XII. Sermons for Palm Sunday and Easter Day

“Trinity College, Cambridge, B. 14. 52. See [VIII, Poema Morale].”

Quia Mitis Sum et Humilis Corde

A. Dominica Palmarum

Turbe que precedebant dominum. ⁊ que sequebantur clamabant dicentes. osanna filio dauid; benedictus qui uenit in nomine domini. It is custume þ̵ ech chirchsocne goð þis dai aproce`ssi´on. ⁊ þis wune haueð þe biginnigge of þe holie procession. þe ure [f. 43 r] helende makede to ward te stede þer he wolde deð þolen. Et cum uenisset bethfage ad montem oliuarum. Mittens [duos] de discipulis iussit adduci asinam ⁊ sedit super eam. Þo þe com to bethfage Swo hatte þe þrop þe preste one wunien. bi sides ierusalem on þe fot of þe dune þe men clepen munt oliuete. þo sende tweien of hise diciples in to þe bureh of ierusalem. ⁊ bed hem bringen á wig one te riden. noðer stede. ne palefrei. ne fair mule. ac þeh he [were] alre louerdes louerd. ⁊ alre kingene ki[n]g. naþeles he sende after þe alre unwurþeste wig one to riden. ⁊ þ̵ is asse. ⁊ gaf us forbisne of admodnesse on his dede. alse he doð on oðre stede on his speche þus queðinde. Discite a me; quia mitis sum ⁊ humilis corde. lerneð of me for þ̵ ich am milde ⁊ admod on herte. ⁊ þo tweien sander bodes ferden ⁊ cudden in þe bureh. þ̵ þe helende was þider ward. ⁊ funden an asse mid fole. ⁊ ledden hit to genes him. ⁊ þe holie apostles leiden he`re´ cloþes þer uppe ⁊ ure helende rod þer one; into þe holie burh. ⁊ þ̵ burh`folc´ hihten þe hege strete ⁊ bihengen it mid palmes. ⁊ mid oðre riche wedes. þer he wolde þurh faren to þe holi temple. ⁊ wenden ut togenes him. ⁊ beren on here honde blostme sum palm twig. ⁊ sum boh of oliue alse þe holie boc seið. Occurrunt turbe cum floribus ⁊ palmis redemtori o[b]uiam. ⁊c’. Ðet [f. 43 v] folc com to genes him. mid blostmen. ⁊ mid palmes. ⁊ understoden him mid procession. swo me ki[n]g shal. ⁊ þo þe ferden biforen him. ⁊ ðo þe after him comen. remden lude stefne þus queðinde. [O]sanna filio dauid benedictus qui uenit in nomine domini. Silof dauiðes bern blesced bie he þe cumeð a godes name. ⁊ þo children þe weren biforen diden alse þe godspel seið. Pueri hebreorum vestimenta prosternebant ⁊c’ Þe children briggeden þe wei biforen ure drihten. sume mid here cloðes. ⁊ sume mid boges þe hie breken of þe trewes ⁊ swo him brohten in to þe holie temple. alse in his heorðliche heg settle. Þus makede ure helende his holie procession. fro betfage to ierusalem. ⁊ elhc cristene man makeð þis dai procession fro chirche to chirche. ⁊ eft agen. ⁊ bitocneð þe holie procession þe he makede þis dai. ⁊ þ̵ mai ech man understonden. þe wot wat bitocneð þese tweie names. betfage. ⁊ ierusalem. Betfage interpretatur domus bucce. uel buccarum siue maxillarum. ⁊ significat ecclesiam in qua bucce funguntur officio suo peccata confitendo ueniam postulando. deum laudando. Carnem xpisti manducando. ⁊ sanguinem eius bibendo. gratias agendo. Betfage is cleped on englisse muðene hus. ⁊ bitocneð holie chirche. þ̵ men noten inne here muðes wike. þanne hie seien here sinnes. ⁊ forgiuenesse bidden. ⁊ ure louerd ihesu xrist herien. ⁊ bruken his fles ⁊ his blod. þ̵ his þe holi husel. ⁊ him [f. 44 r] þanken. Ierusalem interpretatur uisio pacis ⁊ item significat ecclesiam. in qua pax uera uidetur. dum passio xristi recolitur. et pacis osculum datur. Ierusalem is cleped soð of sahtnesse. ⁊ bitocneð holie chirche þer bileffulle men inne beð sehte. þenne prest cristes þroweinge minegeð. ⁊ of þe calice understondeð tocne of sehtnesse. þ̵ is messe cos. ⁊ þe folc sent. ⁊ þer mide bitocneð þ̵ ure drihten is þureh þe holie loc wið bileffulle men maked sehte. ⁊ þerfore chirche haueð þe tocninge of bethphage þenne þe proession ut goð of ierusalem. ⁊ eft þenne it in cumeð. Nime we þenne geme gif ure procession bi maked after ure helendes procession. On his procession ferde sume biforen him ⁊ makede his weie to ward ierusalem. ⁊ sume briggeden þe asse mid here cloðes. ⁊ sume mid boges þe hie breken of þe trewes. Ðo þe þe weie makeden biforen him. bien folkes lorþeawes. bisshopes ⁊ prestēs. þe mid here wise lore rideð. ⁊ makeð godes weie in to mannes heorte. Ðo þe briggeden þe asse mid here cloðes. ben þo þe wisseð þe folc mid faire forbisne of here weldede. Ðo þe briggeden þe asse mid þe brokene boges. ben þo þe leren þe folc to understonden god noht mid wel dede. ac mid wise speche. þo þe after him comen ben þo þe here lif [leden] alse here lorðeawes hem lereð. þo þe bisides weren on his riht half. ben þo þe clene lif leden to quemende gode; noht for hereworde. þo þe on his lift hond comen ben þo þe clenliche liuen [f. 44 v] noht forto quemende gode; ac for hereword to hauen. Ðe asse þe ure helende uppe set. ben þo forsinegede þe hauen al here þonc uppen eorðliche richeise. ⁊ sinne hem is loð to leten. ⁊ unwill[i]che to bete. for hem þincheð þ̵ godes hese heuieliche semeð. ⁊ naðeles gif hie ful don hie shulen on heuene endelese mede fon. Ure louerd ihesu xrist þe makede into ierusalem þis dai his holie procession. þe ech chirche to dai minegeð. wisse ⁊ fulste us swo to folgen his holi eorliche procession þ̵ we mo ben on þe holie procession þe he wile maken adomes dai mid hise chosene; fro þe dome in to heuene. Quod nobis prestet qui secla per omnia regnat.

B. In Die Pasche

Panis Angelicus Fit Panis Hominum

Hec est dies quam fecit dominus exultemus ⁊ letemur in ea. Þis dai haueð ure drihten maked to gladien. ⁊ to blissen us þonked wurðe him. ⁊ giarked þ̵ holie gestninge. þe he offe spe`c´ð þus queðinde. Ecce prandium meum paratum. Mi bord is maked. ⁊ us biddeð alle þer to þus seggende. Venite prandium. Cumeð to borde ⁊ understondeð bred. ac er þenne þe holie bord bugen. ⁊ þ̵ bred understonde do we alse þe apostel bad. seiende þus. Probet autem se ipsum homo. ⁊ sic de pane illo edat ⁊ de calice bibat. Proue ech man him seluen. ⁊ gif he feleð þ̵ he is wurðe þer to; þenne understonde he þ̵ husel. ⁊ drinke of þe calice. þe man hit understondeð wurðliche þe cumeð þerto on bicumeliche wise. ⁊ mid bicumeliche wede. ⁊ on bicumeliche time. On bicumeliche wise [f. 45 r] cumeð þe man þe Erest sheweð preste his sinnes ⁊ forleteð ⁊ bimurneð ⁊ nimeð þerof god wissinge. ⁊ oðer siðe þe holie acxen uppen his heued. ⁊ þe six pinen þe þerto bilien. scilicet vigilias. labores. saccum. inedia. sitim. þ̵ is wecche ⁊ swinch. harde cloðes. smerte dintes. selde eten ⁊ lesse drinken. Þridde siðe palm sunedeies procession. feorðe siðes shereðuresdaies absolucio[n] þe liðe þe sinne bendes. þe fifte siðe crepe to cruche on lange fridai[.] sixte siðe on ester euen gon abuten þe fantston. þe bitocneð þe holie sepulcre. ⁊ þe seueðe siðe þ̵ holie bord bugen ⁊ þ̵ bred bruken. bicumeliche wede ben tweire kinne. lichamliche ⁊ gostliche. þe lichamliche wedes ben manie kinnes. ac of hem ne speke ich noht ac do of þe gostliche. þe ben ec fele kinnes. ⁊ alle hie bien faire him þe þe husel underfoð. ac two þer offe ben swiche þ̵ no man ne mai under fo. him seluen to hele bute he haue here oðer on him. þe ben þus clepede. Vestis innocencie. Vestis misericordie. an is loðlesnesse oðe`r´ sinbote. Vestis innocencie restituitur in baptismo dicente sacerdote. [A]ccipe uestem candidam ⁊ immaculatam. loðlesnesse understondeð þe man at his folcninge. ⁊ þ̵ bitocneð þe crisme cloð. þe þe prest bi windeð þ̵ child mide. ⁊ þus seið. Underfo shrud wit ⁊ clene. þis shrud haueð ech man on him after his fulcninge. alle þe wile þe he him beregeð þ̵ he ne do ne ne queðe. ne ne ðenche no þing for þat he bie unwurðere gode; [f. 45 v] ne loðere men; þe iuele is soule. Þis wede is wel bicumeliche ⁊ biheue ech man to hauen þenne he husel underfoð. Ðet oðer gostliche shrud ich embe spece; is mildhertnesse. þe is nemed ec; armhertnesse armheorted is þe man. þe swiðere reoweð his sinne. ⁊ he hem for let ⁊ bet. ⁊ milce bit. alse ure drihten bad seien þus. Miserere anime tue placens deo. haue reoðe of þin ogen sovle. þenne likeste gode. Mildheorted beð þe man þe reouð his nehgebures unselðe. ⁊ likeð here alre selðe ⁊ ofþinð sore wrecche mannes wanrede. ⁊ freureð hem mid his wel dede. No man þe sineged haueð ne mai wið uten þise wedes holi husel underfon; bute to eche harme his soule ⁊ lichame ⁊ ech man þe hit underfoð wið uten eiðer þese wedes shal ben shameliche driuen ut of þis holi gestninge. ⁊ bunden togedere his honden. ⁊ his fet. ⁊ worpen in to þe ateliche pit of helle bi ure drihtenes word þe seið to swiche men. Amice quomodo huc intrasti non habens uestem nupcialem. ⁊c hwu come þu ider in mid unbicumliche weden. þis dai is bicumelich time husel to underfon. Quia hec dies quam fecit dominus. non quod magis hanc quam alias. sed quia maiora quam in aliis á morte resurgendo. ⁊ nos á morte resuscitando. for þ̵ þis makede ure drihten þe makede alle oðre. ac he kidde oðerluker his mihte. ⁊ mankin more milce dide on þis dai; þanne on ani oðre. Ðo he aros of deaðe [⁊] rerde us mid him. Vnde exultemus ⁊ letemur in ea. he us fette ut of helle wowe. ⁊ þer mide us gledede. ⁊ gif we him folgieð he gifð us heuene wele ⁊ þer mide. us blisseð to dai þonked. wurðe him. for þi þis dai is cleped estrene dai. þ̵ is aristes dai. for þ̵ þe he þis dai aros of deaðe. ⁊ we alle don; [f. 46 r] þanne we holi husel unde`r´nimen. gif we ben þe[r] togenes on clene liflode. ⁊ on rihte leue. ⁊ wið alle men sehte. Ure louerd þe us bit to þis gestninge. ⁊ bringe us to `his´ holi fleis ⁊ to his holi blod ⁊ leue us hem to bruken. ⁊ þus quedinde. Accipite ⁊ commedite ex hoc omnes hic est enim calix sanguinis mei novi. ⁊ c’ Understondeð þis ⁊ brukeð it alle. for it is mi lichame þe giu shal alle lesen. he bet us ec his holi blod þe shal ben shad giu to lesende ⁊ seið þ̵ þese two þing bien ure bileue. Caro mea uere est cibus ⁊ sanguis meus uere est potus. Mi fleis is wis mete. ⁊ mi blod iwis drinke ⁊ after þ̵ he seið. Nisi manducaueritis carnem filii hominis ⁊ biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis uitam in uobis. Ne muge hauen no lif on giu bute ge liuen bi mi fleis ⁊ bi mi blod. þ̵ husel þe ge understonden; is his holi fleis ⁊ his blod. Erest it beð ouelete ⁊ win. ⁊ þureh þe holi word þe ure helende him self seide mid his holi muð; ⁊ efter him prest hem seið atte swimesse turneð þe bred to fleis ⁊ þe win to blod. Set in carne remanet forma color ⁊ sapor. ac on þe holi fleis bileueð þe shap ⁊ hiu. ⁊ smul of ouelete. ⁊ on þe holi blod héw ⁊ smul of win. More mihte doð ure helende þenne þe holi word þe he þurh his muð spec. þanne he giueð mannes cuinde. [his fleis ⁊ his blod.] ⁊ Naþeles þanne man eteð ⁊ drinkeð þureh þe lichames cunde þ̵ bred wurð to fleis. ⁊ þe drinke to blod. for þi mai godes word turnen þe ouelete to fleis. ⁊ þ̵ win to blod. ⁊ swo doð. ⁊ þ̵ is þe felefolde heste. þe is alre hestene heste þ̵ alle cristene men agen to dai to noten. for þ̵ þis dai is cleped estre dai þ̵ is estene da[i]. ⁊ te este is husel. ⁊ no man ne mai seien husel; wu god it is. Quia est precium mundi. for it is wurð al þe wereld. ⁊ betere þene [f. 46 v] al þe wereld. þis is þe holi manne þe ure drihten sende alse snow sleðrende alse þe prophete seið. Pluit illis manna ad manducandum ⁊ panem celi dedit eis. [P]anem angelorum manducauit homo. he let hem reine manne to bi liue. ⁊ gef hem bred of heuene. ⁊ men eten englene [bred]. Manna interpretatur. quid est hoc? Manne bitocneð wat is tis; ⁊ þo ure drihten sende þis mete fro heuene þe israelisse folke; it warð on eches muð wat mete se he mest luuede. ⁊ bitocneð holi husel; þe ech cristeman understont nuðe. þe is þe manne hegeste sweteste este þe is of sinne clensed. oðer bigunne to clensende. ⁊ alre bitere biterest eches mannes soule þe ne haueð alle michele sinnes forleten. ⁊ bet. oðer bigunnen alse þe apostel seið. Qui manducat corpus domini ⁊ bibit ⁊c. Ech þe understandeð þ̵ holi husel unwurðliche he understant him seluen eche pine. ⁊ endelese wowe. Nime we nu geme ure ech agen him seluen. gif we bien cumen on bicumeliche wise. þ̵ is to soð shrifte. to hol[i] axen a palm sunedai; to procession. a shereðursdai to absoluciun. a langefridai to holi cruche. an ester euen to procession. ⁊ gif we ben cumene mid bicumeliche wede. of lodlesnesse þ̵ is clensinge. swo þ̵ we hauen ure sinnes forleten. ⁊ bi shriftes wissenge bet. oðer bigunnen to beten. ⁊ milce bidden. þanne muge we bicumeliche to godes bord; bugen. ⁊ his bode wurðliche bruken. ⁊ þureh þe holi este cumen to driste. Quod nobis prestet qui hodie surrexit ⁊ uiuit cum deo patre in unitate spiritus sancti.