Companion to the English prose works of Richard Rolle : a selection / from the edition by Carl Horstman.

A meditacyone off Non¯e.

Owre Lorde Ihesu whilles he hang one þe crosse, to þe howre of his ded, he was noghte Idill, bot he taughte gret perfeccione. He spake seuene wordes, the wilke we rede in þe gospell. The fyrste was whene he prayede for theme þat did hym to dede, sayeng: «Fadir, for-gyffe theme theire trespas, for they wate nott whate they doo» ... Thise wordes were takyne of gret pacience, perfite lufe & charite, & also schewenge of Ensampill of grette myldnes & pete. / The secund worde was when he spake to his modir of saynte Iohn¯, & said: «Womane, be-holde þi sone». He called hire not modir bot womane, þat cho sulde nott for tendirnes of lufe haue more sorowe ne dissese. / The thryde worde was when he spake to þe thefe þat hange be-syde hyme one þe crosse, & said: «This daye sall þou be with me in paradyse». A, this was a kynd worde, & a swete worde, & a worde to vs of gret comforthe, whene he þat was a theefe & a mysdoere all his lyfe to þe laste houre of his dede, and thane for he forthoghte hys synne & beleuede in oure lorde Ihesu, had forgyfnes. Now, lorde, loued myght þou be! / The fferth worde was: Heloy heloy, lamaȝabatani: Þat es to saye: «My god, my gode, why hase þou forsakene [me]?» as who saye: «my fadir, þou loues so

mekill þe soule of mane þat þou hase gyffene me to be dede for it, and so semes it þat þou has fo[r]-sakene me». / The fyfte worde was: «I thryste». This was a bitter worde full of compassione bothe to his modir & to seynt Iohn¯ & to all his frendis þat louede hym tendirly, and to vnpeteuose Iewes it was comforthe & grete gladnes. For þof it were so þat hym thrystede for þe hele of manes soule, neuer-þe-les in sothefastnes hym thrystede bodily; & þat was no wondyr, for thurghe scheddynge of hys precyouse blode so habundandly, & for grete angwyse þat he sufferde withowttyne cessynge fro þe thursedaye at euene to þe ffrydaye at hey-none, he was all Inwardly drye and thristy. And whene þise vnpetouse mene vmbethoghte theme in what thynge þey myghte moste dere hyme, they tuke aysell & gall & mengede to-gedir, and gafe hym to drynke. / The sexte worde was whene he saide: «It es all done», as who say: «Fadyr, þe Obedience þat þou bad me do, I haue fullfillede it; and ȝit, if þare be any more þat ȝe will þat I do, I am redy to fulfill it» ... And thane he be-gane to langwesse as þe maner es agayne þe dede, now speryng hys eghne & now Openyng þeme, nowe bowynge his heuede downne one þe to syde and now one þe toþer, and all hys strenghes & all his myghte be-gane to faile: / & þen said he þe seuend worde, cryenge with a hye voyce & a myghty, & with teres wepynge sayeand: «Fader, I comende my sperite in to þi handes»; and thane, when he had said þis wordes, he ȝelde þe goste ... / O, dere frende, what sorowe trowes thow vmlappede the soule of his dere modyre, when cho sawe hir dere sone so paynefully fayle and dolefullye dye? I trow þat for mekill payne and angwysse scho was all slokenede in sorowe, and made as it were incencebill and as it were halfe-dede, mekill more þane thane whene cho mete hym in þe waye beryng his crosse. And what trowes thow þat Marie Maudeleyne dyde þat so mekyll loued Ihesu? what dyd sayne Iohn¯, moste bylouede of Ihesu of all his disciplys? and what trowes þou þat þe toþer two systyrs of oure lady dyd? What myghte they do? Þey where slokende and fulfillide with bitternes of sorow and made dronkene with sobbynge and sygheyng, ffor all they wepide with-owttyne mesure. / Be-holde now how thi lorde Ihesu honge dede one þe crosse for þi lufe. All þe multitude of þe folke where þene gone home, bot onely oure lady & hir systers & saynt Iohn¯; they duellide & sett theme doune be-syde þe crosse, and ofte þey lokede one þeire lufe, abydand helpe how þey myghte take hyme downe & bery hym. Now, & thow wolde wele & avesyly be-holde þi lorde Ihesu, thow may fynde þat fro þe crowne of þe heuede to þe sole of his fete þare was no hole spotte lefte one hyme; nor lym nor party of his blyschede body þat ne it was full of payne, passione, woo, angwysse, and sorowe. / Thow haste now herde me reherse here þe manere of his crucyfyenge, his passione and his bitternes, and his rewefull dede, the wilke he sufferde in þe houre of vndrone and of none, aftyr þis littill wryttynge for sterrynge of deuocyone at þis tyme: and therefor studye þou devotely, mekly, and besyly for to clefe þerto, and take Ensampill þarof as mekill as in þe es, thourghe þe helpe of þe mercy of Ihesu, and folowe aftire. And nowe I will reherse the schortely whate be-fell aftyr þat he was dede at þe houre of none &c.