IX. Ancrene Wisse (Corpus Ms.)

“i. Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 402 (A); on vellum, 215 × 150 mm.... There are glosses in red pencil and words underlined in red.

“The MS. belongs to the second quarter of the thirteenth century. It cannot be earlier than 1225 A.D., for it mentions the Dominicans and Franciscans, and it is probably later than 1230. It is the most correct, but it has additions to the original, such as 62/46–64/62, 64/73–78.

“ii. Caius College, Cambridge, 234 (B); on vellum, 124 × 93 mm.; 368 pages; late thirteenth century. Pages 1-185 consist of extracts from the AR, but not in the order of the other manuscripts (ES iii. 536).

“iii. Cotton Nero A 14, British Museum (N); on vellum, 146 × 114 mm.; written in the second quarter of the thirteenth century. Its contents are ff. 1-120r, the Ancren Riwle; 120v-123v, The Orison.

“iv. Cotton Titus D 18, British Museum (T); on vellum, 158 × 120 mm.; 148 folios in double columns, written from f. 14, where AR begins, to the end, about 1220 A.D.”

A. The Seven Deadly Sins

A (Caius MS.)

B (Corpus MS.)
B (Cotton MSS.)

A (Parallel Texts)
B (Parallel Texts)

Þvs mine leoue sustren iþe wildernesse þer ȝe gað; in · wið godes folc toward ierusalemes lond · þ̵ is þe riche of heouene; beoð þulliche beastes · þulliche wurmes. ne nat ich na sunne þ̵ ne mei beon ilead oðer to an of ham seouene; oðer to hare streones. vnsteaðeluest bileaue aȝein godes lare · nis hit te spece of prude inobedience? Herto falleð sygaldren · false teolunges · lefunge o swefne · o nore · ⁊ on alle wicchecreftes. Neomunge of husel in eani heaued sunne · oðer ei oþer sacrement nis hit te spece of prude þ̵ ich cleopede presumptio · ȝef me wat hwuch sunne hit · is · [f. 56 v] ȝef me hit nat nawt · þenne is hit ȝemeles under accidie · þ̵ ich slawðe cleopede. þe ne warneð oðer of his uuel oðer of his biȝete · nis hit slaw ȝemeles oðer attri onde? teoheði mis · edhalden cwide · fundles oðer lane · oðer þerwið mis fearen · nis hit spece of ȝisceunge; ⁊ aneS cunnes þeofðe? Edhalden oðres hure ouer his rihte terme nis hit strong reaflac hwa se ȝelden hit mei þe is under ȝisceunge? Ȝef me ȝemeð wurse ei þing ileanet · oðer bitaht to witene · þen he wene þe ah hit · nis hit oðer triccherie · oðer ȝemeles of slawðe? alswa is dusi heast oðer folliche ipliht trowðe · longe beon unbischpet · falsliche gan to schrift · oðer to longe abiden · ne teache pater noster godchild ne Credo · þeos ⁊ alle þulliche beoð ilead to slawðe · þ̵ is þe feorðe moder of þe seoue sunnen. Þe dronc drunch oðer ei þing dude · hwer þurh na child ne schulde beon on hire istreonet · oðer þ̵ istreonede schulde forwurðen · nis þis strong monslaht of galnesse awakenet? Alle sunnen sunderliche bi hare nomeliche nomen ne mahte namon rikenin · ah i þeo þe ich habbe iseid; alle oþre beoð bilokene. Ant nis ich wene namon þe ne mei understonden him of his sunne nomeliche under sum of þe ilke imeane þe beoð her iwritene. Of þeose seoue beastes ⁊ of hare streones i wildernesse of anlich lif · is iseid herto · þe alle þe forfearinde fondið to fordonne. Þe liun of prude sleað alle þe prude · alle þe beoð hehe ⁊ ouerhohe iheortet. Þe attri neddre · þe ontfule ⁊ te luðere iþonket. Wreaðfule; þe vnicorne. Alswa of þe oþre o rawe. to godd ha beoð isleine · ah [f. 57 r] ha libbeð to þe feond · ⁊ beoð alle in his hond. ⁊ seruið him in his curt euch of þe meoster þe him to falleð.

Þe prude beoð his bemeres · draheð wind inward wið worltlich hereword · ⁊ eft wið idel ȝelp puffeð hit ut ward as þe bemeres doð · makieð noise ⁊ lud dream to schawin hare orhel · ah ȝef ha wel þohten of godes bemeres of þe englene bemen þe schulen o fowr half þe world biuore þe grurefule dom grisliche blawen · Ariseð deade ariseð cumeð to drihtines dom forte beon idemet · þear na prud bemere, ne schal beon iborhen · ȝef ha þohten þis wel; ha walden inohreaðe i þe deofles seruise dimlukeR bemin. Of þeose bemeres seið Jeremie · Onager solitarius in desiderio anime sue attraxit uentum amoris sui · Of þe wind drahinde in for luue of hereword seið as ich seide.

Summe iuglurs beoð þe ne cunnen seruin of nan oþer gleo bute makien cheres · wrenche þe muð mis · schulen wið ehnen. Of þis meoster seruið þe unseli ontfule i þe deofles curt · to bringen o lahtre hare ondfule lauerd · ȝef ei seið wel oðer deð wel; ne mahen ha nanes weis lokin þider wið riht ehe of god heorte · ah winkið o þ̵ half ⁊ bihaldeð o luft ȝef þer is eawt to edwiten · oðer ladliche þiderward schuleð mið eiðer. Hwen ha ihereð þ̵ god; skleatteð þe earen adun · ah þe lust aȝein þ̵ uuel; is eauer wid open · þenne he wrencheð þe muð; hwen he turneð god to uuel · ⁊ ȝef hit is sumdel uuel · þurh mare lastunge wrencheð hit to wurse · þeos beoð forecwidderes hare ahne prophetes · þeos bodieð · biuoren hu þe eateliche deoflen schulen ȝet ageasten ham wið hare grennunge · ⁊ [f. 57 v] hu ha schulen ham seolf grennin ⁊ niuelin ⁊ makien sur semblant for þe muchele angoise i þe pine of helle. Ah for þi ha beoð þe leasse to meanen þ̵ ha biuoren hond leornið hare meoster to makien grim chere.

Þe wreaðule biuore þe feond skirmeð mid cniues · ⁊ is his cnif warpere · ⁊ pleieð mid sweordes · bereð ham bi þe scharp ord up on his tunge. Sweord ⁊ cnif eiðer beoð scharpe ⁊ keoruinde word þ̵ he warpeð from him ⁊ skirmeð toward oþre · ⁊ he bodeð hu þe deoflen schulen pleien wið him mid hare scharpe eawles · skirmi wið him abuten ⁊ dusten ase pilche clut euch toward oðer · ant wið helle sweordes asneasen him þurh ut · þ̵ beoð kene ant eateliche ant keoruinde pineN.

Þe slawe lið ⁊ slepeð o þe deofles bearm as his deore deorling · ⁊ te deouel leið his tutel dun to his eare · ⁊ tuteleð him al þ̵ he wule. for swa hit is sikerliche to hwam se is idel of god; meaðeleð þe feond ȝeorne · ⁊ te idele underueð luueliche his lare. Jdel ⁊ ȝemeles is þes deofleS bearnes slep · ah he schal o domesdei grimliche abreiden wið þe dredfule dream of þe englene bemen · ⁊ in helle wontreaðe echeliche wakieN. Surgite aiunt mortui surgite ⁊ uenite ad iudicium saluatoriS.

Þe ȝiscere is his eskibah · feareð abuten esken · ⁊ bisiliche stureð him to rukelin to gederes muchele ⁊ monie ruken · blaweð þrin ⁊ blent him seolf · peaðereð ⁊ makeð þrin figures of augrim · as þes rikeneres doð þe habbeð muche to rikenin. Þis is al þe canges blisse ⁊ te feond bihalt tis gomen ⁊ laheð þ̵ he bersteð. Wel un [f. 58 r] derstont euch wis mon þ̵ gold ba ⁊ seoluer · ⁊ euch eorðlich ahte · nis bute eorðe ⁊ ahte esken þe ablendeð euch moN þe ham in blaweð · þ̵ is þe bolheð him þurh ham in heorte prude. Ant al þ̵ he rukeleð ⁊ gedereð to gederes · ⁊ ethalt of ei þing þ̵ nis bute esken mare þen hit neodeð; schal in helle wurðen him tadden ⁊ neddren · ⁊ ba as ysaie seið · schulen beon of wurmes; his cuuertur ⁊ his hwitel · þe nalde þerwið neodfule feden ne schruden. Subter te sternetur tinea ⁊ operimentum tuum uermiS.

Þe ȝiuere glutun is þe feondes manciple · ah he stikeð eauer iceler oðer icuchene · his heorte is i þe disscheS · his þoht al i þe neppes · his lif i þe tunne · his sawle i þe crohhe · Kimeð biuoren his lauerd bismuddet ⁊ bismulret · a disch in his an hond · a scale in his oðer. Meaðeleð mis wordes · wigleð as fordrunke mon þe haueð imunt to fallen · bihalt his greate wombe · ⁊ te deouel lahheð. Þeose þreatið þus godd þurh ysaie · Serui mei comedent ⁊ uos esurietis ⁊ c’. Mine men schulen eoten ⁊ ow schal eauer hungrin · ⁊ ȝe schule beon feorle world buten ende. Quantum glorificauit se ⁊ in deliciis fuit; tantum date illi tormentum ⁊ luctum · In apocalipsi · Contra unum poculum quod miscuit miscete ei duo. Ȝef þe kealche cuppe wallinde bres to drinken · Ȝeot in his wide þrote þ̵ he swelte inwið. aȝein an ȝef him twa. þullich is godes dom aȝein ȝiuere ⁊ druncwile iþe apocalipse.