A Stanzaic Life of Christ :: :: University of Virginia Library

Et ob hoc vocatur hoc festum theophania, a theos, quod est deus, & phanos, apparicio, quia tunc deus trinitas apparuit, Pater in voce, filius in carne, spiritus sanctus in columbe specie.

On a Sonday was don þis dede,

Nota.

And Monday suying bigan he
his fourty days fastyng,
In boke as sothly rede we,

And fiftene kalende of March mone
he endet his fasteng, in gode fay,
so to desert was lad ful sone
And temptide with Sathan, soth to say.

Tercium miraculum, de Aqua in vinum conuersa.

The next ȝer after þis suyng,
this selue day, as leue ȝe me,
Wyne wontide at a weddyng
in a toun of Galile,

And thurgh his moders mynnyng
water to wyne þer turnet he,
this is þe thrid cause bout lesyng
qvy that þis day thus honour we.

Et ob hoc vocatur Bethfania, A beth, quod est domus, quia in vero miraculo facto in domo verus deus apparuit.

Quartum miraculum, de quinque milibus hominum satisfactis in deserto.

This ilk selue day also
next ȝer after þen suyng,
God fed fyue thousand men & mo
In desert with littel thing,

With loues fyue & fisches two,
As I saide at bygynnyng,
Ihesu was olde of ȝeris tho
two & thretty bout lesyng.

Et ob hoc vocatur hoc festum phagephagya A phage, quod est bucca siue manducare.

Quare magi Ierusalem venerunt ad honorandum Christum. Iohannes Crisostomus.

Now go we to our first matere
And of þes kynges speke we
And cause original ȝe moun her
qvy þai comen into Iude,

To honour Crist þat Mary ber,
the certeyn cause her ȝe shyn se,
to make our wittes more cler,
And leue þat hit so wel myȝt be.

We reden in a boke i-wys
of þe Olde Testament
that Numeri wel callide is,
the furth of Bible verrayment,

A clerk ful coynt þer was wonyng
In Moabs londe, that cald was
Balaam, þat in a coniuryng
of deules ful mich power has.

That ilkes tyme Iewes wer
Goddes peple and most of prys
and to hym no folkes half so der.
whil thay did wel and wold be wys,

And trespasset in the lawe no thing,
but diden al as his wille was,
vche nacioun hom nyyng
to ouercom thay haden grace.

So wonet ther negh a nacion
that Moabites callet wer,
of whiche Balaac bar coroun,
and keng was, as ȝe sone schun her.

This kyng and al his reme al-so
pursueden Goddes peple ay,
but euer hom tid the more wo
and wer ouer-comen night and day.

The kyng segh this grete meschef
that his peple haden al-way,
and thotht to do the Iewes gref,
an-other medicyn to assay.

After Balaam sone he sent
with dukes for [to] com hym to,
thurgh hym he hopet to be kent
in that cas what was best to do.

Thenne al that lond had be-leue
what-ser he blesset blesset was,
and what he cursut hyt wold cleue,
And thurgh cursing went grace.

Then Balaam so was after sent
to curse the peple of Israel,
he sayd he durst not verrayment
but God ȝaf leue with hom [to] dele.

So conseilet he with God almyght
that leue he had þe ner to go,
but for to wary no maner wyght
ny by no way to do hom wo.

So as he went to-ward the kyng
with dukes that for hym wer sent,
for gret ȝiftis and fair hetyng
sone he had turnet his entent,

And kest as sone as he come ther
to wary Goddes folk anone,
but sone [an] aungel con hym fer
to-ward þe kyng as he con go one.

For in an narow way i-wys
the aungel mette hym, as rede I,
and calenget þat he thoght amys
wyt drawen sword ful cruely.

But wen the aungel was commyng,
the asse þat Balaam rode opon
set ffete on spar, hym withdrawyng
to honour the aungel as he con.

But Balaam had ȝet no grace
the holy aungel forto see,
and why his asse so stondyng was
wonderle thyenne merueilet he,

And smot hys asse whit al his mayne,
and spak to hir fast ther stondyng,
and þe asse spak fast aȝaynne,
and vnswaret hym to al thyng.

But thenne God of hys myche myght
to se the aungel ȝaf hym grace,
when Balaam of hym had a sight,
felle doun anone by-fore his face.

Ther of the aungel sone in hight
repreuet truely he was,
and sayde to sle hym he had tight,
nyf the asse had ȝiuen hym place.

Ther had he leue forthe for to go,
but to curse hom on no maner.
to the king when he come tho,
he wolcomet hym with louesom cher,

In-to a hul anone thay went,
and ther the keng taght in hy
wher that Godde[s] folk wer lent
and schowet wonyng by and by.

‘Lo’, says the keng, ‘her thow may se
thys folkes that dos vs miche wo,
curse hom Balaam, I pray the,
and make hor God to be hor foo.

‘And I schal ȝiue ȝow gold and fee
enogh of richesse er thow go,
ȝif that thow wolt do after me,
destruye the Iewes þat ben so thro.’

Balaam seuen auters sett
And vset his craft sone in hie,
the kyng mich gode hym bihett,
ȝif he myȝt do hom any anye.

But quen he warie shuld hom alle,
he praiset hom & blesside euer in one.
the kyng segh þer hit wold not falle,
to anoþer side þai conen gone,

And seuen auters as bifore
he made sett in anoþer place,
but þer myȝt Balaam do no more
then he did þer-as he er was,

But ay praiset in all thyng
Goddes peple þer þai wer,
And blesside hom & hor wonyng,
ffor þai to God wer leue & dere.

Qven þe kyng twie seȝe this cas,
wode wroth he was witerly,
but ȝet into anoþer place
with Balaam sone he con hy,

And setten vp auters sone onon,
but al hor dede miȝt noȝt auaile,
so four sithe þai euerychone
of hor purpose foule con faile.

But quen thay hade assaiet thrie,
the furth time thurȝe Goddus gras
Balaam spak in prophecy
thes wordes writon her in þis plas:

Orietur stella ex Iacob, & exurget homo de Israel & confringet omnes duces alienigenorum & erit omnis terra possessio eius.

Quen kyng Balaak seȝe þis cas
that Balaam propheciet oryght,
he wist wele þat no bote was
forto stryue with God al-myȝt,

But sone remewes from that plas
kyng & clerk, knaue & knyght,
And cecede after of her manas
Agaynus Goddus folk to fight.

After þis ful mony a ȝer
quen that Balaam was dede,
men of his blode & to hym der
wold noȝt mynde of this wer lede,

But chesen hom twelue men of his blode,
the quych wer ordeynt iche ȝer
continuelie with myld mode
forto make hor praier

Ich mone to God al-myȝt,
that he wold graunt hom of his gras
of that sterre to haue a siȝt
that Balaam propheciet of has.

And iche moneth ones thay went
In-to a hul that callide was
Mount Victorial verrayment,
to make hor praier in that plas.

And so continueden hor praier
fro Moyses time euer-more,
child after child two thousande ȝer
bifore that Ihesu Crist was bore,

And casuelie thes kynges thre
that weren of Balaams blode,
quen Crist was born in Iude
hor praiers maden with myld mode.

And as thay praiet ay in fer
As hor auncesters diden bifore,
A sterre aperide wonder cler,
so fair was neuer non sene ful ȝore,

The quich shapen was
like a childe, non fairer myȝt be,
And opon his hede he has
A shynyng croys as thay conen se,

that to the kynges apertly
spak þes wordes þat I shal say:
‘gos into Iude sone in hy,
ther þat ȝe sechen ȝe fynde may.’

Then þai purueyt hom anon
forto seche that heuen kyng,
and toward Iude fast þai con gon
with-outen any tarying.

But wonder hit is, as clercus sayn,
how thai come in so litel spas
so mony myle for al hor mayn,
In thritten days to þat plas.

But, as Remyge berys recorde,
sithen þai soȝten God almyȝt,
No wonder thaȝe sich a lord,
thagh way wer long, made hit but liȝt.

Ierom also berys witnes
dromedarys thay riden opon,
that is a best of gret swiftnes
a hundredth myle one day to gone.

So riden thay til þai come þer,
And ay þe sterr lad hom þe way,
sich hertis þai haden hym to her
that þai stynt neuer nyȝt ne day.

Anone quen þai comen wer
to Ierusalem with gret meyne,
thay enqverit in meke maner
qver kyng of Iewes born shuld be.

Vbi est, qui natus est rex Iudeorum?

thay asket not qveþer it wer so,
but qver hor verray kyng was born,
ffor thai bileueden fully tho
that born he was noȝt long biforn.

‘We seȝen his sterre,’ saiden þai,
‘In þe Est quen þat we wer,
And comen hider we ben to-day
to honour hym in meke maner.’

By quych wordes in gode fay,
As Remyge beris witnes her,
two thinges vnderstonde I may,
listnes now & ȝe moun her

ffor thay enqueride in that cite
After hor kyng was born þerby,
that tokenes temperal dignite
And worldly lordship witerly.

And als þai saiden, as ȝe shul se,
‘comen we ben in company
to worship hym with hert fre,
that god-hede wel may signifie.’

So godhede, monhede both in fer
In þes wordes I vnderstonde,
Crist & kyng in ful power
ffrom heuen sent & lord of londe.

Herodes autem hoc Audiens turbatus est & omnis Ierusalem.

Kyng Heroude, quen he herde þis þing,
trovblide he was þen with tene,
And all Ierusalem old & ȝeng
stonyet wer, as was sene.

Thre causes Heroude hade i-wys
qvy he so gretly greuet was,
the first of hom may wel be þis
that I shal specifie in þis plas.

Prima causa quare Herodes fuit iratus in adwentu magorum Ierusalem.

For Heraude was an aliene
And noȝt born of Iewes blode,
that from Rome, as wel was sene,
sende to gouerne hom & hor gode,

Then dred Heraude lest born shuld be
of Iewes kynde a verray kyng
to reue hym al his rialte,
that was þer but an out-comlyng.

But ȝet this poynt forto declar
how that Herawde was þider sent,
And qvy for Crist he hade þat car,
her I wil telle, now takes entent.

In þe first boke writen is
of þe Olde Testament,
that is cald Genesys,
the last chapiter verrayment,

That Iacob twelue sone hade,
to quych he told hor destyne
bifore hor deth hom to glade,
quat maner mon ichone shuld be.

And imong other to Iudas
he saide þes wordes that I shal say,
that sceptre neuer from hym shuld pas,
tyll Crist wer comen & kyng verray.

Genesis vltimo: Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda & dux de femore eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, & ipse erit expectacio gentium.

And quen that kyng so comen wer,
Crist Goddus sone to saue monkynde,
of Iudas blode, in no maner
any kyng saue Crist shulde nomon fynde.

Of þis Iudas Iacob sone
comen Iewes witerly,
And of hym come þat nome in wone,
In holy writt as wel rede I.

So fel hit, neȝe er Crist was born,
Þat kyng of Iewes wer past out
And al þe world to Rome sworn
And thider wer buxum al about,

So was Heroude þider sent
fro Rome to be kyng of Iude,
that time þat Crist omnipotent
was born of mylde Mary fre,

And then, as I haue told bifore,
quen Heroude herd that Crist was born
supposet his kynde shuld regne nomore,
but Iewes blode as was biforn,

And lest þai wolden haf put hym out
And haue auauncet hor owen kynde,
this was Heraudes gret dout,
And one cause verray, as I fynde.

Secunda causa quare Herodes timuit & iratus fuit de aduentu Christi.

Anoþer cause he dred hym fore
myȝt wel be þis that I shal say,
for alle kynges las & more
thurȝe-out þe world of ich cuntray

Weren sent from Rome to vche londe,
as Heroud was into Iude,
Ȝif he had lafte that of his honde,
schamele schent thenne had ben he.

ffor Romaynes haden a statute maad,
that noghwher God schuld callet be
ne keng, but thay that leue hade
of Rome and lordes of that cite.

Therfore ȝif he had suffert ther
any keng boute hor assent,
or callet God aboute oghwher
in his lond ther he was lent,

The Romaynes migh haue had a way
Heroud schamely to haue schent,
that made hym dredyng in gode fay,
to destruye Crist more feruent.

Tercia causa quare Herodes fuit iratus.

The thridde cause whi he was wrothe
schewes the gode sayn Gregory,
ffor worldely keng most nede be lothe
that heuenly keng schuld hym destruy.

Heroud had fichet al his wit
to worldly wele for sothe iwis,
and lothe was to leue oght of hit
or fleschely mirthes forto misse.

But righ-wysly when heuenly keng
come forto for-by so mon-kynde,
the worldely keng most be dredyng
and al amaset in his mynde.

Gregorius: Altitudo terrena confunditur, cum celsitudo celestis aperitur.

When Heroud segh these kenges thre
so comen fer out of the Est,
do hom reuerence nede most he,
and callet his wisemen most and lest,

and asket hom wher Crist born schuld be.
thay sayden, ‘in Bethleem sikerly’.
thenne prayet Heroud the kenges thre
that thay schulden come aȝayn hym by.

Quare magi ducatum stelle ammiserunt ingredientes Ierusalem.

The fyrst for thei shuld streynet be
to ask after qver he wer born,
that kyng & folk of þat cite
miȝt know hor kyng þer hom biforn.

And also þat þe kynges thre
shulden knowe by hor prophecy
In qvat place born shuld he be,
As Heroudes clercus tolden in hy.

And so the Iewes enfourmet wer
the time of Crist & his comyng,
by þe kynges in this maner
that certeyn tithinges couthen bryng,

The Iewes also taghten enter
the place qver shuld be born hor kyng,
As thay by prophecy con ler
of Mycheas, as I shal myng.

Micheas iiijto capitulo: Tu Bethleem terra Iuda, nequaquam minima es in principibus Iuda: ex te enim exiet dux, qui regat populum meum Israel.

Secunda causa quare stellam amiserunt.

The secunde cause may wel be þis,
sithen thai worldly help þer soght,
heuenly help þai shuld mysse
of sterre þat hom so thider broȝt.

ffor til þai come to þat cite
of Ierusalem, as I ȝou say,
Mony a myle & eke cuntre
enqueret þai neuer after hor way,

But þat sterr from heuen sent
lad hom til þai come þere,
And no time bifore fro hom went
til þai of men conen so enquer.

Tercia causa quare ducatum stelle ammiserunt.

The thrid cause, quen þai comen wer
ther-as was walle of prophecy,
that thay by prophecy myȝten ler
the time of his birth verrayly.

ffor, as þe apostle beris witnes,
signes verrayly shewede bene
to sich as knowen not God expresse,
that they moun leue thyng that þai sene.

But sich as knowen of his godenes,
As Iewes that Goddes peple wer,
prophecy to hom shewide wes
to baue in mynde & therby ler.

The Iewes also witerly
on mony prophetis leueden tho,
but thos kynges, as rede I,
on Balaam & on no mo.

Therfore hom nedet tokenyng
Er that thay shuld thider go,
As thay hade by the sterre shynyng
And prophecy also both two.

Qven thay from Heraude passide wer
out of Ierusalem to þat cite,
the sterre apertly con aper,
glad wer then tho kynges thre,

And alway lad hom as bifore
til þai comen to þat place,
And ther stode stille, meuet no more,
therby þai wist that Crist born was.

Qualis fuit stella que apparuit. Remigius.

Now er that I firre go
And meue more of þis mater,
discreue þis sterre now I wil, so
As diuerse auctores con me ler.

Remige settes in his book
mony doctours opinioun,
as he in diuerse place con loke,
and what thay ben now here ȝe moun.

Summe sayn this sterre that schone so bright
the holy gost was weterly,
for verray Crist in that light
was sene, as her be-fore sayd I.

for right as he schewet hym in sight
in douue liknesse mekely,
so in a sterres, als he wel might,
in signe of his burthe openly.

Opinio Iohannis Grisostomy de qualitate stelle.

Iohan with the guylden mouthe says this,
that ilke sterre an aungel was,
the selue aungel forsoth i-wis
that to the schephirdes schewde hym has,

But to the schephirdes, sothe to say,
in his owen liknesse come he,
but to the kenges to lede hom way
in sterre liknesse, leue ȝe me.

Verissima oppinio diuersorum de qualitate stelle.

But most verray opinioun,
as clerkes hopen thys may be,
hit was new made, ȝe leue moun,
at Ihesu Cristes natiuite

In knowyng he was comen doun
forto make mon-kynde fre,
And to fulful as was resoun
this propheci, as ȝe may se:

Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris uidit lucem magnam.

‘Peple that was in thesternesse
seghen grete light to hor likyng,’
As Ysas beres gode wyttenesse,
was now fulfullet in al thing.

De situ, fulgore & motu dicte stelle.

Now ys good al that ȝe knowe,
the setting, schynyng and meuyng
of this sterre I schal schowe,
and as Fulgence witnesses this thing.

‘That sterre’, he says, ‘stode not on hight
as other opon the firmament,
but nerre the erthe hit was pight
vn-like to other that ther wer lent.

‘ffor in-myddes the ayr was hyt
ful negh vs semyng as in sight,
and wonder hyt was to monnes wyt
in what place that hit was pight.’

hit passet in schynyng also

In fulgore.

alle sterres þat euer wer sene before,
for day and night also both two
hit shone continuely euer-more,

As wel quen sunne was shynyng
As in nyȝt quen hit was merke,
that semus hit was a tokenyng
of Cristes come, as sais þe clerke.

In motu.

In mouyng als vnlike it was
to any oþer, leue ȝe me,
ffor euen into þe certeyn plas
hit lad alway þe kynges thre,

And meuet not in þat maner
by cercle as oþer of þe firmament,
but euen forth, with-outen wer,
to wysse þe way bifore hom went.

Et intrantes domum inuenerunt puerum &c.

Then entride thay the hous into
And founden the child, his moder eke,
hor ȝiftes ho conen vnderfo,
And honoureden hym with hert meke,

With golde, encense & myrr also.
And qvy þai chesen þes gyftes thre
I wil telle er that I go,
has mynde of this & herkenes me.

De misterio trium munerum, Primo de Auro.

The first cause bout wer,
for then was vset in hor londe,
to God ny kyng in no maner
shuld nomon come bout ȝift in honde.

Secunda causa. Bernardus.

Another cause may wel be this,
As Bernarde beres gode witnes,
that gold was offride not amys
ffor Mary pore & simple wes,

And in releuyng of hir tho
gold þai maden in present,
ffor al-thagh God wer born þer so,
Pore þai wer both verrayment.

Then seghen þe kynges, as sais he,
how porely þen þat Mary lay,
And offriden gold ful gret plente
to releue hir in better aray.

Encense was offride als I-wys

De incenso.

stenche of stabul forto qvace,
And myrre also nothyng amys
for childes membres ȝyuen was,

To anoynt hom fote & kne.
for the kynde of myrre is this,
hit strengthes, þat men may oft se,
senowes & ioyntes þat faren amys,

And wormus wayues eke also,
ffor myrre a gumme is, as I fynde,
that al corupcioun puttis hym fro,
And holdis thing clene in his kynde.

Also in signe þat he was keng

De Auro.

gold rial power may signyfie,
therfore thay token to hor offryng
gold as for tribute skylfully.

And als sithen he shuld bischop be

de incenso.

And hede of holi chirche also,
encense was gode for that degre
to sacrifise imong mo.

Mirre also was ȝyuen oright,

De mirra.

sithen he shuld degh & buriet be,
to bavme hym, al-thaȝe he had tiȝt
to rise from deth in daies thre.

Lo her ȝe moun se wel in siȝt

De tribus muneribus.

by gold a kynges realte,
by encense als Goddes myȝt,
by myrre, deth that tholet he.

Gold als luf may signifie,
for it is ȝyuen in no place
but þer mon loues hertfully,
As thay diden Ihesu ful of grace.

Encense signifies eke
deuocioun had to God al-myȝt,
that is done with hert meke
to heuen hit steghes sone in hiȝt.

And myrre may signifie also
ouercomyng of our fleschlie wille,
quen we feȝten aȝayn þat fo
our talent noȝt forto fulfille.

And alle þes vertuse rekenet her
offre we most to God almyȝt,
luf, deuocioun, flesch enter,
ȝif we wil lede our lif oright.

And that in Crist wer alle thes thre,
I wil preue skylfully,
for siker for luf from heuen com he
with his blode vs forto bye.

disparagide so his deite.
more luf to vs, but I shal lye,
myȝt he not showe, ȝe may wel se,
As Paule witnes apertely.

Christus seipsum exinaniuit formam serui accipiens.

deuoute saule he hade also
that by encense may signifie,
for quen he of þis world shuld go,
for mon he praiet tenderly.

Oro pro vobis patrem vt ipse vos custodiat.

fflesche also he had enter
and encorrupte of any synne,
for of a mayden clene and cler
borne he was our wel to wynne,

And leuet two and thritte ȝer
And ȝette more, as I ȝow mynne,
thenne after dethe withowton wer
clarifiet from vs to twynne,

So clene flesche he had al-way
withouten any corupcioun,
that I to mirre wel liken may
that offert was by good resoun.

When these worthy kenges thre
haden mad thus hor present,
in slepe an aungel, leue ȝe me,
warnet hom lest thay wer schent,

Another way hor gate schuld be,
for Heroud was in ful entent
had he hom sene, slayn hom wold he,
so home a-nother way thay went.

So by a sterre thidder thay coom
and Balaames prophecy,
and hoom hor way thay noom
by aungeles leding, as rede I.

So thay lyueden gode lif ay,
when thay wer dede weterly,
at Melan a long while thay lay,
the chefe cite of Lumbardy,

After-ward translatet thay wer
to Coloyne ther thay ȝette ben lent,
and in one bed thay lyne in fer
as weten thay that ther han went.