An Old English miscellany containing a bestiary, Kentish sermons, Proverbs of Alfred, religious poems of the thirteenth century,

XX. Long Life. [Cotton MS. Caligula A ix, leaf 246.]

MON [MS. Non.] mai longe liues wene; Ac ofte him lieð þe wrench. Feir weder turneð ofte into reine; An wunderliche hit makeð his blench. Line 4 Þaruore mon þu þe bi-þench; Al schal falewi þi grene; Weilawei nis kin [So in MS.] ne quene; Þat ne schal drinche of deaþes drench. Line 8 Mon er þu falle of þi bench. Þine sunne þu aquench.

Nis non so strong ne sterch ne kene. Þat mai ago deaþes wiþer-blench. Line 12 Ȝung and olde, brihet [So in MS.] and schene. Alle he riueþ in one strench. Fox and ferlich is his wren[c]h. Ne mai no mon þar-to-ȝeines. Line 16 Weilawei þreting ne bene. Mede. liste; ne leches drench. Mon let sunne and lustes þine. Wel þu do and wel þu þench. Line 20

Do bi salemones rede. Mon and þenne þu schald wel do. Do ase he þe tahte and seide. Þat þin endinge þe bringeþ to. Line 24 Þenne ne schal þu neuer mis-do. Ac sore þu miȝt þe adrede. Weilawei shuc [So in MS.] weneð to lede. Long lif; and blisse under-fo. Line 28 Ac deþ luteþ in his scho, Him stilliche to for-do.

Mon hwi nultu þe bi-cnowe. Mon hwi nultu þe bi-seo. Line 32 Of fole fulþe þu art isowe. Wormes fode þu schald beo. Her nauestu blisse daies þreo. Ac þi lif al þu last ine wowe. Line 36 Weilawei. deþ þe schal adun þrowe. Þer þu wenest heȝest to steo. Ine deð schal þi lif endi. And ine wop al þi gleo. Line 40

World and weole þe bi-swikeð Iwis heo beoð þin ifo. Ȝef þe world wið weole þe slikeð. Þat is for to do þe wo. [folio 246b] Line 44 Þare-fore let lust ouer-go. And eft-ȝones hit þe likeð Weilawei sore he him biswikeð Þat for on stunde oþer two. Line 48 Wurcheþ him pine euer-mo. Mon ne do þu nowt swo.

XX. Long Life. [Jesus Coll. MS. 29, leaf 252, back.]

Mon may longe lyues wene. Ac ofte him lyeþ þe wrench. Feyr weder turneþ ofte in-to reyne. And wunderliche makeþ his blench. Line 4 Þar-vore mon. þu þe byþench. Al schal falwy þi grene. Waylaway. nys king ne quene. Þat ne schal drynke of deþes drench. Line 8 Mon er þu falle of þi bench. Þyne sunne þu aquench.

Nis non so strong. ne sterk. ne kene. Þat may a-go deþes wyþer-blench. [folio 253] Line 12 Yung and olde. briht and schene. Alle he ryueþ on o streng. Fox and ferlych is his wrench. Ne may no mon þar-to-yeynes. Line 16 Waylaway þreting ne bene. Mede. liste. ne leches drench. Mon let sunne and lustes þine. Wel þu do and wel þu þench. Line 20

Do bi salomones rede. Mon. and þenne þu schalt wel do. Do as he þe tauhte and seyde. Þat þin endinge þe bringeþ to. Line 24 Þenne ne schaltu neuer mys-do. Ac sore þu myht þe adrede. Waylaway such weneþ to lede. Long lif. and blysse vnder-fo. Line 28 Ac deþ luteþ in his scho. Hym stilliche. to for-do.

Mon hwi nultu þe bi-knowe. Mon hwi nultu þe bi-seo. Line 32 Of fule fulþe þu art isowe. Wurmes fode. þu schalt beo. Her nauestu blisse dayes þre. Ac þi lif al þu last in wowe. Line 36 Weylawey deþ þe schal a-dun þrowe. Þer þu wenest heyust to steo. In deþ schal þi lyf endi. And in wop al þi gleo. Line 40

World and weole. þe bi-swikeþ. I-wis heo beoþ þine ifo. If þe world wiþ weole þe slykeþ Þat is for to do þe wo. Line 44 Þare-fore. let lust ouer-go. And eft hit þe likeþ. Weylawey. sore he him bi-swikeþ. [folio 253b] Þat for one stunde oþer two. Line 48 Wurcheþ him pyne. euer-mo. Mon. ne do þu nouht swo.