Part 21

None of hem ne wist þorw wham, [Sidenote: [leaf 69]] Ne what wai þei þidre cam, 336 Than seide seynt Io{ha}n, “for soþe, I wys, I schal ȝow telle what it is. Comeþ wiþ me in to þis hous; Oure ladi þer abideþ vs. 340 Sche ordeyneþ hure to fare vs fro, For hure sone hit wolle so. Hure sone haþ sent his messagere; He wol no lengere þat sche be here. 344 And hider he haþ ȝow alle ysent To kepe hure bodi when sche is went. Bi fore hure knele ȝe alle bi-dene And seieþ, ‘ladi, heuene quene, 348 Off alle wy{m}men, best þee be; Thi sone vs haueþ sent to þee, To kepe þee {and} do þi wille: Vs þenkeþ wel þat it is skille, 352 That heuene {and} erþe bowe þee to, For þi sone hit wol so, Thi sone, þat is heuene kynge, And alle þing haþ in his kepinge.’” 356 Than comen þe apostles alle, And bi hure bigan to falle. Vp ros oure swete ladi And kist þe apostles bi {and} bi. 360 [Sidenote: [leaf 69, back]] Off here come sche was glad; Alle þei dide þat sche bad. Sche asked hem how þei come þere, That sprad so sundry were. 364 The seide in ful good þouȝt, “Thi sone vs haþ hidre ybrouȝt To kepe þee, {and} by þee by; Ther fore we comen to þe, lady.” 368

[Headnote: _Mary bids them keep her body from the Jews._]

[Sidenote: Maria] “Blessid,” she seid, “be my sone.” glad was she was of her{e} come. 308 “y am his mod{er},” so seid he, “glad ther for may y be. now when it is my sones wille to hym y come, {and} that is skyle, 312 to my body ye loke al so, that my foos ne come ther to.

Ful bliþe sche was of here come; “Blessed,” sche seide, “be my sone! [_No gap in MS._] When it is my sones wille That I come him to, hit is skille. 372 Mi bodi ȝe schal kepe so That þ{er}-to come nouȝt my fo. Kepeþ faire my body, That none do me no vilany. 376 The Iewis ben ful of felony; My sone þei slow þorw enuye.

moche hateth they my name; ther for wold thei do me shame. 316 y you bidde p{ur} charite, for the loue ye haue to me, when y fare to heuene blisse, waketh ther my body ys. 320

The haten no þing more þan my name, God late hem neu{er} do me schame. 380 Ther fore I p{ra}ie ȝow, p{ur} charyte, And for þe loue þat ȝe haþ to me, When I am faren to heuen blis, Wakeþ alle þ{er} my body is. 384

loketh bothe nyght {and} day, that þ{e} Iewis bere it not away. thay wold it brenne or do shame. Ih{es}u, for thi holy name, 324 gef ham neu{er} strengthe to haue my bodi in erthe for to laue.”

[Sidenote: [leaf 70]] Kepiþ it boþe nyȝt and dai, That no Iewe stele it awai. Thei wolde it brenne or do it schame; But ih{es}u, for þi holi name, 388 Late hem neu{er} þ{er}-to haue myȝt, For sikirli hit were vnryȝt.”

[Sidenote: [leaf 80]] Thei answerd, “for sothe, y-wys, it shal be as thi wille ys.” 328 The whiles Marie badde her{e} bone to the apostellis eu{er}ychone,

Thei seiden, alle soþe, I wys, “Hit schal be, ladi, as þi wille is.” 392 Whiles oure ladi spak~ so To þe apostles þat come hure to,

[Sidenote: Angelus] an Angel a-light on that stede, and seid, “Marie, god herd þ{i} bede, 332 and all they that ben{e} w{i}t{h} the; “loke that thu arayed be. thu shalt to heuene {and} be quene; ful blithe may thi hert bene. 336 thu shalt in hast be in heuene.”

Come an aungel {and} stode hure bi, And seide, “wel þee be, ladi, 396 And so be alle þat ben þee bi; “Loke þou be ful redi. Þou schalt to heuene {and} be made quene; Ful bliþe mai þine hert bene. 400 Alle schal þee s{er}ue, þe company of heuene.”

when o{ur} lady herd this steuene the angel seid her{e} then to, ful of blisse was she tho. 340 to her{e} bed she went to aray, a-boute þ{e} tyme of hy mydday. Ioh{a}n the apostell sate her{e} by, to kepe her{e} body sikerly. 344

As soone oure ladi herd þat steuene That þe aungel seide hure to, Wel ful of Ioie was sche þo; 404 Sche ȝede to hure bedde {and} lai, A bowte þe tyme of myddai; Ioh{a}n {and} þe apostles weren hure bi, To kepen hure as oure ladi. 408 [Sidenote: [leaf 70, back]] Sche badde Io{ha}n {and} þe apostles alle, To kepen hure what so bi falle.

[Headnote: _Jesus tells the angels about His life on earth._]

++Sitteþ now stille, boþe more {and} lesse, And herkeneþ of þe moche blesse 412 Off Ih{es}u, þ{er} he come so lyȝt: He dide his mod{er} ful moche riȝt, As a sone auȝt his moder to done, He callid þe aungeles eu{er}ychone, 416 And alle þe mayne þat was i{n} heuene, And seide to hem with mury steuene: “Co{m}meþ with me to my le{m}man! Sche is my moder; hure sone I am; 420 Off hure I toke flesche {and} blode. And sithen I hange on þe rode, I þ{a}t eu{er} was {and} ay schal ben, In al þis blisse þat ȝe here sen, 424 I hadde reuþe on al mankyne, That alle went to helle pyne. I made man to serue me, And þorw þe appel of a tre, 428 That adam toke {and} ete it Inne, To helle he went, {and} al his kynne.

[Sidenote: odor suauissim{us} de p{a}radiso venit] emonge them alle sone ywys, a swete smełł cam fro p{ar}adys, swete it was, and ferly, that alle þ{a}t wer{e} tho her{e} by, 348 bothe yong {and} olde {and} eu{er}ychon{e}, thei fełł a-slepe, {and} þ{a}t anon{e}. alle the slepte, saue our{e} lady.

“Hit rewid me, and for-þouȝt sore, And I it wolde þole no more. 432 [Sidenote: [leaf 71]] I lyȝt doun, {and} man bi-cam, And of þat maide flesche nam.

[Headnote: _He announces that He will bring Mary to heaven._]

[Sidenote: no{t}a de t{ra}nsitu s{an}c{t}e Marie] herkeneth now, y tełł yow why. 352 and als sone thei wer{e} a-slepe, it gan to thondr{e} al vnmete, and the erthe so swithe gan quake, as al the world shuld to-shake. 356 Marie awaked then seynt Ioh{a}n and the apostels eu{er}ychon, thre maydens þ{a}t wer{e} the[re]-ynne, and no man els of hir{e} kynne. 360 “waketh now, and slepe ye nought! Sone y worth to heuene be broght; now is tyme y wer{e} a fare, Shałł y neu{er} more suffre care.” 364

“Bi fore alle oþ{er} I hure ches, And I was born of hure flesches. 436 Thritti wynt{er} {and} so{m}me del more, Men to wissen, I was þore. Men dide me moche euelte; Myn owyn þat ouȝt for to be, 440 Thei token me {and} bette me sore, And atte þe last þei dide wel more, With oute gult þei me swongen, And to a piler þei me bounden. 444 Nailes þei smyten in my fette; Off blode myne handes weren rede. Myn hert þei stongen w{i}t{h} a spere; That sawe alle þat weren þere. 448 Ther I hange nailed on þe tree, My modre was wel wo for me, And also was hure cosin Ion. I callid hure to me soone anon, 452 And seide, ‘Io{ha}n, for my loue, Kepe wel þis wyf; I am hure sone.’ Boþe þei wenten þo fro me; Al one I hanged on þe tree, 456 [Sidenote: [leaf 71, back]] Mi soule fram my bodi I nam, In to þe pyne of helle sone I came. Alle my frendes þat I þer fonde, I toke hem oute w{i}t{h} my ryȝt honde, 460 Adam {and} Eue {and} many mo, I dide hem oute of helle go. When I hadde harwed helle, And don as I ȝow telle, 464 And fet adam fro þe quede, The þridde dai I ros fro dede. Fram erþe to heuene I cam; God {and} man, bothe I am, 468 In heuene {and} in erþe is my myȝt; “Now I wol forþe in ryȝt, That my modre be me bi; This tyme I wol for þi, 472 Comeþ with me with mury songe, And do we hure come vs amonge.”

[Headnote: _Conversation between Jesus and Mary._]

[Sidenote: Ih{es}us] Tho cam Iesus from heuene, w{i}t{h} angelis {and} archangelis seuene, yn to hir{e} bour{e} w{i}t{h} mery song; moche merthe was them among. 368 no wond{er} thogh ther be blisse in eche place ther Ih{esus} ys.

Than cam ih{es}u w{i}t{h} his mayne, Aungeles, archaungeles, moche plente, 476 In to þe chambre þ{er} sche was Inne, with ful many of hure kynne. That chambere was ful of moche blis, As eu{er} is þer ih{es}u is. 480

none of them that wer{e} there a soche blisse saw they ner{e}. 372 amonge al blisses of the trone Mary knew her{e} leue sone.

[Sidenote: Maria] when she hym saw, she was ful glad, he herd the bone that she bad. 376

[Sidenote: [leaf 72]] Tho seide alle þat were þere, Suche a blis sawe þei neu{er} ere. Amonge þat Ioie {and} þat glewe, Oure ladi, hure sone knewe. 484 When sche hi{m} sawe, sche was glad; Listeneþ þe bede þat sche bad:

“y-blessed mote that tyme be that thu wer{e} born{e} of me. hit is sene, y am thi moder when thu comest þi self hider. 380 Furst þ{o}u sendest thyn apostelis to me; now thu comest w{i}t{h} thi meyne, to fette me vnto that blisse that eu{er} lasteth w{i}t{h} ałł gladnesse. 384 Sone thu art hider y-come w{i}t{h} thyn angelis from a-bone. do þ{o}u now what thi wille ys; me hath longed to the, y-wys.” 388

“Sone, blessid mote þou be, That þou bicome man of me; 488 Hit is wel sene, I am þee dere, Now þi self art comen here. Thine apostles þou sendist furst to me, And now þou art come w{i}t{h} þi meyne, 492 To fecchyn me in to þi myȝt: Was neu{er} modre sone so bryȝt. Mi leue sone, now art þou come With þi meyne, here a bone. 496 Do, my sone, þat þi wille is; To þee me þinkeþ longe I wis.”

[Sidenote: Ih{es}us] Then Iesus to Marie sede, [Sidenote: [leaf 81]] “Moder, w{i}t{h} ioye y wołł the lede. of all wy{m}men the worth best, in heuene blisse that shal lest. 392 ther y am kyng; thu shalt be quene; in grete ioye thu shałł bene.”

[_No gap in MS._] “Modre,” he seide, “come with me; Of alle wymen best þee be. 500 [_No gap in MS._] Thou schalt to heuen {and} be made quene; Wel bliþe may þine hert bene.”

[Sidenote: Maria] “leue sone, y be-seche the o thyng that thu telle me. 396 shall y any deuyłł se, or any w{i}t{h} the shałł be? “for y loue them neu{er} on{e}, thei ben{e} noght, so mote y gon{e}.” 400

“Sone,” sche seide, “I be-seke þee O þing þat þou graunt me, 504 [Sidenote: [leaf 72, back]] That I noȝt þe deuel se, Ne none þat eu{er} w{i}t{h} him be. “I loue hem nouȝt; þei arn my fone; Ne wolde I neuer sene hem none.” 508

[Headnote: _Jesus promises mercy to man for Mary’s sake._]

[Sidenote: Iesus] “Moder, y sey, drede thu noght; ne stode it neu{er} on my thoght, for thu shalt no deuyłł se, y wołł go be-fore the; 404 ne þ{o}u shalt no deuyłł heren{e}, but only me {and} my feren{e}. Maiden {and} mod{er}, eu{er} thu be wełł; thu shalt of sorwe wete no dełł. 408 alle the spirettes that meten w{i}t{h} the, buxom to the shałł they be. Moder, one thyng y gef to the; thu shalt be in heuene w{i}t{h} me. 412

“Moder,” he seide, “ne drede þee nouȝt; Ne come it neu{er} in my þouȝt; Ne wille I neu{er} more þole That any of hem come þee bi fore; 512 Ne schal þou neu{er} se-ne here But me {and} aungeles, þine fere. Moder, a ȝift I schal þee ȝyue, Thou schalt with me in heuene lyue, 516 And more schal I ȝeue þee; Al heuene companye schal s{er}ue þee.

“mod{er}, for the loue of the, y wołł haue m{er}cy and pite of al man kynde thurgh þ{i} p{ra}y{e}re, yf þ{o}u ne were, they wer{e} for-lore. 416

“Modre, for þe loue of þee I schal haue m{er}cy {and} pite 520 Off al man kynne for þi p{ra}iere, That were forlorn ȝif þou ne were.

[Sidenote: no{t}a bene de seruientib{us} s{an}c{t}e Marie deuote] “and of them namelich that the serueth trulich, and that to the don{e} m{er}cy crye and sey, ‘help vs, dere ladye,’ 420 In what synne that thei be, [Sidenote: [leaf 81, back]] mod{er}, for the loue of the,

“Alle þat dou{n} þee worschipe, And seruen þee wel, {and} treuliche 524 Bi seke to þee, {and} m{er}cy will crie, And seyn, ‘help, seynt marie,’ In what peyne so he be, Moder, for þe loue of þee, 528 [Sidenote: [leaf 73]] I schal hem reles sone anon; For þi loue I schal þus done.

“thogh a man had lad his lyf in onde, in synne, {and} in strif, 424 yf he on his last dawe wepe {and} crye, {and} to the be-knawe, and telle it oute vnto the preste,

“Ȝif any haue ben al his lyue In hede synne, maide or wyue, 532 And he wille, on his last þrowe, Schryue him {and} ben y-knowe, And telle it, ȝif he haue þe p{re}st,

[Sidenote: no{t}a bene de co{n}fessione] “or in case, vnto his nexte, 428 yf that he may do no more, but that he aruwe it sore, in what synne that he be, moder, for the loue of the, 432 I wołł of hym haue mercy. and sitthe he shałł come me by,

“Or a noþer man þat is him nest, 536 And ȝif he ne mai do no more, But þat him forþinkeþ sore, In what synne so he be, Moder, for þe loue of þee, 540 I schal on him haue m{er}cy, And sithen þei schulle wone þee bi.

[Headnote: _Mary is borne to Heaven._]

“thogh a man had fully wroght all the synne that he had thought, 436 and he on his laste day in none other wise may, yf he wepe and telle to the, in what synne that he be, 440

“Ȝif a man hadde al one wrouȝt Alle þe synnes þat myȝt be þouȝt, 544 And he on his last dai, Ȝif he none ere ne mai, Repent him, {and} calle to þee, In what synne so he be, 548

full wełł y shałł his bone here, for thi loue, my moder dere.

I schal here his p{ra}iere, For þi loue, modre dere, Al þat þou wolt bi seke fore, Be it lasse, be it more, 552 [Sidenote: [leaf 73, back]] Hit schal ben aftur þi wille, For I it wille, {and} þat is skille, Þat no þing with seie þee, Off þat þou wolt biseke me.” 556

Alle tho that thu wolt bidde fore and blesse the tyme þ{a}t thu wer{e} bore. 444 of all{e} thyng y-blessid thu be, for that y bidde, thu g{ra}untes me.”

++Oure ladi knelid him bi forn, And seide, “þe tyme þ{a}t þ{o}u were born, Ou{er} alle oþ{er} blessed þou be, For alle þat I wol, þou g{ra}untest me.” 560

Then Ih{esus} his hand vp heue, and to his mod{er} his blessyng yeue, 448 and called to hym seynt Mighełł, and seid, “kep thu my mod{er} wełł, that she fele no man{er} fere; ther is no thyng to me so dere.” 452

¶ “So I auȝt, moder, {and} so I wille;” He left vp his hond {and} blessed hure stille; His blessing sche þouȝt good, And he hure soule vndrestode. 564 He callid to him seynt myȝhel, “Thou kepe me þis soule wel, Thou and alle þine fere; Is no þinge me so dere.” 568

[Sidenote: Ih{esus} assu{m}psit a{n}i{m}am matris] and when he had the soule hent, and she was fro the body went, Then all the verdoun{e} of heuene [Sidenote: [leaf 82]] fett that soule full aboue; 456 w{i}t{h} the verdoun{e} to heuene thei come, w{i}t{h} gret ioye she was yn nome. she was made quene of heuene and blessid hir{e} sone w{i}t{h} mylde steuene. 460

Alle þat mayne þat cam fro heuene, Thei syngen w{i}t{h} a myry steuene; Men myȝt wite bi here songe That moche ioie was hem amonge. 572 With alle þat mayne to heue{n} he hure nam; And as soone as he þer cam, He made hure quene of heuen liȝt; Blessid be hure sones myȝt! amen! 576

[Headnote: _The apostles in procession bear the body through Jerusalem._]

[Sidenote: no{t}a modum assumpc{i}onis anime Marie p{er} ih{es}um] ++Now shałł ye here how she was nome, wher she was, {and} whed{er} be-come. when þe soule fro þe body was nome, god bede seynt Petr{e} to hym come: 464 “for the loue y owe to the my mod{er}-is body thu kep to me.

[Sidenote: [leaf 74]] ++Now schal we here of þe bodi, Where it bi cam, {and} where it li. When þe soule was þ{er}e fro hure nomen, Than bad god Pet{er} to him comen, 580 And seide, “Pet{er}, I comaunde þee, Mi moder bodi kepe þou me. Ioh{a}n {and} alle þine fere, Nis no þinge me so dere; 584

when y first to erthe came, of this body flesħ y name. 468 y was of this body bore, ther-for, Petr{e}, go thu be-fore, and thi bretheren forth w{i}t{h} the vnto Iosaphatħ that vale, 472 and leueth it ther{e} sone anon{e};

When I furst in þis worlde cam, Off hure bodi flesche I nam; Off hure bodi, I was born, Petyr, go forþe þou be forn, 588 Thou {and} alle þine feres w{i}t{h} þee, To Iosephat, to þat vale, And leiþ þe bodi in a stone;

and drede ye nothyng of yo{ur} foon{e}, To Ierusalem thurgh that toun{e} goth feire w{i}t{h} your{e} p{ro}cession{e}. 476

Haueþ no drede of ȝoure fone; 592 Goth with faire processioun To ier{usa}l{e}m þorwe þe toun. Doþ þe belles alle to ryngen, And loke þat ȝe mury syngen. 596 Loke þat ȝe haue candele, Torches boþe faire {and} fele.

foure of them shul bere þ{e} bere, for one shal kepe my mod{er} dere. and for no thyng dredeth ye, for y my self wol w{i}t{h} yow be.” 480 when Ih{esus} had thus y-seyd, and the body in bere was leyd, he yeaue them alle his blessyng, and styed to heuene, þ{er} he was kyng. 484 which blessyng he geue tiłł vs, our{e} blessid lord, swete Iesus.

Foure of þe apostles schal bere þe beere; Ther-on schal ligge me modre deere. 600 [Sidenote: [leaf 74, back]] Haueþ no drede of no Iew, For I my self schal be w{i}t{h} ȝow.” When ih{es}u hadde him so seide, And þe bodi was on bere leide, 604 He ȝaf hem alle his blessinge And stye to heuen, þ{er} he is kynge.

Tho to them seyd seynt Ioh{a}n, “go we thed{er} right anon{e}, 488 and g{ra}y we tħis p{ro}cessioun{e}, [Sidenote: [leaf 82, back]] And go we syngand thurgh þ{e} toun{e}.”

¶ To hym þo seide seynt Ion, “Felawes, go we soone anon, 608 And t{ur}ne we þis p{ro}cessioun, And synge we faire þorw þis toun.”

four{e} of the apostelis that ther wer{e}, that holy body fourth dud ber{e}. 492 ful mery thei song, {and} that was right; many tapers ther-w{i}t{h} thei light. The Iewis that wer{e} Cristes foon{e}, this thei herd sone anon{e}. 496

[_See the parallel lines to these, below, on page 130, col. 2._]

[[a491-516 = h689-704]]

[Headnote: _The Jews attack the procession, but are rendered motionless._]

thei asked what was the crye. we seid it was seynt Marie, that seynt Petr{e} and his fere bare Marye apon{e} a bere. 500

[Sidenote: no{t}a cont{r}a iudeos] “Allas,” q{uo}d the Iewis, “for shame, yf thei scape, we ben{e} to blame. arme we vs swithe anon{e} and let vs take them eu{er}ychon{e}. 504 that body also, take we it, and cast it in-to a foule pytt. Cast we it in a foule sloo, and moche shame we it do.” 508 Tho cam thei lepe thedeward; that be-fełł them swithe hard. two of the Iewis that ther{e} wer{e}, wer{e} honged ouer the bere. 512

[Sidenote: no{t}a mirac{u}l{u}m] Ih{esus} Crist wold se no shame, by his mod{er} swetely came. ful sone had thei godd{es} g{ra}me; he them made bothe holt {and} lame. 516

[Headnote: _A Jew repents and receives his strength again._]

of alle þ{e} Iewes ther was none that eu{er} myghte further gone. one of them that ther{e} wer{e}, had knowed Petr{e} be-fore. 520

Ther was a Iew hem amonge, Off þe apostles harde þe songe. 612 To þe beere he cam lepand, And as he wolde lai on his hande;

[Sidenote: Iudeus] the Iewe gon clepe to Petr{e} sone, and seid to hym w{i}t{h} wepand bone: and seid then, “knowest þ{o}u noght, [Sidenote: [leaf 83]] when Crist was to deth broght, 524 how thu hym folwest, and y þe knew, now, y the p{ra}y, on me th{o}u ruwe, and pray to Crist, if it may be, that he now haue m{er}cy on me.” 528

To þe bere he cleued fast, And to Petir he criede atte þe last, 616 And seide, “Petir, þenkest þou nouȝt, When þi lord was to vs brouȝt, Thou him forsoke, {and} I þe knewe? P{ra}ie for me,” seide þe Iewe, 620 “P{ra}ie þi lord, ȝif I mai so be, That he haue m{er}cy on me.

[_No gap in MS._]

Thenke,” q{uo}d þe Iewe, “what I þee dede. When þou was w{i}t{h} vs in þat stede, 624 [Sidenote: [leaf 75]] When þi lord was ytakyn, And þou haddest him forsakyn, Oure mayne þee knewe þat ilke nyȝt Bothe bi speche {and} by syȝt, 628 And seiden alle, for I stode þee bi,

[_No gap in MS._]

That þou was of Ih{es}us companye. Thou seidest w{i}t{h} wordes {and} w{i}t{h} þouȝt, ‘For soþe þat þou knewe hi{m} nouȝt.’ 632 P{ra}ie þi lord of moche myȝt, And his moder þat art so bryȝt, That he me help at þis stounde, For I was neu{er} so harde ybounde. 636 As I þee helped atte þi nede, Ȝelde me, Petir, now my mede.”