwe,

Þat haden hyȝt þe hyȝe god to halde of hy{m} eu{er};

& he hem halȝed for his & help at her nede

In mukel meschefes mony, þat meruayl [is] to here; 1164

& þay forloyne her fayth & folȝed oþ{er} goddes,

& þat wakned his wrath & wrast hit so hyȝe,

Þat he fylsened þe faythful i{n} þe falce lawe

To for-fare þe falce i{n} þe faythe trwe; 1168

Hit watȝ sen i{n} þat syþe þat ȝedechyas[59] re{n}gned,

I{n} Iuda, þat iustised þe iuyne ky{n}ges.

He sete on Salamones solie, on solemne wyse,

Bot of leaute he watȝ lat to his lorde hende; 1172

He vsed abominaciones of idolatrye,

& lette lyȝt bi þe lawe þat he watȝ lege tylle;

For-þi oure fader vpon folde a foman hy{m} wakned,

 

[Headnote: NEBUCHADNEZZAR BESIEGES JERUSALEM.]

 

[Sidenote: Nebuchadnezzar becomes his foe.]

Nabigo-de-noȝar nuyed hy{m} swyþe. 1176

He pur-sued i{n} to palastyn w{i}t{h} proude men mony,

& þer he wast wyth[60] werre þe wones of þorpes.

He herȝed vp alle isr{ae}l & hent of þe beste,

[Sidenote: He besieges Jerusalem, and surrounds the walls.]

& þe gentylest of Iudee i{n} I{e}r{usa}l{e}m biseged, 1180

Vmbe-walt alle þe walles wyth wyȝes ful stronge,

At vche a dor a doȝty duk, & dutte hem wyth-i{n}ne;

[Sidenote: The city is stuffed full of men.]

For þe borȝ watȝ so bygge baytayled alofte,

& stoffed wyth-i{n}ne w{i}t{h} stout men

to stalle hem þ{er}-oute. 1184

Þe{n}ne watȝ þe sege sette þe Cete aboute,

[Sidenote: Brisk is the skirmish.]

Skete skarmoch skelt, much skaþe lached;

At vch brugge a berfray on basteles wyse,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 73b.]]

[Sidenote: Seven times a day are the gates assailed.]

Þat seuen syþe vch a day asayled þe ȝates, 1188

Trwe tulkkes i{n} to{ur}es teueled wyth-i{n}ne,

In bigge brutage of borde, bulde on þe walles;

[Sidenote: For two years the fight goes on, yet the city is not

taken.]

Þay feȝt & þay fende of, & fylt{er} togeder

Til two ȝer ou{er}-torned, ȝet tok þay hit neu{er}. 1192

[Sidenote: The folk within are in want of food.]

At þe laste vpon longe, þo ledes wyth-i{n}ne,

Faste fayled hem þe fode, enfaminied monie;

Þe hote hunger wyth-i{n}ne hert hem wel sarre,

Þen any dunt of þat douthe þat dowelled þ{er}-oute. 1196

Þe{n}ne wern þo rowtes redles i{n} þo ryche wones,

[Sidenote: Meager they become.]

Fro þat mete watȝ myst, megre þay wexen,

[Sidenote: For so shut up are they that escape seems impossible.]

& þay stoken so strayt, þ{a}t þay ne stray myȝt

A fote fro þat forselet to forray no goudes. 1200

Þe{n}ne þe ky{n}g of þe kyth a cou{n}sayl hy{m} takes,

Wyth þe best of his burnes, a blench forto make;

[Sidenote: But on a quiet night they steal out, and rush through

the host.]

Þay stel out on a stylle nyȝt er any steuen rysed,

& harde hurles þurȝ þe oste, er enmies hit wyste, 1204

Bot er þay at-wappe ne moȝt þe wach wyth-oute,

[Sidenote: They are discovered by the enemy.]

Hiȝe skelt watȝ þe askry þe skewes an-vnder,

[Sidenote: A loud alarm is given.]

Loude alarom vpon lau{n}de lulted watȝ þe{n}ne;

Ryche, ruþed of her rest, ran to here wedes, 1208

Hard hattes þay hent & on hors lepes;

Cler claryou{n} crak cryed onlofte.

[Sidenote: They are pursued and overtaken.]

By þat watȝ alle on a hepe hurlande swyþee,

Folȝande þat oþ{er} flote, & fonde hem bilyue, 1212

Ou{er}-tok hem, as tyd, tult hem of sadeles,

Tyl vche prynce hade his per put to þe grou{n}de;