Selections from early Middle English, 1130-1250 [extracts]

A. THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

[Þ]us mine leoue frend iþe wildernesse þat ge [p. 127] gat in wid godes folc toward ierusalemes londe þat [p. 126] is þe riche of heouene{punctel} beod þuliche bestes þulliche wurmes · Ne nat ich nan sunne þat ne mai beon ilad · oþer to an of ham seoluen oþer to hare streones · vnstaþelfast bi leaue · agein hali lare · nis hit of [ 5] prude inobedience? Herto falled sigaldren · false teolunges · Lefunge o nore. o swefne & alle wicchecraftes. Neominge of husel in ei heaued sunne · oþer ai oþer sacrement · nis hit spece of prude{punctel} þat ich cleopede presumpciun · gif me wat hwat sunne hit is. Gif me hit nat naut{punctel} þenne is hit gemeles vnder accidie · þat ich slouþe cleopede. [ 10] þe þat ne warned oþer of his uuel · oþer of his bigete · nis hit slaþ gemeles oþer attri onde? To thehewen mis · et halden cwude · fundes oþer lane · nis þis giscunge{punctel} þeofþe. at halden oþeres hure ouer his richte terme · nis hit strong reflac. þat is under gissunge{punctel} gif me gemed wurse ai þing [p. 128] ilened · oþer bitahted te witene þen [ 15] he wene þat hit ah · nis oþer tricherie · oþer gemeles of slauþe. Alswa is dusi hest · oþer folliche iplicht trouþe Longe beon un bisch∣bed · falsliche gan to schrifte · oþer to longe abiden · Ne teachen god child pater noster · Ne Credo · þeos & alle þulliche · beod ilad to slauþe · þat is þe feorþe moder of þe seoue sunnen · þeo dronc druch [ 20] oþer ai þing dude hwer þurh na child ne shulde beon on hire istreoned · oþer þat istreonede shulde for wurþen{punctel} Nis þis strong monslaht of galnasse awakened{punctel} Alle sunnen sunderliche bi hare nomeliche nome ne mahte na mon rikenen. Ah iþeo þat ich habbe iseid{punctel} alle oþere beod bilokene. An nis ich wene namon þat ne mai [ 25] under stonden him of his sunnen nomeliche wnder summe of þe ilke þat imene{punctel} þe beod þer i writene.

[O]f þeos sewe beastes & of hare strenes iwildernesse of anlich lif is iseid hiderto [p. 129] þe alle þe forfarinde fondet te fordonne. þe Leon of prude slead alle þe prude. Alle þat beod [ 30]

hehe & for hehe iheorted. þe aetri neddre{punctel} þe ond fule. & þe luþere iþonked. wredfule þe unicorne. Al swa of þen oþer areawe. to god ha beod isleine · Ah ha libbed to þe feond & beod alle in is hird · & serued him in his curt · Euch of þe mester þet him to falleð.

[Þ]E prude beod his bemeres · Drahed wind inward · of worldlich [ 35] hereword · & eft wid idel ige'l'p puffed hit utward · as þe bemares dod. Makied noise & lud drem to shawen hare prude. Ah gif ha uel þothten · of godes bemeres of þe englene bemen · þat shulen afour half þe word · bi fore þe grurefule dom grisliche blawen · Arised deade arised · Cumed to drichtines domes for to beon idemed · þer na prud [ 40] bemere ne shal beon iboregen · Gif ha þohten wel þis · ha walden inoh raþe iþe deoueles seruise dimluker bemen. Of þeose bemeres sei'd' [p. 130] Jeremie · Onager solitarius in desiderio suo attraxit uentum amoris sui · Of þe wind drahinde in for luue of hereword{punctel} seid as ich seide. [ 45]

[S]umme iugelurs beod þe ne cunen seruin of nan oþer gleo buten maken cheres · wrenchen þe mud mis shuli wid þe ehnen. of þis mester seruid þe unseli eon'd'fule iþe deoueles curt · to bringen a lahtre hare on'd'fule leouerð. gef ei ded wel oþer seid wel{punctel} ne mahen ha nanes weis liki þiderwarð wid richt ehe of god heorte · Ah [ 50] winked o þet half & bi halded a luft gif þer is out to et wite oþer{punctel} ladliche þiderward shuled mid eiþer. hwen ha ihered þat god skletteð þe earen adun · Ah þe lust a gein þet uuel is ea wid opene. þenne wrenched þe mud mis{punctel} hwen he turned þet god to uuel · & gef hit is [p. 131] sumdel uuel{punctel} þurh more lastunge wrenched hit to [ 55] wurse. þeos beod for quiddares hare ahne prophetes. þeos bodied biuoren hu þe ateliche deouelen shulen get agastan ham wid hare grennunge · & hu ha shulen ham seolf grennen & niwelen · & makien sur semblant · for þe muchele angoise iþe pine of helle. Ah forþi ha beod þe lesse te meanen · þat ha bi foren hont leorned ha meoster te [ 60] makien grim chere.

[Þ]E wreadfule biuoren þe feond skirmed mid kniwes · is his knif warpare · & pleied mid sweordes · bered ham bi þe sharpe ord

open his tunge. swerd & knif eiþer beod sherpe & keorwinde: word þat he warped from him & skirmed toward oþere. And he boded hu [ 65] þe deouelen shulen pleien wid him · mid hare sharpe eawles · Skirmin wid him abuten · & dusten as a pilche [p. 132] clut · Euch toward oþere · & wid helle sweordes asnesen þurh ut þat beod kene & eateliche keorwinde pinen.

[Þ]E slauwe lid & sleped oþe deoules barm as his deore deorling · & [ 70] þe deouel leid his tutel dun to his earen · & tutelid him al þat he eawer uule. for swa hit is sikerliche to hwam se is idel of god · Meaþeled þe feond georne. & þe idele underweng luueliche his lare · Idel & gemeles is þes deoueles bernes slep · Ah he shal a domes dai grimliche abreiden · wid þe dredfule drem of þe englene bemen · & in [ 75] helle wondrede etheliche wakien · Surgite mortui qui jacetis in sepulcris · surgite & venite ad Judicium saluatoris.

[Þ]E gissere is his eskebah · fared abuten esken · & bisiliche stured him te rukelen te gederes · muchele & monie ruken · blawed þer [p. 133] in · & blend him seolf · paþered & maked þer in figures of [ 80] augrim · As þeos rich'k'eneres dod þat habbed muche te rikenen. þis is þes kanges blisse · & þe feond bi hald þis gomen · & lahed þat he bersteð. wel under stonde þis euch mon · þat gold ba & seoluer · & euch worldlich ahte · nis buten eorðe & esken þat ablent euchmon þat in ham blaweð · þat is þat þat bolehed ham þurh ham in heorte [ 85] prude. And al þat he rukeled & gedered to gedere · & ethalt of ani þing þat nis buten esken mare þen hit neodeð{punctel} shal in helle wurden him tadden & neddren · & ba as ysaie seið shulen beon of wurmes his cuuertur & his 'þ'witel þat neolden war wið neodfule feden & shruden. Subter te sternetur tinea & operimentum tụum [ 90] uermis.

[Þ]E giuere glutun is þes deoules manciple · Ah he stiked eauer iceler oþer icuche [p. 134] ne · his heorte is iþe dishes · his þoht al iþe nappes · his lif iþe tunne · his saule iþe crohhe · kimed bi woren his lauert bi smudded & bi smured · A dich in his an hond · A scale in [ 95] his oþer · Meadeled mis wordes wigeled as for drunken · mon þat haued mint to fallen · bi halt his greate wombe. & þe deouel lahheð. Þeos þreated þus god þurh ysaie · Serui mei commedent & uos esurietis

&c'. Mine men shulen eoten · & ow shal eawer hungren · & ge shulen beon feondes fode world buten ende. Quantum gl[ori]fi∣cauit [ 100] se & in deliciis fuit{punctel} tantum date illi tormentum & luctum · Apocalipsis · Contra unum quod miscuit date illi duo · gef þen kelche cuppe wallinde bras te drinken · geot in his wide þrote · þat he swelte in wið. agein gef him twa. þullich is godes dom agein giwere & druncwile iþe apocalipse. [ 105]

Notes

• 3. sulliche MS.
• 11. bigete] b corr. out of l.
• 16. tricherie] over c, contraction mark for er.
• 43. seid] d above a blotted letter.
• 48,49. eondfule, ondfule] d above in darker ink.
• 51. out] out MS.
• 53. eawid MS.
• 55. On lower margin in a later hand: Prude and nid · and lecherie · Grede and idelhed · coueitise and glotunie beod seouen ded Sundes.
• 67. apilche MS.
• 81. rich'k'eneneres MS.