INTRODUCTION

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3 MANUSCRIPTS

There are at present twenty-three MSS known to contain either complete or partial texts of the Mirour. A preliminary classification and denotation of these, together with approximate dates and folio numbers, is as follows:

A The unrevised religious version

A1	St John's College Oxford 190; late 13th century; ff. 190r-199r.
A2	Bibliothèque Nationale n.a.fr. 11200; 13th c.; ff. 1r-23v.
A3	Bodleian Selden Supra 74; second half 13th c.; ff. 44r-59r.
A4	Corpus Christi College Oxford 36; early 14th c.; ff. 37r-45r.
A5	Emmanuel College Cambridge 106; 14th c.; ff. 62r-105r.
A6	British Library Royal 20.B.XIV; early 14th c.; ff. 53r-65v.
A7	British Library Royal 12.C.XII; early 14th c.; ff. 17r-30v.
A8	Trinity College Cambridge 0.1.17; 14th c.; ff. 279r-291v.
A9	Yale University 492; early 14th c.; ff. 86r-99v.
A10	Bodleian Douce 210; early 14th c.; ff. 35r-43r.
A11	Bibliothèque Nationale f.fr. 13342; early 14th c.; ff. 28r-44v.

B The revised lay version

B1	British Library Arundel 288; third quarter 13th c.; ff. 103r-122r.
B2	Bodleian Digby 20; second half 13th c.; ff. 143r-157v.
B3	Bodleian Rawlinson Poetry 241; third quarter 13th c.; pp. 163-189.
B4	British Library Harley 1121; early 14th c.; ff. 141r-156r.
B5	Bodleian Digby 98; early 14th c.; ff. 225r-255r.
B6	Durham University Library Cosin V.v.15; 14th c.; ff. 20r-43v.
B7	Lincoln Cathedral B.5.1; 14th c.; ff. 169r-178r.

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C Extracts and fragments

C1	Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge McClean Collection 123; late 13th c.; ff. 7v-9r. 110r-113r.
C2	Lambeth Palace London 522; late 13th c.; ff. 49v-62v.
C3	Cambridge University Add. 2751(8); late 13th c.; fragment from binding.
C4	Bodleian Selden Supra 23; first half 14th c.; fragment in binding.
C5	Pembroke College Cambridge 258; 14th c.; ff. 127r-129r, 131r-131v, 133v.

The reasons for this classification are given in Section 4 of this Introduction. Fuller descriptions of the two base MSS are as follows:

A1. St John's College Oxford, MS 190. This is a late 13th-century MS, 17.5 × 12 cm., parchment, written in several hands mainly in double columns, with about forty lines to a column. On the first folio in red bookhand is the word Hales. The relevant extract from Coxe's Catalogus Codicum MSS. Collegii S. Johannis Baptistae (1852) runs: Codex membranaceus, in 4to minori, ff. 308, sec. xiii, exeuntis, haud una manu exaratus; olim "ecclesie beati Petri Westmonasterii, ex procuratione fratris Willelmi de Hasele. Fuit Domini Willelmi de Feltham, vicarii quondam de [S]ayhe, cujus anime propicietur Altissimus;" postea Ric. Butler, vicarii eccl. de Aston le Walles, ex dono Albani Butler, senioris, 24 Dec. 1607.

Coxe gives 13 items, of which the Mirour is no. 12, entered as Sermon a dames religioses, praevia tabula cum praefatione. fol. 186. There follows an inaccurate transcription of the first words of the prologue and of the sermon, and of the concluding words of the text. Coxe is also inaccurate in other respects. There are, in fact, 15 not 13 items, the Mirour being flanked by the two omitted items. As a result, Coxe's numbering of the folios is incorrect. The whole MS has recently been refoliated, and the Mirour now runs from ff. 190r-199r. It is written in semicursive, infrequently rubricated, and often abbreviated.

This MS was not known to Robbins in 1924; it was identified a few years later by Professor M. D. Legge. ⁸ [8] M. D. Legge, St Edmund's Merure de Seinte Eglise, MLR 23 (1928), 475-6.viii

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B1. British Library, MS Arundel 288. This is a late 13th-century MS, ⁹ [9] E. J. F. Arnould dates it to the third quarter of the 13th century (Le Manuel des Péchés, p. 372).ix 18.5 × 12.5 cm., vellum, written in double columns throughout, bookhand, except for articles in cursive added in a 14th-century hand at the beginning and the end. The relevant entry in the Catalogue of Manuscripts in the British Museum (New Series, 1840, Vol. I, p. 85) runs: 288. Vellum, 8vo., pp. 254, XIII. Cent., formerly belonging to John Parker; articles 1, 2, 8-11, are in a later hand [ . . . ] 7. Edmund Riche's Speculum Ecclesiae, in old French, with the title, Ceste soume est apelle Speculum ecclesie, ceo est a dire, Miroir de seinte eglyse, issint l'apella Seynt Eaumund de Pounteny. p. 207. It is printed in Latin in the Bibliotheca Patrum, vol. XXV, p. 316.

The Mirour is written in a legible bookhand, but the text is frequently corrupt and on f. 113v. omits one very lengthy passage from the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17 (see footnote to 16.54). The MS displays considerable use of red and blue illumination, some very elaborate. These two colours are alternated as far as possible, e.g. the paragraph signs on f. 103r. Some blue initials and signs are so strong that they have penetrated through to the other side of the leaf, e.g. V of Videte 103v, G of Gratias 106r, etc.

In spite of the work of such authorities as M. R. James, N. R. Ker and, more recently, M. Blaess (Romania 94 (1973), 321-58), there is little that can be said with certainty about the provenance of these extant MSS of the Mirour. Occasionally a manuscript will carry a note, of later date, indicating its (perhaps assumed) provenance, but in general such evidence as we possess is inconclusive. It can be summed up as follows:

A1, as shown below, came via Westminster Abbey from William de Feltham, quondam vicar of Sayhe. The provenance of A2 is unknown. A3 cannot be traced earlier than the 15th century, when apparently it was in the possession of Sir Richard Hadele (f. 14v). A4 belonged to Lanthony. M. R. James suggests that A5 may come from Worcestershire. The earliest recorded owner of A6 is a certain John Colyford; it then passed to Walter Hungerford. To neither of these names is a place attached, but on f. 166v

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there is some evidence of an association with Exeter. A7 forms part of a large collection put together in the West Midlands, probably Hereford; but the Mirour, containing as it does corrections in the hand of the Hereford scribe, need not necessarily originate from that area. A pencilled inscription on f. 267r of A8 states that it belonged to the monastery of Whalley. Previous owners of A9 are recorded as Thomas Lake, Thomas Brooke, Sir R. Leicester Harmsworth and Martin Bodmer before its present location at Yale University; but its ultimate provenance is unknown, as is that of A10 and A11. B1 can be traced back to a John Parker. Robbins assigns B2 to St Albans, but Forshaw records that Ker considers such an attribution to go beyond the evidence. There is nothing internal or external to identify the provenances of B3, B4 or B5, the last of which is a composite volume containing a variety of items in three languages ranging over four centuries. B6 is also a composite volume; the last section is attributed to St Albans, but the middle section containing the Mirour has no original connection with it. However, it may belong to north-eastern England, and Forshaw points out that St Albans had a cell at Tynemouth. B7 belonged to Lincoln. C1 forms part of the Nuneaton Book. C2 belonged to St Augustine's, Canterbury. Nothing is known of the C3 or C4 fragments. M. R. James considered that C5 may have been compiled by a parish priest in Lincolnshire.

In addition to the places already mentioned, it is known that further copies of the Mirour were located at Dover, Peterborough and Titchfield. Dover had more than one, as did Canterbury. None of these surviving catalogue entries can be conclusively identified with any one extant MS. However, the general picture that emerges from these listings is of the widespread popularity of the Mirour.

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6 TITLE AND FORM OF ADDRESS

The title given to the treatise varies. B1 is most specific, calling it both Speculum Ecclesie and Mirour de Seinte Eglyse P. 2-3. No such title is found in A1, which is unique in describing the work as Sermon a Dames Religioses, and that neither in the incipit nor in the colophon but after the prologue, 1.1. B2 knows it as Merure de Seinte Eglise; so too do A3 and B6, which, like B1, also give the Latin form. Several MSS use the word mirour linked to the name of Edmund, e.g. B4 and B9; some go further and identify the Saint as Edmund the Confessor: A2, B4, B6. Others, with more justification, attach him to Pontigny: A3, A7, A9, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6. A8 accurately calls the work Speculum Sancti Edmundi Archiepiscopi. One curious misreading is Seinte Cesarie (?) in A6. Three MSS describe the treatise as Speculum Amicitie: A7, A9, B3. One MS is without any title: A4.

The forms of address also vary. The original apostrophe to frere appears in A2; this has become beau frere in all the B texts except B5, which has no form of address at all. Nor have A4, A10 and A11. A3 is unique in reading amy. The address to nuns is combined with the original form in A5, which reads beau frere e beau soer. Soeur is found in A1; this is developed as (ma) treschere soer in A6, A7 and A9.

7 CHAPTER HEADINGS

In all complete manuscripts the prologue is followed immediately by a table of contents. The substance of this is normally identical in both Latin and French versions, but sometimes there are

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(presumably later) additions, e.g. where A1 has Dé dis comandemens, A7 reads Dé .x. comandemenz e de lur espece e de lur sufficience. Occasionally, too, a particular scribe has accidentally skipped an item in his exemplar (as in A3) or transposed two (A1 and A9). There are two significant changes in wording. The first is that of Latin I's chapter XI. This reads: De 7 virtutibus et earum sufficiencia: scilicet, fide, spe, caritate, prudencia, iusticia, fortitudine, temperancia. Latin II, however, has: De istis tribus virtutibus, fide, spe, et caritate, vel amore, et earum sufficiencia. This reflects the reading of a number of French MSS. There is justification for the change from seven virtues to three; this chapter (12) deals mainly with the three theological virtues, while the cardinal are properly treated in chapter 13. It seems likely that the original reading was 7, since one of the oldest MSS of French A, A2, also has this reading. The second change is that of Hatton's chapter XIV: De 6 operibus misericordie. Latin II has 7, and this reflects the figure in some French MSS, e.g. B2. The earlier French MSS usually have 6, as in both A1 and B1 (chapter 16).

The canonical list of contents, both in Latin and French, contains 39 clauses, or items. These, however, are not consistently divided into chapters. For example, Latin I's chapter III: Quid facit hominem sanctum et qualiter homo perveniet ad sui cognicionem tam in corpore quam in anima is usually divided into two chapters, 3 and 4, in the French versions - except in A2, which follows Latin I. Latin II also divides the list into 30 chapters, but these do not always coincide with the 30 of Latin I. Apart from errors and omissions, the normal number of chapters in the French versions appears to be 37, but there are exceptions. An extreme case is B7 which runs together a number of items elsewhere separated, to give only 26 unnumbered headings. A2 has 29; A7 accidentally omits one, but at the same time follows H in not dividing chapter 27. A3 is at the opposite extreme, dividing the second chapter at a point unknown to other MSS; if a heading accidentally omitted is taken into account, this gives 39 chapters. The almost unreadable list of chapters in A8 appears to have 40 items.

As is to be expected, there is a certain consistency in the differences between Latin I and French A-text. The usual pattern

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is that Latin I's chapters II, XII, XVI, XXV and XXVII are each, in the French, divided into two, while XXVI is divided into three. Moreover in the body of the text of A6, H's chapter XVI, which in the French is normally divided into chapters 18 and 19, is treated as one; there is no break or heading between the two parts. In this it is identical with A2, but its list of chapter headings in the Prologue is so confused as to be useless as evidence. That these are later confusions of the original division of the French text is shown not only by the 29 chapters of A2 but also by the 30 of Latin II; this latter must reflect the divisions of a lost French exemplar which did not have the usual 37. On the other hand, the chapter divisions of the Hours (20-27 of the normal French) are identical in all versions, while the chapter on contemplation, however short it may be, regularly figures in the list of contents as the penultimate.

In view of this uncertainty - 39 items divided into 26 (B7), 29 (A2), 30 (H and L), 35 (A9), 36 (A7), 37 (A1 etc.), 39 (A3) and possibly 40 (A8) chapters – the only guide to the original number of chapters must derive from internal evidence. Where a chapter in French consists merely of an introductory sentence, as in 28, or rounds off the argument of the previous chapter, as in 32, or where an original single chapter fairly obviously appears as two, e.g. in 18 and 19, it seems reasonable to conclude that the division in the French has been introduced later. On the other hand, where, exceptionally, five chapters of the usual French (28-32) have been telescoped into one (25 in A2, 27 in Latin II, study of the contents suggests that H's division of this section into two (XXV and XXVI) may well be the original. Collation of all the extant chapter divisions and an examination of content and sequence of argument point to the conclusion that the thirty chapters of H probably represent the primal division of Latin I as it came from the hands of St Edmund.

The reasons for these chapter divisions are unclear, but given the mediaeval preoccupation with numerical symbolism, ³¹ [31] Ernst Robert Curtius, Europäische Literatur und Lateinisches Mittelalter (Bern, 1948), pp. 493-500.xxiii it is possible that the answer is to be sought in the ancient device of reducing a number formed of more than one figure by adding the digits. If the thirty chapters of Latin I are considered in this

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sense, we have 30=3+0=3, the number of the Trinity, the theological virtues, etc. In the case of the usual thirty-seven of French A we have 3+7. These are symbolic in their own right, 3 as the Trinity, 7 as creation, the number of the sacraments, etc. Their addition as the round number 10 produces plenitudo sapientia e ; the further reduction of 1+0=1, unity=God.

The base MS of the French A-text, A1, happens to have the usual French 37, without additions to the wording, although the headings of 35 and 36 are mistakenly transposed, and with the chapters numbered in the list of contents. Some of these numbers also appear in the body of the text, in the margin. The base MS of the French B-text also has the same 37, but within the body of the text this MS becomes a law unto itself. The first eight chapters do not have the headings, but towards the end of 5 and 6 respectively appear the rubrics Primus gradus contemplacionis and Secundus gradus contemplacionis. Chapters 9-20 (with the exception of 17, where the MS has a gap) follow the usual headings; but five of the Hours are denoted as Contemplacion devaunt matines, etc., while the remainder have forms of the normal. The headings of the last nine chapters are missing. Apart from the headings, the scribe uses an incomplete series of marginal numbers: 1-4, 8, 10-12, 15-16, 21-35; but 6, 9, 13, 17-20, 36-37 are missing, while 5 and 7 are included twice. Where these marginal numbers appear, they do not always coincide with the chapters as found either in Latin I or French A; they are certainly a poor guide to the original chapter divisions.

For convenience of reference in this edition I have inserted the chapter headings into the body of both texts, in the form in which they occur in the respective list of contents of each MS, except in chapters 8-16, 18-20, 25-26, 28 of the B-text where the headings are those which figure in the base MS. The headings are preceded by an Arabic numeral representing the chapter number in the French, and a bracketed Roman numeral indicating the corresponding chapter in Latin I (H). All my references to chapters by number, unless otherwise stated, are to the 1-37 of the French.

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8 ESTABLISHMENT OF TEXT

Delle molti relazioni contemporanee, non ce n'è alcuna che basti da sé a darne un'idea un po'distinta a ordinata; come non ce n'è alcuna che non possa aiutare a formarla. In ognuna di queste relazioni . . . sono omessi fatti essenziali, che son registrati in altre; in ognuna ci sono errori materiali, che si posson riconoscere e rettificare con l'aiuto di qualche altra . . . Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi, Capitolo XXXI.

This extract from Manzoni deals with other matters, but it gives an excellent picture of the manuscript situation of the Mirour. A major editorial problem is presented by the numerous slips and omissions found in every MS. Some of these may be due to the individual scribe, especially in passages containing repetitions of the same word or phrase; homoioteleuton is rife. The B1 scribe is particularly susceptible to this weakness; see note to 22.32. Anaphora is a favourite device of Edmund's, and this can well trap the unwary scribe. Clearly this is the explanation for the B1 scribe's omission of one of the Beatitudes (9.12). So too in 5.45, e quant is one of a regular series, and this steady repetition has brought about the omission of seif, logical after feym, not only by the A1 scribe but in every MS except A2.

Others may have been carried over from the exemplar. A simple instance of the latter appears in chapter 4, in the admonition to be mindful of the ultimate destiny of the body. A1 reads Vus serrez livree as crapouz pur vus devurer e manger 4.9, a reading shared by B1 and most other French MSS. This odd reference to toads where one would expect the traditional worms is clearly a common error perpetuated by the majority of the extant MSS. The correct reading is found in A2, verms; this is confirmed by the reading of H: In fine tradendus es vermibus ad devorandum 34.24, while LaB's et post mortem traderis bufonibus, vermibus et aliis turpibus animalibus 35.24 suggests that its French original also contained a reference to worms. A6, indeed, does have both: a verms & a crapouz.

Most of the necessary emendations are of this order: the restoration of an original reading lost by mechanical error. At 5.100, for instance, A1, A2, A3 have all dropped e les morz after pur les vifs. The context, and the original pro vivis et defunctis (H42.11), both call for it, and I have therefore restored it on

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the authority of A7. An extreme example of the necessity for restoration is provided by the rendering of one of the cardinal virtues, prudentia. Almost without exception, the MSS render this by the misleading pruesse, both in the list of chapter headings and in chapter 15 itself. The correct reading prudence is found in the list of chapter headings of B3, but not elsewhere, and in chapter 15 of A6 and B4, but not in their list of headings. Neither A1 nor B1 has any trace of the original reading.

Some passages, however, leave room for dispute. In chapter 6, for example, is found an argument from the degrees of being. In B1 the sentence Arbres sunt e vivent, mes eles ne sentent ne resonent 6.24, found in other MSS, has simply been dropped out of this climactic paragraph. It has all the appearance of a slip on the part of the individual scribe, and can therefore be restored; other MSS (e.g. A7, A9) show comparable omissions in this passage. More complex is A1's reading Erbes sunt [e]vivent . . . vivent of les herbes 6.24 and 27. This reading is shared by A3, but in most other MSS herbes is replaced in both places by arbres. The error, if it is an error, could have originated in a misreading of a scribal contraction, but the question is complicated by an addition unique to A3. Where other MSS have as autres estre e vivre, cum as arbres 6.20, A3 reads . . . cum as arbres e erbes. This is evidently not a scribal embellishment since the mention of trees with plants appears in H: quibusdam autem dedit esse et vivere, ut arboribus et herbis 44.18. This in turn goes back to Edmund's source, Gregory's Moralia in Job, where the link is originally found: Herbarum namque atque arborum vita viriditas vocatur (VI, 16). Given this case history, there seems to be no compelling argument for replacing A1's herbes at 6.27 by the arbres of other MSS, since the original reading cannot now be discovered.

In the A-text which I have printed, all editorial additions to the text are enclosed in square brackets, and all emendations are accompanied by the rejected readings of A1 at the foot of the page. I have preferred the readings of other MSS only where those of A1 are clearly faulty; where I have made substitutions, these are all required by evidence internal, external, or both. Where there are points of dispute, these are discussed in the Notes to the Text.

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I have adopted this method in order to take advantage of the existence of twenty-three MSS containing all or part of the Mirour – an advantage not often found among Anglo-Norman texts. Nine of these belong to the second half of the thirteenth century and are roughly contemporaneous. Collation of them reveals that none contains the original text, but it also reveals that a careful weighing of the evidence usually enables the original wording to be reconstructed with confidence. In some cases also, the collation of the French text has pointed to certain omissions and accretions in the Latin of Hatton 26. It is my belief that in this way I have been able to print as the A-text a version which is as close to the original translation as it is possible to arrive at from the extant MSS. The three earliest extant versions of the A-text (A1, A2 and A3) are all 13th century. Certain features of its language, e.g. spelling, survivals of the case system (cf. p. xxxi), use of the 2nd person singular (cf. p. xxxii), etc., lead me to believe that the earliest is probably A2; unfortunately its many errors and omissions, e.g. in chapter 24 (cf. p. xvi), preclude its use as a base MS, although where it is less imperfect it has proved to be a useful control. A3 is in most respects not inferior to A2, but its list of chapters is erratic (cf. p. xxi). It accidentally omits a large section of chapter 5, and it has other minor differences, e.g. in the meditation for None (25.15-19), it transposes the fourth and fifth words. The A-text, the religious version, the translation of the Speculum Religiosorum, consists therefore of what is as suitable a base MS as any, St John's College Oxford 190 (A1), emended wherever necessary to incorporate more accurate readings.

In the case of the B-text, the lay version, I have made no attempt to correct other than the most obvious scribal errors. This text, Arundel 288 (B1), is printed as it is found in the MS, but at the same time I have inserted in square brackets the omitted portions necessary to give an adequate notion of the contents of the B-text. At one point, the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17, there is a gap, presumably where the scribe turned over two pages at once, or missed a column, in his exemplar, and this I have filled from Harley 1121 (B6). The reasons for producing such a minimally edited text are twofold: a) B1 is perhaps the earliest extant MS of the B-text (at least as

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early as B2, used by Robbins), and well illustrates the considerable modifications introduced into a representative lay version; b) the faulty state of the text is typical of all MSS and, by contrast, may go some way towards explaining and justifying the emendations which I have thought proper to introduce into the A-text. (See also Section 9 b) below.)

For convenience of reference, the A-text and the B-text are printed on opposite pages. In this way, the notable differences between the two families are more readily visible. Textual variants are printed separately at the end of the text (pp. 91-4).

9 LANGUAGE

Any analysis of the language of the Mirour must of necessity be limited to observational adequacy; but it will be further conditioned by the fact that the competence of the original translator is discernible only through, or beneath, the performance of the various scribes. This fact, which is immediately apparent at the level of spelling and phonology, is also evident on the morphological and syntactical levels, and it can even affect lexis. The complexity of the problems involved can be seen in the various realizations, in only eight of the eighteen complete MSS extant, of a random sentence taken from the second chapter (2.11):

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A1	Si co est sa volunte fete le sulum vostre poer si nun nel facez pur mort sufrir (f. 190v)
A2	Si ceo est sa volente fai la a tut ton poer si non ne le faites pur mort suffrir (f. 2r)
A3	Si ceo est sa volunte fetes selom vostre poer e sinoun nel fetes pur mort suffrir (f. 44v)
A5	Si ceo est sa voluntetz: le fetes a tuit tun poer. Si noun ne le fetes pur mort suffrir. (f. 62v)
A7	Si ceo est sa volunte fetes le solum vostre poer. Si ceo nun, nel facez pas pur mort suffrir (f. 17v)
B1	Si ceo est sa volente fetes le solom vostre poer si noun nel festes pur mort soeffrir (f. 104r)
B2	Si co est sa volunte facez le solum vostre poer si nun nel festes pur mort suffrir (f. 143b)
B3	Et si ceo est sa volente faitez le solom vostre poer e si noun ne le faistez pas pur mort soeffrer (f. 164)

Taking the elements in linear order we have the following: a) All start with si, except B3 which has Et si; b) ceo is normal, but A1 and B2 have co; c) est is found throughout; d) sa is found throughout; e) volunte is found four times, volente three, voluntetz once; f) fetes, with variants faitez and fete, is normal; but A2 has fai and B2 facez; g) le normally follows fetes, but in A5 it precedes, A2 has la instead of le, A3 omits it; h) the graphic variants selom, solom, solum and sulum are replaced in A2 and A5 by a; i) vostre poer is normal, but A2 and A5 have a singular possessive adjective ton/tun, in each case preceded by a tut/tuit; j) si non/noun/nun is normally undivided, but in A7, a later MS, the two elements are separated by ceo, in what is usually considered an earlier construction, while A3 and B3 introduce the form with e; k) the earlier enclitic form nel is usual, but A2, A5 and B3 have the analytic ne le; l) as previously, fetes/festes/faites/ faistez is normal, but A1 and A7 have facez; m) A7 and B3 alone support ne by the addition of pas; n) pur mort is found throughout; o) the graphic variants sufrir, suffrir and soeffrir are normal, but B3's soeffrer implies uncertainty about the infinitive form; p) the sentence is normally without distinctive punctuation, except in A5 and A7.

It is evident from this example that a complete descriptive analysis of one sentence is a lengthy process, if it is to take into account (as it must) all levels from spelling to lexis. Nevertheless, the underlying structure of the lost original is indisputable. A large part of the surface data resolves itself into a mere discussion of the vagaries of scribal performance, and is of only marginal concern to the original text. The remarks that follow, therefore, while sketching briefly the more salient features of spelling and phonology which distinguish the two texts, are intended as elucidations of the competence of the original translator rather than as comments on a particular and fallible MS.

a) Spelling and Phonology

Given the conflict of orthographic systems in later Anglo-

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Norman, it would be idle to look for consistency in scribal practice in either of the printed texts. The most that can be said is that the B scribe generally writes o for A's insular u or prefers the newer spelling ou. Thus he writes tochez, meditacion and flagellacion where the A scribe has tuchees, meditatiun and flagellaciun P.2, 5.119, P.35; he has noun and sount for A's nun and sunt P.1, 2, 4, 8. The A scribe varies between u and o: bunté, amur P.52, bonté 6.8, amor 8.4, where B writes bounté, amour. So too B often prefers aun to A's an: conisaunce 4.29 blaundisce 10.17; but note A's saunz . . . sans 5.70. Both texts occasionally use the digraph ie for e: peres 6.20 but pieres 6.20, cel 7.23 but ciel 7.23, feble 1.8 but fieble 1.9. Both texts sometimes efface the second element of the diphthong: pus 16.65, nunpusance 18.8, where B has nounpuissance; su 24.48, where A has suy. Both scribes write indifferently ei/oi: sei, soy 36.15; seit 4.21, soit 11.40. Each text displays the common q/y alternation. Vocalized l is written as u more frequently in A: charnauté 9.16 to B's cha[r]nalité; but both can use the older spelling: charnel 5.24/24 (but charneus 5.8), or the newer: leaument 11.7/9. Initial s is sometimes written as c-: ses maus 8.14 but ces maus 8.13. The A scribe usually writes -(s)s- where B has -sc-: sentir/scentir 6.21/22, hautesse/hautesce 6.16/16, hardiesse/hardiesce 15.20/20. There is an occasional -t for the normal -z: avét 1.12, vivét 1.13 where B has vevez; or -s: comandemens/comaundemenz 8.31/31.

Analytic spelling of monosyllabic particles is found in both texts: se avante 8.7/8, but is more frequent in A: ne est 4.25 but n'est 6.5/5; De autre 5.17 but D'autre 5.17. However, it is by no means regular: la assencion P.38, l'assencion 25.29; and some variants are common to both A and B: ço est 2.6, ceo est 2.11, but c'est 6.16, 2.6.

The features of syntactic phonetics encountered in these texts are fully in line with those found elsewhere in later Anglo-Norman. For instance, the elision of final -e before an initial vowel within the phrase can lead to morph-variation: un' en 10.24, un' autre 10.25, nul' autre femme 11.56, mal' entente 11.73, seynt' eglise 14.1 etc. This occasionally produces alternate forms: malese 5.54, but male eise 5.56. Both scribes from time to time carry the practice into verb phrases: amende il 5.42 but

Page xxx

amend il 5.44, chaufe il 5.44 but chauf il 5.47, garde il 5.49 but gard il 5.47.

The omission of -s, flexional or otherwise, is frequent in both texts: tote[s] les choses 2.6, este [s] deceue 4.33; affection e desirs 4.26, bien ke 5.29, a[s] purgés 14.3; for 5.75 but fors 5.74. The attested late Anglo-Norman plural form diverse is found: diverse pensees 4.25, where B has deivers pensers 4.26. So too A has huntuse paroles 8.29 where B reads hountuses paroles. ³² [32]  Cf. Horn II, notes to ll. 416, 439. (The -s has been reestablished in our edited text for the sake of consistency.) From among the other noteworthy graphies encountered in our two versions, we may list, in the A-text: feylles (=filles) 17.91, savoer 6.11, avoer 11.21, fé P.22, noyfvime 22.44, disirer 4.32, voleint 23.18, rudz 19.15, cis (=sis) 16.6, arseveskes 17.105, meyslur (=meillur) 15.10, oreilie 2.9, deliht 18.5, chardinales, P.24, demurir 26.10, ceo 1.3, 1.15, 7.15. In the B-text we may note: vevez (=vivez) 1.12, deivent (=devint) 20.6, deivers 4.26, veinent 11.71, meer 6.40, ceerf (=serf) 24.41, pees 9.19, tensens 8.28, suuer, 27.11, premistes 11.12, saunke 14.28, 14.42, le tierce 13.17, la tierz P.52, des (=de), P.47, 5.68, savacion 14.16, servier 11.4, server 11.5, paremplé 25.20, despendrer P.16, chausir 6.38.xxxi

b) Editorial Emendations

The A1 scribe writes a clear semi-cursive, except that it is difficult to distinguish between c and t. He makes frequent use of normal abbreviations, all of which I have regularly expanded. The B1 scribe uses a Gothic bookhand, small and clear, with few abbreviations. These too call for little comment. In both texts I have introduced the distinction between i and j, u and v, punctuation, and the rational use of capitals.

As is to be expected, neither text is free from scribal carelessness. The treatment of -e and -s has already been noted. Other omissions are to be found from time to time in the A-text, e.g. Que [l] chose P.8, de [l] Seint P.35, du[n]c 5.58, mei[n]s 11.9; but it is the B-text which is especially subject to omissions. These are found in medial position, e.g. depos[it]ion P.42, cr[e]ature 6.4, pe[r]nez 37.23, etc.; and in final, e.g. pecch[é] original 14.6, torment[é] 4.39, e[n] cheque P.17, entou[r] 4.39, pa[r] 6.11, dirrei[t] 2.13, mor[t] 13.22, ordeyne[nt] 11.28, fe[re] 12.22, etc.

For the purposes of this edition, except where some individual attested practice appears to be operative, I have restored such

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letters in the A-text where their omission is obviously the fault of the scribe. In each instance a control is readily to hand, usually in the facing text, but, if need be, in another MS and recorded as such in the variants. The only exception to this general practice is the use of the acute accent in lé, dé in preference to le[s], de[s].

Variants

[In the print edition the variants are in the back matter. This electronic edition displays them to the foot of the pages to which they refer, and the following explanatory paragraph, originally on p. 91 of the print edition preceding the grouped variants, has been moved to here - ANH editors]

This list does not attempt to record all the variants found in the extant MSS, but merely to record the source of such as have been used to establish the printed texts. As stated in the Introduction, the A-text has been established with due regard to the readings of other MSS, in that, whereever necessary and possible, omissions have been made good and errors corrected from one or other of the MSS not used as a base. Thus, the reading of A1 at P.3 is lessat, but the more accurate lessast has been preferred on the authority not only of B1 but also on that of A3. This emendation is therefore recorded below. Sometimes there is hesitation; thus the erroneous Que of A1 at P.8 is found as Quel in A3, Quele in A2. The latter is also the reading of B1, but both are recorded here. Occasionally for the A-text, and somewhat more frequently in the case of the B-text, significant alternative readings and spellings have been included.

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MIROUR DE SEINTE EGLYSE

A-TEXT

[Prologue]

En le nun Nostre duz Seygnur Jhesu Crist, ci comencent les materies ke sunt tuchees en le sermon ke vent aprés, rudement endité pur eschyure curiosité, ke l'em le lessa[s]t^AAPL3a [AAPL3a] lessast A3 B14 la sentence dedenz pur la curiose favele dehors. Les materies sunt cestes:

1 Coment homme deit regarder sun estat.

2 Quey est vivre parfitement, e quei est la volunté Deu.

3 Que[l]^AAPL8a [AAPL8a] Quel A3 Quele A24 chose feit homme seint.

4 Coment home deit venir a la conussance de sey memes en cors e en alme.

5 Dé benefices Nostre Seynur, e coment hom deit despendre le tens.

6 Coment hom deit contempler Deu en chechune creature.

7 Coment hom deit ver sa volunté en escripture.

8 Dé set morteus pechez, e de lur especes.

9 Dé set vertuz de l'evaungile.

10 Dé set duns del Seint Esperit e de lur suficience.^AAPL19a [AAPL19a] rej  c. e de lur sufficience4

11 Dé dis comandemens.

12 Dé troy vertuz e lur sufficience:^AAPL20a [AAPL20a] sufficience: as a translation of sufficientia the word in this context has a specifically theological connotation; cf. sufficient as distinct from efficacious grace. See further note to 33.20-21.4 fey, esperance e amur.

13 Dé duze articles de la fé.

14 Dé set sacremens.

15 Dé quatre vertuz chardinales: prudence,^AAPL24a [AAPL24a] prudence: most MSS, including both A1 and B1, read pruesce. As a translation of prudentia this is clearly unsatisfactory; the normal prudence is attested elsewhere in the early 13th century. Pruesce is best treated as an early scribal mistake. The correct reading prudence is found here in B3, while A6 and B4 attest it in the body of the text: 12.4, 15.2 and 11. See further note to 15.2.4^AAPL24a [AAPL24a] prudence B34 dreiture,^AAPL24b [AAPL24b] rej  pruesce dreiture4 temperance e force.

16 Dé sis ovres de misericorde.

17 Dé set preeres de la paternostre e coment l'en doit prier.

18 Dé set doaries en cors, e set en alme.

19 Dé peynes d'enfern en cors e en alme.

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20 De contemplacion^AAPL31a [AAPL31a] contemplacion: for Edmund's distinction between contemplation and meditation, a distinction not always observed in the French, see Intro. pp. xxxv-xxxvi, and 3.8-9.6 de Deu meimes en sa humanité.

21 De la [na]tivité^AAPL32a [AAPL32a] nativite A2 lativite A96 Jhesu Crist, e de la capciun a matines.

22 De la resurrection e de la illusiun a prime.

23 De la venue de[l] Seint^AAPL35a [AAPL35a] del seint A26 Esperit e de la flagellaciun a terce.

24 De la incarnacion e de la crucifixion a middy.

25 De la mort^AAPL38a [AAPL38a] rej  morte6 Jhesu Crist e de la assencion a nune.

26 De la cene e de la deposiciun^AAPL39a [AAPL39a] deposiciun: there appears to be no previous attestion of this form, which translates depositio H30.8, in the sense of descente de croix.6 Jhesu Crist de la croyz a vespres.

27 De la suur sanglante e de la sepulture a complie.

28 De contemplaciun en Deu meymes quant a sa deité.

29 Coment Deu ne se vot del tut mostrer ne del tut celer.

30 En quante[s] maneres Deu se mostra primes a homme.

31 Cument Deu est sanz comencement e sanz fin.

32 Purquey Deu est apelé Deu.

33 Coment Deu est une substance e[n] troys persones.^AAPL48a [AAPL48a] e treis en persones A3 A7 B3 une substance e treis persones A2 A9 B66

34 Purquey la premere persone est apelé Pere, la secunde Fiz, e la tierce Seint Esperit.

35 ^AAPL51a [AAPL51a] chapter headings 35 and 36 transposed; correct order restored by marginal letters a and b6Purquoy poer est aproprié^AAPL51a [AAPL51a] aproprié: in the strict theological sense this appears to be a neologism. The word is not attested elsewhere until the 14th century.6 a Deu le Pere, savoer a Deu le Fiz, bunté e amur a Deu le Seint Esperit.

36 Dé troiz degrez de contemplacion.

37 Quey est vivre honurablement, amiablement e humblement.

Aitant finist cest escrit [e li sermons]^AAPL56a [AAPL56a] e li sermons A2 e ceo sermon B3 e ataunt suffit cest tretiz A36.

SERMON A DAMES RELIGIOSES

1 [(I) Coment homme deit regarder sun estat]

Videte vocacionem vestram. Ceo moz de l'apostle partinent a nus gent de religion. Veez, fet il, a quey vus estes apelee. E ço dist il pur nus exciter a perfection. E pur ço, quele hure qe [jo] pens de mey memes, de nuyt u de jur, de une part ay jo joi[e] grant, de autre part

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grant dolur; joie pur la seinte religion, dolur e confusion pur ma fieble conversacion.^AA1L9a [AA1L9a] conversacion: in this context, translating conversacione, this probably denotes more specifically religious life than way of living in general; cf. initium conversationis a beginning of religious life, St. Benedict Regula, cap. lxxiii.8 E ço n'est pas merveile, kar jo ay grant enchesun. Kar issi dist seint Eusebie en un sermon: Venir a religion est sovereyne perfection, nent parfitement vivre suvereine dampnation. E pur ço n'avét turn ke un, [vus] ki^AA1L13a [AA1L13a] vus ki A38 vivét en religion, ço est trayre^AA1L13b [AA1L13b] rej  trayrere8 a la voye de perfection, si com vus volez vostre salvation, lesser quantke est en ço mund e quancke a luy apent, e mettre vostre poer de vivre parfitement.

2 [(II) Quey est vivre parfitement, e quei est la volunté Deu]

Vivre parfitement, ausi cum seint Bernard nus aprent, si est vivre honurablement, amiablement e humblement; honurablement kant a Deu, ke vus metez tote vostre entente de fere sa volunté. Ço est a dire en tote[s] les choses ke vus devez penser de quor, u dire de buche, u fere en ovre de aukun de vos cynk sens, cum garder de oyl, oyr [f.190v] de oreilie, guster de lange, sentir de nés, tucher de tast, aler u ester, gysir u seer. Pensez tut a comencement si ço est sa volunté u nient. Si ço est sa volunté, fete[s] le sulum vostre poer; si nun, nel facez pur mort sufrir.

Mes ore diroit aukun a moy: 'Quoy est la volunté Deu?' Sa volunté n'est autre chose for vostre seinteté. Kar issi dist l'apo[s]tle: Hec est voluntas Dei, sanctificacio vestra, ço est la volunté de Deu ke vus seez seint.

3 [(III) Quel chose feit homme seint]

Quey fet humme seint? Dous choses sanz plus: conussance e amur, conussance de verité e amur de bunté. Mes a la cunusance de Deu, ki est verité, ne poez vus mie venir for par la conusance de vus meymes, ne a l'amur de Deu, ki est bonté, ne poez vus mie venir for par l'amur de vostre

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prome. A la cunusance de vus meymes poez vus venir par suverene meditacion,^AA3L8a [AA3L8a] meditacion: see note to P.31 and Intro. pp. xxxv-xxxvi.10 a la conussance de Deu poez vus venir par pure conte[m]placion.

4 [(III) Coment home deit venir a la conussance de sey memes en cors e en alme]

A la conusance de vus meymes poez venir en ceste manere: pensez ententivement e suvent quele vus estes, quele vus fustes, e quele vus serrez; primes quant a vostre cors, pus quant a vostre alme.

Quant a vostre cors estes vus ore plus vile ke nul femer. Vus fustes engendree de si grant ordure ke s'est hunte a numer e abhominacion a penser. Vus serrez livree a verms^AA4L9a [AA4L9a] rej  as crapouz10^AA4L10a [AA4L10a] tux biens: this translates summum bonum H100.11, but in the next chapter the same expression is translated soverein bien 33.12/22.10^AA4L10a [AA4L10a] a verms A2 a verms & a crapouz A610 pur vus devurer e manger. Quele vus avez estee, e quele vus estes ore, quant a vostre alme devez penser, kar quele vus estes a venir ne poez mie savoir. Pensez e repensez com vus avez fet granz^AA4L13a [AA4L13a] granz A210^AA4L13a [AA4L13a] rej  grant; lesse superscript10 maus e mus, e com avez lessé granz^AA4L14a [AA4L14a] granz A210^AA4L14a [AA4L14a] rej  grant10 biens e muz. Pensez combien vus avez vesqui, e combien vus avez receu, e coment vus l'avez despendu. Kar chekun' hore ke vus n'avez de Deu pensé si avez perdu. Vus rendrez reson de chechun' udive parole, e de chechun' udive pensee, e de chekun udif fet. E si com un sul peil de la teste n'avez ke ne serra glorifié pur quey ke vus seez sauvee, ausi ne eschapera nul' hure ke ne vus soit acontee. A Jhesu, merci! Si tuyt cest mund fut pleyn de menue podre, ki serroit si quointes^AA4L22a [AA4L22a] quointes: see Intro. p. xxxi.10 ki pust juger chechune par sey, e deviser checkune de autre? Certes, nul. Mes l'alme est greynure mil fee ke ne seit tut ço mund, tut fut il mil fee greynur k'il ne est; e si est tute pleyne de diverse[s]^AA4L25a [AA4L25a] diverse[s]: see Intro. p. xxx.10 pensees e affections e desirs. Ki purreit dunke issi ensercher sun queor, k'il pust conustre quantke leeynz est, u penser? Veez ore, ma trechere soer, com vus avez grant mester de la cunusance de vus meymes.

Pus aprés pernez bone garde quele vus estes ore quant a l'alme, com avez poi de bien en vus, e poi de sen, e poi

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de poer. Kar vus disirez tut en jur^AA4L32a [AA4L32a] tut en jur: correct to tute jur?12^AA4L32a [AA4L32a] tot en jour B3 tute jurs A2 tous ceo qe A312 ço ke rien ne vus vaut, e jamés u relment ço [ke] valer^AA4L33a [AA4L33a] ceo ke valer A212 vus pust. Vus este[s] deceue si sovent, ore par demesuré dolur, ore par veyne leesse, ore estes travaillé de pour, ore tut eslevé de fause esperance. De autre part vus estes si chaunjable ke ço ke vus volez hui vus ne volez pas demein, e suvent estes anguissuse aprés plusurs choses e turmentee si vus ne les eez; e pus quant vus les avez a vostre volunté, dunc estes vus de meymes ço ennuyé.^AA4L36a [AA4L36a] De autre part . . . ennuyé: these sentences provide a convenient example of the translator at work in the typically looser French version of the compact Latin of H: Item, vide quam sis mutabilis et inconstans, qui quod cupis hodie, cras contemnis; quam anxiatus si non habes quod cupisti, et de habitis fastiditus 36.16-18. The French is twice as long, and the translator appears to have incorporated an echo, not in the original, of Luke X.41: sollicita es, et turbaris erga plurima in suvent estes anguissuse aprés plusurs choses.12

Pensez unkore de autre part cum vus estes legere a tempter, freile a rester, preste a consentir. De totes cestes meseises vus [ad] ja delivré^AA4L43a [AA4L43a] ad ja livere A2 ad ja delivres A312 vostre espus, e delivre chekun jur, e delivra plus e plus.

[5 (IV) Dé benefices Nostre Seynur, e coment hom deit despendre le tens]

Kar quant vus n'esteiez pas, dunc vus cria il en alme a sa semblance demeine, e vostre cors de pulente e puante escume,^AA5L5a [AA5L5a] escume: the Latin has spuma, probably to be taken as a synonym of limus in the creation account: formavit igitur Dominus Deus hominem de limo terrae Genesis 11.7. The A.V. reads dust.12 dunt est abhominacion a penser, furma il en ses sens e ses membres si noble e si beaus ke hom ne puet deviser.

Pensez ore ententivement vus ki amez vos parenz^AA5L8a [AA5L8a] vos parens A712^AA5L8a [AA5L8a] rej  amez vus p.12 charneus si tendrement, purquey vus les amez si cherement. Si vus dites ke vus amez vostre pere e vostre mere pur ço ke vus estes de lur sanc e de lur char^AA5L11a [AA5L11a] rej  char superscript12 engendré, ausi sunt les verms ki nessent de eus tute jur^AA5L12a [AA5L12a] rej  tut le jur12 ajurnee.

De autre [part]^AA5L13a [AA5L13a] De autre part A212 vus n'avez de eus ne alme ne cors, mes avez de Deu par eus. Kar quele fusez vus si vus [fussez] demuré^AA5L14a [AA5L14a] si fussez demore A212 ço ke vus aviez de vos parenz quant vus fustes engendree en ordure e en peché?

De [f.191r] autre part si vus amez frere u soer u autre parent pur ço k'il sunt de meime la char e de cel sanc [ke vus estes],^AA5L18a [AA5L18a] qe vous estes B3 dunt tu es A2 A512 par meime la reisun ameriez vus une piece de la char vostre pere e vostre mere si ele fust trenchee, e ço serroit grant deverie a desmesure. Si vus dites ke vus

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les amez pur ço k'il unt la char figuree en semblance de homme e pur ço k'il unt alme ausi cum vus avez, dunk ne vus est vostre frere charnel neynt plus procheyn ke un autre, fors en tant ke vus e li aviez de un pere charnel le comencement de vostre char, ke est un poi de ordure puneise e pulente?

Amez pur ço celuy de ki tute vostre beauté vient, e amez tote gent espiritue[l]ment, e cessez desormés [de] amer^AA5L29a [AA5L29a] de amer A214 charnelement. E si frez vus certeynement^AA5L30a [AA5L30a] paragraphus before si vus pensez14 si vus pensez avanaument des biens k'il vus a fet suvent, e plus fra si vus le volez amer enterement.

Kar ausi cum [jo] dis al comencement,^AA5L33a [AA5L33a] si com je dis a comencement A314 quant vus ne estoiez pas, dunc vus cria il de nient. E quant vus fustes perie, dunc vus quist il; e quant vus estoiez perdue, dunc vus truva il; e quant vus [estoiez] vendue^AA5L36a [AA5L36a] esteyez venduz A314 en peché, dunc vus rechata il; e quant vus fustes dampnee, dunc vus sauva il; e quant [vus] nasquistes^AA5L38a [AA5L38a] vus nasquites A314 en peché, dunc vus baptiza il. E pus aprés, quant vus pechates si ordement e si suvent, dunc vus sufri il si franchement e vus entendi si lungement; e pus vus receut si ducement, e vus a mis en si duz covent. E chescun jur quant vus mesfetes, dunc vus reprent il; e quant vus pechez, dunc le vus pardune il; e quant vus errez, dunc vus amend il; e quant vus dutez, dune vus aprent il; e quant vus avez feym, dunc vus pest il; [quant tu as seif, dunc te enbeivre il;]^AA5L45a [AA5L45a] kant tu as seif dunke te enbeivre il A214 e quant vus [avez] freit, dunc vus chauf il; e quant vus avez chaud, dunc vus refreide il; e quant vus veilez, dunc vus sauve il; e quant vus dormez, du[n]c vus garde il; e quant vus levez, dunc vus sustient il; e quant vus chaez, dunc vus redresse il; e quant vus seez, dunc vus tient il; e quant vus esteez, dunc vus suporte il; e quant vus alez, dunc vus conduist il; e quant vus returnez, dunc vus meine il; e quant vus revenez a luy, dunc vus receit il; e quant vus departez, dunc vus remene il; e quant vus mesalez, dunc vus repele il; e tuz jurs quant estes en male eise, dunc vus conforte il.

Ces biens e muz autres vus a fet vostre duz espus e la duceur de son quer.^AA5L58a [AA5L58a] son quer A214^AA5L58a [AA5L58a] rej  vostre quer14 Du[n]c vus devez tuz jur[s] penser,

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tuz jurs parler, tuz jur[s] mercier, e tuz jurs loer; e ço de nuyt e de jur, si vus savez rien d'amur. E pur ço quant vus levez de vostre lit al matin u a la mienuyt, pensez tant tost quant mil hommes unt esté periz cele nuyt en cors, quant en alme, les uns en fu, les autres en autre manere, cum en ewe, en mer, en terre, les autres robez, plaez, naufrez, occis, mors sudeynement sanz confession e descenduz a pardurable da[m]pnacion.

Pensez ausi quant mil sunt chauz cele nuyt en peril de alme, ço est a dire en morteu peché, cum en glutunie, en lecherie, en avarice, en homicide, en meint' autre folie; e de tuz ceus maus vus a delivré vostre duz Seynur, saunz vos desertes e sans vos merites.

Kar queu servise luy avez feit pur quey il vus a issi gardé, e muz autres guerpi e lessé? Kar si vus preissez bone garde cum grant bien il vus fet de tote[s] parz,^AA5L74a [AA5L74a] de totes parz A216 ausi le trover[i]ez^AA5L74b [AA5L74b] troveriez B216 ocupé entur vostre pru, cum se il ne fei[s]t^AA5L75a [AA5L75a] feist A216 autre chose, for fu[s]t^AA5L76a [AA5L76a] fust A216 entendant a vus sulement e a vostre salu. E ausi le veriez vus pur vus garder ententif e curius, cum se il ust ublié tut ço mund pur entendre solement a vus.

E quant vus avez ço pensee, levez sus les meins e merciez vostre Seynur de ço e de tuz ces autres biens en ceste manere :

Gratias tibi ago, Domine Ihesu Christe, qui me indignam ancillam tuam in hac nocte custodisti, protexisti, visitasti; sanam, salvam et incolumem ad hanc horam pervenire fecisti; et pro universis aliis beneficiis tuis que mihi tua sola bonitate contulisti. Qui vivis et regnas.^AA5L82a [AA5L82a] This prayer in A1 has been modified for the benefit of nuns by the substitution of ancillam for the usual famulum in A1 and others. B2, however, reads peccatorem, as also does A6, with markedly different wording. The version in H, reading peccatorem, is almost identical with the normal French version, but adds some thirty words. See Intro. p. xiv.16

En meyme ceste manere devez dire quant vus levez le matin, e quant vus cochez au soer, fors solement la u vus dites a la mienuyt ad hanc horam, la devez dire le matin ad [f.191v] principium huius diei, e au soeir ad finem istius diei pervenire fecisti.

E quant vus avez ço feit, si devez ententivement penser coment vus avez despendu le tens pus le matin ke vus levastes, quant vus devez cucher. E ausi pus ke vus cuchates, quant vus devez lever. E priez Deu merci dé maus ke vus avez fet e dé biens ke avez lessé cel jur u cele nuyt. E ne facez rien^AA5L97a [AA5L97a] ne facez rien: this use of the present subjunctive in a prohibition is occasionally to be found in A.N.; see Intro. p. xxxiv.16 en ceste vie deske vus eiez recomandé

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vus meimes e vos autres amis vifs e mors en lé meyns Nostre duz Seynur Jhesu Crist, e dites en teu manere pur vus meymes e pur les vifs [e les morz] :^AA5L100a [AA5L100a] e les morz A718

In manus tuas, Domine, et sanctorum angelorum tuorum commendo in hac nocte animam meam [et] corpus meum, fratres meos et sorores, amicos, familiares, propinquos, parentes, benefactores meos et omnem populum catholicum. Custodi nos, Domine, in hac nocte per merita et intercessionem beate Marie virginis et omnium sanctorum, a viciis, a concupiscenciis, a peccatis et a temptacionibus diaboli, a subitanea et improvisa morte, et a penis inferni. Illumina cor meum de Spiritu Sancto et de tua sancta gratia; fac me semper tuis obedire mandatis, et a te nunquam in perpetuum permittas separari. Qui vivis et regnas, et cetera.

E quant vus levez le matin, la hu vus dites ore in hac nocte dites dunc in hac die.

Si vus eez ceste manere, dunkes averez vus verray conusance de Deu meymes. Kar issi dist le seint: Si vus fiez de vus meymes, vus serrez a vus meymes livree; e si vus defiez de vus meymes, vus serrez a Deu comandee. E ceste manere de consideraciun^AA5L118a [AA5L118a] consideraciun: consideration is thought earnestly directed to investigation or the application of the mind searching for the truth (the modern meditation), Dom Cuthbert Butler, Western Mysticism (London, 1922), p. 148.18 est apelé meditatiun. Par ceste manere de cunusance de vus meymes [e] par seinte meditatiun devez venir a la conusance de Deu par seinte^AA5L120a [AA5L120a] rej  par seinte repeated18 contemplaciun.

[6 (V) Coment hom deit contempler Deu en chechune creature]

Treys maneres sunt de contemplaciun. La premere est en creature, la seconde en escripture, la tierce en Deu meymes en sa nature. Contemplacion n'est autre chose mes vuhe de Deu.^AA6L5b [AA6L5b] contemplacion . . . Deu: presumably this is an interpolation, since there is no equivalent to it in H. In most French MSS it is run into the next sentence and thus garbles the threefold nature of contemplation clearly set out in the opening of the chapter.18

En ces creatures le poez vus ver en ceste manere. Troys choses sunt en Deu: pusance, savoyr e bonté. Pusance

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est aproprié a Deu le Pere, savoir a Deu le Fiz, bonté a Deu le Seint Esperit. Par sa pusance sunt totes choses criees, par son savoer sunt merveilusement ordinees, e par sa bunté chescun jur multipliees. Son poer [poez]^AA6L12a [AA6L12a] poez B1 Ses poers poez vous A320 vus ver par lur grandure e par lur criaciun, sun savoyr par lur beauté e par lur disposiciun, sa bunté par lur vertu e par lur multiplicaciun. Lur grandure poez vus ver par lur quatre dimensiuns, c'est a savoir par lur hautesse e par lur parfundesse, par lur largesse e par lur lungesse.

Sun savoir poez vus ver si vus pernez garde cument il ad doné a checune creature: [as uns]^AA6L19b [AA6L19b] as uns A220 estre sanz plus, cum as peres; e as autres estre e vivre, cum as arbres [e erbes];^AA6L20a [AA6L20a] e erbes A320 as autres estre, vivre e sentir, cum as bestes; as autres estre, vivre e sentir e resuner, cum a homme e a angle. Kar perres sunt, mes eles ne vivent, ne ne sentent, ne ne resunent. Erbes^AA6L24a [AA6L24a] herbes A3 A5 A8 arbres A2 B3 B4 Erbes sunt e arbres A420 sunt [e] vivent,^AA6L24b [AA6L24b] rej  vivunt20 mes ne sentent ne ne resunent. Bestes sunt, vivent, sentent, mes eles ne resunent.^AA6L25a [AA6L25a] boefs e vaches A720 Hommes sunt, vivent, sentent e resunent. Sunt of les peres, vivent of les herbes, sentent of les bestes, resunent of les angles.^AA6L19a [AA6L19a] : this view of the hierarchy of terrestrial reality, found throughout mediaeval times, is set out in Gregory's Moralia in Job VI, 16 (PL 75, c. 740).20

Ci devez penser ententivement la digneté de humeyne nature, cument ele surmunte chescune creature. E pur ço dist seint Augustin: Jo ne vudraye pas avoyr le lui de un angle se jo puse avoir le luy ke est purvu a homme. Pensez ausi cum cel homme est digne de grant confusion ke ne vult vivre sulum sun degré e sulum sa condiciun.

Kar totes les creatures ke sunt en cest mund sunt criez pur homme sulement. Les desboneres sunt criez pur homme pur troy resuns: pur nus eider de travayler, si cum bouf e vache e chevaus; pur nus vestir e chaucer, si cum lin e leyne e quir; pur nus pestre e sustenir, si cum bestes, blé de terre [e] pessun de mer. Les nusantes creatures, cum sunt les malurés herbes e les venimuses bestes, sunt crié pur troy choses: pur nostre chastiement e pur nostre amendement e pur nostre enseynement. Nus sumus puniz e chatiez kant nus sumus blescez, hu kant nus dutums d'estre blessés, e ço est grant misericorde k'il nus velt chastier tempereu

Page 20

ment, ke nus ne seuns penez pardurablement. Nus sumus amendez kant nus pensums ke tut ço nus est avenu pur nostre peché, kar quant [f.192r] nus veums ke si petites creatures nus pount nuire, dunc pensum nus de nostre freleté, e sumus humiliez. Nus sumus apris, pur ço ke nus veums en tele[s] creatures^AA6L51a [AA6L51a] celes creatures A722 les merveiluses ovres de nostre creatur. Kar plus nus valent les ovres de la furmie quant a edificacion ke ne fet la force de l'urs u del leun. Ausi cum jo ay dit dé bestes, ausi entendez des herbes.

Quant en teu manere avez regardé Deu en ces creatures, levez sus vostre quor a vostre creatur, e pensez cum ço est grant pusance de fere teu chose de nyent, e duner lur estre; e grant saver de ordiner les en si grant beauté;^AA6L58a [AA6L58a] ordiner les en si grant beauté: the corresponding phase in H runs in suis speciebus ordinavit 46.17, in which species could be understood as kind, species; but evidently the French translator has taken it in the more general sense of appearance, form, beauty. He reserves especes for the former, narrower sense, e.g. P.16. See further Intro. p. xxxviii.22 e grant bonté de multiplier les chescun jur pur nostre utilité. A! Deu, merci, cum nus sumus denatureus! Nus desusums totes ces creatures, e il les crie; nus les confundums, e il les guie; nus les destruums chescun jur, e il les multiplie. Dites pur ço a luy en vostre quor: 'Pur ço ke vus estes, pur ço sunt; pur ço ke beaus estes, beles sunt; e pur ço ke bon estes, bones sunt. A bon droit vus loent, vus aurent, vus glorifient tote[s] vos^AA6L66a [AA6L66a] totes vos A722 creatures, tresbenoite Trinité! A bon droit vos loent pur lur bonté; a bon droit vus aurent pur lur beauté; a bon droit vus glorifient pur lur utilité totes vos creatures, tresbenoite Trinité, de ki sunt totes choses par sa pusance criees; par ki sunt totes choses par son savoir guvernees; en ki sunt totes choses par sa bonté multipliees. Ipsi honor et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.

Ore avez vus materie cument vus poez ver Deu en chescune creature, e ço est le premer degré de contemplatiun.

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7 [(VI) Coment hom deit ver sa volunté en escripture]

Le secund degré de contemplaciun est en escriptures. Mes ore me demanderez, vus ki estes de simple lecture: 'Coment purray jamés venir a contemplacion de escripture?' Ore me entendez, ducement e jo vus dirray par aventure: quantk'est escrit poit estre dit. Si vus ne savez entendre quantk'est escrit, oez volunters le bien ke l'en vus dist, quant vus oez rien de seint' escripture, u en sermon commun, u en privee collaciun. Pernez garde tant tost si vus oez rien ke valer vus pusse a edificacion: a peché hair e vertu amer; a duter peyne e jo[i]e desirer; a despire ço mund e vers l'autre haster; quey vus devez fere e quoy vus devez lesser;^AA7L12a [AA7L12a] rej  vus vus devez lesser24 e quantke illumine^AA7L13a [AA7L13a] illumine: this form from A2, instead of the usual popular variants alumer or enlum(in)er, is a more precise rendering of illuminat H48.9, clearly used here in the sense of Augustinian illumination.24^AA7L13a [AA7L13a] illumine A224^AA7L13a [AA7L13a] rej  alume24 vostre entendement en cunusance de verité; e quantke enflambe votre affection en fervur de charité. Kar de ço deus biens sert^AA7L15a [AA7L15a] sert: an uncertain reading; the whole sentence is missing from H48.11, and may be an interpolation in the French, which has a variety of forms: vienent A2, ert A3, siet A5, set A7, seit A9, B2, est B3, etc. The lost original may perhaps have been *siut.24 kantk'est escrit en privé u en apert.

Hors de seint' escripture devez estreire e savoir^AA7L17a [AA7L17a] estreire e savoir: H reads flores excerpere. This reference to a scriptural florilegium on the vices and virtues derives from Peter Cantor (PL 205, c. 338), but perhaps because of its strangeness, the translator has avoided trying to render the concept into the vernacular.24 queus sunt les set morteus pechés; e les set vertuz; e lé dis comandemens; e les duze articles de la fey; e les set sacremens; e les set duns del Seint Esperit; e les sis ovres de misericorde; e les [set] vertus^AA7L21a [AA7L21a] set vertuz A224 de l'evangile; e les set preeres [de la paternostre];^AA7L22a [AA7L22a] de la paternostre A224 e les peynes de enfern; e les joies du cel.

8 [(VII) Dé set morteus pechez, e de lur especes]

Les set morteus pechés sunt ces: orguyl, envie, ire, accidie,^AA8L3a [AA8L3a] This item in its turn is confused; accidie has been lost altogether and tristesse has been made the headword. The correct heading is as in B1. Most MSS exhibit some confusion in these two items; A5 appears to be the only exception in accurately following H. Some of the confusion may be due to ambiguity in the use of tristesse. In Gregory's usage tristitia includes both tristitia and acedia, but since the former includes attitudes which are not at all sinful, Cassian's term acedia gradually comes to replace tristitia. As a result, the terminology of this sin is unstable, and the omission of accidie from A1 the more understandable. Edmund clearly regards tristitia as one of a series of disorders whose root cause is acedia: De accidia nascuntur tristicia, malicia, desperacio . . . etc. H50.22. See M. W. Bloomfield, The Seven Deadly Sins (Michigan, 1967), pp. 356-7.24 avarice,^AA8L3b [AA8L3b] malice: perverse love of evil for its own sake . . . a kind of all-inclusive sin which was used fairly often in lists of sins . . . in the sense of wickedness often appears as a branch of sloth . . . (Bloomfield, op. cit., pp. 87, 147).24 glutunie, lechcrie.

Orguyl est amor de propre hautesse; de luy nessent ces set: inobedience encontre Deu u encontre [son]^AA8L5a [AA8L5a] contre son A224 suvereyn, c'est a dire lesser ço k'est comandé e fere ço k'est defendu. La seconde espece est jactance, quant homme se avante de bien k'il ad de autre, u de mal k'il ad de soy meymes. La tierce espece est ypocrisye, kant homme [se] fet^AA8L9a [AA8L9a] se fait A224 aver biens k'il n'a mie, e muse les maus k'il a. La quarte espece est

Page 24

despit de autre, quant homme menuse autri bien pur ço k'il meymes dust apparer meyllur. La quinte espece est arrogance, quant homme feit compareysun entre ces maus demeyne e les maus de autre, ke suen mal puisse meyns apparer. La syme espece est baudesse, quant homme n'a point de hunte de [son] mal apert.^AA8L16a [AA8L16a] mal apert: this phrase, translating malo suo manifesto H50.8, occurs here considerably earlier than it is attested elsewhere. Joinville uses it c. 1300; it is established as malapert in English in the early 15th century, and in our text it is translated back into the Latin of L as malo aperto L51.8.26^AA8L16a [AA8L16a] son mal apert A226 La seme espece est elaciun, quant homme se esjoit de suen mal.

E vus devez savoir ke troy choses sunt dunt homme s'enorguyle, ço est a savoir les biens k'il ad de nature, si cum beauté u force, u bon engyn, u noblesse de linage. La seconde chose [est] ke^AA8L21a [AA8L21a] est ceo ke A226 homme ad de purchas, si cum science, vertu, grace, bone fame e digneté. La tierce chose est bien temporel, si com vesture, meysun, rente, possession, meyné, chevauchure e honur del [f.192v] secle.

De envie nessent joie de autri maus e dolur de autri biens. E ço put estre en quor par affliction, u en buche par detraction, u en ovre par subtraction de bien, u enticement de mal. De ire nessent tensuns, emflure de quor,^AA8L28a [AA8L28a] emflure de quor: translating cordis inflacio H50.20, this is clearly a Pauline echo, e.g. Charitas . . . non inflatus I Cor. XIII.4, frustra inflatus sensu carnis suae Col. II. 18, etc.26 rancur de curage,^AA8L28b [AA8L28b] rancur de curage, manaces: these words properly belong under ire, but in A1 they have been accidentally transposed to the next item and are found between malice and desperance, as in B1.26 manaces, huntuse[s]^AA8L29a [AA8L29a] huntuse[s]: see Intro. p. xxx.26 paroles,^AA8L28c [AA8L28c] queor rancor de corage manaces untouse paroles A526 dedeyn^AA8L28d [AA8L28d] rej  quor huntuse paroles d.26 e blasphemies. [De accidie nescent tristesce], malice, desperance,^AA8L30a [AA8L30a] De accidie nescent tristesce malice desperaunce A526^AA8L30a [AA8L30a] rej  De tristesse nessent malice rancur de curage manaces desperance26 negligence encontre les comandemens Deu [e] volage quor entur les choses ke sunt defendues. De avarice nessent traysuns, parjurs, mau repos, violence, e duresse de quor encontre misericorde. De glutunie nessent veyne leesse, legerté, ordure mult parler e feble entendement. De lecherie nessent evoglesse de quor, en oreyson instabilité, fole haste, amur de sey meymes, haunge de Deu, amur del secle present, hydur e desperance del secle k'est a venir.

Ces sunt les set morteus pechez; e bien sunt apelé morteus, kar les troys premers despolient le cheytif pecheur, e [le] quart le bat,^AA8L41a [AA8L41a] le quart le abat A226 le quint le enget, le sime le deceit,^AA8L41b [AA8L41b] le deceit A226^AA8L41b [AA8L41b] rej  detort26 le seme le met en servage. Kar orguil tout a homme sun Deu, envie sun prome, ire sey meymes; accidie le turmente, avarice le enget, glutunie le deceit,^AA8L44a [AA8L44a] le deceit A226^AA8L44a [AA8L44a] rej  glutunie le detort26 lecherie en vil servage le met.

Page 26

[9 (VIII) Dé set vertuz de l'evaungile]

Remedie[s]^AA9L2a [AA9L2a] Remedies A328 encontre ces set vices met Nostre Seynur set vertuz en le seint' evaungile, e dist en ceste manere: Benurez sunt les umbles de esperit, kar lur est la joie du cel. Ço est encontre orguil, ke tout [a] homme [son] Deu.^AA9L5a [AA9L5a] qe toult a home son dieu A328 Benurez sunt les deboneyres enver lur prome, kar il avrunt la terre pardurable. Ço est encontre envie, ki tout a homme sun prome. Benurez sunt ces ki plurent, kar il serrunt confortez. Ço est encontre ire, ki tout [a] homme^AA9L9a [AA9L9a] tout a hom A328 soy meymes. Benurez sunt les merciables, ki unt merci dé autres, kar Deu avra merci de eus. Ço est encontre avarice, ke de nul homme n'a pité. Benurez sunt ki unt feym, c'est a dire aprés dreyture, kar il serrunt refet. Ço est encontre accidie e neggligence. Benurez sunt ki unt nettesse de quor, kar il verrunt la face Deu. Ço est encontre glutunie, ke tuz jurs pense de charnauté. Benurez sunt les peysibles, kar il serrunt apelé lé fiz Deu. Ço est encontre lecherie, kar le lecheur jamés ne put aver pes ne repos de quor. Ces sunt les medicines contre les set vices.^AA9L19a [AA9L19a] les . . . vices: until this point the wording of H is clearly the original from which this chapter was translated. Here, however, H reads priora vicia instead of septem, and follows with a second and redundant set of remedies, 52.17-30. These are not found in the A-text, and indeed appear only in B2 and B5. They are evidently a later interpolation which has found its way into H. This chapter provides one of the instances in which French A is a more reliable guide to content than is H. See further Intro. p. xiv.28

[10 (IX) Dé set duns del Seint Esperit e de lur suficience]

Ore avez les maladies e lur medicines. Pus aprés vent le suvereyn mire e prent cestes medicines e garist homme de cestes set maladies, e le conferme en celes set vertuz par les duns del Seint Esperit, ke sunt ces: le esperit de savoir e de entendement, le esperit de conseil e de force, le esperit de science e de pité, e l'esperit de dute de Deu.

Par ces set duns aprent Nostre Seynur a homme quantk'il a mester a la vie active e a la vie contemplative. E veez coment primes deit hom lesser le mal e pus fere le bien. Lesser le mal, ço aprent l'esperit de la pour de Deu; fere le bien, ço vus aprent le esperit de pité. E pur ço ke deu[s] choses sunt ke desturbent homme de bien fere, ço est a saver, prospérité e adversité de cest mund: prosperité

Page 28

deceit par blandiesse, adversité par duresse. Pur ço devez despire les prosperitez de ço secle, ke vus ne seez desue; e ço vus aprent le esperit de science. E vus devez forment sufrir les adversitez, ke vus ne seez vencue; e ço vus aprent le esperit de force. E ces quatre suffisent^AA10L21a [AA10L21a] suffisent A230^AA10L21a [AA10L21a] rej  sufusent30 a la vie active.

Les autres trois partinent a la vie contemplative, kar troys maneres sunt de contemplation: une en creatures, e ço vus aprent le esperit de entendement; une autre en escriptures, u vus veez ke vus devez fere e quei vus devez lesser; e ço vus aprent le esperit de conseil. La tierce manere est en Deu meymes, e ço vus aprent le esperit de savoir. Ore veez pur le duz Jhesu cum il est ententif entur vostre salu.

11 [(X) Dé dis comandemens]

Aprés ço devez savoir queus sunt [f.193r] lé dis comandemens.

Le premer cumandement est itel: vus devez aurer [Deu]^AA11L4a [AA11L4a] Deu A330 Nostre Seynur, e a li sul servirez. Ço est a dire, aurez Deu par droyte foy, servez a lui sul par bones ovres. Ci devez penser si vus avez Deu leaument ahuré, si sur totes choses le avez servie, si vos promesses li avez rendue, u si vous avez fet mei[n]s de penance [qe fere ne dussez],^AA11L9a [AA11L9a] qe fere ne dussez A330 e si ço ke en bapteyme promeistes avez rendue. Par ço comandement est homme ordené enver Deu le Pere.

Le second^AA11L12a [AA11L12a] rej  seconde30 comandement est itel: vus ne prendrez pas le nun vostre Deu en veyn. Par ço comandement est defendu mensunge, fausine e serement; e par ço est homme ordené enver Deu le Fiz ki en dist: Jo sui verité.

Le tiers comandement est: remembrez vus ke vus^AA11L16a [AA11L16a] rej  ke vus ke vus30 guardét le sabat. C'est a dire, chescune feste en vostre quor demeyne en quieté e en repos, kar ço dist ço mot Sabath. E ço

Page 30

comandement ordeyne homme a receyvre le Seint Esperit.^AA11L1a [AA11L1a] The section in H (54.25-58.6) dealing with the first three commandments, especially the third, is considerably longer than the corresponding paragraphs in French A. There can be no question that H now incorporates considerable interpolations. At the same time, it is difficult to establish from the French exactly what were the original contents, since these three commandments appear to have been peculiarly susceptible to interpolations: B2 has wide variations, A3 has different wording in the first, and, as can be seen, the B1 version is fuller than the A1. It is a reasonable supposition that the more wordy versions have departed most from the original, but it would be hazardous to pronounce for any one short version rather than another. See further Intro. pp. xiv-xv.32

Ces troys comandemens aprenent homme coment il se doit avoer enver Deu la Trinité, a ki semblance li est en alme crié. Les set autres^AA11L22a [AA11L22a] Les set autres: some MSS, e.g. A5, B2, number the commandments 1-10, but the usual practice is to divide them, as here is both A1 and B1, into 3 and 7. This division has a respectable history; cf. St. Augustine: … et vivitur male adversus tria et septem, psalterium decem chordarum, decalogum tuum, deus altissime et dulcissime (Confessiones III, 8).32 apernent homme coment il se doit aver enver sun prome.

Le premer est cest: vus honurez vostre pere e vostre mere charnel e espiritel, e ço en deus maneres; c'est a dire ke vus devez a eus obeir ou reverrence, e vus les devez ayder sulunc vostre poer en totes les choses dunt il unt mester, ke vus seez de lung[e] vie en la terre dé vivanz. E ço est droit, si vus volez estre de lunge vie, ke vus honurez ceus par ki vus avez vie. Kar ki ne vot honurer celi par ki il est, c'est droit k'il ne soit meis ço k'il est.

Le second^AA11L32a [AA11L32a] rej  seconde32 comandement est itel: vus ne tuerez nul homme. Ci devez savoir ke homicide est en mut de maneres. Il i a homicide de main, de launge, de quor. Homicide de meyn est quant homme tue autre de sa meyn e quant il [le met en liu]^AA11L35a [AA11L35a] le met en liu A232^AA11L35a [AA11L35a] rej  il me en luy32 de mort, si cum en prisun u en autre lu ke puse estre occasion de sa mort. Homicide de launge est en deu[s] maneres, par comandement u par enticement. Homicide de quor est ausi en deu[s] maneres, ço est a saver, quant homme desire e coveite autri mort, e quant il sufre homme murir e nel vot delivrer s'il ad le poer.

Le tierz comandement est cest: vus ne frez point de lecherie. Ço est droit; ki volt aver la vie saunz corrupcion en la joie du ciel, il [li] estut [garder] sa vie^AA11L44a [AA11L44a] lui estoet garder sa vie A232 mortele saunz corrupcion de sun cors.

Le quart comandement est cest:^AA11L46a [AA11L46a] rej  ceste32 vus ne frez point de larcin ne fausine. Ço est droit, kar ki vot autri vie esparnier, il ne doit pas tolir chose ke doit sa vie sustenir.

Le quint comandement est cest: vus ne porterez point de faus testmeyne encontre vostre prome ovec celuy ke lui vot nure ou tuer. E ço est droit, kar ki ne vot par sei meymes son prome damagier,^AA11L52a [AA11L52a] vot par sei memes son prosme damager A232^AA11L52a [AA11L52a] rej  vot meymes son prome demeyne par se damagier32 il ne deit a autre, ke damage fere le vot, consentir ne ayder ne conseil duner.

Le sime comandement est cest: vus ne coveyterez pas la

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femme vostre prome, ne sa ancele, ne nul' autre femme, vus ke estes homme; ne nul homme du mund, vus ke estes femme.

Le seme comandement est itel: vus ne cuveyterez pas la chose vostre prome. E ces deus comandemenz acordent^AA11L60a [AA11L60a] acordent A234 a^AA11L60b [AA11L60b] rej  sywent a34 ceus deus ki venent devant: vus ne frez point de lecherie, ne vus [ne] frez^AA11L62a [AA11L62a] ne fretz A334 point de larsin. Kar ki ad male volunté e male entente e[n] sun quor, il ne se poet de mal fere en ovre lungement detenir. E pur ço, si vus ne volez mie fere lecherie, vus homme ne vus femme, ne coveytez homme ne femme. E si ne volez pas embler, ne coveytez mie autri chose en vostre quor.

Ces sunt les dis comandemens ke Deu dona a Moysi en le munt de Synay. Lé trois premers partinent a l'amur de Deu, les autres set a l'amur de vus meymes e de vostre prome.

[12 (XI) Dé troy vertuz e lur sufficience: fey, esperance, amur]

Aprés ço devez savoir queus sunt les set vertuz, ço est a dire, fey, esperance e amur, prudence,^AA12L4a [AA12L4a] prudence A6 B434^AA12L4a [AA12L4a] rej  pruesse dreyture34 dreyture, [f.193v] temperance e force. De meymes une materie sunt les dis comandemens e ces set vertuz. Mes ço est la difference ke lé dis comandeme[n]z vus enseinent quey vus devez fere, e les set vertuz vus apernent la manere. Les troys premeres,

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ço est a saver, fey, esperance e amur, vus ordeinent coment vus devez vivre quant a Deu, les autre[s] quatre cument vus devez ordener vostre vie demeyne, ke vus menra a la joie du ciel. Vus savez, nus sumus tuz crié pur une fin, ço est a saver, pur Deu conustre, amer e aver.

Mes troys choses sunt necessaries pur venir a nostre fin, c'est a saver, ke nus sachuns u nus devu[n]s aler, e ke nus voiluns venir, e ke nus eiuns fiance de parvenir. Kar grant folie serroit de comencer chose ke l'em ne put pas achever.

De autre part, homme ke vot bien fere, il [lui] estuet^AA12L19a [AA12L19a] lui estoet A236 k'il eit savoir e poer e voler, c'est a dire k'il [le] sache fere, e le pusse fere, e le voile fere. Mes pur ço ke nus n'avuns savoir, ne poer, ne vuler de nus meymes, pur ço nus a Deu duné fey pur paremplir la defaute de nostre pussance, esperance^AA12L23a [AA12L23a] rej  conussance esperance36 pur paremplir la defaute de nostre conussance,^AA12L23b [AA12L23b] pussance . . . conussauce: the text of A1 is muddled here, and reads as in B1. This context is corrupt in all extant French MSS, and, if it is to be made theologically acceptable, needs to be restored in the light of the original: fidem, per quam implere possumus potencie nostre defectum; spem, ad supplendum nostre sciencie profectum H62.4-6.36 e veray amur^AA12L24a [AA12L24a] rej  nunpussance e veray36 pur ordener nostre volunté a l'un e a l'autre. Fey nus ordeyne a Deu le Pere,^AA12L27a [AA12L27a] rej  Deu le pere . . . pusance36 a ki est aproprié pusance, esperance a Deu le Fiz,^AA12L26a [AA12L26a] rej  Deu le fiz . . . savoir36 a ki est aproprié savoir, amur al Seint Esperit, a ki est aproprié bonté. E pur ço, fei nus fet aver conusance de Deu; e tele conusance nus dist k'il est a merveille franc, ki en teu manere e si largement dune de ces biens; e de ço vient esperance. E de cele conusance, ke nus dit com il est bon, vient la tierce vertu k'est amur, kar checune chose eyme naturelment le bien.

[13 (XII) Dé duze articles de la fé]

Ci devez savoir queus sunt les^AA13L2a [AA13L2a] rej  les superscript36 duze articles de la fey.

Le premer est cest: Deu est un en sey meymes e troys en persones, sanz comencement e san[z] fyn, ki totes choses cria de sa Parole.

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Le second est [ke]^AA13L6a [AA13L6a] est ke A238^AA13L6a [AA13L6a] rej  seconde est ki38 le Fiz Deu prist char de la virg[i]ne Marie, e nasquist de luy verray Deu e verray Homme.

Le tierz est ke meyme cel Jhesu, Deu e Homme, fu mort e enseveli, ne mie par necessité mes pur nus rechater de sa pure volunté.^AA13L2a [AA13L2a] The first three articles are longer in both H and the B-text than they are in A. See Intro. pp. xv-xvi.38

Le quart est ke meymes^AA13L11a [AA13L11a] rej  meymes le38 [cel] Jhesu,^AA13L11b [AA13L11b] cil ihu A238 Deu e Homme, releva de mort^AA13L12a [AA13L12a] rej  morte38 en vie, e ke nus releverun ausi.

Le quint est ke meyme cel Jhesu, Deu e Homme, munta eu ciel en sa humanité, e ke nus munteruns.

14 [(XII) Dé set sacremens]

Le syme est bapteyme, ke fet homme net del premer peché^AA14L2a [AA14L2a] premer peché: although the B-text has pecch[é] original, corresponding to originale peccatum H64.3, premer is the regular reading in the earlier French A-texts. Original is evidently a later substitution and probably a neologism, since it is not attested elsewhere until the middle of the 13th century.38 k'il treit de ces parenz, e dune grace a[s] purgés.^AA14L3a [AA14L3a] as espourgetz A538

Le seme est confirmation u confermement, ke conferme le Seint Esperit en homme baptizé.

Le utime est penance, ke oste checune manere de peché actuel^AA14L7a [AA14L7a] actuel: this word is not used in H, which has peccatum . . . tam mortale quam veniale 66.2. Nor does it appear in B1. Its use here is theologically acceptable; peccatum actuale, q.e. originale, is divided into veniale and mortale. In the French actuel is a neologism; it is not attested elsewhere until later in the 13th century.38, venial e mortal.

Le noefvime est le sacrement de l'auter, ke conferme le

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penant e le done^AA14L9a [AA14L9a] li donne A240 force k'il ne rechete autrefie en peché, e le susteint, e le recunsile.^AA14L8a [AA14L8a] The brief reference in the A-text to this sacrament merits comparison with the fuller treatment accorded to it in the B-text (14.22-35), in which annual communion for every Christian is clearly prescribed. This was one of the capitula of the Fourth Lateran Council; the fact that it is mentioned in the B-text but is absent from the A is additional evidence for the argument that the date of the original Speculum is earlier than that of the Council. Indeed, the treatment in the B-text of other sacraments carries the same implication; e.g. the discussion of marriage in 14.46-55, as compared with the single sentence of A (14.13-14), surely reflects another of the Council's concerns.40

Le dime est ordre, ke done poer as ordenez de lur office fere, e de celebrer les sacremenz.

Le unzyme [est] matrimonne,^AA14L13a [AA14L13a] est matrimonies A540 ke defent mortel peché en ovres de generacion entre homme e femme.

Le dozyme article est unction, dunt l'en enoynt^AA14L15a [AA14L15a] enoint A2 A540^AA14L15a [AA14L15a] rej  len nynt40 les malades en peril de mort pur allegance de cors e de alme.

Ces sunt les duze articles de la fey.

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15 [(XIII) Dé quatre vertuz chardinales: prudence,prudence A6 B4pruesse dreiture dreiture,dreiture: with this exception, the names of the four cardinal virtues are as in Modern French. Dreiture for the modern justice is noteworthy, since the latter is attested as early as the Alexis. Force as a translation of fortitudo is hallowed by usage; fortitude is not attested until 1308, and its existence in Modern French appears to be due to its revival by Chateaubriand. temperance e force]

Aprés ço devez saver queus sunt lé quatre vertuz cardinales par lequeus tote humeyne vie est guvernee, e ço secle guyé. Ço sunt prudence, dreiture, force e temperance.

De ço quatre dist [le] Seint Esperit en Sapience ke^AA15L7a [AA15L7a] le seint . . . sapience ke A242^AA15L7a [AA15L7a] rej  ki ren42 ren n'est plus profitable a homme en terre, e veez purquoy: ki ke unkes vudra bien fere, primes coveynt il k'il sache elire le bien del mal, e de deus biens le meyslur; e ço vus aprent prudence.^AA15L11a [AA15L11a] aprent prudence A6 B442^AA15L11a [AA15L11a] rej  aprent pruesse42 E quant vus avez esleu le bien del mal e de deus biens le meilur, dunc devez lesser le mal e fere le bien, e lesser le mendre bien pur le greignur.^AA15L13a [AA15L13a] pur le greignur A2 A542^AA15L13a [AA15L13a] rej  pur le meillur42 E ço est la vertu k'est apelé dreyture. E pur ço ke deus choses desturbent homme de bien fere e de mal lesser, ço est a saver, prosperité de ço secle pur luy deceyvre par fauces suavitez, l'autre [f.194r] adversité^AA15L17a [AA15L17a] rej  lautre est adversite42 pur luy abatre par suverenes asperitez, encontre^AA15L18a [AA15L18a] rej  asperitez E acontre42 prosperité devez aver mesure, ke vus ne seez pas trop eslevee; e cele vertu est

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apelé temperance. Encontre adversité devez aver hardiesse de curage, ke vus ne seez dejetee; e cele vertu est apelé force.

16 [(XIV) Dé sis ovres de misericorde]

Aprés ço devez saver queus sunt les sis^AA16L2a [AA16L2a] rej  sis superscript44 ovres de misericorde. Le premer est duner a manger al familus, le second^AA16L3a [AA16L3a] rej  seconde44 doner a beyvre al seillus, le tierz est vestir le nu, le quart herberger le pelerin, le quint visiter le prisun, le syme conforter le malade. Ces sunt les cis ovres de misericorde, ki partinent al cors. Mes ore puriez vus dire a moy: 'Jo ke suy en religion n'ay poer de doner a manger, ne a beyvre, ne vesture, ne hostel, kar jo n'ay dunt jo puse visiter lé prisuns, ne conforter les malades, kar jo suy en autri volunté. Pur ço vaudreit meuz ke jo fuse seculere, ke jo puse fere ceus ovres de misericorde.' Ne seez pas deceuhe; meuz vaut aver pité e compassion en vostre quor de celi k'est mes[eis]ee^AA16L14a [AA16L14a] meseisez A244 ke si vus ussez tot cest mund pur duner par charité. Kar meuz vaut sanz compareyson ço ke vus estes ke ne fet ço ke vus avez. Donez vus meymes, e vus donez plus ke ne seit en tuyt ço mund.

Mes ore puriez vus dire en teu manere: 'Vers est, meuz vaut de duner sey meimes ke del soen, mes meuz vaut le un e l'autre ke ne fet l'un par soy. Kar meyns vaut un bien ke deus.' N'est pas issi, kar lequeu vaut il meuz, estre apelé Deu u de estre sun serf? Vus savez bien ke meuz vaut de estre apelé Deu. Mes ceus ke sufrent feim e seif, freit e defaute e les autre[s] meseyses apele Nostre Seynur Jhesu Crist 'soy meymes'. Kar issi dist il en le evangile: Quantke vus fetes al meyndre dé miens, fetes vus a moy.

De autre part, liquel vaut il meuz, de juger u de estre jugé? Vus savez bien ke meuz vaut de juger. E ço fru[n]t les povres, kar il jugerunt les riches, ausi cum Jhesu dit en le evangile: Vus ki avez totes choses lessé pur l'amur de moy, al jur de juise, kant jo serray en le [see]^AA16L31a [AA16L31a] le see A244 de ma

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majesté, dunk serrez vus sur les duze trones e jugerez les duze lingnees de Israel.

De autre part, liquel vaut meuz, aver la joie du ciel en possession u en promesse? Vus savez bien ke en possession. E ço unt les povres. Kar issi dist meymes Jhesu^AA16L36a [AA16L36a] rej  meymes le Jhesu46 en le evangile: Bonurez sunt les povres de esperit, kar lur est la joie du ciel. Il ne dist pas 'lur serra', mes fet lur est. Ço est a dire ausi seur pouent estre les povres de la joie du ciel cum est homme de une chose k'il a entre ses meins. E pur ço dist seint Bernard en teu manere: Les povres n'unt rien en terre, ne les riches n'unt rien en ciel. E pur ço si les riches le volent aver, il lur covient achater des povres.

Ore say jo bien ke vus desirez mut de saver ki est verray povre e ki non, e ki est riche e ki nun. Ore oez ou devociun. Les uns sunt ke unt richesces e les eyment. Ceus sunt les avers e les cuveytus de ço mund. Les autres sunt ke ne les unt pas, mes il les eyment, e les vodroyent volunters aver. Ceus sunt les cheytifs mendianz du secle e la fauce gent en religion; e ceus sunt ausi riches cum les autres u plus. E ceus sunt de ki Jhesu dist en le evangile ke plus leger serroit a un camail de passer parmi [le] tru^AA16L53a [AA16L53a] le treu A346 de une petite aguyle ke li riches entrer en la joie du ciel.

Les uns unt richesses, mes il ne les eyment nent. Nepurkant il les volent bien aver. Ceus sunt lé prudeshummes de ço secle ki despendunt bien ço k'il unt. Mes poy i a de ceus! Les autres sunt ke n'unt point de richesse[s],^AA16L58a [AA16L58a] des richesces B346 ne [ne les]^AA16L59a [AA16L59a] ne ne les A2 aver ne les A746 eyment, ne aver ne [les] vulent. Ceus sunt les seins hommes [f.194v] de religion, e ceus sunt verrayment povres, e lur est la joie du ciel. Kar issi dist Jhesu: Benurez sunt les povres, kar lur est la joie du ciel. C'est la beneysun as povres. Dunc covient ke les riches eyent la contrayre de ceste benoysun. E pur ço si jo pus dire: Benurez sunt les povres, kar lur est la joie du ciel, dunk pus jo dire: 'Malurez sunt les riches, kar lur est la peyne d'enfern.'

Riches sunt ki unt [richesces e les] eyment,^AA16L67a [AA16L67a] richesces e les ayment e qui ount poverte e ayment richesces B346^AA16L67a [AA16L67a] rej  Riches sunt ki unt e ki eyment mes kil ne eient46 [e qui ount poverté e ayment richesces]. Povres sunt ki unt poverté

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e [le] eyment,^AA16L69a [AA16L69a] le ayment B348 e ki unt richesce e eyment poverté.

[17 (XV) Dé set preeres de la paternostre e coment l'en doit prier]

Aprés ço devez saver queus sunt les set prieres ki ostunt tut maus e purchassent tut biens. E cestes set^AA17L4a [AA17L4a] rej  cestest48 prieres sunt contenues en la duce paternostre. Kar Nostre duz Seynur Jhesu Crist aprist a ces disciples coment il deveyent prier Deu le Pere, e lur dist en teu manere: Quant vus priez, dites issi: Pater noster, qui es in celis, ço est a dire, Pere nostre, ki estes eu ciel. Sanctificetur nomen tuum, seyntifié soit tun nun. Adveniat regnum tuum, vieyne tun regne. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in celo et in terra, ta volunté^AA17L11a [AA17L11a] destiné: the original has predestinati (sunt ad vitam eternam) H78.6, and the same word is used in L79.8. Curiously, it is not translated by predestiner, although this is attested in 1190. At this period predestinare is contrasted with reprobare, and hence its use with ad vitam eternam. Predestination as a generic term for both election and reprobation derives from 16th-century usage.48 seyt feyte, ausi en terre cum ele est eu ciel. Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie, nostre payn de chechun jur donez nus huy. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, e pardunez nus noz dettes^AA17L16a [AA17L16a] rej  detteres48 ausi cum nus pardununs a noz deturs. Et ne nos inducas in temptacionem, sed libera nos a malo, e ne sufrez pas ke nus seum mené en temptacion, mes delivrez^AA17L7a [AA17L7a] The confusion of 2nd person singular and plural forms in the translations of the various petitions is found in both A- and B-texts; it is a general feature of the French MSS.48 nus de mal. Amen, c'est a dire, issi pusse il estre.

Ceste oreysun surmunte chescun' autre oreysun en digneté e en utilité; en digneté pur ço ke Deu meymes la fist. E pur ço fet celuy grant hunte e grant irreverence a Jhesu le Fiz Deu ki se prent as paroles rimees [e curioses],^AA17L24a [AA17L24a] e curioses A248 e let la priere ke celi nus aprist ki set tote la volunté Deu le Pere, et quele ureysun plus li vient a pleysir, e quele chose

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nus cheytifs avuns mester a prier. Kar ausi cum jo vus ay dist, il sul set tote sa volunté e tote nostre necessité. E pur ço sunt cent mil hommes deceuz par multiplicacion de oreysun[s]. Kar quant il quident k'il eient devociun, si unt une orde e charnele affection, pur ço ke chescun charnel curage se delite natureument en teu turnis language. E pur ce seez garnie, kar seurement le vus di, ce est une orde lecherie pur deliter en teu manere de guliardie.^AA17L34a [AA17L34a] guliardie: this is a translation of carminibus theatralibus H74.11; it is later retranslated into Latin as guliardia L75.11. The word was in use in Latin at the time Edmund was writing, but presumably he would avoid so obvious a borrowing. For its appositeness, see E. K. Chambers, The Mediaeval Stage (Oxford, 1963), I, 18n4, II, 27, 57-8.50

De autre part, seint Augustin e seynt Gregoyre e les autres seinz preerent aprés lur affectiun. Jo ne blame poynt lur oreysuns, mes jo blam ceus ki lessent la priere ke Deu^AA17L38a [AA17L38a] rej  ki Deu50 meyme fist e aprist, e se pernent a l'oreysun de un simple seint, u k'il la trovent escrit. E pur ço dist Nostre Seinur en le evangile: Quant vus volez prier, ne priez pas a mut de paroles, mes priez en teu manere, e dites: Pater noster, qui es in celis.

De autre part, cest' oreysun surmunte chescune autre en sufficience, kar leinz est contenu kantke nus avuns mester a ceste vie e a l'autre. Kar nus priuns leynz Deu le Pere k'il nus delivre de tuz maus, e k'il nus doyne tuz biens, e k'il nus face teus ke nus ne pusuns jamés fere mal ne failir de bien. E veez coment: tut le mal ke nus greve, u ço est le mal k'est passé, u le mal k'est a venir, u le mal ke nus sofruns ore. Del mal k'est passé, priuns Nostre duz Seynur k'il nus delivre quant nus diuns: dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; del mal k'est a venir quant nus diums: et ne nos inducas in temptacionem; del mal ke nus sufruns ore quant nus diuns: set libera nos a malo.

De autre part, chescun bien ke seit, si est bien temporel, u bien espiritel, u bien pardurable. Bien temporel priun nus quant nus diuns: panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie; bien espiritel quant [f.195r] nus diuns: fiat voluntas tua, sicut in celo et in terra; bien pardurable quant nus diuns: adveniat regnum tuum; confermement de tuz ces priuns nus quant nus diuns: sanctificetur nomen tuum. Ceus sunt les set preeres de l'evangile ke Nostre Seynur

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Jhesu Crist aprist a ces disciples.

E vus devez saver ke ces quatre moz ke vienent devant, ço est a saver Pater noster qui es in celis, nus apernent coment nus devun prier, e queus nus devuns estre en ureyson, kar nus devuns aver quatre choses en chescun' oreysun. C'est a saver, parfit amur enver celuy ke^AA17L69a [AA17L69a] ke A252^AA17L69a [AA17L69a] rej  celuy ki52 nus priuns; e certayne esperance de aver quantke nus demanduns; e ferme creance en celi en ki nus creuns; e verraye humilité de ço ke de nus meymes nul bien ne avuns. Parfit amur est contenu en ço mot Pater, kar cheschune [creature]^AA17L73a [AA17L73a] checune creature A252 eyme naturelment sun pere. Certeyne esperance [est contenue]^AA17L74a [AA17L74a] est contenue A552 en cel mot noster, kar si il est nostre, dunke pouns nus hardiement esperer en luy, e dire k'il nus est tenu. Ferme creance est notee en ço mot qui es, kar quant nus diuns qui es, dunke creyuns nus ke Deu est, ke unke ne veymes; e ço est dreyte creance, kar fey n'est autre chose for creance de chose ke ne pot estre vue. Verray' humilité est notee en cest mot in celis, kar quant nus pensums cum il est haut, e com nus sumus bas, dunk sumus humiliez.

Quant nus avuns fermé ces quatre choses en nos quers, dunke pouns hardiement prier e dire de tote nostre affection: sanctificetur nomen tuum, seintifié seit tun nun. Ço est a dire, confermez tun nun, ki es Pere, en nus, ke nus seuns en teu manere vos fiz^AA17L87a [AA17L87a] rej  nos fiz52 e vos files, ke rien ne fasuns ke soit encontre ta volunté, e ke tuz jurs fasuns quantke vus vient a gré.

E pur ço ke nus ne pouns jamés parfitement ço fere tant cum sumus en ço chaytif mund, pur ço vus priuns nus: adveniat regnum tuum, viene a nus vostre regne, ke vus regnez en nus en ceste vie par grace, e nus en vus en l'autre par glorie. E meyme ço priuns nus pur ceus ki sunt en purgatorie.

E pur ço ke nus ne purruns jamés aver ou vus la joie du ciel si nus ne fasuns vostre pleysir en terre, fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra, fetes nus fere vostre volunté. Ço est a dire, donez nus la grace de fere quantke vus comandez e lesser quantke vus defendez, e ço ausi en

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tere cum eu ciel. Ço est a dire, ausi cum Michael, Gabriel, Raphael e tuz les angles e archangles, prophetes, apostles, martirs, confessurs, virg[i]nes funt vostre volunté en ciel, ausi pussent fere les ordres ki sunt ci en terre; ço est a saver, nostre seynur l'apostoyle, e les cardinaus, les arseveskes e les eveskes, e les abés e les abesses, les priurs e les prioresses e tuz lur subjez; les arcedeknes e les deens, les persones e les prestres e tuz seinz ordres; les reis e les princes, les cuntes e les baruns, les povres e les riches, les clers e les lays; e tuz ceus ki sunt destiné a la vie pardurable e[n] chechun' ligné,^AA17L111a [AA17L111a] en checune lignee A254 e chescun ordre e chescun eage.

E pur ço ke nus [ne] pouns^AA17L113a [AA17L113a] ne poum A254 mie ferre vostre volunté tant cum nus vivuns en cors si vus ne^AA17L114a [AA17L114a] rej  vus nus ne54 nous sustenez,^AA17L114b [AA17L114b] sil ne nous sustienge A554 panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie, dune nus huy le payn de chescun jur. Ço est a dire, donez nus huy force de cors e de alme, e salu de l'un e de l'autre. C'est a saver, troys maneres de payns: payn corporel, c'est a dire poture e vesture; e payn espiritel, c'est a dire de seint' escripture; e le payn de eukariste, pur conforter le une e l'autre nature: Mes pur ço ke nus ne sumus dignes de nul bien tant cum nus sumus en peché, dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, pardune nus nos pechés, ço est a dire quantke nus avuns peché de pensé, de parole e de feit, e ço ausi cum nus [f.195v] pardununs a ceus ki unt mespris encontre nus.

E pur ço ke poy nus vaut de pardun aver si nus ne pussuns desormés de peché garder, et ne nos inducas in temptacionem, ne sufrez pas ke nus seuns mené^AA17L129a [AA17L129a] mene A2 A5 B3 vencus B254 en^AA17L129b [AA17L129b] rej  seuns vencuz en54 temptacion del diable, ne de la char, ne del mund. E ne mie sulement de temptaciun, sed libera nos a malo, mes delivrez nus de mal de cors e de alme, de peché e de peyne ke ore est u ke est a venir. Amen.

E pur ço ke Nostre Seynur Jhesu Crist dist en le evangile: Quantke vus priez mun Pere e[n] mun nun,^AA17L135a [AA17L135a] en mon non A254 ço vus fra il, pur ço dites a la fin: per Dominum Nostrum Jhesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat, Dominus

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per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.

Ceste est la priere ke Nostre duz Seynur [nus] aprent^AA17L139a [AA17L139a] nus aprent A356 en le evangile. E ne entendez pas ke vus devez dire de boche si cum jo l'ay ci escrit, mes dites sulement la nue lettre de buche, e pensez en vostre quor de ço ke jo ay ci mis sur chescune parole par sey. E ne fetes mie force de multiplier muz de paternostres, kar meuz vaut de dire une of entendement ke mil^AA17L145a [AA17L145a] rej  kil mil56 sanz entendement. Kar issi dist seint Pol apertement: Jo voil meuz dire cinc moz en mon quor devotement ke cinc mile de boche saunz entendement. En meyme la manere devez fere a vostre office en quor. Kar issi dist le prophete: psallite sapienter, ço est a dire, chauntez e verselez sagement. Sagement chaunter est ço ke l'em dist de boche, dire de quor. Kar si vostre cors est en le quor, e vos levres en le sauter, e vostre quor en le marché,^AA17L151a [AA17L151a] Kar si . . . marché: this concept was sufficiently familiar in monastic circles for Rabelais to grace it with a more classical reference: Puis estudioit quelque meschante demye heure, les yeulx assis dessus son livre; mais (comme dict le comicque) son ame estoit en la cuysine. Gargantua XXI, ed. J. Plattard, (Paris, 1961). Plattard's note reads: Térence, l'Eunuque, IV, 8: . . . animus est in patinis, cité par Erasme, Adages, III, 7,10.56 cheitivement estes devisee.

E pur ço ke Nostre Seynur dist: Querez primes le regne Deu, e tant cum avez mester de temporeu bien, vus serra doné sanz demander, pur ço devez saver quey vus devez aver en la joie du ciel.

[18 (XVI) Dé set doaries en cors, e set en alme]

Vus avrez^AA18L2a [AA18L2a] avrez: the use of the future here, contrasted with avez in the B-text, is made clearer by the addition of de glorie A5. This is a more accurate rendering of (corporis) glorificati H80.10.56 set duaries [de glorie]^AA18L2b [AA18L2b] de glorie A556 en cors e set en alme.

Vus avrez en cors beauté sanz ledesse, vietesse sanz laschesse, force sanz feblesse, franchise sanz servage, deliht sanz anguisse, sancté sanz maladie, lunge vie sanz fin.

Vus avrez en alme saver sanz nunsavance, amisté sanz

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enemisté, acord sanz descord, poesté sanz nunpusance, honur sanz deshonur, e seurté sanz pour [e] joie sanz dolur.

19 [(XVI) Dé peynes d'enfern en cors e en alme]

Les cheytifs en enfern avront tut le revers en cors e en alme, ço est a dire, ledesse sanz beauté, feblesse sanz force, e issi de tuz les autres. E pur ço devez mettre tut vostre poer ke vus pussez cele joie aver, kar il y a si grant joie e si grant duçur ke si^AA19L6a [AA19L6a] rej  ki si58 vus pussez vivre del comencement del mund treskes a la fin, e aver totes les delices ke vus seusez deviser, a bon dreit les ducez vus tut[es] lesser pur estre un sul jur en la joie du ciel.^AA19L2a [AA19L2a] Les cheytifs . . . joie du ciel: A5 omits this paragraph and replaces it with a lengthy passage on the Seven Glories and the Signs before Judgement (82v-93r).58

Atant finist le secund degré de contemplacion, ço est a saver, contemplacion en escripture, de laquele si vus pernez bone garde en vostre quor, leger vus serra chescun sermun a retenir. De autre part, vus avez materie de parler a[s] clers, ja ne seent si pruz, e vus avez materie de parler as lays, ja ne soent si rudz. Quant vus parlez as plus sages de vus, movez aukune de ceste[s] materies, e demandez^AA19L16a [AA19L16a] demandez lui A258 pur estre plus certifié. Encement, quant vus parlez a[s] simple[s] genz, apernez les volunters e ducement. Kar assez avez dunt penser [e] parler, e coment vus devez [vostre] vie^AA19L20a [AA19L20a] vostre vie A358 guverner, e autri vie amender.

[20(XVII) De contemplacion de Deu meimes en sa humanité]

Le tierz degré de contemplacion est en Deu meymes, e ço put estre en deu[s] maneres: dehors en sa humanité e dedeinz en sa benoite deité. Kar issi dist seint Augustin: Pur ço devint Deu homme, pur fere homme Deu en sa nature.^AA20L6a [AA20L6a] por fere homme Dieu en sa nature: the ambiguity of the French springs from an awkward translation of the Augustinian original: Ideo Deus factus est Homo, ut totum hominem [= all mankind] faceret ad suam naturam H82.12.58 Kar lequel k'il alast, eynz u hors, tuz jurs puet^AA20L7a [AA20L7a] puet A258^AA20L7a [AA20L7a] rej  pust58

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trover pasture, dedeynz par contemplacion de sa deyté, dehors par consideracion de sa humanité.

De sa humanité devez penser troys choses: la humilité de sa incarnacion, la doçur de sa conversacion, la charité de sa pas [f.196r] sion. Mes ço ne poez vus mie fere tut a une fie. Pur ço lé vus ay jo ci destincté par les set hures del jur ke vus chauntez a muster, ke nul' hore ne vus puse passer ke vus ne eez docement ocupé vostre quor. A ço fere, devez saver ke chescun' hore del jur a duble meditacion, une de la passion, une autre de autre sesun.

21 [(XVIII) De la nativité Jhesu Crist e de la capciun a matines]

Devant matines devez penser de la nativeté primes, e pus de la passion.

De la nativeté devez penser ententivement le tens e le liu e la hore ke nasquist Nostre duz Seynur Jhesu Crist. Le tens estoit enmi yvern, quant il feit plus freit. La hore^AA21L7b [AA21L7b] rej  le hore60 estoit en la mienuyt, la plus dure hore ke soit. Le liu estoit enmi la voie, en une mesun sanz pareie, de cynces fu envolupé, de un liser estoit lié, devant un bof e un asne, en une créche fu coché, pur ço k'il n'avoit autre liu.^AA21L7a [AA21L7a] Le tens . . . liu: see Intro. pp. xli-xlii.60

Ci devez penser de la cure Marie entur sun enfant, de Josep sun mari, cum il avoit joie grant. Pensez de la devocion des pasturs e de la duze conpanie des angles, e levez sus vostre quor e chantez oveske eus Gloria in excelsis Deo, et cetera.

De la passion devez penser coment il estoit cele hore de la nuit tray de sun disciple, e pris com traitre, lié cum laron e demené cum félon. Pensez ausi ententivement cum il meymes se profri a la gent, coment il beza celuy ke le tray, e le numa par nun, e l'apela sun ami; coment il defendi a ces disciples ke nul de eus ne sakast espee; e coment il sana le oreile ke seint Pere aveit copee; e coment ces disciples le lesserent, e les Gieus le pristrent e le tindrent;

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e le lierent e le amenerent premereme[n]t devant Anne, e la fu il examiné [e] buffetté pur ço k'il respondi encontre lur volunté; pus aprés devant Cayphas, e la le nya seint Pere trey fie[s], pur la parole de une ancele maluree.^AA21L28a [AA21L28a] pur la parole de une ancele maluree: there is no corresponding phrase in H, the last sentence of the chapter being ubi eum Petrus ter negavit 84.18. Variations in the French, involving the scriptural temptress, e.g. pucele maluree B5, la parole une femme B4, confirm the impression that this is an interpolation.62

22 [(XIX) De la resurrection e de la illusiun a prime]

Devant prime devez penser de la passion e de la resurreccion.

De la passion devez penser coment les Gieus le menerent en lur consil e porterent faus testmoynes encontre luy, e li mistrent sus k'il aveit dist blasphemies, e k'il aveit dist k'il poust destruyre le temple Deu e redresser un autre dedeynz le tierz jur, e k'il aveit reneé tut le pays de Galilee deskes^AA22L9a [AA22L9a] rej  dreskes62 a Jerusalem; e le comencerent a gaber en diverse[s] maneres, e le escrakerent en la benoite face plus vilment ke unke ne fu nul mastin; e pus covrerent ces beaus oilz, e le dunerent colees, e li demanderent ki ce estoit^AA22L12a [AA22L12a] rej  ke se estoit62 ki feru le avoit; e de quantke le duz Jhesu sufri unkes ne dist une fie: Purquoy fetes vus issi? Mes ausi cum un aynel kant il est amené pur tuer, ausi se porta Jhesu, ke unke ne voleit mot suner. Plusors autre[s] choses li firent ke trop lung serroit a conter.

De la resurrexion^AA22L18a [AA22L18a] rej  resurrexicion62 devez penser ke a itel hore leva Jhesu Crist de mort a vie, aprés ço k'il aveit destruit enfern e delivré les seintes almes del poer al felun. Ci devez penser de la grant doçur^AA22L21a [AA22L21a] A's phrase de la grant doçur is not found in B. The corresponding text of Latin I runs: Hinc ergo de eius multiplici apparicione cogitandum est [ . . . ] qualiter quinquies apparuit in eodem die qua resurrexit, et tociens postea H86.5-8. However, between est and qualiter appear these words: scilicet, qualiter pro sua dulci dilectione, qua dilexit suos, in fide confirmavit. On stylistic grounds alone they are of dubious validity: the doçur of French A and the dulci dilectione of the Latin both have the appearance of pious interpolations. It may well be that the French B-text here preserves the original reading.62 de ces aparisiuns, coment il aparut cinc fee[s] meime le jur e cinc fee[s] aprés.

Primes aparut il a Marie Magdalene, quant ele guida ke ce fut^AA22L24a [AA22L24a] rej  se fut; luy meymes62 un curteler. La seconde fee a ly meymes^AA22L24b [AA22L24b] li meimes A3 A562 e as autre[s] femmes en la voye, quant il les salua e dist: Avete, ço est a dire, Deu vus sauve. La tierce fee aparut il a seint Pere, mes nus n'avuns pas la manere. La quarte fee a deus autre[s] disciples envers le chastel^AA22L28a [AA22L28a] chastel: the unusual sense of this word derives from the Vulgate. Edmund writes euntibus usque Emaus H86.12, but the scriptural account states that ibant . . . in castellum . . . nomine Emaus Luke XXIV.13, in which castellum is the translation of κώμη, an unwalled village or country town, as it also is in Luke X-38. The name Emaus appears to have been commonly linked, as it is here, with castellum, or even castrum: . . . eundo apud castrum de Emaux . . ., … [iuxta] castellum Emaus . . .; E. K. Chambers, The Mediaeval Stage (Oxford, 1963), II, 36n9, 37n4.62 de Emaus, quant il quiderent

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ke ce fut^AA22L29a [AA22L29a] rej  se fut64 un pelerin e quant il le conuserent al depesser de lur payn. La quinte fie a[s] dis apostles, quant seynt Thomas fu absent, quant il estut en miliu de eus e lur dist: Pax vobis, e lur mustra ses mayns e ses piez, pur ço k'il quidoent k'il ussent wu un esperit. La sime fie aparut il a eus autrefie quant seint Thomas fu present, e luy dist k'il meyst sun doy en ses piez e en ses meyns, e sa mayn en sun costé. La seme fee aparut il a seint Pere e a seint Jake^AA22L36a [AA22L36a] a seint Jake: James is not included in H86.19, but the mention of him in the French is scriptural: John XXI.2.64 e a seint Johan e a Nathanael quant il pescherent [f.196v] en la mer ke le evangele apele Tiberiadis, e manja ovecke eus,^AA22L39a [AA22L39a] rej  evecke ous64 e demanda troy fie[s] seint Piere s'il le amast plus ke les autres. La utime fee aparut il en le munt de Galilee, quant il les comanda aler par tut le mund e baptizer tute gent eu nun deu Pere e du Fiz e del Seint Esperit, e lur dist ke il serroit ovecke eus treskes a la fin de ço mund.^AA22L43a [AA22L43a] e lur dist . . . mund: this corresponds to et promisit eisdem se cum illis mansurum usque in finem seculi H86.15, where it appears under the sixth apparition. This is unscriptural; correctly it should appear under the eighth, as it does in A1 and B1, and also in L(cf. Matthew XXVIII.19-20). It has been misplaced in H.64 La noyfvime fee aparut il a eus le jur de la assencion, quant furent al manger, e reprist lur mescreance e la duresse de lur quer. La dime fee aparut il a eus meimes le jur quant les mena hors de la cité en le munt de Olivete, e lur comanda k'il demurassent en la cité treskes atant k'il fussent vestuz de la vertu de en haut, e lur dona sa duze benoisun, e departi de eus au ceil, e set al destre sun Pere.

23 [(XX) De la venue del Seint Esperit e de la flagellaciun a terce]

Devant tierce devez penser de la passion e de la Pentecoste.

De la passion devez penser coment Nostre duz Seynur estoit a icele hore despoilé tut nu, e lié a un piler en la mesun Pilate, e flaelé si felonessement ke de sun duz col treskes a la plante du pié ne remist en luy sancté. Pensez ausi coment Pilate le envea a Herode, e coment Herode le

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deguerpi, e le vesti de une blanche cote en signe k'il le tint a fol, e le reenvea a Pilate, e Pilate le voleit delivrer. Mes avant le voleit il chastier sulun la manere des larruns ke l'em devroit quites lesser. E ces chevalers le pristrent, e ensemblerent^AA23L14a [AA23L14a] rej  en ensemblerent66 tute la gent pur luy regarder, e le vestirent de un vermeyl mantel, e le^AA23L15a [AA23L15a] le: see Intro. p. xxxiii.66 dunerent un bastun de un rosel en lyu de septre, e mistrent une corune de espines sur sun chief, e se agenulerent devant luy, e le comencerent^AA23L17a [AA23L17a] comencerent: see note to 25.24.66 a saluer. Mes ja pur ço ne le voleint les Gieus lesser, e Pilate voleit fere lur asez, e lur dilivra un larrun, e lur [dona]^AA23L19a [AA23L19a] lur dona A266 Jhesum a crucifier saunz achesun.

De la Pentecuste devez penser ke a cele hure du jur envea Nostre Seynur le Seint Esperit a ses disciples en semblance de fu e de launges, k'il fussent abundanz en parole e ardanz en amur, e ço fu la dreite purveance Nostre Seynur. Kar en deu[s] maneres deceust le mal esperit homme en parays, c'est a dire, e par mauveis enticement de sa launge, e par la freydure de sun venyn. E pur ço vynt le Seint Esperit en launge encontre l'enticement del diable en fu pur destruyre la freydure de sun venym.

24 [(XXI) De la incarnacion e de la crucifixion a middy]

Devant le midi devez penser de l'anunciacion e de la passion.

De l'annunciation^AA24L4a [AA24L4a] annunciation: the chapter heading, the original (de Christi incarnacione et de ipsius passione H88.28) and the contents show this to be a mistake for incarnation. It must be a very early error since it appears in all the extant French MSS and in L89.31.66 devez penser de la misericorde Nostre Seyngnur, pur quoy il voleit homme devenir, e sufrir mort pur nus en sa humanité, pus ke en autre manere vus pust aver rechaté. E tut ço fist il a vus pur estrere a luy l'amur de vus. Kar si un ust esté vostre creatur e un autre vostre sauveur, dunc pussez vus plus aver amé vostre rechatur ke vostre creatur. E pur ço voleit vostre creatur estre vostre sauveur, e sufrir en sun cors tote nostre dolur pur achater^AA24L12a [AA24L12a] achater A266^AA24L12a [AA24L12a] rej  achatur66 tote nostre amur.

De la passion devez penser ke a tele hure fu Jhesu mis

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en la croiz entre deus laruns, un a destre, un autre a senestre, ausi cum [si] il ust^AA24L15a [AA24L15a] come sil eust A268 esté lur mestre. Ci ne say jo ke dire. Kar si tutes les maladies e toutes les dolurs de ço mund fussent en le cors de un sul homme, e cel homme pust conceyvre^AA24L18a [AA24L18a] conceyvre: this is an unusual translation of the original sustinere H90.11; the expected *sostenir is attested as early as the 10th century.68 ausi grant angoysse e ausi grant dolur en sun cors cum tuz les hommes de ço mund, poy serroit u rien en regard de la dolur k'il sufri pur nus en un' hure de^AA24L21a [AA24L21a] rej  hure du68 jur. Dunt si jo puse vivre cent mile anz, e murir chescun jur mil fee pur luy de meyme la mort k'il murust une sule fee pur moy, rien ne amuntereyt a la dolur k'il avoit en soy. Dunt aukun homme diroit ke la peyne k'il sofri pur nus en la croiz estoit greynure ke ne fut la peyne de enfern en [f.197r] tant de hore; e veez purquoy. Nule creature ne pust sufrir tant cum Jhesu, pur ço ke nule n'avoit en soy tant de vertu. Mes akune creature pust sofrir la peine de enfern en pardurable feu, dunkes fu la peyne d'enfern mendre en tant de tens ke la peyne Jhesu. Jo ne di pas certeynement, pur la^AA24L31a [AA24L31a] rej  la superscript68 conscience de akune gent.^AA24L30a [AA24L30a] Jo ne di . . . gent: there is no corresponding sentence in H90.21, and it seems to be an interpolation in the French. I have not been able to trace the allusion to akune gent.68 E pur ço dist il meimes par Jeremie: Entendez a moy trestuz ki passez par la voye, e veez si il i a dolur semblable a moye. Certes nul a, ne unkes ne fu dolur [semblable] a la vostre^AA24L34a [AA24L34a] tant de A2 semblable a B268, tresduz Jhesu!

Ci devez penser de la duze Marie, de quele angoisse ele estoit replenie quant ele estut a sun destre e receust le desciple pur le meistre, cum ele avoit grant dolur quant le serf receut pur le seynur, le fiz al peschur pur le fiz a l'empereur, Johan le fiz Zebedeu pur Jhesu le Fiz Deu. E pur ço poet ele dire de soy ço ke dit Noemie: Ne me apelez mes bele tant ne quant, mes amere me apelez desoreenavant, kar de amertume e dolur grant m'ad replenie le tut poissant.^AA24L41a [AA24L41a] Ne me . . . poissant: see Intro. p. xlii.68

Meymes cele tenur dist ele en la Chaunsun d'Amur: Ne vus esmerveillez ke suy brunette e haslee,^AA24L45a [AA24L45a] haslee: H's si fusca sim 92.2, which reproduces the Vulgate wording (Cant. II.18), is interpreted and modified in the French: ke suy brunette e haslee. L's retranslation is self-contradictory: si fusca sim et pallida 93.2.68 kar le soleil m'ad desculuree. E pur ço dist un Engloys en teu manere de pité:

                       Nu goth sonne under wode:
                   Me reuueth, Marie, þi fayre rude;
                   Nu goth sonne under tre;^AA24L48a [AA24L48a] The English quatrain is not found in the original (H92.3). It is also absent from A2, but since the chapter in that MS finishes at 24.40, it may be defective. The quatrain was evidently added by the translator or else was a very early interpolation into the French. In either case, it can hardly be argued, as it has been, that it is more than likely that Edmund composed these lines himself (Carleton Brown, English Lyrics of the XIIIth Century (Oxford, 1932), pp. 165-6). See Intro. p. xlii.68

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                   Me reuueth, Marie, þi sune and þe.

Ore avez, pucele, esprovee la tranchaunte pointe^AA24L52a [AA24L52a] pointe: this is not found in all French MSS. B2 follows B1 and reads le trenchant espeie; pointe is similarly absent from B3, B4 and B7. Other MSS, e.g. A3 and A5, include it, as does A1. It is also retranslated as acutissimum punctum L93.8. The original has no mention of it: gladium doloris acutissimi H92.3.70 de cele^AA24L52b [AA24L52b] rej  pointe de cele superscript70 espee dunt Symeon vus fist mencion le jur de vostre purificacion. Ore avez receuhe la promesse ke Anne vus promist, la prophetesse.

25 [(XXII) De la mort Jhesu Crist e de la assencion a nune]

Devant nune devez penser de la passion e de l'assencion.

De la passion devez penser ke a tele hure del jur murut le autor de vie pur la nostre amur.^AA25L5a [AA25L5a] la nostre amur: this is the only example of the group possessive+noun used with the definite article. It is not found in B1, nor in most other MSS; it does, however, appear in B2.70 Ci devez penser de ses paroles^AA25L5b [AA25L5b] ses paroles: there are considerable variations in the presentation of the Seven Words from the Cross. The intention appears to have been to state each in Latin and then translate it into French, but in the extant MSS this is not consistently carried out. Thus A1 and B1 have only the French for the first and third, while A1 has only the Latin for the seventh. A2 has the first four and the seventh in French only, the fifth and the sixth in both. B3 has the first three in French only, omits the fourth altogether, has both Latin and French in the fifth (which it renumbers as the fourth), goes on to the sixth in both, and concludes with the seventh in French only. B1 and B2 omit the fifth. C2 has no Latin at all. The fifth word is of differing length in the various MSS. There are further variations in the order of the seven words. A1 and B1 both follow H, but A3 transposes the fourth and fifth, as does L93.22-24. However, in doing so, these MSS preserve the traditional order found, for instance, in Petrus Comestor's Historia Scholastica (PL 198, c. 1629-33). It seems evident that the extant versions of this chapter have suffered in varying degrees from errors in transmission.70 k'il parla en la croiz, e des quatre singnes ke avyndrei[n]t en sa mort.

La premere parole k'il parla fu ceste: Pere, pardunez a eus ço peché, pur ço k'il ne seent k'il funt. La seconde parole fu ceste: Amen, amen, dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in paradiso. Cest mot dist Nostre Seingnur al bon larron: Pur veir, pur veir le vus di, vus serrez huy oveske moy en parais. La tierce parole fu ceste k'il dist a sa mere de seint Johan en tele manere: Femme, veez la vostre fiz, e al disciple: Veez la vostre mere. La quarte parole fu ceste: Sicio, c'est a dire, Jo ai ceyf. La quinte parole fu ceste: Eloy, eloy, [lama zabatani].^AA25L17a [AA25L17a] lama zabatani A270 Quare me dereliquisti? c'est a dire, Mun Deu, mun Deu, purquoy m'avez deguerpi? La syme parole fu ceste: Consummatum est, c'est a dire, Ore est la prophesie paremplie. La seme parole fu ceste: Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, [c'est a dire, Pere, en tes mains baille jo mon espirit]^AA25L22a [AA25L22a] cest . . . espirit B270; e avala la teste e lessa le esperit.

Les quatre signes furent cestes: ke tote la tere comensa a crouler, e le veyl du temple comensa a fendre en dous meytez e cheir, e les peres fenderent, e lé monumens ovrerent e les mors releverent, e le soleil retreit sa clarté

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del mund de mydi treskes a hore de nune.

De l'assencion devez penser ke a tele hure munta Nostre Seynur en le munt de Olivete, veant ses disciples e sa duce mere, munta il treskes au ciel, e seit al destre de sun Pere. E les disciples returnerent en la cité, e furent ensemblez en une meson [en junes e en oreisonsune meson sis vins hommes pur entendre la venue[en junes e en oreisons]: this reading of A2 is superior to that of A1 here, q.e. sis vins hommes pur entendre. H has vacantes ieiuniis et oracionibus 94.7, but no mention of the centum viginti homines of L95.11. The phrase is also absent from A2. A3 follows the reading of A1. A5 is identical with A2 as far as Esperit, but then adds e furent ensemble en une meson chiefs uns homes pur attendre la venue del seint espirit. The reference is to erat autem turba hominum simul, fere centum viginti Acts I.15, and is clearly an interpolation into some of the French MSS. deske] la venue^AA25L32a [AA25L32a] furent en junes e en oreisons deske la venue A272 del Seint Esperit, ausi cum Nostre Seynur les avoyt comandé.

26 [(XXIII) De la cene e de la deposiciun Jhesu Crist de la croyz a vespres]

Devant vespres devez penser de la cene e de la passion.

De la passion devez penser coment Josep de Arimathie purchasa le cors Jhesu de Punce Pilate, e [chevalers]^AA26L6a [AA26L6a] [chevalers]: this is a necessary editorial addition, not only to remove a certain syntactic confusion but also because the Latin reads Venientes autem milites ad crucem, fregerunt crura latronum H94.14. This argues that an original *chevalers has dropped out of all extant French MSS, a fact which is confirmed by the retranslation: milites venerunt L95.17.72 vindrent a la croyz, e despesserent les quisses as deus larrons; e coment un des chevalers^AA26L8a [AA26L8a] un des chevalers: H adds nomine Longeus 94.15. This presumably is an interpolation; it is absent from all extant French MSS and from L95.18. The name Longinus is uncanonical (cf. John XIX.34) but traditional; it is found in the apocryphal Acta Pilati (ch. X).72 prist une launce e persa le costé Jhesu, e tant tost issi sanc e ewe. E Josep le osta de la croiz pur ço ke nul cors ne devreit demurir deseveli en si haut jur cum il estoit l'endemeyn.

De la cene devez penser coment a tele hore dona Nostre Seygnur son cors e son sanc [f.197v] en semblance de payn e de vin, ke nus pouns ver e le verray cors e le verray sanc Jhesu Crist, ke nus ne pouns pas ver de oil charnel.

La tierce chose est espiritele grace, ke nus recevuns quant nus recevuns cel cors e cel sanc. Nus veuns semblance de payn e de vin, e nepurkant la substance de payn ne de vin n'y est pas. E nus creuns ke yl i a verrayment le cors e le sanc Jhesu Crist, e nepurkant la semblance de char ne de sanc ne pouns pas ver. Pur ço ke nus averyuns hydur [quant] a^AA26L22a [AA26L22a] quant a A372 nostre cors pur manger char e beyvre sanc de homme, pur ço nus dona il sun cors e son sanc en semblance de payn e de vyn, pur conforter nostre sen corporel par teu manger ke nus sumus a hus de ver, e pur edefier nostre fey,

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par ço ke nus veums une chose e creums un' autre. E pur ço kant vus devez aprocher a l'auter pur estre acomuyngnee, ausi recevez ilokes cel sacrament cum si vus le receussez tut droyt hors de sun costé.^AA26L29a [AA26L29a] . . . sun costé: H adds here an extra sentence and four lines of verse (96.11-16). Since none of this appears in any extant French MSS, nor in L97.14, it is evidently an interpolation.74

27 [(XXIV) De la suur sanglante e de la sepulture a complie]

Devant complie devez penser coment Josep e Nichomede envoluperent le cors Jhesu en beu[s] lincheus e le enoyndrent de precius oyngnemens, e le mistrent en sepulture, e mistrent une pere a l'us del monument, e les Gieus mistrent lur sel sur la pere, e chevalers ki le devoient^AA27L7a [AA27L7a] la devient B274 garder.

La seconde chose est ke vus devez penser coment Nostre duz Seygnur, le jur de la cene quant il avoit supé, s'en alaove ses disciples en un curtil e se mist en oreison, e comensa^AA27L10a [AA27L10a] comensa: see note to 25.24.74 a suer en teu manere ke les gutes de sanc deguterent de sa benoyte face trekes en la tere.

28^AA28L1a [AA28L1a] given the extra chapters in the French, H's XXV must be divided into 28 and 29, XXVI into 30, 31 and 32. These divisions, although editorial, are less arbitrary than those to be found in the extant MSS.74[(XXV) De contemplaciun en Deu meymes quant a sa deité]

Ore avez materie e manere de penser de Deu en sa humanité. Aprés ço devez saver coment vus devez de luy penser en sa haute deyté.

29 [(XXV) Coment Deu ne se vot del tut mostrer ne del tut celer]

A ço devez saver ke Deu tempra issi sa conussance au comencement de humeyne nature,^AA29L3a [AA29L3a] au comencement de humeyne nature: the original reads a principio creacionis humane H98.7. See note to 6.4, 5, 13.74 k'il ne se voleit mie del tuyt mustrer^AA29L5a [AA29L5a] mie del tut mustrer A2 A5 B274^AA29L5a [AA29L5a] rej  tuyt a luy mustrer74 ne del tut celer. Kar se il se ust de [l] tut mustré, dunk ne ust creance ren value, e mescreance ust

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esté vencue, kar fey est de chose ke ne put estre vuhe. Dunt si jo vey, n'est pas fey. Si se ust del tut celé, dunc ne ust pas fey esté eydé, e mescreance ust esté escusee. E pur ço se voleit il partie mustrer e partie celer.

30 [(XXVI) En quantes maneres Deu se mostra primes a homme]

En quatre maneres se voleit il mustrer, en deus maneres dedenz e en dous maneres dehors; dedeynz par revelaciun e par reysun, dehors par escripture e par creature; par revelation quant Deus se mustra a akune gent par inspiracion u par miracle.

Par reyson veynt il a la conusance de homme en ceste manere. Chescun homme puet bien ver en sey k'il est; c'est a dire, k'il ad estre, e ke il n'ad pas tuz jurs esté; e de ço set il bien k'il comensa akune fee. Dunkes estoit aukun tens quant il ne estoit pas. Mes quant il ne estoit pas, dunck ne pout il en nule manere du mund fere soy meymes. [E ceo suit a force ke chescun home est venu d'autre qe de sei.]^AA30L14a [AA30L14a] E ceo . . . sei A376 Meymes ço veit homme en cheskune creature, kar il veit chescun jur les unes aler e les autres venir.

[31(XXVI) Cument Deu est sanz comencement e sanz fin]

E pur ço ke totes choses sunt, e ne sunt pas de eus meymes, pur ço covent il a force [ke une chose seit ke dune a totes choses estre, ceo est a dire, de ki totes choses sunt. De ceo covient a force]^AA31L4a [AA31L4a] ke une . . . force A776 ke celi par ki sunt totes choses soit sanz comencement. Kar si il ust comencement, dunc covendroit il k'il le ust de autre. Si il ust eu comencement de autre, dunkes ne ust il pas esté le premer auctur e premer comencement de totes choses. E pur ço estot a force ke celi de ki totes choses sunt soit devant totes choses, e nule chose devant luy. Dunke ne vint il pas de

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autre. E si il ne vint pas de autre, dunke n'avoit unkes comencement; kar chescune chose k'a comencement si coveynt ke ele eit comencement de autre. Kar chose ke n'est pas ne puet pas doner a sey memes estre. E pur ço covent en totes maneres du mund ke une chose soit ke unkes comencement ne avoit.

[32 (XXVI) Purquey Deu est apelé Deu]

E quant reson de homme vyt a force k'il ne pot autrement estre, dunke comensa il a crere fermement ke une chose estoit sanz comencement, ki est auctur e fesur e guvernur de kantke sunt; e ço apela il [f.198r] Deu par ceste resun. Kar ço mot Deus vent de un gru ke a a nun theym, e ço vaut autant cum crier hu nurir. E pur ço le apela homme Deu, pur ço ke il cria totes choses e nurist. E ço dist ço mot Deus. En ceste manere vint homme primes a la conusance Deu, ki est tuz biens, e de ki est quantke bon est.

[33 (XXVII) Coment Deu est une substance en troys persones]

Aprés ço vint reson de homme e vit a force ke cel Deu fust un sul Deu e nent plus, un sul comencement e nent plus. Kar si deus deus fussent, de ço syvreit a force k'en amedous serroit trop e tro[p] poy tut a une fie. En le premer averoit trop, pur ce ke le second^AA33L7a [AA33L7a] rej  seconde78 serroit sufficient, [car autrement ne serreit pas Deu. Par meisme la reisun avereit trop en le secund, car le premer serreit sufficient].^AA33L8a [AA33L8a] car . . . sufficient A778 De autre part, cheskun de eus serroit trop poy, pur ço ke chescun de eus faudroit a autre, kar nul de eus ne serroit autre. Mes chescun de eus si est soverein bien. Dunc

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faudroit bien a l'un e a l'autre; dunc serroit en le un e en l'autre trop poy. E pur ço si dous deus fussent, en ambedeus^AA33L14a [AA33L14a] rej  amemedeus80 [a]vroit superfluité e defaute tut a une fie; dunk covent a force k'il n'i eit fors un sul Deu.

De autre part, nul bien ne put failir a Deu. Mes pur ço ke duce chose e bone chose est le confort de conpaynie, dunke ne puet^AA33L19a [AA33L19a] puet A280 pas^AA33L19b [AA33L19b] rej  ne pust pas80 Deu estre sanz le bien de compaynie. Dunke covendreit il a force ke pluralité de persones fut en Deu le sovereyn bien.^AA33L20a [AA33L20a] Dunke . . . bien: this sentence corresponds to the more elaborate . . . Deo, qui est summum bonum. Ergo in Deo, in quo nulla est insufficiencia, nullus boni defectus, nulla substancie pluralitas, necesse fuit invenire personarum pluralitatem H100.28-30. It may well be that the two explicitly theological phrases nulla est insufficiencia and nulla substancie pluralitas, which are not translated in the French, did not form part of Edmund's original text but are later interpolations. Certainly if they are removed from the Latin, the resultant sentence is more in harmony with the economy of Edmund's style.80 E pur ço ke compaygnie ne put estre meyns ke entre deus, pur ço cuvint il ke en Deu fussent a tut le meyns dous persones. E pur ço ke compaynie vaut poy u n'a poynt de aliance ne amur, pur ço cuvint ke la tierce persone fut en Deu, ke fust le aliance e la amur entre les deus. E pur ço ke unité est bone e pluralité ensement, pur ço covint a force ke le un e l'autre fust en Deu. Par ceste reson vint homme a ceste conussance de Deu k'il est un Deu en soy e troys en persones.

[34 (XXVII) Purquey la premere persone est apelé Pere, la secunde Fiz, e la tierce Seint Esperit]

Meymes ço vit homme en soy memes, kar il vit bien ke^AA34L3a [AA34L3a] rej  ke superscript80 tut au comencement avoit il en soy memes poer; pus aprés le poer avoit il savoer; e pus comensa^AA34L5a [AA34L5a] comensa: see note to 25.24.80 a amer cel saver. E dunk comensa il a veer apertement k'il a en alme pusance, e de cele pusance vient savoer, e de amedous vient amur.

E quant vit bien k'il estoit en teu manere en luy, de ço avoit^AA34L9a [AA34L9a] avoit: it is difficult to accept this reading as correct. H reads estimavit 102.12, while L has intelligit bene 103.12. The mistake may have arisen from a scribal misreading of an original *asmait.80 il ke en teu manere devoit estre en Deu, ki est ultre luy. C'est a dire ke en Deu avoit pusance, e de luy issit savoir, e de l'un e de l'autre issit amur.

E pur ço ke hors de la premere persone vent la secunde, e hors de amedous ist la tierce, pur ço apela il la premere persone Deu le Pere, la secunde Deu le Fiz, la tierce Deu le Seint Esperit.

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35[(XXVIII) Purquoy poer est aproprié a Deu le Pere, savoer a Deu le Fiz, bunté e amur a Deu le Seint Esperit]

E pur ço k'il soleit^AA35L4a [AA35L4a] soleit: the imperfect form here is difficult to explain. The Latin has solet H102.24. The verb is repeated in the French, but the second time in most MSS correctly as sot or sout, only B2 giving soleit . . . solait. A possible explanation is that the translator, in a moment of aberration, accidentally wrote soleit for sout under the influence of the Latin form solet.82 estre issi entre hommes ke le pere sot estre plus feble ke le fiz pur antiquité, e le fiz meyns sage ke le pere pur sa juvente, pur ço ke l'em ne dust mie quider ço de Deu, pur ço est poer aproprié a Deu le Pere, savoer a Deu [li Fiz, amour et bounté a Deu li Seint Espirit].^AA35L8a [AA35L8a] li fiz . . . espirit A582 E pur ço ke ce mot esperit sone aukes en austerité, pur ço est a luy aproprié duçur, amur e bunté. En ceste manere^AA35L11a [AA35L11a] rej  maneres82 vint homme primes a la conussance de sun creatur, coment il est sanz comencement, e purquoy il est apelé Deu, un en substance e treis en persones; e purquoy la premere persone est apelé Pere, e la secunde Fiz, e la tierce Seint Esperit; e purquoi puer est aproprié a Deu le Pere, saver a Deu le Fiz, bunté a Deu le Sent Esperit. En teu manere devez conustre vostre [Deu],^AA35L17a [AA35L17a] ton deu A282 kar tele manere de conusance si est fundament de contemplacion. E pur ço quant vus avez en teu manere establi vostre quor en dreite fey, en ferme esperance, [e] en parfit amur, dunke devez lever sus vostre quor en la haute contemplacion de vostre creatur.

[36 (XXIX) Dé troiz degrez de contemplacion]

Mes alme vodroit suvent ver Deu par contemplation en sa nature demeyne e ne put. E dunkes revent ele a sey memes, e fet de soy meymes degrez par unt ele puse munter a la comtemplacion de Deu, ke ele puse primes ver e esgarder sa nature demeyne, e pus aprés la nature ke est ultre luy. Mes si vostre pensee seit par corporeles ymaginacions diversement esparpillee, jamés sey memes ne sa nature ensercher ne purra, [f.198v] kar de tant de pensees cum ele est amenee, de tant de obstacles^AA36L10a [AA36L10a] rej  des obstacles82 est ele avoglee.

Le premer degré de conte[m]placion si est ke alme

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revienge^AA36L12a [AA36L12a] revienge A2 revigne A384 a sey e recoyle sey^AA36L12b [AA36L12b] rej  receyve a sey84 tote dedenz soy.

Le second degré si est ke ele voie quey ele est quant^AA36L13a [AA36L13a] veye . . . quant A384 ele est issi^AA36L13b [AA36L13b] rej  ke ele soy ke ele se voie quele ele est issi; se superscript84 recoillee.

Le tierz degré si est ke ele soy leve ultre sei memes, e se peyne de regarder Deu son creatur en sa nature demeyne.

Mes a sei meimes ne put ele jamés revenir trekes ele soit aprise de restreindre chescune ymaginacion corporele, teriene e celestiele; quantke vent a son quor de wuhe, u de oie, u de tast, u de gust, u de aukun autre sen corporel, refuser e defuler, ke ele sey voie tele quele ele est tut sanz sun cors. Pernez pur ço bone garde cum aime est merveilluse en sey memes, coment ele est une en sa nature, e nepurkant si fet ele diverse[s]^AA36L24a [AA36L24a] diverse[s]: cf. note to 4.25.84 choses. Kar memes cele ke^AA36L24b [AA36L24b] Kar memes cele ke: this phrase, from which *est appears to have been dropped, is to be explained by the absence of a copula in the original Ipsa enim eadem que H104.30.84 veit par les oilz, out par les oreiles, guste par la buche, odure par le nés, tuche par les mains e par tuz les membres. Pus aprés pensez cum ele est graunde, ke de une sule pensee put conprendre cel e terre e tant ke lenz sunt, si mil fé fusent greynurs ke estre ne pount. Si vie de homme est si grande e si noble ke nule creature ne la pot entendre parfitement, cum grand e cum noble serra celuy ki si noble chose cria de noent! Il est ultre^AA36L32a [AA36L32a] rej  ultra84 totes choses, e desuz totes choses, e dedenz totes choses, e dehors totes choses. Il est tut amunt e tut aval, tut dedenz e tut dehors. Tut amunt, totes choses guvernant; tut aval, tutes choses susportant, tut dedeynz, totes choses paremplant; tut dehors, totes choses envirunant. Tele manere de contemplacion engendre en homme ferme creance e seure devocion.

Aprés ço devez penser cum il est larges, e ço poez vus ver en muz de maneres. Veez adeprimes cum il est larges de temporeu[s] biens, cum il done ses biens ausi bien as maveis cum as bons, en totes les choses ke vus veez en tere. Pus aprés cum il est large de parduner, kar si un homme ust fet tut sul autant de mal cum tuz les hommes du mund, unkore serroit il plus prest de la centyme part de luy parduner ke le cheytif ne serroit de pardun demander. Pus aprés devez penser cum il est large de biens espiriteus,

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c'est a dire de ces vertuz, kar ki ad une si ad totes. La quarte fee devez penser cum il est larges de biens pardurables a tuz ceus ke les volent a dreit demander. Kar coment nus pust il deveer ço k'il meymes nus amoneste de prier? De autre part, il nus volt doner grant loer par issi ke nus les voylluns demander. Priez moy, fet il, ke jo vus doyngne la joie du ciel, e jo vus duray tuz temporeus biens sanz demander. Ceste manere de contemplation de sa pusance e de sa largesse engendre en homme certeyne esperance.

Aprés ço devez penser de sa bunté e de sa duceur e de sa beauté. A ço fere devez prendre bone garde de la grand beauté e de la grand bunté e de la grant duçur ke est en creature corporele. Quantes choses sunt ke delitent le oil corporel pur lur beauté, e le gust pur lur duçur, e le nés pur lur odur, e le tast pur lur suavité, e issi de tuz les autres^AA36L63a [AA36L63a] les autres A286^AA36L63a [AA36L63a] rej  ces autres86 sens!^AA36L61a [AA36L61a] sens: The sense of hearing is absent here from all extant French MSS (contrast 2.8 and 36.25), although it was clearly included in H: et auditum propter eorum sonoritatem 106.29. Presumably it was early lost, since it has been replaced in the French by a vapid addition which is understandably missing from H: e issi de tuz les autres sens.86 Cum grant beauté, duçur e bunté deit estre e est en creature espiritele ke jamés fin n'avra, pus ke tant de beauté, duçur e bunté est en chose ke huy est e demeyn serra passé! De autre part, si tant de beauté e duçur e bunté est en checune creature, cum grant beauté, duçur e bunté doit estre en lur creatur! Vus savez bien ke plus sanz compareysun. Cest[e] manere de contemplacion engendre amur ver sun creatur.

Pus aprés, quant vus avez [si] regardé^AA36L72b [AA36L72b] si regarde A586 vostre creatur en regard de ces creatures, metez hors de vostre quor chescune ymagi[na]cion corporele, e lessez vostre nu entendement voler ultre cheschune humeyne resun. La troverez vus si grant duçur e si grant priveyté ke nul ne en set fors celuy sul ke l'ad espruvé. Si vus volez ço saver par enseyngnement, alez a celuy ke l'ad esprové [f.199r] par experiment.^AA36L78a [AA36L78a] rej  per experiment par experiment86 E tut le use jo cheytif esprové, si ne puse jo mie cunter, ka[r] coment puse jo cunter de boche ço ke ne pus[se]^AA36L80a [AA36L80a] peuse A586 penser de queor?^AA36L79a [AA36L79a] tut . . . de queor: the incommunicability of mystical experience is recognised and understandable; at the same time, expression of the author's inability to do justice to his subject is a well-known topos. See Curtius, Europäische Literatur und Lateinisches Mittelalter (Bern, 1948), p. 77.86 La chose est si privee ke ele surmunte chescune pensee, e pur ço me toys jo, e dreit est ke face, kar ço n'aprent pas launge mes fet sule grace.^AA36L72a [AA36L72a] In this paragraph Edmund touches briefly but explicitly on the topic to which his whole argument has been leading. The references to duçur, priveyté and the replacement of launge by grace link it indisputably not only with the apophasis of Dionysus the Areopagite and other Western mystics but also with the samādhi of oriental mysticism. The experience is ineffable, but comparable accounts of it in mystical literature are sufficiently frequent to attest its reality. Thus, in another country and another century, Santa Teresa of Avila writes in the same strain as Edmund: . . . acaece que en un instante le enseñar tantas cosas juntas, que en muchos años que trabajara en ordenarlas con su imaginación y pensamiento, no pudiera de mil partes la una . . . no es visión imaginaria, sino muy inteletual, adonde se le descubre, como en Dios se ven todas las cosas, y las tiene todas en sí mesmo . . . Castillo Interior, Moradas Sextas v.8 and x.2. Edmund's paragraph contains in embryo the teaching of the great fourteenth-century English mystics; at the same time it goes well beyond the kataphatic framework of religious instruction encountered in the previous chapters of the Mirour. It is perhaps because the paragraph was deemed inappropriate for general consumption that the B-text either severely reduces it, as in B1, or omits it altogether, as in B2.86

Ore avez troys maneres de contemplacion: une en creatures, une autre en escriptures,^AA36L85a [AA36L85a] escripture A2 A386 la tierce en Deu meymes en

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amedeus ses natures. Si vus vivez aprés cest enseyngnement, dunke vivez vus honurablement. Ço est la premere partie de nostre sermun, ke nus tuchames au comencement.

[37 (XXX) Quey est vivre honurablement, amiablement e humblement]

Aprés ço devez estudier de vivre amiablement quant a vostre prome. A ço fere, devez mettre tute vostre entente de amer e de estre amee. Vus devez amer tute gent en Deu, c'est a dire pur sule bunté, ne mie pur beauté de cors, ne pur bien chaunter;^AA37L6a [AA37L6a] ne pur bien chaunter: this odd phrase has no source in the original, which merely reads aut propter aliquod huiusmodi H108.27.88 kar beauté de cors e teu manere de chose si cum force e autre corporele vertu poet estre amee sanz Deu. E pur ço, amer homme en Deu n'est autre chose fors amer luy pur akune chose ke ne puet estre amee sanz Deu, si cum bunté e dreiture u verité, kar pur teu chose ne poét pas amer homme si vus ne amez Deu. E pur ço, kant vus amez un humme pur bunté u pur dreiture u pur verité, dunke le amez vus en Deu, kar Deu est bonté, dreiture e verité. Si nus sumus bons, dunk ne avuns [nul] ami fors bon ne nul enemi fors mauveis. E pur ço lé bons devons amer pur ço k'il sunt bons e les mauveys pur ço k'il poent estre bons. En teu manere ne amez vus ren fors bunté puys ke amez pur bunté.

E si vus volez estre amee, mustrez vus meymes amiable. Si vus volez estre amiable, retenez ces treis moz sanz ubliance: fetes ço ke l'em vus dist, e ço ke l'em vus prie; pernez ço ke l'em done, e ne grucez mie; suffrez en pacience ke [l'em vus die].^AA37L22a [AA37L22a] fetes . . . die]: see Intro. p. xlii.88^AA37L24a [AA37L24a] lem vus die A788^AA37L24a [AA37L24a] rej  ke lem vus chastie with ke . . . die superscript88 Si vus vivez sifeytellement, dunke vivrez vus amiablement.

Pus aprés devez estudier de vivre humblement. A ço devez saver ke il i sunt deus maneres de humilité: la une vent de verité e l'autre de charité. La premere poez aver par conussance de vus meymes, kar vus ne poez en nule manere du mund ver vus meymes quele vus estes en verité ke vus ne^AA37L31a [AA37L31a] rej  ke ne vus ne88 seez humiliee. La secunde manere poez vus aver

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si vus pensez suvent de l'humil[it]é Nostre duz Seignur Jhesu Crist, cument il sei humilia, ke unke peché ne fist. E cele humilité vient purement de charité.

Ore savez vus quey est vivre honurablement, amiablement e umblement; e ço est vivre parfitement. Nostre duz Seyngnur Jhesu Crist nus doint issi Deu honurer, nostre prome amer, e nus meymes humilier, ke nus pussuns pur nostre honur estre honurez, pur nostre amur estre amez, e pur nostre humilité enhaucez a la joie du ciel ke a nus est aparaillé.

Amen, par sa duze pité.

End