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 II.]

QUARE fremuerunt gentes: & populi meditati sunt inania. ¶ Whi gnaistid the genge [S heythene. And so elsewhere.] : & the folke thoght vnnayte thyngs. ¶ The profit snyband thaim that tourmentid crist. sais whi what encheson had thai: as wha say, nan, the genge. tha ware the knyths [S knyghtes.] of rome that crucified crist. gnaistid as bestis withouten reson: & the folke, thai ware the ioues, thoght vnnaite thyngs [S thyngis. U om.] . that was, to hald crist in ded, that thai myght noght doe. forthi in vayn thai trauaild.

2. Astiterunt reges terre & principes conuenerunt in unum: aduersus dominum & aduersus xpm eius. ¶ Tos|tode the kynges of erth. & princes come samen [S. U same.] in ane: agayns lord & agayns his crist. ¶ Noght anly folk & genge rase agayns crist, bot alswa the kyngis, that is, herode that sloghe the innocenz. & the tother herode his son. that assentid in cristis ded. and prynces. anna and caiphas. the whilke ware prynces of prestes, assentid in a wicked will. fole presumpcioun: the kynges of erth com samyn agayns the kynge of heuen. for thai com agayns his crist. ihesu his son. And now kyngs & prynces of erth comes in ane agayns crist, when thai doe or suffire vnrightwisnes in thaire land, & puttes men in dignytes of haly kirke that ere vnworthi. Gastly to speke: Genge ere wickid thoghtis. folk ere ydel thoghtis. than this genge gnaistis when fleschly ȝernyngs ryse agayns skil. & folk thynkis vnnait thyngs [S thyngis. U om.] . when tha that sould gif thaim hally til godis luf. studis in vanytes, & sutils thaim in swilk thynge that draghs thaim fra thoght of heuen in till werldis besynes. than the kyngis of erth standis til thaim. tha ere fendis, that bigiles wricched saules when thai gif thaim til any erthly thynge: & than there prynces comes agayns the fadire of heuen & his son. for to put god out of mannys saule and make thare the deuels rest.

3. Dirumpamus vincula eorum: & proiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum. ¶ Breke we the bandis of thaim: and kast we fere fra vs thaire ȝoke. ¶ As wha say, thus thai rise agayns crist & mannys saule. bot we that draghis til heuen. brek we thaire bandis. that is, dispise we thaire bloundisynges & thaire manaunces. and kast we fra vs thaire ȝoke. that is, thaire lord|schipe. swa that fendis haf na maystri of vs.

4. Qui habitat in celis irridebit eos: & dominus subsanna|bit eos. ¶ He that wonnys in heuens sall drif til hethynge [S. U ethynge.] thaim: and lord sal scorn thaim. ¶ Wele aghe we to brek thaire bandis. of couatis & ill dred, that byndes men in synne: for god that wonnys in heuen. that is, in haly saules. and aungels, sall shew all tha worthi hethynge & scornynge that now ere dissayued thurght quayntis of the deuel and kitlynge of thaire flesch or heghnes of the world.

5. Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua: & in furore suo con|turbabit eos. ¶ Than he sall spek till thaim in his wreth: and

in his wodnes he sall druuy thaim. ¶ Wit ȝe wele that god is nother wrath ne wod: bot his ire is rightwis pyne that he does on synfulmen: & thaim that he dampnes til hell. he makis thaim as thai ware for tourment wode. swa that thai wate of noght bot of sorow & pyne. and forthi when he venges him, his vengaunce is cald woednes: for he sparis namare than a woed man dos, that dos all the ill that he may. And is this the wit: than. when he sall make hethynge at thaim, he sall speke til thaim in his wreth. that speche sall be vpbraydynge. that thai wild noght doe his biddynge. now he is stil & suffirs. than he sall speke and punysch. and in his wodenes. that is, in his vertu. in the whilk he venges rightwisly. he sall druuy thaim. that is, he sall ref thaim all thaire brightnes & ioy. & gif thaim to bren in endles fire.

6. Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super syon montem sanctum eius: predicans preceptum eius. ¶ Bot .i. am stabild kynge of him on syon his haly hill: prechand his comandment. ¶ Thus sall thai be dampned: bot .i., says crist, whas ȝoke thai lufid noght to bere. am sett kynge of my fadire on syon, that is, contemplatif men. the whilke has the eghe of thaire hert ay till heuen. his haly hill. for thai ere fast and heghe in vertus: prechand his comaundment. that is, charite. the whilke specially he comaundes. and that is mast haly mens techynge. that men luf god.

7. Dominus dixit ad me filius meus es tu: ego hodie genui te. ¶ Lord sayd til me my son ert thou: this day .i. gat the. ¶ Her he sais that the son is of his fadire withouten bigyn|nynge, & euen til hym in godhed. for this day bitakyns presens, noght thynge that is gane, or that is at come. and the lastandnes of god euermare is all at ans.

8. Postula a me & dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam: & possessionem tuam terminos terre. ¶ Ask of me and i sall gif til the genge thin heritage: and thi possession terms of erth. ¶ Thou ert my son by kynd as nan other is. forthi ask of me. that is, be boxsum, suffrand and dyand. that thou may swa aske with dede. this askynge fallis til his manhed. in the whilke he dyed for vs. and that is that he says. and .i. sall gif till the genge. the whilke ware hathen men, bot now ere cristen men, thin heritage. the whilke thou sall til & make to bere goed froit. in lyf withouten end: and thou sall rest and delite the in thaim as in fre heritage. and .i. sall gif termes of

erth, that is, the halnes of all creaturis thi possession, the whilke thou weldis with me as god. ȝe wate wele that the termes of the erth beltis [S bynden.] in all the erth. And forthi when he says that he gifs him the termes. he will that we wit that he [S. U om.] gifs all that is withinen tha termes: noght that we trou that all men sall be safe. bot that of all manere of men he chesis whilk he will.

9. Reges eos in virga ferrea: & tanquam vas figuli con|fringes eos. ¶ Thou sall gouern thaim in wand of yren; and as vessel of the pottere thou sall thaim breke. ¶ There wordis the fadere spekis til the son. and the twa versis byfore. contynue the lettere thus. I sall gif til the men. & thou sall noght be tyraunt til thaim. to pil thaim & spoile thaim, as wicked princes dos. bot thou sall be thaire kynge and gouern thaim in wand of yren. that is, in stabile and vnflichand [S unflechande.] rightwisnes and kyngs pouste. and in this wand, noght bresil ne falland. bot stalworth and lastand. thou sall thaim breke. that is, thou sall distroye in thaim thurgh pen|aunce erthly couaityse, ald synne. and layry [S ins. or clayly.] lustes. swa that thai leue to be fleschly and lif gastly: forthi sais. he, as vessel of the pottere. that is [S. U om.] , in als mykil as thai ere layre. that is, vile & synful. thai that will noght be now broken thus. thai sall be broken in hell, and neuere reparaild.

10. Et nunc reges intelligite: erudimini qui iudicatis terram. ¶ And now kyngs vndirstandis; ȝe ere lerid that demes the erth. ¶ As wha say. the laire in ȝou is brokyn, and now ȝe ere newid, & made kynges, that is, right reuland ȝoure lyf. and settand vndire ȝoure fote ȝoure enmys. tha ere wickid sterynge. of pride. ire. enuye. couaitis. iolifte. and other vices. swa that ȝe be lordes of thaim, and thai noght of ȝou. swilk kynges ere cristen men & haly men. all other, of thai be honourd of men. thai ere the sugetis til the deuel. forthi kynges, all that will luf crist, vndirstandis what is said. and what godis son has doen: and if ȝe suffis noght thurgh ȝoure self. ȝe ere lerid of other. swa that ȝe may noght be excused by ignoraunce. ȝe that demes the erth. that is, that dampnes in ȝou erthly thynges. for ȝoure consciens sais ȝou that ȝe doe wrange lufand thaim out of mesure and hafand besynes for thaim agayns ȝoure saule.

11. Seruite domino in timore: & exultate ei cum tremore.

¶ Seruis til lord in dred; and ioyes til him in quakynge. ¶ If ȝe doe wele as ȝe aghe at doe. seruys til god in dred. that ȝe be noght pridid. for the dred of god suffers noght to synne. And he that standis; loke that he fall noght. for the pote of laire [S clay.] is bresil and soen will breke, bot if it be warly kepid. and ioyes til him. fore the dred of god is noght of wricchidnes bot of ioy: with quakynge. swa that ȝoure ioy be noght ouere sykire, ne forgetand what ȝe sould doe. Dred is wirkere of vertus. and sykirnes brynges necligence. fforthi dred is nedful. that we hegh vs noght: and ioy, that we yrk noght in godis ȝoke.

12. Apprehendite disciplinam ne quando irascatur domi|nus: & pereatis de via iusta. ¶ Gripes [S ins. or takes.] disciplyne, leswhen lord wreth: and ȝe perisch fra rightwis way. ¶ If it befall that ȝe be angird with ill men, lettis neuermare therfore to luf crist. bot takis disciplyne. that is, haldis goed lyf and fayre conuersacioun, and ordene [S ordaynes.] amendment of ȝoure maners, and takes [S. U om.] tribulaciouns of the werld as in helpe & warnysynge. leswhen god wreth him. this worde bytakyns doutynge, noght of the prophet, that is certayn, bot of tha that he amonestis. the whilk ere wont for to thynk lyghtly by the vengauns of god. and dout whether he be wrath, for thai fele noght soen his vengauns: and ȝe perisch fra rightwis way. that is, fra crist. fra whaim wha sa perisch, with mykil wricchidnes he erres by the way of wickidnes. for he is right way til heuen. the whilk way nathynge departis fra vs. and vs fra it. bot synne. that blyndes oure herts swa that we may noght the way knaw that we ga in.

13. Cum exarserit in brevi ira eius: beati omnes qui con|fidunt in eo. ¶ When his ire has brent in short [S ins. tyme.] : blisful all that traistes in him. ¶ Now ere many that says. thai traist in god and hopes that thai sall be saf. and neuere the lattere cesses noght to doe ill: and thai ere bigild. for when his wreth brennys. that is, when ven|gaunce comes of synful men. than thai may noght traist in hym. fore thaire aghen dedes sall dampne thaim. in short while, for all men sall be demed at anes, in na langere tyme than a man may opyn his eghe. and na tyme sall be ituyx will of demynge and of vengaunce. or, in short. wha swa wenys that it is lange are the dome come. alswa say, it is bot short tyme thare [U thaire. S thor.] til. and than

blisful ere all that traistis in him. for than may nane traist in him. bot that ere fonden in clennes of lyf and in charite. & tha sall all be fre of all pyne and duell with aungels in endles bliss.