A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
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Item Mattheus xxviio: Alios saluos fecit, seipsum non potest &c.
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 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
Item Mattheus xxviio: Alios saluos fecit, seipsum non potest &c.
Also þai saide that holpen hade he
mony bifore out of hor tene,
but saue hym-self from rode tre
myȝt he not then, as wel was sene.
mony bifore out of hor tene,
but saue hym-self from rode tre
myȝt he not then, as wel was sene.
‘lo her,’ þai saide, ‘he hade no myȝt,’
of quych þe contrary preue I may,
As schowide was ryȝt in hor siȝt
quen he was taken þe selue day;
of quych þe contrary preue I may,
As schowide was ryȝt in hor siȝt
quen he was taken þe selue day;
For alle that wer at his takyng
with his voice he drof hom doun,
ffor as thai to hym wer comyng
And forto sese hym redy boun,
with his voice he drof hom doun,
ffor as thai to hym wer comyng
And forto sese hym redy boun,
194
he asket hom qvo þai soȝt so.
‘Ihesu of Naȝareth,’ saide þay,
And fellen doun onon riȝt tho
the first worde that he con say.
‘Ihesu of Naȝareth,’ saide þay,
And fellen doun onon riȝt tho
the first worde that he con say.
Quem queritis? Ihesum Nazarenum, & continuo ceciderunt in terram.
opon this spekes saynt Austyn,
And sais ful wel & witterly
that I shal first say in Latyn
And in Englisch openly:
And sais ful wel & witterly
that I shal first say in Latyn
And in Englisch openly:
Augustinus: Vna vox turbam odiis ferocem, armis terribilem sine vllo telo percussit, reppulit, strauit virtute latentis diuinitatis. Quid iudicaturus faciet, qui iudicandus hoc fecit? Quid regnaturus poterit, qui moriturus hoc fecit?
‘One voice,’ sais Austyn, ‘drof al doun
long-straȝt laide & put aȝayn
wode peple & to bataile boun
wel armet & of mich mayn;
long-straȝt laide & put aȝayn
wode peple & to bataile boun
wel armet & of mich mayn;
‘With-out weppen, saue voys i-wys
And hudde godhede hym with-in,
so maistride he that diden omys,
on his myȝt that þai shuld myn.
And hudde godhede hym with-in,
so maistride he that diden omys,
on his myȝt that þai shuld myn.
‘How hope ȝe sich a kyng con do,
qven he shal sitt on iugement,
That so his iugement goyng to
with voice his enmys shamely shent?
qven he shal sitt on iugement,
That so his iugement goyng to
with voice his enmys shamely shent?
‘Quat hope ȝe that he be of myȝt
to do in his revme quen he is,
that to þe deth goyng that nyȝt
so foule feride hom as in this?’
to do in his revme quen he is,
that to þe deth goyng that nyȝt
so foule feride hom as in this?’
195
Quarto habuit singularem bonitatem, quia nemo bonus nisi solus Deus.
the furth vertu þat hade he,
to quich þai putten obiectioun,
that was excellent bounte,
As I may preue ȝow by resoun.
to quich þai putten obiectioun,
that was excellent bounte,
As I may preue ȝow by resoun.
ffor, as is writen in holy writt,
nomon is gode with-outen vice,
saue only God, leues wel hit,
to wayue al syn may be so wys;
nomon is gode with-outen vice,
saue only God, leues wel hit,
to wayue al syn may be so wys;
ffor seuen sith in one day,
I fynde, a riȝtwis mon shal falle,
but Cristis godnes in gode fay
Appair myȝt not þe Iewes alle.
I fynde, a riȝtwis mon shal falle,
but Cristis godnes in gode fay
Appair myȝt not þe Iewes alle.
Sepcies in die cadit iustus.
Ȝet aȝaynus his gret godnes
putten þe Iewes apertly,
And saiden a synful mon he wes,
As sayn Ion mas mynde witerly.
putten þe Iewes apertly,
And saiden a synful mon he wes,
As sayn Ion mas mynde witerly.
Iohannes vio: Nos scimus, quia hic homo peccator est, quia seductor est in sermone.
‘We knowen,’ saide þe Iewes tho,
‘that this mon ful synful is,
And fondes by worde to do vs wo,
And bigile vs alle omys.’
‘that this mon ful synful is,
And fondes by worde to do vs wo,
And bigile vs alle omys.’
Lucas: Commouit populum docens per vniuersam Iudeam incipiens a Galilea vsque huc.
Also þai saiden þer þat he
meuet þe peple wonderly
thurȝe-out Iude & Galile
And taght hom so apertely.
meuet þe peple wonderly
thurȝe-out Iude & Galile
And taght hom so apertely.
196
Also thai saide with al his myȝt
Moyses laȝe he wold destrye,
As ȝe moun se her in ore siȝt,
Ion witnes hit apertly.
Moyses laȝe he wold destrye,
As ȝe moun se her in ore siȝt,
Ion witnes hit apertly.
Iohannes ixo: Non est hic homo a Deo, qui Sabbatum non custodit.
‘this mon’, þai saide, ‘þat is her
nys not on Goddis bihalue i-wys,
that kepis not in gode maner
his hali-day, as þe laȝe is.’
nys not on Goddis bihalue i-wys,
that kepis not in gode maner
his hali-day, as þe laȝe is.’
Tercio fuit eius dolor [in] odoratu.
the third sorow þat he hade
was of sauour al vnswete,
And gret stynk þer was made
with mennus carayns forto mete.
was of sauour al vnswete,
And gret stynk þer was made
with mennus carayns forto mete.
for on that mount of Caluarie
wer men punyscht for hor syn,
And stynkyng bodies mony by
And wiccut air that plas with-in.
wer men punyscht for hor syn,
And stynkyng bodies mony by
And wiccut air that plas with-in.
ffor Caluarie is as mich to say
As balletship of hedes bar
of men quen flesch is al away,
And sich wer mony lying thar
As balletship of hedes bar
of men quen flesch is al away,
And sich wer mony lying thar
Of men gyrd of þe hede bifore,
And lying þer al opunly;
And therfore þat mount thurȝe clercus lore
was callide mount of Caluary,
And lying þer al opunly;
And therfore þat mount thurȝe clercus lore
was callide mount of Caluary,
so that in smellyng Crist had gret tene
quen he was comen to þat plas,
thus in thre wittes, with-out wene,
wonderly he pynet was.
quen he was comen to þat plas,
thus in thre wittes, with-out wene,
wonderly he pynet was.
197
Quarto in gustu.
The furth penauns was in tastyng,
for quen he criet, ‘I am thirsty,’
Aisel & myrre thai con hym bryng
with atter medelide hastily,
for quen he criet, ‘I am thirsty,’
Aisel & myrre thai con hym bryng
with atter medelide hastily,
That he thurȝe aisel drynkyng
to þe deth myȝt soner hy,
And thay that wer to hym kepyng
Soner shutt of hor baly.
to þe deth myȝt soner hy,
And thay that wer to hym kepyng
Soner shutt of hor baly.
ffor hit was Iewes opinioun
Aisel shuld bryng hym sone to deth,
And mirre shuld sone dryue doun
forto suffre of hit þe breth,
Aisel shuld bryng hym sone to deth,
And mirre shuld sone dryue doun
forto suffre of hit þe breth,
And of atter þe bitternes
In tastyng hit shuld do hym tene,
And poysoun hym sone in that destres,
this was hor thoȝt, as wel was sene.
In tastyng hit shuld do hym tene,
And poysoun hym sone in that destres,
this was hor thoȝt, as wel was sene.
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