The Psalter, or Psalms of David and certain canticles / with a translation and exposition in English by Richard Rolle of Hampole ; ed. from manuscripts by the Rev. H. R. Bramley ... With an introduction and glossary.

[PSALM CXLVIII.]

LAUDATE dominum de celis: laudate eum in excelsis. ¶ Louys the lord ȝe of heuen; louys him ȝe in hegh. ¶ Here the prophet, in menynge of [S ins. 'a.'] fa thyngis, he amonestis all creaturs to loue god. for all thyngis louys him in thaim self. or in other that has wisdom to loue god. as we til thaim that wirkis wele ere glade of thaire goed dede. and says. dos on. dos on. swa the prophet, ioyand in aungels louand god, says, ȝe aungels that ere of heuen, louys ȝoure lord. he amonestis thaim noght to loue, bot it payes

him wele that thai do. and liftand vp the hert he is with thaim in hope. and ȝe that ere in the heghest ordirs louys god. aswhasay. do as ȝe do. for ȝe do the best. sithyn til whaim he makis his ioiynge. he expounys. and says.

2. Laudate eum omnes angeli eius: laudate eum omnes virtutes eius. ¶ Louys him all his aungels: louys him all his vertus. ¶ Vertus is a generall name of all the spirits of heuen. bot here it is takyn for an ordire: when thai ere sent thai ere kalde aungels.

3. Laudate eum sol & luna: laudate eum stelle & lumen. ¶ Louys him son and mone; louys him sternys and light. ¶ The prophett bigan at inuysibil thynge, that is worthiere. eftire he settis visibil thynge that is less worthy. for son and mone. and all that man may see, gifis stede til creaturs the whilke we may noght see here.

4. Laudate eum celi celorum, & aque que super celos sunt: laudent nomen domini. ¶ Louys him heuens of heuens, and the watirs that ere abouen heuens: loue the name of lord. ¶ Heuens he says. for as strabȝ writys. thare is foure bodily heuens are men cum til the heuen that aungels ere in. the [U repeats the.] watirs abouen heuen ere tha that ere departid fra the watirs that ere vndire the firma|ment. Grete louynge is that heuen berys watirs that ere heuy of kynd. and cummys noght down bot at the comaundment of god in dropys of rayne. whi sall thai loue.

5. Quia ipse dixit & facta sunt: ipse mandauit & creata sunt. ¶ ffor he sayd and thai ere made; he comaundid and thai ere wroght. ¶ In godis saiynge he takyns godis sun. thorgh whaim all thynge is made.

6. Statuit ea in eternum in seculum seculi: preceptum posuit & non preteribit. ¶ He stabild thaim withouten end and in warld of warld: biddynge he sett and it sall not pass. ¶ Wele stabild thai ere that ere newid thorgh crist, and made bettyre [L &c. ins. 'and.'] lastis withouten end. biddynge he sett, that is, laghe and condicioun, that thai loue him. and it sall noght pass withouten fulfillynge.

7. Laudate dominum de terra: dracones & omnes abyssi. ¶ Louys the lord ȝe of erth: draguns and all depnessis. ¶ Draguns ere about the erth wonnand. and cumand out of thaire dikis. thai ere born in til the ayere, and for thaim the ayere is stird.

and mare bestis than thai ere nane abouen erth. forthi he bigan at thaim. depnessis ere of watirs. that ere hid. and all sees. and the clowdy ayere, whare is wyndis and stormys leuenyngis thonurs: all there, of thai be chaungeabil and drubly, thai hafe thaire stede and thaire ordire. and swa thai loue god. bihaldynge of thaim amonestis vs to loue.

8. Ignis grando nix glacies spiritus procellarum: que faciunt verbum eius. ¶ ffyre. haghil. snaw. yse. gaste of stormys: the whilke dos his worde. ¶ All there thof thai be sene stird and druuyd til folis, and led as with chaunce, thai do his worde. for of him thai ere ordaynd.

9. Montes & omnes colles: ligna fructifera & omnes cedri. ¶ Howis & all hillis; trese berand froyt. and all cedirs.

10. Bestie & vniuersa pecora: serpentes & volucres pennate. ¶ Bestis & all bestis: serpentȝ and fughils fethird. ¶ ffirst he says bestis. for tha bestis that ere mykil. sithyn all bestis, for thai bestis that ere less. all loue god. als swa.

11. Reges terre & omnes populi: principes & omnes iudices terre. ¶ Kyngis of erth and all folke; pryncys and all iugis of erth.

12. Iuuenes & virgines senes cum iunioribus laudent nomen domini: quia exaltatum est nomen eius solius. ¶ Ȝonge men and maydyns, eldryn men with ȝongere, loue the name of lord: for heghid is the name of him anly. ¶ Here sumundis he men and women of ilk elde and of ilke condicioun to loue the name of oure lord, that is heghe anly. for na creature is heghid bot vndire him.

13. Confessio eius super celum & terram: & exaltauit cornu populi sui. ¶ The shrift of him on heuen & erth: and he heghid the horn of his folke. ¶ That is, him all thyngis grauntis, and louys in thaim self or in othere. the fayrhede of all is voice of louand in bihaldand thaim. & ȝit mare he is to loue for him self. than for all that he made. forthi if men hafe delite to luf his creature, mykil mare aghe men to hafe delite in his luf til whaim na thynge may be like in fayrhed & luflynes and in kyndnes: and he heghid the horn. that is, the myght or the dignyte of his folke that lufis him.

14. Ymnus omnibus sanctis eius: filijs israel, populo appropinquanti sibi. ¶ Ymyn til all his halighis: til sunnys of

israel, til folke neghand til him. ¶ Til halymen be now louynge of god with sange, for thai sall take endles louynge at the end of this warld. and til sunnys of israel be ymyn. whilke ere tha folke that neghis til him in trouth. & luf and clennes.