A Stanzaic Life of Christ Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea |
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Notandum quod natiuitas Christi fuit mirabiliter facta,
multipliciter ostensa, & vtiliter exhibita, sicut inferius declarabitur.
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 | A Stanzaic Life of Christ |  |
Notandum quod natiuitas Christi fuit mirabiliter facta, multipliciter ostensa, & vtiliter exhibita, sicut inferius declarabitur.
Now gode is þat ȝe knowe & se,
As I shal louely ȝou ler,
that Ihesu Cristes natiuite
was done in meruelous maner,
As I shal louely ȝou ler,
that Ihesu Cristes natiuite
was done in meruelous maner,
Showet als-so, as ȝe shul se,
mony waies to vs her,
And for gret profit, leue ȝe me,
Mon he bicome in meke maner.
mony waies to vs her,
And for gret profit, leue ȝe me,
Mon he bicome in meke maner.
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Primo fuit mirabiliter facta ex parte generacionis.
touchyng hym that engendret has,
God hym-self thurgh þe holi gost,
to monnus witte wonder hit was
that he that was of miȝtes most
God hym-self thurgh þe holi gost,
to monnus witte wonder hit was
that he that was of miȝtes most
Wold light into so pore a place,
saue only of his gret godenes,
ffor his Godhede so grauntyng grace
he disparaget then expres.
saue only of his gret godenes,
ffor his Godhede so grauntyng grace
he disparaget then expres.
Vnde Apostolus: seipsum exinaniuit formam serui accipiens.
As touching als his moder fre
and the maner of hir gendryng,
vnlike it was, by my leute,
to alle bifore & after comyng,
and the maner of hir gendryng,
vnlike it was, by my leute,
to alle bifore & after comyng,
ffor maiden ho was euer-more
bifore that birth & after suyng,
As I may preue was saide bifore
In þis boke quich I wil myng.
bifore that birth & after suyng,
As I may preue was saide bifore
In þis boke quich I wil myng.
ffor by fyue signes shawede hit was
that maiden ho was, moder Mary;
ffirst wittnes, as boke mynde mas,
the gret prophete Isay:
that maiden ho was, moder Mary;
ffirst wittnes, as boke mynde mas,
the gret prophete Isay:
Primo per prophetam: Ecce virgo concipiet & pariet filium.
‘Se,’ he sais, ‘conceyue shal wel
A maiden & ber a child of blis,
his nome clepide Emanuel,
that tokenes, “God with vs”, I-wys.’
A maiden & ber a child of blis,
his nome clepide Emanuel,
that tokenes, “God with vs”, I-wys.’
Emanuel, id est, nobiscum deus. Secundo per figuram.
The secunde maner showet is
thas ho was virgine clene & cler,
In figur & tokenyng I-wis
by Aaron ȝerd, as con aper,
thas ho was virgine clene & cler,
In figur & tokenyng I-wis
by Aaron ȝerd, as con aper,
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ffor, as we reden fer bifore,
In Moises time hym lyuyng,
Aarons ȝerde, þat drie was thore,
fflorischt þat time in tokenyng
In Moises time hym lyuyng,
Aarons ȝerde, þat drie was thore,
fflorischt þat time in tokenyng
That Goddes sone wold be I-bore
of a maiden, as I now myng,
to releue þat wer forlore,
And monkynde to blis to bryng.
of a maiden, as I now myng,
to releue þat wer forlore,
And monkynde to blis to bryng.
Item dicitur in Eȝechiel: vidi portam in domo domini clausam, et dixit angelo: Porta hec non aperietur, set clausa erit & vir non transiet per eam, quia dominus solus intrabit & egredietur per eam.
Also þe prophete Eȝechiel
seȝe a ȝate in heuen on hegh,
closet hit was swith wel,
that ȝate þer come nomon negh.
seȝe a ȝate in heuen on hegh,
closet hit was swith wel,
that ȝate þer come nomon negh.
ther told an aungel þe prophet þo,
that ȝate shuld not oponet be,
ffor thurgh God wold come & go,
non oþer ther shuld haue entre.
that ȝate shuld not oponet be,
ffor thurgh God wold come & go,
non oþer ther shuld haue entre.
That tokenet Marie & nomo,
ho was þat ȝate, leue ȝe me,
ffor bi hit God con com & go,
As þe prophete in gost con se.
ho was þat ȝate, leue ȝe me,
ffor bi hit God con com & go,
As þe prophete in gost con se.
Tercio per custodiam.
Als showet hit was þe thrid way,
that maiden ho was euer-more,
for to Ioseph to kepe hir ay
weddet ho was onely þerfore,
that maiden ho was euer-more,
for to Ioseph to kepe hir ay
weddet ho was onely þerfore,
that he miȝt kepe hir couenably
& witnes ber al of hir dede,
As he by siȝt knewe sikerly
And angels warnyng, as I rede.
& witnes ber al of hir dede,
As he by siȝt knewe sikerly
And angels warnyng, as I rede.
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Quarto.
the furth euidence verrayment
that we witen ho maiden was,
was by expresse experiment
the mydwif preuet in þat plas.
that we witen ho maiden was,
was by expresse experiment
the mydwif preuet in þat plas.
ffor, as I told bifore now her,
two mydwyues wer with hir al nyȝt,
þat one wold preue ȝif hit so wer
that ho wer maiden by full insight,
two mydwyues wer with hir al nyȝt,
þat one wold preue ȝif hit so wer
that ho wer maiden by full insight,
And quen ho towchet priue plas,
hir honde drieden vp onone.
and als hou Ihesu born þer was
ny in what maner wist not one,
hir honde drieden vp onone.
and als hou Ihesu born þer was
ny in what maner wist not one,
ffor clos womb conceyuet he was
And clos womb als out he went,
this preues hir maiden ful of gras
by expresse experiment.
And clos womb als out he went,
this preues hir maiden ful of gras
by expresse experiment.
Quinto.
The fift sadship of knowyng
that Mary maiden was euermore
wer mony miracles then showyng,
As I haue told now her bifore,
that Mary maiden was euermore
wer mony miracles then showyng,
As I haue told now her bifore,
Of temples, images doun fallyng,
As told was er his birth full ȝore
by hom þat maden sich knowyng
A thousande ȝer er Crist was bore.
As told was er his birth full ȝore
by hom þat maden sich knowyng
A thousande ȝer er Crist was bore.
| A Stanzaic Life of Christ | |