ALFRED'S PREFACE TO HIS TRANSLATION OF GREGORY'S PASTORAL CARE (Translated on p. 20) æs Elfred kyning hated gretan Wærferd biscep his wordum luflice ond freondlice; ond de cỹ dan hate dæt me com swide oft on gemynd, hwelce wiotan iu wæron giond Angelcynn, ægder ge godcundra hada ge_woruldcundra; ond hũ gesæliglica tida da waron giond Angelcynn; ond hu da kyningas de done onwald hæfdon folces on dam dagum Gode qnd his ærendwrecum hersumedon; ond hū hie ægder ge hiora sibbe ge hiora siodo ge hiora onweald innanbordes gehioldon, ond éac út hiora ēdel gerymdon; ond hũ him da spēow @gder ge mid wige ge mid wisdōme; ond éac dã godcundan hādas hū giorne hie wæron ægder ge ymb lare ge ymb liornunga, ge ymb ealle da diowotdomas de hie Gode don scoldon; ond hū man utanbordes wisdom ond läre hieder on lond sōhte, ond hū we hie nu sceoldon ute begietan, gif we hie habban sceoldon. Swæ clane hio was odfeallenu on Angeleynne dæt swide feawa wæron behionan Humbre de hiora deninga cuden understondan on Englisc odde furðum ān ærendgewrit of Lædene on Englisc aręccean; ond ic wene dætte nöht monige begiondan Humbre næren. Swa feawa hiora waeron Sæt ic furðum anne anlēpne ne meg gedencean be sudan Temese, da da ic tō rice fêng. Gode ælmihtegum sie done Sætte we nu ænigne onstal habbad lārēowa. Qnd for Son ic de bebiode det du dō swae ic geliefe Sæt dū wille, dæt dū de dissa woruldðinga tō dæm ge@metige, swæ du oftost mæge, Sæt du done wisdom de de God sealde dær dær du hiene befæstan mæge, befæste. Gedene hwele wītu ūs da becomon for disse worulde, da da we hit nōhwæder ne selfe ne lufodon, ne eac öðrum monnum ne lefdon one naman anne we lufodon Sætte we Cristne wæron, ond swide feawe da dea was. : THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE, 1087 (Translated on p. 44) Gif hwa gewilniged to gewitane hū ge dōn mann he was, odde hwilene wurdscipe he hæfde, Se hu fela lande he wære hläford, donne wille we be him awritan swa swa wē hine āgeaton de him locodan and ōdre hwile on his hirede wunedon. Se cyng Willelm be we embe specað wæs swide wis man and swide rice, and wurfulre and strengere donne ænig his foregenga wäre. He was milde pām gōdum mannum þe God lufedon, and ofer eall gemett stearc bãm mannum e widewadon his willan. On dam ilcan steode pe God him geude paæt he moste Engleland gegān, hē ārērde mære mynster and munecas þær gesætte and wæll gegōdade. On his dagan was pet mære mynster on Cantwarbyrig getymbrad and eac swide manig ōder ofer eall Englaland. Eac pis land was swide afylled mid munecan and ba leofodan heora lif æfter scs Benedictus regule, and sẽ Xpendom was swilc on his dæge et le man hwæt his hade tō belumpe folgade sẽ be wolde. ... POEMA MORALE (Modernized on p. 27) Ich æm elder ben ich wes a wintre and a lōre; Ic welde more panne ic dude, mi wit ah tō bên more. Wel länge ic habbe child ibēon a wēorde and ech ā dede; Deh ic beo a wintre eald, to 3yng I com a rede. Unnut lyf ic habb iled, and 3ỹet me pinch ic Wel late ic habbe me biboht, būte me God do milce. Fele ydele word ic habbe iqueden, syöden ic speke cube, And fale junge dede idō þet me ofpinchet nūþe. ORMULUM (Modernized on p. 28) Nu brōberr Wallterr, brōperr min affterr be flashess kinde, annd brōberr min i Crisstenndōm þurrh fulluhht and burrh trowwþe, annd brōberr min i Godess hūs zēt ō þē pridde wise, þurrh batt witt hafenn takenn bā an rezhellboc to follзhenn, unnderr kanunnkess had annd lif swa summ Sannt Awwstin sette; icc hafe dōn swa summ þu badd annd förpedd te pin wille, icc hafe wennd inntill Ennglissh goddspelless hallзhe lare, affterr þatt little witt þatt mē min Drihhtin hafepp lened. Du pohhtesst tatt itt mihhte wel till mikell frame turrnenn, 3iff Ennglissh follc, forr lufe off Crist, itt wollde zerne lernenn annd foll3henn itt and fillenn itt wipp pohht, wipp word, wipp dede; annd forrpi zerrndesst tū þatt icc biss werre be shollde wirrkenn, annd icc itt hafe förþedd tē, acc all þurrh Cristess hellpe. 9 lęde; Danne ic me bibenche, wel sōre ic mé adrēde. Mest al het ic habbe ydon ys idelnesse and chilche; Spellunge and sinecchunge beod ine mūde bode ase sihde is i den eien; auh we schullen leten smecchunge vort tet we speken of ower mete, and spēken nu of spellunge and terefter of herrunge, of bo imene sume cherre ase goo tōgederes. 6 On alre erest hwon 3ẽ schulen tō oure parlūres burle, iwiteð et ower meiden hwo hit beo bet is icumen, vor swuch hit mei bēon þet ze schulen asunien ou; and hwon 3ē alles mōten vorð, creoise ful 3ēorne our mūð, garen, and eien, and te breoste eke, and goð forð mid Godes drēde tō preoste. On erest sigged 'confiteor,' and berefter benedicite'; þet hē ouh tō siggen, hercned his wōrdes and sitted al stille bet, hwon he parted vrom ou, bet he ne cunne ower gōd ne ower uvel nouder, ne hē ne cunne ou nouðer blamen ne preisen. Sum is so wēl ilēred qðer sẽ wis iworded bet heo wolde bet he wuste hit be sit and spęked touward him and 3ēlt him word azein word, and bicumed meister pe schulde beon ancre, leared him bet is icumen to leren hire; wolde bi hire tale sõne beon mit te wise icud and icnowen. Icnowen heo is wel, vor þur þet ilke pet heo wened to beon wīs ihōlden he understont þet hẽo is sot, vor heo hunted efter pris and kecched lastunge. Vor et te laste hwon he is iwend awei, 'Ɖēos ancre,' he wule siggen, 'is of muchele spęche.' ALYSOUN (Modernized on p. 42) Bytuene Mersh ant Averil, When spray biginneth to springe, The lutel foul hath hire wyl On hyre lud to synge. Ich libbe in love-longinge An hendy hap ichabbe yhent; Ichot from hevene it is me sent; From alle wymmen mi love is lent Ant lyht on Alysoun. On heu hire her is fayr ynoh, Hire browe broune, hire eye blake; With lossum chere he on me loh, With middel smal ant wel ymake. Bote he me wolle to hire take, Forte buen hire owen make, Longe to lyven ichulle forsake, Ant feye fallen adoun. Nihtes when I wende ant wake, Longinge is ylent me on. In world nis non so wytermon, Hire swyre is whittore then the swon Ant feyrest may in toune. Icham for wowing al forwake, Wery so water in wore. An hendy hap ichabbe yhent; Ichot from hevene it is me sent; From alle wymmen mi love is lent Ant lyht on Alysoun. BARBOUR'S BRUCE A fredome is a noble thing! 240 520 After be sesoun of somer wyth be soft wyndez, 75 no sage. I slumberde in A slepyng hit sownede so murie. Denne gon I Meeten A Meruelous sweuene. 11 1 sume to be dampnyd wipouten ende. And for þeise goodnessis and mercies banke þi God wip al pin hert, and preye hym to 3ive be grace to spende, in þat day and evermore, all be mistis of þi soule, as mynde, reson, witt and wille, and alle be mistis of þi bodi, as strengbe, bewte, and þi five wittis, in his servise and his worschipe; and in no þing forfete azenis his comaundementis, but redi to performe werkis of merci, and to 3ive good ensample of holi lif, bobe in word and in dede, to alle men aboute þe. Hee is Luciferes John Wyclif (Modernized on p. 78) A schort reule of life for ich man in general, and for prestis and lordis and laboreris in special, how ich man schal be savyd in his degre, if he wile hym silf. First, whanne bou risist or fulli wakist, þenk on be goodnesse of God; ffor his owne goodnesse and non oper nede he made al þing of nouзt, bole angels and men, and alle oper creatures good in her kynde. pe seconde tyme benk on þe gret passion and wilful dep þat Crist suffrid for mankynde. Whan no man mi3t make satisfaccion for pe gilt of Adam and Eve, and oper moo, ne non angel owe no my3t make asep þerfor, þan Crist of his endeles charite sufferid so gret passioun and peynful deb, þat no creature my3t suffre soo myche. And benk þe prid tyme, how God hab savyd þe fro deep and oper miscevis, and suffrid many pousyndis to be lost bat ni3t sum in watir, sume in fier, sume bi sodeyn deep, and He brandeist lyk a beir: Bostaris, braggaris, and barganeris, Eftir him passit in to pairis, All bodin in feir of weir; 35 |