Pearl

About this Item

Title
Pearl
Publication
Oxford: Clarendon Press
1953
Rights/Permissions

Oxford Text Archive number: U-1686-A

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/Pearl
Cite this Item
"Pearl." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/Pearl. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 11, 2025.

Pages

Section VIII

'Blysful', quod I, 'may þys be trwe? Dyspleseȝ not if I speke errour. Art þou þe quene of heueneȝ blwe, Þat al þys worlde schal do honour? We leuen on Marye þat grace of grewe, Þat ber a barne of vyrgyn flour; Þe croune fro hyr quo moȝt remwe Bot ho hir passed in sum fauour? Now, for synglerty o hyr dousour, We calle hyr Fenyx of Arraby, Þat freles fleȝe of hyr fasor, Lyk to þe Quen of cortaysye.'
'Cortayse Quen', þenne sayde þat gaye, Knelande to grounde, folde vp hyr face, 'Makeleȝ Moder and myryest May, Blessed bygynner of vch a grace!' Þenne ros ho vp and con restay, And speke me towarde in þat space: 'Sir, fele here porchaseȝ and fongeȝ pray, Bot supplantoreȝ none wythinne þys place. Þat emperise al heuenȝ hatȝ, And vrþe and helle, in her bayly; Of erytage ȝet non wyl ho chace, For ho is Quen of cortaysye.
'The court of þe kyndom of God alyue Hatȝ a property in hytself beyng: Alle þat may þerinne aryue Of alle þe reme is quen oþer kyng,

Page 17

And neuer oþer ȝet schal depryue, Bot vchon fayn of oþereȝ hafyng, And wolde her corouneȝ wern worþe þo fyue, If possyble were her mendyng. Bot my Lady of quom Jesu con spryng, Ho haldeȝ þe empyre ouer vus ful hyȝe; And þat dyspleseȝ non of oure gyng, For ho is Quene of cortaysye.
'Of courtaysye, as saytȝ Saynt Poule, Al arn we membreȝ of Jesu Kryst: As heued and arme and legg and naule Temen to hys body ful trwe and tryste, Ryȝt so is vch a Krysten sawle A longande lym to þe Mayster of myste. Þenne loke what hate oþer any gawle Is tached oþer tyȝed þy lymmeȝ bytwyste. Þy heued hatȝ nauþer greme ne gryste, On arme oþer fynger þaȝ þou ber byȝe. So fare we alle wyth luf and lyste To kyng and quene by cortaysye.'
[folio 45v] 'Cortaysé', quod I, 'I leue, And charyté grete, be yow among, Bot my speche þat yow ne greue, . . . . . . . Þyself in heuen ouer hyȝ þou heue, To make þe quen þat watȝ so ȝonge. What more honour moȝte he acheue Þat hade endured in worlde stronge,

Page 18

And lyued in penaunce hys lyueȝ longe Wyth bodyly bale hym blysse to byye? What more worschyp moȝt he fonge Þen corounde be kyng by cortaysé?
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.