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The Wheatley Manuscript


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I [AN ORISON ON THE PASSION]
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II [A PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN]
  
III [HYMN TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.]
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IV. [THE SEVEN PENITENTIAL PSALMS]
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106

Domine, exaudi oracionem meam. Auribus percipe obsecracionem meam in ueritate tua, & exaudi me in tua iusticia.

Lord, listne þou myn orisoun,
Wiþ eeris my preyer þou perseyue,
In soþfastnes þou heere my soun,
And in þi riȝt þou it resseyue!
Ihesu, þat regnest in þi regyoun,
For hir loue þat þee can [con]seyue,
Late neuere þe feend us drawe doun,
Ne dreedful deuel us disseyue!
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107

Et non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo, quia non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo [omnis uiuens].

Come not in doom with þi seruaunt,
For no lijf schal be iustifyed
In þi siȝt, ne nouȝt [þ]e faunt
That þis day first in cradil cried.
For us schal plete no seriaunt,
Al sotilte schal ben a-spyed;
So wel is hym þat kepiþ couena[un]t,
For word and werk al schal be tryed.

108

Quia persecutus est inimicus meus animam meam, humiliauit in terra [uitam meam].

For-whi myn enemy haþ pursued
My soule, and lowide my lijf in lond,
For, [when] I myȝte synne haue eschewid,
My wil to wi[r]k[e] wolde I not wond.
But, Lord Ihesu, þat art endewid
Wiþ grace, þou brynge me out of boond,
And sende me grace to be vertued,
So þat I may þe feend wiþstoond.

109

Collocauit me in obscuris, sicut mortuos seculi. Et anxiatus est super [me spiritus meus; in me turbatum est cor meum].

He put me in [placis derk] to be,
As þei þat in þis world ben dede;
My goost was greeuyd vpon me,
Astonyed was myn herte for drede.
This ilke sorowe anoon I se,
Whanne I haue doon a deedly deede;
Therfore, Ihesu ful of pytee,
In þis myscheef me rule and rede!
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110

Memor fui dierum antiquorum; meditatus sum in omnibus operibus tuis; in factis manuum tuarum meditabar.

I hadde mynde of dayes oolde,
Of alle þi werkis I me biþouȝte,
How synfully þat Iudas soolde
Hym þat [þis world with hondis] wrouȝt.
With greet penaunce gaderide his foolde
That scheparde þat oure soulis bouȝt;
Þe cumfort of oure cares coolde,
Of [C]rist it cam, for he it brouȝt.

111

Expandi manus meas ad te; anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi.

To þee myn hondis, Lord, I spradde;
My soule is lijk lond watirlees;
I may not wepe, I am so badde,
So bareyn and so sorowlees.
Synne constreyneþ me ful sadde;
Therfore I preye þe, prince of pees,
Helpe me þat I summe teris hadde,
That goostly fruyte [myȝte haue] encrees.

112

Uelociter exaudi me, Domine; defecit spiritus meus.

Listne, Lord, and heere me ȝerne;
The goost of me forsoþe haþ failid,
For I haue ben ful looþ to lerne
Þing þat myȝte me haue avayled;
But, Lord, þat openest þi posterne
For hem þat for þee han trauaylid,
I hope þou wilt no bonde sperne,
Þat is wiþ sorowe of synne assayled.
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113

Ne auertas faciem tuam a me, & similis ero descendentibus in lacum.

Thi face turne not me fro!
I schal be lijk hem þat fallen in lake.
Þe dampnyd men may wel sey so,
That are bitauȝt þe feendis blake.
But lete me, Lord, be noon of þo;
Thinke how þou diedist for my sake,
And graunte me grace, eer þat I go,
Of my trespas amendis make.

114

Auditam fac michi mane misericordiam tuam, quia in te speraui.

Thi mercy make me heere a-morowe,
For I haue had on þee myn hope.
Helpe þat I were out of [h]orowe,
And alle þat þere-ynne are lope.
Lord, þou suffridist schame & sorowe,
And bled[dist] manye a blody drope;
Fro goostli bondis þou me borowe,
That I were out of synne crope.

115

Notam fac michi uiam in qua ambulem, quia ad te leuaui animam meam.

Teche me þe way þat I schal weende,
For I my soule to þee haue lift;
Þis worldis welþe haþ [soone] an eende,
And takiþ a-wey [a] mannys þrift.
Þerfore, Ihesu curteys and kynde,
Whos herte was on cros [y]-clift,
Late neuere feend oure paþis blende,
Ne us bitraye neuere eft!
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116

Eripe me de inimicis meis, Domine, ad te confugi; doce me facere voluntatem [tuam, quia Deus meus es tu].

Delyuere me, Lord, fro my foos felle!
For strengþe to þee fled am I;
Teche me þi wille to fulfille,
For-whi þou art my God oonli.
Down myn enemyes þou felle;
Resseyue me, Lord, to þi mercy,
That I may dreedlees in þee dwelle,
And þou, Lord, in me eendeleesly.

117

Spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in terram rectam. Propter nomen tu[um, Domine, uiuificabis me, in equitate tua].

Thi good goost, [Lord], schal me lede
Streiȝt in-to þe lond of riȝt,
And, for þi name in riȝtfulheede,
Thou schalt me make qwike & liȝt.
Þanne schal I dwelle[n] out of dreede
Where euere is day and neuere nyȝt,
For grisly goost schal þere noon grede
O[n] hem þat ben in blis[se] briȝt.

118

Educes de tribulacione animam meam; & in misericordia tua disperdes omnes inimicos meos.

My soule þou schalt brynge out of care,
Wiþ mercy my foo-men disp[arpl]ye,
And make þe deuel droupe & dare,
That he drawe me to no folye;
And, God, þat I be not [maad] bare
Of alle goodnes þat I can aspie,
[Ȝit], ȝit, Lord, abyde and spare,
Þat I be amendid or I dye.
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119

Et perdes omnes qui tribulant animam meam, quoniam ego seruus tuus sum.

And þou schalt lese hem that dissesen
My soule, for I serue thee;
Late no more vppon me resen
Þe goostes þat han greeued me;
Sende me grace thee to plesen,
And vouche saaf, whanne doom schal be,
In-to þe kingdom of heuene me sey[s]en;
Þus graunte me, God in Persoonys þre!
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