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University of Virginia Library

[Poems from the Vernon MS]

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I.

I. La estorie del Euangelie.

VII. A preyer at þe leuacioun.

VIII. A preyer at þe leuacioun.

IX. Þe fyue Ioyes of vr ladi.

X. An orisoun to god.

XI. An orisoun to vr lord Ihesu.

[XIII. A confessioun of wyrschip in orysoun.]

[XIV.] [Another Prayer to the Uirgin Mary.]

[XV. Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost.]

[XVI. A Confessioun for necligence of þe dedes of mercy.]

[XVII. An orysoun for sauynge of þe fyue wyttes.]

[XVIII. An orisoun for negligens of þe X Comaundemens.]

[XIX. Patris Sapiencia, sive Horae de Cruce.]

[XX. Ueni Creator Spiritus, englisht.]

[XXIII. Psalterium b. Mariae. BY ALBERTUS MAGNUS]

[XXIV. Psalterium b. Mariae, ascribed to Thomas Aquinas, comprising the 50 first psalms.]

[XXV. A salutacioun to vre lady.]

[XXVI. An orisoun to þe fyue woundes of ihesus cristus.]

[XXVIII. A salutacioun to vre lady.]

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[XXIX. Miracles of oure lady.]

I.

I. [hou þe cite off croteye was delyuered of þeir enemys by vre lady coote.]

II.

II. [hou þe Iewes, in despit of vre lady, þrewe a chyld in a gonge.]

III.

III. [hou an holy hermyt prayde a synful womman pray god for hym.]

IV.

IV. [hou a Iew putte his sone in a brennyngge ouene, for he was communed wit oþur cristene children on þe pask-day.]

V.

V. [hou a man, for ache, cut of his foot, and was heled aȝeyn by vre lady.]

VI.

VI. [hou a iew lente a cristenemon moneye, and took vre lady to borow.]

VII.

VII. [Of a prest þat lay by a nonne.]

VIII.

VIII. [hou vre lady ȝaf mylk off heore pappes to a man þat hadde þe squynacye.]

IX.

IX. [Of an incontinent monk, þat was drouned, and rered aȝeyn by vre lady to lyf.]

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XXX. De festo corporis cristi.

Uidemus in altari formam panis, non carnis, & quare.

De manu sacerdotis per hostiam penetrata.

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XXXI. Septem miracula de corpore cristi.

1.

1. Narracio cuiusdam religiosi.

2.

2. Narracio presbiteri parochialis.

3.

(3.) Narracio felicis presbiteri.

4.

(4.) hou a man of Souþfolk was saued þorou a masse.

5.

(5.) Narracio Bede.

6.

(6.) Of a man þat was closed in a myne.

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XXXII. Hou a man schal lyue parfytly.

Off þe seuen dedly synnes.

Seuen blessynges of god.

Seuen medicines for þe seuen dedly synnes.

Þe ten comaundemens of god.

Þe seuen vertues of god.

Þe twolue articles of þe fey.

Þe Seuen sacromens of holy churche.

Þe seuen principal vertues.

Seuen werkes of mercy.

[XXXIII.] þe visions of seynt poul wan he was rapt in to paradys.

XXXIV. þe Pope trental.

Trentale sancti gregorij.

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[XXXV. þe Spore of Loue.]

Of Meditacion of þi-self knowyng.

Meditacion of þe Soule.

Of Contemplacion in creature.

Þe secunde contemplacion In holy writ.

Of þe Seuene blessynges of þe gospel, Seuene dedli Synnes remedie.

Of þe Seuen ȝiftes of þe holigost.

Of þe Seuene vertues.

Of þe ten Comaundemens.

Of twelue articles of vre be-leue.

Of þe seuene Sacramens.

Of þe seuene dedes of Merci.

Of þe seuene druweries of Monnus bodi.

Of þe doweres of þe soule.

Of þe peynes of helle, & amonesting.

Of þe þridde Manere of contemplacion in god him-self.

Contemplacion at Matines tyme.

Of contemplacion at prime: of þe passion, and of þe Resureccion.

Of þe Resurexion.

Biforen vndurne: Of þe passion, and of Witsuntyd.

Bifore vndurne of þe holigost.

At Midday: of þe anunciacion, And of þe passion.

Also of þe passion.

At Noon: of þe passion, and of þe Assencion.

At Non of þe Assencion.

At euensong-tyme: of þe passion, and of þe Maunde.

Now of þe Maunde of Ihesu crist.

At cumplin-tyme: of his passion, and of his buriinge.

Of þe buryinge of Ihesu crist.

Of Contemplacion of god in his owne kynde.

[XXXVI. Þe Lamentacioun þat was bytwene vre lady and seynt Bernard.]

XXXVII. A dispitison bitwene a god man and þe deuel.

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II.

[XXXIX. Of þre messagers of deeth.]

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[XL. Two Songs of Love-longing.]

I.

II.

XLI. A luytel tretys of Loue. Of godes passyon.

XLIII. A Mournyng Song of the loue of God.

XLIV. Her is a luytel Sarmoun, þat is of good edificacioun.

[XLVII. How to hear Mass.]

[XLVIII. Sayings of St. Bernard: Man's three Foes.]

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[XLIX. Prouerbes of diuerse profetes and of poetes and of oþur seyntes.]

Ihesus cristus.

Ihesus cristus.

22. Try to say the best. Control your Tongue.

27. A Prayer to the Virgin Mary.

28. A Prayer to the Trinity.

30. A Morning Thanksgiving and Prayer to God.

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(6.) Of a man þat was closed in a myne.

Hit was a Mon bi-ȝonde þe séé,
A Mynour, wonede In a Citee.
Mynours, þei makeþ in hulles holes,
As men don þat secheþ coles.
Þe Mynour souht stones vndur molde
Þat Men of maken seluer and golde.
He wrouhte and holede in þe hille.
A perilous chaunce fel hym tille:
A gret parti of þe Myne
ffel doun þer and closed hym Inne.

His felawes alle þat weren hym hende,
Þat he weore ded wel þei wende;
Þei eode and tok hem alle to Rede,
And tolde his wyf þat he was dede.

Þis wommon bi-menede hir hosebonde sore—
God leeue þat mony such wymmen wore!—
Heo helped his soule in alle þynge,
In almes-dede and in offringe;

220

Heo Offred for him atte Auter
fful of wyn a picher,
And [a] feir lof wiþ-al,
Eueri day as principal,
And al þat twelf-moneþ stabely,
Bote o day þat passed forby.
ffewe suche wymmen [now] we fynde
Þat to heore hosebondes are so kynde!
Bote þis wyf wiþ al hire miht
Dude for him [boþe] day and niht.

Hit fel at þe twelfmoneþ ende,
His felawes to þe hul gon wende,
And come to þat same stude eft
Þer þei heore felawe in werk left.
Riht þere þei furst bi-gon
Þei percede þorwh in to þe Mon:
Þe Mon In good stat þei founde,
Liuinge, wiþ-outen wem or wounde.
Euerichone þei hedde ferly,
And þat was gret Resun why!
Alle þo men weore in gret weer
How he hedde lyued al þat ȝer.
Bote þenne he tolde hem euerichon
How he hedde lyued þer al-on:
“I haue I-liued gracious lyf
Þorwh cortesye of my wyf:
Eueri day heo haþ me sent
Bred and wyn to present;
But o day, þenne eet I nouht,
ffor my mete me nas not brouht.”

Þei ladde þe mon in to þe toun,
And tolde þis Miracle vp and doun,
ffurst þorwh þe Citéé,
And seþþe þorwh al þe contre.
Hit com in spekyng atte laste
Þat day þat he dude faste.
He tolde hem þe dayes name,
And his wyf seide þe same:
Þat day heo offrede neuer a del,
Þe goode ffriday hit mihte be wel.

221

Now may ȝe here þat almes-dede
Gostlyche wole a mon fede,
And so may ȝe wel vnderstande
Þat God is payed of good offrande.—

ffor al þis tale in ȝor lyues
Trustneþ not in ȝor wyues,
Ne in ȝour children no-þing;
Makeþ or-self ȝour offring!
So kynde a wommon as I of tolde
Liueþ not now, beo ȝe bolde!
Ne no clerk þat þis redes
Schal fynde non nou of so kynde dedes.—

Ȝe men þat are nou In present,
Þat hereþ rede þis sacrament,
Ouer alle þing hit haþ power,
Þe sacrament on þe Auter,
As I haue here to ow i-schewed,
Not to lered bote to lewed.
Ȝe lewede men, I telle hit ow—
Þis clerkes con hit wel I-nouh.
Preiȝe we þenne vr creatour,
Þat þe sacrament, vr saueour,
Þat Bodi and soule he wol vs saue,
And we him to loue and he us to haue.