The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

I-writen I fynde a good stori, Þe Pope hit wrot seint Gregori, Of his Modur and of hire lyf, Þat alle men heolden an holi hosewyf, So sad of Maner, so mylde of Mood, Þat alle men heolden hire holi and good; De-boner, deuout, so milde of steuene, Þat alle men gesset hire worþi to heuene.

As holi I-holden as heo was, Þe fend ȝit falled hire in a foul cas, He truyled hire wiþ his tricherye And ladde hire in to lecherye, Line 12 Þat lust wiþ loue hire so be-gylede, So foule, til heo was wiþ childe. So priueliche noþeles heo hire bar Þat þer-of nas no wiht I-war. Line 16 And for no wiht schulde wite hire cas, Anon as hire child I-boren was, Þe Nekke heo nom, þe child heo woriede, And a-non þe child heo buriede. Line 20 Þus was heo cumbred in careful cas, Ne schewed neuer schrift þerof, allas! ffor heo wolde holy I-holde be, Heo tolde neuer prest hire priuite; Line 24 Al folk fayn was of hire fame, So holy as heo was holden of name. Eft-sones hir fel þe same cas Riht as bi-foren bi-tyd hire was. Line 28 ffor heo was comen of prys parage, Of riche kun, of gentil lynage, Hire sone was seynt Gregori þe pope, Men heolden hire holy wiþ al heore hope, Line 32 Þerfore heo schonede hir schrift to schowe, Leste by schrift hire cas weor knowe. So schome makeþ men schone heor schrift And leose þe grace of godus ȝift, Line 36 And siþen to liuen so sunfulli

And sorily dyen and sodeynli. Þis wommones dedes ner not aspyet, And softly sone þer-aftur heo dyed. Line 40 Whon heo was seyen so softly dye, Men hopede heo weore in heuene ful hiȝe, Men heolden hir holy and so deuoute Þat of hire deþ men hedden no doute, Line 44 But wenden witerly alle to-wisse Þat heo weore set in souereyn blisse.

ÞEr-aftur wiþ-Inne a luytel tyme Vp-on a day sone aftur prime Line 48 Hire sone þe pope at Masse stood, And of his Modur trouwed bote good. Al sodeynliche a-Midde his messe Þer drouh touward him such a derknesse Line 52 Þat lakkede al þe dayes lyht And was derk as hit weore midniht; And in þat derknesse a myst among, Al stoneyd he was, such stunch þer stong; Line 56 Þer-of so grislich he was a-gast Þat al swounyng he was al-mast. Beo-syde he loked vndur his leor: A-Midde þe derknesse þer drouȝ on ner Line 60 A wonder grisli creature, Riht aftur a fend ferde hire feture; So Ragget, so Rent, so elyng, so vuel, As hidous to bi-holden as helle-deuel; Line 64 Mouþ and Neose, Eres and Eȝes

fflaumed al ful of furi liȝes.

HE asked hit heiȝlich: "þorwh his miht Þat alle deueles schal dreden and diht, Line 68 And eke bi vertu of his blood Þat for Monkynde diȝed on Rod, Sey me a-non þe soþe soone: What hastou in þis place to done? Line 72 What is þi cause, þou cursede wrecche, Þus me at Masse to derue and drecche?"

ÞE gost onswerde wiþ dreri cher: "I am þi Moodur þat þe beer, Line 76 Þat for vn-schriuene dedes derne In bitter peynes þus i berne."

ÞEn onswerd þe pope: "allas, Allas, my Modur, þis wondur cas! Line 80 Allas, my Modur, hou may þis be, In such aray I þe to seo? Men wenden witerli to-wisse Þou weore wel worþi to habbe blisse Line 84 And þat ful wel wiþ God þou were, To preyen for us þat liuen ȝit here. Sey me, modur, wiþ-outen feyne, Whi art þou put to al þis peyne?" Line 88 Heo seide: "my sone, soþfastly I schal þe telle þe cause why: ffor I nas not such as I seemed, But wikked and worse þen men me demed, Line 92

Line 92 I sungede wikkedliche in my lyue, Of wȝuch I ne dorste for schome me schriue;" Heo tolde him trewely al hire cas ffrom ende to oþur riht as hit was. Line 96

"Sei me, Modur, for Marie flour, Ȝif ouȝt may beo þi socour, Wher penaunce of fasting mai ouȝt alegge, Beodes or Masses þi peynes abregge, Line 100 Or eny-maner oþur þyng Þat þe mai helpe of eny lissyng?"

"MI deore Blessede sone," seide heo, "fful wel I-holpen I mihte beo, Line 104 Holpen and saued I mihte beo wel Hose vndurtoke a trewe trentel Of ten cheef festes of al þe ȝer To synge for me in þis Maneer: Line 108 Þreo Masses of Cristes Natiuite, And of þe Ephiphan oþur þre, Þreo of þe Purificaciun, And þreo of þe Annunciaciun, Line 112 Þreo of þe Resurrexiun, And þreo of þe Ascenciun, Of þe Pentecost oþur þre, And þreo of þe holy Trinite, Line 116 Þreo of Maries Natiuite, And of hire Concepcioun oþur þre"—

Þeose weoren þe cheef festes ten Þat souereynliche socourde synful men. "What godmon syngeþ þeos masses, saunfayle, Line 121 To synful soule þei schullen auayle, Wiþ þe ȝeer wiþ-outen treyne Diliueren a soule ful out of peyne. Line 124 Let sei þeos Masses bi ȝoure hestes Wiþ-Inne þe vtaues of þe ffestes! And he þat schal þeos Masses do, Let sei þer-wiþ þe Orisun þer-to, Line 128 Treoweliche wiþ-outen were Eueri day þorwh-out þe ȝere, Heet him sei hit eueri day, Oþur he þat doþ þe Masses to say." Line 132 Hose wol knowe þis orisun clene, Hit is on Englisch þus muche to mene: "God, vr verrey Redempciun, Vr soþfast soules sauaciun, Line 136 Þat chose al oþur londes bi-forn Þe lond of bi-heste In to beo born, And þi deþ suffredest in þat same, Diliuere þis soule from gult and blame, Line 140 Tak hit out of þe fendes bond, And þat lond from þe heþene hond, And peple þat leueþ not in þe Þorwh þi vertu amendet mote be; Line 144 And alle þat trusteþ In þi Merci, Lord, saue hem sone and soþfastli!"

"A Modur," he seide, "þat wol I do, ffor I am mon most I-holde þer-to— Line 148 Þou weore my Modur, I was þi sone— To synge þe Masses I schal not schone;

God graunte me, Modur, þe stonde in stede Aȝeynes þe synnes þat euer þou dude. Line 152 I halse þe heiȝliche, Modur deere, Þis tyme twelf-Moneþ to me a-peere, Hol þin a-stat to me þou schowe, Þat, hou þou fare, I mouwe wel knowe!" Line 156

"Mi sone," heo seide, "I wole, in ffey," And wiþ þat word heo wente hir wey. So day from day þe ȝer con passe, Þe pope for-lette neuer his Masse Line 160 Þe same dayes þat weoren asignet, To helpen his Modur þat was so pynet, And tok þe Orisun al-gate þer-to Als, as his Modur preiȝede him do. Line 164

ÞAt tyde twelf-Moneþ at Masse he stod Holyliche wiþ deuociun good: And in þat same tyde apliht He sayȝ a swiþe selli siht, Line 168 A comeli ladi, so dresset and diht Þat al þe world of hire schon briht, Comeli Corouned as a Qweene, Tweyn Angeles ladden hire hem bi-twene. Line 172 He was so Rauischt of þat siht, Al-most for Ioye he swounede riht. He fel doun flat bi-foren hire feet, Line 175 Þe teres of his eȝen he doun leet,

He grette hire wiþ wel mylde steuene And seyde: "ladi, Qween of heuene, Moodur of Ihesu, Mylde Marie, ffor my moodur Merci I crie." Line 180

"[D]O wey," heo seide, "I nam not heo Ne whom þou wenest þat I beo, Bote, soþlyche, as þou seost me her, I am þe Moodur þat þe beer. Line 184 Bi-foren i ferde, þou wustest wel, ffarynge as a fend of hel, I am nou such as þou sest her, Þorwh help and vertu of þi preyer, Line 188 ffrom derknesse i-dresset to blisse cleer. Þe tyme beo blesset þat I þe beer! And for þe kuyndenesse of þi deede Souereyn Ioye schal beo þy Meede. Line 192 And alle þat leteþ þeos Masses þus do, Schul saue hem-self and soules also. Þerfore, Sone, þis storie þou preche! Mi dere sone, god I þe be-teche." Line 196 Whon heo hedde endet þis wordes euene, Angeles token hire hom to heuene. Þe same hom to god vs sende, To wone wiþ him wiþ-outen ende. Amen. Line 200

Notes

• Title in V₂: here bygunnet þe guldene trental þat ouȝte be loued swyþe wel.
• The name here, and v. 31, is a later introduction to the poem (cf. MS. Cott.). (Gregory is said to have instituted the Trental.)
• V₂ good
• V₂ gessed 8
• V₂ gylede
• V₂ Alle
• V₂ kin
• vv. 31-2 om. in Cott.
• V₂ were
• vv. 35-8 later addition.
• MS. leoseþ
• V₂ sinfulli
• V₂ neore . aspyed
• V₂ seȝen
• V₂ hie
• V₂ as derk as is at m.
• V₂ grislich
• V₂ Ragged
• euel
• V2 leiȝes
• V2 sikerly
• V2 artou
• V2 sunged
• V2 þi safs.
• al. ben
• al. socour(en)
• V2 soules
• vv. 129-146 a later paraphrase of the two vv. in MS. Cott.
• V2 seyen
• Oracio
• V2 alle
• V2 þe s.
• V2 al
• V2 holden (I- om.)
• MS. schome
• V2 stude
• V2 Aȝeyn . sunnes . dede
• V2 a tw. m.
• V2 fro
• V2 were
• V2 pyned
• V2 comly
• V2 crouned
• V2 Deuoutli teres wiþ leores he leet
• V2 gret
• V2 þe wenest
• r. þi; V2 þi
• V2 helle
• V2 om. i-
• V2 euene
• V2 om. to
• Then follows in MS. Vernon, William of Nassington's Mirrour of Life (translation of John de Waldeby's Speculum Vitæ), fol. CCXXXI—CCLXIIII b, extant also in a MS. of Lord Ashburnham (best MS.), MS. Reg. 17 CVIII (written 1418), Hatton 19; then Rich. Rolle's Pricke of Conscience, fol. CCLXIIII b—CCLXXXIII b; then Þe Spore of Loue.