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
Nu i{}hereþ þe signefiance. þes godeman{;} be tockneþ
godalmichti ure lord. Se {225} winyard be{}tockneþ. þe seruise
of ure lorde. þe werkmen. be tockneþ alle þo þet doþ cristes
seruise. [f. 132v¹] þo tides of þo daie{;} be{}tokneþ þe time of
þis world. Bie þe Morghen i{}herde ure lord werkmen in{}to his
winyarde. þo ha sente þe pat{ri}arches. ate begininge of þis
wordl. ine is seruise. þet þurch gode beleauéé him seruede. and
seden {230} his techi{n}ge to alle þo þet hi hedden hit to
siggen. Al{}so at undren. and at midday. i{}herede he werkmen
into is winyarde. þo ha sente be þo time þet Moyses was a{n}d
aaro{n}. and i þe time of his p{ro}phetes dede he mani god man
i{n}{}to his seruise{;} þet þurch griate luue to him helden. and
deden his seruise. To yenes þa{n} euen{;} godalmichti {235}
i{}hierde werkmen in{}to his winyarde. þo þat he alast of þis
wordle naam fles and blod ine þe Maidene sei{n}te Marie. and
seauede ine þis world. þo fond he Men. þet al day hedden i{}be
idel. Werefore he fond þet heþen folk þet be þo time þet was
i{}go{;} hedden i{}be ut of godes be{}liaue. and of his luue.
and of his seruise. Hi ne hedden {240} nocht i{}be idel
[f. 132v²] for to done þo deueles werkes.
Ac þere{}fore seith þet godspel þet hedden i{}be idel{;} þo þet
hi nedden bi{}leued ane god{}almichti. ne him louie ne hi{m}
serui. For al þat is ine þis wordle. þet man is. bote yef ha
luuie godalmichti. and hi{m} serui{;} al hit him may þe{n}che
for lore and idelnesse. þo a{}resunede ure lord þe paens {245}
be ise apostles. vre{}fore hi hedde{n} i{}be so longe idel. þo
þet hi ne hedden i{}be in his seruise{;} þo ansuerden þe
pae{n}s{;} þet non ne hedden i{}herd hij. þet is to sigge þet hi
ne hedden neuer te i{}heed p{ro}ph{et}e ne a{}postle ne prechur.
þet hem seaude ne hem tachte hu i{}solden ine gode beleue ne him
serui. Goþ a seide ure lord inte mine {250} winyarde. þet is
inte mine beleaue. and hic yw sal yeue yure peni þet is
heueriche blisce. þo heþen men yeden be þa daghen into cristes
seruise{;} and we þet of hem bieþ i{}cume. and habbeþ cristendom
under fonge{;} bieþ i entred i{n} to cristes seruise þere fore
we sollen habbe ure peni þet is þe blisce of heuene. [f. 133r¹]
also wel ase {255} þo þet comen bi þe Morghen. for al so we
hopieþ for te habbe heueriche blisce{;} ase þo pat{ri}arches and
þo p{ro}ph{et}es. and þo apostles and þo gode men þet hwile{m}
ine þis world godalmichti s{er}ueden.
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