 | [Poems from the Vernon MS] |  |
(3.) Narracio felicis presbiteri.
Seint Gregori seiþ for þe same:
Hit was a prest, ffelix his name;
Bi-syde he wonede in a paþe,
Was a wassching In an hote baþe.
Þis prest ofte þider ȝede,
To wassche him whon he hedde nede.
Þis prest þer euer [redi] he fonde
A Mon to wassche him, to foot and honde;
He drouȝ his hosen of and his schon
And redi was hem on to don;
At eueri tyme he þider com
His herneis feire of he nom,
And seruede him at eueri tyde
In þat watur and ofte beo-syde.
Hit was a prest, ffelix his name;
Bi-syde he wonede in a paþe,
Was a wassching In an hote baþe.
Þis prest ofte þider ȝede,
To wassche him whon he hedde nede.
Þis prest þer euer [redi] he fonde
A Mon to wassche him, to foot and honde;
He drouȝ his hosen of and his schon
And redi was hem on to don;
At eueri tyme he þider com
His herneis feire of he nom,
And seruede him at eueri tyde
In þat watur and ofte beo-syde.
Þis prest þat com þider so ofte,
Þat þis mon þer seruede so softe,
He ne askede hym neuer-more
Wheþen he was ne hou he com þore;
But eueri tyme he was redi
And seruede him ful apertely.
Þat þis mon þer seruede so softe,
He ne askede hym neuer-more
Wheþen he was ne hou he com þore;
But eueri tyme he was redi
And seruede him ful apertely.
Þis prest þouȝte, “he serueþ me wel,
His trauayle wol I quite sum-del.”
On a day he þider þouhte
And twey loues wiþ hym he brouhte.
In to þat baþ ȝeode þat prest
And wusch him as he dude nest;
Þis mon was þere him aȝeyn,
To serue him wel he dude his Mayn.
Þis prest, whon he scholde go,
He ȝaf þis mon þis loues two,
And þonked him muchel his seruyse,
And more he scholde haue oþurwyse.
His trauayle wol I quite sum-del.”
On a day he þider þouhte
And twey loues wiþ hym he brouhte.
In to þat baþ ȝeode þat prest
And wusch him as he dude nest;
Þis mon was þere him aȝeyn,
To serue him wel he dude his Mayn.
Þis prest, whon he scholde go,
He ȝaf þis mon þis loues two,
And þonked him muchel his seruyse,
And more he scholde haue oþurwyse.
210
Þis Mon onswerde þis prest a-ȝeyn:
“Þis bred ȝe bringeþ to me in veyn,
ffor neuer-more schal I ȝete
Bred ne non oþur mete:
I am a Mon þat is ded,
Þat neuer-more schal ete bred.”
“Þis bred ȝe bringeþ to me in veyn,
ffor neuer-more schal I ȝete
Bred ne non oþur mete:
I am a Mon þat is ded,
Þat neuer-more schal ete bred.”
Þe prest asked: “on what manere
Is hit þat þou wonest here?”
Þis Mon onswerde in þat tyde:
“I was lord here ar I dyede,
And þis seruise þat I am Inne
Is þe peyne for my synne.
Bote I þe preye par charite,
Offre on þe Auter þes loues for me;
And I beseche þe ouer alle þynge
Þat sixe Masses for me þou synge;
And heo weore songen, I hope to wende
In to þe Ioye wiþ-outen ende.
And whon þe sixte masse is left,
Ȝif þou ne fynde me her eft,
Trouwe [þou] þenne forsoþe i-wis
Þat for þi preyere I am in Blis.”
Is hit þat þou wonest here?”
Þis Mon onswerde in þat tyde:
“I was lord here ar I dyede,
And þis seruise þat I am Inne
Is þe peyne for my synne.
Bote I þe preye par charite,
Offre on þe Auter þes loues for me;
And I beseche þe ouer alle þynge
Þat sixe Masses for me þou synge;
And heo weore songen, I hope to wende
In to þe Ioye wiþ-outen ende.
And whon þe sixte masse is left,
Ȝif þou ne fynde me her eft,
Trouwe [þou] þenne forsoþe i-wis
Þat for þi preyere I am in Blis.”
Þis prest al þat wike longe
ffor þis mon preyede and songe.
And whon þe wike was al gon,
Þe prest com þidere, and fond non;
He hopede wel þat he was brouht
To blisse, for he ne fond him nouht.—
ffor þis mon preyede and songe.
And whon þe wike was al gon,
Þe prest com þidere, and fond non;
He hopede wel þat he was brouht
To blisse, for he ne fond him nouht.—
Beo þis tale ȝe may se
Þat hit is gret Charite
Masses for þe dede to synge,
Þe soules [out] of pyne forte bringe.
Ouer alle þing hit haþ pouwer,
Þe sacrament of þe Auter,
And nomeliche whon hit is don
Wiþ good monnes deuocion;
Him wol god sannore here
Þen on þat is him nouht so dere.
Þat hit is gret Charite
Masses for þe dede to synge,
Þe soules [out] of pyne forte bringe.
Ouer alle þing hit haþ pouwer,
Þe sacrament of þe Auter,
And nomeliche whon hit is don
Wiþ good monnes deuocion;
Him wol god sannore here
Þen on þat is him nouht so dere.
In þe seueþe Comaundement
Toucheþ to þis sacrament
In a tale of þat kniht,
Hou þe prest þat liueþ not riht,
Of his preyere is luytel prou,
And þere hit telleþ wel hou.
And I schal telle anoþur here
Of a Masse of a good frere:
Toucheþ to þis sacrament
211
Hou þe prest þat liueþ not riht,
Of his preyere is luytel prou,
And þere hit telleþ wel hou.
And I schal telle anoþur here
Of a Masse of a good frere:
| [Poems from the Vernon MS] | |