Speculum Christiani A Middle English religious treatise of the 14th century: Edited from all the known mss. and one old edition, with introduction, notes, glossary, index of names and quotations, a table and appendices by Gustaf Holmstedt |
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SPECULUM CHRISTIANI
Septima tabula.
I pray ȝou alle, my frendys dere,
Sumwhat of boke of wysdom lere,
Hou he spekeȝ to al maner men,
That other schuld rule, teche or ken,
Othir bodili or gostly.
To hem he spekeȝ specially.
He calleȝ euery man a kynge,
That here has cure or gouernynge.
He biddeȝ hem loue god and his lawe,
And teche it othir men to kepe and knawe.
And ther-aboute euer thei must be bese.
And thei schal in heuen crounede be
And haue more worschipe and honour
Than euer had kynge or emperoure.
Gregorius:Sumwhat of boke of wysdom lere,
Hou he spekeȝ to al maner men,
That other schuld rule, teche or ken,
Othir bodili or gostly.
To hem he spekeȝ specially.
He calleȝ euery man a kynge,
That here has cure or gouernynge.
He biddeȝ hem loue god and his lawe,
And teche it othir men to kepe and knawe.
134
And thei schal in heuen crounede be
And haue more worschipe and honour
Than euer had kynge or emperoure.
No sacrificeȝ pleseȝ so myche god as true loue of soule.
Idem:
He es more in loue anenste god that drawes moo to the loue of god.
If [hit] be myche to fede bodyes that schal dye, it es myche more to fede soules to lyue wyth-outen ende.
Bot if thei her seke dignite,
Worschipe, welth or welfare bodile,
And godes lawe fro hem wythdrawe,
[Whom] thei schulde it [do to] kepe and knawe,
In grete peyne schal thei be
For here state and dignite,
That thei had thorou goddes grace,
And sythen to hym vnkynde was.
Apostolus:Worschipe, welth or welfare bodile,
And godes lawe fro hem wythdrawe,
[Whom] thei schulde it [do to] kepe and knawe,
In grete peyne schal thei be
136
That thei had thorou goddes grace,
And sythen to hym vnkynde was.
He that takes no kepe of hys thynges and most of hys owne housholde denyeȝ fayth, and he es werse than any vnfeythful man.
Gregorius:
Wyth-outen doute he has gylte of the doer of euyl that reckeȝ not to amende that thynge that he may correcte.
Bernardus:
I, ferynge the multitude of my wyckednesse, haue drede to reproue trespaces of othyr men.
And ther-for I haue ben auctor of deth, for I haue not put oute venome that I myght haue put a-way, cryinge ther a-ȝeyns.
Som of god take here noon awe,
And that thei schal aftyr-warde knawe,
When thei in helle stronge paynes fele,
When tyme of mercy passeȝ theme euery dele.
Paulus:And that thei schal aftyr-warde knawe,
When thei in helle stronge paynes fele,
When tyme of mercy passeȝ theme euery dele.
He that es vnwys in gylte, he schal be wys in peyne.
Gregorius:
Wycked men knowe neuer here gilte or synne bot in peyne.
138
And some ther ben that gyfe hem mekyl
To the worlde that es fals and fikel.
On it there loue most thei sette;
Ant it the loue of god most wyl lette.
It schewyth to them many a thynge,
That to the flesch es grete lykynge.
He byddes [them] wyrke and felowe his wyl,
And al ther wyl he schal fulfille.
Many hym felowe and do ful [ille],
Ther[fore] ofte thei falle in grete perrylle.
He leddes hem forth wyth wrench and wyles,
And summe þer ben þat gyffe þaime mekil
to þe worlde þat is boþe fals & fikil.
On hit þaire loue most þay sette
& hit þe loue of god most wil lette
Hit schewis to hem mani a þing
þat to þe flesch is grete lyvyng
he biddis þaime werke & folowe his wille
and alle þare wille. he schal fulfille
Mani him folwe & do ful ille
þer for ofte þei falle. in gret perille
He ledis hem forth wt wrenchis & wilis
Bot at the laste he hem begyles.
To the fende he es true seruaun[d]e,
For he brynges his frendes in-to [his] hande.
He techeȝ his frendes many a thynge
Aȝeyns godes law and his biddynge.
Who-so ther-for his frende wil be,
Enmy to god ordaynde es he.
Apostolus:To the worlde that es fals and fikel.
On it there loue most thei sette;
Ant it the loue of god most wyl lette.
It schewyth to them many a thynge,
That to the flesch es grete lykynge.
He byddes [them] wyrke and felowe his wyl,
And al ther wyl he schal fulfille.
Many hym felowe and do ful [ille],
Ther[fore] ofte thei falle in grete perrylle.
He leddes hem forth wyth wrench and wyles,
139
to þe worlde þat is boþe fals & fikil.
On hit þaire loue most þay sette
& hit þe loue of god most wil lette
Hit schewis to hem mani a þing
þat to þe flesch is grete lyvyng
he biddis þaime werke & folowe his wille
and alle þare wille. he schal fulfille
Mani him folwe & do ful ille
þer for ofte þei falle. in gret perille
He ledis hem forth wt wrenchis & wilis
140
To the fende he es true seruaun[d]e,
For he brynges his frendes in-to [his] hande.
He techeȝ his frendes many a thynge
Aȝeyns godes law and his biddynge.
Who-so ther-for his frende wil be,
Enmy to god ordaynde es he.
He that wil be frende of this worlde es ordeynde ful enmy to god.
This worlde we may wele know and ken
By the maner of worldly men.
Som be to besy bothe nyght and day
Aboute the worlde soon to passe a-way.
To wynne his worschyp and his welth thei traueylle faste,
Bot heuen to wynne thei haue no haste.
Gregorius:By the maner of worldly men.
Som be to besy bothe nyght and day
142
To wynne his worschyp and his welth thei traueylle faste,
Bot heuen to wynne thei haue no haste.
Wo to ȝou that more laboreȝ to haue temperal gudes bi-for gostly and godly gudes, stronge to go the wey of worlde and feble to assaile the wey of commaundmentes of god!
To maynten syn som kan grete skylle,
And wronge prefe ryght for ȝeftes they wylle.
Ther-for this worlde holdes them ful wyse,
For moche thei can of his quantyse.
Lincolniensis:And wronge prefe ryght for ȝeftes they wylle.
Ther-for this worlde holdes them ful wyse,
For moche thei can of his quantyse.
Do we euyl thynges that gude thynges may come to vs!
Whos dampnacion es ryghtful.
Augustinus:
O wynnynges dampnable!
Thou fyndeste money, and thou leseste ryght-wysnesse, that man awes [not] to wyl for to lese for any price vndyre heuen.
144
Som men maken ioy in her foly,
In glotony, pryde and lychory,
And felow al her fleschly lust,
And ther-aboute do ofte grete cost;
For so ther flesch haue there welfayre,
For ther soules haue thei no kare.
Ieronimus:In glotony, pryde and lychory,
And felow al her fleschly lust,
And ther-aboute do ofte grete cost;
For so ther flesch haue there welfayre,
For ther soules haue thei no kare.
Thei that goon after ther fleschly lustes, redy to wombe ioye and to lechery, ben a-countede as vnresonable bestes.
Gregorius:
The fende vexeȝ not myche hem that he knowes to be his be ryght [i]nheritance.
Ieronimus:
The more plenty of delytes and lusty lyuynge ther be here amonge men, so myche more scarcete, wrechednes, turmentes, and payne schal be in helle amonge deueles to hem.
Apocalypsis:
As mych as he has magnifyede and glorifyede hym-selfe in delytes, so mych turmente and weylynge ȝeue ȝe to hym and lete hys myschefe and wrechednes be afture hys lusty lyuynge and ioye here.
Som often despysen godes byddynge and lawe
And alle holy menes techynges and sawe
Wyth lawghynge and scornynge and frowarde doynge;
And thys wyl haue a foule endynge.
Leue it wele, wythouten lye.
God hath sworne so schalle it be.
Suche men be not reulede aftyr skylle.
A whyle god suffreȝ hem to hauen her wylle.
Bot aftur he wyl on hem sende
Stronge veniance, bot thei amende.
Propheta:146
Wyth lawghynge and scornynge and frowarde doynge;
And thys wyl haue a foule endynge.
Leue it wele, wythouten lye.
God hath sworne so schalle it be.
Suche men be not reulede aftyr skylle.
A whyle god suffreȝ hem to hauen her wylle.
Bot aftur he wyl on hem sende
Stronge veniance, bot thei amende.
I haue callede to sorow and wepynge and loo! ioye and gladnes.
I haue sworn in my-selfe: This wyckednes schal
148
Ysaias:
Wo to ȝou that seis gud thynges to ben euyl thynges and euyl thynges to be gude!
Crisostomus:
Godes worde es scornede of wycked men as Criste was scornede of the Iues.
He may be callede bothe wytty and wys,
That wordly maners can wele dyspise,
And felow hem noght in nothynge,
That be aȝeyns godys lawe and byddynge,
Bot euyr to gude god has hys eye,
[And] aftur his biddynge reulede wyl be.
Propheta:That wordly maners can wele dyspise,
And felow hem noght in nothynge,
That be aȝeyns godys lawe and byddynge,
Bot euyr to gude god has hys eye,
[And] aftur his biddynge reulede wyl be.
On whom schal my spyrte reste, bot on a meke and contrite spiryte and kepynge my wordes?
Gregorius:
Al that dreden godes preceptes be made the tabernacle [or] dwellynge-place of god.
Origenes:
Euery man that obeyȝ the worde, Criste resteȝ in hym.
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Worldly wysdome es bot foly
Be-for god and his seruauntes holy.
Paulus:Be-for god and his seruauntes holy.
Wysdome of this worlde es bot foly a-for god.
His ryches riche and worschype grete
Es bot fauntome and dysseyte,
Wher-wyth he has many man defylede,
And at the laste hem by-gylede.
Apostolus:
Al that es in the worlde, or it es fleschly desyre, outher concupiscence [or] couetyse of een [or] syght, or ellys pride of lyfe.
In the worlde what ellys se we
[But wrechidnesse and vanite.
A place it is of grete gylerie,]
Of treson, discorde and tirannye,
Of trauele, trayne and vilanye,
Of peyne, of synne and of folye,
Of scornynge and sclaundrynge wyckedly,
Of chydynge of mote and fyghtynge folyly,
Of bannynge and bacbytynge pryuely,
Of flaterynge and fals feynynge sotilley.
[But wrechidnesse and vanite.
A place it is of grete gylerie,]
Of treson, discorde and tirannye,
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Of peyne, of synne and of folye,
Of scornynge and sclaundrynge wyckedly,
Of chydynge of mote and fyghtynge folyly,
Of bannynge and bacbytynge pryuely,
Of flaterynge and fals feynynge sotilley.
[Septem mortalia peccata.]
Of pryde, of enuy and foule lechery,Of sleuth, of wretch and myche glotony,
Of fals couetyse and wynnynge synfully,
Of okyr and heresye, of sacrilege and symony.
154
[Contra dei precepta.]
Of false goddes worschypynge ful vnwysely,Of vayn swerynge and false and ofte and hydously,
Of holy dayes myspendynge in synne and vanite,
Of fadyr and modyr dyshonurynge gostly and bodyly,
Of hyndrynge, of mans-sleynge in soule and body,
Of foule luste and lechory pryuely and openly,
Of thefte and of raueyn wyth extorcion plenty,
Of fals wyttnes berynge wytyngly and wylfully,
Of othir mennes thynge desyrynge thorowe synne and trechery,
156
A place it es of temptynge, of grete oppressyon,
Of stynke and of fylth and mych corrupcyon.
A grete fole, me thynke, certeyn es he,
That makeȝ his heuen in suche cuntre.
For al the ryches and welth of this lande
Schal turne al to erthe and muke stynkande.
The wys man in sothe wyl not sette his herte
On thynge that may not longe stonde in querte.
158
And no-thynge sette be-for that schulde be be-hynde,
Leste he for fleschly luste, vanite and synne
Lese heuen blys and helle peyn wynne.
O son, haue in mynde thyn laste thynges: deth and that longes ther-to, and thou schalt not synne wyth-outen ende!
He seyth plurelly laste thinges, [that is] haue thou [in] mynde what schal falle of thi thynges [or] thi gudes, of thi body, and of thi saule.
Psalmus:
If ryches felow to ȝow, wylles not seyte ȝoure hertes to mych ther-to.
It es wretyn:
Better es to haue a gude avisemente [or] a premedytacion than lordschippe [or] dominacion of al the worlde.
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