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

Dominica In sexagesima. Sermo.

SImile est regnum celorum homini patrifamilias. qui [ 195] exijt primo mane conducere operarios in uineam suam.

¶ Hure lord godalmichti to us spekeþ ine þo holi [f. 132 r1] godespelle of te day. and us seaweth one forbisne. þet yef we uilleth don his seruise. þe't' we sollen habbe [ 200] þo mede wel griat ine heuene. For so seyth ure lord ine þo godspelle of to dai. þet on goodman was. þat ferst uut yede bi þe Moreghen for to here werkmen in to his winyarde. for ane peny of forewerde. and al so he hedde i mad þise forewerde{punctel} so ha sente hi into his wyn∣yarde. so ha dede at undren and at midday al so. þo þat hit was [ 205] a yen þan euen{punctel} so ha kam into þe Marcatte. so he fond werkmen þet were idel. þo seyde he to hem. Wéé bie ye idel{punctel} and hie answer∣den{punctel} and seyde. lord{punctel} for we 'ne' fonden te dai þat us herde. Goþ nu ha seide se godeman into mine wynyarde{punctel} and hic þat richt is{punctel} yu sal yeue. þos yede into þise wynyarde. mid þo oþre. þo þet hi wel [ 210] euen. þo seide þe lord to his sergant. Clepe þo werkmen and yeld hem here trauail. and a gyn to hem þat comen last. and go al to þo ferste. yef eue [f. 132 r2] riche of hem ane peny. Se sergant dede þes lordes commandement. so paide þo werkmen and yaf euerich ane peny. And so hi seghen þo þet bi þe Morghen waren i comen. þet [ 215] hi þet waren last i cume. Hedden here euerich ane peny{punctel} Þo wenden hi more habbe{punctel} þo gruchchede hi a menges hem. and seyden. þos laste on ure habbeþ i travailed. and þu his makest velaghes to us. þet habbeth al deai i bye ine þine wynyarde. and habbetþ iþoled þe berdene

of þo pine. and of þo hete of al þo daie. þo ansuerede se gode man [ 220] to on of hem. Frend ha seide ine do þe noon unricht. Wat for þingketh þat hic do min i wil{punctel} and al so ure lord hedde i told þise forbisne{punctel} so he seide efter ward. so sulle þo uerste bie last{punctel} and þo laste ferst. Fele bieþ i clepede{punctel} ac feaue bieþ i cornéé. Nu i hereþ [224. On margin, Multi sunt uocati{punctel} pauci.] þe signefiance. þes godeman{punctel} be tockneþ godalmichti ure lord. Se [ 225] winyard be tockneþ. þe seruise of ure lorde. þe werkmen. be tockneþ alle þo þet doþ cristes seruise. [f. 132 v1] þo tides of þo daie{punctel} be tok∣neþ þe time of þis world. Bie þe Morghen i herde ure lord werkmen in to his winyarde. þo ha sente þe patriarches. ate begininge of þis wordl. ine is seruise. þet þurch gode beleauéé him seruede. and seden [ 230] his techinge to alle þo þet hi hedden hit to siggen. Al so at undren. and at midday. i herede he werkmen into is winyarde. þo ha sente be þo time þet Moyses was and aaron. and i þe time of his prophetes dede he mani god man in to his seruise{punctel} þet þurch griate luue to him helden. and deden his seruise. To yenes þan euen{punctel} godalmichti [ 235] [235. þan] þā MS.] i hierde werkmen in to his winyarde. þo þat he alast of þis wordle naam fles and blod ine þe Maidene seinte Marie. and seauede ine þis world. þo fond he Men. þet al day hedden i be idel. Werefore he fond þet heþen folk þet be þo time þet was i go{punctel} hedden i be ut of godes be liaue. and of his luue. and of his seruise. Hi ne hedden [ 240] nocht i be idel [f. 132 v2] for to done þo deueles werkes. Ac þere fore seith þet godspel þet hedden i be idel{punctel} þo þet hi nedden bi leued ane god almichti. ne him louie ne him serui. For al þat is ine þis wordle. þet man is. bote yef ha luuie godalmichti. and him serui{punctel} al hit him may þenche for lore and idelnesse. þo a resunede ure lord þe paens [ 245] be ise apostles. vre fore hi hedden i be so longe idel. þo þet hi ne hedden i be in his seruise{punctel} þo ansuerden þe paens{punctel} þet non ne hedden i herd hij. þet is to sigge þet hi ne hedden neuer te i hee[r]d prophete ne a postle ne prechur. þet hem seaude ne hem tachte hu i solden ine gode beleue ne him serui. Goþ a seide ure lord inte mine [ 250] winyarde. þet is inte mine beleaue. and hic yw sal yeue yure peni þet is heueriche blisce. þo heþen men yeden be þa daghen into cristes seruise{punctel} and we þet of hem bieþ i cume. and habbeþ cristendom

under fonge{punctel} bieþ i entred in to cristes seruise þere fore we sollen habbe ure peni þet is þe blisce of heuene. [f. 133 r1] al so wel ase [ 255] þo þet comen bi þe Morghen. for al so we hopieþ for te habbe heue∣riche blisce{punctel} ase þo patriarches and þo prophetes. and þo apostles and þo gode men þet hwilem ine þis world godalmichti serueden. So as we habeþ i seid of diuers wordles. þet god almichti dede werkmen into his winyarde{punctel} so we mowe sigge of þo elde of eueriche men. [ 260] For godalmichti deþ werkmen into his winyarde bi þe Morghen. Wanne ha clepeþ of swiche þer bieþ into his seruise ine here child∣hede. Wanne hi of þis world wendeþ. beswo þet hi ne be ine no diadlich senne. At undren ha sent men in to his winyarde. þet a turneþ into his seruise. of age of man. At Middai wanne þo dai is [ 265] alþer hotestd be tokned þo men of .xxx^ti. wyntre. oþer of furti. for þe nature of Man is of greater strengþe and of greater hete ine þo age. Se euen bi tockneþ. elde of Man. þet is se ende of þe liue. Vre lord deþ werkmen in to his winyarde a genes þo e [f. 133 r2] uen{punctel} Wanne fele ine here elde wendeþ ut of here senne in to cristes seruise. As so [ 270] solle hi habbe þo blisce of heuene{punctel} ase þo þet ferst comen into þe winyyarde. Nocht for þan for þise griate bunte þet ure iord yefþ ne solde no man targi for to wende to godalmichti ne him to serui. for al so seid þet holi writ þet non ne wot þane dai of his diaþe. for Man mai longe liues wene and ofte him legheþ se wrench. Nu gode men [ 275] ye habbeþ i herd þet godspel and þe forbisne. Nu lokeþ yef ye bieþ with inne þo winyarde. þet is þet yef ye bieþ ine godes seruise yef ye bieþ with ute diadliche senne yef ye hatied þat he hateþ. yef ye luuieþ [278. he he MS.] þet he luueþ. and doþ þet he hot. and but ye do{punctel} ye bieþ hut of his winyarde. þe is ut of his seruise. and ye doþ þet ure lord hóót. so ye [ 280] of serueþ þane peni. þet 'is' heueriche blisce. ye of serueþ þet good þet noon herte ne may i þenche ne noon yare i here ne tunge telle. þo blisce þet god [f. 133 v1] halt alle þo þet hine luuieþ. þider lord granti us to cumene. Quod ipse prestare dignetur. per.