Political, religious, and love poems. Some by Lydgate, Sir Richard Ros, Henry Baradoun, Wm. Huchen, etc. from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Ms. no. 306, and other sources, with a fragment of The Romance of Peare of Provence and the fair Magnelone, and a sketch, with the prolog and epilog, of The Romance of the knight Amoryus and the Lady Cleopes,

An A B C Poem on the Passion of Christ.

[Harl. MS. 3954, leaf 87. The A B C, etc., are not rubri|cated in the MS., but are made black here to catch the eye. The initial þ and y are the same.]

(1)

IN place as man may se, Quan a chyld to scole xal set be, A bok hym is browt, Line 3 Naylyd on a brede of tre, Þat men callyt an abece, Pratylych I-wrout. Line 6

(2)

Wrout is on þe bok with-oute, .V. paraffys grete & stoute Bolyd in rose red; Line 9 Þat is set with-outyn doute, [[No gap in the MS.]] In tokenyng of cristis ded. Line 12

(3)

Red letter in parchemyn Makyth a chyld good & fyn Lettrys to loke & se. Line 15 Be þis bok men may dyuyne Þat cristis body was ful of pyne Þat deyid on rodë tre. Line 18

(4)

On tre he was don ful blythe With grete paraffys, þat be wondis .v. As ȝe mou vnder-stonde. Line 21 Loke in hys body, mayde & wyfe, Qwon hee gun naylys dryue In fot & in honde. Line 24

Line 24

(5)

Hond & fout þer was ful woo, And þer were lettrys many moo With-in & with-oute, Line 27 With rede wondis & strokis blo He was dryue fro top to þe too, Hys fayre body aboute. Line 30

(6)

About þis, a pece I wyl spede, Þat I myth þis lettrys rede With-outyn ony dystaunce; Line 33 But god þat let hys body sprede Vp-on þe rode for manys nede, In heuene vs alle avaunce! Line 36

(7)

God with spere was wondyd for vs; Fals iudas, to mendyn hys purs, To ded hath hym sold: Line 39 On goodfryday, clerkys seyn þus, "Mortuus est, ded is Ihesus, In ston is ded & cold." Line 42

(8)

A madful mone may men make [folio 87:2] Quan þat suete Ihesu was take! Lystyn a lytyl pas: Line 45 Þe iewys wroutyn hym wo & wrake; [[MS. warke]] Hee ledyn hym forth a gret shake Aforn busshop Cayfas. Line 48

(9)

Bondyn he was for our bounte, And suffryd strokis gret plente Be-forn cayfas þat nyth. Line 51 On þe morn, I tel þe, Eft was he betyn at þe tre Be-forn pylatis syth; Line 54

Line 54

(10)

Cananis hym crodyn to heroudis kyng, Þer had he gret scornyng, Þei bodyn hym turne þe gate. Line 57 Hee leddyn þat maydynus sone ȝyng For to takyn hys damnyng Be-forn iustice pylate. Line 60

(11)

Dempt he was on a stounde, Sethen betyn with many wonde. He tokyn a clout, as it is founde, And wondyn hus body þer-inne. Line 64 With dry blod quan was he bounde, Tho iewys, egre as ony hounde, Threwyn hus body to þe grounde, And rentyn of cloth & scynne: Line 68

(12)

Euene in hus eyne greye Hee spyttyd on hym, þe soþe to seye: He lokyd on hem ful mylde. Line 71 Mary hys moder went þe weye To caluery þer he xuld deye, And waytyd þer here chylde. Line 74

(13)

For feyntyce fel þat fayre fode, Nakyd he bar þat hard rode To-ward caluery, Line 77 Al be-ronne with red blod; Among þe iewys wylde & wod, He suonnyd cekerly. Line 80

(14)

God! with iewys gret was þi pyne, Naylyd on rode, soth for to seyne. Hee leydyn þe on þe gronnde Line 83

Line 83 And ryuyn þi body holy & dygne,— [folio 87b] On þe he madyn a gret sygne,— Hee naylyd þe fot & honnde; Line 86

(15)

Harde þei bondyn þat heuy rode; Þer-on hys body heng al on blode, As beryt wytnesse sen Ion. Line 89 Þe wyckyd iewys, wyld & wode, Hard þei dryuyn þat heuy rode In-to a morteys of ston. Line 92

(16)

Ihesu, with iewys gret was þi pyne! Hand & fot, for soþe to seyne, Al to-toryn in þat tyde, Line 95 Al to-broste synwe & veyne, As beryt wytnesse Maudeleyne; She sau þe wondis wyde. Line 98

(17)

Kyng crist was klad in poure wede: Al þe syn of manys dede He hath bout wol dere; Line 101 To byȝyn vs heuene, þat mery mede, Al hys blod he gan blede, And sythyn water clere. Line 104

(18)

Loue made crist fro heuene to comyn, Loue made hym with man to wonyn,— As clerkys in bokys rede,— Line 107 Loue made hus hert to bledyn, With hus blod oure soulys to fedyn, To bryngyn vs to oure mede. Line 110

(19)

Man, for þi mekel mercy, Maydynnus sone Mary, On godfryday þus deyide! Line 113

Line 113 Þus he heng on caluery With wondis weyde cekerly, A thef on eyþer [[MS. eyeryer]] syde. Line 116

(20)

Nout he hadde at hys nede To restyn hus hed, as clerkys rede, But al was hym be-reuyd. Line 119 Fox & foul may reste & hede, But crist, þat deyid for manus nede, Hat nout to reste in hus had. Line 122

(21)

Out ran hus blod þat was so bryth; Þan seyde our lord god almyth A word of gret pete, [folio 87b:2] Line 125 "Al þus with iewys I am dyth, I seme a wyrm to manus syth." Man! for loue of þe, Line 128

(22)

Pryckis hym peynyd, ȝe may here; Hys hed was broydyn on a brere, Þis is þe soþe to seyne; Line 131 With red blod was wet hus lere; Þo pryckis, þoru hus panne so dere, Wentyn in-to þe brayn! Line 134

(23)

Qwen of heuene, wo was she To sen hangyn on rode tre Ihesu, here sone so suete; Line 137 Here tendre hert myth breste on iij Quan she sau here sonë fre On rode hys lyf lete. Line 140

(24)

Ragyd & rent, in red blod, Þus heng he vp-on þe rod Aȝen þe sonë glem. Line 143

Line 143 For soþe he weryn werse þan wod To slon Ihesu so good, Þe iewys of ierusalem. [[MS. ielrm]] Line 146

(25)

Slyt was hus flech, & slawe; Þe iewys in here falcë lawe, Þei dedyn hym mekel peyne: Line 149 As seyt þe gospel in hus sawe, Euery lyth fro oþer was drawe; Þat is nout to layne. Line 152

(26)

Togyd with tene was god of prys; To don hym sorwe was here delys: He seydë no word loth. Line 155 Quan he was naylyd at here a-vys, Þo iewys kestyn at þe dys Qweþer xuld han hys cloth. Line 158

(27)

Wyde weryn hus wondis wete, Fro þe hond[es] to þe fete With deth he was [i]slawe. Line 161 Hys lomeber blod our bale may bete, Of qwom spac Moyses þe prophete, Ryth in þe held lawe. Line 164

(28)

Xpc crist on croys was sleynt; To hys fader he made a pleynt, [folio 88] Hys cry was, "hely! Line 167 Fader god in trynite! Qwy hast þou forsakë me?" Cryst seyde on caluery. Line 170

(29)

Y for I, in wryt is set. Cryst for vs on croys was knet, Nalyd on þe rode: Line 173

Line 173 Out of thraldam he vs fet, Þat we þoru syn hadde get, And bout vs with hys blode. Line 176

(30)

Ȝet he was in suffryng Of trokys & naylis clynkyng, Tyl it was pacyd non; Line 179 Ne blenchyd he neuer for betyng; To dede hee dedyn heuene kyng; Þis was a ruful mon. Line 182

(31)

& is to seyn, god is ded, Of hys blod hys body is red. He ros on estryn morwe; Line 185 To helle he ȝede with-outyn abod, For to stroyn þe fendys wod, To sauyn vs fro sorwe. Line 188

(32)

Loke þat we ben seker & kende, And kepe þis apece [[for above]] in oure mende, Þan sekere be we of blys with-outyn ende In tyme quan we xul dey; Line 192 Afterward men xal vp-ryce, And wende for, boþe fol & wyce, To Iosaphat sekerly; Line 195

(33)

And west, nort, & south, Euery man, boþe fremyd & kouth, Xul comyn with-outyn ly. Line 198 Þer xal be gret asyce Be-forn ihesu, þat hey Iustyce, With woundis al blody. Line 201

(34)

Quan mannus soule hat in mynde Þe blod þat cryst let for mankende With terys & woundis smerte, Line 204

Line 204 Man fynde þou non vnkyndnesse Quan þe wey of suetnesse Wyl entryn in-to þin herte; [folio 88:2] Line 207

(35)

Sey, "a, ihesu! quat hast þou gylt? Qwy art þou for my syn spylt, Flour of lowënesse? Line 210 I am a thef, þou for me deyist, I am gylty, & þou abeyst For my wykydnesse; Line 213

(36)

So gret raunsom for so wyl thyng! Quat hast þou wonne with þi peynyng, Þou hey in blysce aboue? Line 216 Gret godnesse hat þe makyd For to hangyn on rode nakyd For mannus soulë loue! Line 219

(37)

But, lord ihesu, I kan no more But þe besekyn with al my myth, Þat I motë wepyn sore Line 222 Thyn hardë peynus day & nyth, And þat loue mote also faste In-to myn hertë stykyd be, As was þe spere in-to þin herte Quan þou suffrydyst ded for me. Amen. Line 226