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 XXIII.]

DOMINI est terra & plenitudo eius: orbis terrarum & vniuersi qui habitant in eo. ¶ The erth is the lordis and the fulnes of it; the warld and all that wones thar in. ¶ The prophet, at the likynynge of a bedel, that eftere the victory cries that all the land is the victors; bihaldand the ioy of the resurreccioun of crist, says. the lordis, that is, cristis that is lord of lordis. is the erth, that is, halykirke, that beris goed froite of will & werke. and the fulnes of it: that is, halymen all, and rightwis, of the whilke halykirk is full: for anly goed men filles it. the warld and all that is thar in: that is, of the warld, and in all the warld, is his kyrke.

2. Quia ipse super maria fundauit eum: & super flumina preparauit eum. ¶ ffor he abouen the sees grundid it; and graid [S greythed.] it abouen flodis. ¶ That is, he stabild haly kyrke abouen all the stremes of wickidnes of this warld, swa that thai be ouercomen, and noy it noght: and he graid [S graythed.] it in saule abouen flodes, that is, abouen couaitus men: for as flodes rynnys in till the see, swa does couaitous men in till the lust of this warld, and sithen in till hell. and abouen tha ere halymen: for thai ouercome couaitis, and in luf ere redy to resaife the blisse of heuen.

3. Quis ascendet in montem domini: aut quis stabit in loco sancto eius. ¶ Wha sall stegh in the hill of lord; or wha sall stand in his haly stede. ¶ Wha is sett here for latsumnes: for ful fa ere that standis in the hill of rightwisnes, or steghis thare til: and many steghis that standis noght. for thai last noght, falland down agayn til the dale of synn. thare thai come fra. bot til his askynge he answers. that we may wit wha standis.

4. Innocens manibus & mundo corde: qui non accepit in vano animam suam, nec iurauit in dolo proximo suo. ¶ Innocent of hend and of clen hert; the whilk toke noght in vayn his saule. and sware noght in treson til his neghtbure. ¶ He sall stand that is pure in werkis and clen in thoghtis, and toke noght his saule in vayn. that is, he put it noght til luf of vayn thynges, na filyd it noght with synn. sen that he was baptized or toke penaunce: bot feland his saule vndedly, enterly gaf him til godis luf, and til desire of heuen. for he takis his saule in vayn that does oght [S. U noght.] elles thar with. and sware noght in treson: that is, he hight noght to desaife, bot that he thynkis, that he sais: and that he does in dede.

5. Hic accipiet benediccionem a domino: & miserecor|diam a deo salutari suo. ¶ He sall take blissynge of lord; and mercy of god his hele. ¶ That is, swilk a man sall haf the blissynge of god, whare thurgh he sall steghe and stand in godis heghe rightwisnes: and he sall haf mercy, that is remyssion of his synnes, of criste.

6. Hec est generacio querencium eum: querencium faciem dei iacob. ¶ This is the generacioun of secand him; of secand the face of god of iacob. ¶ This is. that is, swilk is the getynge. that is, multitud of tha that sekis him, noght for erthly goeds, bot sekand the face of god: that is, his presens, and his knawynge: of iacob, that is, that sekis him as iacob did. tha ere thai that ere brennandere in luf, and puttis thaim til trauaile bifor other, that god gif thaim the primate in blisse, as he did till iacob, bifor his eldere brothere esau.

7. Attollite portas principes uestras: & eleuamini porte eternales, & introibit rex glorie. ¶ Take vp ȝoure ȝates princes; and endles ȝates ȝe ere heghid, and in sall ga the kynge of ioy. ¶ Sen that nane may stand in godis hill. bot that ere swilk as i. haf sayd. for thi ȝe men that suld be princes of vices and haf the victory of ill stiryngis. takup, that is, doe away fra ȝoure saule, ȝoure ȝates of couaitis and of warldis dred: that ere ȝates of ded, the whilke the deuel sett in ȝow [S row.] for his entre: and agayn tha ȝatis ye endles ȝates. that is, entre of endles life, as forsakynge of the warld and perfit turnynge til god. ȝe ere heghid. that is, ȝe suld

be heghid in hertis of men: for swa sall inga til ȝoure saules the kynge of ioy: crist, in whaim we ioy withouten pride.

8. Quis est iste rex glorie: dominus fortis & potens, dominus potens in prelio. ¶ What is he this kyng of ioy; lord stalworth and myghty. lorde myghty in bataile. ¶ The prophet askis noght what is he this, for his ignoraunce, bot for to lere vs with his answere. lord of all, stalworth in all that he will doe, and myghty to punyse synfulmen: lord he is, myghty in bataile, when he faght agayn the deuel.

9. Attollite portas [U &c. ut supra.] 'principes vestras: & eleuamini porte eternales, & introibit rex glorie. ¶ Take vp ȝoure ȝates princes; and endles ȝates ȝe ere heghid, and in sall ga the kynge of ioy.' ¶ That he sayd bifore he repetis, for to determyn mare of the kynge of ioy.

10. Quis est iste rex glorie: dominus virtutum, ipse est rex glorie. ¶ What is he this kynge of ioy; lord of vertus, he is kynge of ioy. ¶ Lord of vertus, that is, of aungels, or of graces, for he gifis all giftis til men. or lord of vertus, that is, of erthly princes: that thai wit that thaim [U thai. S them.] behoues answere in his dome of all that thai doe, alsferforth as the leste of the warld.