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 LVII.]

SI vere vtique iusticiam loquimini: recte iudicate filij hominum. ¶ If ȝe sothfastly speke rightwisnes: deme right sunnes of men. ¶ That ȝe not falsly deme. not ane in mouth another in hert, that ȝoure rightwisnes be ferme in word and dede. demes right, ȝe sunnes of men. that ȝe luf mare god than any creature. that ȝe sett trouth bifor gold & siluere. bot ȝe do not thus.

2. Etenim in corde iniquitatem operamini in terra: in|iusticias manus vestre concinnant. ¶ fforwhi in hert wickid|nissis ȝe wirke in erth: vnrightwisnessis ȝoure hend gadirs. ¶ Thai may noght right deme that has wickidnes in hand and hert, that thai wirke in erth. for thai luf erthly thyngis, and swa thaire ill dedis acordis til thaire thoght: for the hand folous the hert.

3. Alienati sunt peccatores a vulua: errauerunt ab vtero, locuti sunt falsa. ¶ Aliend ere synful fra maghe [S marice.] : thai ere [S errede.] fra the wambe, thai spak fals. ¶ Synful men ere aliend fra maghe [S marice.] ,

that is, thai ere sene of god to be wriches and departid fra him. fra the tyme that thai ware consayued. and sithen thai erred fra wambe of halykirke. that is, thaire baptem thai honur noght with goed werkis. bot thai folow all [S ins. 'that is.'] contrary til thaire modire. that lufis sothfastnes, for thai speke fals.

4 Furor illis secundum similitudinem serpentis: sicut aspidis surde & obturantis aures suas. ¶ Wodenes til tha eftere the lykynynge of neddere: as of the snake doumbe and stoppand here eren. ¶ Rightly kalles he thaim wode. for thai hafe na witt to see whidire thai ga. for thai louke thaire eghen and rynnes til the fire. thaire woednes is clowmsched, that will not be turnyd, as of the snake that festis the ta ere til the erth, and the tothere stoppis with hire taile. swa do thai, that thai here not goddis worde. thai stope thaire eren with luf of erthly thynge, that thai delite thaim in, & with thaire taile, that is, with thaire alde synnes, that thai will not amend.

5. Que non exaudiet vocem incantancium: & venefici incantantis sapienter. ¶ The whilke sall not here the voice of charmand: and of the venym makere charemand wisely. ¶ This snake stoppis hire eren that sho be noght broght til light: for if sho herd it sho come forth sone, he charmys swa wisely in his crafte. swa the wickidmen will not here the voice of crist and his lufers, that ere wise charmers [S. U charmes.] for thai wild brynge thaim til light of heuen. witt ȝe wele that he lufes not charmers and venym makers, bot by vices of bestis he takis liknynge of vices of men.

6. Deus conteret dentes eorum in ore ipsorum: molas leonum confringet dominus. ¶ Gode sall alto breke the tethe of thaim in thaire mouth: tuskis of lyons breke sall lord. ¶ Thai dispise godis worde. and god sall altobreke thaire tethe. that is, thaire lithere speches, in thaire mouth. that is, with thaire aghen answers. for thai say agayn thaim selfe with thaire mouth. the tuskis of liouns, that is, the priue counsails of fendis & tirauntes, oure lord sall breke, that thai cum not til dede.

7. Ad nichilum deuenient tanquam aqua decurrens: intendit arcum suum donec infirmentur. ¶ Till noght thai sall cum as waytere rennand: he bendis his boghe til thai be made seke. ¶ Till noght thai sall cum. for thai sall lose riches delites and thaire life. as watere rennand, that is, at the manere of the

strande, that bolnes awhile, & [S. U om.] als tite is all away, swa periss thai with dyn. and sithen naman wate whare thai ere bi comen. he bendis his boghe, that he manaunces thaim with, that is haly writ, till thai be made seke. that is, til thai knaw thaim self wrechis and waike.

8. Sicut cera que fluit auferentur: supercedidit ignis & non viderunt solem. ¶ As wax that rennys thai sall be broght [S borne.] away: onfell fire, and thai saghe noght the sonne. ¶ That is, thai sall be broght [S borne.] away fra the sight of god, and fall in till hell, as wax that rennys meltand at the fire. for the fire of couaitis and pride and of ire. fell on thaim. As fire brennys the clathe, swa lust of fleyss wastis the saule. and thai saghe not the sone of rightwisnes.

9. Priusquam intelligerent spine vestre ramnum: sicut viuentes sic in ira absorbet eos. ¶ Arthan ȝoure thornes vndirstode the ramyn: as lifand, swa in ire it sall thaim swelugh [U swelught. S swalow.] . ¶ Rammyn. that thai call thefthorne [S. U thethorn.] . has swilke akynd. that it is first soft, and sithen turnys it in til thornes. swa syn is swete, and delites men now. bot eftere this life it prikkis thaim fulsare. forthi he says, are ȝoure thornes. that is, ȝoure synnes, vndirstode the ram|myn, that is, sharp dampnacioun in the last ende. as lifand, that is, whils thai life here. swa in ire of god the fire of vices etis thaim in saule.

10. Letabitur iustus cum viderit vindictam: manus suas lauabit in sanguine peccatoris. ¶ The rightwise sall ioy when he has sene vengaunce; his hend he sall wayss in blode of synful. ¶ Ill men the fire etis, bot not withouten froite of goed men. for the rightwise, thof he be in penaunce, 'sall ioy' [S & U om.] when he has sene vengaunce of synfull men in this life. bot he has not ioy for the pyne of thaim. bot for he is not thare in. and his hend, that is, his werkis, he sall wayss in the blode of synful man. that is, in his payn and in his dede: for he waxes the wisere in that sight, and lufis god the mare, that saues him.

11. Et dicet homo si vtique est fructus iusto: vtique est deus iudicans eos in terra. ¶ And man sall say if soth|fastly be froite til rightwise; sothfastly is god demand thaim in erthe. ¶ And aman that is skilwise sall thynke that it falles thaim

not of chawnce, bot for wengaunce of syn: and he sall say, that god is demand in erth the ill men. here thare thai seme florissand. for here froite is til the rightwis.