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

At a Sarmoun þer I seet
A comely clerk Ich herde crauen,
Wyse wordes he þer speek
Þe Mon þat wolde in herte hauen;
Ich herde ffrere Henri spellen:
“Lete no sunnes in ow dwellen;
Þe Mon þat is taken in dedly synne,
He may wel witen In wo to wellen.

477

“A þing hit is þat we schul do,
Þe Mon þat þenkeþ to liuen in le:
Schrift to taken, and þat be tyme—
We haue no Borwes heer to be;
Whon we hauen, to holde faste,
We ne mowe raples þorw þo þre
To Bere þe croune to-fore þe kyng
Þat for vs þolede deþ on tre.

“He þat for vs þolede deþ on tre,
Þou Rihtwys lord, þou deme so:
Wis vs to þat ilke stude
Þat euere is wele and neuer wo.
God, lete neuere vr wille vr wit be-swiken,
ffor whi, vr soule for to slo.
Ihesu crist, þou mihtful kyng,
Þou haue merci on me and mo.

“Mon on Molde, þou mak þe ȝare
A-ȝeyn þi deþ on domes-day;
Þenk vppon þi muchele neode,
Wher þi soule resten may—
Heuene or helle wher hit be-tydeþ,
Þou maiȝt wel witen þou liuest þer ay.
Crist schild vs from þat ilke stude,
Þer no mon oþer ne mene ne may.

“Mai no mon oþer hem bi-menen,
ffor sek and sori heo þer se;
Þer is hot and cold and hunger wiþ
And þretes—þo beoþ vuele þre,
ffurst and hunger and þesternesse,
Þat euere schal lyue wiþ-outen lee.
Crist schild vs from þat ilke stude,
ffrom Bale þer neuere no bote ne be.

“Ne miht þou seo, synful Mon,
So doþ þe ffisschere wiþ his hok:
Hou he teseþ on þe Banke
A brodly breyd I þe Brok;
Comeþ þe ffisch and fongeþ hit,
So wroþly wrieþ on þe Crok,
Þe ffisch is be-wyled þorw þe worm—
So wo is þe ffisch þat he hit tok.

478

“Hok bi-tokeneþ helle-pyne—
What helpeþ hit to hele wiþ þe?
Wommon is worm, þer heo is wikke—
May no mon þorw his sunnes se.
Þe Mon is ffisch and fongeþ hire—
Him weore wel betere to leten hire be,
To huyden his hed and hiȝen a-wey,
ffrom dedly synne þer-with fle.

“Þis prechours þat bi-foren vs speken,
Wel liht a Beren heore tonge in wold
To wissen vs to þat ilke stude,
So holy writ hit haþ hem told.
Ȝif we wol lusten to heore lore,
We ouȝten be fayn, and ful bold
To wonen in þat ilke stude
Þer Ihesu crist þe Iudas solde.

“Þer Ihesu crist þe Iudas solde
He lene vs lust in lawe to lyuen,
Wit and wisdam to vnderstonden,
Wiþ schrift al for to schruden vs here.
Ȝif we haue wille to wikkedlek,
God lete vs þere stunte and stere;
He deme so lord at domes-day
Þat we mote, lord, in þi wey fere.

“In þi wey fere, lord, I wolde ben,
To wonen in þat worþli won.
Heo þat on þi lift hond leuen,
Wel grislych hit is whon þou art gon:
A ben I-haried in to helle-pyne,
To Bale þer neuer ne bote nis non.
He þat al þis world schal demen,
Þou Rihtwys lord, þou rewe on Mon.

Amen.”