Adam Davy's 5 dreams about Edward II. The Life of St. Alexius. Solomon's book of wisdom. St. Jeremie's [Jerome's] 15 tokens before doomsday. The Lamentacion of souls. Ed. from the Laud ms. 622 in the Bodleian library by F.J. Furnivall

St. Jeremie's 15 Tokens before Doomsday. WITH LAMENTACIO ANIMARUM, WHAT OUR LORD SHALL DO AND SAY ON THAT DOOMSDAY; AND A SONG OF JOY AND BLISS, TO PRAISE THAT SWEET DEW, CHRIST.

(See other englisht copies of these '15 Tokens' attributed to St. Jerome, in my Early English Poems (Philolog. Soc. 1862), p. 7-12, and p. 162-4 (from Metrical Homilies, ed. Small, before publication); my Hymns to the Virgin and Christ (E. E. T. S., 1867), p. 118-125; Dr Morris's 'Hampole's Pricke of Conscience' (Philolog. Soc.), p. 135, l. 4738, &c, and Cursor Mundi (E. E. T. Soc.), p. 1282-1298, Part IV, and p. 1616-18 (from the Edinburgh MS), in the Appendix, Part V; Mr T. Wright's Chester Plays (copid by Geo. Bellin in 1592), vol. ii. 147-9; and in the same vol., p. 219-21 (from Harl. MS. 913, ab. 1309 A.D.), and p. 222-4 (from Harl. 2255); Mr Small's Northern 'Metrical Homilies', p. 25-6, given also in Morris and Skeat's Speci|mens of Early English, 1298-1393, p. 83-5; Sir David Lyndesay's Monarche, book iv, l. 5462 (in Skeat's Specimens, 1394-1579, p. 254-6), &c, &c, &c. Old Friesic has a version of these 15 Tokens, says Mr Skeat: see Richtofen, Friesische Rechtsquellen, p. 130. Mr Small says that 'no copy of the original is to be found in the Benedictine edition of Jerome's Works'; and Mr Wright states that 'others say they are first found in the Prognosticon futuri seculi of Julianus Pomerius, a theologian, who died in the year 690'.)

The Song that follows the Signs here, has pretty bits and good words in it.

[Laud MS. 622, leaf 70, back, col. 2.]

¶ ffiftene toknes. ¶ Ieremie.

SEint Ieremie telleþ in his book; of xv. tokenyng Þat god wil aȝeins domesdai; here on erþe bring: Þe first day þe Cee schal arise; & as a wal stonde, Wel heiȝer by .xl feet; þan any hil in þis londe. Line 4 Þat oþer dai, it schal so lowe aliȝt; þat vnneþe men schul it se; Alle þe fissches þe þrid day; abouen þe water schull be, & so reuly a cri ȝiuen; þat all men schullen haue fere; Þe fierþe day, water schal brenne; as þeiȝ it coles were; Line 8 Þe v^te. day, schal euerych tre; blede dropes of blood; Þe vj^te. day, schull castels & houses fall; all þat euer stood; Þe vij^te. day, stones schull fiȝtt; þe viij. þe erþe quake; Þe ix^e day, all hilles spreden abrod; & al þe werld euen make; Þe x. day, men schul renne aboute; as þai wode were, Line 13 As wilde bestes holes to seche; to hide hem inne for fere. // Þe xj. day, bones of ded men; arisen schull & vpriȝt stonde; Þe xij dai, as þeiȝ it steren weren; fram heuen to þe londe; Line 16 Þe xiij. dai, vche quik þing schal dye; þe xiiij. fire aliȝt, And brenne al þe middelerd; so crist it wil diȝt; Þe xv. dai, schollen .iiij. Aungels comen; a .iiij. half mydlerde, & blowen þorouȝ-out al þe werlde; þat vche man schal be aferd; ffor in þilk age he schal arise; þat god was inne ded, Line 21 Of litel more þan .xxx^ti. wyntren; as ich ȝou habbe ised,

¶ Lamentacio animarum. [[This is the Head line in the MS, tho' there is no break in the story.]]

[folio 71a] Wiþ þilk body þat he had here; he ne schal so litel misse As þe lest her of his body; I sigge ȝou Iwisse. Line 24

Line 24 Oure lord schal come & smyte adoun; as liȝttyng doþ to ground, Þere þat he to heuen stiȝe; with his bledyng wounde. [MS. woudē] An Aungel schal þe spere & þe nails; & þe crovne of þorn, & þe rood þat he died on; with hym bringe aforn. Line 28 In þe vale of Iosephat; his dom he wil do; Þe best man schal sore agrise; þat schal come þerto. Leuere had his owen moder; in helle pyne to be, Al þe while þe dom ylast; þan her sones face to see. Line 32 Allas! hou schull we þan ouercome; þilk griselich fere, Whan vche seint schal aferde be; oure lord crist to see þere?

OVre lord wil schewe his bitter woundes; And Sigge, "Man! for þe, Line 35 Look what ich haue ysuffred; what hastow suffred for me?" Mest he wil vnderstonde þere; þe vij. merciful dedes: Who þat haþ hem here ydo; as he with his mouþ sede, Þe hungri forto fede; & schride þe cloþles, Ofte goo to sek men; & herberewe þe housles, Line 40 Þe dede forto bury,; þe bounden to vnbynde, Þai þat þise on erþe loueden; þere hij schullen it fynde.

OVre lord wil to þe liþer sigge; as we reden in gospelle, "ȝe cursed gostes, goþ; in-to þe pyne of helle!" Line 44 Þe deuelen willen come ȝernend; & speten fire & blast, & taken þe wrecched soulen; & in-to pyne hem cast.

OVre lord wil to good men sigge; "in my riȝth honde ȝe come, And afongeþ my fador riche; þat aȝeins ȝow is ynome, Þat to ȝou was ymaked; bifore þe werldes biginnyng; Þere ȝe schullen be in ioye with me; wiþ-outen any endyng." In þis book we finde ywrite; þat þre manere folk schal saued be, Maidenhod & spousehod; & widewehode: þise þre. Line 52 Ich bid hym þat vs deme schal; kyng of all kynge, Among his blissed sones; oure soules to heuen brynge. Amen.

Off ioye & blisse is my song; care to bileue, & to herie hym among; þat al oure sorouȝ schal reue. Line 4 Ycome he is, þat swete dew; þat swete hony drope,

Iesus, kynge of alle kynges; to whom is al oure hope. Line 8 Bicome he is oure broþer; whare was he so longe; He it is, & non oþer; þat bouȝth vs so stronge. Line 12 Oure broþer we mowe hym clepe wel; so seiþ hym-self ilome, & so ne miȝtten þai neuer adel; þat bifore vs come. Line 16 He nas oure broþer nouȝth; er he oure flesch nome; Þerwiþ he haþ vs dere abouȝth; to maken vs ysome. Line 20 ysome nere we nouȝth bifore; Aungels & oure kynde, Er swete Iesus were ybore; þat to selde is in mynde. Line 24 // Bot now he haþ oure flesch ynome; & oure broþer is; Oure kynde is wel heiȝe ycome; among oþer, Iwis; Line 28 ffor he is oure kynde heixt; saue his godhede, & al aboue his throne next; so heiȝe is manhede. Line 32 Aungel ne worþ hym nouȝt so neiȝ; for he is oure broþer nouȝth, & þat oure kynde is ek so heiȝe; he haþ vs dere abouȝth. Line 36 Aungels he ne bouȝth nouȝth; we ben hym wel neer; Whan he haþ vs so dere bouȝth; wel ouȝtten we to louen hym here. Line 40 Ne aungel nys naþemo; bot his messagere, [folio 71a:2] How miȝth it þan go; to be his broþer here? Line 44 & in heuen þai schullen also; whan þat we ben þere, Oure hestes & oure will do; as þai oure hynen were, Line 48 And to oure heste seruen vs; to foot & to honde, Oure owen mowe we holden hem; as ich vnderstonde; Line 52 wel mowe we þan glade be; to habbe suich an hyne. & siþþe we mowe here isee; as we iseþ atte fyne, Line 56 Þat we ben alþer kynde heiȝest; wiþ-oute god al-one, And in heuen also hym next; among his aungels vchone. Line 60 And all þat now late comen; siþ oure lorde aliȝth, And oure flesch haþ here ynomen; yheried be his miȝth! Line 64 Þilk þat toforne vs come; whan þai þe deþ founde, Þan were þai onon ycast; in-to helle grounde. Line 68 Nere he neuer so holy ne so good; þere nas non forbore; And so hem longed sore; after oure lorde þerfore. Line 72

Line 72 // Þe prophetes þat weren so good; & so holy alle, Þat of oure lorde vnderstoden; & what schulde bi-fall, Line 76 Hij wisten þat he schulde come; ac hij nysten whanne; Line 78 Þe tyme hem þouȝt long ynouȝ; vche ynche hem þouȝt a spanne. Þai gradden after hym oft; in her prophecie, Line 82 And in þe bokes þat þai writen; þat he schulde dye: Line 84 "God ȝeue," quoþ on of hem; "þat heuen broste atwo, Þat he miȝth aliȝth adoun; & vs sauen so." Line 88 Sumdel hem longed þo; whan þai nolden abide, Þat heuen cleue soft a two; to saue vche side. Line 92 Ac it schulde al to brest; & oure lorde falle adoune, Miȝth þai hym haue yhent; fast by þe crovne. Line 96 Ac he ne heiȝed nouȝth so swiþ; bot com soft adoun; Line 98 Þai wolde hym narewȝ hab y-hent; ac he held hem þer doun. Parde, ȝit ne com he nouȝth; ne were hem neuer so wo; Line 102 Þai hadden þe grounde of helle isouȝth; er he com hem to. Line 104 Seint Dauid after his anoie; after hym grad þus: "Lord, in heuen to vs abowȝe; & aliȝth to vs! Line 108 Schewe vs þine holy face; & we worþe hool onon." Hym longed ek after his face; þe holy Symeon, Line 112 And all blis hym was bynome; & oft he gradd þerfore: "Lorde, whan wiltou come; & wilt ben ybore? Line 116 Wene ȝe ich may dure; wene ȝe ich may see?" Her mone was doel to see; þere gamed hem no gle. Line 120 // Ac hym ne greued nouȝth; aȝeins oþer bifore, ffor he nas nouȝth to deþ ibrouȝth; er god were ibore, Line 124 Ac liued forto he hym seiȝ; & in his armes nome, Þo he on Candelmesday; to þe temple come. Line 128 Lorde, wel may vs be; bet þan hem was þo, Þat ne miȝtten nower fle; lorde, what hem was wo. Line 132 Þere oure lorde seide; þo he was ybore, Þat we miȝtten ben ful glade; ouer oþer þat weren bifore. Line 136 Þe prophetes wilned hym forto see; & many kynges also, Þat we isen ȝif it miȝth be; ac hij ne miȝtten it nouȝth do. // we mowen now as it were; for nouȝth, to heuen come, Line 142 Siþþen oure lord it had ibouȝth; & þe fendes power bynome.

Ac þai þat suich grace ne hadden; þat tofore vs come, Line 146 After oure lorde þai gradden; in þe prophecie ylome; Line 148 After hym þai gradden; wiþ gret wille & longe; No mendement þai ne seie; bot gret pyne & stronge; Line 152 So longe þat þai wery weren; & leten be al stille, And he[r] gredyng forberen; & turneden to goddes wille; Line 156 ffor þai ne seiȝen non oþer won; þouȝ hem þouȝtten longe; Oure lorde lete her will ago; er he wolde flesch a-fonge. Line 160 And þo þai weren wery ynouȝ; as who seiþ for sore, Vche of hem to rest drouȝ; & speken of hym nomore, Line 164 Þat swete barne oure kynde took; boþe of flesche & felle, In whiche he dyed on rood; þe fendes strengþe to felle. Line 168 Þorouȝ whiche preciouse deþ; god vs grant þat grace Þat we mowe after oure deþ; in heuen haue a place. Amen. Line 172