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.

CANTICUM MARIE. (S. LUC. i.)

MAGNIFICAT: anima mea dominum. ¶ My soul: wor|shippys the lorde. ¶ Our lady seynt Mary, aftur the gretyng of gabriel. the conceyuyng of goddis sun. the blessyng of Elizabeth. that kald hur modur of hur lorde. sho rose not in heghenes of thouȝt, ne in bolnyng of pride. bot in swetnes of hert. & in ful deuoute mekenes. thankys god of all his godenes, and seys, My soule, filde of his grace, worshippys, that is, louys perfitly, the lord of heuen and erth. that me this grace has done. Aswhosey, i hold not my selfe grete. bot [S. L bo.] god i loue of all his giftys. in all my hert. that soul worshippys god. the whilk wykkid thouȝt greues nouȝt. vnclene delite fylis not. vnkonnabil [S vncunabil heryng heres noght. U^II, B 877, 288, 953 vncouenable.] beryng heghis not. bot in all vertues of kynde and of grace it stondis in lastand [L. ins. in.] luf and stabul mekenes.

2. Et exultauit spiritus meus: in deo salutari meo. ¶ And my gost ioyed: in god my heel. ¶ Nouȝt onely this blyssyd maydyn and modur. louys god enterly: bot also sho seys. that hur gladnes. and hir ioy was in mynd of god. in luf and lykyng of whom; all hur heel sho sett. sho ioyed not in hur self, ne in vanytes of this lyfe. as our fonnyd [S fond.] maydyns dos now. that ioyes more in all thinges of this worlde, the whilk thaim lust luf. then in god thair saueour. Bot thof the [S. L tho.] soules of holy men worthely worship god. & wondurfully be ioyand in ihū; this blessid mayden, before all in pryuelege of [N and.] brennand luf, sho louyd god. and in synguler ioy shae was glad in cryst. the songis of louyng. er swettest in hur mouth. and the notis of luf er delitabylest; in

the melody that sho shewys. that gost now ioyes in god. the whilk is verely kyndild with the fyre of the holy gost, til the whilke for mykelnes of crystys luf. no passand thing payes. all fleschly luf. and erthly couetyse is vile and loth [S laythe. U^II lothly. N om.] . bot all his ioy and coumfort is in crist, of whom he hopis life and heel endles.

3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancille sue: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generaciones. ¶ ffor he lokyd [L loky. S loked.] the mekenes of his handmayden: lo forwhi of that 'blisful me [N. L blys shal. S blisful me schal.] shal' sey all generacyons. ¶ Wrecchid wymmen of this worlde. lufis creatures. whilk thaim list. & worshippys thaim, and has ioy in thaim: bot our lady sett all hir luf and ioy in god. & in worship of hym holly. and that for he lokyd with blyth ee of grace the mekenes of hur that was ful of all gode thewys. and buxsumer to him then any hand mayden. in erth; may be til hur lord. lo forwhi of that. that is, for that mekenes. or for that lokyng of god to me. as he were takyn in my luf at a syȝt, blesful me shal say. all generacyons of cristen men. in this worlde. and that is worthi.

4. Quia fecit michi magna qui potens est: & sanctum nomen eius. ¶ ffor he has done til me gret thinges. that myȝty ys: and his name holy. ¶ Grete thing he did til hur in quantite of grace, gretter in mynystracyon of Aungell. grettist thoro wondirs [N wordis.] of goddis vertu. In wombe he made perfit hir haloghing: in vertu he gaf til hur clennes of lyfe: in vow first offerand of maydenhed. & in all thes that most semys, depest mekenes. thus he did til me, that is myȝty. and whos name is holy, haloghand me. & all that holy ys; in his godenes; nouȝt in thair meritt.

5. Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies: timenti|bus eum. ¶ And the mercy of him fro kynredyn in kynredyns: til the dredand him. ¶ His mercy, delyuerand of synne & sorow, is fro the kynredyn of holy men. in the kynredyns of synful men. for so thei are made sunnys of riȝtwys men. bot this mercy is only til tho that dredis him. for withouten the drede of god; may noman be made riȝtwys.

6. Fecit potenciam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. ¶ He did myȝt in his arum: he scatird the proude fro the thouȝt of thair hert. ¶ God did. that is, he shewys that myȝt is in his vertu, when he sett the help of his lufers in his sun. then he did myȝt in his arum. and so he skatird. that is, he

sundird the proud. that is, tho that sekys the way of heghnes abouen other. fro the thouȝt of thair hert. that thei myȝt not do in dede the wykkidnes that thei conceyfyd in thair wille.

7. Deposuit potentes de sede: & exaltauit humiles. ¶ He did downe the myȝty of setyl: and he heghid the meke. ¶ The myȝty, that is, tho that ioyes in thair myȝt, & vsys hit wrang and wykkydly, he did downe of setil of thair dignyte & honour: that thair last wrechidnes be to vmthink of thair state before: and he heghid til the setil of aungels felyschip. the meke; that is, tho that holdys nothing lowgher then thaim self. and gifis thaim to be defoulyd of all that will. as erth is. & tharfore thei ar worthi to be heghid. for that gret mekenes. that thei are not stird til wrath, of men sey thaim ill or do thaim ill.

8. Esurientes impleuit bonis: & diuites dimisit inanes. ¶ The hungirand he fulfild of godes; and the ryche he laft tome. ¶ The hungirand our lady kallys thaim. that gretly couetes riȝt|wysnes. wysdom. grace. & coumfort in the holygost. that ay stirs the desire to receyf more & to contynu it. and swylke he fulfild of godis profetabul. delitabil. & honest. the first helpis til merit. the tother drawys the ȝernyng. the thryd makys perfyt. til werk of vertu. these [M. B 877, 953, 288. S this, L the.] godes has swete sauour til the soul. thre maner of hungry men er. the whilk god fillis not: that is, tho that desires the pompe of the worlde, and erthly thinges. and harmyng of thair neiȝbur. the first hungur is of bitturnes. the tother of Auarice. the thrid of bak|bytyng: & the ryche men of this worlde in welth and ees. and ypocrytes, that letys as thei were ryche in gostly godes. he left tome of grace and ioy. thof thei be ful of fauour and vile lustys of body. bot in the day of dome thei shal fynd nouȝt bot pyne.

9. Suscepit israel puerum suum: recordatus miseri|cordie sue. ¶ He receyfyd israel his barne: vmthouȝt of his mercy.

10. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros: abraham & semini eius in secula. ¶ As he spake til our fadurs: til Abraham & tyl his sede in worldes. ¶ Thus shal the lettur be ioyned: he receyfyd israel his barne [N. L childe.] , for mekenes and clennes, as he spake til our fadirs. and that he did, vmthouȝt of his mercy. the whilke he hygth to do tyl Abraham. and til his sede. that is, til all

his folowers. in trouth and ryȝtwysnes. whils the worlde standis. He receyfyd israel in kynde. in [S &.] grace. in defens. [S ins. '&.'] in gouernyng: thoro takyng in kynde. he riȝttyd vs out of deth. and out of the ire of god. thoro takyng in grace; he drogh vs out of synne. thoro takyng in defense he delyuers vs; that our enemy hafe not the [N om.] maystry of vs. thoro takyng in gouernyng, he ledes vs out of the perils of this way [S werlde.] : thoro takyng in blisfulhed, he brynges vs out of all wrechidnes of synne. and sorow, and settys vs in the ioy of heuen. Amen.

Explicit Canticum Marie Matris domini nostri Jhū xisti.