[Poems from the Vernon MS]

A mon in Souþfolk ones dyed,
Bi-sydes Sudburi, as men seid.
ffor þat mon such grace was diht
Þat him was graunted to come a niht
fforte speke wiþ his wyf,
To mende þe fautes of his lyf.
“Ȝef a Masse,” he seide, “were for me don
Wiþ a good monnes deuocion,
I hope to Ioye for to go
And beo dilyueret of al my wo.

I preye þe, dame, par charite
To trauayle so muche for me.”
Heo graunted hym þat ilke bone,
And ros vppon þe morwen sone
And to þe ffreres sone heo eode,
Þer heo hopede best to spede.

Heo com and spac wiþ a ffrere
And preyed heo moste his masse here,
And for hire hosebondes soule to synge,
And heo wolde ȝiue hym offringe.

Þe ffrere dude hire a Mes
In Comuyn, as þe seruise is.
Whon þis Masse I-songen was,
Heo wente hom a good pas.

Þe niht aftur þenne com he.
“Slepestou?” he seide. “nay,” seide heo;
“Are ȝe ȝit,” heo seyde, “in blis?
Þe Masse for ow I-songen is.”

“Þe Masse,” he seide, “þou dudest do,
A parti hit helpeþ me þerto;
Mi part ich hedde of þat Mes
As of þing þat Comuyn is.

212

Ȝif on weore specialy for me seid,
Of my peyne I were ful leyd,
Ȝif þe prest were of lyf so good
Þat God his preyere vndurstood;
I hope þenne grace to haue
Þat his Masse mihte me saue;”
Ofte he seide to his wyf:
“A prest, A prest of clene lyf!”

On þe Morwen forþ heo eode
To þe ffreres eft to spede,
And schewed hit to þe priour,
And preyed him of socour;
Ȝif he hedde eny broþur
Þat he kneuh beter þen oþur,
“Þat wol synge me a Mes
ffor a Mon þat ded is,
At myn ese he schal haue
To a pitaunce what he wol craue.”

Þe prior spac to a ffrere
And preyed him on alle manere
Þat he wolde a Masse synge
ffor þat soule heo made preyinge.

Þe ffrere was an holy mon;
And ar [þat] he his Masse bi-gon,
He preyed to god his orison,
Wiþ a gret deuocion,

Þat hit mihte ben him to pay,
Þe Masse þat he scholde synge to-day.
Whon þe Masse was don to þe ende,
He bad þe wommon hom [to] wende,
“And whon þou more eft heres,
Cum and sey to vre ffreres!”

Þe niht aftur—lustneþ now!—
He com and seide: “slepestou?”
“Nay,” heo sayde, “hou fare ȝe?”
“Wel,” he seide, “and so worþ þe!”
“Sire, weore ȝe a-payed of þat Mas
Þat for ow to-day songen was?”
“Ȝe,” he seide, “graunt Merci!
Þat Masse to me is more worþi

213

Þen al þe world an hundred siþe,
Ne miht haue mad me neuer so bliþe.
His preyere was to god so dere,
ffor al þat he preyede he wolde here;
Þeih he hedde preiȝed for a þousund mo,
ffrom peyne to blisse þei hedde i-go;
ffor what þing he hedde asked bone,
God wolde ha graunted him ful sone.

Haue good day! for now I wende
To þat Ioye wiþ-outen ende.
God lete þe neuere þer-of mis,
Þou ne he, to haue þat blis.”

Þe wyf com sone on þe Morn
And fel on knes þat ffrere bi-forn
And tolde him þer eueridel
Hou he for his preyere was wel.
And þat ffrere ful wel he lette,
And þonked God, for Ioye he grette.
Wel weore hym at his endynge
Hedde such a prest for him to synge!—
In þis tale schewed is:
Of alle þing good is þe mes,
Þe sacrament on þe Auter
Ouer alle passeþ his pouwer.
In þe Masse þei hem a-fye
Þe soules þat are in purgatorie.

Þe sone is offred to þe ffadur of heuene
ffor þe soules þe prest wol nempne;
Þat is þus for to mene:
Ȝif þe prest beo good and clene,
Þenne wol Ihesu crist hym heere,
ffor what þyng he makeþ preyere;
Preye he for soule or for bodi,
Þat aren in pyne or in nuy,
Boþe wol god almihti saue
What þe gode prest wolde haue.
Not only for soulus is he herd,
Bote eke for vs here in þis world.
Beo a Mon in seknesse or in prisun,
Weyferynge, or in temptaciun,

214

Or in eny oþur trauayle,
Þe sacrament wol vs a-vayle;
Hit wol delyuere vs out of peyn,
Ȝif vr trouþe beo certeyn.
And þat was wel schewed in dede
In Engelonde, so seiþ seint Bede:
In his Bokes writen hit is,
A feir Miracle of þe Mes:

University of Virginia Library

(4.) hou a man of Souþfolk was saued þorou a masse.