University of Virginia Library

IV. The Woman of Samaria.

Incipit de Muliere samaritana.

Þo ihesu crist an eorþe was. Mylde weren his dede.
Alle heo beoþ on boke iwryten. þat me may heom rede.
Þo he to monne wes iboren. of þare swete Marie.
And wes to ful elde icumen. he venk to prechie.
A lutel te-for þe tyme. þat he wolde deþ þolye.
He neyleyhte to one bureh. þat hatte samarie.
Al so he. þiderward. sumþing neyhleyhte.
He sende his apostles by-voren. and het heom and tauhte.
Heore in and heore biléuynge. greyþi þat heo schulde.
Heo duden heore louerdes hestes ase þeines heolde.
Al so heo weren a-gon. þe apostles evervychone.
Iesus at ore walle. reste him seolf al one.
Ase he þer reste, ase weri wei were.
Þar com gon o wymmon. al one buten ivere.
Ase heo wes er iwuned. heo com myd hire sténe.
And ihesuc to þare wymmon. bi-gon his þurst to mene.
Yef me drynke wymmon. he seyde myd mylde Muþe.
Þeo wymmon him onswerede. al so to mon vnkuþe.
Hwat ar-tu. þat drynke me byst. þu þinchest of iudelonde.
Ne mostu drynke vnder-fo. none of myne honde.
Þo seyde ihesu crist. wymmon. if þu vnderstóde.
Hwo hit is. þat drynke byd. þu woldest beon of oþer mode.
Þu woldest bidde þat he þe yeue. drynke þat ilast euere.
Þe þat ene drynkeþ þer-of. ne schal him þurste neuere.
Louerd þo seyde þe wymmon. yef me þar-of to drynke.
Þat ich ne þurve more. to þisse welle swynke.
Heo nuste hwat heo mende. heo wes of wytte poure.
Heo nuste noht þat heo spek. of þan holy gostes froure.
Sete ádun queþ ihesu crist. wymmon þine stene.
Go and clepe þine were. and cumeþ hider y-mene.
I nabbe heo seyde nenne were. ich am my seolf al one.
Nabbe ich of wepmonne. nones kunnes y-mone.
Wel þu seyst quaþ ihesu crist. wére. þat þu nauest nenne.
Fyue þu hauest ar þisse iheued. and yet þu hauest enne.
And þe þat þu nuþe hauest. and heuedest summe þrowe.
He is an oþer wyues were. more þan þin owe.
Louerd heo seyde hwat art þu. ich wot myd iwisse.
Þat þu me hauest soþ iseyd. of alle wordes þisse.
Þi of one þinge. sey me iredynesse.
Bi-twene þis twam volke. me þuncheþ a wundernesse.
For alle þeo men þat wunyeþ. in samaryes tune.
Alle heo biddeþ heom to gode. an-vppe þisse dune.
And alle þilke þat beoþ. wiþ-inne iherusaléme.
No-hwere bute in þe temple. ne weneþ god iquéme.
Ilef me wymmon quaþ ihesu crist. and þar-of beo vnderstonde.
Þat schal cume þe ilke day. and nv he is neyh honde.
Þat ne beo neuer þe mon. in so feorre londe.
If he myd swete þouhtes biþ. þat he ne biþ vnderstonde.
Þan he nouþer ne beo. an-vppe þisse dune.
Ne in þe heye temple. of ierusalemes tune.
Ye nuten hwat ye biddeþ. þat of gode nabbeþ imone.
For al eure bileue. is on stokke. oþer on stone.
Ac þeo þat god iknoweþ. heo wyten myd iwisse.
Þat hele. is icume to monne. of folke iudaysse.
Louerd heo seyde nv quiddeþ men. þat cumen is Messyas.
Þe king. þat wurþ. and nuþen. is. and euer yete was.
Hwenne he cumeþ he wyle vs alle ryhtleche.
For he nule. ne he ne con. nenne mon bipeche.
Ich hit am quaþ ihesu crist. þat wiþ þe holde speche.
Þat Messyas am icleped. and am þes worldes leche.
Mid þon comen from þe bureh. þe apostles euervychóne.
And wundrede þat ihesu wolde speke. wiþ þare wymmon one.
Ah þeyh heom þuhte wunder. no þing heo ne seyde.
Ac þe wymmon anon. hire stene adun leyde.
And orn to þare bureh anon. and dude heom to vnderstonde.
Of one Mihtye wihte. þat cumen is to londe.
Tó alle þat heo myhte. iseon oþer y-mete.
Heo gradde and seyde. ich habbe iseye þane soþe prophete.
ch wene wel þat hit beo crist. of hwam. þe prophete sayde.
Þurh ihesu cristes Milce. and þureh his wyssynge.
Monye þer byleuede. on þe heye kinge.
And vrnen vt of þe bureuh. myd wel Muchel þrynge.
And comen to ihesu þar he set. and beden his blessynge.
Þo byléuede þat folk. mucheles þe more.
For his mylde speche. and for his mylde lore.
And þus was þes bureuh a-red. vt of helle sore.
And byléuede on al-Mihty god. nuþe and euer-more.