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University of Virginia Library

[Poems from the Vernon MS]

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I.

I. La estorie del Euangelie.

VII. A preyer at þe leuacioun.

VIII. A preyer at þe leuacioun.

IX. Þe fyue Ioyes of vr ladi.

X. An orisoun to god.

XI. An orisoun to vr lord Ihesu.

[XIII. A confessioun of wyrschip in orysoun.]

[XIV.] [Another Prayer to the Uirgin Mary.]

[XV. Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost.]

[XVI. A Confessioun for necligence of þe dedes of mercy.]

[XVII. An orysoun for sauynge of þe fyue wyttes.]

[XVIII. An orisoun for negligens of þe X Comaundemens.]

[XIX. Patris Sapiencia, sive Horae de Cruce.]

[XX. Ueni Creator Spiritus, englisht.]

[XXIII. Psalterium b. Mariae. BY ALBERTUS MAGNUS]

[XXIV. Psalterium b. Mariae, ascribed to Thomas Aquinas, comprising the 50 first psalms.]

[XXV. A salutacioun to vre lady.]

[XXVI. An orisoun to þe fyue woundes of ihesus cristus.]

[XXVIII. A salutacioun to vre lady.]

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[XXIX. Miracles of oure lady.]

I.

I. [hou þe cite off croteye was delyuered of þeir enemys by vre lady coote.]

II.

II. [hou þe Iewes, in despit of vre lady, þrewe a chyld in a gonge.]

III.

III. [hou an holy hermyt prayde a synful womman pray god for hym.]

IV.

IV. [hou a Iew putte his sone in a brennyngge ouene, for he was communed wit oþur cristene children on þe pask-day.]

V.

V. [hou a man, for ache, cut of his foot, and was heled aȝeyn by vre lady.]

VI.

VI. [hou a iew lente a cristenemon moneye, and took vre lady to borow.]

VII.

VII. [Of a prest þat lay by a nonne.]

VIII.

VIII. [hou vre lady ȝaf mylk off heore pappes to a man þat hadde þe squynacye.]

IX.

IX. [Of an incontinent monk, þat was drouned, and rered aȝeyn by vre lady to lyf.]

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XXX. De festo corporis cristi.

Uidemus in altari formam panis, non carnis, & quare.

De manu sacerdotis per hostiam penetrata.

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XXXI. Septem miracula de corpore cristi.

1.

1. Narracio cuiusdam religiosi.

2.

2. Narracio presbiteri parochialis.

3.

(3.) Narracio felicis presbiteri.

4.

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

5.

(5.) Narracio Bede.

6.

(6.) Of a man þat was closed in a myne.

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XXXII. Hou a man schal lyue parfytly.

Off þe seuen dedly synnes.

Seuen blessynges of god.

Seuen medicines for þe seuen dedly synnes.

Þe ten comaundemens of god.

Þe seuen vertues of god.

Þe twolue articles of þe fey.

Þe Seuen sacromens of holy churche.

Þe seuen principal vertues.

Seuen werkes of mercy.

[XXXIII.] þe visions of seynt poul wan he was rapt in to paradys.

XXXIV. þe Pope trental.

Trentale sancti gregorij.

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[XXXV. þe Spore of Loue.]

Of Meditacion of þi-self knowyng.

Meditacion of þe Soule.

Of Contemplacion in creature.

Þe secunde contemplacion In holy writ.

Of þe Seuene blessynges of þe gospel, Seuene dedli Synnes remedie.

Of þe Seuen ȝiftes of þe holigost.

Of þe Seuene vertues.

Of þe ten Comaundemens.

Of twelue articles of vre be-leue.

Of þe seuene Sacramens.

Of þe seuene dedes of Merci.

Of þe seuene druweries of Monnus bodi.

Of þe doweres of þe soule.

Of þe peynes of helle, & amonesting.

Of þe þridde Manere of contemplacion in god him-self.

Contemplacion at Matines tyme.

Of contemplacion at prime: of þe passion, and of þe Resureccion.

Of þe Resurexion.

Biforen vndurne: Of þe passion, and of Witsuntyd.

Bifore vndurne of þe holigost.

At Midday: of þe anunciacion, And of þe passion.

Also of þe passion.

At Noon: of þe passion, and of þe Assencion.

At Non of þe Assencion.

At euensong-tyme: of þe passion, and of þe Maunde.

Now of þe Maunde of Ihesu crist.

At cumplin-tyme: of his passion, and of his buriinge.

Of þe buryinge of Ihesu crist.

Of Contemplacion of god in his owne kynde.

[XXXVI. Þe Lamentacioun þat was bytwene vre lady and seynt Bernard.]

XXXVII. A dispitison bitwene a god man and þe deuel.

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II.

[XXXIX. Of þre messagers of deeth.]

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[XL. Two Songs of Love-longing.]

I.

II.

XLI. A luytel tretys of Loue. Of godes passyon.

XLIII. A Mournyng Song of the loue of God.

XLIV. Her is a luytel Sarmoun, þat is of good edificacioun.

[XLVII. How to hear Mass.]

[XLVIII. Sayings of St. Bernard: Man's three Foes.]

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[XLIX. Prouerbes of diuerse profetes and of poetes and of oþur seyntes.]

Ihesus cristus.

Ihesus cristus.

22. Try to say the best. Control your Tongue.

27. A Prayer to the Virgin Mary.

28. A Prayer to the Trinity.

30. A Morning Thanksgiving and Prayer to God.

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Gret del hit is to speke and say
Of him þat dyed on þe Roode,
How he vppon þe gode ffriday
ffor vs þenne schedde his herte-blode;
Alle hise disciples flowen a-way,
ffor doute of deþ þei were neiȝ wode:
Þer nis no tonge þat telle may
Þe serwe of Marie, his moder gode.

Heo him bar boþe god and Mon,
And siþen him clepede swete Ihesu,

300

And offrede him to Symeon—
fful wel þe prophete him he kneuȝ!
An Angel warnede vre ladi þon
Of kyng Heroude, þat was vntrewȝ,
And bad hire in to Egipte gon
ffor doute of deþ of mony a Iewȝ.

Euer was Marie glad I-nowȝ
Whon heo hire swete sone seȝe;
Whoderward þat Ihesu drouȝ,
He nas neuere out of hire eȝe.
Siþen men duden him gret wouȝ,
Harde peynes heo seiȝ hym dreiȝe,
His honden were nayled to a bouȝ,
Vppon a treo honged wel heiȝe.

Þauȝ heo weore wo no wonder nas:
Heo seiȝ hym blodi, bodi and croun,
Hire sone þat so gultles was,
Wiþ stremes of blod he ron a-doun.
To sen his peynes was gret pres,
Wymmen folewede him þorw þe toun,
Sore wepynge, wiþ-outen lees,
ffor gret deol of his passion.

Ihesu tornde, þat was so meke,
And spac wordes of gret pite
To þe wymmen þat þer speke,

301

And seide: “Wepeþ not for me!
ffor ȝoure children ȝe mowe wepe,
Þat doþ me schome, as ȝe mowe se.”
No wonder þouȝ hire herte breke,
Þat seiȝ hir sone so beten be!

Whon he was beten wiþ scourges sore,
Alle his frendes were from hym gon;
Þreo dayes vre feiþ was lore
Saue in Marie, his moder, al-on.
Bernard bereþ witnesse þerfore,
Also doþ hire Cosyn Ion:
ffor serwe þat heo hedde þore
On swouȝ heo fel sone a-non.

Þe blod out of hire eȝen ron,
Al-most hire herte clef a-two—
Seynt Bernard, þat holy mon,
Witnesseþ wel þat hit is so.
Seint Bernard in to chirche wenden he con,
To witen of þat Ladi wo.
To him wel feire speken heo gon,
What was his wille to asken þo.