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

(EGERTON MS., SECOND COPY.)

Bute þá þe óf ðufte sare heore mis dede. [f. 69 r] & gunne heore gultes beten & betere lif laede. Þer beoð neddren & snaken. éuete & frute. þa tereð. & freteð. þe uuele speke. þe nið fulle. & te prute. Neure sunne ðer ne scinð. ne mone ne steorre. [ 275] þer is muchel godes hate. & muchel godes eorre. AEure ðer is uuel sméch. ðusternesse & eie. nis ðer neure oðer liht. ðene þe swierte leie. Þer ligget ladliche fund. in strange raketeȝe. {that} beoð þa ðe wére mid gode on heuene wel heȝe. [ 280] Þer beoð ateliche fund. & eisliche wihte. þas scule þa wrecche i fon. þe suneȝede ðurh sihte. Þer is ðe laðe sathanas. & belzebud sé ealde. eaðe hi muȝen beo óf dréd. þe hine scule bi healde. Ne mei nan heorte hit iðenche. ne tunge ne can telle. [ 285] hu muchel pine na hu uele sunden inne helle. Wið þa pine ðe þer beoð. nelle ich eow naht leoȝen. nis hit bute gamen & gléo. eal {that} man mei hér dreoȝen. End ȝut ne deð heom naht sa wá. in ða laðe bende. | {that} hi witeð {that} heore pine sceal neure habbe ende. [f. 69 v] [ 290] Þar beoð þa heðene men. þé wǽre laȝe liese. þe nes naht óf godes bi bode. ne óf godes hése. [U]uele cristene men. hi beoð heore ifere. þa ðe heore cristen dom. uuele heo'l'de hére. [Ȝ]ut hi beoð á wurse stede. on ðeré helle grunde. [ 295] ne sculen hi neure cumen út. for marke ne for punde. [N]e mei heom naðer helpen þer. ibede ne elmesse.

for nis naðer inne helle. áre ne for ȝiuenesse. Sculde him éch man ðe hwile hé muȝe óf ðas helle pine. & werni ech his freond þer wið swa ich habbe mine. [ 300] Þá ðe sculden heom ne cunne. ich heom wulle teche. ich kan beon ȝief ich sceal. lichame & sawle leche. Léte wé {that} god for but. ealle manne cunne. & do wé {that} hé us hét. & sculde wé us wið sunne. Luuie we god mid ure heorte. & mid al ure mihte. [ 305] & ure émcristen eal us sulf. swa us lerde drihte. Eal {that} me rǽt & eal {that} me singð. bi fore godes borde. eal hit hanget & bi halt. bi ðisse twam worde. Ealle godes laȝe he fulð. ðe niwe & ða ealde. þe ðe ðas twá luue háfð. & wel hi wule healde. [ 310] Ac hi beoð wunder earueð healde. swá ófte gulteð ealle. Fór hit is strang to stande lange. & liht is to fealle. [A]ac drihte crist hé ȝiue us strengðe. stande {that} wé mote. & óf ealle ure gultes 'unne' us cume to bote. Wé wilnieð éfter woruld wéle. ðe lange ne mei leste. [ 315] & leggeð eal ure iswinch. ón ðinȝe unste'de' feste. Swunche wé for godes luue. healf {that} wé doð for aehte. [f. 70 r] ne béo wé naht swá óf bicherd. ne sa uuele bi kehte. ȝif wé serueden gode swa wé doð erminges. mare wé hedden en héuene. ðenne eorles hér & kinges. [ 320] Né muȝen hi werien heom wið chele. wið þurste ne wið hunger. ne wið ulde. ne wið deaðe. þe uldre ne ðe ȝeonger. Ac ðer nis hunger ne ðurst. ne dieð. ne unhelðe ne elde. of þisse riche wé ðencheð ófte. & of þere to selde. Wé scolden ealle us biðenche ófte. & wél ilome. [ 325] hwét wé beoð to whán wé scule. & óf hwán wé come. Hú litle hwile wé beoþ hér. hú lange elle's' hwáre. hwét wé muȝe habben hér. & hwét finde þere. Ȝief wé were wise men. ðis wé scolde ðenche. bute wé wurðe us iwer. ðeos woruld wule us for drenche. [ 330] Mest ealle men he ȝiueð drinche. óf ane deofles scenche. hé sceal him cunne sculde wél. ȝif hé hine nele screnche.

Mid ealmihtiȝes godes luue. ute wé us bi werien. wið ðises wrecches woreldes luue. {that} hé maȝe us derien. Mid festen aelmes & ibede. werie wé us wið sunne. [ 335] Mið ða wepne ðe god haueð. bi ȝiten man cunne. Léte wé þe brade strét. & ðene wei bene. þe let {that} niȝeðe dél to helle of manne. & ma ich wéne. Gá wé ðene naerewne wei. & ðene wei grene. ðer forð fareð litel folc. ac hit is feir & scéne. [ 340] Þé brade strét is ure iwill. ðe is us lað to forlǽte. þa ðe eal folȝeð his iwill. fareð bi ðusse stréte. Hi muȝen lihtliche gán mid ðere under hulde. ðurh ane godléese wude 'in to' ane bare felde. [f. 70 v] [Þ]e naerewei is godes hése. ðer forð fareð wél fiewe. [ 345] {that} beoð ða ðe heom sculdeð ȝeorne wið ǽche un ðeawe. [Þ]as gað unieðe ȝeanes ðe cliue. aȝean þe heaȝe hulle. ðas leteð eal heore aȝen will. for godes hése to fulle. [G]a wé alle þene wei. for he us wule bringe. mid te feawe feire men. be foren heuen kinge. [ 350] Þer is ealre murhðe mest. mid englene sange. ðe is a þusend wintre ðer. ne ðincð him naht to lange. Þe ðe lest haueð. hafð swa michel {that} hé ne bit namare. þe ða blisse for ðas for lét hit him mei reowe sare. [N]e mei nan uuel ne na wane beon inne godes riche. [ 355] ðeh þer beoð wununges fele. aech oðer uniliche. Sume ðer habbeð lesse murhðe. & sume habbeð mare. aefter ðan þe dude her. efter ðan {that} he swanc sare. [N]e sceal ðer beon ne bried ne win. ne oðer cunnes éste. god ane sceal beo eche lif. & blisse. & éche reste. [ 360] [N]é sceal ðer beo fah ne graei. ne kuning ne 'er'mine. ne aquierne. ne martres cheole. ne beuer né sabeline. [N]e sceal ðer beo sciet ne scrud. ne woruld wele nane. eal þe murhðe þe me us bi hat. al hit sceal beo god ane. [N]e mei na murhðe. beo swa muchel. se is godes sihte. [ 365] [H]e is soð sunne & briht. & dei ábuten nihte.

[H]e is aelches godes ful. nis him na wið uten. na god nis him wane þe wunieð him abuten. Þer is wéle ábute gane. & reste abuten swinche. þe mei & nele ðider cume. sare hit him sceal óf ðinche. [ 370]

Notes

• 283. is ịṣ MS.
• 290. After habbe, l erased.
• 308. eal] Eeal MS.
• 309. Ealle] alle MS. niwe] corr. out of r.
• 338. let] lec MS.
• 344. wude] wade MS.