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

Sermo jn die epiphanie. [f. 128 v1]

CVM natus esset ihesus in betleem iude in diebus herodis regis ecce magi ab oriente uenerunt ierosoli∣mam dicentes. Vbi est qui natus est rex iudeorum. ¶ We redeth i þo holi godespelle of te dai ase ure louerd godalmichti [ 5] i bore was of ure lauedi seinte Marie i þe cite of bethleem. þet si sterre was seauinge of his beringe. swo a pierede te þo þrie kinges of heþenesse. to janes þo sunne risindde. And al swo hi bi knewe [f. 128 v2] his beringe bi þo sterre. swo hi nomen conseil be tuene hem þet hi wolden gon for to hyne an uri. and þet hi wolden offri [ 10] him· gold· and stor· and Mirre. And al swo hi hedden aparailed here offrendes swo kam si sterre þet yede to for hem in to ierusalem. Þere hi speken to herodes and hym askede. wer was se king of gyus þet was i bore. And herodes i herde þet o king was i bore þet solde bi

king of geus. swo was michel anud. and alle hise men. for þet he was [ 15] of dred for to liese his king riche of ierusalem. Þo dede he somoni alle þo wyse clerekes þet kuþe þe laghe and hem askede wer crist solde bien i bore. Hi answerden þet ine ierusalem. for hit was swo i seid and be hote hwilem bi þo profetes. And al swo herodes i herde þis. swo spac te þo þrie kinges. and hem seide. Goþ ha seide into [ 20] bethleem and sechez þet child. and wanne ye hit habbeth hi funde swo an uret hit. and efter þet cometh to me. and hic wille go and an uri hit. [f. 129 r1] Þet ne seide he nocht herodes for þet he hit wolde on uri{punctel} ac for þet he hit wolde slon. yef he hit michte finde. Þo kinges hem wenten and hi seghen þo sterre þet yede bi fore hem. [ 25] al wat hi kam over þo huse. war ure louerd was. and al swo hi hedden i fonden ure louerd{punctel} swo hin an urede. and him offrede hire offrendes. Gold. and. stor. and Mirre. Þo nicht efter þet aperede an ongel of heuene in here slepe ine metinge and hem seide and het. þet hi ne solde a yen wende be herodes. ac be an oþer weye wende into hire [ 30] londes. ¶ Lordinges and leuedis þis is si glorius miracle. and si glorius seywinge of ure lordes beringe. þet us telþ þet holi godespel of te day. and ye muee wel under stonde be þo speche of þe godspelle þet me sal to dai mor makie offrinke þan an oþren dai. and þer of us yeft ensample þo þrie kinges of heþenesse. þet comen fram verrene [ 35] londes ure louerd [f. 129 r2] to seche. and him makie offrinke. And be þe't' hi offrede gold. þet is cuuenable yeftte to kinge{punctel} seawede þet he was sothfast kink. and be þet hi offréde Stor. þet me offrede wylem be þo ialde laghe to here 'godes' sacrefise{punctel} seawede þe he was verray prest. And be þet hi offrede Mirre. þet is biter þing. signefieth þet hi [ 40] hedde be liaue þet he was diadlich. þet diath solde suffri for man ken. Nu i hiereth wet signefieth þet Gold. þet. Stor. þet Mirre. And offre we Gostliche to ure lorde. þe't' i offrede flesliche. Þet Gold þet is bricht and glareth ine þo brichtnesse of þo sunne. signefieth þe gode beleaue. þet is bricht ine þe gode cristenemannes herte. Si gode [ 45] beleaue licht and is bricht ine þo herte of þo gode Manne ase gold. Offre we þanne god almichti god gold. Be leue we stede fast liche. þet 'he is' fader and sune. and holy gost. is onlepi god. Wo so hath beleaue ine gode swo offreth him god gold [f. 129 v1] þet Stor signefied gode werkes. for ase se smech of þe store wanne hit is i do [ 50]

into þe ueréé and goth upward to þo heuene and to gode ward Swo amuntet si gode biddinge to gode of þo herte of þo gode cristenemanne. Swo we mowe sigge þet stor signefieth þe herte. and se smech luue of [53. After stor, e erased.] gode. Bi 'þet' Mirre þat is biter. and be þo biternesse defendet þet [54. Bi] Li MS.] Cors þet is mide i smered. þet no werm nel comme i hende{punctel} signefiet [ 55] þo gode werkes þet is biter to þo yemernesse of ure flesce. Si Mirre signefiet uastinge. for þo luue of gode wakie. go ine pelrimage. uisiti þe poure. and to sike. and to do alle þe gode þet me may do for godes luue. þo ilke þinges so bieth bitere to þo wrichede flessce. Ac al so si mirre loket þet bodi þet no werm ne may þer i hende come{punctel} so us defendet [ 60] þo iléke þinges fram senne. and fram þe amonestement of þo dieule þet ha ne may us mis do. Lordinges nu ye habbet i herd þo signe∣fiance of þo offringes þet maden [f. 129 v2] þo þrie kinges of heþenesse to gode. hye habbet to gode 'i offred' of yure selure. and of [64. i offred on margin.] yure erþliche godes. Ne ne offreth him nacht on lepiliche to day. ac [ 65] alle þo daies i þo yere gostliche. Gold. and Stor. and Mirre. ase hic habbe i told. Gold{punctel} fore Gode belaue. Stor{punctel} for holy urisun. Mirre. for gode werkes. þet bieth þo offringes. þet ure louerd be sekeþ auerichedaye þo cristenemanne. and werefore se xpistenman yef has deþ{punctel} of seruet þo blisce of heuene. And ihesu crist þet for us wolde [ 70] an erþe bi bore. and anured of þo þrie kinges of painime{punctel} he yeu[e] [71. yeuus MS.] us his grace of þo holi gost in ure hertes wer bi we moue hatie þo ileke þinges þet he hatedh. and lete þo ileke þinges þat he for biet. and luuie þo ilek þinkes þat he luued. and do þo ilek þinges þat he hóót. ine him so bileue and bidde and serui. þet we mowe habbe þo blisce [ 75] of heueriche. Quod uobis prestare dignetur per.