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
¶ ++Þatt hirdess wokenn o þ̵at nahht.
Þatt crist wass borenn onne{;}
Þatt wass swa su{mm} hiss wille wass.
Forr þ̵ itt shollde tacnenn.
Þatt he forr{}þi wass wurrþenn mann{;}
Forr þ̵ he wollde sammnenn.
An flocc off menn till cristenndom{;}
⁊ till þe rihhte læfe.
Þatt sholldenn wurrþenn hise shep{;}
Þurrh here unnshaþiᵹnesse. 50
⁊ sholldenn habbenn oferr he{mm}{;}
Bisscopess. prestess. dæcness
Forr þ̵ teᵹᵹ sholldenn hirdess ben{;}
To ᵹemenn he{mm}. ⁊ {g}ætenn.
⁊ ec forr þ̵ he wollde ben.
Himm sellf ūt numenn hirde.
Swa þ̵ he wollde hiss aᵹhenn lif{;}
Forr hise shep forrlætenn.
¶ Þatt {g}odess enn{g}ell co{mm} o nihht.
Swa su{mm} ðe {g}oddspell kiþeþþ. 55
To spekenn wiþþ{}þa wake menn.
Þatt wokenn heore faldess{;}
⁊ tatt he comm þ̵ nihht till he{mm}.
Wiþþ heoffness lihht. ⁊ leome.
⁊ tatt teᵹᵹ wærenn forr þ̵ lihht.
⁊ forr ðatt enn{g}less sihhþe.
Forr dredde swiþe fasste anan.
Swa summ þe {g}oddspell kiþeþþ{;}
⁊ ec þatt {g}odess enn{g}ell toc.
To frofrenn he{mm} wiþþ worde. 60
All þ̵ wass don | þurrh iesu c{ri}st. [f. 35r¹
Forr mikell þin{g} to tacnenn.
¶ Itt tacneþþ uss þatt ure {g}odd.
Well offte senndeþþ enn{g}less.
Inn till þiss middell{}ærd. tatt iss.
All full off þesst{err}nesse :
Þatt iss off all þ̵ ifell iss{;}
Inn alle kinne sinne{;}
Itt tacneþþ þ̵ he senndeþþ hemm{;}
Inn till þiss þeossterrnesse. 65
To frofrenn þa þ̵ wakenn wel{;}
Onnᵹæness laþe {g}astess.
⁊ stanndenn inn to shildenn he{mm}{;}
Fra deofless swikedomess.
⁊ all þ̵ flocc þ̵ he{mm} iss sētt{;}
To ᵹemenn. ⁊ to {g}ætenn.
To frofrenn swillke senndeþþ {g}odd.
Enn{g}less. ⁊ hallᵹhe sawless.
⁊ aᵹᵹ þeᵹᵹ cumenn dun till þa{;}
Wiþþ heoffness lihht. ⁊ leome. 70
Þatt iss wiþþ witt. ⁊ {g}od innsihht{;}
Inn alle kinne þin{g}e.
Forr drihhtin ᵹifeþþ her hiss þeww{;}
{g}od witt. ⁊ mahht. ⁊ wille.
To stanndenn ᵹæn þe laþe {g}ast.
⁊ ᵹæn all þ̵ he læreþþ.
Acc aᵹᵹ þeᵹᵹ sinndenn þohh swa þehh{;}
Well swiþe sare off{}dredde.
Off domess daᵹᵹes starrke dom{;}
⁊ off þe demess irre. 75
All all swa su{mm} þa wăke menn{;}
Well swiþe offdredde wærenn.
Off heoffness brihhte lihht ⁊ lem {;}
⁊ off þ̵ enn{g}less sihhþe.
Ace hihht. ⁊ hope o drihhtin {g}odd.
⁊ onn hiss mildheorrtnesse{;}
Þatt frofreþþ hemm. ⁊ beldeþþ he{mm}{;}
To follᵹhenn {g}odess lare.
To fandenn ᵹiff þeᵹᵹ muᵹhenn swa{;}
ðe demess are winnenn. 80
⁊ tatt wass uss bitacnedd wel{;}
Þurrh ðatt tatt {g}odess enn{g}ell.
Toc sone anan wiþþ milde word{;}
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