The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

                                
                                  "And I am prince," quad the fend, "of this midlerd;
                                
                                  I haue gode sesyn ther-ynne & of ful lange tyme,
                                
                                  And be confermyng of god al mankynd is myne.
                                  Line 566 
                                
                                  ffor man brak goddes bydding & of the appel ete,
                                
                                  He sal be in payn with me euermore, I the hete;
                                
                                  God wil not do so gret wrong to reue me my pray.
                                
                                  If he haue any riȝt, let se what he can say!
                                
                                  The couenant that god made, that sal I alway hold;
                                
                                  No man for to breke it sal neuer be so bold."
                                  Line 572 
                                
                                  "Man," quad ihesu, "hade keped al goddes biddyng,
                                
                                  Hade he noȝt be lettid with [thi] betrayng,
                                
                                  When thou saide til eue 'for that mete sal noȝt man dye,
                                
                                  Bot ȝe sal be as goddes, bothe wyse & sle.'
                                  Line 576 
                                
                                  How may thou couenant reioys [Fr. de c. jouir]  be reson
                                
                                  That thou made man to breke be thi foul treson?"
                                
                                  "Alas," then quad the fend, "wher hade thou this connyng
                                
                                  ffor to venquys me to-day thus with thi motyng?
                                  Line 580 
                                
                                  Mote euermore how as thou mote will,
                                
                                  Man sal euermore be in my prison stille,
                                
                                  Bot if thou, be-fore he passe forth,
                                
                                  Paye as mekil raunson for him as he is al worth."
                                  Line 584 
                                
                                  "That is reson," quad ihesu crist, "& that ful verrailye,
                                
                                  I wil noȝt tak man fro the with vnskilful maistrie.
                                
                                  Loke what his raunson sal be skilfully,
                                
                                  And I sal paye hit for him, & that ful largely."
                                  Line 588 
                                
                                  "Better," then quad the fend, "sal his raunson be
                                
                                  Then al this ilk warld is worth that thou now may se." [folio 10] 
                                
                                  "I graunt," quad ihesu crist, "to this couenant;
                                
                                  ffor my lest fynger is mekil more vailiant
                                  Line 592 
                                
                                  Then a thousand worldes, if that thai ware."
                                
                                  "Certes," quad the fend then, "that is al my care;
                                
                                  ffor of al this warld ay y haue sum skill,
                                
                                  Bot in the is no thing sene at myn awen will.
                                  Line 596 
                                
                                  And if thou wil gyue thi fynger him to bye,
                                
                                  Than sal thou make a febil marchandie.
                                
                                  And ȝit most thou suffre for him als mekil payn
                                
                                  As he hade done & he in helle euer hade layn."
                                  Line 600 
                                
                                  Ihesu said: "I sal do more than thou has ast, [= asked]

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Title: The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...
Canvas: Page 431
Publication: London,: Pub. by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., for the Early English Text Society,; 1892-1901.
Subject terms: English poetry

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001
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Full citation: "The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ..." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ape7335.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2025.

The minor poems of the Vernon ms. ... (with a few from the Digby mss. 2 and 86) ...

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