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The Hospitallers' Riwle
Edited by K. V. Sinclair
1984
London, Anglo-Norman Text Society
Genre: Religious and Devotional
AND Bibliography: Hosp Rule
Original work © 1984 The Anglo Norman Text Society, which has granted permission for it to be digitised, browsed and searched on this site. Any other use, including making copies of this electronic version, requires the prior written permission of the copyright holders, who may be contacted via Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet St, London WC1E 7HX, UK
Page ix
ABBREVIATIONS AND SHORT TITLES
AND | Anglo-Norman Dictionary, ed. Louise W. Stone, W. Rothwell and T.B.W. Reid, fasc. 1–3: A–L (London, 1977–). |
ANTS | Anglo-Norman Text Society. |
Cartulaire | J. Delaville Le Roulx, Cartulaire général de l'ordre des Hospitaliers de St-Jean de Jérusalem (1100–1310), 4 vols. (Paris, 1894–1906). |
Customs | See Cartulaire, no. 2213, §§ 88–137 (Usances). |
DNB | The Dictionary of National Biography, ed. L. Stephen and S. Lee, 22 vols. (Oxford, 1917–). |
Esgarts | See Judgments. |
Grand Priory | E.J. King, The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England. A Short History (London, 1924). |
Hassall | The Cartulary of St Mary Clerkenwell, ed. W.O. Hassall, Camden Soc., Third Series, 71 (London, 1949). |
Horn | The Romance of Horn by Thomas, ed. Mildred K. Pope and T.B.W. Reid, 2 vols., ANTS 9–10, 12–13 (Oxford, 1955 and 1964). |
Hospitaliers | J. Delaville Le Roulx, Les Hospitaliers en Terre Sainte et à Chypre (1100–1310) (Paris, 1904). |
James | M.R. James, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 2 vols. (Cambridge, 1910–11). |
Judgments | See Cartulaire, no. 2213, §§ 1–87 (Esgarts). |
King | E.J. King, The Rule, Statutes and Customs of the Hospitallers 1099–1310 (London, 1933). |
Knowles and Hadcock | D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock, Medieval Religious Houses, England and Wales, 2nd ed. (London, 1971). |
Larking | L.B. Larking, The Knights Hospitallers in England, Camden Soc., First Series, 65 (London, 1857). |
Miracles | Tractatus de exordio sacrae domus Hospitalis Jerosolimitani in Recueil des Historiens de la Croisade. Historiens Occidentaux, V (Paris, 1895), text ed. P. Riant, pp. 405–10; intro. C. Kohler, pp. cxii–cxx. |
Petit Plet | Le Petit Plet, ed. B.S. Merrilees, ANTS 20 (Oxford, 1970). |
Pope | Mildred K. Pope, From Latin to Modern French with Especial Consideration of Anglo-Norman (Manchester, 1934; rev. ed. 1952). |
Prima Origine | J. Delaville Le Roulx, De Prima Origine Hospitalariorum Hierosolymitanorum (Paris, 1885). |
Regula | See Cartulaire, no. 70. |
RHCHO | Recueil des Historiens de la Croisade. Historiens Occidentaux, V (Paris, 1895). |
Riley-Smith | J. Riley-Smith, The Knights of St John in Jerusalem and Cyprus c. 1050–1310 (London, 1967). |
Round, Foundation | J.H. Round, The Foundation of the Priories of St Mary and of St John, Clerkenwell in Archaeologia, LVI (1899), 223–28. |
Round, Garnier de Nablous | J.H. Round, Garnier de Nablous, Prior of the Hospital in England and Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Archaeologia, LVIII (1903), 383–90. |
Seals | E.J. King, The Seals of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (London, 1932). |
Sinclair, Waterford | K.V. Sinclair, Anglo-Norman at Waterford: the Mute Testimony of MS Cambridge Corpus Christi College 405 in Medieval French Textual Studies in Memory of T.B.W. Reid (London, 1984), pp. 219-38. |
St Auban | La Vie de seint Auban, an Anglo-Norman Poem of the Thirteenth Century, ed. A.R. Harden, ANTS 19 (Oxford, 1968). |
St Edmund | La Passiun de seint Edmund, ed. Judith Grant, ANTS 36 (London, 1978). |
St John the Almsgiver | The Life of Saint John the Almsgiver, ed. K. Urwin, 2 vols., ANTS 38–39 (London, 1980–81). |
St Laurent | La Vie de saint Laurent. An Anglo-Norman Poem of the Twelfth Century, ed. D.W. Russell, ANTS 34 (London, 1976). |
Statutes | Statutes ratified in Hospitaller Chapters-General, as printed in chronological sequence in the Cartulaire. |
Statuts | J. Delaville Le Roulx, Les Statuts de l'Ordre de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem in Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des Chartes, XLVIII (1887), 341–56. |
T.-L. | A. Tobler and E. Lommatzsch, Altfranzösisches Wörterbuch (Berlin and Wiesbaden, 1925–). |
Usances | See Customs. |
VCH | The Victoria History of the Counties of England. |
Vising, ANL | J. Vising, Anglo-Norman Language and Literature (London, 1923). |
Vulgate | Biblia Sacra iuxta Vulgatam Clementinam, ed. A. Colunga and L. Turrado, 4th ed. (Madrid, 1965). |
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3 MANUSCRIPT
Raymond du Puy's Regula in Anglo-Norman is preserved in MS 405 in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The volume is a classical example of a recueil factice, being composed of six 45 [45] So James, Catalogue, II, 277-88. In a recent study of this MS (see Sinclair, Waterford), I showed that the codex which James calls V is in reality two, which I renumbered as Va and Vb. It is Va that concerns us principally here, confined to the pagination 251-462 of the recueil.xxiii different vellum codices from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The collocation was permanent by the middle of the sixteenth century, since a hand of that time wrote out on p. 2 a table headed Contenta in hoc libro pag. 502, and paginated the sheets with uneven numbers only, in the top right-hand corner of the recto sides. Beneath the list of contents is a contemporary shelf-mark G.4. Rebinding took place in recent years, according to a memorandum on the fly-leaf: Rebound by John P. Gray of Green St. (Pilgrim Trust Grant) 22. xii.1954. J.P.T.B..
Although numerous volumes of the Corpus Christi College library were received in the sixteenth century from the collections of Bishop John Bale 46 [46] John Bale (1495-1563), Bishop of Ossory for a brief time in 1553; see DNB, I, 961-62.xxiii and Archbishop Parker, 47 [47] Matthew Parker (1504-1575), Archbishop of Canterbury 1559-1575; see DNB, XV, 254-64.xxiii modern histo
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rians have not identified MS 405 as having been owned by either. 48 [48] For MSS owned by Bale, see Honor McCuster, Books and Manuscripts formerly in the possession of John Bale in The Library, 4th Series, XVI (1935-36), 144-65. The benefactions of Parker to Corpus Christi College are discussed by M.R. James, The Sources of Archbishop Parker's Collection of Manuscripts at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (London, 1899).xxiv When Montagu Rhodes James catalogued the College's holdings earlier in our century, he remarked on the fact that 405 preserved numerous documents concerning the Hospitallers, and that it evidently belonged to the brethren of St John of Jerusalem at Waterford. 49 [49] James, Catalogue, II, 277.xxiv No library catalogue is known to exist for the commandery in question, 50 [50] Not mentioned in N.R. Ker, Mediaeval Libraries of Great Britain. A List of Surviving Books, 2nd ed. (London, 1964).xxiv if indeed there was ever a library at all. The commandery was a small one located at Kilbarry, near the outer South-Western limits of the Waterford liberty. 51 [51] Cf. A. Gwynn and R.N. Hadcock, Medieval Religious Houses. Ireland (London, 1970), p. 336.xxiv I have expressed elsewhere my views on the ultimate provenance of the recueil factice. 52 [52] See Sinclair, Waterford, pp. 222ff.xxiv Briefly, codex Va, the one containing the Riwle, was in all probability copied in a scriptorium in the South-West of England with Waterford in mind, and once it and companion manuscripts reached that city, Anglo-Norman court hands added specific regional memoranda on blank folios.The following is a list of the text preserved in codex Va of MS 405: 53 [53] Another list, with desiderata, is in James, Catalogue, II, 283-87. Vising, ANL, p. 95, no. 255, mentions seven texts for the whole of the recueil factice. Augmented bibliographical details and codicological observations on MS 405 will be found in Sinclair, Waterford, together with a critical discussion of editions and other manuscript copies of the Anglo-Norman texts.xxiv
1 pp. 251-55 Latin Bull of Boniface VIII confirming Raymond du Puy's Regula (transcribed from this MS in our Appendix). 54 [54] The sixteenth-century Contenta makes no mention of the Bull.xxiv
2 pp. 255-310 Anglo-Norman Riwle in rhyming couplets. 55 [55] The Contenta entry for p. 255 is Rithmi gallice de diversis rebus.xxiv
Page xxiv
3 pp. 311-15 Five Joys of the Virgin in verse: 56 [56] I do not know of any critical edition. Other copies arc cited in J. Sonet, Répertoire d'incipit de prières en ancien français (Geneva, 1956), p. 27, no. 145, with corrections and further notations in K.V. Sinclair, Prières en ancien français (Hamden, Conn., 1978), p. 35, no. 145.xxv Ave seinte Marie, mere al creatur.
4 pp. 315-17 Litany to Saints: 57 [57] No critical edition. See Sonet, Répertoire, p. 120, no. 669, and Sinclair, Prières, p. 67, no. 669.xxv Gloriuse raine, de mai eez merci.
5 pp. 317-43 Elie of Winchester's version of the Distichs of Cato: 58 [58] An edition by E. Stengel in H. Kühne, Maistre Elies Ueberarbeitung der ältesten französischen Uebertragung von Ovids. Ars Amatoria (Marburg, 1886), pp. 110-45.xxv Ki vout saver l'afaitement.
6 pp. 343-68 anonymous Poème sur l'amour de Dieu et sur la haine du péché: 59 [59] Ed. by P. Meyer, Notice du ms. Rawlinson Poetry 241 (Oxford) in Romania, XXIX (1900), 9-21.xxv Chescun deit estre amé.
7 pp. 368-94 anonymous rhymed sermon Deu le Omnipotent. 60 [60] Published in Zwei altfranzösische Reimpredigten mit Benutzung der Ausgabe Hermann Suchier, neu herausgegeben von W. Suchier (Halle, 1949), pp. 123-44.xxv
8 pp. 394-425 Perot de Garbelei's Divisiones Mundi: 61 [61] Ed. O.H. Prior, Cambridge Anglo-Norman Texts – I (Cambridge, 1924), pp. 34-62.xxv Un livre de haut evre.
9 pp. 425-57 Gillebert de Cambres's Lucidaire: 62 [62] See H. Schladebach, Das Elucidarium des Honorius Augustodunensis und der französische metrische Lucidaire des 13. Jahrhunderts von Gillebert von Cambresy (Leipzig, 1884), and the important complementary article by P. Eberhardt, Der Lucidaire Gilleberts in Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen, LXXIII (1885), 129-62.xxv Meistre, beneit seies tu.
10 pp. 457-62 Vision of St Paul by Adam de Ross: 63 [63] Ed. L.E. Kastner, The Vision of Saint Paul by the Anglo-Norman trouvere, Adam de Ross in Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Literatur, XXIX (1906), 274-90.xxv Seignurs freres, or escotez.
Items 2-10 are all rhymed texts, transcribed in one column per page by one copyist in an easy-to-read book hand of the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. One suspects that the smaller rounded letters of the book hand of the Bull are by the
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same scribe. The dating of the Anglo-Norman hand of codex Va was not separated by earlier scholars from the dating of the whole recueil. P. Meyer 64 [64] P. Meyer in Romania, XXXVI (1907), 111, when drawing attention to a sermon in our MS.xxvi called it un recueil très précieux écrit en Angleterre dans la seconde moitié du XIIIe siècle; Vising echoed this date, though it is doubtful that he ever inspected the manuscript. 65 [65] Cf. Vising, ANL, p. 95, no. 255.xxvi James chose his terms circumspectly: several volumes of cent. xiii and xiv early, all well written. 66 [66] James, Catalogue, II, 277.xxvi However that may be, the Bull, being dated in the sixth year of the pontificate of Boniface VIII (1294-1303), provides a terminus post quem of c. 1300. One may therefore reasonably date the hand as late in the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), certainly from the first decade the fourteenth century. 67 [67] The scribe's orthographical practices are not in conflict with this date; see below, pp. xxxv-xxxviii.xxviThe scribe's palaeographic traits are quite uncomplicated. The ascenders of b, h, k, l, are regularly furnished with serifs. The letter d is more often than not round-backed; the letter z may be upright or cursive, with a descender; both rounded and straight r are employed indiscriminately; s may be supplied with a ligature when followed by f or t. The conjunction u meaning where or when is represented by v. The frequency and range of abbreviation and superscript letters are limited. Their use is conventional and calls for little comment. What appears to be a superscript flourish for er, similar to a modern apostrophe in position and shape, is attested once over aua 130. The copyist sometimes places diagonal stokes over words containing several minims; he may also position a single u between points, e.g. 30, 175 etc.
He was apparently rereading what he had copied in some places, since he has corrected his own blunders. The emendations are effected by strike-through, e.g. pu 1309, par 1629 etc., or by subscript dots at letters to be ignored, cf. ma 343, d 430, com 1018, to 1022. One regrets that he has not been consistently careful and accurate, for there are a large number of omissions of words and letters that disrupt the sense and produce syntactical barbarisms.
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Square brackets in the text and rejected readings at the foot of the pages suffice to alert the reader to these problems, and obviate the need to review them here. (See also Establishment of Text below.)Page xlv
6 DATE
A review of the linguistic evidence originating in the poet's rhymes, statements that he makes in commentary on the Regula proper as he translates, as well as external evidence, enable us, we believe, to relate the poem to a particular decade in the twelfth century.
Among his linguistic traits that have currency in twelfth-century Anglo-Norman are: the distinction of nasalised a and nasalised e, the reduction of the diphthong ue, the levelling of ou to u, the velarisation of tonic u, the reduction of ui to u, the effacement of final unsupported dentals, the analogical e supplied to some feminine adjectives, the contracted futures of faire. Other features fall into the general category characterised in Pope's terminology as later twelfth century: the reduction of ie to e, the mixtures of -al forms, the distinction between ai and ei generally maintained, the levelling of j + e to [e], the effacement of countertonic e in hiatus with a following vowel, the monosyllabic pronunciation of the verbal termination -eie, the development of a glide e between voiced consonant and r. Since the rhymes contain no traits that first appeared in Anglo-Norman in the thirteenth or fourteenth
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century, one may conclude that our poet composed his work in the twelfth century, and in the later rather than the earlier part.The exact year of the completion of the Latin Regula, on which our text is based, is not known. It was confirmed in the last years of the pontificate of Eugenius III (1145-53). 172 [172] See Cartulaire, no. 217.xlvii As Raymond du Puy is spoken of by the translator in the past tense (455-59, 549-53), the Master must have died before the versifier commenced work. Raymond's death 173 [173] Cf. Hospitaliers, p. 60.xlvii is recorded by the authorities as having taken place between 1158 and 1160, and this must be the terminus a quo for the translation.
The Fall of Jerusalem in 1187 could serve usefully as a terminus ad quem, in the first instance. It is a decisive date in the history of the Order for many reasons, 174 [174] Riley-Smith, pp. 85ff.xlvii not least of which was the Hospitallers' need to regroup and reform, as well as to strengthen their military arm as a means of survival in the Holy Land. Our translation contains no echo of the event. On the other hand, one cannot overlook the coincidence between the poem and the 1188 Rule for Hospitaller sisters at the Sigena Convent, whereby lambskin is prescribed as suitable for wearing. 175 [175] See note to l. 1171.xlvii Both texts enshrine a usage that may well have been observed for a generation, even though it had not been explicitly provided for in the Regula.
Moving back in time we come to a landmark set of Statutes, those of Roger des Moulins in c. 1181. They are the first to mention that commanders should look after pregnant pilgrims and their offspring, as well as foundlings. 176 [176] Cf. Cartulaire, no. 627, § 5 in Part I, and § 3 in Part II; King, pp. 35 and 38.xlvii Our translator also shows concern for offspring who have become wards of the brethren of the Hospital. 177 [177] See notes to ll. 776-96, and to ll. 797-814.xlvii Furthermore, the same Statutes contain the first official references to a separate military class among the brethren, to the term bailiff in the Order, and to the duties of Priors of the Church, also called Conventual Priors. 178 [178] Cf. Clauses §§ 1, 9 in Part I and § 10 in Part II; King, pp. 34, 37, 39.xlvii The translator is silent
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on the first two, and his reference to the Prior of the Church is still the older terminology, magister ecclesie. 179 [179] See note to l. 1070.xlviii It is fair to say that the spirit, atmosphere and terminology of the Anglo-Norman work mirror similar features of Raymond's Regula, where the administrative structures and governance were very clerical in orientation. If anything, the translation accentuates the authority of the clerici, and of the priests in particular.The reference to the prior of Saint Gilles 180 [180] See note to l. 1399.xlviii is another matter. For an Anglo-Norman chaplain to suggest to Hospitallers in England that an unrepentant brother should be sent to that Southern French priory implies that those in England were still subordinate to it. The exact date of the separation of English Hospitallers from Saint Gilles is not given in the standard authorities. Modern lists of the names of the Priors of England 181 [181] E.g. Hospitaliers, pp. 425-27; Seals, pp. 95ff.xlviii commence at the year c. 1143. This seems to overlook the fact that the Priory of England was not included among the priories which sent annual responsions to the Master of the Hospital in Jerusalem, as formally prescribed in the Statutes 182 [182] Cartulaire, no. 627, § 8; King, pp. 36-37. xlviiiof c. 1181. The prudent conclusion is that by that year the English priory was not yet a sovereign entity.
We should like to suggest that an examination of the seals could be fruitful. The seal of the first leader or commander at Clerkenwell, a certain Prior Walter (c. 1144 - c. 1162), 183 [183] Cf. Round, Foundation, p. 226; Hospitaliers, p. 425; Knowles and Hadcock, p. 304.xlviii has survived and bears the inscription S' Walteri Prioris Hospital' Ierl'm in Anglia. 184 [184] Seals, p. 95. The style for Walter in a deed of land dispute c. 1148 between his priory and the adjacent House of Augustinian Canonesses is Gualterus Ierosolimitani Hospitalis servus et fratrum qui in Anglia sunt prior (see Hassall, document no. 205).xlviii The design is very similar to that of the Prior of Saint Gilles, pointing to close ties between the two communities. It is thus a fact that Walter ruled as the Prior of the Hospital of Jerusalem in England. His successor, Richard de Turk (c. 1165-70), employed an identical seal, except that Ricardi replaced Walteri in the
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inscription. 185 [185] Seals, p. 96.xlix The fourth prior, Garnier de Naples 186 [186] Naples, from Neapolis (modern Nablûs) in the Kingdom of Jerusalem (cf. Round, Garnier de Nablous, p. 384). Biographical details are supplied by Round, ibid, in Hospitaliers, pp. 105-117, and by Riley-Smith, pp. 107-8, 112-13, 115, 117.xlix (1185-90), used two seals. One is uniform with his predecessors', and Garn' replaces Ricardi. 187 [187] Seals, p. 97.xlix The other, whose earliest use is 1185 as we shall see, has no office-holder's name at all, but includes fratrum for the first time: Sigill' Prioris Fratrum Hospital' [in] Anglia. 188 [188] Ibid.xlix The inscription can be read on the seal which Garnier appended to a charter at Dover in April 1185, only a few weeks after King Henry II had held court at Clerkenwell, and Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, had consecrated the Priory Church. 189 [189] Grand Priory, pp. 17-18; VCH, Middlesex, I, 198.xlix Among other testes at Dover were King Henry himself, Roger des Moulins, Master of the Hospital, and Richard of Ilchester, Bishop of Winchester. They all witnessed a conveyancing deed wherein the Holy Cross Hospital in Winchester passed from Hospitaller hands to the diocesan's control. 190 [190] Cartulaire, no. 755; Round, Garnier de Nablous, pp. 384-85; Hospitaliers, pp. 92-93.xlixThe radical change in sigillistic wording and the presence of so many notables at Clerkenwell for the consecration of the Church of St John Baptist, may well constitute the only reliable evidence that we now have for suggesting that in the year 1185 autonomy came to the Priory of England. The date would become the terminus ad quem for the Anglo-Norman poem. If one also recalls that the Statutes of c. 1181 contain priory identifications and administrative terminology which find no reflexion in the translation of the Regula, one can conclude that the vernacular composition may well date from 1181-85. None of the linguistic evidence would appear to conflict with this hypothesis.
7 ESTABLISHMENT OF TEXT
The major concern in transcribing the text from the manuscript has been accuracy with regard to Anglo-Norman linguistic traits
Page xlix
and to sense of context. However, since this is not a diplomatic edition, the reader must expect some departures from the exact letter of the manuscript. Thus, the modern convention of distinguishing i and j, u and v, has been observed. Scribal w has been retained, e.g. liws 109, wus 1445, etc., but where its retention appears to produce a syllable without a vowel, it has been resolved as iu or ui, according to the orthographic characteristics of the period, e.g. ws = vus 1623, swre = sivre 597. I have made no attempt to reproduce in print the points on either side of single v, nor the diagonal strokes over minims. In most passages the division of letters into words by the scribe is preserved, the exceptions being al, del, sil, nel. For phonetic reasons, a cedilla is added to c before a, as in enhauça 148. The acute accent has been placed over the letter e in order to distinguish stressed from unstressed forms of the vowel. For the reasons stated above in our discussion of the poem's versification, 191 [191] See p. xxix above.1 we have deliberately refrained from introducing diaeresis.The copyist's blunders and inadvertences have been handled in two ways. Omissions of words or letters have been repaired by placing the conjectured forms in square brackets. Most of these restorations have been suggested by the poet's linguistic and metrical practices, a few have been indicated by recourse to the poet's Latin source. A series of dots alert the reader to scribal omissions for which I have been unable to find suitable words. This is particularly the case for twelve octosyllables without rhyming companions at 83, 371, 400, 464, 562, 854, 876, 884, 902, 937, 1004, 1442. Barbarous word formations have been rejected, and are to be found at the foot of the page of text, together with all other rejected manuscript readings.
Extra large capitals at 1, 113, 207, 253, 369, 455, 549, 577 mark divisions of the historical narrative about the foundation of the Hospital in Jerusalem. These are reproduced as ordinary capitals, as are those at the beginning of each line of verse. We capitalise, in addition, proper names and the first letters of sentences. Spaces between segments of the text, punctuation, and quotation marks for direct speech are, likewise, features introduced editorially.
Page 1
[MIRACLE I]
[ANTIOCHUS AND MELCHIAZAR]
[f.255]Al tens Zezar le premerain
Ke empereris fu romain,L2 [L2] rej empereur2L2 [L2] empereris. I reject the scribe's empereur in favour of the correct subject form employed by the poet in 210.2
E al tens Antioch[e]iL3 [L3] Cf. la mort Antiochei 135.2
4 Ke fu [un] prince desus lui,
Fu un esveske en la citéL5 [L5] rej une e.2L5 [L5] eveske apparently renders the princeps sacerdotum of the Miracles.2
Ke est Jerusalem apelé,L6 [L6] rej Ke i. est a.2
Par soun dreit nun quant [il] fu nez,L7 [L7] rej dreit nin2
8 Melchiazar fu apelez.L8 [L8] Melchiazar has one more syllable than the name Melchior borne by the high priest in the Miracles.2
Cist fu prodome de sa lay,
Fors tant cum il fist un desray,L10 [L10] rej une d.2
Quant del sepulcre seint David
12 Besans et vestemens fors ravid,
Ke sun lignage mis i aveit
Cum en cel tens custume esteit.
Quant la novele a[l] prince vint, [f.256]
16 A rage e a forsen le tint,L16 [L16] rej forsene2
Del tresor ke pris [i] aveit
Cest esveske, e neint par dreit.
Antiochus est mult dolant
20 De cest mesfait ke mult est grant.L20 [L20] rej ceste m.2
Mult se purpense ke il frat:
Si il poet, le veske a mort trerrat.
Tant cum ii est [si] purpensé
24 Cum li esveske serra jugé,
La nuit [si] cum est endormi,L25 [L25] rej c. eit e.2
En esperit fu tost ravi
Des angeles ki l'unt aportéL27 [L27] A medial e in angeles occurs again in 737; it was not pronounced, it would seem (cf. angle 479).2
28 Devant un munt ke est apeléL28 [L28] rej une m.; apelee2
Calvarie de ceus de la contree,L29 [L29] Even allowing for a trisyllabic pronunciation of Calvarie, the line remains hypermetric. In 64 the form Calvarie elides its final e before en and still counts as three syllables.2
Li munz u la croiz fu trove[e];L30 [L30] rej croice2L30 [L30] The scribe's croice, presumably in place of the poet's croiz, causes the line to become hypermetric.2
E li sire ke tant fu piu
Page 2
32 Suffri [la] mort en icel liu.L32 [L32] The insertion of the def. art. before mort not only restores the correct syllable count, but offers a syntactic parallel with the construction suffrir la passion 312.3
Antiochus ke fu ravi
Vit Deu venir [en]contre lui
Ky li ad dit mult ducement:
36 'Ceo ke as pensé, ne[l] fras neint!
Antioche, tu en erras.
Ceo que as pensé, tu le lerras.
L'esveske qui quidas oscire,L39 [L39] rej Li esueske3
40 Jeo te comant kel leisses vivre.L40 [L40] rej conmande ke le leisses3L40 [L40] Scribal ke le is rejected in favour of the enclitic form kel, attested in 816. For the emendation of conmande to comant, see note to l. 1018.3
Ne voil pas ke il seit ozcis,
Enz voil je ke remaigne vifs,L42 [L42] rej Enz voille ke3
Car en cest liu ke mustre a tei
44 Voil [jeo] ke del trosor le rei
Ke le veske prist del sarku, [f.257]
Voil jeo ke me rendez triu:L46 [L46] rendez triu. The change to vus in the midst of a sequence of tu forms accords with the source where God speaks to Antiochus in such terms as thou, Antiochus, and the high priest, you will both. . ..3
Ceo ert une mesun ke vus frez
48 En cest liu ke veu avez.
Il la comenserat ove teiL49 [L49] It seems that the e of the future form comenserat is not sounded; there is always, however, the possibility that the scribe substituted ove for an authorial od.3
Cum enten[du] tu l'as de mei.
Mut ert la mesun honure[e],
52 Sur tutes autres eshauce[e],
Kar mesun i ert de pitéL53 [L53] rej m. iert de3
Dunt ja ne surdra mavesté.
Les povres voil ke recevez;
56 Dunt mester eient, lur trovez!
Dras et viande et beau liz
Durray vus dunt serrunt serviz.'
Quant Dampnedeu unt si parlé,
60 Ala s'en en sa maiesté.
Mes aprés memes la nuit,
Deu a l'aveske aparuitL62 [L62] rej ala veske3
Si li [en] dist: 'Tost vos levez!
64 Al munt Calvarie en alez!
Un fundement i troverezL65 [L65] rej Vne f.3
De une mesun ke vus frez
Del grant tresor ke vus preisistes
68 Enz el sarcu ke [vus] frensistes.
Page 3
Meisun ert de hospitalité;L69 [L69] rej M. il ert4
Ne voil [pas] ke regne averté;L70 [L70] The restoration of pas is suggested by the construction in 41.4
Receivre i voil vostre servise,
72 De vus ne fray autre justice.
Tuz les povres ke a tei vendrunt,
Qui bien [a]eisez ne serrunt,
En la mesun les recevez,
76 A grant plenté [si] lur trovez.' [f.258]
Deu a parlé tant cum li plout,
A son serf dist taunt cum il vout.
E cil s'en est mult tost levé;
80 Tuit dreit al munt s'en est alé
U le prince ad matin trové.
Li un a l'autre a nuncié
[…]
84 Deu en seit gracié,L84 [L84] rej gratie4L84 [L84] The two missing syllables may well be the first component of a form Damnedeu.4
La visiun ke unt veue,L85 [L85] Contrast the scribal la visiun here and in 192 with cest' avisiun 92.4
E d'ambedeus est ben creuue,L86 [L86] rej crewe4
Car en cel liu k'est demustré,
88 [Cum] lur out Deu prenuncié,
[I] unt trové un fundementL89 [L89] rej une f.4
Ke mult lur veneit a talent.
A quei vus dirrai lunc sermun?L91 [L91] lunc sermun is not the sermon preached in regular chapters or chapters-general of the Hospitallers, a practice referred to the Customs (Cartulaire, no. 2213, § 126; King, p. 199). Line 91 is, rather, a rhetorical question of the kind often found in medieval French texts, sermun being the oral presentation of a story that is rambling or verbose (see T-L., IX, 527-28).4
92 Ambedui par cest' avisiun
Unt comencé cest' ovre a fere
Si ke nul [d']eus s'en voet retrere.L94 [L94] rej retret4
Mes le veske est espirez,
96 De Deu le grant elluminez,
E a premis et ben voé
K'i servira tut sun eé.L98 [L98] rej Ke la s.4L98 [L98] The emendation of Ke la to K'i is supported by 180 where I servir occurs in similar context, with i referring to a site recently mentioned in the dialogue.4
Tuit le tresor k[e] il trova
100 Al seint Sepulcre, e plus s'i l'a,
Au seint overaigne il le durra,
[E] a sei ren ne retendra.
Sun cors del tuit s'i est doné
104 Pur les povres servir a gré
Qui pur meseise a lui vendrunt
Page 4
E de l'hostel mester averont. [f.259]
Cil prodome est en bon purpens
108 Cum il de Deu [i] out l'assens.L108 [L108] rej out les sens5
Genz [i] atret de plusurs liws
Homes religius et piwsL110 [L110] rej Hoems5
Ki servireient en la mesun
112 Les povres par grant devotiun.L112 [L112] If the nominal ending -iun were disyllabic here, there could be a case for suppressing grant. See also the same noun in 202 and 1527.5
[MIRACLE IIa]
[JUDAS MACCABAEUS]
En icel tens fu un prodoem,L113 [L113] rej une p.5
Cum en escrit trové l'avum.L114 [L114] ff. The revolt of Judas Maccabaeus against the enemies Israel and his triumphs over them with God's acknowledged help are chronicled in I and II Macc.5
Judas out nun, le Makebeu;
116 Tuit entendum l'ami [de] Deu.
Ceste mesun Judas amad
Cum il aprés bien demustrat
Par leal aver k'il saveitL119 [L119] rej Kar leal5
120 De soen tresor qu'il grant aveit:
Duze mil peiz de fin argent.
Ceo sembla lui mult beau present
Pur Deu amur la [pur]offrirL123 [L123] The restoration of a syllable by recourse to a prefix may seem hazardous, but since la means there and the construction is beau present . . . pur + inf. (cf. 124), there seems no other alternative.5
124 E pur les povres sustenir
Qui pur les almes pr[e]ereientL125 [L125] Given that the line lacks one syllable and that preerum 546 is trisyllabic, I conjecture that an e has been omitted by the scribe.5
Qui de cest siecle alé serreient,
Kar il pensa mult justement
128 E mult religiusement
De la grant resurrectiun
U chescun avera sun gueredun,L130 [L130] One supposes that the scribal interconsonantal e of avera and gueredun were not pronounced. See Intro.5
E chescun' alme la recevera
132 Ceo ke ci deservi avera.L119 [L119] In II Macc. XII, 43-45, is related how Judas levied a contribution from each man and sent two (not twelve) thousand silver drachmas to Jerusalem as an atoning sacrifice to free the dead from their sins. There is no mention of a house of the Hospital. However, Judas was said to be bene et religiose de resurrectione cogitans, as our text alleges.5
Puis aprés, [si] cum est custume
Ke mort avient a chescun home,L134 [L134] rej chescum5
Vint a la mort Antiochei.
136 Prince fu, cum avez oi,L136 [L136] rej Ke prince5
Page 5
[f.260]Mes ainz ke si [nus] le lessum,
Cum il fina si vus dirrum.
La mesun dunt avez oi,
140 De boens homes il l'establi.L140 [L140] rej hoems6
Ke nul de eus eust propri[e]tez,
Les mist tut en comunitez.L142 [L142] rej Mes meissent6
La establi fraternité,
144 Religiun e honesté.L144 [L144] rej R. nette e6
E puis ke il ceo fet aveit,
Des chateus ke il [i] saveit,
Trestuit le miuz il i donat
148 E la mesun mult enhauçat.
De cest proesdome vus or fu ditL149 [L149] rej proesdoem6
Ceo ke [jeo] trovai en escrist.
Lerrum de lui, kar finé est;
152 Dirrum de ki a venir est.L152 [L152] note de cisti (with final i expuncted) ki6
[MIRACLE IIb]
DE ZACHARIA
Ore entendez, seignurs, trestuit!
De cest oier ne vus ennuit!
Bien sai ke ceus qui Deu amerunt
156 [Mut] volentiers l'entenderunt.
Zacharie fu un proveire,
Cum dit l'estorie ke est veire.L157 [L157] Zacharia in the Miracles is a propheta; Luc I, 5, refers to him as a sacerdos.6
Pere fu seint Johan Baptist,
160 Cum trové l'avum mis en tist.L159 [L159] Cf. Luc. I, 59-60: Et factum est in die octavo, venerunt circumcidere puerum, et vocabant eum nomine patris sui Zachariam. Et respondens mater eius, dixit: Nequaquam, sed vocabitur Ioannes. One is tempted to add final e to tist and Baptist in the light of the rhyme Ewangeliste : tiste 318. See also note to l. 1629.6
Un jur offri cist sacrefiseL161 [L161] It is not clear what cist alludes to, since this is the first occasion that the sacrifice is mentioned. One expects soen for cist, by analogy with vostre in 168.6
A Deu le grant [e] en sa guise,
E vit Deu devaunt lui ester,
164 [E] ducement od lui parler:
'Zacharie,' ceo li diseit,
'Vus avez fet mut bel espleist,L166 [L166] note i of espleist is superscript6 [f.261]
Kar en gré prenge vostre servise.
Page 6
168 Receu ai vostre sacrefise.
Mes [en]ver moi or entendez,
Dirrai vus de mes privetez:
Melchiazar qui m'a servi,
172 Sun servise ai en gré cuilli.
De cest siecle s'en est alez.
Pur ceo voil jeo ke vus servez
El liu meimes u il servi,
176 Kar mun regné a bien merri.L176 [L176] rej pur m. r.7
Vus i irrez e vostre femme
E vostre fiz, tuz treis ensemme.L178 [L178] rej fiz et t. t.7L178 [L178] ensemme. See Intro. p. xxxii.7
Tuz treis voil joe ke vus seez
180 E ke les povres bien i servez
De ci k'al tens ke vos dirrai.
Un proesdome vos transmeterai:L182 [L182] rej Vn proesdoem7
Julien Romein par nun avera.
184 La aprés vus me servira.'
Zacharie fu espontez,
En partie fu mut leez
De ceo ke Deu out si parlé
188 E sun servise cuilli a gré.
Cum il out fet le sacrement
Ke Deu si perneit a talent,
Est tost venu a sa mesun
192 E cunté ad la visiun
Cum Deu aveit od lui parlé
E qui a li eut comandé.
Leez sunt sa femme e sis fiz
196 Qui sur les autres ert esliz [f.262]
E le plus haut ke unc ne fu
For nostre sire [Crist] Jhesu.L198 [L198] The addition of Crist is suggested by similar wording in 675.7
Graces rendent lur Creatur
200 Ke il lur feit si grant honur.
Tantost cum poient, a la mesunL201 [L201] rej mesum7
Veneient par grant devotiunL202 [L202] See note to l. 112.7
Od teus chateus cum il aveient.
204 Les povres Deu [il] i serv[e]ient,
Page 7
Deske al tens ke Deu i enveit
Celui ke avaunt premis aveit.L206 [L206] rej ke p. auaunt aueit8
[MIRACLE III]
[JULIANUS THE ROMAN]
Autre miracle en avint pus,L207 [L207] rej miracla8
208 Si cum en escrit [jeo] le trus.
En icel tens – ceo est la summe –
Out li empereris de Rome
Enveé Julien le RomeinL211 [L211] The poet calls the hero Julien Romein in 183, and one wonders if the article le is now necessary. If it were removed, Julien would assume the trisyllabic quality that it has elsewhere in the text.8
212 A sun afere [mut] luintein
Od autres prodhomes assezL213 [L213] rej prodeshomes8
Ke sunt en la busuigne alez.
Cum il vindrent en haute mer,
216 Torment [se] prist grant a lever
Ke [la] lur nef en mer restat.L217 [L217] rej rescat8L217 [L217] So that their ship stopped at sea. I make no sense of scribal rescat. The Miracles' account is fuller: Qui cum in mari fuissent prope Cretim in insula quae vocatur Joa, puppis eorum fracta est, et corruentes in mare omnes submersi sunt, praeter Julianum Romanum . . ..8
L'ewe entre enz, si s'enfundrat.L218 [L218] rej Len entre8
Tuit neerent, sacés le bein,
220 Fors soulement cest Julien
Ke Deu [i] vout de mort guarir,
[Kar] en nul liu ne poet perir.L222 [L222] The form nului does not occur anywhere in the text; it could well fit here for sense and scansion, in the place of my arbitrary emendation.8
Tuit neerent e il si dut,
224 Mes le fiz Deu li apparut
Qui a ses meinz sus le saka
E sein a tere l'enporta, [f.263]
E mut de plus seurement
228 Ke s'il arivast autrement
K'en batel u en seine nef,L229 [L229] rej E en b.8
Kar Deu l'enporta plus suuef.L230 [L230] rej enporta mult p. swef8L230 [L230] The disyllabic quality of suuef is attested in 1530, so mult is most likely supernumerary, and I have suppressed it.8
Quant Julien fu si gariz,
232 Tremblant e tuit espouriz,
Demande: 'Sire, ke es tu,
Qui guari m'as par ta vertu?'
Si li fu dit: 'Le fiz Deu sui,
Page 8
236 Ke tei a mun oes [ai] esluiL236 [L236] A parallel construction for the same idea can be read at 941. While eslit occurs at 756 and 941, poetic licence permitted the rhyme sui : eslit, reformed as eslui (cf. AND, 261-62).9
De estre frere hospitaler
En Hospital ke dei garder,L238 [L238] rej hospitaler9
Kar a tun tens verraiement
240 Joe i vienderai corporaument
Od mes apostles queus eslirraiL241 [L241] The selection of the Apostles is not described by the poet, but it has occurred by l. 265 when he speaks of God honouring them.9
E mes disciples queus jeo averai.'L242 [L242] rej disciplis9
Cist Julien li Eschapez
244 Par Deu de mort fu apelez.
Dé oilz mult tendrement plurad
E [pus] de sa mein se seignad.
De loec s'en veit, sun chemin tint,
248 A Jerusalem tost s'en vint
U dignement fu reseu
De Zacharie ke la fu.
La vesqui benure[e]ment,
252 Servi les povres umblement.
[MIRACLE IVa]
[THE HOUSE IN THE HOLY CITY]
Quant Deu prist incarn[a]tiun
Pur humeine redemptium
E charne[l]ment sei demustrat,
256 Sa glorie duze manifestat.L256 [L256] rej E sa9 [f.264]
E ses disciples asembla,
Entre [les]queus il conversa.
Cil ke fu nez en BethleemL259 [L259] Cf. Matt. II, 1.9
260 Descendi en Jerusalem.L260 [L260] Cf. Matt. XXI, 1-11.9
Ceo que esquauns ot enseigné
De l'Hospital, einz ke fust né,
Par nunciement del seint Espirit,L263 [L263] The hypermetric nature of the line derives from the spelling nunciement, which, I suspect, is for authorial nuncement.9
264 Par sa presence lur i merit.L264 [L264] rej mereit9
Ses apostles mult honurat
E ses disciples bien confortat.L266 [L266] rej disciplis9
Page 9
Les povres piement recria,L267 [L267] The adv. piement was usually trisyllabic in the thirteenth century, although disyllabic readings are not unknown in Continental French (cf. T-L., VII, 992). Whether one reads piement or piument for an earlier piuement, it seems that our poet intended it to be heard as two syllables.10
268 Saluz al poeple i pre[e]cha.L268 [L268] Scribal precha here and precher 304 cause each line to be hypometric. I have restored the effaced e in each case.10
Deu mustra manifestement
A ces feeuz, e ceo sovent,L270 [L270] rej ceus f.10L270 [L270] On a first reading, the context suggests that MS ceus is a scribal error for ses his faithful, but ceus may be a pronoun, referring to the Apostles and disciples in 264-65.10
Ke il cele mesun mult ama,
272 Quant entre eus tant conversa.
Sa mein estendi Jhesu Crist
Sur des disciples, puis si dist:
'Qui vus honure, honure mei;
276 Ki vus receit, recivre dei;L275 [L275] Cf. Matt. X, 40.10
Qui vus despira, mei despit;
Qui vus scandelize, mesdith.L278 [L278] rej a mei mesdith10L277 [L277] Cf. Tob. XIII, 16.10
Maudit seit [cil] qui mesdirra
280 Al meindre qui de vus serra!'
Ceo est la seintime mesunL281 [L281] rej mesum10
U Deu dist la bele resun
A un sage home qui l'enquist.L283 [L283] rej une s.10
284 Escrit trovum ceo qu'il li dist:
'Aime tun Deu de tut tun quer, [f.265]
De tun penser, si fras ke beer;L286 [L286] rej De tut tun10L286 [L286] The repetition of tut, although stylistically defensible for emphasis, renders the line hypermetric; I have rejected it.10
E tun proesme si cume tei,
288 Si a[e]mpliras tu ta lei.
E si tu veus estre parfiz,
Vende quant ke tu as, beau fiz,
E done tuit a povre gent.
292 Boer le vendras verraiement.'L292 [L292] rej uerras uerraument10
[MIRACLE V]
[ANANIAS AND SAPHIRA]
Ananie e Saphira
Deu fez se renierent ja.
As apostles ambdu s'en pristerent,L295 [L295] en because of this, referring back to their apostasy.10
296 En lur compaignie sei misterent,L295 [L295] The medial e of pristerent and of misterent must have been mute.10
Page 10
Mes pur ceo ke il a povre gent
Ne donerent comunement
Quanqu'il aveient cunquesté,
300 – Retindrent tuit par averté –
De mort subite ambdui mururentL301 [L301] rej murirent11
Devaunt les apostles u furent.L302 [L302] rej u il f.11L293 [L293] Cf. Act. V, 1-10.11
Al tens quant Deu vout enveer
304 Ses disciples pur pre[e]cher,L303 [L303] Cf. Matt. X, 1-42.11
Les disciples diz [en] eslistrent,L305 [L305] The number diz, although given in full by the scribe, is in conflict with the tradition stated in the Miracles: . . . elegerunt apostoli et discipuli Domini septem dyaconos . . ..11
Qui en la mesun bien remistrent,
Qui en cele mesun bien servirent
308 La povre gent qui [la] s'asistrent.L307 [L307] The couplet is linked by assonance. See also 1115-16.11
Seint Estevene, premer martir,
Remist pur la mesun servir.
[MIRACLE IVb]
[DOUBTING THOMAS]
Seignurs, en icele mesun
312 Quant Deu suffri la passiun,
Li desciple [la] se muscerent [f.266]
Pur les Juues qu[e] il duterent.
La seinte virgine Marie,
316 La mere Deu,sa duze amie,
[E] seint Johan l'Ewangeliste
Si cum l'en trove escrit en tiste,
Vindrent pur ve[e]r Jhesu Crist
320 En croiz pendant, ke beau lur dist:L315 [L315] Cf. Ioh. XIX, 25-26.11
– Testemonie est li escriz –L321 [L321] rej Testemoniez11L321 [L321] Cf. Ioh. XIX, 35.11
'Mere, fet il, est vus tis fiz.'
Al disciple ove simple here
324 [Jhesus] a dit: 'Est vus ta mere.'L324 [L324] rej As dit11
La virgine a Johan comandatL325 [L325] rej La v. al virgin c.11L325 [L325] The additional syllable in virgine, the latinised form of virge, renders the line hypermetric.11
Qui ducement la [re]gardat.
Jesus aprés sa passiun,L327 [L327] ff. Strictly speaking, the author has condensed the time span of the two appearances. The first one at which Thomas was not present (Ioh. XX, 19-25) occurred cum ergo sero esset die illo, una sabbatorum. The second (Ioh. XX, 26-29) is heralded by Et post dies octo. The idea expressed in 328 would be more appropriate between 339-340, but there is no interruption to the rhymes at that point. Line 328, has another irregular feature, its scansion, hypermetric by two syllables. The word aprés looks suspect, repeating, as it does, a word in the preceding line.11
Page 11
328 Uit jurs aprés sa resurrectiun
En la mesun deigna venir,
Si cum[e] li vint a pleisir.
Quant [les] portes avei[e]nt closes,
332 – Mult erent pouruses choses –L332 [L332] rej m. eerent12
Pur [la] grant pour des Jueus,L333 [L333] rej as iueus12
Entre ses disciples vint Deus.
Entre eaus fu et dit lur ad:
336 'Pax od vus [seit]!' sis confortad.L331 [L331] Cf. Ioh. XX, 19: . . . et fores essent clausae, ubi erant discipuli congregati propter metum Iudaeorum: venit Iesus et stetit in medio, et dixit eis: Pax vobis.12
Mes entre eaus [la] ne fu pas
Des unze un ke out noun Thomas.L338 [L338] rej u. une k.12L337 [L337] Ioh. XX, 24.12
Puis [re]vint, si [Deu] apparut,
340 Entre ses disciples estut,L340 [L340] rej si estut12
Pus lur dist amiablement: [f.267]
'Peiz od vus seit, [la] bone gent!L339 [L339] Ioh. XX, 26: . . .iterum erant discipuli eius intus: et Thomas cum eis. Venit Iesus ianuis clausis, et stetit in medio, et dixit: Pax vobis. My arbitrary emendation of 339 is an attempt to remove the confusion of scribal vint and apparut, both without subjects, but which seem to refer to two different persons.12
Thomas, fet il, bail sa tun dei.
344 Tasteras mun costé e mei.
[Or] mescreant ne seez pas!L345 [L345] seez, apparently second person singular in this context.12
Fermement avant [tu] crerras.'L346 [L346] The same use of tu with a future in a jussive function is found elsewhere in the text. See Intro.12
En cele mesun ke tant ama,L343 [L343] Cf. Ioh. XX, 27.12
348 Thomas le cunust e tasta.L348 [L348] Ioh. XX, 28.12
Dunt il receut beneiçun,
[E] de Deu tant seintime dun.
E tut icil ke pas nel veient
352 E lui eiment, [dunc] en lu creient.
De Deu [il] sunt tuz ben[e]eit
Par la creance, e ceo est dreit.L351 [L351] In the source, Ioh. XX, 29, Jesus reports the incident in a past sequence: Dixit ei Jesus: Quia vidisti me Thoma, credidisti: beati qui non viderunt, et crediderunt.12
E Deu nus doint tuz ensement
356 E vivre e crere sauvement
Sulunc creance e sulunc fei
[Si] cum seint Thomas endreit sei!
E Deu par ses seintimes nunsL359 [L359] On the Holy Names of the Lord, See L. Spitzer, Dieu et ses noms in Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, LVI (1941), 13-32.12
360 Nus doint partir as huresuns
De cele seintime mesun
U Deu fist congregatiun,
Que est cum[e] l'escrit recorde:
364 Eschiele de misericorde,
Page 12
Degré de la seinte vertu
Par quel nus vendrum a Jhesu,
Qui vit et regne omnipotent,
368 Sen fin et pardurablement.
[FALL, REDEMPTION AND DESIRE FOR HEAVEN]
Oez, seignurs, ke vus dirrum
Pur Deu amur en ki creum
[…] [f.268]
372 Nel tenez pas pur ceo a fable,
Ne en voz queors en heez ire
De ceo que nus vus voudrum dire.
Nus ne [le] tenum pas a senz
376 Ke hoem par usdive perde senz,
Ke, solum ceo qu'il purrat estre,
Se il est lai u clerc u prestre,L378 [L378] Evidence that the poet sees three classes of members in the Order. Cf. Intro., p. xli, and ll. 1292, 1478.13
E sulum ceo keo estre poet,
380 Si s'efforce, kar ceo estoet,L380 [L380] note estoiet with second e in superscript13
[Ke] serve Deu, le haut seignur,
E il durrat en ciel honur.
E si il ne sunt trestuit eslit
384 Ne mut ne sachent par escrit,
Ne n'unt sen de [la] lettr[e]ure,
[Ne] de gramarie la nature,
[E] nepuroec n'est pruz usdive
388 Pur quai home vaille et viveL388 [L388] rej hoem13
Ke il ne fasce aukune rien
K'aprés sa mort lui turt a bien.
E cil qui unt plus sein curage
392 E walent miwz e sunt plus sage,L392 [L392] rej miwez13L391 [L391] Those who are of stout heart and who are worthy and wise are in fact the senior brethren in years, or the Ancients, of the Hospital. Our poet refers to them again in 553-56. Explicit mention of them is made in the Statutes of 1283, 1288 and 1301, for example (Cartulaire, no. 3844, §1): . . .dandi antiquis . . . secundum portamenta, que ipsi fecerunt in domo et secundum eorum antiquitatem . . .; (no. 4022, §4): . . .illique etiam, qui in nostra religone ultra annos XX steterunt . . .; (no. 4550, Preamble): . . .par le relygious mayestre . . . et par les proudes homes du covent . . .. See also King, pp. 81, 89, 119; Riley-Smith, p. 283.13
Quant il orrunt [i]cest escritL393 [L393] rej orrent13L393 [L393] Cf. icest escrit 1237.13
E pur quai nus avum ceo dit,
Nel nus tendrunt a utrage,
396 N[e] a surfait ne a folage.L396 [L396] rej sui fait13
Page 13
Si sulum ceo ke nus savum,
Fassum le ben, si l'enseignum.
Qui si le fet, si est prodom
400 […]
Al nun Jhesu ke tut crea
Quank[e] est, fud, u mes serra. [f.269]
Al soen semblant nus [tuz] furma
404 E od sun cors nus rechataL404 [L404] rej sun seint c.14
Des meinz […] qui tuz teneit
Pur lu trespas en sun destreit
Fet par Adam, [le] nostre pere,L407 [L407] rej Ke par adam14
408 Par Eve, [la] premeire mere,
E par Sathan ke l'enginna
De la poume k'el li duna
Ke Deu lui out [mut] defendu,L411 [L411] rej defendi14
412 Mes [el] ne l'out preuz entendu.
Il la receut e mult fist mal,L407 [L407] Cf. Gen. III, 2-6.14
Kar il en out vilein ostal.
De haut si bas chei aval
416 U cumverserent enfernal,L416 [L416] rej V cumuerserunt14L416 [L416] I find little to justify the retention of scribal cumverserunt in the presence of the pret. chei. in 415.14
Kar, unc plus tost n'[en] out gusté
K'enfern ne li fust ajusté.
S'il eust tenu l'enseignement
420 Del haut Deu omnipotent,
En joie fust tuz jors sen fin.
Ceo dist li livres par latin.
Mes pur ceo ke il ne l[e] fist,
424 Ne poet muer ke Deu li dist:
'A quel jor k[e] en gusteras,L425 [L425] Cf. Gen. II, 17.14
De male mort [tu] i murras.'
Si [le] fist il ignelepas,
428 De haut chai et vint en bas;
De parais en enfern vint.
[I]cel hostel lunges pus tint
Il et tut le soen pus linage
432 Qui nasqui puis de sun charnage. [f.270]
Desqu'il parteit de ceste vie,
Page 14
Cel tens [ke] l'out en sa baillie
Be[e]lzebub qui ja ne dort,
436 Mei est avis ke ceo fu mort,
Kar quant parteit de cest labur,
Si veneit en mut majur,L438 [L438] It appears that majur is trisyllabic here and in 1420.15
Treske Jhesus le fiz Marie
440 De cele mort le mist a vie,
Quant de sun cors le rechatat
E par sa mort le bargaignat;
Par sa pité puis le rendiL443 [L443] rej E par15
444 Del cel la glorie k'il einz perdi.
E ceo pramet parfitementL445 [L445] rej pramat15
A ceus qui l'eiment veraiment:
Joie sen fin [e] a tut dis.
448 Qui ceo refuse, n'at nul pris.
La [en] alums, seignurs, trestuit!L449 [L449] The position of the adv. en is suggested by 64.15
Nus i averums boen deduit:
Plenté sanz faute, vie sanz mort.
452 Qui la ne vas, troep ad grant tort.
Or [en]tendez, si nus dirrum
Ceste joie cum nous l'averum.
[JUDGMENT DAY]
Reimund, li boen Hospitaillers,
456 As povres Deu prest e maniers,
As peiz, as meins, tut a premiers,L457 [L457] rej t. as premiers15
Serveit pur Deu [mut] volentiers
[Cume] mestre de la frarieL455 [L455] An allusion to the exordium of the Regula where Raymond du Puy is named the servus pauperum Christi et custos Hospitalis Jerosolimitani . . . (Cartulaire, no. 70; King, p. 20). Walter, the first Prior of the Hospital in England, is styled servus in a deed of c. 1148: Gualterus Ierosolimitani Hospitalis servus, no doubt imitating the style of his contemporary and superior, the prior of Saint Gilles, c. 1148-52: Ernaldus Ierosolimitani Hospitalis servus, but the third English prior, Ralph de Dina, no longer uses the term c. 1178-81: ego Radulfus de Dina, prior fratrum Hospitalis Ierusalem in Anglia; see Hassall, documents nos. 204-6.15
460 Dunt parlera le fiz Marie
Al derein jur de sa justise,L460 [L460] Matt. XXV, 31.15 [f.271]
U il [en] fra itel asise
Ke nul ne purra cuntredire
464 […]
A [i]ceu jur de la justise
De tutes gens par devise fra juise.
Page 15
Les boens mettera a sa destre,
468 Les mavez luinz a la senestre.
Dunc [en] dirra as boens e seinz:
'Pité vus prist, quant avei feinz.L470 [L470] rej aveie16L470 [L470] Scribal aveie renders the line hypermetric. The poet no doubt wrote avei, as in 472.16
Pur ceo vendrez or[es] a mei.
472 Vus m'enbevreastes quant avei sei;L472 [L472] If we ignore the scribe's third e in enbevreastes, we have a nine-syllable line with the fifth an unstressed e.16
E autres bunes quan jo ruvai,L473 [L473] rej buntes; ruuei16
Glorie sen fin vus en rendrai;
Kar quant as povres l'enveastes,L467 [L467] Matt. XXV, 33-36.16
476 A mei meimis [vus] le dunastes.'
A qui serrunt de l'autre partL477 [L477] rej A ceus qui16
Si ferement frat un regard
Ke li angle pour averunt
480 E li archangle tremblerunt
Qui unc[kes] pechié nul ne firent
Ne peine nul[e] deservierent,
[E] tuit li autre Deu feel
484 Qui la serrunt a cel conseil.
[E]! las! ke frunt les malurez,
Quant si creinderunt les benurez?
Dunc lur dirra parole fere:
488 'Guai, vus cheitifs! alés arere,L488 [L488] rej cheitifis16
Kar unc ne feistes gueres rienL489 [L489] rej unkes16
Pur quei devriez aver ci bien.L490 [L490] rej quei vus d.16
Ha! dolens, megres, et cheitifs,L491 [L491] rej ha vus d.16
492 Vus i serrez si mal asis [f.272]
Ke miuz serreit ke ne fussezL493 [L493] rej miuz vus s.16
Nez ne nurriz ne engendrez.
Alez al feu ardant sen fin
496 U vus tut tens seir et matinL495 [L495] Cf. Matt. XXV, 41.16
Averez la peine ke ja ne faudrat
En feu d'enfern qui n'eteindrat!L498 [L498] rej qui ia ne teindrat16
Feim i averez et sei et freit!
500 La [re]meindrez, car ceo est dreit!
Luinz vus metterai de tuz beinz,
Kar si feistes vus les meins,
Page 16
Quant [il] a vus vindrent plurant.
504 Pité n'en eustes petit ne grant.
Ne jeo de vus n'averai pité,
Kar la demurrez en cel sié
U lesardez, boz e serpens
508 Vus pincerunt suvent as dens,
Si trescurrunt parmi vos cors
E revendrunt arere fors.
Mes ne purrez issi murrir,
512 Einz vus estoet tut diz suffrir.
Meuz vus veni[s]t ke fussez mort
Ke vus cheist iceste sort.
Issi viverez si ceste vie,L515 [L515] rej si ceo uie17
516 Ne lerrai ke ne l[e] vus die.
Or vus partez mut tost de ci;
De vus n'averai nul merci.'
Ceus s'en irrunt si aval,
520 [Mes tuz] les boens tendrunt l'estal
U il viverunt tut tens en glorie.L519 [L519] Matt: XXV, 46.17
Pensez, seignurs, de ceste estorie. [f.273]
Parler vodrei de cele glorie,
524 Mes mun quer n'en ad [en] memorie.L524 [L524] The locution aveir en memorie is also attested in 638.17
Par ceo nus dit le seint escrit
Ke li bon clerc unt suvent lit:
Oil unc ne vit la [grant] merveilleL527 [L527] ff. The high spirituality of these lines may have been inspired by Ps. XVIII, 2-4.17
528 Ne [ne] l'oi unkes orreille
Ne en quer de hom[e]s vint le sens,
Ke de ceo seust aver purpens,
De cele glorie, cum ele est granz,
532 Ke Deu durrat, li tut pussanz,
A ceus quil servent senz feintiseL533 [L533] quil, the only instance of the enclisis qui + le.17
Al jur derein de sun juise.
[E] nepurquant un poi dirrums
536 De ceo ke lisant nus trovums.
Cum [li] solail lust al matin,
Resplenderount les boens sen fin
E Deu verrunt face a face.
Page 17
540 Tuz tens averunt la sue grace.L540 [L540] rej E tuz tens18
Ceo lur i ert a sufissance;L540 [L540] The scribe has placed l. 541 before 540, which interrupts both rhyme and sense.18
Ja[mmés] n'averunt desestance.
Od Deu serrunt omnipotent,
544 Demurrunt od lui sen finement.
Avaunt de ceo nus ne savum
Fors sul taunt ke Deu preerum
Ke il nus face la venir,
548 Quant de ci [nus] devum partir.
[EXORDIUM TO THE RULE]
Cist Reimund dunt [jeo] vus ai dit,
Il comensa icest escrit
Par [le] cunseil de sun covent,
552 E il en fu cumencement.L552 [L552] rej tumencement18L552 [L552] The scribe's form which I have rejected makes no sense; cumencement is unsatisfactory, since it repeats to no avail the idea in 550.18 [f.274]
De ceus prist conseil qui meuz valeient,L553 [L553] For the identity of those persons here characterized as qui meuz valeient, see note to 391-92. Perhaps the poet originally composed the line Prist conseil de qui meuz valeient.18
Ki plus la lei Deu cunisseient,L554 [L554] rej plus de la l.18
De clers, de lais, des mieuz vaillanz,L555 [L555] mieuz vaillanz, see note to ll. 391-92.18
556 Ki de la riule furent savanz
Ke nostre pere seint Au[gu]stinL557 [L557] The trisyllabic form of the saint's name is needed in the second hemistich of 1595. Here we assume that the reduction is scribal, and consider the line as a nine-syllable one, whose fifth is an unstressed e.18
Tretat bien en latin.L558 [L558] The insertion of avaunt in this line would make sense and be metrically acceptable. It is well known that the Regula has verbatim parallels with the Augustinian Rule and that Pope Lucius III (1181-85) confirmed Raymond du Puy's text as being an Augustinian Rule (Cf. Cartulaire, no. 690; King, p. 2; Riley-Smith, pp. 48-49). For the wider and abiding influence of the Augustinian Rule on hospital statutes throughout the Middle Ages, see L. Le Grand, Statuts d'hôtels-Dieu et de léproseries (Paris, 1901), pp. vi-viii.18
Puis k'apostle l'urent escrite,L559 [L559] rej ke li a.18
560 Il aprés eus pur ceo l'ad dite,
Qui la [riule] voleient rendre
[…]
E la sue lei bien tenir
564 Pur vivre en joie e neint murir,
E aver sen fin verraiment
La glorie Deu ke tuz atent.
Qui curage [unt] de la aler,
568 N'avrunt suin ja del returner.
Alums, seignurs, [i]cele part!
A chescun deit il sembler tar[t]
Ke de cest secle veinge la
572 U meuz li ert ke par desa.
Page 18
De ceo parla un Deu amiz
Ke amast estre en parais:
'Je cuveit estre deliéL575 [L575] rej cuuert19
576 E estre el ciel al haut degré.'L575 [L575] Possibly a reminiscence of St Paul's yearning, while in prison, to be free and with Christ (cf. Philipp. I, 19-21).19
[TRANSLATION OF THE RULE]
Vus, seignurs, ke estes liés
E de cest secle avés le fésL578 [L578] rej ceste19
D'or et de argent, de autres beal[t]és,
580 Pur Deu amur e verei' pes
Prest vus estes a la mesunL581 [L581] rej Prist19
Dunt oiez iceste resun,
Ke mere est de misericorde,L583 [L583] rej estes19 [f.275]
584 Pur ki avrez od Deu concorde;
E averez sen fin cele glorie
Dunt avez oi la memorie.
[E] vus que n'estes pas lettrez,
588 Pur ceo volum servir a grez,L588 [L588] rej ceo vus uolum19
Quant ne savez latin entendreL589 [L589] rej Q. vus ne19
E mut est tart de vus aprendre,
Car tut [i] vosist le curage,
592 Ne l[e] concent pas li [e]age.
Pur ceo vulum k'en cest langage
De vostre ordre seez plus sage,
Ensi volums ore esprendre
596 Ke chescun de vus seit le mendre
De ceo e[n]sivre, ki l'entendra,
Sulum la grace ke Deu durra.L598 [L598] rej deu li d.19
Lé lettré [ja] de ceo n'unt suin,L599 [L599] rej ceo mut19L599 [L599] ne . . . ja with aver suin de occurs also in 568.19
600 Sevent latin ne n'unt bosuin.
Pur ceo fesum aukes stultie
Ke devant ceus pernum baillieL602 [L602] rej iceus19
Ki plus sevent ke nus equanzL603 [L603] rej Ke plus sunt19
604 De duz latin et beau romanz.L604 [L604] rej et de beau19
Page 19
Mes seur seez sen dutance
Ke nus ne[l] fasçun pur bobance,
Ainz le fassum par charité
608 E pur la vostre honesté,
Pur Deu et pur [la] cumpaignie,
Ke en vos beinz eum partie.
Ke vus priez [a] Deu pur nus
612 Ke en bein fesums ove vus,L612 [L612] rej f. od v.20
E devant Deu eum merite, [f.276]
De nos mesfez tut ceum quite.L614 [L614] note c of ceum is superscript over an l struck through20
Pur ceo, seignurs, ne nus blamez
616 De mesprisiun, si vus le oez.
E nus vus prium humblement
Pur Deu amur l'amendement;L618 [L618] rej la la mendement20
Si trop i ad, cel en ostez;
620 Si poi i ad, plus ajustez.L620 [L620] rej plus ia iustez20
E tut fassum a Deu loenge!L621 [L621] rej tut le f.20
Le seint Esprit le nus aprengeL622 [L622] rej espirit20
Ke nus le pussum fere si
624 Ke devant Deu eum merci.
[RULE]
Si cummence […] partieL625 [L625] The missing two syllables may well be l'autre.20
Dunt avum tuché: l'establie
Ke fete fu en la mesun
628 [E] par conseil et par resunL625 [L625] A reference to previous passages (455-59, 549-56) mentioning the preparation of the Regula.20
U nus sumus pur Deu rendu,
Si [a] dreit l'avum entendu,
Pur nus sauver, si [nus] volum.
632 [E] Deu l'otriet par sun nun!
Establi est tut [a] premer
Ke tut lé frere sei[e]nt maner
De ceo tenir ke il unt voé.
636 Par si averunt de Deu le gré.
E par le sein adjutorie
Page 20
Tut tens eient en memorieL637 [L637] Usually the nominal suffix -orie counts one stressed and one unstressed syllable, (cf. 521-24), but here the suffix exceptionally counts two syllables (and final unstressed e). See Intro.21
De ceo garder et [ceo] parfere,
640 Si a Deu velent aver repeire.L640 [L640] rej auere21
Treis choses sunt numbré par cunte;L641 [L641] numbré, a rare instance of estre + past part. not agreeing in gender or number with the subject, no doubt for metrical reasons.21
Ke bien les tient n'[en] avra hunte.
Chaste[té en] est la premere,L643 [L643] Although the spelling chasteé is found in Anglo-Norman, the scribe writes chasteté in 951.21 [f.277]
644 Ke [bein] la teint n'est en arere,L644 [L644] rej nest arerere21
[Il] en serra plus prés de Crist,L644 [L644] These two lines have a certain aphorismic quality about them.21
Sulum ceo ke [le] nus aprist,L646 [L646] The restoration of the pronoun is suggested by the author's construction in 1626.21
Ke suvente fez avum litL647 [L647] rej auum elit21
648 Del seint Espirit en un escrit.L648 [L648] The relevance of un is unclear, unless it could refer to another work by our poet. A reading enmi is possible, but would entail the use of the definite article in front of escrit.21
Obedience l'autre apelum.L649 [L649] apelum here and at 681, 1142 could conceivably be transcribed apel' um.21
Deu la tint ben en ki creum.
Il la siwi jeske la mort,
652 Par quai nus gari de cele sortL652 [L652] rej d.c. fort21L652 [L652] cele is no doubt for masc. cel, though sort is fem. at 514.21
U nus teneit Sathan li tretres,
Si nus rendi de ceil les estres.
[E] cil ke vodra la venir,
656 Obedience estoet tenir.
La terce chose est poverté.
Ki ben le soeffre de sun gré,
A[s] povres dune sun averL659 [L659] dune. See note to l. 961.21
660 E Deu ensuit a sun poer.L660 [L660] rej ensiwit21L660 [L660] MS ensiwit is rejected on temporal and metrical grounds.21
Tut sun propre estoet guerpir,
S[i] il voet Deu a gré servir,
For sul itant ke li suffise
664 Vivre [et] vestir senz manantise.L664 [L664] Cf. 698.21
Ceo deit estre [tut] en commun:
Quanke un ad, si est chescun,
Si bosuin surd, sen contredire,
668 Pur ceo [ke] nul ne sail en ire
De tut[e] cele confrarie,
U il pur Deu change sa vie,
E soeffre dunc en pacience
672 La poverte e le abstinenceL672 [L672] I consider le abstinence to be authorial and to count four syllables, the only instance in our text of le before a fem. substantive beginning with a vowel. A similar phenomenon has been noted in one MS of Le Petit Plet (p. xix). One must also admit, however, that le in 672 may be a scribal blunder, and that poverte could be read as poverté.21
Pur amender les vilenies [f.278]
Ke einz ad fet e lé folies.
Page 21
E nostre sire Crist Jhesus
676 Encontre ceo li durra plus,
Car ceo nus dit la lettr[e]ure:
Cent pur un par mesure,L678 [L678] I believe that the two missing syllables are those of the subst. dubles, since the Vulgate source is Matt. XIX, 29: centuplum accipiet, et vitam aeternam possidebit, and the usual manner of rendering centuplum in O.F. was by cent dobles, (see T-L., II, 1972-73, and AND, 198).22
E od ceo vie parmanable,
680 Si il en ceo voet estre estable.
Tut apelum propr[i]eté,
Kanke un reteint a volunté.L682 [L682] rej K. uum r.22L682 [L682] One may be inclined to consider scribal uum as an error for hum, but the form which I have substituted is attested in similar phrasing in 666.22
E la se prent tost le de[a]bleL683 [L683] rej prent plus tost22L683 [L683] The adv. plus is somewhat incongruous for the context; while deble is a regular A.-N. form; the poet scans three syllables elsewhere as diable and deable.22
684 Al curage, si il n'est estable.
Pur ceo disum: sil fet ke sage,
Tuit guerperat le soen curage;
Poi vaut lesser la facultéL687 [L687] rej Kar poi22
688 Si il retint sa volenté;
Si il fra ceo ki il vodra,
Ki pur Deu l'[i] enseignera?
Jeo vus dirrai verraiement,L691 [L691] rej verraument22
692 Quant Deu vendra al jujement,
Il requerra a tute gent
Ices treis [granz] comandement.
A ces ke sunt en ceste guise,L695 [L695] The scribe habitually writes ceus for the demonstrative pronoun masc. pl., and it seems therefore that his ces does not represent an authorial cels.22
696 [Or] oez dunc ke est l'asise:L696 [L696] The construction is paralleled by one in 1507-8.22
Nume premer ceste resunL697 [L697] rej Nume lur p.22
Vivre et vestir de la mesun:
Pain et ewe [tant] sulement;
700 Senz orgoil [seit] le vestement;L697 [L697] See the Rule's Clause 2 (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 2; King, pp. 20-21).22
Si Deu lur dune plus aver,
Ceo est grace, neint estover;
Ne il ne deivent plus ru[v]er [f.279]
704 A lur priur ne per a per.L704 [L704] priur, is not, as one might expect, the prior or ecclesiastical head of the thirteenth-century Hospitaller documents, but rather the ruler or leader of a commandery (see Hospitaliers, pp. 294-96, and Riley-Smith; p. 341).22
Si lur dune Deu aukes plus,
Ne deivent tenir ceo en us.L706 [L706] rej iceo22
Nul autre chose ke avum dit
708 E[st] mustré par [i]cest escrit:
De orgoil se gardent, si frunt ke sage.
[E] Deu vus doint icel curage!
E de de surfeit de la viande,
Page 22
712 Plus ke bosuine ne demande,
Si plus i ad, ceo est utrage.
[E] Deu vus gard de cele rage!
Car par orgoil et frut ramage
716 Avint jadis iteil damage:
Primes en ceil et puis en terre
[En] fu esmue itel guere,
Ne fust apesé pur nul' rein
720 Si par Deu nun, ke fit mut bein.
Unc ne fu hoem de cel parageL721 [L721] rej Kar unc23
Ki de tel fet quita le gage
For Jhesu Crist qui tint l'astage,
724 De sun seint cors fist [le] paage.
Deu, et home et rei de ceil,
Pur nus gusta en croiz le feel,
Les pez et mainz out clousfichez,L727 [L727] rej et les mainz23
728 En sun costé suffri l'espiez;
D'espine al chef fu corunez.L725 [L725] Cf. Matt. XXVII, 34, and Ioh. XIX, 29ff.23
Rendum a lui merci et gré
Ke il se vout pur nus suffrir.
732 Mut le devum pur ceo servir.
Si Sathan le fel [a] vencuz,L733 [L733] vencuz appears to be an example of a past part. with aveir that agrees with the subject of the verb (cf. Intro.), but I am more inclined to regard it as a form whose spelling is influenced by that of the rhyme. Another instance of this poetic licence is attested in 1430.23 [f.280]
A Deu rendum grez et saluz!
Si [en] defist Deu la descorde
736 E mist amur, pes e concorde.L736 [L736] rej e pes23
Entre home et angele mist amur;
Rendums a lui tute l'honur;L738 [L738] rej tut le honur23L738 [L738] tut le honur is rejected because of the rarity of the masc. gender for honur in O.F., and because the poet's preference elsewhere in his text is always for the fem. gender.23
Pur lui servums les seenz feelz.L739 [L739] rej E pur23
740 Ceo est le plus […] conseuz:L740 [L740] The two-syllable lacuna could be filled by an adj. such as umble, since the adv. umblement is employed by the poet when mentioning service to the poor (cf. 252, 759, 769).23
De servir lé povre e maladeL741 [L741] rej le p. e le m.23
Ke la gisent par[mi] l'estrade.
Lé cors unt [e] neirs a suillens,
744 E de suur teinz a pullens.
Vunt pur Deu a JerusalemL745 [L745] rej Ke uunt23
Ke nasqui en Be[e]thleem.
Mut en i ad en ces grabaz,
748 De enfermetez murnez e maz,
Page 23
Genz [en] i ad ke sunt levez,
Mes febles sunt e [mut] grevez.
De quel manere k'eient mal,L751 [L751] rej quele24
752 Tuz venu sunt a l'Hospital.L752 [L752] rej uenunt ad hospital24
[As] clers e lais sen nul acunte
De eus aider n'est nul[e] hunte,
Einz est honur, a Deu le dit:
756 'Qui si le fet, jo l'ai eslit.'L756 [L756] Cf. Marc. XIII, 20.24
A ceus seums dunc [trestuit] serfs,
Kar pur ceo sumus tuz ja ers,
Umblement et [mut] volunters,
760 Kar Deu n'eime pas les [serfs] fers;L760 [L760] The restoration of the word serfs is suggested by the Clause 2 of the Regula: Et turpe est servo ut sit superbus (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 2; King, pp. 20-21).24
Mut desaveint, si est leidure.
De ceo, seignurs, pernez [tel] cureL762 [L762] A similar consecutive construction with the subjunctive is dependent on tel in 1373-74.24
Ke le serf seit de grant rustie, [f.281]
764 [E] le seignur de povre vie;
E ke li serf seit orgoillus,
E li sire [seit] suffretus.L757 [L757] This passage continues the thought of the Rule's Clause 2 from which the poet departed after 697-700.24
Cist sunt seignurs a nus sergant;L767 [L767] sergant is polyvalent here, alluding to (i) servant and master relationship in general, (ii) the serjeant-at-office in a Hospitaller convent (cf. King, p. 25, n. 1, and Riley-Smith, pp. 239-40), (iii) to Hospitallers as servants of the poor.24
768 Servum les bein pur Deu le grant,
[Mut] volunters et umblement,
Pur amur Deu omnipotent,
Kar il prient [e] nuit e jur
772 Ke Deu nus doint en ceil honur;
Si [le] fra il verrai[e]ment
A ceus ke servent leaument.L774 [L774] rej ke li s.24
Ne lur tolum lur estover,
776 Kar pur nus urunt matin e seir.L776 [L776] urunt, ind. pres. 6, they pray, in keeping with the parallel idea in 771. The substitution of -unt for the unstressed verbal ending -ent is due to Latin influence. I believe that the ending here is perceived as an unstressed syllable for scansion purposes, as if the verb were urent. I have therefore included the line among those of nine syllables with unstressed e in the fifth.24
Mut vaut le pri de un juste feit,
Ke il fet sovent de bon heit.L778 [L778] rej bone h.24
Si femme i veint ke seit enceinte
780 E de meseise seit ateinte,
Si ele quert la charité
Pur amur Deu de maiesté,
L'en li trove la [tut] sun vivreL783 [L783] rej le troue24
784 Treske la k'e[le] seit delivre
De l'enfant e seit ben garie,L785 [L785] rej E del enfant seit24
Page 24
Pur amur Deu, le fiz Marie.
Dunc l'en [le] fasce cristienL787 [L787] rej Dunt25
788 Ke pus n'eit le diable rien.
Si dunc nel poet la mere pestre,
Si comandera dun[c] li mestre
Ki il seit livré a nurir,L791 [L791] Ki il seit livré. . . to whom the child is to be handed over for feeding (cf. 1640).25
792 Pur Deu ke vout pur nus murir,
Treske il seit de tel [e]age [f.282]
De sei garir, curteis et sage.L794 [L794] rej garir e c.25
[E] pus [ceo] seit a sun pleisir
796 De remeindre u de loec partir.L796 [L796] rej De la r.25L779 [L779] Neither the Regula, the extant Statutes, the Judgments, nor the Customs contain such specific comment on the manner in which the Hospitallers are to care for pregnant pilgrims and their offspring. The only passage that I can find that relates to the subject is a modest instruction to the brethren in the 1181 Statutes adopted during the magistracy of Roger des Moulins (1177-87). It provides that cradles should be made for the babies of women pilgrims who have been born in a Hospitaller commandery: Post statui et precepi quod fiant modici berci pro infantibus peregrinarum feminarum qui nati erunt in domo, ut jacent soli et separati, ne aliquod inconveniens illi a matribus patiantur (cf. Cartulaire, no. 627, § 5; King, p. 35).25
Oez de ceus ke sunt trovez
Dunt, merci Deu! sunt [bien] acez
Ke l'en ne seit ki engendrat,
800 Ne kes conceut, ne kes getat.L800 [L800] rej ne ke las getat25
Trestuit i sunt beau recuilli,L801 [L801] rej Tut i sunt25
[E] ensement i sunt nurri,
Seient [u] males u femeles,
804 [U] ledes mut u seient beles.
Asquantes fet l'en marier
Ke les [e]stose varier
Lur cors hunir par poverte,
808 Ne les almes mettre en perte.
Ceo cevent ke la sunt alez,L809 [L809] rej ceuent ceus k.25
Ke veirs est ceo ke vuz oez
E plus asez ke nus ne diums
812 Dunt nul ne seit for de Deu duns,
Kar unt succurs de la mesunL813 [L813] rej Kar tuz unt25
Dunt vus oez ceste resun.L814 [L814] rej iceste25L797 [L797] The care of foundlings is mentioned among the Customs of the Order that were confirmed during the magistracy of Roger des Moulins: Infantes quoque per parentes abjectos recepit et nutriri fecit sacra domus ipsa. . . (cf. Cartulaire, no. 627, part II, § 3; King, p.38). This custom was reaffirmed in broad terms as de infantium nutritione by Alfonso of Portugal in 1206 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 1193, § 1; King, p. 42). However, nowhere is reference made to the marriage of foundlings to protect them from poverty and moral degeneration.25
Privé, estrange, malade et sein,
816 Nul ne veint kel teinge en vein,
Ki pur Deu [si] le voet requere,
Ke k'il seit e de quele tere.L818 [L818] quele looks suspiciously like a scribal form, when compared with quel in 751, but we leave it unaltered. See Intro.25
Ne quidez pas ke seit mensunge
820 Ne ke seit vanité ne sunge,L820 [L820] rej Ne ke ceo ne seit25
Ne nul[e] tere ke seit al munde,
Page 25
Tant ne seit quarre[e] a runde,
U le nun Deu seit reclamez [f.283]
824 Par fei et par cristientez,
Dunc iloec [l'en] akun ne veit
[U] en saunté u en desheit;
Si il unt poi e nus a surfeit,
828 Ceo n'est pas bel, en[z] est mut led;
Kar tut est lur, si lur rendum,
Fors tant al meins ke nus usum.
Le cors garir en lur laburs
832 Chescun port fei [a] ses seignurs,
Kar ceo lisant trovum escrit:
Cum averum plus ci delit,
Meinz rece[v]rum aillurs honur
836 De Dampnedeu, le haut seignur.L833 [L833] I have not succeeded in identifying the escrit in question which is the source for the comment.26
Dunc m'est avis, ceo n'est pas sens,
Pus ke nus avum [tut] le tens
De ci prendre tut le luer
840 E devant Deu le reprover,
Cum fist Dives e Lazarus.L841 [L841] Cf. Luc. XVI, 19.26
De eus ne dirrum ore plus,
Mes nus ne larrum pas aitant
844 Ke nus ne dium plus avant
De la riw[l]e [de] seint Johan,L845 [L845] See note to l. 1629.26
Si ne vus seit iceo ahan.
De ceo ke meus vaut, dirrum primes;
848 Deu nus ait, li reis fortimes!L848 [L848] rej le rei26
Quant vus deverez requere iglise,
Se sachez [bien] par dreit' asise,
Ke le fascez honestement,L851 [L851] rej Ke mut le26
852 Kar ceo est bon afaitement.
Cheschun par ordre la alezL853 [L853] rej o. lez alez26L853 [L853] Emendation suggested by 809.26
[…] [f.284]
Li proveire a li clerc […] L854 [L854] The absence of rhyme between alez, clerc, estreit and the deficient thoughts that the passage contains suggest that a line has been omitted by the scribe. The hexasyllabic 855 also causes one to think that two syllables are missing at the end, and that one of them matched the rhyme in -eit.26
856 Ne deivent estre trop estreit,
Si il sunt a ceo ordinez
Ke il estunt en haut degrez;L858 [L858] degrez here, as in 862 and 882, puns on steps to the altar as well as on the seven grades or degrees of the Order of the Priesthood.26
Page 26
Ne il nen eient encumbrer
860 Ke n'i aferge a lur mester.
Tut a blanc dras ben aturnez
Deivent munter [tuz] les degrez,
Ke honestement pussent aler
864 Servir Deu al seint[ime] auter.
Li diacnes serve al proveire
U li subdiacnes a veire.L866 [L866] rej V li s. tut a u.27
Si li s[u]bdiacnes n'est prest,L867 [L867] rej nest si p.27L865 [L865] By 1265 it had become necessary to stipulate in a Chapter-General held at Acre the ages at which a cleric brought up in a Hospitaller commandery or house could accede to each of the three highest ranks of the Order of the Priesthood: . . . quod clerici, nutriti in domo Hospitalis, ad ordines promoveri non possint, videlicet ad subdiaconatus donec. xviii., ad diaconatus donec xxii., nec ad presbiteratus donec. xxv. annorum pervenerint ad etatem (cf. Cartulaire, no. 3180, § 11; King, p. 71; Hospitaliers, pp. 292-93; Riley-Smith, p. 234).27
868 Li acolite si il est.L868 [L868] The acolyte was the highest of the four minor degrees of the Order of the Priesthood.27
E si cum bosuin le fet fere,
Ke il seit [u] menur u mere,
Quel ke [il] seit dunc en la place,L871 [L871] rej Quel ki seit27
872 Mes ke [il] bel e bein le face.L849 [L849] The segment constitutes a gloss on the first half of the Rule's Clause 3 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 3; King, p. 21).27
[E] nul ne seit de tel baudie,
Si il ne seit de la clergie,
Ke il estoise enz el choncel
876 […]
E lé canuns [si] le defendent
E bein est ke [tres]tuz l'entendent.
Quant lé clerc n'eient le seint segré,L879 [L879] The seint segré was the signum secretum or sigillum secretum, often called simply the secretum, which was the personal seal of a commander, used to counterseal that of a Provincial Prior. The secretum would be apposed into a blank matrix on the reverse of the prior's seal. Instances of this practice are referred to in Round, Garnier de Nablous, pp. 383-90. See also Seals, pp. 5-6.27
880 Ne deit trop estre enbaundené
Fors sulement as ordenez
Ke [il] estunt as haut degrez.L882 [L882] Emendation suggested by similar wording in 857-58.27
Si il le funt, ceo est pechez
884 […]
S'acun de nostre compaignieL885 [L885] rej Si acun27
[Un] muster ad en sa baillie [f.285]
Quel ke il seit, [u] clerc u lais,
888 Nus li mettum al col le fais.L888 [L888] rej Nus le m.27
Ke jur et nuit par dreit' asise
Lumer[e] mete[nt] en la glise.L890 [L890] Elsewhere, the poet's form is lumere, not lumer. The wording of the Regula that corresponds to the sense here is et lumen die noctuque in ecclesia semper sit (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 3; King, p. 21).27
Quant il [en] irrunt viseter
892 Lé malade[s] e regarder.L892 [L892] The need for a plural form malades is indicated by the text in Clause 3 of the Regula: ad infirmorum visitationem (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 3; King, p. 21).27
[Tuit] ceus ke unt [i]cest mester
Deivent estre de ceo manier:
Page 27
Tut revestu i aut li prestreL895 [L895] rej le p.28
896 E port le cors Deu en sa destre,L896 [L896] rej porte28L896 [L896] port. See note to l. 96128
E si [i] aut mut seintement.
Si il ne[l] fet, mut i offend,L898 [L898] fet requires a direct object pronoun le, to parallel the same construction in 983, 1357, 1367.28
Kar la char al [duz] SaveurL899 [L899] saveur, a trisyllabic form corresponding to Continental French sauvëeur.28
900 Deit l'en garder a grant honur.L900 [L900] rej a mut grant28
Chescun feel ke dunc le veit
[…]
Pur honurer le cors de Crist.
904 Pur nostre amur a mort se mist.L904 [L904] rej Qi pur28
L'ewe benete et la lumere
Port l'en avant et neint arere.L906 [L906] rej Porte28
O le proveire aut li diacne,L907 [L907] rej O li p.28
908 Ou suva[us] nun li subdiacne,
U autre clers, si busuin surd,L909 [L909] rej busune28L909 [L909] The copyist's busune is rejected in favour of the disyllabic masc. busuin, attested in 667.28
Qui [i]dunc plus tost i acurt.L889 [L889] These lines follow closely the ideas in the second part of the Regula's Clause 3 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 3; King, p. 21).28
Quant li frere deivent errer,L911 [L911] rej deuirent28
912 Nul ne deit [dunc] si sul errer
Ke il nen eit trestut al meins
Un frere u deus, [e] ceo est sens,L914 [L914] The addition on the coordinate e is suggested by 1498.28
Ke a la cité u al chastel
916 Augent ensemble, a ceo est bel.
E nul ne face tel folie [f.286]
Ke sur sei prenge [tel] meistrie
Ke aut od ceus qu'il [i] vudreit.
920 Kar dunc ne l[e] freit pas a dreit,
Mes si cum il comandera
A qui [i]l sei entendera.
E dunc aturnent si l'alerL923 [L923] rej a turment28
924 Ke nul ne pusse mal noter,
Ne a l'aler ne al venir,L925 [L925] rej allaler28
Ke l'em ne pusse mal oier.L926 [L926] The graphy oier obscures the rhyme in -ir. See also note to l. 1127-28.28
Ensemble augent e estoisent,
928 Parogent poi e nent n'envoisent.
Li un seit l'autre testemoineL929 [L929] rej seit a lautre28
De bone vie sen assoine;L911 [L911] Cf. the first half of the Rule's Clause 4 (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 4; King, p. 21).28
Page 28
E si il le veit de rein mesprendre,
932 Bel le chastit senz plus offendre.L932 [L932] rej chastie; offerdre29L932 [L932] chastit. See note to l. 961.29
Chescun a l'autre aguard l'honur,L933 [L933] rej aguarde le honur29
Par si averunt de Deu amur.
[Si] mut aveint a teil afereL935 [L935] Similar phraseology with si mult and the verb avenir occurs in 1095.29
936 Entre freres [si] deboneire
[…]
Ke ceo li uns voet, li autre voille.
Si le firent, [jeo] le vus di,
940 Lé disciple Domini,L940 [L940] Hypometric by one syllable; perhaps Tuit is needed at the head of the line.29
Ke il a sun oes aveit eslit
Cum nus recunte cest escrit.L938 [L938] Cf. Act. II, 42-17, Ioh. XV, 16, 19.29
Pur tant cum il seit en cest eire,
944 Chescun le otreit [tut] a veire,
Si m'est avis ke est resun,
Chescun le otreit sens achesun.
E li un a l'autre obeisse
948 Ke mal emsample pas n'en isse. [f.287]
Si vus venez [tut] entresheit
Par aventure u femmes eit,
Gardez [bien] vostre chasteté,
952 Ke vus de Deu eez le gré.
Ne vus [ne] de mein ne de buche
A femme ne fascez nul' atuche
Ne de semblance ne [de] fet.L955 [L955] rej semblant29
956 [E] garde[z] vus de vilein heit
Dunt purreit surdre lecherie,
Kar ceo sereit [mut] grant folie.
Ne femme aprece voz grabaz,
960 Tost i mettereit Sathan sun laz.
Ne let vos testes ne vos peez,L961 [L961] rej leve29L961 [L961] In view of the scribe's modernised subj. forms elsewhere (e.g. porte 896 for port), we restore etymological let < lavet and thereby reestablish a correct octosyllable. We make similar emendations to 896, 906, 932 (but cf. 1346), 933, 1111, 1270, 1500 (but cf. 659). See also note to l. 1018.29
Kar Sathan en sereit mut leez.L959 [L959] Any brother who allowed a woman to make his bed or to wash his head or feet was severely punished; he was required to fast for forty days, according to a late thirteenth-century Judgment (Esgart). Cf. Cartulaire, no. 2213, § 64; King, p. 167, also below, note to l. 1331.29
E de ceo purreit pis venir
964 Dunt Deu vus gard par sun pleisir.
E vus i devriez mettre entente
Ke tel folie ne consente:
Nul de vus [nen] a sun poer,L967 [L967] The construction of nen negativising a verb whose subject is nul occurs also in 1067 and 1404.29
968 Pis en surdreit par mal loer,
Page 29
Kar de consence veint overaine.
[E] Deu vus gard de tel engaigne.
Cil ke deivent [en] aler horsL971 [L971] Cil masc. pl. appears to be the co-subject with persones for deivent in 975, and the subject of religius in 977.30
972 Sauver les almes a lé cors
Pur servir Deu et lur seignurs
Dunt en ceil [en] avrunt honurs,L974 [L974] In 1638 the phrase becomes ad ceil averez honurs.30
Persones deivent estre eslites
976 [E] par conseil e par endites.
E seien[t] si religius,
Ke lur delit ne seit athus.L975 [L975] The simple phrase religiose persone of the Regula (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 5; King, p. 21) has been divided by the translator to form two clauses, each supplying hitherto unknown information. The persones were individuals elected after advice and reports had been heard; they had to be so devout that their zeal as alms gatherers was not precipitant.30 [f.288]
E si sobre [en] seit lur vivre
980 Ke il ne seient sovent ivre,
Kar home de religiunL981 [L981] rej hoem30
Ne dei[ven]t estre iverun.L979 [L979] Provisions against drunkenness do not appear in the Regula. However, in the next century Hospitallers must have been found inebriated from time to time. There is a late thirteenth-century Judgment where the degrees of punishment for intoxication fit the extent of a brother's recidivation (cf. Cartulaire, no. 2213, § 86 bis; King, p. 171).30
Si il le fet, dunc est leidure,
984 Kar deit de sei prendre [tel] cureL984 [L984] See note to l. 762.30
Ke si le fasce bel et bein
Ke l'em ne[l] pusse blamer de rein.
E les amones k'il receit,
988 Il fet ke fous si trop en beit;
De trop beivre vei[n]t [le] putage.
Ke s'en retret, il fet ke sage,L990 [L990] Ke is not the conjunction, but the oblique relative pronoun used by the scribe for ki.30
Kar [tutes] celes vileniesL991 [L991] I note in 669 that the poet juxtaposes tute and cele with a singular fem. subst.30
992 Destruunt mut lé cumpaignies
De tute la religiun
U sunt […] trop en comun.L994 [L994] The lacuna could be filled by a temporal phrase such as tut tens or tut diz.30
Quant il venent a tel afereL995 [L995] rej ueneit30
996 Ke vus ne poez pas retrere,
De tel nature sustenir
Ke pussez Deu le miuz servir,
Alez [dunc] primes a la glise.
1000 [I]ceo vus seit comun' asise.
Iloec devez pur Deu ruver
U le digner u le super
Lequel vus [i] v[e]int dunc a gré
1004 […]
Kar sens [i]ceo ne poet hoem vivre.
Page 30
Mes trop ne fascez unkes qivre
A nul ke seit en la baillie
1008 Dunt pusse surdre vilenie.
Si dunc trovez en cele placeL1009 [L1009] rej d. i t.31 [f.289]
[Celui] qui pur Deu bein vus fasce,
Recevez [en bien] tut a veire
1012 Si n'en [en]veez pas a feire.
La charité ke vus trovezL1013 [L1013] rej trouerez31
Tel la veez, tel [l]a pernez.L1014 [L1014] rej Tele la ueez31
Si dunc ne poet [iceo] si estre
1016 Ke bein vus fasce, clerc u prestre,
Alez dunc de loec [en] avant
Pur teil busuin, a jeo le conmant.L1018 [L1018] rej commande31L1018 [L1018] The scribe's analogical form conmande is rejected in view of the poet's rhyme with avant. Cf. our emendation to l. 40, and note to l. 961 above.31
U [a] lai home u a lettré,L1019 [L1019] rej V lai hoem31L1019 [L1019] Another example of u + prep. a in a couplet is in 1567.31
1020 Pri [li] pur Deu la charité.
Si il est de Deu, il vus orrat;
Si [il] nen est, tost i parrat.
Dunc achatez [e] par mesure,L1023 [L1023] The coordinate e occurs also with par mesure in 1030.31
1024 A vus e a le chevachure
Dunt vus [i] pussez [si] dunc vivre,
Kar ceo trovum lisant en livre:
Kar dignes est li mercennier
1028 De viande sens desturber;L1028 [L1028] rej Le uiande31L1027 [L1027] Matt. X, 10: dignus enim est operarius cibo suo, which seems to be the passage which inspired these two lines, even though a mercennier was not an operarius; the A.-N. textual transmission is corrupt.31
Mes bel le fasce senz leidure,
[E] sanz surfet a par mesure.
Ne ne devez de vos receitesL1031 [L1031] rej Ne vus ne31
1032 Tere achater ne empleites
[Ne] par enkat ne par engage,L999 [L999] Clause 5 of the Regula concerns the collection of alms (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 5; King, pp. 21-22). The translator divides the matter into two, placing the first reference here, and the second in 1023-30.31
[Ne] de franc feu ne de servage,
Si ceo ne seit obedience,L1035 [L1035] obedience is clearly a reference to obeying one's commander or convent; it is not a Latinism meaning commandery. In fact, the translator passes over the Latin term obedientia wherever it occurs in the Regula (e.g. §§ 6, 7) with the sense of commandery. See King, p. 22, n. 1.31
1036 U [par] cungé a par consence,
[U] del priur u del covent.
Si issi est, a jo le consent.
Mes quant est venu a ceu jurn [f.290]
1040 Ke vus parfet avez le turn,
[Si] cum le terme vus est mis
E le chapitre vus est asis,
Page 31
Rendez quanke vus [en] avez.
1044 Par folage ren n'e[n] tenez,
Si ceo ne seit par [grant] veidie,
De amendement de la baillie
E vos[tre os]tel garder en tenz
1048 Quant meus purrez, [e] ceo est senz;
Puis le rendez en leauté,L1049 [L1049] rej Par peis l. r.32L1049 [L1049] par peis, which seems superfluous here, reappears four lines below, and might possibly have been miscopied in anticipation. The emendation to puis later, although arbitrary, fits the sequence of events better and is not hypermetric.32
– Car ceo est cens a saveté –
Al seignur de la cumpaignie,L1051 [L1051] rej Al plus s.32
1052 Car dunc n'[en] i ad gaberie.
E il le baille par peiz avant
A sun priur, e jeo le comant.L1054 [L1054] priur seems in the context to mean Provincial Prior. He is the officer to whom the local commander (le seignur de la cumpaignie 1051) delivers up alms. Cf. note to l. 704.32
Cil ke [i] ad en sa baillie
1056 [U] blé u vin u manantie
Ke il pusse esparnier
Sen sun ostel empeir[i]er,
Resun est, [e] ceo m'est avis,L1059 [L1059] The parallel of 1110 invites the restoration of e.32
1060 E issi voil ke seit assis:
La tierce part de kank'en istL1061 [L1061] rej Ka tierce32L1061 [L1061] This third part constituted the annual levy on each commandery by Provincial Priory. A thirteenth-century term for the third part of the net annual income was Responsion (see King, p. 22, n. 1; Riley-Smith, pp. 344-47, 362-63).32
Metteras en povres Jhesu Crist.
E si surfet [en] i abunde,
1064 Od ce l'enveit, nen ert vergunde.
E tut le fasce par escrit,
Si cum en autre liu ai dit.
E nul nen aut a la cuillecteL1067 [L1067] cuillecte. The scribe's final -cte, showing Latin influence, masks the rhyme cuilleite: receite.32
1068 A frarie ne a receite,L1068 [L1068] a frarie for the purpose of the frary. Frary is the A.-N. term for the Continental French confrerie, employed by the Hospitallers to designate the voluntary contributions collected once a year in a bailiwick (see Larking, p. xxx).32
Si sul[ement] nun ke li prestre, [f.291]
U [li] comandere u li mestreL1070 [L1070] comandere was a term for the leader of a commandery, the basic unit of Hospitaller administration. A priest could also be a commander, as could the mestre or magister ecclesie (of Clause 7 which the translator is following at this point). This mestre's designation changed in the thirteenth century to Conventual Prior, no doubt to avoid confusion with the generalisation of mestre for a commander, whether lay or religious (see Riley-Smith, pp. 51, 338-39, 347-48, and our Intro., pp. xli, xlvii).32
Par conseil il [l']enverra,
1072 Al meuz ke Deu l'enseignera.
[E] quant cil serrunt si eslit,
[Si] cum devant avum escrit,L1073 [L1073] For earlier mention of the conduct of God's chosen servants, see 756-60.32
[En] augent dunc a lur baillieL1075 [L1075] a lur baillie with their authority.32
1076 E gardent sei de vilenie.
[E] en quel liu ke il [en] vengent,
Mut sagement [si] se conte[n]gent;
Ke pur Deu ke pur [tut] le munde,
Page 32
1080 Lur mesuns n[en] eent vergunde,
Kar tut le munde nus agueite.
Pur [i]ceo chescun si s'efeite
Ke nul ne pusse noter malL1083 [L1083] rej p. nostre mal33L1083 [L1083] Emendation suggested by 924.33
1084 Quant [re]vendra a sun ostal.
S'a seint Johan est la mesun,L1085 [L1085] rej Si a33L1085 [L1085] See note to l. 1629.33
Dunc deit estre mut a bandun,
E cil ke sunt iloec manant
1088 Facent lur donc [mut] beau semblant.
Si lur duignent [mut] volunters
Ceo ke averunt tut a premers,
Si [en] efforcent le cunrei
1092 Ke assez eient sen disrei.
Ceus le prengent sanz r[a]ançun
Ceo ke il trovent en comun.
Si aveint mult a lur afere
1096 Ke la u averunt lur repeire,
Ke sei[e]nt tuz de lur manere:
Od eus le nuit aver lumere
Dunt il aveient a lur veiller
1100 [f.292] A servir Deu de lur mester.L1067 [L1067] We are given a conflated account of the provisions of the Rule's Clause 7 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 7; King, p. 22). The phrase at the beginning Et non eant ad predicationem is not rendered by the A.-N. poet.33
Car Deu le voet ke par deduit
A[s] matines levent a mienuit.L1102 [L1102] The line is decasyllabic unless one supposes that the verbal ending -ent is not heard before a, and that mienuit counts as two syllables. An alternate reading might be envisaged as Al matin levent, but this conflicts somewhat with the reality of at midnight.33
Ceo est, seignurs, la nostre lei
1104 Pur servir, Deu, nostre bon rei,L1104 [L1104] rej le b. r.33
Ke ceo nus dist [cil] ke le fist
Par seint Esperit ke li aprist.
Si il n'est lettré a del tut lais,
1108 Ne teinge [i]ceo pas a fais
De sei drescer en [soen] estaunt;L1109 [L1109] rej Ne sei33
Resun est e jeo le comant.
E pri pur tuz ses beinfetur,L1111 [L1111] rej prié33
1112 Ke Deu lur doint en cel honur;
[E] pur les mors et pur les vifs,
Ke Deu les mette en parais.L1114 [L1114] rej let33
E teles seient les matinesL1115 [L1115] teles is an isolated example of an analogical fem. pl. of tel. I believe that it could be a scribal form, and that the line may originally have read E tels en seient les matines.33
1116 Cum il des einz les ad [a]pris:L1115 [L1115] This couplet assonates; see also 307-8.33
Page 33
Pater noster, si plus ne poet,
Cinquante al meinz, kar ceo estoet.L1118 [L1118] rej a la meinz34
E quant il avera iceo dit,
1120 Si lui seit bein, si sauth a lith;L1120 [L1120] It is an A.-N. tendency to employ the pres. subj. in a protasis introduced by if (cf. Horn, II, 94-95). One cannot rule out, however, the possibility that a copyist has changed an original siet to seit, the sense having been if it suits him well.34
Si il ad talent, si dorme un poi;L1121 [L1121] rej E si ; d. une p.34
[E] si si nun, seit [dunc] tut coi,
Eit sa pes, si teinge silence,L1123 [L1123] rej E eit34
1124 Kar en ceo teint obedience
Treske [la] prime seit pardite.
Issi est la riwle escrite.L1126 [L1126] The poet obviously associated custom with rule, since he believes that his statement about Prime is enshrined in Raymond du Puy's Regula; but it in fact lacks such an account.34
Si il la poet de clerc oier,
1128 Mut se dei [dunc] de ceo joier.L1127 [L1127] The graphies mask a rhyme in -ir, composed of oïr as oier and joïr as joier. See also note to l. 926.34
E si il n'ad clerc en compaignie, [f.293]
Sa pater noster set fez dieL1130 [L1130] rej fez en d.34
E set al nun seint[e] Marie,
1132 Que mut est duze et seinte vie.
Deu porta en sun ventrail
Dunt aveit honur a nul travail.L1134 [L1134] Given the presence of a preterite form in 1133 and the hypermetry of 1134, I am tempted to replace scribal aveit by out.34
Si il nen unt si bon leisirL1135 [L1135] rej bone34
1136 Ke ne [les] pusse[nt] parfurnir,
Un poi dirrunt nepurquant
Si il ne poe[n]t dire itant.
Al sauter ad un vers escrit,
1140 Cis clers l'unt sovent[e fez] dit:L1140 [L1140] The substituted letters are modelled on a similar construction in 647.34
Pretiosa est mors sanctorum;L1141 [L1141] Ps. CXV, 15, with slightly different wording: Pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius. It would seem that our poet considered Pretiosa trisyllabic.34
Par latin si l'apelum
Ceo die l'em hastivement
1144 Pur [i] tenir le parlementL1144 [L1144] parlement, the meeting to discuss business matters of the convent or commandery usually held in mid-morning (cf. King, p. 145).34
De l[a] bosuinge de l[a] mesun
[E] par cunseil et par resun.
E Benedicite pus die
1148 Le mestre de l[a] cumpaignie.
E quant averunt meillur leisir,
Dient prime tut a pleisir,
E la messe dunc [tut] avaunt,
1152 Quant [il] meuz [i] serrunt leisant.
A tierce, a nune, e a midiL1153 [L1153] rej tierce e a n.34
Page 34
Les freres lais [en] dient si
Cum nus avum dit [la] avaunt.
1156 Quit' en serra bein atant,
Mes a vespres trent' en dirra
E la complie tut enclorra.L1158 [L1158] note n expuncted between i and e of complie35
Pater noster quatorze i dit,L1159 [L1159] rej Sa p. n.35 [f.294]
1160 Einz ke il voit chucher al lith.L1160 [L1160] rej Einz le uoit35
Si vus [les] dunc a dreit numbrez,
Cent et cinquante i troverez.L1101 [L1101] This section, not in the Regula, supplies the earliest known details of conventual devotional practices among the Hospitallers. The text appears corrupt since the correct number of 150 paternosters cannot be calculated. An early fourteenth-century Custom (Usance) in French prose provides a much clearer picture of the distribution of the 150 paternosters among the Canonical Hours (cf. Cartulaire, no. 2213, § 123; King, pp. 195-96).35
[Or] oez, frere, la mesure
1164 De la vostre vest[e]ure:
Nus defendums [les] gallebruns,
[E] ensement les isembruns,
[Is]si fesum la fustiaine,
1168 Ke nul n'en ust en sun demeine.
Nus defendum la pel savage;
Ke nul n'en eit en sun usage,L1163 [L1163] A close translation is here supplied of the first sentence of Clause 8 in the Regula: Deinde pannos ysambrunos et galambrunos, ac fustania, et pelles silvestres omnino prohibemus ne amodo induant fratres (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 8; King, p. 22).35
Kar mut est meudre itel pelL1171 [L1171] ff. The argument for wearing lambskin is very persuasive: availability, cost, warmth, and the Agnus Dei. The only other twelfth-century reference which I can find to lambskins being prescribed for Hospitallers is in the Rule dated 1188 for the Sisters of St John at the Sigena Convent in Aragon founded in 1187 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 859, § 59, and Riley-Smith, pp. 240-42). In the 1181 Statutes of Roger des Moulins, we read that every year the House of the Hospital is accustomed to give to the poor one thousand cloaks made from skins of big lambs: . . . Sacra domus Hospitalis mille pelles agnorum grossorum consuevit pauperibus tradere annuatim (Cartulaire, no. 627; King, p. 38).35
1172 Ke l'en reverse de l'aignel
Ke vus avez en vostre faude,L1173 [L1173] faude. Sheep, their skins and their wool constituted an important element in the income of a Hospitaller commandery. The brethren not only grazed their own, but those of outsiders as well, for a fee (cf. Larking, pp. xxii-xxiv). In 1338 the Hospitaller camera of Hampton in Middlesex owned two thousand sheep (see Larking, pp. 127-28).35
Car meins [en] custe et plus [est] chaude;
Si est [mut] bel et avenant,
1176 Ceo est la riwle a jeo le comant.
Pur ceo l'aignel devez amer,L1177 [L1177] rej le aignel35
K'avez sovent oi chanterL1178 [L1178] rej Ka vus a.35
De l'aignel Deu ke mort suffri
1180 E les pechez del mund tolli.L1180 [L1180] rej munde35
Vus devez saver auke plus:
Chescun de vus teinge en us
Ke nul ne seit [si] surquidez
1184 Ke [il] ne teinge tant asez
Deu fez manger en un [sul] di.
Ki tant en ad, ben est issi.
Ne il ne deit manger de frut
1188 Entre eus [deus] par nul deduit
Se si n'est ke seit [si] malade [f.295]
U[ke] il eit le quer si fade
Page 35
Ke il ne se pusse atenir;L1191 [L1191] rej Ke se ne p.36
1192 Dunc le estoet pur ceo suffrir,
Car cil ke [en] est si enferms,
Il n'ad lei[sir], ceo dit le clers.L1194 [L1194] rej dit le crers36
Le vendred[i] n'est pas al cunte:
1196 Ke bein nel june, si est hunte,
Pur le purpens de la [grant] peineL1197 [L1197] rej Pur la p36
Ke Crist suffri aprés la Cene.L1198 [L1198] rej Ke ih'u36
[E] nus ne devum rein changer
1200 Deske [nus] dium plus del manger
E nus vus frum [si] bein entendre,
– E vus si fascez sanz offendre –
Kant [i] devez leisser la char,
1204 Si ne l[e] tenez a eschar:
[E] le lundi e le sabath
E le mescredi ke entrebath,
Ceo sunt treis jurs en la semeine
1208 Senz cel, quant Deu suffri la peine.L1203 [L1203] One sentence in the Rule's Clause 8 is the source here: Et non comedant nisi bis in die, et quarta feria et die sabbati . . . carnes non comedant. . . (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 8; King, pp. 22-23).36
De ceo ne dute home de feiL1209 [L1209] rej no d.36
Ke ert aprés [la] nostre lei.
E deske lessuns allelue,L1211 [L1211] The phrase in the Regula does not mention the singing of the Hallelujah, rather the time period is expressed by reference to the cursus a Septuagesima usque in Pascha (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 8; King, p. 23). From the time of Gregory the Great, the Hallelujah was sung or recited through the year in every office. Under Pope Alexander II (1061-73), it was suppressed in the whole liturgy from the beginning of Septuagesima up to and including Saturday of Easter week. Clearly, lesser allelue refers to a point in the cursus corresponding to the commencement of Septuagesima.36
1212 De ceo oier ne vus ennue.
Trestut lessez comunement
[E] char e saim ensement,
Mes le blanc bein purrez user;
1216 Ceo ne volum v[us] refuserL1216 [L1216] rej uolum pas u.36
Jeske treis jurs devant le Cendre.
Dunc devez le j[e]un enprendre
Et tenir si enterement,
1220 [f.296] Mut volunters, sen mautalent,
Treske [la] Pasche seit venue.
Cest' abstinence seit tenue
De la Tuzseinz deske ad Nouel;L1223 [L1223] rej E de la t.36
1224 Sei[t] la custume autretel
De lesser la char a la gresse.
Trop [est] enferm ke ceo ne lesse,
Se si nen est ke mal surveinge,
Page 36
1228 U persone ke lu reteinge.
Dunc deit lesser sa volunté
E prendre tut par charité
Kanke cil [li] comanderaL1231 [L1231] rej comandere37
1232 A qui il dunc obeira.
[E] nul ne [en] seit si gruzsus
Ne de cors si delicius,L1234 [L1234] rej de sun c.37
Quant il avra cest entendu,
1236 Ke en sun grabat cuche nu
E quant savra icest escrit,
Ke pus se chuche nu en lith;
Ne li ne serra pas estrange
1240 Ke il ne veste u linge u lange,
Kar si est l'ordre, et ceo est dreit,L1218 [L1218] These lines are a conflated version of the second half of the Regula's Clause 8.37
E nus le volum ke issi seit.
Ke quant irra a sun repos,L1243 [L1243] rej q. il i.37
1244 Ke suva[us] nun [il] eit al dos
Chemise u cote, u la heire,
Si il est de si grant afeire
Ke il dunc suffrir le [re]pusseL1247 [L1247] The restoration of the prefix re- to poer here and in 1461 brings the verb form into line with the poet's use of repoer as a modal in 1309.37
1248 Pur amur Deu icel' angoisse.
Dever les jambes seit vestuz [f.297]
De familiares et de tribuz.L1250 [L1250] One could regularise this decasyllable by considering the second i or the final e of familiares as silent, and by suppressing the second de.37
[E] si [en] aveint ke li leres
1252 Engigné eit aukun dé freres,
E ert si suduit sun curage
Ke il seit keét en putage,
Si il l'a fet prive[e]ment,
1256 En cel[e] guise si lament;
Si la en prenge penitence
E pus del peché n'eit concense.
Si il est [en] tant depoplé
1260 Ne poest estre avant cele,
Dunc [en] seit fet en ceste guise:
Ke il seit mené a cele glise
U le peché fu [tut] cunusz,
1264 E [seit] despoillé trestut nuz
Page 37
A un jur mut [tres] festival,
Ke k'en teinge [a] ben u [a] mal.
E quant li messe seit finez,L1267 [L1267] li messe seit finez. A bold flouting of the rules of grammar to reach a rhyme.38
1268 Devant le porte seit menez
Par unt le pople istera
Qui pur lui pri ke ceo verra.L1270 [L1270] rej prie38
E veinge dunc li mestre avant,
1272 U a un autre le comant,
E prenge verges a cureis
E bate le fort sanz maneis,
E die bein a tuz pur quai,
1276 Kar issi ad fausé la lei.
U, si il ne voet iceo ensiwre,
[Mut] tost en seez vus delivre.
Loinz se[it] de vostre compaignie,
1280 [f.298] Par sei [seit] od sa vilenie.L1280 [L1280] rej Par cei38
Ke il n'eit od vus conversiun,
Si il ne querge confessiun.
Mes si sun quer Deu alumine,
1284 Ke il guerpisse la custumeL1283 [L1283] Though alumine: custume seems an acceptable A.-N rhyme (cf. Intro.), it is possible that the poet originally wrote Mes se sun quer Deus si alume, which would explain better the subjunctives in the following consecutive clauses.38
E le peché ke il ad amé,
E [il] querge merci de [bon] gré,
[Ke] seit receu, mes a tart,
1288 K[e] il autre fez meus se gart.
Lunges [s'a]siesce a la porte,
Les entranz tuz pur Deu enorte
Ke merci crient tut al meistre,L1291 [L1291] rej Ke il merci38
1292 Si il est lai u clerc u prestre.
E puis l'eit si en covenantL1293 [L1293] rej puis si leit38
Ke bein se gard deshornavant,
Si Deu li voet doner sa graceL1295 [L1295] rej d. le voet38
1296 Ke cel peché jammés ne face,
Si dunc ensiwit obedience
E del [peché] la penitenceL1298 [L1298] The choice of peché to fill the lacuna is suggested by 1257-58.38
Ke l'en li [en] achargera
1300 Sulum ceo ke mesovera.
Un an enter trestut al meinz
Page 38
Aut al labur od les foreinz;L1302 [L1302] foreinz outsiders, i.e. tenants or villeins who resided outside the lands of the Order, but who worked its lands (see W. Rees, A History of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Wales and on the Welsh Border (Cardiff, 1947, p. 24).39
E od serganz seit en la grange;
1304 E le tenez en liu d'estrange,L1304 [L1304] rej E si le39L1251 [L1251] This passage constitutes the poet's translation of the Clause 9 of the Regula (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 9; King, p. 23).39
Sanz croiz u merc de la mesun.
Tel est la riwle fet' a resun.
[E] bein verrez en cel espace
1308 Si il devra aver la grace
Ke il repusse croiz porter,L1309 [L1309] note pu expuncted in front of repusse39 [f.299]
U le devez del tut oster.L1310 [L1310] rej V vus le39
S'akun dé frere[s] saut en ireL1311 [L1311] rej Si akun39
1312 E I'autre ledenge par mesdire,L1312 [L1312] rej E li autre39
Tel en seit l'amendement
Cum ja [en] orrez en present:
Pur ceo ke il sun frere tence,
1316 Set jurs et nuit par penitenceL1316 [L1316] rej Seit iurs39L1316 [L1316] This is a statement about the famous septaine, or seven-day punitive fasting imposed on Hospitallers (see King, pp. 24, 55, 142; Riley-Smith, pp. 267-68).39
E li mecrés e le divendresL1317 [L1317] Divendres is an oblique form and its s an orthographic survival of the s of the Latin genitive veneris.39
[Ke] bas [s'a]sete sur les cendres.
Pain a ewe li seit viande.
1320 Ceo dit la riwle a jeo le comande.
Ne il ne mangera a table,
– Si ne l[e] tenez pas a fable –
Ne sur[e] dubler ne a nape
1324 [Pur] tant cum sul [il] eit sa chape,
For sulement a nue tere.L1325 [L1325] rej s. la nue t.39L1325 [L1325] The wording of Clause 10, comedens in terra sine mensa et manutergio, allows us to consider a nue terre as quite acceptable.39
E pus se gard de tele guere,
Si le diables le surquert
1328 Ke il sun frere bute u fert;
Dunc li crest la peine avant.
Quant il est venu aitant
De j[e]uner la quarent[e]ine.L1331 [L1331] quarenteine. The infamous forty-day fasting imposed on Hospitallers found guilty of breaking any of the three vows, or of infringing Rules, Statutes or Judgments of the Order (see King, pp. 24, 55, 142; Riley-Smith, pp. 268-69).39
1332 Tant en deit [il] aver de peine.
En la manere dunt nus diums,L1333 [L1333] rej deimes .39L1333 [L1333] In rejecting deimes for diums, I admit to being influenced by the rhyme with creums and the need for a form of pres. 4 of dire that conforms to authorial usage at the rhyme (cf. 811). The poet does not employ pres. 4 dimes or pret. 4 deïmes, desimes.39
En la riwle nus en creums.
Mes poi li vaut confessiun,
1336 Si enz del frere n'eit pardun.
Si frere part de sa mesun
Page 39
[E] senz cungé et senz resun,
K[e] il n'eit mester ne garant,
1340 [f.300] U sis meistres ne l[e] comant,
E il reveinge dunc arere,
Si seit confés en la manere
Cum cil ke fist la bat[e]ure,
1344 E seit sur lui ke ad le cure.
E tant de tens cum il fu hors
Bein [li] e[n] chastie le cors.L1346 [L1346] rej B. eschastie l. c.40
Ke il ne seit en liu de frere,
1348 Ki k[e] en fasce leide here.
En liu de estrange le tenez;
Si ne[l] fascez, vus offendez.L1350 [L1350] rej Si si ne40L1311 [L1311] These lines are based on the Regula's Clause 10 which concerns slander and altercation among brother Hospitallers (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 10; King, pp. 23-24).40
Aprés cumplie nul ne beive
1352 Qui discipline ne r[ec]eive,
E fasce quanke il dirra
Ki la justice en gardera,
Ne de beivre ne de manger,
1356 Ke dunc ne fasce nul danger.L1356 [L1356] rej duncke40
Si il le fet, n'est pas [en] ordre,L1357 [L1357] rej Si il ne f.40L1357 [L1357] The substitution of le for ne is supported by a similar construction in 1367.40
Ne nul ne deit a ceo amordre.
Plus [en] i ad uncore a dire
1360 Pur ceo [ke] ne sail nul en ire,
Car ceo est trestut la religiun
Si est [e] honur a resun
Ke nul ne paroge en sun lit,L1363 [L1363] The source for these words is in Clause 11: Et in lectis fratres silentium teneant.40
1364 – [E] ne tenez ceo en despit –
Ne en dortur ne [au] dehors;
Ke trop sovent ne seit amors!
Si il le fet, ceo n'est resun,
1368 Ne custume en religiun,
Se si nen est ke seit malade, [f.301]
U [ke] le cors li seit si fade
Ke si dunc ne pusse retrere
1372 E par bosuin l'estoise fere,L1372 [L1372] rej li estoise40
[Ke il] dunc en prenge tel cure
Ke il le fasce par mesure.
Page 40
Vus avez oi de aventures,
1376 Mes ceste[s] serrunt aukes duresL1376 [L1376] rej sunt sunt a. d.41
Dunt nus ore vodrum parler,
E vus [est] mester de ecuter.
Si nel mettez mie en ubli,
1380 Mester vus est ke seit issi.
Si nul freres est enginnezL1381 [L1381] rej nul de f.41
E de peché si encumbrez
Ke il ne teinge obedience,
1384 Comandement ne penitence
Ne de meistre ne de proveire,
Chastiez le [bel] tut a veire.
Si il est uncore rebelles,
1388 Remuez le dunc par vos cellesL1388 [L1388] Presumably, he was not manhandled in and out of each cell, but rather dragged ignominiously through the quarters where the cells were located.41
[Pur] save[r] mun si par itant
[Il] vodrat estre repentant.
Si dunc ne lest sa [grant] folie,L1391 [L1391] The epithet grant has already accompanied folie in 958.41
1392 Pus tolez [li] de[l] tut baillie.L1392 [L1392] As it survives, the line Pus tolez de tut baillie is hypometric, but more importantly, it lacks a pronominal reference for the imperious tolez! (cf. chastiez le 1386, remuez le 1388). I suggest that baillie is the direct object of tolez and li the relevant pronominal form: Take away authority completely from him.41
Dunc le devez suvent reprendre
Si voet uncore [a] l'ordre tendre.
Si si ne[l] fet, il fet ke fous,
1396 Car pus nen ert de vus assous;
Mes l'en aveez tut a pez,
Ke l'em [en] seit dolent a lez,
Al chapitre de Seint Gilie,L1399 [L1399] The Rule makes no mention of the town here named; it merely states nobis mitatur pedestris cum carta continente suum delictum (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 12; King, p. 24). One must assume that the translator substituted the town's name for the magisterial nobis of Raymond du Puy. It is easy to see why. Saint-Gilles-du-Gard (arr. of Nîmes) was celebrated throughout the Middle Ages. Its shrines made it a focus for pilgrims; one could even be sent there on a pilgrimage to expiate one's sins; the town was a major embarcation port for pilgrims to the Holy Land; the Hospitallers made it a great centre for their Order. The Priory of Saint Gilles was the oldest on the mainland of Europe and the first on the soil of France. A provincial chapter was held there as early as 1123 (see Hospitaliers, pp. 364-67; King, p. 36; Riley-Smith, pp. 40, 353; 363).41
1400 [f.302] Si escrivez sa [grant] folie.
A lui ke loec ert [li] priur,
U sur vus serra comandur.
Autre chartre pas nen [i] eit
1404 Dunt [il] succurs nul nen [i] eit.
[E] nekedent si eit despense
Dunt a bosuin sa vie tenceL1406 [L1406] rej Dunc41
Ke povrement se pusse vivre.
1408 Vus [en] serrez aitant delivre
Quant le meistre avera veuL1409 [L1409] rej Q. la meistre41
E sis peché serra seu;
Bien l'en coveinge pus avant,
Page 41
1412 Kar devez estre quit[e] atant.
Si le frere ad [un] serjant
E il ne sert [pas] a talant
U il [plus] tost par aventure
1416 Eit deservi la bat[e]ure,
[Ke] nul ne seit del hardement
Ke il en fa[sce] vengement,L1418 [L1418] rej Ki en fa42
Mes aut avant, si se [cum]pleigne
1420 Al majur de la cumpaigne,L1420 [L1420] It appears that majur is trisyllabic, as in 438.42
E il dunc, sanz [grant] purlignance,
Bein en [i] prenge le vengance
[E] veanz tuz de la mesun,
1424 Car ceo quidum ke seit resunL1413 [L1413] This segment conveys the real essence of the Rule's Clause 12 about punishment, which the poet had begun to treat in 1381-86.42
Ke hydur pusse chescun prendre
De sun meistre [is]si offendre.L1426 [L1426] The use of issi before an infinitive is found in 511.42
[I]ceo [li] seit comun' assise,L1427 [L1427] A similar construction is employed in 1000.42
1428 E si deit estre ele mise.
Si le frere est engignez, [f.303]
E si diable l'eit justicezL1430 [L1430] rej leit diable42L1430 [L1430] justicez has the appearance of a past part. with aveir agreeing with the subject, but see note to l. 733.42
Ke il reteinge par folie
1432 Or u argent u margarie,
[E] quant sis mestre le demande
E [de] par[t] Deu [il] le comonde
Veir a dire, a il [en] ment
1436 E par parole le defent
Ke plus n'en ad ke n'ad mustré
Ne comandé ne autre presté,
Quant de verité issi feint
1440 E [il] de ceo seit plus ateint,
Ceo m'est avis ke cist est leres
[…]
Dunc li fascez teil dishonurL1443 [L1443] rej le f.42
1444 Ke tuz les autres prengent hidur.
Wus le devez nu despoiller,
Mut batre e [mut] ledinger;
Si liez li [l']aver al col.
1448 Idunc s'i poet tenir a fol
Page 42
Ke il issi [le] concelat,
As povres Deu sil reneat.L1450 [L1450] rej E as ; deu si le r.43
Pus seit mené par la mesun
1452 Tut nu estant, ceo est resun,
Kar meuz est k'il ci eyt pesanceL1453 [L1453] pesance echoes the idea of visible burden in the form of wealth attached to the neck of a deceitful brother, as described in 1447.43
K'el fu d'enfern sen fin ardance.
E pus en face a Deu honurs
1456 Ke il en junt quarante jurs
[E] les treis jurs en la semeine.
E tut icel[e] quaranteine,
[K'il] beive l'ewe od le pain,
1460 Si de sun cors poet estre sein [f.304]
K[e] il dunc suffrir le [re]pusse,L1461 [L1461] See note to l. 1247.43
La penitence sanz angoisse.L1431 [L1431] The laconic wording of the Rule's Clause 13 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 13; King, p. 25) is here rendered in somewhat emotional terms.43
Si n'ubli pas la discepline,
1464 Kar ceo est a l'alme medicine.
Ke Jhesu Crist par sa [grant] grace
Del peché [grant] merci li fasce!L1466 [L1466] rej merci le f.43
Si [le] fra il, si ce repent
1468 Del mesfet, a mes nel concent.
Sur tutes choses cest entendez
Ke or vus dirruns, si en pensez:
Quant vostre frere, al Deu pleisir,
1472 Sa fin fet et veint a murir,
De lui succure pernez cunrei,
Ceo est en Deu [la] verrai' fei:
Eider celui ke sei ne poet
1476 Pur amur Deu, car ceo estoet.
Qui del liu ert priur u mestre,L1477 [L1477] rej de cel liu43
Quel ke seit lai u clerc u prestre,
Ke ceo fut de lui ke l'en feist,
1480 [Le] fasce tant cum il vosist.
Al jur ke il frunt la sepulture,
Chescun dé freres eit la cure
A la messe [tut] premereine,
1484 Quel jur [ke] seit en la semeine,
De offrir chandele u dener
Page 43
Pur sun frere [tres]tut enteir.L1486 [L1486] Cf. trestuit 383, trestut 1264.44
E les deners seent donez
1488 As povres Deu de maiestez;
E tut si drapel ensement
Pur amur Deu omnipotent, [f.305]
Ke [il], pur amur de sa mere,
1492 Recrie l'alme de ce frere.L1492 [L1492] rej de ceo f.44
Pus li fascez [i]teu succursL1493 [L1493] rej le f.44L1493 [L1493] Cf. iteu 1555.44
Enterement lé trent[e] jurs,L1494 [L1494] The statement about the observances being conducted for thirty days is out of sequence; compared with the Regula, it should come almost at the beginning of the clause concerning the death of an Hospitaller; … in omnibus obedientiis quibuscumque obierint, triginta diebus misse pro eius anima cantentur . . . (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 14; King, p. 25). The Order's Trental made it famous in Christendom (cf. King, pp. 31-32; Riley-Smith, p. 251).44
Messe, vigile a autre servise
1496 Cum custume est en seint' eglise.
E sun cunrei cel poi de tens
Dunez pur Deu, e ceo est senz;
Si de la mesun n'est le prestre,
1500 Purtant li doint cunrei li mestre,L1500 [L1500] rej dune44
E pur lui fasce charité
Ke Deu l'i prenge tut a gré.L1502 [L1502] The reading of a similar construction in 1532 leads me to believe that scribal li is not an indirect pronoun, but a direct object + adv. i.44
Ore oez ke plus afeitL1503 [L1503] afeit may be for afert is fitting, but the rhyme counsels caution in emending. Perhaps the original reading was asiet assigns, lays down (cf. assis five lines below, and T.-L., I, 585).44
1504 A frere clerc ke prestre n'est:
Dis sauters u [bien] aukes plusL1505 [L1505] dis. The Latin of the Regula reads unum psalterium.44
Mes tant al meinz, ceo est le us.
A celui ke n'ad lettre apris,L1507 [L1507] rej ke lettre nad apris44L1507 [L1507] Apparently a euphemistic way of describing lay brother, since the wording of the Regula is quite explicit: unusquisque . . . laycorum autem .cl. paternoster (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 14; King, p. 26).44
1508 Oez ke dunc li est assis:L1507 [L1507] A similar construction occurs at 695-96. For the nonagreement of the past part with a preceding object, see Intro.44
Pater [noster] cent e cinquanteL1509 [L1509] These one hundred and fifty pater-nosters which each lay brother was obliged to say at the burial of a Hospitaller were additional to the one hundred and fifty which he had to recite each day (see l. 1162, and Riley-Smith, p. 251).44
Ke il requerge [ke] Deu le grante.L1510 [L1510] Given the early date of the translation, one cannot be certain, in suggesting the scribe's omission of ke, that in fact grante had not undergone synaeresis and should be corrected to grëante. (See also Horn, II, 42, where the verb has lost its counterfinal vowel.)44
Ceus ke sunt de la [con]frarie
1512 Pur amur Deu, le fiz Marie,L1481 [L1481] A segment that abridges Clause 14 of the Regula (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 14; King, pp. 25-26).44
Quant il orrunt tel aventure,
De tel servise prengent cure,
Cum nus l'avum [la] avant dit
1516 E [tut] devisé par escrit.
Cil ke [re]garde l'HospitalL1517 [L1517] note gardent le h. with l of le being an emended h44L1517 [L1517] regarde. I reject the scribe's plural form gardent, since the syntax in 1519-20 clearly refers to one person. (cf. regarder 892.)44
U [le] malade prenge astal,
Si il en ad comandement,L1519 [L1519] rej il nad c.44
1520 Mut le recive leement. [f.306]
Si le requille en ceste guise,
Partut i ceit icest' asise:
Page 44
[Or] primes monde l'en le prestre,
1524 E il [en] vinge tost en l'estre
Dunc [il] le fasce bein confés
De ses pechés trestut adés,
E od mut grant devociun,
1528 Pus [il] li dunst conmuniun;
E quant [il] ert acomunez,
Dunc seit al lit suuef portez.
E pus servi et honurez
1532 Ke Jhesu Crist le prenge a grez,L1517 [L1517] The poet here translates the first section of the Rule's Clause 16 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 16, King, p. 26).45
Sulum ceo ke il [i] purrunt,
Li freres ke a fere averunt.
Tut seit […] de l'HospitalL1535 [L1535] Perhaps the two missing syllables are manans, a term used by the poet in 1087.45
1536 Pur tant cum il serra al mal,
Kar si volum ke seit en ese,
Ke nul ne fasce ke lui depleise.
Gard sei chescun ke ceo entende:
1540 De sun aporte rein ne despende
Ne de sé drapeus [nul] n'en ust,
Par sun gisir ne les perdust.
Mes [einz] de bein de la mesun
1544 Tut li trovez, ceo est resun,
[E] dras et [beau] lit e viande,L1545 [L1545] The statement in 57 is the inspiration for the corrections suggested here.45
A sun pleisir kanke il demande.
E li sergant seent [tut] prest
1548 A li trover trestut icest;
Sulum ceo ke il [en] avrunt,
Tut lur poer i metterunt. [f.307]
Tres par matin devant lé seinz
1552 Cil seit refet ke i ert veinz.L1552 [L1552] rej ke seit ueinz45L1552 [L1552] The second seit is rejected on syntactical grounds: may he be refreshed who was there exhausted.45
E quant vendra le di[e]maigne
U autre feste en le semeine,
Le prestre fasce iteu servise
1556 Cum il [en] poet defor eglise.
Port ewe beneit[e] envirun,L1557 [L1557] rej Porte ewe beneit tut en virun45
S'il siwit la processiun.
E al partir de la mesun
Page 45
1560 Fasce il la bene[i]sun.L1553 [L1553] These lines are much more explicit about the procession of Hospitallers, with their priest bringing up the rear on the way to mass, than is the cryptic phrase in the Rule: et cum processione aqua benedicta aspergatur (Cartulaire, no. 70, § 16; King, p. 27). Processional practices are mentioned in the Statutes of the Order (cf. Cartulaire, nos. 3039, § 27; 4549, § 4; 4574, § 13, and King, pp. 60, 110, 124). The specific days when processions were authorised are enshrined in the Customs (cf. Cartulaire, no. 2213, § 96; King, p. 178).46
Mes or dirrum de grant dolurL1561 [L1561] rej ore vus d.46L1561 [L1561] The nature of the words added by the scribe here with dire occur in a similar hypermetric line in 1627.46
Dunt Deu vus gard par sa valur:
Quant li frere pur sa baillie
1564 Est [tut] subduth de lecherie
Ki prent le bein de sa mesun
E dune a rei u a barun
U a lettré u a lai home,
1568 Mut est chargé de ceste sume
K[e] il prenge en deverie
Pur remeindre en sa baillie,
Ke il teint [si] a deshonur
1572 Encuntre Deu et sun priur
Ke il en seit de leoc ostéL1573 [L1573] rej Ke il ne s.46L1573 [L1573] en for this reason.46
E perde si sa poesté.
Cist est [e] leres et roberes,
1576 Ne deit plus estre. en reng de freres,L1576 [L1576] rej deit e. plus46
E [il] ad perdu la mesun
Par jugement, sa[nz] garisun.
Si il est de ceo depoplé,
1580 [Ke] seit de vus tut esloigné. [f.308]
E [is]si seit sun sodei[e]r
Ke il chosi par sun luer,
Ne a vus n'eit jammés repeire,
1584 Car il est hoem de mal afere.
[Or] entendez uncore plus,
Si [nus] volum ke seit en us
Entre vus [tuz] ke frere estes,
1588 Ke ne vivez cume [les] bestes
Que n'unt [ne] resun ne mesure.
Deu vus cria a sa facture,L1590 [L1590] rej Mes deu46
Si vus dona discretiun
1592 Ke vus eez dilectiun,
Primes a lui [si] cum a pere,
E pus pur lui, amez le frere.
Si le vus dit seint Au[gu]stinL1595 [L1595] See note to l. 557.46
1596 Ke sulum Deu fu bon devin.
Page 46
Si vus estes en [un] cuvent,
Diz u duze [u] vint u cent,
E nul de l'ordre seit leger,
1600 Ne l[e] devez sempres poepler.
[Tut] sul a sul le chastiez,
Si Deu le voet, si l'amendez.L1602 [L1602] rej E si deu47
Si il ne vot vus sul entendre,
1604 Dunt le poez plus bel reprendre
Ove deus u treis de vos freresL1605 [L1605] rej Od deus47
Ke il ne die : 'Tu es mentires',
Quan tu sa cupe escriveras
1608 A sun priur u cunteras.L1608 [L1608] rej v sun47
Si si ne fes, ceo est ledenge:
D'encuser frere semble h[a]angeL1610 [L1610] D'encuser does not appear to be linked syntactically to ledenge, but rather to be the subject of met in 1613.47 [f.309]
Dunt vus n'avés nul[e] provance,
1612 [Ne] testimonie ne mustrance,
Ja vus met hors de [la] frarie.
Deu vus ament, le fiz Marie!
Si nul se cleime par resun
1616 En chapitre u en mesun
Ke nul li eit de rein mesfet,
Encuntre vus [en] seit le plet.
Si [en] jugez en veritez
1620 Ki en ad dreit, et ki vultez.
Si ne suffrez ke hoem foreinzL1621 [L1621] hoem foreinz, an outsider, i.e. someone who is not a member of the Order (see note to l. 1302)47
[En] die nul de vos recleins.L1597 [L1597] The translator here condenses the Regula's Clause 17 and 18 (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, §§ 17-18; King, p. 27).47
Vus avez oi brevement
1624 Nostre povre enseignement
[E] sulum ceo ke Jhesu Crist
Par sa mort le nus [i] aprist.
Or le vus dium de la sue partL1627 [L1627] rej Ore47L1627 [L1627] See note to l. 1561.47
1628 Ke endreit sei chescun se gard;
E de la part [de] seint JohanL1629 [L1629] note part, then par expuncted by the same hand, then le part s. i.47L1629 [L1629] ff. The privations of St John the Baptist are epitomised in Matt. III, 4, and Marc. I, 6. He was the patron saint of the Hospitallers, and these lines (along with 159, 845, 1085) serve to remind the listeners of this. John's symbol, the paschal lamb, featured on the seal of the Priory of Saint Gilles, already mentioned in line 1399 (cf. King, plate opposite p. 100; Seals, pp. 47-48). The counterseal of the fifth Prior of England, Alan of Saint Cross (1190-95), carried the head of St John the Baptist (Seals, p. 97; Round, Garnier de Nablous, pp. 385, 388). The Statutes passed in 1300 at the Chapter-General held at Limassol provided for nine lessons of St John the Baptist to be read once a week on a day that was not a feast-day: . . . die una in septimana, .ix. lectiones fiant de sancto Johane Baptista, patrono nostro, in die videlicet que non sit festum . . . (Cartulaire, no. 4515, § 1; King, p. 101).47
Ki pur Deu suffri [grant a]han
De viande et de vest[e]ure,
1632 Ore ad od Deu quanke desire.
E il pur Deu suffri la mort,L1633 [L1633] The decollation of St John the Baptist at Salome's request is narrated in Matt. XIV, 1-12, and Marc. VI, 17-29.47
Page 47
Ore ad joie et bon confort.
De ceil la joie a tut tens;
1636 Ki si le let, mut ad bon sens.
Sil devez fere pur vos seignurs,L1637 [L1637] rej Si le d.99999L1637 [L1637] vos seignurs. These are the poor; cf. 767 and the explanation in 1639ff.99999
Par queus al ceil averez honurs.
Ceo sunt li povre a li frarin
1640 Ki devez estre ci enclin.L1640 [L1640] rej A ki99999L1640 [L1640] Ki = cui to whom. (cf. 791.)99999 [f.310]
Ke nul ne fasce ke a eus depleise
Pur ces deliz aver u eise;
Ne nus nes curussuns a nostre espeirL1643 [L1643] rej espeire99999L1643 [L1643] The decasyllable can easily be reduced to an octasyllable by omitting the unnecessary words ne nus.99999
1644 Ke ne l'eiment a sun poer.L1644 [L1644] a sun poer as much as each of them individually can (?).99999
Tuz nus eime Deu par sa grace.
Amen. Amen. et Deu le fasce!L1627 [L1627] Clause 15 of the Regula as transmitted (cf. Cartulaire, no. 70, § 15; King, p. 26) is here being rendered, apparently out of sequence, to serve as a conclusion for the whole poem.99999
E […] par sa pitéL1647 [L1647] The three missing syllables could well be Jesus Crist, who is linked with pité in 439-43.99999
1648 Nus doint vivre en verité!
[E] bein vivre et bein murir,
Ceo seit deshore nostre desir!
E tel [en] seit nostre entente
1652 Ke Deu nus otriet la grant rente,
Laquele ja ne poet descretreL1653 [L1653] Laquele, if authorial, is one of only three instances of a third declension adj. with analogical e (see Intro). Our poet's original form of the octosyllable may well have been Laquel jamés ne poet descrestre.99999
Par l'enseignement nostre mestre.L1654 [L1654] rej e. de n.99999L1654 [L1654] The de has been suppressed, editorially the resultant juxtaposition of nostre mestre to enseignement being with the poet's practice (cf. 1, 11, 204, etc., and Intro.). The sense of mestre here is clearly that of master or teacher, that is Jesus Christ (cf. 1624-25)99999
Page 99999
End
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