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
Ich þe ondswerie. ha lihteð hwer se ha eau{er} kimeð wið a
þusent deoflen. ⁊ euch an bereð a gret boc al of sunnen iwriten
wið swarte smeale {70} leattres. ⁊ an unrude raketehe gled{}read
of fure. forte binden ⁊ to drahen in to in{}warde helle.
hwuch se he mei preoouin þurh his boc þ̵ is on euch sunne
enbre[f. 74r]uet. þ̵ he wið wil. oðer wið word. oðer wið werc.
wrahtte in al his lif siðe. bute þ̵ he haueð i{}bet earþon wið
soð schrift. ⁊ wið deadbote. ant warschipe hire easkeð. Hweonene
{75} cumest tu fearlac deaðes munegunge. Ich cume he seið of
helle. Of helle ha seið warschipe. ⁊ hauest tu isehen helle?
Ȝe seið fearlac wit{er}liche. ofte ⁊ ilome. Nu seið þenne
warschipe. forþi trowðe treoweliche tele us hwuch is helle.
⁊ hwet tu hauest isehen þrin. ant ich he seið fearlac omi trowðe
bluðeliche. nawt tah eft{er} þ̵ hit is. for þ̵ ne mei na {80}
tunge `tellen´. ah eft{er} þ̵ ich mei ⁊ con{;} þer towart ich
chulle readien.
[Linenote:
73. _enbreueḍt_ MS.]
++Helle is [wid] wið{}ute met. ⁊ deop wið{}ute grunde. ful of
brune uneuenlich . for ne mei nan eorðlich fur euenin þer
towart. ful of stench unþolelich. for ne mahte in eorðe na cwic
þing{e} hit þolien. ful of sorhe untalelich. for ne mei na muð
for wrecchedom {85} ne for wa{;} rikenin hit ne tellen. Se þicke
is þrinne þe þost{er}nesse{;} þ̵ me hire mei grapin. for þ̵ fur.
ne ȝeueð na liht. ah blent ham þe ehnen. þe þer beoð wið a
smorðrinde smeke smeche forcuðest. ⁊ tah iþ̵ ilke swarte
þeost{er}nesse swarte þinges ha iseoð as deoflen þ̵ ham meallið
⁊ derueð áá ⁊ dreccheð wið alles cunnes pinen. ⁊ iteilede {90}
draken g{ri}`s´liche ase deoflen þe forswolheð ham ihal. ⁊
speoweð ham [f. 74v] eft ut biuoren ⁊ bihinden. oðer hwile
torendeð ham ⁊ to{}cheoweð ham euch greot. ant heo eft iwurðeð
hal. to a swuch bale bute bote as ha ear weren. ant ful wel ha
i{}seoð ham to grisle ⁊ to grure. ⁊ to echen hare pine. þe laðe
helle wurmes. tadden ⁊ froggen. {95} þe freoteð ham ut te ehnen.
⁊ te nease g{ri}stles. ant snikeð in. ⁊ ut neddren. ⁊ eauraskes.
nawt ilich þeose her{;} ah hundret siðe g{ri}sluker et muð. ⁊ et
earen. ed ehne{n}. ⁊ ed neauele. ant ed te breoste holke as
meaðen iforrotet flesch eau{er}ȝete þickest. þer is remu{n}ge
iþe brune. ⁊ toðes hechelunge iþe snawi weattres. ferliche ha
flutteð from þe {100} heate{;} in{}to þe chele.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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