The poems of William of Shoreham ... Re-edited from the unique manuscript in the British Museum by M. Konrath |
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| III. |
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| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. | VII. On the Trinity, Creation, the Existence of Evil, Devils, Adam and Eve, &c.
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 | The poems of William of Shoreham |  |
130
VII. On the Trinity, Creation, the Existence of Evil, Devils, Adam and Eve, &c.
1
In holy sauter me may redeHou god þourwe þe prophete sede,
Dauyd, y-wysse,
Þat fol in hys herte sede:
‘Þer nys no gode,’ dar man nauȝt drede
To don amys.
2
Seþþe hyt hys so, hyt hys grete douteÞat þare be woxe of þare route
Mani a fol,
Þat weneþ ryt, wyþ-oute mysse,
Þat þer nys god ine heuene blysse,
Ne helle pool.
3
Þat eny soche be crystene man,God for-bede! and nauȝt for þan,
We y-soeþ al day
Þat menye y-crystnedde were,
Fareþ ryt ase hy nere
Nauȝt of þe fay.
4
And manye of ham þat beþ so fel[l]e,Þat þaȝ me godne sckele hem telle,
Nauȝt hyȝt ne ganþ:
131
And manye of ham not neuere wat,
Ne wat he menþ.
5
To sechen hyt hys wel lytel prysReyson to telle, þet hys y-wys,
Ac lete ham be;
For, bote hy take a betere fay,
Atte last hy goþ to schame a-way,
Me may hyt see.
6
Ac ȝef þou wenst, man, þat errour,Þat þare ne be no sauueour
Ne oþer lyf,
And hyt be for de-faute of lore,
Lest now wat ich segge more,
Wyþ-oute stryf.
7
And ȝef þou [be] ylered man,And onderstan[s]t ȝet al for þan
No god ne be,
Ich acsy þe a questioun,
And, ase hyt longeþ to reysoun,
And-swere þou me.
8
Þe erthe hys heuy, wyþ-oute wylle,Þat wey y-seoþ, and by al stylle
To gonne þrop.
Wat, hou fareþ hy þat hy nasynkeþ,
Ase here kende were, hyt þynkeþ;
Ho halt ys op?
132
9
Herto me seyþ, and heþ ysed,To healde hy op hyt nys no ned,
Ne neuere nes,
For chisel, grauel, stones harde,
Ande here depnysse ryȝt dounwarde
Hys endeles.
10
Þat þat be fals me may aspyeBy wytnesse of philosophye
And clerkes fele;
And fals ich may hit prouie wel,
Þer hyt hys ned, and were ich schel,
By þysse skele.
11
Þe sonne and monne and many sterrenBy easte aryseþ swyþe ferren,
Ase ham y-worþe;
By weste hy grendeþ, alle þyse,
And comeþ aȝen þer hy aryse
Al vnder forþe.
12
Þos myȝt wete wel, wo-so wolde,Þe wolkne by-clepþ al þe molde,
And so hyt doþ;
Ne may hy nauȝt þanne be endeles
Þat þos be-go so hys and wes,
An þat hys souþe.
13
Ac saye ryȝt þos—and ich afoweÞat euerech man hyt moȝt alowe
Þat reson hent:—
Hyȝt hys a myȝt of alle myȝtte
Þat halt op þerþe and sterren bryȝte
Aboute itrent.
133
14
Þys ilke mytte, for hyt wel may,Bryngeþ forþe a wyt of swete aray,
Þet no swech nys;
For al þat hys an heȝ and loȝe
Hit schift and ditteþ ase hys oȝe,
And so hyt hys.
15
Wat makeþ sonne, mone, and sterrenTo certeyn go, aboute and ferren,
And faylleþ naȝt?
Hyt mot wyt and wysdom, neade,
Þet of þe mytte þet ich er sede
Hys forþe araȝt.
16
Nou þou sixte wel hou hyt syt,Þys ylke myȝte and eke þys wyt,
In oure boke:
Þe mytte hys fader of oure crede,
Wysdom þe sone, for wytti-hede
Þat he forþ toke.
17
Euer was þys ylke myȝtte,And euer worþ, bye gode ryte,
Ne say nauȝt nay!
Hou mytte hyt [cesse], and eft by-gynne,
Þet nede neþ of none gynne,
Ac al do mey?
18
And ase hyt hys by-fore y-nome,Þaȝ þat wyt of þe mytte [come]
By kende wey,
Þat wyt was euere naþeles,
Þe myȝtte nys neuer wytles,
Ne by ne may.
134
19
Her-to acordeþ oure fay,Þat holy cherche neȝ eche day
Wel merye syngeþ,
Ine a song ofte by note
‘Quicunque uult’ þet hys y-hote,
Ryȝt ase me singeþ.
20
For þer hyt of þe uader seyþ,And of þe sone to-gadere leyþ,
In boke yset:
‘Þe sone hys of þe fader alone
Engendred, nauȝt ymad of mone,
Nef oþe[r] wet.’
21
Folye hyt hys to meche to þencheOf þe engendrure, and þynne adrenche,
Of fader and sone:
So ase hy beþe, [hy] euer were,
And soche by-ȝete neuere nere
Elles ine wone.
22
Ac nauȝt forþ þan, þat hyt be soþHoly cherche to wytene doþ,
We wyten hyt wel;
Ilef hyt, oþer þou ert by-caut,
For ho þat nele by-leue hyt nauȝt,
To helle he schel.
23
And þelke sone ȝet naþelesRyȝt ase þe fader hys endeles,
Ase myȝt and wyt:
Ȝef euer was [fader], euer was sone,
For beþe reysoun and eke wone
Aloweþ hyt.
135
24
Nou we habbeþ uader and sone,Ase hye beþ ryȝt ine persone,
And þan-cheysoun.
Wat may þe holy gost nou be?
Persone þrydde in trynyte,
Nou herkne reysoun.
25
Þou sixt þet al þat farþ aryȝt,Be hyt þyster, be hyt lyȝt,
To acord hys wyue;
For ȝef þer were werre a-boue
Amang þe sterren, and no loue,
Al hy to-dryue.
26
And bote a truwe loue comeOf þare myȝtte and þa wysdome,
Ne myȝt hyt by;
And ryȝt of ham he moste come,
For werof elles te be y-nome
Can non ysy.
27
Euer-to lef þat loue were,For myȝtte and wysdom neuer nere
Wyþ-oute acord;
For ȝef acord hem hedde yfaylled,
Ar ayder oþer hedde a-saylled
Wyþ wykked word.
28
Hou scholde myȝtte maky wrake,Oþer eny descord onder-take
Wyþ oȝe wyt?
So nest, ac euer weren hy:
Þanne moste loue euer by,
Nou þou sixt hyt.
136
29
Þys loue hys self þat holy spyryt;Þer-to acordeþ holy wryȝt
Ine þylke songe
Þat ich was embe, [of] oure faye,
Þat holy cherche singeþ a daye
At pryme longe:
30
‘Þe holy [gost] of [þe] fader rycheAnd of þe sone, of oþer ylyche,
So he for[þ] comeþ;
Noþer by-ȝete, ne forþe i-wroȝt
Of aȝt þat hys, ne forþe of noȝt’:
By lawe hyt nomeþ.
31
And euer was þat holy spyryȝt,Þat ylke songe wytnesseþ hyt,
And more þer-to:
Þat he schal by, and hys, and was
Ase fader of heuene ryȝt endeleas;
And sone al-so.
32
Ȝet oure by-leaue wole onder-gonÞat þyse þre beþ ryȝt al on,
And nys no wrong;
Þaȝ hy be ine reyson dyuers,
O god hyt hys, and stent in uers
Ine þulke song.
33
Þaȝ myȝte, wysdom, and eke loue,Hy þre by, ase ich sede a-boue,
Diuers ine werk,
Ine hem self o god hy beþ;
Nys non þat aȝt elles y-seþ
So god [a] clerke.
137
34
And naþeles ofte hy beþ y-blent,Þyse clerkes, wyþ here argument,
Ande gynneþ leȝe;
Hare oȝe wyt, hyt hym by-kecheþ,
Þat god so sotylleche secheþ,
Þat syt so heȝe.
35
Þe fader hys god, for he may al;Þe sone hys god, for he wot al,
Wyþ-out[e] crye;
Þe gost hys god, þat oneþ al,
Ȝet ne beþ hy bote o god al,
Nauȝt godes þry.
36
Þaȝ myȝtte be to þe fader yleyd,And wysdome of þe sone yseyd,
And loue þe gost,
Ȝet beþ hy þre of one myȝtte,
Of one wytte and loue lyȝtte,
Þorȝ fay þe hyt wost.
37
Nou þou syxt wel þat encheysounOf oure by-leue, and eke reysoun,
Þet o god hys;
Ȝef þou þenkest forþer hou hyt may be,
Go nauȝt to niȝ hys maieste,
To þenche amys.
38
[N]ou hys al þys by skele ondo,And by-leaue alegged þer-to,
Þat god hys he.
Nou we moste y-wyte more,
Of þyse worldle some lore,
Hou hyȝt may be:
138
39
Wader þy[s] worldle euer were,Oþer a some tyme nere,
And þo by-gan?
Euerte mytte hy nauȝt by,
Ich schal þe telle reyson wy,
Soþe ase ich can.
40
For godes myȝtte, ande eke hys wyt,And eke hys wylle, to soffry hyȝt
So were woȝ;
For he hys almytty, ase ich er sede,
Al-wys, and wyl ine god-hede,
Þet hys ynoȝ.
41
Ac ȝef he nedde þys world y-wrouȝt,And myȝte and couþe, and dede hyȝt nouȝt,
Hyt were amys;
Ac hys al-myȝtte hys of suche entaylle,
And hys al-wyt, hou mytte hyt faylle
Of þet god hys?
42
He made hyt al, nys hyt non oþer,And þat of nauȝte, my leue broþer,
He made hys werke;
For er he a-gounne hys work so merye,
Nas noþer fourme ne materye,
Ne lyȝt ne derk.
43
Ne acombre nauȝt þy wyt any mo,To meche to þenche hou hyt was þo,
Hyt [nys] nauȝt worþ;
Hou man hyt myȝte wete ich not,
For so to wytene, ase god hyt wot,
Comest þou nauȝt forþe.
139
44
Ac some mey acsy, war god wasÞo noþyng of þe worlde nas,
Ne great ne smal?
Þer þe worlde hys nou, was he,
And ȝet he hys, and euer schal be,
Ihole ouer al.
45
He hedde nede of none gynne,Ne ȝet now neþ, to wonye ynne,
Þou kepe nym;
Ȝef þe falþ þrof to be aposed,
Sey, god nys nauȝt in þer worldle aclosed,
Ac hy hys ine hym.
46
Þaȝ hy nabbe ende ne forþe gol,Ȝet ouer al he hys y-hol,
Wyþ-oute drede;
Nauȝt o del here, anoþer þere,
Ase great body, as hyt were,
Þat al by-ȝede.
47
Þou wost he may by yþoȝt of meAlle yhollyche, and eke of þe
Wel betere, ich plyȝte;
He may by wel ine dyuers loȝ
Ryȝt al at ones, wel ynoȝ:
Þat deiþ hys myȝtte.
48
Þyse wordle he made, as ich er sede,Al ase hy hys ryȝt nou ine dede,
And loȝ and heȝ;
Ine þe gynynge of holy wryt,
Hou he hyt made ryȝt þer hyt syȝt,
Ich hyt yseȝe.
140
49
Ine daȝes sixe he made hyt Ryȝt:Heuene and erthe and wolkne bryȝt,
Þet water te-dyȝt,
Tren and gras and erþe dreȝe,
Sonne and mone and sterren greyȝe,
Þat beþ so bryȝt;
50
Foȝeles, fisches ine þe depe,Bestes, wormes for to crepe,
And a last, man;
So þat hyt was god and sad,
Al þys world, þat was ymad
Of hym þat can.
51
Al hyt was god, wyþ-oute lak,Hard and nesche, wyte and blacke,
And al þat wes:
Nedes godes creature
Moste be ryȝt by nature,
Al senneles.
52
Ȝef quead so were of gode y-nome,By ryȝtte he myȝtte be wyþ-nome
Ryȝt ase a qued;
Þer-fore ne myȝte he nauȝt do wroþe:
Ac schrewadnesse beþ hym loþe,
And hys for-beade.
53
And seþþe god self hyt for-beade,Wannes comeþ forþe al þat quead,
So meche þer hys?
141
Ac hym apayneþ many a screwe
To do amys.
54
Þat god hyt soffreþ, hou mey hyt be,Seþþe of so great myȝtte hys he
Þet, ȝef ha wolde,
He myȝtte uordo þat hys quead,
And lete ous libbe, and nauȝt be dead?
Hyt þingþ ha scholde.
55
Leue broþer, ȝef he so scholde,By þe syker þat he so wolde,
Ac he hyt nele.
Ich kan þe telle reyson wy
He let y-worþe quead to by;
Nou harkne skele.
56
Þat alþer-ferste þat god schop,Þat was heuene, þer nys no wop,
Soþ for to telle;
For he hyt made of swyche aray,
For alle manere blysse and play
Þer to folfelle.
57
Ac o blysse hys, nys nauȝt folfeld,War-fore þat heuene hys al ydueld,
And ȝet nou worþ;
Ac ich schel telle wat hys þat blysse,
And so we scholle wyte to wysse
Hou quead comeþ forþe.
58
Ȝef þe by-falþ auancementOf ȝefþe þat þe was yment,
Wel blyþe art þou;
142
Of a regne mechel and fayr,
More hys þy prou.
59
Ac nys no blysse ne no festeAȝeyns þe ioye of conqueste
Þet hys þorȝ god;
Ne mey me more ioye aspye,
Þane wanne a man þorȝ pur mestrye
Keþ hys manhod.
60
And to great defaute hyt were,Ȝef no ioye of conqueste nere,
So merye hys hy:
Nou sixt þou þanne mytte beste
Hou ioye þat comeþ of conqueste
Mot neades by.
61
Nys gryt stryf wyþ-oute queade,And þer conqueste hys, stryf hys neade,
And som yschent:
Þanne nys hyt to god no wrang
To soffre queade þe gode amang
To auancement.
62
For ȝef quead nere in none þynge,Þer nere stryf ne contekynge,
Ne no wyþ-sey;
And ȝyf stryf nere, ne victorye,
So scholde ine heuene [faylly] (þat) glorye,
Ac hyt ne mey.
63
Þer-fore þer hys a maystre schreawe,Wyþ hym mo beþ, and þet nauȝt ueawe,
And neades mote;
143
As god hys cheaf of alle godnesse
And alle bote.
64
Hou mytte schreaudnesse by,Bote scherewen were hy
Þat hy ferst þouȝte?
For god ne dede no quead in dede,
For al was god, ase ich er sede,
Al þat he wroute.
65
Þes ilke screawe so hys lyȝt-barn,Þat in-to helle god at-arn
Ferst for hys prede;
Ac god hyne makede fayr ynoȝ,
Bryȝt ande schene, and heȝest in loȝ,
Ferst ine hys dede.
66
Ac are he were y-mad parfyt,Ase gode soffrede hyȝt,
He waux wel proud:
He wolde sette hys sete ryche
Of north half, and be god ylyche,
To be a-lowed.
67
And so he werry ferst by-ganWyþ gode ine heuene, and ȝet te þan
Oþer wel fele,
Wyþ hym þat helde wyþ alle myȝtte,
Angeles þat god hedde ymad bryȝtte
In alle wele.
68
Þys by-ganne schrewednesseOp an heȝ, ine heuene blysse,
Þe ferste day;
144
Elles hedde y-faylled fyctorye,
Ac hyt ne may.
69
Ac alle hy weren ydryuen out,Wyþ lucyfer þat was so stout,
Þorȝ godes myȝtte;
Hy þat ne hylde wyþ þe left
Sta[b]le woxe, þat neuere eft
Seneȝy ne myȝtte.
70
Tuo skeles beþ, þat me may wyte,Þat none nere ymad parfyte
Ine heuene ferst,
Er þe bataylle yended was
By-twexte god and sathanas
Þat now hys werst.
71
O reyson was for angeles godeÞat chose aryȝt, and faste stode
At þylke dede:
For þat hy scholde, þorȝ pur co[n]queste,
Habbe ioye euere to leste
For hare mede.
72
Þat oþer reyson was for þe deuel,Þat he schal to mys wende hys cheuel
Þorȝ hys malyce,
So þat folueld were þe glorye,
And hym seelf þorȝ noble uictorye
Lys al hy[s] blysse.
73
Ȝef hy hade be mad parfyȝt,We nedde y-haued ryȝt no profyȝt
Ine heuene a-boue;
145
And habbe ioye and blysse ynoȝ,
And pes and loue.
74
And seþþe hyt moste nides byÞet soche schrewen were hy,
Ase gode hyt mente,
Hou yst þet hy ine helle slabbeþ,
And þare-tou none grace nabbeþ
To repente?
75
Suppose here hijs o iustyse,God and truwe in alle wyse,
And wys of rede;
And dampneþ þeues for to ordeyne
Peys in londe, nauȝt fo[r] weyne,
Ne for queadhede.
76
Suppose he þat schel hem spylle,And hongeþ hy wyþ grete wylle,
And hys wel glad;
Ne he neþ reuthe of hys em-cryste,
Þaȝ hy neuere of þefþe neste:
Þes hys a quead,
77
For þat he hys mansleȝþe pur,Of wylle of mysauenture,
To spylle blod;
And he þat mente hyt, þat iustyse
Hys to preysy in þysse wyse
For hys wyl god.
78
So þou sixte þat me may dyȝteQuead for gode, and þat wyþ ryȝtte,
And so me deþ;
146
Wyþ hare wyl of schrewed-hede,
Dampnable beþ.
79
Þos moȝe we wel by reysoun scheaweÞat, þaȝ god soffrede such a schreawe
Al for to spylle,
Hyt was for gode, ase ich er sede,
And lucyfer in hys mysdede
Was wykke of wylle.
80
And þare-uore dampnable he hys,For he was [glad] to don amys,
Þo þat he myȝtte;
And god soffred þat ylke dede,
For god come þrof, ase ich er sede,
Ase god hyȝt dyȝtte.
81
Ne hyt nys of god no malyceÞeȝ he hym soffrede lese hys blysse
And alle hys wele,
Al þaȝ he þorȝ hys grace myȝtte
Habbe y-don hym wilni þat ryȝtte;
Nou harkne skele.
82
Hyt onbycome ine eche placeȜef ech [þ]yng hadde ylyche grace
To ioye and blysse;
And ich mey ȝyuen, and eke wyþ-draȝe,
Al þat myn hys, by gode laȝe,
Wyþ-oute malyce.
83
Ne may nauȝt þanne god al-so,War he wyle, hys grace do,
And eke wyþ-draȝe,
147
And wyþe-oute alle manere uyce?
Nys þys god laȝe?
84
Ȝes, y-wys, god laȝe hys:Þet hyt be al ase hys wyl hys
Hyt wyle wel by-come;
Nys non þat conne dyȝte hyt bet,
Al-þaȝ hyt þenche wel on-net,
Hys wyl, to some.
85
Þer þat god wyle grace ȝeueEuer to libbe, hyt mot leue
Ine sauement;
And þar he wyle hys grace wyþ-draȝe,
Nys nauȝt malyce, ac hyt hys laȝe
And iugement.
86
Ac wy he graunteþ grace to one,And soche and oþeren grauntyeþ none,
Segge ich ne kanne;
Bote þet hys hys priuete
Of hys domes in equyte,
Wyþ wyl to þanne.
87
For þer nys nouȝt of þysse wylleHer to iugy, ac be we stylle,
We beþ y-let;
For dauyd ous to wyten deþ,
In boke, þat godes domes beþ
A groundlyas pet.
88
For hys ne may no wyt areche,Bote þo þet hym self wyle teche
He scheawyþ hy,
148
Al þat y-ordeyned heþ he
Mot neades by.
89
Þus þe deuel ydampned hys,And wyþ hym al-so þat beþ hys,
Deuelen wel mo;
For þat þe grace of god him faylleþ,
Moche hys þe pyne þat hem eyleþ,
And eke þe who.
90
Wy hy ne moȝe, ase ich er sede,Wel repenty of hare mysdede
Lest enne skele,
Þat ich schal segge, ase ich can;
Mo beþ, ac þet longy te man
Ne beþ nauȝt fele.
91
Swyþe fayr þyng hys þat wyte,And þer by-syde blak a lyte,
Wel ydyȝt;
Þe wyte hyt þe uayrer makeþ,
And [hym] selue more hyt blakeþ,
And al hyt hyȝt.
92
Þe wyse man þe wyser semeþÞer þet menye foules dremeþ,
And no reysoun;
Þe merrer hyt hys ine bataylle
Þet me sykþ al þe vomen faylle,
And falle a-doun.
93
Þys lykynge hys for heuene blysse,Þat leste schal wyþ-oute mysse
Ase euere mo;
149
Þe deuel ys þat me[y] nauȝt ne derye,
And helle also.
94
Hy þet þer beþ so moȝe ysyWat peryl ascaped beþ hy,
And be þe blyþere;
So þat folueld þe ioye nere,
Bote euere helle pyne were,
And þrynne wiþere.
95
Ac wo beþ werþer for to byEuer ine helle þanne hy
Þer sech gelt hys?
Þenne mey be wel þys skele:
Þaȝ grace faylly ham to wele
No wonder nys.
96
And ase angeles þe faste stodeFor heuer eft by-come gode,
And glad an blyþe,
Ryȝt deuelen [so] for screawed-hede
Euer mo forse scholle brede,
And wreþe and nyþe.
97
Ac þo hy hedde ine heuene ytopped,Wy nedde hy be ine helle y-stopped
For euere mo,
Ac Nauȝt her in þys myddelnerde,
For to maky men offerde,
And to mysdo?
98
For þo hye weren out ycached,And ouȝt of hare loȝ arached
For hare senne,
150
Þat al ydel was hare loȝ
Þat hy weren ynne.
99
And one-by-comeleche þyng hyt wereȜef eny loȝ þer leþy were,
Seruynde of nouȝt[e];
Þar-fore god made mannes schefte,
Þat ylke loȝ al for to crefte,
Ase god hyȝt þoute.
100
Ac manne ne mytte nauȝt þe gloryeCrefte, wyþ-oute victorye,
My leue broþer;
For ȝef he nadde hyȝt þorȝ conqueste,
Folueld ne mytte be hys feste
Al ase anoþer.
101
Þare-fore god made hym god and wys,And mayster ouer al paradys,
Ac nauȝt parfyt;
For o trou þ[r]ynne god for-bead,
Ase he nolde nouȝt be dead,
Nauȝt take hyt.
102
And god reyson was þat he nereNauȝt parfyt, ase oþer were
To-uore ysed;
Ac, ase he was y-mad of erþe,
Ryȝt here an erþe hyt was wel werþe
He were asayd.
103
Þer-fore nas helle nauȝt y-schet,Ne deuelyn þer-inne nauȝt y-det
Ine þare crybbe,
151
Waþer he was worþe for to deye
Oþer to libbe.
104
Ac þo þe deuel hyt aspydeÞat man hym scholde þer abyde
To be assayde,
He þouȝte gyle al onder-go,
For of þet he hadde her ydo
He was affrayde.
105
Nas wonder þaȝ he were affrayd,For swyþe wel he was auayd
Of mannes stad;
For after god semblant he bere,
And he þouȝte a þet hym uel er,
Þo he was ymad.
106
Ac hys enuie aȝeins manSo great by-comeþ, þet al for þan
He nolde lette
Þat he nold[e] man afounde,
And an hym, bote he mytte stonde,
Hys uenym sette.
107
And dede hym in an addre wede,Þat best was of mest schreuhede,
Of alle beste;
Hyt moste neades screwed by-come,
Þo þat hy[t] hedde ine hym y-nome
Soch a tempest[e].
108
And he gan to þe trowe glydeÞat was for-boden, al forte abyde
After hys praye;
152
And dorste nauȝt adam asaylly,
Al for to waye.
109
Ac wel hym þouȝte þat eue nasNaȝt so stedefast ase adam was,
Þat was hyre lorde;
And ase hy come, he gan here knowe,
And to hyre speke out of þe trowe
Þys ylke word:
110
“Leue dame, say me now,Wy heþ god for-bode hyt ȝow
Þet ȝe ne mote
Eten of al þat frut þat hys
Here growynde in paradys
To ȝoure bote?”
111
“We eteþ y-nou,” quaþ eue, “y-wys,Of alle þe trowes of paradys,
And beþ wel gled;
Bote þys trow mote we nauȝt take,
For boþe me and mynne make
God hyt for-bede,
112
And seyde, ȝef we þer-of ete,We scholde deye, and lyf for-lete
And alle blysse.”
“Nay,” quaþ þe fend, “ac ȝe ne scholde,
Ac he wot fol wel wet he wolde,
Þat for-bead þys.
113
He wot wel, ȝef ȝe þer-of toke,Wyþ eȝen scholde ȝe forþ loke
Ryȝt ase godes,
153
And neuer þe raþer be dead
For hys for-bodys.”
114
Þos he gan hyre herte ablowe,And hy seȝ þat frut ine þe trowe
Was fayr and god,
And et þrof, dame lykerouse,
And made ek eten hyt hyre spouse:
Hy weren wode.
115
Anon opened þer boþe hare eȝen,And naked þat hy weren y seȝen,
And woxe of-schamed;
Wyþ leaues hy helede hem þer-fore;
Ne mytte hy no leng be for-bore
To be y-blamed.
116
Ac þo hy herde god speke,Wel sone an hal by-gonne þreke,
Wer þet hy mytte.
“Adam,” quaþ god, “wer myȝtou be?”
Queþ he: “lord, þo we herde þe,
We were of flyȝte;
117
And nedes moste, lord, to soþe,Al for þat we beþ naked boþe,
Ase uole þynges.”
Queþ god: “ho haþ y-scheawed ȝou
Þat ȝe beþ boþe naked nou,
Bote ȝoure Etinges?”
154
118
Sede adam wyþerlyche to gode:“Nedde ich y-broke nauȝt þy for-bode,
Ne nauȝt do so,
Nedde þe wymman, lord, y-be
Þat to felaȝe þou madest me,
Hy dede me hyt do.”
119
Þo seyde god almyȝty to eue:“Wy madest þou man mys-byleue,
And þous mys-went?”
Ac þo seyde eue: “so wey þat wyle!
Þe eddre, lord, wyþ hyre gyle
Heþ ous y-schent.”
120
Þo by-gan god speke to þat worm:“For þou areredst þerne storm
And alle þys hete,
Acorsed be þou bestes by-syde,
Opone þy wombe þou schalt glyde,
And erþe frete.
121
And ich schal makye contekhedeBy-tuyce þyne and wyues sede,
And moche to pleity;
So schal þy power be by-reued,
Þat ȝet schal wymman trede þine heued,
And þou hyre wayti.”
122
So sede he wymman here lere,Hou hy scholde al hyre children bere
Ine sorȝe and stryf,
155
Euere ine mannes daunger
Al hyre lyf.
123
To adam seyde god of heuene:“For þou dedest by þine wyues steuene
Þet was for-hote,
Þer[þe] hys acorsed ine þyne deade,
In swinched þou schalt þy lyf leade,
And ete ine swote,
124
Al wat þou art aȝen ycomeIn-to erþe þat þart of ynome,
Þorȝ deaþes bende;
For þou nart bote of poudre y-welt,
And aȝen into poudre schelt,
Manne, at þyne ende.”
125
Þorȝ þe fend, þat hys oure uo,Þos by-ganne ferst al oure wo
Þet we beþ inne;
An þos by-ganne ferst trecherye
Þorȝ þe feend, and ek enuye,
Manne for to wynne.
126
And wonderuol was þys assay,And wonder-lyche ȝede man a-way,
Lyȝtlyche y-lore;
Ac wonder-lyche ȝet forþ myt þan
Her ine þys world hys euer man
To sorwe y-bore.
127
Ac, crystene man, for al þys wounder,Loke þat þou ne go nauȝt onder
Þorȝ wantrokynge;
For soþe apreued hys þys saȝe,
Boþe by þe elde and nywe laȝe,
Wyþ-oute lesynge.
156
128
And ske[l]fol was þys ordinaunce,Þaȝ man by-uolle so hard a chaunce
Þorȝ trycherye;
For þorȝ mestrye þat he uorþ droȝ
Þe feend in heuene lias hys loȝ,
Þorȝ pur mastrye.
129
Ryȝt al-so, þo he gyle þouȝte,For to brynge man to noȝte
Pryuelyche,
God almyȝty, þat hys wyl wyste,
Aȝeyns hym þoȝte go by lyste
Al so styllyche.
130
For ine þe trowe deaþ was kene,And þat god made wel y-sene,
Þet hyt for-bead;
And he weste þat god hyt sede,
Ȝef man þrof ete he scholde awede,
And eke be dead.
131
Ac lyf was al-so ine þe trowe,Ac þat ne myȝte be nauȝt y-knowe,
For god hyt hedde;
For hyt was pryue for a wyle
Aȝe þe fendes priue gyle
Þe man for-ledde.
132
For nauȝt nas hyt ycleped ne hysTrou of lyue in paradys,
Ac wyste;
For, ase man was þorȝ trowe by-couȝt,
In trowe he scholde be for-bouȝt,
Þat þe fende neste.
157
133
And þat was ine þe holy rode,Þorȝ þe schedynge of þe blode
Of godes sone,
Ase ich her-after telle may,
Þat he tok of a clene may
Aȝeyns wone.
134
Hedde he wyst þer hedde ybeLyf for-boute ine þe appeltre,
He nedde assaylled
Noþer adam ne non of hys;
Ac are þe worlde was al þys
Was y-conseyled.
135
God wyste wel þat man schold erry,And þorȝ on-boxamnesse uerry
Fram alle healþe;
Þer-fore þat consayl was wel trye
Aȝeyns þe feendes foule enuie
To abatye welþe.
136
Þys consayl, hou hyt scholde be,Al was y-consayled of þre
Ere eny tyme,
Of fader and sone and holy gost,
Þat ich was embe, ase þou wel wost,
Ferst in þyse ryme.
137
And was þat conseyl so ytayled,Þat hyt ne myȝte habbe faylled
To bote of manne,
And certeyn tyme yset þer-to,
And hou hyt scholde be y-do,
And wer and wanne.
158
138
And her mankende swank and dalfFyȝf þousend wynter and an half,
And ȝet wel mo,
Er þane þe tyme of lyue come,
And deaþ man hedde for hys dome
And helle also.
139
Þet go[d] so longe abod, þe skeleWel mey be þys, þat on of uele:
To mannes mende;
For deaþ scholde hys meystryes keþe,
And [man] forsopie and for-seþe
In deaþes bende,
140
Þat [he] myȝte ryȝt wel y-knoweÞat he was ryȝt al oue[r]-þrowe
And harde y-nome;
And þe fend hyȝt myȝte wene
Þet men out of so longe tene
Ne myȝte come.
141
Ac her aryst a questio[u]n:Þo þat adam was broȝt a-doun
And eue al-so,
Wet gelt hedden hy þat þo nere,
Þet hy to deþe ischape were,
And eke to wo?
142
Þou syxt, broþer, by þan by-fore,Þat oure aldren were al for-lore,
Adam and eue;
For þar nas of ham no partye
Þat nas torned to vylanye,
So to by-leue.
159
143
Ac now be wey of ham y-come,Wyþ flesch and blod of ham i-nome,
Þet was ablowe
Þorȝ þe fenym of þe fende;
Þanne falþ ous rewelyche by kende
To soffry wowe.
144
And þos þat chyld to nyȝt y-bore,Þaȝ hyt deyde, hyt were for-lore
Ȝef crystnynge nere,
Þorȝ þe flesch þat hyt nome
Of hys eldren þat hyt of come,
Þat wykkede were.
145
And neades moste [hyt], leaue broþer,Ryȝt of ham come, and man of oþer,
And be nature;
For elles nadde man y-be
Nauȝt y-lych gode in trynyte
Þorȝ engendrure.
146
Þaȝ hy be þorȝ senne demeyned,So nas hyt nauȝt ferst y-ordeyned,
Þy[s] engendrure;
For þo man senneȝed in paradys,
Al chaungede þat flesch a-mys
To mysauenture.
147
Elles nedde hyt be no senne,Þy[s] engendrure of al mankenne
In al þys wone,
Ac senne-leas hyt hadde ybe,
Ase þe engendrure in trynyte
Of fader and sone.
160
148
Ase mannes ylyche ymad of treMay nauȝt be al ase man may be
Inne alle þynge,
Ne godes ylyche, man, y-wys,
Ne may nauȝt be al ase god ys,
Of heuene kyng.
149
For god, þe fader, hys leue soneEngendrede out of alle wone,
Wyþ-oute tyde;
Ac man haþ certayn tyme of elde
Wanne he may engendrure ȝelde,
And tyme abyde.
| The poems of William of Shoreham | |