XIII. Vices and Virtues

“Stowe 34, British Museum: of the early part of the thirteenth century; written on vellum, 223 × 160 mm., by three scribes, with numerous corrections by at least three other hands.”

A. The Ark of Holy Church

Ðe gastliche hierdes ðe sculen boðe lokin ⁊ stieren. ðo ðe bieð in ðare woreld; ⁊ ec `ðo´ ðe bieð ute. hie folȝið noe ðane gode stieres mann ðe gode was swiðe lief. ⁊ ȝecweme. For ðare muchele hersumnesse ðe he maniȝe wintre swanc. ær he `ða´ arche mihte habben ȝemaked. ⁊ seððen hie swa stierde on ðe muchele wilde flode. ðe ouerȝiede all middeneard. mang stronge windes ⁊ stormes ðat he ðarof ne forleas naþing. ðe godd him hadde betaht to liue ⁊ to londe to bringen. Swa scule ða gastlich`e´ stieres menn. `steren´ ða arche of ðe hali cherche ðat hie ðarof ne for liesen ne lichame ne saule. For none winde of mannliche fandinge. [f. 15 r] Ne for none storme of dieuliche fandinge. ⁊ eft on faire wedere ne bien hie naht to sikere. forðan swo maniȝe litle dropes of maniȝes kennes ȝemeleastes mihten cumen in to ðe saule bote ðat hie mihten sinken. mid alle hire biȝeates. Ac lokien hie alle ðe wið innen scipes borde wuniȝeð. þ̵ hie bien hersum. ⁊ leðebeiȝe here stieres manne. swa swa hie willeð cumen to ðe liuiende lande mid saule ⁊ mid lichame. And hlesteð hwat ðe hlauerd seið. ðe ðat scip auh to ðe stieresmannen ⁊ to alle ðe ðar inne wuniȝeð. Qui uos audit me audit. Se ðe ȝe`w´er ra`d´ hlest he seið. he hlest me seluen. ⁊ se ðe ȝew forsakþ ⁊ ȝewere lare he forsakþ fullȝewiss me seluen. Þis he seið to ða stieresmannen. On michele hahte we fareð alle ðe fareð in hoc mare magnum. on ðessere michele sea of ðare bitere woreld. Of ure stieresman is ȝewriten Ascendunt usque ad celos. ⁊ descendunt usque ad abissos. Hie stieð up to heuene mid here gastliche þohtes for to sceawin ðe michele merhðe of heuene riche. for to sceawin ðe windes ⁊ ðe euele stormes. ðe cumeð of deules blastes ⁊ for us te warnin þ̵ ure ropes ne to breken. ðe bieð i broiden mid þrie strænges. Of rihte ileaue. ⁊ of faste hope te gode. And of ðare soðe luue ðe is ihoten carite ðe Crist mæst luueð. Eft hit seið ðat hie stikð niðer in to nielnesse mid here ðohtes. for us eft to warnin wið ðo stanroches of ðe harde hierte ðe næure ne wile nexin. for none watere of wisdome. Ac ȝif ðar cumþ scip to hit tobrekð. Alswo doð ðat unwise mann ðe cumþ to ðan unbiliefde manne ðe ne wile ne ne mai godes lare understanden for his herte hardnesse[.] he tobrekð ȝif he ani god wille hafð. forðan he hert his gode wille ⁊ hie tobrecþ. [f. 15 v] mid þelliche wordes. Hwat dest þu; he seið ðu dalst al ðat tu hafst. Wile ðu hlesten. spelleres. ⁊ pr`i´estes. ⁊ munekes. ⁊ þese hadede mannen. Ne scalt ðu næure habben god; Hie wolden for`i´swelȝen all ðe woreld ȝif hie mihten. be trewe mann ⁊ halt tin god. þu finst feawe ðe wile ȝiuen ðe ani þing. bute hie witen hwarfore. Ðe unware mann ðe ðis ȝeherð. ðingþ ðat he seið him god rad. Ȝif he arrer dede litel te gode. ðar after he doð michel`e´ lasse. ⁊ swo he forfarð. for ðan ðe he his priestes lare ne his ræd lesten ne folȝin ne wile Carite sprat his bowes on bræde ⁊ on lengðe swiðe ferr. Hie me haueð idon speken. forðer ðane ic hadde ȝeþouht. Ac nu ic wile wænden to ðe hali mihtes al swo ich ær hadde iȝunnen be godes fultume. Ac me þincþ ðat tu lokest aweiward ⁊ heuiliche latst. And hit is me to muchel iswinch ðar embe to þennken oðer to speken, bute ȝif ðu woldest mid god wille ðar to lhesten. ⁊ hes understanden.

Hu andswereð ðe saule ⁊ seið :

Ich ðe bidde for ðan ilche hlauerd ðe ðe iscop me to helpe. ðat alswo ðu hauest ȝegunnen ⁊ ðane grundwall ileid. Of ðese hali mihtes ðat tu hes forð bringe ⁊ me hes tæche. forðan hie bieð me swiðe unbecnawe for ðe maniȝe unðeawes ðe ic mid me to longe habbe ihafd. Ac nu ic hes wile leten. ⁊ mid godes fultume of hem ȝeswiken. And min ȝeþanc to ðine lore healden. For ðare hali mihte ðe cariteð is icleped ic ðe beseche ⁊ bidde ðat tu ðese halwende lore on write sette. for ðan ic am michel þenchinde ðar hwile ðe ic on ðese wrecche lichame am wuniende. ⁊ ofte forȝete ðat me god; wære te healden. and ec sum oðer saule hit wile helpen.

Hu andswereð scadwisnesse. ⁊ þus seið.

Ðas þe me þincþ þu wilt godes lore bliðeliche understonden. ⁊ liernin. ⁊ ðat me likeð swiðe wel. forði ðat hit seið on ðe hali godspelle. Qui est ex deo uerba dei audit. Se ðe is of gode he harkeð bleðeliche godes wordes. Nu me cumþ on iþanke an forbisne. þe sanctus Gregorius us seið : Qui uirtutes sine humilitate congregat quasi in uento puluerem portat. Se ðe gadereð mihtes wiðuten eadmodnesse he seið. he is ilich ðo manne ðe berð dust amidewarde ðe winde. For ði me þingþ þ̵ is wisdom ðat we alre ðinge arst speken of ðessere hali mihte wið uten hwam non ne mai bien wið healden te none freme ne te none gode.

B. Of teares.

Wite ðu to soðe ðat þese teares ðe we embe spekeð hie bieð iwis godes ȝiue. ⁊ swiðe niedfulle to ðan inede þat iherd sculen [bien] of gode. Of hem sade ðe prophete : Fuerunt mihi lacrime me[e] panes die ac nocte. Mine teares he sade me waren bred daiȝ ⁊ niht swa gode hie þouhten. Of oþres kennes teares he sade : Lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabo : Ich scal watrien min bedd mid mine teares. Ðies bedd tacneð þe consciencia. þat is þat inȝied wiðinnen. Þar ðe gode sawle haueð hire reste; þar haueð se eule sawle hire pine. For þi he sade þat he wolde mid teares wascen þat inȝied þar of ðe his herte him wreiȝede. Ne finde we nawher þat godd wernde ani þing ðe ani mann mid teares him besouhte. Godd sante to Ezechie þe kinge be his prophete. ⁊ sade : Dispone domui tue quia morieris ⁊ tu ⁊ non uiues. Becweð þine [f. 47 v] cwide he sade. for ðan þu scalt bien dead. ⁊ naht ne scalt tu libben. Ðe king warð sari. alswa richeise is lað to laten ⁊ swiðe lef to libben. He wante þo to ðe wauȝe ⁊ dede þat betste. `a´ hlauerd godd sade he þench nu ðat ich ðe habbe ȝe luued. ⁊ for þine luue bliðeliche idon. ⁊ ȝif me ȝiet a litel ferst for þine godnesse. Ðies was god inȝied. þ̵ he mihte his gode dade forðsceawin þa þe he niede hadde. For þi him ȝeherde godd ⁊ sade to is prophete ðe was ham ward. Wand aȝean cwað he ⁊ sai to þe kinge. Vidi lacrimam tuam. Ich iseih cwað he þine tear. ⁊ ich iherde þine bene. Þu scalt ȝiet libben fiftene ȝear. Swa michel ich habbe ieiht þi lif. Ðanne ðu on michele niede gode wilt beseken þanne is ðe wel god þ̵ þu muȝe forðdraȝen sume gode dade. þin hierte bieð ðe gladdere. ⁊ ðe sikerliker ðu miht bidden. Segge we nu forð mid þe prophete Ciba nos pane lacrimarum. Hlauerd fed us mid ðo breade of swete teares. ⁊ potum da nobis in lacrimis in mensura. ⁊ ȝif us drinken of oðreskennes teares ⁊ ðat mid imete. Ðat ich wile þat ðu wel be iwarned. ȝif godd ðe ȝifð þese swete teares þat non win in ðare world nis swa swete. ⁊ alswa alswa man to michel mai drinken of ðare wine alswa mai ðe mann to michel wepen. þeih hie swete bien. ⁊ for ði þe is god þ̵ þu beseke at gode one mihte. ðe hatte discrecio. þat is [f. 48 r] sckelewisnesse.

Hie is swiðe beheue mang alle ðe oðre mihtes. Ðis ðe hali faderes seggeð Hie is moder of alle ðe oðre mihtes. ðar ðe he rixið ne mai naure man forfaren. þe hire wile rixin ⁊ folȝin. Hit seið in uitas patrum. ðat at sume sal waren ðe hali faderes to gedere igadered. ⁊ waren spekinde betwen hem on `h´williche wise me mihte rihtist ⁊ sikerest to gode cumen. Sum sade þurh fasten. sum þurh wacchen. sum ðurh bede. sum sade þurh hersumnesse. sum sade ðurh annesse. sum sade ðurh herborȝin wrecche menn. ⁊ feden ⁊ screden. Sum sade ðurh seke menn to lokin. ⁊ on manieskennes wisen hie namden after ðan þe þat hali goddspell seið. Ða sade on of ða eldes[t] ⁊ on of ða wisest. Ðurh alle ðesen we habbeð iseȝen ⁊ iherd swiðe maniȝe ȝeborȝen. ⁊ manie of alle ðesen inamde mihten forfaren for þi ðat hem trukede discrecio. þat is scadwisnesse and skele. For ði sume deden michel mare þan hie mihtin wel andin Sume deden to litel. Sume deden euele. ⁊ wenden wel don. Sume wel a gunnen ⁊ euele andeden. Ac naure ne ȝeseiȝe we manne þat hadde þese hali mihte mid him þat he aure misferde[.] beȝete se ðe muge.

Perseuerancia hatte an hali mihte. Hie nis naht [f. 48 v] to laten for ðan hie makeð ðanne man ðe godd `h´is. to sant þ̵ he þurwuneð on his godnesse. On ðare ealde laȝe hit was i[h]oten þ̵ alle dier. ðe me gode scolde offrin þat hie lokeden wel ðat ðe tail ware on auriche netene. Þat tocneð ðat ilke mann ðe gode ani seruise offreð. þat he þar on þurȝwunie[.] on ðessere newe laȝe sade crist. Qvi perseuerauerit usque in finem hic saluus erit. Se ðurȝ wuneð on his godnesse ðe he hafð agunnen he worð iborȝen ⁊ naht elles for none gode þe he don hafð. hwat `hwat´ it is.

Ratio dicit anime :

Lieue `saule´, ðis little writt ic `habbe´ sare beswonken he it wat þ̵ wot alle þing for ðe to wissin. for ðe to warnin. ⁊ for ðe to helpen ⁊ for ðe to berȝin. ȝif ðu wilt wel hit understonden ⁊ liernin ⁊ folȝin ⁊ [h]ealden wið uten alche twene þu miht mid godes felste ðe berȝen ⁊ heuneriches merchþe mid þese halie mihtes sike`r´liche iwinnen.

Nunc autor loquitur finaliter.

Hvte we nu þ`a´nkin ⁊ herien ure hlauerde almihtin gode of ðese witte and of ðese wisdome. ðe we hier habbeð igadered of `h´ishorde. ⁊ of maniȝes [f. 49 r] haliȝes mannes ȝeswinkes þe michel sw`u´nken for ðe luue of gode. ⁊ for us to wissin. Hit is riht ðat we heriȝen ⁊ þankin ⁊ bledscin fader ⁊ sune ⁊ hali gast on ða hali þrinnesse. se ðe is on soð godd in onnesse. se ðe l`i´ueð ⁊ rixeð aure ma a woreld. amen. Ðat ne forȝeit ðu naure. þat ðu godd ne heriȝe. ⁊ þanke of alle gode. Alswa swa we habbeð niede him to bidden be daiȝ ⁊ be nihte. ⁊ ofte ⁊ ȝelome alswa hit is niede; him to heriȝen. Amen.

Veni creator spiritus mentes tuorum uisita implet superna gracia que tu creasti p`e´ctora.