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

About this Item

Title
Companion to the English prose works of Richard Rolle : a selection / from the edition by Carl Horstman.
Editor
Horstmann, Carl, b. 1851.
Publication
London: Sonnenschein
1895-1896
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Subject terms
English prose literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500.
English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Texts.
Mysticism -- England
Cite this Item
"Companion to the English prose works of Richard Rolle : a selection / from the edition by Carl Horstman." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/rollecmp. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 23, 2024.

Pages

A meditacion for oon to seie by him-self al-oone

Ms. Univ. Coll. Oxford 97

[page 305]
Heere bigynneth a ful good meditacion for oon to seie by him-self al-oone.

Ȝef þou coueite to be maad cleene in soule as it may be heere, of al þe stathel of synne the which wol alweies leeue in þee after þi confession be þow neuer so besy, so þat þow mowe by þat clennesse bee maad able to receyue þe special grace of god in encresynge of þi perfection: thanne bihoueth þe a certeyn tyme nyȝt by nyȝt or day by day contynuynge, as longe as þe þinketh it doth þe good, in sum pryue place [be] by þi-self, and þeere gedere to-gidere þe myȝtes of þi soule, & specially þi mynde, in biholdyng of þi wrecchide lyuyng, seiynge þus with herte or with mowth, or with bothe to-gedere, ȝef þe bothe leste, & ȝef þe þenketh þat it doth þe good to do so: 'Lord Ihesu Crist', and eft-soones reherse þise thre wordes 'lord Ihesu Crist', til þe tyme þat þe þenke & þat þow feele verreily þin herte acorde with þi mouth, and þanne passe forth & not erst, þough þow schuldest seie it neuer so ofte til þat it so bee. And whan þat it is so, seie þanne þus forth as i. telle þee, with þat saame acordaunce of herte and with mowth: 'Lord Ihesu Crist, i am þat wrecche, þe mooste wykkede synnere & þe mooste wlatsum of alle, þe whiche so wondirfullye haue wratthed þin highe maieste & so ofte, þat my wyt may not suffice to telle it; for my synnes been as þe soond of þe see, þe whiche for multitude mowen not be noumbred'. In þis biholdyng & heere, þow schalt sighe and sorwe as deeply and as hertly as þow maist; ffor, þat þat smythes file dooth to þe rusty iren, þe saame goostly doth a sorweful

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and a deep-fet sighynge to a synful herte. After þis biholdynge thus of þi wrecchide lyuynge in general, þow schalt haue mynde and biholdynge of þe kyndenesse of þi lord god; and seie þus, bothe with herte & with mouth as it is seid bifore: 'Lord god al-myȝty, sum tyme whan i. hadde no beynge and was nouȝt, þow brouȝtest me forth to þin ymage and to þi liknesse in to so noble a beeynge aboue alle oother creatures, þorugh þe whiche, hadde i. not synned, i. myȝte haue had þee by grace in þis lif, and in þat oother haue seie þee face to face in blisse. And i, þis wrecchide erthely worm, þe mooste vyleste synnere of alle, haue in so muche deserued þe streitnesse of þi riȝtwys doom, þat but ȝef þow helpe me ȝeuyng me þi mercy, it weere bettere to me neuere to haue been bore'. Heere schalt þow sighe & sorwe as þow dedist bifore. And after haue mynde of þe kyndenesse of his incarnacion, seiynge þus, bothe with herte & with mouth ȝef þe bothe luste: 'Lord Ihesu Crist, art þow not he þat highe kyng of aungelis, so lowely mekynge þee and so wilfully for me takynge vpon þee alle þe charges & þe wrecchednesses of mankynde as hunger, þurst, and coold, with al þe remanant saue synne & ignorance; and i. lord, this wrecchide erthely worm, not mekyng me but highyng me in so muche þat i haue displesyd þin highe maieste, chaungynge þee þat art þe welle of euerlastynge goodnesse for a fewe foule stynkynge fleschly delytes of þis wrecchide lif? A deere Ihesu, whider may i flee? huyde me may i. not, and schew me dar i. not'. Heere schalt þow sighe & sorwe as þow dedist bifore. And after haue mynde of the kyndenesse of his passion, and seye þus: 'Was it not Inough to þe, my swete lord Ihesu, þus to bicome man for þe loue of man, but ȝef þow ouer þat for þe releeuynge of so menye deedly wrecches tokest vpon þee to suffre so harde betynges, so innumerable woundes, þat fro þe sole of þi feet to þe coroune of þine heed was no lyme ne skyn of þi blessede body þat it ne fomede ful of þi precious blode? A, i. wikkede curside wrecche, what may i doo? i am cause of þi deeth. Wheer may i wone? for by riȝtwis doom of resun alle the creatures þat been bitweene heuene & helle schulden fiȝte aȝen my oonly body. Nowe trewely, lord, i. am wel apaied þat þei so doo: Let hem ryse, lord, as þin owene seruauntȝ of þin owene houshold, and venge with maistrie her lord & here makere of me þis straunche fremde wrecche, þat so traytourly haue been cause of my lordes turment'. Here þow schalt sighe & sorwe as þow dedist bifore, hauynge goostly mynde of his precious passion, wounde by wounde, to þe holugh of his herte. But by-cause þat thise three kyndenesses bifore nempned, þat is to seye: thy makynge, his mankynd takynge, and his precious passion, haan bee do generally to alle oothere as wel as to þee: þerfore schalt þow after þis haue special mynde of sum special kyndenesse doon to þin oonly body bifore menye oothere, and seye þus: 'A goode swete lord Ihesu Crist, how menye as worthi and by a þousand-foold moore worthy þan i, han be suffred of þee, swete lord, for to dye, summe in here modres wombes, and summe soone after here burthe bifore eny bapteem, and so to bee dampned to eendeles derknesse; and summe to lyue in here hethenesse to here [deth]-day, and so to be dampned to eendeles peyne? And i., sweete lord Ihesu, of þin ouerhaboundaunt goodnesse & þorugh þe grace of bapteem am brouȝt in to þi foold, þe whiche is holy churche, to be a scheep of þi flokke pasturynge in þi lawe, þere be kept and saued fro þat apert dampnacion of alle mysbyleuynge'. Here schalt þow þanke þi lord god as hertly as þow maist; & after þow schalt þenke þus and seye with þi mouth: 'How meny moore worthy and fer moore able to grace þanne i. am, by-cause of meny moo goode dedes doon after here bapteem þan i. haue doon after myn, been riȝtfully suffred of þee, swete lord, summe to been honged or heded, styked or drenched or sodeynly deed in sum deedly synne, and so to be dampned to eendeles fuyr? ȝe sikerly, lord, it may be þat a þowsand moore worthy þanne

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i. am haan bee lawefully dampned to þe boilynge put of helle, þeere for to wone as longe as þou schalt be in heuene, for fewere synnes þan i. haue doon myn oonly body. And ȝet hast þow, my swete Ihesu, cleped me aȝen to þe grace of repentaunce in þis lif, þorugh þe whiche i. may be kept & saued fro al apert vengeaunce in þis lif, and after þis lif fro þat horrible dampnacion of alle fals cristene men in þe day of doom'. Heere schalt þow þanke þi lord as hertly as þow maist; and afterward þenk þus & seye with þi mouth: 'Lord god fadir of mercy and of comfort, what schal i. doo? for i may not make amendis of myne innumerable synnes þat i. haue wrecchedly wrouȝt aȝens þi wil, I may not þanke þee of þe ouerhaboundant goodnesse & kyndenesse þat þow hast graciously doon to me, and ȝet i., þis stynkynge wrecche, vnnethes kan see þise greet kyndenesse doon to me. Now trewely, lord, i. weere worthy to be deed, slayn other hanged as an hound. But for i. may not sle me my-self, & also i. shulde not, þerfore i. biseche þee, lord god al-myȝti, þat þow wolt sle me þi-self, þat so wrecchedly haue doon to þee. And ȝef it so bee þat þi greete pitee and þi greete goodnesse so bynde-In þi riȝtwisnesse þat þow like not to slee me thy-self, þanne i. biseche þee þat þow wold sende þin aungel of riȝtwisnesse with his brennynge swerd, to taake vengeaunce vpon me. And ȝef þi muchel meeknesse & þi grete mercy wol not suffre þee to fulfille þe vengeaunce þat i. haue deserued, and me ouȝte not by þi lawe lord for to slee my-self for þanne dampnede i. my soule, þanne wol i. do þat in me is, and alle þat i. may doo: Heere i. ȝelde me to þe as þi boonde-man and þi prisoner, & þi perpetuel seruaunt, and alle þe dayes of my lif neuer to departe fro þi seruyce. And þis, lord, wol i. do as mannes freelte wol suffre & specially myn, þe whiche freelte i. biseche þee to strengthe with þi grace for þi muchel mercy AmeN'. Heere shalt þow falle to þe grounde & ȝelde þee to him as meekly and as hertly as þow maist; and after þat sitte vp and reste þee, þenkynge thus: How gode þat god is in him-self, and how fair þat he is in his aungelis, and how lordly þat he gouerneth alle hise creatures; and after þat, how swete he is in his loueres; and last of alle, how mercyful he is in synneres. And þanne seye þus bothe with herte and with mowth, withouten eny feynynge: 'My goode Ihesu, haue mercy on me. My faire Ihesu, haue mercy on me. My lord Ihesu, haue mercy on me. My swete Ihesu, haue mercy on me. My mercyful Ihesu, haue mercy on me. And not oonly on me Ihesu þough i. haue most neede, but in alle þe creatures quyke and deede whiche þow hast bouȝt with thy precious blood AmeN'.

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