The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] Aleph. How is gold maad derk, the beste colour is chaungid? the stonys of the [Om. FIKS.] seyntuarie ben scaterid in the heed of alle stretis. [verse 2] Beth. The noble sones of Sion, and clothid with the best gold, hou ben thei arettid in to erthene vessels, in to the werk of the hondis of a pottere? [verse 3] Gimel. But also lamyes [lamyes ben cruel beestis that sleen her whelpis. V.] maden nakid her tetis, ȝauen mylk to her whelpis; the douȝter of my puple is cruel, as an ostrig in desert. [verse 4] Deleth. The tonge of the souk|ynge childe cleued to his palat in thirst; litle children axiden breed, and noon was that brak to hem. [verse 5] He. Thei that eeten lustfuli, perischiden in weies; thei that weren nurschid in cradels, biclippiden toordis. [verse 6] Vau. And the wickidnesse of the douȝter of my puple is maad more than the synne of men of Sodom, that was distried in a moment, and hondis token not ther|ynne. [verse 7] Zai. Nazareis therof weren whitere than snow, schynyngere than mylk; ro|dier than elde yuer, fairere than safire. [verse 8] Heth. The face of hem was maad blackere than coolis, and thei weren not knowun in stretis; the skyn cleuyde to her boonys, it driede, and was maad as a tre. [verse 9] Teth. It

was betere to men slayn with swerd, than to men slayn with hungur; for these men wexiden rotun, thei weren wastid of the bareynesse of erthe. [verse 10] Joth. The hondis of merciful wymmen sethiden her children; thei weren maad the metis of tho [thilke I.] wym|men in the [Om. I sec. m.] sorewe of the douȝter of my puple. [verse 11] Caph. The Lord fillide his strong veniaunce, he schedde out the ire of his indignacioun; and the Lord kyndlide a fier in Sion, and it deuouride the foundementis therof. [verse 12] Lamet. The kyngis of erthe, and alle dwelleris [the dwellers I sec. m.] of the world bileueden not, that an aduersarie and enemy schulde en|tre bi [in bi NS.] the ȝatis of Jerusalem. [verse 13] Men. For the synnes of the profetis therof, and for wickidnessis of preestis therof, that sched|den out the blood of iust men in the myddis therof. [verse 14] Nun. Blynde men erryden in stretis, thei weren defoulid in blood; and whanne thei miȝten not go, thei helden her hemmes. [verse 15] Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ȝe defoulide men, departe ȝe, go ȝe awei, nyle ȝe touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie [adde I.] to, that he dwelle among hem. [verse 16] Ayn. The face of the Lord departide hem, he schal no more leie to, that he biholde hem; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of preestis, nether thei hadden merci on eld men. [verse 17] Phe. The while we stoden ȝit, oure iȝen failiden to oure veyn help; whanne we bihelden ententif to a folc, that myȝte not saue vs. [verse 18] Sade. Oure steppis weren slidir in the weie of oure stretis; oure ende neiȝede, oure daies weren fillid, for oure ende cam. [verse 19] Coph. Oure pursueris weren swiftere than the eglis of heuene; thei pursueden vs on hillis, thei settiden buschementis to vs in desert. [verse 20] Res. The spirit of oure mouth, Crist the Lord, was takun in oure synnes; to whom we seiden, We schulen lyue in thi schadewe among hethene men. [verse 21] Syn. Thou douȝter of Edom,

make ioye, and be glad, that dwellist in the lond of Hus; the cuppe schal come also to thee, thou schalt be maad drunkun, and schalt be maad bare. [verse 22] Thau. Thou douȝter of Sion, thi wickidnesse is fillid; he schal not adde more, that he make thee to passe ouer; thou douȝter of Edom, he schal visite thi wickidnesse, he schal vnhile thi synnes.

Here endith the Lamentaciouns and here bigynneth the Preier of Jeremye, the profete [From C. Here enden the Lamentaciouns, and here bygynneth the [a GQ] preier of Jeremye, the pro|fete. FGMQU. Here enden the Lamentaciouns of Jeremye, and here bigynneth the preier of Jeremye. H. Heere enden [endith N] the Lamentaciouns, and heere biginnith the preier of Jeremye, the prophet. IN. Here enden the Lamentaciouns; se now the preier of Jeremye, the profete. K. Here enden the Lamenta|ciouns, and here bigynneth the preier of Jeremye. RX. Here [enden] the Lamentaciouns of Jeremye, and bigynneth the preier of Jeremye. S. Here endith the Lamentacioun, and bigynneth the preier of Jeremye. V. No final rubric in AEPY.] .

Here bigynneth the Preier of Jeremye [This is the preiȝer of Jeremie. EPY. No initial rubric in the other Mss.] .

[verse 1] Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe. [verse 2] Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers. [verse 3] We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure mo|dris ben as widewis. [verse 4] We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouȝten [brouȝten AI sec. m.] oure trees for siluer. [verse 5] We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not ȝouun to feynt men. [verse 6] We ȝauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed. [verse 7] Oure fadris synneden, and ben [thei ben I.] not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem. [verse 8] Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that aȝenbouȝte fro the hond of hem. [verse 9] In oure lyues we brouȝten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert. [verse 10] Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur. [verse 11] Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda. [verse 12] Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men. [verse 13] Thei mysusiden ȝonge

wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree. [verse 14] Elde men failiden fro ȝatis; ȝonge men failiden of [fro I.] the queer of sing|eris. [verse 15] The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song [queer, ether song CEFGHIKMPQRSUVXY.] is turned in to mourenyng. [verse 16] The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden. [verse 17] Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iȝen ben maad derk. [verse 18] For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis ȝeden in it. [verse 19] But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in [into EG.] generacioun and in to generacioun. [verse 20] Whi schalt thou forȝete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies? [verse 21] Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be con|uertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng. [verse 22] But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth aȝens vs greetli.