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[The Tale of the Priest for whom the Sacramental Bread and Wine were turnd into a Child's Flesh and Blood.]
Þyr was a man of relygyoun;
Of almës he had grete renoun;
But, for þe fende wulde haue hym shent,
He beleued nat yn þe sacrament,
And seyd ‘hyt was nat Ihesu
Þat conceyued was þurgh vertu;
Ne Ihesu was nat þe oblé
Þat reysed was at þe sacré;
And þo þat wurschep ded þarto,
To beleue hyt, was nat to do.’
Of almës he had grete renoun;
But, for þe fende wulde haue hym shent,
He beleued nat yn þe sacrament,
And seyd ‘hyt was nat Ihesu
Þat conceyued was þurgh vertu;
Ne Ihesu was nat þe oblé
Þat reysed was at þe sacré;
And þo þat wurschep ded þarto,
To beleue hyt, was nat to do.’
Byfore twey abbotes þus he tolde;
Þese abbotes wryte þys tale to holde;
hyt oght be tolde to euery wham
Þat ys aȝens þe crystendam,
Tyl hyt be preued with clergye
wheþer hyt be beleue or erysye.
Þese abbotes wryte þys tale to holde;
hyt oght be tolde to euery wham
Þat ys aȝens þe crystendam,
Tyl hyt be preued with clergye
wheþer hyt be beleue or erysye.
Þese abbotes shewed hym þe ryȝt weye
with alle þe ensamples þat þey coude seye;
And he seyd ‘þat hyt was lye,
But ȝyf he sagh hyt with hys ye.’
“Doþe þan so þat y hyt se,
Þan wyl y beleue þat hyt may be.”
with alle þe ensamples þat þey coude seye;
And he seyd ‘þat hyt was lye,
But ȝyf he sagh hyt with hys ye.’
“Doþe þan so þat y hyt se,
Þan wyl y beleue þat hyt may be.”
Þese abbotes preyd a ful seuen nyȝt
Þat God wulde shewe hym, þurgh hys myȝt,
Yn flesshe and blode on þe autere,
To cónferme hys beleuë clere;
And hym-self preyd specyaly
Þat God wulde shewe hym also yn body;
“Lorde,” he seyde, “for no mysbeleue
Þat þou shuldest, with me þe greue,
But for to shewe þe ryȝt soþenes
Þat þou art þe sacrament of þe messe,
Þat y may make ouþer certeyn
whan y with yën haue þe seyn!”
Þat God wulde shewe hym, þurgh hys myȝt,
Yn flesshe and blode on þe autere,
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And hym-self preyd specyaly
Þat God wulde shewe hym also yn body;
“Lorde,” he seyde, “for no mysbeleue
Þat þou shuldest, with me þe greue,
But for to shewe þe ryȝt soþenes
Þat þou art þe sacrament of þe messe,
Þat y may make ouþer certeyn
whan y with yën haue þe seyn!”
Þe abbotes lay yn orysun
Tyl alle þe seuen nyȝt were doun;
þe seuenþe day, to þe cherche þey cam,
And þe touþer man with hem þey nam;
A sege was ordeyned for hem þre
To beholdë alle þe pryuyte
Of þat holy sacrament
Þat shewed was yn here present:
Betwyxe hem sate þys ychë man
Of whom þe myracle fyrst began.
Tyl alle þe seuen nyȝt were doun;
þe seuenþe day, to þe cherche þey cam,
And þe touþer man with hem þey nam;
A sege was ordeyned for hem þre
To beholdë alle þe pryuyte
Of þat holy sacrament
Þat shewed was yn here present:
Betwyxe hem sate þys ychë man
Of whom þe myracle fyrst began.
whan þe vble was on þe auter leyd,
And þe prest þe wurdes had seyd,
Alle þre þoȝt þan verrylyk,
Before þe prest, þat a chyld lay quyk
Yn feyrë forme of flesshe and blode;
Þys say þey þre, þere þey stode.
And þe prest þe wurdes had seyd,
Alle þre þoȝt þan verrylyk,
Before þe prest, þat a chyld lay quyk
Yn feyrë forme of flesshe and blode;
Þys say þey þre, þere þey stode.
whan þe preste shulde parte þe sacrament,
An aungel dowun from heuene was sent,
And sacryfyed þe chylde ryȝt þare;
As þe prest hyt brak, þe aungel hyt share;
þe blode yn-to þe chaleys ran
Of þat chylde, boþe God and man.
An aungel dowun from heuene was sent,
And sacryfyed þe chylde ryȝt þare;
As þe prest hyt brak, þe aungel hyt share;
þe blode yn-to þe chaleys ran
Of þat chylde, boþe God and man.
Þys man ȝede to þe heyȝest degre,
To housel hym, as fyl to be;
Hym þoght þe prest broȝte on þe pateyn
Morselles of þe chylde alle newe sleyn,
And bedde hym a morsel of þe flesshe
with alle ȝe blode þer-on alle fresshe.
To housel hym, as fyl to be;
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Morselles of þe chylde alle newe sleyn,
And bedde hym a morsel of þe flesshe
with alle ȝe blode þer-on alle fresshe.
Þan gan he cry, with loudë steuene,
“Mercy! Goddys sone of heuene!
Þe brede þat y sagh on þe auter lye,
Hyt ys þy body; y se hyt with ye.
Of þe brede, þurgh sacrament,
To flesshe and blode hyt ys alle went;
Þys y beleue, and euer y shal;
For verryly we se hyt alle.”
“Mercy! Goddys sone of heuene!
Þe brede þat y sagh on þe auter lye,
Hyt ys þy body; y se hyt with ye.
Of þe brede, þurgh sacrament,
To flesshe and blode hyt ys alle went;
Þys y beleue, and euer y shal;
For verryly we se hyt alle.”
whan he and þey were alle certeyn,
yn forme of brede hyt turned aȝeyn;
He ded hym housel as ouþer wore,
And was a gode man for euermore;
And alle þe toþer beþ þe better,
Þat heren þys tale, or redyn þys lettyr.
yn forme of brede hyt turned aȝeyn;
He ded hym housel as ouþer wore,
And was a gode man for euermore;
And alle þe toþer beþ þe better,
Þat heren þys tale, or redyn þys lettyr.
Þe prest þat sacreþ Goddys body,
Hym behoueþ bé clene nedëly:
A lewed man þat shal hym receyue,
Alle maner of fylþe, behoueþ hym weyue.
Hym behoueþ bé clene nedëly:
A lewed man þat shal hym receyue,
Alle maner of fylþe, behoueþ hym weyue.
Be þou neuer so gode a preste,
Ne so grete wyttë yn þy breste,
Y rede þe here how þe propertes are shewed,
Þogh þe langage be but lewed.
Ne so grete wyttë yn þy breste,
Y rede þe here how þe propertes are shewed,
Þogh þe langage be but lewed.
Þou wost weyl þat þe vblè
Ys but a lytyl þyng to se;
So shal we be lytyl yn wyl,
lytyl and meke, with-outyn yl,
Noȝt yn pryde, ne naȝt yn heghþe,
For no wysdom ne for no sleghþe,
Þat we ne falle with Lucyfere,
For proude men wonë with hym þere.
Ys but a lytyl þyng to se;
So shal we be lytyl yn wyl,
lytyl and meke, with-outyn yl,
Noȝt yn pryde, ne naȝt yn heghþe,
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Þat we ne falle with Lucyfere,
For proude men wonë with hym þere.
Þe vblè ys made of whete,
Þe louelyest cornë þat men ete;
So shal we be meke and louely
To allë þo þat beþ vs by;
Þys mekënes ys aȝens Ire,
Þat ys with Lucyfere yn fyre.
Þe louelyest cornë þat men ete;
So shal we be meke and louely
To allë þo þat beþ vs by;
Þys mekënes ys aȝens Ire,
Þat ys with Lucyfere yn fyre.
Þe paste of þe vblè, nat ne ogh
Be made of any maner of soure dogh;
For þe soure dogh makeþ alle soure
Þe swetnes þat cumþ of þe floure.
By þys soure dogh ys tokenyng
Þat enuye ys a wykked þyng,
For hyt fordoþe swetnes of dede
Þat God shulde ȝyue for soulë mede;
Þarfore makeþ he none herbergerye
Þere he fyndeþ byfore, enuye.
Be made of any maner of soure dogh;
For þe soure dogh makeþ alle soure
Þe swetnes þat cumþ of þe floure.
By þys soure dogh ys tokenyng
Þat enuye ys a wykked þyng,
For hyt fordoþe swetnes of dede
Þat God shulde ȝyue for soulë mede;
Þarfore makeþ he none herbergerye
Þere he fyndeþ byfore, enuye.
A vertu also yn þe whete ys,
Þat ys moche aȝens sloghnes;
For whetë cornës wyl nat prykke,
As otës dowün, or barlykke;
Ne we shulde nat haue any prykyl
Of ydylnes ouer mykyl.
Þat ys moche aȝens sloghnes;
For whetë cornës wyl nat prykke,
As otës dowün, or barlykke;
Ne we shulde nat haue any prykyl
Of ydylnes ouer mykyl.
Ydylnes gruccheþ, and ys heuy of þoȝt,
And also sonë wroþe for noȝt;
And þat wraþþë cumþ of sorowe,
Þat of wanhope wyl mochë borowe.
Þys sacrament of þe messe
loueþ noun swyche ydulnesse,
Ne, with noun, wyl he dwelle,
But þere men of Ioyë spelle.
And also sonë wroþe for noȝt;
And þat wraþþë cumþ of sorowe,
Þat of wanhope wyl mochë borowe.
Þys sacrament of þe messe
loueþ noun swyche ydulnesse,
Ne, with noun, wyl he dwelle,
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Þe paste to þe vblè seyd byforne,
Shal nat be of no medel corne,
But allë onëly of wete;
Þe mastlyoun shul men lete.
Þat yche meneþ, with no wyse
we shul vs medel with coueytyse,
And namëly with auaryce,
For þat ys tolde a wykked vyce.
Shal nat be of no medel corne,
But allë onëly of wete;
Þe mastlyoun shul men lete.
Þat yche meneþ, with no wyse
we shul vs medel with coueytyse,
And namëly with auaryce,
For þat ys tolde a wykked vyce.
Also þou seest þe vblè ys þynne,
And grete dunhede ys noun þer-ynne;
And þat wyl weyl sygnyfye
Aȝens þe synne of glotonye;
For þere ne wyl þe sacrament reste,
þere glotonye wyl hym oute keste.
And grete dunhede ys noun þer-ynne;
And þat wyl weyl sygnyfye
Aȝens þe synne of glotonye;
For þere ne wyl þe sacrament reste,
þere glotonye wyl hym oute keste.
And þou seest, þe vblè ys whyte;
And we shul hauë noun delyte
Of no maner of flesshely lak,
Of lechery, þat makeþ vs blak.
And we shul hauë noun delyte
Of no maner of flesshely lak,
Of lechery, þat makeþ vs blak.
Þese are þe seuene propertes
Yn þe vblè, as þou sees;
And euery properte þer-ynne
Ys aȝens a dedly synne.
Yn þe vblè, as þou sees;
And euery properte þer-ynne
Ys aȝens a dedly synne.
Aȝens þys sacrament, þan do þo
Þat are yn synne, and þar-to go,
Or are yn wyl aȝen to wende
To synne, and hemself shende.
Þat are yn synne, and þar-to go,
Or are yn wyl aȝen to wende
To synne, and hemself shende.
Also a preste þat goþ, syngeþ hys messe,
þat yn dedly synnë ys,
An hunder folde he synneþ more
Þan ȝyf he, a lewed man wore.
þat yn dedly synnë ys,
An hunder folde he synneþ more
Þan ȝyf he, a lewed man wore.
Alle þey þat receyue þys sacrament
yn dedly synne, or wykked entent,
yn any óf þese ychë seuene
Þat þou hast me herdë neuene,
Hyt ys to here dampnacyun,
And þarfore veniaunce shal be doun.
And, here y shal telle a tale,
How hyt ys to þo men bale.
yn dedly synne, or wykked entent,
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Þat þou hast me herdë neuene,
Hyt ys to here dampnacyun,
And þarfore veniaunce shal be doun.
And, here y shal telle a tale,
How hyt ys to þo men bale.
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