Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ...

XXIII. Of the sacrament of the Altere.

[Digby 102, leaf 123, back.] (16 stanzas of 8, abab, abab.)

(1)

I wole be mendid ȝif y say mys. Holychirche nes noþer tre ne stones. Þe hous of preyers, god nempned þys, Boþe goode men and wikked ressayueþ at ones. Line 4 Þere as gadryng of goode men ys, Is holychyrche of flesch and bones. Prestes are lanterne, hem to wysse Þe wise weyes to heuene wones. Line 8

(2)

¶ Holychirche, heryȝe þy saueour, Þynk þy hurd, god on hiȝt, Wiþ song and ympnes, tyde and houre, Reioys in hym day and nyȝt; Line 12

Line 12 For he is more þan any honour, For his honour passeþ oure myȝt, For we ben his, and he is oure; All þouȝtes ben to hym dyȝt. Line 16

(3)

¶ A specyall tyme of heryeng here. Lyueliche quyk bred is put forþ þis day, Whyche in þe table of þe holy sopere, Wiþ-outen doute was ȝouen oure fay Line 20 To þe company of twelfe breþeren þere were. By here ful heryenge, ioyed þay; Wel sowned in here ere, Wiþ ioly herte, fayre song to say. Line 24

(4)

¶ A day is mad of solempnyte, Of þis table first ordynaunce is worschipful tolde. In þis newe kynges table, now knowe we Newe Estren endeþ the olde. Line 28 Newe thyng dryueþ old þyng fro his degre; Out of mynde, þe lasse of tolde. So soþfast sunne, by hys pouste, Dryueþ awey shadewe, and striȝeþ colde. Line 32

(5)

¶ As lyȝt liȝteneþ nyȝt, fro derkenes of kynde, So dede crist at þe holy sopere, Bad pertely do so of hym mynde, By holy ordynaunce tauȝt vs to lere, Line 36 Halwe bred and wyn, by hys word and wynd, To an ost of helþe to cristen men here, ffro shadwe of deþ, to gostly blynd, To liȝt of lyf, to shynen clere. Line 40

(6)

¶ Lore is ȝouen to cristen men, In-to flesch passeþ þe bred; As holychirche doþ vs kenne, [folio 124a] Þe wyn, to blod, þat is so red. Line 44

Line 44 Þou seest not fleschly þou takest þenne; Þy byleue of herte, makeþ þe fast fro ded, Wiþouten ordre of þynges, to renne, By tokene and word þat he bede. Line 48

(7)

¶ Wiþ-outen help of ordre of þyngis, Þe bok of oure byleue is lent, Vnder dyuerce spices only tokenynges, Þouȝ þe spices fro hym be went, Line 52 Not durked ne hyd, but riȝt shynynges, Þouȝ fleschly syȝt fro hym be blent, Þe soule haþ ioye, and mery synges, When good byleue seeþ þe sacrament. Line 56

(8)

¶ Þe blod is drynk, þe flesch is mete, Ys gostly fode, þe soules delys; Neuere-þe-lattere, of crist to trete, He dwelleþ vnder ayþer spys. Line 60 Þe ressayuour counteþ not þat þey ete, Ne brekeþ it not, but hool it lys. Þouȝ a thowsand take at o sete, Alone on takeþ as moche o prys. Line 64

(9)

¶ While obley in yrnes, or boyst ys stoken, Hit nys but bred, and sengyl bake; Whanne þe prest, to hit, goddis wordis hath spoken, Crystys quyk body, vndir bred o cake. Line 68 Þouȝ it a þousand peces seme broken, Nes parted ne wasted, but al holl take. In byleue of holychirche, who wyl hym ȝoken, Aȝen þis, non argument may make. Line 72

(10)

¶ That ressayueþ, children, man, and wyf, Not al yliche deuocioun. Summe taken it in synne and stryf, As bestes wiþ-outen discrecioun. Line 76

Line 76 Þe wikkid resceueþ a dedly knyf, And his endeles dampnacioun; Þe good resceyueþ endeles lyf, To body and soule saluacioun. Line 80

(11)

¶ When þou to chirche gost To resceyue god, wisely go. I suppose þe prest haue but on ost, Breke it, and parte to twenty and mo: Line 84 As moche is þe leste cost As in þe grettest pece of þo; Deme all yliche, lest and most; Quaue not, ne drede not, to sen hit so. Line 88

(12)

¶ Þouȝ þe prest þe sacrament clyue In a þowsand peces and þre, Þe state, ne stature, ne myȝt doþ myue, Ne leseþ ne lasseþ of his pouste. Line 92 Þy fleschly syȝt þou shalt not lyue; But tokene of brekyng makeþ he; For fleschly skyn, no sacrement kan preue, In gostly bylyue shal saued be. Line 96

(13)

¶ In old[e] lawe, ȝe wyten how At estren þey eten a lamb al ded, Is ouer put in newe lawe now; At estre, we eten quyk bred. Line 100 In old[e] lawe, for mannys prow, God þe comaundementis bed; And oure newe lawe we don allow, And kepen boþe by goddis red. Line 104

(14)

¶ Lete þy mercy passe ryȝt, And forȝeue vs oure mysdede! Þy face, wiþ loue to seen in syȝt, In lond of lyf, þou vs lede. Line 108

Line 108 Among þy seyntes in heuene on hyȝt, At þat feste of lif, god, vs fede! [folio 124b] Soþfast bred, god of myȝt, Ihesus herde, þou vs hede! Line 112

(15)

¶ In syȝt and in felyng, þou semest bred, In byleue, flesch, blod, and bon; In syȝt and felyng, þou semest ded, In byleue, lyf, to speke and gon; Line 116 In syȝt and felyng, noþer hond ne hed, In byleue, boþe god and man; In syȝt and felyng, in litil sted, In byleue, grettere þyng nes nan. Line 120

(16)

¶ Whan Abraham of Ysaac his offryng made, ffor a ffygure he lykned is To angels bred, oure fadres hadde, Þat god fed hem in wyldernes. Line 124 Afterward, god hem bade, "A paske lomb rosted, and eteþ þes." In stede of þat, oure soules to glade, We resceyue oure housell, god o blisse. Line 128