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

X. IN DIEBUS DOMINICIS

[L]EOFEMEN ȝef ȝe lusten wuleð. & ȝe willeliche hit under stonden we eow wulleð [f. 16 r] [f. 15 v] suteliche seggen of þa fredome þe limpeð to þan deie þe is iclepeð sunedei. Sunedei is ihaten þes lauerdes dei & ec þe dei of blisse & of [4. In MS. su sunedei.] lisse & of alle irest. On þon deie þa engles of heofene ham iblissieð. [ 5] forði þe þa erming saulen habbeð rest of heore pine. Gif hwa wule witen hwa erest bi won reste þam wrecche saule to soþe ic eow segge. þet wes sancte paul þe apostel and mihhal þe archangel heo tweien eoden et sume time in to helle alswa heom drihten het for to lokien hu hit þer ferde. Mihhal eode bi foren & paul com efter & þa [ 10] scawede mihhal to sancte paul þa wrecche sunfulle þe þer were [11. sunfulle wrecche with marks of transposition in MS.] wuniende [.] þer efter he him sceawede heȝe treon eisliche beorninde et foren helle ȝete. and uppon þan treon he him sceawede þe wrecche saulen a honge. Summe bi þa fet. summe bi þa honder. summe bi þe tunge. summe bi þe eȝen. summe bi þe hefede. summe bi þer [ 15] heorte. Seodðan he him sceaude an ouen on berninde fure he warp ut of him seofe leies uwil[c]an of seolcuðre heowe þe alle weren eate∣liche to bi haldene & muchele strengre þen eani þing to þolien. & þer [18. þing] þurg MS.] wið innen weren swiðe feole saule a honge. Ȝette he him sceawede ane welle of fure & alle hire stremes urnen fur berninde. & þa [ 20] welle bi wisten .xii. meister [f. 16 v] deoflen swilc ha weren kinges to pinen þer wiðinnen þa earming saulen þe for gult weren; & heore aȝene pine neure nere þe lesse þah heo meistres weren. Efter þon he him sceawede þe sea of helle & innan þan sea weren .vii. bittere uþe. þe forme wes snau. þat oðer is. þet þridde fur. þet feorðe blod. þe [ 25] [25. snau] swnau MS.] fifte neddren. þe siste smorðer. þe seofeþe ful stunch. heo wes wurse to þolien þenne efreni of alle þa oðre pine. Innan þan ilke sea weren un aneomned deor summe feðer fotetd. Summe al bute fet. & heore eȝen weren al swilc swa fur. & heore eþem scean swa deð þe leit a monge þunre. þas ilke nefre ne swiken ne dei ne niht to [ 30] brekene þa erming licome of þa ilca men þe on þisse liue her hare

scrift enden nalden. Summe of þan monne sare wepeð. Summe swa deor lude remeð. summe þer graninde sikeð. summe þer reowliche gneȝeð his aȝene tunge. Summe þer wepeð. & alle heore teres beoð berninde gleden glidende ouer heore aȝene nebbe. & swiðe reowliche [ 35] ilome ȝeiȝeð & ȝeorne bisecheð þat me ham ibureȝe from þam uuele pinan [.] of þas pinan speked .dauid. þe halie witeȝe. & þus seið. Misere're' nostri domine quia penas inferni sustinere non possumus. Lauerd haue merci of us forðon þa pinen of helle we ham ne maȝen iðolien. [f. 17 r] Seoð þan he him sceawede ane stude [ 40] [40. ane] and MS.] inne midde warðe helle. & bi foren þam ilke stude weren seofen clus∣terlokan þar neh ne mihte nan liuiende mon gan for þan ufele breðe & þer wið inna he him sceawede gan 'on' ald mon {that} .iiii. deoflen ledden abuten. þa escade paul to mihhal hwet þe alde mon were. þa cweð mihhal heh engel he wes an biscop on eoðre liue þe nefre [ 45] nalde cristes laȝen lokien ne halden. ofter he walde an uppon his [46. wụalde MS.] underlinges mid wohe motien & longe dringan þenne he walde salmes singen oðer eani oðer god don. Herefter iseh paul hwer .iii. deoflen ledden an meiden swiðe unbisorȝeliche{punctel} '&' ȝeorne escade to mihhal hwi me heo swa ledde. þa cweð mihhal. heo wes an meiden on oðer liue [ 50] {that} wel wiste hire licome in alle clenesse. Ah heo nalde nefre nan oðer god don. Elmesȝeorn nes heo nefre. ah prud heo wes swiðe & modi. & liȝere & swikel. & wreðful & ontful. & forði heo bið wuniende inne [53. wẹreðful MS.] þisse pine. Nu bi gon paul to wepen wunderliche. & mihhal heh engel þer weop forð mid him. þa com ure drihten of heueneriche to [ 55] heom on þunres liche & þus cweð. A hwi wepest þu paul. paul him [56. þunres]] onswerde. Lauerð ic biwepe þas monifolde pine þe ic her in helle iseo. þa cweð ure lauerd. A hwi nalden heo witen mine [f. 17 v] laȝe þe hwile heo weren en eorðe? þa seide paul him mildeliche to ȝeines. Louerd nu ic bidde þe ȝef þin wille is {that} þu heom ȝefe [ 60] reste la hwure þen sunne dei a þet cume domesdei. þa cweð drihten to him. paul wel ic wat hwer ic sceal milcien. Ic heom wulle milcien þe weren efterward mine milce þa hwile heo on liue weren. þa wes sancte paul swiðe wa. & abeh him redliche to his lauerdes fet & on halsien hine gon mid þas ilke weord þe ȝe maȝen iheren. Lauerd [ 65]

he cweð þa. Nu ic þe bidde for þine kinedome & for þine engles. & for þine muchele milce. & for alle þine weorkes. & for alle þine haleȝen. & ec þine icorene. þat þu heom milcie þes þe redþer {that} ic to heom com & reste ȝefe þen sunne dei a {that} cume þin heh domes dei. þa onswerede him drihten mildere steuene. Aris nu paul aris. Ic ham [ 70] ȝeue reste al swa þu ibeden hauest from non on saterdei a þa cume monedeis lihting. {that} efre forð to domes dei. Nu leofe breðre ȝe habbeð iherð hwa erest bi won reste þam forgulte saule. Nu bi cum'e'ð hit þerfore to uwilche cristene monne mucheles þe mare to haliȝen & to wurðien þenne dei þe is icleped sunne dei. for of þam deie ure [ 75] lauerd seolf seið. Dies dominicus est dies leticie & requiei. [f. 18 r] Sunne dei is dei of blisse & of alle ireste. Non facietur in ea aliquid nisi deum orare manducare & bibere cum pace et leticia. Ne beo in hire naþing iwrat bute chirche bisconie & beode to criste & eoten & drinken mid griðe & mid [ 80] gledscipe. Sicut dicitur. pax in terra. pax in celo. pax inter homines. for swa is iset. grið on eorðe. & grið on hefene. & grið bitwenen uwilc cristene monne. eft ure lauerd seolf seit. Maledictus homo qui non custodit sabatum. Amansed beo þe mon þe sunne dei nulle iloken. And for þi leofemen uw'i'lc [ 85] sunne dei is to locan al swa ester dei for heo is muneȝing of his halie ariste from deðe to liue. & muneȝeing of þam halie gast þe he sende in his apostles on þon dei þe is icleped wit sunne dei. ec we understondeð {that} on sunne dei drihten cumeð to demene al mon cun; we aȝen þene sunne dei swiþeliche wel to wurþien. [ 90] & on alle clenesse to locan. for heo hafð mid hire þreo wurdliche mihte þe ȝe iheren maȝen. ðet forme mihte is {that} heo on eorðe 'ȝeueð reste to alle eorðe' þrelles wepmen & wifmen of heore [93. ȝeueð ... eorðe added on margin.] þrel weorkes. þet oðer mihte is on heouene. for þi þa engles heom rested mare þenn on sum oðer dei. {that} þridde mihte is {that} þa [ 95] [94-5. hem heō rested MS.: þa] þa MS.] erming saule habbeð ireste inne helle [f. 18 v] of heore muchele pine. Hwa efre þenne ilokie wel þene sunne dei. oðer þa oðer halie daȝes þe mon beot in chirche to lokien swa þe sunne dei. beo heo dal neominde of heofene riches blisse{punctel} mid þan fedre. [99. ferde MS.]

& mid þan sunne. & mid þan halie gast abuten ende. ameN. [ 100] Quod ipse prestare dignetur qui uiuit & regnat deus. per omnia secula seculorum. AmeN.