Vices and Virtues : a Soul's Confession of its Sins with Reason's Description of the Virtues : a middle-english dialogue of about 1200 A.D. Part I Text and Translation / edited by F. Holthausen

Of biene.

NU we alles bieð ȝecumen to ðessere eadi mihte ðe me clepeð oratio sancta, þat is, hali bede. Nis hit naht riht þat we hie forlaten, þat we of hire sum ðing ne seggen. Ðanne we on boke radeð, ðanne spekeð godd wið us; ðanne we ure bede seggeð, þanne speke ^we wið gode. Gif þu woldest at te ^kinge [k corr. above þ.] ani þing beseken, and ðu come into his [h]alle, ðar he sate mang ^his riche mannen, and ðu scoldest ane speken to-foren alle hise mannen, mid michele dradnesse and mid michele embeþanke ðu scoldest speken. Mid muchel mare eiȝe and luue þu auȝhst to cumen to-foren gode, ðe is alre kinge king, and him swiðe ead-modliche besechen of ðiere niede, swa þat [page 88] þu hat alchere bede ænde [scoldest] seggen þat Crist sade himself us to forbisne, forðan we ne witen hweðer we bidden ðat godd be ȝecweme and us biheue, oððer hit ne bie: Non sicut ego uolo, set sicut tu uis, 'Hlauerd,' he sade, 'naht alswa ich wille ne do ðu, ac alswa ðu wilt.' Crist self us tahte hu we scolden don, and sade: Tu

autem, cum oraueris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et cet., 'Ðanne ðu wilt ȝebidden ðe,' he sade, 'ga into þine bedde, and s^cette þe d ^ure [Two letters have been scratched out, ure is written above, and ur inserted on the erasure by a later hand.] uppen ðe, and bidde þe swa to þine fader, godd almihtin. And he þe wat and isikð alle þing, he ðe wile ȝeheren.' Ga into þine bedde, þat is, in to þine hierte — ðar ah to bene þine reste — and scete ðe dure [One or two letters erased.] , swa ðat þu ne lat none oðre þremoveoaddauhtes in to þe bute of gode and of þine niede. Ðus he tahte mid worde, and mid workes he sceawede þat we annesse and senderlicne stede scolde scechen to þelliche niede. Ðat godspell seið of him: Ascendit Iesus in montem solus orare. Hitt seið þat 'he steih uppen ane dune ane him to bidden.' Alle ðe menn of ðare world waren abuten him; ne mihten hie him benemen anne þouht to þenken buten alswa he walde. Ac for to ȝiuene [ac for to ȝ is written twice, but the second time underdotted.] forbisne her^emites and ancres, ðe annesse aȝen to luuen and to healden ouer alle oðre manne. And ðo þe on annesse wuniȝen ne muȝen, hure and hure, ðanne hie willeð here ibede to godde bidden, swa [page 89] derneliche swa hie muȝen, swa don hie! To alle ðo niedes ðe aure cumeð to manne aure hie awh gode to beseken alre ðing arst, and ðanne scal him aure ðe bettre ȝelimpen. Ðies hali ȝebede, hie is gode swiðe ȝecweme, þan hie mid clane hierte and mid barninde luue forð mid teares bieð ȝesant. Ðar of sade ðe prophete: Dirigatur, domine, oracio mea, et cet., 'Hlauerd,' he sade, 'swa go upp mine ȝebede to-foren ðe, swa ðat stor dieth ut of removestorafte storf^ateexpand_less!' Alle ðe gode ðe mann awh to habben, alle hie moten bien beȝeten þurȝh hali bede and þurh gode workes. Multum ualet deprecacio iusti assidua. Ðis sade sanctus Iacobus, ðe hali apostel: 'Swiðe michel helpð þas rihtwismannes bede,' and ðar of he seið ðelliche forbisne: 'Hit was ^on mann, dedlich alswa we bieð, and he besohte at gode þat naht ne scolde reinin, for ðe folke to kastin. Godd him ihierde — þat was Helyas — and wið[h]eld alle reines þrie hier and six moneþes, swa ðat hie waren ðurh hunger and

mid ðurst all ouercumen. And swa hie wanten to gode and forȝifnesse beden; and eft ðies ilke Helyas besohte godd of reine, and heom cam alle winne.' Eft is ȝewriten: Qvi auertit aurem suam ne audiat legem, oracio eius erit execrabilis, 'Se ðe want his earen fram godes laȝhe, alswa wile godd wanden fram him, þanne he him awht besekeð.' Eft seið goddalmihti him self: Ante-quam uocetis, dicam: ecce assum, 'Ar ðanne ðu clepiȝe to me, ich segge: loke, hier ich am, bide þat ðu wilt.' Ðanne ðu wilt at gode ani þing beseken, cnyle ðar niðer to-foren hise fet, and þinc swilch he bie riht ðar to-foren ðe, and seiȝe alswa he dede ðe him [h]eald all forgelt and forȝifnesse beȝat: Deus, propicius esto mihi peccatori, Ewangelistaexpand_less 'Hlauerd godd, [h]aue are [an erasure before a.] of me senfulle!' Ich am wel becnawe ðat ich am all forgelt alswa se ðe hafð forloren and forgaud ðo eadinesse of heuen-riche, and of-earned helle-pine. Ac ich ilieue þat þu art heiȝest godd, and orefull and forȝiuenlich, and ðat þu wilt, for þine michele godnesse, and ðat þu miht, for ði þat þu art almihti, of me senfulle maken rihtwis, and of me allforgelt miht makien on of þine ȝecorene, ȝif ich hadde soðe berewnesse, þat i^ch nauerma eft seneȝin nolde. Ac ich þis ne mai habben, bute ðu for ðine michele god-nesse and for þire michele mildsce [an erasure above ld.] hit me ȝiuen wille. And ich ilieue and wel hit wot þat alswa god [the second d underdotted.] and alswa milde þu art nu to daiȝ, alswa ðu ware ðas daiȝes ðe seinte Peter þe forsoch. Ac swa raðe so ðu to him lokedest, sone him rewh þat he hadde swa ȝie-don, and mid bittere teares hit bewop, and swa ðu hit him forȝaue. Swa þu dedest ðe ^alremovel-fo[r]gelte þieue þe he^ng on þire [page 91] swiþere. Swa ðu dedest ðe forgilte Marie Magdalene. Ðu makedest of hire senfulle ðat hie was, þurȝhali. Swa ðu hauest ȝedon alle þar þin wille was soðe berewsinge to ȝieuene on here hierte. Nu, min leue hlauerd, ich ðe besieke, for þire michele godnesse, þat þu lokie to me swaswa þu dedest to seinte Petre [corrected above Marie.] , and sand ane drope of þire swete mildsce to mire wrecche, fordruȝede hierte, þat hie mihte nexxin and mealten and ut-sanden sume tear. ^{Ðanne mai ic hopien} ðat tu wilt of me

habben are [a letter erased before a.] swa swa ðu hauest ȝe[h]^afd [ȝefadd [sic]; a is underdotted, and an a is put above e.] of hem ðe ðu to lokedest and teares ȝe^aue.