University of Virginia Library

Appendix: William Nassyngton's Tractatus de Trinitate et Vnitate &c.,

from Ms. Thornton, fol. 189 (ed. Perry Rel. Pieces p. 60).

Incipit tractatus Willelmi Nassyngton̄, quondam aduocati curie Eboraci, de Trinitate & Vnitate, cum declaracione operum Dei, & de passione Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, &c.

A, Lorde god of myghtis maste,
Fadere and Sone and Haly Gaste;
Fader, for þou erte almyghtty,
Sone, for thow ert all-wytty,
Haly Gaste, for thow all wyll
That gude is, and na thynge yll;
A Gode and ane lorde yn thre-hede,
Ande thre persons yn ane-hede,
Thus was thow aye and euere sall be,
Thre yn ane, ande ane yn thre;
And begynnynge ande end of all thatt is
Ande þat euere was, bathe mare & lesse;
Begynnynge with-outene begynnynge,
Ande ende with-outene endynge;
Thatt be-for any thynge wer wroghtte,
Or any begynnynge was, or oghtte,
Ande befor all tymes gode was thow,
& allmyghtty, & wysse, as þou ert now;
Thy myght & thy witt of thy-selfe whas tane,
For neuer god was bo[t] þou ane;
And alls þou was gode ay suthefaste,
Swa sall þi godhede euer-mare laste;
And alls þou began̄ all þat euer was,
Swa sall þou ende all þat sall passe.
Louede and blyssede ay mote þou be;
And with all my herte I thanke the
Of all þat þou has done and wroghte,
Fra þe firste tyme þat þou began oghte,
For me and for all man-kynde;
Whare-fore vs aghte ay haue þe in mynde
And loue the; for þou has done to mane
Als I here thurgh þi grace reherse cane.
Fyrste, heuene & erth for man þou made,
& all þis werlde here wyd & brade,
And al thyng þat es þer-in;
For with-owttene the es noghte bot synn,
The wilke was neuer thurgh the wroghte,
þerfor in haly writt es synne called “noghte”.
Heuene þou made, whare þou duelles,
For oure Endles won̄ny[n]ge with angells;
And þe werlde, owre suget here to be,
To serue vs þat we þare-In serue þe.
The firmament þou made mouande,
To noresche all thyng þare-vndire lyfande,
And the sonne, to schede þe day fra þe nyght,
& þe mone & þe sternes, to tak þaire lyghte
Of þe sonne, for to schyne one nyghte clere,
In takynyng þat we sall reschaife here
The lighte of grace þat gastely gifte es,
Of þe, þat es son̄e of ryghtwisnes.
The mone lyghte thow made to waxe & wane,
Als semes, þat Ensample þer-by es tane
Of owre lyfe þat passes here son̄e,
& waxes & wanes als lyghte of þe Mon̄e.
The sternes þou made on þe sky standande,
& the planettes in þeire course passande,
For Ensaumple til vs, to knawe & se
How we sulde liffe here in ilke a degre.
The foure Elementes þou mad sere
To sustayne oure bodyly kynde here;
And all oþer creatoures, als was thi will,
In sere kyndes þou made for certayne skyll.
Of wilke some are noyeand till vs kyndly,
And some are profytable and Esye;
And all are they for owre profet wroghte,
Bathe they þat noyes, & þat noyes noghte.
The noyeand þou made vs for to chasty,
And to clense vs here of owre foly,
And to make vs to knawe & se
How febill & how frele are we;
The vnnoyeand, to sustayne vs & fede,
& to helpe vs & ese vs in owre nede.
Thy creatours are ay-whare in sere stede,
Of whilke some are qwyke & some are dede;
For some semes noghte bot als dede thynges,
Als stanes þat has noghte bot beynge;
Some, als gryse & treeȝ þat mene sese sprynge,
Has beyng & lifynge, bot na felynge;
Some, als bestes þat crepis & rynnys,
& als foghles with fethirs, & fische with fynnes,
Hase bathe beyng, lyffynge, & felynge,
Bot na witte ne skyll of demyng;
Some, als mene & angells, has thurghe the
& thurghe þi myghte, beyng & lifynge fre,
And feling bath of gude and ill,
And discrecyone of witte and skylle.
Thus has man beyng, als men sese,
With stanes, & lyfe with grysse & treeȝ,
And felynge with besteȝ of sere kynde,
And with angells skill & mynde.
Thus walde þou, are þou oghte be-gane,
Þat somwhat of ylke creatoure hade mane.
Mane thow made maste dynge creatoure,
& maste semly of schape & of stature,
Of all oþer creatours mare or lesse;
For þou mad hym aftire thyne owene liknesse,
And gafe hym lordechipe & powere
Abowene all oþer vnskillwise creatures sere;
And to rewle hym with witte & skyll,
And for to knawe bathe gud & ill.
Whare-fore gret lufe to man þou kide,
When þou this fore man ordaynede & dide;
It semes þou hade gret lufe tyll man,
Be-fore are þou oghte begane.
Lorde, I am man for whaym þou dide thus,
And þat man es ilke man & womane of vs,
And als wele all þis þou did for me
Als for ilk man or womane þat are made thurghe the:
And for-thy þat I am þat man
For whayme þou al thyng be-gane,
I awe thurghe ryghte the to lufe ay,
And to loue the bathe nyghte & daye,
And to wirchipe the with saule & body,
Righte als þou had don̄e all [for me] anely.
Lord gode almyghtty, ȝit thanke I the,
That mekill mare walde doo for me
And for all man-kynd for thy gudnes
And thy mercy þat till vs ay redy es:
That fra heuene til erthe downe walde com,
To brynge vs here owt of thraledome
And of þe fendis dawngere, that we ware In
Thurghe oure foremaste fadire syne.
Lorde, mekyll þou mekede the for owre sake,
Þat come fra so heghe, oure kynde to take;
And vouchede-safe swa lawe to lighte
Þat swa heghe a lorde es of grett myghte.
Bot lufe the made of vs mercy to haue
Þat fra the was tynt, vs for to saue
Thurghe processe of lyfe þat þou walde lede
In erthe in oure kynde of manhede.
Firste þou lyghtede in a maydene chayste,
Þat conceyuede the of þe Haly Gaste,
And of hir body þat was ay wemlesse
Thow tuke flesche & blude & oure lyknesse
And oure kynde here, & of nan oþer,
And be-come mane for vs, and oure brothire;
And for the luffe þou hade till vs,
Walde be borne of hir, & calde Ihesus.
For Ihesus es als mekill for to saye
Alls “hele” or “helere”, þat all hele maye.
Thow come to hele vs þat ware lorne.
Bot in na reall place þou was borne,
Nowthire in palays, castell, ne toure,
Ne in none othir stede of honoure,
Bot in a lawe hows; and laid þou was
In a crybe be-fore an Oxe & an Asse.
Thow wald nowthir in purpure ne byse
Be lappede, ne in nane oþer clothes of pryce,
Bot in vile clowttes for to couer thi body:
For we sulde take ensample þer-by
To lufe mekenes & gastely pouerte,
And fra reches & pompes with-draw oure herte.
One þe aughtene day of thi byrthe here,
That þe firste day es of þe newe ȝere,
Circumsysede in body walde þou be,
Alls þe law was þane in sere contre,
In saffynge of þe lawe and in fullfillynge,
& In Ensampill till vs & in takenynge
That als þou was Circumsisede in body,
Swa sulde we circumsise vs here gastely,
That es, we sulde schere fra vs awaye
All þat til luste & lykyng styre vs maye.
One the twelfte day þou was vesete with kynges
And wirchipede with thre precyous thynges,
That es at say, with golde & Ensence
And myre, þat þey offerde in þi presence.
Be þe golde may vndirstand[en] be
That þou arte kynge of maste pouste;
The Ensence, þat þe was Offerde nexte,
Be-takyn̄s þat þou art souerayngne priste;
The myre, þat kepis all thynge fra rotynge,
Be-takyns thy dede & þi beryenge.
The thritty ȝere of þe Elde of þe
Of sayn Iohn̄ wald þou bapteste be
In þe flome Iordane specyally,
For to gyfe vs Ensample ther-by
That all sulde be, þat till heuene suld passe,
Baptiȝede in watyr als þou was.
Bot for na cause of syne in the hyde
Was þou baptiȝede, þat neuer syne dide,—
For In the neuer was fundene gyle,
Ne nathynge þat any saule myght fyle;
Bot for to lere vs howe we sulde begyne
To wesche vs of þe Origenall syne,
And for to mak vertue in all watirs to be
For to get vs agayne with grace to be fre.
Sythene whene þou had fasted þourghe myghte
Fourty dayes & fourty nyghte,
Thow sufferd thi-selfe temped to be
Of þe deuell, þat þare-to had leue of the;
To lere vs to wrestyll & stand styfly
Agayne þe fandyng of þat Enmy.
Thow lett the of Iudas traytour balde
For thritty penys to þe Iewes be saulde,
Thow lette the alls thefe be tane bodyly
Of þe Iewes þat till þe hade Envye;
The wilke till Anna house the ledde,
And than all thi discypills fra þe flede.
Till the was done thare at þe be-gynnynge
Many-fawlde dispyte & hethynge:
Firste þey spittede appone þe thare
And gafe þe many bufettes sare;
And thyne eghne with a clathe þey hide
And smate þe & askede wha it dide.
Sithene þey dide þe mare hethynge:
They lede þe to Herodes hows þe kynge,
That helde þe a fule as hyme thoghte,
For þou till his speche ansuerde noghte;
He did clethe þe in whitte garment,
And til Pilate agayne he þe sente.
Eftirwarde þou was skowreghide sare
In Pilateȝ hows, nakynde bare,
That thi hide was all to-reuene thane,
And þe blude one ylke a syde downe ranne.
The knyghtes aftire þat skourgegynge
Abowte þe lappede a mantill in hethynge,
That with þe blude till thi body cleuede;
Sythene drew þay it ofe, & þat þe greuede,
And racede of all þe skyne þat tyde,
For till þat clethynge cleued faste þi hyde.
And whene þey had done þe þis payne,
They clede þe in þi awene clothyng agayne;
And thryste þane appone þi heuede thare
A crowne of thornnes þat prykkede þe sare,
Of wilke þe prykkes ware swa scharpe þane
That þey percede nere thurghe þi hernepanne;
They gafe þe a rede in thi hande
In stede of a ceptire, the skornande,
And knelide be-fore þe in hethynge,
And said till þe, “haile, Iewes kynge”.
Sythene was þoue demede at þe Iewes voyce
Thurghe Pilate, to be hynged one þe croyce,
The wilke þou bare to-warde þe stede
Whare þou was ordeynede to be done to dede.
Sithene was þou straynede one þe crosse so faste
Thurghe þe Iewes, þat þi vaynes & synows al to-brast,
And naylede þer-one thurghe hand & fute,
For hele of my saule & for my bute.
And whene þey had naylide þe one þe crosse swa,
They did þe aftire strange payne & wa:
For they reysede þe crosse with þi body,
And fychede it in a tre-mortasse vyolenttly,
In wilke þe crosse swilke a Iage tuke
Þat þi body thurghe weghte al to-schoke;
Than rane thy wondes thurghe fute & hande,
And ware sene full wyde gapannde,
And þe Ioynetes of ilk lym & bane,
And þe vaynes ware strydand ilkane.
Sithene þou said, hyngande one þe rudetree,
The threstede; & þane þe Iewes bed the
A full bittire drynke þat was wroghte
Of aysell & gall, þat þe lykede noghte;
Neuer-þe-lattere to taste it þou was bowne,
Bot þou walde noghte swelowe it downe;
For þat thriste was noghte ells þane
Bot a ȝernynge aftyre þe sawle of mane.
Thow suffirde many repreues þat tyde,
Bathe of þe thefe þat hange one þi lefte syde,
And of othire maysters of þe Iewry,
That mekill schame þe dide & velany.
At noune of þe daye þou cried “Hely”,
& ȝeldide þi gaste to þi fadir Almyghty.
Thus þou diede to make vs free
Fra þe grett thraldome in whilke ware we.
Bot mekill payne & mekill reprefe
Þou tholed be-fore þi dede fore oure lufe:
And noghte for to bye vs agayne anely,
For why þi dede moghte suffice vs all to bye,
But for we sulde þare-by Ensampill take
To be pacyente in angers for þi sake,
And for the to thole all þat harde es,
Alls þou tholede for vs thurghe þi gudnes;
Ells thurte þe hafe tholede nane oþer payne
Bot þe dede anely, for to bye vs agayne.
Sythene was þou smetyne in þi reghte syde
With a spere þat till þi herte gune glide,
Fra whilke owt rane to oure saluacyone
The precyous blode of owre raunson̄e,
With þe water of baptyme clere & thyne,
For to wesche vs here of þe Oregynall synne.
Lorde, for þire bitter paynes & fell,
With othire, ma þan I kane tell,
That þou swa mekill suffire walde
For me synfull, þi traytoure baulde,
I thanke þe here Inwardly
With all my herte and my body.
A, Ihesu Crist, Lorde full of myghte,
Whene I thynke outhire day or nyghte
Of swa mekill kyndnes of þe,
And of þe paynes þat þou tholide for me,
And of myne vnkyndnesse many-fawlde,
& how I to wrethe þe ay hafe bene bawlde,
Of myne hard herte þan es gret wondire
Þat it for sorowe bristeȝ noghte Insundyre.
Bot flesely herte in me semes nane,
For my herte es hard als it ware stane.
A, Ihesu, I grante to þe my trespas,
And knawes þat I am wers þane Iudas was
That the bytrayede als traytoure balde
& til þe Iewes for thritty penys sawlde:
For I, synfull wreche, has ofte sawlde the
For a littill worldly vanyte
And for a littill fleschely delyte;
Whare-for I am mare þan Iudas to wyte.
I halde me ȝitt werse & mare wode
Þan þe Iewes ware þat did þe one þe rude:
For why, þay dide þe bot anes þat dede,
& þey knewe þe noghte gode in manhede,
And I, þat wate & knawes righte
Þat þou arte gode ay full of myghte,
Thurghe myne awene malece, as I ware wode,
Full ofte-sythes hafe I done þe one þe rude;
For als ofte als I hafe done dedly syne
And thurghe malece wetandly fallyne there-Ine,
Alls ofte hafe I done þe one þe rude,
In þat þat in me was, and schede þi blude.
Lorde, all-if I hafe done swilke foly,
Putt me noghte awaye fra þi mercy,
Bot graunte me grace þat may me wysse
To amende me of þat I hafe don̄e mysse;
Sen þat þou saide þi-selfe þou will noghte
The dede of synfull þat þou has boghte,
Bot þat he turne hyme to doo þi will,
And lyfe, for þou will na man spyll,
Lorde, swylke grace þou me gyffe
Þat I may turne me to þe and lyffe!
A, Lorde Ihesu Criste, ȝit thanke I the
Þat all þis & mare hase done for me
And for saluacyone of mankynde
For whayme þou was swa bitterly pynede
And sufferde dede, als I befor saide,
And lett þi body be in sepulcre layde:
Thow ȝernede sa mekill agayne to wyne
All þas þat þou hade loste for syne,
That whene þow was dede & ȝeldede þe gaste,
Als tyte till hell þou gun þe haste,
In saule & godhede, als was þi will,
Thy body whils in þe sepulcre lay styll;
Till þou at hell come þou walde noghte stynte
& ware sesede of þas þat þou hade tynte.
Thow spoylede hell whene þou come þare,
And tuke owt with þe all þat thyne ware.
Bot þou lefte þas þare þat walde noghte trowe
In þi lawe, ne in þi biddynge bewe.
Sythene when þou come fra þat stede,
At þe thred day aftyre þi dede
To vpe-ryse fra dede þou vouchede-safe,
To eke þe trow[t]he þat we here hafe,
And schewede the bodily in thi manhede,
To conferme þe trowthe for oure mede.
Whare-fore þi bodily vp-ryssynge
Till vs Ensample es and takynny[n]ge
That we sall ryse all genereally
At þe day of dome in saule & bodye;
Thane sall all þat are fundyne reghtewisse
Thurghe thyne vprysynge to blysse ryse;
Bot þay þat lyffes ill vn-to þeire Endynge,
Gettes na parte of thyne vpe-rysynge,
Bot þay sall ryse with dule þat day
Till þe fire of hell þat lastes aye.
Ȝitt thi rysynge forbysene till vs es
[Þat als þou] rase fra dede til blyse Endlesse,
Swa sulde we, þat til blysse wyll wyne,
Gastely ryse fra dedely syne.
Eftire þi rysesynge, als þe buke sais,
Þou duellede in erthe ȝitt fourtty dayes,
And at þe fourtty day þou stey vp righte
Til þi fadire in till heuene bryghte,
To teche vs þe way þat we sall wende
Til þe gret blysse þat has nan Ende,
And sittis þare one þi Fadire reghte hande.
Als god & Lorde alweldande,
That es to saye, in godhede euene
With thi Fadir & owrs in heuene.
The tendaye aftire þat þou vp wente,
At vndrone þe Haly gaste downe þou sente
Till thyne appostills, als þou þeme hyghte,
Þat þeire hertes comforthede & made þeme lyghte
Thurghe whame lyghtenede & leride ware we.
Of all þis, Lorde, I thanke þe.
A, Lorde Ihesu, at þe dredfull daye of dom̄e,
When þou sall fra heuene come
With thyne angells bryghte & clere
And apostells & oþer halowes sere,
In þe same fourme of man & lyknesse
In wilke þou was demyde here giltlesse,
To deme gud & ill of ilke lande,
Schewande þi wondes al bledande
That þou walde thole for synfull mane—
What sall I say, or what sall I do þane?
Whene all oure werkes þat euer we dyde,
Sall þane be schewede & nathyng hide,
Of whilke we sall ȝelde acownte straitly,
And be demyde aftire we are worthi?
And I than with me na gud sall brynge
Be-fore sa heghe domesmane & kynge,
Bot synneȝ, þat are swa many-faulde
That þey may noghte by tonge be tawlde?
Certes, I am þarefore full dredand,
My herte for dred aghte to be full tremblande,
Whene discussione sall be of all dedis,
And þi wrethe sall be maste, þat all mene dredis.
Certes, I ne wate whate I may say þane,
Bot alls Dauid did, þe haly mane:
“Do þou, Lorde, with þi seruande,
Eftyre þi mercy, þat es ay sauande
And in till dome come þou noghte
With þi seruande þat þou has boghte;
For I hafe hade grete drede in thoghte
Of þi domes, & þat drede leffe I noghte”.
For þou, Lorde, arte reghtewysse domesmane,
That all thyng reghtewissly dem kane
And thi reghtwysse dome & reghtwyssnes
Demes synfull mene to payne Endlese
That of þeyre wikkidnesse will noghte blyne
And þi mercy here may nott wyne.
For sekere of mercy nane getes he,
In þis life bot he turne hym till þe;
And nane may þat daye be saffe,
Bot he þi mercy In þis lyfe hafe,
Of whilke þou erte large & leberall
To grante it bathe grete & smalle
That mercy askes & folowes þare-to,
And dos þare-fore þat þeme falles to doo.
Whare-fore, Lorde, sene þou arte ay redy
To graunte till ilke a mane þi mercy
That sekes þar-to whils þay here lyffe,
Swilke grace in þis lyfe þou me gyffe
To turne me & to fle syne,
Þat I may here þi mercy wyne,
Thurghe whilke I may at þe dredfull day
Be led to þe blyse þat sall last ay.