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 XIII.]

DIXIT insipiens in corde suo: non est deus. ¶ The unwise sayd in his hert; god is noght. ¶ The prophet, blamand thaim that gifis thaim til all the lust and lykynge of thaire flesch and this warld, swa that thai haf forgeten god and his domes, says, the vnwise, that has na sauour of god na of gastly thynge, sayd in his hert. for thof a wreche dare thynke god is noght. that is thare is na god that dampnnes or safes, he dare noght say it. Naman that has a clen hert felis that god is noght: bot delite of synn egges errand men to wen god noght to be.

2. Corrupti sunt & abominabiles facti sunt in studiis suis: non est qui faciat bonum, non est vsque ad vnum. ¶ Thai ere broken. and wlathsum thai ere made in thaire studis thar [S thore. U that.] is nan that does the goed, thare is nan til an. ¶ Thai say that god is noght: for thai ere broken fra the luf of god, & blyndid in the warld that thai luf. and wlathsum thai ere made in ill werkis. in thaire studis, that is thaire thoghtis. for thai kast and studis how thai moght doe in dede that thai haf wickidly thoght. thar is nane of tha that does goed, noght anly til ane: that is, thar is noght ane goed.

3. Dominus de celo prospexit super filios hominum: ut videat si est intelligens, aut requirens deum. ¶ Lord lokyd of heuen on the sonnes of men: that he see if any is vndir|standand, or sekand god. ¶ Oure lord lokes of heuen, that is thurgh haly saules: for in him na thynge is hid fra him. on sonnes

of men: forto haf mercy of thaim if thai will turne till him. that he see. that is that he make vs to see, in wham he wonnes. if thar be any vndirstandand in hert the goednes of crist till mannys kynd, and than sekand god with goed werke, doand his biddyngis.

4. Omnes declinauerunt, simul inutiles facti sunt: non est qui faciat bonum, non est vsque ad vnum. ¶ All thai heldid, to gidere thai ere made vnprofitabile; thar is nane that does goed. thare is nane til ane. ¶ Thus ioyn the lettire. he sagh if any ware vndirstandand or sekand god [S. U om.] . bot he fand that all heldid away fra god, ilkan in hys wickyd ȝernynge: and to gidere with that heldynge thai ere made vnprofitabile, ilkan til other. for a wickid man drawis an other til wickidnes, swa that ilkan is cause of other perischynge. and swa mykil thai held [S heldid.] , that thar is nane of thaim that does goed, that quemes god: thar is nane til ane: that is bot ane: for nane does goed withouten the luf of ihū crist.

5. Sepulchrum patens est guttur eorum, linguis suis dolose agebant: venenum aspidum sub labijs eorum. ¶ A graf oppynand is the throt of thaim, with thaire tongis tricher|ously thai wroght; venome of snakis vndire the lippes of tha. ¶ Sothly thai corumpe thaire neghburs. for thaire throt is like till a grafe oppynand, that slas men thurgh ill aire. and swalows thaim in: swa thai sla thaire herers in stynk of erroure, and sithen thaim [S. U om.] graues in obstynacioun, when thai dwell in thaire synn ay til thaire ded. or by an oppynand grafe he bitakyns glottery, that wastis bath bodily goed and gastly: and is [S. U om.] ay gapand to take. with thaire tongis tricherously thai wroght: for thai loue men bifore thaim. and spekis ill byhynd thaim. venome of snakis. that is incorygibile malice vndire the lippes of thaim. that is in thaire hert. than is na wondire if thai speke ill and doe ill.

6. Quorum os malediccione & amaritudine plenum est: veloces pedes eorum ad effundendum sanguinem. ¶ Whas mouth is ful of weriynge and bitternes. swift ere [U om. S erre.] thaire fete to spill blode. ¶ Thaire mouth is ay redy to myssay and reproue and to manaunce. thaire fete, that is thaire willes and affecciouns, ere swift to spill blode. that is to sla thaire saules and other mennys: [U ins. 'and.'] for a manys saule is in the blode.

7. Contricio & infelicitas in vijs eorum, & viam pacis

non cognouerunt: non est timor dei ante oculos eorum. ¶ Brekynge and wrechidnes is [S. U om.] in thaire wayes, and the way of pees thai knew noght: the dred of god is noght bifore the eghen of thaim. ¶ Brekynge, for thai breke and ere broken, when tha noy thaim self & other. and wrechidnes in saule, for thai haf na rest in god. ere in thaire waies, that is thaire werkis, be the whilke thai ga til hell. and thai torne noght agayn: for thai knew noght the way of pees. that is crist thai lufid noght, that is oure pees, and way till heuen. and that for thai drede noght god.

8. Nonne cognoscent omnes qui operantur iniquitatem: qui deuorant plebem meam sicut escam panis. ¶ Ne sall thai noght knaw all that wirkis wickidnes: the whilk deuours my folke as met of brede. ¶ Ne sall thai noght knaw this thurgh tourment, all that wirkis wickidnes, and now will noght knaw thaire wickidnes and leue it. the whilk deuours my folke. that is gredely etis. as thai doe that wynnes til the offices of haly kirke for to take riches and honour of men, noght for hele of mannys saule, na for the louynge of god. bot for to ete godis folke as mete of brede, that thai ete ilk day. Alswa thai ilk day ere aboute to refe fra sympile folk thaire goed.

9. Deum non inuocauerunt; illic trepidauerunt timore vbi non erat timor. ¶ God thai incald noght: thare thai [U om. S thei.] quoke for dred whare dred was noght. ¶ Thai incald noght god with luf in till thaire hertis. for thai luf the thynge that god hates. and forthi thaire thai qvoke for drede whare na dred was: that is in losynge & harm of erthly goeds, the whilke is noght to dred. bot thai sould haf dred of the fire of hell, that thai fall in. for thai drede it noght.

10. Quonian dominus in generacione iusta est: con|silium inopis confudistis, quoniam dominus spes eius est. ¶ ffor lord is in rightwis getynge; the counsaile of the helples ȝe shamed, for lord is the hope of him. ¶ Oure lord is wonand in rightwis getynge: that is in tha that lifis rightwisly, fra the tyme that thai ere gastly borne thurgh penance or baptem: bot ȝe wickid men, that ledis ȝoure lif in synn, shamed the counsaile of the helples. that is ȝe hald it hethynge and shame to folow the meknes and the pouert of ihū crist, or of ilk haly man. and that ȝe did for oure lord

is his hope anly. and ȝe traist in men and ȝoure riches. for thi ȝe dispise him that dispises that thynge that ȝe luf.

11. Quis dabit ex syon salutare israel: cum auerterit dominus captiuitatem plebis sue, exultabit iacob & leta|bitur israel. ¶ Wha sall gif of syon hele til israel; when lord has turned away the caitife of his folke, glad sall iacob and fayn be israel. ¶ Wha bot crist, that ȝe dispise when ȝe will noght doe his counsaile, of syon, fra heuen, sall gif hele til israel. that is sall safe all trew cristen men: noght as ȝe ere that lufis noght god. and when oure lord has turned away the caitife of his folke. that is when he has dampned the deuel and all his seruantes. the whilk tour|mentis goed men and makis kaitifis in pyne. than glad sal iacob, that is all that wrestils agayns vices in actif lif: and fayn be sall israel. that is all that with the clen eghe of thaire hert sees god in contemplatif life. for iacob is als mykill at say as wrestlere or sup|plantere of syn. israel is man seand god.