Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

1. <_Iesus._ M>anne on molde, be meke to me,
      And haue thy Maker in þi mynde,
      And thynke howe I haue tholid for þe
      With pereles paynes for to be pyned.
      The forward of my Fadir free                       5
      Haue I fulfillid, as folke may fynde,
      Þerfore aboute nowe woll I bee
      Þat I haue bought for to vnbynde.
      Þe feende þame wanne with trayne,
      Thurgh frewte of erthely foode;                   10
      I haue þame getyn agayne
      Thurgh bying with my bloode.

      2. And so I schall þat steede restore
      F_ro_ whilke þe feende fell for synne;
      Þare schalle mankynde wonne euermore              15
      In blisse þat schall neuere blynne.
      All þat in werke my werkemen were,
      Owte of thare woo I wol þame wynne,
      And some signe schall I sende before
      Of grace, to garre þer gamys begynne.             20
      A light I woll þei haue
      To schewe þame I schall come sone;
      My bodie bidis in graue
      Tille alle thes dedis be done.

      3. My Fadir ordand on þis wise                    25
      Aftir His will þat I schulde wende,
      For to fulfille þe prophicye<s>,
      And als I spake my solace to spende.
      My frendis, þat in me faith affies,
      Nowe fro ther fois I schall þame fende,           30
      And on the thirde day ryght vprise,
      And so tille heuen I schall assende.
      Sithen schall I come agayne
      To deme bothe goode and ill
      Tille endles ioie or peyne;                       35
      Þus is my Fadris will.

[SCENE II, _Hell; at one side Limbo, enclosing the
patriarchs and prophets; a light shines across_.]

      4. _Adame._ Mi bretheren, harkens to me here,
      Swilke hope of heele neuere are we hadde.
      Foure thowsande and sex hundereth ȝere
      Haue we bene heere in †þis stedde†.               40
      Nowe see I signe of solace seere,
      A glorious gleme to make vs gladde,
      Wherfore I hope oure helpe is nere,
      And sone schall sesse oure sorowes sadde.
      _Eua._ Adame, my husband hende,                   45
      Þis menys solas certayne;
      Such light gune on vs lende
      In Paradise full playne.

      5. _Isaiah._ Adame, we schall wele vndirstande;
      I, Ysaias, as God me kende,                       50
      I prechid in Neptalym þat lande,
      And Ȝabulon, even vntill ende.
      I spake of folke in mirke walkand,
      And saide a light schulde on þame lende;
      This lered I whils I was leuand,                  55
      Nowe se I God þis same hath sende.
      Þis light comes all of Criste,
      Þat seede, to saue vs nowe,
      Þus is my poynte puplisshid.
      But Symeon, what sais þou?                        60

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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History

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources

1. <_Iesus._ M>anne on molde, be meke to me,
      And haue thy Maker in þi mynde,
      And thynke howe I haue tholid for þe
      With pereles paynes for to be pyned.
      The forward of my Fadir free                       5
      Haue I fulfillid, as folke may fynde,
      Þerfore aboute nowe woll I bee
      Þat I haue bought for to vnbynde.
      Þe feende þame wanne with trayne,
      Thurgh frewte of erthely foode;                   10
      I haue þame getyn agayne
      Thurgh bying with my bloode.

      2. And so I schall þat steede restore
      F_ro_ whilke þe feende fell for synne;
      Þare schalle mankynde wonne euermore              15
      In blisse þat schall neuere blynne.
      All þat in werke my werkemen were,
      Owte of thare woo I wol þame wynne,
      And some signe schall I sende before
      Of grace, to garre þer gamys begynne.             20
      A light I woll þei haue
      To schewe þame I schall come sone;
      My bodie bidis in graue
      Tille alle thes dedis be done.

      3. My Fadir ordand on þis wise                    25
      Aftir His will þat I schulde wende,
      For to fulfille þe prophicye<s>,
      And als I spake my solace to spende.
      My frendis, þat in me faith affies,
      Nowe fro ther fois I schall þame fende,           30
      And on the thirde day ryght vprise,
      And so tille heuen I schall assende.
      Sithen schall I come agayne
      To deme bothe goode and ill
      Tille endles ioie or peyne;                       35
      Þus is my Fadris will.

[SCENE II, _Hell; at one side Limbo, enclosing the
patriarchs and prophets; a light shines across_.]

      4. _Adame._ Mi bretheren, harkens to me here,
      Swilke hope of heele neuere are we hadde.
      Foure thowsande and sex hundereth ȝere
      Haue we bene heere in †þis stedde†.               40
      Nowe see I signe of solace seere,
      A glorious gleme to make vs gladde,
      Wherfore I hope oure helpe is nere,
      And sone schall sesse oure sorowes sadde.
      _Eua._ Adame, my husband hende,                   45
      Þis menys solas certayne;
      Such light gune on vs lende
      In Paradise full playne.

      5. _Isaiah._ Adame, we schall wele vndirstande;
      I, Ysaias, as God me kende,                       50
      I prechid in Neptalym þat lande,
      And Ȝabulon, even vntill ende.
      I spake of folke in mirke walkand,
      And saide a light schulde on þame lende;
      This lered I whils I was leuand,                  55
      Nowe se I God þis same hath sende.
      Þis light comes all of Criste,
      Þat seede, to saue vs nowe,
      Þus is my poynte puplisshid.
      But Symeon, what sais þou?                        60

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose

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