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

Mermaid

Natura Sirene. [folio 8b]

IN ðe se senden selcuðes manie; Line 556 ðe mereman is a meiden ilike on brest and on bodi, oc al ðuf ge is bunden; Line 560 fro ðe noule niðerward ne is ge no man like, oc fis to fuliwis mid finnes waxen. Line 564 ðis wunder wuneð in wankel stede, ðer ðe water sinkeð, sipes ge sinkeð, Line 568 and scaðe ðuf werkeð mirie ge singeð ðis mere, and haueð manie stefnes, manie and sille, Line 572 oc it ben wel ille; sipmen here steringe forgeten for hire stefninge, slumeren and slepen, Line 576 and to late waken, ðe sipes sinken mitte suk, [? fuik.] ne cumen he nummor up. Oc wise men and warre Line 580 agen cunen chare, ofte arn atbrosten, mid he[re] brest ouel;

he hauen herd told of ðis mere Line 584 ðat tus unie-mete, half man and half fis, sum ðing tokneð bi ðis.

Significacio.

Fele men hauen ðe tokning Line 588 of ðif forbisnede ði[n]g, wiðuten weren wulues [? sepes or lambes.] fel, wiðinnen arn he wulues al; he speken godcundhede, Line 592 and wikke is here dede; here dede is al vncuð wið ðat spekeð here muð; twifold arn on mode, Line 596 he sweren bi ðe rode, bi ðe sunne and bi ðe mone, and he ðe legen sone, mid here sage and mid here song Line 600 he ðe swiken ðer imong, ðin agte wið swiking, ði soule wið lesing.