Secundum mandatum. “Non assumens nomen Dei tui in vanum.”
The secund precept of the fyrst tabylle,
The name of God take nevyr in vayne,
Swere none othis be noon fals fabylle,_
The name of God thou nevyr dysteyn.
Bewhare of othis for dowte of peyn,
Amonges ffelachepp whan thou dost sytt,
A lytyl othe, this is serteyn,
May dampne thy sowle to helle pytt.
Man, whan thou art sett at the nale,
And hast thi langage as plesyth the,
Loke thin othis be non or smale,
And 3ett alwey loke trewe theibe.
But swere not oftyn by rede of me,
for yf thou use oftyn tyme to swere,
It may gendyr custom in the ;
Byware of custom, for he wyl dere.
Tercium mandatum. “Mementout sabbatum sanctificet.”
The iij.“ comaundment of God, as I rede,
Dothebydde the halwe welle thin halyday,
Kepe the welle fro synfulle dede,
And care not gretly for ryche aray.
A ryght pore man, this is non nay,
Of sympyl astat in clothis rent,
May be bettyr than ryche with garmentes gay,
Oftyn tyme doth kepe this comaundment.
for ryche men do shewe oftyntyme pompe and pride,
On halydayes, as oftyn is sene;
Whan pore men passe and go besyde,
At wurthy festys riche men wolle bene.
Thyn halyday thou kepyst not clene
In gloteny to lede thi lyff,
In Goddys hous 3e xulde be-dene
Honoure your God, bothe mayden and wyff.
Quartum Mandatum. “Honora patrem tuum et ma
Off the secunde tabylle the fyrst comaundment,
And in the ordyr the iiij.“, Isey in fay,
He byddyth the evermore with hert bent,
Bothe fadyr and modyr to wurchep alway.
Thow that thi fadyr be pore of array,
And 30w never soryche of golde and good,
3itt loke thou wurchep hymnyght and day,
Of whom thou hast bothe filesche and blood.
In this comaundmente includyd is
The bodyli fadyr and modyr also,
Includyd also I fynde in this,
Thi gostly fadyr and modyr therto.
To thigostly fadyr evyr reverens do,
Thi gostly modyr is holy cherche;
These tweyn save thi sowle fro woo,
Ever them to wurchep loke that thou werche.
Quintum mandatum. “ Non occides.”
The flyfft comaundement byddyth alle us,
Scle no man, no whight that thou kylle ;
Undyrstonde this precept thus,
Scle no wyght with wurd nor wylle.
Wykkyd worde werkyht oftyntyme grett ille,
Be war therfore of wykkyd langage,
Wyckyd speche many on doth spylle,
Therfore of speche bethe not owtrage.
Sertum mandatum. “Non makaberis.”
The sexte comaundement byddith every man,
That no wyght lede no lecherous lay,
fforfett never be no woman,
Lesse than the lawe alowe thi play.
Trespas nevyr with wyff, ne may,
With wedow, nor with non othyr wyght;
Kepe the clene, as I the say,
To whom thou hast thi trowth plyght.
Septimum mandatum. “Non furtum facies.”
Do no thefte, no thynge thou stele, zo
The vij" precept byddyth the ful sore; \
Whylle thou arte in welthe and wele,
Evylle gett good loke thou restore.
Off handys and dede be trewe evyrmore,
for yf thin handys lymyd be,
Thou art but shent, thi name is lore,
In felde and towne, and in alle countré.
Octavum mandatum. “Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.”
The viij.“ precept thus doth the bydde,
fals wyttnes loke non thou bere,
The trowthe nevyr more loke that thou hyde,
With fals wyttnes no man thou dere.
Nowther for love, ne dred, nefere,
Sey non other than trowthe is,
fals wytnes yf that thou rere,
A3ens God thou dost grettly amys.
Nonum mandatum. “Non desiderabis uxorem proximi tui, etc.”
The ix." precept of lawe of lyff,
Evyn thus doth bydde every man,
Desyre not thi neybores wyff,
Thow she be fayr and whyte as swan,
Decimum mandatum. “Non concupisces domum proximi tui, non servum, non ancillam, non bos, non asinum, nec omnia quae illius sunt, etc.”
The x.de comaundement of God and last is this,
Thi neybores hous desyre thou nowth,
Maydon, nor servaunt, nor nowth of his,
Desyre hem nevyr in wylle northowth.
Oxenere asse that he hath bought,
Nere no thynge that longyht hym to,
Godys lawe must nedys be wrought,
Desyre no thynge thin neybore fro.
The vi." comaundement of lechery
Doth exclude the synfulle dede,
But theys tweyn last most streytly,
Bothe dede and thought thei do forbede.
In wylle mere thought no lechory thou lede,
Thi thought and wylle thou must refreyn,
Alle thi desyre, as I the rede,
In clennes of lyff thiself restreyn.
ffrendys, these be the lawys that 3e must kepe,
Therfore every man sett welle in mende,
Wethyr that thou do wake or slepe,
These lawys to lerne thou herke ful hynde.
And Godysgrace xal be thi frende,
He socowre and save 3ow in welthe fro woo!
fare welle, gode frendys, for hens wyll I wende,
My tale I have taught 30w, my wey now I goo.
Earplicit Moyses.
Ysaias. I am the prophete callyd Isaye, Replett with Godysgrett influens, And sey pleynly, be spyryte of prophecie, That a clene mayde, thourghe meke obedyens, Shalle bere a childe whiche xal do resystens Ageyn foule 3abulon, the devyl of helle, Mannys soule ageyn hym to defens,— Opyn in the felde the fend he xal felle.
Wherefore I seye quod virgo concipiet
Et pariet filium nomen Emanuel,
Oure lyf for to save hexal suffyr dethe,
And bye us to his blysse in hevyn for to dwelle
Of sacerdotale lynage, the trewth I 3ow telle,
flesche and blood to take God wylle be borne;
Joye to man in erth, and in hevyn aungelle
At the chyldys byrthe joye xal make that morn.
Radia: Jesse.
Egredietur virga de radice Jesse,
Et flos de radice ejus ascendet.
A blyssyd braunche xal sprynge of me,
That xal be swettere than bawmys brethe ;
Oute of that braunche, in Nazareth
A flowre xal blome of me, Jesse rote,
The whiche by grace xal dystroye dethe,
And brynge mankende to blysse most sote.
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