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.

THE SYMBOLS OF THE PASSION [[Additional MS. 22,029.]] .

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The vernacul—I honowre hym [and the] Þat the made throwe hys pryuy[té]; The clothe he set ovyr hys face, The prynte he lefte ther, of hys grace, Line 4 Hys mowthe, hys nose, hys eyn too, Hys berd, hys here he ded also. Schyld me, lorde, for þat in myn lyffe That I haue synnyd with myn wyttys fyve, Line 8 Namelyche with mowthe of stlawndrynge, Of fals othys and bakbytynge,

And makyng boste with tonge alsoo Of many synnys that I haue doo: Line 12 Lorde of heuyn, for-zeue it me Throwe vertew of the fygure þat I here se.

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Thys knyffe betoknythe þ^e circumsysy[on], That dystroyd owre synnys alle and sum Line 16 Of owre formfathyr adam, Wher-thorowe we toke þ^e kynde of man. From temptacyon of lecherye, Lorde, kepe me tylle that I deye. Line 20

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The pelycan hys blode dothe blede Þer-with hys byrdys for to fede, It betoknythe vppe-on the rode Owre lorde fed vs with hys precius blode, Line 24 Whan [h]e vs bowt owt of helle In ioye and blys with hym to dwelle, And be owre fathyr and owre fode, And we hys chyldyr meke and good. Line 28

Line 28

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The pens also that Iudas tolde, Wher-for iesu cryste was solde— Lorde, schylde me from treson and couetyse, Ther-in that I deye in no wyse. Line 32

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The lantern þat they bare in the lygthe, Whan cryste was takyn with-in þ^e nygthe— Lord, kepe me from nygthys synne, That I neuyr be take ther-In. Line 36

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Swerdys and stauys that þ^ei bere Ther iesu cryste to fere with there— From fendys, lorde, kepe thow me, Of them, lorde, a-ferd that I not be. Line 40

Line 40

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Uythe a zarde he had a stroke, Þer-with the iewys hys hede they broke; With good chere and myld mode, Alle he suffyrd and stylle he stode. Line 44 Whan I mys-do ar ony man do me, It be for-zeve for that peté.

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The handys, lorde, þat tare of thyn here, And þ^e hande þat clappyd the vndyr þ^e ere— Line 48 For þat peyn, lorde, be myn socowre there That I haue synnyd with pryde of here, And alle othyr synnys also That with erys I haue herkynd to. Line 52

Line 52

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The clothe be-forn thyn eyn too, To bobbyn the they knyt it soo— Lord, kepe me from vengawns Of chyldhode and of ignorawns, Line 56 And eke synnys also That I haue sene with myn eyn too, And with myn nose smyllyd eke, Bothe olde and seke. Line 60

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Thyn own cote that had seme non, The purpylle þat they leyd lotte vppe-on— Lorde, be myn socowre and myn helppyng That myn bodye hathe vsyd mys clothyng. Line 64

Line 64

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Uythe zardys grete þou ware alle to-daschyd, With scorgys smerte alle to-laschyd; Lord, socowre me of synnys thys, Of stlowthe and eke of ydylnes. Line 68

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The crown of thorn on þⁱ hed preste, Thyn here to-tere, thy skyn to-breste. Lord, socowre me of synnys thys, Of stlowthe and eke of Idylnes. Line 72

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TO þ^e pyller, lorde, also, With a rope men bownd þ^e too, Hard drawe and streynyd faste; The senews from þ^e bondys braste. Line 76 Lorde, lose me of bondys in dystresse, Thowe I ded onkend a-geyns kyndnesse.

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Thowe bare the cros ouyr the lake, Owt of iherusalem at the gate; Line 80 Thy fote-steppys swete and good Wer sene throwe schedyng of þⁱ precyus blode. Þou mettyst with women of bethleem, And also women of iherusalem; Line 84 Alle they wepyd for þⁱ torment; To them þou seyddyst a-perte-ment, "Wepe ze not for myn woo, But for zowre childyr also; Line 88 For them ze maye sore wepe, And salte terys for them lete; For they schal haue torment hard An hundyrd wyntyr here-aftyrwa[r]d." Line 92 Tho steppys for vs of grace zeue pardon, Whan we goo, wythe deuocyon, On pylgrymage on hors ar on fote. Of myn synnys, lorde, be myn bote. Line 96

Line 96

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The naylys throwe fete and handys also, Lorde, kepe me owt of synne and woo, That I haue in myn lyffe doo, With handys handyld or on fote goo. Line 100

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The hamyr bothe stern and grete, Þat droffe þ^e naylys throw hand and fote, Lord, be myn socowr in alle myn lyffe, Iffe ony man stryke me with staffe or knyffe [Lines 101-104 follow line 124 in the MS.] . Line 104

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The vessel of aysylle and of galle, Lord, kepe me from þ^e synnys alle,

That to sowle ben venym, That I be not poysynd ther-in. Line 108

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Whan þou thrystyd sore with-alle, They gaffe the eysyll with byttyr galle; Alle þat I haue dronke in glotenye For-geue me, lorde, ar than I deye. Line 112 . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Lord, the spere so scharpe I-grownde, Þat in thyn herte made a wownde, Line 116 It quenchyth the synne þat I haue wrowt, With alle myn harte fulle ewle thowt, And myn stowt pryd also, And myn onbuxumnes ther-too. Line 120

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The ledder, vppe-set be encheson Whan þou war ded to be take a-down,

Whan þat I am In synne, Lord, lete me not dey ther-in. Line 124

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The pensynnys, þat drewe þ^e naylys owt Of fete and handys, alle a-bowt, And losyd þⁱ bodye from þ^e tre, Of myn synnys, lord, lose þou me. Line 128

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The iewys þat spytte, lorde, in thy face Ze suffyrd alle, and gaffe them grace; That I haue gylte or ony man me, It be for-zeue for þat peté. Line 132

Line 132

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The cros be-hynd þⁱ bakke-bon, Þat þou suffyrd dethe vppe-on— Lord, geue me grace, in my lyue, Clene of synne me to schryue, Line 136 And þer-to very repentawns With spas to performe myn penawns.

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The sepulkyr wher-in þou war hyd, Þi blyssyd bodye alle for-bled—

Lord, grawnt me, ar þat I deye, Sorowe of herte with terys of eye, Clene clensyd for thy mercye, Er þat I in myn graue lye, Line 144 So þat I may at domys daye To þat dome cum with-owt fraye, And wend to blysse in cumpany, Ther as men schalle neuyr dye, Line 148 But dwelle In blysse with þat lord brygthe, Wher euyr is day but neuyr nygthe, And lest schal with-owt ende: Iesus cryste vs thedyr send! Line 152