Specimens of Early English

XIII.

ALLITERATIVE POEMS.

ABOUT A.D. 1360.

AUTHOR unknown-Dialect West-Midland (Lancashire). The following extracts are from 'Early English Alliterative Poems,' edited for the Early English Text Society by Dr. Morris, London, 1864; of which a second and revised edition was published in 1869. The latter is here followed.

These poems are preserved in the unique Cotton MS. Nero A. x., written about the close of the fourteenth century.

The symbol 3 is used to represent both y, gb, and z. In the first case it commonly begins a word, and in the last commonly ends one. The symbol t3 has the force of ss or sz, sounded like z.

The Deluge.

[Lines 235-544-]

Bor þat oper wrake þat wex on wyzez hit lyzt purz pe faut of a freke⚫ þat fayled in trawpe, Adam in-obedyent ordaynt to blysse;

per pryuely in paradys his place watz de-vised, To lyue per in lykyng þe lenpe of a terme,

& penne en-herite pat home pat aungelez for-gart.
Bot þurz þe eggyng of eue he ete of an apple,
Pat en-poysened alle peplez
For a defence, þat watz dy3t

pat parted fro hem bope,
of dryztyn seluen,

& a payne per-on put · & pertly halden.

Pe defence watz pe fryt þat þe freke towched,

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& pe dom is pe depe· þat drepez vus alle.

Al in mesure & mepe · watz mad þe vengiaunce,

& efte amended with a mayden · þat make hade neuer.
Bot in pe pryd watz forþrast · al þat þryue schuld,
per watz malys mercyles & mawgre much scheued;
Pat watz for fylpe vpon folde pat pe folk vsed,
[P]at pen wonyed in þe worlde with-outen any maysterz.
Hit wern þe fayrest of forme & of face als,

De most & þe myriest · þat maked wern euer,
pe styfest, pe stalworpest þat stod euer on fete,
& lengest lyf in hem lent · of ledez alle oper;
For hit was þe forme-foster · þat þe folde bred,
pe apel aunceterez sunez pat adam watz called,
To wham god hade geuen · alle þat gayn were,
Alle pe blysse boute blame · þat bodi my3t haue,
& pose lykkest to be lede pat lyued next after,
For-by so semly to see sypen wern none.
Per watz no law to hem layd⚫ bot loke to kynde,
& kepe to hit, & alle hit cors clanly ful-fylle;
& þenne founden þay fylpe in fleschlych dedez
& controeued agayn kynde

contraré werkez,

& vsed hem vn-pryftyly vchon on oper,

& als with oper, wylsfully · vpon a wrange wyse.
So ferly fowled her filesch· þat þe fende[3] loked,
How pe dezter of þe doupe · wern dere-lych fayre,
& fallen in felagschyp with hem · on folken wyse,
& en-gendered on hem ieauntez · with her Iapez ille.
Pose wern men meþelez · & mazty on vrþe,
Pat for her lodlych laykez · alosed pay were.
He watz famed for fre⚫ þat fezt loued best,
& ay þe bigest in bale
& penne euelez on erpe

pe best watz halden.

ernestly grewen,

& multyplyed mony-folde in-mongez mankynde,

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For þat þe mazty on molde so marre [d] pise oper, pat þe wyze pat al wrozt ful wroply bygynnez. When he knew vche contré⚫ corupte in hit seluen, & vch freke forloyned fro þe ryzt wayez,

Felle temptande tene towched his hert;

As wyze, wo hym with-inne · werp to hym seluen:

'Me for-pynkez ful much þat euer I mon made,

Bot I schal delyuer & do away þat doten on pis molde,

& fleme out of þe folde· al þat flesch were3,

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Fro be burne to be best fro brydde to fyschez;

Al schal doun & be ded⚫ & dryuen out of erpe

Pat euer I sette saule inne & sore hit me rwez

Pat euer I made hem my self; · bot if I may her-after,
I schal wayte to be war her wrenchez to kepe.'
Penne in worlde watz a wyze wonyande on lyue,
Ful redy & ful ryztwys & rewled hym fayre;

In þe drede of dryztyn

& ay glydande wyth his

Hym watz þe nome Noe as is innoghe knawen,

He had pre pryuen sunez · & þay þre wyuez;

& pe iolef Iapheth

watz gendered pe pryd. Now god in nwy to Noe con speke,

Wylde wrakful wordez · in his wylle greued: 'pe ende of alle-kynez flesch

þat on vrpe meuez Is fallen forp-wyth my face · & forper hit I þenk; With her vn-worþelych werk me wlate; with-inne, Pe gore per-of me hatz greued & pe glette nwyed; I schal strenkle my distresse & strye al to-geder,

Bope ledez & londe & alle þat lyf habbez.

Bot make to be a mancioun & þat is my wylle,

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In pe compas of a cubit · kyndely sware,

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Haf hallez per-inne & halke3 ful mony,

Bope boskez & bourez · & wel bounden penez ;

For I schal waken vp a water · to wasch alle pe worlde, & quelle alle pat is quik · with quauende flodez.

Alle þat glydez & gotz · & gost of lyf habbez,

I schal wast with my wrath · þat wons vpon vrþe;
Bot my forwarde with pe I festen on þis wyse,
For pou in reysoun hatz rengned · & ry3twys ben euer ;

Pou schal enter pis ark with þyn aþel barnez,

& þy wedded wyf; · with þe pou take

pe makez of þy myry sunez; · þis meyny of azte

I schal saue of monnez saulez · & swelt pose oper.

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Of vche best þat berez lyf

busk þe a cupple,

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Of vche horwed, in ark· halde bot a payre,

For to saue me pe sede of alle ser kyndez;
& ay pou meng with pe malez pe mete ho-bestez,
Vche payre by payre · to plese ayper oper;

With alle pe fode þat may be founde· frette þy cofer,
For sustnaunce to yow self & also pose oper.'
Ful graypely gotz pis god man & dos gode; hestes,

In dry; dred & daunger · þat durst do non oper.
Wen hit watz fettled & forged · & to þe fulle grayped,
Penn con dryzttyn hym dele · dryzly þyse wordez;

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'Now Noe,' quod oure lorde · ́art pou al redy?

Hatz pou closed by kyst
'je, Lorde, with þy leue'

with clay alle aboute?'
sayde pe lede penne,

as pou me wyt lantez.'

Py pre sunez with-outen þrep & her pre wyuez;
Bestez, as I bedene haue bosk þer-inne als,

& when ze arn staued styfly · stekez yow perinne;
Fro seuen dayez ben seyed. I sende out by-lyue,
Such a rowtande ryge· þat rayne schal swype,
Pat schal wasch alle þe worlde of werkez of fylþe;
Schal no flesch vpon folde⚫ by fonden onlyue;
Out-taken yow azt· in þis ark staued,