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

A. THE ARK OF HOLY CHURCH

Ðe gastliche hierdes ðe sculen boðe lokin & stieren. ðo [f. 14 v] ðe bieð in ðare woreld{punctel} & ec 'ðo' ðe bieð ute. hie folȝið noe ðane gode stieres mann ðe gode was swiðe lief. & ȝecweme. For ðare muchele hersumnesse ðe he maniȝe wintre swanc. aer he 'ða' arche mihte habben ȝemaked. & seððen hie swa stierde on ðe muchele [ 5] wilde flode. ðe ouerȝiede all middeneard. mang stronge windes & stormes ðat he ðarof ne forleas naþing. ðe godd him hadde betaht to liue & to londe to bringen. Swa scule ða gastlich'e' stieres menn. [8. gastliche] e above erasure.] 'steren' ða arche of ðe hali cherche ðat hie ðarof ne for liesen ne lichame ne saule. For none winde of mannliche fandinge. [f. 15 r] [ 10] Ne for none storme of dieuliche fandinge. & eft on faire wedere ne bien hie naht to sikere. forðan swo maniȝe litle dropes of maniȝes kennes ȝemeleastes mihten cumen in to ðe saule bote ðat hie mihten sinken. mid alle hire biȝeates. Ac lokien hie alle ðe wið innen scipes [14. lokieð MS.] borde wuniȝeð. {that} hie bien hersum. & leðebeiȝe here stieres manne. [ 15] swa swa hie willeð cumen to ðe liuiende lande mid saule & mid

lichame. And hlesteð hwat ðe hlauerd seið. ðe ðat scip auh to ðe stieresmannen & to alle ðe ðar inne wuniȝeð. Qui uos audit me audit. Se ðe ȝe'w'er ra'd' hlest he seið. he hlest me seluen. & se [19. gewer] w above ụ. rad] d above erasure.] ðe ȝew forsakþ & ȝewere lare he forsakþ fullȝewiss me seluen. Þis he [ 20] seið to ða stieresmannen. On michele hahte we fareð alle ðe fareð [21. seid MS.] in hoc mare magnum. on ðessere michele sea of ðare bitere woreld. Of ure stieresman is ȝewriten Ascendunt usque ad celos. & descendunt usque ad abissos. Hie stieð up to heuene mid here gastliche þohtes for to sceawin ðe michele merhðe of heuene riche. [ 25] for to sceawin ðe windes & ðe euele stormes. ðe cumeð of deules blastes & for us te warnin {that} ure ropes ne to breken. ðe bieð i broiden mid þrie straenges. Of rihte ileaue. & of faste hope te gode. And of ðare soðe luue ðe is ihoten carite ðe Crist maest luueð. Eft hit seið ðat hie stikð niðer in to nielnesse mid here ðohtes. for us eft to [ 30] [30. nielnesse] on margin abissos.] warnin wið ðo stanroches of ðe harde hierte ðe naeure ne wile nexin. for none watere of wisdome. Ac ȝif ðar cumþ scip to hit tobrekð. Alswo doð ðat unwise mann ðe cumþ to ðan unbiliefde manne ðe ne wile ne ne mai godes lare understanden for his herte hardnesse[.] he tobrekð ȝif he ani god wille hafð. forðan he hert his gode wille [ 35] [35. tobrekd MS.: in lower margin, qui cum in forma dei e's'set non rapinam arbitratus est semet.] & hie tobrecþ. [f. 15 v] mid þelliche wordes. Hwat dest þu{punctel} he seið ðu dalst al ðat tu hafst. Wile ðu hlesten. spelleres. & pr'i'estes. & munekes. & þese hadede mannen. Ne scalt ðu naeure habben god{punctel} Hie wolden for'i'swelȝen all ðe woreld ȝif hie mihten. be trewe mann & halt tin god. þu finst feawe ðe wile ȝiuen ðe ani þing. bute [ 40] hie witen hwarfore. Ðe unware mann ðe ðis ȝeherð. ðingþ ðat he seið him god rad. Ȝif he arrer dede litel te gode. ðar after he doð [42. Ȝif] ȝ corr. out of G.] michel'e' lasse. & swo he forfarð. for ðan ðe he his priestes lare ne his raed lesten ne folȝin ne wile Carite sprat his bowes on braede & [44. bowes] w corr. out of u.] on lengðe swiðe ferr. Hie me haueð idon speken. forðer ðane ic [ 45] hadde ȝeþouht. Ac nu ic wile waenden to ðe hali mihtes al swo ich aer hadde iȝunnen be godes fultume. Ac me þincþ ðat tu lokest aweiward & heuiliche latst. And hit is me to muchel iswinch ðar

embe to þennken oðer to speken, bute ȝif ðu woldest mid god wille ðar to lhesten. & hes understanden. [ 50]

Hu andswereð ðe saule & seið:

Ich ðe bidde for ðan ilche hlauerd ðe ðe iscop me to helpe. ðat alswo ðu hauest ȝegunnen & ðane grundwall ileid. Of ðese hali mihtes ðat tu hes forð bringe & me hes taeche. forðan hie bieð [54. taeche] c corr. out of s.] me swiðe unbecnawe for ðe maniȝe unðeawes ðe ic mid me to longe [ 55] habbe ihafd. Ac nu ic hes wile leten. & mid godes fultume of hem ȝeswiken. And min ȝeþanc to ðine lore healden. For ðare hali mihte ðe cariteð is icleped ic ðe beseche & bidde ðat tu ðese halwende lore on write sette. for ðan ic am michel þenchinde ðar hwile ðe ic on ðese wrecche lichame am wuniende. & ofte forȝete ðat me god{punctel} waere [ 60] te healden. and ec sum oðer saule hit wile helpen.

Hu andswereð scadwisnesse. & þus seið. [f. 16 r]

Ðas þe me þincþ þu wilt godes lore bliðeliche understonden. & liernin. & ðat me likeð swiðe wel. forði ðat hit seið on ðe hali godspelle. Qui est ex deo uerba dei audit. Se ðe is of gode he [ 65] harkeð bleðeliche godes wordes. Nu me cumþ on iþanke an forbisne. þe sanctus Gregorius us seið: Qui uirtutes sine humilitate [67. seid MS.] congregat quasi in uento puluerem portat. Se ðe gadereð mihtes wiðuten eadmodnesse he seið. he is ilich ðo manne ðe berð dust amidewarde ðe winde. For ði me þingþ {that} is wisdom ðat we [ 70] alre ðinge arst speken of ðessere hali mihte wið uten hwam non ne [71. wid MS.] mai bien wið healden te none freme ne te none gode.