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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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723

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

1

Qween of heuene, Moder and may,
Saue hem alle nou þat ben here.

724

A noble word haue I herd say,
fful profytable þat is to lere,
Bi-twene God and Mon In fere
To wynne worschupe hose euer lust:
Now þenk vpon þis word so dere
And fond euermore to seye þe best.

2

Spek non euel in no place,
But kepe þi tonge and get þe a frend;
Þat wikked word from þe nou pace,
Hit is but tysyng of þe fend.
Ȝif þou beo in eny euel tent
And k[n]owe hit for an euel geste,
Keep þi tonge curteys and gent,
And fond euermore to sey þe beste.

3

Now, for his loue þat bouȝte þe dere,
Let not þi tonge haue al þe wil!
What artou þe bettre or þe more nere,
Wiþ a wikked word þi neiȝebor to spil?
ffor Mari loue, tak tente þer-tille,
Wheþer þou gost bi Est oþur Weste,
Euur to kepe þi tonge stille
Oþur elles to fonde to sey þe beste.

4

Ȝif þou sey þe beste wiþ al þi miht,
Men wol esschewe by-fore þe
To speke evel bi eny wiht,
ffor þou wolt not heore felawe be;
Þer þou spekest, þou maiȝt se
Wordes þat ben wikked and preste.
Nou, for his loue þat dyed on tre,
ffonde euermore to sey þe beste!

5

In halle oþur in chaumbre wher þow gos,
What þou here and what þou se,
Euure þou kepe þi tonge clos,
Þat men frayne nouȝt at þe.

725

Ȝif þou heere faute oþer eny fole,
As þou may here bi mony a geste,
Nou, for his loue þat dyed on tre,
ffonde euer more to sey þe beste!

6

Wiþ eny mon ȝif þou haue ben eke
In his seruyse bi niht oþer day,
Alle þe good þat þou may, speke,
Whon þat þou art went a-way:
Þenne wol men bi þe say,
Þat þou art curteys and wel I-bleste.
Ȝif þou knowe ouȝt þat disese may,
ffonde euur more to sey þe beste!

7

Ȝif þou beo riche mon of mony a beeste,
And stifli þou may stonde in stede,
Pore men disese nouȝt bi doing ne cheste;
Nouþer for word ne for dede,
But help hem wel in alle heore nede,
So crist þi soule bringe to reste.
Nou to þis word ȝe take good hede:
ffor Marie loue to seye þe beste.