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

VI. THE DEPARTURE FROM THE ARK

On ark on an eventyde hovez þe dowve, [M., Sk. downe; K. (p. 54) dowue.] On stamyn ho stod and stylle hym abydez. What! ho broȝt in hir beke a bronch of olyve, Gracyously umbegrouen al wyth grene levez; Line 488 Þat watz þe syngne of savyte þat sende hem oure Lorde, And þe saȝtlyng of hymself wyth þo sely bestez. Þen watz þer joy in þat gyn where jumpred er dryȝed,

And much comfort in þat cofer þat watz clay-daubed. Line 492 Myryly on a fayr morn, monyth þe fyrst, Þat fallez formast in þe ȝer, and þe fyrst day, Ledez loȝen in þat lome, and loked þeroute How þat watterez wern woned and þe worlde dryed. Line 496 Uch on loved oure Lorde, bot lenged ay stylle, Tyl þay had tyþyng fro þe Tolke þat tyned hem þerinne. Þen Godez glam to hem glod þat gladed hem alle, Bede hem drawe to þe dor, delyver hem he wolde. Line 500 Þen went þay to þe wykket, hit walt upon sone, [MS., M. walt; M. ² in notes wafte(?).] Boþe þe burne and his barnez bowed þeroute, Her wyvez walkez hem wyth, and þe wylde after, Þroly þrublande in þronge, þrowen ful þykke. Line 504

Bot Noe of uche honest kynde nem out an odde, [folio 68a] And hevened up an auter and halȝed hit fayre, And sette a sakerfyse þeron of uch a ser kynde Þat watz comly and clene—God kepez non oþer. Line 508 When bremly brened þose bestez, and þe breþe rysed, Þe savor of his sacrafyse soȝt to hym even Þat al spedez and spyllez; he spekes wyth þat ilke In comly comfort ful clos and cortays wordez: Line 512 'Now, Noe, no more nel I never wary Alle þe mukel mayny [on] molde for no mannez synnez, [M., Sk. insert on.] For I se wel þat hit is sothe, þat alle mannez wyttez To unþryfte arn alle þrawen wyth þoȝt of her herttez, Line 516 And ay hatz ben, and wyl be ȝet, fro her barnage; Al is þe mynde of þe man to malyce enclyned; Forþy schal I never schende so schortly at ones As dysstrye al for manez [dedes], dayez of þis erþe. [MS. synne inserted above line after manez; M., Sk. synne; M., Sk. insert in before dayez.] Line 520 Bot waxez now and wendez forth and worþez to monye,

Multyplyez on þis molde, and menske yow bytyde. Sesounez schal yow never sese of sede ne of hervest, Ne hete, ne no harde forst, umbre ne droȝþe, Line 524 Ne þe swetnesse of somer, ne þe sadde wynter, Ne þe nyȝt, ne þe day, ne þe newe ȝerez, Bot ever renne restlez—rengnez ȝe þerinne!' [MS., M. ¹ rengneȝȝe; M. ², Sk. rengneȝ ȝe.] Þerwyth he blessez uch a best, and bytaȝt hem þis erþe. Line 528

Þen watz a skylly skyvalde, quen scaped alle þe wylde: Uche fowle to þe flyȝt þat fyþerez myȝt serve, Uche fysch to þe flod þat fynne couþe nayte, Uche beste to þe bent þat bytes on erbez; [MS., M. ¹ þat þat; M. ², Sk. þat.] Line 532 Wylde wormez to her won wryþez in þe erþe, Þe fox and þe folmarde to þe fryth wyndez, Herttes to hyȝe heþe, harez to gorstez, And lyounez and lebardez to þe lake-ryftes; Line 536 Hernez and havekez to þe hyȝe rochez, Þe hole-foted fowle to þe flod hyȝez, And uche best at a brayde þer hym best lykez. Þe fowre frekez of þe folde fongez þe empyre. Line 540 Lo! suche a wrakful wo for wlatsum dedez [folio 68b] Parformed þe hyȝe Fader on folke þat he made; Þat he chysly hade cherisched he chastysed ful hard[e], [MS., M. hardee; Sk. harde.] In devoydynge þe vylanye þat venkquyst his þewez. Line 544

Forþy war þe now, wyȝe þat worschyp desyres In his comlych corte þat Kyng is of blysse, In þe fylþe of þe flesch þat þou be founden never, Tyl any water in þe worlde to wasche þe fayly. Line 548 For is no segge under sunne so seme of his craftez, If he be sulped in synne, þat syttez unclene— [M. ² inserts ne after þat.] On spec of a spote may spede to mysse Of þe syȝte of þe Soverayn þat syttez so hyȝe; Line 552

Line 552 For þat schewe me schale in þo schyre howsez, [MS., M. me; Fi. we.] As þe beryl bornyst byhovez be clene, Þat is sounde on uche a syde and no sem habes, Wythouten maskle oþer mote as margerye-perle. Line 556