Informacio Alredi Abbatis monasterij de Rieualle ad sororem suam inclusam: translata de latino in anglicum per Thomas N. [in Englische Studien 7 (1884)]

Capitulum XVII.

Bote, suster, let vs now gon hennys and gawe to Bethanye to þilke bles∣syde feste of Jhesu & Marthe, Marie & Laȝar, wher blessyde bondes of loue & [ 605] frendschipe be þe auctorite of Crist were ysacryd. | þe gospel seyþ: Diligebat Jhesus Martham &c., Jhesus louede Marthe, Marie and Laȝar—and þat þis ne was i-seyd for a greet priuilegie of special loue, noman is þat douteþ. For ywis, Jhesu louede hem feruently; þat witnessede wel þilke swete & tendre terys þat he wepte wit hem for Laȝar, whanne þat he was deed—þe wyche terys [ 610]

al þe poeple vnderstood wel þat it was a gret signe of gret loue, whanne þey seyde: Ecce quomodo amabat eum &c. | Bote now, forto speke of þis feste þat þyse þre, as þe gospel seiþ, made to Jhesu: Marthe seruyde, Laȝar was oon of hem þat saat, Marie Magdeleyne tooke an alabaustre box of precious oynement & alto-barst þe box and helde þe oynement on Jhesu heed. | Suster, be glad [ 615] w^t al þyn herte to be at þis feste, & tak good hied, i preye þe, of euery mannes offys: For Marthe ministreþ, Laȝar syt, Marie anoynteþ. Suster, þis laste is þyn offys; and þerfore brek þe alabastre box of þyn herte and al þat euere þu hast or myȝt haue of deuocioun, of loue, off affeccioun, of gostly desir, of eny maner spiritual swetnesse, alto-gydere scheed hit on þy spouses heed, wursche∣pyngge [ 620] verrey man in god and verrey god in man! | And þeyȝ Judas þe trey∣tour grynte w^t his teþ & alþouȝ he grucche, þouȝ he be enuyous and skorne þe and seye þat þis oynement of spiritual deuocioun is not bote i-lost: haue þu neuere fors—Vt quid, ait Judas, perdicio hec: posset hoc vnguentum venum∣dari multo & dari pauperibus— | and þis is þe voys of manye men now-aday. ‖ [ 625] Bote what? þe pharyse grucchede, hauynge enuye of Marye verrey penaunt; Judas gruccheþ, hauyngge enuye of þe precious oynement; naþeles, trewely, he þat was ryȝtful and mercyful iugge, he acceptede not þis accusacioun; bote here þat was accused, þat was Marie Magdeleyne, he asoylede and excusyde—Sine inquit illam, opus enim bonum operata est in me: Suffre here doo, seyþ Crist, [ 630] for sche had [l. has.] ydoo a good dede in me. ‖ Let Marthe þerfore trauayle owtwardly & mynystre in owtward ocupacioun, let here receyue pilgrymes, ȝyue þe hungry meete, þe þursty drynke, cloþyngge to þe nakede, and so forþ of oþre; bote let Maryes partye suffise to me, and i wil be entendaunt to here. | Whoþer eny man woolde conseyle me forsake þilke feet of Jhesu, þat Marie so swetly kyssede? [ 635] or þat i schulde turne awey myn eȝen fro þat blessyde face so fair and frehs, þat Marye so entierly be-haldeþ? or ellis þat I schulde turne awey myn erys fro þylke sauery talkyngge of Criste, of þe whiche so fulsumly Marie is ived? I suppose, nay.—Bote now, suster, let vs aryse and walke ennys. Whidur, seyst þu? Certes, þat þu mowe folwe þy meke husbonde, hym þat is lord of heuene and irþe [ 640]

sittynge so homly vp an asse; and beyngge as hit were astonyed of þe grete honour and reuerence þat is idoo to hym in (s)which aray, amang þe worschipyngge of þilke deuoute children of Ebru, pote forþ þat þu canst doo, and cry: Osanna filio Dauid, benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. | And þanne walke forþ in to þat faire large halle frhesly istrowed and adiȝt for Cristes soper a [ 645] schereþursday, ant þonke þy god þat þu mowe come to swych a feste. Let loue ouercome schome, let stedefast affeccioun exclude al drede and preye, þat þu mowe, sum almesse of þoo crummes þat ben o þat blessyde boord; or ellis, suster, stond a-vier and as a pore wrecche poryngge on a gret lord, pote forþ þyn hand, þat þu mowe sumwhat gete, and let biter terys mowe þilke pytous [ 650] lord to haue pyte of þyn hungur. | And whanne Crist aryft fro þe soper, gur∣dyngge hym-self aboute wit a lynnene cloþ, and put water in to a basyn: beþenk how wondurful was þat mageste of god þat wysce and also wypede so ententily synneful mennes feet, and how gret a benignyte it was to handlen wit his holy handys þe feet of Judas, his cursede traytour. | Abid hir-vpon, suster, and [ 655] beþenk þe wel, and ate laste of alle pote forþ deuoutly þyn oune feet, to be whasschen as oþre ben—for, certis, he þat is not i-whasschen & ymaad clene of hym, he schal haue no partye w^t hym in blisse. | Suster, haft þu eny haste to hye hens-ward? abid a while, i prey þe, and taak good kep ho it is þat leneþ hym so boldely to Cristes brest & slepþ so sauerly in his lappe. Iblessyd is [ 660] þat man, what-euere he bee. | A, now i haue aspyed; certayn and w^t-owte doute, Jhon it is name. | Now, goode seynt Jhon, what swetnesse, what grace, what liȝt, what deuocion, what goodnesse þu drawste vp of þat euere-wellyngge welle Criste, I prey þe tel me, ȝif hit be þy wylle. Certayn, þer beþ alle þe tresores of whit and wysdom, þer is welle of mercy, hows of pyte, hony of [ 665] euere-lastyngge swetnesse. A a, swete and diere disciple, wher hast þu geten al þis? art þu heȝȝere þan Petre? holiere þan Andrew? more accepted þan alle þe apostles? | Trewely, þe grete pryuylegie of þy chastete haþ igete al þis dignite, for þu were ichose a mayde of god, and þerfore among alle oþre þu art most iloued. | Now, suster, þu art clene mayde, be glad and reuerently [ 670] go nyer and chalange sum partye of alle þis swete wurþynesse. ‖ And ȝif þu

darst auntre þe no furþere, let þilke pryue disciple Jhon slepe stille at Cristis brest and let hym drynke þe precious wyn of ioye in knowyngge of þe grete godheede, and ren þu, suster, to þe pappys of his manhede and þerof suk out melke, þat þu mowe gostly be fed in þenkyngge what he dude for vs in vre flehs. | [ 675] And amang al þis whan Crist byfore his passione commendede his disciplis to þe fader in þat holy orisoun, whan he seyþ Pater serua eos in nomine tuo: mekely enclyne þyn heed, þat þu mowe hiere þe same orison yseyd to þe fader for þe. | I trowe, hit were ryth myrye for þe to abyde hir stille; bote certayn, suster, ȝith þu most forþere. ‖ And þerfore, whan Crist goþ to-fore to þe mount [ 680] of Olyuet in blody anguyssche, to maken his preyere: folwe after, and þouȝ he take no mo w^t hym bote Petre, James & Jhon, & w^t hem goþ in to a pryue place, ȝit at þe hardeste be-hald a-ver how goode god took vp-on hym vre wrecchidnesse; tak heede how he þat is lord of alle, bygynþ, after þe manhoode, to be agast and seyþ: Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem. | My goode [ 685] lord god, what is þis? Hit semeþ þat þu hast so greet compassioun of me, þat þu louest me so muche by-comyngge man for me, þat as hit were þu hast for∣ȝyte þat þu art verrey god! þu falst adoun long-streyt in þy face and preyest for me, and also for anguyssche þu swaft so grevously þat it semeþ dropes of blood rennyngge doun on þe irþe. ‖ Wher-aboute standest þu, suster? Ren to, [ 690] for godys sake, and suk of þe swete blessyde dropes, þat þey be not spild, and wyþ þy tounge likke awey þe dust of hijs feet! ȝif þu canst do nomore, loke þu slepe not, as Peter dede, anaunter þat þu hiere þilke mornful vnder∣nymyngge þat Crist putte to Peter: Sic non potuisti vna hora vigilare mecum: Miȝtest þu not wake on houre wit me, seiþ Criste.— | And anoon after þis [ 695] behald how Judas þe traytour geþ before and which a cursed compaynye of iewes comeþ after; and þer at þe gylous cus of þis treccherous traytour tak heede how þey setteþ handes on þy lord & how fersly þey to-teryþ hym and drawyþ hym forþ as a þef, how cruelly þey streyneþ and byndeþ wit coordes þoo swete tendre handes. Alas, ho may suffre þis? ‖ Suster, i whot wel þat pyte okepyed [ 700] now al þyn herte, sorwe and conpassioun haþ set alle þy boweles aviere. Bote naþeles, suster, ȝit suffre a while and let hym deyȝe for þe, þat þus wyl deye! Draw neþer staf ne swerd, haue noon vnwys indignacioun! | For, alþouȝ þu

woldest, as Peter dede, kitte of eny mannes hiere, þouȝ þu smyte of arm or lege: certis, Crist wil restore al þise, as he dede Malkes ere; ȝe, and þouȝ þu [ 705] woldest, forto avenge þyn husbonde, slen eny man, w^t-oute douȝte he wil areyse hym fro deþ to lyf. | Let be al þis þerfore, suster, and folwe hym forþ to þe prince of prestys halle þat he was ydemed in, and þat fayrest face þat euere was, þe whiche þe cursede iewes defoyleþ w^t here foule spatelyngge, þu whash hit wit terys of þyn eȝen. | Be-þenk þe w^t how pytous eȝen and how goodly, how [ 710] mercyfully he lokede vp-on Peter whanne he hadde forsake hym: and anon turnede aȝen to hym-self and wepte biterly for his sunne. Oracio compilatoris. Gode Jhesu, fowche-saaf þat þy swete eȝe moote ones loke mercifully on me, þat ofte in a maner haue forsake þe þorouȝ my corsyde þowtys and wickede dedys ate cryinge of þe wickede seruaunt, my flehs.— | Bote now, suster, for∣þermore [ 715] on þe morwe þy spouse Crist is itake tretourusly to Pilat. Þer he is accuseed, and he halt his pees & as a schep þat is ilad to his deþ, or as a lomb [MS. bomb.] þat is on scheryngge, riȝt so he ne openede not is mouþ. | Avyse þe inwardly and tak tent how bonerly he stant byfore þe Jugge, wit is heed enclined, w^t his eȝen icast a-doun, w^t good chiere and fiewe wurdes, al redy for þi sake [ 720] to dispysyngge, al redy to harde betyngge [l. betynggis?] . I am siker, suster, þu miȝt not longe suffre þis, þu miȝt not suffre his comely ryg be so to-torn w^t schurges, his gracious face to be bonyd w^t bofattis, his wurschipful heod [l. heed.] to be corouned w^t scharpe thornes to þe brayn, his riȝt hand, þat made heuen and irþe, be dishonestly [l. dishonestyd.] w^t a ryed; I wot wel þu miȝt not longe dure to see þis w^t þyn [ 725] eȝen. | Bote ȝit naþeles be-hald, after al þis he is ibrout out al forbled and beten, beryngge a coroune of þornes on his heed, and a purpre garnement on his body, and þanne seyt Pilat to þe iewes: Ecce homo: lo hir is þe man! | Iwis, wrecche, a man he is, who douteþ hit? þe harde betyngge of ȝouȝre scharpe ȝerdes, þe wannesse of þe woundes, þe felþe of ȝouȝre stynkynde spatelynge [ 730] witnesseþ wel þat he is a man. ‖ Bote par caas þu seist to me: i am syker he is a man, how may it be naþeles þat in alle his iniuries he nis not wroþ as a man, he takþ not vengaunce of his turmentours as a man? W^t-oute fayle, he is more þanne a man; he is iproued now a man, suffryngge fals dom of curside schrewes, bote whanne he schal come hym-self to ȝyue riȝtful dom ate day of [ 735]

dome, þanne he schal be knowe a verrey myȝtful god. | Now, naþeles, þe false iugge Pilat sit sollennely in þe Jugge-sege, Jhesu stant pouerly to-sore hym, and þe sentence of deþ is ȝyue aȝens hym; and so, beryngge pitously his owne galewes, he is ilad to þe deþ. | A wundurful spectacle! sykst þu not? By-hold, suster, wat a signe of princehood and wurschipe þyn husbounde Crist berþ vp [ 740] his schuldre—as þe book seyt: Ecce principatus super humerum eius; and certeyn, þat was þe ȝerd off þy (!) riȝtwisnesse and þe sceptre of his kyngdom, as holy scripture also spekeþ of: Virga equitatis virga regni tui. ‖ þey casteþ hym out of his garnemens, and among knytes þey beþ departyd, saue his precious cote þat vre lady hadde iwrouȝt wit-oute seem: þat was nouȝt to-kit, bote by [ 745] lot it fel to oon al hool. Þanne among þieves he was sprad abrood on þe cros, and his swete handes and feet were þirlyd þouȝr wit nayles; þei [MS. þer.] profriþ hym drynke corrupt wyn ymedlyd w^t galle, and manye oþre dispiteȝ doþ hym. | And so he, þat mediatour by-twyxe god and man, hyng in þe myddul bytwene heuene and irþe, bryn∣gyngge as hit were heuene and irþe to-gydere. | Heuene is agast, þe irþe wundryþ, [ 750] and what þu, suster? Certayn, it is no wunder ȝif þu be sory, seþthorn;e þe sunne þat is vnresonable is sory. ȝif þe irþe tremble and quake: what wundur þey þu tremble? ȝyf harde flyntes alto-cleueþ: wat woundur þouȝ þyn herte to-burste? seþthorn;e straunge wummen stondeþ by-syde þe cros and wepeþ: what merueyl þey þu wepe for sorwe of so pytous deþ? Bote among alle þyse þynggis haue good [ 755] consideracioun of þilke mylde herte of Crist: what pacience, what benignite, what pyte it kepte alwey in his torment. He takþ non heede of his iniurie, he makþ no fors of his bitere peynes, he ne chargeþ not þe vilanyes and þe dispyt þat beþ doo to hym. He takþ no reward of al þis, bote he haþ pite & com∣passioun of hem þat doþ hym to hys passioun, he agreyþeþ salue for hem þat [ 760] ȝyuen hym smarte woundes, and had procured hem lyf þat beþ aboute to revyn hym þe lyf & putte hym to þe deþ. | W^t how (gret) swetnesse of herte, trowest þu, wyþ wat mildenesse of alle his [MS. of alle his of al spirit.] spirit, w^t how gret fulsumnesse of charyte crieþ he to þe fadur and seiþ: Pater ignosce illis: Fader, forȝif hem!—Oratio compilatoris. Benigne Jhesu, lo me hir, a symple and deuout wurschipere of þy [ 765]

maieste & not sleere of þy body, adorour of þi spytous deþ & not skornere of þy passioun, a stedefast knowelechere of þy grete mercy & not despisere of þyn infirmite þat þu hast itake of mankynde: and þerfore i prey þe þat þy swete blessyd manhoode mote preye for me & þat þy wunderful pite mote commende me to þy fader. Swete Jhesu, sey for me, þat wyþ mek herte wurschipe þy passioun [ 770] & þy deþ, þat þu seydest for hem þat putte þe to þy deþ. Merciful lord, sey ones for me to þy fader Pater ignosce illi!— | And þu, mayde, þat schuldest haue mor ful trest on þis maydenes sone Crist, wyþdraw þe fro þoo wummen þat stondeþ aver, as þe gospel sayþ, and w^t Marie, moder & mayde, & seynt Jhon, also a clene mayde, go sadlyche to Cristis cros and byhold avysily how [ 775] þilke face, þat angeles haueþ delyt to loke in, is by-come al dym and paal. Cast also þyn eȝe a-syde to Maries cher and loke how here fresche maydenly visage is al to-bollen and forsmoteryd w^t terys! | Lord, suster, whoþer þu schulle stonde by-syde w^t drie eȝen, whanne þu sikst so manye salte teris lassche adoun so vnmesurably ouer here rodye chekes? Miȝt þu be w^t-owte sobbyngge and [ 780] whepyngge, whanne þu sikst a swerd of so scharp sorwe renne þorouȝ here tendre herte? Miȝt þu heere w^t-oute gret pite how straungely Crist (sayde) of seynt Jhon to his moder: Wumman, lo her þy sone, Mulier ecce filius tuus—as hoo seyt: tak to þe anoþer sone, for i go fro þe; and þanne he seyde to seynt Jhon: Ecce mater tua? Was not þis a mornful þyng to Marie, whan he bitooke so passauntly [ 785] here þat was his moder to þe disciple, and beheet a þyef þe blisse of paradys, þat he schulde be w^t hym þryn þe same day?—After al þis oon of þe knytis w^t a spere persyde his syde to his tendre herte: and þanne, as þe gospel seyþ, þer cam out blood and water. Hye þe, suster, hye þe & tarye þe not, foonde forto gete þe sum of þyse precious liquours! for blood is yturned to þe in to [ 790] wyn, to do þe comfort, and water in to melke, to nursche þe gostly. | þer beþ ymaad to þe fayre fressche rennyngge ryueres in a stoon, and þat beþ Cristis reede woundes in his bodyly menbris; and riȝt as in culverhows beþ ymaad holys in þe wal for to warsche þe culvren in, ryȝt so in þe wal of Cristes flehs beþ ymaad nestes al hoot of blood, þat þu schuldest lotye in and bryngge forþ gostly [ 795] bryddes. | Of þis blood, suster, þu scholdest þenke and speke so muche, þat þy lippen schulde be as blood reed, as hit were a reed liste, and þanne schulde þy talkyngge be sauery and swete to euery man þat spake w^t þe—as þe book seyþ: Eloquium tuum dulce. | Bote now abid, what þilke noble knyȝt come, Joseph abarimathie, & vnlaceþ Cristis handes & feet, softly drawyngge out þe nayles. [ 800]

Byhald hou he byklippeþ wiþ his blessyde armes þe swete body of Crist and hou faste he streyneþ it to is breste! For soþe, þo miȝte þis blessid man wel seye þat þat is i-wryte in holy wryt: Fasciculus mirre dilectus meus michi, inter vbera mea commorabitur. | Go forþ after þis holy man, suster, and folewe þilke precious tresour of heuene & irþe, and ber vp hand, leg, or foot, þat þey hange not [ 805] doun so pitously, os ellis gadere to-gydere w^t al suttilte þilke holsum dropys of blood þat droppeþ doun of his wondes, and suke þe dust of his blessyd feet! | Behald furþeremor how swetly & diligently þilke holy man Nichodeme tretiþ w^t his gentil fyngres þe sacrede menbres of Crist & anoynteþ hem wit swete oynemens, & w^t holy Joseph how he lappeþ Cristis body in a clene cloþ and leiþ hit in [ 810] þe sepulcre. | And after þis loke þu forsake not þe felaschipe of Marie Magdeleyn, bote, whan sche goþ to Cristis sepulcre w^t here swete smyllyngge baaumes to anoynte Cristes menbrys, loke þu go after! | A, lord, suster, ȝif þu myȝtest be wurþy to see w^t þy gostly eȝe þat Marie seyȝ wyȝ here bodyly: now þe stoon yturned awey fro þe dore of þat blessyd sepulcre & þer-vppon an angel sittyngge, [ 815] now wiþ-inne þe sepulcre oon angel at þe heed, anoþer ate feet, syngyngge & wurschippyngge þe Joye & blisse of Cristes resurrexioun; now Jhesu lokyngge w^t a gladly eȝe vp-on Marye Magdeleyn, þat was sory and wepyngge for Cristes deþ, and how swete a uoys it was to Marie Magdeleyne whanne he clepede here w^t here name, as þe gospel seyt, and seyde to here: Maria. | A, what was [ 820] swettere þan þis voys, what was mor ioyeful or mor blisful, Maria! ‖ Now, Marie, let þy water-veynes of þyn heed alto-berste and terys renne a-doun, drawȝ vp sobbyngge and siȝȝyngge fro þe deppeste ende of þy bowelys, whanne Crist clepiþ: Maria. O blessyde Marie, what herte haddest þu, what spirit, what strenkþe, whanne þu vylle adoun longstreit to-fore Crist & grettest hym we∣pynggely [ 825] and seydest Raby! ‖ I pray þe, wit wat affeccioun, w^t what desir, w^t what brennyngge of þyn herte, w^t hou gret deuocioun of al þi soule crydest þu, whan þu answeredest þy lord and seydest Rabi, Maister!—for mor myȝtest þu not speke for sobbyngge and for wepyngge; þy grete loue þat þu haddest to Jhesu, hadde raueschid alle þy wittes boþe of body and of soule. | Bote [ 830]

þ^u, derewurthe lord, why puttest þu awey fro þe swych on as louede þe so muche and so brennyngly, þat sche most not come so neyȝ þe to kisse þyn holy and blisful feet? Noli, inquit, me tangere: Touche me not, com not neiȝ me, seiþ Crist. | A, an hard word, an vnsuffrable word, a word þat wolde to-breke þey it were a stony herte! Noli me tangere, Touche not! Why so, blisful lord? [ 835] whi schal i not neyȝȝe þe? why may i not touche þilke desiderable feet þat where iþirled for me w^t nayles on þe cros, þat where al by-schad for me w^t blood? why mot i not handle hem, whi mot i not kysse hem? Gode Jhesu, art þu bycome straunge and mor enemy, for þi body is mor glorious? Now for soþe, i nel not lete þe, i nel not go fro þe, i schal neuere cesse fro wepyngge, my brest [ 840] and herte schulle alto-breke for sobbyngge and sikyngge, bote i mote onys touche þy swete feet. And þanne seyþ merciful Jhesu: Noli timere: ne be þu not agast ne disconforte þe nouȝt, for þat þat þu askest is not bynome þe, bote it is iput in delay; only do as i say þe: Goo & tel my breþryn þat i ham ryse fro deþ to lyve. | þanne renþ Marie forþ, and certeyn, sche renþ wel þo fastere, for [ 845] þat sche wolde sone come aȝeyn. | And whanne sche comeþ aȝen, sche comþ not alone, bote wyþ oþre wummen; aȝens þe whyche Jhesus hym-self geþ & w^t benigne & glad gretyngge he conforteþ hem, þat where ouercome wiþ so biter sorwe of his deeþ. | Suster, I pray þe, tak good heede: for þoo it was fully igraunted to Marie Magdeleyn & here felawes þat arst was put in desolacioun [l. delay.] — [ 850] Accesserunt namque & tenuerunt pedes eius, | as þe gospel seyþ: þo þey wente to & klepte Jhesu aboute his feet. | In þyse and swyche oþere, suster, abid & of þyse haue studefast meditacione; In swyche þynggis haue þy delyt, þe whyche no sleep ne smyte of [of st. or.] noon outward boostis ne ocupacioun lette! | Bote for as muche as in þis wrecchede lyf is noþyng stable, noþyng certaynly is abydyngge, [ 855] and a man dwelleþ not ne dureþ noon whyle in oon stat: þerfore it is nyedful þat oure soule be ved w^t a-maner diuersyte of chaungyngge. | Wherfore we schulle goo fro þynggis þat beþ apassed, to be-þenke vs on þynggis þat beþ present: of þe whiche we mowe be steryd þe mor parfytly to louen vre god.