A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

Part 1.—Poetry,
INCLUDING A FEW PUZZLES AND SAYINGS.

SOME OLD PUZZLES AND SAYINGS. [Fos. 1, 1 v^o. (see fac-simile.)]

The puzzle of the riddles consists in the words being spelt in a sort of cypher; every vowel is indicated by the letter which follows it in the alphabet; thus, what should be a is written b

o is written p

e is written f

i is written k

w is written x

The rubricator appears to have made a mistake in writing F instead of B (for A) as the initial of the two first lines.

Professor Skeat, who kindly helped me to decipher these queer|looking puzzles, has met with several of the same kind among Anglo|Saxon MSS. In the Sloane MS. 351, fo. 15 v^o. (fifteenth cent.) are some curious directions for writing in this style, but more complicated; they are printed in Wright and Halliwell's Reliquæ Antiquæ, vol. ii. p. 15. Other instances, are, doubtless, to be found scattered here and there in old family books like the present. They are also well known in French MSS. It will be observed that the final result of all the five puzzles is highly uncomplimentary to women. I give a solution in the right-hand column.

[Sayings.] [folio 1a]

The hart lovyt þe wood, the hare lovyt þe hyll, The knyth lovyt hys sword, the carll lovyt hys byll; The fowlle lovyt hys folly, the wysseman lovyt hys skyll, The properte of a schrod qwen ys to have hyr wyll.

[Different positions. [These sentences, as well as the Daily Rules (but not the previous four lines) are found also in the Boke of St. Alban's, among the household sayings and aphorisms with which Caxton filled up the blank pages at the end of Dame Juliana Berners' Boke of Hunting. (See Mr. Blades' preface, p. 21, to reprint of 1881, and signatures f 5, f 7 b.) But Caxton has, instead of the second and third lines above, "a bucke lodgith, an esquyer lodgith;" lines 6 and 7 run, "an haare in her forme shulderyng or leenyng," which gives better sense; "a wodecoke beekyng" is a ninth line wanting here.] ] [folio 1b]

F hert hfrbprpwkth.	[A] hart harborowith.
F knyth hfrbprpwkth.	[A] knyth harborowith.
B dowke lpggkth.	A dowke loggith.
B Roo Bftdkth.	A Roo betdith.
B ȝ[e]man Bftdkth.	A ȝeman betdith.
B hbrf in b forme syttyng.	A hare in a forme syttyng.
schuldryng of lenyng.	[shouldering or leaning.]
B cony syttyng.	A cony syttyng.

[Five puzzles.]

Take iij claterars.

B pkf.	A pie.
B kbk.	A iai (jay).
B xpmbn.	A woman.

Take iij lowrars. [Lowrar, one of frowning or lowering countenance.]

B bpf.	A ape.
B pwlf.	A owle.
B xpmbn.	A woman.

Take iij schrewys. [A shrew, one of sharp or biting disposition.]

B xbspf.	A waspe.
B xfskll.	A wesill.
B xpmbn.	A woman.

Take iij angry.

B ffrkfr.	A frier.
B ffpx.	A fox.
B xpmbn.	A woman.

Ther be iiij thyngs take gret betyng.

B stpkfksch.	A stockfisch. [Stockfish, a kind of fish dried for keeping, especially in the north. It was so hard that it required much beating, and soaking in water, to render it eatable. (See The Babees Book, &c., ed. Furnivall, Early English Text Society, pp. 155, 214, and Index.) The stock-fishmonger was a regular trade in London. (See Riley's Liber Albus, translation, pp. 325, 328.)]
B mklstpn.	A milston.
B fffdkrbfd.	A fedirbed.
B xopmbn.	A wooman.

[Daily Rules.] [These rules differ a little from Caxton's version. They are given here to complete the explanation of the fac-simile.]

Fyrst a-rysse erly, Serve thy god devly, And the war[l]d besylly; Do thy warke wyssely, ȝyfe thy almesse sekyrly, [Sekyrly, surely.] Goe be the way sadly, And awnswer the pepll cvrtesly Goo to thy met happely, Syt ther at dyscre[t]ly. Of thy tong be not to lybraly, A-rysse fro thy met tempraly. Goo to thy sopper sadly, A-rysse fro sopper soburly. Goo to thy bed myrely, And lye ther in jocunly,

And plesse and loffe thy wyffe dewly, And basse [Basse, kiss.] hy onys or tewyis myrely. A! lord god, mercy, qui verba cuncta creasti. Helpe! kyng of cowmefort, qui vitam semper amasti.

RULES FOR CONDUCT.

The poet Lydgate says "An olde proverbe, mesour is tresour," and he has left us two poems on the theme, one of which excellently descants on the various meanings of "measure," moderation among the rest. [Halliwell's volume of Lydgate's Minor Poems, Percy Society, 1840, pp. 80, 208.] The following poem, starting with the proverb, does not appear to be by Lydgate, and I have not found it elsewhere; perhaps some other East Anglian versifier thus inculcated patient virtue and good manners.

[folio 1a] Man in merthe, hath [I.e. have.] meser in mynd, For meser ys treser whan merthe ys behynd, Better yt ys to suffer and fortyn to a-byd, Than hey for to clyme and sodenly for to slyde.

He that mekely suffer ys for to comend, Vertu of vertuys ys in sufferans, To soft hartes god doth hys grace send, And to all vertuys send he most sufficyans.

Man, be-war and be not rekeless. In speche of tonge, syttyng at the tabyll, For better yt is to be a pesse, Than for to trete of thynges þe wyche be not comendabyll.

Wat euer god send, groche not thy fare, Be glad and of good chere with vertuys elyquens, And wat so euer thou thyngke, þi langage do spare, For a-bethe all thyng ys nownyd pasyens.

Be mver [I.e. demure.] and sad of vysage, Tyll men the requere kepe mekely þi sylens, Be war thow have no gret langage, Wher þu syttyst with þi souereyns in presens.

Yff thow hast lost thy good, Loke thow takyt with myld mood, And sowrow not to sore; Make joy, suffer and a-byd, For yt may so be-tyde That thow schall have mych more.

FORTUNE IN LIFE TOLD BY THE CASTING OF DICE.

I do not know any other version of these lines, save one in Sloane MS. 513, fo. 98 v^o. (the only English thing in a volume of Latin pieces) though they probably exist in other miscellaneous books. The first line is wanting in the Brome MS. and is supplied from the Sloane; this latter, on the other hand, is not perfect, being cut off at line 70 of the Brome MS. The numerals of each cast are set in figures in the margin of the Sloane, and are transferred here to the left side of the page; they are pictured in red like red dice, on the side of one page of the Brome MS. The curiosity of the poem, otherwise without merit, lies in the combination of two favourite pastimes of our fathers—nay, they are hardly extinct yet.

666

[þou þat hast y-cast tre syses here] Schall haue ȝowr dessyer y^e same ȝer, [folio 2a] How ȝow stabyll and ware nowt, For ȝe shall haue after ȝowr thowt. Line 4

665

ȝe that haue to sysyttes and a synke, Closse ȝowr hart and on god thynke, And so be godes grace ȝe schall fulffyll That ȝe dessyer, with hart and wyll. Line 8

Line 8

664

Synys and Catyr that ȝe haue cast, Schowyt þat ȝowr hart ys stedffast, Erre nowt but euer thynke wyll, And ȝowr dessyer schall cumme in euery dyll. Line 12

663

That ȝe haue cast synys and trey, May lytely ffallyn on ȝowr pray, ȝe mvst cast another chanche Yff ȝe thynke ȝowr selffe to a-vans. Line 16

662

Be synys and dewsse ȝe may trost To haue ȝowr wyll at the last, But I tell ȝow, with owt fayll, ȝe schall haue myche thowt and travell. Line 20

661

Synys and asse tell me sekerly That ȝowr dessyer ys but folly, Schonge ȝowr thowt, I cowncell the, Yffe ȝe wyll not a schamyd be. Line 24

655

Be sysse and synkys [Sloane, quynze.] that ȝe haue cast ȝe schall haue swyche freynchepe at y^e last, Be wom ȝe schall avanteyssyd be, And set in worchop and in gret degre. Line 28

664

Sysse synke and Catter byndyn the, Chonge ȝowr thowt, for yt ys but a vanyte. Be thyng ȝow of the same thyn y^t ys mor abyll, For thys ys no thyng prophytabyll. Line 32

653

ȝe that haue cast sysse synk and thre, [folio 2b] ȝour dessyer to purposse browt may be, But yf dessyer be to ȝow hygth, Kepe ȝow fro schame both day and nygth. Line 36

652

Sysse synke and dewsse ys ȝour cast; ȝe dessyer, but be not agast, For yff ȝe warke wysely in ded and thowt To ȝour purposse, yt schall be rygth wyll browt. Line 40

651

ȝowr cast ys sysse synke and as; ȝe stond rygth in wonder casse,

ȝe dessyer and dare not tell, God be ȝour helpe and consell. Line 44

644

ȝe that sysse and caterys [Sloane, querins.] haue in y^e deysse, Let be ȝour thowtes, for they be nysse, ȝowr hart ys set in swyche a loue That ys no thyng for ȝour be-hove. Line 48

643

ȝe that hath cast sysse cater and trey, ȝe be set in ryght good wey, Bere ȝow wyll and be of good cowmfort, For ȝe shall be lovyd and haue gret dyssort. Line 52

642

Sysse cater and dwsse I tell ȝow tyte, That ȝour love hath ȝow in dysspyte, With draw ȝour hart and ryffe ȝow to pley, For no man can hold that wyll a-wey. Line 56

641

He that hath cast cater, as, and sysse, ȝe be of wyt both ware and wysse, But be war of comberyng of synne, Thynke on the hyndyng or y^t ye be gynne. Line 60

633

ȝowr cast wosse sysse and dobyll trey; Fortewne fall not to ȝour pay, But yf ȝe wyll haue ȝour wyll All that ys yll, let yt be styll. Line 64

632

ȝe that have sysse trey and dews cast, [folio 3a] Off a certyn thyng ȝe be agast, But loke ȝe be trew in ȝour entencion, And ȝe schall haue ȝour petyssyon. Line 68

631

He that sys, trey, and as to hym takys, In hys werkes wysely he wakys, For he schall dessyer no thynge, That he nowt schall spede of hys askynge. Line 72

(622) [The figures in ( ) are supplied by me.]

ȝe that haue sys, dewes, and too, ȝe be a ffolle, go were ȝe goo; ȝe coveyt of non lefful thyng, ȝe schall not spede of your askyng. Line 76

Line 76

(621)

ȝe y^t haue sysse, dews, and on cast, The best ȝynd of ȝour thryft ys past, But ȝe may ȝow so well ber, That ȝour enmyes schall ȝow not der. Line 80

(611)

ȝe that haue sysse and aumbys as, ȝe haue set ȝour hert in swyche a plase Were ȝe dare neyther speke nor loke, But thowt ys fre, thus seyth y^e boke. Line 84

(555)

ȝe that haue cast her thre synkys, ȝe dare not sey all that ȝe thynkes, [MS. has kynkes.] But ȝowr dessyer ȝe schall not ffayll, All thow yt schall ȝow lytyll a-wall. Line 88

(545)

Synke, cater, synke, ȝe haue on the dysse; I cownsell ȝow be war and wysse, Trost non erdely thyng that may be, For the wor[l]d ys but a vanite. Line 92

(530)

Synke and trey wos ȝowr fchauns; God ys myty ȝow to a-wauns, Be trew and trost in Mary myld, And sche wyll ȝow fro schame schyld. Line 96

FRAGMENTS BY LYDGATE.

The three following stanzas are part of a poem by Lydgate which is found in several MSS., as Harl. 116, fo. 124, and Harl. 2251, fo. 173. These contain three or four more stanzas, on Fortitude and other virtues, the two last lines here headed Fortitudo are not however the same. The names of the first and third stanzas are reversed. The scribe was perhaps careless, and did not complete this copy, but the top of the next leaf shows that Lydgate's poems were still in mind; the same hand copied there six lines (incorrectly) from another of his short pieces, beginning—"The more I goo the ferther I am behynd," which is printed in the volume of Lydgate's

poems edited by Mr. J. O. Halliwell for the Percy Society, 1840, p. 74. See also Harl. 2251, fo. 38 v^o. and Add. 29,729, fo. 131. The final stanza on fo. 81 I have not been able to identify.

Prudencia.

Thynges passyd Remembrans and wyll devide, [folio 80b] Thynges present consydris and wyll gonne, For thynges comyng prudently provide, Peyse materys or thow deme or dyscerne. Let rygth yn causys hold thy lantarne, By twyne frynd and foo stond ȝevyn and egall, And for no mede be nowt percyall.

Justicia.

Furst in thy Mesur loke ther be no lacke, Off thy weyghtys hold iustely y^e balaunce, Be trew in rekenyng and set no summe a-backe, And in thy wordes let be no variaunce. [Brome MS. has lacke, but variaunce is evidently right, as in the other MSS.] Off cher be sad, demure of governaunce, Set folke at rest and [ap]pes all trobyll, Be war of flaterys and of tonges dobyll.

Temperancia.

By sapyens ay tempyre thy corage, Off lusty yre dout thy pacyens, Defer vengens tyll thy werth [wrath] aswage, Cheresh the good for their condycions. Puniche paciently the transgrescions Off men desrewlyd, redressyng ther errour, Mercy preferyng or thow do rygour.

Fortitudo.

Ye [MS. has The.] lordes that desyreth to be honorabyll Cheresh your folke and hat extorcion.

I stond as styll as ony stone [folio 81a] The grace of god yan he wyll send, All thyng may not cum a-none But wane god wyll yt may a mend. Lux ys leyd a downe, And veritas ys but small, Amor ys owt of towne And caritas ys gon with all.

THE CATECHISM OF ADRIAN AND EPOTYS.

This poem is not a romance or a legend, but a relic of the early educational method of teaching religion and philosophy. Instruction by means of question and answer was popular both in England and on the Continent from early times; and examples of such dialogues, embodying not only knowledge on the tenets of faith, the doctrines of religion and morals, but also scraps of metaphysics, ethics, and natural science, are found from the eighth century, if not earlier.

The Joca Monachorum [Printed from an eighth century MS. in Paris Bib. Nat., 13,246, fol. 7, in Romania, i. 483 (1872), and analytically compared with the Schlettstadt and Arundel 351 MSS. of Adrian and Epictetus.] is a set of questions and answers which M. Paul Meyer supposes to be as old as the sixth century (on account of certain biblical names and phrases quoted in it, which are only found in an ancient Latin version of the Bible, the so-called Itala, supposed to be older than the Vulgate); this really appears to be the prototype of our more modern Adrian and Epotys. Such a dialogue also is found among the works attributed to the Venerable Bede [Works printed at Cologne, 1612, vol. iii., Bedæ Collectanea et Flores, pp. 479 b—487 a. This is reprinted in Salomon and Saturn, by J. Kemble, Ælfric Society, 1848, p. 322, a book which contains much early literature of the kind, though the author seems to have been unaware of its middle-age issue in Adrian and Epotys.] (died 735.) The celebrated Alcuin (sometimes called Albinus),

who died A.D. 804, among his educational works left one of these, which has been studied and compared by Dr. Wilmanns [Disputatio Pippini cum Albino, Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum, vol. xiv. (1869), p. 530.] with the Altercatio Hadriani et Epicteti, an ancient dialogue, of unknown authorship, purporting to be held between the Emperor and the philosopher on subjects of natural and speculative science. [The Altercatio or Disputatio was printed by F. Lindenbrog, Frankfurt, 1628, in a little volume. Another version may be found at the end of a folio volume, edited by S. Gelenius, Basle, 1522, entitled Notitia utraque cum Orientis tum Occidentis, &c.] In Old English (Anglo-Saxon) there also exist the Dialogues of Salomon and Saturn, in poetry and prose—the latter of which deals with the Creation, Adam, and the subjects arising out of Genesis. In editing these for the Ælfric Society, in 1848, Mr. Kemble also printed three other similar question-books or catechisms, one of which in Latin, of a later period (probably twelfth or thirteenth century), called Adrian and Epictus, [Page 212, from the Arundel MS. 351, fol. 39.] considerably resembles in substance our Brome poem. The same thing appears also to have been translated into Welsh and Provençal. [Kemble's Salomon, p. 216; Bartsch, Denkmäler der Prov. Litteratur, p. 306-310; Bulletin de la Soc. des Anc. Textes Franc. (1875), pp. 71-74.] On the Continent other copies of this dialogue, dating from the ninth century, have been found and printed, with many interesting notes and comparisons of individual questions with those in other collections, by Dr. Wilmanns [Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum, vol. xv. p. 166; see also Ib., vol. xiv. p. 546, and on the general subject E. Schröder, in the Auzeiger, band viii. p. 121, bound with vol. xxvi. of the Zeitschrift.] and Dr. Bethmann, [See Schlettstadt MSS. in Serapeum for 1845, p. 29.] with which should also be compared versions in Provençal, Spanish, and Latin, studied by Dr. Bartsch. [Zur Räthsel Litteratur, in Germania (Vienna, 1859) iv. 308.]

Although this dialogue has played its part in the literature of every country in Europe, and as M. Meyer says, "apparait avec son carectère chrétien dès les premiers temps du moyen age," [Bulletin de la Soc. des Anc. Textes Fran. (1875), p. 72.] it should be noted that the various forms it takes belong to two distinct families, which existed contemporaneously, viz., the one in which Christian history and doctrine appear, the other in which they are wholly absent; the latter being current long after the rise of the

former. Combined with these are also reminiscences of the beliefs found in the Eddas of the north. [See Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, translation 1883, ii. pp. 564-569; as to Yggdrasil, Bartsch in Germania, iv. p. 312.]

The form of question and answer gave full play to the close definition of the philosopher, the double and hidden meaning of the scholastic and the theologian, or the statement of old belief, whence the transition to the play of wit and words in riddles was easy. Consequently, in the frequent repetition or copying of these dialogues or catechisms, one, or two, or a group of questions which commended themselves might be inserted from another catechism or from a collection of what seem to us riddles. Riddles, proverbs, apoph|thegmes, question-books, dialogues—all contained the popular wisdom, "part of that stock of traditional sayings which prevailed with living power among us from the tenth till the sixteenth century," [Kemble, Salomon and Saturn, p. 286.] and among our French neighbours long survived in the prose form of the popular little book, L'enfant sage à trois ans, etc.

Thus it was, in course of time, that the Christian religious legend and ethics became grafted on to the philosophic dialogue, and it is probable that from a Latin original some English theological rhymer, of the fourteenth or fifteenth century, drew his inspiration for the following poem. The poet must also have used other sources, as we may judge by the study of two portions of the poem. Lines 163-218 describe the substances of which Adam was made, and the effects of the preponderance of different materials on a man's character. This subject is found in many places; in the prose Old English Salomon and Saturn (ques. 8, 9, Kemble, p. 180); in a Latin and Old English ritual of the tenth century, a German poem of the twelfth century, and other instances quoted by J. Grimm; [Teutonic Mythology, Stallybrass's translation (1883), ii. p. 566.] also in three French manuscripts—one a treatise, De Adam et Eve feme, Bib. Nat. Fr. 1553, fol. 286; [Cited by Kemble, Salomon and Saturn, p. 194.] another, Bib. Nat., 4207; the third, MS. A 454, at Rouen, fol. 250, [Bulletin de la Société des Anciens Textes Francais (1883), p. 96.] also on the creation of Adam. These declare that Adam was formed of eight substances (clay, the sea, the sun, clouds, wind, stone, the Holy Spirit, &c.), varying with the writer, but resolving into the four elements. Perhaps a touch of Eddic doctrine here unconsciously found its way into the orthodox theology of the middle ages. For the second portion, lines 511-582: Why do men fast on

Friday? we may turn for comparison to the same MS. of Rouen just named, fol. 251 v^o, which gives twelve reasons in answer; to a MS. of the thirteenth century in Paris (Bib. Nat. nouv. acq. fr. 1098, fol. 60); [Bulletin de la Société des Anciens Textes Francais (1883), p. 96.] and a Russian essay on the subject by Prof. Wesselowsky.

From a comparison of the style of thought, and of the theological dicta of this poem, with those of similar passages in the Cursor Mundi, the conjecture may be hazarded that Adrian and Epotys was written about the same period, viz., the early part of the fourteenth century. The name of the old well-known Altercatio Adriani et Epicteti had been adopted, the philosopher's name became shortened to Epicte, and finally pronunciation brought it to Epotis, when the dialogue itself no longer bore a trace of its heathen descent. [

Chaucer, in the thirtieth stanza of his Rhyme of Sir Thopas, mentions Ipotis:—

"Men speken of romances of prisOf Hornchild, and of Ipotis,Of Bevis and Sir Guy"—

but, as it has been suggested by Dr. Schroeder, as all the books he speaks of here are romances, except Ipotis, under which name no romance is known, it may be that the singer had the romance Ipomydon in his head, and for once made a slip of the pen. We get no other indication from him of what Ipotis was.

]

Seven copies [Four at Oxford, viz., Vernon MS., fol. 296; Ashmol. 750; Ashmol. 61; Douce, 323, fol. 160. At the British Museum: (besides Add. 22283, an old copy of the Vernon MS.); Cotton Calig., A ii., fol. 79; Cott. Titus, A xxvi., fol. 163; Arundel, 140, fol. 1. The Douce and Titus copies are imperfect.] of Adrian and Epotis (or Ipotis) are known among English manuscripts; our Brome forms the eighth. It has not been hitherto printed in England, nor indeed thoroughly examined. Dr. C. Horstmann has printed two of the copies—that from the famous Vernon MS. and from the Cotton Caligula MS., giving various readings from some of the others. [Altenglische Legenden, neue folge, Heilbronn, 1881, pp. 341, 511.] He says of four of the MSS. (the two Cotton, Arundel, and Ashmole, 61) that they are all equally poor and equally removed from the Vernon. My comparison of the following copy with the two printed by him does not tend to confirm that judgment, but rather shows that, one original having been transcribed several times, succeeding transcribers added in a piece here or left out a piece there, or may be invented a new piece; and that really the Vernon and Cotton copies, though differing, are nearly upon a par in value. Such alterations, together with the changes following from

difference of dialect and speech, may account for these varying versions. As the Vernon is probably the oldest, I have taken it as the basis of comparison, and have numbered the lines of the Brome poem to correspond with it. I have also compared it with the Cott. Calig., A ii (the best of the British Museum copies); and those lines in it which are found in the latter, but not in the Vernon, are numbered between (), to correspond to the Cotton, a note pointing out here and there where parts are peculiar to the Vernon only. There remains a residuum of lines (only twenty-two in all) which are new, i.e., found in the Brome copy only: these are indicated by letters—a, b, &c. The whole thing, though following pretty closely the Vernon, and in the latter part the Cotton, is by no means identical in language or expression; only those variants are given, however, at the foot, which may serve to explain errors or difficulties of the Brome text. Inversion of lines is shown by the figures, exchange (if it may be so called) of lines, in a few cases, may be seen from the foot notes. A few lines are supplied from the Vernon or Cotton between [], where they fill up the sense of the Brome copy.

The substance of the poem is as follows:—A child who calls himself Epotys is brought before the Emperor Adrian in Rome. He answers the Emperor's questions (to which there is no preamble) as to Heaven, God, the Word, Trinity. He describes the seven heavens (ll. 52-87), the nine orders of angels (ll. 90-114), the week of creation (ll. 115-158), of what Adam was wrought (ll. 164-218), the sea (ll. 221-226), the hour when Adam lost Paradise (229-236 f.), the seven sins of Adam, in which, descanting upon gluttony, he leads to the whole story of the fall and the redemption (ll. 239-352). The Emperor is further told what are the five sins that lead man's soul to hell (ll. 359-408), the four forms of penance that may save him (ll. (387)-(396), the four virtues that lead to bliss (ll. (398)-470), four deaths a man may die (ll. 418-428), the two sins that God will not forgive (ll. 431-456). He is instructed how a man shall bear himself so that the devil may not injure him for sin (ll. 471-480), and what three deeds will please God (ll. 484-508). The child then gives thirteen lengthy reasons why men fast on Friday (ll. 511-594), after which the Emperor solemnly conjures him to say who he is, whereupon he avows himself to be Jesus, and departs (ll. 595-608). The writer boldly says that St. John the Evangelist told this tale in Latin.

The poem, in bringing Hadrian and Epictetus, St. John and Christianity thus together, offers a curious example of the power of traditional names.

Alle þat wylle of wysdam lere, [folio 5a] lystyn to me and ȝe xall here off a tale of holy wryth,— Seynth John the holy postyll wetnes yt,— Line 4 How yt be-fell yn grete Rowme, The chyffe cyty of crystyn-dome, A chyld wos seynt throw hys mytys moste, Trow the vertu of the holy goste. Line 8 The Emprore of Rome than Hys name was klepyd Adryan, Whan the chyld of grete onowre Was cume be-fore the Emprore, Line 12 Down on knys the chyld hym sette, The Emprore wyll fayere hym grete. The Emprore wyth myld chyre, Askyd the chyld fro wens he came, and were, Line 16 The chyld answord "for soth I the plyte, ffro my fader [Vern. and Arundel versions have moder.] I cume now ryth, ffro my fader that hey justyce, To teche them that be nowte wysse, Line 20 And note fulfylled yn goddys lawe." Than seyd þe Emprore, note slawe, "Arte thow wysse wysdam to teche?" The chyld answord with mylde chyre, ["Speche" in Vern.] Line 24 "He ys wysse that heuyn may wynne, And kepe hym owte of de[d]ly synne." The Emprore seyd with owtyne blame, "Tell me chyld, wat ys thy name?" Line 28 "My name," he seyd, "ys Epotys, Mekyll I can of heuyn blysse." The Emprore seyd, "wat may heuyn be?" "Syr," he seyd, "yt ys goddes prevyte?" Line 32 "Wat," he seyd, "ys god all myte?" The schyld answord a-non ryte,

"He ys wyth owte be-gynnynge, And xall lestyne with owtyne enddynge." [folio 5b] Line 36 The Emprore seyd, "tell me the soth, Wat cume fyrste owte of hys mowth?" The chyld answord sone a-non, "Ther-of spake the postyll John, Line 40 In hys gospell all on sowne, ["Al and sum," Vern. and Cott.] In principio erat verbum, This wos the fyrste begynnyng That ever spake owre heuyne kyng. Line 44 At that worde wos the sunne, [Fader] and the holy goste to-geder wornne; ["Come," Vern. and Cott.; wornne may be an error for wonne.] iij personys yn Trenyte, Non of them may fro othyr be. Line 48 Thys ys the myte full kyng, Line 48a With owtyne hym ys no thyng." Line 48b The Emprore seyd woll zevyne, "Chyld, haste thow byn yn heuyne? How many heuy[n]s hath god all-myth?" "vij," seyd ye chyld, "I the plytte. Line 52 The heyest heuyne that euer may be, Ys of the holy Trynyte, Ther ys the fader and þe sunne, And the holy goste to-geder arnne ["Wone," Vern.] Line 56 iij personys yn on god-hode, As clarkys yn holy boke rede. Line 58 The ioyys may no man dyscry[v]e, [Lines 61-64 resemble Cott. Calig. A ii., ll. 63-66. They form better sense of this passage on the second heaven than most other versions.] Lernd non on-lernd þat ys a-lyve. A-nother heuyne ys gostly ther, Off a lower de-gre, thow schall here,

Tow [Vern. has pulke.] joyys may no man deme, Line 63 Tyll domys [MS. has donys.] day thow he wyll fayne. The iij heuyne schynyth as Crystall, Full of joyys and swettenesse all, Line 66 The joy may no tonge telle, [

For ll. 67, 68, the Vernon has,—

"To mon and wommon þat place is dihtþat serueþ god wiþ al heore miht."

] Tyll domys day thow he woll smell. The iiij heuyn ys golde lyche, Full of presyus stonys ryche; Line 70 For innocentys that place is dyth, [folio 6a] That euer ys day and neuer nyth. The v heuyn ys longe and brode, And full of goddes man-hode; Line 74 Yff goddys man-hode noth were, All the ward [Ward, world.] wore for-lore; For the paysson of hys man-hoode, Heuyn blysse schall be owre mede. Line 78 The vj heuyn holy chyrch yt ys, Full of holy thyngys, i-wys, That of god redyn day and nyth, Off hys strenth and of hys myth. Line 82 The vij heuyn, seyth þe story, Ys paradyse, aftyr purcatory, Whan sowlys hau done ther penans, Ther schall they dwell with-owtyn dysstans. Line 86 Here be þe vij heuyns syre Emprore, [Lines 87, 88, follow the Cott. MS.: in the Vernon they are contracted to two.] That hath god owre savyore." Line 87a Thane seyd the Emprore, "I the plyte, Line 87b How many Ordyrys byn of Angle bryth?" Line 88

Line 88 The chyld answord and seyd a-ȝene, "Nine Ordyrys, syre, there byne, Line 90 The fyrste ordyr ys jerubyn, The secund ordyr ys secheraphym, The iij^de ordyr ys tronys, The iiij^te ordyr ys dominaciones, Line 94 The v^te ordyr ys pryncipates, The vi^te ordyr ys potestates, The vij^te ordyr ys vyrtutes, The viiij^te angelica, i-wys. Line 98 The ix ordyr arn arcangelys, The ylke prynce hath hys party[s], Many thowsendys to hys baner, To seruyn hym both fer and nere. Line 102 The x ordyr schall mankynd ben, That xall fulfyll the place ageyn. In heuyn be that ylke syde, [folio 6b] That Lussyfer fell owte for hys pryde. Line 106 Ther schall man-hod byn with god all myth, Ben euer and that ys ryth, A-bothyn [I.e. above.] all princys he schall be, Mytfull fader yn trenyte, Line 110 Of myche joy he can tell With owtyne ende that þer may dwell, That schall hys owyn brodyr se, Mytfull fader yn trenyte." Line 114 [Vernon has two lines which are omitted here and in the Cotton; while our ll. 117, 118 represent three lines in the Cotton version, as to the creation on the first day, which are not in Vernon.] The Emprore seyd, "chyld I þe prey, What made god on the fyrste day?" "God mad on the fyrste day, Many thynges hym to pay, Line 118 The Mvnday aftyr, verement,

God mad the ffurmament; Sunne and mone to schyne bryth, And many sterrys ther be lyth. Line 122 The Tvysday, I vndyr stond, God made bothe see and lond, Wellys full with watyr neysse, ["Fresche," Vern. and Cott.] To tempyr the erthe both hard and neysse; Line 126 Erbys he mad, both tre and gresse, And othyr thynges, as hys wyll wos. The Wedenysday mad god all-myth Fyssys yn flod and fowlys yn flyte, Line 130 And bad them a-bowtyn wynd, Fore to helpyn all man-kynd. The Thursday god mad bestys fele, Many dyuerse be down and be dale, Line 134 And geffe them erthe to ther fode, And had them turne to mannys good. On the Fryday god mad Adam, After hys chap [I.e. shape.] he ȝaffe hym name; Line 138 Sythyn Eve he bad hym take, And make hyr on to hys make, And mad hym man of mytys moste, [folio 7a] And gaffe hym lyffe of the holy goste. Line 142 A grete lord he gan hym make, All paradysse he bad hym take, And mad hym lord that he had wrote. The Satyrday for-ȝatte he nowte, Line 146 That ylke day he blyssyd with good wyll, All hys warkys lowd and styll, Euery-chon yn ther perty, And bad them wax and mvltyplye. Line 150 The Sunneday god hys reste toke, As we fyndyn yn holy boke, He bad and cummawndyd all man-kynd

That restynd they schuld haue yn mynd. Line 154 That day xuld no man warke, Bute bedyn ther bedys and goo to kyrke, And kepyn them fro dely synne, That he nowte fale ther ynne." Line 158 The Emprore with wyrdys mylde, [Lines 159 and 160 of Vernon are omitted here, and the two following are altered.] Thus he gan askyn the chylde, Yff he cowde tellyn hym owte Line 163 Off howe many thyngges Adam was wrotte? The chyld answord and seyd "vij, The wyche they byn I xall þe tellyn, Slyppe of þe erthe wos on off thoo, Watyr of the see god toke ther-too, Line 168 Off the sunne and of the wynde, And of the clowddes as yn wrytyng I fynd. Off the stonys be the see coste, And also of the holy goste. Line 172 Off the erth ys manys fleysse, And of the watyr ys blode neysse, Off the sunne ys hys harte and his bowellys, Hys mekenes and hys good thewys; Line 176 Off the wynd ys mannys brethe, [folio 7b] And of the clowdys hys wyttys bothe, Off the ston ys mannys bonne, And of the holy goste ys hys sowlle than. Line 180 Loo! syre Emprore Adryan! Off theys thyngges ben made Adam. Euery man yn thys ward [I.e., world.] here ys made of dyvers maner; Line 184 How-so haue of the erth moste, He xall be heuy, wyll thow woste, Heuy yn thowth and yke yn dede,

And othyr thyngges as I rede. Line 188 How-so haue moste of the see, Internall ["Leof to trauayle," Vernon; "Euer in trauel," Cotton. The Brome copyist evidently made a mistake.] he schall be, And myche covetynge love and lede, And that schall faylyne them at þer moste nede. Line 192 Yt faryt be all thys wardly good, As be and ebbe and be a flood; Line 194 [Now hit is, nou hit nis— þenk no mon þeron, i-wis.] [Supplied from Vernon. Lines 193-196 are wanting in Cotton.] Line 196 How so hath of þe wynd moste myth, Line 201 Be grete resun xall be lyth, Fekyll of herte and yke of thowth, And speke mych yt helppe nowth. Line 204 How-so haue of the clowddys foysun, Line 197 He schall be wysse be resun, And be ware yn word and dede, And yn othyr thyngges, as I rede. Line 200 How-so hath of the sunne pleynty Line 205 Hote and hasty he schall be, And a man full of myth, And be resun he schall be lyth. Line 208 How-so be of the ston be moste wroth, He schall be stedfaste yn word and thowth, And to termyn [And to termyn]. Vernon has "In his herte;" Cotton., "And in trauayle."] troste and trew, And be resun pale of hewe. [folio 8a] Line 212 How-so have moste of the holy goste, He schall haue yn hys herte moste Good thowtes, good worddes, and good dede, The poore to cloth and to fede, Line 216 And love wyll god and holy chyrch,

And othyr penans for to warke." The Emprore seyd, "thys may wyll be, But on thyng I prey the, Line 220 Thow speke lenger of the see. Tell me chyld, wat that may be?" The chyld seyd, with owte lesyng, "A wyll wyldyn of wey, ["A wylde wey in wendyng."—Vernon and Cotton.] Line 224 So thow mytys seyll þer-ynne, That þou schuldyst neuer lond wynne." [The MS. has "fynd."] The Emprore seyd with-owtyn fayll, "Ther-yn I haue grete mervell, Line 228 What tyme ded Adam a-mysse, That he loste so paradysse?" The chylde seyd, "at þe myd-mowrow tyde, And be myd-day he loste hys pryde. Line 232 Ane angell droffe hym yn to desert, With a bryth brenyng sward; Heuyr he ys in sorowe and woo Line 236 Wyll he leue ["Him and his ofspring," Vernon and Cotton.] euer moo; Line 235 And whan he deyed to helle he nam, [These six lines, a—f, are not in either Vernon or Cotton.] Line 235a And all that of hym were cumme, Line 235b So wos he yn heve for-lorne, Line 235c Tyll that goddys sune wos borne, Line 235d And sufferyd vp-on the rode payssoyne, Line 235e And browte vs owte of theppresun." Line 235f "A-lasse!" seyd the Emprore, "I hath grete dole, Line 237 That Adam was swych a fole! How many synnys dede Adam For cavse he to helle name?" [folio 8b] Line 240 The chyld seyd, "vij thoo; Sacrylege wos on of thoo, Fornycacyun was on of thes,

Averycie and covetyse, Line 244 Gloteny and pryd, I telle the, Thes vij synnys ded he. In pryd he synned yll Whan he wrote aftyr hys wyll, Line 248 A not aftyr the oste ["Heste" in Vernon and Cotton.] of god, He hylde eftyr hys owe wyll leyd. In sacrylege he synned sore. Whan he wrotte aftyr hys owe lore, Line 252 And ffulfyllyd hys owyn talent, To don the fyndys cummawment. Line 254 Mannys sleere he wos I know, Line 267 Whan he hys owyne sowle slew, Line 268 And all that euer of hym camme, Line 270 The fynd with hym to helle name. Line 269 Thyffe he wos I know be-fore god,¹ Line 263 When he stall that hym wos fore-bede. Line 264 Sertenly, as I the seye, Line 265 He wos wordy for to dey.¹ [1_1 These four lines follow the Cotton (259-263)] Line 266 Fornycacyun he had yn mynd, Line 255 Whan he be-levyd vp-on the fynd, And hylde that goddes lore was fals. In auyryce he synnyd all-so, ["Als," Vernon.] Line 258 Whan that he covetyd more Thane he had nedyd be-fore, Qwan ["He hedde," Vernon.] paradyce was at hys wyll; No wondyr yt wos thow god leked yt yll. Line 262 In gloteny he synnyd wylle, Line 271 Whan he put hym selffe yn swych yll, ["Perile," Vernon and Cotton.] Off the trere the appyll he toke, [folio 9a] That god fore-bode hym and hys make. Line 274

Line 274 Slawe he ded fyrst of all Whan that he wos yn synne fall, He had no grace fore to sesse; Jesus cum to him yn that wysse, Line 278 And seyd, 'Adam, wat dost thow know?' He answeryd and seyd a-zen with mowth, 'Lord I here the spekyne, I the plytte, But I haue of the no syte.' Line 282 Owre lord aȝeyn to Adam seyd, 'Man, wy dedyst thow that dede?' Adam answaryd with wyrdes hylle, 'The woman that thow toke me tylle, Line 286 Sche made me to don that dede.' Owre lord than to Eue ȝyde, 'Woman wy worttyste þou that wylle?' 'The eddyr, lord, gan me gylle.' Line 290 Owre lord to the eddyr gan goo, 'Fynd, wy wrottyst thow that woo?' The fynd answeryd with maystry, 'For I haue to hym ynvye. Line 294 For that he schuld won yn blysse, That I for pryde gan mysse.' Owre lord seyd to Adam, 'For thy gylte þat þou haste don, þou synfull man, Line 298 Thow schalte take thy mete with swynke & swette, And be yn penawns cold and hotte. Line 300 In peyn and travell sore, [Lines 300, a, and b, not in Vernon or Cotton.] Line 300a Wyll thow levyst euer more.' Line 300b To Eue seyd owre heuyn kyng, Line 301 'Woman for thy wekyd tysyng, Thow schalte byn vndyr mannys wyll, In mekyll drede, woo, and yll; Line 304 And bere thy frwte with gronyng and care, Thow and thyn of-sprynggyn euer more.' [folio 9b]

Owre lord seyd to satthan, 'In forme of wornge thow temppyst man, Line 308 Vp-on thy wombe [thow] schull glyde, All that thow syst yn euery syde, Of the seyng be sore a-ferd. Whan thow comyst yn to y^e medyll ȝard, Line 312 A vyrgyn schall be borne be-lyve, That thy pore schall down drywe.' Thus Adam levyd yn erthe here, fful ix hundyrd ȝere, Line 316 And xv, ["Two and Þritti," not fifteen, in both Cotton and Vernon.] as I the telle, And whan he deyd he [MS. has "ȝe."] ȝede to helle. iiij thowsend vj hundred and iiij yere. Line 319 Hys sowle yn helle wos ther Line 320 iiij thowsend vj hundred and iiij yere. Line 321 Than the kyng of heuyn, Line 322 Kynge he wos of mytys moste, He sent down the holy goste, Line 324 That toke fleysse and blood of mayd Mary, With-owtyne wem of hyr body. xxx^ti wyntyr and iij ȝere, Goddys sunne ȝede in erth here, Line 328 xl dayes for vs he ded faste; The jvys toke hym at the laste, And ded hym vp on the rode, He suffyrd fore owre good. Line 332 Hys sowle wente to helle— The fowle fyndys for to felle, And toke owte Adam and Eue, And other more that were hem leve. Line 336 Moyses, Dauyd, and Abraham, And all thoo with hym name, And browte them yn to paradyce, Ther joy and merth euer more ys. Line 340

Line 340 And sythyn aftyr hys vp-rysynge, He steyed to heuyn ther he ys kynge; [folio 10a] On hys faderes ryth hond he sette hym than, And thus he cam stedfast god and man. Line 344 That ylke god omnipotente Schall cume at the day of jugement, To deme vs all aftyr owre mysse-dede, He ys not wys that hym nowte drede. Line 348 The good with the joy, the wykyd with þe peyn, The joy nor the peyn may no man dem That he xall haue for hys servyce, That serue god yn all wysse." Line 352 The Emprore seyd, "be heuyne kynge, Chyld, that ys a fayere doynge, [And also þis I leue wel [Lines 355, 356 supplied from Vernon, omitted in Cotton.] þat þis is soþ, eueridel.] But telle me, chyld, yf thow can, Line 357 Wer-with the fynd be-gylle moste man? How many synnys, thow me telle, Bryngyn mannys sowll to helle?" The chyld seyd, "synnys v, Line 361 That a-monge men be full ryve. Wykkyd thowth yn mannys harte, Wyll that he ys heylle and swarte, [Quarte = able, hearty, was probably the original word, not swarte.] Line 364 To mannys-slawth and othere shame, [MS. has synye, Vernon shame. The lines 363—(362) differ from the corresponding lines in Vernon and Cotton, and give better sense than either of them.] That euery man ther-fore hau blame; Line 366 But yf he schryve hym and make hym clere, Line (361) He goth ellys to helle fere. [Ll. (361) and (362) are not found in Vernon.] Line (362) Pryde ys the tothere, Line 367 Gloteny ys y^e iij^de brodere,

Lechery ys on of the v, [of the v]. Þe feorpe, Vernon and Cotton.] On of the worste a-bothyn heven or all. [Heuen or all]. eorpe, Vernon and Cotton.] Line 370 Covetyse ys þe v. as I the telle; Thyse synnys bryng man most to helle. Seynth Powle wettenes yn hys story The peyn for Covetyse in porcatory, Line 374 [Bi hem-selven hit is diht,] [Supplied from Vernon.] A wylle [wylle, i.e. wheel.] of bras bernyng bryth, Full of hokys a-bothyn and vndyr, [folio 10b] And whan yt gotth yt rowttyth as tonder. Line 378 As full of sowlys as yt may hangyn, As eche may be other ryngyn. Line 380 [A wylde fyr among hem þoth renne, All þat hyt towchyt hyt doth brenne.] [These two lines in Cotton only. The next eight lines are not in Vernon.] Wy ys covetyse lekyd to a wylle, Line (377) I schall the tellyn fayer and wyll; Men that may wynne þat prysse ȝevyn hem all to covetyce, Line (380) ȝa, mekyll of hys lyffe he wyll yt not blynne, At the laste he deyyd ther-ynne; Sortynly, as I the telle, With-owtyn end he goth to helle. Line (384) For covetyce hath end no dylle, Line 381 It ys lekyd to a wylle. Falsse Pryd that ys so bolde Ys wors be an hundryd folde, Line 384 For Angellys that wern yn heuyn bryth, So clere schynnyng and full of lyth; For pryde wrethe god can take, That many arn fynndes now blake Line 388 And fellyn owte of heuyne, as I þe telle,

In to the netherest pytte of helle. Summe arn yn erthe amo[n]ge man-kynd, That bryng man-kynd yn de[d]ly synne. Line 392 There-for schryve the of pryde Or than wormys hau etyn þi syde, And thy body to strenkyt þe grownd, And thy sowll yn woo ys bownd. Line 396 Sore schall þer-for thy sowlle smerte, That euer thw wor prowd of herte. Line 398 [These lines, a—j, are not in either Vernon or Cotton.] Pryde ys most synnyg, I the plyte, Line 398a That worth god most full of myth; Line 398b Lecheri thynkyth no lesse þat yt ys Line 398c So mercy nor so swytte, i-wys, [folio 11a] Line 398d Woo yn man wykyd as I the telle, Line 398e Drawyt mannys sowle to helle. Line 398f In holy wrytte yt ys woste, Line 398g That lechery ys the develys neste; Line 398h Kepe ȝow all fro that synne, Line 398i That non of ȝow falle there ynne. Line 398j Gloteny I wyll dyscry[v]e, Line 399 That a-mong mankynd ys full ryve, The fynd take men with[in] And make them drownke with alle and wyne. [

In Vernon these two lines stand:—

"The fend takeþ of men wreches fale,Whon heo beþ dronken of wyn and ale."

] Line 402 He comyth and swere as he wer wode, Be goddes herte and be hys blyssed blode, And on byddyn hys payssoyne, That many on hath of hys malyssyne. Line 406 But yf he freyn hym of gloteny, In helle xall byn hys sowle foly." [Six lines which follow here in Vernon, are omitted in both Cotton and Brome MSS. From this point, many of the lines follow the Cotton version more closely than the Vernon, some parts not being found in the latter at all. The numbers between () indicate correspondence with the Cotton lines.] Line 408

Line 408 "Alas!" seyd the Emprore, "þis an hard chans, Line (387) Wat lekyd a man to don penawns. Aȝen Jesus owre Savyore?" The chyld answeryd, "thynges iiij; Line (390) Slawth ys 1, schame ys a-nodyr, And wanne-hope ys the iij brothere, The iiij ys wretyn, with-owtyne faylle, That he ys god and morcyall. [Cotton, "mercy[a]bull."] Line (394) He wyll on synfull take no wreche, Yffe schyrfte of mowth wyll be hys leche." The Emprore seyd, "sythyn thys ys, What bryng a man moste to blysse?" Line (398) The chyld answerd and seyd yt, Line 461 Good word, good dede, and good thowth. Line 462 Wos þer neuer euyll dede wrowth, Line (401) But at the begynnyge yt wos eyll thowth, Line 402 Wos ther neuer no good thyng, But that god [thowth] wos at the begynnyng. [folio 11b] Line (404) How-so haue with hym good speche, [MS. has spede.] Line 463 And hys sunne wyll on hym hau pete, Line (406) And may speke ["And may speke]: "Wyth good speche he may." Cotton.] or he wynd, Off hys foo and of [And of]: make, Cotton.] hys frynd. Line 466 Good dedes arn myche of myth, On-to god full of heuyne lyth. Line (410) A man may with good dede, Wynne heuyne to hys mede." Line 470 The Emprore seyd, "thys wyll I leve; Line 415 Good chyld, takyt to no gryffe, Line (414) Telle me now, yf thow can, How many dethys may dey man?" Line 418 The chyld seyd, "on dethys iij, I xall the telle wych thoo be;

The j ys bodyly deth here That he ys gretely strong yn fere, Line 422 That ys yn many mannys body with-ynne, Or lyffe and sowle may parte on tweyne. The todyr detth ys detth of schame, Yffe he dey yn dette or wekkyd fame. Line 426 The thred deth, so seyth the clarkys, Yffe he hath no good warkys." Than seyd the Emprore, "Telle me chyld, paramore, Line 430 How many synnys a-ȝens god on-schrevyn Thow that schall not [MS. has now.] be for-ȝevyn?" The chyld seyd, "synnys ij, Mysse-beleve ys on of thoo, Line 434 Many a man fore no resun Line 435 Wyll be-levyn of the coronacionn, ["Yncarnacyone," Cotton.] Line (434) That god toke fleysse of mayd Mary, Line (435) With-owtyn weme of hyr body, Nor that he deyed on þe rode tre. Line 445 How wyll no be-leve þat yt so be, Line (437) And yn to heuyn he steyynd, [folio 12a] But yf he leve thys yn all thyng, Line (438) Sertenly, as I the telle, With owtyn end he goth to helle. And wanhope ys the todyr brodyr synne, Whan man ys fule depe there ynne, Line (442) And doth euer ylle And neuer not wylle, Tyll he hath aȝen god so mych gylte, Line (443) The fynd yn wanhope sone hym spylte, Line 452 That he wold no mercy crave, For he wene non to haue. Line (446) For that wan-hope as we fynd He goth to hell with-owtyne end." Line 456

Line 456 The Emprore seyd, "Syn þat yt ys so, Line 471 That synne warke man so myche woo, Wer with schall a man hym bere That the fynd schall hym not dere?" Line 474 The schyld seyd, "with devocyun, Thynke on goddes payssonn. [Line 436 of Vernon, = 1. (434) above, ends with "godes passioun," hence perhaps the confusion of the scribe among the lines.] Line 476(454) Whan cryst knelyd on hys holy knesse and fete, For drede of deth hys body gan swete, Whan he stod bowndyn to a pyllere strong, And betyn wos with schurges long, Line (458) That crystes body ther yt stode Wos couuertyd yn hys owe blode. Whan he wos with thronnys kyne, The wonddes yn hys hed were sene. Line (462) And whan he bare the crosse to Caluery, And sythyn there on he gan deye, Thynke on hys wonddes smerte, Line 477 And haue hys payssoyn yn þi herte. Line (466) Ther-with may euery man be ware, That the fynd schall hym not dere." Line 480 The Emprore seyd, "thys leve I wylle, [Wylle = well.] [folio 12b] That yt ys sothe euery delle. ȝyt telle me chyld, yf þou cane, What ded paye mane to god thane?" Line 484 The schyld than seyd, "dedys iij, I xall the tell wych they be, Yffe there be ony man, of schamys, [Evidently schans = chance, is intended.] That ledyth hys body yn penans, Line 488 And doth ageyn the fyndes levynge, And kepe hys body fro fowle lekynge,

God ys payed with that fore on of ye iij, [Fore—iij]: emprise, Vernon and Cotton.] He schall hau heuyn fore hys servyse. Line 492 And a-nodyr thyng pay god yn herte,— A man be grete yn poverte, And take hys poverte meke and stylle, And þe pore to helpyn be of good wylle, Line 496 And gladly helpyn and socore, Hys hevyn crysteyn þo þat be pore, Yffe he may helpyn non more, But yf hys poverte lessyt ["But here pouerte rewe," Cotton. Vernon has the same sense.] sore, Line 500 He schall haue for hys good wyll, At his partyng that ys so schyll. The iij thynge payed god mych, Yffe a man be yn erthe rech, Line 504 And be cume of grete kynne, For-sake reches and werdly wynne, And ȝeffe hym selfe to poverte,— Ther-for yn heuyn schall he be." Line 508 Than seyd the Emprore "Telle me chyld, paramore, Qwy faste men the Fryday More þan þei don ony odyr day?" Line 512 The chylde answerd and seyd aȝen, "xiij skyllys ther-fore sothe byn; The fyrste resun tellyn I can, [folio 13a] On a fryday god mad man, Line 516 In the vale of Ebr[o]n after hys grace He schap man after hys owe face. The secun[d] [MS. has sceū.] resun thow may leue, [MS. has here.] On a Fryday Adam & Eue Line 520 They loste paradyce, as I the tell, They wer damnyd yn to hell. The iij^de telle I schall,

On a Fryday Kayn slew Abelle. Line 524 The forte resun [Forte resun]: "furste martir," Vernon and Cotton.] for-soth, I the plyte, That wos slayn be-fore god all myth, Line 526 $x$ Kayme for hys wykyd tysynge, [These four couplets are in the Cotton, not in the Vernon.] Line (515) $x$ He had the cors of owre kynge. Line (516) The iiij resun ys full swete, Line 527 Whan Gabryell owre lady gan grete, On a Fryday with myld mode, Goddes sunn toke fleysse and blood Line 530 Off the mayde Mayry, With-owtyn wem of hyre body. The fyfte resun, I telle þe be-forn, On a fryday goddes sun wos born Line 534 $x$ Off the clene [holy] vyrgyn, [These four couplets are in the Cotton, not in the Vernon.] Line (525) $x$ To byen mannys sowle owte of peyn. Line (526) The vj resun ys fayere," the chyld seyd, [The chyld seyd]: "emprise," Vernon and Cotton.] Line 535 "Whan Jesus cryst wos sircumcysyd, $x$ On a Fryday he gan blede [These four couplets are in the Cotton, not in the Vernon.] Line (529) $x$ For the gylte of owre mysse-dede, $x$ And for the synne of Adam and Eue, $x$ The blood wos bled fore owre mysse be-leve. Line (532) The vij resun telle I can, Line 537 That seyn Stevyn, that good man, On a Fryday wos stonyd to dede, Line 540 Throw the fals [M.S. flas.] Arowdys rede. Line 539 The viij^te resun wyll I ȝow telle, [folio 13b] Yffe ȝe wyll a wylle dwelle; On a fryday seyn John the Baptyste, Wos hedyd for the love of cryste. Line 544 [In þe heruest after þe Assumpcion þat is i-cleped þe Decollacion.] [Supplied from Vernon and Cotton.] Line 546

Line 546 The ix resun ys full good, That goddes sun deyed on the rode. Line 548 $x$ On a fryday, as I the telle, [The two lines replace two very different lines in Vernon.] Line (545) $x$ He browte mannys sowle owte of helle. Line (546) Thys ys the x resun, Line 551 Off owre ladys assumcyun, On a fryday sche ȝylde þe goste To god that sche lovyd all moste. Line 554 In heuyn nowe that vyrgyn ys, With body and sowle all holle, i-wys; Ther he ys kyng and sche ys qwene, Blyssyd motte that tyme byne. Line 558 The xi resun ys full trew, That the postyll seynt Andrew On a Fryday wos don on cros, To god he klepyd with myld voys, Line 562 And seyd 'fadyr yn trynyte, My sowle I be-qwethe to the.' The xij resun ys myld of mode, That seynt Ellynge fond þe rode Line 566 Vpon a Fryday at Calvery, The rode that cryst ded on dey; Ther wos the holy cros fownd, Dowyn depe vndyr grownd, Line 570 $x$ And borne wos yn to the syty, [This couplet not in Vernon.] Line (563) $x$ With merthys and with solemyty. Line (564) The xiij resun ys verament, Line 571 That [Crist] schall cume at the day of jugement, [Six lines here in Vernon are omitted in Cotton and Brome.] On a Fryday with dolful mode, [folio 14a] Line (567) With handes and syd all on bloode;— Line (568) Haue the Fryday euer yn mynd. Line 579 The[se] xiij resun wrytyn I fynd. Line 580

Line 580 That the Fryday ys day of chans, Fastys [Fastys]: Best, Vernon and Cotton.] to fast and to don penans. The satyrday aftyr sekyrly, For the love of owre lady, Line 584 Ther we wern yn balys bownd, Sche browte vs owte of helle grownd. Sche ys full of mercy To all that to hyre klepyne or cry, Line 588 [To wasche and to make clene Alle þat euere in synne bene.] [Supplied from Vernon and Cotton.] Line 590 A good sterre klepyd sche ys, The beste wey vs to wysse; Off hyr spranke a fayre flowere, Line (583) Jesus cryste, owre savyore, Line (584) Blyssyd mot they all be Line 593 That seruyn that mayd with hert fre." Line 594 The Emprore with grete sterne, To the chyld he sey full ȝayrne, "Chyld," he seyd, "I cungere the, In the vertu of the Trynyte, Line 598 And yn the paysson of cryste, And yn hys deth and yn hys vp-ryste, T[h]at thow me the soth sey Or than thow wynd a-wey. Line 602 What thow arte and fro wentes þou cam?" [Vernon and Cotton have the question differently: "Wheþur art þou a wikked angel or a good?"] The chyld answerd sone a-non, "I ame he that the wroth, And on the rode the dere bowte," Line 606 [The childe wente to heuene þo To the stude þat he com fro.] [Supplied from Vernon; also in Cotton.]

The Emprore knelyd down on the grownd, And thankyd god that stownd, Line 610 And he be-cum a good man as we rede, [folio 14b] Line (603) In bedys bedynge and almesse dede; And seruyd god yn eche wysse, Line (605) And leuyd and deyed yn hys servyce. Line 612 Seynt John the evangelyste, Line 613 That ȝyd yn erth with cryste, Thys tale he tolde yn latyn, In holy wryth yn parchemyne; Line 616 He bad and commawndyd all man-kynd, The payssoyn of cryste þei schuld haue yn mynd. Thus ȝendyth the talkyng, Line 619 God ȝyffe vs all hys blyssyng. [

Vernon ends thus:—

þus endeþ þis spellyngOf Jhesu, vre heuene kyngGod graunt vs alle his swete blessyngSchrift and hosel, and good endyng. Amen.

Cotton has but two lines after 1. (606) 612, viz.:—

God ȝeue grace yt so mote beSayth all amen for charyte.

The total of lines in this Brome version amounts to 660. The Vernon contains 622, the Cotton. Calig. A II. 608 lines.

] ffinis.

PLAY OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.

Five English plays on the subject of Abraham's sacrifice are known, the Brome MS. gives a sixth, and no two are alike. [Besides these, Arthur Golding translated one from the French of Theodore Beza, in 1575, (a copy is in the Bodleian Library). See Mistére du Viel Testament, pub. par Baron J. de Rothschild (Soc. des Anciens Textes Franc. 1879), vol. ii. p. xviii.] Each of the four great collections of plays, the Chester, York, Towneley, and Coventry, includes it; one is also found in a separate form at

Trinity College, Dublin. In the lists of plays performed at Beverley and Newcastle, too, this subject has a place; and there is little doubt that it was a favourite piece, both on account of its human and pathetic interest, and its capabilities of conveying instruction, either of the mystic-typical kind familiar to the early centuries, or of a directly religious and moral nature. When complete in itself, as in the York or Dublin MSS., the play may in some instances have been performed separately, independently of the great cycle of which it formed a part; the fact that it is sometimes found in detached manuscripts would seem to indicate this. Even at Dublin, however, we know from the city records that the play of "Abraham and Isaac, with their offering and altar," was performed by the weavers' company as one of the Corpus Christi plays. [History of Dublin, by Walter Harris, London, 1766, p. 148.] I have found nothing to show that the play in the Brome MS. belonged to such a cycle in any town in East Anglia (traces exist of per|formances of religious plays at Wymondham, Manningtree, and Cambridge, and probably may be found in other places); but though it did, its separate preservation thus, copied among a number of other poems, is a proof that it was held in much estimation. The poet allowed himself space as though for a distinct play; it is nearly one hundred lines longer than the Dublin, and eighty-six lines longer than the York, the longest of the other Abraham plays. And that it may have been performed as an independent piece is confirmed by the analogy of the French Sacrifice d'Abraham out of the collection Le Mistére du Viel Testament, which M. Rothschild says "parait avoir été plus d'une fois représenté comme une mystére distinct." [Vol. ii. pp. 1—3.]

The performers to whom the play of Abraham and Isaac was allotted in various towns did not always belong to the same trade; in Newcastle-upon-Tyne the slaters produced it; in Beverley the

bowyers and fletchers; in Dublin, as we have seen, the weavers; in York, the parchminers and bookbinders; in Chester, the barbers and wax-chaundlers; for Coventry and Wakefield (Townley mysteries) the performers are not recorded.

Though the Newcastle play has not been preserved, the following account of expenses incurred in performing it in A.D. 1568, was extant in 1789 in the book of the Slaters' Company:—

	s.	d.
The plaers for thear dennares	3	0
for wyne	0	8
for the rede clothe	2	0
for the care	0	20
for four stoopes	0	6
for dreanke	0	6
for bearers of the care and baneres	0	18
in drencke 3d. to theme that bare the care, and 1d. to the plaeres in drencke, and 2d. the horse mete	0	6
for the pyper	0	8
for rosemare	0	2
for detten of the swearde	0	2
for charcole 2d., for the detten of the croones	0	2
Bertram Sadler for plaers whan they came home from the playe in mete and drenk had	0	6

(History of Newcastle, by John Brand, 1879, vol. ii. p. 370). We have here a car, on which was perhaps carried the altar for sacrifice, as the bearers are mentioned; banners preceded it, as was usual at such performances. Red cloth, a sword, and crowns are the other properties. The players and probably the piper also seem to have been well provided with meat, drink, and wine.

The play now printed from the Brome MS. is superior to other versions [See for a more detailed comparison of the various English plays of Abraham and Isaac with the Brome version, Anglia, vol. vii. part 3. (Halle, 1884).] in touches of child-nature, and the varied play of feeling skilfully shown—the dear coquetting between the love of his child and the committal of the deed by the obedient but agonised father. The child begging his father not to kill him, and his fear of the sword, even after all danger is over (lines 168, 180, 378-9), are touched in with a life not found elsewhere. The thought of the mother (though Sara herself is not brought in) breaks out in the most natural and affecting manner (lines 175, 205, 254—261, 372); and the joyful rebound of emotion after the painful strain between duty and affection, expressing itself in the kisses of Abraham and the apostrophes of Isaac to the "gentle sheep," must have warmly appealed to the hearts of the audience. Finally, the lesson of faith for "learned and lewed" and "the wisest of us all" is taught by the "Doctor" in the simplest manner, without reference to types or Christianity.

With regard to the versification of the play the reader will observe that it is irregular, in several places the lines run in clear stanzas of five lines, rhyming a b a a b; in others they appear to be in stanzas of eight lines, rhyming alternately, with a frequent short line or

tag following. There are also many lines which seem to be formless as regards metre, rhyme, or stanza. Judging by the analogy of other plays of the kind, it is probable that this also was originally composed with much care for its poetical form, but has become partially corrupt through oral repetition and the errors of copyists. In one or two instances only have the sense and the rhyme required enabled me to suggest restorations (lines 132, 141, 354, 428): a local or corrected pronunciation will lead to the restoration of other rhymes, as in lines 17—20, 38, 40, 76, 286, 409, 410.

It must be remarked also that interjectional phrases and ex|clamations were probably often treated as prose in this piece, as they certainly were in the York plays. This adds to the difficulty of discovering the normal stanza. Three stage directions only are found (after lines 289, 315, and 383): they are written in the MS· as part of the text. The rest, with the title personages, and scene of the play, are my addition. The names of the speakers are written in the margin of the original.

[A PLAY OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.

Dramatis Personæ.

• DEUS.
• ANGELUS.
• ABRAHAM.
• ISAAC.

Scene— The field near Abraham's abode in Beersheba].

Abraham.

Fader of heuyn omnipotent, With all my hart to the I call, [folio 15a] Thow hast ȝoffe me both lond and rent, And my lyvelod thow hast me sent, Line 4 I thanke the heyly, [Heyly, highly.] euer more, of all.

Fyrst off the erth þou maydst Adam, And Eue also to be hys wyffe, All other creatures of them too cam, Line 8 And now thow hast grant to me, Abraham, Her in thys lond to lede my lyffe.

In my age þou hast grantyd me thys, That thys ȝowng chyld with me shall wone; Line 12 I love no thyng so myche, i-wysse, Except þin owyne selffe, der fader of blysse, As ysaac her, my owyne swete sone.

I haue dyuerse chyldryn moo Line 16 The wych I love not halffe so wyll; [The adverb "well" is spelt throughout wyll, it was pronounced to rhyme with feel, deal, &c.] Thys fayer swet chyld, he schereys [Schereys, cheers.] me soo, In euery place wer that I goo, That noo dessece [Dissece, dis-ease, i.e. hurt or discomfort.] her may I fell. [Fell, feel.] Line 20

And ther for, fadyr of heuyn, I the prey For hys helth and also for hys grace, Now lord, kepe hym both nygth and day, That neuer dessese nor noo fray Line 24 Cume to my chyld in noo place.

[To Isaac.

Now cum on, ysaac, my owyne swete chyld! Goo we hom and take owr rest.

Ysaac.

Abraham! myne owyne fader so myld, Line 28 To folowe ȝow I am full glad, Bothe erly and late.

Abraham.

Cume on, swete chyld, I love the best [folio 15b] Of all the chyldryn that euer I be-gat. Line 32

Deus

[in heaven].

Myn angell, fast hey the thy wey, An on to medyll-erth anon þou goo,

Abram's hart now wyll I asay, Wether that he be stedfast or noo. Line 36 Sey I commaw[n]dyd hym for to take Ysaac, hys ȝowng sonne, þat he love so wyll, And with hys blood sacryfyce he make, Yffe ony off my freynchepe yf he wyll ffell. Line 40 Schow hym the wey on to the hylle Wer that hys sacryffyce schall be, I schall a-say now hys good wyll, Whether he lovyd better hys chyld or me. Line 44 All men schall take exampyll be hym My commawmentes how they schall kepe.

Abraham.

Now fader of heuyn þat formyd all thyng, My preyeres I make to the a-ȝeyn, Line 48 For thys day my tender offryng Here mvst I ȝeve to the certeyn. A! lord god, all myty kyng, Wat maner best woll make þ^e most fayn? Line 52 Yff I had ther-of very knoyng Yt schuld be don with all my mayne, Full sone a-none. To don thy plesyng on an hyll, Line 56 Verely yt ys my wyll, Dere fader god in trinyte.

[Enter Angel.

The Angell.

Abraham, Abraham, wyll þou rest! Owre lord comandyth þe for to take Line 60 Ysaac, thy ȝowng sone that thow lovyst best, [folio 16a] And with hys blod sacryfyce þat thow make.

In to the lond of Vsyon thow goo, And offer thy chyld on-to thy lord; Line 64 I schall the lede and schow all soo; Vnto goddes hest Abraham a-cord, And folow me vp on thys grene. [Perhaps grene should be hond, to rhyme with stond in line 69.]

Abraham.

Wolle-com to me be my lordes sond, Line 68 And hys hest I wyll not with-stond: ȝyt ysaac, my ȝowng sonne in lond, A full dere chyld to me haue byn.

I had lever, [Lever, comparative of lief, dear; I had lever, it were dearer to me, I had rather.] yf god had be plesyd. Line 72 For to a for-bore all þe good þat I haue, Than ysaac my sone schuld a be desessyd, So god in heuyn my sowll mot saue!

I lovyd neuer thyng soo mych in erthe, [Pronounce erde, cf. lines 220, 222.] Line 76 And now I mvst the chyld goo kyll. A! lord god, my conseons ys stronly steryd, And ȝyt my dere lord I am sore a-ferd, To groche ony thyng a-ȝens ȝowre wyll. Line 80

I love my chyld as my lyffe, But ȝyt I love my god myche more, For thow my hart woold make ony stryffe, ȝyt wyll I not spare for chyld nor wyffe, Line 84 But don after my lordes lore.

Thow I love my sonne neuer so wyll, ȝyt smythe of hys hed sone I schall.

A! fader of heuyn, to the I knell, [Knell, kneel.] Line 88 An hard dethe my son schall fell For to honor the, lord, with-all.

The Angell.

Abraham! Abraham! thys ys wyll seyd, [folio 16b] And all thys comamentes [Comamentes, commandments.] loke þat þou kepe, Line 92 But in thy hart be no thyng dysmasyd.

Abraham.

Nay, nay, for-soth, I held me wyll plesyd. To plesse [MS. pelsse.] my god with the best þat I haue For thow my hart be heuely sett Line 96 To see the blood of my owyn dere sone, ȝyt for all thys I wyll not lett, But ysaac my son I wyll goo fett,

[Exit Angel.

And cum asse fast as euer we can. Line 100

Now ysaac, my owyne son dere, Wer art thow, chyld? Speke to me.

Ysaac.

My fader, swet fader, I am here, And make my preyrys to þe trenyte. Line 104

Abraham.

Rysse vp, my chyld, and fast cum heder, My gentyll barn þat art so wysse, For we to, chyld, must goo to-geder, And on-to my lord make sacryffyce. Line 108

Line 108

Ysaac.

I am full redy, my fader, loo! ȝevyn at ȝowr handes I stand rygth here, And wat so euer ȝe byd me doo, Yt schall be don with glad cher, Line 112 Full wyll and fyne.

Abraham.

A! ysaac, my owyn son soo dere, Godes blyssyng I ȝyffe the and myn. Hold thys fagot vp on þi bake, Line 116 And her my selffe fyer schall bryng.

Ysaac.

Fader all thys here wyll I packe, I am full fayn to do ȝowr bedyng.

Abraham. [folio 17a]

A! lord of heuyn, my handes I wryng, Line 120 Thys chyldes wordes all to wond my harte. Now ysaac, on, goo we owr wey

[They set off.

On to ȝon mownte, with all owr mayn.

Ysaac.

Gowe my dere fader as fast as I may, Line 124 To folow ȝow I am full fayn, All thow I be slendyr.

Abraham.

A! lord! my hart brekyth on tweyn, [In MS. tewyn.] Thys chyldes wordes, they be so tender. Line 128

Line 128 A! ysaac, son, a-non ley yt down, No lenger vp on þi backe yt bere, For I mvst make redy bon To honowr my lord god as I schuld. [Perhaps the original version had that I fere, for as I schuld.] Line 132

[They arrive at Mount Vision.

Ysaac.

Loo! my dere fader, were yt ys, To cher ȝow all-wey I draw me nere. But fader, I mervell sore of thys, Wy þat ȝe make thys heuy chere? Line 136 And also, fader, euer more dred I, Wer ys ȝowr qweke [Qweke, quick, alive.] best þat ȝe schuld kyll?

Both fyer and wood we haue redy, But queke best haue we non on þis hyll. Line 140 A qwyke best, I wot wyll, must be ded, ȝowr sacryfyce for to make. [In the MS. lines 141 and 142 are reversed.]

Abraham.

Dred the nowgth, my chyld, I the red, Owr lord wyll send me on to thys sted, Line 144 Summ maner a best for to take, Throw hys swet sond.

Ysaac.

ȝa! fader, but my hart begynnyth to quake, To se þat scharpe sword in ȝowr hond. Line 148 Wy bere ȝe ȝowr sword drawyn soo? Off ȝowre conwnauns [This word appears to be countenance.] I haue mych wonder. [folio 17b]

Abraham.

A! fader of heuyn, so [MS. os.] I am woo! Thys chyld her brekys my harte on too. Line 152

Line 152

Ysaac.

Tell me, my dere fader, or that ȝe ses, Ber ȝe ȝowr sword draw for me?

Abraham.

A! ysaac, swet son, pes! pes! For i-wys thow breke my harte on thre. Line 156

Ysaac.

Now trewly sum-what, fader, ȝe thynke, That ȝe morne thus more and more.

Abraham.

A! lord of heuyn, thy grace let synke, For my hart wos neuer halffe so sore. Line 160

Ysaac.

I preye ȝow, fader, þat ȝe wyll let me þat wyt, Wyther schall I haue ony harme or noo?

Abraham.

I-wys, swet son, I may not tell the ȝyt, My hart ys now soo full of woo. Line 164

Ysaac.

Dere fader, I prey ȝow, hydygth [Hydygth, hide it. This appears to be a relic of the coalescence of a verb and pronoun, a peculiarity of East Midland dialect. See also lines 257, 300, 304.] not fro me, But sum of ȝowr thowt þat ȝe tell me.

Abraham.

A ysaac, ysaac! I must kyll the.

Ysaac.

Kyll me, fader, a-lasse! wat haue I done? Line 168 Yff I haue trespassyd a ȝens ȝow owt, With a ȝard ȝe may make me full myld; And with ȝowr scharp sword kyll me nogth, For i-wys, fader, I am but a chyld. Line 172

Abraham.

I am full sory, son, thy blood for to spyll, But truly, my chyld, I may not chese.

Ysaac.

Now I wold to god my moder were her on yis hyll, Sche woold knele for me on both hyr kneys Line 176 To save my lyffe. And sythyn that my moder ys not here, I pray ȝow fader, schonge [Schonge, change.] ȝowr chere, And kyll me not with ȝowyr knyffe. Line 180

Abraham.

For-sothe, son, but ȝyf I the kyll, I schuld greve god rygth sore, I drede, Yt ys hys commawment and also hys wyll That I schuld do thys same dede. Line 184 He commawndyd me, son, for serteyn, To make my sacryfyce with thy blood.

Ysaac.

And ys yt goddes wyll þat I schuld be slayn?

Abraham.

Za, truly, ysaac, my son soo good, Line 188 And ther-for my handes I wryng.

Ysaac.

Now fader, aȝens my lordes wyll, I wyll neuer groche, lowd nor styll; He mygth a sent [A sent, a be—have sent, have been.] me a better desteny Line 192 Yf yt had a be [A sent, a be—have sent, have been.] hys plecer.

Abraham.

For-sothe, son, but yf I ded þis dede, Grevosly dysplessyd owr lord wyll be.

Ysaac.

Nay, nay, fader, god for-bede, Line 196 That euer ȝe schuld greve hym for me.

ȝe haue other chyldryn, on or too, The wyche ȝe schuld love wyll, be kynd; I prey ȝow, fader, make ȝe no woo, Line 200 For be I onys ded and fro ȝow goo, I schall be sone owt of ȝowre mynd.

Ther-for doo owre lordes byddyng, And wan I am ded than prey for me: Line 204 But, good fader, tell ȝe my moder no thyng, Sey þat I am in a-nother cuntre dwellyng. [MS. dewllyng.]

Abraham.

A! ysaac, ysaac, blyssyd mot thow be!

My hart be-gynnys [MS. begynnyd.] stronly to rysse, Line 208 To see the blood off thy blyssyd body.

Ysaac.

Fader, syn yt may be noo other wysse, Let yt passe ouer as wyll as I. But fader, or I goo on to my deth, [folio 18b] Line 212 I prey ȝow blysse me with ȝowr hand.

Abraham.

Now ysaac, with all my breth, My blyssyng I ȝeve þe vpon thys lond, And godes also ther to, i-wys. Line 216 Ysaac! ysaac, sone up thow stond, Thy fayer swete mowthe þat I may kys.

Ysaac.

Now, for wyll, [That is, fare well.] my owyne fader so fyn, And grete wyll my moder in erthe. [See note to line 76.] Line 220 But I prey ȝow fader to hyd my eyne, That I se not þe stroke of ȝowr scharpe sword, That my fleysse schall defyle.

Abraham.

Sone, thy wordes make me to weep full sore, Line 224 Now my dere son ysaac, speke no more.

Ysaac.

A! my owyne dere fader, were fore? We schall speke to-gedyr her but a wylle. [Wylle, while.] And sythyn that I must nedysse be ded, Line 228 ȝyt my dere fader to ȝow I prey, Smythe but feve [I. e. few.] strokes at my hed, And make an end as sone as ȝe may, And tery not to longe. Line 232

Line 232

Abraham.

Thy meke wordes, chyld, make me afrayed, So welawey! may be my songe, Excepe alonly godes wyll. A! ysaac, my owyn swete chyld! Line 236 ȝyt kysse me a-ȝen vp-on thys hyll! In all thys war[l]d ys non so myld.

Ysaac.

Now, truly, fader, all thys teryyng Yt doth my hart but harme. Line 240 I prey ȝow, fader, make an enddyng.

Abraham.

Cume up, swet son, on to my arme, I must bynd thy hands too,

[He binds Isaac's hands.

All thow thow be neuer soo myld. Line 244

Ysaac.

A! mercy, fader, wy schuld ȝe do soo?

Abraham. [folio 19a]

That thow schuldyst not let [me], my chyld.

Ysaac.

Nay, i-wysse, fader, I wyll not let ȝow, Do on for me ȝowre wyll, Line 248 And on the purpos that ȝe haue set ȝow, For godes love kepe yt forthe styll. I am full sory thys day to dey, But ȝyt I kepe not my god to greve, Line 252 Do on ȝowre lyst for me hardly, My fayer swete fader, I ȝeffe ȝow leve.

But, fader, I prey ȝow euer more, Tell ȝe my moder no dell. [Dell, deal, bit; no dell, not at all.] Line 256 Yffe sche wostyt sche wold wepe full sore, For i-wysse, fader, sche lovyt me full wyll; Goddes blyssyng mot sche haue! Now for-wyll, my moder so swete, Line 260 We too be leke no mor to mete.

Abraham.

A! ysaac, ysaac! son, þou makyst me to gret, And with thy wordes thow dystempurst me.

Ysaac.

I-wysse, swete fader, I am sory to greve ȝow, Line 264 I cry ȝow mercy of that I haue donne, And of all trespasse þat euer I ded meve ȝow, Now, dere fader, for-ȝyffe me þat I have donne. God of heuyn be with me. Line 268

Abraham.

A! dere chyld, lefe of thy monys, In all thy lyffe thow grevyd me neuer onys, Now blyssyd be thow, body and bonys, That euer thow were bred and born, Line 272 Thow hast be to me, chyld, full good. But i-wysse, chyld, thou I morne neuer so fast, ȝyt must I nedes here at the last In thys place sched all thy blood. Line 276 Ther-for, my dere son, her schall þou lye, On-to my warke I must me stede, I-wysse I had as leve my selffe to dey,— Yf god wyll plecyd with my dede,— [folio 19b] Line 280 And myn owyn body for to offer.

Ysaac.

A! mercy, fader, morne ȝe no more, ȝowr wepyng make my hart sore, As my owyn deth that I schall suffer. Line 284 ȝowre kerche fader a-bowt my eyn ȝe wynd.

Abraham.

So I schall, my swettest chyld in erthe.

Ysaac.

Now ȝyt, good fader, haue thys in mynd, And smyth me not oftyn with ȝowr scharp sword, Line 288 But hastely that yt be sped.

Abraham.

[Here Abraham leyd a cloth on Ysaaces face, thus seyyng—

Now, fore wyll, my chyld, so full of grace.

Ysaac.

A! fader, fader, torne downgward my face, For of ȝowre scharpe sword I am euer a dred. Line 292

Abraham.

To don thys dede I am full sory, But lord thyn hest I wyll not with stond.

Ysaac.

A! Fader of heuyn! to the I crye, Lord, reseyve me in to thy hand. Line 296

Abraham.

Loo! now ys the tyme cum certeyn, That my sword in hys necke schall synke. A! lord, my hart reysyth the ageyn, I may not fyndygth [See note to line 165.] in my harte to smygth; Line 300

Line 300 My hart wyll not now ther too, ȝyt fayn I woold warke my lordes wyll. But thys ȝowng Innosent lygth so styll, I may not fyndygth in my hart hym to kyll. Line 304 O! Fader of heuyn! what schall I doo?

Ysaac.

A! mercy, fader, wy tery ȝe so, And let me ley thus longe on þis heth? Now I wold to god þe stroke were doo, Line 308 Fader, I prey ȝow hartely, schorte me of my woo, And let me not loke thus after my degth.

Abraham.

Now hart, wy wolddyst not thow breke on thre? ȝyt schall þu not make me to my god on-myld. [folio 20a] I wyll no lenger let for the, Line [312 For that my god a-grevyd wold be, Now hoold tha stroke, my owyn dere chyld.

[Her Abraham drew hys stroke and the angell toke the sword in hys hond soddenly.]

The Angell.

I am an angell, thou mayist se blythe, Line 316 That fro heuyn to the ys senth, Owr lord thanke the an c. sythe, For the kepyng of hys commawment. He knowyt þi wyll and also thy harte, Line 320 That thow dredyst hym above all thyng, And sum of thy hevynes for to departe A fayr Ram ȝynder I gan brynge, He standyth teyed, loo! a-mong þe breres. Line 324 Now, Abraham, a-mend thy mood, For ysaac, thy ȝowng son þat her ys, Thys day schall not sched hys blood;

Goo, make thy sacryfece with ȝon Rame. Line 328 Now, for-wyll [For-wyll, farewell.] blyssyd Abraham, For on-to heuyn I goo now hom, The wey ys full gayn. Take vp thy son soo free. Line 332

[Exit Angel.

Abraham.

A! lord, I thanke the of thy gret grace, Now am I yeyed [Yeyed, joyed, rejoiced.] on dyuers wysse, A-rysse vp, ysaac, my dere sunne a-rysse, Arysse vp, swete chyld, and cum to me. Line 336

Ysaac.

A! mercy, fader, wy smygth ȝe not ȝyt? A! smygth on, fader, onys with ȝowre knyffe.

Abraham.

Pesse, my swet sir! and take no thowt, For owre lord of heuyn hath grant þi lyffe Line 340 Be hys angell now, That þou schalt not dey þis dey, sunne, truly.

Ysaac. [folio 20b]

A! fader, full glad than wer I, I-wys! fader, I sey, i-wys! Line 344 Yf thys tale wer trew.

Abraham.

An hundyrd tymys, my son fayer of hew, For joy þi mowt now wyll I kys.

Ysaac.

A! my dere fader, Abraham, Line 348 Wyll not god be wroth þat we do thus?

Abraham.

Noo, noo! harly [Harly, heartily.] my swyt son, For ȝyn [ȝyn, yon.] same Rame he hath vs sent Hether down to vs. Line 352 ȝyn [ȝyn, yon.] best schall dey here in þi sted, In the worþchup [MS. worpchup.] of our lord a-lon. Goo fet hym hethyr, my chyld, in ded.

Ysaac.

Fader, I wyll goo hent [Hent, seize.] hym be the hed, Line 356 And bryng ȝon best with me a-non.

[Isaac catches the ram.

A! scheppe, scheppe! blessed mot þou be, That euer thow were sent down heder, Thow schall thys day dey for me, Line 360 In the worchup of the holy Trynyte, Now cum fast and goo we to geder To my fader of heuyn, Thow þou be neuer so jentyll and good, Line 364 ȝyt had I leuer thow schedyst þi blood, I-wysse, scheppe, than I. Loo! fader, I haue browt here full smerte, Thys jentyll scheppe, Line 368 And hym to ȝow I ȝyffe. But lord god, I thanke ye with all my hart, For I am glad that I schall leve, And kys onys my dere moder. Line 372

Abraham.

Now be rygth myry, my swete chylld, For thys qwyke best þat ys so myld, Here I schall present be-fore all other. [folio 21a]

Ysaac.

And I wyll fast be-gynne to blowe, Line 376 Thys fyere schall brene a full good spyd; But, fader, wyll I stowppe [Stowppe, stoope, bend.] downe lowe, ȝe wyll not kyll me with ȝowre sword, I trowe?

Abraham.

Noo, harly, [Harly, hertely, heartily, truly.] swet son haue no dred, Line 380 My mornyng ys past.

Ysaac.

ȝa! but I woold þat sword wer in a glad, [Glad, glede, hot ash in the fire. Isaac wishes the sword were in the fire, it terrifies him so greatly.] For i-wys, fader, yt make me full yll a-gast.

[Here Abraham mad hys offryng, knelyng and seying thus—

Abraham.

Now lord god of hevyn in Trynyte, Line 384 All myty god omnipotent, My offeryng I make in the worchope of the, And with thys qweke best I the present. Lord reseyve thow myn intent, Line 388 As art god and grownd of owr grace.

Deus.

Abraham, Abraham, wyll mot thow sped, And ysaac, þi ȝowng son the by, Trvly, Abraham, for thys dede, Line 392 I schall mvltyplye ȝowres botheres sede As thyke as sterres be in the skye, Bothe more and lesse; And as thyke as gravell in the see, Line 396 So thyke mvltyplyed ȝowre sede schall be, Thys grant I ȝow for ȝowre goodnesse.

Off ȝow schall cume frowte gret, And euer be in blysse with-owt ȝynd, [ȝynd, end.] Line 400 For ȝe drede me as god a-lon, And kepe my commawmentes eueryschon. My blyssyng I ȝeffe, were so euer ȝe goo.

Abraham.

Loo, ysaac, my son, how thynke ȝe Line 404 Be thys warke that we haue wrogth, Full glad and blythe we may be [folio 21b] Aȝens þe wyll of god þat we grucched nott, Vp-on thys fayer hetth. Line 408

Ysaac.

A! fader, I thanke owr lord euery dell, That my wyt servyd me so wyll, For to drede god more than my detth.

Abraham.

Why dere-wordy son, wer thow a-dred? Line 412 Hardely, chyld, tell me thy lore.

Ysaac.

ȝa, be my feyth, fader, now hath I red, I wos neuer soo afrayd be-fore, As I haue byn at ȝyn hyll. Line 416 But be my feyth, fader, I swere I wyll neuer more cume there, But yt be aȝens my wyll.

Abraham.

ȝa, cum on with me, my owyn swet sonn, Line 420 And hom-ward fast now let vs goon.

Ysaac.

Be my feyth, fader, ther-to I grant, I had neuer so good wyll to gon hom, And to speke with my dere moder. Line 424

Line 424

Abraham.

A! lord of heuyn, I thanke the, For now may I led hom with me Ysaac, my ȝownge sonn soo fre. The gentyllest chyld a-bove all other, [MS., erthe.] Line 428 Thys may I wyll a-voee. Now goo we forthe my blyssyd sonn.

Ysaac.

I grant, fader, and let vs gon, For be my trowthe wer I at home, Line 432 I wold neuer gon owt vnder that forme. I prey god ȝeffe vs grace euer mo, And all thow that we be holdyng to.

Doctor.

Lo! sovereyns and sorys, [Sorys, sirs.] now haue we schowyd, Line 436 Thys solom story hath schowyd to grete and smale, It ys good lernyng to lernd and lewyd, And þe wysest of vs all, [folio 22a] Wyth owtyn ony berryng. [Berryng, from berry, to thresh. The "learning" or teaching of this story comes out without any threshing.] Line 440 For thys story schoyt ȝowe How we schuld kepe to owr pore Goddes commawmentes, with owt grochyng. Trowe ȝe, sores, and god sent an angell, Line 444 And commawndyd ȝow to smygth of ȝowr chyldes hed, Be ȝowre trowthe ys ther ony of ȝow That eyther wold groche or stryve ther ageyn?

How thyngke ȝe now, sorys, ther-by? Line 448 I trow ther be iij or iiij or moo; And thys women that wepe so sorowfully Whan that hyr chyldryn dey them froo, As nater woll, [Woll repeated twice in MS.] and kynd. Line 452 Yt ys but folly, I may wyll awooe, To groche a-ȝens god or to greve ȝow, For ȝe schall neuer se hym myschevyd, wyll I knowe, Be lond nor watyr, haue thys in mynd. Line 456 And groche not a-ȝens owr lord god, In welthe or woo, wether that he ȝow send, Thow ȝe be neuer so hard be-stad, For whan he wyll he may yt a-mend. Line 460 Hys comawmentes treuly yf ȝe kepe with goo[d] hart, As thys story hath now schowyd ȝow before, And feytheffully serve hym qwyll ȝe be qvart, [Quart, active, hearty, in good condition.] That ȝe may plece god bothe euyn and morne. Line 464 Now Jesu, that weryt the crown of thorne, Bryng vs all to heuyn blysse!

Finis.

THE FIFTEEN SIGNS BEFORE DOOMSDAY.

IN the first century after Christ the expectation of the last day gave rise to descriptions of the signs which should betoken it, shaped by fervent imagination, not only upon our Lord's predictions in Luke xxi. 9—11; Math. xiv. 7 and xxiv. 29; Mark xiii. 24, but also on other passages, as Ezekiel xxxii. 7, 8; Joel ii. 10, 32; Isa. xiii. 9, 10, and xxxiv. 4, and others. The apocryphal fourth book of Ezra, Bishop Hippolytus, Lactantius, Eusebius, Jerome, and Augustine, one after the other, took up the legend,—increased, defined, or modified it.

A Greek acrostic, which in the fourth and fifth centuries was embodied by Lactantius in his Divina Institutio and translated by Augustine into Latin hexameters, [Civitate Dei, lib. 18, cap. 22.] seems to be the original source of the narration of fifteen definite signs of doom predicted by one of the Sibyls, which, perhaps mainly through this translation of Augustine's, became widely spread in the works of Bede, Adso, Comestor, Aquinas, and others, during the middle ages. Poems, on varying versions of the subject taken from these writers, are found in nearly every country of Christendom, from the twelfth century onwards,—French, Provençal, Italian, Spanish, German, Old Friesic, Dutch, Anglo-Saxon, English, Old Irish, and Icelandic. [It would be impossible to give here full details. Those who wish to go further into the subject are referred to Dr. Nölle's useful and suggestive essay, Die Legende von den Fünfzehn Zeichen vor dem jüngsten Gerichte, in Paul and Braune's Beiträge, Halle, 1879, vol. vi. p. 412, and to the references in it; to an article by E. Sommer, in the Zeitschrift für Deutsches Alterthum, vol. iii. p. 523; and especially to that by Caroline Michaëlis in Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen, &c., 1870, vol. xlvi. p. 33; to references in Mätzner's Altenglische Sprachproben, i. 120, and in Furnivall's Adam Davy's Five Dreams, &c., E. E. T. Soc., 1878; for French version to the Bulletin des Anc. Textes Francais, 1879, pp. 74, 79—83, and to the drama of Adam, ed. V. Luzarche, Tours, 1854, p. 71; as to Provençal, see Daurel et Beton, ed. P. Meyer, Soc. des Anc. Textes Fr. 1880, p. xcvii. The Northmen of the tenth century, or thereabouts, put the story into the Wolospa (see Vigfusson and Powell's Corp. Poet. Boreale, i. lxvii. ii. 625, 637, 650; in Old Irish about the twelfth century, Dr. Whitley Stokes tells me, it is found in a collection of poems on the histories of the Bible, Saltair na Rann (Anecdota Oxon. Oxford, 1883, ed. Whitley Stokes), Nos. cliii.—clix. The old Friesian version is printed in Max Rieger's Lesebuch, p. 213.]

A great many of these poems and writers, the earliest of whom appears to be Bede, [Collectanea et Flores, Works, Cologne, 1612, iii. p. 494.] attribute the legend to Jerome; nothing of the kind is, however, to be found in his works printed by the Benedictines, though it may have been in some writing of his now lost.

There are many middle English poems on the Signs of Doom. It is found sometimes included as part of a long collective poem, as in the Cursor Mundi, ll. 22428—22710, in part iv.; Hampole's Prick of Conscience, ll. 4738—4817; and Sir David Lyndesay's Monarche, book iv. ll. 5450—5509. The legend is embodied in a shorter poem

to enforce the argument, as in one of the versions of the Debate between the Body and the Soul, [This version agrees with that in the Saltair na Rann, in describing only seven signs.] Harl. MS. 2253, fol. 57, ll. 49—86, printed in the Latin poems of W. Mapes, edited by Thomas Wright, Camden Society, 1841, p. 346, and in the play called Ezechiel, foretelling Anti|Christ and the End of the World, in the Chester Plays, ed. T. Wright, Shakespeare Soc., 1847, vol. ii. p. 147; or it is a short detached piece confined to the subject alone. Examples of these have been printed from eight manuscripts. [Mätzner, as before, i. p. 120; Furnivall's Adam Davy, &c., p. 92, from Laud MS. 622; Furnivall's Hymns to the Virgin and Christ, E. E. T. Soc., 1867, p. 118, from a MS. at Trin. Coll., Cambridge, B. xi. 24; J. Small's English Metrical Homilies of the Fourteenth Century, Edinburgh, 1862, p. 25; Chester Plays, ed. for Shakespeare Soc. by T. Wright, 1847, vol. ii. p. 219, from Harl. 913, fol. 20, and Harl. 2255, fol. 117; Varnhagen, in Anglia, vol. iii. 1880, pp. 533, 543, from Cambridge University, Ff. ii. 38, fo. 42, and Cotton Caligula, A. ii. fol. 89.] Our Brome example is another copy of that found in the Cambridge Trinity College manuscript mentioned in the note. It contains sixteen lines at the beginning (ll. 3—18) not found in that copy, and several other variations; but on the whole follows it pretty closely. The last thirty|two lines are, however, wanting at the hand of the Brome scribe. As the two are nearly contemporary, the Cambridge MS. being dated by Mr. Furnivall at about 1450 A.D., I have numbered the lines of the Brome copy independently. The version printed by Varnhagen from the Cotton MS. (see note below) is a third copy of the same. It contains fifty-six lines of preamble before the line "Kyng of blysse, blyssyd þou be!" with which the Trinity College and Brome copies begin, and wants a few lines in other places, otherwise it bears a close resemblance to these.

Kyng of blysse, blyssyd þou be, [folio 23a] lord of myth and of pete! Grawnth [Graunte, Cotton version.] vs, for thy holy myth, That we synne neuer with-ynne þi syth; Line 4 Off thy wyll, we prey the, That þe fynd yn vs hath no poste.

Mayden Mary, full of grace, Be-seke thy sone yn euery place, Line 8 As he ys lord of myche grace, That the fynd yn vs haue no space, [

Lines 11 and 12 stand thus in Cotton:—

The sowle, þat he tooke us to ȝeme,That hyt be to þe Jesu for to qweme.

] The sowle þat ȝe toke and vs ȝeweffe, That ys be Jesus cryste to qveweffe. Line 12 A pater noster sey we all, In de[d]ly synne þat we þer-in nouȝt fall, And an aue and a crede, Lord! for-ȝeue vs owre mysse-dede, Line 16 Granth vs, lord! [Shryfte instead of lord in Cotton.] be-forne owre ende, For we wote neuer wan we xall wynde. The xv tokenys tellyn I may, The wych xall cume or domys day, Line 20 And also seyth seynth Jeromye In the boke of prophecye.

i.

The fyrste day xall reyne blode, For drede men xall byn all-moste wode, Line 24 All that yn erthe than xall stand Schall waxyn blake, and blod xall wond. The chyldryn on-borne, I tell the, Off thoo tokenys a-ferd xall be, Line 28 And cryen vp-on heuyne bryth, Ryth as they spekyn myth.

ij.

The secunde day ys hard to telle, The starrys schuldyn fro heuyne falle, Line 32 Also dreful and also bryth As the fyer of thundyr lyth. Men owt to seyn "[well-away]! These byn the tokenys of þe dome[s-day]!" Line 36 They xall cryen and syen sore, [folio 23b]

And [say], "Jesu cryste, thyn hore." [This word is ore in the Camb. MS., i.e., mercy, pity.]

iij.

The thredde day ys day non swech [In the Cambridge these two words are "syche" and "heven-ryche."] In erthe nor yn heuyn-ryth, [In the Cambridge these two words are "syche" and "heven-ryche."] Line 40 The hey sunne that ys so bryth, So fayer and so full of lyth, Schall be-cume blakker than þe pyke. In that day t[r]ewe-lyche, Line 44 Men xall than þe sune se Also swart as yt may be, Men xall sore a-ferd be For the tokenys that they xall se. Line 48 Alas! that we xall here a-byde To syne sweche sorowe on euery syde.

iiij.

The forte day tokyn ys full long, With wepynge and with sowrowe strong. Line 52 The mone xall at the erþe stond, To rede bloode he xall wond; He hastyd hym sore to the grownd, He wyll ther be leuyn no stownd, Line 56 To the see he goth for drede, As Moyses be-forn vs seyd. The Mone xall waxyn brod and full rawe, And wyndyn owth of hys ryth lawe. Line 60 The man xall sey to hys wyffe, "A-las! that we byn a-lyve."

v.

The fifte day comyth full swyþe, For euery best that ys on-lyve Line 64 Toward heuyn hys hed he halte, Wondyr yt ys that he may walke. He wold spekyn, and he myth, And cryen, "mercy! Jesu cryste," Line 68 And klepyn, "Jesu, thyn ore, Off that myschyffe we se no more."

So seyth the prophecye, In hys boke of Joromye, Line 72 That euery beste a-ferd schall be [folio 24a] Off thoo tokenys that they xall se. Wyll they mown vndyr-stonde That all thys word xall vndyr-fonde, Line 76 That Jesu haue on vs pete, As he vs bowth on the rode tre, That we mown cume to hys blyse, Jesu, lord! yf thy wyll ys. Line 80

vj.

The sexte day xall down fall Trysse with ther croppys all, Toward heuyn turne the rote, And to the grownd the toppys for þe fote. Line 84 Man for drede xall lesyn hys wyffe, The wyffe hyre [child] and þe chylde the lyffe; All þou leuyn xall lesyn ther wyth, [I.e., wit.] Wo ys hym that day on byth. Line 88 The folke than that arn on-lyve, Myche peyne they schall dryve. A-las! that lyve ys so towth, That yt may with sowrow nowth, Line 92 Bettyr yt wer to byn on-lyffe [Camb. has "oute off lyve."] Than wyche sorow for to dryve.

vij.

The sente day schall [f]all down Chyrch, and castyll, and euery town, Line 96 All xall brekyn euery dell, The mowteynys xall þe dalles fyll; For strong drede yt schall schake, That all the word fore dred xall quake. Line 100 Than schall þe ward yevyn be, Wo ys hym that yt xall se!

viij.

The eyȝte day ys day of drede, As moyseys be-forn vs seyd, Line 104

Line 104 That the see schall rysyne and fle More than hys myth schall be. For drede he rysyth, hebbyth, and flowyth, For the stronge wynd that blowyth, Line 108 The wavys schuldyn so grete be In-to heuyn yt wold fley. [folio 24b] All that leuyn that yche day, He wold flyen and he noȝte may, Line 112 Vnder erthe they woldyn be, That god xulde hym noȝte se. Than he hym with-drawe, And gon a-ȝen yn-to hys ryth lawe. Line 116 God of heuyn that yche day, So he brynge vs theder as he wyll may.

ix.

The nynȝth day, wondyr yt ys, As prophycye vs seyth, i-wys, Line 120 For euery watyr xall spekyn than, And steyn vp be-fore a man, And cryen than to Jesus cryste, Ryth as they spekyne myth, Line 124 "Lord! thys myschyffe þou ful-fyll, For we dedyn neuer a-ȝen þi wyll Wyth synne nor with wykyd dede, Lord! bryng vs owte of thys drede. Line 128 And gran[t]wȝt vs all to reste Ther bale ys moste, and boote ys beste."

x.

The tenthe day ys day of sweme, [Sweme, trouble or grief.] As Gregory seyth and Jeromye, Line 132 That knelyn schall angelys bryth, A-forn the fote of Jesus cryste. Seyn pater [I.e., Peter.] and hys felow-rede Schall not dore speke a word fore drede, Line 136 He xulldyn syn heuyn on-do, And the erthe ryth also,

He seyth and crystes swete sone For drede of the strong dome; Line 140 Owtȝt xulld commy[n] þe devyll of helle, As Symon be-gan to telle, And cryn, "lord! thow vs borowe Outȝe of owre peyn and outȝ of owre sowrowe, Line 144 Thow hytyst vs to heuyn cumme, [folio 25a] Woll longe thow haste vs for-gonne. þ[rough] [The MS. has a contraction, þo^r, which is unintelligible.] wykydnesse of owre mysse-dede, We haue loste thy felow-rede; Line 148 Synne we haue suffyrd woll long, Woll byttyr balys and woll strong, Grawte vs, lord, thy felow-rede, We wyll amend owre mysse-dede." Line 152 Thys ys þe day of strong sowrow, A wyll strenger cumme to-mowrow.

xj.

Th'elente day comyth wondyr lyth, With strong stormys and mych flyth; Line 156 Thow tokenys schallyn thow se That euer and euer schall be; The reynbowe xall on-wryed be Gostlyche þat we mown se, Line 160 That [the develyn] schall woll ȝarne For grete drede to helle ronne, Ther byn peynys hot and colde; Judas ther-in deyed he wolde, Line 164 God seyd ther-yn ȝyt he xull be, We woll noutȝ ȝyt hym se, Ther yn he xall wonyn and dwell, And all that euer he mown qwell. Line 168 God loue vs to be-tyde, That byn be the bettyr syde.

xij.

The Twelte day ys drede-full than, Ther wos neuer no falsse mane Line 172

Line 172 That he ne wolde to god hym hyth, ȝyf he durste and troste most of hys myth. The angellys ȝe xuldyn syn all, And on knesse xuldyn down fall Line 176 To goddes fote fore owre synne, For owre good and all man kynde. Lord we be-sekyn the That yn thy pore that we mown be! Line 180 Than schall heuyn to-gedyr gon, [folio 25b] Lenger to a-bydyn helpe ys ther non.

xiij.

Dredfull comyth the thertene day [To] All the folke that leuyn may! Line 184 Fro the be-gynnynge of Adamys sunne, In to the endynge of the day of domme, That may tellyn neuer no rede Halfe the sowrow and halfe þe drede, Line 188 That god hym selfe schall seyn than, Whan he comyth down yn [MS. has ynto.] the face of man, All the stonys grete and smale, [In the MS. ll. 191 and 192 are reversed by mistake.] That byn yn erth, with-owtyne tale, Line 192 All schall to-geder rynge For dr[e]de of owre heuyne kynge. They schall rysyn and seyth so, The rede blood schall fro them go. Line 196

xiiij.

The fortene day ys day of sorow, Wyll strenger comyth to mowrow. Ther ys no thyng yn thys ward ynne, But yn that fyer yt schall brene, Line 200 Fowlle nor beste xall non be a-lyve, But yt schall brene fro morowe tyll even. ȝyfe ony man leue and se thys, He may be sory and hevy, i-wys. Line 204 Thys pacyt [I.e., passeth.] nouȝt woll sone,

To morow comyth the day of dome.

xv.

The fyftene day comyth ful swyþe; Ther wos neuer no man a-lyve, Line 208 Fro Adamys day, formeste man, But to the dome xall cume than; And fro deth he schall ryse, And of the dome woll sore a-grise. [Agrise (verb), fear, be afraid.] Line 212 Euery man as of xxx^te ȝere olde Schall cume to the dome to be-holde. Euery man schall other mete. [folio 26a] At the mownth of Olyuete; Line 216 The Angelys xall blowyn with þer hornys, And pepyll schall [come] all at onys, Full sorely they mown a-gryse Fro the deth that they schall ryse. Line 220 The Angell xall cume Jesus be-forn, With schurgys and a crown of thron, With dred-full chyr and with grete mode, All-so to hys harte yt stode,— Line 224 The spere so bryth and so scharpe, And yt stonge hym to the herte. For no ylle no for no spyth Longes stonge ȝow to the harth, Line 228 Owte sprange the blod all so rede, As prophycye a-fore vs seyd; He strake ther with hys eye syth, Yt cum as bryth as candyll lyth: Line 232 "Kynge and lord of grete pete, Thys [mysdede] thow for-ȝyffe me. Longes ded ȝow [non] [The Brome has a instead of non; but it is not good sense. The next line is blank, but is here supplied also from the Cambridge MS. Lines 239-242 come between ll. 234 and 235 in the MS.—an evident mistake.] wykyd dede, And [for no covetyse of mede]; Line 236

Line 236 And I wos blynd and myth note se, Ther-for lord I prey þe for-ȝevyt me." And angell xall bryn[g] þe rode so bryth, With blody naylys, precyus of syth. Line 240 "Lord of myth, we prey the, On all mankynd thow haue pete! Than comyth owre lord with grete mode, Hys armys spred vp on þe rode, Line 244 "Man, thow mayist here the soth se, What I haue suffyr for the, ȝe wer woll lef for to swere, Be myn eyne and be myn ere, Line 248 Be my flesse and be my blode, [folio 26b] Be my leuer and be my lowde; Man, yt was to the woll ryffe, To sweryn be my wondys fyve, Line 252 Be my brayn and be my hede, My sowle wos full oftyn rede; Yt wos to the grete ondoyng, So oftyn to make sweryng. Line 256 Thow woldyste me neuer clothe nor fede, Thow woldyst me helpyn at no nede, Oftyn thow woldyst for-swere the, Man, wat sufferyste thow for me." Line 260 Than came owre lady hyr sonne be-forn, Blyssyd be the tyme that sche was born, Hyr eyes be-ran all with blode, Woll sore wepynge and with grete mode. Line 264 Fader the sonne and the holy goste, Kyng and lord thow arte moste.

ST. PATRICK'S PURGATORY AND THE KNIGHT SIR OWEN.

This poem and part of the note are also printed in Englische Studien, vol. ix. part i., 1885. I am indebted to Herr C. Stoffel of Amsterdam for several corrections of that print.

THE story that St. Patrick, in order to excite the tardy faith of his fellow-countrymen, built an abbey in Ireland, at the entrance to a cavern, in a valley (or, as some say, on the top of a mountain), and established a ceremonial by which those who would go through the horrors of passing a night locked up alone in the cavern, and should come out alive from it, should escape purgatory after death, became popular and widely spread from the twelfth century. The narration of the experiences of Sir Owen or Owain, an English knight, who victoriously made this expiation for his sins in A.D. 1153, has been left on record by Henry of Saltrey, a monk born at Huntingdon, living about that time. [Henry of Saltrey's account is printed in Triadis Thaumaturgæ seu Divorum Patricii, Columbæ, et Brigidæ acta, ed. Johannes Colganus, Lovan., 1647, tom. ii. pp. 274-280; also in Florilegium Insulæ Sanctorum Hiberniæ, Paris, 1626, ed. Thomas Messingham.] It has been alluded to by several early chroniclers, including Math. Paris; and, developed or altered, is found in not a few Latin and French manuscripts and printed books. The poets Marie de France, Calderon, and it is thought even Dante, are indebted to the legend for inspiration.

The Legend of St. Patrick's Purgatory also gave rise to some other stories, such as the Visions of Tundalus, and the Vision of St. Paul; but these are distinct from the Visions of Sir Owen, which have an air of historic veracity given them by the mention of King Stephen, in whose time the events are supposed to have occurred.

Setting aside Latin, French, or Spanish redactions, we find in English three separate metrical versions, dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In the first volume of Englische Studien, [Some literal corrections, made on a further collation of the MS., were printed by Prof. Kölbing in Engl. Studien, bd. i. p. 186, and bd. v. p. 493.] (pp. 57-121), Professor Kölbing printed the two later versions of the legend in English metre (commonly called "Owain Miles"), namely, that contained in the Auchinleck MS. at Edinburgh (fourteenth century), and that contained in a paper MS. of the fifteenth century, Cott. Calig., A II. at the British Museum. Of each of these but one

copy has at present been known. Our Brome MS. supplies us with a second copy of the Cotton version. On comparison of the Brome with the Cotton copy, the differences between the two appear con|siderable, amounting in one case to the addition of 75 new lines from the new copy. Although, on the one hand, several lines of the Cotton MS. are either omitted or contracted, on the other the additions and the improved readings in various phrases mark the Brome, in some respects, as the better copy of the two. There are eighty-seven new lines in the Brome, while it omits or alters about the same number found in the Cotton MS. It has been impossible to give here all, or even most of the various readings, on account of their number; the words are inverted or the line re-cast, while retaining the thought, in innumerable instances: in many cases naturally the Cotton MS. offers the better sense. It will be easy for students to collate them; meanwhile, in order to make an approach to a complete version, the lines (and occasionally words) wanting in the Brome are here supplied from the Cotton between [], and where necessary to the understanding of the text different readings from it are given beneath. To facilitate comparison the lines are numbered on the basis of Kölbing's Cotton text, the additions being sub-numbered, as A 1, 2, &c., or 295^{a, b}; by this means the displacement or inversion of lines, in several places, is easily to be recognised at sight.

To account for such considerable variations it seems that the scribe of one, or perhaps of each manuscript, must have written down the poem from memory; some of the changes (it is not safe to call them in either case mistakes, not knowing which is nearest the original) are such as would follow from the recollection of similar phrases, as cues, which occur more than once (see ll. 302, 360, 395). Others would arise from a recollection of the ryme, or of the sense, while the exact words failed the memory.

It may be useful to recall that another English metrical version of this legend, differing much from the others, and in a southern dialect, has been printed from three MSS., [One of these, MS. Egerton, 1993 (Horstmann, p. 175), is found as part of the miracles at the end of The Life of St. Patrick, in a collection of the Lives of Saints in verse.] with variants from two others, by Dr. Horstmann, in his first volume of Altenglische Legenden, (Paderborn, 1875), pp. 149-211. Some of these MSS. are a little earlier in the fourteenth century than the Auchinleck MS.; but probably those two versions of the popular story existed side by side

before the Cotton and Brome type was written. On the general history of the legend, besides the article and references in Engl. Stud. i. pp. 57-98 (see St. Patrick's Purgatory, by Thomas Wright, 1844, and Le Voyage du puys S. Patrix, réimpression textuelle augmentée d'une notice bibliographique, par Philomneste, junior, Genève, 1867, under which nom de plume M. P. G. Brunet has given a valuable sketch of the development of the legend and its bibliography.

Jesu þat ys moste of myth, [folio 28a] And of wronge makyth ryth, Sendyth wyssemen vs to wysche The ryth weye to heuyn blysche. [Fyrste his prophetys, þat wer bold, Line 5 Off þat was comyng, þey us told; But þe folke þat were yn londe Ne myght hem not unþurstonde.] To teche hem more redely, Cryste com hym celfe woll preuely, Line 10 And all moste 111 and XXX^ti ȝere, A stedfaste man that dwellyd here. Bothe in word and tokynys felle He tawte men ther sowll helle, Aftyr warde for manys good, Line 15 He dede hym selfe vp-on þe rode, And bowth vs with hys blody syde, Fro hym that was [Cotton has, "All hem pat were."] lorn for pryde. Line 18 And or than he to heuyn wente, [Brome gives l. 18^a instead of Cott. l. 20, "pat pey shulde pe folke amende."] a Hys Apostollys forth he sente, Line 20 To telle men of heuyn reche, ȝonge and olde, all a-leche. ȝet we and boschepys al soo, [Cott. l. 23, "He hadde bysshoppus gode also."] And holy precherys many moo,

That schewyd vs many tokenyng Line 25 That he ys god and stedfast kyng; Holy bochoppys sum tyme yer were, That tawte men of godes lore. In þe lond [pe lond]. Cotton, "Irlonde."] prechyd seynt Pertryke, In all þat lond wos hym non lyke, Line 30 He preched goddes wordys full wyde And tolde men wat schude be-tyde. Fyrste he spake of heuyn blysse, How-so go theder he go not a-mysse, And sythyn he spake of helle peyn, Line 35 Who ys he þat comyth ther-yn; And ȝyt he spake of porcatory, [folio 28b] As yt ys wretyn [As — wretyn]. Cotton, "As he fonde."] in þe story. The folke þat wer in þe contre, Wolde not be-leue yt myte so be, Line 40 [And seyde, but ȝyf hyt were so,] But one myth [But — myth]. Cotton, "pat eny mon."] myth hym selfe gon, And syn all þat and cum a-geyn, Than many wolde hym beleuyn fayn. Seynth Pertryke hym be-thowthe, Line 45 Jesu he than be-sowth That he wolde hym sum tokenys schowe, That in þe lond yt myth be knowe, That he myth throwe hys be-heue, Bryng þat folke yn a beter be-leue. Line 50 Cryste [Cryste]. Cotton, "Our Lord."] peryd to hym vpon a day, As he yn hys bed lay, Tweyn reche thnyges he hym ȝaffe, A boke of gospell and a staffe. With goode chyre þe bosschoppe yt toke, Line 55 Bothe þe staffe and þe boke;

ȝyt arn thes reche relekys ȝowre, [ȝowre]. Cotton, "pere."] And heuery heyr feste bere, [Cotton, ll. 58, 59, "And at euery festeday yn pe ȝere, They ben bore in processiun."] With full good devocyun, The boschoppys baryth prosessun. Line 60 The herche boschoppe of þat lond, Schall bere þe staffe yn hys hand, He yat woll wete wat þe staffe hyte, Jesu þ^e stafte men clepete rythe. Cryste spake to seynt Partryke tho, Line 65 Be name, he bade hym [wyt hym] goo, He led hym yn to a wyldyrnesse, Ther neyther man nor beste was, [Cotton, l. 68, "Wher was no reste more ne lesse."] And schowyd hym þat he wyll myth se In to the erthe a preuy entre, [folio 29a] Line 70 Yt was in a depe dekys ende; "What man," he seyd, "þat wold here yn wende, [Wende]. MS. has "wynde."] And dwellyn hyr-yn a day and a nythe, And howe he ys be-louyd [Howe—be-louyd]. Cotton, "Holde his byleue.] a-rythe, And commyn a-geyn, he note wyll, Line 75 Meruellys talys he may tell. What man þat goth thys pylgrymage, I xall hym grante for hys wage Be yt man, woman, [Be—woman]. Cotton, "Whepur he be sqwyer."] ore knaue Oþer porcatory xall he neuer haue." Line 80 As sone as he to hym had seyd soo Jesu went þat bochoppe froo. Seynt Partryke went a-non rygth,

He not stode [Not stode]. Cotton, "ne stynte ner."] day nor nygth, But get hym helpe fro day to day, Line 85 And ded make þer a reche abey. Schanonys good he dede þer yn Vnder þe cunsel of seynt Austyn. Line 88 Thus men clepyd þe reche Abeye, [These two lines, which are not in the Cotton MS., show that the name of the abbey was the same as that given in the Auchinleck version (see after, 1, B. 68).] Line 88a Regelys þat hath þe same day. Line 88b Seynt Partryke ded make full wyll A dore bowndyn with yryn and stell; Line 90 Loke and keye he made þer too, That no man schuld that dore ondoo; The key he toke to þe preyor, And bad hym loket as hys tresor. Ther he loked þat hentre thoo, [Cotton, l. 95, "And euur close pe entre so."] Line 95 That no man myth yer yn goo, But yf he wer at the seynt [Seynt, i.e. assent.] Of þe preyor and hys couent, ȝyt fro þe boyschoppe he muste haue a letter, Or ellys he wer neuer the better. [folio 29b] Line 100 ȝyt ys thys stede yn rememure [Rememure, i.e. memory.] Klepyd seynth Partrykys purcatore. In hys tyme sum were ther yn To gette for-ȝeuenes of ther syn, And cum a-ȝen all on the morow, Line 105 God with yem, toldyn of mykyll sorow, Of peynys that yey seyn ther, [Ther]. Cotton, "tho."] [And of mykyll joye also.] Whath þey seyn woll þey wete,

For þey haith yn bokys wryte, Line 110 Sum wentyne yn that bodyne care, [Bodyne care]. Cotton, "bolde wore."] And comyne a-geyne neuer more. In Steuys tyme, I vndyr-stond, þat þer wos a knyth yn Ingelond, A knyth þer wos men klepynd syr Howyne, Line 115 He was þer yn and come a-geyn; What he sawe þer I woll yow telle, Bothe of heuyn and of helle. The knyth was a dowty man and a bold, A mo[n]ge men [MS. "mem."] mekyll he was of told, Line 120 Tyll throw folly he fell yn synne, And long letyd hym ther ynne; And aftyr-ward be-thowte hym sore, [Sore]. MS. "sere."] And thowte of synne he wolde no more. To þe boschope of that cuntre, Line 125 He went and fond hym yn þat sete, To hym a-non he gan hym schrywe, At hys myth of all hys lywe. The boschoppe blamyd hym yn þat hete, For hys synnys many and grete, Line 130 And sythyne seyd at þe laste, That all hys lyve he muste faste, For to a-mend hys mysse-dede [folio 30a] That he hathe done and seyd. "Syre," he seyd, "I ȝow be-seche, Line 135 As ȝe be my sowle leche; A bone þat ȝe grante me also To seynth Partrykys wey to go. And sythyn qwhan I cum a-geyn, I xall fulfyll ȝowre word full fayn." Line 140 "Seyrteyn," seyd þe boschoppe, "þat xall I nowte, For many follys thedyr han sowte,

So mykyll on hem selfe they troste, Wher þey be cum, no man woste. I rede the for they devociun Line 145 Thow take abyth of relygiun So myth thow both nythe and day, [Cotton, ll. 147 and 148—"And ȝyf pu wylt py synne lete In pys wyse may pu heuen gete."] Serue god wyll to pay." ["Syr," he sayde, "y þe pray,] ȝefe me lefe to gon my wey! Line 150 I hope ryth wyll to cum and wynde, Throw goddes grace yt ys so hynde." The boschoppe geffe hym leue thowe A goddes name for to goo: A-non he worthe hym a letter wyll, Line 155 And selydyth with hys howyn sell. The knyth yt toke and wente hys wey To þe preyore of that Abbey. As sone as he to þe priowre cam, Of hym þe letter þe priowre nam, Line 160 He yt rede and stod full styll. Anon he knewe þe knythtys wyll, And spake to hym yn fayer maner, "Syr, þou harte wolcum hethyr, Be thys letter yn my hand [folio 30b] Line 165 I haue rythe wyll þi wylle vnderstond, But I rede not the so for to doo, [Cotton, l. 168—"Nopur for wele ner for wo.] For grette perellys yt ys theder to goo. I rede the dwell her and be owre brother, And take abyte, and do no nother. Line 170 So myth thow bothe nyte and daye Serue god [full] wyll to paye, [Then may þy sowle to heuen wende And haue þer blysse wyt-owten ende."]

"Syre," he seyd, "I felle my wytte [Probably read "me wyke" for "my wytte." Ll. 175—178 are a good deal altered. Cotton, l. 175 runs, " 'Syre,' he sayde, 'pu redest me well.' "] Line 175 For my synnys many and thyke, Thedyre I wyll, what so be-falle, To gette for-ȝeuenes of hem alle." Than seyd þe priowre, "syn þou wylte soo, Jesu the saue fro sorow and woo! Line 180 But ȝet a wyll [Wyll, i.e. while.] with vs þou xalte dwell And of thow perellys I xall þe tell." Fyftene dayes he dwellyd ther [Cotton, "pore."] In fastynge and in holy lore, And at the xv. dayes ende, Line 185 The knyth muste forth hys wey to wynde. Fyrste on mowrow he hard messe, And sythyn howsyld he wos; Holy watyr and holy boke, Ryche relykys forth he toke, Line 190 Iche pryste and schanown Wente with hym yn proseyssun, All for hym þey gan to prey, [Cotton, "And as lowde as pey myȝth crye."] And seyd for hym þe letaney, And browth hym to þat entre Line 195 Ther yat syre Howyn wolde be. There þe knyth knelyd downg And toke þe priowrys benycyon. [This line is imperfect in the Cotton MS.] The priowre on-ded the dore tho, And lete syre Howyn yn goo, [Cotton, l. 200, "In goddus name he badde hym go."] [folio 31a] Line 200 And lolkyd þe dore and turnyd a geyn And they preyed for [They — for.] Cotton, "Lafte per."] syr Howyn.

Forth than wente yat bolde knyth, And wyll [And wyll.] Cotton, "A whyle."] he had lytyll lyth, But he faylyd lyte full sone, Line 205 For þer schon neyther son nor mone; He had no-thynge hym for to lede He gropyd þe wye as he had nede. Forth he wente ferder ynne, A lytyll lyth he saw be-gynne, Line 210 A lytyll lyght þer hym be-fore, [Cotton, "Sone per after a lytull more."] Glad wos syre Howyn þer fore; Sweche was hys lyght whan yt was beste As yt ys in wentyr at the sunne reste. Whan he had lythe, forth wente he, Line 215 Tyll he cam yn a grete cuntere. It semyd wyll for to be wyldyrnes, For ther was neyther tre nor gres; But as he be-hylde hym on hys ryth hond, A woll fayur halle he sawe þer stond, Line 220 It was hey, bothe longe and wyde, But yt wos opyn on euery syde; Line 222 [a, b.] These two lines in Brome MS. only.] Sengyll pyllerys ther-on were, Line 222a That metely þe walys bare, Line 222b Yt was made of sylkeweth [Cotton, "selkowth."] gyse Line 224 Lyke an cloyster on all wyse. Line 223 As he stod and lokyd a-bowte, Line 225 Ther com xv. men on a rowte, The eldes man gan for to sey, Fyrst he seyd, "benedicite!" Syr Howyn toke ther benysun, And all be hym þey setyne down. Line 230 Alle ther crownys wer new schauyn, [folio 31b]

As prystes be-falle wyll for to hauyn; The eldes man of them all, Fyrste he spake as be-fall, "Knyth," he seyd, "for þi synne Line 235 Gret perellys þou puttyste þe ynne, [Cotton, "A grete aventur pu art inne."] But god, þat deyed vp-on þe rode, Full fyll thy wyll yn all gode! We may no lenger with þe here dwell, We wer seyth [We wer seyth.] Cotton, "But be sente."] hethyr þe to tell Line 240 Off thow perellys þat Jesus þe [pat Jesus pe.] Cotton, "pe shall."] be-fall, God ȝeyffe þe grace to schape hem all! As sone as we be gon þe fro Ther xall cum other to do þe wo, But loke þat þou, throw thy be-haue, [Cotton, "But loke py powȝth on god be styffe."] Line 245 Be stedfast yn þi be-leue; And yf þey wyll þe bete or bynd, Euer more haue thys word yn mynd, Jesu! god sunn full of myth! Haue mercy of me, þi gentyll knyth! Line 250 And hath euer more yn thy thowth Jesum þat hath the euer bowth. We may no lenger with þe preche But Jesu cryste we þe be-teche." Thyes holy men wente hym fro, Line 255 And than be-gan the knythtys wo, [As he sat þer alone by hym self, He herde grete dynn on eche half] As all þe lenne and all þe thundyre That men hath seyn of myche wondre; [Cotton, "That euer was herde heuen vndur.] Line 260 And all þe tryn, and all þe stonys,

Had row to-gedyr all at onys. In that wedyr so yt faryde, [Cotton, ll. 263, 264, "For all pe worlde so hit ferde And perto a lowde crye he herde."] Yt made syre Howyn sore a-ferde, And he had nowth be-tawte be-fore, Line 265 He had be rewyd fore euer more. Flyen myth he nowt, he muste a byd, [folio 32a] They com yn on euer syyd, Wykyd gostes owte of helle, Ther may corage hym full telle. [Cotton, "So mony, pat no tonge myȝte telle."] Line 270 [Ll. 271-274 much altered.] Full þe howsys, rowys be rowys, And many stodyn with owte þe wowys, Summe fyndys gernyd and summe made a mowe, Syre Howyn wos a-ferd, I trowe; And summe fyndes þat stode hym by, Line 275 Seydyn to hym, all on hey, "Thow haste wyll done þat þou cum here, Thus be-tyme to be owre fere; Oþer cum not tyll they be dede, But thow haste a woll better rede; Line 280 Thow comyst hethyr to do penawns And with vs þu xalte lede the dawns. Thow seruyd vs many a day, We xall the ȝyldyth yf we may. Thow hast be to vs a woll good knawe, [Cotton, "All py kynne shall pe not saue."] Line 286 As þou hast seruyd thow schallte haue. Line 285 But neuer þe lesse, wyll þou harte hynd, Yf þou wylte a-geyn wynd, And gone and leuyn as þou haste down We xall þe sprer, [Sprer.] Cotton, "Spare."] tyll eft sunne; Line 290

Line 290 Bettyr yt ys thy sowle haue who, [a, b, in Brome MS. only.] Line 290a Than body and sowle all-so." Line 290b "Nay, seyd þe knyth, "þat wyll I nowte, Line 291 I take me to hym þat hath me bowte." The fyndys madyn a fyere a-none Off blake pyke and brymteston, And kyste þe knyth þer-yn to brenne, [Brenne.] MS., "berne."] Line 295 And all on hym they gan grenne. [þe knyȝth þat payne full sore he þowȝth, To Jesu he called whyle he mowȝth,] "Jesu," he seyd, "full of myth, [Myth.] Cotton, "Pyte."] [folio 32b] Haue mercy on me, [Cotton, "Help and haue mercy on me."] þi gentyll knyth"! Line 300 [All þat fyre was qweynte anone] The fyndys fledyne euery-schone, Line 302 And lettyn syre Howyn all alone; [The MS. has this line in place of l. 302.] [And þen þe knyȝth anone up stode Line 303 As hym hadde ayled nowȝt but gode, All alone be-lefte yn þat place, And he þonked god of all hys grace; Then was he bolder for to stonde ȝyf þat þey wolde hym more fonde]. Line 308 And as he stod þer all a-lone, [Lines 309 and 310 are also re-cast.] Oþer deuelys a-bowte hym gan gone, Line 310 And ledyn hym yn to a fowle cuntre, Line 311 That euer ys nyth and neuer daye. Ther yt was both therke and colde, Ther was neuer man so boold That, thow hys clothys wer purfuld, [Cotton, "Hadde he neuur so mony clopus on, But he wolde be colde as ony stone."] Line 315 Sone hys thyrth xulde be colde.

Than felte he þer wynd blowe, And ȝyt yt blewe boþe hey and lowe. They ledyn hym yn to a fyuld brode, Ouyr sweche-on he neuer rode, Line 320 The lenkyth þer-of cowd he not tell, Ther-ouer he muste, so yt be-fell. And as he ȝyd he hard a cry, And he lokyd what wos hym by. [Cotton, "He wondered what hyt was and why."] He sawe þer men and women tho Line 325 That lowd cryend fore who, They loyn thyke on euery lond, Fast naylyd, fute and hond. Line 328 Vpward-there belyys wer cast, [The nineteen lines (329, 330, 335—352) are replaced here by the ten lines A—A, the intervening four lines are here inserted in the account of the third torture (beginning l. 365).] Line A1 And yn to þe erth naylyd fast. The fyndys spokyn to þe knyth, "Syste þou how theys folke be dyth? But yf þou wylte to owþer cunsell turne, Line A5 Hyre xall þou lynth and make þi mone." "Nay," seyd þe knyth, "þat wyll I nowth, Myne hope ys yn hym þat hath me bowth." A-none þe fyndys leydyne hym downe, To don hym peyne þi wer all bone, Line A10 They fettyn forthe naylys stronge, [folio 33a] Line 353 Bernynge þat werne and reyth full longe, Whyll þat þey streynyd forth hys fete, He clepyd to hym þat ys so swete, "Jesu!" he seyd, "full of mythe, Line 357 Haue mercy on me, þi gentyll knythe." The fyndys fledyn euery on, And let syre Howyn all a-lon. Line 360

Line 360 And as he stod and lokyd abowte, [The two lines which stand in Cotton, 361 and 362, are in Brome MS. found preceding lines 395 and 396, which latter are repeated here. Doubtless the similarity of the recurring phrases preceding them caused the error.] Line 395 Othyr delys ther comme on a rowte, Line 396 [

Lines 363 and 364, here omitted, are;—

"Some of pe fendes turned aȝeyne,And forp pey ladde syr Owayne."

] And ledyn hym yn to a-nothyr fylde, Line 365 Sweche a-nother he neuer be-hylde; It was lenger mych more Than þe tother he sawe be-fore. Line 368 He sawe yn that fylde brode, [Here follow (B) 76 lines which do not occur in the Cotton MS.] Line B1 Many an edder and many a tode, Men and women he sawe thoo, That yn yat fylde bodyne woo, For they wer febyll and woll lene, Line B5 And loyne thyke one euery kyne. Hyre facys werne turny[d] to þe grownd, Line 331 They seydyne, "spare vs summe sto[u]nd." Line 332 The fyndys woldyn hem [MS., "hym."] not spare, Line 333 To don hem peynys they were full ȝare, [Cotton MS. has yare (misprinted pare).] Line 334 Ther hedys yat wer wont for to be kempte full ofte, And one pyllowys layne full softe, The todys sotyne one euery herre, Ther myth men vetyne wat þ[ey] were. Line B10 Edderys, todys, and othyr wormys, In hyr bodyes wer ther howsys. They leddyn hym yn to a-nother fylde The wyche was brodest yat he euer be-hylde, But ther was neyther game nor songe Line B15 Neuer with them a-monge. Iche man of hys turment, [folio 33b]

The knyth sawe as he went, He thowte ryth wyll to be-holde Men and women, ȝynge and olde, Line B20 With schenys bernynge as the fyer; Many þer hynge be the sqwyer, Summe be the tonges and summe be the chynnys, Summe be the membrys and summe by the novelys, Summe hynge hey and summe hynge lowe; Line B25 Many he knewe that he þer sawe. Summe hynge on hokys be þe chynne, Mykyll sowrowe þey hadyn for ther synne, As they haddyn hym ferder inne, A woll [Wylle.] i.e. wheel, cf. ll. B 33, 37.] myche wylle he sawe yer inne; Line B30 It was brod and yt wos heye, And nedys to þe ouerest ȝend he seye, The halfe wylle yn y^e erthe ranne, And ther on hyngyn many a mane; Be-nethyn wos fyer and brynstone, Line B35 That bernythe them euer a-none, Yt semyth a trendyll þat ran so ȝarne, Ryght as a stone of a qwerne. They tokyne hym be þe handes than, And kestyne hym on þe wylle to brene. Line B40 A-non wos the knyth wyll, And ther he stoke styll, A-non he klepyd on-to Jesu cryste, So þat no more herme he wyste. The fyndys seyn þey myth note spede, Line B45 They grenyd on hym as woluys in wode, All a-bowte hym they gan goo, They wolde fayn a-don hym woo. Fast þey hadyne hym ferder more, A woll mych howsse he sawe be-fore, Line B50 The lenkyt þer of he cowd note ame, [folio 34a]

Owte of the dore comme a grete flame; There was so mych stynke [MS. has "skynte."] and smeke, Yt wold a made an heyll man seke. The knyth stynted and yer-with stod, Line B55 For þat stynke he was nere wod, The fyndys turnyd a-geyne, And gresely spake to syre Howyne "Why goste þou so faste and þou halte? Wyll þou wyll, forth thow xalte. Line B60 Syst thow now ȝyn grete gatys? Ther byn owyr bate fatys, Ther syth owre maystyr and owre kynge, He ys full glad of thy comynge; Thow seruyst hyme full wyll at home, Line B65 He ys woll glad yat thou arte cumme; Syste thow thy home, wyll þou soo, Or thow wylte a-geyne goo A-geyne to þe gatys of Regelys, [The MS. has relegys: this form must be a mistake of the scribe, as the above reading is required by the ryme; it is also that found in line 88 b. The name of the abbey does not occur in the Cotton MS. Regles is the name in the second English version (Auchinleck MS.), see Englische Studien, i. p. 100. No name is mentioned in the first version.] Than may þou seyn þou hath byn at þe develys." Line B70 "Nay," seyd the knyth, "that wyll I nowte, That xall neuer cume yn my thowte, God hath holpe me hethyr be-fore, And ȝyt I hope he wyll do more." As they hadyn hym ferder inne Line B75 Ther he sawe woll mykyll on-wyn, As he lokyd hym be-syde, Line 369 He sey ther pyttys many and wyde, Thykker myth they not byn, All but a fote them be-twyn.

Eche maner of metell, He sey yn þe pyttys wyll; [Wyll, i.e., well up, bubble.] Men and women he sawe tho, Line 375 That yn the pyttys bodyn full mych wo. Summe stod ther-yn vp to the chyn, [folio 34b] Line 377 Summe to the pappys and summe to þe schyn, [Cotton has a line following 377; "And ȝet hadde þey noȝt bete her synne"; while lines 379, 380 are contracted into the present one.] Summe stod þer yn vp to the kne, Line 381 All owte they wolde fayn a be. The fyndys hentyd a-non ryth, And to þe pyttys þey keste þe knyth, So sore a-ferd he was of that, Tyll almost Jesu he had for-ȝette; But sythyn wan goddys grace was, Whan he felte þe hoote bras, "Jesu," he seyd, with good yntent, "Help me, lord, yn thys turment." Line 390 As sone as he to Jesu calde Ther was no metell myth hyme schalde, But all be-syd was caste, [Cotton, "But anone he was out caste."] The fyndes fleddyne a-wey full faste. "Jesu," he seyd, "I thanke the, Line 361 Euer at nede þou helppyst me." Line 362 As he stod and lokyd a-bowte, Line 395 Off othyr fyndes þer camme a rowte, "Knyth," they seyd, "wy sta[n]dyst þou here, And all we byn felowys yn fere. [Cotton, "And wher ar all þy false feere."] All þey sedyn that her was hell, But owther weyes we xall þe tell, Line 400 Cume her forth yn to þe sowth, We xall the brynge to hell mowth." [Ll. 403 and 404 are altered.]

As they haddyne hym forth more, A woll mych wattyr he say be-fore, That was brod and blake as pyke, Line 405 Men and women ther werne thyke, Fyndys stodyne on euery syde As thyke as motys yn somer tyde. Line 408 [The water stonke fowle þer to, And dede þe soles mykyll woo, Up þey come, to ese hem a stownde, þe deuelus drewe hem aȝeyn to þe grownde.] Ouer the water a bryge was, Line 413 Yt wos glyddyr [Glyddyr.] Cotton, kener.] as ony glass, Ther-of he was full sore a-ferd, [Cotton, ll. 415 and 416, "Hyt was narowe and hyt was hyȝe. Vneþe þat oþur ende he syȝe."] [folio 35a] Yt was as scharp as ony sward, Line 416 The medys wer hey, þe endys wer lowe, Yt faryd ryth as a bent bowe. "Knyth," seyd a fynd, "here may þou see, Loke to-ward hell the ryght entre, Line 420 Ouer thys bryge þou muste wynd; Wynd and wether we xall the send, We xall the send wyndys wood, Thowe xall caste þe yn to owre flood." Ther the knyth knelyd a down, Line 425 To Jesu he made hys orysune, "Jesu," he seyd, "full of myth, That made bothe day and nyth, Wynd and weder at thy wyll, For to blow and fore to be styll, Line 430 Thow makyst the wynd fore to blowe, And whan thow wylte to be lowe, Send me here thy grete grace That I may thys bryge pace.

Helpe me, lord! þat I nowte fall, Line 435 That I lece nowth my travell." To the brygge a-non he ȝydde, "Jesu," he seyd, helpe me at nede!" Hys one fote he sette ther vp-one, And klepyd to Jesu euer a-none, Line 440 He felth [his fote] stand stedfastly, He sette a-nother fote þer by, And klepyd to hym euer a pasce, That ȝet ys and euer was. The brygge waxyd a lytyll broder, Line 445 So mych was syr Howyn þe glader, Whan he comme yn to the myde bryge, Euery dewyll to other chyd, [folio 35b] And all they setyn owte a cry Line 450 For to a don hym fall from hey. Line 449 The cry mad hym a-ferd more, Than all þe tother he saw be-fore, Neuer-the-lesse forth he wente, On Jesu cryste full wos hys yntente. So brod was the brygge thoo, Line 455 Tweyn cartys myth þer-on goo, He com to þe end woll sone, Than was the develys pray [Pray.] Cotton, "power."] done. He thankyd Jesu with harte and thowth, That he had hym ouer browte; Line 460 Forth he wente a lytyll wyll, [I.e. while, see ll. 181 and 204.] He thowt yt myth a byne a myll, He sey a wyll [Wyll.] Cotton, "wall."] wondyrly fayre, That ran, hym thow[t], vp to þe eyre, Line 464 He cowd noth wyte were-of yt was Line 466 In to the eyere yt was. [Cotton, l. 465, "Hyt was whyte and bryȝth as glasse."]

[When he was nyȝ þer at Line 467 Agayne hym openede a fayr ȝate Full craftyly for þe nones, Of metall and of presyous stones], Owte of þe gate cam a smell, Line 471 All-most for yoy dow he fell, Thow all þe flowyre and all þe erbery, [Cotton, 473 and 474: "As per hadde ben all maner of floures, Such was pat swete sauoures."] And all the wardly spycery Yt myth not smell be a hundre fold, To þat swetnes myth be tolde. Line 476 Than was he so mery and so lyt Off that savor and that syth, That all þe peynys he had yn ben, Line 479 And all þe sorow he had syn, Line 480 All was for-ȝete yn hys thowth, Hym thowth yt grevyd hym noth. As he stod he was woll fayne, Owth of the gate cam hym a-geyne And a woll fayer proseyssun [folio 36a] Line 485 Off euery man of relygyoun; Fayer vestemens they haddyne vp-one, Swech sawe he neuer none. Woll mych joy yt was to see Boschoppys yn hyr dygnyte, Line 490 And other maysterys þer sey he, [Cotton, "Ilkone wente opur be and be."] Eche man yn hys degre. He say ther Monkys and Schanonys, And fryerys with ther brode [Brode.] Cotton, "newe shauen."] crownys, And ermytys them a-monge, Line 495 And nonnys with ther mery songys, Personys, prystys, and vekerys,

They madyn hym many meladys. He sey kyngges and emprorys, Devlys, castelys, and towerys, [Cotton, "And dukes þat hadde casteles and toures."] Line 500 [Erles and barones fele, That some tyme hadde þe worldes wele. Oþur folke he syȝ also, Neuur so mony as he dede þoo.] And women he sey on euery syde, Line 505 That merthys madyn yn þat tyde, Line 506 [For all was joye þat with hem ferde, And myche solempnyte þer he herde.] Line 508 All þey wer clothyd yn reche wed, What clothyn yt was cowd he noth red, But schap they had on euery maner, As men wer wonte to were here. Be ther clothyn men myth them know, As they stod eche on a row, ȝownge and held, more and lesse, Off wat degre that þey wasse. [Cotton, "As hyt her owene wyll was."] Line 540 [Ther was no wronge but euur ryȝth Euur day and neuer nyȝth, They shone as bryȝth and more clere Then ony sonne yn þe day doth here]. Line 544 Fayer they spokyn to syre Howyn, Line 509 All the folke of hym were fayn. A-non he gan metyn ther Tweyn boysschoppys, hym thowyt þey were, Line 512 And both they went forth hym by, And bore syre Howyn cumpany. They schowyd hym þat he myth se, The forest of that cuntre. [Forest]: Cotton, fayrnesse,] Line 516 It was grene on euery syd, [folio 36b] Line 519

Line 519 As medowys byn yn summer tyd, Line 520 And all so full of fayer flowerys, Line 517 Off many dyuers colorys. Line 518 Tryn he sawe with leuys grene, Line 521 Full of frute euer more, I wene, Frut of so many kynd In thys ward can no man fynd. Ther he sey the tre of lyffe, Line 525 That they haue with owtyn stryffe; Fryuth of wesdam all so ther ys, Ther-of ete Adam and ded a-mys; And other frutys yer arn full felle, And all maner of joy and wylle. [Wylle, i.e., weal.] Line 530 [Moche folke he syȝ there dwelle, Ther was no tonge þat myȝth hem telle.] Line 532 Thow tweyn boschoppys turnyd a-geyn, Line 545 And fayere spake to syre Howyn, "Blyssyd byn they euery-chon, That mad þe thys wey to gon, Purcatory thow hate be inne, Line 550 To do penans for thy syne. [Loke þat þou do synne no more] For Purcatory comys þou yn neuer more, [Brome MS. has yn after more, evidently an attempt to ryme with the preceding line 550; l. 551 having been forgotten.] Line 552 We wote wyll where thow was, For we hau passyd [All — pas.] Cotton, pat ylke plas.] all thow pas; So xall iche man aftyr hys day, Line 555 Pore and reche gon that wey. Many hau hem for to schryve, [Cotton lines 557 and 558 are altered.] Ner don penans of all ther lyve, But at the laste he comyth for drede,

Summe [penaunce] to don they muste nede. Line 560 [If þey woll nowȝth do here They shall do hyt elleswhere, Suche maner men, erly or late, To purgatorye þey mote algate. Ther mote þey dwelle stylle, Line 565 And abyde goddes wylle, But some frende for her mysdede For hem do oþur synge or rede; For þus may man þorow suche dyuyne The soner come out of hys pyne. Line 570 And þu art monn ȝet a-lyue, And haste gon þorow swythe, Thorow grace of god and good entent, Thow art passed þat turnement.] Thow þat arte cum to joy and blysse, Line 575 We woll the tell wat yt ys, Ertely paradyse thys ys, Here yn dwellyd Adam and dede a-myse, For on appyll that he ete Alle hys joy he for-ȝete. [folio 37a] Line 580 ix hundgred ȝere and xv, He levyd yn desert with sowrow and tene, iiij thowsond vj hundred and iiij ȝere, He lay [MS. has "layll."] yn peynys with Lussyfere. Aftyr-ward, th[r]owe goddys grace, [Cotton, ll. 585 and 586, "Tyll pat goddes wyll was To fecche hym out of pat place."] Line 585 He toke hym fro that fowlle place, And all hys kymre [Kymre.] Cotton, kynde.] was hym by That wordy wos to haue mercy, Line 588 [And ledde hem forthe wyt hem, y wysse, Ryȝth ynto hys owene blysse.] Line 590

Line 590 And here we dwellyd at goddes wyll, Line 598 In joy and blysse to a-byd styll. [Cotton, "All ȝyf we be out of penance ylle." Besides ll. 597 and 598, the two lines above also appear to represent lines 591 and 592 of Cotton: "And at hys ordynaunce we be, In joye and blysse wyt solempnite."] Line 597 [But when we come hym byfore, Line 593 Then shall our joye be mykyll more] Line 594 And eche day we wax moo, Line 595 And Angellys fyttyn vs summe froo, Line 596 ȝyte haue we nowte þat dygnyte Line 599 To cum be-for hyys magyste, Line 600 [But oon and on, as he wyll calle At þe laste we shall come all.] Euery day cumme owre fode, Line 603 Fro hym yt for vs bled hys blode. That xall þou syn or that þou goo." As he stode he seyd hym soo, Ther cam a gleme was wondyrly bryth, T[h]at spredde ouer all þe lond full ryth, Line 608 [Hyt was swote and hyt was hote, In-to euery monnus mowþe hyt smote.] That he sey on euery syd, He nere woste what he ded þat tydde, Line 612 Nor wyther he was qwekke or dede, So blyssyd hym that reche brede. Than seyd he to þe knyth þat be hym stod, "How seyste þou knyth, wos thys good?" "A! lord, mercy," he seyd them there, "Lete me dwell ere euer more," "Nay, nay, son, thow mayis notte soo, A-gen all-gatys þou muste goo, Line 620 [And telle oþur men what þu haste sene, And yn what aventure þu haste bene,] Line 622 And yn þat ward deyen onys, Line 623

Line 623 And ther yn erth to bery þi bonys; Sythyn þi sowll xall cum a-geyn, Ther-of we xall be full fayn," The knyth sey he muste nedys goo, With wepyng and with wolle myche wo, [folio 37b] A-non he knelyd ther a-down And fayer toke ther benycyun; Line 630 Ther a-none a-wey he fond Hom yn to hys owyne lond. To þe halle [Halle] Cotton, hole.] the wey laye, That he com by the tother day. The fyftene men he fond there That he had spake with be-fore, Line 636 They thankyd god full of myth, Line 638 That sent grace to that knyth, To ouer-cum þe fyndys myth With þe grace of god full ryth. [Lines 637 and 639 of Cotton are expanded into these four lines.] They blyssyd hym euery-chon, And sythyn bad hym go hom Line 640 In to hys howyn cuntre, [Lines 637 and 639 of Cotton are expanded into these four lines.] [For ryȝth now spronge þe day.] For now the prime bell ryngyth, And sythyn messe xall they syngth; And aftyr messe with owte delay, Line 645 The pryowr of the abey Bothe with Prystys and chanowynys, That cum hym with yn prosessyone[s] To þe entre ther a-geyn; "And of the they xall be full fayn. [There seem to be some lines missing here, both in the Brome and Cotton copies.] Line 650 Be a good man all thy lyue, And loke þou do þe oftyn schrywe,

And whan þou arte ded yan xall þou wende To þat joy that hath non ende." The knyth to gon full wyll he lyste, Line 655 He was at hom longe ar he wyste, To þe gate cam syre Howyn, Ther was þe priowr redy hym a-geyn, With schanowynys and with mery songe, And summe wepynd all wey a monge, Line 660 [All þey wer both gladde and blyþe, þat god hadde saued þe knyȝte a-lyue.] xv dayes and summe-wat more, Line 663 With the chanowynys he dwellyd there, And told them wat he had syn, And wat peynys he had yn byn, And oftyn he tolde hym to make hym wysse [folio 38a] Off the joy of paradysse. Line 668 [Thene þey wryten aftur hys mowth That yn londe now hyt ys kowþe.] Ther toke he stafte and crosse yn hond, Line 671 And wenth yn to the holy lond, And cam a-geyn bothe heyll and sownd, And sythyn leuyd a woll good stownd, In bedys and yn oryson, Line 675 As men of good relygyon. Whan he was full wyll of held, That hys body gane vax on-wylld, [I.e. wax un-wylld = grew infirm.] He deyed and went the ryth wey, To the blysse that leste euer and ay. To blysse brynge vs he, That euer wos and euer xall be, [End of the Cotton version.] That ys lord of mythtys moste, Fadyr and þe sunne and þe holy goste.

Finis.

THE LIFE OF ST. MARGARET.

THE trials and martyrdom of St. Margaret appear to have been popular in England in early times. Several versions of the legend, in prose or verse, are found from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries: four in Old English, several in Latin. The former have been printed by Mr. O. Cockayne; [Seinte Marherete, the Meiden ant Martyr, edited by Oswald Cockayne for the Early English Text Society, 1866. This contains three Old English versions; the fourth he printed in "Narratiunculæ." (See Foreword, pp. vi. vii.)] and one of them, a poem, copied about A.D. 1330, was reprinted by E. Mätzner. [Altenglische Sprachproben, Berlin, 1867, 1st Abtheilung, p. 200.]

The Auchinleck MS. at Edinburgh (date about 1310), fo. 16 b, contains another redaction, and a later one still is found in a MS. at Oxford, written about 1450 (Ashmolean, 61, fo. 145). These two have been printed by Dr. C. Horstmann. [Altenglische Legenden, Heilbronn, 1881, p. 236.] The story of the saint was also told in verse by Osbern Bokenham in 1445, among whose thirteen Legends [Roxburghe Club, 1835. A recent edition, by Dr. Horstmann, with an interesting introduction, has also been issued in Professor Kölbing's Altenglische Bibliothek, Heilbronn, 1883.] of Saints that of. Margaret stands the first.

Our Brome example is another copy of the Ashmolean poem; there being, indeed, not many years between the dates of the two MSS. The verbal variations made by the scribe are numerous, but not for the most part very important; but while, on the one hand, omitting two or three lines found in the Ashmole (which are here printed between square brackets), on the other several fresh lines are given (here marked by a, b, &c.), which are evidently omitted in the Ashmole copy. Unfortunately, however, the Brome copy is incomplete, stopping short at line 365 of the Ashmole, of which the concluding 253 lines are wanting. The numbering of the lines is made to correspond with that of the Ashmolean copy, as printed by Dr. Horstmann.

Olde and yowng þat ben here, [folio 39a] Lystyn and to me clare Wat I xall ȝow sey, How yt be-fell vp-on a day Line 4

Line 4 Off a vyrgyn fayer and swete, Hyr name wos Margarete. Hyr fader wos a nobyll clarke, And a man that cowde myche warke, Line 8 And a prynce of heye degre, No wordyer myth ther be. In Antyoch he had a wyffe That wos an hethen woman all hyre lyve, Line 12 Hyr fader wos of grete powere, And of all that cuntre governowre. False he was of hys lay, A-ȝens goddes lawys, þe soth to sey. Line 16 Teodyus [Ashmole has Theodosyus.] wos hys name, A nobyll man of grete fame. Hyr fader yt knew long be-fore That a dowter he xuld haue bore, Line 20 As the wrytyng hym told, That wan sche wax old That Crysteyn sche wyll be, And be-leve vpon þe Trynyte, Line 24 Vp-on Jesus þat vs bowth And þat all þe ward wroth. He comawndyd long be-fore, That a-non as sche wos bore, Line 28 To deth sche schuld be browght, In wat wysse he not rowth. And hyre moder that hyre bare, Made fore hyr heuy chyre, Line 32 And a-non as sche was borne Sche be-thowte hyre be-forne, In to Aȝy sche hyr sent, [folio 39b] A messanger forth with hyre went Line 36 To a noryce that was there, And bad hym put yt to hyre to lere,

And toke with hym speyndyne, For to kepe that mayd ȝyngne. Line 40 The noryce hyr kepte fore soth yn dede, And euer cheryste hyre yn hyre nede; Sche waxyd fayere and comly of chere, And of colowre fayer and clere. Line 44 All hyre lovyd yn that cuntre, Both olde and ȝyng þat hyre myth se. Whan sche waxyd more yn age, And had vndyr-standyng and k[n]owlage, Line 48 [Sche toke here to crystys lore], And be-leuyd on hem euer more; Line 50 To the fader and sune and the holy goste, Line 50a That ys kyng and lord of mytys moste, Line 50b That heuyne and erth all wroght, Line 50c To hym sche be-toke all hyr thowght. Line 50d The noryce that keppe hyr fro dysspeyere, Line 51 Had vij chyldryn that wer fayere, And wyll sche kepet hyr chyldryn vij, The viij was Margarete crystes mayd of heuene. Line 54 Talys she gowd will tell Bothe of heuyne and of hell, And how they suffyryd mertyrdhum, Line 59 Both Lawrens and Stevone, Line 60 And wat they xulld haue to þer mede, Line 57 As they deseruyd yn ther dede; Line 58 And of other seyntes many moo, How they syffyryd wyll and woo, And how thye dede ther mertydam take, All for Jesus crystes owyne sake. Line 64 Off many a seynth sche tolde þe lyffe, [folio 40a] Bothe to chyld, man, and wyffe. Whan she was xv ȝere olde Sche wos a fayer mayd and a bold, Line 68 Hyr moder hyr sette for to kepe

In the fyld hyr faderys schepe. Hyr felowys ded hyr be-holde, Whan sche to Jesus preyed wolde, Line 72 How sche hyr preyore be-gane to make Line 72a On to Jesus þat he myth hyr to hym take. Line 72b

Ther wos in that cuntre a kyng, A nobyll man of grete conyng, He wos a prynce of myche myth, Olybryus that knyth hyth. Line 76 All Aȝye, as I ȝow tell, Wos hys owyn to gyue and to sell, Also he serwyd day and nyth Hys falsse goddes, I ȝow be-hyth. Line 80 He serue euer the devyll of helle, And crysten mene he ded qwelle. From Antyoche on to Azey, Be mylys more than fyfty, Line 84 Euer to dysstrow crysten men He ded hys pore euer than; What with warre and with stryffe, He lefte but v. [Ashmole has few, not five.] pepyll a-lyfe. Line 88 Than yt be-fell vp-on a day, As he rode forth on hys wey, He sey þat lovely mayden clene, Kepe chepe vp-on the grene, Line 92 A-non he comandyd a knyth To feche hyr a-non ryth. The knyth wente a-non hyr too, And seyd sche must with hym goo. [folio 40b] Line 96 The mayde þat wos so myld of chyre Answerd hym as ȝe xall here, And seyd sche had no-thyn to do, Owte of hyr grownd with hym to go. Line 100 Sche preyed hym, fore hys curtesye,

To passe hys wey and let hyr a-bye. And schortly hys tale to telle, He wente from þat damselle, Line 104 And cam [MS. has "to cam," cam being interlined in the wrong place.] to Olybryus þe kynge And told hym all þat tydynge, Line 106 That sche wod not hym cum to; [Line 107 in Ashmole rymes with the two preceding lines, and l. 109 a is omitted.] For no thynge that they myth do, But they [schuld] with hyr stryffe, And hyr thr[e]te vp-on hyr lyue. Line 109a To Jesus cryste gan sche calle, Line 110 That suffyrd deth for vs alle, That he wold hyr defend, Fro thow men that wer hynd, Line 113 And be-sowth hym of hys grace, Hyr to sokyr yn euery place, And seyd, "lord, for thy love I wyll dey, Line 116 And for-sake all thy werdely cumpany." Line 117 Than spake syr Olybryus On to his men he seyd thus, "Off all the men that I haue here, Line 120 That non of them can bryng hyr nere? And they hyr to me bro[w]th, Full sone I schud schonge hyr thowte; Sche schud op-on my goddys be-lewe, Line 124 Or ellys I schuld hyr full sore greve." Line 125 They went a-ȝen to that mayde, And on to hyr thus they seyd, "Thow muste cume a-non with vs Line 128 On to owre kynge syre Olybryus, [folio 41a] But thow cume with-owte stryffe Line 130 We schall rew [I.e. reeve.] the of þi lyffe."

Wyth them sche went, meke and styll, On to the kyng a-ȝens hyre wyll, And full fayere sche gan hym grete. Line 134 He askyd hyre name, and sche seyd, "Margarete." He seyd, "yff thow be boryn fre, For-soth my leman thow xall be, I wyll haue the to my wyffe, Line 138 To leue yn joy all thy lyffe, Goolde and reches I wyll þe ȝyffe, All the wyll that thow may leve." Sche seyd to hym a-non than, Line 142 "I wyll haue non erdely man, But for the love of Cryst alone, I wyll be baptysyd yn a fonte stone; For sothe I wyll hym neuer foresake, Line 146 For non erdyly man to take." Than a-non to hyre he seyd, "We ded Jesus Cryst to deth, And ded hym streyn vp on þe rode, Line 150 Tyll he swete watyr and blode, And crownnyd hym with a crown of thorne; [MS. has throne.] Yf thow leve on hym thow arte for-lorne." To hym sche seyd a-non ryth, Line 154 "Syre, he ys a lord of myth, And deyed on crosse for all man-kynd, For that we schull haue hym yn mynde. He rosse from deth and to helle wente Line 158 The fyndys powre for to schente, And many sowllys he fete owte there, That long yn peynys were." To stryve with hyre he fond no bote, Line 162 But dede hyre bynddyn hand and ffote. And keste hyre yn presun strong, [folio 41b] For to ouer-cume hyre with worng.

Mayd Margarete all that nyth Line 166 In presun lay with mych on-ryth, And on the mowrow whan yt was day, They sente for hyr, the sothe to sey. They browte hyre be-forn Olybryus, Line 170 And sone to hyre he seyd thus: "Margarete, be-leve vp-on my lore, [MS., "lord."] Or I chall the grewe full sore, Thy goddys that þou dost on be-leve, Line 174 Schall not saue thee [MS., "me."] from my greve. Trow on me and be my wyffe, And leve yn joy all thy lyffe; All Antyoche and all Aȝye, Line 178 Aftyr my deth I geve yt the, Sylke and goold and purpyll pall, And I the wed, weryt thow xall, Wyll fyrryd with ryche armynge; [I.e. ermine.] Line 182 In all thys warlde ys þer non more fyne; [And with þe beste metys þat is in lond, I schall þe fede, I vnderstond;] And Jesus Cryst pute owte of þi thowte." Line 186 "Nay," sche seyd, "thyt wyll I nowth. Jesus wyll I neuer for-sake, Fro all that ys yn erth to take." Olybryus seyd, "yt schuld be sene full sone, Line 190 Wat thy goddys wyll fore the done." He bad hys servanttys, as I vndyr-stond, Take and bete hyre, fote and honde. [The sergeantys dyde as he heme bade, Line 194 They turment hyre as þei were made; They bete hyre with scow(r)gys stronge, And turment hyre with grete wronge]; They bete hyre, both man and wyffe, Line 198 And faste with hyre they gan stryve,

Tyll the redde bloode fell downe, To the fote from the crowne, Tyll they wente sche had be dede, Line 202 So faste on hyr they had leyde. Than seyd Olybrys, ther he stode, [folio 42a] "Margarete, thynkys thow thys good, Be-leve on my lord and be my wyffe, Line 206 And I wyll no more with the stryffe. Haue mercy of thy fayere fleysse, And on thy skyne that ys so nesse." To Jesus cryst sche cryed than, Line 210 That deyd fore the love of man, That of a vyrgyne wos borne, For man-kynd schull note be fore-lorn,— "Thys peynys that I suffur and yn swy[n]ke Line 214 Be full swete to me, as me thynke, All the peynys that I here dryve Be swetter to me than ony thyng a-lyve." Olybryus seyd to hys servantys thoo, Line 218 "Sche gyffe no-thyng of all thys woo, For all the peynys that I hyr gyffe Sche woll not on owre goddys be-leve." He bad hys servantys euery-chone, Line 222 That they xuld turment hyre a-non. The servantes ded as he them bad, Lytyll mercy on hyre they hade, With there naylys they gan hyre fleysse draw, Line 226 Lyke as howndys had hyre knaw. Also hyre eyne that wer so bryth, They put them owte and marryd hyre syth, They ded hyre myche peyn and woo; Line 230 They ded reue the skyn frome þe fleysse soo, Many of the pepyll that were there, In ther hartys were full sore, And seyd to hyr standyn there, Line 234

Line 234 Whan they sey hyre so sore tere, And seyd, "fayre mayd Margarete, That arte so fayre and so swete, [folio 42b] Turne to hym and be hys wyffe, Line 238 And no more with hym stryffe. Mayd Margarete, fore the woo haue care, And woll that þou sauyd were." "Aftyr ȝou," [MS. has the.] sche seyd, "I [MS. has sche.] wyll not doo, Line 242 But goo ȝowre wey me froo, All thoo þat for me do now repente, And se me haue thys turment, As thynkyd bothe good and ylle, Line 246 They schall be qwyttyd aftyr ther wyll, The angell of Cryste cumme me too, As faste as he myth cumme and goo."

Than be-spake syre Olybryus, Line 250 With wylde wordys seyd thus, "Margarete, I haue [s]weche poste, That blynd I haue mad the all moste, For be-fore thow haddys thy syte, Line 254 Now þou haste non throw my myth. Trow on my god, thow mayde," "Nay, for-soth syr," sche seyd, "For thy goddys þat thow be-levys on, Line 258 They arn dom as ony ston, My lord to me ys full kynd, He schall neuer owte of my mynd. Yff thow haue pore of my fleysse Line 262 To do þi wyll, both arde and neysse, To reue the skyne from the bon, Powre of my sowll gettys thow non." To hyr a-non than he seyd, Line 266 [In depe prisone þou schall be leyd] [The Brome has, l. 267, erroneously, "We pute Jesus Cryst to death."]

And yn presune thy body schall ly, Thy fayre fleysse for to dystroy, Than thow schall be bowndyne, fote and hand, Line 270 With bondys of yryn grete and strong." [folio 43a] "Jesus cryst," sche sayd hym tyll, "He may delyuer me whan he wyll." Fast yn presun they gan hyre done, Line 274 The Angell cume to hyre full soune, Be the grace of god all-myth, As the sune schynyt bryth: With parte of the crosse god was on done, Line 278 To that vyrgyn he camme full sone, And seyd to hyr with myld steuyn, "Blyssyd thow arte, with all that ys yn heuyne! The fadyr, þe sune, and the holy goste, Line 282 Lord and kyng of mytys moste, Thys croce to the hath seynte, Thy enmyse there with to defend." Sche seyd, "lord, blyssyd thow be! Line 286 That thys gyfte haste sente to me, All-mythy god, I the prey, A bone thow graunte me to-day, That I may with syth them see, Line 290 What they be thus turment me." The Angell bad hyre dowth notte, For to heuyne sche schull be browth, "Thar was no tunge that tell myth Line 294 Off joy þat wos made of the to nyth, Off all the meledy that ys yn heuyne, The, Margarete, for to wyffyne." [This word is "neuyne," i.e. to name, call, in Ashmole.] And be the grace of god all-myth, Line 298 Ther anon sche had hyre syth. The holy Angell passyd hyre fro, Off hym sche sey non moo,

Sche lokyd hyre a lytyll be-syde, Line 302 And sey a fowll dragun by hyre glyde, That of colowre as gres grene, With fyre flamynge, full to sene, [folio 43b] Owte of hys mowth brenynge bryth. Line 306 Sche was a-ferd of that syth; Sche fell downe on to the grownd, For fere tryndylld yn that stownd. He toke hyre yn hys mowth a-non, Line 310 And swalowd hyr vp body and bon; And whan he had so hyr doo, Ther he myth no ferder goo, But to-broste vp-on the grownd, Line 314 The mayde came owte saffe and sownd! And as yt was, be crystys wyll, With-yn hym sche had non ylle. But vp on the dragone sche stod, Line 318 With glad chyre and mylde mode, And thankyd Jesus of his myth, That sche had ouer-cume that fowll wyth. Sche vnder-stode wyll that yt was Line 322 Throw the vertu of the holy crosse, That fowll Dragun was slayne there, Throw goddys myth and hyre preyore. A-non sche wente the dragone fro, Line 326 And sey a-nother cume hyre too, A gresly syth fore-soth was he, So fowlle a beste myth neuer man se. To hym sche wente, I vnder stond, Line 330 With the holy crosce yn hyr honde, And smote hym so vpon the fynnys, That he myth a-byde hyr dynnys. She streyffe with hym so long, Line 334 That throw crystys myth so strong, Down to the grownd sche hym keste,

And with hyr wympyll bownd hym faste. In hys neke sche sete hyre foote, Line 338 To stryve with hyre he fond non bote, To hym sche seyd, "I cvnger the [folio 44a] That wat thow arte thow tell me, For thow arte so lothely a thyng, Line 342 Wat thow arte I wyll haue wetyng, For beste sey I neuer non So lothely for to loke vp-on." He seyd, "for thy lordys sake, Line 346 Fro my neke thy foote thow take, I haue gonne wyd be watyr and be lond, Ȝyte wos I neuer so sore bownd; My rythe name hyth Belgys, Line 350 For to lye non a-vayle ys, My broder hyth Resun that þou slew, In the warld we ded sorow i-now. Brostyn and ded ys my broder, Line 354 And thow haste ouer-cume me, I sey no nother. Whan we wer both to-geder We made the sone to sle the fader, We stroyed the pepyll day and nyth, Line 358 And ded all the sorow that we myth. In a Dragonys wyce we wer sent to the, To spylle thy wyt and make þe wod to be. The kynge Syr Olybryus Line 362 In thys lekenes sente to þe vs For to stroye thy fayre body With hys crafte of negramency." . . . . .

PRAYERS.

NOTHING is said as to what was the special occasion on which the following repetitions were to be made; there is nothing else on the page.

In the worchepe of god and of owre lady and [folio 78b] of all the holy Cumpany, he shall sey xv pater nosters, xv aves, and iij credys.

Also ye must sey in the worchepe of Seynt Ramayn and Seynt Barbera, Seynt Symond and Seynt Mawtholde, xv paternosters, xv aues, and iij credys; and thes must be seyd v tymys, that is, to nyte onnys, and to morow in the mornyng ageyn, and to-morow at nyte ageyn, and the nest day in the mornyng ageyn, and the nest day at nyte onnys; and ther is all.

DIRECTIONS FOR A TRENTAL.

A TRENTAL was an office of thirty masses, three of a sort, which were said for the dead, to deliver their souls from torment, according to Canon Rock on the burial day; low masses were said in the side chapels, and at all the altars in the church: a trental of masses used to be offered up for almost every one on the burial day." [Church of our Fathers, vol. ii. p. 504.] Be|quests were frequently made for the saying or singing of trentals. " In 1480 John Meryell left . . . to the friars of Babwell, to pray for his soul a trental of masses, xs." [Cullum's History of Hawsted, 2nd ed., p. 16.] Sometimes a yearly trental, or tricenarium, was said for departed brethren. See examples from early times in Ducange, s.v. trentale, and tricenarium.

The masses of the trental appear to have been performed, sometimes all on the one day, sometimes on thirty separate days, one each on three days within the octaves of each of the ten feasts; and to the proper mass for the day might be added the Dirige (or morning

service for the dead) [Called dirige or dirge, from the beginning of the first anthem at matins, " Dirige Domine Deus meus in conspectu tuo viam meam."—Rock, ii. 503.] and any special prayer or prayers desired. In the poem called St. Gregory's Trental [Found in two MSS., Cott. Caligula, A ii. fo. 84 v^o. of the fifteenth century, and Lambeth, 306, fo. 110, printed in Furnivall's Political, Religious, and Love Poems, 1866, Early English Text Society, p. 83.] the virtues of this means of saving a departed soul are exalted, particular directions are given, and several additions are specially recommended for greater certainty, One of these additions is the dirige, but the prayer also desired by the Brome writer is not among them. The poem (of 240 lines) tells how his mother's ghost, in torture for her sins, appeared to Pope Gregory, and enjoined him to sing "a trentelle

Of ten chef festes of pe yere, To syng for me yn pis manere; Thre masses of crystys natyuyte, And of pe xii day opur pre, Thre of our ladyes puryfycacioun, And opur pre of here Annunciacioun, Thre of crystes gloryous Resurreccioun, And oper pre of his hyz Ascencioun, And of pentecoste opur pre, And pre of pe blessed trinite, And of our ladyes Assumpcioun opur pre; And of here joyfulle natiuite pre; These ben pe chefe festes ten, That souerenly socouren synfulle men." [(Lines 104-118. Line 118 is from Lambeth MS.)]

She added that they should be said "within the octaves of the feasts." [Line 124, with which compare ll. 144-5 and 231-2.] The Pope carried out his mother's behests, which were quite effectual; yet the writer rather inconsistently desires (as before mentioned) that a good many other prayers, which are named, should be joined to the masses.

The correspondence of the Brome trental with the trental thus ascribed to the authority of Pope Gregory will be remarked, and we may feel pretty sure that we have here a usual composition of this favourite Office for the Dead. That the rest of the form was variable, according to the wish of the person who ordered the masses, is indicated by this little record at Brome no less than by a will of 1448,

quoted by Ducange, in which the testator ordered a "trental de messes" to be said for his soul "le plus brief que faire se porra." But who it was at Brome or Scole who showed this preference for a dirge, and the prayer Deus summa spes, there is nothing in the manuscript to tell.

The "month's mind," sometimes mentioned in connection with a trental, appears to have been a day kept in remembrance of the departed a month after death, when a number of masses, probably a trental, was performed for his soul, and a dinner or feast given. "In Ireland," writes Sir Henry Piers, 1682, "after the day of interment of a great personage, they count four weeks; and that day four weeks, all priests and friars, and all gentry, far and near, are invited to a great feast (usually termed the month's mind). The preparation to this feast are masses, said in all parts of the house at once, for the soul of the departed. If the room be large you shall have three or four priests together celebrating in the several corners thereof. The masses done, they proceed to their feastings; and after all, every priest and friar is discharged with his largess." [Quoted in Brand's Dictionary of Antiquities, ed. 1870, vol. ii. p. 231.] Compare this with Dr. Rock's description of the trental above. Payments for the feast, as well as for the priests, are not infrequent in old wills, churchwarden's accounts, &c. (see Archæologia, vol. i. pp. 11-14; Brand's Dictionary of Antiquities, ed. 1870, ii. 229; also Rock's Church of our Fathers, ii. 518; and Dr. Skeat's Notes to Piers Plowman, text C., x. 320, p. 198.

Spenser, in Mother Hubberd's Tale, 1. 453, refers to the old state of things as past:—

"Their diriges, their trentals, and their shrifts, . . . . . . Now all those needlesse works are laid away." [Quoted in Brand's Dictionary of Antiquities, ed. 1870, vol. ii. p. 231.]

These Directions for Trental and for Prayers (p. 119) are written apparently by the same hand which wrote the Accounts, Articles of Leet and Baron, &c., i.e., Robert Melton.

Trentals er comonly seyd xxx^ti massis and no [folio 80a] derege; they shulde be sayd with euery masse a derege, soo I wolde haue them seyd yff I shulde cavsse them to be seyd for my selffe, euery derege with this preyur, Deus summa spes: they know it that hath seyd trentals. The massis er thes folowyng;—First iij of the nateuite of owre lord as of Crystmes day, iij of Epiphanie as of Twelth day, iij of the

purificashon of owr lady as of Candylmes day, iij of the Salutacion of owre lady as of owre lady day in lent, iij of the resurrecshon of owre lord as of Ester day, iij of the Assencion as of holy Thursday, iij of the holy gost as of Whyts[onday], iij of the Trenite as of trenite sonday, iij of the assumpcion of owre lady, iij of the nateuite of oure lady.

De nateuite domini de Epiphania domini de purificatione marie de annunciacione marie de resurrecione domini de assencione domini de pentecoste de trinitate de assumpcione marie de natiuitate marie

Of eche of thes, iij messes.

A CAROL OF THE ANNUNCIATION. [This is in a hand nearly resembling that of the longer poems in the first part of the manuscript.] [folio 79b]

Newell! Newell! newell! newell! Thys ys þe songe of Angell Gabryell, Tydynges trew þer be cum new sent ffrome þe Trynyte Be Gabryell to nazaret, sytte of gallalye. A clene maydyne, a puer vergyn, throw hyr hvmylyte Conseyvyd þe secund persone in devynyte. Wan he fyrst presentyd wos be-for hyr fayire vyssage, With most demver and goodly wysse to hyr he did vmmage. And seyd, "lady of hevyne so hey, þat lordes herytage

The wyche of þe born wyll be, I ame sent of message." Sodenly a-bassyd trvly, but not all thyng dessmasyd, With mynd dyscryt and meke speryte to þe Angell sche seyd, "Be wat maner schuld I a chyld ber, þe wyche euer a mayd Haue levyd schast all my lyve past, and neuer man a sayid?" Than a-geyne to owre lady thus ansceward þe Angell, "O lady der, be of good chere, and dred the neuer a dell; Thow schalt rec[eue] in thy body, mayd, godes very selle, In owys berth bothe heuyne and erthe schall joye, emanuell. þat not ȝyt sex mothys past þi cosynge Elyzabeth That wos barend, conseyvyd a chyld, trewthe ys þat I þe tell. Sythe sche in age, qwy not in ȝowuethe, ȝe may conseyve as wyll, Yffe godes wyll wome ys p[o]ssybyll to haue don euery pyll." Than a-geyn to þe angell sche awnswerd womanly, "Wat soeuer my lord comand me to do, I wyll yt abey mekely." Ecce sum humilima ancilla domini, Secundum tuum verbum fiat mychi.