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(3) [D]E sacramento Altaris.

71

Nou hyȝt by-ualþ to telle ȝou—
And so ich moȝt wel nede—
Of godes flesch and eke hys blode
At cherche ine forme of brede
And wyne;
Þat freuereþ ous in oure exil,
And lyþeþ oure pyne.

72

Hȝe bliþe myȝten hy be
Þat folwede cryst in londe,
19

Þat myȝte hyne eche day yse,
Hijs swete loue to fonde
Ine keþþe!
So mowe we be, for ous neþ he
Hy-faylled neuer seþþe.

73

For þo hijs tyme was ycome
No leng to dwelle here,
Þat wete brede and honde he toke,
Þer he set atte sopere,
And seyde:
“Takeþ and eteþ, þys hijs my body”;
Of soþe he ham aueyde.

74

For-wy hyȝt moste nedes be
Al soþe þat he sede;
Þat alle þyng his ase he seiþ
Þy resoun wole þe rede.
Lo dede:
He seyde to al þe worlde, “be,”
And al was ase he sede.

75

Nammore maystrye nys hiȝt to hym
To be ine bredes lyche,
Þane hym was ine þe liche of man,
To keþen ous hijs ryche;
Þet makeþ
Þat hy beþ alle mis-by-leued
Þat oþer þrof for-sakeþ.

76

Þe fend hym-self him maky mey
Wel dyuerse liknynges,
20

Of best, of men, and of wymmen,
And mani oþer þynges,
To nusy:
Wel bet may god to oure prou
Dyuerse formes vsy.

77

Þo þat þe bred ytourned was
In to hys body selue,
He toke þe coppe wiþ þe wyne and water,
And seide eft to þe twelue
Yuere:
“Takeþ and drynkeþ euerech on
Of þis chalice here.

78

Þys hys þe chalis of my blode,
Of testament newe,
Þat schal be schad for manye men”;
And—ase we seyȝeþ gode and trewe
And kende—
“And doþ ȝe þos, wanne ȝe hyt doþe,
Doþ hyt in mine mende.”

79

Þo þat he sede: “doþ ȝe þos,”
Þe heyȝe kyng of heuene,
He ȝaf ham power to don hyt,
And forþ power to ȝeuene
Wel werþe,
Þaȝ he ne toke iudas out,
Þe worste man on erþe.
21

80

And nou þat power hys yȝiue
Fram bysschoppe to preste,
And so schel al so longe be,
Ase cristyndom schel leste;
Ymete,
Seþþe crist four ous an orþe come,
He nolde ous nauȝt for-lete.

81

Þaȝ he were inne hys manhode
Amanges ous to flotie,
Ȝet nere he nauȝt þanne ous so neȝ,
Ase nou we mowe hym notye
In vode:
We honorieþ hyne al iholliche
Ine flesch and eke ine blode.

82

Wat may amounti þat he wyle
So by-come oure fode?
Chaungeþ he auȝt, ase oþere mete,
In-to oure flesch and blode
By kende?
Nay, ac he chaungeþ ous in hym,
To maky ous gode and hende.

83

And ase gode þer his hole mete,
And sike hyt by-swikeþ,
So his þe mete dampnacion
To hem þat senne likeþ
To holde;
So he hyt tok and his lore,
Iudas, þat ihesus solde.
22

84

Þer-fore ich segge a godes half
To alle cristyne folke
Þat, wanne hy scholle yhouseled be,
Þat hy ne be a-bolke
In prede;
Let ounde and wreþe and coueytyng,
Sleuþe and lestes on-lede.

85

Nys none of wymman beter ibore
To seint Iohan þe baptyste;
And ȝet he quakede wel arȝ
Þo he touchede crist
Ine þe flomme:
Þanne auȝte we wel aryȝt to be
To fange hym on-tromme.

86

Þer-fore, ȝef þat ȝe fredeþ ȝou
Þat ȝe ne be nauȝt digne
For te be housled wyþ þys body
Ine þissre holy signe,
Wyþ-draweþ;
For, wo þat hyȝt takeþ ondygneliche,
Hys iugement he gnaȝeþ.

87

May somman segge:—hou schal me so
Fram þer houslyng dwelle?
Wanne god self aperteliche
Seiþ ous in þe gospelle—
Wel mende:—
“Who þat eteþ my flesch and drynkeþ my blod
Heþ lyf wiþ-oute ende.”

88

Þaȝ þou [ne] take hyȝt wyþ þe mouþe,
Ne myd teþ þer-on ne werche,
23

Þou takest hyt, man, ȝef þat þou art
A lyme of holy cherche,
To blysse,
Wanne eny prest his messe syngeþ:
Ilief hyt myd ywysse.

89

For on hys godes flesch to nemme
Ase mouþe þe mete takeþ,
An-oþer ase þe mete yȝete
In-to þe membres takeþ;
Ac here,
Crist hys þat heued, þe prest þe mouþe,
Þe lymes þat folke i-vere.

90

And ase þe bred to-gadere comþe
Of menye greynys to bake,
And ase þe wyne to-gadere flouþe
Of manye grapes ytake,
Ilyke,
Cryst and hijs membrys, men,
O body beþe ine mystyke.

91

Wet hys mystyke ne mey non wete
Be no þynge a-founde,
Bote wanne þer hys o þyng yked,
An oþer to onder-stonde
Þer-inne;
Hy þat aredeþ þyse redeles
Wercheþ by þilke gynne.

92

So wane þat body hym hys ked
Of swete ihesu cryst[e],
Me may wel onder-stonde þer
By þulke selue lyste
An oþer:
24

Cryst and eke alle holy men
O body, my leue broþer.

93

Þer-fore god heþ þis sacrement
Ymad of suiche þynges
Þat myȝte of manye mak on,
As cryst and hys derlynges
Imonge;
Þenne scholde hy at one be
In loue þat scholde hyt fonge.

94

Nou onderstand: þe signe her,
Fourme hys of wyne and brede;
Doble hys þat þyng, ryȝt cristes body,
And body of quike and dede.
Ac broþer,
Ȝet ryȝte body þaȝ hyt be þyng,
Hyȝt hys signe of þat oþer.

95

Vor ase þe ryȝte bodyes lemes
Habbeþ dyuerse wyke,
So habbeþ ryȝt membrys eke
Of þe body ine mystyke:
Þat weldeþ
Hys honden, men beþ þat wel doþ,
Þe fet, þat wel op-heldeþ.

96

Alle takeþ þat ryȝt body
Þyse men at hare houslyng,
Ac some to prou, and some to lere,
Ine wyl of seneȝynge
To derye;
Ac one gode aryȝt hyt nomeþ,
Þat body ine hys mysterye.
25

97

Ac þaȝ we be tokned þer
Ine oure sauueoure,
Ne lef þou nauȝt þe[t] we be þer,
Ne forþe nauȝt of oure
Þat were;
Þaȝ þer be tokned þynges two,
Þer nys bote o þyng þere;

98

And þat hys swete ihesu cryst
Ine flesche and eke ine bloude,
Þat þolede pyne and passyoun,
And diaþ opone þe roude,
Wel soure;
Ne lef non oþer, crysteman,
For safour ne coloure.

99

For þat colour, ne þat sauour,
Ne beþ nauȝt þer inne cryste,
Þaȝ he þer-inne schewe hym
By hys myȝte-folle lyste,
So couþe;
Ne myȝte elles bet be seȝe,
Ne beter yured inne mouþe.

100

For ȝef he schewed hym in flesch,
Oþer ine blody þynge,
Hydous hyȝt were to þe syȝte,
And to þe tast wlatynge
And pyne
Þanne hys hyt betere in fourme of brede,
And eke in forme of wyne.

101

For bred strengeþ þe herte of man,
And wyn hys herte gledeþ;
26

And strengþe longeþ þe body,
And blice þe saule vedeþ:
And nede
Þer-fore hys double sacrement,
Of wyne, and eke of brede.

102

For he ybout heþ oure body,
In-to os he let hys sinke;
And uor þe saule ine þe blod,
Hys blod he let os drynke.
Nou woste
Wy þer hys double sacrement:
For note of body and goste.

103

Ac wen nauȝt þat cryst be to-schift,
Þaȝ he scheweþ ine boþe;
To wene hys body wyþ-oute blod,
By þa weye ne goþe
To þryfte;
For þer he hys, he hys al yhol,
Ne mey me hym to-schifte.

104

Þeȝ þer te-breke aȝt ine þe mouþ,
Oþer ine þyne honden,
Hyt nas nauȝt he þat hys to-broke;
Ensample þou myȝt fonden:
To-slyfte
A[l þy] myrour þou myȝt fol wel,
Bote nauȝt þe ymage schifte.
27

105

By þyse ensample þou myȝt yse
He hys ine ech autere
Y-hol; þe prest hys messe syngeþ,
Þeȝ he ne be nauȝt yhere,
Ac wykke,
Ase þer beþ foles suiche fele,
Ysawe al to þykke.

106

Ac þaȝ þe prest hys messe do
Inne dedleche senne corse,
Þet sacrement, man, be þou syker,
For hym nys na þe worse;
For loke,
Þe sacrement nys na þe wors,
Þaȝ þat Iudas hyt toke.

107

Ac þaȝ hyt be neuer þe wors,
Þat sacrement an honde,
Þe bone þat swych prest þer byȝt
No stel ne schel hym stonde,
Ac derye;
For he despyseþ ihesu cryst,
Wanne he hym scholde herye.

108

Ac ȝyf þou wylt tak hyt to prou
For þe and þyne freende,
Ryȝt repentaunt and ryȝt deuout
Take hys deaþ in þy meende;
Naut lyȝt[e]:
Þe more þou þenkest so on hys deaþ,
Þe more hys þy meryte.

109

Manne, wanne þyt takest, ase oþer mete
In-to þy wombe hyȝt sedlyþ;
28

Ac ne defiþ nauȝt, ase þy mete
Wyþ þyne flesch medlyþ,
Ac keuereþ
Al oþer wyse, and so þy body
And þy saule hyȝt freuereþ.

110

Nabyd hyȝt nauȝt, ase oþer mete,
Hys tyme of defyynge,
And ryȝt anon hyȝt freuereþ
In þare oundervanginge;
Destresse
Of syke men, þaȝ hy hyt keste op,
Ne helpþ hyt nauȝt þe lesse.

111

For yf þe syke man hys gode
In þe leue of holy cherche,
Þeȝ he hyȝt cast op, hyt bylefþ
Sauuacion to werche
Ryȝt þere;
For al at ones he mey be
Þer and elles-were.

112

He soffreþ wel to be kest op,
And ȝet to be honoured;
Ac he soffreþ (noȝt) to be to-trede,
And of bestes deuoured:
And neade,
Ase he by-leue assayþ in flesch,
He assayþ ine forme of brede.

113

Þat body hyȝt nys (naȝt) þat þer comþe op,
Ȝef þat a man hyȝt keste;
29

For al so longe hyt hys þat body,
Ase forme of brede schel leste;
Ine manne,
Ȝet þaȝ þe fourme of brede to-go,
Þat body by-lefþ ȝet þanne.

114

And ȝyf he passeþ nauȝt fram ous,
Wanne wey aryȝtt hym healdeþ,
Wat ned hys for to take hym efte,
Þer wyle he ous so wealdeþ?
For mende
Of hys deþe and hys passyon,
Ase he het atte hys ende.

115

Of pure wete hyt mot be,
And eke of pure wyne,
Þet schel be to þys sacrement
Ryȝt of þe grape of wyne
I-lete;
For iesus seyþ þe vygne he hys,
And eke þe greyn of wete.

116

And ȝef mannes deuocioun slakeþ,
Wanne he by-healdeþ—
For hyt þinkþ bote oþer bred
An heaȝ þat þe prest healdeþ—
By-þenche hym
Of þe uertue þat þer hys,
Þat non errour adrenche hym;

117

And tak en-saumple of þat he kneuþ,
Þe preciouse stone:
Þaȝ he lygge amang oþere ylyche,
Me honoureþ hym alone;
So swete
30

Mid al þy wyl þer uertue hys,
God self ine sacrement (ymete).

118

Na more ne greueþ hyt ihesus
Þane sonne itrede in felþe;
Þaȝ eny best deuoured hyt,
Oþer eny oþer onselþe,
Ech screade
Ȝet al so longe hys godes body,
Ase lest þe fourme of breade.

119

And al so longe hyt hys blod,
Ase lest þe forme of wyne;
Nauȝt of fynegre kende chald,
Ne offe water droppyng of wyne,
Ac trye:
So lyte water schel be me[n]gd,
Þat wyne habbe þe maystrye.

120

For water self nys nauȝt þat blod,
Ac hyt hys an-ylyke
To þe folke þat torneþ al to cryst
Ine þe body of mystyke.
Nou, broþer,
I-lef al þys ine gode fey,
For may no þyng be soþer.
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