ENGLISH METRICAL HOMILIES.
2.24. Fader and moder sal man forsake, And til his spoused wif him tac.
That sal graithe bifor the the way. M. H. 9. 9-10.
Com to Jerusalems cyte,
And said, The king of Jowes, quar es he
That nou es born? Him seke we.
We saw a stern in our contre,
We com wit giftes for to se,
And for to worschip him als king....
The king Herod herd this tithand,
And was tharfor ful ille likand,
And alle folk of that cyte
(Toht ferli of this kinges thre).
The king Herodes cald in hie
The Jowes that knew the prophecye,
And sperid in quat... cyte
That Goddes sun suld born be.
And thai ansuerd and said that he
Suld be born in that cyte
That Bedleem was cald in lede,
And namcouthe boru in that thede....
Herodes gert calle this thre kinges
And prayed thaim on alle thinges
That thai suld gern spire efter Crist. . . .
For I wille, he said, tille him come,
And worschip him als worthi gome.
And he spired efter that sterne.
Quen he riht tim tharof wist,
He bad thaim gern spir efter Crist,
And said, Loc ye wit me to say
Quar ye him find, for than I may
Come son,. . .
And him als king wit worschip gret..
Quen Herod hauid said quat he wald
Tille this thre kinges,...
On wai thai went, and son thai sawe
The stern that thaim the gat gan schawe,
Ai til it com euenly
Thar Crist was abowen, and Marye.
Thai war ful fain quen thai it sawe,
And tille that house gan thai drawe.
Thar Crist satte on his moder kne....
This kinges com in menskelie,
And knelid bifor Crist in hie,
And menskid him wit giftes thre.1 . . .
The last part of v. 11 is next paraphrased and expanded in lines 1-22. p. 97.
A steuin in slep gaf thaim warning
That thai suld lef Herod the king,
And turn ham bi another way
In to thair land, and sua did thai.
8.1-12. That Crist com dunward of a felle. And folc ful fel folued him,
And a lazer that ilk tim
Com and asked Crist his hele....
And Crist on him his hand he laid,
And mildelie til him he said,
I wil mak the of leper clene,
And sone was na wem on him sene.
And Crist bad him that he suld hele,
And sai noht qua gaf him his hele,
Bot loc, he said, that thou the schaw
Unto the prest of Moyses law,
And mak offerand that ber witnes
Of thin heling, as bad Moyses.
And Crist went til Chapharnaume,
And met thar wit a mihti gume,
That maister was of knihtes fele,
And praied Crist, that he suld hele
His sergant of parlesye.
And Crist said, I sal cum in hie
Thi seke sergant for to hele.
And he ansuerd...
And said, Ic am unworthi gom,
That thou intil1 min hous suld com,
Bot witt thi word thou bid him be
Al hale, and son al hale bes he.
For Ic am man under pouste,
And Ic haf knihtes under me,
And I comand an gang, and he
Gas, and another cum to me,
And suithe comes he me to....
Yef thou an lepi word wil say,
Thi word mi sergant hele may....
Of his trouthe thoht Crist ferlie,
And said til thaim that stod him bie,
Til you, he said, forsothe I saye,
That Ic haf walked mani waie,
Imang Jowes, bot fand I nan
Sa mikel trouthe als in this man.
Mikel folc fra bi weste
And fra bi est, sal com and rest
Wit Abraham and Ysaic,
And with Jacob. . . .
Quen Satenas sal Jowes quenen
In ouer mirkenes, thar sare greting
Sal euer be, with teth gnaisting.
Schipped into the se, a time,
And his decipelis al wit him. . . .
Jesu seluen fel on slep,
And gret tempest bigan to rise,
That gert the schipmen sar grise.
Thai wakned Crist, and said yare,
Help us, Lauerd, for we forfare.
And Crist, als mihti Godd, ansuerd
And said, Foles qui er ye fered?...
And Crist comanded wind and se
To lethe, and fair weder be.
And sa fair weder was in hie
That al his felaues thoht ferlie,
And said, Quat kin1 man mai this be,
Til him bues bathe winde and se?
Sain Jon the Baptiste
Was in prisoun, and herd telle
Of Cristes dedes and his spelle,
And send of his decipils twa,
And bad thaim thai suld ga
To wit at Crist, quither it war he
That suld cum mannes bote to be,
Or we, he said, an other Crist sal bide....
And quen Crist thair asking herd,
Ful mildely he thaim ansuerd,
And bad thaim tille thair maister schaw
His dedis that thai herd and sawe. . . .
I gif the blind, he said, thair siht,
the halt men ga riht,
I mac unhale men al hale,
And def men I bet of bale,
I rais men fra ded to life,
And pouer men mas me ful rife.
And ful bliced, he said, es he
That es noht sclaunderd in me. . . .
And als thai til Sain Jon ward yode,
Crist spac tille thaim that bi him stode. ...
Forthi asked Crist, mare and lesse,
Quat thing thai soht in wildernes.
Quat thing, he said, yed ye
Intil wildernes to se,
A red that waiues wit the wind?...
And thus askid Crist quether men yede
To se a wind waiuande rede. M. H. 34. 2-36. 24.
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