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A Stanzaic Life of Christ

Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea

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Quare pocius in igne quam in alio elemento propter tres causas &c.

Now shyn ȝe knaw quy he wos sent
In lykenes of fyr as this day
mor þen in oþer element,
mony resons schwe I may.
to þo fyrst now takes entent,
þat lykened is in gode fay
To fir kynt, As I am kent,
be seuen skylles full verray.

348

ffor þing þat hegh is meke he mas,
So dos fir be way of kynde,
be gyfte of drede þat mon has
in quych he entres, as I fynde.
Harde thyng also softe he mas
be gyfte of mercy, takes in mynde,
& geues lyȝt also to thester plas
þurgh wytt puttyng derknys behynde.
thyng þat ouer-fletes be foly
be gode consayle restraynes he,
Softe þing he saddens securly
be strengthe of kynd, leue ȝe me.
& ryȝt as fir mas metal cler
& all þo ruste puttes oway,
So dos he with-oute weer
be gyfte of vnderstondyng Ay.
He strengthes vpward fer & ner
be gyf of wysdome mon to pay,
As I in Latyn rede will her,
& after in Englisshe mor verray:

Spiritus ad modum ignis Alta humiliat per donum timoris & mollet dura per donum pietatis, illuminat obscura per donum sciencie, restringit fflueda per donum consilii, sollidat mollia per donum fortitudinis, clareficat metalla per donum intellectus, sursum tendit per donum sapiencie, vt expressius declarabitur in lingua materna.

Primo Alta humiliat per donum timoris.

ffyrst he says þo Holy Gost
mas thyng meke þat is heghe,
As fir abates alway boost
of all thynges þat hit comes neghe.

349

þen calles þo clerke þis gyfte of drede
þo proude mon dredes noght befor,
drede of God he most haue nede
thurgh þo Holy Gostes lor.
So þat ryȝt As oþer fir her
Mas drede qwer-so he entres in
And mekes mon, in þo selfe maner
gostly fir ay feres syn.

Secundo Item mollidat dura per donum pietatis.

The secund kynde þat þo fir has
he mas harde thyng softe to be,
þo Holy Gost so þurgh his gras
harde hertes mas softe, ȝe schyn see.
As of Saynt Paule þat wykked was
gode ensample take mone we,
ffor heuenly fir stroke in his face,
he preched þo faythe with hert fre;
Þer-for call I may in this case
suche A gyfte of pite,
þat one harde hert softened has,
ffo[r] harder hert had none þen he.

Tercio illuminat obscura per donum sciencie.

Also fyr lyȝttenes thesternes,
As we mon bodely se in syȝt,
þo Holy Gost þurȝe his godenes
in our saulis mas gostly lyȝt;
Be gyft of connyng þat most be
þat þurgh þo Holy Gost wos sent,
ffor thurgh his gras connyng ben we
ffro þat he be lyȝt in our entent;
ffor þen al sleȝtes we moun see
þurgh quich Sathan may be schent,
And connyng foly to flee
And in tho faythe to ben feruent.

350

Quarto restringit flueda per donum concilii.

Also tho kynde of fir is this,
to maystre oþer elymentes,
Saue only Ayr or wynde I-wys,
All þai enpayren be his presence.
So ȝif A mon oght to proude be
ffro þat Goddis gost be in hym lyȝt,
be gode consayle shwes he
& rebelnes turnes into ryȝt.
And thyng þat be foly is ouer-flette
Restrayned is be gode resoun,
And be sadde sothenes in hert sette
be counsayl from Crist comen doun.

Quinto solidat mollia per donum fortitudinis.

Also fir mas softe thyng harde
be strengthe þat he has in his kynde,
So heuenly fir thyng all frowarde
In faythe he saddes, as I fynde,
Be full strength þat he in hym has,
As be ensample mon may see;
ffor er þo Holy Gost send was
ffaynt & freyle wos þat meyne,
& in þo byleue wos sadde none
Tyll þis fir wos from heuen sent,
bot þen sadde þai wer yche one,
þat chaunge myȝt no thyng hor entent.

Sexto clarificat metalla tollendo rubiginem per donum intellectus.

Also fyr mas metall cler
And puttes þo rust all clene oway,
So Goddes gost with-oute weer
clanses ruste of synne in fay

351

Be gyfte of gode vnderstondyng
sende be Goddes gost Adoun,
þof our flesshe haue foule fondyng
þo fendes affray has no faysoun,
ffor thurgh þo Holy Gostes grase
we persayuen Apertly
& vnderstonden h[i]s manas,
he dresses hym vs for to dystry,
& we feghten ogayn hym in þis cas
ffleyng fer fro þat foly
þat he proferes in þat plaas
to enpayr vs Apertly.

Nota de septimo per donum sapiencie.

Also fyr be way of kynde
A steme has allway vp-steghyng,
So fares þo Holy Gost I fynde
And heuenly fir in hert feghtyng,
for quyll he brennes in monnes mynde
Tho hert is towarde heuen hyghyng,
þo deuell may not þat bonde vnbynde
quyll þat fyr is vp-steghyng.
Þerfor þis fir may called be
Tho gyfte of wysdome And of wytte,
ffor full wysdome engendret he
In monnes saule þurgh strengeth of hit.