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468
[Speculum vitae]
Almyȝty god in trinite,In whom is only persones three,
Fader, sone and holy gost,
Þat art on god, os we trowe most:
Spede vs now at þis begynnyng
And graunte vs now alle god endyng,
And ȝeue me grace swyche wordes to say,
Þat may be god most to pay,
And to hym louyng and worschype,
And to þe feend schame and schenschipe,
And to ȝou, þat heren me also,
Hele of soule, and to alle þo,
Þat han nede of gode consayle,
And mede to me for myn trauaylle!
Preyȝeth alle now par charyte
Specially þat is so now be,
And þere to eche man wyth gode wille
Biddeth a Pater Noster, loude or stille!
Gode men and wommen, I ȝou pray,
Take gode kepe to þat I say,
And take no reward to my dedys,
Alle ȝif I be synful þat it redes,
469
Þat I holde feble and unworthy;
For al þow I be of wycke maneres,
Þe wordes þat I rede ben neuer þe wers;
For alle gode wordes men schulde prayse
And not lacke nor loue hem þat hem says;
Þerefore tak non reward to me,
Weþer I be gode or ille to se,
Bot to my wordes only takes kepe,
And whyl I speke, kepe ȝow fro slepe,
And on alle þat me heryth ryȝt,
Þe benesoun of god mote on hem lyȝht!
I warne ȝow ferst at þe begynnyng,
I wil make no veyn spekyng
Of dedes of armes ne of amours,
Os don mynstreles and oþer gestours,
Þat make spekyng in many a place
Of Octouian and Isanbrace
And of many oþer gestes,
And namely whan þei come to festes,
[1b 1] Ne of Beus of Hamptoun,
Þat was a (hs. of) knyht of gret renoun,
Ne of sir Gy of Warewyk,
Al þow it mowe som men like,
I thenke my spekeng schal not be;
For I holde þat nowht bot vanyte.
Bot þis schal be my spekyng:
We speke of most nedful thyng,
Þat sykerest is for soule and lyf
Of (hs. We) man and womman, maiden and wyf.
Þere fore gode men þat be now here,
Lysten to me and ȝe may here,
Whow ȝe schal reule ȝowre lyf
And gonne wel ȝoure wyttes fyf,
How ȝe schal folewen goddes wylle
And knowe boþe gode and ille,
And what ȝe schal chese and what forsake,
And what weye ȝe schal to heuene take.
In English tonge I schal ȝow telle,
Ȝif ȝe wyth me so longe wil dwelle.
No Latyn wil I speke no waste,
But English, þat men vse mast,
Þat can eche man vnderstande,
Þat is born in Ingelande;
For þat langage is most chewyd,
Os wel among lered os lewyd.
Latyn, as (hs. al) I trowe, can nane
But þo, þat haueth it in scole tane,
And somme can Frensche and no Latyn,
Þat vsed han cowrt and dwellen þerein;
And somme can of Latyn a party,
Þat can of Frensche but febly;
And somme vnderstonde wel Englysch,
Þat can noþer Latyn nor Frankys.
Boþe lered and lewed, olde and ȝonge,
Alle vnderstonden english tonge;
Þer fore I holde most syker þan,
We (hs. Wo) schewe þat langage þat eche man can,
And al for lewed men namely,
Þat can no maner clergy.
[2a 1] To teche hem it were most nede,
For clerkes can boþe se and rede
In diuerse bokes of holy wryt,
How þei schal lyue, and þei loke it.
Þere fore I wil me holly halde
To þat langage, þat Englisch is calde.
Gode men, vnderstondes now:
Þe ryght wai I schal teche ȝow,
Þat ȝe may holde, whil ȝe leue,
And swyche a lessoun I schal ȝow ȝeue,
Þat myrour of lyf to ȝow may be,
In þe whiche ȝe may al ȝowre lyf se.
First I wyl speke of þe gret profit
Of þe Pater Noster, þat cometh of it,
And of þe fruyt and dignyte
Of þat prayȝer, os men may se,
And specially of þe seuene askynges,
Þat on þe Pater Noster henges,
And of þe seuene ȝyftes of þe holy gost,
Þat þe seuene askynges may to vs haste,
And of þe seuene synnes, þat most may smerte,
Þat þe seuene ȝyftes putten out of herte,
And specially of þe vertues seuene,
Þat may be set in here stede euene,
And of þe seuene blessyd hedes,
To whiche þe seuene vertuwes vs ledes,
And of þe seuene medes alle,
Þat of þe blessedhedys schulde falle;
Of alle þeise poyntes I thinke to (hs. of) say,
Who so wyl heren hem, now he may!
Þe Pater Noster first men lerys,
For it is heued of alle prayeres.
470
To alle þe þat it wyl hawunt(!),
And most syker, wher we go,
For þis lyf and þe toþer al so;
Where fore eche man, þat has tane
Trewthe of baptesme at þe fount stane,
Þat prayere schulde lere and entente
Thorow holy chyrches comandement;
[2b 1] And þei, þat wyl nowt lere nor knowe
Þat prayer, despysen goddes lawe;
Þere fore þe maner is to loke:
Whan a chyld is set to boke,
Þe Pater Noster he schal first lere,
For it is most preciouse prayere;
Þat lessoun good almyghty
Tawte hys dessiples specially;
Þere fore may it be ryht calde
Godes prayere, os we it halde,
Where fore, þat vnderstonden wyle
Þis lessoun, os þei schulde be skyle,
Þei schulde become boþe meke and myld
And debonere, os ony chylde.
Swyche ben þe verray scoleres ryȝht
Of oure wys maister, god almyght,
Þat, os hys wysdom ofte hem leres
And techeth hem os hys owne scoleres.
But we may fynde many a man,
Þat þe naked lettre can
Of þis prayere, þat Cryst wrowt,
But þe vnderstondeng can þei nowt;
Þere fore hem thynketh, it sauowreth þe lesse,
For þere Inne fele þei no swetnesse;
For lytel deuociown hauen þei
In þe Pater Noster, whan þei it sey.
But who so vnderstonde it wylle,
A swete prayȝere may þei fele.
Þis prayȝer schulde ben praysed ay
Before alle þe prayȝeres, þat we say;
For it is priuylegyd, as we se,
Be þe resouns of thynges thre.
On is dignyte þat here is.
Anoþer thyng is schortnes.
Þe thrydde thyng is of gret profyt,
Þat on many wyses cometh it.
Fyrst þis prayȝer may be calde
A prayȝer of dignite, I halde;
[3a 1] For Cryst it made fyrst to say
And tawte hys dyssyples so to pray.
A preyȝer of schortnesse we it calle,
For in schort word Cryst made it alle.
A prayer of profyt it is ryght,
For thorow it we aske of god almyght
Al þat is nedful for þis lyf here
And for þe toþer þat is more clere.
Þis prayer is schort in word wrought,
It is in sentence long in thowt;
It is lyght to say prayȝande;
It is sotel to vnderstonde.
Schort in word is þis prayȝere,
For men it scholde þe lyghtlykere lere
And thorow schortnesse of it be kynde
Han it þe sounere in oure mynde.
In sentence is it long to se,
For þe more deuociown þere in schulde be;
For þe naked lettre þat is nowt heuy,
Men schulde be mowthe it sey only,
And al þe sentence of itte
Vnderstonde and in here hertes knytte.
It is al so lyght to say,
For men scholde thorow it þe oftere pray.
Sotel to vnderstonde is it,
For men schulde þere in sette here wyt,
On þe sentence of it namely
Thorow gret besynesse and study.
Þis bede putteth al ille a way,
And þat is gode it wynnes vs ay.
It festeneth in vs alle gode to laste
And maketh oure herte in god stedefaste.
In þis prayȝer be askynges seuene,
Þe whyche þei ben, I schal ȝow neuene,
Of þe whyche seuene I fynde thorw skylle
Thre þat don a wey al maner of ille.
I fynde also oþer thre askynges;
Al þat is gode to vs þei brynges.
[3b 1] ȝyt is þere on askynge, os I can telle,
Þat festeneth owre hertes, in al gode to dwelle,
So þat eche of þe hath kyndes sere
And hath diuerse offys; alle ȝe schal here.
Pro omnibus malis promovendis (!)
Þe fyrste thre don a wey al ille
Þat ofte fellen, lowde or stylle.
For alle maner of ille we calle,
471
For þe ille, þat hath be done,
Þus we say to for to it sone.
In þis we aske to clere owre thowt
Forȝyfnes of þat we han myswrowht,
For al maner of ille þat man may mys do,
Þus say we, os falleth þere to.
Et ne nos inducas in temptationem!
In þis we aske som slecke to se
Aȝeyn al ille þat may be,
For þe ille, þat we don eche day,
We say þus to put it a way.
Sed libera nos a malo!
In þis we aske ryght abstynence
Of alle ille, þat scholde fyle oure conscience.
Ȝyt be þere oþere askynges thre,
For alle kyne gode þat may be;
For al maner gode oþer bodyly is
Or gostely gode or gode endeles;
For bodyly gode here to haue,
Oure sustenaunce þus we craue:
Panem meum cotidium da nobis hodie!
In þis we aske strenkthe and myght,
For to susteyne oure lyf here aryght,
For gostely lyf here to stire vs,
To loue god we say ay þus:
Fit voluntas tua et (hs. sed) in celo et in terra!
In þis we aske nyght and day
Stedefaste wylle, to serue god ay.
For gode to haue wythouten ende
We sey þus, wher os we wende.
[4a 1] In þis þe blysse of heuene we craue
And grace, þat we be worþi it to haue:
For festenyng of oure hertes to stande
In god þus we say euere prayande;
In þis we aske wel stedefaste,
Wythouten failyng in gode to laste.
Swyche maner of askynges bene
In þis holy prayȝer sene.
But þis prayȝer begynneth ryght
Wyth fowre wordes of gret myght.
Now (hs. For?) þe whiche at þe begynnyng henges
Al þe sped of seuene askynges
Thorow fowre wordes þat we may fele,
[OMITTED]
Ȝyf we schuln rewle vs here be skyle,
To do þat most is godes wylle.
Þere fore behoueth vs nede,
Ȝyf we schule of askyng spede,
Þeise fowre wordes vnderstonde
And lede owre lyf, os þei comaunde;
Elles be we nowt worþi,
To be herd of god almyghty.
Þeise be þe fowre wurdes to here,
Þat ben þe entre of þis prayȝere.
Ȝeise be on englysche þus to neuene,
Fader oure, þat art in heuene.
Þeise fowre mykel matere byndes,
Os clerkys in here bokys fyndes.
Þe fyrst word is Pater ryght,
Þat is a word of gret myght,
For it makyth us sone to spede
Of owre askyng, whan we han nede,
Os we may boþe se and fele,
Ȝyf we vnderstonde þat word wele.
For Seynt Bernard seyth, þat þe prayere,
Þat begynnyth ryth on þe manere,
Wyth þis swete name to neuene,
Þat is called þe fader of heuene,
Ȝeueth vs an hoþe to purchace
Al þat we aske here of grace.
Þis word Pater to vnderstande,
Þat maketh swete al þe remenaunde
[4b 1] Schewyth, what we schal trowe,
And what we schal do here and now,
Þat schewyt þe lenkthe of godes beyng,
Þat is ay wythouten endyng,
Þat ordeynde hem þat hys ware,
Þe leue wyth hym euer more.
Ȝe schuln wel vnderstonde þan,
Þat fyrst, whan god wolde make man.
Euery man to gode ordeynde he;
But he wyst, what euery wolde be,
He wolde be gode, he wolde ben ille,
For þi he ȝaf euery man fre wylle,
For to chese or for to holde
Gode or euyl, weþer he wolde;
For he destyned no man to hys blys,
But þe only þat wolde ben hys.
Þis word Pater stereth vs to cnowe euene
Thre thynges in god fader of heuene,
And thre thynges in hys sones to se,
Þat loue þe fader wyth herte fre.
Fyrst in god þe fader is myht
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In god þe fader be alle þe thre,
For he is a god in trinyte.
Myght is in hym ay namely,
For he is god fader almyghty,
Mayster and lord, os clerkes telle,
Of heuene, of erþe and of helle,
And of alle thynges makere he is,
Formere and begynnere of al godenes.
So men may, os I vnderstande,
Knowe hys myght, þat is ay lastande.
In god þe fader is wysdom,
Þat of hymself only behoues to come,
Thorow þe whyche he hys men ledes
And gouerneth hem wysly and spedes,
And namely hys chyldren, þat he wrowt,
Þat louen hym wyth herte and thowt.
So men may knowe, who so wylle,
Hys wysdom be kyndely skylle.
In god þe fader is bownte,
Þat is þe thrydde thyng to se,
For god þe fader hys chyldren loues
[5a 1] And som tyme here hem proues,
And he seyth þat þei don wrong,
He betyth and chastiseth hem among,
And ȝyf þei forsake hym, for certayne,
And sythe wylen troue to hym agayne,
He hem resseyueth debonerly,
And fayn is of her company.
So men se may and knowe þe godnesse,
Þat in god þe fader euere redy is.
Þer fore schulde hys chyldren alle,
Als ofte os þei fader calle,
Knowe in hym þe thynges thre,
Myght, wysdom and debounte.
Ȝyt in hys chyldren men may knowe
Thre thynges to telle her on rowe,
Þat þei haue of þe fader most,
Alle I wyl schewe ȝow now in hast.
Þe two ben noblesce and rychesce;
Þe thrydde is bounte, os I gesse.
Nobles fyrst is, os I wene,
In hem þat godes chyldren bene.
For more noblesce may no man sen,
Þan in godes chyldren to ben,
Þat is so gret an emperowr
And kyng of alle kynges of honowr.
Richesce al so to hem falles,
Þat men goddes chyldren calles;
For more richesce may no man haue,
Þan god on hys chyldren voucheth saue,
For god made hem hys eyres ryght
Of þe kyngdom of heuene bryght,
Þere alkyn rychesce þat may falle,
We sene wyth delytes alle.
Beute in godes chyldren is,
For god hem made to hys lyknes;
And after hys schap, þat is so fayre,
He made here sowles of þe eyre.
More bewte myȝt neuer more be sene,
Þan in hys lyknesse is, os I wene;
For so gret bewte is þere inne,
Þat non herte may ȝenke nor ymagyne;
Þere fore hys chyldren schulden ȝenken ay
[5b 1] Al so ofte seþe, os þei fader wyl say
On þeise thre thynges, þat þei haue
Of þe fader, þat wel woucheth saue
Swyche thynges for here behoue
Þere fore þei awȝte her fader wel to loue.
Also þis word, þat fader is cald,
Askyth of vs syxe thynges to hald,
Þat I wyl reckene her on a rowe;
Þis sexe schuln hys chyldren knowe,
Loue, drede and obedience,
Seruyce, honowr and reverence.
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