Legends of the holy rood; Symbols of the passion and cross poems. In Old English of the eleventh, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. Edited from Mss. in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries, with introduction, translations, and glossarial index, by Richard Morris.

II.

HORAE DE CRUCE.

Hic incipiunt matutine de passione domini nostri ihesu cristi antiphona.

Patris sapiencia ueritas diuina deus [&c.] [folio 50] Versiculus. Adoramus te criste [&c.] DOmine ihesu criste filii dei uini pone passionem [folio 50b] crucem et mortem tuam [&c.] Amen.

Swete ihesu cryst goddis sone of lyue. [folio 51] Þin [folio 51b] passion þin croys þin ded þin wondes five. Beelde us houre sinful soules and þin iugement. Nou and in tyme of ded þat we ne be y-schent. Line 4 [D]eyne to ȝeue my[ȝ]t an[d] grace to hem þat moten lyuen. And to dare reste here sinnes þou for yyue. Mo holi chirche and [folio 52] kyndom loue and pes þou sende. And to vs wreche sinful. lif wyt-outen ende. Line 8 Þat leuest kyng god and man wyt-outin endingge. Fader and sone and holy gost to þulke bl[is]se us bringge.

Ad primam horam. [&c.] [folio 52b] HOra prima dominum ducunt ad pilatum. [&c.] Ado|ramus te. Domine ihesu criste. [folio 61]

At prime ihesus was y-lad pilatus byfore. [folio 61b] Many false witnesse on hym were i bore. Line 12

Line 12 Hiis schines were y beten hiis honden weren y bonden. Hiis face hy gonne on spete lyt of heuene þey fonde.

Ad terciam horam. amen Crucifige clamitant hora terciarum [&c.] Adoramus [te]. Domine ihesu criste. [folio 66] [folio 66b]

At hondren day on wde þe giwes gonne grede. In schorn he was i.-wonden in purpil palle wede. Line 16 On his schulder he bar þe crois to þe piningge

Sicut oculi ancille in manibus domine sue [&c.] [folio 67] Hora sexta ihesus est cruce conclauatus [&c.] Adoramus [te]. Domine ihesu criste filij. [folio 70b] [folio 71]

At midday was ihesus crist y-nailed to þe rode. Bitwixe tweye þeues he hongid for houre gode. For þuurst of stronge pine y-fuld he was wy[þ] galle. [folio 71b] Line 20 Ve holi louird so god y-wrout þer buiȝt houre sinnes alle.

DEus in adiutorium [&c.] Hora nona dominus ihesus expirauit [&c.] Adoramus. Domine ihesu criste filij. [folio 76b] [folio 77]

At none houre louerd crist of þysse lif he wende. He gradde hely þe holi gost to his fader he sende. A knyt wit a kene spere þerlede his syde. Line 24 Þe herye quakede þe sonne bi-com swart þat erer [folio 77b] schon wel wide.

Deus in adiutorium [&c.]. De cruce deponitur hora uespertina fortitudo [&c.] [folio 82] Adoramus te. Domine ihesu criste filij.

At euensong he was i-nome a doun þat dere us hadde ibouȝt. His mytte hys his stregþ^e lotede in heiȝe holi þout. [folio 82b] Swech deþ he under feng hele of alle wo. Line 28 Alas þe croune of worschepe to lowe hy leide þo.

COnuerte nos deus salutaris noster. [&c.]

HOra completorii. datur sepulture corpus [&c.] Ado|ramus [te]. Domine ihesu criste. [folio 89b] [folio 90]

He was y-ȝeue to beryyng ate laste tyde. Cristes body noble hope of liue to byde. In oynt he was wyt aromat holi writ to fulle. Line 32 Ȝoruful meynde of his deþ bee in myne wille. Amen.

DOmine ne in furore tuo [&c.]. [folio 91]

Notes

• Only the English parts are here given, with the beginnings of the Latin prayers, &c. preceding them.
• [MS Miscell. Liturg. 104. (Bodl. Libr.) temp. Edw. III. or Edw. II. and Isabella (?).]
• [A leaf is wanting here.]
• [Then follows]