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
++Nv lau{er}d godd q{uo}ð warschipe wardi us ⁊ werie. ⁊ rihte us
⁊ reade hwet us beo to donne. ant we beon þe warre ⁊ wakere to
witen us on euch half under godes wengen. ȝef we wel werieð ⁊
witeð ure hus ⁊ godes deore tresor þ̵ he haueð bitaht us{;} cume
deað hwen he wule. Ne þurue we nowðer beon `of´dred for hire.
ne {145} for helle. for ure deað bið deore godd ⁊ i{n}{}ȝong in
to heouene. of þeos fikelinde world{;} ne of hire false blisse :
ne neome we neau{er} ȝeme. for al þ̵ is on eorðe. nis bute as a
schadewe{;} for al wurðeð [f. 76r] to noht bute þ̵ deore tresor
godes deorewurðe feh þ̵ is us bitaht to witene. Ich habbe
þeruore sar care for ich iseo seið warschipe hu þe {150} unwhiht
wið his ferd ase liun iburst. ȝeað abuten ure hus sechinde
ȝeornliche hu he hit forswolhe. ⁊ tis ich mei seið warschipe
warnin ow of his lað ⁊ for his wrenches. ah ich ne mei nawt
aȝeines his strengðe.
[Linenotes:
142. _donne_] the second _n_ corr. out of _t_. || 145. _of_ over
_ạ_ MS.]
[[Linenote 142 was printed out of sequence, after 159.]]
++Do nu q{uo}ð strengðe. warschipe suster þ̵ te limpet to þe ⁊
warne us of his wiheles. for of al his strengðe ne drede {155}
we nawiht. for nis his strengðe noht wurð bute hwer{}se he
ifindeð eðeliche. ⁊ wake unwarnede of treowe bileaue. þe apostle
seið. Etstont. þen feont. ⁊ he flið anan riht. schulde we þenne
fleon him? ȝe nis godd ure scheld. ⁊ alle beoð ure wepnen of his
deore g{ra}ce. ant godd is on ure half. ⁊ stont bi us ifehte.
ȝef he schute {160} towart me wið weole ⁊ wunne of þe world. wið
este of flesches lustes. of þulliche nesche wepnen ich mahte
carien summes weis. ah ne mei me na þing heardes offearen. ne
nowcin. ne na wone falsi min heorte ne wursi mi bileaue towart
him þ̵ ȝeueð me alle mine strengðen.
[Linenote:
159. _ȝenis_ MS.]
++For ba me ah. q{uo}ð meað. ant for heart of nowcin. ⁊ for wone
of {165} wunne dreden. ⁊ carien. for moni for to muchel heard of
wa þ̵ he d`r´eheð. forȝet ure lau{er}d. ant ma þah for nesche
ant for flesches licunge for [f. 76v] ȝemeð ham ofte. bituhhen
heard ⁊ nesche. bituhhe wa of þis world ant to muche wunne.
bituhhe muchel ⁊ lutel is in euch worldlich þing þe middel wei
ȝuldene. ȝef we hire haldeð {170} þenne gawe sikerliche ne þerf
us nowðer for deað ne for deouel dreden. hwet{}se beo of heardes
ne drede ich nawiht nesches for ne mei·na wunne. ne na flesches
licunge ne licomlich este bringe me ou{er} þe midel of mesure. ⁊
of mete.
[Linenotes:
166. _caṛien_ MS. || 170. _we_] _weị_ MS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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