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

Turtledove

Natura turturis.

IN boke is ðe turtres lif writen o rime, wu lagelike ge holdeð luue al hire lif time; Line 696 gef ge ones make haueð, fro him ne wile ge siðen: muneð wimmen hire lif, ic it wile gu reden; Line 700 bi hire make ge sit o nigt, o dei ge goð and flegeð. wo so seit he sundren ovt, i seie ðat he legeð. Line 704 Oc if hire make were ded, and ge widue wore, ðanne flegeð ge one and fareð, non oðer wile ge more; Line 708 buten óne goð and one sit, and hire olde luue abit, In herte haueð him nigt and dai, so he were oliue ai. Line 712

Significacio.

List ilk lefful [MS lesful.] man her-to, and herof ofte reche: vre sowle atte kirke dure ches hire crist to meche, Line 716 he is ure soule spuse, luue we him wið migte, and wende we neure fro him-ward be dai ne be nigte; Line 720 ðog he be fro ure sigte faren, be we him alle trewe, non oðer louerd ne leue [? luue.] we ne non [folio 10a] luue newe; Line 724 leue we ðat he liueð ai up on heuen-riche, and ðeðen he sal cumen eft, and ben us alle briche, Line 728 for to demen alle men, oc nout on geuelike, hise loðe men sulen to helle faren, hise leue to his riche. Line 732