Chapter 1

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[Transcriber's Note:

This text is intended for users whose text readers cannot use the "real" (unicode/utf-8) version of the file. Characters that could not be fully displayed have been "unpacked" and shown in brackets:

[Gh], [gh] (yogh) [&] (Tironian ampersand) [þ/] (thorn with stroke) [e,] (e with tail, "e caudata") [.y] (y with over-dot) [´æ] (accented æ) [-a], [-e]... (vowel with macron or "long" mark) [)a], [)e]... (vowel with breve or "short" mark) [a.], [b.]... (expunctuated letter, "under-dot")

All but the first three are rare, or occur only in notes. Any other bracketed characters are in the original text.

The form {} represents a half-width space, generally between prefix and main word. These are not always unambigous; readers should consult page images or a printed text. The {;} is a punctuation mark similar to a semicolon.

A few selections use additional, very unusual letters that will be explained as they appear.

In the last three selections, doubled ¶¶ represents the large C-like paragraph symbol. In Orm and earlier selections, ¶ is as printed.

Italicized letters or parts of words, indicating expanded abbreviations, are shown in {braces}. Spaced-out text, used mainly for Latin quotations, is marked with _lines_. Boldface is shown with +marks+, while large initial capitals are shown with double ++marks before the letter. Superscript letters are shown with ^.

The Notes were published in a separate volume, in preparation at the time this e-text was produced (August 2008). For each selection, the bracketed paragraph describing the MSS. has been summarized from these Notes; additions or omissions shown by ellipses or brackets according to the usual rules for academic quotation.

Further details about the format of this e-text are at the end of the text. All notes in [[double brackets]] were added by the transcriber.]

SELECTIONS FROM EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH

1130-1250

Edited With Introductions And Notes

by

JOSEPH HALL M.A., Hon. D.Litt., Durham University

PART I: TEXTS

OXFORD At The Clarendon Press M CM XX

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

London Edinburgh Glasgow New York Toronto Melbourne Cape Town Bombay

_HUMPHREY MILFORD_ Publisher to the University

PREFACE

Some of the texts in this book have already appeared in the Specimens of Early English edited by the Rev. Richard Morris. But Nos. i, ii, iv, vii, xiii and xv are new, the important shorter pieces, Nos. vi, viii, xvi, xviii, xxi and xxiii, are printed in full, and some, as Nos. viii and ix, are taken from additional or better manuscripts. The pieces are arranged tentatively in what appears to be the chronological order of their composition, but Nos. xix and xvii should have come before the Ancrene Wisse, and No. vii has been placed next to the Proverbs of Alfred, from which it appears to be derived. It is hoped that those who study the older book will find in the present one a useful supplement.

The texts follow the manuscripts in all details. The syntax being comparatively simple, there is not much to be gained by modern punctuation, and that of the manuscripts has gained a fresh importance from theories which have been founded upon it. Where obvious mistakes have been corrected in the text, notice is always given in the footnotes. Additions are made within square brackets, and interlineations are printed between accents.

My best thanks are due to the custodians of the libraries for the facilities which with uniform kindness they extended to me in the collation of the manuscripts.

J. H.

WOODSTOCK,

_January, 1920_.

TABLE of PIECES AND MANUSCRIPTS

Page I. WORCESTER FRAGMENTS 1 Worcester Cathedral Library, 174.

II. SAINT GODRIC'S HYMNS 5 British Museum, Royal 5 F. vii.

III. THE PETERBOROUGH CHRONICLE (A.D. 1132-1154) 5 Bodleian, Laud Misc. 636.

IV. CHARTER OF HENRY THE SECOND 11 B. M., Harleian Charter iii B. 49.

V. A PARABLE 12 B. M., Cotton Vespasian A. xxii.

VI. THE PROVERBS OF ALFRED 18 Jesus Coll. Oxford, Arch. E. 29.

VII. MEMENTO MORI 29 Same as No. VI.

VIII. POEMA MORALE 30, 31 Lambeth, 487. B. M., Egerton 613. Trinity Coll. Camb., B. 14. 52.

IX. ANCRENE WISSE A 54, 55 Corpus Christi Coll. Camb., 402. Caius Coll., 234.

IX. ANCRENE WISSE B 60, 61 Corpus MS., as before. B. M., Cotton Nero A. xiv, with passages from C inserted between asterisks. Variants upon MS. Nero from B. M., Cotton Titus D. xviii (without any indicating letter) and B. M., Cotton Cleopatra C. vi (= C). B indicates agreement of T and C as against N.

X. IN DIEBUS DOMINICIS 76 Lambeth, 487.

XI. HIC DICENDUM EST DE PROPHETA 79 Same as for No. X.

XII. SERMONS FOR PALM SUNDAY AND EASTER DAY 82 Trinity Coll. Camb., B. 14. 52.

XIII. VICES AND VIRTUES 88 B. M., Stowe 34.

XIV. LA[Gh]AMON 94, 95 B. M., Cotton Caligula A. ix. B. M., Cotton Otho C. xiii.

XV. ORM 112 Bodleian, Junius 1.

XVI. SAWLES WARDE 117 Bodleian, 34 (to l. 339, p. 127). B. M., Royal 17 A. xxvii (from l. 339, p. 127 to end).

XVII. SAINT KATHERINE 128 B. M., Royal 17 A. xxvii.

XVIII. THE ORISON OF OUR LADY 132 B. M., Cotton Nero A. xiv.

XIX. SAINT JULIANA 138, 139 B. M., Royal 17 A. xxvii. Bodleian, 34.

XX. THE OWL AND THE NIGHTINGALE 148, 149 Jesus Coll. Oxford, Arch. E. 29. B. M., Cotton Caligula A. ix.

XXI. THE BESTIARY 176 B. M., Arundel 292.

XXII. GENESIS AND EXODUS 197 Corpus Christi Coll. Camb., 444.

XXIII. KENTISH SERMONS 214 Bodleian, Laud Misc. 471.

CORRIGENDA

[Transcriber's Note:

All corrections listed here have been made in the body of the e-text. The form as originally printed is shown in [brackets]. A few additional corrections have been added from the Notes volume.]

1/17 [nu beoþ] [_printed without brackets_] 2/30 [fei][gh]e [[fei]ge] 11/1 {þ}urh MS kurh [_body text printed without italics; added linenote_] 12/15 alisendnesse [alisendnessee] 14/58 fi{lio} [fi{lii}] 17/162 d{escendi} [d{escendit}] 83/32 For v{iam} p{ro} read v{estimenta} p{rosternebant} 85/79 s{e}cla [s{e}c{u}la] 87/161 Omit words in brackets [_printed [his fleis [&] his blod.] at beginning of line_] 150/16 þat [þar] 152/57 wit [wiþ] 154/104 bysemar [bisemar] 160/183 nyht [niht] 160/185 vych [vich] 160/191 quaþ [qwaþ] 166/289 In footnote, Þule [_added footnote_] 167/289 In footnote, Þule [_no change_] 167/310 eue [eve] 168/336 Murehþe ilyche [Mureþe iliche] 168/339 holy [holi] 221/248 iheed _for_ ihee[r]d

I. WORCESTER FRAGMENTS

[[MS description from Notes volume:

"Worcester Cathedral Library, 174.... Its contents are ... (2) the scrap here marked A; (3) the pieces B and C with five more fragments of the same poem. A completes the page on which the glossary ends, and B is on the verso of the leaf. The leaves have been slightly shorn at one side and reduced at top and bottom, but probably to no great extent: the conjectural complement, which is here printed within square brackets, is for the most part fairly obvious, the more so as portions of the lost letters often remain. The whole MS. is in the same large square hand, but the pieces in verse, which are written continuously, like prose, are less carefully executed. The handwriting is of the second half of the twelfth century, perhaps about 1180 A.D. The Latin headings are not in the MS."]]

A. SICUT OUES ABSQUE PASTORE

[++S]{an}c{tus} beda was iboren her on breotene mid us · [f. 63 r [&] he wisliche [writen] awende [þ/] þeo englis{c} leoden þurh weren ilerde · [&] he þeo c[not]ten unwreih · þe questiuns hoteþ · þa derne di[gh]elnesse · þe de[or]wurþe is · 5 ælfric abbod þe we alquin hoteþ · he was bocare · [&] þe [fif] bec wende · Genesis · Exodus · Vtronomius · Numerus · Leuiticus · þ[urh] þeos weren ilærde ure leoden · on englisc · þet weren þeos biscop[es þeo] bodeden cristendom 10

wilfrid of {R}ipum · Johan of beoferlai · Cuþb[ert] of Dunholme · Oswald of wireceastre · Egwin of heoueshame · æl[dhelm] of malmesburi · Swiþþun · æþelwold · Aidan · Biern of wincæstre · [Pau]lin of rofecæstre · S. Dunston · [&] S. ælfeih of cantore · buri ·

þeos læ[rden] ure leodan on englisc · 15 næs deorc heore liht · ac hit fæire glod · [nu is] þeo leore forleten · [&] þet folc is forloren · [nu beoþ] oþre leoden · þeo læ[reþ] ure folc · [&] feole of þen lorþeines losiæþ · [&] [þ/] folc forþ{}mid Nu sæiþ [ure] drihten þus · _Sicut aq{ui}la p{ro}uocat 20 pullos suos ad uolandu{m} · [&] sup{er} eo[s uolitat ·]_ þis beoþ godes word to worlde asende · [þ/] we sceolen fæier feþ [festen to him] ·

[Linenotes: 2. _writen_] [_bec_] Varnhagen. || 3. _englisc_] _englise_ MS. || 7. [_fif_] V. || 11. _Ripum_] _Sipum_ MS. || 13. _Paulin_] [_Cwiche_]_lm_ Wright. || 22. _þis_] _þus_ V.]

B. HOMO PUTREDO ET FILIUS HOMINIS VERMIS

en earde · [f. 63v [&] alle þeo isceæftan · þe him to [s]cu[l]en · [&] mid muchele cre[fte · þe]ne mon he idihte · [&] him on ileide · lif [&] soule · Softliche he heo isom[nede] · ac þær biþ sor idol · 5 [þ/] bodeþ [þ/] bearn : þonne hit iboren biþ · hit [woan]eþ [&] mænet þeo weowe · [&] þene seoruhfule siþ · [&] [þ/] sori idol · [þ/] soule schal [[&] li]came · sorliche idælen · forþon hit cumeþ weopinde · [&] woniende iwiteþ · 10 [swo D]eaþ mid his pricke · pineþ þene licame · he walkeþ [&] wendeþ [&] woneþ [oftes]iþes · he sæiþ on his bedde · wo me [þ/] ic libbe · [þ/] æffre mine lif dawes · þus [lon]ge me ilesteþ · for heui is his greoning · [&] seorhful is his woaning · 15

[Linenotes: 3. [_þe_]_ne_ Buchholz. [_þon_]_ne_ Haufe. || 7. _hit_ [_greoneþ ond woan_]_eþ_ B. || 9. [_[&] li_]_came_ H. | [_hire li_]_came_ Singer. || 11. [_D_]_eaþ_ H., B. | [_thonne D_]_eath_ S. || 13. _wome_ MS.]

[&] al [biþ] his siþ · mid seorwe biwunden · him deaueþ þa æren : him dimmeþ [þa] i[gh]en · him scerpeþ þe neose · him scrinckeþ þa lippen · him scorteþ [þe] tunge · [him starkeþ his skin ·] him trukeþ his iwit · him teoreþ his miht · 20 him coldeþ his [siden ·] liggeþ þe ban stille · þonne biþ [þ/] soule{}hus · seoruhliche bereaued · [at] also muchele wunne · þe þer{}inne wunede · þus biþ þæs bearnes · [bod]unge ifulled · þeo moder greoneþ · [&] [þ/] bearn woaneþ · 25 So biþ þeo [bu]rdtid · mid ba`le´wen imenged · so biþ eft þe feorþsiþ · Mid seoruwen al bewunden · þonne þe licame [&] þe sowle · soriliche to[dæl]eþ : þonne biþ [þ/] wræcche lif · iended al mid sori siþ · þonne biþ þe [fei][gh]e · iflut to þen flore · 30

[Linenotes: 19. [_him ... skin_] no gap in MS. || 21. _þe ban_] perhaps _he stan_. || 23. [_at_] B., [_of_] H. || 27. In MS. the second half of this line is _sorhliche to dæl_... copied by mistake from the next line. || 30. [_fei_]_ge_ Zupitza, [_bodi_]ge S.]

[[Partial word [_bodi_]ge italicized as shown]]]

he biþ eastward istreiht · he biþ sone stif · he [col]deþ also clei · hit is him ikunde · Mon hine met mid one [gh]erde · [&] þa mol[de] seoþþen · ne mot he of þære molde · habben na{m}more · þonne [þ/] rihte imet · [rih]tliche tæcheþ · 35 þonne liþ þe clei clot · colde on þen flore · [&] him sone from [fleoþ] · þeo he ær freome dude · nulleþ heo mid honden · his heafod riht wen[den] · heom þuncheþ [þ/] hore honden · swuþe beoþ ifuled · Gif heo hondleþ þe[ne d]eade · seoþþen his dea[gh]es beoþ igon · 40 sone cumeþ [þ/] wrecche wif · þe [forh]oweþ þene earfeþ siþ · forbindeþ þæs dædan muþ · [&] his dimme e[gh]en · [þon]ne þet riche wif · forhoweþ þene earueþ siþ · for ufel is þeo wrecche lufe · [þari]nne þeo un{}blisse cumaþ · þonne besihþ þeo soule · sorliche to þen lich[ame ·] 45

[Linenotes: 32. [_col_]_deþ_ Z., [_hear_]_deth_ S. || 41. The last half of this line is due to l. 43. || 43. [_þonne_] H. || [_Ec_] B. || 44. _þarinne_] [_þon_]_ne_ S., [_In_]_ne_ H., B.]

C. CONFABULABOR CUM AMARITUDINE ANIMAE MEAE

[ ] þu me · þeo hwule þet ic wunede inne þe · [f. 64r for þu were leas [&] luti[gh] · [&] u[n]riht lufedest · Godnesse [&] riht · æfre þu onscunedest · hwar is nu þe[o mo]dinesse · swo muchel þe þu lufedæst · hwar beoþ nu þeo pundes · þurh [pa]newes igædered · 5 heo weren monifolde · bi markes itolde · hwar beoþ [nu] þeo Goldfæten · þeo þe Guldene · comen to þine honden · þin blisse is [nu] al agon · min seoruwe is fornon · hwar beoþ nu þine wæde · þe þ[u] wel lufedest · hwar beoþ [sibbe ·] þe seten sori ofer þe · 10 beden swuþe [gh]eorne · [þet] þe come bote · heom þuþte alto longe · [þ/] þu were on liue · for heo [we]ren grædie · to gripen þine æihte ·

[Linenotes: C 5. [_pa_]_newes_ Holthausen. || 7. _þe_] _e_ in darker ink. || 10. [_sibbe_] no gap in MS.]

nu heo hi dæleþ heom imong · [heo] doþ þe wiþ{}uten · ac nu heo beoþ fuse · to bringen þe ut of huse, 15 b[rin]gen þe ut æt þire dure · of weolen þu ært bedæled · hwui noldest þ[u be]þenchen me · þeo hwile ic was innen þe · ac semdest me mid sunne · fo[rþon] ic seoruhful eam · weile [þ/] ic souhte · so seoruhfulne · buc · noldest þ[u lo]kien lufe · wiþ ilærede men · 20 [gh]iuen ham of þine Gode · [þ/] heo þe fo[re] beden · heo mihten mid salm songe · þine sunne acwenchen · Mid [ho]re messe · þine misdeden fore biddan · heo mihten offrian loc · leofli[che] for þe · swuþe deor wurþe lac · licame cristes · 25 þurh þæ{n}e þu were · alese[d] from helle{}wite · [&] mid his reade blode · [þ/] he [gh]eat on rode · þo þu we[re] ifreoed to farene i{n}to heouene · ac þu fenge to þeowdome · þ{urh} þæs de[ofles] lore · Bi þe hit is iseid · [&] soþ hit is on boken · 30

[Linenotes: 18. _semdest_] _scendest_ S. || 20. [_lo_]_kien_ S., [_ma_]_kien_ H., [_þe ma_]_kien_ B. || 24. _leofli_[_c_] B. || 26. _þæne_ Z., in MS. _þære_.]

_Qui custodit diuitias ser[uus] est diuitiis_ þu were þeow · þines weolan · noldest þu nouht þær{}of d[ælen ·] for drihtenes willæn · ac æfre þu grædiliche · gæderedest þe more · lu[þer]liche eart þu forloren · from al [þ/] þu lufedest · 35 [&] ic scal wræcche soule [· weo]we nu driæn · eart þu nu loþ [&] unwurþ · alle þine freonden · nu ha{m} [þun]cheþ alto long · [þ/] þu ham neih list · ær þu beo ibrouht · þaer þu be[on] scalt · on deope sæþe · on durelease huse · 40 þær wurmes wældeþ · al [þet þe] wurþest was · füweles quale holde · þe þu icwemdest ær · Mid alre [þære] swetnesse · þeo þu swuþe lufedest · þeo swetnesse is nu al agon · [þ/] b[ittere] þe biþ fornon · [þ/] bittere ilæsteþ æffre · [þ/] swete ne cumeþ þe [næffre ·] 45

[Linenotes: 36. [_weo_]_we_ H., [_ece_] _we_ S. || 38. _nu ham_] _nu han_ MS. || 43. _þære_] [_kunde_] S., H., B.]

II. SAINT GODRIC'S HYMNS

[[MS description from Notes volume:

"Royal 5 F vii, British Museum ... apparently an inserted leaf. This leaf ... belongs to the beginning of the thirteenth century...."]]

A ++Sainte marie uirgine [f. 85r moder ih{es}u cristes nazarene onfo schild help þin godric · onfang bring he[gh]ilich wið þe in godes riche ·

++Sainte marie xpistes bur 5 maidenes clenhad moderes flur · dilie min sinne rix in min mod · bring me `to´ winne wið þe selfd God.

B Crist and sainte marie swa on scamel me iledde þat ic on þis erðe ne silde wid mine bare fote i{}tredie · 10

C ++Sainte Nicholaes godes druð · tymbre us faire scone hus · At þi burth at þi bare. Sainte nicholaes, bring vs wel þare.

[Linenotes: II. 3. Over _onfo_, _onfong_ in later hand. || 4. _wið_] _w_ corr. out of _þ_. || 6. _maidenes_] _id_ corr. out of _rd_.]

III. THE PETERBOROUGH CHRONICLE

[[MS description from Notes volume:

"Laud Misc. 636, Bodleian Library (MS. E).... A new hand begins with 1132 and continues to the end in 1155 A.D."]]

[Headnote: The Anarchy]

[Sidenote: M·C·XXXII.]

f. 88v] ++Ðis gear co{m} henri king to þis land. þa co{m} henri abbot [&] uureide þe muneces of burch to þe king forþi ð he uuolde underþeden ð mynstr{e} to clunie. sua ð te king was wel neh be{}paht. [&] sende eft{er} þe muneces. [&] þur`h´ godes milce [&] þur`h´ þe b{iscop} of Seresb{er}i [&] te b{iscop} of linc{ol} [&] te oþre ricemen þe {5} þer wæron þa wiste þe king ð he feorde mid suicdo{m}. Þa he na{n} mor ne{}mihte. þa uuolde he ð his nefe sculde ben abb{ot} in burch. oc xpist it ne{}uuolde. Was it noht suithe lang þer{}eft{er} þatte king sende eft{er} hi{m}. [&] dide hi{m} gyuen up ð abb{ot}rice of burch. [&] faren ut of lande. [&] te king iaf ð abb{ot}rice an p{ri}or of S' neod Martin was {10} ge{}haten. he co{m} on S' pet{res} messe{}dei mid micel wurscipe into the minstre.

[Sidenote: M·C·XXXV.]

++On þis gære for se king h{enri} ouer sæ æt te la{m}masse. [&] ð oþer dei þa he lai an slep in scip. þa þestrede þe dæi ouer al landes [&] uuard þe sunne suilc als it {15} uuare thre niht ald mone. an st{er}res abuten hi{m} at middæi. Wur`þ´en men suiðe of{}uundred [&] of{}dred [&] sæden ð micel þing sculde cum{en} her{}eft{er}. sua dide. for þat ilc gær warth þe king ded. ð oþer daei eft{er} S' Andreas massedæi · on norm{andi}. Þa wes treson a þas landes. for æuricman sone ræuede oþer þe mihte. {20} Þa namen his sune [&] his frend [&] brohten his lic to engle{lande} [&] bebiriend in Reding{e}. Godman he wes [&] micel æie wes of hi{m}. durste nanman misdon wið oðer on his time. Pais he makede men [&] dær. Wua{}sua bare his byrthen gold [&] sylure. durste na{n} man sei to hi{m} naht bute god. {25}

[Linenote: 20. _þa wes treson a_ Emerson, in MS. _þa westre sona_.]

f. 89r] Enmang þis was his nefe cumen to engle{lande} Stephne de blais. [&] co{m} to lundene. [&] te lundenisce folc hi{m} underfeng. [&] senden [e,]ft{er} þe ærceb{iscop} Will{el}m curbuil. [&] halechede hi{m} to kinge on midewintre{}dæi. On þis kinges time wes al unfrið [&] yfel [&] ræflac. for agenes hi{m} risen sona þa ricemen þe wæron swikes. alre fyrst Balduin {30} de Reduers [&] held Execestre agenes hi{m}. [&] te king it be{}sæt. [&] siððan Bald{uin} acordede. Þa tocan þa oðre [&] helden her castles agenes hi{m}. [&] dauid king of scotland toc to uuerrien hi{m} · þa þohuuethere þat here sandes feorden betwyx heo{m}. [&] hi to{}gædere comen [&] wurðe sæhte. þoþ it litel forstode. {35}

[Sidenote: M·C·XXX`VII´.]

++Ðis gære for þe `k{ing}´ Steph{ne} ofer sæ to normandi [&] ther wes under{}fangen for{}þi ð hi uuenden ð he sculde ben alsuic alse the eo{m} wes. [&] for he hadde get his tresor. ac he to{}deld it [&] scatered sotlice. Micel hadde henri k{ing} gadered gold [&] syluer. [&] na god ne dide me for his saule thar{}of. {40}