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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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“A, Bernard, ȝif I teres had,
Nou miȝti wepe al my fille.
Of serwe nas I neuer sad,
Whon I þouȝte on his peynes ille.
Al-hou he was from me lad,
I haue told, and ȝit I wille,
And hou he was in serwe stad

307

And I him folewede wiþ teres grille.

“Þei hudden his eȝen & boffetede him þo
And beden him reden ho hit wore,
And duden hym peynes monie mo,
Þer nis no tonge may telle fore.
Þere stoden my sustren two
Þat hedden loued hym wel ȝore;
Marie Maudeleyn dude also,
Þat trewely louede him in hire lore.

“Hire loue was studefast and trewe,
And I hym louede ful trewelyche.
[Strong] is loue of ffrendes newe,
And of þe Moder nomeliche.
I seiȝ neuere my sone chaungen hewe,
But euere in on, as lomb I-lyche.
Sori þei were alle þat hym knewe,
And wepte for him, boþe pore & riche.

“ffrom Cayphas paleis þei him drouh
Riht to Pilate, my sone to spille.
He criȝede not, as men duden him wouȝ,
He eode wiþ hem wiþ gode wille,
Euere he was Meke I-nouȝ
And heold him boþe clos and stille.
Pilat wolde not þat þei hym slouh,

308

In his dedes he fond non skille.

“Þei stripte hym þat ilke stounde,
To a piler bounden him þat day,
And beoten him whil þei warm him founde.
Þen was my song weilaway!
ffour þousend & fyf hundred wounde
Þei maden on him, for soþe to say,
And seiden on skorn vppon þe grounde:
‘Þi prophecye helpe þe ne may.’

“Mi leue Bernard, gret was my care
Whon þei criede wel faste in on:
‘Do Ihesu on þe Crois ful [ȝare]
And dilyuere vs Barraban!’
Goddes sone to Iugge þare
And leten a þef to lyue gon,
Bernard, þis was a sori fare,
Such dom hedde neuer no mon!

“Þus þe Iewes steorne and stoute
Mi sone hedden in hard bonde.
Pilate hedde of hem more doute
Þan he hedde of godes sonde:
Þat was I-sene, he ladde him oute
And dude him to þe Iewes honde.
Þe Iewes þrongen him a-boute,
And I for serwe mihte not stonde.

309

“Whon he was dempt and out sent,
Alle þei duden hym gret dispite.
He nom þe Cros and forþ [he] went,
Wiþ wraþþe þei driuen him, muche & lyte.
Allas þat lomb [þat] Innocent!
Wolues wolde him sore a byte.
Þe care was at myn herte lent,
Mi serwe mihte no mon wyte.

“I suwede, & swouhnede mony a siþe,
Mi sustren comen a-bouten me;
I spac to him as I miȝte kiþe,
Whon I him for pres mihte se.
Mi sone hiȝede him wel blyue
And bar him-self þat heui tre,
And let me beo be-hynde vnbliþe:
Bernard, þen gomede me no gle.”