A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
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Narracio bona sicut in quadam epistolam inueni.
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 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
Narracio bona sicut in quadam epistolam inueni.
Now her er that I firre pas
In this mater meuet her,
A tale that I seȝe writen was
showe I wil in gode maner.
In this mater meuet her,
A tale that I seȝe writen was
showe I wil in gode maner.
Ecce virgo concipiet & pariet filium.
‘Se’, saide þe prophet Isaye,
‘A virgyn shal conceyue i-wys
A sone & ber hym wemlesly
forto bryng monkynde to blis.’
‘A virgyn shal conceyue i-wys
A sone & ber hym wemlesly
forto bryng monkynde to blis.’
When Simeon segh þis ilk thing,
Merueilet wonderly he was,
And hopide hit hade ben fals wrytyng
that he segh þer in þat plas,
Merueilet wonderly he was,
And hopide hit hade ben fals wrytyng
that he segh þer in þat plas,
ffor impossible hym thuȝt it wer
A may conceyue by any way,
And saide, ‘he that wrot this her
wrot fals, a waiour dar I lay.’
A may conceyue by any way,
And saide, ‘he that wrot this her
wrot fals, a waiour dar I lay.’
And toke his knyf & scrapet fast
And this word ‘virgyn’ writen þer,
And þer-as ‘virgyn’ writen was last,
made ‘a gode wommon’ a child to ber.
And this word ‘virgyn’ writen þer,
And þer-as ‘virgyn’ writen was last,
made ‘a gode wommon’ a child to ber.
94
Deleuit hoc verbum virgo & scripsit bona mulier.
Qven he hade chaungide þis word so,
his boke from hym he lays adoun,
And thogth that he hade wel don tho
And made a gode correcioun.
his boke from hym he lays adoun,
And thogth that he hade wel don tho
And made a gode correcioun.
Anoþer day quen hym list se
holi writ & prophecy,
eft his boke then turnes he
to þo wordes of Isaie,
holi writ & prophecy,
eft his boke then turnes he
to þo wordes of Isaie,
And þer-as he hade scrapet away
this word ‘virgyn’ the day bifore,
he fonde hit writen aȝayn verray,
so fair letters saȝe he not ȝore.
this word ‘virgyn’ the day bifore,
he fonde hit writen aȝayn verray,
so fair letters saȝe he not ȝore.
When Simeon segh þat writyng,
wonder he hade gret witerly,
for that boke was in his kepyng,
non oþer mon myȝt com þer-by.
wonder he hade gret witerly,
for that boke was in his kepyng,
non oþer mon myȝt com þer-by.
And als þat worde so writen was
that so fair letter he neuer segh,
vnlike to þat he writen has,
for he nas neuer writer so slegh,
that so fair letter he neuer segh,
vnlike to þat he writen has,
for he nas neuer writer so slegh,
But ȝet he þoȝt he wold assay
qveþer þat wer thurȝe God almyȝt,
And eft þat word he scrapis away,
‘virgyn’, writen þer oright,
qveþer þat wer thurȝe God almyȝt,
And eft þat word he scrapis away,
‘virgyn’, writen þer oright,
And þer-as ‘virgyn’ stode bifore,
he wrote ‘gode wommon’ in that plas,
And hud his boke fro las & more
vnder lok for any cas.
he wrote ‘gode wommon’ in that plas,
And hud his boke fro las & more
vnder lok for any cas.
But sone opon þat oþer day
his boke he openet forto se,
And fonde ‘gode wommon’ clene away
And ‘virgyn’ writen, as er segh he,
his boke he openet forto se,
And fonde ‘gode wommon’ clene away
And ‘virgyn’ writen, as er segh he,
95
With golden letter so curiosly
that impossible i-wys it wer
to any mon that wer wordly
to write sich letter as was ther.
that impossible i-wys it wer
to any mon that wer wordly
to write sich letter as was ther.
Qven Simeon seȝe þat it was so,
then leuet he þat fullily
ther hade þe holy gost ben tho
And visitide hym ful graciously,
then leuet he þat fullily
ther hade þe holy gost ben tho
And visitide hym ful graciously,
And praiet God with hert fre
he shuld neuer deȝe ne thethen go
that maidens child til he myȝt se
And eke hondul hym both two.
he shuld neuer deȝe ne thethen go
that maidens child til he myȝt se
And eke hondul hym both two.
Tunc responsum Accepit Simeon a spiritu sancto, non visurum se mortem nisi videret Christum Domini.
Then hade Simeon an vnswar
of þe Holi Gost in hiȝt
that for dethe schulde he not car
tille he hauede sene þat suete wight,
of þe Holi Gost in hiȝt
that for dethe schulde he not car
tille he hauede sene þat suete wight,
that of a virgin born schulde be,
the which child was God almight,
and to the tempul so come he,
as þe Holy Gost behight,
the which child was God almight,
and to the tempul so come he,
as þe Holy Gost behight,
And as ys in the euangelei
that he come the tempel to
in gost, as hit says opunlye,
his office mekely for to do.
that he come the tempel to
in gost, as hit says opunlye,
his office mekely for to do.
| A Stanzaic Life of Christ | |