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
Ne neau{er} nuten ha of þeos twa{;} hweðer ham þuncheð wurse.
for eiðer is unþolelich. ant iþis ferliche mong{e} þe leat{er}e
þurh þe earre derueð þe mare. þ̵ fur ham forbearneð al to colen
calde. þ̵ pich ha{m} forwalleð aðet ha beon for{}mealte. ⁊ eft
acwikieð anan to drehen al þ̵ ilke{;} ant muchedeale wurse á
wið{}uten {105} ende. Ant tis ilke unhope is ham meast pine. þ̵
nan naueð neau{er} mare hope of nan a{}couerunge. Ah aren sikere
of euch uuel to þurh{}leasten iwa from world in to worlde áá on
echnesse. Euch aþrusmeð oðer. ⁊ euch is oðres pine. Ant euchan
heateð oðer. ⁊ him seoluen as [f. 75r] þe blake deouel. ⁊
eau{er} se ha i þis world luueden {110} ha{m} mare{;} se ha þer
heatieð ham swiðere. ⁊ eiðer curseð oðer. ⁊ fret of þe oðres
earen. ⁊ te nease alswa.
Ich habbe bigunne to tellen of þing þ̵ ich ne mahte nawt bringe
to eni ende. þah ich hefde a þusent tungen of stele ⁊ talde aðet
ha were{n} alle forwerede. Ah þencheð nu her þurh hwuch þe
measte pine beo{;} for þe leaste pine is {115} se heard þ̵ hefde
a mon i{}slein ba mi feader. ⁊ mi moder ant al þe ende of mi
cun. ⁊ i{}do me seoluen al þe scheome ⁊ te hearm þ̵ cwic mon
mahte þolien. ⁊ ich isehe þes mon i þe ilke leaste pine. þ̵ ich
iseh in helle{;} Ich walde ȝef hit mahte beon. þolien a þusent
deaðes to a{}rudden him ut þrof. swa is þe sihðe g{ri}slich ⁊
reowðful to bihalden. {120} for þah neau{er} nere nan oðer pine
bute to i{}seon eau{er} þe unseli gastes. ⁊ hare g{ri}sliche
schape. biseon on hare g{ri}mfule. ⁊ grurefule nebbes. ⁊ heren
hare rarunge. ⁊ hu ha wið hokeres edwiteð ⁊ up breideð euchan
his sunnen. þis schenðlac ⁊ te grure of ham were unimete pine{;}
⁊ hure þolien ⁊ a{}beoren hare unirude duntes wið {125} mealles
istelet. ⁊ wið hare eawles gled{}reade hare dustlunges. as þah
hit were a pilche{}clut euchan towart oðer imisliche pinen.
O helle deaðes hus. wununge of wanunge. of grure ant of
granunge. heatel [f. 75v] ham. ⁊ heard wan. of alle wontreaðes.
buri of bale. ⁊ bold of eau{er} euch bitternesse . þu laðest
lont of alle. þu dorc stude ifullet {130} of alle dreorinesses.
Ich cwakie of g{ri}sle ⁊ of grure. ⁊ euch ban schekeð me. ⁊ euch
her me rueð up of þi munegunge. for nis þer na steuene bi{t}uhhe
þe fordemde bute wu{m}me. ⁊ wa is me. ⁊ wa beo þe. ⁊ wa beo þe.
wa ha ȝeieð. ⁊ wa ha habbeð ne of al þ̵ eau{er} wa is{;} ne
schal ha{m} neau{er} wontin. þe swuch wununge of earneð. for ei
hwilinde {135} blisse her o þisse worlde{;} wel were him ȝef þ̵
he neau{er} ibore nere. bi þis ȝe mahen sumdel witen hwuch is
helle. for i{}wis ich habbe þrin isehen a þusent siðe wurse. ⁊
from þeonne kimeð deað wið a þusent deoflen hiderwart as ich
seide. ant ich com þ{us} q{uo}ð fearlac forte warnin ow fore{;}
⁊ tellen ow þeos tidinges. {140}
[Linenote:
133. _bicuhhe_ MS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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