The poems of William of Shoreham :: :: University of Virginia Library

Nou ferst ich wille telle ȝou
Wet may be þe materie
Wer-inne cristning may be mad,
Þat bringeþ ous so merie
To honoure:
Hiȝt moȝt be do ine kende water,
And non oþer licour[e].

30

Þer-fore ine wine me ne may,
Inne siþere, ne inne pereye,
Ne ine þing þat neuere water nes
Þorȝ cristning man reneye;
Ne inne ale,
For, þie hiȝt were water ferst,
Of water neþ hit tale.

31

Ne mede, ne forþe no oþer licour
Þat chaungeþ wateres kende,
Ne longeþ nauȝt to cristendom,
Þaȝt some foles hit wende
For wete;
For suich is kendeliche hot,
Þaȝt þer no feer hit ne hete.

32

Ac water is kendeliche cheld,
Þaȝ hit be warmd of fere;
Þer-fore me mey cristni þer-inne,
In whaut time falþe a ȝere
Of yse;
So mey me nauȝt in ewe ardaunt,
Þat neþ no wateris wyse.

33

Al-so me may inne sealte se
Cristny wel mitte beste,
And eke inne oþere sealte watere,
Bote me in to moche kes(ch)te
Of sealte;
For ȝef þat water his kende lest,
Þat cristning stant te tealte.

34

Ac ȝyf þer were ymengd licour
Oþer wid kende wetere,
Ich woȝt wel, þrinne to cristnye
Hit nere nefur þe betere,
Ac wonde;
For bote þat water his kende haue,
Þat cristnynge may nauȝt stonde.

35

In water ich wel þe cristny her,
As gode him self hyt diȝte;
For mide to wessche nis noþynge
Þat man comeþ to so liȝte;
In londe
Nis non þat habben hit ne may:
Þat habbe hit wile, founde.

36

Þis beþe þe wordes of cristnyng
Bi þyse englissche costes:—
“Ich cristni þe ine þe uader name,
And sone, and holy gostes;”
And more,
“Amen!” Wane hit his ised þer-toe,
Confermeþ þet to-fore.

37

Þe wordes scholle be ised
Wiþe-oute wane and eche;

And onderstand, hi moȝe bi sed
In alle manere speche
Ine lede,
Þat euerich man hi sigge moȝe,
And cristny for nede.

38

Ac ȝif man scholde icristnid be
Þat neþ none deaþes signe,
Þe pope for te cristny hyne
So nere nauȝt te digne
Þe leste;
Þer-fore hi beþ in cherche brouȝt
To cristny of þe preste.

39

Ac he þat ȝif so large water
Þe fend fram ous te reaue,
In nede for to cristny men
Ȝef alle men ileaue
At felle;
Olepi mot hym ine þe water,
And eke þe wordes telle.

40

And wanne hi cristneþ ine þe founȝt,
Þe prestes so þries depeþ,
In þe honur of þe trinite,
Ac gode ȝeme kepeþ
Þe ned
On time a cloþe þat water ikest,
Ac ope þe heuede te bede.

41

Ac water ikest an oþer leme
Cristneþ þe man alyue,

Ac hit his sikerest in þe heeued,
Þer beþ þe wittes fyue.
Wel, broþer,
Ne non ne may icristned be
Ar he his boren of moder.

42

Ȝet gret peryl hy vndergoþe
Þat cristneþ twyes enne,
Oþer to ȝeue asent þer-to,
Oþer for loue of kenne
For-hedeþ
Wanne child ariȝt cristnyng heþ,
And þat oþer nauȝt for-bedeþ.

43

Bote hi þis conne, hit his peril
To þise medewyues;
For ofte children scheawiþ quike,
Ibore to schorte lyues,
And deyeþ:
Bote hi ariȝt icristned be,
Fram heuene euere hi weyeþ.

44

Ac ȝif þat child icristned his,
Ac me fot at me hit weneþ,
Þise habbeþ forme þer-of
A latin þat ham genieþ
To depe;
And ich schel seggen hit an englisch,
Nou þer-of neme ȝe kepe.

45

Þe prest takeþ þat ilke child
In his honden by-thuixte,

And seiþ: “ich ne cristni þei nauȝt,
Ȝef þou ert icristned;”
Eft sone:—
“Ac ȝyf þou nart, ich cristni þe;”
And deþ þat his to donne.

46

Ac ȝet þer beþ cristnynges mo,
Ac no man ne may diȝtti;
For hi beþ godes grace self,
Men of gode wil to riȝti
And wynne,
Wanne hi wolde icristned be,
And moȝe mid none ginne.

47

Þat on his cleped cristning of blode,
Wanne suche bledeþ for criste;
Þat oþer of þe holy gost,
Þat moȝe mid none liste
Be icristned,
And deyeþ so: wanne hi beþ deede,
Ine heuene hi beþ igistned.

48

Þe children atte cherche dore
So beþ yprimisined;
And þat hi beeþe eke atte fount
Mid oylle and creyme alyned
Al faylleþ;
Hiȝt worþeþ cristnyng, and þat child
Þer-to hit auailleþ.