The pricke of conscience (stimulus conscientiæ): a Northumbrian poem / by Richard Rolle de Hampole ; ed. Richard Morris.

Þe myght of þe Fader almyghty, Þe witte of þe Son alwytty, And þe gudnes of þe Haligast, A Godde and Lorde of myght mast, Line 4 Be wyth us and us help and spede, Now and ever, in al our nede; And specialy at this bygynnyng, And bryng us alle til gude endyng. Amen. Line 8

Before ar any thyng was wroght, And ar any bygynnyng was of oght, And befor al tymes, als we sal trow, Þe sam God ay was þat es now, Line 12 Þat woned ever in his godhede, And in thre persons and anhede. For God wald ay with þe Fader and þe Son And wyth þe Haligast in anhede won, Line 16 Als God in a substance and beyng With-outen any bygynnyng; Bygynnyng of hym, myght never nan be, He was ay God in trinité, Line 20 Þat was ay als wys and ful of wytte, And als myghty als he es yhitte, W[h]as [whose.] myght and wytte of him-selve was tan, For never na God was bot he alan. Line 24 Þe sam God sythyn was þe bygynnyng, And þe first maker of alle thyng;

And als he is bygynnyng of alle, Wyth-outen bygynnyng swa we him call, Line 28 Ende of al wyth-outen ende, Þus es in haly bokes contende; For als he was ay God in trinité Swa he es, and ay God sal be; Line 32 And als he first bygan alle thing, Swa sal he, at þe last, mak endyng Of alle þing bot of heven and helle, And of man, and fende, and aungelle, Line 36 Þat aftir þis lyfe sal lyf ay, And na qwik creature bot þai, Als men may se in þis boke contende, Þat wille it se or here to þe ende. Line 40 And God that mad man sal ay be þan, Als he is now, God and man. Alle thyng thurgh his myght made he, For with-outen hym myght nathing be. Line 44 Alle thyng þat he bygan and wroght Was byfor þe bygynnyng noght. Alle thing he ordaynd aftir is wille In sere kyndes, for certayn skylle; Line 48 Whar-for þe creatours þat er dom, And na witt ne skille has, er bughsom To lof hym, als þe boke beres wytnesse, On þair maner als þair kynd esse. Line 52 For ilk a thyng þat God has wroght, Þat folowes þe kynd and passes it noght, Loves his maker and hym worshepes, In þat at he þe kynd right kepes; Line 56 Sen þe creatures þat skill has nane, Hym loves in þe kynde þat þai haf tane; Þan aght man þat has skille and mynde Hys creatur worshepe in his kynde, Line 60 And noght to be of wers condicion Þan þe creatours with-outen reson. Mans kynd es to folow Goddes wille And alle hys comandmentes to fulfille; Line 64

Line 64 For of alle þat God made, mare and les, Man mast principal creature es, And alle þat he made was for man done, Als yhe sal here aftirward sone. Line 68 God to mans kynd had grete lufe When he ordaynd, for mans byhufe, Heven and herth and þe werld brade, And al other thyng, and man last made Line 72 Til hys lyknes and semely stature; And made hym mast digne creature Of al other creaturs of kynde; And gaf hym wytte, skille and mynde, Line 76 For to knaw gude and ille; And þare-with he gaf hym a fre wille For to chese, and for to halde Gude or ille, wethir he walde; Line 80 And alswa he ordaynd man to dwelle And to lyf in erthe, in flesshe and felle, To knaw his werkes and him worshepe, And his comandmentes to kepe; Line 84 And if he be til God bousom, Til endeles blis at þe last to com; And, if he fraward be, to wende Til pyne of helle, þat has nan ende. Line 88 Ilk man þat here lyves, mare and lesse, God made til his awen lyknesse; Til wham he has gyven witte and skille For to knaw bothe gude and ille, Line 92 And fre wille to chese, als he vouches save, Gude or ille whether he wil have; Bot he þat his wille til God wil sette, Grete mede þarfor mon he gette; Line 96 And he þat til ille settes his wille Grete payne sal have for þat ille; Whar-for þat man may be halden wode, Þat cheses þe ille and leves þe gude. Line 100 Sen God made man of maste dignité Of alle creatures, and mast fre,

And made him til his awen liknes, In fair stature, als befor sayde es, Line 104 And maste has gyven him, and yhit gyves Þan til any other creature þat lyves, And has hight him yit þar to Þe blise of heven, if he uele do; Line 108 And yhit when he had done mys, And thurgh syn was prived of blys, God tok mans kynd for his sake And for his love þe dede wald take, Line 112 And with his blode boght him agayne Til þat blisse fra endeles payne; Þus grete lufe God til man kydde, And many benyfices he him dydde; Line 116 Whar-for ilk man, bathe lered and lewed, Suld thynk on þat love þat he man shewed, And alle þier [þir (Harl. MS. 4196).] benefice hald in mynde, Þat he þus dyd til mans kynde, Line 120 And love hym and thank him als he can, And elles es he an unkynd man, And serve him, bathe day and nyght, And þat he has gyven him, use it ryght Line 124 And his wittes despende in his service, Elles es he a fole and noght wise; And knaw kyndly what God es And what man self es þat es les; Line 128 How wake man es in saul and body, And how stalworth God es, and how myghty; How man God greves þat dose noght wele, And what man es worthi þar-for to fele, Line 132 How mercyful and gracyouse God es, And how ful he es of gudenes; How rightwes God es and how sothefast, And what he has done and sal do at þe last, Line 136 And ilk day dos to man-kynde; Þis suld ilk man knaw and haf in mynde.

For þe right way þat lyggus til blys, And þat ledys a man theder, es þys; Line 140 Þe way of mekenes principaly, And of drede, and luf of God almyghty, Þat may be cald þe way of wysdom; In-tyl whilk way na man may com Line 144 Wyth-outen knawyng of God here, And of his myght, and his werkes sere, Bot here he may til þat knawyng wynne. Hym byhoves knaw him-self with-inne, Line 148 Elles may he haf na knawing to come In-til þe forsayde way of wysdome. Bot som men has wytte to understand, And yhit þai er ful unkunand, Line 152 And of som thyng has na knawing Þat myght styrre þam to gude lyfyng; Swylk men had nede to lere ilk day Of other men, þat can mare þan þay; Line 156 To knaw þat, myght þam stir and lede Til mekenes, and til lufe, and drede; Þe whilk es way, als befor sayde es, Til þe blis of heven þat es endeles. Line 160 In grete perille of saul es þat man Þat has witt and mynde and na gude can, And wil noght lere for to knaw Þe werkes of God and gode law, Line 164 Ne what hym-self es þat es lest; Bot lyves als an unskylwys best, Þat nother has skil, witt, ne mynde; Þat man lyfes agayn his kynde. Line 168 For a man excuses noght his unkunnyng, Þat his wittes uses noght in leryng, Namly, of þat at hym fel to knaw Þat myght meke his hert and make it law, Line 172 Bot he þat can noght, suld haf wille To lere to knaw bathe gude and ille; And he þat can oght, suld lere mare To knaw alle þat hym nedeful ware; Line 176

Line 176 For an unkunnand man, thurgh leryng, May be broght til undirstandyng Of many thynges, to knaw and se Þat has bene, and es, and yhit sal be, Line 180 Þat til mekenes myght stir his wille, And til lufe, and drede, and to fle alle ille. Many has lykyng trofels to here, And vanités wille blethly lere, Line 184 And er bysy in wille and thoght To lere þat þe saul helpes noght; Bot þat ne[de]ful war to kun and knaw, To listen and lere þai er ful slaw; Line 188 For-þi þai can noght knaw ne se Þe peryls þat þai suld drede and fle, And whilk way þai suld chese and take, And whilk way þai suld lef and forsake. Line 192 Bot na wonder es, yf þai ga wrang For in myrknes of unknawyng þai gang, With-outen lyght of understandyng Of þat, þat falles til ryght knawyng. Line 196 Þar-for ilk cristen man and weman Þat has witte and mynd, and skille can, Þat knaws noght þe ryght way to chese, Ne þe perils þat ilk wise man flese, Line 200 Suld be bughsom ay, and bysy To here and lere of þam, namely, Þat understands and knawes by skille, Wilk es gude way and wilk es ille. Line 204 He þat right ordir of lyfyng wil luke Suld bygyn þus, als says þe boke; To knaw first what hym-self es, Swa may he tyttest come to mekenes, Line 208 Þat es grund of al vertus to last, On whilk al vertus may be sette fast; For he þat knawes wele, and can se What him-self was, and es, and sal be, Line 212 A wyser man may he be talde, Wether he be yhung man or alde,

Þan he þat can alle other thyng, And of him-self has na knawyng. Line 216 For he may noght right God knaw ne fele, Bot he can first him-self wele: Þar-for a man suld first lere To knaw him-self propely here; Line 220 For if he hym-self knew kyndely, He suld haf knawyng of God almyghty, And of his endyng thynk suld he And of þe day þat last sal be. Line 224 He suld knaw what þis worlde es, Þat es ful of pompe and lythernes, And lere to knaw and thynk wyth-alle What sal after þis lyf falle. Line 228 For, knawyng of all þis shuld hym lede And mynd with-alle, til mekenes and drede, And swa may he com to gude lyvyng, And atte þe last til a gode endyng; Line 232 And when he sal out of þis world wende, Be broght til þe lyfe, þat has na ende. Þe bygynnyng of alle þis proces Ryght knawyng of a man self es. Line 236 Bot som men has mykel lettyng, Þat lettes þam to haf right knawyng Of þam-selfe, þat þai first suld knaw, Þat þam til mekenes first suld draw. Line 240 And of þat, four thynges I find Þat mase a mans wytt ofte blynd, And knawyng of hym-self lettes, Thurgh wilk four, he hym-self forgettes. Line 244 Of þis Saynt Bernard witnes bers And er þa four wryten in þis vers. Forma, favor populi, fervor juvenilis, opesque Surripuere tibi noscere quid sit homo. Line 248 Þat es "favor of þe folk and fayrnes, And fervor of thoght [yhouthe.] and riches,

Reves a man sight, skylle and mynde, To knaw hym-self, what he es of kynde." Line 252 Þus þer four lettes his insight Þat he knaws noght him-selfe right, And mas his hert ful hawtayne And ful fraward til his soverayne. Line 256 Þir four norisches ofte pompe and pride, And other vices þat men can noght hyde. For in him, in wham ane of þer four es, Es selden sen any mekenes; Line 260 Alswa þai lette a man þat he noght sese Þe perils of þe werld, ne vanitese, Ne of þe tyme of þe dede þat es to come; Thynkes noght ne of þe day of dom, Line 264 Ne he can noght undirstand ne se Þe paynes, þat after þis lyfe sal be To synful men þat here lofes foly, Ne þe blise þat gude men er worthy; Line 268 Bot in his delytis settes his hert fast, And fares als þis lyfe suld ay last, And gyffes him noght bot to vanité, And to al þat lykyng to hym myght be. Line 272 Swylk men er noght led with skylle, Bot þai folow, ay, þair awen wille And of noght elles thynkes, ne tas hede. What wonder es yf þai haf na drede; Line 276 For what þai suld drede, þai knaw noght, Þarfor þai can haf na drede in thoght, Of þat þat myght þam to drede bryng, And þat es thurgh defaut of knawyng. Line 280 Yhit som men wille noght understande Þat þat mught mak þam dredande, For þai wald noght here, bot þat þam pays, Þarfor þe prophet in psauter says: Line 284 Noluit intelligere ut bene ageret. He says "he has no wille to fele, Ne to understand for to do wele". Line 288

Line 288 Þis wordes by þam may be sayd here, Þat wil noght understand ne lere To drede God and to do his wille, Bot folowes þair likyng and lyves ille. Line 292 Som understandes als þai here telle, Bot na drede in þair hertes may dwelle, And thurgh defaut of trouthe þat may be; For þai trow nathyng bot þat þai se, Line 296 But groches when þai dredful thyng here; Þarfor þe prophet says on þis manere: Non crediderunt et murmuraverunt. Line 300 Þe prophet sayd "þai trowed noght, And groched" and was angred, in thoght; Þus er many þat trowes na thyng Þat men þam says ogayn þair likyng, Line 304 Bot groches gretly and waxes fraward, When men says oght, þat þam thynk hard. Som can se in buk swilk thyng and rede, Bot lightnes of hert reves þam drede, Line 308 Swa þat it may noght with þam dwelle And þarfor says God þus in þe gospelle: Quia ad tempus credunt, et in tempore temptacionis recedunt. Line 312 "Til a tyme", he says, "some trowes a thyng And passes þar-fra in þe tyme of fandyng." Alswa þos says þe prophet David, In a psalme þat cordes þar-wyth: Line 316 Et crediderunt in verbis eius. et lau| daverunt laudem eius, cito, fecerunt et obliti sunt opera eius. He says, "in his wordes, trowed þai Line 320 And loved his lovyng als þai couth say, But tyte þai had don, and forgat His werkes, and thoght na mar of þat;" Swilk men er ay swa unstedfast, Line 324 Þat na drede may with þam last,

For þai er swa wilde, when þai haf quert, Þat na drede þai can hald in hert; Bot wha-swa can noght drede may lere, Line 328 Þat þis tretice wil rede or here; Yf þai rede or here, til þe hende, Þe maters þat er þar-in contende, And undirstand þam al and trow, Line 332 Parchaunce þair hertes þan sal bow, Thurgh drede þat þai sal consayve þar by, To wirk gude werkes and fle foli. Þarfor þis buke es on Ynglese drawen, Line 336 Of sere maters, þat er unknawen Til laude men þat er unkunnand, Þat can na latyn understand, To make þam þam-self first knaw Line 340 And fra syn and vanytese þam draw, And for to stir þam til right drede, When þai þis tretisce here or rede, Þat sal prikke þair conscience with-yn, Line 344 And of þat drede may a lofe bygyn Thurgh comfort of ioyes of heven sere, Þat men may aftirwar[d] rede and here. Þis buk, als it-self bers wittenes, Line 348 In seven partes divised es. Þe first party, to knaw and hafe in mynde, Es of þe wrechednes of mans kynde. Þe secunde es of þe condicions sere And of þe unstabelnes of þis werld here. Line 353 Þe thred parte es in þis buke to rede Of þe dede and whi it es to drede. Þe ferthe part es of purgatory, Whar saules er clensed of alle foly. Line 357 Þe fift es of þe day of dome, And of taknes þat befor sal come. Þe sext es of þe payns of helle Þar þe dampned sal ever-mare dwelle. Line 361 Þe sevend es of þe ioys of heven. Þer er þe partes of þis buk seven,

And of ilka parte fynd men may Line 364 Sere maters in þis buk to say. Ga we now til þat parte þat first es, Þat spekes of mans wrechednes; For alle þat byfor es wryten to luk, Line 368 Es bot als an entré of þis buk.