 | The Baptism |  |
Hic Incipyt Johannes Baptysta.
Johannes
Jhesus
Johan Baptyste myn owyn good ffrende
þat ffeythffully doth prech my wylle
I the thanke with all my mende
Ffor þat good servyse þou dost me tylle
thy desyre is synne to shende
All synful lyff þou woldyst spylle.
thyn entente hath a good hende
þe lawe of god þou dost fful-fylle þis tyde
Baptym to take I come to the
and conferme þat sacrement þat newe xal be
In flomjordon þou baptyze me
In water þat is wyde.
Johannes
My lorde god þis be-hovyth me nought
with myn hondys to baptyze the
I xulde rather of the haue sought
holy baptym þan þou of me.
Jhesus
Suffyr now Johan my wyl were wrought
all ryght-ffullnes þus ffulfyll we
me to baptyze take þou no dowth
þe vertu of mekenes here tawth xal be
Euery man to lere
And take ensawmple here by me
How mekely þat I come to þe
Baptym confermyd now xal be
me to baptyze take þou no dwere.
Johannes
All men may take exaunple lo
of lowly mekenes evyn ryght here
be oure lorde god þat comyth me to
hese pore servaunt and his su .. tere
Euery man lere to worke ryght so
Bothe Kynge and Caysere and gret Empere
be meke and lowe þe pore man to
And put out pryde in all manere
God doth here þe same
To þi byddynge my lord so dere
I me obey with gladsum chere
And baptyze the with watyr clere
Euer halwyd be þi name.
Spiritus sanctus hic descendat super ipsum et deus pater celestis
dicet in celo.
This is my welbelovyd chylde
Ouer whom my spryte doth ouer sprede
Clene and pure And vndefylyd
of body of sowle ffor thought for dede
That he is buxhum meke and mylde
I am wel plesyd with-owtyn drede
Wysly to wysse ȝow ffrom weys wylde
to lysten his lore all men I rede
And ȝoure erys to herke
Take good hede what he doth preche
and ffolwyth þe lawys þat he doth teche
Ffor he xal be ȝour Alther-is leche
to saue ȝow from deuelys derke.
Johannes bap[tista]
Here I se with opyn syght
The sone of God þat þou erte
the hooly goost ouer the doth lyght
þi faderys voys I here fful smerte
The childe of god as I þe plyght
þat þou be whilys I am qwerte
I xall wyttnes to every whyght
and teche it trewly with all myn hert
To sese it were grett synne
Ffor goddys sone I wurchypp the
Ffrom hevyn þin hyȝ mageste
thu comyst hedyr ffrom dygnite
mannys sowle to wynne.
Jhesus
Johan Baptyste þou be wyttnes
the trewth loke þat þou nat hyde
Ffor now I passe forth in to wyldernes
the holy gost xal be my gyde.
hic ihesus transit in desertum dicens et cetera.
In whylsum place of desertnes
xlt
i days a terme ful wyde
and ffourty nyghtys both more and lesse
With-owtyn bodyly ffode þer to a-byde
Ffor man þus do I swynke
In to deserte I passe my way
ffor mannys sake as I ȝow say
xlt i nyghtys and xlt i day
I xal nowther ete nor drynke.
Johan baptyst
Johannes
Ecce vox clamantes in deserto
I am þe voys of wyldirnese
þat her spekyth and prechych yow to
loke ȝe for-sake all wrecchidnesse
fforsake all synne þat werkyth woo
And turne to vertu and holynese
Beth clene of levyng in your sowle also
Than xall ȝe be savyd from peynfulnese
Of fyere brynnyng in hell
If þat ȝe for-sak synne
hevyn blysse xall ȝe wyne
Drede ȝe not þe devyllys gynne
with Angellys xall yow dwell.
I am þe voys of wyldirnese
þat her spekyth and prechych yow to
loke ȝe for-sake all wrecchidnesse
fforsake all synne þat werkyth woo
And turne to vertu and holynese
Beth clene of levyng in your sowle also
Than xall ȝe be savyd from peynfulnese
Of fyere brynnyng in hell
If þat ȝe for-sak synne
hevyn blysse xall ȝe wyne
Drede ȝe not þe devyllys gynne
with Angellys xall yow dwell.
Penitenciam nunc agite
Appropinquabit regnum celorum
ffor your trespas penaunce do ȝe
and ȝe xall wyn hevyn dei deorum
In hevyn blyse ye xall wyn to be
Among þe blyssyd company omnium supernorum
þer as is all merth joye and glee
Inter agmina angelorum
In blyse to a-byde
Baptyme I cowncell yow for to take
And do penaunce for your synnys sake
and for your offens amendys ȝe make
your synnys for to hyde.
Appropinquabit regnum celorum
ffor your trespas penaunce do ȝe
and ȝe xall wyn hevyn dei deorum
In hevyn blyse ye xall wyn to be
Among þe blyssyd company omnium supernorum
þer as is all merth joye and glee
Inter agmina angelorum
In blyse to a-byde
Baptyme I cowncell yow for to take
And do penaunce for your synnys sake
and for your offens amendys ȝe make
your synnys for to hyde.
I gyff baptym in water puere
Þat is callyd flomjordon
My baptym is but sygnyfure
Of his baptym þat his lyke hath non
He is a lord of gret valour
I am not worthy to on-bokyll his schon
ffor he xall baptyze as seyth scryptour
þat comyth of hem all euery-chone
In þe holy goost
he may dampne and he may save
all goodnese of hem we haue
þer may no man his werkys deprave
ffor he is lord of myghtys most.
hic accedit Jhesus ad Johannem quem intuens Johannes dicat ·
digito demonstrans Jhesum
Þat is callyd flomjordon
My baptym is but sygnyfure
189
He is a lord of gret valour
I am not worthy to on-bokyll his schon
ffor he xall baptyze as seyth scryptour
þat comyth of hem all euery-chone
In þe holy goost
he may dampne and he may save
all goodnese of hem we haue
þer may no man his werkys deprave
ffor he is lord of myghtys most.
Ecce Agnus dei qui tollit peccata mundi
Be-holde þe lombe of god is this
þat comyth now here be-forne
þe wich xall wasch þe worldys mys
and saue all þat that was for-lorne
This same lombe for soth it is
þat of a mayd full clene was borne
Shamfull deth þis lambe i-wys
xall suffer for us and be all to-torne
And rent on a roode
he xall suffer for mannys sake
lytyll rest and moch gret sorow and wrake
hys bake xall be bowndyn to a stake
And betyn owt all his bloode.
Be-holde þe lombe of god is this
þat comyth now here be-forne
þe wich xall wasch þe worldys mys
and saue all þat that was for-lorne
This same lombe for soth it is
þat of a mayd full clene was borne
Shamfull deth þis lambe i-wys
xall suffer for us and be all to-torne
And rent on a roode
he xall suffer for mannys sake
lytyll rest and moch gret sorow and wrake
hys bake xall be bowndyn to a stake
And betyn owt all his bloode.
Jhesus
Johan Baptyste myn owyn good ffrende
þat ffeythffully doth prech my wylle
I the thanke with all my mende
Ffor þat good servyse þou dost me tylle
thy desyre is synne to shende
All synful lyff þou woldyst spylle.
thyn entente hath a good hende
190
Baptym to take I come to the
and conferme þat sacrement þat newe xal be
In flomjordon þou baptyze me
In water þat is wyde.
Johannes
My lorde god þis be-hovyth me nought
with myn hondys to baptyze the
I xulde rather of the haue sought
holy baptym þan þou of me.
Jhesus
Suffyr now Johan my wyl were wrought
all ryght-ffullnes þus ffulfyll we
me to baptyze take þou no dowth
þe vertu of mekenes here tawth xal be
Euery man to lere
And take ensawmple here by me
How mekely þat I come to þe
Baptym confermyd now xal be
me to baptyze take þou no dwere.
Johannes
All men may take exaunple lo
of lowly mekenes evyn ryght here
be oure lorde god þat comyth me to
hese pore servaunt and his su .. tere
Euery man lere to worke ryght so
Bothe Kynge and Caysere and gret Empere
be meke and lowe þe pore man to
And put out pryde in all manere
God doth here þe same
To þi byddynge my lord so dere
I me obey with gladsum chere
And baptyze the with watyr clere
Euer halwyd be þi name.
191
This is my welbelovyd chylde
Ouer whom my spryte doth ouer sprede
Clene and pure And vndefylyd
of body of sowle ffor thought for dede
That he is buxhum meke and mylde
I am wel plesyd with-owtyn drede
Wysly to wysse ȝow ffrom weys wylde
to lysten his lore all men I rede
And ȝoure erys to herke
Take good hede what he doth preche
and ffolwyth þe lawys þat he doth teche
Ffor he xal be ȝour Alther-is leche
to saue ȝow from deuelys derke.
Johannes bap[tista]
Here I se with opyn syght
The sone of God þat þou erte
the hooly goost ouer the doth lyght
þi faderys voys I here fful smerte
The childe of god as I þe plyght
þat þou be whilys I am qwerte
I xall wyttnes to every whyght
and teche it trewly with all myn hert
To sese it were grett synne
Ffor goddys sone I wurchypp the
Ffrom hevyn þin hyȝ mageste
thu comyst hedyr ffrom dygnite
mannys sowle to wynne.
Jhesus
Johan Baptyste þou be wyttnes
the trewth loke þat þou nat hyde
Ffor now I passe forth in to wyldernes
the holy gost xal be my gyde.
hic ihesus transit in desertum dicens et cetera.
In whylsum place of desertnes
192
and ffourty nyghtys both more and lesse
With-owtyn bodyly ffode þer to a-byde
Ffor man þus do I swynke
In to deserte I passe my way
ffor mannys sake as I ȝow say
xlt i nyghtys and xlt i day
I xal nowther ete nor drynke.
Johan baptyst
In place where I passe wyttnes I bere
the trewth xal I telle where-so-evyr I go
þat cryst þe sone of god is be-come oure fere
clad in oure clothynge to sofer for us wo
I baptyzid with myn owyn handys cryst jhesu ryght here
and now he is to wyldyrnes penawns þer to do
In-formyng so all us þat lord þat hath no pere
to do for oure trespace penawnce here also
Of penawnce do I preche
In wyttnes ryght be this
þat what man for his mys
doth penawns here i-wys
his sowle he doth wel leche.
the trewth xal I telle where-so-evyr I go
þat cryst þe sone of god is be-come oure fere
clad in oure clothynge to sofer for us wo
I baptyzid with myn owyn handys cryst jhesu ryght here
and now he is to wyldyrnes penawns þer to do
In-formyng so all us þat lord þat hath no pere
to do for oure trespace penawnce here also
Of penawnce do I preche
In wyttnes ryght be this
þat what man for his mys
doth penawns here i-wys
his sowle he doth wel leche.
All men on ground þat be ȝitt on lyue
Ffor ȝour grett offens loke ȝe be repentaunt
Of all ȝour venym synne I rede þat ȝe ȝow shryve
Ffor god is ful redy mercy for to graunt
Be contryte for ȝour trespas and penauns do be-lyve
Reconsyle ȝour-self and be to god plesaunt
With contryscion schryffte and penauns þe devyl may ȝe dryve
Ffor fro ȝour Ffelachep he xal not be erraunt
Ȝow for to meve
To penauns and synne forsake
Shryfte of mowth loke þat ȝe make
And þan þe fende in helle so blake
he xal ȝow nevyr more greve.
Ffor ȝour grett offens loke ȝe be repentaunt
Of all ȝour venym synne I rede þat ȝe ȝow shryve
Ffor god is ful redy mercy for to graunt
Be contryte for ȝour trespas and penauns do be-lyve
Reconsyle ȝour-self and be to god plesaunt
With contryscion schryffte and penauns þe devyl may ȝe dryve
Ffor fro ȝour Ffelachep he xal not be erraunt
Ȝow for to meve
To penauns and synne forsake
Shryfte of mowth loke þat ȝe make
193
he xal ȝow nevyr more greve.
A tre þat is bareyn and wyl bere no frute
þe ownere wyl hewe it down and cast it on þe fyre
Ryght so it be man þat folwyth þe fowle sute
of þe devyl of helle and werkyth his desyre
God wyl be vengyd on man þat is both dum and mute
þat wyl nevyr be shrevyn but evyr more doth delyre
Clothe the in clennes with vertu be indute
And god with his grace he wyl þe sone inspyre
to Amendynge of þi mys
Schryfte of mowthe may best þe saue
Penauns for synne what man wyl haue
whan þat his body is leyd in grave
His sowle xal go to blys.
þe ownere wyl hewe it down and cast it on þe fyre
Ryght so it be man þat folwyth þe fowle sute
of þe devyl of helle and werkyth his desyre
God wyl be vengyd on man þat is both dum and mute
þat wyl nevyr be shrevyn but evyr more doth delyre
Clothe the in clennes with vertu be indute
And god with his grace he wyl þe sone inspyre
to Amendynge of þi mys
Schryfte of mowthe may best þe saue
Penauns for synne what man wyl haue
whan þat his body is leyd in grave
His sowle xal go to blys.
Corne þat is good man kepe it ful clene
Chaff þat is sympyl is sett wul nere at nought
So good men of levynge to god chosyn bene
Whan synful men be lyke chaff and to helle xul be brought
Good penauns ȝow to preche ful hertyly do I mene
Shryfft and satysfaccion evyr more to haue in thought
What man in good penauns and schryfte of mowth be sene
of god he is welbelovyd þat all þis worlde hath wrought
and all þinge of nowth dede make
Now haue I tawght ȝow good penauns
god graunt ȝow grace at his plesauns
to haue of synne delyverauns
Ffor now my leve I take.
Chaff þat is sympyl is sett wul nere at nought
So good men of levynge to god chosyn bene
Whan synful men be lyke chaff and to helle xul be brought
Good penauns ȝow to preche ful hertyly do I mene
Shryfft and satysfaccion evyr more to haue in thought
What man in good penauns and schryfte of mowth be sene
of god he is welbelovyd þat all þis worlde hath wrought
and all þinge of nowth dede make
Now haue I tawght ȝow good penauns
god graunt ȝow grace at his plesauns
to haue of synne delyverauns
Ffor now my leve I take.
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