The poems of John Audelay Edited with introduction, notes and glossary [by Ella Keats Whiting] |
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 | The poems of John Audelay |  |
23
Hic incipit salutacio Sancte Brigitte virginis et quomodo Dominus Ihesus Christus apparuit illi corporaliter et dedit ill[i] suam benedictionem quod Awdelay.
Hayle! maydyn and wyfe, h[ayle]! wedow Brygytt,
Hayle! þou chese to be chast and kepe charyte;
Hayle! þi special spouse kyndle to þe knyt,
Hayle! he consentyd to þe same by concel of the
To be relegyous.
Hayle! fore þe loue of Ihesus Crist
Ȝe foresake ȝour fleschele lust,
Þer-fore be ȝe boþ e-blest
In þe name of swete Ihesus.
Hayle! þou chese to be chast and kepe charyte;
Hayle! þi special spouse kyndle to þe knyt,
Hayle! he consentyd to þe same by concel of the
To be relegyous.
Hayle! fore þe loue of Ihesus Crist
Ȝe foresake ȝour fleschele lust,
Þer-fore be ȝe boþ e-blest
In þe name of swete Ihesus.
165
Haile! þe moder of God to þe con apere,
Haile! he[o] told þe of His passion and of His spetus payne,
Hayle! ȝe wepit fore wo to-geder when ȝe were,
Hayle! fore His dolful deþ þat so was e-slayne.
Oure lade to þe gan say:
‘Hayle! blessid Bregit, let be þe tere,
And þonke my Sun fore His deþ dere,
Þat has e-ȝeuen þe powere,
To be wyfe, wedow, and may.’
Haile! he[o] told þe of His passion and of His spetus payne,
Hayle! ȝe wepit fore wo to-geder when ȝe were,
Hayle! fore His dolful deþ þat so was e-slayne.
Oure lade to þe gan say:
‘Hayle! blessid Bregit, let be þe tere,
And þonke my Sun fore His deþ dere,
Þat has e-ȝeuen þe powere,
To be wyfe, wedow, and may.’
Haile! seche a kyndle coupil can no mon herekyn;
Hayle! ȝe foresoke reches and ryal aray;
Hayle! ȝe hopid hile in ȝour hert þen;
Hay[le]! al þe worchip of þis word wol sone wynd away,
Within a lytil stownd.
Haile! þis wordle honour,
Hit fallis and fadis as a flour,
To-day is fresche in his colour,
To-morow he gyrdis to grownd.
Hayle! ȝe foresoke reches and ryal aray;
Hayle! ȝe hopid hile in ȝour hert þen;
Hay[le]! al þe worchip of þis word wol sone wynd away,
Within a lytil stownd.
Haile! þis wordle honour,
Hit fallis and fadis as a flour,
To-day is fresche in his colour,
To-morow he gyrdis to grownd.
Hayle! ȝe betoke ȝour tresour to þe Trinete
Fore He is truste and trew without treynyng;
Hayle! He dissayuyd neuer no soule with no sotelte,
Hayle! fayþfulle þat ȝe fond at ȝour endyng,
Þe soþe fore to say.
Hayle! oþer tresoure haue we noȝt,
Out of þis word when we be broȝt,
Bot good word, wil, dede, and þoȝt,
When we chuld wynd away.
Fore He is truste and trew without treynyng;
Hayle! He dissayuyd neuer no soule with no sotelte,
Hayle! fayþfulle þat ȝe fond at ȝour endyng,
Þe soþe fore to say.
Hayle! oþer tresoure haue we noȝt,
Out of þis word when we be broȝt,
Bot good word, wil, dede, and þoȝt,
When we chuld wynd away.
166
Hayle! with þese iiij feyþfully ȝe boȝt ȝoue heuen blis,
With good word, wil, dede, and þoȝt, to obey Godis bidyng;
Hayle! with þe werkis of merce ȝe geten ȝou mede, i-wis;
Haile! ȝe foresoken flesschele lust, þe fend, false couetyng,
Þat were ȝour iij enmys;
Haile! þai settyn al here sotelte,
Houe mons soule þai mow dystre,
With pride, lechory, and glotonye,
And cursid couetyse.
With good word, wil, dede, and þoȝt, to obey Godis bidyng;
Hayle! with þe werkis of merce ȝe geten ȝou mede, i-wis;
Haile! ȝe foresoken flesschele lust, þe fend, false couetyng,
Þat were ȝour iij enmys;
Haile! þai settyn al here sotelte,
Houe mons soule þai mow dystre,
With pride, lechory, and glotonye,
And cursid couetyse.
Haile! blessid Bregid fore þi benyngnete,
Haile! þe perles Prynce to þe con apere;
Haile! He grownded þe in grace in þi vergenete;
Haile! spesialy He speke with þe oft in þi prayere;
Haile! to þe pope He þe send
Fore to grawnt þe his special crace,
And to al þat vesid þi holy plase,
To assoyle ham of here trespas,
Þat here mysdedis wol amend.
Haile! þe perles Prynce to þe con apere;
Haile! He grownded þe in grace in þi vergenete;
Haile! spesialy He speke with þe oft in þi prayere;
Haile! to þe pope He þe send
Fore to grawnt þe his special crace,
And to al þat vesid þi holy plase,
To assoyle ham of here trespas,
Þat here mysdedis wol amend.
Haile! He bed þe bild a plas o relygion,
Haile! blessid Bregid, fere fro one plase;
‘Haile! to Pope Vrban, to Rome, þou schalt goon,
Þat is my veker in erþ to grawnt þe his grace,
To haue þe same pardon
Þat is in Pet[e]rs cherche at Rome,
To al þe pilgrems þat to þe cum,
Þat vesid þe in Cristis name,
To haue playn remyssion.
Haile! blessid Bregid, fere fro one plase;
‘Haile! to Pope Vrban, to Rome, þou schalt goon,
Þat is my veker in erþ to grawnt þe his grace,
To haue þe same pardon
Þat is in Pet[e]rs cherche at Rome,
To al þe pilgrems þat to þe cum,
Þat vesid þe in Cristis name,
To haue playn remyssion.
‘Haile!’ He said, ‘Ȝif þat pope wil grawnt þe no grace
Without mone, or mede, becawse of couetys,
Haile! þe Fader of heuen schal preuelege þi place;
Haile! I schal conferme þi bul þat aboue him is,
Þat schal he y-know.
Haile! my moder, my sele schal be,
My witnes al þe sayntis of heuen on hye,
My blessyng þe Hole Gost I betake to þe,
Þe pope schal lout ful low.’
Without mone, or mede, becawse of couetys,
Haile! þe Fader of heuen schal preuelege þi place;
Haile! I schal conferme þi bul þat aboue him is,
167
Haile! my moder, my sele schal be,
My witnes al þe sayntis of heuen on hye,
My blessyng þe Hole Gost I betake to þe,
Þe pope schal lout ful low.’
Haile! to þat perles prelat, to þe pope when þou come,
Haile! þou mendist þi mesage in a meke manere;
Haile! fayþfulli þat fader ful reuerenly at Rome,
Haile! he welcumd þe wo[r]þele with a wonder chere
Into þat hole place.
‘Haile!’ he said with myld steuen,
‘Welcum be ȝe fro þe Kyng of heuen;
Now blessid be þai þat in þe leuen,
Þat euer þou borne was.
Haile! þou mendist þi mesage in a meke manere;
Haile! fayþfulli þat fader ful reuerenly at Rome,
Haile! he welcumd þe wo[r]þele with a wonder chere
Into þat hole place.
‘Haile!’ he said with myld steuen,
‘Welcum be ȝe fro þe Kyng of heuen;
Now blessid be þai þat in þe leuen,
Þat euer þou borne was.
‘Haile! meruelus maide ful of mekenes,
Haile! hele þe Hole Gost is lyȝt þe within;
Haile! God haþ grouned þe gemfulli in his goodnes,
Haile! to be sauer of soulis and seser of syn,
Be his ordenans.
Haile! I grawnt to al remyssioun
Þat chryuen hem clene with contrichon,
And wil do here satisfaccion;
I reles here penans.
Haile! hele þe Hole Gost is lyȝt þe within;
Haile! God haþ grouned þe gemfulli in his goodnes,
Haile! to be sauer of soulis and seser of syn,
Be his ordenans.
Haile! I grawnt to al remyssioun
Þat chryuen hem clene with contrichon,
And wil do here satisfaccion;
I reles here penans.
‘Haile! to al þat worþely vesetyn þe hole place,
Haile! þat sechen þi socor, schal haue saluacion;
Haile! fore sake of þat Sofren þat þe to me send had,
Haile! in reueren[s] of þat Lord I grawnt hem remyssion
Of al here trespace.
Haile! to þi pilgrems perpetualy
Þat worchipen þi place graciously
With prayers, seluer, gold, lond of fe,
I grawnt ham þis special grace.’
Haile! þat sechen þi socor, schal haue saluacion;
Haile! fore sake of þat Sofren þat þe to me send had,
Haile! in reueren[s] of þat Lord I grawnt hem remyssion
Of al here trespace.
Haile! to þi pilgrems perpetualy
Þat worchipen þi place graciously
With prayers, seluer, gold, lond of fe,
I grawnt ham þis special grace.’
168
‘Now gramarce, gracious fader, of ȝour blessyng I ȝou pray;’
‘Mi blessid suster Bregit, my blessyng ȝif I þe;
Here I graunt þe þis grace specialy I say,
Withowton mone or mede I make hit to þe fre,
Þis special pardoun:
To al þe pilgrems fer and nere
Þat vesityn þi place in good manere,
To here gostele fader I grawnt pouere
To asoyle ham euerechon.
‘Mi blessid suster Bregit, my blessyng ȝif I þe;
Here I graunt þe þis grace specialy I say,
Withowton mone or mede I make hit to þe fre,
Þis special pardoun:
To al þe pilgrems fer and nere
Þat vesityn þi place in good manere,
To here gostele fader I grawnt pouere
To asoyle ham euerechon.
‘Haile! to þat pereles Prynce, Bregit fore me pray,
Þat haþ groundid þe in grace and is þi Couernoure;
Haile! my blessid doȝter, þi blessidnes hit may
At þe day of my deþ my soule þen socour,
And ȝif me wil and wit
Mi mysdedis here to amend,
Out of þis word or þat I wynd.
To þe Trenete I þe recomend;
Farewel, blessid Breget.’
Þat haþ groundid þe in grace and is þi Couernoure;
Haile! my blessid doȝter, þi blessidnes hit may
At þe day of my deþ my soule þen socour,
And ȝif me wil and wit
Mi mysdedis here to amend,
Out of þis word or þat I wynd.
To þe Trenete I þe recomend;
Farewel, blessid Breget.’
Þus þe pope preuelegd here place and haloud hit to Cristis entent;
Anon hure hole husbond a couennt to him con take,
And Bregit mad here of maydyns anoþer blest couent,
Þat foresoke here fleschle lust fore Ihesu Cristis sake,
In þe name of þe Trenete.
Þus þai disceuerd hem to;
Hure husbond to His bredern con go,
And to hure susteres heo whent him fro
To leue in chastite.
Anon hure hole husbond a couennt to him con take,
And Bregit mad here of maydyns anoþer blest couent,
Þat foresoke here fleschle lust fore Ihesu Cristis sake,
In þe name of þe Trenete.
Þus þai disceuerd hem to;
Hure husbond to His bredern con go,
And to hure susteres heo whent him fro
To leue in chastite.
Haile! þus þis perles prelet fro þe passid away,
When he with his benyngnete had ȝeuen þe his blessyng.
Haile! at þe day of our deþ þat settis no day,
Haile! þen, blessid Bregit, our soulis to blis bryng,
And graunt vs þi special grace,
In erþ þat we mowe worchip þe,
After in heuen we may þe se,
In [i]oi and blis perpetualy,
Within þat blisful place.
When he with his benyngnete had ȝeuen þe his blessyng.
Haile! at þe day of our deþ þat settis no day,
Haile! þen, blessid Bregit, our soulis to blis bryng,
169
In erþ þat we mowe worchip þe,
After in heuen we may þe se,
In [i]oi and blis perpetualy,
Within þat blisful place.
Beside þe Chene, soþly, seuen myle fro Lundun,
Our gracious Kyng Herre þe v wes founder of þat place;
Haile! he let preuelege þat hole place and callid hit Bregitsion;
Þe pope conferme þer-to his bul þroȝ his special grace,
In þe worchip of Saint Bregit,
To al here pilgrems an Lammes-day,
And also mydlentyn Sunday,
Þis pardon to last fore ȝeuer and ay;
God graunt vs part of hit.
Our gracious Kyng Herre þe v wes founder of þat place;
Haile! he let preuelege þat hole place and callid hit Bregitsion;
Þe pope conferme þer-to his bul þroȝ his special grace,
In þe worchip of Saint Bregit,
To al here pilgrems an Lammes-day,
And also mydlentyn Sunday,
Þis pardon to last fore ȝeuer and ay;
God graunt vs part of hit.
Mekil is al Ynglan i-hold to pray for Kyng Herre,
Þat so worþele our worchip in eueroche place,
Boþ in Fraunce, and in Breten, and in Normandy,
Þat oure faders had lost before, he get aȝayn be grace
And more-ouer speciali
To make soche a house of relegioun,
And to preueleche þer-to þat gracious pardon,
Al Ynglond to haue remyssioune;
Now Crist on his soule haue merce.
Þat so worþele our worchip in eueroche place,
Boþ in Fraunce, and in Breten, and in Normandy,
Þat oure faders had lost before, he get aȝayn be grace
And more-ouer speciali
To make soche a house of relegioun,
And to preueleche þer-to þat gracious pardon,
Al Ynglond to haue remyssioune;
Now Crist on his soule haue merce.
Was neuer a holeer order preueleged in no plas
Fore to red al þe rollis of relegyown,
Fore þai schal neuer schew no chappe ny fygure of face,
Ne without lycence or leue speche speke þai non,
Bot [þ]e warden be present;
Noþer fader, ne moder, ne no mon leuyng,
Schal speke to hom no erþle þyng,
Without þ[e] warden be þer hereng,
And know boþ here entent.
Fore to red al þe rollis of relegyown,
Fore þai schal neuer schew no chappe ny fygure of face,
Ne without lycence or leue speche speke þai non,
Bot [þ]e warden be present;
Noþer fader, ne moder, ne no mon leuyng,
Schal speke to hom no erþle þyng,
Without þ[e] warden be þer hereng,
And know boþ here entent.
170
Redle þei rysun with gret reuerens oneþus out of hure rest,
Devoutele with deuocion here seruys to syng and say,
And crucefyen here caren and slen here fleschele lust,
With preue prayers and penans þe Prynce of heuen to pay,
Deuotle day and nyȝt.
Þai prayn to God specialy
Fore al þat þai here leuyng be,
In masse, in matyns, in memore,
To þat Lord of myȝt.
Devoutele with deuocion here seruys to syng and say,
And crucefyen here caren and slen here fleschele lust,
With preue prayers and penans þe Prynce of heuen to pay,
Deuotle day and nyȝt.
Þai prayn to God specialy
Fore al þat þai here leuyng be,
In masse, in matyns, in memore,
To þat Lord of myȝt.
Fore hit fars noȝt be gostele goodis as doþ be temperale,
Þe men þat han part þer-of so lasse is vche dole;
Bot he þat delis gostle goodis, hit is so spiritual,
Þat vche mon þat haþ his part haþ fulle þe hole.
Ensampil chul ȝe se:
Alse mone men as may here a mas,
Vche mon his parte hole he has,
And ȝet þe masse is neuer þe las[s]e,
Bo[t] so more of dyngnete.
Þe men þat han part þer-of so lasse is vche dole;
Bot he þat delis gostle goodis, hit is so spiritual,
Þat vche mon þat haþ his part haþ fulle þe hole.
Ensampil chul ȝe se:
Alse mone men as may here a mas,
Vche mon his parte hole he has,
And ȝet þe masse is neuer þe las[s]e,
Bo[t] so more of dyngnete.
Pray we to God specialy to saue þat spiritual plas,
Þat þai obey obedyans þat þay be bound to,
Fore þay may þroȝ here precious prayoure purches here our grace,
Haue we neuer in þis word wroȝt so moche wo;
Þai han þat pouere.
Fore al þat here wele done,
Crist wil graunt hem here bone,
Þai wot neuer hou sone
He hers here prayere.
Þat þai obey obedyans þat þay be bound to,
Fore þay may þroȝ here precious prayoure purches here our grace,
Haue we neuer in þis word wroȝt so moche wo;
Þai han þat pouere.
Fore al þat here wele done,
Crist wil graunt hem here bone,
Þai wot neuer hou sone
He hers here prayere.
Crist þat was crucefid on cros and cround with þorne,
And ched his blesful blod fore oure syns sake,
Let neuer þis worþ lond, Lord, be forelorne,
Bot puttis doune here pouere þat werris wil awake,
And sese al males.
Fore ȝong K[yn]g Herre now we pray,
Þat Crist him kepe boþ nyȝt and day,
And let neuer traytor him betray,
And send vs rest and pes.
And ched his blesful blod fore oure syns sake,
Let neuer þis worþ lond, Lord, be forelorne,
Bot puttis doune here pouere þat werris wil awake,
171
Fore ȝong K[yn]g Herre now we pray,
Þat Crist him kepe boþ nyȝt and day,
And let neuer traytor him betray,
And send vs rest and pes.
Al þat redis reuerenly þis remyssioune,
Prays to blisful Bregit, þat merceful may,
Fore hom þat mad þis mater with dewocion,
Þat is boþ blynd and def, þe synful Audelay.
I pray ȝoue specialy,
Fore I mad þis with good entent,
In þe reuer[en]s of þis vergyn verement,
Heo graunt ȝoue grace þat beþ present,
To haue ioy and blis perpetualy.
Prays to blisful Bregit, þat merceful may,
Fore hom þat mad þis mater with dewocion,
Þat is boþ blynd and def, þe synful Audelay.
I pray ȝoue specialy,
Fore I mad þis with good entent,
In þe reuer[en]s of þis vergyn verement,
Heo graunt ȝoue grace þat beþ present,
To haue ioy and blis perpetualy.
Amen.
| The poems of John Audelay | |