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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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“Lusten to me, my Broþer Bernard,
I wol þe telle of peynes more—
Þyn herte schal ben ful hard,
But hit greue þe ful sore;
Þauh I haue a parti spard
Of his peynes herbifore,
I wol þe telle her-afturward
His harm an hundred siþe sore.

“Bernard, I saiȝ my sone honge
As þauȝ he were a Mayster-þef,
His Bak and syden sore I-swonge

312

Þat white were and me ful lef.
He was Crouned wiþ þornes stronge,
In eueri syde þei duden him gref,
And drowen him on þe cros a-longe,
His senewes to-bursten & to-dref.

“Þe blod ron doun bi Bodi and heued—
Þat lykede þe corsede Iewes wel!
Wiþ spotel & blod he was be-weued,
Þat he was lyk a foul Mesel.
He was to-drawen and to-dreued
And Nayled wiþ þre Nayles of stel.
Þen was my strengþe me be-reued,
And al-most a-doun I fel.

“I seiȝ where foure welles were
Out of his lymes ron o-blode.
Bernard frend, my sone dere
Þus him seruede þe Iewes wode!
Ich hedde gret blisse whon I him bere,
And of his þewes monye and gode:

313

[Þen] al wox won Bodi and leore,
Þat feirest was of alle fode.

“So feir ȝit was neuer nomon,
As bereþ witnesse holy writ:
Þenne was his beute al a-gon,
As þe gospel telleþ hit.
I hedde a sone, nou haue I non,
Me wonteþ boþe weole and wit;
I not in world whoder to gon
ffor serwe þat in myn herte sit.

“Bernard, hedde I honged him bi,
Sum-tyme my serwe hedde be pas.
I stod and loked vppon hiȝ,
Wher heng my ioye and my solas.
Þe Iewes seiȝ me ful sori,
Þer as I stod in þe plas:
ffor þat I made sereweful cri,
Þei beede me schome and harde gras.

“ffaste I criȝede in my manere,
Ȝut ne was I not I-herd;
Þo I criȝede, he mihte me here,
Witnesse boþe of lewed and lered;
‘Merci!’ I criȝede to my sone dere,

314

‘Al-one þou leue[st] me in desert!’
Þenne he bi-tok me til a fere
And bad, I scholde not ben a-ferd.