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 I.]

BEATUS vir qui non abijt in consilio impiorum: & in via peccatorum non stetit, & in cathedra pestilencie non sedit. ¶ IN this psalme first he spekis of crist. & of his folouers, bloundisand til vs, hightand blisfulhed til rightwise|men: sithen he spekis of vengaunce of wickedmen, that thai dred pyne. sen thai will noght luf ioy. he bygynnes at the goed man & says. ¶ Blisful man the whilk oway ȝed noght in the counsaile of wicked: and in the way of synful stode noght. & in the chaiere of pestilens he noght sate. ¶ HE is blisful til whaim all thynge comes that he couaites. or that has all that he will. & will nathynge that is ill. and as saynt Austyne sais. fife thynge falles til blisfulhed. the first is to hafe that he will. the tother that he will noght bot goed. the third that his gode be ay lastand, the ferth is sykirnes neuer to lose that goed, the fifte is. that it be myghty to fill his desire. thes are noure plenerely bot in heuen. In erth a party we ere blisful, in als mykil als we ioy in god and hatis synne. & ere fild of gastly vertus. In als mykil as we synne & delites vs in any thynge bot in god, or suffirs pyne agayn oure will, we ere wrechis. He is man, that is fast and stabile agayns ese & anguys, whaim na welth of this werld heghis in til pryde. ne na tribulacioun bryngs in till gruch|ynge or vntholemodnes. the whilk ȝed noght oway. fra god, synnand in thoght. for ill thoghtis departes men fra god: of he ware sett in the counsaile of wicked. that is, of wicked red him till ill. there wicked he kalles the deuel. that redis the flesch til lust. and the flesch that redis the saule. & the saule that assentis till the deuyll & til the flesch. the deuel thurgh his red getis til him ded of body and saule. the flesch for delite deserues fire that nathynge may slokyn. the saule thurgh assent gets the worme that neuer sall dye. this is a werid counsaile. bot the rightwisman gas noght thare in. and he

stode noght in the way of synful. that is. he festid noght the fote of his luf in lykynge & ioy of this werld, that is way that ledis synful men till hell. for thai stand thare in. bot the rightwisman passis that way swiftly, as he that gas on qwik grauel. that gers him synk that standis thar on. the entent is this. that the blisful man synned noght in thoght, couetand delites or ryches, ne delityd hym noght in thaim. as he dos that standis & bihaldis a thynge witirly. bot he hastid him til heuen. as he dos that has swa gret hegh [S hy.] on his way that he settis his egh on noght. that he sese til he come thare he will be. and he sat noght in the chaiere of pestilens. Pestilens is an euyl [U a neuyl. S an yuel.] rechand o lenght. and bred. that all or nerand all um|lappis. that the folk kallis. Moryn or manqwalm, that bytakyns luf of lordschip and appetite of dignyte. that nerand corompis all men. as that yuel dos when it comes. bot in this chaiere sat noght crist. for he fled by hym ane in til the hill, when thai wald haf mad him kynge. And his verray lufers folous him, fleand honur. & louynge in erth. and noght lufand vaynglorye.

2. Sed [MSS. Set, et sic passim.] in lege domini voluptas eius: & in lege eius medi|tabitur die ac nocte. ¶ Bot in laghe of lord the will of him: and in his laghe he sall thynke day & nyght. ¶ Hys wil is in godis laghe. that kepis it gladly. & for luf, noght for dred. & in sarynes. swa that he has na noy of trauaile in godis seruys. and that will is noght ydell na shortly. bot he sall thynke in hys laghe. noght out tharof as ill men dos. day & nyght. that is, assiduelly, in wele & wa. or ay when he sall thynke he sall thynke thar in: noght anly in the lettirs of the laghe. bot in halynes of stabil purpos in cristes luf. for this thoght of his laghe is lastand kepynge of halynes.

3. Et erit tanquam lignum quod plantatum est secus de|cursus aquarum: quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo. ¶ And he sall be as a tre. that is sett bysid the stremes of watirs: the whilk sall gif his froyte in his tyme. ¶ As wha say. he sall noght anly be goed in him selfe. bot he sall be as a tre that is profitabile til many & noyand til nane. that has ay wetynge of the watirs of grace & haly lare. If a tre be layd til the fire it is kyndeld in it self. & gifs lyght til other. Als swa a rightwisman brennys in luf of god in his hert & shynes til men with outen in lyght of goed lyfynge. & fayre. that gifes his froit. that is, goed

werkes in ensaumpile & goed dedis in help: he selles thaim noght for fauoure and louynge of men. bot he gifes thaim for louynge of god, that quytes a hundreth fald. & that in his tyme. for all thynges that goed are askis tyme & discrecioun. & this is agayns selfwillid men. the whilk gifs ensaumpil to fast when tyme is to ete. & to wake when tyme is to slepe. forthi thai may noght fast ne wake when tyme is. & swa thai shame thaire state. And alswa this tyme is agayns auerous men & chynches, that gifes froit. bot when it is rotyn & out of tyme. or if thai oght sall gif, it is with swa mykil delaiynge. & swa wrathly, that it is noght worth that thai doe. ffor god lufis wele cherid gifers. Swilke tres ere wicked, that for eld in synne beris na goed froit. & forthi thai sall be smyten down & kastyn in til the fire of hell.

4. Et folium eius non defluet: & omnia quecumque faciet semper prosperabuntur. ¶ And the lef of him sall noght downren; and all thyngs that he sall doe. ay sall esely fare. ¶ The rightwisman dos in tyme his dede, & alswa his leef, that is, his worde, sall noght be aboute erthly thyngs ne ydel ne dis|sayuabile ne leghynge: for swilk wordes rennes doun in till synne. bot it sall be noteful, lerand the way till heuen. & swa ren vpward: and all thyngs that he sall doe. whether thai be werkis or wordis. ay sall esely fare. that is, thai sall turne hym til prou & other that ere edified in him. he that synnes noght in his tonge; he is a perfite man. that is. his leef to ryn noght down.

5. Non sic impij non sic: sed tanquam puluis quem pro|icit ventus a facie terre. ¶ Noght swa wicked noght swa; bot as the dost. the whilk wynd ferkastis fra the face of the erth. ¶ Here he departis ill men. fra crist. & fra the company of all goed men. and sais, noght swa wicked. boxsom til god. noght swa festid in godis laghe, bot as doste. that is. thai ere drye with outen wetynge of grace. & light to assent til ilk temptacioun. the whilk wynd. that is, pride, that heghis & bolnes thaim as wynd dos, dryues fra the face of the erth, that is, fra the presens of endles stabilnes. that nurisch [S now rises.] oure saule as the erth dos oure body.

6. Ideo non resurgunt impij in iudicio: neque peccatores in consilio iustorum. ¶ fforthi wicked rise noght in dome: ne synful in counsaile of rightwis. ¶ fforthi that thai ere dryuen thurgh pride fra god in till the deuel seruys. thai ryse noght in

dome. that is, to dem thaim self in gastly rysynge fra synne thurgh penaunce. ne thai rise noght in rede of rightwis. that is, thai will noght sett godis will byfor thaire will. ne make amendis til thaim that thai haf doen wrange, that rightwismen redis. If we speke of the last day of dome. wickid sall noght rise in dome for to deme; bot for to be demed & dampned. And vndirstand. that in the dome sall be foure ordirs. An sall be that sall deme and noght be demed. as apostels & other perfitest men. the tother sall nother dem ne be demed, as hathen men. fore thaire dampnacioun is knawen til all haly kirke. ffor he that trous noght now he is demed. & thai that synnes withouten laghe. thai sal peryssch withouten laghe. The thrid sall be demed & be safe. as tha that ere goed weddid men & byes thaim heuen with almus dede, & other that dos penaunce fore thaire synne, bot tha kan noght come in til perfite lyf. the ferth sall be demed and dampned, als fals cristen men. that has the trouth of ihū crist withouten luf & goed werkes. thai sall greuoslyere be dampned than hethen men. for the vp|braidynge of crist. that thai wild noght luf him. that swa mykill goednes did til thaim, sall grefe thaim mare than any man may thynke. bot hathen men sal viliere be dampned, for withouten dome.

7. Quoniam nouit dominus viam iustorum: & iter impio|rum peribit. ¶ ffor lord knew the way of rightwis; & the gate of wicked sall perisch. ¶ As wha say; wicked sall noght rise with halyghs in dome. ne in ioy of heuen. that til haly men is counsail. for god lufis the way. that is, the werkis of rightwis. and rewardis thaim in blis. & the werke of wickid he hatis. wharfore the wicked man perisch in his synne.