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

SONG OF SOLOMON.

[Heer gynneth [begynneth EGH.] the booc that is clepid Songus [Song C pr. m.] of Songis, of the bridalis of Crist and of the Chirche [No initial rubric in A.] .] CAP. I.

The Chirche, of the comyng of Crist [verse 1] spekith, seiende, Kisse he me with the cos of his mowth. The vois of the Fa|der. For betere ben thi tetes than wyn, smellende with best oynemens. [verse 2] The vois of the Chirche. Oile held out, thi name; therfore the ȝunge waxende wymmen looueden thee ful myche. The vois of the Chirche to Crist. [verse 3] Draȝ me aftir thee; wee shul rennen in the smel of thin oynemens. The Chirche seith of Crist. Broȝte me in [Om. A.] the king in to his celeris; wee shul ful out ioȝen, and gladen in thee, myndeful of thi tetes, vp on wyn; riȝt men loouen thee. The Chirche of hir tribulaciouns. [verse 4] O! ȝee doȝtris of Je|rusalem, blac I am, but shapli, as the tabernacles of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salamon. [verse 5] Wileth not beholden, that I

be broun, for discoloured me hath the sunne; the sonus of my moder foȝten aȝen me, thei setteden me kepere in vynes; my vyneȝerd I kepte not. The vois of the Chirche to Crist. [verse 6] Shew thou to me, whom looueth my soule, wher thou ȝiuest leswe, wher thou ligge [liggist A.] in myddai; lest to gon vagaunt I bygynne, aftir the flockis of thi [my E pr. m.] felawis [lesewis A.] . The vois of Crist to the Chirche. [verse 7] If thou knowest not thee, O! thou most fair among wymmen, go out, and go awei after the steppis of thi flockis; and feed thi got, biside the tabernacle [tabernaclis AGH.] of shep|perdis. [verse 8] To my riding in charis of Farao I licnede thee, O! my leef. [verse 9] Faire ben thi cheekes, as of [Om. E pr. m.] a turtil [tour E pr. m. turtir AE sec. m. G.] ; thi necke as brooches. [verse 10] Goldene ribanes wee shul make to thee, mad fijr red with siluer. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. [verse 11] Whan the king was in his liyng place, my mad encens ȝaf his smel. [verse 12] A bundelet [bundel A.] of myrre my lemman is to me; betwe [betwen E passim.] my tetes he shal dwelle. [verse 13] The clustre of cipre tree my lemman to me, in the vynes of Engaddy. The vois of Crist to the Chirche. [verse 14] Lo! thou art fair, my leef; lo! thou fair, thin eȝen of culueres. The vois of the Chirche to Crist. [verse 15] Lo! thou art fair, my lemman, and semeli; oure bed shynende. [verse 16] The trees of oure houses cedre; oure couplis cipresse.

CAP. II.

The vois of Crist, of hym and of the Chirche. [verse 1] I the flour of the feeld, and the lilie of aleyes [alle valeys AGH.] . [verse 2] As a lilie among thornes, so my leef among doȝtres. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. [verse 3] As an appil tree among the trees of wodis, so my lemman

among sones. Vnder the shadewe of hym, whom I hadde desirid, I sat; and his frut sweete to my throte. [verse 4] The king ledde me in his win celer; he ordeynde in me charite. [verse 5] Vnder ley ȝee me with floures, setteth me aboute with appelis; for I languyshe for looue. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. [verse 6] The lift hond of hym vnder myn hed; and his riȝt hond shal clippe me. The vois of Crist, of the Chirche. [verse 7] I adiure ȝou, ȝee doȝtris of Jerusalem, bi the capretes, and the hertes of feeldis, ne rere ȝee, ne maketh my [the E pr. m.] leef to waken, to the time that she wile. The vois of the Chirche, of Crist. [verse 8] The vois of my lemman; lo! this cometh lepende in mounteynes, and ouer lepende hillis. [verse 9] Lic is my lemman to a capret, and to an hert calf of hertis; lo! he stant [stoondith A.] bihynde oure wal, biholdende bi the windowes, aferr lookende thurȝ the latises. [verse 10] Lo! my lemman speketh to me, Ris, go thou, my leef, my culuer, my [verse 11] shapli, and cum; now forsothe wintre passede, weder ȝide fro, and is gon awei. [verse 12] Floures apereden in oure lond, time of kutting is come; the vois of the turtil [turtre AEG.] [verse 13] is herd in oure lond, the fige tree broȝte forth his first figus; the vynes flourende ȝiuen ther smel. The vois of Crist to the Chirche. Ris, go, my leef, myn shapli, and cum thou. [verse 14] My culuer in the holis of the ston, in the chyne of a [the AH.] ston wal. Shewe thou to me thi face, soune thi vois in myn eres; thi vois forsothe is swete, and thi face semeli. The vois of Crist to the Chirche, aȝen eretikis. [verse 15] Take ȝee to vs litle foxes, that destroȝen vynes; for oure vyne flourede. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. [verse 16] My looued to me, and I to hym, that is fed among [verse 17] lilies; to the time that the dai springe, and shadewes be bowid in. Turne aȝeen;

lic be thou, O! my lemman, to a capret, and to the hert calf of hertis, vpon the mounteynes of Bethel.

CAP. III.

The vois of the Chirche, gedered to|gidere [verse 1] of Jentiles. In my litle bed by niȝtis I soȝte, whom loouede my soule; I soȝte hym, and I fond not. [verse 2] I shal rise, and gon aboute the cite, bi townes and stretis; I shal seche, whom looueth my soule; I soȝte hym, and fond [I foond AGH.] not. [verse 3] There founden me the waccheres, that kepe the cite. The Chirche seith of Crist to the Apostolis. Whether whom looueth my soule, ȝee seȝen? [verse 4] A litil whan I hadde passed them, I fond, whom loou|eth my soule; I heeld hym, and I shal not lefe, to the time that I bringe hym in to the hous of my moder, and in to the bed of hir that gat me. The vois of Crist, of the Chirche. [verse 5] I adiure ȝou, ȝee doȝtris off Jerusalem, bi capretis, and hertis of feeldis, ne rere ȝee, ne make ȝee my leef to wake, to the time that she wile. The sinagoge of the Chirche. [verse 6] What is she, this that steȝeth vp bi de|sert, as a lytil ȝerde of smoke of the swote spices, of myrre, and of encens [cense AEGH.] , and of alle pymentarie poudre? The vois of the Chirche of Crist. [verse 7] Lo! the litle bed of Salamon sixty stronge men cum|passen, of the most stronge men of Irael; [verse 8] the whyche alle ben holdende swerdis, and to batailes [bataile AGH.] best taȝt; of `eche on [eche C pr. m. echon ceteri.] the swerd vp on his hipe, for the nyȝt dredes. Of [The vois of A.] Crist, and of the Chirche, chosen of Jentilis. [verse 9] A chaȝer king Salamon made [verse 10] to hym, of the trees of Liban; his pileris

he made siluerene, the lenyng place gol|dene, the steȝing vp purper; the myddes [vtmost E.] he enournede [enuyrounede AC.] with charite, for the doȝtris of Jerusalem. The vois of the Chirche, of Crist. [verse 11] Goth out, and seeth, ȝee doȝtris of Sion, king Salamon in the diademe, in the whiche crounede hym hys moder, in the dai of spousing of hym, and in the dai of gladnesse of his herte.

CAP. IV.

[verse 1] The vois of Crist to the Chirche. Hou fair art thou, my leef, hou fair art thou; thin eȝen of culueres, withoute it that withynne forth is hid; thin heres as the flockes of get, that steȝeden vp fro the hil [hillis A.] of Galaad. [verse 2] Thi teth as the flockys of clippid sheep, that steȝeden vp fro the wasshing place; alle with double lombis in the wombe, and bareyn ther is not among hem. [verse 3] As a fyr red silkene filet thi lippes, and thi faire speche sweete; as the breking of a poumgarnet, so thi chekes, withoute it, that withinne forth sit [sittith A.] hid. [verse 4] As the tour of Dauid thi necke, that is bild out with pynacles; a thou|send sheldis hangen of it, al the armoure of stronge men. [verse 5] Thi two tetes as two ȝunge capretes, twynlingus [iemeus E pr. m.] of the capret, [verse 6] that ben fed in lilies, to the time that the dai brethe out, and the shadewes ben inbowed. I shal go to the mount of mirre, and to the hil of cens. [verse 7] Al fair thou art, my leef, and wem is not in thee. [verse 8] Cum thou fro Liban, my spouse; cum [cum thou A.] from Liban, cum; thou shalt be crouned fro the hed of Amana, fro the frount of Samur and of Ermon, fro the couches of leouns, and the hil of pardis. [verse 9] Thou hast woundid myn herte, my sis|ter; my spouse, thou hast woundid my herte, in oon of thin eȝen, and in oon her of thi necke. [verse 10] Hou faire ben thi tetes, my sister, my spouse; fairere ben

thi tetes than win, and the smel of thin oynemens ouer alle spices. [verse 11] A droppende honycomb thi lippes, spouse; hony and mylc vnder thi tunge, and the smel of thi clothingus as the smel of cens. [verse 12] A closid gardin, my sister spouse; a closid gardyn, a welle selid. [verse 13] Thin outsendingus paradis of poungarnetes, with the frutis [verse 14] of appilis, of cipre tre, with narde; and narde, and safrun, fistula, and canel, with alle the trees of Liban, myrre, and aloes, with alle the firste oynemens. [verse 15] The welle of gardynes, the pit of liuende watris, that flowen with bire fro Liban. [verse 16] Ris, north, and cum, south; bloȝ thurȝ my gardyn, and ther shul flowe swote spices of it.

CAP. V.

[verse 1] The Chirche seith of Crist. Come, my leef, in to his gardyn; and ete he the frut of his appelis. Crist seith to the Chirche. Cum in to my gardin, my sister, my spouse. I haue gedered my mirre, with my swoote spices; I eet myn honycomb, with myn hony; I dranc my wyn, with my mylc. Crist to the Apostolis seith. Eteth, ȝee frendes, and drinketh; and ȝee most derwrthe, beth inwardli maad drunke. [verse 2] I slepe, and myn herte waketh. The vois of the Chirche of Crist. The vois of my lemman knock|ende; opene thou to me, myn sister, my leef, my culuer, myn vnwemed; for myn hed is ful of dew, and my temple heres of the dropis of nyȝtis. [verse 3] I spoilede me my coote; hou shal I be clad [clothid AEGH.] it? I wesh [washide AGH.] my feet; hou shal I defoule them? [verse 4] My lemman putte his hond bi the hole; my wombe inwardli tremblede at the

touching of hym. [verse 5] I ros, that I shulde opene to my lemman; myn hondis drop|peden mirre, and my fingres ful of best proued myrre. [verse 6] The lach of my dore I openede to my lemman; and he hadde bowid aside, and passede. My soule is molten, as my [the E pr. m.] lemman spac [he spac E pr. m.] ; I soȝte, and I fond not hym; I clepede, and he answerde not to me. [verse 7] Ther founden me the [Om. AC sec. m. GH.] keperes that gon aboute the cite; thei smyten me, and woundeden me; token my mantil the keperes of the wallis. [verse 8] I adiure ȝou, ȝee [the AGH.] doȝtris of Je|rusalem, if ȝee shul finde my lemman, that ȝee telle to hym [me E pr. m.] , for I languysshe for looue. The vois of frendis seith to the chirche. [verse 9] Whiche is thi lemman of the looued, O! thou most fair of wym|men? whiche is thi lemman of the loou|ed? `for so [forsothe AG.] thou hast adiurid vs. The vois of the chirche of Crist seith to the frendis [seyntus C pr. m.] . [verse 10] My lemman whit and roody; chosen of thousendis. [verse 11] His hed best gold; his her as braunchis of palmes thicke lefed, blac as a crowe. [verse 12] Hys eȝen as cul|ueres vp on litle ryueres of watris, that ben wasshe [washed AEGH.] with mylc, and sitten bi the most ful flowingus of watris. [verse 13] The chekes of hym as litle flores of swote spicis, plaunted [maad E pr. m.] of pymentaries; his lippis [lippis as lilies E sec. m. marg.] droppende the first myrre. [verse 14] The hondis of hym able to turnen aboute, goldene, and ful of iacynctis; his wombe is yuerene, departid bi safiris. [verse 15] His hipis [lippis AG. thijs H sec. m.] marbil pileres, that ben foundid vpon goldene feet; his fairnesse as of Liban, and chosen as of cedre. [verse 16] The throte of

hym most sweete, and he al desirable. Such is my looued, and this is my lem|man, ȝee doȝtris of Jerusalem. The vois of holi soules, of the Chirche. [verse 17] Whider ȝide awei thi lemman, O! thou most fair of wymmen? whider bowede doun thi leef? and wee shul sechen hym with thee.

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] The vois of the Chirche, of Crist. My leef wente doun in to his gardeyn, to the flor of swote spices, that there he be fed in the gardynes, and lilies he gedere. [verse 2] I to my leef; and myn leef to me, that is fed among lilies. The vois of Crist to the Chirche. [verse 3] Fair thou art, my leef, sweete and fair as Jerusalem, ferful as the sheltrun of tentes ordeyned. [verse 4] Turne awey thin eȝen fro me, for thei maden me to fleen awei; thin heres as the flockis of she got, that aperede fro Ga|laad. [verse 5] Thi teth as a floc of shep, that steȝeden vp fro the wasshing place; alle with double frut of wombe, and barein there is not in hem. As the rinde of poungarnet, so thi chekes, withoute thin hid thingus. [verse 7] Sixty ben quenes, and eiȝeti ben secundarie wifes; and of ȝunge waxen wymmen ther is no noumbre. [verse 8] Oon is my culuer, my parfit, oon is to hir moder, chosen of hir that gat hir; ther seeȝen hir the doȝtris of Sion, and most blisful precheden; the quenes, and the secundarie wifes preyseden hir. [verse 9] What is she this, that goth forth as morutid rising, fair as the moone, chosen as the sunne, ferful as of tentes sheltrun or|deyned? The vois of the Chirche, of the sinagoge. [verse 10] I wente doun in to my gar|dyn, that I shulde seen the appelis of aleies [valeyes G sec. v. H sec. v.] , and beholde, if the vynes hadden

floured, and the poungarnetis hadden buriouned. [verse 11] I wiste not; myn soule dis|turbide me, for the foure horsid cartis of Amynadab. The vois of the Chirche, of [to AEGH.] the feith of the natiuite. [verse 12] Turne aȝeen, turne aȝeen, Sunamytis; turne aȝeen, turne aȝeen, that wee byholde thee.

CAP. VII.

The vois of Crist to the Chirche, of the synagoge. What shalt thou seen in Su|namyte, but queres of tentes? The vois of Crist to the Chirche. [verse 1] Hou faire ben thi goingus in shon, thou doȝter of the prince; the ioyntures of thin hipes [lippis A.] as brooches, that ben forgid with the hond of the craftisman. [verse 2] Thi nauele a turned cuppe, neuere nedende drinkes; thi wombe as an hep of whete, set about with lilies. [verse 3] Thi two tetus as two range capretis, iemews of the she capret. [verse 4] Thi necke as an yuerene tour; thin eȝen as the cysternis [fishpondis E pr. m.] in Esebon, that ben in the ȝate of the doȝter of the multitude; thi nose as the tour of Liban, that beholdith aȝen Damasch. [verse 5] Thin hed as Carmel; thin heres of thin hed as the purper of the king, ioyned to water pipes. [verse 6] Hou fair thou art, and hou semeli, thou most derwrthe in delices. [verse 7] Thi stature is licned to a palm, and thi tetes to clustris. Crist of the holi cros seith. [verse 8] I seide, I shal steȝen in to a palm tree, and I shal take the frutis of it. The vois of Crist to the Chirche. And thi tetes shul ben as the clustris of a vyne; and the smel

[verse 9] of thi mouth as the smel of appelis, and thi throte as best wyn. The Chirche seith of Crist. Wrthi to my leef to drinken, to the lippes and to the teth of hym to chewen. [verse 10] `I to [And to AH pr. m.] my leef, and to me the turnyng of hym. The vois of the Chirche to Crist. [verse 11] Cum, my leef, go wee out in to the feeld; dwelle wee to|gidere in tounes. [verse 12] Erli rise wee to the vyne; see wee, if the vyne flourede, if the floures frutes bringe forth, if the poumgarnetes floureden; there I shal ȝiue to thee my tetes. [verse 13] The mandrages ȝeuen ther smel in oure ȝates; alle appelis, newe and olde, my leef, I kepte to thee.

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] The vois of patriarkis, of Crist. Who to me ȝyueth thee, my brother, soukende the tetes of my moder, that I finde thee alone withoute forth, and kisse thee, and now me no man dispise? [verse 2] I shal take thee, and leden in to the hous of my moder, and in to the bed place of hir that gat me; there thou shalt teche me, and I shal ȝyue to thee drinken [drinke A.] of spiced win, and of the must of my poumgar|netes. [verse 3] The lift hond of hym vnder myn hed, and the riȝt hond of hym shal clippe me. The vois of Crist, of the Chirche. [verse 4] I adiure ȝou, ȝee doȝtris of Jerusalem, ne rere ȝee, ne maketh [make A.] to waken my leef, to the time that she wile. The vois of the sinagoge, of the Chirche. [verse 5] What is she this, that steȝeth vp fro desert, flow|ende

delices, faste cleuende vpon [to E pr. m.] hir leef? The vois of Crist to the sina|goge [sinage AH. linage G.] , of the holi cros. Vndir an apil tree I rerede [herde C.] thee; there shent is thi moder, there defoulid is she that gat thee. [verse 6] Put me as a brooche vpon thin herte, as a brooche vpon thin arm; for strong is as deth looue, hard as helle ie|lousnesse [gloriousnes A.] ; the laumpis of it the laumpes of fir, and of flaumes. [verse 7] Manye watris shul not moun quenchen out charite, ne flodis shul not throwen it doun. If a man ȝeue al the substaunce of his hous for looue, as noȝt he dispisith it. The vois of Crist to the sinagoge [sinage AGH.] , of the holi [Om. AEGH.] Chirche. [verse 8] Oure [My E pr. m.] sister a litil child, and tetes she hath not; what shul wee do to oure sister, in the dai whan she is to ben spoken to? [verse 9] If a wal she is, bilde wee vp `on it [to hir A.] siluerene pynaclis; if a dore she is, ioyne wee it with ceder tables. [verse 10] The vois of the Chirche answerende. I a wal, and my tetes as a tour; sithen I am mad befor thee as pes resceyuende. [verse 11] The sinagoge of the Chirche seith. A vyne she was to the pesible; in hir that hath puples, she toc it to the keperes; a man taketh awei for [fro A.] the frut of it a thousend siluer [siluerene AEGH.] plates. Crist to the

Chirche seith. [verse 12] My vine bifor me is; a thousend thi pesiblis, and two hundrid to them that kepen the frutis of it. [verse 13] The whiche dwellist in gardynes, frendis herknen thee [me A.] ; mac me to heren thi vois. The vois of the Chirche to Crist. [verse 14] Flee thou, my leef; be thou licned to a capret, and to an hert calf of hertes, vp on the mounteynes of swote spices.

Here endith the Songis of Songis [From A. Explicit. E. Explicit Canticum. GH. No final rubric in C.] .