King Horn ; Floriz and Blauncheflur ; The assumption of Our Lady / first edited in 1866 by J. Rawson Lumby ; and now re-edited from the MSS. with introduction notes, and glossary, by George H. McKnight.

Harl. MS. 2382, lf. 78, bk.

fro my sone a messynger; he wołł no lenger that y be here. but y wote that rueth me, that y shałł departe fro the; [ 244] for thi loue and thi seruice that thu me dost in al wise. thu hast made me ofte glad; thu has done as my sone bad. [ 248] my sone shal it yelde to the; y wol hym pray when y hym se." Tho answerd to here seynt Iohan, and was a fułł sory man̄, "A, lady Marie, what shal y be [ 253] when y shałł the no lenger se? my ioye thu art euery dełł; no lenger in erthe worth y wełł, now we shul departe a two." [ 257] Then seid Marie, "whi seist þou so? for sothe, thogh y go be-fore, yet shal thu not be for-lore. y shall pray my lef sone, that thu may vnto vs come. [ 262] And o thyng, Iohan, y bidde the, for the loue thu hast to me, [leaf 79] loke anone when y am nome, that the fals Iewys ne come my body for to done shame, [ 267] for thei haten moche my name. thei wole feyn shame me, that honged my sone on þe rode tre. y wote wełł thei loue me noght; [ 271] ther-for thei bene mysthought. when y am be-nome fro the, to my body they do no foly. Ihesu Crist oure allere dright, [ 275]

gef ham neuer that ilke myght." seynt Iohan answerd tho, "sey me, lady, if it is so, [ 278] that we shall departe atwo. "swete lady, how shałł y do? sey me þe tyme when it shal be, that thu shalt to heuene te." [ 282] she seid, "Iohan, that þou shałł se; ne bide y here but dayes thre." Then was Iohan ful hertely sory. wepand he seyd, "dame, mercy! how shal y leue? how shal y fare? now cometh al my sorow and care. my lord was hard y-broght to detħ, thurgh fals Iewis that couthe no metħ. now shal oure lady me fro; [ 291] now cometh to me al my woo. wold god that y were ded, for right now can y no red." 1 "Nay," she seid, "whi seist thu so? angelis the shałł come to, and loke to the where thu be, [ 297] erlich and late to comfort the." when she spake to seynt Iohan, thapostellis cam yn euerychon̄, and none of hem wiste be-forn̄, how thei were theder y com, and seid, "lady, ne drede þou noght, thi sone hath vs hider broght, [ 304] to knowe the for oure lady, while that we bene the by." [No gap in MS.]

"Blessid," she seid, "be my sone." glad was she was of here come. [ 308] "y am his moder," so seid he, "glad ther for may y be. now when it is my sones wille to hym y come, and that is skyle, to my body ye loke al so, [ 313] that my foos ne come ther to. [No gap in MS.] moche hateth they my name; ther for wold thei do me shame. [ 316] y you bidde pur charite, for the loue ye haue to me, when y fare to heuene blisse, waketh ther my body ys. [ 320] loketh bothe nyght and day, that þe Iewis bere it not away. thay wold it brenne or do shame. Ihesu, for thi holy name, [ 324] gef ham neuer strengthe to haue my bodi in erthe for to laue." 1 Thei answerd, "for sothe, y-wys, it shal be as thi wille ys." The whiles Marie badde here bone

to the apostellis euerychone, [ 330] an Angel a-light on that stede, and seid, "Marie, god herd þi bede, and all they that bene with the; "loke that thu arayed be. [ 334] thu shalt to heuene and be quene; ful blithe may thi hert bene. thu shalt in hast be in heuene." when our lady herd this steuene [ 338] the angel seid here then to, ful of blisse was she tho. to here bed she went to aray, a-boute þe tyme of hy mydday. [ 342] Iohan the apostell sate here by, to kepe here body sikerly. [No gap in MS.]

emonge them alle sone ywys, a swete smełł cam fro paradys, swete it was, and ferly, [ 347] that alle þat were tho here by, bothe yong and olde and euerychone, thei fełł a-slepe, and þat anone. alle the slepte, saue oure lady. [ 351] herkeneth now, y tełł yow why. and als sone thei were a-slepe, it gan to thondre al vnmete, and the erthe so swithe gan quake, as al the world shuld to-shake. [ 356] Marie awaked then seynt Iohan and the apostels euerychon, thre maydens þat were the[re]-ynne, and no man els of hire kynne. [ 360] "waketh now, and slepe ye nought! Sone y worth to heuene be broght; now is tyme y were a fare, Shałł y neuer more suffre care." [ 364] [No gap in MS.]

Tho cam Iesus from heuene, with angelis and archangelis seuene, yn to hire boure with mery song; moche merthe was them among. [ 368] no wonder thogh ther be blisse in eche place ther Ihesus ys. none of them that were there a soche blisse saw they nere. [ 372] amonge al blisses of the trone Mary knew here leue sone. when she hym saw, she was ful glad, he herd the bone that she bad. [ 376] "y-blessed mote that tyme be that thu were borne of me. hit is sene, y am thi moder [ 379] when thu comest þi self hider. Furst þou sendest thyn apostelis to me; now thu comest with thi meyne, to fette me vnto that blisse [ 383] that euer lasteth with ałł gladnesse. Sone thu art hider y-come with thyn angelis from a-bone. do þou now what thi wille ys; me hath longed to the, y-wys." [ 388] Then Iesus to Marie sede, 1 "Moder, with ioye y wołł the lede. of all wymmen the worth best, in heuene blisse that shal lest. [ 392] ther y am kyng; thu shalt be quene; in grete ioye thu shałł bene." "leue sone, y be-seche the o thyng that thu telle me. [ 396] shall y any deuyłł se, or any with the shałł be?

"for y loue them neuer one, [ 399] thei bene noght, so mote y gone." "Moder, y sey, drede thu noght; ne stode it neuer on my thoght, for thu shalt no deuyłł se, y wołł go be-fore the; [ 404] ne þou shalt no deuyłł herene, but only me and my ferene. Maiden and moder, euer thu be wełł; thu shalt of sorwe wete no dełł. [ 408] alle the spirettes that meten with the, buxom to the shałł they be. Moder, one thyng y gef to the; thu shalt be in heuene with me. [ 412] moder, for the loue of the, y wołł haue mercy and pite of al man kynde thurgh þi prayere, yf þou ne were, they were for-lore. and of them namelich that the serueth trulich, and that to the done mercy crye and sey, 'help vs, dere ladye,' [ 420] In what synne that thei be, moder, for the loue of the, [leaf 81, back] [No gap in MS.] thogh a man had lad his lyf in onde, in synne, and in strif, [ 424] yf he on his last dawe wepe and crye, and to the be-knawe, and telle it oute vnto the preste, or in case, vnto his nexte, yf that he may do no more, [ 429] but that he aruwe it sore, in what synne that he be, moder, for the loue of the, I wołł of hym haue mercy. [ 433] and sitthe he shałł come me by,

"thogh a man had fully wroght all the synne that he had thought, and he on his laste day [ 437] in none other wise may, yf he wepe and telle to the, in what synne that he be, full wełł y shałł his bone here, for thi loue, my moder dere." [ 442] Alle tho that thu wolt bidde fore and blesse the tyme þat thu were bore. of alle thyng y-blessid thu be, for that y bidde, thu grauntes me." Then Ihesus his hand vp heue, [ 447] and to his moder his blessyng yeue, and called to hym seynt Mighełł, and seid, "kep thu my moder wełł, that she fele no maner fere; [ 451] ther is no thyng to me so dere." and when he had the soule hent, 1 and she was fro the body went, Then all the verdoune of heuene [ 455] fett that soule full aboue; [leaf 82] with the verdoune to heuene thei come, with gret ioye she was yn nome. she was made quene of heuene [ 459] and blessid hire sone with mylde steuene. [No gap in MS.] Now shałł ye here how she was nome, [ 461] wher she was, and wheder be-come. 2 when þe soule fro þe body was nome,

god bede seynt Petre to hym come: "for the loue y owe to the [ 465] my moder-is body thu kep to me. [No gap in MS.] when y first to erthe came, of this body flesħ y name. [ 468] y was of this body bore, ther-for, Petre, go thu be-fore, and thi bretheren forth with the vnto Iosaphatħ that vale, [ 472] and leueth it there sone anone; and drede ye nothyng of your foone, To Ierusalem thurgh that toune [ 475] goth feire with youre processione. [No gap in MS.] foure of them shul bere þe bere, for one shal kepe my moder dere. and for no thyng dredeth ye, for y my self wol with yow be." [ 480] when Ihesus had thus y-seyd, and the body in bere was leyd, he yeaue them alle his blessyng, [ 483] and styed to heuene, þer he was kyng. which blessyng he geue tiłł vs, oure blessid lord, swete Iesus. Tho to them seyd seynt Iohan, [ 487] "go we theder right anone, and gray we tħis processioune, 1 And go we syngand thurgh þe toune." foure of the apostelis that ther were, that holy body fourth dud bere. [ 492] ful mery thei song, and that was right; many tapers ther-with thei light. The Iewis that were Cristes foone, this thei herd sone anone. [ 496]

thei asked what was the crye. we seid it was seynt Marie, that seynt Petre and his fere bare Marye apone a bere. [ 500] "Allas," quod the Iewis, "for shame, 1 yf thei scape, we bene to blame. arme we vs swithe anone and let vs take them euerychone. [ 504] that body also, take we it, and cast it in-to a foule pytt. Cast we it in a foule sloo, and moche shame we it do." [ 508] Tho cam thei lepe thedeward; that be-fełł them swithe hard. two of the Iewis that there were, [ 511] were honged ouer the bere. Ihesus Crist wold se no shame, by his moder swetely came. ful sone had thei goddes grame; [ 515] he them made bothe holt and lame. of alle þe Iewes ther was none that euer myghte further gone. one of them that there were, [ 519] had knowed Petre be-fore. the Iewe gon clepe to Petre sone, and seid to hym with wepand bone: and seid then, "knowest þou noght, when Crist was to deth broght, [lf. 83] how thu hym folwest, and y þe knew, now, y the pray, on me thou ruwe, and pray to Crist, if it may be, [ 527] that he now haue mercy on me." [No gap in MS.]

[No gap in MS.] Seynt Petre answerid tho to the Iewe that was so woo, "yf thu wolt on hym be-leve, [ 531] whom thy kynne broght to dethe, and that he is goddis sone, and sithens man for vs be come, and that Marie hym bare hire be best, a clene Maide and right honest, [ 536] and clene vnwemmed with outen man, we shal alle bidde for þe than, to Ihesu Crist that is a-boue, for his owne moder loue, [ 540] he gef the myght for to go, and brynge the oute of this woo." The Iewe that honged apone the bere, 1 answerd then as ye may here, [ 544] and seid, "y be-leue, vnder that fourme, on Ihesu Crist, Maries sone, that Iewis peyned on the rode, with-outen gilt, for oure gode, [ 548] and for vs he lost his lyf, that Marie bare, maide and wif. y be-seche that he me brynge of this peyne, thurgh your biddynge." Crist vnderstode the Iewis bone. [ 553] he was holpe, and that anone; on feet and hand he yeaue hym myght, and alle his lymes for to right. [lf. 83, bk.] he gan to stonde vp anone [ 557]

before the Iewis euerychone. he that was bothe halt and lame [ 559] be gan to preche in Cristes name, and seid, "worship we euerychone that soche a miracle hath done." Tho seynt Petre, that holi mane, [ 563] that Iewe Crystened after anone; he taught hym his by-leue; he knew he was to god y-yeue; he ordeyned hym to prest anone, [ 567] and bade hym that he shuld gone, and preche ouerałł, of goddis sone, in euery lond where he be-come. [ 570] The palme þat Petre had in hond, he toke it hym, thurgħ goddes sond, and bade hym goddes word to telle to the Iewis that were so felle. [ 574] Tho he spake the fourthe day, he turned into goddes fay xx thousant, and somdel mo, thurgh the word þat he spake tho. all the apostolis that þer were, that holy body fourth thei bere [ 580] [No gap in MS.]

[See the parallel lines to these, on p. 127, col. 1, at foot, and p. 128, col. 1, at top.]

[Not in it]

[Not in it] to the vale of Iosephas [ 581] to ley here, there here wille was, [No gap in MS.] and leid the body in a stone, [ 583] ther-in was body neuer none. frendes and sibbe that þer were, for here wepte many a tere. when she was in the ston done, [lf. 84] ayene thei turned euerychone. [ 588] all the apostelis then were sory for the deth of oure lady; and ther a voice cam them among, that ne lasted not full long, [ 592] and bade them alle for to gone where thei had for to done. The apostelis went hem ayene in-to the Burgħ of Ierusalem; [ 596] and as thei sate atte mete, of many thynges thei gon speke. als thei were out of that place, [ 599] Iesus, with his holy grace, he gon to take vp anone his moder body of the stone. he hym self dud þerynne, that neuer had y-done synne. [ 604] he wolde not in no manere that the body lafte there.

in that body he dud a leme, brighter then the sonne beme, [ 608] and made here quene of heuene blisse; in that place she was and ys. Seynt Thomas of ynde thederward com, also swithe as he myght gone, and wold haue bene at here berying, yf he myght haue come be tyme. [ 614] as he loked hym be syde, 1 he saw then a bright thyng glide in that stede as he come, [ 617] ther oure lady to heuene was nome. he kneled adoune and seid, "lady, now on me thu haue mercy. [ 620] lady, quene of heuene bright, for thi mochel holy myght, send me a token this ilke day, soche thyng þat y bryng may [ 624] to my felawes, ther y ham fynde, that y was toward þi berynge: thei wol not leue þat y was there; now graunte me, lady, my prayere." a-boute here gurdel a mydełł sought, 1 that she hire self had y-wroght, [ 630] of siluer and gold wonde in palle; a-doune to hym she lete it falle. he toke that gurdełł in his hond, [ 633] and thanked here of here sond. fourth he went of that stede; toward the toune he hym yede. [ 636] his felaus then he dud seche yf he myght hem ouer mete. atte temple of dominus he them founde alle in ane hous. [ 640] ther ful feire he them grette; and ayenward thei hym chidde. "where has thu so long y-bene? we haue beried our heuene quene.

"thu lakkest euer at euery nede; [ 645] thu helpest neuer at gode dede." "sore me thenketh þat y nas here; but y ne myght come no nere. [leaf 85] I-blessid be the quene of blys, [ 649] in the place there she ys, for wełł y wote in my thought, there ye here layde is she nought." Thei seid to hym swithe anone, [ 653] bothe Petre and seynt Iohan, "thow woldest not be-leue, Thomas, that oure lord y-nayled was. [ 656] euer thu leuys amysse in mynde, and tales y-now thu dos fynde. thu bi-leuest in god right noght; soche tales ne kepe we noght." [ 660] "be stille," he seid, "brother Iohan, 1 why chide ye me so, one and one? me thenketh ye can litel good, [ 663] for y here saw bothe flesħ and blood, how oure lady to heuene wend; here is the token that she me send." Then seid seynt Petre, "that is soth; this ilke webbe here self woof. [ 668] with here y dud it on the bere; wonder me the thenketh þat it is here. go we swithe in-to the vale, to knowe the sothe of this tale [ 672] that he hath vs now y-sayde, for it was in the tombe y-laide." owte of þat that place then they yede, 2 and the tumba they vndede. [ 676] nothyng ther-on there thei founde but a floure atte grounde. That flour manna was cleped [lf. 85, bk.]

that in the tumba was steked. [ 680] they went ałł a-boute þe tumbe and kneled on the bare grounde, and seid, "Ihesu, goddis sone, [ 683] ałł that thu sendes, it is wel-come. Mightefułł is the heuene kyng; and that we know bi thi sayng. no man may know his priuyte, nother his swete dignite." [ 688] Amonge þe apostolis alle a light, the kyng that is in heuene bright, and blessid ham alle in fere [ 691] emonge the angelis þat there were, and seid, "my pees be with yow nowthe, blessid ye be of goddis mowthe." A mysty cloude cam after thane, 1 and ouersprad them euerychone, [ 696] and bare them alle þer they were, in-to the stede that they were ere. moche wonder then hem thought how thei were theder y-brought, [ 700] for thei ne wiste whi ne whane; and thei seid euerychone that rightfull is heuene kyng, Ihesus lord ouer ałł thyng. [ 704] ¶ This tale y haue tolde with mouthe, with wordes that bene ful couthe. it is cleped the Assumpcioun; Iesus gef vs his benesoun. [ 708] Iesu crist, for his myght, 2 we pray to hym with herte light, and with his holy grace,

gef vs bothe myght and space, [ 712] soche workes for to worche, thurgh the lore of holy churche, that we may to heue[ne] wende, [ 715] that is with oute begynnyng and ende.

Amen!

Explicit Sextus liber sancte Marie.

Notes

• Iohannes
• Maria
• nota hic verbis Marie
• Iohannes
• Maria
• Io∣hannes
• Maria
• 1

  [leaf 79, bk.]
• nota de aposto∣lis om∣nibus mira∣culose.
• Maria
• 1

  [leaf 80]
• Angelus
• odor sua∣uissi∣mus de para∣diso venit
• nota de trans∣itu sancte Marie
• Ihesus
• Maria
• Ihesus
• 1

  [lf. 81]
• Maria
• Iesus
• nota bene de ser∣uientibus sancte Marie deuote
• nota bene de confessione
• 1

  [Sidenote: Ihesus assumpsit animam matris]
• 2

  [Sidenote: nota modum assumpcionis anime Marie per ihesum]
• 1

  [lf. 82, bk.]
• 1

  nota contra iudeos
• nota mira∣culum
• Iudeus
• Petrus
• 1

  [Sidenote: nota conuersionem Iudei]
• Iudeus conuersus predica∣bat ita christum
• Sepul∣tura sancte Marie
• resussita∣cio corporis Marie
• Thomas yndie
• 1

  [leaf 84, back]
• 1

  [Sidenote: nota de zona sancte Marie]
• 1

  [Sidenote: nota de verbis sancti Thome apostoli.]
• 2

  [Sidenote: nota de sepulcro Marie vacuo.]
• Manna
• 1

  [Sidenote: nota miraculum apostolorum.]
• 2

  [leaf 86]