A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
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Iohannis tercio: Spiritus, vbi vult, spirat & vocem eius Audis,
set nescis, a quo venit aut quo vadat, &c.
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 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
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Iohannis tercio: Spiritus, vbi vult, spirat & vocem eius Audis, set nescis, a quo venit aut quo vadat, &c.
Þerfor saynt Iohn says, ‘Goddes gost
springes & lenges quer hym lyst;
his gost þou heres bout bost,
bot quethen hit comes, is vnwyst.’
springes & lenges quer hym lyst;
his gost þou heres bout bost,
bot quethen hit comes, is vnwyst.’
þen Bernarde says, ‘no meruayle is,
ffor be þo eghen he entres noght,
ffor colour has he none I-wis,
quen he comes in monnes thoȝt,
ffor be þo eghen he entres noght,
ffor colour has he none I-wis,
quen he comes in monnes thoȝt,
‘Ne Eres faren nothyng amys
be sownyng, quen he so is soȝt,
ne be þo nase, leue wele this,
bot in holy hert þat wele is wroȝt.’
be sownyng, quen he so is soȝt,
ne be þo nase, leue wele this,
bot in holy hert þat wele is wroȝt.’
& monnes Avne skylfull dome
shall tell quen he comes in,
ffor Bernarde says þat quen he come,
vices flogh euer with-oute dyn,
shall tell quen he comes in,
ffor Bernarde says þat quen he come,
vices flogh euer with-oute dyn,
& vertues entreden Anone;
þen meruaylled he in þis maner,
‘how vertues comen & vices gon,
wunderly by his wisdome wer!’
þen meruaylled he in þis maner,
‘how vertues comen & vices gon,
wunderly by his wisdome wer!’
ffor quen he amendet of his lyfe,
he persayued Goddes myȝt,
þat wykked gost þat did hym stryfe
was wayued in refourmyng ryȝt,
he persayued Goddes myȝt,
þat wykked gost þat did hym stryfe
was wayued in refourmyng ryȝt,
Þen segh he Goddes swetnes ther,
And tho wykket wos went oway,
þen hertly alway he con hym heer,
As I in Latyn thenke to say:
And tho wykket wos went oway,
þen hertly alway he con hym heer,
As I in Latyn thenke to say:
Ex motu cordis intellexi presenciam eius, ex fuga vicorum
Aduerti potenciam virtutis eius & ex quacumque
emendacione morum meorum expertus sum bonitatem
mansuetudinis Et ex reformacione & renouacione
spiritus mentis mee prospexi, vt-cumque speciem
decoris eius & ex motu horum omnium expaui
multitudinem magnifitudinis eius, &c. Hec dicit Bernardus.
327
quen þo Holy Gost has ben sent
In any mater þat mon may see,
be fyue maners, as I am kent,
he has ben sent, as rede we.
In any mater þat mon may see,
be fyue maners, as I am kent,
he has ben sent, as rede we.
ffyrst in A dove lykenes,
Crist quen þat he folwed was,
As Saynt Luke beres wytnes
& in gospell mynde mas:
Crist quen þat he folwed was,
As Saynt Luke beres wytnes
& in gospell mynde mas:
Descendit spiritus sanctus corporali specie. Luce iijo.
Tho secunde tyme in cloude bryȝt
At Cristes transfiguracioun,
quen he to his men kuyt his myȝt,
In gospell As ȝe rede moun.
At Cristes transfiguracioun,
quen he to his men kuyt his myȝt,
In gospell As ȝe rede moun.
Ad-huc eo loquente ecce nubes lucida obumbrauit eos, &c.
Tho thrid tyme wos be a blast
he sent tho Holy Gost to hyse,
þat hor hertes shulden last,
ffor in þat werke he made hom wise.
he sent tho Holy Gost to hyse,
þat hor hertes shulden last,
ffor in þat werke he made hom wise.
& quen he blwe he sayd this,
‘haues her þo Holy Gost in ȝow,
þat ȝe for-ȝeiten not þis
my faithe fully for to knaw.’
‘haues her þo Holy Gost in ȝow,
þat ȝe for-ȝeiten not þis
my faithe fully for to knaw.’
Iohannis xxmo: Inflauit & dixit: Accipite spiritum sanctum, &c.
The furthe tyme in fir, in fay,
The fyfte in tong & strange speche,
In þes too he come as þis day
ffor to be our lyfes leche.
The fyfte in tong & strange speche,
In þes too he come as þis day
ffor to be our lyfes leche.
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Þer-for shwed in syght was he
In þes fyfe lykenes, as I say,
þat vnderstonde fully shyn we
hor propurtees, all to our pay,
In þes fyfe lykenes, as I say,
þat vnderstonde fully shyn we
hor propurtees, all to our pay,
Of queche þat he schwed hym þen,
to knaw þat he wurches al-way
In mennes hertes, as I myn,
with þos maters to mende hom ay,
to knaw þat he wurches al-way
In mennes hertes, as I myn,
with þos maters to mende hom ay,
& bryng mon owt of dedly syn,
Also to do poyntes to his pay.
Now at þo dowue I will begyn
his kynde to moraluse, As I may.
Also to do poyntes to his pay.
Now at þo dowue I will begyn
his kynde to moraluse, As I may.
Tho verray kynde of dowue is this,
in stede of song to be mournyng,
In hyr wontes galle I-wis,
In holes off ston is hyr wonnyng.
in stede of song to be mournyng,
In hyr wontes galle I-wis,
In holes off ston is hyr wonnyng.
Ryȝt so þo Holy Gost in this
mas men to sorowe for hor synnyng,
& quen þai mendet haue þis mys,
then has he way & full entryng.
mas men to sorowe for hor synnyng,
& quen þai mendet haue þis mys,
then has he way & full entryng.
þer her-to Acordes Issay,
In Laten clerkes for to rede,
& says, ‘we mournen as dowfe ay,
& as beeres romeon’, as I rede.
In Laten clerkes for to rede,
& says, ‘we mournen as dowfe ay,
& as beeres romeon’, as I rede.
Issay libro iiijto: Rugiemus quasi vrsi & quasi columbe meditantes gememus. Item Ad Romanos viijo: Ipse spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus, id est, nos postulantes gementes facit, &c.
The secund kynde þe dowfe has,
ho has no bytternes of galle,
ne bitternes none in þat plaas
þer-as þo Holy Gost will fall.
ho has no bytternes of galle,
ne bitternes none in þat plaas
þer-as þo Holy Gost will fall.
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Sapiens dicit: O quam bonus & suauis est, domine, spiritus tuus, &c.
Þerfor þo wise mon wonderyng mas
of þat souerayne swetnes
þat þo Holy Gost full of gras
has ay, as ȝe schyn her expres.
of þat souerayne swetnes
þat þo Holy Gost full of gras
has ay, as ȝe schyn her expres.
ffor swete, blessed, & eke kynde
þo wise mon called hit weterly,
ffor al thre as I will fynde
hit mas vs quen we han mercy.
þo wise mon called hit weterly,
ffor al thre as I will fynde
hit mas vs quen we han mercy.
Swete in worde, for wunderly
þo Apostels speken þis day
quen hit wos lyȝt in hom in hy,
iche langayge in hor tung lay,
þo Apostels speken þis day
quen hit wos lyȝt in hom in hy,
iche langayge in hor tung lay,
& blessyd wos all þat company
In mynde, as ȝe leue wele may,
quen þat heuenly tresory
in hom wos sett fast, soþe to say.
In mynde, as ȝe leue wele may,
quen þat heuenly tresory
in hom wos sett fast, soþe to say.
Kynde Also in werke þai wer,
quen þat gost in hom had wroȝt,
ffor hit made God to hom so der,
dethe for hym dredde þai noȝt.
quen þat gost in hom had wroȝt,
ffor hit made God to hom so der,
dethe for hym dredde þai noȝt.
Sapiencie viio: Spiritus sanctus est suauis, benignus, humilis ex eo, quod suaues, benignos, humiles nos faciat: suaues in sermone, benignos in corde & humiles in opere, &c.
Tho thrid kynd I sayd befor
þat þo dowfe has, as ȝe schyn her,
In holes of ston euer mor
ho byldes & lenges bothe in fer,
þat þo dowfe has, as ȝe schyn her,
In holes of ston euer mor
ho byldes & lenges bothe in fer,
Quyche holes of ston I vnderstonde
Cristes woundes vs to wone in,
& wikkednes alway to wovnde,
on his passioun ȝif we myn.
Cristes woundes vs to wone in,
& wikkednes alway to wovnde,
on his passioun ȝif we myn.
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ffor As ho dwelles in holes of ston
þat to his wondes likened bene,
so dwellon þes holy men yche on
in Cristes woundes, with-outen wene.
þat to his wondes likened bene,
so dwellon þes holy men yche on
in Cristes woundes, with-outen wene.
ffor quyll þai þenken hom opon,
hor hertes bene sett, as wele is sene,
In mournyng & in makyng moone,
As don þes dowfes all be-dene.
hor hertes bene sett, as wele is sene,
In mournyng & in makyng moone,
As don þes dowfes all be-dene.
þer-for þo Holy Goste to-day
In dowfe lykenes wele wos sent,
ffor men þat lyfen, As þai done ay,
thurgh þo Holy Gost ben kent.
In dowfe lykenes wele wos sent,
ffor men þat lyfen, As þai done ay,
thurgh þo Holy Gost ben kent.
Þer-for says Salomon in his song,
‘ryse vp my luf, my dowfe der,
& norische my bryddes Ay Among,
In holes of ston & helpe hom her.’
‘ryse vp my luf, my dowfe der,
& norische my bryddes Ay Among,
In holes of ston & helpe hom her.’
Canticorum secundo: Surge Amica mea, columba mea, fouens mihi pullos in foraminibus petrinis.
Þat dowfe þo Holy Gost yt is,
þo briddes goode men full of hit,
þo holes Cristes woundes I-wis
þat þai on þenken thurgh hor wytt.
þo briddes goode men full of hit,
þo holes Cristes woundes I-wis
þat þai on þenken thurgh hor wytt.
| A Stanzaic Life of Christ | |