The english register of Godstow nunnery, near Oxford : written about 1450 / edited with an introduction by Andrew Clark.

DEVOTIONAL PIECES

[Invocation to the Cross.]

[folio 3] Here begynneth þe . A . B . C . of deuocion:·

✗ of ihesu criste be euer oure spede, Line 1 And kepe vs from perel of synnes and payne. Blessid be þat lorde þat on þe crosse dide blede, Crist, god and man, þat for vs was slayne: Dede he was and rose vp agayne. Line 5 Euer helpe us, crosse! with hym to a-ryse Fro deeth to lyue, and synne to dispise. Line 7

Gracyous crosse! now grawnt us þat grace Line 8 Hym for to worship with al oure mynde, In wordes, in werkes, and in euery place Knelyng and kyssyng þe, where we þe fynde. Late us be neuer to hym vnkynde Line 12 Mercyfully þat made vs to be men Nomore to kepe but his heestis ten. Line 14

O blissful crosse! teche us al vertu Line 15 Plesyng to god for oure saluacion, Quenchyng alle vices in þe name of ihesu Raunson payng for oure dampnacion. Sende us suche grace of conuersacion Line 19 That we may stye and glorified be Where crist is kyng þat dyed on tre. Line 21

Crist, þat dyed on þe holy roode! Line 22 I pray þe, good lorde! with al my myght, Sende us summe part of al thy goode, And kepe us from yuel euer day and nyght, Contynuyng þi mercy sauyng al ryght. Line 26 Titulle of þi passion Poynt us saue As to thy ✗ reuerence we may haue. Line 28

[Metrical versions of some General Acts of Devotion.]

In nomine patris & filij et spiritus sancti. Amen.

In the name of þe blessid trinyte, Line 29 The fader, þe sone, and þe holi goost, I make þis ✗ to defende me Fro myne enemyes and þer boost. Blesse me, lorde ihesu, þat I be not lost, Line 33 Thorgh vertu and grace of þis ✗ holy syne, Where-on þow suffred þi passyon pyne. Line 35

[folio 3b] Pater noster, qui es in celis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.

Oure fader in heuen halowed be þi name, Line 36 As Ihesus þi sone tawþt us to say: Kepe us þi children from synne and blame, That we ben saued at oure laste day. Thi name in us halowed be may Line 40 Iff we make clene oure tempil with-ynne. Now kepe us, fader! fro deedly synne. Line 42

Adueniat regnum tuum.

Fader! þi kyngdom late come to us, Line 43 That we may come and dwelle with the: Thy sonne, oure broþer and oure lorde, ihesus, Bought us þat kyngdome on þe rode tre. Now, for his loue þat dyed for me Line 47 And hath oure flessh þere in his region, Lete me come aftur with true confession. Line 49

Fiat uoluntas tua, sicut in celo, & in terra.

Fader! þi wille late euer be done, Line 50 With us in erthe, as it is in heuen: And as ofte as we make any trangression, The werkes of mercy late helpe us seuen In oure a-countes þat we stande euen, Line 54 So þat þi wil fulfilled may be With feyth and hope and trew charite. Line 56

Line 56

Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie.

Geue us þis day oure euery dayes brede, Line 57 Oure bodily sustynaunce and gostely also, That wheþer we be a-lyue or dede Oure gostely fode with us may go To make us stronge a-ȝenst oure fo, Line 61 Euer vpon us þat lythe in a-wayte To take þi children with hokes and bayte. Line 63

Et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut & nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.

And also, fader! forȝeue oure dettes, Line 64 To al oure dettours as we forȝeue; And when oure enemye wil caste his nettes To cacche þi children,-ȝeue hym no leue. Suffre us neuer þe for to greue, Line 68 Forȝeuyng al þat ys done before; And grawnt us grace to greue þe nomore. Line 70

[folio 4] Et ne nos inducas in temptacionem.

And lede us not, fader! in-to temptacion, Line 71 Ne suffre us neuer to falle þer-ynne. The fende bryngeth us fals delectacion; Our flessh is redy euer to synne; The worlde is besy us for to blynne. Line 75 When þer temptaciones meueth our entent, Suffer us neuer to graunt nor consent. Line 77

Sed libera nos a malo.

But, fader! delyuer us from al ylle Line 78 Thorgh þese peticiouns þat ihesus vs taught, And suffre oure sowles neuer to spylle For whom þi sone so manly hath faught. And in oure batayle ȝif we be caught Line 82 Raunsom us, fader! with mercy and grace, And bryng us al to þi blisful place. Amen. Line 84

Line 84

Aue, maria, gracia plena; dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, & cetera.

Hayle mary, virgyn so ful of grace! Line 85 Oure lorde almyghty is fully with þe. This salutacion is oure solace. A-boue al women blessid mot þow be, And blessid be þe frute of þi wombe so fre. Line 89 Ihesus, oure lorde god is sone and þyne, Pray hym for us, blessid lady myne. Line 91

Credo in deum patrem, & cetera.

I beleue on god in persones þre, Line 92 The fader, and sone, and holigost, Maker of heuen, with angels degre, And erthely þinges, both leste and most. All þis he made with-oute any cost: Line 96 His worde was seyd, and al was done. And lyke myghty is euery persone. Line 98

I beleue on ihesu christ, þe secound persone, Line 99 The sone of god, þe holygost worchyng, Was man conceyued, a-boue al resone; And borne of a mayde with-out hyre hurtyng. But he was hurte, with myche payne suffryng: Line 103 Crucified, deed, and leyde on his graue, Descendyng to helle his seruauntes to saue. Line 105

[folio 4b] The þridde [day] aftur þo he a-roos, Line 106 And to his discipullis ofte he dide apere. He stied to heuen with his body cloos, Sendyng his holygost þem for to chere: And atte domes-day he wil come nere Line 110 To deme þe worlde, al qwykke and dede, Aftir þe lyfe as þei dide here lede. Line 112

Line 112

I bileue also in al holichurch, Line 113 With þe seuen sacramentis after þe feith. Crist grawnt us grace truly to worch, With true bileue as holichurch seith. The communion of seyntis now for vs preith, Line 117 In whom I beleue, as holichurch techith, And as þe clergy to þe pepul prechith. Line 119

I bileue more-ouer, in fulle remyssyon Line 120 Of al oure synnes, in worke or þought, With shrifte of mowth and herte contricyon, Thorgh crist is mercy, þat us hath bought. Than, synful man! dispayre þe nought; Line 124 For ȝif þi synnes be many and grete, Aske mercy, and amende, and god wil forgete. Line 126

I bileue at þe laste in þe resurreccyon, Line 127 When al oure bodies shal rise aȝeyne. Then cristes passion be oure proteccyon, When he shal see al oure lyif pleyne. God saue us from euerlastyng peyne, Line 131 Helpyng oure lyfe her to amende; And graunt us þe life þat neuer ende. Line 133

Confiteor deo, & cetera.

I knowlech to god, with veray contricon, Line 134 Vn-to seynt mary, and his seyntis alle, Þat, þorgh my frealte and wrecchid condicion, In-to many synnes ofte haue I falle. But aftir mercy now wille I calle, Line 138 With true confession, repentaunce, (God graunt me space), and due penaunce. Line 140

Line 140

[folio 5] First: I knowlech þat I haue broken Line 141 His x. commaundementis in many a place, In werke, in worde, in þought, in token; And ofte be vnkynd vn-to his grace; Sweryng by his body, or by his face, Line 145 Taken in ydul his blessid holy name: Wherfore y knowlech me gretely to blame. Line 147

I haue not loued hym and dred as I shuld, Line 148 Neither serued hym in kepyng myne holyday; But rather to playes and Iapes y wolde, Then to serue god, rede, syng, or pray. Al þe circumstaunce y can not say, Line 152 So synful y am and so vnstable, For my defautes ben innumerable. Line 154

My fader and moder I haue not obeyed, Line 155 As y shuld haue done, with helpe or mekenesse. The balance of vertues I haue mysweyed, With sleyng of tonge, or with wilfulnesse, With lechory, or with þefte, or fals witnesse, Line 159 Couetyng wykkydly man or mannes wyfe And oþer gode þat longed to þer lyfe. Line 161

The seuen dedely synnes I can not excuse: Line 162 For I am gylty, in many maner wyse, With delectacyon, consente, and vse; Al now to reherce I may not suffyse; In Pryde, Envye, wrath, Lechory, & couetyse, Line 166 Sleuth, and Glotony, with al þer spices. Alas! al my life is ful of vices. Line 168

Line 168

And my fyue wyttes I haue ofte myspend; Line 169 To many vanytes castyng my syght, And with my heeryng ful ofte y offend; My smellyng, my tastyng, I spend not ryght; My handes to synne haue ben ful light. Line 173 Thus haue I gouerned my wittes fyve, And in synne mispended al my lyve. Line 175

[folio 5b] The werkes of mercy I haue not fulfilled, Line 176 Aftir my power, as ofte as I myght. To helpe þe pore I was not beste willed, With mete and drynke and cloþing þem dyght, Ȝeuyng no herborogh a-dayes or nyght, Line 180 Helpyng no prisoners, ne vysyting þe seeke; To bery þe dede I was not meke. Line 182

The gostely werkes y haue lefte also, Line 183 To councel and teche þem þat were lewde, Geuyng no comfort in socour and wo, Neyther to chaste such as were shrewde, And so þer harmes not sore me rewed, Line 187 Neyther forȝeuyng with true pacience Or prayed for þem þat dide me offence. Line 189

I haue not reuerensed þe seuen sacramentes Line 190 Þat ben ordenyd for my saluacion, But of [Of is elsewhere used for oft.] sore synned þat me repentes. Aftir my baptym [Sic.] and confirmacion, My orders or wedlok standith in accusacion. Line 194 God graunt me penawnce, and holy brede, And holy anoyntyng, or I be dede. Line 196

Line 196

Al þis I knowlech in general, Line 197 Of synnes doyng, and leuyng good werkes. Ȝif I shulde nombre þe branches especial, I shulde occupy to wryte þer-of many clerkes. With synful lyfe my sowle derkes Line 201 That I can not see and lasse my defautes, And euer my enemyes maketh many sautes. Line 203

Now light me, holygost! with þi presence; Line 204 And ȝeue grace my lyfe to amende, With drede, and pyte, and trew science, With gostely strength to make a good ende. Thy gracyous councel to me now sende, Line 208 With such vnderstondyng, and clere wisdome, That y may come to þi kyngdome. Line 210

[folio 6] Precor sanctam mariam, omnes sanctos, et cetera.

I pray þe, lady! þe moder of crist, Line 211 Praieth ȝoure sone me for to spare, With al angels, and Iohn Baptist, And al ȝoure company þat now ys thare. Al holichurch, for my welfare, Line 215 Graunt me of ȝoure merites a participacion, And praieth oure lorde for my saluacyon. Line 217

Misereatur mei omnipotens deus, & cetera.

Now, god almyghty! haue mercy on me, Line 218 For maryes prayers and al þi sayntes, To whom, wepyng and knelyng on kne, Thus now I make my complayntes. For sorow and shame my hert ful fayntes; Line 222 Wherfor of al my synnes mercy I cry, And pray the to bryng to heuen an hy. Line 224

Line 224

In manus tuas, & cetera.

In-to þi handes, lorde! I take my soule, Line 225 Whom þou boughtist with þi bittur passion. Assoyle me, for seynt petur and poule, And al þi seyntis supplicacion; And, by þe vertu of þis confession, Line 229 Saue me fro payne and fro þe fende, And bring me to blis þat hath none ende. Line 231

Pro graciis Agendis.

Afore mete, and aftir, gracias say we, Line 232 Thankyng þe, lorde! of al þi grete grace; And for al þi ȝiftes blessid mote þou be, Of mete, of drynke, and oþer solace: At al due tymes, and in euery place, Line 236 Thyne almes is redy to riche and pore: Euer blessid þou be, good lorde! þerfore. Line 238

Retribuere dignare. & cetera.

Lorde, þat ȝeuest us many þinges, Line 239 Rewarde to al oure benefactours, To al oure frendes, and wel wyllynges, Thy reste of heuen, after þer labours. Graunt us al þyne helpe and socours, Line 243 As ofte as we pray þi mercy and grace, While þat we lyue in þis short space. Line 245

[folio 6b] Anime omnium fidelium defunctorum, et cetera.

And al þe soules now paste byfore, Line 246 Abydyng þi mercy in payneful place, Suffre þem, lorde! be payned nomore; But send þem soon þi fauour and grace, That þei may come before þi face, Line 250 And sey gracias þere byfore þe. Amen, lorde! amen! so mote hit be! Line 252

Explicit.