Altenglische legenden ...

Beilage I.Her is a disputison . bi twene chi(l)d Jhu . & Maistres of þ^e lawe of Jewus. aus Ms. Vernon f. 300.

Die eigenthümliche Interpunktion des Ms. Vernon ist in diesem und dem folgenden Gedichte beibehalten.

Lustneþ lordes leoue in londe Soþeli sawes.I. wol ȝou telle Of gentyl Jhu .I. vnderstonde þe ffalse ffei . fonded to felle. ffor wo. ne wrake . ne wolde he wonde Line 5 Of Trinite trewe . to Jewes telle. he sat in see . he nolde not stonde As best of barnes . þat bar þe Belle. þe gospel seiþ . In þis manere Whon Jhu was . of twelf ȝer age Line 10 In to þe Temple . he com to lere Wrangful wrecches . þ^t wrouȝt outrage Maystres wondrede . þ^t þer were þat lawes lerede . in heore langage And seide child . what destou þere Line 15 þou sittest stalled . in vre stage. A Mayster seide . to Jhū þou scholdest lerne . and nouȝt teche þou spillest speche . what seystou. þi wrangful wordes . worcheþ wreche Line 20 þou repungnest in pres . a ȝeyn vr prou As preised prophete . þe peple preche Stunt a stounde . þi sawe of Gru þi wit to teche . may not reche. þow schuldest lerne . a. b. c Line 25 ffor þe fayleþ . afoundement þou tellest tales . of Trinite In wonderwyse . þi wit is went ȝif þou wolt leorne . þ^u miht þhe ffor wonder wit . on þe is sent Line 30 Of Bales . Boote þ^u miht be ȝif þou neore . In errour hent

Ihū seide .I. may wel se þi Bok is blynt . and þ^u art blent þou farest foule . so þynkeþ me Line 35 ffor lewed lore . on þe is lent. Whi is a . Bi fore . b. Tel me . þat spekest in present Or I. schal tymeli . teche þe þi Reson raþe . þe schal Repent. Line 40 þe Maister . wiþ wel wikked wille Spak in pres . of people a pliht Jhu þ^u art . a grameful gille, I. Rede Raþe . þ^u lerne a Riht And bote þ^u stonde . a stounde stille Line 45 Te Betyng Bare . þ^u schalt be diht Qwaþ Jhu . þat is no skille I. com not hider . for to fiht. Ȝit quaþ Jhu . of myn askyng þou ne ȝiuest . non onswere Line 50 I. am ful Old . þeih I. be ȝing A. louely lore .I. wol þe lere Tak þis tale . of my teching A. Is prys . wiþ oute pere. Lettre of þreo . and is o þing Line 55 þreo partyes . a. haþ knet I. fere

Bi a. Biginneþ . þe lettrure ffo(r) a. is lyk . þe Trinite þreo partyes a haþ . of Mesure Knet in knotte . on a. wol be Line 60 ȝif þ^u wolt lerne . þou miht hure Hou a. is lyk . þe deite þe Deite is . þis is sure þreo and on . In Maieste And euer her after . heo schul dure Line 65 In departable alle þre Nou hastou lerned . tac þ^u cure hou a. is most of dignite.

þe Maister seide . in þat stounde What artou : lettrure to lere Line 70 Bi Moyses lawe . nis not founde þe lawes . þat þou tellest heere þou seist . in þis ilke grounde þou art old . and ȝong I. feere þi sawe . soþli nis not founde Line 75 þerfore þou art me . no þing dere Stond þ^u stille swiþe .I. seye And louely lustne . to my lore And þ^u miht . bi alle weye Beo ful wys . for euer more Line 80 þou hast wit . In memorie And wel ȝong . þi wit is core hit is medlet . wiþ ffolye And þat greueþ me . grimly sore Of Moyses . vr lawe we had Line 85 And nou newe . þow wolt teche Of þi sawe . swiþe am I. sad Of þe Trinite . to spille speche þou greuest me .I. am not glad W^t luþer lawes . þou luþer leche Line 90 þou spekest of godhed . as child al mad fforþer . þen þi wit . wol reche.

A noþer Mayster . seide in hiȝe Child her is . a wonder þing þow kennest . comeli . Clergye Line 95 And ȝit to teche . þou art to ȝyng þou hast not lerned . as men seye hou hastou þenne . þi connyng Deueles demeþ . Mon to dyȝe þi tonge haþ tast . of heore teching. Line 100 þi wrongful wordes . worcheþ wrake. þow seist þat god is . on and þre I Bede . þin errour þou forsake þou spekest of þing . þat mai not be As ouer come . þ^u worth of take Line 105 þat al þis peple . hit schal se þis qwestion . to þe I. make Tel me what is þe Trinite.

Jhu as best . þat bar þe belle Wolde wite . riht a non Line 110 ȝif he couþe . o þing telle Of prechynge prophetes wonder won þat seide crist scholde dwelle her on eorþe . a mong his fon Alle ȝor lawes . to fulfelle Line 115 þis wol ȝor lawes . euerichon Crist is liht . of god Almiht And of Godes liht .I. core Ysaye spac . her of a pliht Of a Mayden . he scholde be bore Line 120 þou miȝt wel wite . hit is riht he schal bugge þat is for lore God is þe ffader . Crist sone. & liht þe sone is geten . wiþ outen hore ffor as þe sonne . ȝiueþ his leem Line 125 ȝif he wiþ cloudes . is not let So com crist . as sonne Beem In to þat Buirde . þat Bales bet ȝif þou take . wel good ȝeem. hou þe sonne Beem euere is set Line 130 Vndeparted . so is þe strem Of crist w^t God . mid knottes knet.

Now tak herto . good entent þe ffader liht . in þe sone schal be. þe ffader liht . ȝit nis nouȝt blent Line 135 Al is o liht . In Deite þen is hit proued . bi argument. þat ffader and sone . o liht beoþ he þe holy spirit . wiþ hem present. heo þreo . Beoþ God In Trinite Line 140

Line 140 ffor þe Trinite .I. þe seye A. is lettre . of alle cheef þerfore he is . in alle weye Put bi fore . her is good preef þe Trinite . þei schal seo wiþ cȝe Line 145 Alle Men . þat ben him leof þen is mon . a preised preiȝe þat to þe Trinite . doþ no greef.

þe Maistres seide . of þe lawe þat deueles tauhte . him clergye Line 150 A Mayde þei seide . bi prophetes sawe Schal bere crist . kyng of glorie Wel we witen . and wel is knawe þe Olde Joseph . weddet Marie Oþer record . cunne we non drawe Line 155 he nis not crist . bi prophecie.

Jhu spac . w^t Mylde chere To Jewes . þat gonne grede & crie ffareþ feire . ffrendes deore ȝe ffareþ foule . wiþ folye Line 160 And o þing a non . ȝe schul heere: What seiþ þe prophete . Ysaye. heo schal be weddet wiþoute pere þe Mylde Mooder . of Messye. Ysaye seiþ . a noþer þing Line 165 Crist in þe lawe . schal be bore And þat mot ben . In weddyng And elles cristes lawe . is lore. Prophetes speeke . of his comyng At Jesse . bi gon þe more Line 170 ȝit haþ crist . no bi gynnyng Al þauȝ þat crist . be mon I. core Joseph uirga floruit fatu Ysaye Coniunx lex ut monuit mater fit Messye.

þe Maystres . and Jewes mo Line 175 Of ȝonge Jhu . hedde meruayle hou þat he was . comen hem to Wiþ wit and clergye . to assayle. Of hem hedde Jhu . mony a fo ffor heore wit . gon sone fayle. Line 180 Monye w^t drawe . and gonne go Whon heore clergye . hem nolde vayle

In to þe Temple . com Marie heo sayȝ hire sone . In see was set And tauȝte þe peple . bi clergye Line 185 Of loueli lawe . wiþ oute let. To him heo seide . Riht in heiȝe Now is my Bale . myd boote I bet þi ffader and I. wel sorie þe haueþ souȝt . & nouȝwher met Line 190 Ego & pater tuus dolentes quere|bamus te.

Jhu seide in þat stounde Mi ffader wille . is þat I. do I wol vn bynde . þat was bounde Mi ffader wole . þat hit beo so Line 195 þe peple I. preche . wiþ facounde And I. teche . ffrend and fo. Mi sarmoun is . boþe soþ & sounde On me is ffader . and sone also Mi ffader lawe .I. wol fulfelle Line 200 þerfore .I. am hider I. sent. Douȝter . and Moder . to þe I. telle Elles weore . þe world I. schent. Mi ffader wol . w^t oute dwelle þat I. teche ow . In present Line 205 þe ffendes fare . doun to felle þat haþ w^t wrong . þe world went. Romayns þer were . wonder won þat cunnynge were . of Clergye Bi prophecie . heo wusten vchon Line 210 þ^t he was crist . w^t outen lye honourede him . for crist anon ffor his miht . & his maistrie. Preye we crist . þat we so don To geten þe gle . in his glorie. Line 215

Amen.

Notes

• Ms. te st. to.
• Ms. fo st. for.