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
[f. 132r¹] ¶¶ ++Hure lord godalmichti to us spekeþ ine þo holi
godespelle of te day. and us seaweth one forbisne. þet yef we
uilleth don his seruise. þe`t´ we sollen habbe {200} þo mede wel
griat ine heuene. For so seyth ure lord ine þo godspelle of to
dai. þet on goodman was. þat ferst uut{}yede bi þe Moreghen for
to here werkmen in to his wi{n}yarde. for ane peny of forewerde.
and al{}so he hedde i{}mad þise forewerde{;} so ha sente hi into
his wynyarde. so ha dede at undre{n} and at midday al{}so. þo
þat hit was {205} a{}yen þan euen{;} so ha ka{m} into þe
Marcatte. so he fond werkmen þet were idel. þo seyde he to hem.
Wéé bie ye idel{;} and hie answerden{;} and seyde. lord{;} for
we `ne´ fonden te dai þat us herde. Goþ nu ha seide se godeman
into mine wynyarde{;} and hic þat richt is{;} yu sal yeue. þos
yede into þise wynyarde. mid þo oþre. þo þet hi wel {210} euen.
þo seide þe lord to his sergant. Clepe þo werkmen a{n}d yeld hem
here trauail. and a{}gyn to hem þat comen last, and go al to þo
ferste. yef eue[f 132r²]riche of hem ane peny.
Se sergant dede þes lordes co{m}ma{n}dem{en}t. so paide þo
werkmen and yaf euerich ane peny. And so hi seghen þo þet bi þe
Morghen waren i{}comen. þet {215} hi þet waren last i{}cume.
Hedde{n} here euerich ane peny{;} Þo we{n}den hi more habbe{;}
þo gruchchede hi a{}menges hem. and seyden. þos laste on ure
habbeþ i{}travailed. and þu his makest velaghes to us. þet
habbeth al{}deai i{}bye ine þine wynyarde. and habbetþ i{}þoled
þe berdene of þo pine. and of þo hete of al þo daie. þo
ansuerede se gode man {220} to on of hem. Frend ha seide ine do
þe noon unricht. Wat for þi{n}gketh þat hic do min i{}wil{;}
a{n}d al{}so ure lord hedde i{}told þise forbisne{;} so he seide
efter{}ward. so sulle þo uerste bie last{;} and þo laste ferst.
Fele bieþ i{}clepede{;} ac feaue bieþ i{}cornéé.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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