Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
General
Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500
¶ ⁊ he þ̵ fedeþþ enn{g}le þed.
⁊ alle cwike shaffte{;} 15
He laᵹᵹ all alls hiss wille wass.
Biforenn asse i cribbe.
Swa summ he wære ᵹifenn hi{mm}{;}
To wurrþenn hi{mm} to fode.
Forr þ̵ he wollde brinn{g}enn uss{;}
Vpp inntill heffness blisse.
⁊ ᵹifenn uss hi{mm} sellfenn þær{;}
Wiþþ enn{g}less eche fode.
¶ Þuss {g}odess sune allmahhtiᵹ {g}odd{;}
Warrþ wrecche mann onn erþe. 20
Forr swa to bri{nn}genn mann{}kinn onn{;}
To ᵹernenn afft{err} litell.
Forr þ̵ he lufeþþ alle þa{;}
þ̵ hise laᵹhess haldenn.
⁊ lufenn forr þe lufe off hi{mm}{;}
To libbenn her onn erþe.
Full wrecchelike inn uselldom{;}
Off metess. ⁊ off claþess.
¶ ⁊ tatt te laferrd iesu crist.
Wass leᵹᵹd inn asse cribbe. 25
Þatt tacneþþ uss. þ̵ he co{mm} her.
To wurrþenn mann onn erþe.
Wiþþ mannkinn. þ̵ wass stunnt. ⁊ dill{;}
⁊ skill læs swa su{mm} asse.
¶ ⁊ asse. þohh itt litell be.
Itt hafeþþ mikell afell.
To berenn upp well mikell sæm{;}
Giff mann itt doþ þæronne.
⁊ swa wass neh all follc þ̵ daᵹᵹ.
Þatt c{ri}st co{mm} her to manne. 30
Neh all itt wass þa strang inoh.
To þewwtenn laþe {g}astess.
To berenn upp þ̵ laþe sæm{;}
To don all þeᵹᵹre wille.
¶ ⁊ þurrh þ̵ {g}odd wass wurrþenn mann.
Forr ure miccle nede{;}
Þurrh þ̵ wass he. `þatt witt tu wel.´
All wiþþ hiss lefe wille.
Niþþredd. ⁊ wannsedd wunnderrliᵹ.
⁊ laᵹhedd inn hi{mm} | sellfenn. [f. 34v² 35
Forr o þ̵ hallf þ̵ he wass mann{;}
Mann mihhte hi{mm} fon. ⁊ pinenn.
Wiþþ hāt. ⁊ kald. wiþþ nesshe. ⁊ harrd·
Wiþþ pine off þrisst. ⁊ hunngerr.
⁊ cwellenn himm mann mihhte wel{;}
Inn ure mennisscnesse.
⁊ {g}odd wass wurrþenn swa forr uss{;}
Gḗt lasse þann an enn{g}ell.
Forr mann ne maᵹᵹ nohht enn{g}ell sen{;}
Ne tăkenn hi{mm} ne bindenn. 40
Ne pinenn hi{mm}. ne cwellenn hi{mm}.
Forr he ne deᵹeþþ næfre.
Acc drihhtin {g}odd warrþ her forr þe
Gēt lasse þann hiss enn{g}ell.
⁊ lahᵹhre inoh. forr þi þatt he{;}
Þe wollde ᵹifenn bisne.
Þatt te birrþ aᵹᵹ þe sellfenn her{;}
Þurrh soþ mecnesse laᵹhenn.
⁊ lætenn swiþe unorneliᵹ{;}
⁊ litell off þe sellfenn. 45
[Linenotes:
34. _þatt witt tu wel_ substituted at bottom of column for _þatt
seȝȝþ þe boc_ in text. || 37. _kald_ over an erasure. ||
41. _pinenn_] _i_ over an erasure. || _næfre_] _r_ changed into
_n_ by erasure. || 42. _godd warrþ_ over an erasure. ||
45. _unorneliȝ_ with erasure over the first _n_.]
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