Purity, a Middle English poem, ed. with introduction, notes, and glossary by Robert J. Menner.

XII. THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM

Danyel in his dialokez devysed sumtyme, As ȝet is proved expresse in his profecies, Hou þe gentryse of Juise and Jherusalem þe ryche Watz disstryed wyth distres, and drawen to þe erþe. Line 1160 For þat folke in her fayth watz founden untrwe, Þat haden hyȝt þe hyȝe God to halde of hym ever; And he hem halȝed for his and help at her nede In mukel meschefes mony, þat mervayl [is] to here; Line 1164 And þay forloyne her fayth and folȝed oþer goddes, And þat wakned his wrath and wrast hit so hyȝe, Þat he fylsened þe faythful in þe falce lawe To forfare þe falce in þe faythe trwe. Line 1168

Hit watz sen in þat syþe þat Zede[c]hyas rengned In Juda, þat justised þe Juyne kynges. He sete on Salamones solie, on solemne wyse, Bot of leaute he watz lat to his Lorde hende: Line 1172 He used abominaciones of idolatrye, And lette lyȝt bi þe lawe þat he watz lege tylle. Forþi oure Fader upon folde a foman hym wakned, Nabigodenozar nuyed hym swyþe; Line 1176 He pursued into Palastyn wyth proude men mony,

And þer he wast wyth werre þe wones of þorpes. He herȝed up alle Israel, and hent of þe beste, And þe gentylest of Judee in Jerusalem biseged, Line 1180 Umbewalt alle þe walles wyth wyȝes ful stronge, At uche a dor a doȝty duk, and dutte hem wythinne; For þe borȝ watz so bygge b[a]tayled alofte, And stoffed wythinne wyth stout men to stalle hem þeroute. Line 1184

Þenne watz þe sege sette þe cete aboute, Skete skarmoch skelt, much skaþe lached; At uch brugge a berfray on basteles wyse, Þat seven syþe uch a day asayled þe ȝates; [folio 77b] Trwe tulkkes in toures teveled wythinne, Line 1189 In bigge brutage of borde, bulde on þe walles; Þay feȝt and þay fende of, and fylter togeder Til two ȝer overtorned, ȝet tok þay hit never. Line 1192 At þe laste upon longe, þo ledes wythinne Faste fayled hem þe fode, enfaminied monie; Þe hote hunger wythinne hert hem wel sarre Þen any dunt of þat douthe þat dowelled þeroute. Line 1196 Þenne wern þo rowtes redles in þo ryche wones; Fro þat mete watz myst, megre þay wexen, And þay stoken so strayt þat þay ne stray myȝt A fote fro þat forselet to forray no goudes. Line 1200

Þenne þe kyng of þe kyth a counsayl hym takes, Wyth þe best of his burnes a blench for to make: Þay stel out on a stylle nyȝt er any steven rysed, And harde hurles þurȝ þe oste, er enmies hit wyste. Line 1204 Bot er þay atwappe ne moȝt þe wach wythoute, Hiȝe skelt watz þe askry þe skewes anunder; Loude alarom upon launde lulted watz þenne; Ryche, ruþed of her rest, ran to her wedes, Line 1208

Line 1208 Hard hattes þay hent and on hors lepes; Cler claryoun crak cryed on lofte. By þat, watz alle on a hepe hurlande swyþ[e], Folȝande þat oþer flote, and fonde hem bilyve, Line 1212 Overtok hem as tyd, tult hem of sadeles, Tyl uche prynce hade his per put to þe grounde.

And þer watz þe kyng kaȝt wyth Calde prynces, And alle hise gentyle forjusted on Jerico playnes, Line 1216 And presented wern as presoneres to þe prynce rychest, Nabigodenozar, noble in his chayer; And he þe faynest freke þat he his fo hade, And speke spitously hem to, and spylt þerafter. Line 1220 Þe kynges sunnes in his syȝt he slow everuch one, And holkked out his auen yȝen heterly boþe, And bede þe burne to be broȝt to Babyloyn þe ryche, And þere in doungoun be don to dreȝe þer his wyrdes. [folio 78a]

Now se, so þe Soveray[n] set hatz his wrake; Line 1225 Nas hit not for Nabugo ne his noble nauþer, Þat oþer depryved watz of pryde with paynes stronge, Bot for his beryng so badde agayn his blyþe Lorde; Line 1228 For hade þe Fader ben his frende þat hym bifore keped, Ne never trespast to him in teche of mysseleve, To C[a]lde wer alle calde, and kythes of Ynde— Ȝet take Torkye hem wyth, her tene hade ben little. Line 1232

Ȝet nolde never Nabugo þis ilke note leve, Er he hade t[yrv]ed þis toun and torne hit to grounde. He joyned unto Jerusalem a gentyle duc þenne, His name watz Nabuzardan, to noye þe Jues; Line 1236 He watz mayster of his men and myȝty himselven,

Þe chef of his chevalrye his chekkes to make; He brek þe bareres as bylyve, and þe burȝ after, And enteres in ful ernestly, in yre of his hert. Line 1240 What! þe maysterry watz mene, þe men wern away, Þe best boȝed wyth þe burne þat þe borȝ ȝemed; And þo þat byden wer [s]o biten with þe bale hunger Þat on wyf hade ben worþe þe welgest fourre. Line 1244 Nabizardan noȝt forþy nolde not spare, Bot bede al to þe bronde under bare egge; Þay slowen of swettest semlych burdes, Baþed barnes in blod, and her brayn spylled, Line 1248 Prestes and prelates þay presed to deþe, Wyves and wenches her wombes tocorven, Þat her boweles outborst aboute þe diches, And al watz carfully kylde þat þay cach myȝt. Line 1252 And alle [þat] swypped unswolȝed of þe sworde kene, Þay wer cagged and kaȝt on capeles al bare, Festned fettres to her fete under fole wombes, And broþely broȝt to Babyloyn þer bale to suffer; Line 1256 So sytte in servage and syte þat sumtyme wer gentyle; Now ar chaunged to chorles, and charged wyth werkkes, Boþe to cayre at þe kart and þe kuy mylke, Þat sumtyme sete in her sale syres and burdes. [folio 78b]

Notes

• MS. jhrlem, M. Iherusalem.
• M. inserts [is].
• MS. ȝedethyas, as M. notes.
• MS. wyth with.
• MS. isrl, with usual abbrev. for e attached to 1; M. Israel.
• MS. jrlem; M. Ierusalem (so also 1235, 1432).
• MS., M. baytayled.
• M. ¹ teneled, M. ² teueled.
• NED. prints atwappene (see note).
• MS., M. swyþee.
• MS. soveray; M. soueray[n].
• MS., M. to Colde wer al Calde (see note); Fi. suggests to-corven (!) for to Colde.
• MS., M., E. tuyred; G. tyrued: E. torne[d].
• MS. fo, as M. notes.
• M. supplies þat.
• M. to (with comma after suffer and semi-colon after syte), but MS., though very faint, seems to read so.