A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
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Prima causa quare Herodes fuit iratus in adwentu magorum Ierusalem.
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 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
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,
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.
of Iewes kynde a verray kyng
to reue hym al his rialte,
that was þer but an out-comlyng.
62
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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,
fro Rome to be kyng of Iude,
that time þat Crist omnipotent
was born of mylde Mary fre,
63
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,
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.
And haue auauncet hor owen kynde,
this was Heraudes gret dout,
And one cause verray, as I fynde.
| A Stanzaic Life of Christ | |