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[The Tale of the Suffolk Man who was taken out of Purgatory by two Masses his Wife got sung for him.]
A man yn Souþfolke onës deyde
Besydë Sudbyry, men seyde.
For þat man, swych grace was dyȝt,
Þat hym was graunted to come a nyȝt
For to spekë wyþ hys wyfe
To amende þe defaute of hys lyfe:
“Ȝyf a messe were for me doun
with gode mannes deuocyoun,
y hope,” he seyd, “to blys go,
And be delyuerd of alle my wo;
Y prey þe, pur charyte,
To trauayle so moche for me.”
Besydë Sudbyry, men seyde.
For þat man, swych grace was dyȝt,
Þat hym was graunted to come a nyȝt
For to spekë wyþ hys wyfe
To amende þe defaute of hys lyfe:
“Ȝyf a messe were for me doun
with gode mannes deuocyoun,
y hope,” he seyd, “to blys go,
And be delyuerd of alle my wo;
Y prey þe, pur charyte,
To trauayle so moche for me.”
She graunted hym þat ychë bone,
And ros vp on þe mornë sone,
And, vn-to þe frerës ȝede,
For þere hoped she best to spede.
She cam, and spak with a frere,
And preyd she myȝt hys messë here,
And for here housbunde soule to synge,
And she wulde ȝyuë hym offrynge.
And ros vp on þe mornë sone,
And, vn-to þe frerës ȝede,
For þere hoped she best to spede.
She cam, and spak with a frere,
And preyd she myȝt hys messë here,
And for here housbunde soule to synge,
And she wulde ȝyuë hym offrynge.
Þe frere ded here a messe
yn comune, as þe seruyse ys;
whan þys messë sungë was
She went home a godë pas.
Þe nyȝt aftyr, þan come he,
“Slepest þou?” he seyd; ‘nay,’ seyd she,
‘Be ȝe ȝyt,’ she seyd, ‘yn blys?
þe messë for ȝow sungen ys.’
“þe messe,” he seyde, “þou dedyst be do,
A party hyt halpë þer-vn-to;
My parte y had, of þat messe,
As of þyng þat comune ys;
Ȝyf one for me were specyale seyde,
Þat ouþer for me blys had nede,—
Ȝyf þe prest were of lyfe so gode
Þat God hys preyer vndyrstode—
Y hopë þan, grace to haue,
Þat hys messë myȝt me saue.”
Ofte he seyd[ë] to hys wyfe
“A prest! A prest! of clenë lyfe.”
yn comune, as þe seruyse ys;
whan þys messë sungë was
She went home a godë pas.
Þe nyȝt aftyr, þan come he,
“Slepest þou?” he seyd; ‘nay,’ seyd she,
‘Be ȝe ȝyt,’ she seyd, ‘yn blys?
þe messë for ȝow sungen ys.’
“þe messe,” he seyde, “þou dedyst be do,
A party hyt halpë þer-vn-to;
My parte y had, of þat messe,
As of þyng þat comune ys;
Ȝyf one for me were specyale seyde,
Þat ouþer for me blys had nede,—
Ȝyf þe prest were of lyfe so gode
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Y hopë þan, grace to haue,
Þat hys messë myȝt me saue.”
Ofte he seyd[ë] to hys wyfe
“A prest! A prest! of clenë lyfe.”
On þe mornë, sone she ȝede
To þe frerës eft god spede,
And shewed hyt to þe pryour,
And prey[ed] hym of socour,
‘Ȝyf he had any broþer,
Þat he hoped, were better þan oþer,
Þat wyl syngë me a messe
For a man þat dedë ys;
And at myn esë he shal haue,
To a pytaunce, þat he wyl craue.’
To þe frerës eft god spede,
And shewed hyt to þe pryour,
And prey[ed] hym of socour,
‘Ȝyf he had any broþer,
Þat he hoped, were better þan oþer,
Þat wyl syngë me a messe
For a man þat dedë ys;
And at myn esë he shal haue,
To a pytaunce, þat he wyl craue.’
Þe pryor spake vn-to a frere,
And prey[ed] hym on alle manere
Þat he wulde a messë synge
For þat soule þat she made preyng.
And prey[ed] hym on alle manere
Þat he wulde a messë synge
For þat soule þat she made preyng.
Þe frerë was an holy man;
And ar þat he hys messe bygan,
He preyde to God hys orysoun
Yn ful grete afflyccyoun,
Þat hyt myȝt be, hym to pay,
Þe messe þat he shulde synge þat day.
And ar þat he hys messe bygan,
He preyde to God hys orysoun
Yn ful grete afflyccyoun,
Þat hyt myȝt be, hym to pay,
Þe messe þat he shulde synge þat day.
whan þe messe was do to ende,
He bad þe womman home to wende;
“And, whan þou more eftë heres,
Cum and sey to ourë freres.”
He bad þe womman home to wende;
“And, whan þou more eftë heres,
Cum and sey to ourë freres.”
Þe nyȝt aftyr, lesteneþ now,
He come, and seyd, “slepest þou?”
‘Nay,’ she sayd, ‘how farë ȝe?’
“weyl,” he seyd, “and so wurþ þe.”
‘were ȝe pay[ed] of þat messe,
Þat, for ȝow, sungyn ys?’
“Ȝe,” he seyd, “graunte mercy,
Þys messe to me ys more wurþy
Þan alle þe worlde, an hunder syþe,
Ne myȝt haue made me halfe so blyþe;
hys preyer was to God so dere,
Þat he besoghte, þat wlde he here,
Ȝyf he had preyd for an hundred mo,
Fro pyne to blys, he had broȝt þo;
For what þyng he hade asked bone,
God had graunted hyt hym as sone;
And haue gode day, for now y wende
To þe ioye with-outyn ende.”
God late vs neuer þer-of mysse,
with-outyn ende to haue þat blys!
He come, and seyd, “slepest þou?”
‘Nay,’ she sayd, ‘how farë ȝe?’
“weyl,” he seyd, “and so wurþ þe.”
‘were ȝe pay[ed] of þat messe,
Þat, for ȝow, sungyn ys?’
“Ȝe,” he seyd, “graunte mercy,
Þys messe to me ys more wurþy
Þan alle þe worlde, an hunder syþe,
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hys preyer was to God so dere,
Þat he besoghte, þat wlde he here,
Ȝyf he had preyd for an hundred mo,
Fro pyne to blys, he had broȝt þo;
For what þyng he hade asked bone,
God had graunted hyt hym as sone;
And haue gode day, for now y wende
To þe ioye with-outyn ende.”
God late vs neuer þer-of mysse,
with-outyn ende to haue þat blys!
Þys wyfe come sonë on þe morne,
And fyl on knees þe frere byforne,
And toldë hym weyl, euery deyl,
How he, for hys prayer, yn ioye was weyl;
And þe frere ful weyl þarby lete,
And þanked God; and for ioye he grete.
weyl were hym at hys endyng
Þat had swych a prest for hym to synge!
And fyl on knees þe frere byforne,
And toldë hym weyl, euery deyl,
How he, for hys prayer, yn ioye was weyl;
And þe frere ful weyl þarby lete,
And þanked God; and for ioye he grete.
weyl were hym at hys endyng
Þat had swych a prest for hym to synge!
Yn þys tale, þan, shewed ys,
Ouer alle gode þan ys þe messe;
For þe sacrament of þe autere
Oueral passeþ hys powere;
Yn þat messe, þey hem affye,
Þe soules þat are yn purgatorye,
For hyt makeþ mencyun of þe passyun
As Ihesu Cryst to deþ was doun;
Þe sone ys offred to þe fadyr yn heuene
For þe soules þat þe prest wyl neuene.
Ouer alle gode þan ys þe messe;
For þe sacrament of þe autere
Oueral passeþ hys powere;
Yn þat messe, þey hem affye,
Þe soules þat are yn purgatorye,
For hyt makeþ mencyun of þe passyun
As Ihesu Cryst to deþ was doun;
Þe sone ys offred to þe fadyr yn heuene
For þe soules þat þe prest wyl neuene.
Also, þys talë wyl mene
Þat þe preste be gode and clene;
Þan wyl Ihesu Cryst hym here,
For what þyng he makeþ preyere:
Preye he for body, or for soule,
Þat ys yn pyne, or here yn noye,
Boþe wyl God almyȝty saue,
what-so þe godë prest wyl craue.
Þat þe preste be gode and clene;
Þan wyl Ihesu Cryst hym here,
For what þyng he makeþ preyere:
Preye he for body, or for soule,
Þat ys yn pyne, or here yn noye,
Boþe wyl God almyȝty saue,
what-so þe godë prest wyl craue.
Nat only for soules ys he herd,
But also for vs, yn þys world;
Be a man yn sykenes, or yn prysoun,
weyferyng, or yn temptacyun,
Or yn any ouþer trauayle,
Þe sacrament wyl vs auayle;
hyt wyl delyuer vs out of peyne,
Ȝyf oure beleuë be certeyne;
And þat was weyl shewed yn dede
Yn Ingland, so seyþ seynt Bede;
Yn hys bokys wrytyn þyr ys
A feyre myrácle of þe messe.
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Be a man yn sykenes, or yn prysoun,
weyferyng, or yn temptacyun,
Or yn any ouþer trauayle,
Þe sacrament wyl vs auayle;
hyt wyl delyuer vs out of peyne,
Ȝyf oure beleuë be certeyne;
And þat was weyl shewed yn dede
Yn Ingland, so seyþ seynt Bede;
Yn hys bokys wrytyn þyr ys
A feyre myrácle of þe messe.
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