The Surtees Psalter :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Surtees Psalter

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CV.

[1]

Schriues to lauerd, for gode he is,
For in werld es merci his.

2

Wha sal speke of lauerd mightinges,
Herd sal make alle his louynges?

3

Seli þat yhemes dome þat es,
And in alle time does rightwisenes.

4

Mine of vs, lauerd, in welqueme ofe folke þine;
Seke vs in þi hele, god mine:

5

In godenes of þi chosen to se,
To faine in faines of þi genge þat be;
Þat þou be loued nighte and dai
With þine heritage in ai.

6

We sinned with our fadres mide;
Vnrighte we dide, wicnes we dide.

7

Our fadres in Egipte noght vnderstode
Þine wondres þat ere swa gode;
Þai ware noght mined for-þi
Ofe mikelhed of þi merci.

8

And þai taried vpsteghand in se,
Rede se. and þam sauued he
For his name, swa hali isse,
Þat kouth sulde þai make mighte hisse.

9

Ande he snibbed þe rede se,
And drie es it made to be;

240

And he led am in depnesse
Als it ware in wildernesse.

10

And he sauued am ofe hand ofe hatand,
And boghte am ofe hand ofe illewillande.

11

And he hiled with watre þam drouand;
Ane ofe þam noghte left in land.

12

And in his wordes leued þai,
And looued his lofe nighte and dai.

13

Tite dide þai, his werkes forgate;
Þai held noghte vp his rede with þate.

14

And þai yherned yherninge in wildernes,
And þai fanded god in drines.

15

And he gafe to þam þair askinge,
And to þair saules he sent fillinge.

16

And in castelles Moises taried þa,
Aaron, ofe lauerd halgh, als-swa.

17

Þe erthe es opened and swelyhed Datan on-on,
And hiled ouer sameninge ofe Abiron;

18

And brinte in þar sinagoge fire ful brighte,
Þe lowe it swath sinful dounrighte.

19

And a kalfe in Oreb maked þai,
And baden þe graue nighte and dai,

20

And þair blisse turned þai
In liknes ofe a kalfe etand hai.

21

Þai forgate god þam sauued hade,
Þat mikelnesses in Egipte made,
Wondres in land of Cham to be,
Aghfulnesses in þe rede se.

22

And he saide, forlange biforn,
Þat he suld am haue forlorn;
If noght Moises his chosen righte
Had standen in breking in his sighte,

23

Þat he suld turne his wrath am fra,
Þat tospilte he had noghte þa.
And for noghte þai had þe land
Þat yhernandlike was in þar hand;

24

Noght leued þai to his worde oghte,
And morkedene with þair thoghte
In þar teldes þare þai lai;
Steuen of lauerd noghte herd þai.

25

And he houe his hand ouer mare and lesse
For to felle þam in wildernesse,

26

And ate he toworp in birthes sede ofe þa
And forspilt þam in rikes swa.

27

And bigunen es Belphegor þe quede,
And þai ete offrand ofe þe dede.

28

And þai gremed him in þair findinges:
And felefaldede in þam ere fallinges

241

29

And Finees stode and quemed wele:
And þe scatthinge lefte ilkadele;

30

And it es wened to him in rightwisenes,
In strend and strend til in ai þat es.

31

And gremed þai him in scorninge
At watres ofe againesainge;
And swonken es Moises for þa;
For þai gremed gaste ofe him swa,

32

And he twifalded in his lippes. Noght spilt þai
Genge whilke saide lauerd til am ai;

33

And menged bitwix genge þai are,
And þai lered þar werkes þare;
And þai serued fals vigours ofe þam,
And in sclaunder es it made til am:

34

And þai offred[þar] sones and doghtres als
Vnto deuels þate ere fals,

35

And þai spilt blode vnderand swa,
Blode ofe þar sones and doghters ma,
Whilke þai offred blode and bane
To fals vigours of Chanaane.

36

And dropen esþe land in blodes swa;
And smitted in werkes ofe þa;
And þai streneden mare and minne
In þar findinges al with sinne.

37

And wrath es lauerd with his folke in wrath,
And his heritage he has in wlath.

38

And he gafe þam in hend ofe genge ma;
And lauerdes ere of þas, þat hated þa.

39

And þai droued þam swithe sare
Þat þar iuel frendes ware;
And meked vnder þair hend þai are.
Ful ofte he lesed am of kare,

40

[Bot] in þair rede þai gremed him ai;
And in þar wickednesses meked ere þai.

41

And he sagh when droued þai ware,
And þar bede herd he þare.

42

And he mined ofe witeworde, him rewed for-þi
After mikelhed ofe his merci;

43

And in mercies gafe he þam,
In sighte of alle þat þam nam.

44

Saufe make vs, lauerd our gode, þus,
And fra birthes samen vs;

45

Þat we be schriuen to þi name hali,
And glade in þi loofe witerli.

46

Blissed lauerd, god ofe Irael,
Fra werld and vnto werld wel;

242

And alle folke with hert sal saie
Swa be, swa be, nighte and daie.