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

I. WORCESTER FRAGMENTS

A. SICUT OUES ABSQUE PASTORE

[S]anctus beda was iboren her on breotene mid us · [f. 63 r] & he wisliche [writen] awende [2. writen] [bec] Varnhagen.] {that} þeo englisc leoden þurh weren ilerde · [3. englisc] englise MS.] & he þeo c[not]ten unwreih · þe questiuns hoteþ · þa derne diȝelnesse · þe de[or]wurþe is · [ 5] aelfric abbod þe we alquin hoteþ · he was bocare · & þe [fif] bec wende · [7. [fif] V.] Genesis · Exodus · Vtronomius · Numerus · Leuiticus · þ[urh] þeos weren ilaerde ure leoden · on englisc · þet weren þeos biscop[es þeo] bodeden cristendom [ 10]

wilfrid of Ripum · Johan of beoferlai · Cuþb[ert] of Dunholme · [11. Ripum] Sipum MS.] Oswald of wireceastre · Egwin of heoueshame · ael[dhelm] of malmes∣buri · Swiþþun · aeþelwold · Aidan · Biern of wincaestre · [Pau]lin of [13. Paulin] [Cwiche] lm Wright.] rofecaestre · S. Dunston · & S. aelfeih of cantore · buri ·

þeos lae[rden] ure leodan on englisc · [ 15] naes deorc heore liht · ac hit faeire glod · [nu is] þeo leore forleten · & þet folc is forloren · nu beoþ oþre leoden · þeo lae[reþ] ure folc · & feole of þen lorþeines losiaeþ · {that} folc forþ mid Nu saeiþ [ure] drihten þus · Sicut aquila prouocat [ 20] pullos suos ad uolandum · & super eo[s uolitat ·] þis beoþ godes word to worlde asende · {that} we sceolen faeier feþ [festen to him] · [22. þis] þus V.]

B. HOMO PUTREDO ET FILIUS HOMINIS VERMIS

en earde · [f. 63 v] & alle þeo isceaeftan · þe him to [s]cu[l]en · & mid muchele cre[fte · þe]ne mon he idihte · [3. [þe] ne Buchholz. [þon] ne Haufe.] & him on ileide · lif & soule · Softliche he heo isom[nede] · ac þaer biþ sor idol · [ 5] {that} bodeþ {that} bearn : þonne hit iboren biþ · hit [woan]eþ & maenet þeo weowe · [7. hit [greoneþ ond woan] eþ B.] & þene seoruhfule siþ · & {that} sori idol · {that} soule schal [& li]came · sorliche idaelen · [9. [& li] came H. [hire li] came Singer.] forþon hit cumeþ weopinde · & woniende iwiteþ · [ 10] [swo D]eaþ mid his pricke · pineþ þene licame · [11. [D] eaþ H., B. [thonne D] eath S.] he walkeþ & wendeþ & woneþ [oftes]iþes · he saeiþ on his bedde · wo me {that} ic libbe · [13. wome MS.] {that} aeffre mine lif dawes · þus [lon]ge me ilesteþ · for heui is his greoning · & seorhful is his woaning · [ 15] & al [biþ] his siþ · mid seorwe biwunden · him deaueþ þa aeren : him dimmeþ [þa] eiȝen · him scerpeþ þe neose · him scrinckeþ þa lippen · him scorteþ [þe] tunge · [him starkeþ his skin ·] [19. [him ... skin] no gap in MS.] him trukeþ his iwit · him teoreþ his miht · [ 20] him coldeþ his [siden ·] liggeþ þe ban stille · [21. þe ban] perhaps he stan.] þonne biþ {that} soule hus · seoruhliche bereaued · [at] also muchele wunne · þe þer inne wunede · [23. [at] B., [of]H.] þus biþ þaes bearnes · [bod]unge ifulled · þeo moder greoneþ · & {that} bearn woaneþ · [ 25] So biþ þeo [bu]rdtid · mid ba'le'wen imenged · so biþ eft þe feorþsiþ · Mid seoruwen al bewunden · [27. In MS. the second half of this line is sorhliche to doel . . . copied by mistake from the next line.] þonne þe licame & þe sowle · soriliche to[dael]eþ: þonne biþ {that} wraecche lif · iended al mid sori siþ · þonne biþ þe [fei]ge · iflut to þen flore · [ 30] [30. [fei] ge Zupitza, [bodi]ge S.]

he biþ eastward istreiht · he biþ sone stif · he [col]deþ also clei · hit is him ikunde · [32. [col] deþ Z., [hear] deth S.] Mon hine met mid one ȝerde · & þa mol[de] seoþþen · ne mot he of þaere molde · habben nammore · þonne {that} rihte imet · [rih]tliche taecheþ · [ 35] þonne liþ þe clei clot · colde on þen flore · & him sone from [fleoþ] · þeo he aer freome dude · nulleþ heo mid honden · his heafod riht wen[den] · heom þuncheþ {that} hore honden · swuþe beoþ ifuled · Gif heo hondleþ þe[ne d]eade · seoþþen his deaȝes beoþ igon · [ 40] sone cumeþ {that} wrecche wif · þe [forh]oweþ þene earfeþ siþ · [41. The last half of this line is due to l. 43.] forbindeþ þaes daedan muþ · & his dimme eȝen · [þon]ne þet riche wif · forhoweþ þene earueþ siþ · [43. [þonne] H. [Ec] B.] for ufel is þeo wrecche lufe · [þari]nne þeo un blisse cumaþ · [44. þarinne] [þon] ne S., [In] ne H., B.] þonne besihþ þeo soule · sorliche to þen lich[ame ·] [ 45]

C. CONFABULABOR CUM AMARITUDINE ANIMAE MEAE

[ ] þu me · þeo hwule þet ic wunede inne þe · [f. 64 r] for þu were leas & lutiȝ · & u[n]riht lufedest · Godnesse & riht · aefre þu onscunedest · hwar is nu þe[o mo]dinesse · swo muchel þe þu lufedaest · hwar beoþ nu þeo pundes · þurh [pa]newes igaedered · [ 5] [5. [pa] newes Holthausen.] heo weren monifolde · bi markes itolde · hwar beoþ [nu]þeo Goldfaeten · þeo þe Guldene · comen to þine honden · [7. þe] e in darker ink.] þin blisse is [nu] al agon · min seoruwe is fornon · hwar beoþ nu þine waede · þe þ[u] wel lufedest · hwar beoþ [sibbe ·] þe seten sori ofer þe · [ 10] [10. [sibbe] no gap in MS.] beden swuþe ȝeorne · [þet] þe come bote · heom þuþte alto longe · {that} þu were on liue · for heo [we]ren graedie · to gripen þine aeihte ·

nu heo hi daeleþ heom imong · [heo] doþ þe wiþ uten · ac nu heo beoþ fuse · to bringen þe ut of huse, [ 15] b[rin]gen þe ut aet þire dure · of weolen þu aert bedaeled · hwui noldest þ[u be]þenchen me · þeo hwile ic was innen þe · ac semdest me mid sunne · fo[rþon] ic seoruhful eam · [18. semdest] scendest S.] weile {that} ic souhte · so seoruhfulne · buc · noldest þ[u lo]kien lufe · wiþ ilaerede men · [ 20] [20. [lo] kien S., [ma] kien H., [þe ma] kien B.] ȝiuen ham of þine Gode · {that} heo þe fo[re] beden · heo mihten mid salm songe · þine sunne acwenchen · Mid [ho]re messe · þine misdeden fore biddan · heo mihten offrian loc · leofli[che] for þe · [24. leofli [c] B.] swuþe deor wurþe lac · licame cristes · [ 25] þurh þaene þu were · alese[d] from helle wite · [26. þoene Z., in MS. þoere.] & mid his reade blode · {that} he ȝeat on rode · þo þu we[re] ifreoed to farene into heouene · ac þu fenge to þeowdome · þurh þaes de[ofles] lore · Bi þe hit is iseid · & soþ hit is on boken · [ 30] Qui custodit diuitias ser[uus] est diuitiis þu were þeow · þines weolan · noldest þu nouht þaer of d[aelen ·] for drihtenes willaen · ac aefre þu graediliche · gaederedest þe more · lu[þer]liche eart þu forloren · from al {that} þu lufedest · [ 35] & ic scal wraecche soule [· weo]we nu driaen · [36. [weo] we H., [ece] we S.] eart þu nu loþ & unwurþ · alle þine freonden · nu ham [þun]cheþ alto long · {that} þu ham neih list · [38. nu ham] nu han MS.] aer þu beo ibrouht · þaer þu be[on] scalt · on deope saeþe · on durelease huse · [ 40] þaer wurmes waeldeþ · al [þet þe] wurþest was · füweles quale holde · þe þu icwemdest aer · Mid alre [þaere] swetnesse · þeo þu swuþe lufedest · [43. þoere] [kunde] S., H., B.] þeo swetnesse is nu al agon · {that} b[ittere] þe biþ fornon · {that} bittere ilaesteþ aeffre · {that} swete ne cumeþ þe [naeffre ·] [ 45]